What Am I Doing Wrong (1 Viewer)

[Tillerman]

Hey folks,

I have just recieved Panasonic TH-42PA20U/P 42" EDTV plasma monitor, and when hooked up to Directv HDTV reciever utilizing Monster component video cables the picture still looks crappy. It appears that the TV does not know what the color should be of an object on the screen and just fills it in with watever it wants to or something close to the original color. There is a bit of pixilating and just all out crap images. When researching this model and viewing it in various stores I was hooked, but now that I have it I am sorry I bought it. Am I doing something wrong here? Any ideas or comments would be great!

In case you were wondering yes I tried new componenent video cables, and even tried Svideo cables also, both showed same results.

 

[John Garcia]

EDTV can only do 480P, it is not technically an HDTV. Do you have a 480P setting on your DirecTV box? If you are feeding it with anything else, I am not sure it will work properly.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

You say you've used s-video, so it may not be that you're feeding too high a signal, as john suggested, although that was my initial thought. Have you tried it with other sources? It could be a bad unit, a bad hdtv unit, etc.

 

[Tillerman]

Thanks Guys,

But does this sound right? The hughes HDTV Directv Reciever that I have has two settings one for 1080I and one for 480I, I switched to 480I and the pic cleared up a bit. Not great but ok! When doing this the reciever will not send the image through the component video cables, I can ONLY use the SVideo cable. I spent nearly $500.00 on the componenet video cable and would like to use it. This Home theater shit sucks!

 

[ColinM]

That TV will probably look it's best with a good progressive scan DVD player. Tried that yet?

At least you'd be using those expensive cables for something...

Sorry to hear about the problems.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Other than venting your displeasure you're not offering enough information. Other than the satellite feed, what sorts of signals are you sending the display? As was asked, have you even tried DVDs yet? Also, bear in mind that even the best of displays won't make chicken salad out of chicken crap; "garbage in, garbage out."

Oh, and one more thing: Have you given the set even a rudimentary calibration via the user menus?

 

[ChrisWiggles]

!?!?!? :frowning:

500 dollars for the video cable? I can't possibly imagine a situation that that is even a reasonable price. $500 could buy you probably several hundred feet of professionaly grade cabling. Hate to break it to you, but $500 for video cables is ridiculous, even for the best systems out there, which plasma is not one of.

I am actually now assuming you mean $500 for the HDTV box, NOT the cable... Still, hi-def isn't passed via S-video, so now you've confused me more.

I'm also still unclear as to the cause of your problems, perhaps you can go further, as hi-def should look way better.

 

[Lew Crippen]

I don’t know if your display will accept 1080i or 720p signals or not, but it appears as though it does not.

You may have not have two components that are compatible with each other, since your TV is 480p and your HD receiver is 1080i. You might take that receiver back (I assume that you can return) and get one that ouputs 480p. See how that works. But if your display will accept 1080i, this will almost for sure not make a difference.

Here are a series of questions, which may help in identifying the problem.

Does the pixilating happen on all channels? Or just some. Try the SD, network channels from the satellite. Then some satellite only channels, such as ESPN, TCM and Fox news and sports channels. Do you get the same reception and picture quality problems with all of these. Try all of these with both 1080i and 480i outputs.

Now try the same thing with some OTA channels (if you are also using an antenna in order to get local, digital signals). How does the picture compare with the ones from the satellite.

If you are subscribing to any of the premium satellite channels, try them and compare the pictures with the others. Now try the HD premium channels (if you subscribe). Again, make the comparisons.

If you are trying to get HD from DirecTV, make sure that you are getting good signals from all three satellites (if you are not, your dish needs to be realigned).

As Jack mentioned, try some DVDs. These ought to look very good. If they do not, you almost for sure have a problem with your display.

Let us know a bit more detail. We will have suggestions.

 

[Tillerman]

Sorry Guys,

I am a bit new to the home theater world and I apologize for not explaining in more detail my problem. Thanks for your input and help so far, hope I can clear things up here in more detail.

Currently I subscribe to Directv, I am using the Hughes Platinum HD Reciever, Out of the reciever I am using component video cables to my Onkyo TX-SR701 Reciever. From the reciever I am using my $500.00 Component Video Cables to the TV.

