HDTV Alternatives to TW.

[lmoretti]

Time Warner has been jacking up our rates and doesn't seem willing to deal.

We mainly want Big10 Network, ESPN & Brewer's Games (my wife's sports addiction is what's keeping me from going OTA+Streaming)

We own our house, so dish is an option.

Internet we'll be switching to TW Business Class through a friend's company.

[budda]

How Many TV's? How Many HD TV's? How important is independent shows on each TV? Do you want a DVR? These questions affect cost and choice.

[lmoretti]

Sorry-
1 TV, HD, with a DVR.

[brewtownska]

My wife and I are happy with Dish Network.  We get all the channels you are asking for in our Dish America SILVER package (bronze wouldn't include the Brewers games).  Advertised at $50/mo, but add $6/mo for DVR service, and $3/mo for taxes.  Total is $59/mo.  We also pay a $6/mo service plan, but that is optional.

We still have our internet via TWC (which means you can still pick up the QAM local HD channels on the TWC line to any other TVs you have in the house that can decode QAM).

Price-wise, I'd bet we pay the same or maybe a bit MORE than if we had both our TV and internet via TWC.  With that said, I'm still happier with the quality of the feed and the 2-tuner DVR we have with Dish and never plan to go back to TWC.

From reading this forum and a few others, here are the general opinions I see the most.

DirecTV offers NFL ticket and tons of channels...but you pay a premium for that ability.

Dish Network is the cheaper alternative to DirecTV, but you won't be able to get NFL ticket.

Uverse is good if you can't/won't get satellite, but the HD picture quality is nowhere near as good at the satellite versions (much lower bitrate).

With Dish, we joined about 3 years ago.  At that time we had to pay a bit more up front to get their VIP722 dual-tuner DVR, but still very happy we did.  Can change the box at any time to be 2 tuners on 1 TV (picture-in-picture, or record 1 channel watch a 2nd, or record 2 channels and watch a 3rd on DVR), or separate to a single tuner in 2 rooms (only 1 room can be HD, other uses coax for an SD feed).  I just added an HDMI switcher, so then we can have the same HD feed in both rooms.

Hope this helps a bit for comparing the various options.  Definitely find others with each service to compare...I can only speak definitively with the 2 I have had in the past, Dish and TWC.

Mike

[PONIES]

DirecTV's HDTV channel lineup is pathetic. AT&T has a great lineup but you pay for it: They have the worst picture quality of any provider, anywhere. The picture quality difference between U-verse and Time Warner Cable is significant. YouTube and Netflix actually have better HD picture quality than U-verse.

[budda]

My wife and I are happy with Dish Network.

What he said. But I would add if you can ask for Free HD for life. Free sling adapter. 722k and OTA moduale. gives you the ability to record 4 things two sat and two OTA and watch a r
ecorded show as well 722K I believe is the best DVR and features right now. Have fun. The ota air thing is a perk if you have some sort of antenna,

[gparris]

I have done setups and have friends with Dish, the picture looks better than TWC overall, but you have to look  closely for the comparison, but mostly, the signal tears and breakups you get with TWC are non-existant.
Lately, since TWC added the new HD channels, I am beginning to get a few picture problems I haven't seen in awhile before the new additions, so that is bugging me as I soon begin to pack up and move to northern Racine County.
This area will be closer to Milwaukee, so maybe a small indoor antenna or a small one mounted with the dish, just to get CWHD for the shows our family watches will be used, since Dish Milwaukee still doesn't offer this channel in HD off the Dishnetwork, only OTA and we want to DVR it.
We will check out our options at the time of move, so if TWC doesn't get its act together with a deal or, worse, our service goes bad on the new location, then it will be Dish, not Directv, who is more interested in adding sports channels, PPV and 3D than BBCA, AMCHD and so on, something Dish has had for months.

[PONIES]

I have done setups and have friends with Dish, the picture looks better than TWC overall, but you have to look  closely for the comparison, but mostly, the signal tears and breakups you get with TWC are non-existant.
Lately, since TWC added the new HD channels, I am beginning to get a few picture problems I haven't seen in awhile before the new additions, so that is bugging me as I soon begin to pack up and move to northern Racine County.
This area will be closer to Milwaukee, so maybe a small indoor antenna or a small one mounted with the dish, just to get CWHD for the shows our family watches will be used, since Dish Milwaukee still doesn't offer this channel in HD off the Dishnetwork, only OTA and we want to DVR it.
We will check out our options at the time of move, so if TWC doesn't get its act together with a deal or, worse, our service goes bad on the new location, then it will be Dish, not Directv, who is more interested in adding sports channels, PPV and 3D than BBCA, AMCHD and so on, something Dish has had for months.

I don't believe that one for a minute. Time Warner Cable here in Wisconsin seems to be providing the feeds most networks give them without re-encoding them. They are like Verizon FiOS in this regard and I have to say I am impressed. A&E is its full 18 Mbps here; AMC is its pathetic 7 Mbps (every provider is getting this same bitrate starved stream sent to them).

Now there certainly are markets where Time Warner Cable seems to be re-encoding all the feeds they're getting to around 12 Mbps, such as in NYC - their biggest market where they carry 175 HD channels and they still have analog cable.

