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Old 06-12-2021, 07:11 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by tonyz1 View Post
We were at a campground a couple years ago and had a similar problem. Our main living room tv picked up the cable channels just fine but the bedroom TV, that we installed ourselves, would not play the cable channels no matter what we tried. In researching this, I found first- that there are "digital cable" systems, which this campground had. Your TV has to have a QAM receiver to receive that type of cable is what I was told. And apparently our cheap bedroom TV didn't have it.
Only happened in that one campground and has not been a problem anywhere else we have camped with a cable hookup. But just to make sure, I purchased a new TV that specifically says QAM receiver. We are going back to that same campground later in the fall, so we shall see!
Just my 2 cents and experience. Happy camping!
This is true in Myrtle Beach. I can not remember the cable company but it was its signal that required the QAM receiver). We went and bought a new TV (It is a smart TV but that was not needed.) with the QAM receiver for $100 and fixed the problem even though the old TV was a smart TV and not very old.

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Old 06-12-2021, 10:19 AM   #22
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Not true. Smart TVs do not receive internet over cable.
Well DUH!See the first half of my first sentence!! I was talking about how they should not be used as STREAMING WIFI devices (like a Roku, Fire sticl etc.)...because they eat campground BANDWIDTH and knock out other wifi service and latency for all campers. Many Smart TV's have no need for peripheral devices and can stream unaided. ANY wifi streaming using TV or TV with Roku etc. should have prior campground approval as a matter of courtesy to other campers.


I fully agree with the comments on cable. WiFi is by definition...WIRELESS and when people talk about streaming channels in a campground...my antenna goes up!
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Old 06-12-2021, 10:22 AM   #23
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Not true. Smart TVs do not receive internet over cable.
Herk, I absolutely know what you meant but for the sake of clarity for others... cable systems CAN provide internet to smart tvs (and anything else) with a device called a cable modem.

Not only do regular TV channels flow through the cable system but in a different spectrum, so can internet.

Keep in mind... the cable modem has nothing to do with a smart tv receiving cable channels. That's all part of the tv's tuner.
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Old 06-12-2021, 10:26 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by camaraderie View Post
Well DUH!See the first half of my first sentence!! I was talking about how they should not be used as STREAMING WIFI devices (like a Roku, Fire sticl etc.)...because they eat campground BANDWIDTH and knock out other wifi service and latency for all campers. Many Smart TV's have no need for peripheral devices and can stream unaided. ANY wifi streaming using TV or TV with Roku etc. should have prior campground approval as a matter of courtesy to other campers.
Agreed!

Most campgrounds do not have the infrastructure to provide the bandwidth necessary for everyone to stream. (or even a few)

Please don't be 'that guy' who hogs bandwidth and ruins the internet experience for others unless as mentioned, the campground has the ability to upgrade your bandwidth or you use a personal device like your phone or a Hotspot.
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Old 06-12-2021, 11:02 AM   #25
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I’ve been very pleased with using my phone as a hotspot and connecting it to the Amazon Firestick. Although your smart TV has apps it does not have the the depth and variety you get with a Firestick. Most major networks and channels have an app you can download many which allow you to get live TV but it will require to to have a subscription to cable or satellite at home since most will want to know who your TV provider is to get access. As an example you want to watch CBS or NBC. You download the app on the Firestick and it will ask you who your TV provider is. Once you click on your provider it gives you instructions to go to their website, on your computer or phone, log into your account and you’ll be given a code that you input on the TV/firestick and your set. Same with HBO, Showtime etc if you pay for and get it at home. The initial set up is best done at home while on you home wifi. Download the apps you want to use, log into all the apps and once that’s done you can take the firestick and use it on any TV without having to log back as log as you have some sort of wifi connection. Firestick is $50 and is a great value. Make sure you get the one that you can control the volume and power on and off the TV this way to don’t have to screw around with mutiple remotes.
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Old 06-12-2021, 03:10 PM   #26
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Agreed!

