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Tom Bombadil
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
I get all of the networks via OTA but almost never watch them because I don't like network programming. In fact, I don't watch any network programs.

However this being college football bowl week, I'm watched a lot of football games, and even commercials, for several days now.

After doing this and switching back to watching DishHD, nearly all of the Dish channels look soft again.

It's kinda like getting a big box of high quality chocolate, and then after you finish it, you eat a Hershey bar. When you eat Hershey bars regularly, you accept them as being a decent chocolate bar. But after several days of eating good chocolate, a Hershey bar tastes like slightly-chocolate flavored wax.

I'm going to have to go back on a DishHD diet in order to reacclimate myself to the lower quality.
31 Replies · 6723 views
Tom Bombadil
You should be able to see the difference on a 50" Panny plasma, even though that is an "average" resolution HDTV, with it's native resolution being 1366x768.

I've seen the difference on 42" plasmas.

But on programs where I see a significant difference, my wife doesn't pick it up unless I point it out to her.
stuckingoo
You should be able to see the difference on a 50" Panny plasma, even though that is an "average" resolution HDTV, with it's native resolution being 1366x768.

I've seen the difference on 42" plasmas.

But on programs where I see a significant difference, my wife doesn't pick it up unless I point it out to her.

Ok, I see what you're saying now. I'm flipping back and forth between my OTA NBC and Dish NBC during the Colts/Chiefs game and there is just enough delay for me to briefly see the same scene on both. Yes there is a slight 'softening' on Dish. This is something I would not normally pick up on. In the past I've noticed nothing like this even when looking for it. I don't find it objectionable and is very much like a tuning of the sharpness control on your garden variety TV set. Though I suspect that compression might be in play here.

There is so much variation in the quality of HD broadcasts from channel to channel that it is not something I actively look for or notice.

BTW, I recently went from Directv to Dish and I noticed no PQ differences. People that review these sorts of things I think have mentioned the same except for an odd channel or two. Maybe if you are a fan on one particular HD station you may be able to see differences but I watch a lot of different ones.
Tom Bombadil
I find it very easy to see "softened" HD, immediately upon tuning to any HD channel that is soft. No A/B comparisons needed. A sharp HD picture presents incredible detail on almost all surfaces, including faces, cloth, grass, animals, and so on.

A good HD image can be so lifelike that it really does look like a window onto the world. It can be a bit eerie.

But a softer HD image has no such sensation. Real people do not have smooth faces without pores. Real grass does not resemble a smooth green carpet. Such images can be reasonably good TV, but they are not windows.

It usually takes about 1-2 seconds after tuning to an HD channel to see which one it is offering.

And then there are the compression issues, which are a whole other can of worms.
S
I really understand what Tom means here and I'd have to say if you don't you really haven't seen HD. I remember watching "The Late Show With David Letterman" OTA HD and I could tell he was wearing a bandaid on his finger, that's how sharp the picture was. I also catch a glimpse of Nova on PBS and this was broadcasting at 720p which PBS is native 1080i broadcast as well as having a subchannel. After saying this consider then upconverted the signal to 1080i and it still looked great. The ONLY HD channels on Dish I've seen so far that come close are HDNet and HDMovies from what I've seen. That list is HBO, Showtime(coming off the 110), Discovery and ESPN. To be fair to ESPN I don't think I caught much sxhoxt in HD. Oh yeah and I did catch TNT-HD.
Tom I really hope you end up picking up an HD-DVD player.
K
I recently got a Xbox 360 that outputs HD and when I switch back to regular TV almost everything looks soft.
T
I have HD-DVD and aI am working on getting a Bluray player too. I am spoiled by Hd-dvd. When my 18 month contract runs out in August if there is not an inprovement in quality I am leaving Dish and going OTA, Hd-dvd and Bluray only. I find myself watching less and less of Dish HD and more of OTA and HD-dvd. On my 106 inch projection screen ota and hd-dvd are outstanding. No Dish bill will mean more hd disks to buy.
dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in The Sports Section
162 Replies · 4003 views
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dfergie
Tried to watch the truck race but the stage c**p is why I don't watch NASCAR anymore…
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Y
Today is the anniversary of Dan Wheldon's passing at Las Vegas in a dreadful crash that luckily didn't take more drivers' lives. I vaguely remember the crash, but I more strongly remember Paul Tracy trying to keep it together as he left the Medical Center knowing that Dan most likely wasn't going to.

