#303622 - 06/11/2007 20:39
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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I have owned a ReplayTV 5040 in the past, so I am familiar with the product. However, I was never a heavy user of it because it doesn't make much sense (to me) to use that over a DirecTiVo with dual tuners. I have used a ReplayTV 2000-series more extensively and the UI between that and the 5000-series seemed very similar to me. My opinion of it that it's pretty awful compared to a TiVo. I'm sure it's something that you can get used to, but I never caught on. The HR20 really wins on UI even against TiVo. The ability to have the current program running in a small window inside the guide or menu system is great. When using a TiVo now, it seems odd to me that the video and audio cut out completely when entering the menus. Aside from a better UI, the HR20 would gain you access to video on demand similar to what cable offers. Most basic cable channels have their own VOD content/channel and the vast majority of the content is free. Available content can be snippets of shows, entire episodes, or full moves in the case of Starz On Demand. VOD isn't a deal maker, but it's something you would lose if choosing HD cable and TiVo Series 3. It's also completely unavailable to Dish Network subscribers. Home media streaming was referring to the streaming of audio stores on a computer. Video streaming (computer-to-HR20 and HR20-to-HR20) is apparently coming. Conflict resolution is better than TiVo, but I can't compare it to ReplayTV. With TiVo, you're only faced with one show to cancel when all your tuners are busy at a given time. The HR20 will present you with the two shows it was intending to record and which one you would rather cancel. Season pass priority is handled similarly to TiVo. Where the HR20 falls flat is dual live buffer. It will only buffer one buffer for up to 90 minutes. A DirecTiVo will buffer both tuners for up to 30 minutes each. I'd rather have the Tivo way. The HR20's remote is also terrible. This is easily remedied by a Harmony remote, but that's another expense. Quote:
* automatic commercial skip
this will never happen 
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* true, instantaneous 30 second skip
30 second slip isn't as good, but not terrible. Stack up 5-6 of them and you're through a commercial break in less than 10 seconds.
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* instantaneous jump to any minute of the show
Only in 15 minute increments on the HR20.
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* multi-room (stream shows from DVR to DVR)
Supposed to be coming. I'll update my HR20 thread when it does I guess.
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* aforementioned Internet sharing, which is awesome
BitTorrent + HR20 when video streaming from a home computer becomes available?
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* no monthly fee
There was a service fee at some point. It just happened to be at a higher price and only occurred once.
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-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#303623 - 06/11/2007 21:16
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Rob, I agree with alot of what you're saying about DirecTV vs Tivo, but even if I could get DirecTV here, I would still go with Verizon/Tivo. I simply do not like the HR20's interface more than Tivo. Also, just to be nit-picky, you seem to be throwing about various monthly service rates. I think you increased it from $13 to $16 in just one post  To be clear, it's $13 per month ($12.95) for a 3-year contract, and it's $17 per month (16.95) for a one year contract. I have every intention of keeping my Tivo service for well over three years, so I went with the longer contract. Oh, and for every additional Tivo box you sign up for service, you get $6 per month off the additional plan. So two Tivo boxes on a three year contract would cost you $20 per month ($19.90). I realize that these numbers are higher than what you get with DirecTV, but I just wanted to clarify, what with all these figures being thrown about. *edit* Actually, I just remembered something. When I was looking at which company I'd end up going with, I'm pretty sure that Verizon's service ended up being a little less expensive than DirecTV's, so I ended up even despite the Tivo service fee. Don't forget to factor that into the price comparison...
Edited by Dignan (06/11/2007 21:20)
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Matt
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#303624 - 06/11/2007 21:24
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
The HR20 really wins on UI even against TiVo. The ability to have the current program running in a small window inside the guide or menu system is great.
Is that the only UI "improvement" you see? Because I find that marginally nice at best, and annoying at worst. It does minimize the UI space on the screen as you only have ¾ of the screen left available. (The video takes up the upper-right quadrant.) If given a choice, I would probably prefer the TiVo way.
The HR20 UI is unquestionably uglier, but that's probably neither here nor there.
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The HR20's remote is also terrible.
Totally agreed. Absolutely horrendous.
