PBS In SD not HD?

[pgde]

Hi:

I just had an "enlightening" chat with customer service about PBS in SD vs. HD. Please see the attachment. It is gobbly-gook to me. Can a more experienced person explain to me what Dish is saying?

Thanks for your help.

Peter

Welcome to DISH Network Chat.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): How may I help you today?
Peter: Hi: Please read the email I just sent to our local PBS station and tell w=me what can be doneabout this: Hi:
I am a subscriber to Dish Network. On watching the new NOVA series on the Cosmos (first that I have watched
in a while), I noticed that the broadcast was in SD and not HD. To be honest, this is why I stopped watching
PBS since it was not in HD. However, it does appear that NOVA is broadcast in HD.
So what is the story? Is this HD or SD? If HD has Dish been informed that you are now broadcasting in HD?
You should also know that Dish is treating your channel as if it was SD (on the Program Guide, etc).
I will contact Dish also to see what can be done about this.
Thanks,
Peter

Fahren (ID: Z0V): Let me go through it.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): One moment please.
Peter: Take your time.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Thank you.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): I understand your concern about getting your local PBS in HD.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): I know there's a great difference getting it on HD than in standard.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Can I have your zip code so I can check your local package?
Peter Ertman: 85730
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Thank you.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Would you please verify the last four digits of the Social Security Number on the account?
Peter Ertman: XXXX
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Thank you.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): While I'm checking your local package, do you have an alternate phone number which we
can add to the account aside from XXXXXXXXXXX?
Peter: No, that number is fine.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Okay.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Right now, your PBS channel is not yet available on HD with us. We are launching HD
channels from time to time if an agreement is reached with a channel provider.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): If ever it will be available on HD, we will update it on our website.
The agent is sending you to DISH Network Local Channels - HD & Local Satellite TV - DISH Network.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): You can check the available local channels on that link.
Peter: Well, I don't know why it is not available in HD since many, many other PBS channels are
available in HD.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): I understand.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Once it will be on HD, we will automatically add it on your local package.
2
Fahren (ID: Z0V): We appreciate your patience with this.
Fahren (ID: Z0V): Is there anything else I may assist you with?

 

[Mr Tony]

Dish is slowly adding PBS stations in HD...plain and simple. I think they have until the end of 2012 to add all of them. Dish (and DIrectv for that matter) do not carry every local in HD.

When its added in HD you will automatically get it

 

[pgde]

Thanks. I bet we will be at the bottom of the list for implementation.....

Have a great Thanksgiving!

P.

 

[jerryez]

It all has to do with the availability of space on a local spotbeam on the sat for your area and whether or not your local PBS has an agreed to contract with Dish.

 

[Jhon69]

Thanks. I bet we will be at the bottom of the list for implementation.....

Have a great Thanksgiving!

P.

If you want it faster then check out AntennaWeb see if your local PBS is in HD,and if it's possible to receive it Over The Air with an OTA antenna.

I did,our PBS broadcasts 3 channels( that I can watch),1 in HD,1 inSD(different programming),and 1 in SD and in Spanish.

You have a Great Turkey Day too!.

 

[whatchel1]

One of his PBS's is just under 16 miles away. The other is 15 miles but 90 degrees to the West. So he can probably even pick up all of his locals w/ indoor antenna. Depending on the terrain.

 

[m4dh4xx0r]

You have personal info in that attatchment that you need to hide (full name, phone #, last 4 of soc). That's probably enough to steal your identity.

 

[Fullboat]

One of his PBS's is just under 16 miles away. The other is 15 miles but 90 degrees to the West. So he can probably even pick up all of his locals w/ indoor antenna. Depending on the terrain.

That is how I get mine WGBH in HD with an indoor antenna. What I don't get is how come Dish doesn't broadcast one station in HD to all.There are no adds and they all show the same programing.

 

[pgde]

Thanks everybody. I unfortunately posted the unsanitized version of the attachment, etc. Appreciate the editing/removal on it. Guess I will just have to wait.

Happy Thanksgiving.

P.

 

[whatchel1]

Thanks everybody. I unfortunately posted the unsanitized version of the attachment, etc. Appreciate the editing/removal on it. Guess I will just have to wait.

Happy Thanksgiving.

P.

I contacted 2 mods last night and sent them the PM I had sent you. I hope that they were able to fix it really quick.

 

[dwarren2]

If you have an ota tuner in your receiver, as others have said, get an antenna and scan for ota channels. Dish only sends the primary channel for each station, not the sub-channels. I can receive 2 different PBS stations here in upstate NY, Rochester and Syracuse. 1 has 2 sub-channels, the other 3. All 3 of the Rochester network station have sub-channels. You miss all these if you just depend on Dish.

