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All posts by mh

Below are all of mh's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


From martyh Ash Vale.

PICTURE PROBLEMS WITH FREEVIEW DONGLE.

Further to my postings regarding my digital TV and it being unable to use the new signal from April 4th, I purchased a scart plug in device (scart adapter) from Currys as suggested by jb38. It's a type that plugs in to a scart socket at the rear of my TV. However, I am extremely disappointed by the picture quality I'm getting and the fact that I have lost some part of the picture at the top and to the right of my screen. From the adapter remote menu, I would say that Im, getting (on average) about 80% quality and 80% signal (variable). My pictures lack true depth of colour and can also be grainy. I have also noticed colour saturation problems (especially black and white in lack of definition, for example no definition on suit lapels). I have tried adjusting elements such as sharpness, colour, contrast etc, using my TVs menu without success. In addition, I have also tried altering between the RGB and CVBS modes on the adapter remote menu. When I switch between the two the screen options, the picture moves (flickers) to the left like its offset. CVBS mode seems richer in colour but gives a less defined image, almost blurred. I have also selected combinations of 16:9 and 4:3, and combinations of these with the letterbox/full frame options. I have also tried several retunes, to see if that helps, to no avail, though I do get 115 TV and radio channels. Compared to the pictures I was getting on the 2k signal, direct through my TV Ariel into my TV, I am really not impressed with what I am seeing, especially as quality of pictures I now receive are actually straining my eyes. I thought the new format was supposed to be an improvement but it seems not. Any ideas. Please refer to my previous posts if youd like to revise. Thanks! Martyh. Manual for my adapter can be found here: http://documents.knowhow.….pdf
ps.I have had my adapter for about 4 weeks.

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From martyh GU12 Ash Vale Surrey/Hants

Hi jb38. Comments noted re Konig recommendation. If you read my previous posts, I did ask if it matters what make adapter was used, and had no reply, so thought any would do. No offence in my last post, as not blaming you on that. On settings, I have scart plugged into EXT1, and have selected this as my decoder on the actual TV settings. On the actual adapter remote menu have selected widescreen 16:9 (TV is widescreen), and full frame. Again, as per previous post have tried different settings on the logic and my TV menus to see if it makes a difference but it seems not to. The only thing I have not re-tried (again as it didn't seem make any difference at first set-up), is take an RF output from the logic to my TV Ariel 'in' socket. Re: signal levels. On the 2k signal pre April 4th (with Ariel plugged direct to my TV), I had 114 channels - all pulling in good pictures - and in full frame. However, built in to the TV there is a signal strength indicator, and for the most part it indicated signal strength to my location GU12 as always being poor - indication a red square, where red is poor, yellow good, and green excellent. Again, even so, I still got all the channels and very good pictures. Just to clarify that the Logic does have a signal quality and strength indicator, with bar type displays, and this is what I was referring to previously. As far as I can tell, I have unified both the Logic and TV settings. Hope this helps.

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ok jb38. Will be able to try your suggestions towards the end of the week.

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jb38. Had a chance to mess around with all the settings on my TV, plus the logic adapter. Have tried every combination I could think of without success. Point to note, when I first rigged up the logic, there were no issues that I remember regarding the picture not filling the whole of the screen area. I only watch TV occasionally at the weekend, and in the first 2 weekends, it was fine. It's only the last couple of weeks that the picture has played up, so am stumped as to why things have changed. Could it be that a week signal may result in some information not reaching me, or that maybe some information is missing from the signal? Seems strange it was ok at first, and now it's not. Point to note, I also tried swapping the logic using the 3 different scart sockets (EXT1, EXT2, EXT 3) on my TV, and noticed that the frames of each differ ever so slightly in terms of positioning. ie: one would move slightly more to the right, or to the top etc - however still all leave too much gap at the top and to the right (as per original post/problem). The natural position re: picture for my TV, is when set to auto, and this has never presented any problems - including when I first used the logic, So I am wondering if for some reason the logic cannot process all the signal information, as maybe it's missing or not all of it is reaching me? Only have one TV, so cannot test with another - also neighnours mostly have skysat or cable, so cannot varify/test with them.

