"But are they Blu-ray quality?," the Times asks of the Dish and DIRECTV movies. "Resolution is not the only factor that determines picture quality. Another is bit rate, the number of bits per second that are being transmitted down the pipe to consumers...Bit rate is a subject that the cable and satellite providers never discuss, but anyone who watches the various services can see that some channels are considerably softer looking than others."

The Times quotes well-known TV engineer Pete Putman as saying that CBS now offers the high bit rate over the air with 17 megabits per second for its high-def programs; and that's for 1080i, not 1080p. But Putman says he believes both Dish and DIRECTV are transmitting high-def programming at around 6-8 megabits per seconds.

Consequently, Putnam is dubious that the satcasters have the bandwidth to increase their bit rate to offer true 1080p video.

Andy Parsons, chief of the Blu-ray Disc Association, says he'll be watching closely to see what comparisons are made.

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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