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

penrhyn

I think you will find its Scientific Atlanta, who have been in the cable market for years. We had a joint venture with them years ago when I worked for Plessey (Maggie was PM).

PaulJM

penrhyn wrote: »

I think you will find its Scientific Atlanta, who have been in the cable market for years. We had a joint venture with them years ago when I worked for Plessey (Maggie was PM).

Yep, you're right thanks, my mistake. That sounds even worse though!

Blackjack_Davy

PaulJM wrote: »

But as the TV is 40 inch, the picture has always been a bit pixilated close up, but I can accept that on Standard Def, that will happen.
When I've connected an XBOX on thew HDMI, I've found the high def quite startlingly good - definately an amazing picture.

So I thought I'd add another Virgin box to the one we have on another TV in another room, and thought that now would be a good time to get an HD box and get the TV going the way it was designed. I got an amazing deal too.
Thing is though, I'm disapointed in the picture quality on the HD channels.
I've connected the HDMI, used a different cable, changed the ports a few times on the TV, and checked settings on the box and the TV - and I reckon it's only slightly better than freeview.

So what does everyone think? How do you quantify how good HD is? Maybe I'm being fussy, but the motion still looks a bit blocky, it looks like there is a very sheer cover over the screen. I expected crystal clearness...maybe I shouldn't.

I think that there may be a difference between cable and satellite? I can only say that with Freesat the difference is very noticeable. Connecting to a Sky box thats SD via SCART to my 40" Sony Bravia HDTV the picture on BBC 1 is plain awful. However on my Foxsat HD box that connects via HDMI the picture is much much better - it's pretty decent as an SD source and similar to upscaled DVD. However if I watch BBC1 HD or BBC HD the picture has crystal clarity, and not far off Blu-ray.

I sit about 8-9 feet away from it and can I tell the difference between SD and HD souces? Hell yeah.

penrhyn

Not all programmes on HD channels are actually in HD.

With the Sky EPG you can set it so that programmes originating in HD are shown in orange in the guide.
Dunno how Virgin handles this.

On the BBC 1 HD for example, the One Show studio pictures are HD, wheras a lot of the filmed reports are not, BBC News is not HD.

Football shows up well in HD, swap between ITV1 HD and the normal IITV1 and the difference should be apparant.

I do recall a friend of mind having a lot of trouble connecting his V+ box with a Sony TV. just make sure you are not connecting with scart and HDMI at the same time.
Clearly the V+ box output needs setting to 1080i, or 720p depending on your preferences.

OK_Sauce

I get the impression that there are posters on here that cannot see a lot of difference between SD and HD and then believe that anyone that CAN see a vast improvement is either 'believing the hype' or fooling themselves. Also, there seems to be a belief that rearranging the room is pointless and inconvenient? Really? If you think that's the case then that's fine, it's your opinion which you are, of course, entitled to. I'd love to hear how your stereo was set up before all this new fangled HD telly equipment came about! I would happily (and actually did) rearrange my room to benefit from the full experience of the equipment I've bought - the surround system, the plasma and the projector, I use for movies, bolted to my ceiling. Does tv rule my life? err no... not really, I do however do enough research beforehand to see how equipment would fit in with my circumstances.

Interestingly, in the garden I even put the swing seat in a particular position and orientation because that got me the full benefit of the last of the evening sun as it disappears over the horizon. Inconvenient? Yes. Worth it? Most definately!

Jeff_Bridges_hair

CoolHotCold wrote: »

Yea, its broadcast in 720p or upscaled to 1080i and the quality is DEFIANTLY not like watching a blu ray or HD stuff through Xbox, don't get me wrong its still miles better then the SD stuff, And I Can NOT wait till the Formula 1 season gets started in March as its all HD so BBC HD here I come.

But yea due to the limited bandwidth or bitrate they can pump you do notice a quality issue between Native HD and broadcast HD.

Lol an angry tv signal

aliEnRIK

penrhyn wrote: »

Clearly the V+ box output needs setting to 1080i, or 720p depending on your preferences.

Technically it should be set to 1080i and let the tv deinterlace
Setting to 720P would mean the box deinterlaces but also scales the picture down, and then the tv would have to scale again (Scaling twice is never a good idea) unless its one of the old Pans with an actual 720 panel

penrhyn

Indeed, happy to concur.......................now back to QI (in HD)!

PaulJM

OK_Sauce wrote: »

Interestingly, in the garden I even put the swing seat in a particular position and orientation because that got me the full benefit of the last of the evening sun as it disappears over the horizon. Inconvenient? Yes. Worth it? Most definately!

I hate the limitations the effing sun brings. To be honest, there should be some kind of select commitee sorted for these things.

mathsmaster

penrhyn wrote: »

I agree don't believe the hype, 30 lines are all you need, can anyone recommend a freeview box that will work with my televisor?

Somehow I can't read this post without hearing it in the voice of Mr Burns from the Simpsons:rotfl: