HDTV and Standard Definition Quality

[linuxman]

Ok, first time on this part of the forum.

I finally bought my first HDTV yesterday. It is a Westinghouse SK-32H510S 32" LCD flat panel.

It was on sale, and the picture looked great in the store. Much better than even higher priced models beside it.

Got it home, hooked up, OTA HDTV signals look fabulous. OTA digital Standard Definition not so good.

The biggest concern is the signal coming from my Pansat 3500, Traxis 3500, and Fortec 5400. All of these normally have a fabulous picture on my old SD set.

Now for the most part, they look like crap. I even switched over the Pansat to Component cables, and most of the channels still look like crap. The 4DTV even looks like crap.

Is this normal with an HDTV display?

Or is it just a cheap SD tuner in this model?

Thanks,

Fred

 

[roashru]

If your connected with at least component video your seeing whats called compression artifacts. I have a 4DTV receiver if you are close to the screen just standard 4:3 video looks like a lot of pixels moving around all of the time. Did you do a prime time broadcast HDTV video check the best free HDTV video starts after 8:00 pm eastern?

 

[linuxman]

If your connected with at least component video your seeing whats called compression artifacts.

I have the Pansat connected with Component, and the DVD player with Component. The DVD player was on, but not showing anything. The rest are composite, and OTA RF connections except for the computer which is on the VGA input.

I have a 4DTV receiver if you are close to the screen just standard 4:3 video looks like a lot of pixels moving around all of the time.

I did notice that if you were close it was worse. I can only move back about 10 feet, and there it isn't quite so noticeable.

Did you do a prime time broadcast HDTV video check the best free HDTV video starts after 8:00 pm eastern?

Yes, I watched PBS HD OTA for quite a while, and the HD was stunning.

Do I need to adjust the color saturation, brightness, contrast, etc.?

I did tone down the brightness some, and brought the contrast to the point where black was black.

Any thing else I can try?

 

[BKP]

Bummer, Fred... Have you tried playing a DVD through component, if so how'd it look..

And I'm surprised the SD digital channels didn't look great.. How about the analog channels..

All my analog and digital channels come in great on my Emerson.. Well, after getting my antennas straightened out..

 

[linuxman]

And I'm surprised the SD digital channels didn't look great.. How about the analog channels..

All my analog and digital channels come in great on my Emerson.

On my upper channels 9 and above, the analog seems to be fine, and the SD digital are OK. 2, 4, and 5 the analog sucks. Looked much better with the SD TV. The digital looks very similar to what I am getting on most channels from the FTA receivers.

Some of the FTA receiver channels are fine.

It may just be a matter of adjustment, I will play with it some more tonight.

 

[roashru]

Dose your set up use a home theater stereo? Older home theater stereos video switching bandwidth is not enough for HDTV you'll need something like a Pioneer Elite. THX certified ones are better.

 

[linuxman]

BTW Thanks Roashru,

Does your set up use a home theater stereo?

Right now I am just using the speakers on the TV. I haven't tried my Sony Surround sound on it yet.

I called Westinghouse. The guy was very helpful, and suggested that I use S-Video where possible on the composites, to unplug the TV for 30 seconds, and plug back in to allow the Component hook-ups to register.

I did that, and the Pansat now looks a little better.

I did a little adjusting on brightness, contrast, and sharpness and have improved the SD considerably. The HD on PBS OTA still looks great.

The support guys suggested that if it still doesn't give a decent picture to take it back and get another one. He said the tuner might actually be bad.

I tried a DVD (alexander) which I have in Wide Screen format, and it looked pretty good. It is on component input.

So things are starting to look up a little.

Thanks for your help!
Fred
So I'll play with it some more

 

[linuxman]

Just wanted to give an update.

I asked my neighbor to come over and help me adjust the TV.

He adjusted the backlight which was all the way up down a little.

Toned down the color saturation some.

Adjusted the brightness and contrast a little more.

The end result is that I have at least as good a picture from the Pansat component input as I had before. The Traxis is almost as good as it was with the SD TV, and the 4DTV is much better than when I first hooked it up, but not nearly as good as on the SD TV.

