# Anyone else noticing poor pic quality- SD?



## ggw2000 (Dec 22, 2003)

A couple months ago there seemed to be a positive change in the SD quality of the output on my 921. But recently it seems to have significantly degraded  . I don't know if this is a result of the S/W upgrades (don't know how that would effect it) or more compression at the head end (Charlieville).
Anyone else noticing this or am I just getting older and the eyes are giving out?
Thanks, Gerry


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## jergenf (Mar 31, 2005)

It's not the software updates. The picture quality is determined by the *(1)* quality of the original program, then *(2)* the conversion processes it undergoes and finally *(3)* the amount of compression. In the case of local channels my guess is either case 1 or 2 might be the cause.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

My SD looks great on a very small screen TV but on anything over 36 inches one can see the results of the data compression (little blocks of picture - image slippage, etc.). OTA SD on the other hand is better as the compression is not as sever. E* has to cram hundreds of channels onto a fixed number of transponders using MPEG-2 so the picture suffers. You may notice that certain SD channels are better quality than others. In my opinion the worst looking channels are the LIL from my DMA. Hopefully, the MPEG-4 switch over will improve picture quality but if I know E*, they will just add many more channels and maintain their current specifications for picture quality.


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## ggw2000 (Dec 22, 2003)

boylehome said:


> Hopefully, the MPEG-4 switch over will improve picture quality but if I know E*, they will just add many more channels and maintain their current specifications for picture quality.


I assume you mean more shopping channels  .


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## jergenf (Mar 31, 2005)

boylehome said:


> My SD looks great on a very small screen TV but on anything over 36 inches one can see the results of the data compression (little blocks of picture - image slippage, etc.). OTA SD on the other hand is better as the compression is not as sever. E* has to cram hundreds of channels onto a fixed number of transponders using MPEG-2 so the picture suffers. You may notice that certain SD channels are better quality than others. In my opinion the worst looking channels are the LIL from my DMA. Hopefully, the MPEG-4 switch over will improve picture quality but if I know E*, they will just add many more channels and maintain their current specifications for picture quality.


Very true the bigger the screen the bigger the pixels. OTA especially digital is better because bit crunching isn't neccessary being that it doesn't need to compete with its bandwidth.

Mpeg4 probably won't contibute much more picture quality except perhaps less pixelation during high motion scenes when viewing HD. They intend to use it for greater channel capacity.


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

ggw2000 said:


> Anyone else noticing this or am I just getting older and the eyes are giving out?


Some have reported that using the 921's S-Video output to view SD content improves the picture quality because doing so utilizes your monitor's image scalar rather than the 921's SD to HD up-conversion. Personally, I don't see much difference either way.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

AVJohnnie said:


> Some have reported that using the 921's S-Video output to view SD content improves the picture quality because doing so utilizes your monitor's image scalar rather than the 921's SD to HD up-conversion. Personally, I don't see much difference either way.


There is truth to this statement. My SD does look better with composit or S-video. Is this because of the extra modulation occures so to blend the video signals?


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

boylehome said:


> Is this because of the extra modulation occures so to blend the video signals?


I think it's simply due to the lesser quality of the up-converter within the 921 being upstaged by what your display can do.

Most HD displays contain "fairly decent" converters for SD sources out of necessity for OTA and Cable handling requirements. Unfortunately, many older HD displays show HD sources "as is", because their internal video processors are only meant to "improve" SD signal sources.

Thanks to technology advances, lower production costs, and maybe even a little "Weird Science" - some of the newer HD displays now allow their scalars, aspect controls & smoothing "technologies" to operate on HD sources too.


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## Dithermaster (Jan 27, 2004)

No, it's far worse. 

Hasn't anybody else noticed this? This is a scaling artifact about 2/3 the way down the screen. This is on the S-Video output. A line is doubled (perhaps one from each field)! It messes up the alignment of the rest of the screen (the bottom). You can really notice it with the SciFi logo in the lower right. Sometimes bringing up the grid and cancelling or pausing and unpausing fixes it, sometimes not. 

Does anyone else see this?

I noticed the 921 SD picture was soft the day I got it, compared to my 510 and 7100 before it. I'm hoping the some softness and silly artifacts aren't on component and DVI outputs.

///[email protected]


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

Dithermaster said:


> Hasn't anybody else noticed this? This is a scaling artifact about 2/3 the way down the screen. This is on the S-Video output. A line is doubled (perhaps one from each field)! It messes up the alignment of the rest of the screen (the bottom).


Some have reported that by using the screen position adjustment (menu, 4, 2, more-button), they are able to do away with the line which I think you are referring to. This issue seems to have started with the L215 release and it sounds like it may still be with us in L219. You can find more specifics on the "issue" by reading through the "*L215 poor picture lock in*" thread (particularly BobMinn's posts starting at #4.) Here's a direct link to the thread:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=43590&highlight=poor+picture

Hope it helps - good luck!


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## Dithermaster (Jan 27, 2004)

Thanks, John! I will give the position command a try, to fix this on my box. It's quite annoying. My appreciation goes to all you folks who already tracked this problem down.

///[email protected]


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