Question about local feeds and distant networks

[calguy99]

Hi,

About a month ago I received a post card in the mail telling me that Direct TV is offering local channels in my market. I have a Direct TV Tivo receiver with dual satellite receivers in one room and an 8 year old Sony receiver in a second room. I also am subscribed to the Total Choice programming package required to receive local channels. My satellite dish is 8 years old. I noticed that on my tivo receiver the local channels (3, 5, 6, 12, 24, and 38) started showing up in the programming grid with program descriptions but no feed (picture, video)

The question I had was if I purchase a new satellite dish that receives the new satellites with the local feeds will I automatically get the local feeds or will I have to call Direct TV to activate the locals?

Also if I add will I lose the distant network feeds (New York and Los Angeles) which I have been receiving for the last 8 years?

Thanks
:)

[jimisham]

It looks like you'll need the 3 LNB dish and you will have to call Directv and activate the local channels. I think the extra charge is $3 a month.
The chances are good that you will lose your "distants" if you do this.

[UPY]

Actually that chances of you losing the DNS is low. Only way that will happen is if the CSR you get is extremelly dumb or if your address is currently not the one where the recievers are located and you have to update that address to get your locals. If you have to change you address you will lose you DNS and not just by adding locals.

[Link]

Directv is better than Dish about letting you keep distants if you already had them even if you add the locals. However with the new laws saying that you have to choose distants over locals you might want to just keep the distants you get now.

Yes, you'll have to pay for the locals $3 a month, however Directv might be giving a free preview of them right now but since you dont have the right dish, they dont come in.