Satellite TV or Internet TV? That is the question!

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

With Dish, if you want to wach say The SiFy channe, and your spouse wants say "Hallmrk" and a dome there is no joy.. The reason is that those two channels are on different satellites, and the HD programming on yet a thired.. Yes, with a SINGLE receiver, SOME domes can switch rapidly between the different birds and let you see what you will. but if you have TWO receivers, or one DVR (dual input) and want to watch shows on different satellites, no joy.

With Directv... Been there,, Done that. So I know it works

That said. I like Dish better for several reasons,, For one NASA channel.

I completely understand the two receiver, multiple satellite situation. It's all changed with HD. You can't get HD at all with DTV and a dome. If you are in the northeast, you can get all your HD and locals on a single 61.5 sat with Dish.

[Wayne M]

Just for some clarification on what others have said on many of the satellite threads, I though I would ask the experts at King Controls. Here is my question, and their answer:

Me: "COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: Do any of your Dome antennas receive more than one
satellite signal at a time?

Example: If one television is watching a broadcast from DISH 110, and
the other wants to watch a program being broadcast from DISH 119, (or
even 129) will the King Dome be capable of that reception.

Do you have any antenna that can do that?"

Answer: "Unfortunately our systems do not have that capability. We do not
manufacture a system that can do what you are asking. Please note: domed
or enclosed antenna systems from any manufacture will lack that
capability. You will need an exposed antenna system with 3-5 LNB's.

Regards,

King Controls"

Underlining and bold type are from me.

I have had King Control domed antenna's in the past. I have successfully watched and recorded 2 channels while playing back a pre-recorded channel in my RV. That is because the channels I wished to record were on the same satellite. There were times - way back when - that I could not do that and I was frustrated because I did not understand, at the time, the theory behind it. Over the years I have "snarted" up!

I went to a portable system with two LNB's, each with their own output. Through combiners and splitters I was able to use only one line into the RV and still watch two different channels on any frequency that the signal was being transmitted on satellite 110 and 119. Then came HD, and it was on satellite 129, along with the other programing on the other two "birds." So, I purchased a triple LNB, and using the same configuration I was able to again watch all channels, independently, on two televisions.

Okay, I know, this is winded, but bear with me just a little.

While setting up the triple LNB antenna, I worked and worked and worked for "several" hours, and to no avail. I could not get the 3 satellites to lock in. I could get one at a time, and occasionally two, but not 3. This was on several different occasions. I would usually try to get 110 and 119, and just forget about 129, but this time it was even becoming an issue with me. After those "several" hours i went inside the MH and told DW that I was "very frustrated" (in Marine terms, and some Sailor) and I sat down and had a cool one. As I was sitting there it dawned on me that I had been trying to set up in the path of the adjacent RV site that was empty. I told DW that I had to go move the antenna in case they assigned that site. Bear with me just a little longer.

I went out side, un-staked the tripod. Picked the whole thing up and set it down a few feet from the back of the MH and stuck the stakes back in. I just did not want to fool with it anymore that afternoon. I went back inside the MH and the TV signal meter was at full strength ON ALL THREE SATELLITES. Words cannot be expressed here of how I felt or what I said.

The next day I purchased the Winegard Carryout and I have not regretted it one single moment. I just live with the inability to watch two different channels at the same time. But I can still watch one on one TV and play back a recorded one on the other. (Using DISH VIP 722 receiver)

[lblampman]

I just went through the whole process. We moved full time into our motorhome a little over 6 months ago. We had DirecTV installed (after going back and forth on DirecTV vs. Dish). Initially we just had the dish mounted on the building we were parking next to but then our situation changed and we started to move the motorhome more often. So on to more studying.

What we ended up with is a portable dish and a TV4RV tripod. That tripod is the one thing I've purchased in eons that actually far exceeded my expectations...it rocks. Anyway, I got a DirecTV Slimline 3LNB SWM dish (that's the Single Wire Multiswitch), which means I have one cable from the dish to the receiver and that single wire supports a HD DVR in the front of the MH and a HD receiver in the bedroom.

I can't believe how easy the system is to set up, all the talk about hitting multiple satellites had me really worried in the beginning. The key for me is to get the tripod set up right which now takes me about 5 to 10 minutes. I got the compass and level with the tripod kit so I aim the tripod and set it dead level. The mast is attached to the Slimline dish so I set that in place and snug down the hand screw underneath on the tripod then I go back in and connect the cable and turn on the receiver.

I step back outside (while the receiver boots up), stand behind the dish, and shoot a good target with the compass (the lid has a little sight wire for that purpose) and make sure the dish is aimed dead on that target. I walk back in the MH and so far the signal meters always jump up to 90% or so. If I tweak the dish just a hair I usually get about 96%. I use the DirecTV 101 satellite as my aiming point.

Since I'm staying in the same general area I don't have change the elevation and skew on the dish but both are marked on the dish and easy to change. With the tripod dead level (which means the satellite dish mast is absolutely plumb and vertical when installed) it's simply a matter of pointing the dish at the right compass heading.

I wish I hadn't worried so much over the horror stories I read about trying to lock in on multiple satellites or I'd have started with the tripod right from the start. If you park somewhere where a rooftop mounted dome or dish can always see the sky I have to admit having a fully automatic Winegard Slimline SK-3005 dish would be nice but then again I've got $150 in my setup versus close to $2000 in the automatic dish (and we have lots of trees around here so a portable really helps most of the time).

It now takes me about 15 minutes for full hardware set up and another 5 minutes to let the receiver do it's thing (self check, etc).

If someone were to ask me the simplest way to do this (with a portable set up) and they want HD I'd tell them to go with a Slimline SWM dish (3 LNB version if you just need English programming, 5 LNB version if you need international programming). This is easy on a new install since that's what DirecTV is currently using, if you have older receivers some don't do the SWM thing as I understand it and you'll have to run multiple cables off the dish (at least as far as a multiswitch).

DirecTV is easier for Standard Def because it all comes off one satellite. Dish is easier for only High Def because it all comes off one satellite (and it's the same frequency as SD programming). The mix of HD and SD is a coin toss as far as I'm concerned. Either way you end up pointing at multiple satellites. Dish TV is the only one where you can use the same single LNB dish to get both HD and SD (just not at the same time) since they use the same frequency, DirecTV uses different frequencies for SD and HD so a single single-LNB dish won't get it done.

What makes it tough to get a simple single answer (aka..."the right way") is that each of us has different goals with regard to having SD and/or HD, we operate in different parts of the country, we have different rigs, and we park in all sort of places (some open, some with tress, some with mountains, etc). There are so many variables between the two companies and their equipment and services that it makes an "easy" answer an elusive critter. And it means there is no "right way" except for each person when they meet their needs/wants. Really, that's why there are so many threads on the subject; it's not easy to spot the alligators until you're in the swamp and when you see them you reach out for help.

Les

[Alan_Hepburn]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

That said. I like Dish better for several reasons,, For one NASA channel.

DirecTV channel 289 is the NASA Channel...

[townsendr]

We have in-motion satelllite dish, and use direct TV. Years ago we had Dish network in our home, and I was not happy with the sports offerings, so we switched our home to Direct TV, mainly for the NFL package. When we bought our MH it already had a Direct TV receiver and card, so it was easy to just add it to our account. I have been very happy with Direct TV, especially for the Sports offerings. (I have withdrawal symtoms if I can't watch the Pittsburgh Steeler games