HD Channels in Dish Family? (1 Viewer)
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and just so you know the DIsh website is wrong (they now list it in HD but it isnt)
Indeed. Their website is regularly wrong. Frustratingly wrong.
But at least it looks nicer...
Ehh as nice as that would be, I can't see that happening. There are still tons of SD TVs out there, and there are ways to still buy them. Believe it or not HD TV subscribers are still in the minority. Hell most of the old SD TVs will probably outlive our new HD TV sets. My grandmother had a console TV (those gigantic wooden ones) that lasted her 25 years before she finally got an HD TV. Granted, she had to hit the old one with a shoe every other day to make it work properly
. She was amazed when she got her first HD TV. If she manages to keep the HD TV for longer than 6-10 years before it breaks she'll be lucky. I don't think any amount of shoe banging will fix it either if/when it goes lol.
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I am not going to dispute the SD TV longevity. However, virtually all over-the-air stations now must broadcast in digital which requires a digital conversion box. All televisions purchased today are HD. We have two HD TVs and two old SD TVs with digital converter boxes.
It is not only Dish who is inconsistent with HD/SD. Some local stations broadcast the SD signal in a letterbox format. On an SD television, there are black bars at the top and bottom. On an HD television, there are black bars on all four sides. Other stations broadcast the SD signal in a way that the left and right sides of the image are cut off. I still cannot figure out why some stations broadcast an SD signal when they claim to be HD. For example, our local PBS station will broadcast The This Old House Hour in HD on Thursday night on 39.1. Saturday morning, they split the hour into This Old House and Ask This Old House which are broadcast in SD on 39.1.
Our local Fox station broadcasts in 720p, but Dish gives us the SD version with the left/right sides cut off. Usually not a problem except when you are watching a baseball or football game and you can only read half the score.
I know bandwidth is an issue, but all other things being equal, it would make more sense to me for all stations to be broadcast in letterbox form. SD signals would have black bars at the top and bottom. Those with HD TV could zoom in on the SD image. HD broadcasts would fill the screen.
It is not only Dish who is inconsistent with HD/SD. Some local stations broadcast the SD signal in a letterbox format. On an SD television, there are black bars at the top and bottom. On an HD television, there are black bars on all four sides. Other stations broadcast the SD signal in a way that the left and right sides of the image are cut off. I still cannot figure out why some stations broadcast an SD signal when they claim to be HD. For example, our local PBS station will broadcast The This Old House Hour in HD on Thursday night on 39.1. Saturday morning, they split the hour into This Old House and Ask This Old House which are broadcast in SD on 39.1.
Our local Fox station broadcasts in 720p, but Dish gives us the SD version with the left/right sides cut off. Usually not a problem except when you are watching a baseball or football game and you can only read half the score.
I know bandwidth is an issue, but all other things being equal, it would make more sense to me for all stations to be broadcast in letterbox form. SD signals would have black bars at the top and bottom. Those with HD TV could zoom in on the SD image. HD broadcasts would fill the screen.
Ok so the Government requires all OTA to be broadcast using a digital signal. Given the amount of SD programing I see I'm assuming the government doesn't require the actual programming to be HD.
It does aggrevate me when a nationally syndicated TV show is broadcast In 4:3, Dr. Oz comes to mind. Have no clue why it is not in 16:9 HD.
I have to admit as aggravating as it is changing the aspect would probanly distort the picture
Ross
Sent from my rooted DROIDX (Liberty Gingerbread) using SatelliteGuys
It does aggrevate me when a nationally syndicated TV show is broadcast In 4:3, Dr. Oz comes to mind. Have no clue why it is not in 16:9 HD.
I have to admit as aggravating as it is changing the aspect would probanly distort the picture
Ross
Sent from my rooted DROIDX (Liberty Gingerbread) using SatelliteGuys
That is correct. Oz is in HD. It wasn't on my local affiliate for a while, I contacted them and asked why. They were unaware that it was an HD presentation. They immediately fixed it.
for some smaller stations it is harder (or impossible) to capture the HD feed of a syndicated program. Syndicated programs are sent days in advance and at random times usually early morning for the station to grab the feed and get commercials inserted. When I had my C-Band (big dish) up I use to watch them all the time (still do once in a while). Always like watching Maury at 9PM instead of at noon on the local station
Anywho it does cost the affiliate more to take the HD feed so maybe they aren't paying for that feed. I know the one station I pick up (CBS main Fox subchannel) unless its a direct from the network it wont be in HD. They dont have the capability to do HD on non network programming
Beating a dead horse here, but I was actually watching Dr. Oz earlier today in HD on the local ABC.
joining in....
if anything, they should give the HD channels in the Welcome/Family pack to customers that own their equipment. Damn, if you buy all your equipment and install it yourself, WTH not-- they are not subsidizing you. would say it is the least they could do, but do not want to pose a challenge.
For $5 more you can have all HD, with "Dish America" you'll be missing some of the channels in the welcome pack(Outdoor, Hallmark,RFD) but what you do have will be HD
also the Dish America doesn't require auto-pay paperless to have the HDFor $5 more you can have all HD, with "Dish America" you'll be missing some of the channels in the welcome pack(Outdoor, Hallmark,RFD) but what you do have will be HD
$10
Family Pack 24.99
Dish America 34.99
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