Press Release: New HD Local Markets, plus Summer and Fall Launch Plans

[Rob Glasser]

DISH NETWORK INCREASES HD LOCAL MARKET COVERAGE AND ANNOUNCES SUMMER AND FALL LAUNCH PLANS

Englewood, Colo., June 30, 2008 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today announced the addition of high definition (HD) local channels in Grand Rapids, Mich. and Memphis, Tenn. DISH Network now offers HD locals in 61 markets reaching more than 68 percent of U.S. TV households.

DISH Network also recently disclosed plans to add 22 HD local markets throughout the summer and fall. These markets include:


Abilene, Texas
Madison, Wisc.
Albany, N.Y.
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Beaumont, Texas
Omaha, Neb.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Quincy, Ill.
Columbia-Jefferson, Mo.
Sherman-Ada, Texas, Okla.
Des Moines, Iowa
South Bend, Ind.
Fargo, N.D.
Syracuse, N.Y.
Greenville, N.C.
Topeka, Kan.
Joplin, Mo.
Waco, Texas
Lansing, Mich.
Wichita Falls, Texas
Lincoln, Neb.
Wilkes-Barre, Penn.


“Earlier this year, we started delivering on our commitment by adding new HD local markets and offering more national HD channels; the launch of Grand Rapids, Memphis and our additional 22 HD markets demonstrates that we are aggressively moving forward with plans to reach 100 HD local markets and 100 national HD channels,” said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of Programming for DISH Network. “Throughout the remainder of the year, DISH Network will continue adding a variety of HD services – local markets, national channels, On Demand and Pay-Per-View – so our subscribers can enjoy the best technology, value and programming.”

DISH Network offers new customers the opportunity to upgrade for free to a dishHD DVR receiver like the ViP722™ -- which recently received the top-ranking Editors’ Choice awards from both CNET and PC Magazine. The ViP722 is a dual-tuner HD DVR that operates two televisions in separate rooms and offers up to 500 hours of storage capacity allowing customers to pause, rewind and fast forward their favorite TV programming.

Qualified new DISH Network customers who sign up with a 24-month commitment will also receive three months of free programming (a $120 value), a free dishDVR like the ViP722 and free installation (a $49.99 value). For more information on DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com (http://www.dishnetwork.com) or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).

# # #

About DISH Network Corporation
DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH) provides more than 13.815 million satellite TV customers with industry-leading customer satisfaction which has surpassed major cable companies for eight years running. DISH Network customers also enjoy access to a premier line of award-winning Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), hundreds of video and audio channels, the most International channels in the U.S., industry-leading Interactive TV applications, Latino programming, and the best sports and movies in HD. DISH Network offers a variety of package and price options including the lowest all-digital price in America, the DishDVR Advantage Package, high-speed Internet service, and a free upgrade to the best HD DVR in the industry. DISH Network is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus (http://www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus) or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information

[JohnH]

61 now. Add 22 before Dec. 21. Have to add 17 the last week of Dec. to get to 100 by the end of the year. :D

[fuerion]

I'm surprised they haven't said anything about adding Louisville, KY HD locals yet. I mean Louisville is DMA #48, and Abilene, TX for example is 164. I know they probably don't add channels by DMA ranking, but I would think it would have some bearing. I can get my locals OTA, so I don't guess I should complain too much.

[Lincoln6Echo]

Sumbitch....my market is still not listed. Of course, it was one of the last ones that D* got, so I'd say I won't see it from E* 'till the very last of the '100 Local markets by year's end' deal.

[John W]

Thank God Mrs. W got "us" that antenna for Christmas. Now, if we could just get the pos Nexstar station to get off its rear we could wait forever on Dish.

[Bobby H]

I mean Louisville is DMA #48, and Abilene, TX for example is 164. I know they probably don't add channels by DMA ranking, but I would think it would have some bearing.

Market ranking may carry some weight. However, I think geographical location could play a part as well as the customer market percentage E* has in a particular market.

I'm wondering if it is easier for E* to get HD locals on 61.5° active in markets near the geographical center of the continental US than places farther east or west. A number of uplinked HD locals in Texas and Oklahoma are in close proximity of each other (Abilene, Wichita Falls/Lawton, Sherman/Ada, etc.). The Dallas market had some changes made to it, and it is very close to those other previously mentioned markets.

One other thing worth mentioning at least in regard to Wichita Falls/Lawton: D* doesn't have any local channel support in that market at all. Not in SD or HD. I'm pretty sure most satellite TV customers in that area are with E* -largely because of the locals situation.

[jimborst]

One other thing worth mentioning at least in regard to Wichita Falls/Lawton: D* doesn't have any local channel support in that market at all. Not in SD or HD. I'm pretty sure most satellite TV customers in that area are with E* -largely because of the locals situation.


