I know this sounds like overkill, but I have a set-top box for digital cable from Cox Communications, and I also have direct cable as well, which I also pull QAM signals from. Looks like a good setup.
Charter cable - lousy
I just upgraded from an HD DirecTivo (HR10) to the HR20 DirecTV DVR. I now get a lot more HD channels (they say 70+ at this point) and they look great! I still use an OTA antenna to get the few HD channels they don't rebroadcast. I am less disappointed in the switch from Tivo to DirecTV's software than I thought I would be. And so far customer service has been pretty good, even through a complicated upgrade process.
---Karl
Generally it's ok, howecer I have 2 gripes:
1: During bad weather (Thunderstorms, etc.) receptiom often disappears. We get the dreaded "Searching for Signal". We have 2 seperate dishes & receivers so its not a dish alignment issue (confirmed by Dish Network itself).
2: Their video compression scheme causes many programs with low-contrast scenes to appear stepped in just a few brightness levels! In other words there are very few grey scale levels. VERY ANNOYING!!!
my provider is cableone, and while the service has been very good(1 outage for about 30 min in the last 3 years), i do feel it is overpriced. I don't know what it cost in other areas but they have the monopoly in this area. You either go to them for tv and internet or get satellite and dial up.
Cable.
Bresnan Communications
Provides High Speed internet, Phone and Cable TV.
A little slow bringing HDTV channels on-line, I guess Billings, Montana (where I live!) is still a third world state.
Other than that it is nice to have all your communications in a single package. only one (big!) bill a month.
Wes
Formerly it was TCI, was back when cable first started. I've always had the old analog extended basic subscription and only recently went with the digital line up. My reason for going digital was that I was paying a little less than $90. a month for analog TV and cable internet. A rep offered the digital service with free HBO, VOIP and the same cable internet for $99. a month for a year. I couldn't pass it up, such a deal for only ten bucks more a month than I was paying. Now I still have an old analog TV, a big 50 inch rear projection unit I got on a barter deal for computer services rendered. I don't have the remote and some of the channels are stuck on the SAP audio so I have to feed it with composite video and audio but that doesn't matter. I will get a converter box to receive the OTA broadcasts when they come out and I can get the subsidity from the feds. The unit still has an excellent picture and a bi-yearly cleaning keeps the picture sharp and clear. The switch over to digital only took a week to get hashed out and the services I was paying for delivered. Can't beat the price and I really needed a new phone line anyway, besides the landline from ATT.
Love the sports, movies not so much.
I have Comcast. Programing Sucks. Service is OK.
Directv HD DVR
I've been had the new DVR for over a year after switching from a TIVO box. I haven't experienced any of the problems some were complaining about. I love it and wouldn't go back to cable. I've been a Directv subcriber for years.
After moving into my current home 10 years ago we went from Direct TV to Cable... and Cable was nasty. We researched everything and purchased a DPL TV and went to Dish. Why Dish? It offers the best deals. All the Satellite installers that did both Dish & Direct told me that Dish was the best. I have the HDTV package and no purchasing of equipment at the time Direct TV wanted 700.00 for HDTV. Also I have a free DVR with HDTV that is only offered with Dish. Another factor was Kings Basketball games... they are just about all on Dish as part of my package. I would highly recommend DISH TV. I've been a happy customer for over 8 years.
Tim
We're with Direct TV, and so far so good. When we moved to our new home we gave up digital cable for this, as it was offered via Verizon Telephone. The picture quality is great, and we've only had a few problems with our service, mostly due to weather (those high powered Santa Anas we get in Cali, but they sent someone out to stablize our dish and now that's hardly an issue at all). We're also subscribers to the NFL Sunday Ticket as my dh is a fan of a team out of state, so it's nice that he can watch a game that we normally wouldn't see. We also recently upgraded to get the DVR, and while I think the DVR we had via our cable company was a bit easier to use, it's still nice to have nonetheless. It's easy for our little ones to use to watch movies, and keeps their hands off the dvd's and the dvd player. Overall, there wasn't too much difference between our digital cable (being able to get east and west coast feeds on both) and satellite, and that includes the switch we made from our old tv to our new plasma.
Picture quality and sound are outstanding. We have three TV's connected, two with TiVo's and one with Direct TV's DVR. The TiVo are the greatest but do not handle HDTV. The Direct TV's DVR handles HDTV, but other than that it's a disaster. If TiVo had a unit for Direct TV (currently only available on Cable) I'd buy it now.
I've had Directv since 2001 and HD since the summer of 2001 ... I recently upgraded to the new HD package with the HDDVR .. so far no problems and the picture looks great! Fortunately I'm pretty tech savvy, as the Directv Installer didn't have any idea how to set up the receiver, DVR or HD formatting. My new HD channels didn't show up at first because the tech didn't tell the receiver I had the 5lnb dish (I had to go thru the whole setup procedure again after the tech left) ... the local (Boston) HD channels (CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX) are carried by Directv but no PBS HD?????? what's up with that!! I used to receive them OTA, but took down my outside antenna when the new dish was installed .... so far so good and I'm loving the DVR feature!!
jim
AT&T U-verse, televison down phone lines. Logon anywhere in the world to see what you have recorded on your hove DVD.
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