DIRECTV now broadcasting 1080p HD

**Doug Brott** · 10-13-09, 08:40 AM

1080p HD has been available for a few months from DIRECTV. However, all of the titles available from DIRECTV were distributed either via On Demand (Internet download) or DIRECTV Cinema which pushed the movies over the satellite, but not in real time.

Today, DIRECTV started broadcasting 1080p HD. You can now watch a movie from DIRECTV in 1080p HD without downloading on Pay-per-view channel 125.

Kheldar · 10-13-09, 09:13 AM

Unfortunately they picked a really stupid movie to start this with (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), but it's cool that they started.

LarryFlowers · 10-13-09, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kheldar

Unfortunately they picked a really stupid movie to start this with (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), but it's cool that they started.

You might not like that movie but it is one of the highest renting films right now....

ThePrisoner · 10-13-09, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryFlowers

You might not like that movie but it is one of the highest renting films right now....

LMAO

Why not something like Wolverine?

hancox · 10-13-09, 09:29 AM

Cool, so not only is HD bandwidth being wasted on PPV, but 1080p PPV, at that.

National HD lags, but woot, we've got 1080p, that many can't, and even more won't, use.

Pfffffffft.

David MacLeod · 10-13-09, 09:30 AM

I think it should be clarified that if your tv does not do 1080p/24 it will run as 1080i.
I did just verify this since mine only does 1080p 50/60.

MicroBeta · 10-13-09, 09:37 AM

This is seriously cool. It's a view of things to come.

I wonder when broadcasters will provide 1080p to the service providers. That's when we'll start to see 1080p in the nationals.

Now That Will Be Really Cool.

Mike

Hutchinshouse · 10-13-09, 09:50 AM

DIRECTV was broadcasting 1080/24 two months ago.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.ph...10#post2183910

Perhaps it was for testing only.

gregjones · 10-13-09, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hancox

Cool, so not only is HD bandwidth being wasted on PPV, but 1080p PPV, at that.

National HD lags, but woot, we've got 1080p, that many can't, and even more won't, use.

Pfffffffft.

Broadcasting in 1080p24 takes no more bandwidth (potentially less) than 1080i60. So you may not like it, but it is doing no more harm that HD PPV was before.

hancox · 10-13-09, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones

Broadcasting in 1080p24 takes no more bandwidth (potentially less) than 1080i60. So you may not like it, but it is doing no more harm that HD PPV was before.

Yes, but it's a duplicate of channel 148. So, minimally, it's one more HD channel slot.

Why couldn't this have waited for a better test, and spin down the 1080i copy?

GreatPig · 10-13-09, 10:01 AM

I don't get it. Isn't 1080p/24 going to give you pretty much the same thing as 1080i at 60Hz?

tvjay · 10-13-09, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregjones

Broadcasting in 1080p24 takes no more bandwidth (potentially less) than 1080i60. So you may not like it, but it is doing no more harm that HD PPV was before.

Where do you get your facts? Uncompressed 1080p is like 3 gbps, 1080i is only 1.5 gbps. I can't imagine that compressed they would be the same.

Bit rate comparison

man_rob · 10-13-09, 10:24 AM

This is more a braggart PR move than anything else. People will swear the see the difference, and the emperor's new clothes.

kirker187 · 10-13-09, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hancox

Cool, so not only is HD bandwidth being wasted on PPV, but 1080p PPV, at that.

National HD lags, but woot, we've got 1080p, that many can't, and even more won't, use.

Pfffffffft.

I agree. Our HD locals go out every time Directv runs NFL Sunday Ticket. The whole 1080p resolution pisses me off. It is not even a standard. The standards are 720p and 1080i. Some genius said, "why can't we have progressive 1080?" Totally unnecessary.

LameLefty · 10-13-09, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvjay

Where do you get your facts? Uncompressed 1080p is like 3 gbps, 1080i is only 1.5 gbps. I can't imagine that compressed they would be the same.

Bit rate comparison

Where do you get YOUR facts? There's no such thing as "uncompressed 1080p" in the consumer world, for one thing; and for another, you can't just say "1080p" or "1080i" in a comparison without specifying the framerate. gregjones' post was correct.

veryoldschool · 10-13-09, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvjay

Where do you get your facts? Uncompressed 1080p is like 3 gbps, 1080i is only 1.5 gbps. I can't imagine that compressed they would be the same.

Bit rate comparison

"My facts" come from monitoring my network while watching recordings using DirecTV2PC.
1080p/24 bit-rates have peaked @ 16 Mb/s, and have been as low as 2 Mb/s.
1080i runs ~ 9 Mb/s
All 1080 MPEG-4 HD "could be" send in 1080p/24 since the receivers will output 1080i for those without 1080p/24 supported TVs.
"Uncompressed" is meaningless to the SAT bandwidth.
If there is "a key" here, it's that PPV can be encoded several times before being put on the SAT, where doing it "on the fly" can't.

**Stuart Sweet** · 10-13-09, 10:56 AM

Actually if you've ever gone to Best Buy and seen the movies that look like you're looking out a window, that's because of the 24Hz signal. Film is shot at 24 frames per second and when shown at 60 frames per second, it gets that familiar blur that comes from the fact that 24 does not go into 60 evenly.

The 1080p part may or may not give you perceivable extra quality depending on the size of your TV but showing a 24fps movie at 24hz (or some even multiple like 120Hz) should give you a much better experience.

Aztec Pilot · 10-13-09, 10:59 AM

This is cool. I might probably won't buy one, but it is cool. Mainly because I don't see a big advantage over OnDemand. Perhaps they could broadcast THE 101 in 1080P/24. Since they control all aspects of that network.

veryoldschool · 10-13-09, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aztec Pilot

This is cool. I might probably won't buy one, but it is cool. Mainly because I don't see a big advantage over OnDemand. Perhaps they could broadcast THE 101 in 1080P/24. Since they control all aspects of that network.

It can be watched on receivers that aren't DVRs.

gfrang · 10-13-09, 11:08 AM

Watching the preview now this is like seeing history in the making .Oh well screen just went blank except for ordering info.

Hoosier205 · 10-13-09, 11:14 AM

I am so confused. How is this different that the PPV 1080p movies?

MicroBeta · 10-13-09, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier205

I am so confused. How is this different that the PPV 1080p movies?

IIUC, previously the 1080p movies were only the on demand/showcase/movies now/directv cinema and were already on your hard drive or downloaded via On Demand.

Now you can get PPV broadcast in 1080p instead of it having to already be on your DVR or getting it via On Demand.

Mike

**Doug Brott** · 10-13-09, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier205

I am so confused. How is this different that the PPV 1080p movies?

This is being streamed from DIRECTV into you STB and viewed immediately. On Demand & DIRECTV Cinema are pushed (or pulled) to your receiver before playback can be started.

It actually shows the possibility of driving live TV @ 1080p/24

paragon · 10-13-09, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirker187

The whole 1080p resolution pisses me off. It is not even a standard. The standards are 720p and 1080i. Some genius said, "why can't we have progressive 1080?" Totally unnecessary.

That is patently false. All of the different varieties of 1080p are in the ATSC standard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC

Hoosier205 · 10-13-09, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicroBeta

Previously the 1080p movies were only the on demand/showcase/movies now/directv cinema and were already on your hard drive.

Now you can get PPV broadcast in 1080p instead of it having to already be on your DVR or getting it via On Demand.

Mike

Oh I see. Where? Channel 125? (I see that it was mentioned in the first post...just clarifying)

Thank you.