DishHD with OTA local channels

who is running the DishHD package with your local channels (SD and HD) over the air by way of an antenna?

How do you like it? Channels clear? Good DVR recording of those local channels? Guide correct and work? Things like that Id love some opinions about...

I have an ant hooked up to my HD receiver and locals come in nice. Been using this connection for a yr. One thing that will be missing is, there won't be any prgm info via the receiver.

I have to view nbc hd ota as dish doesn't offer it in the sa market. I am probably about 10-15 miles from the broadcast towers so i can get by with a cheap indoor antenna with only an occasional glitch. I'm sure i could fix this with a better antenna.

The guide and dvr (722) work well with the ota signal. It is great getting hd ota as it means you can record 2 dish programs and an ota program at the same time. Depending on how far from the broadcast point and weather/terrain conditions you may need an outdoor antenna or may not get a quality signal at all.

One thing that will be missing is, there won't be any prgm info via the receiver.

If you subscribe to the locals from Dish, this populates the local cahnnel program menu for the OTA channels.

I have been using Dish HD with OTA locals since it hass been available and it works great. The DVR feature is awesome and works with the OTA channels very nicely.

Positives: I love the fact that I don't have to subscribe to local channels, saving money each month, and be able to use the Dish DVR to record broadcast HD programs. If I were to subscribe to local channels, they would be in standard definition (here in Milwaukee anyway). I also like the fact I can get both satellite and OTA channels without having to switch back and forth between my TV and Dish. It's great being able to record 3 programs at once, one OTA and 2 from the satellite. Another nice feature is that the Dish receiver has a signal meter for OTA stations, and displays the signal strength when you tune to that channel. You can then "fine tune" your antenna.

Negatives: The lack of program data without subscribing to local channels through Dish. All that will show up in your program guide is "Digital Service". You have to manually set a timer to record OTA programs (channel, start time, end time- much like a VCR). You can only record one OTA program at a time. Also, the Dish DTV tuner does not seem to be as good as my TV's tuner. I experience more dropouts using the Dish receiver than I do with my TV. Then you get this pesky yellow error box.

Solutions: I frequently have to resort to my TV listings from the newspaper. If I need to record 2 OTA programs at the same time, I use the DVR for one and my VCR for the other. I'm not sure what I'll do when analog broadcasting ends (converter or other recording device, I guess). If I'm experiencing dropouts on an OTA channel I'm watching through the Dish receiver, I switch over to my TV tuner.

The biggest thing is the lack of program data. That's probably just their way of trying to get you to pay them $5.00 more each month.

Does direct tv offer their locals in hd?

I believe DirecTV offers some local HD channels in some markets, just like Dish. However, I don't think they carry the secondary digital channels (not necessarily HD) you can get OTA, like weather, traffic, children's programming, etc.. Also, neither company offers every local channel you can recieve with an antenna. For instance, even if you are within reach of stations from four cities like I am, DirecTV, Dish, and cable for that matter will only give you stations from one city. Sometimes they won't even be the stations from your closest city, which is the case with my parent's DirecTV. Basically, they need an antenna either way to see local channels.

I think in the future as HD becomes the standard, we'll see more HD channels offered by both DirecTV and Dish. Right now HD locals from the satellite are rare.

Does direct tv offer their locals in hd?
What is your zip code?

Enter you zip (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/localChannels.jsp?assetId=900018) to see which locals Direct offers.

Enter you address (https://customersupport.dishnetwork.com/customernetqual/prepAddress.do) to see which locals Dish offers.

For my particular zip, Direct offers 2 more local channels channels (30 to 28) and Direct offers one more HD local (KTLA-5) than does Dish.

I agree with Creedfan818. I upgraded from the 811 to the 722 last August, and love it. I hooked up the antenna to get the OTA HD and to also be able to take advantage of the third HD tuner for the DVR.
I hated it when dish took away my OTA HD program info on my 811. I now subscribe to the locals to get the program info and make it easier to program my DVR.