Local OTA Tuner get $10 off bill each month idea

[ScottChez]

Looking at the "other" guys they have started uplinking ALL the Digital sub channels GUIDE DATA for their over their over the air tuner (Just the guide data). 10 DMA Markets are now uplinked in the OTA DB table.
And I do mean all guide data, just like the Echo Star (same owners as Dish) AirTV tuner has all guide data for most all locals and sub channels.

The "other" guys are now pilot testing in two markets where you get the Local channel fee of $10 off each month if you get your locals via the OTA tuner (I think the Dish fee is $12).
For near those the towers this works great and it might even be a better quality picture and you save $10 a month on Locals. You can still record and do everything as before except on Demand and remote viewing on Phones for Locals.

BACKGROUND:
Dish also has an OTA Tuner that you plug in via USB. Dish also has maybe half the other the air channels with guide data. All DIsh has to do is add the guide data that they already have from their sister company and also give everyone the choice of $10 off. Other let customer continue to pay for locals so they get on demand content but just have the tuner for all the local data.

QUESTION: Can DIsh even do this? Is there database for OTA full and they cant add any more guide data for OTA? Seems like a win win option. Kind of a almost cord cutters for OTA local but keep DIsh hybrid.

Attached is the flyer they were handing out at stores for the Pilot test markets.

I think DIsh really needs to do this. Do they still announce things at CES or does Dish have a different show for things like this now?

Just an Idea, I know DIsh reads these posts, hope they do something to make OTA better. Myself I get 37 Local channels via OTA as I live near an 2nd DMA and I am not in a large city. Heard some cities get 80 channels.

 

[Cheddar_Head]

Dish already does this. A few of the subchannels are missing from the guide but you can use the OTA adapter, cancel locals and save $12 per month.

 

[larrykenney]

Myself I get 37 Local channels via OTA as I live near an 2nd DMA and I am not in a large city. Heard some cities get 80 channels.

The last time I did a scan I came up with a total 0f 124 channels! Many of them come from the same OTA channel -- one of our low power locals offers 16 sub-channels, three of them offer 10, and several have four or five, so they add up fast.

Larry
San Francisco

 

[ScottChez]

I am missing a lot of Guide Data for my DMA and the one nearby. The idea is all guide data will be there. Some stations now have a .2 .3 and a dot 5 digital sub channel.

Plus dont you loose the option to DVR if you dont pay for locals and you dont get guide data if you dont pay for locals with dish, or did this change?

Saving $12 a month is better than the other guys IF you can also DVR, Fast Forward and do the same things as if you paid for locals.
Can someone confirm that already dropped the Locals $12 fee.
Competition is good, others guys do some thing so they do it type of thing and save money.

 

[sam_gordon]

I am missing a lot of Guide Data for my DMA and the one nearby. The idea is all guide data will be there. Some stations now have a .2 .3 and a dot 5 digital sub channel.

Plus dont you loose the option to DVR if you dont pay for locals and you dont get guide data if you dont pay for locals with dish, or did this change?

Saving $12 a month is better than the other guys IF you can also DVR, Fast Forward and do the same things as if you paid for locals.
Can someone confirm that already dropped the Locals $12 fee.
Competition is good, others guys do some thing so they do it type of thing and save money.

Yes, you can DVR OTA reception. At least I can with my VIP 612. Guide Data is in your receiver (assuming you have an OTA antenna). Dish refuses to use it.

 

[Cheddar_Head]

I am missing a lot of Guide Data for my DMA and the one nearby. The idea is all guide data will be there. Some stations now have a .2 .3 and a dot 5 digital sub channel.

Plus dont you loose the option to DVR if you dont pay for locals and you dont get guide data if you dont pay for locals with dish, or did this change?

Saving $12 a month is better than the other guys IF you can also DVR, Fast Forward and do the same things as if you paid for locals.
Can someone confirm that already dropped the Locals $12 fee.
Competition is good, others guys do some thing so they do it type of thing and save money.

Yes, guide data is missing for many sub channels as Dish pretty much only provides guide data for channels they retransmits. Yes, you can DVR any channel you receive via OTA with a manual recording or using the guide if available.

The guides for sub channels are not very accurate as the channels themselves don't always know what they are broadcasting or when.

 

[sam_gordon]

The guides for sub channels are not very accurate as the channels themselves don't always know what they are broadcasting or when.

I bet if you check the OTA PSIP for those channels, the information is correct. You really think the channels don't know what they're broadcasting?

