Advise on Satellite choice

I vote DirecTV. For ease, you can get a roof-top dome, automatic aim dish ($$$) or go with the basic dish, tripod, strength meter and compass. ($100?).

Remember once you're under trees and such, a rooftop is more or less useless.

Research and investigate. g'luck !

check out who has packages/channels/etc. you desire. if NFL $$$$ you need direct AIR. I've had dish for 20 some years and am satisfied.
bumpy

Be advised that your antenna choices to get Direct TV HDTV is limited, where with Dish you have a much wider range/style of dishes that receive HDTV.

Unless you get a home style dish (either ground mounted tripod (cheap!) or roof mounted automatic (expensive!) then your choices with both services have limitations. With the dome style automatic antennas you cannot receive ANY of the DTV HD programming. If you can get by with the SD version then you will be OK. With Dish you can receive HD but the dome can only "see" 1 of the 3 satellites at a time so using a 2nd receiver or a DVR will usually cause issues.

It seems that DirectTV is now gearing up with AT&T to provide endless downstreaming for their HDTV channels. Just got recent brochure for their new plans ranging from $35 to $60 per month. Brochure says "Stream live TV and ON DEMAND anytime, anywhere, data free when you have AT&T Wireless..." This will be HDTV over the internet... No equipment to install - No SAT Dish required... Everything is downstreamed to your devices... If you are signed up with AT&T it is provided at no additional cost or something like that...

Have no idea how this is going to affect SAT TV in RV units for the future... I already do the Internet this way using Verizon Wireless.... I downstream our local cable TV provider over the internet now to watch our local HDTV channels here around the house and outside around the patio.

Also do same thing here when driving Ms Daisy around the local town doing her shopping. I watch our local HDTV cable channels over the internet connection just fine sitting in my truck anywhere I have internet connections... Our local provider also has installed several WIFI Hot Spots antennas around our town for anywhere TV as well at no cost to subscribers... We don't actually have to have HDTV here anymore- The local provided small Box has HDMI output and that is all we run the the HDTVs now. In my radio room here one of those local cable boxes feeds one of my 24-inch monitor HDMI channels - No high dollar HDTV required... Sounds and works great just using my HDMI computer monitor... I figured this out when my HDTV on the wall in my radio room went out on... Just plug the cable box into the computer monitor now... Computer monitors are alot less expensive than high dollar HDTV's

Using the local cable company over the Internet is real useful for me to watch the HDTV Shows I miss the previous night when other things are ON at same time or busy doing something else. Looks great on my Dual 24-inch monitor setup here both sound and picture...

Might be wave of the future for SAT TV viewing across the country... No SAT Dishes to worry about... Who knows...

Roy Ken

Bill.Satellite wrote:
. With Dish you can receive HD but the dome can only "see" 1 of the 3 satellites at a time so using a 2nd receiver or a DVR will usually cause issues.

only if you want to watch two channels NOT on the same sat????
bumpy

I've had both and have Dish now which is better. Get the best satellite dish you can afford, as long as it will automatically hook to satellites. I like a portable dish better in case you get under trees you might be able to move it about to get reception. If you have Dish at home you can buy an inexpensive receiver and just pay $7 per month for service.

Dish or Direct? Basically a personal choice with really not much difference. Many of us have had Dish for years and very happy with it. Others feel the same about Directv.

Being in one place long term, a tripod mounted antenna will work fine. And probably give more reliable reception in inclimate weather in the long run due to the larger dish size. Takes a little practice aiming it. Moving regularly makes an auto antenna a little more desirable. A portable antenna of either type, rather than a roof mounted one, allows you more flexibility for locating the antenna if there are a lot of trees around your site.

Ok sat 101.1 (Only about 1/10th my normal post
Antennas come in 2 times 2.2.2 flavors
Dish/Dome
Mounted/Portable

Advantages:
Dome antennas can be either "Stationary" or "In motion" (If mounted) but can only see one satellite at a time.. Dish uses 3 sats, Direct as well and what is more the domes can not see the High Definition Direct Sats.. (They can dish)
SOME domes can switch from 110 to 119 to I think it is 127 under receiver control but only a SINGLE receiver can control. If you have two or more, or a dual channel DVR you need multiple domes.

DirecTV a dome works,,,, but not DirecHDTV and direc is trying to go all HD.

The other type of Dome is portable.. (This is the 2.2.2 part of this, now of the the first of those 2s

Dish antennas also come in mounted or portable, But you get the dish that matches your service (Dish or Direct) and it works, one receiver, 2, 10 makes no difference, it works.

The other 2, the one without points
Portable or Mounted
Mounted (rooftop) antennas are nice if you are parked in a place like I am just now.. Unlimited view of the sky, NO TREES... But alas if you are parked under the evil signal eating tree,, NO JOY (or in the satellite shadow of a building)

Portable antennas.. Can often be set up "in the clear" out from under said tree.


Finally we have "packages" both Dish and Direc offer a bunch of packages.. in the past I suggested you choose the one you like best....

Two cautions.. UP-selling (Talking you into buying more and more packages) is common, they will take that 19.95 and turn it into 69.95 or 99.95 faster than you can say "What happened".

Second: DNS, (Distant network service) Direc still offeres this but Dish can not so they do something different.

Make sure you get an RV account, Odds are selling you DNS on your home account is not legal. With DNS you get Networks (ABC, NBC, CBS et-al) from one of the "Super Cities" like LA or NYC... Dish you have to call and get your locals re-done every time you move.

Your choice.. My choice OTA.

wa8yxm wrote:
...........
With DNS you get Networks (ABC, NBC, CBS et-al) from one of the "Super Cities" like LA or NYC... Dish you have to call and get your locals re-done every time you move.
.....

Getting Dish local network channels is not a big deal. We have Dish. When we move out of the current service area we are in, a phone call or a chat box on the Dish web site and within a few minutes we have local network channels from the nearest major city to where we are located, along with the local news and weather. And by that we get the programming in the time zone we are currently in. With DNS, you get the network programming, but in either the eastern or Pacific time zones.