Poll: Are you satisfied with your HD service?
by Darren Murph, posted Feb 9th 2008 at 12:00PM
After
breaking things down as best we could this week, we noticed a flood of comments from critical HD consumers about the quality (or lack thereof) of their HD service. Of course, it's impossible for us to take a look at each provider out there and assess just how wonderful (or not) its deliverance of high-definition programming is, so we figured we'd put it out there for all of you readers. Bottom line: are you stoked about the quality of your high-def service? If so, by all means, let the world know who's treating you right. If not, shout out what's keeping you from extolling your carrier -- be it a
shoddy HD DVR, inexplicable
compression, a high level of
outages, a dearth of HD offerings or simply charging
too much for too little.
Filed under: Polls, Cable, Fiber, Internet, Satellite
Tags: compression, customer, hd lite, hd quality, HdLite, HdQuality, poll, polls, quality, satisfaction, satisfied, subscriber, survey
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KayRazy Ken Kutaragi @ Feb 9th 2008 12:12PM
Now that DirectTV has so many channels in HD, I have no need to watch anything in SD Chumpvision anymore. Although to many channels are still using Stretchovision instead of actual HD. Enough of that Krap please. And Blu-ray still makes HD look meh...12-18mbps vs. 20-40+ mbps not to mention uncompressed or lossless sound.
daaper @ Feb 11th 2008 4:03PM
I completely agree. I'm very glad I went with DirecTV for my content, but it's amazing how much it pales when compared to true 1080p video and uncompressed sound.
NoK610 @ Feb 9th 2008 12:20PM
After watching a BD or HD-DVD, I want more from my cable provider. I was watching Lost the other night and the compression is evident. During some scenes, their faces looked a little blurred, and artifacting is obvious especially during fast moving scenes. Don't get me wrong, it looks great, but I feel for the money I paid for my setup, the PQ should be better, and there isn't enough "true" HD content out there.
brian Pope @ Feb 11th 2008 10:21AM
As an apartment dweller, I'm compelled to use DirecTV... and I loathe them. They have been super slow to upgrade my building to the new dish necessary for MPEG4 HD channels, they've been jacking around with channel selection and now I don't even get all the channels I had a year ago and last but not least: THE COMPRESSION!!! Who cares if it's HD when all you see are compression artifacts dancing on your screen--annoying unsightly little cubes are unsightly at ANY resolution, thanks.
Mike Jenkins @ Feb 9th 2008 12:33PM
We have Bright House service, which isn't bad, but we'd much rather have FiOS TV. The problem is that our HOA signed an agreement with Bright House to be the sole cable provider in our neighborhood, even though that was when there was no homes built yet and the HOA was run by the developer. We have FiOS internet and phone service, if we could get TV too it would complete the trifecta.
KenC @ Feb 9th 2008 12:37PM
For me its a love hate thing. I love what channels I got and they are nice but here in Phoenix metro area we have Cox and we are their biggest market yet are last to get anything (they are just now launching OnDemand here albeit in small bunches in the metro area) We get locals in HD here and then the standard Mojo, Nat Geo, ESPN, and Universal HD but and of course premium channels (if you pay for them)
Yet they have many other markets that have two times if not more of HD channels.
mongoos150 @ Feb 9th 2008 1:26PM
Tucson is in the exact same predicament. Cox has the stronghold, offering far too few channels for far too much money.
David Hildreth @ Feb 9th 2008 1:58PM
I live in Tempe, and am so much happier after dropping COX and moving is DirecTV.
Now if only we had FIOS so I could do away with cable internet too.
burby29 @ Feb 10th 2008 10:30PM
I'm getting frustrated with Cox as well. I spoke with a CSR on the phone late last year who promised our lineup would be expanded before the end of 2007. So much for that bit of information. Also, the amount of artifacting and sound drop outs is getting ridiculous. Oh well, I'll be leaving AZ in a few months to NC, where hopefully the HD options are better.
JimC @ Feb 9th 2008 12:52PM
Timewarner Cable TV is pathetic. AS soon as Lost is done with its season, I'm switch to DirecTV unless DirecTV offers locals in HD soon in my area...
NoK610 @ Feb 11th 2008 12:17AM
TWC is definitely crappy. I would go with DirectTV, but then I would have to pay $60 for broadband, and the management for my condo complex is very uptight when it comes to adding dishes to the side of the building. Basically, switching right now is too much of a hassle. FIOS is supposed to be making its way up to Orange County, NY sometime next year, so I'm going to hold out and wait for that. Then TWC can kiss my a$$.
Spanbauer @ Feb 9th 2008 12:59PM
No Siree. I've got Comcast in the Minneapolis/St Paul area. There are far too few HD channels, and way too much compression on the ones we do have. While there's a night and day difference from the standard-definition channels, a lot of the HD programming (Fox especially) has poorer picture quality than a standard-definition DVD.
