Hello. I'm new to this site, so please forgive me if someone has answered this already. I just purchased a Sony KDF-E50A10. I have been using regular analog cable(Brighthouse Networks) and was receiving some over the air HDTV channels. My Analog channels were quite clear also. I decided to switch to Digital cable. Since switching I have noticed that my HD channels are still very good quality, however the analog channels that i used to receive quite well in the past have lost quality. I have the Brighthouse Cable Box with the component cables to the TV. This was installed by Brighthouse. Is there possibly something wrong with the cablebox? Or is this normal to lose quality on the old channels coming through the cable box? Thanks. I appreciate any feedback or suggestions.
One thing you can do is connect S-video or composite cables to your TV from the STB. You're trying to watch standard def pictures on a high def input and they weren't really designed to be viewed that way. Another option you have is to split the main line before it gets to your STB, take one feed back to your antenna, the other back to the STB and switch bewteen your component inputs and your RF inputs so you can have the same quality as you did before getting the new equipment.
Thanks. It is already split out so that i can bypass the cable box. That is how i was able to see the difference in quality as I switched between the two. Is this normal operation that the previous analog channels would be less in quality. I can't believe that i am the only one who has experienced this. Is it possible that maybe the cablebox has an issue? If I switched to DirecTV, i would get all the channels with better quality right? Thanks again for your advice and help.
"If I switched to DirecTV, i would get all the channels with better quality right? "
Wrong, everyone with an HDTV and any digital vs analog source has expereinced what you are seeing. If anything since all Sat services are 100% digital all your channels will look worse.
As I said using the proper inputs for the proper format helps a great deal, but the bottom line is you're dealing with an analog picture on an HD TV, and by proxy analog pictures were never really meant to be viewed on anything larger then 19 - 21 inches. Take an 8x10 picture and blow it up to 50" the 8x10 looks great but the 50" version doesn't look so good now does it? The larger you go, the more you notice imperfections. Digital channels have compression issues, motion artifacts and scaling that all affect the quality of picture. How close you sit, TV settings, and inputs all factor into good or bad. Bottom line is from my experience, analog pictures look best straight to the TV, RF from a STB, composite or S-video from the STB will look marginally better then using the component jacks/DVI/HDMI as a one stop input for all format types. Then you have to factor in all analog and digital channels are 4:3 aspect ratio by nature and stretching them to fit your screen distorts the picture and creates a less then perfect picture. Screen burn is always a fear for leaving the channel in it's native 4:3 format, so pick your poisen and understand it is a combination of the current technology, your equipment, the equipment your cable provider uses, how it's connected to your tv, your settings and signal levels. All things considered equal don't expect all of your channels to look like HD because all channels are not HD. I can't speak for the satellite quality cause I don't work on them. MPEG4 should help with compression issues in the future if it's implemented properly, instead of upconverting a MPEG2 transmission to MPEG4 like it's currently being done (it's like TNT-HD upconverting analog pictures into HD format...compare TNT-HD to Discovery-HD, you'll know what I mean) A skunk is a skunk no matter what color you paint it, it still stinks
Thanks. I have called the cable company to look at the box and the setup again. My current configuration(setup by Brighthouse) allows me to change inputs and swap between the cable box and the direct cable feed from the splitter. I changed my HDTV to WIDE screen so it expands the picture fully(as the Digital picture that comes from the cable box does) and am able to swap inputs and compare the two full screen pictures. There is a very noticeable difference. The picture from the cable box is blurred and the direct feed from the cable is much better. I will let them look at it. The person that dispatched the cable person said maybe it is a signal strength issue to the cable box. I think it is probably more like the signal coming out of the box. We will see what they say. Thanks again for the information, it makes me more aware of what they are talking about. I'll let you know what they say.
Either I or cableguy misunderstood your concerns. I thought it was your analog channels that you liked better via direct coax connection and did not like the digital conversion provided by your STB. I don't see why you don't do like everyone else and use seperate connections for the analog and digital channels, after all it is only a button press on your remote.
Allow me to elaborate somewhat, it is not a signal strength issue you have. First of all the analog signal vai coax has no conversions before it reaches your display. Now the same analog channel via your STB is first analog, then either digitized at the headend on within your STB, it is then outputted to your display either in a digital format via a DVI or HDMI connection or via component cables where it would then be converted back into an analog signal before it enters your display.
