High Def Forum - Your High Definition Community & High Definition Resource - View Single Post - Consolidated Communications: Digital TV via phone line?

MisterTV · 06-23-2009, 08:41 AM

They give you a slightly customized Entone Hydra HD box for your stb (aka, set top box). It's huge and sounds like a 1980's VCR unit running. This is because the fan in it is extremely loud and it generates a large amount of heat. There is no "off" switch on it so it stays on all the time, lighting up the DSL modem like a Christmas tree even when your TV is turned off. If you decide save on your electric bill and turn this thing off, it takes 5 to 10 minutes to restart itself when you power it back up. Not green or energy efficient at all. The remote controls provided are really slow to respond and the channel guide truncates the channel names. So you see, for example, "The Foo", "The Hist" and "Showti" on the selections.
The picture quality is poor to average at best because of the bandwidth limitations of the phone line. It has to share the same wire with you and your neighbor's phone lines and internet connections. They use this same technology in third world countries a lot because it doesn't involve a lot of cost to deploy using existing phone lines.
On the positive side, you can get a lot of channels for less money. The stb will drive up to three separate channels to other TV's in your house so you don't have to pay extra for those. This is a great option, if you don't want to spend a lot and don't care about picture quality.

06-23-2009, 08:41 AM	#8
MisterTV What is HD? Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2	A cheaper than cable option... They give you a slightly customized Entone Hydra HD box for your stb (aka, set top box). It's huge and sounds like a 1980's VCR unit running. This is because the fan in it is extremely loud and it generates a large amount of heat. There is no "off" switch on it so it stays on all the time, lighting up the DSL modem like a Christmas tree even when your TV is turned off. If you decide save on your electric bill and turn this thing off, it takes 5 to 10 minutes to restart itself when you power it back up. Not green or energy efficient at all. The remote controls provided are really slow to respond and the channel guide truncates the channel names. So you see, for example, "The Foo", "The Hist" and "Showti" on the selections. The picture quality is poor to average at best because of the bandwidth limitations of the phone line. It has to share the same wire with you and your neighbor's phone lines and internet connections. They use this same technology in third world countries a lot because it doesn't involve a lot of cost to deploy using existing phone lines. On the positive side, you can get a lot of channels for less money. The stb will drive up to three separate channels to other TV's in your house so you don't have to pay extra for those. This is a great option, if you don't want to spend a lot and don't care about picture quality.