Poor HD Quality - Page 6 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

Lou Sytsma · 2012-03-27, 10:33 AM

Black for me.

Where the picture suffers is sometimes there are compression artifacts but they are much rarer now. The picture lacks the dimensionality or image depth of BluRays.

brownstar · 2012-03-29, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Dent

So, are the balcks black now, or still grey as before?
When I gave it a 3, I was taking into account the black level issue. If it had been fixed, I might bump it up 2 points, but still would be last.
If you give it 7.5 now, you must fit all other existing sources of HD between 7.5 and 10.
I don't have the Optik TV service anymore, but I heavily doubt that they can improve much beyond the black level issue (for which I still haven't heard a defintive answer if it's fixed).

If you don't have the service and haven't viewed it recently how can you comment? I regularly watch Shaw HD and would say that Optik is easily on par and that the UI is significantly better.

Arthur Dent · 2012-03-30, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownstar

If you don't have the service and haven't viewed it recently how can you comment? I regularly watch Shaw HD and would say that Optik is easily on par and that the UI is significantly better.

I still had the service as of January 2012. If you want to play the "you can't comment because you don't have it" card (always a bad idea in any discussion), I will say that my observations are correct as of the end of January, and it was like that for the whole year I had the service.

Optik TV hi-def can be on par only with Shaw Cable standard def.

As said and mentioned many times, UI is not part of this discussion.

gnealers · 2012-03-30, 12:09 PM

I had Shaw HD for many years, and when I switched to Optik I was blown away by how much better the picture quality was. With Shaw I had constant problems with ghosting bleed through of other channels especially on ch 206, as well as pixelation. They were never able to fix the problem, and I was repeatedly told that this is normal. So anyways my vote goes to Optik being far superior to Shaw.

ac · 2012-03-30, 12:56 PM

I had Shaw as well and made the switch in late 2010. When I first had the service and ran the two side by side I felt that Telus was as good, if not slightly better than my Shaw HD service.

When the 2.0 rollout happened last spring, the picture was severely degraded (it was right at the rollout). The various black level issues, etc. I don't have the new update yet, but am hoping that it corrects what went wrong with the previous rollout...

Arthur Dent · 2012-03-30, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnealers

With Shaw I had constant problems with ghosting bleed through of other channels especially on ch 206, as well as pixelation.

"Ghosting bleed", as you are describing it, is only possible with analog signal. The fact that you mention it happening with a digital HD channel is puzzling, to say the least. The only explanation I can think of is that you are actually watching this channel through an analog connection (coax cable or RCA video cable from your set top box to the TV), and you are actually experiencing analog interference on a downconverted to SD (no longer HD) video.
For the time I had Shaw cable simultaneously with Telus Optik, I never saw anything remotely similar to what you are describing, because it is physically impossible when using HDMI connection to the TV set.
Well, technically, you can have that phenomenon using component cables, but it seems extremely unlikely and definitely an extreme combination of bad connection, defective cables, defective STB and/or very strong radio frequency interference.
You also mention pixellation. Often people describe two very different phenomena using that word. One of them is partial disintegrationof the picture due to weak signal or signal dropouts - that is also most likely a problem of the installation.
Nothing to do with the current topic of HD picture quality.

brownstar · 2012-03-30, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Dent

Optik TV hi-def can be on par only with Shaw Cable standard def.

What a ridiculous and laughable comment, Telus HD has been on a par with Shaw HD in the year plus that I have had it and has gotten better with the update. Admittedly some SD channels are poorer than Shaw SD.

And of course the 'you haven't seen it you cannot comment' call is valid, you do not have experience of the current system so cannot comment on it.

L_Dub · 2012-03-30, 02:52 PM

This comment would be valid if something happened in the last month or two to change the quality of the Telus picture. But I can assure you it's the same garbage that it's been for the past 7 months. The compression artifacting is laughable compared to what you can get online (not comparing to Shaw because I have no personal experience with it). The only reason I'm still with Telus is because I'm hoping the new Mediaroom update will fix the picture quality issues. If not, back to Bell satellite for me.

Dr.Dave · 2012-03-30, 03:14 PM

Please keep the discussion civilized.

