Video Asylum

Posted by Dalancroft (A) on August 04, 2003 at 14:49:49

In Reply to: Digital vs Analog Cable... Not real impressed. posted by AbeCollins on August 03, 2003 at 09:59:17:

For me, the only benefits to upgrading to digital cable were the digital audio channels (some of which, especially jazz, sound quite good) and the limited "video on demand" functionality. HDTV adds another layer of gorgeous channels, 6 in San Diego via Time Warner at last count. Discovery is especially beautiful.

However, picture quality for the rest of the channels is pretty subpar, and is automatically "stretched" from 4:3 to 16:9 by the set-top box.

As for satellite, I couldn't tell you but I'd bet the picture quality is fairly mediocre as well in that it depends on the broadcaster and whether they care about video quality. It appears that only a few, such as HBO etc., really do.