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Does CBS offer the worst quality HD? (1 Viewer)

EarleD

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I just finished watching the UCONN/Indiana game of CBS HD and it was full of artifacts and pixilation.

I switched to the Texas game on ESPN HD and it looks fantastic. Is this a Comcast issue or CBS's issue.

I have noticed that CBS is the lowest quality of all of my HD channels
 

ChristopherDAC

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This should probably go in the "TV/HDTV Programming" area, but I'm not sure quite what the rule is now.
 

Ken_F

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It's most likely a problem with your local affiliate -- they are overcompressing the CBS signal.
 

TravisR

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Check out the WB sometime. It looked like I downloaded a low quality trailer and was watching it on my TV. :)

Maybe it's like Ken said and it's the affiliate's fault but I'd never seen network programming look as pixellated as the WB does.
 

EarleD

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thnanks for the info, I may call the local affiliate and complain.

Mods could you move this topic to the proper forum if needed
 

GlennH

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It's a good bet your local CBS affiliate multicasts on their digital channel, thus lowering the bitrate devoted to the HD, thus resulting in artifacts. Unfortunately, it's the way it is a lot of places now.

Multicasting = :angry:
 

Joseph DeMartino

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Are you getting the signal off the air, or via your cable company? I can't get an off the air signal (live in a condo in a lousy reception area and can't use an outside antenna - same reason I'm stuck with cable instead of satellite.) Generally speaking CBS is the best of my local HD channels, but all of them suffer problems (as do some of the other digital cable channels) which I blame on Adelphia. I particularly get a chuckle out of their "Cable vs. the Dish" ads where they boast about how cable doesn't suffer from rain-fade - neglecting to point out while the signal goes from their facility to your house by wire, it goes from the broadcaster to them by satellite. And their receiving dish is subject to rain fade. I was out last night (in a downpour) and recorded several shows. The ones on during the worst of the rain pixelated, broke up and had the sound drop out so often they were unwatchable. The shows that aired after the rain ended were fine. :)

Anyway, my first thought whenever I see a problem with an HD channel is that Adelphia is overcompressing or otherwise screwing up the image, since they generally provide such piss-poor technical and other service.

Regards,

Joe
 

Ken_F

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CBS provides their affiliates with one of the highest-quality HD feeds, so the problem will almost never be on their end.

It's highly unlikely to be Comcast, cause they have a corporate policy to pass local HD feeds through unmodified (just remodulated) when possible on the area's cable network.

First, try putting in a call (and email) to engineering at your local affiliate. If that doesn't net any result, you might try finding out who is in charge, and mail (snail mail and email) them a complaint. Or if the affiliate is owned by a parent broadcasting company, mail a complaint or two to executives there.
 

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