Why not switch to MPEG-4 AVC High Profile or MS's VC-1 codec?

[DanH]

With all these bandwidth woes for programming of both SD and HD, why can't both DISH and DirecTV (and Voom for that matter) just bite the bullet and switch over to an advanced codec rather than sticking with MPEG-2?

At around 12-14 Megabits/sec both MPEG-4 AVC High Profile and Microsoft's VC-1 (new SMPTE name for VC-9) codecs look superior than 20-25 Megabits/sec MPEG-2 and almost as good as a D-5 digital tape master. They also can provide full 1920x1080p resolutions at 24 fps, 30 fps, and 60 fps (the latter with the same 19.3 Megabits/sec as the full ATSC transmission data rate) and meet or beat D-5 master tape quality.

If they compress directly from the uncompressed main broadcast feeds and not from the already FUBAR'd 19.3 consumer rate HDTV would look spectacular with practically no visible artifacts at all.

Why must Blu-Ray and HD-DVD pre-recorded discs be the only hope to getting superior HD quality video?

 

[boba]

Simple about 23million customers, would you like to pay to swap out all those receivers?

 

[mike123abc]

Not to mention what is the average number of boxes a consumer has now? If you assume there is 50 million boxes at $100 each to replace (not to mention the cost of DVRs) it would be 5 billion.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Good points regarding the swapout expense, but is it possible (not necessarily feasible) to firmware upgrade some/all of the boxes to handle it?

Then again, if we're talking HD only, it's nowhere near that many boxes - yet. So if they're going to do it, the time is now - unless a firmware upgrade can git-r-done.

 

[John Kotches]

Simon:

In all likelihood decoding is done in a dedicated ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). That being the case, it would not be as simple as upgrading the firmware.

ASICs are inexpensive, and because they do one job they are remarkably efficient at doing that job.

If they were to have a general purpose processor doing the MPEG decoding the cost of the products would be substantially higher.

Cheers,

 

[bcshields]

I wouldn't be surprised if the 311/322/522/811, since they are newer, would be able to be firmware upgraded.

I would be surprised if it works.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Yeah - could be - but then again, there's field-programmable ASICs, right? I forget their acronym.

 

[yanks2402]

Would it be possible to send customers a small circuit adaptor for each of the "non-compatible" boxes (if there are any compatible) that they could attach before the signal enters the box? Similar to how they have the power inserter for the switches.

These small boxes could decript the signal before it enters the dish box.

 

[SimpleSimon]

No - no way to do that. You might want to read up on how the satellite signal actually makes it way from the sky to your TV.

 

[hongcho]

> there's field-programmable ASICs, right?

Someone could make a processor in ASIC and have some firmware to run on it, but first of all, for cost-effective devices as these, I doubt they would have done that, and secondly, unless those ASICs were designed for the computing requirements for VC-1 or H.264, I doubt they could handle either.

Hong.

 

[GaryPen]

They need to recalibrate the bias oscillators to refram the bitrate flange to the slack post by at least another 20 tetramins. That'll bring the slope frame up to the proper stream rate.

 

[NightRyder]

They need to recalibrate the bias oscillators to refram the bitrate flange to the slack post by at least another 20 tetramins. That'll bring the slope frame up to the proper stream rate.

Ahhhh. Now I understand.


NightRyder

 

[SimpleSimon]

They need to recalibrate the bias oscillators to refram the bitrate flange to the slack post by at least another 20 tetramins. That'll bring the slope frame up to the proper stream rate.

But that would require everyone to upgrade their LNB grounding wires to 00 gauge, whereas if they only brought it up, say, 14-16 tetramins, we could get away with 8 gauge, and only need 2 gas-discharge frammises in the line! :shocked:

 

[GaryPen]

I've already got one gas discharge frammis. I think my wife would move out, if I added another.

 

[Smith P.]

Actually, as we saw on pictures posted here and there, only one or two for HD receivers are AISC - the main CPU: "OMEGA". Seems to me it's totally impossible to upgrade any receiver. Well, may be only 921 is different kind.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Could you try rephrasing that, please? I really can't follow it.

 

[mike123abc]

The 921 and 721 are PC based and have expansion slots. The satellite stuff is being processed on cards now, it would in theory be possible to do a card swap. But, doing a card swap can be expensive, the logistical nightmare would be huge, plus who would want to lose their receiver for a week? I seriously doubt there would be home owner installs...

 

[boba]

The 921 and 721 are PC based and have expansion slots. The satellite stuff is being processed on cards now, it would in theory be possible to do a card swap. But, doing a card swap can be expensive, the logistical nightmare would be huge, plus who would want to lose their receiver for a week? I seriously doubt there would be home owner installs...

Of the 13million customers Directv has how many have 921 or 721 receivers? Of the 10million subscribers DISH Network has how many have 721 or 921 receivers? Would 1% or less sound plausible?