• RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! - cdb 20:11:42 08/20/08 (6)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  There's the technical aspect that seems to be your complaint; there's also the programming/production angle.
  
  China AFAIK, is a 220V 50Hz nation. And, there's the Pacific Ocean between here and there, and you aren't gonna transmit HD video on a submarine cable.
  
  China AFAIK is PAL D; not NTSC.
  
  NBC is *not shipping containers of NY USA equipment over there. My guess is they are simply taking a handoff feed from China TV (with hundreds of channels) and getting it over here w/ redundant backups. The NY mix center must be incredible...
  
  Considering the upfront prep by NBC Technical and the Chinese electrical design of these facilities, (no announced power outages, AFAIK). Ever seen the screen go dark with a slide announcing "technical difficuties, please stand by"?
  
  Considering this is a *temporary* setup, I'd say you're giving short appreciation to the hundreds of techs and support staff of NBC working around the clock to get *some signal here to the US.
  
  OTOH, enough already with beach volleyball...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  • Tech info on the Athens broadcast   (Open in New Window)

  
  

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  • The broadcast of the Demo Convention had *the most* pixies I've seen, - cdb 13:59:57 08/30/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by cdb on August 20, 2008 at 20:11:42

    except for my local OTA PBS station a while back; I guess they were dialing in new equipment...
    
    

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  • This about emotional outburst, not a technical debate - DWPC 11:48:52 08/22/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by cdb on August 20, 2008 at 20:11:42

    Don't interject rationality.
    
    
    

    
    

    As the guy who jumped off the 20-story building shouted as he passed the 10th Floor "So far..so good!"
    
    
    

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  • RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! - racerguy 20:26:20 08/21/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by cdb on August 20, 2008 at 20:11:42

    > > China AFAIK is PAL D; not NTSC. < <
    
    PAL and NTSC are analog broadcasting standards.
    
    For digital broadcasts, the US uses ATSC, and mainland China uses DMB-T/H.
    
    

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  • Hey! Womens beach vollyball is my favorite event. nt - budget fi 19:04:07 08/21/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by cdb on August 20, 2008 at 20:11:42

    .
    
    

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  • Hey! we had a good rant going here. Don't spoil it with facts nt - Brian A 14:49:16 08/21/08 (1)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by cdb on August 20, 2008 at 20:11:42

    
    
    We'll have to agree to disagree about human caused global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along.
    
    

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    • Yeeaahhh !!! * - DWPC 11:49:45 08/22/08 (0)
      In Reply to: RE: Hey! we had a good rant going here. Don't spoil it with facts nt posted by Brian A on August 21, 2008 at 14:49:16

      .
      
      
      

      
      

      As the guy who jumped off the 20-story building shouted as he passed the 10th Floor "So far..so good!"
      
      
      

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• RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! - Hansson3 17:14:23 08/19/08 (5)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  Can you say "motion artifacts"? Some of the worst I've seen from "live" broadcast HD.
  
  

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  • Maybe my eyeballs are defective.... - oscar 19:50:01 08/19/08 (4)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by Hansson3 on August 19, 2008 at 17:14:23

    or my viewing source "hides" artifacts, but the only artifacts I've noticed are "softness". OTOH, I'VE only a 720p DLP display.
    
    I've seen a 1080p LCD display (DirectTV) which wasn't any better (possibly worse) than I what I've been seeing but that was a small sample.
    
    

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    • it's easy to see the artifacts...watch when the camera zooms in or out - Jazz Inmate 21:49:07 08/19/08 (3)
      In Reply to: RE: Maybe my eyeballs are defective.... posted by oscar on August 19, 2008 at 19:50:01

      You probably don't need a great screen to see this. It's soft, but that isn't the worst problem. Considering it comes from the other side of the world and I'm getting it in HD for free (via roof antenna) I'm ok with it.
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      Call it, friendo.
      
      

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      • Seems to me Cameras zooming in and out are likely contributors to pixelation. - oscar 08:35:26 08/20/08 (1)
        In Reply to: RE: it's easy to see the artifacts...watch when the camera zooms in or out posted by Jazz Inmate on August 19, 2008 at 21:49:07

        more a function of the camera than the broadcast.
        
