[mythtv-users] What's the point of MythTV HD?

[Matt Emmott]

On Dec 3, 2007 11:18 PM, George Mari <george_mythusers at mari1938.org> wrote:

> David Linville wrote:
> > On 12/3/07, Brad DerManouelian <myth at dermanouelian.com> wrote:
> >> On Dec 3, 2007, at 11:19 AM, James Gutshall Jr wrote:
> >>
> >>> "downsampled content via SVideo"
> >>>
> >>> Doesnt this, by definition change the content to NOT HD?
>
> Yes, by definition.
>
> >>> I agree that it provides a way to watch the channel, but for some, the
> the
> >>> HD channel is also available in analog, thus the problem isnt
> >>> watching that particular program.  the problem is that we want to
> >>> record, and watch later, the program in question.... in HD quality.
>
> I would like to record it and watch it in HD quality as well.  But my
> service provider doesn't allow it.  It bothers me, as I feel that if I'm
> paying a monthly fee for an HD receiver, I should be allowed to view
> that content as I wish.
>
> [deleted]
> >
> > Wouldn't you end up with black bars on the top and bottom recording that
> > way?  If so that would kill quite a bit of extra resolution.
> >
>
> The best resolution you can get this way is wide-screen 480i.  This is
> the same way anamorphic DVD content works.  You  takes a 16:9 content
> stream, send it out your STB S-Video output, it gets squished
> horizontally to record at 720x480 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio) by analog
> tuner/encoder card, and stretched back out horizontally by MythTV to
> it's proper aspect ratio.  The only difference between this and
> anamorphic DVD is that DVD content is usually 480p (progressive) versus
> 480i (interlaced).
>
> I just researched all this a few weeks ago when I upgraded from SD
> DirecTV to HD DirecTV.  The High-def DirecTV set top boxes (Dish too,
> probably cable boxes also) let you set the format of the signal being
> sent out any of it's outputs.  You tell it whether you have a 4:3 or
> 16:9 TV, and you tell it how it should display programs that don't match
> the aspect ratio of your TV - letter box, pillar box, squished
> horizontally, etc.  You can even cycle through the formats with a button
> on your remote.
>
> I get better results with Widescreen 480i than I did stretching 4:3
> programs to fit my 16:9 TV.  I see fewer artifacts, and just better
> overall quality.  It's not HD, but it's better than 4:3 SD, at least to
> my eyes.  Part of that could be that the DirecTV HD signal is less
> overcompressed than the SD signal was, but whatever.
> _______________________________________________
>

A good discussion on S-video resolution can be found at
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=67909965&m=6190999994
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