Does digital cable give you a better picture?

[longshadow11]

I just got an HDTV, regular cable looked pretty lousy on it, so I signed up for Cox digital cable. I can tell little difference; in fact, the picture may now be worse. According to the Cox support tech I called, the purpose of digital is not improved picture quality, but to give you access to more channels.

I really thought digital would give me a much better picture.

[Heelfan71]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

probably won't notice any difference on the regular channels.........how is the cable box hooked up to the tv (what type of cables) ???

[bgeno]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Our digital doesn't look any different than our basic cable. It's when you get the HD box that you REALLY can see the difference(on the HD channels only, of course).

With an HDTV, an HD cable box is a MUST. It's worthless without one.

[fishepa]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Uhh, if you have an HDTV why aren't you getting HD programming?

[Husker_OS]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Depends. Not all channels are digital. Your network channels(ABC,NBC,etc.) are analog I think. But channels like ESPN should look better.

[longshadow11]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

The 3 whole channels we get in HD looked great, but I'm not willing to pay the extra cash for only 3 hd channels. For some reason I thought all cable would look better on digital, especially since the clerk told me it would.

[Blzer]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Wait... (still HDTV browsing, etc.)... so if you already have something like Comcast digital cable, and you buy an HDTV and a set-top-box, are you instantly given those other HD channels (FOX, ABC, ESPN)? If not, how much more is it to get those?

Like always... thanks.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Wait... (still HDTV browsing, etc.)... so if you already have something like Comcast digital cable, and you buy an HDTV and a set-top-box, are you instantly given those other HD channels (FOX, ABC, ESPN)? If not, how much more is it to get those?

Like always... thanks.

the Comcast HD DVR box when hooked up via component looks amazing, the HD channels.

[Blzer]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

the Comcast HD DVR box when hooked up via component looks amazing, the HD channels.

No no... I understand that. What I'm asking is if I have to pay extra for those HD channels, since I already have Comcast digital cable and since I received the set-top-box?

[RubenDouglas]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

TO add to this confusion, the basic setup is coaxial. comcast has the ability to output Digitial Coxial sound and S-video, as well as your basic Red/White.Yellow RCA. most cable boxes do.

S-video is "top of the line", then RCA, then basic coaxial.


Digital COaxial is basically 5.1 optical and can only be heard using the digitial channels. But S-video works on every and all channels. The video quality on s-video is superb on regular channels and NEARLY hdtv on the digitial "extra" channels.

If I were you, i would either get some nice RCA cable and use that instead of basic analog coaxial or buy a set of nice RED/white audio cables and a set of digitial coaxial audio cables and then get the s-video cables

[ThaGenecyst]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

my digital channels (channel 80 and above) looks WAY better than my regular cable channels... but i don't have HDTV nor a HD DVR yet. But the digital channels look like i'm watching DVD's

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

No no... I understand that. What I'm asking is if I have to pay extra for those HD channels, since I already have Comcast digital cable and since I received the set-top-box?

The HD channels are free with Comcast. I don't pay for any of the HD package.

[pk500]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Well said, Ruben. I got some Acoustic Research RCA cables and an Acoustic Research S-video cable on eBay two months ago, and the improvement of the picture on my 32-inch Sony Trinitron with digital cable was dramatic.

I have had this non-HD TV for more than 10 years, and I never used the S-video. *******, I know! I finally took the plunge when I found these quality cables for $8 each through a liquidator on eBay, and wow -- what a difference.

Don't get sucked into the Monster Cables hype. Acoustic Research are just as good and a lot less money. Monster is the iPod and Harley-Davidson of quality cables -- they're good, but you're paying a lot extra just for the name.

Get quality RCA and S-video cables, and your set will look much better.

P.S.: With TimeWarner Digital, my digital channels look better than the analog channels, with or without quality cables.

Take care,
PK

[jraider32]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

S-video is "top of the line", then RCA, then basic coaxial.

I think i might be missing something here, but S-Video isnt exactly top of the line. Wouldnt it be more like (top to bottom) 1)HDMI 2)DVI 3)Componentcables 4) S-Video 5) RCA

Edit - I think you must be talking about a specific cox or comcast box in that S-Video is the best output option they have.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Does digital cable give you a better picture?

Wait... (still HDTV browsing, etc.)... so if you already have something like Comcast digital cable, and you buy an HDTV and a set-top-box, are you instantly given those other HD channels (FOX, ABC, ESPN)? If not, how much more is it to get those?

Like always... thanks.

I have iO digital cable from Cablevision and all my HD channels are free. They come free with the package I have which was only 40$ a month.