OTA Local Channels

[kg2280]

Well, after finally reading my instruction manual that came with my receiver last night, I found that you can connect an antenna to your receiver and view your OTA local channels through your receiver. I decided to give it a try and I was surprised at how much better the picture was than the Dish Network versions of the same channel. Picture was much more crisp and not "distorted looking". and most channels had multiple "feeds" (if that's the right word) I live in the DFW area so I was able to pick up the HD feeds of ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, PBS and lots more channels not even offered through Dish. I'm considering dropping my locals through Dish since I can get them for free. The question I have is why is everyone whose locals aren't offered through Dish so upset because their cities haven't been added yet. If you can get them with an OTA antenna, I so would not care if Dish has them or not because the picture is so much better OTA.
Am I missing something before I call dish to drop my locals.

 

[teachsac]

A few things:

1. You will lose the opportunity to record multiple network shows at the same time if you have a DVR.

2. You will lose guide data for your locals.

3. Not everyone is able to pick up locals with an OTA antenna for various reasons.

S~

 

[KAB]

If you drop locals, the guide will only show "digital service" or something to that effect. You would then have to check an outside program source and enter manual timers. Paying for the locals is WELL WORTH IT.

 

[jdmacor]

Many people cannot receive their OTAs for various technical reasons; weak signal strength, interference, signals coming from different directions.

But there are two big reasons why you shouldn't just drop your locals.

1. You will lose the guide data and will only be able to use manual timers ("record from 7:30 to 8:00" instead of "record new Office")
2. Unless you have a 722k, you will only be able to record/watch one local channel; you will no longer have two tuners for it (if you had two tuners in the first place)

 

[digiblur]

If your locals were distorted looking then you were not watching the HD locals on satellite. The HD LiLs should be very close to the OTA ones.

 

[KAB]

If your locals were distorted looking then you were not watching the HD locals on satellite. The HD LiLs should be very close to the OTA ones.

The only difference I have seen on one channel is the Sat version color is off from the OTA, pushing green.

 

[zinc]

why would the guide data disappear after you cancel your local sub?

 

[ripnbigc]

why would the guide data disappear after you cancel your local sub?

Dish doesn't supply the guide info if you don't subscribe.

 

[chainblu]

To clear up some confusion (if any) you would only lose guide data for the local stations, not the mainstream channels.

 

[mstregamer]

It's much harder to record your locals without the guide data.....I like the convienece of just one touch recording for my shows. I cancelled my locals with dish at one time and regreted it.

 

[Joewee]

I don't subscribe to my locals but get the guide data from the ones that
dish carries. I can get 2 sets of locals, my ota ones and the ones that
I "moved" to. So I get the Minneapolis locals as well as the Eau Claire, La Crosse.
It definately comes in handy.

 

[jetskier]

I noticed very little, if any, difference in picture quality. Aside from what was already mentioned, the biggest perk of the Dish feed is the MPEG4 compression. It's almost 1/3-1/2 the OTA feed. My DVR doesn't fill up anymore with just locals since Dish turned on Reno DMA a month ago.

 

[cparker]

If you have a DVR Advantage package ... locals are included. And you actually save a few pennies. Having the locals from Dish is nice because it opens up a lot of possibilities once you start using the DVR.

For example, if my wife has to attend a board meeting or something in the evening, she can set all of her shows to record while she's out. She can use one satellite tuner AND the OTA tuner and that still allows me to watch a hockey game on satellite while she's out.

Yes we could probably do this with timers, but I'll tell ya that when you're about to walk out the door and you realize you haven't set you shows to record yet, it's just a metric TON easier to select from guide and be done with it, rather than looking for the TV listings in the paper and setting a multitude of timers.

 

[KAB]

If you have a DVR Advantage package ... locals are included.

Good call, there!

 

[garys]

I don't subscribe to my locals but get the guide data from the ones that
dish carries. I can get 2 sets of locals, my ota ones and the ones that
I "moved" to. So I get the Minneapolis locals as well as the Eau Claire, La Crosse.
It definately comes in handy.

It's not if you subscribe to "your" locals, but if you subscribe to the local package. "Moving" would be included as far as getting the guide info, it does not matter is they are the same set of locals. I live in one dma and receive OTA from another and there are many areas which can receive OTA from more than one dma and we all receive OTA guide info.

 

[sbsi]

Can someone tell me how to connect the tv antenna to receiver to get locals? On what receivers????

 

[Jim5506]

Any Dish Network ViP receiver will receive ATSC digital channels over the air and DVR ViP receivers can record them also.

Just attach the coax from your antenna to the TV antenna/cable input on the back, scan for your locals and they will show up. If you want guide data you need to subscribe to locals through Dish.

 

[mrlaugh]

I noticed very little, if any, difference in picture quality. Aside from what was already mentioned, the biggest perk of the Dish feed is the MPEG4 compression. It's almost 1/3-1/2 the OTA feed. My DVR doesn't fill up anymore with just locals since Dish turned on Reno DMA a month ago.

I've had only intermittent success getting Reno locals OTA (in Carson City). I've picked up Fox, PBS, and CBS after different time, but never all at the same time. With the mountains around, I suspect there are some antennas I just can't see, which is the other big reason to subscribe to Dish locals. I was overjoyed when they added Reno DMA, I had been considering a 'move' to Sacramento but had been too lazy to do it.

(I also have a first floor apartment facing the wrong direction from the OTA broadcast sites, which is what really limits my ability to get any station consistently.)

 

[cditty]

It's not if you subscribe to "your" locals, but if you subscribe to the local package. "Moving" would be included as far as getting the guide info, it does not matter is they are the same set of locals. I live in one dma and receive OTA from another and there are many areas which can receive OTA from more than one dma and we all receive OTA guide info.

Wait, if I moved to Dallas, TX to get HD, are you saying I would still get the correct guide data for my OTA HD in Monroe, LA? It wouldn't be looking for Dallas OTA to match up the guide?

 

[garys]

Wait, if I moved to Dallas, TX to get HD, are you saying I would still get the correct guide data for my OTA HD in Monroe, LA? It wouldn't be looking for Dallas OTA to match up the guide?

That is exactly what I am saying. Dish says I live in NY dma and have had their HD locals since Feb '06, OTA antenna used for Scranton, PA since before that and have correct guide listings on 622 and 722 (and 921 and 811 before that).