[opendtv] Distribution and Transmission of TV is Going Backwards
- From: dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 10:57:43 -0700
If I had influence on the changing the world of television from a
technological perspective, one of the areas I would try to change is the
way media, particularly video, is distributed and transmitted to the
consumer. The quality of video is going backwards, not forwards. And the
root of the problem is compression.
With the large amount of turnover in technology, media production has
improved on technical quality tremendously. High Definition production
produces wonderful pictures and an evermore lifelike experience. Even when
downcoverted to SD, the pictures are an improvement over past productions.
Likewise, displays can now be purchased by an average consumer that produce
beautiful pictures when fed a pristine media source. However, what is
displayed at the consumer does not match what is produced at the studio or
live truck. This is true for the CATV, DBS, and OTA consumer.
Here is my take on the situation:
1) The digital transmission schemes are faulty. When comparing an SD
picture via analog to an SD via digital, the analog picture is superior.
This is true of CATV, DBS, and OTA. The positive elements of digital
transmission is more media over the same connection and better quality to
fringe/rural areas, but not better quality to the majority of the
customers. (HD digital transmissions are better in some aspects, but I
have problems with HD digital transmissions also, as stated in the next
point).
2) The distribution from the network to the local distributor is overly
compressed. When comparing a local generated video to the network feed,
the local picture is far superior to the network feed. It used to be the
other way around. And the picture we used to get for live sports over
analog was better than the digital ones we get today. The ball (football,
baseball, golf ball) actually looked like a ball in analog rather than a
square blob in digital. Grass actually looked like grass rather than a
bunch stubble on an unshaven face. One would think HD would improve these,
and it does for close up static shots. It is in the wide shots and in the
action that we need the most detail, not when we are waiting for the
action. It is in these shots that the digital HD picture falls apart.
3) Compressing motion is the problem. Static shots look okay, but as soon
as a picture has high motion, panning, fades, etc., it falls apart. The
compression and decoding needs be able to handle these areas because this
is were most of the exciting information is.
4) Progressive scan should be the only production format. 1080i video
looks better than 720p video at the production level, but after the
distribution and transmission, 720p looks far better than 1080i on the
consumer display. We have got to give up old ways of doing things and
embrace the right way of doing things. We need 1080p production, period.
Now my point is this: lets stop forcing a faulty progression and actually
progress, rather than digress. We need to be focussing on fixing
distribution and transmission so that this digital conversion actually
results in better pictures for all. It is a waste of all our efforts and
resources to transition to digital if we don't get a better benefit from
it.
I am sure I am preaching to choir, but I had to vent my frustration to
someone! I just wish I had some clout to actually influence the right
people to make it change.
Dan Grimes
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