DirecTV adds NBC & CBS HD for Waco customers
by Richard Lawler 
posted Dec 1st 2007 at 4:33PM
Just in case you thought they were focusing only on national HDTV channels, DirecTV recently announced it's adding local channels in Texas. Waco-area customers don't need bunny ears to get KCEN/NBC and KWTX/CBS in 1080i anymore. DirecTV's up to 67 markets with HD locals, provided customers have the right equipment.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Big Sam @ Dec 1st 2007 5:17PM
Despite their horrible customer service, I've been impressed with DirecTV.
Mike @ Dec 1st 2007 5:45PM
Directv knows thatyou don't want to get Wacoians mad at you it can be very explosive
lucyfan62 @ Dec 1st 2007 6:50PM
If they have the same experience with DirecTV local HD as I have had, then they're better off with the bunny ears!
Kevin Murphy @ Dec 1st 2007 9:32PM
If, by "HD locals" you mean CBS, NBC, ABC & FOX, then yes, they have some of that (though not all of those in 60+ markets).
But you certainly do no mean PBS, since they carry no PBS stations, nor in many markets do you mean the CW. In cities where they have independent stations, those are also mostly missing in HD. As are all sub-channels. In Los Angeles, where DirecTV is located, two former "VHF" stations (including the Laker channel) and all "UHF" stations are missing.
Meanwhile DirecTV is removing over-the-air capability from their newer receivers -- the new chipsets don't support 8VSB.
What's not to like?
lucyfan62 @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:38AM
Ignore that last comment! I don't know where that came from! What I intended to say was that anytime they refer to DirecTV offering local HD channels, they are referring to local affiliates of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox. Why does everyone have such a hard time understanding what that means? Every market has local affiliates for the major networks. The locals play the content delivered to them from the network and you get your local news and non-network programming in HD (if available) as well. That's what a local station is. They don't carry local indie channels in HD (do they even exist anymore?) and they don't carry The CW or local PBS stations yet (nor MyNetwork TV). If it's true about the off-air antenna being non-supported with newer models, then that sucks! I can pick up local network and PBS stations in Baltimore and D.C. - plus The CW - with my antenna. I never use DirecTV for local HD because there are always problems with audio skipping and distortion on some channels and video freezing and breaking up on others. If I lose the off-air antenna capability with my HD DVR, then I'll have to consider other alternatives to DirecTV unless they can finally deliver flawless video and audio for the locals and add the other locals they don't currently carry.
lucyfan62 @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:29AM
And now they've gotten to Michael Bay, who has retracted his "No Transformers 2" statement and is suddenly an HD-DVD convert after seeing "300." How much did Microsoft pay him?!?!