 

[Jhon69]

It's kind of ironic when I first had TV we would watch local analog programs over the air with an antenna,then came the digital signal and we got satellite for a digital signal.
Then High Definition came and we needed a different tuner and TV,an HDTV.Now because of bandwith restrictions on satellite the best local High Definition signals and subchannels are over the air again with a antenna.
It looks like we have come full circle for the most local channels and the best High Definition signal.

 

[The Fat Man]

I've said this before, but I'm supprised with some of the markets that they chose to put PBS in HD first. Now markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago (I don't even know if Chicago has PBS in HD on Dish yet) I get. But, when I read posts about the issue and read that people in small markets are getting theirs before some of the bigger markets, I'm left dumbfounded. Of course I'm speaking of my market and run the risk of sounding like a cry baby. As I said before, the Boston PBS affiliate (WGBH) produces much of the programning for the network, but yest people in Florida are able to get this HD content while people in the market where the content was produced are stuck watching it in SD on two PBS affiliated stations (WGBH 2 and WGBX 44). Correct me if I'm wrong, but San Fransisco is also in the same situation. Their PBS affiliate produces a lot of programning for the network and yet are still waitng. Just doesn't seem like a logical way of turning them on.

 

[whatchel1]

I've said this before, but I'm supprised with some of the markets that they chose to put PBS in HD first. Now markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago (I don't even know if Chicago has PBS in HD on Dish yet) I get. But, when I read posts about the issue and read that people in small markets are getting theirs before some of the bigger markets, I'm left dumbfounded. Of course I'm speaking of my market and run the risk of sounding like a cry baby. As I said before, the Boston PBS affiliate (WGBH) produces much of the programning for the network, but yest people in Florida are able to get this HD content while people in the market where the content was produced are stuck watching it in SD on two PBS affiliated stations (WGBH 2 and WGBX 44). Correct me if I'm wrong, but San Fransisco is also in the same situation. Their PBS affiliate produces a lot of programning for the network and yet are still waitng. Just doesn't seem like a logical way of turning them on.

SF has 3 PBS HD's on sat. But KQED isn't available yet. Can't say for sure but probably they have no contract agreement yet. The contract agreements slow down availability. Larger markets are actually harder to get contracts agreed to than smaller markets very often. There is a new thread on KQED and that it likely to be "turned on" to the public w/in a couple of wks.

 

[fbara]

I'm in Chicago and while PBS broadcasts 3 digital, HD channels OTA, Dish doesn't carry any of the HD channels.

 

[Mr Tony]

I've said this before, but I'm supprised with some of the markets that they chose to put PBS in HD first. Now markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago (I don't even know if Chicago has PBS in HD on Dish yet) I get. But, when I read posts about the issue and read that people in small markets are getting theirs before some of the bigger markets, I'm left dumbfounded. Of course I'm speaking of my market and run the risk of sounding like a cry baby. As I said before, the Boston PBS affiliate (WGBH) produces much of the programning for the network, but yest people in Florida are able to get this HD content while people in the market where the content was produced are stuck watching it in SD on two PBS affiliated stations (WGBH 2 and WGBX 44). Correct me if I'm wrong, but San Fransisco is also in the same situation. Their PBS affiliate produces a lot of programning for the network and yet are still waitng. Just doesn't seem like a logical way of turning them on.

I think it has to do with if you carry one PBS in the market in HD you have to carry all the PBS stations in the market in HD. The examples you gave all have more than 1 PBS

 

[GaryPen]

Dish just added a second PBS HD channel in my DMA, KCRB. I don't think they even broadcast in HD OTA! They added KCSM a few weeks ago, which does at least have some HD programming.

But, they still haven't added the main PBS station for the area, KQED, which is a top-tier PBS station (like WGBH and WNET) with a majority of HD programming. What gives? Why waste HD bandwidth for channels that aren't HD channels?

 

[Mr Tony]

its uplinked....just not available yet

 

[dare2be]

What I don't get is how come Dish doesn't broadcast one station in HD to all.There are no adds and they all show the same programing.

False and false. Local pledge drives are "ads", and saying that all PBS stations show the same programming is like saying that all NBC affiliates show the same programming.

 

[Tampa8]

False and false. Local pledge drives are "ads", and saying that all PBS stations show the same programming is like saying that all NBC affiliates show the same programming.

I have to agree with that 100%. There is a monumental difference between the Boston PBS (WGBH) and the Ct one, and yet more difference to the Tampa ones. All have varying programming. Sure some shows are the same, but not totally. And the Ct. PBS in particular finds Ct related shows often to show.