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1. My point was simple, I'm not allowed to view supposed "local" stations via Dish Network (see item 2) so why am I blocked out from watching the game on my digital satellite service?
2. No, I CAN'T get local channels. I can't get regional ala carte. This isn't Dish Network's fault, either. I don't qualify, yet I'm only 30 miles away from many of the stations I would get if I qualified. This is the feds fault... they are the ones who've backed up the cable companies with law and the courts. Further more, the government continues to screw dish owners....
3. Why? Because even though I'm only 30 miles from the signal, reception is horrible here. Too many hills and poor atmospheric conditions. Nobody uses antennas anymore, or else they get three or four stations.
4. Is this better? I often post to a Web Crossing forum, and I forgot that Slashdot handled HTML (the Web Crossing forum I frequent turned that off)

Even keeping the local cable channels (since the Feds have screwed up satellite access to local channels)...

Charter does indeed suck. So do the Feds. BTW: I think it's interesting that recently, they blocked out a hockey game from my satellite feed, due to a local station carrying it, but oddly, the Feds say I'm not REALLY local to the station, because they won't allow me to carry ANY Metro-Detroit stations!!!!

Satellite services have been raped by our government, thanks to big money from the cable companies. That's the legislation that REALLY needs to be struck down!

Hell yes! Dune looked stunning on my satellite dish. Hopefully (well, almost certainly) they'll release a DVD version so you poor cable folks can see what the miniseries really looks like :-).

My DirecTV setup is about $20 a month less than what I used to pay for Digital Cable.

They have a tivo-equivalent called a DishPlayer. It comes out of the box being able to record 12 hours, but if you're into hacking you can swap the drive out for a 40gig drive and get 24. This records the "real" mpeg stream so it varies on how many hours you get, but it's the real satellite quality. It also has Dolby Digital out, etc. etc. etc.

A digital copy of a work (DVD, and even MP3 for the RIAA) is an exact copy. Quality is not degraded through the copying process.

Maybe you haven't heard, but MP3 is what's called a lossy compression format. That's why they're so small. (This is the same reason why JPEGs are smaller than GIFs.) Yes, most of the time you won't notice, but I have several tracks that despite tweaking of bitrates and trying different encoders, don't come out sounding quite like the original once converted to an MP3.

But now... Have any of you watched a video recording recently? I taped a TV program just last night (hope the MPAA doesn't find out about it!) and watched it this morning; the quality compared to even regular TV, much less DVDs, was terrible. Even if the feeds are coming in through digital means, VHS tapes are a horrible representation of the original.

I'd bet that they're more concerned about the digital recording devices like TiVo and the set-top boxes you can get with services like Dish Network. Those can get you very high quality digital capture, and when it's from a digital source, the results are excellent. A computer savvy user could easily set up such a system to capture a bunch of programming, and later spool it off to a machine that compresses it with DivX and uploads it or re-formats it to be burned onto VCDs. They have good reason to be scared about that (although they won't be able to stop it).

Just for reference, ZDTV can be found on Dish Network on channel 191. I'm the exact opposite: I used to watch their channel a lot of the time (freeking apartment complex .. just had to build that new hi-rise right there, eh?), but I've yet to see a C|Net (anyone besides me remember when the pipe symbol was part of their name?) program anywhere, even on (admittedly crappy) cable.

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Guess its not a good time for me to take advantage of the Dish Network's free satellite dish promotion this week.

Any scientists out there have an opinion on what subscribers can expect this weekend?

• 56k software phone modem
  
• 17 GB hard drive(Model 7200, about 12 hrs)
  
• 16Mb RAM
  
• 67 Mhz QED 5230 processor (aka MIPS R5000) with 4Mb ROM
  

Then again, if Hauppage would make PC HDTV decoders that displayed full 1080i (only 480p currently), my new Sony G500 21" monitor displays 1920x1440 @ 75Hz quite nicely...

You are one spoiled bastard if you think TV is a right. It's a toy, 'kay?

Read up on a concept called "property rights".

Disclaimer: I work for OpenTV, so this is a bit of a plug, but in this message I'm not speaking for my employer.

The Dish Network should be offering interactive content using OpenTV by the end of the year. AFAIK, OpenTV will be automatically downloaded into the flash memory of all 4700 and better Boxes. The services will be free (unlike WebTV). I don't have any details on which services will be available, but stay tuned for more info.

I got DirecTV over two years ago and am mostly happy with it. I'll probably switch to Dish when OpenTV is available for it. It's about time I upgrade to a box with Dolby Digital sound. I'm hoping for HDTV reception (via off-air and satellite) on a Dish box by the time I'm looking to upgrade. The Dish Network seems to be in the lead where technology, amount of content and local content is concerned.

The big ones seem to be DirecTV/USSB and Dish Network. You'll have to look at the lineup and cost for each and make your own decision.

Your options for local programming are either get an antenna, or get basic cable. Many cable companies have an unmentioned, unadvertised, ultra-basic package of JUST the broadcast channels. Check with your cable company.

I recently installed a DISHNetwork DSS system. Frankly, I like it. No garbage channels (i.e. I don't want personals, real estate ads, endless replays of local government meetings, etc).

Contrary to what is stated elsewhere, you CAN get major networks on DISH, it's local affiliates that require special qualification, and often a second dish antenna. I'm getting the "Top 40" package plus "Network Feed East" and the SuperStations bundle, about $28. a month all total. Setup is relatively quick and painless: in many cases, you buy the system (~$150.00) and they'll install it for you with a 1 year committment. Upgrades in programming are free, downgrades cost you $5.00 per change you make in programming. I'd say go for it: it's what **I** use for Dilbert, Futurama, and SciFi. . .

I live pretty far out in the country and the cable goes out when the wind blows. So I got Primestar. I was pretty happy with them until they started screwing up my billing. That's when I started looking around. I saw the Dish Network at SEARS. It really caught my attention. Dish Network seems to be keeping up with technology and seemed to have their eyes on the future. Just last night on the Dish info channel I saw that they now have an HDTV modulator that plugs into the bus on the back of the box. Pretty nice. Now all I have to do is get an HDTV set. The video for the Dish is MPEG-2. I thought it was my imagination that the color was sharper until friends and family noticed it too. It was pretty easy to setup. The hardest part of that sequence was figuring out how to program the remote control. The documenation that came with the system wasn't that hot but I got all the info that I needed from their website. (Maybe it wasn't the doc's fault. Maybe I'm just too used to reading online. ;-)) I've had it since March and it's been great.

Unfortunately it has been blessed by the Evil Lord Gates.