Digital TV vs Good 'aul Analogue

oneweb

Am I the only one that thinks Digital TV isn't worth it compared to Analogue?

Granted, Digital can fit more channels and another good thing that wasn't good enough to remember.

However, if there's a signal problem the pic freezes, pixelates, the sound garbles or stops altogether, and you just missed the last three seconds. With analogue, you get a snowy pic and fuzzy sound, but at least you know what's goin on.

NTL are advertising a wonderful service. For only €€€ a month, you can get multi-room viewing! Lovely! Just what I wanted - and what we had all along with analogue :rolleyes:

I'm talking bout this as a technology - not about how many deadly channels ppl have compared to Analogue.

Kix

On a purely technical level I find it a much better system - the picture is beautifully crisp and the EPG means never having to buy the RTE Guide again

On the down side, NTL don't seem to have their act fully together just yet. As far as I understand it, too many times when new subscribers are connected locally to the network the signal strength dips to below the acceptible level and that's when the glitches occur. I'm not sure there's enough communication yet between guys doing the analog installations and the guys doing the digital ones (in Galway at least these are different guys).

K

Samba

I agree with what Kix says, lovely picture and sound.

On the other hand when we first had digital installed we had No Signal nearly everyday

In the past 6 months my t.v viewing has not been interupted once.

Matt Simis

In the area I am now, I could not get any NTL service (analog or Digital), so I had to go with Sky Digital. I have to say, compared to my parents NTL Digital Package, the Sky image looks much better, easily comparable with DVD. The NTL Digital looks a little grainy... much like NTL analog (I remember the scenes of the moving waves in the ocean on National Geo. looked particularly bad on Analog).

Im pretty happy with the Digital Setup and havent experienced any distortion or problems. The only time I have seen such problems was in a Pub on the top of the mountain in Andorra, in a snow storm... and even then the sound was fine, but the pic screwed up (that was Sky Digital btw).



Matt

longword

On a digital service, what is one supposed to do for a VCR? And I mean proper VHS VCR. Not some hard disk that you have no real control over and can't remove.

Tom Dunne

Longword - Sky Digital boxes (and I would imagine, other digital set top boxes) have a SCART and an RF output so you can connect a VCR to it without problem.

As for analogue vs. digital, compare Chorus MMDS vs. Sky Digital. In my few miserable years with Chorus, I had reception that could best be described as tempremental. I have had one reception problem with Sky - the dish was slightly mis-aligned after being hit by a football or something. Other than that, the picture is incredible compared to what I was used to with Chorus.

longword

Originally posted by tom dunne
Longword - Sky Digital boxes (and I would imagine, other digital set top boxes) have a SCART and an RF output so you can connect a VCR to it without problem.

Sure, but it's no bloody good if the VCR can't pick the channel - it's not even close to possible for the digital box to output all of its channels on RF, nor even a small arbirtary selection.

Tom Dunne

Yes, that is one of the major failings of the Set Top Boxes - the inability to watch one thing while recording another. They do, however, provide the ability to record something while you are out (on the VCR) and automatically select the correct channel. You can therefore record from numerous different channels while you are out.

I personally think this is handy.

ozpass

Sure, but it's no bloody good if the VCR can't pick the channel

And this is possible with analogue cable or MMDS?

Kix

Originally posted by Matt Simis
The NTL Digital looks a little grainy... much like NTL analog

I must say that's not my experience. The Digital picture on my box is miles better than the analog one, it's a sharp as a pin.

K

Tom Dunne

As far as I remember, Ozpass, you can in fact do this with NTL analogue cable.

It is, as you said, not possible with MMDS.

<offtopic> Are you still having fun with Chorus?:D </offtopic>

ozpass

<offtopic> I straightened them out in the end </offtopic>:cool:

longword

Originally posted by ozpass
And [recording to VHS] is possible with analogue cable or MMDS?

Err. Yes! It is. Well, maybe not with MMDS since I'm not familiar with that technology, but my VCR sees exactly the same channels as my TV. All happy. I'm sure it would be more awkward for encrypted services, but I don't do those so I don't have a problem. I would have a problem if there was something on Discovery Home & Leisure and I couldn't tape it. I couldn't support a solution like Sky Plus either since it effectively surrenders control over what you can record to Sky Inc. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

TomTom

Sky is the best option so far, but ntl have the advantage of different channels in different rooms with analogue anyway and digital soon if not now.

ozpass

Now I understand! You're referring to the unencrypted stuff..... This would likewise be possible with an MMDS system (as far as I know, apart from the transmission system, it's the same as cable anyway).

I have Chorus Digital (wish to god I didn't) and it's possible to do this as well, as it 'passes through' the analogue signal. I could, therefore, record RTE1, RTE2, TV3, TG4 and Sky One whilst watching, say, MTV. I think that the same applies to NTL digital subscribers.

Unless Sky is assumed to represent all forms of digital TV (the above not being possible with Sky) I don't really think it's a good enough argument to knock digital TV. I like watching the Simpsons with Dolby Pro Logic - I'm just that sad!

spongebob

as Kix said

I'm not sure there's enough communication yet between guys doing the analog installations and the guys doing the digital ones (in Galway at least these are different guys).

NTL only have 2 technicians (and 2 vans) in Galway and 2 office women. The lads probably never see each other with all the complaints.

4 employees for a town of 70,000 people. I am not sure who Installs for them when they get a bit of a rush on.

<offtopic> Ozpass, get That thread unlocked by the Mods again in Cable/MMDS/Broadband and DO tell us what happened in the end willya, epics are supposed to drag on ya know. </offtopic>

M

Tom Dunne

Originally posted by Muck

<offtopic> Ozpass, get >that< thread unlocked by the Mods again in Cable/MMDS/Broadband and DO tell us what happened in the end willya, epics are supposed to drag on ya know. </offtopic>

Oh yes, please,please,please,please do!

I would really love to hear what happened, as I am sure all the others would.

longword

Originally posted by ozpass
I have Chorus Digital (wish to god I didn't) and it's possible to do this as well, as it 'passes through' the analogue signal. I could, therefore, record RTE1, RTE2, TV3, TG4 and Sky One whilst watching, say, MTV. I think that the same applies to NTL digital subscribers.

Yes, you still have access to all the original analog channels in analog form, on anything but Sky. But that's no use if what you want to record is on a digital channel, or if you want to take advantage of the better quality of the digital signal (yes I know VHS is crap, but it's worse when it /starts/ with a crap picture).

I like watching the Simpsons with Dolby Pro Logic - I'm just that sad!

But! But! Pro Logic is available on any analog service that does NICAM - including regular broadcast over-the-air RF.

ozpass

It's Friday lads,

Analogue has it's benefits as does digital, I still have a technics SL1200 to play my records on.

For the sake of 50 Euro a month (or thereabouts), though, I'm fine and happy with my digital TV. I spend more than that on fags for christ's sake.

Way too tired to carry on with this one...... Anyone out there willing to fight digital's corner?

I'm out- have a good weekend all!:)