I had a chance to see the next Dish 6000 software update which is now in early beta. I believe this is going to be a great update from what I saw. There are three main features to this update that I'm aware of.
1. The scan feature has been implemented.
2. 4:3 support has been implemented. In the HDTV setup menu, you'll be able to select 16:9, 4:3 with vertical compression and 4:3 without vertical compression. I saw the update on a 16:9 set so I can't comment on how the 4:3 options work, but presumably this should solve the distortions that 4:3 set owners have had to deal with.
3. Aspect mode control has been implemented for 720p/1080i signals. I find this feature to be very exciting. Up to now, HDTVs and STBs dealing with a 720p or 1080i signals had no control over the display of the material whether it was widescreen or 4:3. With this update, the aspect modes we've had with 480 signals (stretch, normal, zoom, etc) will be available for 720p and 1080i signals with a 16:9 set or a 4:3 set with vertical compression. I believe that there will be different options that are appropriate for 4:3 sets without vertical compression.
So what's the real significance of this? Well, with OTA stations or HBO's or Showtime's HD channel broadcasting 4:3 material at 720p or 1080i, we'll be able to stretch the image if we don't want to see the side bars. For those who object to seeing top and bottom black bars with 2.35 movies from Showtime or earlier HBO transfers, you can effectively do what HBO is now doing to 2.35 movies by zooming them to eliminate the top and bottom bars. You will of course lose some side information as a consequence of zooming, but that's what is happening when HBO converts a Panavision 2.35 movie to 1.85 by zooming or pan and scanning or if they pan and scan a Super 35 2.35 movie instead of opening up the mattes.
I see this as a wonderful move on Dish's part to put complete aspect control for 720p and 1080i signals (regardless of the content) into the hands of the users. This is what should have been implemented in HDTVs from the first day an HDTV hit the market. If all the STBs had this feature, there would be NO need for HBO or anyone else to convert 2.35 movies to 1.85 to fill the screen. This would satisfy everyone--those who want OAR and those who don't mind zooming 2.35 movies to eliminate top and bottom bars. BTW, the quality of the zoomed 2.35 HD movie I saw looked very good. Having this capability should also mean that our local stations broadcasting DTV OTA should no longer be zooming their content or creating bizarre 14:9 images with thin side bars for their 4:3 content. Let them broadcast 4:3 content as 4:3 and we can do what we want with the aspect ratio with our STB.
Before you ask, I have NO idea when this update will be released to us. The full aspect control over 720p/1080i signals is what I have been waiting to see implemented in a STB or HDTV for a very long time, and as far as I know, Echostar is the first to do this.
Jerry
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(The original Jerry G, not the new member named Jerry_G)
1. The scan feature has been implemented.
2. 4:3 support has been implemented. In the HDTV setup menu, you'll be able to select 16:9, 4:3 with vertical compression and 4:3 without vertical compression. I saw the update on a 16:9 set so I can't comment on how the 4:3 options work, but presumably this should solve the distortions that 4:3 set owners have had to deal with.
3. Aspect mode control has been implemented for 720p/1080i signals. I find this feature to be very exciting. Up to now, HDTVs and STBs dealing with a 720p or 1080i signals had no control over the display of the material whether it was widescreen or 4:3. With this update, the aspect modes we've had with 480 signals (stretch, normal, zoom, etc) will be available for 720p and 1080i signals with a 16:9 set or a 4:3 set with vertical compression. I believe that there will be different options that are appropriate for 4:3 sets without vertical compression.
So what's the real significance of this? Well, with OTA stations or HBO's or Showtime's HD channel broadcasting 4:3 material at 720p or 1080i, we'll be able to stretch the image if we don't want to see the side bars. For those who object to seeing top and bottom black bars with 2.35 movies from Showtime or earlier HBO transfers, you can effectively do what HBO is now doing to 2.35 movies by zooming them to eliminate the top and bottom bars. You will of course lose some side information as a consequence of zooming, but that's what is happening when HBO converts a Panavision 2.35 movie to 1.85 by zooming or pan and scanning or if they pan and scan a Super 35 2.35 movie instead of opening up the mattes.
I see this as a wonderful move on Dish's part to put complete aspect control for 720p and 1080i signals (regardless of the content) into the hands of the users. This is what should have been implemented in HDTVs from the first day an HDTV hit the market. If all the STBs had this feature, there would be NO need for HBO or anyone else to convert 2.35 movies to 1.85 to fill the screen. This would satisfy everyone--those who want OAR and those who don't mind zooming 2.35 movies to eliminate top and bottom bars. BTW, the quality of the zoomed 2.35 HD movie I saw looked very good. Having this capability should also mean that our local stations broadcasting DTV OTA should no longer be zooming their content or creating bizarre 14:9 images with thin side bars for their 4:3 content. Let them broadcast 4:3 content as 4:3 and we can do what we want with the aspect ratio with our STB.
Before you ask, I have NO idea when this update will be released to us. The full aspect control over 720p/1080i signals is what I have been waiting to see implemented in a STB or HDTV for a very long time, and as far as I know, Echostar is the first to do this.
Jerry
------------------
(The original Jerry G, not the new member named Jerry_G)
