[tomtom]

Word up..
Got a £100 freeview HD box from Tesco's over the weekend (managed to pursaude MrsTT it was required for watching Glee Footy) - and Its f*cking fantastic.... its plugged into a 32" Sony 720p - and its really really good quality - very very impressed... Getting fine coverage in Manchester...
TT

[Tris]

I got Freesat HD when it came out - binned the Sky+ contract as I had no use for it...

Been waiting to see if the other HD channels come to Freesat (currently only got BBC HD and ITV HD) - what HD channels are on Freeview? Do you get 4 or  5 (is 5 on HD yet?)

Anyway - it's a good job you didn't have the HD box for the England opening game - you would have been fucked off to the max!!! ITV losers 

[tomtom]

Hey up Tris - you get three channels, BBC HD, ITV HD and 4HD... 4HD is good as they seem to have a few films on... I was having a - my god thats amazing - moment watching the first star trek film on sunday. You could see Kirks roots 
I think theres only band width for 4 or 5 HD channels... so the freesat's got to be a better long term solution I would have thought...
I read something on AVforum that the picture is better on Freeview compared to Freesat  I dunno, my folks have freesat and looks comparable to me...

I'm amazed at the difference even on a 720p.. Even with my nose pressed up to the screen I'm not sure how it could be better! (MrsT things I'm mental now BTW...).

Shame I have to wait until 2011 until it comes to Hull... still at least the boxes'll be £50-60 then...

[slackline]

[tomtom]

  But it IS impressive!

(actually, alot of the basic stuff is better - esp with footy - as you dont get blocky areas on screen as the old codec struggles to cope with rapidly changing images)

[slackline]

Oh yes, not denying that, its one of the reasons I got a PS3 (to watch The Blue Planet & Life series on Blu-ray, they are truly amazing).

[Tris]

Hey up Tris - you get three channels, BBC HD, ITV HD and 4HD... 4HD is good as they seem to have a few films on...

The thing is I don't really want to get another box just for Channel 4 HD  . I download all my films (shhhhh  )
If they got E4 HD too, then I could persuade the missus to buy one... 

Shame I have to wait until 2011 until it comes to Hull..

  how will you cope without your fave shows in HD?

[tomtom]

Thankfully I have flash blocker in firefox, so it blocked out that video and only showed the caption underneath. I am still quivvering from all the excitement.

Back then those shows were not made in HD silly - so I have to act them out in my head.... 

Now, where is my medication....?

[tomtom]

Just to follow up - the Tescos HD box I had something something IS2010 has had to go back twice (after crashing loads). but the older model (no IS in the number) has been working fine and is ace...

[cofe]

do you just need the box then, no other bollocks? do you have to live in a certain area (like 'ull)?

[tomtom]

Nope - in Manchester - it works from the ?????? transmitter that serves manc and the northwest... If you've had the digital switchover (ie no analogue channels any more) then you should be able to get it. Just works down the regular aerial like freeview (except HD!) with a set top box (that gets the regular freeview channels too).
Its great for the footy and Wimbledonionanandon... You get BBC HD, ITV HD and C4 HD.. ( which does show the odd film in HD as well as tripe like big brother)...

[cofe]

turns out we don't switch til next year. Boo hoo etc.

[Johnny Brown]

Thank god you mean. I'm still on 4 channels straight from the aerial. Tried one o'them boxes - didn't like it.

[cofe]

you do realise it's 2010 yeah word?

[tomtom]

Thank god you mean. I'm still on 4 channels straight from the aerial. Tried one o'them boxes - didn't like it.

You'll need one by 2011/2012 or you'll be tuning into this: 

[Tris]

You'll need one by 2011/2012 or you'll be tuning into this: 

Oooh - is that one of those new 3d tv's? No-one told me that this 3d tv was going to be using the magic eye shizzle... 

I think I can see a shark and a pirate boat in it - am I right?

[SA Chris]

30 days of static?

[Johnny Brown]

The digibox wouldn't get channel 4, for starters, and BBC reception got worse. I'm not buying a new aerial just to get More4, if I wanted to watch Friends 24/7 I'd buy a fucking box-set.  I'm planning to start being bothered when the signal gets turned off.