D* still (as of a few months ago) does not have my locals in SD so if you see a dish around here it is more likely to be E*. So a market like this with better E* subscribers, it would be better for them to upgrade to HD (although I doubt that will happen for a while).

[Bill R]

Market ranking may carry some weight. However, I think geographical location could play a part as well as the customer market percentage E* has in a particular market.

I think it does to some extend but I think the main factor is who DISH can come to an agreement with. My market (Cincinnati) has two "stinker" stations that just won't agree to let DISH carry their HD feed. Whose fault is it? Not being privy to what the stations want or what DISH is offering we will likely never know. I do know that DISH is losing customer in this market because they don't carry the HD locals and don't carry the local CW network SD feed. I'll bet the same thing is happening in other markets.

[siper66]

When will Columbus Ohio get any HD love from Dish? NO indication that they are anywhere on the horizon?

[tvjay]

When will Columbus Ohio get any HD love from Dish? NO indication that they are anywhere on the horizon?

That surprises me considering that Columbus is market 32.

[jclewter79]

Market ranking may carry some weight. However, I think geographical location could play a part as well as the customer market percentage E* has in a particular market.

I'm wondering if it is easier for E* to get HD locals on 61.5° active in markets near the geographical center of the continental US than places farther east or west. A number of uplinked HD locals in Texas and Oklahoma are in close proximity of each other (Abilene, Wichita Falls/Lawton, Sherman/Ada, etc.). The Dallas market had some changes made to it, and it is very close to those other previously mentioned markets.

One other thing worth mentioning at least in regard to Wichita Falls/Lawton: D* doesn't have any local channel support in that market at all. Not in SD or HD. I'm pretty sure most satellite TV customers in that area are with E* -largely because of the locals situation.

Same for Sherman/Ada. No locals on D* at all. Most sat customers here have E* unless they want sunday ticket.

[joe42]

Same for Sherman/Ada. No locals on D* at all. Most sat customers here have E* unless they want sunday ticket.

Oddly aside from us most of my family members have Direct TV and I don't understand why. My parents, my brother, my wife's parents and her sister and husband all have DirectTV. I guess I'm just not use to it but I can never figure out how to work the guide or tv.

I really hope Sherman/Ada can get HD locals soon. I'm pretty much waiting on it and Nick for the kids to switch over.

I wish they could get a Dallas or OKC- HD ABC channel added to the package too. Seems kind of strange there's not an ABC channel (or even a partial one back when KTEN was NBC/ABC hybrid). Having everything in HD eventually except ABC coming through American Direct is gonna make it look terrible.

[jclewter79]

Oddly aside from us most of my family members have Direct TV and I don't understand why. My parents, my brother, my wife's parents and her sister and husband all have DirectTV. I guess I'm just not use to it but I can never figure out how to work the guide or tv.

I really hope Sherman/Ada can get HD locals soon. I'm pretty much waiting on it and Nick for the kids to switch over.

I wish they could get a Dallas or OKC- HD ABC channel added to the package too. Seems kind of strange there's not an ABC channel (or even a partial one back when KTEN was NBC/ABC hybrid). Having everything in HD eventually except ABC coming through American Direct is gonna make it look terrible.

I know what you mean. I used to have a waiver and was allowed to get WFAA out of Dallas but, couple of years ago when that court ruiling came though I lost it. What I finally did was put up an antenna to get WFAA and when I bite the bullet and get that 722 I have been wanting, I will be able to record on it and it will be intergrated into the sat service so that will be nice. It is great that HD is coming because with my antenna pointed at dallas I can't get 10 or 12 very good. What I hope is that we also get the that MYTV subchannel from ch. 12 and that CW subchannel from ch 10. But hey you are lucky, in north texas you can not even get american direct because WFAA will deny your waiver.

[samchecker]

That surprises me considering that Columbus is market 32.


Indeed. You have to wonder if our absence from the list is because of the fact that the infamous Sinclair owns our ABC and Fox affiliates...

[valvestud]

Wow! Given the size of Tucson as compared to some of the other markets listed, I'm bummed we're not on the list. I understood we were on the list for this year, but maybe not.

Joe

[Hunter Green]

Sometimes it's not just the size of the market but also the saturation of other providers there. DISH can make more money serving a poorly-served but smaller market than a well-served large market in some cases.

[Bobby H]

I'm still wondering if geographical position in the country is a factor. Is it easier to spot beam a set of local channels to a position in Texas than it is to somewhere in Ohio or California?

[rkklinke]

Is that list in any sort of order or are they just randomly put up there?



