For those awaiting Dish Network to offer Dolby Digital on HBO it is now available. I watched 'Bait' last night, movie was OK, but great sound. Seems as though it is on HBO East and West, none of the others.
I did see some lip flap, and the dolby digital channels are way lower in volume then non dolby digital channels. Which means surfing betwen channels with your amp on, means constantly riding the volume control. I guess with the good we get some bad...

Bill,

Starz East has been in DD for a couple of years and HBO East has been in DD for over a year (assuming it is a DD movie). Of course a few of the PPV channels are also in DD. I did not know they were doing DD on HBO West so thanks for the update! I will try to pay more attention to what channel is quiet!

Is "lip flap" a lip sync problem?? If so, I see this on almost all DBS stations, and, yes it is worse on the DD presentations. Luckily my processor has a very easy adjustment to compensate!

The volume difference IS a MAJOR problem. Comparing to DVDs, the DD channels seem to be more correct and the "normal" channels appear to be hot. BTW, it isn't just channel surfing that is the problem...the previews between the DD movies are often in standard PCM so they will chase you out of the room! I have gotten used to immediately turning the volume down when the movie is over. A real PITA! Maybe someday we will get there!

randy

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This message was edited by Bill on 08/27/01 15:16.21.

Randy,
Dish Network has not passed the Dolby digital signal from HBO (except for the HD version)up until last week. HBO didn't even send out a dolby digital signal on any of their non High def channels up until about a month or two ago..
Lip flap is a sync problem... probably mainly because the extra processing for dolby digital put the timing with video at a different point.
I can somewhat deal with sync problem even though either HBO or Dish should get it straight. But the volume difference is pretty bad..
But it is pretty cool to watch movies in dolby digital without buying a pay per view..
Bill

Bill,

I respectfully disagree with you on the HBO DD. I have been receiving it in DD for over a year (on the standard HBOE and, of course on the HDTV feed also). It has been very random, not like StarzE which is almost every movie, but I can tell not only by my processors (a Meridian 861 in one room, a Meridian 568 in the other) kicking into DD, but by the volume reduction (how I first noticed it).

After noticing it, I emailed DISH and asked if there was a way to get notified of changes as there have been many that I have stumbled across, such as adding channels. Since I pay my bills via credit card debit, I do not receive a hard copy, on which they will occassionally print a brief overview of additions. DISH responded back that they did not have an auto email update, but to check out their website routinely (a waste of time since it says very little about the things I care about; HDTV, DD, Letterbox, etc.). The email went on to say that HBO had been transmitting DD for over a month (over a year ago).

So, I am not sure what you have read, but personal experience indicates otherwise. Otherwise, I agree with your comments and thank you for letting me know that HBOW is now in DD. Also, you fail to mention StarzE, the first non-PPV DISH channel to offer DD (for a couple of years now).

randy