HD Arrives… Kinda
Posted November 22nd, 2006 @ 06:46pm by Erik J. Barzeski
The DirecTV HDTV/DVR I ordered a few days ago arrived, and I've unpacked and installed it.
Unfortunately, the installer who came to install the 5-LNB dish I need to receive local channels didn't know I needed both a) a dish and b) a pole to mount it on. The current 3-LNB dish picks up all the HD channels except MPEG-4 locals, though, and I'm stunned by the picture quality on some of the channels, notably HDNet, Discovery HD Theater, and ESPN HD. TNT:HD's 1080i picture (I watched the Grand Slam of Golf) appeared as though it was simply scaled up from a lower-resolution source.
The installer will be back on Friday morning. He, too, has the Pittsburgh local channels.
Donate Life
Posted 23 Nov 2006 at 12:38pm #
I have a friend who has an HDTV and has digital cable. He, too, is stunned by Discovery HD Theater and the Travel Channel.
Posted 25 Nov 2006 at 12:44am #
Discovery HD is by far the current king of HD channels, with CBS probably a close second. I can't speak too much about HDNet, but I also hear good things.
Most of the time TNT HD is just upsampled junk from their SD channel. Sporting events are in real HD, as are the original programming and stuff like Law and Order reruns.
Now if Comcast/ DTV would just start airing Food Network HD I could cut my SD program viewing down by a large amount.
Enjoy the new box, I'm hearing pretty good things with the newest firmware revisions, including unofficial eSATA drive support. OTA recording/ tuning should be enabled in the near future, so that's something to look forward to as well.
Posted 25 Nov 2006 at 4:50pm #
I am quite jealous of your new toy (the Wii too). I have been contemplating moving to the same equiptment package you got, but I keep hearing rumblings that Verizon is going to add the FIOS-TV service to my fiber service. I sure am getting tired of waiting… Enjoy all of that HD goodness!
P.S. What plug-in are you using to get the live preview of comments? That rocks!
Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 8:29am #
Since you get Pittsburgh locals, will you get Pittsburgh locals in HD?
Also, movies on TNT are usually in HD as well, not upscaled. I've watched the Matrix a few times on there and it's stunning.
Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 10:10am #
[quote comment="25387"]Since you get Pittsburgh locals, will you get Pittsburgh locals in HD?[/quote]
I do, yes. Just CBS/NBC/ABC/FOX, of course, but yes, in HD.