I am getting ready to install a Vu Cube with either Direct TV or Dish TV. Do not trust the answers when calling these two companies' sales people so I thought I would ask all of you . . . What I would like to be able to do is order and watch movies on a pay per view basis.
If you have either Direct TV or Dish TV -- can you do Pay Per View on the road? If so, do you need to have HD satellite capability as the Vu Cube 1000 does not have HD functionality. Do you have to have a home subscription to Dish TV as I won't have this either? I know Direct TV has standalone boat/rv plans.
I use DirecTV at home and on the road. I take a standard def box from my bedroom and have a portable dish for my Airstream. It works very well. I can even get my Dallas locals within about a 180 mile radius of home. I wouldn't mind having HD on the road but it takes a bigger dish and I have been told it is more difficult to aim. I do have a great HD system in my home with a 52" LCD and HD-DVR--it is just not something worth the trouble to me when I am camping.
I haven't ever tried to use the PPV on the road but you can order the movies over the Internet rather than by phone, so , if you have wifi at your campground, I imagine that it will work fine. I do order PPV at home over the Internet because we don't have a home phone line (cell phones only).
You are absolutely right not to trust the CSRs you talk to on the phone for either company. They will give you a completely wrong answer just as often as they will give you the correct one when it comes to RV issues. People here (or on a tv forum such as AVS forum or DBSTalk.Com) will be much more accurate because they will relate their real life experiences with the systems.
Good luck. Maybe someone has first hand experience with the PPV and will comment.
you can order the movies over the Internet rather than by phone, so , if you have wifi at your campground, I imagine that it will work fine. I do order PPV at home over the Internet because we don't have a home phone line (cell phones only).
Mark - I do travel with a PC which has an unlimited wireless Broadband card . . . . would that help? How do you exactly order the movies over the internet . . . via a PC or with the Direct TV box?
Mark - I do travel with a PC which has an unlimited wireless Broadband card . . . . would that help? How do you exactly order the movies over the internet . . . via a PC or with the Direct TV box?
Thanks Kathy
Once you have subscribed to DirecTV, you can set up a user account at DIRECTV. . That account will let you order PPV movies without paying the higher charge of ordering with the telephone. You can also set your DVR (if you get one) to record programs over the Internet rather than directly on the box. Directv.com also has a program guide, allows you to view your bill, pay your account etc. It is very useful. You can even set your DVR to record programs using your data enabled cell phone if you care to.
Look at DirecTV.com and it will show you all the services available including ordering Pay Per View.
Mark - thanks for your thoughts. Still confused tho. I read the FAQ on DirectTV on Demand - looks like I need a broadband connection and a router. I would have the Broadband connection with my Wireless Broadband Card (via a USB connector) but not a router with an ethernet connector in my trailer . . . .
Not sure if the technology has changed but my dad used to have direct tv on his boat. Satellite signals are typically only one-way. On the older boxes, you would order the pay-per-view and the box would decode it. The only way Direct-TV would know you made an order was through the landline upload. The boxes used to allow 6 orders with no upload. So after 6 movies, you could not order anymore, until you connect to a landline to sync up and bill you and it would then reset the counter on the box. New boxes might be different of course.
Mark - I do travel with a PC which has an unlimited wireless Broadband card . . . . would that help? How do you exactly order the movies over the internet . . . via a PC or with the Direct TV box?
Thanks Kathy
Via the PC
Another point. If you intend to carry a DVR converter box rather than the normal converter box make sure you get a model that does not have to be connected to a phone line. The R15 DVR does not require a phone line.
I can't speak to your base question but will offer these comments.
Try and deal with Directv rather than Dish mainly because of the ease of set up when aiming the antenna. Dish requires a third alignment factor and is much harder to contend with than the 2 axis Directv antenna.
Order a single home system and install it in your trailer rather than pay any extra that can come with the boat/rv package. Just take delivery on the equipment get your antenna base from Radio Shack.
Directv has now bundled the local channels into the basic package but I would still suggest you get a digital converter box and use it for local channels while on the road. The home locals will not follow you while traveling and they are fewer and less quality than you will get off your antenna.
Unless you have computer access while on the road ordering movies by phone carries a heavy charge.
A problem with Dish (I can't speak for Direct as I have never dealt with them) is you need to have the receiver hooked up to a functioning landline phone to access pay per view. This could have changed, but that is how it was 37 days ago when I tried to order a pay per view movie from our Airstream.
The satellite service itself works fine, but not for pay per view.
On demand and PPV are different.
You'll need an internet connection for the former as those movies are downloaded via broadband.
PPV movies are beamed via satellite.
Tom
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If you intend to use the DVR in the trailer or the boat keep in mind that it requires a "splitter" between the antenna and the DVR and then 2 leads from the splitter to the DVR. That would want to be a fixed installation just for the ease of set up when you are using the trailer or boat. The splitter and second cable to the DVR are part of the normal DVR installation. Get it clear before they come as to what the second one will cost if any.
As for the "pause of service" I would ask for that in writting. Years ago Directv was a company that you could talk to, however now it is almost impossible to get to anyone of authority when you have a problem.
Get it clear before they come as to what the second one will cost if any.
As for the "pause of service" I would ask for that in writting. .
Great points! If you mean the second DVR, she said they would give me two DVRs for "free" but I pay $5/mo to lease the second DVR for my boat. I was thinking I will call and get another person to verify all this information, and confirm they are bringing the right hardware. I also have to figure out how the second installation would work and whether I have to have DirectTV do that too.
I totally agree with you that the boxes should be fixed installations with only the Vu Cube travelling between boat and trailer.
Another update:
Camping World just changed the pricing on the Vu Cube 1000 to $599! They also posted the user manual, so I called the sales number and talked with someone at the company. BTW, they also make or market the Kingdome.
He said they have been working for over a year on getting a Vu Cube to do HD with Direct TV but its been very difficult and they haven't been successful with this engineering endeavor. He said you can get HD with Dish TV but you need to purchase a Vu Cube 2000 or 3000, which are a different +price point.
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