Digital is not always better (Score 1)

While cable companies do list channels and items being in "digital tiers" I think it is important not to get confused and caught up with Analog vs. Digital. Digital isn't always better, despite what cable companies might try to make you believe.

Believe it or not some videophiles (people who spend a lot of time and money on TVs and video equipment) prefer analog video to digital. Much like many audio enthusiasts prefer vinyl to CDs because to them vinyl has a much smoother/fluid quality.

I agree in principal with Lauren's argument that for the best possible video signal the fewer times it is converted/scaled the better. But, when looking at many of the Cable Channels offered in Digital Tiers, C-SPAN, DIY, Style, Fashion, Vs., .... these channels and programs are originally shot in analog. Whether the cable company chooses to send them to your home Analog (NTSC) or Digital (QAM) doesn't really matter. Because the original program/source is analog, you're not getting any additional information with the Digital version of the channel. In fact Cable companies often use the Digital (QAM) scheme to their advantage to compress (Degrade) the signal to squeeze more channels into a smaller space.

The main thing you should be concerned with to get the best Picture Quality from your cable company is the Signal Strength. It sounds like Lauren might have a problem with her signal strength which will affect analog channels more than digital channels. Have the cable installer check your signal strength, and if necessary they can probably add a signal amplifier or replace the connection at the junction box.

Truth be told, a strong signal analog channel should be just as good, if not better, than its digital counterpart.

High Def is a whole different story...

Brooks Flynn Philips Consumer Electronics