TiVo TiVo Picture Quality - Page 15

muppetman11 · 08-05-2011, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by scgf

SD on Sky is terrible - VM is better, even TiVo! VM swings it by doing better upscaling on their V+ than Sky does with its HD boxes.

As regards the TV, people like myself have several HD sources connected to one hdmi input on the TV. I have tweaked and configured my plasma panel to eliminate digital trickery and all the other sources look great with SD (Blu-Ray, WM V+, Apple TV, French TNT-SAT, Freeview). TiVo looks poor. Hence there is a problem if a TV has to be tweaked specifically for one device and digital processing introduced (because that's the only way you can go if you have it all switched off for other devices).

---------- Post added at 19:33 ---------- Previous post was at 19:30 ----------

I can understand this, but I like programmes on channels like BBC 3 and 4, or BBC 2, or Yesterday, or Dave. I'd be cutting off my nose to spite my face if I only watched HD. Maybe when the whole lot is HD I might move to Sky HD if the price is right and they remove the silly HD tax.

I don't think with Sky and VM its so much just scaling as I find BBC channels and others acceptable in SD although I don't really watch them much , but the bit rates on some channels are awful and the best scaling in the world will struggle.

devilincarnate · 08-05-2011, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBoz

Just watching BGT on catchup (itv player)... OMG is this normal quality from on demand (not HD)? Really pixelated with fast movement, soft and fuzzy quality. Certainly worse than the live image. Is this normal?

Not too sure of the ITV NET PLAYER, But if it is you would have been better watching it live

Terry · 08-05-2011, 22:32

Just got my Tivo on Friday and it is awful. On a HD channel like the one the engineer set it up in everything looks a bit green and pixelation not quite as obvious at first so I thought it was maybe just TV settings. Later on settled down to enjoy an evenings viewing and was horrified to see the PQ on standard channels. Worse than we got on pirate videos way back in the eighties. Having had the excellent V+ box I am used to good PQ and feel quite cheated with this bundle of junk. Lots of bells and whistles that work but primary function is a big fail. Currently I am using it by connecting via scart to my upscaling DVD recorder to HDMI 2. Far superior picture to straight HDMI. Will be phoning then tomorrow to come take it away and bring back the old Pace box I returned. Even it had far superior picture quality

jb66 · 08-05-2011, 22:37

You wont get a pace box, probably a silver samsung or a vhd without the HD activated

HandsOfBlue · 08-05-2011, 22:51

It sounds like there is a lot of variation in the quality of the TiVo boxes. Ours looks great on HD and is perfectly acceptable in SD. Some SD channels are softer than others, but none of it is unwatchable. Even Eurosport's World Superbikes, that another poster was complaining about being too blurry, was ok.

I'd certainly suggest that instead of rejecting the platform, people try to get another box and see if that fixes their problem.

drouthy · 08-05-2011, 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by scgf

It is so nice not to be the lone voice condemning TiVo SD picture quality. It really made me rethink the whole VM package.

I am now enjoying Freeview HD and loving it. SD and HD picture quality both better than TiVo and no monthly charge! If you are finding you are mostly watching channels which are on Freeview think on! I bought a 3View box which can access iPlayer and is having features added all the time. It has 2 tuners built in and does series links very well.

I exercised my right to return the Tivo after 7 days. The SD picture quality was dreadful and the HD was not as good as on the SA box I'd had for 4 and a half years. No amount of fiddling with either the TV settings or the Tivo settings made much difference. I requested a return to V+ and a Samsung was installed. The difference was immediately noticable, particularly on SD but ALSO on HD!

A lot of people appear to have no complaints and some are saying that Tivo picture quality is better than the SA and the Samsung boxes. However, as I discovered, there are more than a few who are having problems with Tivo's picture quality.

Something that surprised me though, was that when I said I wanted to return the Tivo due to poor picture quality no one asked for further information or clarification. No call from customer services, or an offer to send a tech...

