I was just wondering when/if the UK will be getting this HDTV thing?

I hear people talking about it but dont know what it is!

Well, home & away is now in HDTV and it looks crap! Is this what it looks like? and if so, then they can keep it

There's been lots of talk in other thread's on HDTV so do a search for them.

Don't judge the quality of HDTV on watching Home & Away, it's a very poor quality HDTV and the conversion process that converted the HDTV to our TV system made it look even worse. True HDTV programming like the ones in the US will make you want to get HDTV.

it's highly unlikely that we'll ever get hdtv widely available in this country. massive capital investment needed, and it would seriously cut down on the number of satellite (ie sky) channels available unless someone's prepared to launch a new bird.

shame really

Have you seen Home and Away in HDTV, and if so, where and how?

It is a shame considering there's plenty of crappy channels that we can do without.

Home & Away is being shot in HDTV in Australia then down converted to the PAL TV system so that it can be broadcast on Five. Many people have shown their dislike to the picture quality in other threads in this forum as it staggers in high motion scenes. This is down to the poor way the show is shot and down converted to PAL. Like I said in the other thread proper HDTV shows from the US look a hell of a lot better even though we are viewing a down converted version of it.

Edit: Sorry double post.

Then the writer hasn't seen HDTV. The poor quality could be down to production issues such as lighting and even the dynamic range of the subject material. Judging HDTV on one low-budget programme that has been converted to 625 PAL is not the right way to do it. It seems obvious to me that if HDTV has double the lines, and possibly a higher dynamic range, then it cannot be a backward step.

In my opinion Home & Away isn't true HDTV as it is only 576p and not much higher like 720p and 1080i like in the US and Japan.

What's HDTV?

The UK will be using the European adopted standard of 1080i 50.

There are 2 channels broadcast over Europe, by way of satellite.

http://www.euro1080.tv/index.htm

hope not .

I hope not. I hope they adopt the 720p standard as well.

Can I ask why?

It will not be in the UK for a long time yet. I for one would like it to be though!

Absolutely. Give me 5 minutes with a pair of channel-scissors, and I will find plenty of room.

I would love to see HDTV in Europe, but to be honest, I would be perfectly happy if they just upped the quality/bit-rate of the current digital channels. Even HDTV in the states can get a bit blocky from time to time, and I would rather have a solid 576 line picture than a blocky 1024 one. Neither is likely to happen any time soon, though.

I just want to adopt the same standard as the US does. The US uses 720p and 1080i. I'd like to view programming in the same format they were created in and intended to be in rather than converting to another resolution that's all.

I would've thought it unlikely that any major push for HDTV will be made for a while, at least not until most viewers have been converted (pushed?) onto Digital TV in its present form.

The powers that be aren't going to risk backlash, and invest £millions in a new broadcast format, whilst they currently have a battle with the existing ones!

I'd give it until after the analogue switch-off before any serious effort is made. By that time, HDTV may have matured into a serious alternative. And Blu-Ray will be out by then as well, along with decent-sized Hard-disk recorders, so you could have the best of all worlds.....

In my opinion I feel that people will be more aware and start wanting HDTV when the new HD-DVD standard is finalised in the next few years. Lets hope whatever format/resolution the US goes with (probably the same resolution of HDTV in the US which are 720p and 1080i) that Europe adopts the same format.

Though that's because HDTV have gone for 25fps. HDTV also offers 50fps modes, which look "normal" rather than filmic.

wait a min does that mean we wont be able to get 720p ?, so does that mean we are stuck with interlaced even with HDTV ?, Damm It !, i would of though we should at least get 720p

A HD STB can easily downscale a 1080p or 1080i signal to 720p with no quality issues what so ever, they could go all the way to PAL standard if required by the viewer. Studios are not going to film a program in two HD formats, they will shoot in the highest resolution and convert to the lower spec formats to suit the markets/broadcasters they supply.

Most likely. They don't do anything what the public prefer. I'd rather have 720p over 1080i. I've read articles from broadcasters in the US saying they aren't keen on 1080i they'd have 720p any day. The vast majority of programming in the US is 720p except for some films and sporting events. I don't see why they can't adopt the same formats as the US so that the programming that gets imported from the US is viewed as it was created in and intended to be in. Saves the hassle of converting it.

You will have control of the specification of the video output from the High Def set top box, if you are receiving a 1080i signal then you can have a 720p output if you so wish.

Will the quality of the picture look just as good as a true 720p broadcast? Or will it do some de-interlacing process then resize?

NBC use 1080i (1920 x 1080)


The higher resolution of 1080i, will be great for very large screens.