Hope I don't get in trouble for cross posting this in two forums but I wasn't sure where would be the best spot and if it would get viewed by one crowd or not depending on where I posted so I figured I would bring this question here as well as the LCD forum where I started with it.


Hey all, I have a quick question that I hope is easily answered. I just bought a new HD camcorder (sony HDR-CX12) and I've shoot similar footage in both HD and SD.

When I play both and go back and forth between them on my Vizio VW26L (26" LCD) TV with just the component cable that came with the camcorder I can tell a big difference between the footage in quality.

When I do the same thing using the same cable on my 51" Sony rear projection KP-51WS500 TV I can't tell a difference.

What gives?

I don't know much about this stuff so be gentle with me. Could it have something to do with one TV being different as far as the resolution goes? Is that even a setting thing? Looks like the Sony is 1080i
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Are you sure you are using as set of component cables (a red, a green, and a blue) or are you using a single composite video cable (yellow)? If composite then the reason you are seing no difference is that composite is always in 480i SD regardless of what the actual video was "filmed" at.

Are you sure you are using as set of component cables (a red, a green, and a blue) or are you using a single composite video cable (yellow)? If composite then the reason you are seing no difference is that composite is always in 480i SD regardless of what the actual video was "filmed" at.

Thanks for the reply but I am using the component cable. A friend of mine suggested that maybe the inputs were set for different resolutions, I checked those and they're not marked with a resolution at all so I don't think that is it.

Are you sure that your Sony CRT RPTV can actually scan at 1080i or can it only scan at 480i and downsclaes the HD resolutions it can receive such as 720p and 1080i to SD 480i for display. Many of the earlier models of HDTV ready CRT units can only actually scan anything other then 480i. The Sony models that could scan 1080i were models with 9" guns and were called HI-Scan models.

Are you sure that your Sony CRT RPTV can actually scan at 1080i or can it only scan at 480i and downsclaes the HD resolutions it can receive such as 720p and 1080i to SD 480i for display. Many of the earlier models of HDTV ready CRT units can only actually scan anything other then 480i. The Sony models that could scan 1080i were models with 9" guns and were called HI-Scan models.


I'm going to guess that maybe that's it as I truely don't know. If that is the case how can they claim that it's a HDTV if it's only doing 480i?

Here is something I found in an online manual for the tv.

When you have connected the DTV receiver, you can enjoy digital TV
programs. This projection TV is capable of receiving the 1080i, 720p, 480p
and 480i digital TV formats.

✍ This projection TV is not capable of displaying a native 720p format
signal. When a 720p format signal is received, it is converted into a 480p
format signal.

Thoughts?

Time for a new TV?

I just found this as well.......

Some of the features that you will enjoy with your new projection TV
include:
❑ Hi Scan 1080™: Enables you to receive the 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i
digital TV formats. By using the VIDEO 5/6/7 IN jacks, you can
connect a DTV (digital television) receiver to view DTV programs.

Here is a link to the manual if you're interested.

Again, thanks for all your help so far.http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=KP51WS500

Page 76 of the user's manual points out that your TV has 7" guns and that it conforms to the NTSC TV standard (which is SD 480i). I was surprised that it does not also state that it meets the ATSC 1080i standard since it says it is a high scan model.
With only 7" guns even it can can scan at 1080i the actual displayed resolution would be around 1200x850.
What resolution(s) does your HD Camcoder support? If only 720p then that would explain why your TV displays it in SD since it downscales720p inputs to 480p

My camcorder is a Sony HDR-CX12 and from that page it says:

Video Resolution : 1920 x 1080

I asume that you are saying that you get better PQ with the LCD when you are sending it HD recordings instead of SD ones and that the PQ of the Sony is always the same as the SD picture quality on the LCD.
What viewing distance are you using for each of the units?

That is correct and I can't tell the difference between the HD or SD from when I switch between one or the other on the Sony.

I would say I'm about 8-10 feet away from the Sony and I was up close when doing the little test on the LCD.

Not sure if this tells anything but my camcorder has output settings for component and the options are 1080i/480i or 480i. By default it's set to 1080i/480i and I get a full screen durning playback but when I switch it to the 480i option I get bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

Could that mean that in the 1080i/480i mode the tv is picking up the 1080i and using it? If that's the case woudl that then mean that the SD pic is just that good or the HD isn't all that great?

When you set the camcorder so that it will output a 16:9 aspect ration HD recording over 480i it then downscales the HD recording to 480i and sends it in in letterbox mode so that you see the entire image but with black bars at the top and bottom.

From what I understand the camcorder is always 16:9 when shooting HD so I can't change that. But from what you and I posted does that mean that the TV is actually doing 1080i?

You said the options are (1) 1080I/480I which to me means that it will ouput 1080i when filming in HD mode and will output 480i when in SD mode and when you select the the other option (2) which is 480i that to me means that it would output 480i with HD recodrings in letterbox mode and with SD recordings in full 480i mode.
Your HDTV may have an "info" button or some other button on its remote that will tell you what resolution the TV is receiving.