With regards to what markets get HD first, I think the largest markets would get it first but I have also heard that the local stations can really muck things up. If a local network station in a paticular market is being a pest about signing up it can delay the whole market from getting done. Dish is always working every side of a situation to get the best price and once you get out of those top tier markets (Top 20) or so, I think they play hard ball with the middle and smaller ones. We have over half a million in our county and probably close to 800K in our local TV market. D* has had local HD's in our market for quite a while and we are still waiting for E*.

[Bobby H]

E* appears to be working loosely in the order of when each market was uplinked to the satellite. Some markets are lighting up earlier than others.

According to the E* Knowledge Base page on HD locals these are the markets currently uplinked to 61.5° in HD, but not yet available:

Greenville, NC - uplinked 3/12/08
Beaumont, TX - uplinked 3/19/08
Fargo, ND - uplinked 4/2/08
Florence/Myrtle Beach - uplinked 4/2/08
Madison, WI - uplinked 4/2/08
Sherman, TX/Ada, OK - uplinked 4/2/08
South Bend, IN - uplinked 4/2/08
Wichita Falls, TX/Lawton, OK - uplinked 4/2/08
Albany, NY - uplinked 4/9/08
Burlington, VT - uplinked 4/9/08
Chattanooga, TN - uplinked 4/9/08
Waco, TX - uplinked 4/9/08
Lansing, MI - uplinked 4/16/08
Syracuse, NY - uplinked 4/16/08
Scranton, PA - uplinked 5/21/08

With regards to what markets get HD first, I think the largest markets would get it first but I have also heard that the local stations can really muck things up. If a local network station in a paticular market is being a pest about signing up it can delay the whole market from getting done.

I do not understand why any TV would do this since it would only serve to put them at a competitive disadvantage for ad revenue with rival TV stations.

The ABC affiliate in my viewing market (KSWO channel 7 out of Lawton, OK) resisted allowing E* to re-broadcast their signal. They held to that until the three network affiliates south of the Red River in Wichita Falls started beating them up about it when pitching local businesses on TV commercial ad packages, "your ad will get seen on satellite with our station, but not with KSWO." Channel 7 changed their tune really fast.

We have over half a million in our county and probably close to 800K in our local TV market. D* has had local HD's in our market for quite a while and we are still waiting for E*.

That could actually be hurting rather than helping the cause of getting locals in HD with E*. Echostar could be throwing more of its resources into markets where it has a higher percentage of the market.

[BobaBird]

I understood we were on the list for this year, but maybe not.The current effort is focused on filling the E*12 spot-beams from 61.5°. There's been little if any mention of the markets shown in the 11 western CONUS states while this is going on, but they'll probably need to get to them to reach the target of 100 by the end of the year. Or they may have to wait for the E*5 replacement at 129° which I'm guessing won't be in service until early 2009. Dish really needs everyone's launches to go smoothly this year so Ciel-2 can be in place before E*5 can no longer be kept in place.

p.s. There is room today for Tucson on a spot-beam from (IIRC) 110°.

[valvestud]

The current effort is focused on filling the E*12 spot-beams from 61.5°. There's been little if any mention of the markets shown in the 11 western CONUS states while this is going on, but they'll probably need to get to them to reach the target of 100 by the end of the year. Or they may have to wait for the E*5 replacement at 129° which I'm guessing won't be in service until early 2009. Dish really needs everyone's launches to go smoothly this year so Ciel-2 can be in place before E*5 can no longer be kept in place.

p.s. There is room today for Tucson on a spot-beam from (IIRC) 110°.

Thanks very much for this info!!

[timhk]

[QUOTE=Bobby H;1664370]E* appears to be working loosely in the order of when each market was uplinked to the satellite. Some markets are lighting up earlier than others.

According to the E* Knowledge Base page on HD locals these are the markets currently uplinked to 61.5° in HD, but not yet available:

Greenville, NC - uplinked 3/12/08
Beaumont, TX - uplinked 3/19/08
Fargo, ND - uplinked 4/2/08
Florence/Myrtle Beach - uplinked 4/2/08[/B]

I certainly hope this is true as Greenville,NC was the 1st on the uplink list. Trying to find a sweet spot for the antennas is a beast. With Greenville locals on the DISH. I can them leave an antenna pointed towards Raleigh to pull those stations.

[scoobyxj]

I wish they would hurry up with the Columbus HD locals. I just recabled my whole system the other day, and pulled twin dual RG6 (swept to 3GHz) from my dishes to the switch so I'm all ready for what ever bird they put them on. A few other channels I wish they would hurry on is Spike HD, and Military HD. Once those are up I'll be dropping from the top 250 to the HD only package along with my locals. That'll save me about $35/40 bucks a month.

