Bye-Bye Sudden Link...

[Paw_Paw_Drew]

It has been a while since I had cable or satelite but I have used both dish and direct. I recall that Direct TV was more user friendly when I wanted to go camping. They weren't as particular about the phone line being hooked up and used a single LNB for everything. Local channels can be added to their package and worked when I was away from home. Pointing the sattelite seemed easier to.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Dean,
We had the old Dish network set up (Before they offered local stations). We got it back in 1998 we liked it a lot the cost was not bad either our bill was $37.18 a month, we got rid of it Last September Because we never really watched it. If we wanted local channels we would just turn the dish off and watch local TV using the small roof mounted antena. There is even a dish mounted antena that you tie into your dish's coax cable. We really liked the dish network because it comes with Sirius radio as some of the channels.

[apratt]

I have Dish net now for 8 years and rarely any problems. I get far better reception than I did with cable. Cable in the middle of summer when it is really nice around here my tv reception would be lousy!! So switched to dish and have never regreted it. Only problem is I like to watch the local news, can only get one local news, problem is I live half way between Portland and Seattle. So I like to watch both news, it depends wich way the weather is coming that is the news I would watch. The only problem really get is when I do get snow build up on the dish then I lose signal, I just go out and hose off the snow, presto no problem and once in a while I do lose signal momentarly, I think it is caused by my big fir trees that is somewhat in front of the disk. The tree is about 200' from my disk but the tree is getting to about 70' tall or so. I won't go back to cable.

[mrainey]

I had DirectYV for several years, then switched to Dish because they had a lot more international and political stuff. Have been very happy with Dish for the past couple years. I especially like all the music channels, including the Sirius stuff. I pay $50 a month, which doesn't buy HBO, Showtime, etc.

From what I've seen the Dish software has more glitches than DirectTV did, but not a big deal. Technical support is outstanding.

I live in the southeast, with lots of rain. The picture disruption does occur, but rarely for me.

[War Eagle]

Paw paw is correct abou the LNB. Direct uses a single LNB with an internal switch to pickup both satelites (110 & 119). Dish uses two LNB's with an external switch so when setting up the dish you must account for direction, elevation and skew. This would not be a problem if you were not considering taking the dish camping. With Direct just point it south and get the elevation right and your in business in just a few minutes. I have another receiver (Dream box) that uses the duel LNB dish, MAN that thing is a monster to tune because you must find two satelites with one dish. GO DIRECT! No, I work for Cingular Wireless not Direct TV.

[Miriam C.]

Gosh you guys are being ripped. I have basic family cable $50 and my broadband is only $9.95+taxes a month. Course I don't watch tv so if it isn't good I wouldn't know.

[Denny Unfried]

Have had Dish Network since it's inception and would never go back to cable expecially since Time Warner took it over in my area. My bill has always been under 40 bucks for the 150+music channels and they do offer local channels but I use the outdoor antenna for those. Since I live alone I have one box which splits to my three TV's. The remote is set up so the channel can be changed from any room in the house.

Denny

[The Teardrop Nanny]

I've had basic cable in the same area as Dean, Ch 2-13, and called and had mine cancelled. I don't watch it enough, and the channels I can get aren't really ones I want to watch. I ended up watching the preview guide more than anything, and they took it off the Basic Rate, so I just said heck with it.

I have a really old TV downstairs that I sometimes turn on when I do laundry, (with rabbit ears and tinfoil and old turn dials with UHF knob) and it can get 5 channels all by itself without any help from cable. I decided I'd just watch what was on those or spend the money on renting a DVD instead. I figure the time I spent in front of the TV is time I could've been doing something else. At one point in my life, BD, I spent so many hours watching TV because my spouse was housebound (brain and many spinal tumors) and he couldn't get up and go anywhere. I kinda got burned out on it but still have a favorite show or two. Now I just wait for the season to end and rent the entire previous season on DVD... like Grey's Anatomy, or Lost, or Sex in the City, Six Feet Under, etc. That way I get continuity and no commercials.

TDN

[Laredo]

DirecTV works for us and has for, oh, 10+ years now, Speed channel, CMT and all. Not crazy about the "new" music channels -- they went to XM or something about a year ago -- but I never used that feature much anyway.

[Coca Cola Teardrop]

We cancelled Dish Network when Direct TV ran special for installing 4 boxes free. ( we previousally had one box with dish network). Now that we have 4 boxes and 3 tv's that are watched we keep the 4th box in the teardrop. Charles took it to Deer Lease and it wouldn't work. It had been off for a long time in teardrop and lost it's signal. Took it in the house, pluged in phone line and left on for several hours and it started working again. We have a small dish that was given to us so it goes with us and the teardrop. Spare dishes should be easy to come by as the satelite companies advertise leave dish when you move.
Linda

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Thank You All!!!
I just ordered Direct TV. Their current promotion includes 4 recievers, one of which I had upgraded to a DVR reciever for FREE, $100.00 off over the next 10 months ($10.00 off each month's bill) and I get a FREE portable DVD player.
Now, I just gotta go find another Direct TV dish setup and I'll be paying $29.00 each month for the next 10 months. ($39.00 per month after that)
I'll be able to take sattlelite TV with me in the teadrop too for less than I pay each month for 50 someodd channels with cable TV here at the home.
No more shortened camping trips to keep from missing a NASCAR race!
OH YAA, One other small detail... Gotta get the teardrop finished too.
(I'm thinking about using a small portable tripod as a mounting base for the camping dish for ease of setup)

[dmb90260]

I have DirecTv and love it, used it from coast to coast a couple months ago.

Pointers:
Write the DTV 800 support number several places or put it on you cell. After the box is inactive for a while it may be shut off. A phone call with the error number is a quick fix

Get at least 100 feet of extra cable and cable connectors and you may be able to get you antenna out of the trees or not behind a big RV.

Have a compass, entering the local zip code in set up will tell you where to point it.

If you have local stations service, the Network stations may be available everywhere if they are from a big city (SF). Local independents and PBS will not be available far from home.

Get a stable base for your antenna, those cheesy things with bungee cords are not worth the money. I use the stone base of a patio umbrella. Saw a an antenna bolted to a large concrete block this weekend, lots of options.

This does not apply to teardrops since they do not usually have tracking antenna systems but many RV'ers have switched to DirecTV from Dish. Dish has some technical issues and seem to not support RV systems any more.

Music is via XM radio so no Howard Stern. Not a loss for me.

I love DirecTV especially with TiVo

[rainjer]

Also Dish Network has the speed channel where as Direct TV does not. The price between the two is about the same.

I have Direct TV & I have Speed Channel on 607. I watch it almost every night. I have the Total Choice Plus & 2 receivers. $65 a month.

I wonder if it is a regional thing? Our local cable compay (Comcast) did not have it las time I looked.

[Gage]

Also Dish Network has the speed channel where as Direct TV does not. The price between the two is about the same.

I have Direct TV & I have Speed Channel on 607. I watch it almost every night. I have the Total Choice Plus & 2 receivers. $65 a month.
I wonder if it is a regional thing? Our local cable compay (Comcast) did not have it las time I looked.

So I have found out. When I first subscribed to Dish, Direct didn't offer it. I'll just bet they aquired it when Dish Network and Direct TV merged last year. I just may switch to Direct next year. I understand there homing signal is a lot easier to work with when your out in the middle of nowhere.

[rainjer]

I pretty my can find the signal in about 5 minutes any more. I have moved twice since I have had it.

BTW Gage, I love you picture in you signature.