Does a more expensive freeview box give you a better picture?

[ScouserAndy]

I dont use freeview, i have sky, but parents just bought a LCD 26" tv for bedroom and a 20 quid freeview box from asda, now she's moaning about the picture not being that good, so if she bought a £40-£80 freeview box would the be a better picture from it?

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by ScouserAndy

I dont use freeview, i have sky, but parents just bought a LCD 26" tv for bedroom and a 20 quid freeview box from asda, now she's moaning about the picture not being that good

It all depends on what you mean by "not being that good"...symptoms?
How is it connected...by RF lead or scart?

[ScouserAndy]

scart, so cost doesnt mean picture quality with freeview?

[Hal_loe]

Originally Posted by ScouserAndy

scart, so cost doesnt mean picture quality with freeview?

Ah but scart supports RGB, S-Video and composite video signals.

RGB being the best.

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by ScouserAndy

scart, so cost doesnt mean picture quality with freeview?

As long as you have a good signal by and large there will be no difference in pic quality between a £20 box and an £80 box.
You still haven't said what the problem with the picture is?

[Speakerbox]

Sorry but....surely that's nonsense?? Freeview boxes consist of a video DAC to convert the signal from a series of 0s and 1s to a picture...a £20 box will have inferior components and a cheap DAC. Try comparing a supermarket spesh (or even a Sagem) with a Panasonic or Sony and you'll see what I mean. It also depends on the picture outpu and (Scart) cable used.

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by Speakerbox

Sorry but....surely that's nonsense?? Freeview boxes consist of a video DAC to convert the signal from a series of 0s and 1s to a picture...a £20 box will have inferior components and a cheap DAC. Try comparing a supermarket spesh (or even a Sagem) with a Panasonic or Sony and you'll see what I mean. It also depends on the picture outpu and (Scart) cable used.

We're getting off the main subject here...I'm trying to get to the OP to explain exactly the symptoms of his picture "not being that good" (which he still hasn't replied to)...anyway...I did state "by and large" and of course there will be differencies, but your "average Joe" usually won't notice them.

[Chris Muriel]

The box doesn't "consist" of a video DAC - but it does indeed contain one - usually called a video encoder in this context.
Whether the more expensive boxes contain a better video encoder is unikely IMO ; the encoder is normally built into the chipset these days.
High end DVD players do, however, have separate (or discrete) video encoders - like some of the ADV7xxx series here :
http://www.analog.com/en/subCat/0,28...0%255F,00.html

Chris Muriel, Manchester

[Inactive]

The problem is more likely the LCD TV, try the Freeview Receiver with a normal CRT TV, I bet you will find that the picture quality is fine.

[LV426]

So, ScouserAndy (trying desperately to get back to the subject) - what exactly is wrong?

[ianh64]

I have witnissed a difference in quality with the same STB but different versions of the software. The quality of the box/software/algorithms will influence the overall picture quality but price is not necessarily the main gauge of quality.

Back to the OP. Possibly the LCD or viewing conditions also contribute to the problem. Again, TV's all range in quality and TV setup (brightness, contrast etc) and viewing conditions can make a difference.

[Tony Hoyle]

Also if they have previously had CRT then the picture probably won't look as good to them anyway... especially if it's a cheaper LCD then it probably looks pretty poor compared to their old set (I have a 21" in the bedroom that exhibits that problem - no issue to me as I'm about 10 feet from it, and it was pretty cheap).

[SamRadford]

Don't you just hate it when someone posts a question then goes on holiday!

[ScouserAndy]

Originally Posted by SamRadford

Don't you just hate it when someone posts a question then goes on holiday!

Im still here!! For some reason i havent been getting the "instant notification" from this thread!

Whats wrong?

The picture is lets say blocky looking but as someone said this is due to the LCD tv, would be fine on a CRT, my tosh looks blocky via sky+.

Its my mother that is moaning about it, not me, but she was moaning when she was right infront of the TV, now shes sat back she says the picture is good. Women!

Sorry again for not replying, i just never got notifications

[Inactive]

Originally Posted by ScouserAndy

The picture is lets say blocky looking but as someone said this is due to the LCD tv, would be fine on a CRT, my tosh looks blocky via sky+.

Nice to be right for a change..