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HDMI cable problem

When I got FIOS hooked up few months ago, I had an older 1080i TV, and for whatever reason the technician hooked it up to the settop box using component cables instead of HDMI. I recently bought a 1080p HDTV, and initially hooked it up with the existing component cables from the old TV, the images looked great. My boss told me I would get an even better picture if I used HDMI cables, so I bought a pair of VIZIO 6 inch cables from Costco. But I was in for a shock, the picture quality was definitely worse off with the HDMI cable from the FIOS set-top box(not so from my DVD Player though). So I had to restore the component cable connection with the set-top box. I observed this degradation on a non-HD channel(Nicklodeon 250), thought the HDMI cable should improve quality of the picture irrespective of whether it was HD or SD.Have you guys any idea, what the issue could be? Would greatly appreciate any help in this regard...

Thanks..

Comments

Keyboards

I suspect what you are seeing is a difference in sharpness of the image. Your 1080p set when using component has now gone through a minimum of 3 conversions. Received signal is digital which is converted to analog for component output (by the STB) which the has to be received analog at the TV, converted back to digital and then resolution converted (by the TV) to match your screen. The multiple conversions do tend to yield a "softer" image.

In the case of HDMI the signal is digital all way and only the resolution conversion has to occur.

What do you have your SD Override set to? This could affect the the quality of the SD viewing experience depending on which does a better job of converting SD to HD - your TV or the STB. Also, when you switched to HDMI did you try adjusting the sharpness and other video settings as there is often a difference.

OFF = all SD is output from the STB at your HD resolution (STB does an upconvert of 480i to either 720P or 1080i) and then you TV converts to 1080p..
480p = all SD is output from the STB at 480p - the STB has converted from 480i to 480p and your TV converts to 1080p
480i = all SD is output from the STB at 480i (as received by the STB) and your TV does the single conversion to 1080p.

Hope this helps clear things up.

Wayfarer1

Thanks a lot Keyboards...... will explore the different options you suggested once I get home tonight, will get back to you, on how it worked out..

Thanks...

spacedebris

Also remember that even though your tv may be 1080p, Verizon only broadcasts in 1080i, since there are no tv broadcasters that broadcast in anything greater than 1080i in the first place.

1080p is limited to Blu-Ray and a few local devices(like a game station).

The Component cables will handle the maximum resolution that Verizon transmits in so there is no need for HDMI. With one exception, if you have a 3D TV, you will need HDMI for the 3D. Other than that, as far as the Verizon signals are concerned, there will be no technical difference in picture quality.

Now that having been said, some TV's just happen to respond better to different cables. For example, my brother has a Vizio 46" LCD tv. We connected the Component cables and it looked very good. Then we switched to HDMI and the picture did improve, albeit slightly. So we left the HDMI connected. On the other hand, I just puchased a new Sharp Aquos Quatron 42" LED tv. The HDMI looks amazing! But, the Component cables provide a much more vibrant picture. Its actually very impressive. I've never seen a picture to compare. Now this is with the same video settings on both the HDMI and the Component. We both have a couple of other HD tv's in other rooms that the picture quality is identical regardless of which cable we use. So what I'm saying is that the quality can depend on the combination of TV and the cable used. Some TV's seem to work better on HDMI and others seem to work better on components, and still others dont care. Its one of those YMMV situations.

Wayfarer1

Thank you spacedebris, that was very informative. I have a Sony Bravia 55 inch LCD 3D TV, but I suppose per your comments, I really don't need a HDMI cable, since I don't get any 3D programming from FIOS yet. I get amazing pictures with the component cables, thought I could step it up even further, guess I can't...

Keyboards, where do I get the different options for the SD override, I presume I get to do that with some button on the remote for the STB? Can you tell me which one, please...

Thanks..

dan881

Noi really, Directv broadcasting 1080p signal.

BITTY1

i need someone's help. i can't get any sound or picture using my HMDI CABLE. it will come on for a couple of seconds and then nothing. i have contacted verizon and they said the signal there. the screen has a green color. i have a samsung hdtv model no. hlp5063. i contacted samsung and they said i need a tech to come and look at it. if you know of an adjustment in the menu of my tv or box, it would be appreciated.

retiredme

Bitty - Samsung has a history of HDMI troubles with various STBs and various providers. Search these forums to see what others have done. Also a Google search will yield similar results. In the meantime, ensure that your Samsung has the latest firmware update. As an experiment, you may try component cables with separate audio cables. It's a bit more hassle and less neat, but many Samsung owners have found this a viable solution as it will carry the full 1080i signal output by your STB. Before IMG 1.8 was introduced, many Verizon customers had to use the components due to HDMI handshake issues, and not just with Samsungs. You might also try checking the signal strength of the FIOS signal using the diagnostic routine in the STB menu. One last thing that could work - try a different HDMI cable because there are differences in quality, or manufacturing defects, that could interfere with the signal. If you have another TV available you can move to this location, you might try it with your current setup to see if the problem is limited to the Samsung. Good luck.

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