I currently have a 57" RP CRT TV that will show 1080i but downconverts a 720p input to 480p. For this reason I have my Dish ViP622 set to 1080i output and it converts the 720p channels to 1080i. But I am not happy with the 720p channels (ESPN, FOX, etc) while the 1080i channels are fabulous. Is the ViP622 doing the conversion the issue and do you think adding a dedicated processor will help? I'm not going to drop $2k on this but may be the $500 Gefen units if they ever become available and get good reviews.

Yes the Gefen unit "reads" nice. I hope it lives up to the hype. It's up for preorder at $450.
I don't do blind preorders, so I'm waiting for good reviews as well.

I will be surprised if the Gefen does 720p->1080i conversion any better than the Dish STB.

There is no assurance a video processor is going to do any better unless someone truthfully tells you how the processor converts 720p to 1080i. All good methods will have separate algorithms for fabricating odd 1080i fields and even 1080i fields. Using the same algorithm for both odd and even fields will result in resolution no better than 540p.

Video hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm