MPTV-HD increased bitrate?

[Mark Strube]

Everything on this channel now looks great instead of the usual pixelated mess due to their low bitrate. Did something change?

[GBK]

I've never had problems with this channel OTA they broadcast some Widescreen shows that aren't always HD so high movement pixelates pretty badly.

[StarvingForHDTV]

I hope they did increase the bit rate.  I see the 'usual pixelated mess' all the time also (OTA).

[GBK]

yeah their digital transfers are pretty bad.  the nature shows especially.

[Mark Strube]

They had low bitrate... I just watched their "Cringely Crash Course" on hdtv technology... when I watched that a month or two ago it looked like crap. Now it looks clean and clear... can anyone confirm a bitrate bump?

[kevbeck122]

I just flipped to it a couple times today, and it still seems to have pretty bad pixelation during fast motion (OTA and TWC).  Other than that I've never had a problem with the channel.

[wxndave]

I'm confused, how do you determine that they are running a low bitrate?  Do you have equipment that reads out the digital stream?  The only problem that I have noticed is the PBS network stuff that is widescreen and upconverted.  Otherwise most of there stuff is pretty good.

Dave

[Mark Strube]

I can tell they had low bitrate because the SAME programs I watched awhile ago, look much clearer now with very little pixelization. It's best to guage this when watching more recent stuff shot in HD, not stuff transferred from grainy film or video.

[wxndave]

Thay have always transmitted a 19.39mb signal never less.  The problems that you were probably seeing were upconverted PBS programs.  There is a slight loss in quality from the straight PBS feed because they have to decode a 19.39 mb and then encode it again.  They have to do this so they can switch to local programming.  This is part of the reason why it is taking so long for 5.1.  Since PBS is only providing a signal that is 19.39mb they cannot send the metadata that is required to set the MPTV 5.1 equipment to encode the signal properly.  They have to go thru other steps  to ensure that the 5.1 signal is correct for the viewers equipment.  Other networks like CBS send the signal to the local stations at 45mbs.  Which gives them enough room to encode the quality needed to perform the decoding at the staions and then encoding it again at the local level.

Dave

[Mark Strube]

Hm... strange, maybe I'm going crazy but I know I've noticed some sort of difference the past couple of weeks.

[Nels Harvey]

Hm... strange, maybe I'm going crazy but I know I've noticed some sort of difference the past couple of weeks.

Could it be a bit stronger signal?  Ch. 36-1's antenna and power output recently was adjusted.  Perhaps a stronger lobe covers Elm Grove now?

Nels....

[wxndave]

It is possible that PBS has re-encoded the programs since there were many complaints from the local stations across the country.  Ch 35 antenna was not moved  or a power increased.  The only work that was done was the move of the ch 36 antenna. The feed line for ch 35 was disconnected and moved out of the way so the ch 36 antenna could move and then reconnected on th other side of the mount.

Dave