Low Bit Rates - SD as well as HD Channels

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nn007

Newbie
I have heard that Tata Sky is struggling for Capacity and compress the Video content at Very Low Bit Rates for SD as well as HD channels before uplinking resulting in Compression Artefacts, Macro blocking and Mosquito noise.

Sadly, in India, no government agency sets the Minimum Acceptable Bit Rate for each codec being used. Hence, the DTH operators are free to tweak the various parameters as per their whims and fancies.
 
NinadG

NinadG

EntMnt Contributor
Finest Member
Yeah...Trai should try to define the meaning of SD or HD channel.....Now DTH is taking all granted....
Btw guessing that TS troubles would continue for next 2 years.......After that PQ would be stabilized.....
 
N

nn007

Newbie
Most Operators (not just India but worldwide), in recent times, use H.264/AVC (aka MPEG 4) codec for both SD and HD channels and the new H.265/HEVC codec for Ultra HD (4K) channels.

In Europe, the "Minimum" bit rate acceptable is 4 Mbps for SD and 10 Mbps for HD channels. Of course, Sports content/channels need significantly higher bit rates.

Tata Sky may be using even " lower " bit rates to fit all their channels on the limited satellite transponders available. The CEO Harit Nagpal had acknowledged earlier that they are struggling for capacity.

Why did Tata Sky choose ISRO?
The DTH policy says that between an Indian and foreign satellite, the operator should give preference to the Indian satellite. In fact, Dish TV, the first DTH operator, started with ISRO and switched to a foreign satellite within six months, ditto for Airtel in 2010. Sun Direct lost customers when INSAT 4C, the satellite it was on, lost power all of a sudden (in 2010). But we stuck to ISRO - Harit Nagpal

Why can't Tata-Sky shift to another foreign satellite?
The choice of satellite is a lifetime decision, you can't change it just like that. A satellite operates in a certain orbital slot (83.0 E) towards which the antennae of all my 10 million customers are turned. If I shift to another satellite, we have to physically go to each of these homes and shift the antennae towards the other satellite. - Harit Nagpal

In comparison, Blu-ray discs use the same codec for HD content at 40 Mbps - hence the favourite of Videophiles.

My friend recorded a movie broadcast via Tata Sky on a " HD Channel " and the quality was significantly inferior to that of the same Blu-ray title available in the market.
 
NinadG

NinadG

EntMnt Contributor
Finest Member
nn007 said:
Most Operators (not just India but worldwide), in recent times, use H.264/AVC (aka MPEG 4) codec for both SD and HD channels and the new H.265/HEVC codec for Ultra HD (4K) channels.

In Europe, the "Minimum" bit rate acceptable is 4 Mbps for SD and 10 Mbps for HD channels. Of course, Sports content/channels need significantly higher bit rates.

Tata Sky may be using even " lower " bit rates to fit all their channels on the limited satellite transponders available. The CEO Harit Nagpal had acknowledged earlier that they are struggling for capacity.

Why did Tata Sky choose ISRO?
The DTH policy says that between an Indian and foreign satellite, the operator should give preference to the Indian satellite. In fact, Dish TV, the first DTH operator, started with ISRO and switched to a foreign satellite within six months, ditto for Airtel in 2010. Sun Direct lost customers when INSAT 4C, the satellite it was on, lost power all of a sudden (in 2010). But we stuck to ISRO - Harit Nagpal

Why can't Tata-Sky shift to another foreign satellite?
The choice of satellite is a lifetime decision, you can't change it just like that. A satellite operates in a certain orbital slot (83.0 E) towards which the antennae of all my 10 million customers are turned. If I shift to another satellite, we have to physically go to each of these homes and shift the antennae towards the other satellite. - Harit Nagpal

In comparison, Blu-ray discs use the same codec for HD content at 40 Mbps - hence the favourite of Videophiles.

My friend recorded a movie broadcast via Tata Sky on a " HD Channel " and the quality was significantly inferior to that of the same Blu-ray title available in the market.
Click to expand...
All the broadcasters in Europe must be following some guidelines from regulators which would have set some parameters......But here we see that regulator himself working for DTH & telecom ops...
 
N

nn007

Newbie
NinadG said:
All the broadcasters in Europe must be following some guidelines from regulators which would have set some parameters......But here we see that regulator himself working for DTH & telecom ops...
Click to expand...

Tata Sky is a DTH with unpopular attitude:

1. No unlimited recording via external USB media
2. No Free Everywhere TV
3. Costly Packages and a la carte Channels and Non-flexible pricing (MEGA HD - 6 months minimum requirement)
4. Lowest Bit Rates (both SD and HD channels)
5. Need to return Dish Antenna and LNB on discontinuation.
 
N

nn007

Newbie
Technoglitch said:
you mean both are equal in terms of quality?
Click to expand...

All I mean - do not blame Interlaced versus Progressive as the reason - the real reason is while Blu-ray uses a bit rate of 40 Mbps, Tata Sky does not want use even 10 Mbps for HD channels as they are struggling for capacity.

Ultra HD (4K) channels require 30-32 Mbps

Interesting Interview with Tata Sky CEO:
Harit Nagpal Interview

There was a Huge Uproar in UK when BBC HD reduced its bit rate from 16 Mbps to 9.7 Mbps - in India, the "sab chalta hai" attitude still prevails

Each transponder provides 144-216 Mbps - Tata Sky has only 12 transponders for all their channels - may need to increase in future. However, the 83.0 E orbital slot of Tata Sky is occupied by ISRO satellites.
 
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