LCD TV's & FTA

[BKP]

Anyone using a LCD TV with their FTA set up..

Question.. What is the picture quality like.. And what make / model TV..


Thanks, Brent

 

[SatinKzo]

I am using a 42inch westinghouse LCD with a Conaxsat Trio receiver. Using the component output on the receiver and the PQ is second only to HD. Honestly, PQ for FTA in my experience rivals that of any subscription service on most channels.

 

[grampaD]

When I bought my first FTA receiver (Traxis DBS 3500) system I needed a small TV to use at the dish so I found a 15" Magnavox model 15MF400T/37 LCD TV at Walmart for $229.00. I soon found out that sunlight on an LCD screen is not good, but with some improvising it worked ok. There is no S video on the Traxis but even with coax connection the picture was, what I thought, very good. I picked up a Coolsat 5000 several months ago and when I hooked it up using the S video connection I was very suprised at the picture quality on the little Magnavox,so much so that it now is in the bedroom with the Coolsat hooked up to my BUD. Will I buy a large LCD set? That depends on how long my Sony CRT 27" set lasts. If nothing better comes along when it is time to buy, the answer is yes, as the prices are coming down gradually and I now consider them affordable.

 

[Anole]

LCD on FTA

Anyone using a LCD TV with their FTA set up..
Question.. What is the picture quality like.. And what make / model TV..

I got a Syntax 542 42" LCD TV at Xmas.
With its hi def tuner, many of the 45 local digital channels are sparkling, even in 480 .
(but not all - some look like the same feeds we get off FTA)

I'd had the Satpros 500 FTA box hooked to the Syntax 42" via composite for a few months.
The picture seemed pretty good, depending on the particular channels.

I just got a Mercury II over the weekend, and even though it has component and Svideo outputs, I used the same old composite cable to hook it to my TV.
Last night, I got sidetracked and actually -watched- some NASA TV.
I thought the picture was outstanding.
This was from 8..10 feet away.
I think I could just make out a little artifact based on long GOP runs, but it was so minuscule , most people wouldn't ever see it.
And that would not be related to the TV - it's an encoding artifact.

Of course, watching Whitesprings @ 129ºW, is just downright painful!
I have yet to pipe that into my 27" RCA tube and see how it looks.
Probably a lot better.


Just a comment on watching FTA on a 15" or 19" LCD...
Everything looks sharp on a little set like that.
So, I don't think it's quite the same test.

 

[bidaw]

I'm using a 37 inch LCD for my main computer monitor...so via my dvb, I am getting great HD resolutions. The SD stuff really doesn't compare after seeing HD on it.

 

[voomvoom]

I'm able to switch around on my JVC HD-ILA 61" LCD. I can go between my Pansat 3500s, my Coolsat 5000, or my Qualitv. The picture is excellent for the most part, especially when watching some ku or C-band HD on the Qualitv. The only channel that is consistently grainy, is KUEN, sometimes it's better than other times, but it always has some degree of misused (overcompressed) bandspace. It's still more watchable than D* (which I cancelled) SD, or E* (still have for more HD) SD. Until you've seen master HD feeds from the Networks, you probably won't realize what you're missing. The second best picture (from the master feeds) is OTA HD. Bottom line, the picture quality is more than enough for most people. However, some people will never be satisfied.

Al

 

[BKP]

Thanks guys...

I just wanted to double check before buying a LCD TV, if I ever get my FTA hooked up...

Why is Whitesprings so bad.. I thought they had a better signal now..

 

[voomvoom]

I actually get a decent signal for White Springs, of course it could be improved on? I think the biggest problem with White Springs is the Movies they show are really old and the quality from there supplier is lacking. Unlike the movies you see on TCM or AMC, where those movies have been digitally restored, the movies on White Springs have not been digitally restored. I think? Or try too? Sometimes?

Al

 

[Sadoun]

The picture on an LCD TV is very good. We have it in our showroom with a Mercury II connected to it using COMPENENT video cables. The menus are very sharp and the picture quality is outstanding. It will also depend on the channel you are watching and the bitrate the uplinker allocating for it.

 

[updatelee]

Ive got my dm7000 on a 50" plasma, fortec mercury on a 17" lcd, dm500 on a 19" lcd.

depending on the channel they look either good, great, or simply amazing.

for most channels, 90%, it seems my screens are better quality then the video being sent from the satellite, but once in awhile I find some amazing feeds that are truely wild they are so good.

 

[kstuart]

I have my Mercury II hooked up to the same Olevia 542i model that Anole owns, using component cables and the picture is as good as the channels are uplinking. BVN is especially good, and RTPi is quite good as well. FTV is not bad, but since I have HD now, I tend to watch UltraHD which has similar programming in HD (although nothing as naughty as "Midnight Hot").

I now know that all the HD sets I have seen at Sports Bars and TV dealers have been misadjusted, because I am finding HD to be more worthwhile than I had originally expected. There is still not much HD programming out there, and anything good tends to be on HBO-HD, Discovery HD Theater, HD-Net and HD-Net Movies, although there are a lot of beautiful looking documentaries on the various Voom HD channels (that are still only on Dish Network). I'm amazed at how little HD programming is on many of the "HD" channels - a good example is "A&E HD" - I tuned in for "24" only to see a 4x3 SD version of the show - which is 16x9 on DVD for all seasons starting with the first, so wtf ?

 

[BKP]

I actually get a decent signal for White Springs, of course it could be improved on? I think the biggest problem with White Springs is the Movies they show are really old and the quality from there supplier is lacking. Unlike the movies you see on TCM or AMC, where those movies have been digitally restored, the movies on White Springs have not been digitally restored. I think? Or try too? Sometimes?

Al

Okay, I see what you mean...

And thanks again guys.. Some great info..