Canadians: Any ExpressVU HDTV Comments? (1 Viewer)

[BarryNS]

Has anyone out there been using the "top of the line" ExpressVU HDTV receiver unit? Care to comment on both the hardware and what (if any) programming is available on it yet? Seems my apartment complex has "seen the light" and struck a deal with Bell to allow dishes so I am debating if I go whole hog for the HDTV unit now or just buy the DD-equipped midline receiver system....
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-Barry

 

[Bruce Leonard]

Go whole hog and get the HDTV one and then you can let me know how it is. What tv would you be watching it on?
Bruce.
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[Dean M]

I connected my 6000 receiver last year. They told me I was the first one to have the unit activated. I purchased my unit from Future Shop (yeck! In fact it still has the Dish Network logo on it, no ExpressVu.) There seems to be some small problems with the unit. Different people have experience different anomalies. It seems that people with Toshiba theater wide sets have a picture that is 'shifted' (overscanning) to the right and down. I have cable as well as ExpressVu (don't ask) and I have this anomaly only on the satellite dish. ExpressVu is downloading software updates over the next month for most of their units although the 6000 firmware upgrade is still pending. I am going to call them this week and ask for an exchange to see if a different unit may provide some relief. There are a few other software related issues as well. It just seems that as the units get more complicated there are more issues with them.
As for the programming: one channel showing pay-per-view movies (they are really milking Gladiator): one channel that shows ABC/CBS/NBC programming in HDTV, sometimes Fox (CBS does by far the best job -- football is amazing.): one other channel that shows a repetitive loop of HDTV samples and at night it will show movies. (Albeit the same movie night after night). Another drawback, no AC 3 surround sound. All HDTV viewing is still in Prologic. Occasionally there are some movies on the pay-per-view channels that are letterboxed/AC 3 surround (SDTV). The HDTV movies do look amazing.
If you can get a good deal on a unit and have a TV that will take advantage of the signal, go for it. Just having a window into the future is beautiful.
Just my $.02
P.S. Bruce-Aurora's nice. Grew up there.

 

[William Kwa]

Dean, I just got my 6000 a week ago. If you go into the HDTV setup (within installation), there is a button labelled as ADJUST. If you click on it, you can adjust the location of the pictures within your TV.

 

[William Kwa]

Back to the original questions. If I don't have a HD ready TV right now and I am in no rush to buy a TV, I won't go into HDTV. There ain't that many HD programmes. As mentioned there are only 2 free + 1 PPV channels. For the PPV and the movie channels, you can't watch Gladiator, Frequency and Magnolia over and over again. The other regular HD channel doesn't have HD programmes all the time (they are just upconverted from regular programmes).

 

[Peter_A]

Do any of the movies that are shown in HD, such as Gladiator etc, also have 5.1 sound?
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Peter
"My a** may be dumb, but I ain't no dumb a**" - Ordell Robbie

 

[Al H]

Watched Gladiator the other night and it was in DD. Quality of picture and sound was really good. Now, if there was only more selection!