HD Locals - Raleigh, NC

ccapps3428 · 12-04-06, 01:32 PM

I saw in a couple of threads related to HD Locals for the Raleigh, NC area being avaliable last July/August timeframe. Does anyone know why this hasn't happend (sorry if I missed this answer in another posting I might have missed). I'm fixing to upgrade to a HD 622 and the DISH 1000 (but would love to do the HD Local upgrade at the same time - DISH 1000+). Thanks

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-04-06, 02:32 PM

Nobody really knows why Raleigh HD is not up yet. They have been intesting mode since late summer... but another market (Indy) was also in testing but eventually removed.

There could be contract negotiation problems, and if so then Dish is too involved with other legal things right now to pursue Raleigh HD locals as a priority... Could also be technical issues too.

Unfortunately we will find out whenever we find out. I was thinking the same thing, hoping to get one upgrade all at once... but finally jumped to the new stuff and quit waiting. In theory, Dish would provide (as they have in the past) free upgrades to your roof stuff as needed to get the Raleigh HD locals whenever they do launch them.

bhawley · 12-06-06, 07:16 PM

WNCN and WTVD now showing available.

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-06-06, 08:23 PM

I saw that in the uplink thread... and wondered (posted already in that thread) what happened to the rest of Raleigh... and also when/if anyone in Raleigh will be able to get a 500+ or 1000+ dish to actually get those.

Local installers (including mine) were told by Dish that Raleigh locals would be on 129, so they have not been trying to install any + dishes here... so for any of us to actually see these locals, Dish will have to pay/send folks around to upgrade out roof stuff yet again.

bhawley · 12-06-06, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDMe

I saw that in the uplink thread... and wondered (posted already in that thread) what happened to the rest of Raleigh... and also when/if anyone in Raleigh will be able to get a 500+ or 1000+ dish to actually get those.

Local installers (including mine) were told by Dish that Raleigh locals would be on 129, so they have not been trying to install any + dishes here... so for any of us to actually see these locals, Dish will have to pay/send folks around to upgrade out roof stuff yet again.

WRAL is probably still in negotiations as with Direct

ClaytonD · 12-07-06, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhawley

WRAL is probably still in negotiations as with Direct

My installer was told that I needed the 1000 + to get the Raleigh HD locals. So that's what I got. This is as of 2 weeks ago.

As for WRAL... I get their OTA OK, so I'm more excited about the 2 we got.

cdub998 · 12-07-06, 05:22 PM

Looke like they are coming to fix mine saturday. At least they didnt try to charge me.

bhawley · 12-07-06, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaytonD

My installer was told that I needed the 1000 + to get the Raleigh HD locals. So that's what I got. This is as of 2 weeks ago.

As for WRAL... I get their OTA OK, so I'm more excited about the 2 we got.

I would think in Clayton you would get everything except PBS ota

I know I do but of course the antenna farm lights are fairly bright

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-07-06, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaytonD

As for WRAL... I get their OTA OK, so I'm more excited about the 2 we got.

Being in Clayton... I am surprised you wouldn't get 5, 11, 17, 22, 28, and 50 all solid since they are all on the towers in that same area.

As another poster already mentioned, channel 4 is broadcast from Chapel Hill and lower powered than the others so that one is tricky for some folks to get.

ClaytonD · 12-07-06, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDMe

Being in Clayton... I am surprised you wouldn't get 5, 11, 17, 22, 28, and 50 all solid since they are all on the towers in that same area.

As another poster already mentioned, channel 4 is broadcast from Chapel Hill and lower powered than the others so that one is tricky for some folks to get.

I do get them all OTA with just a silver satin indoor antenna. Obviously the signal strength goes and comes. I don't care to raise a big antenna and an extra attic antenna would require some tricky cabling to get it back to my TVs (only have on feed to each right now). So I like the idea of getting the locals via HD on the sat.

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-08-06, 12:46 AM

I understand... and I want the Raleigh HD locals on satellite for the same reason, to take advantage of the multiple tuners in the ViP622.

I was just wondering why you would get 5 well, but not 11 and 17 since you seemed most happy with those two channels being added.

I would think that you'd either get all of them equally well OR perhaps you would be too close to the tower and actually be under the signal unless you put up a tower of your own.

Just surprised that you would get 5 well and the others not as well since you are right there. I am about 30 miles or so away and get them all rock-solid from my location with an indoor antenna sitting atop my TV in a 1-story house.

cdub998 · 12-08-06, 06:27 AM

You guys do know that WRAL offers free antenna's right. You can email them and they will calculate what you need and send it to you. They send out channel masters too. I got a real nice attic antenna from them. Cabling was a pain but I get everything at %100 except PBS and I am out near brier creek in durham.

cdub998 · 12-08-06, 06:30 AM

Ohh and FYI. They told me that when you set up to have them install the new dish to get sat 118.7 that they have to cut your locals until then.. NP for me because I have an antenna but some may be pissed by that.

ClaytonD · 12-08-06, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDMe

I understand... and I want the Raleigh HD locals on satellite for the same reason, to take advantage of the multiple tuners in the ViP622.

I was just wondering why you would get 5 well, but not 11 and 17 since you seemed most happy with those two channels being added.

I would think that you'd either get all of them equally well OR perhaps you would be too close to the tower and actually be under the signal unless you put up a tower of your own.

