[gud1]

Which cable boxes (current models) of Dish and Direct can pass native signal to TV?
Thanks

 

[machavez00]

All current Directv branded HD boxes do native pass through. You can select native on or off, and select resolutions as well. Samsungs (I'm not sure of the newer sets) do not accept 480i over the HDMI cable, so I have 480i/p turned off. All SD channels are upconverted to 720P (set's native res) and 1080i and 720p are sent native. This way there is no 480i>480p>720p converting.

 

[BobaBird]

Dish doesn't have any cable boxes* . Their satellite boxes do not have native pass-through even though it was promised for summer 2006. We don't know if it's still coming (I take the rollout of 1080p for VOD as a good sign) or if it was dropped without explanation.

* With the split of EchoStar and Dish Network into distinct hardware and pay-TV companies, there may someday be an E* cable box.

 

[gud1]

for "native pass-through update": info for others interested - yes for DirectTV and no for Dish.

Dish doesn't have any cable boxes* . Their satellite boxes do not have native pass-through even though it was promised for summer 2006. We don't know if it's still coming (I take the rollout of 1080p for VOD as a good sign) or if it was dropped without explanation.

* With the split of EchoStar and Dish Network into distinct hardware and pay-TV companies, there may someday be an E* cable box.

 

[harsh]

It should be noted that "native" doesn't apply to SD and any available "1080i" MPEG2 HD programming from DIRECTV nor DISH Network.

Also curious is that with DIRECTV 1080p VOD content, if your TV doesn't correctly report 1080p support, the receiver will reportedly convert the content to 720p.

 

[machavez00]

My HR20's 1080i indicator was lit, but I'll have to confirm that by playing it again and using the TV's OSD