Jump to content

Foxtel Owners & Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts



  • Replies 6.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Discovery and Nat Geo are a given (don't forget the new 10HD channel will show some Nat Geo HD), my question is about the sport. The easiest source of HD sport will be from overseas, could this mean that one of the sport channels is ESPN HD? Not very good for Australian's who aren't interested in NFL or Baseball. What will the other sports channel broadcast; soccer? My point is this, Foxtel need to be very careful that they have a large selection of 'Australian sport' included in the HD programming - AFL, NRL, Rugby & Cricket to mention a few. Personally this will be what sways it for me.

Also Foxtel need to give some indication of where they are headed in terms of HD programming. Can we expect extra channels in the future, if so when? A blanket statement that there will be more channels in the future is not good enough, we need numbers. For example, we expect to have up to 10 channels by mid 2009. I/we need incentives to pay extra money now.

ESPN just now is terrible, picture wise...I'm being told its Fox Sports 1 and 2 with certain sports moving channels.

Also, Channels will be slowly but surely moving into HD. There are plans for Fox 8 to be the next to make the move aswell as Showtime. To take an educated guess on when the whole package will be HD, i'd say easily by Early 2009

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surely the number of cameras is irrelevant? Broadcasting a game of footy with a single HD camera probably wouldn't make for the best viewing but it'd still be HD.

You did not read my explanation.....its an REQUIREMENT to have at least 13 cameras set by the AFL yes 1 can be a HD or 2 or 3 etc

cheers laurie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello, this be my first post... :ph34r:

Have always referred to this great forum for information and knowledge when setting up my HiFi.

Now i just have one question, I currently have the STB connected to my TV via SCART --> Component.

My brother has just bought a TV similar to mine, however he is at the other end of the house, and receives the picture through an IR sender/reciever.

IS IT POSSIBLE for him to receive the SCART --> Component picture quality that I currently have?

I notice TWO scart outputs on the rear of the STB. One is for the TV, the other for the video. Can I utilise the video SCART to be sent to his TV, so that he can get the component image quality?

Is there any other way he can obtain a component quality picture on his TV to match mine, by using other one STB.

Thanks in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites



My brother has just bought a TV similar to mine, however he is at the other end of the house, and receives the picture through an IR sender/reciever.

The second(vcr) scart does not output component, only the tv scart one does.

Here are some of your options:-

Run RF output to other end of the house (most common method) (maybe through existing RF antenna wiring).

Run Composite & Audio output to other end of the house (from VCR scart or individual video out if your STB has one) .

Use S-Video output and get that from both scarts one for your TV one to other end of the house.

Buy a splitter/amplifier for your component output (not worth it normally) and run that with audio to other end of the house.

A second STB of course (with the extra subscription costs).

You don't say which Foxtel STB you have (see FAQ), if you have an iQ you have more options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The second(vcr) scart does not output component, only the tv scart one does.

Here are some of your options:-

Run RF output to other end of the house (most common method) (maybe through existing RF antenna wiring).

Run Composite & Audio output to other end of the house (from VCR scart or individual video out if your STB has one) .

Use S-Video output and get that from both scarts one for your TV one to other end of the house.

Buy a splitter/amplifier for your component output (not worth it normally) and run that with audio to other end of the house.

You don't say which Foxtel STB you have, if you have an iQ you have more options.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

The Foxtel STB is not IQ. It is the dc420no model. (Foxtel Digital).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a seperate HD STB just for FTA. The STB and DVD player are the only things that make our HD plasma worthwhile.

If I had to rely on only Foxtel I would never have got a plasma TV in the first place; it would have been a pointless exercise.

When Foxtel does start transmitting a few channels in HD those new channels are going to show just how bad all the other channels are regarding PQ.

IMHO pay TV is getting too expensive, has too many advertisements and the same programming night after night after night.

As a long time subscriber I find this very disappointing and the day is coming when I'm going to have to cancel my sub.

It's only sport and the odd movie and doco that keeps me hanging on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AFL will be difficult for Foxtel as they don't have enough cameras to do normal SD let alone HD! I think from memory FTA requirements by the AFL is 13 cameras I stand to be corrected [for picking up foul play] maybe the AFL has given Foxtel special requirements maybe Lawn Bowls will be done in HD :lol:

cheers laurie

i beleive last season was full hd thanxs to sony

you should see a bluray of the games available soon

and the afl was broadcast in 1080 in perth

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Also, Channels will be slowly but surely moving into HD. There are plans for Fox 8 to be the next to make the move aswell as Showtime. To take an educated guess on when the whole package will be HD, i'd say easily by Early 2009

Do I read correctly that you expect all of Foxtel's channels to be in HD by the first half of 2009, thats only 13-18 months away; if true this is great news

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do I read correctly that you expect all of Foxtel's channels to be in HD by the first half of 2009, thats only 13-18 months away; if true this is great news

Mate, things change so quickly i dont wanna make any guarentees but thats certainly the goal right now but any number of things could change this

