locals coming soon to my area, should i change?

[david_gilbert]

according to my local stations and Directv locals will be turned up in the next few weeks to couple months. right now i pay for DNS service of Fox and NBC, so i get both east and west coast feeds of each. this comes in handy on nights when i have several shows all coming on at once, i can record some of them off the WC feed and watch later. if i switch i know i will lose the west coast feed and that would be a problem.

so i wonder if i D* will force me to change, or will i be ok for a while? if i had to change i guess i could pay them(grrrrrr) for MRV and solve the issue, correct?

 

[Tampa8]

By law, you will lose all distants when your satellite provider carries your locals, weather you get the locals from Direct TV or not. Direct has been quite diligent about this and I would bet once those locals are available, you will not be given the distants. I believe "Grandfathering" no longer applies to this situation, though if people have kept distants after getting their locals I could be proven wrong.
Two DVR's should be enough usually to compensate for not being able to record at a later time.

Remember, other networks such as A&E, TNT etc... replay the new show the same night at a later time - Pacific time if you will....

 

[Mr Tony]

since you pay for them you **should** be able to keep them for a while after your locals are launched. But not permanently.

Now there are some markets where until D* launches your locals the networks granted a blanket waiver so folks get distants instead. When locals launch the distants will disappear. Which market in MS are you in? There is one that falls under this category
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv...giving-distants-some-markets-temporarily.html

 

[jdspencer]

I'm not sure just how this works in my case. But, I'm grandfathered in for DNS (for which I pay). Our HD locals were turned in late November and I still have the DNS. I plan to keep it that way for as long as I can.

 

[david_gilbert]

i'm in the greenwood-greenville market. they turned up ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX on channels 60-63, new york feeds only, about a month ago. i cannot get the CBS nor ABC channels as WABG/WXVT would not sign waivers years ago but NBC/FOX come in there and again in the 380's/390's.

right now i pay 3.50 each for the DNS, so 7.00. my locals will be what about 3.00? and then what about MRV fees, monthly and initial setup? last time i checked i qualified for a free HD rx, but i might could talk them into a HDDVR since i have been a customer for 9 years and only called in to get the free HD and never tried to get other freebies from them.

 

[david_gilbert]

one other question, WABG broadcasts ABC on 6.1 in HD, but their 6.2 channel is FOX and only in SD. will the network programming be in HD if i go with the locals thru satellite? They also have an NBC station they just put on air in the fall, i dunno if it airs in SD or HD as my HR20 won't pick it up since D* has not put them in the OTA list yet.

 

[Mr Tony]

looking at your locals
ABC is in HD
NBC is in HD (even though its low powered it still shows broadcasting in HD)
CBS is in HD
FOX being a subchannel is probably 480i widescreen. Its not HD but widescreen is better than "chop and block" that some stations do. If there is a HD feed available D* can pick it up. But the smaller markets (and on subchannels) it may not be. We have a CBS/Fox station that the CBS is in HD and Fox is BBH (black bar hell) except for network programming. Then its 480i widescreen (480i 16x9)

 

[Mr Tony]

i'm in the greenwood-greenville market. they turned up ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX on channels 60-63, new york feeds only, about a month ago. i cannot get the CBS nor ABC channels as WABG/WXVT would not sign waivers years ago but NBC/FOX come in there and again in the 380's/390's.

right now i pay 3.50 each for the DNS, so 7.00. my locals will be what about 3.00? and then what about MRV fees, monthly and initial setup? last time i checked i qualified for a free HD rx, but i might could talk them into a HDDVR since i have been a customer for 9 years and only called in to get the free HD and never tried to get other freebies from them.

Locals will be $3 if you add them
Checking your market right now you get HD stations from NY for all but CBS. You get the national PBS. The stations you get as "locals" and dont pay for when they launch locals will disappear. Only the ones you are paying for as DNS would stay for a while.

What DNS stations are you paying for? CBS E&W or more than 1 network?
Are they charging you for the other ones (the stations in the 60's)? If they are not charging you for those stations when the locals are launched they will remove those automatically...basically forcing you to take locals. Only the DNS ones you pay 3.50 for you can keep

 

[david_gilbert]

i pay for NBC and FOX DNS service. they do not charge me for the channels in the 60's, nor do they let me view the ABC/CBS/PBS channels in the 60's even though they show in the guide.

 

[Mr Tony]

SO when they turn your locals on those 2 stations you **should** be able to keep for a while as jdspencer does with his.

The others will get the locals. But I dont get why they are in the guide but not turned on? You might want to call D* and see. You should be getting those