What difference does a Comb Filter make? (1 Viewer)

[Samuel_Fred]

I'm deciding between the Toshiba 47LZ196 and the Toshiba 47HL167 and the only difference I can see is that the LZ196 (besides being about $500 more expensive) also has a "3D digital" comb filter, whereas the HL167 seems to have none. What difference does a comb filter make? What is it and how does it work?

 

[Mark:F]

Combs have been around for several years...they're the best filters for SDTVs. They should give you good SDTV reception on your HDTV. It's a good idea to do an SDTV demo on any HDTV you might buy, unless you don't watch any SDTV.

 

[JeremyErwin]

A comb filter is used to separate a composite signal into luma (brightness) and chroma (color). All color TVs have them, but some are better than others. A 3D comb filter analyzes adjacent fields in order to better predict which color is appropriate.

It's irrelevant if you don't watch analog televison or composite signals.

Digital SDTV, as in HDTV uses MPEG to encode the colors-- no comb filter is necessary,

 

[ChrisWiggles]

This is key to reiterate. Unless you're inputting standard definition via composite, s-video, or an antenna or analog cable directly, it's not relevant.

If you're using component video, DVI/HDMI etc the signal path is different.

 

[Mark:F]

Appreciate the education!

 

[Leo Kerr]

Actually, a S-video connection bypasses the comb-filter.

The comb-filter separates the color information from the luminance information. There were a bunch of ways to do it; none were ever as good as it was hoped that they would eventually be. It only matters to composite and RF-modulated signals and signal sources.

Leo

 

[ChrisWiggles]

oops, leo is right, I wasn't thinking!