Moving to Washington, DC area... can HR10 get local HD via DirecTV?(not OTA)

[Leila]

Moving to Washington, DC area around the end of the year...

Can HR10 DirecTiVo get local HD via DirecTV?(not OTA)

Thanks for any info!

[HDTivoUser]

I live in the DC DMA and I was authorized waivers for the NY NBC and Fox stations only. However, now that DC locals are available via MPEG4...I'm not so sure they are still giving the waivers.

So, to answer your question......no, you won't get DC HD locals on your HR10 unless you use an antenna. However, you can get HD locals on an H20 and will soon be able to record the HD locals on an HR20 once it's released this fall.

[mr.unnatural]

If you're moving to the DC area then you should not only be able to get OTA DC locals but locals from Baltimore as well. I currently get both and would never consider switching to mpeg4 until DTV gives me a lot more HD channels besides locals to choose from. Baltimore is scheduled to get mpeg4 locals very soon but they still won't let us have secondary markets even though every cable company in the state of Maryland and northern Virginia carry both markets.

[NiteOwl]

Your signal ability OTA all depends on where you live. I am about 14 miles outside of DC in NOVA, and I usually get most of the DC signals and Balt's CBS affiliate on good days. I spent over $300 for Fairfax Antenna to install and aim my antenna, and I still have problems with ABC and occasionally NBC - most problems occur during bad weather. I dont get the UPN channel at all. Once the DTV HD DVR is available (MPEG4), I will likely switch over so I can (mostly) ensure OTA network reception (but the quality is lower due to compression).

[LlamaLarry]

NiteOwl, you must have a lot of buildings around you. I have an antenna that was here when I moved in 7 years ago, a CM7777 preamp and live 45-50 miles from the towers. I get all of the network channels in HD, including UPN 20 after they upped their power this week. Are you having multipath problems or something?

[snknby]

Yeah, me to . I have the same preamp and a 5yr old attic antenna and my OTA reception is at 95% and I live in Haymarket about 45 miles away. After hooking it up to the new HD Tivo yesterday the reception dropped to 82-85% but still ain't bad.


-BB

[mr.unnatural]

Are you having multipath problems or something?
Multipath problems are only with analog broadcasts. Digital transmissions don't suffer the same ills. You won't see ghosting with a digital broadcats, which is a result of multipath signals reaching the antenna at different times.

NiteOwl, if you're only 14 miles from DC then you should be able to get very strong signals on all locals (actually, it really depends on how far you are from Bethesda, which is where most of the transmit towers are located, IIRC). You may want to consider getting an antenna rotator and see if you can fine tune your signal for better reception. If you paid someone to set up your antenna for good reception then I'd be complaining to them to improve your reception or threaten to call the local Better Business Bureau if they don't some through or refund your money. I'm a good 35 miles from the towers and get a strong enough signal on all channels with my Channel Master 8228 antenna with no amplifiers.

[rminsk]

Multipath problems are only with analog broadcasts. Digital transmissions don't suffer the same ills. You won't see ghosting with a digital broadcats, which is a result of multipath signals reaching the antenna at different times.Digital broadcasts do suffer from multipath. They do not result in visual artifacts such as ghosting but can cause bad signal. Multipath could result in seeing bad mpeg blocks in the image or no image at all. The HR10-250 has an earlier generation tuner that does not block multipath very well. The newer generation tuners help block multipath much more.

[fastep]

Your signal ability OTA all depends on where you live. I am about 14 miles outside of DC in NOVA, and I usually get most of the DC signals and Balt's CBS affiliate on good days. I spent over $300 for Fairfax Antenna to install and aim my antenna, and I still have problems with ABC and occasionally NBC - most problems occur during bad weather. I dont get the UPN channel at all. Once the DTV HD DVR is available (MPEG4), I will likely switch over so I can (mostly) ensure OTA network reception (but the quality is lower due to compression).

I'm 20 miles from dc and baltimore and was denied waivers across the board (except for fox). Instead I bought the best OTA antenna and put it on the roof and I still could never get reliable HD OTA with the hr10. It was so bad I eventually switched to comcast and now get all Baltimore and dc stations with no problems.

I know the problem was with my hr10 as I now use the sony hd dvr and it receives OTA hd much better although I usually only record the cable feeds anyway. Bad weather always causes problems with hd OTA even with the sony (at least for me).

Some people are fans of HD OTA but I'm glad I don't rely on it anymore.

[wmcbrine]

It was so bad I eventually switched to comcast and now get all Baltimore and dc stations with no problems.OT, but that's interesting... Comcast in Laurel dropped the Baltimore locals, and only provides D.C., despite a lot of demand for Balto too. I wonder why the difference? Fios TV is also planning not to carry them here, though they do in Howard County. It's annoying.

I get pretty good OTA reception on the Baltimore HD channels with a Silver Sensor in the window. D.C. locals are marginal, but I suspect it's just because my antenna is on the north side of the house. I also get NY Fox HD from DirecTV.

To the OP: True local HD via DirecTV (as opposed to "distant locals" from NY or LA) is only available as MPEG4, which the HR10-250 can't handle. Sorry.

[mr.unnatural]

I'm 20 miles from dc and baltimore and was denied waivers across the board (except for fox).
That's not at all surprising, based on your location. I'm in Ellicott City and, according to the powers that be, I'm supposed to be able to receive channels from PA and VA based on the assinine formula they used to allow waivers. Most of them are channels I've never seen in any local program listing, let alone ever been able to receive them. From Annapolis you will need either an antenna rotor or several good directional UHF antennas to receive both Baltimore and DC locals. FYI - You're much further than 20 miles from either city's broadcast antennas (more like 40 or more miles).

I have two Channel Master 4228 8-bay UHF antennas mounted on my roof and pointed at both Baltimore and DC and I get great reception from both markets. Granted, I'm much closer than you but these antennas would probably fill the bill for you as they are rated for long distance reception. You should be able to pick up the local PBS station in Annapolis with just a set of rabbit ears.

OT, but that's interesting... Comcast in Laurel dropped the Baltimore locals, and only provides D.C., despite a lot of demand for Balto too. I wonder why the difference? Fios TV is also planning not to carry them here, though they do in Howard County. It's annoying.
That's the first time I've heard of a cable company in MD or VA that's not carrying both markets. I guess they're running into the same problem as DTV and are running out of bandwidth with the increased demand for HD channels. They are not required to carry both sets of locals so if they have a chance to save money and add channels that will turn a profit for them then you can kiss the alternate locals goodbye.

[fastep]

That's not at all surprising, based on your location. I'm in Ellicott City and, according to the powers that be, I'm supposed to be able to receive channels from PA and VA based on the assinine formula they used to allow waivers. Most of them are channels I've never seen in any local program listing, let alone ever been able to receive them. From Annapolis you will need either an antenna rotor or several good directional UHF antennas to receive both Baltimore and DC locals. FYI - You're much further than 20 miles from either city's broadcast antennas (more like 40 or more miles).

I have two Channel Master 4228 8-bay UHF antennas mounted on my roof and pointed at both Baltimore and DC and I get great reception from both markets. Granted, I'm much closer than you but these antennas would probably fill the bill for you as they are rated for long distance reception. You should be able to pick up the local PBS station in Annapolis with just a set of rabbit ears.


That's the first time I've heard of a cable company in MD or VA that's not carrying both markets. I guess they're running into the same problem as DTV and are running out of bandwidth with the increased demand for HD channels. They are not required to carry both sets of locals so if they have a chance to save money and add channels that will turn a profit for them then you can kiss the alternate locals goodbye.

I actually have the cm4228. Before I switched to cable I used to record local HD via OTA. Some days recordings were perfect. On other days, especially on windy or stormy days - there were chopped \ missed recordings.

My signal strength was always upper 80's \ low 90's but in bad weather it would flucuate to zero and back up causing the missed signals. It got to be very annoying being out somewhere and feeling the winds pick up and knowing that whatever was set to record probably wouldn't be watchable.

I cannot tell you how great it has been having HD locals in full resolution coming to my dvr via cable. Even though I am saving money on the switch (comcast offered a 12 month internet package deal) I would have paid double to solve my previous OTA grief.

I don't know who my next HD provider will be when the comcast deal ends but I do know I will never rely on OTA again.

[LlamaLarry]

So, are you going to be selling your 4228? :)

[fastep]

So, are you going to be selling your 4228? :)


I am actually still using it for some local dc HD channels not provided by comcast. Mainly channel 9 am news as it is the only local news broadcast in hd (it actually looks very good - when it's not windy of course...) The sony dvr does a much better job with the signal than the hr10 but still has its problems in bad weather.

For hd program recordings I strictly use the cable feed.

[String]

I had only gotten waivers for FOX. Denied many times by everyone else. I had a friend recently purchase some HD hardware and was told they no longer give waivers in this area. Most OTA channels come in great. My only complaint is NBC. Always seems to have issues. I think it is a broadcast issue, since it has been better during recent weeks. Then again, anything I watch on NBC is now in rerun so I dont Tivo nearly as much.

[ike]

I live in Leesburg, VA - about 30 miles outside of DC.

In the Summer, I get all of the local channels in HD perfectly with my roof mounted CM4228 UNLESS it is a windy day. My home backs up to Balls Bluff Park with very high trees and when the wind blows hard, it screws up the signal badly.

In the winter, I completely lose FOX with my CM4228. Fairfax antenna has come to the house several times to repoint and even move the antenna to other locations on the roof. No matter what, one channel is unuseable. But VERY oddly, I found that in the winter, when the leaves are off the trees, I get very good reception on all DC local channels with Radio Shacks small UHF yagi in my attic.

So, in the summer, I use the roof-mounted CM4228 and in the winter, I switch to my attic RS antenna.