As home theater fans, we’re pretty much conditioned to want the best quality. But, as installers, we have to realize what’s possible and what’s not possible. Here’s a case that I dealt with a few weeks ago:
One of our installer partners was upgrading the satellite system on a boat. Pretty much everything went well except there were a few TVs that gave this message:
On other TVs, the screen would look fine for a few seconds and then go black. They called us at Signal Connect and we had the answer for them: this is generally caused by inferior quality HDMI cables or by older TVs that don’t support the latest content protection. You see, all HD programs on DIRECTV have some sort of copy protection on them so that you can’t just make digital copies of what you’re watching. I think it’s silly, you think it’s silly, but what can you do.
Generally in a case like this we recommend changing out the HDMI cables or, in a worst-case scenario, getting a different TV. The problem the installer was having… was that he couldn’t do that. As in many boats, the TV was built into a cabinet and the HDMI cable wasn’t accessible other than the end of it that connected to the receiver. So what could he do?
It turns out that the TVs were 24″ flat panels and the viewing distance was about 6 feet. When I heard that, I advised the installer to change the output resolution to 480i, and that took care of everything.
A generation ago, we couldn’t wait to be rid of standard definition programming and live in a world of pure HD. Ten years ago, we awaited 4K with bated breath. So why would we ever want to go back to standard definition? Here’s why.
rgb.com
You can find a variety of charts like this one on the internet and they’re all a little different. But the basics are the same. At a certain distance your eyes just won’t see the difference between SD, HD, and 4K. If you look at this chart, a 24″ TV at 6 feet falls into the “all appear to be equivalent” part of the graph. I explained this to the installer and they understood instantly. They left the boat with a happy customer, and that’s the most important thing.
Standard definition gets a bad rap for two reasons. The first is that the color range used in old standard definition broadcasts is different from what’s used today. The technology for keeping colors pure and separate wasn’t as good, and the video tape technology couldn’t even capture all the detail that a camera could get then. I made this simulation to show the difference between what TV looked like in the 1980s and today.
If you connect your satellite receiver to a TV using old-school cables, you’ll get what you see on the left. But, if you are using 480i resolution through your HDMI cable, you’ll see what’s on the right. The HDMI cable preserves all the great color and sharpness of today’s TV and just reduces the resolution. If you’re far enough away that you don’t see the difference in resolution, then … there is no difference.
Absolutely not. I’m glad we have HD and 4K. I’m glad that our TVs are a better representation of what we see outside. All I’m saying is that in some cases, you won’t really see any difference between SD, HD, and 4K and there’s a reason for that. You shouldn’t be too worried about resolution (which is just a number) if your eyes are telling you it’s the same image. That’s the bottom line.
Signal Connect is a DIRECTV and DISH dealer with over 20 years’ experience providing live TV solutions. We can help you with satellite TV, streaming, internet service, cell phones and more. We’ll be your single point of contact for the best that today’s tech has to offer. When you’re ready to get real customer service, of the sort you thought had disappeared years ago, call the experts! We’re here at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, no problem! Just fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you.
The post TRUTH: Is 480i video all that bad? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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One of our installer partners was upgrading the satellite system on a boat. Pretty much everything went well except there were a few TVs that gave this message:
On other TVs, the screen would look fine for a few seconds and then go black. They called us at Signal Connect and we had the answer for them: this is generally caused by inferior quality HDMI cables or by older TVs that don’t support the latest content protection. You see, all HD programs on DIRECTV have some sort of copy protection on them so that you can’t just make digital copies of what you’re watching. I think it’s silly, you think it’s silly, but what can you do.
The installer’s dilemma
Generally in a case like this we recommend changing out the HDMI cables or, in a worst-case scenario, getting a different TV. The problem the installer was having… was that he couldn’t do that. As in many boats, the TV was built into a cabinet and the HDMI cable wasn’t accessible other than the end of it that connected to the receiver. So what could he do?
It turns out that the TVs were 24″ flat panels and the viewing distance was about 6 feet. When I heard that, I advised the installer to change the output resolution to 480i, and that took care of everything.
But… but… 480i? As in standard definition? Isn’t that yucky?
A generation ago, we couldn’t wait to be rid of standard definition programming and live in a world of pure HD. Ten years ago, we awaited 4K with bated breath. So why would we ever want to go back to standard definition? Here’s why.
rgb.com
You can find a variety of charts like this one on the internet and they’re all a little different. But the basics are the same. At a certain distance your eyes just won’t see the difference between SD, HD, and 4K. If you look at this chart, a 24″ TV at 6 feet falls into the “all appear to be equivalent” part of the graph. I explained this to the installer and they understood instantly. They left the boat with a happy customer, and that’s the most important thing.
The difference between 1980s quality SD and today
Standard definition gets a bad rap for two reasons. The first is that the color range used in old standard definition broadcasts is different from what’s used today. The technology for keeping colors pure and separate wasn’t as good, and the video tape technology couldn’t even capture all the detail that a camera could get then. I made this simulation to show the difference between what TV looked like in the 1980s and today.
If you connect your satellite receiver to a TV using old-school cables, you’ll get what you see on the left. But, if you are using 480i resolution through your HDMI cable, you’ll see what’s on the right. The HDMI cable preserves all the great color and sharpness of today’s TV and just reduces the resolution. If you’re far enough away that you don’t see the difference in resolution, then … there is no difference.
Does this mean we should all go back to 480i?
Absolutely not. I’m glad we have HD and 4K. I’m glad that our TVs are a better representation of what we see outside. All I’m saying is that in some cases, you won’t really see any difference between SD, HD, and 4K and there’s a reason for that. You shouldn’t be too worried about resolution (which is just a number) if your eyes are telling you it’s the same image. That’s the bottom line.
Interested in TV for home, business, RV, or boat?
Signal Connect is a DIRECTV and DISH dealer with over 20 years’ experience providing live TV solutions. We can help you with satellite TV, streaming, internet service, cell phones and more. We’ll be your single point of contact for the best that today’s tech has to offer. When you’re ready to get real customer service, of the sort you thought had disappeared years ago, call the experts! We’re here at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, no problem! Just fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you.
The post TRUTH: Is 480i video all that bad? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
