OTA Tuner

[spacenerd]

When is Dish going to fix the OTA tuner on the Hopper so you can add just one channel? Each time I turn my antenna I have to rescan and save the new channels. I have been told my tech support this is a software issue and they are working on an update. It has been over a year now and still no update.

 

[MattG@DISH]

To clarify, are you saying that you move your actual OTA and then need to rescan? Do you need to rescan daily or just when the OTA is moved to get different channels? I believe this is working as normal if you move the OTA and we cannot call it an issue

 

[spacenerd]

To be more specific. I like to view channels in the FT. Wayne area and Dayton area. I point my antenna towards Ft. Wayne , scan for those channels and save. Then if I point the antenna towards Dayton and scan the Dayton channels and save then they are saved but the FT. Wayne channels are deleted. If I hit the "Add locals button" I get a message "This feature is coming soon" .
If I remember right on my 722 the channels were saved but not on the Hopper. I was told by tech support this was a software issue. It is rather annoying that I have have to rescan and save every time I reposition my antenna.

 

[kwindrem]

To clarify, are you saying that you move your actual OTA and then need to rescan? Do you need to rescan daily or just when the OTA is moved to get different channels? I believe this is working as normal if you move the OTA and we cannot call it an issue

The ability to add channels to an existing list is most definitely an issue. I'm guessing that the OP has to rotate his antenna to pick up all the stations he has access to. If rescanning clears the list of channels at the "other" location, then each time he moves the antenna to get a specific station, he needs to do a complete rescan. Then when he rotates it back, another rescan is necessary.

 

[DishSubLA]

And to be clear, the ability to add a single channel to the OTA list without rescanning can be done on the ViP boxes. Our frustration is that because that feature has been available on the ViP, and those of us who had ViP's used that feature often, it upsets us that YEARS after the Hopper's introduction and a "this feature coming soon" pop-up, we still don't have the ability to add a single channel. Also, rescanning causes the list to LOSE all the manually labeled channels that Dish does not label by default and in LA that is a big pain because of the number of all the English language OTA sub-channels and having to wade through over 170 channels to do it. The manual labeling process on the Hopper is LABORIOUS. We don't know why Dish is dragging its feet on this being able to add a single a or few new channels. This issue is a bigger pain than Dish appreciates, even if Ergen may feel he doesn't want to spend his resources on a feature he thinks lacks revenue.

 

[ChadT41]

And to be clear, the ability to add a single channel to the OTA list without rescanning can be done on the ViP boxes. Our frustration is that because that feature has been available on the ViP, and those of us who had ViP's used that feature often, it upsets us that YEARS after the Hopper's introduction and a "this feature coming soon" pop-up, we still don't have the ability to add a single channel. Also, rescanning causes the list to LOSE all the manually labeled channels that Dish does not label by default and in LA that is a big pain because of the number of all the English language OTA sub-channels and having to wade through over 170 channels to do it. The manual labeling process on the Hopper is LABORIOUS. We don't know why Dish is dragging its feet on this being able to add a single a or few new channels. This issue is a bigger pain than Dish appreciates, even if Ergen may feel he doesn't want to spend his resources on a feature he thinks lacks revenue.

Honestly wondering how many customers this matters to, that it impacts Dish financially. My guess is not that many, as there are a lot of customers that have no idea they can even get OTA via the Hopper.

 

[navychop]

But they are Premium customers. Both in monthly avg bill and in attracting other customers. IMHO.

 

[ChadT41]

I can understand that, and that is likely the best argument, but do you honestly think it is impacting them financially beyond the minimal impact?

 

[MikeD-C05]

I agree , it is way past time that they come up with the ADD feature for the ota tuner on the hopper. The older Vip series has been able to do this since the beginning and there is NO reason why DISH hasn't got around to fixing this feature on their "cutting edge" Hoppers. Whether it impacts the sub or not financially is beside the point , it is a feature and it needs to be fixed.

 

[primestar31]

Charlie is NEVER going to make things easy for his "competition", and OTA channels are one of his competitors...

He doesn't want people to know that they could probably easily dump Dish and get OTA tv instead for free, and fixing the OTA features would lead many people towards that conclusion.

Of course, we all know that anybody inclined to go OTA will just do it anyway, but I doubt Charlie see's it that way.

 

[ChadT41]

I don't think that is how they is, considering at one point he was giving away free OTAs and modules. More likely, designing the software and continuously trying to make work better, that all costs lots of money, and to work across the different machines. I don't think there are going to be enough customers adding to the bottom dollar that care as much as the members of this and other boards. Hell, most of us pay because we like to know more about the system. That is uncommon for an American consumer so it's not a big number... The financial impact is minimal to the company to not offer it and actually likely be negative towards the company's bottom dollar.

 

[Hall]

You know what I've said about Dish's "support" of anything OTA-related... My opinion is this will never be added. In fact, if Dish were smart, they're remove the button!

Also, just think how small the numbers must be of customers who use the OTA functionality and then the even smaller number of those that need to rotate their antenna in order to get multiple stations.

One other, more common use (we'll, certainly not that common) is when a station adds a new sub-channel. You have to re-scan ALL channels just to add that one. Not really a big deal but if you delete channels that you don't want or have some that don't come in reliably enough to watch, those changes are lost and tough have to re-do them.

 

[DWS44]

You know what I've said about Dish's "support" of anything OTA-related... My opinion is this will never be added. In fact, if Dish were smart, they're remove the button!

I'd say that is the more likely outcome, than ever seeing the function added at this point.

 

[RT-Cat]

Single channel option should be added. Don't think it ever will be.
Having been involved in "cord cutting" over the last several weeks, I have discovered there is a large amount of devices and systems that do a very good job of getting OTA channels, PVR options, and good quality guides. Many discussion forums on these devices. There are more OTAers than you may think. I wish I was in an area where you could get tons of channels without having to move the antenna. I am lucky here that NBC, CBS, and FOX are in the same direction for me. ABC has nothing to offer and does not matter. About the only time I move the antenna is when the "air" is having a "fit" and I can pick up stations from the other side of Lake Michigan.

 

[DishSubLA]

But they are Premium customers. Both in monthly avg bill and in attracting other customers. IMHO.

Yes. You hit it. Although, I am sure the spreadsheets Charlie uses as his prayer mats show it as a cost he just doesn't like, but I would argue that spreadsheets don't tell the whole story and that Dish needs to consider this support as something they do as part of their overall "Customer Service" for those who have invested in the OTA dongle and NEED it as part of the great features of the Dish Hopper. It is an enhancement of the Hopper and Dish experience that can keep those FAT CAT bill paying customers happy and won't really cost Dish all that much. It's like when employers want to cut the coffee service provided to its employees. Yes, money can be saved by having employees "brown bag it", or take valuable time for employees to go to the Starbucks in the lobby, but how will the employees feel about it and their views of the company would be diminished even to hostility, hence some degree of inefficiency. There is always a cost to employee morale and it is a relatively CHEAP thing to provide to make employees feel as if the company likes them, hence, happier, and more productive employees.