Most campgrounds do not have the infrastructure to provide the bandwidth necessary for everyone to stream. (or even a few)

Please don't be 'that guy' who hogs bandwidth and ruins the internet experience for others unless as mentioned, the campground has the ability to upgrade your bandwidth or you use a personal device like your phone or a Hotspot.

So who decides what you get to do with the Wi-Fi? Play games? Video poker? Upload you home videos?
I’ve never seen a campground that tells you what you can and can’t do on Wi-Fi.
If they do not want streaming services used it’s simple for them to block them on their router.
It’s not 10 years ago everything is streaming or cloud based, I pay for the Wi-Fi just like water or power so I use it.
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Old 06-12-2021, 03:49 PM   #27
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So who decides what you get to do with the Wi-Fi?
Lack of bandwidth decides.
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Old 06-12-2021, 04:44 PM   #28
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Lack of bandwidth decides.

Exactly
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Old 06-12-2021, 05:42 PM   #29
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So who decides what you get to do with the Wi-Fi? Play games? Video poker? Upload you home videos?
I’ve never seen a campground that tells you what you can and can’t do on Wi-Fi.
If they do not want streaming services used it’s simple for them to block them on their router.
It’s not 10 years ago everything is streaming or cloud based, I pay for the Wi-Fi just like water or power so I use it.
You do!
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Old 06-12-2021, 05:43 PM   #30
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Firestick is $50 and is a great value.
Next time wait till Prime Day! I think I paid 20 bucks for mine. I've never actually used it camping, since most spots seem to have sketchy cell signal where I've been camping.
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Old 06-14-2021, 09:08 AM   #31
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This is true in Myrtle Beach. I can not remember the cable company but it was its signal that required the QAM receiver). We went and bought a new TV (It is a smart TV but that was not needed.) with the QAM receiver for $100 and fixed the problem even though the old TV was a smart TV and not very old.

That is the place, Oaklevel where we were and ran into the different type of cable system. Glad the QAM TV fixed the problem. I will be changing out our bedroom TV to the new one that has the QAM receiver before we head back to Myrtle Beach. Happy camping.
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Old 06-14-2021, 09:38 AM   #32
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All the large rv parks we stay in all tell you no streaming on their WiFi system.

There system is for checking email etc. not watching HBO. Or the ballgame.

I wonder about Spotify. And Pandora.
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Old 06-14-2021, 09:49 AM   #33
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streaming audio uses a small fraction of what video uses in bandwidth. It's the video that's the hog.
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Old 06-14-2021, 03:31 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by Oaklevel View Post
This is true in Myrtle Beach. I can not remember the cable company but it was its signal that required the QAM receiver). We went and bought a new TV (It is a smart TV but that was not needed.) with the QAM receiver for $100 and fixed the problem even though the old TV was a smart TV and not very old.

I wonder if this was what my friends and I were experiencing, as described in my original post.
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Old 06-14-2021, 11:19 PM   #35
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Any TV with an HDMI input port becomes a smart TV when you put a RoKu stick or Firestick in that port. Actually, it becomes a Smart TV on steroids because of all the added capabilities.

As a lot of y’all have mentioned, CG WiFi is for the most part just plain unreliable. The best option for connecting your Smart TV is a cellular hotspot. The problem with that is a rainy day at the CG will result in streaming 7-8 gig of data a day. Most hotspot plans are capped at 12 to 22 gig, so you do the math.
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Old 06-15-2021, 12:03 AM   #36
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OTA TV is free with an antenna and you're stuck with whatever reception you can get along with all the bad programming and commercials. I haven't bothered for decades. I have it at home as a backup but never used. Testing the TV in the RV cemented my belief.

Cable TV, if provided by a campground has a cost and you'll need a box to decode what they're providing. You may not get premium channels so you're probably stuck with things like TV Land etc. If old re-runs is your thing, then that's a step up from OTA.

Satellite TV has a subscription cost and you'll need the equipment for reception as well as line of site to the birds. Have fun trying to watch during heavy cloud cover and stormy/snowy days.