[Rob Glasser]

DISH NETWORK EXPANDS LOCAL HIGH DEFINITION MARKETS

Englewood, Colo., July 3, 2008 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today announced the addition of four high definition (HD) local markets: Albany – Schenectady – Troy, N.Y.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lansing, Mich.; and Syracuse, N.Y.

In January, DISH Network® announced plans to enhance its HD programming line-up throughout 2008. DISH Network continues its commitment to reach the year-end goal of 100 local HD markets and 100 national HD channels and now offers HD locals in 65 markets, reaching more than 69 percent of U.S. TV households.

DISH Network offers new customers the opportunity to upgrade for free to a dishHD DVR receiver like the ViP722™ - which recently received the top-ranking Editors’ Choice awards from both CNET and PC Magazine. The ViP722 is a dual-tuner HD DVR that operates two televisions in separate rooms and offers up to 500 hours of storage capacity allowing customers to pause, rewind and fast forward their favorite TV programming.

Qualified new DISH Network customers who sign up with a 24-month commitment will also receive three months of free programming (a $120 value), a free dishDVR like the ViP722 and free installation (a $49.99 value). For more information on DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com (http://www.dishnetwork.com) or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).
# # #
About DISH Network Corporation
DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the leader in digital television, provides more than 13.815 million satellite TV customers with industry-leading customer satisfaction which has surpassed major cable TV providers for eight consecutive years. DISH Network also provides customers with award-winning HD and DVR technology including the ViP722™ HD DVR, which received the Editors’ Choice awards from both CNET and PC Magazine. In addition, subscribers enjoy access to hundreds of video and audio channels, the most International channels in the U.S., industry-leading Interactive TV applications, Latino programming, and the best sports and movies in HD. DISH Network offers a variety of package and price options including the lowest all-digital price in America, the DishDVR Advantage Package, high-speed Internet service, and a free upgrade to the best HD DVR in the industry. DISH Network is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus (http://www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus) or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.

[Suomi]

Lansing, MI! Woo! Now I will have the option of HD via antenna or dish. Very good news.

Edit: After a little investigating, it appears that we so far only have two locals in HD, and they put them on 61.5. When I had my dish installed, they set me up with 129. I wonder what they'll charge me for another dish.

[Ressurrector]

I was happy that Chatt got added and I signed up TODAY BUT I then seen a link is this THIS dbs talk site?

http://ekb.dbstalk.com/hdlocal.htm

says ONLY fox and cbs............wtf is that all about? ha Guess we have to just sit and wait for them to iron the bugs out and maybe throwin nbc and abc on there now will be alot easier but we will see..


For everyone waiting if it MATTERS the turn around time from those first uplink reports to actual "I can order" seems to be around 2-3 months.

[Krmnnghia]

WooHoo! I am stoked about Lansing, MI being added. We have a ton of shows my wife and I watch on Fox and CBS so being able to record both in HD through the dish and OTA is a huge bonus for us. Very excited for this Fall when everything returns.

[demarcoc]

As far as the Lansing stations go, according to the Echostar Knowledge Base's Dish Network Channel Chart, four of the stations in the Lansing DMA are currently being uplinked in HD, all on 61.5 -- 6/CBS, 10/NBC, 47/FOX, and 53/ABC. These are listed as not yet being available to subscribers.

Also uplinked to 61.5 are the other two stations in the Lansing DMA, 18/MNTV and 23/PBS. Not clear if those are HD or not, and they are also not yet available to subscribers.

I'm still in SD at my house, and I had "moved" to Detroit my entire time with E* (since 1999) until the Lansing stations moved to 110, since I didn't want to get a different dish, and I can't get decent reception with an outdoor antenna.

As a result, I'm not sure what it'll run you for a new dish. However, when I upgraded from the original Dish 300 to the Dish 500, it was $25 with free installation from a local provider.

[Bobby H]

As of July 9, it looks like the local HD channels for Atlanta, Birmingham, Minneapolis and Nashville are now duplicated on the 61.5° satellite. Their feeds on 129° or 119° are still active as well.

It also looks like some markets that have had HD local channels uplinked to 61.5° since March or early April have been getting leap-frogged by other markets over the last couple or so weeks. Markets like Albany, NY and Syracuse, NY were uplinked later, but made available to viewers already.

Several local markets get uplinked from the New Braunfels, TX facility. All of those have been uplinked in HD to 61.5° since early April, but Dallas & Austin are the only ones whose local HD channels have been uplinked from there and actually lit up on 61.5° (and the Dallas market was already available on 110°). The EKB lists the status for rest as being either "early 2Q '08" or "Summer/Fall '08".

[Rob Glasser]

This got buried in my inbox on Friday, sorry for the delay ....

