DirecTV vs. DISH Network

[dmason]

DirecTV vs. DISH Network
This is almost like asking for tire preferences, but here’s the situation/question:
We have a King-Dome In-Motion satellite, model 9762LP-42 which came with the coach. We currently use DirecTV, which has met our requirements so far. Now the DW is looking for HD signal plus the capability of recording programs. According to King Dome customer service and the owner’s manual the model King-Dome we have will pick up HD programming from the DISH Network but not from DirecTV.
I can only go on what I’m told so that’s the reason for asking your opinion about the two service providers. We’ll be FTing in a month spending about half the time in FL and the other half in the Northeast (VA, MD, PA).
I believe in both situations we’ll be upgrading the box. DISH network has comparable pricing with DirecTV after Year 1, however they give pretty good discounts for the first year.

[Cat320]

I think your manual is correct. Some antennas will pick up one service but not the other.

[FlyingDiver]

KingDome is correct, the dome antenna will pick up Dish HD signals, but not DirecTV. Dish uses the Ku band for all their programming, SD or HD. DirecTV uses Ku for SD, but Ka for HD. Your dome will not receive Ka band signals.

On the other hand, recording programming with a dome is problematic. Domes can only receive signals from one satellite at a time. Dish uses three different satellites for their programming (for most customers). If you try to record two things at once, or record something while watching something else live, and the two channels are coming from different satellites, it's not going to work.

Unless in-motion is really, really important to you, I recommend you look into an automatic open-face dish. They can receive basically ALL the programming from either provider (depending on which version of the dish you get). No problem Ku or Ka, and multiple satellites simultaneously.

[Gary.Jones]

I have never subscribed to Direct so cannot compare. My Dynasty coach had a KVH in-motion R5 dome installed when bought a year ago. I could care less about in-motion. What I wanted was a DVR (recorder receiver) that would enable me to do what I do at home, which is get 200+ channels, most of them HD and be able to switch or record instantly from any of three satellites simultaneously so we could watch a show while recording one or two others. We watch most of our tv "asynchronously" having recorded it earlier. Dish has three sats that carry all (Almost all?) their channels 110, 119, and 129. They all lie in the same skew In the southwestern sky. So I bought a Winegard SK-1000 which has 3 LMN horns and when positioned correctly, picks up all the of those sats. It is not in a dome. It is an open dish system that puts itself to sleep when moving but when stationary, unfolds itself from the stowed position and then finds any sat to figure where it is in space, determines where it needs to point and then goes to that position and locks on. I upgraded my box to a Dish DVR 612 which records on any channel on those 3 sats while we watch or turns itself on when we are not watching and records whatever we have programmed to be recorded, up to two channels. This is true bliss. I could have bought a bigger receiver and may do that in the future, but this gives me pretty much the same capability as I have at home. I love this SK-1000.

One thing Dish will let you do is add the RV dish or subtract it from your monthly contract on a month by month basis, which may be nice if you are not full timing. I hope some of that is helpful.

Gary

[kjburns]

The only problem you might have with Dish is that there are two sets of satellites. Most of the country uses the west satellites. For your locations, the dome will need to be setup for the eastern arc.

Assuming the dome can be setup for the eastern arc, one thing you'll need to do is let it find the center satellite. Then run "check switch" which you'll see by pressing menu-6-1-1. That will let the dome find the other two satellites you need for full SD and HD service.

[Razzman]

All great responces but, it also depends on the age of his 9762 as well. I have an older 9762 (2006 vintage) and it will not pick up three sats, only two (110 & 119 west central region). It will not display the channels from the two it sees concurrently. I was told from Kingcontrols that in order to gain that capability I will have to upgrade the control box at a cost of $400 and it will also require the use of their special software upgrade scan tool at a refundable $500 deposit. So far i've yet to do it and just lived with watching one sat and switching to the other when neccessary. I too am on Dish and use the pay-as-you-go plan.

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by Razzman

All great responces but, it also depends on the age of his 9762 as well. I have an older 9762 (2006 vintage) and it will not pick up three sats, only two (110 & 119 west central region). It will not display the channels from the two it sees concurrently. I was told from Kingcontrols that in order to gain that capability I will have to upgrade the control box at a cost of $400 and it will also require the use of their special software upgrade scan tool at a refundable $500 deposit. So far i've yet to do it and just lived with watching one sat and switching to the other when neccessary. I too am on Dish and use the pay-as-you-go plan.

I think you may have misunderstood what KingControls told you. There's no possible control box upgrade what will make it see two (or more) satellites concurrently. Doing that requires an additional LNB, which you can't put in a dome. What I think they told you is that there's a control box upgrade which will let it automatically switch between satellites, so you don't need to do it manually.

[fla tom]

switch to a travler antenna and keep the directv. we are long time directv customers tried dish and did not like it had to bite the bullet(pay the penalty) and switch back to directv

[Clayobx]

Hands down, Dish Pay as You Go! Direct screwed us so terribly that the name, Direct TV, became a curse word in our coach!!