Ever wonder why the Picture quality of standard def sucks shit on HDTV? Heres a good read

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=18580


Additionally not all channels are digital(or maybe they are, depending on your provider), so analog channels receive a fair amount of interference. By the end of 2009(or the beginning) by US government law, all channels MUST be digital or High Def. So that should help boost signal(although there will be some occasional artifacting of the image[that’s when little parts of the image stay on the screen longer than intended, and it glitches, and lags a little bit])

And finally, heres a list of terms that those websites use, defined.


HDTV- High def tv

SD- standard definition

SDTV standard def tv


STB- Set top box, your cable box
SD PQ- Standard def Picture quality

PQ- picture quality

Artifacting- pieces of the image remain behind and theres tiny glitches

Analog tv- old standard def tv signal that is pretty crappy

Digital- what will be required by law in 2009 and has great signal with occasional glitches


ALSO- Nobody better turn this into a "OMG *bleep* CABLE, GET DIRECTTV or DISH NETWORK THEY ARE ALL DIGITAL LOL!!11!!" I swear thats so ignorant and annoying. Dish has downfalls as well, and just because its digital doesnt mean it will be better than cable. And certainly might not be as affordable. All depends on where you are, and if you like watching TV in bad weather ;O Also for example where I live my cable gives me a GREAT deal on Tv, phone, and internet. Dish wont match that, so gg to them.

Actually I would attribute about 90% of the crappiness of an SD signal due to it being an interlaced signal (480i). SD channels in progressive scan (480p) look infinitely better than their interlaced brethren.

I've just got a 32" LCD and the SD picture even on a digital signal sucks. Its quite frustrating really as I've gone from a 28" really cheap CRT to a pretty expensive LCD and the picture quality is substantially worse. The cable from the aerial is split though and feeding two TVs so I'm not sure if that's affecting it, not sure if it might be worth getting a signal booster. I've just played around with the picture settings and got it looking a lot better than it was.

Its especially annoying as I haven't got a PS3 yet so I haven't got anything at all that can really show off my TVs capabilities, and I shouldn't really get one till the summer when I've finished uni. I don't want cable or satellite tv either as I just don't want that many channels so I'm not sure how to make the most of my TV at the moment.

I don't know about the UK but most of the free to air channels in the US also broadcast an HD channel. So you don't have to watch the regular local channels in SD here. If you were wise enough to pick up a TV with a built in HD decoder all you need to do is find those secondary channels. That would vastly improve things.

Unfortunately they don't have that here in the UK on the freeview channels. HD tv is only broadcast via cable and satellite but I don't watch enough TV to warrant shelling out for that, and the Sky HD set top box decoder costs like £250+. Bearing in mind I've got my sights set on a surround sound system and a PS3 there is no way I can possibly justify that expense as I already spent nearly £500 on the TV itself (which to my knowledge unfortunately doesn't have a built in HD decoder). From what I've read on the internet the UK is being pretty damned slow at catching on to this HD thing.

Day to day TV doesn't really bother me that much, its mainly for films and gaming that I wanted a nice big HD tv, so really I'm just frustrated because I'm impatient and want a PS3 now. My set up is pretty poor at the moment but once I've got it all connected and set up properly its gonna be killer.

That's kind of lame. Why is it everytime I hear anything about technology or even just luxury consumer products in the UK they all seem to suck. You get everything late it cost more and it isn't as good. That just bites.

The only thing you seem to have going for you is universal health care.

quote Koloth

The only thing you seem to have going for you is universal health care.

quote Koloth

That's kind of lame. Why is it everytime I hear anything about technology or even just luxury consumer products in the UK they all seem to suck. You get everything late it cost more and it isn't as good. That just bites.

The only thing you seem to have going for you is universal health care.