TiVo TiVo Picture Quality - Page 34

Itshim · 24-11-2011, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itshim

Have to be different! mine seems MUCH better! same cable was used ( box moved new one went on old box)

Mine is 32" & I still think it looks the same after the upgrade. perhaps size is the reason

anap · 24-11-2011, 15:29

Before the upgrade my TV would automatically go from 720p on SD to 1080i on HD and back again. Now it doesn't change from 1080i. Am I right in assuming that I only need 1080i for all channels now?

zekeisaszekedoes · 24-11-2011, 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by anap

Before the upgrade my TV would automatically go from 720p on SD to 1080i on HD and back again. Now it doesn't change from 1080i. Am I right in assuming that I only need 1080i for all channels now?

Owing to problems I used to have with the box I'd recommend only selecting the output resolution you want the TiVo to output at all times, i.e. remove all but the one you want. I have only 1080i selected and apart from early bootup where TiVo outputs 576p (Just a few more minutes...) it never changes from 1080i.

ntl.wotcha · 24-11-2011, 22:32

The text on ch 999 is now crystal clear on my 46inch Panasonic plasma.

anap · 25-11-2011, 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by zekeisaszekedoes

Owing to problems I used to have with the box I'd recommend only selecting the output resolution you want the TiVo to output at all times, i.e. remove all but the one you want. I have only 1080i selected and apart from early bootup where TiVo outputs 576p (Just a few more minutes...) it never changes from 1080i.

Looking more into this I see there is a problem with the software. Even when the broadcast is 1080i the Tivo will now output at 720p. Now without going into the relative merits of 1080i v. 720p I think I'd prefer the Tivo to have the options you see hinted at when you press info in the video output menu (HYBRID etc.).

gaz2810i · 25-11-2011, 09:57

This is something that has always annoyed me about TiVo, and which I hoped would be fixed in the new update. Regardless of how good the upscaler in the box is I have a great plasma that could do A better job. I really wish the TiVo box would pass through the native resolution of the show/channel to the pdp to allow the set to upscale the image. It says it can do it but it can't and I have to tick only 1080i to gaurentee HD pictures.

zekeisaszekedoes · 25-11-2011, 13:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by anap

Looking more into this I see there is a problem with the software. Even when the broadcast is 1080i the Tivo will now output at 720p. Now without going into the relative merits of 1080i v. 720p I think I'd prefer the Tivo to have the options you see hinted at when you press info in the video output menu (HYBRID etc.).

The way I did it was:

Home -> Help & Settings -> Settings -> Video Output
(While you're here set Aspect Correction Mode to Panel unless you like stretched images on 4:3 material.)
Go to Video Output Format -> Test Formats
Assuming you have a 1080i/p capable HDTV, go ahead and thumbs up all the modes.
Press left and deselect all modes except the one you want (in my case 1080i).
Choose Continue and press thumbs up three times to accept this new setup.
Press TV button and use box as normal.

I suppose it might vary by TV sets, but on my 32" Samsung LCD TV this means that after bootup the box never changes to another video mode. Personally my panel doesn't upscale that well so I like to have everything running in 1080i or 1080p when available to ensure the best picture overall. I like it looking nice and sharp, after years of owning fuzzy-looking CRTs it's a minimum requirement!

steveqpr · 13-12-2011, 15:07

Just to put my ten penneth in on this particular subject. I've just had a TiVo box installed this morning and have had my older V+ box moved elsewhere in the house. As far as I'm concerned there's a dramatic difference in picture quality between both boxes (the V+ box is streets ahead) to the extent that I'm considering calling up Virgin and asking them to replace the TiVo box with another V+ box. On non HD channels the picture is washed out and grainy and on HD channels it's 'bitty' (for the want of a better phrase) and any lettering/text is nowhere near as crisp and sharp as it should be.

I might be able to live with it assuming there'll be an update that might fix this issue but it's disappointing none the less.

borrissey · 13-12-2011, 15:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveqpr

Just to put my ten penneth in on this particular subject. I've just had a TiVo box installed this morning and have had my older V+ box moved elsewhere in the house. As far as I'm concerned there's a dramatic difference in picture quality between both boxes (the V+ box is streets ahead) to the extent that I'm considering calling up Virgin and asking them to replace the TiVo box with another V+ box. On non HD channels the picture is washed out and grainy and on HD channels it's 'bitty' (for the want of a better phrase) and any lettering/text is nowhere near as crisp and sharp as it should be.

I might be able to live with it assuming there'll be an update that might fix this issue but it's disappointing none the less.

What TV have you got?

steveqpr · 13-12-2011, 16:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by borrissey

What TV have you got?

Hi borrissey. I'm using the TiVo box with a Sony Bravia KDL-37V5500.

Digital Fanatic · 13-12-2011, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveqpr

Just to put my ten penneth in on this particular subject. I've just had a TiVo box installed this morning and have had my older V+ box moved elsewhere in the house. As far as I'm concerned there's a dramatic difference in picture quality between both boxes (the V+ box is streets ahead) to the extent that I'm considering calling up Virgin and asking them to replace the TiVo box with another V+ box. On non HD channels the picture is washed out and grainy and on HD channels it's 'bitty' (for the want of a better phrase) and any lettering/text is nowhere near as crisp and sharp as it should be.

I might be able to live with it assuming there'll be an update that might fix this issue but it's disappointing none the less.

We've already had the update. I suggest reconfiguring your tv to see if you can improve it.

Lew · 13-12-2011, 16:51

Funny, I've got a TiVo and a Samsung V+ connected to the same TV (Sony KDL-40EX403) via HDMI with the same settings for each input and there's barely any difference here.

You might want to check all of the settings on your TV though. One thing I've found on some Sony TVs is that when you change the device plugged into a particular input they reset all of the settings to defaults so all of your carefully adjusted picture settings are lost.

telepest · 13-12-2011, 17:07

we have a V+ (in bedroom) and a tivo box (in lounge) both connected to TOSHIBA tvs the Pq on the Tivo is far better than the V+ was on the lounge TV. although both are very good!

steveqpr · 13-12-2011, 17:11

Thanks for the replies DF and Lew - yeah, I've been messing about with the TV settings however there's definitely a difference which is a real shame.

As I mentioned previously, I dunno if this is something that I can live with in a hope that it might get addressed in a future update. It'll be interesting to see what the wife thinks of the picture when she comes home from work and whether she notices any difference in quality - my guess is that she won't even notice!

Anyway, this wasn't meant to be a cry for help, just some added thoughts to the thread to keep it ticking over.

andy_m · 13-12-2011, 17:25

You need to give your TiVo a week or so before you make any rash decisions. Quite a few people have reported improvements over time, and I certainly noticed poor picture quality in the first few days, but now can honestly say that its no different to my old V+HD box. And thats not just me getting used to it - I still have my old box, outputting to the same model of tv as my TiVo, and the picture quality is exactly the same on both.