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Good bye Dish Network... :(

3K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  BobaBird 
#1 ·
I would first like to say that I am greatly torn to be leaving Dish Network and if it was not for my current inability to receive OTA HD I think I'd be with Dish for a very very long time. I have tried many DVR's and none have impressed me since leaving Tivo a couple years ago, but the ViP 622 changed all that and showed me that life goes on after Tivo. But I am sad to say that I recently moved to an area where I can no longer receive any OTA signals and I can't justify my subscription cost to Dish HD without HD locals. So I called up my local cable provider (Comcast) and asked them what they could offer me to get me to switch from Dish Network and their offer was too good to refuse. So I ordered a Tivo HD and will be sending my Dish equipment back immediately. I will still try to keep up to date on DBSTalk as I am interested in the future of Dish Network. Especially considering their recent loss in regards to the Tivo Lawsuit. Hopefully they can improve their HD networks in time to keep their customer base strong. I am not locked into a contract with Comcast but my discount with them will end in 18months, so hopefully Dish has their act together by then.
 
#3 ·
I really don't live out in the sticks, it's just I moved right behind a mountain that blocks the Digital OTA signals from the main broadcast towers in Tucson. I can get a couple channels if I angle the antenna towards a repeater tower but mostly i get lousy analog channels and a bunch of Spanish channels (which I have no use for). I love my new place, but it's an apartment and from what I've been told, I can't really expect to get a signal from the main broadcast towers unless I was able to mount an antenna that was higher than the mountain in front of my place, and believe me, that's not going to happen... (9000 foot tall mountain)

If they have better Digital OTA signals come 2009 then I will probably switch back to Dish again, just all depends on how things work out. From what I hear Dish might even have Tucson HD Locals come this summer, but I can't really afford to hold out based on speculation. I'm getting basically the same package that Dish was offering + Local HD channels from Comcast for $45 a month (plus amazing internet speeds over 12mbps).
 
#4 ·
BaldEagle said:
You must have really moved out to the sticks not to be able to get OTA signals. A better antenna wont pull them in?

I heard somewhere that some stations will have a stronger digital signal when they turn off the analog in 2009, wonder if that's true?
Depends on the status of the individual station. One in our market can't go to full digital power until the deadline when their signal won't interfere with a current analog station. Another has just taken their time getting to full power due to cost. Best source of info---

http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45
 
#5 ·
If it's at all possible, please try to get that Comcast discount in writing. I'm only saying this because after moving to a heavily treed area I had to switch from D* to cable. Even though I wasn't angling for it I was referred to retention when I mentioned how much more expensive Comcast was compared to D*. The retention guy said "How does $60 a month sound?". (This was for 2 DVRs and Digital Preferred) I said great. Long story short, I didn't get it and they say they have no record of the offer. Now I'm paying $91 for ch 1-99 and will probably have to give up the DVRs too. So just make sure you get the promotion they promised you.

I actually have a Dish installer coming by in a week- only because a poster here mentioned that a wing dish solved his LOS with trees problem. Trying not to get my hopes up....
 
#8 ·
MikeR7 said:
DirecTV™ has Tucson locals:

Network
HD Channel
TFT KFTU 3
NBC KVOA 4 4
PBS KUAT 6
ABC KGUN 9 9
FOX KMSB 11 11
CBS KOLD 13 13
MNT KTTU 18
TMO KHRR 40
UNI KUVE 46
CW KWBA 58
Are these all in HD? I live in 90 miles from Tucson in a small town and can't get Tucson stations over air. Dish only offers them in SD and apparently has no intention of ever making Tucson availble in HD. Local cable does not offer HD either or I probably would have left Dish because it is so far behind in HD (compared to Direct TV and some cable companies in other regions). I only watch HD except for the news.
 
#9 ·
The map of planned markets shown at CES has a dot for Tucson, and a spot beam was cleared a few months ago. Supposedly sometime this year but not in the first quarter. See http://ekb.dbstalk.com/hdlocal.htm#future
 
#11 ·
exegesis48, i'd make sure that Comcast isnt using switched video for any of it's HD channels cause i think the Tivo HD boxes dont currently support switched video channels. I think Tivo is working on a solution to this, but not currently supported. many of the cablecos are implementing switched video so they can offer more hd channels within their existing bandwidth.
 
#12 ·
exegesis48 said:
I love my new place, but it's an apartment and from what I've been told, I can't really expect to get a signal from the main broadcast towers unless I was able to mount an antenna that was higher than the mountain in front of my place, and believe me, that's not going to happen... (9000 foot tall mountain)
Bah, that's 9000 feet above see level, you won't have to go the full 9000.
 
#13 ·
Tucson works that way. I remember there might be LP translators, but I imagine something has changed with digital. Phoenix doesn't have that to work with. Everything's on South Mountain - except the uplink facility in Gilbert, a crown jewel at E*.
 
#14 ·
exegesis48 said:
I really don't live out in the sticks, it's just I moved right behind a mountain that blocks the Digital OTA signals from the main broadcast towers in Tucson. I can get a couple channels if I angle the antenna towards a repeater tower but mostly i get lousy analog channels and a bunch of Spanish channels (which I have no use for). I love my new place, but it's an apartment and from what I've been told, I can't really expect to get a signal from the main broadcast towers unless I was able to mount an antenna that was higher than the mountain in front of my place, and believe me, that's not going to happen... (9000 foot tall mountain)

If they have better Digital OTA signals come 2009 then I will probably switch back to Dish again, just all depends on how things work out. From what I hear Dish might even have Tucson HD Locals come this summer, but I can't really afford to hold out based on speculation. I'm getting basically the same package that Dish was offering + Local HD channels from Comcast for $45 a month (plus amazing internet speeds over 12mbps).
If you don't get analog channels now, you won't get digital because their signals don't travel as far.
 
#15 ·
Not quite true. If you don't get the analog you probably won't get digital but not because digital doesn't go as far. It is probably because a hill or moutain is blocking them. I live in SW Michigan and quite often I can get Green Bay, Wisconsin channel 2 digital and I never get the analog channel.
 
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