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I have a Sony 32" CRT TV. The picture from the digital cable box is great. Everyone who sees it says it is the best non-HD picture they have ever seen.Fast forward. I buy a 32" Sony HD, basically just like the old one except for HD capability. After 5, repeat 5, visits from Comcast, they finally get the HD working. Picture in HD looks great, on the occassions whey they are broadcasting full resolution HD. But guess what? The picture on the non-HD channels looks significantly worse than the old TV! How can this be? I have had the store and the Comcast people out repeatedly, and no one can explain this. One of the Comcast guys said the Motorola HD box they use is basically a POS and works worse than the old one on non-HD channels. I have tried everything, including buying a $100 ripoff DVI cable. You guessed it-picture is still worse, dispite all the propaganda about having an all digital signal path.
Can anyone explain this idiotic situation?
Follow Ups:
The Motorola box is digitizing the standard channels and doing a bad job of it. Do what I do: split the signal and run one cable into the box and the other directly into the set. I only switch to the DVI input on my 36" Sony XBR when I want to watch HD off the set-top box (STB). Otherwise, I watch on the standard RF cable input. Best of both worlds. Sony's TVs usually have an excellent tuner. Motorola's HD box obviously does not.FWIW, I have a Scientific Atlanta 3250HD box and it isn't very good at standard def TV either.
Kevin
I have a SONY KV34XBR910 and use Cablevison cable service.
The STB is a Scientic Atlanta Explorer 4200HD.
My picture quality is terrific on any channel.
Sometimes I don't even realise I'm watching the regular channel
instead of the HD equivalent! It's not because the HD isn't better,
it's because the standard channel is that good.GTF
But your picture quality has a lot to do with your cable service provider and not just the STB. As an example, in my area (Denver) analog Comcast is pretty pathetic to begin with going directly into my Sony XBR TV. Coming from the Motorola digital STB, it was even worse. The only decent looking channels from the STB were the HD or premium channels. That said, my parents who are on Cox in S.CA have razor sharp and 100% crystal clear channels from their STB. Go figure. I'm about to dump Comcast and go with a Satellite service.
Accuphase DP65V cdp or Denon DVD-5900 Universal
PS Audio PCA-2 Pre - Krell KSA50S - Tannoy D500 spkrs
Since I am on Motorola STBs, your Scientific Atlanta experience is probably not relevant. However, as I said in the original post, the non-HD picture on the old box and TV looks great. It is only the new box & TV that are causing the problem.
nt
I have a 34" Sony XBR 16:9 HD set which works great with regular analog cable and over-the-air HDTV. With that POS Motorola box from Comcast, the regular channels look crappy while the premium and HD channels are great. I returned the Motorola box to Comcast and went back to plain ole analog cable and use my HDTV tuner for local OTA HD broadcasts.
Accuphase DP65V cdp or Denon DVD-5900 Universal
PS Audio PCA-2 Pre - Krell KSA50S - Tannoy D500 spkrs
I'm new to this technology and trying to understand it. I have a few questions.What is the POS Motorola Box supposed to do? - Is this the HD tuner that I've seen advertising Direct TV?
If you have a built in tuner in your Sony already I'm assuming that you didn't need the POS Motorola Box?
Do the Over the Air HD broadcasts look as good as DVD Movies?
What kind of antenna do you have? (I have a VHF/UHF/FM in my attic that provides Crystal Clear Broadcasts of all the Local Channels - I live in a Metro Area)- Should mine provide excellent HD OTA?
This is my first foray into HDTV, and I'm thinking it's still not quite there yet? - Am I wrong?
Cut-Throat
What is the POS Motorola Box supposed to do? - Is this the HD tuner that I've seen advertising Direct TV?The POS Motorola cable box decodes regular 'digital cable' as well as High-Def (HDTV) via your cable provider. It replaces the regular digital cable box. If you don't need any of the premium channels, you don't need a cable box at all (at least this is the case with Comcast). I'm back to 'regular analog' cable TV that connects directly into my TV set.
If you have a built in tuner in your Sony already I'm assuming that you didn't need the POS Motorola Box?
Well, you would still need the Motorola HiDef cable box because the box decodes the HiDef signal coming over the cable. A HiDef tuner is different because it receives the HiDef signal 'over the air' (OTA) rather than over the cable. Most TV's that are HiDef 'ready' don't have a HDTV tuner. Mine is a separate outboard HDTV tuner attached to an outdoor UHF TV antenna. The HiDef ready TV is capable of displaying the higher resolution of a HiDef signal, usually 720p or 1080i
Do the Over the Air HD broadcasts look as good as DVD Movies?
No. They look FAR superior to any DVD especially when the broadcaster is broadcasting true HiDef material in widescreen like live NFL broadcasts or other content that was originally produced in HiDef
What kind of antenna do you have? (I have a VHF/UHF/FM in my attic that provides Crystal Clear Broadcasts of all the Local Channels - I live in a Metro Area)- Should mine provide excellent HD OTA?
Probably. In my area all the major broadcast towers are located on Lookout Mountain to my west. BUT all of the HiDef transmitting towers here in Denver are on the high rise buildings in the city to my North. I have my UHF TV antenna for the HDTV tuner pointed North and will swing it to the West once the broadcasters are setup for HiDef from Lookout Mountain.
This is my first foray into HDTV, and I'm thinking it's still not quite there yet? - Am I wrong?
