Satellite TV has been popular for years because it doesn't need much ground infrastructure, but it is prone to signal loss during storms. At least one satellite TV provider now has a workaround for that: your home internet.
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.