Having issues w/ HDMI & making cable look good (see post 35)

Wlogan31

Wlogan31

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I am in desperate need of a new television and pronto. I know that I want an LCD Flat-Panel 1080p in the 40"-42" range. I have some gift cards, but my max spend range would be roughly $1600 (possibly including extended warranty).

I've looked on their site and in store (and yes, I've read the threads here on TVs), but I know nothing about this stuff. Also, TV stuff seems to change monthly. Could some people give me recommendations within these specs on TVs available from CC?

As a reference point, I probably WOULD use this television for gaming as well as movie/television watching.

Thanks a ton!
 
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http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/212130/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do


That would be my pick with your price range.

Ive got a 40" 720p samsung and it is great, blows away my buddies "lesser value" brands.

Im planning on buying a similar model in 50"+ soon and will most likely get another samsung.

If the extended warranty is cheap enough Id go for it, peace of mind for a couple hundred bucks.

Good luck with the purchase and dont skimp on the surround setup :)
 
Samsung 40" Series 4 LCD HDTV (LN40A450)

720p and 40" all for $950. Great price, great TV.

If you're looking for a video gaming TV, 720p is the way to go by the way. And if you were seriously going to spend $1600 on a 40" TV I would call you crazy.

[quote name='InvaderZim']CNN/AP said tv prices are going to be the best ever in December... can you wait?[/quote]

TV prices are the best ever month after month. TV prices go down, on average, 16% per year(or it could have been 26%, can't find the article that I read a couple of weeks back).

Edit - Here's a two year old article.
http://www.cnet.com.au/tvs/lcd/0,239035307,339272677,00.htm
TV prices went down 25% in 2006 and they just keep going lower.
 
Stick with 720P. 1080P is a waste of money unless you get 56 inches or larger. For a 42 inch, the human eye can't tell the different between 780P and 1080P at more than 3-4 feet away.

As for brands, I highly recommend Samsung. They make the best of the best these days.
 
Ended up purchasing the Samsung 40" 1080p LCD HDTV (120Hz w/ Auto Motion Plus) etc etc etc (the A630). Scored it at one of the CC's that is having a going out of business sale and had a big gift card - ended up paying $950 out the door. I feel like I got a great deal but I haven't quite figured out yet how to make the TV come in clearly...

I'm guessing I need the HDMI cables? Anyone?

Right now I just have my cable plugged into it... I don't know much about this stuff. Movies look good (even running from my PS2) - just gotta figure out cable now.
 
Right now I just have a PS2 and Wii, but I'm much more concerned with making my cable look good. Right now everything is really blurry...
 
Your old television was SDTV right? The cable box you have now is probably SDTV only and won't display 720p/1080i signals (not to mention lacking a HDMI port). Call your cable provider and have them send over a HDTV set-top box.
 
Yeah, call your cable provider if they want to charge you extra for it, just wait till February... then it'll be mandatory to upgrade the service for you. :p
 
[quote name='Wlogan31']Ok, I think I have HDTV through cable. Is there a cable/wire in particular I need to get to make the TV look good?[/quote]

HDMI or Component
 
Actually they do not have to upgrade you to HD. Just a digital signal. That is not HD. You can get over the air HD for free and the cable companies usually charge you for it like they do with basic cable just being your local channels. Just get a set of rabbit ears and they can be the cheap ones. If you can get an outside antena go for that for over the air HD unless you want more in HD that you have to get from cable. As for a TV you really need to watch them. I would suggest a 120Hrz LCD or one that says TrueHD. As long as you can get one with 120hrz you will be fine. Plazma does look better then the older LCD TVs however the 120hrz look just as good. With plazma you have a higher risk of burn in. That is why I would not suggest it. With DLP you really need to look at the picture. You may be one of the few that see the color spectrum in it. When I was looking for a HD tv about 5 years ago I found out I was one. I saw the 3 color lines on each side. Also when it comes to the black level it is your contrast ratio. Just look for one with a higher one to 1. So 10000:1 would be better then 1000:1.

So all in all look for a high contrast ratio the higher the better. Really look at the picture and if you go LCD get one that is 120hrz.
 
[quote name='Wlogan31']Ok, I think I have HDTV through cable. Is there a cable/wire in particular I need to get to make the TV look good?[/quote]

If you're not using an HDMI cable you're TV is not going to "look good". Even then it's got to be a high definition signal, either over the air HD or specific digital cable HD channels. Watching SD stuff on an HDTV is going to make it look like crap.
 
