Many questions from someone about to switch from Dish

[johnny q]

Hi Guys

I did a forum search but couldnt find the answers I am looking for. In short, I am fed up with the crap picture I am now getting on Dish Network, and to add insult to injury, I have developed a foliage problem that will cost me 1000 bucks to restore my line of sight. Only option in Northern, NJ is IO Digital Cable (Optimun/Cablevision) until FIOS is available in 2007. I have a ton of questions:

1) What stations are digital and which stations are analog?

2) how does the picture quality compare to Dish or Direct - both the Analog and Digital SD channels. My memories of cable are snowy, grainy PQ, sometimes with bars and other interference

3) Do the receivers have S Video??

4) Are there differences between the receiver models in terms of PQ??

5) I currently have the Dish connected to 2 TV's - each one has its own coax run direct to the receiver-no splitters and I want to preserve this. Do the cable installers typically use splitters in this type of setup? I want to avoid anything that may take a bite out of my signal.

I appreciate your help - thanks

JQ

 

[cforrest]

#1 - Most channels are now simulcast in digital if you are using a digital cable box. If the tv is hooked up without a cable box, then the SD channel will not be digital and not look great, but not snowy and with interference in the picture as you recall.

#3 & 4 - Depending on whether you are going DVR or not, there are 2 different boxes. The DVR box is an SA 8300, the HD DVR is SA 8300HD. The non DVR box is SA 4200 and SA 4200HD for HD. The 4200 has S-video, pretty sure the 8300 has it as well.

#5 - They will likely split the drop coming into the house to the TVs that are being hooked up, it shouldn't affect the signal levels much if you are using one splitter after the drop to the house.

Hope that answered most of your questions, I am sure others can add their experiences as well.

 

[jr461]

johhny q - where in NNJ are you and what details do you have about FIOS in 2007? I am in Northern Bergen county and stuck with Cablevision of Rockland. Would love it if FIOS came in.

Thanks.

 

[johnny q]

johhny q - where in NNJ are you and what details do you have about FIOS in 2007? I am in Northern Bergen county and stuck with Cablevision of Rockland. Would love it if FIOS came in.

Thanks.

I am in New Milford. I read in the Bergen record that Fios should be in all of Bergen County by March 2007.

Not happy with Cablevision?

 

[johnny q]

Can anyone directly compare the PQ to either Dish or Direct???

JQ

 

[cforrest]

I have both, I prefer Directv on non-HD channels due to the varying audio levels Cablevision has on some channels. As for PQ, when comparing digital to digital it is a wash IMO. When comparing HD, Cablevision is better. Hope that helps.

 

[jr461]

Agree with cforrest.
Also, coming from real Tivo on Directv, teh Cablevision DVR is a POS. The other thing I'm unhappy about with Cablevision is the lack of HD channels compared to other systems, such as FIOS! Can't wait until some competition arrives. Thanks for the info.

 

[johnny q]

Does anyone see the same PQ issues that I currently see with Dish Network? Oftentimes the picture is blurry and out of focus, colors are washed out, at its absolute worst, it moves in almost slow-mo like a videophone vid, or RealVideo. I realize that compression and other factors affect a digital picture, but mine has degraded to unacceptable levels. Its not my connections (s-video) or TV and/or settings either.

Tell me more about the fluctuating audio.

JQ

 

[wlee]

My experience with the fluctuating audio levels is that the HD channels are alot louder than the other channels. If you were watching a SD channel, be prepared for a large volume increase if you suddenly switch to an HD channel.

One other thing about the PQ from CV, if you have a good TV, the SD channels look pixelated on some channels. My friends parent's just FIOS, I need to run over there and see the PQ on regular channels.

 

[RemyM]

If you set the audio range on the box to fixed, narrow, the fluctuations are not that bad. The audio fluctuations come right from the networks. They each send out their audio at different dB levels and CV just passes it along, as it should be.

 

[johnny q]

My experience with the fluctuating audio levels is that the HD channels are alot louder than the other channels. If you were watching a SD channel, be prepared for a large volume increase if you suddenly switch to an HD channel.

One other thing about the PQ from CV, if you have a good TV, the SD channels look pixelated on some channels. My friends parent's just FIOS, I need to run over there and see the PQ on regular channels.

It cant look worse than what my Dish Network PQ has degraded to. When I first had it installed in 2001, it was flawless, now it looks like a video phone.

I can deal with a little blockiness, its the blurry washed out look and the halos around the images I cant deal with.