HD experts?

[SourCandy]

Hi guys im looking for a little help. I research a bit(not much) about HD tvs. I felt like the last person on the planet who didn't have a LCD or plasma. I had a tube Tv...it worked good so never no need to get another. Till I started inviting friends over. It was 27 inch and my living room was to big for it. So i needed a larger tv. So i decided to go with a 37in or 42in. I ended up getting the 42 cause it was more screen for the money. The size of the tv seems to fit the room nicely (15x10ft room).


Now it's a samsung 42in lcd tv. 1080p and 120hz(since I heard that was best) Only problem is it just looks...blan. No color no vibrant colors. Not like it looked like in the store. They say tv's are set to showcase colors on high for retail so shouldn't mine look like that? lol

plus it don't look very clear. I have time warner and they have free hd so am I suppose to just change my box? Just your opinions and personal experiences in converting to HD tvs would be awesome,

Also should I take the tv back or this some kind of adjusting period?

[PM5K]

If you still have the standard box you aren't watching in HD so there won't be any difference between it and your previous set. All you have to do is take your old box in and ask to switch it to an HD capable box. When you go in make sure you get an HDMI cable, they used to give you the option of either an HDMI or component cable, but you want an HDMI cable if they still include them.

[ElNono]

If you still have the standard box you aren't watching in HD so there won't be any difference between it and your previous set. All you have to do is take your old box in and ask to switch it to an HD capable box. When you go in make sure you get an HDMI cable, they used to give you the option of either an HDMI or component cable, but you want an HDMI cable if they still include them.

^^^ What he said. Also play with the image presets a bit after you hook up the new HD cable box. Sometimes the settings are way off.

[PM5K]

^^^ What he said. Also play with the image presets a bit after you hook up the new HD cable box. Sometimes the settings are way off.

No question, but I think the bigger issue is that the sets at the store were running 1080P and she's running 480I.

It certainly wouldn't hurt though. Ideally you'd have one of those DVD calibration disks but I'm sure she can come up with something either way.

[ElNono]

It certainly wouldn't hurt though. Ideally you'd have one of those DVD calibration disks but I'm sure she can come up with something either way.

Most of these TV's have those Movie/Sports/Standard presets that at least will reset any bad contrast/brightness/hue/saturation settings.

[BlairForceDejuan]

check out avsforum.com

Search for the model number of your T.V. there and hopefully there will be calibration suggestions in the calibration section of that forum.

[Nathan Explosion]

The 480i makes a HUGE difference though. When watching standard def programming, the colors always look muted and the clarity looks fuzzy. When switching to HD, the color looks way more vibrant and clarity is outstanding.

If you own an LED or especially a plasma, the colors just jump off the TV.

[TDMVPDPOY]

is urs a led screen?

the higher the mhz the better even though u wont be using that screen to play fps games, but u can really tell the difference...

should just went and get a 50inch...

[Cry Havoc]

Hi guys im looking for a little help. I research a bit(not much) about HD tvs. I felt like the last person on the planet who didn't have a LCD or plasma. I had a tube Tv...it worked good so never no need to get another. Till I started inviting friends over. It was 27 inch and my living room was to big for it. So i needed a larger tv. So i decided to go with a 37in or 42in. I ended up getting the 42 cause it was more screen for the money. The size of the tv seems to fit the room nicely (15x10ft room).


Now it's a samsung 42in lcd tv. 1080p and 120hz(since I heard that was best) Only problem is it just looks...blan. No color no vibrant colors. Not like it looked like in the store. They say tv's are set to showcase colors on high for retail so shouldn't mine look like that? lol

plus it don't look very clear. I have time warner and they have free hd so am I suppose to just change my box? Just your opinions and personal experiences in converting to HD tvs would be awesome,

Also should I take the tv back or this some kind of adjusting period?

Have you tried watching a DVD or Blu Ray movie on it?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Yeah and for whatever reason make sure you have the output set to a HD resolution. I've been to many friends house and notice the pic really isn't in HD. All these friends have uverse. When I told them they weren't getting a HD pic, they didn't believe me. I'd go to their settings and lo and behold they were on standard resolution. I'd change it and it was like I delivered their first born. Just an FYI.

