I'm confused about the whole loss in picture quality moving to the 505 and e-dish. Technically, the dish shouldn't have anything to do with picture quality since its digital - the data to form the picture is either there or its not. If its not, there will be bits of the picture actually missing. The picture won't get sharper if the signal strength goes higher.

Are you using the same cable and connector that you used before with the 421b with the 505? Different cable/input combinations may affect the picture quality.

Have you tried hooking the 421b back up to the e-dish to look at quality? I'm betting it should be the same as with the round dish - placing the change in quality with the reciever and cable instead of the dish.

Same cable, same connector. Original 505 receiver presented SD problems. Switched back to old receiver, picture was actually a little easier to watch but not as good
as my old set up. The replacement 505 receiver *C sent me wasn't any better than the original 505. In my (old,old) original setup I used SVid. With the new receiver(s), I tried SVid, Component and DVI. Component and DVI gave a brighter picture but SD quality wasn't the same that I once had. I'm suspecting the dish is the culprit. As I mentioned to "AddictedtoToys", I wish my old dish was still up so I could do a side by side comparison, before and after.
I'm going to post another question shortly having to do with signal strength, signal quality and polarization. Maybe you or someone else can provide an explanation for me.

I've heard about the Sound and Vision "Home Theater Tune Up" DVD. Where do you buy that?

All the major DVD on-line sellers carry it, just go to their sites and search in "sound and vision". Some will show the Avia disc as well. I just checked and futureshop.ca and amazon.ca list it but are out of stock. Amazon.com has stock. Some will take you on backorder.
At this point, I would suggest an installer check your dish, LNB's and cables. Something obviously changed after your equipment was switched over. If your old receiver doesn't return you back to what you had before, (you and your wife are the only ones to know that), something in the setup is wrong.

By the time I figure this out, I'm going to forget what my old picture quality actually was. Anyhow, trying to compare apples with apples, I wrote down some info from the system status menus for my old and new receiver. My understanding in talking to *C is that the screen menu for the 421B provides you the settings of the original system installation. On the 505, the menu is similar except that the signal strength numbers constantly change. Anyhow, here goes, and I'll use the same description that appears on the menus for each receiver.

Under 'System Status' menu:
421B: signal strength 36, Signal quality 70, Polarization Horiz_Left
505: signal 61, (Ecb/No: 7.6 dB),"nothing abt signal quality", Polarization Left_Horiz

Under 'Tune in Satellite Signal' menu:
421B: Satelitte A4, Signal 54
505: Satelitte A4, Signal Level Number 61

Don't know if any of the other numbers are that important. Any clues on what my comparison may be saying? Was my old dish/421B combo a better match than the new dish/505 in deciphering satellite signal, hence better picture quality? Am I grasping for straws here? The sun flare-ups that occured a while back are gone now aren't they?

TV (57"Sony HD rear CRT) is still pulled back from the wall, good quality cabling straight from receiver to TV, bare bones set-up (but originally SVid thru Yamaha receiver), 75-90 ft RG6/RG59 cable from satellite to receiver (5 junctions incl. Sat & Rec). Am I missing anything? Hockey is going to drive me nuts with my SD woes.

All the major DVD on-line sellers carry it, just go to their sites and search in "sound and vision". Some will show the Avia disc as well. I just checked and futureshop.ca and amazon.ca list it but are out of stock. Amazon.com has stock. Some will take you on backorder.
At this point, I would suggest an installer check your dish, LNB's and cables. Something obviously changed after your equipment was switched over. If your old receiver doesn't return you back to what you had before, (you and your wife are the only ones to know that), something in the setup is wrong.

Thanks for info. Installer is next on list. It's supposed to be a nice weekend, I might go and measure the height of the trees in the cedar bush behind our backyard to see if they grew any this past summer. They're about 100 ft back and when I eyeball the angle of the dish I'm pretty sure it skims over their tops. Am I really grasping here? Just kidding. BTW, lived and worked in Thorold area in my Univ. days (Welland Canal by-pass construction).

