My email to TNT about TNT HD lack of quality

[jmel]

I mailed: <A href="mailto:tnt@turner.com with subject "TNT">tnt@turner.com with subject "TNT in HD"

From this page:

http://www.tnt.tv/hd/questions/

Here was my email:



By your own admission on your website:

"High definition television (HDTV) is a digital broadcast of television programming with significantly superior video and audio quality. HDTV offers higher resolution for a sharper picture with fuller, richer colors and 16:9 wide screen presentation. The 5.1 surround sound exceeds movie theatre audio and is matched only by the best quality DVD's -- a truly dramatic home entertainment experience!"

So...

Why do you insist on stretching 4:3 content for nearly 50% or more of the programming you show on TNT HD? I am a Dish Network subscriber, and do not understand why I pay a premium for a channel such as yours that advertises (possibly falsely) as "HD" when in fact, you are showing SD content and stretching across the screen, which any person that owns a widescreen HDTV could do by pressing a button.

Essentially, to get the same effect as how you displayed "Deep Impact" this weekend, I could change to the regular TNT station, and hit the stretch button on my tv remote.

If you are unable to keep up with the likes of networks like HGTV HD, and Discovery HD Theater, at least do like the recently formed A&E HD station does, and display your SD content in 4:3, and stop distorting the images by stretching them.

Your audio is also lagged most of the time by at least a half second, and makes your channel look inferior to those stations I mentioned above.

I hope someone takes these criticisms seriously, as I enjoy the shows you have on your network, its just your subpar method of delivery that makes me change the channel most times.

-MY NAME

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I watched part of "The Perfect Storm" on TNT today. This is a good test for HD PQ due to all of the high motion, dimly lit scenes. TNT failed miserably. It has been a long time since I've seen a HD program have this much macroblocking. So much that I think it would have been better to view it in SD. In about 45 minutes, I must have seen 200 or more severely macroblocked screens.

Now I don't know if this is due to TNT or E*. Probably some of both, but more due to E*'s over compression.

Between TNT's unwatchable S T R E T C H - O - V I S I O N and the over compression, I hardly ever watch this channel.

 

[Sean Mota]

you will be lucky if they look at your email. I lost count of how many I sent them and they just do not care...

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I watched part of "The Perfect Storm" on TNT today. This is a good test for HD PQ due to all of the high motion, dimly lit scenes. TNT failed miserably. It has been a long time since I've seen a HD program have this much macroblocking. So much that I think it would have been better to view it in SD. In about 45 minutes, I must have seen 200 or more severely macroblocked screens.

Now I don't know if this is due to TNT or E*. Probably some of both, but more due to E*'s over compression.

Between TNT's unwatchable S T R E T C H - O - V I S I O N and the over compression, I hardly ever watch this channel.

Its E*. No issues via cable and I have seen this via E* 18 months ago when it looked fine.

As for the audio delay, its in the OPs audio platform where his 5.1 system is lagging.

If people have yet to figure out that Time Warner owns HBO/Cinemax and TNT - and still cannot figure out why things are shown full screen as opposed to OAR, what can you say.

 

[pmalve]

I watched it on Charter cable yesterday and saw very minimal blocking. Was pleasantly surprised. I think the problem is with Dish. My son has it and he said the picture was terrible.

 

[jmel]

Usually companies will ignore 10 or 20 emails, but that's why I pasted it like I did. I hope other satellite guys members email them en masse, so that they will see that we are not happy.

My next step is to take it up with Turner.

I want to specifically address the audio delay and the stretching. At least get up to par with A&E HD, then move from there.

 

[RandallA]

Its E*. No issues via cable and I have seen this via E* 18 months ago when it looked fine.

As for the audio delay, its in the OPs audio platform where his 5.1 system is lagging.

If people have yet to figure out that Time Warner owns HBO/Cinemax and TNT - and still cannot figure out why things are shown full screen as opposed to OAR, what can you say.

So E* is the only one stretching the images? I noticed the last few NBA games have not looked as they used to but the stretching really kills the picture. Might as well just watch the SD version.

 

[jmel]

Its E*. No issues via cable and I have seen this via E* 18 months ago when it looked fine.

As for the audio delay, its in the OPs audio platform where his 5.1 system is lagging.

If people have yet to figure out that Time Warner owns HBO/Cinemax and TNT - and still cannot figure out why things are shown full screen as opposed to OAR, what can you say.

I call bs, just because I have other friends that see stretcho vision and audio delay with their cable version of tnt hd.

I have zero problems with audio delay on ANY other station. Audio delay isnt constant, it just happens with different shows or movies that tnt hd airs.

sorry, its not my setup thats lagging.

 

[dfergie]

E*does not alter TNT HD, D* Shows the same aspect...

 

[teachsac]

I am seeing audio sync issues on "Deep Blue Sea" right now. It is there running straight through to the TV and running it through the receiver. It is not the OP's audio platform causing the problem. Now whether or not it is an E* issue or the feed is coming to them this way is a different story.

BTW it is not being shown in Stretch-o-vision.

