How the Upcoming Location of the Sun Could Affect Your TV Signal

Ah yes, the wonderful transition from winter to spring. 

Plants see new growth, days get longer, people venture outdoors again, and—your TV buffers? Yep, in early springtime—and again in early fall—you may experience TV buffering for a few minutes a day due to what’s known as a “sun outage.”  

What’s a Sun Outage? 

Let’s take a look at what’s happening during this phenomenon. First, it’s important to understand how Ritter Communications is able to send your favorite shows and channels to your home. All TV providers use a geostationary satellite to collect broadcaster feeds and send signals back down to Earth. Geostationary simply means that the satellite lines up with the Earth’s equator and makes one full rotation as fast as the Earth does. In this sense, the satellite appears stationary to those of us on the surface of the planet.  

A sun outage occurs during the spring and fall equinox when the sun moves directly in line with these satellites and interferes with the communication between the satellites and TV equipment on the ground. This interference can cause buffering, or intermittent interruptions, to both the sound and video for a couple of weeks or so. Your picture may freeze and your audio can sound distorted. Different channels may buffer at different times, but don’t worry, it won’t last long! 

Is there anything I can do?  

Be patient! The good news is that this buffering won’t last for more than 15 minutes a day, which is just enough time to grab a snack, stretch it out, or snag another pillow. Once the satellite is no longer in the direct path of the sun, your service will return to normal; no need to reset your TV box or call us.  

Still have questions? No problem! Visit this blog from Westwood One to learn more about Sun Outages. 

Feel free to reach out to a Ritter Communications Customer Care Representative to learn more!