New HD DSTV channel here on Monday

[ponder]

The Discovery HD showcase will be watered down too. European Discovery HD = 35mbps. SA HD channel currently broadcast at < 1/3 of that.

I always thought a 1920x1080ix60fps HD stream required 19Mb/s, where does the 35Mb/s come from?

 

[charl.vil]

WOW now we will have two HD channels! (Hear the sarcasm in my voice) Can't they make like a mnetmoviesHD, mnetseriesHD, nationalgeographicHD, mnetactionHD, supersportHD, espnHD, bbcknowledgeHD. Hell anything HD. Why not add a kyknetHD. Really like how many HD channels does the UK and USA have? I think the UK has around 30-40 in HD and the USA i think has more HD channels than we have SD.
And what about a more affordable HD PVR??? I have friends that can't pay that for a decoder. In America you pay around $249(R1885) for a TiVo HD DVR and $199(R1507) for a DirecTV HD DVR. Its cheaper and has much better than DStvs PVR.
So I call on DStv to bring us a better service.

 

[AnomalyNexus]

Bull****. There is no reason on earth to broadcast a 720p MPEG 4 stream at anything like 35Mbps. Europe's Discovery HD must be using MPEG2to require that bandwidth. And if so, it's like comparing an apple to a porcupine.

Who said anything about a mpeg 4 stream? Neither DSTV nor Discovery HD are using mpeg 4.

Though you are right in that they are not currently broadcasting at 35mbps, that was 6 months ago. Currently at 20mbps. No idea why it was originally that high.

 

[arf9999]

Who said anything about a mpeg 4 stream? Neither DSTV nor Discovery HD are using mpeg 4.

Though you are right in that they are not currently broadcasting at 35mbps, that was 6 months ago. Currently at 20mbps. No idea why it was originally that high.

All HD content on DSTV is MPEG 4.

 

[Creag]

SUPERB!!!!! Been watching the test in HD!!! What a difference!!!! One thing HD is not is over rated!!!!

Are we doing any better in HD?

 

[Creag]

While it may be a huge set up, it is not going to make me give up my SD-PVR. Besides the fact that it would probably be extra monthly fees for HD (unless MC really surprise us there), I get dual view, Dstv on Demand and the 80 hours of record time is more than enough.

 

[drukkie]

WOW now we will have two HD channels! (Hear the sarcasm in my voice) Can't they make like a mnetmoviesHD, mnetseriesHD, nationalgeographicHD, mnetactionHD, supersportHD, espnHD, bbcknowledgeHD. Hell anything HD. Why not add a kyknetHD. Really like how many HD channels does the UK and USA have? I think the UK has around 30-40 in HD and the USA i think has more HD channels than we have SD.
And what about a more affordable HD PVR??? I have friends that can't pay that for a decoder. In America you pay around $249(R1885) for a TiVo HD DVR and $199(R1507) for a DirecTV HD DVR. Its cheaper and has much better than DStvs PVR.
So I call on DStv to bring us a better service.

Yeah and they pay $3000 for a flat (rent) and 5-7 dollars for a beer, Mcdonalds is 6 dollars. this is not america

 

[Smurfatefrog]

WOW now we will have two HD channels! (Hear the sarcasm in my voice) Can't they make like a mnetmoviesHD, mnetseriesHD, nationalgeographicHD, mnetactionHD, supersportHD, espnHD, bbcknowledgeHD.

Keep up with the times, we have a Supersport HD

 

[sand_man]

Keep up with the times, we have a Supersport HD

And man am I loving it!!! And that's the advantage we have over the yanks, we can appreciate these things a little more when we get to experience them for the 1st time...

 

[Quantum Theory]

Bull****. There is no reason on earth to broadcast a 720p MPEG 4 stream at anything like 35Mbps. Europe's Discovery HD must be using MPEG2to require that bandwidth. And if so, it's like comparing an apple to a porcupine.

+1


And for all the guys saying that they are already out of bandwidth... you guys obviously do not have a clue. They just fired up two new transponders and there are loads of bandwidth left that they can use in the future.

 

[Saman]

With no single device dual-view H D-decoder available I'm not keen on it. come on Multichoice hurry up with that new hd decoder please

 

[ToxicBunny]

There will never be a single device dual-view HD Decoder..

and the new HD decoder is going to be EXACTLY the same as the current one with a slightly faster processor, but the functionality will be identical.

 

[g-d-zilla]

HD? Yeah, right!

What about National Geographic HD, National Geographic HD, History HD
Guess they dont count as factual

Maybe factual, but not as important as "sport" and what DStv considers "important".

Even the "new" Discovery Channel HD has to be seen to be believed. While I have no doubt it will be High-Definition, I seriously doubt it will be The Discovery Channel as broadcast by the host company. DStv has the habit of broadcasting what they want to broadcast, and repeat seasons as often as they see fit (circa NCIS on 108), and we are certainly not getting the latest season of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe as advertised on their website.

 

[getafix33]

I've been watching live cricket on supersport HD the whole day.

 

[Gradius]

1920x720?

What odd aspect ratio is that?

1280x720 is 16:9 HD Broadcast standard.

mebe he meant 1920 x 1080 ?

 

[ToxicBunny]

Quite probably...

but i couldn't make fun of that

 

[Gradius]

tru story that lol

 

[Cloudster]

u guys think it's worth buying the HD PVR decoder now? i don't wanna buy a decoder now and find out they're releasing a new one a month later =/

 

[Smurfatefrog]

u guys think it's worth buying the HD PVR decoder now? i don't wanna buy a decoder now and find out they're releasing a new one a month later =/

As has been said in this thread & countless times before, the next decoder will be the UEC one which will probably be around within a couple months but it will be exactly the same as the Pace decoder, except that it is fugly

 

[feo]

Just picked up my HD PVR...gonna get him installed on Monday!