Sky Via MCE - Poor PQ, Can you help?

[UKCamaroSS]

Hi,

I am difficulty getting a good quality picture via Sky on MCE. Most fast moving images create a stuttering image. My TV monitor is a Sharp 26 inch LCD TV (LC-26GA4E), which is connected to MCE via the DVI input, through a GeForce FX 5700 LE graphics card.
When watching Sky on the TV (Without MCE), via a Scart input, the TV picture is great and the TV runs at 50Hz.... but through MCE SKy comes in at 1024 by 768 at 60Hz.

Below is a report I ran using some software called Moninfo:
Monitor
Windows description......... Plug and Play Monitor
Manufacturer description.... SHARP LCD
Manufacturer................ Sharp
Display adapter
Adapter description......... NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700LE
Adapter device ID........... 0x034310DE
Display settings............ 1024x768, 32bpp
Manufacture date............ 2004
EDID revision............... 1.3
Display type and signal..... Digital
Sync input support.......... n/a
Screen size................. n/a
Power management............ Active off/sleep
Color characteristics
Display gamma............... 2.20
Red chromaticity............ Rx 0.633 - Ry 0.333
Green chromaticity.......... Gx 0.205 - Gy 0.702
Blue chromaticity........... Bx 0.150 - By 0.081
White point (default)....... Wx 0.292 - Wy 0.322
Timing characteristics
VESA GTF support............ Not supported
Horizontal scan range....... 24-70kHz
Vertical scan range......... 49-86Hz
Video bandwidth............. 110MHz
Extension blocks............ n/a
Timing recommendation #1.... 1024x768 at 60Hz
Modeline................ "1024x768" 65.000 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
Timing recommendation #2.... 1280x768 at 60Hz
Modeline................ "1280x768" 81.000 1280 1328 1440 1688 768 769 772 802 +hsync -vsync
Standard timings supported
640 x 480 at 60Hz - IBM VGA
640 x 480 at 67Hz - Mac II
640 x 480 at 72Hz - VESA
640 x 480 at 75Hz - VESA
640 x 480 at 85Hz - VESA
720 x 400 at 70Hz - IBM VGA
800 x 600 at 56Hz - VESA
800 x 600 at 60Hz - VESA
800 x 600 at 72Hz - VESA
800 x 600 at 75Hz - VESA
800 x 600 at 85Hz - VESA
832 x 624 at 75Hz - Mac II
1024 x 768 at 60Hz - Sharp
1024 x 768 at 60Hz - VESA
1024 x 768 at 70Hz - VESA
1024 x 768 at 75Hz - VESA
1024 x 768 at 85Hz - VESA
1280 x 768 at 60Hz - Sharp
1280 x 1024 at 60Hz - VESA
1280 x 1024 at 85Hz - VESA

Any suggestions on what I can do to improve the picture quality? Should MCE be run at 50Hz or 60Hz etc?
Thanks in advance ,
UKCamaroSS

[evolution400]

Is the picture fine for dvd and divx ?
If so its your tv card I am betting your using composite to connect SKY to your TV card which is rubbish you will need an RGB> SVIDEO converter box.

[UKCamaroSS]

Originally Posted by evolution400

Is the picture fine for dvd and divx ?
If so its your tv card I am betting your using composite to connect SKY to your TV card which is rubbish you will need an RGB> SVIDEO converter box.

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. My picture is perfect with DVD and HD downloads from the net... it even looks great when watching streaming web tv content etc... it's only bad when watchinh SKy.

You were correct, I was using composite for the connection, however I have now bought a Scart (RGB) to S video converter, however this has not really helped.

Are there any other suggestions... I am now using the 1280 by 768 at 60Hz setting.

Thanks,
UK Camaro SS

[andyturner28]

I am having the same problem and have come to the conclusion that it is the RGB-S video box that is causing it. The signal obviousely degrades in the conversion.
When i connect my Sky+ box from the S-video output the picture is much better.
I have given up with it untill the Sky HD boxes are launched.
I believe there are a few standard digiboxes that have an S video out but i havent found any yet. Alternatively you could get a Sweetspot tv card that accepts an RGB signal. You can get this from www.sweetspot.com.

Andy

[evolution400]

Originally Posted by UKCamaroSS

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. My picture is perfect with DVD and HD downloads from the net... it even looks great when watching streaming web tv content etc... it's only bad when watchinh SKy.

