[mythtv-users] Getting 1080p from comcast cable boxes (Was VUDU)

[Brad Templeton]

On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 07:42:28PM -0800, Robert McNamara wrote:
> Yeah, they share most of the same libraries (both
> libavcodec/format/etc. derived).  It is a shame.  For what it's worth,
> I *do* think the time will come when 1080p is the norm, and it's nice
> that cable providers are less bound by standards.  I think that in a
> short few years we'll see a TON more, but it's going to rely on the
> content providers to go over to it-- I think it should be an easy
> sell, it's actually *less* work as the source material is usually in a
> 24p format to begin with.  Now we just need to get them to devote
> adequate bandwidth to each HD channel :).
> 
> In semi-related news, the newest ATSC spec allows for h.264, although
> I am skeptical of it ever being used since *so* many devices which
> accept ATSC inputs only have MPEG-2 decode hardware.  BUT, the good
> news is your current ATSC tuner cards could receiver it with no
> problem.  19 Mbit 1080p24 h.264 for all your channels sounds like good
> times. :)


It is a classic problem in how TV vendors work.  Many, many years ago I was
on a panel at a consumer electronics conference.  I was the token internet
guy.   The TV vendors could not get that the right way to do it was to
accept that you make a monitor (which lasts many years) and then you
make the electronics and software as field replacable units.   They expect
a TV to last 7 years.  I asked them, "how many of you have a 7 year old
computer on your desk?"

Of course DRM hasn't helped, it insists on putting it all in one place.

Cable and satellite companies want h264 of course as they can get twice
the programming in the same bandwidth and that's a huge win, especially
for satellite.  The price of course is that satellite is integrated right
to the receiver, you can't record it except with their PVR, or with
much more expensive hardware which transcodes like the new Hauppauge,
if you can get an in the clear output which they are trying to stop.

Sigh.

Frankly, I think it's an amazing stroke of luck (and a bit of regulation)
that lets me get out many of the channels I want over 1394 in their raw
format.

> > In about 20 minutes a snippet, if you still care will be
> > at www.templetons.com/etc/amchd.mpg
> 
> If you say you've already inspected the individual flags on the frames
> I take your word for it.  Up to you if you'd like me to do it.

I just looked at the frames visually and saw interlacing in freeze frame.
The file's up there now.  What's surprising is that it will think it is 
progressive for more than just a few frames.  I have seen lots of video
streams where the tools think they have gone into progressive for a frame
or two, these were unusual.

They are just smaller, I guess, because you can compress films at a lower
bitrate, due to their lower framerate.

Here I was hoping I didn't have to do the work to upgrade to vdpau to
get its superior interlacing, if they were going to be nice enough to
give me my movies without telecine.