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MTV � compression artifacts
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Developer
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Aug 6, 2004, 03:46 AM
 
Why do music videos on MTV heavily show compression artifacts? That's annoying. Shouldn't the music industry deliver those videos in highest quality? After all this is some kind of advertising for their products. During cross dissolves the videos look like downloaded from the internet.
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juanvaldes
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Aug 6, 2004, 03:52 AM
 
MTV has videos?
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sideus
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Aug 6, 2004, 04:04 AM
 
Originally posted by juanvaldes:
MTV has videos?
Exactly.
     
Developer  (op)
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Aug 6, 2004, 04:10 AM
 
MTV is a music television station that plays music videos all the time. I was complaining about the quality of said videos.
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demograph68
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Aug 6, 2004, 06:00 AM
 
Originally posted by Developer:
MTV is a music television station that plays music videos all the time. I was complaining about the quality of said videos.
More like during the 80's. Now you see them only on Carson's top 10 videos or whatever it's stupid name is. Lack of quality could be due to the MTV corporation not giving a damn.

iTunes Music Store has REALLY high quality videos, though the selection is just a fraction of what it could be. Perhaps iTunes and MTV could team up?
     
JLFanboy
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Aug 6, 2004, 10:38 AM
 
Do you have digital cable? I've noticed artifacting like the kind you're talking about whenever I go from my analog cable setup to a digital cable setup. It's with almost every channel though, not just MTV. I imagine it's a bandwidth problem.
     
GoGoReggieXPowars
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Aug 6, 2004, 10:50 AM
 
JLFanboy's on the right track, but you don't need to have digital cable to get the compression artifacts. I have regular old analog cable and see them on SpikeTV and a few other channels: if the originating signal's compressed or the cable company is compressing it, you'll get those wonderful MPEG-2 artifacts.
     
vmpaul
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Aug 6, 2004, 10:53 AM
 
Originally posted by JLFanboy:
Do you have digital cable? I've noticed artifacting like the kind you're talking about whenever I go from my analog cable setup to a digital cable setup. It's with almost every channel though, not just MTV. I imagine it's a bandwidth problem.
Maybe your signal is weak. Try adding an amplifier.
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PacHead
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Aug 6, 2004, 11:19 AM
 
Originally posted by vmpaul:
Maybe your signal is weak. Try adding an amplifier.
It has nothing to do with a weak signal. Digital Cable TV does indeed compress their stuff and there are noticable artifacts/blocks sometimes.

If people wanna be picky, there are even artifacts on DVD's, as that is a compressed format.

As for MTV, they play mostly garbage (the few times they do play music), so it is appropriate that the picture is crap, because it fits well in with the music.

People love compressed stuff though, just look at mp3s, so not many seem to mind.
     
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Aug 6, 2004, 11:27 AM
 
I have a digital and an analog satellite receiver and the compression artefacts are clearly visible on MTV and MTV|2 with both. In fact it looks like crap. No other channel shows visible artefacts.
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Aug 13, 2004, 01:20 PM
 
I now see compression artifacts on other tv channels as well. Either this is a new trend due to digitizing more and more stuff, or now that I noticed at MTV I more easily notice elsewhere as well. It's most annoying!
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vmpaul
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:05 PM
 
Originally posted by PacHead:
It has nothing to do with a weak signal. Digital Cable TV does indeed compress their stuff and there are noticable artifacts/blocks sometimes.

If people wanna be picky, there are even artifacts on DVD's, as that is a compressed format.

As for MTV, they play mostly garbage (the few times they do play music), so it is appropriate that the picture is crap, because it fits well in with the music.

People love compressed stuff though, just look at mp3s, so not many seem to mind.
So, your point is it's a lousy picture because the content is crap? That's brilliant.

Of course it's the signal. I put a amplifier between my wall and the cable box and it corrected the problems I was having.

People don't care if something is compressed or not. It's the convenience of being able to fit so much into a small HD space. If storage was scaled up in the same manner nobody would prefer it over compression. I'd much prefer a lossless format if there was a way to get the same mileage out of my iPod. There isn't.

And mp3's wouldn't be nearly as popular if you got the same kind of drop-out that happens with digital TV. That would be annoying as h*ll.
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PacHead
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:14 PM
 
Originally posted by vmpaul:

Of course it's the signal. I put a amplifier between my wall and the cable box and it corrected the problems I was having.
Amplifier or not, the artifacts are still noticable, especially in a movie with lots of dark/black going on.
     
