Dish Network to Discount OTA Antennas for HD

[Scott Greczkowski]

SatelliteGuys.US has learned that on November 2nd Dish Network will start a new promotion which will give all new and exisiting customers who own a ViP or 411 High Definiton receiver a special priced off air antenna.

However this promotion will only be available in 19 select DMA's

The DMA's for this promotion are...

Austin Milwaukee
Baltimore New Orleans
Buffalo Norfolk
Burlington Oklahoma City
Cincinnati Orlando
Cleveland Providence
Greenville Roanoke
Jacksonville Springfield, MO
Louisville Tulsa
Memphis

The models and pricing of the antenna are as follows:
Sensar GS-1100 $49.99
Amplified Sensar GS-2200 $69.99
Square Shooter SS-1000 $109.99
Amplified Square Shooter SS-2000 $119.99
Yagi HD - 9095 $79.99
Yagi HD - 7084 $119.99

The costs are one time charges.

Dish has instructed their DNS Installers NOT to install amplifed antennas "in an attempt to increase received signal strength." Instead they should only be installed when there are excessive cable runs between the OTA antenna and the receiver.

There is no mention of what they will do if a customer has more then one ViP receiver.

If you are in one of the 19 areas, SatelliteGuys.US urges you to wait until AT LEAST the 3rd before calling to take advantage of this promotion as the CSR's are always the last to know about these new promotions.

 

[Hall]

Is this list also the "not going to get HD locals anytime soon" list ??

SolidSignal sells the GS-1100 for $19.95 + $8.95 shipping but the rest aren't too far off of their prices. I initially thought this is the installed price. Maybe it still is...

 

[mecro]

I don't see Indianapolis on there....oh wait, that's because Indy HD locals are already uplinked...should only be a few more years until we get those...

 

[minnow]

What's the message HD subscribers are being sent here ? Is the message, "We are taking some pre-emptive steps here to retain our HD subs as we know what Directv has in store for next year and cable is adding HD locals every day." Or is it, "We are taking some pre-emptive steps here to retain our HD subs because your never going to get your HD locals though us." Funny why Dish would subsidize equipment for programming they do not provide. They sure as heck aren't doing this out of the goodness of their bottom line.

 

[Greg Bimson]

Good point, minnow. It appears Dish Network is taking the list of cities they've shown at one of the trade shows, and whatever isn't going to be uplinked by year's end are the ones that are eligible for the antenna.

But, as hall points out, this may not be truly subsidized pricing.

 

[mikew]

My square shooter was $99.00 through VE and was installed during my DirecTV install at no additional charge.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I initially thought this is the installed price. Maybe it still is...

Yes it is the installed price.

 

[jokeworm]

well .. I was about two weeks away from paying a bloke $175 to come out and install an OTA Antenna for three rooms ... at least he has a little competition now ... I'll give them a call when I get the cash together.

 

[Smoky]

Greenville where?

 

[digiblur]

New Orleans, eh?

Where WDSU has removed their HD NBC feed from Cox cable and have failed to restore their DT signal after Katrina taking it down over a year ago.

Wonder if Dish will help them put up a CM4228 with 7777 amp and point it at Baton Rouge to pick up the 1000kw NBC affiliate in BR like some people have done?

 

[riffjim4069]

Not only is E* showing VOOM, they are now becoming VOOM. Here's to nightmarish OTA installations and botched firmware updates. Of course, I loved 'em.

 

[rvanya]

Well, I live 100 miles away from the locals and have been patiently waiting. Now I will be inpatiently waiting since my distance makes the "ota antenna promotion" worthless to me. I have had 2 installers tell me it doesn't matter what antenna I get, I won't be getting any hd locals out of OKC. Anyone here know any different?
I live in Blackwell,OK.

 

[mzopinionated]

I see that Tampa is not on the list and from what I am reading we are not on the list to get them anytime soon. I know that D* offers HD in Tampa.

 

[jjnemoiii]

Rvanya, Antennaweb says if you put your antenna 300 feet up, you may get NBC and CW from Wichita, at 400 feet, you add ABC, and PBS from OKC. At 500 feet, you add CBS from OKC. I'd believe what your installer said...

 

[dodge]

Dish Antenna Promo

Thats all fine and dandy but all those antennas are crap, nothing more than coat hangars and amplified coat hangars such as the sensar.... Those antennas are only good if you are within 30 miles of the antenna farms.

If you want a good antenna
go for the

channel master 4228
or if you need vhf as well
try winegards
7080, 7082, 7084, or hd8200p.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The Winegard Yagi HD 7084 is rated for 80 to 130 miles. It's a 131" external Yagi. I believe this is the one E* is offering for $119.

 

[NOHDjunkie]

The 9095 yagi is a decent antenna too.

 

[John Corn]

Looks like it will be along time before we get our locals in HD here in Cleveland/Akron/Canton area.

Looks like I better see about getting the OTA antenna.

 

[TalonDancer]

The DMA's for this promotion are...
Austin Milwaukee
Baltimore New Orleans
Buffalo Norfolk
Burlington Oklahoma City
Cincinnati Orlando
Cleveland Providence
Greenville Roanoke
Jacksonville Springfield, MO
Louisville Tulsa
Memphis

Read 'em and weep

As hall says, If you are in one of these DMAs (like me) you can bet that you (we) aren't going to get HD Locals via Dish anytime soon. FWIW unless the "special priced off air antenna" includes the installation of a 200' mast to see over the nearby hills, this offer is nearly worthless to me and a lot of other folks in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin.

Dear Charlie,
I do NOT need to subscribe to Dish to get OTA HD locals - DUH. I subscribe to Dish to get the best HD, including locals, VIA SATELLITE. In case this is still not clear -- I only subscribe to Dish because I can not get ANY TV OTA without a huge (200') mast. If Dish doesn't provide Austin HD locals via satellite by the time my contract expires I'm gone.

Sincerely,
Talon Dancer

 

[bookwalk]

Again, this is certainly not a meaty (more bloody than anything) solution to the Distant networks disappearing or having no locals.

We live in an area where we have no chance at all of getting FOX in any form--analog or digital. We do get the other locals and so, my Distant Network costs me $1.50/month, but no OTA will help me get FOX.

And so I would now have to effectively pay $5/month to get just the FOX I am lacking. Not a great solution.

DISh either needs to drop prices on locals or separate them out OR give me an OTA that will pull in fringe signals on UHF!

Also, I already have a free OTA (powered) from VOOM which is hooked up to my 622. We also have a roof antenna we left up and none of that can pull any FOX analog or digital.

No thanks, DISH.