But if you have a samsung I wouldn't worry about having a shabby tv. They make excellent tv's. Plus all they do is jack up the color on the floor display so it "stands out".

[Drachen]

2 best suggestions:

Switch out your cable box
and
AVS Forum for callibration suggestions.


Also, if you go to the best buy website and check the reviews for your tv, it is likely that there are callibration suggestions that are embeded in the reviews.

I couldn't find a TV on AVS, that I just bought 4 days ago, so I did the above and found about 4 different suggestions.

BTW it was an Insignia 42" class 600mhz subfield motion refresh 720p (gonna put it in the bedroom) plasma TV. it was $429. It looks freakin great and at that price its a steal.

Insignia is Best Buy's store brand, and this particular model is a rebranded Samsung (though other insignias may be rebranded other brands).

[PM5K]

It's like there's a fucking echo in here.

[resistanze]

You should probably get an HD box. And check out www.avsforums.com for calibration settings.

[Frenzy]

Hi guys im looking for a little help. I research a bit(not much) about HD tvs. I felt like the last person on the planet who didn't have a LCD or plasma. I had a tube Tv...it worked good so never no need to get another. Till I started inviting friends over. It was 27 inch and my living room was to big for it. So i needed a larger tv. So i decided to go with a 37in or 42in. I ended up getting the 42 cause it was more screen for the money. The size of the tv seems to fit the room nicely (15x10ft room).


Now it's a samsung 42in lcd tv. 1080p and 120hz(since I heard that was best) Only problem is it just looks...blan. No color no vibrant colors. Not like it looked like in the store. They say tv's are set to showcase colors on high for retail so shouldn't mine look like that? lol

plus it don't look very clear. I have time warner and they have free hd so am I suppose to just change my box? Just your opinions and personal experiences in converting to HD tvs would be awesome,

Also should I take the tv back or this some kind of adjusting period?

thought you were getting the vizo slacker.

[SourCandy]

thought you were getting the vizo slacker.

frenzy :perv:

[SourCandy]

All you have to do is take your old box in and ask to switch it to an HD capable box. When you go in make sure you get an HDMI cable,
yes it is on 480i...ugh

on my to do list thanks:toast



Most of these TV's have those Movie/Sports/Standard presets that at least will reset any bad contrast/brightness/hue/saturation settings.

those settings didn't do much =/


Have you tried watching a DVD or Blu Ray movie on it?

well I take it I have to buy a blu player now ...ugh.

Cause I did pop in a dvd and it was the same. Still just blan. Look like I was watching a soap opera on kens channel 5 on a tub tv lol.

Is this gonna be the norm now? like my tube tv I was soooo use to. Bright colors maybe not the clearest but it was great. Now I see more detail but it looks plain and not bright (even messing with the bright button).



I'd go to their settings and lo and behold they were on standard resolution. .

settings on tv or cable box? cause I don't have a option for that...at least I haven't found it.




BTW it was an Insignia 42" class 600mhz subfield motion refresh 720p (gonna put it in the bedroom) plasma TV. it was $429. It looks freakin great and at that price its a steal.


I saw a tv like that but everyone was like no get 1080....get 1080. So I did.

720p with 600hz > 1080p with 120hz ???

[PM5K]

What box do you have, what does it say on the front?

[Nathan Explosion]

yes it is on 480i...ugh

on my to do list thanks:toast




those settings didn't do much =/



well I take it I have to buy a blu player now ...ugh.

Cause I did pop in a dvd and it was the same. Still just blan. Look like I was watching a soap opera on kens channel 5 on a tub tv lol.

Is this gonna be the norm now? like my tube tv I was soooo use to. Bright colors maybe not the clearest but it was great. Now I see more detail but it looks plain and not bright (even messing with the bright button).




settings on tv or cable box? cause I don't have a option for that...at least I haven't found it.


I saw a tv like that but everyone was like no get 1080....get 1080. So I did.

720p with 600hz > 1080p with 120hz ???

She's starting to sound confused. Throw out the technical jargon and speak in layman's terms.

As long as you're dealing with standard definition TV (480i) you're not going to see much improvement. First things, first, get an HD box and watch HD programming before you do anything.

