Sky HD versus Telewest HD
Ok, so it is very early doors and in no way a scientific comparison, but here's a few thoughts about the merits of HD via satellite and cable.
Programming
Sky is clearly in the lead here as it has eight full HD channels. At the moment Telewest has just a smattering of video on demand footage. What could give cable a lead is if it took all Sky's HD channels - it certainly has enough bandwidth to do this. It could then continue to offer the Channel Four/ITV programming it has signed up like Desperate Housewives and ITV's World Cup footy. It might also be able to grab other footage for its on demand Teleport service.
So Sky is way out in front at the moment, but don't rule out exciting HD news from cable.
Picture quality
Again a bit tricky to judge given the limited amount of HD footage Telewest has screened. I'd say that Sky has the edge at the moment. There is less picture noise, better contrast levels and notably less picture judder. The Telewest pics are however more colorful and have a 3D-like quality.
The boxes
There's a direct comparison of the TVDrive and the Sky+ old unit here. Suffice to say though that even with the new Sky box little has changed. Sky now has the edge in terms of storage - offering 300 Gigabytes to the TV Drive's 160 (although only 160 Gig of the Sky box is available to the user at the moment), it is also easier to use than the TVDrive. However the little extras the TVDrive has - like being able to play a channel while the user browses the menu system - means it might attract a few more TV obsessives.
The packages
This is a fairly simple comparison at the moment. If you want to commit to HD go for Sky's satellite package. If you prefer to dabble and watch a little HD now and then the TVDrive is the better bet.
