ChicksHateMe
join:2005-01-22
Leominster, MA
| More HD Channels + Same Network = Less Quality
I am getting sick of the Dumb Comcast Commercials that are comparing more HD channels to Direct TV.
When I first got Comcast HD it wasn't too bad. I did notice that some high speed action would have macro-blocking (look like it was coming in squares for short periods). I had thought, oh yeah, new technology, and probably some scenes were done with older camera's that weren't as good. In some cases I think this was true because as they switched views, I could see things clear up.
But I recently canceled when they increased the price. Not just for the price increase but also for the reduction in quality.
I have noticed over the years that they added more channels, and the channels I had, were getting a lot worse. When the price increased, I decided to re-evaluate what I was paying for, so I watched some channels more for evaluation than content.
During this time, I was watching the Olympics, and I thought for that, maybe it's just transmission problems from such a distance.
While watching a HD Musical, the audio was breaking up so bad, that it wasn't worth watching. It would break up, along with the images so bad I couldn't take it. It was consistent throughout the show.
While Watching sports, the Macro-blocking was still pretty annoying. So much so, that it's hard to focus on the content when it was happening.
I decided to compare it to what I could get through my QAM Tuner. SO I attached that and scanned for channels. I picked up quite a few channels via the QAM off my Cable. Some channels I picked up under two numbers. One seemed to be the channel Comcast HAD to transmit, and another I am not sure about, but there was a difference in the quality of both even though they were supposedly the same channels.
Another SHOCKING thing was, while scanning the channels (in the afternoon) I actually picked up some porno. I couldn't believe that porn was broadcast unencrypted. I watched it for a little bit (hehe) and I noticed it started fast-forwarding. All I could figure is Comcast was sending Pay-Per-View over an unencrypted QAM Channel and someone decided to fast forward.
I can't believe the FCC actually allows Comcast to do this. I an considering repeating this and filming it with a camera to sent it to the FCC. Maybe they don't care seeing as they are getting their money.
Anyway. I decided I am going to get away from Comcast as soon as I can, but they are quite a monopoly, and like Microsoft, the government it willing to make concessions as long as they provide huge revenue streams.
I Hope to switch to OTA or try Direct TV or, with the way the Networks are rapidly getting up to speed distributing shows via the internet, going that path.
Comcast is a smart business. Gouging any way they can while legal, because eventually, they will be replaced. I just want out early. |
|
sansri88
Go digtal you analog laggards
Premium
join:2005-12-17
Iselin, NJ
clubs: 
 ·Comcast
| I quickly read your post...
Just a few things.
More than likely the sports channels are still 2:1 muxing so the macroblocking and stuff is courtesy of the broadcaster and NOT Comcast.
Re the porn found in the clear...all On Demand content that your neighbors are watching is shown in the clear on the QAM channels. You just happened to stumble across it while going through the tuner.
I salute you though for speaking with your wallet and leaving Comcast. I don't have that option yet here.
--
Sriram Satish
Comcast of NJ II sucks. Period.
25 HD channels compared to the average 32 or so. |
|
cypherstream
Build Fios, and I will come.
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
 ·Cingular Wireless
edit:
September 4th, @07:54AM
| said by sansri88  :Re the porn found in the clear...all On Demand content that your neighbors are watching is shown in the clear on the QAM channels. You just happened to stumble across it while going through the tuner. Not in our area. We have Privacy mode encryption. Porn looks like jumbled blocks. It's only clear when it's fast forwarding. The best you could get is the soft stuff from Cinemax / HBO / Showtime on demand.
Look for this "Privacy Mode" to be more common in the future. With QAM TV's becoming more popular, it's only a matter of time before a young kid finds porn, and the parents sue Comcast (or any cable co) for that matter. |
|
Comcast Guy
join:2008-01-16
Harrisburg, PA
| reply to ChicksHateMe
said by ChicksHateMe :I am getting sick of the Dumb Comcast Commercials that are comparing more HD channels to Direct TV. The commercials do not claim more channels, they claim more content. |
|
ChicksHateMe
join:2005-01-22
Leominster, MA
| You must not be seeing the same goofy commercials I am.