S~

 

[dfergie]

When they do HD usually they do it right, Cold Case looks very good...

 

[teachsac]

When they do HD usually they do it right, Cold Case looks very good...

MI:2 looked really good in OAR. That's what I like about HDNet. Showtime is starting show a lot more movies in OAR recently, also.

S~

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I call bs, just because I have other friends that see stretcho vision and audio delay with their cable version of tnt hd.

I have zero problems with audio delay on ANY other station. Audio delay isnt constant, it just happens with different shows or movies that tnt hd airs.

sorry, its not my setup thats lagging.

You have problems with TNT because its a higher bitrate audio than the other channels and your audio chain is designed for the lower audio bitrate and works harder on the higher audio bitrate - thus your delay.

And wtf are you talking about stretching. If TNT stretches, it will stretch on ever source....of course every TNT source will see the stretching.

You asked why it stretched to fill up the screen and as I stated, just like HBO/Cinemax tries to get cropped titles to fill up the screen. It's their Corporate Policy to try and fill the screen.

 

[jmel]

All I can say is that you are crazy. Please find another post to crap in, because I am about the millionth person to complain about these very valid issues.

They do stretch many shows, and its a cinema stretch where like 20% of each edge is stretched. You must be blind if you don't see it on some of their movies they play (and shows)...

And the bitrate has nothing to do with the audio delay. Like I said, you're crazy.

TNT's policy on their hd channel does appear to be "fill the screen" so even if it's not hd, they are filling the screenregardless.

That's not hd in any sense of the definition they have on their own website, hence my complaint. I don't subscribe to hbo or cinemax, so if they are doing the same crap there, then people should complain about those as well.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

All I can say is that you are crazy. Please find another post to crap in, because I am about the millionth person to complain about these very valid issues.

They do stretch many shows, and its a cinema stretch where like 20% of each edge is stretched. You must be blind if you don't see it on some of their movies they play (and shows)...

And the bitrate has nothing to do with the audio delay. Like I said, you're crazy.

TNT's policy on their hd channel does appear to be "fill the screen" so even if it's not hd, they are filling the screenregardless.

That's not hd in any sense of the definition they have on their own website, hence my complaint. I don't subscribe to hbo or cinemax, so if they are doing the same crap there, then people should complain about those as well.

lol...too bad I have no delay on TNT-HD from 4 sources with proper audio decoding equipment. Too bad you don't understand that higher bitrates take more processing to decode and marginal audio decoders clearly need constant rebooting to stay up to par.

You clearly don't understand the fill the screen concept of Time Warner - so until you can understand the basics of their Corporation, there isn't much hope for you.

 

[teachsac]

All I can say is that you are crazy. Please find another post to crap in, because I am about the millionth person to complain about these very valid issues.

They do stretch many shows, and its a cinema stretch where like 20% of each edge is stretched. You must be blind if you don't see it on some of their movies they play (and shows)...

And the bitrate has nothing to do with the audio delay. Like I said, you're crazy.

TNT's policy on their hd channel does appear to be "fill the screen" so even if it's not hd, they are filling the screenregardless.

That's not hd in any sense of the definition they have on their own website, hence my complaint. I don't subscribe to hbo or cinemax, so if they are doing the same crap there, then people should complain about those as well.

HBO does not stretch. They will either show it in 4:3 or 16:9 and if we are lucky, they'll show something in OAR.

S~

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

HBO does not stretch. They will either show it in 4:3 or 16:9 and if we are lucky, they'll show something in OAR.

S~

Again, they ORDER THE FILM TRANSFERS CROPPED, NOT 2.35:1 OAR - what is so hard to understand about that?

GEEZ.

TWC POLICY IS TO FILL THE SCREEN ON MOVIES IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

 

[teachsac]

I agree. Go elsewhere. You are the one that said time warner owns HBO/Cinemax. I simply stated that they do not do stretch-o-vision, whereas TNT does. I know that HBO/Cinemax order the majority of their films cropped for 16:9. Stretching is an unacceptable format which was the OP's original comment. It is unacceptable for HDTV. Making comments about someone's equipment without even knowing what they have is not acceptable either. I have top of the line equipment all around and I saw it today on certain shows but not all and it was not there last night. It has been noted in the past that this station has been subject to sync issues.

S~

 

[jmel]

I hate ignorant elitists.

Anyway...

I urge anyone else with the time, to please email tnt as well.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I hate ignorant elitists.

Anyway...

I urge anyone else with the time, to please email tnt as well.

And especially the idiots who want to know the answer and then refuse to listen....

like the one who said the first 3 Seasons of 24 shot in 16:9 Widescreen could not be and should be shown in the original 4:3 instead.

or the one who said that A&E wasn't a real HD channel - but now is defending it....

oh wait a minute....that was you...

And anyone who is so ignorant as to understand the thinking of a Corporation won't go far to change it.

As for equipment, I doubt either of you knew that TNT-HD Audio bitrate was higher than any of the other HD Channels - and just because your equipment does not handle audio bitrates other than 384kbps efficiently and creates a lag, that doesn't mean its true for everyone's equipment.