[opendtv] Re: Case for 720p60
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:16:54 -0500
Dan Grimes wrote:
> To be honest, I see lots of problems with non-square pixel
> formats. Inevitably, the aspect ratio is wrong on many
> displays. Sending out square pixels is a lot more reliable
> than non-square. It would also add over 10% resolution,
> but perhaps that would not be striking.
You do see a lot of wrong aspect ratio settings, but not because the pixels
aren't square. In fact, all those wrong settings are most likely in content
with square pixels (e.g. CNN SD 640 X 480) going to displays with square pixels
(e.g. 1920 X 1080). The reason the displays are wrong is because users, e.g.
the airport facilties people, think that they need to fill the wide screen no
matter what.
I just think it makes no sense to make a huge deal out of not supporting
slightly different pixel arrangements than what is in Table 6.2 (or 3, or
whatever). Consider how much more of a handicap it is that iPads and iPhones
don't support Flash, for example.
> I live in about as perfect of an environment as one can hope
> for ATSC: line of sight to the transmitting antennas, open
> valley, few reflections. It doesn't work on the lower floor
> at my house. I had to install an outdoor antenna.
In cases like yours, I'd love to know what the problem is. Would be nice to
have a spectrum analyzer plot to see what gives. Did you try the Zenith or LG
govt cheese box?
On the other hand, I took down my outdoor antenna some time after we switched
to DTV, simply because, upstairs and downstairs, our indoor reception was fine.
No line of sight from either room. That won't mean that indoor reception is
always possible everywhere, obviously, but in my case, hands down, indoor
reception of ATSC is infinitely more acceptable than was indoor reception of
NTSC.
And the new receivers are far better at this, i.e. more reliable, than the very
decent 3rd gen Accurian. I still have my Accurian installed downstairs, so I
can compare reception anytime. My new receivers only have occasional issues
with CW50.
> Much programming that was considered fit for broadcast is now
> going to cable-only, especially sports. I will only catch the
> first half of the NASCAR season. I believe that media outlets
> do not think they are losing much audience when only on cable
> or DBS. I think 10-14% is a significant loss, but most on
> here do not. So it will only get worse.
I think you are right about sports, although I don't know how that compares
with the days before cable. Did they show more sports OTA before, or is it just
that now you can get several sports channels 24/7 on cable? And all the high
budget prime time shows from the major TV networks ARE available OTA, contrary
to predictions made on this list years ago.
A counterexample is Universal Sports. Why don't other networks don't do
something similar? Sports OTA was never available throughout the day, until
DTV. Now the NBC O&Os have carved out some of their channel capacity for it,
and transmit olympic type sports day and night. (All bets are off with the
Comcast buy, of course.) May not be the sports that TV sports people like most,
but it's still more hours of sports OTA than ever.
Bert
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