[quote name='blackhole82']If you're not using an HDMI cable you're TV is not going to "look good". Even then it's got to be a high definition signal, either over the air HD or specific digital cable HD channels. Watching SD stuff on an HDTV is going to make it look like crap.[/quote]


Thanks for all the help CAGs! I just ordered HD cable through my cable provider and will be picking up some HDMI cables tonight after work. Much appreciated!

BTW - Is there any preference between HDMI cables and component for television watching and will I need any special type of cable due to the fact that my TV is 120hz instead of the (for now) standard 60 hz?
 
Still a bit confused on 2 things:

1) Is HDMI or Component better/more preferable
2) Any special cable needed due to TV being 120Hz instead of 60Hz? They tried to tell me Yes at the store but I got a feeling he was BSing
 
1. HDMI is generally considered better. However, on many TVs they are basically indistinguishable. Personally, I prefer HDMI since it is a digital signal. The Wii, however, can be hooked up with component only, not HDMI.

2. No special cable needed for that.
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']OP, if you can afford to wait, buy the cable from monoprice. The store is going to rape you on an HDMI cable.[/quote]

I can afford to wait - any particular cable from Monoprice that I should grab to hook my cable box up to my television?

Sounds like I need an HDMI cable from my cable box to my tv and component cables for my Wii & PS2 to the TV.

Then, when I get a PS3 or 360 I will need another HDMI cable for that to the tv.

Sound about right?
 
[quote name='Wlogan31']I can afford to wait - any particular cable from Monoprice that I should grab to hook my cable box up to my television?

Sounds like I need an HDMI cable from my cable box to my tv and component cables for my Wii & PS2 to the TV.

Then, when I get a PS3 or 360 I will need another HDMI cable for that to the tv.

Sound about right?[/quote]

Most any they sell will do. I run two of their in wall rated cables (one 75 feet, one 50 feet) and 4 of their regular 6' cables. All work fine.
 
[quote name='Wlogan31']Still a bit confused on 2 things:

1) Is HDMI or Component better/more preferable
2) Any special cable needed due to TV being 120Hz instead of 60Hz? They tried to tell me Yes at the store but I got a feeling he was BSing[/quote]

The refresh rate has nothing to do with the type of cable you need. Like others have said you should be able to get a cheap HDMI cable at monoprice and be set.
 
If HDMI is the only cable you need at this point, it's cheaper to purchase from Amazon here for $0.77 + $3.50 shipping. But if you need a bunch of supplies and wires, go to MonoPrice.
 
[quote name='Wlogan31']I can afford to wait - any particular cable from Monoprice that I should grab to hook my cable box up to my television?

Sounds like I need an HDMI cable from my cable box to my tv and component cables for my Wii & PS2 to the TV.

Then, when I get a PS3 or 360 I will need another HDMI cable for that to the tv.

Sound about right?[/quote]

Yup sounds right. Now for getting cables at monoprice just look for how much feet you need. Near the top it has the 25 feet and above guys, but either 6 feet will do.
 
[quote name='Plac1d']If HDMI is the only cable you need at this point, it's cheaper to purchase from Amazon here for $0.77 + $3.50 shipping. But if you need a bunch of supplies and wires, go to MonoPrice.[/quote]

Wow - that is a lot less than the $135 they tried to get me for at the store. I guess if all those HDMI cables are basically the same I'll be getting this and first-party component cables for my Wii and PS2!

Thanks!
 
[quote name='Plac1d']If HDMI is the only cable you need at this point, it's cheaper to purchase from Amazon here for $0.77 + $3.50 shipping. But if you need a bunch of supplies and wires, go to MonoPrice.[/quote]

Ok... so I bought this HDMI cable listed in the post I quoted. It came in today and I hooked it up. Problem is, the cable is still JUST as fuzzy as before. I have ordered HD cable and I KNOW it isn't the TV (1080p Samsung 120hz) so what is the deal? Also, for some reason w/ the HDMI in the television shows don't fill the tv screen (even on 16:9 on stations that I know are in HD) - I have to manually force it to fit the screen by hitting "Widen" or whatever and it just stretches/blurs...

