Re: What is the best system
Hi debbie1952,
Programming offerings from Dish and Directv are similar. I have Directv and just about everything is High Def. Some of their ads suggest that perhaps Dish is a bit behind in High Def offerings but I'm not sure if that's true.
From an equipment standpoint, there are several things to consider.
Automatic Satellite Aiming - you can get an auto-aiming dish for DISH network at a much lower price than one for Directv. You have to read the specs carefully because many dishes will say High Def for DISH but Standard Def for Directv.
Rooftop or Standalone - Rooftop is convenient but if there are trees between you and the satellite, you might as well not have a dish. A standalone can be repositioned.
Tripod-mounted dishes are the least expensive, but may take some practice to set up and aim properly. If you stay in the same place for a while, this may be all you need. A Directv Slimline 3 dish with LNB can be purchased for $100 or less. You'll also need a tripod which can be $45-200 depending on how fancy it is.
The older LNB technology uses a multi-switch at the LNB providing 4 cables to connect as many as 4 receivers. This is called Multi-Switch. If you have a DVR in the living room, you would need two cables - but your RV probably has one to the living room. So with that technology, you'd need to run a flat cable through the window, or add a cable. Some people may suggest reworking the cable wiring, but I'm not sure if anyone has successfully done that with a high-def setup.
The newer Directv LNB technology uses a multi-switch that goes inside. There's one COAX line from the dish to the RV. This is called Single Wire Module (SWM). The DVR receiver needs only a single COAX line to support both tuners. No extra wires necessary. You can also have a bedroom receiver that can watch programs previously recorded on the living room DVR. I think DISH has something similar called "The Hopper."
DISH has a pay as you go offering so you don't have to pay for programming when you're not in your RV. If you're full-time, this isn't necessarily interesting - except that there's no 2 year commitment.
I have Directv at home and used to take my receivers with me when in the RV. Last year at times I used Distant Network Services (DNS) to get New York stations for network programming while away from home. At other times, I changed my service address and got local Denver stations. This year, they said new FCC regulations would no longer allow that. Instead, for a 2 year commitment in the RV, they created a new account for the RV, gave me new receivers and a new dish for the RV (no charge), merged the new account with the home account so I would have just one programming charge and set up DNS for the RV receivers.
I hope you weren't asking about refrigerators.