Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hdtv

Recommend a graphics card for my new TV

muckster — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:59:50 -0800

Do I need a new video card to hook my PC up to my new HDTV? I have a Dell PC with a ATI Radeon HD 2400 graphics card. It has two connections, one DVI and one S-Video.

I used to convert the DVI to RGB and connect that to my Dell monitor at the max resolution of 1680 x 1050. The S-Video was connected to my tube TV, which worked just fine.

The new TV is a Toshiba 40" 1080p, so of course I'd like to feed it something better than S-Video. I tried connecting the RGB, which gives me a max resolution of 1360x768 -- but it leaves me with S-Video for the monitor, which is pretty freakin' ugly.

Here's the question: is there a way I can use a splitter or similar to feed the DVI (or RGB) into both the monitor and the TV at a resolution both will be happy with? Or do I have to get a new HDMI-ready graphics card? If I do, can you recommend one that might last me little while without breaking the bank? Under $100 would be great. I play the occasional game of TF2 but media is going to be the main use. Blu-Ray might be nice one day. I don't need to expand to a second monitor and would be just as happy cloning the same image on both screens. Thanks much.

Who can mount an HDTV in Lake Forest, IL?

um_maverick — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:13:06 -0800

Posted for a friend: What's the best non-Geeksquad option for getting a plasma TV mounted/configured in or around Lake Forest, IL (just north of Chicago)? Friend is looking to acquire a 46" plasma TV, and has best buy gift cards, so that's where she's going for the TV. However, it looks like buying a mount and paying geeksquad to install it is going to run $500, and most of what I've heard of geeksquad service has been.....not awesome. I recommended to her that she use a local person/company that specializes in these things and will likely be cheaper and better, but I'm not from the area so I can't help any more - any recommendations? Thanks!

Compact, HD camcorder with manual control options?

bondcliff — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:11:16 -0800

I’m looking to buy a compact, flash-based, HD-capable camcorder with the ability to shut off automatic controls such as white balance and auto-focus. In addition to the usual stuff one does with a camcorder I’d also like to use it for stop-motion, time-lapse, and some other projects where I’ll need to shut off white balance and possibly auto-focus.

Something like the Flip or the Kodak Zi8 would be ideal but I don’t see that they have the ability to shut off these automatic features. If I have to go for a more traditional shaped camera, that’s fine. I’d like it to be somewhat small and inexpensive. Preferably under $500.00.

It needs to be able to do at least 720p HD widescreen. Good quality, good frame-rate, etc.

I’d prefer flash based but if a hard-drive based camera is my only option I’ll go with it. Tape is right out.

In a pinch, a regular point-and-shoot camera will do as long as the video quality is decent and I can shut the automatic stuff off.

If what I want does not exist, please let me know that too.

White flatscreen TV around 42"?

Riki tiki — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:57:20 -0800

Looking for a good flatscreen TV, 42" or thereabouts... and white. I haven't been able to find anything that size that isn't in industry-standard black. Any suggestions?

Hard drive connection to my HDTV?

zardoz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:30:32 -0800

In the market for an HDTV, but what should I know beforehand to ensure that I can connect it to a separate hard drive and watch videos already stored on the drive? I have quite a few videos backed up on my hard drive (Intel iMac), and I want to find out the most painless way to watch those videos on an HDTV. Most are standard quality, and a few are high-def videos I'd like to play at the native 720 or 1080 on the TV.

The TV and computer are in separate rooms, so my idea is to either use the external hard drive I have now (about 300 gig capacity), and unplug the thing, walk it over to the TV and connect it. Not very elegant, but I wouldn't be doing this much. Also, memory is getting cheaper and cheaper, so I'm fine with buying another separate hard drive for this; in fact, that's probably the best idea.

Past that, I don't know...anything. Are there multiple kinds of cables I could connect the hard drive to the TV? Is just a USB port an option? What kind of connection is necessary there? Is this what HDMI is for? Firewire?

