Thats what I thought. I guess they are different. Thanks.

OK. I don't waste no time. Its my afternoon off, so I made the most of it. went to Future Shop and got a DCT6200 HD.
Hooked it by the Y, Ps. Pr with the included cable. I'd just activated it via phone and voila, ....I experienced my first HD.... channel 303 for one. The guide was not loaded yet ("To be announced" on display) so I never checked out anything else in HD.
HD is excellent.

I notice that with those component cables only, I am still able to view all the analog channels, etc, too. They are a lot brighter, but fuzzier. I guess I just read online that the component is analog output, so I guess thats not good for my digital channels. I will use VIDEO for those, with yellow video cable this time, rather than s-video, to try get the picture clearer on the analog channels.
I just need to split the audio to the composite side and the video side. Got to go shopping again!

Also....They sold me a $70 set of DVI cable to try instead of component. But I now see that my new TV only has HDMI input. So I went back for a couple things, and see that they have a DVI to HDMI adapter for $40! and I'd need a HDMI cable too, for about.... ohhhh... say almost $100 !!!! What he f***. All these extras would buy me a nice 27" standard TV for the spare room!! So I'll stick to the Component, as you all said to use those in many threads.

Why can't they use a universal connection?

Afternote....I never went for the PVR. Its more money, plus I have a Pioneer DVD/HDD recorder already ages ago. Its a wiring nightmare behind the entertainment unit! I have labelled everything for years, which helps a great deal. Thats nothing compared to whats behind my computer desk!!!

I have a 5100, the precursor to the 6200. I'm using component cabling for everything and find the analogue stations to be fine for the most part (some channels are worse than others 22, 131-135). The digi-nets I have 101, 111, 112, 116, 118 are all great. MC channels are great SD too.

I notice that with those component cables only, I am still able to view all the analog channels, etc, too. They are a lot brighter, but fuzzier. !

Check the FAQ on this site dealing with poor quality on analog cable TV channels with S-Video or component video connections. If your TV is one that has the problem, the composite video connection will give a better quality video. Keep in mind that analog cable TV channels are never going to look great on a large screen TV.

I found the best video input for the regular analog cable is the yellow video cable, as suggested earlier too. Its not much different form s-video.
Thats fine, thanks everyone. I don't mind swapping between the inputs. I just thought it was great if I can leave it on component input for all, but it has a wierder fuzzy picture still on analog channels, I could not clear up no matter what.
Its the nature of the beast.
I'm very pleased overall with the new system. I've got the DCT 6200 connected to my Yamaha surround system already via the optical digital out.(the DCT 2500 was too). Its excellent.

I'm off to watch Tv now...

In the 6200's settings (see your manual), try setting the 4:3 override to 480i (if it isn't set there by default).

My TV processes the signal quite fine on it's own ... ie. if I have the setting at 480p, the signal (at least in my case) gets "over-processed" and results in a rather "fuzzy" picture.

cheers

Yeh...its at 480i by default.

I'm back with an update. I have to update a couple of posts around here.

Fixed most of my poor picture on analog channels. Took the Panasonic back and got a Sony :)

I had enough of it, plus some wierd tints from one channel to the next. One would be too green, then the next channel too red. Played with settings for everything for fuzz to tint problems, then too dark to too light on the next channel. I decided somethings up besides me.
Went to look at one in the store, and right beside it was Sonys KV34HS420. Looked like night and day on the same analog channel they had on. The Panasonic was a CT-34WX54 . I had it a week. Even the store couldn't figure out what was up with it. Bad set? Not worth messing with any longer. I read tons of good reviews for it aswell.
So I plug the new Sony in and the analog channels are better looking, no odd tones and shimmering red cheeks and harsh "digitalized" look. They now look like analog channels should!
This Sony is excellent. ;)
I haven't even really had to play with any settings either. Just sat down and watched TV for the first time all week without playing with the settings on each channel.
Thanks.

Hi, I'm considering switching my BEV to shaw for a number of reasons, (better pricing with internet packaging, able to view channels on more TV's etc.). But one big concern is obviously picture quaility. I haven't read any direct comments around this issue, who's better? and is the difference that big of deal??

Another concern is Shaw not having TSN HD, maybe I'm not realistic, but I would think it will be coming soon, but I don't have much experience with shaw.

Marty, welcome to DHC! You may wish to try a search on your last question. Its been discussed many times in the past. Many feel satellite is superior with the SD channels, others not. Many feel the HD is a saw-off.

thanks for the help. Can't there be just one system that delivers everything we want? :)

No, apparently not. Picture on hd is about equal. On digital sd I'd give sat the edge but the ppvs on cable loog great and some analog channels on cable can look very good with a good analog set so it really depends what your setup is and what channels you watch. No easy answer ...sorry.

