Strange Problem from a new Dish Customer

[billj]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have phoned in this problem, but if it's not fixed in 24 hours I'd like to have some information to better help them solve it.

I just ordered Dish Network the other day. I didn't notice at the time, but later I discovered that many of the programs I normally watch are not on in the time slots I would expect. In other words, I get all the stations, but the programming has changed. For example, TBS has "Seinfeld" scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Pacific, but I'm getting it at 4:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. I get to watch some other program. If you're thinking that TBS changed their programming, I went to TBS.com to verify it. It's as if there's a time zone setting somewhere that's wrong, whereby I'm getting East Coast programming for some stations.

The first Customer Service person I talked to basically blew me off, because I didn't have enough information and/or didn't explain the problem very well.

The second person understood better what I was trying to communicate, but said she never heard of the problem. Since the on-screen programming guide matches the programs I'm receiving she was at a loss to explain it (I guess the notion that the on-screen programming guide could be WRONG for my time zone didn't occur to her). She had me enter my zip code on one screen, because the installer left it "00000", but that didn't fix the problem.

Then, today, I phone again and got someone who asked me more questions. We were sort of able to deduce that I'm getting East Coast programming on Satellite 119, while I live on the West Coast.

I went through the newspaper that shows the TV listings and circled all the stations where the programming is off. Some of the stations include: A&E, BRAVO, COM, E!, FX, ION, TV Land, SPIKE, TBS, TNT, USA.

For some of the stations, the programming is correct. This includes all my local channels, Turner Classic Movies, CNN, and others.

If I'm still looking at this problem tomorrow, I thought maybe someone with some technical expertise could help so I could better point them to a solution.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dirtydan]

Have you re-booted your receiver? If not, maybe tomorrow it will be right.
Dan

 

[gary s]

I'm pretty sure quite a few of the channels are on east coast feeds even in the pacific time zone. I thought CNN was on an east coast feed also.

The local channels of course are programmed for the pacific time zone.

 

[n0qcu]

gary s is correct, alot of the channels on satellite (both directv and dish) us the east coast feeds only. Your solution is to use the on screen EPG, do NOT use the newspaper.

 

[boba]

Congratulations you are getting an education on satellite television. What you're experiencing is perfectly normal. For cable companies there are East Coast and West Coast Feeds so programming is at "normal" times. For DISH and Directv most feeds are East Coast so on the West coast Pacific time yo get to watch it earlier(3hrs.)
Now some broadcasters arrange their schedule so at8pm eastern HGTV has My First Place at 9pm Pacific that same episode repetes so time is still convient.

 

[old corps]

Forgive me 'cause I'm old and senile but..........

Ain't 7:00pm Pacific 10:00 Eastern, NOT 4:00pm ????

Seems to me that whatever was viewable at 4:00pm Eastern would be seen at 1:00pm Pacific.

Go easy on this old fart.........

Ed

 

[?Sa?dma???]

Forgive me 'cause I'm old and senile but..........

Ain't 7:00pm Pacific 10:00 Eastern, NOT 4:00pm ????

Seems to me that whatever was viewable at 4:00pm Eastern would be seen at 1:00pm Pacific.

Go easy on this old fart.........

Ed

They air it at 7pm in the East....... which is 4pm Pacific time when you're watching that same East coast feed.

 

[billj]

Lesson Learned

Congratulations you are getting an education on satellite television. What you're experiencing is perfectly normal. For cable companies there are East Coast and West Coast Feeds so programming is at "normal" times. For DISH and Directv most feeds are East Coast so on the West coast Pacific time yo get to watch it earlier(3hrs.)

Thank you. What you say is correct, unfortunately.

It would be nice if Dish Network made this clear.

I know I have an option to buy an external hard drive, which when connected to my receiver will allow me to store programming. I thought I'd want to do this down the road, but it looks like I may be doing it sooner rather than later. At least with this functionality, I can watch what I want when I want.


Bill

PS: I'd be very interested to know which external hard drives are recommended, so I can make a good purchase. I have a VIP 211k receiver. I'd like to get a drive that's easy to work with and very reliable, and not too expensive (if such a thing exists).

I'd appreciate suggestions.

Thanks again.

 

[Awohar]

The advantage is that you can watch your national programming (USA, TNT, etc) 3 hours sooner. This is great for prime time viewing since you can start your prime time viewing at 5pm on national stations and then at 8pm switch over to local stations and watch those programs in prime time.