Dish Doles Out Digital Antennas as Retrans Battle Looms

[osu1991]

Dish Doles Out Digital Antennas as Retrans Battle Looms | Multichannel

Dish Network is handing out free digital antennas to its subscribers in the Providence, R.I. area, as the deadline for a retransmission agreement with a local ABC affiliate there nears.

Dish’s existing retrans deal with WLNE-TV (ABC6), the Citadel Communications-owned ABC affiliate, expires at 7 p.m. on Aug. 18. As that date looms, Dish said it is offering qualifying customers installation of a high-definition digital over-the-air antenna at no charge to receive the signals for free. Dish said that customers who take the OTA option also can save about $10 per month on their pay TV bill if they drop their local channel package.

 

[Tampa8]

This is especially effective in RI where just about anywhere you can get their signal with an antenna very often indoor.

 

[TheKrell]

I object to calling it a "digital" antenna.

 

[bluegras]

http://www.tvpredictions.com/dish081617.htm

 

[littlecloud319]

Yet they don’t support their OTA adapter so good luck if you have problems setting it up.

 

[ScooterS]

do you still get your Locals guide on the Dish menu when you drop the Satellite Locals.

 

[StanDarsh]

do you still get your Locals guide on the Dish menu when you drop the Satellite Locals.

Yes. They probably will say "OTA - 003" for example, but it will show in guide.

*edit*

I"m thinking about what you see when you use the OTA dongle...
Actually I am not sure on that question since I haven't done it that way...
Hmm..

 

[MikeD-C05]

I will post this again for all to see. I have a 211k that is hooked up to satellite- just to power my ota antenna ,but it has NOT been Authorized since 2012. It has ota antenna and I am getting full guide data for all the ota channels that DISH carries on their satellite. Some sub channels still show digital local,but they didn't have guide data when I had the 211k authorized. SO YES, you should get guide data for your ota channels that DISH carries on their satellite, even if you don't have locals .

 

[pattykay]

Yet they don’t support their OTA adapter so good luck if you have problems setting it up.

From the quote in the first post, it sounds like Dish is setting it up for the affected customers.

Dish said it is offering qualifying customers installation of a high-definition digital over-the-air antenna at no charge to receive the signals for free.

 

[STDog]

SO YES, you should get guide data for your ota channels that DISH carries on their satellite, even if you don't have locals .

But they have pulled guide data for disputed channels in the past.

Disputed channels being the reason for Dish providing OTA antennas.

 

[TheKrell]

do you still get your Locals guide on the Dish menu when you drop the Satellite Locals.

I dropped sat locals saving $10, but a bizarre problem occurred. A number of channels, mostly PBS, show no guide data for the main -01 channel, but do show guide data for the subchannels! I am working with the excellent guy with Dish Technical Operations who is trying to get this fixed. They did some back-end fixes, and if memory serves, my Baltimore channel 22 MPTV had no data before but now it does. Unfortunately, I can't receive Baltimore very well and my local WETA PBS channel 26 still has no guide data on 26-01. He now thinks it's a receiver software problem and that will take much longer to fix.

 

[sam_gordon]

But they have pulled guide data for disputed channels in the past.

That's done to piss off the customers even more hoping they'll take it out on the local broadcaster. Just my opinion of course.

Also my opinion... I think this is a great move by Dish. Not only sending antennas, but installation too? Kudos Dish!

 

[MitchDeerfield]

I bet they don't include free installation. They give you a free indoor antenna and you can hang it wherever you like.

 

[pattykay]

I bet they don't include free installation. They give you a free indoor antenna and you can hang it wherever you like.

They may include free installation of the OTA module, if one is required for your receiver. (ViP722k, for example)

 

[sam_gordon]

From the article...

Dish said it is offering qualifying customers installation of a high-definition digital over-the-air antenna at no charge to receive the signals for free.

 

[navychop]

Place antenna on or near Hopper. Screw coax to OTA module. Plug USB into Hopper.

Note paperwork takes longer than "installation."

 

[littlecloud319]

Place antenna on or near Hopper. Screw coax to OTA module. Plug USB into Hopper.

Note paperwork takes longer than "installation."

In some cases antennas need to be installed outside in order to get enough signal

 

[navychop]

Dish hasn't said they would provide or install that kind of antenna for free.

In my high signal area, I still have a huge UHF/VHF antenna on my roof. Was an attempt to get a certain distant station (didn't work). I also have one TV (Sony Trintron, 27", free to good, or bad, home! ) with an indoor antenna. It gets the stations I'm interested in.

 

[ChadT41]

Off topic(someone meme me) but any suggestions on where to look for a rooftop OTA. I plan on wiring it myself, and possibly, while I'm up there, rewiring my H3 setup with some RG11 I found online for $150...

 

[navychop]

Don't bother with the RG-11.

Other questions about which- best settled with antennaweb or similar. But I favor Channel Master or top end Winegard.

Solid Signal for "where."