# Just got Dish HD and 622...i dont feel the "wow" factor...



## <>< (Feb 6, 2007)

Well, i just got vip622 installed and got the HD package. After everything was setup I decided to browse the HD channels and i was like "eh, this is it?" To give you a background, I have a HD-DVD player and the quality is amazing, I have also tried an OTA Antenna and to me that OTA Antenna had better quality than the local/hd channels i receive thru dish. There's a lot of blocking that I can notice and its not as sharp as what im used to High Definition looking...
I don't know if the installation had anything to do w/ it or not, but he used the same cable I had in my room and used 2 splitters or something behind the receiver. Does that cause any degradation in quality? Also, under the HDTV settings for the receiver, i have it set at 16:9, 1080i, 4:3#1.
Any settings to improve the picture quality? Looking at ESPN HD, even the logo on the bottom right had some jagged edges....tho it was only on the espn channel i noticed that.

My tv model is the sony kdl-40xbr2 and its connected thru HDMI.

Thanks


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Compared to HD-DVD and OTA HD, the satellite provided HD will be a bit less 'wowing' unfortunately.


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## SonicBee777 (Aug 2, 2006)

Broadcast HD will probably not look as good as your HD-DVD for a long time, if ever. Also, not everything on the HD channels is always actually HD, with the exception of HDNet. Especially during daytime hours, it can be difficult to find actual HD programming. 

Try pushing your Guide button until you have "All HD" selected then surf just the HD channels. Also keep in mind that HD does not necessarily mean widescreen (16:9). You could see some HD in 4:3 aspect ratio, with side pillars even.


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## jsk (Dec 27, 2006)

I guess that's one reason I haven't upgraded to HDTV. I look around in the stores and see lots of pixelation and bad pictures on the demo units. Standard def shows seem to look worse on HDTV sets and that is still the majority of the programming out there today, so I see no reason to upgrade. I was considering getting the 622 just for the extra OTA digital channels, but decided that wasn't worth it either because I would have to pay the HD enabling fee.


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## ubankit (Jan 7, 2005)

<><;828883 said:


> Well, i just got vip622 installed and got the HD package. After everything was setup I decided to browse the HD channels and i was like "eh, this is it?" To give you a background, I have a HD-DVD player and the quality is amazing, I have also tried an OTA Antenna and to me that OTA Antenna had better quality than the local/hd channels i receive thru dish. There's a lot of blocking that I can notice and its not as sharp as what im used to High Definition looking...
> I don't know if the installation had anything to do w/ it or not, but he used the same cable I had in my room and used 2 splitters or something behind the receiver. Does that cause any degradation in quality? Also, under the HDTV settings for the receiver, i have it set at 16:9, 1080i, 4:3#1.
> Any settings to improve the picture quality? Looking at ESPN HD, even the logo on the bottom right had some jagged edges....tho it was only on the espn channel i noticed that.
> 
> ...


I would set the 622 output to "16x9" and not "4x3" (IIRC you can only have one of those set at a time), you might also try changing to "720p" on the 622 and see it that makes any difference. I would also guess (since I don't have an HD-DVD player) that the dvd would be the "gold standard" picture (since it's 1080p) and everything else just won't match that. If you can hook your ota directly to your Sony and view a network hd show this will give you an idea of the "best" picture you can get and compare this to what you're getting thru your hd locals. I also believe there are some problems if you are receiving your hd locals thru the 129 satellite in the Atlanta area, do a search on the forum for more info.


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## Dishguy2001 (Feb 10, 2007)

<><;828883 said:


> Well, i just got vip622 installed and got the HD package. After everything was setup I decided to browse the HD channels and i was like "eh, this is it?" To give you a background, I have a HD-DVD player and the quality is amazing, I have also tried an OTA Antenna and to me that OTA Antenna had better quality than the local/hd channels i receive thru dish. There's a lot of blocking that I can notice and its not as sharp as what im used to High Definition looking...
> I don't know if the installation had anything to do w/ it or not, but he used the same cable I had in my room and used 2 splitters or something behind the receiver. Does that cause any degradation in quality? Also, under the HDTV settings for the receiver, i have it set at 16:9, 1080i, 4:3#1.
> Any settings to improve the picture quality? Looking at ESPN HD, even the logo on the bottom right had some jagged edges....tho it was only on the espn channel i noticed that.
> 
> ...


