[gator22]

I emailed D* about locals in Buffalo and this is the response.

Thanks for writing. I’m very sorry to hear about the delay in getting your HD local channels. While it is true that some markets were pushed back due to us waiting for these 2 new satellites to get up and ready, that is not holding true for the Buffalo local market. As of this time we are showing that we are finalizing things and these channels will be available later this month.

I was told two to three weeks ago that it would be early January, but it looks like they will be coming soon rather than later.

 

[eengert]

I emailed D* about locals in Buffalo and this is the response.

Thanks for writing. I'm very sorry to hear about the delay in getting your HD local channels. While it is true that some markets were pushed back due to us waiting for these 2 new satellites to get up and ready, that is not holding true for the Buffalo local market. As of this time we are showing that we are finalizing things and these channels will be available later this month.

I was told two to three weeks ago that it would be early January, but it looks like they will be coming soon rather than later.

Thanks for the update. I'm getting all the HD locals OTA with the HR20 at very solid signals (I'm in northeastern OP), but it'll be nice to have some other options as well. Now we just need D* to make good on their promise to launch MSG-HD and give us Sabres games in HD!

 

[gator22]

Sabres in HD would be nice. Probably want see that until next season though.

 

[WolfClan Dan]

Sabres in HD would be nice. Probably want see that until next season though.

i've noticed hockey in HDNet, do the Sabres ever appear on there?

I recently got an HR20 and was told (lied to) by the CSR Buffalo locals were already available in HD, so I didn't bother with the antenna.

 

[ahrjmr]

i've noticed hockey in HDNet, do the Sabres ever appear on there?

I recently got an HR20 and was told (lied to) by the CSR Buffalo locals were already available in HD, so I didn't bother with the antenna.

I think the Sabres have been on HDNET just once this year against Atlanta in October. This game wasn't on the schedule, it was a late addition because at that time the Sables were the only undefeated team in the league.

I just emailed D* to see when the are going to start carrying Buffalo, NY HD locals because the original time frame was DEC'06.

I haven't received a response yet, but when I do I will let you know.

Jim

 

[gator22]

i've noticed hockey in HDNet, do the Sabres ever appear on there?

No the Sabres haven't been on HDNet the past two years up till know. I have looked at HDNets schedule to see if they are going to be at any time. They only have the schedule through 1/27 and no Sabres. They were on VS. HD (Ch 95) earlier in the season so may be they will make it on again.

 

[WolfClan Dan]

I think Hockey in hd on my 61" tv is almost like being there. Sabres in hd would be fantastic.

Sidenote: when i called dtv to set up the HD stuff, the rep misinformed me about the locals. I tried to get the east coast feeds instead. WKBW denied my request for a waiver. NBC and CBS are still pending, but I wont hold my breath.

I just wanted to see the playoffs and Super Bowl in HD, thats all. If our locals are not up by the Super Bowl, I may switch to Dish on principle.

 

[Steve Mehs]

i've noticed hockey in HDNet, do the Sabres ever appear on there?

I recently got an HR20 and was told (lied to) by the CSR Buffalo locals were already available in HD, so I didn't bother with the antenna.

Same thing here. I used to get calls from DirecTV retention all the time after I canceled, they swore up and down they carried our locals in HD.

Watching the Sabres Cup run last year in HD was worth the cost of the set alone.

 

[eengert]

I think Hockey in hd on my 61" tv is almost like being there. Sabres in hd would be fantastic.

Sidenote: when i called dtv to set up the HD stuff, the rep misinformed me about the locals. I tried to get the east coast feeds instead. WKBW denied my request for a waiver. NBC and CBS are still pending, but I wont hold my breath.

I just wanted to see the playoffs and Super Bowl in HD, thats all. If our locals are not up by the Super Bowl, I may switch to Dish on principle.

Depending on where you are, you very well may be able to get the WIVB-HD feed with a $20 indoor antenna. Seriously. Many are able to do just that. It costs you nothing but a little time to try. If it doesn't work, just return the antenna. OTA picture quality is better than what we'll get when D* carries them in MPEG-4 compression anyway. Even after D* starts carrying our HD locals I'll continue watching/recording the OTA feeds due to the better PQ. The only reason to record the HD locals off satellite if you can get good OTA signals is to save space on the hard drive (the MPEG-4 feed takes up less space than the MPEG-2). Anyway, I'd hate for anyone to miss the superbowl in HD! I hope you have success getting an HD feed one way or another.