        

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        • I think it's a package deal showing the network's commitment to HDTV quality - Jazz Inmate 22:45:46 08/25/08 (0)
          In Reply to: RE: Seems to me Cameras zooming in and out are likely contributors to pixelation. posted by oscar on August 20, 2008 at 08:35:26

          If a network cares about its HD broadcasts, it invests in the best hardware and trained personnel, including cameras and cameraman, as well as processing and broadcasting hardware. NBC is not the best. The problem I mentioned should not cause pixellation on a quality HD cam that is on the right settings and streaming to disc or broadcast on a system that can handle 1080i. So either NBC doesn't have the right gear or it hires people who don't know how to use it right. Either way, not the best HDTV broadcast.
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          Call it, friendo.
          
          

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      • No motion blur at all on my 52" DSP @ 1080 - LWR 06:27:18 08/20/08 (0)
        In Reply to: RE: it's easy to see the artifacts...watch when the camera zooms in or out posted by Jazz Inmate on August 19, 2008 at 21:49:07

        some of the camera work is phenomenal.
        
        

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• I suppose it could be a tad sharper... - oscar 18:46:07 08/18/08 (0)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  I'm not seeing skin pores like I see with some Blu-ray material and the best HD broadcasts but the picture is usually fairly good. Sometimes the cameras aren't HD so the picture will be pretty lousy (e.g. non-HDish).
  
  I've got Dishnetwork which is giving me up to five (5) HD feeds: NBC, MSNBC/Universal HD, and USA HD plus dedicated HD channels for replay of basketball and soccer (so far).
  
  I haven't seen any pixelation; usually I only see this when a thunderstorm rolls through to interfere with the satellite feed.
  
  

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• Yeah, lots of compression artifacts in our (Cox) cable HD feed - padreken 09:24:16 08/18/08 (1)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  Seems to come and go, though-last night's programming looked pretty good, particularly the track events.
  
  

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  • The worst is the beach volleyball - Jazz Inmate 12:38:36 08/18/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: Yeah, lots of compression artifacts in our (Cox) cable HD feed posted by padreken on August 18, 2008 at 09:24:16

    For whatever reason, it pixellates like hell when they zoom in.
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    Call it, friendo.
    
    

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• Someone should tell them that there ARE other countries competing. nt - Quadzilla 06:03:35 08/18/08 (3)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  .
  
  
  
  Prehistoric 4-Channel Lizard
  
  

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  • An American company focusing on American athletes! - Wendell Narrod 13:56:59 08/18/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: Someone should tell them that there ARE other countries competing. nt posted by Quadzilla on August 18, 2008 at 06:03:35

    Shocking! Who would have thought?
    
    
    -Wendell
    
    

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  • In My area - unclestu52 11:50:08 08/18/08 (1)
    In Reply to: RE: Someone should tell them that there ARE other countries competing. nt posted by Quadzilla on August 18, 2008 at 06:03:35

    local cable offers a Korean and Chinese feed: They also feature live coverage of their respective country's efforts.
    
    8^)
    
    
    Stu
    
    

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    • Do they occasionally mention ... - Quadzilla 12:09:05 08/18/08 (0)
      In Reply to: RE: In My area posted by unclestu52 on August 18, 2008 at 11:50:08

      ... that there are other athletes competing in those events?
      
      
      
      Prehistoric 4-Channel Lizard
      
      

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• it should be offered in blu - Joe Murphy Jr 23:14:53 08/17/08 (0)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  Even if it's just highlights of the medal winners and the opening ceremonies, I can't see the Olympics not showing up in Blu-ray. Hell, they should make a Michael Phelps: Blu-ray Special Edition that comes with a cap and goggles! Most of the coverage we watched was from MSNBC.
  
  

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• RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! - usafwso 16:12:25 08/17/08 (1)
  In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by DWPC on August 17, 2008 at 13:51:24

  Who can see the coverage with all the commercials. I gave up after the first night.
  
  

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  • One word: DVR - bshapiro 09:27:15 08/21/08 (0)
    In Reply to: RE: NBC's HD coverage of the Olympics sucks!! posted by usafwso on August 17, 2008 at 16:12:25

    I record them and watch around 10pm, and I can blast through the ads and annoying and boring "packages" of background stories and watch an evening's worth of tv in about an hour.
    
    

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