Cable or Satellite Dish for HDTV

rayray2

Senior member
Sep 12, 2002
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0
76
I just bought a new big screen HDTV. I won't be getting an HDTV tuner for a while, so I'm wondering if there a general consensus on which one (cable or dish) produces the best standard-definition picture quality on HDTV's?
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
it totally depends on your cable provider. There is no blanket answer.

Satellite is ugly and highly compressed when compared to a good cable picture.

BUT! Most cable providers don't put out a good signal anyways so generally satellite is better.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,171
18,808
146
SD picture will be best most often with Sat. But it still looks bad. You either get fuzzy pictures with anolog cable, or enlarged mpeg compression artifacts with Sat and digital cable. The best SD will be over the air digital channels.

If your local cable offers HD (many do now), you wont need to buy a tuner. They provide one for a minimum monthly charge.

Who is your local cable co.?
 

royaldank

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2001
5,440
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Your cable company may offer more HD than DirecTV. Not sure what Dish offers right now. However, I think DTV only has 4 or 5 HD channels right now.
 

rayray2

Senior member
Sep 12, 2002
871
0
76
Originally posted by: Amused
SD picture will be best most often with Sat. But it still looks bad. You either get fuzzy pictures with anolog cable, or enlarged mpeg compression artifacts with Sat and digital cable. The best SD will be over the air digital channels.

If your local cable offers HD (many do now), you wont need to buy a tuner. They provide one for a minimum monthly charge.

Who is your local cable co.?

Charter. I called them up and they said I would need to purchase an HD tuner on my own for 500-600 dollars if I wanted to get the HD broadcasts. They don't offer a rental.
 

Doggiedog

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
12,780
5
81
Time Warner here in NJ offers HDTV cable boxes at the same rate as regular cable.

My SD picture is pretty good. HDTV looks good depending on the station. PBS HDTV looks the best.
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: rayray2
Originally posted by: Amused
SD picture will be best most often with Sat. But it still looks bad. You either get fuzzy pictures with anolog cable, or enlarged mpeg compression artifacts with Sat and digital cable. The best SD will be over the air digital channels.

If your local cable offers HD (many do now), you wont need to buy a tuner. They provide one for a minimum monthly charge.

Who is your local cable co.?

Charter. I called them up and they said I would need to purchase an HD tuner on my own for 500-600 dollars if I wanted to get the HD broadcasts. They don't offer a rental.

I'd go the DISH route, then. Only $199 *and* you get the 8VSB and the 8PSK modules with the DISH 6000 receiver so you can get any local OTA HD broadcasts in addition to the newer DISH HD channels (that require the 8PSK module.)
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Time Warner here in NJ offers HDTV cable boxes at the same rate as regular cable.

My SD picture is pretty good. HDTV looks good depending on the station. PBS HDTV looks the best.

PBS doesn't have much in the way of HD, though. :frown:

InHD, Discovery HD and HDNet (and Bravo HD if you're an opera fan) are the best in PQ, imo.
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
23,686
1
0
Originally posted by: rayray2
I just bought a new big screen HDTV. I won't be getting an HDTV tuner for a while, so I'm wondering if there a general consensus on which one (cable or dish) produces the best standard-definition picture quality on HDTV's?

i have used DISH and Comcast for a long period of time and i can say that comcast imo is noticeably better. We have 3 HDTVs in our house and both my roomies and I are in consensus about this.
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
23,686
1
0
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: royaldank
Your cable company may offer more HD than DirecTV. Not sure what Dish offers right now. However, I think DTV only has 4 or 5 HD channels right now.

DISH has it all now! :D

It doesnt have the locals in HDTV yet. I would look at your local provider but my gut feeling is that cable will get the locals in HDTV long before dish will.
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: royaldank
Your cable company may offer more HD than DirecTV. Not sure what Dish offers right now. However, I think DTV only has 4 or 5 HD channels right now.

DISH has it all now! :D

It doesnt have the locals in HDTV yet. I would look at your local provider but my gut feeling is that cable will get the locals in HDTV long before dish will.

But the 8VSB module allows one to get the locals with an antenna. And that comes as part of the deal that ends 10/31.
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
23,686
1
0
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: royaldank
Your cable company may offer more HD than DirecTV. Not sure what Dish offers right now. However, I think DTV only has 4 or 5 HD channels right now.

DISH has it all now! :D

It doesnt have the locals in HDTV yet. I would look at your local provider but my gut feeling is that cable will get the locals in HDTV long before dish will.

But the 8VSB module allows one to get the locals with an antenna. And that comes as part of the deal that ends 10/31.

true enough but if you dont have a good line of site to the anteannas you are fubar
 

Doggiedog

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
12,780
5
81
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Time Warner here in NJ offers HDTV cable boxes at the same rate as regular cable.

My SD picture is pretty good. HDTV looks good depending on the station. PBS HDTV looks the best.

PBS doesn't have much in the way of HD, though. :frown:

InHD, Discovery HD and HDNet (and Bravo HD if you're an opera fan) are the best in PQ, imo.

No. It's just the same loop over and over but there is one piece with Ashley Judd in it.

BTW: Is Discovery HD and all those other channels extra? There is nothing mentioned about it in my area.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
I've heard some rumors that Dish Network is going to be introducing close to 20 more HD channels in January? Can anyone confirm this, and if so, any ideas what the extra channels are?
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: conjur
Originally posted by: royaldank
Your cable company may offer more HD than DirecTV. Not sure what Dish offers right now. However, I think DTV only has 4 or 5 HD channels right now.

DISH has it all now! :D

It doesnt have the locals in HDTV yet. I would look at your local provider but my gut feeling is that cable will get the locals in HDTV long before dish will.

But the 8VSB module allows one to get the locals with an antenna. And that comes as part of the deal that ends 10/31.

true enough but if you dont have a good line of site to the anteannas you are fubar

Not necessarily...antenna arrays can do wonders ;)

Or, one of those Televes or Blake antennae. Those are SWEET!
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
I've heard some rumors that Dish Network is going to be introducing close to 20 more HD channels in January? Can anyone confirm this, and if so, any ideas what the extra channels are?

See my post above about DISH has it all now.
 

royaldank

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2001
5,440
0
0
I sat in a luxury box during a TN Vols game recently. Two teenagers in there. Their dad couldn't make it. He owns Ecostar and is one of the founders. I can only imagine how much money that family has.

Thanks for the info on their expanded lineup. My buddy in the neighborhood just got a new 65" HD. I need to tell him about DISH.