DirecTV at home and in the mountains...

[jfetrow]

I do apologize if this has been mentioned before. I'm new here, and want to get the most up to date info possible...
I live in Orange County, California. I also have a place up in Big Bear, about 125 miles away. Currently, I have Time Warner/Spectrum for internet, telephone and cable here in Placentia. We have Frontier for internet in Big Bear, but no cable.
I'm thinking of switching from a TWC to DirecTV in Placentia. The former owners on Big Bear had DirecTV, and the dish is still there.
If I get DirecTV in Placentia, can I take a receiver to Big Bear and get cable there? We don't want to pay for a cable service that we don't often use. Right now, I use ROKU and Apple TV up there to watch tv. I'd love to be able to bring a receiver, and get actual tv programming...
Is that possible? Do I need to do anything special to make it work?

Thanks in advance, from a newbie.

 

[Jimbo]

I do apologize if this has been mentioned before. I'm new here, and want to get the most up to date info possible...
I live in Orange County, California. I also have a place up in Big Bear, about 125 miles away. Currently, I have Time Warner/Spectrum for internet, telephone and cable here in Placentia. We have Frontier for internet in Big Bear, but no cable.
I'm thinking of switching from a TWC to DirecTV in Placentia. The former owners on Big Bear had DirecTV, and the dish is still there.
If I get DirecTV in Placentia, can I take a receiver to Big Bear and get cable there? We don't want to pay for a cable service that we don't often use. Right now, I use ROKU and Apple TV up there to watch tv. I'd love to be able to bring a receiver, and get actual tv programming...
Is that possible? Do I need to do anything special to make it work?

Thanks in advance, from a newbie.

IF you have the Same dish set up in both places, Yes you could.

If you have a SWM set up at home, most likely you do if it's a newer account.
You'll need to see if the Dish is a SWM set up AND make sure you have a Power Insertor up there, its common to have a SWM dish on site but no PI to be found as most home owners don't know what it is when leaving so they remove it.

 

[jfetrow]

IF you have the Same dish set up in both places, Yes you could.

If you have a SWM set up at home, most likely you do if it's a newer account.
You'll need to see if the Dish is a SWM set up AND make sure you have a Power Insertor up there, its common to have a SWM dish on site but no PI to be found as most home owners don't know what it is when leaving so they remove it.

I'm guessing they removed it they left roughly 5 years ago, and left fairly quickly. Thankfully, the house itself isn't even 10 years old, so obviously the dish isn't older than that.
If I get device on my house, it'll be brand new, as time Warner is just standard cable. So it will almost certainly be different than their setup. What, precisely, should I be looking for? And if it's not there, what are my options?

 

[Jimbo]

I'm guessing they removed it they left roughly 5 years ago, and left fairly quickly. Thankfully, the house itself isn't even 10 years old, so obviously the dish isn't older than that.
If I get device on my house, it'll be brand new, as time Warner is just standard cable. So it will almost certainly be different than their setup. What, precisely, should I be looking for? And if it's not there, what are my options?

Your saying the house in the mountains is a newer dish ?

More than likely you have a SWM dish at your home if its newer ...
If you can put up a dish, I would say to get another SWM dish and Power Insertor for the Mountain house, this way if you do happen to take recvrs from one place to the other they will be plug and play, no settings changes needed.

 

[jfetrow]

The dish in the mountains is probably 6 or 7 years old. We don't have one at our home in Orange County, because we are still on regular TWC cable.

 

[Jimbo]

BTW, Welcome to the Site !

OK, if the dish up there is 6-7 years old, in may still be a SWM, maybe not, just depends.
When you order D* for home, they will put in the newest SWM set up.
You will get a Genie at the very least ... The Genie will be HD as well as DVR, if your using 4k TVs at all, let them know, you'll get a HR54 Genie.
If no 4k tvs, you'll be fine with the HR44. (the 54 just allows you to potentially have 4k) addl equipment involved if you want live 4k.

Anyways, how many TVs are you covering in the home ?
How many at the Cottage ?

Do not get all clients in your set up.
If you need 2 recvrs at home and 1 at the cottage, I would get the Genie for the main, you can get a client for the other TV at home, but get a HR24 (you may have to pay to get the HR24, depending on what they have to offer at the time) Get all the recvrs set up at your home first, that way they are activated.

