Comments on: USA HD: Picture Sucks http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/04/07/usa-hd-picture-sucks/ On Databases, Recovery, Tech Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:29:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: admin http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/04/07/usa-hd-picture-sucks/#comment-328 admin Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:37:01 +0000 http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/04/07/usa-hd-picture-sucks/#comment-328 I'm absolutely loosing bits. I was just trying to watch something on USA HD, and it was unbearable. At one point, nearly half the screen was missing blocks or macro-blocking, and audio cut out for several seconds. FYI, I'm capturing the raw MPEG-2 transport stream via firewire, and I don't have any issues capturing from any other channels. The same thing happens on my TV, so it's not the video cap. If you want to get into the raw details, what Comcast is doing is re-compressing video to average bitrate, so they can squeeze three 17-19 mbps streams on to a single 40mbps QAM frequency. Also, USA HD and Sci-Fi HD are the only channels that I'm having this problem with. I’m absolutely loosing bits. I was just trying to watch something on USA HD, and it was unbearable. At one point, nearly half the screen was missing blocks or macro-blocking, and audio cut out for several seconds.

FYI, I’m capturing the raw MPEG-2 transport stream via firewire, and I don’t have any issues capturing from any other channels. The same thing happens on my TV, so it’s not the video cap.

If you want to get into the raw details, what Comcast is doing is re-compressing video to average bitrate, so they can squeeze three 17-19 mbps streams on to a single 40mbps QAM frequency.

Also, USA HD and Sci-Fi HD are the only channels that I’m having this problem with.

]]> By: Ian Eure http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/04/07/usa-hd-picture-sucks/#comment-327 Ian Eure Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:07:10 +0000 http://blog.charcoalphile.com/2008/04/07/usa-hd-picture-sucks/#comment-327 http://digg.com/television/Comcast_Degrades_HD_Quality_To_Make_Room_For_More_Channels It does look like you're losing some bits. I see that the quality you're getting is in line with the captures that guy posted. He also mentions that there are dropped frames. I don't know how you're capturing, but there's also the (slight) possibility that you have an issue with your decoder. http://digg.com/television/Comcast_Degrades_HD_Quality_To_Make_Room_For_More_Channels

It does look like you’re losing some bits. I see that the quality you’re getting is in line with the captures that guy posted. He also mentions that there are dropped frames.

I don’t know how you’re capturing, but there’s also the (slight) possibility that you have an issue with your decoder.

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