Importance of Providing Cable TV

[AustinEastRV]

Dear Campers,

I am getting very close to breaking ground on a new RV Campground in Austin, Texas.

To that end, I have an important technology question and would greatly appreciate your guidance and feedback.

How important is Cable TV at your pedestal?

Thanks to Austin's robust technology infrastructure, I have the ability to bring data (read: Internet) to the site via fiber-optic line. This, in turn, will be distributed 100% park-wide via fiber-optic lines to WiFi towers. I believe that we have designed a powerful system that can provide excellent Internet access across the boards.

This, combined with the many campers that choose to utilize their own satellite systems, has left me with a conundrum. Do I make the significant infrastructure & contractual investments to provide Cable TV at the pedestals, or, is it simply not that important to modern campers?

The last thing I wish to do is "cut corners", but I also do not wish to waste funds on unnecessary expenses when said funds could be re-channeled toward other improvements.

Your input is greatly appreciated!

Thank you all in advance,

John T.

[Bumpyroad]

when I traveled and just stopped overnight, if the park had cable I didn't even bother getting out my Dish. I wouldn't abandon the potential cable users.
bumpy

[AustinEastRV]

Thank y'all for all of the awesome feedback!

There have been numerous great questions that I will try to answer.

I do believe that a significant portion of our guests will be visiting Austin for one of our many major event weekends. That said, market analysis has shown great demand for long-term sites. Our plans should enable the facility to accommodate both groups without friction or distress to either.

There is a good selection of OTA available and I am confident that the WiFi system we have designed will truly be a pleasant surprise. Unlike many earlier technologies, fiber-optic provides significant painless scalability. The current plan calls for an initial bandwidth of 100/100 Mbps with the ability to scale up to 1/1 Gbps. It takes approximately 48 hours to increase the bandwidth as we grow and demand increases. I agree with the many respondents that it is far easier (and less costly) to install necessary conduit/cabling during construction.

Like some of you mentioned, I also did away with CATV years ago and I do expect the technologies allowing us access to our favorite programming will continue toward on-demand systems/platforms via the Internet (we just are not quite 100% there yet).

The WiFi towers are designed to cover the entire park grounds, cover all WiFi transmission bandwidths back to the earliest 802.11, and are 37 feet tall (so your neighbors rig should not block line-of-sight. This system has been specifically designed to permit modern Internet activity (streaming, Skype, etc.).

Phase I & Phase II (about 2/3 of the overall park facility) have very few trees within the RV site areas - but there are plenty along a central corridor where the amenities will be located. Phase III (about 1/3 of the overall park facility) does have numerous mature tree coverage for those that might prefer more of a traditional camping atmosphere.

I welcome your continued feedback and wish each of you safe journeys. It was not my intention to create an advertisement, but I look forward to welcoming each of you to Austin approximately one year from now.

If you have any other desires - now is the best time to throw in your 2-cents!

Again, thank you so very much - have an awesome day.

John T.

[SCVJeff]

wa8yxm wrote:
Since by the time they add the ups and extras Sat Tv can cost you more per month than site rental.. I do not use it.

But the question I think is more what can a reasonable RV see by the way of OTA... Of all the parks I stay at only two offer cable.. Most RV's do not receive much TV here OTA (I have a full blown Winegard system, Batwing, Wingman, Sensar Pro, and thus I can watch OTA but many (Me last time I was here for example) not so much.

The park offers cable and my DVR's are smart enough to choose cable or OTA as needed to get all the shows (Yup tier 2's not always on the cable, Tier 2's often best programs, watching a Tier 2 as I type)

OF the other parks, as I said, only one offers cable, They charge an extra dollar a day.. I refuse to pay it since I get more than I can watch,, Over the air, and again the tier two I watch the most... not on the cable.


(What is a tier 2.. Channel 3.1 or 3-1 is read as Channel 3, Tier 1.. Change the 1 to a Two and it's Channel 3, Tier 2.

Tier 2 stations are the -2, or -3 or -any number higher than 1 channels)

Those are not "Tiers" or classes of service. They are added and are known as 'Dots' as the station signs them on, expanding to the next available slot as the contract is signed. It has nothing to do with anything other than availability

[kgarrett9999]

I frequent the Austin area with my travel trailer, usually staying at McKinney Falls State Park. The over the air channels in the area are sufficient for my weekend visits as I suspect that they would be for most other weekend visitors.

Do you see weekend visitors as your primary market or the long term/full time campers? I would think that the long term/full time folks would be more interested in cable than those like myself.

[wa8yxm]

Have been thinking on this overnight.

When you are laying out and setting up the park you will likely have the ground open (Ditches which you will fill in after you lay pipes, wires and cables)

Now is when you should lay cable, cause.. Well, digging those ditches costs money, way cheaper to do it one time.

Second, Consider running some Cat-5 at least to selected sites (So folks can plug in direct and not use Wi-Fi) I would only do a few sits this way Some of us (Me for example) have the ability to hard wire.

Now: Connecting the cable to the supplier.. You need not do that,, but you should put in the cable itself. While the putting in is good.

