Directv

original poster here - I called a couple different times today, something I used to do trying to find someone at AT&T who actually knows what they are talking about, still getting conflicting information from them. I think I will go back to my original plan and spend the money to convert the Traveler to Dish this spring before heading out. AT&T just don't seem to want my business.

Carl n Susan wrote:
I believe DNS is still available for RV Accounts (not household). You can only get one set (NY or LA) and it will be the ones closest to your billing address.

I have read that an LA or NY billing address gets them across the country, but others have written that is not true; the spot beam is LA is different from the country wide (CONUS?) signal. Beats me, and I have no way to verify.

It may still be available but not if you can't find someone at Directv who knows how to sign you up or even give you a price for a service they have never heard of.

Keep asking the computer for technical support until you get a human. Then have them change the service address to LA locals. It may be helpful to actually be in the LA area to confirm you have the locals. That will also give you the DNS channels. No additional charge. That's how I do it and I always get a technical support person first.

One time I used chat but it wasn't any faster.

We have DirecTV, with service at our home in Colorado. When we use our Winegard dish while traveling with DirecTV service, we still get the Denver local channels.

If you want the local channels I don't think DirecTV offers a service like that, at least not one that's a total PITA to deal with as you move around. From what I read, Dish is more RV friendly. We aren't switching because Dish doesn't have our local sports station, and also we don't travel enough for it to be a big deal to not have local to our location stations.

JAC1982 wrote:
We have DirecTV, with service at our home in Colorado. When we use our Winegard dish while traveling with DirecTV service, we still get the Denver local channels.

If you want the local channels I don't think DirecTV offers a service like that, at least not one that's a total PITA to deal with as you move around. From what I read, Dish is more RV friendly. We aren't switching because Dish doesn't have our local sports station, and also we don't travel enough for it to be a big deal to not have local to our location stations.

You probably are still traveling within the Denver spot beam. I also have Direct and loose the Denver stations in upper Montana, southern New Mexico and eastern Nebraska. It is apparently a large spot beam. I have switched service areas at times but it is a pita due to inexperienced reps.

RAS43 wrote:

JAC1982 wrote:
We have DirecTV, with service at our home in Colorado. When we use our Winegard dish while traveling with DirecTV service, we still get the Denver local channels.

If you want the local channels I don't think DirecTV offers a service like that, at least not one that's a total PITA to deal with as you move around. From what I read, Dish is more RV friendly. We aren't switching because Dish doesn't have our local sports station, and also we don't travel enough for it to be a big deal to not have local to our location stations.

You probably are still traveling within the Denver spot beam. I also have Direct and loose the Denver stations in upper Montana, southern New Mexico and eastern Nebraska. It is apparently a large spot beam. I have switched service areas at times but it is a pita due to inexperienced reps.

When we lived in Colorado, we would get them up to Glendoe, WY and down near 4 corners. It was a very large spot beam. Once north of Glendoe, we would lose them. Down in Arizona we would lose them.

Ken

I get DNS for NY and LA.

2chiefsRus wrote:
original poster here - I called a couple different times today, something I used to do trying to find someone at AT&T who actually knows what they are talking about, still getting conflicting information from them. I think I will go back to my original plan and spend the money to convert the Traveler to Dish this spring before heading out. AT&T just don't seem to want my business.

The accurate info is here. You CANNOT get local FL channels once you get too far away from your home stations. There are things called spot beams that broadcast the signal. Imagine a flashlight shining on the Earth and only covering a few hundred miles. Once you drive outside the flashlight beam you are "in the dark" and will lose ALL Network programming. Things like Food Network and TBS are NOT using a spot beam but rather a CONUS beam (CONtinential US) and are available where ever you travel in the US, some of Canada and some of Mexico. Even AK but SD only and it takes a bit of magic with a Trav'ler.
Yes, DNS is still available but you can receive only East or West. This is determined by where the RV is registered. If you are in ET or CT time zones you will get East MT or PT time zones get the West feed.
DISH is not a bad plan but their signals are spot beamed as well so leaving FL using DISH will cause the same loss of signal but it is much easier to change your location with DISH than it is with DTV.
I have been fulltime with DTV since 2000 and have both E & W so I'm pretty spoiled by the Grandfathered DTV service I have.

We are full timing and had a few hiccups until we figured out the right people to talk to. You have to call and ask for the movers Department. There slang for it is "Snoowbird Service". Ask them to change your location only and not your billing address. The direct number to that department is 877-407-4720. Ignore all of the choices and speak to a human.