ChannelChange
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Thomson's ViBE encoders enable 50% faster HD channel changing
Look, 1.9 seconds to change the channel is way, way too long people -- we all know that. Thankfully, the bright engineers at Thomson realize it too, and that's why they've cranked out some seriously awesome advances to their ViBE encoders. The new "fast zapping solutions" enable 50% faster high-definition channel changing, and the secret is in the fancy simultaneous compression that most users won't even notice. In essence, it allows the STB to "quickly decode and display a low resolution version of the channel and transition to displaying the full HD resolution version without disrupting viewing," and if all goes well, we could see this become the de facto way of channel surfing by 2009. Gnarly, dudes.
How long does it take to change the channel? About 1.9 seconds
Thanks to TV watching robots and other Quality of Service technology, French analysts at Witbe have determined the average channel change takes 1.9 seconds, using the up/down button on a remote, 3.4 if it's chosen directly by number. Whether this will come into effect the next time you choose a service provider is hard to say, but after measuring 30 different services in 16 countries it apparently found Microsoft Mediaroom-based systems the fastest at .6 seconds, on average, with satellite systems taking twice as long as IPTV providers. Just a bit to think about the next time RUWT? alerts you to an upset in progress and you're frantically punching the remote to click over in time to see the top-ranked team go down.
MHD to be renamed Palladia HD, confuse HD viewers everywhere
As we've seen with Discovery's Planet Green, and -- to a lesser extent, History HD, Food HD and SPEED HD -- these high-def channels prefer to change up (or shorten, at least) their names every now and then. The latest to take on a new identity is MTV Networks' MHD, which is apparently being redubbed Palladia HD in DISH Network / TWC's EPG. We've all ideas the name change will filter down to all carriers in short order, but we're just letting you know to not get overly excited upon seeing it emerge in your channel lineup. Sadly, you actually haven't gained another channel -- it's just that the one with the loudest commercials has been renamed.[Image courtesy of Photobucket]
