HD observations so far...

[davec53]

i've only had the 622 and HD package for a couple of months now, but here's what i think so far.

there are STRIKING differences between the HD channels that have SD counterparts on Dish...ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, FoodTV, etc. the HD versions just blow me away, period.

i really enjoy the Rave channel, and I also love the Discovery HD channel. there's a few others scattered in there that are pretty good too. all in all, we seem to be watching quite a bit of the HD package.

now, here's one of the things that is a let down. the movie channels, HBO, Starz, and Showtime, all look far better in HD than do the SD versions of those channels, BUT...even when they broadcast a movie that is supposed to be in HD (according to TitanTV), to me, there's no real improvement, to me, over watching that same movie via a DVD player hooked up via Component. i guess i was expecting that a HD movie coming from an HD movie channel would be right up there with what a Blu Ray or HD-DVD movie would look like, but I have to believe that what we're seeing through Dish broadcasts on the movie channels isn't quite up to the High Def DVD platform.

so, is the big difference between say content on Discovery or ESPN HD and content on like HBO HD due to the fact that the content on Discovery and ESPN was actually SHOT in HD, while the movies may not have been?

anyway, overall, i'm very happy, and now i'm just looking forward to getting the locals out of Lexington, KY in HD (which who knows when that will happen) and some other new HD content.

 

[gdarwin]

What kind and size HD tv are you watching the HD channels on?

 

[davec53]

What kind and size HD tv are you watching the HD channels on?

i have a sony 50 inch, projection LCD. it is the Sony KDF-E50A10, and i've had it for just over a year.

i guess people's expectations or interpretations will vary...i was just expecting to be more blown away by movies in HD than i have been so far. in contrast, i'm absolutely astounded by the quality on the channels such as ESPN and FoodTV, for example. not all of the programming, of course, but much of it. and for my money, it doesn't get much better than Discovery HD. WOW.

 

[Kaydigi]

i have a sony 50 inch, projection LCD. it is the Sony KDF-E50A10, and i've had it for just over a year.

i guess people's expectations or interpretations will vary...i was just expecting to be more blown away by movies in HD than i have been so far. in contrast, i'm absolutely astounded by the quality on the channels such as ESPN and FoodTV, for example. not all of the programming, of course, but much of it. and for my money, it doesn't get much better than Discovery HD. WOW.

From a movie stand point a lot of your source material will vary. Have you tried out a HD-DVD or Blue Ray to see if you get the wow factor on your setup? A lot of people over at AVS are raving about the picture quality from the HD-DVD version of the Hulk.

 

[Julien]

You may be confusing the softer look of film telecine to HD with video HD.

Film has more than enough resolution for HD (it is theorized that 35mm is equil to about 4000 lines vs. 1080 for HD video) but it still looks like film and doesn't have the pop or wow factor of HD video.

 

[davec53]

You may be confusing the softer look of film telecine to HD with video HD.

Film has more than enough resolution for HD (it is theorized that 35mm is equil to about 4000 lines vs. 1080 for HD video) but it still looks like film and doesn't have the pop or wow factor of HD video.

i suspected that this was more in line with what was going on. i imagine that the content that is shown on say ESPN or FoodTV or DiscoveryHD was shot with cameras specifically designed for HD content, not film. that's why it just "pops" off the screen and looks so vibrant.

i'm not saying the HD movie channels look BAD...they look way better than the SD versions. i'm just saying that i can't tell a LOT of difference between the HD movie channels and watching those same movies on a regular DVD player (no upconverting). i haven't seen the High Def dvd players yet...i'd like to, though.

 

[KKlare]

Hate to bring this up but have you checked your output resolution? If your TV does not tell you it is getting 1080i or 720p, as appropriate, then you need to go through the menus and select it rather than 480 lines. This will greatly improve your viewing--your HiDef-ness.
-Ken

 

[davec53]

Hate to bring this up but have you checked your output resolution? If your TV does not tell you it is getting 1080i or 720p, as appropriate, then you need to go through the menus and select it rather than 480 lines. This will greatly improve your viewing--your HiDef-ness.
-Ken

i don't think this is it. i've set up my 622 to output at 720p and 1080i, to compare a little bit. i'm definitely getting good HiDef-ness...i'm just not as blown away by the movie channels as i am by the other networks i've mentioned.

i'm not saying they aren't better than my DVD player...just that the difference between the DVD and the same movie on a HD channel is not nearly as much, in my opinion, as the difference between a program on ESPN SD and ESPN HD, for example.

 

[KKlare]

I find Stars and some Showtime soft compared to HBO. (HBO is not what it was, either.) Voom was degraded but is still better than most except on some grainy old movies.
-Ken