Channel 98 / Very Bad Hazy looking / Pale Color and saturation !!!

[bjf2007]

I've watched today Channel 98 HD on DISH of Olympics soccer and am GREATLY Disappointed.

The picture is very light and hazy looking.

I can't imagine the smog in China is making this picture this bad.

It looks like NBC or DISH is sending out a pale washed out picture.

The other mirrored HD channel is the same.
I think it's 367.

Anyway, I hope someone can get the word out to NBC to get it together and improve the picture.

Also, on Universal HD I saw the USA vs. Japan soccer match and the picture was better on Directv. Better color saturation and slightly sharper. BUT the big thing was the audio on Directv was much better and louder. DISH was a lot lower volume.

There is also some pixelation on the Olympics logo animation with the soccer.

I hope this is not how the next two weeks will be on DISH with the Olympics.

Anyone else here please post if you are not having these problems.

I would rather pay if it means better picture and sound.

Thanks, bjf

[Bill R]

The air (smog and haze) is really that bad in China. Did you notice how good the picture looked on "non live" scenes? The poor picture quality was not NBC's or DISH's fault.

[tsmacro]

That's what smog looks like in HD.

[brant]

i just tuned in; yep, that is something in the air, not the broadcast quality.

[Stewart Vernon]

Couple of things happen in severe weather (or in this case smog) conditions... It is harder for the camera guys to focus and sharpen everything because there is so much more in the atmosphere than normal. Second thing is that some of the smog/fog/rain/whatever is so small and in so high quantity that the MPEG encoder/compressors can treat them like "noise" and the digital-noise-reduction filters can kick in and over-smooth things.

The DNR can be fixed/adjusted... but the cameras are pretty much stuck with what they are stuck with. The more severe the conditions, the softer the picture is likely to look.

[jclewter79]

I am watching the Opening Ceremony in HD via OTA, even the inside of the stadium looks a little smoggy up high. Smog in HD gotta love it.