Distant Locals???

[TerryC]

I just got a new HDVR2 that was an open box return. The previous owner was nice enough to not cancel his account and I was able to watch the channels he had subscribed to. Much to my surprise those channels included all of the distant locals of the big four nets (both east and west) as well as PBS national and Atlanta locals.

Now, I was under the impression that distant locals were not available with DirecTV if you were eligible for LIL. The one thing I miss about Dish Network is my distant locals. Anybody know how he did this?

[scooper]

that qualification for Distant Locals is different than the qualification for LIL, Presuming you in the "right" place, you CAN (by SHVIA) get both. It's up to the the DBS providers to decide if they will alow this.

It's also possible that you got a hacked access card.

[spanishannouncetable]

If you live in a "white area" (no OTA TV reception), you qualify for distants. The DMA you live in makes no difference, and the qualification process for distants vs. locals is different.

There is no cross-referencing process. Having locals does not automatically keep you from getting distants, and having distants does not mean you can't add locals. I have both with no "moving" necessary :D .

Back in '95, I signed up w/PT24 and got E&W distant feeds for all 4 networks. In '99 I was told I needed 2 waivers (NBC & ABC) to keep them, which were granted in writing. In Dec '01, Directv moved Greensboro locals to the 101 spot beam satellite so I added them to my distants with no problems.

[AJ2086]

Can you get distants from both LA and NYC on D* or do you have to choose one?

[spanishannouncetable]

If you qualify, you can get either NY or LA for .89 (I think) per single channel, or both NY & LA feeds for $1.17 per network.

All 4 NY alone would be $3.56
All 4 LA alone would be $3.56
All 8 channels is $4.68 (I have this)

[TerryC]

Well, upon further review, none of the distant locals work. They all say I need to call for availability, or something like that. I just wonder why they show up in the guide when I've set the guide to "all channels you receive".

[spanishannouncetable]

"All Channels" on a DirecTiVo means just that - every dang channel. PPV, movie, out-of-market sports nets, porn, locals you can't subscribe to - all means ALL, and this list cannot be modified.

The list you should concern yourself with is the "Channels I Receive" list. It will not auto-detect if a channel is open, so add every channel you pay for to this list. TiVo software uses this list to search for your Season Passes and Wishlists, so if you leave a channel off of it, TiVo will not know it is there and could someday miss something you might want to see.

The "Favorites" list is for channels you check on those rare occasions you decide to channel surf. Add just the channels you frequent most often.

[Karl Foster]

Even if you get locals, call Directv and ask them to apply for waivers for you with your local stations. I did that, and Fox granted me a waiver, so I have my local Fox, as well as Fox East/West for $1.17 per month. ABC, CBS, and NBC all declined. It doesn't cost anything, and you may get what you want.

[TerryC]

Can you tell I'm a newbie?

Thanks for all the replies.

[Karl Foster]

We've all been there :)

[TWood]

Has anyone had any luck in challenging denied wavers? According to the SHVIA http://www.fcc.gov/mb/shva/shviafac.html if you are denied a waver by your local TV station, you can request your satellite provider have a signal strength test performed at your location. Which they have to do within 30 days. If an "acceptable" picture cannot be received via an outdoor rooftop antenna, you will be allowed to receive the distant network feed. If the signal cannot be received, the local TV station pays for the testing. If it can be received, the satellite provider has to pay.

Here's my situation, I live in the Atlanta area. I would like to get west coast network feeds so I can catch programs I may have missed earlier. I requested wavers. ABC was granted on the spot. I received a denial from my local CBS station today. I would like to challenge it, but I can get a watchable albeit fuzzy reception with rabbit ears. So I believe if I had testing done, they would say I can receive an "acceptable" picture with a rooftop antenna. My question is this: If one challenges the denied waver, would the satellite provider and TV station just go ahead and let you have the distant network feed to avoid the expense and trouble of testing? Or are they going to follow the SHVIA to the letter and go through the testing despite the trouble and expense. I know this may just depend on each TV station. But thats why I asked my original question.

[DCSholtis]

My thinking is that they will infact go by the letter of SHVIA and follow thru with testing...Also I thought that if the tests proved you COULD get an acceptible signal that the subscriber and not the satellite company paid for the testing.....Though I could be wrong on that...

[scooper]

More than likely, you won't get ANY signal test done - there was no penalties put in SHVIA on either TV station OR DBS provider, the upshot is that NEITHER will do a signal test.

And not getting the station on rabbit ears is insufficient anyway. The test would be for an OUTSIDE dipole 30 feet above the ground.
If you couldn't get the station with a big OUTSIDE antenna aimed properly, you might have a case.

[AJ2086]

Well not only is my house in a valely surrounded by mountains but there a trees all over the place. We once messed with the antenna on the roof and all that we got was the local UPN (WCTX, WBNE at the time) affiliate, nothing else. I called D* and asked about locals and given from my address I am already approved for Fox and NBC. Should CBS and ABC be a problem? I think I got NBC cause it is an O&O.

[TWood]

A good point about no penalties for the satellite provider or TV station. I guess if one wanted to go to the trouble of filing a complaint with the FCC, maybe they would do the testing. Maybe not. Either way I'm pretty sure a tester would say I can receive an acceptable signal since I can get a half way decent signal with rabbit ears. If I had a rooftop antenna, I could probably get a truly decent signal (nowhere as good a digital satellite of course).

Its just annoys me. I can understand the local TV station not wanting satellite subscribers to watch a show on a different network affiliate when they are broadcasting the same show at the same time. However, I don't see how they are losing anything if I want to re-watch or tape a show that I missed at a later time from a west coast affiliate.

