OT: HDTV Question

[LionsFan10]

Okay, I admit I'm new to the whole HDTV think and finally bought a Sony Bravia 37" HDTV, called the cable company and had them come out and install the high-definition box. The picture looks great, for now and I realize I'm going to have buy an HDMI cable if I want an even better picture/color, which I plan to purchase soon.

The question I have is probably pretty goofy but I can't figure this out. Now that I have a high-definition box, the high-def channels are "off" a bit, meaning I'm losing some picture at the edge of the screen, on ESPN for instance, the ticker is pushed off the screen on both the left and the right. Is this because I don't have a better cable than the one that the cable company provides? I've tried messing with the T.V all night and I still can't figure this out. The picture looks great now, and I can't even imagine what it's going to look like after I get an HDMI cable. But the picture being off is really bugging me.

Any ideas from the HD gurus out there?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Adjust your display settings. Sounds like it's currently set to 'stretch'. Stretch is used when there are blocks of space on the left and right in normal resolution, but that's not needed in HD. Set it back to the proper aspect and display and you should be fine.

[LionsFan10]

Excellent, thanks for the advice. Turns out it wasn't the T.V that was pushing the picture off the screen, it was the cable box that was set to "stretch." Now that I've changed that, it's fixed.

Thanks man, appreciate it.

[sabotai]

Just an fyi, make sure you chenge the settings for your DVD player as well (change the display to widescreen if you haven't already).

[stevew]

if they hooked up component for the HD box(the norm probably), the HDMI is not going to be a dramatic improvement.

If you need cables order them online, www.monoprice.com is usually the cheapest place to get them.

[Synovia]

if they hooked up component for the HD box(the norm probably), the HDMI is not going to be a dramatic improvement.


If you need cables order them online, www.monoprice.com (http://www.monoprice.com) is usually the cheapest place to get them.

HDMI won't be any improvement over component. They're both capable of doing full 1080p. Component also works better than HDMI over distances. (assuming you have one of the devices that was put out before the MPAA banned outputting their content at 1080p over analog)



HDMI was created by the MPAA/etc so that they can do secure transmission. The handshakes between the source and display prevent hijacking the source and making digital copies. HDMI is so you can't make hi-def copies of your bluray/hddvd/etc.

EDIT:Monoprice rocks

[Travis]

Of course HDMI also does carry the audio signal helping reduce cable clutter, so aside from having the same level picture, you can take the audio cables out of the mix completely.

[rkmsuf]

Big ups for the OT tag in the Off Topic forum.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Big ups for the OT tag in the Off Topic forum.

I think it was appropriate. HDTV obviously has nothing to do with Roger Clemens.

[SackAttack]

Of course HDMI also does carry the audio signal helping reduce cable clutter, so aside from having the same level picture, you can take the audio cables out of the mix completely.

Plus, if you have a variety of inputs and a variety of devices, using HDMI instead of component might free up ports for something else without having to get a switcher or receiver involved.

I'd been using component for 720p on my dad's HDTV with the PS3, but I switched to HDMI at the same resolution when I picked up one of my own last weekend, if only because it freed up a component in for the Wii to use.

[Mr. Wednesday]

HDMI won't be any improvement over component.
That's not exactly true; with a digital TV, HDMI avoids a digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion. In practice, it's probably not significant.

[LionsFan10]

Big ups for the OT tag in the Off Topic forum.

Ha, I didn't even think about it. Even though I click the "off-topic" forum every time I visit, I'm still used to the old forum(s) and pre-facing everything that isn't about Front Office Football with an "OT" tag.

I guess you could say I "mis-remembered."

:p

[stevew]

This is the rptv 37k1000 or the thin lcd37m3000? We still have 3-4 of the rptv(k1000s) at work for 800....I'm very tempted to pick one up cause it'll be about 750 after discount and tax. Only thing I don't like is replacing the lightbulbs every couple years, picture wise it's pretty much the same as an LCD at a normal viewing distance although not as good off to the sides.

[stevew]

Just an fyi, make sure you chenge the settings for your DVD player as well (change the display to widescreen if you haven't already).

Yeah, if you even buy progressive scan(component) cables for a dvd player it's going to dramatically improve it over the standard red/white/yellow.