V+ box..picture problems!

malk

Prominent Member
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
2,815
Reaction score
337
Points
487
Hello there,i got my v+ box installed 2 days ago and am totally happy with what it can do ie,all the catch up tv(i work shifts),and the music etc.
The main problem is my picture,on some channels its not too bad,like bbc 3,but the majority of channels have a sort of fuzziness around peoples faces,yet when i press the "home" button,the small screen in the corner is very clear.
Is this because the picture is being sort of magnified,to fit my screen?(i have a Toshiba 37 wlt68),on my Sky box the picture was o.k.,and on my normal samsung virgin box was o.k..
I thought the picture would be immaculate because of the HDMI(the HD channels ARE good quality).
I am waiting on a onkyo 606,and intend to run my box through that,would that make any difference.??
I was wondering if anyone else had this problem,and am hoping for a cure,thanks.
 
No cure as such. What you are describing is mosquito noise - a compression artefact. The bigger the screen the more noticeable it becomes. LCD's are more prone than plasmas too.

Try adjusting your TV's settings: reduce the sharpness and contrast. Avoid using 'bright' settings like 'dynamic' etc. Go for normal or cinema settings if you have them. This will help a little.

Using the HDMI connection is giving you a clearer picture than, say, scart but with clarity comes the revelation of the shortcomings of current SD broadcast technology.

Some channels have higher bit rates than others (i.e. less compression) so they will look better. BBC, CH4, CH5, Sky sports should all look preety darn good whereas the +1 channels can look a bit micky mouse...

Make good use of the HD VoD service to enjoy your telly to the fullest.
 
Cheers buddy,so,another few days of fiddling about with the telly settings!the missus is gonna love me even more!!
You are right though,some channels are really nice,but the more "everyday" ones like bbc1,when we where watching eastenders,looked a bit crappy.I flicked the settings onto scart and yeah,the HDMI is better,i suppose im one of them fussy gits who wants it perfect,and is not happy till it is.
Anyway i like messing about with stuff like that.
Oh yeah,will running the box through a 606 make any difference as well?
 
Unlikely as the problem is the incoming signal. The V+ is already upscaling so running through the 606 will simply add convenience as all you need is HDMI cables. I run my setup like this (through a Marantz SR5002) and where once was spaghetti junction is now the M6 toll. :D

Also I forgot to mention viewing distance from the TV can be a variable: too close and SD can look poor, too far and HD stuff loses it's impact.
 
I was hoping the 606 was going to make another bit of difference but still,its a wicked box and do like it alot,and i am happy with the set up ive got,its just....yknow,a bit bugging me.Cheers mate for the advice.
 
I was hoping the 606 was going to make another bit of difference but still,its a wicked box and do like it alot,and i am happy with the set up ive got,its just....yknow,a bit bugging me.Cheers mate for the advice.

Hi,

I've just started using an Onkyo 606, having had a Yamaha receiver which did not have HDMI in. Since I set up the 606 I have a weird problem. I have a blu-ray player and an HDDVD player connected to the 606 via two HDMI ins and then the HDMI out goes to the Sharp Aquos 46XL1E. No problems with picture or sound. The V+ box goes straight to the other HDMI port on the TV. The audio goes to the 606 via the optical in. My problem is as soon as I switch the 606 on I get interference on the picture; not constant but a few speckles followed by a flash. If I turn off the 606 the picture is fine. It can't be the TV. I assume, because the picture from the DVD players is fine. I could try plugging the V+ box via another HDMI on the 606 but my daughter does not like using the receiver. This set up for the V+ box is identical to the one I used on the Yamaha reciever and I never had a problem.

Any else met this or similar?
 
Try switching the HDMI cables around to see if the fault stays/moves - some form of cable short perhaps? Or it may be a fault with the 606 (unlikely).

Other than that I can only suggest you use HDMI from V+ to the 606 for vision/sound as you have hinted at (IIRC the 606 has 4x HDMI in anyway). and teach your daughter to use the 606. It'll also mean less cables round the back :thumbsup:
 
I’m having V+ installed tomorrow. Are you saying that the picture on SD broadcasts will be of lower quality than my current standard STB? I have a 37” LCD TV and am reasonably happy with the picture quality at the moment
 
It's a personal preference. Some (most?) like the clearer upscaled image over HDMI, others like the 'smoothed' image you get over an analogue connection like SCART.

I'd never go back to SCART...
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom