Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3100HD set-top box

[HDTVFan]

I have Time Warner Cable in Tampa, Florida and have set an install date for TWC to come out and install a SA Explorer 3100HD cable box. I just bought my first HDTV set which is a Panasonic 53 inch 16X9 HDTV monitor (model # is PT-53WX42F). I don't know where they get the F at the end on the back of my TV. I went to read on the SA website about the 3100HD box and found this information below at the link. It is an Adobe Acrabat file so you need this program to read it but most computers have this program. I have the set now but have to wait till monday so they can install the box. They won't let me pick it up at my local office.

http://www.sciatl.com/customers/subscriber_pdfs/745880.pdf

I'm wondering about this quote which I'll type below.

The Explorer 3100HD DHCT upconverts all video
services to 1080i resolution and passes the signal
through its component outputs to the HDTV. The HD
YPbPr component outputs make it simple to connect
to almost any HDTV. Also, the Explorer 3100HD
DHCT is fully backward compatible with existing
Scientific-Atlanta digital set-tops and headends, and
meets major industry standards including
CableLabs/SCTE, ATSC, and DAVIC.

How well does this cable box upconvert analog and digital channels that are not HDTV channels if at all. Any information would be very helpfull to me as an HDTV newbie and I hope one day I'll be the old timer on here helping a newbie just as I.

Edward

[57U]

Many HD programmes are already 1080i, so the SA3100HD only upconverts material that is not already 1080i (like FoxHD (480P) and ABCHD (720P)). Although the STB upconverts standard def programming (analogue or digital), your HDTV is much better at doing this, so read on below.

When you install this box, you'll obviously need component video cabling to view HD material, however, standard def material may not look good through the component cables, so you should probably also connect an S-video (preferred because of better resolution), or composite video cable to view standard def programmes. Your HDTV should do a better job at the upconversion than the "cheap chip" in the STB.

You'll also be able to use the HDTV stretch modes when connected via S-video or composite video cables, whereas you cannot when connected to the STB via component cables.