Considering coming to the dark side

[lbrooks]

I've been with Direct TV since 97 and thinking about switching. After lurking around for a couple of days I'm more impressed with what I've seen. I have a few questions before I make my final decision. I live in Dallas and have been getting east and west coast distant feeds in SD for years. I was wondering if this would be possible on Dish in HD and SD? If so what hardware would I need to make this happen and would I need to make a move so to speak. My goal is to get as many sets of local in HD and SD as possible.

Thanks,
Brooks

 

[tjguitar]

Isnt there some silly FCC law that doesnt allow distant locals in HD?


We can get WABC and WCBS in SD on DirecTV, but not in HD. They used to be in HD but they took 'em away a few years ago...

 

[jmccurrytech]

Distants are provided by All American Direct www.mydistantnetworks.com

The HD Distants are on 110, the SD Distants come from 119. I'd recommend a Dish 1000.2 which provides 110, 119, and 129. That'd cover you for locals, distant nets, and HD. And yes you can get locals, distants hd and sd since the distants are provided by a 3rd party and not Dish Network. VERY PRICEY THO!!!

 

[MikeD-C05]

HD locals for Dallas are on the 110 and off of 61.5 sat , so you could go either eastern or western arc. IF you want distants go western arc. But if you want eastern arc , you can get a side sat dish installed and run to it for either 110 or 119 sats for either hd or sd distants. But I think that new subs in eastern arc territory are supposed to be installed with eastern arc. Older existing subs can go either way depending on whether they want to pay for it.

 

[lbrooks]

You guys our great! I think I got it and now am closer to the decision. I do have a couple more questions though. When you talk about the Eastern and Western ARC how does it make a difference? Also when you talk about the Dish 1000.2 will this be provided by Dish or do I need to purchase separately and install. Last question for now when I look at the hardware piece I currently have a Direct TV sixteen switch and it's run through out the house. Can I use the same cable or switch or either?

Thanks,
Brooks

 

[MikeD-C05]

NO on the switches from Directv. They can use the same coax cable runs if they aren't frayed or rg 59. But the switches and directv dish will not be used.

As for the install, DISH will most likely put you on eastern arc and install a 1000.4 sat dish for 77/72.7/61.5 , unless you have line of sight issues for this location. Most new subs in eastern arc territory get the eastern arc dish . If you do have line of sight issues for the eastern arc, they will try the western arc dish 1000.2 sat dish for 110/119/129 sats. The difference is more pronounced if your locals are on a certain sat on one of the arcs and not duplicated on the other. IF that is the case then DISH might put you on either arc and add the sat that you need for just locals into your install.

Both dishes can run three lines to your house into three different rooms and they will use a dish pro separator to split one coax into two for a dual tuner dvr or a duo tuner receiver. Both dishes can have another dish added to it through the lnb in port , so you can add another sat. For example the 118 sat for internationals. IF you need more runs they might use a dish pro 44 switch so you could run another room if needed.

The dish install , cable runs if needed, and the receivers themselves are all included in basic installation. I think right now DISH is running on their website 3 hd receivers installed for free.

Satellite TV - HD Satellite Television - DISH 1.888.825.2557

 

[lbrooks]

Mike,

Thanks for the info! I'm looking at this and wondering to get the distants in HD do I have to be on the western arc if so can I buy the dish myself and have Dish install it when they come out. My number one thing is getting the Dallas channels in SD and HD and the west coast distants in HD. I will pay the extra money and if I can get more locals that's fine but those are the ones I'd like. My 2nd concern is I have 4 HD-DVR currently and I'm currently debating what the cost will be to get the same package. When I get ready to order to I go through Direct TV or All American Direct?


Brooks

 

[jmccurrytech]

Mike,

Thanks for the info! I'm looking at this and wondering to get the distants in HD do I have to be on the western arc if so can I buy the dish myself and have Dish install it when they come out. My number one thing is getting the Dallas channels in SD and HD and the west coast distants in HD. I will pay the extra money and if I can get more locals that's fine but those are the ones I'd like. My 2nd concern is I have 4 HD-DVR currently and I'm currently debating what the cost will be to get the same package. When I get ready to order to I go through Direct TV or All American Direct?


Brooks

I assume you meant Dish or All American Direct? You order everything except Distants from Dish. All American Direct does only Distants, they don't do equipment or anything.

 

[lbrooks]

Yes, I meant DISH and thanks for the information. You guys here are great a very responsive.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Mike,

Thanks for the info! I'm looking at this and wondering to get the distants in HD do I have to be on the western arc if so can I buy the dish myself and have Dish install it when they come out. My number one thing is getting the Dallas channels in SD and HD and the west coast distants in HD. I will pay the extra money and if I can get more locals that's fine but those are the ones I'd like. My 2nd concern is I have 4 HD-DVR currently and I'm currently debating what the cost will be to get the same package. When I get ready to order to I go through Direct TV or All American Direct?


Brooks

For DISH NETWORK I would recommend that you let DISH install a dish 1000.2 so you can get both sd distants off of 119, and hd distants from 110 , along with your hd locals from 110. This would give you all the networks you want.