 

[Peter Parker]

The diginets that are on the Subchannels know what they are broadcasting and make that information available. DISH does not carry it all and the CSRs sometimes blame the stations for missing or inaccurate information but DISH could list it all----and by the way they get their listing information froma service not directly from the broadcast stations.

 

[joewhite57]

I think I’m on topic to ask the 150 mile rated antennas deliver. I’m only 50 to 60 miles from my OTA channels(Indy) but have a few signal sucking rolling hills between us. Anyone with experience with similar situation?

 

[smokey982]

But can’t you only record one local channel at a time with the antenna?

 

[joewhite57]

But can’t you only record one local channel at a time with the antenna?

I believe with the dual tuner dongle you can watch or record 2 channels at a time.

 

[ChadT41]

You can remove the fee of $12 and still record for as many tuners as you have. In this case, a dual OTA adapter will allow to watch/record two channels, as it has two tuners. You will lose autohop.

 

[smokey982]

You can remove the fee of $12 and still record for as many tuners as you have. In this case, a dual OTA adapter will allow to watch/record two channels, as it has two tuners. You will lose autohop.

That would never work in our house. We’re a family of 3 with all different taste in tv. Most instances we record more than 2 locals at a time during prime time.

 

[ChadT41]

Wouldn’t work for me either, which is why I have a Hopper3 and OTA. I use Autohop and PTAT everyday. It’s worth it in my house. My parents and sister could do the OTA option happily.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I've suggested this before and I will again. Let those with the Hopper / Wally class receivers, hooked up to the internet be able to access full guide information from Titan Tv. It is a free app that you can plug your zipcode into and it gives you the full guide for all channels and sub channels. DISH could add this app to the Hopper and Wally class and they could write software that would allow you to use the app to integrate your guide with full guide information for all channels and sub channels. I'm sure that they could do something like this if they wanted to. Its just a matter of whether they want to please their customers or not.

On another note I get full guide information for my channels and sub channels using my Tablo dvr hooked to the internet. It even gave me information for something the other night that showed" To be Announced" on the Hopper guide. Tablo is a Canadian Company. I don't see why they can give accurate information for ota and sub channels and DISH can't with all the resources that DISH and Echostar has. Charlie controls both companies and I am sure that they could work together to accomplish this. When DISH made their first ota dvr the DTV Pal plus receiver, it had guide information from psip. This was of course before the sub channels started popping up . There is a way to accomplish this if they really wanted to. There has to be enough demand for it from the customers and a way to convey the demand to DISH and Charlie. Maybe a petition for the front of the home page?

 

[ChadT41]

When you say free app, do you mean free to the consumer, or free to the company, because money has to be made somewhere. Facebook is a free app to the consumer, but companies that use Facebook have to pay for it.

 

[MikeD-C05]

When you say free app, do you mean free to the consumer, or free to the company, because money has to be made somewhere. Facebook is a free app to the consumer, but companies that use Facebook have to pay for it.

Free to the customer to down load. If we as customers could access and down load it on the hopper/Wally it should still be free. The Titan app people make it available to anyone to add it to their phones , i-pads, computers at home etc.

 

[ChadT41]

A lot of time, companies have to pay to offer the app... like Netflix...

 

[ScottChez]

QUESTION: is this the latest Local Uplink report with the OTA Guide Data mappings?
If so , nothing has changed for Omaha or Lincoln, Ne in 3 Years on it.
That means dish is missing guide data for about 12 local sub channels and some I like to watch like COMET TV 42.3 KPTM

Local Channels on DISH Network (Unofficial Listing)

Directv, is now going full force adding all Local Guide data market by market, once done they hand out the Flyers saying get a free OTA USB and save $10 a month.
Dish really needs to add guide data and give the customer a choice

OPTION 1 keep SAT locals for $12 and also use the OTA tuner the for many many sub channels with guide data

OPTION 2 dont pay the locals, but still get the locals via the USB, save $12 and only be able to record Two locals at once, with no On Demand, or Mobile viewing

 

[Tampa8]

That would never work in our house. We’re a family of 3 with all different taste in tv. Most instances we record more than 2 locals at a time during prime time.

At $12 a month, $144 a year a good way to drop the Sat locals is to get an OTA DVR/Receiver. That $144 will go a long way to a one time purchase for some solutions that require no monthly fee. Even Tivo has some decent deals on their Roamio OTA including lifetime data. Amazon has what looks like a very good new product, no ongoing costs. And there are a variety of ways to watch in other rooms or on the go. A big advantage is getting all the guide data for the sub channels, of which we have alot of here.