OLDGOLD · 08-05-2011, 23:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBoz

Just watching BGT on catchup (itv player)... OMG is this normal quality from on demand (not HD)? Really pixelated with fast movement, soft and fuzzy quality. Certainly worse than the live image. Is this normal?

I got this quite a bit with SD On Demand on the SA V+ and not just with ITV Player. So not sure that it is just a TiVo problem.

DaBoz · 08-05-2011, 23:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

Not too sure of the ITV NET PLAYER, But if it is you would have been better watching it live

It would be better not watching it at all, what a load of crap that program is. I just set it up for the relatives and went out!

---------- Post added at 23:52 ---------- Previous post was at 23:49 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by HandsOfBlue

It sounds like there is a lot of variation in the quality of the TiVo boxes. Ours looks great on HD and is perfectly acceptable in SD. Some SD channels are softer than others, but none of it is unwatchable. Even Eurosport's World Superbikes, that another poster was complaining about being too blurry, was ok.

I'd certainly suggest that instead of rejecting the platform, people try to get another box and see if that fixes their problem.

Good point, wonder if VM would give that a go for free.

Two by two eh? Ah, the good ol days of tv.

Digital Fanatic · 09-05-2011, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry

Just got my Tivo on Friday and it is awful. On a HD channel like the one the engineer set it up in everything looks a bit green and pixelation not quite as obvious at first so I thought it was maybe just TV settings. Later on settled down to enjoy an evenings viewing and was horrified to see the PQ on standard channels. Worse than we got on pirate videos way back in the eighties. Having had the excellent V+ box I am used to good PQ and feel quite cheated with this bundle of junk. Lots of bells and whistles that work but primary function is a big fail. Currently I am using it by connecting via scart to my upscaling DVD recorder to HDMI 2. Far superior picture to straight HDMI. Will be phoning then tomorrow to come take it away and bring back the old Pace box I returned. Even it had far superior picture quality

Sounds like a faulty box/install or set-up. Call faults and get a swap out if it's the box.

clayts · 09-05-2011, 12:18

My engineer actually tweaked the signal levels before installing the box as he said it needed to be nudged down a bit as Tivo's are more sensitive than V+ (his words not mine) , and the picture from day one in both SD and HD has been perfect - no worse and HD is possibly is slightly better than the old SA V+. I wonder whether picture quality is linked to signal strength ?

I use a Samsung 32 inch 450 TV and didn't need to tweak anything at all - settings at auto (and the Tivo advises me 720p is the best signal for my TV).

ITVPlayer and BBC iPlayer both look fine and dandy here.

DaBoz · 09-05-2011, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDGOLD

I got this quite a bit with SD On Demand on the SA V+ and not just with ITV Player. So not sure that it is just a TiVo problem.

I don't recall watching anything this bad. Maybe it was a one off, I'll try some other samples before Friday (which is Judgment Day for TiVo in my house).

cupcakes aka dd · 09-05-2011, 14:26

I've been watching BBC News 601 on the V+ moved upstairs and that looks awful at the moment.

mot12 · 09-05-2011, 16:57

A heads up , for anyone who has a samsung c650 and possibly other sammy tv's with the tivo. The new firmware for the sammy 3008.3 seems to make the change from 720 stuff to 1080i faster and smoother than before. If you have your tivo output set for 720 for sd and 1080i for hd.

HandsOfBlue · 09-05-2011, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by mot12

A heads up , for anyone who has a samsung c650 and possibly other sammy tv's with the tivo. The new firmware for the sammy 3008.3 seems to make the change from 720 stuff to 1080i faster and smoother than before. If you have your tivo output set for 720 for sd and 1080i for hd.

Where are you seeing 3008? On their UK support site I only see 3000 and 3001.

mot12 · 09-05-2011, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by HandsOfBlue

Where are you seeing 3008? On their UK support site I only see 3000 and 3001.

Just put samsung into google , go to samsung UK site. Then go to all lcd televisions , then click on your model i.e 46c650 then click on support for that tv then on firmware , an you will see 3008. PHEWW