DirecTV, DNS, Network feeds East and West

[chapdog]

Background:
We are full timers heading East from our home base in AZ for most of 2012. We had a Winegard Trav'ler HD system installed this fall with auto search etc.

Used to live in Tucson (2005-6), had a DTV acct. and was able to get both East and West HD network feeds with a waiver through DirecTV in our stick house for free.

Yesterday I called up DTV asking for a waiver because we want to 1) have both East and West network feeds again as we move to the East so we can watch or record news during the news/dinner hour, 2) not have to leave our inverter on past our early bedtime while we are boondocking wasting precious battery amp hours to record the Western feeds of prime time while in the East, and 3) next fall when we lose our "free first year" NFL Network I want the luxury of more choices with both E+W feeds of which games to watch.

So I get this very nice fellow from DTV on the line. It quickly becomes apparent that they "can't" give me both East and West feeds, I'll need to fill out a DNS (Distant Network Service) waiver, pay $15/mo for it , it can only be the LA feed because my "address" is in the West, I can't change to the Eastern feed, and without the waiver and $15/mo extra cost, I will not get HD networks from anywhere for the bulk of our trip.

So I keep repeating my dilema without quite losing my temper in different ways to make sure my knucklehead is understanding and the rep. remains very patient with me.
He kept repeating to me that he would forward the waiver but also quietly suggested that I call in to change my address as we move around the country, that DTV is used to that request, but to make sure to ask "What position are my locals" when I ask for the "address change".

So this is where it got interesting...
It finally occurs to my thick head to ask "Are you suggesting that if we get the waiver and then change our address as we move East that we will get both East and West feeds?"

He responded coyly "I have no idea what you are talking about"
Long pregnant pause... Thank you very much... Have a good day.

So here are my questions:
1) Have others been successful with this approach getting both East and West feeds without being grandfathered in?
2) If so, when I call in, change our address, and ask "what position are my locals?", how do I direct my automatic dish to these satellites.. or will I need to?

[dajudge]

I have a problem getting my local channels when I am away from home from DTV. I called and went round and round with them to no avail. I was told when I am away from home, I can not recieve local channels from home because it is against FCC regulations. I told him that I know some people that get their local channels no matter what part of the country they are in, and he politely told me that was not possible. I got frustrated and hung up before I told him something ugly.

[petehami]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dajudge I have a problem getting my local channels when I am away from home from DTV. I called and went round and round with them to no avail. I was told when I am away from home, I can not recieve local channels from home because it is against FCC regulations. I told him that I know some people that get their local channels no matter what part of the country they are in, and he politely told me that was not possible. I got frustrated and hung up before I told him something ugly.

He is correct as I understand it. Locals have a distinct footprint. Not to say you can't travel tens maybe even a hundred miles from home and still get them. But eventually you will leave the footprint beam and not be able to receive them.

[paz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chapdog ...they "can't" give me both East and West feeds...

There was a recent change in the law that only allows either east OR west coast DNS feed. Those who already had both feeds were "grandfathered in," so they could continue to receive both feeds (at a higher price) if they wanted to. We kept both feeds because we like having the flexibility of being to be able to record a program at a later time if we want. This really comes in handy if an east coast program gets delayed because a sporting event runs overtime. The entire schedule for that evening is out of whack.

New subscribers will receive east OR west depending on their service address (addresses in the Eastern and Central Time Zones receive channels from NY, and Mountain and Pacific Time Zones receive channels from LA).

Quote:

Originally Posted by dajudge I have a problem getting my local channels when I am away from home from DTV. I called and went round and round with them to no avail. I was told when I am away from home, I can not recieve local channels from home because it is against FCC regulations. I told him that I know some people that get their local channels no matter what part of the country they are in, and he politely told me that was not possible. I got frustrated and hung up before I told him something ugly.

As far as local channels are concerned, most are spot-beamed to a specific location. Once you are 100 to 200 miles outside that location, you loose the local channels. Direct could not give you these channels in other locations even if they wanted to. Two exceptions (there may be a few more) are NY and LA because these are also the DNS channels.

[MaverickBBD]

Been there, done that. Solution: 'service address' remains the sticks and bricks that was sold last July. Receiver location: where ever the motorhome is located anywhere in the U.S. Get both east and west network feeds. Local channels: via OTA antenna and/or rv park cable.

[golden]

To sum it all up, and verify what others have stated, unless you are grandfathered in (I am) you will ONLY receive East or West coast feeds. You CAN'T receive your local channels once you are outside their spotbeam.

To the OP, others have done as the rep has suggested with mixed success. Some have had it changed as they moved, others not. If not happy with the response of the first rep you talk with ask to speak to that person's supervisor and see what they can do for you.

[docj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chapdog So here are my questions: 1) Have others been successful with this approach getting both East and West feeds without being grandfathered in? 2) If so, when I call in, change our address, and ask "what position are my locals?", how do I direct my automatic dish to these satellites.. or will I need to?

