HBO broadcasting in DD 5.1 revisited (1 Viewer)

[Vin]

The last thread we had going regarding this topic was during the week that this was actually supposed to start. Several people who tuned in that night said the broadcast did not occur in DD 5.1.
I immediately wrote it off as misinformation at the Dolby site but now that the DirecTV customer information channel is talking about it I was wondering if DD 5.1 programming is indeed being offered now on HBO's East and West coast primary feeds as advertised. If so, I'll probably start thinking again about replacing at least one of my satellite receivers with one that can pass the digital bitstream.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
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[Michael Reuben]

I haven't upgraded to digital cable yet, but I did notice that HBO preceded the recent airings of its original film Dinner With Friends with an announcement that it was broadcasting the film in DD 5.1.
M.

 

[DaleB]

I thought DD 5.1 was done periodically on other satellite (& dig. cable, I assume) channels besides HBO and PPV. I saw a programming guide that gave that info.
Will post it if I find it again.

 

[Gruson]

Well, I watch HBO-HD all of the time and a lot of movies are broadcast now in 5.1
Example:
The Beach, last night was in 5.1 and it sounded and looked amazing. 1080i just kills DVD

As far as other HBO channels in 5.1, I am not sure, I do not bother with them.

 

[Allan]

Vin-
I have Time Warner digital cable in NYC. I ahve noticed at least once that a movine was in 5.1. I was watching (I believe)The Perfect Storm and I happened to notice that the my receiver (Onkyo 575) said Dolby Digital (not prologic like normal). so, it appears that some movies on standar dHBO digital cable are in fact broadcast in DD 5.1.
Allan

 

[Brian_J]

Yes, east and west HBO are broadcast in dolby digital, as is starz east. Supposedly Starz west is to start soon. HBO has some dropout issues they need to work out.
Brian
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Zed's Dead Baby...

 

[Gary_K]

I'm also receiving HBO East and West in Dolby Digital. I experience the dropouts only on the west feed, but this could just be by chance.....

 

[Vin]

Thanks for the replys, I guess it's for real then. One more quick question.....
Is anyone using the Sony SATA55 satellite receiver and do you recommend it? (The only reviews I've seen on it were at CC's website and they were mostly bad).
Thanks again,
Vin
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[Rob Robinson]

I've got a Dish PVR 501, and I've only been able to get Dolby Stereo from HBO... Is there any DD 5.1 programming on HBO Dish? I sure hope Band of Brothers will be...
Come to think of it, the only DD 5.1 programming I have seen on Dish Network is a couple PPVs, and I haven't tried any of them out. Where can I find 5.1 programming? (i've only got Dish 100 + HBO package)

 

[Vin]

Thanks Anthony! Maybe I'll be able to find some good sales for the holiday weekend....
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[RobertR]

Now, if HBO would only stop butchering 2.35 movies on their HD channel, they'd really have something....
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[Chip E]

ShowTime HD shows all their movies in their original aspect ratioo... I wish HBO would do the same. 1080i does blow away 480p dvd's...every time.
- Chip
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[RAF]

I receive DD5.1 on some of the HBO-HD movies from the Dish Network (using the 6000 HD receiver.) Also, sometimes the Showtime HD movies are in 5.1.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
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[Rob Robinson]

So only HD guys are getting 5.1 from HBO?
What lies beneath is on in 45 minutes, and the guide had a DD logo. We'll see if it's 2.0 or 5.1 in a few...

 

[Rob Robinson]

SWEET!
first i saw the little "broadcast in DD 5.1" disclaimer...
then, I got the telltale lights on my reciver to light up.
horray! my very first HBO experience in 5.1.
now when do they start showing letterboxed goods?
with all the vaarious HBOs on dish, they should have one channel that ONLY shows widescreen/5.1 programming....

 

[Matt_Stevens]

1080i may blow DVD away, but not when it's 2.35:1 cropped to 1.85:1, which is what HBO does to anamorphic films. Check this thread out with screen caps...
http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum20/HTML/004531.html
(About half way down the page.)
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Jorge M]

Anthony:
Where are you in Boston? Who's your cable company? I just moved in to a new place, and they have RCN. Do you know anything about them, or if they'll do 5.1?

 

[Tim Markley]

If they'd only fix the problem with the audio dropouts then I might actually be able to watch HBO with DD 5.1 turned on. I had to turn DD off on my DirecTV receiver just to watch HBO.

Any idea when this might be fixed???

 

[Gil D]

I've got a Dish PVR 501, and I've only been able to get Dolby Stereo from HBO... Is there any DD 5.1 programming on HBO Dish? I sure hope Band of Brothers will be...
Come to think of it, the only DD 5.1 programming I have seen on Dish Network is a couple PPVs, and I haven't tried any of them out. Where can I find 5.1 programming? (i've only got Dish 100 + HBO package)

Rob,
I have the PVR501 also. You may already know this, but make sure you set the 501 to put out the DD bitstream. Choose the option for both "DD & PCM" in the setup menus. I have Showtime and occasionally there is DD5.1 and DD2.0 on East and West channels.
Can someone give us a definitive answer whether HBO (not the HD channel) on dishnetwork has DD5.1 or DD2.0 flicks? And which HBO channels have it available. I'm considering adding HBO for Band Of Brothers and DD Audio would give me another reason to do so.

 

[Rob Robinson]

Gil- didn't you see my second post?
I got "What lies Beneath" in dd 5.1 last night (first time).
i think the main complaint is the lack of programming options.
Now that I'm keeping an eye on my reciever, I see a good deal of HBO going in DD 2.0, but I've still just seen the one movie in 5.1
But I know it works now. Hopefully there will be more soon.
On another positive, I didn't expereince any of the audio drop outs the DirectTV people are complaining about.