H10-poor picture quality-vs-5 yr old MitsSR500

[Ken Keck]

Hi all,
I "upgraded" to a Direct TV H10, when my aging Mits SR500 receiver lost satellite capability (still does OTA DTV and HD very well). Wife and I have done side by side picture quality comparisons, and the H10 is so poor, I think I'll have to send it back and look for something better.

Anybody else disappointed with the H10?

OTA 1080i is almost as good as the old MITS but simply not quite as sharp.
OTA DTV (non HD) and satellite on the H10 looks poor by comparison. I'm used to crisp images, this really won't cut it.
Any recommendations on a better quality receiver?
Thanks, Ken

PS I watch it on a 55" Mits RPTV, and I've varied every possible input/output matchup, so it seems the H10 just isn't as good. Is it just a cheapo POS?

 

[shappyss]

I don't have an H10 so I don't know if there is anything wrong with it but you might want to try adjusting the controls on your tv. When I switched from the E86 to the HD Tivo I thought the new picture quality was bad but all I had to do was change the brightness and it looked great. The way I see it is each box has its own output that must be adjusted to your tv.

 

[Ken Keck]

Thanks Shap, but, I've tweaked everything inputs outputs and all TV settings - the sharpness/clarity differences cannot be eliminated. I almost bought a 250 HDTivo, now at 1/2 original price, but the store mgr. (San Jose Anderson's TV) admitted (I had to ask first of course) that the unit was not MPEG4 upgradeable.

If I thought 250's picture would equal the old Mits, I'd take it right now even if it does go obsolete in a year!

 

[guffy1]

Hi all,
I "upgraded" to a Direct TV H10, when my aging Mits SR500 receiver lost satellite capability (still does OTA DTV and HD very well). Wife and I have done side by side picture quality comparisons, and the H10 is so poor, I think I'll have to send it back and look for something better.

Anybody else disappointed with the H10?

OTA 1080i is almost as good as the old MITS but simply not quite as sharp.
OTA DTV (non HD) and satellite on the H10 looks poor by comparison. I'm used to crisp images, this really won't cut it.
Any recommendations on a better quality receiver?
Thanks, Ken

PS I watch it on a 55" Mits RPTV, and I've varied every possible input/output matchup, so it seems the H10 just isn't as good. Is it just a cheapo POS?

Search this forum or the forums over at AVS and you will find that the H10 is a box that many many people are very unhappy with..

I bought one a few months back and returned it to Best Buy abut 2 hours after I bought it...

Return yours while you can...lol

 

[Ken Keck]

Just as a follow up,
1) Went to Anderson and Circuit City to see what other Direct TV HD receivers they have, answer, none, only the H10.

2) Receiver S/W updated middle of the first night. Picture is better, guide works better but experiences some delays, otherwise, I'll live with this thing for awhile. At $200, it is a throw-away item anyway, like a VCR. My first receiver cost $999 5 years ago.

 

[JeffreyDJ]

Glad its not only me. the H10 SD broadcasts look horrible. Very disappointing. The Hughes SD-Tivo I had looked much better on the same TV. HD, I suppose looks fine (but not as good as other HD broadscats I've seen). I just wonder if they purposefully "downgrade" the SD broadcasts to make there crappy HD broadcasts look better. Just a thought.

 

[ERNIE PAUL]

several months ago my 3 year old mitsubishi hd-5 receiver bit the dust.i was hesitant to aquire a replacement receiver fearing the same results that you have been experiencing.the mitsubishi hd-5 provided excellent sd/hd reception along with caller id.with the price reduction and direct tv csr credits i decided on the hr10-250, it has proven to be an awsome unit.sd/hd picture quality is equal to my mitsubishi hd5 and also provides superior ota hd receptionhowever i do miss the caller id option .i consider myself to be very critical regarding picture quality.i view a pioneer 730hdi rear projection tv that has had isf c-3 calibration via Gregg Loewen.i highly recommend the hr10-250.by the time direc tv gets it act together the hr10-250 will have provided you with several years of quality reception along with the tvo time shift options.call robert @value electronics for a fantastic deal.

 

[Ken Keck]

Earnie,
Your saying the H10 250 gives a better picture than the basic H10? You've compared them?
This H10 POS I have for a few days now, is freezing for many seconds, frequently, before responding to key press. Not making me happy. Is the Tivo version better?
Are than any other alternatives for Satellite?
Ken

 

[ERNIE PAUL]

Ken,i have not made any comparisons regarding the basic h-10 vs my hr10-250.i previously had offered my opinion regarding the comparitive picture quality of my previous mitsi hd-5 rcvr vs my new hr10-250 rcvr. i have not experienced any lock up conditions with the hr10-250.if i were in your shoes i would quickly return this receiver to the dealer for a replacement.

 

[rockaway1836]

This mornings upgade may have solved your problem. If it didn't you may have a lemon on your hands.

 

[Ken Keck]

Last update:
Direct TV, whose customer I’ve been for 5 yrs, told me “ALL SALES ARE FINAL”, when I asked to return the 3 day old H10 with a poor DTV picture and a sticking guide. I offered to pay the difference and buy their H10 Tivo box, that some on this forum say has a better picture.

DO NOT BUY BOXES from Direct TV because there ARE NO RETURNS. Almost all electronics stores have return policies, but not Direct TV.

The Direct TV technical group, I’m glad to say, was very gracious and is sending out Fed-X, another brand new H10 to replace this one with problems. Also, the tech thought that all these dishes and boxes would need replacement when the 5 satellite MPEG4 change arrives in early 06. He also thought the chipset and picture in the H10 Tivo would be the same as the basic H10. Probably right.
K

Edit 8/13/05 The new receiver they sent has no problems except an occasional channel disappearing in the guide favorites. The picture is acceptable and function is good-no freezing guides.

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Hughes designed and manufactured the E86 back in October 1998. Philips and Mitsubishi contracted Hughes to make the Philips DSHD800 and Mitsubishi SR-HD5 clones. Other than LG's fabulous Zenith HD SAT520 and LSS3200A Hughes made my favorite HD STB.

I was very lucky to be one of a very select few Alpha and later Beta testers for the Hughes E86 and I loved every second of my testing. Hughes product and engineering management let me contribute to the development of the E86. I have a very fond and warm spot in my heart for this excellent HD STB.

Next week I hope to be able to offer SatelliteGuys the final opportunity to obtain this HD STB again as we found a warehouse with a small inventory left.

-Robert

 

[dfergie]

Cool Robert... as I too have liked the Hughes interface better than any Receivers I have had...might have to jump on one My Samsung not bad for D* Hd nor my 921 with E*...