Prime in Widescreen?

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DjShadow

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# 20643 1-Apr-2008 20:32

Is it my imagination or is Prime TV finally in 16x9 widescreen??
wish they would hurry up and get the box into widescreen

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Biddle Corp

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# 120314 1-Apr-2008 20:40

The plan was for the 1st April.

BarTender

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# 120318 1-Apr-2008 21:09

I thought it was being broadcast in WS on sky for some time now, there are three prime transmissions (regional adds), and I thought they were all 720x576. However TCL only re-broadcast the non-widescreen version :(

allstarnz

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# 120348 1-Apr-2008 21:46

yip, it's definitely in widescreen as of today. Had to double check in the other room, as this TV doesn't border for 16:9

Maori TV are broadcasting in 16:9 too, for both forms of Freeview. Haven't checked Sky.

rugrat

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# 120362 1-Apr-2008 22:00

Yep wide screen on sky, and the new one Te Reo. Rugby on it at moment in widescreen,

Now Prime in wide screen, wonder when the next sky channel due to go widescreen. It seems like it's hard work for sky make channels widescreen, where for freeview it's no problem.

TomAckroyd

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# 120459 2-Apr-2008 10:22

Prime is WS on TCL. Still shocking quality though. Bit-rate comparing by flicking between Boston Legal (TV3) Dancing with the Stars (TV1) and a Jimmy Barnes concert (Prime) last night was a lesson in how important the non-SKY FTAs are to SKY. [EDIT: Or is it that TCL still haven't upgraded the Prime feed?]

richgamer

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# 120499 2-Apr-2008 14:40

yeah some of their shows and ads are in widescreen. but i watched prime news yesterday on a non widescreen tv and it had black line spaces on left and right and top and bottom of the screen. widescreen shows display on my non widescreen tv by only having black line spaces at the top of bottom of my non widescreen tv but never on the left and right hand sides. i think prime news was not broadcast in widescreen for this reason.

ajobbins

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# 120513 2-Apr-2008 15:25

According to http://www.primeadsales.co.nz/:

SKY proposes to roll out all its channels to widescreen in 2008 starting with PRIME commencing 1st April 2008 and SKY channels will progressively follow suit.

richms

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# 120642 3-Apr-2008 01:44

I was told that they were going to be sending everything out in 16:9 by the start of may, but some channels will just be a permanant pillarboxing.

Apparanlty there are a hell of a lot of tvs out there like mums that just ignore the WSS, and a lot of annoyed people as a result.

Richard rich.ms

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# 120654 3-Apr-2008 06:43

TomAckroyd: Prime is WS on TCL. Still shocking quality though. Bit-rate comparing by flicking between Boston Legal (TV3) Dancing with the Stars (TV1) and a Jimmy Barnes concert (Prime) last night was a lesson in how important the non-SKY FTAs are to SKY. [EDIT: Or is it that TCL still haven't upgraded the Prime feed?]

In short no TCL have not upgraded their prime feed, since it's not WS on TCL it should be 720x576 however it's 544x576. I suspect once Alt TV turns up on TCL, then TCL will have upgraded Prime/other Sky Channels. Don't have a dish atm to check the quality of feeds, but last time I checked there was a noticible difference between Sky and TCL Prime (apart from the lack of WS)

Dingbatt

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# 120678 3-Apr-2008 11:16

Now all we need is for them (sky) to drop the encryption on its Prime feeds from Optus D1 so that those of us with non-freeview branded STBs can pick it up. Then it will truely be FTA.

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DS9

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# 120689 3-Apr-2008 12:10

Hi,

You may not be aware that Branded FreeView Decoders can't play Prime either.

I aim to misbehave.

Dingbatt

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# 120695 3-Apr-2008 12:26

DS9: Hi,

You may not be aware that Branded FreeView Decoders can't play Prime either.

Yes thanks I was aware. Its just that the freeview boxes tend to be locked into the freeview channels only. So if Sky saw fit to send their prime signal un-encrypted, then a quick update scan of the correct transponder freq by non-freeview STBs would allow it to be picked up. Sky's EPG is unencrypted so they must have the capablilty for other unencrypted streams as well (mustn't they?).

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BarTender

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# 120701 3-Apr-2008 12:44

Dingbatt: Yes thanks I was aware. Its just that the freeview boxes tend to be locked into the freeview channels only. So if Sky saw fit to send their prime signal un-encrypted, then a quick update scan of the correct transponder freq by non-freeview STBs would allow it to be picked up. Sky's EPG is unencrypted so they must have the capablilty for other unencrypted streams as well (mustn't they?).

Sky don't encrypt TV1&2 on their Transponder so they are more than capible of transmitting their 3 prime signals unencrypted if they chose to. However there are Tui Billboards about if Sky will unencrypt the Satellite Prime signal... Ending in "Yeah Right"b

sbiddle

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# 121155 4-Apr-2008 18:04

Can somebody confirm what format Prime's analogue format is in? Is it true 16:9 or 4:3 center cut?

I just realised that TCL are actually transmitting Prime as 16:9 over their analogue network, it's a shame that they can't transmit all their channels like this!

cyril7

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# 121175 4-Apr-2008 19:44

Prime off Forest heights here in Waikanae is 4:3.

Cyril

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