Then order a SWM Slimline dish and a Power Supply for the Cottage ... take dish to Cottage, set it up, and your good to go as the recvr is already activated.
If you don't do the dish pointing, you'll need to find someone that can for you ... local guys possibly.

You'll be much happier if you have the same dishes at both locations.
IF you take the HR24 to the lake and it is a different a Non SWM dish we can still work with it, you'll just have to set it up differently, which we can help you with when time comes.

If that Cottage dish is a non SWM and you want HD you'll also want to order a BBC for the recvr, that allows the recvr to recv the HD signal correctly.

 

[jfetrow]

BTW, Welcome to the Site !

OK, if the dish up there is 6-7 years old, in may still be a SWM, maybe not, just depends.
When you order D* for home, they will put in the newest SWM set up.
You will get a Genie at the very least ... The Genie will be HD as well as DVR, if your using 4k TVs at all, let them know, you'll get a HR54 Genie.
If no 4k tvs, you'll be fine with the HR44. (the 54 just allows you to potentially have 4k) addl equipment involved if you want live 4k.

Anyways, how many TVs are you covering in the home ?
How many at the Cottage ?

Do not get all clients in your set up.
If you need 2 recvrs at home and 1 at the cottage, I would get the Genie for the main, you can get a client for the other TV at home, but get a HR24 (you may have to pay to get the HR24, depending on what they have to offer at the time) Get all the recvrs set up at your home first, that way they are activated.

Then order a SWM Slimline dish and a Power Supply for the Cottage ... take dish to Cottage, set it up, and your good to go as the recvr is already activated.
If you don't do the dish pointing, you'll need to find someone that can for you ... local guys possibly.

You'll be much happier if you have the same dishes at both locations.
IF you take the HR24 to the lake and it is a different a Non SWM dish we can still work with it, you'll just have to set it up differently, which we can help you with when time comes.

If that Cottage dish is a non SWM and you want HD you'll also want to order a BBC for the recvr, that allows the recvr to recv the HD signal correctly.

We will want three receivers in our main home (one of which needs to be a wireless receiver, because our main TV is on a fireplace/chimney wall, and has no coaxial outlet), and just one at the cabin. No 4K TVs in the mix at this point. We only have one TV at the cabin.
If we only have the one receiver at the cabin, does it matter if it is SWM? Or will it not talk to the receiver properly if it isn't?
You think the dish currently on the cabin and the new receiver may not play nice with each other? I'd just get it and try, but really, the ability to make this happen is part of my main reason to switch. So if I can't make it work, my desire to change providers decreases.
I'm sorry I sound like such a newbie (and I appreciate the welcome!). I guess I just thought this would be so much simpler than it seems. I thought it would be more like taking my ROKU up there and plugging it in. If it's activated and set up, I thought it would just 'work'. Silly, naive me.

 

[Jimbo]

We will want three receivers in our main home (one of which needs to be a wireless receiver, because our main TV is on a fireplace/chimney wall, and has no coaxial outlet), and just one at the cabin. No 4K TVs in the mix at this point. We only have one TV at the cabin.
If we only have the one receiver at the cabin, does it matter if it is SWM? Or will it not talk to the receiver properly if it isn't?
You think the dish currently on the cabin and the new receiver may not play nice with each other? I'd just get it and try, but really, the ability to make this happen is part of my main reason to switch. So if I can't make it work, my desire to change providers decreases.
I'm sorry I sound like such a newbie (and I appreciate the welcome!). I guess I just thought this would be so much simpler than it seems. I thought it would be more like taking my ROKU up there and plugging it in. If it's activated and set up, I thought it would just 'work'. Silly, naive me.

Not that easy, you got to remember, D* has been around for quite awhile now and improved and changed equipment thruout the years.
therefore the equipment may or may not work ...
Find out what the dish is at the cabin and we can help you much better.

Heres what I would do in your situation ...
Order the D* stuff for your home, you said 3 and the main one has to be a wireless (from the sounds of it) remember, it still has to communicate with the tv.

I would tell them you want 4 recvrs in the home, let them set it up the best way they see ... personally I would have the main Genie on the main TV, but I think your talking the fireplace location, right ?
Have them set one up in the spare bedroom (if you have one).
Make SURE that at least One of the recvrs going in is a H/HR24 (your choice, the HR is a DVR).
Once they activate that at your home, take your H/HR24 and take it to the cabin.

Where the interesting thing is gonna be is at the cabin.
If the cabin is the older dish (non swm) you can still use the recvr, you just have to get it off of SWM and back to Slimline setting (you'll see a Multiswitch setting in the Sat SAet Up screen you'll want to use if thats what you have.

