HD qualityNot all HD signals are the same. Just as an HD TV isn't necessarily showing HD video, just because something is called HD doesn't mean it is actually true HD-quality. I've mocked up some images below to demonstrate what three sources of different quality can look like. Remember, all three are 1,920x1,080 "Full HD 1080p," but as you can see, their quality is visibly different.
Let's take three common ways to watch a movie: DVD, streaming, and Blu-ray. With DVD, your DVD player or TV converts the standard-definition signal to 1080p. You're seeing 1,920x1,080 pixels (your TV's resolution doesn't change), but the detail is limited by the source. In this case, DVD video is only about 345,600 pixels. The TV makes up pixels to fill its 2.1-million-pixel screen. Hence, even the best upconversion can't compete with real HD. (Note: Technically, DVDs are 480i, but as the deinterlacing step is separate from the upconversion, I've left that out. For what we're talking about here, it's not important.)
blu ray 720p vs 1080p 12
The first of our example pictures is a 1,920x1,080-pixel image, the resolution of your 1080p HDTV, but sourced from a 480p DVD. Detail is hard to see in the small versions of these pictures shown below, so please click on the images to see the full resolution.
Another common way to watch an HD movie is streaming the movie via Netflix or a similar service. This is a highly compressed, and likely a 720p (1,280x720-pixel) signal. Compression is a way to squeeze HD into lower data rates, making them easier to transmit. The side effect is a softer, noisier image. Generally it's still better than DVD, though.
Here is the same image, again still 1,920x1,080 pixels, but simulating a compressed 720p streaming image. Note that there are other artifacts common with streaming (macroblocking being the most likely) not shown here; this image is just an example. Check out What is the blockiness in my TV's picture? for more on these other artifacts.
Analog Audio: 7.1ch, 5.1ch, stereo. Coaxial/Optical Audio: up to 2ch/192kHz PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS. HDMI Audio: up to 7.1ch/192kHz PCM, up to 5.1ch DSD, Bitstream. HDMI Video: UHD/1080p24/1080p/1080i/720p/576p/576i/480p/480i, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24.
Analog Audio: 7.1ch, 5.1ch, stereo. Dedicated Stereo Analog Audio: XLR balanced, RCA single-ended. Coaxial/Optical Audio: up to 2ch/192kHz PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS. HDMI Audio: up to 7.1ch/192kHz PCM, up to 5.1ch DSD, Bitstream. HDMI Video: UHD/1080p24/1080p/1080i/720p/576p/576i/480p/480i, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24.
HDMI Audio: up to 7.1ch/192kHz PCM, up to 5.1ch DSD, Bitstream. HDMI Video: UHD/1080p24/1080p/1080i/720p/576p/576i/480p/480i, 3D frame-packing 720p/1080p24. USB Audio: up to 2ch/768kHz PCM, up to 2ch/2.8224MHz/5.6448MHz/11.2896MHz/22.5792 MHz (native mode only) DSD. Coaxial/Optical Audio: up to 2ch/192kHz PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, AAC.
I initially watched the Blu-ray version of this disc on my SDR displays so I was very familiar with how it looked, which is to say, excellent like most modern Blu-ray discs. However, replaying the UHD version on the Sony 4K panel was a true delight. The vibrancy of the colors and shadow detail extracted in dark scenes that were somewhat lost in the SDR version were quiet stunning in full HDR. During the time of testing, I wasn't equipped with an Atmos set-up but the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack was impressive nonetheless. The UDP-203 had no problems with audio dropouts playing back the Atmos soundtrack in Dolby TrueHD on a non Atmos receiver like some older players do because ofa process called seamless branching which allows the Blu-ray player to jump to a different segment of the sound track without the user noticing. The whole UHD experience really invigorated me to retire my 1080p Samsung LCD panel and Epson LCD projector and do some upgrading. In fact, as I'm writing this, I'm shopping 65" UHD panels and making the case to convince my wife. Folks, if you're on the fence about upgrading to UHD, get off of it. It's worth it! And, anyone that knows me understands I don't advocate upgrading AV gear impulsively.
One new welcome feature in both UDP players was their ability to play MOV files via a network HDD. Prior Oppo players couldn't do this and I suddenly found myself accessing videos off my computer HDD I couldn't do with my BDP-105. This allowed me to watch downloaded copies of the new Star Trek Discovery series in 1080p and 5.1 DD+ surround, as well as many stored family home videos.
The jump to 4K resolution is an effective quadrupling of 1080p. At 3840 pixels across and 2160 up and down, 4K jams four times as much information into the screen, with a whopping total of over 8 million pixels. While not quite the standard, prices on 4K TVs in smaller sizes without higher-end connection ports such as HDMI 2.1 are widely available in the $300 range. While the highest-end 4K TVs reach towards $2,000 at the largest sizes, some of the best models of more modest dimensions are available at a shade under $1,000.
This might be the version that VEI is selling on Blu-ray discs. GateWorld is still working to confirm this with VEI or MGM. But it would seem to be the only version of these episodes in existence that are remotely suitable for Blu-ray media, which can accommodate 720p or 1080p (or 1080i) pictures.