[tomtom]

Fair enough. Getting a new aerial is a pain and expense.. In 'ull you need a decent aerial, those jobs on top of a portable telly are useless..

[Davey_C]

I got a HD TV a few months back with built in Freesat HD and Freeview HD and the difference is noticeable between SD and HD channels, but not massively so.
I'm finding the slow-mo close ups on the sporting events to be a bit tiresome now as well - you can tell they are just trying to show off the HD capabilities. Who the fuck wants to watch a close-up of someone sliding into a regular tackle in slow motion - just so you can see a few blades of grass go flying through the air (for the 100th time).

What is fantastic about HD TVs though is watching Blu-Ray discs on them. I've watched the likes of Avatar, (new) Star Trek, 300 and Blue Planet recently on Blu-Ray and they are absolutely amazing.

Personally I would say save your money for now if you are buying additional boxes just to watch the 2 (Freesat) or 3 (Freeview) HD channels and buy a decent Blu-Ray player instead.

If you do want free HD then I would go for freesat as I think the picture quality of the HD channels is (slightly) better over freeview, plus recently they've added iPlayer on the bbc channel through the Red button. I think there'll also be BBC1 HD in a few months, along with ITV player at some point in the future.

[Tris]

I think there'll also be BBC1 HD in a few months

I have Freesat HD and it has BBC1 HD already as does Freeview HD

Problem is there's no more bandwidth on Astra 2D for more Freesat HD channels...

[Davey_C]

I have Freesat HD and it has BBC1 HD already as does Freeview HD

Problem is there's no more bandwidth on Astra 2D for more Freesat HD channels...

Yeah it has BBC HD, but it doesn't show everything that's on BBC1.

I had been reading there may be a BBC1 HD coming as well.

[tomtom]

I got a HD TV a few months back with built in Freesat HD and Freeview HD and the difference is noticeable between SD and HD channels, but not massively so.
I'm finding the slow-mo close ups on the sporting events to be a bit tiresome now as well - you can tell they are just trying to show off the HD capabilities. Who the fuck wants to watch a close-up of someone sliding into a regular tackle in slow motion - just so you can see a few blades of grass go flying through the air (for the 100th time).

I'd consider getting your eyes tested Davey  or someone may have sold you a duff telly  - as the difference from where I'm watching is huge - especially on a large telly.. I like the slo mo's nearly a much as being able to watch the beads of sweat on Alex Pderiatoropopolos' forehead on Dragons Den...    The HD and inparticular the super slo-mo coverage for wimbledon were pretty 

Tescos have a freeview HD PVR for £200 at the moment that also has an inbuild iplayer thingy... might be worth a scope if anyones in the market for one... I read some half decent reviews of it..

Interestingly, when in Oz a couple of weeks ago, down there the've now got dig everywhere, with approx 5-6 hd channels (out of 12). Whats apparent though is that many not filmed in HD programs are shown on the HD channels so you often dont really see the benefits. I suspect that is what would happen in BBC1 HD were launched etc.. only 1/2 the progs would actually be HD. The codec for freeview HD is much better than the previous - so you'll also find for sports (esp football) that you get much less blocky pixelation as the camera pans suddenly - or suddenly flicks to the crowd... Yup - more bandwidth on satellite so better quality - but not everyone wants (or can have) a sky dish bolted on the side of their house. (mind you if my house came with one I'd be uising it..)

[Tris]

I have Freesat HD and it has BBC1 HD already as does Freeview HD

Problem is there's no more bandwidth on Astra 2D for more Freesat HD channels...

Yeah it has BBC HD, but it doesn't show everything that's on BBC1.

Oops - I completely didn't see the '1' there. 

Do they not show the vast majority of the shows on BBC HD anyway - is this just a way of getting Eastenders in HD? That seems to be the only program missing from BBC HD. 

Disclaimer - I do not watch Eastenders and have no interest in seeing it in HD but there could be some benefits...

[Norton Sharley]

Interesting (?) reading http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html