Cable Reception Survey

[itms]

Hi guys,

How many of you actually get crystal clear reception on lower channels via your cable provider?

I have been using Sattelite for 5 years now and earlier this year for $$$ decided that I would try out the digital cable. I have whole house video so it was no big deal to make the connections.

I switched back to Sattelite within 24 hours of having the cable hooked up.

The reception was HORRIBLE.

I'm wondering if maybe I should try it again.

[Polypro]

I run analog because all I watch happens to fall within the analog package, and it's seemless for an HTPC...(and I have OTA HD). I'm pretty impressed with the quality of most of the channels...some are crappy from the source though. One thing I did do though, was minimize the splits in the signal. There is one splitter, at the cableco termination. One feed goes directly to the HTPC, the other gets split to the rest of the house.

P

[dagar]

Yep, that's why I canned Cox ... aweful analog, over-compressed digital and overpriced service (esp. IRT cable boxes.)

Much happier now that I have D* again.

[waynedunham]

Comcast Analog cable here in my area of CT is HORRIBLE!! Especially on the lower channels the picture is crappy and there's scrolling video hum bars. Sometimes really bad, sometimes not too bad, but always there.

At work they have digital cable and 2 tv's split down to analog only. The digital pictures are fine, except when the weathers crappy and then you can get some pixelation and dropouts. The analog tv's show the same symptoms I see at home.

Dish, and digital cable aren't options for me, I'd need 13 boxes with my 2 TV's, 4 ReplayTv's, 2 VCR's, and 6 PVR tuners.

[JasonJoel]

Here is a related question. I agree analog cable is just junk most places.

The digital channels on my Charter cable look very good though. Mild compression artifacts, but not much at all.

I went to my dad's this weekend and he just got DirecTV. Man, some of the channels (ESPN 2 for instance) had a lot more compression artifacting than I have ever seen on my digital cable. They must compress the hell out of the channels. And his satellite signal strength is very high, so that isn't an issue.

Are some of the satellite companies better than other in regards to compression? Do some compress less then others? Because I can tell you I would NEVER be happy with the amount of compression and artifacting I saw on DirecTV...

Jason

[GbrNole]

dish is just as bad as directv for compression. anyone who thinks that d* or dish have good picture quality and own a tv larger than 42" must either have poor standards for picture quality or bad eyesight!

heck even d* HD isn't as good as OTA or cable.

[paulbeers]

I'm with Wayne. I couldn't afford to do D* TV unless I wanted to have an mvp player/computer hooked to every television and a server in the basement running 4 STB's. I have 7 TV's, 2 VCR's, 1 Computer w/ a television Tuner, and 2 HTPC's (each with 2 tuners) right now. I agree though, some of my lower channels are horrible and some of my Higher channels. Luckily I don't watch the channels on 70+ much, and the lower channels that I have the most problems with, are broadcast channels that I use OTA HD to tune to, and that takes care of that problem.

[itms]

I have a 52" rear projection that is like 5 years old in my living room and the reception from D* is Awesome.

I got cable and all of the analog channels were "snowy" if that makes sense.

i just was amazed at the difference.

Do the HD channels broadcast in HD all day long? or only certain programs?

If i knew that my ABC,CBS,NBC, and Fox were in HD all the time, then I might switch to cable and save me some money.

Let me know.

[loomdog32]

Having experienced ComCast in Central California and Suddenlink in West Texas, I would still go cable over DBS anyday (now if I could get a BUD in the back yard, that might change)....

As far as HD, ComCast was broadcasting most of it in 480p.. Donno about Suddenlink, as I only had basic ($32.87 for cable and internet)..

DirectV is better quality/less compression than Dish.. DTV just has more birds in the sky and more avail bandwidth because of that.. Where cable will always have a 1ghz bandwidth limit

Compression is always gonna be around as long as we are using digital anything... This is whats going to kill sat radio and its probably whats going to turn off people to hd tv.. Ive been asked too many times, "If HD is soo much better, then why are their boxes on the screen all the time?" - Asking about KSEEDT OTA during primetime...

[Fuzzy]

Analog cable SHOULD provide you with a good signal, but it depends on the cable company properly setting up their equipment, and checking/adjusting the signal strengths in your place. I think the sad truth is, that since they know that most people are going to be using digital, and since most channels on most services are destined to go to digital anyways, they don't check signal strengths anymore. A proper cable install would involve the tech check the signal strength at each drop in your house, setting the amp/attenuators at the street to bring your lowest into range, then adding attenuators as necessary at each drop to bring the higher ones down. This would provide the proper signal strength at each location, and SHOULD provide you with a really good picture.