Saturday, May 3, 2014

Hdtv antenna- signal strength vs. quality question.?




happy_mang


Our antenna is bringing in 100% signal strength, but 0-7% signal quality. Most of the channels we want to watch aren't watchable. What is the difference between the two and how can we boost the quality? We are so clueless, this is the third antenna we've tried and the only one to bring in the channels we want... but they're not working! Help!


Answer
This makes not much sense or the specs of the antenna are misleading.

HDTV signals are digital, so if you get even 50% strength you should be able to get 100% of the signal.

HDTV signals are very sensitive to direction. Your antenna needs to point directly to the transmitter. www.antennaweb.org can help you.

It may be that an internal antenna may not be good enough for where you live. In that case, you may need an external - on th eroof -antenna.

HDTV picture quality?




Gap Face


I got an HDTV a while ago and my friends and I cant tell the difference from my 32" HDTV from my friends 23" SDTV. My HDTV settings are at standard because I dont really no how to make the picture better by custom picture quality. Most people say that should be fine but some tell me I should change it. Also some people say that I should turn down the sharpness all the way down but what should I do for the contrast brightness and color? This HD DVD player is the only HD thing I got besides my cable box and that looks normal to. My HDTV is the samsung LN-S3251D which Cnet said was the best 32" LCD HDTV last year. So what should I do with the settings? My HDTVs native resolution is 720p and the movies I buy have good Picture quality from what highdef digest says. So what should I do?
yes I am watching HD DVDs and also HD channels from comcast



Answer
Forget the picture settings...To get an HD picture you must have the signal coming from your devices connected by HDMI OR COMPONENT inputs to the TV set first.

Then your devices must be set to 720P in the video output part of the device's menu.

Then the SOURCE of the actual signal must be an HD signal
Your cable box must be tuned to an HD station and the SHOW must have the HD box showing up on the Guide....

As for the HD DVD player, you must have an HD-DVD disc for HD, and it CAN'T be an old movie converted to HD usage.

All these hoops you must jump thru....sheesh !

But....I PREFER to test HD setup by going to Discovery Channel's HD Theater station...they are the best HD signal to test with...
Especially the commercials...like the one with the ANTs crawling around or the mountains in them.
There you will see the DETAIL of the small critters and plants.

And it's a quick and easy test for your TV and the Cable signal.




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I would like to buy a 42-47 inches 3D tv?




de elenda


I don't know much about led, LCD or plasma. I just want have great 3d experience and it should have good picture quality. Can anyone suggest which tv should I buy?

Or should I wait till 2013 to buy one..?
P.s. I don't care about Internet and other fancy stuff



Answer
3D technology has not been a big hit in the electronic industry. At this time there are only around 130 titles available in 3D blu ray disc movies and they are mainly animated movies from disney. Keep in mind that to watch in 3D you will need the following: 3D HDTV, 3D blu ray disc player ot a game console, 3D blu ray disc movie or 3D video game and 3D glasses. You also have to sit in front of the tv to get the 3D effect. Go online to Home Theater Magazine and read the reviews on 3D HDTV, along with the pro and con of each technology. Panasonic Plasma is the only Plasma tv they recommend. They also have more pllasma tv being recommended than any type of tv from other manufacturer. Hope this will help you out.

prediction please: when will the blue ray player drop to sub $100?




Eric C


i am wondering should hold out or get a regular 1080p upconverting hdmi player?
thanks.
i am considering philips 5992, $62 on amazon...



Answer
Sub $100? Not until Christmas 2012.

And then in 2013, we'll hear about the next new format which will pretty much be the end of Blu-ray. Buh-bye!

Upscaling players are cheap, and quite honestly, unless you have a 40" or larger HDTV that does 1080p, this will be quite adequate for your needs. I have one of the players from Oppo Digital (http://oppodigital.com) Their players handle just about any format you can imagine, are region free (yay), and consistently score high with even the pickiest Home Theater Enthusiasts.

Now, if you're interested in video games, you may want to consider a PS3 which plays games, upscales DVDs and plays blu-ray discs, all at 1080p. At $400, it's one of the cheapest blu-ray players out there, and still considered one of the best for the money.




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Friday, May 2, 2014

I have a Vizio hdtv 42" connected to a Dishnetwork VIP722, how can I adjust the resolution on the TV ?.?




Miguel R


To watch the regular channels with better picture quality.


Answer
Unfortunately, you cant view standard definition[SD] content with better quality on HDTV. Looks like you have Dish Network, lucky for you, they're adding more HD channels currently and near future.

Daily updated infos on Dish Network HD channels:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=971635

Choosing an HDtv for the first time?

