Hmm, not really sure. I use DirecTV HD and my plasma is only 480p, so for me, it wouldn't really matter. I watch 720p and 1080i downconverted via my HD Tivo (DVI) and it looks fantastic. I can tell the difference w/ HD broadcasts, including HD movies on HBO, Universal HD, and HDNet. But I don't recall if D* even tells you the resolution of PPV HD.