Set-up for Home DTV to go on the road.

Lots of complicated info on this site about RV DirecTV ... and most is either one answer, or very complex answer for an electronic idiot - like myself.

SO, we're gonna take our home unit on the road beginning next month. We will buy an antenna (probably the portable cube)...

Assuming we have Digital Ready TV, Cube antenna, and the subscription for DirecTV home use - please give a non-complicated brief, step x step, process for buying cables and/or other components so we can watch the TV in campsites with EHU at least. Don't care about the components or how each works, just what it is, what it does, and where in the pattern does it fit. Begin at the antenna thru A,B,C ... then to the TV ... and assume we have nothing but the Cube and the TV and the DirecTV box at this point. Thanks B & G

ONE other point: Does it make sense to change from Standard box to a different level. As I understand it, we need a phone and hard-cable to watch free on-demand catalog movies ... we don't often watch PPV which we could do with cell phone ... but we can't do on-demand without cable internet - at least as I understand it.

When I had direct TV and took the box on the road, I used a portable dish set on a tripod. Would go to the menue and to setup to get the angle and elevation. I would then go to the signal on the menue and turn up the volume and open the window. It always worked as I could hear the signal when we locked on. It used to take about 5 minutes.

Thanks Ed, but I'm looking for a list of items that I will need to buy or get from DTV, not how to operate it.

Such as cables?, connectors?, booster? switches?, components, etc.

Ed Kelly wrote: When I had direct TV and took the box on the road, I used a portable dish set on a tripod. Would go to the menue and to setup to get the angle and elevation. I would then go to the signal on the menue and turn up the volume and open the window. It always worked as I could hear the signal when we locked on. It used to take about 5 minutes.

Items needed to do this: 1 standard DirecTV box per tv, about 50ft. cable, and 1 single LMB dish. Now if you want Hi-Def, you'll need a 3 LMB oval dish and a HD box per tv....and all the new HD cables, etc.....

HD isn't important to us...digital tv already has great picture...we don't do the "On Demand", but do order a PPV movie every once in awhile...we have seen folks struggle with the HD from DirecTV and Dish Network in wooded CGs where as with the single round dish goes up and working within minutes....I guess it all boils down to how "high-tech" you want to get and if you have lots of patience for the setting up....

Not much of a "shopping list", but it's what works for us and we've had our service for 6 yrs. over many miles and in lots of CGs....Hope it helps...

Just looking for the minimum ... don't watch a lot of shows, mostly movies in the evening.

SO, high-tech not required. Although we can't get on-demand at home because we have no house internet connection. We have hotspot and it cost too much to use the 'watch movie' features - to much band use, or something.

But, our goal is to watch the 'catalog' movies, the free ones you find that have already been shown on the pay part. And we can't figure out how to do that with no house internet. Apparently these movies download thru the internet cables.

Some one said you can order on the PC and another said use the cell phone. But all I can find in both is the PPV kind, not the free movie catalog. Stumped Monkey here?

we have seen folks struggle with the HD from DirecTV and Dish Network in wooded CGs where as with the single round dish goes up and working within minutes

I agree with this statement 100%. Since we work summers in the forest, we DO NOT want HD satellite. It's MUCH easier to find one "hole" in the trees for coverage than it is the 3 or more needed for HD.

Never got the "free" or pay on demand movies. Our satellite Internet wouldn't have the needed speed. We do order PPV through the Internet (no charge). If you order by phone, there's an ordering fee (for DirecTV).