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HD content is rapidly growing,
but there seems to be double vision regarding format
By Karen Brown, Senior Editor
Will the real HD please stand up? While HD (high definition) content is blossoming on cable networks, it appears there is some double vision among programmers when it comes to what format to choose. The debate has created two strident camps–one rallying around the higher line resolution 1080i format, and the other around the more nimble, scene-changing capabilities of 720p.
In contrast, cable operators are taking a neutral stance, allowing both formats to ride their cable pipes. But that could create consequences in the future, when it comes to tighter bandwidth management and new services such as digital ad insertion.
Minding your 'p's and 'i's
While HD format is a fuzzy concept for most consumers, Federal Communications Commission guidelines do at least guarantee that they get a clear HD signal no matter what TV set they buy. FCC digital TV standards adopted in 1996 require that all digital TV sets be capable of receiving the 18 ATSC digital broadcast formats, including 1080i and 720p. From there, the TV set manufacturer determines what format the sets use for display.
It is, in part, a numbers game. 720p provides 720 vertical lines of digital video information on a screen, while 1080i provides 1,080 lines. But while both offer a much more detailed picture than analog TV's 480-line resolution, the schemes diverge when it comes to the way they refresh the image, and that's where the "p" and "i" come in.
"P" stands for progressive, and under this scheme, all of the lines of resolution are refreshed every 1/60th of a second. "I" stands for interlace, and under this scheme, half of the lines are alternately refreshed every interval. So lines one and three will be updated in one interval, followed by lines two and four in the next.
Which is better?
This combination of resolution and refresh is at the heart of the programmers' HD debate. And if you look at sheer numbers, the 1080i camp is in the majority, with all but ESPN and Fox Networks so far tapping the format.
HDNet's decision to side with 1080i was all about the resolution, according to HDNet President and co-founder Mark Cuban. "The more HD you watch, the more you notice the enhanced resolution. We get comments from viewers all the time commenting on how our picture is crisper than other broadcasts," he says.
But Fox Network doesn't see the picture the same way, announcing recently that it will begin presenting the bulk of its primetime programming in 720p. It also has sewn up a deal with Time Warner Cable to produce a number of sports events via Fox Sports Net in 720p.
As with other 720p supporters, the progressive scan was the deciding factor. The biggest problem Fox sees with interlace is artifacts–jitters in the image created by the alternating refreshed lines. That can be more pronounced in high action scenes, particularly in sporting events.
"It's difficult in a broadcasting environment to switch spatial resolutions, and 1080i being so inferior to 720p in terms of interlace artifacts–and if you watch 1080i sporting events, it really doesn't work," says Andrew Setos, president of engineering for Fox Group. Cuban, however, counters that with HD video now a reality, HDNet has had few problems with artifacts, even when dealing with sporting events. "In the rare cases where they occur, it's even rarer for the viewer to notice," he says.
If the quality debate is not entirely clear, why are most of the networks so far opting for 1080i? Setos says it comes down to marketing. "People are scared that the number 720 is smaller than 1080," Setos says. "It's like buying octane, buying high-test versus regular at the gas station, even though for most cars, high-test doesn't do anything."
Not everyone thinks 720p is best for sports, however. Cablevision Systems Corp. chose the 1080i format for its Madison Square Garden Network original HD content because "we happen to think it looks better in 1080i," says Wilt Hildenbrand, Cablevision's executive vice president of engineering and technology.
The mux mix
Quality aside, HD demands up to five times the bandwidth of standard digital signals, so cable operators are turning to outfits like Terayon Communication Systems Inc. and BigBand Networks Inc. for stat muxing systems that can fit more streams on the same 6 MHz channel. Both companies are seeing subtle differences when it comes to handling 720p versus 1080i.
In general, during scenes with not much action, both formats can be sculpted to cut down on the bandwidth without reducing the overall quality, says Sylvain Riviere, BigBand's director of product marketing for broadcast services. But in higher-action scenes, depending on the quality of the encoders used to format the video, "the bitrate of a 720p stream can certainly be accommodated around 13 (Mbps) more often than a 1080i would if you had a higher scene complexity."
One place where cable's dual HD format environment could face a snarl is in digital ad insertion. In particular, it is not clear what will happen if a digital ad shot in 1080i ends up inserted in a 720p video stream–or vice versa, says Mark Jeffrey, senior product line manager for Terayon's digital video solutions group.
"You could have issues moving toward ad insertion," Jeffrey says. "If you had a network feed in one format, and you have an ad that may be in another format, how is that handled down the line?"
Indeed, that is one reason Turner Networks decided to go with the 1080i format for its new TNT HD channel, set to launch in May, according to Mike DeHart, vice president of domestic distribution and technology for Turner Network Sales. The hazards created by switching between 1080i and 720p for either programming or ad insertion could literally leave a black mark.
