National HD feeds available on Dish?

[ExCavTanker]

I'm a current D* subscriber, but since they want me to pay $200 to upgrade to a HD DVR I am exploring switching to E*. I called E* and the package sounded good especially considering they were going to give me 2 622's.
Here's the rub, due to the elevation (or lack of it) it's impossible to get OTA HD even with an antenna on our two story house, so we qualify for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX HD feeds but the CSR from E* said they do not even carry those feeds?! I find that hard to believe that they don't but that's why I'm posting here. If I switched and the wife couldn't get network HD for the shows she watches, I think I'd permanently be residing in the doghouse:). So, does E* carry National HD feeds and should the CSR be able to determine if I am eligible?

[Ken Green]

I'm a current D* subscriber, but since they want me to pay $200 to upgrade to a HD DVR I am exploring switching to E*. I called E* and the package sounded good especially considering they were going to give me 2 622's.
Here's the rub, due to the elevation (or lack of it) it's impossible to get OTA HD even with an antenna on our two story house, so we qualify for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX HD feeds but the CSR from E* said they do not even carry those feeds?! I find that hard to believe that they don't but that's why I'm posting here. If I switched and the wife couldn't get network HD for the shows she watches, I think I'd permanently be residing in the doghouse:). So, does E* carry National HD feeds and should the CSR be able to determine if I am eligible?
Check the list :)
http://ekb.dbstalk.com/hdlocal.htm
If your local HD's are not on the list, your only other option is OTA. How far do you live from the towers? When you say, "you qualify" for distant locals, are you located in a FCC white area?

[ExCavTanker]

The closest one to me (Detroit) is about 280 miles away. Not sure if I'm in a white area, all I know is I didn't need a waiver from any of the local stations to get the distant local HD feeds. According to antennaweb, Fox is 13 miles, ABC is 32 miles from me (they do NOT broadcast OTA HD), NBC and CBS are not showing as possible to receive(both of them broadcast OTA HD). The distance is not the problem, the town I'm in sets basically in a large bowl which prevents the reception for OTA. I talked with engineers at three networks who used some sort of 3D program to determine reception capability and all three said forget receiving an OTA signal (I did not call the Fox station) . So I guess the CSR was correct in saying that they don't broadcast distant HD locals like D*, dang that sucks and means I'm stuck with D*:(.

[cb7214]

The closest one to me (Detroit) is about 280 miles away. Not sure if I'm in a white area, all I know is I didn't need a waiver from any of the local stations to get the distant local HD feeds. According to antennaweb, Fox is 13 miles, ABC is 32 miles from me (they do NOT broadcast OTA HD), NBC and CBS are not showing as possible to receive(both of them broadcast OTA HD). The distance is not the problem, the town I'm in sets basically in a large bowl which prevents the reception for OTA. I talked with engineers at three networks who used some sort of 3D program to determine reception capability and all three said forget receiving an OTA signal (I did not call the Fox station) . So I guess the CSR was correct in saying that they don't broadcast distant HD locals like D*, dang that sucks and means I'm stuck with D*:(.

E* can no longer provide distant networks to anyone reguardless if you would qualify or not due to a court ruling last fall, however i believe there is a company that sells them on behalf of dish network im not sure of the name though

[ExCavTanker]

E* can no longer provide distant networks to anyone reguardless if you would qualify or not due to a court ruling last fall, however i believe there is a company that sells them on behalf of dish network im not sure of the name though

Looks like I'll have to do some research for that 3rd party reseller (a spinoff of E* perhaps to circumvent the ruling?) to see what the scoop is, because as it stands right now, E* could have the latest greatest whizbang receiver, but if we can't get CSI Vegas in HD, fugettaboutit.




GO WINGS!!!!! 3 down one to go

[James Long]

The 3rd party, NPS, currently sells only SD signals to qualified customers. No "national network" (distant) HD is available through E* equipment. Local HD is available in select markets.

[ExCavTanker]

The 3rd party, NPS, currently sells only SD signals to qualified customers. No "national network" (distant) HD is available through E* equipment. Local HD is available in select markets.

Oh well, looks like I'm stuck in the D* camp. What was it about E* that got them sued to prevent retransmitting HD distant locals and D* avoided it? The only thing that affected D* users is we can no longer get both the East and West Coast feed HD channels (my thinking is the NFL didn't want us to have free access to more HD games).

[Mike D-CO5]

You can always "move" to another near by city where Dish carries hd locals once you are established as a Dish customer. Do a search on "moving" and it will explain it all.