And if/when I get the hard drive connected, what kind of interface would be available to "talk" to the TV? I'm guessing this depends on model and brand. It seems that lots of people use XBox 360s for this, or maybe Apple TV or an Apple Mini....would these be good purchases for this plan?

So what are the key things I need to know to get this to work?

Help me design a new home entertainment system.

ColdChef — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:08:04 -0800

My old tube television has died a terrible sputtering death. Help me get over my sense of loss by assisting me in replacing it with a new HD television and entertainment system. Here are my needs: I'm working with a budget of around $2000. I want a HD LCD television set that's between 46-52 inches. I currently have an old-style Tivo box, a decent DVD collection, a Playstation 2, a Nintendo Wii, a DVD/VCR combo, an iMac, and a Netflix account.

I'm not interested in converting all of my DVDs to BlueRay, so I want a player that has a good conversion system for old DVDs. I'm fighting the urge to get a Playstation 3, because I have a tendency to spend too much time playing games--but I could probably justify it with my wife if it's the best option.

Here's what I'd like to be able to do: have 2 or three game systems hooked up simultaneously, stream Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu from my iMac.

Should I upgrade my Tivo to the Tivo HD/XL? Would that keep me from having to get the PS3?

Also: my home is very Mac friendly, but I've never really looked at the AppleTV. Should I?

So here's what I'm looking at:
HD LCD Television
BlueRay Player
New Tivo?
Whatever will allow me to stream Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu

Thanks in advance.

Bigger without Blurrier

rahnefan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:27 -0800

How can I get a DVD movie to fill (at least one axis of) my screen without compromising the picture quality? Two years ago we were given a Samsung HDTV, something like 32 inches wide. In the settings, we generally have "Size" set to Just Scan. For normal TV or the HD channels, this works fine. For movies however, there's a problem.

Mrs. RahneFan and I are two different kinds of grumps. I won't watch anything visually intense if the picture quality is sabotaged by intentional distortion of the picture. A circle must be a true circle and the human body must have correct proportions. Details meant to impress me are things I don't want to miss. And nothing should be cropped. Conversely, detail, proportion, and seeing something as it was intended to be seen do not matter much to her, but she hates the so-called black bars probably more than your grandmother does.

Movies on cable channels only display undistorted if we change the resolution to 4:3 instead of Just Scan. So we flip back and forth for that, not a problem usually. But...

DVDs, when the TV is set to Just Scan, display in lovely, crisp detail, but do not fill our screen; the black borders she despises appear above, below, and on both sides. I see the movie, not the black, but like her, I would rather it filled our screen on at least one axis or the other. We have GOBS of space on all four sides, so why can't it be bigger?

The player is a Pioneer, don't even remember how old it is.

The only other options that appear available are 16:9 (unacceptable stretching), Zoom 1, and Zoom 2. Zoom 1 and Zoom 2 are both blurry and crop the movie on all four sides. For example, parts of DVD menus don't even appear onscreen at those settings.

Is there some way to maintain the clarity and detail of a DVD and have it large enough to fill our screen on at least one axis, without stretching or cropping the picture? Some way to make it automatically enlarge whatever is playing, regardless of aspect ratio, until it touches either the vertical or horizontal edge of the screen?

I am aware that movies can be shot in a wide variety of aspect ratios, and that DVDs can be edited with hard matting etc. Will it require knowing exactly what every movie's aspect ratio is and whether or not it has been matted and how, and relearning all this crap every time, and making some odd specific combination of settings to get it right? Shouldn't the technology be smart enough to do this on its own by now?

Recommend me an LCD TV!

Alterscape — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:33:56 -0800

I'm thinking about getting a 32"/37" LCD TV. Primary applications are DVDs (and I guess, now, BluRay), NetFlix/Hulu streaming, and an existing PS2. I'm also eyeing the PS3 (or a Wii?) but haven't made a decision yet. We don't have cable/satellite, and don't typically watch over-the-air. What factors should I be considering? I'm looking into a modern TV to replace our ancient 13" CRT. My budget is flexible, but I'd like to keep it around $500. Right now I'm looking at the Vizio line, through Costco. There are a couple of $550-ish sets -- one 37" 1080p, and one 32" 120Hz 1080p. I've checked out the AVSForum reviews for both, and they seem generally positive -- mid-to-low-end sets with features and performance to match, but okay quality.

