To HD or Not??

[CTEX]

I am just now thinking about getting into the HD arena. What a lot of things to think about. I have not bought an HD TV yet, but am thinking of buying the Sony KF-60WE610. With this large investment I want to make sure I am not buying an expensive showpiece only. I am a current Dish Network subscriber so here are my questions.
1. With so little HD programs, will the SD channels look good on my 60inch and of course what can I do to improve such channels?
2. I am thinking of upgrading to the 811 receiver but with all the problems I have read, as well as not receiving it too quickly I am a little nervous. Should I wait?
3. I think I have a 500 dish so will I have to change out the dish also to receive the HD channels as well as install an off air anttenna in my attic for the local HD channels.

Because of the minimal HD programming available now I am mostly concerned about the picture quality of all the other non HD programming so any info would be greatly appreciated. This is the first forumn that I have found to discuss Dish network issues and it is a great source of information.

 

[Cyclone]

60" is pretty darn large. I'd make sure I'd see a DBS channel in the showroom on that unit before purchase. DirectTV and Dish are fairly equivelent in Picture Quality.

If you get the HDTV, then definately get that 811. Even with minor problems, HDTV is worth it.

If you have a Dish500, then you are just fine in receiving HDTV channels.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I've got a Philips 60" rear projection unit & a 921. Overall I'm very happy with the picture quality for both SD & HD.

 

[cancunkev]

I have a 60" LG RPLCD in the living room, the HD channels are amazing, I find myself watching things I would NEVER watch in SD. The SD channels look a little 'Blury' for lack of a better word, due to the size of the screen, but as Simon said above, overall I am happy with the PQ...

 

[mini1]

if your signal is not line doubled or somehow improved, it will look terrible on a 60". remember, an HDTV was made for HD content, just as and analog TV was made for analog, anything other than what the TV was made for will look sub-par, some by alot and some may not be that noticeable.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I've got a Philips 60" rear projection unit & a 921. Overall I'm very happy with the picture quality for both SD & HD.

Say Simon I am interested in the Phillips tv for hd . I have looked the 55 inch hd Phillips and I liked what I saw with the s-video input but that was straight sd input. I even took my 721 up to the Sears store to see what it looked like on the Phillips. Does the Phillips tv upconvert the sd signal for you or does the 921 dvr upconvert the sd picture for you by using the dvi or the component input or both?

I saw a Toshiba 51 inch hd tv at another Sears that was hooked up to a Dish 6000 receiver. I watched the tv land channel with Three's Company and it looked excellent . The salesman said it was just using the component connection but I wonder if the 6000 was doing the upconverting or the tv itself. Can you help me with any details on how the upconverting is done. Either through the tv or the dvr itself.

On a side not how long did you wait for the 921 dvr? I have heard I will be waiting for the next two months if I order today.

Thanks, MikeD-C05

 

[SimpleSimon]

MikeD: I'm using component input via a Sony STR-DE695 to switch the 921 & DVD. The Philips 60PP9352 runs in 1080i mode with the 921 doing the scaling. When the DVD is running, the TV auto-switches into 480p mode.

They've improved (but not perfected) the stretch/zoom modes on the 921, so that's OK. I get some vertical jitter and other little anomalies when the entire screen is near-white. I called Philips ad they couldn't find a trained tech to come up and look at it - so they sent me a new TV :yikes Then I got a letter from them saying I was authorized to "scrap in place" the old one - just send the serial number tag. No argument from here. The only problem is that the new one is still sitting in the garage (for about 3 months now) because it' so damn difficult to get it in the house. Anyway, that gives you an idea of how minor the problem is, and how Philips takes care of it's customers (HEY E* GET A CLUE!!!).

 

[MikeD-C05]

And how long did you wait for the 921?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Oh - sorry - months. Got it a few days AFTER the SuperBowl. Ordered it when first released - sometime back in the fall of '03. Took me a while just to find a local retailer that was willing to handle the order.

At this time, tho, the whole order thing is totally different - no idea how long you'll have to wait.

 

[JoeSp]

Simon, I have a Pioneer 630HD 58" of sheer beauty. If you have OTA HD available and you can receive it where you are go as soon as you can and get HD. The HD on E* while limited is wonderful when a program comes on you like and sports in HD is unbelievable!!! OTA HD is the best and I have been enjoying almost everything I watch at night in HD! As far as SD is concerned--that's a mixed bag. From everything I have seen and read SD on E* is better than SD on D*. I believe that D* does alot more compression on their channels the E*. I have heard and read the same about their HD content too. But at 60" every flaw in the SD signal will be greatly exagerated on your set. You will see everything and you might not like what you see. I have been happy with E* and have been anxiously waiting for more HD--TNT-HD is a step in the right direction!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Joe - I think you intended your message for Mike.

I'm the guy that's had my Philips 60PP9352 for a year, and my 921 since February, and no OTA of any kind... and am quite happy with the PQ on both my SD and HD.