Last year the Beeb introduced new high-definition encoders which cut the broadcast bit-rate by 40 per cent, down from 16Mbit/sec to 9.7Mbit/sec. This brought howls of protest from some viewers, who complained to the BBC Trust and formed the BBC HD Quality Campaign Group.
But now, following a meeting in April between the HD Quality Campaign Group, the Head of BBC HD, Danielle Nagler, and Head of Technology, Andy Quested, the Beeb has switched to variable bit-rate (VBR) encoding. (You can read more about the visit in this BBC blog).
What does this mean? Well basically, it's a process which maintains a similar average bit-rate despite being able to allocate more bandwidth for more demanding scenes – such as fast-action sports like football – when required.
"The BBC is pleased that viewers feel that this set of changes has enhanced their experience of HD," says a Corporation spokeswoman.
Critics of the previous encoding system say the new VBR system has resulted in a noticeable improvement in picture quality, particularly during recent FIFA World Cup 2010 broadcasts.
Have you noticed a difference? Let us know what you think in the Comments box below.
