# Direct TV got South Bend, IN HD locals.... ohhh Dish



## 0pusX (Jan 11, 2008)

Cmon Dish this is something I would really leave for. Any word when we might get local HD???


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## CorpITGuy (Apr 12, 2007)

Welcome to my world. Same thing here; DirecTV has my locals in HD; Dish in SD only.

Dish is REALLY falling behind on these local markets' HD.


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## Bobby H (Mar 23, 2008)

Just within the last 3 or 4 weeks DirecTV has added more than a dozen HD local markets. They have many more in the planning stages of being added.

Meanwhile E* just seems stuck. For whatever reason, E* is either unable or unwilling to light up the roughly dozen HD local markets they've had uplinked since late March/early April. E* is not going to make it to that goal of 100 local markets in HD by year's end at this pace.

With the new fall season of major TV network programming now underway and the NFL getting into full swing this issue should be commanding a greater level of attention from E* executives.

Unfortunately for my market (Wichita Falls, TX / Lawton, OK), DirecTV doesn't even carry local channels in SD, much less HD. So E* is the only game in town for that.


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## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

Search is your friend.


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## 0pusX (Jan 11, 2008)

I did search. and they said we would have them by July 30. I guess they didnt specify which year, so they are techically right.............


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## Bobby H (Mar 23, 2008)

> For whatever reason, E* is either unable or unwilling to light up the roughly dozen HD local markets they've had uplinked since late March/early April. E* is not going to make it to that goal of 100 local markets in HD by year's end at this pace.


Well it just gets better. Those HD LiL markets that were uplinked for 5 months have now been removed. Hopefully it's just some sort of channel shuffle thing, meaning they'll be back and actually launched "soon."

I hope D* just keeps on adding more and more HD LiLs. Hopefully they'll breeze way past the 100 HD LiL markets level very soon. That's one of the few things I see that may increase pressure on E* executives to get more HD LiL markets covered.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Some channels were removed ... there are still uplinked/not available markets waiting (including SBN).

Then I read the Uplink activity ... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

"30 - 45" days for us with SB locals, according to the recent Charlie Chat last week or whenever.

My question is how will I know I have those locals in HD? 'Cuz I'm getting sick of checking every few hours every day.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

If you have hd mapdown turned on they will just appear next to wherever the SD locals are in the guide.

On my 612 & 622 I see WCBS 2 SD and right below it I see WCBS 2 HD. This is in the All Sub guide. In the HD only guide then I see WCBS 2 HD.


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> If you have hd mapdown turned on they will just appear next to wherever the SD locals are in the guide.
> 
> On my 612 & 622 I see WCBS 2 SD and right below it I see WCBS 2 HD. This is in the All Sub guide. In the HD only guide then I see WCBS 2 HD.


They will be the same color (blue for All Subs) as the rest of the channels? As opposed to my OTA locals in yellow? The channel number will be "016-01", except not yellow?


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

I don't recall them being a different color nor do I recall them having a different channel number such as 016-01.

I'm at work so I can't check the specifics but they are identified as the HD version of the channel vs nothing for the SD channel. On the VIP612 and VIP622 as an example the guide starts as:
2
2 HD 
4
4HD
5
5 HD

I wouldn't be checking all the time, one day they will appear and if you're in the all sub guide when you look at it you'll see them.

Remember the old saying, A watched pot never boils? If you arte close enough put up that rabbit ears antenna. 

If I wasn't afraid of heights I'd up on my roof installing an antenna and a rotor or two antennas with a combiner to get locals from NYC and Philadelphia. Then I could record three things on my VIP622 at the same time. As it is I keep basic cable along with my Cable internet and I can get the HD locals and subchannels via the QAM tuner in my HDTV or DVD recorder, a Philips 3576 (SD output and recording only on the Philips).

Have faith better days are coming.


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## CorpITGuy (Apr 12, 2007)

An external antenna can certainly be better. As the PP mentioned, you can record three shows at once, since OTA is an additional tuner. By the way, OTA channels appear yellow in color on my guide. I have a VIP722.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

TBoneit said:


> I don't recall them being a different color nor do I recall them having a different channel number such as 016-01.


Map downs depend on a setting on the receiver.

If you want HD and SD mapdowns turn that on under "local channels" (the place where you scan in new OTA locals). If you select HD and SD and you have HD and SD locals in your market BOTH sets will map down as xxx-00.

In South Bend market you would have 016-00 and 016-00 HD (as soon as DISH gets the HD released).

The OTA HD and SD stations are shown in a different color and appear in the "all HD" listing regardless of HD content. These will use the ATSC OTA channel numbers: 016-01 and 016-02 in South Bend.

