DirecTV adds four local HDTV markets
By Matt Burns 
posted May 17th 2006 11:36AM
posted May 17th 2006 11:36AM
DirecTV just keeps rolling out these high-def markets. The newest ones on the list of 24 cities is Milwaukee, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and St. Louis. DirecTV plans to have 26 more markets up by years end and at this rate we don't see them not achieving their goal. At the beginning of the year, they only had six markets up and now 24; nice. Keep in mind though that to receive these new local signals you will need the H20 receiver with the five LMB dish. These signals are MPEG-4 based and older boxes cannot use receive it. DirecTV has indicated in the past that they will give rebates to current customers in order to help with the new equipment costs.
And how I can determine what receiver I have? I don't have any ticket on there
There should be a white label on the back or bottom of the box with bar codes on them. But a quicker way will to find out is to look at this picture. Does your box look like this?
http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/dtv/PC.DTV.H20.RT.JPG
Still waiting for Chattanooga.
Until there's an MPEG-4 HD-DVR, this whole conversion to locals is fairly useless, if you ask me. I'm in the San Francisco area, one of the first to go to HD locals on DirecTV, and I'm still pulling them in off-air into my HD DirecTV Tivo. No way would I upgrade without an HD Tivo or similarly good DVR!
Direct TV can kiss my ass!!!
Their worst than my old cable company, Cox. I tried upgrade to a 5 lnb dish the past week. They told me free to do, once I set up the appointment, the rep told me I was committed to them for ANOTHER 2 YEARS. I told her forget it and will call back to set up another appointment to have it done for $100.00.
I was talking to a Customer Service Supervisor Monday night, she told me that if I wanted another HD box or the new HD DVR box direct TV won't sell them, you have to lease them and commit to another 2 years.
So if you want to UPGRADE your equipment, you can't buy it you have to commit to another 2 years for any UPGRADES. I told her if it wasn't for my PURE HATE for Cox, I would dump them. Can't wait until Verizon FOIS come this way, which won't be too long, a lot of the towns around me are ready to be hooked up.
Patiently waiting in Greenville, SC (the 35th-largest market)...