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So I've been trying to see if streaming can replace my satellite.  I've been looking at directvnow, looks good..  But reading the fine print you can only watch local channels in your local zip code and only if you are in that area.  To me, that implies that if I have DirecTV Now local channels when I'm at home I won't have them when I'm on the road.

Anyone have found anything different, or have any suggestions for getting live streaming TV when I travel?

== John

 

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John:

The best I've found is Hulu with Live TV but it, also has its limitations.  It appears to provide NBC-on demand but not live stream.  It also lacks CBS because that network sells its own streaming service.  The good news is that it does have a number of cable channels (HGTV,  MSNBC, etc) that many other plans lack.  

Joel

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How long will you be staying at the various locations. If you plan on being there a month or more you may be able to just change your local address and then get the local channels. Be sure and check how many times you can change your address in a year. 

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According to the DirecTV Now web site:

" DIRECTV NOW offers local channels within specified market areas. Your eligibility is dependent on your billing zip code, and your access depends on the physical location of the device."

https://help.directvnow.com/hc/en-us/articles/211874786-Watch-local-channels-in-your-zip-code

Dutch
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Howdy!

Question for those that are now using Direct TV Now. We have DirecTV satellite but we watch more Netflix and Amazon Prime than satellite. We use AT&T unlimited data to connect. I could save $100.00 a month by switching to DTV Now as we have the premier package. Just wondering how DTV Now is working out for everyone. We plan on a trip to Alaska this coming year so we’ll be suspending the DTV Service for several months if we keep the satellite service. Unknown if the DTV Now will work after crossing into Canada and Alaska.

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I am curious as to why local channels seem to be such a huge issue. Other than 16 football games a year my personal needs do not require my local channels. I don't care about my local news if I an 2000 miles away from my "local". You can get the major networks any number of ways for network programming (of which I watch exactly one show). I am more of an A&E kind of person so Sling or even a satellite package seems like the choice for me, likely satellite so I can get the NFL package and watch my Browns lose. Um..... play. And if I get really desperate for that, there are Browns Backers clubs all over the country that meet at bars on Sundays to watch the losses. Um.... games.

Can someone enlighten me on why local channels are an issue?

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We like to see local news because they discuss things unique to where we are.  For example, we may find a story about a local fair, or a local music event, or just ads for local restaurants that help us learn about a new area.  We've seen some unique things that we learned about this way.  There are other ways, and this is just one way, but we like it.

== John

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52 minutes ago, eddie1261 said:

Oh. You guys men the local channels where you ARE! I thought you were talking about local channels from where you are FROM. I was trying to imagine why I would ever care about Cleveland news if I am parked in New Mexico or Arizona. Got it now.

Actually, we do care about the news and weather from the area around our upstate NY vacation cottage. Our kids and grandkids live in that area. We do switch our satellite locals to the area we're currently in, but using our DishAnywhere app, we can also stream the NY cottage area OTA locals from the satellite receiver installed there.

Dutch
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7 minutes ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Actually, we do care about the news and weather from the area around our upstate NY vacation cottage.

These days IMO I can learn more about any particular location in the US with a simple search of Google News than I can by watching a small-market TV broadcast.  Even in a TV market the size of Corpus Christi (300k-400k people) where we spend the winter half the evening TV news is spent on national stories which will be on the network news that follows.  The remaining few minutes are divided between a couple of local stories, local high school sports and the weather, the latter of which I can get in far more detail on any of several internet sites.   If DirecTV didn't give up the Corpus locals I honestly wound't care.  JMO

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1 minute ago, docj said:

These days IMO I can learn more about any particular location in the US with a simple search of Google News than I can by watching a small-market TV broadcast.  Even in a TV market the size of Corpus Christi (300k-400k people) where we spend the winter half the evening TV news is spent on national stories which will be on the network news that follows.  The remaining few minutes are divided between a couple of local stories, local high school sports and the weather, the latter of which I can get in far more detail on any of several internet sites.   If DirecTV didn't give up the Corpus locals I honestly wound't care.  JMO

The locals in our cottage area market have local evening news running from 4:00 to 6:30 PM, plus mornings and noon time, with excellent coverage of the local issues and events. We do find some duplication on line of course, but seeing the live interviews, etc., can also be enlightening, giving us differing points of view. Try searching Google News for articles about Mayfield, NY for instance. There's currently just one brief article about a fatal house fire. The local TV stations covered that in more detail, along with other area pieces including a report about a town board resolution that affects our property.

