Picture Quality on NFL Sunday Ticket

[Piratefan98]

I've been really disappointed in the picture quality of NFL Sunday Ticket. I have a 42" Panasonic Plasma EDTV, which I use to watch the Sunday Ticket games on standard definition Directv.

When I flip back and forth between source 1 (Directv football game), and source 2 (football game on my Adelphia cable), the cable is ALWAYS better quality. In fact, it's not even close. The AFC games on CBS, the NFC games on Fox, Sunday night game on NBC, Monday night game on ESPN, they ALL have better PQ than the lineup of Sunday games on Sunday Ticket.

When doing a signal test on my Directv receiver, I consistently get a strong 88-91 signal. Receiver is an older one ..... an RCA DRD435RH. Cable is provided by Adelphia. Just standard/basic cable. No HD.

Anyone know why Directv falls so short of cable on standard definition football game transmissions? And is there anything I can do (short of subscribing to HDTV packages) to close the gap? If my Directv could just "equal" my standard cable, I'd be happy as hell. To listen to Directv's ads, you'd think they were always superior to cable, but they sure aren't on Sunday Ticket NFL games.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Jeff

 

[Jimbo]

I've been really disappointed in the picture quality of NFL Sunday Ticket. I have a 42" Panasonic Plasma EDTV, which I use to watch the Sunday Ticket games on standard definition Directv.

When I flip back and forth between source 1 (Directv football game), and source 2 (football game on my Adelphia cable), the cable is ALWAYS better quality. In fact, it's not even close. The AFC games on CBS, the NFC games on Fox, Sunday night game on NBC, Monday night game on ESPN, they ALL have better PQ than the lineup of Sunday games on Sunday Ticket.

When doing a signal test on my Directv receiver, I consistently get a strong 88-91 signal. Receiver is an older one ..... an RCA DRD435RH. Cable is provided by Adelphia. Just standard/basic cable. No HD.

Anyone know why Directv falls so short of cable on standard definition football game transmissions? And is there anything I can do (short of subscribing to HDTV packages) to close the gap? If my Directv could just "equal" my standard cable, I'd be happy as hell. To listen to Directv's ads, you'd think they were always superior to cable, but they sure aren't on Sunday Ticket NFL games.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Jeff

IF you went to the HD signal you would not be having this discussion, but without HD..., D* has always had questionable SD, some channels look great while others look bad.
I don't know how the signal looks with an EDTV set, the HD will not look as good as the asctual HD either.

What type of connections are you using to get the signal to your TV form the D* receiver ?
Your receiver is kinda old, if you upgraded the receiver it might help too, newer technology

 

[scottie_h]

Outside of the hometown Vikes, if the game isn't in HD, I don't turn it on. And at this rate, that exception may disappear soon...

 

[Piratefan98]

I spoke with a Directv CSR last night, and almost hit my head when I heard their response.

They admitted to me that bandwidth/compression issues are resulting in this lack of detail/PQ on many channels.

According to the CSR, 2 new satellites are being launched in 2007 to help with this very problem .... and again according to her, will result in a 100% improvement to the compression/bandwidth issues.

We'll see.

Jeff

 

[FavreJL04]

That sounds like a passifying explanation.

 

[Green_Flea]

They admitted to me that bandwidth/compression issues are resulting in this lack of detail/PQ on many channels.

According to the CSR, 2 new satellites are being launched in 2007 to help with this very problem .... and again according to her, will result in a 100% improvement to the compression/bandwidth issues.

We'll see.

Jeff

Thats sad, considering how much they charge for sunday ticket. And once the new sats launch they will probly jack the price even higher.

 

[Mtnmike]

EDTV is the bulk of your problem.

 

[Piratefan98]

EDTV is the bulk of your problem.

No it's not.

My EDTV looks perfectly fine, crisp, and detailed on all other football games carried by my Adelphia cable (Fox-NFC, CBS-AFC, plus Sunday NBC and Monday ESPN). They all look great. In fact, 95% of my cable channels look really good on my EDTV. DvD's look really good on my EDTV too. But my Sunday Ticket lineup looks like compressed crap.

The problem is DTV Sunday Ticket compression, not my TV.

Also, the more I read this board and others (avsforums, etc), it's clear that tons of people (with all types of TV's) are having this same Sunday ticket experience.

Jeff

 

[randyk47]

If the games I want to watch off NFLST are in HD I watch them on my Sony SXRD without a problem. If they're SD then I switch to a Sony CRT TV as the picture quality is better. Never have been told or figured out the difference but that's actually true pretty much across the board for any HD versus SD broadcast.

 

[dishcomm]

I've been really disappointed in the picture quality of NFL Sunday Ticket. I have a 42" Panasonic Plasma EDTV, which I use to watch the Sunday Ticket games on standard definition Directv.

When I flip back and forth between source 1 (Directv football game), and source 2 (football game on my Adelphia cable), the cable is ALWAYS better quality. In fact, it's not even close. The AFC games on CBS, the NFC games on Fox, Sunday night game on NBC, Monday night game on ESPN, they ALL have better PQ than the lineup of Sunday games on Sunday Ticket.

