Top Gear to go HD!

YESSSSSS!!!!!

Seriously, this news makes me want to hug random strangers and finally get a HDTV. w00t.
 
Yeah :D Now all I need to do is get Sky HD...or buy a 1000TB hard drive...
 
Loomy said:
Won't BBC be airing this at 1080i? And I hope the scene does a better job than that 1080p polar special. It doesn't play nice with my WD TV HD player and I'm guessing it has something to do with that funky anamorphic HD 16:9-format with non-16:9 width-height ratio.

What was wrong with, oh I dont know.. normal HD?? :(
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Can't blame the BBC for your decoder not being able to handle anamorphic formats.... it's "normal" HD, as far as i know.

And yep, all BBC broadcasts are in 1080i50 (while continental Europe, afaik, opted for 720p50). Both standards are recommended by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), 1080p50 is only intended as a future option.

der_jackal said:
Keep forgetting the Euro standards are 50fps, not the U.S. ATSC 60fps for 720p...so they shouldn't. :)

But regarless they'll half framerate them more often than not simply to save file size, so it's just as likely they'll be 720p25fps at 1.5Mbps which is a shame to a degree.
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The BBC only accepts broadcast tapes in either 1080i50 or 1080p25 - so the question wheather 1080p50 or 1080p25 encoding is used is moot anyways due to lack of 1080p50 source material.

(see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/production/docs/hd_guide.pdf on page 16)
 
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Finally we get HD. its just a shame that BBC HD just changed their encoders and substantially reduced the bit rate they use on Sky claiming that the original was unsustainable on cost grounds. They are ignoring calls to reinstate the previous bit rates. This is despite the fact that they still broadcast in HD across europe using higher rates.

Viewers in the UK have been complaining of picture breakup during action/fast moving pictures. Guess that means that we'd better hope for more May segments in the new series!
 
Mine has been OK - no blocking or motion issues so far. I can not wait for HD - lovely jubbly ('bout time BBC).
 
Cobol74 said:
Mine has been OK - no blocking or motion issues so far. I can not wait for HD - lovely jubbly ('bout time BBC).
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I read on Wikipedia that the blocking and motion issues seem to be caused by Windows-based Media Centers. Don't know if that's the whole story as Wiki editors (like most sane people) have an natural anti-Windows bias, but it sounds plausible enough for me.
 
Guys, does the cable company even broadcast in 1080p? Here you can get on demand for 1080p but live programming is still 1080i (I think). Just sayin' we might have to wait for BluRay releases with awful soundtracks for the full HD experience.
 
controlspecimen said:
Guys, does the cable company even broadcast in 1080p? Here you can get on demand for 1080p but live programming is still 1080i (I think). Just sayin' we might have to wait for BluRay releases with awful soundtracks for the full HD experience.
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I hate to repeat myself, but it's not even about broadcasting. The BBC currently does not even accept 1080p source material.

On top of that i'd really like to know why 1080i is not "the full experience".
On demand -as in "films"- over at yours is most likely 1080p30, while normal programming is 1080i60... it's not only about interlaced vs. progressive, but about 25 vs. 50 fps (or 30 vs. 60 fps, respectively) as well.
 
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Suddenly my 1TB hard drive seems woefully inadequate. Now where'd I put my debit card...
 
Dr_Grip said:
The BBC only accepts broadcast tapes in either 1080i50 or 1080p25 - so the question wheather 1080p50 or 1080p25 encoding is used is moot anyways due to lack of 1080p50 source material.

