View Full Version : DSTv Discovery channel Quality crap
RichardP
12-10-2005, 09:41 PM
Yo,
Has anyone noticed the quality of the picture on then Discovery channel? Breaking up and very "bland" ... no colour depth? (Select Movie Magic for a refrence of an OK picture)
Richard
thisgeek
12-10-2005, 10:10 PM
Yup, if it's not a multichoice channel, quality gets shunted right to the bottom of the charts.
Highflyer_GP
12-10-2005, 10:14 PM
series channel as well has crap quality compared to when they first aired the shows on mnet
UtterNutter
12-10-2005, 10:14 PM
Yeah, contrast is waaaay to high. And there's weird rainbox effects all the time.
antowan
12-10-2005, 10:25 PM
I don't see that... Strange...
on my side it seems fine!
killadoob
13-10-2005, 06:54 AM
maybe your tubes are goin
history channel is way better than discovery
craigsa
13-10-2005, 08:19 AM
Yes last night i could barely watch it bu thought it was on my side.
If you watch DSTV and your picture comes through a video cable, the compression in the picture is much more visible compared to watching it through the rf connection.
I wish they would set all the channels with the same compression as Supersport 1, but I guess that would cost them too much :rolleyes:
antowan
13-10-2005, 09:20 AM
Nope, checked this morning and the quality of DISCOVERY CHANNEL sucks!
Sorry guys, I have to agree it is out of order.
Cheers
Me
LandyMan
13-10-2005, 10:00 AM
Nope, checked this morning and the quality of DISCOVERY CHANNEL sucks!
Having to deal with cabled DSTv reception in the last 9 months, it all boils down to signal quality. when the quality drops, certain channels go for a ball of snot, or they are not available at all.
Culprits normally (well, on my old cable system):
Series
KykNet
Discovery
Sometimes CNN
BBC prime
If you have a problem with Discovery again, pop over to BBC Prime. I have come to notice a relationship between these two channels if the reception is poor.
RichardP
13-10-2005, 10:07 AM
Phoned them and spoke to a tekkie (gag)
"Sir, you are the only one having this problem - please realign your LNB and dish" - and then rattled off a list of other channels that should be having the same problem .
Channel0 , MNET , Series, Hallmark , SS1
Another proudly South African company
LandyMan
13-10-2005, 10:13 AM
"Sir, you are the only one having this problem - please realign your LNB and dish"
If only it was that simple :p
Scandium
13-10-2005, 10:20 AM
Yes, I have noticed this degeneration of quality and I have one of them S-VIDEO cables directly connected to the TV set. This is a bit of a "derailer" post but while on the topic of "quality" and "DSTV" can anyone tell me:
a) If that DSTV compact package can be modified?
b) If not, is there -ANY- possible way to pay only for selected channels?
Since the destruction of the SCI-FI channel, the increasing amount of DSTV adverts and now recently the loss of quality to certain channel, its just not worth it for me anymore. I would love to switch to a cheaper alternative and pay for the channels I actually watch (which is only a handful at any rate), the screwed up thing is that the DSTV compact boquet comprises of 11 channels that I don't watch.
I have shot off an email to multichoice but still no reply... if anyone has any insight, well... your response will be most appreciated :)
RichardP
13-10-2005, 10:31 AM
As far as I know... the Compact bouquet cant be changed.... but you can upgrade it to "Full" or add the Deukom/ZeeTV ones.
As for the rest, phone them and speak to a lovely consultant (011) 289 - 2222
Maybe you can get blood out of a stone.
Richard
Yes, I have noticed this degeneration of quality and I have one of them S-VIDEO cables directly connected to the TV set. This is a bit of a "derailer" post but while on the topic of "quality" and "DSTV" can anyone tell me:
a) If that DSTV compact package can be modified?
b) If not, is there -ANY- possible way to pay only for selected channels?
Since the destruction of the SCI-FI channel, the increasing amount of DSTV adverts and now recently the loss of quality to certain channel, its just not worth it for me anymore. I would love to switch to a cheaper alternative and pay for the channels I actually watch (which is only a handful at any rate), the screwed up thing is that the DSTV compact boquet comprises of 11 channels that I don't watch.
I have shot off an email to multichoice but still no reply... if anyone has any insight, well... your response will be most appreciated :)
antowan
13-10-2005, 10:58 AM
There is definately a problem with the image quality of Discovery channel. I just phoned the helpdesk and they said it is fine on their side. I pointed out to them that it is especially the white colours they need to look out for and the OK icon and the LOGO of discovery channel that gives away the fact that the image is over compensated either through a contrast setting or brightness setting at the controll centre in Randburg. The helpdesk lady promised she would report it to them...
Lets wait and see...
I can correct it to some degree with my computer TV tuner using its contrast feature, which leads me to think they have turned up the contrast function for this channel too much.
What makes it irritating is that you don't want to go and tweak the damned TV everytime you watch Discovery. They should standardise it for all channals!
:mad:
The quality of the channel is disturbing. It brings me back to the same things that upsets me SO MUCH at cinemas, bad visual imaging or image preperation and presentation at cinemas! These things should be PERFECT!