Dutch
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I don't even watch my local news shows now because by the time the news comes on at 5 or 6 I have already seen everything that happened on the internet. Though I am still in my house and I am at a computer every waking minute. Either in the room that serves as an office, on my phone while out and about, or watching TV with a laptop on my lap. I really think news on TV is stupid these days. Just like newspapers that tell me everything that happened YESTERDAY.  The world is much smaller and flatter than it used to be.

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Fortunately, I have a life away from computers and TV's at times, so having a convenient means of catching up on a summary of the days events in the areas I'm most interested in works well for me. Especially when that coverage includes topics of interest that may not be picked up by the online search engines. If your life style keeps you minutely connected with what's happening in all the areas you're interested in at all times that's fine too. It's good that we have choices that fit our varying lifestyles...

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
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2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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22 hours ago, docj said:

These days IMO I can learn more about any particular location in the US with a simple search of Google News than I can by watching a small-market TV broadcast.  

Reading the news on Google is similar to reading a newspaper. Some people want to spend the time searching for what they want, others have figured out that they can simply watch the local news on the television and learn what interests THEM.

I'm glad that Google works for you, but obviously these other posters are NOT YOU. Several opinions on here come off sounding arrogant and holier-than-thou.Use your time searching the internet. If that makes you happy then by all means, do it. But why must you sound so condescending when addressing people that prefer to do it differently? 

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DTV Now....I use it all over the country. AT&T Mobley or T-Mobile hotspot. So far, have not found an area one or 5he other doesn’t work. Love it.

been using it since last January when it first came out.

Havent watched a network station in years so I don’t miss it.

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Direct TV Now is great. but i do understand the Need for the Local Channel stuff. I guess to get both. that's where the Ole Rabbit Ears Come into play..  I live in Florida. Sat TV just isnt worth it during the Rainy season. But the App for the Roku using Driect tv now. solves that prob. 

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After some more research, I found a search box (in the DirecTVNow web site) that allows you to enter the zip code and it tells you if any local channels are in that area, and which ones.  For example, in Dallas I get all 4 major networks, but in Port Aransas (where we will be in January) it only has Fox.

I checked for the areas where we travel most often and it appears we get local channels maybe 75% of the places we visit.  That may be enough to warrant getting the program.  I have an offer for a free trial month, so that way I can give it a try.

Thanks for your responses.

== John

 

 

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5 hours ago, John Laninga said:

After some more research, I found a search box (in the DirecTVNow web site) that allows you to enter the zip code and it tells you if any local channels are in that area, and which ones.  For example, in Dallas I get all 4 major networks, but in Port Aransas (where we will be in January) it only has Fox.

 John

 

 

With a Batwing you can get many stations at Port Aransas OTA

Search Results: Found 10 transmitters within 65 miles of 78373

KCRP-CD Distance: 20.67 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 262.87°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
KEDT Distance: 33.21 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 248.38°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
  KEDT-HD PBS 16.1
  KEDT-CR Create 16.2
K22JA-D Distance: 33.72 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 259.23°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
    Telemundo 47.1
    Independent 47.2
KRIS-TV Distance: 33.72 mi Band: VHF True Heading: 259.23°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
  KRIS-HD NBC 06.1
  CW-STX CW+ 06.2
    Grit 06.3
KUQI Distance: 33.80 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 261.33°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
  KUQI-TV FOX 38.1
  Mexican TBD 38.2
KIII Distance: 35.19 mi Band: VHF True Heading: 249.99°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
  KIII-HD ABC 03.1
  KIII-SD Me-TV 03.2
    ION 03.3
    COZI TV 03.4
KORO Distance: 36.05 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 256.17°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
  Univisi Univision 28.1
  Telefut UniMás 28.2
  LATV LATV 28.3
KZTV Distance: 36.05 mi Band: VHF True Heading: 256.17°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
  KZTV-DT CBS 10.1
  KAJA   10.2
K09YZ-D Distance: 45.80 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 326.95°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel
K31KK-D Distance: 53.53 mi Band: UHF True Heading: 257.97°
  Call Sign Affiliate Virtual Channel

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7 hours ago, John Laninga said:

After some more research, I found a search box (in the DirecTVNow web site) that allows you to enter the zip code and it tells you if any local channels are in that area, and which ones.  For example, in Dallas I get all 4 major networks, but in Port Aransas (where we will be in January) it only has Fox.

