Direct TV Question!

**lennon3** · 02-09-2008, 01:30 PM

For anyone else that has directv... does anyone get their local channels in HD, or does everyone have to use an OTA signal? Directv doesn't give us our local channels in HD and it just so happens that in our area we have a lot of trouble with an OTA signal so can't get it that way either! It's days like this that it bugs me!! :P

**jumbopackage** · 02-09-2008, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by lennon3

For anyone else that has directv... does anyone get their local channels in HD, or does everyone have to use an OTA signal? Directv doesn't give us our local channels in HD and it just so happens that in our area we have a lot of trouble with an OTA signal so can't get it that way either! It's days like this that it bugs me!! :P

In the Des Moines DMA (market area), the only way to get HD locals is via OTA, for DirecTV.

In the future, you will be able to get them with an MPEG-4 receiver (HR20/21, or the like), but it hasn't been announced exactly when.

**MadCy** · 02-09-2008, 02:07 PM

We get local HD channels through the dish. When we upgraded the receiver to the HD-DVR receiver they also upgraded the dish we have, which eliminated the need for the antenna to pull down the local channels. That's in the Madison, WI area.

I'd have to look and see the model numbers if you're real interested.

**jumbopackage** · 02-09-2008, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by MadCy

We get local HD channels through the dish. When we upgraded the receiver to the HD-DVR receiver they also upgraded the dish we have, which eliminated the need for the antenna to pull down the local channels. That's in the Madison, WI area.

I'd have to look and see the model numbers if you're real interested.

Madison has HD locals via DirecTV. Des Moines doesn't, just yet.

**brianhos** · 02-09-2008, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by lennon3

For anyone else that has directv... does anyone get their local channels in HD, or does everyone have to use an OTA signal? Directv doesn't give us our local channels in HD and it just so happens that in our area we have a lot of trouble with an OTA signal so can't get it that way either! It's days like this that it bugs me!! :P

I have DTV, and I get my locals OTA. DirecTV has been saying for 2 years they are getting dsm locals, I don't see it happening anytime soon.

**CTAClone** · 02-09-2008, 03:05 PM

I get locals in HD out here with Directv but I have to watch the game on Full Court because they are showing the USC game instead of the Iowa State one. So no HD for me.

**balken** · 02-09-2008, 03:38 PM

I spoke with a tech from Direct a couple of months ago and asked about local HD for DSM. He said it was not on the list for this year but all locales should have local HD by 2009 or 2010.

**Wx4Cy** · 02-09-2008, 04:06 PM

I have another DTV question. How many total tv's can I have? I have an HD receiver and want to replace it with an HD-DVR. I'm assuming I can reuse the HD receiver I currently have, which would give me two. Am I limited to 4 total tvs?

**jumbopackage** · 02-09-2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Wx4Cy

I have another DTV question. How many total tv's can I have? I have an HD receiver and want to replace it with an HD-DVR. I'm assuming I can reuse the HD receiver I currently have, which would give me two. Am I limited to 4 total tvs?

You can have as many as you want, but it might require additional hardware. The limits are generally, 4, 8, 12 or 16 depending on the multiswitch you have, but really, anything is possible.

edit: I should note that that is tuners, not receivers. Most DVRs need two tuners.

I have a 4x8 multiswitch that would support up to 4 DVRs with dual tuners, or up to 8 receivers with single tuners (the standard HD receiver, or SD receivers, or DVRs with only one tuner connected).

**ISUFan22** · 02-09-2008, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Wx4Cy

I have another DTV question. How many total tv's can I have? I have an HD receiver and want to replace it with an HD-DVR. I'm assuming I can reuse the HD receiver I currently have, which would give me two. Am I limited to 4 total tvs?

Another thing you can do depending on the setup of your house - is run component cables from the DirecTV box in one room to the TV in the other - especially if those 2 TVs are ones you likely won't be watching at the same time.

**ripvdub** · 02-09-2008, 08:50 PM

I saw a thread on hawkeyereport.com about his same topic, and someone said you can call directv and put in a request for HD locals from another area. But you can only do it if they arent available in your area. So I called last sunday, and they put in the paperwork and told me it could take a week to 45 days to hear back. im gonna call tom. to see whats up. I just got HD through DTV so the receiver i have doesnt carry OTA HD.

**jumbopackage** · 02-09-2008, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by ripvdub

I saw a thread on hawkeyereport.com about his same topic, and someone said you can call directv and put in a request for HD locals from another area. But you can only do it if they arent available in your area. So I called last sunday, and they put in the paperwork and told me it could take a week to 45 days to hear back. im gonna call tom. to see whats up. I just got HD through DTV so the receiver i have doesnt carry OTA HD.

This will ONLY work if your geographic area cannot receive OTA TV signals (including HD), AND DirecTV cannot deliver your local channels to you . I doubt there are too many people in Iowa who would be eligible. Maybe some folks way up in Kossuth county who are in the Des Moines DMA, but they should be able to get locals via satellite from DirecTV (in SD). Wappelo county might be a good place that could be eligible, since DirecTV doesn't carry their locals, and it might be hard to pick up locals OTA since their stations are too far away.

It's mostly for people out in the middle of nowhere, and for whom DirecTV doesn't carry local channels for (which is practically nobody). If it's just that DirecTV doesn't carry locals in HD for you, you'll have to get a waiver through the TV station that covers your DMA to get non-local HD channels.

In short, the odds aren't good.

**balken** · 02-09-2008, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by Wx4Cy

I have another DTV question. How many total tv's can I have? I have an HD receiver and want to replace it with an HD-DVR. I'm assuming I can reuse the HD receiver I currently have, which would give me two. Am I limited to 4 total tvs?

How many TVs do you have?

**brianhos** · 02-10-2008, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Wx4Cy

I have another DTV question. How many total tv's can I have? I have an HD receiver and want to replace it with an HD-DVR. I'm assuming I can reuse the HD receiver I currently have, which would give me two. Am I limited to 4 total tvs?

You can have as many tv's as you want. I have 8 tuners (4 tivos). You can easily add more, by just adding another multiswitch. So for all practical reasons, you can have as many tv's as you want.

**brianhos** · 02-10-2008, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by jumbopackage

You can have as many as you want, but it might require additional hardware. The limits are generally, 4, 8, 12 or 16 depending on the multiswitch you have, but really, anything is possible.

edit: I should note that that is tuners, not receivers. Most DVRs need two tuners.

I have a 4x8 multiswitch that would support up to 4 DVRs with dual tuners, or up to 8 receivers with single tuners (the standard HD receiver, or SD receivers, or DVRs with only one tuner connected).

Plus you can multiplex multiplexers to get more and more and more outputs.