ThurmanMunster Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 We just got a 46 inch 1080 Samsung LCD HDTV. The HD channels come in amazing and the regular channels are worse than on regular TVs. Is there a way to at least improve them to regular TV quality or are they just screwed until all channels are HD signals? Basically is it a setting of ours? or is it how it is? or do we need to get something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoutforlife591 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 No, other than changing the aspect ratio of when you watch standard def, your stuck. There is a setting that'll watch your HD stuff in 16:9, and your SD stuff in 4:3, but people are always worried about burnin, so if someone set it up for you, cable guy or otherwise, it's probably set on 16:9-4:3 Stretch. As you know, when you zoom in on a picture, it gets granier, same affect here. It sucks. If picture quality for a certain program (tickers, hot girls, or its just your favorite show) is really important, its usually not difficult to toggle aspect ratio for any given show. With an LCD, I believe you do have to worry about image persistence. ESPNNews that kinda thing would be big worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Johnny Fever Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 I've heard about the 4:3 aspect burning the ratio lines, but I have 2 widescreens ( one for four years now and this one is a rear projection) and I haven't had any problems with that. I always watch the correct aspect for the programming. I also have Samsungs so maybe it's a brand that uses certain components that cause that problem. I really don't know. As for the HD in regular channels, I'm curious about that one myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmanMunster Posted November 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 this is what i figured. oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-GoBengals- Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 amplifying the signal may have, there are cheap amplifiers around, but your cable box should do that for you to an extent. or complain to the cable company and make them come boost your signal... bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmanMunster Posted November 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 [quote name='GoBengals' post='600957' date='Nov 29 2007, 12:21 AM']amplifying the signal may have, there are cheap amplifiers around, but your cable box should do that for you to an extent. or complain to the cable company and make them come boost your signal... bastards.[/quote] it is boosted. roadrunner is garbage internet. we had that boosted and it boosts both signals. it probably doesnt help that we have our line split a few times. i think im going to re-route one of the first splits to the HDTV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whodey319 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 my cable is split 7 times in my house and i complained to time warner that the signal was weak on 2 TV's and they sent me a little pack that you just plug into the wall by the TV closest to the line and the signal was perfect from then on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoutforlife591 Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 What they sent you was an amplifier. Yeah, if your signal is low, that can be a huge issue if we're talking analog signal. But if you've got a Time Warner, (not Time Warner/Adelphia) box, its 100% digital, such that the problem is as I described earlier and won't be helped by an amplifier. Since you have HD, I assume you have a box, unless you are using an OTA HD tuner and cable ready. As to Roadrunner being crap, it can be if your house isn't run well. Rear projections have the least risk of burn-in or image persistence, but my in-laws have a rear projection, and I can see their lines. Frankly, I think its worth it, at least on a rear projection. The lines are very faint after 3 or so years. When a tech runs a house, the cable comes in from the street and they split it 2 ways in the outside box. 1 line is supposed to go STRAIGHT to your RR modem. The other gets split/amplified many times depending on your video needs. If yours isn't run this way, I'd ask them to come fix it, because it'll slow you down by increasing your BER with extra noise. I've even got my condo run that way since I did it. I have 8 outlets and an amp in a 2 bedroom condo. Rest assured the first splitter on my main line is a two way that splits straight to my phone modem. The other line goes to a 4 way amp, then each of those legs powers a room. Two Bedrooms, Livingroom, kitchen. In the ceiling, each of those is split again, and then fished down the walls so that I never need to cross a doorway to get cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer_Rice Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 I had a similar problem when I bought my HD box last year. What I did was go into the video settings and played around with the options, with a standard picture as reference. Then I saved them as a "user" setting. You probably have similar ability to define and save a specific bright/contrast/color ratio, etc... Also, I learned to live with the 4:3 setting when watching non HD. Lots more black space on the screen, but a much better picture. I suspect your tv will automatically adjust to whatever the native signal might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmanMunster Posted November 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 [quote name='Scoutforlife591' post='601072' date='Nov 29 2007, 12:15 PM']What they sent you was an amplifier. Yeah, if your signal is low, that can be a huge issue if we're talking analog signal. But if you've got a Time Warner, (not Time Warner/Adelphia) box, its 100% digital, such that the problem is as I described earlier and won't be helped by an amplifier. Since you have HD, I assume you have a box, unless you are using an OTA HD tuner and cable ready. As to Roadrunner being crap, it can be if your house isn't run well. Rear projections have the least risk of burn-in or image persistence, but