Direct TV .... Gotta love 'em

[Ray Davis]

NOT!


So, I call Direct TV to try to get the receiver in my new bus authorized. I've got to order a new card for the receiver. OK, no problem, I order the card. Then after the order is placed, they drop the bomb, you have 9 days to install the card, and call Direct TV and get it turned on, or it will self destruct, and you have to order another card (at $20 more).

Problem, well the card is not going to arrive for approximately 5 business days, which puts me at middle of next week, and the card expires on Friday. Wouldn't be a problem if my bus were local, but it's 45 miles away.

Would have been nice if it could have expired on a weekend, when I could get out there, but no, since I ordered today, it expires on next Friday!

Could I have cancelled the order for today. Well, not actually, but I could have $20 credit on my account, which couldn't be used for ordering a card tomorrow!

They make it SO easy, don't they!

Ray

[jello_jeep]

What kind of receiver ya get? Is anyone making an in motion dish setup for the new HD setup?

When I grow up, I wanna put a tivo in my bus. That would be sweeeeet!

[Ray Davis]

Actually, the receiver is nothing special, but it was already installed, wiring intact, and a good picture, so I opted to use that receiver, rather than uninstall and try to put my walmart special in the bus.

One thing I wasn't sure about, is whether or not there were Direct TV receivers which were special for the in-motion dishes? My previous setup had an external control panel for the dish, which could be started, and lock on the satellite, even without a receiver there.

This unit in my new bus is different in that I don't see (haven't yet at least) any controls for the in-motion dish. There is a single power button in the electronics area in the bedroom.

Since this was all "just working", I opted for perhaps the easy way out, to not mess things up by installing my other receiver. Now I've got to send it back to Direct TV, as you don't buy them anymore, you lease them. Even if you go to Walmart and pay $50 for the receiver. It's a lease!

Ray

[Jerry Winchester]

Ray,

I had a similar experience trying to change the DirecTV over from Jack's account to mine. I thought they could just change the whole thing over to my account (it was working fine when I picked the coach up), but they said, "No, we have to send you a new card." Then they turned off the service I was getting (I would have been smart to wait to call them), so I told them they sucked because I would have to travel for a week with no TV.

Not the most customer friendly folks around.

[rff105]

http://www.kvh.com/products/Product.asp?id=155

KVH has an in motion HD receiver but I think it only gets the original 3 satellites worth of HD channels not the additional channels they are advertising now on the 5 satellite dishes.

[Ray Davis]

When I originally got the red bus, there were two DTV receivers in it. I didn't turn them on immediately, as I didn't need them, and actually waited until we got to POG2 at Santa Fe.

Then while Kathy was out on the girls art explore day, I decided to surprise her by getting TV turned on (she wanted to watch Grey's anatomy). Big mistake, after talking for 30 minutes with customer service, I'm informed that the previous owner hasn't released those receivers, and I'd have to contact him and ask him to do that. Then, after all that time, I would have to call in, and request new ID cards (another week and $40), and then I could turn on the receivers.

Instead, I went down to Walmart, and picked up a unit for $50 and had it turned on later that day. Maybe I should have done the same here?

[phorner]

We put the DirectTV receiver with Tivo DVR in our bus and and we love it!

Now, we don't know how we got along without it....

It was no problem at all with the installation or activation. For once, we were lucky!!!

[truk4u]

Ray,

I went through the same 9 day thing with the CC in August and I asked for a few additional days and they did it with no problem.

Ya, Ya, they still suck!

[wrongagain]

Dont even get me started on my rant on direct tv.
Never before have I had the feeling of living in an abbott and costello routine.
I call dtv, they say call kvh, kvh transfers me to dtv, dtv says you need kvh, round and round and round.

Who's on first,... third base.

Someone comes to install the dish on my house, I say, wrong again, he says where do I want it, I say back in your truck, he says he has to install their equipment, I say, first of all, its for the bus, second, my equipment is installed all you have to do is activate it.
This inspires more phone calls.
After a while he, they, whoever decides I am right and he gets it going.
As he is giving me the run down, he stops to tell me the remotes are not rf, but for a price I can have rf, but they dont work with the box he just installed and maybe in a few months a newer more improved box will be out, but for now rf remotes are only on the boxes with the dvr.
Dont want or need dvr in the bus.
So now I have a setup that doesnt work unless you get up to aim the remote at the box.
Got the first bill days later at $20.00 a month more than quoted and cant cancel it to get what I wanted because it was a special introductory rip off and cancellation brings penalties, sanctions, dismay and a general besmirching of my good name.
Every time I have called I get a completely different set of rules and guide lines like I am talking to ten different companies.
Still havent driven it anywhere to see if it does work " in motion ".
Even now I dont think they know its on a bus, its a service they offer and no one there has ever heard of it.
Right on there web site there is a whole thing about rv usage, but try and find someone that knows about it.
Well,... after this long tirade I think its time to up the dosage before I snap.

[jello_jeep]

Paul, does the new Tivo not have to be plugged into a telephone line? The last series, even if you paid lifetime had to make a call every couple weeks to make sure you were still authorized...