# Interested In Direct Tv



## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

I've always been reluctant to go with satelite. I dont want a contract. When my kids lived at home I would have needed too many boxes to make it affordable. But now its just my wife and I at home so two boxes would work. My cable service is very aggravating in HD channels. The signal isnt strong enough sometimes and they keep blowing smoke up my rear with excuses. I'm thinking if I get satelite I can also catch football games and nascar while camping. What would I need to do this? Do I just buy a portable antenna and take my box from home? Is it that simple? Also lets say I want to watch TV in my barn, which is wired for cable, do I just take a box from another room and hook it up in a different room? TIA, Randy


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## maddog (Dec 16, 2009)

I bought an HD slimline Directv dish for the camper and take two boxes out of the house during camping season. You will need a tripod for the dish. With directv it will need to be a 2" mast so the winegard tripod will not work. As far as the barn, the cable to the barn needs to be hooked up to the dish on the house.


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## joeymac (Aug 19, 2010)

rsm7 said:


> I've always been reluctant to go with satelite. I dont want a contract. When my kids lived at home I would have needed too many boxes to make it affordable. But now its just my wife and I at home so two boxes would work. My cable service is very aggravating in HD channels. The signal isnt strong enough sometimes and they keep blowing smoke up my rear with excuses. I'm thinking if I get satelite I can also catch football games and nascar while camping. What would I need to do this? Do I just buy a portable antenna and take my box from home? Is it that simple? Also lets say I want to watch TV in my barn, which is wired for cable, do I just take a box from another room and hook it up in a different room? TIA, Randy


I bought my second dish and tripod off of ebay. You will want to get a compass to keep in the OB, as finding the signal can be a challenge without one.
They do make portable dishes that find the signal automatically, but be prepared to spend about $600-$700 on them. I spent about $100, on my setup, and just take a receiver out of the house when we leave. I get all of the locals, and the HD channels as well. Keeps the kids entertained on a rainy day.


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## 2011 keystone outback boy (Feb 19, 2011)

I have direct tv at home as well as comcrap..... oops i mean comcast really sucks. Just got my outback last friday so havent thought about it for the camper yet.


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

So if I understand you guys I can move my boxes from room to room if I want to. I can also buy a second dish and take a box in the camper. If thats the case I can get by with 2 boxes. We usually only watch one TV at home anyway. My main TV is HD as is the one in the camper but all my other TV's are standard tube style. Will an HD reciever work on a non HD TV?


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

2011 keystone outback boy said:


> I have direct tv at home as well as comcrap..... oops i mean comcast really sucks. Just got my outback last friday so havent thought about it for the camper yet.


We have TW and it also sucks. HD channels freeze and the internet slows way down in the evening. They say I live too far from the road to get a strong signal. Yeah right. People in the sub-divisions have the same problems.









Even if I get Direct TV I dont know what I'll do about internet.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I have directv and love it. Sometimes in a really bad storm the HD will go out and I will switch to standard....OHHH THE HORROR!! Anyway, when we go camping I just grab a receiver out of one of the kids rooms and hook it up to a portable dish on a tripod that I got for free from another member on here. You just go into setup and enter the zipcode where you are camped and the receiver will tell you the azimuth and elevation for the dish....usually just takes a few minutes. ---mikes


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

rsm7 said:


> So if I understand you guys I can move my boxes from room to room if I want to. I can also buy a second dish and take a box in the camper. If thats the case I can get by with 2 boxes. We usually only watch one TV at home anyway. My main TV is HD as is the one in the camper but all my other TV's are standard tube style. Will an HD reciever work on a non HD TV?


Yes, you can use the HD receiver on non-HD sets, just won't get HD!!!


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I can't speak for using a dish with your trailer but I do have some information on satellite tv. When I was shopping for a satellite provider, also because I could no longer stand comcast, I found that direct tv and dish network prices at that time were not all that different once you figured out all the costs.

Direct tv's packages are cheaper but they get you with equipment charges. They require one box per tv and charge you rent on each of those boxes.

Dish network requires one box for every two tv's. Dish network doesn't charge extra for HD but does charge a $6 per month fee if your box is a DVR as well. The only charge you get as an equipment fee if you have more than one box. The charge $14 per month for an additional box. So if you have two tvs and only need one box, you are charged for the channel package, a $6 dvr fee if you have a dvr and a $6 service plan if you want it. I get the service plan because it reduces any service call to $15 and all equipment is replaced free of charge.