Q. my parents are very cheap when it comes to tv's. I came upon on a 42" hdtv for only $400. My parents and i love this price for the size. Its this tv
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia%26%23153%3B+-+42%22+Class+/+720p+/+600Hz+/+Plasma+HDTV/9748831.p?id=1218166511573&skuId=9748831&st=720p 600hz&cp=1&lp=1

I need to know if this tv is worth my money first before i buy it.
I am a serious ps3 gamer and i want good picture quality.
Is this the right tv for me???


Answer
.i have used Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G25 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV which clarity is very good. it is advanced than other.

* 50 inch Viera Full HD 1080p Plasma HDTV with VIERA G25 Series Plasma is the center of
* your entertainment universe
*With VIERA CastTM, enjoy what the web has to offer right on the big screen
*Viera Image Viewer for Image and AVCHD playback

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-VIERA-TC-P50G25-50-Inch-Plasma/dp/B003924UCK/?tag=pntsa-20




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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Can I add a preamplifier on any HDTV antenna to increase my signal range??




ddmav


I have a HDTV antenna .....but I live farther from a large city and need to increase my signal range. I am wondering if I could add a amplifier to my antenna to increase the range so I get better reception on my tv.


Answer
If you know a signal is reaching your antenna, but it is "too weak" to maintain quality reception, a preamplifier may help strengthen that signal. An amplifier won't "pull in" any TV signal that isn't already hitting your antenna. Possible tell-tell sign the signal is reaching your antenna: observe the screen when you do a channel scan: sometimes your TV tuner will reject a weak signal that flashes on your screen (then disappears).

The TV antenna receives the same signal with or without a preamplifier. Without a preamplifier you have to count on the signal strength gained (antenna gain) by the antenna to deliver the signal to the TV. Sometimes just getting a better antenna or a different type of antenna (e.g, directional), or placing the antenna in a different spot (e.g., outside, higher, away from metal, trees, other buildings) might be a better solution.

It is possible to overdrive your TV Tuner with too much signal if an amplifier is used to boost signals from a distant station when you have strong nearby signals. In other words, it might make your reception of nearby strong signal channels worse (or you'll lose them) than without it!

HDTV Questions?




grouchy187


I'm thinking about getting an hdtv but I'm not too familiar with the way it works. I have a xbox 360 and I know that will look excellent but I got some questions about watching shows and all.

1) Will the current channels I have through Directv look better on a HDTV, worse or the same?

2) Are the options to get rid of window bars good or is it better to just watch the shows in 4:3 ratio.

3) Just by attaching my satellite reciever (directv) to the hdtv will I also get the HD version of local channels like FOX, CBS and ABC for free?

Anything else I need to know will help out too, thx in advance for any help.



Answer
1 - It will depend greatly upon the channel. For example, daytime game shows are generally of very poor quality and they will look worse than normal on your HDTV. On the other hand, DirecTV high-definition feeds will look FANTASTIC compared to what you're used to.

2 - That's completely up to you. You'll have to try it out and see what your preference is. Personally, I find that it's generally best to leave 4:3 programming at 4:3 although I sometimes stretch is slightly on the horizontal axis. I find most of the "stretchies" to be unwatchable as the distortion is way too much.

3 - Yes, as long as they ARE your local channels and you have a way to feed them through your DirecTV receiver. What I mean by this is that "local channels" has two meanings: 1 - what we normally think of as local channels (i.e., the same channels you pick up off-the-air) and 2 - the channels that DirecTV calls local channels (i.e., network broadcasts that may or may not be local to you).

In the case of #1, you will need to feed your local channels through your DirecTV receiver (e.g., via the coaxial cable coming off an antenna and connected to the rear of your DirecTV receiver) and then, if the program is in high-definition, you will be able to watch it in high-definition on your HDTV. This assumes, of course, that you're using a high-definition DirecTV receiver.

In the case of #2, you will receive what you've paid DirecTV to provide you. If it's their version of "local channels" and there's a high-definition program on one of those channels then you will be watching that program in high-definition on your HDTV.

Be advised that DirecTV has seven exclusively high-definition channels (73-76, 78-79, and 509) available for $5/month (at least, that's what I'm paying for them). These are a combination of sports, movies, and variety programming with 509 being an HBO high-definition feed.

A number of issues to keep in mind:

1 - To get the best quality image, buy the best HDTV you can afford today. How to know which is the best in your price range? Check out http://www.avguide.com for buying guides to all of the sets using current HDTV technologies. There are other sites as well; I've found this one to be unusually well-qualified to critique leading-edge equipment as well as the stuff we mortals can afford.

