Why does my TV look like crap?

Thisiszac

Hi -

I'm new here... this is my 2d post. And I'm new to the whole home theater scene. I just plopped out about $4000 for a new tv, receiver, surround system, a new HDMI DVD player, and floorstanding speakers (for a 7.1 system) last weekend.

I bought a 42" Panasonic plasma TV. The signal is coming from a DirecTV TiVo box (digital). The picture looks like pure crap. Of course, when I change the source to my PS2 (Gran Turismo 4, specifically) or my DVD player, it looks great. I am using S-video to connect the DirecTV to the TV, component video for the PS2, and HDMI for the DVD player. I know that has a lot to do with the quality of the picture... but should the digital picture of the TiVo box look so crappy? I don't remember it looking that bad on my CRT TV, and that was with a plain coax connection (not even S-video).

Am I missing something here? I'm not ready to buy a new HD DirecTV receiver yet... though I'm sure the picture quality would increase even when not watching programming in HD (because of the HDMI connection). I just can't think that the picture would look as bad as it does. It's not snowy or anything... just very blurry in parts, and when there is contrasting colors... especially something like dark text on a light background, there are lines and blurs and everything. Of course, I have not yet connected my DirecTV box to my receiver, then my receiver to my TV yet... and my Yamaha receiver has a Video "UP"conversion function. Maybe that will improve. But in the mean time, if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears.

Thanks!

Zac

wingnut4772

I feel your pain. I am betting the HD PQ would look pretty juicy. New HD TVs such as LCD, DLP, and Plasmas tend to excel in HD but the SD PQ leaves much to be desired. It has been explained to me that these sets were really created with HD in mind PQ wise as that is the way of the future. My HD looks absolutely stunning on my set and the SD is barely watchable most of the time. Fortunatley, more and more HD programming is becoming available.
TV sets brand new out of the box also usually need to be professionally calibrated. The sets are tuned to grab your attention in a showroom but not necessarily to be accurate for your living room. I am having my set professionally calibrated by ELIAB next week so I will let you know how much that improves my SD PQ if any.

BIZILL

your problem is the lower quality that comes with standard definition video and even standard "digital" video. a hi def display magnifies the flaws in video. the higher pq potential that newer displays are created for are meant for just that, higher picture quality (high def). s-video connections leave very much to be desired as well. move up to component or dvi or hdmi and all becomes better. high def is in a class of its own. my 27" trinitron made analog cable look stunning. it's an analog tv made for an analog signal. put that same exact analog signal on my hd 65" hitachi and you'd wish you never wasted your time **** in the connection. though your directv box is "digital", it's far from hd. again, a bigger screen serves to magnify picture degredation. hope i make sense.

mantis

It's like running regular gas in a race car. Trying to run in dress shoes.

Your standard Tivo doesn't have the ability to run the tv at it's avalible resolution. You need to get a Hdtivo Hd10250.

Dan

ND13

That's weird, i have an HD tv, but it's a ws tube and I still don't have the HD tuner yet and have an excellent picture whether on PScan or Standard def digital cable. Must have something to do with it being plasma, but even then i've seen several plasmas and lcds on sd and no problem. If I were in your shoes, I'd be contacting the retailer for a solution.

ohskigod

ND, ny tube, i assume you mean CRT. you not having any problems is no surprise. I have 2 TV's, 1 50" CRT rear proj and a 45"lcd rear proj. for high definition, I give the LCD the edge, BARELY. but for reg tv, my mitsubishi 50" eats the LCD alive. its not even close. CRT's are at least vastly superior for standard tv watching than the other formats. even in HDTV, while I like the LCD a little better, others like my CRT better (a little brighter).

ND13

Yep, a 30" WS Philips CRT. It is superior to any projection or flat panel I've seen to date on HD or SD broadcast. I need to get Insight to bring out the new HD box with DVR and get me on HD, and I mean SOON. I still have seen the plasmas and LCDs showing SD signals and they looked just fine. I still maintain that he needs to talk to the people he bought it from about this, cause something just doesn't add up.

Thisiszac

Thanks, guys (and gals?). I bought the component cables today and hope they will slightly improve the picture quality, but you all make sense in saying that my HDTV will only maginfy the sloppiness of the digital picture.

So a related question... I'm not sure I asked this or if it was answered, so slap me if I already did. Will the picture quality increase (if slightly) if I get the HD TiVo box? Technically, while I'll only be able to receive HD programming "where available" (such as on my local channels, and other HD programming packages), would my normal, non-HD (such as something like CNN or TBS) programming look better at all, since it is still only digital?

Thank you all again!

BIZILL

it'll probably look as "crappy" as your digital box you already have. like when i use my hd directv box. anything not broadcast in hd will look either snowy and dull-colored with ghosting (analog), or compressed and artifacted/pixelated, even blurry (digital picture such as dig. cable and digital satellite. but hd continues to shine. only thing worth trying would be a better interconnect protocol. the order of picture quality from worst to best is as follows....analog broadcast, vhs, digital cable or sat, dvd, hd. i'm goin' to bed now. have a good eve.

TrappedUnder Ice

wow..my toshiba DLP wipes my sony CRT all over the place. I have never complained about a picture on either....But I sure can tell the diff between the DLP and the CRT- DLP being much better image.

I have dish digita..non hd service...and get awesom programs. I do have s-video running too the Yamaha...then componant too both. (both reicevers are yamaha)

steveinaz

Trapped--which Tosh did you get? I've been eyeballing the 52HM84 DLP.