Newbie Here Pixellation problems receiving Hotbird signals

Misterfyer

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Does the Humax have a second scart output for a VCR? Try using this to see if it makes any difference. You may have to manually choose the input on the new TV as it probably won't auto switch.

Another thing to try if you have scart leads long enough is connect the old TV up to the Humax and then connect the new TV as well to the VCR out socket. See if this changes anything on either TV.

Yes the Humax does have a VCR socket. Have tried this, it works but the pixellation problem is exactly the same.

I have now just tried both TVs together showing the same satellite channel, both via scart leads, one from the tv output on the box the other from the VCR outlet on the box. The pictures on both TV sets are showing the same pixellation - curiouser and curiouser.
 

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Are you sure this pixellation isn't just a low quality satellite channels showing up on a decent modern TV? An older TV (particularly the old heavy CRT tube type) where much more forgiving and didn't show up the compression artefacts half as much as a modern flatscreen TV. There are settings in some TVs to try and remove some of the artefacts (usually in the advanced picture settings) but there are limits as to what you can achieve if the source material is of questionable standard in the first place.
 

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Are you sure this pixellation isn't just a low quality satellite channels showing up on a decent modern TV? An older TV (particularly the old heavy CRT tube type) where much more forgiving and didn't show up the compression artefacts half as much as a modern flatscreen TV. There are settings in some TVs to try and remove some of the artefacts (usually in the advanced picture settings) but there are limits as to what you can achieve if the source material is of questionable standard in the first place.

That is a possible reason, but I can't see why a mainstream satellite should be beaming low quality signals from a mainstream TV broadcaster. I have had a local installer play with advanced settings and he found nothing to help.
Thanks for your interest.
 

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It would be good to a see a picture of this phenomenon. When you get pixellation, do you also get glitches in audio?
 

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I have now just tried both TVs together showing the same satellite channel, both via scart leads, one from the tv output on the box the other from the VCR outlet on the box. The pictures on both TV sets are showing the same pixellation - curiouser and curiouser.
So plugging the new TV's scart lead in and unplugging it causes the problem on the original TV to come and go accordingly? Sounds like the TV has some circuitry not shielded properly and sending some hefty interference up the scart lead.

You could try putting what you've found to the TV help line and see what they say.

I've got to go and do some real life stuff now. I'll be back later.
 

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That is a possible reason, but I can't see why a mainstream satellite should be beaming low quality signals from a mainstream TV broadcaster. I have had a local installer play with advanced settings and he found nothing to help.
Thanks for your interest.
Well, in the UK lots of SD channels from 28E (Sky/Freesat) are not exactly great quality and some might think they are hoping viewers will decide to pay more for the HD versions instead....
 

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So plugging the new TV's scart lead in and unplugging it causes the problem on the original TV to come and go accordingly? Sounds like the TV has some circuitry not shielded properly and sending some hefty interference up the scart lead.

You could try putting what you've found to the TV help line and see what they say.

I've got to go and do some real life stuff now. I'll be back later.
In that case it does sound more like a problem with the setup rather than my cynical view of low quality TV channels. ;)
 

Misterfyer

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It would be good to a see a picture of this phenomenon. When you get pixellation, do you also get glitches in audio?

I'm not sure technically how I could do that. Most of my skills date from the mesolythic period. Anyway, it would also be quite difficult to capture the right image because the pixellation is fluttering around all over the screen according to how much movement there is in the image.
No there are no audio glitches.
Thanks for ideas.
 

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Its not artifacts in an overcompressed picture is it? I was watching the cycling on UK Eurosport 2 a couple of nights ago (on a 28" crt) and the picture was just horrible in places. (Especially in the background where the camera was tracking the cyclists through road cuttings) lack of bandwidth just leaves the tv unable to put all the detail in.

Moving up to a big screen will show up all sorts of deficiencies in the signal that werent obvious on a smaller screen. Some of the channels are running very poor resolutions (576) as well
 

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If it only happens on fast moving pictures then that does suggest what Timo and AS said - compression artefacts that you can do nothing about. Your much larger TV screen is simply showing them in er... better light.
 

Misterfyer

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If it only happens on fast moving pictures then that does suggest what Timo and AS said - compression artefacts that you can do nothing about. Your much larger TV screen is simply showing them in er... better light.

That is one of the first thoughts I had when I first witnessed the problem. But the screen is not vast (40") whilst the old SD screen was 26". However two of the local installation guys who came to try their skills (?) both immediately said 'that's not right' or 'not seen that before'. It does make the picture sometimes unwatchable the effect is so odd.
 

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It can't be a compression artefact as the effect is introducible on to the SD TV (which never had the problem before) by coupling and uncoupling the HD TV.
 

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It can't be a compression artefact as the effect is introducible on to the SD TV (which never had the problem before) by coupling and uncoupling the HD TV.

Apologies that my comprehension does not embrace 'compression artefact' .

However . . . . . I have made an interesting discovery. Whilst playing with the set up menu on the new HD set I came across a well hidden set of options under the heading 'Picture'. Options are: Dynamic, Standard, Natural, Movie. It was set to Standard, presumably by default, and one would expect that to be a reasonable setting. Anyway I tried them each in turn and lo and behold, when set to 'Movie' the pixellation problem appears to have gone but not with either of the other three). The only downside is that the colour hues are slightly subdued (say by 10%) so that the picture is not so brilliant. However that suits me as I found the picture a bit dazzling. Actually, if the set had been delivered with the 'Movie' option selected one would not think to question the quality of the picture.

I have no idea what happens electronically when the various Picture options are selected. That's a puzzle for you clever people.

For the moment my problem appears to resolved. I will pop up again if it recurs for any reason.

Meanwhile thanks to small army of people who have endured headaches on my behalf.
 
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