There are no easy solutions.
I have Direct TV. 2 year initial contract.
I own my own equipment including dish and receivers. The downside of owning equipment is that owner has to pay for any repairs. But Direct TV does offer insurance which I hv My contract was up years ago.
Two houses/homes.
I have receivers at both homes.
All I do is telephone Direct TV and turn one off and turn the other on.
One contract/bill.
The receiver is "dumb" and does not know where it is.
Some have one or more receivers and carry them from home to home. Never switching or turning off any receiver.
You do need the correct dish at each home. I paid private contractor to install my roof top dish. Avoiding any new contract. They do initiate a new contract if they install any new dish. I avoided all of that by getting/buying my own dish at each place.
If you do plan on purchasing any new TV - avoid the cheaper ones and get a "smart" TV. Lots of ways to view TV if you have an internet connection.
There are also set top boxes - Roku and Google TV. Through which one can watch movies and such for free or subscribe to Netflix or HuluPlus. Amazon Prime has free and low cost viewing options.
Antenna technology has come a long way - so you could potentially watch some "local" channels for free depending on location.
But the bottom line is that some money does have to be expended either on equipment, service, or subscriptions.
There is no easy answer.
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