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Conflict resolution is better than TiVo, but I can't compare it to ReplayTV. With TiVo, you're only faced with one show to cancel when all your tuners are busy at a given time. The HR20 will present you with the two shows it was intending to record and which one you would rather cancel. Season pass priority is handled similarly to TiVo.
I've often wondered why the TiVo is set up this way. (I assume it's because it puts the new recording in the same queue it puts "normal" recordings in and there's not a good way to temporarily move the higher priority program down.) Generally speaking, though, as long as you have your priorities set up correctly, this is a non-issue 99% of the time. The one instance I can think of where it's not is when you want to record a different feed of the higher priority program instead of the one that would normally be recorded. It would be nice if it would at least tell you what the other recording is, though, even if you can't select it to not be recorded. (This might have been added, actually; it's been a while since I encountered this situation and really paid attention.)
TiVo does need a better prioritization UI, preferably at selection time. Basically, if there's a conflict at the time, you can choose whether to put the new season pass at the top or bottom of the list, and that's far from ideal. Not that I can think of a great solution. A beginning would be priority groups. Right now, I logically sort my season passes in a few groups: primetime network shows, primetime cable shows, non-primetime cable shows, filler. This is based on the fact that network shows only get run once, primetime cable shows get run a few times throughout the week, non-primetime cable shows get shown every 3 hours, and filler I don't really care if it misses or not. A similar schedule would be great built-in to the TiVo.
Does the HR20 do clipping or only full cancellation? TiVo added clipping at some point.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303625 - 06/11/2007 21:26
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
I'm pretty sure that Verizon's service ended up being a little less expensive than DirecTV's, so I ended up even despite the Tivo service fee. Don't forget to factor that into the price comparison...
Also factor in the three days you'll have to take off of work to get your cable company to fix the multitude of things that will go wrong with your CableCard installation.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303626 - 06/11/2007 21:35
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Quote:
I have owned a ReplayTV 5040 in the past, so I am familiar with the product. However, I was never a heavy user of it because it doesn't make much sense (to me) to use that over a DirecTiVo with dual tuners.
Ah, see! Dual tuners. That's a substantive thing that I wasn't even thinking about where the HR20 clearly wins over my solution, which involves two separate ReplayTVs (and thus two separate DirecTV receivers.)
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I have used a ReplayTV 2000-series more extensively and the UI between that and the 5000-series seemed very similar to me. My opinion of it that it's pretty awful compared to a TiVo. I'm sure it's something that you can get used to, but I never caught on.
That's fair, and the ReplayTV UI does look a bit dated, but in terms of the "I" part (the interface itself, not the aesthetics) I think it works great. Scheduling programs, editing record options, etc. couldn't be any easier.
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Aside from a better UI, the HR20 would gain you access to video on demand similar to what cable offers. Most basic cable channels have their own VOD content/channel and the vast majority of the content is free. Available content can be snippets of shows, entire episodes, or full moves in the case of Starz On Demand.
Yeah, my girlfriend has Comcast VOD. The whole VOD concept fails for me because the amount of available content is usually very limited. It gets better with HBO on demand etc. but the amount of standard freebie content would have me using VOD maybe once a month.
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Where the HR20 falls flat is dual live buffer. It will only buffer one buffer for up to 90 minutes. A DirecTiVo will buffer both tuners for up to 30 minutes each. I'd rather have the Tivo way.
There's another thing I hadn't considered. ReplayTV lets you live buffer up to the amount of disk space you have. Many hours if you like. I never understood why any of the newer DVRs imposed these small limits on how much live content you can buffer. I'm sure it's a technical limitation, but it's one I don't like.
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There was a service fee at some point. It just happened to be at a higher price and only occurred once.
Yeah, but remember, my question was why *I* should go to HR20 when I have ReplayTV's I've already paid the lifetime fee for. I can't un-pay for them, so any decision to go to the HR20 has to take into account the fact that I already have DVRs with free (paid for) service.
On another note, I was curious about the Dish Network side of things, so I looked into the Dish DVRs, particularly the 722 model. It seems like a nice unit, with real 30 second skip and so forth. Reviews on the DBStalk forums seem pretty positive.
