Who decides which channels get more compressed?

[tkrandall]

I've noticed there is a good bit of variability in the amount of picture quality across different channels.

For example, for the baseball games last night, the Cubs-Marlins game was carried on the local Atlanta station. The signal was very clear.

However the NY-Boston game was on FX. The quality of that picture was much worse.

How is it decided which channels will have their quality sacrificed over others?

[Msguy]

My Problem last night for the Cubs-Marlins game was the exact opposite. My Local Memphis, Tennessee Fox Station Channel 13 looked very over compressed but the FX Game between the Yankees-Red Sox on FX Channel 248 was Very Clean. I wish they get all those Damned Home Shopping Networks off Direc Tv to free up bandwidth. Untill they realize this the pictures on more important channels such as locals are going to look like crap! You must be lucky to receive a good Fox Atlanta Signal. However in the Memphis Market Fox 13 has gotten worse over the past couple of weeks. Where the score up at the top of the screen is it is very blurry and when there is any graphic on the screen it is definately not as clear as what it used to be for me.

[eichenberg]

I have noticed the same thing on other channels as well. Watching West Wing on Bravo looks like it is in HD, but then trying to watch both games looked awful for me.

[bonscott87]

Most local channels are compressed to death and will continue to be until the new Sat goes up in 1st quarter 04 and they can be offloaded to spot beams. But then they want to add in 60 more markets so it probably won't change.