My email to TNT about TNT HD lack of quality

[teachsac]

Yeah,

I talked to someone in engineering today. They are going to look into the sync issue to see whose end it is on. Like I said, Deep Blue Sea was out of sync, MI:2 was fine. We'll see what they do with Manchurian Candidate. I would rather watch something cropped/formatted for 16:9 than something stretched out. Makes me nauseated when the camera scans. Of course I would rather see everything in OAR.

S~

 

[dfergie]

Knock off the flaming this isn't the pit...

 

[teachsac]

As for equipment, I doubt either of you knew that TNT-HD Audio bitrate was higher than any of the other HD Channels - and just because your equipment does not handle audio bitrates other than 384kbps efficiently and creates a lag, that doesn't mean its true for everyone's equipment.

Like I said, you don't know what equipment either of us have. And yes, mine can. quite nicely. Isn't that the point is to try to get a company toshow true high definition? Wouldn't that be best for everyone no matter who you subscribe through?

S~

 

[MyDogHasFleas]

I am a Time Warner Cable customer (Austin) with a good HD set (new Sharp 52" 1080p box). TNT HD does, in fact, show a significant number of movies and TV shows in "stretch-o-vision". It's not just Dish.

I really don't understand why they can't take a movie which was obviously filmed in a lot better quality than 480i and convert it to 1080i when they uplink it. I guess they must be trying to save money on satellite uplink charges? Or something?

However, I have not seen any audio lag problems (or should I say heard), and I do have a 5.1 system connected to my SA 8300 box with a toslink cable.

I will also say (as an NBA fan) that TNT has the best PQ and audio quality for NBA games in HD, without a doubt. And they carry ALL their games in HD (unlike ESPN).

 

[teachsac]

I agree, what they do show in HD is quite good. I enjoy the NBA games and the movies they don't stretch. As for audio sync, not frequent, but it does happen. Could be E*'s problem, might not be. The OP's comment was that viewers would like to see everything unstretched. I agree.

S~

Edit:

Subs from other providers are reporting lipsync issues as well including TWC, Comcast, Verizon. A whole string of posts for the last week over at AVS. Doesn't show up on every show. Watching "Manchurian Candidate" now and it is fine. MI:2 was fine. Deep Blue Sea was not.

 

[s8ist]

Just concerns, but I'm sure they'll file it in their weekend bonfire.

 

[TNGTony]

I have TNT HD via cable and Dish now. Dish and Cable look exactly the same with the same sound issue and the same stretch-o-vision. It is not my audio system because all I have to do is change the channel to any other HD channel on cable or satellite and it's fixed! TNT isn't the only channel with audio issues, but it is the one that most consistently has audio issues!

But what REALLY makes the channel unwatchable (I hate that word, but there is no apt synonym) for me is the stretch-o-vision they INSIST on putting on their 4x3 programming. It is just unfathomable how they can do this and have the balls to call their channel an HD channel!

See ya
Tony

 

[jmel]

I'm glad you were able to talk to someone teachsac... was this a person at tnt engineering?

I can't understand how any tnt viewer can come in here and say that there aren't problems, and that it must be my equipment, when they don't know me from Adam.

I hope that there's a good reason they have been half arsing it, and that they will try to display in the OAR and fix whatever sync issues they have.

Personally, I think it's because they are taking a short cut when displaying movies and tv shows, and running certain programs out of the same box or something, and just adding an post processing effect to stretch the picture for the hd channel. The audio is not in sync because they leave it for standard definition. I say this because I notice there is a setting on the 622 even to sync audio for high def or standard def, so perhaps they are just trying to run everything out of a single setup if possible...

 

[teachsac]

I'm glad you were able to talk to someone teachsac... was this a person at tnt engineering?

I can't understand how any tnt viewer can come in here and say that there aren't problems, and that it must be my equipment, when they don't know me from Adam.

I hope that there's a good reason they have been half arsing it, and that they will try to display in the OAR and fix whatever sync issues they have.

Personally, I think it's because they are taking a short cut when displaying movies and tv shows, and running certain programs out of the same box or something, and just adding an post processing effect to stretch the picture for the hd channel. The audio is not in sync because they leave it for standard definition. I say this because I notice there is a setting on the 622 even to sync audio for high def or standard def, so perhaps they are just trying to run everything out of a single setup if possible...