I also have Onkyo's DV-CP701 6 Disk Progressive Scan DVD player hooked to my reciever via component video cables and the same $500.00 component video cable from the reciever to my TV.

The Directv reciever has two signal outputs 1080I and 480I. It seems as though 1080I would be better going into my TV but that is not the case. When I switch to 480I the image is much better (still not great) but it will not allow me to use the component video out on my DirecTV reciever, I am stuck with using the SVideo cable from the directv reciever to my onkyo reciever, and thus using an SVideo cable from my Onkyo reciever to my TV. I was under the impression that the component video cables were much better than the SVideo cables?

The DVD player has a good picture but again not great. Like I said eralier when I saw this in Circuit City the picture on this screen killed those around it including the high def ones. So I know that it is possible, how did they trick me?

So for an overview, Currently I have one Onkyo DVD player, and one Hughes Platinum HD Reciever going into my Onkyo reciever then from the reciever via 1 component video cable (for DVD Player) and 1 svideo cable (for Directv HD Reciever). Maybe I am being too picky with the quality but it is pissing me off since I know I can do better. Any other comments, or questions? All help is greatly appreciated. I will say this though, I have incredible sound out of the reciever going into my Aperion speakers....just wish the picture could corespond as well with my sound. Well at least I have a little brite spot in this mess.

A few more questions, is 480P better than 480I? I have heard of a DVD you can use to help you set up your tv for max performance using the user controled settings. Anyone know where I can buy one?

Thanks for all your help guys!!

Yes I have tried looking at different channels within my Directv programing, the HD channels do look better than the strict digital channels, and local channels are about the same. I have done some calibrating using the user controlled settings and have seen again some improvement, but I am not sure what I am doing so I don't want to mess things up too bad! LOL

 

[ColinM]

The whole thing is related to the TV not being 1080i - it's 480P. It takes whatever you feed it and turns it into 480P, or passes 480p unmolested.

If you give it 1080i, it will use it's internal scaling device and deconstruct / reconstruct the image to 480P, degrading the (probably great) picture you'll never get to see.

I would try setting the Onk DVD to progressive, feed the TV with the Hi-Zoot cables directly. Send everything else thru the receiver.

Make sure the contrast is down and the brightness is up (My experience is with tube TV's, and my settings are usually like this - contrast at 25% of max, brightness at 55%). If you have a THX certified DVD, follow the video setup guide included in the optimizer, from the main menu of that DVD.

 

[JawhnM]

There are several setup DVD's. 2 of the best ones are AVIA and Video Essentials. Do a search on those names and you'll find a bunch of places that sell them. Both are MUCH better than the THX optimizer, but it's not bad for a freebee.

BTW: There is a new Digital Video Essentials disk out for about $15, and although it's not quite as extensive as the AVIA disk (around $40), it should do just fine for your needs.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Yes I have tried looking at different channels within my Directv programing, the HD channels do look better than the strict digital channels, and local channels are about the same.

A not uncommon problem for people with displays that have a lot more definition than their old sets, especially when the picture area is larger than their old set, is that the defects in standard pictures are now very noticeable—the problems were always there, just not so apparent. However you ought not to get incorrect color as a result.

The pixelation that you mention, seemed to me to indicate a weak signal, not a problem with your set. Have you had a chance to check your signal strength yet? And do you get this effect on all channels or only some?

 

[Tim K]

According to the manual for your TV on Panasonic's site, your TV accepts 480i, 480p, and 1080i signals via component, RGB or DVI. So that is not the problem.

 

[Jack_TN]

Have you tried running a signal directly from the HD box to the plasma TV, even though you may want to run it through the receiver? This eliminates any possible degradation the receiver could be doing to the signal. Try the same thing with the DVD player.

Also, some people have found that contrary to normal practice, they get a better picture for SD material using composite cables. I would recommend trying that too, just to see which works better with your equipment.

The TH-42PA20U/P should have a great picture with HD material or a DVD.

Jack

 

[Alan K]

I'm with Lew, it sounds like you've got a weak signal. My suggestion is to spend less money on the cables and get a decent HD receiver. At my work, we get returns on the Hughes boxes all the time. Get something with a DVI out on it, like the Samsung or the Sony, both of which seem to do pretty well. As far as the resolution output goes, we run a 1080i signal into the exact same TV and have never had a problem. In fact, it has a better picture than some of the cheap HD plasmas we sell.