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Dish or Direct? I cant seem to understand exactly which ones they have as there websites are about as screwed up as a website can get for getting information.
Who has the best HD programming, D* or E*?
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See the sticky thread at the top of the page to get a list of HD channels each provider carries.
...and please, for the love of God....not another D* vs. E* thread...
Before this becomes another battlezone...here, I'll sum it up for everyone...
1) Voom sucks.
2) D* HD channels broadcasting hardly any HD suck.
3) E* PQ sucks
4) We don't know much about D* PQ to know if it sucks or not, but it probably sucks.
5) 24 hour Logos counted as channels double-sucks.
and lastly...
None of the above matters if the only thing you watch in HD is football.
There ya go! Moderators? Feel free to close this thread! The issue has been resolved...
![]()
Before this becomes another battlezone...here, I'll sum it up for everyone...
1) Voom sucks.
2) D* HD channels broadcasting hardly any HD suck.
3) E* PQ sucks
4) We don't know much about D* PQ to know if it sucks or not, but it probably sucks.
5) 24 hour Logos counted as channels double-sucks.
and lastly...
None of the above matters if the only thing you watch in HD is football.
There ya go! Moderators? Feel free to close this thread! The issue has been resolved...
From a fellow gen-x'r I thank you.
There is no definative answer to a subjective question!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vampz26 /forum/post/12901948
...and please, for the love of God....not another D* vs. E* thread...
Before this becomes another battlezone...here, I'll sum it up for everyone...
1) Voom sucks.
2) D* HD channels broadcasting hardly any HD suck.
3) E* PQ sucks
4) We don't know much about D* PQ to know if it sucks or not, but it probably sucks.
5) 24 hour Logos counted as channels double-sucks.
and lastly...
None of the above matters if the only thing you watch in HD is football.
There ya go! Moderators? Feel free to close this thread! The issue has been resolved...![]()
From a fellow gen-x'r I thank you.
There is no definative answer to a subjective question!
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4,486 Posts
The only way to answer this question is for a professional testing facility to check the various broadcast numbers that affect PQ. Resolution, band width, whatever. They don't have a problem giving us these kinds numbers for displays. For instance, if it's supposed to be 720p or 1080i, is it? Or is it some watered down number that we can only guess at? And is it always the same watered down number?
Right now D* does except for the remaining mpeg2 HD channels which are
HDnet , HDnet Movies , Universal HD and a couple others I cant remember right now. Those are mpeg2 on E* also but for now E* is giving those channels more bandwidth so they are pretty good quality.
Just depends on what your priority is. Mine was locals in HD and USA SciFi channels so I switched to D*.
HDnet , HDnet Movies , Universal HD and a couple others I cant remember right now. Those are mpeg2 on E* also but for now E* is giving those channels more bandwidth so they are pretty good quality.
Just depends on what your priority is. Mine was locals in HD and USA SciFi channels so I switched to D*.
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Best advice. There's a sticky for each provider with a list of all channels carried. Scratch all the channels that are carried by both, then research which programs are carried in HD on the rest of them.
Then decide which programs you like more.
Best advice. There's a sticky for each provider with a list of all channels carried. Scratch all the channels that are carried by both, then research which programs are carried in HD on the rest of them.
Then decide which programs you like more.
Asking which provider has the best HD programming is like asking which fast food restaurant has the best fast food. It's a matter of your tastes and what you're hungry for that matters. A provider could have 300 channels of HD, but if they aren't the channels you watch, it provides no value to you. On the other hand, if you want the most chances to stumble onto an HD show you might enjoy, more channels will give you the best chance to do that.
- Based on channel count, D* is "best" right now.
- Based on content, they're both pretty close. D* has a few channels E* doesn't. E* has a few channels D* doesn't. It's kind of like XM vs. Sirius.
- Based on quality, D* has the edge for anything that was added after they started offering MPEG4 service while E* has a slight edge for channels like ESPN, HDNET and UniversalHD and HDTheater (which are still bit starved on D*). The new MPEG4 stuff on D* is excellent, while E* is somewhat worse overall (depending on the channel).
