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I recorded a 3 hour x-mas concert and it took 17.3 GB on my hard drive and the same program through E* it was like 5 GB. The sound through OTA was full and very clear and E* was sort of flat, both on 5.1 DD.
As pointed out size of the recording tells you nothing other than it was recording two different Codecs. I don't hear a sound difference going through my audio receiver via HDMI.
That said, I have long said I see virtually no difference between OTA and satellite locals, and I no longer say that. It's very possible since they rearranged the locals this started. I do see what others do, but much more with locals than say History or A&E or HBO. From my viewing distance of 10' or so from a 55" screen it's not always easy to see but can be, but a little closer and no doubt faces are less defined on locals. It was not this way in Ct before.
It's also worth noting OTA is not pristine either sometimes. The more subchannels, even in SD, the more it takes from the bandwidth. The Ct. CBS recently dropped a subchannel, before I knew that I thought the picture looked better, crisper. So there's more to it than just what Dish does.
I do see the OTA channels have deteriorated. Not to the point of ruining watching if you are at what most people will be for a viewing distance, but lets hope it does not get worse.