Dish or Direct?

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ZuniJayne

ZuniJayne

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Posts
334
Location
near Albuquerque, NM
Greetings, gang!

I am getting ready to go on the road for the winter.  I currently have DirecTV's basic family package.  I just restarted it from a voluntary suspension.  I don't watch TV much.  This basic package is pretty cheap but doesn't have USA, SciFi, etc.

The DirecTV folks say the best they can do for me is $43 a month for the package that has USA, SciFi, etc and the local channels.

Dish can do a package for $39 that is comparable, including the local channels.

I seem to recall hearing that DISH no longer supports RVers or has that "exemption."  Is this still true?

I do not need HD or a roof mount.  I used to toss the DISH out on the ground mounted on a 2x6, weighted down with a rock, and get great reception. <g>

I realize that I can't get my local channels out on the road (I think) but would like east coast feeds when I am "out there."

Can anyone give me input on which company I might select, and maybe how to get the local Albuquerque channels when I am home but the east coast feeds while on the road.

TIA,

Jayne
 
Hi Jayne, long time no see.

I don't know about Dish, but DTV has a statement on their web site that says you can't mirror your home service to another receiver in the RV; They'll treat the additional receiver as a separate service and charge full service fees. But that's only if you call them and say "I have this extra receiver that I use in the RV".
 
First the best service for RVers, epcially if you have a DOME antenna, is DirecTV standard service.  Exactly what you have at home

The reasons have to do with Domes.. IT's also the easiest ground mounted dish to point, though Dish has better software for pointing.

That said.

Dish Network, both HD and SD work with a dome and a Single receiver such as a 311 (SD) or a VIP211K (HD) Direc does not play nice with domes in HD.. IF that is, you want HD.

Dish is not allowed to offer "Distant Network Service" at this time (Which is the "RV thing") however a 3rd party does offer it for dish customers.. That company is All American Direct Communications LLC and DISH will kindly provide their contact info.
 
Jayne,
Since you are an mobile (RV) customer, the comments about an extra receiver and related charges do not apply. You can get a mobile (RV) waiver from either Direct or Dish so that you can get network deeds, but the East/West network feeds for a mobile user (called Distant Network services or DNS) on Dish will come from a  third party rather than Dish itself. For you, the subscriber, it makes no difference at all how the service is supplied. Since Dish appears to be a bit cheaper for the services you want, I would go with them.
 
You're a home user now, and if you file for the waiver to become a mobile customer, you will lose the local stations in order to get the DNS stations.  You can't have both on the same receiver.  If you switch to Dish, it's similar but the DNS stations aren't sold by Dish, but a 3rd party.  The same rules regarding the local channels will apply.
 
Ned's right and I did not state it clearly.  You have to file the RV waiver to become a mobile customer and qualify for DNS. That means you are no longer a fixed (home) user.  By the way, Direct charges me an additional $9/month for the East & West Coast network feeds (DNS), so make sure that is figured that into your pricing.

The alternative is to keep your local service and call to have "local" changed each time you move to another area. That way you get whatever tv is local to your location at no extra charge. Essentially you are just moving your "home" each time.
 
Check your bill again, Gary.  The DNS channels are now $2.99/network, or ~$12/month for the 4 major networks.
 
One other thing Dish Network probably didn't tell you, is that they charge an additional five dollars a month if the receiver isn't  hooked up to a telephone line. That will make their package $44 a month if you're on the road. 

Their system is a little more difficult to set up because they use multiple satellites for even their basic packages. However, I wouldn't make that a deciding factor because it's really not a big problem once you get used to it.   
 
Check your bill again, Gary.  The DNS channels are now $2.99/network, or ~$12/month for the 4 major networks.
Click to expand...

You're ruining my day, Ned. I was unhappy enough to be paying an extra $9/month.

I can't get on the DTV website right now, so can't check my bill. Says it is being upgraded.
 
Sorry, Gary, didn't mean to spoil your day.  I get email from DTV when my bill is ready and I download it from the web site.  I've gone to paperless billing for every account that offers it so we aren't paying to have all those paper bills forwarded to us.  And I read the bills when I download them to avoid any surprises :)
 
RV Roamer said:
You're ruining my day, Ned. I was unhappy enough to be paying an extra $9/month.

I can't get on the DTV website right now, so can't check my bill. Says it is being upgraded.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's your bill that's being upgraded!  :eek:

I'm not too happy with DTV prices, either.  What's the status of the proposed DirecTV & Dish Network merger?  If that goes through there's only one direction that our bills will go -- and it's not down.  :mad:
 
I haven't downloaded or looked at my bill in a couple months and it is autopaid by credit card, so I probably missed the DNS price increase. I was expecting an increase anyway because a special package price I had was expiring.  Just another example of why you should always check your statements.

Anyway, I just checked and it is $11.99 as Ned says.
 
There are rumors of a DTV/DN merger, but they're just that, rumors.  Perhaps you're thinking of the XM/Sirius satellite radio merger, which has been approved.
 
By the way, depending on time of day, phase of the moon, or perhaps amount of alcohol in the customer service rep's system, you can ask to be "upgraded" to local channels and get it along with DNS.  Of course, they're only good when near you're service address.

Al
 
Thanks for your input, everyone!

I ended up taking DTV's $10 per month discount deal.They apparently don't charge extra if you are not hooked into a phone line, cuz I've had the receiver for a couple of years and (1) never had it hooked to a phone line and (2) don't see an extra charge for it on my bill.

Aiming shouldn't be a problem for me...I can aim my Hughes dish fine.

The 'home + RV issue will be moot, as I am planning on buying a small Blue Bird Wanderlodge or Barth in the near future and fulltiming again.  YYYYYEESSS!!!!!

 
I tried to email them and the message bounced. Not sure if I have it wrong in my address book or they changed ISP - we exchanged emails a month or so ago. I'll have to give Ann a call and see what's up.
 
Tom Gary,

Hope you got their email.  I have it now if you don't.  I called Ann a few weeks ago and we had a great talk.  Unfortunately their Barth is too long and has no actual oven.  I'm still looking. :)
 
I have Directv and get both the Orlando locals and the Distance channels.  I also have the high definition package. I do not get the Distance channels in HD. They said I could not get the Distant HD channels because of having the local channels in HD. I found that if you are at a new location for a considerable time you can transfer your locals to that location. Some at Directv says you can't, but I did it in Cincinnati last summer. I had a lot of trouble transferring the locals back to Orlando, but finally got someone at Directv who knew how. It was a technical problem not a policy issue. I spent about 4 hours on the phone getting the problem fixed. All three of my receivers are registered to be in the motorhome ;D. When you get the service you want, don't give them any more information than they need to fix any problem. With all of these services the bill is astronomical :mad:.

Wayne
 
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