Mass Media & Technology

STV News - picture quality

(May 2019)

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JB
JollyBoyJohn
Interested to know if anyone has noticed/experienced the poor picture quality on HD (Sky & Freeview) of programes coming from STV's own studios?
Quality from ITV news/network programmes for example is perfect, but STV's own output appears such poor quality in comparison. Particularly in their news astons/graphics.
It can't possibly be true HD, right?
LL
London Lite Founding member
STV North is now in HD. The Central franchise from Glasgow I think is still upscaled from SD.
JB
JollyBoyJohn
That explains it, thanks.
Crazy that other broadcasters are talking about 4K but STV are still pottering around with upscaling. Just looks so poor.
LL
London Lite Founding member
JollyBoyJohn posted:
That explains it, thanks.
Crazy that other broadcasters are talking about 4K but STV are still pottering around with upscaling. Just looks so poor.


Spare a thought for ITV viewers in the Channel Islands who don't even have ITV HD, although the regional news outputs in HD and is downscaled.
EL
elmarko
When’s that getting fixed? Christ.
NG
noggin Founding member
elmarko posted:
When’s that getting fixed? Christ.

How big is the ITV Channel Islands audience? ITV is a commercial operation... HD simulcast chains are not zero cost...
LL
London Lite Founding member
noggin posted:
elmarko posted:
When’s that getting fixed? Christ.

How big is the ITV Channel Islands audience? ITV is a commercial operation... HD simulcast chains are not zero cost...


Going by population, the Islands have a total population of just over 164,500. (Confirmed by ITV's sales website).

Compare that to another rural region, ITV Border which has a HD variant on Sky and Freesat has a total population of 426k.

However, considering the small population, ITV Channel TV market leads across the Islands, so there isn't an issue with regards to getting bums on seats or advertisers to justify not having a HD service. But as per usual, the Islands were the last to get colour tv and the last ITV region to get HD if at all. (BBC services are in HD)

There's also the issue that Freeview viewers don't get every single sub-opt in HD or even the right region, for example, Anglia viewers receive the East opt of ITV Meridian on ITV HD, while East Midlands viewers receive the West opt of ITV News Central compared to satellite viewers who at least get the right region, even if it's the wrong sub-opt. (This doesn't affect the West Country franchise which have splits for the West and South West opts)
Last edited by London Lite on 22 May 2019 2:25am
NG
noggin Founding member
London Lite posted:
noggin posted:
elmarko posted:
When’s that getting fixed? Christ.

How big is the ITV Channel Islands audience? ITV is a commercial operation... HD simulcast chains are not zero cost...


Going by population, the Islands have a total population of just over 164,500. (Confirmed by ITV's sales website).

Compare that to another rural region, ITV Border which has a HD variant on Sky and Freesat has a total population of 426k.

However, considering the small population, ITV Channel TV market leads across the Islands, so there isn't an issue with regards to getting bums on seats or advertisers to justify not having a HD service. But as per usual, the Islands were the last to get colour tv and the last ITV region to get HD if at all. (BBC services are in HD)

There's also the issue that Freeview viewers don't get every single sub-opt in HD or even the right region, for example, Anglia viewers receive the East opt of ITV Meridian on ITV HD, while East Midlands viewers receive the West opt of ITV News Central compared to satellite viewers who at least get the right region, even if it's the wrong sub-opt. (This doesn't affect the West Country franchise which have splits for the West and South West opts)


BBC One regional services are still SD in the Channel Islands though, just like ITV, aren't they? (The BBC can make BBC One England HD available as they have no advertising issues, unlike ITV)

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