Loss of DirecTV channels

[rossboyer]

I just received the following message from DirecTV which means we will no longer receive New York and Los Angles ABC, CBS and NBC in our motor home. Not sure that we will continue to pay for DirecTV. Local channels have many more choices than what was available when we first signed up for DirecTV.  “Regrettably, we must inform you of a new law that affects your programming. Until recently, the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR) Act authorized DIRECTV to provide you access to your out-of-market broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NBC, CW, and/or FOX. Unfortunately, Congress has decided to not renew key provisions of this law. As a result, on June 1, 2020, we no longer will be able to provide you access to these out-of-market channels. These are not available anywhere else. However, this change does not affect access to your existing local network stations. If you’re paying for these channels, you’ll receive a credit within 1-2 billing cycles for this programming change. If you have any questions, please call us at 866.595.9429. Thank you for choosing DIRECTV.”

 

[chindog]

I have Dish.  Haven't received anything at all from them about this.  And being full time travelers, we change locals frequently.

[hermanmullins]

Ross, I am not familiar with Direct TV, is this where you subscribe to either the East Coast or West Coast major networks?

As mike said, we to have Dish and when we travel out of our zone we can call up Dish and they will set us up with the Local Channels where we are. Then when we return home we revert back to our home channels. Simple as 1-2-3.

Herman

[rossboyer]

I was probably grandfathered in, because I had both east and west feeds of ABC, CBS,  and NBC. Had FOX originally, but found that we were not watching it enough. If we do drop DirecTV, we will miss OAN and FOX news.  Also, HALLMARK, HGTV, LIFE, LIFETIME, AMC & HISTORY. The local channels DirecTV provides is meaningless to us. We get seven times as many over the air and HD.  

[wthreadgill]

I too got the same letter.  Hopefully DTV will offer something like DISH where you are switched to the market you are in, but so far from DTV,....crickets.   Maybe not enough RVers to make it worthwhile.   It will be too cost prohibitive to switch out all the equip to change over to Dish.   ☹️ 

[hermanmullins]

wthreadgill,

Welcome to the Forum.

If you wanted to change to Dish Network, it can be expensive or quite reasonable. That depends on whose Satellite Dish you have. A friend of mine who had a Winegard Traveler for Directv got a kit to transfer it to Dish Network. I believe the kit was around $350.00. If you have a Winegard dish you might give them a call.  

Again Welcome.

Herman

[wayne77590]

The 2015 MH we purchased was set up for DTV and we have DISH here at the Sticks & Bricks. It was around $300 to change the Traveler from DTV to Dish. If you don't have the Traveler and only a DOME antenna, there are no DOME antenna's on the market that will get all three DISH satellites at the same time, so depending on your receiver capabilities it could limit some recording capabilities.  With the Traveler you would get full functionality from the receiver. Also, DOME antenna's did not received HD with DTV as I understood it.

As for local channels, with DISH, you call them and give your ZIP code only and you will get the nearest broadcast of Local Channels for that area. It has to do with FCC and advertisements designed for that local viewing area. It's not a big problem.  We have to call to get the locals changed because we have locals at the S&B. If you do not have S&B locals you can use the DISH app to change the zip code.

Ross, all those channels you mentioned I have on DISH. It is going to depend on what package you get. The more channels per package the more $$$ it will be. I think we have America's Best.

[thestoloffs]

3 hours ago, wayne77590 said:

{snip}

As for local channels, with DISH, you call them and give your ZIP code only and you will get the nearest broadcast of Local Channels for that area. It has to do with FCC and advertisements designed for that local viewing area. It's not a big problem.  We have to call to get the locals changed because we have locals at the S&B. If you do not have S&B locals you can use the DISH app to change the zip code.

{snip}

One thing many people forget when they're using the same account service shared between the S&B and the RV: when you change the local service area for the RV, you are also automatically changing the local service area for the S&B at the same time!

Bad news if you set a DVR at home to record something from a local Big 5 network affiliate (A, B, C, F or P ). The new locals may not be on the same schedule as the "home" locals, or even the same time zone! We once returned home from a long trip only to find this disaster!

They can't be split, unless you pay for a second account.

[kaypsmith]

On ‎4‎/‎28‎/‎2020 at 4:25 PM, rossboyer said:

 However, this change does not affect access to your existing local network stations.

This is the key to the statement. I live in Alabama and can only receive my local stations in my home area, although I have been able to receive,  New York and Los Angles ABC, CBS and NBC, both at home and anywhere else that I travel, when this service is no longer allowed on June 1, 2020. As a result, I can still call and get whatever local market that I am located in sent to me. The channels listed were always there before so that we did not have to get switched as we travel, meaning that network shows on the major networks have been available to us. That is, or was a service available for travelers, and the law that allowed that to happen, the sunset to that law will expire, and congress has chosen not to extend it. If you live in any of those areas it will not affect your service at home, but will no longer be able to watch those channels while traveling out of those areas.

[hermanmullins]

We have Dish Network in both the S/Bs and coach. They both work great in both places. When we travel we don't change to the local channel in a location we are in unless we plan on being there for several days. When we are moving the TV at home is recording what we have it set to record. When we set up for the locals when we travel we can record our favorites on those locals. 

Heaven forbid we should miss just one episode of "BROKE". We would be devastated!

Herman

[wayne77590]

Also only switch locals when the stay is more than just a couple days.  Nice thing is that switching locals while on the road does not change any of the channels above 100 so if there is something coming on the DISH Anywhere App will allow you to set the recording at the house while you are on he road. Say you are 500 miles from home and there is a special program coming on an upper channel. Using the DISH Anywhere app you can log in and have the home DVR record it.  We have the Hopper 3 at home and it can record 16 channels at one time. Only have the Wally on the road and limited on recording features.

As thestoloffs stated, whne you are on the road and change local channels you loose the local channels at the house.

[hermanmullins]

Wayne, we are on the same page. One thing I do is when we have been on the road and have switched locals I will call when getting close to home and have then channels switched back to the home channels. Just saves time when we get home.

A side note we live north of Dallas and the home channels for us are out of Sherman Texas and we know everything that goes on north of us mostly in Oklahoma. Since we are close to the Dallas zone I will call and have the locals for Dallas set to our sons address. Now we get all of the information for both DFW and Sherman.

Herman

[wayne77590]

We get the feeds out of Houston, 40 miles North of us and covers all of this metropolitan area. I also call before we get home.

Thanks.

[wildebill308]

4 hours ago, hermanmullins said:

Now we get all of the information for both DFW and Sherman.

Yep, the metro Sherman area.

Bill

[willis1722]

Can you call and get locals on Directv

[wildebill308]

11 hours ago, willis1722 said:

Can you call and get locals on Directv

willis1722, welcome to the forum.

Don't know I just use my antenna for local over the air TV.

Bill

[manholt]

Same here!  It's called a razor..

 

[wildebill308]

willis1722,Just an add on. When you go to a new area you will need to have your TV do a channel search.

Bill