[Mazrim5]

You all seem to be experts on how all of this works, so I thought I would post here and get your thoughts. I have an HR-21 HD DVR. Last week, locals were turned on in HD in my area. There have been two issues since that happened:

1) Not all locals are in HD. I'm getting multiple channel listings for all of my locals (and if I tell the guide to not show SD duplicates I still see one entry for each local), but not all of them are actually in HD. 4 of them (CW, MyTV, CBS and Fox) are still in SD. I can't guarantee all of them, but I know CBS in my area broadcasts in HD. I called support and they said I have the wrong dish (something to do with 3 white capped tubes when I should have 5). They are supposed to come out later this week and replace it. Does that seem right? And I just got Directv earlier in the summer. Why didn't they give me the right one in the first place?

2) This one is a little more odd. My SD channels are all showing up bigger than my TV screen now. The picture is actually being stretched beyond the size of my TV screen. If I go into the menu and tell the receiver that I have a 4:3 TV, the SD picture then looks fine (obviously I have a 16:9 TV). But then my HD is stretched. So if I want to watch HD I have to tell the receiver it's a 16:9 TV, but if I want to watch SD (I know, why would anyone want to watch SD?), I have to tell the receiver that the TV is a 4:3. The Directv support person had no clue on this one and is hoping that it will be fixed with the new dish? Has anyone ever seen this problem before? Do you think it will be fixed by getting the new dish?

 

[Stuart Sweet]

Welcome!

It's true, not all your local channels will be in HD. However, as far as the dish is concerned, look at the DBSTalk logo. See how the LNB head (the doohickey that sticks out front) is really wide? If you have that dish, a wide oval with a wide LNB head, you have the right dish. Otherwise, it's true you will need a different one. Because you're getting some of them in HD, it's likely that you have the right dish.

DIRECTV negotiates with every station for HD coverage... sometimes the negotiations go faster, and sometimes they go slower. I'm sure the stations will be added at some point, but I don't know when.

As far as question 2, simply push the FORMAT button on the remote until you see the image the way you want it. Some people do like to see the tops and bottoms cut off, others like to see the image stretched, and some like black bars on the left and right. You should not have to tell the DVR you have a 4:3 TV. FYI, a new dish would not fix this.

 

[Mazrim5]

Thanks for the quick reply!! There is a format button on the remote? I'll have to try that (I'm at work right now so I can't try it yet). You would hope that their support people would say that, but oh well. As to the dish... I do have the one on the logo. The thing you call the LNB head is really wide, and has 3 tubes with white caps coming off of it (or at least that's the way it looked to me). The support guy on the phone said I should have 5 tubes with white caps. It's all greek to me. But why would the HD channels appear in my guide if I'm not getting those locals in HD?

 

[mhayes70]

It sounds like you have the correct dish. There are 3 horns on this dish. There is one horn that is a little wider and that one looks at 101, 99, and 103. Then the other 2 horns on the dish look at 110, and 119.

 

[spartanstew]

But why would the HD channels appear in my guide if I'm not getting those locals in HD?

Are you sure you're not getting the HD channels? Remember, just because a channel is HD, doesn't mean all of their programming is in HD. HD locals still show quite a few things in SD.

 

[Mazrim5]

Are you sure you're not getting the HD channels? Remember, just because a channel is HD, doesn't mean all of their programming is in HD. HD locals still show quite a few things in SD.

Yes, they are definately SD. The resolution indicator on the receiver says 320, and they are getting stretched off the screen like the rest of the SD channels.

 

[veryoldschool]

Your HD locals have the call letters of the station and the SD channels have your area with a number. [IE: NBC is KCRA for HD & SA3 for SD in my area]
Now some stations may be broadcasting on an HD channel, but simply up-convert their SD programing. "Most" HD is only during prime-time network shows.
Format can be a bit confusing as it needs to work with the same settings in your TV.
If you have a 16:9 TV, then I'd start with that setting in the DVR. For format, I'd select pillarbox [at first]. This should give you HD in "normal" full screen, if not then look at your TV when you're tuned to an HD channel. Some TVs [like my new one] will give you the option to zoom, etc. with HD. I have mine set to "full".
Some TVs only have format options for SD and with pillarbox [in the DVR] you should find the setting [in your TV] that gives you "a true 4:3 image" with black/gray bars on each side.
When you get home, play with these and post back here if you have questions and/or don't get what I've posted.

 

[Mazrim5]

Your HD locals have the call letters of the station and the SD channels have your area with a number. [IE: NBC is KCRA for HD & SA3 for SD in my area]
Now some stations may be broadcasting on an HD channel, but simply up-convert their SD programing. "Most" HD is only during prime-time network shows.
Format can be a bit confusing as it needs to work with the same settings in your TV.
If you have a 16:9 TV, then I'd start with that setting in the DVR. For format, I'd select pillarbox [at first]. This should give you HD in "normal" full screen, if not then look at your TV when you're tuned to an HD channel. Some TVs [like my new one] will give you the option to zoom, etc. with HD. I have mine set to "full".
Some TVs only have format options for SD and with pillarbox [in the DVR] you should find the setting [in your TV] that gives you "a true 4:3 image" with black/gray bars on each side.
When you get home, play with these and post back here if you have questions and/or don't get what I've posted.

I completely understand what you are saying and have played with it extensively. My TV has 4 options (normal, full, zoom, full zoom). I always have it set to full so that the SD channels will get stretched to fit the screen (except when I'm watching an SD program that's a widescreen format, then I switch to zoom). HD channels are always forced to full on my TV. When I tune in an HD station, I can't change the mode on my TV. However, on the "HD" local channels that aren't really HD, I can change the mode to be any of the 4, since they aren't really HD. Even though the guide has the [HD] symbol next to the name of the programming, it's still just the SD picture. For the locals that I am getting in HD (NBC, ABC), these are forced to full mode (whether it's a full screen HD program or has the bars on the side).

 

[veryoldschool]

I completely understand what you are saying and have played with it extensively. My TV has 4 options (normal, full, zoom, full zoom). I always have it set to full so that the SD channels will get stretched to fit the screen (except when I'm watching an SD program that's a widescreen format, then I switch to zoom).

OK "I'm with you" so far. If you set the DVR to pillarbox, then you will have side bars on your SD [480 resolution light] coming from the DVR.

HD channels are always forced to full on my TV. When I tune in an HD station, I can't change the mode on my TV.

OK this is an "older" HD TV where format changes only work with 480 resolution.

However, on the "HD" local channels that aren't really HD, I can change the mode to be any of the 4, since they aren't really HD. Even though the guide has the [HD] symbol next to the name of the programming, it's still just the SD picture. For the locals that I am getting in HD (NBC, ABC), these are forced to full mode (whether it's a full screen HD program or has the bars on the side).

Since you can change these, they are 480 resolution. Make sure what/how the stations are labled. I'd not count on the "guide HD info" for now, but instead check the call letters, as I posted above.

Last week, locals were turned on in HD in my area.

this may be "the problem". It can take a while for all of the stations to get sorted out. DirecTV needs to uplink the feeds after they re-encode them. It may take days/weeks for this to happen.

 

[Mazrim5]

You are correct, it's an older TV (Sony 52 inch projection TV). I haven't convinced the wife that we need to upgrade, but I'm working on it =)

I will check the call letters tonight when I get home. Is there a website out there that gives the call letters for the SD and HD stations in an area? I tried to google search it but couldn't find anything.

Thanks again for all of you help/advice. I really appreciate it!!

 

[veryoldschool]

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

This should tell you what is in your area.
Click on the antenna button and plug in your zip code.