What can I do to improve DVD picture quality? (1 Viewer)

[Ryan_MF]

Short of buying a new set, what can I do to improve DVD picture quality? I recently purchased my Mitsu WS-48311 RP HDTV and I'm getting a bit disappointed with the picture quality. The picture seems excessively grainy on newer movies that probably shouldn't appear to be that way. I've also noticed that the color reproduction is a bit poor.

Ideally, my couch would be about 6 inches further back, but that just isn't possible due to my back wall. I plan to have an ISF calibration done sometime this summer after the set has been well broken in. I am using Monster Cable component video cables, a Sony DVP NS700P DVD player and have my hardware plugged into a Monster Power HT 2600. What could improve the picture, if at all? Should I look into better cables? Would upgrading to either the Yamaha or Denon universal format players (which I plan to do this summer) improve the picture quality?

 

[greg_t]

I don't think cables will make a dramatic difference, especially since your already using monster cables. Is your dvd player progessive scan? I ask because the Mits are known to have not so great line doublers. If it isn't, try to get a good progressive scan player and you should see some improvment, but probably not a night and day difference. If you haven't gotten a copy of avia or video essentials, get one and calibrate. You don't have to wait for the set to break in to do that. I don't have a mits, so I'm not real familar with their features, I own a Pioneer, and it has a mode called Reference Theater, which essential turns of unneccesary video processing, disables svm, sets color temperature to film levels, etc. You might want to check to see if the mits have a similar mode. Also, make sure SVM is off, and make sure Contrast and sharpness are down to acceptable levels.

 

[John Royster]

Ryan - here's some tips.

1) get calibration disk and set your brightness, contrast, sharpness, color and tint. VERY important
2) Disable SVM, should be in your menus. Really important.
3) Make sure player is outputting progressive scan, exteremely importatnt
4) Use reference DVD to check (fifth element, toy story 2, etc) A lot of DVDs have a grainy picture or are a bad transfer.

Your TV should look spectacular after these steps.

-edit- many new HDTV users (irregardless of brand) complain of a grainy picture. Most times it is because the TV isn't setup right.