Any streaming will need some kind of Internet connection. This is tethering from a mobile hot spot or mobile itself and has a subscription cost to it. If you want to rely on someone else's WiFi, you're at their mercy for speed and lack of security. You should use VPN if you really want to have Internet. I never use public WiFi and can wait if I have no cell coverage. If you have a smartphone then you can probably ditch any dongle.

Broadcast radio is up there with OTA TV. used Sirius satellite since a 2006 purchase of a Dodge Charger. There's a subscription for that and well worth it. There's no going back to any broadcast radio station. Losing WHFS in the metro-DC area was a nail in the coffin for radio. About the only other radio station worth it for me was 91X in SoCal. Nothing like being able to listen to the same music/news you love across state lines. Unfortunately the quality isn't as good as a strong FM station, but the lack of commercials (depending on the channel) beats it hands down and worth the compromise. I can stream it from my mobile to the RV if I'm in the mood. If I was going to be somewhere for a prolonged period with no Internet connectivity then I'd take my old portable unit and antenna and enjoy it along with the below.

I personally have an external HDD with some of my ripped movie collection and some of my favorite music on my mobile device and neither requires a subscription or Internet. What I do have are very particular collection sets. A collection I have acquired over a very long time. I rip them in their full quality to enjoy whenever and wherever...as long as I have power.

My last trip had sporadic to no cell reception which was great so the outdoors was what was on the menu for the family...as it should be.
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Old 06-15-2021, 02:52 AM   #37
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Cable TV, if provided by a campground has a cost and you'll need a box to decode what they're providing. You may not get premium channels so you're probably stuck with things like TV Land etc. If old re-runs is your thing, then that's a step up from OTA.

Satellite TV has a subscription cost and you'll need the equipment for reception as well as line of site to the birds. Have fun trying to watch during heavy cloud cover and stormy/snowy days.
Nearly all the places that we stay at, that offer cable tv, have no extra cost nor a separate cable box. We just switch the tv to cable from air and rescan. Most include some premium channels. I think only one RV park required a separate box.

Since we have Dish TV at home, we don't need to take any satellite dish or box, to watch Dish. Just the Dish Anywhere app and our cellphones, to watch everything we can watch at home. This includes our premium channels, On Demand and recorded shows.
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Old 06-15-2021, 06:40 AM   #38
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I wonder if this was what my friends and I were experiencing, as described in my original post.
Could have been. You weren't by chance at Myrtle Beach? That is the only place where we had run into the same issue as Oaklevel, although we were in a different campground there but probably the same cable provider. Our bedroom tv was new but did not have the QAM receiver to work with their cable system. I will be changing our bedroom tv out to the new one we purchased that has the QAM receiver in it before we head back to beach this fall. If that was the issue, you may not see it very often again. Unless you go to that same area. Hope you figure it out. Happy camping.
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Old 06-15-2021, 07:54 AM   #39
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Nearly all the places that we stay at, that offer cable tv, have no extra cost nor a separate cable box. We just switch the tv to cable from air and rescan. Most include some premium channels. I think only one RV park required a separate box.

Since we have Dish TV at home, we don't need to take any satellite dish or box, to watch Dish. Just the Dish Anywhere app and our cellphones, to watch everything we can watch at home. This includes our premium channels, On Demand and recorded shows.

X2. Only 2 parks in the past 6 years have required a box provided by them to receive their cable signals.
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Old 06-15-2021, 08:01 AM   #40
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Could have been. You weren't by chance at Myrtle Beach? That is the only place where we had run into the same issue as Oaklevel, although we were in a different campground there but probably the same cable provider. Our bedroom tv was new but did not have the QAM receiver to work with their cable system. I will be changing our bedroom tv out to the new one we purchased that has the QAM receiver in it before we head back to beach this fall. If that was the issue, you may not see it very often again. Unless you go to that same area. Hope you figure it out. Happy camping.

Maybe down in the area of Myrtle Beach's Pirateland, KOA, Ocean Lakes & Lakewood they have HTC cable system. Up in the northern end near Barefoot Landing, Briarcliffe RV Resort, we have Spectrum Cable and can plug in directly without a box and receive 63 HD channels.
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