Digital cable or DirecTV

Q

qb14

#41
#41
Originally posted by Spaz Medicine
How is that possible? I have DirecTV for about seven months and lose it fairly often in inclement weather.
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What kind of signal level do you have in good weather? Rain will decrease your signal level by a given percentage. If someone has a very strong signal (no trees, dish properly aligned), the signal decrease caused by a typical rainstorm shouldn't cause a problem. Only extremely heavy rain should cause a problem.

If someone has a borderline signal to begin with, then typical rain can cause outages.
 
Q

qb14

#42
#42
Originally posted by VV
TW's digital cable is even worse because in some area's it's not even carrying a stereo signal.
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However, in other areas TW is doing an outstanding job with HDTV. I have some co-workers who live in Manhattan who have TWC. They are very pleased with the amount of HD that is available to them.

btw... one thing that come of most deluxe DSS systems now is an optical output (the best there is)..... Something I've never seen on a cable box.
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All HD receivers, whether they are Satellite or Cable will have a digital audio output. Some will be coax, some will be optical. Neither one is better than the other.

Optical cables can not be affected by RF interference, but they are more expensive than coax cables.

Some (very few) people can have RF interference with coax, but a good shieded cable (comparable in price to a standard optical cable) will eliminate this problem.

The quality of the digital audio from either connection is identical. We're talking about 1's and 0's. Either they get from one end of the cable or they don't.
 
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E

escortworks

#43
#43
if you are to buy the loader (programmer) is to buy it from canada and NEVER from US. its still legal in canada to sell the dss hacking equipment to other countries but its not in US. so whatever you do dont buy from US
 
J

jseah

#44
#44
Originally posted by qb14
The quality of the digital audio from either connection is identical. We're talking about 1's and 0's. Either they get from one end of the cable or they don't.
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I was just about to write that. The digital signal from cable and DSS are identical. The differences (other than the capabilities of the receiver/decoder box itself) boils down to the programming provided by the two different sources.
 
J

jseah

#45
#45
Originally posted by escortworks
if you are to buy the loader (programmer) is to buy it from canada and NEVER from US. its still legal in canada to sell the dss hacking equipment to other countries but its not in US. so whatever you do dont buy from US
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This is what cracks me up.......the US is supposed to be "land of the free, home of the brave", yet they do everything possible to help protect the corporations, including making a piece of electronic equipment illegal.
 
V

VV

Aerosol
#47
#47
The signals are the same but the delivery is different. Cable signals run thru many splitters before the reach you and they pick up more RF interference (as well as other problems) before they reach your door. DSS is direct from the dish to your TV.
 
Q

qb14

#48
#48
Originally posted by VV
The signals are the same but the delivery is different. Cable signals run thru many splitters before the reach you and they pick up more RF interference (as well as other problems) before they reach your door. DSS is direct from the dish to your TV.
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I was referring to the comment about optical output being "the best there is".

As far as overall quality is concerned, I think that data compression has a much bigger effect picture (and audio) quality than delivery method will ever have.

Both Cable and DirecTV have their problems here. Cable's problem is that they are burning bandwith with Internet service. If it weren't for Internet service, cable companies could be kicking the shit out of DirecTV's picture quality.

Satellite's biggest problem is local channel regulations and satellite bandwidth. Currently, DirecTV is using up huge amounts of bandwidth broadcasting multiple copies of the same programming to different cities. They are beginning to use spot-beam technology which will allow them to reuse the same satellite frequencies in different parts of the country by sending out very narrow beams that can't be received nation wide. That way they can send NYC locals to NYC and LA locals to LA on the same frequencies because they won't interfere with one another.

As someone who has been a DirecTV subscriber for as long as you have, I think that you'll admit that the picture quality of DirecTV is not as good as it was when you first got it. They learned a long time ago that having more channels is more important than outstanding picture quality.

General consensus is that DirecTV is compressing the signal (of Standard Definition channels) to a point where it will still look good on up to a 36" TV. Once you go beyond that, the picture takes a nosedive. Even on a 36" TV, DirecTV used to be DVD quality (and they would actually make that claim), now it is not much more than VHS quality (now they use the phrase "Digital Quality", that's a meaningless phrase that's supposed to imply DVD quality without saying it).
 
S

Spaz Medicine

#49
#49
Originally posted by qb14
What kind of signal level do you have in good weather? Rain will decrease your signal level by a given percentage. If someone has a very strong signal (no trees, dish properly aligned), the signal decrease caused by a typical rainstorm shouldn't cause a problem. Only extremely heavy rain should cause a problem.

If someone has a borderline signal to begin with, then typical rain can cause outages.
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My signal seems to hover around 88 or 89.
 
L

larry1017

#50
#50
Ive had direct tv for 3 years.And have had no problems.During the snow storms last winter and the hurricane this year.It went out for maybe 5-10 min.Nothing too great.


And about the card getting blown out.If you keep your original card and buy another one to put in the system when the card gets blown out every 3 months or so.You still have tv. I pay for basic and The HBO's for the other 2 tvs.And the "other" card in the tv I watch for sports.

And have the directv tivo receiver.If you have that.Dont put the illegal card in it.You can get busted that way.