If you're into film, the one factor on which current digital (i.e., non-CRT) technologies tend to fall flat is black level. In the event you're not familiar with the term, it simply refers to how black the blacks in a film (or TV program) look. In the perfect case, black looks black and, if you're used to a CRT, you'd expect no less. LCDs are probably the most extreme example of blacks not only NOT looking black but looking gray instead and sometimes (in the worst cases) a light gray at that. Try watching Dark City on a set and you'll quickly get a feel for the meaning of black level.

My solution to that problem was to buy a set using LCOS technology. I found it to do a better job with blacks than LCDs or plasmas and better than most DLP sets. Nobody calls their sets LCOS - Sony says SXRD, JVC says HD-ILA, etc., but you can sort through all the nomenclature without a lot of effort.

2 - Resolution: To get the best picture on your set you'll want the original feed to be converted from one resolution to another as FEW times as possible. Picture quality is diminshed each time the image is converted to another resolution.

To explain further: a program is sent to DirecTV (or over the air) in a particular resolution, DirecTV rebroadcasts it in the same resolution (so far, so good), your DirecTV receiver receives the program in that same resolution and the receiver does one of the following two things: a - it passes it out to your HDTV at the incoming resolution, or b - it converts the program to another resolution.

To jump ahead a bit here, your HDTV is a digital device and has a single resolution it will display. This resolution is "baked into" the set and you cannot change it. If the program comes into the set at a different resolution, YOUR SET WILL CHANGE THE RESOLUTION TO ITS OWN NATIVE RESOLUTION.

If the DirecTV receiver has already changed to resolution to a resolution that is not native to the HDTV then the HDTV will change it again for a total of two resolution changes. Not good!

An example of (usually) the best way to have all this working:

a - A program is broadcast at 480i (this is the NTSC TV standard that's been in place since forever),

b - The DirecTV receiver receives the program at 480i and DOES NOT change it before sending it onto your HDTV, and

c - Your HDTV converts the signal to its native resolution (e.g., 720p) and you sit back and enjoy it.

Notice that in this example you've caused the DirecTV receiver to send the signal out just the way that it came in. I highly recommend that you set your receiver up this way for the following reasons:

a - Your DirecTV receiver may not output a signal that is native to your HDTV; in which case, your HDTV will need to convert the signal again - resulting in two signal resolution conversions and a noticeably degraded image (everything else being equal), and

b - Your DirecTV receiver has a video processor (this is the chip that does resolution conversion) that is INFERIOR to the video processor in your HDTV; so, why have an inferior chip do the conversion (or, in the worst case, the first of two conversions) at all?

Just set your DirecTV receiver up so that it DOES NOT change the resolution of incoming programming - no matter what that incoming resolution is. Let your expensive HDTV do the heavy lifting.

My Samsung DirecTV receiver has a NATIVE-1 setting for its output resolution and this means "Don't change the incoming resolution - just send it out as is." Alternatively, I can choose from a variety of output resolutions, including one that is native to my HDTV, but, as I've said, my HDTV does a MUCH better job of video processing the image into its native resolution than the DirecTV receiver can ever hope to do. This will be true for your HDTV, too.

A couple of other points. To get the best out of your HDTV, consider purchasing (and using!) a DVD that will help you to calibrate your set. One example is Digital Video Essentials (DVE). This DVD will lead you through setting up your HDTV so that it looks its best in terms of brightness, contrast, color balance, and all of the other important factors that can make a noticeable difference in your ability to enjoy the full value of your set.

Last, but not least, if you are REALLY into film, consider having a professional calibration done. These generally range in price from $300 - $500 and, while the price may seem extravagant, it WILL make a very noticeable difference.

If this is of interest, I would recommend selecting a calibrator and asking him (or her) which set they recommend for your viewing needs. Then, buy the set (assuming you like it!) and calibrate it yourself using DVE (or its equivalent) and, if you're happy with the results, stop there. If you'd like to go further still, then make an appointment with the calibrator after ensuring that he is going to be able to do more than you did (e.g., by going into the service menu to access lower-level functions than your user menu allows you to get at).

One source of calibrators is www.cedia.com. CEDIA is the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association and, while their members generally do much more than calibrate sets, one of their members would certainly be able to help you. You can find members located near you at this CEDIA page: http://www.electroniclifestyle.com/finde...

Hope this helps. I've spent part of the past year doing what you're contemplating doing and have learned a lot. I'm also looking at a larger, better picture than I used to - poor programming aside (as I mentioned earlier, poor programming just looks WORSE in high-definition and nothing is going to change that).

