Hopper 4

[comfortably_numb]

The number of subs currently using OTA is probably next to zero. And that's the point of having OTA tuners built into the next Hopper. It's not about meeting a demand, the idea is to move subs from sat locals to OTA.

Again, how do you know? Dish has aggressively pushed to expand OTA use in markets where they experience extended contract negotiations.

 

[TheKrell]

612, 622, 722, 222, 411, original 211...

Amazingly enough, you remembered the 411, but not the 211k which (unless I'm sorely mistaken) also had a built-in OTA tuner. Was the 811 only analog, or could it do ATSC as well?

 

[dvrexpander]

OTA needs are hardly utilized for many customers. If you are in the sticks or a major rural area, mountains etc.. your lucky to even aim the satellite dish let alone pick up a digital line of sight OTA signal. Where I'm at being up against the mountains but in a somewhat city setting I can only pick up TWO digital channels and that is with an antenna on the top of my 2 story home. It just isn't that wide spread needed to the point if they did add them that many people would invest in antennas to start with to pick them up AND they prob couldn't pick up much anyway. Not everyone lives where they can see the antennas sticking up near a major metro area.

 

[Jackonearth]

You sure about that? I’m sure it’s just wrapped into the monthly cost and not itemized.

Tivo doesn't charge any Service fees for their current OTA model and Sling has said they use OTA to avoid paying rebroadcast fees.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Tivo doesn't charge any Service fees for their current OTA model and Sling has said they use OTA to avoid paying rebroadcast fees.

Tivo isn’t a service. They sell hardware and guide data. Sling sells a STB that offers OTA integration. These are totally different animals from rebroadcasting channels.

 

[Jackonearth]

Again, how do you know? Dish has aggressively pushed to expand OTA use in markets where they experience extended contract negotiations.

Because most subs don't want to pay for equipment.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Because most subs don't want to pay for equipment.

Sometimes they don’t have to. Dish offered free or reduced cost OTA installs and literally gave away antennas during several disputes. PLEASE, please research before posting information as fact. We try hard to make this forum factual and based on true information.

 

[Jackonearth]

Tivo isn’t a service. They sell hardware and guide data. Sling sells a STB that offers OTA integration. These are totally different animals from rebroadcasting channels.

Exactly, Dish could switch from rebroadcasting locals over satellite to simply integrating OTA feeds like Sling does. That's the point of OTA tuners.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Exactly, Dish could switch from rebroadcasting locals over satellite to simply integrating OTA feeds like Sling does. That's the point of OTA tuners.

It’s more complicated than that and I’ll let others explain why. Sometimes it’s tiring trying to explain facts to those who think they know everything already

 

[Jackonearth]

Sometimes they don’t have to. Dish offered free or reduced cost OTA installs and literally gave away antennas during several disputes. PLEASE, please research before posting information as fact. We try hard to make this forum factual and based on true information.

Fair enough but I never got offered anything. What percentage of Dish subs got those offers? Probably not too many.

 

[Jackonearth]

It’s more complicated than that and I’ll let others explain why. Sometimes it’s tiring trying to explain facts to those who think they know everything already

Dish already does this with the OTA modules. The only thing that's different with built-in OTA tuners is that almost all subs would have integrated OTA vs almost none currently.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Dish already does this with the OTA modules. The only thing that's different with built-in OTA tuners is that almost all subs would have integrated OTA vs almost none currently.

They can’t and won’t stop rebroadcasting locals. Many people with Dish live in areas where they can’t receive OTA. Ending OTA rebroadcast would hurt Dish significantly. Now, would I like to see OTA support on-board in new receivers? Sure. But it won’t replace rebroadcast for most.

 

[Jackonearth]

They can’t and won’t stop rebroadcasting locals. Many people with Dish live in areas where they can’t receive OTA. Ending OTA rebroadcast would hurt Dish significantly. Now, would I like to see OTA support on-board in new receivers? Sure. But it won’t replace rebroadcast for most.

End all rebroadcasts? Of course not. But Dish could probably drop locals in favor of OTA in a lot of markets. I suspect most Dish subs are already capable of receiving OTA locals but are needlessly receiving locals via satellite.

 

[comfortably_numb]

End all rebroadcasts? Of course not. But Dish could probably drop locals in favor of OTA in a lot of markets. I suspect most Dish subs already receive OTA locals.

Huh? You’re contradicting yourself. Most Dish customers receive locals via SATELLITE. You seem to be advocating for Dish ending those feeds and telling customers to receive their locals via an antenna and tuner built into their receiver.

 

[Jackonearth]

Huh? You’re contradicting yourself. Most Dish customers receive locals via SATELLITE. You seem to be advocating for Dish ending those feeds and telling customers to receive their locals via an antenna and tuner built into their receiver.

No, I'm not. My previous post has been edited for clarity. What I'm saying is when possible locals could be received via OTA instead of paying rebroadcast fees for content you can already receive via OTA. If you can't receive OTA, then of course it would be rebroadcast via satellite when necessary.

 

[JSheridan]

It’s more complicated than that and I’ll let others explain why. Sometimes it’s tiring trying to explain facts to those who think they know everything already

I wish I could 'Like' that post more than once.

 

[Jackonearth]

I wish I could 'Like' that post more than once.

JSheridan and Comfortably numb like each other's posts a bit too often. It must be love

 

[JSheridan]

JSheridan and Comfortably numb like each other's posts a bit too often. It must be love

 

[Bobby]

Methinks they like the truth!

 

[navychop]

If Dish OTA users was close to zero, there’d have been no profit in selling the single OTA tuner dongle. Or the dual OTA tuner dongle.

And if the number of OTA users with Dish were that low, it would be fiscal insanity to build that in, at non-trivial extra cost, OTA tuners into Hoppers, just HOPING people would shift to OTA.

FWIW, I got tired of poor performance and support for the Dish OTA dongles, and bought two DVR+ units. Life is much better.