Resolution of regular digital cable

[JeffKnob]

I currently own a Samsung EDTV which is capable of displaying up to 480p. I have Time Warner Cable's DVR service. I recently found out that they now offer a HD DVR service. I was told by someone at my local home theater store (not BB or CC) that I could benefit from the HD channels because the box is able to output at 480p which according to the guy at the store is higher than what my regular digital cable is. Is this true? I thought I heard that regular digital cable is at 480i. The guy at the store said it was more like 325 lines. I would love to get the better picture even though I can't go all the way to 1080 or 720p with my TV. Thanks.

[Geoffcin]

I currently own a Samsung EDTV which is capable of displaying up to 480p. I have Time Warner Cable's DVR service. I recently found out that they now offer a HD DVR service. I was told by someone at my local home theater store (not BB or CC) that I could benefit from the HD channels because the box is able to output at 480p which according to the guy at the store is higher than what my regular digital cable is. Is this true? I thought I heard that regular digital cable is at 480i. The guy at the store said it was more like 325 lines. I would love to get the better picture even though I can't go all the way to 1080 or 720p with my TV. Thanks.

The Component video output of an HD Cable box is superior to the standard composite signal. When I got my HD box we did a A/B with the movie Shrek, and the quality approches that of DVD. I have a pretty sophiticated DVD player, capable of multiple stored setups, and infinite tweaking. The DVD was a little more saturated, but I'm not so sure this wasn't the setup on my DVD player. In any case the minute I got the HD box hooked up I was hooked.

[JeffKnob]

I am currently using an S-video cable from my cable box. Would there still be a difference between what I have now and the new HD DVR box with component out? Also would there be a difference on the non-HD channels just because I am able to connect with a component cable?

[eisforelectronic]

Most of the newer HD boxes are capable of outputing 480i and 480p. In order to have these as options you do need to do some basic setup for picture formats on your HD box. this mainly consists of selecting the various picture modes your TV is capable of displaying. Now this does not work if you have a first generation HD cable box as those did not have this feature. All HD boxes from Time Warner bearing the Scientific Atlanta brand name should however be defaulted to output 1080i.

[Smokey]

I currently own a Samsung EDTV which is capable of displaying up to 480p.

Since your TV is already capable of up converting the input signal to 480P, then feeding that type of signal might not result in better picture.

Having said that, it might be worth upgrading to HD cable box. Down converting a HD signal might give you higher resolution (480P), where un converting [via regular digital cable] might only get you a maximum of 400P of resolution.

But of course the above statement is only true when original signal is HD. If not, then picture quality will depend on whether the TV or Cable Box have better Up converter DAC.

[hershon]

I'm not an expert compared to these guys, but on my HD Ready TV with HD digital box, when I watch the HD channels on the 1081 they look great but the ones that are not on the HD Channels (i.e. Sci Fi for example) are 480 broadcasts, and they don't look that great on either the 480 input or the 1081 input. As a new convert, if I were you, I'd definately buy an HDTV ready TV and you can probably get a good deal if you look hard enough for a month. I'd also check out any system with the people on this board. While I don't agree with a bunch of them in regards to home theater systems, they sure know their stuff on HDTV.

What city do you live in that you can get HDTV recorder from Time Warner? Other than the gentleman in Hawiai who can get that, I know of no other place and I'm in LA. Good luck.








Since your TV is already capable of up converting the input signal to 480P, then feeding that type of signal might not result in better picture.

Having said that, it might be worth upgrading to HD cable box. Down converting a HD signal might give you higher resolution (480P), where un converting [via regular digital cable] might only get you a maximum of 400P of resolution.

But of course the above statement is only true when original signal is HD. If not, then picture quality will depend on whether the TV or Cable Box have better Up converter DAC.

[JeffKnob]

I'm not an expert compared to these guys, but on my HD Ready TV with HD digital box, when I watch the HD channels on the 1081 they look great but the ones that are not on the HD Channels (i.e. Sci Fi for example) are 480 broadcasts, and they don't look that great on either the 480 input or the 1081 input. As a new convert, if I were you, I'd definately buy an HDTV ready TV and you can probably get a good deal if you look hard enough for a month. I'd also check out any system with the people on this board. While I don't agree with a bunch of them in regards to home theater systems, they sure know their stuff on HDTV.

What city do you live in that you can get HDTV recorder from Time Warner? Other than the gentleman in Hawiai who can get that, I know of no other place and I'm in LA. Good luck.

I actually live in a town called Neenah in northeast WI. Our service area also includes Green Bay which is about 30 miles north of me. When I first got the original DVR box about a year ago the installer told me that our area and Rochester NY are actually test areas for the DVR.

[Monstrous Mike]

I was told by someone at my local home theater store (not BB or CC) that I could benefit from the HD channels because the box is able to output at 480p which according to the guy at the store is higher than what my regular digital cable is.
This is essentially correct. Remember that the quality of the picture depends directly on the source. Thus an HDTV channel that is 1080i and converted to 480p will look much better than a regular digital cable channel which is at most 480i and is very like simply and NTSC signal (240i or 325i) which has been digitized and upconverted.



I thought I heard that regular digital cable is at 480i. The guy at the store said it was more like 325 lines.
It all depends on the show. Shows like M*A*S*H were recorded in the old NTSC analog format so when they are shown on a digital cable channel, they have been digitized and upconverted. This will not make them higher resolution but will only prevent interference and ghosting associated with analog cable. For example, when you take a 2 megapixel digital camera image that is what it will be forever. You could display it on a 4 megapixel display but it is going to look the same.



I am currently using an S-video cable from my cable box. Would there still be a difference between what I have now and the new HD DVR box with component out?.
Yes, because S-video cannot carry 480p.



Also would there be a difference on the non-HD channels just because I am able to connect with a component cable?
No as I have explained above.

[hershon]

On my HDTV (Mitsubishi) I have HD/Digital service through Time Warner in LA. On my TV, if I am on the 1081input I can only do 2 picture formats: standard & I think stretch (I'm not in front of the TV so that's off the top of my head). HD Broadcasts look great on standard and don't look so good if I stretch them. In regards to non HD Broadcasts, say Turner Classic Movies for instance, the picture on the 1081 input sucks for both options. So I then change my input setting to the 480 input and on that option I have around 9 different picture formats. The standard non HD Broadcast, Turner Classic for example, looks alot better on the 480 input than on the 1081 input and I usually set it on 480 expanded stretch I think its called and watch it from that.

On HD network channels such as HDABC (1107) as opposed to the regular cable network channel ABC (7), for a non HD Broadcast such as the news- I'm assuming this is a nonHD Broadcast because its not full screen, the "non HD" broadcast picture will still look great on the HD 1107 Channel under the 1081 standard input option as opposed to watching it under 7 on the 1081 standard input and much better than watching 7 under the 480 input formats.

Sorry, if this might sound a little confusing.



This is essentially correct. Remember that the quality of the picture depends directly on the source. Thus an HDTV channel that is 1080i and converted to 480p will look much better than a regular digital cable channel which is at most 480i and is very like simply and NTSC signal (240i or 325i) which has been digitized and upconverted.



It all depends on the show. Shows like M*A*S*H were recorded in the old NTSC analog format so when they are shown on a digital cable channel, they have been digitized and upconverted. This will not make them higher resolution but will only prevent interference and ghosting associated with analog cable. For example, when you take a 2 megapixel digital camera image that is what it will be forever. You could display it on a 4 megapixel display but it is going to look the same.



Yes, because S-video cannot carry 480p.



No as I have explained above.