Cable or Satellite

[gcook67]

For the past year I have been using Charter Communications to receive my High Def broadcast. I was wondering If I went to Satellite if the picture would be even better?

[paul_pci]

For the past year I have been using Charter Communications to receive my High Def broadcast. I was wondering If I went to Satellite if the picture would be even better?

I had Charter for a couple of years. What a bunch of monopolistic blowhards. (Of course, they all are). I don't know about better picture, but I enjoy Direct TV far better than any digital cable service I've used.

[EdwardGein]

This may or may not be helpful, but make sure you're using top grade component cables for your HD TV not cheap crap the cable company gives you. You can get a good price break on these as Buy it Now items from regulat sellers on Ebay.

[Woochifer]

Cable right now has a lot more high def offerings than satellite, because they include the local broadcast stations. If you go with satellite, the satellite receivers currently include an over-the-air HD tuner, but you need a UHF antenna and live in an area with decent reception. Dish recently announced that they would add Voom's old HD channels to their system, and Directv will start to roll out local HD channels on their system by the end of the year. If you go with Directv, I would wait because their current generation of HD satellite receivers will not handle the MPEG-4 format that their new satellite coverage will support.

[recoveryone]

In my humble opinion, it is like looking at a glass half full or half empty. With cable (I have Adelphia) you get local HD along with ESPN and others HBO, showtime....... With Sat (DirectTV) you get all you channels in Digital which can be a very nice picture and the sound quality is more uniform than cable. On adelphia the lower band (Channels 2-99) are the pits, but channels above 100 are digital and look very nice and have the digital stereo sound. So you get a little and give a little on both ends. To me they all suck for the price rates they charge for what they call highend TV. I don't expect to get it for free, but I feel a fair rate would be about 15 bucks for basic cable and 25 for digital and a extra 10 for the HD channels. Its just a pet peeve with me to see why my cable bill is on par with my water/trash bill (75 a month). If I had all the movie channels my bill would close to $150. the sad thing is that I can only lower my bill by $10 for dropping the digital channels, ( have to keep them cause the wife likes the Lifetime movie channel) Most of the highband digital channels they offer I could do without, most are just extra fill channels like MTV2 MTVJAMS, VH1hits, a bunch of cartoons channels ( I have 5 nick channels) 3 disney channels.

[gcook67]

Cable right now has a lot more high def offerings than satellite, because they include the local broadcast stations. If you go with satellite, the satellite receivers currently include an over-the-air HD tuner, but you need a UHF antenna and live in an area with decent reception. Dish recently announced that they would add Voom's old HD channels to their system, and Directv will start to roll out local HD channels on their system by the end of the year. If you go with Directv, I would wait because their current generation of HD satellite receivers will not handle the MPEG-4 format that their new satellite coverage will support.

Thanks for your advice. I waill wait till then.

[nick4433]

For the past year I have been using Charter Communications to receive my High Def broadcast. I was wondering If I went to Satellite if the picture would be even better?

After years of Dish Network service, I moved to Cable and I am happier with them. I have their DVR through Time Warner and it has much advanced features such as twin tuner, etc. Also if I do decide to go the HDTV route then all i do is swap my DVR for an HD DVR and I'm done. Also as Wooch suggested, cable has more HDTV to offer than satellite.

[Smokey]

After years of Dish Network service, I moved to Cable and I am happier with them.

Hey Nick, how is it going?

I also switched from Dish to cable since first of year, and I am pretty happy. Comcast also bought my Dish and credit $400 to my bill, payable over 16 months ($25 a month). So got their $60 digital package for $35 a month...at least for next 16 months

[paul_pci]

You can get a Tivo style DVR with a satellite company as well. It's not a unique offering to the realm of (oh we're still using analog broadcasts) cable.

[EdwardGein]

After about a year of BS, I'm finally getting true digital 5.1 surround sound from Time Warner in LA via my HD DVR (Scientific Atlanta 8300). This DVR is great, perfect 5.1 sound via my fiber optics cable, great HD picture, you can copy to external DVD recorders and VHS recorders, etc. The earlier HD DVR Scientific Atlanta 8000 wasn't programmed to do all that.
I'm hapy with my HD service here- I get all the networks in HD except for the WB & UPN (why don't they help a brother!), and Showtime & HBO HD are free if you already get those premium channels. I wish I could get the SciFi channel in HD though- I think that may be available to Satellite users. As I said earlier, the problem with Time Warner in LA is they don't keep their customers fully apprised and current with their latest technical innovations & improvements which makes no sense & you have to find things out on your own because they won't tell you unless you ask!

[recoveryone]

After about a year of BS, I'm finally getting true digital 5.1 surround sound from Time Warner in LA via my HD DVR (Scientific Atlanta 8300). This DVR is great, perfect 5.1 sound via my fiber optics cable, great HD picture, you can copy to external DVD recorders and VHS recorders, etc. The earlier HD DVR Scientific Atlanta 8000 wasn't programmed to do all that.
I'm hapy with my HD service here- I get all the networks in HD except for the WB & UPN (why don't they help a brother!), and Showtime & HBO HD are free if you already get those premium channels. I wish I could get the SciFi channel in HD though- I think that may be available to Satellite users. As I said earlier, the problem with Time Warner in LA is they don't keep their customers fully apprised and current with their latest technical innovations & improvements which makes no sense & you have to find things out on your own because they won't tell you unless you ask!