I had Shaw digital hooked up yesterday, so now I have both BEV and Shaw digitl going for the time being. Shaw offers 30-day money back if I don't like it, so I thought what the heck, might as well try it. The verdict...no comparison, not even close, BEV is heads and tails above on picture quaility on my 50" Vega LCD.

The digital channels are somewhat close, but on sharpness and colour vividness (is that a word?) BEV is still obviously better. The analog channels are for the most part terrible in comparison to BEV. Since I watch alot of TSN, which is analog on Shaw, and with hockey coming up, I'm very much leaning towards sticking with BEV until Shaw steps up to the plate and offers TSN HD or converts to digital. It will cost more to stick with BEV, but now that I've seen the difference, I don't think I can continue with Shaw. (pending discussion with wife :) )

I did hook up the cable directly with the yellow composite to the TV to increase the analog picture (as per previous discussions), still no comparison to BEV.

Thanks for your help.

I have two 6412's, and I'm very observant so I notice the artifacts of the digital process. On the non-HD digital channels, you'll see some loss of sharpness, and worse, you'll see loss of color definition. You'll get off-colors on dimly lit scenes, you'll see some pixellation, and so forth. On the HD channels, you'll get sharper images (depending on source content), but you will still some colors that are off because of digitization. I'm amazed that when I ask people who work in TV stores, they claim they can't see anything wrong.

I have the same problem as couchpotatoe, and I have read the FAQs section of why SD channels can look bad on HDTVs.

Almost every analog channel looks fantastic when run it through the HDTV's tuner - but as soon as I switch over to the STB (running through composite cables to the TV) the same channels are dull and the colour is way off. The digital channels (especially 129 through 137) are also quite ugly.


Does anyone know if you can modify the STB settings as per #8 in the FAQs:

8. If you have a STB, make sure you've configured it correctly in the setup menu for 480i signals. Often the "default" settings are not the best and you may be sending the "incorrect/inappropriate" signals to the TV. Many STBs for example come with a "default" setting to convert all incoming signals to 1080i - this is probably not the best setup. Many times the best setting is called "passthrough, or something similar", which allows incoming signal to flow unchanged through the STB to the TV - experiment with settings to see what you prefer.

...I have a Motorola 2500 STB with Shaw Cable in Calgary. Can these settings be changed on this model of box?

That point in the FAQ is intended for HD STBs. I don't believe the 2500 is HD, so it doesn't apply if that's the case.

If you have an HDTV, you should consider an HD STB. The latest/best is the 6412 phase III with HDMI connection, supposedly solving the analogue channel problem.

If the 2500 is an HDSTB, sorry, I'm not that familiar with the older Motorolas.

Thanks - I assume that might be true but though I'd ask.

I have a Dell HDTV with 2 HDMI inputs - so I am just waiting for Shaw to start renting the 6412 before I get one. After just buying a HDTV it is very hard to now drop $700 on a STB.

But......I know I will have to if I want the full effect of HDTV!

FP, what city are you in?

The 2500 isn't HD, I have one in the bedroom. The 6200 HD box (non PVR) thats in my living room has that setting thats mentioned in post #8. I have played with that a few times and I can't see anything different. I do have the Sony CRT HDTV though, not a big plasma or LCD! So it might work better on those. I find the CRT to have a nice picture and perfect size for our living room. We had a 42" Plasma Tv at the very very beginning of moving up to HD TVs. To watch stuff on analog Sd channels was so maddenling, they were way too obviously grainy....screen too big and we knew we wouldn't watch hardly any HD channels for a while yet, well not to any extent to warrant keeping the huge screen. So we exchanged it immediately for the Sony, well actually had a Panasonic widescreen HD CRT TV in the middle for a week, its mentioned at the beginning of this thread. That had loosy picture from one channle to the next that it wasn't even funny anymore!

We use this Sony widescreen with the HDMI input constantly for all channels. I can switch to any channel, and PPV, without switching VIDEO inputs in between, just goes through HDMI video input. Used to use the component (Blue, green, red) cables and that used to have me switching VIDEO inputs for HD channels and so forth. No big deal. But I like to just leave it as it is on HDMI now. Got the RCA brand HDMI cable at WalMart or someplace cheaper than more expensive Munster Cable elsewhere!
I find all digital channels pretty decent, PPV is not as good as I expect, too washed and has the recorded look some days, and always 4:3! Moviecentral has some nice pics sometimes, 5.1 surround is a bonus some days. HD is exceptional, specialy sports! If only they'd add more stuff. The analog channels are the same as the past years on old TVs, so so, and depends what your watching. (You know how you used to blame it on the weather!)The best picture I get by far, its BBC Canada, digital! And a lot of Brit stuffs made in widescreen now too, so can ZOOM and it looks brilliant.

Thats my findings after about 4 or 5 months with a widescreen HDTV now.

FP, what city are you in?

I am in Calgary (using Shaw "Cable"):o