Questions: Given the applications I've listed, where is my money going to be more useful -- the bigger screen, or the faster refresh rate? Am I missing any other obvious considerations I should be paying attention to? Brands I should be paying more attention to? Other places to get a better deal? I like Costco because of the warranty/return service, but I might be persuaded if I can get significantly higher quality for the price, or lower price for the same quality.

Help me be a better videophile/shopper

blueshammer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:23:08 -0800

Help me be a better videophile: We're shopping for our first HDTV, and (like most folks, I guess) I'm cheap but want to hold a firm line on quality. But I went to Best Buy and looked at their Wall o' TVs -- all playing the same promo reel, each displaying a different shade of green when a perfect green color field appeared -- and realized I need to be able to rely on something other than my eyes. We'll probably be getting a TV in the 40"-46" regime. We'll be getting a Blu-Ray player in short order, and so I want a monitor that will show Blu-Rays as well as possible. But the majority of its use will be cable (standard def as well as HD), standard-def DVDs (through an existing player of indeterminate progressive scan quality for now, eventually upconverted via whatever Blu-Ray player we get), and Wii, and everyday use will occur in a somewhat sun-lit room. My gut tells me 1080p and LCD, but that's one of a number of things I'm happy to have debunked if someone wants to.

Here are examples of the kind of wisdom that I'm looking for, that I've culled from previous AskMe threads:

> Make sure that you're getting an exact resolution (1920x1080 for 1080p, or 1280x720 for 720p).
> For LCD/LED sets, look for sets whose refresh rate is a multiple of 24Hz to get perfect pulldown from film sources (but even then it has to be the right set, cf. http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=5155).

So, when I look at the Black Friday ads on bfads.net, I see that Target has a 40" Apex LCD unit for $450 (1920x1080, 18k:1 contrast ratio, no reference to refresh rates). I'm not crazy about going off-brand ... but then again, I'm not sure why that is. Best Buy has a 40" Samsung LCD unit for $600 (LN40B500, 1920x1800, 40k:1 contrast ratio, 60 Hz), but also a 42" Insignia LCD unit that's 120 Hz for $700, and a Dynex 40" 60Hz unit for $500. Or I can drop $1000 and get a 50" Panasonic Viera plasma and get a Panasonic Blu-Ray player thrown in. &c., &c., &c.

But I've been to the showroom, which I understand are under specific lighting conditions, and: All the blacks (plasma, LCD, LED) looked very black. None seemed to feature a greater level of digital artifacting or pixelation. I intend on going back and trying to employ more control of the process (trying to see how a given set shows a standard-def source, or a black-and-white movie), but at the end of the day I'm not sure I'm going to be able to use by videophile skillz to tell what I need to tell in a showroom scenario.

So: What questions should I ask? What features should I investigate? What rules of thumb should I employ? What should I know about off-brand sets? I realize that any SDTV to HDTV upgrade is going to be so sharp that I'll appreciate whatever I get, but, as was mentioned in a previous post, I want to make sure I'm picking a set to grow into, not out of ... while spending as little as possible.

Help me bring my living room into the future!

COBRA! — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:14:04 -0800

My wife and I are finally getting around to getting an HDTV soon. When we do that, we want to adjust the setup in our living room to reflect the way we consume entertainment these days. Part of this means the VCR gets chucked, of course. But more
importantly, we're trying to figure out the most cost-effective way to
get content from our 2 main online sources, iTunes and NetFlix, onto
the screen. And be able to run DVDs, and have a
basic-cable-for-the-broadcast-channels hookup.