- D* has more local markets covered in HD.
- E* will soon be offering an HD-only package (not including locals or RSNs).
- E*'s equipment is a bit better, but D*'s is getting better with each upgrade. D* has a better dish setup in most locations, though the slimline dish is pretty large compared to their previous models.
- If you want access to Sunday Ticket, D* is your only option.
- If you like watching movies (both new and old, popular or obscure), E* may be a better choice with their offering of the Voom channels, HDNet and the premium channels. D* doesn't have the Voom channels, but offers MGMHD.
- Based on channel count, D* is "best" right now.
- Based on content, they're both pretty close. D* has a few channels E* doesn't. E* has a few channels D* doesn't. It's kind of like XM vs. Sirius.
- Based on quality, D* has the edge for anything that was added after they started offering MPEG4 service while E* has a slight edge for channels like ESPN, HDNET and UniversalHD and HDTheater (which are still bit starved on D*). The new MPEG4 stuff on D* is excellent, while E* is somewhat worse overall (depending on the channel).
- D* has more local markets covered in HD.
- E* will soon be offering an HD-only package (not including locals or RSNs).
- E*'s equipment is a bit better, but D*'s is getting better with each upgrade. D* has a better dish setup in most locations, though the slimline dish is pretty large compared to their previous models.
- If you want access to Sunday Ticket, D* is your only option.
- If you like watching movies (both new and old, popular or obscure), E* may be a better choice with their offering of the Voom channels, HDNet and the premium channels. D* doesn't have the Voom channels, but offers MGMHD.
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Once the D11 is online I don't think there will any debate as to which provider has the better HD in both content and PQ.
And just comparing the channel differences adding to your list:
- E* / Voom has thier 15 channels of all HD content that D* doesn't have, however it tends to be saturated with repeats.
- D* has many 'mainstream' channels in HD that E* doesn't have, but from what I've been told these channels haven't fully 'matured' yet in terms of offering any comparable HD. Kind of like TBS-HD at the moment...but thats based on what I've been told, so don't shoot the messenger here if this is inaccurate...
And just comparing the channel differences adding to your list:
- E* / Voom has thier 15 channels of all HD content that D* doesn't have, however it tends to be saturated with repeats.
- D* has many 'mainstream' channels in HD that E* doesn't have, but from what I've been told these channels haven't fully 'matured' yet in terms of offering any comparable HD. Kind of like TBS-HD at the moment...but thats based on what I've been told, so don't shoot the messenger here if this is inaccurate...
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TBS is the exception - I've yet to see any HD on that channel (I know they had baseball).
Most of the other cablenets have almost all of their original programming in HD. As simulcast channels, that was expected - repeats of SD shows will continue to be in SD, and they don't always get access to older shows in HD even if they were shot that way originally. They are as "matured" as CBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC in that their original programming (primetime) is typically in HD and their syndicated filler throughout the day is in SD (with a few exceptions).
Nip/Tuck, Psych, Monk, Atlantis, Flash Gordon, Battlestar Gallactica, The Closer, Burn Notice, etc. are all in HD and since they're all on simulcast channels - all are aired at the same time as their original airing on their SD counterpart. With full time HD channels like UHD, programming is 100% HD, but the amount of programming is limited and on a short loop, and shows typically take months after their original airing to finally show up in HD.
I'll take simulcast channels any day of the week, even if the old repeats are shown in SD. I care much more about all the new HD programs being generated and getting access to those. The small consolation with the SD programming is it's a night & day difference in PQ between SD on the HD channel and SD on the SD channel.
TBS is the exception - I've yet to see any HD on that channel (I know they had baseball).
Most of the other cablenets have almost all of their original programming in HD. As simulcast channels, that was expected - repeats of SD shows will continue to be in SD, and they don't always get access to older shows in HD even if they were shot that way originally. They are as "matured" as CBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC in that their original programming (primetime) is typically in HD and their syndicated filler throughout the day is in SD (with a few exceptions).
