# How to approach dish regarding hd locals



## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

OK, I've learned that the HD locals are now available in my area. But not on the Western Arc. i'm also told that not only is there no estimated date for the channels to be added to the western arc, there's not even any reasonable statement to assume they ever will be.

I need to get this fixed or go back to DirecTV. I REALLY don't want to go back, but this is unacceptable. I'm 3 months away from my 2 year contract being over.

How should I approach this, and what should I expect to have to pay to get on the eastern arc? Will my dish work by just moving it or do I need a new one? I have a dish 500. When i initially called dish to complain, the rep flat out said, there was nothing he could do. didn't offer ANYthing. in fact, he alluded to there being no option to even put a new dish up which we all know is BS>


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## garys (Nov 4, 2005)

San Diego HD locals are on 110 sat location which is part of the Western Arc. If you have 110 (and some of the HD channels are on ie: HDNet, ESPN HD, ect.) you need to subscribe to your locals. A quick phone call should take care of that. You do already have your locals, you need to call Dish anyway and tell them you do not see them. If you are somewhere different than your locations shows, or do not have an HD receiver. You need to update your info.


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## festivus (Nov 10, 2008)

I'm with you. I'm in central ohio (Columbus DMA) and have been reading "soon" for months now regarding HD locals. If by the end of April the only official Dish message that I can get is "soon" I'll be looking to leave Dish. One OTA tuner doesn't cut it. Especially on Thursday nights when I want to dvr 2, sometimes 3, programs at the same time.

And anytime that you want to upgrade your equipment, say to a 722k(?) to allow for 2 OTA tuners, Dish wants a new 15 month commitment and more cash up front.

I'm through committing to Dish. I'll satisfy what's left of my commitment (may have done that already, not sure) and give them until the end of next month for HD locals.

Your plight is really strange. I don't know how Dish can provide HD locals to a city but then say that there's no way for you to receive them. Very strange indeed.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

The problem that the OP "experiencing" doesn't exist unless they are talking about one of the non-major networks. Offered are ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CW.

San Diego has been available since May 10, 2006 at 110W.


The problem with Columbus Ohio (#32) is real and it has been uplinked at one time or another but they're still not available.


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## festivus (Nov 10, 2008)

Yeah, those of us in Columbus know for sure that the problem is real. The really frustrating thing is the lack of communication about it (or anything else for that matter) from Dish. Dish must be taking customer service lessons from airlines.

If I didn't like the 622 so much I would be leaving Dish for certain.


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## kpaustin (Jul 18, 2007)

I'm also frustrated about whether to expect Austin, TX HD locals on 129. I called in October last year requesting a wing dish setup to get them off of 61.5(?) and they told me to "wait until around the end of the year, we have something to finish up on our side and I would be good to go." I figured that would be Ciel 2 129, and the uplink reports confirm. Well now it's mid-March, and the last email to Tech support they said "HD locals are not available in your area." Which I know is wrong. Really frustrating to not be able to get a straight answer. I have OTA and that works fine, I just would like the added DVR capability.


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## riah (May 15, 2008)

In November 2008 Dish turned on 1 Scranton/Wilkes Barre local for about 80% of the DMA!

If you are in the unlucky 20% of the DMA that is not covered by the spot beam good luck trying to talk to Dish About it 90% of the people you talk to have no clue and swear that since you get the locals in SD and have a 622 & 722 you should get them in HD.

They dispatch a servicle call (at there expense) to fix it. The service man gets the work order, calls you, and asks if this is in regard to the HD locals.

Answer yes and he cancels the work order on the spot. By the way he is in the unlucky 20% as well imagine his frustration!

Over the past several months they have turned on the major networks but still no answer from dish when they will cover the entire DMA.

At least with "Soon" you have hope!


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## scoobyxj (Apr 15, 2008)

festivus said:


> I'm with you. I'm in central ohio (Columbus DMA) and have been reading "soon" for months now regarding HD locals. If by the end of April the only official Dish message that I can get is "soon" I'll be looking to leave Dish. One OTA tuner doesn't cut it. Especially on Thursday nights when I want to dvr 2, sometimes 3, programs at the same time.
> 
> And anytime that you want to upgrade your equipment, say to a 722k(?) to allow for 2 OTA tuners, Dish wants a new 15 month commitment and more cash up front.
> 
> ...





festivus said:


> Yeah, those of us in Columbus know for sure that the problem is real. The really frustrating thing is the lack of communication about it (or anything else for that matter) from Dish. Dish must be taking customer service lessons from airlines.
> 
> If I didn't like the 622 so much I would be leaving Dish for certain.


