HD Locals...confused

[varaonaid]

Hi there,

I'll be moving shortly, about 15 miles away across the state border into Southern Vermont. In looking at D*'s service, of course I wanted to find out what locals channels are available. Where I currently live, I qualify for the Boston stations including HD channels. However, in VT, I qualify for all the Boston stations but without any HD channels. This really confuses me and doesn't make sense. How could an area qualify for the SD versions of a channel but not the HD version? Not to start a flame war or anything but E* does offer/allow those Boston HD channels as well as the standard definition ones so I don't think it can be a government or regulatory issue.

Can anyone please explain this anomaly to me? Again, I'm just trying to understand the reasoning behind this (is it a mistake???) and learn in order to make the best choice for my family in which satellite provider to choose. All the HD sure is tempting...

Thanks in advance!

 

[raoul5788]

Hi there,

I'll be moving shortly, about 15 miles away across the state border into Southern Vermont. In looking at D*'s service, of course I wanted to find out what locals channels are available. Where I currently live, I qualify for the Boston stations including HD channels. However, in VT, I qualify for all the Boston stations but without any HD channels. This really confuses me and doesn't make sense. How could an area qualify for the SD versions of a channel but not the HD version? Not to start a flame war or anything but E* does offer/allow those Boston HD channels as well as the standard definition ones so I don't think it can be a government or regulatory issue.

Can anyone please explain this anomaly to me? Again, I'm just trying to understand the reasoning behind this (is it a mistake???) and learn in order to make the best choice for my family in which satellite provider to choose. All the HD sure is tempting...

Thanks in advance!

Did you get this information from their website or a csr? Sometimes the website isn't up to date. Call and ask. Which town are you referring to? For instance, Bennington gets their locals from the Albany dma and has local hd available. I just checked Brattleboro. They get Boston locals, but like you said, no hd! I suspect when the new satellite goes up in March that you will see hd available there then.

 

[charper1]

Well it is all zip code based and IS a legal thing; what is your zip code OP?

 

[varaonaid]

Hey there,

Current zipcode is 03431, new zip-to-be 05301.

I understand that it's based on a legal thing but in this case, I don't think that's what's driving it in this particular case because E*legally offers the HD channels in that area. Anyway, with the zips now, maybe that will help with deciphering the issue. Again, many thanks for your help.

 

[raoul5788]

Again, I would call and ask to verify whether or not you will get the hd channels. If you don't get them now, you will soon I suspect when D11 is up and running.

 

[jcrandall]

I think it is probally a case where the local market dma is the same - but it falls out of the boston spotbeam area (at least in D*s computer it does).

There is a good chance you still would get adequate signal to receive the channel, but because D* is not 100% sure, they won't turn on the HD channels for you in that zip code.

You could keep your address the same, but you'd have to install your own dish at the new place. Or you could "move" after getting the dish installed at the new place - but that's a whole different converstaion.

 

[aramus8]

As was stated before, the D* web site can't be counted on for HD locals information. The site still says I don't get my HD locals, yet I have been receiving them for almost two years.

 

[varaonaid]

Maybe it would be a question for a local installer...D* said that the extra 15 miles puts that area outside the spotbeam for the Boston area. So it qualifies but the don't provide them there, at least, officially. It's really unfortunate but this is a big strike against D* for me and will definitely make me go back and look again at E* since they offer HD locals. Maybe it's silly but I've been wanting to watch an Olympics in HD for several years now.

Thanks everyone for all the info. I will go ahead and check with a local installer and see what they have to say as well.