811 & OTA HD Picture

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Luther

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Dec 18, 2003
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I put in an OTA antenna on my 811 and picked up my local digital CBS station at >85% signal strength. My question is this. The HD programs on in prime time just don't look that impressive as compared to the satellite stuff (HDNet, DISCHD etc.). Anybody else notice this? :cool:
 
Luther said:
I put in an OTA antenna on my 811 and picked up my local digital CBS station at >85% signal strength. My question is this. The HD programs on in prime time just don't look that impressive as compared to the satellite stuff (HDNet, DISCHD etc.). Anybody else notice this? :cool:
Click to expand...

Sometimes... most of my locals OTA (DFW) are also broadcasting subchannels, which reduces the available bandwidth for the HD broadcasts.
 
Luther said:
I put in an OTA antenna on my 811 and picked up my local digital CBS station at >85% signal strength. My question is this. The HD programs on in prime time just don't look that impressive as compared to the satellite stuff (HDNet, DISCHD etc.). Anybody else notice this? :cool:
Click to expand...

The prime time shows are film based and HDNet and Discovery-HD are mostly video based. That is why they look different. Video base gives you that being there look while film base looks kind of like a movie theater.
 
Luther - Make sure you don't inadvertantly have the OTA channels in one of the stretch formats. You can check bypressing the * key on the remote. The proper setting for HD programming should be Normal. Also, make sure the 811 is set for 1080i and the 16:9/4:3 setting matches your TV.
I find most of the OTA HD stuff looks damn good. Wait until you see Leno in HD. You'll keep ducking to avoid getting hit by his chin. That's how real it looks.
 
Is the * button supposed to actually funtion? If I press the button the logos change,ie, stretch...normal...full zoom, etc, but the actual picture doesn't change at all. It is this way on any channel.
 
spanky said:
Is the * button supposed to actually funtion? If I press the button the logos change,ie, stretch...normal...full zoom, etc, but the actual picture doesn't change at all. It is this way on any channel.
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The picture doesn't change if you are viewing over the SD outputs (composite and svideo).
 
ok, so it doesn't affect sd, is it supposed to affect my hd channels? like discovery? Doesn't do anything here :confused:
 
hmm it sounds like he doesnt even have his 811 hooked up through HD, he'll be quite surprised :D
 
That would be an enjoyed suprise... I'm set up with 1080,16/9 aspect and using component. The tv is a sony 70" xbr.
If anyone thinks something is hooked up wrong, I'm listening...
 
spanky said:
That would be an enjoyed suprise... I'm set up with 1080,16/9 aspect and using component. The tv is a sony 70" xbr.
If anyone thinks something is hooked up wrong, I'm listening...
Click to expand...

Do you also have svideo or composite cables hooked up in addition to component? If so, you may be on the wrong input on your sony.

The behavior you described (stretch modes changing in the banner, but not actually changing the picture size) really sounds like you aren't watching over your component connection.
 
I have s-video hooked up as well.I just went and switched the svid around every conceivable way-no difference,perhaps I should get a dvi cable and see if any difference.
Scratch that...Snathanb, I could almost kiss you!!!
I just went back and looked into my settings on the tv. No one ever assigned a name to my video 5 output-my component output that is.
Great,just great, now I have to watch every single dvd that I assumed looked good in the svideo format (that I thought was the component output) in the proper component output channel.
I ASSUMED that my a/v installer knew what he was doing when he installed the lcd. I'm really dissapointed now. The worst part is how many other bumbling idiots like myself are going through the same scenario? I have to go watch my tv now-thanks guys!!
 
Update...I just soiled myself while watching dinosaur planet on dischd. I am really dissapointed that 2 different a/v installers-repairmen never recognized this nor did the 2 different dish installers(although that really doesn't suprise me).
Darn! Now I'm gonna have to take tommorrow off to enjoy my new home theater.
 
LOL!! ;)

My dish installer snukc in a S-video cable when I wasn't looking, but I already had the compnoet cables hooked up, so I just un-hooked that.

The dish phrase is "I'm living life in high definition" ;)
 
I did an A/B comparison between my 6000 and 811 while watching the same OTA channel. The 811 had lower audio volume and a darker picture compared to the 6000. What was interesting is that the colors were much deeper with the 811 - but the wife and I preferred the 6000 picture quality. This was with the P266 version.
At this stage, I do not want to adjust my TV HD input contrast settings to compensate, as I have multiple devices switched into my only available HD input.
Just curious if others have seen this using 811 and OTA channels. There has been considerable discussion on the P266 thread, but some feel this matter was resolved. Is this true?
Thanks in advance!
 
Ripper said:
I did an A/B comparison between my 6000 and 811 while watching the same OTA channel. The 811 had lower audio volume and a darker picture compared to the 6000. What was interesting is that the colors were much deeper with the 811 - but the wife and I preferred the 6000 picture quality. This was with the P266 version.
At this stage, I do not want to adjust my TV HD input contrast settings to compensate, as I have multiple devices switched into my only available HD input.
Just curious if others have seen this using 811 and OTA channels. There has been considerable discussion on the P266 thread, but some feel this matter was resolved. Is this true?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I would think that you would have to recalibrate for different STB's on the same input.? I have never done a comparison between a 6000 and an 811 but I have with 2 other HD tuners and the OTA is better after calibration, IMO with the 811 that with the Pioneer and Samsung I have had.
 
The installer did the same thing to my 55'' Mitsubishi. If I didn't know everything I know about HD then I'd assume it was installed right. It took me a whopping 5 min to correct the situation. And the pic quality was night and day. If I was the CEO of Dish Network I wouldn't be having all this nonsense.
 
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