Direct TV verses Dish Network

[scusset1]

Morning folks!
We have owned our 378XL for 4 years and have used a satellite (roof mounted) most of those seasons. While traveling we have a great deal of difficulty getting service from Direct TV. It works fine locally but not anywhere else.
We are thinking of switching over to Dish. Does anyone have suggestions/pros or cons on either? We suspend service in the winter months and would not like to pay 9.00 (Direct TV) suspension fee per month.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Schvarak]

Originally Posted by scusset1

Morning folks!

We have owned our 378XL for 4 years and have used a satellite (roof mounted) most of those seasons. While traveling we have a great deal of difficulty getting service from Direct TV. It works fine locally but not anywhere else.

We are thinking of switching over to Dish. Does anyone have suggestions/pros or cons on either? We suspend service in the winter months and would not like to pay 9.00 (Direct TV) suspension fee per month.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Had a DirecTV dish Terrible!!! Was SD ONLY now have a Dish network system. $80 per month. Will have Dish network at home as well and as soon as my DTV is cancelled!

[Schvarak]

Originally Posted by Schvarak

Had a DirecTV dish Terrible!!! Was SD ONLY now have a Dish network system. $80 per month. Will have Dish network at home as well and as soon as my DTV is cancelled!

Can suspend home service while traveling at no cost as well as dish service when not traveling.

[Mr. Dan]

I have DIRECTV at home servicing 3 receivers. I don't pay anything to take my main and 1 mini receiver with me when I travel. I take an extra oval HD antenna on my trips and get the same service traveling as I do at home. I don't suspend anything any time since we use the same system when we're home as when we're gone.

[D W]

Originally Posted by scusset1

Morning folks!
We have owned our 378XL for 4 years and have used a satellite (roof mounted) most of those seasons. While traveling we have a great deal of difficulty getting service from Direct TV. It works fine locally but not anywhere else.
We are thinking of switching over to Dish. Does anyone have suggestions/pros or cons on either? We suspend service in the winter months and would not like to pay 9.00 (Direct TV) suspension fee per month.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

You didn't specify what type of dish you were using. Getting "service" depends on a clear view of the SE sky along with correct azimuth, elevation, tilt, and being level. 1-2 degrees off can cause you miss the satellites completely.

[JimF]

We have DIRECTV and have been traveling with it for about 9 years now. We have a genie system with a DVR in the front of our 378 and a small genie in the bedroom. Have excellent HD service all the way around. I also take our system out of the house and put it in the Motorhome as MrDan does. Personally, I have looked at DIRECTV and Dish networks and selected DirectTV. We started out with dish and cancelled the service after a few months as we could never get it to work correctly. Don't know if that was a contractor issue or equipment but we made the switch and won't go back. That's our story. Good luck on what ever system you choose.

[rbusch1]

Only Dish gives you HD on the road. Can activate and deactivate receiver online without hassle! They have greatly improved their systems for this in the last year or so. I don’t travel without my Dish system!

[dahagen]

My RV park neighbors with Dish seem to have problems getting set up every time they change location. Many even have to call Dish. With my DirecTV after the jacks are down, I just push a button to turn on my rooftop dish and a few minutes later I have signal.

[Wolverine 1945]

Love Dish Network @ Home !!!
Still no HBO, What ???

[satdog01]

I have Dish and am pleased with it. I did purchase a Winguard Pathway antenna to be able to receive when under trees. Besides having a better selection of packages, check out the Flex package, overall Dish was cheaper after the year intro deal ran out. Did not have any issues with Direct Tv other than price. Dropped them for Dish after several tears. Dish now has a 1-800 number that is maned on weekends that is for rvers use, that bypasses regular menu to get help.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by rbusch1

Only Dish gives you HD on the road. Can activate and deactivate receiver online without hassle! They have greatly improved their systems for this in the last year or so. I don’t travel without my Dish system!

How can/why did you say that? I just said in post #4 that I get HD on the road from DIRECTV. You're passing some bad/incorrect info. Do you have any qualifying statements that would make your statement correct?

[satdog01]

Last contact I had with Dish, they are getting into broadcasting additional 4K channels in the future to support ESPN purchase of several million dollars worth of 4K camera equipment. Not sure what Direct is doing along these lines. Love to watch college football while camping in the fall. Might be worth asking if looking into going satellite for the rv,

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

How can/why did you say that? I just said in post #4 that I get HD on the road from DIRECTV. You're passing some bad/incorrect info. Do you have any qualifying statements that would make your statement correct?

You are both partially correct. You can NOT get HD via Direct from a portable automatic dish. But you can get it from a manual dish like you use.
Why this is, I've never understood, but most of our friends switched to Dish because of that fact and that we all like to use our portable automatics

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

You are both partially correct. You can NOT get HD via Direct from a portable automatic dish. But you can get it from a manual dish like you use.
Why this is, I've never understood, but most of our friends switched to Dish because of that fact and that we all like to use our portable automatics

So there's your qualifying statement (word). And, yes, I've been tangled in this web before! The statement "Only Dish gives you HD on the road" sends people down the wrong road. Some people think setting up a manual DIRECTV HD antenna is rocket science --- but I am a rocket scientist!



BTW, also, you "can NOT get HD via Direct from any dish" if you don't connect the antenna to your trailer nor if .................... Ha!

[mlmay12]

Originally Posted by rbusch1

Only Dish gives you HD on the road. Can activate and deactivate receiver online without hassle! They have greatly improved their systems for this in the last year or so. I don’t travel without my Dish system!

Does Dish bill for partial months or do they bill in full month blocks? I usually only travel for a week at a time. Direct TV does have high definition but you have to have the very high end antennas with LNB's, portable carryout antennas only work for SD. I have heard they are getting rid of the SD in 2020 but that's a whole different topic.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

You are both partially correct. You can NOT get HD via Direct from a portable automatic dish. But you can get it from a manual dish like you use.
Why this is, I've never understood, but most of our friends switched to Dish because of that fact and that we all like to use our portable automatics

HD channels use a different satellite (for some channels) and a different frequency. (for those on the same satellite as SD)
The portable DirecTV automatic dishes physically cannot receive from the HD source.(s)
It takes an antenna like Mr. Dan recommended.
The larger, elliptical dish and the multi-head LNB (even if it 'appears' to have one feed horn) allow that to happen.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by 5picker

HD channels use a different satellite (for some channels) and a different frequency. (for those on the same satellite as SD)
The portable automatic dishes physically cannot receive from the HD source.(s)
It takes an antenna like Mr. Dan recommended.
The larger, elliptical dish and the multi-head LNB (even if it 'appears' to have one feed horn) allow that to happen.

Thanks! Actually I understand the technical issues (from Google searches), what I don't understand is why Direct never made any changes to alleviate the problem, like Dish.

[The Newsoms]

We have dish at home so we use it on the road. If you take your receiver from home, it wouldn’t cost anything extra. The additional receiver is $7 a month and you can activate or deactivate by the month. We use the pathway x2 and a 211z receiver. Dish has apps to do it all so I don’t have to call.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Thanks! Actually I understand the technical issues (from Google searches), what I don't understand is why Direct never made any changes to alleviate the problem, like Dish.

They are simply trying to ride out the current lifespan of their investment and technology. With the downturn of the US Space program, getting newer technology into orbit isn't quite as accessible as it once was. (physically and financially)

[hupmat]

To dahagan: It depend what type of dish you have on your motorhome. We have the the Winegard Trav'ler. Hit the button and a few minutes later we have everything. You must be watching people with manual satellite antennas. It's a function of the satellite not DISH or DirecTV.