My NEW setup - My new PROBLEM! Help...?

HDJimmy

Hi all,

I just bought a Sony KDF50WE655 LCD Projection HDTV - I also bought a Panasonic S97 upscaling DVD player. Great TV - could be happier with it (when watching DVD's and HD programming). I only had basic analog cable at the time of arrival and was impressed with how well this TV handled analog - PQ was much better than I expected. I had Comcast come out (I live in Elgin IL just outside of Chicago) and they installed a Motorola DCT6200 STB. They're configuration is this: (bear with me I am just learning this stuff). Coax cable into STB - another Coax runs to TV. Component cables from STB to the HD/DVD portion of the panel on the TV. My problem is this - ever since they hooked up the STB, all SD channels have deteriorated greatly in PQ and this is by comparison to just running cable straight into the TV with no box. So I know its not as simple as my new hotrod TV is now showing me all the flaws of an SD signal. It has to be either how its hooked up or the STB is garbage. I called Comcast and spoke to a supervisor and he said they have in fact been working with Motorola since JUNE on a fix for this. So they know these boxes are essentially garbage - I watch alot of TV under channel 100 and others that are SD. I like having the HD and additional digital stations but feel slighted that I have to accept in trade lousy PQ with all my other stations. Does anybody have any suggestions for me - will an S-Video connection from the STB to the TV help? Does anybody know if and/or when the SOB's at Comcast/Motorola will get thier sh*t together? Will using my cableCard solve this? (I really don't care about On-Demand or the TV Guide as long as I have optimal PQ on ALL my stations). Should I rip the Cable out and go with a satellite provider?? Help please....:-)

Jim

mfabien

Until you get a fix, you could use a splitter and have one cable going to the STB and connect the other at antenna 1 of your TV. For analog channels you would then use the TV remote with the antenna 1 input.

__________________
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rbinck

This post was sent to me in a PM also and I replied that I would reply in this thread, so here I am.


Anyway what mfabien suggested is what I would have said as well.

Some cable boxes will connect the cable input to the coax output when the box is turned off. You might try turning off the cable box and see if the analog channels will be on the antenna input of your TV. If not, then the splitter is the way to go.

Attached Images

Cable Hookup 1.jpg (46.0 KB, 554 views)

eddiscus

Using a splitter should provide the best picture. Reference page 33 or 34 of your user manual. I would think the cable guy hooked the cable out into your VHF/UHF input. Probably the worst option. Have one of the cables from the splitter go into the cable input on the tv. The tuner in the TV is quite good. The other cable from the cable box to the vhf input would be optional unless you want to utilize the PIP function. Don't be afraid to use the DRC adjustments they can do wonders for SD content.

Xplorer

I have/use the moto 6200 and the SD output quality is very poor

like the others said the Sony's Tuner does a MUCH better job than the
SD from the moto 6200

the fix for this is split the cable BEFORE the 6200
-one to the 6200 (then 6200 to tv via Y,Pb,Pr cable)
-one to the CABLE INPUT on back of tv set (not VHF/UHF)

then to view straight cable (under 100) and use PIP , just think of the
CABLE as another input device such as- DVD/6200/XBOX/VCR etc

and using your 'TV/VIDEO' button, just toggle thru until you get
to your TV tuner cable...

about the same as the other posts, just in my words

Good Luck

__________________
Sony 51"
Adelphia-6200
xbox
NE Ohio

sasheegm

I am having the same problem with my new Mitsubishi WS65815 connected to Scientific Atlanta High Def Box Explorer 3250.....But I am also having grainy and poor contrast on my Digital channels as well as SD---From channel 2 thru 999-poor picture-----The High def 4 digit channels are excellent.....with just a digital box connected, the sd & digital channels were perfect----Now this problem with the High Def Box---The Bright House Tech(Time Warner with another name) said I need the DVR box to get better picture on SD & Digital----any suggestions, as I am getting ready to call Bright House to come and see if the problem can be solved----Thanks alot in advance; Joe From Florida---sasheegm

sasheegm

Hello Jimmy: I have the same problem with my new Misubishi WS65815---check my quick reply to rbnick below.....I have a TW Tech coming tomorrow to try a few things, including what is suggested here.....also I was told that DVR will up-grade all formats---SD-digital-HD......It will cost me about $11.00 more per month with tax, but if it works it will help my other systems out, namely VCR & DVD-Recorder(which are not hooked up yet).....I will keep all informed, as I have also contacted the VP of Public Relations in Central Florida, and he is most anxcious to resolve my problem---I think there are many more of us experiencing the same problem with low channels and Digital...and only HD looks great after we have spent thousands on the latest & best HD sets out there....Regards, Joe From Florida---sasheegm--P.S. Thanks for making your thread....you are not alone

HDJimmy

Hey everyone,

Sorry for a delayed response to your input - I have been away for a long weekend. Thanks alot for your help - I will try the fix this evening and post back with my results.

