So whos NOT getting a Hopper due to lack of OTA?

[dontpanic]

Really? Is it worth calling someone out over a typo in a common expression?

Yes. It is.
Of course we all knew what he meant. It doesn't make his wording any less incorrect. And, if enough people would point out when people incorrectly use the language, perhaps it will happen less often in the future.

As GaryPen said, yes, it is worth it. But it wasn't a typo; it was incorrect phrasing. If you're going to write something, understand what you are actually writing versus what you mean. What Hall wrote isn't what he meant, but unless someone points it out he might not ever learn.

The point he was trying to make...

I understand the point he was trying to make, but the point I'm trying to make is that he needs to learn to think about phrasing things so that they actually mean what he wants them to mean. It may not be extremely important in this forum, but it is certainly important elsewhere.

Look at the following sentences:

Currently all access is not logged.

Currently not all access is logged.

A lot of people will write the first sentence thinking that it means that some access is logged but not all of it, but that's not what it means. It means that no access is logged. The second sentence implies that some access is logged. Just moving the word "not" changed the meaning of the sentence.

Someone at work was sending information to an auditor that was phrased like the first sentence. The auditor then thought that no access was logged, which was not the case, and caused us grief until we explained (and provided evidence) that some access was logged. Of course, a better phrasing would be something like:

Currently some access is logged.

This example should tell you that proper phrasing is important.

 

[MikeD-C05]

According to the FCC (http://dtv.gov/dtv_stats.htm?l=EN), very few people, based on total percentage of TV viewers, feel that it is "necessary". Only 11% of households bother with OTA reception.... Pffft, I thought it was actually higher than that too !

Well I'm sure that ota use if down ,because of years of peopel subbing to either cable or satellite or telecos. But when the country turned to digital and turned off analog tv, it was widely advertised that HD tv was free and available for those who could put up an antenna. So I'm betting that the ota usage went up over what i was before the digital transition. And even though the percentage of ota Tv viewers is lower , it doesn't mean that there aren't people who still use it . Look at land line telephone usage in this country. It is steadily dropping every year and cell phone usage is rising year after year. I don't see them taking the telephone poles down yet. Although Ota will most likely be done away with sooner or later, I don't see it happening in this decade. Market changes will probably force the ota channels down ,because companies can't make any money by giving them away for free. Dvrs are making advertisements less profitable as well. But for satellite tv , it is still essential for ota to be part of the basic setup for viewers , for emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, etc. Now in the next decade I can see that ota and even satellite tv becoming less used and internet delivered tv rising. Unless satellite tv can enable their boxes to include interenet applications , I don't see them becoming nothing more than a rural delivery system. But for now ota is still essential.

 

[Hall]

If you look at these numbers, although they didn't track OTA until 2011, if the difference between ADS and Wired Cable is counted exclusively as OTA -- I'm not certain that is accurate to do though, mind you -- OTA numbers have steadily decreased for many years.

Also, I never said people aren't using it ! I said that based on the declining numbers of users of OTA, it's certainly not a "necessity" as you described it.

Good luck taking down "telephone poles" too. Around here, those poles also carry electrical lines and cable lines...

 

[ScottChez]

That report is 11% that are 100% OTA with no Cable or Sat. I bet the number of those who have SAT and OTA is more like 25% and Zero Percent for Cable.
With Cable you get all the locals sub channels in most cases. With SAT you need an OTA adapter to watch Star Trek on METV or PBS in HD (for most markets).

So now that the AMC Walking Dead is back on dish when can I switch from DireCTV to Dish, I am still waiting on the USB OTA adapter. Do you think if I call they will let me be a beta tester?

 

[Hall]

You are probably correct. I suspect that doesn't factor in households that have more than one, be it cable + satellite, cable + OTA, satellite + OTA, etc. I'd still bet the number is small though.

 

[ScottChez]

I agree it is small, I was at an other house over the weekend asked them if they were missing the local over the air channels, they said what? I get all the locals.
I then started naming off METV (star trek), PBS in HD, MyNetwork TV, PBS from Iowa, CW in HD, PBS create, PBS Kids, Live Well and the local weather.

He said, "wow, I was tricked. They said I got all the locals when I signed up.
Oh well, with the over 250 channels I guess I never noticed till now, but I am still MAD about missing Star Trek and the local weather channel, you never know when you will want to watch those channels."