The options, as I see them (and part of the reason I'm asking this
question is that I assume I'm missing something):

- Roku + basic cable. Great, except we can't buy shows from iTunes.

- AppleTV + basic cable. Opposite problem. Can't stream from Netflix.

- Cheap, web-connected computer + basic cable. Seems like a winner,
but involves more of an outlay (this is more or less what we do now,
except that it's my wife's laptop that gets laboriously hooked up
every time we want to watch something). Plus then there's a desktop
box sitting in our living room. And, assuming the setup wound up like
our current laptop hookup, we don't have remote control of the sound.

Is there an angle I'm missing? A way to optimize one of these options? Help!

A real Apple TV.

malaprohibita — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:14:10 -0800

Is it crazy and/or overkill to consider getting a 27 inch imac to replace my tv? I have a 10 year old 27 inch Sony CRT that still works well, but I'm running into its limits for adding peripherals (DVD player, xbox, etc.). I know I can probably get a mac mini or other small form factor pc plus an HDTV for less, but I'm really intrigued by the imac's possibilities. What little tv watching I do is usually Hulu, streaming Netflix, and dvds. I am not interested in Blu-Ray capabilities, as I see the format becoming obsolete sooner rather than later.

Pros:
--2560 x 1440 resolution led lcd.
--can add a tv tuner via usb if I really wanted to.
--a built-in computer and dvd player (convergence!)

Cons:
--may not be able to connect the xbox without some kind of adapter voodoo (although Crossover+Steam is possible).
--there are some issues reported regarding flash playback( = Hulu problems), which may be indicative of other system issues.
--diy repairs and upgrades may be difficult.

I don't really need a bigger display. My wife and I will be sitting > 8ft away, but not by much, and any HD resolution will be better than what I have now.

I'm looking forward to your pros, cons, and even any alternatives you might have.

Need help selecting a HDTV

WizKid — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:19:38 -0800

I'm looking in to buying an HDTV for around $1000 and would like your input. more info inside. I would like to buy an HDTV for around $1000.

- I just need a good quality TV (not super quality). I'm not a avid TV watcher, so I might not be able to notice smaller differences in quality. Basically I'm an average joe who watches few shows on TV and few DVDs a month. So what's important is value for money.

- Prefer LCD over Plasma. (LED would be better but they are too expensive)

- At least 46 inches.

- I have a home brewed media center PC, so I need a way to connect it.

- Currently I have an old 27inch CRT TV with regular analog cable and NOT planning on moving to digital or HD cable.

- Once I drop my analog cable planning on surviving on Hulu, Netflix instant, etc ...

1) Can I use this as a regular monitor when I like to browse web sitting on my couch using a wireless keyboard/mouse? (1920x1080 seems reasonable to use as a regular monitor but just wanted to make sure)

2) Doesn't watch that much sports, so I guess I don't need 5ms. Even 25ms should be enough for me, right?
SonyStyle has a refurbished 52 inch TV ( KDL-52W4100) for $1050 and it seems like a good deal.

3) Is this too good of a deal to pass or will there be better deals on thanksgiving?

4) Any thoughts on this particular TV? how's the quality?

5) It doesn't mention anything about a VGA input for the PC. "PC In (D-Sub) + Audio In (Stereo Mini)" what is this? PC In (D-Sub) and VGA are they the same?

6) Since this is a refurb it only comes with 3 months warranty, but you can buy 2 years extended warranty for $100. Looks like it's worth it. Does any one know how easy sony's claim process is or do they just try to weasel out like everyone else?

7) warranty claims - Do they send someone over to your house or do they have local agents that you can take it to? shipping a 80lbs product to some remote facility would probably cost insane amount of money.

8) or am I better off with the warranty that come with American Express CC? does it cover refurb products? I know i can call them and ask but would like ur opinion/experience too :-)

9) Any other TVs or merchants that I should look at? Amazon and Crutchfield seems like trustworthy merchants but their products are expensive.

