# ASK DBSTALK: Best Display Mode for 921?



## zlevine (Jan 5, 2004)

I see from the specification that the PVR 921 has several display modes: 480p, 720p and 1080i.

I'm looking at the 42 inch Panasonic TH-42PX20U/P or the TH-42PHD6UY (same thing without speakers and stand). The spec sheet is vague but it appears that the Component Video (YPbPr) input supports 1080i and 480i with 480p and 720p available through a 15-pin sub-d connector.

I like the contrast ratio on the Panasonic in that it appears to have good field of view (3D effect).

How would I hook up the PVR921 to the Panasonic for the best picture?

What is the best 42 inch plasma display in terms of best picture with the PVR921?

Any help is greatfully appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark


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## Dominus (Nov 4, 2003)

zlevine said:


> I see from the specification that the PVR 921 has several display modes: 480p, 720p and 1080i.
> 
> I'm looking at the 42 inch Panasonic TH-42PX20U/P or the TH-42PHD6UY (same thing without speakers and stand). The spec sheet is vague but it appears that the Component Video (YPbPr) input supports 1080i and 480i with 480p and 720p available through a 15-pin sub-d connector.
> 
> ...


Mark:

Depends on your source whether to go with 720p or 1080i and what you will be watching. You will hear both camps (720 and 1080) tout their preferences but as always, let your eyes be the difference.

Try whenever possible to use the DVI connection. If you have two sources (DVD and 921) that output DVI, you may need to get a switcher (Gefen) since most output devices have one DVI input if that.

I plan on having the 921 with a DVI output DVD so it warrants a switcher.

Good luck.


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## Dominus (Nov 4, 2003)

zlevine said:


> I see from the specification that the PVR 921 has several display modes: 480p, 720p and 1080i.
> 
> I'm looking at the 42 inch Panasonic TH-42PX20U/P or the TH-42PHD6UY (same thing without speakers and stand). The spec sheet is vague but it appears that the Component Video (YPbPr) input supports 1080i and 480i with 480p and 720p available through a 15-pin sub-d connector.
> 
> ...


My eyes like the Fujitsu and the Panasonic plasma displays. Pioneer works too.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

480p, 720p and 1080i are output from the component video outputs and the DVI output. 480i is output from the svideo out and composite video outs. Component and DVI do NOT output 480i video.


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## zlevine (Jan 5, 2004)

Thanks. I'll go with Dominus' recommendation re: using the DVI connection on the PVR921.

I'm assuming that the Panasonic Plasma with just 480p and 1080i HD modes on its DVI connector is fine and that I won't miss 720p.


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## bytre (Sep 10, 2003)

DVI should be the best interface to a plasma display. Depending on the actual specs of the display, 720p may look the best (the display probably doesn't have the pixels to display 1080i and would thus scale the picture down).


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

bytre said:


> DVI should be the best interface to a plasma display. Depending on the actual specs of the display, 720p may look the best (the display probably doesn't have the pixels to display 1080i and would thus scale the picture down).


However the Circuits in the Plasma Screen may have better code to rescale then the 921. In that case the best would be send 1080i (assuming the source were 1080i) and having it do the conversion.

It all depends.

Try both.

On the other hand its more likely that a 720P picture should be left at 720p.


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## James_Bruce (Jan 8, 2004)

Sharp 37" LCD 720P .. Looks awesome


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## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

We absolutely have to have a "do not allow the 921 to scale or stretch the image in any way" mode, to avoid getting up-conversion and down-conversion artifacts and quality reductions. What is needed is a way for folks to pick which modes their TV supports on the HD outputs (DVI/component) from the list of 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The receiver then needs to have a mode where it just passes the signal with no up-conversion or down-conversion, assuming the television supports the mode in question. If it does not (because some so-called "HDTVs" don't support 720p), then scaling could be applied, but the current options of "Scale all output to 720p" or "Scale all output to 1080i" are unacceptable.


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## zlevine (Jan 5, 2004)

Slordak,
I agree with your comments.
That begs the question.
"Is there any way to know whether there is a mode conflict (adding artifacts and otherwise reducing picture quality) between the 921 and the 42" Panasonic Plasma?"
I suspect there isn't and I will have to take a chance figuring that the 921 engineers factored in the Panasonic HDTV display requirements when they designed the unit. It's a calculated risk but one that I am prepared to take.

