DirecTV Mobile Package

In the January 2013 issue of Motorhome magazine, page 43, in the Readers' Choice awards, the favorite Satellite Provider was DirecTV. It says "DirecTV's Choice Mobile package for RVers provides access to 185 channels and get ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC channels with the Distant Network Service."

My question is this: Does DirecTV still adhere to the policy of not allowing more than 2 service suspensions per year with the RV package? It was because of this policy that I dropped DirecTV and went with DISH and their Pay-As-You-Go package. We are not fulltimers and we only use the service for one or two months at a time. The rest of the time we would be paying for service not used.

As a side note, DISH dropped Distant Network Service and we had to go with All American Direct. That has worked out okay, but no HD, everything is SD. I am assuming DirecTV's offerings would be in both SD and HD.
Is this correct?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

Bill

Direct TV has both SD and HD services, but you cannot get their HD using a dome-type antenna. Must be an open face dish to handle the satellites that provide HD on Direct.

I know Direct has a policy of six months maximum suspension in any one year, but I don't know if that can be split up over more than two time periods.

Directions I have from DirecTV are no more than two suspensions a year and each must be at least one month...
Works for me mostly.
Bob

Direct TV has both SD and HD services, but you cannot get their HD using a dome-type antenna. Must be an open face dish to handle the satellites that provide HD on Direct.

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Gary,

I hate to question you as you always seem to be on top of just about any subject.

I have a Winegard Carryout, and the Owners Manual does not say anything about not picking up DirecTV HD programming. It says it will work with most DirecTV receivers (we have a H21-200) and that it will toggle between satellites at 110 degrees and 119 degrees.

What am I missing? Is your post from personal experience? Is there a third satellite it must use for HD?

Bill

I had Direct TV HD service for a while with a dome. But that was 3 years ago and things may have changed.

DirecTV HD programming is on satellites 99 and 103 and also uses the Ka band which needs a different LNB.

What Ned says.  There will be some network HD on the regular 101 satellite feed, but most of Direct's HD programming (channels specifically designated as HD and sold as an HD package) are on the Ka band satellites that your Carryout cannot receive. Nor can any dome-type antenna made.

Please don't hesitate to challenge me on something - I've been wrong before. Just not too often, I hope. But we all learn from questions and besides, sometimes I didn't say quite what I thought I said.

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=9704-series&d=king-dome-9704-automatic-stationary-dvb%2Fhd-satellite

Gary RV Roamer said:

What Ned says.  There will be some network HD on the regular 101 satellite feed, but most of Direct's HD programming (channels specifically designated as HD and sold as an HD package) are on the Ka band satellites that your Carryout cannot receive. Nor can any dome-type antenna made.

Please don't hesitate to challenge me on something - I've been wrong before. Just not too often, I hope. But we all learn from questions and besides, sometimes I didn't say quite what I thought I said.

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We receive HD on our boat with the KVH system. We cannot receive HD on our RV with the Kingdome

Ken

I guess it is somewhat dependent upon your commitment period. If you are past that, and you want to suspend service call and talk to a service rep, do not do it online or voice response. I turned DTV off in September, turned back on at Christmas and turned off a couple of weeks ago until June. I was rejected by voice response and went to a real person, asked for membership cancellation and was given the suspension that I wanted.

Isn't it amazing how many "rules" those folks will bend to keep a customer!

I recently had DirecTV installed both at the S/B and on the MH. This is my first trip outside the 100 mile zone where I lose the local channels. On January 22 DTV's Distant Network Services refused to suspend my S/B locals and provide it to the MH. They said it would be against federal law. I'm getting great locals OTA so it's not a big deal but I may pursue it before my three month "discounted programing" period expires.

The FCC says you cannot receive both DNS and locals. That makes regulatory sense for a fixed site that is getting DNS because it can't get any locals, but for a mobile subscriber it's kind of meaningless.  But gov't regs are largely one-size-fits-all, so that's what we have.

If you are willing to drop the DNS, then you can change your service address as you move around and get locals wherever you are.

DirecTV told you true,  However if you have an RV account instead of a home account then you qualify for Distant Network Service.. They may give you locals as well since that is kind of automatic, when you are near your home,  If they do just do not say anything.,

They did that for me when I had 'em.  So did Dish I might add.

But it is a fact if you have a home account that gets local service they can not, legally, give you distant network service.UNLESS you get a seperate account for the RV (That means pay twice for the same service, no thank you)  Sorry about that. but hey, them's the rules.

I don't think I understand a couple of DirecTV terms (local and DNS) which resulted in my previous sloppy post. Maybe someone can tell me where I'm going wrong.