"As far as the encoding and transmission process is concerned, we could technically use multiple formats, but this would cause consumer devices to momentarily 'black out' each time the format was changed, causing an interruption in our programming and unhappy customers," he says.
Programmers could get around the issue by filming versions of ads in each format, but that would be more costly for the ad sponsor and cable operator. "I would rather keep the content in one format–I don't want to have two camera crews and store two versions of the ad," Jeffrey points out. "I would rather have one."
Cablers are agnostic
Still, these issues are apparently not compelling enough to prompt MSOs to join the fray. For example, while Cablevision may have chosen 1080i for its own programming nets, it isn't requiring its network partners to do the same, Hildenbrand says.
So, too, is Adelphia Communications staying out of the format debate. Adelphia started deploying HD in July, and, at last check, had HD available in about 55 percent of its digital footprint.
It passes through the HD signals from programmers in their native formats, and all of the digital boxes in its offerings can render either format, according to Doug Ike, Adelphia's vice president of advanced video engineering and development. He notes, however, that the dual schemes do create confusion among subscribers, as they try to line up the signal formats between the box and the TV set.
"I think it is certainly a situation where it is a very, very confusing topic area to get all of the configurations set and really try to explain the various TV formats," Ike says. "But again, from a cable operator and from the perspective of the equipment providers–the Motorolas and the Scientific-Atlantas–all of these vendors are doing the multiple formats, and our goal is to pass through as transparently as possible native format to the TV device."
The fact the cable operators are not taking sides reflects the fact that for consumers, there also is no clear winner.
"For the average customer, you put them in front of a display unit that has 720p and right beside it is a display with 1080i and they can't tell the difference," says Mark Hess, Comcast Corp.'s vice president of digital television. "You've got to be someone who is [an] expert, and you have to be looking at it very closely to really discern the difference between the two. That's why it is easy for us to say whatever the content provider wants to do, we will live with, and our goal is to make sure it is easy for the customer to understand what he is getting."
Nor does Hess see any future where the cable operators would ask programmers to change their HD format to best fit a more constricted bandwidth pipe.
"We're kind of in a position where we're saying, hey, whatever you decide we are going to try to accommodate, assuming we have come to an agreement to carry your content. And then really our goal is to get as much of it on as we can and make it as easy as possible for the customer to use and see," he says.
but there seems to be double vision regarding format
By Karen Brown, Senior Editor
Will the real HD please stand up? While HD (high definition) content is blossoming on cable networks, it appears there is some double vision among programmers when it comes to what format to choose. The debate has created two strident camps–one rallying around the higher line resolution 1080i format, and the other around the more nimble, scene-changing capabilities of 720p.
In contrast, cable operators are taking a neutral stance, allowing both formats to ride their cable pipes. But that could create consequences in the future, when it comes to tighter bandwidth management and new services such as digital ad insertion.
Minding your 'p's and 'i's
While HD format is a fuzzy concept for most consumers, Federal Communications Commission guidelines do at least guarantee that they get a clear HD signal no matter what TV set they buy. FCC digital TV standards adopted in 1996 require that all digital TV sets be capable of receiving the 18 ATSC digital broadcast formats, including 1080i and 720p. From there, the TV set manufacturer determines what format the sets use for display.
It is, in part, a numbers game. 720p provides 720 vertical lines of digital video information on a screen, while 1080i provides 1,080 lines. But while both offer a much more detailed picture than analog TV's 480-line resolution, the schemes diverge when it comes to the way they refresh the image, and that's where the "p" and "i" come in.
"P" stands for progressive, and under this scheme, all of the lines of resolution are refreshed every 1/60th of a second. "I" stands for interlace, and under this scheme, half of the lines are alternately refreshed every interval. So lines one and three will be updated in one interval, followed by lines two and four in the next.
Which is better?
This combination of resolution and refresh is at the heart of the programmers' HD debate. And if you look at sheer numbers, the 1080i camp is in the majority, with all but ESPN and Fox Networks so far tapping the format.
HDNet's decision to side with 1080i was all about the resolution, according to HDNet President and co-founder Mark Cuban. "The more HD you watch, the more you notice the enhanced resolution. We get comments from viewers all the time commenting on how our picture is crisper than other broadcasts," he says.
But Fox Network doesn't see the picture the same way, announcing recently that it will begin presenting the bulk of its primetime programming in 720p. It also has sewn up a deal with Time Warner Cable to produce a number of sports events via Fox Sports Net in 720p.
As with other 720p supporters, the progressive scan was the deciding factor. The biggest problem Fox sees with interlace is artifacts–jitters in the image created by the alternating refreshed lines. That can be more pronounced in high action scenes, particularly in sporting events.
