sub channels

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msrebel

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Aug 23, 2006
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Has their been any talk of possible directv adding sub channels anytime in the future. I live in the Memphis market and receive locals off direct but too far from towers to pick up ota where I could get their sub channels such as antennatv and movies to name just a couple. It sure would be nice to be able to pick up some of the sub channels.
 
Has their been any talk of possible directv adding sub channels anytime in the future. I live in the Memphis market and receive locals off direct but too far from towers to pick up ota where I could get their sub channels such as antennatv and movies to name just a couple. It sure would be nice to be able to pick up some of the sub channels.

They don't have many of those channels now, so not likely they will after D14 is active. I'd like to see them too!
 
Depending on your type of receiver, you should be able to plug in an antenna and get all of your local OTAs.

The TS said they are too far away from the towers for reliable OTA reception. The only solution for anyone to get subchannels on Directv is with an antenna + AM21, sorry.

You could try this:

If you have a cable company like TWC or Comcast for Internet, plug your internet line into your TV and scan for DTV cable. This will find any clear-QAM channels. You could get lucky and have your subchannels on there. Many areas are shutting this off, however. I know that with Time Warner in my area you get most of the local subchannels on the QAM tuner with just an Internet subscription.
 
Sub-channels are not likely to be carried by DirecTV unless they contain one of the big 4 networks or the main TV channel is owned by a major ownership group and force DirecTV to carry the sub-channel. I know this has been a sticking point of several carriage deals.
 
Has their been any talk of possible directv adding sub channels anytime in the future. I live in the Memphis market and receive locals off direct but too far from towers to pick up ota where I could get their sub channels such as antennatv and movies to name just a couple. It sure would be nice to be able to pick up some of the sub channels.

What do you consider too far ?
I pick up Detroit from Toledo, thats 50-60 miles at least.
 
Terrain between Detroit and Toledo is quite flat. Not so in the Memphis DMA east to central Tennessee.

Having said that, I get Dayton TV channels off the air quite reliably from Cincinnati at a 45-50 mile shot with an indoor amplified antenna.
 
Terrain between Detroit and Toledo is quite flat. Not so in the Memphis DMA east to central Tennessee.

Having said that, I get Dayton TV channels off the air quite reliably from Cincinnati at a 45-50 mile shot with an indoor amplified antenna.

I use to do quite a bit better before we all went digital ... Analog stations came in from as far as Cleveland.
 
If you have a cable company like TWC or Comcast for Internet, plug your internet line into your TV and scan for DTV cable.
If you are paying for Internet only and are not paying for television services from a cable company then doing that would probably be considered theft of service.
 
If you are paying for Internet only and are not paying for television services from a cable company then doing that would probably be considered theft of service.
That's why they require cable boxes to receive digital QAM basic locals, but also because of bandwidth consuming analog channels, but there are still areas that can receiver those channels digital only through coax only.
 
If you are paying for Internet only and are not paying for television services from a cable company then doing that would probably be considered theft of service.

How? Most channels don't come through, only locals for the most part.

I also use to be able to get CBC (think it was) out of Canada and able to watch Hockey Night in Canada ....
I Do miss that :(

I have seen the OTA CBC Hockey Night, on CBC Montreal. Absolutely stunning PQ.
 
How? Most channels don't come through, only locals for the most part.



I have seen the OTA CBC Hockey Night, on CBC Montreal. Absolutely stunning PQ.

It's hockey man....there would be anarchy in the streets if the pq sucked in canada


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I think there is only a few situations that could result in us seeing sub-channels (some, definitely do not expect to see all).

1 - Directv does something for in-area local weather - many DMAs have at least one local station doing a local weather sub channel 24/7. This would make a lot of sense, especially with dropping TWC, but just throwing out the idea.

2 - Companies that own sub-station broadcasts get a transmission deal with DirecTV, not on a local basis, but national. Think ION - nothing says the owner of Antenna TV or Retro TV, etc, couldn't do a deal with the providers directly.

3 - DirecTV decides to expand on minor networks in DMAs that don't have them. We've seen a little of this, but not much, in relation to networks like CW or MY that are a sub-channel in some markets.

4 - A local station company makes it a big sticking point in a retransmission agreement negotiation - and wins. This is possible but not likely often, at least we haven't seen any examples of it to date.

Anyway you go, the big limitation is bandwidth on the spot beam satellites. Even for adding a few SD feeds, most of the spot beams are pretty full.
 
Terrain between Detroit and Toledo is quite flat. Not so in the Memphis DMA east to central Tennessee.

Having said that, I get Dayton TV channels off the air quite reliably from Cincinnati at a 45-50 mile shot with an indoor amplified antenna.

Memphis is far west Tn, not east or central. Terrain there is actually pretty flat.
 
Memphis is far west Tn, not east or central. Terrain there is actually pretty flat.

My comment "Terrain between Detroit and Toledo is quite flat. Not so in the Memphis DMA east to central Tennessee." was meant to be read as
"Terrain between Detroit and Toledo is quite flat. Not so in the Memphis DMA [towards the] east to central Tennessee.

The terrain from Memphis to Jackson may be flatter than Nashville to Knoxville, but it is by no means the salt-flat like terrain from Toledo to Detroit.
 
Interestingly, Directv added WTNC-LP in the Raleigh, NC DMA a few weeks ago. It is the Unimas affiliate. Directv shows it in SD, but it's HD OTA. We have UNC-EX, a PBS subchannel in NC for a subchannel provided by Directv. But the only reason we have it is because some DMAs have two UNCTV transmitters. In those markets, they switch the xx.1 and xx.3 on one transmitter so that UNCEX is the main channel. Since it's already uplinked, they just give it to everyone as a subchannel. But both of these are tiny steps toward more locals provided by Directv (with no AM21 needed).

Technically, Directv carries HSN, QVC, WeatherNation, SBN, MegaTV, etc which are subchannels in some areas... (Thinking to think postitive...)
 
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