How's NBC HDTV Olympic Coverage Working For You? at DVinfo.net

J. Stephen McDonald · February 12th, 2006, 06:05 AM

I've enjoyed good picture quality and nice camera work on NBC's Olympic coverage, but I've been having many bad picture glitches. Every few minutes, the picture will freeze for several seconds. On the midnight show, there was 5 minutes where the picture froze the whole time. Was this due to local cable and DVR problems or did everyone see these same things? I've previously had mostly flawless HDTV performance with this cable service and DVR. Tomorrow, I'm going to record the Olympics on my SD harddrive DVR, off my broadcast antenna, so I can compare it with the cable HD recordings for glitches.

Don Bloom · February 12th, 2006, 07:39 AM

I've had that type of ' freeze frame' on NBC,CBS and ABC and frankly it seems to be the worst on NBC-another one I like alot is on NBCs HD channels in some cases the audio gets lost (meaning the voice is gone but the dramatic music is still there!?!?!?!) whereas on the SD channel its fine. Go figure.
Its too bad that NBCs HD can't give your favorite team an edge!

Don

Jack Zhang · February 12th, 2006, 11:26 PM

Any of you guys seen it on ATSC?

Doug Boze · February 13th, 2006, 09:16 PM

...am I the only one seeing a pretty bad picture on NBC? It looks like an old analog TV that is slightly off station -- extreme "peakiness" around edges. I was watching the snowboarding stuff, and the trees, uniforms, even Shaun White's hair looked almost solarized. In fact, his hair showed almost normal whenever he turned his head in the interview, but the instant he was relatively still, it just looked bizarre, like a detail filter overdone in post. Bob Costa's eyes are the same way.

Watching the CBC's coverage and it looks great. I'm watching on Comcast. Anyone else seeing this?

John McManimie · February 13th, 2006, 09:28 PM

Here is Corvallis, Oregon and in Eugene, Oregon the broadcast looks terrible. There is a lot of chromatic aberration, noise, moire... ugly.

Michael OKeefe · February 13th, 2006, 09:38 PM

Hey Don, who's your cable provider (at least i assume it was cable)?

I saw (or heard, rather) the same problem with the Super Bowl on ABC, but I wasn't able to see if it was different on SD. My theory is that they lost one of the channels of the 5.1 sound that it was broadcast in.

Don Bloom · February 13th, 2006, 10:35 PM

Comcast is my provider. I've never really had picture quality issue other than the occassional "where's the f******g service now" (really only once in a while) but this audio thing drives me crazy (short drive at that) again it doesn't happen all the time or even alot but when it does its really annoying and believe it or not its only NBC-no other network. Oh well why complain, I remember when the only remote I had was my wife! Hey honey change to channel 2-now 5-now 7 now 9 back to 5 hey don't talk to me like that I'm your husband! (just kidding-I used my kids now I'm teaching my grandkids but they know all about remotes) O_O
So far the braodcast looks good no funny looking pictures.
Don

John McManimie · February 13th, 2006, 10:52 PM

Actually, I just started watching tonight's broadcast and the problems are gone. It now looks fine --- it just took a few days before they figured it out.

Doug Boze · February 13th, 2006, 11:36 PM

Same here, so somebody must've noticed. Watched the women's snowboarding and it looked great. Almost wish I had PVR to step through some of the shots, they were so sharp and detailed. And Costas looks his normal wierd self without the Svengali eyes.

I think this must have been a problem with Crumbcast. They've had other channels that appear almost overloaded. One thing I've had since day one with digital cable is red bleeding. Anything even beginning to approach red purity looks like it was magnified and fuzzy. Definitely the cable, as neither VCR, DVD nor yet good ol' LVD do this.

Yi Fong Yu · February 14th, 2006, 01:24 AM

the winter olympics have had this problem with HD from day1. this is NOTHING new. and it happens on over the air HDTV, not just cable.

J. Stephen McDonald · February 14th, 2006, 03:57 AM

I've just watched 5 hours of Comcast HD Olympic coverage on Monday evening and I can't recall any significant glitches. Maybe they have learned how to do it better, with a little practice. Will this last or will the first two days of the next Olympics still be broadcast beta-testing?

On Sunday, the worst pictures came from cross-country skiing, where 50 people in multi-colored clown suits were all thrashing their limbs every which direction. I believe they fully explored the limits of compression for such complex scenes.

