Western Arc--- VS ---Eastern Arc?

[Indy]

Trees in my yard are increasingly becoming a problem with satellite view angles for the 110 and 119 satellites. Forget about 129, I never had line of sight on 129. I am supposed to be in the Western arc with 110, 119, and 129. I am, and have been from day one on the 110, 119 and 61.5 satellites.

Ok, here is the proposal. Dish recommends going to the Eastern arc with 61.5, 72.5, and 77 which I have a good look angle. The only problem is I will lose my SD locals off the 110 sat. That really does not bother me because I have all of my local digital channels via OTA, with good signal quality.

Now here is the question no one at Dish has been able to provide an answer to. What will happen in the guide data when the locals are removed and the sat receiver is no longer spooling guide data for my locals? Will the guide still list my OTA channels but no info is available or will the info be there for programming via the digital signal from the local TV station?


I am open to suggestions for what to do. Come spring I will be in the dark on 110 and 119.

 

[joshua.mcglothlen]

In northern IN out of the South Bend LSC your locals should be on the 61.5. The 4 major networks will be in HD and the rest in SD. If you have your channels scanned in the OTA port on your reciever then yes you will still see the program guide on the OTA side.

 

[Indy]

In northern IN out of the South Bend LSC your locals should be on the 61.5. The 4 major networks will be in HD and the rest in SD. If you have your channels scanned in the OTA port on your reciever then yes you will still see the program guide on the OTA side.

Hello Josh, thanks for the reply. I am in Indy so my locals are on the 110 bird. I just did an experiment using a Channel Master OTA digital tuner box. This box will show guide data if provided by the station. The OTA channels I scanned with my VIP 222 Dish receiver stated “Digital Service” in the guide data with no program info. These were digital channels not included with my Dish locals I subscribe to. The same channels on the Channel Master box have guide data and program info. This b leads me to believe the Dish receiver can only use the guide data sent via the satellite and the info is not gathered over the OTA port of the receiver.

 

[KAB]

You could keep 110 and 119, and have your additional Dish 500 re-aimed at 72.7 (instead of 61.5) for all HD.

 

[Indy]

You could keep 110 and 119, and have your additional Dish 500 re-aimed at 72.7 for all HD.

KAB, I believe if you try to set up with 110, 119 and 72.7, the Point Dish screen will label the 72.7 sat as “Wrong Satellite”. You can only use the satellite combinations that Dish has written firmware for the switch . I am on 61.5 for some of the HD. That is allowable because that is the combo that first evolved. 61.5, 110, and 119

 

[KAB]

I'm not sure about that. Best thing to do is call one of the local retailers and ask them.

 

[Indy]

I'm not sure about that. Best thing to do is call one of the local retailers and ask them.

I finally got an answer from Dish Network. No, the program info provided by the local stations received through the OTA port of the receiver is not read and displayed. The info for guide data only comes down from the satellite, not the OTA port. Only the station identifier or call letters is logged by the OTA port.

 

[nmiller6683]

Just FYI u can use any combo of three sats that u want doesn't matter. Tried it my self works perfect

 

[Indy]

Just FYI u can use any combo of three sats that u want doesn't matter. Tried it my self works perfect

That is good news! Just out of curiosity, do you have any overlapping or duplicate channels appearing on two satellites in the guide? If so let’s say HBO channel 300 is on two different sats and showing in the guide both as channel 300 and you press the digits 300 on the remote what happens? I guess you could put the duplicates in different favorites lists.

 

[nmiller6683]

Channel 300 is hbo on all SAts receiver is smart enough to figure it out

 

[3HaloODST]

Channel 300 is hbo on all SAts receiver is smart enough to figure it out

Yep. Even on the standard EA/WA setups there are a few "overlapping" channels on more than one satellite. Never shows up as dupes.

 

[Indy]

Channel 300 is hbo on all SAts receiver is smart enough to figure it out

Let me try the question again in terms you may or might understand…. now try to follow this.

You have two satellites in your receiver guide. BOTH satellites have a channel #300 HBO listed in the guide, they fall one below the other in the guide table.

This is where it may get tricky for you.
You, the person holding the remote, press the keys ..three, zero, zero for channel 300, HBO. How is the receiver going to know which satellite you want to watch channel 300 on?
Now keep in mind, you are not just pressing or selecting a highlighted panel in the guide, you are imputing the actual channel numbers into the remote outside of the guide. Would the receiver go into some sort of spasm with the conflict of which satellite channel 300 you wanted to select?

