analog white areas and distant nets HD

[Loquitur]

Hi!

Has there been any indication that either DirecTv or Echostar will deem subscribers currently in analog white areas to be in digital white areas as well and offer distant networks in HD to them soon without waiting for the FCC to do its thing with new predictive maps in the next couple of years?

Susan

 

[charper1]

I am not sure anyone can give you a straight answer, not even the people at the providers, but that would be the best place to call.

 

[DIRECTV_Mole]

The final word is this: With the changes is SHVERA, FCC regulations dictate that DBS providers are forbidden from adding, or even requesting waivers for, DNS stations for addresses that fall within an existing DMA (designated market area) if the provider offers local channels in that DMA, and unfortunately, this includes HD distant nets. Unserved areas (areas of potential overlap between different DMA's) are still eligible, though the normal waiver rules still apply. If you live in a DMA where the network owns and operates the local affiliate, you should automatically be eligible for HD distant nets.

With D*, customers who previously subscribed to the DNS stations will be grandfathered in, but if the grandfathered subscriber disconnects their DNS stations for any length of time, they are ineligible to reinstate them. No idea on E*'s policy, but given their track record, I don't expect them to start following the law when it comes to this anytime soon. Rumor has it that if they get brought up on charges by the FCC one more time for violating the distant-network regulations, they will lose their operating license.

 

[charper1]

What if your area receives a "local" affiliate SD signal via a microwave repeater that is within 5 miles but from a market 100+ miles away? Can you request waivers?

 

[Vermonter]

I called Directv last night and tried to see if an area of my state which is eligible for distants (by the directv website) could get the HD feeds...the answer was yes. I then asked if I lived in that location could I get the now available local satellite feeds and the HD distants and was told "no".

The conclusion I draw is that we have to wait until we get the "digital white area" rules set forth by the FCC.

 

[waltinvt]

Write your congress and newspapers about this !

I called Directv last night and tried to see if an area of my state which is eligible for distants (by the directv website) could get the HD feeds...the answer was yes. I then asked if I lived in that location could I get the now available local satellite feeds and the HD distants and was told "no".

The conclusion I draw is that we have to wait until we get the "digital white area" rules set forth by the FCC.

From the other Vermonter,

Been with "E" 8 yrs but I also called "D" yesterday. No go for any analog distants let alone HD distants. CSR kept insisting that I would get all my local networks in HD though - nothing I could say could convince him he was misinformed. and I thought "E" csrs were bad.

Anyway, I emailed letters to Leahy, Jeffords and Sanders yesterday.

The whole purpose of this new legislation was to help people like us that have absolutly no OTA options for digital - that's what all the politicans said as they slapped themselves on the back after this bill was passed, but we're actually the ones getting hurt the most !

We're not only denied the digital distant networks, but many are LOOSING the analog distants they did have. This is not only ludicris but totally contrary to what we were told. This reminds me of the Olympic fiasco - most of the ones allowed the HD sat signal were the ones who could already get it OTA or with cable. We who had NO options wern't allowed to get it.

The only chance we have at all is to petition our Reps and Senators to force the FCC to move immediatly on this.

They could declare a digital white area tommorrow that's based on already available, independant data (see DTC website). I believe they could then also mandate that DBS could provide the distant network HD signals without fear of copywrite violation. I don't think Powell will do this without pressure from congress though and now that the elections are over now much of the leverage the NAB had is diminished.

WaltinVt

 

[charper1]

I think what you see happening is a buffer time where affiliates are being allowed time to get their heads out of their butts (not that they shouldn't have already) and a moratorium on allowing new users has been put in place for that. Once that expires you should see easy sailing.

 

[dishrich]

If you live in a DMA where the network owns and operates the local affiliate, you should automatically be eligible for HD distant nets.

That is NOT 100% correct either - not only must you be in an O&O area, but your physical location cannot be within the grade B of ANY other stations of that same network. You would have to get a waiver from any/all of these stations before you can get the HD feeds. (& we all know how these stations like giving waivers )
This is even posted on D* own website. (but doesn't clearly explain all this to laypeople) :

http://www.directv.com/see/landing/cbs_hd.html

Please note that if you cannot see a picture on channel 80 or 81, and you live in one of the above markets, you may need to obtain a waiver from one or more non-local CBS affiliates. This can take up to 45 days to process.

For example, in the northern area of the Chicago DMA, there is quite a bit of overlap from the Rockford &/or Milwaukee affiliates. If you are located in those areas, a person would have to get waivers from those stations prior to being able to get the HD feeds.

Luckily, I "moved" to downtown Chicago, which was safe from ANY other adjacent markets...