I checked for the areas where we travel most often and it appears we get local channels maybe 75% of the places we visit.  That may be enough to warrant getting the program.  I have an offer for a free trial month, so that way I can give it a try.

Thanks for your responses.

== John

 

 

John ,

You don't need THAT program to tell you what local OTA stations are available . Here's a free site that I use when ever we move :

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d60edf55383b754

I inserted the Port Aransas zip code for you . If you want to check a different location , just click the blue 'Start Over' and insert that zip code . 

Last Winter we were in Rockport and never lacked for OTA stations . We have never used satellite or any other pay TV .

I did add what amounts to a bat wing to our regular Wingard :

HPIM0003.jpg

Goes around , comes around .

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Let me clear it up a bit... the DirecTV program finds local channels available on DirecTV.  It has nothing to do with OTA channels, those are easy to find.  I just wanted to see what local channels were covered by DirecTV.

For example, last summer I was up in Utah where there were no, none, zip OTA channels.  But CBS All Access did let me view a Salt Lake City CBS affiliate.  I had similar results in other fringe areas.  That's all I was asking about.

== John

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Web site, albums, blog and more here

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42 minutes ago, John Laninga said:

Let me clear it up a bit... the DirecTV program finds local channels available on DirecTV.  It has nothing to do with OTA channels, those are easy to find.  I just wanted to see what local channels were covered by DirecTV.

For example, last summer I was up in Utah where there were no, none, zip OTA channels.  But CBS All Access did let me view a Salt Lake City CBS affiliate.  I had similar results in other fringe areas.  That's all I was asking about.

== John

Ah , Sorry for misconstruing . :wacko:

Goes around , comes around .

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10 hours ago, John Laninga said:

After some more research, I found a search box (in the DirecTVNow web site) that allows you to enter the zip code and it tells you if any local channels are in that area, and which ones.  For example, in Dallas I get all 4 major networks, but in Port Aransas (where we will be in January) it only has Fox.

I checked for the areas where we travel most often and it appears we get local channels maybe 75% of the places we visit.  That may be enough to warrant getting the program.  I have an offer for a free trial month, so that way I can give it a try.T

 

This is copied from the DirecTVNow website:

To watch local channels, your device's location must match your billing zip code. Local, regional, and national providers hold the streaming and broadcast rights to these channels in local markets. To learn more about local channels available in your billing zip code including Regional Sports Networks, please visit our Channel Lookup Tool.

It looks to me as if you can only get local channels when your device is in your "home" billing zipcode area which would be very limiting for those of us who are full-timers.  Furthermore, I'm not sure how this works if your IP is a cellular connection that often shows up as being at a location other than where you are physically.  Am I interpreting something incorrectly?

My assumption is that if you don't have local channels in a particular area you would still be able to receive the major networks using the New York/LA feeds that are available to DirecTV DNS customers.  Is that a correct assumption?  

Also, it does not yet appear as if there is a DVR capability for DirecTVNow of the sort that Hulu with Live TV offers.  My "sources" tell me that such a capability is under development but it hasn't been rolled out yet.  For us that would be a serious deficiency.   

Sandie & Joel

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2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake system
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This thread has kind of flopped from DirecTv Now and DirecTv. They are not the same thing, are they? Isn't DirecTv Now something you can stream on a computer where DirecTv needs a dish and a receiver? I know that when it's time to me to decide I am pretty much hamstrung because NFL Sunday Ticket is my prime concern. I HAVE to hat that so I can see the Browns games. That means DirecTv "conventional" I guess because all my reading says DirecTv Now does NOT offer Sunday Ticket.

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