DISH NETWORK EXPANDS LOCAL HIGH DEFINITION MARKETS

Englewood, Colo., July 18, 2008 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today announced the addition of high definition local channels in Beaumont – Port Arthur, Texas. DISH Network® now offers local channels in 66 markets reaching more than 69 percent of U.S. TV households, continuing its commitment to reach its year-end goal of 100 local HD markets.

Earlier this year, DISH Network announced plans to enhance its HD programming line-up and will surpass the 100 national HD channel mark on August 1, 2008.
DISH Network offers new customers the opportunity to upgrade for free to a dishHD DVR receiver like the ViP722™ - which recently received the top-ranking Editors’ Choice awards from both CNET and PC Magazine. The ViP722 is a dual-tuner HD DVR that operates two televisions in separate rooms and offers up to 500 hours of storage capacity allowing customers to pause, rewind and fast forward their favorite TV programming.

For more information on DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com (http://www.dishnetwork.com) or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).
# # #
About DISH Network Corporation
DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the leader in digital television, provides more than 13.815 million satellite TV customers with industry-leading customer satisfaction which has surpassed major cable TV providers for eight consecutive years. DISH Network also provides customers with award-winning HD and DVR technology including the ViP722™ HD DVR, which received the Editors’ Choice awards from both CNET and PC Magazine. In addition, subscribers enjoy access to hundreds of video and audio channels, the most International channels in the U.S., industry-leading Interactive TV applications, Latino programming, and the best sports and movies in HD. DISH Network offers a variety of package and price options including the lowest all-digital price in America, the DishDVR Advantage Package, high-speed Internet service, and a free upgrade to the best HD DVR in the industry. DISH Network is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus (http://www.dishnetwork.com/aboutus) or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.

[Bobby H]

E* seems to be doing these additions lately on a weekly basis (every Wednesday). Beaumont - Port Arthur, TX became available on 7/16, last Wednesday.

I wonder if E* is lighting up any new HD locals today. I'm hoping the Wichita Falls, TX - Lawton, OK market becomes available really soon.

[RSNovi]

I have been out of town and we had another dish added to get 61.5 for Lansing. My wife told me that the channel guide says we get channel 6 and 47 that say HD, but all the programming she thinks is in SD.

She does not have as sharp of an eye as we do, but she said that she has yet to see an HD program on and the installer said that they are not transmitting anything in HD yet. I guess I need to get back home to check it out, but smells fishy.

Chris

[Bobby H]

Can you receive either of those channels over the air with an indoor or outdoor antennae? If so, that would give you a point of comparison between the DTV and NTSC broadcasts from those local stations.

I'm able to receive the DTV signal from our ABC affiliate in this market in SW OK. The local news and any other local programming is SD, but they do broadcast any HD-quality shows from ABC in 720p HD. I just wish the affiliates in Wichita Falls broadcast their signals at a higher strength.

[Jim5506]

During the day there is probably nothing in HD on local stations, but during prime time there should be 2-4 hours of HD each night on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.

NBC's Tonight Show has excellent HD as does CBS's LAte Show with Letterman.

[jclewter79]

I am having a 722 installed next sat. Is their any way I can figure out which bird those sherman/ada hd locals will be on when they light them up? I would just like to get the right setup now as apposed to having to chane it again in a few weeks.

[James Long]

http://ekb.dbstalk.com/dishlist.htm

Sherman/Ada are testing on 61.5°.

[jclewter79]

Thank you , James.

[Bobby H]

The EKB News Monitor wrote this on July 7:

HD locals planned to launch by 30 July: Abilene, Fargo, Greenville NC, Madison, Myrtle Beach, Sherman-Ada, South Bend, Waco, Wichita Falls, Northeast Pennsylvania (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre).

I'm hoping that report is accurate. But nothing new has been posted on the "HD Locals" page of the Echostar Knowledge Base in almost a couple weeks. I wonder if various Texas and Oklahoma HD locals are getting pushed back a bit by the August 1 launch of the various national HD channels. It will be nice having the full HBO channel suite in HD.

I just wish the HD locals in my area could get lit ASAP since it will probably be at least another week or two after that point before an installer can add a wing dish to my Dish 1000.2. The Olympics are coming up pretty quick and I can't pick up the OTA HD signal from Wichita Falls worth a hoot.

[joe42]

http://ekb.dbstalk.com/dishlist.htm

Sherman/Ada are testing on 61.5°.

Thanks. If these and the Viacom channels (specifically NICK for the kids) gets added soon I'll be ready to make the switch.

[jclewter79]

http://ekb.dbstalk.com/dishlist.htm

Sherman/Ada are testing on 61.5°.