Thanks :-)

Seeking the ultimate media center PC.

reductiondesign — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:27:07 -0800

Looking to build/buy a (maybe) Linux-based media center. Requirements: HDMI, YPbPr, and (bonus) standard RCA output (not all at once), region-free DVD/Blu-ray playing (physical drive[s?]), some sort of remote control, automatic boot into media center interface, small size (not a tower), and (of course) lots and lots of codecs: Blu-ray rips, H.264 .avi, VIDEO_TS folders, the works. Need to know: cost, upkeep, storage options. Short version: What's my best standalone media center PC option?

---

Long version: I'm thinking I'd run XBMC on this beauty, but I'm open to other suggestions. A main selling point for me would be how nice the UI looks (MediaStream looks gorgeous, but can I choose the posters/fan art that it displays?), but I'd also like minimal lag when going in and out of menus. Not sure if XBMC runs best on Windows or Linux, but I'm more keen on Linux since it's, well, free.

The computer I use for this should ideally be small—I have very little knowledge of the current desktop PC scene since I've only owned a laptop for years and years. What's out there, case/size-wise, nowadays? What sort of processing power would I need to play HD video? Blu-ray?

Storage is also a concern of mine. I currently have a little under 1 TB of TV shows and movies in .avi and .mp4 format, along with ~500 DVDs that I'd like to get copied onto a HDD of some sort. Should I go for internal drives or external drives? How often should I replace the drives in order to avoid failure?

If I could have this on my wireless network, that would be nice as well. Live TV would be nice, of course, but I'd be using it with rabbit ears of some sort if this were the case. Could I record live TV with this? Bonus: Could I integrate the rabbit ears into the case itself, or is this impractical?

This would need to have a remote control; what are my options there?

Thanks so much, and sorry for the length.

Ready for CableCards?

medarby — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:14:47 -0800

What is the current state of CableCards? Is it worth adding to my HTPC? I came across this article on Gizmodo regarding CableCards. I've only done cursory reading on the tech as it always seemed to be not well supported (or promoted) or mature enough yet. Is this still the case, or is it time to start looking into it? Anyone have any experience with CableCards or a primer for us newbs that they'd like to share?

I can't even watch keyboard cat...

qxntpqbbbqxl — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:39:25 -0800

Laptop to HDTV with a VGA-to-SVideo adapter: Why doesn't it work? I want to connect my Linux Eee PC to a 720p HDTV. To do this, I'm trying to use a cheap VGA to S-Video adapter, but the TV receives no signal and I've tried all the VGA out resolutions with xrandr. Unfortunately, I didn't notice this stipulation on the Newegg product page:

This adapter works with graphics cards that have TV-Out function capability through the VGA connector.

I've never heard of TV-Out through VGA. How can I tell if my Intel 945GME chipset supports it? How would I tell xrandr to use it? I would really like to not have to buy an expensive converter box.

PleaseDon'tJudgeMeFilter.

halogen — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:30:29 -0800

I have a bunch of HDTV shows recorded on a HD DVR. How can I make a video compilation without knowing anything about video editing? Complication: Linux household. I suppose that step one will involve buying a HD TV tuner for my computer, won't it (our Motorola DVR has all the standard outputs and for some reason, two USB connectors – not sure what for)? Can you recommend a product that will work with my Ubuntu desktop?

Once the tuner has been purchased, what do I need to know about transferring the video from the DVR to my computer? Also, what Linux software would you recommend for video editing?

Should I expect to have to deal with DRM at any point in the process?

The show happens to be Toddlers & Tiaras (Wednesdays are girls' nights) and boyfriend, for some reason, gets a kick out of the ridiculous head-nodding/pouty lips poses that I've been showing off lately. I want to make an collection of the most ridiculous scenes along those lines.

