Sky 16:9 v DVD 16:9

[Mark Murphy]

I bought the budget marvel that is the current Ferguson 32" WS set a few
weeks ago and after some time setting things up am still stumped by the
following :

Set-up (amongst other things) ... TV : Ferguson 32 WS
DVD : Samsung
709 (connected via S-video SCART)
Digibox : Pace
(don't know model number buts the generation that produces the *
in the EPG rev) .. (Connected via RGB SCART)

* when I'm watching an anamorphic DVD, the picture is superb ... pin sharp,
black blacks and good contrast

* when watching Sky in 4:3 mode, the picture is also extremely sharp and
detailed

* when watching Sky in anamorphic mode eg BBC widescreen broadcasts, things
are MUCH softer and less detailed

To be honest, composite looks as good as (if not better) than RGB on Sky.

Now, had the DVD and 4:3 TV pictures looked soft and poor, I'd have admitted
that the TV was crap ... but the anamorphic DVD performance is stunning,
zoomed letterboxed DVDs (and laserdiscs) also look great.

... why would the performance be so different between the 2 source types ?

Mark Murphy

[pli...@my-deja.com]

Have you selected 16:9 (widescreen) tv mode in the digibox as well as
letterbox?

I assume you've also done this for the dvd player?

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Norman]

I get similar results with my Panasonic 36PF10 (and before that my
Philips 32PW9631).
I think you are seeing two problems:-

One is caused by stretching a 4:3 image to fill a 16:9 screen does
result in some image distortion and degradation.

The other is that (in my opinion) Sky Digital broadcasts are not the
Holy Grail of TV broadcasting that was promised. A 16:9 DVD transfer
will always look superior to its Sky equivalent because of the
different bit rates used. A DVD can use up to 10Mbs (Mega Bits Per
Second) whereas Sky use between 2-4.5Mbs for each channel. If a DVD
were encoded at this level it would be slated as a bad disc.
It has also been generally reported that most people think Sky Digital
pictures tend to look softer than their analogue counterparts.

I agree with you that I can see little difference between RGB &
Composite from my Digibox, perhaps a little bit more image stability
with RGB, but nothing to shout about.

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[Brian McIlwrath]

In uk.media.tv.sky Norman <norman.ki...@sds-ltd.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
: will always look superior to its Sky equivalent because of the

: different bit rates used. A DVD can use up to 10Mbs (Mega Bits Per
: Second) whereas Sky use between 2-4.5Mbs for each channel.

Not quite true. A Sky channel should be able to acquire bandwith up to
8Mbs when required.

: It has also been generally reported that most people think Sky Digital

: pictures tend to look softer than their analogue counterparts.

Of course they will! All PAL analogue signals have artificial edge sharpening
as a transmission artifact so digital pictures will always look softer.
Once most people get used to the lack of artifical sharpening the digital
pictures can look VERY good at times (no grain, ghosting, better colour
resolution etc.).

[Mark Murphy]

<pli...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:86s417$2mo$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

> Have you selected 16:9 (widescreen) tv mode in the digibox as well as
> letterbox?
>
> I assume you've also done this for the dvd player?

Yep ! digibox and DVD player are both set to 16:9. The letterbox option
disappears from the digibox set-up when you select 16:9.

If the consensus is that the Sky 16:9 broadcasts are naturally soft then
I'll just get used to it.

Mark

[Norman]

> : Second) whereas Sky use between 2-4.5Mbs for each channel.
> Not quite true. A Sky channel should be able to acquire bandwith
> up to
> 8Mbs when required.

I know that Sky Digital can use upto 8Mbs when required, but they don't
do they - that was my point.

[Alex L. James]

Brian McIlwrath wrote:

> In uk.media.tv.sky Norman <norman.ki...@sds-ltd.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
> : will always look superior to its Sky equivalent because of the
> : different bit rates used. A DVD can use up to 10Mbs (Mega Bits Per

> : Second) whereas Sky use between 2-4.5Mbs for each channel.
>
> Not quite true. A Sky channel should be able to acquire bandwith up to
> 8Mbs when required.

Maybe, but it's still only 2-4.5Mbs for each channel.... At least that's what I
have read..... #8-)

--
Alex - The Captain
E-mail: captai...@techie.com

[Walter Jeffs]

I thought maybe the fact that sky uses real-time encoders would also have
something to do with the difference in picture quality...

[David Bridson]

> I thought maybe the fact that sky uses real-time encoders would also have
> something to do with the difference in picture quality...

I own Friends on DVD and have seen exactly the same episodes on Sky One and,
surprisingly, the picture quality on the DVDs is actually WORSE than on Sky.
I don't know why, but the picture on the DVD is VERY grainy - you can see a
pattern on everybody's faces which remains even when they turn around or
move slightly. None of this is visible in the Sky One version.

David

[Dominator's Reviews @ Sonicstate.com/dom/reviews.htm]

In article <DrMk4.26722$lN.5...@nnrp3.clara.net>

Watching Friends and ER last Thursday on Sky ONe, the picture was very
grainy. What happened to "superior digital picture quality" (?)

dOM Go West, life is peaceful there...
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[David Bridson]

> Watching Friends and ER last Thursday on Sky ONe, the picture was very
> grainy. What happened to "superior digital picture quality" (?)

Must've been playing it from DVD :-) BTW - if anyone wants Friends on DVD,
WHS are selling them 2 for £30 (regular price £25 each).

David

[grahamw...@my-deja.com]

In article <DrMk4.26722$lN.5...@nnrp3.clara.net>,

"David Bridson" <dbri...@clara.co.uk> wrote:
> I own Friends on DVD and have seen exactly the same episodes on Sky
One and,
> surprisingly, the picture quality on the DVDs is actually WORSE than
on Sky.
> I don't know why, but the picture on the DVD is VERY grainy - you can
see a
> pattern on everybody's faces which remains even when they turn around
or
> move slightly. None of this is visible in the Sky One version.

You should check that your DVD player has all of the "Digital Image
Processing Enhancements" turned OFF. My Pioneer can cause the exact
problem you describe if I leave the Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) left
on the default setting. When I turn it off the picture improves
enormously !

I believe it is there to artificially sharpen the picture for people
with soft TV sets - or who are used to the unnaturally sharp pictures
created frmo PAL sources.

Cheers

Graham