Are people really still waiting for series to come out on UK TV, when they can be downloaded in real time with modern broadband connections (much faster if you have 2Mb+)? Only about 350MB for an almost broadcast-quality copy of the shows, which are out 2-3 hours after they broadcast in the US. HD->Xvid transfers are to all intents and purposes just as good as watching on DSAT/ DTT.
OK, this doesn't apply with HD, but not many watching in HD anyway.
Are people really still waiting for series to come out on UK TV, when they can be downloaded virtually in real time with modern broadband connections? Only abvout 350Mb for an almost broadcast-quality copy of the shows, which are out 2-3 hours after they broadcast in the US.
Agree with the thrust of what you're saying about the move towards downloading but this is still illegal!
Also remember that Sky One are responding to this- they've just announced a new deal with Fox which will see the new series of 24 broadcast on Sky One probably within a week of its broadcast in the US...this is bound to cut down downloading a bit.
This was made possible because of 24's continuous run in the US, which has recently been agreed for Lost, when it returns in February.
This could therefore see the new series starting on Sky One in January- then running continuously with the later episodes being hardly behind the US showings.
Yes it's illegal, but if the TV companies don't like it they should be doing exactly as you say Sky are doing with 24. Otherwise I have no sympathy for them.
Problem is as well that a lot of damn good series never even get shown here. I think of the legality of watching a FTA broadcast abroad (which is effectively what you are doing here, as Lost is ABC) is more a grey area than anything else. It's not illegal to watch the BBC in Holland, and if you had a big enough dish, 1000m above the ground you could receive ABC by satellite from here.
It'll probably end up on Sky Three in the latter half of next year then - which in comparison to C4 isn't that bad really.
I don't think it's actually that big a blow to C4 as long as they hold on to Desperate Housewives. They've already confirmed they will fill the gap with Ugly Betty, the breakout hit of the new season.
It's E4 it will affect more - it regularly got over a million viewers for it's first look episodes. I think also ultimately as ratings fell on C4, it would have probably moved exclusively to E4 within a couple of years.
However, £20m is a hefty price tag - especially as Lost is losing viewers in the US and people are getting fed up of it slowly going nowhere!
Only about 350MB for an almost broadcast-quality copy of the shows, which are out 2-3 hours after they broadcast in the US. HD->Xvid transfers are to all intents and purposes just as good as watching on DSAT/DTT.
I take the point, and am a fan of downloading programmes; but a 350MB Xvid doesn't come close to "broadcast quality".
It's more like a VHS recording on the eye, but I agree - very, very easy to watch.
Only about 350MB for an almost broadcast-quality copy of the shows, which are out 2-3 hours after they broadcast in the US. HD->Xvid transfers are to all intents and purposes just as good as watching on DSAT/DTT.
I take the point, and am a fan of downloading programmes; but a 350MB Xvid doesn't come close to "broadcast quality".
It's more like a VHS recording on the eye, but I agree - very, very easy to watch.
Well, a 350Mb Xvid (which is only 40 minutes at the end of the day) is generally 640x352 resolution. Given that it's anamorphic, this is equivalent to watching an NTSC picture in letterbox mode -- exactly as broadcast in analogue over there.
So, for US standards anyway, this is broadcast quality. And in my experience the compression artefacts are actually less in evidence than they are on a typical DTT signal.
It's certainly a long, long way above VHS (which is a nominal 240 lines). So OK, it's not quite up to British broadcast quality standards, but it's actually better than the mush ITV puts out on DSAT!
If it "looks" VHS quality to you, perhaps you're viewing the "DSR" copies rather than the "HD-Xvid" stuff available. The DSR recordings are taken from ordinary resolution, and suffer from generational loss (sometimes imperfect colour, blurryness etc). The HD-Xvids don't suffer from generation loss -- well they do, but most of it is discarded when the signal is downscaled from 1280x720 down to 640x352 (actually 640x360 but the re-encoders delete 8 redundant lines of the picture).
No.... no... no... aghhh!!! no bad news VERY bad news...
Not for the reasons the others are giving. I don't watch it but my brother does regiously and refuses to download it (too set in his ways) and only I in the house have Sky One (telewest digital)... No he's not coming into my room to watch it ... no no no he can go.......
jason posted:
Are people really still waiting for series to come out on UK TV, when they can be downloaded in real time with modern broadband connections (much faster if you have 2Mb+)? Only about 350MB for an almost broadcast-quality copy of the shows, which are out 2-3 hours after they broadcast in the US. y.
I download Robot Chicken (which never til recently got shown here anyway), The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, American Dad from the US each week. Yes its illegal but I watch them & delete them always, mainly its because you can keep on track and keep in running order more than waiting Sky never show the simpsons in proper running order, and Family guy takes over a year before you can see it here.
I'm sure during april-june theres s cult people waking up across america on sunday mornings firing up the computers to download & watch the latest doctor who episode.
