Only OTA and non-HD Programming on Vip722

[madwest]

As a desperate move to reduce my monthly expenses, I've considered dropping my HD and locals programming on my Vip722.

Does anyone know if that is a valid programming package for the Vip722?

Basically, I would be left with Dish100 (or family), but I could still get my locals via digital OTA. I assume I could still DVR and watch my locals in HD if that is how they broadcast. Can anyone confirm this?

[snowcat]

Yes, you can do this. Until Feb 1, there is a $7 "enabling fee" for having an HD receiver with no HD programming. After Feb 1, it goes down to $5 a month.

Local programming would be without guide data. You can still record HD OTA, but you would have to set up manual recordings.

[madwest]

Yes, you can do this. Until Feb 1, there is a $7 "enabling fee" for having an HD receiver with no HD programming. After Feb 1, it goes down to $5 a month.

Local programming would be without guide data. You can still record HD OTA, but you would have to set up manual recordings.

I see. That makes sense that there would be some penalty for having an HD DVR, but no HD programming. I can either keep HD programming for $10/mo or pay $5/mo to not have it. I'll probably keep it then.

From reading some other posts, I had surmised that I wouldn't have guide data for OTA if I dropped locals. That could get pretty annoying. The most annoying part would probably be that I would have to name the recordings manually if I wanted to keep them around for a while.

I seem to recall from the days of before Dish, I used an on-screen guide that came over the air on my RCA TV. For some reason, I'd always thought that it was exclusive to RCA. I might be wrong. I have no idea if anything like it still exists or not. Does anybody know? I'm guessing though if there is such a guide, I couldn't view it via the Dish OTA tuner. I would have to view it via my TV's digital tuner.

[garys]

Not have HD programing is $7 per month. That may change come February.

[robert koerner]

If you buy your own unit and only sign up for SD, Dish still wants to charge you a monthly fee for having a HD unit and not using the HD.

Best from cold Tucson
Bob

[arxaw]

...I seem to recall from the days of before Dish, I used an on-screen guide that came over the air on my RCA TV...It's called TVGuide On Screen and is available on several brands of TVs now. My Sony has it and my analog RCA did, too. But the analog version is no longer available in my market. There's a guide button on the TV remote.

http://i43.tinypic.com/jkbwhh.jpg