Indy Spot Beams / DNS / Etc

[noneroy]

Okay, one last question about moving and such.

I currently live about 40 miles south of Indianapolis and want to 'move' somewhere so I can get Fox and CBS in HD. I currently have a nice little place picked out in the Northeast that would auto qualify for waivers, but I see that D* charges $1.50 per channel. Does that charge apply for anyone getting DNS? Even if you 'live' in a white area?? So that means $6 a month for the big 4, yes?

If this is the case, is there anywhere I can move within the same spot beam where I can get locals in HD at no extra charge? It looks like I could probably get the Chicago locals, but everything would be an hour behind. Not sure the girl would want that...

Any help with spot beams and DNS would be great. Thanks.

 

[dishrich]

OK, I'm confused...
Are you trying to get HD locals out of NY (a la DNS) so that you can get them in MPEG2, or are you wanting ANY HD locals, like from Indy or Chicago, even if they are in MPEG4?
And, are you wanting to keep your REAL locals in SD, or does that matter?

But, a couple things I will tell you...
If you are in an MPEG4 HD market, D* will NOT give ANY HD DNS, period! And, us folks who are already getting them in the O&O markets like Chicago WILL eventually be losing them. This was ONLY a temporary thing until the MPEG4 HD locals started getting put up. They have only held off cutting them off since they were late getting an HD DVR to market & cutting off the MPEG2 HD feeds would mean all HD Tivo subs would not be able to DVR HD networks.

So, the ONLY way you will be able to get HD DNS from D*, would be to move to a NON-LIL DMA white area - which means you would NOT get a locals package. (like in Indy or Chicago w/PBS & other local stations)

And yes, if you DO get DNS, it WILL cost you $6 for all 4 networks.

 

[noneroy]

Sorry if my first post was confusing. Sometimes I get distracted at work

I currently get my Indy MPEG4 Locals but they don't carry Fox or CBS.

I'm debating what my best course of action would be. Can I find another place to 'move to' in my spotbeam that has locals in HD or should I just 'move' to a white area and get the national feeds. Is springfield, IL or Chicago in the same spotbeam as Indy? I've looked at some maps and it looks like it might be, but have no way to be sure....

 

[charper1]

Call and get on the butts of your local affiliates. Thats what I would start with; especially the FOX affiliate.

 

[spiderman865]

I can tell you that the Indy locals, in SD, can be received in the Chicago area. Not sure how tight that HD spot beam is.

 

[dishrich]

Is springfield, IL or Chicago in the same spotbeam as Indy? I've looked at some maps and it looks like it might be, but have no way to be sure....

OK, I assume you're talking about the MPEG4 HD spotbeams?
I have NO idea, since I haven't seen anything anywhere of a spotbeam map for the Ka birds - where did YOU find such a map?

Unfortunately, we'll be waiting on HD locals in Springfield for a VERY long time - hell, we just got the SD locals about A YEAR ago!
(and we have to have a 2nd 18" dish to get those)

I'm wanting to know myself to get the Chicago HD locals, but have not found anything yet, so I'm not much help in that respect.

I'd just sit tight for the time being - I would think in a market such as yours, the other 2 networks should be up before too long.

 

[jimisham]

Thc Chicago stations are not an hour behind. We're in the South Bend DMA and programs are on at the same time in both South Bend and Chicago.
The one exception is the PBS station, WTTW, in Chicago. I've noticed that some of their programs are an hour later than the South Bend PBS station, WNET.
I believe PBS has a Central Time Zone feed. The networks do not. The Eastern and Central stations get the same feed.

 

[dishrich]

Thc Chicago stations are not an hour behind. ... The Eastern and Central stations get the same feed.

Yes, but if he is really in the Eastern time zone & he was to "move" to Chicago, HIS clock/guide in his receivers WOULD be off by an hour. (yes, the prog STILL would be on at the same time, but the times in the EPG will be off by an hour) Not really a deal breaker to me, as I manage to cope with this on my E* account being on mountain time...

 

[noneroy]

@DSRICH: I guess i could 'move' to Gary or South Bend which would be the same timezone as I am currently in and get the Chicago Locals. When I spoke about the spot beam, I was looking at the SD spotbeam, not the Mpeg4 Spot beam (forgot that comes off a different bird). I wonder if they are roughly the same?

Blah, I may just 'move' out to the sticks and get the big 4 from NY. At least I know that will work. I may be able to get the spot beam locals from Chicago, but if it doesn't work, I'll have to call D* again and come up with a good story....

 

[spiderman865]

If you have a newer receiver you can put in whateve time zone you want.

 

[dishrich]

@DSRICH: I guess i could 'move' to Gary or South Bend which would be the same timezone as I am currently in and get the Chicago Locals.

Uh, South Bend will NOT get you Chicago locals - you'll get SB locals instead & you will NOT get ANY of the networks in HD...