lousy locals

[dbraman]

I recently switched to the dish from cable and love NEARLY everything about it. The one big glitch (other than the lame OnDemand offerings) is the intolerable compression on the local channels. It's jarring how obvious us. I first noticed watching the local football game (the field was practically breathing with compression blocking.) When I flipped over to a different game on ESPN it was fine.

Is this a setup thing, a satellite thing or a DishNetwork thing. I suppose I'll live to learn with it, but I'd love to know what gives.

 

[Prometheus23]

Yes the locals are terrible through dish. Your best bet is to pick up an over the air antenna to receive all of your local channels. You can also pick up HD if your receiver/ TV is compatible.

 

[dbraman]

Is it any better with Direct?

 

[TNGTony]

Nope! At least not on average.

Why don't you write a descriptive note of your problem to dishquality@echostar.com I know locals aren't stellar, but some times the local POP lets things slide beyond what is generally acceptable.

See ya
Tony

 

[scott78945]

I thought the same thing as well. I just had my Dish installed on Friday and noticed right away that the locals are horrible looking. To top it all off I have to stretch them across my 16X9 51" HGTV which doens't help matters. I have a Channel Master antenna on its way which will be going into my attic so I can get the OTA HGTV. I had a 942 installed so I already have the hookup on the receiver for it. Hopefully, it will look better.

 

[mtwolf]

I to just had my dish installed on Friday and my locals are 100 times better quality than I had on cable. Now i do not have any HD TVs at this point so it may be a HD thing - e* installed a super dish which they said I needed for locals in my area

 

[bpickell]

my locals look fine with the exception of one channel. Fox looks terrible it's soooo dark it's almost unwatchable. I have to switch to over the air to watch fox. I sent the email and never got a response.

 

[Van]

locals on an hd tv through E and D leave something to be desired wich is why I think that both companies should provide an antennae instead ( at a price ofcourse ) to provide the locals to the customer better than what they will get through the provider.

 

[SimpleSimon]

locals on an hd tv through E and D leave something to be desired wich is why I think that both companies should provide an antennae instead ( at a price ofcourse ) to provide the locals to the customer better than what they will get through the provider.

Us local retailers are usually happy to sell an OTA antenna.

 

[BrettTRay]

I know on my 55" Widescreen if I switch from a local channel from satellite to the same local channel but off of the OTA antenna, even if its standard def, it looks ten times better.

 

[jmeluni]

I don't have HD and watch Dish on a 27" TV via RCA component video cables and my Syracuse, NY locals via my 121 Superdish look fine. I think pixelation most noticeable on large screen HD televisions. Please keep in mind that the quality of the picture is strongly related to the quality of the signal sent to E* by your local station (OTA or fiber).

 

[DarrellP]

When Portland, OR locals came to Dish, they were spectacular, since there was only 6 channels sharing a transponder, but then they crammed Eugene up there along with Portland and the channels turned to mush. I thing there are 13 channels on one transponder now for our locals. Luckily, I get great OTA digital so I don't have to worry about it. Don't bother emailing Dish, they don't give a damn about local PQ. They do care about how good their HD looks though.

I was watching Dish supplied locals on a 27" TV as well and they were awful. I couldn't even begin to imagine how bad they would have looked on my pj, but I did not have it at that time.

 

[Anole]

local quality

I hardly ever look at locals, with so many other choices, but...
Generally my locals look fine on a 27" TV.
Certainly, all are being fed to Dish properly - not like there's any noise on them.

I have noticed when I record them, the data rate is a little lower.
Maybe 2 megabits per second, compared to 2.5 Mbs on some other channels.

I suppose I could run a test by recording some of the "better" channels and logging their data rate.
I have 180 + HBO/Cinemax; any suggestions?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Premium channels should have the highest bitrate.

Sports channels are likely to be higher, too.

 

[garys]

The locals are a concern, DN can only supply the signal as good as they get them. My locals don't look too good on DN, but they never looked that good on cable either. Some locals do look better than others. I remember my local area is not usually happy with any way they receive them with the exception of the HD signals OTA.