How can I improve streaming picture quality

leadhead

I have fibre broadband with around 35mbps average download speed....I stream through a relatively old laptop(Dell Latitude D600), and although its ok to watch on the laptop screen, when I try to watch on a 40" lcd tv, the quality naturally suffers.....

What options do I have, other than upgrade to a better laptop with a better video card in it...

I need something that I can type URL's in, rather than something with set chanels....or something in between the laptop and tv that would improve the picture quality.

The tv has HDMI.

Any proven examples would be appreciated.

lesalanos

what is it that you are streaming?

leadhead

lesalanos wrote: »

what is it that you are streaming?

Last night I watched a live American ice hockey match...

Jemma-T

Streaming from what at what speed (ie how good is the speed served to you)? You never mentioned the most important bit. If you setup works great with iPlayer then it's fine so you will have to find a better source for your stream.

Seen lots of terribly slow and poor streamed video and it has nothing to do with the end user's kit.

leadhead

Jemma-T wrote: »

Streaming from what at what speed (ie how good is the speed served to you)? You never mentioned the most important bit. If you setup works great with iPlayer then it's fine so you will have to find a better source for your stream.

Seen lots of terribly slow and poor streamed video and it has nothing to do with the end user's kit.

Ive got iPlayer built into my Freesat box, and Wii, so I dont use the laptop for that, but I will now try it via the laptop and see if the picture quality is the same as the hockey stream was......

Sorry I dont understand what you mean, "streaming from what to what"...and how do i measure the speed served to me...

last night it was a live hockey game, in the middle of it I tested my download speed and it reported 35mbps...or isnt this relevant...I have very little stutter or buffering, its just the picture quality that is the problem...

Addendum.......Ive just set the laptop up and have watched some football broadcast on Sunday via iPlayer, and the quality IS a lot better than the quality of last nights hockey game...

I really hope this isnt the final answer to my problem(although i understand your point above)....It has been suggested that the video card in the laptop is really inadequate, and a better card would improve picture quality, and a better connection than the standard vga to vga may also improve the quality. My laptop also has an svideo connection.

bubblegun

leadhead wrote: »

I have fibre broadband with around 35mbps average download speed....I stream through a relatively old laptop(Dell Latitude D600), and although its ok to watch on the laptop screen, when I try to watch on a 40" lcd tv, the quality naturally suffers.....

What options do I have, other than upgrade to a better laptop with a better video card in it...

I need something that I can type URL's in, rather than something with set chanels....or something in between the laptop and tv that would improve the picture quality.

The tv has HDMI.

Any proven examples would be appreciated.

When you say fibre broadband, what do you mean?

an Openreach FTTC service like BT infinity or Sky unlimited or plusnet, etc?
Virgin Cable "Fibre" service?
or a true Fibre service?

They all rely on your link to the remote service though. If any of the interlinks are running slow then the stream will suffer.

If it's a common problem then run a tracert from the windows command prompt when you are having the problems and if the same link is running slow every time.
Then call your isp to see if they can get the routing improved or changed. {it's very unlikely they can do anything if the slow link is outside of their network}.

custardy

leadhead wrote: »

Ive got iPlayer built into my Freesat box, and Wii, so I dont use the laptop for that, but I will now try it via the laptop and see if the picture quality is the same as the hockey stream was......

Sorry I dont understand what you mean, "streaming from what to what"...and how do i measure the speed served to me...

last night it was a live hockey game, in the middle of it I tested my download speed and it reported 35mbps...or isnt this relevant...I have very little stutter or buffering, its just the picture quality that is the problem...

Addendum.......Ive just set the laptop up and have watched some football broadcast on Sunday via iPlayer, and the quality IS a lot better than the quality of last nights hockey game...

I really hope this isnt the final answer to my problem(although i understand your point above)....It has been suggested that the video card in the laptop is really inadequate, and a better card would improve picture quality, and a better connection than the standard vga to vga may also improve the quality. My laptop also has an svideo connection.

Then its most likely down to the quality of the 'broadcast'
web streams can vary massively in quality

bluesnake

I'm not into this but a friend who is raves about xbmc and how clear it is

paddyrg

Streaming media is expensive - it uses your data allowance and bandwidth to download, but somebody else's to upload and stream it. Each connection requires a separate stream, unlike proper broadcast TV, it is known as multicast. This means if 100 people watch that stream, somebody somewhere has 100 times the data costs top support that. They reduce that cost by sending smaller files (the files are compressed at a lower 'bitrate', ie less data bits per second). Those smaller files have to throw away some detail in order to be smaller. Cleverly, they start by throwing away the smallest details, but you do end up with soft pictures, or in more extreme circumstances blocky video with banding on gradients and mosquitoes on text.

There is nothing you can do about this, except watch high bitrate streams, which cost real money where they exist at all. If you watch free/pirated overseas TV, you will get low quality. If you watch ad or license fee supported streams you will get what you 'pay' for. iPlayer streams are 1.5Mbps, HD are 3.2Mbps, restreamed TV from an illicit source is likely to be 0.5 - 0.7Mbps range, and for a freebie are extremely good when you think how amazing the technology behind it is.

custardy

bluesnake wrote: »

I'm not into this but a friend who is raves about xbmc and how clear it is

yes but thats all dependent on the quality of the media.
XBMC plays back what you are throwing at it,but cant work miracles

System

I don't think it's anything to do with your machine op,
I watch a few internet streams for sports and it's usually always down to the quality of stream availible, with your connection you could try to find a sopcast link to a broadcast as those streams are sometimes as good quality as you will find - when I'm trying to find a stream, I usually try as many as possible in the 5mins before faceoff/kick off and then stick with the best one :money: