CDMA/GSM Voice Quality

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I have two kids in California. One has GSM
and the other CDMA. The CDMA is with
Sprint and the GSM ATTWS. If they are
both in a good signal area I can't tell the
difference. Of course GSM is mainly based
on TDMA. It's, "IMHOP," difficult to compare
two technologies, even in a lab. I think that
in some areas "GSM" will be better and in
others CDMA. Actually, based on about 12
years cellular use with several carriers, when
it comes to "understandability," old analog
sounds natural, but has many disadvantages,
of course. Regards

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

John wrote:
> My VZ phone is an LG4400 [..snip..] Would like integrated PDA

You do realise your VX4400 has all the following functionality?

- Phonebook/Contacts
- Calendar/Schedule
- Alarms
- Notes/To do list
- Voice notes
- Messaging/SMS
- Call history
- Web browser
- Calculator
- World clock
- Images and sounds

What exactly do you need a PDA for? I am only half joking :-)
It was actually all this functionality and my desire to integrate
it with my PC that led me to starting BitPim. I'll probably
just finish the VX4400 support at the time my phone croaks.

Roger

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On 9/8/04 11:08 PM, in article
9e812e3c.0409081908.4494df35@posting.google.com, "John" <jax@presidency.com>
wrote:

> I am really a bit stunned, I have had reason to use a GSM phone for
> the last week (Blackberry 7280 on ATT in metro DC) and the voice
> quality is just superb. I really thought I would be with Verizon for
> the long hall and now have to think about it. The VZ coverage is
> better – but is it that much better? I'm still not sure. Being able
> to hear the other party so clearly has its up sides also!
> I am also not sure about the effect of the Cingular/ATT merger. It
> still clearly prefers the ATT network even when there may be some
> better Cingular signal – this will probably change soon and
> Cingular+ATT will get better coverage (or perhaps I am just listening
> to sales hype).
> My VZ phone is an LG4400, one of the better ones. Has anyone else
> noted this voice quality issue? Could there be any other factors?

Yes - I've been with Verizon for 3 years, with a LG TM-510 and a T720. Both
have had Excellent voice quality within my area. Also, where I work, we use
Verizon for cellphones and it's not uncommon to use them extensively all the
time. They are mixes of Kyocera, Motorola, and Audiovox. In a quiet room,
all sound very good. However once the background noise or compression on
the cell increases, they all sound absolutely horrible. Most of the time,
they actually hurt my ears. Warbly coarse sound and it just overall sounds
horrible. The best are those with flips, Motorolas and LG.

However, I've been experiencing seriously declining service on both my work
cell phone and my personal phone (also was with VZ), so I started looking at
alternatives. Having tried GSM back in the Omnipoint days (and had decent
coverage) I was fine going back.

Picked up a T637 and signed 1 year with ATTWS (will convert to Cingular once
the merger goes through) as I was with them previously and had great
service. Well, let me tell you, the quality is a lot better. You do hear
more background noise with GSM, but your voice comes through loud and clear.
And it sounds very natural. No warbly coarse sound, just your normal voice.
A much better sounding system than CDMA, IMHO.

And ATTWS's coverage has been every bit as good as (actually better than)
Verizon's here in S. Central PA.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I agree with that. I have Cingular for work which uses GSM and the sound
quality is superb. There is background noise....as with any cellular service
but soon as you start talking or the other party, that all goes away with
crystal clear voice. Verizon, on the other hand does not do this. I get
loads of garble and packet loss because of the compression problems. Every
few minutes or so I'll get a very weird blurp, which lasts about a second
and when having a conversation with some one some one has to repeat what was
said of course. Hey, I'm back on Verizon now but always can be thrown back
on with Cingular again if things don't EVER get better. For those of you who
never tried a GSM phone or used one on a network, please try if you can.
You'll notice the difference pretty quickly.

"Sneaker Freak" <sneakerfreak@covad.net> wrote in message
news:BD668B48.3EB1%sneakerfreak@covad.net...
> On 9/8/04 11:08 PM, in article
> 9e812e3c.0409081908.4494df35@posting.google.com, "John"
> <jax@presidency.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I am really a bit stunned, I have had reason to use a GSM phone for
>> the last week (Blackberry 7280 on ATT in metro DC) and the voice
>> quality is just superb. I really thought I would be with Verizon for
>> the long hall and now have to think about it. The VZ coverage is
>> better - but is it that much better? I'm still not sure. Being able
>> to hear the other party so clearly has its up sides also!
>> I am also not sure about the effect of the Cingular/ATT merger. It
>> still clearly prefers the ATT network even when there may be some
>> better Cingular signal - this will probably change soon and
>> Cingular+ATT will get better coverage (or perhaps I am just listening
>> to sales hype).
>> My VZ phone is an LG4400, one of the better ones. Has anyone else
>> noted this voice quality issue? Could there be any other factors?
>
> Yes - I've been with Verizon for 3 years, with a LG TM-510 and a T720.
> Both
> have had Excellent voice quality within my area. Also, where I work, we
> use
> Verizon for cellphones and it's not uncommon to use them extensively all
> the
> time. They are mixes of Kyocera, Motorola, and Audiovox. In a quiet
> room,
> all sound very good. However once the background noise or compression on
> the cell increases, they all sound absolutely horrible. Most of the time,
> they actually hurt my ears. Warbly coarse sound and it just overall
> sounds
> horrible. The best are those with flips, Motorolas and LG.
>
> However, I've been experiencing seriously declining service on both my
> work
> cell phone and my personal phone (also was with VZ), so I started looking
> at
> alternatives. Having tried GSM back in the Omnipoint days (and had decent
> coverage) I was fine going back.
>
> Picked up a T637 and signed 1 year with ATTWS (will convert to Cingular
> once
> the merger goes through) as I was with them previously and had great
> service. Well, let me tell you, the quality is a lot better. You do hear
> more background noise with GSM, but your voice comes through loud and
> clear.
> And it sounds very natural. No warbly coarse sound, just your normal
> voice.
> A much better sounding system than CDMA, IMHO.
>
> And ATTWS's coverage has been every bit as good as (actually better than)
> Verizon's here in S. Central PA.
>

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Killer Madness" <killer@nospam.net> wrote in
news:KKs0d.9389$rf3.2953@fe36.usenetserver.com:

Verizon, on the other
> hand does not do this. I get loads of garble and packet loss because
> of the compression problems. Every few minutes or so I'll get a very
> weird blurp, which lasts about a second and when having a conversation
> with some one some one has to repeat what was said of course. Hey, I'm
> back on Verizon now but always can be thrown back on with Cingular

I've observed this has to do more with Verizon, at least in eastern SC,
than modulation schemes. I switched to Alltel because every 3rd Verizon
incoming call I got sounded like we were standing in the bottom of a
swimming pool trying to talk underwater so bad I'd have to return customer
phone calls, which were fine as outgoing calls.

Verizon denied any problem, as usual, blaming my defective V60i for
everything. My V60i was reprogrammed for Alltel and every incoming call is
as clear as a bell on the same CDMA modulation scheme Verizon uses. The
garble and packet losses is Verizon, not CDMA, it seems.

Cingular on 1900 Mhz with a poorly designed, minimal system isn't in the
same league, here. One only has to stand in the mall near the Cingular
kiosk on Saturday for a few minutes to listen to the vocal, irate customers
returning equipment to get an idea of their coverage area....(c;