[katleman]

I've had my DirecTV TIVO for almost 3 years, and now that I have a HD set, I'd like to switch to an HD receiver with a DVR.

From what I'm seeing, DirecTV only has 8 HD channels, and the rest you have to grab from OTA. When will other HD channels, especially locals, be added to DirecTV? The directv website is decidedly unhelpful.

I'm so far away from the broadcast of HD locals, that I'd have to have one heck of a OTA antenna to have any hope of reeling in a signal. So I really don't want to bother switching until the locals are available on HD.

 

[pmyers]

I remember hearing something about some satellite that was supposed to be launched last October (???) that would give us all of the local HDs but I haven't heard anything sense.

 

[ebonovic]

Start reading in the HD Forum.

HD-Locals are now available in at least 5 markets (that I can think off the top of my head), I think it is 8. DirecTV is expecting to have 36 markets up during the upcoming months/year.

They have been up already for at least 2 months now.

No DVR yet to use the MPEG-4 stream. That is the HR20, and is expected by Q2/2006
The H20 reciever can recieve and view the MPEG-4 stream.

 

[Fezmid]

Depending on where you live, you might be eligable for the NYC or LA feeds as well. I live in Minneapolis, and their FOX and CBS affiliates are "Owned and Operated" (meaning they're part of the parent company directly, instead of an independent). Therefore, I get the NYC HD feeds of both networks (in addition to the locals through my OTA antenna).

If you're out of range of the broadcast towers, you can get waivers as well. You might want to ask DirecTV if they can submit the waivers for you to see if you're eligable. Just call them up, ask for the "distant feed department" (I think that's what they're called), and see what they say. The worst that can happen is the networks say no
CW

 

[HogarthNH]

Start reading in the HD Forum.

HD-Locals are now available in at least 5 markets (that I can think off the top of my head), I think it is 8. DirecTV is expecting to have 36 markets up during the upcoming months/year.

Earl --

36 markets by August.
Double that by this time next year.

H