My home is in the Kansas City area and I have a DTV receiver at my home and a second on my MH. My DTV account is registered to my home address. While at home I receive KC local network programing (ABC, CBS, NBC & FOX) both at home and in the MH. I am currently in Phoenix and, as expected, do not receive KC local network programing. I also do not and didn't expect to receive Phoenix local network programing.

My understand was that while in Phoenix I should be able to call DTV's DNS, provide them with my current location and be provided with either an East coast (NY ?) or West coast (LA ?) feed for that coast's local network programing. My understanding was also that DTV would drop my KC local network programing at my KC area home during this period to satisfy the federal law. Also, each time I relocated I would need to call DNS to update them as to my current location to continue receiving the local network feed from the chosen coast. Upon returning to my KC area home an additional call to DNS would be required to reestablish my home's KC local network programing.

I currently do not receive a feed from either East or West coast local network programing while mobile in the MH and consequently don't receive ABC, etc. except on my OTA antenna. That's not a problem in the Phoenix area but surely will be at some remote sites. DNS told me that I may be able to get this feed if I applied for and then returned an afidavit indicating...yada, yada, yada... then, they would consider it (that's when I tuned out). Now, they may have thought that I was requesting KC local network programing while mobile when I was actually requesting a local network feed from one of the coasts.

So that is the question: Should I be able to receive a local network programing feed (ABC, CBS, NBC & FOX)from one of the coasts while I am mobile or is this against federal law or DTV's practices. Or, would changing my service address to the MH gain me this programing while mobile? Plus, how would I do this when I currently have a permanent address.

Thanks.

Quillback 424 said:

DNS told me that I may be able to get this feed if I applied for and then returned an afidavit indicating...yada, yada, yada... then, they would consider it (that's when I tuned out). Now, they may have thought that I was requesting KC local network programing while mobile when I was actually requesting a local network feed from one of the coasts.

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It's my understanding that to comply with Federal law you must apply for DNS service by submitting an affidavit stating that the receiver is in an RV, boat, etc, and providing a copy of the registration card.  DNS is a $15/mo add-on service; I've never known of anyone turning it on and off as you needed it, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.  We prefer to use the DNS network feeds rather than having to change the DVR to new channels in different cities.

When we do want to watch local channels we use a DirecTV over-the-air tuner which appears to be one of the best kept secrets in the business: http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=am21&d=directv-am21n-off-air-dual-tuner-(am21)&sku=8546300063  With a one-time purchase of $50 (no monthly fees) this tuner integrates with most DTV receivers and your local channels are displayed in the normal programming guide.  You can even use your DVR to record them.  It's almost like getting the local channels through DTV itself!

docj said:

It's my understanding that to comply with Federal law you must apply for DNS service by submitting an affidavit stating that the receiver is in an RV, boat, etc, and providing a copy of the registration card.  DNS is a $15/mo add-on service; I've never known of anyone turning it on and off as you needed it, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. 

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bobsharon said:

Directions I have from DirecTV are no more than two suspensions a year and each must be at least one month...

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So, after the receipt and approval of your request for DNS you should have access to the Channels either E or W coast (389 -398). Also note that you do not get notification of approval. The channels will "just magically be available" one day and the $15 Charge will start showing up on your bill.

My understand was that while in Phoenix I should be able to call DTV's DNS, provide them with my current location and be provided with either an East coast (NY ?) or West coast (LA ?) feed for that coast's local network programing. My understanding was also that DTV would drop my KC local network programing at my KC area home during this period to satisfy the federal law. Also, each time I relocated I would need to call DNS to update them as to my current location to continue receiving the local network feed from the chosen coast. Upon returning to my KC area home an additional call to DNS would be required to reestablish my home's KC local network programing.

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No, that is not true.  The East or West Coast network feeds are what is called DNS - Distant Network Service and is available only to mobile accounts or to a few fixed accounts which are in areas with no local tv service at all.  When you have just the fixed residential account and it has local service, the only thing you can do is change the service address so that "local" refers to a different area. That achanged address applies to all recivers on the account, so both the home and RV receiver woujld get the revised local area. That's fine if you are away from home and nobody stayed behind, but if someone is still at home they lose the local programming there, which basically means no tv at home while the RV is using the changed local area.

If you want DNS for the RV, it must have its own mobile account, which costs quite a bit extra. There is also an extra charge for DNS.

Thank you everyone. I think you've cleared it up for me and also provided other valuable options.

Larry

Gary RV Roamer said:

If you want DNS for the RV, it must have its own mobile account, which costs quite a bit extra. There is also an extra charge for DNS.

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Gary,

I am not sure what you mean about the mobile account. My service address was originally set to the park where I was on installation with a totally different billing address. I am not aware that my account for the RV is any different in price than anyone else's. Yes, there is a $15 charge for the DNS, but that's all I am aware of.

Kim