I have the 3-way bundle and was happy until last month. Comcast compressed their video to squeeze more HD channels into the same bandwidth. The result is a degraded image in both HD and SD even though it wasn't supposed to affect SD. I asked them for a cut in the monthly bill equivalent to the signal quality loss. I might as well have talked with Forrest Gump. I can no longer recommend Comcast for TV. I'll be switching to FIOS when available. If a rooftop antenna worked in my area, that would be the first choice, but I'm blocked by geography. Just a heads up for those considering Comcast. Home Entertainment: Comcast Compressing HDTV Signals to Fit Three Shows into Two Shows' Bandwidth
I hated Comcast with a passion while I was in their jurisdiction. The service flaked out monthly and the people on the end of the phone were primarily interested in making it not their problem. Time Warner was alright now that we're in their territory but the charges were starting to get out of proportion with the service. So we ditched cable entirely and couldn't be happier. The HD set-top boxes do the trick, so it's a shame you don't get a signal. Have you considered a large, high, outdoor antenna? Good equipment can make a big difference. Next on the chopping block is XM, which has been playing the same compression games with their signal since day one. The only reason I'm still willing to pay for it is that there is no better way to listen to the BBC World Service in the car, which is my source of real news.
This is very dissapointing to hear. It seems that most people in this country want quantity over quality and the cable companies and to an extent even the sat providers are going the same route. From what I understand, FIOS from Verizon offers un-compressed HD due to their fiber network but it is not available in many areas. I have had Dish Network for the past 7 years and although the HD they provide is good, it is not as good as it was a few years ago. I can see micro-blocking in fast moving scenes often and they have reduced their resolution to 1440 x 1080 for a lot of their HD material. It seems that the best way to view uncompressed HD is by using either a HD-DVD or Bluray player.
