Does a RF Modulator degrade picture quality? (1 Viewer)

[Dan_R_M]

Unfortunalty my tv only has coaxial connection, so I had to get a RF modulator (i know, I am saving for a new tv)...does it degrade the picture quality at all? Thanks.

 

[Rachael B]

Dan, the answer is yes, oui, si! Immensely. Indeed, save for a TV that has S-video and/or component video. S-video works just fine on analog sets. Component is the thang for digital sets. To get DVD's best resolution, 480p you need a 16 x 9 digital set and a component video cable. Some 4 x 3 analog sets have 16 x 9 modes for 480i and even that would be leaps and bounds (!) over your present set.

Any set that doesn't have a 16 x 9 mode, automatically means you have to set your DVD player to down-convert to 4 x 3 NTSC. That costs quite a bit of picture quality right there. Having to use an RF input means you're proably getting about half the picture quality you could get with a nicer TV, maybe? It's the farthest thing from optimum. Start saving! Best wishes!

 

[Grant B]

Cable companies use Modulators to define the channel order that you get, that quality you dont lose much.
The one for 20 bucks at Best Buy ...well it'll hold you till a new TV

 

[Philip Hamm]

Degraded - compared to what? If your TV doesn't have the proper inputs you have no choice, so compared to a blank screen the picture's certainly not degraded. The pictures I've seen on older or lesser TVs with RF modulators have been fine.

 

[John-Miles]

the thing is an RF modulator takes everythign sound and video and dumps it all into one cable, so the quality is not as good as composite, s-video or component. But like Philip said hey use what you got, dvd will still look better than VHS.

but you might want to consider gettign a new tv but thats just me and my sick little home theater miond at work

 

[jeff lam]

I once ran VE calibration on a friends set that only had a coax RF connection. BAD BAD picture compared to s-video. Ran the Snell and Willcox test pattern (circle bouncing around in the box). Rainbows(what's the correct term?) everywhere on the screen. Pretty bad... however you don't really have a choice unless you get a new TV.

 

[Wyatt_Y]

OK, how long do some of you hold on to your TV's??? I had to buy an RF modulator when I gave my brother a DVD player for Christmas...his set must be 15 years old...YIKES!!!

Seriously, how long has it been that at least composite connections have been commonplace on TV's?? I would wonder that on most TV's old enough to not have composite...the age/use of the phosphors is a bigger issue for quality than the RF connection...???

 

[MarcVH]

Ten years ago it still wasn't universal. It came very slowly, because most VCR owners were perfectly happy to use modulators; even if they had a TV with a composite input, many didn't use it. My in-laws thought it was very important to have a high-quality HiFi VCR, but then hooked it up with the modulator so that the sound was mono and the quality was thrown away.

TVs can last a long time, and many people keep them until they break. Anybody who thinks that V-Chip controls, widescreen, HDTV, etc. become widely adopted quickly would be well advised to remember this.