Why is Talking pictures TV not available on Sky Stream but is available on other sky platforms

[ozsat]

I think only the stream has to be HD quality. The video doesn't have to be HD.

It could also be some channels got on before the ruling was applied.

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@xenon81 wrote:

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@ozsat wrote:

I was told by other channels too of the HD requirement for Sky Stream.

Just because a channel is not HD on Sky satellite does not mean they can't supply a HD feed to other platforms..

Animal Planet and U&Drama are HD on VirginMedia but not Sky satellite.

The NOW channels have provided a higher quality FAST stream for some time to different platforms.

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But there are numerous non-HD channels on Sky Stream. The belief that all channels on Glass/Stream are HD appears to be a common myth. 

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[Anonymous]

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@xenon81 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@d2h wrote:

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@ozsat wrote:

This was posted by Talking Pictures today.

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They seem to advise people of different reasons quite often. This latest one is not true, of course. 

U&Drama, Comedy Central Extra, Animal Planet, ID, Discovery Turbo/History/Science, Challenge...

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The channels mentioned are indeed in HD but broadcast in 720p. However, Sky seems to classify 720p HD as standard definition (SD). If one uses a third-party satellite receiver, as I do, it will display an "HD" icon when a channel is in HD. For example, Challenge SD and all Sky SD channels are marked with the HD icon on the information banner of the third-party receiver, even though Sky doesn’t label them as HD. It seems that Sky reserves the HD label exclusively for channels in 1080p or 1080i.

As for Talking Pictures, I believe it is broadcast in 576p SD.

One can often identify a 576p SD channel on a HD television because the picture may appear slightly blurry or pixelated.

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Non of those channels are HD. You may be looking at the resolution (720x576) and thinking the 720 must mean HD, but it would need to be 1280x720 to be classed as HD. 

The satellite receiver you mention may believe that, now as Sky channels including Challenge are broadcast in MPEG4 they are HD, but SD can also be broadcast in MPEG4 and that's what Sky are now doing. 

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These are the definitions of HD TV:

• 720p (1280 × 720p): 921,600 pixels
• 1080i (1920 × 1080i) interlaced scan: 1,036,800 pixels (≈1.04 Mpx).
• 1080p (1920 × 1080p) progressive scan: 2,073,600 pixels (≈2.07 Mpx).

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_television
(I know they're Wikipedia links, but they are pretty strict in edits)

However, Sky defines a channel in "HD" as broadcasting in 1080p or 1080i only. Even though 720p is in HD, on Sky it gets the "SD" label.

TL;DR: U&Drama, Comedy Central Extra, Animal Planet, ID, Discovery Turbo/History/Science, Challenge are all broadcasting in 720p. Sky only defines "HD" as being 1080p/1080i and calls 720p HD "SD".

As Sky only allows HD channels on Sky Glass and Sky Stream, it would be illogical if the "SD" channels are not in 720p HD. 

[xenon81]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@xenon81 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@d2h wrote:

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@ozsat wrote:

This was posted by Talking Pictures today.

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They seem to advise people of different reasons quite often. This latest one is not true, of course. 

U&Drama, Comedy Central Extra, Animal Planet, ID, Discovery Turbo/History/Science, Challenge...

---

The channels mentioned are indeed in HD but broadcast in 720p. However, Sky seems to classify 720p HD as standard definition (SD). If one uses a third-party satellite receiver, as I do, it will display an "HD" icon when a channel is in HD. For example, Challenge SD and all Sky SD channels are marked with the HD icon on the information banner of the third-party receiver, even though Sky doesn’t label them as HD. It seems that Sky reserves the HD label exclusively for channels in 1080p or 1080i.

As for Talking Pictures, I believe it is broadcast in 576p SD.

One can often identify a 576p SD channel on a HD television because the picture may appear slightly blurry or pixelated.

---

Non of those channels are HD. You may be looking at the resolution (720x576) and thinking the 720 must mean HD, but it would need to be 1280x720 to be classed as HD. 

The satellite receiver you mention may believe that, now as Sky channels including Challenge are broadcast in MPEG4 they are HD, but SD can also be broadcast in MPEG4 and that's what Sky are now doing. 

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These are the definitions of HD TV:

• 720p (1280 × 720p): 921,600 pixels
• 1080i (1920 × 1080i) interlaced scan: 1,036,800 pixels (≈1.04 Mpx).
• 1080p (1920 × 1080p) progressive scan: 2,073,600 pixels (≈2.07 Mpx).

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_television
(I know they're Wikipedia links, but they are pretty strict in edits)

However, Sky defines a channel in "HD" as broadcasting in 1080p or 1080i only. Even though 720p is in HD, on Sky it gets the "SD" label.

TL;DR: U&Drama, Comedy Central Extra, Animal Planet, ID, Discovery Turbo/History/Science, Challenge are all broadcasting in 720p. Sky only defines "HD" as being 1080p/1080i and calls 720p HD "SD".

As Sky only allows HD channels on Sky Glass and Sky Stream, it would be illogical if the "SD" channels are not in 720p HD. 

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Are you talking about Sky Stream now? In the original post you mentioned a third party satellite receiver. The channels mentioned are 720x576 on satellite which is 576p SD. They would need to be 1280x720 to be 720p/HD.

