All I want for an HD Christmas is...

[TalonDancer]

...the Distant Networks fiasco to quit distracting DISH from their competitive advantage -- HD -- and that includes both national and local programing in HD.

While Charlie's DISH has been scrambling to recover from losing the distant networks legal wrestling match, Rupert's DirecTV has been gaining in the HD area by adding lots of HD locals. What a shrewd strategy -- get your competitor to spend nearly half a year trying not to anger/lose nearly a million subscribers (who are directly effected by the distant networks issue) and in the process anger/lose many other subscribers who just want Dish to provide the HD locals they were 'promised' earlier in the year -- Bloody brilliant !

IMHO you really can't claim to the the "HD leader" if you don't offer HD locals in at least as many areas as your competitor(s). The HD-channel-numbers-padding ZOOM channels become pretty (pun intended) weak once you see how repetitive their content is. So unless Charlie gets back in the game and begins adding the HD locals that were indefinitely postponed from the 2006 schedule, Dish will be #2 in everything -- except bravado and legal wrangling

Talon Dancer

 

[jrobins121]

I have to agree with this. With all of the talk on this forum about national HD programming, there sure are a lot of questions about launch dates and schedules for local HD availability. It would seem that there is a lot of interest in network HD programming at the local level, myself included. If E* doesn't do something soon I will certainly investigate changing to D*, who launched HD locals in my area a month ago.

 

[mdonnelly]

Well, I've had HD locals with Dish since January of 2004. It's called OTA. It comes in via my antenna through the Dish receivers.

Most Dish subs can do the same thing, and the ones that do are getting several more digital channels (at full bitrate and resolution), than either Dish or Direct offer.

 

[navychop]

OTA is great for me.

Sorry you don't like VOOM. Yes, many of the channels appeal only to narrow groups- but they are serving those groups, more than D* is. And I like Equator A LOT.

 

[SarKen]

I agree with you TalonDancer. D* has local HD and NESN HD (my local RSN in HD) in my area. Yes, I can receive local channels in HD with an OTA, this is nice, but I can only recored one network show in HD at a time. E* needs to get moving on locals and RSN in HD to be able to stay the leader in HD.

 

[jrobins121]

I also get my locals OTA but there seem to be constant issues. I started out getting a good signal on all of my local stations. Then, without any changes on my part, I kept losing the signal on my local ABC affiliate. Now that signal is loud and clear but the NBC station keeps dropping out. My friend down the road has D* and has no issues with the local HD signals he is receiving from them. Don't get me wrong, I want to stay with E* I'm just getting frustrated with the lack of consistency in my OTA HD signal.

 

[dail24]

I also get my locals OTA but there seem to be constant issues. I started out getting a good signal on all of my local stations. Then, without any changes on my part, I kept losing the signal on my local ABC affiliate. Now that signal is loud and clear but the NBC station keeps dropping out. My friend down the road has D* and has no issues with the local HD signals he is receiving from them. Don't get me wrong, I want to stay with E* I'm just getting frustrated with the lack of consistency in my OTA HD signal.

I have the same issue. Turns out my local affiliate had made changes that the dish boxes have a hard time interpeting. I sent a email and it is a known issue with them that some of their changes have caused some issues with the Dish recievers.

 

[ripnbigc]

USB storage,Cinemax HD, MHD, RSN's.

 

[gdarwin]

Why would you want watered down HD from satellite when OTA is free and full bitrate???

 

[gregal]

I guess there are two factions here and each does not fully appreciate the other. Those who can get HD Locals OTA cannot understand why those who cannot are constatantly asking for it. Try to imagine not being able to view HD content on those channels that, in most cases, are your primary viewing channels. Here you are with this wonderful HD video equipment and are forced to watch SD content most of the time. Then there are the cans that are sitting there saying "OK, I have HD Locals OTA but I'm getting bored with just this and want more". The cannots only wish they were in that position.

I guess my point is: Don't jump all over the other guy just because he isn't in your same situation. Everyone has their priorities and each should be respected.

I personally, because of my geographic location, rely on Dish to provide local programming to me. Unfortunately, my market is not even being considered for HD as of this time. Those of you that have it either OTA or through dish should consider yourselves lucky and should sympathize with us that don't have it.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

HD RSNs

 

[David Dietzel]

True enough OTA HD is great.

If you can get it.

Lots of people turn to sat or cable because they can't get OTA anything, let alone HD content.

For example, I don't have line of sight to the transmission towers on Mt. Wilson so I must get all my content from Dish.

I grow tired of snobbish comments regarding the supposed ease of receiving OTA HD.

Dish is trying various compromises to get as much HD content into their pipeline as possible -- whether it's full locals in HD, or more HD on demand, or more HD PPV, or HD movies online ala Xbox 360, or more new HD channels as they come up.

I applaud Dish for its efforts and fully expect lots of good new from CES.

 

[TalonDancer]

Why would you want watered down HD from satellite when OTA is free and full bitrate???

Well, we live in a narrow valley surrounded by 200' high hills over 50 miles from any local TV broadcast antennae. So OTA is not really an option. But obviously the suits at Dish agree with you or they would not be offering discounted OTA antennae for HD, even though many Dish subscribers can not get OTA without huge masts

BTW if we could get our locals OTA we would not have subscribed to Dish in the first place. We manged to live without anything but locals since TV was first broadcast So I'm fairly certain we could do it a few more years

Talon Dancer

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I guess there are two factions here and each does not fully appreciate the other. Those who can get HD Locals OTA cannot understand why those who cannot are constatantly asking for it. Try to imagine not being able to view HD content on those channels that, in most cases, are your primary viewing channels. Here you are with this wonderful HD video equipment and are forced to watch SD content most of the time. Then there are the cans that are sitting there saying "OK, I have HD Locals OTA but I'm getting bored with just this and want more". The cannots only wish they were in that position.

I guess my point is: Don't jump all over the other guy just because he isn't in your same situation. Everyone has their priorities and each should be respected.

I personally, because of my geographic location, rely on Dish to provide local programming to me. Unfortunately, my market is not even being considered for HD as of this time. Those of you that have it either OTA or through dish should consider yourselves lucky and should sympathize with us that don't have it.

And then there are those that have HD OTA, but the stations providing it are pathetic, don't broadcast in DD5.1; and generally do a lousy job. BUT I guess it is better than your situation, with NO OTA HD channels.

 

[TalonDancer]

...
Sorry you don't like VOOM. Yes, many of the channels appeal only to narrow groups- but they are serving those groups, more than D* is. And I like Equator A LOT.

Actually we do like/watch some of the VOOM channels, including Equator but...
We'd trade all of the VOOM channels for the our Locals in HD via satellite. Because we can not get them any other way

Talon Dancer