Old equipment and adding local channels. Grandfathered TOTAL CHOICE - no locals package?

DTV is shutting down the MPEG2 channels on the 101 sat but should continue broadcasting channels in MPEG4 but there will be no local channels on the 101, the 18" round dish can only get the 101 sat and the D12 can't do MPEG4. 

There has always been a TV access fee of $7 for each TV on the account with the first TV being credited back with old accounts.

The free MPEG2 swap will provide a SWM slimline dish and MPEG4 HD receivers with the HD fees credited but will add Whole Home and DVR fees. 

All channel packages have local channels and there is now a option to remove them.

DirecTV is shutting down their MPEG-2/SD-only feeds. They have been moving to MPEG-4/SD and HD capable over several years. They started by no longer offering SD-only service in late 2015 (so almost a decade ago).

Time for your parents to request a MPEG swap of their equipment. Do NOT say "upgrade". A MPEG swap is complimentary and HD service is credited (essentially indefinitely until their next chosen upgrade). Whereas a "upgrade" comes with a 24 month service agreement and no monthly credit.

Being on a grandfathered account means the $7 Primary TV fee is free ($0 or showing $7 with an equal credit for it). Swapping equipment doesn't change that.

If that D12 is their only box, request the MPEG swap be for a non-DVR. That way you get an H25 (or H24 if in stock) to keep a very similar setup and cost. Otherwise they default to a Genie or Genie-2 which means adding $10 DVR and $3 Whole Home DVR to the monthly bill. Try front line support first, but if they cannot, then consider speaking to the cancellation/retention department and letting them know for you to guarantee continued business that it needs to be a non-DVR model.

As for the package, all current packages include locals. Though DirecTV did recently regain the option to remove locals, all because of recent annoying negotiations like Nexstar and Mission that wanted to strongarm providers and their customers for higher costs.

I would review the channels your parents watch and compare them with current packages. In most cases, the current version is cheaper. Sometimes people can drop a tier based on what they watch. Too many times people kept an old package for specific channels that either dropped what package they are in or no longer exist (i.e. Cloo, Chiller, SoapNet).

To keep it simple:

Request MPEG swap to non-DVR. (verify order confirmation)

A new dish will need to be installed, but is part of the swap.

Compare channels and cost from Total Choice against Choice and Xtra.

Current packages include locals, but recently added is an option to remove them.

Thanks you both for the help. I think we should have enough information to call and get things changed. 

You are very welcome. Big thing is, if you do order anything from DirecTV, make sure to read the order confirmation carefully to make sure all is as expected before anything is done.