Ok I have a question regarding my tv

I have a Toshiba 46" Rear Projection CRT 48H84. It is 1080i/540p. It is one of those older models that does not support 720p.

Now since most programming is broadcast in 720p or 1080i what does this mean is going to happen to the signal for channels being broadcast in 720p?

Is it going to downcovert and not even be in HD anyway or does Dish Networks HD box upconvert to 1080i?

Dish has a very good price on HD packaging but since the majority of channels run in 720p and I can't even get 720p, I am not sure if there is a point in paying for HD service until I get a new TV next year.

Thanks

With any HD provider you should be able to force the box to send out a 1080i signal to your HDTV, regardless of its native format. Call and find out if you can (I am 95% sure you can with ALL set top boxes).

Dish has a very good price on HD packaging but since the majority of channels run in 720p and I can't even get 720p,
The majority of HD cable channels are 1080i. The broadcast networks are more evenly split with CBS, NBC, PBS (most stations), CW at 1080i; ABC, Fox, My Network at 720p. You just need to set the STB or DVR to upconvert the 720p channels to 1080i. If you are not getting HD, you should not be denying yourself HD just because you have a older HD set that does not display a 720p input signal.

With any HD provider you should be able to force the box to send out a 1080i signal to your HDTV, regardless of its native format.Bing!

Ok Cool. I figured that the box itself should be able to upconvert to 1080i I just wanted to check to make sure.

Now I just need an HDMI port for the next six months until I get another TV.

I have a Toshiba 46" Rear Projection CRT 48H84. It is 1080i/540p. It is one of those older models that does not support 720p.AIUI, if you feed it 1080i (from a STB, HD disc) it will display at 1080i (60 TV fields/sec). Fed lower-resolution signals, such as 480i, it upconverts them to 1080/540p. (My year-2000 CRT RPTV has a built-in HD tuner that converts 720p to 1080i, but its YPbPr inputs won't accept 720p either.)
Dish has a very good price on HD packaging but since the majority of channels run in 720p and I can't even get 720p, I am not sure if there is a point in paying for HD service until I get a new TV next year.
Assume you mean HD Turbo. Surprised most packaged channels are 720p since most HD sources overall are 1080i, although E*, like a few OTA stations, could side-convert 1080i to 720p (doubt it). Most find that 720p converted to 1080i for CRT viewing is fine PQ-wise. As a long thread ("Don't toss out your CRT RPTV") in the RPTV forum emphasizes, tweaking these early RPTVs, with the advantages of CRTs, is still worthwhile.) HDMI may or may not aid PQ since CRTs convert to analog; too much digital-to-analog conversion, or vice-versa back and forth, degrades PQ. -- John