Made the Switch, Lost a Channel

[bobsie]

I wasn't getting local channels in HD after they were available. So, I inquired and was told I needed different dish to point to different sat's. I had Western Arc (110/119/129) and needed a Eastern Arc dish pointing to 61.5 to get the local HD channels. So I went ahead and did the upgrade. Everything looked fine until my wife said the ION West (channel 217) is not there anymore. I checked the Dish Package both in the printed guide and in the online add for the package. That channel is part of America's Top 120 and higher. Yet, after the upgrade, it is the only "West" channel I can no longer receive. My wife watched that as opposed to ION East since she could watch "her shows" without having infomercials coming on so early. She has been ill and has difficulty sleeping, so it was ideal for her schedule. I asked Dirt about it and was told it is just not available on the Eastern Arc even though all the other "West" channels are (channels 171, 173, 177, 828 and 831). All I got from Dirt was "Do you get ION channel 216? If you do then you are getting the ION channel" and "There are currently no plans to add channel 217 to Eastern arc along with Western arc."

I find the answers a bit unacceptable since I am technically (and actually) paying for the channel as part of my America's Top 200 not to mention that all the other "West" channels are on both arc's. I should not have lost it when I switched to local HD channels. If that is the case, then it should not be listed in the package at all or should have a disclaimer that it is only available when subscribed to SD local channels. It is a real shame, the one channel she wanted to view, and we had to give it up because of HD locals. Anyone know a way around this?

 

[TheKrell]

Well, that sucks. If you add a wing dish pointed at 110, that should fix that issue.

 

[harshness]

You're paying for ION and by your own admission, your getting it.

DVRs are available to accommodate such extraordinary requirements. You can record relatively large blocks of programming using timers (it doesn't have to be show-by-show).

There are also dozens of other channels that provide programming at all hours.

 

[The Fat Man]

Sorry. The Eastern Arc doesn't carry ION West (217) However, ION East is still available (216). They should have told you.

 

[dare2be]

I will say that it's weird that ION East has a lot more paid programming than ION West. It isn't just the east feed delayed by 3 hours.

 

[Teehar]

As thekrell mentioned,a wing dish would get ionw back for you.An 18" dish with the correct lnb,with wire run into the lnb of your current dish.

 

[bobsie]

You're paying for ION and by your own admission, your getting it.

Not quite true. I am paying for ION East AND ION West but only getting one of them. I was getting both BEFORE I upgraded. I know there are DVRs; I am not new to Dish. I was asking for advice as to how to get the missing channel I lost, not how to time shift. The other channels DO NOT have the same programming at the same hours that my wife wants and was used to for years!

 

[Jim5506]

If he has a Hopper and his SD locals are on 110, adding it as a side dish could mess up PTAT.

Having SD locals on one arc and HD locals on the other my PTAT on both of my Hoppers would not record the HD channels, only the Sd ones and then sometimes it skipped NBC and ABC altogether.

Dish finally solved the problem by switching me to EA with a D1000.2 EA dish.

Of course if he has a 722 family DVR there would be no problem.

 

[jarvantgroup]

As thekrell mentioned,a wing dish would get ionw back for you.An 18" dish with the correct lnb,with wire run into the lnb of your current dish.[/QUO

Eastern Arc LNB for the customer's D1K2 does not have an input for a wing dish. A separate DPP44 would be needed. Or a whole new D1K4 with a wing dish.

 

[dishcomm]

Not quite true. I am paying for ION East AND ION West but only getting one of them. I was getting both BEFORE I upgraded. I know there are DVRs; I am not new to Dish. I was asking for advice as to how to get the missing channel I lost, not how to time shift. The other channels DO NOT have the same programming at the same hours that my wife wants and was used to for years!

They are NOT two separate channels. Just a duplicate feed which shows the same programming three hours later. The price is all inclusive. Just because you get just the eastern feed does not mean the absence of the western feed renders you paying 'half price'...
The solution is to use your DVR.

 

[sam_gordon]

They are NOT two separate channels. Just a duplicate feed which shows the same programming three hours later. The price is all inclusive. Just because you get just the eastern feed does not mean the absence of the western feed renders you paying 'half price'...
The solution is to use your DVR.

Except the OP says it's NOT a fully duplicate feed with a three hour delay. Personally, I think he's S-O-L, but it is a shame, and I don't know that this issue could have been prevented (without doing a channel by channel comparison before agreeing to the switch).

 

[dwarren2]

Someone with access to both the east and west feed should compare the programing to see if it's time shifted or different.

 

[Hall]

You're paying for ION and by your own admission, your getting it.

I presumed AT120 included "ION". It in fact includes "ION" and "ION West". In the past, and it may still be the case, if a channel in the package you subscribe to is on a different satellite, they will make it work, i.e. install a wing dish, etc, etc. Wasn't this was quite common with PBS, I think ?

 

[Hall]

Someone with access to both the east and west feed should compare the programing to see if it's time shifted or different.

I'm on Western Arc.... Hang on....

Hmmm, only 216 shows up at Dish Anywhere (can't check actual receiver at the moment) and I subscribe to AT200.

 

[RONZ]

Ion west is not available on the EA

 

[Hall]

Ion west is not available on the EA

Yes, that's the point of this discussion

 

[Tampa8]

The programming at times is a little different. Infomercials are not always simply 3 hours later on IONW, but do show up at some point. There are also at least a couple of shows that I'm not sure I see on IONE. That said, IONW has never been on the EA nor do I agree someone is paying for it and not getting it. This is the BB discussion again. When discs were ended some were trying to say they should get a reduction in cost, but when what DISH did was add discs at the same price it was before discs. I'm sure if they dropped IONW there is no change in the cost of your subscription or even really to DISH.

Dish has had other channels on one ARC or the other also over the years. In the end, it wouldn't hurt to ask a DIRT member to make a request to add it to the EA, or as already suggested get that WA satellite added. And one other point, at times my local ION has even different programming.

 

[Teehar]

Ahh I forgot they had stopped with the 1k4 installs,that stinks for needing a wing dish.

Yea Ionw and at one time the pursuit channel was only on western arc,it's on both now.I really don't understand why,if dish carries a national channel they don't carry it on both arcs.

 

[EatMyVolts]

There are some differences between 216 and 217. Mostly in the wee hours during the infomercial time but there were a couple of shows that I had never heard of on west but did not see on east.

I tend to side with the OP, and I'm sure he'll get his refund soooooon.

 

[RONZ]

Yes, that's the point of this discussion

I believe there are about three or four other stations as well