Hey Ed, I have a question for you: I was helping a friend hook up his system in his bedroom and he has one of those Tivo Sat boxes and he also just brought a Toshiba DVR. I hooked everything up, but when we but in a blank DVDR disk to record we get a error msg saying something like unable to use disk. I checked the manuel and the only thing I read (in small print at bottom of page) that we may need to buy a DVDR ram disk. I have not heard of these, but I sure they are out there. What type of Disk do you use and did you have the same problem in the past.

PS we are in the San Bernardnio area

[nick4433]

Hey Nick, how is it going?

I also switched from Dish to cable since first of year, and I am pretty happy. Comcast also bought my Dish and credit $400 to my bill, payable over 16 months ($25 a month). So got their $60 digital package for $35 a month...at least for next 16 months

Smokey, I am alive and well my friend. Just been very busy that's all. I got the same deal from Time Warner with the $400. Can't beat that.

[EdwardGein]

[QUOTE=recoveryone]Hey Ed, I have a question for you: I was helping a friend hook up his system in his bedroom and he has one of those Tivo Sat boxes and he also just brought a Toshiba DVR. I hooked everything up, but when we but in a blank DVDR disk to record we get a error msg saying something like unable to use disk. I checked the manuel and the only thing I read (in small print at bottom of page) that we may need to buy a DVDR ram disk. I have not heard of these, but I sure they are out there. What type of Disk do you use and did you have the same problem in the past.

I'm a bit confused here on the particulars so I'll just go through my present system which is working perfectly & maybe that'll be of some help getting yours to run the way you want:

MY HD DVR and Digital HD Cable Box/Receiver is all one unit, Scientific Atlanta HD DVR
8300- the specific model number is important because you will not get the same results with a different number. As far as I know this unit is available by rental only from Time Warner Cable for about $10 a month and another $10 for digital HD service, give or take (May be higher- I'm just trying to give you a rough idea). On the 8300 HD DVR you can record 2 HD shows at the same time, watch 1 HD Show live and tape another one or tape 2 HD shows and watch a show you had previously taped on the DVR at the same time. If you connect the optical output from the 8300 to a receivers optical input via Fiber Optics cable, you will get true 5.1 sound. If I want to make a DVD copy of something I had taped on the HD DVR, all I have to do is connect the video and audio external outputs on the 8300 DVR to either my Lite On DVD recorders input in or my VCR's inouts in. I generally use DVD+RW when I'm making a stand alone DVD copy because it records in real time anyway & if something is screwed up or I don't want the DVD, I can erase it and rerecord on it. I can get DVD+RW's for about 40-75 cents in LA.

[recoveryone]

The best way I can clear it up a bit is this: He has a Sat box receiver/tivo in one, he just brought a toshiba (unknown model) DVR. What I did was run the Sat box through the DVR so he could record from the tivo or directly from the broadcast if he wanted. The signal goes through fine, but when we put a DVD recordable disk in and hit record, we get a error msg saying that it is unable to record to this disk. All the disk we tried were brand new DVDR- type. When I read the manuel for the toshiba I saw in small print that a DVD ram disk may be needed due to the mix signals (combined 16x9 and 4:3) the sat may be sending.

I won a bid on ebay for a older Pioneer VSX 509s recevier that has 2 optic inputs that would cover the Sat box and the DVR for the sound and has S-video inputs that can handle the video if I wanted to go that route. I guess I looking for an answer in how I can test the DVR and see if it will record.

[SlumpBuster]

I'd pick cable everyday of the week. We actually have competition in my area between comcast and wide open west, so you can get very competative bundle packs(TV, internet, phone).

Even if satelite had better picture and sound, it doesn't matter. I had Dish for two years. If it snowed, tv went out. If it rained, tv went out. If the wind blew too hard (no joke), tv went out. And my favorite, when the trees in your neighborhood grow and block the signal path, $200.00 for them to come out and realign the dish. I declared "Shenanigans!" upon Dish and switched to WOW.

[shokhead]

Direct is sooooooooooooooooo much better then overpriced cable. I've had plenty of wind and rain and clouds and i havent lost the signal yet. TiVo is the only way to go.

[gonefishin]

Because of high cable prices and ALL digital channels...I wish Satellite would be able to provide me with a high-def dual tuner DVR box with the ability to upgrade to the next latest and greatest box with virtually no increase in price.

I'm actually certain that Satellite will soon be offering some sweeter deals to combat some of the advatages of cable. I hope it'll get interesting...it's already shaping up to be heading in this direction.

dan

[EdwardGein]

First off, this is one thing I'll be happy to let the other people on the board answer as they probably could explain what's happening or not happening better technically than I could.

The way I uderstand it is you record to your DVR albeit via Satelite not cable and then you can't copy what is on the DVR to an external DVD. Am I correct so far.

Vefore you do anything else, see if you can record it to a plain VHS. If so, then chances are you need to make an adjustment in a setting on your DVD recorder. Of you can't record on VHS then chances are your DVR is missing a software program for external copying & I'd contact the maker of it. I had a Scientifuc Atlanta 8000 HD DVR that while it recorded great would allow you to make an external copy or even play in 5.1 sound. The 8300 model does.

[shokhead]

My TiVo has a record to VCR option in the menu.