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Cable One makes some HD channels viewable only with CableCARD / STB

by Darren Murph posted Nov 20th 2008 at 5:43PM

At first glance, we assumed that Cable One had relegated a number of channels to switched digital video, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Instead, company officials have proclaimed that "cable programmers like Discovery HD, Nat Geo HD and ESPN HD have requested their signals to be scrambled," meaning that subscribers will now need to fork out for a CableCARD or cable company-issued set-top-box in order to see all 24 high-def stations offered in Sioux City, Iowa. Ah well, you've been looking for a valid reason to make the leap to a carrier with a real dose of high-definition anyway, right?

Scene selection on Blu-ray

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Mar 17th 2008 at 12:11PM

Die Hard Blu-ray scene selection
Sure, the main reason we want an HD movie disc is for the ultimate experience in audio and video quality, but another great benefit is supposed to be an improvement in the interactivity and user experience, and this is the part that is lacking in at least one way -- yeah, we agree, there are plenty of things to complain about. One thing we've noticed on just about ever Blu-ray movie is that for whatever reason the author doesn't take advantage of all the screen real estate when it comes to helping you find the scene you're looking for. Instead of filling the entire screen with thumbnails from each scene, there are only a handful, and just like DVD, you have to thumb around the remote a lot to figure out which scene you're looking for -- while at the same time they waste the rest of the space on the screen. So if any BD authors are out there reading this, do us a favor and take advantage of the that big screen HDTV we've spent our hard earned money on.

Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 HD DVD arriving sans quality?

by Darren Murph posted Dec 14th 2007 at 10:23AM


It's not like we haven't seen a high-profile HD title released without the expected level of quality, but it seems the QA lapse is bugging the HD DVD camp this go 'round. Apparently, hordes of angry Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 HD DVD buyers are flocking to message boards to grumble about the shoddy packaging, scratched up discs and other picture / audio niggles that certainly should not be appearing on a $70 (or more) box set. As the above image illustrates, it seems that some buyers are receiving the set only to find a plethora of unwanted scratches (presumably due to misaligned packaging), and if the stuttering playback wasn't bad enough, some customers are also finding image quality / audio sync issues with the included mini series. So, dear readers, have any of you experienced similar headaches? And if so, what's your plan of action?

[Image courtesy of Amazon / J. Ryder, thanks Robert P.]

Aussies criticizing Seven Network for compressing HD feeds

by Darren Murph posted Jul 4th 2007 at 9:59PM

Same story, different continent. The compression bug has seemingly struck again, and this time its aggravating those Down Under who'd like to enjoy Seven Network's 1080i programming in all of its high-definition glory. After just recently flipping the switch to broadcast content in HD, a sect of Australians have already begun to grumble over the "relatively low amount of bandwidth the network has allocated to the high-definition channel." Of course, it should be noted that "most" viewers have seen no reason to get bent out of shape, but for those relaxing in Oz, what say ye on the Seven situation?




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