General 921 Question re: Locals

[leefarber]

Hi all.

I'm seriously considering getting a 921, since I've had a beautiful Sony 34XBR910 since January and have never had an HD image to watch on it. I currently have a 721, and I have a question about local channels.

I live in Los Angeles, and currently get locals through Dish Network. Each channel corresponds to its "normal" position, i.e. CBS is on ch. 2, NBC on 4, ABC on 7, etc. If I get a 921, will this change? I would hate to have to jump into the thousands just for locals.

I'm also confused about OTA. I can understand using an antenna to try to pick up locak HD programming, but would I have to use it for SD programming as well? I saw someone from Los Angeles post a note about the difficulty he was having locking in to local channel KCOP here via OTA, and I was thinking, "Why would he need to use the antenna for that channel when I getit through my local package?"

If anyone can clear this up for me, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks,

Lee

[cclement]

I live in Los Angeles, and currently get locals through Dish Network. Each channel corresponds to its "normal" position, i.e. CBS is on ch. 2, NBC on 4, ABC on 7, etc. If I get a 921, will this change? I would hate to have to jump into the thousands just for locals.



Lee, the 721 does channel mapping, so if you have local channels, they are in the 8000's AND they are mapped to the correct "normal" location. This is NOT yet available on the 921, they are only in the 8000 range.

As for OTA locals, here in Minneapolis, I have no problem pulling in my locals and keeping them. I know others have some problems. You will have to find someone with a 921 in LA and ask him/her if they are having any problems.

As for the HD picture, you'll love it! I find myself watching less and less SD.

Hope this helps!

[Eagles]

Hi all.

I'm seriously considering getting a 921, since I've had a beautiful Sony 34XBR910 since January and have never had an HD image to watch on it. I currently have a 721, and I have a question about local channels.

I live in Los Angeles, and currently get locals through Dish Network. Each channel corresponds to its "normal" position, i.e. CBS is on ch. 2, NBC on 4, ABC on 7, etc. If I get a 921, will this change? I would hate to have to jump into the thousands just for locals.

I'm also confused about OTA. I can understand using an antenna to try to pick up locak HD programming, but would I have to use it for SD programming as well? I saw someone from Los Angeles post a note about the difficulty he was having locking in to local channel KCOP here via OTA, and I was thinking, "Why would he need to use the antenna for that channel when I getit through my local package?"

If anyone can clear this up for me, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks,

Lee

Lee, you don't know what your missing! I think the TV you reference already has a built in HD tuner. Check out the owners manual. You can simply install an antenna (old fashioned type/before cable) and receive HD signals from your local affiliates. You wouldn't need the 921 or any other HD OTA Hd tuner to achieve this. However, the 921 or the 811 would allow you to receive some HD channels from the satellite dish which the 721 does not have the capability to receive. As a 921 owner, who originally had a DVR-508 hooked up to my HD monitor, I think the standard-def content via the 921 is far Superior because of the up conversion and aspect ratio options the 921 has. You ask: Why do I need an OTA antenna for local channels when I get them from Dish? The locals you are currently receiving are Standard-Definition. The OTA channels would allow you to view any available HD programming form the locals in HIGH-DEF. The picture quality is not even close. It's like now your driving a Ford Pinto, and by hooking up the OTA antenna, your driving a Rolls Royce. As far as the channels as they appear on the 921. It's a minor nuisance which you will get used to, and well worth the trade off for the 921 capabilities. Also check out these websites for info on OTA antennas for your locationantenna web (http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Welcome.aspx) titan tv (http://www.titantv.com)

[joebird]

As Eagles points out, if you are going to get an OTA antenna, the picture is so much better than the Dish compressed locals that you won't even watch the latter (unless, of course, you can't pull in a few of them with the antenna).

Obviously, in order to record the OTA (better picture quality) locals, you need to connect your antenna to the 921. When this is done, the OTA channels are mapped to the 'normal' numbers (along with sub-channels, if provided). But the normal Dish SD locals are NOT mapped to those numbers. I think I heard on the latest tech forum that this might be coming in the fall, but one never knows. If so, then you could have the Dish SD local right next to the OTA local in the guide (like the DirecTV boxes do it) if they do this in the future.

Also note that right now there is no guide information for the OTA channels with the 921, but they are working on that as well.

Joe