Rain and Direct TV?

[JaminT]

I'm faced with a doosy!

We were gonna head over to a friends to watch the game in all it's HD glory, but I'm concerned the DirectTV will loose signal due to the storms. Anybody have DirectTV experience?

[r5TPsooner]

Unless it's a monsoon, don't worry about it.

[birddog]

...is a volatile mix.

[Turd_Ferguson]

Unless it's a monsoon, don't worry about it.
Concur.

[JaminT]

So two votes for don't worry

and one for cable?

[Widescreen]

Depends on how well their dish is tuned/peaked. If they are already getting a marginal signal, rain could cause problems.

[fwsooner22]

I have DTV and my dish points through heavy tree coverage so the signal is already somewhat limited. However, I only lose the signal during storms that include lightning. Rain has little or no effect.

[aurorasooner]

It depends on whether you're close enough to an OTA (over-the-air) ABC station carrying the game. I get the local HD's over-the-air with an attic UHF antenna, but I've also still got a VHF antenna in my attic that I can switch over if either HD transmitter or the cable goes out. If you're close enough to a metro area then just plug in any radio shack set of rabbit ears to the RF input (if he's got HD he's using the HDMI or component inputs from the direct TV receiver, and the RF input should be free. It's always good to have a BU when OU's on the tube.

[JohnnyMack]

Cable.

[aurorasooner]

Cable. Yeah, I thought so too, until we had a power outage several years ago about a mile away (lightening strike blew up a transformer). The cable companies line amplifiers get the power locally and it left their main-line distribution amplifiers without power which left us with no cable, internet, or phone except for the cells. Our electricity flickered but immediately came back on, but we had no cable service for about 6 hours until Excel could replace the transformer.

[TUSooner]

loose = opposite of tight
lose = opposite of win or find

YWIA :D

[7titles]

Unless Im missing something how are you watching a local channel in HD on DirecTV. Dont you mean a local antenna?

[option]

Cable. Safer that way.

[Pepper]

Don't worry. I have Directv and it's shows a signal a higher percentage of the time than Cox cable ever did. The local channels with Directv are carried through cable or over the air via HD antenna. Even in rain I see no interruption during most storms.

[Scott D]

To be honest, about the only time I lose a signal is when it's one of those storms where the sky darkens to nighttime proportions during the day and generally has strong winds and/or heavy thunder/lightning. Secondary to that is when there's enough of a snow accumulation on the dish, but that's easily solved by knocking the snow off the dish. I've also had DirecTV for nearly 10 years now. My cable was far less reliable.

[fwsooner22]

Cable = 1980's Technology

[tennsooner]

Been on Direct for so long I forgot there is cable. Worst situation I ever had was a storm that knocked me off for about 10 minutes.

[aurorasooner]

The advantage of cable is that they still broadcast quite a few channels in analog SDTV, so if you've got more than 4 TVs in a household, you don't have to have a digital box at each TV. I've probably got around a dozen TVs, with about 80 channels of analog channels available to each set as well as a Baseband distribution system which can distribute either of my 2 Digital cable boxes or my Digital cable DVR (video/stereo audio)to any of 5 or 6 rooms, with RF distribution of digital cable on Channel 3 available to all rooms (one for all learing/rf remotes are great & cheap), and my cable package is running about $30/mos right now (digital basic with the sports tier) thru December and then will go up to about $50 for about 3 mos. until I complain, and it drops back down. I get HDTV to the main video room (and my computer HD card) just over the air from the locals. Now when cable decides to DC analog channels, or the government decides to do it for them--which will probably mean riots in the steets from people who can't get basic analog TV anymore)--or if Comcast keeps escalating and screwing customers with their price increases while adding only BS channels, Then I'll give directTV or Dish a look, but it would screw up my triple/play and Quest DSL really sucks (at least that's what I'm told). With all the heavy snow we had last winter, I have no doubt that I would've been ****ed with sat, my friends that have sat were.

[r5TPsooner]

OTA is the shnitz during college football and tornado season. I have NEVER EVER lost a signal with OTA and it is in my attic.

Thank you DirecTV.

[Crimsontothecore]

I've had DirecTv for 4 years and not once have I lost programming due to storms or rain. I've only had HD since February and the local stations have been just as reliable via the off-air ant.

[r5TPsooner]

My only "beef" with DircTV is them going from the TIVO HD DVR receivers to there own brand. The TIVO models were much better and easier to use. The DirecTV HD DVR receivers really aren't that easy to use and they tend to lock up quite a bit which means a complete system reboot.

I never had that problem with the TIVO receivers.

[oumartin]

sprinkles will affect directv signal

[Scott D]

sprinkles will affect directv signal

well if you'd quit having her mud wrastle with yer wife on the roof your signal would be fine ;)

[r5TPsooner]

Ahhhhh! Mud wrasslin.