I work in a large office and have talked to quite a few people about their dish service. The overwhelming consensus is that the customer service at direct tv is awful. I've never had a problem with the customer service at dish network. This is just what I found during my research. I'm sure there are people who love direct tv. It just didn't seem like the right choice for me.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

Yea..You'll hear good and bad for both. I've been with derectv since 02 and never had one complaint. They bend over backwards to make me happy. Even knocked off $50 from my NFL ticket just cuz I had a a minor billing problem. ---Mike


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

In comparing the two the price is nearly identical. Programming is nearly identical but I might lean slightly toward direct TV. But Dish has the duo reciever which can run 2 TVs. I like that idea. How is the DIRECT TV CINEMA? It says 6000 shows and movies at no charge. Is there anything worth watching? On a side note my cable box took a crap Sunday so I got a new one and it has worked much better. Fate? I'm still leaning toward satelite so I can watch football during fall camping.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Love having our Dirct TV. Take two boxes, they are very small and no problem, quickly hook up both. Hard part can sometimes lining the dish up. Sometimes we have strong signal , no picture, takes a little tweaking and a few bad (ok, alot) of bad words from Rick. Don't know why guys have to get all frustrated and cuss. Does it really help????


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I haven't tried the cinema but I think its pay per view. They just have a lot of movies before the video stores and netflix. As far as NFL sunday ticket... thats why I got directv to begin with. I live in GA and grew up in DC and will always love my Redskins no matter how bad they are doing so I have to watch them. NFL ticket is addictive and worth every penny to me. I can watch what ever game I want every weekend. ---Mike


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> Love having our Dirct TV. Take two boxes, they are very small and no problem, quickly hook up both. Hard part can sometimes lining the dish up. Sometimes we have strong signal , no picture, takes a little tweaking and a few bad (ok, alot) of bad words from work. Don't know why guys have to get all frustrated and cuss. Does it really help????


Yes it does help.....a lot.







---Mike


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> Love having our Dirct TV. Take two boxes, they are very small and no problem, quickly hook up both. Hard part can sometimes lining the dish up. Sometimes we have strong signal , no picture, takes a little tweaking and a few bad (ok, alot) of bad words from Rick. Don't know why guys have to get all frustrated and cuss. Does it really help????


I'm a bad one for that too. You women complain when we dont express ourselves then complain when we do. Just cant win.









So I'm leaning toward the Dish Network. We're going to Bristol next week so I'm going to wait till we get back. I was wondering how the local channel package and the regional sports package works when you camp outside your area? If I have Ohio local and camp in North Carolina do I still get my Ohio channels or will it switch to NC local?


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## joeymac (Aug 19, 2010)

rsm7 said:


> Love having our Dirct TV. Take two boxes, they are very small and no problem, quickly hook up both. Hard part can sometimes lining the dish up. Sometimes we have strong signal , no picture, takes a little tweaking and a few bad (ok, alot) of bad words from Rick. Don't know why guys have to get all frustrated and cuss. Does it really help????


I'm a bad one for that too. You women complain when we dont express ourselves then complain when we do. Just cant win.









So I'm leaning toward the Dish Network. We're going to Bristol next week so I'm going to wait till we get back. I was wondering how the local channel package and the regional sports package works when you camp outside your area? If I have Ohio local and camp in North Carolina do I still get my Ohio channels or will it switch to NC local?
[/quote]
Yes, at least that is how it works for DTV. When we camped in PA this summer, I got all of the Cincinnati area locals all week. Was able to catch up on local sports and news.


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## maddog (Dec 16, 2009)

rsm7 said:


> So if I understand you guys I can move my boxes from room to room if I want to. I can also buy a second dish and take a box in the camper. If thats the case I can get by with 2 boxes. We usually only watch one TV at home anyway. My main TV is HD as is the one in the camper but all my other TV's are standard tube style. Will an HD reciever work on a non HD TV?


You can move the boxes from room to room as long as the room is hooked to the dish on the roof. Not sure if HD receiver will work with standard tv but a HD tv will work with a standard box. Probably shouldn't be any different but have not experienced that yet.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

With my dish network DVR 622 box, tv #1 is HD and tv #2 is standard by default.


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