I cant speak for a HD tv set since I dont have one...but the difference between normal digital channles and analog channels on a standard set(less than 3 yrs old) is overblown IMO...all of my channels(except freaking KNWS) come in fine...If you are comparing them to HD channels...of course they are gonna suffer by comparison(duh!)...but I can hardly tell a difference between channel 3-80 (channel 2 is KNWS) and the premium movie channles... and it isnt like I dont have a discriminating eye...remember..I do lots of video work..
I've used TW HD since it first came out. I've never had any trouble with it and the picture quality is great. I don't notice that big of a difference between non hd channels 3-80 (knws sucks) and the others. Maybe slight but not a deal breaker. I thought about switching to a dish system with our move but this past weekend I was watching some HD on my brother in laws HD plasma hooked up to a dish and durring the one hour I watched there was more digital trash and loss of signal than I've had in 4 years with TW. I'll stick with my cable thanks.
I just got my HD/DVR box from Time Warner yesterday. It's like $13 dollars a month for the DVR HD box and $3 for HD channels and an extra $3 for ESPNHD, for me, it's in the budget and worth it. I LOVE HD TV!!! I got a SAMSUNG 23" LCD TV over the weekend and the HD channels are freakin' awesome, I just wish there was more. I can't speak for DirecTV since I haven't had them in years, but I will say that I never had a problem with DirecTV until I moved to the Heights and my reception turned to crap along with occasional rain storm interference. Regardless, I have used both Time Warner and DirecTV (not for HD) and was happy with both. I think if you want the most HD programming you have to go with this.
Yeah, Dish does look like they offer the most channels. The only problem is that if I want to have HD and DVR service, then it costs $250 to lease the HD/DVR box from them. The HD (non DVR) and DVR (non HD) receivers are no extra cost.
My suggestion after reading the comments is to get cable for now due to the month to month nature of cable, versus a 1 year or 2 year contract with satellite. You can cancel at any time once either Dish or DirecTV have the options you really want. I want to switch to satellite due to 2-80 being crappy (yes they are acceptable on a non HDTV, but not on a HDTV), but I am waiting for the HD channel selection to expand. B
That is true... but my SA 8300 seems to make channels 2-80 look like crap (presumably because they are analog and therefore have poorer signal quality which leads to poor PQ the SA 8300). I end up watching those channels on my other non-HD tv, without a STB and they look much better than on my HDTV with the SA 8300. Comparing the digital channels (channels 101+ but non-HD) on my HDTV with the SA 8300 with channels 2-80 my regular old TV with the coax plugged in the back, there is hardly any difference in PQ.
So do you think that could have something to do with the SA 8300 just not handling analog signals well? I wonder if it would be possible to split the line, and run one of them to the 8300 and the other directly to the tv (on a seperate input.) I'm curious if the picture on ch 2-80 would be better then.
this wont help you with what youre looking for, but do you mind sharing which sony tv you have? i was thinking about getting a Sony LCD Projection tv and i was looking for some reviews.....
Sure, it's this one: Link I got it last May for $1,399 from Conn's. The way I was able to get it was because Frye's was selling a refurbished model for $1,399. The guy at Conn's didn't notice the ad said it was refurbished, so they price matched and I ended up getting a brand new one from them for that price. Circuit City also has reviews on their site you can check out. I love this tv btw!
Harrisment- If you do cable then yes, it is possible to have them both connected. You just need the incoming cable from your wall to be spilt. That way the tuner from each box will get a "fresh" signal, for lack of a better word. Then hook up the boxes, have the HD box going to your component video, or if you're lucky, your HDMI (speaking of which, does anyone here have a SA 8300 with a working HDMI?). Finally hook up the TIVO into another input and you're good to go. Unless of course you have a stereo receiver, or gaming consoles making the back of your TV look like a electronic rainforst floor, full of tangled wires. If you're going with DTV and the H-10, I'm not so sure you can do what you are proposing. I'd look in some DTV forum or the AVS forum for that info (which I saw you already did when I as browsing there earlier) the main problem I see here is that you'll need the STB to decode the signal for the TIVO thereby occupying the STB and not allowing you to watch a HD show (or any other show for that matter on your TV)000. One solution may be to have a non-HD STB (your old one) dedicated to the TIVO and the HD STB dedicated to watching TV. I'm not sure how you would get both DTV STB's working on the same TV though. If you don't opt for self-install then the installer should be able to hook up any set-up you want.
Thanks Ollie. Did you see my note about running one cable directly to the tv, and one to the SA 8300? I was wondering if the analog channels would look better that way.....or more specifically, have you tried that?
I think I tried it... but I can't remember anymore. The mess of cables behind my TV is preventing me from trying it now, but when I upgrade to the 8300, I'll try it and let you know.
I have THIS receiver. I watch HDTV without Cable OR Satellite. It comes CRYSTAL Clear, but in Katy I have difficulty sometimes because it's so FAR from the digital antennae the stations put out. THe signal is GREAT and there is nothing I would change now. I can do without cable forever with this puppy. What sucks now is I can't watch my Fútbol on Telemundo, Univision, Telefutura or TV Azteca digitally, because cheap-ass Spanish stations don't have it yet. Handy links from the government: www.fcc.gov www.dtv.gov www.checkhd.com/zipentry.aspx?ReturnUrl=/Default.aspx
I was doing the same thing last week...I was going back and forth, but what I ended up doing was Comcast Cable in Dallas...I couldn't think of paying $300 for an HD rec. and pay for programing for each box, etc...I think I pay $5 for the box and $5 fo the programing per box, with the first box free, just like digital...I only have it in two rooms, but honestly, on some things, can't tell, but on others, WOW!!! You can actually see the pores on the faces of people,etc... I'll probalby go to DirecTv when the prices go down, but I can wait...
I found a TV with a built-in digital tuner and all I had to do was buy a digital antenna to recieve the local HD channels. I live in the North Carolina foothills, in a spot where I can get both Charlotte and Greenville/Spartanburg channels in digital and HD. I find that the feed from these stations if far superior than anything cable or satellite provides, but distance, and the subsequent lack of signal strength is a problem for a couple of channels ( mainly the Spartanburg ones). But the antenna I have is a set top antenna....they now make satellite antennas you can put up on your house, and they are 1/4 the size of the old antennas you had to have back in the day.
Alright, just wanted to let you guys know what I think I've decided to do. I called DirecTV back to see if I could get any other deals since I don't feel like dropping a couple hundred right now on the HD equipment. They said they'd give me a $15 credit on my bill for the next 6 months if I just keep my current programming. I'll probably just do that and worry about switching to HD at a later date. This should make my bill about $50/month (for 6 months) and I'll still have HBO and every channel in digital.
The DTV-HDTiVo has two tuners and one output. You need two satellite connections, and one antenna connection. With that, you can record two HD shows, or record one and watcch another "live."