I would do it and then when you know more about whats at the cabin we can direct you from there ... this Can be done.

 

[jfetrow]

Is there any way to look at the dish in advance, and know what I'm looking at? Can I tell by looking at it (or the wiring) if it is or is not SWM?

So, if I understand this, you suggest asking for 4 receivers, and getting them set up at our main place, then taking one to the mountains? Will they set them up temporarily ( as in, hook one up to a tv, get it activated, then just give it to me, to put it in place myself), or are they strict about putting it where it is going to stay? For instance, one of these (at home) will go in my son's room, and another in a room with a lot of video game integration. Can I tell them "activate it in my son's room, and I'll move and organize it in the other room later"? Will they do that?
Because I don't want them messing up the game setup. And that's the one I'd probably take to the mountains anyway...

 

[Jimbo]

Is there any way to look at the dish in advance, and know what I'm looking at? Can I tell by looking at it (or the wiring) if it is or is not SWM?

So, if I understand this, you suggest asking for 4 receivers, and getting them set up at our main place, then taking one to the mountains? Will they set them up temporarily ( as in, hook one up to a tv, get it activated, then just give it to me, to put it in place myself), or are they strict about putting it where it is going to stay? For instance, one of these (at home) will go in my son's room, and another in a room with a lot of video game integration. Can I tell them "activate it in my son's room, and I'll move and organize it in the other room later"? Will they do that?
Because I don't want them messing up the game setup. And that's the one I'd probably take to the mountains anyway...

A SWM set up will only have 1 lead from the LNB, but without you getting up there and looking at the connections on the LNB you wouldn't know seeing if they only had 1 recvr in use, they would only have 1 line run in as long as it wasn't a DVR they had.

You don't want to tell them your taking it elsewhere.

 

[hammick]

Hello. Newbie here. I also have a vacation place that I want to install Direct TV at. Figured an additional thread would be silly.

My main home is in Kansas City and vacation place is in Montana. I've had DirecTV in KC since 2014 and have a Genie HD DVR with three of the minis. So I only have one receiver.

Four phone calls to DirecTV and I was banging my head against the wall with the sales department. Finally I was transferred to the movers department. What they offered me sounds too good to be true.

They said they would send an installer to my vacation place in Montana and have them install a dish and receiver and both places would be on a single account and my bill would actually decrease initially. The additional receiver would add $7 per month to the decreased bill. Sounds too good to be true even though I would be committing to a new 2 yr. agreement. He said I would have to call to activate the vacation receiver every time I went up there and call again when we went back home.

Problem is that I would like for our home DVR to record our shows even though nobody is home. He said it would be deactivated when we are at our vacation place and wouldn't record.

Will DirecTV let me have two receivers at my main home? I'm concerned that they will only allow minis that can't be used as a receiver.

If I self install the same satellite and Swim power supply at out vacation place and took our Genie DVR with us, what could I expect for local channels without calling DirecTV? Will it automatically pick up the local spot beam or does that have to be programmed into the receiver?

I should also mention we have no internet access at our vacation place other than a weak Verizon signal.

Thanks for any help.

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys hammick!

I'm surprised they offered to set you up in any way at your vacation home, but if they do, good for you. Like they told you, you can't have active equipment at the same time at both locations according to the terms of service, but if you install the dish yourself and move a receiver between the locations, they won't know. You can replace one of your minis with a receiver or dvr and it wouldn't affect your monthly cost, but you would get a new two year commitment. That new receiver/dvr could be moved back and forth. You won't be able to get your local channels from KC in Montana, it's much too far to receive since they are on spot beams.

 

[hammick]

to Satelliteguys hammick!

I'm surprised they offered to set you up in any way at your vacation home, but if they do, good for you. Like they told you, you can't have active equipment at the same time at both locations according to the terms of service, but if you install the dish yourself and move a receiver between the locations, they won't know. You can replace one of your minis with a receiver or dvr and it wouldn't affect your monthly cost, but you would get a new two year commitment. That new receiver/dvr could be moved back and forth. You won't be able to get your local channels from KC in Montana, it's much too far to receive since they are on spot beams.

Thanks for the info. If I go that route would the receiver from Kansas City pick up the local Montana channels (when in Montana) or is that something that has to be programmed by DirecTV?

