HD / Picture Quality

dmurray

New Member
Original poster
Oct 9, 2005
2
0
I have a very old DishNetwork receiver (not sure what model, all it has is DV3 on the front) and a newer Sony HDTV (XBR40).

Currently, the picture quality is terrible. Lots of artifacts. Watching sports (like a football game) is the worst.

Will I see improvements in the picture if I upgraded my receiver to a 301 or any other non-HD receiver (but newer than the one I have)?

Will the picture improve if I get an HD receiver (921) but do not subscribe to the HD package?

Thanks.
 
501 or 508

What about the 501 or 508? How is the picture quality for SD channels on an HDTV with these receivers?
 
Welcome to SatelliteGuys...None of these Receivers will improve your SD PQ... you will need to get your set calibrated or get the Avia dvd to improve your PQ. On an HD set you need an HD receiver... I have a 921 a 501 and a 2700 when hooked to my HD set the differences are very slight...
 
You will notice a difference in PQ with any of the HD receivers (811, 921 or 942) only. They all up-convert all Standard Definition programming to HD at either 720p or 1080i, better than most HDTV's. If you then watch a HDTV signal the improvement is even measurably better then that. You've spent the money on the new TV, now you've got to spend a little more to fully enjoy its capabilities.
 
I haven't seen any improvement in SD from either an 811 or 921 vs a 4900 or 510 standard definition receiver. In fact, on both of my TVs, the SD quality from my 811 is better when I use the s-video output from the 811 vs the DVI-D output.

So when I watch HD, I use my set's HDMI inputs, or component. But when I watch SD, I switch over to the s-video connection. Significantly cleaner picture. Several others have reported the same findings here in many different threads on the 811.

To the original poster, if you are using the s-video output from your receiver, then it will be essentially the same as any Dish receiver's s-video output. I've owned the following Dish receivers: 4000, Dishplayer 7100, 4700, 4900, 510, and 811, and I've tested a 921, and the s-video outputs on SD channels were essentially the same on all of them.

If by "Sony XBR40" you mean the large Sony 40" CRT set, well, images on that set weren't all that sharp to begin with. Sony had a number of problems getting the geometry correct (they never did) and I always found that picture to be a bit soft. Sony discontinued it last year. If you are using the coax/RF connector or the composite video (RCA jack) to connect the receiver to the Sony, then those do degrade the image. You definitely want to be using the s-video connector. If your receiver is a very old one that doesn't have an s-video out, then picking up a 301 or a used 4900 would be a good idea.

Or see if you can get a low-cost lease on the 811. If you live near a city, odds are that you can pick up some HD locals by using an antenna and then you'll get a much better picture on the Sony. And consider picking up the HD pack from Dish, they have been offering it at half-price for a year for new HD subs.
 
I found the Dish 2700's s-video output PQ to be inferior to the SD output from any connection on my Dish 811. OTOH, my 4700's s-video output is equal to or better than the 811's s-video output. In general though, the s-video output from almost all Dish receivers is about the same, which, with a good source like movie channels, is excellent.