Dish TV Pay-As-You-Go RV Plan

[otrfun]

For those who do *not* currently have an active Dish account of any kind (home or otherwise), how does this plan operate?

I'm getting conflicting information from Dish TV about how this program operates. Some tell me I can use it for 3 days and only pay for 3 days. Others are telling me I can only purchase service in 30 day increments ($58 a month; Flex pkg with HD and local channels). If we turn it off prior to 30 days there's no credit or roll-over of unused service time.

Your experience?

Thx!

[beemerphile1]

We do not and have never had Dish at home. We do have Dish "Pay as you Go" when we travel.

Using a Playmaker and a Wally we turn it on by making payment in the app. If we don't want it anymore, we just let it expire until we want it again.

I don't know about the credit comments, we have never actually canceled/paused the service, we just let it run out. Next time we are done with the service I will pause it and see if we get a credit to use later.

[otrfun]

Slightly off-topic, but does relate to access to TV while on the road.

AT&T includes unlimited access to 30-40 channels of DirecTV via the WatchTV app (with no charge for data) with some of their cell plans.

It's easy to "cast" from the WatchTV app to a home TV using a home wi-fi system.

However, anyone know if there's a way to cast from AT&T's iPhone WatchTV app to a TV (with Firestick, Chromecast, etc.) using wi-fi with *no* internet connection (and without using the iPhone personal hotspot)?

[Dutch_12078]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:

AT&T has mobile plans for satellite users if people use Direct-TV at their home, or use any wired/ fiber AT&T television service.

But AT&T refuses to sell Direct-TV to people with no fixed base for their primary receiver setup. Dish is the only option for people like us who have no physical home base.

There are many fulltime RV'ers that have DTV service with only their mail forwarding service as their address.

[Dutch_12078]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
It depends upon the antenna and the box you have.

Basically - Dish uses three satellites in the west, two in the east. If the antenna has one LNB, with is the case with almost all dome type dishes - it can only 'see' one satellite at a time. Two different TVs can watch different channels from Dish, IF they are on the same satellite. If they are on different satellites, no can do.

If you have a three LNB antenna - it can 'see' all three western satellites at the same time, and different channels on different satellites can be viewed at the same time.

Just to clarify, Dish has three eastern satellites as well as three western arc satellites. The third eastern satellite at 77 is mostly SD duplicates and can't be received by all dishes, but it's pretty handy at times for those of us that can use it.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Dish CS reps know nothing about the RV plans. The RV market is such a tiny part of their business, most CS reps will never have an RV call in their entire career.

I always and ONLY use Chat to talk to Dish. There it is easier to explain what I need. In general I try to avoid conversations with CS reps anywhere, but for Dish, I found it essential.

Now, we are full-timers, so it is something we depend upon all the time. Dish has updated the mobile app for my cell phone so I can see where the satellites are, and make sure I have a clear view of them when I try to setup the dish. I can change my location so that I get the local channels for that area - important for weather.

I might also add, if you have any television service at home, check into possible options.

AT&T has mobile plans for satellite users if people use Direct-TV at their home, or use any wired/ fiber AT&T television service.

But AT&T refuses to sell Direct-TV to people with no fixed base for their primary receiver setup. Dish is the only option for people like us who have no physical home base.

[otrfun]

OP here. Thanks for everybody's replies! Looks like things don't bode well for those that only want to use Dish TV in their RV for a few days, or a week or two, at a time (ref standalone, pay-as-you-go accounts, not based on a home account).

rhagfo did mention the option of "cancelling" vs. pausing service (when you use less than 30 days of service) and carrying over the remaining credit when the account is activated again. It Dish does do this, their CS reps certainly don't know anything about how to do it.

[joelc]

We checked into this several years ago. Don't know if it changed. But, in order to have this plan you need a home account. Without a base they won't do it.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

It depends upon the antenna and the box you have.

Basically - Dish uses three satellites in the west, two in the east. If the antenna has one LNB, with is the case with almost all dome type dishes - it can only 'see' one satellite at a time. Two different TVs can watch different channels from Dish, IF they are on the same satellite. If they are on different satellites, no can do.

If you have a three LNB antenna - it can 'see' all three western satellites at the same time, and different channels on different satellites can be viewed at the same time.

Box - you pay per box for your service. If you have two TVs, and the cheaper boxes, you need one box for each TV. Or you can buy a more expensive box with two tuners so that it can display two different channels on different TVs at the same time. The Sling/ Hopper boxes seem to be the best, but we have an older single channel box. (Note - you need a two tuner box to be able to record one channel on DVR and watch a different channel at the same time. Wife wants me to buy one.)

One other point about Dish. In Nov 2018, HBO and it's associated channels were removed from Dish. This was about 10 months after HBO was acquired by AT&T. Another company which AT&T owns is Direct TV. Make up your own mind as to why the two companies - Dish and HBO/AT&T/DirectTV were unable to conclude a new agreement in 2018.

[dodge_guy]

So with all this very good info what is the best box to use and where would I buy it? Can you hook it up to 2 TV's? My MH is satellite ready (satellite is on the roof). I have 2 coax cables in the compartment with the satellite switch panel.

[rhagfo]

wgriswold wrote:
I think the conflicting information comes from two different solutions. One is the 30 day plan and does not require another plan with Dish. The other is extending a home plan to a RV.

I have the 30 day plan and it is good for 30 days as Ford Truck Guy describes.

You guys are wasting money if you don’t use it every day of the 30 days you have it activated. Once started you Do NOT need to use all 30 days, you can CANCEL at any time within that 30 days and keep the remaining credit.

[wgriswold]

I think the conflicting information comes from two different solutions. One is the 30 day plan and does not require another plan with Dish. The other is extending a home plan to a RV.

I have the 30 day plan and it is good for 30 days as Ford Truck Guy describes.

[rhagfo]

To clarify you must be paid for 30 day in advance before restarting service. You pay for 30 days when you first use it, if you only use for 3 days then CANCEL your service, the next time you go to state it you will need to pay for the three days you previously used so you are paid up for 30 days. Do NOT suspend or pause your service, you will be charged a monthly fee about $5 or so. You must use the word CANCEL when you stop using.
You will likely get an email from dish stating Please Come back.
We have had the service for about six years and the service has been great.

[BB_TX]

Yes, you purchase 30 day increments. But some have said you can call Dish and tell them to “disconnect” your service and you will retain credit for unused time. And can restart it to use that credit. Haven’t tried it.

[ford_truck_guy]

The packages are 30 days.

I have been using the plan for several years now with good luck.. What is nice is that there are NO activation fee's . Pay the bill , turn on the system,. scan, watch, repeat if needed..

I pay my last bill in September and do not pay again till the following April with no penalties...