Please explain why 'AMC' channel is non-HD

[Woochifer]

I- why does a 100% movies channel not go HD?

AS others have noted, AMC is available as a dedicated HD channel. Directv just hasn't picked it up yet. Directv added or will add 30 new HD channels beginning in May -- 14 new HD channels just went online yesterday. AMC is not on the list.

If you want the HD feed for AMC, write to Directv and demand it. They got more satellite capacity online now, but have still fallen behind Dish with many of the national HD channels (some would argue that it's because Dish compresses the signal more).

- when Directv displays 'HD' next to the program, what does it mean? Is it upconverted or true HD? Sure looks good.

If it has the HD logo in the channel guide, then that means the program originates in true HD resolution. If it does not have that logo on an HD channel, then it is likely upconverted and rescaled. Keep in mind that broadcasters are upconverting and rescaling that SD content using professional grade video equipment, so it should look comparable at least to a good DVD. The HD feed also looks good because you're comparing it with Directv's SD channels, which look crappy because they use inferior MPEG-2 compression and the feed was already downscaled.

And as I'm sure you've noticed, different channels take very different approaches to how they rescale non-HD content on their HD channels. Some channels do black pillarboxing, while others use a patterned pillarbox, while other channels like the A&E family (A&E, History, HGTV, Food Network, etc.) do the annoying stretch-o-vision.

[Tarheel_]

AS others have noted, AMC is available as a dedicated HD channel. Directv just hasn't picked it up yet. Directv added or will add 30 new HD channels beginning in May -- 14 new HD channels just went online yesterday. AMC is not on the list.

If you want the HD feed for AMC, write to Directv and demand it. They got more satellite capacity online now, but have still fallen behind Dish with many of the national HD channels (some would argue that it's because Dish compresses the signal more).



If it has the HD logo in the channel guide, then that means the program originates in true HD resolution. If it does not have that logo on an HD channel, then it is likely upconverted and rescaled. Keep in mind that broadcasters are upconverting and rescaling that SD content using professional grade video equipment, so it should look comparable at least to a good DVD. The HD feed also looks good because you're comparing it with Directv's SD channels, which look crappy because they use inferior MPEG-2 compression and the feed was already downscaled.

And as I'm sure you've noticed, different channels take very different approaches to how they rescale non-HD content on their HD channels. Some channels do black pillarboxing, while others use a patterned pillarbox, while other channels like the A&E family (A&E, History, HGTV, Food Network, etc.) do the annoying stretch-o-vision.

Great information...exactly what i was looking for. I do have Directv and will send an email asking for AMC HD.

[Woochifer]

Great information...exactly what i was looking for. I do have Directv and will send an email asking for AMC HD.

Also, keep in mind that the HD logo is not always an accurate indicator. Just yesterday, I saw Heat playing on TNT. It was very obviously an upscaled stretch-o-vision job, yet the channel guide said it was HD. On the flip side, my local RSNs had a couple of baseball games on -- both of them clearly in HD, yet the channel guide did not have the HD logo showing.

[pixelthis]

Also, keep in mind that the HD logo is not always an accurate indicator. Just yesterday, I saw Heat playing on TNT. It was very obviously an upscaled stretch-o-vision job, yet the channel guide said it was HD. On the flip side, my local RSNs had a couple of baseball games on -- both of them clearly in HD, yet the channel guide did not have the HD logo showing.

I cant understand why TNT does this.
Their regular programming(leverage) and quite a few movies(WAR OF the worlds)
look amazing, its really the luck of the draw.
Most of the streachovision stuff is older, I dont think they do that with their newer stuff.
You need to watch leverage, BTW, its really good.

[kevlarus]

I cant understand why TNT does this.
Their regular programming(leverage) and quite a few movies(WAR OF the worlds)
look amazing, its really the luck of the draw.
Most of the streachovision stuff is older, I dont think they do that with their newer stuff.
You need to watch leverage, BTW, its really good.

I suspect it's due to whatever format the channel happens to have those movies/shows in. This is clear with some of the real old Law & Order episodes (TNT?), or ST:TNG (Next Generation) that's currently being run on BBC America. Looked at it once, definitely using down-rezed source and not HD, on their HD channel. I could tell the difference in a snap.