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MarkyMark47

Listed below are comments made by MarkyMark47 between Friday, 16th May 2008 and Tuesday, 10th November 2009.

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Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response 4:40pm on 10 Nov 2009 I've not watched a lot of BBC HD recently, except "Life", where to my eyes the PQ has been outstanding. Well done BBC HD!
Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response 5:54pm on 08 Oct 2009 Re: post 398.

I also experienced distinct audio glitches on Tuesday 6 October when watching "Last Chance to See" at 8pm. Not exactly sound drop-outs but definitely some sort of problem with the sound from time to time. Was watching on SkyHD with audio via HDMI through TV speakers.
BBC HD: Picture Quality and Dolby Research 2:17pm on 16 Aug 2009 I've been reading these posts with interest, as I too enjoy viewing great content with the best possible HD PQ. I think some of the posts have been way too negative, and some seem over-personalised - hence the recent moderator comments. Regarding the reduction in bandwidth, I think it's far too early to give a definitive opinion about what effect this will have in the medium term. More time is needed to fine tune the new equipment before we really know that reduced bandwidth has led to an overall reduction in PQ. There is no simple equation that states reduced bandwidth = reduction in PQ. Personally, I haven't seen enough BBC HD content since the new technology was introduced, but the PQ on the football last week was a real disappointment - certainly nowhere near as good as the Five Nations rugby a few months ago. However, I thought "Rivers" last Sunday looked pretty good. I think that people tend to overstate the quality provided by other companies (like Sky) - Sky Sports is no Garden of Eden - I'm thinking of the frequent picture problems like stuttering/juddering effects that were evident on Sky Sports HD1 during the last cricket Test match. There have also been lip sync issues on a number of Sky channels since I got my HD service last November. Sky's hardware and software is also nothing to boast about (e.g. failing HD boxes and a new EPG that many people detest). While people are entitled to their views on PQ, I think a lot of the political stuff about BBC management would be better directed elsewhere rather than to Andy, whose expertise is, I should think, in the technical side of broadcasting. I think it's right that people feed back on PQ issues - the more specific the better, as Andy will no doubt look into those. Finally, also remember that Sky does not provide a forum like this (anyone who has contacted their Customer Services will know how opaque they are), so hats off to Andy for continuing to listen to feedback (hopefully constructive) which may lead to changes in some areas. Continued personal comments may ultimately lead to the withdrawal of this forum, although personally I think it should be dealt with by banning persistent offenders.
BBC HD: Picture Quality and Dolby Research 11:24pm on 08 Aug 2009 Andy. I usually find your comments to be objective, but I cannot accept your statement about the PQ of the BBC's football coverage today being on a par with Sky's earlier coverage. I thought it lacked detail and sharpness, and there were lots of issues around faster camera pans, where I saw a lot more smearing than on Sky. There were also some very odd sort of "horizontal lines" at times, I find it hard to find the proper words to describe it. I've never seen anything like that on Sky Sports HD. I accept that it's not all about bandwidth, but I thought this was pretty poor even allowing for the difficulties caused by bright sunlight and shade.
BBC HD: Picture Quality and Dolby Research 00:11am on 11 Dec 2008 Andy. Have just discovered this blog while googling lip sync issues that I've been having. Great blog! The BBC HD service has easily had the best lip sync since I started receiving an HD service from Sky a couple of weeks ago - it's been pretty much faultless, and tonights programme The Medicis: Makers of Modern Art was a joy - superb pictures and sound! Some of the HD content from Sky has had awful lip sync problems, especially on Sky Sports HD1, where the sound persistently lags behind the picture. Do you or anyone else have experience of this issue? Are there any internet forums that I can look at?
One Laptop - hello Windows, goodbye Linux 11:12pm on 20 May 2008 @Mark_MWFC

What a depressingly limited view you have of the uses of the OLPC machine. I don't think you have understood the original vision at all.
One Laptop - hello Windows, goodbye Linux 11:12pm on 18 May 2008 @Gurubear

"But the world does care about education - that is the priority here."

- Absolutely right, and the fact that using XP will disable some of the core functionality (and therefore educational use) of the OLPC machine is the major objection to its (very belated) introduction to the project.
One Laptop - hello Windows, goodbye Linux 11:03pm on 18 May 2008 @SteveFarr

"Why deliberately restrict the Linux OS to open-source? Why? Why? Why? Try and answer that question in a non-ideological way!"

- OK, I'll try. Linux always has been, and always will be, open source because that was and still is the expressed wish of its original creator, Linus Torvalds. Therefore, most Linux distributions only come packaged with open source software, as it is in keeping with the basic philosophy that all software code should be open to inspection/modification/redistribution by its users. However, it is easy to add software that is not open source to a Linux system, if you choose to do so. Granted, they don't always work "out of the box", but this is because the developers of commercial software don't choose to make them work easily with systems that aren't Windows! But having said that, there is no reason at all why software developers can't write applications to work on the OLPC machine.

One other point. Are you aware that using XP on the OLPC machine will mean that some of its key functions are disabled?
One Laptop - hello Windows, goodbye Linux 11:50pm on 16 May 2008 @SteveFarr

"At that point they should naturally ask why first world schools are not using the XO and why are they using Windows."
- easy to answer - they are wealthier.

"There is a growing base of Flash applications being developed for education. No thought was put into how the XO's Linux would support all that stuff straight out of the box."
- can you expand on this please?

"They've even figured out ways to boost WiFi using tin cans."
- just a bit patronising, don't you think?

"While i am genuine fan of the Linux OS, i am saddened the way kids in the developing world have been channeled into using the OS in an almost ideological way. They have the right to choose, and if Mr Gates is willing to let them have a Windows OS for free, then why not?"
- you want to have your cake and eat it, by trying to sound oh so reasonable - what is your evidence to support your assertion that it's ideology rather than cost/flexibility that led OLPC to use Linux? And MS does charge for XP on all computers, even OLPC machines, so you haven't got your facts right.
One Laptop - hello Windows, goodbye Linux 11:32pm on 16 May 2008 @DonPMitchell / Magwitch

Such staggering naievety! When did you last visit a shop selling PC's? You say: "they may chose (sic) to run the OS that almost everyone in the developed world runs". Yes, the choice is simply overwhelming - you can "choose" Windows or.......let me think......Windows.

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