I'd lose some HD channels going from DirecTV to Dish, and most of all the NFL package, but that might be something I could possibly live with. I know DirecTV has a much larger HD rollout plan than does Dish, but I don't know if any of the channels they have exclusively matter to me. If they don't, I think I'd seriously consider Dish for the DVR alone.
Also, it appears Dish only charges you an extra DVR fee when your # of DVRs is greater than 2. I'd only need 2, so it'd be a flat $5.99 fee.
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#303627 - 06/11/2007 21:42
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: robricc]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 598
Loc: Florida
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Quote:
I have used a ReplayTV 2000-series more extensively and the UI between that and the 5000-series seemed very similar to me. My opinion of it that it's pretty awful compared to a TiVo. I'm sure it's something that you can get used to, but I never caught on. The HR20 really wins on UI even against TiVo. The ability to have the current program running in a small window inside the guide or menu system is great. When using a TiVo now, it seems odd to me that the video and audio cut out completely when entering the menus.
I personally perfer the TiVo method as it allows me to hit the TiVo button and Turn on my TV and not hear or see anything about the current show recording. This is very important when recording sports because I don't watch LIVE TV since I can't stand waiting thru commercials.
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Chad
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#303628 - 07/11/2007 00:12
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Quote:
I think you increased it from $13 to $16 in just one post
I actually didn't realize the fee for Tivo service increased from $13 per month until I was looking up the cost of a Series 3.
Quote:
Actually, I just remembered something. When I was looking at which company I'd end up going with, I'm pretty sure that Verizon's service ended up being a little less expensive than DirecTV's, so I ended up even despite the Tivo service fee. Don't forget to factor that into the price comparison...
I'm not doubting you, but this has a lot to do with service packages. I happen to think that DirecTV Premier is underpriced when compared with other services. $99 gets you all premium movie channels and the sports pack. The same package on Dish, for example, is around $130 last time I checked.
I will say that if I were to dump DirecTV, FiOS would be my next choice. Of course, I would buy a Series 3 (or two) in that situation. Too bad there is little chance of FiOS ever coming to my hood.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#303630 - 07/11/2007 00:53
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Okay, looking into the HD channels offered by Dish and DirecTV as of right now, I'm really leaning towards switching to Dish so I can get the 622 or 722 DVR. By doing so, I think these are the non-premium HDTV channels that I'd lose by going to Dish ($ means the channels are in DirecTV's "HD Extra" tier that you have to pay $5 extra for): Bravo Cartoon Network CNBC CNN Fox Business Network Fuel FX MGM ($) Sci-Fi Smithsonian ($) Speed The Weather Channel USA Of these, the only ones I'd be a bit bummed about losing would be Cartoon Network and Sci-Fi. I don't know anything about the Smithsonian channel but maybe there's some good content there as well. Otherwise, I couldn't give a damn if Dish never gets these channels in HD. There are some new HD channels that DirecTV is getting, but none of them excite me much, either. So, if I'm willing to give up on the NFL package, Dish may end up being a better deal for me. The Dish 622/722 PVR comes out looking much better from this chart, with Picture-in-Picture being the real deal-maker along with the real 30-second skip. According to that chart, the Dish HD-DVRs also have VOD capability, for what it's worth. Guess I'll call Dish tomorrow and see what kind of deal I can get from them. Does anyone have the Dish 622/722 box and care to chime in?
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#303631 - 07/11/2007 01:54
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
The HR20 really wins on UI even against TiVo.
Naturally, this is a subjective thing, but I just disagree. Particularly with non-technical people (and by that I mean parents). My parents have had the HR20 for over six months now, and they still miss their Tivo every time they use the new box.
Seriously, the menu system makes no sense.
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Quote:
I'm pretty sure that Verizon's service ended up being a little less expensive than DirecTV's, so I ended up even despite the Tivo service fee. Don't forget to factor that into the price comparison...
Also factor in the three days you'll have to take off of work to get your cable company to fix the multitude of things that will go wrong with your CableCard installation.
Maybe in your case, but despite the incompetent installer we had, we've had zero problems with TV since the initial install.
