OTA Adapter Questions

[Mister B]

I recently went back to DISH with the Duo and 120 package without locals. I have an outdoor antenna and get strong reception of the El Paso channels.
I am sure the answer to some of my concerns is here but the search terms are so common that I can not find them.

1. Does one have to subscribe to locals from satellite to get OTA guide information? I am only concerned with the "Big 4 Networks".
2. dish-tv-antenna-dual-tuner-usb-adapter-for-hopper-and-wally-es212553. Is this the correct adapter?
3. nas-satellite-and-ota-tv-antenna-diplexer-power-passing-std-9501. Do these diplexers still work with modern equipment? I know that a set of two are needed (one outside and one behind the TV). I had a set 20 years ago but that was with a simple 18 inch dish.
Thanks to all!

 

[zippyfrog]

I can't answer the last 2 questions, but the first question is no. I do not subscribe to Dish locals, but get the OTA guide information for the big 4 networks.

 

[sktrus]

In addition to Zippyfrog's answer, please be aware that sub station (extra channels offered by networks such as 18-1, 18-2, etc.) programming information may not be included in Dish Guide. it will show the name of the sub channel. You can get this information at web sites such as

Local TV Guide - TV Listings

Check out American TV tonight for all local channels, including Cable, Satellite and Over The Air. You can search through the Local TV Listings Guide by time or by channel and search for your favorite TV show.

www.ontvtonight.com

If you decide to record from a subchannel and there is no information available there won't be a title for the recording but a bunch of letters and numbers. You cannot edit the title. If you have a lot of recordings under this condition it becomes cumbersome.

 

[Radioguy41]

In addition to Zippyfrog's answer, please be aware that sub station (extra channels offered by networks such as 18-1, 18-2, etc.) programming information may not be included in Dish Guide. it will show the name of the sub channel. You can get this information at web sites such as

Local TV Guide - TV Listings

Check out American TV tonight for all local channels, including Cable, Satellite and Over The Air. You can search through the Local TV Listings Guide by time or by channel and search for your favorite TV show.

www.ontvtonight.com

If you decide to record from a subchannel and there is no information available there won't be a title for the recording but a bunch of letters and numbers. You cannot edit the title. If you have a lot of recordings under this condition it becomes cumbersome.

Interesting, I have 70+ locals scanned in to my Wallys and the guide info is there for all of them including the subs. In fact the guide info for the OTA channels is more accurate than for the Dish channels.

 

[zippyfrog]

Correct - here in Chicago, there is subchannel data as well for over half of the subchannels. But the other half have the infamous "digital service" and isn't helpful.

 

[sam_gordon]

Interesting, I have 70+ locals scanned in to my Wallys and the guide info is there for all of them including the subs. In fact the guide info for the OTA channels is more accurate than for the Dish channels.

Note that the post you quoted said the subchannel guide info MAY not be included. When I was with Dish, we got guide data for some subs, but not others.

 

[bnewt]

Interesting, I have 70+ locals scanned in to my Wallys and the guide info is there for all of them including the subs. In fact the guide info for the OTA channels is more accurate than for the Dish channels.

Consider yourself lucky, because I sure don't. The sub channel shows in the guide, but no program information

 

[dishdude]

Consider yourself lucky, because I sure don't. The sub channel shows in the guide, but no program information

My experience as well, I guess this is very location dependent.

 

[KAB]

I recently went back to DISH with the Duo and 120 package without locals. I have an outdoor antenna and get strong reception of the El Paso channels.
I am sure the answer to some of my concerns is here but the search terms are so common that I can not find them.

1. Does one have to subscribe to locals from satellite to get OTA guide information? I am only concerned with the "Big 4 Networks".
2. dish-tv-antenna-dual-tuner-usb-adapter-for-hopper-and-wally-es212553. Is this the correct adapter?
3. nas-satellite-and-ota-tv-antenna-diplexer-power-passing-std-9501. Do these diplexers still work with modern equipment? I know that a set of two are needed (one outside and one behind the TV). I had a set 20 years ago but that was with a simple 18 inch dish.
Thanks to all!

The answer to question #2 is Yes, #3 is No.

 

[Mister B]

Thanks, that is what I suspected. I will have to decide if it is worth it to run another line and drill another hole through the wall.

The answer to question #2 is Yes, #3 is No.

 

[tjboston5676]

If you diplex after the solo hub it will work. (Technically it will work without the hub, but the hub keeps moca out of the lnb).
You can also connect the antenna to a client port on the hub and then use what's called a hybrid tap inside. And honestly a diplexor would probably work but I've never tried it. All of this is unapproved and not recommended by dish, but I've installed many antennas on client port with a tap inside and my own house is setup this way with zero issues.

