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New Member

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9 Messages

Sunday, January 22nd, 2023 5:10 PM

Closed

My home local channels work for 24 hours while traveling

I can watch my DirecTV Satellite Denver, CO home local channels while travelling in Tucson, AZ for about 24 hours after I sign in to stream DirecTV on a Roku.  After that, those local channels switch to Las Vegas, Nevada local channels.  That's almost 500 miles/ 800 kilometers from Tucson.  I can sign out and back in and start the 24 hours of Denver channels over again, but that becomes tedious.  I can also pause the stream and then fast forward through commercials, but can't set a recording and watch it later. 

I also cannot access my home DirecTV DVR as promoted by DirecTV though their emails to me.  Their support representatives are all over the place on this issue with different answers coming from different agents. 

Does anyone have the "real" answers as to how to access my home DVR while travelling and streaming?  Is this even possible?

ACE - New Member

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5.2K Messages

2 years ago

As of right now, it is NOT possible. In the future, DIRECTV may fix this bug with their app to integrate DVR recordings.

In the past, as long as you had model HR44 or later, you could download the recordings at home and watch them remotely for up to 30 days. 

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Do you have any thoughts on what is considered "Local" channels while travelling?  Do I have any choice in the matter?

I would like to watch the local channels for news and weather here in Tucson.  Las Vegas is worthless to me as they are even in the Pacific time zone, while Arizona has its own time zone -- Mountain Standard Time all year long, ignoring Daylight Savings Time.

ACE - New Member

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5.2K Messages

2 years ago

@davidjones624 

Unfortunately, no. As you travel, devices with GPS features automatically change locals to reflect the new market.

You could always download your local channels for your market though.

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Thanks for your help. 

I have downloaded a couple of local channels to the Roku device, but that only gives me replays of local news, without commercials, but no national network content. 

From all of the promotional emails from DTV, I was expecting to be able to watch all of the local Tucson channels and record them, just like I do at home in Denver, but it sounds like this is not possible with DirecTV.

ACE - Expert

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20.6K Messages

2 years ago

DTV dropped support for streaming from the Genie when outside of the home network years ago.  Unknown if the new partner will add it back.  Local channels are determined by the FCC and are put into what are called DMAs (Direct Marketing Area) and are based on the zip code.  DTV satellite can only give you the Locals in the DMA of your service address.

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Lots of controversy.

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Some say it works and some say the function was dropped.

ACE - Expert

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20.6K Messages

2 years ago

Support of the app was dropped but for some it still works.

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

According to the DMA map, Arizona and Nevada are in different DMA's.

How does DTV determine ZIP code used for DMA assignment? 

ACE - Expert

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20.6K Messages

2 years ago

They don't, the FCC does.

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Nonsense. The FCC has 210 DMA''s. Las Vegas is #40 and Tucson \Sierra Vista, is #54.

DTV must be doing something wrong here. 

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Well the DTV provided app after 24 hours of providing my home Denver channels has switched to  Sacramento, CA channels rather than the Las Vegas, Nevada channels it provided previously.

I really doubt that the FCC had anything to do with this.

I am still in Tucson, Arizona and have not received the local channels from here yet. 

What a crazy system. 

New Member

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9 Messages

2 years ago

Thanks for your input. Just to reiterate my situation.

1.  Snow birding from Denver to Tucson

2.  House I'm renting has 2 tv's, both with Roku devices

3.  I did load the DTV app on my phone before I left Denver while on the same WiFi network as my DTV Genie Receiver

4.  I have signed into the DTV "channel" on both Roku devices multiple times and also unplugged power to each of them several times.

5. Everytime I register my DTV account on the DTV channel I get most of the local Denver Channels, one more was added yesterday, 1/23/23.

6.  I can watch, pause and fast forward all of the DTV channels, skipping commercials.

7. After 24 hours those channels switched to Las Vegas until yesterday.

8. 2 days ago, I updated the Roku settings to the local Tucson Zip Code and Arizona time zone. (I don't know if this caused #9 below.)

9. Yesterday, after the 24 hour period expired both tv's switched to Sacramento, CA local channels.

10. I am not able to record anything as I was promised in several promotional DTV emails sent to me in December, despite having my DTV Genie receiver turned on and connected to my WiFi network in Denver.

Maybe I'm supposed to be using my cellphone app to access DTV?

No clear directions from DTV.

YouTube TV may be another option for me.

1 Message

3 months ago

How do we get tv via Direct when we go to Yuma?  We have direct at home from Sacramento.  But when we get to Yuma AZ, the system keep searching but wil not lock in!


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