Comcast does a parody on a gameshow with DirectTV players guessing who has more HD Channels in Chicago, Il??
Of Course the DirectTV team guesses it wrong, and the 'correct' answer is 95 HD for Direct TV and 500 for Comcast.
It may be true they have 500 HD channels, but from the degrading quality I had, and we didn't have 500 HD channels available around me, I can just imagine the Macro-blocking they are getting in Chicago lol.
Reminds me of the ole days and the 56k modem scam. ISP's advertising great 56K speeds and fast connects with tons of available lines, which was true. They had loads of modems and free lines in. But then the bottleneck of ALL the clients trying to use the same Limited bandwidth coming into the ISP was NEVER mentioned.
Well, I just know I'm no longer paying the high price for low quality from Comcast. But they are stuck with what they have, and the only thing they can do is up the cost to make up for people leaving them for something better. |
|
CRP08
Suck it Barney Frank
join:2005-12-26
Brick, NJ
·Comcast
edit:
September 4th, @11:31AM
| I'm guessing this is the commercial? I've seen it many times and ComcastGuy is correct.
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7cqJDU6VJw |
|
pennstatejim
join:2007-10-10
Reading, PA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
·Comcast
| reply to ChicksHateMe
Ahh, this debate rages on...The fire had tempered for a little while...
Comcast's adds tout their "choices" for HD. It touts their On Demand product.
Is it fair comparison? Probably not.
Is it accurate? Yes.
Do you have to subscribe to EVERY package to truly have all 500 choices? Yes, but the same exists for DTV. It's virtually impossible to get all 95 HD channels, as they include RSNs in their count. Last time I checked for my zip code, it was like 65-70...
Both companies skew the facts in order for you to bite. If they didn't, marketing wouldn't be doing it's job, since it's their job to "sell" you on their product. |
|
bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA
| said by pennstatejim :Both companies skew the facts in order for you to bite. If they didn't, marketing wouldn't be doing it's job, since it's their job to "sell" you on their product. Absolutely. And everyone has a choice. Unlike electricity, cable television isn't a necessity. Consumers who are conscientious, and who really truly don't believe they're getting a good value, can do without. If you do think you're getting a good value, then keep your subscription, and acknowledge that you're implicitly ratifying the price they've set for what you're paying for. You're in control. |
|
N O Y B
St. John 3.16
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
| reply to pennstatejim
said by pennstatejim :Both companies skew the facts in order for you to bite. If they didn't, marketing wouldn't be doing it's job, since it's their job to "sell" you on their product. The best way to sell me on their product, is with their product, not marketing hype.
--
Be a Good Netizen - Read, Know & Complain About Overly Restrictive Tyrannical ISP ToS & AUP »comcast.net/terms/ »verizon.net/policies/
Say Thanks with a Tool Points Donation |
|
markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA
| The Olympics were not the fault of Comcast, but Universal. With CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, Telemundo, Oxygen and 10 NEW feeds taking up the same transponder space, compression was added at the source. Bit starved, poorly mastered signals bounced all over the globe. Hardware failures, bad decisions, one disabled satellite, and a bunch of new HD-people expected digital HD to behave like days gone by without glitches compounded into one of the worst telecasted games in recent times. NBC hasn't recovered, with the purchase of the Weather Channel and newly launched HD channels, it's compression nightmare continues. It's ironic, for Fox was the one that was blasted for compressing its signal BEFORE the affiliate back in the new HD days of 2002 and 2003. Nowadays, Fox is one of the better pictures of the networks. Disney and Paramount are running out of transponder space as well and launching new satellites to handle it all isn't the short term answer. A new modulation for C-Band must be found to package higher compression codecs for transport. Mpeg4 is the newly talked about codec, personally, I hope it's skipped. It is vastly inferior to Mpeg2 in error correction and spatial differential cohesion. It does do one thing well, though, and is why it should replace Mpeg2 until a new codec is found: it offers smooth 30 frame progressive (60 interlaced) video at the sub 15 bitrate. Sending Mpeg2 at this low bitrate, whether it be 720p or 1080i60, is offensive to the D in HD, unless HD is now defined as High Distortion? It's not just a Cable thing, the quality of television's infrastructure is collapsing under the HD boom. It will get better or we will just accept it under terms of complacency. Only actions of our wallets in the future will determine the outcome. Once again, recorded media is the highest quality. |
|
bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA
| reply to N O Y B
said by N O Y B :The best way to sell me on their product, is with their product, not marketing hype. Of course, you're wholly unique from the typical customer. As such, that means the cost of customer acquisition for you is several times that of the typical customer, so no supplier finds pursuit of you as a customer to be worthwhile.
