Not happy, being forced to leave Dish.

[GreeneDish]

After 15 years, I am being forced to leave Dish with 18 months left on my contract.
With the growth in trees this spring I can no longer get a signal off the 129 bird. This means I get no HD or Locals. A tech came out Monday but said there was no place in my yard that would work, suggested moving to Eastern Arc and left.
Since then, I have called Dish four times, chatted with a DIRT member on here and gotten a different answer each time. These range from "I am not elegible for Eastern Arc" to "I can get Eastern Arc but will still need 129 for my locals and will have to pay to switch".
All I want is to get what I pay for but that does not seem possible. I really do not care that "my" locals are not on Eastern Arc as there are two cities within 100 miles that are but, due to my Zip Code, Dish either can't or won't give them to me.
So, my choices are stay on the Western Arc and watch SD, pay to move to the Eastern Arc without knowing what I will start getting, or pay to drop Dish and move to Comcast.
I really do not like any of the three but do not know what else to do.

 

[lparsons21]

If you switch to EA you won't get your locals at all based on what you've said. Other than that, everything else will be there.

 

[Yespage]

One other thing is to get another installer out (unless you don't think there is a chance in heck). I had a similar issue and the first installer did an honest attempt to get me on an arc (when I made the switch to HD). Ended up just adding a wing dish, was not the best idea, but I was desperate. That didn't work out because of low signal issues and a second installer came out and eventually found a place to get me on the Eastern Arc, unfortunately right in the middle of my backyard, but landscaping has fixed that now.

Good luck on getting a solution that doesn't make you have to pay out for nothing!

 

[GreeneDish]

I get a great line of sight to the Eastern Arc birds. The issue is if I will get any of the networks. I do not care where they originate from but must be able to get ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. It is this inability that is causing the issue.

 

[ChadT41]

Maybe call a local retailer to come out and see if he can finagle a spot.

As far as the DMA goes, they cannot and will not switch dmas unless you are changing your whole address. Not sure if the FCC finally passed their ruling on STELA and the new re authorization act, but even then, I am betting Dish will not do anything different out of simplicity. Can you get it OTA, and go with SD dish locals and have EA, and it's for your HD LOCALS. Best of both worlds.

 

[GreeneDish]

From what I can tell from the multiple different answers I have gotten, my DMA is Charlottesville Va which is ONLY on 129 which I have no line of sight to anymore. Due to this, is I go to the Eastern Arc to regain my HD signal I will lose all access to the major networks. The tech that came out Monday spent almost an hour trying to find a way to see 129 and could not find one.

 

[GreeneDish]

As for OTA, I have a mast mounted OTA antenna but even with it the signal is marginal and only works when there is no rain, wind, snow or other weather.

 

[dangue]

From what I can tell from the multiple different answers I have gotten, my DMA is Charlottesville Va which is ONLY on 129 which I have no line of sight to anymore. Due to this, is I go to the Eastern Arc to regain my HD signal I will lose all access to the major networks. The tech that came out Monday spent almost an hour trying to find a way to see 129 and could not find one.

The question is: are you within the spot beam footprint of a DMA with locals on Eastern Arc? If you are, you can switch to Eastern Arc, call into Dish to "move" your service address to someplace within that DMA and then receive locals from there.

 

[Yespage]

In other words, does Dish coverage for another city overlap your home.

 

[ZachS@DISH]

What is your zip code?

 

[GreeneDish]

Yes, I am covered by two spot beams. One is Harrisonburg VA and the other is Richmond VA. I even fall well under Washington DC. Harrisonburg is 35 miles away, Richmond is 65 and DC is about 95. My zip code is 22923 even though that is in another county. I have been told by numerous Dish reps that they will not move me without a tech verifying my new address.

 

[KAB]

I have been told by numerous Dish reps that they will not move me without a tech verifying my new address.

Not true. People "move" all the time with just a phone call.

 

[ChadT41]

You have to be alittle cautious when talking to the reps. Technically, if you tell them you do not actually live at that address, they are supposed to push back. If you jsut say "I am traveling, here is my new address" there is no ifs ands or buts about it. RV'ers and vacationers do it all the time. It is a normal business practice for them, but does not require a technician visit.

 

[GreeneDish]

I just do not get why, if they do not offer "my" locals on the arc I can actually see why they can't provide me with alternatives. I could understand if I wanted another market for personal reasons but in this case, they can't provided me with "my" locals. This is what is so frustrating to me.

 

[ChadT41]

I just do not get why, if they do not offer "my" locals on the arc I can actually see why they can't provide me with alternatives. I could understand if I wanted another market for personal reasons but in this case, they can't provided me with "my" locals. This is what is so frustrating to me.

All boils down to the FCC. This was an issue a few years back... Including a major lawsuit that ruined how locals are delivered(in my opinion) and has even killed 2 businesses.

 

[GreeneDish]

So, the government says I can only get Charlottesville and, because it is such a small market, Dish only offers it in SD on the hardest satt to get in this area. Unfortunately, this is why I am being forced to leave Dish. I guess this is a situation where I just can't win. The real kicker is that I have to pay to leave and that the only alternative is Comcast which not only costs more but does not offer EPIX.

 

[ChadT41]

They have a "take one take all" and then the Nielsen Media sets the DMas based on significantly viewed. The FCC is the regulator for it, and there ways around it, but "moving" is likely your best answer. I wouldn't go with Comcast, but that is just me.

 

[GreeneDish]

I do not want to switch but I do not want to lose my networks or stay with crippled services. My concern is that if I move they will check since I have already logged these issues. I suspect that is why the one person said they would need verification. I guess I am just screwed no matter what I do. Oh well.

 

[rvvaquero]

They have a "take one take all" and then the Nielsen Media sets the DMas based on significantly viewed. The FCC is the regulator for it, and there ways around it, but "moving" is likely your best answer. I wouldn't go with Comcast, but that is just me.

I don't see how "moving" is his best answer when he obviously needs a technician to come out and install the dish. Dish is not going to switch him to EA at his present location. "Moving" will involve installing the equipment at another location which would do him no good.

 

[ChadT41]

If he has a tech come out to his address, and change to EA, and then calls in and "moves"... That will work. The question is, will the technician be willing to do that, and considering his area, I am assuming they have them in stock and likely will do it.