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Sky HD

VIDEO-ON-DEMAND PPV with Sky+HD - Pg. 3 (November 2005)

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JA
jay Founding member
http://hd.sky.com/bannerimages/header_60.jpg

This thread is for ongoing discussion of the new High Definition service from Sky, Sky HD , and for discussing the revolution of HDTV in general.

Sky HD is launching in early 2006 and will offer a range of channels in High Definition, up to FOUR TIMES as more detailed as standard TV pictures.

A number of HD Channels are already confirmed, with many more to be announced over the coming months.

Those already confirmed are:

Sky Sports HD - offering live coverage of the Barclays Premiership, live domestic cricket including Test matches, followed by Rugby Union from the Guinness Premiership, other HD sports to be announced...

Sky Movies HD, Sky Box Office HD - Sky Movies will offer 2 screens dedicated to HD movies, and Sky Box Office will offer upto 10 movies a week in HD...

Sky One HD - A simulcast version of the existing Sky One channel that will deliver high quality entertainment programming, with a range of Sky One shows and cutting-edge series in HD...

Artsworld HD - A simulcast version of the existing Artsworld channel offering a selction of arts programming...

http://uk.geocities.com/jason.betts@btinternet.com/HD.jpg
Viewers will have to purchase a new HD box, which is black with a silver streak running across the front of the box - Sky+ features will also be available to those who get the new HD box, in conjunction with a Sky+ subscription.

The new remote is similar to the existing Sky+ silver remote, with a more 'angular' front and with black running the length of both sides.


Will anyone be getting this service from launch?

All images © BSkyB 2005.
ST
Stuart
Thanks for the info Jay.

The new SkyHD remote doesn't look as though it has any different functionality to the current Sky+ version. There are no extra buttons, just a slightly different design.

I think I'll wait a while before paying out £400 for a SkyHD box, although i have registered with Sky for information about developments.

I think I would have to upgrade my TV to get a better quality picture. I currently have a 9 year old Daewoo 32" showing a 16:9 picture in letterbox format, and the quality is very clear Smile It seems a waste to ditch it when it still works very well!
JH
Jonathan H
Have Sky announced what bit rate their HD transmissions will be at? I'd imagine that the temptation to squeeze more HD channels into restricted bandwidth will be great. It'll be a shame if the quality is spoiled by low transmission rates.
JA
jay Founding member
Jonathan H posted:
Have Sky announced what bit rate their HD transmissions will be at? I'd imagine that the temptation to squeeze more HD channels into restricted bandwidth will be great. It'll be a shame if the quality is spoiled by low transmission rates.


Now this means nothing to me whatsoever, but I hope it answers your question...

Sky HD will use two new formats. The first is 1080i which increases the number of rows in a picture to 1080 - more than a standard PAL picture and is interlaced. The other, 720p, has 720 rows that are progressively scanned showing every row of pixels in each frame.

Sky's HD box will work with both these formats, allowing programme makers to choose the best format for them.

Text © BSkyB 2005.
NG
noggin Founding member
Sky will also be using MPEG4 not MPEG2 as the compression system - which in the H264/AVC implementation allows better picture quality for a given data rate, or a lower data rate to be used for a given picture quality.

Sky will also be using DVB-S2 not DVB-S as the modulation system. This requires a slightly stronger signal, but allows more data to be broadcast in a transponder of a given bandwith.

In other words they're increasing the data rate each transponder runs at, and also reducing the amount of data required compared to MPEG2 HD.
JH
Jonathan H
jay posted:
Now this means nothing to me whatsoever, but I hope it answers your question...

Sky HD will use two new formats. The first is 1080i which increases the number of rows in a picture to 1080 - more than a standard PAL picture and is interlaced. The other, 720p, has 720 rows that are progressively scanned showing every row of pixels in each frame.

Sky's HD box will work with both these formats, allowing programme makers to choose the best format for them.

Text © BSkyB 2005.


That just refers to the frame rates and interlaced or progressive scanning. Interesting that Sky HD will be able to transmit both formats though. I was meaning the transmission bit rates - how fast the data comes at you!
JA
jay Founding member
Jonathan H posted:
jay posted:
Now this means nothing to me whatsoever, but I hope it answers your question...

Sky HD will use two new formats. The first is 1080i which increases the number of rows in a picture to 1080 - more than a standard PAL picture and is interlaced. The other, 720p, has 720 rows that are progressively scanned showing every row of pixels in each frame.

Sky's HD box will work with both these formats, allowing programme makers to choose the best format for them.

Text © BSkyB 2005.


That just refers to the frame rates and interlaced or progressive scanning. Interesting that Sky HD will be able to transmit both formats though. I was meaning the transmission bit rates - how fast the data comes at you!


Hmm I thought so, sorry I can't help then!

Not sure if that information has been released yet..
JH
Jonathan H
noggin posted:
In other words they're increasing the data rate each transponder runs at, and also reducing the amount of data required compared to MPEG2 HD.


I'd heard rumours of 30mbps. Any thoughts? Sounds a bit high to me - although that would be lovely!
SP
Spencer
Does anyone have any idea how Sky plan to incorporate the HD channels on the EPG? Will they be listed as separate channels, or will those with the new HD boxes automatically have Sky One HD assigned to 106 instead of the usual version?
MD
mdtauk
a seperate EPG????
NG
noggin Founding member
Jonathan H posted:
noggin posted:
In other words they're increasing the data rate each transponder runs at, and also reducing the amount of data required compared to MPEG2 HD.


I'd heard rumours of 30mbps. Any thoughts? Sounds a bit high to me - although that would be lovely!


30Mbs! That'll be the day...

In the US MPEG2 seems to vary from about 8Mbs to 18Mbs for 720p and 1080i. MPEG4 should deliver higher quality so I'd be surprised if they were much higher than 12Mbs for 720/50p, and be VERY surprised if they were much over 16Mbs for 1080/50i.

Suspect they will start at quite a high data rate to try and show how good the system can be - especially if they are only starting with a couple of HD services.
ST
Stuart
Spencer For Hire posted:
Does anyone have any idea how Sky plan to incorporate the HD channels on the EPG? Will they be listed as separate channels, or will those with the new HD boxes automatically have Sky One HD assigned to 106 instead of the usual version?


Well I suppose technically they can run different EPGs (eg RoI & UK, where different channels appear on the same numbers), but that is done by postcode rather than the subs type.

I suspect it will be the same as when specific widescreen channels were the "norm" (eg Premier WS). Although if they intend to have "Sky One HD" under "Sky One" then they have missed the chance to leave themselves a gap at the start of the EPG Entertainment Section, according to what the often quoted list will be.

Maybe they will create a new category just for HD, there is space on the second page of the EPG v4 menu, but I would think they would want it on the first page to promote it more, so something else will simply get suffled to the second page.

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