Bell HD quality? Bell offer to stay...

  • Thread starter Thread starter marmaduke
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Sensualpoet, you've got some misinformation going here. 720p isn't moving half the bitrate of 1080i, it's moving less data at 60fps instead of 30fps. The frame rate is not very different, with 720p being slightly fewer bits. 1080i should look better on static scenes, and 720p should look better with rapid movement (e.g. sports, which is why ESPN (and parent ABC) went for it).



How could you possibly get a real 720p PBS feed, since all PBS infrastructure and transmission is in 1080i? If someone transcoded, I'm not surprised it wouldn't look as good; going 720p to 1080i would lose, too.



Not at the same bitrate - MPEG4 is just more efficient because of the newer compression algorithms.



"It's all digital"? That neglects critically important factors like the bitrate, which all providers play with to some degree.
 
Although I am BEV subscriber right now, I was with Rogers for years. Rogers has VOD which is hard for BEV to beat. Today we we stuck looking at the error screen because a T-Storm was passing over. All this say to me that BEV would have to have to offer more value through a lower cost for similar channel offerings, or some extra programming to stay in the game in the metropolitan areas. It will be intersting to see how it all workd out!
 
Both are the same dollar value.

The 6100 is a single tuner standard receiver and some people report serious problems with it.

The 9200 is a dual tuner receiver and offers PVR recording capability for up to 25 hours of HD. Once you go PVR you will never go back. Things like recording two programs simultaneously while watching a third, effortless time shifting, instant replay, pausing live TV, skipping commercials or scanning shows up to 300x make the 9200 the only real choice. The 9200 will completely change the way you watch TV.
 
Thanks for all the info on the 720p vs. 1080i, it makes things "clearer" (pardon the pun).

is the HD signal any better on cable or the "other" dish provider? I can't get Rogers where I am in Peterborough, but I can get Cogeco.

Do I take Bell's offer to stay...try to do better with them, or move?
I will have to spend $175 with SC to get 1 HD and 1 SD receiver and change programming. Packages are pretty much the same, channels and pricewise (SC has NG HD while Bell has others that I haven't heard of OASIS, Treasure and Equator).

I have the new SONY SXRD 50A2020 that says it will handle 1080p. SD is ok, not great. Gotta get HD....
 
Only possible if you connect an OTA source to the 9200, 99% of all our installations never have this connection available at the time of hooking them up as Express Vu do not tell people about the OTA option, most people discover it only on sites like this or if they sit and read the Manual....
 
I've heard various things that I can't reconcile. Some say that all signals on Bell are 720p, some say Bell passes through the original signal, some say the bitrates are reduced. What I think is probably the case is what has been discussed before - that Bell gets the signal provider to transcode it to 720p for delivery to them, thereby stepping around the rule.
 
If you do not receive OTA, you can still watch a third channel if it was previously recorded. I think that is what I_Want_My_HDTV was referring to.
 
Absolutely, and there is a whole section and many posts on that.....but......

I think there is no contest. The 9200 is definitely worth it even with the bugs. (not sure that any are serious but I would classify as annoying)
 
I agree...

For the past 2 years I have enjoyed my 9200....Best HD PVR from any Canadian Sat. provider. IMHO - Even Better then Roger's.


Cheers
 
Buffalo "reduced" their broadcast of PBS-HD down to 720p, as they have multiple other substream. Anyone with an OTA tuner can get this channel.

On the same setup (@1080i), I've compared

1. PBS (OTA - WCFE, SC - WTVS, BEVu - WGBH)
Best picture: OTA

2. CBC (OTA - CBOT, SC - CBLT, BEVu)
Best picture: OTA, SC close second.

With SC gearing up for 10 additional HD channels between now and October, why go to Bell unless you want the 9200 and/or OasisHD?

-gmd
 
How about...

Recording two programs simultaneously while watching a third recorded program.

I never watch live TV anymore, not even sports. Live events can be recorded in real time and skimmed until "Live TV" is reached. Two at a time is even better. ;)
 
I just finished watching the Lord of the Rings DVDs again and I was absolutely blown away by how much better the PQ was in them than the HD that Evu is pedaling these days. I really long for the early days of HD on Evu when the PQ used to blow me away.:(
 
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