Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

A lady with vision and is she the Hotel Inspector to boot;):)

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

It'd be nice, but my missus is MUCH better looking :)

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

:)

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Actually, no. Every channel moving to HD only would not save bandwidth. It would actually use a lot more. This is why we are *never* likely to get a situation where SD is switched off entirely. There is also the problem for current SD channels of cost. While you or I might only have to upgrade 1 TV at the cost of £100 or £200, a TV company would have to look at upgrading all it's cameras, recorders, editing systems and playback systems. Not to mention the networking and power systems of it's buildings, as the new equipment is likely to use a lot more power. This is actually the reason the BBC moved out of Television centre: It would have cost too much to fully upgrade TC for HD work. In short, you or I would be looking at a couple of hundred pounds for a cheap set. A TV company (even a small one) could be looking at several million pounds of expenditure to upgrade their buildings and equipment.

Personally, I don't think we will get a situation where the current channels with both HD and SD variants will switch the SD variants off. Purely because while HDTVs are dirt cheap these days, they are still out of reach for some people. Not everyone can afford to throw out a perfectly good SD set purely because the world has gone HD, even if new HD sets are around the £100 mark.

---------- Post added at 15:25 ---------- Previous post was at 15:07 ----------

Spiderplant is, I think, looking at things from Virgin's point of view. Because we rent the STBs from Virgin, people would (rightly) expect them to provide replacement boxes for free (or at least a reasonable cost) if any of the major channels stopped SD broadcasts. I think, although I am not sure, that there may also be a legal requirement for them to do so, or at least allow the customer to terminate their contract with no penalty.

When you buy something (like a Blu Ray player or Camera), the company's responsibility toward you ends when the warranty does (and even then it's limited). When you rent something from a company, their responsibility does not end until the contract is cancelled, which may take years (or even decades).

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

One thing that I do dislike about Virgin and HD is how the HD channels are nearly all high up in the channel numbers. It would be much better if they did what Sky did and swapped them with the SD versions at the lower numbers.

Unfortunately, they're going away from this recently, swapping the HD channels of Alibi, Watch etc with their +1 variants, bringing the +1s to lower numbers and HD channels to forgettable high numbers.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

That may sometimes have a hidden advantage. I remember reading a post a while back now, by someone that said that Tivo will pick the highest numbered channel to record a wishlist item from, if the same whishlist show appears at the same time on two different channels.

I can't say that I've studied this at all, but I have noticed that whishlist shows that turn up on Sky One or Living tend to pick up the HD channel and some whishlist shows that turn up on the BBC are sometimes on the BBC1 Eng and BBC2 Eng channels. It could be pure coincidence though?

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Maybe I'm being a bit thick here, but why are you concerned with the channel numbering system?

If you are only interested in the HD channels, then why not just select HD on the EPG when looking for the channel you want?

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Because I'm not 'only interested in HD channels. Frequently I'll be flicking through the channels looking for something to watch, and find something interesting on ITV4 or Comedy Central, only to then be confronted by the 'oh god, what number is ITV4 HD? 182? 168? Somewhere around here... 175? Eventually I'll find it, but it'd be a lot less effort to have the channel lower down - who wants to watch the SD version of a channel they have in HD?

I think you may be right, and that's a very good point. I do wish they could at least stay grouped together (on channels 131, 132 and 133, for example), rather than shoving the HD variant up high.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

SD will undoubtedly die off. It may take another 10 years +, but it will happen. There will be few people left with non HD TVs, studios will all eventually upgrade to HD equipment as it's getting cheaper each year. It'll get to a point where having to downscale to SD causes more hassle.

People use to say that about widescreen - that as not everyone has a widescreen TV, 4:3 programmes would be around for a while yet. To a point it is, but not for much longer.

Only historical programming will remain in SD 4:3...! The future is HD 16:9 or better.

Can you imagine when UDH/4K really takes off, trying to watch SD on a 100in screen? No chance.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

So why not go straight to the HD channels to look up your programmes?

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Current regional programs are still shown on SD, I am not interested in non Yorkshire based adverts whilst watching say ITV HD.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Because then the SD-only ones won't be listed?

I read it as 'browse all channels to see what's on, but have an easy way to get to the HD version if it is an SD programme that catches your eye'.

Personally I'd like an option to hide SD versions of HD channels entirely.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Still think SD will last a while yet and not everyone has the full XL package and all the possible HD channels.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

Maybe we've been spoiled but the SD picture on some channels is terrible. Watching a re-run of Man Utd v Liverpool on SS3 and the picture is shocking.

Re: Why are we still bothering with SD?
 

IIRC that's down to bitrate rather than the picture definition. There has always been a very noticeable difference in quality between the main PSB channels like BBC1 and some of the also-rans, on satellite at least.