DirecTV at Vacation Home - seasonal set up or 2nd home account

[larrymw]

I want to install DirecTV at my vacation home and I am trying to decide between a seasonal set up and a complete 2nd account.

I am getting conflicting stories (so frustrating) from DirecTV every time I call so maybe someone here can help.

I have current service at my primary home, Genie. I want service at my vacation home, but I want it to work at both homes simultaneously. One DirecTV agent told me that if I had a separate receiver at the vacation home that we could get service at both locations with a seasonal set up, another agent said service will only work at one place at a time so I would need a 2nd home account. Can I have service at both locations with a seasonal set up? I am only at the vacation home a week every few months so it doesn't make sense to have 2 accounts. My wife does not always go with me so she would want to watch TV at home while I am at the Vacation home.

Please help clear this up for me. Thank you.

 

[osu1991]

Technically is there any reason you can't have 2 receivers at 2 homes active; NO, BUT it is a violation of their terms of service. You can't have receivers on the same account active at two homes simultaneously.

 

[Enraged newb]

Does direct not have snow bird accounts like dish does? Where they set you up in 2 homes and all you do is move your receivers from house to house when you move back and forth?


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[Aridon]

If you have a dish at the seasonal site the receivers will work at both locations. This would be against the TOS although there isn't anyway for D* to know about it.

You could also set up a second account depending on how long you were going to be at that second location. All the time? Probably better for a second account, once it awhile? Bring the box and not worry about it.

 

[osu1991]

I used to take my Dish receivers with me to the lake house, but since we added a condo in Vegas and I have very good internet at all 3 places. I just use a Slingbox 350 connected to my 722 and I have a couple of wdtv boxes with the Slingplayer apps built in, that I use now. Works great. You do need at least 3mb upload at the main receiver and 6mb download at the receiving sites to get good looking HD at the receiving sites on a 60in lcd.

 

[larrymw]

The 1st agent told me that I could have them both working at the same time, the 2nd agent told me no that I could only have one at a time, so that's why I asked. Thank you.

 

[larrymw]

They do offer that type of service, but I won't always be traveling with my wife to our vacation home so I would want service at both locations.

 

[acostapimps]

If you have Directv setup already at the second house, I don't see why not, but there shouldn't be a receiver there, only in your main billing address, then you can move back and forth with 1 receiver, not 2 receivers at both locations, I would speak with someone that has better knowledge of this, some are clueless about 1 account for both locations.


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[larrymw]

I plan to call back and speak to someone else. I don't think I can take my current receiver which is a Genie with me to the vacation house because then service at my primary house would definitely not work as it is a Genie and Genie Mini's.

 

[goaliebob99]

I believe its only one at a time. They usually dont have any issues changing billing address and locals between the two.

 

[Jimbo]

I plan to call back and speak to someone else. I don't think I can take my current receiver which is a Genie with me to the vacation house because then service at my primary house would definitely not work as it is a Genie and Genie Mini's.

That is correct.
If you take the Genie, you won't have service at the main house and you cannot run a Client without the Genie...

Your best option is to get a regular HD recvr (dvr if you want) use it as a spare bedroom and take it with you when you go.
Like others have said, if your not there for extended time, you should be ok.

 

[acostapimps]

. I don't think I can take my current receiver which is a Genie with me to the vacation house because then service at my primary house would definitely not work as it is a Genie and Genie Mini's.

And this is why I don't get the mini genies, when you want to move the main Genie anywhere in the house, There worthless and hope nobody is watching on that tv. I'll get any receiver besides the minis. It's only ideal if there's hardly anybody watching there, but then it's a waste of $6 bucks

 

[Jimbo]

And this is why I don't get the mini genies, when you want to move the main Genie anywhere in the house, There worthless and hope nobody is watching on that tv. I'll get any receiver besides the minis. It's only ideal if there's hardly anybody watching there, but then it's a waste of $6 bucks

Remember, the $6 is regardless for a recvr, doesn't matter if its a reg recvr or a client.

if people can afford the addl. Up front cost, then Yes, that is the way to go.

