Need help with upgrading to hd...

[crowhopper]

Hello, I just discovered these forums today while trying to get an idea on how to most effectivley upgrade from my current dish status to one with an hd receiver. I'm currently using a two channel 625 or something like that ( the non-hd with two dvr outputs in one box... ). Anyhow, I'd like to upgrade to the hd receiver that does the same thing... I think it's the vip 622.

First off, where I live I cannot get local channels in hd. That really sucks, but I thought maybe after installation I could "move" to Dallas where they get hd locals. This is assuming I can get proper reception at my current location using the dallas address. Is there a way to determine that with my current equipment?

Secondly, It looks like Dish Network is going to want $200 for the upgrade process. Is there any way to pay less, or is that what everybody in my situation is to do if they wish to upgrade?

I'm open to paying $200 to get the hd package, but only really if I can get network programming in hd. If I can't use the whole "move" technique, then I'm probably going to just get digital cable, they have a few of our locals in hd... So any advice is really appreciated, but keep in mind I don't know anything about installing satellites, or any of the technical lingo, I'm just a dude with a decent tv and I'd like to get a prettier picture...oh and I absolutely will not do without dvr now that I've had it for about a year.

 

[Poke]

Well you should be able to get your locals in HD that is Dallas Locals from Dish. Overall with Dish you will be able to get more HD than anyone else right now so Dish would be better than cable. I would think you could upgrade to a 622 DVR and get 30 channels HD plus the 4 local Dallas HD Channels which would be 34 channels of HD. I will PM you a person to E-mail at Dish and they should be able to take care of you.

 

[psnarula]

in order to "move" to dallas for HD locals, you need to be able to get a signal strength above 70 from transponder 31 at 110 degrees. do check this, go to the "point dish" screen (menu 6-1-1) and put 110 for the satellite and 31 for the transponder.

 

[navychop]

Looks like after 2/1 you can get a ViP622 for free as a new subscriber!

Congrats! I love mine, and don't regret paying for it.

 

[crowhopper]

Thanks for the input guys... I tried checking my signal strength at 110 and 31, and I got a whopping 59. Is this going to foil my plans to "move" to Dallas? Or is there still hope for me?

According to this map:
http://ekb.dbstalk.com/E10spots/e10spots.pdf
The spot beam dallas falls under is 21, why do I use a 31 for the transponder instead of 31, am I looking at this the wrong way (the reason I really ask is that I get a really sweet signal at 110, 21).

 

[lunkie]

After looking at www.dishchannelchart.com it looks to me that Dallas HD and SD is on the 21 spot on the E10 bird (110). Takes some digging thru the links at the bottom of the page. Or is it that "E" calls it spot beam 21 on transponder 31 on the E10 bird? I just checked my system (near Detroit) and get no signal on xponder 31, is this the spot beam 21 aimed at Dallas?. Xponder 21 gives me a 90+ reading. Sorry if I seem to be adding to the confusuion, but now I'm wondering myself. Can anyone else help out??

 

[osu1991]

It is transponsder 31 spotbeam 21. Go to your point dish screen and set it to sat 110 transponder 31 if it locks it should say spotbeam above the 31. For my locals I input 110 transponder 4 it locks and says spotbeam above the 4. 59 is probably borderline for signal strength, in good weather it will probably be ok but winds or clouds may cause signal loss and probably rain will kill it totally. You would be better looking at one of the markets that has hd locals on sat 129 as those are all conus and not spotbeams.

 

[lunkie]

Thanks for straightening me out osu1991. Went and checked my system, (near detroit) and tuned up xponder 26 on 110. As soon as it locked it changed from xponder to spotbeam 26, even though the actual spotbeam is 13. Must be the new math.

 

[crowhopper]

Well, maybe my new hd dish that they install will get me a 70 or better signal... in the 129 market, I guess my options would be KC, Nashville, Albequerque, and Denver. My only issue with these options would be my sports channel, I want Fox Southwest so I can watch the Dallas Mavs. Anybody know if any of these cities have Fox Sports Southwest?

Oh and also...lots of fellow Okies on this site, when the hell are we gonna get OK city and or Tulsa HD's, weren't they promised to us?

 

[kstuart]

Well, maybe my new hd dish that they install will get me a 70 or better signal...

I would think they would install a "Dish 1000" which is the same as your Dish 500, except that it adds an LNB for 129. It's slightly larger, but the 3-slot compromise means that you won't get any better than 59 on that spotbeam with the new Dish 1000 (from what I have read in these Forums).

 

[psnarula]

Well, maybe my new hd dish that they install will get me a 70 or better signal... in the 129 market, I guess my options would be KC, Nashville, Albequerque, and Denver. My only issue with these options would be my sports channel, I want Fox Southwest so I can watch the Dallas Mavs. Anybody know if any of these cities have Fox Sports Southwest?

Oh and also...lots of fellow Okies on this site, when the hell are we gonna get OK city and or Tulsa HD's, weren't they promised to us?

you can check which RSN is associated with each market here:

https://customersupport.dishnetwork.com/customernetqual/prepAddress.do

just enter the address of a mcdonald's or something from each city above and it'll show you which RSN you'll get in that market.