Expressvu vs SC HD

[Remington]

Sorry if it has been asked before but I can't find a thread about it. I am moving to the country soon and I'll have to switch from digital cable to Expressvu or SC.

Is there any difference in the PQ with the HD channels? I know Iceberg call Expressvu "Compressvu" and has a sub with SC so I wonder if it's for this or other reasons? Some of you have tried both I guess also.

thanks

 

[Mr Tony]

hee hee

I havent seen HD on either but I know ExpressVu uses Dish Network equipment (you do need a ExpressVu box to make it work) and they put 12 channels on a transponder, which makes the picture look like mush. hence the slam "compressvu"

StarChoice puts 7-9 channels on a transponder so they look cleaner.

 

[Remington]

I see, interesting...

That's for the standard tv or HDTV also ? (12 chan/TP)

 

[Mr Tony]

no. HD is 2-3 HD per Transponder

HD takes up more bandwidth so its normally 2 pr TP but they may squeeze 3 on it

 

[Remington]

Yeah it make sense.
I am still not sure wich one to get, I'll check the listings.

 

[miguelaqui]

I have had both. HDFANATIC also has seen both.

First of all, with the DSR 530, I saw lots of video noise on with *C

As far as HD, *C has native resolution, which seemed to give me a better picture on my 52' 720p DLP.
I get the best results with a EV 9200 by putting the receiver on 1080i, I'm not sure as to why.

EV has lots more channels, but they also charge more.

If you are looking into getting a DVR, I would definitely go with EV. The DSR 530 sucks!

 

[Kryspy]

Same here,

I have had both and believe me I wanted to love Starchoice as I despise dealing with Bell as a company.

The truth is that Starchoice SD is horrible to my eyes for the most part and their HD was identical to ExpressVU in quality...... unfortunately Starchoice barely has any when compared to ExpressVU.

I am viewing ExpressVO on a 52 inch Panasonic rear LCD (720p).

Starchoice would be a fantastice choice if they were bought out by someone with a vision.

Hands down, ExpressVU all the way and the 9200 is a fantastic PVR.

Kryspy

 

[Satellite Expert]

Ah yes - the old 720p vs 1080i discussion.

There are more variations in PQ due to chipset differences in different models of HD receivers from the same supplier.

Examples:
Echostar 6000 vs 9200 PQ differences
Motorola 4XX/HDD20X lower noise floor vs DSR 5XX series (But like all chipsets of that era 4XX receivers have the red chroma bug)

 

[miguelaqui]

Due to the fact that so many people love Star Choice, I decided to write my true opinion.

1. Although some call Expressvu “Compressvu,” I thought the picture on EV was overall better than with *C in standard definition. Specifically video noise; light fuzz around images. There were also little black dots when red or yellow writing was on the screen. I did not notice this with my 27”, but I could really see it with my 52” DLP. I tried 3 different receivers, 2 530s and one 505. The French locals were the worst.

2. The DVR is a disappointment. Here are a few problems. A. Missed recordings on consecutive programs. B. Random lockups. C. The time remaining on the disc is often incorrect. D. There is no “memory dump” recording; you can’t watch a program, decide you want to record it, then rewind it and hit record.

3. My broker has called twice about downgrading my programming, but they still are billing me for a higher grade of service.

I know people always ay positive things about *C. I just wanted to warn those who might be deciding between *C and EV.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I have been busy trying to get some technical problems solved as well as other business for the last several weeks and have not had a ton of time to compare much between BEV and SC.

In fact, in all honesty, my comparison is has just been the 1 HD Premium Movie Channel and I have been trying to digest what is really going on.

I have a 1080i Sony CRT that is reference quality and I can clearly see the difference in the 720p and 1080i material of BEV and SC. To put it in simplistic terms, its like another layer of light fog has been removed - or the sharpness is just a bit better.

There are some other things going on that I am trying to get to the bottom of that I do not have answer on yet which might help to explain some additional details - but that's all I can add with confidence right now.