Seattle HD Locals

[cebbigh]

Last night's CC was as boring as ever, if not moreso, and no mention of SciFi-HD or USA-HD at all.

Sorry got mixed up thinking the Chat was tonight for some dumb reason. But I still think you'll see see them soon. Not having SciFi-HD has got to be hurting them. I'm in big time catch up mode now (DVD season rentals) on SG-Atlantis and BG because I was only as current as what UHD had shown. From what I've seen both series are only getting better.

 

[long_time_DNC]

SGA is getting better, though it's occasionally a little uneven. BSG is very solid and hard-hitting. UHD isn't showing either anymore, which is a drag...

 

[cebbigh]

SGA is getting better, though it's occasionally a little uneven. BSG is very solid and hard-hitting. UHD isn't showing either anymore, which is a drag...

Didn't realize that UHD wasn't showing them any more. Thought maybe they were just on a hiatus. That is a bummer. That's pretty much all that I watched on UHD.

 

[long_time_DNC]

They occasionally show some good movies on UHD, but both SGA and BSG haven't been on for a month or 2 (longer for BSG).

 

[cebbigh]

Just got a call from Dish asking why I left. Told him KCPQ and issues with 129 Satellite. Started the call cordially and then got mad when the guy didn't have a CLUE about the 129 Sat and the PNW. The guy was clueless but at least he spoke English.

 

[long_time_DNC]

So how'd the guy respond when things got less cordial? Did it help to clue him in at all? Glad he at least spoke English.

 

[cebbigh]

I got frustrated when he asked why I left and he had no idea about the 129 sat but I didn't blame him or take it out on him. I just cut the call short because I realized it was waste of time for both of us.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Yeah, this whole 129 thing is a real pain. I bet you're glad it's not an issue anymore.

 

[george 2]

Hi, I am new here.We just moved from the phoenix area to port orchard washington. I had dish do a move for me and I have a hell of a time with 129.Using the meters on the recevers what kind of signal should I be getting as an average on 129.I am using a 211 rec and 622 dvr. Outside is a 24" on 129 and regular 500 twin Thanks George 2

 

[long_time_DNC]

Hi and welcome, george 2!

129 is a real pain for all of us here in the Pacific NW. Did your installer peak the signal on transponder 11 on 129? Since the satellite wobbles in it's orbit due to broken stabilizer gyros, it goes through a 20-40 minute cycle of peaks and very lows. I spent about an hour or maybe a little more this past June carefully re-peaking my 24" dish on 129 and got it down to where I can go (sometimes) 2 hours without a dropout (loss of signal), but usually I get a dropout, on average, about once an hour.

Supposedly, the only solution to this is to get a Winegard 30" dish and get it peaked on 129. I don't have a location to put up a 30" dish. The 24" barely fits where it is as is, but the 30" Winegard is supposed to resolve the problem.

Again, welcome, and I hope this info helps!

 

[george 2]

sat 129

When are they supposed to change 129 out?Is my only recourse is to go to direct!Trying to watch hd on the sat is real pain in the a..

 

[bradleys]

george 2,

I've had a 30 inch dish for 129 almost since the beginning of HD on 129.

I bought it because the Dish 1000 didn't work for me in Seattle.

I've never had a dropout with the 30 inch dish.

I highly recommend it if you have room.

Brad in Seattle

 

[cebbigh]

george2,

I can confirm that the 30 inch worked for me. If you can fit a 30 inch dish I'd go for it and not waste time. The sooner you get it the more use you will get from it. You'll still be subject to the signal drops but you'll only know about them if you spend a lot of time monitoring the signal strength instead of viewing programs (not knocking that, but for me it became like an addiction over time and it's probably not the best way to spend your time).

As far as the replacement for 129 the date seems to be slipping all the time. Dish does have sats waiting to go up but they are waiting in line and every time there is a delay on some other launch they get an additional delay too. I think you are looking at sometime late in 2008 for the next dish launch and I'm not sure exactly what the intended use is for the next sat.

Winegard DS 2077 30" Dish Network Satellite Dish (DS2077) | DS-2077 [Winegard] | DS2077 DS 2077 DS-2077 Dish Network 61.5 international

For what it's worth, I was with Dish over 10 years and struggled with 129 for a very long time for finally going to DTV in October. If you go back through this thread you'll get a pretty clear picture of what we've been through. Believe me, I am you guy's side.

 

[ckgrick]

The 30" dish helps but is sure no cure, at least at my latitude. I still get constant signal lost messages on every station on it. I cancelled STARZ HD because of this issue; trying to watch a movie in pieces while paying extra for the experience didn't cut it.

