Anyone using another market's networks? HD?

[supermale]

Here's my quandry. I moved here from the Birmingham, AL area. Without the immediate possibility of getting the Columbus locals via DTV, I kept the dish address at the old address (as far as DirecTV knows), since I wanted to still be able to record network programs on the DVR. Columbus still seems to be in the spot beam for the area, so I've had no trouble with it. However, finally upgraded to HDTV recently, and was/am reluctant to spend another $200 above the cost of the television for DirecTV's HD DVR.

I initially switched to Charter cable, which has turned out to be a disaster. I haven't yet canceled my DirecTV service, so I'm again considering going with them, but I still want my network channels. I understand that the new 5-LNB dish will require a pro installation, so I don't know if I'll be able to keep my Birmingham networks if someone comes out to install the dish. If anyone has any experience with this, I'd love to know. You can PM me, if you'd rather not discuss it in an open forum. Here are my questions:

If anyone else is using a setup like this, which market's channels are you using? From the spot beam maps I've seen, we're in the spot for Atlanta and Birmingham.

Are you getting a good HD signal?

Did you have the dish professionally installed before or after you changed the "service address?"

Thanks!

Edit: After doing some research, I have another question or two. I read that the DirecTV HD-20 has a built-in OTA tuner, allowing users to receive the OTA HD signals. Are you able to record with this, just like the satellite signals?

Does anyone have any experience with the new HD-21 and AM-21 OTA receiver?

My goal here is to be able to watch and record the Columbus HD channels, in whatever configuration is best, so any help anyone can provide is fantastic. Thanks again!

[Mike Slade]

If you can get an HR-20, yes you can record the OTA just like the satellite. I don't know about the other stuff though.

[jnmowery]

The HR20 has built in OTA. However, if you order via Directv, you are likely to be sent an HR-21 which does not have an OTA tuner. You can order the AM21 for about $50 that provides OTA for the HR21 (plugs into the USB port of the HR21).

You can buy the HD DVR at Best Buy or Circuit City I believe. The dish you can find online if you want to install yourself. Of course you have to pay more to do all that and from what I hear it's not so easy to align the sucker.

Columbus SHOULD get HD locals via Directv within the next year. The D10 and D11 satellites have the capability of 1400 HD locals. D11 should be coming online in the next couple of months. It's almost enough for all 210 markets. Columbus is market #127 or #128, so it stands a good chance of not being left to OTA forever :-)

[supermale]

I'd love to believe that, but from what I understand, Columbus has been waiting a long time. I'd really like to have the "local locals." In the mean time, I called D* and arranged the "move," with the plan to use OTAs or another markets, but they never changed my service. So, I'm still getting the Birmingham stations (in HD). When/if the Columbus stations appear, I'll inform them of their mistake.

Also, I did get the HR21, and since I do want the local channels occasionally, I may get the AM21 anyway, but not rely on it for all my network television.

[woodmotorsports]

The AM21 is a very good tuner. My co-worker got one when he replaced his HR20 with an HR21 and signal strength is better across the board. He is in Mauk using only a four bay "oven rack" with no problems getting all the Columbus networks. I know of some customers who got the tuner for free from DirecTV by complaining, but since my friend is an employee he had to pay the $50! Kind of backwards, eh?

[supermale]

Very backwards. I broke down and grabbed the AM21, too. I probably could have whinged and gotten it for free, but I don't want to rock the boat and lose the networks I'm already getting. I also picked up just a small indoor antenna, and I am very pleasantly surprised with it. The "big 4" channels come in nicely most of the time, and they look great. I'll be switching to an outdoor antenna just for a better, more stable signal. I've got an extra pole where my old D* dish was, so I've got a spot ready to go. So far, I'm very happy with this setup.

[seanmc1114]

I just switched from DISH to DirecTV because I kept having a problem with my VIP722 DISH couldn't seem to fix plus they couldn't seem to get a repair guy to my house within a five hour block on three separate days I had scheduled with them. I had been running my OTA signal into my DISH receiver. However, when the guy arrived to install my DirecTV receiver it was an HR-21 so I could not plug my antenna into it. I did not know what options I had, so after doing a little internet search, I learned about the AM21 tuner and purchased one. So far I have been very happy.

When I installed the AM21 and set it up, it downloaded the program guide for the Columbus channels and I listed a Macon ZIP code for my second choice since I am actually closer to the Macon towers and I watch those channels more than Columbus'. On top of now having the local program guides which I never had on my 722, I seem to get a stronger signal with fewer dropouts with the HR-21/AM21 combo than I did with the VIP722. I don't know if I would get the same result with the HR-20, but to me the $75.00 I paid for the AM21 with 2nd day shipping is money well spent.