SoCal Dish HD Locals + OTA Antenna - good idea?

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directcj

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Oct 27, 2005
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I've got an install coming up next weekend, new subscriber in SoCal, Orange County. Currently I have Cox cable, HD Plasma (720p).

I ordered through Claude & DishStore 100 channels, HD, 625 and 722 rcvr and locals but I also asked for an OTA antenna. Since I live in the LA region, I had to pay for the install of the OTA antenna (which I don't mind) - BTW, Claude was a HUGE help on this, I'll put a separate thread regarding this topic.

My question to you folks here is that I'm not sure what I gain by getting the OTA antenna. Maybe KTLA, KCET, and KOCE? 3rd tuner? How do I record with the OTA antenna.

I thought I'd go ahead and get the OTA antenna installed while they put the dish up (2nd story house install). The OTA antenna is a wingard square shooter.
 
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What you'll gain is KCAL-9 in HD since DISH only broadcasts KCAL-9 in SD. KCAL-9 broadcasts 5.5 hours a day of local news in HD as well as the Lakers and Dodgers in HD. I wish I could get KCAL in HD. It's a shame that the station with the most original HD programming is not offered in HD.
 
I suspect Claude has had a lot of good experience with the square shooter? I haven't been impressed with it.

But, an OTA antenna is definitely the way to go. It provides the ability to use a third tuner to watch or record if you have a 622 or 722. It will also bring you more of your local HD broadcasts (Dish only provides FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS), and additional channels in the form of simulcasts from your local stations.

As the digital transition progresses, you will see more multi-cast stations and receive more content because of your antenna.

As to how to record OTA: select the channel from your Dish remote and push record. Or, set a timer from the guide screen just like any other recording. For the channels to appear in the guide you must pay the $5 for locals (digital access fee) and Claude's guys will need to integrate them (do a scan for digital channels and add them) into your guide.

Claude should be able to tell you exactly what he expects you to gain using his antenna at your location.
 
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I live in Riverside County and OTA locals are great out here. I put up a $30 RS UHF only antenna and get all of the LA stations. KCET and KOCE have a lot of HD programming throughout the day, and the news and sports on KCAL are excellent in HD as well. The biggest benefit for me is being able to use that third tuner for recordings off of the network channels that Dish does carry. I can record off of the antenna without bothering anyone watching a Dish channel on tuner 1 or tuner 2. We could even have 3 shows recording at the same time.

And yes, I know some of our LA locals are going to VHF channels in 2009. I already checked it out, my RS antenna picks up the upper VHF channels well enough to be used for digital channels. Not sure how well that Square Shooter will do. Kind of depends on where you are in OC. Many people from Dana Point on south get better reception from San Diego than they do from LA.
 
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The Winegard crap shooter. Replaced quite a few of those with CM4221's and CM4228's.

Why? Because it would not receive the VHF Hi band digitals and was very poor on the UHF ones.
 
digiblur said:
The Winegard crap shooter. Replaced quite a few of those with CM4221's and CM4228's.

Why? Because it would not receive the VHF Hi band digitals and was very poor on the UHF ones.
Click to expand...

I'll have to check with DishStore to see if they have those. I can't really complain though as Claude gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. The way I see it a crapshooter is better than noshooter.
 
highdefjeff said:
I suspect Claude has had a lot of good experience with the square shooter? I haven't been impressed with it.

..........For the channels to appear in the guide you must pay the $5 for locals (digital access fee) and Claude's guys will need to integrate them (do a scan for digital channels and add them) into your guide.

Claude should be able to tell you exactly what he expects you to gain using his antenna at your location.
Click to expand...

I didn't get to chat with Claude too much regarding performance of the antenna. I don't think I'll have too much of a problem, checking with antennaweb and the maps there I think I have a clear shot to Mt. Wilson so it shouldn't be too bad. My only concern potentially with be how well it holds with the Santa Ana winds that gusts through here.

Thx for the tip as to what to tell the installer. I don't think they are Claude's guys as DishStore is not in SoCal. I am paying for the $5 locals so this shouldn't be an issue as far as integrating with the 722/625's
 
There are a couple larger companies and a handful of smaller outlets that do Dish's installs here in SoCal, unless Claude has a deal with a private installer. The regular companies Dish uses aren't amazing, but they get the job done perfectly alright. Make sure they ground the dish, and if they tell you it's not necessary, ask them to do it anyways. I've seen many installers out here skip that step because they think it's not necessary in our climate. As everyone said above, KCET HD and KCAL HD are worth the OTA, as well as the third tuner. The simulcast channels and sometimes higher quality from the OTA locals instead of the sat locals are worth it too, as long as you can pull them in.
 
articos said:
........ Make sure they ground the dish, and if they tell you it's not necessary, ask them to do it anyways. I've seen many installers out here skip that step because they think it's not necessary in our climate. ....
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thx for the tip. how do i go about ensuring that this is done? what should it look like? i'm a mechanical type so not sure exactly what to look at to make sure grounding is done right. do they just need to run a wire and connect to something metal on the house?

any other install tips? i've got a distribution box in the upstairs mbr and that's where i plan to tell them to run the cables into......
 
You should be able to see the ground wire (usually a green copper wire) coming off the ground block (looks like a metal bracket, usually pretty small) or the dish/mount, and that gets tied into the house's grounding, preferably. There are others here who can get into more specifics better than I can. Other than that, should be pretty painless.
 
You also get Ch 5, WB, with OTA. I don't think that comes with Dish local channel package. OTA is great, I am recording 3 shows at the same time just about every weeknight during primetime. I have no problem with Santa Ana wind last week either. My OTA installation was actually free too. I have an OTA antenna left by VOOM when they went out of business. I just asked the Dish installer to hook it up for me and I just tipped him $20.
 
directcj said:
thx for the tip. how do i go about ensuring that this is done? what should it look like? i'm a mechanical type so not sure exactly what to look at to make sure grounding is done right. do they just need to run a wire and connect to something metal on the house?

any other install tips? i've got a distribution box in the upstairs mbr and that's where i plan to tell them to run the cables into......
Click to expand...

If you take a look at this link, there are pictures with notes concerning grounding:

Grounding
 
There is a difference in quality between the OTA local channels and the sat delivered local Hd channels, believe me. Also, you get a 3rd recording device. You can record for instance a local network program on either 2.00 or 2.1 depending on your needs. Plus you get KOCE, KCET and Channels 5.1, 9.1 and 13.1 with some HD programs you wouldn't get otherwise.
 
That HD activation fee is $6.00, charged only if you don't subscribe to the HD pack. If you get in on the free HD pack for 6 months deal they waive the HD activation fee. You must also pay the $5.00 for local channels if you want EPG information. Locals are included if you get the DVR Advantage pack.
 
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