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HDTV picture quality question...

Here goes...my first post and it's not even audio related...you'll have to excuse me...cause I'm desperate.

I just purchased a Toshiba 34HDX32 and I've got a problem. Watching DVD's are good, I know it'll be better once I get all my cables...I've ordered them and they'll be here in a week. BUT, my main concern is the picture quality of regular TV. I used to have an older ('99) 27" Samsung and when watching TV, it looked not half bad. Now, on the Toshiba, the image is all pixelated, fuzzy, just generally unclear. Anyway, any ideas on how to improve the picture if at all possible?

Here's what I have:
Toshiba 34HDX82
Satellite (Starchoice, I'm here in Canada)
- Yes, it has S-video out but my bettercable Silver Serpent has yet to come...so that'll improve the image...right? In the meantime, I'm using a standard video cable.
- The majority of channels; ALL major stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, local, etc.) have this problem.
- The channels that do look GOOD, and yes, they look real good are the higher channels (Discovery, TLC, the Food network, etc.)
- The satellite receiver itself is hooked up via a standard/generic F-pin/CATV/Coax cable. I'm thinking of replacing this but have no idea what to get...I was looking at MIT but someone out bid me on those. Anyway, ANY help is much appreciated. Thanks for your time!
spencer23

Showing 2 responses by edesilva

edesilva
768 posts
 
Might be as simple as the source. If some channels look good and others don't, it may be that the signal the satellite is retransmitting is simply poor. You may notice more when you have a larger/better resolution TV b/c your frame of reference has changed. Another possibility is that, if you have a multisat system, you may be receiving one satellite better than the other. I don't know whether you have, like DirecTV, SAT A, B & C or not.

Beyond that, might be some issue as to the way the TV is upconverting the signal. You might want to try the gurus on www.avsforum.com or see if there is a thread there on your particular Tosh.
edesilva
768 posts
 
Er, you also need some means for decoding the HDTV signal. Is your set top box (STB) capable of receiving satellite HDTV channels? (Are there HDTV satellite channels)?

Dunno how it works up north, but in order to get over the air (OTA) HDTV, I needed an HDTV set top box. Although some digital HDTV ready TVs are now being marketed w/HDTV OTA tuners, the large majority of those sold today *do not* have tuners for HDTV built in. In addition, the large majority of the DirecTV STBs are not HDTV compatible--whether satellite or OTA. That being said, I believe that most satellite STBs that provide for HDTV satellite reception also have the capability of doing HDTV OTA. So, you are really looking at shelling out an additional $500 or so to get HDTV reception OTA.
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