[Scott Alves]

Hi...


I just bought a Pioneer Elite 620 to use for DVD and regular TV. DVD looks great...as expected...but cable (AT&T Broadband Digital) doesn't look so good. Some channels and shows are okay, though. I mostly watch popular shows, prime time stuff, you know, like ER, LAW and Order, Survivor, etc.


Here's my question...Will I see an improvement over my existing cable if I switch to Dish?


I am not interrested in HDTV right now because there just isn't enough content on standard channels.


I like the service cable has given me over the many years so it's hard for me to give up.


Any advice is greatly appreciated.


Thanks...

 

[ADent]

You really need to go to a retailer and see for yourself.


Generally the DBS providers are considered to be better than the AT&T Digital channels. But DBS can be much better or much worse than the analog AT&T channels, depending on how good your system is.


Most HDTV sellers have a dish hooked up (at least around here since we have no real OTA HDTV) - even Sears - and you can change channels to a regular channel.


BTW CBS HDTV is available in some areas from Dish Network, so Survivor would be in crystal clear 480i.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Also dont forget to compare monthly programming costs and hardware costs. The I like 9 promotion is an excellent deal.


Steve

 

[Scott Alves]

Thanks for your input...


My visits to local retailers haven't really helped. They did not have cable hooked up so I was unable to do a side-by-side comparison.


What I saw looked good, but I couldn't decide if it was better or not. I will look for someone around here that can show me both.


The value of DBS seems about the same a cable...Dish is actually a little cheaper per month. I was thinking of doing the PVR w/ a second receiver promotion.


I'll probably just go for it and hope for the best... TV in clear 480i would be outstanding!


Thanks again,


Scott

 

[Steve Mehs]

For the best repformance connect the IRD to your TV via composite audio and S-video (If your TV has an SVHS intput). PQ on Dish Net NTSC channels varies from good (Fox News, Starz) to bad (Nick GAS, superstations). The bigger the display the more digital artifacts you will see. Good luck with Dish Net!


Steve

 

[David Richardson]

Stay away from cable IMO. The picture 99% is better on satellite. There are a few channels on DirecTV I can't stand to watch because of the compression issue but those channels don't have any programming I'd watch anyway.


IMO


Dave

 

[Don B]

Home theater with HD is a two street IMHO, and cable has done absolutely nothing to promote it to the consumer where as Satellite at least is making headway especially since the recent Mark Cuban offering with channel 199 on Directtv.


With the merger possibility, things could go very well in the future for even more HD programming as well as less compressed regular programming.


In W. Mich, with the exception of NBC local, the others are still dragging their feet on OTA HD. Cable, although offering digital now still hasn't done anything to improve image or hd offering even tho deep pocket people have taken over all the smaller competition but thats another subject.


C-Band, although not service supported as well as the eighties and early nineties, still offer the best overall picture on everything since this is the original source before downloading. Showtime and HBO offers 24/7 with expensive up front equipment required but I have enjoyed this format more than any of the other formats offered so far.


So bottom line is, if you have decided to invest in higher end tv the only way you'll enjoy the full benefit in the near future is get out and away from cable. You can always go back if not happy with other formats offered, I know this won't happen, been there done that, but they will always be there to take your money.

 

[McPatrickClan]

I agree with virtually all of the previous posts. But...


I have recently switched from DirecTV to cable.


Why?


As a four-year DirecTV subscriber, I was happy. I paid less for more (lower bills, more channels, higher quality picture and sound). Here in Houston, it is a different story altogether. By participating in the dish buyback program that Time Warner Cable offers, I have nine networks broadcasting in HD (PBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, HBO E&W, SHO E&W). I paid ZERO for the "professional" install and can rent the HD decoder for only $4.95 per month.


My DirecTV bill was almost $70 or more every month. My cable bill is now only $45 a month, if that. I pay less for more with cable now.


Now, most areas don't offer this kind of package. But I live in the right area and it worked out.


Most people might say:


*You could have easily just bought an ant. and STB to work with DirecTV! Then you would have all the same channels!


MY RESPONSE: Ant. is about $50+, STB is at least $400 (and we are talking about ZERO warranty EBay pirate prices here) and then the kick in the pants is I could STILL BE LEFT IN THE COLD WHEN DVI KICKS IN!


*Satellite offers CBS, HDNet, HBO E&W, and SHO E&W!


MY RESPONSE: OK, I think I will spend the entire month of December installing three separate dishes, or maybe I could pay someone hundreds of dollars to do it for me (probably incorrectly). Then I would still have just ONE CHANNEL that Time Warner doesn't offer (HDNet).


Now don't get me wrong. DirecTV offers superior customer service and programming (standard def.) to any cable provider. I will go back to satellite ASAP. But I am not missing all this HD now just to spite some lackluster cable management.


You can see how easy the choice was for me.


OUT

 

[Dmon4u]

As pointed out about, the choice is a hard one. The variations in cable service, DBS providers and (now) the DBS merger play a big part.


I'm on ComCast for my Local channels. The PQ and even the sound quality of their service varies from Excellent (the closer you live to Philadelphia) to Poor in many of their outlieing areas (TN and Central PA are bad ones). Recently I've had a new experience - sound from many of my channel has a spitting/distorted quality about it. Luckily P and S quality changes nearly every week or two with my local ComCast.


Check with friends and neighbors. There's always someone who has experience with your choices , in your area.

 

[DJRobX]

If cable offered HD stations it would be a complete and utter no brainer, but your situation is vastly different from most.


DBS looks light years better than most grainy, nasty cable signals. From what I've seen, the picture of the digital stations looks similar. However, with a DirecTiVo, you can directly record the incoming stream, which is a HUGE quality and space saving booster.

 

[Scott Alves]

Well, I signed up for a DishNet subscription today...


Aside from better PQ, I really am looking forward to having a complete HDTV Home Theater and that's just not possible with cable. As Don B pointed out..."cable has done absolutely nothing to promote it...". Maybe in some small way my decision to "switch" will show my support for better Quality video and HD.


I join the ranks Thursday...just in time for my favorite shows!


I'll let you know how things turn out...Thanks everyone!


Scott

 

[Steve Mehs]

Good luck with E* they have their share of problems and mistakes but over all IMO, a solid compay. My 3 year anniversery is coming up at the end of next month, how time flies.


Steve

 

[Troubleshooter]

Around here, cable is a total joke. I never went with digital cable myself, I got so disgusted with the local cable company (Adelphia) that I canned everything they had as they were rolling it out (still to this day I don't think I can get digital cable though) but my mother has digital just outside Boston. I get soooo mad everytime I go down to her house and see just how damn bad the cable looks (on a little 27" tv too!) . Analog cable here at my house looked like utter crap. Adelphia's response: turn down the sharpness on your tv....uh huh, shame I calibrated the thing so it certainly isn't that. I've never had a problem with dtv. Generally, the picture looks good or great , though as others said, some channels do look pretty bad but STILL 10000x better than the cable ever looked here. Dishnet I'm sure is the same thing. I'd tell anyone to dump cable and go to a sat setup...The difference is amazing, and if like me, you have Adelphia (literally the worst organization ever founded in the history of mankind short of the nazi party) just do it now. Now the good news is that Adelphia is gonna get their pee-pee whacked by the AG's office in at least 4 states...we'll see what happens. But back to the topic, there is no way I could ever go back to any cable now based on my great experiences with satellite.

-Trouble