CableCard vs. New TV Streaming Options - Quality Comparison

[joelkirzner]

I've had a WMC running for well over a decade now, coupled with cablecards inside ATI, Ceton, and SiliconDust tuners to watch Comcast TV.

Recently, I tested out various streaming options from Xfinity Stream, DirectTV Now, and YouTube TV.
I was hoping that maybe I could finally ditch my bundle with Comcast and go with a slimmer down channel package.

All three of these services just don't seem to produce the same quality image via Chrome that WMC 7 does with a CableCard.
What I notice the most is the choppiness, especially with a ticker bar on the news channels like CNN, Fox, etc. it's just not as smooth video as WMC.
Both IE and Chrome produce the same results.
My main HTPC is an Alienware Alpha with Nvidia discrete graphics. I don't think it's a graphics driver issues.

I also have similar quality issues with two other laptops.

I'm hesitant to ditch the cablecard route because it really is the optimal quality/DVR/navigation experience for me.

Has anyone else tried out the streaming options?

[adam1991]

Do you watch the pixels or the story?

Frankly, when I ditched cable TV I went to OTA (switched over seamlessly to the antenna, no loss of programmed network shows) and Netflix/Hulu. Added Amazon later. I watch the content, not the pixels, so I don't know what's what in that regard.

I also have PSVue. But I don't really watch it much. I did watch the three big cable news networks for the two hurricanes; I didn't notice any particular artifacts.

[jachin99]

Someone did a PQ comparison between a PC and the Nvidea shield, and the PC won no contest. The streaming sites have to compress their content quite a bit to fit within common network bandwidth restrictions. WMC for me has been the only thing that matches or beats a cable box's reliability. With Tubecore, I can still get streaming content to play reliably also so I get the best of both.

[joelkirzner]

After hooking my HTPC to a LG 4K OLED, I'm definitely watching the pixels, then the story.

I think I'll stick with WMC and Silicondust with cablecards.
I also enjoy the Ceton My Media Center app on my phone to control things, as well as a harmony remote.

I don't know how you can easily change channels with any of the streaming options other than using a keyboard.

WMC is still a richer, higher quality viewing experience, even after all these years.
It's even better than the latest Xfinity X1 box and new guides and menus. I have one of those boxes on my account and it's so sluggish.
I only use the X1 for on-demand shows that, as we all know, the cablecard 1-way authorization in WMC can not do.

This article sums up how I feel:
https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-built-a-c ... 1709322190

[adam1991]

I don't know how you can easily change channels with any of the streaming options other than using a keyboard.

?????

The OTT pay TV providers such as Sling, PSVue, et al.? Those options?

You view them via something like Amazon's Fire TV, which has a remote and for which the providers program a living room interface.

[jdlive]

My FiOS contract expired and I took a look at switching to YouTubeTV or PS Vue, but bottom line was they didn't really save me a whole lot of money along with the lower quality you noted (also a lack of 5.1 surround sound in many cases). So I was able to negotiate a reasonable renewal with them and signed up with Verizon again. Maybe next time...

[joelkirzner]

My FiOS contract expired and I took a look at switching to YouTubeTV or PS Vue, but bottom line was they didn't really save me a whole lot of money along with the lower quality you noted (also a lack of 5.1 surround sound in many cases). So I was able to negotiate a reasonable renewal with them and signed up with Verizon again. Maybe next time...

FIOS is about to be turned on in my neighborhood... finally. I'm going to dump Comcast and sign up for the $79.99/ month introductory deal.

If you do the math, it does end up costing you a bunch to just have internet and then add hulu, Netflix, Amazon etc.

I know Comcast internet without a bundle is $74.95/ month for performance speed.