There is a little trick you can try on playing the system to get a 722k for less than an upgrade fee and a 24 month commitment. You need to be on the DHPP and then call in saying your receiver keeps intermintently loosing sig (if they ask you what the error message is on the screen tell them 015, and 002), and you would like a tech to come out and see if they can find a problem. Once the tech gets there just tell him what is going on. I can almost guarantee he's going to have a 722k on his truck that he can RA you 622 with. Let him know if he needs to bring the system up to code you'll help him with the work in anyway you can. Then all you will need to do is buy the OTA tuner from E* (We can't get them. They have to be shipped out from E*). So the cost should roughly be (not counting the DHPP monthly cost) $30 for a DHPP Service Call (IIRC), about $50 for the OTA card, and what ever tip you feel is fair for keeping this on the down low to the tech.


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## scoobyxj (Apr 15, 2008)

FastNOC said:


> OK, I've learned that the HD locals are now available in my area. But not on the Western Arc. i'm also told that not only is there no estimated date for the channels to be added to the western arc, there's not even any reasonable statement to assume they ever will be.
> 
> I need to get this fixed or go back to DirecTV. I REALLY don't want to go back, but this is unacceptable. I'm 3 months away from my 2 year contract being over.
> 
> How should I approach this, and what should I expect to have to pay to get on the eastern arc? Will my dish work by just moving it or do I need a new one? I have a dish 500. When i initially called dish to complain, the rep flat out said, there was nothing he could do. didn't offer ANYthing. in fact, he alluded to there being no option to even put a new dish up which we all know is BS>


If you only have a 500 dish then you do not have all your HD. There a a few HD channels on the 110*, but not many. I don't know what bird your locals are on but I can garentee you either need the 129* or the 61.5 for the bulk of the HD programming. With that being said you will have two options one a 1000/1000.2 for the 129* or a wing dish for the 61.5. The only way you will get dish to alow you to go to an EA is if the WA 110/119* is a NLOS.


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## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

i should have elaborated on this. I didn't even think about people taking my location into consideration.

I have two homes and two accounts with Dish. one that's actually in Phx (i moved away from SD and haven't updated my profile) and a home in Hot Springs Arkansas. I'm needing to get the Little Rock HD locals which are only available on the Eastern Arc. I may in fact have a 1000.x dish, I'm just looking in the settings that the menu shows, and the installer has it listed as a 500.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

You're probably looking at the point dish screen. Go a step further to Check Switch, then view the summary.

Little Rock HD locals are on 77° so you need either a Dish 1000.4 (EA), or a 1000.2 (WA) with a separate dish as the easiest configurations.


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## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

Switch reports 1k.2 w/separator I'm assuming that's 1000.2

Doesn't that mean they should already be available? and why would the tech set the system to 500?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

FastNOC said:


> and why would the tech set the system to 500?


Because there is no "setting" for 1000 and 500 is the default.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

FastNOC said:


> Switch reports 1k.2 w/separator I'm assuming that's 1000.2
> 
> Doesn't that mean they should already be available? and why would the tech set the system to 500?


Yes, that means 1000.2, and, yes, your HD locals should already be available.

As for the setting showing Dish 500, that's pretty meaningless anymore. Dish hasn't kept the dish-pointing database updated in the receivers, and all that "setting" does is display the dish aiming information. Installers already know the correct dish settings for the area they work in and don't bother with the receiver at all. Most of the dishes currently in use aren't in the receiver's database.

What matters are your Check Switch results. With a 1000.2, you should see signals from 119, 110, and 129, all green, and an X in the 4th box representing the empty input port on the 1000.2 LNB.


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## grooves12 (Oct 27, 2005)

FastNOC said:


> Switch reports 1k.2 w/separator I'm assuming that's 1000.2
> 
> Doesn't that mean they should already be available? and why would the tech set the system to 500?


It means you need to have your dish swapped out to a 1000.4 and re-aimed to eastern arc or you need to get a wing dish and point it at 77 and wire it to the extra port in your 1000.2


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## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

Thanks, that's exactly what I was hoping to get, a solution.

Can anyone tell me what to expect to pay for that?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

FastNOC said:


> Thanks, that's exactly what I was hoping to get, a solution.
> 
> Can anyone tell me what to expect to pay for that?


We still haven't established why your current setup isn't working. Throwing money at it is not a good solution as it doesn't assure a fix.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Post #10: can't get Little Rock HD locals
Post #11: they're on 77°
Post #12: has Dish 1000.2 (reason established)


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Chalk up one for keeping your account information up-to-date.

I clearly wasn't paying attention to the fact that he had homes in two markets and that neither of them was where his account info says he is.

I'm surprised they installed a 1000.2 in Arkansas.


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