Cable music channels --- compressed ??

[redrabbit]

I just had Cable installed with a high def STB (Set Top Box, Motorola DCT6200).

The Cable music channels....what do you think the standard resolution is ??
The STB box has audio outputs....analog, coax spdif, optical spdif.
I've searched the net with no luck. The Cable box manual gives no specs, nor does the cable provider (Time Warner, Los Angeles).
If my computer was closer, I could run the spdif cable through my RME soundcard, and the app. DigiCheck might tell me, but I'd need 30 feet of spdif cable to do that....but won't tell me what resolution the cable provider is sending, vs what additional formating the box might be doing.

The music is being played over my quality 2 channel audio system, taken fron the Box's analog outs. To me the sound is nice, clear, if not too clear and punchy/foreward....like it is compressed....hard to find the lower midrange, if you know what I mean.

Any clue ?

=RR=

[SY]

I don't know officially, but the stuff we get over cable/satellite sounds squished down beyond belief. I can use it for Muzak when we're having a dinner party, but for actual listening... it's really annoying.

[zacster]

I have DirecTV and the XM music channels are compressed to the point where you can barely tell what is being played. Before the switch to XM, they had MusicChoice which was better to my ears, but still compressed. At least MC sounded like music.

[KP11520]

Maybe it's not worth it to try to make this source (although convenient) musical. Have you looked into HD FM? That might be more satisfying.
I don't kinow for sure but it might be a general rule that anything from Broadband (TV, web-site radio, etc.) is probably compressed like a diamond. It took a long time to put all the air and ambiance back into CDs (some say vinyl is still superior) when they were first introduced. It will take even longer to make hyper-compressed broadband and MP3 stuff (MP3 is about 1/3 of the information I believe) compare to Vinyl and quality CD players of today.

Pursue HD Radio, IMO at least you will feel satisfied after investing time and money! Good luck and let me know how you make out.

Regardfs//Keith

[redrabbit]

The two FM stations I listen to the most, are indeed broadcasting in HD......but , reception is my problem. I can barely recieve them in mono now.
Maybe in the meantime, to make myself feel better, I'll put a sticker on my FM tuner.....

Mono : On Demand




I called my cable provider...and asked about the format/resolution the music was.....they had no idea what I was talking about, he said, "um...it's digital ?"

=RR=

[KP11520]

That's like:

A. It's Digital man!

But it sounds terrible!

See: A

What a shame when the provider gives you that dumb, blank, stare.

I recently read a lot about FM antennas before buying one and no matter how good the tuner is, It is useless sometimes (even in the city near the radio station) without the right antenna(s) tuned for the situation.

I think HD Radio requires a special Tuner. They may broadcast on the in-between channels (All stations are on odd numbers 101.1, etc.). HD might use the even numbers. From what I have read about it, it also needs (depending on your conditions) a very deliberate antenna system. (Do a search on HDRadio Antennas). The people who have sucess with HD radio say they will never use anything else! Magnum Dynalab makes very good Tuners and some Antennas.

Check it out!

Regards//Keith

[peufeu]

- Cable bandwitdh is finite
- The more channels you put, the more money you get

=> compress to death

It's probably some lossy data compression (AAC maybe, or even MP2) with data rates suited to listening on TVs and boomboxes (ie. I'd bet on 96kbps, lousy) and über-compressed to remove any hint of dynamic range like anything on radio these days.

Internet radio is a better bet, you can find good ones, especially the ones not made by professionnals are unlikely to use too much dynamic range compression.