[wilbur_the_goose]

I watch ESPN's PTI a lot. I was watching "Rome" on CBS Sports Network yesterday and couldn't believe how much better the PQ on CBS Sports Network was than on ESPN - judgement based on PQ of "Rome" vs "PTI".

Will Disney EVERY spend the bucks to improve their picture quality?

 

[tonyd79]

I watch ESPN's PTI a lot. I was watching "Rome" on CBS Sports Network yesterday and couldn't believe how much better the PQ on CBS Sports Network was than on ESPN - judgement based on PQ of "Rome" vs "PTI".

Will Disney EVERY spend the bucks to improve their picture quality?

You ever watch a game on that channel? Horrible.

And PTI always looks good for me.

 

[smitbret]

I watch ESPN's PTI a lot. I was watching "Rome" on CBS Sports Network yesterday and couldn't believe how much better the PQ on CBS Sports Network was than on ESPN - judgement based on PQ of "Rome" vs "PTI".

Will Disney EVERY spend the bucks to improve their picture quality?

Sounds like your TV isn't upscaling the picture from 720p very well. How big is your tv and how far away are you sitting. In general, I find ESPN to be much superior to CBS Sports Network.

 

[sigma1914]

PTI is always clear, especially since they went HD.

CBCCS is not a channel I even consider good PQ, especially for sports. I'd put YES up there.

 

[espnjason]

I use native resolution on my HR24 since my Mitsubishi DLP has the capability of displaying all resolutions. I also sit about 12 feet from my TV which I think is at par within the viewing distance formula.

Now I can't decipher the technicalities of HD broadcasts like quite a number of people on this board. But what I've noticed is that 1080i as used by CBS and NBC is more akin to widescreen displays while 720p just gives a slightly greater detail on the picture albeit things appear to be more vertical.

 

[maartena]

I have a 1080p TV in the living room and a 720p TV in another room, and both display a crystal clear, crisp picture of ESPN. I don't know about PTI, generally when I watch ESPN I watch live sports, but it looks good to me.

 

[tonyd79]

PTI is always clear, especially since they went HD.

CBCCS is not a channel I even consider good PQ, especially for sports. I'd put YES up there.

+1

 

[AlanSaysYo]

I use native resolution on my HR24 since my Mitsubishi DLP has the capability of displaying all resolutions. I also sit about 12 feet from my TV which I think is at par within the viewing distance formula.

Now I can't decipher the technicalities of HD broadcasts like quite a number of people on this board. But what I've noticed is that 1080i as used by CBS and NBC is more akin to widescreen the displays while 720p just gives a slightly greater detail on the picture albeit things appear to be more vertical.

The aspect ratios of the two resolutions are EXACTLY the same. If one looks "taller" than the other, your TV is not displaying at least one of them properly.

 

[Laxguy]

I watch ESPN's PTI a lot. I was watching "Rome" on CBS Sports Network yesterday and couldn't believe how much better the PQ on CBS Sports Network was than on ESPN - judgement based on PQ of "Rome" vs "PTI".

Will Disney EVERY spend the bucks to improve their picture quality?

I wonder if they're maybe planning to jump to 1080p.....? Well, one can hope....

At the same time, comparisons between any two single broadcasts at a single point in time is almost useless. Way too many factors that affect PQ and perception thereof.

 

[harsh]

I use native resolution on my HR24 since my Mitsubishi DLP has the capability of displaying all resolutions.

Most TVs are capable of handling multiple resolutions. The question remains as to which does the better conversion: the TV or the receiver.

Some televisions (even from the "almighty" Mitsubishi) have marginal scalers and if your's isn't maintaining aspect ratio, it may be one of them (or you've configured it incorrectly).

As a quick and painless test, I'd suggest turning off native to see if the 720p performance improves. If it does improve, I'd suggest leaving it that way as your channel changing speed will likely improve as well.

 

[maartena]

I wonder if they're maybe planning to jump to 1080p.....? Well, one can hope....

I would not be surprised that IF stations start to move towards 1080p, that ESPN would be one of the first to do so.

 

[wilbur_the_goose]

You guys really think ESPN has good picture quality? I have well-calibrated displays from Panny and Sony, plasma and LCD, and both experience relatively poor PQ from ESPN.

And it's not a 720p thing. I was watching the locally produced Eagles/Steelers game on WPVI, an ABC O&O in 720p and it looked beautiful.

Yes, PTI looks much better in HD, but compare it to a similar show on another network, and you'll see what I mean.

 

[john262]

As far as I'm concerned ESPN HD looks beautiful on my 46" screen. I don't get the CBS Sports channel so I can't compare the two however.

 

[tonyd79]

You guys really think ESPN has good picture quality? I have well-calibrated displays from Panny and Sony, plasma and LCD, and both experience relatively poor PQ from ESPN.

And it's not a 720p thing. I was watching the locally produced Eagles/Steelers game on WPVI, an ABC O&O in 720p and it looked beautiful.

Yes, PTI looks much better in HD, but compare it to a similar show on another network, and you'll see what I mean.

You do realize that on PTI, one or both of the hosts are usually on remote hookups which are dubious.

I'd check out Rome on CBS but he makes me physically ill. I did check out another show (Brando?) and it was meh in quality.

 

[charlie460]

ESPN's HD has always looked relatively soft to me, even compared to other 720p channels.

 

[harsh]

I would not be surprised that IF stations start to move towards 1080p, that ESPN would be one of the first to do so.

I think it is a bad idea to mix the terms "stations" and "channels".

"Stations", to me, implies OTA broadcast. Given the limitations they have, I'm not entirely convinced that we'll see any progress towards 1080p until most all of the TVs in use support the newer broadcast compression formats.