Installer is next on list.
Have him swap LNB's, switch etc. A good installer should know. Get his opinion on picture quality. That 505 has got to work better.

Am I really grasping here? Just kidding. BTW, lived and worked in Thorold area in my Univ. days (Welland Canal by-pass construction).
Yea...kinda...like was said before, digital, you either get it or you don't. Line of sight is a must. In a storm you just go dark...no snowy picture. Trees in the way...darkness.
BTW, Thorold does not have a hospital to do a Canal by-pass!!!:p

CIVIL GUY,
I appreciate your background work. It's just that our situations sound so similar, it's got me hesitant to change over to the new setup. Everything has worked flawlessly, and PQ has been spectacular.

I don't understand why the signal quality is so low on A4 after the new E dish was installed in your situation?

Today is the installation day. Like you. I will post my results. It's good to have everybody's input.;)

I don't understand why the signal quality is so low on A4 after the new E dish was installed in your situation?

While signal strength on the e-dish will be lower than a round dish (as it has to be between two satellite beams instead of pointed directly at one), it shouldn't be THAT MUCH lower. 70-80 shouldn't be hard to get, unless you have trees or something in the way.

While signal strength on the e-dish will be lower than a round dish (as it has to be between two satellite beams instead of pointed directly at one), it shouldn't be THAT MUCH lower. 70-80 shouldn't be hard to get, unless you have trees or something in the way.
I'm glad to hear that.

AddictedtoToys,

the signal strength is different for every channel, but I just checked 283 MCHD and with my 500 and E-dish it bounces from 81 to 82 on the tune in sat menu option. with an older dish I had readings as low as 53 or so and signial was still good. with digital the number don't seem to matter till it gets so low that you loose signal and get missing pixels.

While signal strength on the e-dish will be lower than a round dish (as it has to be between two satellite beams instead of pointed directly at one), it shouldn't be THAT MUCH lower. 70-80 shouldn't be hard to get, unless you have trees or something in the way.

What you're saying about signal strength contradicts what I have in my case before and after. In yesterday's posting, I indicated that my round dish had a signal strength of 36. With the new new dish it jumped to 60-65. I do have trees in the back and my dish probably just skims their tops. I agree with "Tapper". Even with low signal strength, I was still getting good SD with the old dish/receiver combo.

CIVIL GUY,
I appreciate your background work. It's just that our situations sound so similar, it's got me hesitant to change over to the new setup. Everything has worked flawlessly, and PQ has been spectacular.

I don't understand why the signal quality is so low on A4 after the new E dish was installed in your situation?

Today is the installation day. Like you. I will post my results. It's good to have everybody's input.;)

Look forward to your results. Keep the old dish for a while. Mine's in the garage but may be rescued tomorrow if I can get a bracket, cabling and an instruction booklet on how to aim the thing. I have a 57" Sony, HD, rear CRT. Not familar with yours. When you post can you describe and what cabling you're using to get best results. On HD side I get excellent picture quality and would rate SVid abt. 80%, component 95%, DVI 100%. Been flipping back and forth but leaning to component. DVI channel changes take abt. twice as long.

Have him swap LNB's, switch etc. A good installer should know. Get his opinion on picture quality. That 505 has got to work better.:p

That's the only thing left. Checked everything, everthing, even removed the little UHF antenna thingy on the back of the receiver in case of possible interference. Who am I to know. My original installer (no longer with *C), also suggested what you said. Spoke to the new installer and they'd be glad to visit for $75. Said to talk to *C and have them issue a PO to cover cost. *C refused to believe there might be a problem with their equipment and suggested perhaps, that cabling between the TV & receiver may be the culprit. Yeah, right. Why not check to see if the lights are on while I'm at it. Told the tech I'd been in touch with them 6-8 times over the past 21/2 wks. Their suggestions didn't work. I ended the call as diplomatically as I could.

