Why 2nd Dish for new locals

[MikeW]

I'm not understanding the logic behind requiring a second dish to receive local channels. When Las Vegas was added, they added 7 new channels on a spot beam. 6 are normally available and one requires a second dish. Why, if Vegas is the only market using this spot, would they put one channel on the side sat? I don't understand this whole capacity thing.

[Cyclone]

I guess that they can only afford to put so many channels on the main satellites. I my area, I have like 5 channels on the 61.5 satellite.

No biggie, I just called Dish and had the 2nd dish installed. Now I can get HDTV when I'm ready.

[dbronstein]

Take advantage and get the free second dish. I got upgraded to a DP34 with it as well.

Dennis

[FTA Michael]

In Denver, at least, they put the more popular channels on the main dish. They put Denver's less popular channels on 148. (For example, the primary PBS affiliate is on 110, but the secondary PBS station is on 148.)

I've never seen it stated, but it seems likely to me that Dish hopes enough folks will get all the channels they really want on the first dish and won't want to bother with the hassle of having an installer out for the second dish. Thus they sorta satisfy must-carry while reducing the number of free dishes they have to mount.

And the lone Las Vegas channel on the 148? Can you guess that it's the Univision affiliate? Perhaps much of the non-Spanish-speaking segment of the LV population would see no need to add a second dish? Sounds like a logical hypothesis to me.

[MikeW]

What I still don't get is why do markets like LA, NY and SF have so many channels on the main sat with a few others on the sides. It just doesn't seem like capacity is the issue here. Even if they were to add Yuma AZ to the spot, there should be enough room to have all channels on the main beam.

[Mark Holtz]

I live in Sacramento. The only station that is carried on the side bird is Univision 19. Because I have a 3-receiver home (2 people, 3 receivers, go figure), I went ahead and got the second Dish. Why? There are additional potential services that I can get with that second dish that are not available on 110/119 that I might be able to take advantage of in the future, such as HDTV or (maybe maybe maybe) a German language station. The switch was also upgraded from a SW-44 to a SW-64.

Besides, I'm trying to learn Spanish... again.