Topic: BBC begins HD Freeview test

[Tony]

anyway where's our Sandra when you need her? She hasn't gone and won the premium bonds again has she. Don't tell me, she's run off with Terry........

[Simon]

The HDML cable looks great, Tony.  The very cheap ones can have poor quality connectors, that drop out when you breathe on them, but that's about the right price for pay for a decent enough one.  

[GillE]

How come this thread has managed to hit page 3 and it's still on topic?

[Simon]

We must be slipping.   

[Sandra]

Sorry Tony, I have been tied up with a funeral this week and havent had much time on the pc. In fact I was walking Charlie at 11am this morning and almost gave a neighbour a heart attack as she had never seen me out so early 
Had to get up and take him out early as I wanted to leave the house around noon to be able to help my niece with the buffet for afterwards.

The problem with Freesat is that there still arent many HD channels, only currently a few programmes on BBC in HD, even less on C4 and even less again on ITV. As you will already know, the new LCD and Plasma TVs are crap on any SD signal as they work best at their optimised resolution, unlike CRT which works fine across any resolution that it can do. Even with a HD signal if its not at a high enough bitrate, BBC has recenly dropped their bitrate according to some satellite forums, you get motion blur on fast action programmes such as sport and action films.
With your TV you really need a good HD source, which unfortunately means paying Uncle Rupert a lot of money or tuning into one of the German or Bulgarian satellites for a bit less, I think.

Have you already bought the gear and booked the installer ?

[Simon]

As you will already know, the new LCD and Plasma TVs are crap on any SD signal as they work best at their optimised resolution, unlike CRT which works fine across any resolution that it can do.

The last I heard about CRT-HD TVs is that Samsung were the only ones making them, and they were going to stop due to geometry issues.  That must have been a couple of years ago, so I hope yours keeps going, Sandra, as it doesn't look like you'll be able to get another.

[Sandra]

Yes its ridiculous isnt it. Samsung made a 36 inch version that was supposed to have various improvements over the 32 inch one that I have. More HDMI sockets, even slimmer than mine and fixed the geometry problems some people have complained of. I have a very slight issue on the left and right edges of my picture if viewing my PC on it on ocassion, but I would rather have the clarity, the levels of contrast, real blacks and no motion blur, with almost as good an SD picture as the HD ones than have a poorer picture quality.
Unfortunately Samsung couldnt find a major retailer who would stock their new models as they are a little heavier and even though they are "slimfit" they still take up a bit more room than LCD and Plasma TVs, so they never marketed them 
When I went into Currys to see what my TV looked like, before buying it cheaper online, I asked the sales guy if he could show me a HD source on it. He looked at me like I was an idiot and said it wasnt HD ready as it was "only" a CRT 
I showed him the HD ready lables stuck all over the front of it and the one saying HDMI connection but he had to look on the website to see the specs saying that it was a HD CRT TV.
With sales staff like that then its hardly surprising that Samsung couldnt get the management to stock their TVs 

[Simon]

What do you expect from a major high street chain?  I think you have to go to the smaller, specialist shops to get any kind of worthwhile advice, and to view the product.  Then go home and buy it cheaper online.   

[Tony]

Hi Sandra,

sorry about the funeral.

Yes I've been out and bought it to day, and the installer is coming Wednesday, don't tell me its a mistake  ':|

The new stuff is coming out in HD well more so on the BBC, than ITV HD Schedule

Give Rupert my money, never

I've read postings that the picture quality is better than sky, but I suppose different people have different views. One thing is for sure Rupert, would like Freesat to fail, so in that respect he could have minions posting negative stuff about Freesat. Not everybody wants masses of movie channels, and I've read many posts of people buying the Humax Foxstat HDR, just to be shut of the Sky fees.  

[Sandra]

Yes I've been out and bought it to day, and the installer is coming Wednesday, don't tell me its a mistake  ':| 

Not really Tony but I did show you my setup when you were here didnt I ?
The initial outlay may have been a little higher but you would have got a lot more in long run 

[Tony]

Yes but the wife thinks I've spent enough as it is 

Anyhow, I'm glad your still about, when nobody came back at me when I posted asking where you were...........I was beginning to wonder...................has she run off with Terry 

Anyway it's time I was going bedebyes, nite xxx

[Simon]

I'm sure you'll be really happy with your purchase, Tony. Nite! 

[Sandra]

How did your footie go Tony ?

Just read this on a satellite forum :

BBC admits HDTV is being squeezed
Chris Forrester
29-11-2009

The BBC's Roly Keating, formally the Controller of BBC 2 but now the broadcaster's head of archive content, has confirmed that the BBC has cut back its HDTV transmission bit-rate by almost 40%.

Typical transmission bit rates have tumbled from 16-19Mb/s to an average 9.7Mb/s, with the BBC saying it has done this as a result of new compression encoding equipment that had been installed. Last week a senior Ericsson/Tandberg official said he was aware of the industry concerns, and had himself noticed what he described as the lack of ‘Wow factor' that now seemed to affect the BBC's HDTV transmissions. "But Tandberg kit is not involved," said our source.

An application by a concerned viewer Mr Paul G Eaton to the BBC to have assorted BBC correspondence concerning HDTV released under the UK's Freedom of Information Act has had only a limited success.

The head of the BBC's HD efforts, Danielle Nagler, who is on record (see Rapid TV News Nov 12) as saying that there was no evidence that a reduction in bit-rate reduced the picture quality, has had her position supported by Mr Keating saying "no-one cares more deeply about maintaining, and improving the quality of service on our HD channel" than her and her team. She has promised that the BBC's Head of HD Technology (and highly regarded HD-guru) Andy Quested, would be making a disclosure on the amount of HD testing done.

Nevertheless, Keating also confirmed that the new compression equipment had resulted in unacceptable artifacts. "On occasion, a change in technology may have unpredicted results: it's clear for instance that the August switch from the old-generation coders to the new set caused a number of visible problems on air. Swift action was taken to acknowledge these problems, and to address them," he said in a note to Mr Eaton.

[GillE]

If those quotations are accurate and in context, the BBC should hang its head in shame.

[sam]

indeed, shameful of them really.