Big Wizz @ Feb 9th 2008 12:59PM
Cox (in Omaha) takes too bloody long to add HD channels, we just keep getting that line "coming soon."
Oh, and even though they say they don't, they charge nearly the same amount (as SAT) between all their fees.
The Aggie CEO @ Feb 9th 2008 1:07PM
I see reports of Time Warner in certain areas having 40+ HD channels via switching.......
ok.....they need to fix that here in Greensboro, NC......I mean sure the 20 or So HD Channels we have are cool.......but hell I can only watch so much Strech-o-vision via TBS, TNT, HistoryHD........ FoodHD, HGTV HD, and the Garbage VS. HD are not really things I'm into, I love National Geographic HD, HD Theater, ESPNHD,ESPN2HD, HDNET, HDNET Movies,(but Here they are touting this "Home of Free HD" promotion and you only get like 10 or so channels for free the other 8+ you have to pay for(HBO,Showtime, HDNet, Mojo, Univeral HD, Etc.).......
so yea......I want USAHD, Discovery HD, TLC HD, The Weather Channel HD, The Science ChannelHD, Cartoon Network HD, CinemaxHD, Starz HD, ABC Family HD, Disney HD,and I want my Local CW HD station to stop cutting out during the middle of SMALLVILLE!!! it does it EVERY WEEK never fails.........
I know you guys are just employees of Time Warner but can you shoot them a note and tell them to get on the ball here soon??
the ONLY reason I'm with Time Warner & Not DirecTV is because I love Road Runner and nothing here comes close......if we had Verizon here with FiOS I'd Jump ship so fast......
Grant @ Feb 9th 2008 1:20PM
If my local cable company (Cox) would just add USA Network HD and SciFi HD I would be perfectly happy with their service.
Sean Bramlett @ Feb 9th 2008 1:33PM
I must say that I have Comcast here in the Houston area, not an employee of them or anything like that at all, but wanted to comment on the happenings here in the Houston market, got a good friend that does work for them though and has told me some really cool things coming down the line for us here soon. 1st thing, we are getting new Scientific Atlanta HD-DVR boxes that have a much bigger capacity for recording programs with. 2nd thing, They are in the process of launching SDV (switched Digital Video) to go live in April and will boost our HD line-up to close to 55 HD channels at that time then. 3rd thing, They will be installing some new equipment to handle Docsis 3.0 for ultraband internet, meaning speeds up to 150 megs download, 50 upload in the coming year here. 4th thing, the head-end is being re-built to go 100% digital this year sometime as well, once completed, every channel will be at first simulcast in digital, then over a years time, they will start shutting down the analog channels totally.
reedracer @ Feb 9th 2008 1:45PM
Having switched to Uverse from Comcast HD, I can finally see HD quality television! The Comcast HD picture was poor quality and i suffered from repeated outages of the HD tier.
The Uverse picture is awesome! Now the just need to make it so we can watch more than one HD channel in the house at a time and make the DVR content available to all of the boxes.
L3 @ Feb 9th 2008 2:03PM
I absolutely love Dish Network. I have never run into anyone with the number of channels or the quality that I enjoy.
Keep it up, Dish!
Aaron Slater @ Feb 9th 2008 2:10PM
I have a smaller cable provider here in the Puget Sound area called Wave Broadband. Not only do they want to charge me $10 for EACH CableCard (I have a S3 TiVo) but on top of that, my $10/mo HDTV package doesn't even include all my local channels (Notably KSTW (CW) and KONG (Ind branch of our NBC station). I would sell my soul to get DirecTV, but unfortunately I can only have a dish on a tripod on my deck at my apartment, and my deck faces north.
I hate Cable TV.
keith @ Feb 9th 2008 5:51PM
I'd call them back. I don't think it is legal to charge that much. Charter just raised their Cablecard price from $1.50 to $2.00 a month.
BigT @ Feb 9th 2008 2:10PM
I've been mostly happy with Dish HD service in the past year and a half. I particularly like the 622 DVR as far as usability - I have one box for my whole place, and it's much more user friendly than the Cox alternative. There's a good selection of channels....buuuuut... the ones missing are biggies. Being in CT, lack of NESN HD and YES HD (or, YES, period!) is borderline criminal.
Ken @ Feb 9th 2008 2:18PM
Very happy with DirecTV and their new HD DVR. No, its not as good as the TiVo one, but it does the job. Have a 750 GB external HD on it, which has worked flawlessly (Antec MX-1).
