Switching from AT200 to AT250 Requires a Wing dish?

[BeowulfShaeffer]

I just spoke to a CSR (and I have to do that, since I'm an ATT customer, so I can't use the Web) about switching from my current AT200 + HD Ultimate package to an AT250 + HD Essentials, and I was told I needed an "antenna upgrade", and asked to sign a 24 month contract. I was surprised, but she couldn't tell me what specifically required a wing dish for 61.5. Was she correct?

I currently have a 1000.2, and get my locals OTA. I live in Austin, TX, and I know that the Austin HD locals require the 61.5 wing dish, but I didn't ask for those. I told the CSR that I'm fine using my OTA antenna (I live all of 4 miles line-of-sight from the tower farm on Mt. Barker). What channels in this package requires a 61.5 wing dish? The reason I ask is that I don't have good line of sight to 61.5--my dish mounts are on the west side of my house, and a) my roof blocks the view of 61.5, and b) I'm not interested in signing any 2 year contract.

To make matters worse, I'm really interested in only 2 channels in the AT250 package: ESPNU and Versus. They're on 119 and 110, respectively. Am I just out of luck--must I have the 61.5 wing dish?

 

[garys]

No, you do not need 61.5 if you have 129.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Yes you do need the 61.5 if you want all the HD channels available in the HD essentials pack. Why would you want to use the 129?

 

[BeowulfShaeffer]

Yes you do need the 61.5 if you want all the HD channels available in the HD essentials pack. Why would you want to use the 129?

Because I already have a 1000.2, and I don't want a wing dish. I have no good line-of-sight to 61.5, but my view west is completely unobstructed. Right now, with AT200 and HD Ultimate, I don't need a 61.5 dish. So which particular channels require 61.5? The "new" ones would be:

• Tennis HD
• Bio HD
• Hallmark HD
• Golf/Versus HD
• Science HD
• National Geo HD

The only one of those above I care about is Versus HD, and then only for Big XII football in the fall.

 

[BeowulfShaeffer]

Replying to my own post, according to this link: http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist/index.php?search=dn129?=true

All of the "new" HD for the HD Essentials is available on 129:

• Tennis: Ch: 9442 (400) 129 TP 13
• Golf/VS: Ch: 9468 (398) 129 TP 19
• HMC: Ch: 9444 (187) 129 TP 13
• Bio: Ch: 9443 (119) 129 TP 13
• Science: Ch: 9490 (193) 129 TP 19
• Nat Geo: Ch 9429 (186) 129 TP 30

So everything "new" HD is available on 129. Is there something on the standard def channels that would cause such a "blip"? Does anyone here have AT250 + HDEssentials using just a 1000.2 dish?

 

[navychop]

You do not need an antenna upgrade, and there is no reason for you to sign a commitment. Nor pay a dime toward some non existent antenna upgrade.

 

[Hall]

Yes you do need the 61.5 if you want all the HD channels available in the HD essentials pack. Why would you want to use the 129?

What channels, not including public-interest ones, are available on 61.5 but not 129 ?

 

[dishcomm]

Yes you do need the 61.5 if you want all the HD channels available in the HD essentials pack. Why would you want to use the 129?

that is not correct...all chs from 61.5 are also beamed off 129..he has a 1000.2 dish. he's all set.

 

[Tyralak]

I just spoke to a CSR (and I have to do that, since I'm an ATT customer, so I can't use the Web) about switching from my current AT200 + HD Ultimate package to an AT250 + HD Essentials, and I was told I needed an "antenna upgrade", and asked to sign a 24 month contract. I was surprised, but she couldn't tell me what specifically required a wing dish for 61.5. Was she correct?

I currently have a 1000.2, and get my locals OTA. I live in Austin, TX, and I know that the Austin HD locals require the 61.5 wing dish, but I didn't ask for those. I told the CSR that I'm fine using my OTA antenna (I live all of 4 miles line-of-sight from the tower farm on Mt. Barker). What channels in this package requires a 61.5 wing dish? The reason I ask is that I don't have good line of sight to 61.5--my dish mounts are on the west side of my house, and a) my roof blocks the view of 61.5, and b) I'm not interested in signing any 2 year contract.

To make matters worse, I'm really interested in only 2 channels in the AT250 package: ESPNU and Versus. They're on 119 and 110, respectively. Am I just out of luck--must I have the 61.5 wing dish?

That's your problem right there AT&T CSR. Call again, get a different one who knows what they're talking about. The AT&T CSRs are very poorly trained, and say some of the strangest things. You don't need another dish.

 

[BeowulfShaeffer]

That's your problem right there AT&T CSR. Call again, get a different one who knows what they're talking about. The AT&T CSRs are very poorly trained, and say some of the strangest things. You don't need another dish.

The CSRs are all the same pool--regular Dish CSRs just answer w/ AT&T based on what they see on their customer account screen. That said, a new CSR did confess that it was the now-available Austin HD locals (on 61.5) that was causing the "antenna upgrade required" message to come up on my change order. I told her that right now I was happy continuing to use my OTA to receive them, and she said that she had to do a "trick" to bypass the "forced" upgrade. She said that many CSRs just don't know how to bypass that.

Thanks for all the replies!