Old decoder - does it matter?

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neverturstahippy

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#127329 6-Aug-2013 19:18

I've a decoder manufactured in 2001 (a motorola dth320-4). I've just changed over from a crt to a full HD LCD. the picture I get, especially the decoder's graphics, seems worse than what other people get on their similar TVs using newer SD decoders. Will a newer decoder improve my picture quality or is it likely a set up or TV issue.

Sky have been rather unhelpful and are sending me cut and paste replies about upgrading to MySky HDi.

Cheers
Richard

Spyware

3761 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#872837 6-Aug-2013 20:05

The poor picture quality is el natural, i.e., Sky at its best. Only way to get slight improvement is to connect to TV using component or S-Video interface rather than RF or composite. How does decoder currently connect??

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#872884 6-Aug-2013 20:49

It sounds like a composite A/V or RF connection as Spyware has suggested checking.

The graphics usually look fuzzy and have terrible nosie around the edges on anything less than S-Video since heaps of the signal/detail is gone on composite connections.

Although I have seen LCD's with terrible up scaling or lower quality analogue input circuitry on S-Video inputs. My older Sony Bravia LCD had a much worse picture via S-Video than my CRT.

Also make sure your Sky decoder is set for 16:9 display correctly, or it maybe in 4:3 and zoomed on a TV making everything worse too.

Otherwise, mpeg2 satellite TV and low bitrate like Sky, looks worse on an LCD than a CRT until you're talking HD like MySky to an HD LCD.

Personally can't wait for LCD's and the LED/LCD to fall off the earth. We're going back to laser TV's except retaining flat screen using mirrors etc... like the LaserVue I believe from Mitsubishi. You can't beat the speed of light. I still have an older CRT wide, non-HD that delivers a better pic than SD on LCD. Just wish I could get my hands on an HD CRT, there were a few in the cross-over to LCD.

richms

28168 posts

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#872898 6-Aug-2013 21:07

I am glad that the CRT is a long gone relic and have never seen one that can compete with a non LED backlit LCD for stability of the image and lack of flicker. They have of cource buggered up LED backlit ones with the light cycling in time with the frame changes to remove the grey to grey change being visible, making them flicker again.

That flickering and the retrace on a CRT went a huge way to hiding issues with the images, and the lousy geometry of a CRT and visible scanlines would break up large areas of a single colour so macroblocking was less visible on any slow pans etc since things would be moving all over the place and the static lines of the picture retrace and the shadowmask's outlines would also hide a lot of sins, the interlace flicker again hid all sorts of sins.

MPEG2 SD was developed when that was the norm and would hide what was really a pretty shocking image, and it was better than noisy analog which is what most people had to compare it with.

Richard rich.ms

neverturstahippy

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#872917 6-Aug-2013 21:53

It's connected via a scart to the TV's AV inputs rather than component in. Will try component.

As noted the old CRT (a 32" sony) did give a better picture on many channels and all the decoder graphics than the LCD.

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#872923 6-Aug-2013 22:05

neverturstahippy: It's connected via a scart to the TV's AV inputs rather than component in. Will try component.

As noted the old CRT (a 32" sony) did give a better picture on many channels and all the decoder graphics than the LCD.

Some CRT's had a digital processor like mine, which has a digital comb filter to reduce noise on composite inputs.

I take it you have a scart to component lead too then?

Make sure your Sky decoder is set for component output too on the scart - if using the scart to component lead.

B1GGLZ

1961 posts

Uber Geek

#872985 7-Aug-2013 08:39

neverturstahippy: It's connected via a scart to the TV's AV inputs rather than component in. Will try component.

I think you may find that component isn't available on the old Motorola boxes.
My son has one and we tried hooking up component on his new TV but got no picture. Further investigation showed that while all the connectors are there component output is not ebabled on many models. Only composite and rf work.

cyril7

9058 posts

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#872988 7-Aug-2013 08:47

Hi, correct the older Zenith/Motorola's and original Pace's only support Composite, S-Video and RGB, not component, its worth the upgrade to the newer (small silver Pace) for sure.

Cyril

Equinox IT

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kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#873067 7-Aug-2013 11:26

cyril7: Hi, correct the older Zenith/Motorola's and original Pace's only support Composite, S-Video and RGB, not component, its worth the upgrade to the newer (small silver Pace) for sure.

Cyril

Yeah that's right, I used to use RGB component on my last Thomson CRT with a Motorolla (side card access). Although I'm only using S-Video these days.

I remember a few early LCD's allowing you to specify RGB component or YUV component.