[drmorley]

Does anyone else think MPEG-4 NBC here in Chicago looks like crap? My picture always looks slightly pixelated and I get tiny little white dots that are especialy apparant in dark scenes.

When I plug in the OTA antenna feed directly into the television the picture looks amazing. The problem seems to have gotten worse since the latest software update. The more motion there is on screen the worse the picture looks.

I've checked my signal strength and all my levels are between 95 and 99.

Is it the HR20 that's the problem or is the MPEG-4 encoding degrading the quality...perhaps both? MPEG-4 CBS doesn't look all that great either. Jericho looked terrible last night with lots of pixelation.

On the other hand MPEG-4 Fox looks amazing. Why is it that Fox looks great yet NBC looks terrible? Is anything being done to remedy the problem?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

I am not sure what resolution Fox is at, but I know CBS/NBC are at 1080i

More then 75% of the shows I watch are from CBS/NBC.... and I wouldn't classify them as crap... they look pretty darn good on my system.

Then again, my Plasma will only do up to 750p (so thus I only see 720p at best).

 

[jasonp5]

I'm set up at 1080 and have really not noticed much of a problem on either station in Chicago. One thing I do notice is that on NFL Sunday Night Football on NBC, when the camera is moving quickly adn the screen is panning, I see a lot of pixelation, but once it comes to a stop settles down it is crystal clear...

Dont have OTA, so cant compare and have only had HD for a month so not an expert on what it should look like...but it looks better than just being on regular channel 5..

 

[chicagojim]

I did see the dots that looked a lot like static (although it couldn't be) on NBC before the latest upgrade.

I do agree that the compression on NBC/CBS leave a lot to be desired. ABC at 720p looks a lot better.

I have a Sony SXRS A2000 60" that I have locked at 1080i. I pretty much turn to OTA whenever I an watching like broadcasts in HD (like 'da Bears!) because the picture quality is superior.

i have also noticed that the "popping" from the audio has gone away with this last update as well.

 

[drmorley]

I've got a Mistsubishi 52" 1080p so that might be part of the problem. I should qualify "crap" better. The image looks considerably worse when compared to the OTA feed I get.

I'm really starting to like the HR20 and aside from the ocassional (once every two weeks) hard crash the unit works really well.

I just wish the MPEG-4 feeds looks a little better. I know this is a new for D* so hopefully they'll continue to tweak how they compress things. It's just frustrating because I know the MPEG-4 channels could all look great. If they can make Fox and ABC look great why can't the other two networks get the same treatment?

 

[fvmojoman]

I did see the dots that looked a lot like static (although it couldn't be) on NBC before the latest upgrade.

I do agree that the compression on NBC/CBS leave a lot to be desired. ABC at 720p looks a lot better.

I have a Sony SXRS A2000 60" that I have locked at 1080i. I pretty much turn to OTA whenever I an watching like broadcasts in HD (like 'da Bears!) because the picture quality is superior.

i have also noticed that the "popping" from the audio has gone away with this last update as well.

I do not live in Chicago, but I have a similar television as chicagojim (except mine is a 50") and my locals (as well as espn 73) do not look too great here in Nashville either. Kindof dissappointed.

 

[puck30]

I've been having problems with all of the HD locals for the past few days. Pixellation, lip sync issues. Very annoying. I have a buddy in Downers Grove who hasn't had any problems. Can anything be done about this? I just want to watch Lost in HD for the love of God!

 

[jgrade]

I have said it many times before. NBC looks like crap. I watch NASCAR on sundays and the picture is horrible. I have a new Samsung 71" 1080p DLP connected via HDMI.

When the OTA is enabled I will be investing in a decent OTA antenna. D's feed or compression is misserable.:nono2:

 

[drmorley]

I have said it many times before. NBC looks like crap. I watch NASCAR on sundays and the picture is horrible. I have a new Samsung 71" 1080p DLP connected via HDMI.

When the OTA is enabled I will be investing in a decent OTA antenna. D's feed or compression is misserable.:nono2:

Yep, I'm looking forward to OTA getting enabled. If that wasn't coming on the horizon I'd be calling Comcast or switching back to my HR10-250.

 

[pappys]

I can't say that I have any major problems with any of the feeds. I think NBC is in 720p, but not sure off the top of my head.

 

[hasan]

I have said it many times before. NBC looks like crap. I watch NASCAR on sundays and the picture is horrible. I have a new Samsung 71" 1080p DLP connected via HDMI.

When the OTA is enabled I will be investing in a decent OTA antenna. D's feed or compression is misserable.:nono2:

NASCAR is a particularly good test for HD quality. It will be one of my prime tests when we get MPEG-4/HD-Locals here (slated for before end of this year). I already watch it on OTA direct to my Sammy and it is a wonder to behold. When the MPEG-4's can hack NASCAR, I'll know they've got it.

I'm getting really itchy for OTA...from the patterns I've seen so far, it looks to me like we are 2 updates away. OTA on the next one doesn't seem remotely likely, so my hope is the one after that. Purely speculative, so don't put ANY stock in it. I hope it isn't wishful thinking.

 

[gator5000e]

I have a larger screen, 63" RP. The HD on most channels does not look as good as the HR10-250 looked. On the HR10, ESPNHD usually looked spectacular. I am watching the Louisville-WVA game and the picture does not look as good as what I was used to with the HR10. It looks overly grainy. I see the snow like dots in the dark areas and macro blocking (not sure if this is the right term) in areas such as the grass. Something is not right.

 

[Marcuse1]

Mine looks great.

 

[drmorley]

I have a larger screen, 63" RP. The HD on most channels does not look as good as the HR10-250 looked. On the HR10, ESPNHD usually looked spectacular. I am watching the Louisville-WVA game and the picture does not look as good as what I was used to with the HR10. It looks overly grainy. I see the snow like dots in the dark areas and macro blocking (not sure if this is the right term) in areas such as the grass. Something is not right.

How are connected to your television? I'm connected via a HDMI cable and optical out for audio. I'm wondering if the problem is with the MPEG-4 feed or with the resolution of our televisions?

I'm pretty sure it's the MPEG-4 feed as only certain channels look sub-par, but I'd be interested to see what other people are experiencing with their setups.

 

[hasan]

I have a larger screen, 63" RP. The HD on most channels does not look as good as the HR10-250 looked. On the HR10, ESPNHD usually looked spectacular. I am watching the Louisville-WVA game and the picture does not look as good as what I was used to with the HR10. It looks overly grainy. I see the snow like dots in the dark areas and macro blocking (not sure if this is the right term) in areas such as the grass. Something is not right.

ESPN-HD doesn't look nearly as good as it once did and for me, it had nothing to do with the receiver (Sammy 360 showed exactly the same thing). D* is bit-starved, and their HD has become HD-Lite, except on rare occasions. If you know what to look for and where to look, you will see the problems. Sometimes it looks half-way decent, and sometimes it is pathetically bit-starved. I wouldn't be quick to lay it on the HR20. (not that it couldn't be, but it is much more likely that PQ issues on MPEG-2/HD channels are simply due to bandwidth issues which will only be solved by more satellites <bandwidth>)