my in-laws have a rear projection, and I can see their lines. Frankly, I think its worth it, at least on a rear projection. The lines are very faint after 3 or so years. When a tech runs a house, the cable comes in from the street and they split it 2 ways in the outside box. 1 line is supposed to go STRAIGHT to your RR modem. The other gets split/amplified many times depending on your video needs. If yours isn't run this way, I'd ask them to come fix it, because it'll slow you down by increasing your BER with extra noise. I've even got my condo run that way since I did it. I have 8 outlets and an amp in a 2 bedroom condo. Rest assured the first splitter on my main line is a two way that splits straight to my phone modem. The other line goes to a 4 way amp, then each of those legs powers a room. Two Bedrooms, Livingroom, kitchen. In the ceiling, each of those is split again, and then fished down the walls so that I never need to cross a doorway to get cable.[/quote] heh. i spent months fighting with the fuckbags at time warner regarding our internet. we got 6 months free because i went off on them. i made them come out and rerun everything since they fucked it up. we had our lines ran and they reran them and fucked it all up. its set up with the main line split (1 to modem and the other to a 6 way split for our TV). We have the TV lines going to sportsroom, living room, 3 bedrooms, and kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_dish Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Thats a problem Ive seen with nearly every LCD HDTV Ive seen. I have a 42" plasma, and my standard picture is as good as regular TV, no distortion or grainy-ness. Is it too late for you to replace it with a plasma? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Entertainer Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 [quote name='big_dish' post='601560' date='Nov 30 2007, 12:33 PM']Thats a problem Ive seen with nearly every LCD HDTV Ive seen. I have a 42" plasma, and my standard picture is as good as regular TV, no distortion or grainy-ness. Is it too late for you to replace it with a plasma?[/quote] I have 2 LCD TVs and have no probelms. Thurman, it may the splitter (bad quality). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmanMunster Posted November 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 [quote name='big_dish' post='601560' date='Nov 30 2007, 12:33 PM']Thats a problem Ive seen with nearly every LCD HDTV Ive seen. I have a 42" plasma, and my standard picture is as good as regular TV, no distortion or grainy-ness. Is it too late for you to replace it with a plasma?[/quote] we are getting a 60 inch plasma for downstairs. the LCD is better for the room it is going in. its really not that bad. [quote name='The Entertainer' post='601582' date='Nov 30 2007, 12:53 PM']I have 2 LCD TVs and have no probelms. Thurman, it may the splitter (bad quality).[/quote] it might be the splitter. i might go see if i can find a better one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_dish Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 [quote name='ThurmanMunster' post='601674' date='Nov 30 2007, 03:19 PM']we are getting a 60 inch plasma for downstairs. the LCD is better for the room it is going in. its really not that bad. it might be the splitter. i might go see if i can find a better one.[/quote] I dont really know which is better all in all, plasma or LCD, but before I bought mine I researched for 6 months and came to the conclusion that the type of plasma I bought had way less drawbacks than the LCDs in the same price/size range. You got a larger one, so Im not so sure about that. But, I will say, that every one of my friends who has bought an LCD has had this problem, of shitty regular definition TV. It could very well be the splitter, I have no idea whatsoever. Im just saying, you probably have a month or two window to take it back, and if you exhaust all options, try to exchange it for a different TV rather than settling on a terrible picture, because there are big HDTV flat panels that give an awesome SDTV picture. I tried to help my sister buy a TV, after I bought mine, and she didnt want to listen to me. She bought a seemingly sweet Samsung 1080 LCD, for $2,000+... Turns out, its only sweet when its in HD. I HATE watching the regular definition. Just dont settle if you cant sort it out and still have a chance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmanMunster Posted December 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 samsung is considered the best by consumer reports. the LCD rated higher than the plasma. we got 600 dollars off the regular price for it. it was a no brainer. if we put it to 4:3 its normal. i think there is something we can do to improve it at 16:9 tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeb Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 I just got my Hewlett Packard LCD monitor. I can't stress enough how bad the factory settings were for this LCD monitor. I had to adjust every setting (bright, sharp, gamma, contrast, you name it). When I first turned it on it was horrible. Way too bright, out of focus a bit, and just plain horrible. I reset the settings and then pushed the factory settings button out of curiosity. It went back to being flat out ugly. So I tinkered with it again and now its just beautiful. I love this monitor now. Crisp and clean picture with vibrant color. I saved these settings and I'll never touch that factory settings button again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyInDC Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 For those who have plasma and are worried about burn-in, I have a DVD ISO of color rotation. Burn the ISO then pop the DVD in and make sure the aspect ratio leaves no side bars and let that go all night. Get stoned and watch the colors--it might actually be fun. It got rid of my baseball scorebar burn-in last summer. If someone wants to host the ISO, let me know where to upload it. It's not terribly large--maybe 50 or so megabytes (not sure, though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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