New Flat Screen -- What to expect (2 Viewers)

[gksmith5]

I have just purchased a new 42" LCD Toshiba 42R530U Regza flat screen TV with 1080p resolution. I have just hooked up my DVD player to it using component video cables. I am disappointed in what I am seeing--from my viewing distance of 8 feet I can easily see all of the pixels, especially in the faces, etc. When trying to change the setup of my RCA low end DRC247N DVD player and change from YUV interlace to YUV progressive, the screen divides into two duplicate screens, so that definitely is not usable.

I have used the same DVD player before with my CRT set with no problems, but connected through my receiver. I thought it would be better to connect straight to the TV.

I am not sure what to expect. But, it does not seem normal to be able to easily see the pixels. I can't see them using my satellite receiver. Plus, does the problem of trying to progressive scan give a clue? Why would the screen split into two duplicates? Is this a function of a low end DVD player?

This beginner will deeply appreciate help and advice! Thanks!

 

[JohnRice]

You are far from realizing the potential of you new TV with this DVD player. Of course, a BluRay player would be best, but they are still pricey and media is very limited, and also expensive. You will gain an enormous improvement by first buying Digital Video Essentials and using it to calibrate the TV. It takes a while to understand the entire process, but it spells it out pretty well. Then you will be very happy if you get a good upscaling player with an hdmi output. Oppo is almost the only place to look for that. Their base model is suitable, and will yield an incredible improvement on regular DVDs. Until you are using the hdmi connection you are severely hampering the ability of the TV.

 

[gksmith5]

Thanks for the information. Being impatient, I purchased a low end RCA DVD that upconverts DVD to 1080p through HDMI. I thought I'd gamble $40 and wait for BlueRay to come down in price. The results are amazing. I did not know about upconverting DVD to 1080. I now have what I was expecting! Again, thanks.

 

[Allan Jayne]

Does your TV have separate component video (almost aka YUV) input jacks for interlaced DVD player output versus progressive DVD player output?

Nowadays a TV is supposed to take progressive and 720p and 1080i output through the same sets of component video jacks and autoselect the input type. Only an ultra tawdry model of TV would do what you saw:
1. Grainy picture, pixellated evenly throughout, if not from the player to any TV.
2. Duplicate images.
Next time you see the duplicated images, try flipping the TV from Video 1 to Video 2 and back. It is not unusual when changing the input format at the source (with the TV still on) for the TV to not resync itself to match. But the duplicated images is still tawdry behavior if the same jacks were meant to accept both interlaced and progressive.

It puzzles me that, for the same video signal choices (S-video, component video, interlaced, progressive):
1. DVD player to new TV gives grainy picture
2. Same DVD player to different TV gives good picture.
3. Satellite receiver to new TV gives good picture.

But if progressive input across the board gives a poorer picture on the TV compared with interlaced input, then there is a shortcoming in the TV.