Traveling Man

[Thinker3932]

So, I have digital cable installed at my two homes--costs some $300/month with the high speed data. Trying to look into whether I could save money with a digital satellite solution. So, does DirectTv just have a smart card that I could carry back and forth between two setups such that I only need to pay for it once, not twice? If I just have one Tivo as my receiving solution, can I haul that box back and forth? How does Tivo/DirectTv know where I am with the hardware?

[ansky]

If I just have one Tivo as my receiving solution, can I haul that box back and forth? How does Tivo/DirectTv know where I am with the hardware?
For a TIVO unit they will know where you are based on the phone line connection.

[Thinker3932]

So as long as I bring my vonage box back and forth, that will work fine.

[Thinker3932]

So, no other thoughts? I am the only guy here who lives in two places?

[Clint Lamor]

You could always have a slingbox at one place and connect to it from the other.

[newsposter]

dont know if it's "legal" but what would work would be carrying the box from one place to the other. I dont see the problem with that because you only have one box and it's not like you are receiving stuff at the 2 locations at the same time.

Now for the people that have a main box at home then have a 2nd receiver for 5 bucks at another house...that gets tricky :) But people do it.

also note you need not plug in a phone line except for initial activation and getting PPV off your card. (you will just have a nag screen 1x a day) And even for people who have plugged in phone lines in different places, i've never seen anyone ever get busted because their phone dialed from another area code. I think DTV has other stuff to worry about. ( like the people not paying one dime for programming)

I'm assuming you are within the spot beam for local channels both places so that shouldn't be an issue.

So technologically those are your options. legally and morally you have to decide.

[Geronimo]

I am not sure about D* but with E8 the card is married toa particular receiver.

But both providers ask that all receivers on one account remain at one location.

[newsposter]

yes they are married for directv also.

[newsposter]

to be 100% legal it appears you would have to buy 2 subscriptions

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/FAQ_DTVBasics.jsp#3

How much will DIRECTV® service cost me each month?
A: It's more affordable than you might think. Our basic TOTAL CHOICE® programming package, which includes more than 135 channels, is just $44.99 per month. The cost to add additional receivers in your home is $4.99/mo. per receiver (as long as you keep all your receivers continuously connected to the same land-based phone line). If your state charges a sales tax, we'll add that to your bill. That's it. Of course, you can select from many other great packages as well.

----
the 'requirement' that you are hooked up to the same landline would indicate you must be in the same house

so anything other than that appears not 100% legal or moral :) sorry

[JLucPicard]

Thinker3932,

Back in the day, I have taken a D* receiver to a friend’s house for a football party (Sunday Ticket subscriber) and I've taken receivers to local parks for PPV parties. Had a separate dish to take with me, and never had a problem getting things that way (once I got the dish aimed right!). I even took a receiver to the lake with me, though I had line of site problems there because of the trees (TOO rustic!).

Is the second place something like a lake home where you would spend maybe a week at a time or something like that, or is it a situation where you split significant time between both places? I can’t see any issues with taking the receiver to the second location if it is just an occasional, short-time thing. If you do split significant time between places, then I think what newsposter says has some merit.

Aside from that, if your two houses are within the same general area (where the local channel spot beams reach both places), I don't see any problem with taking the box back and forth. I had used regular receivers, but don't know why it would be different with the TiVo/receiver box (if that’s what you have). If they are not within the same area covered by the spot beam that services your main address, you would not be able to receive your local channels at the second location, nor could you receive the local channels from that area as your main service address is not within that area.

When you say you have one TiVo as your receiving solution, is that a standalone TiVo that would be hooked up to a D* receiver, or are you referring to a D* receiver with TiVo? Not that that matters much, I guess, just curious.

[Nosey]

My dad travels alot with a RV and also has a beach house about 120 miles away from his home, he has 3 dish's but 1 receiver, other then not receiving locals when he is on the road or at the beach house, he gets everything else without a problem, and direct knows about it because he use to get locals on trips until they started doing the spot beam, they said as long as he had 1 receiver doing it all that was fine, I'm sure if he had 2 receivers they would say something different.

as far as on the go, I live in an RV at a perm site, but I do and I don't have a "land line" for phone and have not had any problems, once I got the sat signal.

[Sea bass]

So, I have digital cable installed at my two homes--costs some $300/month with the high speed data. Trying to look into whether I could save money with a digital satellite solution. So, does DirectTv just have a smart card that I could carry back and forth between two setups such that I only need to pay for it once, not twice? If I just have one Tivo as my receiving solution, can I haul that box back and forth? How does Tivo/DirectTv know where I am with the hardware?


Yes you can take the box back and forth. My uncle works in Seattle through the summer months, winters in Florida. He has a Tivo unit, and takes it back and forth. Plugs into the phone line. Works fine for the last few years. His permanent address is Florida. Only problem is he has no locals, but all the sports programming is there.

[Wolffpack]

Yes you can take the box back and forth. My uncle works in Seattle through the summer months, winters in Florida. He has a Tivo unit, and takes it back and forth. Plugs into the phone line. Works fine for the last few years. His permanent address is Florida. Only problem is he has no locals, but all the sports programming is there.
My folks do the same. But they do get locals as when they "head south" they change their service address with DTV and get the Tampa locals. When they head north, they change their service address again and get the MI locals. DTV doesn't have a problem with this.

[newsposter]

When you say you have one TiVo as your receiving solution, is that a standalone TiVo that would be hooked up to a D* receiver, or are you referring to a D* receiver with TiVo? Not that that matters much, I guess, just curious.

note he's looking for new service, has cable now.

it all comes down to what he morally can live with as there are violations of the letter of the law and violations of the spirit of the law. If he has only 1 receiver on his account, and moves it, i dont see how he can be violating the spirit of the law...which is to prevent someone from not paying for a full 2nd sub and lending their 2nd receiver to a friend for 5 bucks instead.