HBO vs. SHO--HBO any better yet? (1 Viewer)

[MarcS]

I've had Showtime HD for a while now--but their programming seems to have taken a nose dive. The movie selection is becoming repetitive, and what's not a repeat from prior months sucks...
I'm seriously thinking about switching to HBO (I can't justify the expense of both)... have they improved? Are they showing more OAR and DD 5.1?
TIA

 

[Rob Varto]

Marc, you and I are on the same page. I've always had HBO and would NEVER give it up. I added Showtime about two months ago and I probably watched 3 movies. Just yesterday, I cancelled Showtime and added Starz - but just to reiterate, you gotta get HBO!! You're missing the Sopranos, The Mind of the Married Man, 6 Feet Under, etc...

 

[Tim Markley]

I can't comment on HD because I haven't purchased a receiver yet but IMO HBO is hands down the best movie channel to have. In the last 2 years I've gone though all of the movie channels and none of them can compare to HBO mainly because of all of the original shows that HBO has (Sopranos, Band Of Brothers, Sex In The City, etc.). I rarely watched the other movie channels but I watch HBO all the time. Excellent programming!

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

Marc,
As has been brought up before, HBO does not support OAR. They matte their films to the HDTV (1.78/1) standard, no matter what the aspect ratio is supposed to be.
Bruce
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Welcome aboard the Satellite of Love
[Edited last by Bruce Hedtke on October 05, 2001 at 08:36 PM]

 

[TomRS4]

Content wise, HBO has Showtime nocked silly. HBO will show at least 5 or 6 movies a day in HD, while Showtime rarely shows 3. HBO doesn't use 5.1 as often as they should, but I think they are getting better. As has been mentioned before, many times it's just too paiful to watch because of the lack of AOR. Someone needs to nock some sence into the heads of the idiots at HBO.
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Tempus Fugit

 

[Steve Schaffer]

HBO is no longer reformatting all 2:35 films. I just got through watching Beverly Hills Cop II on HBO HD in oar. I've only had my stb for a few days, and was sorta disappointed that HBO HD has so much content in 4/3.
BTW, the absolute best HD I've ever seen is on HDNet. Both their demo loops and the live Hockey are absolute eye-candy. Hopefully they will soon have other content than the gorgeous demo loops and sports, but technically they are unexcelled.
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Steve S.
I prefer not to push the subwoofers until they're properly run in.

 

[Jerry_G]

Steve,
HBO is still reformatting all new 2.35 transfers to 1.85. What you are seeing is an occasional older transfer made before HBO's Pan & Butcher policy went into effect.