Just got my new 27" Westinghouse HDTV....SD quality issues..

[gulbane]

Hey all

Heres my story...

I picked up an Xbox 360 and a new 27" Westinghouse LCD HDTV a few days ago. I am using Cablevision's Digital IO Cable - which includes 18 HDTV channels.

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Stats for the TV:

27" LCD TV
LTV-27w2
Experience the latest in digital home entertainment with a Westinghouse 27" HD-ready LCD TV. A super-bright, HD-ready widescreen display provides vivid and lifelike images. The stylishly thin, wall-mountable and frame-ready* design complements any décor.

Display Specifications
Viewable Screen Size 27" Diagonal
16:9 Aspect ratio
Native/Optimum Resolution 1280 x 720
16.7 Million colors
Compatible Modes
NTSC
HD Ready
PC 480i
480p, 720p, 1080i
640 x 480, 800 x 600
1024 x 768, 1280 x 720
Contrast Ratio 600:1
Brightness 550 cd/m2
Color Gamut 75%
Lamp Life 60,000 Hrs
Viewing Angle 170° Horizontal
170° Vertical
Response Time 16 ms

TV Features
Audio 2-9 watt speakers
Tuner 1 Cable-ready NTSC
Video Processing DCDi by Faroudja®, TrueLife™ Video Enhancement, 3D dynamic image processing with digital comb filter, Low-angle interpolation, Edge enhancement without CRT-legacy velocity modulation, Digital color transient improvement, Dynamic noise reduction, 3D-de-interlacing and progressive scan conversion, 3D digital upscaling (often beyond HD resolution), Consistently high digital resolution over the total life of product, Flicker-free without accelerating aging, Adjustable backlight for ambient lighting & power savings, Inverse 3:2 pulldown, PIP, Auto Programming, SAP/MTS, V-Chip, Closed Caption

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I also have a TIVO in the mix. Sadly, I have learned the hard way you CAN NOT watch HD content with TIVO hooked up - it simply can't pass along the HD information.

My HD cable box is using the component wires directly connected to the TV under INPUT 1. I use this this watch HD programming since my TIVO can't pass the HD signal.

My TIVO is using the s-video wires connected to the TV using INPUT 2.

My Xbox is using the component connections using INPUT 3.

My Xbox is breathtaking...the graphics are AMAZING. Im also VERY happy with the HD image quality when watching HD contect. The vividness is AMAZING.

My issue is Standard definition. It looks extremely blocky and grainy. I know that this is common, but it seems a little "too bad" to be reasonable. On very dark scenes, all I really see is alot of purple and black "blotches" and you really cant even make out detail at all.

Also, I have 3 options to watch SD. "Standard" which is like watching a 19" TV adding huge black borders to the left and right of the picture, "fill" which stretches the image to Wide Screen making everything look obviously stretched and pulled. And ZOOM which is just a disaster and further stretches everything. What SHOULD I be using for regular non-HD programs?


I have not yet used the DVD to help set the TV...FYI.

What can be wrong? Do my hookups seem poor? Is this to be expected?

[57U]

If you haven't already, see the HDTV FAQ on "poor SD PQ". Your hookups seem fine.

You should be using the non-linear stretch mode for SDTV. See the HDTV FAQ on "Widescreen Stretch Modes". If you don't have a non-linear stretch, then you'll need to use the linear stretch in the horizontal direction only. You have an LCD though, so you don't "need" to stretch at all.

[radcast2]

I own the 32" Westinghouse and I was in somewhat of the same situation as you are. What I did was put it in the "fill" mode and then I wrote down all the settings then went thru each one making small adjustments and I have finally got to an acceptable level. But I finally bought Digital Video Essentials DVD ans set it up using that disk, and now my wife thinks it is acceptable......I did have to also make a signal adjustment on my cable service to get it better. The digital service is as good as it ever was, the analog is acceptable, and the Xbox360 OUTSTANDINGLY STUNNING, and the OTA HD Channels well words arent good enough IMHO.....
Reading those FAQ's sure does help though.