Nip/Tuck, Psych, Monk, Atlantis, Flash Gordon, Battlestar Gallactica, The Closer, Burn Notice, etc. are all in HD and since they're all on simulcast channels - all are aired at the same time as their original airing on their SD counterpart. With full time HD channels like UHD, programming is 100% HD, but the amount of programming is limited and on a short loop, and shows typically take months after their original airing to finally show up in HD.
I'll take simulcast channels any day of the week, even if the old repeats are shown in SD. I care much more about all the new HD programs being generated and getting access to those. The small consolation with the SD programming is it's a night & day difference in PQ between SD on the HD channel and SD on the SD channel.
That's actually where channel count can help. If you like to sample, there's probably something at some point during the day you can watch if you have a least a couple of options on each channel. The more channels, the more chances you'll find something in HD you'll enjoy - even if a show is the only one you watch on a particular channel.
I can find enough interesting programming to fill an entire day - just not on one channel. I pull one or two shows from various channels. For example:
- Torchwood from HDNet
- Monk and Psych from USA
- BSG from SciFi
- The Shield and Rescue Me from FX
- Lost, Pushing Daisies and Desperate Housewives from ABC
- Jericho and CSI from CBS
- Chuck, Life and Medium from NBC
- Supernatural from the CW
- Terminator from Fox
- Mythbusters from Discovery
- Various movies from various channel that show them
There are some shows I watch in SD because D8 doesn't have those channels in HD yet:
- Mad Men on AMC
- Kyle XY on ABC Family
Once those channels are up, that will give me more options.
So, it's not whether a channel has a full slate of HD programming or not - it's whether the shows you watch are HD or not. For example, TNT shows L&O re-runs all day long in HD, but I don't care to watch. On the other hand, SciFi runs a lot of SD shows and movies, but the single show I tune in for (BSG) is in HD. Their entire rest of their lineup could be all SD for all I care - I can watch the one show that interests me in HD because D* has the channel.
In the end, channel counts and the amount of HD on those channels only matters if you care about what's showing. A channel can have 90% Sd programming, but be valuable if the 10% is content you watch. On the other hand, a channel could be 100% HD, but be worthless to you if the content doesn't interest you.
That's actually where channel count can help. If you like to sample, there's probably something at some point during the day you can watch if you have a least a couple of options on each channel. The more channels, the more chances you'll find something in HD you'll enjoy - even if a show is the only one you watch on a particular channel.
I can find enough interesting programming to fill an entire day - just not on one channel. I pull one or two shows from various channels. For example:
- Torchwood from HDNet
- Monk and Psych from USA
- BSG from SciFi
- The Shield and Rescue Me from FX
- Lost, Pushing Daisies and Desperate Housewives from ABC
- Jericho and CSI from CBS
- Chuck, Life and Medium from NBC
- Supernatural from the CW
- Terminator from Fox
- Mythbusters from Discovery
- Various movies from various channel that show them
There are some shows I watch in SD because D8 doesn't have those channels in HD yet:
- Mad Men on AMC
- Kyle XY on ABC Family
Once those channels are up, that will give me more options.
So, it's not whether a channel has a full slate of HD programming or not - it's whether the shows you watch are HD or not. For example, TNT shows L&O re-runs all day long in HD, but I don't care to watch. On the other hand, SciFi runs a lot of SD shows and movies, but the single show I tune in for (BSG) is in HD. Their entire rest of their lineup could be all SD for all I care - I can watch the one show that interests me in HD because D* has the channel.
In the end, channel counts and the amount of HD on those channels only matters if you care about what's showing. A channel can have 90% Sd programming, but be valuable if the 10% is content you watch. On the other hand, a channel could be 100% HD, but be worthless to you if the content doesn't interest you.
Thats kind of why I made the situation comparible to Voom...HD repeats on one, occasional HD on the other...but like you said, as long as you can always find something you want to watch, its all good.
I'm sure the new D* HD channels will get better as they mature...but right now there isn't enough there to make me want to switch just yet. But I'm not closing any doors here...
I'm sure the new D* HD channels will get better as they mature...but right now there isn't enough there to make me want to switch just yet. But I'm not closing any doors here...
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