Picture quality on WDJT's multicast of NCAA games

[crumb snatcher]

I was curious to hear about people's opinions on the picture quality of the WDJT's multi-casted NCAA games?  IMO, I thought the picture quality was unbearable and very blurry.  My signal was pretty stong at 80% too.  It was worst than watching on my 27 inch analog Sony Trinitron.  IMO, I'd rather have 1 game broadcast in HD than have 4 multicasted games.  

On another note, what happened to WDJT's channel 1 yesterday?  My Dish 811 displayed WDJT on channel 46 instead.  Did management at WDJT all the sudden decide to change their DTV signal to broadcast on channel 46, which is the same as their transmit number?  I was able to get all the 46.1, 46.2, 46.3, 46.4, 46.5 channels.  I didn't get a chance to check this morning prior to leaving for work.

[tazman]

Ya I noticed the same thing tonight when looking for WDJT digital to watch the evening news.  I get the 4 multicast NCAA channels and WMLW and no WDJT 58 digital on 46,  not that I miss it.  CBS 58 digital has to allow more band width for their HD programs any how.  Because what they had before was almost unbearable to watch.  Maybe they are going to suprise us. I won't hold my breath though.

Tazman

Sony KF60-XBR800 60" LCD
Medion 2.66 Ghz P4 PC with Hauppage WINTV-HD
Nvidia GE-Force4 ti4200 128 meg DDR dual head VGA
connected to a RCA RGB to YPP transcoder box
Denon 1803 AV receiver
Polk Audio RM 6200 5.1 with PSW350 10" powered sub

[sarusk]

I agree the multi-casted images were horrible(I'm on TWC), but I have a question. Since CBS is normally 1080i, what type of signal are the multi-casted programs? I understand they are not being shot with HD equipment. For me they look just as bad as the analog programming.

[Gregg Lengling]

Those are SD (standard definition) programs.  Originally shot in 480 and then when trasmitted they become 480p.  However depending on the amount of bandwidth (bitrate) allowed for the channel slot, they will be degraded.

[The Law]

TWC 505 was unwatchable because of this.  Mass pixelation and audio dropouts.  Now, all I get is a black screen.  The guide says "TBA" for programming.

Good for people that watch basketball, I suppose.  The 58x channels TWC has provided are showing the games, the PQ isn't that good.  

This, too, shall pass

[JimHall]

Originally posted by sarusk
I agree the multi-casted images were horrible(I'm on TWC), but I have a question. Since CBS is normally 1080i, what type of signal are the multi-casted programs? I understand they are not being shot with HD equipment. For me they look just as bad as the analog programming.

Dear TWC HDTV Viewers:

I too have a TWC box (Pioneer) and can also watch the games off-air.  For those of you who stated that the multicast games from TWC on 581-583 looked bad, I wonder if you actually have your STB's set-up properly.  For me the games on 581-583 looked better than that of our analog signal on the same box.   To view an SDTV picture if you do not have the output of the STB set-up right it will look less than perfect.  The STB, if feeding a HD set needs to be set to scan to 480 and the aspect ratio needs to be in 4x3.  This is all accomplished through the SETTINGS options on the TWC STB.  I would be curious from those of you who had this set up properly, but still indicated that the picture quality was unacceptable (its not going to be HD quality, but it was certainly SD quality) as to what type of set you have.

And for the post that stated that 505 was pixilated, that's impossible as we had the HD encoder turned off and thus there was no output whatsoever.  How were you able to see any picture on 505?

Jim Hall

[Joseph S]

I would be curious from those of you who had this set up properly, but still indicated that the picture quality was unacceptable (its not going to be HD quality, but it was certainly SD quality) as to what type of set you have.

It looks like there's vasoline or something smudged on the lenses and then there's the occ pixelation compared to normal SD shows. The analog is far superior.

[summerfun]

Yes, I am a TWC user and have my 3510 set properly.

Channels 581,582,583,584 the multicast digital channls had a much lower PQ than channel 5, the analog channel.

Normaly the digital channals, although not HD quality at least look as good and most of the time look better than the analog channels.

Are you going to multicast next weekend as well? How about the final four and final game the following week? I sure would like to see an HD game.

[The Law]

And for the post that stated that 505 was pixilated, that's impossible as we had the HD encoder turned off and thus there was no output whatsoever. How were you able to see any picture on 505?

This was yesterday evening, I believe.  Today was all black screen.  This evening things were back to normal with the movie "Proof of Life" (I believe it was 505).

Seems to me that 505 is not showing things in place of the NCAA channels showing all 4 games.  IMHO - it seems to be a fair tradeoff - take away the main channel and pipe out all those sports channels for a special event.  I don't watch basketball, however, I'm sure those that do appreciate this.  Seems like a good use of bandwidth.

If I'd to equate this to the sport that I enjoy, I probably would prefer a single HD match vs, 4 non-HD, but then, I have an HD set.  Those that don't would be another story.

my .02

[tazman]

I would have to agree with Jim, the multi casts are 480p and they are comparable to any other 480p digital broadcast that I've seen.   At least their not as bad as some of the broadcasts I've watched on UPN 25 and PAX 40.  The whole point of the statement I was making about band width earlier is, is that when WDJT finally decides to put HD programming back on the air, they do it with adequate band width.  Watching any of the HD programs that they were transmitting in the past along with the Multi casts of WMLW and Telemoundo, in my opinion severely cramped the band width needed for good 1080i HD programming.  I get a rock solid signal on channel 46 and I experience no pixalization, but the HD programs were almost always very jerky during any moderately fast moving seen.  I have never experienced this on WJMJ 28 or WISN 34. Since the later stations are not currently multi casting as yet.  That in my opinion would be what I would attribute it to.

As a little side note.  I would like to see "UPN WCGV 24 analog 25 digital" do a multi cast.  In that when they are interrupting regular scheduled programing for a Bucks or Brewers game, those of us who are not the big sports fans can still watch the UPN network feed, while others can watch the game.

Tazman

Sony KF60-XBR800 60" LCD
Medion 2.66 Ghz P4 PC with Hauppage WINTV-HD
Nvidia GE-Force4 ti4200 128 meg DDR dual head VGA
connected to a RCA RGB to YPP transcoder box
Denon 1803 AV receiver
Polk Audio RM 6200 5.1 with PSW350 10" powered sub