The same cables are fine and the "two splitters" are actually one diplexer or combiner and one separator....this is to combine 2 sat signals and your non HD tv2 output onto one cable.... the tv2 is then separated back off and ran to the tv 2 cable.

As for sharpness try the Rush channel and dischd they normally brodcast in HD while many channels do not. Just remember if the film was not shot in HD then it will never be HD.


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## <>< (Feb 6, 2007)

well, after some more HDTVing :O it seems like it all depends from show to show, channel to channel....Simone was on HDNMV and the quality was really good, sharp, clear...smallville is fun to watch in HD, although it has a lot of noise....
there also seems to be a lot of pixelization on fast moving shots, but i guess that's b/c of the compression dish uses...
not bad, im enjoying 

edit: also, is there an difference btwn the lowered # channels to the higher # channels of the locals in HD?


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## odawgx (Dec 12, 2006)

jsk said:


> I guess that's one reason I haven't upgraded to HDTV. I look around in the stores and see lots of pixelation and bad pictures on the demo units. Standard def shows seem to look worse on HDTV sets and that is still the majority of the programming out there today, so I see no reason to upgrade. I was considering getting the 622 just for the extra OTA digital channels, but decided that wasn't worth it either because I would have to pay the HD enabling fee.


I definitely would have upgraded and the picture looks great on many channels. I was watching CSI:Miami on A&E HD today and it looked great.

The pixellation you see at the stores is because they don't use a pure HD signal as you would get at home. They usually split their connection. Just look behind the TV next time you're there and check out what kind of source they are using.


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## Hound (Mar 20, 2005)

<><;828883 said:


> Well, i just got vip622 installed and got the HD package. After everything was setup I decided to browse the HD channels and i was like "eh, this is it?" To give you a background, I have a HD-DVD player and the quality is amazing, I have also tried an OTA Antenna and to me that OTA Antenna had better quality than the local/hd channels i receive thru dish. There's a lot of blocking that I can notice and its not as sharp as what im used to High Definition looking...
> I don't know if the installation had anything to do w/ it or not, but he used the same cable I had in my room and used 2 splitters or something behind the receiver. Does that cause any degradation in quality? Also, under the HDTV settings for the receiver, i have it set at 16:9, 1080i, 4:3#1.
> Any settings to improve the picture quality? Looking at ESPN HD, even the logo on the bottom right had some jagged edges....tho it was only on the espn channel i noticed that.
> 
> ...


This is why there are a lot of complaints on this board about RSNs in HD or new
HD channels. I have been a Dish HD subscriber since about July 2004. Most of my HD viewing is still OTA HD from the four major networks, CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC. I time shift about 12 shows a week using one of my two Sony DHG HDD500 (no monthly fees, 60 hour HD hard drive) or my Dish 622. The Dish 622 is a very good machine, but it has its limitations. Small hard drive and no firewire connection. The second SD tuner is useless to me. I have four HDTVs. The phone line to avoid the $5 fee is a pain in the neck. I am always tripping over the line in my bedroom. I still do not get OTA guide data on my 622 for any channels, and I have complained for about one year. Dish HD is expensive at $20 compared to other multi video providers. Dish is the most expensive HD provider in my area. But I need a multi video provider for certain channels like TNT-HD, ESPN-HD, ESPN2HD, HBOHD and HD RSNs that I still get from cable. I do not have time for HD surfing and do not watch many of the Dish HD channels. Dish HD is very good, but do you watch enough of Dish HD to justify Dish as your multi video provider? The wow factor of HD for me wore off a long time ago. I also have a Blu ray and HD DVD player. The quality of Dish HD is good, but it is not as good as OTA or Blu Ray/ HD DVD. But no other multi video provider is either. I have heard that Verizon Fios is very very good in quality. I cannot say if Verizon is better than Dish. The quality of Dish HD is very close to my cable HD, but Dish HD still looks very good and is much much better than SD. You have to look at your options, to decide whether you stick with Dish HD. Option number one to me is does Dish have the programming
that I want.


