MarkMF

Satellite vs. Digital Cable

I recently moved to Chicago and I am debating between getting digital cable or satellite. My primary concern is about picture quality. Does anyone have some general observations, or pros/cons between digital cable and satellite regarding the picture quality I can/should expect. I would be getting digital cable from Comcast in Chicago.

Thanks,
MarkMF

Jon_Welker

I switched over from digital cable to satellite about a year ago and haven't looked back. I cannot personally tell any difference between picture quality between the 2. Not to mention the fact that Charter (St. Louis area) was robbing us blind. One day out of the blue they raised our monthly payment by about $13, and they have a tendency to add extra charges onto your bill (kind of like the phone cos.). Also, I'm looking at making a move on either a Samsung or RCE DirecTV satellite receiver box that has component video output and digital audio out (not sure about the RCA, but definitely on the Samsung). We're saving a considerable amount of money/month by going satellite. Cable industry in general is having troubles, and consumers are paying for it.

DJ_JonnyV

Michael St. Clair

Time Warner Digital Cable in my area has better picture quality than DirecTV and DISH (as viewed on 53" HDTV), plus high-def HBO, SHO, ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS. All without having to spend hundreds on an HD settop box.

Robert_J

Cable quality will vary by company, city and sometimes neighborhood. If you do go with cable you can probably get a better deal by bundling internet acces with it. Remember that with digital cable, channels below 100 are still analog (in most areas).

I tried Time Warner digital out of Memphis and it sucked. I had snow and the analog channels and pixelization on the digital ones. The box had the worst interface I had ever seen. I switched to DirecTV and a DirecTivo. I will NEVER watch TV again without a dual tuner Tivo.

-Robert

Brian_Dunstan

I live in Chicagoland and have had both digital cable and satellite. We had AT&T digital cable for a while (now Comcast) and 21st Century (RCN) and both were very comparable. I now subscribe to DirecTV.

It has been my experience that satellite provides better picture quality, particularly on the local channels. Not real sure why, but NBC and FOX were always terrible, almost unwatchable on cable. I also prefer the service provided by DirecTV. If you have an issue, you pick-up the phone and call.....they do some "voodoo" and the problem is resolved.....no waiting a week for a service call with an 8-hour window.

Hope this helps.

Scott Quick

Satellite, satellite, satellite!!!

In my experience (Time Warner up in Milwaukee area), digital cable is horribly pixelized... I'm talking huge chunks the size of dimes regularly showing up on my 25" TV. Now I have a Mits 55" HDTV, and DirecTV. I will never go back to cable. I hate it. I do have cable internet though... MUCH MUCH MUCH faster and chaper than the DirecTV internet service through the dish.

Our service went out for the second time on Wednesday night since we got it last June. And it was back up in about 5 minutes after the worst of the thunderstorm passed through. My cable connection used to cut out sometimes daily. I have a friend that sells service for Dish Network. She tells me that the Dish service is better because they require a much stronger signal from the satellite. I guess your dish actually communicates with 2 satellites rather than one to maintain a really strong signal. She swears by dishNetwork, but I have had only these two dropouts in a year from DirecTV... I'm more than satisfied.

I got a special three-room package last year. Two lower end recievers, and one higher end one with digital audio and component outputs - all three for free. Just pay an extra $5 per receiver a month. Also had free installation. It was a great deal, IMO.

Whether dishNetwork or DirecTV, I'd definetly go satellite.

Best of luck,

Scott

JeremyFr

I wont even say what I think on this hehe I'm a little biased, but truely there are so many factors that would keep me from ever going satellite even if I didn't work for Comcast, one of them being I would never want 3 dish's on my house to get the same amount of channels I get now through my one little cable. I would never pay 100's and or 1000's for equipment the company should outright provide if they want me to use there service. Not to mention if my equipment goe's obsolete or breaks I then have to pay for more equipment. I personally truely think you have to have a hole in your head to go Satellite not to mention s love for wasting money.

For those of you who know your job is to teach.
For those of you who dont know your job is to learn.

Robert_J

Dish and DirecTV use the same technology. In fact, most of their dishes are interchangable. If there is a difference in power, it is only minimal.

Your dish is receiving only unless you have the two-way satellite internet service offered by DirecTV.

I've had both Dish and DirecTV and they are very close in quality, price and channels. The hardware sets DirecTV apart. Dish designs all of their hardware and does most of their own software development. Whenever they introduce a new receiver it is usually loaded with bugs. Most DirecTV receivers are solid performers. The Hughes HDVR2 (aka DirecTV PVR aka DirecTivo) is the best receiver I have used. The guide is a little slow but the recording management logic more than makes up for it.

I have a single 18x24 inch dish to get all of my channels. Dish has just introduced their one dish solution.

-Robert

Steve Phillips

If HDTV is an issue, there are more channels on cable than on DirecTV.

My cable system currently offers HBO-HD (East and West), SHOWTIME HD (East and West); DISCOVERY HD THEATER; ESPN-HD, local ABC, PBS and CBS HD channels.

I couldn't get half that with a dish. I gave up on satellite several years ago.

Dave Moritz