Foxtel Owners & Discussion Thread

[robmax]

How big is your CRT?

It is an 80cm Atlantis so it isn't small, but obviously is smaller than the bigger Plasmas

The original point of the thread is that once you start watching FOXTEL on plasmas and larger LCD screens the PQ of the low bitrate channels really starts to kick in and become irritating, especially on the sports channels. Remember that when FOXTEL and of course OPTUS initiated their service, Plasmas and large screen LCDs were science fiction.

Yes I understood that was the problem ppl were having. I was just wondering whether a show like NRL on Fox which on my set looks as good as any Foxtel picture I can get is still a problem for the larger LCDs/Plasmas.

Certainly it is obviously of better quality than quite a few of the sports shows that I watch, but for the most part they are still fine on the CRT. The only one that I have really noticed was dodgy was one of the NFL feeds last year (from the NFL Network I think), that looked shocking even on a 48cm CRT so I can't imagine what it would have been like on a big Plasma/LCD.

[gronkfeatures]

I have been following this thread - just got Foxtel installed and I agree that the general picture quality is crappy, BUT I also get the occasional bit of distortion which presents itself as horizontal blur lines across subjects most noticeable in fast scenes such as players running or cars driving. Anyone have any ideas what may be causing this. The general picture quality I'm satisfied with, but this blurring which as I said is intermittent is painful.

I am playing through a Yamaha vx2600 receiver scart to component and then HDMI out to a panasonic plasma. Have foxtel setting on YUY. Any ideas? Thanks guys.

Adrian

[AchtungTiger]

I have been following this thread - just got Foxtel installed and I agree that the general picture quality is crappy, BUT I also get the occasional bit of distortion which presents itself as horizontal blur lines across subjects most noticeable in fast scenes such as players running or cars driving. Anyone have any ideas what may be causing this. The general picture quality I'm satisfied with, but this blurring which as I said is intermittent is painful.

I am playing through a Yamaha vx2600 receiver scart to component and then HDMI out to a panasonic plasma. Have foxtel setting on YUY. Any ideas? Thanks guys.

Adrian

yeh i noticed the black horizontal lines.

can see them mostly in sport with players legs moving fast or watching horse races.

I wrote this above before but watching foxsports highlights of NRL on say the footy show on channel 9 watching through a HD set top box the picture quality is 10 times better. Either foxtel send ch 9 better quality tapes or the fox set top box is poor and causing the bad quality compared to a topfield HD STB

[BribieG]

Either foxtel send ch 9 better quality tapes or the fox set top box is poor and causing the bad quality compared to a topfield HD STB

The foxtel set top box is doing the best it can to render the low bitrate signal being sent to it by foxtel. When watching channel 9 you are probably seeing what foxtel would look like if it were broadcast at the same bitrate as 9.

[mello yello]

I'm not really savvy when it comes to TV technology but when I first got Foxtel on I was unhappy with the quality of the Super 14 games, particularly when they came from overseas. When I spoke to someone about it, they told me that it was about the quality of the source broadcast (i.e., he blamed the kiwis and the jarpies). I have been suffering silently since then. Is there any liklihood that that is true? If it's not (as would seem to be the case from this thread), I might put in a call to the foxtel customer advocate.

Dont let them spin that one

See this thread here Super 8s PQ on FTA

Same game, same broadcaster and same old Foxtel crappy PQ

I think they should stop using that as an excuse..it doesnt hold much water anymore.

[icebreaker]

Does anyone know if it is possible to get your foxtel to switch state feeds.

I am desperately wanting to get NSW ch9 not Vic.

Just wondering if this is something that is programmed on the card, the box or the sat feed itself to this region.

Cheers,

Dan

[cyril]

The card has details that were programmed based on your residential address. Doubt you can readily have it changed, for legal broadcast region reasons.

Cyril

[gobberon]

Well they have sunk to a new low. Just tuned into Fox classics, and I kid you not, a widescreen presentation of "The Tall Men", letterboxed all around the frame. Loss of about 50% of the picture detail.

Black bars 25% of picture top and bottom.

Black bars about 20% left and right.

Who runs this outfit? I could get a bunch of kindergarten toddlers to do better

[BribieG]

What you are referring to is what is technically known as 'gutterboxing'. You often see it in TV ads on free to air tv, where the picture looks like a postage stamp in the middle of the screen. Now here's why they do it: if you look at the picture on a 4:3 CRT screen, it just has black bands on the top and bottom of the screen, and anyone watching it says "ah, widescreen, how trendy and modern".

All they have actually done is to take an existing 4:3 picture and masked it off top and bottom with black bars so they can fit a "widescreen" picture into it. doesn't look too bad on a 4:3 CRT but on a widescreen set it looks awful, and cheap. SBS are guilty of doing it from time to time. Cheap and nasty.

