No New HD for these cities?

[nlk10010]

There's one thing I don't understand (well, there are many things, but regarding this topic)....is DISH saying that there is no hardware available that will enable people in the indicated areas to get the new HD or that there is a way to do it but the customer will have to pay? The word "promotion" is what is confusing me here.

 

[cparker]

Let's look at the list for a second, of all the cities for which Dish says there is no solution. In MY case, the Buffalo DMA is still listed as a Western Arc DMA. It's clearly an eastern city as are a great many others in the list. Are they also listed as Western Arc because their SD locals are on a WA satellite?

129 is really too low to be practical here. (about 19 degrees I think). I have a 4:12 pitch on my roof. My dishes are located on EASTERN side at the eaves (110/119/61.5). The ANGLE of the roof is 18.53 degrees ( 4:12 pitch = 18.53 degrees) so a dish located there, if swung around to 129 would just BARELY be able to see over the ridge of my roof to catch the 129 satellite. However I have a clear shot at the eastern arc because they're so much higher in the sky (like 36 to 43 degrees or close to that). I'm hearing that I can't go pure EA because our SD locals are on 110 and to lose those SD locals means we lose the guide data.

I called the local installation company (Intertech) and spoke to a tech support person there. He said they are hearing that Buffalo DMA is supposed to be switched to EA this summer.

Any thoughts as to how likely that might be? Or do you think they're blowing smoke up my butt?

If a switch to EA is forthcoming, I can sit tight for a while and stay with Dish.
If it's just a stall, then I might just bite the bullet and switch to D*, BUT.... I'm hearing D* is coming out with the TiVo DVR again and that they have some neat new technology coming. I don't want to sign up early and miss out on the "new stuff".

So here I sit. Kinda stewing in my own juices. Being generally ticked off at Dish, mostly based on the fact that my BILL WENT UP, but I can't get the new programming.

ok I think I'm done. It's nice that I can do this at work and get paid for ranting.....

 

[d777jj]

I live near Binghamton and had Dish out last week and installed Eastern Arc to get the new HD.
Dish doesn't offer our locals, so I don't see why Binghamton made the list for not having a solution.

 

[flampher]

In my case anyway it really is just the sd locals on 110 that is the fly in the ointment. My locals are hd on 61.5 so I really don't care except for pbs, which is only sd on 110. I have been able to get two New York PBS's off air anyway. Apparently Dish is telling us we "have" to use EA. hmmm. so confusing

 

[Islandguy43]

I called the local installation company (Intertech) and spoke to a tech support person there. He said they are hearing that Buffalo DMA is supposed to be switched to EA this summer.

Any thoughts as to how likely that might be? Or do you think they're blowing smoke up my butt?

ok I think I'm done. It's nice that I can do this at work and get paid for ranting.....

Intertech installs a ton of Dishes for Dishnetwork here in WNY, and did mine, during my six years with Dish, along with upgrades and a couple realignments. I find it hard to believe that Dish would just blow off this area, and Intertech still being the main installer in the area.

However Dish, left me with no choice but to switch to TWC last September, in order to get MSG-HD for the Buffalo Sabres and YES HD for the Yankees. I am not locked into a contract so, if or when Dish rectifies the situation I can readily jump back.

Plus TWC gave me a deal where I am saving $40 a month for two years, for what I was paying in the past for a combined Dish for TV and Roadrunner for internet. So if it takes a couple years, I have time to explore my options.

 

[mike123abc]

Dish should be able to move all national off of 77 to 72.7/61.5 to solve this issue. I do not understand why they do not move more aggresively to do so.

 

[sundude90]

Dish should be able to move all national off of 77 to 72.7/61.5 to solve this issue. I do not understand why they do not move more aggresively to do so.

I agree completely. As soon as they do this, I can get rid of the 119 I have.

Josh

 

[TheKrell]

Your thoughts please.

This sucks! Are these the folks with SD locals on 110 and HD locals on 61.5 currently served by two dishes on 119/110/61.5? I am such a subscriber too, but apparently I rate a promotional upgrade to EA.

I don't get it on the others. As many have done the Dish 500 with 61.5/72 on one dish and the 110/119 on the other.

