OK here is a question the wise world of LCB hopefully can help me with.

Sony Bravia HD LCD tv. 37 inch.

Virgin Media V+ box. Connects to TV via HDMI cable.

HD channels work great, nice HD picture, HD sound.

Normal channels looks like Im watching on a computer, you can almost see its pixalated (if thats a word)

Also I have a few dvd copy's. Nothing dodgy, just copy's for use in the car. When playing they too look like Im viewing on a computer screen. Same dvd played on different telly/dvd player 100 times better and thats an older lcd telly and dvd player.

So the million dollar question is, what am I doing wrong, Ive tried different setting etc and nothing seems to make a difference. Ive seen other people's telly, same as ours and their picture is much more vivid, colours etc and they on standard sky box.

Im at a loss, I know its only a telly but its really begining to annoy me!!!

P.S I cannot replace the tv for a better one...

some larger screens are not great in standard def. especially the slightly older ones. hd is good from these boxes but is not full hd 1080p and aparrently is less than the 1080i/720p they state!
do the virgin boxes output hd sound? if so which version? i thought only certain av recievers could output hd sound.

is it a brand new telly?

when i got mine some years ago now, its a 40" sony bravia, it looked terrible watching with a freeview box plugged in the scart. very disappointed. very pixelated, trying to watch motoGP and i was for taking the TV right back.
the brightness was set to full as standard, turned it down to about half and the picture was MUCH better.

How old is it? I work for the Television ratings (BARB) so work with thousands of peoples televisions a year I too notice the older Bravias have a terrible SD picture the new ones seem ok yet the three or four year old sets are so blockey if that make sence?

Its about 4 years old. The dvd is through scart and Virgin through HDMI cable and its the picture quality in SD that seems poor. Maybe it is the fact its an old telly, old technology?

Yeah it will just be the way the set processes the standard definition content with all that Bravia Engine crap they bang on about, Ive always stuck with Panasonic personally, id be tempted to try a hdmi DVD player should at least upscale your DVDs not full HD of course tho.

But why would my picture be not as crisp or bright as an identical telly of the same age?

is it the exact same model? same model number?

I have both virgin and freesat and the sd picture quility is mutch better on one of them. And I only keep the virgin tv box becasue its free.

quote:

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Originally posted by KitCatE1
is it the exact same model? same model number?

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there are literally dozens of tv's in the bravia range,and i didnt want to say this earlier as i didnt want to be offensive.but apart from the very top end sets i think they are very very poor. i am biased towards plasmas and i have a pioneer 50" version which is absolutely stunning in both standard and with sky hd. even more impressive with blu ray. and i have to agree with others that panasonics are far superior. not that this helps you much!.
i dont think there is a great deal you can do to your standard definition viewing but blu ray player via hdmi wil massively increase picture quality when watchind dvd's.

welll that is very strange must of bought a dodgy one lol

send me the model number and ill look through the specs in one of my many,many mags and books.

Got to say I am really pleased with my Bravia, but I only run it through the sky box (720p) or blu ray.

quote:

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Originally posted by daniel mason
send me the model number and ill look through the specs in one of my many,many mags and books.

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