DirecTV or Dish Network as a new customer

[Karl Welhart]

This may seem strange to some, but need help and advice on which system to activate on our new coach.  It comes with "in-motion"  w/DirecTV receivers and it is also prewired for Wineguard.  The best I can tell at this point, that means I can use DirecTV in non-HD mode only or add a Wineguard antenna w/receivers for HD reception.

In 35 years of motorhomeing, I have never had satellite TV.... so pardon my ignorance on this subject   Therefore, any suggestions on the best system is appreciated.  BTW, I have cable at home and would consider changing to satellite if there is an advantage. It appears that if you combine the home and mobile systems together it is a very cost effective alternative to cable at home and separate mobile service in the coach.

Karl

[Edward Buker]

Karl.

We use Dish at home and in the coach and move the receiver. They also have a by the month plan where you can turn it off I believe if you did not want to change your home arrangement. I think Dish has an advantage over Direct in the HD reception department. If you can have any option and were going for a roof top system the Winegard SK 1000 Travler would be a great choice. It handles multiple receivers and provides HD coverage, it is basically the same antenna as used on a home installation with a mobile automated mount. The dish/LNB design used in this system is a well proven design that holds signal except in the worst downpours. One persons two cents....

Later Ed

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Karl,
I had cable at the house and Direct TV in the coach for awhile. Extra expense, even when I had Direct TV turn off service when not traveling. I switched to Direct TV completely and simply move one of my receivers from the house to the coach when traveling. However with both my Winegard and KVH domes  the receiver had to be a non-SWM (single wire) version. Be sure to verify your RV dish technology and make sure your the receiver you use has the same capability. Direct TV has not given me any hassle on this. I would suspect you could do the same with DISH, but not sure. Only downside I ran into was having to have a DTV receiver for each set in the house if we wanted to watch different programs on each set. This increase cost (~$5-6) per receiver /month but was offset by saving of not having both cable and satellite bills. I think Direct TV has a wireless (GENI??) system now that eliminates the need for multiple receivers.
Steve

[Justin Youngren]

We have dish at home and now in the motorhome, the cost per month is 7.00 per month but prorated if you only use part of the month. No charge to turn it off and on and you can call when you get somewhere for their local channels.  The package is the same as we have at the house. Hole this helps.

Pam

[Joel Ashley]

Like Karl, I've never had satellite, nor even cable at home, though our coach came with a Kingdome and DirecTV receiver and card.  I always figured that someday I'd subscribe and simply run a cable from an outside bay to the house TV coax box 20 feet from the coach and feed TVs inside when we are home.  It likely won't work that simply, even though our TV's are all interconnected in the house;  the receiver remote won't likely reach from family room to coach, but if at all plausible it would save at least $60/year.  Like Steve, I always presumed I may have to just bring the receiver inside the house.  As long as the Kingdome coaxes into the house feeds, I shouldn't even need a dish put on the house.

Like others note, reviews I've seen indicate DISH is more into HD right now if HD is important to you and your TVs can display it well.  One used to read a lot of customer service complaints about one or the other big U.S. satellite services.  Haven't heard so much lately on that, but others here may have opinions on the most recent experiences.

Joel

[Bill Sprague]

Karl,

I was a long time DirecTV customer.  I signed up when it was brand new and I was mad at my cable company.  It was easy to use both at home and in the motorhome.  Gradually it became complex.  The addition of local channels, more channels, DVRs and HD required more satellites and more complex receiving systems.  Politics got involved too.  The FCC was pressured by sports franchises, advertisers and stations to write rules that help us watch what they think we are supposed to watch.  For example, if I was in Seattle during a blacked out Seahawks game, DirecTV had to be sure I couldn't watch it.  

As the systems and FCC rules evolved, the "Terms of Service" agreements grew in detail and length.  What you could, should or be allowed to do changed.  At one point, a DirecTV representative told me I had to divide my account in two.  One would be for the condo and one would be for the motorhome.  And, yes, I would pay double.  

About a year ago, the receiver in the motorhome died from being 9 years old.  I was in Arizona.  My "service address" on file was our condo near Seattle.  The DirecTV representative refused to ship a receiver to Arizona.  He was only allowed to provide service to the "service address".  

Realizing that my TV watching has declined, I that I had reliably sent $15,000 to DirecTV over the years and (from my point of view) the service level had gone to hell, I quit.  (Karl, you can tell I'm still mad at them!)

As near as I can tell, Dish has some more RV friendly "terms of service" now.  What ever you do, read the fine print and make sure you know how you can tune the shows you want, especially the major networks.  Also be sure that the terms of service specially allow you to install systems in both the house and RV.  

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Direct TV 1997 no HD or Local in RV. Pay $4.95 per month for the extra receiver. Have none of Bill Sprague's grief with Direct TV, knock on wood.

