Using basic analog cable with LCD HDTV

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

Hey guys

I am graduating soon and I wanted to furnish my apartment with a 32 inch LCD TV. I heard that using HDTVs with high resolution to view basic analog cable displays poor quality because it can make obvious the flaws in the analog signal.

I have even seen an LCD TV at a public restuarant that had a distorted picture (not static, just grainy and sloppy in general) that I am pretty sure was analog cable.

Since I am going to be using it for basic TV and sports for the most part, would I be better off getting a tube television for half the price so that the picture is decent for sports and basic TV? I do watch DVDs and play Xbox but I am sure I would rather use a CRT for DVD's instead of watching ugly sports on an LCD.

Any thoughts? Experience? Thanks guys.

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[tEh koRnDog 5,000+ posts]

just got a 37 inch SHARP tv tonight

using the analog signal looks like complete shit compared to component.

 

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

Grr. Thats what I was afraid of. I never had a problem with the way games and DVDs looked on a basic tube television so thats probably the route i will take.

Thanks for the help fellas.

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I must say that a 'good' quality HDTV will look 'OK' with a standard cable picture.

I don't have Digital Cable and the pictures still look 'ok' enough not to get annoying on my Pioneer Elite...

 

[jbl_marshall21 10+ year member]

see if you can get a digital cable box. Around here it doesn't cost anymore than a regular box as long as your not getting an hd subscription. It will give you a better picture because you'll be using component cables (red blue green) and cbs will be in HD.

Also using component cables from your dvd player to an lcd tv will give you a better picture, maybe not better than a crt, but in the long run when hd dvd players come down in price you'll be happy.

 

[dynamcpunk 10+ year member]

I don't understand you want to get a HDTV but you don't you don't want to get HD cable. I have HD and I will never watch another sporting event in anything else. If your not going HD than don't get a HDTV. I wouldn't get LCD either we have one my ship and I'm not impressed with it.

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I think it would be dumb not to get an HDTV...

The picture quality is generally better, AND in a few years when things start turning HD all the time you would be out of luck if you didn't get a HDTV...

And, you can't judge all LCD TVs by one that is on your ship... It might not be a very good one. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

yeah thats why I am waiting on buying a TV, I do want decent quality picture, but I am just graduating from college and I dont wanna start my career and new life by spending more money on cable than I need to...i just need basic analog cable since here, digital cable STARTS costing twice as much as the expanded analog cable pack thing...anyways...

answer me this: does a basic DVD player have a better picture when displayed through the single RCA yellow input on a tube television or with component inputs on an HDTV?

 

[skmfkr 5,000+ posts]

yeh i got a 37" lcd tv and the analog is shit on them, but i kno at my last job they had direct tv which i think is all digital which doesnt look that bad, but you dont need the hd boxes to reallt enhoy tv, i just got reg cab and i can still pick up hd channels but they are like weird channel numbers with decimels, i get espn and espn2 and tnt and the local hd ones and a few others. im happy with it but i dont watch tv much

 

[chucku 10+ year member]

LCD look like crap unless you have the best signal possible going to them. Their high speed picture is blurry as well. I liked the plasma displays better. Dont buy a tube television ,as their on their way out, as stated above in 09 all television will be hd. So Id say buy a plasma, oh, and if you do, forget the rca cable connections and go hdmi, made a noticable difference in my pic quality, seemed to filter out some red in the picture. Hd cable is pricey, but after you watch it, you dont want to watch anything analog.

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

A lot also has to do with the scaling of the images of non-HD material. More expensive LCDs will have much better processing to convert a 640x480 image up to the native 720/1080 resolution of the display.

 

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

i think i am within the average joe-blow category, FYI //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[grizzly 10+ year member]

dlp is way to go for big tv and cheaper. they have some of the highest contrast ratio's of any design of tv and like said they cost nearly half for size

 

[grizzly 10+ year member]

i have a panasonic pro 42'' plasma and normal cable even with hd box still look like crap but hd channels only thing i watch so isnt big deal.