[hatchet]

I've had my 5080 set up for a week or two now, mainly breaking it in. Currently, I have analog cable feeding it through the coax, definitely not optimal but it's all I got. I do get the major networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) re-broadcast in HD.


What little bit of TV watching I've done of the HD channels has been fine.


This morning the installers came to hang the set on the wall. They laid it flat (as shown in the owners manual) to remove the stand and attach the mount. TV went up on the wall without a hitch.


But now, the HD channels are coming in severely pixelated and distorted, worse than I've ever seen it on any of my TV's I have in the house and I have a total of three. The other two sets tuned to the same HD channels are fine so it doesn't appear to be a signal issue.


I was connected to ANT. A which is ant/cable. I hooked it up to ANT. B and scanned but it won't find the HD channels on it's own or manually, just the analogs. I just switched back to ANT. A and am in the process of re-scanning.


For some reason, I get dual HD channels of the same network, i.e 4.1 AND 107.1 for say, CBS. The set has been scanning for a while now but I will try and play with both channels to see if they both have pixelation or maybe one worse than the other.


I was just wondering if setting the set down, again as prescribed in the manual, possibly jarred the tuner. The installers did not manhandle the set, as I watched.


Any thoughts??? I've invited the whole crew over to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday and this pixelation is going to absolutely ruin my plans!!!


Thanks in advance!

 

[hatchet]

It appears to be a signal issue. Like I said, the other two TV's seem to be fine.


After the scan, the Pio locked in on CBS at 107.1. The TV in the den has CBS at 4.1. The 5080HD will not find 4.1, either on an auto scan or manually. When I hit 4.1 on the remote, it defaults to 107.1...it has a mind of it's own!


I think there are issues with the HD's and the analogs on the same single feed of coax. I know when I first hooked up my Aquos, there were instructions in the manual (or I figured it out on my own) that in order to get the local HD's and the analogs, I had to use a splitter and split the feed from the coax to both ant./tuners on the aquos. So, that may be a backup plan.


So, it would appear the 5080 is having trouble locking on to the HD's. After the scan, it found FOX on something like 108.3 and another channel on 109.something, never hit these channels before...it was either 4.1, 6.1, 7.1, 10.11 or 107.1, 107.12 and whatnot, never 108 or 109 anything. And to add to it, if I scroll up/channel surf up through the analogs, I never hit 108 or 109, it's like it was never there.


I feel like a re-scan is in order...call me crazy but maybe late tonight. I'm thinking along the lines of internet activity and related speed. Maybe there are a lot of stay at home moms watching soaps right now. If it means anything, the 5080 was showing my signal strength to be at 28 out of 100, seems very low to me.


I'm looking for some advice. In the meantime, I'm on my way to the store to pick up and HD antennae as a back up for the Super Bowl. Don't want to get caught with my pants down on Sunday!!!

 

[NathanC]

Didn't even read the thread. Obviously caused by signal compression. Not the TV's fault. OTA is your best bet.

 

[hatchet]

Yeah...signal strength at 28/100 can't be good by anyone's measurement. Will try to pick up an OTA antennae by Sunday. Anything against one of the TERK models? Is there a better recommended one??


TIA!