guyonthecouch

I have the WS55809 Mitsu and have been reading up on receivers and such. I live in Nashville and currently just have the regular digital cable box. Do I need Direct TV to be able to enjioy HDTV when I get a receiver?
thx,
casey

doug m

Casey,

I got your message before. I installed a new hard drive on my computer and I won't be able to IM for a little while. Long story.

Like I mentioned in the other thread, I would recommend the Zenith DTV-1080 STB. The line doubler in the Zenith appears to be much better than in the Mits set. Also, when the Zenith upconverts to 1080i, the 'Format' modes in the Mits are disabled, and the Zenith modes take over. The Zenith has one particularly good mode for 4:3 material. It's called Zoom1. It is a cross between Stretch and Zoom on the Mits. It zooms a little (which chops a little off the top and bottom) and stretches the image a little. This produces an image with much less distortion on the edges than the Mits stretch mode.

Also, the DirecTv, OTA, and cable channels are fed into one integrated guide. You don't have to switch inputs to select a channel. Just pick it from the guide, and the Zenith does the rest.

The biggest downside to the Zenith is if you want to record the signal coming from the STB. There is switch on the back of the box that needs to flipped to output 480i (say to a VCR). Some people find this annoying (I rarely record, so it doesn't bother me).

I currently subscribe to DirectTv. There are 2 channels in HD. Ch. 199 HDNet, shows some sports, documentaries, etc. Ch. 509 HBO shows, well ... movies. You could also use Dish Network. They have a few more channels, but I think you are limited in which STB's you can use (may only be one, I don't know).

I also receive HD from a $50 Radio Shack rooftop antenna. This is producing the best images. I am lucky to live near Philly, and I can receive all the major networks. However, you should check titantv.com (or similar site) to find out what is available near you. Only the shows with 'HD' listed are actually filmed in HD. The other (digital) OTA shows are a tease. The broadcasters take a 4:3 picture, add bars to the left and right (to get the 16:9 format), upconvert the image, and then send it out as 1080i. I say it is a tease because these shows are of better quality but are certainly not what I call HD quality, and have black bars. When the Zenith (and I believe most if not all STB's) receives this 'fake' 1080i program, it's format modes are disabled. This means you cannot stretch this picture to fill the screen.

Also, make sure you research the DVI/Firewire issues, and the DirecTv/Dish possible merge (if you haven't already).