HDMI and SD Channels

[rickshobbies]

I am curious if using a receiver that uses an HDMI connection to a digital TV would improve SD channels. If I am understanding things correctly, this would skip the receivers conversion to analog and the TVs conversion back to digital. I would think that going digital straight to the TV, skipping these extra conversions, would benefit SD (HD is a given).

Can anyone clarify this for me?

Regards,

Rick

 

[hancox]

My experience matches your hunch, even on an analog TV. One less scaler appears to help on SD.

 

[BFG]

It would probably look worse.

i think your best bet is to use the S-video connection. That way it's sent native out of the STB and the TV is only doing the conversion.

 

[rickshobbies]

OK, but with an HD box, isn't the native signal digital? I was thinking that the signal reaches the STB in digital form and then if the box didn't have to convert it to analog, it would stay in digital form. That way, the only analog to digital conversion that happens for SD is what is done with the original broadcast.

So, if that is correct, it seems like I would expect a better picture. I can't try this now because my 522 doesn't have a DVI or HDMI connection, but it factors into my thoughts about going with an HD receiver (not necessarily dish) that uses an HDMI connector, in hopes of getting better PQ out of SD for those channels not available in HD.

Rick

 

[BFG]

The satellite signal is digital, but all that is just data (1's and 0's) so the STB still has to convert it to a picture that you can see.

 

[MikeD-C05]

It definately helps with my picture using the dvi cable. It stops the digital to analog conversion which keeps the artifacts down to a minimum. Digital all the way. I no longer use S-video for my hd tv because it makes the picture look blurred and out of focus compared to dvi. Of course every tv is different. On my old analog mitsibishi 50 " sd tv s-video looked fine and component looked even better through my dvd recorder. Some people think that they have to watch hd over dvi or component and sd over s-video or composite( rca jacks) . I think this is left over from using the 6000 hd receiver. Many people used to talk about flipping back and forth from sd to hd to watch tv with that receiver. ON my 921 and my Toshiba 57" tv I think both sd and hd look fine over dvi cable , except that sd will look kind of stretched out to fit my 16x9 screen. That may be why some will use s-video ; to escape the stretched look. I don't even notice it anymore after 9 months.