HDTV and Analog Dish Signal

[azurehi]

I have the Dish 625 receiver and presently use two analog sets. I am considering buying an HDTV but Not adding Dish HD at the moment. I want to avoid black bars at the top or sides when watching (mainly) the Network Shows. Is it better, in this regard, to buy a 720 or 1080 HDTV? I realize that any HDTV will have some aspect ratio settings. Will an analog signal look better on a 720 or 1080 HDTV.

Thanks for any help.

 

[3HaloODST]

Dish TV will look a lot worse on a 625 vs a 622/722/722k. Even non-HD programming. So that's something to consider. You could always upgrade to HD programming to get an HD receiver then downgrade back, that is, if you're willing to live without HD once you see it.

Sent from my iPad 2 using Forum Runner

 

[Teehar]

as 3halo mentioned,the sd video from the 625 to an HD tv isn't going to look good.The larger the tv the worse the picture will be.It doesn't make any difference if the tv is 720p or 1080p.

 

[caam1]

720p or 1080p will not make a big difference. Analog video will not look as good on a HD flatscreen as it does on an analog CRT set. Some sets seem to handle SD video better than others. The only way to fill a 16x9 HD TV screen with SD 4x3 video is to Zoom or Strech it, which in my opinion makes it worse than the black bars on the sides.

 

[Teehar]

720p or 1080p will not make a big difference. Analog video will not look as good on a HD flatscreen as it does on an analog CRT set. Some sets seem to handle SD video better than others. The only way to fill a 16x9 HD TV screen with SD 4x3 video is to Zoom or Strech it, which in my opinion makes it worse than the black bars on the sides.

Yea,a zoomed sd picture on an hd tv.....yuck!

 

[KAB]

An HDTV will mostly be a waste of money if you don't get HD service....only value would be with OTA and Blu-ray.

 

[Mr Tony]

with a 625 you can't zoom or stretch anything with the receiver. Network programming will have black bars on top and bottom
Non HD programming depending on how Dish locals are setup will either have black bars around it or Dish will zoom the picture on their end

 

[TheKrell]

Agree with all of the advice above. I had a 625 when I bought my very first flat panel HDTV, which was a Westinghouse. I fed the svideo output of the 625 to the Westinghouse, and (other than the black pillars) it did a decent job. Next, I replaced my bedroom CRT TV with a Sylvania, and I couldn't stand the s-video output of my 501. Replaced the Sylvania with a Vizio and we were reasonably happy again. If you go from a big CRT to an equal size picture on an HDTV, the picture should NOT get any worse! If it does, the scaler in your HDTV isn't worth doggy poop.

Anyhow, bottom line, it can be done. Be forwarned. Once you get an HDTV and start seeing the PQ difference, you are on a slippery slope and pretty soon everybody in your household will want an HD source on an HD set.

 

[3HaloODST]

Even with a decent scaler, SD content looks a lot better on the HD receivers than the SD receivers even with S-Video. The S-Video just makes the flaws in the picture stand out even more. Example, "mosquito noise" on the MPEG2 SD channels (which is all the SD receivers will pick up.) The HD receivers do a good job at processing the signal in a way to where the "mosquito noise" is virtually unnoticeable. Then there's the MPEG4 SD channels on EA, which also looks better, albeit at a slightly lower resolution, the MPEG4 processing makes up for it.

 

[DishSubLA]

While the SD boxes don't have any "Stretch" feature, your HDTV will have options to stretch or zoom your picture to best fit the screen.

 

[Tampa8]

All very solid advice little to add except, since HD can be free, why not get it?

 

[Scherrman]

All very solid advice little to add except, since HD can be free, why not get it?

I agree. We sign up people for Free HD even if they don't have an HDTV. Might as well if it's free and now you're set up when you get a new TV.

 

[3HaloODST]

In a lot of cases the HD receiver upgrade is free as well.