Dish(es) Up and Running + a CBS HD question (1 Viewer)

[RAF]

Finally, I was able to make a phone call that I have been looking forward to for some time:
quote:
Cablevision: "Hello?"
Me: "I'd like to cancel my Cable subscription"
Cablevision: "You've been with us for over 25 years. Is there anything we can do to make you reconsider?"
Me: "No thank you. I've installed a Dish and no longer require your service. Please credit me for the rest of the month."
Cablevision: "O.K. Is there anything else we can help you with?"
Me: "No, thank you."[/quote]
Actually, a lot less resistance than I expected. Almost a tone of resignation in the Cablevision customer service rep's voice.
The picture is excellent and the HDTV on my Sony VW10HT is amazing. Which brings me to my question:
CBS-HD TV: Has the Dish Network started passing the signal through to us? If so, where? I see the HD Demo Channel, the HBO-HD channel, the Showtime HD channel, and the PPV HD channel. Does the regular CBS station carry their HD stuff or is there a separate channel ala HBO? The little bit of CBS material I've looked at so far doesn't appear to be in HD, just SD resolution. What's the story with CBS-HD offerings? Where do I get a listing of what is broadcast in HD and where? It's obviously not yet across-the-board but I'd like to find out what will be in HD on CBS and when.
Any help would be appreciated.
As a final note, I'd like to thank everyone here who helped me with suggestions, etc. regarding my equipment (a 6000, a 501, two 301's, a Dish 500 and a Dish 300 + an SW64) and my installation (pole outside with underground, PVC conduit-protected, cabling). Your assistance and hints were invaluable in making this project a reality. Actually, the hardest part of the whole process was digging the trench (about 30'long by 18" deep) and the hole (3' deep) for the pole. Remind me not to apply for any road crew work!

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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
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[Mike I]

Robert.
CBS HD is 9453
You have to request the CBS HD channel and have to qualify for you to get it....It will not even appear on the quide until you call and qualify for it...Also when you call dish customer service for the CBS HD channel, ask for the dish support team..They are the one who have the knowledge on the CBS HD program and whether you qualify...Most of the people in regular customer service are very unfamiliar with the CBS HD issue..If you qualify for it they will switch you on and you will be good to go...
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[Edited last by Mike I on August 24, 2001 at 06:41 AM]

 

[Brian Bunge]

Mike,
I'd like to clear up one minor mistake in your post. You do not necessarily have to request the CBS-HD channel. I've had the east and west coast networks for the last three years and when I upgraded to the Dish 500 along with a 6000 receiver I added my locals as well. When I read here (on Tuesday, the 21st) that Dish started broadcasting the CBS-HD channels back on the 14th I decided to just check when I got home. Sure enough, the HD channel was there. I didn't call or anything.
Brian
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[Mike I]

Brain that is true, since you already qualified for the regular CBS feed you would automatically qualify, but Robert is a new account and was assuming he did not have the analog CBS east and west coast feeds,,Maybe he did though...
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[Edited last by Mike I on August 24, 2001 at 07:38 AM]

 

[RAF]

Mike,
I qualify (and receive) local stations, although here in the NYC area I only get the CBS East Coast feed and can't get the West Coast Feed. In any event, I don't show 9453 on my 6000 menu. HDPPV (9428), SHOWHD (9430), HBOHD (9440) and HDTV Demo (9443) are all there.
So I'll call Dish and get CBSHD added.
Thanks.
Also, is the completye CBS TV line-up in HD or only selected shows?
Take care.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[Brian Bunge]

Mike,
OK, I understand!

Brain that is true

Thanks for the compliment, but feel free to call me Brian!
Robert,
Only selected shows are broadcast in HD. I know the whole Monday night lineup is. I'm not sure what else.
Brian
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[Mike I]

Robert..
All the primtime drama's and comedies are HD..The news programs are not, such as 60 minutes etc....
Survivior this fall is not shoot with HD camera's , but CBS is going to upconvert it in NYC..
They will also broadcast one college SEC game every Saturday in HD...The US open will have 18 hours of HD converage in Sept....CBS says more special events will be announce soon...
Call dish network and ask for support services to get you CBS HD added....If you talk to customer service, you will be on the phone along time cause they are really not in tune with the requirements to receive CBS HD...
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[Edited last by Mike I on August 24, 2001 at 10:16 AM]

 

[Mike I]

By the way if you are a day time soap fan, The Young and the Restless on CBS is HD everyday...
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[RAF]