Do you see how all the conversions will degrade the original analog content?
Maybe i did not explain correctly. I thought that is what i was saying, that most of my non HD channels(mostly the lower channel range - old basic cable)was not clear through my digital cable box. If i bypass the cable box the quality is much better. I was seeking information as to whether my box has a problem, or it is a wiring problem, or a configuration problem. I would prefer to not have to change inputs each time if possible. I just thought that getting digital cable would be a 'one stop' deal. I thought i would receive clear non HD channels as well as HD channels. That is not the case. The HD channels are fine, the lower channels that are non HD are fuzzy or blurred. What should i be using to go from the cable box to the TV? I currently have the 3 composite, and 2 Audio cables. Is HDMI better? Or would it not make a difference in the quality? Thanks again, sorry if i caused confusion.
No, I think you explained it ok, you bounced around a little bit, what I was addressing was the analog (your old basic cable) not being clear. Scooby (formerly xvxvxvx, formerly fx ) was addressing how converting analog to digital affects what you see in the end result, between the two of us both issues were addressed quite clearly. Connect your composite or S-video connections, switch to your SD inputs when watching SD channels, and only use your HD inputs when watching HD channels. If you still think the connection looks better straight to the TV, you have a third option on which input to go to for maximum viewing pleasure.
Scooby "Do you see how all the conversions will degrade the original analog content? ya gotta love the simplicity of it all ~grin~ Nice seeing ya in here still...good advice is so hard to come by these days. Take care
The Cable technician just left. He says that since my problem with quality is isolated to channels 0 through 100 that this is a known issue with this cablebox. I asked if there is another cablebox that brighthouse has that could be swapped. He said "No". So I guess i am stuck with poor quality on those channels or to have to change input source as needed to improve the quality. This is not right but if this is the best that Brighthouse can do then i don;t have too many other options except to try Dish especially since it is related to the box they supply.
Well Robert, your tech was pretty much correct except it likely wasn't just the STB provided by Brighthouse. I have used a half dozen different motorola boxes and two Sci Atl STB's and all but the 1st generation of the Moto's have less than desireable A to D and D to A conversion circuitry. I think your expectations are too high. Swithcing to a Sat service will only disappoint you more but good luck with your TV viewing pleasure.
To Cableguy: It is always good to participate in a thread with you my friend. I and others appreciate the time you take to offer your help and expertise.
Thanks for your help and advice, i appreciate it, i'm just trying to get my setup correct. I am new to digital TV on an HDTV. Are my expectations too high? I don't think so. Lets look at it this way. They advertise a product like digital cable and the consumer expects them to deliver on what they offered. I am a consumer trying to receive what i was promised by a cable company. Now if they had said to me up front that i would have crappy analog channels on my digital service, and that i would have to change inputs then my expectation would have been that, no more, anything else would have been a bonus. By the way the customer service people at Brighthouse don't agree with their own cable guy, they say it should be clear. So i'm going to hold them to that or change service, there are many other options including Verizon. Thanks again for your expert advice!
Well, this is amazing. After the third cable technician left today telling me that "that's the way his works too", i called Brighthouse and told them i was switching to Verizon(FIOS). She put me on hold, then she came back on and said they did not want me to do that. They decided that they would swap out my box, although that is what the tech was supposed to do today, but he said it would not make a difference. They swapped out my PACE digital Cable box for a Scientific Atlanta(which the techs have said they did not have any in stock, except they upgraded mine to the DVR one). Anyway after three so called techs and a personal drive to the local Brighhouse office to return the old one and get a new DVR one....believe it or not my picture is good again on the analog channels. So for all the techs that said "that is how it works", i say they should be ashamed of themselves. I had to go there myself and threaten to switch to Verizon for them to find a box, but it worked. The funny thing is that when i was at the office and she opened the cabinet behind her to get my box, the cabinet was full of new ones.....very embrassing to Brighthouse that a new digital customer gets an old used box and then has 3 techs look at it , then the customer has to swap it out himself. I should not blame brighthouse too much, it was the contractors. Anyway if you have a similar problem, try changing the box instead of taking the tech's word for it. Problem solved.
Gotta love that kind of service...glad I don't work for Brighthouse. Happy to hear you at least got the problem solved Robert. Nice follow-up posting, sad story but nice ending.
