I want to get a DirectTV system, but I live in a apartment building and the condo assoc. wont allow them to place the dish on the roof and my building is a really weird design; so I'm not sure I'm at the southwest mark.

Do you have to place the dish southwest of where you live in order for DirectTV to work?

Or is there other options?

Has anyone else had trouble by not living on the southwest side?

you don't have to install it SW of where you live...you have to be able to aim it to the SW. the satellites are located in geosynchronous orbit some 22,300 or so miles above the earth.

Paging Red Dog to Thread #377803.

das

Condo and neighborhood associations... The money-grubbing bane of existence.

If you live on the west coast, it has to be pointed towards the south east.

The satellite is over Texas, so that's generally the direction that your dish will need a clean line of sight towards.

You're probably screwed. Welcome to the club.

There are three DirectTV satellite locations, 101°W, 110°W, and 119°W, but 110 isn't used for much according to one site I found. If you know your latitude and longitude, or your city is in a list, this page will calculate exact compoass bearing and elevation angle you need to aim dish. If you don't have clear line of site in that direction, it won't work
http://www.csgnetwork.com/antennasatelazposcalc.html

Is 110 where the HDTV signals come from? I heard that they are adding more HDTV this year. I hope it's true, they really need to expand the service for HD customers.

101 is the main satellite, 119 has some hd and foreign language channels, and 110 is regional locals and hd channels. For most 101 is all that is needed, so you would need a round dish. If you plan on using hdtv with directv in the future get an oval dish.