HDTV is a PIA

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

I too notice something similar. If I watch standard def digital broadcast
of my local stations, the picture is not so good. However, if I switch
inputs on my TV and go with the NTSC tuner which receives the very same
channels only in analog format, the picture is more pleasing to my eyes. I
usually choose to watch the local SD channels in analog form.

You should use a cable splitter and run the cable to both your NTSC tuner
and also the digital cable box. Just switch inputs to watch the SD channels
using your TVs tuner. Problem solved.

--Dan

"Jeff" <budda66f@aol.com> wrote in message
news:85392d89.0409080715.69f083d0@posting.google.com...
> Got my HD cable box today. Hooked it up to my new 34" widescreen
> Toshiba, and the HD looks real good. I also realized that my non HD
> channels look like shi#, very grainy or fuzzy. ESPN, VH1 etc.. I
> double checked the wiring. I used component cables supplied by the
> cable co.
>
> After seeing how bad the non HD looked, I disconnected everything and
> plugged the TV directly in from the
> wall. One cable. It looked MUCH better. All the channels were clear
> and less snowy. What do I need to do?
>
> To tell you the truth, while HD looks nice, I was happy with the old
> regular
> style. Since I bought this new Toshiba 34" widescreen, the regular
> cable has looked terrible on both the HD box and the digital box.
> DVD's and HD look incredible. My TV is HD capable, I thought it would
> still pick up the analog stations well.???
>
> But something could be set wrong. User error, ya know.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Your TV is better than your cable box in handling the SD signal. I
turn off my digital cable box and use the antenna in for analog cable
SD channels.


budda66f@aol.com (Jeff) wrote in message news:<85392d89.0409080715.69f083d0@posting.google.com>...
> Got my HD cable box today. Hooked it up to my new 34" widescreen
> Toshiba, and the HD looks real good. I also realized that my non HD
> channels look like shi#, very grainy or fuzzy. ESPN, VH1 etc.. I
> double checked the wiring. I used component cables supplied by the
> cable co.
>
> After seeing how bad the non HD looked, I disconnected everything and
> plugged the TV directly in from the
> wall. One cable. It looked MUCH better. All the channels were clear
> and less snowy. What do I need to do?
>
> To tell you the truth, while HD looks nice, I was happy with the old
> regular
> style. Since I bought this new Toshiba 34" widescreen, the regular
> cable has looked terrible on both the HD box and the digital box.
> DVD's and HD look incredible. My TV is HD capable, I thought it would
> still pick up the analog stations well.???
>
> But something could be set wrong. User error, ya know.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

The reason is quite simple. You probably are comparing your new big
screen TV with an old tiny TV. When you enlarge a 8mm negative into a
poster size photograph, you will get a terrible looking photo. The
same thing happens when you send the SD picture to your HDTV. You see
all the flaws larger than life.

Why is the cable box doing worse than your TV? Your HD cable box is
optimized to handle the HD signal, it probably just pass the SD signal
through with no improvement on it. However, your HDTV is designed to
handle both SD and HD signals. When the SD signal is fed to the TV in
480i mode, your TV get a chance to use its advance circuitry to
upconvert it to look nice on the HD screen. i.e. you get better
picture if you feed your TV with unprocessed signals when your STB is
inferior in doing such task.


budda66f@aol.com (Jeff) wrote in message news:<85392d89.0409090805.a956031@posting.google.com>...
> caloonese@yahoo.com (Caloonese) wrote in message news:<ee67c74a.0409081643.19b756f9@posting.google.com>...
> > Your TV is better than your cable box in handling the SD signal. I
> > turn off my digital cable box and use the antenna in for analog cable
> > SD channels.
> >
> >
> That's what the cable guy said too. What I can't figure out is why
> my old TV looked better going through the same digital box than this
> new Toshiba does.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Wed, 08 Sep 2004 16:40:47 GMT, "dg" <dan_gus@hotmail.com> wrote:

>You should use a cable splitter and run the cable to both your NTSC tuner
>and also the digital cable box. Just switch inputs to watch the SD channels
>using your TVs tuner. Problem solved.

Also he should look to see if his tv has a pass-thru. I had the splitter setup
until I actually read my manual while trying to help a friend who also bought a
Samsung DLP. Low and behold I see that I can ditch the splitter and run the
cable to "antenna in" then a cable from "antenna out" to the cable box. So the
switching is done automatically for me by simply switching from (in my case for
HD) DVI to Antenna in the menu for analog stuff.

Then again all tv's don't have that feature I'm assuming.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Baked <baked@nowhere.invalid> wrote in message news:<CiK0d.18696$w_6.12563@fe37.usenetserver.com>...
> On 10 Sep 2004 08:45:06 -0700, budda66f@aol.com (Jeff) wrote:
>
> >Is there a product that will route the entire signal to one or the
> >other, allowing me to choose which path?
>
> Look to make sure your tv cant pass-thru like my Sammy DLP. See my post
> elsewhere in this thread regarding that.


Baked, thanks. I ended up doing similar to what you mentioned
earlier. I'm going into ant 1 and then out to box and then to HD
inputs AND back to Ant 2! It didn't work until I hooked up to antenna
2. This puzzles me as to why I had to return to antenna two, I
thought taking the cable to the input of the box and then going to the
HD input would work.

To watch HD I have to switch from ant 1 to ant 2, and then switch to
HD input. It says nothing about this in the manual! But even
weirder, there is no diagram of HD hook up in the whole manual!!!!

I got it to work, but it took a lot of experimenting and head
scratching. You'd think the cable guys would know this stuff and be
able to hook it up properly.