Dish had me, but let me get away!

[PhillyJimbo]

I had the installer in my place on Saturday, but he didn’t want to do the installation because the snow on the ground might not have held his ladder very well.  We rescheduled for Tuesday.  Over the rest weekend, I double-checked the Dish Network website for general info.  I live in the Philadelphia suburbs and want to get the local channels.  The fine print said that I would need a 24" x 36" dish to get all the local channels.  I didn’t think that would be a problem until I got a hold of my salesman who he told me that this dish was in addition to the regular dish and that he couldn’t provide/order me one and that his installer couldn’t install it; I’d have to contact Dish Network directly to arrange its installation.  I live in a townhome development with an Association from which I had to get permission to install the dish.  I didn’t ask to get two dishes, let alone one that big!  I got disgusted and told the salesman the deal was off (he was a very helpful and informative guy - it’s a shame he had to lose the commission).


It looks as though Dish has made me run right into the arms of DirectTV. There are some negatives with DirectTV - the fact that I have to buy (instead of lease) their PVR, the fact that their PVR doesn’t have as much recording time, and the fact that I must pay $12/month extra if I want Fox Sports World, to name a few.  In the end, I may not even get DirectTV, because I’m mad at and distrustful of Dish.


It’s a good thing I didn’t cancel Comcast yet!

[PhillyJimbo]

Sorry about the extra nonsense in the post, but I couldn't delete it. I'll know better in the future not to compose my posts in Word first!

[John Corn]

fixed :)

[Brett]

DIsh refuses to move the minor stations to a better location. They want more markets carried to increase DBS penetration levels instead and figure one can live without the independents and secondary PBS stations and very few will go through the hassle of requesting an upgraded dish. Many of the UHF stations that require a special or second dish, carry programming found in other areas(Univision national feed, Telemundo national feed, FamilyNet PAX national feed etc.)

What stations are of interest that are on 129?

In Montgomery Co., WYBE WGTW and WFMZ can be picked up over the air. Other than that, I dont know if any remaining station has any interest to anybody, except if you want Telemundo (affiliate Ch.62).

If you later get cable internet, Comcast pretty much forces you to get lifeline cable too, because without any TV service, they charge you more. And it comes out cheaper having lifeline cable and cable internet, then just cable internet and the $15 Comcast charges for not taking a cable TV service. So you'll get those channels with cable also.

[Wedgecon]

Well

If you have an area such as a balcony that is for your exclusive use you do not need permission from your homeowners association. You just have to follow some basic rules such as:

1) Can not attach it to the building. A pole in a bucket of cement works well.
2) Can not drill any holes. You can use flat cables or those glass transmitter things.

If you follow those rules and have a area such as a balcony facing south you can have as many dishes as you want. The SHIVA law makes all homeowners restrictions null and void. The one exception are registered historic districts, but since you said you live in a town home you do not have to worry about that.

The homeowners association also is prohibited from implementing any rules that would significantly add to the cost such as requiring inspections, excessive insurance (More than $100,000) etc.

As to the Dish PVR vs DirecTIVO I can guarantee you that the $4.99 (Waived if you subscribe to Total Choice Premiere) charge for Tivo service is worth every penny. Dish does not charge a fee but their PVR's are very basic and don't work very well. You can trust me on this I put up with Dish PVR's for over 3 years before I switched to DirecTivo and have not had a problem since then. Also remember to get Dual tuners under Dish you have to buy the 721 for $350.00 to $400.00 whereas a DirecTivo costs about $199.00.

[pez2002]

how much are you paying with comcast ????

[PhillyJimbo]

Originally posted by Brett
What stations are of interest that are on 129?

In Montgomery Co., WYBE WGTW and WFMZ can be picked up over the air. Other than that, I dont know if any remaining station has any interest to anybody, except if you want Telemundo (affiliate Ch.62).


I like WGTW (48) for their local/indy midnight wrestling programs and for that hysterically funny and awful reality program "Cheaters".  I also want WYBE (35) for some shows.

It looks like the stars have aligned for me from all this.  I watch a British program regularly on channel 12 that is also on channel 39 out of Allentown (although it's about a year behind).  This past weekend, channel 12 told its viewers that they won't carry the show past February.  Since channel 39 is the only channel that Dish doesn't carry, I'll be better off with DirectTV or cable to allow me to continue to follow the show.

