Verizon, Samsung and regret

hamsquatch

hamsquatch

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2006
325
0
Richmond / Midlothian
Recently had Verizon fiber optic installed. Also purchased a new Samsung 46" LCD and put it on the wall. Running HDMI. Amazing picture. etc.

Problem: Sometimes the HD box does not send a signal to the TV. I unplug the HD box (from verizon) and plug it back in...problem solved. This keeps happening so I call Verizon. They tell me that there is a "known problem" with their HD box and Samsung TVs...? The only solution is to program everything to 720p. They say there is no problem with other TVs, Sony, Panasonic etc. I'm not going backward to 720p so...

I have 1 day left on my receipt for a return so I run to Circuit City and exchange for a comparible new Sony (paid $380 more though, higher contrast ratio etc.) The wife does not like the Sony as much because the Samsung "looked prettier."

This morning the same thing happens with the Sony...no signal. I turn the HD box off then on again...problem solved. Today I'll call Verizon back and ask for a new box I guess.

Anyone have this problem? Any suggestions? :banghead:
 
roverover

roverover

Well-known member
Feb 27, 2005
3,819
28
69
Lancaster PA
www.UsedLandRoverParts.com
I have a similar problem with Comcast I just got a new "updated" box and almost every time I turn it on the screen is blue and I have sound but no pic. unplug it plug it back in and it is fine. The upside to Comcast for me is I can drive a mile hand them my old box and they just hand me a new one
 
az_max

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
return the sony and get the samsung again. keep bitching everyday to verizon that their HDMI output on the box is broken. My guess is HDCP isn't playing nice.

by chance, can you use component out on the box? If it only has hdmi you can buy an adapter to give component out.
 
hamsquatch

hamsquatch

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2006
325
0
Richmond / Midlothian
After more thoguht and research...

Verizon is only broadcasting in 1080i...not 1080p right now. So HDMI is not required. I think I can get a great picture if go back to component monster cables until Verizon sorts their shit out.

Checked with Circuit City. They still have my Samsung and will honor a swap back, give me old LCD and take back the Sony.

Lesson learned.

Red, I now have two 19" tube TVs you may have. If you place them next to each other it will be alost as good as widescreen. Call me if you're going on our next trip next month.

All...thanks
 
gmookher

gmookher

Well-known member
Oct 30, 2004
5,201
0
Grand Canyon State
you can setup your motorola cable box to output all or only a given number of resolutions, calling tech support may not put you in touch with someone who can do this:Adjust The Advanced Menu

If a technician set up your cable box or it didn't come with a manual, you may be unaware of the User Settings menu. To access this menu, turn off the cable box and press the Menu key on the front of the unit. Make sure the television is turned on when you do this because it's much easier to select options when the menu is displayed on-screen. You can highlight options by either using the cursor keys on the front of the DCT5100 or by using the cursor keys on the unit's remote control. Press the Up and Down arrow buttons to highlight an option and then press the Left or Right buttons to make changes to the highlighted option.

The first option is TV Type, which you can set to 16:9, 4:3 Letterbox, or 4:3 Pan/Scan. The numbers refer to the width to height ratio of the television screen, so use the 16:9 option if you have a widescreen television. If you have a standard 4:3 TV, select 4:3 Letterbox if you want to display all of the content of a widescreen HDTV channel on the television. This places black bars on the top and bottom of the display to preserve the HDTV channel's native aspect ratio (16:9). If you are willing to crop some of the image to get rid of the black bars, select 4:3 Pan/Scan, which crops the image on the left and right to create a 4:3 aspect ratio image that fills the entire 4:3 screen.

The next option is YPbPr Output, referring to the component video connection used for HDTV output. This is an extremely important setting because it determines what video format the DCT5100 outputs from the component video connection. 480i is the least desirable option. It is an interlaced video format with low resolution (640 x 480 pixels) suitable only for older analog televisions that don't support progressive-scan or HDTV technology. 480p is the same thing as 480i only it is not interlaced. It displays an entire frame of video at once using progressive-scan technology, so the picture quality is better than 480i. Use this setting if you have a 4:3 television that supports progressive scan but does not support HDTV.

The two HDTV formats are 720p and 1080i. 720p has a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels and is a progressive-scan format, while 1080i is interlaced but has a much higher resolution (1920 x 1,080 pixels). Check your television's manual to see if it natively supports one format or the other, and use that format. If it supports both, watch some HDTV content in both formats and select the one that looks best on your television.

Another important setting is 4:3 Override. It determines how your TV displays 4:3 standard definition channels (as opposed to 16:9 HDTV channels). If you have a widescreen television, select Off or 480p (whichever looks best). If you have a 4:3 TV, select 480p if the set supports progressive scan or 480i if
it doesn't.
 
hamsquatch

hamsquatch

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2006
325
0
Richmond / Midlothian
I got my old TV and my money back. It's back on the wall. Changed the signal to 720p and will try that for a while. I have trouble telling a difference between that and 1080i at this point.

Thanks for the info. It helped. I'm good.
 
M

MarkP

Well-known member
Apr 23, 2004
6,672
0
Colorado
Return it all. So yesterday . . . .


Mere high-definition TV could soon be lo-tech

? Japanese work on screen with 33 times the detail
? BBC to show Olympics in Super Hi-Vision

If you have just blown the budget on a new high-definition TV, look away now. Japanese broadcasters and the BBC are working on a system 33 times more detailed than the best sets on the market.

The BBC plans to use the technology, named Super Hi-Vision by its Japanese makers, to screen coverage of the 2012 Olympics on big screens in city centres across Britain. . . .

At present, Super Hi-Vision exists only at NHK's Broadcasting Centre in Tokyo, where it is projected on to a 10 metre by 5.5 metre screen, accompanied by 22 multi-layered speakers capable of replicating the sound of a concert hall. . . .​


7680x4320 pixel resolution with progressive scanning at 60 frames per second. Super HiVision baseband signal is 24 Gbits per second. Using 16 MPEG-2 encoding chips, the signal is compressed to 250 Mbits per second for transmission. HDTV signals at present are 1.5 Gbits per second for baseband and 20 Mbit per second for compressed signals.

Roughly 10x U-verse bandwidth or 3X FIOS
 
gmookher

gmookher

Well-known member
Oct 30, 2004
5,201
0
Grand Canyon State
Just got FiOS, loving the audio the video and the new channels, plus multi room DVR it appears they have ironed out problems and did a great install but it took 7 hours. My Pioneer Plasma never looked so good on cable TV. Fiber optic cable to the garage door, from there they run the house coax. nice increase in internet speed, tho DNS seems to take a moment longer than before.

720 is plenty..btw. My pioneer is actually a 720 display that doesnt need to reformat 1080; but still looks like a better picture than my samsung 1080, its not all about lines and pixels, sometimes its just color and glass...
both 42 inch plasma TVs blow away the LCDs we own
 
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