HDTV specs

[Jim Lesurf]

Until recently I've just used gip for radio. But a few days ago I
experimented with TV for the first time to compare it with what I got using
the ilplayer plugin and FireFox. The results prompt me to outline what I
got and ask if this is typical or if I was doing something <ahem?
sub-optimal. :-)

The first time I used FireFox I went via the 'shedules' to the 'Symphony'
programme on BBC4 that wa broadcast Friday before last. I clicked on the
'hd' icon to select it.

This played but a right-click over the display told me the stream was 1500
kbps and resolution 832 x 468. Which struck me as not particularly 'HD'.

So I tried again a day later when I had a chance. This time the program's
page offerred sd and hd buttons. And the 'hd' one gave me  2800 kbps 1280 x
720 this time. Rather better, but not 1980 x 1080 of course.

I used gip to get the program by pid and asking for tvmode 'best'. This
also gave me the 1280 x 720 resolution version.

The result plays better using vlc (avcodec) than I saw using FireFox and
plugin. The FF/plugin streamed version showed some examples when objects
that moved/panned sideways produced an image of them that was 'torn into
horizontal bands' because the image integrity couldn't keep up. The fetched
file when played with vlc didn't show this problem at all.[1]

Is 1280 x 720 the norm for the hdtv best-quality? I can't tell as I only
have one example which doesn't give me a chance to do any stats at all!
Plan to mainly remain interested in audio, but am curious about how hdtv
via gip and FF compare with via DVB-T2.

Cheers,

Jim

[1] FWIW I have a decent fttc connection in terms of nominal speed but live
some way from London (and, I assume the main BBC servers).

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