Dish Newb HD question

[tilt]

Hey everyone, I am looking into getting Dish but I have a newb question.

The Dish tech told me I can only get 2 HD local chanels OTA (CBS and ABC) and none through the dish. So do they mean I can NOT get the Office, Heros, and other NBC HD shows (that I currently get with cable)...... or do they mean that I can not get my local news?

Thanks

 

[Jim5506]

Give use your zipcode and we can formulate an intelligent answer (well an answer anyway).

 

[tilt]

sure, 68516 Lincoln, Nebraska

 

[120inna55]

Hey everyone, I am looking into getting Dish but I have a newb question.

The Dish tech told me I can only get 2 HD local chanels OTA (CBS and ABC) and none through the dish. So do they mean I can NOT get the Office, Heros, and other NBC HD shows (that I currently get with cable)...... or do they mean that I can not get my local news?

Thanks

What's you ZIP? Then we can help you determine which HD locals you can or cannot recieve through DISH.

Regarding HD OTA: No one can tell you with certainty which channels you'll pick-up until you've tried it from your location with an antenna installed.

Not to refute what the tech is telling you, though. If this is a CSR with whom you spoke over the phone, then I take it with a grain of salt. However if this is a local installer familiar with your area, he/she may be giving you a heads-up.

 

[120inna55]

I'd love to answer this question for you. But DISH's "Local Qualification" link is sloooooooowwwwwwww right now. https://customersupport.dishnetwork.com/customernetqual/prepAddress.do

 

[Jim5506]

Well AntennaWeb shows CBS, PBS and ABC from Lincoln @ 28-35 miles away and CBS, ABC and NBC from Omaha @ 50 miles away.

Your OTA HDTV for NBC would be out of Omaha, so you'll need a good UHF antenna with a pre-amp to get it consistently. You'll also want a rotator if you want to to swing around to the Lincoln stations.

I'd get an Antennas Direct XG-91 UHF antenna with a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp and a Channel Master 9521a rotator. the higher you can mount it the better reception you'll get from Omaha.

 

[120inna55]

According to the Dish Channel Chart, none of your locals will be in HD (through Dish anyway). Here are the SD offerings:

KLKN TV 8 (ABC) KLKN
KOLN TV 10 (CBS) KOLN
KHAS TV 5 (NBC) Hastings KHAS
KTVG TV 17 (Fox) Grand Island KTVG
KCWL TV 51 (CW) KCWL
KUON TV 12 (PBS) KUON
KHGI TV 13 (ABC) Kearney KHGI

So until Dish expands their HD LiL coverage. You'll need to depend on OTA, or choose a different provider.

 

[tilt]

Thanks a lot for the help guys I am in uncharted waters here.

So inorder to get ANY NBC in HD I will need to get it from Omaha OTA. So without the antena, Heros and the Office will no longer be in HD for me right?

I get confused when the term "locals" is used becuase Heros is no more local than ESPN to me. But I am getting the idea that locals means network TV

 

[tilt]

Thanks 120inna55, just what I was looking for. The tech made it sound like I could get Heros in HD (my wife really like that show) but she would not give me a straigt answer so I thought she may me lying.

I am not sure if Direct is much differnt but I guess I should check them out, but for I want it seems they will cost more.

 

[120inna55]

Thanks a lot for the help guys I am in uncharted waters here.

So inorder to get ANY NBC in HD I will need to get it from Omaha OTA. So without the antena, Heros and the Office will no longer be in HD for me right?

I get confused when the term "locals" is used becuase Heros is no more local than ESPN to me. But I am getting the idea that locals means network TV

We literally mean "local network affiliate". Meaning the stations on which you would receive network programming and local programming. For instance, KLKN, your local ABC affiliate, will broadcast the same network programming that we all see nationwide (time zome adjusted) with a few exceptions. The commercials will obviously be a mixture of national commercials and local interest commercials. Local news will also be shown on this station.

I hope I answered you question as opposed to adding to the confusion.

I assume you've actually been seeing your local network affiliates via your current provider? The programming itself will be no different whether it's cable, satellite, or OTA. KLKN will be KLKN no matter how you pull it in.

 

[whatchel1]

Power levels from the CBS, PBS and ABC from Lincoln are as follows: 680kw, 500kw, & 500kw. all of these should come in well at these power level and the distance of under 35 miles. CBS, ABC and NBC from Omaha: 1000kw, 700kw, & 982kw. The CBS & NBC should come in well depending on the terrain between you and Omaha. Get ABC out of Lincoln. You should put the antenna as high as possible to get stations 50 miles away. You are out of luck at present in getting FOX or CW in HD. They both seem to be coming out of the same facility and don't even have a pending date of transmission. But must have it up and running by 2-19-09 or lose out the right to transmit. That date is the date that there will be no more analog transmission set by the FCC.

 

[jjjjjreynolds]

Direct the antenna toward Omaha, you will get all the networks. I'm roughly the same distance (50mi) from the towers in IA, and I get all of them 95%+. All the network towers are in the same area in Omaha. I have one $24 Radio Shack antenna mounted on my deck, no need to rotate. The towers are on the north side of Omaha on 72nd.