Is digital cable pretty crap in general?

[outRider]

Practically all cable is digital at the back end and throughout the cable company's network; it's converted to analogue probably at the latest convenient point along the transmission chain. At least that's the case here; I see all sorts of things on analogue cable that should only occur in digital.

If your digital cable looks like crap, it's probably because your cable box has poor hardware vs the provider's hardware at the back end, which is high end.

Or, your HDTV has poor hardware, which is especially important for LCD-type displays, since compression artifacts are a lot more visible with them.

Or, you're watching Spike TV, which likes to compress the hell out of some of their daytime stuff.

[Yoshi]

lol what?

You guys all have horrible cable. My Time Warner digital is great. The reliability of their internet service is questionable, though.

IAWTP on all three accounts.

[Advocate]

Practically all cable is digital at the back end and throughout the cable company's network; it's converted to analogue probably at the latest convenient point along the transmission chain. At least that's the case here; I see all sorts of things on analogue cable that should only occur in digital.

If your digital cable looks like crap, it's probably because your cable box has poor hardware vs the provider's hardware at the back end, which is high end.

Or, your HDTV has poor hardware, which is especially important for LCD-type displays, since compression artifacts are a lot more visible with them.

Or, you're watching Spike TV, which likes to compress the hell out of some of their daytime stuff.

IAWTP

Usually if you have tiling, its due to the box itself. If you have HD service, HSI, and say two digital boxes. Then in fact its due to Cox/Comcast/Cablevision. You would need to call them and set up a service call to boost the signal. The HSI(High speed Internet) usually takes 45% of your signal and HD takes up 20%, the remaining is then split to your other boxes. So if you only have 50% coming into the house; I can see why your digital looks like crap or your HSI is slow as hell.

I would first change your old box for anew one, if that don't work then its the signal itself and have a Tech come out to boost the signal.

[Revoltor]

lol what?

You guys all have horrible cable. My Time Warner digital is great. The reliability of their internet service is questionable, though.

Time Warner in NYC is just what Shidoshi described. I can't even count how many times I chose something via OnDemand and had the "THIS MOVIE IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME" message flash before me. And yes, Roadrunner is pure shit too.

[Dunlap]

That's a big reason why I've never wanted to get satellite, because compared to regular cable it always looks so horribly compressed.

[Six]

That's pretty much my only gripe with "HDTV" through digital cable.

Or "HDTV" in any form/fashion since Voom got their head chopped off. Even the offerings from the sat providers are questionable. I can see a noticable difference between my OTA PBS and the HD content with Directv - even on my old-ass CRT HD.

RIP Voom

[Grave]

RIP Voom

Wait, what happened to Voom? The first and last I had ever heard of them was at a horror con, where they were promoting Monsters HD and I got a free t-shirt out of them. Then, the other day, I was in Walmart () and figured I'd look at TVs for shits and giggles, and they all had the Voom logo appearing on whatever they were showing.

[Shin Johnpv]

Yeah Sounds like you guys have either shitty cable boxes or other problems

I have Cablevision, IO Digital Cable, the analoug SD channels tend to not look so hot but the all digital channels look good, and the HD channels when theyre actually sending an HD signal looking fucking awesome, My cable box is the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD

Also to Shidoshi how did you friend have the cable box hooked up to the tv was it through component or was it another connection?

[Razor Ramon]

I have a normal Comcast HD box. I'm watching the France/Brazil game now and it looks great but something is telling me that it can definitely look better. Regular digital channels look like shit, though. A bunch of noticable blocks.

[Six]

Wait, what happened to Voom? The first and last I had ever heard of them was at a horror con, where they were promoting Monsters HD and I got a free t-shirt out of them. Then, the other day, I was in Walmart () and figured I'd look at TVs for shits and giggles, and they all had the Voom logo appearing on whatever they were showing.

Voom was a satellite provider that was focused on providing the most and the best HD content. The company was actually an offshoot of Cablevision and was headed by (IIRC) the CEO of Cablevision's son.

The quality was OUTSTANDING. Voom offered 21 new full HD channels and the standard HD channels (TNT, Discovery, etc) on their "Basic" service plan. I paid $60 a month for everything but the "premium movie" channels (HBO etc). It was a steal and worth it at 2x the price. They were in the process of launching an HD-DVR, another sat for more HD offerings and had THE BEST picture of any of the HD services at that point.

But the customers were't buying enough of it. It may have been a lack of advertising, the mysterious forthcoming HD-DVR (that never appeared), or the fact that HD tvs hadn't reached critical mass, or their inability to get local channels to the customer over the sat (the Voom box was also an OTA HD receiver with provided antenna - the setup and reception led to a customer service nightmare) but the company was losing tons of cash. Cablevision got tired of it and pulled the plug.

It was drama city for months.

Soon after Dish bought the programming from Voom (the 21 Voom only channels) and started offering it as an upgrade package. I first heard reports of the quality suffering quite a bit but Dish and Directv offered a discount for ex-Voomers. That coupled with Sunday Ticket sold me.

I haven't had HD since Voom closed shop though Directv sent me a "Free" HD-DVR offer with a renewal of Sunday Ticket. I think I may jump on it.