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Complaints over BBC HD quality

Corporation hit by flurry of angry complaints since change to satellite transmission

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The BBC has been hit by a storm of complaints over the quality of its BBC HD high-definition TV channel.

In August the corporation changed the encoder technology used to compress the television channel for transmission via Freesat and Sky satellite services.

The change reduced the bit rate - a measure of how much information is transmitted per second - of the transmission from 16 Megabits per second (Mbits/sec) to just under 10Mbits/sec.

At the time a number of viewers complained of quality problems, and the BBC issued a statement noting that a "reproducible problem was identified on certain types of material... The particular problem does not go away with higher bit rates, so whilst an investigation and fix are awaited some changes have already been made to the encoders to try and mitigate the effects."

This did little to appease its critics, however, and since August complaints have continued to appear on the BBC's Internet Blog.

In the latest posting, the BBC's Danielle Nagler wrote that "the majority of viewers watching in normal situations in their living rooms are happy with the picture quality on the channel".

She added that the "concerns we have about picture handling in very specific circumstances... are being addressed and will be fixed through software releases over the coming weeks".

The corporation's critics, however, remain unimpressed. In response to the latest BBC statement, one poster claimed that "even my wife can see a reduction in picture quality and she's got cateracts".

Some speculate that the reason for the reduced bit rate is a plan to use the same video stream for the high-definition terrestrial Freeview HD service when that launches in 2010.

BBC HD customers viewing via Virgin Media's cable TV service are not affected by the picture quality change as Virgin's service uses the older MPEG2 standard running at a bit rate of between 15 and 20Mbits/sec.

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Reader Comments

freeview

I have noticed that standard TV has suddenly started to break. Im wathing the TV and then suddenly the signal will disappear and reapear in about 10 seconds. I hope they fix this cause it is very annoying and has only been happening after the change to sattellite transmission.

Posted by --, 16 Dec 2009

National Geographic

I've virtually given up on BBC HD; National Geographic is so mch clearer. A slow panning shot of a desert on Nat Geo HD has no blurred edges, no pixellation, but a similar shot on BBC HD does. The BBC should use 16Mbs encoders again

Posted by Grassy, 17 Dec 2009

HD On the Cheap

Your Right it has got so bad that it no better than Standard Analog TV 3 Months since it was fine ! I suspect this is some cost cutting exercise "Or have bought Shares In Sky "

Posted by Brian Taylor, 18 Dec 2009

No TV

I got so sick of ALL TV broadcasters that I decided to give my TV to charity. I`m incensed that I pay a lot of money for a TV-Licence and what do I get in return...........................Repeats! It is not only the BBC, but all broadcasters are guilty of this. Thank heavens for radio. TV used to be so entertaining, so fresh, good comedy without the need to use words that you would be arrested for if said in public. Swearing seems the norm, repeats seem the norm. And those ridiculous unwanted reality shows are so maddening, grrrr. I`ve not had a TV for a month now, and you know what? I don`t miss it. And I`ve heard that there are to be 600 to 700 repeats over the festive season. Ridiculous just down stupid and ridiculous. The BBC should be taken to court and sued for for fraud, and the other broadcasters closed down. Freeview was a joke, more repeats of repeats of repeats.

Posted by John H, 19 Dec 2009

HD TV.

I have just purchesed a 'Freesat+' box, and already have a HD ready TV. I am really pleased that I do not pay a subscription for HD TV as I fail to see a great deal of difference between HD and normal definition TV, vision or sound.

Posted by Chris Jones, 21 Dec 2009

Reply to John H.

Why don't you sue the bbc then?

Posted by Mark Potter, 02 May 2010

   

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