In short: We expect that the Blu-ray release of Stargate SG-1 will probably match what is streaming on Amazon. For Seasons One through Seven these are likely to be around 720p HD, rather than 1080p (or 1080i) full HD. However Seasons Eight through Ten should be 1080p/1080i, if VEI has not cut corners.
Make sure you're gaming system is not set to 1080p. The HD PVR does not understand this format. Please set the output resolution to 1080i or 720p. Please see the appropriate setup instructions for your game console:
Experience stunning high-definition Blu-ray video playback in glorious 1080p with the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33 powered by Next-Generation NVIDIA ION technology with 512MB of DDR3 video memory. NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology enables the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33 to deliver perfect Blu-ray video playback using the integrated slot-load Blu-ray drive with native 1080p video output to let users experience the movie the way directors intended. An Intel Atom D525 joins the Next-Generation NVIDIA ION graphics processor to form an energy-efficient duo able to deliver a premium computing experience with rich audio, video and web capabilities with the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33. Class-leading expansion capabilities equip the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33 with room to accommodate a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, two DDR2 SO-DIMM slots and one mini-PCI Express slot in addition to the standard two USB 3.0, USB 2.0 port, combo eSATA 3.0 Gb/s and USB 2.0 port, DVI, HDMI, S/PDIF optical outputs, 6-in-1 memory card reader and 802.11n WiFi.
In the switch from standard definition broadcasts to high-definition broadcasts, there are competing formats. Some networks broadcast in 720p (1280 x 720) and others in 1080i (1920 x 1080). A 720p HDTV will be able to display 720p broadcasts natively. Displaying a signal without conversion results in an excellent picture. Once the TV has to convert a signal, the conversion process itself can degrade picture quality. Therefore a 720p broadcast might look better on a 720p TV than on a 1080p, if the processor chip in the 1080p HDTV is not up to snuff.
Other networks broadcast in 1080i, which the 1080p HDTV can display natively. A 720p set will have to downconvert a 1080i signal before displaying it. Both HDTVs will also have to de-interlace the 1080i signal but this does not involve changing the resolution, only reordering frame display. An interlaced signal is designed to paint every other line on the display, then fill in the missing lines. Progressive scan TVs paint the screen sequentially, from top to bottom, reducing the flicker affect of interlaced signals.
So far it might sound like a wash. A 720p HDTV will display 720p broadcasts natively, and a 1080p will display 1080i broadcasts natively. The 1080p might be seen as having the advantage that it will also upconvert 720p signals to 1080p resolution, and if the internal processing chip is a good one, this should improve picture quality to lessen "stair stepping" and the "screen door affect" by packing more pixels into the image for an overall smoother quality. Meanwhile, the 720p set will have to downconvert 1080i broadcasts.
THE BLU-RAY DISCTwelve Monkeys is never going to be the sharpest disc on your shelf, but Arrow Video's late-2018 reissue improves on Universal's already-serviceable 2009 Blu-ray release with its own brand-new 1.85:1, 1080p transfer, sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original negative and mastered with the approval of Gilliam himself. Cinematographer Roger Pratt, in his final collaboration with Gilliam, shot Twelve Monkeys with his favoured Cooke S3 lenses and is said to have used black Christian Dior stocking over the back of them for diffusion, notably softening the captured image. (You can make out the pattern of the netting in shots that feature bright light sources, like candles.) No surprise, then, that Arrow's results are only a smidge crisper in terms of picture detail than the previous edition. Still, film grain has also been resolved more accurately, giving the image a more natural feel. Contrast receives a boost, somewhat, allowing midrange detail to pop and brightening highlights without blowing out hot spots or crushing out shadow detail, despite a somewhat darker cast to the presentation overall. Finally, flesh tones feel notably more lifelike.
129 minutes; PG-13; UHD: 1.85:1 (2160p/MPEG-H), Dolby VisionHDR10, BD: 1.85:1 (1080p/MPEG-4); English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English LPCM 2.0 (Stereo); English SDH subtitles; UHD: BD-100, BD: BD-50; UHD: Region-free, BD: Region A; Arrow
Internet link speeds continue to rise rapidly, so while our chosen bitrates are higher than some other video web sites, for quality's sake, they're still quite reasonable. Based on Akamai data from 2010, the average real-world downloading speed (after protocol overhead) is already 8+ Mbps in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, 4.6 Mbps in the USA and Canada, somewhere around 4 Mbps in Western Europe, 2.9 Mbps in Australia and 2.6 Mbps in Russia. Even 3G cellphone networking is around 2 Mbps on average, although it's highly variable. The average American can therefore already view the 720p high-definition versions of our videos without waiting, and the average Australian or Russian the 480p versions. The average insuch statistics is skewed by the high speeds, of course, since it's an exponential curve, but even so, about one third of Internet connections in modern countries are over 5 Mbps real-world downloading speed, which is enough for the 720p HQ versions, and 70% are over 2 Mbps and therefore can definitely view the 480p versions without waiting. Even in Australia, where broadband speed is more uneven and the average lags behind most modern countries, government statistics from 2011 indicate 89% of users can view the 360p versions without any waiting (1.5+ Mbps link speed), and 45% can instantly view the full 1080p versions (8+ Mbps link speed). 2ff7e9595c
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