VM TV+ On-Demand TV and Films on a HDTV

frood42 · 08-06-2007, 11:25

This morning we took delivery of a shiny Sony 40" LCD (the 40W 1080). We quickly ripped off the box, swapped out our old CRT TV and hooked it up to the VM TV+ box

We only have it connected through SCART at the moment (HDMI cable on order). Normal channels are fine so are any of the programs we have recorded, but when we watch any of the 'on-demand' programs the display is 'smeared' across the screen at the top; a bit like watching a video recorder that has a problem with its tracking.

Is this a known problem? Has it somthing to do with the TV upscaling? Is it somthing that is fixed by using an HDMI cable?

"Help me Cable Forum Kenobi, you're my only hope"

daveetwo · 08-06-2007, 11:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by frood42

This morning we took delivery of a shiny Sony 40" LCD (the 40W 1080). We quickly ripped off the box, swapped out our old CRT TV and hooked it up to the VM TV+ box

We only have it connected through SCART at the moment (HDMI cable on order). Normal channels are fine so are any of the programs we have recorded, but when we watch any of the 'on-demand' programs the display is 'smeared' across the screen at the top; a bit like watching a video recorder that has a problem with its tracking.
When they set my tv up when they delivered the box the tv was much much better than my settings.
Never experience the problem you mention but worth working through your tv settings to see if there is anything obvious you can try.

Is this a known problem? Has it somthing to do with the TV upscaling? Is it somthing that is fixed by using an HDMI cable?

"Help me Cable Forum Kenobi, you're my only hope"

Have you tried rebooting the box? This seems to cure a multitude of problems.
Pity you didnt get the tv before the box as virgin supplies the hdmi lead free and would have set it all up. Hindsight always 100% of course. lol

frood42 · 08-06-2007, 11:58

Reboot, Doh! Should of thought of that I work in IT.

Unfortunately the reboot hasn't fixed it.

LiamTG · 08-06-2007, 12:24

If you trying to watch a HD on demand programme you will need to be connected via the HDMI Lead.

frood42 · 08-06-2007, 12:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiamTG

If you trying to watch a HD on demand programme you will need to be connected via the HDMI Lead.

I'm not sure that we have, we tried a non-HD Film (the HD ones are listed as 'HD') and still have the problem. We also tried an on-demand show that we had previously been watching on the old CRT TV, if the program was HD wouldn't we have had problems watching it on the old TV?

Thanks for the quick responses so far, its refreshing to be on a forum where people actually offer proper advise

In your experiance if we were to phone Virgin Media support and say that we have just bought a HDTV and that we are technically inept and can't get it to work, would they send out an engineer with an HDMI cable? Surely its in their interest to get us up and running so that they can try to sell us the HD package?

rtj70 · 08-06-2007, 13:10

"Surely its in their interest to get us up and running so that they can try to sell us the HD package?"

There is no cost for HD so I don't think you'll get an engineer out for nothing.

mertle · 08-06-2007, 13:12

Unfortunately with HD LCD well mine is via scart you get a lot of smear and pixelisation. I have a Sharp aquos 15" this looked far crisper although thats probably duo to the size. Since getting my HD although to be fair its only a cheap Goodmans 20" I have had same issues. Seemingly it appeared my HD TV was very poor on the upscaling front. I was told on a technology forum though the issue is actually down what the program was initial made in. Many older shows were done on small budgets and filmed as such. As the problem can go away or crop up on the same channel. Even adverts can be far more crisper than the programmes on show. I am afraid you have to grin and bear it. HDMI will improve things but it cannot turn poor made content into crisp vibrant watchable programs.

frood42 · 08-06-2007, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtj70

There is no cost for HD so I don't think you'll get an engineer out for nothing.

Good point, well presented.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mertle

Unfortunately with HD LCD well mine is via scart you get a lot of smear and pixelisation. I have a Sharp aquos 15" this looked far crisper although thats probably duo to the size. Since getting my HD although to be fair its only a cheap Goodmans 20" I have had same issues. Seemingly it appeared my HD TV was very poor on the upscaling front. I was told on a technology forum though the issue is actually down what the program was initial made in. Many older shows were done on small budgets and filmed as such. As the problem can go away or crop up on the same channel. Even adverts can be far more crisper than the programmes on show. I am afraid you have to grin and bear it. HDMI will improve things but it cannot turn poor made content into crisp vibrant watchable programs.

I very much apreciate the advise Mertle but I'm not sure thats my problem. We've been working our way through the channels and even the 'UK Gold' style channels that are showing re-runs of old 80's shows look fine, but as soon as we try to watch an on-demand show (Life on Mars for example) we get the problem.

Does anyone know if there is a difference in the signal of the TV channels and the on-demand stuff? Could it be my TV trying to resize/upscale the signal and messing it up?

**Stuart C** · 08-06-2007, 13:41

How is your TV connected? Is it through a VCR or DVD recorder?

The symptoms you are describing could be caused by Macrovision copy protection, which the box applies to some of the On-demand stuff (films, mainly).

If you have connected through a vcr or dvdr, then try plugging the stb direct into the TV.

frood42 · 08-06-2007, 13:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart C

How is your TV connected? Is it through a VCR or DVD recorder?

The symptoms you are describing could be caused by Macrovision copy protection, which the box applies to some of the On-demand stuff (films, mainly).

If you have connected through a vcr or dvdr, then try plugging the stb direct into the TV.

Ahhhhhhhhh I think it might go through the rather archaic video recorder we have.

Hang on I'll have a scrabble around in the TV cabinet.

LiamTG · 08-06-2007, 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart C

How is your TV connected? Is it through a VCR or DVD recorder?

The symptoms you are describing could be caused by Macrovision copy protection, which the box applies to some of the On-demand stuff (films, mainly).

If you have connected through a vcr or dvdr, then try plugging the stb direct into the TV.

Now why didn't I think of that! Now shall I put money on the problem being fixed...mmmmm £10 say's it is!

LTG

mertle · 08-06-2007, 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiamTG

Now why didn't I think of that! Now shall I put money on the problem being fixed...mmmmm £10 say's it is!

LTG

I bet it has I remember this was a similar thing when I watched vod come to think. My Philips PVR can cause macrovision protection kick ins.

Sorry I got the wrong end of the issue.

frood42 · 08-06-2007, 18:40

Checked SCART cable, it is coming out of the TV+ box straight into the AV1 port on the Sony.

What I did do was to go into the settings on the TV+ Box and change the output from RGB to Composite. This seems to have fixed the problem with on-demand and films. BUT there is a noticable diference in the picture on the channels, for example, if we watch a picture of someones face (we are watching a quiz show) it looks kind of blury when they move their head but once they stand still it seems to sharpen up, a bit like if I watch a small video file on my PC and set the display to full screen.

Is this normal for HDTV? Is it something that I will get with standard display and would it be improved with the HDMI cable?

LiamTG · 08-06-2007, 21:46

Your nearly sorted then! Basically HDTV's produce a brill picture for HD, PC inputs and upscaled DVD players. Normal SD programmes will look pretty poor with the scart lead used. When you get your HDMI cable you will notice a huge difference but it won't be a lot better then your standard CRT TV. However when you watch the HD stuff it will be brill!

LTG

frood42 · 09-06-2007, 00:10

Took your advise and popped out (just before the local electrical store closed) and picked up an HDMI cable.

What a difference

, although I do see what you mean about SD programs compared to HD broadcasts.

Cheers for steering me through what has seemed to be an unfortunately difficult transition into HDTV. Well worth the effort.

Next I've got to get it on the bloody wall!

Cheers