[TelstraClear] TVNZ goes Widescreen on InHome Digital TV

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TelstraClear

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#15993 19-Sep-2007 13:04

Hi

I am pleased to confirm InHome Digital TV customers will be able to experience TV One and TV2 in widescreen at the same time TVNZ launches widescreen on 22nd September.

TV One will make the first move to widescreen with “Antiques Roadshow” at 12pm Saturday and TV 2 will deliver “Stargate” as the first widescreen program at 1pm Saturday.

We will be passing this signal straight through our transmission platform and our customers will experience the same viewing experience with TV3 widescreen.

The TVNZ website below gives and overview of what they are doing.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1294889

Summary

·   TVNZ will broadcast continuously in widescreen 16:9 on their Digital Platform which feeds InHome TV, Sky TV and Freeview.
·   TVNZ will also broadcast the "compromise conversion" on the VHF Analogue transmission ( older TV aerials; not Sky UHF) to allow older 4:3 TVs to get the best picture filling the screen.
·   InHome TV customers will receive the continuous widescreen and should visit our website to get instructions on the Set up of Set Top Boxes. http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/residential/inhome/television/digital-tv/whats_new_widescreen.cfm
·   Sky TV customers will receive the Digital signal and the continuous widescreen format. ie 4:3 pictures will have "black" bars on the left and right.

Regards

Jeff Doyle

Market Manager -- InHome Services

amanzi

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#87171 19-Sep-2007 14:15

We will be passing this signal straight through our transmission platform and our customers will experience the same viewing experience with TV3 widescreen.

I hope it's not the same experience as watching TV3! I still haven't been able to get TV3 displaying properly in widescreen. I have a 4:3 TV, and the TV3 display changes constantly between 16:9 and 4:3 - especially when watching the news. It's as if they've only recorded some of the content in widescreen. So if we have it set to letterbox, sometimes it plays nicely in widescreen, other times the whole picture appears as a small square in the middle of the screen. So we have to set it to cropped, which means that we miss out on the picture on the sides.

ZollyMonsta

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#87176 19-Sep-2007 15:04

amanzi:I hope it's not the same experience as watching TV3! I still haven't been able to get TV3 displaying properly in widescreen. I have a 4:3 TV, and the TV3 display changes constantly between 16:9 and 4:3 - especially when watching the news. It's as if they've only recorded some of the content in widescreen. So if we have it set to letterbox, sometimes it plays nicely in widescreen, other times the whole picture appears as a small square in the middle of the screen. So we have to set it to cropped, which means that we miss out on the picture on the sides.

As has been in various posts about the issue, it will be no different to how TV3 broadcast. The only difference is that it's thought that TV1 and TV2 won't do the 'postage stamp' effect as often. That's the reason why they moved their widescreen from July to September, so they could source as much 16:9 content as possible. As always it's a transition period and as the old content ends, the 'postage stamp' effect will be seen less and less.

Postage Stamp Effect: The old 4:3 content is 'pillarboxed' on the left and right hand side. This appears as black bars when viewed on a 16:9 TV with your set top box set to 16:9 Widescreen. On a 4:3 TV with the set top box set to 4:3 Letterbox the old content will be seen with a black border around the entire picture, this is where the term 'postage stamp' comes from.

Cheers,
ZollyMonsta

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#87178 19-Sep-2007 15:14

amanzi:
We will be passing this signal straight through our transmission platform and our customers will experience the same viewing experience with TV3 widescreen.

I hope it's not the same experience as watching TV3! I still haven't been able to get TV3 displaying properly in widescreen. I have a 4:3 TV, and the TV3 display changes constantly between 16:9 and 4:3 - especially when watching the news. It's as if they've only recorded some of the content in widescreen. So if we have it set to letterbox, sometimes it plays nicely in widescreen, other times the whole picture appears as a small square in the middle of the screen. So we have to set it to cropped, which means that we miss out on the picture on the sides.

I would suggest having a read of cyril7's post about half way down the first page in this thread

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=34&TopicId=15951

It explains in pretty clear english exactly why you get the results you do.

amanzi

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#87180 19-Sep-2007 15:36

It explains in pretty clear english exactly why you get the results you do.

