Top Gear to go HD!

[narf]

define ancient. Early 2007 = ancient yet?

My old old pc (it's grandfather?) could play 720p. It was an Athlon XP 3000+, (2.2GHz?), 1GB of RAM, low-grade GPU (6600GT?). I believe it was a lot older than 2007... maybe 2004? Sure, playing back 720p while doing lots of other stuff wasn't a smart move, but keeping the browser and email client open was no problem.

If you're using VLC you can disable some deblocking algorithms which eat processing power, depending on the actual file you may get away with very little visual difference.

the addition (such as the roof rack) is not something most cars have, so to install one to a car, requires modifications not originally planned for by the car maker.

I'll just stick my Opel roof rack onto my Opel Astra. I believe every Opel Astra Caravan can take one, you just need to buy the rack itself. I'm sure a lot of planning went into that.
Most cars don't have winter tyres, wouldn't they be an addition then? They do require more modification than my roof rack - swapping four tyres is real work, sticking on the roof rack is done in a couple of minutes with the simplest of tools.

 

[tGill]

My old old pc (it's grandfather?) could play 720p. It was an Athlon XP 3000+, (2.2GHz?), 1GB of RAM, low-grade GPU (6600GT?). I believe it was a lot older than 2007... maybe 2004? Sure, playing back 720p while doing lots of other stuff wasn't a smart move, but keeping the browser and email client open was no problem.

If you're using VLC you can disable some deblocking algorithms which eat processing power, depending on the actual file you may get away with very little visual difference.

yea that athlon xp is circa 2004 (great chip, gone through about 6 processors since then )

older systems shouldn't have much of a problem playing the HD provided your using VLC and a good codec pack like coreAVC or Combined Community Codec.

 

[Dr_Grip]

older systems shouldn't have much of a problem playing the HD provided your using VLC and a good codec pack like coreAVC or Combined Community Codec.

I don't have Windows, but as far as i understood VLC uses its own codes and not some codec packs installed additionally.

 

[Alberto]

I have Vista and I don't know how to play HD videos on DivX, or Windows Media Player. Anyone know of a codec which will allow me to do so? Thanks...

 

[tGill]

I don't have Windows, but as far as i understood VLC uses its own codes and not some codec packs installed additionally.

VLC has included codecs yes, but there are better options depending on what kind of system you have that if installed VLC will use.

I have Vista and I don't know how to play HD videos on DivX, or Windows Media Player. Anyone know of a codec which will allow me to do so? Thanks...

install http://www.cccp-project.net/ (the installer will also install other media players by default which you dont need to install; WMP will play everything fine)

 

[cvector]

Most cars don't have winter tyres, wouldn't they be an addition then?

no they are an extension of functionality to an existing part of the system that is made to be extendable(tyres are made to be changed). a roof rack adds an extra function on top of the car, it doesnt extend an existing integral one.

i suppose we should be clear on whats what. WMP itself is actually just a directshow based media player like many others, so a top layer program like a VM etc. its the codecs system it accesses to play files that are a part of the system(directshow) and its the codecs system that is made to be extensible. so installing codecs and splitters etc is an extension of functionality to the system which is made to be extensible by design.

hope that clears that up.

 

[cvector]

ok back on topic from now on.

a good codec pack like coreAVC or Combined Community Codec.

coreavc only plays h264 and is not a codec pack. CCCP is not really a pack in the sense it doesnt install lots of individual codecs but rather handles lots of codecs in one. its just basically a cut down FFDShow.

i would recommend CCCP or FFDShow over those other types of codec pack any day.

a comment about the scene rules on size that Blayde posted. sorry but you can not take those for granted. the scene rules also state for an xvid tv show 60:00-64:59 shall be 525MB. though most i have seen are actually 550mb. however have a look at the size of the TG xvids, 700mb. really its up to whoever does them to decide what size they make them. you wont know until someone releases them.

 

[Matt2000]

I'd personally like to see these as 1080p .mov files as well, because I think that for playing on a PC, Quicktime is excellent. I regularly download 1080p movie trailers from the Apple website and wouldn't go anywhere else. And that's coming from me, I hate Apple!

