DirecTV

[Villagerjjm]

I have been toying with the idea about subscribing to either Dish or DirecTV to use in the TT while camping. The wife likes her television shows, especially at night when the bugs come out. I have held off on pulling the trigger because of the costs for initial startup. The cost for a satellite dish, wireless Genie DVR receiver and peripherals all add up quickly, plus the additional cost of service added to the service we already have.

At home, I have Centurylink Prism TV service. Centurylink is trying to get their Prism customers to change over to DirectV HD service. By signing up, they do the install, supply all the necessary equipment including wireless Genie, set up for 4 televisions and the ability for up to 12 additional wireless devices to connect to the DVR service from anywhere in the lower 48 as long as you have internet service. The devices can be either Android, OS (Apple) or Windows and can span from a smartphone through a computer.

You can also download content from the Genie onto the device you are travelling with in advance if you want to watch a movie on the road. My wife likes the fact that she can watch live television or shows recorded to the DVR while we are driving on the road. Using her iPhone she can use Bluetooth and stream her shows to the Infotainment system in the Colorado and view her shows on the larger screen

On a whim I asked if my Satellite mount can be modified so I could detach it and use it with my trailer. The Centurylink rep said yes. I can request a tripod along with a solid mount for no extra charge. The Genie can be easily moved from the home to the TT along with a second box for another television in the bedroom.

We have an unlimited data plan linked to a Ellipsis Jetpack which we use in the Colorado and TT. The bandwidth on the Ellipsis is perfect for streaming. We have found that WiFi and cable TV in campgrounds leaves a lot to be desired in most cases.

So.... I pulled the trigger!
For those of you who subscribe to satellite television, is there any piece of equipment that you find comes in as being very handy with setting up your television system when you are on the road?

[kjburns]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

On a whim I asked if my Satellite mount can be modified so I could detach it and use it with my trailer. The Centurylink rep said yes. I can request a tripod along with a solid mount for no extra charge. The Genie can be easily moved from the home to the TT along with a second box for another television in the bedroom.

Make sure you know how to aim the satellite antenna and adjust the skew to peak the signal. Most RVers prefer an automatic antenna like a Winegard Trav'ler or one of the various domes. The Trav'ler is a self aiming open face antenna with multiple LNBs to get the required satellites, with specific models for DirecTV or Dish. The automatic domes aren't quite as good and won't get HD with DirecTV. The dome antennas will get HD with Dish so that's something to consider if you're not adept at aiming the antenna manually.

[CHICKDOE]

we move the genie, wireless mini genies, and the video bridge from home to the trailer and back. at first i also had to take all the power bricks, cords, power inserter, remotes, and cables. that became a hassle. so i went to ebay and bought a complete set of all the peripheral stuff just for the trailer and i leave it there. now all i have to move is the actual receiver boxes (genie and mini-genies, and the video bridge). much simpler!

[nomad297]

If you want to make this easy, start by going to www.tv4rv.com. If you can’t work it out, they will work it out for you. They have no problem working with you on the phone for however long it takes for you to work it all out.

Bruce

[spock123]

We have DirecTV through Century link. When we leave we just take the receiver from home. We have the Trav’ler mounted on top of Cedar Creek, $2,000.00 and worth every penny. I tried the portable satellite dish and trying to make everything work cut into my beer time. After driving all day the last thing I want to do is set up a portable satellite for a overnight. When making reservations I just ask for a spot without trees

[spock123]

I wish I had unlimited data as I only have 85 gigs of hotspot data