No HDMI. No Component. What to do ?

[ARich123]

I was briefly writing because I had a small question. I tried to find the answer to this question for a few hours before I ventured out as my first post to write here. You all seem very knowledgeable in comparison to me, so I figured I would send up a flare and see if anyone responds.

I am currently a DishNetwork customer, and I recently bought a Plasma TV. However, to my dismay, the best connection that I can currently get to/from the receiver to the plasma is s-video. No HDMI, No Component.

So, I called up DishNetwork and asked them if I could get an upgraded box. I didn't want the HD channels, I just wanted to be able to connect a HDMI cable between the TV and the receiver. No luck. They want lots extra money per month, as well as charging me up front for a new satellite (?), new receiver. I also don't want the HD channels, which I am required to have if I want the HDMI capable unit.

Then I began to look online at receivers on eBay ... and it seems that there are several write ups about "Do Not Buy Receivers on eBay"

Bottom Line

Is there anything I can do to get a Dual DVR Receiver with HDMI, without paying a lot of money and feeling like I'm getting ripped off ?

Any insight you can give me would be very helpful.

Thanks,
A.R.

 

[ARich123]

... in addition

I'd like to also add that the primary reason for wanting the HDMI is for the resolution and picture clarity as well as the better audio. Currently, it looks terrible for how much I paid for it

If it helps responding to the question, the TV is a 50' Hitachi Plasma. It has 1080i HD. On the back it has a very large variety of cable possibilities.

Thanks Again !

 

[charper1]

If you are not going to have any HD; then there is no need for the component , DVI or HDMI connection; thus their unwillingness to provide it. You could try adding HD for a month, get the upgraded box and then cancel the HD programming at the end of the month. Seems like a lot of trouble though for nothing IMHO; and they may charge you in some way; not sure.

 

[Jim S.]

An overcompressed SD picture will look like crap on a 50" TV no matter what cable you connect it with. In fact, some people say using the composite connection to a HD display will smooth SD pictures out a little, but at 50" I'd say it's probably hopeless. I can't imagine why, at that size, you don't want HD. I also don't know what audio improvement you're expecting, as I suspect your TV only has 2 speakers. (I have no idea whether the SD receivers have digital audio outputs for a surround-sound receiver, because such things weren't common back when I owned an SD receiver before dropping Dish for a long time.)

 

[Peter Parker]

I don't understand. It sounds like you bougt a 50 inch plasma but want to use it to watch SD programming. Is that correct? i am sorry but SD generally looks worse when it is blown up to 50 inches and displayed on a screen designed for an HD picture.

Why not take advantage of what you purchased and feed it an HD picture? If you can't quite afford that it would have been better to buys say a 37 inh set and feed it an HD picture.