I wounder if this issue is cause by the HDMI cable...I use the one that come with the box.

I am testing with a better one that was purchase from the store and see if it will make a difference

I'm using component video because HDMI is incompatible with my receiver. Makes the DCT reboot itself if I plug the 2 together. Handy feature.

I don't know if a better HDMI cable will help, unless you are seeing sparkling on th screen, indicating a bad connection. I have noticed some channels are better than others.

Have been with Shaw for a year after leaving Bell (lots of problems); no problems on my 50" Panasonic plasma with the cheapest HDMI cable available. Marketplace did a story on HDMI cables come time ago; found higher priced cables did not perform any better.

Sounds like I'm not the only one. HD has been extremely dodgy lately. Some channels are worse than others. Using an HDPVR 530.

Funny thing is that when I press the "info" key, and the HD signal is in the small picture box .. and there is no problem. But I didn't subscribe to HD to watch a tiny box on the screen.

It is repeatable on the same points in a recording and it does not look like pixelization problem at all. Screen either goes blank or does a colourful vertical stripe dance.

Regular TV works just fine most of the time.

I am suspecting that it is worse for high bandwidth channels. Not all channels are compressed as much. It is very very bad for anything that has live sports. Olympics are really bad.

Anybody else having these problems ???

Hey guys.

I am in Winnipeg and I am seeing lots of audio sync problems with History HD. Most of the problems seems to be in movies. I am watching Gladiator here on Saturday evening (don't worry I'm only watching it when the Olympics are on commercial) and the audio is lagging the video.

Some programs seem to be OK. I recorded Ice Pilots the other day and it was fine, but some programs are way out.

The SD feed of the channel is always in sync.

Is this a problem outside on Winnipeg as well?

I have also e-mailed History Channel Canada about this problem. No reply as of yet.

I have a feeling it may not be the HDMI cable, with digital, it's either on or off right?

Now I am beginning to wonder if it's really Shaw as this does not happen with DVD or Blu-Ray. I wonder if I should crank the PVR to output 720p instead of 1080i?

Anyone with one of the newer / higher end panels that also see this problem? In fact, I have heard it's better to watch sports in 720p instead. Anyone know why?

The LCD is about 11 feet away. As I increase sharpness and contrast, the jagged outlines increase. In fact, it's more prevalent the closer you get. Not that I would ever watch at a 5 foot distance but at 5 ft, it's so pixelated around the edges of objects, it's not watchable. Like an over compressed JPG! Anyone else seeing this?

Can anyone confirm if Shaw is actually providing 720p content (and not converting it all to 1080i)? (I don't just mean the STB output setting) I had heard that they were doing this about a year ago.

Yes they are. It is easiest to see this if you have a Pace box since these boxes pass the signal on to the TV without conversion. With my Pace box if I to go Fox or The Score for example, the TV switches to 720p mode, whereas with TSN or Discovery it switches to 1080i mode. You can also see this with a Motorola box, but you have to dive into the diagnostic menu. You won't see a mode change as the Motorola boxes convert the incoming signal to the selected output mode. So on The Score, if you have your Motorola box outputting 1080i, the 720p signal is interlaced and scaled to a 1080i signal. But if you get into the diagnostic menu, one of the options will show you the actual format for the incoming channel.

Thanks Raptor that's really useful info.

I've asked elsewhere but didn't get a reply so I'll try here. Is there any way of finding out in a handy list for example, what resolution the various networks broadcast HD in? Since I have to pick one for my moto box it would be nice to know if there's a clear majority of one type of resolution being broadcast. I thought I read most are 1080i, I wonder if this is still true.

Yes most channels, especially on Shaw, are in 1080i, so that would be the best resolution to set your Moto box to.

That is of course unless you want to be extremely particular and change the output of the Moto box to correspond to the format of the channel being watched........but thats a real pain!

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=76129

Thanks a lot for that, I thought I'd read all the faq's but missed that one somehow. :confused:

And yes changing the box depending on channel would be a real pain so 1080i it is.

So would switching the set top box to 720p be better for watching sports?

So would switching the set top box to 720p be better for watching sports?
If (and that's a big if :o ) I've absorbed all the info correctly there are a number of factors to consider in answer to your question:

-what's the native resolution of the tv as ultimately that's what you're going to see whatever the resolution being sent to it

-what does a better job of converting/scaling: the box or tv

-as a general rule it's better to send a signal as close to the native resolution as possible with the least amount of digital manipulation going on

In my case since the native resolution is 768p and most broadcasts are 1080i, rather than have the box change the 1080i -> 720p and send it to tv to have tv change 720p -> 768p; I leave it at 1080i and have tv do the conversion. As I said above it would be too much of a pain to change the box to 720p for the few channels broadcasting in that format unless I could be shown a significant difference in viewing enjoyment.

No doubt I've forgotten other factors as well. HTH.

Its due to compression. I can really notice it on my 96". Using PC as a source for HD is WAY better than Shaw. Its a sham that they can even call it HD. Sure, it is 720p, but they compress the streams so much that it doesn't matter.
Amen to that brother! Sorry to ressurect a 2-month-old post but I've only been with Shaw for about 2 weeks and am catching up!

I just switch from Bell to Shaw...have to say bell HD PQ is 1000% better then shaw. You can't even compair them: Shaw HD is horrible. Any scenes in black you notice how poor shaw PQ is. Sport in HD on shaw is horrible. I had left Bell due to PVR issues and after all the problem with PACE boxes plus the very poor PQ I wished I had Bell. I live in a new area with excellent lines etc, the issue is how compressed shaw signal is. On the 32 " you do not notice it as much as on the 55".

Anyone else switch from bell and find the PQ horrible.

I have both Bell and Shaw and find just the opposite. Shaw HD picture quality is noticeably better than Bell's. Bell is one of, if not the most, compressed television services in North America.

That is odd as I have nothing but PQ issues on the HD channels. I will have to get a tech in here.

Getting really bad pixellation on a couple HD channels last 3 days. Score HD, National Geographic HD have been unwatchable for this time frame. Also noticing it on the, ahem,:o adult channels.

Im in Surrey, BC....anyone else getting this?

Getting really bad pixellation on a couple HD channels last 3 days. Score HD, National Geographic HD have been unwatchable for this time frame. Also noticing it on the, ahem,:o adult channels.

Im in Surrey, BC....anyone else getting this?
Yes, the picture is breaking up at least once a minute on Sportsnet, and is pretty bad on TSN2 and others as well. It seems to be getting worse and worse. Don't know if it's worth calling Shaw...?