We have not had tv for 5 years? Hard to belive I know! But by question is which is better or why do you like Dish or Directv over the other? You could call this a poll but please respond with the pros and cons!! Thankyou so much!! DR
We have directv. I have found that we find the signal easier than people with dish in a lot of places. We pull a receiver our of the house and plug it in in the bus. I know a number of people that have dish at home, and their main complaints have been the customer service and billing screw ups. You are calling India for customer service with Dish.
Don and Cary
GMC4107
Hi Cary,
I have been with Direct TV since 95'. They now have me listed as a perferred customer. Which intitles me to a private phone number
that, when needed, will always be a live person answering my calls that speaks proper english. [ no automation menus'] Now That's Service!
Along with not loosing our picture in over 5 years, and all the cool features we now have in the recievers. I'm not going anywhere!
Good Luck
Nick-
We have Direct TV. Recently moved from CA to TX, called them up to hook up, done. No hassle, a couple of days, no charge. Have had them for 3 years, no problems whatsoever.
Happy Trails,
Paul
Dreamscape
We are full timers and have had Direct TV for over 4 yrs. we no complaints.They have great customer service and I have no reason to try another service.
Don
I belong to a camper club and have found here on the west that dish is easier to tune in and for RV use direct was always disconnecting and not updating the recievers so most use dish . Jerry
I used Direct TV for a couple of years in the house and on the bus. Then one day I fell for one of the offers on Dish Network. They assured me I could use their system in our bus, in a campground. Well for a year we tried and tried. After over a hundred phone calls to customer service they finally released us from our contract if I sent the equipment back. I immediately signed up for Direct TV again and we get satellite service any place we go, very easily, without calling customer service.
I would vote for Direct TV hands down. 100% no question.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Dave Siegel
We had two Dish receivers in our house and took one on our RV when we went south for the winter. When Dish found out that one was in our Rv, they shut one off and refused to turn more than one on even though we were paying for two. When we returned home and put the receiver in the house they still refused to turn both on. I have Direct now and am happy. Larry 4106
We have DirecTV. Never actually used it on the bus yet but when we upgraded our dish recently I got the guy to leave the old dish for me. I figured I could put it on a portable tripod and use it until I can afford an in-motion dish later on. I told the guy exactly what I wanted to do with it and he said it would be no problem.
I have Dish and have had absolutely no billing screw ups or non-Engilish speaking customer support reps. When I've called for customer service (with question), I've been prepared to wait, but I've never had to. Perhaps Dish had some issues in the past, but I don't hear of a lot of problems now. A forum I've found useful is http://www.dbstalk.com/index.php (http://www.dbstalk.com/index.php). There are both DirecTV- and Dish Network-specific forums. Dish can (or may) disable a box if it's not connected to a phone line, but this is avoidable with a $5 charge. I have a spare receiver that I'm going to use in the bus when we're on a trip. It'll be plugged in to a phone line at home. FWIW, my aunt and uncle have put over 57,000 miles on their S&S RV over the past few years. They've always had Dish. I asked them a couple of weeks ago how much trouble they'd had with service or with obtaining a signal. They've had no service problems and only issues with the signal when others (other RV'ers with Dish and DirecTv) did, such as in really shady locations with lots of trees.
David
Our first system was DISH. We had that system for a few years, then switched to DIRECT. In addition to much better customer service, we find it easier to find the satellite when setting up at a campground. At least in the Southeast, the DIRECT satellite is higher in the sky, so if you are camped near trees, it is easier to get a signal. We camped 2 different places where our neighbors were watching DIRECT, while we could not get a signal on DISH because of a row of trees. I called DIRECT yesterday to upgrade our home receivers to HD. Like Nick, we are considered preferred customers, very friendly American girl on the phone confirmed that our new TVs are HD ready, took our order and confirmed an installation date. Only charge is a $20.00 handling charge. I asked the girl where she was located. She said in West Virginia. Jack
Quote from: JackConrad on August 16, 2007, 07:06:26 AM
Our first system was DISH. We had that system for a few years, then switched to DIRECT. In addition to much better customer service, we find it easier to find the satellite when setting up at a campground. At least in the Southeast, the DIRECT satellite is higher in the sky, so if you are camped near trees, it is easier to get a signal. We camped 2 different places where our neighbors were watching DIRECT, while we could not get a signal on DISH because of a row of trees. I called DIRECT yesterday to upgrade our home receivers to HD. Like Nick, we are considered preferred customers, very friendly American girl on the phone confirmed that our new TVs are HD ready, took our order and confirmed an installation date. Only charge is a $20.00 handling charge. I asked the girl where she was located. She said in West Virginia. Jack
I think you will find all WV girls like that. LOL
Richard
So what do you guys pay each month for the service?
$5 a month more for the additional receiver. (I have a reciever just for the bus) And about $6 a month for national networks. It the New York and LA feeds for ABC, NBC,CBS etc. That way we always get the local channels but they come with NY or LA commercials.
Dave
I don't even have my home systems connected to a phone line. They hooked them to the phones when they were installed but I unhooked them after I came home from a trip to find that anyone who had called me for the last week had gotten a busy signal. The culprit was the satellite boxes. When I first had DirecTV a few years ago I didn't leave the boxes connected to a phone line. From time to time it would tell me that it needed to make a call and I would connect it long enough for that. Since I upgraded I have had no such messages. They would have no way of knowing if the box was at my house or somewhere in the bus.
