lacehim Posted November 27, 2007 Posted November 27, 2007 Hi, I've recently moved from the bush to the big smoke and would like to buy a digital box for my Epson TW600. It hasn't been worth even looking into before because we only had 2 channels which I would already receive on Austar. The problem I have is should I buy a SD box which are quite cheap (under $100) or will it be worth me buying a HD box which cost significantly more. Will I be able to see the difference in picture quality with a HD box and my 720P projector. I look forward to anyones help.
Guest EZYHD Posted November 27, 2007 Posted November 27, 2007 Hi,I've recently moved from the bush to the big smoke and would like to buy a digital box for my Epson TW600. It hasn't been worth even looking into before because we only had 2 channels which I would already receive on Austar. The problem I have is should I buy a SD box which are quite cheap (under $100) or will it be worth me buying a HD box which cost significantly more. Will I be able to see the difference in picture quality with a HD box and my 720P projector. I look forward to anyones help. No you will not see any difference with a HD STB , go get yourself a Topfield MP SD box, can't go wrong.
glennb Posted November 27, 2007 Posted November 27, 2007 Was watching the soccer last night on my TW600, but i'm using a HTPC and DNTV Live! card with my output set to 720p. Anyway, i noticed that the 10HD broadcast was much clearer and sharper than the 10SD broadcast, which was breaking up more into pixelation. I'm obviously not using the TW600 to do the scaling, but i'd be going the HD STB route just to make sure that you are not missing anything. At least with the HD STB you can choose between the SD and HD channels and see which one looks better (eg 7SD is currently much better than 7HD).
norseman Posted November 27, 2007 Posted November 27, 2007 Hi,I've recently moved from the bush to the big smoke and would like to buy a digital box for my Epson TW600. It hasn't been worth even looking into before because we only had 2 channels which I would already receive on Austar. The problem I have is should I buy a SD box which are quite cheap (under $100) or will it be worth me buying a HD box which cost significantly more. Will I be able to see the difference in picture quality with a HD box and my 720P projector. I look forward to anyones help. I have one of these and certainly see a difference when the source is a true HD signal. However, I think another aspect that is important here is the audio. There is no 5.1 DD transmitted on SD channels.
PKK Posted November 27, 2007 Posted November 27, 2007 Cheap SD box normally only comes with S-video and composite connection. They are pretty bad to view in big size. My DVD harddisk recorder with built-in SD box and hdmi can give a pretty good picture. But many channels are pushing HD lately so you will lost out without a HD box. Also you should see a more detail picture with true HD material (not upscaled of SD material) and a large projected picture by your pj. Remember 720p is HD too.
KernelPanic Posted November 28, 2007 Posted November 28, 2007 No you will not see any difference with a HD STB , go get yourself a Topfield MP SD box, can't go wrong. ??. I notice a significant difference on a TW700 in high def (720p).
ken s Posted November 28, 2007 Posted November 28, 2007 l have a friend with a hdstb going to his 42" plasma and the difference between hd and sd is very noticable...........it can only be more so on a pj ...........
lacehim Posted November 28, 2007 Author Posted November 28, 2007 Not to sound dumb but I probably will anyway. If I buy a SD STB will I still be able to watch the HD channels that 7 & 10 are promoting to start next year or do I need a HD box to do that? A bloke I spoke to at HN said it would, but I don't trust their knowledge because they only want me to walk out the door with a purchase. My new house is big enough for dedicated media room so I'm hoping to get it set up for watching all the latest shows on my projector.
glennb Posted November 28, 2007 Posted November 28, 2007 Not to sound dumb but I probably will anyway. If I buy a SD STB will I still be able to watch the HD channels that 7 & 10 are promoting to start next year or do I need a HD box to do that? A bloke I spoke to at HN said it would, but I don't trust their knowledge because they only want me to walk out the door with a purchase. My new house is big enough for dedicated media room so I'm hoping to get it set up for watching all the latest shows on my projector. If it's a SD STB, then you won't get anything but the SD channels. This means NO HD (including the new ones). If you get a HD STB, it will show both SD and HD and you can choose which one looks better on your system.
Axe man Posted November 28, 2007 Posted November 28, 2007 I use a Topfield 7000 HD set top box with my TW600 and yes there is a difference between the SD and HD channel dependant on the program though. The 7000 HD set top box (not PVR) can be had for under $250. I found it well worth it for occassional viewing of FTA stations. However a HD PVR would be nicer.
quijibo Posted November 29, 2007 Posted November 29, 2007 Buy a HD box. The difference between SD and HD on my 720p projector is massive.
lacehim Posted November 29, 2007 Author Posted November 29, 2007 Thanks. Off to buy a HD box this weekend. Thanks for all the advice.
Guest EZYHD Posted November 30, 2007 Posted November 30, 2007 Looks like may bad, I didn't try a HD box when I had the TW600 only the Toppy at 720p, seems from what has been said on here it does look better.
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