[1Net]

It's probably to do with marketing. Maybe TPTV doesn't appeal to Sky's target audience/subscribers. It could also be theother way arourd, maybe TPTV does not want to subscribe to having an HD Channel on other viewing platforms for fear that their majority audience maynot have the right equipment for HD Channels or other viewing platforms. I suspect the former to be more correct as Amazon Prime Video & Netflix is used to push Sky Sales.

I've just signed up with Sky, for the Sky Stream Package.  Not only was I disappointed that there is no TPTV or Sky's equivalent to TPTV, I've also discovered that 95% of the Sky Stream Package is available on Freeview, So the Amazon Prime Video & Netflix thing Wins. My Sentiments were exactly the same. No TPTV No Sky TV. I Am within the grace period & shall Return my Sky device ... but not before I explore other avenues for getting TPTV.

[toteman2012]

I messaged tptv on Facebook and they said they are awaiting an invite from Sky stream and are asking customers to lobby Sky stream

[TimmyBGood]

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@toteman2012 wrote:

 they said they are awaiting an invite from Sky stream

Frankly that sounds unlikely.

and are asking customers to lobby Sky stream

Perhaps note that campaigning is specifically forbidden in the T&C's of this forum: individual points of view should be addressed directly to Sky.

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However, this is interesting:

https://www.cordbusters.co.uk/talking-pictures-tv-now-live-freely/ 

[Ev71]

TPTV's in-house programming is HD.

Watch something like The Footage Detectives on their own catchup service and you'll see it's definately a HD production (with native SD content within).

I'd like to see their programming available (in HD) as downloadble catch-ups on my SkyQ box.

[Marlu-Nyu]

I still don't get how Sky can claim that content needs to be 100% in HD when there are SD channels available on Sky Stream.

Even Sky's own* channels Comedy Central Extra and Blaze are in SD on Sky Stream.

(* Comedy Central Extra is owned by Paramount UK Partnership which is a joint venture between Paramount British Pictures and Sky. Blaze is owned by A&E Networks UK, which is a joint venture between A&E Networks and Sky.)

[Letty]

Why don't you get talking pictures on sky stream when customers are asking for it

[TimmyBGood]

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@Letty wrote:

Why don't you get talking pictures on sky stream when customers are asking for it

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That's a question for Talking Pictures.  As noted above, Sky cannot arbitrarily add channels they do not own.

[JonD1492]

Hi All,

There's a technical reason most of you haven't noticed about Talking Pictures, that prevents it from going on Sky Stream...

...The main reason it isn't on Sky Stream, is because of the way it broadcasts its old content.  Much of it is in 4:3.  If the channel doesn't encode the picture info correctly and transmit it with the right info, it'll appear stretched when broadcast on Sky Stream.  A lot of these channels that broadcast content from the 1940's-1980's, find that they don't appear correct on modern 16:9 TV's, unless broadcast with the right aspect ratio flags.  Sadly, too many of these shows don't contain the correct flags even on Sky Q, and stuff that should be in 4:3 is stretched horizontally, and it looks appalling.

I suspect this 4:3 aspect ratio flagging issue, is what prevents it from being on Sky Stream.  Either the channel don't know what to do, or they don't care, and so Sky are being harsh, and making sure that only content that is 16:9 compatible gets transmitted via Sky Stream. (4:3 content should appear square, with black borders on the left and right of the screen image, to appear correct on modern 16:9 widescreen TV sets.)

[Angel_Aka]

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@JonD1492 wrote:

Hi All,

There's a technical reason most of you haven't noticed about Talking Pictures, that prevents it from going on Sky Stream...

...The main reason it isn't on Sky Stream, is because of the way it broadcasts its old content.  Much of it is in 4:3.  If the channel doesn't encode the picture info correctly and transmit it with the right info, it'll appear stretched when broadcast on Sky Stream.  A lot of these channels that broadcast content from the 1940's-1980's, find that they don't appear correct on modern 16:9 TV's, unless broadcast with the right aspect ratio flags.  Sadly, too many of these shows don't contain the correct flags even on Sky Q, and stuff that should be in 4:3 is stretched horizontally, and it looks appalling.

I suspect this 4:3 aspect ratio flagging issue, is what prevents it from being on Sky Stream.  Either the channel don't know what to do, or they don't care, and so Sky are being harsh, and making sure that only content that is 16:9 compatible gets transmitted via Sky Stream. (4:3 content should appear square, with black borders on the left and right of the screen image, to appear correct on modern 16:9 widescreen TV sets.)

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Everything I've watched on Talking Pictures TV via the Freely streaming platform has been encoded correctly. All old movies shot in the Academy ratio have been correctly presented with 4:3 pillarbox bars either side, as have 80's TV shows. 

The problem seems therefore to exist with the broadcast version of Talking Pictures. If I switch my TV to Freeview - the same content is presented incorrectly, stretched horizontally to fill the 16:9 frame. 

The Freely presentation is vastly superior and is the one that Sky Stream & Glass could certainly use... if Talking Pictures came to an agreement with them. Perhaps the owners just don't like Sky?