 

[Toshik]

Actually i think there won't be SD versions of a new season.Because the source will be HD and instead of SD there will be HDRips but with a standart dvd resolution.

 

[narf]

Actually i think there won't be SD versions of a new season.Because the source will be HD and instead of SD there will be HDRips but with a standart dvd resolution.

Ok, Standard Resolution instead of Standard Definition if you want to call it that. Tomato Tomahto. Call it resolution, call it definition, same thing - number of pixels.

 

[Quiky]

Ok, Standard Resolution instead of Standard Definition if you want to call it that. Tomato Tomahto. Call it resolution, call it definition, same thing - number of pixels.

But it comes from a HD source, so the end result will look much better.

 

[warren]

There will also be regular resolution xvid .avi torrents.

Why in the world would anyone choose MKV over a standard MP4 container? Far as I can tell, all it does is require people to work harder for no practical benefit. Windows 7 supports MP4 containers natively, as does OS X. It's the direction things are going.

 

[logifuse]

Until fairly recently, AC3 soundtracks weren't supported in MP4, & consequently many hardware devices don't have codecs that can cope with AC3 in MP4.

AC3 is a better option than AAC audio as more AV receivers support it natively. AAC 5.1 in Windows 7 is a difficult beast.

 

[Buba]

But it comes from a HD source, so the end result will look much better.

Exactly. Years ago tons of examples have been posted about this and Ideas of "superbit" DVDs been thought out... Pretty obvious: The better the source, the better the encode, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.

Why in the world would anyone choose MKV over a standard MP4 container? Far as I can tell, all it does is require people to work harder for no practical benefit. Windows 7 supports MP4 containers natively, as does OS X. It's the direction things are going.

Well, buddy, in the world of the internets mkv IS the standard for HD. Take it or leave it. Expect 1,5 GB x264 rips in the mkv container if you want your TG fix to be HD and quickly released...
Also: How difficult can it be? -> Install coreavc or ffdshow and haali comes with both, if I remember right. So installing 1 piece of software, and everything, unless the problem is sitting in front of the computer, works...

Alternative: Install VLC (which doesn't require any codecs as it has them all built in and its based on the same stuff ffdshow is based on, sicne some genius gave the advice to install vlc + codecs earlier on...)

 

[Cobol74]

"I have a cunning plan Mr B" - move in range of the transmitted signal - get the kit and watch in glorious HD (oh and pay the licence fee).

 

[narf]

But it comes from a HD source, so the end result will look much better.

Of course

My point was that file size and resolution will remain similar to what we have now, for all the people crippled by low bandwidth or an outdated hardware player.
Shit in shit out still applies, even in reverse expect the 700mb to have image quality similar to, maybe a bit better than iPlayer flashvhigh except with the full non-overcropped image.


Cobol: Too easy.
Warren: Who made the mp4 container the "standard"? (Yes I know, ISO and IEC. Just because it's specified in a standards definition doesn't mean everyone has to use it.) ???????? was made mandatory by scene standards for HD x264 content.

 

[swraman]

Why in the world would anyone choose MKV over a standard MP4 container? Far as I can tell, all it does is require people to work harder for no practical benefit. Windows 7 supports MP4 containers natively, as does OS X. It's the direction things are going.

It may be the direction that Microsoft and Apple are going, but the Scene has been going with MKV for everything HD. MKV is much more versatile than mp4, which is why its so popular compared to MP4. Scene rips of TG in HD will undoubtedly use the matroska container.

Itll probably be exactly like other TV shows, SD rips will be released ~20 mins after the episode is done airing, and HD rips will be avaliable ~2 hours after.

 

[Viper007Bond]

MKV is also open source.

 

[narf]

MKV is also open source.

It's also free software (both in terms of freedom of speech and free beer).


Ever tried to get your hands onto an ISO standard? "ISO/IEC 14496-15:2004 Information technology -- Coding of audio-visual objects -- Part 15: Advanced Video Coding (AVC) file format" will set you back 106CHF.

 

[Cobol74]

Keeps the riff raff out.