Which has better picture?

[Matt2]

Didnt know which forum this should go in some general get it.

I just bought a 50" Samsung DLP TV last night and I upgraded to the HD DVR box from cox cable to use via HDMI.

I was just wondering which has the best overall picture quality in NON-HD channels? I know digital cable's HD channels look good, but just regular cable channels always looked grainy and washed out on his HDTV with digital cable.

I saw a commercial for DirectTV that they send every channel to your TV at 1080i, which has got to be better than what I'm getting from digital cable.

Is all this true? I'm not under contract from Cox, so if satellite will give me the best overall picture, I dont really have a problem with switching.

 

[w00t]

I would imagine that commercial you saw was bs sending every channel in 1080i would be HD than and not every channel is HD. The reason why your regular channels look bad is because it's standard definition. Do you have black bars when watching regular cable channnels? if not than make sure your set your TV/HD box to normal display non-stretch/zoom this will put black bars on the sides but the picture will look better than if it was stretched or zoomed.

I have a Panasonic 60'' LCD Projection, I find myself trying to stay on HD content because non-HD/Standard Definition looks like crap just remember sooner or later all channels will be in HD. does that TV have 720P or 1080P?

 

[Matt2]

Its only 720p

My girlfriend literally MADE me buy us a TV and couldnt afford to spring for 1080p

 

[Seekermeister]

From what I read on a BestBuy article about this, 720p was actually better than 1080i, because it scanned the picture in a single pass, instead of two. They claimed that this produced a better picture.

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: Seekermeister
From what I read on a BestBuy article about this, 720p was actually better than 1080i, because it scanned the picture in a single pass, instead of two. They claimed that this produced a better picture.

Yeah, I know that I'll get the HD content on Cox at 720p, but all non hi-def content is going to come in ugly at 480i i believe.

 

[Tlkki]

afaik, 480i is just 480i transmitted via satellite or cable for that matter.

 

[corkyg]

I get my HD channels from Comcast at 1080 - very sharp and clear. I get 19 HD channels. The rest are regualr digital, but still sharper than analog. A friend has Direct TV and he only gets 15 HD channels. ???

I guess technically, this thread belongs in video - which means TV.

 

[EvanAdams]

We have a nice 1080i plasma that can do 720p. We also have and can only have (no cable to curb) DirecTV.

Personaly if I had the choice I'd probably right now go with whoever has the channels you want. DirecTV has a MAJOR lack of channels. They have new sats sent up but they are for local HD content. I'm in SF Bay Area and thus we have HD via an MPEG-4 stream. Yet, the locals keep screwing it up and it is a hit or miss situation.

DirecTV DOES NOT Send you all 1080i. You ONLY get the HD channels in 1080i if the channel is in HD and if it is in 1080i and *IF* DirecTV carries it.

 

[Texun]

Cox is making a move to simulcast the complete channel lineup in digital. New Orleans is already there. Analog bites hard on large screen sets even with a digital box because the analog stations are still being delivered in analog - for the moment. Once they simulcast the lineup in all digital I doubt that you would notice a difference in standard def. I'd give Cox a call and see where you are in the upgrade path. It may be worth it to avoid the contract associated with satellite services.

 

[corkyg]

Unless you live in a Cox area - that is a non-starter. Example, our city, Tucson, has both Cox and COmcast - but the user has no choice. They have been allocated specific parts of town. If you are in a Comcast area and want Cox, you have to move, and vice versa. Direct TV and Dish are therefore open to choice. Our cable is not. And that is too bad.