Satellite TV questions

Big Katuna wrote:
DISH also lets you change to the local channels anywhere you travel. Directv couldnt handle it.

I've never had a problem changing locals with DTV. But then I'm a "very valuable customer". :B

...DirecTv and a portable sat.

???

I had Directv for years and carried a full size dish with a surveyors tripod.

we switched to DISH about a year ago with their new pricing ($49/MO for two years). Free HD and DVR service.

I have a Winegard Pathway X2 carryout (about $400) that can find the eastern or western arc automatically.

I have found DISH to be more rv friendly that DTV. With a 211 sat box, you hook it up to the carryout, plug it in and it knows it is hooked up to an autoseek device. It asks you which arc you want to search for, you click it and it does the rest.

DISH also lets you change to the local channels anywhere you travel. Directv couldnt handle it.

I could not be more pleased.

If you decide to go with Dish, the portable satellite antenna (Tailgater for example) finds the satellites automatically so no headaches trying to align the antenna. If you use a stationary antenna, you pretty much have to have a satellite signal meter or some other way to find the satellites.

Take your receiver(s) from home. No additional cost.
As for dish? Go online to places like solidsignal.com and pick a package that works with your receiver. Cost around 200 dollars. There are smart phone apps like dishpointerpro to aid in finding an open spot. There are dozens of gadgets from 10 dollar beepers that are worthless to 500 dollar dedicated tools to fine tune the dish. I personally use three things. Dish pointer to find the open spot. Align A Site to do the basic alighment, and the receiver signal meters to find the best signal.

You can't get an HD picture with DirecTv and a portable sat. Only Dish offers HD programming with portables. If you want an HD picture with DTV then you'll have to use a manual setup dish. If you have two DTV receivers at home you can simply bring one with you for free.
We have Dish at home and I have a portable sat that we bring. I purchased an extra receiver that stays in the 5th wheel. It only costs $7.00 a month to use. I can stop and start at any month.
Dish has an RV program and caters to RV'ers better. DTV doesn't really have any RV programs. But you can just as easily use it. It just depends on what you are expecting of it.

Many people carry a portable antenna in the RV and simply take their home receiver to their RV when they travel.

With Dish you can buy an additional receiver and add it to your home account for $7 per month. Don't know if Directv has something similar. Dish also has a pay as you go RV plan where you only pay for the months you actually use it. Last year our travel was limited and we only paid for one month for the RV account.

I have Directv at home.

There are several options, including at least one with no monthly fee. Which satellite service do you have at home?