Why should I have to struggle to watch Discovery Channel? It is just nuts! Get qualified people to manage these things damnit! Grrrrrrrrrr...
RichardP
13-10-2005, 11:02 AM
They should standardise it for all channals!
LOL!!! the only "Standard" there is ..... is "Non-Standard"
Richard
antowan
13-10-2005, 11:04 AM
I sent the following via web complaint:
Discovery channel visuals from 12 October sucks. The contrast level is too high overexposing white which makes the channel hard to watch. It is a big favourite of mine so please fix it. Your help desk people don't seem to understand the finer details of imaging. They have all kinds of excuses ranging from dish orientation to decoder problems. Truth is that I am not the only person to complain!
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=29250 will give you more info on other people who find the service troubling.
Please sort it out ASAP. Trust me the problem is on your side.
Thanks so much
Antowan
RichardP
13-10-2005, 11:15 AM
I sent the following via web complaint:
Discovery channel visuals from 12 October sucks. The contrast level is too high overexposing white which makes the channel hard to watch. It is a big favourite of mine so please fix it. Your help desk people don't seem to understand the finer details of imaging. They have all kinds of excuses ranging from dish orientation to decoder problems. Truth is that I am not the only person to complain!
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=29250 will give you more info on other people who find the service troubling.
Please sort it out ASAP. Trust me the problem is on your side.
Thanks so much
Antowan
At least now there is proof and I dont feel like a bananna when they say "Sir, you are the only one" ;-)
Thanks
Richard
LandyMan
13-10-2005, 11:24 AM
What makes it irritating is that you don't want to go and tweak the damned TV everytime you watch Discovery. They should standardise it for all channals!
You know what gets me, is the difference in volume levels between actual programming and ads. Geez, when you watch something like say CSI, where it is quite important to know what they are saying to understand what they are carrying on about, you have to pump up the volume quite high. Then, enter ad break, you have to scramble for the bleddie remote before the idiot trying to sell you a blow up mattress wakes up the baby.
If they can standardise that, I will be very happy
antowan
13-10-2005, 11:39 AM
They do that deliberately LandyMan....
:)
LandyMan
13-10-2005, 11:43 AM
They do that deliberately LandyMan....
:)
Yeah, I know, but damn annoying!
craigsa
13-10-2005, 11:52 AM
Yeah the different noise levels are so freaking annoying. What a k@k service.
craigsa
13-10-2005, 12:06 PM
I have just e mailed a complaint to DSTV . Will let you know the outcome.
LandyMan
13-10-2005, 12:08 PM
I have just e mailed a complaint to DSTV . Will let you know the outcome.
Good luck with that guys. I e-mailed them beginning of August, about a problem I was having with my Decoder ... I replaced the decoder, and I am still waiting for a response from them
bwana
13-10-2005, 12:11 PM
I have just e mailed a complaint to DSTV . Will let you know the outcome.lol - complaint to DTSV - have more hope and a better chance of getting results by complaining to telkom about high prices. :D
As you might detect by my cynicism I'm not impressed by DSTVs customer services.
ButterflyXXX
13-10-2005, 12:39 PM
If only it was that simple :p
my mom phoned last week, and they told us to check the signal strength in the menu. meant to be at 100%, but the 2 bars keep jumping from 75 to 80, down to 65 etc. i tried to reposition dish, but it didn't help...
LandyMan
13-10-2005, 12:44 PM
my mom phoned last week, and they told us to check the signal strength in the menu. meant to be at 100%, but the 2 bars keep jumping from 75 to 80, down to 65 etc. i tried to reposition dish, but it didn't help...
Signal strength should be 100% ... the signal quality is the problem: anything above 80% is fine
my mom phoned last week, and they told us to check the signal strength in the menu. meant to be at 100%, but the 2 bars keep jumping from 75 to 80, down to 65 etc. i tried to reposition dish, but it didn't help...
I was under the impression that signal quality isn't really a factor for picture quality unless it becomes really bad that the stream gets interrupted. This is when you see the picture break up for a frame or 2 into large incomprehensible blocks.
Perhaps the call centre guys are told that whenever somebody complains about a bad picture, it means that the person's reception has reached this point of stream breakup.
The call centre people don't know much. If you try to tell them about compression and audio bandwidth, they haven't a clue what you are talking about.
RichardP
13-10-2005, 01:11 PM
I was under the impression that signal quality isn't really a factor for picture quality unless it becomes really bad that the stream gets interrupted. This is when you see the picture break up for a frame or 2 into large incomprehensible blocks.
Perhaps the call centre guys are told that whenever somebody complains about a bad picture, it means that the person's reception has reached this point of stream breakup.
The call centre people don't know much. If you try to tell them about compression and audio bandwidth, they haven't a clue what you are talking about.
I had the signal jumping about too on a previous problem... I was told my dish was aligned wrong... I laughed at the person - I use a 2meter C/KuBand dish receiving C-band feeds off PAS10 from India perfectly!.. and none of my equipment is DsTV stuff!
Richard
UtterNutter
13-10-2005, 01:33 PM
my mom phoned last week, and they told us to check the signal strength in the menu. meant to be at 100%, but the 2 bars keep jumping from 75 to 80, down to 65 etc. i tried to reposition dish, but it didn't help...
