For several years, I received DISH TVLand 106, FETV 82 and ION 250 in HD. In the past year, these channels went from HD to SD. Over several months, I chatted/called DISH 4 times. First time I was told it was a software issue which would be forwarded to their engineering dept for a software update to my receiver. Waited a week and called back. Was told that the software update could take weeks but they were working on it. Third time, I was told their satellite needed to be adjusted. It was expensive to adjust and complicated, so no estimated time given for fix. Fourth time, I was told I was too far away from the eastern arc (I live in N. CA). I asked how that could've of happened after all these years and why I've been given 3 different explanations. He couldn't tell me and wouldn't transfer me to a supervisor. A few days ago I noticed more channels are now in SD. It seems like DISH is going backwards. I'd just like a straight answer and an estimated time for the fix. I can't believe I'm the only one having this problem. I'd hate to pay more for DIRECTV and lose my DVR recordings but it looks like these channels are available in HD on DIRECTV.
DISH Down Converting Channels from HD to SD
- Thread starter glgw
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Unless you were watching them thru DA, none of these channels have ever been broadcast on the DISH satellite feed in HD since day 1
I have had Dish Network for over 5 years and can pretty much say TVLand, FeTV and ION have never been in HD. As dishrich pointed out, they are available in HD via Dish Anywhere.
Futhermore, I have not noticed any HD channels reverting back to SD. What you are probably seeing is that in the past few days, Dish Network has made changes to their SD channel aspect formats. They have changed a lot of their SD letter-box channels from letter-box to full 16:9 format. Although still in SD, they are now viewed in native full screen 16:9 even if your STB aspect is set to "Normal". ION was one of the channels changed, but FeTV and TVLand were not changed.
The channels that were changed now fill the screen, (no letter-box). As a result, they may appear to be a little soft to some viewers only because they are now zoomed a little more to fill the screen. Personally, I love the fact they have done this and hope they will continue to convert more channels. It is nice to view everything in full 16:9, even SD channels, as there is no need now to make aspect changes at the user end.
However, one caveat, TVLand and FeTV are two channels that need to be left alone so the their 4:3 progam material displays correctly in 4:3 and are not "stretched" to 16:9.
Also there may be one channel (that I am aware of) that did (or has reverted) from HD back to SD and that is HSN2 (Ch. 286). Both the SD satellite feed (Ch.226) and the HD streaming feed (ch. 286) are currently in SD. Not sure why.
Personally, I wish Dish Network would make more SD channels streaming on the Hopper in HD, especially, Hallmark Family, and Oxygen. Both are currently in HD on DA, but are only available in SD on satellite. Why can't they do what they are doing with Grio, QVC2, QVC3, and maybe others I missed, in that duplicate BOTH the SD feeds on satellite and their HD streaming feeds and have them embedded into the Hopper Guide? For example, Grio is in SD on ch. 360 and is in HD via streaming on ch. 361. Thus give us the choice to watch it off via streaming in HD, or if we don't want to use internet data, then watch it in SD off satellite.
Old 4:3 material can be shown in 16:9 SD or HD without being stretched. LAFF (239) and Catchy Comedy (375) do it all of the time.
As does FETV on their HD IP-based network feed, as I've seen firsthand on our Comcast system...
THere some channels that where HD that became SD and some channels where pulled for the "streaming" only feed, which mirror what original channel was if it SD it stay SD if it was HD stay HD.
Honestly though I amazing anything is STILL SD, that should be banned by now
Honestly though I amazing anything is STILL SD, that should be banned by now
My dream is one day DISH will just add the HD streams that are available on Dish Anywhere to the guide and let us choose which to keep in our favorites. What's the harm in giving us the option of which to watch: the SD satellite feed, or the HD stream?
Yes, I discovered over the weekend that ION is full screen again but not TVLand and FETV. I assumed because the screen went from full screen to pillarbox that it was down converted. I swear TVLand and FETV were full screen until late/early this year. I never noticed any distortion (stretched/compressed) so I'm hoping they will work on TVLand and FETV next.
Mine isn't, it is letterboxed.