Quote:
Quote:
Actually, I just remembered something. When I was looking at which company I'd end up going with, I'm pretty sure that Verizon's service ended up being a little less expensive than DirecTV's, so I ended up even despite the Tivo service fee. Don't forget to factor that into the price comparison...
I'm not doubting you, but this has a lot to do with service packages. I happen to think that DirecTV Premier is underpriced when compared with other services. $99 gets you all premium movie channels and the sports pack. The same package on Dish, for example, is around $130 last time I checked.
I wish I could get the premium on any service, but I can't at this point. I was comparing basic packages, and I believe I'm paying around $110 per month. That's for FIOS TV, Tivo, and FIOS internet.
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Matt
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#303632 - 07/11/2007 11:21
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14478
Loc: Canada
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I'm just totally, like, not there when it comes to this end of the discussion.
I mean, how much television does one really need, when there's so much more to do in life?
For me, it's not worth $110/monthly to become even more of a couch potato than hacking computers does to me.
And I'm not TV deprived, either. Rabbit ears would get me 10-12 local channels here, some of them in HD, with no monthly fee. I actually do have better antennas than rabbit ears, for the sake of a couple more distant channels.
But even this little amount of TV is still way too much for my own good.
Nothing against any of you guys, but really!?
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#303633 - 07/11/2007 13:09
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Neutrino]
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addict
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 498
Loc: Virginia, USA
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If you've been a DirecTV customer for a while you can probably get them to give you the HR20 for nearly free. Call up and ask for customer retention. You don't have to be coy. Tell them you want an HD DVR and are thinking of switching to cable if they don't make you a better offer. Usually they'll give it to you. Sometimes you have to call back and get a different CSR. It's a silly game but it works.
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#303634 - 07/11/2007 16:04
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: mlord]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
I'm not TV deprived, either. Rabbit ears would get me 10-12 local channels here, some of them in HD, with no monthly fee.
At my house, I can get basically 2½ channels with an antenna. I suppose if you count the digital sub-channels, it comes to more than that, but most of those are either 480i/p duplications of the main 720p/1080i program, weather reports, or other crap. The only local station that does have a plethora of different programming won't come in over an antenna for me. And I live in the city limits of the city these stations are broadcast from.
Does satellite/cable TV cost too much? Absolutely. But assuming I want to watch it, there's not much I can do about that.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303635 - 07/11/2007 16:52
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
The video portion takes up less than ¼ of the screen
Hm. Weird how memory works.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303636 - 08/11/2007 14:27
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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As it turns out, Dish Network is a much better deal for me, so I've canceled my DirecTV and will be going with Dish. Everything I've read leads me to believe that even with the newer software releases, the Dish 622/722 are superior to the HR20, and with Dish offering me the 722 for free and DirecTV only offering to knock $100 off the HR20 (making it cost me $199) it's really a no-brainer. Plus, Dish's monthly costs end up being less among comparable packages.
The DirecTV CSR threw every discount/deal she had available at me when I called to cancel, but in the end, Dish is beating them handily with their new customer offer. I thought there was a chance DirecTV would match it (I'd have stuck with them if they'd waived the $99 HD upgrade fee and the initial HD-DVR lease fee) but I guess with all the hype about their HD channels, they figure they're worth the cost. For some, they probably are, but when you factor in the quality of the HD-DVRs, I think Dish will come out ahead.
We'll see how I feel about this once I actually get the service installed, though...
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#303637 - 08/11/2007 17:49
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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I looked at dish too. They told be that they would only allow me to have one of the 722's. That If I wanted another I would have to buy it outright at a cost of +700 US. That was the deal killer for me.
Edited by Neutrino (08/11/2007 18:27)
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No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#303638 - 08/11/2007 18:12
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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addict
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 498
Loc: Virginia, USA
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Quote:
Everything I've read leads me to believe that even with the newer software releases, the Dish 622/722 are superior to the HR20,
Interesting... I came to the opposite conclusion when I looked into it. I don't remember anymore where I was getting information. What were you looking at that led you to choose Dish?
