satellite needs help, looks terrible

You already answered your question.


Get a Line Doubler. The cost can range.

or get a satellite box that has component inputs. The pq will always look better through component than s-video. Also, see if you can get an HDTV package through DTV as the difference in pq is like night and day.

I think I need to explain a bit more. The particular way in which I watch satellite cannot be done on an HDTV receiver. You can probably guess the rest. I must use the low end models. So S-Video is the only option. Now I guess the question here is about line doublers. I have heard of them through conversation, but I have no idea where to get one, what it looks like, or how much they cost. Any help on the where and how much would be great.

FWIW- I just upgraded to a Moto HD cable box from an SD digital Moto cable box. This one has component where the old one just had S-Video. I have connected the new one via component and S-video and there is basically no difference between the two images with my H30. I don't think you can always guarantee better pq with component connection.


Most of the discussion around here focuses around DVDO iScan products for line doublers. They are a forum sponsor and from what I can gather make the leading selling scalers/deinterlacers. You can read a review of their high end iScan HD at Projector Central.


Cheers!

Yeah I have the same problem I have an X1 and test dish too so I'm stuck with a 3900 receiver, and alot of the channels suck (even with the x1 farojuda chip) in 4:3 aspect they are not that clear, if I use native aspect it is alot clearer but it squishes the picture ( due to the projectors square pixels as opposed to the SDTV using rectangle pixels, I guess), oh well I might put my old video card with tv in, back in my pc and run my sat through that to see if there's any improvement. On a side note I did notice that if I use Bev/bell instead of Dish, alot more channels are clearer.

I have Bell too, still crappy. As a matter of fact, Bell cuts your signal during primetime due to high customer demand.


O.K., I checked out the i- Scan, that is reviewed from the above noted website. I just learned that this device is really too expensive for the amount I watch satellite on a projector. It also noted that if you are trying to clean up a satellite image, then forget it. The review noted a small change in satellite quality, but not $1500 worth. They noted that it was best used for DVD and mostly for older projectors. So I guess I'll keep watching the 32" TV for day to day stuff.

I think what fireboy is referring to is that Bell uses more bandwidth during primetime to deliver additional PPV and local news feeds (since most local channels are essentially network feeds with local news - Bell has some channels that broadcast the local news feeds)


The satellite quality issue is another matter. Quality can vary from channel to channel depend on the compression used. Blowing up these channels on a big screen does enhance them. Some video processing can improve things but only to a degree. Check the PPV channels as they use less compression. I have a BEV feed and the compression is awful.


You can always experiment with a computer and run descaler - if you have a video card with inputs. Advocates claim that it is on par with video processors costing thousands of $$.

What I was trying to say, I couldn't say properly because, a certain tech. that lives by told me the story on my signal. I couldn't remember the whole speal, and my point was that it's even worse in primetime.

I find the exact opposite with Dish Network. I think they actually increase bandwidth on "important" primetime broadcasts. Compare the quality of Oprah to say, the Summer Olympics.


You really can't compare the quality between a 51" image and a larger front projected image. Make both of them the same size first, then complain. Try blowing DVD up to a 180" screen and tell me how good it looks.


Bottom line, get HD content.


Bobby