HDTV signal

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

I was wondering if anybody could help me:

I get my HD signal through cablevision. My HDTV only gets 1080i. Normal
over the air shows come in prety good, compared to their non HD
couterparts. Shows like 24, ER, etc. They come in ok, certainly an
improvement over nomal TV.

Sports programs - football (all networks) come in much better quality,
sharper picture, etc. Much better then normal TV shows.

But then there is the network INHD. This picture is off the wall good.
Beyond belief. So clear. Absolutly perfect. This must be what everyone
is talking about when they get HD.

My quetion is why INHD comes in so much better then the other chanels,
even the other HD chanels. I am comparing this to shows that are
supposed to be broadcast in HIGH DEFINITION.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

SD picture quality has always varied a lot between different broadcast
stations and cable networks. So, why not HD? On the other hand, one
interesting - to me, anyway - side effect of getting HD is that people
become more sensitive to picture quality and spend time fussing over it.

The picture quality depends on the source, the quality of the transfer
if source was film, bandwidth available to the network. The cable/sat
networks such as inHD, Discovery, HBO - assuming the local cable company
doesn't recompress the signal - should have the full bandwidth needed
for HD available to them. If your local stations are broadcasting
additional SD channels such as x.2 weather sub-channels or news
broadcasts, that reduces the bandwidth available for the HD broadcast
and thus poorer signal quality.

But the source is usually the biggest reason. The picture quality for
the InHd and DiscoveryHD nature shows can be amazing, but those were
likely shot for Imax or on high quality 35mm film and an effort was made
to get a high quality transfer to HD. Based on what I have read from
long time HD watchers, HD picture quality of the scripted network shows
has gotten better this year, but still varies depending on the look the
producers want for the show and how they shoot it for budget reasons.

Alan F


Jeremy Dominik wrote:

> I was wondering if anybody could help me:
>
> I get my HD signal through cablevision. My HDTV only gets 1080i. Normal
> over the air shows come in prety good, compared to their non HD
> couterparts. Shows like 24, ER, etc. They come in ok, certainly an
> improvement over nomal TV.
>
> Sports programs - football (all networks) come in much better quality,
> sharper picture, etc. Much better then normal TV shows.
>
> But then there is the network INHD. This picture is off the wall good.
> Beyond belief. So clear. Absolutly perfect. This must be what everyone
> is talking about when they get HD.
>
> My quetion is why INHD comes in so much better then the other chanels,
> even the other HD chanels. I am comparing this to shows that are
> supposed to be broadcast in HIGH DEFINITION.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jeremy Dominik" <jdominik@optonline.net> wrote in message
news_i9e.3629$sG3.2636@fe09.lga...
>I was wondering if anybody could help me:
>
> I get my HD signal through cablevision. My HDTV only gets 1080i. Normal
> over the air shows come in prety good, compared to their non HD
> couterparts. Shows like 24, ER, etc. They come in ok, certainly an
> improvement over nomal TV.
>
> Sports programs - football (all networks) come in much better quality,
> sharper picture, etc. Much better then normal TV shows.
>
> But then there is the network INHD. This picture is off the wall good.
> Beyond belief. So clear. Absolutly perfect. This must be what everyone is
> talking about when they get HD.
>
> My quetion is why INHD comes in so much better then the other chanels,
> even the other HD chanels. I am comparing this to shows that are supposed
> to be broadcast in HIGH DEFINITION.

garbage in, garbage out

INHD material was mostly intended for HD, most shot/edited HD digital at
full res and color depth. Additionally, the content was often chosen for its
HD "pop", fine details, high dynamic range for brightness AND color, crystal
clear optics and perfect focus with deep depth of field. Butterflies on
green sunlit ferns with snow falling is just about perfect stuff for eye
candy. And INHD takes pains not to introduce problems like overcompression
to save bits.

Compare that to some HD movies where the source film dynamic range is poor,
color styles are muted, focus, optical quality stinks and the image doesn't
contain much of highly detailed surfaces except the fine lines on the
cocaine abuse worn actresses' faces.

Not to mention that a lot of HD transfers for the pay movie channels seem to
be high on the compression and low on the pretty.