BBC One HD This Autumn

Nagler doesn't think it's misleading!

So we have to look at the EPG / info bar to find out if the current programme is supposed to be in HD, but that's too far / to inconvenient to look at to find out the channel name?

Heard the intro to the news earlier and to the average viewer hearing the programme is on 'BBC One HD' they'd expect the programme to be HD. It, along with the DOG is clearly misleading and it's a shame the BBC are running with this logic. I'm certainly not going to flick over if it's not clear whether the programme is actually in high def.

The upscaled SD is worth watching the HD channel for. I haven't watched any SD simulcast channels since December 2007 when I first got HD. The HD channels are far superior PQ than the SD versions.

Hopefully the BBC are trying to persuade viewers to make BBC One HD their default BBC One, especially as BBC's HD ratings are far below penetration level.

One in five homes can receive the BBC's HD channels, yet some programmes are only getting one in forty viewers watching in HD.

compared to sky hd, bbc one hd is a poor attempt broadcasting with a permanent DOG and at 1440x1080 8mbps its not the best.

If only Sky could make it such that customers with Sky HD subscriptions could have all the simulcast channels (like BBC One HD, ITV1 HD etc) take the place of the standard channel number - HD penetration would be much higher then.

Lack of content flag ....

I am, after yesterday's comments on the blog by Danielle Nagler, hopeful that things will change soon, the acknowledgement that many Freeview viewers have no indication of whether the source is HD is a major step forward on this.

It appears that the DTG (Digital Television Group) in which the BBC have significant presence failed to mandate flagging of HD programming in the freeview HD EPG, when agreeing to the specification. Allowing it to be optional, Several key manufacturers, including Sony in it's 2010 Freeview HD range chose to omit this. This results in the lack of information.

I will persue in the week, foolishly in an e-mail she gave her office and mobile numbers, should blog and twitter conversations not be concluded satisfactorily a phone call might be called for.

Sky is already consulting broadcasters about creating a separate HD EPG. I believe the intention is to swap the HD and SD channels in the listing, although I'm not sure whether this would just be for those who pay for the HD pack, rather than everyone who has access to the FTV HD channels.

As much as I'd prefer the HD channels to replace the SD ones, seeing as there are more SD subscribers than HD (I think) then it'd probably provoke more complaints over how irritating it is to find BBC One in 169. It makes me wonder why they've bothered making the HD box standard.

Though 1440x1080 is not the issue many make it out to be (and that is why both the BBC and ITV are using it - as are C4 on Freeview HD I believe, and it is also incredibly widespread in Japan, the home of HD).

HD Cam and DVC Pro HD are the two main shooting formats for mainstream HD production in the UK - and guess what - they both subsample to 1440x1080 on-tape (or on P2 in the case of some DVC Pro HD production) HD Cam is 1440x1080 3:1:1 and DVC Pro HD is 1440x1080 4:2:2.

Sure HD Cam SR high-end stuff is 1920x1080 4:2:2, and some live content is (though many live shows will be running their VT at 1440x1080 DVC Pro HD on EVS servers), but the bulk of shows broadcast on BBC HD outlets will have originated in 1440x1080 - so there is little benefit in running the network at 1920.

Of course - as AVC Intra and XD Cam HD422 become more widespread then more 1920x1080 sources will be appearing.

However at the moment the benefits of 1920x1080 over 1440x1080 are probably being overstated.

Also - AIUI BBC HD and BBC One HD are now statmuxed VBR - and so the 8Mbs figure is probably a bit off. AIUI they can peak high above this. (And since Sky shifted to their new encoders they've not been splurging bandwith around either to be fair)

If you read my reply again, you will notice that the proposed change would not affect SD-only customers, regardless of whether they are in the majority.

It would be a separate EPG group (much the same way as the Republic of Ireland listing differs to a regional UK listing). As stated, I'm not sure whether it would just be for those who pay for the HD pack, or for all customers capable of receiving HD channels.

I did a test recoding Strictly. It was 88m and used 2% of my 500gb drive.

So allowing for 140gb Anytime use and rounding up and down from 2%, that's between a minimum of 1.5% (5.4gb) and a maximum 2.4% (8.64gb).

Converted to gb/h that is min. 3.68gb and max. 5.89gb.

Using an on line converter, that equates to a minimum average bitrate of 8.18mb/s and a maximum of 13.09mb/s.

If anyone recorded it on smaller hard drive we'll get a more accurate figure.

Bottom line is, at the very lowest it's a lot higher than 6.6mbs that the 'protesters' keep quoting.