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:19 PM
 
Originally posted by juanvaldes:
MTV has videos?
*LOL* so true

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AKcrab
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:24 PM
 
Originally posted by PacHead:
Amplifier or not, the artifacts are still noticable, especially in a movie with lots of dark/black going on.
I agree. In addition, I notice artifacts when the camera is moving fast.
Makes me wonder if it will be like that with an HD signal. Oh boy! High definition artifacts!
     
vmpaul
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:34 PM
 
Originally posted by PacHead:
Amplifier or not, the artifacts are still noticable, especially in a movie with lots of dark/black going on.
And it still might happen after an amplifier is added. Luckily, it helped our problem.

If it's that bad, he should bug the cable company till it's fixed. Given how much cable costs there's no reason to put up with lousy reception.
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PacHead
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:37 PM
 
Originally posted by vmpaul:
And it still might happen after an amplifier is added. Luckily, it helped our problem.

If it's that bad, he should bug the cable company till it's fixed. Given how much cable costs there's no reason to put up with lousy reception.
Yes, if his reception is bad, or weak signal etc.

I was simply saying that even with a 100% perfect digital cable signal, there are still noticable artifacts, especially in dark scenes.

I wonder how the cable companies compress their channels. Xvid or something like that ?
     
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:40 PM
 
Originally posted by vmpaul:
Of course it's the signal. I put a amplifier between my wall and the cable box and it corrected the problems I was having.
No, it's not the signal. As I said I see what clearly looks like MPEG compression artifacts with both the analog and the digital satellite receiver. It's impossible that analog TV signal shows MPEG artifacts when the signal is low. When the signal is low (like when it's raining for example) analog TV shows these black and white "fishes" artifacts. This is certainly no problem on my side.

Also the MPEG artifacts are most prominently visible in MTV videos which almost look like downloaded from the Internet. Crappy enough to not being fun to watch any more. Other TV channels also have these MPEG artifacts visible sometimes as I noticed now.

I assume it's some new digital equipment broadcasting stations are getting under the assumption that "digital is always better".
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PacHead
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:44 PM
 
Originally posted by Developer:
I assume it's some new digital equipment broadcasting stations are getting under the assumption that "digital is always better".
Well, they have to find a way to compress/broadcast about 1000 channels over one little tv cable line, and also offer highspeed internet over that same line etc.

If TV wants to win over the internet, they better start showing movies that look better than something you can download off of the net.

     
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:46 PM
 
Note to all MacNNers:

If you find yourself complaining about the quality of stuff broadcasted on regular TV, you are too picky!

You hear that? Go outside, sit back, relax.... oh wait there's compression artifacts there too..
Aloha
     
PacHead
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:49 PM
 
Originally posted by Link:
Note to all MacNNers:

If you find yourself complaining about the quality of stuff broadcasted on regular TV, you are too picky!

I'm not too picky. I pay good money for my cable tv channels, and I'll complain if I think it looks crappy.

     
vmpaul
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Aug 13, 2004, 06:41 PM
 
Originally posted by Developer:
No, it's not the signal.

<snip>
Ok. Well, I'm tapped. I guess I was lucky that all I needed was an amp.

Is there any chance it could be a result of your equipment? Do you have really high-end or low-end stuff? Could that be the reason it wouldn't be more forgiving with artifacts?
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Aug 13, 2004, 07:13 PM
 
Originally posted by vmpaul:
Is there any chance it could be a result of your equipment? Do you have really high-end or low-end stuff? Could that be the reason it wouldn't be more forgiving with artifacts?
Both receivers are Kathrein, the larger TV is LOEWE. That's certainly not low-end equipment. I have no influence on the satellite dish and the splitter divice since that is what the landlord provides. The digital receiver reports the signal strength as 66%, but it's my understanding of digital that it either works or works not, so that should be sufficient. I really don't understand why an amplifier helped you with a digital signal.

Also the picture can be fine. Even on MTV when they do the moderation the picture is fine. Then they show the videos and there are heavy artifacts. On other channels the picture is fine most of the time but more often I noticed artifacts as well. If it were my equipment I think I should have artifacts all the time.

But it might be possible that higher end equipment can somehow "filter" out the artifacts that are in the signal. You might be right there.

That used to be not necessary though just a few years ago.
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ReggieX
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Aug 13, 2004, 09:10 PM
 
Originally posted by Link:
Note to all MacNNers:
If you find yourself complaining about the quality of stuff broadcasted on regular TV, you are too picky!
You hear that? Go outside, sit back, relax.... oh wait there's compression artifacts there too..
Shut up already.
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