SD channels look horrible.. Samsung DLP hl-R4677W

 

New member
Username: Slackblade

Post Number: 1
Registered: Oct-05
Hello,

I purchased a Samsung hl-R4677W DLP TV today from Fry's in Sunnyvale, Ca. I went there to get a set top DVD recorder and left with the TV. They were blowing them out as they only had two left. I got it out the door for $1278. It was an open box, but it looked mint.

So, I hooked up my comcast box with SD and HD channels and used the component cables. THe HD channels look good. Not stunning, but pretty darn good. I know it depends on the cameras and so on. The SD channels look like they were encoded with a VBR MPEG1 codec. I mean it is pretty bad. So bad that I am tempted to go back to my 24 inch Sony Wega and wait a few years until this stuff matures and 1080p TV's are cheaper.

Is this just the way it is with SD on a big screen or is this TV bad?

I am going to hook up a DVD player tomorrow, but I expect it will be good to go.

Thanks,

Slackblade
 

Silver Member
Username: Helpful_smurf

Post Number: 104
Registered: Jun-05
Source is key to good picture. What you are seeing is likely a really crappy analog signal writ large with nowhere to hide. On your old SD set it was good enough since the pixels and the spaces between them were so big. Now you have a larger screen and nothing but millions of tiny pixels so it's all there on the screen.

Comcast (at least in my area) is going 100 percent digital by the end of the year which is going to improve picture quality tremendously. I've already seen big improvements.

 

New member
Username: Slackblade

Post Number: 2
Registered: Oct-05
Thanks Smurf.

As far as I know, I have comcast digital cable and all channels are digital.

I will have to have a friend come look at it.

Thx.

SB
 

Silver Member
Username: Fyi

Dallas, Texas

Post Number: 381
Registered: May-05
Big misunderstanding about Comcast digital cable being all digital.

You can digitize a pig for transport and call it digital, but it's still a pig on the receiving end.

NTSC standard def can be digitized at the head end for delivery to the field where it is converted back to analog for display. They call that digital cable, but it's digitized analog NTSC, which is absolutely not the same as true digital ED/HD signals.
 

Silver Member
Username: Helpful_smurf

Post Number: 105
Registered: Jun-05
Correct, BUT digital (or digitized as you call it) SD will arrive at your home looking better than it would via analog as there is no degradation of the picture quality die to signal loss. It's compressed at the head and decompressed at the user's home. Digital is either good or it's a black screen (cliff effect). That means no more snowy channels.
And most local channels that are broadcasting in digital over the air are doing so in ED. That is the feed that will be plugged into for local channels by comcast so there's an upgrade inherent with switching over to digital right there. I would also suggest trying an off the air antenna and see what your digital over the air channels look like before giving up on the set. It will give you an idea at least of what the TV is capable of with a better source.

Comcast is still using analog delivery for channels 1-99, but is moving down the dial through the end of the year (at least in my area). I have seen a big improvement in some of my channels already, Food Network used to be almost unwatchable and now looks much better.
 

New member
Username: Brunswags

Post Number: 3
Registered: Oct-05
Erik, I posted this on another thread. Thanks for the replies. Well, Charter came out Friday and installed the new HD cable box. So now I'm receiving HD on my new Samsung HLR5067W. The picture is unbelievable(good). The SD picture still is in my opinion poor though. The advice of some is to eliminate the cable box, but in my area, a box is necessary to de-scramble the premium channels and to receive HD. So, I guess I'm stuck with poor SD quality. In time, more and more networks/channels will be going to HD, so the situation will only improve. I'm still riding the fence in regards to the EW. Best Buy will allow you to purchase the EW within the 30 day period after picking up the TV without having to bring in the TV or prove it's working, oso I still have time to decide. I spent a few minutes searching online for a bulb replacement and it looks like they go for about $200 before shipping. It's a tough call.
 

New member
Username: Slackblade

Post Number: 3
Registered: Oct-05
Thanks guys. I am going to stick with the TV as I love the reception from HD and from DVD. Plus I got it for well below any price on the web. I too will decide about the EW. I onl have a week though. I need to do my research.

Take it easy.

SB
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