SA 8300 HD hookup for improved SD

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

I can give you a little feedback, but probably not as comprehensive as
you would like. I do have the 8300HD, and I can confirm that
everything that you suggest works. I do not know if the quality of SD
programming is better or not. Frankly, I find the component output of
SD acceptable for my tastes. I do use the composite outputs to make
videotapes, so I do know that they work.

The box does have HDMI, and it seems to work fine. There is a bit of
a problem with using 5.1 digital audio and an HDMI connection, but
that is supposed to be fixed soon with a firmware upgrade.

-barry

"Mack McKinnon" <MckinnonRemoveThis@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com>
wrote:

>Time-Warner cable guy at my house today and we were talking about the SA
>8300 HD DVR. I am now using Cablecard but may throw in the towel and get an
>8300 from TW. Or not, anyway...
>
>I was telling the cable guy how the Cablecard gave me much better SD
>pictures than getting them through a digital cable box. He said he had the
>8300 and had found a way to hook it up that fixed this problem: Have one TV
>input for your SD and one for your HD.
>
>He said one difference in the 8300 from the 8000 is that with the 8300 all
>the outputs are active all the time. So what you do is hook up your
>component cables into one TV input for your HD, then run an S-video cable
>from the 8300 into another input for your SD programs. Said he finds that
>the 8300 SD output through the S-video cable is much better than if he had
>routed it through the component cables.
>
>I have a second HDMI input (my DVD player is using the other one). If the
>8300 has HDMI output, which I think it does, then I don't know how that
>figures into it, whether it does better with the SD or the S-video would
>still be better.
>
>Anyway, this is just what someone told me; I haven't tried it. Feedback
>from someone who has an 8300 and tries or has tried this hookup?
>
>mack
>austin
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Mack McKinnon" <MckinnonRemoveThis@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com> wrote in
message news:eMH%d.35758$8D.19973@tornado.texas.rr.com...
> Time-Warner cable guy at my house today and we were talking about the SA
> 8300 HD DVR. I am now using Cablecard but may throw in the towel and get
> an 8300 from TW. Or not, anyway...
>
> I was telling the cable guy how the Cablecard gave me much better SD
> pictures than getting them through a digital cable box. He said he had
> the 8300 and had found a way to hook it up that fixed this problem: Have
> one TV input for your SD and one for your HD.
>
> He said one difference in the 8300 from the 8000 is that with the 8300 all
> the outputs are active all the time. So what you do is hook up your
> component cables into one TV input for your HD, then run an S-video cable
> from the 8300 into another input for your SD programs. Said he finds that
> the 8300 SD output through the S-video cable is much better than if he had
> routed it through the component cables.
>
The DVI, HDMI (DVI with audio) or component give you the best picture. A
full picture on the other hand is a different matter. I've found from
servicing multiple brands of TVs that the most overlooked feature is a line
doubler or 480I to 480P converter. This gives you a sharper picture when
viewing low res SD or NTSC signals.

Samsung on most of their DLP sets assumes that the STB will have this
feature (some Samsung HD satellite receivers have this feature).

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jeff Rigby" <jeffg212@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:saOdnYQ0qsIuv93fRVn-qQ@comcast.com...
>
> "Mack McKinnon" <MckinnonRemoveThis@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com> wrote in
> message news:eMH%d.35758$8D.19973@tornado.texas.rr.com...
> > Time-Warner cable guy at my house today and we were talking about the SA
> > 8300 HD DVR. I am now using Cablecard but may throw in the towel and
get
> > an 8300 from TW. Or not, anyway...
> >
> > I was telling the cable guy how the Cablecard gave me much better SD
> > pictures than getting them through a digital cable box. He said he had
> > the 8300 and had found a way to hook it up that fixed this problem:
Have
> > one TV input for your SD and one for your HD.
> >
> > He said one difference in the 8300 from the 8000 is that with the 8300
all
> > the outputs are active all the time. So what you do is hook up your
> > component cables into one TV input for your HD, then run an S-video
cable
> > from the 8300 into another input for your SD programs. Said he finds
that
> > the 8300 SD output through the S-video cable is much better than if he
had
> > routed it through the component cables.
> >
> The DVI, HDMI (DVI with audio) or component give you the best picture. A
> full picture on the other hand is a different matter. I've found from
> servicing multiple brands of TVs that the most overlooked feature is a
line
> doubler or 480I to 480P converter. This gives you a sharper picture when
> viewing low res SD or NTSC signals.
>
> Samsung on most of their DLP sets assumes that the STB will have this
> feature (some Samsung HD satellite receivers have this feature).

How does a line doubler give you a sharper picture?

Leonard

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Hi,
I had two 8000 HDs, both crashed so luckily I got an 8300HD. Prior to the
8000, I had Dish's 811 HD receiver. With that one I had to use the S Video
out to get a decent SD picture. Whereas with the 8000 and 8300, the picture
quality is equally good HD or SD using the digital input of my 55"
Mitsubishi TV. Mind you I have not tried the S-Video yet but with the
picture of SD channels being as good as I know they were with Dish, I have
not bothered; I might do so just to see. However, I've used the second audio
out to the VCR so would have to use the optical sound to listen if I used
the S Video out. (I only use the optical out sound thro my Stereo if there
is a Dolby Surround 5.1 program on) By the way my Mits is 3 years old
but a Platinum Plus, and only has component inputs. But I'm quite happy with
it.
Roger

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

<<I've found from servicing multiple brands of TVs that the most overlooked
feature is a line
doubler or 480I to 480P converter. This gives you a sharper picture when
viewing low res SD or NTSC signals.>>

Jeff, with my 8300HD, I tried adding 480p as well as 1080i to the possible
outputs. I really did not find that it changed the SD picture quality at
all, while watching through the DTV component input. In fact with that input
1080i was the best. Now, if I used 480p through an S-Video input (have not
tried it..I wonder, 480p might not be something you could see using an
analog input, I don't know) maybe that would significantly improve the
picture. All told, I'm pretty happy with the 8300HD picture quality
all-round, and tried adding 480P but it actually caused more headaches, such
as abnormal picture ratios and such.
Roger