Here's a comprehensive Wikipedia article with screen shots that's a good primer on letterboxing and other shyteboxing techniques.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterbox

[Peterpack]

im glad i stumbled accross this thread!

i thought i had totally set things up wrong or worse still i had gotten a dud Plasma!

Yes Foxtel on a 50inch HD plasma looks crap!

Hell i am playing divx files from my xbox connected currently with COMPOSITE (not Component) and the quality is heaps better than Foxtel !

I am so disappointed with the quality of Sport on Foxtel on a HD plasma. I love my sport ! I don't care about movies on foxtel cos i download all new movies.

Can someone come up with some rough stats

a) roughly how many Foxtel Digital subscribers are there ?

b ) Honestly, roughly how many would have 40inch or bigger HD displays ?

I would like to think we make up around 5 percent but honestly it's probably 0.5%

People who come to this forum DO NOT represent the majority. The average Joe Public i would say still has a 68cm CRT

[tomohawk]

Can someone come up with some rough stats

a) roughly how many Foxtel Digital subscribers are there ?

b ) Honestly, roughly how many would have 40inch or bigger HD displays ?

I would like to think we make up around 5 percent but honestly it's probably 0.5%

People who come to this forum DO NOT represent the majority. The average Joe Public i would say still has a 68cm CRT

Don't know any numbers you're asking for, but don't for a minute think that having a panel smaller than 40" makes it acceptable! I just bought a 32" Bravia and the PQ is terrible compared to my old comparable sized CRT. I knew that it would be though before I bought it. Granted, it's more bearable than on my parents' 48" plasma, but it is not acceptable.

[Shakows]

Yes Foxtel on a 50inch HD plasma looks crap!

It looks even worse on a 55inch HD Plasma

Especially some of the ESPN soccer games, its painful to watch

[BribieG]

im glad i stumbled accross this thread!

...............

I would like to think we make up around 5 percent but honestly it's probably 0.5%

People who come to this forum DO NOT represent the majority. The average Joe Public i would say still has a 68cm CRT

This is a point conceded by many people on the forum, especially people with large screens such as OldRocker. However, imagine this scenario. I'ts the 1970's and by some time warp Foxtel and the internet already exists and there's a TV forum and someone is posting:

"look, Foxtel is in Black and White, and I know colour TV is supposed to be the next big thing, but hey I don't know anyone with a colour set yet, most of us are watching on 19 inch black and white sets and joe public is quite happy with the service....."

Actually that scenario is not far fetched. In Britain in the 60s there was already a cable TV company called "Rediffusion" that started off as a radio "cable" company in the 1930s when radio sets were worth a week's pay. They cabled up many urban areas a-la-foxtel and you would rent a set that could pick up the popular radio shows off the cable. Later they moved into TV. They couldn't keep up with the technology, couldn't provide the bandwidth, (yup, that 'b' word!!), lost subscribers, and closed down the service. I wonder if Foxtel have ever heard of Rediffusion!!

[jordi]

I couldn't resist posting in this thread, am a complete dolt with television technology and my family decided to take the plunge and invest in a 50 inch plasma. We're in love with the TV, and we go "hey, let's take the plunge and get Foxtel because we're a big family and we all love different things".

At this point I'm patting myself on the back for a job well done because I love my sports. But yes, like many others I'm really bummed. You see, a while ago, I took a trip overseas to Canada and I loved how TSN's HD channel was so crisp and clear - the other sports channels there were still very decent. Additionally, there was a channel that owned the rights to all the games of a team and there would be millions complaining about the terrible quality of it and were screaming for HD - these were the majority fans. (However others would reply that they're not changing because there is no other alternative and they're raking in plenty. The kids have no choice but to shut up and watch in a "don't bite the hand that feeds you" manner)

I come back here and the NHL playoffs are starting and I'm thinking "super, I get to watch some hockey". I don't whinge much over quality but for god's sakes the puck was a teeny little dot that is actually quite exhausting to keep track on. Not to mention the numbers are all blurry on their backs. And compared to when I was in Canada and people were complaining about the quality then? I'd die to have what they got.

And it's turned me off a bit but I keep watching everything like a trooper. But I'm paying half of this package (I pay all the sports) and we were looking over our bills from the past and I realise that I might as well cancel the sports. I can't keep paying the sports part myself even if I desperately wanted it - well I *can* but it's a hefty amount when my experience in it wanes - plus I'm a simple poor student. I really wanted the luxury of watching games on the couch - which is great when it's an MLB game but again, it's the whole old videotaped quality of it which became the final deciding factor for me. If the quality were consistently great for all the sports, I'd be able to tell myself that I was paying a good amount a year for it.

And I was flicking through the first pages or so and people were saying "if you don't want it, get rid of it". But looking at how much money they make from us, they can probably make enough to easily cover cancelled subscriptions. I'm cancelling my part of the sports deal but it's not going to be any problem when they keep charging us so much for it anyway. The problem is that many of us are so desperate for overseas sports action that we shell it out unthinkingly.

