Portable Satellite Questions

Also, use the Signal Meters screen, not the Signal Strength screen - the one that shows all the xponders.

The SM screen reacts instantaneously. Not so much the other one.

If it were me and you already had experience manually pointing an antenna, I would stick with it. You can download an app for your smart phone called Dish Pointer Pro and it will show you exactly where in the sky the 101 satellite is located. It should cut your pointing time in nearly every case.
As a direct answer to your question, the dome style auto. pointing antennas work great for DirecTV or Dish (some are Dish only). They are simple to setup and they should last you for many years if you treat them with care. If you use DirecTV at home the easiest solution is to stay with DirecTV.

If I were you I'd try to get better at dish aiming. You don't say what you use, but I use a Swift Hitch portable TV which substitutes for someone watching the TV and yelling at me. In line meters are expensive and I find them rather difficult to use. Your receiver already has a meter that's never wrong. Also, I believe the Genie receivers have the beeps. That would be nice, as I have no idea why DTV silenced them in their HD receivers.

SD sucks, basically.

Winegard SK-SWM is a direct HD antenna system. As an alternative from a nimber of Ebay sellers you can buy the latest Direct meter. It will get you peaked signal in a couple of minutes. Plus it has the ability to troubleshoot other coax issues.

DirecTV and AT&T have joined up to provide SAT TV over the internet. No SAT ANTENNA needed...

Just need a big AT&T DATAPLAN and use AT&T cell phone towers...

AT&T has really improved their coverage area of late but I guess VERIZON still has the best coverage area across the whole USA...

Been several folks on here posted about using their new system setup and it apparently works great...

I have got brochures from DIRECTV trying get me to sign up again... It almost sounds like AT&T now owns DIRECTV perhaps...

Added Note: "DALLAS, TEXAS – July 24, 2015 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has completed its acquisition of DIRECTV. The newly combined company – the largest pay TV provider in the United States and the world – will offer millions of people more choices for video entertainment on any screen from almost anywhere, any time." from GOOGLE SEARCH...

Roy Ken

This may not help, but a few months ago when I first heard about Direct TV doing away with SD TV, I sent a email to Winegard asking if they knew anything about this. The reply was NO.
Now, this may have been just a marketing statement. I am sure they want to sell their SD equipment as long as possible.