[ExCavTanker]

You can always "move" to another near by city where Dish carries hd locals once you are established as a Dish customer. Do a search on "moving" and it will explain it all.

;)

[putabengali]

Oh well, looks like I'm stuck in the D* camp. What was it about E* that got them sued to prevent retransmitting HD distant locals and D* avoided it? The only thing that affected D* users is we can no longer get both the East and West Coast feed HD channels (my thinking is the NFL didn't want us to have free access to more HD games).

what was it that got dish sued?... primarily the fact the direct is in bed with fox... and fox was the primary party suing dish.... funny how that works

District court said that dish was too liberal in qualifying people for distants... so now dish can't broadcast distant locals... but All American Direct can, and dish can still lease All American Direct some space on a satellite... so now basically dish can broadcast distant locals using entirely dish equipment, so long as it says a different company name on the bill. Gotta love the government...

[James Long]

Not quite true, putabengali. All four major networks sued E* and D* ... yes, Fox sued D*. D* decided to settle the suit and follow the rules. E* failed to quit delivering distants to customers who did not qualify and lost the ability to carry networks outside of their own market.

E* makes nothing off of individual subscribers to NPS' distants service. They get a measly $150,000 per month whether NPS has one customer or a million. When E* had their own distants they were clearing a lot more that $150,000 ... it is much more that "a different company name on the bill".

[Hall]

...due to the elevation (or lack of it) it's impossible to get OTA HD even with an antenna on our two story house, so we qualify for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX HD feeds Qualify ?? From who ??

[BNUMM]

You can always "move" to another near by city where Dish carries hd locals once you are established as a Dish customer. Do a search on "moving" and it will explain it all.

Also, a new dish would be needed and you would have to be in the spot beam. If he is 280 miles from Detroit I doubt whether he is located in the spot beam. The next large town that would be near is Grand Rapids and that is not even on the list for locals to be added.

[Mike D-CO5]

But if he wanted to receive say in HD :Chicago or Kansas City, L.A. Nashville, Albequerque, Nashville, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City locals he could get that with a dish 1000.2 sat dish. Those and others are on Conus beam not spotbeams. Same with 61.5 side sat dish plugged into the dish 1000.2 dish. He could then get all kinds of locals in Hd for the east coast as they are on conus beam as well. Like New York, Boston, Philladelphia, and Washington D.C. .

[ExCavTanker]

Qualify ?? From who ??

Qualify=eligible.

From who=D*.

I'm not sure what they are using for a criteria to determine eligibility (perhaps FCC data), but I was eligible for Distant local HD channels and did not have to request a waiver from any of the nearest stations.

Now my folks have a vacation home about 15 miles from me and they just recently added HD receivers through D* and when I tried to have the HD networks added, D* would only turn on ABC and CBS and indicated a waiver request would have to be filed for Fox and NBC (Which they CAN receive OTA), now here's the shocker, both stations denied the waiver, surprise surprise! Here's the biotch, neither of those two local stations broadcast HD OTA, so my folks are still screwed from receiving Fox and NBC in HD. IF they did broadcast HD OTA I could understand them denying the waiver but since they can't it appears they are just being vindictive. My folks are receiving ALL local SD chnetwork channels from D*, it's just the HD that's the issue.

[ExCavTanker]

Also, a new dish would be needed and you would have to be in the spot beam. If he is 280 miles from Detroit I doubt whether he is located in the spot beam. The next large town that would be near is Grand Rapids and that is not even on the list for locals to be added.


I'm currently one hour North of Traverse City which supplies most of the SD locals over satellite to me. Care to take a guess when T.C. wll be on board with uplinking HD to E*;).

[ExCavTanker]

Not quite true, putabengali. All four major networks sued E* and D* ... yes, Fox sued D*. D* decided to settle the suit and follow the rules. E* failed to quit delivering distants to customers who did not qualify and lost the ability to carry networks outside of their own market.
.

So what happened to existing subscribers that were receiving Distant Network HD after the lawsuit was adjudicated?

[ExCavTanker]

But if he wanted to receive say in HD :Chicago or Kansas City, L.A. Nashville, Albequerque, Nashville, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City locals he could get that with a dish 1000.2 sat dish. Those and others are on Conus beam not spotbeams. Same with 61.5 side sat dish plugged into the dish 1000.2 dish. He could then get all kinds of locals in Hd for the east coast as they are on conus beam as well. Like New York, Boston, Philladelphia, and Washington D.C. .

