LCD TV picture quality

stevemcol

Kiwkb

Thanks, understood. 0 dBu = 1 μV. I've checked on google earth and I'm 25miles from Winter Hill (Granada region). On a clear day, I can see the antenna.

Fwor

I think we have done the full change over (in that I was told to do a second and final re-scan).

Espresso, point taken thanks.

aliEnRIK

stevemcol wrote: »

AlienRik. I think you may have hit the nail on the head. I can feel a sky subscription in the offing!

So the switch over may, as I suspected, have been a retrograde step.

I use winter hill too so know exactly where your coming from (Some programs/films are fine, others can be awful at times, whilst others can look fantastic)

As for sky, I think youll find that the basic channels 1-4 generally arnt too hot on there either

stevemcol

Thanks Rik

You're describing exactly my symptoms.
Sometimes perfect (better than analogue), sometimes terrible. Depends on the picture content.
I'm actually re-assured that I haven't just bought a rubbish TV.


Any thoughts on cable?

aliEnRIK

stevemcol wrote: »

Thanks Rik

You're describing exactly my symptoms.
Sometimes perfect (better than analogue), sometimes terrible. Depends on the picture content.
I'm actually re-assured that I haven't just bought a rubbish TV.


Any thoughts on cable?

I actually have cable, but the RGB SCART version

hmmm, used so infrequently I wouldnt like to say (I rarely watch tv anyways)

Ill put it on over the next few days out of interest

So far as I recall its pretty good actually. Less blocky than freeview (but still terrible in places), but im under the impression it goes through some form of a filter (meaning very good signals wont be as good as they could be)

kwikbreaks

stevemcol wrote: »

Kiwkb
I've checked on google earth and I'm 25miles from Winter Hill (Granada region). On a clear day, I can see the antenna.

Well it's the path as much if not more than the distance so I'm surprised you are having a problem if the aerial is put up correctly. My previous house got reasonable Freeview 35 miles from the transmitter (I did have an aerial put up specifically to work with Freeview). Having now moved a few miles I really doubt that I'd get Freeview at all so I just went with Freesat instead which you can get just about anywhere in the UK unless you are very unlucky and there is some big building or tree in the way.

See what that meter says your signal strength is (and check what the TV reckons it to be in the system menu too). Looking at the Maplin one you linked to it looks like the scale is just relative as the numbers just seem to go 0-8.

====

SFAIK only Wales has done the full monty on the switchover. Everybody in the country had to do that retune - not sure what it was about unless it was prep work for HD.

thescouselander

Sound to me that the OP is just seeing the normal blocks that you get on freeview - this picture can be pretty rubbish on some channels.

stevemcol

thescouselander wrote: »

Sound to me that the OP is just seeing the normal blocks that you get on freeview - this picture can be pretty rubbish on some channels.

Thanks, I'm getting the jist that Freeview is not great. Annoying since I still pay my licence fee and I was quite happy with analogue.

But it seems that no one thinks sat or cable are any better. Is there anything I can do to get a decent picture then? Unlike some, I do watch a lot of TV and I have always obsessed about picture quality.

aliEnRIK

Problem is theyre jamming so many channels into digital that 'something' has to give

If your after quality, best bet is probably SKY HD so at least you have HD channels then
Only problem then is its a bit of a lottery (Or it was, unsure if it still is). MANY people that have changed from sky + to sky HD say their SD channels dont look as good even though theyre viewing through a HDMI cable. If you need to know more just ask, it gets a little complicated