[djkay1982]

Virgin got any plans down the pipe line to release more HD channels? and broadcasters sorting there channels out and releasing the mainstream channels.

getting pretty sick of SD quality, mrs just got X factor on now and the quality is crap on a 50" 1080p

[dante01]

Originally Posted by djkay1982

Virgin got any plans down the pipe line to release more HD channels? and broadcasters sorting there channels out and releasing the mainstream channels.

getting pretty sick of SD quality, mrs just got X factor on now and the quality is crap on a 50" 1080p

The X Factor isn't broadvast by ITV in HD. I don't even think it is filmed in HD?

Fountain Studios have purchased Sony HD cameras, but there are no plans to broadcast the X Factor in HD until next year. Fountain Studios is the production company responsible for the production of the X Factor.

[mulauk]

Originally Posted by dante01

The X Factor isn't broadvast by ITV in HD. I don't even think it is filmed in HD?

Fountain Studios have purchased Sony HD cameras, but there are no plans to broadcast the X Factor in HD until next year. Fountain Studios is the production company responsible for the production of the X Factor.

Not really what the OP was asking.

[dante01]

Originally Posted by mulauk

Not really what the OP was asking.

Better answer than that which you gave though

[namuk]

X Factor on what ever format .. let it go mate .. just let it go ..

[markymark34]

More HD channels!! taken us 3 years to get the ones we have so i wouldnt hold your breath but it would be nice if they had HD versions of their own channels like virgin 1
I keep forgetting i have 4HD and watch stuff on normal channel 4.

[deepbeep]

We did just get a few more - Channel 4, FX, Nat Geo, ESPN and Living. Had to wait long enough for that, so not holding my breath for any more in the next couple of months.

I'm not overly worried about full HD broadcasting to be honest, if they would bring the quality up of some of the SD channels that would be a better use of bandwidth for me. There is a more noticeable difference for me between a bad SD channel (eg ITV3) and a good SD channel (eg BBC 1) than there is between a good SD channel and an HD channel.

ITV seems particularly bad for some reason - football on ITV is AWFUL.

BBC1's SD brodcast is pretty damn good, can only just tell the difference between that and BBC HD when they are playing the same program (this is on a 32" Sony from about 3m away, I'm sure it is much more noticeable on a bigger screen).

[nickfrog]

I have to say that X-factor is actually quite good on my 50 at 11ft, maybe it's because it's only 720p ?

Still, I can't understand why ITV restricts their (limited) HD broadcast to their Freesat platform ? I can't think of any commercial benefits. Any ideas ?

[meltonboy]

Originally Posted by nickfrog

Still, I can't understand why ITV restricts their (limited) HD broadcast to their Freesat platform ? I can't think of any commercial benefits. Any ideas ?

It's been said on here that they are partners in freesat and are using the ITV HD exclusive as a part of the marketing of it.

MB

[Boostrail]

Originally Posted by meltonboy

It's been said on here that they are partners in freesat and are using the ITV HD exclusive as a part of the marketing of it.
MB

...........but allow Sky HD customers to get it via the back door!

[tim68]

Probably never happen, but I would not mind paying a bit extra to get Skyone HD, anyone else?

tim

[Jaz57]

I too am disappointed in the so few HD channels on Virgin. Although I have Sky tv in my lounge I am on a communal dish (with me being the only household connected to it!) and to go Sky HD would involve the installation of another cable from the middle block of flats, over the roof and down the wall to my living room. Too much of a hassle. Personal dishes are banned, so even Freesat is out of the question.

Also my HD tv is in the bedroom, where the Virgin HD + box is now.

The nice lady at Virgin boasted that they had 11 HD channels. Do I presume the others (that I don't have) are movies?

Hmmm...

[markymark34]

Originally Posted by tim68

Probably never happen, but I would not mind paying a bit extra to get Skyone HD, anyone else?

tim

I would have bitten your arm off for that 18 months ago but now im not so sure. 24 and the simpsons are pretty much all i watch on it.

[dante01]

Originally Posted by markymark34

I would have bitten your arm off for that 18 months ago but now im not so sure. 24 and the simpsons are pretty much all i watch on it.

I think I'd rather have SKY1 HD than ITVHD. At least SKY have actual new HD content and try to promote it. ITVHD is a joke and not sure why so many bemoan not having access to it via cable?

[BikeNutt]

Originally Posted by dante01

I think I'd rather have SKY1 HD than ITVHD. At least SKY have actual new HD content and try to promote it. ITVHD is a joke and not sure why so many bemoan not having access to it via cable?

Perhaps people don't realise ITVHD is an intermittent red-button-only service rather than an actual HD channel?

[dante01]

Originally Posted by BikeNutt

Perhaps people don't realise ITVHD is an intermittent red-button-only service rather than an actual HD channel?

I think many believe ITV has its own dedicated HD channel like the BBC? Putting the recent issues relating to a drop in quality aside, the BBC must be applauded for actually providing a true HD only channel with native HD content. It seems like everyone is currently trying to jump onto the HD bandwagon by slapping the HD monica on upscaled SD channels and only the Beeb actually has a real HD channel.

[xmrb2003x]

BBC output the best quality HD programmes so far, although I wish they did more. Other so called HD (i.e. ESPN, MTV etc) don't look so good for some reason on our tv. SKY have a big head start, and I don't think Virgin are gonna catch them up any time soon.

xmrb2003x

[dante01]

Originally Posted by xmrb2003x

BBC output the best quality HD programmes so far, although I wish they did more. Other so called HD (i.e. ESPN, MTV etc) don't look so good for some reason on our tv. SKY have a big head start, and I don't think Virgin are gonna catch them up any time soon.

