Just curious...what channels would a deactivated VIP211k be able to view?

[Ypsiguy]

Just wondering as I get nearer to coming off my 2 year contract.

 

[pattykay]

I can check tonight, as soon as I deactivate my ViP211k.
Would you like that list for Eastern Arc or Western Arc? (Yes, it does make a difference, and I do have both dishes.)

 

[Ypsiguy]

Eastern Arc. That would be very nice of you, if you are able.

thx!

 

[pattykay]

Eastern Arc. That would be very nice of you!

thx!

No problem. I already have it hooked up to Eastern Arc, so that makes it easy for me. Keep in mind though that I do have the full Eastern Arc (including the 77 satellite) as part of a mixed-arc setup that also includes the 129 satellite. So, I may see some additional channels from those two locations that you would not see if you only have 61.5 and 72 in your setup.

 

[Ypsiguy]

No worries.

 

[pattykay]

As promised...

My deactivated ViP211k still receives:

All scanned-in OTA channels

(I will not list mine here, since yours would obviously be different.)​

71 QVC
72 VALU
73 QVC3
74 HSN
81 ICTV
82 FETV
83 JTV
85 EPIC
86 MALL
87 SMART
94 RENEW
95 DEAL
100 Dish Home
101 Dish 101
103 Preview
104 VALU
123 MALL
134 SHPHQ
137 QVC
162 VH1 (free preview)
185 Hallmark (free preview)
189 OWN (free preview)
213 Weather Channel Interactive
220 MALL
221 CRAFT
224 EPIC
225 SALE
226 HSN2
227 JTV
228 YOUTV
229 GEMS
230 ICTV
255 QVC2
257 SBN
259 INSP
275 YOUTV
276 SMART
278 DEAL
282 VALU
287 HSN
292 Epix Drive-In (free preview)
460 - 466 PPV Sports channels
471 - 474 PPV Pre-Order channels
480 Adult Guard Support

(Adult channels in the 480's - 490's omitted from list. The actual content of all PPV channels is not free, of course. However, the channels do show up in the guide, and you can channel surf through them.)

500 On PPV
502 - 522 HD PPV Movies
526 - 535 SD PPV Movies
817 - 818 PPV Pre-Order channels
883 VALU
892 Viva Mariachi
927 City Lights
939 Mo' Soul
941 Viva Mariachi
951 Country Gold
967 Jazz Traditions
972 Intermezzo
974 Swing Kings
998 BTV Business Info
6014 SiriusXM Coffee House
6049 SiriusXM Soul Town
6058 SiriusXM Prime Country
6063 SiriusXM The Message
6076 SiriusXM Symphony Hall
9467 NFL RedZone (slate channel)
9532 ICTV
9582 D61.5 ("What's on DISH?")
9599 D129 ("What's on DISH?") (obviously from 129 satellite, but I'm including it on the list anyway)
9642 FETV
9643 SMART
9644 RENEW
9645 DEAL
9646 QVC3

On a deactivated receiver, only the SD feeds of free preview channels are available. In addition to the above-listed channels, Western Arc would gain you access to some more free preview channels (since they have SD feeds on Western Arc, but not on Eastern Arc) and some other "What's on DISH?" channels. (All of the "What's on DISH?" channels play the same background music, though.)

It is also worth noting that the free channels listed above only work on deactivated receivers with the purple G3 Smart Card. If your receiver has the white G4 (or newer) Smart Card, then it would only be able to receive the OTA channels and Dish barker channels, but no other actual programming. If your receiver is still using the built-in Smart Card, that is likely the (purple) G3 version.

This is the most complete listing of free channels that I have made to date. I hope it helps.

 

[rvvaquero]

Is there guide data for those channels, even the ota ones?

 

[Ypsiguy]

Of course, mine is the G4...lol. Thank you for looking and letting me know!

I think I will just fight it out with customer loyalty when the contract expires, given your research you did for me. I suspected it would be pretty much all of what I now block out via a custom list.

 

[pattykay]

Is there guide data for those channels, even the ota ones?

