Direct TV or Dish Network

[Arch]

I am looking into this as well.

This is from the direct tv web site:
"Distant Network Service (DNS) enables you to receive ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC channels from New York or Los Angeles. It's a great solution for travelers who want to enjoy these channels on the road in their mobile vehicle. If your main residence is qualified to receive Los Angeles/New York stations, you can also receive them in your RV, car or boat. If your main residence doesn't qualify for DNS, you may submit qualifying paperwork to obtain DNS channels"

Arch

 

[Capn Chuck]

I am looking into this as well.

This is from the direct tv web site:
" If your main residence doesn't qualify for DNS, you may submit qualifying paperwork to obtain DNS channels"

Arch

The paperwork comprises of signed waivers from all of the local TV stations in the area covered by "your home address" and we have never encountered anyone that has received these waivers from any of these local stations. Chuck

 

[motion30]

I dont understand why direct will not let you pick up the local stations where you currently are located ??

 

[Larry M]

some people live on their boats 24/7/365... tv is a resource of info whether news, weather, national crisis, etc...etc...

so while I'm all about nature, astronomy, sunsets, etc...etc ... 99 percent of the time...it's nice to know what others are doing to fill that 1% gap...

+1

 

[Capn Chuck]

I dont understand why direct will not let you pick up the local stations where you currently are located ??

They often quote, and to some respects are correct, an FCC regulation. But that requirement can be open to interpretation and they choose to interpret it the way they do. If every boater called and ask to have the locals changed every time they stopped and turned on the satellite, that is all they would do. I can understand this from a business standpoint. The FCC does give a waiver to RVs in that regulation but not boats. If that regulation were ever to change, then boats could be included, but you would still only get either LA or New York locals depending on which coast. They will never switch to every local as you travel because at this point the technology is too complicated.

 

[Capn Chuck]

Maybe I can help explain this "local channel" situation a bit better. Each local market is a spotbeam. Hold a flashlight up to the ceiling and have someone put their hand in the beam of light. That is the area covered by a specific local market. Once you move your hand out of the circle of light you have moved from under the spotbeam and the locals will drop out. There are hundreds and hundreds of these spotbeams to cover local markets throughout the U.S. The New York and LA stations are network feeds and are on the main satellites just like TNT or HBO and are not spotbeams. The satellite company sends down data packets to your specific receiver for the programming you receive. These data packets also include your locals. Each time you have a change in programming, the satellite company must change the data packets sent to you receiver. Your receiver converts the data packets into sound and picture. So if you moved into a new spotbeam every few days, you would have to call them, tell them where you are, and have them reprogram the data packets for your receiver. Now multiply this but several thousand boaters and you see why the technology is not there to let this happen. I hope this helps. Chuck

 

[Rusty]

At one point, we had DirecTV at an apartment in southern California. When we bought our boat, it came with a SeaTel satellite antenna. It cost us $5 a month to add a receiver on the boat to the account as an "extra room". We received local Los Angeles channels on the boat in Seattle and British Columbia. I assume this was because DirecTV did not where the "extra room" actually was.

 

[bfloyd4445]

At one point, we had DirecTV at an apartment in southern California. When we bought our boat, it came with a SeaTel satellite antenna. It cost us $5 a month to add a receiver on the boat to the account as an "extra room". We received local Los Angeles channels on the boat in Seattle and British Columbia. I assume this was because DirecTV did not where the "extra room" actually was.

I've been reading this thread all along and last year looked into getting a tailgator. This is a portable system for rvs that uses dishnetwork. When i called them they said I could use it anywhere and if not in use i could suspend the survice for as long as i wished then when needed just a simple call to re connect. Anyone used one of these?

 

[Capn Chuck]

Britt, These units don't work well on a boat since they have to sit still. As soon as the boat moves, the signal is lost. Chuck