Jim

sasheegm

Hello Jim: Today I had the same problem that you had solved on my New Mits WS65815....First the Tech installed the DVR box in place of the Scientific Atlanta Box & immediatly the digital channels were digital again.....The SDs were better, but not yet good.....So he went outside to the Cable Box, and as I was watching the screen on a lower channel 46, the TV went off then back on and the picture had improved 100%......I asked what he did, and he said he improved the Cable signal 7 to 10 whatever that means---I am Electronically challenged at age 63, plus disabled, so I rely on my Son-In-Laws to help doing things around here for me and the wife....Since I am a Classic Movie Collector, Itape alot off of the Encore channels, mainly the western one, so this DVR will actually be of a benefit to me since I can record while watching another program, and then if I want to keep the title I recorded, I can transfer to the DVD-Recorder or VCR........Otherwise, I think if the Cable Box Mfgs do not up-grade their HD boxes, I think their will be many switching over to Sat Dish systems, instead of paying $11.00 more per month as i am doing......I would have switched over to Cable card, which the Mits has, but I subscribe to MLB-Xtra Innings during the summer & the Card is not capable of picking that up yet.....and I love my Baseball season......In any case, I hope you were able to get a better picture on your Sony without spending $11.00 more per month, but I think that somebody eventually will complain to higher ups about the poor reception on these HD-Boxes....Let us know Jim......Joe From Florida---sasheegm user name

eddiscus

As cable starts to use the newer stb's the receiver ends are starting to get better.
But just put youself in the CEO's position if the cable provider had a choice of providing it's customers with a quality box at $ 100.00 per unit or be able to get a box that performs the same functions but has a lower quality fo $ 80.00 and you are looking at 100,000 units. You would have better luck finding a leprican than a CEO that would choose the $ 100.00 box and have happy subscribers.

IMO

sasheegm

I could not agree with you more addicus..........The only thing that stopped me from going the Cable Card route was the MLB-Xtra Innings that I get every year.....If they would add that option to it somehow, I would drop the DVR box in a minute, as most replies I have seen say that its better then the boxes for reception.........But the dollar rules; so the heck with the Consumer & Hooray for the Stockholders & Box MFGS......and while my recption has improved, it is still not anywhere near to what it was with my Zenith IQB64W on the SD stations and the box was a Pioneer that was destroyed along with it.......After the Hurricanes, alot of Cable line had to be replaced down here as they were a tangled mess......and I wonder what quality cable was used???.........Joe From Florida...sasheegm

HDJimmy

Hi guys,

Well I followed the fix provided by Xplorer et al - splitting the cable before the STB and running one cable directly to the TV's cable input to utilize the TV's built-in tuner worked. The PQ of my standard definition channels has improved greatly.

So in essence this by-passes the analog aspect of the Motorola STB and lets the TV's built-in tuner digest the SD channels (TV/video selected to video input 1). When above 100, into the realm of Digital I let the Motorola digest the digital/HD channels by switching to Tv/video 5 (the input where the STB is connected). A bit of toggling but well worth it until Comcast/Motorola takes the initiative to fix this problem. And thats what it boils down to IMO - you know damn well it is crytal clear to the 'powers that be' that this problem exists AND they have a fix for it. They just don't want to belly-up the cash to swap out all those junk boxes.

Jim

eddiscus

sasheegm:
I am not familar with the cable layout in Florida but if it was exposed to salt water and that entered any connectors they will experience trouble for years to come. I had a coax on a boat that experienced salt intrusion. The seal at the connector was compromised and salt corosion went as far a 4 feet into the coax shield.

HDJimmy:
I am glad you are enjoying a better picture. I think that the new cable boxes are really not the problem. I think the lack of info to the customer is. From what I am seeing, the issues with the 8300HD series boxes are the way they are connected and / or the way they are configuired. The 8300 will take the cable channel input wether it is SD, Digital or HD and convert it to 1080i, 720P, 720i, 480P, 480i and pass thru depending on how you configure the stb box. With my KF50we610 I am connected via HDMI from stb to DVI at the TV. The cable box is set for HDMI auto select. It will output 1080I or 720P depending on the broadcast. SD broadcasts show alot of grain. Remember you are taking a 480P broadcast of average quality and trying to convert it to 1080i then the tv takes the 1080i and converts it back to its native resolution usually 720P (why bother). I get a much smoother natural looking picture from the cable input directly into the TV. I think when things finally go all digital we should see this problem go away. In the meantime remember that the component and DVI/hdmi inputs are expecting to be fed a high quality signal and the TV manufactures usually do not have image correction adjustments on these inputs. The lower quality inputs have more consumer level tweaking like DRC for sony sets .

sasheegm

Thanks Eddicus: I am 3 blocks from the Indian River Lagoon on the mainland off of US 1 ; and exactly 4 miles as the crow flies from the Atlantic Ocean.......So we took a hell of a beating from Hurricane Frances, which was stalled out over Fort Pirce 40 miles to my south......That meant for almost two days, we were getting battered by the Northern edge of the eye-wall, with sustained winds of 130mph......But what got us here, and took down power lines, cables, telephone lines,,,,and my roof, were Tornados.......and many were spawned by Frances over the River & deposited Salt Water all over the place.........So I am hoping that Bright House Techs did not try to use old cable when rewiring the Poles and homes........and there are still many, many Tarped roofs & Red Tagged homes down here(Condemned).....I am hoping the better reception continues now, as the lower channels(most of them) are coming through as 480i instead of 480p, and have a much cleaer picture.....Thanks again for your halp, Joe From Florida. sasheegm