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## farleyville (Jan 8, 2007)

I'm also in Atlanta, and on the locals, channel 2 abc has a lot of issues when viewed on dish 129... lots of pixelation issues etc.. even though signal strength is 90-100...
Its the only channel that I have had issues with. 

Not sure what you meant by higher channel numbers though? 6300 channells are the HD locals... 8300 are the SD locals... and your OTA channells will map as 2.1, 5.1, 11.1, etc... in the guide...


I will also say this, I was not impressed on the first day of install at all, and did not have the WOW factor at all. I attribute this in some degree to buyers remorse. Now that I've had the 622 for a while, I will occasionally sit down turn on a program and call to my wife.. "hey come look at how amazing this looks".... Its all in the attitude and the eyes of the viewer.. I'm quite happy with my 622. (as long as my audio issues stay away).


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## <>< (Feb 6, 2007)

farleyville said:


> I'm also in Atlanta, and on the locals, channel 2 abc has a lot of issues when viewed on dish 129... lots of pixelation issues etc.. even though signal strength is 90-100...
> Its the only channel that I have had issues with.
> 
> Not sure what you meant by higher channel numbers though? 6300 channells are the HD locals... 8300 are the SD locals... and your OTA channells will map as 2.1, 5.1, 11.1, etc... in the guide...
> ...


I dont have an OTA antenna connected to the 622, but in the guide for HD Only, the locals are all listed twice...like for ABC its 002 and also a higher number in the 4000's or 6000's or something...same for nbc, cbs etc....just wondering if there is a difference? Both were brodcasting in HD...
yes, last night watching CSI Miami on A&E Hd i was impressed by the quality...i guess its hit or miss w/ dish HD, per show, per channel, your experience will be different...although I guess I can't complain since it is a LOT better than trying to watch 4:3 digital content or SD on a hdtv...i prob had too high expectations for satellite HD tho, not saying the quality is bad or anything, just a different experience than what i was used to when watching HD content

One think i found funny was that the movie "Over the Hedge" was playing this morning but i was for pay per view HD or something, it asked me if i wanted to purchase (i could see the movie playing behind the message box), i clicked NO, but i was still able to watch the movie w/o any interruptions or anything after clicking no....

As far as verizon FIOS goes I have heard that it has really good quality (not to mention blistering fast Internet), tho its not being offered here in atlanta...bellsouth is supposed to roll out ADSL2 middle of this yr, but only to about 10% of its household customers..and i doubt i'll be one of those 10% :/


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## farleyville (Jan 8, 2007)

<><;830206 said:


> I dont have an OTA antenna connected to the 622, but in the guide for HD Only, the locals are all listed twice...like for ABC its 002 and also a higher number in the 4000's or 6000's or something...same for nbc, cbs etc....just wondering if there is a difference?


The HD channels you are refering to are the same exact channels.

the only local channels you get are either 6300 (HD) or 8300 (SD)... the numbers at the top of your guide 2,5,8,11,17,36,46, etc... are not real channels and are only pulling the information, as a shortcut per se from the 6300, and 83000 channells. When an HD channel is available (in our case, 2,5,11,46), it will map those channels to the top of the guide, and the others will be the shortcuts to the 8300 channels... i hope that makes sense..


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## tm22721 (Nov 8, 2002)

You need a 100" screen and a good 1080 projector to show the "looking through the window" effect of Dish HD. I don't have an HD DVD player yet but others describe it as even better than Dish HD.

The amount of HD content will remain poor for years to come so it may not yet be worth it to you.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

I get the "looking through the window" effect on a 57" screen, as a matter of fact the larger the display the more difficult it is to achieve that goal.

