Directv to Tv in 480p

[ckudrna]

Hi all,

As my HDTV carrer is now a week old, and I am waiting for my Directv HD box to arrive from ABT (Hughes HTL-HD), i was wondering if it was possible to get my sat input from 480i to 480P.

I have a lower end Mitsubishi, the WS-55313 (im a college student!) and want to get the best possible picture off of my Directv system and into my television.

Will the HD reciever upconvert from 480i to 480p? I know ESPN HD uses 720p, and these television does not support that format, will it be upconverted to 1080i?

I have spent the past few days going through DVE attempting to calibrate my TV as best as possible, and think i have it in good shape now for the new box to come and have to re-evalute everything.

Any settings i need to screw with to change over from 480i to 480p?

If i understand Progressive scan looks better for fast moving things, like ESPNHD?

Thanks all, this truly is a great resource.

 

[Neutron]

You can tell the receiver which mode to display in by hitting the format button on the front of the receiver.

You will probably want to hook up the S-vid cable for standard definition programming. I haven't noticed on my TV, but other people say it makes SD programming look better if you don't use the HD hookups for it. Still use the HD hookups (component, DVI, RGBHV) for HD programming.

 

[ckudrna]

Hi Jason,

I currently have the Philips DSX5500 that i got from BB when i bought the dish a little over a week ago.

I imagine this unit cannot upconvert or change formats. Reading through the manual the only mention of formats is for regular 4:3 or widescreen 16:9 formats.

I currently have this receiver into the TV through S-Video. If i understand the HTL-HD has a DVI out on it. I belive the unit comes with a 6 foot cable for DVI? This televison has a DVI input, so i imagine that would give the best signal from the reciever to the television?

I currently have the Philips (soon to be paperweight) through S-vid, it lacks Component out.

So i can expect non 1080i HD channels (such as ESPN) to look better than the traditional 480i i currently get ESPN on?


On another note, how should i go about changing out the current box i have with the HD box while avoiding the extra $5 a month for another box? I got the two boxes and activated them, only to go out the next day and purchase a HDTV (figured might as well change out everything)! Should i tell them it is not working correctly and i want to sub in this HD box instead? Will they happily change my equipment as I am upgrading to HD service or get angry at me for not keeping my existing box activated for a year and tack me with some kind of fee? I hate fees.........

Thanks

 

[Neutron]

They shouldn't tack the early term fee on you and I have proof that they won't. When I upgraded to the HD box I deactivated one of my standard receivers. I was still in the first year. They didnt have a problem doing this.

My HTL-HD receiver came with the DVI cable.

Your standard Phillips receiver cannot change formats since it's a non HD receiver, you are correct on that. All you can do is tell it that you are on a widescreen TV setup.

The HTL-HD however, on the DVI, component, or RGBHV (The 15-pin VGA looking connector), will let you change between 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Most HDTVs I know of upconvert everything to 1080i anyway, and most people recommend leaving the HD receiver on 1080i.

If you have the HD receiver hooked up via S-vid or composite then all it will do is 480i.

On a side note, most people will tell you that ABC-HD and ESPN-HD won't look as good on a RPTV such as ours, but will look better on a DLP, and the reason being is because our TVs native format is 1080i. The DLP tvs native is 720p

Does this answer your questions?

 

[ckudrna]

I will plan on connecting the Hughes through DVI for HD and COmposite for SD programming.

If I understand ESPN uses 720p becuase Progressive captures action betteR? I read this on the ESPN website. I can understand that.

I would think it would look better on a native 720p rather than upconverting to 1080i, but it is sure to look a little better than the SD ESPN!!

I look forward to my Hughes HTL-HD arriving tomorrow or friday to play with everything.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Neutron]

Please feel free to contact me here if you have any other questions about the HTL-HD. I personally own one and would be more than happy to help you out if you need it.

Yes, 720p is better for sports and fast action programming, hence why ESPN uses it. The HD channel of ESPN will always look better than the SD version, but you do need to realize that not everything on ESPN-HD is in HD. Usually only Sportscenter and some games are.

The rest of the time you will see two grey and black "HD" bars on the left and right of the screen.

 

[ckudrna]

Hi,
I am mainly intersted in the HD for sunday night baseball (rest of season).

How will the 480p look compared to the 480i for regular channels?

I think Discover HD is in 1080i?

What about the two other Directv HD channels, what format are they broadcast in?

Thanks!

 

[Neutron]

HDNet, HDNet Movies, and Disc-HD are broadcast in 1080i.

To me the SD programs look a little better than they did with DISH and Voom, but since you are watching them on a bigger screen than a normal TV you will see artifacts that you wouldn't normally see on a smaller TV. Thats just the nature of SD programming.

Sunday Night Baseball is definately nice to watch in HD!

 

[ckudrna]

Does Directv broadcast all SD channels at 480P by default, and tv's downconvert to 480i if they are not being pulled in by an HD box on a HD tv?

Obviously programs that are recoreded more recently than 1994 fresh prince of bel air re-runs look better on my set. Will the addition of the HD box bring in all signals off the dish and onto the TV in 480p?

All these broadcast standards are quite interesting. Just think 30 years down the line when they have to tack on another dimension for depth or something................crazy crazy.

 

[Neutron]

Actually standard definition is broadcast in 480i, and Directv pulls all their regular SD channel signals in this, even on an HD box.

