What resolution and frame rate does BBC-HD use on the iPlayer?

Hooloovoo · 12-11-2009, 09:59

I tried playing something from BBC-HD on the iPlayer last night. What resolution and refresh rate should I select? I'm used to using 1920x1080 at either 60Hz or 24Hz when watching Blu-Ray. But I couldn't seem to find a way of getting any information on the stream from the iPlayer.

Is UK high definition transmitted at 50Hz the same as PAL or is it all 60Hz?

My PC has hardware video acceleration for H.264 and VC1. Is there any way I can pull the file from the iPlayer to use in an application that supports the HA?

Hooloovoo · 13-11-2009, 10:00

58 views and no one knows the answer?

After extensive Googling, I believe the iPlayer HD stream is 1280x720 at 50Hz, but I still haven't found something that totally convinces me ...

Nigel Goodwin · 13-11-2009, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hooloovoo

58 views and no one knows the answer?

After extensive Googling, I believe the iPlayer HD stream is 1280x720 at 50Hz, but I still haven't found something that totally convinces me ...

Who cares, and what does it matter? - you get what you get and that's your lot. Excessive compression means it's not very good quality anyway, so the actual resolution is pretty immaterial.

Hooloovoo · 13-11-2009, 12:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Who cares, and what does it matter? - you get what you get and that's your lot.

It matters because

a) I need to select the correct resolution to avoid unnecessary up- or down-scaling.

b) I need to select the correct refresh rate to avoid any frame-rate conversion.

Quote:

Excessive compression means it's not very good quality anyway, so the actual resolution is pretty immaterial.

True enough, but given that

a) I don't yet have any other way of receiving BBC-HD.

b) It's still better than broadcast standard definition from what I've seen so far.

I would like to make use of the service in the best way I can.

Nigel Goodwin · 13-11-2009, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hooloovoo

It matters because

a) I need to select the correct resolution to avoid unnecessary up- or down-scaling.

b) I need to select the correct refresh rate to avoid any frame-rate conversion.

Adjust it for whatever YOU think looks best - I would suggest you're going to find little difference between different settings, and probably none are going to match the screen.

As this is the UK, frame rate is 50Hz anyway.

Hooloovoo · 13-11-2009, 14:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Adjust it for whatever YOU think looks best

Thanks, but I would rather set it to what is actually correct.

Quote:

- I would suggest you're going to find little difference between different settings, and probably none are going to match the screen.

It's a 1280x720 projector, so I don't have any problems with weird panel resolutions.

When playing blu-ray from the PC I set it to 1920x1080 since that allows me to make use of the 24Hz mode. Rather strangely, the projector appears to do a better job of down-scaling the video than the PC does when set to the native mode of the projector. I would have expected the PC having more processing power to look better, but hey ho.

I don't want to set the PC to 1080 if the iPlayer is running at 720 since that involves an unnecessary upscale by the PC and downscale by the projector.

I don't want to set the PC to 720 if the iPlayer is running at 1080, since I know the projector would do a better job of the down-scaling required.

Quote:

As this is the UK, frame rate is 50Hz anyway.

Thanks.

I would have expected everyone to adopt the 60Hz standard for high definition. But I suppose by sticking to 50Hz it makes it easier to edit old PAL archive footage into new high definition programming.

Hooloovoo · 13-11-2009, 14:39

Post not showing ...

frasera · 13-11-2009, 21:58

doesn't matter that much. its low bitrate 720p broadcast.

18-11-2009, 04:55

25p

12-11-2009, 09:59	#1
Hooloovoo Inactive Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,546	What resolution and frame rate does BBC-HD use on the iPlayer? I tried playing something from BBC-HD on the iPlayer last night. What resolution and refresh rate should I select? I'm used to using 1920x1080 at either 60Hz or 24Hz when watching Blu-Ray. But I couldn't seem to find a way of getting any information on the stream from the iPlayer. Is UK high definition transmitted at 50Hz the same as PAL or is it all 60Hz? My PC has hardware video acceleration for H.264 and VC1. Is there any way I can pull the file from the iPlayer to use in an application that supports the HA?

13-11-2009, 10:00	#2
Hooloovoo Inactive Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,546	58 views and no one knows the answer? After extensive Googling, I believe the iPlayer HD stream is 1280x720 at 50Hz, but I still haven't found something that totally convinces me ...

13-11-2009, 10:41	#3
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by Hooloovoo 58 views and no one knows the answer? After extensive Googling, I believe the iPlayer HD stream is 1280x720 at 50Hz, but I still haven't found something that totally convinces me ... Who cares, and what does it matter? - you get what you get and that's your lot. Excessive compression means it's not very good quality anyway, so the actual resolution is pretty immaterial.

13-11-2009, 12:58	#4
Hooloovoo Inactive Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,546	Quote: Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin Who cares, and what does it matter? - you get what you get and that's your lot. It matters because a) I need to select the correct resolution to avoid unnecessary up- or down-scaling. b) I need to select the correct refresh rate to avoid any frame-rate conversion. Quote: Excessive compression means it's not very good quality anyway, so the actual resolution is pretty immaterial. True enough, but given that a) I don't yet have any other way of receiving BBC-HD. b) It's still better than broadcast standard definition from what I've seen so far. I would like to make use of the service in the best way I can.

13-11-2009, 13:24	#5
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by Hooloovoo It matters because a) I need to select the correct resolution to avoid unnecessary up- or down-scaling. b) I need to select the correct refresh rate to avoid any frame-rate conversion. Adjust it for whatever YOU think looks best - I would suggest you're going to find little difference between different settings, and probably none are going to match the screen. As this is the UK, frame rate is 50Hz anyway.

13-11-2009, 14:02	#6
Hooloovoo Inactive Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,546	Quote: Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin Adjust it for whatever YOU think looks best Thanks, but I would rather set it to what is actually correct. Quote: - I would suggest you're going to find little difference between different settings, and probably none are going to match the screen. It's a 1280x720 projector, so I don't have any problems with weird panel resolutions. When playing blu-ray from the PC I set it to 1920x1080 since that allows me to make use of the 24Hz mode. Rather strangely, the projector appears to do a better job of down-scaling the video than the PC does when set to the native mode of the projector. I would have expected the PC having more processing power to look better, but hey ho. I don't want to set the PC to 1080 if the iPlayer is running at 720 since that involves an unnecessary upscale by the PC and downscale by the projector. I don't want to set the PC to 720 if the iPlayer is running at 1080, since I know the projector would do a better job of the down-scaling required. Quote: As this is the UK, frame rate is 50Hz anyway. Thanks. I would have expected everyone to adopt the 60Hz standard for high definition. But I suppose by sticking to 50Hz it makes it easier to edit old PAL archive footage into new high definition programming.

13-11-2009, 14:39	#7
Hooloovoo Inactive Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,546	Post not showing ...

13-11-2009, 21:58	#8
frasera Inactive Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 8,063	doesn't matter that much. its low bitrate 720p broadcast.

18-11-2009, 04:55	#9
1080p50 Posts: n/a	25p

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What resolution and frame rate does BBC-HD use on the iPlayer?