Yes, I thought as much. Nothing we can do about it until the TV stations start broadcasting everything as 16:9. So back to my original point - I hope the experience of watching TVNZ in widescreen won't be the same as TV3 - it's very annoying.

lchiu7

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#87193 19-Sep-2007 17:19

TelstraClear: Hi..

We will be passing this signal straight through our transmission platform and our customers will experience the same viewing experience with TV3 widescreen...Regards

Jeff Doyle

Market Manager -- InHome Services

That's great. Now I seem to see a difference between TV3 via TCL digital cable and TV3 over Freeview. That would not make much sense if the signal is passed straight through your transmission platform, It seems that there is another level of compression taking place before it gets to us?

Is the timing of TV2 and TV2 going WS aligned with your digital platform upgrade so you can afford the bandwidth to send the signal straight down without recompressing? That would be nice

I have no problem with content occasionally pillar boxed, centre cut or whatever so long as content that originates in WS is sent and displayed that way.

Larry

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

TelstraClear

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#87300 20-Sep-2007 07:53

Hi Larry

That's great. Now I seem to see a difference between TV3 via TCL digital cable and TV3 over Freeview. That would not make much sense if the signal is passed straight through your transmission platform, It seems that there is another level of compression taking place before it gets to us?

Regarding the above comment.

The transmission stream used for TV3 is not the same as that used for TVNZ. I meant to say the widescreen experience is the same for both companies.

After the Core Head end upgrade picture quality will be as good as the original transmission will allow.

Regard

Jeff Doyle

Market Manager - InHome Services

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lchiu7

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#87351 20-Sep-2007 13:22

Sounds good Jeff, thanks

Larry

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#87356 20-Sep-2007 13:51

Hi Jeff,

I am ~~another demanding consumer~~ wondering if there was a more definite time frame for the core head upgrade? I think I read earlier it is due in November.

Additionally is there any upgrade planned to the STB with more/better output options. My current box has the AV output and I think s-video.....

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night" - Edgar Allan Poe, 1809 - 1849

tbnz

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#87694 22-Sep-2007 20:14

Hi, well it's definatley widesceen on ch 1 and ch 2 on SKY as of this afternoon but ....

My tv is not switching automatically to widescreen on these channels, i have to force it by selecting the 'full' option.

It switches on TV3, UK TV, Movies 1, 2 & 3 and Nat Geo as it always has, just not on tv 1 and 2.

I read somewhere there is a signal that is broadcast to tell the tv to switch? maybe it's not enabled on these channels because they are newly widescreen?

Am I the only one having this issue?

I have a sony widescreen lcd tv.

ZollyMonsta

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#87698 22-Sep-2007 20:42

This is probably a silly question, but just to clarify (since you posted in two different forums).. Do you have TelstraClear digital tv, Sky or Freeview?

Cheers,
Grant

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As per the usual std disclaimer.. "All thoughts typed here are my own."

tbnz

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#87702 22-Sep-2007 21:36

Ah yea, sorry, didn't realise this one was telstra until after I posted, hence the other post.

I have sky digital.

But I thought telstra just use skys signal anyway don't they?

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ZollyMonsta

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#87703 22-Sep-2007 21:47

Ahh..

You'll have to contact Sky. It's likely they're not sending a widescreen flag on the channels.

TCL don't take TV1 or TV2 from Sky.

Cheers,
ZollyMonsta

Check out my LPFM Radio Station at www.thecheese.co.nz - Now on iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Radio Garden

As per the usual std disclaimer.. "All thoughts typed here are my own."

Lazydog

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#88062 25-Sep-2007 15:59

Pity the Picture Quality of Channel 1, 2 and 3 has dropped since the switch to Widescreen.

One was looking pretty bloody Crisp, now its average as.....

lchiu7

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#88068 25-Sep-2007 16:40

Looks fine to me on Freeview, 56" set. But alas the change to 16:9 hasn't changed the quality of the programming :-(

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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#88071 25-Sep-2007 16:59

(TelestraClear) ;-(