picture quality

  • Thread starter Thread starter new-oakviller
  • Start date Start date
Hahahaha, that one gave me a chuckle...
Did you hear about the DirecTv HD lite lawsuit a few years ago?
http://w.engadgethd.com/2006/09/20/directv-gets-whats-comin-to-them/
So it seams that DirecTv had very similar quantity over quality attitudes...As did Dishnetwork, UNTIL they switched to MPEG 4....
They could care less about the minority (people who frequent sites like these) who know they are not getting what they COULD be getting in HD quality...
Most people are happy with the upgrade to HD, and don't realize how it could be improved
 
There's a difference on mine too, just not a huge difference, and most channels there is none. But most noticeable on mine is TSNHD, when set at 720p, the scorebar on CFL or NHL games is really jumpy/flickering, on 1080i, there is no problems with it.
 
I agree with the previous post about the quality. I saw a bit of Idol last night while flipping around and also so the compression artifacts on any kind of movement, even the opening credits. When they interviewed the contestants the only bad part was the moving logo on the screen behind them that lead to compression/motion artifacts being shown. I agree that RushHD and the odd time Oasis look good, but for the most part it is bad. Guess I'll be waiting for MPEG-4 as well.

On the other hand of that, it seems any bright scene in any show can look decent on Bell, or at least the artifacts aren't as noticeable. The CTV local news on CTV Toronto in HD last night looked decent, or at least the little piece I saw right at the end. It could have been a little sharper.

When the 8PSK switch occurs, I really want Bell to switch CTV, CBC, NBC, CBS, HDNET, TSN and any other 1080i channels back to their 1080i format instead of downconverting to 720p. That's a big reason for a loss of some of the detail.
 
Does anyone know how Bells IPTV (entertainment.bell.ca) picture quality would compare to Bell TVs picture quality? Will the compression be less/more/same?
 
i don't know i think its because there simsubbed from A channel. i say try to find a few more shows to see how they look before pulling the plug when you just got everything setup. hey sense you camew from rodgers the good news is if your an NBA fan and you will be able to see the raptors games on TSN2 in HD

the other bad news is that all bell's HD is in 720P for now but this might change in April
 
So Bell has the best PQ by employing the lowest average data rate and least resolution ... hmm .. makes total sense to me that an avg 9mb/sec (Bell) gives a better PQ than Rogers @ 15.5 and SC at 13

In other words there would be even better HD PQ by putting 10 channels/transponder for about 2.7 mb transfer rate.:rolleyes:

I've seen the great Bell PQ vs Rogers at the Power Station in London on identical setups - all I will say is the greater the data rate, the better the PQ.
 
Interesting markb. I can't say I've noticed any difference in the scorebars. I'll take a closer look tonight.
 
I have both Shaw and Bell HD and Bell has less macroblocking than Shaw, but has a softer picture on most channels except for TSNHD and Sportsnet. One example of this is when TSNHD carries NBC's Sunday Night Football, the TSNHD feed is sharper than the NBCHD feed. It is also sharper than the FoxHD and CBSHD feeds of the NFL day games--whether they are simsubbed by CTV or not.

The Bell PVR's are better, but overall I prefer Shaw because there is no simsubbing of the HD channels, and the picture is noticeably sharper on most of the HD channels. I don't watch that many SD channels so SD picture quality is not important to me.
 
markb, please don't tell me that you are under the misconception that only new programs can be in HD? You are too much of contributor to this forum to believe that. Any film can be turned into a hi-def. program with super results. Recently the High Fidelity channels have shown Diary of Anne Frank, Wizard of Oz, Grapes of Wrath to name just a few movies in high-def. :)

TCM has a reputation for quality broadcasting of old movies and in the correct original aspect ration I might add. I supect their high def. service continues that reputation. (AMC on the other hand does not).
 
I also noticed on Showcase last night when switching back and with the swap button on a 9242 that there was no noticeable difference on HD Basic Instinct 2 from HD and SD on partial zoom other than the louder sound and the logo. On the SD the white lines would flicker when print was added such as the credits but otherwise it was pretty much the same.
I did the same for A&E channels but the difference was noticeable?
 
Okay, to educate. Encoding data rates are not the be all end all. Like cars some compression equipment is better than others and some manufacturers are better at statistical multiplexing than others. With stat muxing signals on sat can peak higher then cable that is set to a fixed rate. New encoders have allowed compression rates to go down matching the same quality...believe what you like, but the proof is in the picture!
 
Shaw HD is sharp on all channels, while Bell is very hit and miss. TSNHD, CBCHD, and SNHD are very sharp on Bell, while NBCHD, and CBSHD are very soft. Shaw has more macroblocking, while Bell has a softer picture on some HD channels. Shaw has more audio dropouts, Bell has much less (and shorter) audio dropouts. I don't know if Videotron is the same as Shaw or not.
 
I tried changing the resolution to 1080i but I think it's worst. I might get out of it all... as suggested by haystack. I still have 3 days to cancel. I'll have to pay much more for Illico, but I feel the tv has no hdtv, no cable, no nothing right now :) And don't get me started with the remote!!!
 
Please be aware of the following:

BTV sends all signals out as 720P. This tends to be a bit softer than 1080i.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=76129 Formats.

The BTV STB needs to be set up properly. It defaults to 480P (I've been to lots of homes where people watch 480P) Make sure you change it to 720P, as this is likely to provide you with the best picture. You can try 1080i if you like. I believe this is in the Setup Menu under HDTV.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=87543 On Upconversion
 
8PSK and MPEG4 will allow more channels per transponder. Hopefully Bell won't use the same low bitrates for HD that they currently use.
 
I theory it will, something like 30Mbps vs. 40Mbps, IIRC.
But I wouldn't be surprised if Bell squeezes an additional HD channel instead...

I think Bell will introduce 8PSK along with MPEG4 and double the number of channels per transponder.
 
Back
Top