Head start at what, calling upscaled SD channels HD?

[peterjcat]

Originally Posted by xmrb2003x

BBC output the best quality HD programmes so far, although I wish they did more. Other so called HD (i.e. ESPN, MTV etc) don't look so good for some reason on our tv. SKY have a big head start, and I don't think Virgin are gonna catch them up any time soon.

Like most HD channels, ESPN and MTV have a lot of upscaled SD content, as well as some native HD content. Check out ESPN HD with a native HD program, eg (some of) the International Rugby Union, I think it looks about as good as BBC HD (though the stars of "Life" are arguably more intrinsically spectacular than rugby players!)

[TheFreeJaffa]

Originally Posted by dante01

I think I'd rather have SKY1 HD than ITVHD. At least SKY have actual new HD content and try to promote it. ITVHD is a joke and not sure why so many bemoan not having access to it via cable?

Maybe because footy fans (who are VM customers) can't watch today's England game in HD?

[peterjcat]

Originally Posted by dante01

I think many believe ITV has its own dedicated HD channel like the BBC? Putting the recent issues relating to a drop in quality aside, the BBC must be applauded for actually providing a true HD only channel with native HD content. It seems like everyone is currently trying to jump onto the HD bandwagon by slapping the HD monica on upscaled SD channels and only the Beeb actually has a real HD channel.

I actually don't mind the simulcast model, ie have the same programs on both channels, show the HD version on the HD channel where available, the upscaled SD version where it's not. Of course, there needs to be a certain minimum proportion of native HD content available on the HD channel or it becomes a bit of a joke.

I like that everything on BBC HD is in HD, but there's only a few hours of HD content on it every night, and a lot of it doesn't really need to be in HD!

[djkay1982]

alrite guys, started this thread then never came back to it! got engrosed in call of duty.

TBH im not over bothered about more HD channels (well i am actually) but my main gripe is why cant they sort their SD channels out first and make them a better quality! i mean watch an SD DVD on a 50" 1080p plasma and the picture is good, so it proves SD content is still ok on these big screens, its just the broadcasters poor quality,

i know they prob cannot get it as good as DVD quality, but surely they can improve on what its at at the moment.

[Boostrail]

Originally Posted by djkay1982

alrite guys, started this thread then never came back to it! got engrosed in call of duty.

TBH im not over bothered about more HD channels (well i am actually) but my main gripe is why cant they sort their SD channels out first and make them a better quality! i mean watch an SD DVD on a 50" 1080p plasma and the picture is good, so it proves SD content is still ok on these big screens, its just the broadcasters poor quality,

i know they prob cannot get it as good as DVD quality, but surely they can improve on what its at at the moment.

SD quality via a V+HD box is IMHO by far the best SD available from any broadcast source. I agree that it is down to he broadcaster but the the VM+HD does make a very good job of making a reasonable silk purse from a sows ear. What you get is not predictable as even BBC1 can output SD that varies from virtually HD to a fizzy mess. However I can assure you that the V+HD makes a better job of upscaling this input than any other source (Sky+HD, Freesat boxes, onboard or external freview etc...)

[dante01]

What's with the Armstrong and Miller show on Friday nights? It's like watching something that was created on a Commodore Amiga. All he edge definition is pixelated and jagged and it isn't the BBC channel or VM at fault. The jaggies seem inherent to the show itself? It is like this every week. Does the BBC really have any quality assurance these days?

Sure this is SD, but the programmes to either side of the show are perfectly acceptable so it is the shows encoding/production that is at fault.

[xmrb2003x]

I'm sure as more people get the V+ box they will realise there is more demand and will have to start providing the extra HD stuff. It's just a slow process unfortunately like all new technology.
xmrb2003x

[xmrb2003x]

By the way do people think that 1080i looks much worse on a 720p tv? We have a 720p panasonic viera, and the quality varies between hd channels. I think the BBC looks the best but I wonder if it could look even better on a 1080p tv? xmrb2003x

[peterjcat]

Originally Posted by xmrb2003x

By the way do people think that 1080i looks much worse on a 720p tv? We have a 720p panasonic viera, and the quality varies between hd channels. I think the BBC looks the best but I wonder if it could look even better on a 1080p tv? xmrb2003x

Well sure, proper 1080i will look better on a 1080p TV than on a 720p TV (actually your Panasonic has 768 lines, not 720) -- as long as it's from a good source, not overly compressed, and you're sitting close enough to the TV.

However, I personally think there's more noticeable improvement going from SD to 720p than there is going from 720p to 1080p.

[xmrb2003x]

Oh I see, thx. What do you think are the best programmes you've seen in 1080i? (Do they specify anywhere what all the channels are shown in?).

xmrb2003x

[Boostrail]

Firstly all broadcast TV is 1080i.

If you use the 720p output from the V+ then it is doing 2 things to any HD channel.

1) Downscaling to 720

2) De-interlacing "i" to "p"

If your TV is a 1366x 768 panel and it is capable of handling a 1080i input from the V+ then the TV is doing the downscaling (to 768) and de-interlaces the output to progressive scan.

If however you have a 1920x1080 panel then on a 1080i input the TV just de-interlaces the incoming signal from the V+.

Several posts on this forum suggest that the epg is fuzzy at 1080i on a 1080 TV, but find that at 720p its fine. I do not have this problem and indeed find changing to 720p gives a downgrade in PQ from the V+ for HD.

My conclusion is that my TV does as good a job on de-interlacing as is available and better than most in this respect.

So to summarise:

V+ upscaling - quite remarkable.

V+ de-interlacing - there is better

[GreyMedia]

I was told today when I signed up that they expect to have 30 HD Channels by the middle of the year - 2010.