Just surprised that you would get 5 well and the others not as well since you are right there. I am about 30 miles or so away and get them all rock-solid from my location with an indoor antenna sitting atop my TV in a 1-story house.

Per antenna web I'm about 18 miles from the tower that has all of them. For some reason though, 17 (NBC) seems to have a weaker signal at times. 5, 11, and 50 stay about the same. Obviously there are a lot of factors involved. I'm sure I'm getting some interference from time to time just using this simple indoor antenna. I might try to get the free antenna from WRAL for grins... although I'm not sure I could use it easily. Does anyone know if it's possible to "split" the signal from an antenna and the Dish sat over one cable? Meaning I send the signals down one cable and split it back out at the recvr.

bhawley · 12-08-06, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDMe

I was just wondering why you would get 5 well, but not 11 and 17 since you seemed most happy with those two channels being added.

I would think that you'd either get all of them equally well OR perhaps you would be too close to the tower and actually be under the signal unless you put up a tower of your own.

Just surprised that you would get 5 well and the others not as well since you are right there. I am about 30 miles or so away and get them all rock-solid from my location with an indoor antenna sitting atop my TV in a 1-story house.

Multipath. I have an outside uhf and can see the towers, but a storm moved the aim slightly and now both WNCN and FOX drop out but Ral and TVD are solid. Really strange considering ant. locations on the same tower

bhawley · 12-08-06, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaytonD

Does anyone know if it's possible to "split" the signal from an antenna and the Dish sat over one cable? Meaning I send the signals down one cable and split it back out at the recvr.

Sure. Just go to Lowes and get the RCA sat. diplexers, about $10 each. Don't get the splitter/combiners, they look almost indentical and are sometimes packaged wrong. You need 2 and some short cables.

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-08-06, 10:16 AM

Yeah, channel 17 around here usually is my lowest signal too. Still solid now, but about 10-12 points lower on my ViP622 than the others.

ClaytonD · 12-08-06, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDMe

Yeah, channel 17 around here usually is my lowest signal too. Still solid now, but about 10-12 points lower on my ViP622 than the others.

Yep, that's exactly what I get too. Mostly solid, but tends to drop out more.

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-08-06, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaytonD

Yep, that's exactly what I get too. Mostly solid, but tends to drop out more.

My HDTV is just a monitor (no tuner)... I used to have a 6000 Dish HD receiver, and 17 HD would breakup more often than the other channels. Similar results on an Accurian standalone HD receiver I had.

But, since getting my ViP622 a few weeks ago, everything improved, and I actually have had NO OTA breakups since install. I get 5, 11, 22, 28, 50 all at 95-100 on the signal bar and a solid lock... My channel 4 comes in clean at 70-75 and my 17 comes in solid at 88-90 most days.

So... if my results are any indication, you may experience similar better locking on the digital channels once you get your ViP622 upgrade. I was very happy, and it completely changed my plans to put up a larger in-attic antenna to get better signal. I'm not going to get better than what I have right now. Hopefully you will see similar results once you get your new receiver.

bhawley · 12-08-06, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDMe

But, since getting my ViP622 a few weeks ago

What kind of deal did you get?

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-08-06, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhawley

What kind of deal did you get?

Standard dish'n it up deal for me... $199 upgrade which covered the upfront for the lease of the ViP622 + upgrade of my roof stuff (they had to relocate one dish and install new LNBs on everything + some new connectors just for good measure).

Soon as I get my first bill with the new HD pack on it I can send off for the $10 per month for 10 months rebate offer so I'm looking forward to that as well.

cdub998 · 12-11-06, 06:33 AM

So they installed my 1000+. Good and bad. Bad is that 118.7 comes in bad. Like high 60's mid 70's. The really good is that now 129 comes in at high 90's to 115. I never thought 129 could come in that good.

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-11-06, 03:24 PM

There is finally a notice on the WRAL Web site... but apparently early this afternoon there was a construction accident that cut power to some very important stuff!

Since then, both WRAL and WRAZ digital channels have been off-air (technically broadcasting an "empty" no-data signal). Analog is fine, and SD locals with Dish are fine... but no OTA digital.

The oddball in the mix... Time Warner Cable has WRAL digital (HD and newschannel) that we cannot currently get OTA, but they do not have WRAZ digital channels (HD or weather) either.

A big mess and they are scrambling to get the digital signal back on-air, looking to find a way around the power-outage and find a new path to get the signals to the towers.

Just in case anyone else was wondering what was going on today!

psnarula · 12-13-06, 11:10 PM

are locals sent on 118 available nationwide to anybody with a dish 1000? the opportunity to "move" to raleigh might be all the motivation i need to finally go out and get a HD television.

**Stewart Vernon** · 12-13-06, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psnarula

are locals sent on 118 available nationwide to anybody with a dish 1000? the opportunity to "move" to raleigh might be all the motivation i need to finally go out and get a HD television.

I don't know if they are on spotbeam or conus, I haven't paid that close attention... but given that it requires one of the newer + dishes and Dish installers will not install a + Dish unless you are in the market where those locals exist... I don't know how you'd go about getting a + Dish physically at your house unless perhaps you are able to find one for sale and shell out all the money yourself for the hardware upgrade.