If you have a boat, you probably know that if you haven’t lost standard definition local channels you probably will soon. It’s not a problem for folks on land because most DIRECTV customers have high-definition-capable satellite dishes. But, if you have a boat –especially a smaller one– you may have a single-satellite system like an Intellian i3 or KVH TracVision TV3. Those systems can only get signals from DIRECTV’s 101 satellite and that satellite doesn’t carry high-definition local channels.
Most TV stations turned off their standard-definition feeds in favor of HD all the way back in 2009. It was part of a move to digital television that drove a lot of people to get new TVs. You were probably one of them. But, in order to serve their existing customers, DIRECTV kept standard-definition feeds. Advances in their compression technology meant that all national channels, plus many locals, could all fit on a single satellite. This meant boat owners had a choice to use a smaller, less expensive satellite antenna and many of them did.
As time went on, DIRECTV started to make changes so that two of their oldest satellites could go out of service safely and on schedule. The original satellite at the 101 location, as well as the satellite at the 119 location, are expected to go out of service this year. That means local channels found on the 119 satellite are being turned off. Local channels on the 101 satellite are also being turned off as the satellite they’re on is scheduled to go out of service. There’s a new satellite at the 101 location which will eventually carry a mix of high definition local and national channels. Eventually, all SD service will end but even single-satellite systems will be able to get channels from the 101 satellite.
All standard definition local channels will eventually be turned off, with the possible exception of New York and Los Angeles locals which are used for DIRECTV’s airline customers. You can check this article which gives an always-up-to-date list of cities without standard-definition locals.
DIRECTV is moving forward with turning off standard-definition local channels and they are not planning to restore them. However, we may see more high-definition locals on the 101 satellite. The technology used on the 101 satellite is more resistant to rain fade and easier for things like planes and boats to receive. As standard-definition locals are phased out, that will make more room on the satellite for high-definition channels. It’s not clear whether they’ll fill that satellite with more HD national channels, or more HD local channels. DIRECTV is constantly updating which channels are on which satellite, and they do it so well that most folks don’t even realize it’s happening.
This means that if you rely on standard-definition channels for your boat, you have a decision to make. But, it doesn’t have to be a hard one. The folks at Signal Connect can lay out all the options for you, and there are some really attractive choices. They’re different for different customer types, though. That’s why I don’t really go into detail online. Instead, you’ll want to talk to the experts at Signal Connect.
Signal Connect’s tech team is here to help! Call us during East Coast business hours at 888-233-7563. We’ll explain all the options for you. Then, we’ll help you get set up no matter what you choose. Along the way, we might show you how you can keep the programming you want and pay less! Call us, or if it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
The post Will DIRECTV ever restore local channels for boat owners? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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Here’s why this is happening
Most TV stations turned off their standard-definition feeds in favor of HD all the way back in 2009. It was part of a move to digital television that drove a lot of people to get new TVs. You were probably one of them. But, in order to serve their existing customers, DIRECTV kept standard-definition feeds. Advances in their compression technology meant that all national channels, plus many locals, could all fit on a single satellite. This meant boat owners had a choice to use a smaller, less expensive satellite antenna and many of them did.
As time went on, DIRECTV started to make changes so that two of their oldest satellites could go out of service safely and on schedule. The original satellite at the 101 location, as well as the satellite at the 119 location, are expected to go out of service this year. That means local channels found on the 119 satellite are being turned off. Local channels on the 101 satellite are also being turned off as the satellite they’re on is scheduled to go out of service. There’s a new satellite at the 101 location which will eventually carry a mix of high definition local and national channels. Eventually, all SD service will end but even single-satellite systems will be able to get channels from the 101 satellite.
What local channels are disappearing?
All standard definition local channels will eventually be turned off, with the possible exception of New York and Los Angeles locals which are used for DIRECTV’s airline customers. You can check this article which gives an always-up-to-date list of cities without standard-definition locals.
Bottom-lining it
DIRECTV is moving forward with turning off standard-definition local channels and they are not planning to restore them. However, we may see more high-definition locals on the 101 satellite. The technology used on the 101 satellite is more resistant to rain fade and easier for things like planes and boats to receive. As standard-definition locals are phased out, that will make more room on the satellite for high-definition channels. It’s not clear whether they’ll fill that satellite with more HD national channels, or more HD local channels. DIRECTV is constantly updating which channels are on which satellite, and they do it so well that most folks don’t even realize it’s happening.
This means that if you rely on standard-definition channels for your boat, you have a decision to make. But, it doesn’t have to be a hard one. The folks at Signal Connect can lay out all the options for you, and there are some really attractive choices. They’re different for different customer types, though. That’s why I don’t really go into detail online. Instead, you’ll want to talk to the experts at Signal Connect.
Signal Connect’s tech team is here to help! Call us during East Coast business hours at 888-233-7563. We’ll explain all the options for you. Then, we’ll help you get set up no matter what you choose. Along the way, we might show you how you can keep the programming you want and pay less! Call us, or if it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
The post Will DIRECTV ever restore local channels for boat owners? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
