No PBS HD = No Dish for Me

[smokejoe]

I've discovered that Dish does not broadcast PBS HD. That means you cannot get program info for the station on any Dish receiver - even if you are receiving it OTA.
PBS HD has more HD programming in a 24 hr period than any other locally broadcast national network -not to mention its quality.
I've been told by PBS programming director that the station is available to Dish at no charge - just like the SD PBS channels.
Without it, I'll invest in stand alone DVR, dump Dish and save $1000 a year since 90% of what we watch are locals anyway.

 

[RobertsD]

yeah, I wish I got the guide info for my local PBS HD station, but I make due with a TV guide and manual timers for that station.

 

[Kandiru]

Joe i live 70 miles from the PBS affiliate and i was so excited about HDTV when it became available 3 yrs ago that i emailed back and forth with the station's technicians until i got me a Winegard array of 8 antennas in the attic, dual amplifiers, antenna rotator.

I love PBS-HD and my 2 1/2 yo is freaked out about Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop. Unfortunately she cant relate this with her little friends as most of our front lawn manicuring ignoramuses have yet to understand that there is more HD programming for their plasmas than the cableco's 4 pixelated channels.

Regardless, i get the Columbus stations too on clear nights after 10PM as an added bonus. Now those are 100 mi away.

Maibe you can start something like this too. www.antennaweb.org will allow you to roughly determine how big of an amplification you will need, then places like http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45 will teach you the rest. www.solidsignal.com is an awesome dealer for all your equip needs. BTW, the Dish 942 has awesome tuners and they'll never freeze, unlike the VIP622's. In fact it is so good that i parted with my faithful LG 3100A.

 

[goaliebob99]

BTW, the Dish 942 has awesome tuners and they'll never freeze, unlike the VIP622's.

actually the tuner in the 622 is better. The 622 only freezed on LIL mpg 4 channels right now atleast thats the only time it does it on my 622

 

[pdxsam]

. BTW, the Dish 942 has awesome tuners and they'll never freeze, unlike the VIP622's. In fact it is so good that i parted with my faithful LG 3100A.

The OTA tuner on the 622 seems to be better for me also. I used to get drops and sound breakups on my local fox on my 942. The 622 hasn't had any pixellation or sound drops on OTA.


Sam

 

[smokejoe]

Originally posted by BFG Proud Staff Member

"and BTW you must not know much about PBS "HD" because the majority of the stuff is widescreen SD and they play the same programs over and over."

You must not know much about literacy. My post made no statement about SD or repeat frequency which you criticize.

I did state that PBS HD broadcasts more HD than any conventional network.
If you have difficulty reading a guide - http://ww1.titantv.com/ttv/Grid/grid.aspx; from 11pm today to 11p tomorrow:
PBS-HD: 10.5 hrs HD programming
NBC: 2.0 hrs HD programming
ABC: 5.0 hrs HD programming
CBS: 3.0 hrs HD programming
FOX: 2.0 hrs HD programming

 

[mikew]

Get a DirecTV HD Tivo while you still can. Tremendous interface and programming guide is filled for PBS-HD. In fact, we have two PBS channels in Tucson. One is dedicated to HD, the other has regular PBS programming and three subchannels (PBS-Kids, PBS-X and PBS-S) . Don't know what X and S stand for, but they all have their own PBS programming. Bonus with the TIVO, all 5 channels have guide info, even though only one of them is on DirecTV.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

While it can be a bit of a pain, I use TitanTV to get my local PBS HD listings and then set up manual timers if I want to record something.

 

[smokejoe]

PBS-HD OTA Guide on Tivo in all Direct TV markets?

Get a DirecTV HD Tivo while you still can. Tremendous interface and programming guide is filled for PBS-HD.

That's very good news. I'd like to know if other markets have PBS-HD guide on Direct Tivo or there's something unique about Phoenix.
I'll check DTV forum. Thank you, Mike.

 

[GeorgeLV]

Las Vegas has PBS-HD guide info on a lowly DirecTV H10.

