What determines the E* locals?

[hillsmi]

I am a sub installer and have a question or two regarding the local packages that the customers receive.

I know that the DNS were disabled, and now customers have to receive locals from within their state, at least that is what I am experiencing with my installs in MI.

I am also aware that there isn't / shouldn't be any address shadowing to receive desired locals (at least from my retailer). Being an installer, I don't have anything to do with the sale / selling of the job, and all is to be confirmed before I arrive (yeah, right!).

My customers don't receive their locals from their closest city, which in many cases is not pleasurable to the customer, so much so that an install I converted from D* yesterday and was receiving locals from Grand Rapids, MI, is now receiving E* locals from Flint / Saginaw.

She called and left two voicemails today saying that she is not getting anywhere by calling E*, and wants the system removed and the D* put back up, all because she is not getting her desired locals.

Is there any way that a customer can have their local package changed to a desired / dedicated package from a particular city within their state, or is there anything I can do as an installer to remedy a problem such as this?

Thanks in advance for your replies and answers.

 

[Pepper]

It's all determined by the service address zip code.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I am a sub installer and have a question or two regarding the local packages that the customers receive.

I know that the DNS were disabled, and now customers have to receive locals from within their state, at least that is what I am experiencing with my installs in MI.

I am also aware that there isn't / shouldn't be any address shadowing to receive desired locals (at least from my retailer). Being an installer, I don't have anything to do with the sale / selling of the job, and all is to be confirmed before I arrive (yeah, right!).

My customers don't receive their locals from their closest city, which in many cases is not pleasurable to the customer, so much so that an install I converted from D* yesterday and was receiving locals from Grand Rapids, MI, is now receiving E* locals from Flint / Saginaw.

She called and left two voicemails today saying that she is not getting anywhere by calling E*, and wants the system removed and the D* put back up, all because she is not getting her desired locals.

Is there any way that a customer can have their local package changed to a desired / dedicated package from a particular city within their state, or is there anything I can do as an installer to remedy a problem such as this?

Thanks in advance for your replies and answers.

It is called "moving" to the nearest dma that has locals up on the satellite. Simply change her SERVICE address to the desired city that she wants and as long as it is uplinked on the satellite she can get the city she wants.

1. Just find an address in the city she wants, like a movie theater and add an apartment number to it . Plug it into the address broker of the Dishnetwork locals site and you should qualify for those locals.

2. Then call Dish and tell them of her new SERVICE address and keep her BILLING address what it REALLY is and keep her phone number what it really is. She gets the locals she wants.

3. You will have to be the one she calls for any service related problems and to get receivers replaced etc. But this is what most of us do that don't have locals on the satellite or we don't want the ones we do get. Works for hd locals too.

I had an installer offer to do this for me when I tried Directv for a year in 2003 and I let him call in the fake address himself. It works and is done everyday.

 

[JimK2]

It all depends on DMA (designated market area) and your zip code. Don't see how DTV could offer anything different, they can't offer out of market DMA either. If a network broadcast (abc, nbc, cbs, fox) is not available in your dma thats were DNS comes into effect, and with DISH, NPS offers feeds from atlanta and san francisco.

Try their address in the local 'Do I qualify?' tool

453 MADISON AVE SE
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503
https://customersupport.dishnetwork.com/customernetqual/prepAddress.do

Local channels currently available in this package:
Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, MI Locals Package - $5.99 per month

Station Local Channel Number Dish Channel Number
GRAND RAPIDS ABC-WZZM 13 8710
GRAND RAPIDS ABC-WOTV 41 8721
GRAND RAPIDS CBS-WWMT 3 8711
GRAND RAPIDS FOX-WXMI 17 8713
GRAND RAPIDS IND-WTLJ 54 8720
GRAND RAPIDS NBC-WOOD 8 8712
GRAND RAPIDS PBS-WGVU 35 8716

GRAND RAPIDS Echotar X Transponder 12 Spobeam 13
12s13 110° E*10

 

[helopilot]

E* Locals

I'm new at this whole thing, but is it possible to get locals that aren't on the Conus beam? Also isn't this a work around for the DNS?

 

[MikeD-C05]

You can get the nearest dma that is within spotbeam range. I am in Beaumont/Pt. Arthur ,tx dma and I am 90 miles from Houston and I "moved" to Houston . I am within the spotbeam range and I can get Houston locals with a 90 signal strength on hd and a 95 on sd locals.

 

[Mr Tony]

I live in Minneapolis but subscribe to Duluth, MN locals which are 150 miles away

 

[pabeader]

I have to ask this...

Is there anything "wrong" with doing this??? "moving" I mean. Dish already has me on their s**t list and I don't want any more trouble. But I would really like locals that aren't 'really' local. I HATE our local channels. Really crappy PQ and sound. Plus they don't carry the programs I want.

 

[SmityWhity]

I didn't think they had a s**t list. To have a s**t list would require remembering stuff from day to day.

Q. Is there anything wrong with this?
A. If it's not right, is it wrong?

You pay for some locals, you get some locals. So you get the wrong locals and get caught, how many years on death row do you think they'll give you (outside of Louisiana )? Probably just cancel your service and send you to DTV.

 

[pabeader]

Oh they remember me... I still get nasty messeges from time to time. Will have to look into this. I would really like to 'move' to chicago area. Thanks for the info.

Would switch to OTA + Netflix before I would go to DTV or even suggest it. Not really that into sports. Like Movies!!!

 

[SmityWhity]

Then if you move, they might offer to help you.

Also, before you buy a house in the new location , you should check for service there. This link has many other links where you can check the footprints for various spotbeams and/or the transponders on each spotbeam, as well as some of the TV markets. http://www.dbstalk.com/ekb/satmaps.htm

On some of the diagrams, I believe they may have switched the terms "Transponder Number" and "Spotbeam Number".

And with the following link you can cross reference which Sat, Transponder, and Spotbeam (if any) are for the cities you may like to move to. Don't forget to look at both HD and SD channels, they are probably on different satellites.
http://ekb.dbstalk.com/dishlist.htm

 

[Hall]

Remember, the spotbeams are pretty big "spots". Some people often think they have rather narrow coverage as if you can't get them if you're outside the city or it's suburbs. That's probably rarely the case.

Whether it's "wrong" or not depends on who you ask. It's definitely wrong in the eyes of your local TV station's eyes. Dish frankly could care less and in the past condoned it very much. So much that there was a big court case you may have heard about.... "Moving" is simply a different way of going about the same thing, except this time, the onus is on the customer. If you tell Dish you moved, they believe you without any proof.

 

[pabeader]

Thanks for all the help. Time to rent a uhaul!

If you've read any of my past posts you will know exactly how I feel about local TV stations. So I have no problems moving if that's all that matters.

 

[FitzAusTex]

Two questions about 'moving'.. I'm considering it since my local HD OTA Fox signal isnt stable when sent through my 622. (works fine using TV's tuner, but not the 622). First question, will Dish attempt to set up an appointment to move my dish/lnb...bascically will they attempt to make sure I have service at my 'new' service location? How does one typically answer them if they ask to set up an appointment? 2nd question has to do with EPG...if I 'move', do I lose the my current city OTA EPG info? I'd want to keep that guide info since the other HD locals come in fine, and i'm told OTA will be better than the HD locals i'll get from dish...not to mention I could then potentially record 3 network shows at the same time (except Fox) thanks!

 

[sprintcarcrazy]

Well, I juest moved 150 miles West to KC. I get SD locals now and HD locals and now Fox HD, which I have never gotten before I moved ! The guides still work on the OTA for my real locals, the subs worked for a while, tats another issue. I get Wheel and Jeopardy now in HD, never got that before. So now, Nascar on Fox in HD, I am on cloud 9.

I called, and gave a campground address, said I have moved with my RV and Dish 1000. I said my dish is already setup. I had issues and had to call back about 3 times before my new locals starting coming in.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Two questions about 'moving'.. I'm considering it since my local HD OTA Fox signal isnt stable when sent through my 622. (works fine using TV's tuner, but not the 622). First question, will Dish attempt to set up an appointment to move my dish/lnb...bascically will they attempt to make sure I have service at my 'new' service location? How does one typically answer them if they ask to set up an appointment? 2nd question has to do with EPG...if I 'move', do I lose the my current city OTA EPG info? I'd want to keep that guide info since the other HD locals come in fine, and i'm told OTA will be better than the HD locals i'll get from dish...not to mention I could then potentially record 3 network shows at the same time (except Fox) thanks!

1. I moved to Houston and still get my ota locals with guide information for my area -Beaumont/Pt. Arthur tx. The key is that Dish have your real locals up on the satellite for the ota to pick up the guide information.

2. If you " move " tell Dish that you have already moved to this new Service address and that you have your dish installed for what ever you need for hd :either a dish 1000 or two dishes ,dish 500 and a side sat to 61.5. Tell her you are getting all your programming just fine, but you need the locals for that new area. Keep your billing address and phone what it really is. You are all set.

 

[FitzAusTex]

Thanks Sprint and MikeD! I may give it a shot. Kinda interestingly enough I emailed the CEO address 2 weeks ago about the fact that i joined Dish 3 weeks before the now free 622s started, and it seemed unfair that i had to pay $199, when if i had waited till 2/1, it would have been free... plus new subs as of 2/1 were still getting the $100 or $200 10 month credit. By my calcs i was out either $100 or $200, and was hoping they'd fix it. In my mind if i had bought something at Best Buy, and it went on sale within 30 days, i'd expect a price adjustment, else i could simply return and re-buy the item. Turns out that since i signed up at a local retailer I should have gone after the retailer for the $199 within the first 30 days, and not Dish. Anyway, a lady from the CEO dept called me Saturday and explained this, but she ended up giving me a free month to make up for this ($144 and yes, the credit is already on my account, which is pretty darn fair of them!). She is SUPER nice, and i explained the issue i'm having with FOX, and she called me today to get even more info about it..to see what can be done, since it is likely the 622, and not FOX at the root cause of the issue. I also mentioned on Saturday that it was a shame that we've lost the OTA subs info, and she says they're working on the situation. She didnt outright say that the sub info would be put back, but maybe so is my take...I'm more than willing to pay $5 for the EPG for OTA, but only if i get the sub info. Anyway again, i was pretty pleased that she took the time to follow-up. There, at times, seems to be a fair amount of Dish/Charlie bashing in the forums, but here's an example of them def stepping up.

 

[MikeD-C05]

You are more than welcome. Goodluck in getting your hd locals.

 

[dirtyzachattack]

So, if the area I live in an area (Happens to be Grand Rapids as well) that does NOT have the local channels in HD through the dish and I have to use an OTA tuner... Am I able to "move" to a city that has the HD locals through the DISH? Because currently CBS does not show up at all using my OTA tuner. If I could move and get all the local channels in HD with it, that'd be stellar.

 

[stone phillips420]

I have to ask this...

Is there anything "wrong" with doing this??? "moving" I mean.

nope, just be sure to pay your bill each and every month!