With so little of interest on 77, it almost seems like they could get by with a single, cheap, Dish 500 on EA. Anyhow, Dish still has a lot of flexibility with a mixed arc 119/110/72/61.5 installation. Just not as much as if they throw us overboard in favor of only one arc or another.

What this old world needs is a Dish 500 yoke with 11 deg separation, and a cheap DPP43 such as that which exists inside the 1000.x LNB assemblies. Maybe I'll buy one to cannibalize it for the internal switch as I did with a DPP twin. (The latter worked great for a year until I sprung for a DPP33.) These seem to go on Ebay for half what a DPP44 switch alone costs.

Speaking of Ebay, what's the deal with the 1000.4 LNBs? These seem to be even more plentiful than the whole dish combined with LNB. If people were buying the combined 1000.4 and selling the LNB separately, then what are they doing with the 1000.4 dish antenna all by itself? I don't have one now, but I understand that it's keyed to prevent use on other antenna arms.

Switches that do not exist but should: DPP43 and DPP54.

 

[jwolf]

Perhaps a complaint to the Better Business Bureau will help also. It worked for me in helping me to get all of my HD channels when this mess started last month. All I did was fill out the form online and someone from dish called me a few days later to make things right.... https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx

Thanks, I filled out a form online this morning. I'll let you know if anything happens.

 

[mike123abc]

With so little of interest on 77, it almost seems like they could get by with a single, cheap, Dish 500 on EA. Anyhow, Dish still has a lot of flexibility with a mixed arc 119/110/72/61.5 installation. Just not as much as if they throw us overboard in favor of only one arc or another.

What this old world needs is a Dish 500 yoke with 11 deg separation, and a cheap DPP43 such as that which exists inside the 1000.x LNB assemblies. Maybe I'll buy one to cannibalize it for the internal switch as I did with a DPP twin. (The latter worked great for a year until I sprung for a DPP33.) These seem to go on Ebay for half what a DPP44 switch alone costs.

They need to keep 77 since 77 will be replaced with a spot beam satellite for locals. Even if locals are currently on 61.5 they may not remain there in the long run. The reception issues with 77 should clear up with the new satellite. If, for example they wanted to serve Maine locals on 77 they could since they could point a spot beam on Maine and have it minimize interference with Canada. They have a lot more local channels to add when they have to carry all the HD channels in all the markets carried. They need 77 there to avoid having to upgrade customers in the future when locals move around.

 

[cparker]

However Dish, left me with no choice but to switch to TWC last September, in order to get MSG-HD for the Buffalo Sabres and YES HD for the Yankees. I am not locked into a contract so, if or when Dish rectifies the situation I can readily jump back.

Plus TWC gave me a deal where I am saving $40 a month for two years, for what I was paying in the past for a combined Dish for TV and Roadrunner for internet. So if it takes a couple years, I have time to explore my options.

I called TWC yesterday to see what my bill would be. I'm only interested in HD. No internet. No phone. No movie packages. Just HD channels. $44.95 a month for programming for a year, then it jumps to 72.95 a month (plus fees and taxes of course). Fees include stuff like, "oh you want an HD DVR with that?", "You have 3 TVs? *gasp!*", etc.

HOWEVER, I think the only way I'd go to TWC is if I invested in a couple of TiVo Premiers. So the question of cable cards came up. Kapil (offshore) had no clue, so I called Kathy in the local office. Not much of a clue there either. They'll supply cable cards at $5.95 EACH PER MONTH! (I'd need a pair of "M" cards, one for each TiVo)

However.... and this just makes me laugh out loud at TWC and their complete idiocy.... the cable cards THAT THEY SUPPLY do not work properly with their new switched digital signaling. Channels drop out and don't come back.

Say WHAT?

Switching to D* would cost me an assload in up front charges.

At this point I'm really wondering how long it will take to get so completely frustrated at the hassle and expense of payTV in ANY flavor, that I just get rid of it all and go back to OTA (in which case the TiVo WOULD work just fine...or I could get a Channel Master 7000 which is like a dtvPAL).

Right now it is apparently worth the hassle and expense because I'm still here. I just wonder how long before I give up.