One of the best things you can do to gain more satisfaction from the mass-market offerings you consume is to become more like the rest of the mass-market. If you are incapable of doing that, then you need to be prepared to be disappointed, repeatedly. |
|
Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| reply to ChicksHateMe
taping the in the open QAM porn and sending it to the FCC would do nothing, the FCC cant regulate the content on cable like they can OTA. the USA network could legally show hardcore porn, they wouldnt but if they did it wouldnt violate any laws.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
|
Comcast Guy
join:2008-01-16
Harrisburg, PA
| reply to CRP08
said by CRP08 :I'm guessing this is the commercial? I've seen it many times and ComcastGuy is correct. (youtube clip) The word "channel" never even shows up in that commercial. People hear what they want to hear.
Those ads do make my life hell...people all think it says "channels". |
|
Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL | reply to pennstatejim
and they did not count DIRECT TV PPV HD and On Demand. |
|
markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA
| No, but they did count both HBO West and East... Showtime West and East, Cinemax West and East. They also counted EVERY RSN, even though most RSN's (especially the "Fox"'s) are only HD during live events, which are blacked out. I love the fact that I have Fox Sports Arizona, except I can't watch a live baseball game... or Fox Sports West. I have 64 HD stations if I don't count duplicates, PPV, or On-Demand with D* (no locals here, not even with an antenna).
BTW, DTV requires an antenna, not a satellite dish.
Either way, the game show commercial is dumb. Sell On-Demand for On-Demand, it would go further in my opinion. |
|
Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to ChicksHateMe
if the FCC steps into anything more in TV it should be to make Sports blackouts Illegal.
--
[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
|
Homebrew1994
Betzwood Basement Brewery
join:2001-11-15
King Of Prussia, PA
·Comcast
| reply to ChicksHateMe
said by ChicksHateMe :Another SHOCKING thing was, while scanning the channels (in the afternoon) I actually picked up some porno. I couldn't believe that porn was broadcast unencrypted. I watched it for a little bit (hehe) and I noticed it started fast-forwarding. All I could figure is Comcast was sending Pay-Per-View over an unencrypted QAM Channel and someone decided to fast forward. I've noticed this too, along with regular PPV movies. I call that range of channels the "dark channels" and avoid them during family hour. I often wondered though, who fast forwards through the "good parts" of porn?
--
My other cyber-pasttime, Where's George
Miserable Failure |
|
mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV | reply to ChicksHateMe
when i resub to directv i will have access to over 130 channels NOW this includes RSNs, PPVs, and Sports Packages. Of course comcast can't offer Sports PPV in HD for some reason noone can figure out. |
|
pennstatejim
join:2007-10-10
Reading, PA | Mikedz4,
Resub to DirecTV and get on with it already. Are they paying you commission? Seriously... |
|
mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV | reply to ChicksHateMe
i wish they were. I was seriously thinking about signing up to be an installer for directv as they are running daily ads in the local paper looking for installers here. |
|
