hd or not hd?

alan1572

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sorry if it's in the wrong place but here goes
will freeview HD be actual HD just like freesat HD or just upscaled?
 
The broadcasts will conform to the recognised specification for HD however there will be upscaled HD mixed with native HD as these channels will be simulcasts of the SD channels. The upside is that the PQ of upscaled HD given scaling using broadcast quality hardware will be far better then the user upscaling the poor quality SD the UK is used to.

There are regulations in place to maximise the amount of native HD so FreeviewHD could be the catalyst for a mini-growth spurt.
 
cheer's:thumbsup:
 
When will Freeview HD be broadcasting.

Should I wait for that, or get a Freesat HD box now as I have all the dish etc... just need the box?
 
it will be in time for world cup, how long before the world cup i don't know
 
I guess that anything thats on a freeview HD box will be received by a freesat HD box?

Just that I might pay more now for the privilage?
 
When will Freeview HD be broadcasting.

Should I wait for that, or get a Freesat HD box now as I have all the dish etc... just need the box?



There may be some broadcasts as early as December but it really depends upon where you live and how far along DSO is in your region.

Freeview HD hardware is probably going to be more expensive that Freesat at least in the short term but assuming you are in the first batch of viewers you will get BBCHD, ITVHD, CH4HD and FiveHD where as Freesat HD only offers BBC and ITV.
Another factor is do you want to record HD with no loss in quality and if so then you need a PVR and of course the SD lineup may be critical as V1 and Dave are PAY channels on satellite.
If the dish is aligned correctly and the LNB and cabling are ok then yes a single tuner Freesat box needs one feed and twin tuner Freesat PVR needs two feeds and you are good to go.
 
I guess that anything thats on a freeview HD box will be received by a freesat HD box?




Nope.

Right now Ch4HD and FiveHD are not on Freesat but it looks like BBCHD and ITVHD will be the same on both DTT and Dsat. As above there are also differences in the SD channel lineups of Freesat and Freeview.
 
Is it technically possible to upgrade (via a firmware update) the normal Freeview digital tuners to decode Freeview HD? So, for example, a TV manufacturer might choose to upgrade its products to receive HD.

Geoff
 
Yeah, further to Geoffs question, if you own a HD freeview TV, will this automatically support the freeview HD channels when they come on line? Or will you need to buy additional freeview decoding equipment?

And will Freesat ever increase its channel support? It seems to fall further behind freeview each time I look into it :confused:
 
I regret that currently no TVs contain HD Freeview decoders as the specifications were only established fairly recently. You will need to buy a HD Freeview box or PVR specifically designed for the job and plug it into a spare HDMI socket.

I cannot account for FreeSat. It promised a lot, including more HD channels, but has simply failed to deliver. I suppose the philosophy was that some form of Free to Air TV should be available to those who are in poor reception areas for terrestial reception. The system is fixed by the EPG which pulls in the same signals as Sky, but is obviously more selective as to what you can view.

As far as 'upgrading' is concerned I would not hold out much hope. In most cases it would not be technically possible.
 
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Yeah, further to Geoffs question, if you own a HD freeview TV, will this automatically support the freeview HD channels when they come on line? Or will you need to buy additional freeview decoding equipment?

And will Freesat ever increase its channel support? It seems to fall further behind freeview each time I look into it :confused:

Freesat's channel line up is determined by the broadcasters who pay Freesat to add there programme info to the Freesat epg. That's all Freesat do maintain and transmit a 8 day epg. To be on the epg a channel has to transmitted in the clear as there is no provision for decrypting encrypted content on a freesat box. All free to air channels available from Astra 2 and Eurobird 1 can be viewed however on a freesat box in non-freesat mode but without an epg and only now and next prog info. Fta channels listed here

Astra 2A / Astra 2B / Astra 2D (28.2°E) - frequencies - KingOfSat

Eurobird 1 (28.5°E) - frequencies - KingOfSat

Freesat's exists to provide a similar service to freeview to those who currently can't and may never get a decent freeview signal

As already stated Freeview HD will use a new more efficient transmission system DVB-T2, no commercial tuners are yet available capable of using DVB-T2 transmissions.
 
Hmmmm, as I will loose channels if I go freesat and the fact that freeview HD will have more HD channels than Freesat does/will? kinda seems like a waste of money buying the box?

I hate making decision! lol :rolleyes:
 

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