Ok guys, one more question. I am getting that HD upgrade saturday morning and we know that my locals are testing on 61.5. I called today to confirm that I was getting a wing dish because I have been looking around and seeing alot of 1000.2's. Got a hold of a CSR who said that the work order said I was getting a 1000.2 and that I would be getting my HD from 129 not 61.5. I told him about the testing locals and he said he would try to make the change for me and put me on hold. When he came back on he told me that when my HD locals light up I will be able to receive them with the 1000.2 and do not worry about it. So, what do ya'll think? Should I call again or what?

[JohnH]

Until your local HDs launch they will not be able to do the wing unless you pay for it. So, just grin and bear it, so to speak. :)

[jclewter79]

Thats nice, I tried to warn them. I am gonna be a little teed off if thye light those locals on 61.5 and I have to have a 1000.2 and a wing dish.

[jclewter79]

Is it possible that the 500 that is already up there could be adjusted to where one of the lnb's could see 61.5 and then add the 1000.2? I just hope they are right but if they are testing the channel at 61.5 it is a safe bet that it will light up there right?

[Bobby H]

I have a 1000.2 dish. To get the HD locals from 61.5° a wing dish will have to be installed. I don't care too much whether there's one dish or two on my rooftop as long as the signals are coming in properly.

[jclewter79]

Oh, I know that to see 61.5 you have to have 2 dishes and, I don't care how many dishes they strap to the side of the house I just want to be ready for my HD locals when they do light up, with one install.

[James Long]

Is it possible that the 500 that is already up there could be adjusted to where one of the lnb's could see 61.5 and then add the 1000.2?Yes. I and many others have a 500 pointed to get 61.5.

I just hope they are right but if they are testing the channel at 61.5 it is a safe bet that it will light up there right?No guarantee ... but it is reasonable to expect that the HD locals won't be elsewhere.

[jdramsey]

Has Dayton OH ever been mentioned for local HD channels?

[chiefclerk]

I notice no Florida cities are on the "new" locals HD list. Direct TV carries Tallahassee locals in HD. Is there any prospect of adding Tallahassee FL to the local HD list? If not, it may be enough of an incentive for me to switch to Direct TV.

[BobaBird]

In the So, which HD locals do ya'll think they will add next? (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=135138) thread we're finally putting names to the dots on the map/poster of 2008 HD markets shown at CES. Looks like Tallahassee is one of them.

[Bobby H]

The "dots" in Oklahoma are not placed clearly. The dot placement is generally pretty bad overall; I laughed at the Amarillo placement. Four green "dots" are shown on that poster. Logic would suggest the upper pair of dots would be Oklahoma City and Tulsa. That would have the lower pair be Lawton and Ada. Problem is the Lawton and Ada channels are identified with Wichita Falls, TX and Sherman, TX. So why aren't those dots placed over the Red River (which defines much of Oklahoma's southern border with Texas)?

One of my friends had his Dish Network setup upgraded for TurboHD Gold + Platinum channels along with AT250. The installer (based in Wichita Falls) hasn't heard anything of the Wichita Falls-Lawton market being lighted up at all. He just knew that E* missed the July 30 target for turning on the HD locals. As far as they know, the new target is "fall" or "soon."

[BWELL316]

Any word on FOX HD in Maine yet? They were supposedly uplniked a few months ago but still nothing...

[spikor]

Does anyone know IF or when the Cincinnati Ohio locals will be broadcasting in HD on Dish Network. Alot of other Cities Lower in Rank of the DMA are already up and running. But no Cincinnati? Just Wondering?

[BWELL316]

FOX-HD in Portland-ME ever going to be in the plans or am I stuck watching SD Fox football on Thanksgiving, again? (So help me if one more person says get an antenna I will slap them. The local Fox here has no OTA capabilities and will not 2009 at the earliest)

[sgt940]

My son lives near Durant Ok, in the Ada/Sherman market, he had to have a new Dish (wife killled old one with vehicle) I told him to make sure they add 61.5 to his 500, installer however verified twice with the tech desk that the HD sherman locals will be on 129, not 61.,5 and installed a new 1000.2 for him.

[Bobby H]

The Sherman, TX - Ada, OK locals (like several others in this region of the country) are currently uplinked only on the satellite at 61.5°.

I would prefer it if the Wichita Falls, TX - Lawton, OK locals were lit up on the bird at 129°. There would be no need to add a second wing dish on my 1000.2 model. Since many of the new HD locals have been lighting up only on 61.5°, I'm just planning on my market doing the same thing whenever it finally lights up as well.

BTW, why does E* insist on omitting "Lawton, OK" from the Wichita Falls, TX - Lawton, OK market verbiage? They list Wichita Falls only. The ABC affiliate for that market broadcasts from Lawton. The city of Lawton has nearly the same population as Wichita Falls. Lawton may surpass Wichita Falls in population over the next couple years due to major BRAC related expansion happening on Fort Sill.

