Local channels on DirecTV

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Got down to AZ and of course you loose your local channels. Was going to send in the Distant Network Service waiver and get those like I have done before. $15 a month. Had some company to help me watch the Broncos whip the Steelers and they said all they do is call Direct and change there address. Duh, how come I didnt think of that? I am generally not asleep like that :confused: Called 'em and within seconds I got all the local stuff not shown otherwise. When we get back home in 3 months I will just change it back. And it is FREE.
 

Nabo

Southeast Region Director-Retired
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

We have done that when we are on vacation for more than 1 week. DirectTv hasn't charged us but they do not like to due it for short period of time.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

We have DTV and do the same thing. There was one time I had a problem and my locals got shut off. I guess I had a CSR that felt I shouldn't be able to do this if I'm in an RV. She would not listen to reason. Such as DTV installed the system in my RV and now you're telling me I can't move around and have locals?
Anyway, I called back and got a different CSR and had the correct locals in a few minutes. Some CSR's are much better than others at knowing what they're doing. As I understand it, as long as you only have one receiver on the account, there's no problem. I know this may not be right but as long as it's working for me, I'm OK with it.

I've always wanted to call the advertising I've seen about the "Pay as you go" DTV with the distant networks. I just need to understand the whole program and if they allow it with an HD DVR. Once I get my butt in gear, I'll call.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Ray, Im not sure but I THINK that DTV answers calls here in the US. OnStar and XM are in India...so good luck with that.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Last summer when we were traveling all around the country, I used the Distant Network Services. I was having some intermittent problems during the trip and wanted a service tech to come out, but they said they could only send a tech to the service address - back home. They also told me they don't service RVs, even though my dish is on a tripod on the ground.

This winter we're in one place and I just had them change the service address (kept billing the same). I gave them the address and did not volunteer that it was an RV. They asked if I'd need dish installation and I said I'd try to set it up myself and call if I had a problem. That gave me the local channels for this area with no extra charge.

As it happened, I did have a problem and they sent a repair tech out. He ended up replacing the entire dish and LNB. The one I had came from a service tech at home - it was a beat up old Slimline 3 HD dish that came off someone's house. The tech here was amazed that I ever got any signal. Now I have new equipment and 99% signal strength. The tech didn't seem to care that it was connected to an RV.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Ray, Im not sure but I THINK that DTV answers calls here in the US. OnStar and XM are in India...so good luck with that.
You're right. DTV has regular folks like you & I in their own homes at a desk doing Customer Service. I had a friend near OK City that was a CSR for DTV. Too bad she's still not with them. I could have fun with that.
Most Credit cards have call centers in India as well. A royal PITA!!! Long story there...
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Didnt even tell them it was in an RV. Just said we had a change of address. However, I do have them noted in "my equipment" that two of the receivers are in the RV. Now you would think when you went to the RV section on their web site that they would tell you that. NOT, want folks to spend the extra $15 @ month.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Ok, I am confused here, do you only get the locals from where you are at or do you get the locals where you are from when you are gone? If we now have locals here in Alabama will we get the same channels if we travel to Texas? I was thinking I would get the locals from where we were gave them a address, and would still get those channels traveling.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Ok, I am confused here, do you only get the locals from where you are at or do you get the locals where you are from when you are gone? If we now have locals here in Alabama will we get the same channels if we travel to Texas? I was thinking I would get the locals from where we were gave them a address, and would still get those channels traveling.

You get the local channels for your residence address, but you can only receive them if you within a reasonable distance of that address, otherwise you get nothing.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
If we now have locals here in Alabama will we get the same channels if we travel to Texas?

There are 2 issues: you (your receiver) has to be authorized for local stations in a specific TV market, and you have to be physically close enough to that location to receive the broadcast, which is a narrow beam from the satellite, targeted to the TV market with some spill over into adjacent areas.

So we can get our Austin stations across a large swath of Texas. But when we get to Colorado the signal is no longer physically there; we're too far away. When I call Directv to change the service address to where we are in Colorado, they authorize the receiver to pick up the Denver local stations, which we are close enough to receive.

If you opt for Distant Network Services, you're authorized to receive signals from either New York stations or Los Angeles stations, depending on which is closer to your home address. Since those signals are broadcast across the entire U.S. to get them is only an authorization issue.
 

2psnapod1

Texas-South Chapter Leader-Retired
So if you full-time - the best thing to do is to get the Distant Network Services option and pay an additional fee each month?
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
So if you full-time - the best thing to do is to get the Distant Network Services
The best thing to do depends only on you. How much do you move around? If you are still north of Montgomery you will be able to pick up your local stations in the entire state.
I live in SE Wisconsin and because of how DTV broadcasts its spot beam, I can get my locals in that area, MI, IL and IN. But if I go to NW Wisconsin I can not pick up locals. Right now we are in TX. I get the locals out of the valley. When we move north to Kerrville I will not get locals, but when we get to Aransas Pass I will be able to get them again. It all depends on the beam
RIGHT HERE is a map of how the spot beams are broadcast. It may help in your decision.

Peace
Dave
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
So if you full-time - the best thing to do is to get the Distant Network Services option and pay an additional fee each month?

When we were more financially able (before retirement) we kept the DNS year around at home because we could watch some shows earlier from the east coast. It only takes a couple of minutes to change your address but some places have free cable and you can get them for free anyway. We have cable where we are at but it is not HD so some of the channels are not acceptable to look at. Especially for watching the Broncos kick some butt! And watching JJ get his NASCAR title back! :D
 

Gaffer

Well-known member
We have been in Lake Havasu for the last 6 weeks. I wish I had called in a change of address when we first got here. Did it today and had all the Phoenix channels in just a few minutes.
 

TXTiger

Well-known member
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Just a tip on calling customer service and NOT getting connected to India. When asked "press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish", press 2. Nobody in India can speak Spanish. You will be connected to someone in the US, maybe in TX, who can also speak English!!!!
 

CliffP

Well-known member
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Just a tip on calling customer service and NOT getting connected to India. When asked "press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish", press 2. Nobody in India can speak Spanish. You will be connected to someone in the US, maybe in TX, who can also speak English!!!!

Great Tip!
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Re: Local chanels on DirecTV

Just a tip on calling customer service and NOT getting connected to India. When asked "press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish", press 2. Nobody in India can speak Spanish. You will be connected to someone in the US, maybe in TX, who can also speak English!!!!
LMAO This is great, I'll try it.

Regarding DirecTV though, I've had pretty good luck. Now that they seem to understand we only have one receiver and travel they've always been easy to work with when we call to switch locals.
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
So if you full-time - the best thing to do is to get the Distant Network Services option and pay an additional fee each month?

Your other option is to use your over the air antenna to bring in locals from wherever you are parked...we do both, we've had DNS for years, but if we want local news, etc., we use the OTA....
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Your other option is to use your over the air antenna to bring in locals from wherever you are parked...we do both, we've had DNS for years, but if we want local news, etc., we use the OTA....

I tried that in Quartzsite in January. I got 2 OTA stations that seemed to go away at night. Satellite was better.
 
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