DISH Network, I was under the impression, is H.264 only like DirecTV. This means they would have to be re-encoding most channels. I don't know what the bitrate of these re-encoded channels is, but the fact remains: if they're getting the same source from the networks as Time Warner, then they should look worse.

I know DirecTV's H.264 streams are 5-7 Mbps - about the same as AT&T U-verse, actually. The fact that U-verse looks so much worse at similar bitrates to DirecTV tells me they've got some really stupid settings on their encoders.

I will concede that Time Warner does fail pretty hard when it comes to providing a flawless signal - I encounter irritating video frame errors like this sometimes:
http://i.imgur.com/vHaUt.jpg

The final thing I'd like to address here is AMC HD: Stop worrying about this channel. Rainbow Media has bitrate starved the feed of this channel so badly it looks like a DVD upscale. The national feed for this network now has a bitrate of just 7 Mbps. And it's MPEG2. That's right folks. This is the feed everybody's getting - Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, Comcast - it doesn't matter. And if you have a satellite provider or U-verse they're re-encoding that 7 Mbps MPEG2 feed instead of just passing it on untouched. And they're making it look even worse worse by not leaving it alone.

Take a look at this screenshot comparison of the season four premiere of Breaking Bad:
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/67771
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/67772
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/67773
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/67774

AMC HD is now worthless.

[Nels Harvey]

I have Dish Network, and Roadrunner from TW.  I am very pleased with the overall reception from Dish, and thoroughly enjoy their DVR's.  I have two DVR's one each on an HD receiver, and the 722 feeds a Ch. 3 network to several small TV's around the house.  I never get the angst that I see on this board from TW users and their receivers.

Anyhow, What good is money if you don't spend it?

[PONIES]

Time Warner users have more DVR options than Dish Network subscribers if they are unhappy with their DVR.

The Ceton InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuner has been available for well over a year now, the HDHomeRun Prime is now available, and Hauppage has a new 2-tuner USB 2.0 CableCARD device for $129.

Throw one of them in a PC and be amazed. Windows 7 Media Center has the best interface of any DVR, bar none. And infinitely upgradeable space. Have 10 open SATA ports on your motherboard? Throw 10 3TB hard drives in there and enjoy your new 30 terabyte DVR

[AndrewP]

I just activated TWC HD, have very good rate for at least two years ($97 for almost all channels including all premiums). Picture quality is on par with DirecTV. However, DirecTV DVR interface (not speed) I find much better. The main problem I have with TWC Samsung whole house DVR is that sometimes (often) it doesn't stop recording the program. In morning recording continue overnight and DVR is 80% full. I don't know what it is: bad receiver or software bugs. It never happened with DirecTV. So I don't know if I will continue to keep TWC after Breaking Bad season ends. DTV promised to turn it on soon, made some good price consessions, but not close to TWC still.
AMC HD even with not best rate is way better SD version on DTV. So better, that I will stay with TWC for now.

[PONIES]

I don't have that problem with my Samsung DVR.

[budda]

Time Warner users have more DVR options than Dish Network subscribers if they are unhappy with their DVR.

Please explain. On the topic of options, since I have Dish and love it what might I be missing from a TWC DVR. Options are nice but as a user you have to want what is being offered. PIP is something almost everybody has on there TV and nobody uses. I have had TWC,DTV, Charter and have Dish now. Never had Uverse and don't want it. Choice,price,equipment. Dish works best for me. Each service seems to work a little better for each person based on needs, tech level,number of TV's,number of people in a house. Weather you have or want HD. If you have kids. And on and on.
 A example of this is hole house DVR. TWC has it as does DTV,uverse, and late this year Dish. Makes a nice commercial I have no need what so ever for that. Fuels cost limits viewing choices for our home. If I could I would ask for HD only, but to many teknotards out there. Peace:rolleyes:

[LoadStar]

Time Warner users have more DVR options than Dish Network subscribers if they are unhappy with their DVR.

Please explain.

Of all the different services out there, cable is the only one that offers you significant choice in DVR equipment. You can choose to go with the cable company option, or you can go the CableCard route and get a TiVo, Moxi, or you can build or buy a Windows Media Center based home theater PC.

[brewtownska]

What he said. But I would add if you can ask for Free HD for life. Free sling adapter. 722k and OTA moduale. gives you the ability to record 4 things two sat and two OTA and watch a r
ecorded show as well 722K I believe is the best DVR and features right now. Have fun. The ota air thing is a perk if you have some sort of antenna,

Like Budda said in another post, everyone would have a different reason which service works best for them.  It's just up to everyone on the board to provide as many facts as possible so the OP can make his own informed decision.

For Dish, the Sling Adapter is free after rebate (not sure for how much longer), and it's nice if you're on the go a lot and want to watch the Brewer game at work or on your laptop or phone.  You can also tap into your DVR with it.  If you have one of the dual-tuner DVRs, it basically takes control of tuner 2 so you can watch something remotely, and anyone at home still has tuner 1 to use.  It's also smart enough to kick you off if that tuner is set to record something.

Another nice thing is Dish removed the cost for adding an external hard drive.  So you can add your own hard drive to increase the recording size.  Sure, it's not as nice as having unlimited space with a HTPC, but it's nice having an extra 1TB of space to add on yourself at a reasonable cost.  I think previously it was like $40-50 for the ability to use the external drive.