Is the picture quality of high-definition satellite and cable TV signals as good as that of over-the-air HD broadcasts?
All three of these high-def signal types provide excellent picture quality — dramatically clearer and more detailed than standard DVDs and other video sources. All three types are digital video formats which use “data compression” for more efficient use of broadcast bandwidth. Compression reduces the amount of picture data being sent, so all other things being equal, more compression will reduce picture quality. Typically, over-the-air broadcasts use less compression than either satellite or cable TV signals, and in side-by-side comparisons, over-the-air HD nearly always looks noticeably sharper and cleaner. back to top Q: I just bought an HDTV and now I want a better DVD player. Should I get an upconverting player or a Blu-ray player? A: An upconverting DVD player converts regular DVD video to a resolution — like 720p, 1080i or 1080p — that more closely matches the screen resolution of HDTVs. The picture looks noticeably sharper than a regular DVD player, but it’s not really high-def
