With my new Digital Cable hookup I've got four premium channel packs I can subscribe to, but being a poor student I've only got the cash for one...

What I am looking for is primarily:

- a good mix of movies, mainstream as well as independent/foreign ones, unedited and in OAR (or at least WS) format.
- good documentaries or docudramas (e.g. I really liked HBO's Band of Brothers and Apollo moon mission miniseries)

I've got a choice of HBO (9 channels), Showtime (7 channels; already have Sundance channel), Cinemax (8 channels) and Starz (7 channels; already have the Encore set of channels). Are they pretty much all the same in terms of quality and what I am looking for, or are any of these much better than the others?

TIA

I think HBO has the best original programming, so I recommend getting at least the main HBO channel.

What about IFC (the Independent Film Channel)?


HBO and Cinemax are the same rotating package of movies.

Some movies premiere on HBO first and turn up on Cinemax a few months later, and vice-versa.
With Cinemax, you get soft-core porn just about every night.
With HBO, you get their original series.

Showtime is the worst package of the four (IMHO).

Showtime's exclusives (movies that aren't also going to turn up on HBO/Max) are a less than compelling selection, and their movies repeat a lot.
I had the Showtime package on a special offer last year and was really disappointed with it and cancelled with no hesitation after the three months were over.

I don't know a lot about Starz, but I do know that the Starz movies will turn up on Encore eventually.

Starz claims to have the premieres of the biggest hits, but aren't those the movies that you went to see in the theatres, or that you rented the DVDs for as soon as they came out.

I would recommend to someone that the HBO package is the best because you a lot of channels, with a lot of different movies, a 20 year catelog of HBO comedy specials (that I enjoy) and the great HBO original series.

BUT
You should think seriously about choosing Cinemax because they do especially feature offering a lot of independent and foreign films, and documentaries.
Although I don't think they will be presented widescreen, but I'm not sure about that.

I suggest that you get HBO, best bang for your IMO. Also, I think you should ditch Encore and replace it with Starz, which has a larger catalog of newer movies that end up on Encore eventually anyway.

IHC isn't a package, it's available stand-alone depending on your provider's line-up.

Showtime's package includes the Sundance Channel, which is good for indie films.

Thanks everyone. Looks like it'll either be Cinemax or HBO.

actually, showtime has been recently been showing alot of movies in their oar (fargo, swingers, pulp fiction ect)