"It's difficult in a broadcasting environment to switch spatial resolutions, and 1080i being so inferior to 720p in terms of interlace artifacts–and if you watch 1080i sporting events, it really doesn't work," says Andrew Setos, president of engineering for Fox Group. Cuban, however, counters that with HD video now a reality, HDNet has had few problems with artifacts, even when dealing with sporting events. "In the rare cases where they occur, it's even rarer for the viewer to notice," he says.
If the quality debate is not entirely clear, why are most of the networks so far opting for 1080i? Setos says it comes down to marketing. "People are scared that the number 720 is smaller than 1080," Setos says. "It's like buying octane, buying high-test versus regular at the gas station, even though for most cars, high-test doesn't do anything."
Not everyone thinks 720p is best for sports, however. Cablevision Systems Corp. chose the 1080i format for its Madison Square Garden Network original HD content because "we happen to think it looks better in 1080i," says Wilt Hildenbrand, Cablevision's executive vice president of engineering and technology.
The mux mix
Quality aside, HD demands up to five times the bandwidth of standard digital signals, so cable operators are turning to outfits like Terayon Communication Systems Inc. and BigBand Networks Inc. for stat muxing systems that can fit more streams on the same 6 MHz channel. Both companies are seeing subtle differences when it comes to handling 720p versus 1080i.
In general, during scenes with not much action, both formats can be sculpted to cut down on the bandwidth without reducing the overall quality, says Sylvain Riviere, BigBand's director of product marketing for broadcast services. But in higher-action scenes, depending on the quality of the encoders used to format the video, "the bitrate of a 720p stream can certainly be accommodated around 13 (Mbps) more often than a 1080i would if you had a higher scene complexity."
One place where cable's dual HD format environment could face a snarl is in digital ad insertion. In particular, it is not clear what will happen if a digital ad shot in 1080i ends up inserted in a 720p video stream–or vice versa, says Mark Jeffrey, senior product line manager for Terayon's digital video solutions group.
"You could have issues moving toward ad insertion," Jeffrey says. "If you had a network feed in one format, and you have an ad that may be in another format, how is that handled down the line?"
Indeed, that is one reason Turner Networks decided to go with the 1080i format for its new TNT HD channel, set to launch in May, according to Mike DeHart, vice president of domestic distribution and technology for Turner Network Sales. The hazards created by switching between 1080i and 720p for either programming or ad insertion could literally leave a black mark.
"As far as the encoding and transmission process is concerned, we could technically use multiple formats, but this would cause consumer devices to momentarily 'black out' each time the format was changed, causing an interruption in our programming and unhappy customers," he says.
Programmers could get around the issue by filming versions of ads in each format, but that would be more costly for the ad sponsor and cable operator. "I would rather keep the content in one format–I don't want to have two camera crews and store two versions of the ad," Jeffrey points out. "I would rather have one."
Cablers are agnostic
Still, these issues are apparently not compelling enough to prompt MSOs to join the fray. For example, while Cablevision may have chosen 1080i for its own programming nets, it isn't requiring its network partners to do the same, Hildenbrand says.
So, too, is Adelphia Communications staying out of the format debate. Adelphia started deploying HD in July, and, at last check, had HD available in about 55 percent of its digital footprint.
It passes through the HD signals from programmers in their native formats, and all of the digital boxes in its offerings can render either format, according to Doug Ike, Adelphia's vice president of advanced video engineering and development. He notes, however, that the dual schemes do create confusion among subscribers, as they try to line up the signal formats between the box and the TV set.
"I think it is certainly a situation where it is a very, very confusing topic area to get all of the configurations set and really try to explain the various TV formats," Ike says. "But again, from a cable operator and from the perspective of the equipment providers–the Motorolas and the Scientific-Atlantas–all of these vendors are doing the multiple formats, and our goal is to pass through as transparently as possible native format to the TV device."
The fact the cable operators are not taking sides reflects the fact that for consumers, there also is no clear winner.
"For the average customer, you put them in front of a display unit that has 720p and right beside it is a display with 1080i and they can't tell the difference," says Mark Hess, Comcast Corp.'s vice president of digital television. "You've got to be someone who is [an] expert, and you have to be looking at it very closely to really discern the difference between the two. That's why it is easy for us to say whatever the content provider wants to do, we will live with, and our goal is to make sure it is easy for the customer to understand what he is getting."
Nor does Hess see any future where the cable operators would ask programmers to change their HD format to best fit a more constricted bandwidth pipe.
"We're kind of in a position where we're saying, hey, whatever you decide we are going to try to accommodate, assuming we have come to an agreement to carry your content. And then really our goal is to get as much of it on as we can and make it as easy as possible for the customer to use and see," he says.
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2678 views
Lifetime Supporter
Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.
