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Bell Satellite 4K Discussion

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4k tv
41K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  reidw 
#1 ·
#2 ·
The article reads like an industry puff piece. I'd bet that in 2008 that same publication was saying the same things about 3D. A satellite is not an off the shelf item. Bell doesn't have the capacity for UHD and I doubt that Shaw Direct does as well. Even if they commissioned UHD capable satellites now it would be about five years before the first one would be launched. UHD in Canada is not going to be delivered by satellite. It's future is in Fibe and streaming, assuming that it isn't just the latest flash-in-the-pan.
 
#4 ·
I know that there will be a certain faction of the population that disagrees with me...but here are my thoughts on 4K...


I just don't see the buy in for the average TV user...in the same way HD took over our airwaves and the reason is pretty simple.


There was a massive difference in picture quality going from standard def to high def...also thrown in was the fact you add more screen to the TV's due to the fact you increase the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9.


The average person still took a long time to convert for several reasons (cost, how much content were the networks actually broadcasting etc)


And if it took the networks a long time to convert things to HD...(anyone remember the threads in this very forum complaining for years of not enough HD content in Canada)...and it took the average person a long time to buy into the technology even with being able to see the amount of difference it makes...then I just don't see this 4K selling on a big stage.


Yes there will be channels of 4K and yes there will be early adopters...but I don't see the masses following.


There are audiophiles that still play vinyl with tube amps...and without question the sound is authentic and unbelievably good...but the masses want convenience and cost appropriate things...such as mp3's...which makes sense even though you have to compromise on quality...it's mobile and you don't have to take care of it like a tube amp and vinyl.


Same with 4K...the cost is prohibitive and the benefits not everyone can see unless you look super close...and there are those that don't see that well in the first place that would never benefit.


I guess my point is why would satellite care...because satellite TV is dying itself...unless you have the money like DirecTV or Dish Network in the US what would be the point?


end of rant...
 
#5 ·
Let's see here: by 2025? That is, 9 years from now? Hell Hisense and all the other non-sense LCD manufacturers have been making 4K TVs at sub-1K$ prices for more than a year now as proof that that technology isn't worth much more than the bezel it's projected in!!!

And the main consumer electronics show (CES) has been showcasing mainly 8K now for the second year in a row, as proof that the 4K buzz just lost traction for good. What would be the point of allocating bandwidth to any number of 4K channels since consumer electronics (and consumers themselves) hardly care and will update gear to 8K and totally bypass this interim format.

1080p HD is beautiful for what it can do... when it actually gets delivered.
 
#6 ·
I'm new to the forum and really frustrated. Just purchased a 4 k tv and everything works except bell satellite . The sales person assured me it would work and just not get a 4 k signal which was reasonable. The tv is not much good without satellite as that's most of our viewing . Do I return the t.v. Best Buy says it's the first they have heard of this problem.
 
#7 ·
What's the make/model of the TV? What's the model number of the STB (Set top box)? What connection are you using? HDMI? Are you going through an AVR (Audio Video Receiver)? Do you see "no signal" or anything on the TV? Are you switched to the correct input on the TV? Do you have another TV you can try temporarily? It should work just fine.

Here's a list of things to check: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/30-57s-home-theatre-faqs/19694-faq-things-check-first.html

Here's a useful post: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/14-...estions-please-read-before-posting-forum.html
 
#8 ·
4k tv is just a bump in the flat screen TV world. The great thing is, by the time everyone has a 4k or 8k TV, the satellites, the cameras, and the rest of network will have caught up. For now it will be about making the most out of what we have. We did that for years and years, with NTSC. There's lots of work to be done in the mean time.
 