Edited April 28, 2007 by jordi

[sydmos]

Welcome to the Club

ignore those who say if you dont like then cancel your subscription. I think they either work in the Industry or get their rocks off by stirring.

I'm not into the sport 24/7 but my moan is about hardly any new shows and the way the just loop the same shows over and over at the same time same channel. Shows that are on TV1 cant be too expensive to buy ?

Anyway I wanted Movie Network but told had to buy Showtime first , so I cancelled my Platinum and on the nearly $50 a month I save now I'm on Basic , I can afford to rent high quality DVD's.

Maybe on the money you save , you can find a Club/Pub showing the sport you like and buy a beer or two and watch it there

and still be ahead ( unless you drink a lot ).

Dont worry something will happen down the track whether another providor or more likely via the Internet and Foxtel

will have to improve their act to compete.

[nico6]

..., so I cancelled my Platinum and on the nearly $50 a month I save now I'm on Basic , I can afford to rent high quality DVD's...

There are many people here that now think DVD isn't good enough quality.

It's all relative.

Enjoy what you've got, or live your life complaining about it. Each to their own...

[oldrocker]

DVD quality is a lot lot better than what Foxtel transmits.

If Foxtel believes their overall quality is up to standard why do they transmit the Movie channels at a higher bit rate?

[oldrocker]

If people ever had a right to complain it's about the poor PQ from quality from Foxtel. This is at a time when people are upgrading to new generation TV's either because they have to (CRT bit the dust) or by choice. These sets are capable of showing stunning PQ but the pay TV mob feed them dross.

This is the year 2007 for goodness sake. Why should we have to live in the dark ages with really poor TV picture quality?

Would anyone like to go to the movies and watch 35mm with clay models for special effects?

How about choloroform before surgery in a hospital?

It's about time Foxtel realised this is the 21st Century.

[nico6]

DVD quality is a lot lot better than what Foxtel transmits.

My point was actually nothing to do with Foxtel but relative perceptions of quality.

If Foxtel believes their overall quality is up to standard why do they transmit the Movie channels at a higher bit rate?

Because the amount of people willing to cancel their service does not send a strong message that they must improve or else.

[ozasis]

I'm just watching the broadcast of the Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs game on tv. I've been flicking between channel 70 (Seven HD) which is upscaled SD on my Toshiba STB, and between channel 501 (fox sports 1) and 107 (channel 7 analogue retransmission).

Now, I cannot fault the production - it's awesome. Foxtel do an excellent job broadcasting AFL matches. As I'm sure many of you are in the same boat, I DO fault the picture quality on 501 Fox Sports 1. Switching between the three channels, the analogue retransmission of channel 7 even looks comparable (and sometimes better) than the tripe PQ on 501.

How on earth this lot think they're going to be ok doing HD is beyond me as the bitrate used on SD sport makes their production quality look substandard.

Up your game (bitrate)!!!!

[Les Harris]

I had a Foxtel IQ box installed on Monday and have found this thread to be of great help in understanding the gamut of PVRs, STBs, etc.

Many thanks to the contributors, particularly 'cttc' for the excellent oversight.

Les Harris

Vic

[cttc]

Good to hear it was useful.

[poiter789]

hey Gib, the 42" SD panel is probably the best panel to watch Foxtel... little scalling... 1:1 mapping to the panel (pretty much...) ... I too have the IQ, and frankly wouldn't have foxtel without it....

however for larger screens, 42HD or 50+ (where the panel has to do a lot of scaling to the image) - foxtel can look poor.. (movie channels aside) ... with an external scaler, like a DVDO it really enhances the PQ of foxtel....

I go to foxtel for variety... not PQ ... albeit I'm looking forward to foxtel HD ...specially movie channels in HD ...

Will the DVDO significantly enhance picture on a 46 inch LCD TV?

[TheOutsider]

I am thinking of buying a Samsung 46" LCD but this thread has got me thinking. I understand that the picture quality will not be as good as a CRT but is it still watchable ?. The main channels I watch are Sports ( AFL ) fox 8 and MTV and is the picture quality better on LCD or Plasma or much the same

thanks

[Doug1503559538]

Well they have sunk to a new low. Just tuned into Fox classics, and I kid you not, a widescreen presentation of "The Tall Men", letterboxed all around the frame. Loss of about 50% of the picture detail.

Black bars 25% of picture top and bottom.

Black bars about 20% left and right.

Who runs this outfit? I could get a bunch of kindergarten toddlers to do better

Have you considered the extremely remote possibility that they just don't care ??? The vast majority of consumers are after content and don't give a ratsa bout this type of issue.

BTW : Nice outburst but Murdoch has not made billions by making wrong decisions and employing kindergaten toddlers.