I have OTA now with my Hopper and I'm not really happy with how that works. Limit on OTA channels to watch or record at once is sometimes a problem. We also watch a couple of different NBC and ABC local channels that are in a different location antenna wise. I have a couple of questions. I think I would take my antenna cable and hook it directly to my TV and have the antenna pointed to the location of the stations that don't come with Dish. So my antenna would be completely seperate from the Dish system. How would I go between the Dish Hopper and the TV only. When on Directv I think I had to change inputs perhaps, but I see on the remote control that there is a button for satellite and a bottom for TV and a button for inputs. Would I just push the satellite button or the TV button and then the channel that I wanted to see? All of my network recording or watching would be on Dish system. The local channels off the antenna would just be to watch the local news generally. Thank you and I hope this post isn't as confusing as I think it is.
Removing OTA from the Dish System
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You could connect up a splitter in the coax coming from your antenna. Run one output to you Dish OTA adapter and the other to your TV coax input. Then you could watch either way without swapping stuff around.
I'm thinking I would still have to switch something to the tv only. Not sure how to do that. I've had the feeling that my antenna signal is losing something by going thru the OTA adapter and the Hopper to get to the picture. I used to be able to have the antenna pointed in one direction and pick up all my desired channels without changing the antenna. Now I have to have the antenna pointed pretty much toward the broadcast point or I loose that signal.
I have the suggested splitter . To watch without using the Dish receiver. I use the input button on my tv remote and select antenna. When I want to use the Dish receiver, I use the tv remote input button and select Dish.
Use the TV's "Input" menu to select "Antenna" for OTA, and the TV's setup menu to scan for channels. To switch back to satellite, use the TV "Input" menu to select HDMI or however your receiver's output is connected to the TV.
I think what I'll do us leave the OTA hooked up as is and purchase the local channels (which are all to the north of us) from Dish. Then I'll turn the antenna to the east to pick up those local channels (which we prefer for the local news) and add those channels to the guide and leave the antenna pointed in that direction. With the Directv remote I could easily change to input from TV to Sat with their remote. I was hoping I could have done that with the Dish remote. Thank you all for your suggestions.
You can...that's exactly what the "Input" button on the side of the Dish remote does. Press the TV button on the side, and then press the Input button to change the TV's Input to whichever you want...TV Antenna or Sat.
Three issues that you have to deal with your set up:
1- Dish will provide local NBC,ABC,CBS, FOX and Public tv. Only main channels, no subs. The guide will provide all programming details. You can record whatever you want. They choose the city. You can not demand another nearby city.
2-If you keep ota connected to Hopper 3, you will also get network's sub channels. (Same with cable connected directly to tv.) The Guide will cover some of these subs, not all!. You can get info fom different web sites for detailed programming. If you record any show (that the Guide has no info) dvr won't offer any title! If you watch them right away, no big deal. But, it becomes annoying when you have too many recorded shows with no info. Currently, Dish does not offer naming them manually.
3-If you split antenna cable, and two cables going to Hopper 3 usb port and tv's antenna input, will the signal quality suffer? Some experienced people here suggest using amplified splitter. Check Amazon for ideas.
Good Luck.
1- Dish will provide local NBC,ABC,CBS, FOX and Public tv. Only main channels, no subs. The guide will provide all programming details. You can record whatever you want. They choose the city. You can not demand another nearby city.
2-If you keep ota connected to Hopper 3, you will also get network's sub channels. (Same with cable connected directly to tv.) The Guide will cover some of these subs, not all!. You can get info fom different web sites for detailed programming. If you record any show (that the Guide has no info) dvr won't offer any title! If you watch them right away, no big deal. But, it becomes annoying when you have too many recorded shows with no info. Currently, Dish does not offer naming them manually.
3-If you split antenna cable, and two cables going to Hopper 3 usb port and tv's antenna input, will the signal quality suffer? Some experienced people here suggest using amplified splitter. Check Amazon for ideas.
Good Luck.
I did scanning both ways. Antenna coax to tv and to Hopper 3 usb. Scanned locals. The results were the same. No more channels when coax was attached to tv's antenna input. My 20 year antenna is in the attic and living in the sticks.
If you split the signal, you end up with 50% of the signal going to each device. For the most part, that's not going to be enough of a difference to affect the picture. Best bet is to try it without an amplifier, and if it works, it works. If you have problems, you can add an amp. The amp can go before the split if both receivers are having problems, or just before one device if only that device is having problems.
I would expect the TV to pull in the signals better than the Dish receiver.
Thank you again for all the info/suggestions. I am using all of my dish locals and 3 OTA locals and it seems to be working thru the Hopper. I thought I would like that Prime Time Anytime, but even with all the options provided, I don't think we'll use that. We will continue to use the series record option and also record other shows just off from the Guide. We had Directv for about 25 years and the switch to another provider is tough on us old folks. Thanks again.
The receivers come with Limited Mode On by default so he has to go to Remote Control settings, scroll down and t urn it off, first
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