HD Locals/OTA channels no longer available with Welcome Pack

[Dah-Henny]

Just to clarify, there are some SD locals on the EA, but that does not include the big 4.
In the Charlotte DMA, we have as SD:

1. UNC-EX
2. WJZY...CW
3. WMYT...MyTV

 

[Tampa8]

True, just no big four and in many markets no CW etc.. either. Doesn't change my reason it's got to be an account problem.

 

[smooth28la]

Guys.. i thought about getting a second account to tune into OTA channels but it's a lot cheaper to get a used Tivo HD and pay just $10 a month!

If you or your friend has a Premier Tivo account, you can even buy a Lifetime subscription to Tivo HD for just $99. Once DISH has the OTA module available for Hopper, then you can sell the Tivo HD with Lifetime for profit on Ebay!

That's for what I am doing!

 

[Tampa8]

Ok, but this has nothing to do with OTA channels, or the Hopper......

 

[Mr Tony]

Neither can I

Once we have more information, I'll be sure to let everyone know.

any update?

 

[MikeD-C05]

Yes I would like to know that too,since I am still getting hd locals on two of my accounts with Welcome packs.

 

[Tampa8]

It had to have been the very rare wausaur widget that got stuck on his account, ....

 

[MattG@DISH]

any update?

Still nothing, but I'm hoping to hear more tomorrow

Some more info - the HD programming is not available now when downgrading to Welcome Pack or Dish Family. We're trying to figure out if this is a business rule change, or a system error.

 

[Tampa8]

So it sounds like if you downgrade for whatever reason to those packages you are not getting the HD locals. But if you sign as a new customer you do.

While that alone makes no sense, I would love to hear what happens to someone on the Eastern Arc who downgrades.

But what REALLY stands out in all this - how can no one know by now if this is a business decision or a malfunction? Bet if the DIRT team didn't exist it wouldn't even have been looked into and investigated this far, or maybe just asked and then forgotten....

 

[MattG@DISH]

So it sounds like if you downgrade for whatever reason to those packages you are not getting the HD locals. But if you sign as a new customer you do.

While that alone makes no sense, I would love to hear what happens to someone on the Eastern Arc who downgrades.

But what REALLY stands out in all this - how can no one know by now if this is a business decision or a malfunction? Bet if the DIRT team didn't exist it wouldn't even have been looked into and investigated this far, or maybe just asked and then forgotten....

Although I haven't seen a new account, I'm pretty sure that new customers with WP or DF would not receive HD locals.

For now, everyone who had the tag is grandfathered.

 

[Laddyboy]

But what REALLY stands out in all this - how can no one know by now if this is a business decision or a malfunction? Bet if the DIRT team didn't exist it wouldn't even have been looked into and investigated this far, or maybe just asked and then forgotten....

This has always been my biggest problem with Dish. This is a simple question and yet no one can answer it. This is the type of thing that should be answered with one call.

 

[Tampa8]

Thanks Matt. MikeD-C05 has done a couple of new installs and they seem to be getting the locals in HD, so who knows what's going on.
I just keep wondering, what is happening with people on the Eastern Arc, no Networks? Just doesn't add up.

 

[MattG@DISH]

Thanks Matt. MikeD-C05 has done a couple of new installs and they seem to be getting the locals in HD, so who knows what's going on.
I just keep wondering, what is happening with people on the Eastern Arc, no Networks? Just doesn't add up.

Are these customer Welcome Pack or Dish Family subscribers? I'd have to look at the accounts to really see what's going on.

 

[Tampa8]

Matt;

I don't know why then you aren't getting hd. Like I said before, I activated a 211k with the Welcome pack Saturday morning on a new account( my fourth) and I get both ota and sat locals in HD. Something isn't right here about DISH's reasons for not turning it on. Try cancellation department and see if they can resolve this problem. If they can't , then I would think about seriously cancelling or going up on your programming to get hd again. Why else have a 722k with ota , if you can't get either ota or hd in your pack.

Matt, in your opinion, how can it be a policy decision with no SD on the EA? No locals at all?

 

[MikeD-C05]

Are these customer Welcome Pack or Dish Family subscribers? I'd have to look at the accounts to really see what's going on.

I have a brand new account that I activated , my fourth , a week ago last Saturday. I get Hd locals and have ota as well on my 211k with dvr software. I have just the Welcome pack . I also get any free view hd channels that are being offered also. Right now I get Houston locals in HD ,all 6 of them:Abc/Cbs/Fox/Nbc and Cw and Pbs in hd too. Also my ota channels are in hd. I had no problems getting the account activated and I installed it myself.

 

[MattG@DISH]

I have a brand new account that I activated , my fourth , a week ago last Saturday. I get Hd locals and have ota as well on my 211k with dvr software. I have just the Welcome pack . I also get any free view hd channels that are being offered also. Right now I get Houston locals in HD ,all 6 of them:Abc/Cbs/Fox/Nbc and Cw and Pbs in hd too. Also my ota channels are in hd. I had no problems getting the account activated and I installed it myself.

Thank you for the PM! You have PMs turned off, so I am unable to reply

 

[MikeD-C05]

Thank you for the PM! You have PMs turned off, so I am unable to reply

I just turned them on for you.

 

[mike123abc]

What is interesting is that cable companies are not allowed to block the HD locals. They have to get a waiver to scramble the clear QAM locals and provide free descramblers if they have a reason to scramble the locals. If this becomes an official policy of Dish I wonder if the FCC would get involved...

 

[empiretc]

If this becomes an official policy of Dish I wonder if the FCC would get involved...

the fact that they do not block the sd locals is probably a loophole. like insurance companies, they probably have an entire team dedicated to looking for stuff likes this.

 

[ZachS@DISH]

We apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused. The issue has been identified and it has been corrected.