February 12th, 2006, 06:05 AM	#1
J. Stephen McDonald Major Player Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 909	How's NBC HDTV Olympic Coverage Working For You? I've enjoyed good picture quality and nice camera work on NBC's Olympic coverage, but I've been having many bad picture glitches. Every few minutes, the picture will freeze for several seconds. On the midnight show, there was 5 minutes where the picture froze the whole time. Was this due to local cable and DVR problems or did everyone see these same things? I've previously had mostly flawless HDTV performance with this cable service and DVR. Tomorrow, I'm going to record the Olympics on my SD harddrive DVR, off my broadcast antenna, so I can compare it with the cable HD recordings for glitches. __________________ Steve McDonald https://onedrive.com/?cid=229807ce52dd4fe0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/22121562@N00/ http://www.vimeo.com/user458315/videos

February 13th, 2006, 09:16 PM	#4
Doug Boze Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 218	I don't have HDTV, but... ...am I the only one seeing a pretty bad picture on NBC? It looks like an old analog TV that is slightly off station -- extreme "peakiness" around edges. I was watching the snowboarding stuff, and the trees, uniforms, even Shaun White's hair looked almost solarized. In fact, his hair showed almost normal whenever he turned his head in the interview, but the instant he was relatively still, it just looked bizarre, like a detail filter overdone in post. Bob Costa's eyes are the same way. Watching the CBC's coverage and it looks great. I'm watching on Comcast. Anyone else seeing this? __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759

February 13th, 2006, 11:36 PM	#9
Doug Boze Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 218	Same here, so somebody must've noticed. Watched the women's snowboarding and it looked great. Almost wish I had PVR to step through some of the shots, they were so sharp and detailed. And Costas looks his normal wierd self without the Svengali eyes. I think this must have been a problem with Crumbcast. They've had other channels that appear almost overloaded. One thing I've had since day one with digital cable is red bleeding. Anything even beginning to approach red purity looks like it was magnified and fuzzy. Definitely the cable, as neither VCR, DVD nor yet good ol' LVD do this. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759

February 14th, 2006, 01:24 AM	#10
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	the winter olympics have had this problem with HD from day1. this is NOTHING new. and it happens on over the air HDTV, not just cable. __________________ bow wow wow

February 14th, 2006, 03:57 AM	#11
J. Stephen McDonald Major Player Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Eugene, Oregon Posts: 909	I've just watched 5 hours of Comcast HD Olympic coverage on Monday evening and I can't recall any significant glitches. Maybe they have learned how to do it better, with a little practice. Will this last or will the first two days of the next Olympics still be broadcast beta-testing? On Sunday, the worst pictures came from cross-country skiing, where 50 people in multi-colored clown suits were all thrashing their limbs every which direction. I believe they fully explored the limits of compression for such complex scenes. __________________ Steve McDonald https://onedrive.com/?cid=229807ce52dd4fe0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/22121562@N00/ http://www.vimeo.com/user458315/videos

February 12th, 2006, 07:39 AM	#2
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	I've had that type of ' freeze frame' on NBC,CBS and ABC and frankly it seems to be the worst on NBC-another one I like alot is on NBCs HD channels in some cases the audio gets lost (meaning the voice is gone but the dramatic music is still there!?!?!?!) whereas on the SD channel its fine. Go figure. Its too bad that NBCs HD can't give your favorite team an edge! Don

February 12th, 2006, 11:26 PM	#3
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Any of you guys seen it on ATSC?

February 13th, 2006, 09:28 PM	#5
John McManimie Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 314	Here is Corvallis, Oregon and in Eugene, Oregon the broadcast looks terrible. There is a lot of chromatic aberration, noise, moire... ugly.

February 13th, 2006, 09:38 PM	#6
Michael OKeefe Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hudson, NH Posts: 53	Hey Don, who's your cable provider (at least i assume it was cable)? I saw (or heard, rather) the same problem with the Super Bowl on ABC, but I wasn't able to see if it was different on SD. My theory is that they lost one of the channels of the 5.1 sound that it was broadcast in.

February 13th, 2006, 10:35 PM	#7
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Comcast is my provider. I've never really had picture quality issue other than the occassional "where's the f******g service now" (really only once in a while) but this audio thing drives me crazy (short drive at that) again it doesn't happen all the time or even alot but when it does its really annoying and believe it or not its only NBC-no other network. Oh well why complain, I remember when the only remote I had was my wife! Hey honey change to channel 2-now 5-now 7 now 9 back to 5 hey don't talk to me like that I'm your husband! (just kidding-I used my kids now I'm teaching my grandkids but they know all about remotes) O_O So far the braodcast looks good no funny looking pictures. Don

February 13th, 2006, 10:52 PM	#8
John McManimie Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 314	Actually, I just started watching tonight's broadcast and the problems are gone. It now looks fine --- it just took a few days before they figured it out.