H20 receiver and AT-9 relocation abroad

[jalegria11]

By March 2007, I will be job relocating to Panama City, Panama.

Does anyone know if it will be possible to relocate the "high definition" equipment, keep my subscription active at my local U.S. home (where the wife will stay... :devil: )
and somehow, while in Panama, "aim the dish" to lock in the U.S. channels?
I am definitely taking my high-def TV, and would like to continue watching HD-lite abroad.
They do have Direct TV, but it is a whole different package with no "hi-def" programming...

Is there a site with info. about aiming dishes from other countries?
Would I need a "larger" dish due to location and distance?

What happens if you break the "Hi-Def 2-year agreement" with Direct TV?


Thanks for any related input.

JA

 

[cforrest]

Good luck, my best friend has family in Panama City, Punta Paitilla to be exact. The local cable company, Cable Onda, only recently upgraded to digital cable 2 years or so ago, the cable company was making a big deal out of it when I was there. I don't think they offer any HD. Internet packages stink for what you pay and the speed you receive. As for taking your equipment, D* Latin America use a much bigger dish down there from what I remember seeing and I am sure the receivers are different as well. From what I recall speaking to my friend, the HD push has not made it to Panama yet, but many with $$$ are buying LCD and Plasma sets there. Hopefully you are being relocated to the canal zone area, a boat load of construction has been going on there, I only got to see the beginning of it, haven't been back to Panama in about 3 years. Good luck.

 

[jalegria11]

Cforrest:

First of all, thanks for that... pair of lovely baby soothers...
and, "reply".

As of now, I only got a relocation date, but no exact location.
The business contract has something to do with the Panama Canal Authority.
I guess I would know in time.
It seems once again, there is a boom going on in Panama with the upcoming canal expansion. I've read D. Trump wants to open a luxury hotel, and even Disney wants to build a "Latinamerican Disney theme park"...
I traveled in January 2005 with a friend for a jazz festival and fell in love with the city. I do remember "Paitilla"; it was close to the hotel where I stayed along the Balboa Avenue.

According to your answer, then it would be useless to take the current U.S. system.
I once read in this forum about someone saying a Direct TV tech had told him "it was possible" to somehow set up the receiver and dish abroad. I think the guy was talking about some island in the Caribbean or Southamerican country.

Once again, thanks for your input.

I will have to decide between now and then, if I should cancel my HD subscription since I will anyhow take my plasma with me, and maybe a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player with me to keep the HD experience going...!

JA

 

[cheebs]

You'd need a BIG honkin' dish (minimum 8 ft) to be able to capture a limited amount of signal in Panama. I know of some people in Venezuela that have had, again, very limited success.

IMO the amount of money that needs to be spent doesn't justify the limited programming you'll get down there. Forget about DTV Latino, it's garbage and they will probably never offer HD.

I'm thinking that probably the best HD alternative in Panama would be C-band.