Any distant local networks in HD???

[bub]

I have been told repeatedly by DN Corp that once I upgrade to the Vip series receivers, my distant local networks will be in HD.

Right now, I see CBS HD on my 811. I am in the Ft. Smith Arkansas market where local networks are available but I have never subscribed to them, getting my locals from the East coast.

Is this information correct??? Sounds too good to be true.

Thx all and good luck,
George -bub

 

[mdonnelly]

No, not correct. Locals (ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX) are available in HD in about 12 markets now, but only if you sub to Dish locals.

 

[bub]

I AM getting CBS HD right now though...

I do subscribe to DN local networks, but they are distant local networks out of NY I think.

I have never subscribed to my local networks, but have always received my locals from distant NY (again, I think).

I do see the CBS HD feed on my 811 and have been told repeatedly that I would see all the network HD feeds once I upgrade to the VIP series receivers.

I hope I'm describing that correctly.
George -bub

 

[BFG]

No, you won't unfortunetly

Dish was giving all 4 ny/la stations to those who had their sd counterpart, but they pulled that several hours later.

CBS is still the only distant HD station available.

 

[bub]

Thx for info Bryan

I was really hoping to be able to watch some Nascar on Fox/NBC in HD, neither of which I can get OTA where I'm at, SW of Ft. Smith Arkansas...

George -bub

Figures the people at DN Corp don't even know what is really what!

 

[Jim S.]

Has anyone ever got a coherent answer from Dish as to why they don't provide distant HD when DirectTV, if I understand correctly, does?

 

[BFG]

They think they're not allowed to, they mention something happens in July. But as we've already done are own research, they legally can if they want to provide them now.

 

[rdinkel]

They have hinted that they do not have the accounting in place to meet the rules for distant HD feeds. Even with waivers, there are some time-zone requirements, etc.

 

[cleblanc]

I don't understand why then they provide CBS-HD but think they can't provide the others. What is the difference? They have been providing CBS-HD for any subscriber who had the SD version for years. I would think the same rules would apply to ABC, NBC and FOX.

 

[garys]

I don't understand why then they provide CBS-HD but think they can't provide the others. What is the difference? They have been providing CBS-HD for any subscriber who had the SD version for years. I would think the same rules would apply to ABC, NBC and FOX.

The difference - the CBS-HD feed that people are getting has been available for many years since before many markets were not offering HD via OTA and is in mpeg2. E* may be delaying offering the mpeg4 network HD as distant offerings until they get more the markets uplinked and activated. Let's say if E* offers the NY HD's as distant net to everyone on 61.5 and then within two months your locals become available on 129, who is going to pay for the dish 1000, the customer or E*? Also is there enough equipment to accomplish this. And does anyone think csr's could keep all this straight? There has been a lot of people not wanting two or three dishes attached to their homes or apartments. Remember when E* launched Voom, they asked many people (mostly those who did not have 61.5) to wait to upgrade. It may not seem to be very well thought out, but then why offer large rebates starting two months after making the 622 available? Just my thoughts, feel free to disagree.

 

[Lucky]

I think if they offer distant locals in HD they should put those being offered like NY and LA up on the new Echostar 10 at the 110 position. This would solve the need for extra dishes to get distant locals.

 

[waltinvt]

I don't understand why then they provide CBS-HD but think they can't provide the others. What is the difference? They have been providing CBS-HD for any subscriber who had the SD version for years. I would think the same rules would apply to ABC, NBC and FOX.

They do but Dish's deal with CBS is a private contract that basically pre-empts SHVERA rules. That's not to say Dish couldn't strike a similar deal with the other networks or in lieu of that, go the SHVERA route. The bottom line is whoever owns the copywrite gets to decide where the product goes but SHVERA can overide those rights under certain conditions

Shvera gives DBS the right in certain situations to bypass seeking retransmission consent and "D" currently takes advantage of that (to a point) but "E" (as yet) chooses not to.

The reason is most likely money. Nobody that gets Dish's CBS-HD feed is paying any extra for it and if you're currently getting analog DNS from Dish, you're already paying for them, so if Dish added the HD DNS, they wouldn't get any additional money. So there's no incentive for them to do it. In fact, they may be going out of their way not to since when the new HD locals launched in NY / LA, for about half the day, analog DNS subs that had 211s were actually getting the HD DNS until Dish "shut" them off.

Like I said, it boils down to copyright and money. Right now Dish is negoiating with many local afilliates for rights to to HD LiLs and even though they (Dish) may have the right to provide HD DNS, the're probably using that threat as a bargining chip in these negoiations.

Now Dish can't make HD DNS available to qualifing subs in only some areas, so I'm betting once HD LiLs reach a certain "critical mass", Dish will launch HD DNS for all "white area" subs not getting HD LiLs.

Where Dish will make the money is signing more people into the Hd and Locals packages (you're required to buy SD LiLs if you want HD LiLs).

Since HD DNS would basically be only temporary in any DMAs Dish plans to provide HD LiLs plus all the notification proceedures written into SHVERA, make HD DNS more of an expense than Dish wants. I suspect Dish wants narrow it down so that those who qualify for HD DNS will remain qualified for a while.

 

[rdinkel]

Good reply, Walt.

 

[waltinvt]

Good reply, Walt.

Thanls Bob. Some of it was speculation but hopfully the more people understand the HD DNS & HD LiLs situation the better they can make programming or even provider decisions.