Lastly for those that have the illegal card.Make sure to unplug the phone jack.Heard from someone thats how they track you.And someone I know got a bill for like 900 bucks from DSS.Since they had a record of the items he bought on PPV
 
D

DrDenisJ

#51
#51
Cable is better for HD

Digital Cable is now offering 3 HDTV local channels on 702 (CBS) 705 (FOX) and PBS (can't think of the number now. It is GREAT to finally have some programming to watch in HD. SO if you have an HD TV go for cable.
 
H

Hot Dog

#52
#52
Direct TV with Tivo Series2 receiver is the way to go! Duel tuners so you can record one channel while watching another channel, try doing that with a cable box. Or my ATF record two different channels and watch something previously recorded. With the season pass (boy do I sound like a shill) I watch much more TV and spend less time hobbying, lol. I wouldn’t go back to cable if you paid me to… well maybe if Betty could convince me, lol
 
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jseah

#53
#53
Re: Cable is better for HD

Originally posted by DrDenisJ
Digital Cable is now offering 3 HDTV local channels on 702 (CBS) 705 (FOX) and PBS (can't think of the number now. It is GREAT to finally have some programming to watch in HD. SO if you have an HD TV go for cable.
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I think in my area, Time Warner is going to be adding something like 5 or 6 HD channels over the next month or so, which will inlcude HBO, Showtime, and Discovery. I am not sure about HD broadcast channels.

In order to take advantage of the HD channels, you would need to request a different converter from the cable company. They have also started offering a Tivo-like recorder, which they charge an additional 8.95 a month.
 
N

Ny Vanessa

#54
#54
Attack of the V V Monster

Relax V V. You didnt have to bite my head off.

Everyones experiences differ with dish and cable ( as you can see by this thread)

I am simply going by my experience since I have worked in both fields. I found there were more complaints with Dish customers, then with cable.

Cable is not perfect, nor is dish, It really does depend on where you live.

When I dealt with dish customers, they were from those state we rarely hear about ( you know the I states) and they had lots of trouble out there, and many required a service man to come out to align the dish. Receivers seemed to blow out more than candles on a cake.

We had about 1% customers from the tri state area. And in that 1% they were generally in southern southern NJ.


I still say cable is a better option, but that is just my opinion since I have seen both sides of the spectrum.

I too have Earthlink cable access, and let me tell you, if I knew sooner, dial up would have been gone like.. YEARS ago.

This cable stuff is the BEST!!!
 
H

Hot Dog

#55
#55
Re: Attack of the V V Monster

Originally posted by Ny Vanessa
I too have Earthlink cable access, and let me tell you, if I knew sooner, dial up would have been gone like.. YEARS ago.

This cable stuff is the BEST!!!
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Kimmie, your right about cable for Internet access, you can beat it with a stick right now. That's why I use cable for Internet access only and Direct TV for the rest.
 
J

jseah

#56
#56
Re: Attack of the V V Monster

Originally posted by Ny Vanessa
I too have Earthlink cable access, and let me tell you, if I knew sooner, dial up would have been gone like.. YEARS ago.

This cable stuff is the BEST!!!
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And it took me FOREVER to talk you into entering the 21st century.....
 
T

Truth

Arbeit Macht Frei
#57
#57
Originally posted by Ny Vanessa
We would make the perfect couple.. Chinese take out every night :)
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Sorry, no Chinese for me. I haven't been able to even walk into a Chinese restaurant ever since i saw Harmony Korine's movie, "Gummo", years ago, where the peope in the Chinese restaurant were killing cats to use for their "chicken". I know it sounds stupid but what can i do.
 
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V

VV

Aerosol
#58
#58
Re: Cable is better for HD

Originally posted by DrDenisJ
Digital Cable is now offering 3 HDTV local channels on 702 (CBS) 705 (FOX) and PBS (can't think of the number now. It is GREAT to finally have some programming to watch in HD. SO if you have an HD TV go for cable.
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And isn't DSS already offering about 20 or 30 HD channels... (including ALL the locals)?
 
J

jseah

#59
#59
Re: Re: Cable is better for HD

Originally posted by VV
And isn't DSS already offering about 20 or 30 HD channels... (including ALL the locals)?
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VV,

What is the monthly rate for DSS? With TW, I have every premium channel (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, TMC, Encore, Starz, etc.) plus RR cable modem and they are charging me $140 a month.

(I would have to get a HDTV first before I could take advantage of the HDTV channels)

Also, how many separate receivers can one DSS dish support? (I have cable hookups in every single room in my house, but I only have TV's hooked up in 4 rooms).
 
H

Hot Dog

#60
#60
Re: Re: Re: Cable is better for HD

Originally posted by jseah

Also, how many separate receivers can one DSS dish support? (I have cable hookups in every single room in my house, but I only have TV's hooked up in 4 rooms).
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Your satellite installer can give you a splitter (except they have a fancy name for it that i forgot) for more than two sets. It retails for a few bucks but it is money well spent. If you use Tivo you need two hookups for the Tivo unit and need the splitter thingy anyway. I would recommend that you have a professional do it, it saves me tons of headaches

PS: You can have up to eight boxes hooked up to your system
 
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