RE: [backstage] Is Freesat going to be HD only?

[Gareth Davis]

        Brian Butterworth wrote:
         
        Why would the BBC broadcast upscaled programming?  That would be
awful.
         

The simulcast Channel 4 HD and Sky One HD are mostly upscaled. If I were
forced in the STB software to only watch and record the HD versions of
these channels then it would be a retrograde step.
 
In the early days of the HD trial the BBC did broadcast upscaled
content, but with a caption across the bottom letting the viewer know
this was the case. The decision has since been taken that only HD
content will be shown on HD channels. When a viewer tunes into BBC HD
they know they always[1] getting HD content, this is not the case with
simulcast or timeshared channels.
-- 
Gareth Davis | Production Systems Specialist
World Service Future Media, Digital Delivery Team - Part of BBC Global
News Division
* http://www.bbcworldservice.com/ <http://www.bbcworldservice.com/>  *
702NE Bush House, Strand, London, WC2B 4PH


[1] A BBC HD programme can have a percentage of upscaled content, I
can't remember what it is right now, but it is fairly low. This includes
HDV-Cam sourced footage, which is not considered to be HD broadcast
quality.