By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Former Sony employee.

TV Answer Man, I was at the gym the other day and they had DIRECTV hooked up there. It was raining outside and the DIRECTV signal was not working because it was raining. I thought they had fixed that problem long ago. Not true? — Pete, Prince Frederick, Maryland.

Pete, DIRECTV has suffered outages during rainstorms and snowstorms since it first launched nearly 30 years ago. You will be watching your favorite show when suddenly the signal disappears. Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to rain or snow particularly hard to lose the picture.

How to Keep Your DIRECTV Signal When It Rains Or Snows

The satcaster last year introduced a new feature, called SignalSaver, which enables you to switch to its streaming service when the satellite picture goes out. If your receiver is connected to the Internet, a Keep Watching prompt will appear on the screen when the outage occurs. You click on that and then a ‘Loading Streaming Content’ will display. The missing channel will begin streaming within seconds. Your receiver will then attempt to load the program using the satellite signal. But if the signal is not available, the ‘Keep Watching With Broadband’ option will display until the satellite signal returns.

Although DIRECTV’s streaming version does not have every channel that’s on satellite, it does have the most popular networks. You can see a list here.

This is not a perfect solution, particularly since some channels are missing, but it’s a life saver as well as a signal saver if the outage is a long one.

To counteract signal outages during rain or snow, DIRECTV also employs several technological techniques:

a. Larger Dish Size
A larger satellite dish can capture more signal, compensating for the losses caused by rain attenuation. DIRECTV installers often recommend larger dish sizes in areas prone to heavy rainfall.

b. Signal Strength
Adjustment: DIRECTV receivers are designed to automatically adjust the signal strength. In light rain, the signal may not be affected significantly, but during heavy rainfall, the receiver will attempt to compensate for the attenuation by boosting the signal power.

c. Redundancy
DIRECTV uses multiple satellites to provide coverage, which increases the chances of uninterrupted service. If one satellite experiences signal degradation due to rain, the receiver can switch to a different satellite with a stronger signal.

Also worth noting: After a snowstorm, you might need to clear the snow off your dish before your picture returns.

Pete, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.