# Will 921 work as an OTA tuner if account is Cancelled/frozen??



## lionsrule (Nov 25, 2003)

Can anyone definitely confirm whether or not I could temporarily "put on hold" my account for the summer and still use my 921 as an OTA HD tuner??


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## socceteer (Apr 22, 2005)

That should be simple to test....unplug the Dish input cable and see if the OTA channels work..!

I would think that you will get the message "waiting/ searching for Satellite signal" and you want be able to get out of it


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

Well, I had my 921 work with OTA before I called Dish to activate it. So I would think that yes it would work. But the time/date was incorrect and there was zero EPG info until you sub to locals. 

I think you can drop to a $5/mo fee to hold your active. But then the 921 has its $5/mo VOD fee and I'd guess you'd want locals for the EPG which is another $6/mo.


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## Larry (Aug 1, 2003)

Actually, I don't think unplugging the satellite cable is a valid test. As long as the ird can see a satellite signal (subbed or not) you should be able to receive OTA signals. I'm not certain with the 921, but it worked just fine that way with a 6000.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Larry said:


> Actually, I don't think unplugging the satellite cable is a valid test. As long as the ird can see a satellite signal (subbed or not) you should be able to receive OTA signals. I'm not certain with the 921, but it worked just fine that way with a 6000.


I never owned a 6000 but others posted if rainfade occurs, OTA reception would quit too


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## Bradtothebone (Aug 11, 2003)

As long as the 921 can see an E* satellite, you can use it as an OTA tuner. However, you will NOT be able to use any trick play features or record anything, AFAIK. This is the way I first used mine before activation (for about a week).

Brad


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## Larry (Aug 1, 2003)

Bradtothebone said:


> As long as the 921 can see an E* satellite, you can use it as an OTA tuner.


I'm quite sure it's this way for all E* irds.



Bradtothebone said:


> However, you will NOT be able to use any trick play features or record anything, AFAIK. This is the way I first used mine before activation (for about a week).
> 
> Brad


No doubt that's the way it is before activation. _*Here's the question...has anybody tried using DVR & trick play features after de-subbing their 921?*_ AFAIK, all that happens when you cancel your subscription is your smartcard is written to as de-subscribed. This would most likely eliminate the locals in your guide, but there are always manual timers for OTA (we sure used them enough in the early days of the 921). I doubt anything is sent to the ird, but I'd like to know with some certainty what actually does happen to the 921 under these circumstances.


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

I can't speak to the de-subbing. But even after hooking it up to the dishes, the 921's clock/calender was way out of wack. That would make scheduling a recording very difficult.


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## Bradtothebone (Aug 11, 2003)

Larry said:


> _*Here's the question...has anybody tried using DVR & trick play features after de-subbing their 921?*_ AFAIK, all that happens when you cancel your subscription is your smartcard is written to as de-subscribed. This would most likely eliminate the locals in your guide, but there are always manual timers for OTA (we sure used them enough in the early days of the 921). I doubt anything is sent to the ird, but I'd like to know with some certainty what actually does happen to the 921 under these circumstances.


I'd still like to know the answer to this question. Surely someone who has desubbed a 921 has experimented with it afterward. Mark? Alan?

Brad


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

Bradtothebone said:


> I'd still like to know the answer to this question. Surely someone who has desubbed a 921 has experimented with it afterward. Mark? Alan?
> 
> Brad


I've disconnected the dish cables from one of my 921's and did a power cord reboot. Check switch did the long check and came up with nothing. The only thing that worked was the OTA channels, yes, I was still able to get them. This was about a one hour process and I don't know what would happen if left unconnected for a longer period of time. BTW when I had my 6000, it received the OTA's fine with out dishes or phone line connected.


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## Bradtothebone (Aug 11, 2003)

That's interesting that the OTA worked without the receiver seeing a satellite. The real question, though, is "Did the trick play features work, and could you record OTA?"

Brad


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## Reider (Apr 1, 2003)

Yes, you are able to view & record OTA programs with a manual timer after desubbing a 921. There is no info in the guide but if you set up a manual event timer it works just as it did when the sub was active. Hope this helps.

Reider


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