 

[ahrjmr]

How will we know when D* starts carrying HD locals? Will the grey OTA channels on the guide turn blue?

Thanks.

 

[WolfClan Dan]

Depending on where you are, you very well may be able to get the WIVB-HD feed with a $20 indoor antenna. Seriously. Many are able to do just that. It costs you nothing but a little time to try. If it doesn't work, just return the antenna. OTA picture quality is better than what we'll get when D* carries them in MPEG-4 compression anyway. Even after D* starts carrying our HD locals I'll continue watching/recording the OTA feeds due to the better PQ. The only reason to record the HD locals off satellite if you can get good OTA signals is to save space on the hard drive (the MPEG-4 feed takes up less space than the MPEG-2). Anyway, I'd hate for anyone to miss the superbowl in HD! I hope you have success getting an HD feed one way or another.

im in Salamanca. I am not too sure about an antenna down here.

 

[eengert]

im in Salamanca. I am not too sure about an antenna down here.

Yeah, an indoor isn't gonna do it for you down there. You'd need a powered roof antenna.

 

[eengert]

How will we know when D* starts carrying HD locals? Will the grey OTA channels on the guide turn blue?

Thanks.

Just keep checking the "All Channels" guide. Once they are activated, they will show up there (and then you can add them to your custom guide if you wish). It will not change the OTA channels in any way - they will be completely separate. OTA channels will always be the greyish color in the guide to denote that they are OTA.

 

[bobo]

I get Fox, NBC, and ABC in HD from NYC. I've tried unsucessfully to get WIVB by requesting waivers through DTV. The station has refused several times. WIVB is owned by LIN Broadcasting who has played hardball insofar as working with DTV or anyone else for that matter. I refuse to watch that channel as my own mini protest. Anyhoo........unless something happens soon , the Superbowl will be in SD which is crappy on WIVB - DTV feed.

 

[thecrave]

I think the Sabres have been on HDNET just once this year against Atlanta in October. This game wasn't on the schedule, it was a late addition because at that time the Sables were the only undefeated team in the league.

Jim

Oh it was on, just not for anyone in the Buffalo market. MSG made sure of that.

I have the HD package on my HR10-250, invited a bunch of friends over to watch it on my HD set, only to see the first 15 seconds of the pre-game and then a black-out.

I called up D* to complain, and they said that unless MSG gives them a waiver, they have to black out any national re-broadcast in preference to the "local" station.

MSG keeps this in place in order to provide the largest audience for the local ad revenue, since HDnet would show national ads.

I wrote and called MSG without any luck. Sabres being so hot this year have really kicked their ad revenue (along with WGR550) into high-gear (which is a good thing for our area).

Only Sabres game I've seen in HD this year was last Sat night against Toronto via OTA on CBC. Sabres, HNIC, HD -- nothing better.

I would encourage you to write/call/email MSG and tell your friends --- you want HD.

I will say that last year I was able to watch all the away playoffs in HD on ch 95.
(I even had to call in to get them to update the guide one day because they were going to show a Knicks game instead).

Hopefully the same arrangement occurs this playoff season.

 

[ahrjmr]

Here is the response I received from D* about carrying local HD channels.

"Local Channels in HD will be available in your Buffalo, NY area in early January 2007, so it can be any day from now (although the particular local channels in HD are yet to be determined)."

 

[WolfClan Dan]

I get Fox, NBC, and ABC in HD from NYC. I've tried unsucessfully to get WIVB by requesting waivers through DTV. The station has refused several times. WIVB is owned by LIN Broadcasting who has played hardball insofar as working with DTV or anyone else for that matter. I refuse to watch that channel as my own mini protest. Anyhoo........unless something happens soon , the Superbowl will be in SD which is crappy on WIVB - DTV feed.

im green with envy. wkbw refused my waiver. nbc and cbs are still pending.

 

[WolfClan Dan]

To any Buffalo area Directv customers:

I just got off the phone with Directv to inquire about their ETA of HD locals. They had told me early January.

Now the date is TO BE DETERMINED.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Are Sabres games on MSG even shot in HD? To my knowledge currently no one with MSG HD gets Sabres games as they're on the other side of the state in Ranger territory. It looks like there will be three more games on Versus this season, plus the playoffs. I’ve seen two Sabres games in HD this season, the season opener and another game near the beginning of the season against Montreal I think.

 

[bills976]

Personally I'd rather listen to Rick and Jim with an SD broadcast as opposed to a national HD broadcast. Steve is correct - there is no MSG HD for Sabres broadcasts.