AFter reading this discussion, I was compelled to call my cable company(AT&T) and ask them what the deal was with digital cable. It wsa the absolute worse experience of my life. here is a paraphrased version of what happened...

me: How many lines of resolution does digital cable have?

sales: lines of resolution? What is that?

me: for example, dss offers 480 lines of resolution, what is the comparable resolution to digital cable?

sales: sir, let me go find the answer for you(I wait 10 minutes and dildo #2 gets on the phone)

sales#2: sir, digital cable offers 12 lines of resolution and TV's only go as high as 8-9 lines of resolution.

me: what!? I'm sorry to be so blunt, but frankly you have no idea what you are talking about. Please let me talk to somebody that can answer my TECHNICAL questions.

sales#2: ok, sir. I'm sorry but we are just sales and we can't answer those questions for you, let me transfer you to tech support.

me: (prays for a short transfer)will I have to wait long?

Sales#2: Oh No!, there is no waiting, one sec please...

me: (longest no waiting I've ever done, 25 fricken long ass minutes later)

tech: How cna I help you sir?

me: (after explaining the situation, I ask my first question)How many lines of resolution will digital cable support?

tech: As many as your TV has.

me: (Oh god! kill me now, another idiot). That is not true. Let me try some easier questions...

me: What does "CD Quality" music mean for the audio channels?

tech: You know when you have a CD and you stick it in your CD player and you press play, that is CD quality music.

me: (AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!)no, I mean, is it comporessed, does it come out in stereo? I hear it is mono?

tech: Sir, it is sent via serial to the cable box, so if we send it in mono it will come out in mono.

me: ( i should have given up at this point) Will you support HDTV in the future?

tech: sir! HDTV is a brand name for TV's!

me: (wtf?) no it's not! Let me rephrase...will you be broadcasting HD quality signals over cable in the future?

tech: sir, HD is a brand name, really!

me: (sigh, I give up)No it isn't, you have no idea what you are talking about.

tech: HDTV is a foreign word to me

me: ok, last question, what kind i/o connectors are on the back of the cable box?

tech: RCA jacks

me: no s-video?

tech: that is a future add-on, we are currently working on that.

me: (cool, he answered my first question without knowing it!) The lines of resolution blows chunks because there isn't even s-video!)

me: ok, thanks, bye.

Now, maybe it is just me, but I can't believe the answers I got. This alone makes me want to get rid of cable.

Dave

I remember about a year ago when I asked them about Dolby Digital. The GI box has the DD logo on it, but no output for it (it's an option, same as S-video)

Their answer was: we don't supply it, but Radio Shack sells an adapter with two RCA plugs on one side and DD coming out the other. And, of course, he had no clue if thay are actually transmitting DD.

It's hopeless. Unfortunately, I can't get satellite where I live, it's an apartment and no part of it faces South. So I'm stuck with the digital cable until I move.

And before anyone asks why did I get the digital cable in the first place: for the premium channels, it has a lot more. There's still nothing to see, but that's another topic :-)

I know how y'all feel about the coustomer service part of things. I had a guy come out, and find out what was wrong with some of my digital channles. Well, he walks in, and asks how I have my set-up. I have my RCA's running to the reciever along with the DD out. And, I have the regular coax running to the VCR. Well, he takes one look and goes, "wow this is a complicated setup" haha ya right. That and he was impressed with the sub I have. It's a little 10" one. I wonder what he would have said if I had a SVS sitting in there. hehe
But, I called a while back wondering if there was plans for them to brodcast in 5.1 DD. The lady I talked to acted like I asked for the cure to cancer. Such fun trying to get answers from people that don't know anything about what they are selling.

I just got my new Scientific-Atlanta cable box along with DTV through TWC, and I have to say it's great!
I own a 42" (16:9) plasma TV set, and the difference is very noticeable! It has all the necessary connections: S-Video, rca, digital Audio out(coax) and more... I am starting to watch regular TV again. Last night I saw Space Cowboys on HBO, although it didn't overtake the DVD - which transfer was absolutly stunning - it was more than decent. I'm still in the process of getting acquainted with the equipment and the programs. Any recommendations regarding the best shows? How will I know if they are in 1080i or 780p for example?
What is the best connection that allows to take full advantage of DTV. In my configuration, the signal goes through my SVHS VCR. Will it be degraded?
Thanks in advance for you input!

Mourad: I just installed mine a couple of weeks ago. I have a splitter coming out of it so I don't have to go through the SVHS VCR (actually, I have enough inputs and outputs that I don't need a splitter...). And the picture is definitely better than regular cable on those digital channels, at least for the movies. A number of the extra "digital" channels are not really broadcast any better than regular cable; they just fit into the digital band for delivery to the home, so they look pretty much as they would without the box.

And what I'd like to know is, is the picture going to be better coming out of the digital box on the coax, into the TV, or coming out as SVHS and into the TV? ... Mike

Well, I answered my own question last night. The S-video picture coming out of my Scientific Atlanta box is noticeably degraded compared to the regular coax feed. The video quality reminds me of the old days when I would go through the VCR first... ... Mike

Mike, I can't answer that one and I don't know if I want to try since I would have to spend at least a couple of hours on my knees and and tons of sweat to add new RCA cables; unless it's Reaaally worth it! I read in other threads that people came to the same conclusion as yours...
I installed tonight a new optical cable (coax) between my cable SA2100 box and my receiver to get DD 5.1 or ProLogic. HBO brodcasted "The Perfect Storm" with DD5.1. I experienced something that probably others encountered: The sound was not in phase with the image.
My guess it's because the video is fed thru VCR end PVR (which of course have no optical input)unlike the sound signal that goes straight to the optical input of my receiver. I noticed before that I had a couple of seconds of delay between my Home theater and the TV in my kitchen when there're on the same channel...

