Newbie question tv service/internet

[diabu]

In the process of buying a 2019 International and can't wait to stay in it. My husband and I aren't really tv watchers (although when sports come back, hubby is a fan). However, you get a rainy day or two, the mosquitos are biting, or you have had enough fire pits, and a movie might be in order. What does everyone do for tv packages and do you tie them to internet service or just get a hotspot? Also, are you able to turn tv service off and on monthly, quarterly, seasonally?

Thanks for sharing your experiences here. I am sure we will be frequent readers as issues arise.

[SeaLevel]

We've used a Roku through a hotspot, but we also usually bring movies/tv series on DVD/Bluray so we can watch without a connection.

[DCPAS]

Originally Posted by SeaLevel

Roku through a hotspot.

Same here, but I did have to mod the blanked off electrical outlets for the Rokus. Some places have Wifi that actually work too for the Rokus.

[skyguyscott]

Getting a good High Speed internet connection fast enough to watch HD movies in real time at a remote location is a crap shoot. Many campgrounds don't yet have a fast enough connection available.

You may be able to do what you seek to do on occasion at some locations, but I would not count on it.

I agree it's better to bring the media you want to consume with you, like DVDs, BluRay or on a hard drive. Fool Proof, no reliance on RF reception necessary. A simple HD antenna works ok most of the time to watch traditional over the air (OTA) TV.

[RivetED]

We still carry media with us. When possible, not often, I use a FireStick powered with a USB, not the wall-wart.

[no_worries]

AppleTV (same as at home) with youtube tv connected through hotspot. Works great.

My bride also has a library of movies on her iPad that we can AirPlay to the Apple TV. Also dvd when all else fails.

[SuperTrouper]

Originally Posted by no_worries

AppleTV (same as at home) with youtube tv connected through hotspot. Works great.

My bride also has a library of movies on her iPad that we can AirPlay to the Apple TV. Also dvd when all else fails.

X2. When I bought the new appleTV 4K to get Dolby Vision and Atmos at home i placed the old one in the trailer in a wall mount. I carry a Verizon hot spot and it all works well. We do have a few "albums" of DVDs as backup. - Brad

[Rondezous02]

Reaserche the site.

If we get good wifi or cell service, then I don't care as much. I can get almost whatever I want to watch.

Bad service (wifi or cell) we struggle. In that case I download a bunch of movies shows on Netflix before we leave so we can watch them at the aite.

Be flexible.

[diabu]

Thanks everyone! So looks like a few of you use Bluetooth to sync your devices using Apple TV and watch pre recorded movies or series on the tv, or use a hotspot to stream. Since we hope to work remotely sometimes, concerned about how much data we will use. Thinking about buying a hotspot thru Verizon instead of using AT&T phones as hotspots. Already have 5 of us on the plan, so won’t take much to push over our Data limit. Thoughts?

[ROBERT CROSS]

An antenna works well...😂
As does the 'library' on the Mac.

Disclaimer...my 'smartfone' is still in the 3rd semester of second grade.😂

Bob
🇺🇸

[skyguyscott]

A couple of thoughts:

So much depends on your viewing habits. Are you an intentional viewer or a grazer? Do you like feature films or sports or keeping up on current events?

If you were the type of viewer that really doesn’t know what you want to watch, then having a bunch of options that you can pick and choose from is appealing, but this type of viewing is not always available depending on how remote the site is where you are camping. Cell service is still spotty in many parts of the west where some of the most spectacular views are.

The convenience of the hotspots and Netflix can be hampered by the frustration of not getting a good enough signal.

After over a century of cinema, there exists a wide selection of classic films. One idea is to become a student of film history and take the opportunity to avail yourself of the entire history of movies, Including some excellent foreign films.. Spoil yourself on truly great cinema and invest in some great Blu-ray discs. Please make sure to experience some old classic films before you die. Do not pass up this opportunity to become familiar with some spellbinding and landmark motion pictures, even, or especially if they are in black-and-white. Why eat a diet of junk food, when you could dine on the most elegant cuisine? Remember, Netflix is basically McDonald’s.

The promises being made in all the hype about 5G claim that you will be able to download and watch 4K movies without any problems. However the rollout of 5G will likely be confined to the major cities first, and maybe eventually reach more remote areas. The problem is the best camping sites are in the remote areas. In any event your concerns about data usage are valid. The Blu-ray or Hard drive route will give you excellent uninterrupted quality with no data usage, no reception issues, and no problems.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy nature, or even the joys of playing some board games, losing yourself in a good book, or simply relaxing to great music as you enjoy the ever changing views from your magic silver shelter

[Hikingsolo]

Wife likes TV. I like regional news. We also have a family cabin in a no-media area of the High Sierra, so we went with a Tailgater in April. $54/month covers typical cable type TV plus local area channels. Month to month. When we move I either use the app to update the local channels or call Dish. Sometimes have to drive to get a cell signal, especially in the Sierra. So far so good. Biggest problem has been poor views of the southern sky in wooded areas and a long time acquiring proper signals. Can take 20 minutes to several hours. But once set up it’s like having TV at home.

[diabu]

Have any of you removed the rear tv? We won't use it and it is a bit in the way when not paying close attention. If you did remove it, how big of a hole did it leave behind? Easily patched and covered with a picture?

[llanderson64]

We download from Amazon or Netflix onto our iPad when we have cell service. Then connect to the TV using a dongle. Way cheaper than streaming. Works pretty well

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by diabu

In the process of buying a 2019 International and can't wait to stay in it. My husband and I aren't really tv watchers (although when sports come back, hubby is a fan). However, you get a rainy day or two, the mosquitos are biting, or you have had enough fire pits, and a movie might be in order. What does everyone do for tv packages and do you tie them to internet service or just get a hotspot? Also, are you able to turn tv service off and on monthly, quarterly, seasonally?

Thanks for sharing your experiences here. I am sure we will be frequent readers as issues arise.

We use Roku OR most often I set our IPad up to receive almost all our Verizon Fios channels from back home and connect to our TV, pick the HDMI I have it plugged into and we watch as if at home. Our cell package is unlimited data so aside from that we have no additional charge

[LWinters]

We removed ours. Patched the small hole & hung a calendar (although wouldn’t have to).