Just got Dish w/ a 625 DVR - Can I feed local channels to it?

[j0nnyhb]

New guy here (thanks for cutting me some slack if this has already been discussed, I searched around a bit but didn't find anything). I live in an area where I don't get Local channels (Rochester, MN), so my only option is to keep cable for them or get an antenna (I kept basic cable). The only network that I can pickup ala cart is PBS ... no NBC, CBS or ABC.

I think I might be screwed as far as trying to use the DVR with channels not going through Dish, but I'm hoping there is some way to program the receiver to pickup these channels or some alternative (my wife is going to kill me if this doesn't work ;o) ).

Please help me save my marriage! (I'm locked in for 1 year with Dish). Thanks in advance!

 

[JamesJ]

On my 625 I plugged my OTA antenna in, had the box off, and then just flipped through the local channels on the tv, if you have more then one input on your tv why not run the rg6 run from your antenna to your tv and use it that way? just a suggestion, I know what you are going through, my wife could not live for one day without our locals

 

[j0nnyhb]

Thanks stuart628 ... I did plug in my cable to the OTA antenna in (I think), but nothing came through when I powered up the 625 again (although I did NOT reboot the 625, maybe I have to??).

"if you have more than 1 input on your tv why not run the rg6 from antenna to your tv ..."

That is what I have now if I understand you correctly, but I cannot use the DVR for those local channels. But maybe I don't understand what you are saying ;o)

 

[stone phillips420]

if in rochester mn use minneapolis or st. paul as service address then use rochester as you billing address and youll get the msp locals on dish in rochester

 

[webbydude]

J0nnyhb, I've got some bad news for you. If I'm reading your post correctly, there is no way for your DVR to "DVR" your cable-fed channels. Looks like you're stuck NOT being able to record/pause/RR/FF/etc with your sat receiver. The only receiver that can do that is a HD DVR; and even then, that's with OTA HD channels

 

[wobbie]

If you have the OTA ran into the DVR you need to shut the reciever off to veiw the locals. If you have video inputs on the back of your TV (red, white and yellow plugs) run your VDR thru those and your antenae into the antenae input on the TV. Then when you want to watch the locals you just need to cahnge the input on your TV. You must understand that you will not be able to run your OTA into your DVR and expect to use the DVR features with the lovals, it won't work. Hope that helps.

 

[jergenf]

Based on the 625 brochure on dishnetwork.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/product_brochures/625_Prod_SheetWeb.pdf

It has TV ant/cable input which implies it has a NTSC TV tuner. You won't be able to record them on your DVR but should be able to view them.

If your basic cable is analog then connect it to the 625. To verify if your cable is analog connect it to a cable ready TV or VCR if your TV tuner can scan through the channels then it's analog. If you can only view cable through the STB then it may be digital or scrambled analog. You may be able to subscribe to analog cable and give up the cable box.

If your cable requires a set top box then you may be able to connect the video output to a VCR and use the RF output from the VCR (channel 3) to your 625. It's a pain because your VCR and STB need to be on in order to view it on your sat receiver and you'll need the cable remote to change channels or program your DVR remote as it can operate in different modes.

Once connected you'll need to go through some menu options in your 625 to scan for channels. Not sure if it has the autoscan feature or if you have to manual program them in one by one. It should map them into your guide although there won't any actual program guide info maybe just "Local Programming" or "No Information Available".

You can try to subscribe to locals. As you said they don't offer Rochester but maybe you can get Minneapolis-St. Paul. That would give you DVR capability and guide info. It may be a cheaper option than basic cable.

At some point you really should consider an antenna because you eventually want digital OTA in HD. But that won't be much use for your 625.

Hopes this helps

 

[j0nnyhb]

"J0nnyhb, I've got some bad news for you. If I'm reading your post correctly, there is no way for your DVR to "DVR" your cable-fed channels. Looks like you're stuck NOT being able to record/pause/RR/FF/etc with your sat receiver. The only receiver that can do that is a HD DVR; and even then, that's with OTA HD channels"

Webbydude said the above ... This is what I was afraid of. That is exactly what I want to do (use record/pause/RR/FF/etc.). I don't really care so much about the future programming not coming through, if I could just record what we want to watch on the cable channels as we watch it.

My cable is analog ... but doesn't sound like this helps any w/ respect to the DVR functions. The idea of using Minneapolis/St. Paul as service address is intriguing, but is it legal? The guys that installed my system know good and well I'm in Rochester, but for crying out loud, there should be some way for me to pay for any ABC, NBC, CBS stations to run through the Dish system ... DVR sucks without that.

Thanks again for all the replys, I'll keep posting my saga, and hopefully something will come up that will make things work ... I suppose even if I buy an independent OEM DVR or TiVo, the input from Dish will be encoded in something that won't work in the OEM DVR I buy.

 

[stone phillips420]

just get the 625 professional install setup with rochester as service and billing address theb ten minutes after installer leaves call up saying you moved move your service address in msp but keep billing address in rochester then sub msp locals and youve got local tv on 625
good luck

 

[j0nnyhb]

I had everything installed on Monday ... I suppose Dish doesn't really care and probably knows what is going on in these cases, but it sounds like a way they can please their customers while getting around some red tape.

 

[BobaBird]

The 522/625 does NOT have an OTA tuner or an MPEG2 encoder. The antenna input is a pass-thru only as it is for most Dish receivers. The only receivers with a tuner are the 5000, D-VHS, 6000 w/8VSB, 811, 921, and 942. There is no reason to degrade your OTA signal by passing it through another box unless you have a very old TV that has no A/V inputs.