finally some local channel news.... for Palm Springs, CA

[spreggin]

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071207/LIFESTYLES01/71207034

they make it sound as if I will have to change my whole package just to get the locals..... sounds like BS but I hope I am reading it wrong...

[say-what]

That entire article is poorly written, so many inaccuracies - you can't keep the out of market networks once DirecTV starts carrying your locals, the FCC did not prevent the local stations from being on DirecTV and all packages include your locals.

[texasbrit]

You may have to change your equipment though. I believe that the Palm Springs SD locals will come from a spotbeam on the DirecTV10 satellite, and if that's the case you will need a 5-lnb dish, an H20/21 receiver or HR20/21 DVR and the b-band converter(s) to receive the channels - in effect, an HD setup, even if you are only trying to receive SD.

[ricksterinps]

I spoke to a CSR a couple of weeks ago and he told me that they are doing free upgrades from SD receivers to HD in the Palm Springs area, so I scheduled and had it done last weekend. I already had the 5-lnb dish for the HDDVR that I have so I don't know if they charge for the dish upgrade or not. And you might want to contact them and have them do it before the xmas rush. They also told me when I call for the upgrade that since I was paying for the HD Access Package, that the locals would only be $3.00 more a month. Does this sound right?

Have you called and asked about the date? I know the article states 1/16 and was written on 12/7, but when I called on 12/6, they didn't have a date for me. That could have been the CSR too.

I so can't wait to dump Time Warner. Thanks for the update. I missed it when I read the paper.