Some HD questions

[MJ4H]

So I just got my Dish equipment upgraded to HD for free. I have had an old CRT HDtv for awhile, but didn't care about HD enough to pay for the content. However, I found out the upgrade was basically free so I went ahead and had them out to do it.

Now, the new Dish receiver is in our bedroom connected to that CRT. It looks pretty good. Significant difference in picture quality from before the upgrade.

However, we recently acquired a 52 inch projection TV that is clearly marked as an HDtv on the front. It was given to us for free by someone that has no room for it anymore.

I think the signal to this TV is being run through our cable system in the house. In other words, some sort of special coax cable I think. The picture quality is barely noticeably better than it was before the upgrade. It is noticeable, but not by a lot. For instance, I had to talk my wife into acknowledging there is a difference.

A couple of things. One, this isn't a great TV. I know that projection screen TVs are not great for image quality. Next, I don't think the coax cable is optimal for transmitting a decent image to this TV (though it appears to be working well for the backroom TV--I'm actually not 100% certain he didn't use some other type of connection to that TV, now that I think about it).

So my question is this: is it worth looking into running some component cables through the attic to this TV? I think component is the best input I'm going to have--I don't remember seeing DVI or HDMI input on the back of the TV. Is there something else I need to keep in mind here?

[stevew]

How many receivers do you have?

If you only have one, the projection TV will be on TV2(you're using a radio frequency remote for it, right?) which is not HD. It is better looking than SD when you watch an HD channel, but not much better.

Ideal solution would be to run the receiver directly to the projection tv via Component cables(making it HD and TV1), and then running the bedroom TV off of coax(making it Non-HD and TV2).

I'm like 99% positive you need 2 tuners for Dish Network to be HD on two different TV's.

[MJ4H]

I have two receivers, but the second one is not HD-capable. Wow, I didn't know the second one wouldn't be HD. That explains a lot.

Could I just switch the coax cables that go to the TVs into the opposite outputs from the receiver? That would give me coax HD on the projection tv, right? I can't go into the back room and just try it right now because my wife is napping. I'll just try that later, I guess. I might try the component cable thing, too, later. This helps a lot. Thanks.

[saldana]

i have never heard of coax being able to carry HD signal from a decode source to a TV..you need either component cables, a DVI cable, or and HDMI cable, so the picture on the projection screen are probably just better because it is a better TV than the one in the bedroom.

[stevew]

I meant receiver boxes. If you have 2 boxes they can both be HD. If you have one box with 2 receivers in it, one is HD, the other is not.

[MJ4H]

I have two receiver boxes. One is HD-capable, one is not. My two HD capable TVs are connected to the one receiver that is HD capable.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by saldana

i have never heard of coax being able to carry HD signal from a decode source to a TV..you need either component cables, a DVI cable, or and HDMI cable, so the picture on the projection screen are probably just better because it is a better TV than the one in the bedroom.

A quick google shows that it exists. I know that they brought in their own coax cable for the job originally. I will just check on all of this later.

[cartman]

It will be coax from the dish to the receiver box. It is not possible to run component cables directly to the dish.

How is the receiver box connected to the projection TV?

[cartman]

Also, you'll need to check the settings on the TV. Projection TVs can have excellent pictures. It might be set to show 480i, instead of 720p, 1080i or 1080p. What is the make and model of the 52 inch TV?

[MJ4H]

The Projection TV is connected via the house's cable system that I think the original Dish installation years ago ran new cable in.

The TV is a Magnavox 51MP392H (or 51MP3964H). Not sure which. The manual has both of those numbers and I don't see which it is on the TV handily.

[cartman]

So there is no Dish network receiver hooked up to the projection TV?

[cartman]

It looks like that TV will support 1080i, if the component cables are connected to the AV4 input. If they are connected to the AV1 input, then it is 480p.

http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/5/5...17_pss_aen.pdf

[MJ4H]

What about the coax input?

The Dish HD receiver is hooked up to it through the cable wiring in the house.

[stevew]

You won't get HD from a coax connection to the Dish Box.

[cartman]

You'll need to run component cables from the Dish receiver box to the AV4 input on the TV to get HD.

[cartman]

So it'll look like this:

Satellite Dish on roof --> coax cable --> Dish receiver box --> Component cables --> AV4 input on TV

[MJ4H]

Should Dish have provided me with those component cables?

If not, will I be able to find affordable cables of a sufficient length (up into the attic of my house, for instance)? Or will I need to move the receiver into the living room? Is this doable by me (easy to do--or one of you can handle anything unexpected that happens) or is this something I need to call these guys out again for?

