MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
 ·Comcast
| reply to GenBlood
Re: Small investors should avoid buying stock on merger rumors
said by GenBlood  :This could be a BIG ... plus for satellite TV users... We will get lower prices ... and Comcast will NOT be happy about the merger ... I can see a price war coming ..  That's one of the funniest things I've ever read! People who have no choice but satellite will have their choices down to one. So where is the plus for sat users? Lower price? Not in your wildest dreams.
Comcast could probably care less. Comcast has REAL HD content, VOD, internet, and phone. Either Dish company has. . . .hmm can't think of anything right now, but I'll let you know if I do. |
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MarkyD
Premium
join:2002-08-20
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| said by MadMANN :Comcast could probably care less. Comcast has REAL HD content, VOD, internet, and phone. Either Dish company has. . . .hmm can't think of anything right now, but I'll let you know if I do. That's funny...
I just switched from TWC to Dish because TWC's picture quality (even on HD) was crap.
I had repeat visits from a technician for over a month...I had the regional VP involved...and finally they told me that "nothing is wrong...that's just how it should look..."
Dish HD quality is LEAPS and BOUNDS above what any cable provider has offered me. I've had Cox HD in Oklahoma City and TWC HD here in El Paso...and both suffered from a few fatal flaws:
1. HD lineup was extremely meager
2. HD channels suffered from constant digital blocking...despite several replaced drops, etc.
Dish HD has 26 HD channels on the package I subscribe to...I don't even have the premiums like HBO, SHO, etc.
So, please explain to me what you mean by "real" HD? Are you implying that because it is MPEG4, it's not "real?"
I have news for you...the future of HD is MPEG4 compression, no matter who the carrier is. MPEG4 is here to stay...it's part of the answer to MORE HD channels. It's sad that the highly compressed MPEG4 stream coming from Dish Network looks 100000x better than the MPEG2 streams from TWC/Cox on my 42" 1080p LCD.
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jameswade
join:2001-12-09
Hot Springs, NC
 ·US Cellular
·Verizon BroadbandA..
 ·AT&T Southeast
| And I'm ready to switch from DirecTV to Comcast because the picture looks like crap. especially the Atlanta locals.
This is really hard to call. Comcast in Atlanta looks much better than either Dish or DirecTV. Of course Comcast is less reliable for many people.
But Comcast could start upping their compression any time. This is hard to compare, with statistical multiplexing you picture quality on digital satellite or digital changes from second to second - if you not watching sports and too many high profile games come on at the same time your picture quality is going to drop.
MPEG 4 has nothing to do with HD. It's just a more efficient compression scheme than MPEG 2. HD uses so much bandwidth that DBS providers would really rather use it than the old scheme.
Of course, while MPEG 4 is more efficient it terms of bandwidth usage, you can still compress so much that the picture looks like crap!
So much for 'Digital Quality'! |
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MadMANN
Premium
join:2005-08-19
·Comcast
| reply to MarkyD
That's funny...
I just switched from TWC to Dish because TWC's picture quality (even on HD) was crap.
I had repeat visits from a technician for over a month...I had the regional VP involved...and finally they told me that "nothing is wrong...that's just how it should look..."
Dish HD quality is LEAPS and BOUNDS above what any cable provider has offered me. I've had Cox HD in Oklahoma City and TWC HD here in El Paso...and both suffered from a few fatal flaws:
1. HD lineup was extremely meager
2. HD channels suffered from constant digital blocking...despite several replaced drops, etc.
Dish HD has 26 HD channels on the package I subscribe to...I don't even have the premiums like HBO, SHO, etc.
So, please explain to me what you mean by "real" HD? Are you implying that because it is MPEG4, it's not "real?"
I have news for you...the future of HD is MPEG4 compression, no matter who the carrier is. MPEG4 is here to stay...it's part of the answer to MORE HD channels. It's sad that the highly compressed MPEG4 stream coming from Dish Network looks 100000x better than the MPEG2 streams from TWC/Cox on my 42" 1080p LCD.
I said nothing about TW or Cox. I responded to someone else's reference to Comcast. I am not going to argue about pic quality in your individual situation with a provider I have no knowledge of in your area. But I did notice you said nothing about the other 3 services that I mentioned that no satellite company can presently compete with.
As far as meager HD lineup, I would take 5 or 6 good HD channels PLUS locals in favor of a bunch of worthless ones. Honestly, what in the Hell is Kung Fu HD? Or treasure HD? Maybe Cox will acquire "The Wind channel" in HD. All wind all of the time. People will line up around the block for that one.
Seriously, if you like your service, kudos to ya. But my original response was to someone actually thinking that prices are going to go down because of this merger and that Comcast actually cares. If anything, they'll probably go up, and I'm sure that there are no Comcast execs losing sleep over this. |
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MarkyD
Premium
join:2002-08-20
Oklahoma City, OK
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| said by MadMANN :Seriously, if you like your service, kudos to ya. But my original response was to someone actually thinking that prices are going to go down because of this merger and that Comcast actually cares. If anything, they'll probably go up, and I'm sure that there are no Comcast execs losing sleep over this. I see your point...and you are correct, I did not mention VOD/Digital Phone/etc.
my main point is that Dish offers a lot of HD channels whereas most cable companies don't. If the two sat providers merge, that opens up a LOT more capacity for more HD channels. I think cable SHOULD be scared...
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to MarkyD
said by MarkyD :said by MadMANN Dish HD has 26 HD channels on the package I subscribe to...I don't even have the premiums like HBO, SHO, etc. So, please explain to me what you mean by "real" HD? Are you implying that because it is MPEG4, it's not "real?" probably talking about how DISH down-rezzes their HD. its true that that isn't true hi-def --
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth |
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PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04
Banks, OR
| said by dvd536 :probably talking about how DISH down-rezzes their HD. its true that that isn't true hi-def Dish does not down-rez their HD. It's at 1920x1080 (and I actually have a projection unit that will display that resolution). DirecTV, however, is well-known for their "HD lite" which is down-rez'd.
I'd hate to see this happen. With Dish I get my HD locals, a bunch of good HD channels (HBO, Showtime, DiscoveryHD, HDNet, HDNet movies), and also a bunch of so-so ones (the old Voom channels). If they were to merge, I bet Dish wouls go away and we'd just be left with DirecTV. Since there is no cable here, it would be a monopoly situation ansI'd be left no choice in my TV provider. |
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lovswr
join:2001-09-15
Stockbridge, GA
| reply to jameswade
I wish I could get Comcast. Charter (who are trying to get themselves bought) is what we have down in Stockbridge. I too would switch to Comcast from D* in a heartbeat. The new MPG-4 HD DVR will start in the LA Area in Aug (who know when it will get to Atlanta) but I use an antenna to get the Locals in HD
On topic This will not result in lower prices, but they could become more competative. For example, the D* customers could start getting the VOOM channels & also it would allow them to increase the B/W across the board, what with all the existing duplicated channels. I know that the use different schemes for encoding/decoding (& encryption I think) but maybe it is close enough that the existing boxes would just need modified firmware. The Satellies of both carriers are virtually in the same orbital slots & I think the dishes (AT-9, Dish 500 etc) would be totally interchangeble...
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lovswr = good hivswr = bad |
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