I worked for Dish Network, though my father's company, for four years. I installed, serviced, and sold systems.
To activate a receiver, all you need is the SmartCard number and the receiver serial numbers (R00 and S00).
Dish charges $4.99 a month for receivers beyond the first, whether it is for home use or for an RV or boat.
Some receivers have internal Smart Cards which are only removable if you open the housing, so these will not have cards where you expect to find them.
As far as programming, both Direct and Dish carry the same channels. The only differences are in packaging and the afore-mentioned sports packages. In terms of sports packages, the only package DirecTV has that Dish does not is the NFL Sunday Ticket package. Every other package that Direct has, Dish has.
The monthly bill is exactly what the programming costs are, including PPV and DVR charges. The FCC taxes are normally included at the time of purchase of the original system. There will be a state tax if your state has a sales tax.
