Digital Cable vs. Satellite TV

[mdcrab]

I am thinking of upgrading to HD as I already have an HD TV but no HD receiver.

Is Digital Cable preferred over Satellite TV systems, if it is available in your area?

I presently have Comcast (non digital) & frequently get pissed with them for raising rates.

Satellite service seems to cost about the same as cable in this area.

I am not interested in getting PVR only HD.

Which is the preferred way to go?

mdcrab

 

[fs5]

I'm about 4 years behind the times, so comcast digital cable is HD now?

 

[MystikMango]

In my area of Los Angeles, Comcast does provide about 20 channels in HD format.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: fivespeed5
I'm about 4 years behind the times, so comcast digital cable is HD now?

I've had both, at the same time, and the picture on satellite seems to be a bit better. You would think that digital is digital, but I can show you the same channel on sat. and cable and anyone will say the sat. picture is better.

 

[compudog]

Comcast here in PA has about 12 channels (IIRC) or HD content. I'm not too thrilled with the price I am paying for the digital cable, but I don't want a dish.

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: fivespeed5
I'm about 4 years behind the times, so comcast digital cable is HD now?

I've had both, at the same time, and the picture on satellite seems to be a bit better. You would think that digital is digital, but I can show you the same channel on sat. and cable and anyone will say the sat. picture is better.

yeah, I figured sat. picture better than digital cable. I worked at good guys before (not in video) and the video sales guys said digital cable wasn't worth it. Of course this was 4 years ago so my information was a little dated.

 

[TechnoKid]

HDTV over cable is the same as the HDTV over satelite. It depends on what format the station aired it in (720p, 1080i) that will determine how it looks on your HDTV. Also, with current HD satalite recievers, you can also decode over the air signals; I'm not sure if the HD Cable has this feature, as the boxes are provided by the cable company.

There is a difference between digital cable and satelite; I like satelite over digital cable.

 

[mdcrab]

From Comcasts web site:

(Comcast offers) A broad selection of HD content. Unlike satellite, with Comcast you can watch local broadcast channels (like ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS*) in HD without an antenna. So you can see the prime-time and sports programs that you wanted to watch when you bought an HDTV set. In addition to our HD programming, in many cities Comcast offers the enhanced viewing experience of FOX Widescreen.

Plus, you get great HD networks like ESPN HD which offers over 100 high definition games a year and selected ESPN original programming. Also, the INHD and INHD2 channels offer an exceptional variety of sports, movies, travel, and nature programming - all in high definition.

Finally, at no extra cost, premium subscribers can catch their favorite hit movies and many ground breaking original series from HBO HD and SHOWTIME HD. And for HD movie lovers, STARZ HD and CINEMAX HD are coming soon.

 

[Dulanic]

I sell sattalite... and even I would be getting Comcast HD over the rest... they have a good amount of channels and dont even really charge anything extra.

 

[mdcrab]

To upgrade to "Digital" service is $10/month and the HD service is another $5/month.

For Digital service I can pick the box up from Comcast, but the HD Box requires "professional" installation at an additional charge of $49.95! Will probably wait for a free installation promo.

mdcrab

 

[Dulanic]

Originally posted by: mdcrab
To upgrade to "Digital" service is $10/month and the HD service is another $5/month.

For Digital service I can pick the box up from Comcast, but the HD Box requires "professional" installation at an additional charge of $49.95! Will probably wait for a free installation promo.

mdcrab

$5 a month for HD and $50 for the box is NOTHING. Id pay that in a heartbeat.

 

[aircooled]

I've had both TimeWarner Digital Cable, and DirecTV. By far DirectTV 's picture is sharper. i saw alot of compression and pixelation with digital cable.

 

[UNCjigga]

I got HD digital cable because we have only 1 HDTV but 3 more TVs upstairs, plus we get a discount because we have Time Warner security and RoadRunner broadband too.

Our local Time Warner was running a promotion on digital cable that includes the tuner, standard cable, digital variety tier (40 TV channels + digital music), HBO tier (HBO/West, HBO2/W, HBO Kids/W, HBO Signature/W, HBO Zone/W, HBO Comedy/W, HBO on Demand, HBO HD) and all the local HD channels + Discovery HD for $65/month, minus $15 credit for security/broadband (so its about $50 a month.)

*edit* for $7 more per month we can get HDnet, HDnet Movies, INHD1 and INHD2.

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: aircooled
I've had both TimeWarner Digital Cable, and DirecTV. By far DirectTV 's picture is sharper. i saw alot of compression and pixelation with digital cable.

You must've had one of the older Scientific Atlanta boxes. Just a few months ago our local TW started using the Pioneer boxes, which are MUCH better.

 

[MrHappyMonkey]

With Comcast in my area (Fresno, CA) digital cable is not really digital. Basically with digital cable you are getting your basic channels (MTV, CNN, comedy central, BET, Speed, etc, etc) in plain-old analog signal. The only channels that are digital are the "premium" channels such as HBO, Showtime, Starz in digital along with a couple of other channels like Discovery Wings, G4, and other useless channels that nobody watches. With satellite all the channels are "digital" and look much better. I had DirectTV before but was not pleased with the reception of my local HD stations via an over-the-air antenna. Comcast ended up paying me $400 to switch from DirectTV to digital cable even though I only had satellite for 1 month 🙂 Overall DirectTV was much better since all channels were digital. An analog feed really looks like crap when its on a Widescreen 46" HDTV compared to digital.

 

[MrHappyMonkey]

dp

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: Jigga

Originally posted by: aircooled
I've had both TimeWarner Digital Cable, and DirecTV. By far DirectTV 's picture is sharper. i saw alot of compression and pixelation with digital cable.

You must've had one of the older Scientific Atlanta boxes. Just a few months ago our local TW started using the Pioneer boxes, which are MUCH better.

I did have the SA box, but my neighbor has the Pioneer, my DirecTV still stomps it. Plus, as the above post mentioned, with digital cable, your "basic" channels are still analog with cable. DirecTV is all digital.
Honestly, I never had a preference untill I tried both in my home, but it may differ neighborhood to neighborhood just like cable broadband.

 

[KarenMarie]

had comcast cable, then comcast digital. Have directv now and it kicks ass over digital cable. better pic, faster channel changing (there was always a lag with digital cable) and i get over 150 channels on three teevees for $45.00 per month.

🙂

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: aircooled

Originally posted by: Jigga

Originally posted by: aircooled
I've had both TimeWarner Digital Cable, and DirecTV. By far DirectTV 's picture is sharper. i saw alot of compression and pixelation with digital cable.

You must've had one of the older Scientific Atlanta boxes. Just a few months ago our local TW started using the Pioneer boxes, which are MUCH better.

I did have the SA box, but my neighbor has the Pioneer, my DirecTV still stomps it. Plus, as the above post mentioned, with digital cable, your "basic" channels are still analog with cable. DirecTV is all digital.
Honestly, I never had a preference untill I tried both in my home, but it may differ neighborhood to neighborhood just like cable broadband.

Agree, I have TW cable, with a Pioneer box, and DTV looks better.