Morning,

My contacts are in Dish engineering (not tech support). He is going to follow up on it with the appropriate people and get back to me. SInce other subs from other providers are having the lipsync issue also, it is something in TNT's domain. However, being in engineering, he will have better luck working with TNT than any of us would have trying to contact them.

S~

 

[jmel]

Oh I agree... thanks for your assistance and your contacts' assistance as well. I like some of TNT's programming, its just a shame (as I said in my email), that their issues are so distracting that I can't watch it sometimes.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I have TNT HD via cable and Dish now. Dish and Cable look exactly the same with the same sound issue and the same stretch-o-vision. It is not my audio system because all I have to do is change the channel to any other HD channel on cable or satellite and it's fixed!

So you switch off the channel with the 448Kbps audio bitrate to a 384kbps audio bitrate and its fixed...hmmmmm

TNT isn't the only channel with audio issues, but it is the one that most consistently has audio issues!

I have never had an audio issue with TNT-HD after the first 90 days of its launch - and again - that was because the cable system had not properly dealt with its higher audio bitrate. I have TNT-HD from 4 sources and have never had a sync issue.

Most home equipment is expecting 384kbps and as home equipment is not running a gps enabled master clock for precise timing among all the equipment as is done at the studio side, the 448kbps throws the sync off on TNT-HD on a number of outboard decoders with poor timing. That is why some of the new models allow you to adjust the timing of the audio to match the video to compensate for the different audio/video paths and timing.

But what REALLY makes the channel unwatchable (I hate that word, but there is no apt synonym) for me is the stretch-o-vision they INSIST on putting on their 4x3 programming. It is just unfathomable how they can do this and have the balls to call their channel an HD channel!

Which is why I won't keep watching any programming using stretch-o-vision - because I see fat people - but I understand their corporate decisions why they do it to fill the screen.

 

[teachsac]

Just talked to engineering. There is an issue with Lipsync. TNT is aware of it and is addressing the issue.

S~

 

[jmel]

no teachsac, it's us remember? just like HDTV fanatic said!

It couldnt possibly be them!

In all seriousness, thanks for the update, I'm glad to know they are looking into it.

I'd still like to hear about the stretching too, it's bad policy.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Just talked to engineering. There is an issue with Lipsync. TNT is aware of it and is addressing the issue.

S~

Sure there is.....and there is a man in the moon.....and NASA is investigating it....will you hang the phone up now so we deal with other issues that are real?

 

[dfergie]

HDTVFanAtic, How would most folks know unless they have more than 1 provider, give the man a break....

 

[tjwgrr]

Let's stage a protest against TNT-HD in front of one of Ted & Jane's mansions. Maybe we can even find a TNT flag and burn it!!! !protest

 

[teachsac]

Sure there is.....and there is a man in the moon.....and NASA is investigating it....will you hang the phone up now so we deal with other issues that are real?

hmm... you are the one that keeps coming back. This problem has been reported extensively in another thread at AVS since March 5th across multiple providers including comcast, verizon, etc. Hadn't had any problems prior to that.

"The TNTHD issue is actually being received by Dish Network from TNT with this problem. We have sent a letter off to their Vice President and have had correspondence back from their Engineering department indicating that they are actively troubleshooting this problem. As far as the A&E HD issue we have scheduled upgrades for this channel in the very near future. This will change the A/V quality of this station going forward. Let us know what you see beginning next week."

XXXXXX XXXXXX
Program Manager, ETC Software Engineering
TN: 303 XXX-XXXX

 

[jmel]

He's just a troll, doing what trolls do. I am just ignoring the guy now.

 

[primetimeguy]

I asked the question about the different bit rates causing audio sync issues over on AVS. Someone there reported FOX uses the same bit rate as TNT, and I have no issues with FOX. So not sure who to believe at this point.

 

[teachsac]

I asked the question about the different bit rates causing audio sync issues over on AVS. Someone there reported FOX uses the same bit rate as TNT, and I have no issues with FOX. So not sure who to believe at this point.

They do. Our Fox40 runs 448K. No problems with their audio either. Amazing how their live feed of the NBA and postgame shows were perfectly in sync, but when they went to commercial, it was out of sync again.

S~