(see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/production/docs/hd_guide.pdf on page 16)
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aaahhhh, I didn't not pay any attention to what the EBA HD standards were, didn't realize they had settled on 1080 in the UK while everybody else went 720p. Interesting. I knew they weren't going to change frame rates from the PAL system, but didn't think they'd pick one or the other HD "format".

controlspecimen said:
Guys, does the cable company even broadcast in 1080p? Here you can get on demand for 1080p but live programming is still 1080i (I think). Just sayin' we might have to wait for BluRay releases with awful soundtracks for the full HD experience.
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Wow, if you think you're getting on demand 1080p in anything close to a "full HighDef experience". :eek:

Short of it is, cable companies (and Dish, DirecTV) are simply jumping on the 1080p buzzword bandwagon and pushing down 1080p30 movies at the same bit rate they push their standard HD stuff down at...which is a gimped bitrate. I'll put a 1080i movie from HDNet Movies (running full bit rate) up against a 1080p OnDemand movie and you tell me which one is the "full HD experience". ;)
 
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der_jackal said:
Short of it is, cable companies (and Dish, DirecTV) are simply jumping on the 1080p buzzword bandwagon and pushing down 1080p30 movies at the same bit rate they push their standard HD stuff down at...which is a gimped bitrate. I'll put a 1080i movie from HDNet Movies (running full bit rate) up against a 1080p OnDemand movie and you tell me which one is the "full HD experience". ;)
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Wait a second... shouldn't 60 half-frames (1080i60) and 30 full frames (1080p30) use exactely the same bitrate at the same picture quality, the difference between the two presentation modes more a matter of personal preference if you like the interlaced or full-frame mode better?

Still, if HDNet offers a higher bitrate, whatever they deliver will be better-looking than the on-demand stuff, no matter if full frames or half frames... i think that's what you meant. ;)

SECOND EDIT: The reason germany opted for 720p50 instead of 1080i50 is that in germany, the major point of sale is sports, while in the UK features and documentaries like Torchwood and Planet Earth were used, so the broadcasters over here think that the higher frame rate will be more appreciated by the target audience than a higher resolution would have been.
 
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Cobol74 said:
HD at last! I left a message on the BBC HD consultation page about it some months ago - do I think that was the reason they have gone HD - er no, sadly. ... :sad:
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Non sense, your are the corner stone of the BBC HD division. The only reason it wasn't out before was because they were waiting for you to say something. :p

Anyway can't wait!
 
Dr_Grip said:
Wait a second... shouldn't 60 half-frames (1080i60) and 30 full frames (1080p30) use exactely the same bitrate at the same picture quality, the difference between the two presentation modes more a matter of personal preference if you like the interlaced or full-frame mode better?
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They are, that's the rub. ;)

Dr_Grip said:
Still, if HDNet offers a higher bitrate, whatever they deliver will be better-looking than the on-demand stuff, no matter if full frames or half frames... i think that's what you meant. ;)
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I went for sarcasm. :)

Dr_Grip said:

SECOND EDIT: The reason germany opted for 720p50 instead of 1080i50 is that in germany, the major point of sale is sports, while in the UK features and documentaries like Torchwood and Planet Earth were used, so the broadcasters over here think that the higher frame rate will be more appreciated by the target audience than a higher resolution would have been.
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There was / is / has been a huge debate here since the the networks started broadcasting about whether 720p was better for sports compared to 1080i. As NFL was going to be a "killer app" for HD TV sales and the HD junkies were interested in making sure they were getting the best experience.
 
Can we EVER have a thread that mentioned the letters "HD" that doesn't dissolve into a painful discussion on the virtues on someone's pet format? We have rehashed this at least a dozen times since I've been a member and I'm still new!
 
flydiscovery said:
Can we EVER have a thread that mentioned the letters "HD" that doesn't dissolve into a painful discussion on the virtues on someone's pet format? We have rehashed this at least a dozen times since I've been a member and I'm still new!
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*laughs*
As a ever-active contributor to those "painful discussions", my format of choice is SD TV - the only thing i am trying to do is to clear up misunderstandings.
 
d?m now my 2x1,5Tb in raid 1 seems little too small :(
Thou i backup my laptop + mother's pc it my servers raid!

so 600Gb should be enough for (in 2,2Gb rips) for 272 episodes :D

i have to decide should i store them in the old 700Mb of those "HD"-quality :p
 
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