DTV Reception Quality

[buckeyes]

I want to get some opinions from some of you who are veterans of the HDTV and DTV scene. I have been with DirecTV for about six years. I recentely purchased a Hitachi 51SWX20B HDTV monitor. I am happy with the HD package from DirecTV as far as the picture quality, but a lot of the other channels seem less than optimum. Does anyone else have the same issues? My OTA reception is very good. I live in Riverview, and I can receive all the HD channels(including CBS)from just an antenna that sits on top of my TV. Is this something that would be corrected with ISF calibration, or is there something more to it? I have read that DirecTV's signal is not what it used to be. Thanks for any input.

[jaymer]

One thing you could try is a line doubler.
I have the Zinwell Brite View - its purpose is to help improve the resultion of lower quality channels.
Your newer TV might already have this built into it and it might not make any difference - or, based on how much they DID build into your set, it might help a lot.

You're welcome to borrow it and see if it improves your satisfaction - it might save you money in the long run. Cost from me if you liked it would be $340.
Do a search at AVS Forum or elsewhere for info.

jaymer...

[passedpawn]

I want to get some opinions from some of you who are veterans of the HDTV and DTV scene. I have been with DirecTV for about six years. I recentely purchased a Hitachi 51SWX20B HDTV monitor. I am happy with the HD package from DirecTV as far as the picture quality, but a lot of the other channels seem less than optimum. Does anyone else have the same issues? My OTA reception is very good. I live in Riverview, and I can receive all the HD channels(including CBS)from just an antenna that sits on top of my TV. Is this something that would be corrected with ISF calibration, or is there something more to it? I have read that DirecTV's signal is not what it used to be. Thanks for any input.

Bad news, bro. DirectTV compresses the sh** out of their signals to get them all over the air. That compression, which is lossy, is dialed up to a point just below the pain threshold for normal TV sets. On a big one, like yours, those standard channels are likely not going to look better.

I don't have DirectTV.

ISF'ing your TV is a good idea if you want to get the absolute best resolution out of your TV, expecially for DVD and HD material. I would guess that it would NOT make an appreciable difference in your problem. BTW, some of the major "difference makers" in calibrating your TV you can easily do yourself (i.e., convergence).

I would bet the farm your TV has an internal line doubler (I don't think I've ever seen a HD-Ready TV that did not automatically convert the interlaced NTSC signal to a progressive frame picture.)

Have you considered cable? Maybe it looks better?

[buckeyes]

Thanks for the feedback. I kind of figured the issue was with my DirecTV reception. I have the year commitment to DTV, but I may take the hit and go with BH. Although I hate the cable company and there seemingly twice a year rate increases, it may be worth it to get great reception. Thanks again.

[passedpawn]

Thanks for the feedback. I kind of figured the issue was with my DirecTV reception. I have the year commitment to DTV, but I may take the hit and go with BH. Although I hate the cable company and there seemingly twice a year rate increases, it may be worth it to get great reception. Thanks again.

Don't assume you'll like the picture on BHN better. My cable is barely watchable. (It looks great on the 25", not on the 65")

Since I started picking up HD over the air, I have almost completely shifted to watching everything that way. I can't stand watching normal cable on my TV. I really could get rid of cable except for:

1) CNN, which I pretty much ignore until the next global disaster, when it is the greatest thing ever, and

2) Disney Channel / Cartoon Network / etc., for the continuous degeneration of my children.

[FTBoomerIII]

Hey passedpawn,

Do you prefer OTA to even the 6xx channels from BHN?

[passedpawn]

Hey passedpawn,

Do you prefer OTA to even the 6xx channels from BHN?

I don't have a cable box, so I can't comment on any digital cable channel.

I prefer OTA to any analog (ch. < 100) cable channel. I would guess that cable HD would be great, but I am still waiting for a good reason to go that way. OTA works great for me, so why change?