For those people that are commenting about the black levels, it appears that issue is being addressed along with version 2.1.2295 of Mediaroom which is in the process of being rolled out.

brownstar · 2012-03-30, 03:47 PM

Exactly Dr Dave, since the update the picture quality is much improved

gnealers · 2012-03-30, 05:59 PM

I am simply reporting what I was experiencing - and this was with HDMI. I had tech's out at least a half dozen times to look into it, with all of them saying it is the same thing - it is normal. I am pretty sure the tech's know how to make sure everything is set up properly. Being that the ghosting did happen (and quite frequently), I would say it is completely possible. Anyways my experience is that Telus is much better

Cockroach · 2012-03-31, 01:05 PM

I was channel surfing at my uncle's place yesterday (he has most of the HD channels while I have just basic service). Noticed that HD quality seemed to vary by channel. Broadcast channels were generally the best, especially if the picture was bright. There were compression artifacts and blocks when the picture moved too fast (e.g., panning). Darker pictures generally were not so good, or maybe they were showing cable channels such as MC and SC whee the 2nd of the two channels in each had pretty bad PQ. Then again, some of the content were really old movies (~80s).

IanJames · 2012-04-29, 07:31 PM

Well - I just got the update to 2.1 (Vancouver/Kerrisdale). Yes "black levels" have improved but the overall picture quality has not. I went back in, hoping against hope, that a re-tweaking of my TV settings would show an improvement. Nope. In some ways the picture is worse. CNN for example is not as sharp. Previously it was the best example of HD on Telus. Pretty poor performance Telus.
Fortunately I'm not on any contract with them and can move whenever I like. I just have to decide what's next.

The Shaw/Gateway/EXO seems to be buggy and is rumoured to be getting a 2.0 version. And I went and checked out the Motorola 3416 at a friends and wasn't blown away by the PQ on that either.... (I hear ate Arris/Gateway is better PQ - can anyone confirm?)

Oh, I just wish Bell had a whole-home PVR. It's the only PQ in Canada that comes close the the PQ I enjoy from Time-Warner Cable in California.

(sigh)

WontonNoodle · 2012-04-30, 01:19 AM

Got the update and the black levels ARE NOT IMPROVED. They are exactly the same. Channels are still blurry and blacks are still grey.

ohjay · 2012-04-30, 02:43 PM

IanJames.. I was just looking at CNN side by side with BELL/TELUS and while there is more contrast from bell making the colors appear more vibrant the detail is lacking in bell and they crush the blacks.

and for those concerned with blacks being grey.. I'm assuming you see this on a HDMI connected set and not on a component set correct? If so check your HDMI settings and set them for auto or 16-235. For those who had their TV's calibrated and are concerned about making adjustments, calibration is set for the perfect world sources ie bluray and not for TV. Besides, most bluray content will have the hdmi flags attached and will adjust for hi or low range hdmi settings and the average user wont notice a difference. TELUS is simply following the HDMI spec and passing the flags which denote what black is. 0-255 or 16-235. Many calibrators will set to 0-255 (PC Spec) which will make any content passing the HDMI flags correctly(16-235) look grey.

2012-03-27, 10:33 AM	#76
Lou Sytsma Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada Posts: 283	Black for me. Where the picture suffers is sometimes there are compression artifacts but they are much rarer now. The picture lacks the dimensionality or image depth of BluRays. __________________ Every man is my superior, in that, I may learn from him.

2012-03-30, 02:52 PM	#83
L_Dub Rookie Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 7	This comment would be valid if something happened in the last month or two to change the quality of the Telus picture. But I can assure you it's the same garbage that it's been for the past 7 months. The compression artifacting is laughable compared to what you can get online (not comparing to Shaw because I have no personal experience with it). The only reason I'm still with Telus is because I'm hoping the new Mediaroom update will fix the picture quality issues. If not, back to Bell satellite for me. Last edited by Dr.Dave; 2012-03-30 at 02:56 PM. Reason: Unnecessary quote removed. Please don't quote the immediately preceeding post.

