How much difference between SD and HD

[PennyPA]

We can't find a carry-out antenna that will support DirecTV HD. How much difference is there in the clarity between SD and HD?

[docj]

That could be the difference between true north and magnetic north. Dishpointer I believe always gives readings in terms of true north.

[PennyPA]

So, I guess, if we don't learn to point that dish the next couple of times, we're going with a Winegard Carry-Out or their other dome one. This dish is making me feel so stupid!

I got Dishpointer Pro and it shows azimuth as 150.5 while the TV (by zip code) shows 133.0. That's a big difference. The tilt is the about the same and the elevation is just a point or two off. Which do I believe? I tend to think the Dishpointer Pro because it's homing in on our campsite whereas the zip code might be 5 or 10 miles from where we are.

[Bill_Satellite]

PennyPA wrote:
If I keep DirecTV, there is no carry-out that has HD for them. Hoping that maybe some day in the future, someone will come out with a portable HD for DirecTV.

Don't hold your breathe if you are thinking some kind of a portable dome style system. As far as I can tell, no one is even working on it any longer due to the KA band signal DirecTV uses for the HD broadcast.

[Bill_Satellite]

PennyPA wrote:
So it sounds like we have to learn how to aim our dish, huh? How do we know if the TV has an ATSC digital tuner? Will it say so in the instruction book for the TV? We have a Vizio...2 years old, I think.

Yes, if you want to receive satellite TV you will either need to learn to point an antenna or you need to purchase an antenna that can point itself.
As the poster has already corrected, the digital TV does not apply to satellite TV. You just need an HD receiver and HD subscription and the proper antenna capable of receiving the HD signal.
When not watching satellite, you crank up your Batwing antenna and watch OTA TV programming with the TV's built-in digital tuner.

[Bill_Satellite]

PennyPA wrote:
Okay. Another SD vs. HD question....if you only have SD, do you still get the HD channels but in SD instead of HD??

There are some HD only channels and these will not be available in an SD version as they require a HD receiver and they require the SL3 or SL5 antenna (direcTV) or the Dish triple LNB. However, there are very few of these channels compared to the overall programming. For example, Food Network on DirecTV is broadcast on 231. If you pull up the guide allowing you to see both HD and SD channels you will see 2 channel 231's. 231-Food and 231 FoodHD.

[PennyPA]

If I keep DirecTV, there is no carry-out that has HD for them. Hoping that maybe some day in the future, someone will come out with a portable HD for DirecTV.

[1492]

I doubt it. Make sure a portable antenna is compatible with both SD/HD if you intend to upgrade to HD programming at some point.

[PennyPA]

So IF we get a carry-out self-finding antenna that is SD only, we will still be able to pick up the HD programs and maybe, someday, they'll come out with an HD antenna for DirecTV or I'll switch to Dish. Thank you all.

[1492]

ATSC is for over-the-air broadcasts. I see from your original post that your question concerns satellite broadcast? So not applicable. But, yes, your Vizio LCD HD does have ATSC.

[PennyPA]

So it sounds like we have to learn how to aim our dish, huh? How do we know if the TV has an ATSC digital tuner? Will it say so in the instruction book for the TV? We have a Vizio...2 years old, I think.

[1492]

Yes, if the TV has an ATSC digital Tuner.

[PennyPA]

Okay. Another SD vs. HD question....if you only have SD, do you still get the HD channels but in SD instead of HD??

[joebedford]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
I could instantly answer both questions (seriously, B and W?). You say you need HD when you are watching a bunch of cars driving really fast in a repeating circle? If you missed it on the last pass it will show up in the next pass (repeated 250 times)!

I agree - I would be able to answer both questions as well.

However, I disagree with you about NASCAR. I get it that you don't like NASCAR but now that I don't get the races in HD, I miss it quite a bit.

[joebedford]

I think the difference between SD and HD is night and day but DW doesn't think there's much. Mind you, I have much better eyesight.

[Bill_Satellite]

RCMAN46 wrote:
Something I have discovered.

If you are watching a really good movie and half way through the movie turn off the tv.

Now ask your partner if the movie was in color or black and white.

Also ask if it was in HD or SD.

Likely neither of you will be sure provided the question is asked after the tv is off and there was no prior knowledge the question would be asked.

A good movie is OK in black and white and SD.

But I do enjoy my HD TV when there are things I need to read such as which car is in the lead on the Sunday NASCAR race.

That's the dangest thing I have ever heard. I could instantly answer both questions (seriously, B and W?). You say you need HD when you are watching a bunch of cars driving really fast in a repeating circle? If you missed it on the last pass it will show up in the next pass (repeated 250 times)!