E4 HD like BBC HD?

[admin_exported]

Hey

I was watching volcano yesterday and I got to say I flicked between HD and SD and could not see a difference.

I know its an old movie, but watch jurrasic park and that was amazing.

Is E4 like BBC a hit an miss?

I have not seen much of the new E4 and got to say not that impressed.

 

[d4v3pum4]

Unlike BBCHD, CH4 HD is simulcast and obviously not everything is in HD. You can set your planner to highlight (in orange, I think) the programmes that are actually HD, so you should then be able to identify which programmes are HD and which ones are SD.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Yep, i've got that option switched on for my Sky+ HD box - really handy when you're browsing the TV guide.

Much of C4/E4 HD is standard-def, due to the mentioned simulcast issue. Decent quality when the content - eg recent US drama - is shot in HD, though. Just don't expect those old episodes of Friends to look any good

 

[Anonymous]

Oh

So if you press all hd button it does not mean that one program might be in hd>?

Seen scrubs and looks amazing, it was just that movie

 

[The_Lhc]

canada16:So if you press all hd button it does not mean that one program might be in hd>?

No, the channel might be HD but it doesn't mean the programs are. AFAIK it's only BBCHD that shows exclusively HD material. Pretty much all the others are just simulcasts (ie they show the same as what's on the non-HD version of the channel), so if the original program isn't HD it looks the same (a critic might argue it now looks the same on the BBCHD channel regardless but that's a different conversation).

The only other channel I can think of that isn't 100% simulcast is Eurosport HD, sometimes it shows what's on ES1, sometimes ES2, but sometimes neither, it shows something else. Even then you can't guarantee it's going to be in HD though.

They used to show the Artistic Billiards (yes you read that correctly) only on Eurosport HD, obviously since I got HD they haven't shown it at all...

 

[matengawhat]

Clare Newsome:

Yep, i've got that option switched on for my Sky+ HD box - really handy when you're browsing the TV guide.

Much of C4/E4 HD is standard-def, due to the mentioned simulcast issue. Decent quality when the content - eg recent US drama - is shot in HD, though. Just don't expect those old episodes of Friends to look any good

not at home at present but where is the option???

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:

Just don't expect those old episodes of Friends to look any good

So no one told me, my life was going to be this way.
my job's a joke, im broke, my love life's DOA.
It's like I am stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been my day, my week, my month, or even my year...... LOL

 

[Clare Newsome]

matengawhat:Clare Newsome:

Yep, i've got that option switched on for my Sky+ HD box - really handy when you're browsing the TV guide.

Much of C4/E4 HD is standard-def, due to the mentioned simulcast issue. Decent quality when the content - eg recent US drama - is shot in HD, though. Just don't expect those old episodes of Friends to look any good

not at home at present but where is the option???

IIRC, it's under the Options menu (the icon that looks like a Cluedo head on the top EPG toolbar; assuming you have the new-look EPG, that is).

If you look at the top picture in my original blog on the updated EPG here, you'll see the option turned on - oddly enough, it instantly shows the two programmes on Channel 4 HD are in SD, not HD

 

[matengawhat]

cheers clare

 

[Liam19]

canada16:
Hey

I was watching volcano yesterday and I got to say I flicked between HD and SD and could not see a difference.

Just to clarify, this was in fact a HD broadcast (i.e. it was highlighted in orange in the planner). I recorded it and watched it earlier - I'd say it's definitely an improvement on SD (almost always is), but then a 12 year-old disaster film with some seriously dodgy lava effects is never gonna look that clever in a higher resolution!

On a side note, I have noticed the odd occasion when a programme is orange in the planner, and yet is definitely NOT in HD. Giveaways, aside from the visual difference, include the lack of the 'HD' part of the on-screen logos (i.e. Sky Sports, Sky1, E4). It's pretty rare, but it definitely happens.

 

[Clare Newsome]

I asked Sky about that once; they said they're given advanced info on programmes that 'originated in HD', which then gets put into the planner. Occasionally, i'd expect, they receive/broadcast an SD downmix. I've not had it happen to me, though you do of course - especially with movies - get the odd duffer transfer; some of them end up on Blu-ray, too!!!

 

[Gerrardasnails]

canada16:
Hey

I was watching volcano yesterday and I got to say I flicked between HD and SD and could not see a difference.

I know its an old movie, but watch jurrasic park and that was amazing.

Is E4 like BBC a hit an miss?

I have not seen much of the new E4 and got to say not that impressed.

Press "i" on your remote control and the synopsis will show whether it's in HD or not. I don't know what all the abbreviations (W, D, DD, HD...) stand for but if you don't see HD on the right hand side, it's in SD.

 

[Dave_]

Gerrardasnails:canada16:
Hey

I was watching volcano yesterday and I got to say I flicked between HD and SD and could not see a difference.

I know its an old movie, but watch jurrasic park and that was amazing.

Is E4 like BBC a hit an miss?

I have not seen much of the new E4 and got to say not that impressed.

I don't know what all the abbreviations (W, D, DD, HD...) stand for but if you don't see HD on the right hand side, it's in SD.

DS: Digital surround sound (5.1 audio) available.

DD: Dolby Digital

HD: Filmed and broadcast in HD quality

W: Widescreen

AD: Audio Description(when selected)

C: Copyright protected-cannot be transfered to vcr/hdd/dvd recorders

S: Subtitiles

 

[Andrew Everard]

TY, DH

 

[Dave_]

YVW.