 

[nmiller6683]

If u press 300 with an hd receiver it will automatically go to hbo hd. Now if that channel is on more than one satellite that u r hitting the receiver u know the thing u point the remote at will not repeat will not allow more than one channel 300 hundred to come onto the receiver don't care if every satellite carries that channel

 

[Frank7004]

My father in law has OTA locals only, nothing via dish on his 622 and has all guide data for those locals. Also, on my OTA, I have different programming on some of the channels which is not available via dish, and it will show me the programming information in the guide.

 

[3HaloODST]

If u press 300 with an hd receiver it will automatically go to hbo hd. Now if that channel is on more than one satellite that u r hitting the receiver u know the thing u point the remote at will not repeat will not allow more than one channel 300 hundred to come onto the receiver don't care if every satellite carries that channel

Again just as nmiller6683 said the channel can be on four satellites and you're picking up all four but after the check switch it chooses ONE out of those four to tune to from then on. The only duplicates that will be there are if you subscribe to HD the HD version will be the same channel, yet the HD is usually on a different satellite. Anyway if you have HBO and no HD, then it's simple, typing 300 will go to HBO SD. If you have HD, it defaults to HD, therefore if you type in 300, it will be HBO HD. No "spazzing out" involved. Pressing channel down will go to the SD channel.

 

[KKlare]

With multiple satellites for a channel, it will use one with no way, for you, to predict which one and it may be differ from one receiver to another and from day to day.

You can check by using the info button twice. On the non-transparent slate, in the upper left the satellite number is shown after a satellite symbol, possibly overlaying the big HD.

This does not work for recordings, only live feeds.
-Ken

 

[Indy]

My father in law has OTA locals only, nothing via dish on his 622 and has all guide data for those locals. Also, on my OTA, I have different programming on some of the channels which is not available via dish, and it will show me the programming information in the guide.

Interesting. I made the comparison with my VIP222 and found the guide data program info was not there. Maybe the VIP622 is different, I will have to take a look at my 622 today. One thing I have found with the VIP receivers is a sat signal has to be in reception to change channels outside the guide. The guide data has to be up to date even for that to happen. The VIP receivers can not be used for OTA only with out being hooked up tio the sat and receiving a sat signal.

 

[Indy]

Again just as nmiller6683 said the channel can be on four satellites and you're picking up all four but after the check switch it chooses ONE out of those four to tune to from then on. The only duplicates that will be there are if you subscribe to HD the HD version will be the same channel, yet the HD is usually on a different satellite. Anyway if you have HBO and no HD, then it's simple, typing 300 will go to HBO SD. If you have HD, it defaults to HD, therefore if you type in 300, it will be HBO HD. No "spazzing out" involved. Pressing channel down will go to the SD channel.

So you will not see the duplicates in the guide?

 

[Frank7004]

Interesting. I made the comparison with my VIP222 and found the guide data program info was not there. Maybe the VIP622 is different, I will have to take a look at my 622 today. One thing I have found with the VIP receivers is a sat signal has to be in reception to change channels outside the guide. The guide data has to be up to date even for that to happen. The VIP receivers can not be used for OTA only with out being hooked up tio the sat and receiving a sat signal.

There is a bit of a trick to get to the OTA channels during a storm or whatever. Turn off the rcvr (via remote) and then turn it back on. in that split second before the guide would normally pop up, hit guide...then go to an ota channel.

or do what I have done...put a splitter behind the rvcr.

In) from the antenna
Outputs 1) ota module 2) coax input of the TV. I then just did a autoprogram and it found my ota channels. Then if sat signal goes out, I just switch inputs.

 

[Indy]

There is a bit of a trick to get to the OTA channels during a storm or whatever. Turn off the rcvr (via remote) and then turn it back on. in that split second before the guide would normally pop up, hit guide...then go to an ota channel.

or do what I have done...put a splitter behind the rvcr.

In) from the antenna
Outputs 1) ota module 2) coax input of the TV. I then just did a autoprogram and it found my ota channels. Then if sat signal goes out, I just switch inputs.

Yes the TV OTA scan works if the tv is not a CRT projector in the HT or a monitor with out a NTSC tunner built in. The guide trick only works if the guide has not switched to the next hour. You will get an error message that the guide data is not up to date and the guide will try to download.I also go to menu then go to guide and access it that way. Again, only works if the time has not advanced to the next whole hour.