P.S. Having mentioned various products and services I should say that I have no relationship or affiliation with any of these manufacturers or organizations.

Good luck and happy viewing!




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Monday, April 28, 2014

PS3 vs Xbox 360?




Joey


I am thinking of buying one of them but i dont know which one to get. I am used to the plastation paddles. I know Xbox has Halo which is a plus for that. But I also want to use it as a computor in my bedroom. So which ever one is better at online. Just give me your reasons why you like one of them.


Answer
i would go for the ps3 for these reasons: It has a great built in web browser. also has built in wifi so u wouldn't need to connect it directly to an Ethernet cable is you have a wireless router.
The PSN (playstation Network) is free to all playstation owners, and is great for online play. also the psn has the playstation store which is great for downloading free demos, videos, trailers,wallpapers and themes and psn games which cost a little doe. also the ps3 has a built in blu ray player for playing the highest quality movies on the market. an 80 gig system makes for a great central entertainment piece, can store movies, music, pics and games. Wanna really get set up and get the full experience, then get an hdtv and 5.1 surround sound!
The xbox 360 has xbox live which costs 50-60bux a year. the 360 does not have a web browser yet but might be added in future updates. if you buy the elite system you will get built in wifi but if you don't you will have to pay and extra 100-120 bux for it. When it comes to games xbox does have halo, but you can only have so much fun with 1 game, ps3 has some great games and some great games on the horizon(metal gear solid 4, gran turismo 5, resistance 2, killzone 2....)
2008 is definitely gonna be a great year for ps3, tons of great games are coming out... and Home too, look it up.
i traded in my 360 for a ps3 near launch and i don't regret it. but the final decision is up to you of course. good luck, and if you get i ps3 add me, "proffesor_chaos"

What is better? PS3 or Xbox 360?




Ichigo Kur


Which is better having to do with everything the game systems have?


Answer
i would go for the ps3 for these reasons: It has a great built in web browser. also has built in wifi so u wouldn't need to connect it directly to an Ethernet cable is you have a wireless router.
The PSN (playstation Network) is free to all playstation owners, and is great for online play. also the psn has the playstation store which is great for downloading free demos, videos, trailers,wallpapers and themes and psn games which cost a little doe. also the ps3 has a built in blu ray player for playing the highest quality movies on the market. an 80 gig system makes for a great central entertainment piece, can store movies, music, pics and games. Wanna really get set up and get the full experience, then get an hdtv and 5.1 surround sound!
The xbox 360 has xbox live which costs 50-60bux a year. the 360 does not have a web browser yet but might be added in future updates. if you buy the elite system you will get built in wifi but if you don't you will have to pay and extra 100-120 bux for it. When it comes to games xbox does have halo, but you can only have so much fun with 1 game, ps3 has some great games and some great games on the horizon(metal gear solid 4, gran turismo 5, resistance 2, killzone 2....)
2008 is definitely gonna be a great year for ps3, tons of great games are coming out... and Home too, look it up.
i traded in my 360 for a ps3 near launch and i don't regret it. but the final decision is up to you of course. good luck, (:




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Sunday, April 27, 2014

HDMI poor quality with HDTV?




keep c


Hi,
I'm using a Asus EAH 4870 graphic card connected to LG 32" Full HD TV with a DVI to HDMI connector.
The problem is my HDMI display is horrible. The display is blurry and even analog output is clearer then HDMI. I'd tried installing the latest driver for VGA but no avail. My current resolution is 1920 x 1080. Please advice what should i do.
My TV native resolution is 1920 x 1080p. I'd tried to switch to that resolution but still no go.



Answer
I've also noticed poor HDMI video quality with Asus cards.

I bought an Asus EAH3450 video card for use in my HTPC, and when i hooked it up to my big-screen 1080p LCD HDTV (1920x1080 native) using a DVI-to-HDMI cable, it causes my TV to underscan the image (shrink the image down so there is a black border all the way around the edge of the screen). Underscan squishes the pixels and it looks blurry. No matter what I do, I can't get it to do 1:1 pixel mapping with my HDTV over the digital connection. When I connect the EAH3450 via analog VGA, it can do 1:1 pixel mapping but the HDTV sometimes syncs the signal wrong and it's off-center.

I have since swapped that Asus EAH3450 for a Sapphire HD4650 and I was able to get 1:1 pixel-mapping right out of the box using DVI-to-HDMI. I'm never buying Asus video cards ever again.

What's the best quality HDTV under $1000?

Q. Although I'm fairly tech-friendly when it comes to computers, my head is spinning from all the HDTV advice out there. I'm simply looking for an HDTV with the best picture and most reliability for the lowest price. Could someone please break it down into the simplest terms for me?
The size question was raised. We're replacing a 32" TV with something bigger, but we haven't determined how much bigger. We have a large area to work, so size is pretty flexible.


