Freesat SD Quality

[gordon2124]

Hi All

Can anyone tell me if the SD quality on Freesat is better than the Freeview Digital channels via a Digital Arial.

About to buy my first 42" Plasma Panel. As you will know SD is a problem on large panels. I have a Motorised Sat system, details below.



1 mtr Funke Motorised Dish 45E to 45W
0.2 LNB
Technomate 1500ci Super Receiver
Technomate 5400 USB Receiver with 500g Hard Drive.
Diablo/Super T-Rex/Dragon
Cas3/Elvis

[mrbleu500]

The bitrates on the BBC Freeview channels are pretty good, but the rest are pretty poor, so Freesat (28e FTA) likely to be better, they are on my setup.

I have found that the Freeview decoder you use makes quite a difference, the one built into my Samsung LCD TV is not as good as the one in my TM 6900, and that isn't as good as the one in my Sony PVR...

[gordon2124]

Thanks mrbleu500

I am also using a Sony PVR, think I will hang onto it, was looking at a Panasonic TH42PZ81 which has inbuilt Freesat tuner, the shop was running BBC HD on Freesat stunning picture. Thanks for info.

[xanadu]

ITV is just as bad on Freesat and Freeview.

There is no real difference.

I agree that some built in TV Freeview receivers are not always as good as as an external receiver which is upscaled via HDMI.

[Gone_Fishing]

What you have to remember is your taking a 720x576 or lower 544x576 picture and blowing it up to 1920x1080 which is a huge difference in size and if the quality is not there its going to stick out like a sore thumb

More expensive screens have better upscaling so can minimise this but you cant add whats not there in the first place

If your main viewing is SD you might want to go for a 1024x768 screen

The TH42PZ81 isn't meant to be that good at SD so I would go get a demo first showing freeview/freesat


TNT

[gordon2124]

Thanks for the replies guys, will take on board you advice and get a Dem on SD. Think i'll have a look at Pioneers PDP 4280XD as well.

[Gone_Fishing]

Always best to get a proper demo across all formats then theres no surprises :)

Theres a review of the 50" below

_http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panasonic-th50pz81b-review-20080729123.htm

Mind you if you buy online and aren't happy with it you can send it back within seven days from the day its delivered under the distance selling regs


TNT

[peggle]

ITV 1 & C4 are better on Freeview, 704x576. I believe they are 544x576 on Freesat.

[bladesmantwo]

I have panasonic TH-46PZ81B plasma with built in Freesat as well as freeview and analogue..would say Freesat HD and SD are very good,and superior picture to freeview,,some visitors have thought that the SD channels were HD..
Very pleased with it so far , although theres not much HD content at the moment.

.....regards,
................bladesmantwo

[gauss]

Bitrates for the BBC on satellite and freeview are virtually identical, at around 4500 kb/s VBR. ITV on satellite is higher quality than freeview at 3500kb/s vs 2500kb/s on freeview.