IF you need the distants from All American Direct, you would need to call them and apply online at their site for the channels. You need an address from the west coast that can get all 4 nets. They are a separate company that sells distants on DISH receivers and you will have to pay them separately from DISH.

IF you want 4 separate hd dvrs , then I can't recommend DISH, because of the new HIGHER equipment fees.

They are charging $17.00 per additional duo tuner dvr (that can go to two different tvs and can use pip in single mode) ,after the first on your account.

It is $10.00 per solo output dvr( duo tuner that only goes to one tv with no pip), after the first receiver on your account.

It is only $7.00 per solo receiver after the first receiver on your account. You can add an external hard drive to this receiver the 211k , and pay one time fee of $39.99, to DISH to turn all the 211ks on your account into a dvr. Then you could record one sat and one ota channel at the same time.

Now if you wanted to get a 722k (with ota module) , it would go to two different tvs. Then add either another one and pay the $17.00 for another two tvs and you would do 4 tvs. But only two would be in hd on tv1 and the other two would be in sd on tv2.

 

[kstuart]

Actually the "dark side" is cable...

 

[Jhon69]

Actually the "dark side" is cable...

I always heard it was DirecTV!.:dev:yikes:devil:

 

[rad]

lbrooks, just to make sure you know, that TV2 output on the Dish HD DVR's is a SD only output.

 

[larricka]

dish in alaska

I want to install a dish system in fairbanks, ak and have been told no for various reasons. I have good line of site at 119 o. I plan on doing my own installation and want to start off with the basic install. Can anyone recommend a system to me (receiver, dish & switch). I have two HD tv's and receive locals channels via an antenna I was thinking about a Dish 500 with ViP 622 receiver. I welcome any thoughts.

 

[KimmiKat]

One of the site's sponsors is the "Dish Store." Click on the icon on top of the forum (or http://www.dishstore.net/) to reach them, they usually have some good deals.

 

[the mack]

I want to install a dish system in fairbanks, ak and have been told no for various reasons. I have good line of site at 119 o. I plan on doing my own installation and want to start off with the basic install. Can anyone recommend a system to me (receiver, dish & switch). I have two HD tv's and receive locals channels via an antenna I was thinking about a Dish 500 with ViP 622 receiver. I welcome any thoughts.

in the future start you own thread instead of "hijacking" another posters.
many times you will get better results.....


btw welcome to satguys..........

 

[TNGTony]

Isnt there some silly FCC law that doesnt allow distant locals in HD?...

No there isn't.

I just have to correct this because everyone gets it backwards
The silly regulation ALLOWS for distant networks under specific circumstances only. Without the law that Congress approved and the FCC regulates, no one would be allowed to have distant networks at any time because distant network channels are beoing distributed and sold without the concent of the station, the networks or copyright holders.

If a network wanted to provide direct feeds, they could do it tomorrow if they really wanted to. They don't. Or really their affiliates don't want them to.

 

[Yes616]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but to qualify for distants you need to be in an area where a grade B OTA signal cannot be had. This would qualify most folks in rural areas but not people in or close to a city where broadcast stations are located unless the local channels permitted it.

If the OP is in Dallas, I would think he or she would not qualify for any distants so easily. AAD does try to get waivers (for a small fee) on behalf of the interested parties but I don't know how succesful they are.

Before the OP or anyone else interested does anything I would go to the All American Direct site and enter the required information to see if they qualified.

 

[whatchel1]

History

Someone correct me if I am wrong but to qualify for distants you need to be in an area where a grade B OTA signal cannot be had. This would qualify most folks in rural areas but not people in or close to a city where broadcast stations are located unless the local channels permitted it.

If the OP is in Dallas, I would think he or she would not qualify for any distants so easily. AAD does try to get waivers (for a small fee) on behalf of the interested parties but I don't know how succesful they are.

Before the OP or anyone else interested does anything I would go to the All American Direct site and enter the required information to see if they qualified.

The grade B contour was an analog measurement. You either get A contour or you don't get anything in the digital world. Now it's pretty much if you can get OTA with an outdoor ant then you good to go. If you can't then it's time to get it another way. The station I recently worked for wouldn't give a waiver to anyone (corp policy) UNTIL one guy forced the GM (lawsuit was gonna happen) to send an eng out to do measurements. Turned out he was right he was in the shadow of a building that knocked all OTA out for him. He was given a waiver to get stations from another area. That was the only time that station ever gave out one for the time I worked there.

 

[mike123abc]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but to qualify for distants you need to be in an area where a grade B OTA signal cannot be had. This would qualify most folks in rural areas but not people in or close to a city where broadcast stations are located unless the local channels permitted it.

The standard of being out of the contour is pretty hard. With analog it was an antenna at 40' in the center of the street in front of your address. It is probably something similar for digital (even though there is no longer grade B). You can go a very long distance with a 40' high long throw antenna (I can get Dallas stations from Wichita Falls 100 miles away, I can get OKC at night 120 miles away). My antenna is about 35' off the ground (top of 2 story house with gabled roof).