Directv changes for 2019?

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by extiger

I am currently on the road with DTV, HR24 STB and Carryout G2+. I can get most channels in my package. I cannot receive my local (2-70) channels so I missed Super Bowl. On previous trips I spent several hours on phone with both DTV and Winegard. DTV says local channels are HD so tough luck as it is a Winegard problem that they don’t receive HD. Also can only receive one channel so no recording one show while watching another. I hope Winegard is working on a solution.

There already is a solution - it is the Winegard Trav'ler. Hold onto your wallet, however, as it is more complex, larger, and more expensive. If you want HD without the expensive antenna, the answer is Dish Network.

That said, local channels are broadcast in a spot beam which covers a very small area of the earth's surface as compared to the larger beam. I can get my locals only in about a 200 mile radius of my home location.

Al

[extiger]

Yes, Trav'ler is a solution. I really don't want a permanent installation because of access to southern skies. Also I have talked to several companies about installing a Trav'ler on my AS and all have advised against it. Something about flat item on curved surface.

As far as receiving local channels, I received them on the road until a year or two ago. DTV tells me they changed them to HD and that is why I don't get them.

This is all very frustrating and I hope it doesn't get worse. DTV employees tell me that ATT is driving changes that will increase revenue.

[mike28]

As a post to both you and Al, I use a Winegard Carryout G2+. It receives Dish on HD and currently works on Directv in SD only. So, the problem currently is with Directv apparently using multiple sattelites, with this dome antenna. My guess is that they will be sending the signal with newer sattelites involved so the dome(with a single LNB will work using the HD receiver required. I am told that what will be lost after the changeover are the local channels which must currently be on the sattelite in question. Two weeks ago, I was receiving local SHD stations on old receiver.
Now we wait and see.

[TexasMarci]

My dear brother in law is a retired broadcast engineer and he called on this issue yesterday and talked to one of the manufacturers and it sounds like we might hear something from either Direct or the dish manufacturer in the not to distant future. If there isn't some kind of adapter or "patch" offered, then we will simply switch to Dish and use their services. We chose Direct because we have them at home and it just involved taking one of our ""boxes"" along with us on the trip. But I'm sure hoping that they do something to save us customers and give us a solution. Fingers crossed here!!

[Kamiak]

Over the past couple of days, I’ve spent a few hours trying to talk to various individuals at DirecTV. Initial calls typically go to some international call center where the knowledge seems limited, and my old ears have difficulty and frustration with the heavily accented voices on the other end. Ultimately, yesterday, I spoke with a very nice U.S.-based individual in their dish activation team.

The purpose of my call was to “re-activate” the very old standard definition (SD) satellite receiver that I MANUALLY connect to my very old 18” round dish that I set on a tripod that I carry in my Airstream. I’ve been successfully “activating” and “re-activating” this receiver for many years as I use it exclusively in the trailer, while I use DirecTV high definition (HD) at home. This activation attempt was in preparation for a spring trip. I’ve preferred using SD in the trailer because of the ease of set-up as it uses only one satellite, channel 101, and it didn’t matter if it was level or not. Many times, I’m aiming between a very narrow gap between trees to connect, so an HD dish trying to manually connect to 3 different satellites (99, 101, 103) over 3 different axis over an 18 degree path could often be problematic for me. With the small screen in the trailer, the SD vs HD resolution difference didn’t matter much.

As discussed on this and many other forums for several years, DirecTV’s SD signal is finally going away, soon, and sooner for some than others. I’m one of the sooner customers. Based on my lengthy conversation yesterday, 4/30/2019 is the drop-dead date for most, especially in more populated areas. More remote areas, perhaps Alaska, might be operational as late as 9/30/2019. I became a “sooner” customer because DirecTV initiated some sort of account changeover in recent months, perhaps associated with their acquisition by AT&T and AT&T’s apparent desire to bring all of their account management under one umbrella. During the changeover period, my satellite box was in the inactive status since I wasn’t traveling at the time. The changeover only kept active boxes. While the most common termination date is 4/30/2019, they are now unable to activate SD boxes, even though we’re not yet at 4/30/19. The individual that I spoke with tried to be very helpful, tried many different “back-door” ways to re-activate, all without success. So for me, SD is dead as far as DirecTV goes. If you have an old SD box and it was active during the account changeover period, you’re probably good until 4/30/2019.

I have a DirecTV H25 stand-alone receiver (does not require Geni) that I can take on each trip with my Airstream; however, my old 18” round dish will not work with the H25 receiver and its SWM technology.

Solution? Winegard makes a very expensive roof-mount automatic dish that will provide HD service that is priced in the $1800+- range. I don’t know how well it would work on the ground, but even if it did, it’s a lot of money leave lying on the ground unattended. Moreover, that small gap between the trees may not always be in the right spot with a roof-mounted dish.

Apparently the tri-pod mount options are only the SlimLine SL3 or SL5 dishes sold by a number of outlets and manufacturers. It’s available as a dish/LNB/power inserter only, or as a kit which includes tripod, cabling, compass, level, etc. I only need the dish/LNB etc., not the other add-ons in the kits. The dish-only parts sell for around $70-$110, while the kits are around $130 to $180, depending upon where you buy and whether SL3 or SL5.

