[JimmyDaves]

I was curious what satelite providers fellow Sony HS10 owners are using. I don't remember if the HS10 is compatible with DirectTV or not and can't seem to find a thread on this subject when I do a search. Thanks. Jimmy

 

[Steve13]

Both systems will work just fine with the HS-10. As with all projectors, the larger image may cause sat (or any lower resolution) source to not look as good as it does on a smaller TV.

 

[gps]

I have DirecTV, and even though I haven't upgraded to HDTV, I was surprised how tolerable the picture was blown up to a 80" diagonal screen. I watched the NCAA final four and it looked pretty good, keep in mind a NTSC signal blown up can look pretty ugly, but coming from a 32" TV, I was happy with the quality since it was so much bigger. I can't wait to get my satellite upgrade for HDTV. It will look incredible.

Greg

 

[phruska]

I've got the Zenith DirecTV HDTV tuner hooked up to my HS10. My first reaction is that picture quality varies based on content being watched. Watched Detroit play Orlando last night on NBA HDTV and it looked nice but not jaw dropping. Occasional blur due to fast action. Not sure if that is from the HS10, digital feed or equipment they are using to broadcast. In any event it was MUCH superior to analog viewing and the only way I'd watch a sporting event on the HS10. Low resolution interlaced images leave a lot to be desired when blown up to the size of my screen.


Watched a special on North Korea on HDNET. The closeups were amazing and according to my wife clearer and more vibrant than real life, if such a thing is possible.


HBOs HD channel had the new Bill Mahr (sp ?) show on. I'm not a fan of his and I'm certainly not a fan of the programming quality. It was 4x3 and much blurrier than other HD content I've viewed. I figure they're up converting it somehow.


One minor annoyance while using DirecTV / HS10 (and I'm sure this applies to DISH and over the air antennas as well). It's not the type of system you'll enjoy channel surfing on. As you surf the HS10 has to deal with various video and audio encoding schemes. It usually takes a few seconds for it to figure out what it needs to do and make the adjustments it needs. In my case this system is used for special events where I won't be bouncing back and forth between shows so it is not a big deal. But if you plan on using it for your primary set you may get a little frustrated.


I had Dish for 5 years before switching to DirecTV. I did so before I got my HS10 for two reasons. I felt Dish had softer images than DirecTV. I was tired of being a beta tester for all of Dish's products (DISH PVR, DISH Player). The only DISH tuner I ever had that actually worked well was the cheapest one you could buy 5 years ago. With DirecTV I couldn't be happier with the Hughes TIVO unit I have, the Zenith HD tuner and the basic Hughes unit they typically throw in for free in package deals.


One last comment. DirecTV called me last week to make sure I have the triple LNB dish. They said they were adding new HD content and wanted to make sure I was setup. They would not say what the new content was. They ended the call by asking how I get local HD content, cable or antenna.


Hope that helps.