Cable box converts to 480p?

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

Sorry in advance for the newbie questions, but I have a couple here if
anyone feels like answering them...

On my setup with a SA 8300HD, the TV status display shows up in the
upper-right corner whenever changing video modes, like 1080i to 720p. For
all my SD programming, the display always indicates 480p, even though I know
the TV is capable of displaying 480i. Does that mean that the cable box
converts the interlaced SD signal into a progressive one? Incidentally, the
only two exceptions to this are C-SPAN 1 and C-SPAN 2, which always switch
to 480i when I go to those channels. Anyone know why this is?

Also, would DVDs played on a player with the Faroudja chip look a lot better
than a regular, progressive-scan DVD player? I've heard that the chip
upscales the DVD movie's resolution to 1080i, but how can you do that if
there's no extra resolution? Thanks,

JOhn

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

I believe you can change your setup for the 8300HD so that it sends the
video to your TV all in a particular chosen mode or as the signals come down
off the cable. Some who post here will know exactly how you can make that
change, if you want to.

My 8300HD came from Time-Warner pre-set to send everything, HD and SD, to my
TV at 1080i, which the Sony HDTV must like just fine, as the HD pictures are
stunning and the SD almost as good, if not as good, as I got via a
CableCard, with the TV doing the upconverting. So, I have just left it
alone.

mack
austin


"John" <ijh.abtaerstpoasm@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:7rTke.136$VH3.116@trndny08...
> Sorry in advance for the newbie questions, but I have a couple here if
> anyone feels like answering them...
>
> On my setup with a SA 8300HD, the TV status display shows up in the
> upper-right corner whenever changing video modes, like 1080i to 720p. For
> all my SD programming, the display always indicates 480p, even though I
> know the TV is capable of displaying 480i.

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

"Richard" <rfeirste at nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:1198o1j9nddc5c2@corp.supernews.com...
> If you have an older digital TV or a set with inferior digital chipsets
> then you might benefit if the player itself does the conversion. But you
> are correct, the conversion will not create any additional resolution; but
> it still might look better on a particular display while viewing a
> particular source program.
>

Okay, but why is the Faroudja chip so highly touted among HD and AV
enthusiasts? The way it's talked about seems to indicate that it makes some
big performance difference. Actually, I have the Shawshank Redemption on
DVD, and there's a lot of noticeable artifacting (I think that's what it's
called, those blocky pixels when you get closer to the TV) when it's played
on my progressive scan player, especially compared to when the movie is
aired on Showtime HD, where it looks much better. I wonder if a player with
the Faroudja chip would address that kind of problem. Oh well, I guess it
won't matter in another year or so when the movie libraries are ported over
to whatever becomes the next movie disc format.

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

"Curmudgeon" <curmudgeon@buzzoff.net> wrote in message
news:06yle.8980$6k7.3788@bignews4.bellsouth.net...
> Many if not most hdtv's convert 480i to 480p without you doing
> anything...it eliminates the scan lines and usually makes things look
> better. But the bit about C-span makes no sense at all. Cable box or TV,
> I can't think of any reason why ANY 480i source would be treated as an
> exception.
>

Believe me, I'm pretty confounded by the C-span thing. Could someone try
turning to C-span on an HD set and say what resolution the TV outputs it in?
Maybe it has something to do with it being a live unedited feed.