[jenniferny]

The Buffalo, NY market is number 49 out of the top 100 in the US, does anyone have any idea why Dish has not added HD LOCALS from Buffalo to their selection?

[kal915]

The Buffalo, NY market is number 49 out of the top 100 in the US, does anyone have any idea why Dish has not added HD LOCALS from Buffalo to their selection?


UPLINK ACTIVITY: SAMPLE TAKEN 05-28-2008 14:01:59 TO 05-28-2008 14:03:04 ET



CHNG 5181 WIVB MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w UNAVAIL HIDE HD MAP 4
TO 5181 WIVB{BUFFALO, NY} MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w AVAIL HIDE HD MAP 4

CHNG 5182 WGRZ MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w UNAVAIL HIDE HD MAP 2
TO 5182 WGRZ{BUFFALO, NY} MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w AVAIL HIDE HD MAP 2

CHNG 5183 WUTV MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w UNAVAIL HIDE HD MAP 29
TO 5183 WUTV{BUFFALO, NY} MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w AVAIL HIDE HD MAP 29

CHNG 5184 WNLO MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w UNAVAIL HIDE HD MAP 23
TO 5184 WNLO{BUFFALO, NY} MPEG4 HD Tp 13 Spot 15 Rainbow 1 61.5w AVAIL HIDE HD MAP 23



According to that, they were added about 3 months ago, maybe you have your HD channels on 129 and not 61.5

[jenniferny]

[lQUOTE=kal915;1753101] According to that, they were added about 3 months ago, maybe you have your HD channels on 129 and not 61.5 [/QUOTE]

Kal, thank you for the reply!
I have a DISH 1000 with no Dish for 61.5. When they installed the 1000 I was told ALL future HD content would be available from one of the 3 satellites that it picked up, now what do I do? I pay over $130 per month and I still can not get HD Locals even though Dish has them!

[jclewter79]

[lQUOTE=kal915;1753101] According to that, they were added about 3 months ago, maybe you have your HD channels on 129 and not 61.5

Kal, thank you for the reply!
I have a DISH 1000 with no Dish for 61.5. When they installed the 1000 I was told ALL future HD content would be available from one of the 3 satellites that it picked up, now what do I do? I pay over $130 per month and I still can not get HD Locals even though Dish has them!

What you need to do is call Dish and ask about getting an installer out to put you a wing dish up for 61.5. I they try to charge you or extend your contract, then start conplaining. This is something that should be done for free, expecially if you currently subscribe to SD locals.

[JohnH]

Buffalo would seem to be quite marginal for service from 129. May be a good signal, but low look angle.

[stackthepads30]

Of course no view in sight for HD locals in Rockford, IL. Being only 75 miles from Chicago, you would think that the area of 250,000 would be a candidate. This is the one thing that hasn't gotten me to reactivate my dishnetwork subscription after I moved from Pa. (where I had hd locals for a few years out there). Football is just not enjoyable on dishnetwork watching it in sd....

[dishlover2]

harrisburg hd when r they rolling out what month?

this will mean the additions of my 21 2 wlyh 15 on channel 23 on hd aka 15.1
nbc weather plus wgal news 8 8.2 dtv 58 8.1 wgal nbc hd
fox43 wpmt channels 43.1 47.1 they used to run the tube but they folded tied into all tribune affiliates ie wpix 11 wphl 17 which changed to mnt from wb and upn 57 became cw 57 tied into the cbs and tribune merger cbs paramount warner brothers each owning 50 percent of each others stations

[davethestalker]

South Bend, Ind.


HURRAY!!!!!


Just in time too, our CBS seems to have a weaker signal than our ABC :eek2:

[Bobby H]

I guess I'm getting a little more annoyed with the foot dragging from E* on adding any new HD locals.

For about the past month D* has been steadily adding roughly 3 new HD locals markets every week. E* hasn't done anything significant in the HD locals area since early July.

Several markets (including the one serving my area of the country) have been uplinked and ready to go since early April. But little to anything at all has been happening in that regard since then.

It would seem like the task of making more HD locals available to E* customers would have a currently high priority.

The new NFL season kicks off tonight (NY Giants and Washington on NBC). E* customers depend mostly on major network channels for NFL coverage. ESPN covers only 1 or 2 games per week. NFL Network isn't going to be showing games live until halfway through the season.

The fall TV season is about to get underway with no writer's strike to screw up things either.

I hardly watch the SD versions of my local channels via satellite because they look like garbage. I get the ABC affiliate over the air in HD, but they don't have any NFL games.

Anyway, I just don't understand the holdup on making more of these HD locals available. E* is going to have to get on the stick about this promptly if they intend to reach that year end goal of 100 HD locals markets being covered.

[tkrandall]

Such leapfrogging should be expected when either operator brings on line a sat enabling all new capacity, as D* has with D11.

