SD Receiver & Locals

jcart

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Oct 8, 2007
38
0
So what's going to happen to our local channels if we're still using a SD receiver? Since the stations won't be broadcasting in the SD signal anymore I'm assuming they won't be available. Unless Dish is planning on sending out a downgraded version of of the HD channels to cover us.

Sorry, this question's probably been asked a million times but I couldn't find the answer.
 
There is a difference in HD and digital and a lot of people do not realize that. Dish Network is converting the analog signal into a digital signal coming down from the satellite. The receiver then converts the digital signal into analog to go out to your analog television on the SD receivers.

Dish Network will upgrade the equipment on their end to receive the signals digitally. You will still receive the signal the same way as you do now because they will be doing the conversion on their end. Everything you get from Dish Network is already digital.

The change from analog to digital will not affect how people receive their channels on cable or satellite. It is all done on their end and they do the conversion process.
 
Thanks!

I already knew that everything Dish network puts out is already digital and we would be largely non effected by the by the analogue to digital revolution. I just didn't know whether Dish was doing a conversion of the digital channels to cover the loss of the analogue channels.

Thanks again!
 
The fly in the ointment may be that digital channels can negotiate with satellite and cable distributors for carriage fees, and Dish is notoroius for playing hardball, so some SD digital channels may go dark from time to time on varoius carriers.

Or you could buy a digital to analog converter and get the digital channels OTA.
 
The fly in the ointment may be that digital channels can negotiate with satellite and cable distributors for carriage fees, and Dish is notoroius for playing hardball, so some SD digital channels may go dark from time to time on varoius carriers.

Or you could buy a digital to analog converter and get the digital channels OTA.

So, what about customers (like myself) that cannot receive locals OTA?
 
I am about 50 miles from Boston, which is where 90% of local channels are broadcast.

But terrain inhibits my ability to receive all but maybe 2-3 channels (if I'm lucky).
Before digital satellite, I had the biggest of antennae on my roof with a rotator and an amplifier, just to get those few signals.

As a side mention, I only receive a handful of radio stations clearly. I get almost zero cell reception (from any carrier). I'm too far from CO to get DSL. And Cable won't run the lines up my road due to # of homes / mile. :eek: Cut the crap! Did I mention I'm only 50 miles from Boston area? It's not f*ing Siberia! (end of rant)

Anyway, my point is: I see myself getting screwed once again, because of politicians and lawyers assuming that I live close enough to receive locals OTA, without actually investigating that I cannot.