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Direct TV Hassles.
Dish vs Direct TV. I know this has been done, but for those that have Dish, is that Co. consistant with there abiblity to switch local channels when requested while traveling? Direct used to do this but no more and now there latest gagit the ‘genie’ is only allowed one per account. Was thinking of using the genie to avoid running cable in the bus.
May have to switch providers or get two accounts with Direct and try to get the East/West feed if that is allowed any longer. That would solve the local channel problem but still have to run cable.
What’s a driver to do???
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19 Replies
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I have two DirecTV receivers in the bus. I did not even try to get the locals off satellite. I have them both on my house bill so it is only $12 a month. I tried Dish a long time ago, and dumped them for DirecTV.
It was not worth it to me to get a separate account just to get locals, and I have heard horror stories about it not working well even with the separate account. I do have the AM-21 tuner, so if there is enough of a signal, I can watch local stuff where I am, but I don’t count on getting them. There is plenty to watch without them.
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Larry,
I
installed a Dish setup in my previous Liberty and really liked the
local channel switch. All we had to do is call and give them the zip
code and they switched our locals to that area. No hassle, easy phone
call. I’m now back to Direct and sure miss the Dish setup. -
Here is the direct number for direct tv mobile. A live person will answer no recording 800-769-4635
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DirecTV will give you your home local channels while you travel.
I have not done it yet but they sent me a form to fill out with a lot of info on the coach, VIN number, and some other stuff you have to swear to in order for them to do it. Also there is a monthly charge for this service, imagine that.
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So Buddy, who did you talk to at Direct to get this form?
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We tried to get Direct TV activated in the new coach and it was a disaster. I was on the phone and transferred to NINE differrent people. It was SO frustrating. We ended up just hanging up and we’re done.
No Direct TV for us even though we have all the equipment. After the LONG phone call a supervisor finally called back but we were so exhausted that I told them we weren’t interested anymore.
I think we can get by with a resort cable connection or our HD antenna.
MM.
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I have Direct TV in our
Xl2 Marathon; Liberty switched receivers for me in our H345 last week without any issues. I
also have had DTV in my Marathon and had them change to any local place we went
to all summer long last year without issues.. -
The FTC has changed how and when local channels can be spot beamed to customers. For those of you who have Directv and you have both east coast feeds and west coast feeds (Network feeds), you most likely have a separate account from your house account and you probably have had it for a few years. With that said, you are “Grandfathered” in to receive both east and west feeds
The new FTC rules are that you get either east coast or west coast if you have an “RV” account with either Directv or DISH. The kicker is, it’s based on your address when you sign up. So in order to get east coast network feeds, you most likely will need to have an address on the east coast up to probably the mississippi river. This does not get you your LOCAL stations, just an east coast or west coast feed of networks stations.
Directv spot beams your local stations to you within a 200 mile radius of your home address if you use only one account for home and RV. This per the FTC is to “protect” other local network stations.
Now here is where it gets dicey. DISH will allow you to change your “HOME ADDRESS” to whatever location you are in. DISH is pushing the rules here and the FTC has an active investigation into DISH. See FTC website.
We only have one account with DIRECTV and have for 12 years. While traveling we do not get local stations but our HD antenna picks up the locals where we are. Directv knows we are using 2 receivers in the bus and they are fine with it as we are not asking for Local network stations. If/when we go full time, we will then change the account to an RV account and change our address to the east coast in order to get the EAST coast network feeds and we will then just DVR whatever we want to watch.
NOTE: if you have Directv and have both EAST and WEST feeds, I would strongly encourage you to NOT cancel that account as you will not get both back in the future.
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So, forgoing all the satellite hassles, if I just stick with regular ‘antenna’ TV, HD or otherwise, am I right in assuming that whatever local TV stations I recieve, I’ll still get NBC/ABC news etc? We aren’t big TV watchers so catching up on the news and maybe the occasional DVD will be all the use any bus TV will get.
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Tom and Bill are correct, you don’t get the spot beam, only east or west feed’s.
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Hey Larry, I just called the number I have and it took some time to convience who I was talking to that they indeed offered the service. After being on hold for a while they got back on line and said they would send me a form.
I must be incorrect about your home local feeds being available instead you get East or West cost as all the post I am reading.
Good Luck
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One thing I did not mention, Directv determines if you will get EAST or WEST coast feeds. You do not have a choice! If you give them a CA zip code, you’ll end up with the west coast feeds. So, fyi, find an address on the east coast so you can get the east coast feeds. Then after the account is set up, you can change the address to whatever and Directv does not give a hoot.
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Dish Local Channel Disaster
To make a long story short, we ended up watching the Super
Bowl in Spanish because Dish couldn’t get their act together and give us local
channels in the greater New Orleans area.
Dish people on the phone and live chat were of no help, including their
so-called advance tech support. They
kept insisting we had a problem with our equipment when it was a programming
error on their end. Since they said it
was our problem we insisted they send a tech out to us. Tech came out, I explained and demonstrated
the programming screw-up. He called the
super secret tech line, told them he installed equipment that he did not
install, (because the new equipment wasn’t necessary), they changed the
programming and in a few minutes we had local New Orleans channels. Two days after the Super Bowl. What a PIA!In short, none of the Dish people on the other end of the
phone or computer know how their system works, not even in the grossest
sense.
IMHO, both satellite TV companies stink even worse
than all the cellular telephone companies.
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Based on all the replies, I think I will keep what I have. I know what is happening [today anyway] and it doesn’t require a bunch of conversations with the ‘techs’. Before the word ‘techs’ came into vouge, didn’t we refer to these people as “FLUNKYS” ?
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These issues with “customer service” are not exclusive to any company.
Service for the customer is almost non-existent, and those supposedly providing it work in a facility far away from the company and only can help if the “book” they read from has the answer. And sometimes when it does have the answer they still don’t know how to figure it out.
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