DirectTV Service Confusion

[wiem5]

My friend has DirecTV service in Columbus, OH and gets the local feed for the national broadcast networks (CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC) and also subscribes to Sunday NFL Ticket.

We are taking a trip to Smithville, TN and he has purchased a portable dish so we can watch football while on a houseboat for one weekend.

After numerous calls to DirectTV he his totally confused as to what, if anything, needs to be done to get service in Smithville.

We want to be able to watch NBC (any feed), ESPN and of course NFL Ticket.

Can someone please provide some guidance and input if any service changes need to be made or can we simply set-up the dish, plug it in and be good to go?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

 

[raoul5788]

My friend has DirecTV service in Columbus, OH and gets the local feed for the national broadcast networks (CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC) and also subscribes to Sunday NFL Ticket.

We are taking a trip to Smithville, TN and he has purchased a portable dish so we can watch football while on a houseboat for one weekend.

After numerous calls to DirectTV he his totally confused as to what, if anything, needs to be done to get service in Smithville.

We want to be able to watch NBC (any feed), ESPN and of course NFL Ticket.

Can someone please provide some guidance and input if any service changes need to be made or can we simply set-up the dish, plug it in and be good to go?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

You can simply set up the dish, but you won't get the local channels from Columbus, since they are on spot beams that cover small regions. You could have the service address changed to a local one in TN, but then you would have to change it back upon your return to OH. That's the only way to get any locals channels at all. The Sunday Ticket shouldn't be affected.

 

[wiem5]

Thanks very much for the reply and guidance.

Do you know if we will be able to get any NBC feed? Doesn't matter to us where it comes from because all we really care about is a nationally televised program.

Thanks again!

 

[directmommy]

shouldnt be an issue

 

[raoul5788]

Thanks very much for the reply and guidance.

Do you know if we will be able to get any NBC feed? Doesn't matter to us where it comes from because all we really care about is a nationally televised program.

Thanks again!

Without changing your service address the only NBC station you will get is the local Columbus one, which is out of range. It is possible that the national NBC channel in the 380's will be accessible, but don't count on it. Do you have ota capabilities?

 

[HDinCincy]

My friend has DirecTV service in Columbus, OH and gets the local feed for the national broadcast networks (CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC) and also subscribes to Sunday NFL Ticket.

We are taking a trip to Smithville, TN and he has purchased a portable dish so we can watch football while on a houseboat for one weekend.

After numerous calls to DirectTV he his totally confused as to what, if anything, needs to be done to get service in Smithville.

We want to be able to watch NBC (any feed), ESPN and of course NFL Ticket.

Can someone please provide some guidance and input if any service changes need to be made or can we simply set-up the dish, plug it in and be good to go?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

I have used my portable dish for exactly the same thing. It's been three years ago but it worked fine. I was on Lake Cumberland and got the Cincy locals. It's a crapshoot. You'll get the other stuff. I assume you're doing SD. HD would be tougher with much more critical alignment. I was amazed that we could be parked in a cove way out and get a strong sat signal, but we did. BTW, it's a waste of time to talk to the D* CSRs about this.

 

[wiem5]

Can you please define 'OTA'?

 

[wiem5]

Without changing your service address the only NBC station you will get is the local Columbus one, which is out of range. It is possible that the national NBC channel in the 380's will be accessible, but don't count on it. Do you have ota capabilities?

Can you please define 'OTA Capabilities'?

 

[raoul5788]

OTA means "over the air", which is a built in tuner for local channels. You know, the old fashioned way, with an antenna! The only current Directv receivers with ota tuners in them are the H20 and HR20. Do you have one of those?

 

[scoop8]

The only current Directv receivers with ota tuners in them are the H20 and HR20. Do you have one of those?

Do you guys know why this is the case? Seems to me that they should have that option in all of their boxes. Is it because there are several actual Mfg'ers of these boxes with different build specs?

 

[joed32]

Do you guys know why this is the case? Seems to me that they should have that option in all of their boxes. Is it because there are several actual Mfg'ers of these boxes with different build specs?

It's a cost savings since most people don't use it. They provide the add on for OTA for those who need it for $50 or less.

 

[wiem5]

OTA means "over the air", which is a built in tuner for local channels. You know, the old fashioned way, with an antenna! The only current Directv receivers with ota tuners in them are the H20 and HR20. Do you have one of those?

Sorry, it hit me overnight what OTA meant and what you were asking. I will check with my friend what type of receiver he owns, unfortunately it will probably not make a difference. The lake we are on is pretty rural and the bays where we anchor the houseboat are in fairly deep valleys because it is a man made lake. We have tried OTA antennaes before with no luck.

It would appear the only two options are a temporary service transfer from DirectTV or their DNS service for mobilehome owners.

Thanks for all your time and effort.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

It's a cost savings since most people don't use it. They provide the add on for OTA for those who need it for $50 or less.

Cost saving??? for Who D*? Certainly not the customer.
HR-20 was $199 to lease, Guess what so was the HR21,22,and 23.

 

[raoul5788]

Cost saving??? for Who D*? Certainly not the customer.
HR-20 was $199 to lease, Guess what so was the HR21,22,and 23.

The HR20 was $299 to lease when the program started. I think it went to $199 when the other models came out.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

The HR20 was $299 to lease when the program started. I think it went to $199 when the other models came out.

Your right, the first year it was $299, and it was dropped to $199 less then a year later. HR 21 wasn't release yet. I had 2 HR-20's One I paid $299 for the other I paid $199 for.

 

[raoul5788]

Your right, the first year it was $299, and it was dropped to $199 less then a year later. HR 21 wasn't release yet. I had 2 HR-20's One I paid $299 for the other I paid $199 for.

It must have been about the same time. IIRC, the reason for the price drop was there was no ota tuner in the HR21.

 

[harshness]

The price drop came because of competitive pressure. The tuners were removed to restore profitability.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

It must have been about the same time. IIRC, the reason for the price drop was there was no ota tuner in the HR21.

The reason the price dropped, was because no one in their right mind would have paid $300 to lease a D* HD DVR with 30 Hours of Recording time with a total of 7 HD channels. The H 20 if you remember was also $199 when it was first released too. So I find it hard to believe that the OTA option was $100, If it was why does D* only charge $50 for the OTA module,and E* only $30.
The reason OTA was dropped was to inforce customers to Buy D* and E* locals. OTA was a $3-5 per month savings, Money D* wasn't getting by offering OTA on their boxes.

 

[SamCdbs]

Smithville is in DeKalb County, which is in the Nashville DMA. Nashville locals are, of course, available on DirecTV. All you would need to do is call a CSR and tell him or her that you have moved there and they would drop the Columbus locals and add the Nashville ones. Then just call back when you get home and move back.

The other OTA option as discussed. While it is true that only the 20 series of receivers have an OTA tuner built in, the TV has one. Just change the channel and hook up an antenna. Of course, its 60 plus miles away from town, which is about the point that antennas have to get big and complicated to pick up signals.

 

[raoul5788]

The reason the price dropped, was because no one in their right mind would have paid $300 to lease a D* HD DVR with 30 Hours of Recording time with a total of 7 HD channels. The H 20 if you remember was also $199 when it was first released too. So I find it hard to believe that the OTA option was $100, If it was why does D* only charge $50 for the OTA module,and E* only $30.
The reason OTA was dropped was to inforce customers to Buy D* and E* locals. OTA was a $3-5 per month savings, Money D* wasn't getting by offering OTA on their boxes.

Actually, a lot of people paid the $299 lease fee. I am one of them! Are you saying that we are all crazy? Huh? HUH?