tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644371100807363751.post5588296579667667695..comments2023-11-01T10:45:23.708+00:00Comments on Virgin Media TV: BBC HD PQ - new post on BBC BlogNiallihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11917083363610144290noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644371100807363751.post-73704826416766332122009-11-08T12:26:01.381+00:002009-11-08T12:26:01.381+00:00What you do need to remember is the website that p...What you do need to remember is the website that publishes bitrates does so for satellite broadcasts, not for cable.<br />Now, VM broadcasts HD in MPEG2 at the moment, so is probably re-encoding the BBCHD feed to make it "compatible" with their broadcast codec (BBCHD uses MPEG-4.2.0, iirc, same as SkyHD). What we don't have is any information on how this process is performed, and the subsequent bitrate VM then broadcasts the channels at.<br />If it comes in at 9Mbit/s MPEG4, and VM recodes it to 9MBit/s MPEG2, then PQ will suffer. MPEG4 is designed to perform better at lower bitrates than MPEG2.<br /><br />Maybe the codec changes at the BBC have caused an issue with the re-encoding that VM does? Maybe that process can be examined by someone in the know :-)Lewpyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03332357836689601583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644371100807363751.post-37956544959459775432009-11-02T13:31:22.583+00:002009-11-02T13:31:22.583+00:00I believe the V+ box records the broadcast stream ...I believe the V+ box records the broadcast stream directly, That is why it is encrypted as you have a perfect digital copy of the source data. So when you play it back you get exactly how it looked when broadcast.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10649085201625343670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644371100807363751.post-64752565936376106922009-11-01T12:18:59.424+00:002009-11-01T12:18:59.424+00:00Interesting point. There's no quality setting ...Interesting point. There's no quality setting I'm aware of with the V+ - it just records at what my DVD recorder calls "SP" - 2gb for an hour of SD, 8gb for HD. (The V+ has a 160gb hard disc. <br />As both programmes I was comparing (Wild Russian and Life) were recorded, any degradation through re-encoding would be common, so I guess the comparison's still valid.<br />Incidentally, watched <i>The Thick of It</i> in HD last night on BBC HD then played back my BBC2 recording straight after - the latter was actually a better picture. Most odd.Niallihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11917083363610144290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644371100807363751.post-82437890163637767992009-10-31T23:35:27.891+00:002009-10-31T23:35:27.891+00:00Does the V+ not reencode when you record a show? I...Does the V+ not reencode when you record a show? IIRC there are "quality" setting in the V+ menu. Even on highest quality it may look worse than watching it live, if its still reencoding. Anyway, something to perhaps consider if you're going to comment on the PQ of shows.Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14222365081930268213noreply@blogger.com