[cpaulsen]

Here at a few Oregon State Parks....they have cable to the full hookup spots and charge and extra dollar for that service. They use Direct tv with approx. 24 channels and all the boxes are in a building with the cable run to the sites from there. In the places that are full hookups but no tv service...it is a dollar cheaper. Most sites are covered in lots of trees so satellite service is nil.

[deltamaster]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Depends on price point.....

If you are charging $50/nite (plus) I'm not paying extra for WiFi/cable/50A

If you are charging $35/nite....I'd pay extra for cable/50A but real iffy on WiFi.

I provide my own WiFi so that is not a concern/issue with me at a CG.

Cable is 'nice' but am happen with OTA

So.....pricing IS the break point

Even at $35,00 per night I would expect a solid and strong WIFI for no extra charge.

At $50.00 per night I expect solid and strong cable AND WIFI as well as a newspaper every Sunday! 🙂

Serio8usly, though a strong, dependable WIFI system capable of handling heavy loads and streaming video is a MUST for a modern, new camp ground. Make sure EVERY site has good connection even when the park is full of boxes blocking the signals.

[deltamaster]

AustinEastRV wrote:
Campers,

Again, thank you so much! This feedback is great!

It sounds like Cable TV is a must have for many/most.

It is my sincere desire to build a destination facility capable of catering to the broadest possible range of campers.

This is a phased master-planned facility that will eventually span 42-acres with the first phase opening around November 2015. I have made every effort to design a facility that "gets it right" the first time and, to that end, your input is wonderful and helpful.

Please keep shooting me your ideas - all are appreciated!

Have an awesome day and safe travels,

John T.

Just make sure that if you are going to offer cable that ALL the sites have good reception. Where I am right now offers basic cable which is great BUT 3/4 of the channels are grainy and while watchable are not enjoyable. Maybe they need a booster or something like that here. It appears they have the cable run from one site to the next with splitters at each site so maybe there is signal loss along the run.

[1775]

When I am looking for a campground to stay at if I don't see Cable I keep looking for another campground and this goes for an overnight stop or a ten day stay. There are some campgrounds that offer cable but not at every site - there are sites with "Full Hookups" including electric, water, sewer, and cable and then there are sites that are electric, water. sewer only and also electric and water only. That is fine and if the full hookup price is reasonable we will stay there. There is an expectation when paying like that the Cable offered is decent and not just the ten local channels.

[cochise49]

Haven't really needed cable in a dozen years since we got a rig with a dish. Twice, parking under trees for an overnight, hooked to cable but no biggie. WiFi is very important to us but from a CG owner perspective, the technology demand vs the supply widens rapidly. We use a Verizon Jet Pack now because RV Park WiFi almost never measures up. A place where we got great streaming in 2009 had rules prohibiting movie/TV streaming in 2014. Same equipment but the demand had risen to a point that no one could enjoy it except for low bandwidth internet and email. I think cellular providers will step up here. Note: recent double bandwidth offers. Any WiFi you install will quickly obsolesce. If you do it, use a paid third party provider like Tengo and make sure that the experience will satisfy patrons. I remember poor service less fondly than no service for any advertised amenity.

[CKNSLS]

Cable is a must have if there are not at least the major Networks accessible with OTA.

[wa8yxm]

Since by the time they add the ups and extras Sat Tv can cost you more per month than site rental.. I do not use it.

But the question I think is more what can a reasonable RV see by the way of OTA... Of all the parks I stay at only two offer cable.. Most RV's do not receive much TV here OTA (I have a full blown Winegard system, Batwing, Wingman, Sensar Pro, and thus I can watch OTA but many (Me last time I was here for example) not so much.

The park offers cable and my DVR's are smart enough to choose cable or OTA as needed to get all the shows (Yup tier 2's not always on the cable, Tier 2's often best programs, watching a Tier 2 as I type)

OF the other parks, as I said, only one offers cable, They charge an extra dollar a day.. I refuse to pay it since I get more than I can watch,, Over the air, and again the tier two I watch the most... not on the cable.


(What is a tier 2.. Channel 3.1 or 3-1 is read as Channel 3, Tier 1.. Change the 1 to a Two and it's Channel 3, Tier 2.

Tier 2 stations are the -2, or -3 or -any number higher than 1 channels)

[PNW_Steve]

korbe wrote:
I would at least provide the extra conduit in the common trench. You can decide later if costs prohibit it now. And with technology the way it is, that conduit may be handy for some new utility in the future.

I would go along with this. It gives you the future option of adding cable.

Personally, if you have reasonable broadband to each site, I would have no need for cable (or satellite) TV. At home I haven't had cable/satellite or OTA for 5+ years.

[Old-Biscuit]

Depends on price point.....

If you are charging $50/nite (plus) I'm not paying extra for WiFi/cable/50A

If you are charging $35/nite....I'd pay extra for cable/50A but real iffy on WiFi.

I provide my own WiFi so that is not a concern/issue with me at a CG.

Cable is 'nice' but am happen with OTA

So.....pricing IS the break point