Mike (and others),
Thanks for the continuing help. As I work my way through the intricacies of Dish/HDTV and go from being a "newbie" to an "old pro" I'm learning the ropes and have a few observations regarding the whole process.
Specifically,
[*]The DISH Network is as new at this as many of us are. Don't get me wrong, their customer support tries hard (at least the people I've gotten through to. It's just that this CBS-HD thing is so new that often one hand doesn't know what the other is doing over there at DISH. This would seem to be why some people automatically get "upgraded" to CBS-HD and others, like myself, have to request the additional menu activation. And, although there is some phone jockeying (and some waiting listening to Musak on the line) they eventually get the job done. I was told that Dish Technical Support had to do the activation of 9453 (CBSHD) by the regular technical support person that you must navigate through first, but after a 5 minute wait on hold, the regular tech person came back and said she was now equipped to do the job. About 1 hour later 9453 magically appeared on my Dish 6000 menu.
[*]CBS-HD, when it is operational, is very nice. Is there any place I can go on the web (ala Showtime's HD monthly listing) that specifically tells me what and when is in HDTV mode? This would make it easier, although I assume that before too long almost the entire CBS line-up will be HDTV capable (for bragging rights, I would think. Those of us old enough to remember when NBC became the first "all color network" know what I'm talking about.) Of course, if the source material isn't in HDTV then the best that can be done is upconversion. Whatever. I'm beginning to get the picture.
[*]This whole HDTV thing is going to grow as more competition gets into the mix. For now, it will be nice to be able to get a nice mix of some special events and regular programming via the higher resolution. At its best, HDTV can be stunning - surpassing DVD in picture quality. But there is, just like with DVD, a lot of variation in the quality of the source material so this is not a cut and dry issue by any means.
[*]Getting into HDTV isn't completely painless, but places like this forum (shameless plug) and some others (like AVS) provide us with the sedatives to get through the process. This thread is a perfect case in point. Without being told where the CBS-HD feed was located on the menu I would never have found it - especially since it's not automatically there in a lot of cases! I'm sure I would have figured it out eventually, but I am also aware that it would have taken me much more time (and frustration) before reaching the point I'm at right now.
Thanks, gang.
The bottom line: If your equipment and location and situation allows you to venture into HDTV, do it! It's worth the effort. No question.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[Mike I]

Congratulation on getting CBS HD
you can go to http://www.cbs.com/hdtv/ for a daily updated schedule..
Also you can go to HDTV mag and for a $35 lifetime subcription get a daily HD schedule delivered to your email every day..It also contains some HD news...
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[Mike I]

Here is the link for HD mag http://web-star.com/hdtvmagazine/menu.html
quote: Getting into HDTV isn't completely painless, but places like this forum (shameless plug) and some others (like AVS) provide us with the sedatives to get through the process. This thread is a perfect case in point. Without being told where the CBS-HD feed was located on the menu I would never have found it - especially since it's not automatically there in a lot of cases! I'm sure I would have figured it out eventually, but I am also aware that it would have taken me much more time (and frustration) before reaching the point I'm at right now. [/quote]
I could not agree more..This is way the consumer electronics assoc. has to make obtaining HD a much simpler process before the masses will buy into it..My wife , like me loves HDTV but would have never gotten into at this point, because she says she does not have a clue on how to set it up...HDTV has to get to the point where you bring the set home Plug it in, attach one antenna, or cable or DBS system and away you go...
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[Edited last by Mike I on August 24, 2001 at 01:26 PM]

 

[RAF]

Mike,
Thanks for the information on HD magazine. It looks like just what I need!
And yes, right now getting HDTV is not the most plug & play thing in the world, but that will change as the equipment becomes more capable for more people. Until then, its a medium for those like us who are willing to invest the time and effort to get one of the best pictures available to us.
And the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) is another great product that produces great results.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[James Reyes]

Congratulations, Robert on your move to dump cable and get DISH. Welcome to the club . The is no way in hell I'd go back to cable. My dish and I are inseparable.

 

[Dale Rabeneck]

I've just called Dish and asked to have CBS-HD enabled. I live in Pittsburgh (near the airport.) Because I'm technically able to receive the Wheeling WVA CBS affiliate, a waiver needs to be filed with this affiliate.
This can take up to 45 days (a long time in my book...)
It doesn't seem to matter that:

• I have no problems receiving the local Pittsburgh CBS channel;
• That KDKA (the CBS affiliate) is owned by CBS;
• That WTRF doesn't have a HD signal.

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Dale Rabeneck
[email protected]