shaw will have to fix it if people drop it. Im doing so today as im tired of the excuses. i have a blu ray player which looks better than shaw hd probably ever will. and good imac to view the new via videos on the net. no use in complaining. better to make a statement. i guarantee it will get fixed faster.

Um, Blu-Ray and HD DVD are *supposed* to look better than HDTV. Higher bitrate limit with a more efficient video codec means it can pack a lot more info into each frame/field than HDTV.

That's not to excuse any problems you're seeing. Just clarifying that both HD DVD and BD should outshine HDTV.

So I called Shaw today on my lunch hour. Took 10 minutes on hold (can't do the callback at work!)... and I talked to tech support. They told me to watch again tonight, and call back if the problem persists. I told them the "problem" is 24/7. They would NOT send a tech out yet.

Mozza,, your wasting your time,, no offence. I gave up with shaw, after 6 visits I think i've had it with waiting around on weekends for them. We all know shaw is using like the worse codecs out there to deliver HD, that the audio drop outs,, we bitch, we call and its like news to them! I'll just keep shaw until someone else rolles in with a HD PVR, if its Telus then fine ill give them a shot. If my building upgrades their dish to allow the capture of Nimiq 82 it wont take more then a day that Shaw will be dumped.

I understand techs blaming this issue on boxes, but to me this makes no sense. From the first month April to about October HD was consistently perfect on channels such as HD Net and Discovery, Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts were unreal. But over the last few month I started to notice a gradual decrease in the quality of HD and digital cable for that matter(macroblocking). Over the last few weeks it has gotten horrible and I won't even begin about how Shaw is obviously capping signals during heavy football weekends. Funny how every channel, not just the football ones look bad on Sunday mornings and afternoons. Next they're gonna tell us that the audio drops are cause by me leaning on the mute button. Surely someone from Shaw reads these forums....

I'm in Halifax right now at the inlaws watching his BEV on the same Pansonic plasma as I have and the difference is notable. I noticed a little blocking now and then but nothing compared to what I get at home.

Oh and he watches on torch mode while I have my sharpness tunred way down to try and improve the pic quality.

my experience closely mirrors yours, the macroblocking has gone up a LOT during the past few months, especially on HDNet and Discovery HD (which I tend to watch quite often). There is no way that all of a sudden hdnet produced shows would go from perfect to macroblocky depending on the day of the week; my conspiracy theory of the day is that Shaw is getting ready to launch new HD channels and are starting to compress the current ones a lot more to make space for them. That or when hdppv/centre ice/football etc. are going on they are squeezing things to get bandwidth for these other broadcasts.

I just wish they got rid of any non-basic analog cable channels (say, anything above the mid 40s) and used that bandwidth for HD channels instead.

Then there's Mozza, who's picture has been awful since day one. There is a chance, however slight, that the box itself is garbage.

I agree that things have deteriorated in the last few months. HDNet never had a problem macroblocking for us, and now it does sometimes. Something has changed. Maybe the switch from carrying native resolution to carrying everything at 1080i is related (Shaw used to carry ABC and FOX at 720p since that's what they broadcast; now they carry those four channels at 1080i).

As for the idea Shaw compresses more now than before...I have my doubts. 3 per QAM256 is 3 per QAM256. Period. They can't do 3.5 per QAM as it has to be a whole stream. 4 per QAM would be completely unwatchable (probably even worse than Mozza's experience).

Whatever it is, I hope they get a handle on it.

To comment on jddesigned had mentioned about the quality going down on Sundays. Every Sunday for NFL ST there are a number of PPV channels that go off air to accomodate the NFL ST channels coming on air. So the number of channels really doesn't go up on any given Sunday as the 2 offset each other.

As for the idea Shaw compresses more now than before...I have my doubts. 3 per QAM256 is 3 per QAM256. Period. They can't do 3.5 per QAM as it has to be a whole stream. 4 per QAM would be completely unwatchable (probably even worse than Mozza's experience)

I am wondering if this is not more of a case of HDNet and DSCHD going from 2xQAM (full bandwidth, no macroblocking, great PQ) to 3xQAM (signal has to be 'massaged' by shaw's equipment to be fit in the lower resolution, loss of quality, possible audio drops introduced by this process).

The other day one of the various MMA fights on HDNet had abysmal posterization/macroblocking of the blue mat, I've never seen anything like this before. Also the switch from 720p to 1080i should not have impacted channels that are broadcasted in 1080i to begin with (like hdnet), unless of course there were bandwidth issues.

Shaw could also easily get rid of (or heavily compress) showcase HD (putting 'hd' in the guide for a movie it and displaying it in stretched 4x3 upconverted SD does not an HD movie make) if they needed extra BW...

I am wondering if this is not more of a case of HDNet and DSCHD going from 2xQAM (full bandwidth, no macroblocking, great PQ) to 3xQAM (signal has to be 'massaged' by shaw's equipment to be fit in the lower resolution, loss of quality, possible audio drops introduced by this process).

The other day one of the various MMA fights on HDNet had abysmal posterization/macroblocking of the blue mat, I've never seen anything like this before. Also the switch from 720p to 1080i should not have impacted channels that are broadcasted in 1080i to begin with (like hdnet), unless of course there were bandwidth issues.

Shaw could also easily get rid of (or heavily compress) showcase HD (putting 'hd' in the guide for a movie it and displaying it in stretched 4x3 upconverted SD does not an HD movie make) if they needed extra BW...
HDNET with A&E HD are 2 channels per QAM channel here in Calgary (and I believe in Edmonton too). Every other HD channel is 3 per QAM channel.

I don't understand why Shaw doesn't do what some other cable companies do and put 2 HD channels with several SD channels.

Holy crap!!!

I got back from Halifax where I was watchign BEV for the last two weeks and my TV is unwatchable. I don't know if I got used to the good life or if the macroblocking has gotten even worse since the end of last month.

The slightest motion causes blocking. I was watching HDnet fight night and the guy bouncing around the entrance tunnel for his ring entrance looked like snow!!!

Well, after calling Shaw and being told they wouldn't even send a tech to fix the problem, I would assume they know their picture quality has been suffering recently and are no longer either able or willing to fix it. How disappointing.

I hesitate to suggest it because it'll mean more time out of your day, but try calling again. Not every CSR is the same. Various threads have shown different answers for various promotions, problems, etc.

With an eye on hold times, evening is the worst. Tech support is 24hours though. Maybe try in the morning. From previous calls they've said that's the slowest time.

Give it a shot...the worst they'll do is say "No" again.

Well, after calling Shaw and being told they wouldn't even send a tech to fix the problem, I would assume they know their picture quality has been suffering recently and are no longer either able or willing to fix it. How disappointing.
They probbaly have you listed in their files as a problem customer and won't bother.

I've called three times in three months?

I must say, yes I have noticed it get worse. HDNet used to be crisp when we first got it and now it's not. Notice it more on other channels too. CSI Miami on tonight for example - a little bit of macroblocking and some sound drops thrown in. Oh this Shaw HDTV experience is just incredible (very heavy sarcasm...)

Maybe you should try out Telus HD, if it's avaialbable in your city, you should try it and compare. if they better than Shaw, then switch and stop waisting money on these guys (Shaw).

That's what I could do if I was you.

Hope it helps

Actually, I've noticed an improvement in Shaw HD quality this past week. Seems like the signal has been boosted. Quite exceptional at the moment in my neck of the woods.

Can't hurt living so close to corporate HQ.

Was watching American Gladiators for a few minutes tonight and it was the worst I've ever seen...mild movement caused mass pixellization.