 

[larrymw]

So, Jimbo, in theory I can call and swap out one of my mini's for a regular HD Receiver, then take it with me when I go to my vacation home and as long as I have the proper dish there and the DirecTV should work in both places? This sounds like the answer to my dilema.

 

[raoul5788]

That would work, but as noted, having a single subscription active at two locations at the same time is against the terms of service. Just sayin'!

 

[Jimbo]

So, Jimbo, in theory I can call and swap out one of my mini's for a regular HD Receiver, then take it with me when I go to my vacation home and as long as I have the proper dish there and the DirecTV should work in both places? This sounds like the answer to my dilema.

That would work ... now don't forget you'll have to pay the up front cost for the recvr you decide on.

Seeing you have a Genie your already paying the DVR fee which is for the account, so you may as well get a HR24.

 

[dishcomm]

I want to install DirecTV at my vacation home and I am trying to decide between a seasonal set up and a complete 2nd account.

I am getting conflicting stories (so frustrating) from DirecTV every time I call so maybe someone here can help.

I have current service at my primary home, Genie. I want service at my vacation home, but I want it to work at both homes simultaneously. One DirecTV agent told me that if I had a separate receiver at the vacation home that we could get service at both locations with a seasonal set up, another agent said service will only work at one place at a time so I would need a 2nd home account. Can I have service at both locations with a seasonal set up? I am only at the vacation home a week every few months so it doesn't make sense to have 2 accounts. My wife does not always go with me so she would want to watch TV at home while I am at the Vacation home.

Please help clear this up for me. Thank you.

Install a dish yourself. On this forum there are several reatailer sponsors which sell D* equipment.
Or, if you are not handy or do not believe you can do a self install, call a local retailer to install an antenna at your weekender.
Do NOT call Directv. Should you go that route, you'll be paying for TWO accounts.

 

[Martibohl]

I have a vacation home and have a receiver that we leave there. We do get any local channels from the primary location or the 2nd location on the receiver at the vacation home. I was told to change my service address to get the local channels at the vacation home. I asked about the local channels at the primary home for when my spouse was home and was told I could not have service at 2 addresses. Basically, you can have the satellite channels at both locations but not the local channels (but they don't "know" that you do).
I tried taking a newer DVR receiver to the vacation home and it did not receive any channels. Not sure if the newer boxes have some technology that knows they are not at the service address on file or not. Paying for 2 accounts would just be absurd for the cost. Now I have the Genie and mini's at the primary home and an old school non-DVR receiver at the 2nd home. I don't know if temporarily changing my service address would screw up the whole thing or not since we have a SWM and multi-line oval dish at home and no SWM and a round dish at the 2nd home. . . .

 

[Jimbo]

I have a vacation home and have a receiver that we leave there. We do get any local channels from the primary location or the 2nd location on the receiver at the vacation home. I was told to change my service address to get the local channels at the vacation home. I asked about the local channels at the primary home for when my spouse was home and was told I could not have service at 2 addresses. Basically, you can have the satellite channels at both locations but not the local channels (but they don't "know" that you do).
I tried taking a newer DVR receiver to the vacation home and it did not receive any channels. Not sure if the newer boxes have some technology that knows they are not at the service address on file or not. Paying for 2 accounts would just be absurd for the cost. Now I have the Genie and mini's at the primary home and an old school non-DVR receiver at the 2nd home. I don't know if temporarily changing my service address would screw up the whole thing or not since we have a SWM and multi-line oval dish at home and no SWM and a round dish at the 2nd home. . . .

If you had signal at the main home and not at the 2nd home, you probably don't have the same dish at both locations .... you would need to go thru the Repeat Sat Set Up and tell it what dish your using (there are multiple dishes to chose from) , once you input the correct dish type, you will get your channels to work, provided the 2nd dish is pointed accurately.

 

[Lem69]

I'm trying to do this at my vacation home as well. DirecTV has been taking me to the cleaners for the last couple years telling me I needed a second account for a place I use for vacation. I just bought a new box outright on my primaryou account. I brought it to the cabin to try it out. All of my channels work except for locals, any way I can get the locals to work as well? Get error 771 on local channels. Cabin is about 130 miles north of my primary residence. Thank you