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Applying for waivers

1K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  dvergolini 
#1 ·
Hello,
I just subbed to D* and added 2 DTivos. I plan on adding an HDTivo in the future if I can get the networks on D*. What is the best way to apply for waivers, and has anyone had any success. Before I left Dish I applied and received waivers for Fox and ABC. I am enjoying the D* pq and I love my Tivo. Any advice on distants would be greatly appreciated. My zip is 42503.

Thanks,
mike
 
#2 ·
Unfortunately, you CAN'T apply for waivers for standard definition distant networks anymore. The rules changed with SHVERA. You CAN apply for waivers for the HD distant networks, and that is a fairly new development with DirecTV. I just submitted my waiver for the big 4 in HD. There are supposed to be digital white areas set up that decide what customers are eligible immediately for the HD networks, but they aren't set up yet.
 
#4 ·
I didn't think waivers were available if you lived close enough to you locals and were able to pick them up via OTA anenna...even if they don't broadcast in HD. That's kept me from switching to D*, if i had waivers for HD reasons then I may very well switch.
 
#5 ·
I'm in Chico (northern California) and can receive the 4 local network digital broadcasts OTA. Only one is in HD and is 67 miles away at low power so it is intermittent. The other ones have no plans to go HD any time in the next few years. D* also has my local channels which I subscribe to.

I have requested waivers from all of them and gotten 3 for HD service only. The one HD station declined. I have sent them to D* and now have CBS and NBC HD west feeds. I just sent the Fox waiver last week and am still waiting for that one. D* also said they could request them for me but I had already done the work. Getting them to accept the waivers and start the service sometimes takes a few phone calls and re-faxing several times. The three stations where I have waivers didn't even argue. I got one of them faxed to me in about 5 minutes.

The CSR I talked to said that my location made me eligible to get waivers so I think it may have to do with where you live.

Chris
 
#6 ·
Ok, here is the story on waivers. If you take the time to read the information sections of this forum you'd find the truth.

In a nutshell, you can NO LONGER get waivers for distant networks. You cannot call DirecTV and apply for distant networks just to have them. This law was passed in 2004.

If you have HD capability, the new law allows DirecTV to give to you either national feed of CBS, NBC, ABC, or Fox of LA or NY depending on where you live PROVIDED that YOUR LOCAL affiliate is operated and owned by the NATIONAL network. In Detroit, where I live, for example, CBS NY and Fox NY are the only two networks available to me. I only have NBC because I got waived for that in 2003 and they don't take the waiver away with the new law, they just prevent you from applying for new ones.

So, in short, if you don't have HD capability you are stuck with your own local networks. If you have HD capability, Directv can release a NY or LA feed to you provided YOUR LOCAL NETWORK is operated and owned by the national network company. The Directv website will tell you this. If it is owned by the national network, you don't need to apply for a waiver, Directv will release the channel to you that day. If it isn't, you are SOL.
 
#7 ·
dvergolini said:
Ok, here is the story on waivers. If you take the time to read the information sections of this forum you'd find the truth.

In a nutshell, you can NO LONGER get waivers for distant networks. You cannot call DirecTV and apply for distant networks just to have them. This law was passed in 2004.

If you have HD capability, the new law allows DirecTV to give to you either national feed of CBS, NBC, ABC, or Fox of LA or NY depending on where you live PROVIDED that YOUR LOCAL affiliate is operated and owned by the NATIONAL network. In Detroit, where I live, for example, CBS NY and Fox NY are the only two networks available to me. I only have NBC because I got waived for that in 2003 and they don't take the waiver away with the new law, they just prevent you from applying for new ones.

So, in short, if you don't have HD capability you are stuck with your own local networks. If you have HD capability, Directv can release a NY or LA feed to you provided YOUR LOCAL NETWORK is operated and owned by the national network company. The Directv website will tell you this. If it is owned by the national network, you don't need to apply for a waiver, Directv will release the channel to you that day. If it isn't, you are SOL.
This isn't my experience. As far as I can tell, none of the stations in the Chico/Redding area are O&O stations. We are DMA market 131. CBS and NBC here are owned by the same company. I applied for and got 3 waivers. I sent them to D* and have the West HD networks now (except ABC). See my post above. I did this all within the last 2 weeks. All it took to get the waivers was a couple of phone calls. Fox was activated Friday. None of the stations that gave me waivers have capabilies to broadcast in high definition and they said they may never broadcast HD due to costs. Their current digital signals are very low power and just a conversion of the SD programming. Maybe this has something to do with it?

Chris
 
#8 ·
cmassa said:
I have requested waivers from all of them and gotten 3 for HD service only
How does that work? When a show is not in HD D* turns off you HD distant?

I have D* Fox HD(O&O) and NBC HD(white area), no ABC or CBS (in analog grade b area)

CBS local has LP HD, which is carried on the local Cox Cable system. That's fine for people who can get Cable. I'm 35miles from the station, and their digital 5kw signal is marginal at best.

ABC has just recently acquired a digital construction project and who knows when they will have digital HD, if ever.
 
#9 ·
The HD stations are on all the time. I think they allow this because I maintain a subscription to my local channels with D*. My stations didn't argue at all when giving me waivers (except ABC). It seems kind of funny but it worked for me. They don't give me the SD distant service, only the HD network. D* also told me they could apply for HD waivers for me if I wanted. I had already done it though.

Chris
 
#11 ·
you have not read what i said, HD waivers are available to markets that are owned and operated by the national network. I said for HD only you can get either the LA or NY feed if you live in these markets. If you have SD, you cannot get any waivers at all, no questions asked. :mad: :mad:

To read more about the markets available, go the following sites

http://www.directv.com/see/landing/abc_hd.html (read option 1)
http://www.directv.com/see/landing/nbc_hd.html (read option 1)
http://www.directv.com/see/landing/cbs_hd.html (read option 1)
http://www.directv.com/see/landing/fox_hd.html (read option 1)

If you live in a big city and it isn't listed on the list in option 1 and you have HD, you cannot receive the station PERIOD! If you are getting the feed, you are getting it illegally. This is not something that Directv can change, this is Federal Law and direct tv is bound by it.
 
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