Digital HDD Recorder Question

[taxboy]

We've got a Panasonic TX-32LXD85 LCD TV which uses a terrestrial signal and I'm very pleased with the picture quality.

As our old VCR no longer worked with it I've splashed out on a Panasonic DMREX769 HDD recorder. The question is that the TV viewed via the HDD gives a worse quality picture than through the TV alone if this makes sense. Is this normal or have I connected it up incorrectly somewhere

Sorry if this is a stupid question but I'm a total noob as far as digital TV is concerned

[The Fly Fisher]

Do you have good quality cabling i.e. scart, etc? If not, that impacts picture quality a lot but I'd be surprised if that solely causes a poorer picture than your old analogue ariel.

I bought a PVR from Humax a while back with twin digital tuners and the quality was phenomenal, even better when I upgraded the cabling.

I'm no expert on this either but if you don't get a resolution here try avforums.com.

[OldSkoolRS]

Check the video output settings of the DVD recorder and see if they are set to 'RGB' or just 'Video/composite'. If the later then this is lowest quality connection and with tend to give a blury washed out image compared to using the better RGB setting. Also, some TVs allow you to use different settings per input so you should be able to adjust the brightness, contrast, etc for the DVD recorder input without upsetting the TV's internal tuner picture settings.

[headcase]

Could it be that with you TV you were watching the Analogue signal and now with your HDD you are watching from its Freeview tuner and noticing the difference? Its still a very common complaint that the freeview pic is blocky and not as good as the analogue pic.

[taxboy]

OldSkoolRS said:

Check the video output settings of the DVD recorder and see if they are set to 'RGB' or just 'Video/composite'. If the later then this is lowest quality connection and with tend to give a blury washed out image compared to using the better RGB setting. Also, some TVs allow you to use different settings per input so you should be able to adjust the brightness, contrast, etc for the DVD recorder input without upsetting the TV's internal tuner picture settings.

I'd like to say thanks for your help - I've changed the AV 1 output to RGB1 without component and the picture quality has improved.

Is it now worth buying an HDMI cable to improve DVD playback further bearing in mind the TV is not a full 1080 HDTV ?

[headcase]

People will shoot me down for saying so but my opinion is that on the stuff that isnt blueray then a scart set up correctly will give you a better pic than HDMI can. Better still if you have component (YPbPr) then that is better still.

[PJ S]

Depends on the TV - some seem to have a very good Component input (analog) but with that you need to run separate audio connection to the TV.
With HDMI, "borrow" one from Argos or the like, and see for yourself if it looks any better - should do if you set the output to 576p, letting the DVDR deinterlace the signal.

[OldSkoolRS]

Glad it got you sorted with a better picture; it should be highlighted in the manuals so that people get the best out of their equipment, but many don't realise what RGB/S-video/composite/component means.

If it's like my later model you can't have component or HDMI with RGB scart. I left the scart connected on mine (at the lower quality setting) just for ease of use for the OH and kids (they don't care about the best PQ ) and I really notice the difference if the scart 'takes over' the TV from HDMI which can happen in certain circumstances.

I'd try the other two options (you can use ordinary phono cables for the green/blue/red component connection, just make sure they go to the same colours at the TV and DVD player ends otherwise you'll get some weird colours/effects) or get/borrow a HDMI cable.

[headcase]

sry to sound harsh but there is no point in HDMI if your source cant use its advantages... and for now the only advantage is 1080p wich for now is only blueray. HDMI just has too many disadvantages to make it worthwile, it switches too slow assuming it switches at all, colour reproduction is poor (pre v1.3 and only blueray is taking advantage of v1.3)no one ever sets the res correctly, it has incompatibility issues between brands who both blame each other for interprating the HDMI spec differently, in fact the only advantage i can see is that the lead dosent fall out as much as scarts do :P