PBS is not HD -- anyway to get around that?

[Mr Tony]

free to air and 4DTV are two different things.
4DTV is subscription services
free to air is not

The whole "C-Band is ending" BS that NPS is spewing is easy...they are in bed with Charlie. They are the same people who run AAD (sobongo) and get a bounty for changing a C-Band customer to Dish...

C-Band is still going to be around after the end of the year as the other 2 main C-Band providers (SRL & Skyvision) are going to support C-Band after that

FTA will be around for years to come PBS is free to air..heck PBS just moved their master feeds (the ones on AMC21) about a year or so ago to that satellite.

So if someone wants to move to 4DTV then yes I'd be kinda hesitant. But someone who wants FTA has nothing to worry about

 

[navychop]

AH. And the scales fell from my eyes.

 

[samalex]

I'm new to all this, so you guys lost me with all the acronyms I did some digging, and FTA = Free To Air, Charlie Ergen is founder of Dish, but what is BUD and NPS?

Also I didn't realize there was so much politics behind this, nor did I realize there was so much available via satellites for free. I can see how you guys make a hobby out of all this, but from what I'm reading in the forum is FTA going the way of shortwave radio (aka, dead)?

Sam

 

[Ghpr13]

I'm new to all this, so you guys lost me with all the acronyms I did some digging, and FTA = Free To Air, Charlie Ergen is founder of Dish, but what is BUD and NPS?

Also I didn't realize there was so much politics behind this, nor did I realize there was so much available via satellites for free. I can see how you guys make a hobby out of all this, but from what I'm reading in the forum is FTA going the way of shortwave radio (aka, dead)?

Sam

Oh! I know what BUD is! I know! It's Big Ugly Dish!!! I ask this too when I first join this forum...I believe StoneCold or IceBerg that gave me the answer. I have to pass on NPS, haven't learned that one yet.

Ghpr13

 

[navychop]

Apparently, NPS is an acronym for the Next Personification of Satan. At least, that's what I gather from the FTA forum!

NPS used to promote BUDs. Then they decided to downplay BUDs in favor of Dish (pizza pan). They have recently sent out a letter proclaiming the death of C band, which is Not Quite True.

 

[Ghpr13]

Apparently, NPS is an acronym for the Next Personification of Satan. At least, that's what I gather from the FTA forum!

NPS used to promote BUDs. Then they decided to downplay BUDs in favor of Dish (pizza pan). They have recently sent out a letter proclaiming the death of C band, which is Not Quite True.

I knew eventually someone would tie Satan into one of these threads, but I always thought it would be as a partner with Dish...

Ghpr13

 

[samalex]

Our back yard is pretty small as it is, so there's no way my wife would let me put up a BUD I have another thread in the OTA forum asking about a good antenna to get PBS from Dallas which should be possible given it's only 67 miles away (according to AntennaWeb), so that should be the cheapest way to get PBS in HD plus use the equipment I already have.

I'd love to experiment more with FTA, but with our second kiddo due next month I don't think I'll have time for much of anything for a while. Besides being into ham radio, computers, and wanting to get more into amateur astronomy, what little 'hobby fund' I do have is already stretched pretty tightly.

Sam

 

[navychop]

I know the feeling. I inherited one of those nice tracking telescopes, and haven't had the time to ever even set it up.

 

[Mr Tony]

I'm new to all this, so you guys lost me with all the acronyms I did some digging, and FTA = Free To Air, Charlie Ergen is founder of Dish, but what is BUD and NPS?

NPS-National Programming Service...the name that they used when they sold C_Band stuff
NPS - Your One Call Solution - CBAND Satellite Programming C-band

(before they got in bed with Charlie and then he offered a ring)

 

[topcat5]

....(3) An antenna that is designed to receive local television broadcast signals. Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements.In addition, antennas covered by the rule may be mounted on "masts" to reach the height needed to receive or transmit an acceptable quality signal (e.g. maintain line-of-sight contact with the transmitter or view the satellite). Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements for safety purposes. ...

I am pretty sure this does not give HOAs the right to restrict these towers. What the rule means is that if a municipality requires a building permit to be pulled in order to erect a high tower to support the antenna, then the FCC allows the municipality to do so and the home owner must comply with those building department rules.

In the 90s once DirecTV got started and later Dish and to the horror of many a cable operator because their monopoly just disappeared, there was intense lobbying by the cable industry at local levels to put HOA restrictions in place against any satellite dish simply to keep out the competition from DBS. This was done in collusion with developers who gladly took kickbacks and deals to wire up the neighborhoods from the cable operators in exchange for adding in the anti-satellite dish/antenna rules. Eventually this led to the FCC declaring that it had sole authority to regulate all matters related to broadcast TV as mandated by congress and the rules were issued that invalidated all these clauses. (which are only codified in state law)

HOAs that choose to ignore this change will find they will end up doing battle with the FCC instead of the homeowner if they try to enforce any of the now obsolete HOA rules against antennas and satellite dishes. Their legal position changes from forcing the homeowner to defend against state HOA law to that of having to defend themselves against the FCC as to why they are not violating federal law. They will also be liable for any legal expenses incurred by the homeowner caused by their actions on this issue.
Any competent HOA management company lawyer will quickly back down from this.