The SL3 connects to 3 satellites, the 99, 103, and 103, which are CURRENTLY the satellites used by DirecTV for most of both the SD and HD channels. The SL5 connects to 5 satellites, the 99, 101,103, 110,119 satellites. The 110 and 119 are CURRENTLY used mainly for Spanish language, some music, some religious, some local channels in some areas, and perhaps other currently esoteric channels. It would seem that the SL3 would currently give most people the DirecTVchannels that they have at home; but I have no idea what future changes DirecTV might have in mind for economic or technological reasons. If they make changes, and you ultimately need access to satellite 110 or 119, you can buy the SL5 LNB-only and mount it to your Slim Line dish for about the same price as the current differential between the SL3 and SL5. I think I’ll just buy the SL3 for now to go with my bedroom H25 receiver for use in the Airstream. I guess Dish TV is an option, but for now, I’m with DirecTV.

I do have a question for those of you already experienced in manually aiming an HD dish such as the SL3: Is satellite reception an all-or-nothing experience, i.e., all 3 satellites or no signal at all, or is it possible to connect to just one or two satellites and receive only whatever channels may be on that satellite?

[Al and Missy]

Kamiak - You can manually point the dish and do not have to get all satellites. Here is what I do:
Bring up the satellite pointing menu and enter your zip code.
Get the Az, El, and Tilt numbers from the screen.
Set your dish mount to those numbers.
Set up your tripod in a location where you can see the satellite(s) of interest. An iPhone app like Satfinder is helpful. Get one of the bubble levels that is part of the DirecTV installation kit and be sure your tripod is level.
Mount the dish, leaving the clamp bolts finger tight.
Set the receiver to Signal Strength, then Signal Meters, preferably on the 101 satellite. The Signal Meters page has a audible signal to aid in peaking. Turn the TV volume up so you can hear the signal outside. This will impress your traveling companions and neighbors....
Point the antenna well to one side of the prescribed azimuth.
Shift the antenna in small increments (only a couple of degrees). After a while you should hear the audible signal. Peak the repetition rate and the pitch and you are aligned on 101.
Switch the receiver to the 99 satellite.
Hopefully you will hear the audible signal.
Peak the antenna on the 99 satellite. It is more critical that the 101 to peak. Peaking the 99 should not effect the signal on 101 significantly.

This process is necessitated by the fact that the inexpensive signal meters will not work with the SWM feeds. A meter that will work is in the $300 range.

Al

[Hiho Silver]

I think I’ll just buy the SL3 for now to go with my bedroom H25 receiver for use in the Airstream. I guess Dish TV is an option, but for now, I’m with DirecTV.



I?[/QUOTE]
Great information, thanks!


I have a kit that I’d like to sell, that has what it sounds like you want. The slimline dish, with the SL3 LNB, a tripod with tent stakes, and a compass. I purchased it from Satellite Oasis, but no longer need it. Send me a private message if you are interested.

[mike28]

An update from my last post. After zero success with Directv, I made the switch to Dish and I am very happy I did. Directv is clueless when it comes to an RV. The first few calls, the people didn’t even know what a RV was. Today, the somewhat knowledgeable ones still are not sure what is going to happen when the switch is made. I initially was going to keep Directv, but the made me pay for a H24 receiver and upon calling to get it activated they told me there was a $99 activation fee! Well, everything went into a box and returned to them. Dish is working fine in HD with a Wally that I purchased and still using my Winegard g2+ dome. I also had the Dish added to my home to replace the Directv. Far superior system at a much lower monthly price.

[extiger]

My current setup is a DTV HR 24 and Winegard Carryout g2+ and I only get SD programming. Like many of you I am concerned about what happens on 4/30/19 when DTV goes all HD.

A series of emails with Winegard resulted in a response of "don't worry, be happy." According to Winegard after the big DTV switch to all HD, I will be able to receive all DTV channels in my package. They explained that currently DTV uses satellite 119 for all their HD programming and 101 for SD. The Carryout G2+ does not receive 119 signals ergo no HD channels today for me. DTV will move all programming to 101 which my G2+ receives.

Winegard was very quick to respond to my emails.

[TexasMarci]

Ok friends - I spent over an hour yesterday with a satellite reseller in Arlington, Tx - his company represents all the satellite companies and receivers and all - no particular alliance. We went over the plus/minus of ""wait and see"" if Directv pulls the plug or inserts another plug or or or......and we decided to just take a quick look at what DISH has to offer - apparently the reseller has techie folks that can reset our King Tailgater so that it receives the DISH signal and we would have all the services we now enjoy for four tvs in our house and one in the barn and that receiver would also travel with us in Rosie - and all of these have DVR's and more features than I even understand and all of this for about $50 less per month than we are paying to Directv - thinking it would be a mistake to not take this offer - everyone the reseller has talked to at Direct and King and more has NO idea whether this change will happen or whether it will be in a month or six months or a year or whatever - everyone agrees that this is a poor business plan on the part of AT&T and that not communicating with the customers is a very bad decision. I welcome you all to have a conversation with DISH - nice people - broadcasting is their business and only business and their pricing is favorable. Just FYI

[TexasMarci]

Hey all - I have some little bit of news - my reseller friend tells me that a memo (email) came out a couple of days ago directed to all the retailers and installers. It says that King Direct and Directv have found a solution that will enable all of us to continue watching all our channels. I don't know the details and I wouldn't understand them if I did know - lol - but it appears that we will be able to keep the channels we have while on the road. It won't be broadcast in HD but, heck, we don't have that now and any good tv while on the road is a blessing.

Does anyone know any more details? It sounds like they are trying to make all this as painless as possible for their customers and they don't want to lose us.

This could be a good thing!!