Cancelled HD package and lost my OTA HD locals

[jeeptest]

I cancelled the HD package which I had for 4 months. I have a H20 with a slimline dish and a OTA antenna.
DTV shut off the HD package like they were suppose to,however they also shut off all my HD locals and some of my SD locals. I called last night and complained. They told me that those are part of the HD package. I told them I had all my HD locals and SD locals before I ever ordered the HD package. She tells me sorry,and I tell her that my locals are free OTA and thats bull%^it. That they have been charging people for locals that are free with a set of rabbit ears,and that I'm going to look into a civil lawsuit for robbing customers. I then asked for customer retention.Guess what? All of the sudden I had all my locals back!

Now today the same thing happened,they disappeared again...so I called up and talked to tech.He had me reset and do all kind of antenna scans. Then he told me the same thing the other tech told me last night,that I need to purchase the HD package. I then told him the same story I told the tech last night about robbing customers.BAM! I had my locals back and he wanted off the phone ASAP.

What kind of S^%t are they pulling? I live in the Chicago area and get all locals crystal clear with my OTA and they are pissed off I'm using my H20 (that I purchased the first day they were in the stores) for a tuner for my OTA locals.

Anyone else hear of this kind of bulls^%t??

 

[rad]

There's two different HD packages, the HD Enabling fee and the HD Extra. Enabling turns on the HD functions on your receivers, incuding the OTA function while HD Extra turns off the HD channels that don't have a SD counterpart, like Universal HD, MGM HD, Smithsonian HD, etc. IIRC, D* says if you want to use their receivers for any HD, including HD, since they subsidize part of the cost to make them you need to pay the enabling fee. That's just the way they do things

 

[jeeptest]

For over 2 years I had my locals with my OTA antenna though the H20 and had all HD locals.

 

[rad]

Look at your bill, did you have a charge $9.99 for HD Access? If yes that's what got you the HD OTA channels via your H20, if that's cancelled you loose the OTA HD function. The HD access was something they implemeted last fall when they lit up all the new HD channels and added the HD Extra package for $4.99 for the HD only channels.

 

[jeeptest]

I never had the 9.99 charge for 2 years until I ordered the package 4 months ago.

 

[rad]

As I said, it's a recent change. It's either you need to pay the $9.99 or move your OTA antenna to your TV's tuner if you want OTA ATSC channels.

 

[jeeptest]

I just checked my account. No HD package, and my local HD is still here.

 

[rad]

OK, sorry don't know what's happening for you then, just passing along what I understand is supposed to be happening with the HD access. D* web site says "HD Access gives you access to the HD versions of the channels included in your programming package. It costs $9.99 per month and is required to receive HD channels".

 

[jeeptest]

I understand what your saying. They are just nickel and diming us any way they can. Every year there is some new type of scam they dream up! I'm waiting for the new AT&T setup. It's available in some areas by me. The picture is fantastic and no compressing yet!! The day that it show up here...bye-bye Dave!

 

[rad]

All companies do it, AT&T will now charge you $2.50 if you go into one of their stores to pay your bill in person. Good luck with AT&T, no good for me since they currently can do only 1 HD channel at a time, with 3 HD DVR's in my home I can't live with that limitation.

 

[Jimbo]

I understand what your saying. They are just nickel and diming us any way they can. Every year there is some new type of scam they dream up! I'm waiting for the new AT&T setup. It's available in some areas by me. The picture is fantastic and no compressing yet!! The day that it show up here...bye-bye Dave!

All companies do it, AT&T will now charge you $2.50 if you go into one of their stores to pay your bill in person. Good luck with AT&T, no good for me since they currently can do only 1 HD channel at a time, with 3 HD DVR's in my home I can't live with that limitation.

Jeeptest,
Everyone uses some sort of compression.

Rad,
How long ago did you have U-Verse ?

I think the "Only one HD channel" is a thing of the past, at least thats what I have been told by the ones that are working with it.

Jimbo

 

[rad]

Jeeptest,
Everyone uses some sort of compression.

Rad,
How long ago did you have U-Verse ?

I think the "Only one HD channel" is a thing of the past, at least thats what I have been told by the ones that are working with it.

Jimbo

Jimbo, never had it since here it's still 1 channel only and last I've seen is AT&T would upgrade to two until late summer/early fall.

 

[Jimbo]

Jimbo, never had it since here it's still 1 channel only and last I've seen is AT&T would upgrade to two until late summer/early fall.

I guess they are still working on it then.
By the time it gets to my area, they will have all of that stuff figured out.
maybe the end of the year ....

Jimbo

 

[budbrian]

Jimbo

go yankees New York That Is

 

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

go yankees New York That Is

There is a reason why I listed my signature the way I did:

Tigers, Detroit that is ...

This is due to the College football season, I didn't want the LSU fans thinking I was a LSU Tiger fan.
I put up my sig back around the first of the year coming into the baseball season, but still in the overflow of the College bowl season

Jimbo

 

[joed32]

I understand what your saying. They are just nickel and diming us any way they can. Every year there is some new type of scam they dream up! I'm waiting for the new AT&T setup. It's available in some areas by me. The picture is fantastic and no compressing yet!! The day that it show up here...bye-bye Dave!

Who's Dave?

 

[hdtvtechno]

Who's Dave?

Directv

 

[paulman182]

I haven't heard "Dave" mentioned in a long time...

 

[Rey]

so does all of this mean that if you don't subscribe to locals and you hook up your ota antenna to your receiver that the channels won't show up in the guide?

2- even if D* doesn't have a hd version of a local channel but it's available ota will you be able to see it in the guide?

 

[raoul5788]

so does all of this mean that if you don't subscribe to locals and you hook up your ota antenna to your receiver that the channels won't show up in the guide?

2- even if D* doesn't have a hd version of a local channel but it's available ota will you be able to see it in the guide?

I don't know about your first question, but yes to the second.