 

[mike123abc]

I called TWC yesterday to see what my bill would be. I'm only interested in HD. No internet. No phone. No movie packages. Just HD channels. $44.95 a month for programming for a year, then it jumps to 72.95 a month (plus fees and taxes of course). Fees include stuff like, "oh you want an HD DVR with that?", "You have 3 TVs? *gasp!*", etc.

HOWEVER, I think the only way I'd go to TWC is if I invested in a couple of TiVo Premiers. So the question of cable cards came up. Kapil (offshore) had no clue, so I called Kathy in the local office. Not much of a clue there either. They'll supply cable cards at $5.95 EACH PER MONTH! (I'd need a pair of "M" cards, one for each TiVo)

However.... and this just makes me laugh out loud at TWC and their complete idiocy.... the cable cards THAT THEY SUPPLY do not work properly with their new switched digital signaling. Channels drop out and don't come back.

Say WHAT?

http://www.timewarnercable.com/northeast/learn/cable/sdv/default.html

Your division of TWC must not be up to date with other divisions.

 

[sundude90]

I suggest everyone to file a complaint with the better business bureau. I think this will actually get dish to actually do something and not sit on there butt doing nothing for us folks. I can't really file, because I got the setup like what everyone else should do.

 

[wkomorow]

This has been Dish's position since the new HDs,it is only official now. That is why so many of us have complained that when we contact Dish, we get "we have no solution for you" answer. Dish will install Eastern Arc in the Albany DMA, but depending on the installer may or may not add a dish for 110 for the SD locals. Each customer that calls Dish seems to work out a different solution though each call seems to be frustrating. Some seemed to have beat the system and to get what they want without as much hassle.

 

[sundude90]

This has been Dish's position since the new HDs,it is only official now. That is why so many of us have complained that when we contact Dish, we get "we have no solution for you" answer. Dish will install Eastern Arc in the Albany DMA, but depending on the installer may or may not add a dish for 110 for the SD locals. Each customer that calls Dish seems to work out a different solution though each call seems to be frustrating. Some seemed to have beat the system and to get what they want without as much hassle.

I got what I wanted, but I need to fight for it like crazy. When I threatened to make a scene on the Charlie chat, then they actually did something. Plus I emailed the CEO address about 3 times.

 

[rogerpl]

I got this just before we went on the air. This kind of thing makes me upset. I think those in these areas that subscribe to HD should get a discount on their service since they are not getting all the HD they are paying for...



Your thoughts please.

Unconfuse me- I got an upgrade to 1k4 for 61.5 and 72.7 and 110/119 on the 500 dish. 129 was not gonna happen with my LOS. I'm in the Burlington Vt. DMA , are they unwilling or unable to help others in this market area.

 

[sundude90]

Unconfuse me- I got an upgrade to 1k4 for 61.5 and 72.7 and 110/119 on the 500 dish. 129 was not gonna happen with my LOS. I'm in the Burlington Vt. DMA , are they unwilling or unable to help others in this market area.

Yes, they will not do these upgrades any more. They upgraded me with the same thing, but they won't do other people since they want people to have mixed arcs.

 

[wkomorow]

I got what I wanted, but I need to fight for it like crazy. When I threatened to make a scene on the Charlie chat, then they actually did something. Plus I emailed the CEO address about 3 times.

That is sort of the point - their initial response was we can not do anything for you. Some people talked to one or two people and effectually got a solution, others needed to make it their full time job. My take on it is the Dish is willing to upgrade (in many cases at a cost $15 or $99) these people to EA (not WA). Officially Dish does not want to sanction an addition dish for 110 to receive SD locals, though some have had this Dish installed. As I wrote before, there may be a larger issue here for Dish - if they are hooking up EA and customers can only get HD locals and not those channels in SD (like PBS, CW, etc,), they may be violating FCC rules that require that they provide must carries in a DMA if they broadcast any channel in that DMA.

 

[SarKen]

I just heard this on the radio show. I am on the Providence, RI DMA and I was upgraded to EA about a month ago.

 

[neljtorres]

In Puerto Rico we are waiting for the new sat of 119 for more HD!