Second, if you have a plain jane DVD player, you're encountering the same problem. There are Upconvert DVD players that will make a difference (and for cheap, less than $100), but in the end, you're better off just getting a Blu Ray player.

If you have no interest or funds to get Blu Ray right now, Phillips makes a DVD player that's an upconvert that does a pretty good job with the quality. Walmart has it for less than $40 I think, so that's a good way to go for now. I believe it upconverts to 1080i (720p) although I saw some reviews that say it does close to 1080p. I should try it on my Bravia to be sure as it's 1080p and the TV I have it hooked up to is 720p and my kids watch it most of the time.

When you get your cable box, it will have default settings that should get you what you need right out of the box. If you're still having the problem, then you'll need to adjust the settings. Of course, you won't know until you get the box.

As for the 720p with 600hz, that's a plasma. You have an LCD. Different story altogether.

The plasma's resolution won't be as high, but the color and contrast ratio are off the charts. Absolutely beautiful. They don't last as long, but I don't care. When I settle into my new place, I'm getting a plasma as my next TV. I have a 1080p LCD, so now I can afford to have a 720p plasma.

Hope this helps.

[ChumpDumper]

The HD channels aren't the same as you have been receiving on regular cable -- e.g., USA Network is 66 in standard def on my system but hi def is channel 1665.

And yes, you need either an HDMI cable or component video cables (three rca jacks) going from the cable box to your tv. My TW cable box says "HDTV" on the front and came with component cables, though HDMI is simpler since video and sound go through a single cable.

[PM5K]

There's no need to simplify anything, I've already told her to get an HD box and an HDMI cable, what could be simpler?

She's getting confused because I already answered her question but a few people decided to answer it again and again.

[SourCandy]

lol thanks guys. Not confused,not anymore anway. I'll come back when I change the box with the hdmi cable.

If I still have problems i'll come back :D

[BlairForceDejuan]

One more thing.

DO NOT buy an HDMI cable from Best Buy/Circuit City/etc. They will gank you at the front door like a used car salesman and try to talk you into buying a $99 HDMI cable.

You can get HDMI cables online for ~$10 bucks. Probably cheaper. I just bought a category 2 HDMI 6ft cable off amazon for my new tv for around that price.

[Man Sauce]

Go to altex and get your hdmi cables they start out at about ten bucks there.

[ChumpDumper]

lol thanks guys. Not confused,not anymore anway. I'll come back when I change the box with the hdmi cable.

If I still have problems i'll come back :DLike I said, if you get the same box from TW that I did, you'll get a component cable with five bundled wires (three video and two audio) which could work fine until you get a decently priced HDMI cable.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

settings on tv or cable box? cause I don't have a option for that...at least I haven't found it.

on the cable box.

[SourCandy]

Hey guys im back :)

ok got the box changed. Only it didn't work lol. Not my fault the operator I called said it was faulty (even though i just got it!) She made me do the whole reboot and unplug thing,which I had already done. Still no response from the box just said "app" the whole time. She sending out a tech to help. Don't see why...I mean my regular cable works in other rooms work and I even switched out the cables! So it has to be the box. So i figured i'd go change the box AGAIN. If it don't work well the tech comes on monday anyway. I did how ever see HD! I saw it when I plugged in the cable straight to the tv. It was only channel 5 though lol. Really clear :D

One more thing so like chump and others said HDMI cables are all the same? Really,, I seen some as low as 7$ and other as high as 199$

Screwing the public if that's the case.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

yep. monster cable is just a waste of money.

[PM5K]

In the digital world 1's and 0's are 1's and 0's. I wouldn't bother to get anything more than the cheapest you can find, especially since you'll probably be getting a 6 foot cable.

I wouldn't wait for a tech though, I'd just go back and get another box. It happens that way sometimes because they just swap the boxes in and out. When you turn yours in it becomes someone else's and vice versa.

[Cry Havoc]

monoprice.com

The only site you need for cables.

