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Eye Strain with my new TV - any ideas?

#1
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3/16/05 at 2:32pm
  • Joined: February 2001
  • Post Count: 9
Hi,
I just got the Sony KV-32HS420 widescreen tv. It's a 30" widescreen tube tv.

Here's the situation.
- Watching regular cable tv (not-digital, not hdtv) is fine on my eyes.
- Watching dvds causes severe eye strain.
- TV has been calibrated with Digital Video Essentials.
- DVD Player - Pioneer DV-578A-S connected with component cables.
- DVD player is sending out a progressive signal and configured for a widescreen tv.
- I have tried watching with a dark room and with some lights on.
- I sit about 7 or 8 feet from the tv.

The picture looks great, I am guessing maybe the refresh rate of the set is different when it switches to 'dvd' mode? Does the higher resolution alter the refresh rate?

Does anyone have any ideas? I've watched a 10 year old Sony 27" (4:3) set in the same room for years with no issues at all.

Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated. Should I try letting the dvd send out an interlaced signal and then have the set perform 2:3 pulldown? (CineMotion).
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#2
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3/16/05 at 2:41pm
  • Joined: June 1999
  • Post Count: 16,605
You may have calibrated that Sony with DVE, but where do you have the so-called "Sharpness" control set? Overdoing the "Sharpness" is a major cause of eye strain.
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#3
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3/16/05 at 3:20pm
  • Joined: November 2003
  • Post Count: 5,460
yeah,, if your sharpness is cranked it can cause it.

If not try some back lighting behind the set. I have had to do this for a few people and it seemed to help a lot.

General lights on, does not have the same effect as low level back lighting in my experiences with this.

John

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#4
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3/16/05 at 5:30pm
  • Joined: February 2001
  • Post Count: 9
The sharpness is turned on maybe about 50%.

I was surprised at this. However, with the sharpness turned all the way down, the sharpness pattern on DVE was way too soft and out of focus. It didn't come into clear focus until around 50%.
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#5
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3/16/05 at 7:54pm
  • Joined: June 1999
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Well, Mike, let's turn it down to, say, 30 percent and then see what happens. If you like it, then go down to 20 percent. The idea is to get it as close to zero percent as possible. On my WEGA, the sharpness is on, but barely. And I see lovely detail.
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#6
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3/17/05 at 7:12am
  • Joined: May 2001
  • Location: Hanover, Maryland
  • Post Count: 453
You may want to try a small bias light behind the tv. Also another vote for turning down sharpness as low as possible
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#7
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3/17/05 at 7:30am
  • Joined: March 2000
  • Location: THX/ISF'er By Night - Calgary
  • Post Count: 2,792
Greetings

If your contrast is too high ... then it will cause considerable eyestrain.

If you set up contrast from a test disc ... chances are ... you set it too high. Like running a car at 5999 rpm because the red line is at 6000 rpm.

regards

Michael @ The Laser Video Experience
THX Video Systems Instructor
ISF Calibration Instructor
Lion A/V Consultants Network
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#8
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3/17/05 at 7:05pm
  • Joined: August 2000
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I agree contrast is likely the culprit. Recently, I decided to just raise my contrast a couple of notches and I had to turn it back down again.
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#9
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3/17/05 at 8:17pm
  • Joined: June 1999
  • Post Count: 16,605
Yes, contrast too. But since he had used DVE, I assumed it was low. So, what is your contrast set at?
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#10
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3/18/05 at 7:43pm
  • Joined: February 2001
  • Post Count: 9
Thanks for all of the replies.

Contrast (Picture as Sony calls it) is turned almost all the way off. If you go into the video menu and select contrast, only 4 bars are on. I could probably lower it a little bit if needed.

I experimented with the sharpness some more. If I turn it all the way off, the picture gets very soft, fuzzy and out of focus. I'm pretty sure I've got it set correctly.

My wife watched a movie tonight, and she says her eyes are fine. I'm thinking now the problem may be my eyes or glasses. Perhaps with a bigger screen (and a little closer to the sitting area) my prescription doesn't need to be as strong.
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#11
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8/24/09 at 10:50am
  • Joined: August 2009
  • Post Count: 1
Sometimes when daily tasks strain the eyes they can develop a particular eye syndrome. When that happens, minor eyestrain can lead to the appearance of real vision problems.
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