First time DISH customer, already sorry...

[JMan5000]

Hi, first would like to say thanks for someone here getting me the referral rebate!!!

And I spent alot of time (I thought) on here and other places before I signed up with dish, including a long chat with dish online, to make sure it would have the channels I wanted ( in HD) and to avoid any surprises. Guess I didnt research enough!!

Just had it installed today. The problem is with FSAZ (HD). I live in phx, so I am suppose to get the Fox sports arizona channel (HD) as part of my lineup. And I was told I do. However, as Im sure most of you know, I get fsaz sd channel 24 hours but only "some" things in HD. Of course the SUNS game on tonight isnt in HD! Really?!!?

I dont understand. I have had a combination of either Cox cable or directv for years, and fsaz HD channel is a 24 hour channel on both of those. Somehow DISH pretends that its only a part time HD channel. That is a lie. I called customer service and they told me the game is blacked out, like it has nothing to do with them. Well its not blacked out on Directv or cox on fsazHD, just on DISH. Again, the HD channel is 24 hours. So that is also a lie. Its obvious its for one of 2 reasons, either a cheaper contract with fox sports, or a limit on bandwidth. Either way its DISH being cheap!

To me, saying you carry fsaz in HD, but then to only show it once in a while, is like saying you are giving me a car and then only giving me one of the wheels! "Oh, you meant the whole car?" Or say any of the other channels for that matter. If they tell us we have Discovery channel in HD, but there is only programming on that channel one show out of 30, are we really getting it??

As far as Im concerned this is fraud and false advertising. No where when I was looking at the stations I would get or when chatting with the representative was I told the the HD portion of FSAZ was only broadcast when DISH felt like it.

Sorry my first post is mess, pretty pissed off right now...

 

[david_jr]

First of all welcome to Satellite Guys!!

Most professional and college sports on the regional sports networks are broadcast in HD on Dish. However the network's 24 hour feeds are usually SD and the live sports games are usually JIP or joined in progress (usually one space higher in the guide). You would have to check with some other Dish customers in your region to find the real skinny on your sports channel. I would be shocked if your game is not in HD. Also if you're with Dish for any amount of time you will realize that a lot of the CSRs have little or no clue unless they hang out here that is.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[Tampa8]

I do understand your frustration. I don't think there is an indication on their site about only games (and really only live not rerun) being in HD. I am surprised however the Sun's game was not. Are you certain it didn't go HD maybe very shortly after the game started?

One other thing, if you have the HD channel on before it goes live, you may have to change the channel to any other one, then go back when it has started broadcasting.

(NESN as an example has virtually every Red Sox game or Bruins game in HD, with a rare exception if they are both playing at the same time, though even then often the alternate channel is in HD)

 

[Bobby]

It was scheduled for JIP (Joined In Progress) a bit after the game started..

 

[JMan5000]

Hi, thank u both for your replies. It did show up as JIP, but not until right after I posted this (slightly after the game started). Being new to Dish, how is this handled by the DVR (hopper) to record the HD one? Not even sure if I can add suns games or whatever as a favorite?

And as a second related question, is there a way to tune directly to the HD channel without using the guide? Long story short, I use sagetv to record form the hopper (ya I know the hopper is a dvr..)using the component cables, and my server uses a usb infrared to change the channels. That part works, but tunes to the SD channel. I see also there is a 5000+ channel for it, but I cant seem to tune to it by using the number keys on remote or see them in the guide.

Thanks again!
Jamie

 

[Deadlocked]

Also sometimes you may have to look at the alt channels.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bobby]

You can go directly to that channel by pressing 41205...

 

[david_jr]

You came to the right place for information. Tell all you friends.

Sent from my iPhone 5 using SatelliteGuys

 

[JMan5000]

Bobby, I tried using 41205 and it went to foxaz but the sd station, trying to be able to tune to the HD channel.

Deadlocked, when u say alternate channels, do you mean the ones above 4000 and 5000? I found the HD channel as 5415, but cant seem to tune to it using the remote and does not show up on the hopper guide.

Anyone know how I can tune directly to the FSAZ HD channel?

 

[lucky86]

I think that'd a known bug they are working on fixing. I also believe the work around is using the guide. You can ask a Dirt member to check for you or chat in and confirm its on the bugs list but I'm pretty certain it is.

 

[JMan5000]

Not sure what you are saying is a bug? Not being able to see or tune to the higher (alt) channels? I cant use the guide for my needs, need to be able to tune directly to the HD channels....

 

[Scherrman]

I think that'd a known bug they are working on fixing. I also believe the work around is using the guide. You can ask a Dirt member to check for you or chat in and confirm its on the bugs list but I'm pretty certain it is.

I know what you're saying. When I put in the numbers 405 to go to BTN it tunes to the SD version and for some reason when I channel up it skips it. The easiest way to get to BTN for me is to go to the guide and select the HD version of BTN.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Working from memory, since I haven't watched my RSN since baseball season was over:

If the game is in HD on Dish and is in progress, I can enter the channel number (NESN 41224) and the HD channel would appear.

If the game is in HD on Dish and is running late or long and the HD channel is no longer active in the guide, if I enter the channel number the SD channel would appear and I would have to up/down arrow to navigate to the HD one.

 

[whitewolf8214]

to SatelliteGuys JMan5000 I upgraded to The Hopper and Joey yesterday from the 922 and I am satisfied there is a few bugs but expected as reported here in the forums but other than bugs and Guide disappearing last night on the Joey and was back up this morning it is working good and I am satisfied with it!!

 

[lucky86]

The bug I'm describing is not bring able to tune directly to the HD version. I know this happens with NBA league pass channels and it sounds similar to what you are experiencing.

 

[Rangers484]

In the menu under settings, guide settings, format guide you can set the channel preference to HD channels so when you direct tune the channel it will always bring up the HD version first.

 

[Barry Erick]

And when you had cable and Direct, was it really HD or simply formatted to 16:9? On dish, you can format individual station by pressing * on the remote. But don't do that on a HD station as you will loose some screen content. I watch RTPT Root Pittsburgh for Penguins hockey and they have a sd channel and HD channel with the same numbers, but it is easy to select between them as in my guide (learn how to make your guide) you can plug in both channels and channel up and down will select them.