HD Subs are so screwed by compression... Operators like D*/E* must be LOL

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Sean Mota

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Sep 8, 2003
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Not So High on High Definition
MultiChannel News [FONT=verdana,sans-serif][SIZE=-2]Sat, 16 Dec 2006 7:17 AM PST[/SIZE][/FONT]
A pretty tough crowd hangs out at AVSForum.com. Tough as in tough to please.

Please read the above article and you will feel so cheated... Yes it is what we have known for months.... check the last statement 45mbp :eek:
 
Didn't Mark Cuban post here at this site that he has no problem with "HD Lite" ?? I guess they'll take customer numbers over picture quality....
 
A very good article.

Unfortunately, too many HDTV owners are perfectly satisfied with HD-lite.

It is too bad the author didn't seem to be aware of DBS and cable providers actually down-rezzing the images.

And I had to laugh more than once - like when VOOM said they had minimum standards written into their contract. Those must be very minimal standards.
 
This article seems to have a liberal/wealth envy slant to it: "And if that happens, the wealthy subscribers who've spent thousands of dollars on an HDTV set may be inclined to part ways with their cable service, if the signals they receive aren't high-definition enough. " and "Well-heeled consumers unboxing their HDTV sets under the Christmas tree will expect to be wowed."
Like we are some sort of super rich elitist because we own a HDTV!I'm middle class.My best friend down the street is super cheap and in the last two weeks finally purchased two HDTV's. A 32" and a 42". Also 15% of the American households with HDTV's is alot of people.
 
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The price of a HDTV has fallen below what the price of the same size SD screen set sold for 10 years ago.

A large selection of many HD sets can now be found for less than $1000.
 
That's true for ESPN. It transmits its high-definition channels at 19.3 Mbps and carriage agreements “generally require” that distributors carry the signal unaltered, according to Rebecca Gertsmark, director of communications for the sports network.
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E* definitly doesn't carry it at 19.3. So what does E* carry it at the PQ has been down grading the past few weeks.
 
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Not all broadcasts "need" the full 19.x bandwidth. Also, the bandwidth is variable so it depends when that snapshot was taken.
 
"Cable networks and broadcasters that are in a position to make such demands — including The Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN — require distributors to carry high-definition channels at about 19.4 Mbps each, according to executives at operators and equipment vendors."

If this is true, ESPN is not enforcing it with the D* and E* because they are both transmitting well below 14.0 Mbps.
 
Yeah good read but until most of the TV Networks buy better hardware so forth it will be awhile before things change. Yes the HD that is out there could be better but it's better than nothing at all. Overall everyone wants better PQ or more content but like I said we will half to wait on the networks to upgrade things on their end.
 
Poke said:
Overall everyone wants better PQ or more content but like I said we will half to wait on the networks to upgrade things on their end.
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Sorry, you've got it backwards. The networks and tv stations have the equipment to transmit full HD, i.e. up to 19.x Mb/s. It's the cable companies and satellite providers, including Dish, who don't have the capacity to send it on to us at full bitrate.
 
I think most providers have bandwidth to provide full HD but choose not to on the assumption that we won't notice the difference (which is probally true for most) and they have to save bandwith for new channels, which seems to be a race to see who has more HD channles! I think as more people get HD and get more educated on what real HD is and what true HD can look like, then quality will will be the big ticket not how many they have!
 
Tom Bombadil said:
A very good article.

Unfortunately, too many HDTV owners are perfectly satisfied with HD-lite.

It is too bad the author didn't seem to be aware of DBS and cable providers actually down-rezzing the images.

And I had to laugh more than once - like when VOOM said they had minimum standards written into their contract. Those must be very minimal standards.
Click to expand...

The problem with most customers is they haven't seen a true HD signal. Those demo's in the stores rarely even have a HD signal. Unless you have a reference to compare to, you don't know what you're actually losing out on.
 
cybertrip said:
The problem with most customers is they haven't seen a true HD signal. Those demo's in the stores rarely even have a HD signal. Unless you have a reference to compare to, you don't know what you're actually losing out on.
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This is true, but more and more stores have HD DVD and/or Blu-Ray players hooked up as stand alones to sell these new machines. This should make it easier for people to see what *real* hd should look like. I don't know who will when that battle, but at least it will help educate consumers on what a great picture is supposed to look like.
 
hall said:
Sorry, you've got it backwards. The networks and tv stations have the equipment to transmit full HD, i.e. up to 19.x Mb/s. It's the cable companies and satellite providers, including Dish, who don't have the capacity to send it on to us at full bitrate.
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With multicasting so prevalent, most affiliates don't give their HD channel the full bitrate either. Starved at the source, starved at the outlet too.
 
Also most if not all HDTV's come calibrated to look good in the show room and not in your home. Such a small percentage even get their set calibrated or try doing it themselves. Makes you wonder how many even touch the settings at all thinking they are probably "set right" out of the box. Most would think that the 46" Sony XBR2 lcd for $3600 would be calibrated out of the box to show perfect HD and SD in your home!

No calibration + HD-Lite is just giving HD a bad name.
 

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