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OTA HDTV simply better
What the cable and satellite companies don't tell you is that they compress their HD signal to conserve bandwidth. Now I am not a scientist; I don't know if this affects the true resolution or color quality of the displayed picture but if they are compressing the signal you will get SOME quality loss. JPEG anyone?

Over the air high def TV (OTA HDTV) is uncompressed. You get the true resolution as it was sent by the studio, broadcaster, etc.

I live in a suburb of Chicago. I have a roof mounted $100 antenna, and the picture I receive is incredible. Not only is the picture beautiful, the broadcasters offer multiple channels, some as good as cable. For instance, the ABC affiliate in Chicago has three channels. The first one is the normal broadcast but in 720p or 1080i. The second channel is a full-time weather channel and the third offers local programming, etc. The PBS station also has multiple channels with a dedicated HD channel with incredible content and picture quality.

Sure, I miss the Discovery channel and History channel. But I would rather have fewer channels than pay for lower quality and useless channels. OTA HDTV quality is better and the quantity is almost as good. Granted, I live in a major market with great HD OTA coverage.
Posted by: jimfitzp@...   Posted on: 11/22/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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HDTV Not yet for me  nucrash | 11/22/06
I said the same thing...  startx.jeff | 11/22/06
Exactly, I even got a 1080p 72" from Fry's for $2000  georgeou | 11/22/06
You were paying too much for your DiSH service  Edward Meyers | 11/23/06
WHERE ARE THESE STATIONS?  BP71957 | 08/11/09
HDTV  ralphdb@... | 11/22/06
THE OLD ANALOG DAYS!  BP71957 | 08/11/09
MNF is ....  c_perrymsu | 11/22/06
Totally impractical & misleading  ejhonda | 11/22/06
Not totally  professordnm | 11/22/06
In deference to professordnm's prejudice...  SJ_Rand | 11/22/06
I think you completely missed my point  georgeou | 11/22/06
I don't think HD is worth it for just OTA HD  rcuff | 11/22/06
No, the newer TVs look better  georgeou | 11/22/06
Free HDTV...maybe...  IT_Guy_z | 11/23/06
Fair enough  georgeou | 11/23/06
Free HDTV  gkuyk | 11/22/06
Quick suggestion  doc.bob | 11/22/06
Here's one "cheap" alternative  jerry@... | 11/22/06
Timeshift and Placeshift  Tranman123 | 11/22/06
TV Wonder Card  Edward Meyers | 11/23/06
this is only temporary  Pyrotech_z | 11/22/06
another free technology goes the way of the dodo bird ... sigh  LilBambi_z | 11/22/06
not quite  xxyl | 11/22/06
You are mistaken...  PredatorVI | 11/22/06
re: this is only temporary  paul03pa@... | 11/22/06
this is only temporary  computerendangerment | 11/22/06
It is only Analog that will end  Tranman123 | 11/22/06
Only if you live in large markets  rmeyer | 11/22/06
More than you might realize.  gfisher@... | 11/22/06
Don't waste your money  ralphdb@... | 11/22/06
A very good resource  Edward Meyers | 11/23/06
Don't take this as gospel, though . . .  jlhenry62 | 11/28/06
Nope - CBS and ABC that's it  rmeyer | 11/27/06
HDTV  dhays | 11/22/06
Monday Night Football  seeton@... | 11/22/06
Ah, thanks for pointing that out to me  georgeou | 11/22/06
NFL Network is now starting to air NFL Games  GaBrownzFan | 11/23/06
That's bad, I'm glad I stopped watching football a few years ago  georgeou | 11/23/06
HDTV is better than regular digital TV  erniem1970@... | 11/22/06
OTA HDTV simply better  jimfitzp@... | 11/22/06
compression and HDTV over the 'air'  dickkessler | 11/22/06
$6  raylinkz@... | 11/22/06
c band details  dickkessler | 11/27/06
B4 i get flamed...  raylinkz@... | 11/22/06
Not true that OTA is "better".  jerry@... | 11/22/06
not true  dickkessler | 11/27/06
Good point  jimfitzp@... | 11/22/06
HD antena  fjyang@... | 11/22/06
What is an Antena?  FUZZY_z | 11/22/06
There is a low profile one you can put up on the roof or back yard  georgeou | 11/22/06
Maybe you CAN have an antenna...  MRBOWTIE | 11/23/06
Sweet! Thanks for the link. That's a keeper.  georgeou | 11/23/06
Hitachi 51" is not DLP, it's a CRT rear projection  capekeith | 11/22/06
1366x768 Video Card?  karim@... | 11/22/06
1366x768 Video Card?  jerry@... | 11/22/06
Yeah that's frustrating  georgeou | 11/22/06
Special Antenna  jerry@... | 11/22/06
Good point, you can use your existing channels  georgeou | 11/22/06
Antenna rotor  jerry@... | 11/22/06
That's the beauty of digital because it rounds off the errors  georgeou | 11/23/06
sounds good in theory  dickkessler | 11/27/06
HDTV  tdean@... | 11/22/06
OTA? DREAM ON!  NBSF | 11/22/06
Most people get plenty of channels and the equipment is cheap now  georgeou | 11/22/06
And that Answers Which Objection?  NBSF | 11/22/06
Quality up, price down  georgeou | 11/22/06
Read much?  NBSF | 11/22/06
Since when did you ever get free cable?  georgeou | 11/22/06
George you are wrong!  Edward Meyers | 11/23/06
Do you even realize how silly your argument is?  georgeou | 11/23/06
It is not absurd at all- it is indeed fact where I live  Edward Meyers | 11/23/06
If you can get any analog signal worth receiving, you'll get better digital  georgeou | 11/24/06
The problems  Edward Meyers | 11/24/06
DTV for 30 years? On what planet?  georgeou | 11/24/06
If you would research this stuff  Edward Meyers | 11/25/06
Japan is broadcasting analog HDTV  georgeou | 11/26/06
MUSE had digital componets to it and Japan has been on ISDB for 3 years  Edward Meyers | 11/26/06
Not Necessarily true . . .  jlhenry62 | 11/28/06
Get HDTV Over The Air?  coover@... | 11/23/06
No TV for me  nizuse | 11/23/06
That's healthy for you  georgeou | 11/23/06
Location  kfreitas@... | 11/27/06
MUSE  dickkessler | 11/27/06
Free HDTV  myrnataylor | 12/06/06
Well, it was $500 which is a 17 month ROI  georgeou | 12/08/06
That's ok for temp HD  tazz20019 | 12/18/06

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