I have a Sci Atl 4250HD with Cablevision hooked up via HDMI to my Hannspree Xv37.

I am having a problem and could use some opinions about whether it is the STB or the TV.

When I set the box to Auto-DVI (the same thing as "pass-through") the box puts out 1080i for HD channels and 480p for SD channels.

When I change from an HD channel to a SD channel, my TV switches to 480p but the entire image is shifted to the left about 3 inches, pushing off the screen and leaving black space on the right. If I power cycle the TV it fixes itself.

But if I also switch inputs it fixes itself. This leads me to believe it could be an HDMI issue on the TV or the STB because switching inputs causes HDMI to handshake with the box when I switch back to HDMI.

The problem exists across all 3 of my HDMI ports, but does not exist when I use component from the STB. I normally use component for the DVD so I cannot leave the STB on that input.

Any ideas appreciated. I opened a case with Hannspree but they are extremely slow to respond. I could swap the box at my local Cablevision office but wanted opinions before I take the time to do that.

Thanks.

Most likely the TV isn't handling the resolution switch correctly for it's HDMI inputs. Does letting the STB output 1080i for all channels impact your SD channel PQ that much?

I don't mind 1080i for all content but I find having to manually switch the SD channels to "stretch" mode is annoying, even with a macro programmed into my universal remote.

I also think the quality is a little better for SD when the box puts out 480p and the TV scales it up. The colors seem more accurate.

I found another problem with the 4250 last night.

I was watching Lost on 707. Box was putting out 1080i on HDMI.
On dark scenes I was seeing white interference flashing around the screen.

I changed to the TV's QAM tuner and, though tuned at 720p, the interference was not there. Picture looked beautiful.

So I went back to HDMI and tried setting the 4250 to 720p.
The interference was even worse. I mean unwatchable. Kicked it back up to 1080i and it's still there but you have to look for it.
I don't think I have seen this on any other channels.

So whats going on here? Crappy 4250? Crappy HDMI on the box? Crappy HDMI on my TV? Crappy cablevision recompressing ABC's signal for STB's?

I'm getting similar issues with a Toshiba DLP and a CV 4250HD via HDMI I'm trying another box tomorrow.

yeh same here. i just got home from school, brought my HDTV home for the summer, and my mom picked up the 4250 from cablevision.

i hooked everything up with HDMI to my LNS3251D and I get the white interlacing problem. i'm pretty sure its the signal quality because sometimes its there and sometimes not.

this is likely due to the fact that we get 23 HD channels free, but it still annoys me because at school up at buffalo we have TimeWarner which is a horrible company, but at least their HD signal is superb. not to mention our HD box here from cablevision seems outdated compared to the 8300HD Time Warner provides.

I think i'll be calling Cablevision to send over a technician, or just ask over the phone whether this white/interlacing effect is a problem everyone experiences and is not fixable.

I wonder if its the fact that I'm using the 7 dollar monoprice HDMI cables for this; perhaps i should get an HDMI cable from cablevision.

I will be raising my image shifting issue with cablevision as well.
I am pretty certain it is the box's fault.

When I shift from a HD channel to a SD channel and the image shifts left, it stays that way even when I bring up a PIP window with another source or a 2nd source side-by-side.

This means to me that it is the 4250HD source that is improperly rendering the HDMI image.
If the TV were improperly rendering the full screen image it should correct when changing the picture format like it does when going from fullscreen to side-by-side.

Well I spoke to a friendly HD tech at Cablevision.
Of course they've never heard of this and their only suggestion was perhaps the HDMI cable has a problem. I doubt it since it works fine when it handshakes again.
Mine is also a monoprice cable.

(I am speaking to the image shift problem, not picture quality)

I also want to mention some more evidence that I feel it is the STB:
I have HDMI from the cable box and straight coax into the TV for PIP.
When the HDMI image is shifted left, and I turn on PIP for the tv tuner, the HDMI image REMAINS shifted left even inside the PIP window. This tells me the signal coming from the STB is the problem.
The problem also does not show up with the built-in tuner when going from an HD channel to SD channel.

ripple420

Have you tried using component? Most can't tell any difference.

As I stated in my initial post, the problem does NOT exist on the component connection.
The problem is that I only have 1 component input and it is taken by my DVD player.
Unless the Dolans care to send me a nice Oppo player with HDMI, I am stuck for now.

Since your DVD player does not have a HDMI connection, perhaps a simple component switch might work more easily unless you use the DVD player as much as the TV. In any event good luck with it.

Swapped the box for a brand new 4250hd.
Problem still exists. I will have to try another HDMI cable next but I suspect it's a HDMI problem with this box and my TV.

I swapped the HDMI cable.
I swapped the box for another one.
Problem still exists, so I finally got through to a Hannspree USA service manager.
This was his reply today. I am glad it's not me!

Within the past week we have been contacted by 2 other customers with the same brand and model of cable box who reported the same image shift . We are checking with our factory to find out why this is happening, and why with only that specific cable box. It may have something to do with the box not “resetting” the image or communicating the reset in a fashion that our TV understands.

I am expecting to get some information late this evening from our factory in Taiwan regarding this issue.