Cable/HDTV: In Des Moines, Mediacom, DirecTV, or DISH? (services, taxes)

[LPerkins33]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

You obviously don't understand what I mean by "local channels".

if you are talking about public access tv made by some fat guy who lives in his moms basement stuff that no one watches then who gives a crap? Local channels to me (and everyone else) mean (for Iowa City at least, don't know DSM's local news networks) KCRG, KWWL, KGAN, and local Fox. When I lived in Iowa City I got local high school sports reports, Kirk Ferentz's weekly tv program, Iowa Basketball, Iowa football, IPTV, State of the Nation Addresses, etc all on a dish.

So either, you mean BS programing like public access or you mean local news networks, if you mean public access then yeah you don't get it but if you mean local news then yes you do get it, just to get it in HD you have to get over an antenna. This really isn't that hard to understand, why are you having such difficulties?

[jmmather]

Originally Posted by LPerkins33

And you can get local channels with a dish, you have to have an antenna which will only work until February but the dish companies will have something figured out by then.

Cable carries local channels and you can get local channels (not cable produced channels) on both satellite services now. There will be no need to upgrade anything in February. If you get your local channels over the air (ie. you have an antenna) you will have to either have a digital ready TV or a Digital TV converter on your analog TV to continue watching off air TV programming.

[LPerkins33]

Originally Posted by jmmather

Cable carries local channels and you can get local channels (not cable produced channels) on both satellite services now. There will be no need to upgrade anything in February. If you get your local channels over the air (ie. you have an antenna) you will have to either have a digital ready TV or a Digital TV converter on your analog TV to continue watching off air TV programming.

I was talking about local channels in HD, maybe it has changed in the past month but I could only get my local channels in HD over an antenna.

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by LPerkins33

if you are talking about public access tv made by some fat guy who lives in his moms basement stuff that no one watches then who gives a crap? Local channels to me (and everyone else) mean (for Iowa City at least, don't know DSM's local news networks) KCRG, KWWL, KGAN, and local Fox. When I lived in Iowa City I got local high school sports reports, Kirk Ferentz's weekly tv program, Iowa Basketball, Iowa football, IPTV, State of the Nation Addresses, etc all on a dish.

So either, you mean BS programing like public access or you mean local news networks, if you mean public access then yeah you don't get it but if you mean local news then yes you do get it, just to get it in HD you have to get over an antenna. This really isn't that hard to understand, why are you having such difficulties?

I'm tired of trying to explain myself so I won't again. You obviously have some hatered for Mediacom that isn't allowing you the room to accept there are things that people get with cable that they will lose out on if the get a dish (and of course, vise versa).

I have faith the person asking the question understood what I meant and if they didn't, I'll wait for them to ask.

[LPerkins33]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

I'm tired of trying to explain myself so I won't again. You obviously have some hatered for Mediacom that isn't allowing you the room to accept there are things that people get with cable that they will lose out on if the get a dish (and of course, vise versa).

I have faith the person asking the question understood what I meant and if they didn't, I'll wait for them to ask.

you explained yourself with this: "My point is if you want local gov't access (city council, school board) and sports (Cyclone replays, Hawk and Cyclone coaches shows, State of the Nations, Drake BB, etc), then cable is the only way to get these things." and I countered with the fact that you can get all of this except for city council and school board meetings which no one watches anyway. Seriously, you can't honestly be this dense...Maybe you just like arguing about stuff that has already been explained in full. How hard is it to understand that you get all of your local sports with a dish in the same context as you do with cable? And honestly if you watch city council meetings then you need to get out more, they are pointless unless you go in person.

[tptvosox]

Guys, chill. LPerkins, no need to get that abrasive.

So, do satellite owners think that losing reception in electrical storms is a worthy tradeoff? Does that happen often? I mean, aren't rainy weekends a perfect time to watch something? And what if you're tracking a local storm to determine whether to take cover...that's what radios are for? Just trying to get a handle on how often or annoying that occurrence is.

Thanks!

[QuadCityImages]

Originally Posted by LPerkins33

How hard is it to understand that you get all of your local sports with a dish in the same context as you do with cable?

Cable has a channel called Mediacom Connections that shows local high school sports, AHL hockey, AF2 Arena Football, and other local sports that aren't on network TV. So I'd imagine that's what he was referring to.

[LPerkins33]

Originally Posted by tptvosox

Guys, chill. LPerkins, no need to get that abrasive.

So, do satellite owners think that losing reception in electrical storms is a worthy tradeoff? Does that happen often? I mean, aren't rainy weekends a perfect time to watch something? And what if you're tracking a local storm to determine whether to take cover...that's what radios are for? Just trying to get a handle on how often or annoying that occurrence is.

Thanks!

I didn't even lose reception on my dish during the 2006 Iowa City tornado. Cable companies completely blow that issue out of proportion, in fact I had more issues with mediacom outages than I ever had with a dish. Cable in general isn't bad, but mediacom cable is atrocious. All of my friends and family have left mediacom b/c of their poor service and customer service. I spent several hours each month on the phone with them trying to get either my cable to work or my cable modem to work. Seriously avoid them like the plague. They are currently losing money hand over fist b/c of their inadaquecies.

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

Cable has a channel called Mediacom Connections that shows local high school sports, AHL hockey, AF2 Arena Football, and other local sports that aren't on network TV. So I'd imagine that's what he was referring to.

Thanks for the assist Quad, that is exactly what I was referring to. Hopefully with your assistance L Perkins understand now the point I was trying to make.

[RonnieJonez]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

You obviously don't understand what I mean by "local channels".

Too bad more channels just can't be like PBS