C band is a NETWORK distribution format. Either from live sites back to the network, or from the network to station/cable/DBS provider. It never was the intention of the network to distribute C directly to home, although that has become the case for a limited number of diehards! Yes, your analog picture has a chance to look STELLAR, but so too does GOOD ditial.
As a consumer, if you don't like the compression, artifacts, blockiness or quality of the image YOU ARE PAYING FOR, then complain. Teach your neighbor or friend to appreciate quality (which isn't hard to discern on a 52" set!). Have that neighbor complain when things look badly. How many shop-at-home networks, regional sports networks, or reruns in general do we need over the cable or DSS? If the quantity of channels were cut in HALF, quality could roughly DOUBLE. Every time I hear about 500 channels of TV here or there, I cringe. I think of the bandwidth wasted with channels NO ONE WATCHES. If you want the best viewing possible today, grab a HD DVB receiver. Keep an eye on Galaxy 11, transponder 14,16, Galaxy 16 transponder 10, 14, Gal 3C tr 3, 21, 23 - all of these and others are commonly used for network backhaul of full (transponder) bandwidth HD signals. This is about the lightest compression you'll find outside of an HD production truck. On a related side note: I have not yet bought a BluRay DVD player - but I understand the data rate on that is about 36Mbps, or nearly equal to satellite backhaul data rates. I imagine images from BluRay are stellar - even the pickiest person at home is pretty darn satisfied. Anyone out there disagree?? By the way: Over the air HD is not guaranteed to be very good, either. The broadcaster may turn up the compression and add extra sub-channels at will. If no one complains, then it's OK and they can try turning it up even further. Actually, this is true with ANY digital provider, even my Sirius that I enjoy while driving 600 mile days. And yes, I've inquired and complained about the loss of quality with Sirius, because they USED to sound better! Digital compression is simply throwing away as many elements of the picture or sound as is possible without objectionable degradation. But who make that decision? It may as well be you and I - so speak out!!! Kevin Stebleton > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gary > Grossman > Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 3:58 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [TVRO] Re: DirecTV To Raise Rates > > I disagree with your reply . C-Band quality HD pictures received , no > matter what format , are , will remain superior at this time ! > ----- Original Message ----- > From: VeniVidiVideo<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 3:13 PM > Subject: [TVRO] Re: DirecTV To Raise Rates > > > At 11:44 AM +0000 1/18/08, bigfox90210 wrote: > >C-Band quality is superior to any other viable delivery method. > > This used to be absolutely, unequivocally true. And I hate to say > anything in support of little dishes and DirecTV or DISH, as they have > indeed pulled some icky stunts in collaboration with big dish programming > providers to convince unknowing people to switch to the little dish. > But... > > Nowadays, even though the standard definition (SD) channels on little > dish are still just as soft and blocky as ever, a substantial number of > high definition (HD) channels are now available via little dish, > particularly on DirecTV. Both DISH and DirecTV provide HD premium > channels, such as HBO and Showtime, plus a few HD-specific channels like > HDNet. And DirecTV now provides HD local-into-local channels and a > surprisingly large number of HD basic cable channels (on the order of 60). > DirecTV has made a strong commitment to HD that I really appreciate. > > If it's still going, I know you at least used to be able to get a few HD > channels via big dish, with the special HD sidecar for the 4DTV receivers. > And I think there are even ways, or at least used to be, to get a few > extra HD channels by other means, using special receivers. > > But there's a lot more HD available from the little dish now, and little > dish HD blows SD big dish away. So I'm afraid the old arguments about big > dish being uniformly superior to little dish just aren't true anymore. If > image quality is your highest criterion for signal source, then over-the- > air HD and little dish HD offer a substantially superior alternative to > big dish. Sorry, but it's true. Things change. > > That said, C- and Ku-band, especially with the addition of a DVB/FTA > receiver, are certainly not dead, and are great for exploring. And > there's plenty of free video up there using a big dish, while nothing is > free on a small dish system. So for hobbyists, BUDs are still a joy, and > still offer plenty of programming. But for casual users, on the one end, > or videophiles, on the other, little dish has won the day I'm afraid. > > - larryy > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > MPEG2 Charts and Info: http://www.global- > cm.net/mpeg2central.html<http://www.global-cm.net/mpeg2central.html> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