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jb38 UPDATE!!! Dead phosphors/'pixels'? Have physically looked at the TV screen and inspected it! I am now wondering if some of the display phosphors are dead. On observance of the screen (when TV off) I see the main picture area coloured a grey/green, with the outer edges in black. The grey/green area does appear to have shrunk (in effect) as they do not extend all sides, to where they were originally, thus leaving larger areas to all sides in black, than used to be. (if you see what I mean), so my suspicion now is that there is a fault with my tube (ie it's on the way out), rather than anything else. If you concur on this, I wonder if you'll agree that this is a most strange coincidence. ie. That within weeks of me using the logic, a fault has occurred with my TV screen? How bizarre is that!

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Hijb38. As per my previous posts I have tried every combination re: unifying settings between my TV and the Logic, including altering the extensive options on the TV, whilst trying differnet modes on the Logic.Just to refresh the leaflet for my TV is here: http://download.p4c.phili….pdf and maybe you may be able to look through it and spot something that perhaps I'm missing in the technical blurb? Thanks for your reply to my last post but there has definately been a 'physically visible' change in terms of what I see (when looking close up) when the TV is off (and unplugged), bearing in mind I can clearly see that the 'black' edge surrounds on the actual screen have definately become bigger, and un-uniformed (that's to say there is no longer an even measure (of non picture showing area around the four sides of the screen as was before)thus seemingly reducing the viewable area. It's hard to get this across in writing on here. However, the problem still persists whereby I have to ask why would this picture size thing suddenly change without me altering any of the settings on either the Logic or TV all of a sudden, just like that? ie: switching the TV off one week where it was working fine, then switching on the next to find it not. I am a persistant chap however, and will keep trying over this weekend to see if I can do something that will fix the issue, and of course let you know how I get on, though from what you siad last post, maybe it could indeed be a problem with the Logic. THANKS for all the help and suggestions on this jb38, am determined to get to the bottom of it! Regards, martyh

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ok, thanks jb 38. I tried several attempts flicking through the aspect ratio on the Logic and on the 6th attempt in a row, the screen corrected itself. The picture being slightly better, also helped by use of the DNR button on the TV remote. Picture is now even. I think you are right re picture quality etc, in that I can no longer benefit from the processing features as seen before when pictures delivered straight thru the ariel, as some options no longer work using the Logic with scart connection. So I think I just have to put up with how things are, or when enough money saved up, buy one of the latest HD TV's. I think I'm done on this now, so thanks for the time and effort you've put in. It's just a shame that the format for the new signal made my TV somewhat redundant, when I'm sure it still has years of life left. Philips could also have been more pro-active as well I feel, leaving customers thinking their TV's would be ok for the new signal, when they were not but I know the government has quite a bit of blame there. I still feel cheated thinking about the £1600 I initially forked out though!! Regards, martyh

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Thanks jb38. Out of interest, would a new flat panel TV (of same screen size 32") consume less electricity than my Philips, which consumes 175 watts (normal operation), not forgetting the logic which consumes another 4 watts - total 179 watts please? martyh.

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Thanks jb38, I see. LED TV's are on the market now, any opinions on them. Not that I can afford to change mine yet, will hang on to it for the foreseeable future, unless I have to replace for some reason.

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jb38. I was really mentioning LED TV's is respect to their energy efficiency. Thanks for the extra stuff though. It's good to know my gripes are shared and it's not just me. When one considers the advances in technology, I think we have every right to expect good quality pictures, even colour balance etc, especially when one looks at the sales blurb/pitch manufacturers band about their latest TV's! Personally, I have noticed that a couple of my friends' flat TV's don't seem to give that great a picture - one looks very 'soft', or you might even say blurred - or woolly, compared to mine. ie: a bit like my computer screen if I set the sharpness to the 'soft' setting. Weirdly, setting it to 'sharp' (settings go from 1 to 5) is very hard to focus on. I hope they find a happy medium for everyone, one day.

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