Yes, the ones for which Dish actually provides accurate OTA data, anyway. This comes in quite handy, since I deactivate this receiver frequently, and only activate it on days when I want to watch something from the satellite-delivered locals. I still have my local CW affiliate scanned-in OTA. I no longer actually receive that station OTA since it was repacked (sharing with its sister station, which I also cannot receive OTA) but I left it in the list anyway. So, whenever the ViP211k is in standby, it downloads the full nine-day guide to the external hard drive. Then, when I reactivate this receiver, I automatically have the full guide for the satellite-delivered HD feed of this station, since the guide for that feed is also linked to the OTA version. (Other local channels that I do not have in my OTA list say "No Info Available" in the guide on the satellite feeds, until I force a guide update.) Interestingly, the SD feed (on Western Arc) of this same CW affiliate also has the "No Info Available" in the guide, in spite of both the HD feed and OTA channel having full guide data. So, that SD feed must have its own independent guide data stream, for some reason. I have occasionally noticed mismatches between the guide data for those SD and HD feeds before, and even reported those issues in the "Frustrated by numerous guide issues" thread here.

 

[Ypsiguy]

Yes, the ones for which Dish actually provides accurate OTA data, anyway. This comes in quite handy, since I deactivate this receiver frequently, and only activate it on days when I want to watch something from the satellite-delivered locals. I still have my local CW affiliate scanned-in OTA. I no longer actually receive that station OTA since it was repacked (sharing with its sister station, which I also cannot receive OTA) but I left it in the list anyway. So, whenever the ViP211k is in standby, it downloads the full nine-day guide to the external hard drive. Then, when I reactivate this receiver, I automatically have the full guide for the satellite-delivered HD feed of this station, since the guide for that feed is also linked to the OTA version. (Other local channels that I do not have in my OTA list say "No Info Available" in the guide on the satellite feeds, until I force a guide update.) Interestingly, the SD feed (on Western Arc) of this same CW affiliate also has the "No Info Available" in the guide, in spite of both the HD feed and OTA channel having full guide data. So, that SD feed must have its own independent guide data stream, for some reason. I have occasionally noticed mismatches between the guide data for those SD and HD feeds before, and even reported those issues in the "Frustrated by numerous guide issues" thread here.

Buy 150 miles of coax and I can get u the Detroit locals!

just kidding of course...lol.

 

[pattykay]

Buy 150 miles of coax and I can get u the Detroit locals!

just kidding of course...lol.

I used to "move" for precisely that. The signal was not always reliable, since I am near the edge of the Detroit spotbeam. Even without the locals, a service address in Detroit saved me money on taxes, since Michigan does not have sales tax on satellite TV programming, nor does Dish charge a monthly state surcharge there like they do here in Ohio. Occasionally, if atmospheric conditions are right, I can still pick up some of the Detroit stations OTA for a little while anyway.

 

[NYDutch]

I used to "move" for precisely that. The signal was not always reliable, since I am near the edge of the Detroit spotbeam. Even without the locals, a service address in Detroit saved me money on taxes, since Michigan does not have sales tax on satellite TV programming, nor does Dish charge a monthly state surcharge there like they do here in Ohio. Occasionally, if atmospheric conditions are right, I can still pick up some of the Detroit stations OTA for a little while anyway.

Don't forget Locast has the Detroit locals as well...

 

[Ypsiguy]

I went on Dish Pause for the next 5 months. The list you mentioned above is what you receive while on pause. Of course the free previews will vary.

 

[Ypsiguy]

It’s almost as if they turned pause into a package, crodrules. You have to be on the $5 a month pause to get it.

 

[pattykay]

It’s almost as if they turned pause into a package, crodrules. You have to be on the $5 a month pause to get it.

Pause always included a certain number of "free" channels. At least, that is the way it worked when I was still doing pauses.

 

[pattykay]

Don't forget Locast has the Detroit locals as well...

Interestingly, it looks like qualification for the locals through the Dish receiver's Locast app is based on your Dish service address, not your actual (or IP-based virtual) physical location. I recently purchased a used Hopper 3. When I hooked it up and tried the Locast app, it actually let me watch the Detroit locals. I was tempted to not activate the receiver at all, and just leave it that way. I went ahead and activated the Hopper 3 on my account, and the Locast app locals changed to Cleveland, as expected. I would consider "moving" to the Detroit market again, but I am not sure if the Locals Only core package is available there, and I do not want to risk screwing up anything with my account. Since Locast is so new to me, I still rely on the satellite-delivered locals for anything I really want to watch. Locast is more of a novelty, and a way to get some additional channels that Dish does not carry and are not available OTA here.