Directv HD locals

[brianhos]

For those who still believe anything DTV has to say:

The DIRECTV Group, Inc. - DIRECTV to Offer HD Local Channels in 121 Markets by Year-End

DSM locals by the end of 2008.

This will be nice because I just swapped my lovely tivo's out for crippled HR21's, so having HD locals will be a nice bonus.

[1100011CS]

I think I'll stick with DishNetwork and my OTA antenna. At least there's a chance I can see the weather when the dish is down.

[HILLCYD]

I hope it is true, but I think they were saying something similar at the end of last year.

[bootcy]

Do what I did the day before the Superbowl and ***** about not having HD locals, escpecially when one of their moron told me that the Waukee area should have them and get them to give you the New York network stations (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC). At least this way I can watch all my shows and the NFL in HD.

[brianhos]

I hope it is true, but I think they were saying something similar at the end of last year.

This time it may actually happen. They launched a new sat recently and it's sole purpose was HD locals for all the markets that did not have them. That is why they are aggressively swapping out older non mpeg4 units like the HR10-250's I used to have. They are swapping them all for free right now.

[dmclone]

This would be nice but I'll still keep my OTA plugged in for bad weather.

[isuno1fan]

Will be nice, but also plan to keep the OTA as well since I have HR-20s that has the ant. connection and don't need the extra box like you do with the HR-21's

[4VR4CY]

Please, please, please let this happen. I'm ok with OTA and we will keep our antenna for bad weather too, but it would be nice to have them as I cannot record the locals in HD right now on my DVR.

[isuno1fan]

Please, please, please let this happen. I'm ok with OTA and we will keep our antenna for bad weather too, but it would be nice to have them as I cannot record the locals in HD right now on my DVR.

Why not? I have no problem doing this with my HR20's.

[4VR4CY]

Why not? I have no problem doing this with my HR20's.

I don't have that model.

[jbhtexas]

Solution for recording HD locals:

1) Find an old PC (everybody has at least one laying around - Win2KPro is fine - need a USB port and PCI slot, and an old monitor wouldn't hurt)
2) Go to ebay and buy an MIT MyHD MDP-130 tuner card for $100 (or buy a new one for $170 from Digital Connection).
3) Download the latest MDP-130 software
4) Install card into old PC and install software
5) Plug in your antenna
6) Record uncompressed, uncompromised OTA HD local transport streams 24/7
7) Do anything you want with the recorded transport stream (mpg) files stored on your PCs hard disk.

As an added option, buy a cheap UPS for your new OTA HD recorder, so that when the tornadoes knock your power out, you can continue to watch the GigaTrillion Watt radar in glorious HD courtesy of your favorite local TV station...

The MDP-130 has an onboard (very good) MPEG decoder, so it doesn't load up the PC's CPU, as other tuners do. Unfortunately, it only has a third generation tuner, so multi-path is sometimes an issue.

[ISUFan22]

This time it may actually happen. They launched a new sat recently and it's sole purpose was HD locals for all the markets that did not have them. That is why they are aggressively swapping out older non mpeg4 units like the HR10-250's I used to have. They are swapping them all for free right now.

Hmmm. I have a TIVO box from '03ish. I wonder if I can get that one swapped out for free.

[rworkman83]

Does Cedar Rapids have the locals through the dish or are they OTA as well?

Been looking to switch from Mediacom, but Don't think I want to if I can't record HD from a DVR box for the locals.

[brianhos]

Please, please, please let this happen. I'm ok with OTA and we will keep our antenna for bad weather too, but it would be nice to have them as I cannot record the locals in HD right now on my DVR.

UMMM? What? You can record OTA HD just fine on your DVR. What model do you have?

[brianhos]

Hmmm. I have a TIVO box from '03ish. I wonder if I can get that one swapped out for free.

Call them up and say Free HD Swap. That is the keyword to getting them replaced.