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#303639 - 08/11/2007 18:30
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dylan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Neutrino: Yes, only one 722. It supports two rooms though, so that's good enough for my use. I don't need two separate 722 units in my house, just one 722 split to two rooms and a normal Dish receiver (no DVR necessary) for a third room upstairs. Dylan: I spent a lot of time fishing through the threads on DBStalk for peoples' opinions, but the most objective side-by-side comparison I found is here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=95242&highlight=vip722+vs+hr20Look at the PDF file in that thread for a comparison of the various features. There are some where HR20 comes out ahead but the heavy hitters for me seem to all favor Dish. There are, of course, going to be subjective qualities that don't come out until I've actually used them myself, but based on the checklist of features available, I gotta go with the 722. Dish's service also comes out about $10 cheaper for my particular needs. Coupled with the $199 for HR20 vs $0 for 722 fees, it was pretty much a no-brainer. And, my folks have Dish Network, so I can save them $50 with the referral program. Everybody wins.
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#303640 - 08/11/2007 18:48
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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Thanks for the pdf, that is a good tool. One of the other things I see that I had known but forgotten about was that the second TV used with the 722 will only recieve 480i. That was the other thing and the reason I wanted two of them.
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No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#303641 - 08/11/2007 20:50
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Neutrino]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Yeah, I will only need HD on one of the outputs, so that's not a concern for me. If I needed two HD DVRs, I think DirecTV may be a better option.
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#303642 - 10/11/2007 04:27
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Question: if I don't want to use the "PC" port on my TV, shouldn't a regular DVI to HDMI cable do the trick? I might have some overscan, but it should work, right?
Currently I'm not able to do this. I have the PC hooked up, but the TV isn't detecting an input at all, let alone a bad looking one. I connected it back to the VGA port, and I can see the screen but it displays with a thick black border on all sides.
Just to be sure, I've set it to 1920x1080, and the refresh rate is at 60Hz. That's all I should have to do, right? Any ideas why it isn't working at all?
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Matt
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#303643 - 10/11/2007 13:20
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Probably the specific timings are off, making it look unlike a TV signal. Someone makes a utility for Macs to send out the exact right signal. I wouldn't be surprised if there was such a utility for Windows, too. Check in your video drivers for an HDTV setting.
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Bitt Faulk
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#303644 - 10/11/2007 20:20
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Probably the specific timings are off, making it look unlike a TV signal. Someone makes a utility for Macs to send out the exact right signal. I wouldn't be surprised if there was such a utility for Windows, too. Check in your video drivers for an HDTV setting.
Thanks. In checking my driver settings, I noticed that I had just gone with the Microsoft display adapter for my video card. I updated it, and it started working. Not sure why.
Does anyone know of any way around the overscan problem? I'm missing essentially the whole task bar and the first column of icons. I wouldn't mind, but when I open the Media Center application, I'm missing some important navigational buttons on the top and bottom of the screen as well.
Is this how it is for most Media Center PCs? How is this addressed for PCs designed for this purpose?
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Matt
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#303645 - 10/11/2007 21:50
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14478
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
Does anyone know of any way around the overscan problem? I'm missing essentially the whole task bar and the first column of icons. I wouldn't mind, but when I open the Media Center application, I'm missing some important navigational buttons on the top and bottom of the screen as well.
Is this how it is for most Media Center PCs? How is this addressed for PCs designed for this purpose?
I feed my (Viewsonic) HDTV using DVI-D -> HDMI, and what my PC sends is exactly what gets displayed. No "overscan" on the digital signal.
Maybe it varies by brand of HDTV ?
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#303646 - 10/11/2007 23:14
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 598
Loc: Florida
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Do you have an Nvidia or ATI video card? The latest drivers for each have overscan correction. If not you can use Powerstrip to make a custom resolution. Look on AVSforum as someone may have posted the best setting to use.
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Chad
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#303647 - 11/11/2007 00:30
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: tonyc]
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member
Registered: 31/12/2001
Posts: 121
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I just got a 46" samsung lcd LNT4661f for $1499 and am quite happy with it. I would have liked to go a bit bigger in size but the larger models had a glossy screen that I knew would drive me nuts. I went with the samsung as it delivers 1080p over vga which was big for me as my xbox 360 does not have hdmi.
