HDTV's....why are they so bad looking?

AiCPearlJamWeenAiCPearlJamWeen Posts: 785
edited December 2007 in All Encompassing Trip
Ok so I have this question. My two sisters and my buddy just got HDTV's within the past year and I have noticed on all of them they have really jagged picture. My one sister's finance said he had to get the TV calibrated for $165 professionally or he is going to try it himself. So my question is, why does all the HDTV's have jagged edges in the picture (it would be called Anti-aliasing in PC gaming) and while playing a PS3 for instance?

It's really annoying. For example, I was psyched to play my buddies PS3 on his new 52 inch HD Plasma but then when I sat down and played it the games didn't really look impressive at all. I was really disappointed. And did I mention that god damn those HDTV's have a lot of extra hook up options in the back. It was impossible for us last night to hook up a surround sound (probably because we were stoned while doing it, but still it should be pretty simple).

After seeing 3 different HDTVs (Panasonic, Magnavox and a Sony) and what they look like I really don't think I want one now.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • do you have HDMI cables for the ps3/cable box?

    if you dont then you're not gonna get a hi def picture.
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  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    They're actually better looking if hooked up properly. Maybe its time for an eye exam?
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    I only think the regular channels look bad
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  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,290
    A HDMI cable is a must. Without it, forget about the HDTV.

    Hahaha, not to say this is the case....but I know a guy who bought a 50" HDTV and had it for about 3 months.
    I talked to him and he was all "HD is a waste of time and money". I'm like "Are you kidding me?!?!?" He came over and saw mine and his jaw hit the floor. He got mad and felt like he got ripped off. Turns out that he had a HD-cable box but didn't know what the HD channels were (where we are they are in the 700's)...just assuming all would be HD. AND he didn't have a HDMI cable.
    I fixed him right up and now he has a PS3 with about 30 Blu-ray movies and loves every minute of his TV.
  • I know what you're talking about, with the jagged pictures. It's only on non-HD stuff. But it really annoys me. If I shrink the picture (hitting guide puts the channel in the top right corner), the picture looks perfect, but once it's full screen again it's all jagged.

    Anyone know of a fix for that? Again, it's just the regular channels, maybe they're just too big, Idk.

    But yes, the HD and HD up-conversion DVDs look awesome. Do do my 360 and Wii.
    Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North."
  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,290
    I know what you're talking about, with the jagged pictures. It's only on non-HD stuff. But it really annoys me. If I shrink the picture (hitting guide puts the channel in the top right corner), the picture looks perfect, but once it's full screen again it's all jagged.

    Anyone know of a fix for that? Again, it's just the regular channels, maybe they're just too big, Idk.

    But yes, the HD and HD up-conversion DVDs look awesome. Do do my 360 and Wii.

    If you put your regular TV channels in 4:3 mode they will generally look a little better. You can do that on your video settings on your TV. Stretching non-HD 4:3 into 16:9 will make it look crappy.
  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    mca47 wrote:
    A HDMI cable is a must. Without it, forget about the HDTV.

    Hahaha, not to say this is the case....but I know a guy who bought a 50" HDTV and had it for about 3 months.
    I talked to him and he was all "HD is a waste of time and money". I'm like "Are you kidding me?!?!?" He came over and saw mine and his jaw hit the floor. He got mad and felt like he got ripped off. Turns out that he had a HD-cable box but didn't know what the HD channels were (where we are they are in the 700's)...just assuming all would be HD. AND he didn't have a HDMI cable.
    I fixed him right up and now he has a PS3 with about 30 Blu-ray movies and loves every minute of his TV.
    Component cables support HD. They just don't support 1080p. We had my cousins 360 hooked up with component cables running at 720p and it looked amazing! Since broadcasted HD signals only come in 720p and 1080i they will work just fine with component cables. If you want to get 1080p out of your blu-ray player or HD-player you're going to have to have HDMI.
  • mca47 wrote:
    If you put your regular TV channels in 4:3 mode they will generally look a little better. You can do that on your video settings on your TV. Stretching non-HD 4:3 into 16:9 will make it look crappy.

    I don't stretch them. They are in 4:3. I was just wondering if I could clear them up some how. It's like they were meant to be on a 30" TV but they got stretched out on a 47" TV so they're jagged.
    Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North."
  • stylo17stylo17 Posts: 1,001
    I don't stretch them. They are in 4:3. I was just wondering if I could clear them up some how. It's like they were meant to be on a 30" TV but they got stretched out on a 47" TV so they're jagged.

    i don't think you can do anything. it happens to everyone because the signal of a "regular" (non-HD) channel isn't in a very high-resolution. So what happens is that your 47" TV is literally STRETCHES a tiny image to cover your whole screen. that's why HD is soooo beautiful. you get the BIG picture, but in the same clarity of a 24" screen
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  • stylo17 wrote:
    i don't think you can do anything. it happens to everyone because the signal of a "regular" (non-HD) channel isn't in a very high-resolution. So what happens is that your 47" TV is literally STRETCHES a tiny image to cover your whole screen. that's why HD is soooo beautiful. you get the BIG picture, but in the same clarity of a 24" screen

    I figured that much. After a while it's hardly noticeable.
    Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North."
  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,290
    Component cables support HD. They just don't support 1080p. We had my cousins 360 hooked up with component cables running at 720p and it looked amazing! Since broadcasted HD signals only come in 720p and 1080i they will work just fine with component cables. If you want to get 1080p out of your blu-ray player or HD-player you're going to have to have HDMI.

    Right. Given the option of component vs. HDMI at nearly the same price one would be silly not to choose the better option.
  • They're actually better looking if hooked up properly. Maybe its time for an eye exam?



    hehehe....
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