#9 ·
@dm_4u. I think you are overlooking that 4K is more than just improved resolution. The correct marketing term is Ultra HD. One of UHD's features is 4K which means a more detailed picture (2x standard 1080P HD not 4x but that's another discussion) that is really only visible on very large screen sizes (65"+) or at very close viewing distances. This feature is not likely to ever make UHD mainstream by itself. However UHD also includes two "improvements" that can be enjoyed at almost any screen size. These are HDR or High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Colour Gamut (WCG)/10 bit. These two features produce a higher contrast and wider range of colours or in other words the best pictures ever on any size of screen. The latter two features are the reasons "4K" sets will become attractive eventually to most viewers even if their screen sizes are too small for the increase in pixels to be noticeable.

I might also add that 4K sets are capable of very good upscaling of lower resolutions to near 4K detail levels. On my 65 inch UHD Sony, a higher level of facial detail when viewing Bell Satellite programming (9242 receiver) is clearly visible. Take for example the classic Ice Road Truckers series. The individual hairs in the shaggy beards of the male drivers and the "worry" lines in female driver, Lisa Kelly's face are more pronounced on my new TV than they were on my previous set, a 60 inch HD 1080P Sony. Just about every type of show has benefited from this up scaling including even surprisingly the programming on the BC's Knowledge Network which is still in SD on Bell Satellite.
 
#10 ·
I upgraded to 4K this past summer and I could never go back now. Most of my viewing is Blu-Ray and the Upscaling is exceptional & with even BellTV looking excellent. I do expect Bell to shut down the satellite division long before they ever offer any 4K hardware or programming though as they have totally lost interest in their coast to coast satellite market and instead focus on the much smaller Fibe market of only a few provinces.
 
#11 ·
It's not that Bell has lost interest, they just don't have the capacity to offer the same services as Cable or IPTV. I expect that Bell will likely transition all of their signals to MPEG-4 at some point like Shaw Direct and as a result more HD will likely be offered in the future. They may even have 4K/Ultra HD capable hardware in the future too but I would assume that the 4K content will only be available to customers that have broadband connectivity.

Even with H265 compression, you could only fit about 2 or 3 4K/Ultra HD channels on one 45mb transponder.
 
#15 ·
Bell, or anyone else, can't offer 1080p channels until the channel is offered to them in that format. Almost everything today is either 720p or 1080i. Anything else would be an up-convert which your television already does.

-Mike
 
#18 ·
Info needed about 4K channels on Bell Sat

My brother-in-law just purchased a Sony 4k 75' screen. He has no idea about anything technical.

He would like to watch NHL in 4K.

I assume that Bell Sat channel numbers are all the same, in ON at least.

SportsNet shows the Wed. Leaf games. What channel should he watch on? [he now says he watches on 800]

The CBC on Saturdays are on what channels for 4K, if at all?

He thanks you. Probably.
 
#19 ·
As far as I know...Bell Satellite does not have any 4K channels.

Unfortunately I don't think they will ever have 4K channels due to their limitation in bandwidth.

I have an OLED 4K TV along with Bell Sat and wish they would prove me wrong...but I'm not holding my breath on this one.

Which ever TV provider offers 4K in Winnipeg first...will earn my business!
 
#20 ·
@ExRobotGuy: I feel sorry for your brother-in-law. If he's hoping to watch 4K over the air, he is probably out of luck forever in Canada. After investing in HD equipment so recently few of our TV stations are going to be willing to upgrade so soon. Cable is a bit better and there are a few dedicated 4K channels run by TSN and Sportsnet in Southern Ontario but they require the acquisition of a 4K receiver from your cable company. It is my understanding that the 4K sports channels are separate from the regular HD channels of TSN and Sportsnet so it is not just a matter of tuning in a particular channel on a regular HD receiver. As for satellite, forget it. The sats in use right now just don't have the bandwidth capacity for 4K and probably never will have.

His best bets for 4K viewing are the either internet streaming on a very high speed/bandwidth connection (eg. Fibe) or for the very best picture and sound, a premium 4k/Ultra HD Bluray disc and to play that disc, a new 4K Bluray player as well, by the way.

In any case he's going to need more than just a 4K TV (75 inch screen? I'm envious) to enjoy 4K.
 
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