Required equipment upgrade or lose local channels.

Gotcha. So the dish on your roof is too high and goes against the rules that technicians must follow as far as ladders go. It seems your dish and Receivers are SD-only and must be replaced in order to retain local channels, which are being shut off in SD.

Although, I don't see why the technicians can't just install the newer Slimline HD SWM dish elsewhere where height isn't an issue. I'd call DIRECTV, complain, ask for another technician to come out as part of the FREE SD to HD swap, and allow them to put up a new dish at a lower height.

Dish is where it is because it's the only view of the sky required.

@Rcooper503 

In that case, either a substitute location with a good view is needed or unfortunately you'd have to cancel DIRECTV and find a different provider.

A local home theater installation company might be able to relocate the dish for you. 

Techs are no longer allowed to leave the ladder to comply with current Federal regulations (OSHA). In the case of older installs where they can not service the dish anymore because of the location, a new dish would need to be installed where they can reach it within regulation.

Alternatively you could see about hiring a 3rd party to relocate the dish within a serviceable location before performing the required MPEG swap of equipment.

Just so you don't end up with other surprises, what are the models of each box you have now?