BBC: World Cup in HDTV

RedDevil_UK

Retired Mod
My Satellite Setup
Dreambox 7000S, VU+ Solo2, 1.1m Dish, Moteck SG-2100A DISEQC Motor
My Location
Rochdale
The BBC is to screen this summer's football World Cup and Wimbledon championships in High-definition television (HDTV).

The trial run of the service will include the BBC's share of World Cup matches and key Wimbledon ties in June.
The corporation is trying out HDTV for up to a year, starting in mid-May.
HDTV will only be available to viewers who have HD-enabled television sets, set-top boxes and relevant services via satellite and cable distributors.
Roger Mosey, the BBC's director of sport, said the service was particularly effective with live action football and other sports.
"It gives fantastic picture quality, from the blades of grass that are being played on right to the back of the stands," he said.

High-definition pictures are four times better than conventional TV
Mr Mosey stressed that the trial would only be available to a selected group of viewers, but hoped it would prove to be "a glimpse of the future".
The first World Cup match and live HDTV programme to be broadcast will be Germany v Costa Rica on 9 June, which will also include match commentary and studio coverage.
The service will come via Premiere, Germany's host broadcasters for the tournament.
High-definition images will also be fed into standard digital and analogue transmissions of the game and the Wimbledon Championships, where the BBC is the host broadcaster.
Limited airspace
The BBC's HDTV trial, expected to last between six and 12 months, will begin in May with streams of programmes, including Planet Earth and Galapagos.
Chances to revisit action from dramas Hotel Babylon and Bleak House will also be offered.
HDTV transmissions cannot be offered on Freeview at present due to limited airspace, while a trial limited to a few hundred households in London which have yet to be chosen will take place.
The digital switchover between 2008-2012 is expected to provide an opportunity to broadcast HDTV via Freeview.
Any ongoing HDTV service will have to be approved by the new BBC Trust.

Source: The BBC
 
you should be able to as i doubt they will encrypt them
 
Oh yes, you can be one of the tiny minority to watch in glorious HD :D

I shall be building a special PC - stripped down to the max and running a CPU-matrix borrowed from IBM's ASCI Purple, and enough memory to contain every bad joke I've ever made. I'll add more fans to the case than can be seated in
the Maracanã, and it will be a beautiful thing :D

In fact, I'll just move into it when the World Cup's finished, and my wife can pass my tea in through the DVD drive slot.
 
If you manage to get these test pinkerton - come back and let us know what its like :D

I wonder where they are getting the STB's from? SKY?

Thanks for the news reddevil: certainly an interesting, out-of-the-blue story.

have Fun,

Mark.
 
Not sure it was out-of-the-blue, I think it was widely predicted. Nice to have it confirmed though ;)

Can't wait. :cool:
 
Anyone know what BBC are planning to use DVB-S or DVB-S2, S2 seems to the be the standard satellite is wanning toward.

Lets hope DVB-S
 
Hi remlap, I'd put my finger on MPEG4.:eek:

BBC on their own. I would pump for MPEG4 (learning from their Freeview f*up).

BBC taking the easiest route (its only a closed trial) - MPEG4; since that is SKY's route (Thomson HD STB, etc).

Whether that is DVB-S or DVB-S2 I haven't a clue. I only know that both S and S2 build on the architecture of MPEG2. Albeit, S2 and HD go hand in glove.

Does that suitably confuse you, LOL. Or help anyway? If you find out, let us know.

Have Fun,

Mark.
 
I was under the impression they go with the standard SKY will be using.

But I was hoping for DVB-S since alot here, have Skystar cards that can decode DVB-S including me when my card arrives from Germany.
 
Hi remlap,

From the horse's mouth: SKY = DVB-S2 [modulation] MPEG4 [compression] @ 720p/50 or 1080i/25

The Thomson Set-top-box has an MPEG2/MPEG4 Decoder; i.e., for SD & HD decoding.

Read into that that BBC HD (via sat) will assume the same spec - for compatibility.;)

Have Fun,

Mark.
 
mljgmljg said:
Hi remlap,

From the horse's mouth: SKY = DVB-S2 [modulation] MPEG4 [compression] @ 720p/50 or 1080i/25

The Thomson Set-top-box has an MPEG2/MPEG4 Decoder; i.e., for SD & HD decoding.

Read into that that BBC HD (via sat) will assume the same spec - for compatibility.;)

Have Fun,

Mark.

So the Thomson satellite box could do MPEG2 HD with DVB-S? it all depends but seems more and more likely DVB-S2.

Ah well never know BBC might want to make the most of it, and use DVB-S and make us with Skystars happy :-rofl2
 
remlap said:
So the Thomson satellite box could do MPEG2 HD with DVB-S? it all depends but seems more and more likely DVB-S2.