They meant the sattelite dish, not the baking dish. Sheesh! Chicks... :p
:D
Two strane things happen to my installation
1. At prediodic intervals the menu will appear for about 13 seconds and go away on its own.
2. As you scroll from one channel to the next it gets very slow. You get delayed reaction when adjusting volume even when chaning channels.
3. As you switch from one channel to the next, the screen freezes for a short while, the sound leads the pictures for a few seconds and eventually everything is in sync again.
4. SOmetimes the decoder just resets itself in the middle of a show. No warning.
My speculation ? New content added to the bouquet so something is going iffy with bandwidth?
I noticed there is a Fin24 now lately.
I think they compress their channels too much to get 50+ channels, thats why the quality is so crap...they rather cut out half of the dozen sports channels and increase the resolution of the other channels...
R450 bucks for freeking wiping your @$$:mad:
UtterNutter
13-10-2005, 03:47 PM
Two strane things happen to my installation
1. At prediodic intervals the menu will appear for about 13 seconds and go away on its own.
2. As you scroll from one channel to the next it gets very slow. You get delayed reaction when adjusting volume even when chaning channels.
3. As you switch from one channel to the next, the screen freezes for a short while, the sound leads the pictures for a few seconds and eventually everything is in sync again.
4. SOmetimes the decoder just resets itself in the middle of a show. No warning.
My speculation ? New content added to the bouquet so something is going iffy with bandwidth?
I noticed there is a Fin24 now lately.
My Dad's decoder did the exact same thing. It was only solved when he bought one of them newer, slimline versions. The one giving problems was a big VCR-sized decoder. It still works, but with all the new menu goodies etc it really battles. It can't do tranparent menus, any of the games channels, the "OK for more info" and all that stuff...
Scandium
13-10-2005, 03:48 PM
I've noticed that menu popping up and disappearing every so often, I thought it may have been some "feature" where it attempts to show you what's up next just before the end of whatever is currently on but that theory went out the window when it popped up during the middle of a movie. I suppose it might pop up when it receives an update? Or it's probably just nerfed :P
I also find that the decoder is painfully slow sometimes, or well... mine is anyway, I would try and change the channel by popping in the number and it would just sit on the current channel and not respond... a good few seconds later it will attempt to process all the buttons pushed resulting in further delay.
I've seen the decoder reset by itself but its very seldom, not sure if this happens because it can auto update and needs a restart?
-BUT-
Its all understandable when you invert the decoder and a label reads "made in south africa", obviously compromised on quality to rake in extra $$$.
Me thinks we may need a mydstv.co.za or something :P
RichardP
13-10-2005, 05:05 PM
I got rid of all that crap... bought a PVR from overseas, I dont get the weather channels, the extended EPG, or the Reboots or the "popups"
Unfortunately its expensive but 'COOL' factor is my decoder runs Linux ;-) (got one for sale if anyone is interested in a Dreambox DM7000 PVR)
Richard
I've noticed that menu popping up and disappearing every so often, I thought it may have been some "feature" where it attempts to show you what's up next just before the end of whatever is currently on but that theory went out the window when it popped up during the middle of a movie. I suppose it might pop up when it receives an update? Or it's probably just nerfed :P
I also find that the decoder is painfully slow sometimes, or well... mine is anyway, I would try and change the channel by popping in the number and it would just sit on the current channel and not respond... a good few seconds later it will attempt to process all the buttons pushed resulting in further delay.
I've seen the decoder reset by itself but its very seldom, not sure if this happens because it can auto update and needs a restart?
-BUT-
Its all understandable when you invert the decoder and a label reads "made in south africa", obviously compromised on quality to rake in extra $$$.
Me thinks we may need a mydstv.co.za or something :P
craigsa
13-10-2005, 05:23 PM
Richard what can you watch ?
RichardP
13-10-2005, 05:32 PM
Richard what can you watch ?
U have a PM .. ;-) If there is a signal out there that is receiveable in SA - then it will receive it. Also does Video streaming ;-)
Scandium
13-10-2005, 06:46 PM
I got rid of all that crap... bought a PVR from overseas, I dont get the weather channels, the extended EPG, or the Reboots or the "popups"
Unfortunately its expensive but 'COOL' factor is my decoder runs Linux ;-) (got one for sale if anyone is interested in a Dreambox DM7000 PVR)
Richard
Sploitz!111!!!!
Please do tell where and how much for such a device?
RichardP
13-10-2005, 06:58 PM
I am selling one for R2600 ono (got a 20gig HDD inside... about 24Hrs of recording) Send me a PM if you are interested....
maybe I can organise a MyADSL bulk-buy?
http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.de/Bereiche/Produkte/DM7000_featurelist.php
Richard
antowan
13-10-2005, 11:30 PM
Seems fixed? Haven't checked at home yet...
igmarr
28-09-2010, 09:37 PM
Hi Richard, I see that you have Deukom. I am trying to record programs now and then unto a laptop. Do you think that would be possible?
Regards,
Igmar Rautenbach