New System and a problem....

[ezdriver]

Old set-up:

I had a Samsung HDTV with a Toshiba A35(2.0FW) connected to it via HDMI and the STB connected to it via component video. A separate audio connection went from the HDTV to my old receiver. The picture was great all around but the 5.1 audio was a bit lacking, so I decided to upgrade.


New set-up:

I purchased the Yamaha RX-V463 5.1 receiver and connected all components to it via HDMI (A35, STB and HDTV).


Observation #1
This new system has vastly better sound compared to my old set-up, so I accomplished what I wanted to do. However, a new problem has appeared that is taking the thrill out of it. It seems that when I view a movie on the A35, whether HD or SD, it is almost too dark to enjoy. If a scene is indoors, I can make out general figures but detail is hard to see. Night scenes are a total disaster because unless someone lights a cigarette in front of themselves, I can hardly make out facial features. Outdoor scenes are not a problem and tend to be bright and sharp.

I tried adjusting brightness and contrast on the Samsung, and it improved the A35 view a bit, but it would just be too washed out when returning to view a cable channel. Being a novice at all of this, I am at a loss as to my next move. One thing I noticed in the Yamaha manual was that it recommends no more than a 5 meter(16ft.) HDMI cable. I had reconfigured my room layout so that the Samsung required a 20ft. HDMI connection to the receiver. I bought a 24AWG HDMI 1.3 cable from HDTVSupply.com that was tested to confirm 1080p performance before being shipped. Could that have been the cause of my problem? I haven't noticed any HDMI "sparkles" when viewing. Any ideas or suggestions would really be appreciated at this point.


Observation #2
Since this is now a total HDMI-digital setup, I have noticed how terrible non-HD channels look. I noticed the lack of sharpness on SD channels with my old set-up, and didn't think those channels could look any worse, but boy was I wrong! It's hard to describe, but images almost shimmer because everything is so out of focus. Almost like looking through a lens with vasaline smeared on it. There is just a general sloppiness to the picture. Is this something that is normal and I'll just have to adjust to it or could I have an issue going on somewhere?

Thanks much. BTW, I have been viewing this site for a while now and it's a very knowledgable and friendly site. It's nice to have a place to turn to when questions arise.

 

[trnqk7]

On the first point-I'm of little or no help, but can you set picture controls on the DVD player, this would allow you to set the tv for normal viewing and then the dvd player for movies. sorry not more help on this.

On the second point-I have an all hdmi setup as well from my dish vip622-and yes, SD shows look much worse than HD. I get the impression of some shows as you are having, but it's only some shows. Particularly older epsiodes of shows like Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. Newer episodes of these or other shows don't look nearly as bad-usually. I doubt you have an issue anywhere-but you could check by hooking up component video cables all the way through and see how that goes with your new equipment. Just a thought...

Hope it works out!

 

[ezdriver]

I wish the Toshiba had those controls for brightness, contrast, etc. It would surely make this problem a "non-problem". On the second issue, I think I'm going to just connect the HD DVD player straight to the monitor and see if the darkness problem is still there. If not, then it is probably the new receiver. Thanks much.

 

[ezdriver]

Well, I made a direct HDMI link from the HD DVD player to the HDTV and the picture was a lot better to view. Looks like it's probably the receiver after all.

Just as a side question: I didn't know that this receiver would have an effect on video quality, and this receiver does not upconvert any video. Does a receiver generally have an effect on the quality of the signal sent over HDMI cable?

 

[canIscream]

Does the picture settings on the TV change with the various HDMI inputs? I know on my plasma, when i did the the picture calibration, there were different settings for each input. I realize it's fairly unrelated as you are running one output off of the receiver, but it's a thought.

My other concern is the receiver? Did you try hooking up a different component through the same HDMI input to see what happens? I would do that in case it's an issue with the receiver.

 

[ezdriver]

Good idea. I'll mix change them up and see what I get.

 

[ezdriver]

I solved my problem by trading back the RX-V463 and upgrading to the RX-V663. It works like a champ and does not adversely effect the VQ whatsoever.