I'd like to get my locals OTA including HD and feed them into my VIP 622.

The goal would be personal satisfaction of not paying the $5 (or so) for the local channels.

Now how convenient is it to do, what is the hardware involved and will I lose DVR capabilities on these channels knowing that I don't pay Dish anymore for them?

Thanks!

If you subscribe to Dish for other channels I do not believe this is a problem. The 622 will receive the OTA channels and have its DVR capabilities for these channels in addition to the satellite channels you subscribe to. The only problem is the guide information will not be there without subscribing to the locals. You can still set timers but you have to do it the old fashion way using channel and time.

If you do not subscribe to Dish at all I do not believe you can use the 622 at all.

Rick R

If you don't pay the $5 lil, then all you will see in the EPG for your local digital channels will be "DTV Program" (or something like that) - you could still set manual timers (you know - like you used to with a VCR - channel, time start, length of program) but none of the "look for a specific program" features will be available.

Well... That would not be such a big issue. All I record from these channels is Heroes anyway...

Also I would like to add another TV in a different room and this one will be for the kids, which would force me to pay extra with Dish.

If I can add the locals as OTAs, then it will be just fine.

Do I need a specific decoder?

Do I need a specific decoder?

What do you mean ? You record these on the 622 / 722 - that's where you have to watch them. If you're watching them on an SDTV, they will be down-rezed automatically.

If you're talking about decrypting them and taking the files off the harddrive, you're at the wrong place. We don't do hacking on this website.

What do you mean ? You record these on the 622 / 722 - that's where you have to watch them. If you're watching them on an SDTV, they will be down-rezed automatically.

If you're talking about decrypting them and taking the files off the harddrive, you're at the wrong place. We don't do hacking on this website.

What? When did I talk about hacking?

HD channels do need to be decoded, especially when there is nothing but a regular TV in the room. The Dish HD receiver is in the living room, it feeds a regular coaxial to the master bedroom TV, which is a HD capable 32" Samsung. I'd like the OTA channels so I can have HD on that TV, as well as regular non-HD on a third TV, and if I can save $5 a month, eventually it will pay for itself. Also just for the heck of doing it.

So you want to watch the Local HD broadcast channels on the bedroom TV, independent of the 622 ? No problem - put a splitter right before it goes into the Dish DVR and/or your TV. That goes to a combiner from the DVR TV2 output and both signals goto your bedroom.

You want to watch the recorded DVR content on TV2 - sorry - it's all going to be in SDTV.

FYI: http://www.tech-faq.com/atsc-tuner.shtml

And your point is ?

And your point is ?

That you need a tuner to decode HD. Does not mean I want to rip the programs, even if there are plenty of USB ASTC tuners these days. I want to feed a regular old CRT with OTA channels. One is a HD Samsung, pretty good except it is huge and nobody will give me any good money for it knowing you can get a better LCD new for a low price now.

Are you saying that you need an ATSC tuner for the bedroom TV ?

There are some options available, depending.

One device I have that does EXACTLY that (HD capable ATSC tuner) is a Samsung DTB-H260F. It is equiped with 1 HDMI port, 1 set component outputs (does everything from 480i , 480p, 720p, and 1080i (works best on 720p or 1080i, preferably a 16:9 display), as well as some S-video/composite video outputs . Also has a couple sets of RCA analog outputs and a TOSLINK digital audio output. There are other devices similar to this that have differnt capabilities.

If you just need an ATSC tuner, but not necessarily HDTV, wait a couple months. The federal government will be offering up to 2 $40 coupons for ATSC tuners that are meant for converting analog TVs so they can watch ATSC on them. These tuners are expected to run $45-$60 (maybe a bit more) full price.

Now - what's your point again ? Elucidate, since I can't read minds.

AzNick - any further comments ?

BTW - if it sounded like I was saying you were planning on hacking - consider what you said -
"Do I need a specific decoder?" or "HD channels do need to be decoded, especially when there is nothing but a regular TV in the room." - certainly you were leading me to believe that was your intent.

Also I would like to add another TV in a different room and this one will be for the kids, which would force me to pay extra with Dish.

If I can add the locals as OTAs, then it will be just fine.

Do I need a specific decoder?