Only wish is for an antenna input so I could get PBS in HD in the box to watch/record...or just have it carried over the dish ;)
MadMike @ Feb 9th 2008 2:21PM
I have Verizon FiOS in Philadelphia. It's a love/hate relationship.
1.) I don't have a landline, just internet and TV and it's a pain to call up for help without that phone number.
2.) Tech support and customer service SUCK.
3.) It's getting more expensive every month. It's ALMOST up to the price of comsucks.
4.) You need THEIR router for everything to work. THEIR router is an infernal POS.
5.) No FX in HD... WTF?!?!?! I want Rescue Me in HD BIZZATCHES!
6.) You need an HD box for the HD programming. I like the HD DVR - but I would rather build my own.
7.) No CABLEcard or True2Way
The good:
1.) The quality is KICKASS!
2.) The internet speeds are KICKASS.
neterizon @ Feb 9th 2008 5:45PM
6 and 7 is not true. I have CableCard and able to watch all HD channels on FiOS since spring 06.
MadMike @ Feb 9th 2008 5:52PM
Really? I should check into that...
MadMike @ Feb 9th 2008 2:23PM
Oh yeah and Verizon's On Demand blows. Everything is nickle and dimed. As if they don't make enough money already. The free stuff BLOWS.
dbax @ Feb 9th 2008 2:38PM
Here in Los Angeles, where we happen to produce a lot of the TV that's out there, Time Warner has a total of 11 HD channels (plus the locals and the premiums, if you're willing to shell out for those).
Now, don't get me wrong -- the HD channels we have look pretty good, but it sure would be nice to get the 4 Discovery channels (Disc, AniP, SciCh, TLC), the National Geographic channel, and even CNN HD.
I just don't really understand why Time Warner can't get more HD's moving out here.
eyedann @ Feb 10th 2008 10:34PM
I agree, TWC's HD content is pretty anemic. Here in LA I would expect better. I am considering the switch to a satellite provider but torn by a non-HD issue; international channels for the parents.
Dish has a better international package than Direct, but Direct has a better HD line up compared to Dish. Come on, no CNNHD or CNBC HD? WeatherChannelHD? SciFiHD?
I have a great DLP tv but one 11 channels to watch. Give me a break TWC. Get your butt in gear!
And what's with the SD programming on the TNT HD? Or is that TBS HD? I'm getting really tired of 2/3ds of my screen that is stretched. Pathetic.
h0mi @ Feb 9th 2008 2:43PM
I would love cox if they didn't set the protected flag on non broadcast channels (Im not talking premium im talking basic, non broadcast). Also they're missing a local channel or 2 in HD (maybe its not being broadcast in HD?) and where is Comedy central in HD? Sci Fi? Cartoon Network?
xenocide @ Feb 9th 2008 2:44PM
I'm quite happy with DISH. I love the DVR; it's much better than the local Cable providers Moxi box and the channels are ok. I like having the included RF remote allowing a second TV to take advantage of the dual tuner, and love the antenna input so I can pull in local channels OTA and let DISH provide me with the program guide. All in all it's been good!
Ben @ Feb 9th 2008 3:17PM
For the most part I'm satisfied with Comcast. I get a decent number of HD channels, I just want Scifi HD in my area. Their DVR is a little screwy, but HD VOD is good and overall I'm happy.
Spiza @ Feb 9th 2008 3:18PM
Comcast just took over in Southern Indiana, I'm trying to find out what changes in HD programming will be made, but right now dissapointed. DirectTV doesn't offer all the locals in HD yet, or I would have switched already.
Bzydad @ Feb 9th 2008 3:19PM
Here in Oro Valley AZ I have Comcast and we have 35 HD channels with 4 new ones coming online on the 19th
MidnightDT @ Feb 9th 2008 4:25PM
hell no im not pleased with time warner. over priced and their HD selection sucks
elbrando @ Feb 9th 2008 4:27PM
I have Cox here in OKC and am happy with everything except the DVR. I've had TiVo for 7 years and have found it to be one of the best products ever. Not perfect, mind you, but ultra-awesome. Anyway, the Cox DVR is a ridiculous pain. It does record HD programming, so I'll keep it (can't afford the TiVo HD solution).
I'm sure most wouldn't be happy with Cox's HD offerings, but they are just fine for me, the locals, Discovery, and some others for fun. It's all I need right now.
Jason @ Feb 9th 2008 4:34PM
For the most part yes... but if DirecTV ever pumped out my locals in HD it would be undoubtedly so!
Jeff @ Feb 9th 2008 5:41PM
Time Warner here in Maine seems to have started compressing the signal of late..Wish I knew why.
