HD network upgrade: Outdoor equipment

Your Shaw Direct satellite TV service requires two main pieces of equipment – a satellite dish outside and a satellite receiver inside your home.

Positioned on the end of your satellite dish is a piece called LNB. Depending on the type of LNB, you may be receiving a signal from one, two, or all three satellites.

Since 2012, all LNBs deployed have been xKu. This type of LNB receives a signal from all three satellites. All customers will require xKu by September 2019 in order to keep their channels.

To determine whether you have access to all three satellites, go to your satellite receiver and press GUIDE and then 988. The message on channel 988 will tell you whether:

• You’re “all set” (with existing access to all three satellites and an MPEG-4 satellite receiver)
• You require a dish upgrade (in order to gain access to the third satellite)
• You have a newer dish but require a receiver upgrade (to an MPEG-4 model)
• You require both a dish upgrade and a receiver upgrade.

If you see a message indicating an upgrade is required, contact us to learn about the available upgrade offers.

If you contact us and book a dish upgrade, we will set up an appointment to send an installer to your home. Someone over the age of 18 will need to be present for the appointment, and the installer will also require access to any satellite receivers inside the home.

If you happen to live in an area without a local installer available, we may ship you the necessary equipment. Resources to help you complete the install are readily available on the Self Install page. Once the dish has been upgraded, you will need to contact us to update the channel map on your receivers so that you can access all of the available channels.

Upgrading your dish provides immediate access to over 130 MPEG-4 HD channels currently provided by our third satellite.