Dish Network to Discount OTA Antennas for HD

[Toder]

I tried to get the deal for an ota with my new dish install this week but after i finished my order the company that does the installs called and told me they couldn't get the atennas to work right so they don't even bother putting them up.

So i called radio shack and talk to someone their about the ota for hd. And she lives further away from the broadcast towers then I do and is able to recieve all of the channels in HD from the Tulsa market. plus a few HD pbs channels from other parts.

 

[DAVEGTESTR]

Has anyone taken Dish up on the free installation deal? I'm from Burlington Vermont and have talked to 3 CSRs and no one has heard about it and they can't find any info on their help screens. I someone has broken through please let us know how

Not until 2/1 or very close to it. Try in another week. I'll call 2/23, the day before my install. I have already paid for one 622 on ebay...waiting for install...more snow on ground...waiting...

But I am going to save $20 plus a month on HD Plat. w/HD-DVR/SD box [2 boxes] plus taxes vs. 129 Comcast Plat w/HD-DVR/SD box [2 boxes] -Dave

 

[dschribs]

All this talk about TV antenna's. You'd think it was 1975.
Yeah, that's just want I want: a 50" Panasonic plasma with Yamaha/Boston Acustics surround sound in my home and a TV antenna on my house. I can see it now, "Hey, you guys want to watch the game in HD on CBS, well sit tight and grab a beer while I adjust the rotor and mess with the rabbit ears" What a joke. When the heck is Dish going to offer HD locals in CT? It's no wonder they make you sign a contract. Before you know how screwed you are, you have to pay 17 months of fees just to get out. Which, coincidentaly enough, is about the same price I'd pay for an antenna and install so my house can look like Archie Bunkers.

Let's see $300 for a huge wire hanger on my house - that I work so hard to keep looking nice - or - $300 for a pentaly fee to DISH so I can get one wire into my house with cable, no antennas, no dishes AND LOCAL HD's!!! It's no brainer my friends.

 

[howie14]

Let's see $300 for a huge wire hanger on my house - that I work so hard to keep looking nice - or - $300 for a pentaly fee to DISH so I can get one wire into my house with cable, no antennas, no dishes AND LOCAL HD's!!! It's no brainer my friends.

I agree that DISH should get the local HDs out to everyone as soon as possible, but I still love my roof antenna.

If you live in many parts of the Northeast/MidAtlantic, that hanger gets you all sorts of extra stations that won't be on that magical little wire. I bought my house before the cable was run in my neighborhood and I've had cable, CBand, and now (for one week) DISH. I still wouldn't let anyone take the antenna off my roof. That antenna gets me strong OTA signals from both DC and Baltimore. My cable company will only give me Baltimore.

I don't know where you live, but I doubt that hanger has to be $300.

The OTAs will probably look better on that 50'' set, too.

 

[dschribs]

howie14
I understand. Point taken.

My opinion (and that's all it is) is that a TV antenna on the roof looks like a throw back to the housing projects of the '70's. I live in a higher end development. The neighbors would have me voted off the street if I put one of those on the roof.

I don't have "brick" cell phone anymore, don't use a Commadore 64 computer, don't play Atari or Pong on my TV, don't have a rotary dial phone in my home, and don't carry a boombox so I'm sure as heck not throwing a two foot antenna on my roof. As far as I'm concerned, technology moves forward for me...not backwards.

 

[bowens]

My tv antenna on my roof is not much bigger (if at all) than my satellite dish. I live on two acres and the antenna is not even noticeable from the road. I have a CM4228. A flat mesh looking square antenna. It works really well at about 30 miles out from my stations and I have pine trees surrounding the house.

 

[jmel]

Installing roof antennas in my attic was easy, and no one can tell the differerence obviously on the outside.

I think over the air they are going to be better quality than delayed, compressed and retransmitted over sattelite...and who knows, there may be a time when you are unable to use your dish and you need some sort of emergency information off the local tv station.

 

[jcrash]

jmel, what antenna did you install? I was looking at a Winegard 7080. What accessories do I need to install this puppy in my attic?

 

[dschribs]

jcrash

You need a phone, the number for your local cable company and a larger wallet to fit the extra money you'll be saving on not buying an antenna.
Oh yeah, and a beer to drink while you watch the cable guy do your install while you don't have to lift a finger.

 

[jmel]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...=uhf+antenna&kw=uhf+antenna&parentPage=search

thats the uhf antenna i use. It was 24.99. You'll need something to secure it with in the attic, you can use a pole, wood, whatever. I didnt really do anything fancy. - essentially you could use pipe even, and secure it to one of the roof joists if you know what you are doing. I just made sure mine wasnt going to wobble or fall, and its been working fine.

now, obviously uhf isnt going to cover your vhf, so an antenna similar to the one you posted is good too. I got a channel master one for 35 at lowes.

there is a transformer for each, but it comes with the antenna... I just made sure they were spaced apart enough to not really interfere with one another in the attic. An amp is optional. I changed a 60 mile signal from 30% signal to 80% signal with a 20 dollar magnavox antenna amp from walmart.

