# Opinions needed on Dish HD connection



## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

Hi guys, total HD noob here. I'm gettting ready to switch from cable to Dish Network HD. It looks like the VIP 211 is the receiver I'll be getting. I have a Sony 46 inch HDTV that only has a HDCP compliant DVI input and no HDMI input. Would you recommend I spend the money for an adaptor or should I just view HD Broadcasts via component? Any help you can give me would be very much appreciated.


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## smendira (May 1, 2005)

Either one will work and give you a great picture. The difference is in which digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is used. When you use the HDMI/DVI connection, then the DAC in your TV is used. When you use the component, then the DAC in the Dish receiver is used. I would imagine that your Sony TV has a better DAC than the Dish receiver, so the HDMI/DVI adapter may give you slightly better picture.

I've tried both with my Toshiba rear-projection CRT and I honestly can't tell the difference between the two, though. Don't expect a wildly different picture quality.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

welb said:


> Hi guys, total HD noob here. I'm gettting ready to switch from cable to Dish Network HD. It looks like the VIP 211 is the receiver I'll be getting. I have a Sony 46 inch HDTV that only has a HDCP compliant DVI input and no HDMI input. Would you recommend I spend the money for an adaptor or should I just view HD Broadcasts via component? Any help you can give me would be very much appreciated.


Get the adaptor and stay w/ digital all the way. Also if you plan on doing any time shifting go w/ the 622. It is much better to be able to pause live tv and watch the DVR shows w/o watch those dumb ads.


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

hmm, so now I guess I need to decide if it would be best to use a HDMI to DVI cable or an adapter. I guess the HDMI to DVI cable would be better, no? Wouldn't that eliminate the need for a seperate HDMI cable and adapter?


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## wkomorow (Apr 22, 2002)

Component will give you a great picture, but I do notice that DVI on my Toshiba gives a slightly brighter picture. I did not notice the difference as much with my 942. I am using a HDMI cable with adapter (actually the one that came with my 942). You also should consider adding component in for SD channels, because I find the SD channels are not very good on the DVI.


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## kb7oeb (Jun 16, 2004)

Maybe you could borrow a cable to see what is better. I get a better picture on my tv using component rather than HDMI but neither look as good as the internal tuner (all fairly close though).


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

Thank you guys very much for your opinions. If I go ahead and buy an adapter so the HDMI can connect to my DVI HDTV and I also hook up component for SD won't I be able to A/B compare HD between the two to see what looks better to my eye?


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## wkomorow (Apr 22, 2002)

Picture quality is subjective. Since all outputs are active on the 622, you can hook up to the various inputs on your TV and using your TV remote switch between them. You may even find that the RCA and S-video outputs are the best for SDs because some TVs do are better than the 622 at stretching SD content. So you need to experiment. 

I know this will get me slammed, but don't go overboard on getting the absolute best cables until you have experimented. An additional word of caution there is optical audio output and one AV output for TV1, so if you have it going to more than one input to your TV, you will need an AV box. 

Good luck, I think you will enjoy your 622, I certainly like mine.


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

thank you very much. one last question; since I only have a DVI input on my T.V. I'm trying to decide if I should use an adapter that has a male DVI connector that connects to the back of my tv and has a female HDMI end to receive the HDMI cable from the Dish Network receiver or should I not use an adapter and just use a cable that has a DVI connection on one end and a HDMI connection on the other. would this make any difference in picture quality?


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## wkomorow (Apr 22, 2002)

Not sure that it would matter - others may have different opinion. I have an HDMI cable and a DVI adapter and I am getting excellent picture quality on HD channels. If I were buying one, I'd probably get an HDMI -> DVI cable, just because its a single piece.


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## David-A (Feb 21, 2006)

smendira said:


> When you use the HDMI/DVI connection, then the DAC in your TV is used.


That's true if your TV is analog. If it is digital (DLP entirely, LCD, LCOS/SXRD partly) then you avoid both DVR's DAC and the TV's ADC when using HDMI/DVI. Even then the difference is usually minor.


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

I appreciate you guys helping me. I think I have all of my connections I'll be making figured out. HDMI-DVI cable from HD receiver to my tv for HD channels. Optical audio cable from the HD receiever to my home theater receiver for the audio on my HD Channels. Like was suggested earlier I might buy some S-Video or Component cables for standard def viewing if the standard channels look bad through the HDMI-DVI. So I'm assuming I'll need to connect regular RCA audio cables for the standard def channels audio?


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## wje (Mar 8, 2006)

wkomorow said:


> I know this will get me slammed, but don't go overboard on getting the absolute best cables until you have experimented.


Not by anyone that actually knows anything. Monster cables are no more than marketing genius, or a tribute to PT Barnum. A digital signal is just that, digital. It gets there or it doesn't. (well, strictly speaking, there are some very minor second-order considerations, but they are generally insignficant). Using a digital cable made from copper harvested by virgins and processed under the light of the full moon won't give you anything other than a lighter wallet.