The safety in these vehicles is beyond incomprehensible, especially relative to what it was 60 years ago, when dying wasn't unexpected. But it is still very dangerous. I always scoff at the prayer invocations, but never scoff at the risks these drivers take and the emergency workers out there who might need to pull short of a miracle to save a driver's life.
Tried to watch the truck race but the stage c**p is why I don't watch NASCAR anymore…
HBO Max has the live in car streaming without commercials, which provides an interesting take, but you are driving blind, knowing only what the team is telling the driver about what is happening on the track. The stages definitely ruin the NASCAR set up.
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Y
NASCAR is an abject mess, but at least it has Kyle Larson. Guy had the lead on the green/white checker, fell back to 12th or the like, kept his cool, and charged back to win with room to spare at the line. And win very cleanly!

NASCAR needs to stop racing at Talladega. Especially if they are going for elderly Sunday drives at the track! Stage racing is real stupid, but NASCAR should consider one half point a second per group gap as a bonus.
Foxbat
Congratulations to the youngest Formula 1 World Champion, 20-year old Kimi Antonelli! The podium at the Mexican Grand Prix featured three World Champions with 4-time World Champion Max Verstappen, 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, and newly-crowned World Champion Kimi Antonelli. A dozen World Championships represented!
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 4 views
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68800 Replies · 2689519 views
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dishstaller
Don't Look Back - Boston
harshness
Please Come to Boston - Dave Loggins
Bobby
Come A Little Bit Closer - Jay and the Americans
sdfntx
Closer to You - Brandi Carlile
long_time_Dish
(They Long To Be) Close To You -The Carpenters
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Lon.TV
Last reply · posted in Lon.TV
3 Replies · 176 views
R
Well, ATSC 3 is a flop
TRG
TRG
So in other words, corporate greed is more important than public safety. :mad:
b4pjoe
So in other words, corporate greed is more important than public safety. :mad:
At least for a couple more years
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 8 views
jamieh1
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV Programming Forum
DIRECTV Stream/Internet added Ch 4105 SportsGrid
269 Replies · 39487 views
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K
Now live:
4101 Yahoo! Sports Network
4121 DP World Tour
4195 F1 Channel
4196 MotoGP Channel
K
Now live:
4275 Law & Crime
4364 Military Makeover Channel
K
Game Show Central is now live on channel 4342
K
Now live:
4101 Yahoo! Sports Network
4121 DP World Tour
4195 F1 Channel
4196 MotoGP Channel
It only took them 41 days to announce it
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K
A new exclusive FAST channel called "DIRECTV Sportside" is testing
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Ramy
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in The Sports Section
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
201 Replies · 4029 views
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cp2k
Honestly, I would rather see an expanded bracketed playoff system than the current Conference Championship Game + playoff model we're using right now. The Conference Championships essentially allow two teams to beat up on each other, and then both typically are going to end up in the playoffs anyway unless it is one of the weaker or smaller conferences. Let them play it out on the field against others.
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Jimbo
Honestly, I would rather see an expanded bracketed playoff system than the current Conference Championship Game + playoff model we're using right now. The Conference Championships essentially allow two teams to beat up on each other, and then both typically are going to end up in the playoffs anyway unless it is one of the weaker or smaller conferences. Let them play it out on the field against others.
Until the Big Ten changed thier alignment, (a couple years ago) ... it was not like that at all, the East side won most years the west side represented the Big Ten, but they may have been the team with the 4th best record ...
They finally changed that, to a single conference ... but yes, in most cases, both teams will get in ... now, its a certain both will get in ...

The biggest issue with the Conference Now is the Number of TEAMS .... WAY to Many.
It would take 2-3 YEARS to do a round robin where everyone would play one another ... How do you know how good a team is when teams don't play the same teams ?
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meStevo
They finally changed that, to a single conference ... but yes, in most cases, both teams will get in ... now, its a certain both will get in ...

Surprised you haven't made this claim yet.


View: https://x.com/RedditCFB/status/2119843536439005342?a=pI0NYBONwLj4vjRrQWo&s=20
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cp2k
I like the move to campus sites for the early games. That adds a fun new dimension for fans, and cuts down on some of the travel expenses that would come with having to follow a team all the way through the playoffs at neutral sites.
Jimbo
I like the move to campus sites for the early games. That adds a fun new dimension for fans, and cuts down on some of the travel expenses that would come with having to follow a team all the way through the playoffs at neutral sites.
Agree ... they started doing that a few years ago.
Y

That'd be more than the FA Cup! Over 700 teams. It is also the most glorious tournament in the world.

Maybe it is time to get rid of the College Football season and just go to a tournament. 128 teams, fill in the bottom end with the lower division. Random draw (except the top 10 teams are in one bucket to draw from in the first and second rounds to avoid OSU v Alabama in the first round), go from 128 to 8. 4 games. Then the 8 remaining teams play 7 games against each other. Then the top two play for the title.