# FEATURE REQUEST: Stop gap, easy feature request......



## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

The lack of an OTA channel guide is making recording shows a bit of a hassle for me. I tried to just go to the guide and click on an OTA channel time slot to record it, even though there is no event information. It won't do it, the reason is that it has no event times. I think it would be nice if they could just make "default" events that ocurred in increments of 30 minutes, or an hour. Then I could click on a "local programming" event and record it, even though the guide doesn't know anything about the event. Then I could simply change the event's start or end time to get what I wanted. It would just make the timer process easier. 

I also thought about trying to record a satellite local, then change the channel. I thought they would appear in the guide, even though I don't have a subscription to them. They don't appear in the guide for me. I was looking in the 8500 range. Am I missing something? I selected the guide to show "all channels". 

Not being able to watch KBHK in the SF Bay Area has been a thorn in the paw so to speak. Does anyone know if you actually need to have an activaed subscription for the dish 6000 for it to tune into OTA channels? Is it enough for it just to see channel 101 to be able to tune OTA??


----------



## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

Even VCR+ codes would be cool!


----------



## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

You cannot tune digital OTA programming with a Dish Network receiver without a valid Dish Network subscription; this is on purpose, as Dish does not want to effectively subsidize STB boxes which will not be used for their programming. However, it would certainly seem that an "America's Top 50" subscription or maybe even just HD channels (at $10/month + the "account fee") would be sufficient for this purpose (i.e. to keep the receiver active).

Local channels which you are not subscribed to do not appear in the channel guide. This is to prevent customers from seeing distant locals and then calling up Dish to try and order them; in most cases, they won't be allowed to, so not displaying them saves a lot of headache for everyone.


----------



## Bogney (Jul 11, 2003)

Slordak said:


> You cannot tune digital OTA programming with a Dish Network receiver without a valid Dish Network subscription; this is on purpose, as Dish does not want to effectively subsidize STB boxes which will not be used for their programming.


This may or may not be true. The 6000 can view OTA stations without a subscription as long as it sees a satellite feed.

The 921 was supposed to require a subscription but it may not be the case. I helped a friend install his 921 and we hooked up the OTA antenna before activating the receiver. It displayed the OTA channels fine. I was watching OTA HD programs for over a half hour while he was on the phone with DISH. Would it have lasted without a subscription, I do not know. This was with the 1.45 software.


----------



## Ronald K (Jan 11, 2004)

Bogney

They are talking about getting the network guides for NBC, CBS and ABC. Not the ability to view the local OTA network channels using the 921 without a dish sat subscription.

Up until receiving the 921 a few days ago, I was a Directv subscriber since the first day they were in business. Local network sat channels were not available with Directv and I was not eligible for distant network. BUT I was able to view the Directv east coast network primetime guide inorder to determine what was on my OTA antenna input channels.

For some reason Dish is being contrary with the network guides. If I want to know what is on my OTA network stations for primetime viewing - Dish is forcing me to either manually go to each station to see what is on or to find a local newspaper to see a guide.

Dish - I am sure you are reading these forums. I am telling you right now that you better start providing me with an east coast network guide. It is OK that there is no connection between this guide and my ability to use it for recording my local stations. I just want a guide! It is not hard for you to do this!

This is important to me. I am to lazy to go to the newspaper. You are getting about $100/month from me. If you do not have this guide by the time the Directv HD Tivo comes out I promise you that I will leave Dish if you don't.


----------



## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

Ronald K said:


> Bogney
> 
> They are talking about getting the network guides for NBC, CBS and ABC. Not the ability to view the local OTA network channels using the 921 without a dish sat subscription.
> 
> This is important to me. I am to lazy to go to the newspaper. You are getting about $100/month from me. If you do not have this guide by the time the Directv HD Tivo comes out I promise you that I will leave Dish if you don't.


I was asking about both. I can't view KBHK from my 921, but it comes in fine on my dish 6000. I don't want to pay an extra $5/mo to keep the 6000 going just so I can watch KBHK because the 921 doesn't do it. I wanted to know if you could watch OTA on the 6000 with no subscription, because it still allows you to watch channel 100, "Remote Control Help".

As far as the guide is concerned, I just wanted a stop gap work around until something better happens. Basically, in the future, the 921 is supposed to download the guide for YOUR local channels, and map them based on the call letters received from the PSIP stream from the digital channel. It doesn't yet do this, which is what we are waiting for. And, yes, that is why you are paying $5 for a VOD fee. You are paying for the convenience of having a 9 day channel guide to allow you to record and watch video on demand. My requests, suggestions were based as a stop gap work around until the local guide mapping feature is completed....


----------



## CAL7 (Dec 16, 2003)

I second jsanders's idea - actually, it was mine but he posted it first. Until we get a full solution, it would be a big help if the OTA guide simply broke the time into 30-min blocks so we can select the time period and then edit the time as needed.


----------

