My First "Through The Window Effect" on Voom

[DarrellP]

OK, so it wasn't a Voom channel, but it was a Voom stb. Last night I watched The Cringely HD Crash Course on PBS and the PQ was simply astounding. I thought I would switch over to DVI and compare and "Oh My GOD!" The PQ is the best I have EVER seen on my PJ, it was literally like looking through a window!

I've tried DVI several times on Voom, including my OTA channels and this is the first time that it blew me away. Even HDNET has never looked this clear and sharp. I wish all HD could look like this, the picture was like the link that was posted yesterday about the European HD, it was that good.

 

[riffjim4069]

The local DC PBS used to have quite a bit of WOW material...but then came multicasting and it hasn't been the same. It sure is a wonderful feeling when HD is done RIGHT...and not LITE!

Disclaimer: My use of WOW is in no way a reference to the term coined on the Opie & Anthony Show.

 

[PGHammer]

WETA-HD and current programming

The local DC PBS used to have quite a bit of WOW material...but then came multicasting and it hasn't been the same. It sure is a wonderful feeling when HD is done RIGHT...and not LITE!

Disclaimer: My use of WOW is in no way a reference to the term coined on the Opie & Anthony Show.

Check WETA-HD (the DIGITAL subchannel: 26.1) in the post-PT and overnight hours (especially Virginia Reel, which WETA produces). Virginia Reel is what PBS HD programming *aspires to*, but rarely is, in terms of PQ.
I pick up WETA (all four channels of it) OTA (via the indoor SilverSensor clone included with my ATI HDTV Wonder), despite my being almost twenty miles from their lower-powered (and temporary) Rosslyn, VA home. Whenever I watch HD programming on WETA, I look for the *source* of said programming. While WNET and WGBH do a lot of good *SD* PBS programming, neither has managed to catch up to WETA when it comes to the HD programming side of PBS.

 

[rkr0923]

OK, I'm confused...DarrellP says "Even HDNET has never looked this clear and sharp". Is this on Voom?
Then riffjim4069 says "It sure is a wonderful feeling when HD is done RIGHT...and not LITE!" which I'm sure he is referring to what some call DirectvHD.

 

[riffjim4069]

OK, I'm confused...DarrellP says "Even HDNET has never looked this clear and sharp". Is this on Voom?
Then riffjim4069 says "It sure is a wonderful feeling when HD is done RIGHT...and not LITE!" which I'm sure he is referring to what some call DirectvHD.

I am just concurring with Darrell. I have never had D*, but a quite a number of their subscribers have reported PQ issues recently. However, there is plenty of HD-Lite available on VOOM (some Exclusives), OTA (multicasting) and Cable (13Mps per HD channel) - the HDNETs and INHDs on cable offer no better HD experience than VOOMs HDNews, Rave, Gallery, etc. Most of my jaw-dropping HD experiences are with OTA.

 

[DarrellP]

OK, I'm confused...DarrellP says "Even HDNET has never looked this clear and sharp". Is this on Voom?
Then riffjim4069 says "It sure is a wonderful feeling when HD is done RIGHT...and not LITE!" which I'm sure he is referring to what some call DirectvHD.

No, HDNET is not on Voom. HDNET is the De Facto standard when it comes to HD, they are the best. However, as good as they are, Dish does not devote full bandwidth to the channel so it does not have the eye popping WOW factor, close, but no cigar.

The only time on Voom that I have come close to saying WOW is on RAVE, that, IMHO, is the best looking channel Voom has. Some people think HDNews is the best, but it is full of mosquito noise as well, it's just harder to see it because the image is so static.

IMO, Voom is HDLite since they are choking the bandwidth so bad. I am not sure how much longer I will stay with Voom, I am throwing $64/month down the drain as I rarely watch it. Most of the time I am glued to HDNET or OTA. Voom just doesn't have the content or PQ to keep me subbed for much longer so I hope they get off their butts and get the WM9 implemented soon or I am out of here.

I am a firm believer in quality over quantity. I would be happy with Voom if they only had 10 full bandwidth HD channels. That's why I don't watch SD channels, I believe the providers throw them up there just to say they have the channels but don't give a damn about how good they look.

 

[Sean Mota]

IMO, Voom is HDLite since they are choking the bandwidth so bad.

You are making a confusing statement about what HDlite is. HDLite is when a provider provides less than 12mbps like D* has done for ShowtimeHD and HDnet Movies. Everyone D*, E* and V* provide HD between 12mbps and 16mpbs. HDLite is a term used when a provider provides DVD quality level for an HD channel.

 

[DarrellP]

You are making a confusing statement about what HDlite is. HDLite is when a provider provides less than 12mbps like D* has done for ShowtimeHD and HDnet Movies. Everyone D*, E* and V* provide HD between 12mbps and 16mpbs. HDLite is a term used when a provider provides DVD quality level for an HD channel.

In my opinion, Voom is HDLite. Until they up the bandwidth and get rid of all the noise on ALL of the HD channels, what's the difference? It's still a less than stellar picture either way you look at it.

 

[Sean Mota]

In my opinion, Voom is HDLite. Until they up the bandwidth and get rid of all the noise on ALL of the HD channels, what's the difference? It's still a less than stellar picture either way you look at it.

Of course, that's your opinion and your own definition but you are confusing oranges and apple.

 

[barth2k]

Sean, it's not like HDLite is a copyrighted term. It's just something somebody made up to call adulterated HD. If the sat/cable cos can give you 12mpbs and call it HD, then DarrellP can call anything less than full bandwidth HDLite if he wants to.

 

[Sean Mota]

Sean, it's not like HDLite is a copyrighted term. It's just something somebody made up to call adulterated HD. If the sat/cable cos can give you 12mpbs and call it HD, then DarrellP can call anything less than full bandwidth HDLite if he wants to.

I agree with that and that's what I said that he has his own definition to define HD Lite. Not the definition that we have been using to describe the problem with Showtime and HDnet Movies on D*. They are both right definitions but to use them to describe both situations confuses the issue.

Everyone who has been is the D* discussion of HD Lite where this term came to be, was talking to the fact that D* has lowered the resolution of ShowtimeHD and HDnet Movies to lower than 12mbps and as low as 6mbps (DVD resolution). So this is what it was meant by HD Lite. Anything else between 12mbps to 16mbps, I would not describe as HD Lite since this means that all providers then will be providing HD Lite and even OTA will fall within this category as well since no satellite provider has the capacity to sustain 19mbps on all HD channels. This is the case with OTA as well. So as long as you can define it and explain what it means, there's no problem with the definition.

 

[andrzej]

Seems to me that DarrellP has had a bad day. Oh well, happens to all of us.