Directv Hint

[mitch5252]

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I've had Directv for over nine years now. I have HD programming, HD televisions, and HD receivers in all but one room. I always noticed that in times of bad weather, the HD went out rather quickly and the SD did not. (VERY frustrating when one of your favorites shows is on during a t-storm).

Anyway, a Directv service guy was recently at the house. I was mentioning the HD problem I experience in bad weather. He said to go into the settings on the HD receiver and UNHIDE SD duplicates. When the weather gets bad, switch your channel over to the SD version. I was quite skeptical, and needed to wait for a storm to test his "theory" (those of us with Directv understand all the BS their service personnel bandy about...)

Today, I am having the remnants of the huge storm that blew through here last night. Judge Alex in HD froze up. I changed the receiver to SHOW SD DUPLICATES, changed to the SD version of local Fox and voila - there's Judge Alex, talking in all his SD glory. This is the 4th time the tech's advice worked perfectly. Only once did it fail to work.

The jury is still out on trying to tune in an HD box with a portable antenna (with the HD channels hidden). I am still in the experimental stage. Visitors and now storms have slowed research progress.

It was a tip I just LOVED finding out. Hopefully, it will work for those of you with DirecTV HD in your house.
I also don't know if the same thing works with Dish.

The End.
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[Excel]

Appreciate your post...and I do have Directv....Would you please tell me what HD & SD mean? Don't have heavy storms here so don't lose power unless they're working on the lines & have to turn power off.......

[mitch5252]

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Sure.

HD = High Definition

SD = Standard Definition

The High Definition signal requires far more information be transmitted to your receiver. That's why it's more susceptible to bad weather. No so much with Standard Definition.

[Excel]

Thanks Mitch.....Don't know what I have except some of the channels show that they are HD but most aren't. I don't seem to have any trouble getting all the channels I pay for....However, been having trouble with my remote control....it doesn't want to turn the TV off or turn on the box or DVR....Finally called them to find out what I could do....the gal tried to reset it but she says it looks like it's worn out so sending you a new one.....worn out?????? Didn't know that happened....

[mitch5252]

Yup, Char - I have a couple that I'm going to need to replace.
They do "wear" out.
Glad they're sending it to you, no charge.
I thought they were $30.

[Excel]

Whoa!!!!! The rep never said anything about a $30 charge....hope I'm not billed!

[mitch5252]

Oh, if you're a good, long-time customer, I'm gonna bet they won't charge you. They "give" you so many freebies most times when you call. I'm looking to get another SD (Standard Def) receiver out of them...

[Excel]

Mitch.....just had to get back to you....As I said yesterday I had to call about my remote control....the gal at Directv got me going & said she'd send a new one...........guess what was in my mailbox this AM.....Yep! A new remote.....can't believe how great their service is....Just thought I'd share....and BTW, I called to have help setting up the new one....5 min. and all done.....whoa! Love it.....now if they could help me put my pool sweep back together I'd really be in business......

[mitch5252]

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Yes, these days, sometimes companies get their Customer Service right.
More often than not, though - they don't, and your contact with them ends up in a hair-pulling nightmare.

I'm glad this one worked out well for you!!

[mitch5252]

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An hour or so ago, I posted this "hint" over on rv dot net. Here is a reply from the Winegard tech who monitors the Technology Forum:

The OP is exactly correct. The DirecTV HD programming is broadcast on the KA band and this has a weaker signal and a narrower beam so it is more easily effected by rain fade. However, when the KA band drops out the KU band is likely still there and that's where all of the SD programming is broadcast.
This is not a solution for Dish customers since all of the Dish programming is on the KU band but it definitely works for DirecTV customers.

Bill Adams
Dealer Tech. Trainer
Winegard Company
Full timer since 1997

[Bethers]

Don't you just love being right? And now I'd say that's an advantage of direct TV over dish.

[Acadianmom]

I would think the remotes can wear out because my DH wore the numbers off his. I'm not about to tell my DH that I could change the programing to SD so he could get the weather channel when we have bad weather. He drives me crazy with the Direct TV as it is. The other day when the bad weather came through and our electricty blinked a couple of times his receiver kept trying to start up. He wouldn't let it finish before he would start pushing the buttons on the remote. Finally he couldn't get anything and I just left. When he went to the barn I rebooted the receiver and let it finish and the programing came back.

Martha

[mitch5252]

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LOLOL - oh, Martha, you bad. Real bad.
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[Redwahine]

Ok, this has nothing to do with the HD vs SD. But just learned that you can watch DirectTV on your tablet as long as your close enough to your receiver box. It's available for iPad, Android tablet & Kindle Fire. "On Demand" video streaming is available on the iPad, coming soon for the other platforms.

[mitch5252]

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Actually, Red, your iPad must be connected wirelessly to your wifi at home. You can only watch "live streaming tv" on certain channels, none of which is a local channel. I just counted 27 available on my iPad. You can also have a receiver connected to your router and "register" it with the app. You can then watch THAT channel (except not locals) on your iPad. You can also watch some (if not all - I don't know for sure) ON DEMAND movies and tv shows, etc.

My DSL is not fast enough for any of this to work.

And perhaps this app works differently in different markets (like maybe near a big city...?)

There is also another Directv app on my iPad that allows me to look at the guide online and schedule a recording remotely (say from a McDonald's) to any DVR in the house.

And, that's about all I know.

PS: I understand that Directv is adding more LIVE STREAMING channels all the time (albeit slowly, very slowly).