Honest HD ??? For HD viewers...........

[John Davis sweatt]

My ?? would be I just purchased DTV, but I didn't sink in the dough for HD just yet. Reason? I have my internet through my cable company Time Warner and decided to keep my current cable and HD tier with them (package deal) until I get a good judgement on how I like DTV and see where they actually go with their HD programming.

To my ??, when I purchased my HDTV the store had both DTV & Cable set-up in house with HD channels on. When I asked which one was DTV, I was suprised that the Cable actually had a better picture than DTV. I know most on here swear by DTV, but an honest answer please! Who has the best HD picture? My point is I will always take quality over quanity. I heard some say that DTV is HD-lite? What does that mean? I would also like to add that the salesman told me that he prefered Dish net over DTV & Cable. He went on to say that Dish had the best HD pics out there. Keep in my mind that the store didn't offer Dish, he said he was just a Dish owner.

Thanks, John

 

[sprog68]

Those are very good questions. Due to the limited amount of bandwidth and space available on existing satellites, D* and Dish have had to lower the bitrate and resolution on their signals. They have also been using MPEG2 encoding on most of their HD channels. This of course leads to softer, less defined pictures, which macro-block, or pixelate more.

However, D* has been using MPEG4 encoders for the local network channels and the picture quality is greatly improved over the MPEG2 channels. When the OTA channels are compared with the same channel coming from D*, there is very little visable difference. Also, since the launch of the new sattelite, D10, D* has alot more bandwidth and space available. This and the fact that they will be using MPEG4 encoding on all the new HD channels and phasing out the MPEG2 channels over the coming year, leads me to believe, D* is moving in right direction. 40 to 100 channels (depending on your programming package) of high quality HD, starting Sept. 16th, or earlier, might be the best choice available.

I also hear FIOS is very high quality (possibly the best) and might be worth looking into if its available in your area.

I don't know what DISH has planned for its HD future, so I can't say if it would be an option or not. Personally, I'm a die-hard football fan, so I don't have a choice.

Then again, I could be completely wrong about everything.

 

[joed32]

You seem happy with TW so just enjoy it for now. Maybe you can visit some people who have Dish or d* and check them out. You won't get too many unbiased opinions on the boards. Some yes, but you won't know which ones are.

 

[DFWHD]

I also hear FIOS is very high quality (possibly the best) and might be worth looking into if its available in your area.

We had FiOS at our old house until we moved last month and I can say their HD was awesome! Crystal clear with little macro blocking. Now that we're moved in to the new place, we just signed up for D* and will be connected on September 16th. It will be interesting to see how the new HD channels look on D* having been with FiOS before.

 

[vurbano]

When I asked which one was DTV, I was suprised that the Cable actually had a better picture than DTV. I know most on here swear by DTV, but an honest answer please! Who has the best HD picture?

You might find a local cable company with an HD picture as bad as DTV's but I would imagine that most kill it.

 

[slimoli]

I switched from D* to cable and the picture quality is now MUCH better for HD and SD. Some SD channels on D* look like an old VHS tape. I am looking forward for the new 100 HD channels but will check the PQ first before any decision to go back. HD-LITE ? Thanks but no, thanks.

 

[Jimbo]

I switched from D* to cable and the picture quality is now MUCH better for HD and SD. Some SD channels on D* look like an old VHS tape. I am looking forward for the new 100 HD channels but will check the PQ first before any decision to go back. HD-LITE ? Thanks but no, thanks.

impatient are we ??
If you waited anothe r two weeks you would have seen what is available with the new technology.

 

[Jimbo]

You won't get too many unbiased opinions on the boards. Some yes, but you won't know which ones are.

This is because most of us, not all , don't have the available funds or the nessesity to have more than one provider.
There fore most can (should) only comment on the provider they are with.
Also the fact that the poster is in the Directv forum.

Jimbo

 

[atp1313]

My problem is that I have had V*, then E*, and now D*, but never all at the same time. And coincidentally, I have had a different HD television with each provider. V* had 32" CRT (4:3); E* had 52" RCA RPTV; and since Thanksgiving/Black Friday 2006, D* with 50" Vizio Plasma (and as of today, HD service in bedroom on 32" Vizio LCD). So all three services with three different size HDTV's and all three were different types of HDTV's.

In fairness, I did have share some time on RPTV. But once I saw Plasma, my brain has forcibly removed those memories.