HDTV, Shaw Analog cable & Picture Quality

keo26

Hi,
I am new to this forum but here goes. I purchased a Toshiba HDTV and currently only have Shaw's analog cable. The purchase was out of necessity as my older CRT broke. My funds are limited so I'm trying to figure out the best way to improve the picture quality. The tv has the ATSC/NTSC/OAM tuner and the picture is not bad but some stations are better than others. So, my question is if I upgrade to just digital cable, will that improve the clarity or do I have to buy the HD box. The other pieces of equipment I have are an analog VCR and a progressive scan DVD. I simply cannot afford to go out a buy different types of equipment until I find what works.
Any input would be appreciated.

Thank-you
keo26

ukjay

Im not sure if i am alone on this matter, but i have a 46' sharp 1080p lcd & have recently purchased a shaw hdpvr, well, in my opinion, the picture quality is of a very, very poor quality, i do not know if i am doing something wrong or whether being a cable customer i am limited to a rubbish picture but originally i am from the UK and back there, i was blessed with having a picture quality far, far superior to what i have now, although, technically the hardware i have now is much better. If i were you, i would look into having satellite tv installed if it an option, but don't waste your money with shaw cable box, even the HD broadcasts aren't that great!

ah802

I'd have to agree SD analog broadcasts on the new LCD's are not the best and in most cases are not even as good as CRT's. Mind you I've seen some very favourable PQ on plasma's, not only contrast ratios close to CRT's but much better subtle rendering of the dark areas and smoothness of pastels.

UK programs have consistently been better PQ (thank the BBC standards dev) and their programming seems to be more interesting. I've grabbed some UK TV off the web, and quality is higher than most Canadian broadcasts. I'm here in Toronto and the CBC HD is the gold standard as far as I'm concerned... you would be hard pressed to pick out the differences between Blu-Ray disks and broadcasts... So never fear, HD OTA will soon be ubiquitous.

In your circumstances, I would recommend you look into a PC which has a graphic card that can handle digital video to your PC (and use the internet for your media source). or perhaps one of the better upscalers (if not Blu-Ray). Avoid the cable companies... they're profiting on HD, minimally investing in equipment and pretending that's all they can do. The big HD squeeze is on, but thanks to the monopolistic rules, the cables do what they want. Considering your location... a satellite system (free to air) might offer another possibility. But ask your neighbours first... I'm sure they have discovered the work around

okdude123

........................

Rugger

better to make it concise and clear!

440gtx

I am in the same boat.
Shaw installed a HD Cable box with my Samsung 40 " LCD HD Tv.
After 2 weeks of use. I am ready to call shaw and take in back.
Poor picture Quality in HD , Digital and Analog with the HD Box.

ah802

Until all these monopolistic systems get their greed under control and their equipment in order, you'll not get good value for their service.

I'm living off OTA (I'm local Toronto, and get ~6-8 HD channels) and the stuff I get from the internet. For the time I have available... it's enough. In the future, as costs come more in line with my budget, I'll be looking towards a storage media system to handle my 300 gigs per month file movement. The OTA HD captures are killing me for space.

440gtx

I spoke too soon.
I called Shaw and told them to fix the poor picture quality issues
or take the Box back. A shaw tech showed up at my house last night. He changed some wires , Shaws origional wires to (DVI to HDMI ). Re-intsalled HDMI to different plugs in the back of my TV and Reciever.
Now a GREAT Picture
Sorry this is the best I can explain it. I am NON a Video/Audo tech.

DoctorCAD

Moral of the story...don't blame the cable until you eliminate the connection first.

440gtx

I " assumed " the connection was done properly. It was origionally
done by Shaw. So the first installer did not do it correctly.
The second installer asked me if I remember the name of the person
" Who did this hook up ?? ". Thats what annoyed me.