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2012-03-30, 12:09 PM	#79
gnealers Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Coquitlam Posts: 45	I had Shaw HD for many years, and when I switched to Optik I was blown away by how much better the picture quality was. With Shaw I had constant problems with ghosting bleed through of other channels especially on ch 206, as well as pixelation. They were never able to fix the problem, and I was repeatedly told that this is normal. So anyways my vote goes to Optik being far superior to Shaw.

2012-03-30, 12:56 PM	#80
ac Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vancouver Posts: 179	I had Shaw as well and made the switch in late 2010. When I first had the service and ran the two side by side I felt that Telus was as good, if not slightly better than my Shaw HD service. When the 2.0 rollout happened last spring, the picture was severely degraded (it was right at the rollout). The various black level issues, etc. I don't have the new update yet, but am hoping that it corrects what went wrong with the previous rollout...

2012-03-30, 03:14 PM	#84
Dr.Dave Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 4,712	Please keep the discussion civilized. For those people that are commenting about the black levels, it appears that issue is being addressed along with version 2.1.2295 of Mediaroom which is in the process of being rolled out.

2012-03-30, 03:47 PM	#85
brownstar Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 532	Exactly Dr Dave, since the update the picture quality is much improved

2012-03-30, 05:59 PM	#86
gnealers Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Coquitlam Posts: 45	I am simply reporting what I was experiencing - and this was with HDMI. I had tech's out at least a half dozen times to look into it, with all of them saying it is the same thing - it is normal. I am pretty sure the tech's know how to make sure everything is set up properly. Being that the ghosting did happen (and quite frequently), I would say it is completely possible. Anyways my experience is that Telus is much better

2012-03-31, 01:05 PM	#87
Cockroach Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vancouver Posts: 580	I was channel surfing at my uncle's place yesterday (he has most of the HD channels while I have just basic service). Noticed that HD quality seemed to vary by channel. Broadcast channels were generally the best, especially if the picture was bright. There were compression artifacts and blocks when the picture moved too fast (e.g., panning). Darker pictures generally were not so good, or maybe they were showing cable channels such as MC and SC whee the 2nd of the two channels in each had pretty bad PQ. Then again, some of the content were really old movies (~80s).

2012-04-29, 07:31 PM	#88
IanJames Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 68	Well - I just got the update to 2.1 (Vancouver/Kerrisdale). Yes "black levels" have improved but the overall picture quality has not. I went back in, hoping against hope, that a re-tweaking of my TV settings would show an improvement. Nope. In some ways the picture is worse. CNN for example is not as sharp. Previously it was the best example of HD on Telus. Pretty poor performance Telus. Fortunately I'm not on any contract with them and can move whenever I like. I just have to decide what's next. The Shaw/Gateway/EXO seems to be buggy and is rumoured to be getting a 2.0 version. And I went and checked out the Motorola 3416 at a friends and wasn't blown away by the PQ on that either.... (I hear ate Arris/Gateway is better PQ - can anyone confirm?) Oh, I just wish Bell had a whole-home PVR. It's the only PQ in Canada that comes close the the PQ I enjoy from Time-Warner Cable in California. (sigh)

2012-04-30, 01:19 AM	#89
WontonNoodle Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 36	Got the update and the black levels ARE NOT IMPROVED. They are exactly the same. Channels are still blurry and blacks are still grey.

2012-04-30, 02:43 PM	#90
ohjay Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 41	IanJames.. I was just looking at CNN side by side with BELL/TELUS and while there is more contrast from bell making the colors appear more vibrant the detail is lacking in bell and they crush the blacks. and for those concerned with blacks being grey.. I'm assuming you see this on a HDMI connected set and not on a component set correct? If so check your HDMI settings and set them for auto or 16-235. For those who had their TV's calibrated and are concerned about making adjustments, calibration is set for the perfect world sources ie bluray and not for TV. Besides, most bluray content will have the hdmi flags attached and will adjust for hi or low range hdmi settings and the average user wont notice a difference. TELUS is simply following the HDMI spec and passing the flags which denote what black is. 0-255 or 16-235. Many calibrators will set to 0-255 (PC Spec) which will make any content passing the HDMI flags correctly(16-235) look grey.