Actually, some of the providers (Comcast at least) has a combo HD/Tivo box, which is pretty damn good PQ. I have a Fujitsu Plasma with the combo box. The only downside for now is that its a single tuner box, but Comcast is rolling out a dual tuner replacement soon (or so they say, their techs are beta testing them now). I dropped Directv and have not regretted it. Some cable providers will give you a $25/mo credit for 16 months for trading in your sat box. Biggest advantage, IMO on cable is better refresh times on guide and info, as well as no issues with bad weather affecting availability. If you are a Maine- iac, then snow/ice on the dish and heavy snow in the air does affect availability of the Sat signal.
Going HD - Should I dump DirectTV?
I am about to make the leap to HD with a plasma. It seems that cable options are better for HD, with just as much programming plus the locals without having to go through the hassle of an over-the-air antenna. The only sports package I get is the MLB extra innings, which is also available via cable. I have seen a couple of threads on the AVS forum about DirectTV adding satelites, requiring a bigger additional dish, etc. The only thing I am unsure about is Tivo. Is Tivo available for non HD on cable? It seems like cable is a better option for HD right now? Any help is appreciated.