Recording Formats and Quality

[NetworkGuy]

I am looking to "cut the cord" so I have been experimenting with different broadcast sources and recording programs. My objective is to find the best quality recording without cable.

The 4 combinations I have tried are

1. ChannelsDVR – OTA
2. SageTV – HDHomeRun Prime – Comcast
3. ChannelsDVR – Locast
4. PlayOn – CW app

The first observation is 5.1 audio is not available with streaming services as the source (Locast, CW app).

The video quality is not significantly different. (ASTC 3.0 is not available in the NYC area yet.)

I used MediaInfo to get detailed info and have attached the results.

[nyplayer]

In my Case ... I find Locast to be Terrible quality but better than nothing I guess.
best Video quality ...

Channels DVR OTA
Channels DVR TVE
Comcast Cable
Locast

Best Audio Quality ...

Channels DVR OTA
Comcast Cable
Channels DVR TVE
Locast

My Setup Priority in ChannelsDVR
Channels DVR OTA
Comcast Cable
Channels DVR TVE
Pluto

[KryptoNyte]

Wow that Comcast streaming rate is TERRIBLE. I hope Spectrum never decides to go with that much compression. If that's what NYP is getting from comcast it's no wonder why he's so accepting of the TVE bitrates and resulting services. Even my HDPVR2's at 1080p look better than anything I can get via Locast or TVE.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by KryptoNyte

Wow that Comcast streaming rate is TERRIBLE. I hope Spectrum never decides to go with that much compression. If that's what NYP is getting from comcast it's no wonder why he's so accepting of the TVE bitrates and resulting services. Even my HDPVR2's at 1080p look better than anything I can get via Locast or TVE.

Comcast does not broadcast 1080 anything in my area all are 720P H264 with 5.1 Audio AC3.

[RonBoyd]

I have all of the devices you listed but I find that Tablo gives me the most satisfaction. I, also, have an Air TV device with our Sling service that is used exclusively for "live" watching of OTA channels. I use the SageTV and AirTV as backup recording of the Tablo for important events.

I cannot comment on the picture quality because my system up-reses the picture so everything is incredibly sharp regardless of source. Same is true of the audio, I have a 9-2 system and it is very difficult for my old ears to discern to any great degree where individual sound is coming from.

[Striker:WG]

Just curious, how are you doing your up-res?

[NetworkGuy]

I found found an antenna that works really well. I am using it with ChannelsDVR. Here is the same show recording two different ways.

SageTV - Xfinity/HDHumeRun Prime
ChannelsDVR - OTA

The OTA recording is half the size, but the quality is the same when watched on a large screen and the sound is 5.1.

Since my Xfinity promotional credit ends in a few weeks and they are raising my bill by $40, I am thinking it is time to cut the cord.

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by Striker:WG

Just curious, how are you doing your up-res?

I almost missed this thinking it was not for me... and may not be.

Anyway, I am not sure of the up-res process. It is either by the Vizio PQ-65 TV or the Yamaha AX-A3080 AVR... or both. It was a couple years ago that I set it up and the older I get the more difficult it is even to remember what I had for breakfast.

In any event, watching broadcasts of old videos on low resolution sources gives me the same sharpness as say NFL games in 4K.

[Striker:WG]

Originally Posted by RonBoyd

I almost missed this thinking it was not for me... and may not be.

Anyway, I am not sure of the up-res process. It is either by the Vizio PQ-65 TV or the Yamaha AX-A3080 AVR... or both. It was a couple years ago that I set it up and the older I get the more difficult it is even to remember what I had for breakfast.

In any event, watching broadcasts of old videos on low resolution sources gives me the same sharpness as say NFL games in 4K.

Yup, that was meant for you!

So you're doing it via hardware.

I've always thought that it would be an issue to do up scaling via hardware because my media pc outputs a constant resolution of 4K. I don't think that the PC resolution changes based on the content so how would/does the hardware know that it needs to perform up scaling?

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by Striker:WG

Yup, that was meant for you!

So you're doing it via hardware.

I've always thought that it would be an issue to do up scaling via hardware because my media pc outputs a constant resolution of 4K. I don't think that the PC resolution changes based on the content so how would/does the hardware know that it needs to perform up scaling?

Yikes! I don't know. That is way above my pay grade. And you've given me one more thing to feel inadequate about, dangnabbit. <chuckle>

I use a PC (Windows 10 Home 64 bit) only as a Server for SageTV (HD300). Everything -- including ROKU, Shield, FireTV Cube, etc. -- is sent to the AVR for display on the TV.

[Striker:WG]

Hmmm, that might be the key then. If the HD300 adapts it's output resolution to match the resolution of the content then hardware upscaling could kick in. I don't think that the PC client does that but the HD300 might.

[RonBoyd]

Originally Posted by Striker:WG

Hmmm, that might be the key then. If the HD300 adapts it's output resolution to match the resolution of the content then hardware upscaling could kick in. I don't think that the PC client does that but the HD300 might.

But that doesn't explain why it behaves as expected in every other device except the Fire TV unit.