Do you need a single-wire upgrade?

Solid Signal shows you the easy way to upgrade your DIRECTV system

It´s called SWM technology and it´s been standard for DIRECTV installs for about three years. Before SWM, every receiver needed a separate line all the way to the dish or multiswitch... and and DVRs needed two lines. This made it hard for installers working with homes pre-wired for cable TV, increasing costs and install times. Homeowners who had cables running through the walls didn´t like the idea that they needed more wires, often outside the walls, to get basic service.

DIRECTV SWM technology was developed to address this. The goals were simpler installation, a single wire to each receiver, and the ability to use splitters across the line in order to make installs go faster. Our SWM Installation Guide will help you install a DIRECTV SWM system all by yourself!

SWM technology was introduced with the HR20 DVR and rapidly moved across the equipment line, By 2009 all new DIRECTV equipment was SWiM-capable, but could still be used with the older setups. However, starting in 2012, DIRECTV started making receivers and DVRs that required SWiM technology: the HR44 Genie DVR and the H25 HD receiver. What can you do if you want to upgrade, but don´t have SWiM technology? Install DIRECTV SWM easily all by yourself!

DIRECTV dishes that are not compatible with SWM

There are two ways to know if you if you have SWiM technology installed already. Start with pushing the {DASH} button on your remote. In newer receivers this will pop up a message like the one shown above. It´s simple... if it says SWiM Connected, you are.

If you can´t get to the receiver, you can look at the equipment. Round dishes and the old Phase III dish are not SWiM-compatible. The AT-9 Dish (shown at right) is SWiM-compatible but should be replaced due to reliability issues. If your dish looks like one of the above, with a round reflector or two heads up front, you will need to replace it to upgrade to SWiM.