High Def - is it worth it? (just got Virgin HD)

zaffi

PaulJM wrote: »

Thanks Zaffi -
If you got close to the TV, like within a foot, could you see much pixillation?
I know you wouldn't watch it that close, but on the XBOX - which I know is different from a broadcast picture - you wouldn't see any.

Just checked pixillation at about a foot whilst watching sky sports news HD and saw none, and that was when showing highlights of the cricket in australia, at night, with lots of black in background but you have a different setup to mine.


I sit about 7 feet from my 42" sharp aquos and can instantly tell if the picture is SD or HD, i've had a fair amount of practice though, had skyHD for 3 and a half years!

Coveredinbees!!!!

be nice if all the channels made it to standard def. I recently got a blu ray and you have to get pretty close to notice any real difference on a 37 inch plasma, closer than I would want to be sitting.

david39

If you are comparing SD and HD on the same set and on the same programme, you need to make sure that the original content of the program was made in HD. Not all programmes on BBC1HD or ITV1HD or C4HD are in HD!

If the programme was made in SD then obviously there will be no discernible difference between the HD and the SD channel.

All programmes on the BBC HD channel (that's not BBC1 HD - I mean the other one) are broadcast from HD sources so where this coincides with a simultaneous broadcast on BBC2/3/4 then this is a valid comparison - although many argue that BBC dumb down their HD quality because of limited bandwidth on the Freeview transmitters.

Such people suggest that where ITV transmit in HD, their standards are higher, so try to make a comparison of a broadcast on ITV1 HD and ITV1 SD where the SD channel carries the red-button option to upgrade to HD, thereby ensuring the content is from an HD source.

ukcarper

zaffi wrote: »

Just checked pixillation at about a foot whilst watching sky sports news HD and saw none, and that was when showing highlights of the cricket in australia, at night, with lots of black in background but you have a different setup to mine.


I sit about 7 feet from my 42" sharp aquos and can instantly tell if the picture is SD or HD, i've had a fair amount of practice though, had skyHD for 3 and a half years!

I'm not surprised and if that's were you want to sit I would agree that you are getting the most out of your TV but try moving back another 7ft and see if you can see the difference.

I would agree a HD picture is better than a SD picture if you are sitting close enough and would recommend that if you are it's worth getting HD. but I think the problem is that that is not mentioned very often when you go to buy a HD set.

Inactive

bosseyed wrote: »

Anyone who can't tell the difference between a SD broadcast and the HD equivalent is either blind or being wilfully obtuse.

Watch football on ITV HD and then switch to the standard def broadcast on ITV - you can see the difference instantly, if you can't you need glasses.

Sorry, I am still laughing, you telling people about their eyesight with a user ID like you have.. :rotfl::D

moonrakerz

Inactive wrote: »

Agreed, it is just that, hype.

I have been told on another thread on here that I need to sit closer to my TV to see the benefits of HD, well I don't want to rearrange my living room so that I can witness the miniscule difference between SD and HD.

Of course there are some that like to believe the hype.

And there are some/many who can see the difference - as I have already said on another thread !

Inactive

moonrakerz wrote: »

And there are some/many who can see the difference - as I have already said on another thread !

Yea, got you the first time.

Good for you, I can't see any significant difference.

de1amo

i have a new 40 inch led but have yet to explore its capabilities--i live abroad and have cable and saterlite connections--my wife says all the films are in HD from our providers --the picture looks fine to me without paying for HD enabling but do films look better?--i watch a lot of football on pltv which is just shown abroad by the premier league and it never seems to tell if it is shown in HD or not!?---also another question do people plug their lap tops into their tellies to watch online tv

---

i would like to somehow link up to uk tv.

PaulJM

Inactive wrote: »

Sorry, I am still laughing, you telling people about their eyesight with a user ID like you have.. :rotfl::D

I noticed that, and it caused me some happiness

I love the theatrics with this phrase too, especially when used on an internet thing about tellys

PaulJM

almillar wrote: »

Am I right in saying the Virgin HD boxes are a bit cack at the minute? You don't mention what youre TV is, but please don't downscale, scaling kills picture quality. All UK HDTV is broadcast in 1080i AFAIK so your box is hopefully outputting 1080 i or p to a 1080 set.
HD is better than SD, of that I have absolutely no doubt. Do your research, don't just goto Tesco and buy a Technika TV and jam it in the corner and then proudly declare that there's no difference - you would actually be better off keeping your CRT TVs.

Yeh, they have two, one by someone called Scientific Instuments (which even sounds cack) and one by Samsung.
I beleive the Samsung one is a bit better, but of course, I didn't get it!
This SI one is just a bit cr*p. It's slow and crashes a bit.

My TV is a lovely shiny Sony that took me months to decide on - I'm sure it's up to the job!