[Wild Cobra]

One more thing so like chump and others said HDMI cables are all the same? Really,, I seen some as low as 7$ and other as high as 199$

Screwing the public if that's the case.
Since HDMI is a digital signal, as long as the signal to noise ratio from surrounding equipment is adequate, the cheap cables are fine. With a digital signal, you see no loss in quality between cables. If a cable is inferior for your application, the picture will actually drop in and out. Digital is not the same as analog. With AV cables, component, etc. the shielding is very important. High quality expensive cables can make the difference.

Bottom line, cheap cables are fine as long as they work.

[Wild Cobra]

yep. monster cable is just a waste of money.
Monster was always a waste. Paying for the name.

[Wild Cobra]

In the digital world 1's and 0's are 1's and 0's.
Exactly. If they make it to their destination with cheap cables, then go with the cheap ones.

[Frenzy]

Hey guys im back :)

ok got the box changed. Only it didn't work lol. Not my fault the operator I called said it was faulty (even though i just got it!) She made me do the whole reboot and unplug thing,which I had already done. Still no response from the box just said "app" the whole time. She sending out a tech to help. Don't see why...I mean my regular cable works in other rooms work and I even switched out the cables! So it has to be the box. So i figured i'd go change the box AGAIN. If it don't work well the tech comes on monday anyway. I did how ever see HD! I saw it when I plugged in the cable straight to the tv. It was only channel 5 though lol. Really clear :D

One more thing so like chump and others said HDMI cables are all the same? Really,, I seen some as low as 7$ and other as high as 199$

Screwing the public if that's the case.

what pm5k said. The boxes just get changed out. Don't think the actually check them. I had to take my box back 3 times. The tech is just gonna tell you to switch it out.

[SourCandy]

Update:

I was out and about and came home and when I glanced at thew cable box to look at the time (cause it's a habit),,,the time was actually there! no "app"! so I turned on the tv and put it on a channel to have the option for HD. I put it on discovery and it worked it was awesome!! However, it took me to another channel I guess discovery HD. When I switched the channel it took a minute or two to load the HD channel, IS THIS NORMAL?

Now it just froze on black, I would turn it off but the bad luck of it going back to "app" is still fresh in my mind.

So loading HD channels takes a min or should it just be a few seconds? Any help is greatful you guys.

[PM5K]

No it's not normal. There may be a slight delay because of the way TWC does things, but nothing more than a second or two.

The thing about the HD channels and any of the channels that require two way communication is that they require a much cleaner signal, and a very good reverse signal.

Do you have Road Runner?

At any rate, since you don't know a lot about it all, it's probably best to keep that appointment and have them sort it out.

[ElNono]

HD channels are one way, and should take no more than a few seconds to appear, much like SD channels.

Since you now have a digital cable box, there's also 'interactive' channels, those require two way communication, and sometimes will take time to 'load' (normally, with a 'Loading' message on screen). Among the notable channels that are like that in most cable systems is the Video on Demand service, where you can purchase Pay per View movies.

Regular broadcast channels should not work like that, and I agree with the sentiment that since this is your first interaction with this box and system, you should keep your appointment, make sure they go over all the settings and everything is configured right on the box, and you can ask the tech any questions you might have.

[ElNono]

BTW, did you get a Scientific Atlanta 'Explorer' box, or something else?

[Nathan Explosion]

Hey guys im back :)

ok got the box changed. Only it didn't work lol. Not my fault the operator I called said it was faulty (even though i just got it!) She made me do the whole reboot and unplug thing,which I had already done. Still no response from the box just said "app" the whole time. She sending out a tech to help. Don't see why...I mean my regular cable works in other rooms work and I even switched out the cables! So it has to be the box. So i figured i'd go change the box AGAIN. If it don't work well the tech comes on monday anyway. I did how ever see HD! I saw it when I plugged in the cable straight to the tv. It was only channel 5 though lol. Really clear :D

One more thing so like chump and others said HDMI cables are all the same? Really,, I seen some as low as 7$ and other as high as 199$

Screwing the public if that's the case.

I don't have a box, just the cable plugged straight into the TV (my apartment provides the cable, but no cable box). I get the local channels in HD and it looks amazing.

[Nathan Explosion]

Speaking of HDMI cables but not TW Cable related, every now and then when I'm playing my Xbox the sound cuts in and out. I'm using an HDMI cable and thought the cable had gone bad.