You might spend a little up front, but if you did a uhf, and you didnt need an amp, you could get out with spending less than 30 dollars, and just doing it yourself. I'm sure glad I did.

 

[Barry Erick]

All you can see from the road on mine is one satellite dish. The other two and OTA antenna on a router can't be seen.

That is how my wife allows me to have them.

 

[dishcomm]

All this talk about TV antenna's. You'd think it was 1975.
Yeah, that's just want I want: a 50" Panasonic plasma with Yamaha/Boston Acustics surround sound in my home and a TV antenna on my house. I can see it now, "Hey, you guys want to watch the game in HD on CBS, well sit tight and grab a beer while I adjust the rotor and mess with the rabbit ears" What a joke. When the heck is Dish going to offer HD locals in CT? It's no wonder they make you sign a contract. Before you know how screwed you are, you have to pay 17 months of fees just to get out. Which, coincidentaly enough, is about the same price I'd pay for an antenna and install so my house can look like Archie Bunkers.

Let's see $300 for a huge wire hanger on my house - that I work so hard to keep looking nice - or - $300 for a pentaly fee to DISH so I can get one wire into my house with cable, no antennas, no dishes AND LOCAL HD's!!! It's no brainer my friends.

Wow..That was spectacular!
Now look..There are several types of antennas on the market..Most of which are not of the giant coat hanger types you abhor..I don't know hw far from the nearest TX towers you redside but since CT is a small (area)state, the chances are that you are no more than 30-50 miles from the nearest ones..
Quite frankly I see no reason to worry about HD locals ...The PQ over the air is a far better product..

 

[Dog6869]

New Orleans does not get NBC HD due to the storm. Wdsu says they are not going to rebuild there transmitter!!!! So I am screwed.. By the Fed Govt again.. That guys!!!!

 

[bowens]

New Orleans does not get NBC HD due to the storm. Wdsu says they are not going to rebuild there transmitter!!!! So I am screwed.. By the Fed Govt again.. That guys!!!!

Right. It's the fed's fault because the privately owned station doesn't want to rebuild. That makes sense.

 

[riffjim4069]

All this talk about TV antenna's. You'd think it was 1975

The UHF/VHF antenna was 50 years ahead of its time...it was the original wireless video reception device. Think about...you can take a small portable TV and watch the industries most popular shows just about anyplace, and at anytime; you are not limited to viewing programming through a wire. Like most people, we use wireless phones, listen to wireless radio, view wireless television (both satellite and OTA), and have an extensive indoor wireless network. It find if much more archaic that cable still uses a "wire" to connect their customers, which is probably why cable is moving toward wireless cable. I don't know about you, but I would prefer to use my wireless phone in the convenience of my vehicle then to stop at a gas-station or 7-11 in order to place a hard-wired phone call.

Any my two OTA antennas give our rooftop a look of regal elegance and distinction.

 

[dishcomm]

New Orleans does not get NBC HD due to the storm. Wdsu says they are not going to rebuild there transmitter!!!! So I am screwed.. By the Fed Govt again.. That guys!!!!

How is the fact that you're local NBC affiliate isn't going to do something have anything to do with the Federal govt?.
BTW, I find it highly unlikely that a tv station with millions at stake in the cost of the station, the license and the fact that they have a responsibility to their employees isn't going to rebuild their transmiter..
Please clarify the statement you made..

 

[awmann]

What does Dish charge for HD service? Looking for the old customer cost.

 

[MikeD-C05]

For the hd pack it is $20.00 a month. For new customers you can get a FREE hd 622 dvr and I believe it is $20.00 off a month for 10 months and pick up to one movie premium for free for 3 months.

 

[discostew]

Has anybody received this deal yet?

Once I spoke to the third CSR on my call who finally acknowledged that this deal existed, I was told that only two of the antennas listed by Scott was available and that the antennas are designed to pick up only a single channel?!?!

Is the one channel story true? And has anybody actually had an antenna installed under this program?

Is there any kind of written source / Dish Network link where I can get a more "official" story?

Thanks,

- Stew

 

[Hall]

The phone person is wrong about the one channel part. Well, unless you've only got one channel within a 60 miles radius of your home....

This offer doesn't appear to be too popular with people around this site. I'm sure some have taken advantage of it but people aren't jumping at it. Many of the antenna they're offering aren't considered to be very good.