I think there's enough content to make it worth while. If you don't have many OTA HiDef broadcasters in your area, there's always HiDef via cable TV or satellite. I get about a 1/2 dozen OTA HiDef channels here but in LA I understand there are dozens to choose from (OK maybe not that many but certainly many more than what we have here in Denver). Denver is considered a 'secondary market' for HDTV roll out.
Accuphase DP65V cdp or Denon DVD-5900 Universal
PS Audio PCA-2 Pre - Krell KSA50S - Tannoy D500 spkrs
I got a Samsung 32 inch LCD. Great PQ!We have about 6 stations (The ones that I watch) OTA that are broadcasting HD.
Cut-Throat
I love watching OTA HD especially in widescreen 16:9. NFL games are especially crisp as are the PBS stations. I'm using an outboard Samsung HD tuner that is about a year old.As for the Motorola HD cable box (for Comcast), there might be newer units out that perform better. The one I had was just introduced to the Denver market about a year ago and it was pretty bad.
I was looking at the Samsung LCD TV's just the other night at CircusCity. Direct view LCD would be my prefered technology mainly bacause the plasma sets all buzz here at my altitude. Also with LCD you don't have to worry about 'burn in' on the screen if you leave a static image up there and they draw a lot less power than the plasma sets.
Have fun!
Accuphase DP65V cdp or Denon DVD-5900 Universal
PS Audio PCA-2 Pre - Krell KSA50S - Tannoy D500 spkrs
...and the HD displays (TVs to you) are mostly vg...but the method of receiving it is less than pefect.Alas, some cable companies just provide crappy cable boxes, crappy service and crappt signals on SD. Some cable companies do fine. What you get depends mostly on where you are and what the local cable monoply is. That's why a lot of folks, even where HD cable is available, prefer sat.
My experience with almost all cable techs is that...they're clueless.
As for the cable box itself...you need it, or sat, if you want more than OTA (over the air) HD programming, which is strictly network and PBS. If you want premium movies in HD from HBO, ESPN sports, HD Net, Discovery HD and other hi res programming, you need a cable provider or DirectTV/DISHnet. If ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS are dandy, then you just need a decent antenna and an HDTV.
BTW, HD forum at avsforum.com is a good place for research.
I'm not thrilled with my Brighthouse cable (Other issues besides quality) so I'm contemplating a move to sat.
What is the POS Motorola Box supposed to do? - Is this the HD tuner that I've seen advertising Direct TV?If you have a built in tuner in your Sony already I'm assuming that you didn't need the POS Motorola Box?
Do the Over the Air HD broadcasts look as good as DVD Movies?
JT-I'm getting the HD through the Motorola cable box, not over the air.
What kind of antenna do you have? (I have a VHF/UHF/FM in my attic that provides Crystal Clear Broadcasts of all the Local Channels - I live in a Metro Area)- Should mine provide excellent HD OTA?
JT-I'm not using an antenna, so don't know.
This is my first foray into HDTV, and I'm thinking it's still not quite there yet? - Am I wrong?
JT-The HD works fine if they ever get it set up properly. The problem seems to be that the technology has outstripped the people who are trying to install it. Some of the Comcast guys were completely clueless. I might as well have had the plumber working on it. After the fourth service call, they finally sent someone who understood HD, and he promptly got it working.
Below is a link to Motorola's explanation. Refers to their DVRs, but should apply to the regular HD boxes also. I use the Motorola 6200, and yes, my analog channels can look pretty crappy, actually snowy. The standard def digital channels look excellent, and of course the HD channels are best.I found using the black enhancement filter in the RPTV helped alot with the analog channels. Also I had the cable company install a drop amp where the cable enters the house, which also helped greatly.
Many TV designed for HD compromise the sd picture. I needed a new 27" set for my bedroom. Even though I was sending a standard def signal to it, I bought a Zenith HDTV to be "future proof". The SD picture was so bad, I returned it for Sony's then SOTA standard def 27". MUCH BETTER!
Thanks. Looks like what the Comcast tech said about the Motorola HD box being a POS is correct. This is really pathetic.
Make sure you have a strong signal. If you have multiple TV sets on the line, add a booster amp to the other TVs.On my Pioneer 730HD, there is a "black enhancment" setting which improved things dramatically. Maybe your set has something similar. Below is a link with some more info:
As I write this, I am installing a new Motorola DCT6412 HD DVR/cable box. Not bad for $4.95 more a month!(compared to buying an HD Tivo)
http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6412.asp.
- http:// http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=a9164b097637ca3abfea539c45450d81&threadid=194404&highlight=motorola (Open in New Window)
Thanks. Comcast installed a booster, so signal strength is not the problem.
Go to the AVS forum, HDTV hardware, search...type in motorola 6200
I just got the Panasonic 34" wide screen that looked great at CC but once home and connected to the regular cable it looks blocky\jerky and looses detail. A person when they turn, first a part of their nose moves then the rest then the face. Shots with texture look like their being viewed through a screen or texture mapped. Shots with not much texture look good. Progressive scan DVD looks great.How does HD service improve this?
Is this affect mainly with regular NTSC?
Is this how digital TV is?
Thanks, Scott
name the model number of your old cable box and the new one.It's common knowledge that some of the "HD" cable boxes and satelite boxes have inferior PQ on non-HD. Same thing with DISH's new HD boxes. I, and others, think the older non-HD boxes had better PQ on non-HD channels. For example, the new 811 HD box has worse PQ on non-HD than older 501 series.
But then again, after looking at HD, both OTA and satelite, it doesn't even matter that much b/c ALL non-HD just pale in comparison.
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