Raleigh HD Locals
- Thread starter Pakbackr
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Nice try, but spotbeams usually cover most of a STATE, not just a city (Although in D* case, it may be narrower since their birds are closer to the East coast).. They don't have that limited a footprint. Another thing to consider is that the 118 bird is a CONUS bird, so the beam is currently accessible Nationwide.
When we travel with the RV, the 110 SD spotbeam for Raleigh is accessible in most of NC - There is a map of the spotbeams posted here: http://ekb.dbstalk.com/pictures/echo10contour.gif
Here is the list of Channels on the 118 bird: http://ekb.dbstalk.com/118list.htm
I believe it's a) either Money or b) the affiliate wants ALL it's digital channels carried (like the cable Co. does), not just the main HD one....
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I just got a 622 installed yesterday. I also have a DB4 HD antenna pointed at the main twoer in the Raleigh area (THE tower, not the UNC tower). Everything is hooked up to a 56" 1080P DLP. Before I got the 622 I would watch OTA channels from the HD antenna directly via the ATSC tuner in the TV. Looked great just like you would imagine. I got the 622 and 1000+ installed yesterday and moved the antenna to the 622 input. As reported, I get NBC and ABC in HD from Dish. And they look really great as well.... So good I can't tell a difference in OTA and Dish. I will be doing a better comparison later and keeping an eye out for compression artifacts, but first impression is that I can't tell the difference. Note that I drive my TV at 1080i. I will try 720p later tonight.
This may be and the Dish bird is CONUS, the linked thread was concerning Direct.
Just a comment on the WRAL spin.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8645009&highlight=Chuck+deCourt#post8645009
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Just got off the phone with Dish (thanks Chandra) . . .
They are sending someone out on Dec 21 to upgrade my dish at no charge. . .
They still have appts as soon as Dec 14th. Either I'm one of the only ones that didn't get 118.7 with my install, or its taking a while for people to realize that HD local is now turned on.
They are sending someone out on Dec 21 to upgrade my dish at no charge. . .
They still have appts as soon as Dec 14th. Either I'm one of the only ones that didn't get 118.7 with my install, or its taking a while for people to realize that HD local is now turned on.
Well, I take some of this back. The Dish provided feed of ABC does look good. But a comparison with the OTA version shows differences. I'll chalk up not seeing the differences the other day to a mistuned TV (I finally got around to proper calibration of the new set).
Whatever the case, there are visible compression artifacts on the ABC feed in Raleigh when compared to the OTA ABC feed. I'm flipping between Gray's Anatomy feeds right now and definitely would prefer the OTA feed.
That's probably the case - not sure if the new HD feeds are MPEG2 or 4... But personally, I'll accept slight artifacts (vs. dropped signals which I get about 1/2 the time) not to mention now being able to record 2 or 3 network shows at the same time (2 Sat and 1 OTA). My only issue will be if CBS and FOX air shows at the same time which happens on Mondays....
So, no CBS HD over Dish on raleigh still? Also, does Dish still require a telephone connection? Those are now my only holdups on switching from time warner....
-jbl
-jbl
I have a new question for you Raleigh Dish subscribers. Are you all on just one sat dish or is there some circumstance where you would have to have two?
I've called Dish Network twice and each time they want to charge me $59.99 minimum come out and change out my dish.
Maybe I'm not using my friendly voice when calling.
Maybe I'm not using my friendly voice when calling.
I ended up paying $49 after raising the roof with them. I've only been with E* for about 60 days. I signed up for the 622 with the HD Bronze package along with locals. I can't believe they didn't give me the correct dish at that time. Let's see. Signed up for the 622 and an HD package. What's the chances I was gonna want HD locals?? Duh.
On another note I just installed an amplified antenna in my entertainment cabinet and I can't believe how good the OTA picture is. I'm picking up pretty much everything locally with a signal reading of between 85 to 100. To make a long story short, now that we have ABC and NBC HD locals, I don't watch them. I get much better picture quality from my OTA. Much better than E* locals.
On another note I just installed an amplified antenna in my entertainment cabinet and I can't believe how good the OTA picture is. I'm picking up pretty much everything locally with a signal reading of between 85 to 100. To make a long story short, now that we have ABC and NBC HD locals, I don't watch them. I get much better picture quality from my OTA. Much better than E* locals.
I have a single Dish 1000+.
Four LNBs with four cables run into a switch. From there only one cable runs into my house.
No CBS HD from Dish... yet. From my understanding, WRAL and Dish have to come to terms first... and they have not.
I was a DirecTV customer two weeks ago. Had been for 10 years. I moved to Dish because I wanted HD and I wanted a DVR I could live with. I had used a DirecTivo for 6 years.
If you get Dish, you will get it for the content. The channel lineup and the number of HD stations are simply the best available currently. Blows TW away.... Content is superior and the SA8300HD is a worse DVR than the vip622.
