View Full Version : Toshiba 30hf83 grainy pics with digital cable box
Lane G
10-19-2004, 10:48 AM
Please help! We have just added digital hd cable box and the picture quality on the regular channels are grainy unless we go thru the VCR (which is a pain). The digital channels look great. Also, the addition of the new cable box seems to have disabled the tv's picture size feature which is much better than the cable's zoom feature.
mjones73
10-19-2004, 11:02 AM
It's doing that because the STB is upconverting all the channels for you, you can't zoom on the TV when it's receiving a 1080i/720p signal. What model cable box do you have?
Lane G
10-19-2004, 11:41 AM
Thanks, Matt. The cable box is an Explorer 8000HD. Can we work around the STB problem?
Ratman
10-19-2004, 01:14 PM
Everything you want to know about the 8000:
http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=10330
scherer326
10-19-2004, 02:13 PM
I have the same tv and cable box. you cant adjust the picture size with the tv when using the box. On the cable remote. go to settings, additional, then picture aspect and do widescreen for your tv and 4:3 stretch. That will make everything fit your screen now.
My tv is amazing with both regular and hd channels. I am using a component cable now instead of DVI which I was using before. I think component cable looks better.
you cant adjust the picture size with the tv when using the box. This is not correct. If you set up the newer cable STBs to properly output SD channels as 480i or 480P, TVs will then be able to stretch those output formats. It is true that most HDTVs cannot properly stretch 720P and 1080i formats, however, the SA8000HD, when properly configured will output whatever formats you want.
I also believe that pressing the "#" symbol (next to the zero) will enable a linear horizontal stretch, as well as a linear zoom on HD channels.
See the following link - 2.2 MB pdf.
http://www.rose.net/Explorer%208000%20Overview.pdf
scherer326
10-19-2004, 06:52 PM
it is something with our tv(30HF83) that we cannot use the TV's remote or adjust on the tv itself the picture aspect( i.e. zoom, stetch, full, normal) This can only be changed with the STB settings menu. But you can adjust the 1080, 740 with the STB menu also.
If you set the STB to output the SD channels as 480i, then your TV will be able to stretch those signals. I believe this fact has now been stated 3-4 times in this thread.
HD (720P, 1080i) signals cannot be properly stretched by most TVs, as has also been stated several times.
spec4
11-08-2004, 09:57 PM
Scherer326,
I am going to buy a 30inwidescreenhdtv either the toshiba 30hf84 or the sony 30hs420. Twc/nyc will give upgrade me to the hdtv cable box. I live in queens nyc. Presently i have their DBEST package. Do you think i should use the component cables you mentioned. Do you think my reception will be ok on analog/SD channels.
It seems like we both have the same cable company. I really would appreciate any comments you have, feel free to elaborate. Many thanks
scherer326
11-09-2004, 09:35 AM
I was using a dvi cable before and was always having picture problems with my hd box. Yes the pq with the HD channels looked amazing, I just thing the component cables are are equal or even better. Right now I have component cables hooked up and I never get picture problems and the HD quality is truly superb.
Heck, I have the 30hf83 and my cable is hooked up through the rf coax input. I have some channels that look great, not grainy (and a few that are real dogs, particularly that home improvement network my wife loves). If your regular def picture is lousy, your signal is not good or something is set up wrong. As somebody said, try running the regular def signals in at 480i. Try using a composite or rf input on the regular def channels (to access the comb filter). Do not buy the claim that regular def channels have to look lousy on a hdtv. I think the Toshiba in particular has a reputation for good regular def picture.
Also, as was posted before, the reason you cannot use the tv's stretch modes (which are very good, by the way), is that you have your stb output set at 720p or 1080i. The toshibas (and most other hdtvs?) do not stretch high def signals. If you send the signal into the tv at 480i or 480p you can use theatrewide 1 or 2 or 3 or full screen, whichever you want. I am not familiar with your box, but on my LG OTA STB I can just switch back and forth between output levels. I doubt that your STB is any different. Just use 480i for the regular def channels and switch to 1080i for the high def channels.
spec 4 go with the sony recently set one up for a friend easy to use, 84 series has many problems it seems, chk toshiba section.my 30hf83 with a 3250hd is set at upconversion 1 (thx 57u) and I have no need to change anything just channel hop and the box switchs to 480i and my tv switches to my fav stretch mode and 1080i goes to whatever the station is broadcasting
