Analog Signal into HDTV LCD

by airahcaz Nov 21, 2005 1:06PM PST

I have analog cable, paid by my parents, they are unwilling to switch to digital till the cable companies force them. So I have no choice, hey, it's free. I have an older Panasonic tube.

1. if I upgrade to a flat panel, does it make sense to get an HDTV or HD ready knowing that I will still have analog cable signal?

2. If I get a regular 4:3 flat panel TV (non-HD), is that the same as I have now, just flat?

3. And lastly, a friend of mine plugged in his 23 inch HDTV Monitor, and the picture actually looked worse than my older TV, is that because cause the monitor doesn't have a tuner, or possible cause it is a digital monitor, trying to convert an analog signal?

I am at a stage where my research concludes that if I stay with analog cable (and let's keep that assumption please), that I should simply get a flat panel LCD, non HD. Answers to all 3 questions appreciated.

Thanks

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -

Analog Signal into HDTV LCD

by jcrobso Nov 21, 2005 11:54PM PST

Is the old tube unit working ok?

#1. Do you live close to a big city?? If so you can get HD OTA braodcast it you get one with a ATSC tuner.

2 YES!

3. This is depends on the TV, some HDTVs do a good job of
converting analog NTSC signals and displaing them. Unfortunately some don't!
Now here is the good/bad news,
CRT HDTVs (old tube) do a very good job of handeling both analog and digital signals and make them all look good.
With the "new tech" sets you will have go on set by set basis. So if you buy one make sure you can return it if looks bad on analog. John

- Collapse -

by ryguy25 Nov 22, 2005 12:22AM PST

1. Many HD TV's come with tuners that pick up over air HD broadcasts. So to this question you can still get HD signal via a tuner. So long as your in a relatively tv market all of your local channels probably have HD formats by now so as long as Fox, ABC, NBC, and PBS are cool, than sure.

2. Yeah. This probably would not be a good idea.

3. Well if the picture sucked it probably is due to not having a tuner. The tuner will take even regular analog cable and try to upconvert it.

My advice would be check to see how many channels in your area are being offered over air. If its sufficient, get a tuner or a TV equipped with an ATSC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC)tuner. However, I would not recommend getting an LCD tv without HD capabilities. If you get a non-HD lcd that means you will never be able to watch in HD, even with a tuner. Its completely useless in my opinion.

- Collapse -

tuner

by airahcaz Nov 22, 2005 2:01AM PST

I thought the reason for seeing more noise is that the higher resolution TV is upconverting the lower 640 by 480 signal? I am confused as to how the tuner will upconvert and make the image better?

Not talking about an HD tuner, since I know that will pick up the HD signals with no conversion (although how do I tell my TV to use the HD Tuner when there is an HD signal, versus the cable signal?)

Thanks

- Collapse -

Some TVs and HT Receivers Up Convert, and Filter

by technomojo Nov 23, 2005 7:54AM PST

Up converting, interpolation, and noise filtering is not the same as zooming. Its more like putting a puzzle together which is made of large pieces, taking a high quality scan, cleaning up and resizing the bitmap in Photoshop, and then cutting the image into the same number of pieces required to fit one piece into each pixel on your screen.

Artifacts due to MPEG compression of DVDs and HD satellite signals are another matter. Compression can cause artifacts that become more apparent on a big screen, because at the same resolution, a big screen will have larger pixels which make artifacts more noticeable. Artifacts can also be less noticeable on a small screen, because it becomes difficult for the eye to discern details as they become smaller especially at a distance, even if the resolution is a full 1920x 1080. That?s also part of the reason why small screen HDTV?s lack the eye popping detail of the big screens even at the same resolution.

Some TVs and home theater receivers convert analog to digital, up convert resolution, and filter to reduce the noise in the video signal, but the bigger issue is how well the widescreen HD TV, video processor, or receiver can stretch the 4/3 image to fill the screen without distorting the image. You probably won?t be satisfied trying to watch a 4/3 pull down on a small screen.

- Collapse -

upconversion

by ryguy25 Nov 29, 2005 1:54AM PST

Your HD tv is upconverting normal TV so to speak. It is taking an analog signal and upconverting it to a digital HDMI or DVI. Thats upconversion. It doesnt mean the picture is going to look close to HD, it just means that it is taking an analog signal and all the static associated with it, and turning it into a digital format.

Second question...different inputs. Just like adding a DVD player. Your HDMI or DVI will take the HD tuner and your Cable signal will be through component, composite, or (gasp) coaxial. You will have to switch between inputs but its doable.

- Collapse -

umm

by yajeed Nov 22, 2005 4:10PM PST

HDTV is new but will not last long, you can watch the same picture quality on a flat screen CRT or SDTV than HDTV or EDTV. All these HD and ED are factors associated with marketing, basically its a money making enhancement playing with technical terms.
Every now and than it will keep on changing. Life on a CRT is much more longer than any other modern TV. CRTs can be repaired for much more cheaper than any other TV.
With DLP, you will have a lamp burning issue out soon, which the manufacturer only covers for 1 year, with Plasma, hot and bright pixels or a pixel down doesnt take long to happen, which the manufacture wont exchange for until you have loads of burn pixels. LCD, is better than the others but could have problems with burn pixels too......I would still prefer a CRT Tv or a rear projection than going for a Expensive plasmas which will only last me for 15000hrs.

But at the end its ur choice..........gd luck.

- Collapse -

Tube

by airahcaz Nov 22, 2005 11:14PM PST

Yes Flat Panels are the new rave, but they are light and thin, a superb benefit. And aren't they getting better by the month, so newer ones should last? A flat 20" is far more practical than my 20" tube right now, which is too heavy to even place strategically on some of my furniture. I am looking at the Sylvania Flat 20" with DVD combo for $400.

Analog Signal into HDTV LCD

CNET Forums

Other Forums

Forum Info