The only thing I have that does 480p is my Xbox.

It is amazing what they have done. Think back when color TV sets first came out. Before my time but still, it's like that.

 

[ckudrna]

How do you have your XBOX hooked up?

I only have the standard composite cable, but i think they have another cable for HD don't they? Is it component? I have yet to hook mine up and bust out the T-WOODS on this guy.

Im looking into getting a new reciever sometime soon, with at least a couple component inputs as well as the digital optical audio in for the CD player and the HD box. I imagine not many recievers exist with a DVI out to the Monitor do they? Probubly best to hook the HD reciever into the TV direct with the DVI.

 

[Neutron]

This is how I have my stuff set up:

HTL-HD Directv receiver hooked up via DVI into my TV and optical out to my A/V receiver.

DVD hooked up to component 1 on my TV and coax digital to my A/V receiver.

Xbox hooked up with the advanced HD kit from Microsoft ($20 at most electronic stores, includes component cables) hooked to component 2 and audio is composite because I don't have another optical cable. As soon as I do it's going optical as well.

The picture most games (the ones with HDTV code in them) show up very well!

As far as your A/V receiver goes I would highly recommend the Sony 6.1 with component inputs and multiple optical inputs. You can get it at Best Buy or Circuit City for $199. I have it's predicessor, a 5.1 that doesn't have the component inputs and only one optical in. The sound is amazing on 5.1

By the way, starting tomorrow through December you can get the HD pak for Directv free for 6 months if you commit for a year.

 

[ckudrna]

Hi Jason-

I just saw that HD promotion! What great timing! I'm glad i opted for the free ground shipping over the overnight or 2nd day air, otherwise i would have already gotten and activated the box and missed out on the deal!

That was the exact reciever i was looking at (and the model next in line from that sony). All those optical ins and components are nice. I would like to use the DVI into the tv as well as DVD, XBOX into the reciever via component. CD, sat, and DVD all in with optical or coax digital. My current reciever was a lower end sony i bought when i first went away to college. I'd like something that sounds good, with some sweet dolby digital on it. These things are so much cheaper than they used to be!

What kind of DVD player you using?

 

[Neutron]

Hehe, It's also a Sony. I forgot the model number of the DVD player though, but it only has coax digital out and has component. It isn't progressive scan and I'm kicking myself for not getting one that is.

Your A/V receiver sounds just like mine. Doesn't it sound great? In order to use the Xbox and HD receiver on my only optical port I had to get a manual optical switcher.


I just got my HTL-HD last Wednesday but from what I can tell I can still get in on the promotion. That's a good thing too, because my wife wasn't too thrilled that our Directv bill jumped to $110 (Total Choice Premier, HD pak, Tivo fee, mirroring fee for the Tivo, and mirroring fee for the other receiver we have).

I'm only 24 but feel like I'm 35 from what I put up with, with the non tech wife.

 

[ckudrna]

Yeah the surround sound on this thing is such crap. It tosses a little echo on it and it says it is surround sound. Time to get rid of it!

The 597 only has 2 component in doenst it, so the XBOX and DVD could be hooked up to it.

The Component and DVI could be hooked up from the HD reciever to the TV directly, with the optical audio out going into the reciever.

It seems like it would work out well. Having one output from the HD reciever into the reciever would be a pain in the ass when switching from SD and HD channels, you would have to change inputs on the TV as well as on the receiver.

Now if the reciever gets upgraded then it is time to move onto the speakers...................... might as well knock this whole place down and just start over!

 

[Neutron]

Make sure your satellite receiver and Xbox are set to Dolby Digital and not PCM. If your receiver is like mine you have a blue LED that is above the display. It comes on when you are listening to something that is Dolby Digital 5.1

 

[slacker9876]

You will probably want to hook up the S-vid cable for standard definition programming. I haven't noticed on my TV, but other people say it makes SD programming look better if you don't use the HD hookups for it. Still use the HD hookups (component, DVI, RGBHV) for HD programming.

okay. maybe this is a worthless post BUT, the only difference between S-Video and Component video at the 480 level is color saturation. This is a visual perception by me.

To answer the question of the post I do prefer the 480p to the 480i. I do have sharp eyes but this like comparing D* to DVD ... of course the DVD looks better. I feel your best down converted picture will be at 480p for the HD channels. p has always been better than i

 

[Neutron]

I was only basing that post off what I've heard and read about standard definition programming on an HD tv.

The best thing you can do is do both and see for yourself which looks better.

I don't think it matters on my TV since it upconverts everything to 1080i anyway.

 

[ckudrna]

I dont have the blue light on this thing. I do not think it has dolby digital capabilities.

I am not as fancy as you are.

As far as the video, what looks best for Directv, upconverting to 480p (can you do that?) , 1080i, or just keeping it at 480i?

My mitsu does not do 720p for whatever fun reason.................

I found this online when searching about Directv in 480P

"We do broadcast in 480p. Some locals are upconverted and others are not. Never the less, if you have a high definition receiver, all programing will be delivered in 480p on all channels as a minimum.

Teresa
DIRECTV Customer Service "

 

[Neutron]

I didn't know Directv did any of their programming in 480p. That's interesting.

I'm not as fancy as you! You have a 55" Mitsu. I've got a lowly 52" RCA. My TV doesn't do 720p either.

All kidding aside if you get a chance to upgrade your A/V receiver do it. You will be amazed.