 

[mdonnelly]

I've had an OTA antenna gathering dust for years, since I switched back to cable. Then last week my wife and I went to KC and stayed in a hotel for a week, and the TV there had METV. The wife liked that so much I had to find where it was carried in OKC, and found out that it was only OTA. I pulled out a spare HD with an OTA tuner and was able to get METV for her. It's the only TV in the house that gets that channel, but it works for her. If Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy!

 

[eddwall]

A-men....isn't that the truth !!

 

[ScottChez]

Any one know if the new USB Over the Air tuner will also get the digital sub channel on the "M/H" Band? We have some of those channels here also. It seems to be something new.

Below is an example of one that does.

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_aero-m.html

live TV on the go for your netbook or notebook with our built-in ATSC M/H receiver

Receive the new ATSC M/H Mobile Digital TV broadcasts in the U.S. Tune in to live local news, traffic information, weather, sporting events or entertainment programs using your Windows based netbook or notebook.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I doubt it.

That's for mobile devices, this is plug it in and forget about it. You should never have to unplug it once its plugged in.

 

[sms1976]

I was going to pull the trigger on a 1H/1J system (with ZachS's help), but looked over our DVR timers (on 722k and 612), and much of what our kids watch is on a PBS subchannel that isn't carried by Dish. I counted 6 or 7 subchannels in Bozeman, MT that aren't on Dish's feed. So, we're going to wait for that OTA tuner.

One question I had was whether the Hopper or Joey allow for manual timers. Some of the subchannels don't have guide listings, at least on the receivers I have.

 

[denisincalif]

Not yet, but manual timers has been promised in a future software update. I will not switch to Hopper/Joey until BOTH OTA and manual timers are available.

 

[ScottChez]

PBS HD and PBS Create and PBS Kids all have a lot of good shows.
Show you can not get today on the Hopper with out the Tuner.
I also get a 2nd PBS from a near by state so I get even more.

I was going to pull the trigger on a 1H/1J system (with ZachS's help), but looked over our DVR timers (on 722k and 612), and much of what our kids watch is on a PBS subchannel that isn't carried by Dish. I counted 6 or 7 subchannels in Bozeman, MT that aren't on Dish's feed. So, we're going to wait for that OTA tuner.

One question I had was whether the Hopper or Joey allow for manual timers. Some of the subchannels don't have guide listings, at least on the receivers I have.

 

[pparry]

I'm guessing at this point that OTA unit it isn't coming out anytime this month. I just hope it comes out in 2012. There's a lot of us that are waiting to upgrade.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I haven't heard anything but I am hoping to see it by the end of the month. (and thats just a gut guess, not a fact.)

***UPDATED - See my other comment below. ***

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I haven't heard anything but I am hoping to see it by the end of the month. (and thats just a gut guess, not a fact.)

only 5 days left....

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

only 5 days left....

Oh crap. I didn't even think about the date. (This month FLEW by for me so much going on!)

So I take that back... My gut now says by the end of November.

(Sorry folks!)

 

[Hall]

One question I had was whether the Hopper or Joey allow for manual timers. Some of the subchannels don't have guide listings, at least on the receivers I have.

The need for manual timers almost goes hand-in-hand with OTA reception. For non-OTA use, how common is it to need a manual timer ? I know people will come up with scenarios but I'll bet they're not that common....

 

[denisincalif]

The need for manual timers almost goes hand-in-hand with OTA reception. For non-OTA use, how common is it to need a manual timer ? I know people will come up with scenarios but I'll bet they're not that common....

I actually use manual timers a lot even on satellite channels. Two reasons.

1. Some channels (especially Comedy Central) don't stick very well to the guide. Setting a timer off the guide can easily cause you to lose the last couple of minutes of a show, even with the default extra time you get (is it two minutes?)
2. Sporting events often go WAY over the time allotted in the guide. When I record a baseball game or football game I set my timer for 5 hours. Most of the time it is not necessary, but when it is I am very thankful I recorded so much.

 

[allargon]

I'm guessing at this point that OTA unit it isn't coming out anytime this month. I just hope it comes out in 2012. There's a lot of us that are waiting to upgrade.

+1