Mike,

Would those configs still require me to 'move' in order to get those feeds, or could I get them at my current location? Bottom line is I don't care WHERE they come from as long as they are in the Eastern time zone, I have my SD locals for news etc..If I can get this hurdle cleared I'm making the move to E*.

[Hall]

They lost those distant networks. Fact is, they likely are still getting the major networks because of the amount of coverage Dish has.

[Mike D-CO5]

Mike,

Would those configs still require me to 'move' in order to get those feeds, or could I get them at my current location? Bottom line is I don't care WHERE they come from as long as they are in the Eastern time zone, I have my SD locals for news etc..If I can get this hurdle cleared I'm making the move to E*.


You would need Dish to install a dish 500 and a side sat dish for 61.5. Then after you get installed and wait a few days, you would call up Dish and tell them you have moved to the new service address that would get you the eastern city you want. The billing would stay your real address and make sure you tell them that and your phone number would stay the same.

Yes you would have to " move" your service address to get the new hd locals. Just google search movie theaters in the city of your choice. Then add an apartment number to it , plug it into the Dish address broker for local and it will tell you if you are good to go.

[James Long]

I'm not sure what they are using for a criteria to determine eligibility (perhaps FCC data), but I was eligible for Distant local HD channels and did not have to request a waiver from any of the nearest stations.They use the same criteria that NPS uses for deciding who can get their service - with D* required to follow one additional rule. All distant service providers are limited to providing networks only to customers who are outside the "Grade B" coverage of ALL stations of that network. If the customer is in "Grade B" waivers are needed from ALL stations that provide a "Grade B" signal. The rules apply regardless of if the local station is broadcasting in HD or SD. The additional rule that D* has to follow is that they cannot add new distant customers in markets where they provide "local-into-local" service without a waiver from the network station. (NPS does not offer LIL so that last rule does not apply. E* cannot offer distants at all so the rules are irrelevant.)
So what happened to existing subscribers that were receiving Distant Network HD after the lawsuit was adjudicated?
They were (for the most part) annoyed to lose their CBS-HD feed. E* never carried the other national network feeds (except for a special ABC-HD feed for the Superbowl).
Would those configs still require me to 'move' in order to get those feeds, or could I get them at my current location? Bottom line is I don't care WHERE they come from as long as they are in the Eastern time zone, I have my SD locals for news etc..If I can get this hurdle cleared I'm making the move to E*.If you 'move' you will get the locals for the city that you move to. You will no longer receive Traverse City locals via satellite. So you are giving up your SD locals for news etc ... Depending on where you move you may be able to get that market's spotbeamed locals, but unless you can get your locals over the air you will not be getting Traverse City locals.

[BNUMM]

But if he wanted to receive say in HD :Chicago or Kansas City, L.A. Nashville, Albequerque, Nashville, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City locals he could get that with a dish 1000.2 sat dish. Those and others are on Conus beam not spotbeams. Same with 61.5 side sat dish plugged into the dish 1000.2 dish. He could then get all kinds of locals in Hd for the east coast as they are on conus beam as well. Like New York, Boston, Philladelphia, and Washington D.C. .

The Chicago stations are on the 129 satellite and is not the best signal in west Michigan. Also, line of sight is an issue when you go that far north.

[ExCavTanker]

I appreciate everybody helping out with answers, unfortunately it's obvious that I can't replicate with what I have on D* over to E* as it relates to HD networks even though it appears all other things considered I could get more bang for the buck w/ E*. I don't really want to give up the SD locals by 'moving' to get the HD locals from another City either, so It looks like I'll have a long wait before I'm able to join the E* family.

[whatchel1]

Do the move by giving them the "new" address so you can get the HD's. I know someone who is on online billing only but have an address in KC area then his non-existent bill goes to his corp address. Then for your SD locals get the lowest priced cable package for the news etc. Have it your way as 1 big burger joint likes to say.

[ndyclrk]

Detroit HD locals are on 118, and are not on a spotbeam. So, if you could get a 1000+ installed and then "move" to the Detroit area, you would be good to go.

[ExCavTanker]

Detroit HD locals are on 118, and are not on a spotbeam. So, if you could get a 1000+ installed and then "move" to the Detroit area, you would be good to go.

I guess I could always check the internet for local news. On a side note, is Fox Sports Detroit HD available on E*?

Of course with my luck, as soon as I switched to E*, D* would announce that their sat launches have both been moved up on the launch schedule, every channel being broadcast in HD would now available on D* and the HR20 DVR is now free:)