 

[levibluewa]

Cebbigh...

I switched to Directv on November 24th. For the 1st time since June 2006 I can enjoy watching National Geographic HD without picture loss! And, I can also watch USAHD, FXHD, UNIHD, SCIFIHD, A&EHD, BRAVOHD, and SMITHSONIANHD, along with some others, all without signal loss.

 

[cebbigh]

I switched to Directv on November 24th. For the 1st time since June 2006 I can enjoy watching National Geographic HD without picture loss! And, I can also watch USAHD, FXHD, UNIHD, SCIFIHD, A&EHD, BRAVOHD, and SMITHSONIANHD, along with some others, all without signal loss.

I'm glad it's worked out for you too. It wasn't an easy choice and I do miss my 622 but I don't miss E5.

 

[MikeMara]

Beating a dead horse on my favorite topic - here's the verbiage from the KCPQ Website:

Dear Q13 Fox Viewers watching on Dish Network
We understand the confusion and disappointment some viewers have experienced regarding the availability of our HDTV signal. As you may know, Q13 Fox has been broadcasting in high definition since 2001. The signal is available for free over the air to anyone with a digital set and an HD tuner. With the help of a small, inexpensive indoor HD antenna, many Q13 Fox viewers can get a perfect signal with the best picture quality available. In addition, most cable companies and DIRECTV carry the Q13 Fox signal in HDTV as part of their local HDTV service package, as a result of agreements we have reached with these companies. To date, Dish Network and Q13 Fox have not reached an agreement that will result in DISH subscribers receiving the signal in HDTV. We want all Q13 Fox viewers to get the best picture quality possible. If you are a DISH Network subscriber, please make sure to let them know your feelings.

I email Dish Monthly alas with no response from CEO anymore. I figure it can't hurt for them to be aware of this issue from their W.Washington customers on a consistent and regular basis. I am always very nice and all but can't get any reaction from them. I can't imagine that anyone could sell DISH to rural Washington state users with the pitch that locals are in HD. And, no, I can't get OTA.

 

[levibluewa]

RE: DISH and HD in the NW

DISH should not be in the HD business in the NW. I realize that the Seattle locals are on the 110, but most of their HD programming is on the 129, which has its problems, as all of us up here know.

It took me a year-and-a-half to get fed up with their promises to "fix" the signal issue of the 129. The same goes for those who are enduring the absence of the HD signal on FOX13. DISH seems to be more interested in the contest to save half-a-cent rather than reaching agreements to provide television programming its subscribers desire.

To quote the honest DISH installer, "If you want HD move to Directv!" A year-and-a-half of BS solved! I guess to paraphrase...if you want KCPQ13HD, move to Directv. Then you can enjoy watching tv, rather than fret over what DISH will do next to annoy you (its subscribers).

 

[kstile]

I had a quick e-mail conversation with a "senior engineer" at Q13 and he told me that the re-transmission agreement that allows Dish to have Q13's SD broadcast is up for renewal "mid-year." He didn't know a more exact date than that, but he seemed to think that *something* would have to give at that time - either Dish stops carrying Q13 altogether or they start carrying the HD. Of course that's still 6 more months, but I'd guess that even Dish couldn't afford to not have FOX at all in Seattle. Are there any other DMAs that have SD locals where they don't have all of the Big 4 just b/c of a lack of re-transmission agreements? Would Dish be willing to do that?

 

[cebbigh]

DISH should not be in the HD business in the NW. I realize that the Seattle locals are on the 110, but most of their HD programming is on the 129, which has its problems, as all of us up here know.

It took me a year-and-a-half to get fed up with their promises to "fix" the signal issue of the 129. The same goes for those who are enduring the absence of the HD signal on FOX13. DISH seems to be more interested in the contest to save half-a-cent rather than reaching agreements to provide television programming its subscribers desire.

To quote the honest DISH installer, "If you want HD move to Directv!" A year-and-a-half of BS solved! I guess to paraphrase...if you want KCPQ13HD, move to Directv. Then you can enjoy watching tv, rather than fret over what DISH will do next to annoy you (its subscribers).

I had a CM4248 (a truly big and ugly yagi antenna) aimed directly at Gold Mtn and Q13 OTA was always at best problematic for me and I'm only 22 miles north of Seattle. Too many hills and evergreens in the way. I'm not kidding when I say my wife fully believed that viewing HD (between Q13 and 129/E5) equated to tolerating signal breakup. And based on the evidence she was presented with I had no way to prove otherwise.