When doing a signal test on my Directv receiver, I consistently get a strong 88-91 signal. Receiver is an older one ..... an RCA DRD435RH. Cable is provided by Adelphia. Just standard/basic cable. No HD.

Anyone know why Directv falls so short of cable on standard definition football game transmissions? And is there anything I can do (short of subscribing to HDTV packages) to close the gap? If my Directv could just "equal" my standard cable, I'd be happy as hell. To listen to Directv's ads, you'd think they were always superior to cable, but they sure aren't on Sunday Ticket NFL games.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Jeff

The age of your reciver and the type of connection you are using factor into PQ...If you are using composite(RCA cables) get rid of them and use the S-video....RCA delivers the lowest picture quality..Even lower PQ than coax.....
Is your cable and satellite di plexed on the same line?....
You may want upgrade that relic of a reciver you have..No offense intended....

 

[Piratefan98]

The age of your reciver and the type of connection you are using factor into PQ...If you are using composite(RCA cables) get rid of them and use the S-video....RCA delivers the lowest picture quality..Even lower PQ than coax.....
Is your cable and satellite di plexed on the same line?....
You may want upgrade that relic of a reciver you have..No offense intended....

Thanks Dishcomm.

To answer your question .... Yes, I use S-Video out of my receiver. And no, my cable and satellite are not diplexed. The Adelphia cable comes right out of the wall and plugs directly into my tv. The Directv satellite comes into the house, to the receiver, and then to my TV via S-video cable (video) and RCA cables (audio).

Is there a particular receiver that you'd recommend? The only thing I get from Directv is NFL Sunday Ticket (I don't subscribe to any programming package because I'm really happy with my cable system). Since I only use Directv on 17 Sundays per year, I wouldn't want to spend a fortune on a new receiver .... but am certainly willing to upgrade if you think that would help. If I were to get a new one, is it as simple as pulling the card out of the other and putting it in the new one? Sorry for so many questions.

Jeff

 

[bwaldron]

I don't know how the signal looks with an EDTV set, the HD will not look as good as the asctual HD either.

The Panny ED plasmas are superb performers with both SD and HD sources. No, it's not true HD, but the difference is really not noticeable past 8-10 feet.

DirecTV's SD quality (especially for sports) is pretty awful these days, and indeed will look worse on any decent set than a good cable feed.

 

[dishcomm]

Thanks Dishcomm.

To answer your question .... Yes, I use S-Video out of my receiver. And no, my cable and satellite are not diplexed. The Adelphia cable comes right out of the wall and plugs directly into my tv. The Directv satellite comes into the house, to the receiver, and then to my TV via S-video cable (video) and RCA cables (audio).

Is there a particular receiver that you'd recommend? The only thing I get from Directv is NFL Sunday Ticket (I don't subscribe to any programming package because I'm really happy with my cable system). Since I only use Directv on 17 Sundays per year, I wouldn't want to spend a fortune on a new receiver .... but am certainly willing to upgrade if you think that would help. If I were to get a new one, is it as simple as pulling the card out of the other and putting it in the new one? Sorry for so many questions.

Jeff

A base model( DTV D-11) will do..My friend just bought one on -line for $25 including shpping..She got it in two days...She hooked it up herself and I helped her through the set up process which she handled mostly by herself...
Just check the web and you'll find deals everywhere...

 

[Piratefan98]

A base model( DTV D-11) will do..My friend just bought one on -line for $25 including shpping..She got it in two days...She hooked it up herself and I helped her through the set up process which she handled mostly by herself...
Just check the web and you'll find deals everywhere...

Okay, last question, I swear .......

Like your friend, I found several sources online for the D-11 receiver. Looks like getting one will be easy. What I'm wondering is ... do I need to contact Directv when I buy a new receiver to let them know .... do they need to know any specs from it, etc. Or, will I just replace the old with the new, put the card from the old one in the new one, and go thru the setup procedure. Thanks again, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeff

 

[randyk47]

Maybe this is the wrong thread but I noticed a bit of conversation above about the use of S-video. I recently dumped my S-video connections and went with high quality component cables. Not quite as neat....the back of my theater stack looks like an old telephone switchboard.....but I was in a local upscale audio-video store and the folks there maintained to the man that S-video will not pass an HD signal. It's not the cable, it's the electronics according to them. True?

 

[dishcomm]

Okay, last question, I swear .......

Like your friend, I found several sources online for the D-11 receiver. Looks like getting one will be easy. What I'm wondering is ... do I need to contact Directv when I buy a new receiver to let them know .... do they need to know any specs from it, etc. Or, will I just replace the old with the new, put the card from the old one in the new one, and go thru the setup procedure. Thanks again, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeff

Hook it up..Go thru the easy 9 step setup..Let the box download info..Call DTV Give make model, receiver ID #, Card #..And no you do not take the card from an other reciver on your account and place it in the new one...If you intend on not using the current box make sure you tell the D* csr to deactivate it....It's that simple..Oh, yhey will ask where you purchased the new box from..The reatiler needs you to give thta info so they can get paid the residuals..That's only fair to them..Afer all, the retailker must buy the EQ and the distributor requires the EQ be activated in a certain time period..Otherwise the distributor back charges the retailer fo rthe EQ...This is a very simple process..Fear not.