Which HD Provider is for me? - ANDY THE CABLE GUY #1
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Alright, I have to get this off my chest… nothing annoys me more than the Cable / DirectTV commercials spouting about how much HD each of them have. It basically can be compared to a contest between a teenage Bill Gates and Steve Jobs over who has more friends. The bottom line is, neither of them have enough (and their mom’s didn’t count).
Over the course of the next few weeks I am going to delve into the HDTV Provider Paradox; where HDTV is currently, the technologies in place, the technologies of the future, and anything else related I can think of to rant about. I hope you tune in and enjoy. Today I will talk about the “No, we have more HD!” fad between Cable and DirectTV.
Where I live, Comcast Cable is king. Verizon FioS isn’t available, and really isn’t on the map yet. I see commercials all the time for DirectTV and Comcast, both word-smithing their way to more HD customers. To simplify all of this for you so you can start changing the channel:
DirectTV has many more HD Channels than Comcast and most cable companies, but no Video On Demand (VOD) content.
Cable uses their VOD shows and movies to count as “Content” or “Channels”. Thus they have more CONTENT, but less CHANNELS.
Verizon FioS has the capability to both have VOD and a large amount of channels due to it’s Fiber Optic Network, but just isn’t widely available in most regions.
If you want to be able to watch movies or TV shows on demand in HD, then Cable is for you. If you want the most HD channels at any given time, and a better chance of your favorite cable network’s HD channel being added to your network lineup, DirectTV or the DISH Network is the way to go. I personally would love to see G4 HD sometime soon (mmmm Olivia Munn), but thanks to Comcast, thats unpossible!
Keep in mind, If FioS is available in your area, I would highly recommend looking into their options. Just like cable, their channel lineup varies from region to region. If that’s the case, the best choice for you might be FioS, especially if you can get a good deal with your regular internet, much like Comcast’s Double/Triple Play options. Call up the local Verizon office and see what they can give you.
Need more info? In February 2008, Engadget HD posted a VERY indepth breakdown of all the channels that were available at the time, so if you’re still up in the air, I would read that article as it is very well done.
Next time: I will talk about the bandwidth limitations of the various providers and their methods of “Adding” more channels. notice the quotes.. yep, it’s about as lame as my friday nights.
[...] The TV’s are being released first in the Denver and Chicago markets in late October, and will retail for $1599.95 (42″) and $2999.95 (50″). I’m sure that Cable companies will find someway to recoup the funds you are saving by using the Tru2way software, but it will at least be humbling to know that Comcast doesn’t own a single thing in my home, you know, until Fios is available. [...]