 

[PhillyJimbo]

Originally posted by pez2002
how much are you paying with comcast ????

Without any of the extras like HBO or digital, it's $42/month.

 

[DarrellP]

Can't you keep a Locals package on Comcast and not get Dish locals? I can get a locals package here from AT&T for $10/month.

[Brett]

Comcast here sells lifeline for $9.10 or so a month. I get all the locals Dish carries (in the Philly locals package) plus CN8, WPPX 61, Educational Access, and C-SPAN. Actually I have full cable right now for Comcast SportsNet and other cable networks.

I get most the popular DirecTV channels but missing alot but get E! Style. DirecTV refuses to carry E! Style since its backed by Comcast. They could add it, as the Style network is satellite-delivered (unlike CCSN Philly). Cable-owned satellite-delivered networks have to be made available to the satellite companies but CCSN Philly and CN8 dont as they are cable-owned but terrestially delivered.

WLVT 39 wont be on Dish Network anytime soon.

WLVT thinks people in South Jersey (includes Dish's POP) cannot pick up the station. They refuse to try to do mustcarry on Comcast in my area even though my Comcast CAN pick it up. I pick it up very good. Station engineer thinks I'm lucky. Engineers at WFMZ on the other hand were fighting to get cable carriage here claiming to the FCC WFMZ reached here, back in 1997 before they increased power.

Dish's POP is in Pennsauken, NJ which is very close to me. Dish doesnt want too many people requesting the 129 dish, so wont go out of there way to carry WLVT. If WLVT wants to, its their responsibility. Their attitude is its too far, very few will have access anways (since it requires a big dish), so its not worth it.

Little do they know, the South Jersey Cherry Hill newspaper Courier Post lists WLVT 39 even though Comcast doesnt carry it. People that rely on OTA here can get WPSJ 8, a low power VHF station, and WLVT 39, and the paper gives the OTA group these channel listings even though the cable customers cannt receive them.

Comcast in my area carries WFMZ 69, but WFMZ isnt listed in that newspaper. Both are listed in Philadelphia Inquirer. WFMZ was added 6 months here before Dish and DirecTV added it. My feeling is WBPH and WFMZ are commercial stations and are more aggressive towards cable carriage. WBPH is aiming for DirecTV carriage, and Comcast in Philadelphia carriage. WLVT 39 must think South Jersey is too far from Lehigh Valley and their interests. Technically I'm in NJN and WHYY zone for PBS stations, plus WYBE (a noncommercial station member of APTS).

All 3 stations (WLVT, WBPH and WFMZ) broadcast from the same location and with recent power increases, all can be picked up in Camden County though require rooftop antennas.

The only full power station in the Philadelphia market that will not reach Philadelphia will be WMGM 40, which is an NBC station licensed to Wildwood NJ. All the Allentown stations cover Philly now, WTVE in Reading increased power to reach Philly, and WWAC-DT reaches Philly. Of course, they are considered rimshots though.

[Steve Mehs]

Has E* ever said why Philly, specifically Philly and only Philly is on Telstar 7? It would seem a little less costly just to squeeze the extra channels in at 61.5. Instead of having provide the ka/ku dish and what ever converters are needed. How many tps is E* leasing at 129 and from whom? This deal with the 129 location doesn't make much business sense to me.

[Jacob S]

That is what I have been trying to figure out for a while, why in the world put it up there instead and just for that city?

[PhillyJimbo]

Originally posted by DarrellP
Can't you keep a Locals package on Comcast and not get Dish locals? I can get a locals package here from AT&T for $10/month.

That's a thought, but it just wouldn't sit right with me.  I want to get away from Comcast for not providing me all the channels I want.  If I got Dish, even they wouldn't be providing me all the channels I want (conveniently, at least).  So taking a little from Column A and a little from Column B might solve the problem, but that would be rewarding two companies for only doing things half-correctly.  DirectTV seems to solve the problem, but I'm leery with the whole scene right now.  Plus, with the Flyers doing so well, I'm not sure I want to give up Comcast Sportsnet just yet.  :)

[PeterB]

They have a warehouse of standband dishes they needed to get rid of.