Oh well. I'm probably going to switch to D* soon and get a couple of DircTivos. Then it won't be as big a deal.

Thanks for your replies! :)

[TWood]

Originally posted by AJ2086
I called D* and asked about locals and given from my address I am already approved for Fox and NBC. Should CBS and ABC be a problem? I think I got NBC cause it is an O&O.

Well, from my understanding of the SHVIA, the TV stations base their decision on waivers on how far you are from their transmitter. The provision about requesting a tester if the wavier is denied is there for situations like yours. Where you may be close enough to receive a signal according to the FCC model, but obstructions such as trees and mountains prevent you from actually getting a picture. Take a look at the SHVIA Fact Sheet yourself: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/shva/shviafac.html. Read items 8 - 14. That may help you decide what to do if they deny your waivers.

[AJ2086]

Well here are the tower locations for the networks I am approved for:

Fox (WTIC)- Farmington, covers a 63 mile radius (Map found here: http://100kwatts.tmi.net/cgi-bin/tvtl.pl?calls=WTIC-TV&lat=41-42-13&lon=72-49-57&rad=63)

NBC (WVIT)- A little NW of New Britain (Map found here: http://100kwatts.tmi.net/cgi-bin/tvtl.pl?calls=WVIT&lat=41-42-2&lon=72-49-57&rad=0 I am slightly south west of Waterbury.

The other 2 (ABC & CBS)-

ABC (WTNH)- Gaylord Mountain, Hamden 59 mile radius.

CBS (WFSB)- Talcot Mountain, Avon 63 mile radius

[raj2001]

I don't get it. What's so special about our locals in NYC?


Seriously, I have been wondering this for quite a while.

[RichW]

The problem is that there is no law that REQUIRES DBS companies to provide you with distant networks even if you qualify. That is why there is no penalty for not testing. It is an option of the DBS company whether or not to provide distant signals. Same goes for the superstations.

[Karl Foster]

Originally posted by raj2001
I don't get it. What's so special about our locals in NYC?


Seriously, I have been wondering this for quite a while.

The ONLY thing I use my NYC Fox station for is to record American Idol, Joe Millionaire, because my wife always has conflicts when she records. It just gives us (my wife) the opportunity to record earlier. This is important on Monday nights when Fear Factor, King of Queens, and Joe Millionaire are on at the same time. I can only record two at once. We also run into problems on Tuesdays with Real World, American Idol, and The Bachelorette all on at the same time. American Idol actually gets recorded later on the LA Fox station.

It isn't for the news, or any noble purpose. It is simply selfish so I can watch trashy Fox tv, and not have it interfere with anything else. I also get a kick out of watching the traffic reports in NYC and LA. When when my wife complains about traffic, I have her watch the traffic report on the BQE, or the Santa Monica Freeway. Makes SLC traffic not look not so bad. Seriously, though, if Fox took it away, I wouldn't care that much and it really isn't a big deal, but for $1.17 per month, I just couldn't pass it up.

[AJ2086]

I enjoy NY locals because the CT locals are tempermental and interupt for everything and they do that stupid snow thing with cancellations and they run too many commercials and throw off programing by a couple mins. They also do the local sports stuff which throws off programing and seeing NY is on the same timezone as CT its convinent to have 2 ABC's NBC's etc. Now LA I have never had them but I plan on getting them the 3 hours difference will make TV watching easy.

[DCSholtis]

I applied for my Cleveland waivers today thru D* was told it would be 30-45 days before I heard from them....When I first signed up with D* in the Mid 90s they still had PrimeTime24 taking care of distants was great...had everyone until some damn judge in Miami ruled all that illegal....

[raj2001]

Originally posted by karl_f
I also get a kick out of watching the traffic reports in NYC and LA. When when my wife complains about traffic, I have her watch the traffic report on the BQE, or the Santa Monica Freeway. Makes SLC traffic not look not so bad. Seriously, though, if Fox took it away, I wouldn't care that much and it really isn't a big deal, but for $1.17 per month, I just couldn't pass it up.

To tell you the truth, the traffic doesn't even bother me, because I don't drive to work. :D

[Adam Richey]

I know this is off topic, but my computer won't let me create a new thread. I was wondering if WKFT was actually available to DirecTV Raleigh / Durham locals subscribers? I thought the tower was knocked down, and that's the only reason it's not on Dish. It was for a short time. Any information would be great. :)

[Karl Foster]

Originally posted by raj2001


To tell you the truth, the traffic doesn't even bother me, because I don't drive to work. :D

Now I'm getting totally off-topic, but my wife and I have vactioned in NYC several times now (thanks JetBlue for bringing a cheap way to get to NYC), and we have considered moving there as well. I love it there. I love the vibrancy, the diversity, the food, and most everything else. We have decided not to get serious about it as we live by our aging parents. But if I could find a good-paying job there in a few years.....

If I lived there I wouldn't drive either. I'd definitely be a public transportation user. :)

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled DBS topic....

[sorahl]

we have had both nyc and west coast locals from day one.

john

[Brett]

Originally posted by DBSOgre
I know this is off topic, but my computer won't let me create a new thread. I was wondering if WKFT was actually available to DirecTV Raleigh / Durham locals subscribers? I thought the tower was knocked down, and that's the only reason it's not on Dish. It was for a short time. Any information would be great. :)

When WKFT 40 goes back on the air it will be a Univision station. It will no longer be an Indy. It will be owned by Univision it looks like also.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/elnuevo/4667003.htm

To translate:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

The station is still on cable. I suppose its fiber delivered, and it maybe to DirecTV also (like WWAC 53 which fiber delivers to Comcast and DirecTV).