Can You Use a Direct TV Dish for FTA?

Direct TV satelllite dishes are poor for receiving FTA channels.

Free to air (FTA) satellite channels are available at no charge to anybody with the proper equipment--a satellite dish and receiver, according to Tech FAQ. Dishes provided by large, national companies such as Direct TV are usually insufficient for FTA viewing.

Identification

FTA receivers do not work well with Direct TV receivers and can only pick up a couple of FTA channels, probably not enough to make the purchase of a Direct TV dish and receiver cost effective, according to FTAList.com.

Considerations

Some Direct TV channels are FTA, mostly audio-only ones, according to Sat-Sales.com. LyngSat keeps a list of known FTA Direct TV channels.

Tip

To receive FTA channels, you need a dish that's 10 feet in diameter for signals in the C-band and at least a 30-foot dish for KU-band channels, according to Sat-Sales.com.

References

• Tech FAQ: Free to Air Channels
• FTAList.com: FAQ
• Sat-Sales.com: Questions about Free To Air Channels
• LyngSat.com: EchoStar 7 at 119.0°W