[birddog]

i lose a signal about once a week with the daily rain showers we get. then it takes a few minutes to find the signal. i guess it all depends on your location and the strength of the storm. i've even lost my signal for 2 hours from a light storm.

[Animal Mother]

Down here in Baja Oklahoma, my DISH TV goes out more than I would care to deal with, but we also have Verizon FIOS (fiber optic cable) available. It’s the only cable I’ve seen that looks as good as DISH or DIRECT. We may be showing DISH the door. My internet is FIOS and “I’d call that a bargain. The best I ever had.” Insert windmill riff here.

[oumartin]

well if you'd quit having her mud wrastle with yer wife on the roof your signal would be fine


you mistake sprinkles for Rayne!

[Scott D]

you mistake sprinkles for Rayne!

cage match....extra mud!

[Scott D]

i lose a signal about once a week with the daily rain showers we get. then it takes a few minutes to find the signal. i guess it all depends on your location and the strength of the storm. i've even lost my signal for 2 hours from a light storm.

what's the average strength of your signal in good weather?

[SoonerTitan]

We lose signal if we get under one of those big dark clouds or if it's down pouring. Other than that it's fine even if it sprinkles and it's well worth it for Sunday Ticket alone!!

[Texas Golfer]

I recently switched from cable to DIRECTV. While, most of the time, I'm pleased, my signal gets lost in the rain.

[Scott D]

and what is your average signal strength in good weather golfer?

[Texas Golfer]

and what is your average signal strength in good weather golfer?

I've never checked signal strength but I am satisfied in good weather.

[soonersn2007]

I live in southern Arkansas and I might be effected as well by this same storm system. I will have Bob Barry running on a internet stream just in case I get knocked out.

[OU Adonis]

loose = opposite of tight
lose = opposite of win or find, or what Sic'em has yet to do with his virginity

YWIA :D

Fixed for you

[Scott D]

I've never checked signal strength but I am satisfied in good weather.

if you do a system test and select cable, it'll check the available transponders for you. Pretty much if they don't average between 88 and 100 your signal is generally good, but can go out a little easier in bad weather. Unfortunately there are parts of the country where the signals will be slightly weaker due to satellite positions. Although that number has been decreasing over time.

[soonerboomer93]

I've never checked signal strength but I am satisfied in good weather.

That's why you need to check it in good weather to determine if you have marginal signal.


Rain fade does exist. I don't know the Direct TV numbers, but I can give out the Dish numbers (and really, you just have to call and speak to someone to find out).

Standard minimum acceptable signal strength is 70 pts. Anything below 70 and you're subject to signal loss. Some receivers are more succeptable then others, ie. some cut off at 69 pts, others won't cut off until below 50 pts.

Rain fade can account for around 20 pts of signal loss in a big storm, so that means you want atleast 90 pts of signal of your main sats.

This information only applies to the main sats at 119 and 110. If you have signal from a side broadcast at 118.7, 121 then the signal requirements for those are slightly different, and actually lower then the ones for 119/110.

The golden rule though, is the more signal, the better.

I've talked to people who had signal through a hurricane before, with no loss on the locals.

so **** cable (except for the goodness that is a cable modem)

[aurorasooner]

but we also have Verizon FIOS (fiber optic cable) available. It’s the only cable I’ve seen that looks as good as DISH or DIRECT. We may be showing DISH the door. My internet is FIOS and “I’d call that a bargain. The best I ever had.” I wish qwest could get off their cash-strapped azzes and put in FIOS to compete with Comcast. The big drawback to the Qwest triple play of phone/'net/tv is that you have to sign up for DirectTV for a year and you're stuck with it, even if you have outages/problems and their DSL is just not very fast, although my Comcast cable speed is nowhere near 6 Meg and the latency is terrible. I think Comcast's Slowsky's turtle ad campaign is killing Qwest.

[bluedogok]

My only "beef" with DircTV is them going from the TIVO HD DVR receivers to there own brand. The TIVO models were much better and easier to use. The DirecTV HD DVR receivers really aren't that easy to use and they tend to lock up quite a bit which means a complete system reboot.

I never had that problem with the TIVO receivers.
I haven't had any problems with my HR-20 in the past year. Both the Tivo-SD and HR-20 work just fine.

If you are having "rain fade" then you need to get your antenna adjusted, I was getting those interruptions until I went up and realigned the dish myself after the initial install. Which was the firm time that I didn't install it myself.

[RedstickSooner]

It's on ABC -- so it isn't a DirecTV problem. Y'all are confusin' the feller by continuing to talk about rain fade.

If the house he's going to gets ABC, then he's fine, period. In fact, he's better off than a house with cable, if power goes out -- at least then, there's a chance the house might have a generator, while Cox, clearly, doesn't bother with such things.