My neighbor said that the LCD screen will definitely show the shortcomings of re-uplinked digital on the 4DTV more so than the forgiving SD Tv would.

But I am much happier than I was.

Thanks for all who helped!

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

Hi Fred, sorry to hear about your Westinghouse woes..... I have a 19" Westinghouse Widescreen LCD HD Ready TV (no ATSC Tuner). I actually got this model because it's really light and I used it mainly for setting up outside for dish alignment. But, I have tried it on multiple devices and it has a great picture. I haven't used my 4dtv with it, but my Pansat, Coolsat, Qualitv, and Manhattan receivers have all been hooked to it at some point, as well as a Sony DVD player. And they all show a beautiful picture. It's really to small for me to use as a tv source for regular viewing, but it's great to have for what I got it for. I guess the size of my 73" Mits has ruined me? It's currently being used by my sister as a loaner, I've got to get it back to do some more yard work? From what I've read, I think you should be getting a much better picture. Maybe you should return it and get another one?

Al

 

[harshness]

Is this normal with an HDTV display?

It is something that you usually have to throw money at to fix. Less capable televisions don't have quality electronics designed to smooth out an SD picture.

Or is it just a cheap SD tuner in this model?

Tuners are tuners. Even if you bypassed the tuner, the SD display problem would likely remain.

 

[linuxman]

Hey Al,

I have played with it some more, and the picture is much better than it was. I have several days to play with it before the 30 days runs out.

I may have to return it, but the HD display is awesome.

It is something that you usually have to throw money at to fix. Less capable televisions don't have quality electronics designed to smooth out an SD picture.

If I wasn't such a newbie at HDTV, I might have already taken it back, but after a lot of adjustment, trial and experimentation, the SD picture is looking pretty good.

I just need to give it some more time and and gain a little experience on my part in the adjustment process.

Thanks,
Fred

 

[linuxman]

I finally got it adjusted!

Whew!!

It wasn't anything wrong with the equipment. It was just my lack of what controls do what on the TV. I finally found and turned off auto-source which was causing some of the problems, and adjusted everything on every input, and now the SD on every input from every source including the 4DTV is as good as it was on my old SD TV.

I am a happy camper!!

 

[voomvoom]

Congratulations Fred, time does wonders for all of us, glad your new HDTV's time finally arrived. I know you're going to love it.

Al

 

[linuxman]

I do love it.

There are some very good websites out there with both written and video instructions for adjusting an HDTV.

Both of the sites I found recommend that all HDTV's be adjusted when you first take them out of the box.

Here are a couple of the sites I found.

Picture perfect: HDTV tune-up tips

The second site is tips in video format.

HDTV Tips listed down the page.

I haven't tried the DVD calibration yet, but their advice is really easy to understand and yields good results.

Hope it helps someone else.

 

[BKP]

SWEET, glad you got it straightened out..

"I haven't tried the DVD calibration yet, but their advice is really easy to understand and yields good results."

I have the AVIA calibration DVD you could borrow if you decide to go that route..

 

[linuxman]

That sounds cool.

Just don't have time right now. I have a whole bunch of loose ends I am trying to tie up before Christmas.

I'll let you know.

Thanks,
Fred

 

[osu1991]

I usually just use the THX optimizer that is on most DVD's especially all the Star Wars discs, But I just got a new HD DVD player and redid all my tvs with HD dvd essentials and all my hdtv's definitely look great now. Even though they are still soft the Dish SD channels actually are more tolerable now, and the HD is very nice. The big 70in display still shows the shortcomings of the compression but the 46 and 50 inchers look great now. These setup dvds can definitely make a difference

 

[linuxman]

Hey OSU,

These setup dvds can definitely make a difference

I think they probably would too just have to make time to do it.

I saw in the video that some of the commercial DVDs have the THX screens to help calibrate the system. I'll have to see if we have on. We have all the Star Wars DVDs, so I am sure that I do.

Thanks,
Fred