To answer your second question, all the DTV channels you watch are located on the 101, 99 and 103 satellites. Your Winegard Trav'ler automatically gets all these channels (it displays 101, 110 and 119 because it uses these 3 for alignment, but the signals come from the 101, 99 and 103 ones). As you move around the country your local stations will always be on one of these 3 even though the specific transponder they are broadcast from will change. You don't have to do anything; DTV simply gives your receiver authorization to receive different channels as you change location.

It sounds as if you have a DVR to record TV shows you are interested in. If that is the case, having the DNS feeds is much easier than trying to use local stations because the channel numbers don't change and it's much easier to program the DVR. As full-timers I assume you have a mail service somewhere. Ours is in eastern SD which gives us an address qualified to get the Eastern DNS feed. If you can't figure out another way to do it, you can always open a mail service account in the east and use it for your DTV account.

[chapdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickBBD Been there, done that. Solution: 'service address' remains the sticks and bricks that was sold last July. Receiver location: where ever the motorhome is located anywhere in the U.S. Get both east and west network feeds. Local channels: via OTA antenna and/or rv park cable.

Please clarify... how are you getting both East and West feeds? Grandfathered... or OTA... or by your service address/receiver location combo... with or without DNS?

Also, are you getting HD at campgrounds over cable?

[RickO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chapdog So I get this very nice fellow from DTV on the line. It quickly becomes apparent that they "can't" give me both East and West feeds, I'll need to fill out a DNS (Distant Network Service) waiver, pay $15/mo for it , it can only be the LA feed because my "address" is in the West, I can't change to the Eastern feed, and without the waiver and $15/mo extra cost, I will not get HD networks from anywhere for the bulk of our trip.

Frankly I don't understand why you got DNS for free when you lived in Tucson. As Paz indicated, the new law limits DNS to east OR west now unless grandfathered. It is not true that you cannot get HD networks via DNS. We do from both coasts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dajudge I have a problem getting my local channels when I am away from home from DTV. I called and went round and round with them to no avail. I was told when I am away from home, I can not recieve local channels from home because it is against FCC regulations. I told him that I know some people that get their local channels no matter what part of the country they are in, and he politely told me that was not possible. I got frustrated and hung up before I told him something ugly.

He's right about it not being possible to get local channels via satellite while traveling... unless your local channels are LA or NYC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickBBD Been there, done that. Solution: 'service address' remains the sticks and bricks that was sold last July. Receiver location: where ever the motorhome is located anywhere in the U.S. Get both east and west network feeds. Local channels: via OTA antenna and/or rv park cable.

Not sure what you're saying. Do you call in to change your "receiver location" at each stop? Do they know what you mean by "receiver location? Are you saying you get east and west networks feeds at the same time or just when you are on that particular coast?

Rick

[HD4Mark]

We had the DNS east feeds but decided since we spend all of our winter in south Florida we would simply change our address to the CG's to save the fee and just get Miami locals. Before any of you do the same check into what you might lose or gain. We lost stations like SNY and NESN that carry Syracuse University games I like to see. We gained local stations here (sort of, Miami is about 2 hours +/-) but for obvious reasons it is more likely they will show a Dolphins game than a Giants or Bills. Fortunately I can get many sports events online and connect the notebook to a TV to watch. Picture is far from HD and it freezes on occasion, but it's better than nothing.

Cable is not available at this site and no reception on the antenna in the Keys so satellite is the only real answer for TV.

[MaverickBBD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO Not sure what you're saying. Do you call in to change your "receiver location" at each stop? Do they know what you mean by "receiver location? Are you saying you get east and west networks feeds at the same time or just when you are on that particular coast? Rick

No. As far as Directv is concerned they have the service address (old sticks and bricks) ONLY.

Yes I receive East and West at the same time. If I ever changed my address with them, it would be either or depending upon which side of the country I am on. It is funny because they do have my "mailing address" as South Dakota.

[buck62]

Sounds like DirectTV is tough on their DNS requirements. I have Dish and filled out the DNS waiver and sent it into a third party (All American Direct) and got my DNS for both East and West feeds. I sent in all my receivers serial numbers and have DNS on both RV and in house receivers so I csn use any of my house receivers in my motorhome. My locals are spot beamed so I cannot get them if I move about 250 miles from home.

[chapdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj You don't have to do anything; DTV simply gives your receiver authorization to receive different channels as you change location

Then why did the rep so strongly suggest that I "ask the position of my locals" when I call into to change my address? Maybe what channels to find them on??

[chapdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO Frankly I don't understand why you got DNS for free when you lived in Tucson. Rick

The reason I was able to get the waiver back in 2005 from my house in Tucson was that I was tucked up against the base of the Catalina Mtns. and did not have line of sight or signal from Mt Lemon to receive locals OTA. Why I got both East and West at the time I'm not sure...

Just wish I could have gotten grandfathered in despite a 4 year hiatus living in British Columbia.