[Justin Youngren]

Karl,  When or if you call dish you have to specifically ask for the RV service representative because no one else at dish will have a clue. The first time I called them they told me to call camping world where I bought it so I did and they told me who to ask for.  It is a separate department within dish. We bought the receiver at camping world and own it so there are no extra receiver charges just the programming. Pam

[Karl Welhart]

Again, thanks to all for the great tips.  I am getting somewhere with DirecTV but still do not understand the Dish system relative to MH applications.  Do you have to have the home account and then piggyback on that for the MH?

Karl

[David T. Richelderfer]

I have Dish - two receivers in my residence and one receiver in my coach.  They are all on the same account.  As far as I know, Dish has no idea where I am or which receivers I am using.  When I am home I use the two receivers in the home.  When I am on the road in my coach I use the one receiver in my coach.  If I change to new local channels while traveling, then Dish will know where I am located at that moment.  The two home receivers are also changed but since no one is there using the home receivers it is mute.  Last Winter while traveling in the SouthWest USA, I had a friend living in my home for five months.  He watched TV using one receiver in the family room.  He reported the family room's receiver would not show the Portland local channels - and that was because I had the locals changed corresponding to my travelling for my viewing while in the SouthWest.  At home all channels other than the Portland locals operated as usual.

All my receivers are DVRs and will receive two channels simultaneously.  In the coach I can in real time watch one channel in the front room and a different channel in the bedroom.  Or I can watch different recordings in the front room versus the bedroom.  For example, usually first thing in the mornings I am watching Squawk Box in the front room while she is watching HGTV in the bedroom.

[Karl Welhart]

David,

Thanks very much for the information.  Did you set up the account with separate receivers in your home and MH or are they all home?  They must know you are mobile because of the changes in local programming.  Can you share the monthly cost and do you own the receivers or are they included in the monthly charges?

Karl

[David T. Richelderfer]

Originally, I set up the account for my home.  I later added the third receiver for my Bluebird Wanderlodge.  Now that third receiver is in the Marquis.  I own none of the equipment.  It is all on the monthly lease.  I have the Top 250 Gold package and the Golf channel, but do not have any movie packages.  My monthly cost is about $130.  I know I could get TV cheaper, but I am a stock trader and almost every morning I am watching the financial and news channels.  I also watch and play a lot of golf.  I don't knit.  I don't read books.  I watch TV, play golf, smoke cigars while on the course, and look after my investments and, as my son puts it, my expensive toys.  lolol   Life is about decisions and discriminating among our various environmental inputs.

[Dick Simonis]

Regarding the Dish service, I recently upgraded my service at home to the Hopper receiver and got another one for the MH by calling it a guesthouse.  Since it was parked along side the house it was easy to justify.

I did have to jump through a few verbal hoops with the CS rep when I told them the guesthouse had it's own dish and had no cable connection to the main house which is why I had to have a separate receiver and could not treat it as an extension for the central receiver.  Also, in order to use the Hopper the dish has to be a full size unit or it own't work.  My Winguard traveler fit the bill so no problem there.

One you clear the CS issue they send out a contract company to do the install and they could care less that it's in a MH as long as the dish is correct.  While they we doing the install I also ordered a Joey for the bedroom.

All this is on one account and I think is an extra $10,00/mo for the receiver and Joey.  FYI, it works great and I love being able to record 3 programs at a time.

[Larry Williams]

If you look back through the forum over the last year there was a long discussion on the pros and cons of dish vs directv in MHs. As i recall, it was easy to get an extra receiver added to your home and for you to move it to the MH yourself with dish (that is what I do). But it seems to me the discussion said it was hard to do the same thing with directv. At least they would not let you if you told them. I may not be remembering properly so look for that thread.

[David T. Richelderfer]

I just got off from chatting with a Dish Customer Service Representative.  I can get ONE Hopper and multiple Joeys for the house with no problem.  One Hopper for the first TV and additional Joeys for additional TVs - an additional Joey for each additional TV, assuming the additional TVs are in different rooms, I suspect.

The potential problem came when I asked for a SECOND Hopper and a Joey for the coach.  The CS Rep said I must talk to their RV Department.  I suspect their modern configuration - that being ONE Hopper with multiple Joeys - is designed to prevent multiple residences from operating on ONE account.  She hesitated when I asked for TWO Hoppers and TWO Joeys - one of each in the house and coach.

Bottom line: If I get TWO Hoppers and TWO Joeys, then the cost would be just over $140 per month on my selection of subscription.

As Mr. Simonis pointed out, it appears I must contact the RV Department to become authorized to get that SECOND Hopper and Joey for the coach put onto my one house account.  But that should not be a problem because I already have a THIRD receiver in my coach on my one home account.  All I am doing is upgrading from older receivers to their new Hopper/Joey system.