The one factor we can't know, and I have no idea how Dish would know, is how many subs are watching OTA fed directly to their TV instead of through a sat receiver. Obviously, receiving OTA through the sat receiver isn't a necessity.
Hopper 4
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Before the Hopper 3 came out, if someone had come on here and said the next Hopper would have 16 tuners, would anyone here have believed it?
I remember the arguments about how impossible that was...I did. And no one believed it.
Go back and re-read the post to which I was replying. NYDutch was asking about receiver models other than the 211k. Of course I did not forget the 211k. I still have three of them that I am not currently using, if anyone wants one.
...and yes, the 811 also did ATSC.
I could see one scenario where it may make fiscal sense for Dish to integrate the OTA tuners. If we go back and look at when Dish first started offering ATSC OTA tuners, the ATSC 1.0 standard was not yet finalized, which is why Dish came up with OTA adapters for the very first HD receivers. Then, when the standard was finalized, and the government started making a push for everyone to switch to ATSC broadcasts, Dish started building ATSC OTA tuners into the receivers. Later, Dish switched back to making OTA modules / adapters, very likely at least partly due to the need to ensure future compatibility with ATSC 3.0 by simply replacing the adapter. So at some point in the future, with the ATSC 3.0 standard finalized, and the government again making a push to get everyone to switch, it may make sense again for Dish to start building ATSC 3.0 OTA tuners into the receivers. The government could subsidize the additional cost of adding those tuners, since every TV connected to a Dish receiver would be one fewer TV that would need a free (government-subsidized) digital converter box.
The gov't won't be providing digital tuner boxes this time, because ATSC 3.0 is not a mandate.
The problem with that is that Dish is now required, by law, to rebroadcast local channels in every market if they want to keep their distant network license, which allows them to provide fill-in distants for markets that lack an affiliate of that network. If Dish drops all of the locals in even one market, then Dish would lose that distant network license nationwide. Therefore, if any Dish subscriber in a "short market" is not capable of receiving that network OTA, and Dish is no longer allowed to re-transmit that network in their market, either, then that subscriber would be completely shut out of receiving that network.
Dish should make OTA tuners built in and make subscription to them optional. The fees they pay are based on how many subscribers that they have. OTA watchers are not subscribers, and Dish could provide guide data as TiVo does without the networks permission, but the networks would be available for those needing them and that should not affect their national channel permits. Slowly as old cable subscribers die, you will see subscriptions go down dramaticly, as the newer generation prefers streaming.
Not sure about Sling, but TiVo does not get its signal the same way that Dish does. TiVo uses either a local cable signal or an OTA signal, neither of which is directly connected to program providers. Dish is rebroadcasting signals, TiVo just captures them and passes them through to your TV or records them - totally different animal.
612, 622, 722, 222, 411, original 211, and don't forget the 811, which also had an analog OTA tuner integrated
Yep, as I said, "fuzzy memory". Getting old sucks, but it still beats not getting old...
When it can reduce their bill by $10 or $12 per month, and bypass retrans disputes, then yes, they are.
I’m sick and tired of retrans disputes and I side with Dish because of this forum and the understanding I now have about them, but that doesn’t make them any less inconvenient. OTA is a backup solution for me.
I can remember when all the bitching was that Dish did not have satellite Locals. I guess bitching is the human spirit.
I get my OTA programming thru my TiVo and Dish PTAT is a backup for me. Also, I can hit one button and skip the entire commercial in programs.
Well, if Dish carried all of the OTA stations, including subchannels, then I would not be as concerned about OTA signals.
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