So far, HD is LAME.

So....

Got HDTV receiver last night. DSR 505 from Future Sh*T. I hooked it up to my new Sony Wega 34 inch CRT, wide screen HDTV. Sat service is through StarChoice.

Fired up fine, but the expected HD'ness of it all is WAY less than I expected and I've seen HD on other TVs before (snippets at most, but I have experienced it and I recall it to be AWESOME)

Few questions:

Do I need to do something other than get the HDTV, get the receiver, activate it through my provider?

What setting should I set my screen to to watch HD (Normal - displays conventional 4/3 ratio programming with bars on left and right, Wide screen - stretches, Zoom, ?). Isn't all high def sent as wide screen? I'm assuming then that my set should be set to normal then to properly accomodate, but this compresses the image to the box with the bars on left and right just as it does with standard programming. It also adds a nice little scratchy line thingamajiggy atr the top of the image. Very annoying.

Why does my guide (on my TV) say NO DATA for HD channels? I'm able to see stuff on these channels.

Why does it take a good 5 seconds to change the channel? Not so with my DSR 215 and 305

Why is the guide "fuzzy". Not so on my DSR215 and 305.

How can I tell if a program is truly sent in HD? things like CSI look more clear, but probably DVD level or less. Better than standard analog yes, but not by much. Not as much as I had remembered when watching some of the Athens Olympic HD coverage way back when. are all programs that are broadcast from the so called HD channels in true HD?

Most of the StarChoice HD channels are listed like WDIVDT, does the DT stand for high def or digital television. I'm thinking there is a huge difference here. again, I was hoping for more.


So far HD is lame. I'm hoping I can do something to improve it.

J.

Cre8ivjay, I have BEV so I'm not totally familiar with SC, but maybe I can offer a few suggestions. As I understand it, on SC the HD channels are included in the basic package, so you should have access once your receiver is activated. According to their website, the HD channels are:

Channel 280, TSN
Channel 281, Rogers Sportsnet High Definition*
Channel 282, The Movie Network High Definition**
Channel 283, Movie Central High Definition***
Channel 284, NBC East
Channel 285, ABC East
Channel 286, CBS East
Channel 287, FOX East
Channel 288, PBS East
Channel 289, NBC West
Channel 290, CBS West
Channel 291, FOX West
Channel 292, CBC
Channel 293, CTV East

Not all of the programming on these channels will be in HD (although shows like CSI generally will be).

You didn't say how you connected your TV to the 505 receiver (could be S-video, component or DVI from the receiver) - use component (or DVI if your tv accepts it)
Also, my BEV receiver has a menu that allows you to set the output and screen type (eg 480p, 720p, 1080i etc and 16x9, 4x3). The 505 must have something similar. Your tv will probably accept a 1080i input but the default setting on the 505 might be 480i.

Hopefully that helps a bit.

Thanks Tritboss!

I'll try the receiver to see what resolution it's set at. I believe my T.V has 1080i resolution.

As far as connection is concerned, I'm using standard coaxial cable (I think that's what it is - standard T.V cable is what I call it) from wall>receiver>T.V

Could this be what's wrong? What's DVI?


Thanks!

Jay.

Hey Jay,

If you're using co-ax to go from the SC receiver to your TV, that's the worst possible choice - it explains the fuzziness you mentioned earlier. Your TV almost certainly has component inputs (the red-green blue connectors), which will give you a much better picture. If you didn't get a component cable with your receiver (don't know if SC includes it in the box), you should pick one up (get a decent quality one but don't overpay - should be able to get a good one for less than $30 unless you need something really long).

Picture quality will get noticeably better as your connection goes from coax -> composite (the yellow RCA type video connector) ->s-video ->component.

DVI is a digital connector (you'll see one on the back of the 505, but your TV may not have one). It lets you send a digital signal directly to your TV. It has the potential to give a better picture than component but I really can't see the difference between DVI and component on my set-up.

Try a component cable and switch the receiver to 1080i and 16x9 and I'm sure HD won't seem quite so lame ;-)

High Definition does not transmit through the coax cable nor the S-Video, nor the composite video outputs on the DSR530. If you want to watch TV in high def, you need to be connected through the (green/blue/red) component video connections. The DVI output is currently not working on the DSR530 machine. They are supposed to be fixing it. The channel cuts out constantly when watching it through the DVI cable. You basically cannot watch it like that. I watch my DSR530 through the component cables and the picture quality is quite clear and realistic.

Keep in mind that just because you are tuned in to an HD channel, it does not mean that what you are watching is high definition. The StarChoice guide will have a little logo HD on all shows that are filmed using HD cameras and aired in HD format. Most of the US stations are 100% HD in the evenings.

Hope this helps.