"Local Channels" Provided by DISH Network

[OldiesJock]

Like many others, I get my NYC Local Channels from DISH Network. Does anyone know how the DISH uplink site gets the local signals? Are these "off the air" signals taken from the Empire State Bldg. analog transmitters or fiber optic direct from the respective TV studios?? I have noticed lately, that when programming from WCBS-TV fades to black, I get a verticle bar in the picture. This looks like the kind of artifact one gets from an analog signal if the antenna aim is a bit off. I use an S-Video cable to link the DISH receiver to my television, so I have ruled out a problem bewteen the two.

 

[TheTiger]

> Like many others, I get my NYC Local Channels from DISH
> Network. Does anyone know how the DISH uplink site gets the
> local signals? Are these "off the air" signals taken from
> the Empire State Bldg. analog transmitters or fiber optic
> direct from the respective TV studios?? I have noticed
> lately, that when programming from WCBS-TV fades to black, I
> get a verticle bar in the picture. This looks like the kind
> of artifact one gets from an analog signal if the antenna
> aim is a bit off. I use an S-Video cable to link the DISH
> receiver to my television, so I have ruled out a problem
> bewteen the two.
>

I think it is from the "off the air" signals from the antennas located on top
of the mountain(I live in NE PA). Unfortunately, we had to cancel the local channels and just use the "rabbit-ears" antenna because we keep getting trouble getting local signals almost all the time when we only had a nuisance snowstorm or a heavy rainstorm. So the deal with local channels are a pain in the butt.

Notice that if you have local channels included with any package, you will notice a 10 second delay from a broadcast station. If I was watching a weather report from a local station on my local channel using an off-air antenna and watch the same station using DISH, the station is still finishing the news report and then go on to the weather segment.

Here's how it works:


Ch. 16 (off-air antenna) Weather segment
Ch. 16 (DISH Network) Tail end of a news report going to a weather segment

So there's a difference between an off-air antenna and the signals coming from
a satellite dish.

Hope this helps.

 

[KML0224]

> So there's a difference between an off-air antenna and the
> signals coming from
> a satellite dish.
>
> Hope this helps.
>

It's due to the digital delay, possibly due to bouncing up and down from a satellite.

 

[moedog1]

Not only is the DISH LOL signal delayed by its trip from earth to the satelite and back---it is also delayed by its trip from NYC, via fiber, to the DISH uplink facility in Wyoming. Dish also highly processes the signal (mostly compresses it) several times during this trip, which I suppose could also delay the signal. Certainly, all of the major NYC channels are recieved at the DISH NYC "Point of Presence." by fiber feed---not over the air. This was proven on 9/11. THough all of the NYC transmitters were destroyed (channel 2 remained on from their aux trans on Empire) as WTC fell, all channels remained seemlessly on DISH and Direct, as well as on most cable systems. There was a good amount of discussion at the time that this was because the stations were fed by fiber to the multichannel providers. In most major markets local channels are fed to the satelite and cable companies via either fiber optic cable or microwave. For years I recieved the major NYC channels on DISH, through their "distant locals" and superstation package, and the reception was always excellent.

 

[rockthisworld]

> Like many others, I get my NYC Local Channels from DISH
> Network. Does anyone know how the DISH uplink site gets the
> local signals? Are these "off the air" signals taken from
> the Empire State Bldg. analog transmitters or fiber optic
> direct from the respective TV studios?? I have noticed
> lately, that when programming from WCBS-TV fades to black, I
> get a verticle bar in the picture. This looks like the kind
> of artifact one gets from an analog signal if the antenna
> aim is a bit off. I use an S-Video cable to link the DISH
> receiver to my television, so I have ruled out a problem
> bewteen the two.
>

The vertical bar has been on WCBS for at least a year and a half, possibly even more. I had it on Dish myself for awhile thru a distant channel package and noticed it. Haven't seen the channel in 6 months or so. Strange that no one has fixed it in all this time...<P ID="signature">______________

Eastern NC & Raleigh/Greensboro Board Moderator</P>