I'm going to try and put the old dish back up myself.
:confused:

Well guys let me start by saying overall, I'm a very happy camper. One dark note though, I had the installer from hell grace my door. He cut one of my existing lines not once, but twice! He didn't have half the installation equipment he should have. I ended up loaning him my tools. He had no experience with Star choice equipment. Therefore, I did most of the cable install and setup of the receiver. He got it activated.

There, now that's out of the way. The final tweaking of the dish got me at 83% signal strength for non HD channels, and 95% for HD programs.

CIVIL GUY, I'm real happy with the SD channels. I hate to say this but they are even better than before. The 505 is working great. The odd pop up now and then, but no big deal.

I have a 50 in. LCD Rear projection Sony. I went with component in initially and it yielded a great picture. I then tried the DVI, and it was noticably better again. That's what I'm staying with. You're right, it takes longer for channel changes but I can live with that.

I watched PBS Detroit in HD this morning. Banff Springs Doc. was showing. Well, I could almost feel the wind coming off the mountains, and smell the wild flowers. MAN OH MAN!! I didn't realize how stunning true HD could be.

As mentioned, I'm very happy and relieved. I've got even better SD, and now HD. Life is good.

CIVIL GUY, I hope you can get a resolve to your problem.

*C refused to believe there might be a problem with their equipment and suggested perhaps, that cabling between the TV & receiver may be the culprit.

Why not check that out too. In fact, did you try the old RF coax connection to channel 3 and compare SD picture that way.

As mentioned, I'm very happy and relieved. I've got even better SD, and now HD. Life is good.

CIVIL GUY, I hope you can get a resolve to your problem.

I'm jealous but certainly glad the switchover went well for you. Football's great on HD, eh. Almost like being the cameraman right on the field. Still haven't resolved my SD problem. Giving myself another week which will round things up to abt 1 month.

In fact, did you try the old RF coax connection to channel 3 and compare SD picture that way.

I checked all the standard cabling on day one of my odessey. I might try your suggestion with an RF connection. Never used it before, but wouldn't hurt I guess.

I finally convinced *C to authorize the installer to swap the LNB on the dish. The tech I spoke to said he didn't believe it would make any bit of difference. Digital is digital, you either get a signal and picture or you don't. He even noted that in his record of conversation and said they were doing the swap at the customer's (my) request. Told him the LNB was the only thing that hadn't been tried yet. Either that or *C could have their dish and receiver back. The installer's coming this Tuesday.

Interesting little tidbit he gave me. There, indeed, have been a few instances of hardware incompatibility between some TV's and their latest receiver.:confused:

Hi all:

Not sure if I should have started a separate thread for this, but.....

According to tech support, the first firmware update to the 505 is coming down this week.

It's supposed to fix the "subscription needed to view this channel" message that pops up occasionally on channels that you *do* subscribe to. Hopefully it also takes care of the unresponsive guide button problem. I saw someone else in this thread is having it too.

So if you want the update, make sure you power down your box at night.

Hi Derek !

Thanks MUCH for posting that info ! ... I just got my 505 last week, and this has been happening... I was going to call StarChoice but it wasn't happening all the time. Anyway so glad u posted that, and we all know that we are not alone... many times you wonder " is this only happening to me ? " and now I know it's not.

Thanks again. This forum is a great thing isn't it. :p

Hi all:

According to tech support, the first firmware update to the 505 is coming down this week.

It's supposed to fix the "subscription needed to view this channel" message that pops up occasionally on channels that you *do* subscribe to. Hopefully it also takes care of the unresponsive guide button problem. I saw someone else in this thread is having it too.

So if you want the update, make sure you power down your box at night.

Have noticed that "have no subscription " message too on my 505, usually on HD channels.

So if you want the update, make sure you power down your box at night.

They told me to power up!