I should have written this some time ago, but at least I'm getting around to it.

By and large, I love my DirecTV. Channels, picture quality, sound quality, reliability, all those are wonderful.

But the still-lingering absence of providing my local channels in HD is absolutely infuriating.

When we moved into our new house over 2 years ago, our first purchase was an HDTV. And we had our DirecTV moved from the old house to the new one.

When the installer got us hooked up with the HD receiver to get HD channels, he told us that within 6 months (the end of 2006), our market should be getting local channels in HD.

We're now closing in on the end of 2008, and still no HD local channels. And according to the latest press release from DirecTV, we won't be getting them until next year at the earliest.

What really makes me mad is that Lexington is the 64th largest TV market, and by the end of the year, DirecTV will have local HD channels available for over 120 markets. So our market is getting passed over. By a long ways.

I have contacted DirecTV a number of times about this, and can get nothing more than assurances that we will get local HD channels before I die, presuming I live to a ripe old age.

It might not bother me as much if my antenna picked up the HD channels completely and reliably. But CBS comes through occasionally, NBC is good more often than not, and ABC is the most reliable signal. But I can't get FOX at all.

While I'll never, ever go back to cable, I've seriously thought about going to Dish Network if only they offered the same HD channels that I'm getting now. But they don't offer my local channels in HD, either.