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Bill-Taylor

Listed below are comments made by Bill-Taylor between Saturday, 24th October 2009 and Monday, 23rd November 2009.

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Points of View and HD Picture Quality: a response 11:49am on 23 Nov 2009 I do not and never have monitored the bit-rate used on BBC HD.

When I perceive a reduction in HD Picture Quality and lack of 5.1 DD sound I first wait to see if it is a glitch that is corrected, but when there is a consistent reduction in PQ and very few of the broadcasts have DD sound I use the complaints procedure.

When BBC HD was launched it was as a trial, where I assumed the different options for programme production, storage, distribution, transmission, reception and archive were explored.

Having selected the optimum I was happy with the PQ and sound, but found the HD DOG annoying and unnecessary so complained [it shows how satisfied I was that the DOG was the only thing I complained about: those were the days]

You should understand my anger when the introduction of new (and better) encoders... was imposed at the same time as a significant reduction in bit-rate that coincided with my perception of a significant reduction in PQ and most programmes not providing DD sound. This was a poor engineering decision that I assume was imposed on BBC HD Technical Team: hence the unsubstantiated "unsustainable bit-rate" statements from the BBC HD team.

While I accept that encoders... have become more effective I can not accept their imposition without a full trial by the BBC, this is poor engineering and should have been completed before imposing on us.

I also expected our reports of reduction in PQ and lack of DD sound to be taken seriously, not dismissed as a from a cranky minority.

I welcomed AndyQ's contributions, but feel he has been silenced by DN or BBC legal.
Points of View and HD Picture Quality: a response 10:20am on 17 Nov 2009 #145: AndyQ: Thanks for the reply. Its good to see you back!

Do you have any news re the lack of 5.1 sound on recent broadcasts?

I note the Sky guide indicates 2.0, so I was not surprised at no 5.1, just disappointed!
Points of View and HD Picture Quality: a response 8:59pm on 16 Nov 2009 #125 Says it all. Thanks.

AndyQ: When you return please address these points.

AndyQ: When will you be attending an open forum of the EBU. I would welcome a transcript to understand how you defend your actions to your peers!
Points of View and HD Picture Quality: a response 00:02am on 16 Nov 2009 Dr Who and Top Gear PQ back with Wow factor!

Anyone know if any changes have been made?

Why has the number of programmes with 5.1 sound been significantly reduced?
BBC HD: Interview with Danielle Nagler on Points of View 10:23pm on 10 Nov 2009 I have just seen Life: Mammals time-shifted with Sky+HD. This series has to be one of BBC HD Flagships.

If DN has the facilities of seeing it using the current bit-rate and the compare using BBC facilities of what it would have looked liked using the previous higher bit-rate and old encoders on higher end HD receivers and TV and let us know what she perceives this would be instructive. If she honestly can see no reduction in Picture Quality then I think we all have a problem. If AndyQ can do the same then this is curtains for all of us who are convinced that there has been a significant reduction in PQ.

Programme content: 10 out of 10
Sound: 10/10
PQ: Seemed good for SD, but no HD wow factor, when compared with my memories of the last series.
BBC HD: Interview with Danielle Nagler on Points of View 6:00pm on 10 Nov 2009 AndyQ: Please tell us what you told DN that made her feel confident in saying that there is no evidence that reducing the bit-rate has reduced the Picture Quality of received BBC HD.

Andy: If you have been replaced by DN, with some Technical HD expert that backs up her statement, please let us know who it is and what qualifications/ experience they have to provide such technical engineering advice.
Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response 11:41am on 08 Nov 2009 To all at BBC HD:

Thanks for the excellent coverage of Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph, another example of what the BBC and BBC HD can achieve on Nationally important occasions.
Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response 11:25am on 25 Oct 2009 #767 Excellent Post, BBC HD Management have allowed themselves to be painted into a corner and can not see a way out. They seem to be riding out the storm they have created, hoping it will go away.

AndyQ, with all his capabilities, is now in Fire-fighting mode. It will be a test of his endurance! His championing HD Broadcast Technologies in Europe as he has done in the past is likely to take a back seat, as he can no longer hold up the BBC HD as an exemplar of what should be done, now he has to say given the limited resources allocated to BBC HD this is how the best can be achieved.

Given the performance of BBC HD in the recent weeks I would prefer them to devote their resources to improving the Standard Definition Picture Quality (with 5.1 sound) and leave HD to those organisations that can provide the it needs.
Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response 11:02am on 24 Oct 2009 #749: disagree: It is clear to me AndyQ does care and is struggling as an Engineer to work within the environment he has been able to get the BBC to provide for HD. Clearly Andy does have a say in the resources needed to deliver BBC HD, but he can not have what we all would like. He has choices, but to quote a phrase that dogged my career "Managers have to be allowed to manage". When I have got my wish for a new Management team it has nearly always been a retrograde step. Andy could leave (but in my opinion this would be a disaster for BBC HD) OR he can fight for what he feels is needed and make the best of the resources the BBC decides to allocate to HD.

I have been a supporter of BBC HD. My anger has been a result of resources being taken away from Satellite HD to enable a unified HD service to be provided across the family of RF broadcast delivery systems. Dumbing down always hurts, but to those who can only recieve DTT this opens them up to the world of HD (although in limited form, they would not have been exposed to what BBC HD used to deliver).
Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response 10:49am on 24 Oct 2009 #751 Agree: Jools is magnificent entertainment. Varied, good sound and picture production by teams that care and usually good picture and sound quality!

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