Mpeg 4 and new to Direct TV

[Hawkeyee]

I just switched from Dish to Direct TV, the main reason being Direct TV is going to carry the Big 10 Network and from what I can tell Dish was not. I also like what I hear is coming in HD. They installed the 5 LNB Dish today and a HD DVR.

So far though I have to say the picture quality with Dish was a lot better than I am receiving with Direct TV. I really notice it on the non HD channels, dish is far better, and all the HD on dish looks as good as my off air.

I could be wrong but I think it is because everything with Dish is mpeg4. Does anyone know if direct tv will be movig all their channels to mpeg4 and if so when? The quality I am geting with Direct TV is starting to give me secound thoughts about leaving Dish.

I would appreciate your input.

 

[Bob Nielsen]

Directv has HD locals and RSNs in MPEG4. The new HD channels starting in September will also be MPEG4. Current SD and national HD channels are MPEG2.

 

[Miltmeyers]

I have been with DTV since 1995 and I noticed an upgrade in SD picture quality going from the HR10-250 to the HR20-100. I've never had Dish and I appreciate your comment. Do you have the hR20 set for 1080i output and not 480i? Are you using the HDMI connection? Are you streching the SD picture to fit 16x9 size? On mine I upconvert 480i to 1080i and find not too much softening in the process. Some of my SD channels come in at near DVD quality. I wish I had the chance to compare Dish to DirecTV but it will never happen unles DirecTV does something I can't live with--price, content etc..

 

[JAG72]

I could be wrong but I think it is because everything with Dish is mpeg4. Does anyone know if direct tv will be movig all their channels to mpeg4 and if so when? The quality I am geting with Direct TV is starting to give me secound thoughts about leaving Dish.

Dish does not currently use MPEG4 on all of their channels. They have a handful of HD channels that are MPEG4 with more HD channels converting over the next month.

 

[Hawkeyee]

I am hooked up by HDMI and I have experimented with all the hd receiver settings did not notice that much difference going through the format button. I am currently set to 1080i and stretch. IT might just be that Dish has a better receiver, no idea but their is deffiently a lot better picture with Dish. Is their a better HD DVR to buy out on the market than what dish offers?

 

[Larry]

IMHO, using the stretch feature degrades the picture quality. Try using "pillar" and either 720p or 1080i...see if the p.q. improves.

 

[Jimbo]

IMHO, using the stretch feature degrades the picture quality. Try using "pillar" and either 720p or 1080i...see if the p.q. improves.

:up

 

[Jimbo]

I am hooked up by HDMI and I have experimented with all the hd receiver settings did not notice that much difference going through the format button. I am currently set to 1080i and stretch. IT might just be that Dish has a better receiver, no idea but their is deffiently a lot better picture with Dish. Is their a better HD DVR to buy out on the market than what dish offers?

Have you tried using Component connection instead of HDMI ?
Not all HDMI works correctly, many variables with HDMI with ALL electronic equipment.

 

[LonghornXP]

I agree with Jimbos in that it seems many HDTV sets have bad picture quality with the new DirecTV HD DVR Plus boxes when using the HDMI connection. I would at the least try the component connection just to see if the HDMI is the problem. Also just plug both the HDMI and Component connections into your TV and switch inputs on your TV. You can do this because the DirecTV HD DVR has all outputs active at once.

I believe that HDMI is the issue here as I have this feeling that you have used the stretch features while with Dish Network so your used that the degrading this does. Because its worse than what "your" used to seeing is why I think HDMI is your issue as it is with so many other customers.

 

[Hawkeyee]

I will try it with componet. I will let you know.