Just curious. I have a buddy that's thinking about canceling Dish and asked me if his 622 receiver(which he owns) could still be used to receive OTA HD if he's not subscribed to Dish anymore. I said I figured it would, but would ask you guys. It hasn't been hooked up to a phone line in years if that makes any difference and he's never had any trouble. TIA
Can I still use 622 for OTA HD if unsubscribed?
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Yes and no. It will work once you get past the "aquiring satellite screen", then if you get back on a dish channel it takes forever to get back on an over the air channel. No guide also. You have to subscribe to get a guide. I am guessing his tv does not have a digital tuner built in? If he is cancelling I would sell my dish box on ebay and buy a digital tuner, you can get them cheap on ebay. or a dish pal box.
Officially, NO. Dish policy is that one must have a subscription to services for the OTA to work at all. Dish views their boxes as SATELLITE boxes and NOT OTA boxes. Dish feels that since they subsidize the sat boxes, they don't want people to get the box strictly as an OTA without some kind of subscription because they would be getting a big discount on a box that Dish could not recoup it subsidy cost.
If one wants a "Dish" OTA only STB, then the My PAL DVR is the solution (manufactured by Echostar).
If one wants a "Dish" OTA only STB, then the My PAL DVR is the solution (manufactured by Echostar).
I can also use my dvd recorder since it has a digital tuner built into the unit. I get about 2 hours of guide info.
I seriously doubt Echostar manufactures these boxes. More likely they designed them, and then gave the manufacturing contract to a big EMS house like Flextronics or Foxconn.
You are being precise, and I appreciate that. I meant to say that the manufacturer is Echostar. Now, that isn't precise either, but it is accurate in that the term "manufacturer" in business is applied to the company that owns or designs the product. Fewer U.S. companies today have their own manufacturing plants anymore. In fact it is a Chinese manufacturing company/plant in China that truly "builds" many of the products of today, but all the companies that own the "brands" (there can be many brands with one "manufacturer") are still referred to as "manufacturer" when attempting to acquire for resale to the public from places such as United Stationers (all manner of copy machines, printers, pens, from all the known companies or brands, you name it) even though just about everything in their warehouse was manufactured by a big house similar to the ones you cite. There are several brands of TV's or companies "producing" TV's but most are indeed "manufactured" at a big house or even one of the competing brands, but the TV brand or company is still referred to as the "manufacturer."
Thanks for sharing knowledge of who may really manufacture the My PalDVR with us.
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Maybe it's because I've lived and worked in Silicon Valley for so many years, but I don't think of Apple as the manufacturer of the iPhone (it's Foxconn) or MacBook Air (it's Quanta), and I don't think of Dell as the designer or manufacturer of anything they sell. And the factories may be located in mainland China, but the EMSes are mostly either Taiwanese or American companies.
But how would they shut it off? Like I said, his box isn't connected to a phone line. If he calls up to cancel, wouldn't only the sat channels go blank and the local OTAs would stay?
I guess I'm confused as to how they could "turn off" the local OTA HD tuner if the receiver can't get any update info. I'm leaning toward the answer...
When the box no longer receives updates from the satellite signal, it is pre-programmed to shut down all functions. The old 811's and 921 dvrs still functioned for OTA as long as they still received a sat signal. If they were not connected to a satellite dish receiving a signal the OTA would not function. Whether the 622 works this way I don't know. I have other means of recording OTA HD so I have not had the need to try it.
You assuming too far w/out facts/knowledge. 
All deactivated receivers capable to show FTA channels like NASA, 101, and few others.
All deactivated receivers capable to show FTA channels like NASA, 101, and few others.
Leave the satellite dish connected. It will still receive the promo channels, and NASA and Angel One....The OTA will still work, but without guide info, and without the DVR recording function.
I know when I have installed them and before they activated I scanned for local digital channels after the scan. I would tell them to add them to the guide a error message pops up says it can not be done until the box is activated. But since its already added it may still work as long as he does not try to add more with a new scan.
Well, guess what? If a customer (business or individual) wants to purchase an Apple product, just about every warehouser or other business selling them does indeed refer to Apple as the "manufacturer." This is the case, for example, in the office supply business such as Office Depot, etc. and big boys such as United Stationers who sell only to other businesses for retail. Apple for the rest of us is the "manufacturer." I think you are not in the retail end of the business and have an engineer's view. Nothing wrong with that, but if you were to change jobs, you would have to accept what "they" refer to as the manufacturer. In fact, that is what everyone else outside the business refers to as the manufacturer. After all, what is a Manufacturer's Warranty? Is the the big house or factory that put the product together in China or elsewhere standing behind the product for the consumer? No. It is the company (Apple) and it's brand that are the "manufacturer" in a manufacturer warranty, and it is Apple standing behind its product. Apple does not refer its customers to Foxconn if there are any problems. That is Apple's problem. For practical purposes of warranty and troubleshooting and pricing, etc. it is Apple who is the "manufacturer." Who they farm out the factory work to is irrelevant to Apple's status as completely responsible for the product.
Again, this is just a difference in nomenclature. But I think you would have to admit that the rest of the world doesn't share your exacting take on this.
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