We had our cable switched to digital two years ago when I lived in another part of town. It was a much better picture than we had before the change. When I moved to New Rochelle, two years ago, we still have the old cable system here and the picture quality is quite poor comparatively. I really miss the higher clarity of the digital cable, I hope we get upgraded here soon. I would go with the new system, especially with a great set like your Sony XBR, you will get a less grainy, very sharp picture, worth the cost if you watch a lot of tv or just enjoy a quality picture when you do.