[JBT]

More D* locals added again... E* is starting to annoy me. Tucson AZ ha been on the list for locals forever and still nothing...
OTA reception is no good at my place other wise I wouldn't be so annoyed.


The thing that annoys me the most is the sales person said HD locals were available when i signed up. I guess thats all on me for believing them though :(

[Jim5506]

They are adding locals in the east on Eastern Arc, new locals in the west will not come until the new 129 satellite is up.

[Ssstar18]

what about in Memphis TN? are two dishes required in this market in order to receive HD locals/channels?

[Bobby H]

They are adding locals in the east on Eastern Arc, new locals in the west will not come until the new 129 satellite is up.

That replacement satellite is supposed to be launched when, late October? November? Add weeks or even months of testing once the "bird" reaches the 129° position. On that time table it could be February or March of 2009 before the replacement satellite becomes fully operational.

It sounds like yet another reason why it seems increasingly doubtful that E* has any chance at all of reaching at that end of 2008 goal of 100 markets of HD local channels.

[natem50]

More D* locals added again... E* is starting to annoy me. Tucson AZ ha been on the list for locals forever and still nothing...
OTA reception is no good at my place other wise I wouldn't be so annoyed.


The thing that annoys me the most is the sales person said HD locals were available when i signed up. I guess thats all on me for believing them though :(

Welcome to my frustration. They said the same things about Indy, and that was 2 years ago! Indy isn't even on the uplink list any longer. I just hope that as they make a push for local HD markets, Indy gets looked at again. Tired of not being able to record multiple HD programs at the same time.

[projectorguru]

I have numberous e-mails to dish including the ceo addy, and no replies in over three months on when Harrisburg pa will be added, I've pretty much given up hope on Dish

[SandyG3]

Still no HD locals from Waco, TX. :(

[mclip_66]

Does anyone know IF or when the Cincinnati Ohio locals will be broadcasting in HD on Dish Network. Alot of other Cities Lower in Rank of the DMA are already up and running. But no Cincinnati? Just Wondering?

I have been wondering that for quite some time. 34th largest market and they can't get the HD channels. Ealier post said something about a dispute with the local networks but they already have the SD so not sure what's holding it up.

[JaguarJoJo]

When will Columbus Ohio get any HD love from Dish? NO indication that they are anywhere on the horizon?

No Columbus, no Cincinnati, no Dayton--but OK to Fargo! Go figure!

Jag

[Rob052067]

DBS Now Offers Local HD in 84 Markets
Multichannel News, 11/20/2008

Dish Network has added local HDTV channels in eight markets: Charleston-Huntington, W.Va.; Cincinnati; Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Pa.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Ark.; Louisville, Ky.; and Wichita Falls, Texas and Lawton, Okla.

Dish Network now offers local channels in 84 markets reaching 76% of U.S. TV households, the satellite provider said Thursday.

The company also announced that it will begin transmitting in MPEG-4 delivery system to consumers in nine additional markets in the eastern half of the United States. Now, consumers who sign up for Dish Network in 61 markets will receive all standard and HDTV programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Standard. In August, Dish Network became the first pay-TV provider to offer all-MPEG-4 service.


multichannel.com/article/CA6616499.html

[joe42]

DBS Now Offers Local HD in 84 Markets
Multichannel News, 11/20/2008

Dish Network has added local HDTV channels in Wichita Falls, Texas and Lawton, Okla.


Yep. That figures. Adds those but not Ada-OK/Sherman-TX. :nono:

[Bobby H]

In all fairness, the "addition" for the Wichita Falls / Lawton market was hardly an "add" at all. Just one channel out of four. LAME.

I don't know the reasons behind why Sherman/Ada was downgraded from HD to just SD on the local channel uplink and addition plans. But E* did it.

Wichita Falls/Lawton isn't Dallas, but it isn't a tiny viewing market either. Both of those cities each have well over 100,000 residents in their respective metro areas. Other surrounding towns within the DMA like Altus, Duncan, Chickasha, Seymour, Vernon, etc. (as well as the rural population in the many counties included in the DMA) bring the total near half a million potential viewers. The market is large enough to justify E* carrying all four major network affiliates in HD. Just one local channel in HD isn't going to cut it. That will just have many E* customers in this market rooting for D* to finally get their act in gear and counter E* with a complete set of HD locals.

[jclewter79]

Yep. That figures. Adds those but not Ada-OK/Sherman-TX. :nono:

I emailed E* about the Sherman/Ada market and they claim they are still planned and coming but, offered no new timeline. Just a standard canned answer. Everybody in our market needs to at least let them know that we want them as promised. I don't know if it will help but, sometimes the squeaky wheel gets greased.