The satellite version of this station in SD is 7092 and will map down to 016-00 if one chooses to do so.


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## mhowie (Sep 30, 2006)

CorpITGuy said:


> An external antenna can certainly be better. As the PP mentioned, you can record three shows at once, since OTA is an additional tuner. By the way, OTA channels appear yellow in color on my guide. I have a VIP722.


If you're fortunate enough not to experience audio sync issues with the OTA and 722, yes, it can be better.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I'd prefer the smaller files of MPEG4 satellite HD. OTA really burns up the hard drive space. 

BTW: DirecTV is WNDU and WSJV (NBC and FOX). Another two HD market? If DirecTV can't get all four perhaps DISH is having issues with WBND (Wiegel selling to WSBT) and WSBT? WSBT is buying all three LP stations (WBND, WCWW, WMYS) and still have their former UPN "SBT2" channel on DISH.


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## Bobby H (Mar 23, 2008)

D* added three more local markets of HD channels coverage: Burlington, VT; Champaign-Urbana, IL; Myrtle Beach, SC. 

D* reportedly now carries 94 markets of HD local channels. How many markets does E* carry?


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## Hamp89 (Feb 29, 2008)

Bobby H said:


> D* added three more local markets of HD channels coverage: Burlington, VT; Champaign-Urbana, IL; Myrtle Beach, SC.
> 
> D* reportedly now carries 94 markets of HD local channels. How many markets does E* carry?


not enough. D* just picked my locals up last week too. Come on Dish!


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## Bobby H (Mar 23, 2008)

D* added 4 more markets of Local HD today. That brings them up to 98 markets of Local HD. Since D* is on a steady run of adding a few every week it looks like they'll pass that 100 markets of Local HD level next week.

I still don't know for sure how many markets of Local HD E* has. It's probably not anywhere near 100 markets -despite that being the year-end goal.

On Monday, when the Dow Jones industrial average lost 777 points, E* stock lost close to 20% of its value. Then there's all the court stuff happening. This has me wondering more about how much longer E* will even be in business (and how much longer my HDTV service will last) and a little less about when or if the local HD channels in my viewing market will be added.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

DISH went back up yesterday. Today's "drop" was about the same as DirecTV.
Unless you were ready to cash out and didn't yet the stock price isn't a big deal.

I'm not sure what DISH's logjam is. It seems like they get a lot together and release it all at once. We just have not our "all at once" for a while. DirecTV has had weeks and months pass with nothing new as well.


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## Bobby H (Mar 23, 2008)

It's nice to see D* make an announcement they will carry 120 markets of local HD channels by the end of the year. If they continue adding markets at the current pace D* will have no problem reaching that goal.

I'm just wondering if this will generate any reaction from the powers that be at E* to do something to respond directly to that. Those of us who live in markets where E* is the only supplier of local channels via satellite are watching pretty closely. Maybe their hands are tied or something with one satellite getting moved to another location and others waiting to launch.


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## mxd (Jan 17, 2006)

0pusX said:


> Cmon Dish this is something I would really leave for. Any word when we might get local HD???


DirecTV may have the locals, but only two of them. No CBS(WSBT) or ABC(WBND)!


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## HDRoberts (Dec 11, 2007)

Bobby H said:


> It's nice to see D* make an announcement they will carry 120 markets of local HD channels by the end of the year. If they continue adding markets at the current pace D* will have no problem reaching that goal.
> 
> I'm just wondering if this will generate any reaction from the powers that be at E* to do something to respond directly to that. Those of us who live in markets where E* is the only supplier of local channels via satellite are watching pretty closely. Maybe their hands are tied or something with one satellite getting moved to another location and others waiting to launch.


There certainly will be a reaction. First, Ciel-2, launching 12/3, has a ton of spotbeams, almost like E10. This should enable a huge HD LiL expansion, particularly in the West. Second, a bunch of space at 77W will be used for HD LiL when E8 gets there (according to an internal Dish document on the Eastern Arc). No doubt when replaced by the Mexican sat, a satellite with good spot capacity. Who knows, maybe the E8 spots will be of some use. And who knows what kind of payload Echostar 14, headed to 119, will have. Perhaps it will improve on the E7 spot coverage.

Dish will catch up, they just need to get the capacity in place, which should happen starting next spring.


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## jpotter36 (Nov 11, 2008)

0pusX said:


> Cmon Dish this is something I would really leave for. Any word when we might get local HD???


Anyone have an update when/if Dish will offer HD locals for SB?


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## 0pusX (Jan 11, 2008)

mxd said:


> DirecTV may have the locals, but only two of them. No CBS(WSBT) or ABC(WBND)!


better than nothing which is all Dish can offer at this time.


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