Analogue Vs. Digital Round 2

[loseyourself]

do TV broadcasts and VHS tapes have a bit rate for either audio or video?

[loseyourself]

some one please reply....it is a simple question....please....

[sue denim]

I guess the reason no-one has replied is that your question is somewhat vauge (to say the least)

I will try to do my best though ............

Any video/audio signal that is digitized will have a video and audio bitrate, whether that is Variable or Constant.

VHS tape, being a strictly analogue medium, doesn't have these as it isn't digital.
Normal 'analogue' TV broadcasts also don't have any bitrates associated with them for the same reason.

Digital TV broadcasts vary in video/audio bitrates as the companies that supply them have different broadcast bandwidths available to them.
For example, in the UK, most Freeview channels broadcast a video bitrate of around 1250kbps. Whilst Sky broadcasts higher bitrates of around 2000kbps - somebody feel free to correct these if I'm way out

If you want to digitize a VHS tape (or any analogue signal for that matter), you're going to need a capture card for you PC. These come in various qualities and at vastly various prices!
see the Capture Cards section on the right <<---
As an example, VCD constant bitrates of 1150kbps capture VHS pretty well ..... but now I'm opening myself up to being flamed on this matter

Hope this helps to sort this one out .........
Sue xxx

[loseyourself]

thanks for the info....and the signal coming out of the plugs on the back of my DVD player to my standard TV and VCR is that an analogue signal or a digital?

[Craig Tucker]

Please be more patient, this kind of thing is not acceptable on the forums.

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=137522&highlight=
http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=137499&highlight=
http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=137493&highlight=
http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=137514&highlight=

[mats.hogberg]

Edited:

The only digital that may come out of a DVD is digital audio out, a coax or optical connector. All signals, audio and video, to a TV or VCR are analog (if they don't happen to have digital audio in).

/Mats

[loseyourself]

i didnt think it would be digital as they are the same connectors as you would find coming out of a VCD and VCD's came out befor any audio and video source was digitized and if the signal coming out was digital the VCR wouldnt read the digital signal....am i correct?

[mats.hogberg]

Not all, but most DVD players have digital audio out, to connect to your surround sound digital reciever, which then decodes the digital (DTS, Dolby Digital...) signal to analog before passing it on to the amp.
However, most DVD players also has analog audio out - mostly Stereo RCA connectors, sometimes analog 5.1 out, and always (?) stereo analog audio in the SCART connector.

/Mats

[energy80s]

For example, in the UK, most Freeview channels broadcast a video bitrate of around 1250kbps. Whilst Sky broadcasts higher bitrates of around 2000kbps - somebody feel free to correct these if I'm way out

OK, to clarify, the average bitrate of BBC1 on Freeview is 5Mbps. Other channels vary between 2.5 and 6Mbps. On SkyDigital, the average bitrate is 3Mbps. However looking at UK Gold 2 (for example) I think it would be nearer to 1.5Mbps as my CVD's look a damn sight better!

Internally, the BBC use a 36Mbps line between the regions to get programme material distributed.

[CoCoNiPs]

I’ll tag this on here since you mentioned freeview in the uk
Why are there so few options for digital tv capturing without conversion
All I know of that is readily available is the Hauppauge WinTV Nova

Will there be more companies making cheaper alternatives soon?
I keep waiting but nothing comes

[sue denim]

Hey energy80s!

Many thanks for putting me straight on the relative bitrates on DTV in the UK - really interested to know about the BBC's 'internal' feeds ...... good stuff!

Sue xxx

[energy80s]

It helps when you work here and have friends in MCR.

Incidently, the BBC 1 feed for Sky is at 7Mbps. This is so that it can be re-coded in London as part of an 8 channel multiplex. Comparing the two feeds, I find the DTT feed to be of higher quality, even though the source bitrate is lower!

[loseyourself]

i have seen som shitty DTV here in australia....or people playind DVD's on hi deffinision plasma screens....DVD's do have a fairly large resolution but not large enough for HDTV's....i saw star wars episode 2 on DVD playing on a Panasonic Plasma screen and you coyld see all the blockiness and imperfections in the picture....it was worse than what a VCD looks like on a standard CRT television....i wont be buying a HDTV just yet....ill get a Sony Trinitron wide screen or something....i have seen excellent pictures on these for the video formats that are out at the moment....maybe when Blue-Ray is out or HD-DVD i may consider buying a plasma or hi definision TV....but for the moment CRT TV's at 100Hrz look excelent (especially the SONY trinitrons) my dad has a 68cm SONY trinitron with a near flat screen and VCD's look exactly like DVD's when played back....i have a shitty 51cm TEAC TV in my bed room and VCD's look shocking....i wouldnt buy anything other than a SONY TV in the future.