Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in HDTV! - Page 51

Is there ANY channel worse than TCM-HD ? (technical, not programming)

- 3 years of hogging HD bandwidth and delivering nothing.
- No commitment whatsoever to HDTV quality.


So is there ANY other channel that has squatted this long
on the HD dial without delivering a SINGLE HDTV PROGRAM?

The "race to the bottom" contest is now officially open.

I really can't think of anyone worse.


Meanwhile...
==========

Yesterday, DirecTV announced that it expects to offer 4K
content by 2016, and by that time all of their channels will be HDTV.

DirecTV commits to Ultra-HDTV


No doubt, TCM-ULTRAHD4K will debut shortly thereafter
and will commence offering up-converted SDTV
for another few decades.


Steve

I must totally disagree. TCM has had some beautiful HD presentations. Unlike other HD channels that do not air anything but newer transfers TCM has its share of older and unremastered titles to deal with but that's a supplier problem. In any event the channel looks far better than the SD feed that was only available from Directv until recently.

You are absolutely correct! The PQ is much better than it was before and I watch it a lot.

Some of their transfers are of very high quality, and obviously from high-definition scans. Strangely, lots of the ones I have noticed are from quite old British films.

Yes I noticed that the other night. Some were British Warner Bros. releases. Yesterday morning they aired a beautiful transfer of "Island of Love" in scope.

The high quality of the transfers they use for their SD transmissions and their consistent use of OAR are two of the things that have so frustrated over TCM's failure to show HD versions of its films on its HD channel. To make my frustration even more acute, TCM's library of wonderful old films is not only unmatched it isn't even approached in either size or quality anywhere else on television.

But they do show HD versions when available. There's no comparison to how the SD feed looked vs. the HD feed.

No, unless something has changed in the last few weeks, TCM-HD has yet to broadcast an actual HD transfer of a film, they are all SD upconverts, very good ones, but still SD.

Can we all agree that whatever is on that HD feed looks ten times better than the SD feed, and that, regardless of being SD or HD, they will still be showing a lot of titles that have not been remastered in years? I just couldn't agree with the OP saying it's the worst feed out there.

Upconverted SD transmitted on an HD channel does indeed look better that the same SD programming transmitted on an SD channel. Unfortunately, though, an upconverted SD transmission is still SD and looks dramatically worse that real HD -- not that we have ever been able to make that comparison on TCM HD.

Well I can agree with you on this. I can add that as far as I know, no other channel has EVER shown as much respect to its product (in this case, classic movies) as TCM.

I don't understand the technical side of it, but the accepted wisdom at dbstalk is that when they use an HD source, they still downconvert it to SD, then upconvert for HD broadcast.

My problem with them is the variability of PQ - none of it is HD quality, but the best of it is as pleasing to the eye, or even more so, than a bad HD broadcast of HD material. In other words, not bad for SD, but you never know what you'll get. Many that I record are horrible, and in the same way - very soft.

Their reasoning for no HD is a mystery, but maybe it's like my watch. I have a Citizen Exceed, a line not offered in the U.S. because I believe, Citizen doesn't think accuracy (guaranteed 10 seconds a year - 5 for the battery model) in a time piece is a marketable quality in the U.S.

There has NEVER been a second of HD broadcast on this channel. With that said, I agree that the "HD" channel is superior to the SD version.

That's not what he's saying at all. What he is really asking is if there are any other "HD" channels out there that have never broadcast anything in HD for as long as TCM has. He believes that they are the worst offender of not broadcasting HD on their HD channel. He's probably right.

This would be correct.

Has TCM ever given a reason for no HD in the nearly 3.5 years the channel has been in existence? I've never heard of them ever mentioning one. As a matter of fact, if you go to their website, there is no mention of HD anywhere. It's like it doesn't even exist to them.

Absolutely correct, bruin95.

HD does NOT exist in their strange little insular world.


How about a good joke?

======================================================================

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (July 18, 2012) –
Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential films in the history of cinema,
David Lean’s masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia returns to the big screen 50 years
after its 1962 premiere in a 4K digitally-restored version of the Director’s Cut.

Following its international debut at Festival Du Cannes this past May, Lawrence of Arabia
will screen nationwide in a digital-only theatrical event in theaters starting October 4th. THAT'S TODAY.

The film will be available in a Blu-ray™ 3-disc collectible boxed set starting
November 13th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

And now the punch line:

Additionally, the film will be featured for one night only on Turner Classic Movies,
November 16th at 8:00PM in a television exclusive.

======================================================================

So get ready to enjoy this new 4K transfer
in the format pioneered by TCM-HD...

Standard Augmented Definition (SAD for short)


Steve

Too bad, I was going to go out and get a 4K TV just for that movie but now I'll wait.

Was it your intention to post this in this thread, or was it a mistake? I'm curious since this has nothing to do with TCM.

My mistake. Sorry.

"Murder at the Gallop" ('63) and some others in the Miss Marple series looked terrific (for SD).

Welp... I predict, quite regrettably, that when TCM does make the switch to HD, they'll ruin it with a 24/7 channel bug [much like Urga's HD TCM channel.]

Hello ,

" Jaw " Restored version .


TCM HD/Kuro :

^ Which aforementioned bug is thankfully out of the picture area on that particular presentation.

Yeah, but there's no need to leave it on and it's even more distracting being 1) in the black area where it's more visible and 2) at the top right instead of lower right where it's up near people's faces and eyes and 3) at an angle where it looks odd. Can we spring for a level for the graphics guy?

Up where it is, I keep wanting to yell, "look out - something's coming in to bite you - and it's not the shark..."

That's right, Urga.Twist the knife

What a great picture! Has anyone seen as good on any television set in the United States? Ever?

Yes the restored HD of TCM HD Fr. masters are excellent qualities ...

I actually like the HD (SD upconvert) quality for most of the TCMHD films.

Its waaaay better that TCM (SD) on Directv.

I really would like to know if anyone has seen HD quality as good in this country, EVER?????? Doesn't it make you wonder?

I'm sure I have seen as good, many times. I jumped onboard with HD in '99, and NYC OTA HD looked absolutely magnificent on my JVC D-ILA and that's just one early example.