I blast cable a lot, but I don't have digital cable so maybe the digital (non-HD) channels might look clearer on my TV. I know they are compressing them (lossy) a lot. Some day I'll get a box and see how those channels look.

[JCHDTV]

Well I have DirecTV with a HD satellite dish (3 LNB) and OTA HD with a Terk 55 antenna and I too have a crappy picture unless HD channels are viewed. Although the Bucs game last night (that's another story) was kind of weird. I was watching it in HD on ABC (OTA) but it came in only at 720P then when I switched to DirecTV ESPN which I do not have the HD package the picture actually looked the same and also came in at 720P. I thought in order to get the HD picture you had to subscribe to the HD package for DirecTV? Anybody have incite on this?

[Bschneider]

Well I have DirecTV with a HD satellite dish (3 LNB) and OTA HD with a Terk 55 antenna and I too have a crappy picture unless HD channels are viewed. Although the Bucs game last night (that's another story) was kind of weird. I was watching it in HD on ABC (OTA) but it came in only at 720P then when I switched to DirecTV ESPN which I do not have the HD package the picture actually looked the same and also came in at 720P. I thought in order to get the HD picture you had to subscribe to the HD package for DirecTV? Anybody have incite on this?

JCHDTV,

Do you realize that if you watched the game on ABC (OTA) it was NOT in HD? And if you switched to channel 206 (ESPN) on DirecTV to watch the game it was also NOT in HD. The only channel that you could have watched the game in HD was channel 73 on DirecTV. Since you said that you do not have the HD Package, then what you saw was a crappy picture of the game no matter how you look at it. ABC (OTA) was only passing an SD picture of the game, basically taken channel 206 and putting it OTA.

PS. Yes..for those of you thinking.. I know they really didn't pass channel 206.. but you get the point.

[JCHDTV]

Yes I know it was not 1080i but it did come across on my reciever as being 720P on both channels. It was not the best picture either but it was a bit better than my regular DirecTV channels. It looks like the picture had been converted or something because there was a blue glow around a lot of players and weird things I normally don't see watching 720p.

[bdraw]

Yes I know it was not 1080i but it did come across on my reciever as being 720P on both channels. It was not the best picture either but it was a bit better than my regular DirecTV channels. It looks like the picture had been converted or something because there was a blue glow around a lot of players and weird things I normally don't see watching 720p.

The local ABC station upconverts all 480i signals to 720p. It is not HD but it is better than 480i SD.

[Bschneider]

In case anybody is wondering.. our local ABC gets the ESPN 480i directly from ESPN satellite.

[dprice]

I had the weird blue ghosting on WFTS (ch 11) over BHN cable. The picture was so bad we watched it on ch 628 which seemed a little better.

Don

[racemanfl]

I have BH and the picture was awful on both channels Jerry

[JBtampa]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I watched the game in high-def on ESPN-HD, on Dish Network. ESPN-HD mirrors ESPN, and much of the content is true HD and not upconverted. Not that I'm pushing Dish....

[Bschneider]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I watched the game in high-def on ESPN-HD, on Dish Network. ESPN-HD mirrors ESPN, and much of the content is true HD and not upconverted. Not that I'm pushing Dish....

The same could be said of DirecTV. ESPN-HD is a mirror ESPN.. However, I must point out that there is only 2 or 3 maybe 4 programs each week that is true HD (not counting the reruns or replays of Playmakers) that is not on ESPN. The rest of the content IS upconverted on ESPN-HD. ESPN is still only 480i.

[buckeyes]

It's rare to see more than two to three events per week in HD on ESPN. I read somewhere that they (ESPN)are building a new studio that will allow them to broadcast Sportcenter in HD next year. I hope this is true. They need moe HD content on ESPN HD. Without it, it kind of defeats the purpose.

[mikeymo]

Being a transplanted BROWNS fan I subscribe to the NFL Sunday Ticket on D***. I also have the NBA (I want to watch Labron). These pictures are virtually not watchable. What a shame. :x