So I purchased a new cable and am having the same problem. Could it be the console or is it possible the cable is being interfered with?

[ElNono]

Speaking of HDMI cables but not TW Cable related, every now and then when I'm playing my Xbox the sound cuts in and out. I'm using an HDMI cable and thought the cable had gone bad.

So I purchased a new cable and am having the same problem. Could it be the console or is it possible the cable is being interfered with?

Do you have another HDMI input on the TV? If you do, try it. If the problem still persist, then it's likely it's an issue with the console.

[ElNono]

You could also try hooking up the analog audio output (if you have the Analog AV cable) and seeing if that still happens. That would rule out being a cable/tv issue.

[Nathan Explosion]

I hope it's not the console. It's got a 2 year warranty on it, so that's not an issue. But I use my Xbox to watch Netflix all the time. I could watch on my computer, but the movies aren't being shown in 1080p on my computer.

Then I'd miss the nightly MW2 sessions I have with the guys at work. Plus I finally bought Red Dead Redemption (instead of borrowing it) so I have that to look forward to.

[ElNono]

If the problem is with Netflix and 1080P movies, then it could also be a bandwidth issue with your Internet connection. You can rule that out if it still does it while playing games.
Like I said, try changing connectors and see if you can pinpoint who's at fault.

[Nathan Explosion]

It happens when I'm playing online. I haven't played a single player story mode on a game in a while so I haven't seen it happening there. But when I'm playing MW2 online, I tend to experience the problem.

It happened one time when I was watching a show on Netflix, but it hasn't happened since. It's completely random. I've already switched the port to a different HDMI port to see if that changes anything. I won't know for a while though.

[SourCandy]

:depressed

Sorry for all the questions


No it's not normal. There may be a slight delay because of the way TWC does things, but nothing more than a second or two.

The thing about the HD channels and any of the channels that require two way communication is that they require a much cleaner signal, and a very good reverse signal.

Do you have Road Runner?

At any rate, since you don't know a lot about it all, it's probably best to keep that appointment and have them sort it out.

Some of the HD channels take like you said ...a second or two. Others take up to like 10 seconds. Some never come on at all. I guess I can't get those channels. I figured I would since for example I have amc tune in to amcHD and it does not load. Oh and yes PM I have RR.

Yes i'll keep the appointment thanks :)




BTW, did you get a Scientific Atlanta 'Explorer' box, or something else?
yeah it's scientific atl exp. Does that matter?


oh and another question guys let me get this straight.

480 is standard.
720p is HD too?
is 1080I the same as 1080p? Cause my cable box says "1080i" when I tune into a HD channel,Yet the box my tv came in says "1080p"

also there is a icon on the display on my cable box that says "HDTV" shouldn't that be on when i'm watching HD?

Um I think that's it lol. Most these questions could be answered from the cable guy or online research. But I figured since you guys know what your talking about I can ask you :)

[Wild Cobra]

oh and another question guys let me get this straight.

480 is standard.
480i is the standard NTSC broadcast. DVD's I think are mastered in 480P so you definably get an improvement.


720p is HD too?
Yes.


is 1080I the same as 1080p? Cause my cable box says "1080i" when I tune into a HD channel,Yet the box my tv came in says "1080p"

The signal the cable box interprets from the cable company is only 1080i, but it may up converts it to 1080P for the television. It might also be that the cable company could send a 1080P signal if they wanted to, but they can only send one 1080P signal for ever two 1080i signals. They higher quality would mean cutting down the number of available channels.

[Frenzy]

:lol sour just admit your lazy.

[ElNono]

yeah it's scientific atl exp. Does that matter?

