Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Time to retire the VCR?

For those of you with satellite and satellite provided local channels. Do local channels that have dual broadcast (HD and SD) come in wth HD or SD with an HD Sat Receiver? My local dealer doesn't know. And I haven't had a reply from Dish.

Still deciding how best to replace VCR.

I have DirecTV w/ the locals and HD package. The locals come in via SD. There's a whole big hub bub about new satellites providing locals in HD, but then those will require waivers, FMU. It's whole big political mess.

Fortunately, I'm in a region (SF Bay Area) where there a lot of over the air (OTA) HD channels. In fact, with an external antenna, I can pick up over 20 different stations. I've even set up my parents w/ obsolete Voom boxes so they can get about 10 or so HD OTA channels.

Any HD receiver from DirecTV will receive HD satellite channels and OTA HD channels.

Not sure what the deal is w/ Dish. I know they have an HD PVR (921 I think). From reports I've read, most users aren't happy because it's pretty buggy. Don't know if it supports HD locals or OTA, though. You might want to try one of the satellite discussion boards.

I know Comcast has both cable and local channels in HD. BUT, if the local channels can't provide HD content because of various network agreements, then you're hosed because typically those cable boxes don't have OTA tuners. Comcast does have their own HD DVR now though, and it's WAY cheaper than the HD DirecTivo. Most of my friends that have that are happy.

I don't know if it's sales pitch or not but I just got an online chat that said locals in HD. Why don't I believe? Local guy hasn't installed to anyone with HDTV.

I have Dish Network with HDTV 811 receiver. I get the locals on HD through an OTA, a very simple one without amplification, plugged to my receiver. Signal is pretty good in DC area. I need to move my antena a few times though, not all of it, just the part that gets the digital signal.

I'm behind a hill.

For OTA, you never know until you try. I had pretty good luck w/ an indoor Silver Sensor. Now I use a chimney mounted Channel Master 4228. MUCH better.

Try antennaweb.org to see if your area is w/ in range.

I have the new Dish 942 PVR....vastly improved over the 921.

I bought a $30 outdoor antenna from Radio Shack....works great. I get around 25+ OTA digital channels...ofcourse not all of them are HD.

I am about 30 miles from mountain that most of our local stations braodcast from.

I stopped to see an antenna man (also Dish installer) on Friday. He said Dish locals were digital only. So much for what Dish had to say. He is going to install an antenna on the chimney. He says, "If it doesn't work, I'll take it down". No payment until after install. We are going to try the Voom receiver as the tuner.

Oh. I haven't retired the VCR yet.