My solution to no cable

[charlie g]

With my set-up, I get the same HD programing as at home, unless I am beyond my "Home Range" about 250 mi. The antenna is the same HD one on my house, receiver is a extra one I pay for, $7 per mo.

[aceinspp]

I do not worry a lot if I am unable to get TV if no wifi I just turn on my portable satellite radio and I'm good to go. Radio clasics is just as good as TV. Later RJD

[Mikecam]

Originally Posted by tlspencer

I keep a small DVD player in the camper and usually remember to throw in a few DVDs before we leave. I've yet to be at any RV park that allows you to use what is almost universally bad wifi for streaming. Some claim they "monitor connections" and will kick you off if they think you're using too much of their bandwidth. (I think they're all full of it, lol) but I have never been able to keep my tablet connected more than 5 minutes straight let alone long enough to stream something IF the connection is even that strong. I use an OTA antenna and have an extender I can connect if necessary. The seemingly rarer times we get to connect to cable, there is usually very few channels and nothing we want to watch unless they have the weather channel for a few minutes. But for the most part, it's sitcoms on DVD when needed for emergency bad weather entertainment.

DVD? What’s that , like old timer streaming?

[Anniewhereugo]

one whole dinette under seat storage is full of mmovies. We get them at dollar store and yard sales. Most cheesy and bad quality, but better than watching paint dry when stuck inside. lol. Now we have added a Jet Pack that is part of my Verizon unlimited plan and I take my internet wherever I go.

[JoshuaA]

Our 43” Sony 4K TV plays 4K off USB thumbs, incredibly life-like. Costco sells cheap 128GB sticks, I load them up with TV shows like a season of Friends, 4K documentaries, low and high quality movies. I suppose I could bring our Apple TV, a router and mirror on the TV downloaded Netflix. Or setup OTA with a 4-bay on the longest painter’s pole from HomeDepot. However, we try to avoid media unless the weather is bad, then we go to board games and cards before TV. Brought a Wii last time and the kids never touched it, too much fun outside.

[Ebbs]

I’ve heard that DIRECTV Now can be mirrored to your tv using an HDMI adapter. AT&T doesn’t count that data against your allowance. I’m sure other services will.

[charlie g]

[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]My antenna.

[gkochel]

Chaplain Kent is spot on! Our world of technology has really been both a positive and negative. I travel for my livelihood and see 99.9% of my fellow travelers in airports walking around like zombies looking down at cell phones (how they navigate is a mystery). For me RVing is my way to "reconnect" to what is important in life....family....and our amazing world we live in. I consult in the tech world......not on my radar when I am home and with what is important to me...just saying. No TV.......not a problem

[Donbren]

I watch a campfire or a fishing line or camp neighbors.

[Ebbs]

Does that have anything to do with subject?

[jst3]

Install the Netflix app on a laptop and download movies or series for offline viewing.

Plug laptop into the TV with an HDMI cord and we are good to go.

[montecarlo31]

I did not get a chance to read all the pages of replies however as an FYI T-mobile has a hotspot plan that we pay about 35-37 bucks a month with taxes. If memory is correct it is 7GB of data per month (and it rolls over if we don't use it all which is 10 out or 12 months). It includes bing on where you can stream unlimited Netflix, prime, HBO go etc without hitting your 7 GB data cap. We use their SIM card in a quality mobile router and love it. Ours is wired up to stay on 24/7 and it works +/- about 300 feet around the vehicle. There is no need to turn on phones or keep them within range which is nice if you are working on the road and your kids or spouse need the internet. At 35 a mo it's pretty cheap for having a separate cellular plan just for data. We also have the router wired inline with a wilson wireless 4G booster and have yet to go where there is no signal.

[wanderer26]

My answer to all this is a dish playmaker. Since we full time i carry my dish tv with us. I get all the channels i want plus locals wherever we are. Antenna sits on a tripod. If i happen to have something in the way i can move tripod or put the dish on top of fiver. Was a great thing to have when the last olympics were on.

[smitty31093]

Chaplain Kent, I can fine a good book and a campfire but how do I hook up with your wife? Just kidding of course, but I couldn't resist. I normally am able to find a least a couple of channels with my onboard antenna with my power booster. Otherwise, its DVD movies or FB.
Happy Camping!

[slamac]

If I can't get local and world news on my TV using the antena. I can most of the time get it on my radio. I download everything I want to watch on my Fire pad and we can watch prety much what we want without using up data or paying for extra services. If and I stress If, there is a wifi connection that will support streaming I can use my fire pad with hdmi converter or fire stick to stream 1000's of movies, tv shows etc. But TV and the news is not that important when camping, to us anyway. Have fun

[Less is More]

Isn't the idea of camping to get away from it all? I actually find that people who head out to the woods with satelite dishes and big screen TVs mounted outside their RV as well as generators that run all evening to be annoying. And since all the wildlife disappears with the onslaught of noise, they apparently object to it as well. But that's just my opinion.

[JoshuaA]

Not to everyone, some people it's just a change from their daily home routine, getting away in nice weather. You have tons of people who can't afford cottages and pay seasonal fees for their RV's to be in full service compounds. Being outside the city in a wooded setting on a gravity chair catching up on downloaded Netflix with bluetooth headphones, not bothering anyone. Totally relaxing.

Unless you mean real camping where a few of us take our canoes and portage to wilderness with whatever is on our back, fishing for food and eating rations, using a water filtration system. No electronics.

I get what your saying, be cognizant of your neighbours with noise. It really depends on the type of park and what you do. Everyone has their own idea of enjoying the outside, there is no standard.

[stormer]

Originally Posted by Less is More

Isn't the idea of camping to get away from it all? I actually find that people who head out to the woods with satelite dishes and big screen TVs mounted outside their RV as well as generators that run all evening to be annoying. And since all the wildlife disappears with the onslaught of noise, they apparently object to it as well. But that's just my opinion.

I am at a loss as to why folks feel they need to judge others for how they use their RV? Maybe folks actually "live" in their RV full time? Do you have a TV at home? yes? no? Maybe this "is" their home? If you don't watch TV in your RV, bravo... way to rough it! But some of us actually "live" in the RV full time and this is our home. So the answers pertaining to the original question are great. The other judgmental answers not pertaining, not so much.

[Macrosill]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

I use a portable weather radio that connects to NOAA sites automatically when I travel. Gives local forecasts, watches and warnings where ever I am.


For movies, I download them onto a few 128g thumb drives. Each movie is about 3g. That gives me about 40 movies on each thumb drive. I get the movies from the library and just copy them over. Or, I will rent from Redbox if there is one in the area.


For regular television, I use the OTA antenna unless I am where there is cable. I purchased a dual tuner DVR recorder (Amazon) for $39.00 so I can watch one show while recording another. The tuner records, pauses, rewinds and plays in HD through HDMI.

This ^^^
OTA or campground cable and a thumb drive.
I throw movies on a thumb drive and keep pit plugged into the tv.

[CarolMc55]

Whatever you choose to entertain yourselves while camping/glamping is a choice you make. To each, his own. It's the getting away that counts.

We finally bought land, and put our Toy Hauler on it and now don't plan to travel with it anymore. No hookups, so we port our water in and run on generator.

It's nice to have the TV and a few DVDs to play when the grandchildren are there and stuck in the camper in the rain. Mostly, we're spending time outside building a Teepee, fort, ATVing, Fishing, etc... with the kids and working on a deck for the front of the camper, until we can afford to build a cabin.

So, cheers to you and keep the ideas coming on 'Solutions to no Cable'. Any and all ideas are welcome!