Disappointed with my first LCD TV

[jet_noise]

Dear All,

I've just bought a Panasonic TX-L32S10B.
It's my first LCD TV and I have to say I'm disappointed with the picture. I watch Freeview or analogue.
Previously our TVs were all CRT, 26" Sony and Philips (analogue) and a portable Bush (Freeview).

There are two main issues:
Faces especially appear out of focus. I've obviously fiddled with the settings - contrast/brightness/colour/sharpness but it is still crap. The factory setting was max contrast, others about 50%.
The auto aspect ratio is weighted towards full screen width rather than correct ratio. So I choose the manual 4x3 for analogue to get circles round and the picture doesn't even fill the height of the screen.

Yes the picture is big and bright but especially the former issue is really spoiling my, er, "viewing experience" as our Transatlantic cousins would say. Is it just me or are these "features" of modern TVs?

regards,
Jet

[miniman]

Start with the signal you are feeding it. How does it look if you watch a DVD?

[jet_noise]

Dear miniman,

Thanks for the suggestion.
I've no reason to doubt the signal, there's no pixelation. I haven't watched a DVD yet, I'll report back when I do,

regards,
Jet

[headcase]

Ive found similar to be honest, it seems that HD sets really dont do SD very well at all, you need to start with setting the brightness/contrast and especially the sharpness correctly, for this you need to download some test patterns or drop me a line and i can email you them. You will proberbly find that a DVD is vastly superior to broadcast freeview, also turn off all noise reduction systems the TV has

[RichB]

Humm... I bought a Panasonic Viera 32" LCD a couple of years ago and remember the first time I watched it I was amazed at how good the picture was compared to my old Panasonic CRT TV. However... when my old Sky box was swapped for the HD box 18 months ago the difference in quality of even the SD pictures was remarkable. When Sky installed HD they fitted a new dish and cabling, therefore I think that the quality of the signal from the dish also makes a difference.

[Asterix]

Our SD feed is crap - I mean reeeeeeaaaallllyy bad! Picture is awful on every telly.

But stick on a DVD and it's lovely, on the main TV with a BluRay is jaw droppingly good.

[Pints]

headcase said:

Ive found similar to be honest, it seems that HD sets really dont do SD very well at all, you need to start with setting the brightness/contrast and especially the sharpness correctly, for this you need to download some test patterns or drop me a line and i can email you them. You will proberbly find that a DVD is vastly superior to broadcast freeview, also turn off all noise reduction systems the TV has

Could you PM me those test patterns please? I could do with setting mine. Cheers.

[DJ_AS]

I never really 'got' why people raved so much about LCD panels - yeah, they look sexy and modern compared to a boxy CRT - but the picture quality was never as good as a CRT in my opinion...

...until a friend got a Blu-Ray player... all of a sudden, large HD LCD TVs made sense! Simply fabulous. I was deeply impressed.

So for best picture quality you have to match the source and display.

SD source - use a CRT
HD source - HD LCD (or plasma I suppose)

[jet_noise]

Dear All,

thanks for the opinions. One reason I bought the LCD was a degree of future-proofing with its full HD capability. I hadn't appreciated that this might mean poorer SD performance.
I should have gone to a shop first rather than jumping in online My main TV was expiring so there was some haste necessary too,

regards,
Jet

[derestrictor]

It's not the set which is at fault, rather the enormously variable nature of digital transmissions.

Basically, broadcast signal quality (not to mention the 'uncontrollable' matter of production values) vary wildy: the truly farcical (but superb) Cage/Connery romp, The Rock, was on BBC1 FreeView the other night and the broad PQ (picture quality) was on a par with a decent DVD feature.

Similarly, just catching up with the recently transmitted Torchwood series, even on non-maximised HDD-DVD-R transfer (i.e. an SP rather than XP recording) the subjective impression is quite superb.

You have to understand and accept that with these higher resolution devices everything you witness is subject to analytical rigours crt sets never exposed the signals to: recent Blu-ray editions of the original (1989?) Batman movie with Michael Keaton and the first two Die Hards left me rusing not the technical demerits but rarther, the lighting engineers whose undoubtedly 'arty' briefings simply didn't transfer with full luster or vigour into our shiny, new, HD world.

Back to recent outings by David Tennant's Dr Who and one edition - The Satan Pit - on regular DVD looked far, far fresher than said 80s blockbusters: technical box ticking does not subjective PQ ensure...

By contrast, some of the classic 50s and 60s stuff on said HD carrier system (Blu-ray) is like rediscovering lost, cinematic treasure.

To say crt is 'better' than any of the new technologies is simply oversimplistic and wrt, plain wrong.

Mr Quaid, you must open your mind...open your...miiind...

Edited by derestrictor on Sunday 2nd August 10:35

[Asterix]

derestrictor said:

By contrast, some of the classic 50s and 60s stuff on said HD carrier system (Blu-ray) is like rediscovering lost, cinematic treasure.

The FFC remastered BluRay Godfather boxset is simply out of this world.

It looked stunning before but now is just wonderfull. The depth of aquisition pulls you into the film - it's almost 3D, very immersive - does that make sense?

[derestrictor]

I dread to watch it - wor DVD trilogy is profoundly underwhelming but it's one of those series where they saw me coming every time: Logie Baird-o-Vision, 8mm, 16mm, U-Matic, VCR-LP/SVR, V2000, Betamax, VHS, LaserVision, LaserDisc, DVD, DVD trilogy then finally The Final Edition Remaster Coppollian Follicle Ltd Edn (Mugs Only) Ceremonial Ming Vase THX DTS Master 4th July Honest, The Last, Promise, OMG I Am Scarface Special - I even have it in cave wall neolithic!

Good job they didn't do any Goodfella sequels...

[Andy_stook_2k]

Some good help over here....

www.avforums.com

[Asterix]

derestrictor said:

I dread to watch it - wor DVD trilogy is profoundly underwhelming but it's one of those series where they saw me coming every time: Logie Baird-o-Vision, 8mm, 16mm, U-Matic, VCR-LP/SVR, V2000, Betamax, VHS, LaserVision, LaserDisc, DVD, DVD trilogy then finally The Final Edition Remaster Coppollian Follicle Ltd Edn (Mugs Only) Ceremonial Ming Vase THX DTS Master 4th July Honest, The Last, Promise, OMG I Am Scarface Special - I even have it in cave wall neolithic!

Good job they didn't do any Goodfella sequels...

Hmmm - it's my third 'set' as well - was a pressie from the missus so I'm not too hung up over it.

[headcase]

Pints said:

headcase said:

Ive found similar to be honest, it seems that HD sets really dont do SD very well at all, you need to start with setting the brightness/contrast and especially the sharpness correctly, for this you need to download some test patterns or drop me a line and i can email you them. You will proberbly find that a DVD is vastly superior to broadcast freeview, also turn off all noise reduction systems the TV has

Could you PM me those test patterns please? I could do with setting mine. Cheers.

You have to PM me your email address as you cant send attachments via pistonheads.

[RobM77]

My parents have got a top of the range 32" Panasonic LCD that's about 2/3 years old and the picture is noticeably better than my old Panasonic CRT (about 7 years old, and a review winner at the time, just like the LCD was). They only watch in SD. DVDs are a noticeably step up from Freeview, but I suppose that's to be expected. I realise CRT is technically supposed to give a better picture, but in that particular (and probably very typical) comparison there's no question that the LCD is better.