Output Resolution

tornado

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Jan 13, 2004
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I just noticed my Hopper 3 is outputting 1080i over HDMI to my 1080p plasma. Did connecting the component output to a second television change the HDMI output? Before I connected the component video output to the second television I thought the Hopper 3 was outputting 1080p over HDMI to my 1080p plasma.
 
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Did connecting the component output to a second television change the HDMI output?

No, nothing changed when you connected the component output. 1080i is the normal output of the H3 via HDMI or component. The only time the H3 outputs 1080p (or 4K) is when you select a PPV/VOD title that is available in 1080p (or 4K).
 
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I guess with two answers, that confirms it. I knew the channels only went as high as 1080i, but I thought the Hopper 3 output in 1080p. Thanks for the answer.
 
Its been reported even Wikipedia page, Dish doesn't do full 1920x1080i but downsamples to 1440x1080i to reduce transmission bandwidth. According to Wikipedia last full resolution channels to downsample was HBO back in September 2007.
 
It's a valid format for HD. However, even a full 1920X1080i at a lower bit rate will look WORSE than 1440X1080i at a higher bit rate. "HD Lite" can be a good compromise if at a sufficient bit rate. Further, Sat cos and cable cos can have hadware and software in the STB's (receiver boxes) that can make-up for any changes in color pallete, etc. or any other loss due to its transmission in lower resolution or reduced luminence or reduced chromanance data in the stream. In other words, HD Lite can look nearly as good as 1920X1080i with the right hardware and software. Some of the latest STB's with the latest in processing tech can restore to a very high degree and increase PQ without anything changing from the transmission process. Resolution aint what it is all aboutm necessarily; bit rate can affect PQ far more than we think, along with the processing from the STB before it is spit out to our TV's. FWIW, many OTA main channels have PQ at least as bad as MVPD's transmitting less than full resolution because those OTA's now have 3 or 4 sub-channels that take a terrible toll on the main channel. Sometimes far more sub-channels (like 10 or 12+, yes we have that here in LA) can be acheived by using a competitor's RF channel that is down-mapped to another broadacaster's virtual channel.
 
My locals are getting insufficient bitrate out of Sioux Falls. I contacted the ABC station because of visual artifacts like transparent halo around players during football game. I explained the ESPN stream online didn't have same issue.
Surprisingly the station manager contacted me before game was over and had station techs look into it. They compared their feed coming in and going out and said they were identical so conclusion was the Dish broadcast was at fault.
I think being small market they've tuned the bandwidth down on the spot beam. Its very annoying the artifacts mostly occur on movement so now considering moving back to Directv even though I just purchased a HWS.
 
...Sat cos and cable cos can have hadware and software in the STB's (receiver boxes) that can make-up for any changes in color pallete, etc. or any other loss due to its transmission in lower resolution or reduced luminence or reduced chromanance data in the stream. In other words, HD Lite can look nearly as good as 1920X1080i with the right hardware and software.

I agree with the first part of your comment but not this part. Once resolution, luminence or other things are stripped out nothing out there is going to add it back in like the original. If I compare my OTA locals vs the Dish locals it is very obvious there is loss of sharpness and detail, more macroblocking and compression artifacts as well as loss of color saturation.

Let's face it, as large TVs get cheaper and cheaper and more people buy them the quality of picture from cable and satellite is going down hill.
 
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