Bell HD PQ - Has it improved?

  • Thread starter Thread starter swansongtoo
  • Start date Start date
In my opinion the quality of the Hd channels has improved with the use of the new sat. The consistency between channels seems to be better. Still a few problems with PQ at times but would think they are problems at the source.......audio drops when Global uses their own recorders rather than the network feed......CBS and ABC stations in Boston have occasional problems or maybe a problem with the Evu fibre optic feed......some film shows are still primarly for SD viewers and not up to HD standards (grainy....soft focus.....etc)
For long time viewers the novelty of HD has worn off a bit but every now and then some spectacular program brings it all back into focus.
 
I also have had HD with Bell since 2003 and the PQ since they started putting 3 HD channels on a single transponder (about a year ago?) has never been better than DVD quality. Prior to that it could vary a lot but was generally excellent (in retrospect). In the last several weeks I've noticed that the PQ has improved somewhat.

Last night's Survivor was the first time I really felt that this season's new HD version of that program was dramatically better than the old SD version. Simple shots of the players being interviewed and sitting around camp had the "depth" of being there that has been missing for the last year. It really does make the HD programming much more compelling to watch. Not sure what technical improvements the new satellite is providing, but it's noticeably better.

Ken
 
LOL Damn.... RIGHT!!!

As for the latest PQ, it has been great. The prime time shows have looked fantastic.

Idol, 24 and The CSI's have all looked top notch.

I was helping a buddy calibrate his TV and set up his home theatre and his Rogers signal wasn't any better than what I'm getting.
 
PQ has definitely improved. We've had Bell's HD for about 6 or 7 years too, and the pic has never been as good as it has been lately. I am basing this on HD hockey broadcasts, and primetime US network shows. Other issues still exist (audio glitches on both optical and HDMI), but at least the pic seems to be of the quality that we are paying the extra bucks for.
 
I wouldn't drop any hd channels but rather lots of sd channels. I would start with eliminating all of the porn pay per view channels, all of the red carpet pay per view, and at least half of the remaining pay per views. I think the majority of the people who watch pay per view channels on Bell are stealing these channels and therefore no money goes to Bell.
 
The improvement must have been a short term Christmas present as in the past few days I've noticed the quality decrease again. I'm noticing more macroblocking on channels and the SD picture quality has really decreased. Some channels look as bad as watching YouTube content. I wish Bell would switch formats so they can free up some space for everything.
 
That's funny. I haven't noticed any deterioration in the last few days. In fact Bell does seem to have improved their HD PQ recently. Just about every hockey game on TSN, Sportsnet, CBC and WGN are now worth watching in HD from a PQ standpoint. That certainly wasn't the case a year ago.
 
For me the CSI's always look great especially Miami but I was very disappointed in 24 , but that probably wasn't Bell's fault.
 
Just a question:
Is there any way the HD channel could also be used for the SD service where both are offering the same schedule? For those without HD TVs the signal would be converted in a STB to SD. Seems to me this is what those convertor boxes are doing in the States. An added bonus is this might spur many people to upgrade sooner rather than later.
 
I have to agree. After watching football over the weekend I did notice an improvement in the PQ.

I read this thread after watching CFL on Saturday and thought "You know, it may have been better." Then of course on Sunday I took notice that it was indeed better.
 
Just finished watching the first half of the AZ/PHI NFL game and the HD feed cut out a few times and was subbed by the SD signal few a moment or two.
Hard to see much difference in pic quality...HD definately used to be better than this. Hard to say who's at fault.
 
How are your TVs and Boxes set?

I have a 1080p Samsung LED DLP (HL67A750) and I have my 9242 set to 720p output (this is due to the fact that Bell outputs at 720p) I don't want my signal descaled, rescaled, upscaled and every-king-of-scaled there is over and over again--once is MORE than enough.

I haven't found any issues with the PQ at all. Even some SD channels that I like to watch like Comedy Network and TVtropolis look pretty good (considering it is SD).

When I first got the TV I was actually pleasantly surprised at how nice the quality of SD looked considering it is a 67" display and I'm only about 8 to 9 ft away from the screen.
 
This is exactly what happens in some of Bell's HD receivers now. The 9200 & 9242 in particular take the HD Channel and can show it on an SD TV via TV#2 output. I believe all HD receivers from the 6100 onwards can have the output changed to 480i in the menu so that the image is viewable on an SD TV.
 
The jury is still out on this one for me as I find its still very much source specific. Interestingly though, I find that the CTV NFL broadcasts have been excellent lately
 
I agree. Of the shows I watch, I haven't noticed any difference in HD picture quality lately (good or bad). I don't watch much football though. Technically, the new satellite shouldn't affect picture quality, but they might have tweaked their encoding technology.

One thing I have noticed is the stark contrast between new episodes of House on Global HD (East), and the repeats on Showcase HD. Showcase looks much better!

-Mike
 
Yes, and no. It could also be a matter of them having more bandwidth available to them now, so if there are fewer channels per transponder then they can use less compression.

So, if it is better then they may have tweaked their encoding like you say. But them being able to perform that tweak would be a direct result of the new satellite.
 
I'm not 100% sure of this, but I believe the QPSK modulation scheme is a fixed amount of bandwidth, as is 8PSK.

-Mike
 
Back
Top