Thankyou for the info!! Great help!! DR
Yes great question H3Jim, can I get an idea of what everyone is paying for service fees?? Thankyou again!! DR This sure beats selling fruit on the freeway!!
I have three receivers (one is a DVR) and I have the Premier package with every channel. I pay right at $100 per month. The dish I kept that I will put on a portable tripod can handle up to 4 receivers so I figure I could take two from the house on the bus and have all I need.
Quote from: Songman on August 16, 2007, 08:04:16 AM
They would have no way of knowing if the box was at my house or somewhere in the bus.
Actually, they (Dish) does know where the receiver's calling from. They have my home number on file. When my box calls in (how often or at what time I'm not sure). They also know the number from caller ID. If the two don't match, they know I've supplied my buddy, a family member, etc with a box for the $5 / month fee that I pay for an additional box. It's a pain, but I can understand why they do it. Also, Dish has Sirius, which is what I have in my cars. This was an added plus.
As to what I pay per month... I have two twin-tuner receivers (4 tv's). One is a DVR (for 2 tv's). I have the 200+ channel package with no movie channels. I pay around $47 per month for the first year. It'll go up to $57 after the year's up. I had Time Warner with rude customer service people in our area, was more expensive, and didn't help me get satellite for my bus.
David
I had both Dish and DirecTV. The only reason I chose DirecTV over Dish is because of NFL SUNDAY TICKET!!!
But I was very happy with Dish. Customer service is very good.
Quote from: DavidInWilmNC on August 16, 2007, 09:35:33 AM
Quote from: Songman on August 16, 2007, 08:04:16 AM
They would have no way of knowing if the box was at my house or somewhere in the bus.
Actually, they (Dish) does know where the receiver's calling from. They have my home number on file. When my box calls in (how often or at what time I'm not sure). They also know the number from caller ID. If the two don't match, they know I've supplied my buddy, a family member, etc with a box for the $5 / month fee that I pay for an additional box. It's a pain, but I can understand why they do it. Also, Dish has Sirius, which is what I have in my cars. This was an added plus.
David
But my box doesn't call in. That is the point. I am not connected to a phone line. Sure, if I connected to a different phone line and it called in there would be an issue. But if I am using my box at home without a phone line or on the bus without a phone line is no different. Apparently you can't do that with Dish Network, but you can with DirecTV. The phone line really only comes into play if you want to buy PPV.
DirecTV doesn't have Sirius though. But they do have XM although I rarely use it.
FTA is also an option...http://www.al7bar.tk/Forums/
Quote from: Songman on August 16, 2007, 09:43:07 AM
But my box doesn't call in. That is the point. I am not connected to a phone line. Sure, if I connected to a different phone line and it called in there would be an issue. But if I am using my box at home without a phone line or on the bus without a phone line is no different. Apparently you can't do that with Dish Network, but you can with DirecTV. The phone line really only comes into play if you want to buy PPV.
DirecTV doesn't have Sirius though. But they do have XM although I rarely use it.
Dish gives a $5 'discount' for connecting to a phone line, I believe they put it. In other words, I can pay $5 extra and not have my receiver connected to a phone line. That's why I'll plug it in when I'm at home. They don't automatically disable your receiver if one call-in is missed. When I calculated the cost between the two, Dish was much cheaper even if I added in the extra $5. You're right about the PPV... that's the only functional difference.
We have a total of 3 receivers (2 in the house & 1 in the bus). I think our DIRECT TV program package is the middle (not cheapest, not best) with no movie channels, but all local channels. We pay around $65/month. After they install our HD receivers next week, our monthly rate will increase by about $10.00.
We have never had a phone line connected to any of our receivers (we do not do PPV). Never had any problems with DIRECT TV because of this. Jack
Quote from: DrivingMissLazy
very friendly American girl on the phone confirmed that our new TVs are HD ready, took our order and confirmed an installation date. Only charge is a $20.00 handling charge. I asked the girl where she was located. She said in West Virginia. Jack
I think you will find all WV girls like that. LOL
Richard
But only if their Jealous big brother arn't sitting next to them ready to pounce you for mess'n with their girl! LOL!
;D BK ;D
the latest satellite newsletter i received said Directv has the best service satisfaction rating of any tv supplier, cable, satellite or whatever. i guess most people like Directv.
personally, i prefer to watch the wildlife out in front of the awning. hopefully non-human four legged like the rabbit family we watched tonight. for free.
but if you have to have a satellite tv system, direct tv seems the best.
Thankyou so much for the help!! DR
I have used both. I can only speak for In-motion type systems.
If you have Tracstar the Direct seems to work better and drop out less often.
If you have Tracvision the Dish seems to work better. The old Tracvision systems need a little adapter on the back of the box for a serial cable to plug into.
I always preferred the "Dish" because I am more familiar with it.(Have it at home)
Dish also makes a UHF remote so you can flip channels from anywhere in the bus. Kinda nice when you are in the back and the box is in the front lounge.
Now days seems like all the coach converters are using 2 or 3 receivers.
It keeps the guys from fighting over what to watch:)
I do know that they all can be a royal pain. But they are great when they work.
Best,
Justin
Dish also makes a UHF remote so you can flip channels from anywhere in the bus. Kinda nice when you are in the back and the box is in the front lounge
We purchased a "thing" at WalMart called a "Rabbit". One part is plugged into a 120 V AC outlet near the bedroom TV, the other part is installed near the DIRECT TV receiver in front of the bus. You aim the remote at the "thing" near the bedroom TV and it controls the receiver in the front. We are thinking about adding another one to the TV in the Bay. Jack