Budget home theater

bove — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:07:16 -0800

Help me design a budget HD home theater. I am planning on upgrading to HD. I have a small room and a few constraints. The size of the room dictates a 42" TV. I have about $2000 to spend on everything (this is slightly flexible). I currently have a Tivo (Series 2) and love it. I have Cox cable and will probably switch to their digital/HD service. Help me figure out where to best spend my money. Possible components:

HDTV (no preference for plasma or LCD currently)
HD DVR. Preference is Tivo (or is it worth living with the Cox box?) I am under the impression that with HD Tivo is the only option, I can't build a media center PC
Blu-ray player. I have Netflix and could switch to their Blu-ray plan. Although I am also considering relying primarily on services like Amazon on Demand, Cinemanow, etc.
Speakers/Sound. Major constraint here is I cannot have a full surround sound system. I can't run wires and I can't mount rear speakers. I am thinking about a "virtual" surround sound system.
Universal Remote

Any components I have forgotten? Anything I should do without? Can I build a good setup and stay close to my budget?

HD TV needs an antenna

radiosilents — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:11:58 -0800

We have an HD TV, but no cable subscription. antenna advice, please! Degree of difficuly : we live in an apartment, and do not have roof access.

I've seen discussions pro and con about the viability of indoor antennas, but wanted to ask the hivemind their thoughts. used one? had any luck? which one would you recommend? are there particular features to look out for? etc.

The TV itself (no external antenna attached) doesn't find any broadcast channels when we ask it to search for signals.

Run wacky cable or buy a whole new gaming pc?

mindsound — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:37:25 -0800

Is it better to (a) run audio, video, keyboard, and mouse to the TV at the other end of the house or (b) just get a second PC? Help me sort out the cost/benefit. We're going to move into a new house soon and I would like to nail our A/V planning down. I have a PC that will be in a room at the opposite end of the house from the family room where the TV and stereo are. I play console games on the TV and I would like to play PC games both on the TV and on the PC. Is there even a good way to run cable for this? What would you do? Details:

Win XP and the games are on a separate drive (dual boot), so I could just get another nice gaming barebones and put that drive in it. So that's the cost limit. I'd rather not spend that much if feasible.

I do not want fan noise by the TV.

The TV is a 720p LCD with VGA/HDMI/composite and any solution needs to drive it at native res.

The house is a 60's rancher with all original plaster walls and a very accessible attic & basement running the length of the house.

Currently our entire IP network is wireless. Not sure how that's going to fly in the new place. A wireless solution would be awesome but I haven't found a sweet one on the googles...

What kind of TV should I buy?

grouse — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:50:03 -0800

Help me buy an HDTV. I am looking to purchase a TV for my living room. I have about 5 ft of horizontal space for the TV (plus anything that goes alongside like speakers I may want to buy in the future) and will be viewing from 9 ft–10 ft away. I plan to use this TV almost exclusively to watch recorded media. This will be DVDs at first, maybe a Roxio or a Blu-Ray player someday, but there's no hurry.

Based on this I figured a 42" 720p TV would be my best bet.

The question is now what? I tried to look up some reviews on Consumer Reports and CNet, but the models turn over in this market so quickly that they all seem outdated, even the reviews from four months ago. When I try to search for the previously recommended models they seem to be out of stock. I'm not sure how much sense it makes to pick the new TV based on previously well-performing brands.

Once I pick the TV, then there's the question of how I get it to my second floor apartment with no elevator. I live in Seattle. I don't have a car but I could always rent one or a pickup truck through Zipcar if necessary, but of course this adds to the cost. Front door shipping will be inconvenient, since I don't think I can lift any of these things on my own and will have to convince a friend to help at the random time when the package arrives.

I started looking just based on cost using deal web sites and Google Product search and found a couple of options. First is this Panasonic Viera X1 TC-P42X1 for $510 including standard shipping from the dodgy-seeming BuyinShopping (Googling the merchant yields a stream of caveat emptor "it's too good to be true" warnings on other fora). The other cheap option is this LG 42PQ30 at BuyDig for $738 including $50 for "white glove" shipping (a big plus for me). I would probably buy this but I thought it was worth asking for other suggestions given that this is my first TV purchase.

All thoughts welcome.

