Directv HD: Any good?

[Spankey]

Originally Posted by Sling

That is correct but they still have a few still on mpeg2 that should carry over to mpeg4 in a few months

How many? 3 out of 70+? HDNet and HDNet movies have looked spectacular lately.

[Sling]

Originally Posted by Spankey

How many? 3 out of 70+? HDNet and HDNet movies have looked spectacular lately.

Mpeg2 Channels
70 , 71 ,72 ,73, 74 ,75 , 76 , 78 ,79
I also believe that NFL & NHL ticket channels still fall into mpeg2 as well..

[GarettP]

The DirecTV HD Channels that are broadcast MPEG4 look awesome. Smithsonian HD, MHD, the NFL Network games that are broadcast HD are great. TNT and TBS need to work on their HD Content, as well as Spike and Speed, but I say go for the DirecTV.

[Spankey]

They may be MPEG2 but at least two of those are 720P channels. They are not downrezzed. HBO and Showtime are also among those channels. However, if you subscribe to HBO or Showtime the full res channels are available at their usual channel designation. At the very least, the West feed of both is MPEG-4. Cinemax and Starz are full res.

Something is going on with HDNet and HDNet movies as they look better than they have. I wouldn't be surprised if they have been given a bit rate boost. MPEG-2 is broadcast standard.

[Sling]

Channles that really need some big time work are,

Crappy refresh SQ out of sync
247 TBSHD
518 STZKHD
520 STRZHD

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Spankey

They may be MPEG2 but at least two of those are 720P channels. They are not downrezzed. HBO and Showtime are also among those channels. However, if you subscribe to HBO or Showtime the full res channels are available at their usual channel designation. At the very least, the West feed of both is MPEG-4. Cinemax and Starz are full res.

Something is going on with HDNet and HDNet movies as they look better than they have. I wouldn't be surprised if they have been given a bit rate boost. MPEG-2 is broadcast standard.

While ESPNHD and ESPN2HD are not downrezzed, they could use a little more bitrate.

HBO-HD (70, 501) and Showtime-HD (71, 537) are among the WORST downrezzed/bit-rate starved channels on DirecTV... but DirecTV now offers MPEG4 versions of the West Coast feeds, so you can always DVR the WC feeds.

I haven't seen HDNet Movies recently, so I can't comment on them, but they are the other MPEG2 HD channel that DirecTV bit-rate starved the worst, so it could certainly use a boost!

~Alan