Kyle Morris @ Feb 9th 2008 5:49PM
Charter Com in Michigan has the basic HD service (ESPN's, Premiums, HDNET's etc) Although they are slow to roll out the basic cable channels in HD. All I really want is USA, Sci-fi, TBS and FX in HD. I would have switched to DirecTV a long time ago but my apartment complex doesn't allow satellite dishes and since I'm on the lower level I have no balcony to put a dish on. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be a slave to Cable until I can find a new place.
Brian Fantana @ Feb 9th 2008 5:50PM
Time Warner blows. Plain and simple. I mean hell, how long has National Geographic been available in HD? 2 years plus. And Time Warner still doesnt carry it.
nathan @ Feb 9th 2008 5:53PM
Here's my thing for why I voted Love/Hate (using Dish):
1. Calling 1440x1080i HD is okay but far from ideal (though not as far from ideal as these 720P downloads that everyone is offering these days)
2. Not offer HD on demand for users of the 622 DVR is a drag. No I don't want to upgrade to the 722 since it means a minimum of a $100 charge and a 2 year commitment!
3. Although it's out of DISH's control, I've almost given up on all the premium movie channels because they continue to pan-and-scam 2.35:1 movies into 16:9 format. Ugh!
4. No SciFi in HD?!?!? Come on Dish. We know it's already uplinked, but you're quibbling about the bundling options.
What I really love are the VOOM movie channels. Sure, they recycle stuff a lot (who doesn't?) and it is HDLITE like almost everything else, but it's good transfers in mostly OAR of movies that I want to see (Evil Dead trilogy and old monster movies? Kurosawa & Hong Kong action movies? classics and foreign?) in HD. Kind of like if HDNET Movies had a whole batch of movie channels. Very cool.
Jason @ Feb 9th 2008 6:25PM
Comcast here...they still haven't released all the channels in HD that I want (namely SCI-FI HD) to my area and the HD DVR box is shoddy at best. I wish I had Optimum again...
Vashanime04 @ Feb 9th 2008 7:31PM
I hate Twc in my area in south west Texas. Thankfully their crappy slogan is the home of free hd because i would pay a damn cent for the crap offerings that they give us down here. The newest thing we have had in a while is TBSHD. Wow a channel that has .1% Hd in its programming.
Jeppe @ Feb 9th 2008 8:01PM
I have DirecTV, and I'm mostly happy with the *content*.
Can't say I'm happy with the hardware though. Their DVR is the buggiest POS ever. There are frequent dropouts of audio, system freezes every 20 seconds, weird colors on power-on requiring a reboot etc etc etc.
My wife prefers to watch her shows in SD on the old TiVo because the DTV box is so crappy :-(
Student Driver @ Feb 9th 2008 11:43PM
Can you get the HR21-700? I have it, and it's awesome. I had Dish network and they were a pain in the ass to get an HD DVR, so after 3.5 years I dropped them and went to DirecTV.
Jeppe @ Feb 10th 2008 12:58AM
Originally I got the HR20-700 ... after not being able to fix all the issues, they swapped it for a HR21-700 - but it has pretty much the same issues, only the software updates are released way after the HR20 software.
At this point I'm sick and tired of DTV, but I'm reluctant to switch since the other providers are equally bad. (I never had Dish, but I've heard many horror stories)
Che @ Feb 9th 2008 9:11PM
I'm happy with Dish and my HD DVR and the great OTA HD reception I get for free (I could practically run a wire from my house to the tower where almost all Bay Area HD is broadcast < 1/2 mile away).
However, I can't give a top rating because I want SciFi and Comedy Central in HD.
chuckf1 @ Feb 9th 2008 9:30PM
I'm with TWC, in North Carolina, and while I'm happy with the picture quality, I want more HD content. Sadly, due to LOS issues, Dish or Direct are not options.
boxmyth @ Feb 9th 2008 9:49PM
Hellz no I'm not satisfied. I'm friggin' stuck with Time Warner cable and their pathetic HD selection. And because I don't have a line-of-sight south in my apartment, I can't get DirecTV.
I very rarely leave the HD section of channels on my cable box, yet I'm forced to get hundreds of SD channels (even some duplicates) that I never use. TW should use their bandwidth better and at least try to rival DirecTV's vastly superior selection.
Dan @ Feb 9th 2008 10:32PM
Im stuck on Comcast here, they haven't been releasing many HD channels and keep jacking up the price on our service. If I could get fiber, I'd be happy to trade in my comcast box for a direcTV box, but I may just get a box from BELL in canada so I can get CBC.
Comcast_Sux @ Feb 9th 2008 11:46PM
Comcast sucks. They should be fined for false advertising.....the most HD, my a$$.
If you are lucky, a handful of HD channels that work. And then, the picture quality does not come close to that of Directv HD.
Not to speak of their unhelpful, idiotic and rude 'customer' service.
If you have a choice.....avoid Comcast and go with Directv.