I remember reading about the fact that some Sony CRTs have scaler issues when used with some Motorola boxes. I can't seem to find this.

I have 32HS420 with two Motorola satellite boxes. The issue is with SD channels. The older (GI) box give a great picture (SD only box), while the newer Motorola box (HD + SD) give out a bad picture when comparing channel to channel.

I need help finding these posts that talked about the Sony's internal scaler getting confused.

Help! (I have customer technical support willing to help - and curious about the issue!)

-gmd

Is it a satellite box or a cable box? Your post title indicates both. I can help with moto cable box issues but have no knowledge of sat boxes.

A general comment would be to setup the box to NOT upscale SD to HD for output. The Sony does a very good job upconverting within the set.

I have Motorola satellite box (Star Choice), but the post talked about a Motorola cable box. Outcome was the same, signal looked like half of 480i (240 line frames) upscaled.

-gmd

Try going into the menu and shutting off the 4:3 override. This will make the box do the scaling.

This is actually what makes it worst. The quality of the SD picture coming out of the Motorola box is atrocious. Problem does not exist on "premium channels". Non-HD box yields better results

Best picture from HD box on SD channels:
- Motorola box outputs 1080i (or 720p), zoom feature used on TV
- Motorola box outputs 480p
- Motorola box outputs 480i
Worst picture

The picture in 480 (p/i) are pretty bad, when compared to other inputs on the TV (OTA, ATSC via component @ 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, HD DVD, ...)

I know, this does not make sense. If I replace my HD box for an SD box, the same channels look like candy for the eyes.

-gmd

It appears you have an understanding of the basics but I'll ask anyway. Your connection between the sat box and HS420 is via component or hdmi/dvi. No RF, composite or s-video. Correct?

Your using the zoom feature, when the box is upscaling, in order to get rid of the black pillars created by the box?

It may be a bad box.

Component and DVI (to HDMI) yield the same results. The effect also shows from the other outputs.

1080i with the zoom feature yields the nicest picture, which to me sounds like a quick (temporary) fix.

I've seen the same problem with my DSR 500 (same box, without 8psk).

-gmd

Clearly a problem with the boxes upscaling of SD content.

Use the SD box when viewing SD material, and you should be fine right?

Maybe hook both boxes up, and use 1 for SD, and the other for HD.

But then I need to run another cable from the satellite across the house.

We might get a new TV (Plasma/LCD <= 35.4" wide) and that TV would go on the SD box.

Actually, downstairs I have both the 500 (QPSK HD box which can only be used for SD now as HD is now 8PSK) and a 401 (SD box).

I have a 14 year old Panasonic connected, you guessed it, to the 401. Even on this TV one can see a difference.

-gmd

Clearly a problem with the boxes upscaling of SD content.

You can set the box in pass-through mode (0000) and still see the same issue. The problem is deeper.

-gmd