Why doesn't Dish Network have Local on the 8's?

[Hall]

I tend to think that more use OTA than you think I would think that around half use it.

I tend to think that the vast majority of cable or satellite users have long since forgotten about using an antenna to get their TV (or even supplement it). I also tend to think that Dish knows that they wasted a lot of money putting OTA tuners in the 622 and 722 and later found out a small percentage were being utilized. Does anyone remember Dish surveying customers about their OTA viewing habits a few years ago ? I do... Then the 722k came out with the OTA module being optional. Hmmm...

 

[StonesCat]

I'd say more and more "average" customers are going to be wanting OTA, rather than less and less. At least in my area, 2 of the affiliates really push the .2s and .3s quite a bit now. One shows high school basketball games live, they show a late evening comedy block(Frasier, Raymond, 2 and Half Men) now, they switch to the subchannels for severe weather, and show Regis and Kelly(while the main channel has Ellen). I'd consider my parents your average customer, and my mom has to have that Regis show. My dad screwed around with his antenna for days trying to get Retro TV to come in.

 

[patrick80639]

I'd say more and more "average" customers are going to be wanting OTA, rather than less and less. At least in my area, 2 of the affiliates really push the .2s and .3s quite a bit now. One shows high school basketball games live, they show a late evening comedy block(Frasier, Raymond, 2 and Half Men) now, they switch to the subchannels for severe weather, and show Regis and Kelly(while the main channel has Ellen). I'd consider my parents your average customer, and my mom has to have that Regis show. My dad screwed around with his antenna for days trying to get Retro TV to come in.

Yeah, more people might be wanting it, but with the decreased signal strength of digital OTA, it's made it impossible or very inconvenient for many people to even get a signal. I personally don't know anyone that uses it anymore.

 

[navychop]

Besides weather via the internet, I suppose they could put a low bandwidth, maybe text & crude graphics only, data stream on each spot beam. Then have the receivers pick their zip code from the stream and display it. Limited, but perhaps better than nothing.

 

[navychop]

Yeah, more people might be wanting it, but with the decreased signal strength of digital OTA, it's made it impossible or very inconvenient for many people to even get a signal. I personally don't know anyone that uses it anymore.

I am gladly grandfathered where I don't have to pay for locals. I watch very little from the networks, or OTA. I have a nice OTA antenna setup so I can get what I want. Even if I had Dish locals, I'd keep the OTA setup, since I get all the subchannels and many more small stations than Dish provides. I just wish Dish did not block the PSIP data!

 

[mike123abc]

I just wish Dish did not block the PSIP data!

Dish probably does not block PSIP data. They just did not put the software to process it in their receivers...

So, it is really you wish that Dish wrote software to process PSIP data and allowed the DVR to be programmed with it, and the guide to be updated with it...

Then of course you have the issue of which wins tribune satellite data or local PSIP if they conflict...

 

[Jhon69]

I tend to think that the vast majority of cable or satellite users have long since forgotten about using an antenna to get their TV (or even supplement it). I also tend to think that Dish knows that they wasted a lot of money putting OTA tuners in the 622 and 722 and later found out a small percentage were being utilized. Does anyone remember Dish surveying customers about their OTA viewing habits a few years ago ? I do... Then the 722k came out with the OTA module being optional. Hmmm...

Dish Network needs to do a new survey with this new explosion of local digital channels that are starting to appear.Just like I don't care when Dish Network get's PBS in HD,I get it OTA.

 

[patrick80639]

Dish Network needs to do a new survey with this new explosion of local digital channels that are starting to appear.Just like I don't care when Dish Network get's PBS in HD,I get it OTA.

I've seen PBS in HD OTA, the PQ is light years beyond anything from Dish. Most of the subchannels I've seen are in SD anyway, so I don't see why dish can't add them.

 

[Bobby]

Because they take up precious transponder space......

 

[Hall]

...with this new explosion of local digital channels that are starting to appear...

An "explosion" ? Reference please...

And for the record, I do use OTA with Dish.

 

[Hall]

Because they take up precious transponder space......

Based on the piss-poor quality that I've seen on most sub-channels (positive to that is that they're not taking away from the primary channel !) and then converted to MPEG4, I think the amount of "space" could be minimal.

The other issue, will the stations allow it (for free) ? Or will the stations want new contracts and add'l $$$ ?