Why is my picture so bad?

Question

I just bought a HDTV and i have regular Directv service. I am surprised at how terrible the quality of picture is. It's blotchy and not visually appealing. I realize that I dont have HD Directv yet, but why does it look so terrible?

Answer 1

It's a shame, but your HD tv is so good that it actually makes the digital pictures just look average.  Except for sports which really suck unless they are HD broadcasts.  

The cable companies do us a real disservice!!!

Answer 2

This sounds bad. Is it hooked up right? How do you have it hooked up? Is it with the composite or component cables? If you are using the regular coax cable then I would eliminate that. HD TVs are set up to work best with the composite cables, these look like regular RCA cables but are built for HD TVs. Use the AUX or EXT inputs. This way the TV does not have to be on any specific channel. Good Luck!