You were correct, I was using composite for the connection, however I have now bought a Scart (RGB) to S video converter, however this has not really helped.

Are there any other suggestions... I am now using the 1280 by 768 at 60Hz setting.

Thanks,
UK Camaro SS

I can't comment on the picture direct from your sky box like the grundigs normally have svideo output and all sky + boxes do as far as I am aware I noticed an improvement from composite when I hooked up my RGB> SVIDEO box but thats the best you can get reason the picture is not as good as the direct feed from your skybox to your tv is simply the signal is decoded twice so you can either goto freeview and get DVB-T cards like I have done for a superior picture quality or chat to nigel heis the resident DVB-S card(Sattelite card) expert .

[evolution400]

Originally Posted by andyturner28

I am having the same problem and have come to the conclusion that it is the RGB-S video box that is causing it. The signal obviousely degrades in the conversion.
When i connect my Sky+ box from the S-video output the picture is much better.
I have given up with it untill the Sky HD boxes are launched.
I believe there are a few standard digiboxes that have an S video out but i havent found any yet. Alternatively you could get a Sweetspot tv card that accepts an RGB signal. You can get this from www.sweetspot.com.

Andy

Why would you purchase an RGB > SVIDEO adaptor when you have a sky+ box that outputs SVIDEO anyway ?
SKY HD si going to be no good for pc users as you will only be able to connect via HDMI or component and as far as I am aware there are no TV cards in existence that accept these connections besides your still decoding the signal twice so to obtain a good quality TV image its DVB-T and freeview or DVB-S for regular sky although I am not sure if this is fully funtional in MCE.

[Ch0pper]

Originally Posted by andyturner28

I am having the same problem and have come to the conclusion that it is the RGB-S video box that is causing it. The signal obviousely degrades in the conversion.
When i connect my Sky+ box from the S-video output the picture is much better.
I have given up with it untill the Sky HD boxes are launched.
I believe there are a few standard digiboxes that have an S video out but i havent found any yet. Alternatively you could get a Sweetspot tv card that accepts an RGB signal. You can get this from www.sweetspot.com.

Andy

Grundig GDS3000. You can get them cheap on ebay (every one in roughly 4 I've bought has had a failing power supply though, but at about 20 quid a go that's not too bad)

eg.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Grundig-GDS300...QQcmdZViewItem

To the original poster. Have you tried using the Nvidia Pure Video Codec?

[andyturner28]

Originally Posted by evolution400

Why would you purchase an RGB > SVIDEO adaptor when you have a sky+ box that outputs SVIDEO anyway ?
SKY HD si going to be no good for pc users as you will only be able to connect via HDMI or component and as far as I am aware there are no TV cards in existence that accept these connections besides your still decoding the signal twice so to obtain a good quality TV image its DVB-T and freeview or DVB-S for regular sky although I am not sure if this is fully funtional in MCE.

My Sky+ box is downstairs and i have an Amstrad box upstairs in my home cinema.
The first run of Sky HD boxes will have analogue outputs, including S-video, HDMI will go to my projector and S-video to pc used just for recording off the harddrive.

Andy.

[andyturner28]

Originally Posted by Ch0pper

Grundig GDS3000. You can get them cheap on ebay (every one in roughly 4 I've bought has had a failing power supply though, but at about 20 quid a go that's not too bad)

eg.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Grundig-GDS300...QQcmdZViewItem

To the original poster. Have you tried using the Nvidia Pure Video Codec?

Thanks Chopper.

Would i need to get a new vewing card though and if so dose Sky charge you for it.

Thanks

Andy

[nigelbb]

Originally Posted by UKCamaroSS

You were correct, I was using composite for the connection, however I have now bought a Scart (RGB) to S video converter, however this has not really helped.

Did you go into the Digibox System Setup menu & switch the RGB output on?

[Ch0pper]

Originally Posted by andyturner28

Thanks Chopper.

Would i need to get a new vewing card though and if so dose Sky charge you for it.

Thanks

Andy

Yep. Just £10 a month though for multiroom, just ask for the card, no need for the box too..

[Neelix]

I'm sure there will be/is a tv card in development that will accept a DVI or HDMI connection to allow full HD content to be passed through.