How much HD on the HD channels?
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I think this is the right sub-forum......
VM currently provide a small number of HD Channels.
Can anyone tell me how much of the content of these channels is actually produced in HD as well as transmitted in HD? (I believe the term is 1080i but I'm ready to be educated)
The BBC HD channel is a showcase so that probably is all produced in HD, but Megastructures on Nat Geog? - that's been around for a while hasn't it?
Is it just the same source digitised as 1080i?
The answer may have to be subjective - there is an info button on my TV that says what the input signal is, but if the V+ HD box always says it's 1080i into HDMI inputs then that won't help.
Why can't I check myself?
Well I have had my V+ HD box connected briefly to my 1080p TV (very impressive) but it has now been returned to our non-HD TV.
So I'm now considering whether to get a second V+ HD box - they're a bit expensive you know if there's not (yet) much (real) HD content.
VM currently provide a small number of HD Channels.
Can anyone tell me how much of the content of these channels is actually produced in HD as well as transmitted in HD? (I believe the term is 1080i but I'm ready to be educated)
The BBC HD channel is a showcase so that probably is all produced in HD, but Megastructures on Nat Geog? - that's been around for a while hasn't it?
Is it just the same source digitised as 1080i?
The answer may have to be subjective - there is an info button on my TV that says what the input signal is, but if the V+ HD box always says it's 1080i into HDMI inputs then that won't help.
Why can't I check myself?
Well I have had my V+ HD box connected briefly to my 1080p TV (very impressive) but it has now been returned to our non-HD TV.
So I'm now considering whether to get a second V+ HD box - they're a bit expensive you know if there's not (yet) much (real) HD content.
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And remember HD has been around for about 8 years. The US were filming shows in HD as far back as 2001 (and maybe even before that)
EDIT: According to Wikipedia the first US HD broadcast was in October 1998, so 11 years ago!
Some online TV guides are very good when wanting to double check, Digiguide/UKTV guide are very good.
Firstly it depends on the source material. Generally anything shot on 35mm or even 16mm movie film using normal professional gear in the last 30 or more years is considered to be of above broadcast HD quality.
So if an HD telecine kit is used to broadcast these films then they are real HD
The problem lies with electronic recordings of older TV shows which will be in either PAL (728x576) or NTSC (640x480) formats both of which obviously require up-scaling if shown on a purported HD channel. The broadcasters should have the best upscaling but in the absence of a reference I canot see the difference in this type of material between HD and Non HD feeds as upscaled on my V+ box
However a lot of modern TV is shot (if not live) HD There is no doubt e.g. that the current edition of "Countdown" is real HD on C4HD. Nat Geo HD is fantastic.
Incidentally the BBC's policy is that 16mm is not good enough for HD transfer, which is why many top shows (Merlin, Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars) are not in HD.
I was in Japan in 1988 and NHK were broadcasting HD with stereo sound
It became the international standard gauge in 1909.
Please substantiate with appropriate references /links.
You are a pedantic I did say in the last 30 years or so!:mad:! As an historic photographic enthusiast I am perfectly aware of the history of film formats. However as you are also probably aware the ability of these film formats to deliver a picture of a given definition relies on the grain structure of the emulsion. So as I have read anycolour 35 mm film produced after around 1960 and with finer grain structure around 1975 that 16 mm film gave better definition than as defined by todays HDTV standards
I saw a simulated 1250 line HD show at the laboraatories of a european TV manufacturer (Guess Who?) at about the same time. It was streets better than even BR today!
Dont doubt you but please supply substantiative links!
Would have to search myself but am sure that I have seen evidence to the contrary...maybe not BBC.
I thought you could buy Life on Mars on Blu-Ray ?
It's only an upscale of the SD masters though, not proper HD.
No HD ident onscreen that denotes it's made in HD.
No references on Ch4's web site/in any forum/in any TV mag/online TV guide/on either EPG synopsis on Sky/VM.
The shows produced by ITV, almost every edition produced by Yorkshire studios, now closed I believe, highly unlikely there were geared up for HD - recent editions are by Manchester studios, I doubt these are geared up for HD either.
I'll be happy to look at your appropriate references/links why you think it is HD.
I would have been a pedantic if I had said 40yrs.
Saying 30 or so years was being very vague - considering 35mm has been around for 127yrs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/pdf/tv/IMAGO_response.pdf
I was of course only referring to the current series not repeats of old episodes. The ITV Manchester Studios (3sixtymedia) are HD equipped.
http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-broadcasting/itv-spends-a-quarter-of-a-million-upgrading-the-manchester-studios-200804182393/
I have them, and it is better than SD but not quite HD.
The gearing up was over a year ago. I dont reckon it is upscaled - if its shot, as it appears it is, with HD gear then they downscale it for SD. It looks too good to be upscaled. I agree there is no confirmation one way or the other available.
I agree the images are very good, that's because Ch4 HD upscaling from source is one of the best. With the right equipment you should see noticeable differences between the box/broadcaster upscaling compared to native HD.
It will be well advertised when it goes HD, just like Hollyoaks.
I started a similar thread to this some weeks ago, prompted by Countdown. The set is very "fussy" and you see fringing effects on camera movement that really should not be there if it was HD. I have stopped recording it in HD as it takes up too much space on the box for no real benefit.
Now, "Are You an Egghead?", that's in HD.
Er why would they do that? The studio is HD equipped and shoots in HD - I am suggesting that this is passed direct to C4 HD and then downscaled for C4.
I see no fringing effects as sugested by 56up either
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews44/pride_and_prejudice_blu-ray.htm
Gilson
All C4 HD progammes have, rather annoyingly, the HD logo in the top left of the screen, eg Hollyoaks. Countdown does not, and is therefore upscaled only. There are no plans for Countdown to be made in HD in the near furture, and I got that from the series' producer, Damien Eadie, when I was chatting to him fairtly recently. Now are you satisfied?