Natures Great Events in HD

rossco_99 · 23-02-2009, 2:10 PM

WOW!

This is what I signed up to HD for - a pure joy to watch.

Amazing footage as always with Attenborough and the BBC, and to see it all in HD really takes your breath away.

Welcome to the 21st century!!

Foxy77 · 23-02-2009, 2:22 PM

I saw a bit of the Polar Bear one yesterday and wasn't that impressed TBH - are these clips lifted straight out of Planet Earth?

Maybe I've just watched too many of these nature programmes lately, the novelty is wearing off!

rossco_99 · 23-02-2009, 2:23 PM

I watched both yesterday, and The Great Salmon Run was breathtaking. Slightly better than the Polar Bear episode but that was still great to watch.

kempez · 23-02-2009, 2:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxy77

I saw a bit of the Polar Bear one yesterday and wasn't that impressed TBH - are these clips lifted straight out of Planet Earth

I had the distinct feeling that I'd seen them before too, are they taken from Planet Earth?

Atomic_guy · 23-02-2009, 3:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rossco_99

WOW!

This is what I signed up to HD for - a pure joy to watch.

Amazing footage as always with Attenborough and the BBC, and to see it all in HD really takes your breath away.

Welcome to the 21st century!!

To be more impressed, you should watch National Geographic Channel HD

The Valley Of the Wolves.

Its amazing.

NikB · 23-02-2009, 3:34 PM

Did nobody else see any artefacts on the slow motion scenes?

dvdcompare · 23-02-2009, 3:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NikB

Did nobody else see any artefacts on the slow motion scenes?

I noticed some (slight) vertical banding.

rossco_99 · 23-02-2009, 3:57 PM

Yes I did - especially on the bald eagle slow mo scenes.

What causes these?

HDCriticalFan · 23-02-2009, 7:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NikB

Did nobody else see any artefacts on the slow motion scenes?

Yes, I saw the vertical strips on the slo-mo sequences. I raised the issue in another thread (http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-h...q-problem.html) and a couple of people concurred. I think that you need a decent screen and a critical eye to spot it though. It even exists (to a lesser extent) on the NGE adverts which appear in between the programmes on BBCHD.

It seems to be a by-product of the slo-mo process. I can't for the life of me understand why though. Does anyone here know ? I can only surmise that the high speed capture does not actually acquire each frame individually (the way my SD DV camcorder does) but in a kind of MPEG-ish way using differences between frames. When running at normal speed this may be lost in "persistence of vision", but when slowed right down we see these bands. Perhaps.

As to the grumbles about it being a re-hash of old material. Well, yes I suppose they do re-use footage seen in Planet Earth ... but there is not really that much quality material of some of these rare events/animals. The PE material is excellent (and HD) and I for one don't mind seeing it again !

Regards

derek500 · 23-02-2009, 8:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDCriticalFan

I think that you need a decent screen and a critical eye to spot it though.

You've made my day. I've got a good TV (Panasonic 42PZ8A/B £599 in Comet!!) and good eyesight.

rossco_99 · 23-02-2009, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek500

You've made my day. I've got a good TV (Panasonic 42PZ8A/B £599 in Comet!!) and good eyesight.

Me too!!

cassidy · 25-02-2009, 9:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDCriticalFan

Yes, I saw the vertical strips on the slo-mo sequences. I raised the issue in another thread (http://www.avforums.com/forums/sky-h...q-problem.html) and a couple of people concurred. I think that you need a decent screen and a critical eye to spot it though. It even exists (to a lesser extent) on the NGE adverts which appear in between the programmes on BBCHD.

It seems to be a by-product of the slo-mo process. I can't for the life of me understand why though. Does anyone here know ? I can only surmise that the high speed capture does not actually acquire each frame individually (the way my SD DV camcorder does) but in a kind of MPEG-ish way using differences between frames. When running at normal speed this may be lost in "persistence of vision", but when slowed right down we see these bands. Perhaps.

As to the grumbles about it being a re-hash of old material. Well, yes I suppose they do re-use footage seen in Planet Earth ... but there is not really that much quality material of some of these rare events/animals. The PE material is excellent (and HD) and I for one don't mind seeing it again !

Regards

Thank god it wasnt just me, I noticed it on my TV and started panicing it was on the blink. Only 2 months old as well.

Foxy77 · 25-02-2009, 10:12 PM

I take back what I said above - the eposide today with the lions was absolutely stunning

Martin J. · 25-02-2009, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDCriticalFan

It seems to be a by-product of the slo-mo process. I can't for the life of me understand why though. Does anyone here know?

It's the way the super-slow motion footage was shot, using a Photron camera that records directly onto hard disk.

Photron: High Speed Digital Video Cameras

In layman's terms, each camera sensor is made up of many individual CMOS sensors, the output of which is then compressed and combined to form the HD image. The synchronisation of each sensor can be varied to capture the equivalent of different fields and frame rates. There's a white paper here:

Photron: High Speed Digital Video Cameras

Those lines you see (also visible in the cricket super-slow motion shots on Channel 9 and Sky) are the sensor boundaries, and they're probably more apparent at higher frame rates and in lower light conditions.

HDCriticalFan · 26-02-2009, 3:32 PM

To Martin J. and his super slo-mo explanation.

Quite simply one of the most accurate and informative replies I have ever come across. Bravo

Is this shortcoming likely to be remedied in future cameras ? It seems such a shame to "spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar"

Regards

Martin J. · 26-02-2009, 7:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDCriticalFan

Quite simply one of the most accurate and informative replies I have ever come across. Bravo

Oh, shucks.

Given how HD camera technology has improved in leaps and bounds in just a short time, I'd say super-slow motion will improve too. I think the trade off between artifacts and the slow motion is probably acceptable at the moment.

HDCriticalFan · 26-02-2009, 8:22 PM

... and I liked your "gold plated optical cable" joke in "another place" too. Made all the funnier by the people who didn't get it !

Regards

Getinthehole! · 13-03-2009, 9:34 AM

Watched the African flood plains episode yesterday WOW!
Anyone know when the blu is being released?