SonOfAStu

So the picture quality on the HD channels is not up to par with what I was getting from Charter with just the basic cable (coax direct to TV, no box involved). Is this just something I have to get used to, or are there ways to tweak the DirecTV signal to improve picture quality?

Also - I have heard that there is a way to watch home video from my PC through the DTV box on the TV. Is there any documentation for this anywhere? I can't find it on the DTV website.

Thanks

Deftones

directv does compress the signal a bit, but so do all other providers. i don't know why you wouldn't be getting as good of picture, though. did you double check to make sure it's set to 1080i/720p in the settings menu?

SonOfAStu

Yep, double checked all the screen resolution settings. It's definitely HD that's coming through. I'm not that blind.

But it's decidedly not as good as the cable. Guess you get what you pay for. For this much cheaper than cable (and the free NFL Sunday ticket), I'll take it.

colour

I went from Direct to Charter and was stunned that Charter's pic quality was so much better.

Shannon Nutt

I was going to ask the same thing DefTones did...DirecTV set up my parents house a few years back and when I went to visit at Thanksgiving I found out everything was set to standard-def and not 1080.

Raul3

Is the difference that huge?

Basically, if you were connected directly to the TV and I guess you have a good TV, that's the best picture you can get. Once you put a box in the middle quality starts to deteriorate.

You may want to check AVS to see if there's any recommended calibration for your TV with DirecTV.

Bill Needle

I went from Charter to DTV a few years ago and don't remember that much of a difference. Maybe side-by-side I'd notice it more, but otherwise not. I do notice the drop-off compared to OTA HD, but that goes for compared to Charter as well.

SonOfAStu

Huge enough to go back to Charter prices (and no Sunday Ticket)? No.
Huge enough to really notice it and be disappointed by their "HD"? Yes.

To be sure, the benefits outweigh the poor quality. The whole home DVR service is awesome, and if I can ever figure out how to use this Media Share thing, that will be the icing on the cake. I can see my computers on the DTV receiver, but I can't figure out what file types the thing will actually play. I've tried several different ones already and havne't had any luck yet.

Another DVR question - is there a way to setup a series recording across channels? Or do you have to setup a separate recording for each channel?

Thanks!

Doc Moonlight

This may be a YMMV issue. I have had Directv for 15 years. When I lived in St Louis, I had Charter for about 9 months. The picture and sound were definitely better on Directv and Charter's "customer service" really sucked!

stingermck

A friend has gone from TWC to DTV and I noticed a drop in picture quality. I also cant believe he cant get networks (NBC, Fox, etc) in HD.

lacubs

each channel which unfortunately suck because the DVR can hold up to 50 series in your manger and if you use 2 or 3 recording on 1 recording.

Navinabob

For those who have Comcast; ditch them! I just dont want this thread to scare people from moving to DirectTV. They kill Comcast with standard HD channels with a huge hard-drive, worlds faster remote and set-top box... I can't think of and area where Comcast is better. I've got no idea if Charter beats DTV though, so I can't comment there.

Josh-da-man

Can your friend actually not get his local channels? When I upgraded to HD, the locals didn't show up, so I called customer service and they added them to my lineup.

As far as quality goes, the HD certainly looks better than SD did, but it's closer to upconverted DVD quality than blu-ray quality.

flashburn

I'm surprised to hear complaints about DTV's picture quality, I thought it was way less compressed compared to Brighthouse (TWC), then again it's been a while since I've had either, so maybe things have changed.

stingermck

He gets local, but they are in SD.

nevermind

I just switched yesterday from Comcast. Depending on the channel the HD quality ranges from slightly worse to much better.

The cost savings ($960 over the next 24 months) and the whole house DVR are completely worth the switch, even if there's a few HD channels we watched a lot that aren't available.

Red Dog

I found that DTV HD was much superior to Comcrap. SD, probably worse.

clckworang

It depends on the area. I only switched to DirecTV when they added my area to the local HD channel lineup.

OldBoy

i like DirecTV. though i have nothing to compare it to as this was first and only HD provider, but i think the Yankee games are crisp and clean and most movies look real good.

Gooter

I'm really considering switching to D-TV from Comcast. However, a few people I've talked to said that the signal going out in rainstorms and snowstorms is still a big deal. Is it a common occurence? Should it still be happening? I like D-TV's prices and the whole room DVR thing but losing the signal is what is keeping me away right now.

Thanks

Deftones

Rain fade is only common during storms. Here in AZ, we've had monsoon storms with 60 mph winds, pouring rain and the signal has remained strong. Then, I've had minor storms with hardly any rain and I wasn't getting a signal. It's a pretty rare occurrence.

aktick

Your signal will also go out more easily if the dish isn't perfectly aligned. My installer did a shitty job and it would go out any time there was a decent downpour. Then a friend re-aligned it for me, and it now only goes out if there's a very large storm, and then only for a few seconds usually. Snow buildup is easy to avoid - spray some Pam/cooking spray on it before winter.

rfduncan

I've had this happen too. HOWEVER, I have to admit I was impressed that I managed to record the new DOCTOR WHO episode flawlessly on Saturday night right in the middle of hurricane Irene. I think it really does have to do with how well your dish was installed and focused honestly.

Xander

Yeah, we almost never lose signal during thunderstorms. It has to be REALLY bad to affect our picture these days. Snowstorms seem to be a little worse, but that's only if snow/ice build up on the dish. I'm definitely going to try that cooking spray trick this winter.

clckworang

I've been very impressed at how well the reception has been when it rains. It doesn't snow where I live, so I can't comment on that. Have I lost reception in the rain? Yes, I have, but most of the time it's only for a few seconds. That only happens when it rains really hard, though.