No TVLand is currently WINDOW boxed
TVLand is one of those channels one has to change the aspect back and forth to watch a program in the correct aspect ratio. For example, if you watch "The King of Queens", you must set the Aspect to "Zoom" so the program displays correctly in full 16:9. Commercials will also display correctly. But if you watch "The Andy Griffith Show", you must set the Aspect to "Normal" to watch it correctly in 4:3. Commercials will then appear letterboxed.
FeTV is similiar but I think most, if not all of their programs, are 4:3 native so you must leave the Aspect set to "Normal". Only commercials will then appear letterboxed. A pain, but at least Dish gives you that Aspect button on the remote to make the changes.
I have not noticed any additional aspect channel changes in the past few days. So I am wondering if they are done making changes. If so, they still have not 1, not 2, but 3 different formats they are broadcasting SD channels in.
"Unofficially" I count:
37 SD channels where you must set the Aspect to "Normal"
7 SD channels where you must set the Aspect to "Stretch"
23 SD channels where you must set the Aspect to "Zoom" or depending in the program, change to "Normal" (Mainly TVLand and FeTV)
FeTV is similiar but I think most, if not all of their programs, are 4:3 native so you must leave the Aspect set to "Normal". Only commercials will then appear letterboxed. A pain, but at least Dish gives you that Aspect button on the remote to make the changes.
I have not noticed any additional aspect channel changes in the past few days. So I am wondering if they are done making changes. If so, they still have not 1, not 2, but 3 different formats they are broadcasting SD channels in.
"Unofficially" I count:
37 SD channels where you must set the Aspect to "Normal"
7 SD channels where you must set the Aspect to "Stretch"
23 SD channels where you must set the Aspect to "Zoom" or depending in the program, change to "Normal" (Mainly TVLand and FeTV)
I am surprised they never had the HD feed for TV Land. Which is strange as it is HD if you use DIsh Anywhere.
The same can be said for the Encore Channels, Oxygen, Hallmark Family, FeTV, Movieplex, Disney XD, Boomerang, TeenNick, Grit, Laff, StartTV, H&I, and many more...
All of which are in HD on Dish Anywhere, but are in SD on satellite!
Wow! I remember this aspect ration confusion from around 25 years ago. I came up with a simple solution for me: Only watch the HD channels! I'm not sure if I should be surprised that nothing has changed since then. The aspect ratio issue is difficult, since black bars bother some people, cutting off the tops and bottoms of the image bothers some people, and distorting the image ("stretch") bothers some people.
And that's why I don't understand (especially since the addition of all the streaming BonusView channels and some of the streaming HBO/Cinemax channels) why they don't give us the HD DishAnywhere feed in the guide, and let us choose which to favorite (and subsequently watch and record from).
...and that's the $64,000 question!
I think there are some licensing issues where some program material can not be delivered via streaming, but can be delivered via OTA or satellite. I think that is why, once in a while, channels like MeTV, Movies!, Retro TV, and others have to substitute different programs or episodes for their streaming carriages. It is seldom, but they do it. On MeTV, it is apparent when they do this because the "MeTV" logo will be missing in the lower right hand screen on their streaming feed and they will be showing a different episode. The OTA feed will always show the logo.
But I am not aware, (and what do I know) where there are licensing issues where a program can be steamed, but not aired by satellite.
I would love to watch MoviePlex in HD via streaming using my H3. Instead, I have to switch HDMI inputs on my TV to my Firestick, find and launch my DishAnyware App, wait for it to open, scroll through the Guide to that channel and finally open the channel so I can watch it in HD. Same can be said for TV Land, FeTV, Encore Family, Oxygen, and others. This is ridiculous!
Adding these DishAnywhere HD channels to the H3 Guide should have no effect on satellite band use since they are streamed. They can keep their respective SD satellite feeds for anyone who does not want to use internet data, and to them, it would be business unchanged.
We have had a lot of strong thunderstorms here in West Texas over the past week. Usually I am more interested in what is going on outside of the window during a storm than on the TV but due to this technical discussion, I tuned to some of my favorite SD channels after the signal switched to internet delivery. I know of no way to actually confirm my observations but to me Start and H&I looked better during the storm. I thought that it is ironic that the picture improves during a storm when it used to go out.