No, it doesn't matter much, it's just that those boxes have two modes of operation, as you're probably soon to find out:

In one mode, they will output the native resolution of the signal (480i, 720p, 1080i) and let the TV upscale the image to 1080P. When in that mode, some TV's take longer to switch the resolution, that's why you might see some delay when switching channels. The other mode that can be set is to always output in a given resolution (With the max being 1080i for Scientific Atlanta boxes, the recommended setting if you have a 1080P TV), and the box itself does the up conversion. This normally makes switching channels faster.
The tech will probably configure it in the latter mode, which is most common.



oh and another question guys let me get this straight.
480 is standard.
720p is HD too?
is 1080I the same as 1080p? Cause my cable box says "1080i" when I tune into a HD channel,Yet the box my tv came in says "1080p"


480i is standard broadcast definition. TV stations also broadcast in HD resolutions of 720p and 1080i, depending on the station (ie: Most Disney owned stations broadcast in 720p, like ABC, ESPN, etc. On the other hand, stations like PBS broadcast in 1080i).

If you have a progressive scan DVD player, and connect it using the component cable, then that can produce 480p, which is still standard resolution but slightly better quality than 480i.

If you purchase a BluRay player, a Playstation 3 or a Xbox 360, then you can also hook it up and those can actually output 1080p, which is basically the best HD resolution out there right now.

Now, as far as your TV, it can accept any of those resolutions, and will do any necessary conversion in order to show you the image. As I was saying earlier, it's still best if you can have the cable box to do that conversion for you automatically instead, at least for the broadcast TV channels. I'm sure the tech will configure the box to do that for you.


also there is a icon on the display on my cable box that says "HDTV" shouldn't that be on when i'm watching HD?

IIRC, it should. I used to have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD and it did that. Let the tech know about that.

[SourCandy]

480i is the standard NTSC broadcast. DVD's I think are mastered in 480P so you definably get an improvement.

Yes.

The signal the cable box interprets from the cable company is only 1080i, but it may up converts it to 1080P for the television. It might also be that the cable company could send a 1080P signal if they wanted to, but they can only send one 1080P signal for ever two 1080i signals. They higher quality would mean cutting down the number of available channels.

So if the the tv is showing 1080p it will tell me in the information screen right?
My cable box shows 1080i and so does the the information bar on the tv. 1080i looks really good! So I i can only watch 1080p from a blu ray? and not regular hd tv,which well show 1080i?

[ElNono]

Currently, no channel is broadcasting 1080p, so yes, you can only get 1080p from bluray, ps3, xbox 360 or the like.

[Frenzy]

RguvTzHO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=i-_RguvTzHo

[SourCandy]

omg thanks nono :) oh you too cobra..pm5k,nath... well all of you! Very helpful.

not you frenzy lol

[SourCandy]

ok frenz you did that that's funny. Some how I can picture you guys doing that.

[ChumpDumper]

A couple of clarifications.

The "APP" message you saw more than likely was signaling an update to the software your cable box uses. Most people never see that happening since it usually takes place in the middle of the night. I was awake when it happened to mine and took the better part of an hour since it was a completely new software package.

The pause you see right after you see the channel change I believe is the DVR's recording a few seconds of the channel before showing it -- but I could be wrong. If the pause is much longer or the signal keeps going in and out, turning the box off and on usually works for me, but YMMV.

[SourCandy]

A couple of clarifications.

The "APP" message you saw more than likely was signaling an update to the software your cable box uses. Most people never see that happening since it usually takes place in the middle of the night. I was awake when it happened to mine and took the better part of an hour since it was a completely new software package.

The pause you see right after you see the channel change I believe is the DVR's recording a few seconds of the channel before showing it -- but I could be wrong. If the pause is much longer or the signal keeps going in and out, turning the box off and on usually works for me, but YMMV.

my "app" took about 5 hours the first time. Now I'm afraid to unplug it :depressed

[ChumpDumper]

If it isn't showing APP or some other weird message, I wouldn't worry about unplugging it.

[SourCandy]

Update: Cable guys came in and after a few min determined that some one attempted hook into my cable line. Some how they messed up my connection in trying to hook up theirs. Which was causing my cable box to be really slow and get stuck in trying to upload HD channels. Runs smooth now

Thanks for everyones help :)

[Wild Cobra]

Update: Cable guys came in and after a few min determined that some one attempted hook into my cable line. Some how they messed up my connection in trying to hook up theirs. Which was causing my cable box to be really slow and get stuck in trying to upload HD channels. Runs smooth now

Thanks for everyones help :)
This makes sense. Improper termination on a large bandwidth signal will cause problems, and be more pronounces at some frequencies more than others.