What am I doing wrong? I'm an HD noob :bomb:
 
[quote name='Wlogan31']Ok... so I bought this HDMI cable listed in the post I quoted. It came in today and I hooked it up. Problem is, the cable is still JUST as fuzzy as before. I have ordered HD cable and I KNOW it isn't the TV (1080p Samsung 120hz) so what is the deal? Also, for some reason w/ the HDMI in the television shows don't fill the tv screen (even on 16:9 on stations that I know are in HD) - I have to manually force it to fit the screen by hitting "Widen" or whatever and it just stretches/blurs...

What am I doing wrong? I'm an HD noob :bomb:[/quote]

Have you tried the "just scan" picture mode?
 
[quote name='Interstella 5555']
Have you tried the "just scan" picture mode?[/quote]


Yeah - still seems to be giving me the same thing (and UGLY/FUZZY). Did I buy the wrong HDMI cable?
 
I just purchased a 46 inch Samsung A650 LCD tv and I am blown away by it. Blu-rays and games look perfect. I got it at CC for a little over $1600 (had a coupon). I know Amazon sells it around for around $1500, but I got it at CC because they gave me 3 years, no interest on it. That sold it for me.
 
[quote name='addicted2games']I just purchased a 46 inch Samsung A650 LCD tv and I am blown away by it. Blu-rays and games look perfect. I got it at CC for a little over $1600 (had a coupon). I know Amazon sells it around for around $1500, but I got it at CC because they gave me 3 years, no interest on it. That sold it for me.[/quote]

I understand that games and movies look good. They look good on mine too. Have you made your cable look good? That is where I'm totally lost...

Do I need particular settings on my cable box or on my TV? It's just so fuzzy w/ cable (I have HD cable and HDMI)...
 
On my cable, the HD channels are in a different position in the channel guide than the SD (Non-HD). May want to try scrolling through your channel listings to see if your HD channels are up in another realm. Mine are in the 6000's.

I may have missed it, but did you actually upgrade your cable box/reciever? If you are using straight from the wall, you may want to check with your cable operator to make sure that you don't need to have it running through a box for your HD programming. If you are using a box, you may want to check with them to make sure that your box is correct for the HD programming.

Finally, one that trips up some people... Make sure that you are selecting the HDMI input on your TV. If you still have the component/coaxial hooked up, you may be unknowingly tricking yourself out of crispy pictures, by looking through the wrong input...

Either way, good luck with it!
 
[quote name='Darthjer']On my cable, the HD channels are in a different position in the channel guide than the SD (Non-HD). May want to try scrolling through your channel listings to see if your HD channels are up in another realm. Mine are in the 6000's.

I may have missed it, but did you actually upgrade your cable box/reciever? If you are using straight from the wall, you may want to check with your cable operator to make sure that you don't need to have it running through a box for your HD programming. If you are using a box, you may want to check with them to make sure that your box is correct for the HD programming.

Finally, one that trips up some people... Make sure that you are selecting the HDMI input on your TV. If you still have the component/coaxial hooked up, you may be unknowingly tricking yourself out of crispy pictures, by looking through the wrong input...

Either way, good luck with it![/quote]

Maybe my eyes are just WAY too sensitive. Unfortunately I have done ALL of the things you mentioned above (i.e. upgraded to HD box, ordered HD cable, unplugged the coaxical, input the hdmi, switched tv to the hdmi input...)...

I don't get it. Maybe it's the tv settings...

I know the TV has to be good... something else must be the problem.
 
Call your cable company and see if they'll send someone out? I had a similar problem a few years back and Comcast sent a tech guy to my house at no charge. He discovered that I had a faulty cable box and he replaced it with a new one. The picture got 100% better immediately!
 
I will try these things. Don't get me wrong, it still looks GOOD, but when I am watching sports, etc if they show the guy on the free throw line or something his face looks grainy. Assuming that isn't normal... When the camera is zoomed out from the action things look real good...
 
Another thing to keep in mind about broadcast HD is how heavily compressed it is. This may vary from one market to another, but I know that in my neck of the woods the image is noisy and often suffers from macroblocking during fast motion.

Also, make sure your TV's sharpness is set low (20 or less, typically). Having it set high will usually make the picture grainy.
 
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OP, you should notice a huge picture quality difference between HD and non-HD cable TV. It sounds to me like you might be watching the "SD" cable channels.

Standard cable TV is going to be pretty blurry on most any plasma/lcd. High-def cable TV will end up looking fantastic.

Your problem has absolutely nothing to do with the HDMI cable.
 
I think Mtxbass might be right. Can you tell us what channel you are watching? the guide should state that this channel is in HD for instance my ESPN channels are:

4- ESPN
252-ESPN-HD
 
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