lgskaggs's profile

Contributor

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1 Message

Monday, April 28th, 2014 2:59 AM

Why is DirecTv's HD better than AT&T?

I just had AT&T Uverse installed, and left DirecTv and there is a very big difference in the picture quality. What is the reason for this? If this is a technology issue, is there something being done to resolve this? 

 

And yes, I have everything setup correctly, and I am using the exact same TV's and picture settings as I did earlier with DirecTv. 

Scholar

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104 Messages

10 years ago

It's very simple, they have more bandwidth per channel being delivered.

Scholar

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129 Messages

10 years ago


@lgskaggs wrote:

I just had AT&T Uverse installed, and left DirecTv and there is a very big difference in the picture quality. What is the reason for this? If this is a technology issue, is there something being done to resolve this? 

 

And yes, I have everything setup correctly, and I am using the exact same TV's and picture settings as I did earlier with DirecTv. 


Soooooo many questions to ask:

 

Which channels are you having this "very big difference in the picture quality" with?

What profile are you on with Uverse -- how many HD recordings can you do at one time?  (MENU --> OPTIONS --> SYSTEM OPTIONS --> SYSTEM INFORMATION -->SYSTEM RESOURCES)

What set-top box are you using?  (Same as above, except first tab, SYSTEM INFO)

What size display are you using that makes you think the PQ is different?

Are the programs you're noticing it on high-motion?

 

Picture quality follows the old saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  What you may consider "poor" picture quality could be just fine for me or anyone else.  Which is why it depends upon the size of your TV as well.

 

If you're one of those "tech geeks" and you have a huge 72" TV, unless you have Verizon FiOS, you're going to be disappointed in HD picture quality.  Second choice would be DirecTV for such an application, but even that's going to have issues.

 

AT&T has upgraded their signal encoders and at least on my end, it is noticeable.  I've never had the "horrible" PQ that everyone rags on Uverse about; in fact, my neighbor's Comcrud service -- whether HD or SD -- is worse than mine, no matter what TV it's on, and no matter which digital box/DVR.  First place I noticed the encoders were upgraded was in space used on the DVR.  Currently I can record programs in SD and HD with both taking about the same amount on the HDD.

 

Do a comparison of the HD services offered by Uverse versus that of DirecTV, or look at the overall chart here: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1462894/official-avs-national-hd-channel-lineups-cable-dbs-fiber-iptv-updated-4-24-14.  Just a cursory view of the top shows AT&T with much more HD available.  DirecTV is a biiggg competitor, why aren't they over what the little old phone company offers?  Could it be that it costs them a LOT of cash to put up more satellites to expand, or sacrifice PQ to their customers by stealing bandwidth from the other channels on the satellite to fit one in?  The cable companies have to do the same with costly upgrades (which they have ALL delayed until recently, with the minor exception of Time Warner), and Comcast notably took premium HD channels (HBO Family, various Cinemax flavors, and others) AWAY in order to add other HDs (like C-SPAN), because their systems are maxed out.

 

If Uverse's service was so horrible to a vast majority of its subscribers, then would program providers (channels) be wanting AT&T to carry their service, especially in HD?  Within the past year, AT&T has ADDED at least 10 HD services, whether the programmer finally decided to offer it (i.e. American Heroes, the old Discovery Military) or a brand new addition (such as BBC World News or NHK World).  Before you answer, Uverse has consistently ADDED customers for the last four (and more) quarters, which means those customers left behind their local cable company or yanked the dish from their house.  Also keep in mind that Uverse is not a "monopoly" in their coverage areas, so it's not that customers don't have another choice especially if they DON'T want a dish on their house.

 

Your question cannot be boiled down to the simplicity of "bandwidth" as a solution.  There's much more to consider.  If the PQ is not up to your standards, Uverse has the 30-day period where you can cancel and return to DirecTV.

Contributor

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2 Messages

10 years ago

I had that problem when I swiched TV's.  My problem was that I was using my old coax cable between the uverse receiver and the new TV. Once I switched to an HDMI cable the quality issues cleared up.

Scholar

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276 Messages

10 years ago

Disagree Uverse just as good.

Scholar

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104 Messages

10 years ago

While I'm a U-Verse customer and have come to live with the HD quality it is technically impossible for the PQ to be "just as good" as Directv as directv mpeg4 streams are around 8-12megs with U-verse they are 6megs. There is no twisting or tweaking around this, it's just AT&T's bandwidth limitations. Some are perfecly fine with and adjust their standards and others simple can't take it. It's up to you to decide.

Tutor

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7 Messages

9 years ago

I'm late to this discussion but I just posted a similar thread about a half hour ago.

 

Even Netflix has better picture quality and between DirecTV and Netflix (and even blu ray) one comes to expect the same from the fiber.

 

Don't get me wrong, I think Uverse's video quality is very good (blows Xfinity out of the water), but not what I was used to or what I expected and I'm guessing that's the feeling of others posting about it.

Contributor

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3 Messages

8 years ago

It was explained to me, by the uverse tech, that the directv signal is of far better quality. My brother has diretv & his HD picture quality is night & day better than my uverse hd. Also, directv broadcasts in 4K now. No one else does other than Netflix.  I'm switching next week.

Contributor

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3 Messages

8 years ago

Directv's signal is on a fiber optic cable for faster delivery, thereby providing a better quality picture.

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

8 years ago


@jolorenzo wrote:

Directv's signal is on a fiber optic cable for faster delivery, thereby providing a better quality picture.


That must be some fiber optic cable coming down from the satellite to your home.

 

DIRECTV's 4K offering is an extremely limited selection of movies that it makes available to the handful of users who have compatible equipment.  It's nothing to get in anyway excited about.

 

Scholar

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375 Messages

8 years ago

Where in the world did you come up with that ?

DirecTV is delivered from a Satellite.

Do you really believe DirecTV has FIBER OPTIC CABLES comming ALL the way down to earth from a Satellite to everyone's house.

You are a good sucker for a salesman selling Covered Wagons !!!!

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