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a long time foxtel subscriber (last 2 years on IQ+5 years prior at least) I'm ready to pull the pin on Foxtel entirely and stick with f2a-pvr for the "telly" + hd-dvd/blu-ray on my projector. I am skeptical of Foxtel delivering a decent quantity of *genuine* HD sources/content -- I mean the stuff which has been shot in/mastered for 1080/film, otherwise its just sd stuff being upscaled. In the wikipaedia entry on "sky hd" in the uk the word "paucity" is used to describe the volume of HD sources on their 8 "HD" channels. Not saying that upscaled stuff can't look good on a big screen (like upscaled SD DVD can look good from my XE1), its just that sources shot in HD and/or designed for the big screen tend to look just so so so much better. This perhaps is just as much due to skill/values of the content producers as "HD" technology per se. Personally I think that producers of "TV shows" need a mindset change when it comes to the visual and audio quality of their productions. Old CRT tellies 30" and less were very forgiving of crap content. Sadly the latter makes up a huge amount of Foxtel's rubbish. Big screen digital displays a whole new ballgame -- they show up all the flaws in production (as well as transmission/compression of course).

I hope I'm wrong and that Foxtel can deliver plenty of high quality HD content at a reasonable price (over and above f2a HD programming), but given they can't seem to manage this with mere SD (preferring quantity over quality), well I'll believe it when I see it.

As to "all of Foxtel's channels to be in HD by the first half of 2009", buyer beware!

cheers all,

ess

Link to comment
Share on other sites



I'm surprised at how many are kinda writing Foxtel HD off before waiting on the final announcement or actually waiting and seeing how good the PQ is etc....

This surprises me a bit too. We really have to wait and see what, and how fast the channels appear. I would also like to thank you for giving us an insight from someone in the know.

I do agree with a comment earlier though. To add a very small amount of channels at the start (Say 4 announced), and include a fee is fine - especially to get the new IQ box etc. Problem comes with execs at Foxtel thinking every 1-2 channels they add, they can add a bit more of a fee, and then a bit more.

The penny must drop that after a certain amount, they will price themselves out of the market, and start to lose customers all together.

Conclusion - Surely lower fees are better than no fees at all

One idea I have is that we have a lot of experienced and technically capable people on this forum. Why not use some of us "early adopters" to trial the service to iron out any potential technical or user problems before the service goes live.

I for one would certainly be happy to volunteer some of my time to give some feedback

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One idea I have is that we have a lot of experienced and technically capable people on this forum. Why not use some of us "early adopters" to trial the service to iron out any potential technical or user problems before the service goes live.

I for one would certainly be happy to volunteer some of my time to give some feedback

Foxtel usually beta tests by giving it to some its staff first. This allows them to test and get feedback very easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You gotta feel for people who have not long paid to install the Standard iQ Box. Im currently trying to get information on the fees for those people who obviously should'nt have to much nearly as much to upgrade

Its just getting to the stage when u think gee we are paying all this money for repeats is it all worth it :)im on platinum package with iq box with the adds and the repeats i might just change my package and get the basic and sports and go back to the video shop for dvds .I think foxtel is great and happy with the picture i have from my phillips lcd 80cm but comes a time when u only have so much money to spare for entertainment .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You gotta feel for people who have not long paid to install the Standard iQ Box. Im currently trying to get information on the fees for those people who obviously should'nt have to much nearly as much to upgrade

I'm one of those who got an IQ not long ago, but I managed to negotiate a free install due to being a long time subscriber. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites



g`day,

i think foxtel should start whith the following at minimum;

FOX8, SHOWTIME, MOVIE1, NEGIONAL GEO, DISCOVERY, FOX SPORTS HD AND ESPN HD.

FOX SPORTS HD COULD BE A SIMULCAST OF FOX SPORTS 1 2 AND 3, WHERE THE HD SPORT CONTENT IS SIMULCASTED ON THE FOX SPORST HD CHANNEL.

IF THERE ARE 2 SPORTS EVENT AT THE SAME TIME, LET`S SAY IN BOTH FOX SPORTS 1 AND 2, THEN DO AS THE PREMIRE LEAGUE, ON THE FOX SPORTS HD CHANNEL PRESS THE RED AND CHOOSE THE SPORT YOU WANT TO WATCH.

CHEERS.

Edited by roy4hire
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont think anyone has asked whether this new HD box will improve SD channels with the picture quality yet?

That's a very good question. I did mention in a previous post that all non-HD channels will probably stay the same in terms of bitrate, hence no real benefit of a HD IQ other than a bigger hard drive, ability to decode HD and a HDMI port. Whether digital output will improve current picture quality significantly remains to be seen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont think anyone has asked whether this new HD box will improve SD channels with the picture quality yet?

The best it could probably do is upscaling to HD dimensions - don't expect a miracle out of that, despite what some others (notably those involved in the sale of other STBs that do upscale) have said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best it could probably do is upscaling to HD dimensions - don't expect a miracle out of that, despite what some others (notably those involved in the sale of other STBs that do upscale) have said.

It depends on your display, a lot of HD displays still struggle with SD feeds, my brand new Bravia XBR doesn't do well with SD feeds, you see deinterlacing artefacts all the time. Most STB's upscale better then displays, well the good STB's do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...
To Top