<small_digression>
I actually wanted to switch to TW.... but not for the content. I wanted a series 3 Tivo so bad I was willing to live with the TW channel lineup. I actually even had a series 3 tivo for about a day. Awesome DVR... For anyone who says otherwise I would suggest we meet for 20 paces at dawn. But the Raleigh area is a test area for SDV. SDV won't work with cable card 1 devices, so that means you can't get any SDV station on a series 3 tivo. Dealing with TW to get an answer on which stations are SDV and which will be SDV _soon_ was like talking to that old Eliza program. "You sound distrurbed. Could you tell me more about 'SDV'?"
</small_digression>
Back to your questions;
No, Dish does not require a phone connection. But yes, they will charge something like $5 a month if you don't have it hooked up to a phone. This part, I don't get. Sounds pretty petty to me. But, I had my old DirecTivo hooked up to a phone so this was a non-issue for me.
As for not having CBS in HD from Dish. I just grabbed a DB4 HD antenna and stuck it in my attic. Even when CBS-HD (WRAL) is available from Dish, I will still want the antenna hooked up and will use it. Image quality will be _slightly_ better and you don't have to tie up a sat tuner to record.
ok guys i'v had my hd locals for about a week and dish has been out once re-aming my dish. I think the only good thing about that was I got a one month credit for dropped signal. well my new problem is I have a 622 in the living room and a 211 in the bedroom, the local's picture in the bedroom is pixelated and drops in and out while the same local channel in the living room is just fine.
Both have the same signal strength of about 78 at the most on 118. I have a dish 1000 and a switch. What could the problem be?
Both have the same signal strength of about 78 at the most on 118. I have a dish 1000 and a switch. What could the problem be?
I have two... I had a DISH500 (110/119) and a DISH300(61.5) for the HD Channels and CBSHD- East (which is gone now)... All this was connected to a DPP34 switch.
I am in the process of upgrading to a DISH500+ (110/119/118) and keeping the DISH300(61.5) and putting all this into a DPP44 (already installed). I decided this route vs. the 1000+ since I have heard horror stories of the 129 bird and it's failed gyros.
Plus when there are storms in the area, if I lose signal to the Southwest, I can always see something to the southeast (61.5) along with having a higher elevation (45 deg), I can clear some of the trees here much easier vs. 129 is about 29 deg).
DISH500+ is installed (actually, I ordered a 500+ and was sent a 1000+ and have the extra 129 LNB mounted but not connected). I am getting a signal over 110 on the 119W Sat, over 100 on the 110W Sat. and although the manual said to peak the 118 on Transponders 2, 7, 18 and 23, I focused on 19 and 22 which is where the Raleigh local are. I am getting 78 on Transponder 19 and 84 on Transponder 22. Transponder 2 and 7 are low - around 65-70 but I don't really care at this point.
Hmmm....
I get up this morning and notice that the guide data for 05-01 and 50-01 just say "Digital Service". All of the other OTA local channels have guide data. The corresponding sat locals have guide data... just not channel 5 and 50 OTA. How about that. Wonder how those stations are different than the others? What could it be... I'm sure it couldn't have anything to do with WRAL and dish having not come to terms for HD distribution.
I force a switch check to force a guide data download and 5 minutes later I have guide data for OTA channel 5 and 50. So clearly the guide data is available....
BTW, this is the second time I've had to do this. Only a guess, but it would seem that the nightly guide data download isn't getting these two channels. I expect that in a week I'll have to do another manual guide data download.
Either a bug, or petty games that that Dish is playing. Either way, this is just plain ridiculous.
I get up this morning and notice that the guide data for 05-01 and 50-01 just say "Digital Service". All of the other OTA local channels have guide data. The corresponding sat locals have guide data... just not channel 5 and 50 OTA. How about that. Wonder how those stations are different than the others? What could it be... I'm sure it couldn't have anything to do with WRAL and dish having not come to terms for HD distribution.
I force a switch check to force a guide data download and 5 minutes later I have guide data for OTA channel 5 and 50. So clearly the guide data is available....
BTW, this is the second time I've had to do this. Only a guess, but it would seem that the nightly guide data download isn't getting these two channels. I expect that in a week I'll have to do another manual guide data download.
Either a bug, or petty games that that Dish is playing. Either way, this is just plain ridiculous.
Didn't have to wait a week.... Just checked the guide and 005-01 and 050-01 OTA have reverted to "Digital Service" rather than appropriate guide data. Went through a check switch again to force a guide download and the guide for these stations is restored.
Is anyone else in the Raleigh area experiencing this issue?
I'm in Raleigh, and I'm not having that problem with mine. All of the non-main HD locals say that....5-2, 11-2, 11-3, 50-2, etc.