Thanks again,
Mark



Slordak said:


> We absolutely have to have a "do not allow the 921 to scale or stretch the image in any way" mode, to avoid getting up-conversion and down-conversion artifacts and quality reductions. What is needed is a way for folks to pick which modes their TV supports on the HD outputs (DVI/component) from the list of 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The receiver then needs to have a mode where it just passes the signal with no up-conversion or down-conversion, assuming the television supports the mode in question. If it does not (because some so-called "HDTVs" don't support 720p), then scaling could be applied, but the current options of "Scale all output to 720p" or "Scale all output to 1080i" are unacceptable.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I use 1080i for everything except for ABC or ESPN where I go to 720p which is the native resolution they are transmitting in. I use the DVI connection.


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## guruka (Dec 27, 2003)

Mark Lamutt said:


> 480p, 720p and 1080i are output from the component video outputs and the DVI output. 480i is output from the svideo out and composite video outs. Component and DVI do NOT output 480i video.



But the 921 upscales SD 480i to 480p for the DVI and component outputs, so that there's no need to switch back and forth between svideo and DVI, que no?


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

guruka said:


> But the 921 upscales SD 480i to 480p for the DVI and component outputs, so that there's no need to switch back and forth between svideo and DVI, que no?


I sent the RF signal downstairs to the computer room, so I find myself switching back and forth between the SD and HD mode. Kind of a hassle.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I've been hitting the SD/HD button by mistake as that is where the TV/Video button used to be and I have to change my TV output when I jump back and forth from DVD to E*.

Gotta "unlearn" that old behavior.


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## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

Correction, the receiver scales 480i to whatever the output resolution is set to for your high definition outputs (component/DVI), not just 480p. Hence, if you really want "high definition", you have this set to either 720p or 1080i, so the receiver scales the 480i signal to this instead.

However, I think it's crazy to constantly switch between 720p and 1080i to try and match the input feed when you switch channels, when there should be a way to just pass 720p as 720p and 1080i as 1080i. I said as much above, though, so I don't mean to repeat myself, but BobMurdoch, don't you consider it quite a hassle to keep changing this setting when you're watching different channels?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Slordak, please keep in mind though that MOST HD ready televisions are equipped to only accept 1080i. My sony downconverts any 720p signal it sees to 480p, so if the 921 didn't convert the 720p channels to 1080i for me, that would be unacceptable.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

One thing I've noticed is that, when setting the output to 1080i and watching SD programming, is that the 16:9 ratio is messed up as it chops off 15% of the picture on both sides of the horizontal.

I set the Display setting to 4:3 #2 and it looks much better. I switch it back to 16:9 when I am watching one of the 94xx channels.

I don't have an HD antenna installed yet, so I can't answer to the OTA channels with this, but this is a good workaround until they correct the aspect ratios.


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## smooth28la (Oct 7, 2002)

BobMurdoch said:


> One thing I've noticed is that, when setting the output to 1080i and watching SD programming, is that the 16:9 ratio is messed up as it chops off 15% of the picture on both sides of the horizontal.
> 
> I set the Display setting to 4:3 #2 and it looks much better. I switch it back to 16:9 when I am watching one of the 94xx channels.
> 
> I don't have an HD antenna installed yet, so I can't answer to the OTA channels with this, but this is a good workaround until they correct the aspect ratios.


Do NOT switch back to 16x9 on HD channels... if you do.. then the picture will be overscanned.

I leave mine on 4:3 #2 as I have 16x9 monitor.


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## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

Does it make any sense to have to tell the receiver that you are using a 4:3 television when you aren't?

The television is a fixed asset with a fixed screen size. How you prefer to watch your SD programming is up to you, be it normal, zoomed, stretched, etc., but you should be able to tell the receiver the size of your TV and what you want it to do with the SD signal, and it should figure out the rest. There shouldn't be any of this silly monkeying with 480i or 4:3!


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

I just received my 921 yesterday and am getting caught up. Sorry to bump this up.

I have a 720p DLP projector (Infocus 7200) with DVI connection.

With the 921 set the output 720p I'm seeing some artifacting with 1080i material during horizontal camera pans. The picture seems better when the 921 outputs 1080i and the 7200 does the scaling. For 720p material it's better (for me) if the 921 would not upscale.

So, I too, would like to request an OPTION to not rescale HD material. I haven't messed with SD yet, but it sounds like many of use would be better off with our TV scalers for that too.

I'm confused by the people using 4:3 #2 for a with a wide screen TV. Is that for people trying to get a 4:3 image to fill a 16:9 space?


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Yes, the 4:3 #2 setting works great with 16:9 sets trying to make SD content fill the screen. I wish they would figure out a way to get this to work with the 16:9 "STRETCH" setting which is way off.


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