I just found out that your can suspend your Direct TV subscription when not using it. The following is from Direct TV:
How do I temporarily suspend my DIRECTV service?
Email Print
If you will not be using your DIRECTV service and would like to temporarily suspend your account, you can do this at no charge by calling us at 1-800-531-5000. You can say "suspend services" at the voice prompt and the automated system can complete your request.
Reasons you might put your service on hold include:
Going away on vacation
You have a second home and only need service for part of the year
You are moving or relocating to a new location and it will be a while before you can have DIRECTV service at your new home
Requirements for putting your service on hold.
Zero balance on your bill
Customers with only 1 account are allowed a maximum of 2 suspend requests every 12 months
Customers with 2 or more accounts are allowed a maximum of 4 suspend requests per account every 12 months
Total time with service suspended per 12 month period cannot exceed 6 months
The minimum time for an account suspend is 30 days
Additional reminders about putting your service on suspension:
Service agreements are extended for the amount of time the account is in suspension. For example: Your service agreement expires in June, but then you suspended the account for 4 months. The updated service agreement now ends in October
Recurring or promotional credits don't get extended. For example: You currently have 6 months left of a $10 for 12 months credits offer, but suspend your account for 2 months. You will forfeit the credits during the time in suspend. Your account will receive the remaining 4 months of credits when it is reinstated from suspension
If there is an active sports subscription installment payment on the account, any remaining multi-pay charges are billed to your account when it's reinstated from suspension even if the season has ended.
If you are on a promotional plan, be sure to read the last paragraph.
And also the letters that take a magnify glass to read.
Just increase your monitor magnification. Click on the three dots on your address bar (far right), if you have them or depress CTRL key and "roll" the dial on your mouse.
You can also do that with Dish network.
We had them both and don't like either. No other choices for satellite while on the road though.
Gotta say, our DISH tailgater has worked super, and (gasp) customer service has been great, we have them shut it down for as long as we don't need it, they charge $5.00 bucks a month to keep our account current. I did have trouble with the online 'chat', phone works better with a real, smart person at the other end! ^.^d