Switching from E* What will I get?

[msnyder]

I'm strongly considering switching from E*. I have a few questions:

1. Can I get a HD DVR and 2 additional DVRs?

2. Can I get the TotalChoice Package and add HBO, Cinemax, and Stars packages separately, instead of signing up for the $90 package? Is so I'll save $10 a month on the channels I don't want.

3. What HD channels does D* offer? I know I can get HBO-HD and Showtime HD like I do now. It looks like I'll keep HDNET, HDNET Movies, DiscoveryHD, and ESPNHD, and gain Universal HD. Does D* offer ABC, CBS, Fox, or NBC in HD without an OTA Antenna? i.e. over the dish?

4. Do I need to have more than one dish on my roof to get all the channels available?

 

[dishrich]

Does D* offer ABC, CBS, Fox, or NBC in HD without an OTA Antenna? i.e. over the dish?

4. Do I need to have more than one dish on my roof to get all the channels available?

It would help us if you told us where you were at, so we knew which DMA you're in...

 

[msnyder]

I'm moving, not far, but far enough the zip code is different.

Current: 75703
As of 2-4-05: 75762

 

[lee espinoza]

1-2) yes
3) call 1800-263-0028 for more info
4) need your zip code

 

[lee espinoza]

4) no but you will need a 3lnb dish, your local are on sat 119

 

[msnyder]

That blows, I called the number and I was hoping to get ABC, NBC, and Fox in HD, I already get CBS in HD. Looks like if I switch to D* I'd have to give CBS up, none are offered. Looks like I'll be sticking with E*.

 

[Beavis]

Since you live in an area which D* has locals, you won't get the HD networks over the satellite (They only come from NY & LA)

 

[msnyder]

Since you live in an area which D* has locals, you won't get the HD networks over the satellite (They only come from NY & LA)

I get one of them now with E*?

 

[dishrich]

Since you live in an area which D* has locals, you won't get the HD networks over the satellite (They only come from NY & LA)

That's not entirely correct - you CAN get the NY or LA HD networks in several DMA's, depending on which DMA &/or network it is.

I get all 4 of the NY HD nets in the Chicago DMA...

 

[Beavis]

That's not entirely correct - you CAN get the NY or LA HD networks in several DMA's, depending on which DMA &/or network it is.

I get all 4 of the NY HD nets in the Chicago DMA...

heheh.. true

As for the networks, there was a change in the law recently, so anyone who had a distant network got to keep it, but anyone who didn't have any couldn't get em added (those who live in a local market)

 

[msnyder]

How do I get them all with D*?

 

[Beavis]

You need to "move" to a white area. As in somewhere in the boonies where the closest TV station tower is a long way away.

 

[msnyder]

I see... How could I go about finding a white area, in the boonies, close to Tyler so I can qualify for the Tyler locals as well as the HD in NY? Tell me and I'll move there.

 

[Beavis]

well, that's the thing...New D* subscribers who have a zipcode in the DMA of a city that D* carries locals absolutely cannot get the distants. Meaning if you call up D* to activate as a new customer, and you give them your service address that is in the Tyler DMA, then you can get locals for Tyler but no distants. If you give D* a service address that isn't in the Tyler DMA, and isn't in a DMA where D* carries locals, then they'll run your address to see if it's in a "white area". If it is, then they'll add the distants, if not they'll give you info on waivers. As for finding a white area, I'm sure the minds here could help ya.

 

[msnyder]

Here's what I don't understand... I have Tyler locals as well as CBSHD out of NYC, how can I have both now?

 

[Beavis]

You have E* right now...when did you get CBSHD? The change in the law was recent. If you got CBSHD more than 2 months ago, that's before the law changed. People who had distants before the law changed can get locals provided they don't move. For example, if I lived in a white area last year, and got the distants, but D* started carrying the locals in my DMA, I could subscribe to both. If E* gave you CBSHD really recently, and after you subscribed to locals, then they violated the law.

 

[dishrich]

You need to "move" to a white area. As in somewhere in the boonies where the closest TV station tower is a long way away.

OR, you move to an O&O market, (like I did) which automatically gives you the HD feeds w/your locals pkg.

If you move to NY, LA, Chicago or Philly, you would get all 4 HD nets, since all 4 local networks are O&O. Of course, the Chicago & Philly stations are on spotbeams, so obviously you would have to be pretty close to those actual cities to get those networks in SD.

 

[msnyder]

Well, they violated the law then, because I've had CBSHD less than a month.

 

[Beavis]

I'm sure this is a law that's hard to enforce.

 

[colofan]

Also the law allows a person to challenge the denial of a waiver via field testing which is what I am doing because of the tower issue in Denver.

You can always get a waiver if you prove via test that you can not get their signal (in this case the digital signal). The law change also to allow the consumer to address that a lot of stations are are waivers themselves on going full power.

Just bugs me that a station "thinks" that if they make it hard for me to get the DNS for HD that I will just give up. I will be very happy to send my local affiliate a testing bill