How to get a better sat signal quality with new HDTV

[lestat0521]

i just purchased the vizio VX37L and it looks amazing when we watch dvds but when it comes to regular satellite tv it looks grainy and nasty. Any way to get overall better picture quality? Currently using component... is hd box the only way? With an hd box will all channels be better quality or only hd channels?

thanks.

 

[obscbyclouds]

i just purchased the vizio VX37L and it looks amazing when we watch dvds but when it comes to regular satellite tv it looks grainy and nasty. Any way to get overall better picture quality? Currently using component... is hd box the only way? With an hd box will all channels be better quality or only hd channels?

thanks.

Yep, one of the things most people don't realize when they buy their nice new HDTV is that SD channels will look worse than they did before.If you do get an HD Sat box and service, HD channels will look great, but SD channels will still be the same as they were before.

Unfortunately there really is no way to make SD look significantly better, as you can't create information that wasn't there to begin with. DirectTV has some pretty good deals on HD Packages though...

 

[m_vanmeter]

try using an S-video cable to connect your satellite box to the TV. I use that on my 32" Vizio and the SD content from Dish is very watchable...could be the Vizio is up-scaling the S-video input some, don't know.

 

[markw]

try using an S-video cable to connect your satellite box to the TV. I use that on my 32" Vizio and the SD content from Dish is very watchable...could be the Vizio is up-scaling the S-video input some, don't know.

All these TV's automatically upscale whatever format the signal coming in is into their native format.

You do realize that S-video won't pass a HDTV signal, right?

 

[lestat0521]

i am having trouble understanding how an hd signal can come through a coaxial cable (vizio manual says it can) , is it possible that my coaxial on my dish box can pass a better signal then the component cables?

 

[markw]

i am having trouble understanding how an hd signal can come through a coaxial cable

It can't, but it can be passed through THREE coaxial cables, as a "component" signal.

(vizio manual says it can)

Now that surprises me. Are you sure you didn't misread something?

is it possible that my coaxial on my dish box can pass a better signal then the component cables?

No, and this is in reference to either a composite signal or a screw-on "F" connector" type RF signal. If they mean as a component signal. well, that's another story.

 

[lestat0521]

i think i may be way off track here is what the manual says:

DTV coaxial RF
Best (digital)
Good (analog)

 

[markw]

i think i may be way off track here is what the manual says:

DTV coaxial RF
Best (digital)
Good (analog)

I have no idea what they are talking about here.

I'm confident in my statements that the only two ways to pass a HD video signal are via component or HDMI, period.

You might want to recheck the manual.

 

[mtrycrafts]

i am having trouble understanding how an hd signal can come through a coaxial cable (vizio manual says it can) , is it possible that my coaxial on my dish box can pass a better signal then the component cables?

Lets clarify this a bit.
Is that coaxial cable they are talking is to the cable box from the sat dish antenna? Or, from the cable box to the TV itself? Does the TV manual points to a picture block diagram for this? Is this manual on line perhaps and you can link us to it?

 

[Irishpete]

I did it with my samsung. I just plugged the coaxial directly into the back of the tv while I was waiting for my HD cable box and ran auto program it set all the channels and abc,nbc cbs,fox and a couple of others came in HD

 

[markw]

different creature.

I did it with my samsung. I just plugged the coaxial directly into the back of the tv while I was waiting for my HD cable box and ran auto program it set all the channels and abc,nbc cbs,fox and a couple of others came in HD

You were running an RF feed to the TV's internal ATSC RF tuner that generates a HD video signal internally. There is no passing of the HD signal externally. It's all done within the TV set.

I do this also to avail myself of the clean OTA signals in my area.

When you run a HD video signal from an external video source (cable box, HD DVD player, etc) you need to use either component or HDMI, depending on the source and your TV set. In either case, S-video or composite won't do it.

 

[bandphan]

try using an S-video cable to connect your satellite box to the TV. I use that on my 32" Vizio and the SD content from Dish is very watchable...could be the Vizio is up-scaling the S-video input some, don't know.

thats the ticket

 

[Hi Ho]

Non-HD satellite boxes are among the worst sources for an HDTV! Get the HD box. It will not only improve your SD picture but you will be blown away by HD.

Do you have Dish Network or DirectTV?