Bait and switch, or something less sinister?

man down under — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:22:22 -0800

Is this a scam? I'm looking at buying a LCD HDTV and found this offer online: Samsung LA40B750 40 in. LCD TV for AUD$ 1,450.00 from www.marthaelectronics.com How can I determine this is a legitimate firm? Google searches offer no consumer reports or angry bloggers, but it seems too good to be true...

How long will you wait before buying a blu-ray player?

mtphoto — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:36:09 -0800

How long are you waiting to get an HDTV and Blu-ray player? If you're waiting to buy an HDTV and blu-ray player, how long are you waiting for? Are you waiting for the prices to drop below a certain point? Or for a favorite movie to be available on blu-ray?

hdtv picture dim

nadawi — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:37:56 -0800

we have a Samsung HD LCD TV (series 550, if it matters) - last night the picture dimmed. we switched it between the ps2, tv, and the computer - dim on all inputs. it was late, we went to bed. this morning, half the screen is dim and the other half seems bright enough. contrast/backlight settings don't fix it. energy settings are set to off. help?

HDTVs which detect letterboxed standard-definition broadcasts?

DevilsAdvocate — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:58:13 -0800

Does this feature exist in current HDTV models: automatically detect letterboxed shows broadcast in standard definition and expand them to fill the whole screen? At a hotel I was staying at last week, the room had a HDTV, but the hotel's cable did not get any HD broadcasts. Whenever I first turned the TV on, it was set to 16:9, but I found the horizontally-stretched image annoying. Fortunately there was a "ratio" button on the remote, where I could change it to either 4:3, or "set by program" (which I assume would display it in the ratio appropriate to the broadcast). This had to be changed each time I turned the TV on, but I assume that can be set to the default on HDTVs. (Some of the menu settings on the TV were greyed out, which I assume was a deliberate crippling of the hotel TV so guests couldn't muck about with it.)

Some of the broadcast shows, however, were letterboxed. Thus, when displayed at 4:3, they had a black border all around: on the left and right because it's displaying a 4:3 ratio on an HD screen, and on the top and bottom from the broadcast itself. I could set the ratio to "zoom" which made the letterboxed SD broadcast fill the whole screen (horizontal and vertical both stretched equally, so the aspect ratio was preserved), but that had to be done manually.

I've been thinking about buying an HDTV for some time, but I would like the set to automatically detect letterboxed SD broadcasts and automatically apply a zoom to those. (Also, I noticed the network "bug" usually extended outside the letterboxed areas in such broadcasts, so ideally the TV would still zoom even with such a bug.) Does that feature exist in current HDTV models? If so, what's it called, i.e., what do I look for on the "features" listing of TVs? "Auto zoom" would seem to be a logical name for such a feature, and some HDTVs list this, but I'm not entirely clear whether the "auto zoom" listed is actually what I want.

(This thread from High Def Forum is asking about the same thing, but it's from 2006.)

Why does my satellite remote control now longer work with my new HDTV?

SweetJesus — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:15:16 -0800

I recently purchased a new HDTV and all of a sudden I'm having a lot of problems with my satellite remote no longer working. So I purchased a new Toshiba HDTV last week (46XV545U) and it finally arrived yesterday. After setting the TV up I noticed that my Dish Network cable box (VIP211) would just no longer receive/accept IR signals from the remote if it was more than three inches from the front of the cable box. I've never had this problem before, and I've had the cable box for around 3 years.

I also happen to have an HTPC connected to the TV with a Microsoft wireless IR keyboard, and that comes with a little IR USB receiver. I know that whenever an IR signal is emitted a little light on the front of the unit will light up. I've now noticed that whenever I turn the TV on the light on the IR receiver is constantly on, meaning that something is sending IR signals its way. As soon as I shut the TV off, the light turns off on the IR receiver. Does anyone have any idea what would cause the TV to emit IR signals constantly when turned on? I haven't yet contacted Toshiba or Dish Network because I'm trying to fix it myself without decending into help-desk hell.