Philip Hamm

DD over Dish Network - How good? How often?

I'm getting a promotional Dish network setup in my house, and I have to decide whether to put the single DD enabled reciever in my basement or bedroom. Both areas are DD ready. We're going to have HBO for their original programming, which will probably mostly get watched in the bedroom casually, not critically in the basement, as the movies are P&S.

So how much should I expect to use the DD mode? Is HBO good about Sopranos and Sex in the City in DD over NTSC Dish Network?

Philip Hamm
Moderator Emeritus

Philip Hamm

I guess not very often, huh?

Philip Hamm
Moderator Emeritus

Scott Kimball

I don't have HBO, so I can't speak to DD quality on their original programming... but aside from HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and some PPV channels, there's not a long going on in Dolby Digital on Dish.

What they do offer in DD sounds pretty nice, but don't expect quite the same level as DD on DVD.

The optical output of your Dish receiver does offer better sound than the analog connections, whether or not the source is in DD.

-Scott