[cartman]

I see you mentioned that you have two TVs connected to one Dish receiver box. It is a true dual tuner box, or do you get the same picture on both TVs?

[cartman]

Moving the receiver is straightforward. Just like hooking up any other piece of equipment to the TV. Much, much easier than trying to run a component cable through walls to another room.

What is in the attic that you are wanting to run cables to?

[MJ4H]

dual picture-two different pictures.

[stevew]

You need to move the receiver to the living room. Chances are that your receiver only has one set of HD connections.

What you'd want to do to get HD in the living room is go

Roof via coax to box in living room->component connection to living room TV.

And then from box in living room you run a coax that connects to the coax running to the bedroom.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by cartman

Moving the receiver is straightforward. Just like hooking up any other piece of equipment to the TV. Much, much easier than trying to run a component cable through walls to another room.

What is in the attic that you are wanting to run cables to?

Just to avoid having component cables running down my hall. If it's that easy to move the receivers, that's just what I'll do.

[MJ4H]

Wait I'm going to have to figure out a way to run the cable from the actual dish to the receiver in my living room, on the other side of the house, too, aren't I?

Ok this sucks and Dish should've really done this themselves, right? Should I call them back and tell them to fix this?

edit: actually that should already exist, right? I'm getting a signal in here, it's just not going into the TV in the right input.

Fuck, I had them do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it and now I have to fucking do it.

I knew this would be fucking huge headache. Free my ass.

[stevew]

I'd have them fix it. It's really not that hard for you to fix probably, but assuming that you want the living room TV to be HD it will need to be re-run I'm pretty certain(as certain as i can be without actually being in your house)

[cartman]

That sounds right. Coax is much cheaper and easier to run than component cables. Just 1 wire vs. 5 cables.

But as stevew said, it all depends on how the cables are hooked up. You might already have the cabling in place, and just have to reconnect in a couple of places.

[MJ4H]

If I have to couple the coax in the attic (where the house's cable wire is run), would a normal every day coupler be good enough or would it degrade the signal?

[cartman]

If the run is less than 50 feet, a normal splitter should be ok. There also might be a free connection on the dish to connect another coax cable run.

[stevew]

You'll also need to run a coax from the living room and tie it into the one running to the bedroom for TV2.

You basically want them to come and do it, unless you can fish one back up into the attic, or can run it through the basement/crawlspace.

[cartman]

What you might want to do is have the non-HD box upgraded to HD, since the monthly charge for an additional receiver is the same, HD or non-HD. Have them put the upgraded box in the living room, and run the appropriate cables to it. Then, depending on which is easier, run the coax to the non-HD TV that had the non-HD receiver hooked up to it before.

That way you'd have both the of the HD boxes connected to an HD source, and still have the other non-HD TV hooked up. Right now you are going to be in an either/or scenario with HD. Either in the living room or the bedroom, but not both.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by cartman

What you might want to do is have the non-HD box upgraded to HD, since the monthly charge for an additional receiver is the same, HD or non-HD. Have them put the upgraded box in the living room, and run the appropriate cables to it. Then, depending on which is easier, run the coax to the non-HD TV that had the non-HD receiver hooked up to it before.

yeah, this would probably be the easiest solution here.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by stevew

You'll also need to run a coax from the living room and tie it into the one running to the bedroom for TV2.

You basically want them to come and do it, unless you can fish one back up into the attic, or can run it through the basement/crawlspace.

After further investigating, this is correct. There is only one cable going into the attic, not two. I would need both cables running into the attic and that would require building new outlets. I'm going to call them and tell them to come fix this.

This should not cost me anything, right? This guy never said a word about only one of the TVs being HD and never asked which of the two I would want and just hooked up the easiest one, the one in the bedroom. Basically, he took a shortcut without asking me.

[MJ4H]

They are scheduled to come out here and fix it tomorrow morning. It will cost $15. I agreed to that because technically I could've learned enough to stop this from happening ahead of time, but even more importantly, I think they would've charged me that to do the rewire in the first place.

[MJ4H]

Thanks for all the input.

[digamma]

Nerds. All of you.

[MJ4H]

Got this fixed this morning. HD on the projection screen tv is still not in the same ballpark as it is on a plasma, but this is a big leap forward and nice looking.

And huge.

Thanks for the help yesterday.

[cartman]

Cool, glad to help. Enjoy!

[k0ruptr]

fwiw I had this tv for a while and I hated it. I've come to despise projections because of it It's a nice garage/basement/2nd tv for parties guests whatever but as amain tv it sucks. good luck , and at least it was free!

[MJ4H]

Yeah I don't like it either, but it beats what I had. I'm not paying through the nose for a nice TV so I'm all over this.