[goes211]

A friend of mine that is not currently a Direct TV subscriber recently bought a second home on Grand Cayman. He hates his current TV service but when I asked him why he does not used Direct TV he said when he was originally looking into TV service he was told Direct TV would require a 6' dish and $3k installation.

This does not this sound right to me. Grand Cayman is basically due south of Miami on the other side of Cuba. Why would it require a BUD down there when I can get great reception in the Carolinas with a standard slimline-5? If anything I would think reception would be easier down there and all that would be required is to point a standard dish up higher.

Is there something with Cayman service that is not equivalent to the US and therefore requires different hardware or pointing at a different satellite?

 

[Davenlr]

Think of a flashlight being shined from space on the USA. If you are in the USA, its very bright. If you are not in the spotlight, you can still see the light, but you need to amplify it many many times to get the same brightness as someone in the spotlight.

In the case of your friend, the spotlight is pointed at the USA. Any distance outside of the USA and it needs increasingly larger and larger dishes to amplify the signal to the LNB.

Also, since DirecTv uses offset dishes, and Grand Cayman would probably require a prime focus (round) dish, a special LNB or adapter would be required, as well as a very low noise amplifier to keep loses to a minumum since the signal would be JUST above the threshold.

Then there is the fact its against tos to receive DirecTv outside the USA unless its the Latin American version.

Probably not worth the expense and effort. If I was in Grand Cayman, watching TV would be the LAST thing I would be doing

 

[davring]

Down around Mexico City, close to the same latitude as the Caymans, I have a heck of a time locking my 18" dish, on the roof of my MH, on the 101, it points near straight up, with very weak signals.

 

[veryoldschool]

I believe the difference here is US service there isn't a go, while their "Caribbean service" is with the world direct dish.

 

[veryoldschool]

Down around Mexico City, close to the same latitude as the Caymans, I have a heck of a time locking my 18" dish, on the roof of my MH, on the 101, it points near straight up, with very weak signals.

There's a reason for that... it's called a footprint. :lol:

 

[Davenlr]

Here is a map showing the coverage of DirecTvs USA Standard Def service.

 

[davring]

There's a reason for that... it's called a footprint. :lol:

Nice clear day, high altitude it works well

 

[Davenlr]

Nice clear day, high altitude it works well

Its the altitude...you are closer to the transmitter

 

[Shades228]

http://www.directvla.com/index_en.aspx

 

[Shaqdan]

Last time I was in the Caymans, everyone and their mother had Dish Network (and bootleg movie DVDs).

 

[Wisegoat]

Last time I was in the Caymans, everyone and their mother had Dish Network (and bootleg movie DVDs).

That is probably because up until a few years ago when Dish changed their encryption, you could still hack Dish for free programming. I know a bunch of people in Canada and Mexico that were doing Dish for that reason. Once Nagravision changed their encryption, everyone was SOL. Some people close to the border can still get a "Legal" subscription in the US and take a receiver down there, but it is a lot harder to get that dish pointed, so most people just put up with the local cable company. DirecTV LA is not worth it to most American travelers, due to the lack of programming in English.