Seeking advice: CBS/NBC HD CSR-roulette tips

[peterd]

I've just subscribed to DirecTV, with a California address which qualifies for both CBS & NBC HD feeds. (It took a second call to actually get the LA feeds turned on.)

I asked about NY but was told "not without waivers." (I said "Thanks, but I'll wait to apply for waivers.") I tried calling the next day during a different shift hoping I'd get someone who'd activate 80 & 82 when I said "why aren't they on yet?" After twice being transfered (without more than a "hold on"), I was again talking to someone who not only understood distant nets & waivers, but who had a record of my previous call. Again, "not without waivers..." I told both of these CSRs that I have CBS HD from both NY & LA on my Dish account (I do), but they just stuck to the party line.

Before I make matters worse by having more notes about denials added to my account, I want to pick folk's brains here on the forum:

Would those of you who've gotten both the (CBS and/or NBC) East & West HD feeds (or simply the opposite coast's feed) please describe the details of how you succeeded.

Thanks

 

[Lem52]

Ask Directv to apply for waviers on your behalf. Thats the law, they have to ask for you but you can write the stations before. I wrote first to a CBS station in my area and got a favorable response but he said I had to have Directv ask for it. I did, and 3 weeks later I got CBS only. I figured I should then have Directv ask for waviers from the remaining 3 networks and they were granted after another week or so of waiting.

Lem52

 

[ScottChez]

I though it was in direct TV contract that they could ONLY offer you the East or west feed for HD but not both the east and west?

Correct me if I am wrong, is anyone getting both East and west feed of HD of they are in the O&O markets?

 

[paulyme]

HD in selected markets

According to the statement that I copied and pasted from Dtv's web site the following applies:

WHAT CHANNEL IS NBC HDTV PROGRAMMING ON?

Customers in the Central and Eastern Time zones receive NBC HDTV programming on channel 82 (WNBC, New York).

Customers in the Pacific and Mountain Time zones receive NBC HDTV programming on channel 83 (KNBC, Los Angeles).

The same goes for CBS HD.

Pauly

 

[peterd]

Seeking a response from someone who has bypassed the waiver process

I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply, but let me be clear here:

I am looking for a response from someone who has bypassed the waiver process by successfully playing CSR roulette.

Here's why:

1. I am allowed to have CBS and NBC HD without needing waivers.
   
2. I understand that as a matter of policy (not of law), DirecTV would give me only the West coast feeds.
   
3. I know there are people receiving both coasts' HD feeds on Dish without waivers (I am one of them) and I believe I remember seeing posts from DirecTV subscribers who receive both without waivers.
   
4. I would not expect the local stations to issue me waivers for the East coast feeds.
   It is important to understand why not:
   • No TV station's management particularly wants to give up a viewer to another feed of the same programming because (they believe) they lose a viewer of the locally sold commercials.
   • KPIX and KNTV (my local CBS and NBC stations) are both owned by the networks. Their parent companies have set the policy that their viewers are allowed to receive the HD feeds from DirecTV. Therefore, the local station management has no say.
   • They would, however, have a say if asked for a waiver for NY feeds. But, they have no incentive (and one could argue they have a dis-incentive) to allow this waiver.
   
   It is also important to understand why I believe that there is no harm to my receiving the NY feeds:
   • No TV station's management particularly wants to give up a viewer to another feed of the same programming because (they believe) they lose a viewer of the locally sold commercials.
   • I do not watch any of these commercials. I use TiVo, do not watch anything live, and always skip commercials when viewing recorded programs.

 

[peterd]

Is anyone getting both HD feeds without waivers?

 

[JerryVolunteer]

I'm in a out of market area and I get both feeds but have to pay for them!

 

[redhot47fl]

To our pleasant surprise, we are getting WNBC-HD on Channel 82, but it comes in squared off form, not in full wide mode. Is this the case for everyone who gets this? Anyone know why this non-wide format would be the case with this one HD station?