Question for Dish 6000 users

[Robert James Clark]

Are the SD (non HD) channels passed through the 15 pin VGA connector or MUST you watch SD channels via the s-video or composite channels?

Thanks,

Robert

[HTguy]

All the channels you subscribe to or get over the air with the 8VSB tuner module will be available on any hook-up your have to the display.

[Robert James Clark]

Great, thanks. I have a 6000 coming next week.
Kinda bummed when I called Dish today to get the Discover HD/free module deal and they told me it expired *yesterday*...

How does the 6000 do in upscaling the regular channels?

Robert

[Chris Blount]

Umm, are you sure about that? For instance, when I switch to SD mode, I don't know about the VGA connector but I know that I lose the output from the component connectors. From what I understand, you must be in SD mode to get outputs from the S-Video and composite connectors and be in HD mode to get outputs from the component connectors. They don't all work at the same time.

[n0qcu]

I'll try to clarify that, both Chris & HTguy are correct. If you are in HD mode, SD channels will be upconverted and output on either component or VGA connection. In SD mode, HD will be downconverted and output on S-Video & composit. It will not do both at the same time.

[Robert James Clark]

OK, now I'm confused.
Do you have to switch to the S-vhs output every time you want to watch Standard Definition or can you just leave it on the VGA output?


Robert

[Chris Blount]

If the receiver is in HD mode, you will see both standard def and Hi def come out the VGA port. The standard def will be upconverted.

If the receiver is in SD mode, nothing will be coming out the VGA port. Only the S-Video and composite ports will be active and all HD material will be downcoverted.

So, the moral of the story is if you are using the VGA port to a hi-def monitor, leave the receiver in HD mode and you will see all programming either SD or HD.

[Robert James Clark]

Great!
That's what I wanted to hear...


Robert

[Mike123abc]

Well it is not as great as it sounds. It really works best with a 16:9 television. I unfortunately have 4:3 HDmonitors. The problem is that when you watch a standard definition show you end up with a small picture in the center of the screen. This is because the TV sensing 1080i goes into 16:9 mode and squeezes up the scan lines to the center of the screen. The picture on SD is not 16:9 but 4:3 so the 6000 puts black bars (user selectable) on both sides of the picture. So, you end up with a small framed SD pic in the center of the screen.

So, if you have a 4:3 display (I know better now!) you have to switch inputs back and forth to view HD/SD. But, the box does a pretty good job of downconverting (only some problems with stairstepping on edges). If I am channel surfing I usually just leave it in 480i mode. When I want to seriously watch an HD channel I change inputs.

It would solve this problem for me if there was an option to have the 6000 output 480i on the HD output for SD shows and not do up converting. The TV would autosense 480i and go to full screen.

[Chris Blount]

I thought Dish fixed that problem when they placed a user selectable display option between a 16X9 and 4X3 in the 6000 setup menu.

[Mike123abc]

Well no that option changes whether or not the box puts black bars on the bottom and top of the screen. If your monitor does not do vertical compression you end up with a tall skinny image, the 4:3 option will make the 6000 squeeze the image for you.

The problem is that when my TV gets a 1080i input it will do 16:9 no matter what. If I could get the TV to do full screen 1080i then the stretch mode would work well since it streches a 4:3 image to 16:9. But it just makes fat people.

[Robert James Clark]

Hmmm.
I wonder how SD is going to look on my XGA 4:3 DLP projector (through the RGB input). I'm currently routing my 501 through my HTPC using Dscaler and it looks nice, but it would be great not having to switch back and forth evertime I wanted to switch between different resolution channels.
I know another user who has successfully used the 6000 with my projector but we didn't discuss how standard def looks.
Guess I'll find out next week...

Robert

[Danno]

A little off topic but curious. If I hook up component to my monitor, composite to my VCR, use the 6000 timers to start and stop my VCR recording, do I have to make sure that my SD switch is on before it starts recording? I would make sure the HDVCR box is unchecked. It would be nice not to worry about switching from HD in order for the signal to be sent thru the composite cable.
Thanks

[Chris Blount]

Yes, you would have to be in SD mode to record to a standard VCR. When in HD mode, nothing comes out of the S-Video and composite connectors no matter what they are hooked to.

[Mike123abc]

I am not at home right now, but I think there is a checkbox on the timer setup to pick which resolution you want.

[n0qcu]

Originally posted by Mike123abc
I am not at home right now, but I think there is a checkbox on the timer setup to pick which resolution you want.

Yes, there is a check box for HD record. If you do NOT check it the 6000 will switch to SD mode during the timer and back to HD mode when done.

[Chris Blount]

Thanks n0qcu. Didn't know it did that. Very cool!

[Robert James Clark]

OK, I got my 6000, but I can't get a great picture out of my projector (blue bleed- my projector's probably not compatible). I also can't get KCET Digital (PBS) and I don't get any Dish HD demo channel.
Can you not get the Demo channel in the West?

[Mike123abc]

I do not believe the 148 satellite carries the demo channel. You will have to point to 61.5. Hard to do if you are on the left coast, but possible.

It is also possible to get the 61 and 148 at the same, but probably not worth it.

Does your projector do well with composit or S-Video? Might want to be sure that it is not something wrong with the 6000.

[Robert James Clark]

Yes, it works great with both s-video and HDTV with a Hipix HDTV computer card.
I really think it's because my older DLP projector just doesn't sync correctly with a true HD signal...

[DP1]

Just checking the simple stuff. You have gone into the 6000's Setup menu and selected RGB as opposed to Component (YPbPr) as the HD output, right?

[HTguy]

Originally posted by Robert James Clark
OK, I got my 6000, but I can't get a great picture out of my projector (blue bleed- my projector's probably not compatible). I also can't get KCET Digital (PBS) and I don't get any Dish HD demo channel.
Can you not get the Demo channel in the West?

Last question 1st: Like Mike said, the "Demo" Ch 9443 is only on 61.5. If your wind dish is at 148 you won't get it but you will get the other HD Ch's & the other LA Ch's if you qualify.

If you qualify for the LA locals you will get KCET in SD along with the others from Dish. If you only qualify for LA "distants" ("DishNets West") you won't.

If you are in the LA area & have good reception with an OTA antenna you can get KCET & the other LA digitals (inc. HD) w/the 8VSB Tuner Module inserted into the 6000.

If your projector is actually HD capable, and you have the 6000 connected w/the VGA (RGB) cable, and the 6000 is set to RGB output in the set-up menu, you shouldn't have a problem. If you're not able to get a good HD picture or are unsure of any of the above you should contact the vendor, manufacturer or service dept. for your projector.

BTW, if you have a DLP the native resolution will probably by 720 so you want to set the 6000 to that & the proper 4x3 aspect ratio in the set-up menu, too.

[Robert James Clark]

Thanks, HTGuy.

I have found out that another user of my projector had the same results with his Dish 6000 so my projector is clearly not HD compatible (I have been using the Hipix card with great success but that is specially made for computer monitors).

Oh well, I guess it goes back on Ebay...