 

[Weezknight]

Originally posted by BFG Proud Staff Member


You must not know much about literacy. My post made no statement about SD or repeat frequency which you criticize.

I did state that PBS HD broadcasts more HD than any conventional network.
If you have difficulty reading a guide - http://ww1.titantv.com/ttv/Grid/grid.aspx; from 11pm today to 11p tomorrow:
PBS-HD: 10.5 hrs HD programming
NBC: 2.0 hrs HD programming
ABC: 5.0 hrs HD programming
CBS: 3.0 hrs HD programming
FOX: 2.0 hrs HD programming

But 10.5 hours of upconverted SD programming isn't the same as 10.5 hours of true HD programs. Are the programs that PBS airing recorded in HD, or are they just upconverts?

 

[gdarwin]

But 10.5 hours of upconverted SD programming isn't the same as 10.5 hours of true HD programs. Are the programs that PBS airing recorded in HD, or are they just upconverts?

They are recorded in HD, No upconverts.

 

[smokejoe]

PBS-HD Programming Leader

In fact, PBS-HD broadcasts nearly as much HD programming as ABC, NBC and CBS combined. Check any guide.

 

[TheTony]

IMO, the real issue here is that Dish is not allowing PSIP data to be read and formatted on their HD receivers. Instead, they rely on the Dish LiL guide data.

Obviously, this causes issues for locals whose digitals aren't a simulcast of the analog transmission.

 

[roachxp]

The local PBS-HDs will ask for a fee from E* is they want to rebroadcast the signal. Remeber their motto "This program is brought to you by contibutions by viewers like you" or what ever they always say. I rarely see a commerical on the channel so the funding is always limited. That's why some PBS-HD channels are part time, and some don't even have any.

 

[styxfix]

I get PBS-HD OTA Guide info on my 921. In fact, I get it for all five channels (four sub channels of PBS here in the bay area. I even get progam info for the main PBS HD channel even when it's not on. The PBS HD channel is only on from 8PM to 6AM daily. Only two channels are on when the main HD channel is on. There are four channels of PBS when the HD channel is off.

 

[ScottChez]

I get PBS HD OTA from Two Markets, neither one has guide data.

Why is it Direct TV has full guide data and DIsh does not. It cant be that hard to cut and paste the scheduled from the PBS web page into the DIsh system.

 

[smokejoe]

PBS-HD Channel Available Free to Dish

The local PBS-HDs will ask for a fee from E* if they want to rebroadcast the signal.

KTCA 2.1 PBS-HD (MSP) Program director wrote me today;

"On our end, we provide them a free signal and offer any assistance we can to put our signal on their system. The rest is up to them."

.

 

[goaliebob99]

I get PBS HD OTA from Two Markets, neither one has guide data.

Why is it Direct TV has full guide data and DIsh does not. It cant be that hard to cut and paste the scheduled from the PBS web page into the DIsh system.

Directv's recivers uses PSP data that comes directly through the providers Via the OTA Signal.. Dish hasnt been able to get this to work right with there recivers and provides the channels with EPG info from Nelson ratings I think it is. Thats the diffrence.

 

[smokejoe]

Joe I live 70 miles from the PBS affiliate and I was so excited about HDTV when it became available 3 yrs ago that I [installed OTA antenna].
Maybe you can start something like this too.

I should have clarified that I live 65 miles from Minneapolis towers and get beautiful, uncompressed HD on PBS-HD and 6 other network HD channels with a $70 antenna in the attic. http://www.monstronix.com/product_info.php?products_id=65385.
http://www.htmart.com/product.php?productid=105&cat=7&page=1.

That's how we've learned how much true HD is available free.

The fact that Dish refuses to provide PBS-HD - or even guide for it as Direct TV does, is a unacceptable.
[We pay Dish $72+ for degraded re-broadcast of locals in addition to $144+ for double "PVR Fees" i.e. guide and recording fees.
Paying over $200 annually for locals and guide data only to have the local channel which provides more HD programming than any other broadcast network BLOCKED is absurd.

When Tivo Series 3 (4 tuner) OTA DVR is released in a few months (or similar unit), it's 'Goodbye Sat'.