I have a the following hooked up to it:
-xbox original modded xbmc via component
-xbox 360 w/hddvd drive and 2 TB usb/ethernet NAS via VGA
-ps3 60gig hooked up via hdmi
-Sony DVP-CX985V 400 Disc Progressive DVD / SACD Player via hdmi
-sonicview 8000hd fta satellite receiver w/500 gig ext. (dish/bell) via hdmi
I am very happy with this setup. I have about 200 hddvd/bluray wmvhd rips on the 2TB drive, most are 720p and some are 1080p and look phenomenal over the 360. I have the last 3 years of popular tv sitcoms/dramas in xvid on the original xbox. The sonicview 8000hd reciever, its a pretty good fta pvr for the money actually, over 100+ HD channels (720p/1080i) which is awesome.
I have a 10.2 setup that is actually quite insane, i'd like to go 15.3 but the neighbors would prolly burn my house down.
Edited by spider (11/11/2007 01:13)
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#303648 - 11/11/2007 01:39
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 506
Loc: The Great Pacific NorthWest
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Matt, I don't know what kind of TV you have and I was too lazy to go back through the thread to find out but this will probably apply anyway. When I first bought the Sony Wega III I too wanted to set it up with a computer via DVI. This was about three years ago. I was able to achieve 1:1 pixel mapping but only after a lot of research and work. The final solution was to use Powerstrip to provide the TV with the proper resolution and timings AND go into the service menu of the TV and adjust several hidden parameters to eliminate the overscan. Once this was all completed the system work swimmingly. There have been huge advancements in graphics drivers since then and you may not have to use powerstrip but you might try it anyway. It has some great features that seem to work well for these types of applications.
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No matter where you might be, there you are.
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#303649 - 11/11/2007 03:49
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Neutrino]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Matt, I don't know what kind of TV you have and I was too lazy to go back through the thread to find out but this will probably apply anyway. When I first bought the Sony Wega III I too wanted to set it up with a computer via DVI. This was about three years ago. I was able to achieve 1:1 pixel mapping but only after a lot of research and work. The final solution was to use Powerstrip to provide the TV with the proper resolution and timings AND go into the service menu of the TV and adjust several hidden parameters to eliminate the overscan. Once this was all completed the system work swimmingly. There have been huge advancements in graphics drivers since then and you may not have to use powerstrip but you might try it anyway. It has some great features that seem to work well for these types of applications.
Thanks, guys. I'll give Powerstrip a try. The updated Microsoft drivers got me a picture, but I downloaded the ATI drivers and Catalyst to see if I could help things any. They didn't.
The thing I don't understand is: why would this happen at all? If anything, the output of the PC should be more certain than any other device I plug into the TV. I have it set to the exact native resolution of the TV, and it's a digital signal, so why on earth would there be anything other than a 1:1 mapping?
There's also a bit of a weird look to stuff on the screen, like the mouse has an odd, light, 1-pixel border around it.
*edit*
Oh, and I was at least able to get a satisfactory result by changing the resolution to something like 1776x1008, but this just makes me wonder that question more...
Edited by Dignan (11/11/2007 03:50)
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Matt
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#303650 - 11/11/2007 04:19
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Dignan]
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addict
Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 598
Loc: Florida
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Quote:
The thing I don't understand is: why would this happen at all? If anything, the output of the PC should be more certain than any other device I plug into the TV. I have it set to the exact native resolution of the TV, and it's a digital signal, so why on earth would there be anything other than a 1:1 mapping?
There's also a bit of a weird look to stuff on the screen, like the mouse has an odd, light, 1-pixel border around it.
*edit*
Oh, and I was at least able to get a satisfactory result by changing the resolution to something like 1776x1008, but this just makes me wonder that question more...
What make / model TV do you have? Read the threads about your TV on AVSForum as someone may have posted the service codes to adjust the overscan.
This wiki about overscan should help explain it.
Anandtech also has info about the overscan correction.
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Chad
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#303651 - 11/11/2007 04:47
Re: HDTV Advice
[Re: Attack]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
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I have a Sony KDS-R60XBR2. I'll do a little reading
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Matt
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