resolution of Sky SD TV picture

Robert2009

What is the resolution of a normal Sky picture, not HD, as I have just bought a new HD TV with an HD freeview tuner and the SD terrestrial digital picture seems to me to be better and clearer than the SD Sky picture connected by a SCART lead.

Or is it just my imagination?

There is nothing actually wrong with the Sky picture.

Rob

Pokerlad

SD resolution is 720x576 and both sources wil be the same. However, to fill the TV screen on your HD TV the picture needs upscaled. Your normal Sky box cant do this so the TV needs to do the job where as its likely the freeview tuner is doing this for the freeview box. The difference your seeing is because your freeview box is better at doing it then your TV.

Robert2009

the freeview tuner is doing this for the freeview box.

It is a built in tuner, I don't have a freeview box, but your explanation makes it clear.

Whenever I change a freeview channel I get info across the top of the screen and one of these is 576i. I wondered what that meant.

Of course there is no info when I change a channel on Sky as the TV doesn't know a channel has been changed.

Unless I sit quite close to the TV (32 inch screen) I don't notice much difference between the 3 freeview HD channels and the SD channels so I won't bother upgrading my Sky box to HD. At my age my eyesight isn't at its best.

brewerdave

Also could be to do with the quality of the SCART lead you are using for the Sky Box.
Wasn't happy with the pictures I was seeing from either Sky+ or Freeview+ boxes on my new LCD TV. Connected Freeview+ box with component leads and Sky+ box with a new SCART lead - result much better picture quality on both inputs.
I agree totally with what you say about Sky HD; My SIL had HD for the Sports package but now he agrees with me that the difference is virtually imperceptible so has cancelled HD sub.

Inactive

brewerdave wrote: »

I agree totally with what you say about Sky HD; My SIL had HD for the Sports package but now he agrees with me that the difference is virtually imperceptible so has cancelled HD sub.

So do I agree with that, HD is a huge con to make money for Sky IMO.

Pokerlad

Inactive wrote: »

So do I agree with that, HD is a huge con to make money for Sky IMO.

Sorry but anyone who cant see the difference between HD and SD TV has one of the following

a) Poor quality TV
b) Badly set up system
c) Poor eyesight

Harrowing_2

Pokerlad wrote: »

Sorry but anyone who cant see the difference between HD and SD TV has one of the following

a) Poor quality TV
b) Badly set up system
c) Poor eyesight

Agreed, my large screen LCD would be a waste of money without the HD for which it is effectively designed. SD looks poor on it, HD great.

Though full HD is of course the best for a large tv and OP doesn't mention if theirs is.

Kurtis_Blue

Pokerlad wrote: »

Sorry but anyone who cant see the difference between HD and SD TV has one of the following

a) Poor quality TV
b) Badly set up system
c) Poor eyesight

Agreed the differnce between SD and HD is VAST this is a quantitative not a qualitative issue and is simply not open to debate.

Also as per a large number of homes I visit if you dont see VAST difference then you may be attempting to watch HD via scart or RF and not the HDMI connection.

Harrowing_2

Robert2009 wrote: »

What is the resolution of a normal Sky picture, not HD, as I have just bought a new HD TV with an HD freeview tuner and the SD terrestrial digital picture seems to me to be better and clearer than the SD Sky picture connected by a SCART lead.

Or is it just my imagination?

There is nothing actually wrong with the Sky picture.

Rob

Um, perhaps try to compare a freeview HD channel such as BBC HD?:D

Sorry you said this in you later box (a bit better), but yes 32' is quite small for an HD tv and you may need to sit closer to appreciate the difference. Would have recommended 40 or 42" full HD for awesome picture.

matimage

When you have HD setup on a good tele you really notice the difference.

moonrakerz

Pokerlad wrote: »

Sorry but anyone who cant see the difference between HD and SD TV has one of the following

a) Poor quality TV
b) Badly set up system
c) Poor eyesight

d) The most common one - sitting too far away from an HD picture.