[mckingsley]

I have an older HD Tv, and after some tweaking with resolutions and screen formats I believe I have finally gotten things down. However when I record a SD show on HD CBS (i haven't tried other networks yet) it of course will show the show as a box inside of the Letterbox, I switch it to crop mode and it does not light up correctly on the screen. It is shifted to the left a little bit.

Anyway I am considering just taping the non HD shows on the SD channel. Any comments?

Thanks

 

[Jeremy W]

If you've got a 4:3 TV, it would make sense to tape the SD channel. All you're getting by taping the HD channel is a smaller picture.

 

[mtnagel]

What about on a 16:9 tv? Are there any advantages to using either the SD or HD channel for SD stuff? I assumed I'd have less issues on the SD channel than HD channel, but lets assume there is no issues.

 

[Larry G]

What about on a 16:9 tv? Are there any advantages to using either the SD or HD channel for SD stuff? I assumed I'd have less issues on the SD channel than HD channel, but lets assume there is no issues.

I watch and/or record SD programming off the SD channel with the HR20 set for stretch. I do this to eliminate the bars from the sides of the picture. I am paranoid about those bars burning in on my plasma and I've gotten used to looking at the short fat versions of people.

 

[Schyler]

I've been watching SD shows on the HD locals because even though they're not high def, the overall path from the network to my local affiliate to DirecTV to me happens at a much higher level of... quality? service? bitrate?

I don't know what the exact terminology is, but even though the program may be SD, it's taking the path of an HD program and looks worlds better than if it were following the path used on DirecTV's standard def channels.

As a reference, I watch Survivor on CBS. In terms of quality, I would rank the different channels it airs on like this:

DirecTV SD Local -> DirecTV SD Distant Net -> DirecTV HD Local

I would bet that DirecTV HD Distant nets look the best... but I can't get them.

SD programming can look really good if it's not sent through a hundred different points of compression and retransmission.

 

[patsrule316]

I definitely record the SD netwrok shows on the HD channel. The digital picture quality seems much better on the HD channel than on the SD channel. I believe they upconvert the resolution on the HD channel. Also, the HD channels have far less of the pop-in adds that the networks have been adding to shows that get very distracting.

 

[Jeremy W]

What about on a 16:9 tv? Are there any advantages to using either the SD or HD channel for SD stuff? I assumed I'd have less issues on the SD channel than HD channel, but lets assume there is no issues.

Unless you're worried about burn-in from the black bars, on a 16:9 TV it is better to record the HD channel. You get better PQ.

 

[vikingguy]

I don't have a Hr20 but I record SD network programming off the satelite to save space.

 

[mckingsley]

Well at this point I am not too worried about storage space, but since I have a 4:3 tv I get the "postage" effect when watching a SD show on a HD channel. I can fiddle around with the formats to get it to "zoom" in but:

1) it does not align up correctly
2) when you zoom that much (I have a big 60 TV) I wonder if you will notice more pixelation? I will have to try it to see.