If you’re like most people, you probably have a satellite TV and Wi-Fi connection in addition to your regular cable and phone service. And if you’re lucky, you also have a backup signal for your satellite TV that you can use if the primary signal goes out. But what about if your Wi-Fi connection goes out or your satellite TV loses power? You might be able to use your Wi-Fi connection as a backup signal for your satellite TV. And this is especially true if you have an Ethernet cable running between your computer and the satellite box. To do this, you need to set up a rule in your router or modem that says when Wi-Fi is available, it will be used as a backup signal for the satellite TV. This can be done by adding a line item to the router’s settings called “Wi-Fi Backup.” Once this line item is added, whenever Wi-Fi is available, the box will try to connect to the network and use that connection as a backup signal for the satellite TV.
DirectTV has released a new feature available to residential TV subscribers, called “SignalSaver,” which can use your home internet connection as a fallback when a satellite TV signal is unavailable. On supported set-top boxes, when the satellite signal goes out, the TV can automatically switch to the same channel streamed over your home internet connection.
Streaming TV over the internet is not new or revolutionary — services like YouTube TV, Hulu TV, and Sling are only available over an internet connection — but DirectTV’s new feature is a helpful boost for satellite connections. There are some catches, though. You need a decent home internet connection, and it doesn’t work with all channels. DirecTV told The Verge that it’s only available for 83 national networks, such as CNN, ESPN, and The Weather Channel. It also won’t automatically switch back to satellite once the signal clears up.
In theory, the new feature should give satellite TV customers the best of both worlds — your TV won’t usually cut into available bandwidth for your home internet, but it’s still an option if weather conditions aren’t cooperating. Hopefully, other providers like Dish will implement similar functionality.
Source: The Verge, Next TV