You can make a better case for expensive analog cables, but still, any reasonable quality cable will work just fine. The biggest potential problem with analog component cables is mismatches between the characteristics of the three cables. However, even relatively cheap cables tend to be pretty well matched.

As for build quality, I've had connectors fall off more than one expensive cable.


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## ClarkBar (Mar 5, 2006)

welb said:


> Would you recommend I spend the money for an adaptor or should I just view HD Broadcasts via component?


You can buy an inexpensive HDMI to DVI cable at either monoprice.com or cablesforless.com, which have worked well for most who bought them. Same for Toslink audio cables. The $100 cables sold at retail shops are simply a cash cow. Nice to have both HDMI/DVI and Component available for testing if you are having video problems. When I switch back and forth, I can seldom see much difference, but I am not super critical about color, tone, and so on.

Remember that HDMI passes Video and Audio. DVI only Video, so you will also need audio cables. The HDMI/DVI cables or adapters do not pass audio to your TV or amp.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

welb said:


> So I'm assuming I'll need to connect regular RCA audio cables for the standard def channels audio?


No, you get digital sound on those too. It's just that Dolby Digital is limited to some of the premium channels. You may want the analog cable to connect to another device such as a recorder or straight to the TV.


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## wkomorow (Apr 22, 2002)

Sorry, I am the one who confused you. 

Use the TOSLINK into your home theater system for all your audio needs, regardless of which TV input you are using. I had thought you were using your TV for both audio and video. When using the TV for both audio and video, you need to split your audio signal because you have only one set of RCA audio outputs to serve all your video input. But you are using a home theater system so that is not the case.

The reason you might want different videos in is if you find the quality on SD channels not so good on the DVI input. But this is something that you will need to determine for yourself, because picture quality is so subjective. 

Enjoy your new receiver. Some of the HD channels are incredible - we watch Equator, Discovery HD, and Family all the time. Home and Garden HD is also a great channel.


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

thanks! I have my appointment scheduled and am getting ready to order a HDMI/DVI cable and another optical toslink from cablesforless. does anyone know if the installer would supply a component cable? I think I have an extra one around here but I wanted to check.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

wje said:


> Not by anyone that actually knows anything. Monster cables are no more than marketing genius, or a tribute to PT Barnum. A digital signal is just that, digital. It gets there or it doesn't. (well, strictly speaking, there are some very minor second-order considerations, but they are generally insignficant). Using a digital cable made from copper harvested by virgins and processed under the light of the full moon won't give you anything other than a lighter wallet.
> 
> You can make a better case for expensive analog cables, but still, any reasonable quality cable will work just fine. The biggest potential problem with analog component cables is mismatches between the characteristics of the three cables. However, even relatively cheap cables tend to be pretty well matched.
> 
> As for build quality, I've had connectors fall off more than one expensive cable.


It was a running joke when I worked for Magnolia HI FI (Delivery) about how much the salesman must have been able to pad the bill by insisting that Monster cables be used. The supplied cables usually wound up being kept for the truck for when we had a broken cable that came w/ a unit.


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

well they did the install and I'm very happy with everything. I can't tell any difference in the HD channels between the HDMI/DVI connection and the component. I also can't really tell any difference in the standard def channels between the HDMI/DVI and component either. I have the receiver set up to output 1080i and obviously 16X9 as the TV aspect ratio. My Sony HDTV unfortunately cannot display a native 720p signal but it can display a native 1080i. It instead downconverts the 720p into 480p. Should 1080i be what the receiver is set to output?


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Yes. The rule of thumb is to set the receiver output at the highest level your TV will take.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

welb said:


> well they did the install and I'm very happy with everything. I can't tell any difference in the HD channels between the HDMI/DVI connection and the component. I also can't really tell any difference in the standard def channels between the HDMI/DVI and component either. I have the receiver set up to output 1080i and obviously 16X9 as the TV aspect ratio. My Sony HDTV unfortunately cannot display a native 720p signal but it can display a native 1080i. It instead downconverts the 720p into 480p. Should 1080i be what the receiver is set to output?


The Sony may not display a native 720p but it doesn't have to. The 622 will be taking the few 720p OTA stations and convert it to the 1080i due to the settings that you have told the receiver to transmit. My Panasonic HDTV monitor also doesn't do 720p native but viewing of the local Fox in 720p looks good since the 622 is set to to display all signals in 1080i.


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## welb (Jul 1, 2006)

okay, I just discovered something else. The DVI input of my HDTV is dual link and the HDMI to DVI cable I bought to connect my satellite receiver to the television is single link on the DVI end. What this amounts to is that there are more pin holes on the DVI input of my tv than pins on the DVI end of the cable. Should I exchange this for a HDMI to DVI Dual Link cable? Could this make a difference in video quality of the DVI?


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