 

[raoul5788]

You would have to contact Directv and tell them you are in Montana, then they can authorize the receiver to give you the Montana locals. Where in Montana? I don't think all areas get locals. If so, you would get national "locals".

 

[hammick]

You would have to contact Directv and tell them you are in Montana, then they can authorize the receiver to give you the Montana locals. Where in Montana? I don't think all areas get locals. If so, you would get national "locals".

Red Lodge, MT. Close to both Billings, MT and Cody, WY. I assume I would get the Billings locals.

What they are offering me is truly a great deal. A full install for just extending my contract. Funny thing is they called me about three weeks ago to see if I was happy. I told them all was fine except it is too expensive. They lowered my bill $15 a month if I agreed to a two year extension. I accepted so basically I will not be really be extending my contract. I assume they had a self serving motive. Price increases maybe.

Only problem is I go up to the place three or four times a year without the wife. Oh well, I can get about a dozen over the air channels.

 

[hammick]

So hypothetically speaking if I go forward with the mover's package and they do a full install and give me a receiver I could bring the receiver back to Kansas City and replace one of my Genie Minis with the receiver. Call DirecTV and have them activate it for the KC location. Then when I go up to MT by myself I take the receiver and don't activate it for the MT address. I would have all channels in my package but wouldn't get any local channels. The Genie DVR in Kansas City would continue to record all our shows and if my wife happened to turn on the TV it would work.

When we both go up to MT I call DirecTV and have them activate the additional receiver for MT and we take that with us. Then we will have all channels in our package and will have whatever local channels exist in our MT spot beam. The KC Genie will be deactivated and won't record anything.

Does this all sound about right? Thanks.

 

[raoul5788]

By Jove, I think you've got it!

 

[Jimbo]

So hypothetically speaking if I go forward with the mover's package and they do a full install and give me a receiver I could bring the receiver back to Kansas City and replace one of my Genie Minis with the receiver. Call DirecTV and have them activate it for the KC location. Then when I go up to MT by myself I take the receiver and don't activate it for the MT address. I would have all channels in my package but wouldn't get any local channels. The Genie DVR in Kansas City would continue to record all our shows and if my wife happened to turn on the TV it would work.

When we both go up to MT I call DirecTV and have them activate the additional receiver for MT and we take that with us. Then we will have all channels in our package and will have whatever local channels exist in our MT spot beam. The KC Genie will be deactivated and won't record anything.

Does this all sound about right? Thanks.

Thats the idea ...
When you are in Montana with your wife, how long are you there ?
Is changing the locals over something necessary, (if your only there a short time) ...
Throw up an OTA antenna in Montana, see what you get.

As for the Genie in KC should still record as I don't think you would be turning your service off, at least I don't think I would tell them to turn it off.

Your allowed to have a recvr at both locations.

 

[hammick]

Thats the idea ...
When you are in Montana with your wife, how long are you there ?
Is changing the locals over something necessary, (if your only there a short time) ...
Throw up an OTA antenna in Montana, see what you get.

As for the Genie in KC should still record as I don't think you would be turning your service off, at least I don't think I would tell them to turn it off.

Your allowed to have a recvr at both locations.

We are there sometimes as long as two weeks but within ten years we should both be retired and possibly staying as long as eight months if not permanent.

I do the OTA thing up there and get a handful of channels but it is a pain in the ass. It's on the same mast as my cell phone booster and I have to take it down if the wind gets too bad which happens a fair amount.

Are you saying that I would have service in both locations even if I called them to have Montana activated. That would be great. I guess I won't know for sure until I try it.

 

[Jimbo]

We are there sometimes as long as two weeks but within ten years we should both be retired and possibly staying as long as eight months if not permanent.

I do the OTA thing up there and get a handful of channels but it is a pain in the ass. It's on the same mast as my cell phone booster and I have to take it down if the wind gets too bad which happens a fair amount.

Are you saying that I would have service in both locations even if I called them to have Montana activated. That would be great. I guess I won't know for sure until I try it.

You would still get service at both locations ... just don't tell them if your gonna be at one place or the other, tell them its your vacation home and your there once in a while.

If you have an active recvr, it will work any where with the correct dish set up. (within the Sat signal that is, across the US)

For example, if you take a working recvr and bring it to my house, it will work as it doesn't know where you are.

If your doing the Movers thing and they are gonna come out there and set up a dish and activate a recvr for you, thats great.

As long as they don't try to make you pay for separate accounts.