Answer
Plasma has the best picture qualities!

They have the highest native contrast ratios(40,000:1), giving them the blackest blacks and most vivid and rich looking colors! They also have the fastest response times(.001ms) and fastest refresh rates(600hz), making them the best at fast motion content like sports, movies and gaming!

Plasma's are also the most affordable HDTV per screen size and no longer have problems with burn-in or energy consumption. For more info and facts, see this website: http://www.plasma-lcd-facts.co.uk/

However, you didn't specify what size range you are looking for. This is an important factor when searching for TV's. Plasma TV's don't come in sizes smaller then 42", so if you're looking for something 40" or less...LCD is your only option! Go with these brands of LCD; Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp or Toshiba.

However, if you are looking for something 42" or larger, i highly recommend going with a Panasonic Plasma TV. Panasonic is the best performing and most reliable brand of HDTV i've ever seen!

Here are some recommendations for you:

This is their entry level, energy efficient model(TC-P42U1): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9244301&type=product&id=1218066284214

This is a mid-level, energy efficient model(TC-P42S1): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9317287&type=product&id=1218084032650

If you would like to see more, check these out! http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=-4917890889582287728&id=pcat17080&type=page&lcn=TV+%26+Video&sc=TVVideoSP&st=processingtime%3A%3E1900-01-01&usc=abcat0100000&cp=1&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuid&nrp=19&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1%7E%7Ecabcat0100000%23%234%23%23wu%7E%7Ecabcat0101000%23%237%23%236d%7E%7Ecabcat0101001%23%230%23%233j%7E%7Ef312%7C%7C506c61736d6120466c61742d50616e656c%7E%7Eq70726f63657373696e6774696d653a3e313930302d30312d3031%7E%7Enf862%7C%7C50616e61736f6e6963&pagetype=listing

Hope this helps! Email me on my profile page if you need more help!




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Need a Digital Cable Box for my HDTV?

Q. Looking at upgrading to Digital Cable and I'm interested getting some information on these Digital cable boxes. I presently have just a plain Expanded Basic Cable plan from Charter.

I have 2 HDTV's (Samsung and Toshiba) that have access to both Standard cable and Digital cable. I'm even able to access three or four local channels on my DTV mode that are in High Definition, even though I don't have Digital Cable (which I hear is not unusual).

I also have 3 TV's that do not have a Digital tuner, just plain LCD/Plasma tv's. A Dynex LCD tv, an EDTV Plasma iLo (it might have Digital), and just a standard mountable under cabinet LCD tv in the Kitchen.

If I upgrade to Digital Cable, do my HDTV's need the Digital Cable Box from Charter in order to access all the channels or will these TV's be able to pick up all the channels without it?

Will my Standard TV's need a Cable box in order to browse the channels or will they still be able to access the first 50-60 channels (which include basic channels like TNT, USA, etc)??

It's not important for the Standard TV's to get the true High quality Digital cable, but I'm curious if I would get like a black screen/error if I don't get those TV's a Digital Cable box.


Answer
For now, your standard TVs should be able to receive the first bunch of channels. After 2012, you can't trust that this will remain true in that cable companies may start dropping analog channels.

Not getting HD channels on standard cables without renting a box is not unusual. You can use an antenna to get local channels.

As of today, 2-16-2012, what is the proverbial Ferarri of HDTVs?

Q. It's getting about time to upgrade. Now I have a finished basement which is a game/media room. The couch will be about 10 feet away from the TV so I'm thinking I can go 60 inches or more, EASY.


Answer
A few years ago, it was the Pioneer Kuro. Now, it is the Sharp Elite series.

Note that this is the ultra high-end. You will get a very good quality from each top brands also:
Sony = HX929
Samsung = D8000
Panasonic = VT30
LG = LW9800 (but the reviews are mixed)

If you want to go really big (> 70"), you have not a lot of other choices than Sharp though. The rest of the manufacturers stops at 65" in 2011.


(And if you want to wait, new 2012 models will be out in about 1-2 months)
[To AVDaddy: No, manufacturers just announced them at CES in January. Most of the models will be out in March-April, but some are only planned to released in fall]




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Which is best led tv in 24 inch?

Q.


Answer
The screen size is not so important; it is the brand and model numbers that you need to look at.
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/television/hdtv/best-tv-2013-what-tv-should-you-buy-this-year-709255
http://www.macfh.co.uk/JavaJive/AudioVisualTV/ChooseTV/ChooseTV.html




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