I have seen 720p material that was good enough also, especially on FOX football broadcasts OTA.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

farleyville said:


> I'm also in Atlanta, and on the locals, channel 2 abc has a lot of issues when viewed on dish 129... lots of pixelation issues etc.. even though signal strength is 90-100...


What is your setup that you are getting 90-100 from 129?


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## farleyville (Jan 8, 2007)

TulsaOK said:


> What is your setup that you are getting 90-100 from 129?


I have not checked all of the my transponders etc... but i know that on ch 2 i get 90-100 becuase every time I have breakup issues with ch2 I menu, 6,1,1, to find out signal strength, and i have never seen it below around 86, and it is usally around mid 90's... i dont think i have ever seen a 100, so that may be a stretch but mid 90's definitely...

I have no idea what the other signal strengths are on 129.. I have a Dish 1000 as he replaced my old 500, but not sure if that is a + or .2 etc... just not sure? I'm not that technical when it comes to dish alignment setup, so if you need information, just let me know.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

Our locals are on 129 Tp. 4. I'm getting around 80 signal strength - max. Dish had to come back out and re-install a Dish 500 to point to 129 because originally my 1000 was coming in at around 50 or so. I still have the 1000 pointed at 110 & 119. I'll pay close attention to WSB to see if I'm getting what you're seeing. It may not be worth it to have Dish back out to tweak it but I think the installation is guaranteed for a short period.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

I meant having Dish come out for me, not you. Sounds like your signal is fine.


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## caam1 (Dec 7, 2004)

There are huge variations in quality between various HD programs. The HD copy that HBO has of "Twister" doesn't look much better than a VHS tape, yet other movies on HBO look very sharp. The same holds true for HDNET movies and other channels. Even on CBS "NCIS" never looks as sharp as "CSI". I know of some shows where where some shots were intentionally "softened" for effect. I remember one year the World Series games from one city were noticeably sharper than the games from the other city. As far as your locals, make sure you have the receiver set to map the HD locals to the regular channel numbers. Also remember any local HD channels other than the "Big 4" networks will have to be received OTA.


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## farleyville (Jan 8, 2007)

TulsaOK said:


> Our locals are on 129 Tp. 4. I'm getting around 80 signal strength - max. Dish had to come back out and re-install a Dish 500 to point to 129 because originally my 1000 was coming in at around 50 or so. I still have the 1000 pointed at 110 & 119. I'll pay close attention to WSB to see if I'm getting what you're seeing. It may not be worth it to have Dish back out to tweak it but I think the installation is guaranteed for a short period.


I checked it tonight and it was 95 on 129 tp. 4... I checked through the remainder of my transponders on 129 and the lowest I had was 81 on a couple of them...not sure what the other HD channels are on, but it appears i have strong signals from 129... I am Northeast of atlanta so not sure if that would matter in relation to marietta. you wouldnt think so.


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## LaserMark4 (Nov 27, 2005)

Jim5506 said:


> I get the "looking through the window" effect on a 57" screen, as a matter of fact the larger the display the more difficult it is to achieve that goal.
> 
> I have seen 720p material that was good enough also, especially on FOX football broadcasts OTA.


 With 1080i on a 106" screen via component and a quality transcoder, my HD channels are pristine on my G70! Equator, HDNet, Discovery, Rave, Canadian Football....everyone who comes to the HT does a jaw drop. Very life like--

I think the quality of material captured makes a big difference-- it seems not all HD cameras are created equal these days for sure. It certainly varies program to program, but overall, still amazing jump in quality these past few years.

Is there a possibility that the built-in tuners and quality of electronic components in some sets are creating the issues?

For almost all HD channels I watch, absolutely no complaints here on Dish--

.


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## ronimous (Jan 31, 2007)

I got the 'wow' factor after adjusting video settings specific to my television that I found on AVSFORUMS, and then watching "Sunrise Earth" on DiscoveryHD.

W-O-W

SE should be used to calibrate DishHD on HDTVs...IMHO....


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