What's new

Toshiba 51HX83 RPTV: s-video vs component (1 Viewer)

Mark_E

Grip
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
16
I have a Toshiba 51HX83 and a Panasonic DVD-S55 DVD player. I have always had the tv fed through the component video cables and the progressive scan of the dvd player turned on. Lately I have discovered that my picture quality is better with the progressive scan off. I then discovered that my s-video picture was better yet than the component. Does anybody have any ideas as to why this is? Both sets of wires are higher end wires.
 

John S

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
5,460
Do you have any way of try'n a different DVD player?

These sorts of threads scare me on my impending transition to HDTV.
 

greg_t

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Messages
1,654
I don't think it's the wires. Your Toshiba widescreen upconverts anything that comes into it to 540p. So when you have your dvd player set to progressive, it converts the image from 480i to 480p in the digital domain, gets sent to the TV as an analog signal via the component cables, and then is upconverted to digital again so that the Toshiba can upconvert the 480p to 540p.

By setting the dvd player to interlaced, all that you are doing is sending the 480i signal to the TV as analog, which the TV then converts to digital and does the 480i to 540p conversion. As you can see, there is one less interlaced to progressive conversion this way. I think doing it this way just makes things cleaner with less processing done on the signal. Also, the Panasonic S55 is not a very good progressive player. It could be that it was doing a mediocore job of doing the 480i to 480p, which was then compounded by the TV upconverting to 540p.

As for why you feel S-Video looks better, I don't know. Have you set the black level on the dvd player correctly for which cables you're using? On my panasonics, you set it to lighter for S-video and darker for component. Do remember that dvd's are encoded on the dvd in component format. This means that you have three signals, one luminance and two chroma. By using component out, you stay more true to the sourec. By going out S-video, you force the player to downconvert as S-video only carries two channels, one luminance and one chroma. So basically, you are combining two chroma channels into one. You should try using a player with reference quality interlaced output such as the RP91. The 91 has reference video quality and interlaced output, but it's deinterlacer is not the best. You could input a reference interlaced signal into the Toshiba and let it do the progressive conversion. That would likely be your best bet.
 

Mark_E

Grip
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
16
I realize that in theory the component connection should give you a superior picture to the s-video, however, it is obviously better through the s-vid. I checked this by pausing the picture on a frame that has small text on it. With the component vid input, I could barely make out what the text said, however, on the s-vid input, it was very clear. The picture even seems brighter through the s-vid feed.
 

greg_t

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Messages
1,654
I would ask again what your black level on the player is set at. I don't know about the S55, but I have two other Panny's and they both have a black level control. If I remember right, using S-video you should set to lighter. If using component, you should set to dark. If you aren't changing this setting when changing inputs, that could be part of it.
 

Mark_E

Grip
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
16
thanks greg_t. I just noticed that in the manual. I will give it a try to see what effect it has.
 

Mark_E

Grip
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
16
John S:

Yes I have tied another brand of DVD player. A Toshiba. The effect was even worse with it making the s-vid look better still.
 

Mark_E

Grip
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
16
I went to the store where I purchased both the TV and DVD player and got them to try switching between the S-video and the component. They got the same effect with the s-video being much better. They are supposed to be contacting the Toshiba rep to discuss.
 

John Royster

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 14, 2001
Messages
1,088
are the component cables truly 75 ohm video cables or is there a possiblity they are audio/video cables (red, white, yellow?)
 

Michael Reuben

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 12, 1998
Messages
21,763
Real Name
Michael Reuben
I have an older Toshiba widescreen set, and when I first connected a progressive scan player to it, the picture looked awful. The reason: Toshiba sets (and I assume this is still true) have to be separately configured for each type of input.

After a professional calibration that adjusted each input, the p/s image was (and remains) obviously superior.

M.
 

MichaelOD

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 25, 2003
Messages
74
this is true, toshiba tv's allow for memorized display settings on each input.

are you sure that you have calibrated your dvd input on the tv?

interestingly enough, i had started a similar thread about the picture quality on the toshiba sets with regard to the conversion from 480p to 540p. [i myself own a 57HX83]

what i've learned and what may prove useful to you, is if you follow this chart:

480i -> 1080i
480p -> 540p
480p -> 1080i

keep in mind that your dvd player converts the interlaced signal to a progressive one in a digital domain, then goes out analog to your tv which then converts the signal to 1080i or 540p [depending on how your tv is set]. one more thing, the tv will convert any interlaced signal to 1080i.
 

RoyGBiv

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Apr 10, 2000
Messages
229
Real Name
Steven Kempner
I would agree that it is probably a difference between the inputs. Even if you don't get your TV professionally calibrated, you should use a DVD for calibration like AVIA or Video Essentials and see what results you get. I would be surprised if after using one of these on both inputs you still felt that s-video looked better.

SMK
 

Mark_E

Grip
Joined
Dec 1, 2003
Messages
16
I used "video essentials" to manually adjust each input. After which the picture looked terrible so I made slight adjustments to each using regular DVD and Satellite sources. Picture on both s-video and component are very good, but s-video is still clearly better.

What does a professional do to calibrate these types of tv's?
 

Gilbert_P

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
53
i would watch it with 480p converted to 1080i. i watch it like that on my 308f83 and the picture is amazing. better than 540p i think.
 

Gilbert_P

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
53
What setting do you have your component input set at?

COntrast
brightness
color
tint
sharpness?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
356,811
Messages
5,123,601
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
1
Top