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1589 views
Y
Browns lose a close one with... The Jets. That is a classic Browns loss (granted, any loss is a classic one it seems). 49'ers, Vikings, and Chiefs remain undefeated. The AFC north have a three way tie at 3-2 for second place.
A big win for the Patriots, and they are now 3-2.
Browns lose a close one with... The Jets. That is a classic Browns loss (granted, any loss is a classic one it seems). 49'ers, Vikings, and Chiefs remain undefeated. The AFC north have a three way tie at 3-2 for second place.
Troy Aikman seems to confirm he'll be leaving ESPN
Aikman says he looks forward to "where my next landing spot will be."
www.nbcsports.com
M
Hopefully nowhere near a microphone.Troy Aikman seems to confirm he'll be leaving ESPN
Aikman says he looks forward to "where my next landing spot will be."
Booredatwork.com
Time for another AWESOME video from BoredAtWork!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6OwilvE-Po
Direct YouTube Link - ASUS ProArt P16 RTX Spark: Creator Beast or Secret Gaming Laptop?
Booredatwork.com Website
Booredatwork on Facebook
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6OwilvE-Po
Direct YouTube Link - ASUS ProArt P16 RTX Spark: Creator Beast or Secret Gaming Laptop?
Booredatwork.com Website
Booredatwork on Facebook
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2 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68497 Replies
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2670745 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vdi0y_S8a_0
Direct YouTube Link - AI Agents: Can We Trust Today's LLM Technology? #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vdi0y_S8a_0
Direct YouTube Link - AI Agents: Can We Trust Today's LLM Technology? #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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5 views
Supporting Founder
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
142 Replies
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1393 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Wasn't exactly sure where to post this. Just had a customer come in inquiring about internet. He has HughesNet and had heard good things about mine. He asked if we provided email addresses and it kinda caught me off guard. I said he should be able to keep whatever email he had been using....my sister in law is still using a BellSouth email addy and they haven't been around here for many years. He said he had gotten a letter from HughesNet stating that they had until Nov 16th to save, move, forward, whatever, their Hughesnet emails because they would lose them after that date.
I have never heard of a company simply mass-deleting email accounts (the customer still has his HughesNet service). From what I understand, in the past, the company who was ditching their email service simply sold the customer base to a company like Google.
Anyone else getting this letter. He said he would show it to me tomorrow when I go out there and set up his internet.
I have never heard of a company simply mass-deleting email accounts (the customer still has his HughesNet service). From what I understand, in the past, the company who was ditching their email service simply sold the customer base to a company like Google.
Anyone else getting this letter. He said he would show it to me tomorrow when I go out there and set up his internet.
9 Replies
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179 views
Staff member
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
The TPN Map Excel Presents all DIRECTV Channels:
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
National (50-States or wide/NAT+PR beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Additional tabs provide:
OTA the (Over-The-Air) Database
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
Domestic Satellites
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
2140 Replies
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927979 views
Supporting Founder
Lifetime Supporter
For the naysayers who did not think this service would make it, just added another 4.9M subscribers and that was after the removal of 1.2M Russia subscribers.
This is even better, Paramount+ revenue grew 120% and Subscription revenue grew 74% year-over-year ( 2nd quarter 2021/ 2nd quarter 2022) to $830M, principally reflecting paid subscriber growth on Paramount+.
Now compare that to Peacock with only 13 million paid, 13 million free.
This is even better, Paramount+ revenue grew 120% and Subscription revenue grew 74% year-over-year ( 2nd quarter 2021/ 2nd quarter 2022) to $830M, principally reflecting paid subscriber growth on Paramount+.
Now compare that to Peacock with only 13 million paid, 13 million free.
665 Replies
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61590 views
So, this means that those of us with Commercial Free subs, won't be Commercial Free, unless we wait till after the show is over ?
Which would make same day, not that big of a deal.
Paramount+ has always had the CBS shows on the CBS local channel and yes with commercials. What they are doing now is releasing the OnDemand versions of the show which I believe they don't release until after the shows air on the west coast. And they will be commercial free if you subscribe to the ad free version of Paramount+.So, this means that those of us with Commercial Free subs, won't be Commercial Free, unless we wait till after the show is over ?
Which would make same day, not that big of a deal.
I wasn't up at 3:00 am to check but they are there at 8:00 am today.
The new curated multiview is now live.
While on many of the sports channels and non sports channels there is a multi view option button. It will pull up a side bar with many different multi view options.
While on many of the sports channels and non sports channels there is a multi view option button. It will pull up a side bar with many different multi view options.
5 Replies
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198 views
Supporting Founder
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K. New Siri AI and hands-free control. Stunning picture and immersive HomePod surround sound. Works with your Apple and smart home devices.
www.apple.com
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219 views
S
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade..
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while