No decoder will work. The 622 sends TV2 out at SD (NTSC). It won't send out OTA HD locals period. If you don't subscribe to locals, you won't get them via that feed.

Here's your solution: Hook up an antenna (cheap rabbit ears) to the kid's TV. The 622 is so wonderful that it will send out TV2 over UHF. So, you kids can tune to Dish over UHF (channel 76 or something like that) as well as NTSC locals. Training your kids to use the two remotes will be a pain. They will need to tune to locals w/ the TV remote and tune to Dish with the Dish remote. I guess a solution could be programmed with a Universal remote. However, I will leave that to you or another poster.

What you're asking isn't really that uncommon. People ask similar questions on dbstalk (and other satellite forums) all the time.

No decoder will work. The 622 sends TV2 out at SD (NTSC). It won't send out OTA HD locals period. If you don't subscribe to locals, you won't get them via that feed.

Here's your solution: Hook up an antenna (cheap rabbit ears) to the kid's TV. The 622 is so wonderful that it will send out TV2 over UHF. So, you kids can tune to Dish over UHF (channel 76 or something like that) as well as NTSC locals. Training your kids to use the two remotes will be a pain. They will need to tune to locals w/ the TV remote and tune to Dish with the Dish remote. I guess a solution could be programmed with a Universal remote. However, I will leave that to you or another poster.

What you're asking isn't really that uncommon. People ask similar questions on dbstalk (and other satellite forums) all the time.

Allargon, I know about the TV2 option but I'd like to only use it for the sat channels. For the master's TV, I'd like to have the locals as OTA, so that I can have them HD. Also need to feed the kid's play room with something else than the PS2 and a DVD player.

Allargon, I know about the TV2 option but I'd like to only use it for the sat channels. For the master's TV, I'd like to have the locals as OTA, so that I can have them HD. Also need to feed the kid's play room with something else than the PS2 and a DVD player.

Add an antenna or rabbit ears to the antenna input of the 622 for the master TV for HD locals. It works fine. You cannot send HD (or even SD) locals to the kid's playroom unless you subscribe to locals--period. The only other solution would be to run a long HDMI, component, composite, S-video run from the master 622 to the kid's TV. They will watch what you watch on TV1.

Add an antenna or rabbit ears to the antenna input of the 622 for the master TV for HD locals. It works fine. You cannot send HD (or even SD) locals to the kid's playroom unless you subscribe to locals--period. The only other solution would be to run a long HDMI, component, composite, S-video run from the master 622 to the kid's TV. They will watch what you watch on TV1.

I do not want to "send" the OTAs to the kid's TV but connect them directly to the antenna.

Right now the master's bedroom TV is connected to TV2.

What I would like to do is get the locals OTA on the 622 as well as on the TV in the master's bedroom.

TV room would be connected to TV1, get the OTAs HD and SD, as well as the Dish Channels.

Master Bedroom TV would be connect to TV2 but also be connected to the OTAs on a different input, so that I could get the OTAs HD on that TV.

Kid's bedroom would be connected to the OTAs as well.

Now, when a program is recorded from the OTAs on the 622, why wouldn't I be able to view it from the hard drive in the master's bedroom (via TV2)?

So, is the kids TV going to be hooked up to Dish as well ? If so, which output ?

If the TV room TV is an HDTV, you really do not want to use the RF coax in the TV room - use the HDMI or component / TOSLINK connections for that TV. The only coax input I would use on the TV room HDTV is an antenna hookup.

As far as your master bedroom TV - it doesn't matter which tuner the show was recorded on - you can play it on either TV output from the Dish DVR. At least my 625 works that way, and I've heard from others that the 722/622 DVRs also work that way. The only limitation you run into is that the TV2 output is limited to 480i SDTV - the 722/622 DVR automatically downconverts it for you.

What it sounds like you really need is the solution I have - http://www.smarthome.com/7717.html . This wonderous gadget has 1 RF input and 2 UHF mono modulators (using RCA inputs). I use it to distribute my 625 outputs (both TV1 and TV2 , as well as TV2's stereo RF output) and my OTA antenna (both analog AND digital) to every TV device in my house. Yes, it works fine on the ATSC OTA signals as well.