TV Channels Resolution on HotBird

[HB13DISH]

The DreamBox 7000S shows the video resolution (pixel size) of each TV channel. It shows the correct resolution for FTA channels but not for the encrypted ones, unless you have a paid smartcard.

Service providers play with the resolution in order to put more channels in their allocated bandwith and when a channel has a DVD like resolution of 720x576 for PAL with 25 fps it has a richer picture, great sound and the colours are really fantastic compared to a TV channel that has 352 x 288 pixels with washed out picture and is hardly worth watching.

I would like to suggest that members who can open encrypted channels (not only on HotBird) would send a list of the resolution of each channel so that this information would help people to know beforehand what kind of picture quality to expect before subscribing to a service.
Without this information, they would surely get disappointed if the resolution is not so good and once they sign up they are stuck with the smartcard for a whole year.

Also, subscribers can put pressure on the service providers when they know exactly what they are getting and would ask him to make a better resolution otherwise they will not renew the subscription.

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

[Llew]

My Triple Dragon shows the resolution, framerate and bitrate of any transmitting channel regardless of whether it is FTA or encrypted.

Listing the quality parameters of every channel would be very time consuming, and are also liable to vary with time, depending on the total bandwidth available for the channels at any one time on each TP for the content transmitted.

If anyone needs info on particular channels I can post them here (if I can receive them at my location in the UK ).

Llew

 

[HB13DISH]

Thanks Llew for the info.

I had a bad experience in the past with the ABsat subscription card since the channels quality were low in general.

Now I am thinking of buying a subscription to SKY Italia and would appreciate it if you can check, at your convenience, the quality of the following channels:

Classica
SKY Cinema 1
SKY Cinema 2
SKY Cinema 3
SKY Cinema 16:9
SKY Cinema Max
SKY Cinema Mania
SKY Cinema Classics
Studio Universal
Raisat Cinema

I checked the resolution of some of the FTA channels on the package and it is 544x576 so I don't expect any better resolution than this but hopefully I am mistaken.

Thanks a lot.

 

[mhku]

Classica on 19.2E is 480x576 4.3 25fps

on 13E:

Classica is 480x576 4.3 25fps
Sky Cinema1 is 720x576 4.3 25fps
Raisat Cinema is 544x576 4.3 25fps

Before decryption some show as 544x576 and then show as 720x576 when decrypted.

 

[Llew]

Adding to mhku's list, all three Sky Cinema channels are using 720x576 (encrypted). Same with Sky 16:9, Sky Max and Sky Classics.

Bitrates vary according to picture content of course, highest for the Sky Cinema being 5207 k/bps, lowest under 3000 k/bps when checking at the time. Sky Mania's highest rate was below 2000. Not having a subscription for these channels, I can't check the actual picture quality on the screen for Sky Mania, but I suspect it is not up to much (maybe an old B/W film).

Llew

 

[HB13DISH]

Hello Gentlemen,

I am looking for a way to see the correct resolution for encrypted channels.
I understand from Llew that this is possible with Triple Dragon and from mkku with a DM7025S.

Is there any reason why my DB7000S (with Gemini 3.60) is showing the correct resolution only for FTA channels ?
What is the improvement between DM7025S over DM7000S to make this possible ?

Would flashing with another image helps ?

Is there a DVB-S PC card application that you know of that can make this possible (ProgDVB is not good for this)

Thanks.

 

[mhku]

There's a Bitrate plugin for the Dreambox that may be of interest? Download/ install from the blue button if you use Gemini.

 

[HB13DISH]

There's a Bitrate plugin for the Dreambox that may be of interest? Download/ install from the blue button if you use Gemini.

Thanks for the tip.

I don't have a router. Can I use FTP to upload it to DB7000S and into which folder ?

Is there such a plugin for ProgDVB ?

 

[mhku]

Yes you can upload/ install it manually.

Can't answer the ProgDVB question as I've never used it.