 

[Mister B]

Thank you, I see the two unused client ports on the splitter outside. I think the installer just used it to connect two cables together as there is nothing else connected to the splitter.
Could a member point me to a link for a "hybrid tap"? I am not seeing one at Solid Signal and Google just brings up all kinds of things.

 

[tjboston5676]

Thank you, I see the two unused client ports on the splitter outside. I think the installer just used it to connect two cables together as there is nothing else connected to the splitter.
Could a member point me to a link for a "hybrid tap"? I am not seeing one at Solid Signal and Google just brings up all kinds of things.

It's called a hub and it's required. It does more than just combine the two cables together. It blocks power going to clients, prevents moca going to lnb, and provides a grounding point.

 

[Paul289]

If you diplex after the solo hub it will work. (Technically it will work without the hub, but the hub keeps moca out of the lnb).
You can also connect the antenna to a client port on the hub and then use what's called a hybrid tap inside. And honestly a diplexor would probably work but I've never tried it. All of this is unapproved and not recommended by dish, but I've installed many antennas on client port with a tap inside and my own house is setup this way with zero issues

I live in Las Vegas, NV and I use 3 dipexters with no solo node. 1 connected to the ota antenna and dish quad lnb, 1 connected to the Hopper3 ota usb tuner, 1 connected to a joey and I have no signal problems with the setup. I get all ota and Dish channels. I get guide data on NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, MyNet, LVTV, PBS and 2 other sub networks. Attached is diplexer technical info and Dish installation setups from Sonora Design Associates and a tv channel frequency chart. Sonora still makes diplexers for Directv that do not work on there swim system and they no longer make the diplexers for Dish for some reason. But other brands make diplexers for Dish with the same basic Sonora diplexer specs. Dish moca runs on a different moca system and starts on a higher frequency than Directvs moca. Directv moca uses the E band 475 to 700 mhz and Dish uses F band 675 to 875 mhz with an option on some revicers to only use the 800 to 875 mhz for moca. Since the end of tv channels 38 to 60 (614 to 746 mhz) there is no longer any tv interference and few cell companies are using the 600 (Dish/T-Mbl) and 700 (At&T, T-Mbl, Verizon) mhz bands much yet. The bands are mostly meant for rural areas for better coverage. But you can get inline filters that cover the 600 to 900 bands if you are close to a cell tower(s). You can use Antennasearch.com to find out were cell and radio towers are located in your area with company names, transmitter wattage and the frequencies they are using on each tower.

 

[Pepper]

Resurrecting this thread because it is interesting, and I have a somewhat related question. Where's the recommended place to report incorrect guide info for locals?

In the Mobile/Pensacola DMA, the Dish-delivered channels WJTC 44-00 (UTV) and WFNA 55-00 (CW) have the correct info, but their -01 counterparts do not, instead they show the same guide as 15 (NBC) and 5 (CBS).

 

[navychop]

Good luck with that.

 

[Paul289]

Good luck with that.

The Dish ota tv guides are lacking some major networks data in most areas because Dish really doesn't want you to stop paying for locals. Like here in Vargas I am missing channel data for ABC, NBC and CW. Complaining to Dish get you know were. Better off using Homerun or Tablo. Though tablo is owned by Scripps and they are pushing the sales of the Tablo hard on there stations. Scripps is trying to make money both ways.

 

[KAB]

The Dish ota tv guides are lacking some major networks data in most areas because Dish really doesn't want you to stop paying for locals.

No. Even when you pay, there many sub-channels across the nation without info.

 

[Paul289]

No. Even when you pay, there many sub-channels across the nation without info.

Dish uses two separate guides one for the sat locals and one for ota locals. Both guides are delivered via dishes guide and software update transponder. The local guide will be the same whether you pay for locals or not. You will notice that some of the local ota stations call signs will be different from the local sat station call signs on the guide when you pay for locals. Like the sat guide will use the stations official fcc call sign of KSNV and the Local ota guide call sign will be NBC3. In most cases the ota stations with the official call sign will have the guide data. This is why I say dish does not really want you to stop paying for locals. If they really did not care all the major networks would have ota guide data.


My main issue is with not having the ota guide data is for recording a program from the guide and it a hassle to have to get the guide data on the tv or online and have to do a manual record. I would not care if I did not want to record any local ota programs. I just use my tvs guide.

 

[Jim5506]

The gist of the problem is the quantity of data required to fully cover every channel and sub-channel in the USA.

We here in Lubbock Texas have about 48 channels to keep track of and we are in the median of the pack

Larger cities have even more channels and the information on any one channel can and does change day by day and must be manually collected and/or uploaded by someone somewhere and it is not cheap to maintain such a monster then mesh it with Dish Networks channel guide.