BBC HD Quality Reduction
Posted by: Joe Bibb on 06 January 2010
As you may have seen the BBC is busy denying that their reduced bit-rate broadcasting is affecting HD quality.
Anyone in any doubt should take a quick look at the David Dimbleby "How We Built Britain" on now. When they first screened that, it was stunning, now it's barely better than SD.
Just like DAB......quality goes at the first opportunity.
Joe
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by garyi
WHICH did a test with a selection of people to watch the HD material pre and post August when the bit rate was reduced.
None spotted any difference.
I watch it all on iPLayer so with a stream occuring as well it always varies in quality.
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by mongo
The BBC is now so huge that it collectively believes itself beyond reproach and certainly far too important to explain itself to the plebs.
It should, imo, be broken up in to much smaller pieces which might then be accountable for their arbitrary actions'
Lol... i just read that again...HA! As if.
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by Mike-B
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by Joe Bibb
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
WHICH did a test with a selection of people to watch the HD material pre and post August when the bit rate was reduced.
None spotted any difference.
I watch it all on iPLayer so with a stream occuring as well it always varies in quality.
Ah yes, the bastion of quality preservation that is WHICH?
I have read their Hi Fi reviews. I'm sure they would achieve the same results with a 'blind' listen of DAB rates.
The programme tonight is 'soft' looking compared it's first outing. It's not subtle.
Mike, that's an interesting link. The Freeview thing makes sense.
Joe
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by fatcat
Why worry about bit rate and picture quality when the BBC seem to have a policy of producing and broadcasting blurred pictures at every opportunity.
Dragon’s Den is unwatchable, only one dragon is ever in focus at any one time. Documentaries set in exotic locations are filmed with the locations blurred, what’s the point in that. The same applies to news reports and dramas.
I may be wrong, but I suspect this technique is employed to compensate for the poor depth of field displayed by Plasma/LCD TV’s compared to proper CRT TV’s.
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by Derek Wright
Which and technology do not mix - the Which highest rating is good enough, excellence is not part of their rating scheme or comprehension.
Only use them for helping to select utilitarian devices.
Posted on: 06 January 2010 by winkyincanada
quote:
Originally posted by fatcat
I may be wrong, but I suspect this technique is employed to compensate for the poor depth of field displayed by Plasma/LCD TV’s compared to proper CRT TV’s.
It that because plasma and LCD TV cabinets are too shallow to display decent DOF
?
Posted on: 07 January 2010 by tonym
...and if you want really good HD and SD picture quality, and you have a suitably large display, treat yourself to a good video processor.
Posted on: 07 January 2010 by Joe Bibb
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
You need a new LCD TV .
Get a new freeview hd box All chans in HD in time for the world cup.
Not the Freeview built into tvs.
BBC/ITV/Chan4/Chan5/All in HDAnd a few othersStu
Ha Stu, there was nothing wrong with my Panny plasma when this program first aired in the earlier days of BBC HD - it was stunning. Last night it simply wasn't as good. Sky HD box is a Pace jobbie and other HD channels seem sharper. Prevously, I would have said the BBC was the best.
Joe
Posted on: 07 January 2010 by Mike-B
I was talking to a neighbour who manages a TV, sat-dish systems installing company.
He says the TV viewing public mostly don't care & all it needs to do is just flicker, but some TV www chat forums are rioting & BBC are getting it in the neck.
He was very aware of the deliberate reduction in transmission bitrate & agrees with the HiFi World guy that its probably done to not show up how bad BBC HD on Freeview will be, he cannot see any other reason, reducing a 16mbps capable system to 9mbps does not save money.
He invited me round for a demo.
We hooked up to Freeview, Freesat & Sky, I had not seen HD except on my blueray so I was intrigued anyhow.
Sky was good, I hate to agree the "stunning" word, but it will do for want of something not so frothy.
BBC was hardly different from Freeview SD - yes its clearer, but not enough to make me fork out 200 drinking vouchers on a box & dish.
Whatever BBC is doing, and I guess they do (might) have a plan of some sort, they are about to shoot themselves in the foot.
