Re: Cablevision digital cable, crappy hdtv quality?

Posted by jaiello (A) on November 28, 2006 at 12:33:39

In Reply to: Cablevision digital cable, crappy hdtv quality? posted by Frank25 on November 26, 2006 at 18:31:02:

I have Cablevision and I think the pictures are pretty awesome. Sure I see the artifacts from time to time but you get what you pay for. Cablevision provides their HD service free. If you are a Cablevision subscriber you can swap your cable box for one that supports HD for no extra charges.

So why would one cable system have HD channels that don't look as good as others? Well cost is a factor. In a cable system that is running 256 QAM on their digital channels there is 38.8 MBS available in a 6 MHz channel. If they split that in two they have 19.4 available for each HD channel. This is ideal for HD however some cable operators choose to take that 38.8 and squeeze three channels into the available bandwidth which depending on weather or not they use statistical multiplexing can result in only about 12 MBS for an HD channel. Now remember that on a standard digital channel a cable operator gets 12 to 14 channels per QAM stream now that only get to provide two or three channels per QAM stream. You have to remember that out of one side of our mouths we complain about the high cost of cable service and out of the other side of our mouths we complan about the quality of the service we receive. The cable operator can't win. He has to provide a cable box to us as a rental of about $3 a month for something he paid $300 or so for. The payback is brutal for them but we love to bash them. On a whole for what we pay we get pretty good service and a pretty good selection of channels. Here Cablevision offers something like 16 channels or so of HD and it's growing all the time. Sports in HD is awesome. I almost never watch any SD programming any more. IMHO there is just not a lot to complain about.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Cablevision digital cable, crappy hdtv quality? - Frank25 18:31:02 11/26/06 (18)

Over the air HDTV is beautiful! Jay Leno, the Football games are crystal clear - Elizabeth 11:27:26 12/13/06 (0)

Re: Cablevision digital cable, crappy hdtv quality? - jaiello 12:33:39 11/28/06 (0)

Lots of issues - Jack G 04:57:12 11/27/06 (14)

Re: Lots of issues - Draz 08:31:57 11/27/06 (13)

Which connection are you using? - SalD 10:22:03 11/29/06 (2)

Re: Which connection are you using? - Frank25 08:24:47 11/30/06 (1)

Re: Which connection are you using? - SalD 10:17:33 11/30/06 (0)

PS. - Jack G 09:49:02 11/27/06 (0)

Re: Lots of issues - Jack G 08:57:52 11/27/06 (0)

Re: Lots of issues - Frank25 08:51:08 11/27/06 (7)

Re: Lots of issues - David Aiken 12:54:44 11/27/06 (5)

Re: Lots of issues - Frank25 08:37:00 11/30/06 (0)

I think there are several DVDO boxes that will - Terry P 15:24:52 11/27/06 (3)

Re: I think there are several DVDO boxes that will - David Aiken 23:27:59 11/27/06 (2)

I agree with you. Thanks for raising my - Terry P 09:01:04 11/30/06 (0)

Re: I think there are several DVDO boxes that will - Frank25 08:35:49 11/30/06 (0)

Re: Lots of issues - Draz 08:58:50 11/27/06 (0)

Digital TV isn't ready for prime time yet. - GTF 21:00:05 11/26/06 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: Cablevision digital cable, crappy hdtv quality? - jaiello 12:33:39 11/28/06 (0)

You can not post to an archived thread.