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NBC & TV Shows In HD!
- Thread starter BoulderBum
- Start date
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When I first downloaded the free versions of BSG and Heroes, all I got was the SD version.
When I switched the purchase method to 1-Click from Shopping Cart and downloaded the free BSG again; the HD and the SD versions came down to my iTunes.
When I switched the purchase method to 1-Click from Shopping Cart and downloaded the free BSG again; the HD and the SD versions came down to my iTunes.
i wonder.. do you feel the same about the HD rental movies? I cannot imagine this being true on an HD 52". it is an HD set right? Some source material is worse than others so it doesn't "sparkle" as much as others and it wont be up to Blu-Ray standards, but should look far superior to the Apple SD which really blows.
I had to do the same thing. Now, I'm re-downloading the free NBC HD episodes. I wish there was a way to tell iTunes I don't want the iPod/iPhone versions.
By the way, 30 Rock in HD synced and played excellently on my Apple TV.
You can just pause them and never download them, that is what I have done for now.
I had a chance to compare a iTunes 'HD' file to the same episode from another source (also 720p), and I am very disappointed. The funny thing is, the iTunes version is about 50% larger, but still worse quality.
I'm currently downloading an HD episode of House to see how it compares to my EyeTV recording of the same episode.
You would think the quality of an iTunes download would be better than an EyeTV recording simply because it removes all the additional encoding and transcoding going on with regards to recording a clear-QAM broadcast.
I mean the encoding workflow for something I record off my digital cable would be: original source material -> high-bit MPEG-2 for broadcasters (ATSC) -> high-bit MPEG-2 to lower-bit MPEG-2 for distribution (Cable System/QAM) -> QAM to MPEG-2 via EyeTV (no encoding) ->EyeTV MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 (h.264).
Simply speaking, since Apple/NBC has the original source material it should be a cleaner transfer.
Thats what you would think, but I am pretty disappointed. The quality is not bad, but it is only a little better then a DVD.
I would love to see a comparison of a DVD/1080i/iTunes HD episode side by side.
Nope. That's why when you buy the HD, you get the SD version too, included in the $2.99 price.
I use EyeTV with OTA HD (MPEG-2) and it's better than with iTunes. But then, it's also four times larger. If you have to transcode to H.264, then that's certainly a factor, but then the chosen bitrate comes into play.
I would say the bitrate for iTunes HD is on the low side. Some scenes definitely have a problem with grain (or other artifacts), but others look quite nice. Not sure how much they'd have to turn it up to eliminate it entirely. Still worth the extra dollar though.
The HD versions have both stereo -- for playing on your computer -- and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround -- for playing on AppleTV. iTunes only mentions the stereo. If you open the file with QuickTime Player, Movie Inspector also mentions only stereo; but with Pro you can open Movie Properties, and it lists both the "Stereo" and "Surround" tracks. The 5.1 track is disabled by default (as it should be because the Player does not have a DD decoder), but AppleTV does play it regardless.
Not that I can see so far. Either they're rolling it out across the international stores in stages or the UK is getting screwed once again.
Downloaded one episode of Battlestar Galactica last night... have to say I was very unimpressed with the quality for being HD. Seems very 'noisy' and full of static. Some of that is the low-light that Battlestar is shot in, and some is the camera, but the entire image just seemed way too soft to me.
I would have rather turned my 8 hour download into a 12 hour download if it meant I would end up with a quality file that looks good on my 50" plasma!
I see that the 720p files are around 4500 total kbps. That is similar to some other 720p files I got from the web, but this video doesn't look NEARLY as good as those! I hope it's just Battlestar, but not holding my breath.
I would have rather turned my 8 hour download into a 12 hour download if it meant I would end up with a quality file that looks good on my 50" plasma!
I see that the 720p files are around 4500 total kbps. That is similar to some other 720p files I got from the web, but this video doesn't look NEARLY as good as those! I hope it's just Battlestar, but not holding my breath.
You sure you didn't get the SD version only as some of the other posters report above?
Agreed! Although, I suppose the DELETE button wouldn't require too much work on our end.
Agreed! Although, I suppose the DELETE button wouldn't require too much work on our end.
No, but it would save me almost 4GB of data to download just by adding a simple checkbox.
Instead I have to keep deleting the SD versions in the queue every time iTunes decides to "check for new purchases."
No, you're exactly right. You should definitely be able to opt out of that download. For sure.
Download one of the free HD TV Shows, I think it is BSG tbh as all the others look fab.
A very relevant article over on Gizmodo today:
Why HD video downloads aren't very High Deph.
Why HD video downloads aren't very High Deph.
It's all about bitrate: How much data is packed into a file, described as bits per second. Generally speaking, a higher bitrate translates into higher quality audio and video, though quality can also be affected by codec—the encoding and compression technique that was used to make and read the file—so bitrate is not an absolute mark of quality, but it's still a very good indicator.
You're probably most familiar with this bitrate business when it comes to ripping your CDs. When you shove a CD into your computer, your ripping program will ask what format you want and what bitrate you want. A song ripped at a higher bitrate will sound better, with more presence and detail, but it does take up more space.
The same principle applies with video, though it's actually a bigger deal, because it's easier to see quality differences in video than it is to hear differences in audio. The bits make a huge difference when you get into fast moving stuff like sports or action movies—to be frank, they'll look like splattered, smeared **** in highly compressed low-bitrate vids. This chart below, expertly crafted by George Ou at ZDNet provides a solid starting point for comparison, with average bitrates of most digital video available.
