BBC Olympics HD - 24 channels

[DandyCobalt]

Anyone noticed that there will be 24 (twenty-four!) dedicated HD BBC Olympics channels ? Wow, just seen them poised on Virgin, ready for action.

 

[simonlewis]

you are a bit late daveh75 mentioned it last week.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/freesat-freeview-sky-and-virgin/freesat-confirms-olympic-stream-channel-numbers-151-174

 

[bigboss]

Details here.

I must say that the title of this thread is more catchy.

Channel numbers 450 - 473 on Sky HD.

 

[simonlewis]

Channel numbers 450 - 473 on Sky HD.

& freesat.

 

[simonlewis]

Channel numbers 450 - 473 on Sky HD.

& freesat.

Channel numbers 151-174.

 

[daveh75]

They've actually been testing off EPG for the last 7 weeks or so ( the SD ones anyway, HD about 4 weeks), but there was little point of mentioning at the time since,

A, the Olympics haven't started...

B, they've largely been txing a test card and the same short video loop

C, Sky boxes are sh#te, and wont let you manually tune DVB-S2 channels ( though Freesat boxes/IDTVs can)

 

[grdunn123]

I thought I read that BBC was going to have a dedicated 3D Olympic channel?

 

[DandyCobalt]

you are a bit late daveh75 mentioned it last week.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/freesat-freeview-sky-and-virgin/freesat-confirms-olympic-stream-channel-numbers-151-174

Sorry - tried to search, but didn't pick up the catchy thread title. Anyhoos...looks like the BBC are covering the Olympics

 

[duncansbby]

They are broadcasting 3D highlights from 11pm each night on BBCHD for one hour.

This may be a daft question but if we are able to 24 extra HD channels during the Olympics , why can't we get more freesat hd the rest of the year

 

[daveh75]

They are broadcasting 3D highlights from 11pm each night on BBCHD for one hour.

This may be a daft question but if we are able to 24 extra HD channels during the Olympics , why can't we get more freesat hd the rest of the year

Because Sky are providing the capacity/footing the bill for satellite distribution of the 24 HD and SD Olympic feeds...

 

[roger06]

I noticed today on a friend's Freesat system all these extra channels. Why haven't I got them on Freeview? Would I get them on a Freeview HD box?

 

[simonlewis]

Would I get them on a Freeview HD box?

No because freeview HD will never ever carry more than five HD channels.

 

[roger06]

Hmm, I'm questioning whether it's worth upgrading to Freeview HD then.

So if Freesat has all these extra channels, why on earth have they not been banging on about it? Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't Freesat sales been somewhat poor? wouldn't adverising this fact have sold zillions of 'em for the Olympics?

 

[laserman16]

I noticed today on a friend's Freesat system all these extra channels. Why haven't I got them on Freeview? Would I get them on a Freeview HD box?

No, not enough bandwidth on freeview.

 

[Andy Clough]

Hmm, I'm questioning whether it's worth upgrading to Freeview HD then.

So if Freesat has all these extra channels, why on earth have they not been banging on about it? Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't Freesat sales been somewhat poor? wouldn't adverising this fact have sold zillions of 'em for the Olympics?

Well they have been advertising the fact:

/sites/whathifi.com/files/images/newsarchive2/Newsarchive3/freesat_ad.jpg

 

[Diamond Joe]

I know it's small consolation to Freeview users, but there is a new HD channel for the Olympics on ch 304. It's only Channel 301 in HD, but it's something.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I don't have Sky or Virgin, so I get the extra 24 HD Olympic channels through my Humax Freesat box. I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I am very impressed with how clear the pictures are on these 24 Olympic HD channels. While watching the table-tennis, volleyball (the proper 6-players-per-side kind, not that "beach" nonsense) or basketball and they do a close up of the net, the basket or of the players' faces, it seems at least as sharp as the image from a Blu-Ray disc! However, using the 24 channels on Freesat (151 to 174) gives only stereo sound. To get 5.1 surround sound I have to use BBC One HD or BBC HD, on Freesat channels 108 and 109.

 

[GSB]

Must admit,the HD pq does seem sharper.

 

[Russell Finch]

Son-of-sj

The 5.1 sound on the HD channels is pretty awful - have a look at the "volume levels" thread. It appears that maybe the BBC aren't being given the 5.1 feed from OBS and are transmitting some awful fudge instead.

The 2 channel sound on the extra Olympics channels sounds much better.

 

[Russell Finch]

Son-of-sj

The 5.1 sound on the HD channels is pretty awful - have a look at the "volume levels" thread. It appears that maybe the BBC aren't being given the 5.1 feed from OBS and are transmitting some awful fudge instead.

The 2 channel sound on the extra Olympics channels sounds much better.

 

[Sizzers]

I don't have Sky or Virgin, so I get the extra 24 HD Olympic channels through my Humax Freesat box. I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I am very impressed with how clear the pictures are on these 24 Olympic HD channels. While watching the table-tennis, volleyball (the proper 6-players-per-side kind, not that "beach" nonsense) or basketball and they do a close up of the net, the basket or of the players' faces, it seems at least as sharp as the image from a Blu-Ray disc!

I could not agree more.

To my eyes, the velodrome - and most particularly the swimming - PQ has been nothing short of absolutely stunning. The swimming has been a total revelation in broadcast quality to me, and yes, it easily compares to any of my Blu Rays. I love watching the swimming in any case, but even if I didn't I would have had to have watched it for the sheer jaw dropping PQ.

 

[Anonymous]

24 channels too many. Thank god the Drug-Olympics is nearly over......

 

[Big Aura]

They are broadcasting 3D highlights from 11pm each night on BBCHD for one hour.

This may be a daft question but if we are able to 24 extra HD channels during the Olympics , why can't we get more freesat hd the rest of the year

Because Sky are providing the capacity/footing the bill for satellite distribution of the 24 HD and SD Olympic feeds...

this is interesting - does it costs lots more to run a HD stream than a SD one? Do you need special satellite slots? I'd be interested in knowing what the financial/logistical barriers are to actually doing away with SD (ignoring you need to shoot everything in HD before you broadcast in HD!).

 

[chebby]

24 channels too many. Thank god the Drug-Olympics is nearly over......

Only a handful of the 11,000 athletes - who took part in London 2012 - have proved positive in dope testing. (Every single athlete was tested, some more than once.) Even the horses were tested.

I challenge you to find any other group of 11,000 people, from any age-group or walk of life, who (when subjected to the same battery of tests) would come out anywhere near that clean.

 

[hammill]

A sensible, reasoned response. My initial response consisted of two words, but they would not have got past the filter.