[mythtvnz] Feedback requested on an article on Digital TV

[Steven Ellis]

Steve Hodge wrote:
> On 10/7/06, Steven Ellis <steven@openmedia.co.nz> wrote:
>> Steve Hodge wrote:
>> > Good article, but surely what it boils down to is that non-HDTV
>> > FreeViews channel (i.e. almost certainly all of them so a significant
>> > time) will look approximately the same as Sky Digital does. I think
>> > it'd be worth mentioning that because for a lot of people that's the
>> > simplest way to give them a good idea of what it will be like.
>>
>> Actually for the most part unless SkyTV improve their setup FreeView
>> should look a hell of a lot better than the existing Sky Channels. Most
>> people I know with Sky actually have a worse picture on TV One / TV 2
>> than I get on my normal aerial.
>
> This is certainly never been the case for me. Though One and 2 look
> better via DVB-S through MythTV (connected to a plasma via VGA cable)
> than via Sky (connected via SVideo). But the technology is the same.
> There's no guarentee that FreeView will look any better. You're
> assuming that the FreeView partners will do a better job or at least
> allocate more bandwidth than Sky do now.
Technology is the same, but the bit-rates are way different.

1. Sky doesn't use 720x576 for all of its channels (or at least they didn't)
2. What is Sky's average bit rate vs FreeView ? FreeView appears to be
around 4.8Mb
3. Sky only does anamorphic wide-screen on selected channels (at present).
4. Not all Sky boxes have component - I agree it is a lot better, but
not as good as DVI/HDMI/VGA
5. I don't know anyone who even realises you can feed a Sky box over
component, never mind actually doing it.
6. Can you record component ? I don't know of any reasonably priced
capture cards that can do component.

What size and type of screen are you viewing on. A standard CRT up to
32" is very forgiving of SkyTV. Once you move onto LCD and Plasma at
40"+ the difference is huge.
>
>> Unless Sky starts producing set-top boxes with DVI/HDMI connections the
>> new FreeView platform is going to look one hell of a lot better on large
>> HDTV screens. I know this for a fact as I've tried it on a number of
>> Plasma and LCD units.
>
> Have you tried Sky with component out? That should be pretty similar
> in quality to DVI. The limiting factor becomes the signal pretty
> quickly, rather than the connector.
TV One over component from a Sky Box isn't as clear as TV One from
FreeView over DVI/VGA/HDMI. In fact it isn't even close on a good HD screen.
>
>> One of the biggest complaints I have is from customers who have Sky
>> Digital and are shocked at how bad the picture looks on a "HDTV Capable"
>> screen.
>
> Well, that's because they've been over sold. "HDTV Capable" doesn't
> mean a set is going to magically make an SD signal look like an HD
> signal.  An SD signal is never going to compare well with the HD and
> DVD demos you see in the store for HDTV sets. And FreeView is still an
> SD signal. It's DVD quality at best.
The bit rate on the wide-screen test channel is usually pretty damn
high, way above normal DVD bit rates.

Mind due in the UK the primary reason for Freeview take it is content
rather than quality. If they don't have additional content then the pick
up will be very slow.

Steve

-- 
Steven Ellis - Technical Director
OpenMedia Limited
email   - steven@openmedia.co.nz
sales   - sales@openmedia.co.nz
support - support@openmedia.co.nz
website - http://www.openmedia.co.nz