No. Don't think of DVB-S or MPEG2 for HD. DVB-S2 is for HD (MPEG4/H.264/AVS) and is considered the standard for everything HD. The Thomson decodes both compression types only because their are both SD and HD channels being transmitted at 28.2°E.

remlap said:
Ah well never know BBC might want to make the most of it, and use DVB-S and make us with Skystars happy :-rofl2

Er, no they won't - sorry.:o

They are not going to dump years of shared knowledge/interest in the development of MPEG4 by getting DVB-S to do something it can't. The only thing the BBC might change is the Symbol rate and FEC - much like they did with FreeView (if compared to ITV).

If you really want to receive the BBC HD channels when they launch, I would recommend that you make sure you have DVB-S2 compliant kit.

Have Fun,

Mark.
 
I was hoping the same thing, but the latest press release says that the Beeb will be taking its feeds from Premiere, and they use MPEG-4/DVB-S2 so that's me upset good and proper :(

I seriously thought the BBC would use MPEG-2/DVB-S so that more than half a dozen people could watch it :-DOH!

DVB-S is more than capable of stunning HD as Euro1080/HD1, TPS and others have proved.

STICK
 
'O'-red

What is the problem with grasping that MPEG2 is SD and MPEG4 is HD: for the sake of the discussion.

There are no cup-cake variations of MPEG2 that suite you, him, or the next bloke when it comes to SKY hd and/or BBC hd.:-DOH! Its effing DVB-S2/MPEG4/H.264/avs !!!!!!!!!

[self edit 3times: removed just woken up rant thing I had here.]

Can we leave this subject now and stop wishing for something that wont ever happen - and move on to what is happening: see here

'O'-red 'O'-red 'O'-red
 
It obviously is difficult to grasp Mark, otherwise everyone would grasp it. ;)

Unfortunately, this technology appears to be more riddled with acronyms and technical jargon than many others, with terms flying around like SD, HD, MPEG4, MPEG2, DVB-S2, DVB-S H.264, avs, 576p, 720p, 1080i, interlaced and progressive scan.

It is perhaps made worse by people with a bit of knowledge repeating this jargon parrot style as if it ought to be second nature. Found a little FAQ on these scan methods and some of the rest of this jargon, which may make them a little more understandable, but will probably still leave the heads of the vast majority spinning.
 
Thanks for the link rolf. Now I am even more confused.:(

The 1080p converter idea made me laugh. Sounds like the home theatre equivalent of a car boot full of bass speakers.

Mark.
 
Well, it's all on my HD primer, in faqs below, I thought most people knew about that!

www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=55477 .

(for display mode details, see my section on that, plus links given!).

Quick links:

faqs: http://www.burnyourbonus.co.uk/HDTV/faq.html .

latest news: http://www.hdtvuk.tv/ .

HD is possible in DVBS1 MPEG2, and indeed Euro1080 started like that, but NO future commercial HD services will be done that way, because it's just too bandwidth hungry!

MPEG4 DVBS2 gives you 2 hd channels per transponder (maybe 3), - or possibly more if not in "reverse compatible" mode for existing dishes - but MPEG2 only allows 1 !

(i think it's likely the BBC will want to transmit several video streams - not just one! - from the HD transponder).
 
With statistical multiplexing - the norm seems to be three HD channels per transponder; athough this will probably rise to eight when ITV go HD, lol.

@remlap - it might be an idea to test your kit with the free HD channels at 19.2°E. There are channels in both DVBS & DVBS2. If you can decode all the channels - your sorted;)

Lyngsat has the full listings.

Mark.
 
spiney said:
Well, it's all on my HD primer, in faqs below, I thought most people knew about that!

www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?t=55477 .

Sorry Spiney, had forgotten about that, perhaps we should move it to the new HD section (in fact have done that now). :) I would still say though, that with the average punter, the eyes will glaze over after the first couple of paragraphs, there is just too much info to absorb. :)
 
mljgmljg said:
'O'-red

What is the problem with grasping that MPEG2 is SD and MPEG4 is HD: for the sake of the discussion.

There are no cup-cake variations of MPEG2 that suite you, him, or the next bloke when it comes to SKY hd and/or BBC hd.:-DOH! Its effing DVB-S2/MPEG4/H.264/avs !!!!!!!!!

[self edit 3times: removed just woken up rant thing I had here.]

Can we leave this subject now and stop wishing for something that wont ever happen - and move on to what is happening: see here

'O'-red 'O'-red 'O'-red

Can I take it that was directed at me?

All I said was that HD is possible on DVB-S. I wasn't suggesting that the world drop MPEG-4 and run with my suggestion :rolleyes:
 
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