Our Home Theater

I agree with most everyone in here. I feel like I've been taken by my cable company. 90% of the time the digital channels on Cox Cable's standard issue Motorola digital box look terrible! I've tried the S-video but it still looks bad. However, HBO's band of Brothers looks OK and I even seem to get a decent DPL signal as well. Is this due to HBO's orignal signal to the cable companies or is Cox boosting the signal when this show is on? Sometimes its OK sometimes it looks like crud! Who's to blame?

I called TWC today to be on the waiting list for a 2000HD STB. I'm #325 on the list, they said it would take about a month or two to get it. If it shows up it will come with component output, although in my case I'd prefer RGB. In the meantime, I'm tempted to get a second hand RCA DTC-100 STB to work along with my current SA2000 Explorer. I would use a splitter in order to get a couple of stations such as HBO-HD, to get 1080i. Does anybody knows if I can pick-up something since TWC use a QAM signal instead of 8VSB?
I live upper east side Manhattan, and I'd rather not have to deal with my building to install a dish or an antenna on the roof. Any suggestion appreciate...

My System

My observations:

Shaw Cable in Canada

Motorola DCT-2000 (billed as that on statement - says 2224 on back) connected to TV using coax and to receiver using good quality RCA for sound

Analog channels look like they did without digital

Some of the digitial channels look like the analog channels some of the time - perhaps an analog to digital conversion feed at those times?

By and large the digital looks markedly better than the analog channels

Digital music sounds great and is in stereo, not mono. I would not say it is CD quality, but pretty darn nice, and no commercials

ProLogic movies sound great on the digital channels

Much better on-screen menu, reminders, etc.

The digital cable box has AC-3 out, which is not in use now, but Shaw Cable says will be within 6 months. [EDIT: Actually has Dolby Digital logo on front] It also has S-Video out, which I have not tried.


So, I would have to agree with Local Cable Tech who says that not all cable systems are created equal and neither are dish systems.

Where do you live? House? Apartment? Country? Area? Equpment? Etc.

I like my digital cable. YOU may not like YOURS.

... Greg :-)

This message was edited by GregoriusM on 10/02/01 22:30.24.

Guys,

Thanks for all your comments on Digital cable is it a scam or not? As most of you know I have been doing really highend Home Automation systems in houses for 6 years and worked as a highend custom installer for 11 years and the cable people they hire from management right down to the pencil sharpen boy need no formal education to work for a cable company. GET THIS!!! I live in So. California. We have Cox Cable. I had one of their Cable Install Jockeys call me from the customers house asking me how to install HIS digital Cable box to the customers TV and VCR. No stereo hook up needed either. I was floored by this question and told him to enroll into cable school and this time try to stay awake in class. After he told me F**k off and die. I got hold of the local VP of operations if I asked if I could have a job in upper management in tech support. His first question was what qualifications do I have. I said I was over qualified for the JOB! I said I have no idea how to hook stuff up, I was a highschool drop out at 16, spent the last 4 years in jail for murder. I told him I killed a guy with some Coax wire around his neck. Have not watched TV in the past 4 years and need a job since my release from jail. I also said that I could do the VP's job as well and would be willing to start out at the bottom stocking the break room refirdge. or be the channel changer boy in the break room or be a pencil sharpen boy and/or run the copy machine if need be before I became an installer and got my own truck. Who has no brain needed for the job. I was hung up on. Hence I will stay as a programmer for AMX for now.

Ah, well... it is what it is. I had it a few months ago and took it back; it was not impressive. Now of course the local company has about 65 new channels on it. I think the problem here is BS Marketing. They keep trying to tell us that it is something special, when really it is their only solution to the restricted bandwidth delivery issue over regular cable, and their only defense against the superior capabilities of satellite.

I guess they feel they can't just come out and tell us: "Look, we can't squeeze any more channels into what you've got; and we can't afford to offer all this new infrastructure without charging for it. So, if you spend twice the money you'll get twice the channels, and some of 'em will look better, and some of 'em will sound better."

That would be bad corporate practice: as soon as they say the phrase "can't afford" they open themselves up to all kinds of attacks. And since profit is always the aim for shareholders, we the public will never benefit without paying more (unless you own some of those stocks...).

I wonder, though: pretty much the entire business world runs on the Profit Principle; some companies are militant about it because they can get away with it (read MicroSoft), but they all do it. And we can do away with a lot of stress in our lives if we just accept that this is the way of the world today. On the other hand, are we slowing down the progress of this "killer takes all" methodology by griping all the time, and so should we continue to gripe? Or are we just adding to our own suffering and accomplishing nothing? Now there's a scientific research project that would have some meaning in MY life... ... Mike

FYI

DIGITAL CABLE IS A SCAM!

YOU WILL GET IMPROVED PICTURE QUALITY BUT WILL NOT GET A DIGITAL SIGNAL. MY "TOP OF THE LINE" MOTOROLA DIGITAL CABLE BOX DOESN'T HAVE DIGITAL PICTURE OUTS, ONLY COAX AND RCA OUTS. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE AN S VIDEO OUT.

SWITCHING TO DSS

Hey, bs: Your "top of the line" Motorola box is obviously not top of the line. My Motorola box has S-Video Out and Dolby Digital right on the front.

Read above. Everyone's mileage varies. YOUR DIGITAL CABLE may be a scam. Not everyone's is.

... Greg

My Sciantific Atlantic has Dolby Digital out and S-video. I love my digital cable. Just wish they would offer pay per view movies in Wide-Screen.