Locals not in HD

[Neutron]

Does DISH have any alternatives if they don't have your locals in HD? I'm surprised they don't as Direct started offering them in HD in 2008, and our local cable co has them of course.

Tyler/Longview DMA.

 

[Tampa8]

Confused by your question. You are asking if Dish has locals in HD if what? If your DMA does not have any HD? But then you answer your own question by apparently saying they don't offer them...... I know dish covers as far as we know all DMA's with locals, but to my knowledge not all are in HD. I know I have seen discussed when a DMA has no locals Dish imports ones, but it was in SD I believe in that instance.

The question seems vague to me, do you mean your DMA has no HD locals, or has no locals at all and Dish is using others in SD, or that it does have HD locals, but Dish only carries them in SD?

 

[Neutron]

Sorry about that. No, I was asking if I had any options to get locals (the major networks per say; NBC, CBS, etc) in HD from DISH if they don't offer my locals in HD right now. Would I be able to get them from a neighboring DMA like Dallas or national nets like they used to offer several years ago if they couldn't provide locals at all?

I sure wish the laws were the same for both satellite and cable companies. I can get Tyler and Dallas locals from my cable company but I'm stuck with just one DMA if I have satellite. I know it sucks but I do wish the laws would allow them to both follow the same rules.

 

[CK SatGuy]

I think your only option in this case is to do a "move" to Dallas.

 

[KKlare]

Qualify that by you must be in the spotbeam to get HD locals of a nearby town.
Go to The List and see which satellite and transponder has that nearby town,
then go to Menu+6+1+1 and see if you have a signal on the pair, assuming
you have an LNB pointed to the satellite.

If the satellite is 129W the TP for spotbeams will be 1-16, for 77W they are CONUS.
Luck, -Ken

 

[Mr Tony]

Does DISH have any alternatives if they don't have your locals in HD?

antenna or "move"

I'm surprised they don't as Direct started offering them in HD in 2008, and our local cable co has them of course.

maybe Directv had the spotbeam coverage and Dish doesn't. There's markets up here in MN that Directv has only in SD but Dish has in HD

 

[Tampa8]

The others pretty much answered I think. Dish can't legally offer you other locals in a given DMA. (nor can Direct) If you have a receiver capable of getting stations from an antenna that will would work just as well. (Those HD channels would be in the guide and you can record from them just like they were from the satellite) If not, next best is still an antenna connected to the TV when you want to watch in HD.

 

[Neutron]

Not a problem. I guess I'll just have to try either antenna (hopefully I can get them from 35-50 miles away), or see if by any chance they are being sent through ATSC via our cable internet line. I could "move" to an address in the DFW market but then I would lose all Tyler locals. Not really a problem but I do work in Tyler now.

 

[Mr Tony]

check your tvfool report and see what that says for distance away....

TV Fool

even at 40 miles a good antenna can get them fine....and you may get stations not available to you normally

 

[Neutron]

Would it need to be an outdoor antenna?

 

[Bobby]

Probably, or maybe in the attic, depending on the roofing and siding material.

 

[Mr Tony]

Would it need to be an outdoor antenna?

best to post the tvfool report because then we can give better info

 

[KKlare]

BTW, cable does not send ATSC signals. They use QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation?) for HD and some other, maybe.
Dish only handles ATSC for HD and SD. All Dish recorder require digital signals, so no VCR or NTSC OTA, if any exist.
Most DVRs won't record VCR or other NTSC and VCRs do not output ATSC AFAIK.
-Ken

 

[Neutron]

Here ya go! These are the locals I would be most concerned with getting in HD OTA if possible. I really appreciate the help!!

TYLER ABC-KLTV
TYLER CBS-KYTX
TYLER FOX-KFXK
TYLER NBC-KETK

 

[Mr Tony]

oh boy.....couple thoughts
-outdoor antenna would be the only option honestly...with the distances you need to go any obstacles will hinder the signal
-the good thing is the NBC & Fox are at the legal allowed power of 1 million watts. So that helps get the signal further
-CBS may be a lost cause.....73 miles is really pushing it....and 73 miles on a UHF station doesn't help either. I can get a VHF station 72 miles away really well (VHF signals go further than UHF)

For height did you put anything in there or just left it blank? At these distances the higher the antenna can go the better. As for what antenna to get I would ask in the OTA area. There are some folks who really know their stuff. Just post the tvfool in there and they can help.

 

[Neutron]

Thanks Tony. I was a little shocked when I saw that the tower for CBS was 73 miles away. It's odd because I know where that station is at and that have both their uplink dish and antenna right in front of their building, and I know it's about 50 miles as the crow flies from my house.

 

[psdstu]

You said you have cable Internet...... have you tried attaching your cable coax (before the modem) to the back of your tv and scanning for any QAM HD channels?

 

[Albert Karl]

Here in the Richmond, VA, area the locals are being broadcated in HD over the air. I pick them up free with an attic antenna.

 

[whatchel1]

Are you EA (61.5, 72.7, 77) or WA (110, 119, 129)?

 

[Mr Tony]

Tyler locals are on 110 so assume he is on Western Arc