[NetSpiker]


About 3 weeks ago, I bought a 64'' Samsung 8500 TV to replace my 46'' Panasonic G10A. I used to sit 6 feet away from my old TV and I could never tell the difference between DVDs and Blu-rays. Now I sit 10 feet away from my 64'' TV and all standard definition content looks like an old VHS tape. I naively believed that I could get a cinematic experience by buying a huge TV. I had no idea that standard def content actually looks worse on a bigger TV.

 

Has anyone else experienced this problem before? How long did it take you to get used to it? How big is your TV and far away from it do you sit?

 

I have 5 options to choose from.

 

Option 1

I could do nothing and just wait until I get used to the reduction in quality. VHS quality isn't so bad. I watched plenty of VHS tapes in the 90s and had a lot of good times. There's no reason I can't enjoy the same level of quality again.

 

Option 2

I could increase the Sharpness. The main problem with standard definition is that edges look blurry, so increasing Sharpness might improve the picture quality. Do you guys think that could work? How high do you set the Sharpness on your TV when watching standard def content? I could also pay to have my TV calibrated, but that would mean I wouldn't be able to replace the TV without losing what I've invested in it.

 

Option 3

I could move my seat even further back until the quality starts to look normal. But that would negate the whole reason for buying a big TV.

 

Option 4

I could stop watching DVDs and limit myself to HD content. Unfortunately, I don't have access to as many Blu-rays in Australia as you Americans get. Still, there are plenty of Blu-rays and by the time I've watched every Blu-ray worth watching, there should be even more on the market.

 

Option 5

I could replace my 64'' TV with a 60'' or 55'' TV. I'm going to have it replaced anyway because it has a dead pixel and problems with reception.

 

What do you think I should do?

 

[wxman]

Another option is to get an OPPO blu ray player. They have the best upconversion of DVD's on the market.

 

[NetSpiker]


When I play a DVD is it just the Blu-ray player that's doing the upscaling or is it the TV and the Blu-ray player?

 

[wxman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by NetSpiker  /t/1520857/the-trouble-of-having-a-64-tv#post_24436285


When I play a DVD is it just the Blu-ray player that's doing the upscaling or is it the TV and the Blu-ray player?

The blu ray player does the upscaling. Most blu ray players are about the same in quality when playing blu rays. However, there is wide difference in quality when they try and upscale DVD's. That's is why OPPO is so much more expensive than most other players. They excel at upscaling.

 

[Terry Newton]

The first time I watched a DVD on my Panny DMP-BDP500-3D, I was a very happy camper because it looked so good.Now I have no problem ordering DVD's that are not on Blu ray yet.My head is about 6 feet from my Panny TCP 65VT50.I smile now every time I load a DVD because I had no idea they would look so good.

 

[NetSpiker]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Newton  /t/1520857/the-trouble-of-having-a-64-tv#post_24436491


The first time I watched a DVD on my Panny DMP-BDP500-3D, I was a very happy camper because it looked so good.Now I have no problem ordering DVD's that are not on Blu ray yet.My head is about 6 feet from my Panny TCP 65VT50.I smile now every time I load a DVD because I had no idea they would look so good.

You're sitting 6 feet away from a 65'' TV!!! And you don't have any trouble following the action during fighting scenes? Did you always sit that close to the TV or did you gradually move closer as you got used to it?

 

My current Blu-ray player is a Sony BDP-S3100. I'm not going to buy another one until I see evidence that it has better upscaling.

 

In my original post, I said that the picture quality is much worse on the 64'' TV, but maybe that's not the case. Maybe the picture quality is still the same but it looks worse to me because I subconsciously expect my new TV to feel like being in a cinema, rather than like watching TV.

 

[jasondjulian]


You were expecting it to look like a projector and screen.. It wont.  Never could, never will.

 

Since there is a finite number of pixels on the screen, the lower the input resolution the worse the output will be.  Its like looking at an image on a digital camera that has been digitally zoomed in as far as it'll go.. picture is crap.

 

I am sorry, it sounds like you had some misconceptions about what your viewing experience was going to be like. 

 

Am I correct in assuming that you are watching SD content over the air?  No cable or satellite service?  If that isnt the case, then I have to question why you are watching SD content at all.  If we are talking strictly DVDs as opposed to blu-ray discs... then there are two factors that play into that.  One is how well your Sony S3100 upconverts (I have an S5100 and I find it does an adequate job, not spectacular, but acceptable nonetheless). The other point is that you are watching a very very large tv at rather close distances.  At 8 feet.. you are at the absolute MINIMUM viewing distance.. no closer. Otherwise you start to lose detail in your 1080 images.. for 720, further away will look better, closer to 12 feet.  For SD content to not look like crap, you'd have to sit about 20 feet away. 

 

See this:  http://referencehometheater.com/2013/commentary/4k-calculator/

 

So to sum up my opinion and suggestions, move back a couple feet.. I sit 11' from a 55" panasonic S60.. its perfect.  Also, limit what you watch in SD.  Generally there are always HD versions, either 720 or 1080 of all SD channels.. hopefully the same is true in your locale.  And as for DVD upconverting, I think suggestion #1 about viewing distance will take care of that if you are not so inclined to buy a $500 OPPO blu-ray player. 

 

[mailiang]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jasondjulian  /t/1520857/the-trouble-of-having-a-64-tv/0_100#post_24437182


You were expecting it to look like a projector and screen.. It wont.  Never could, never will.


Since there is a finite number of pixels on the screen, the lower the input resolution the worse the output will be.  Its like looking at an image on a digital camera that has been digitally zoomed in as far as it'll go.. picture is crap.


I am sorry, it sounds like you had some misconceptions about what your viewing experience was going to be like. 


Am I correct in assuming that you are watching SD content over the air?  No cable or satellite service?  If that isnt the case, then I have to question why you are watching SD content at all.  If we are talking strictly DVDs as opposed to blu-ray discs... then there are two factors that play into that.  One is how well your Sony S3100 upconverts (I have an S5100 and I find it does an adequate job, not spectacular, but acceptable nonetheless). The other point is that you are watching a very very large tv at rather close distances.  At 8 feet.. you are at the absolute MINIMUM viewing distance.. no closer. Otherwise you start to lose detail in your 1080 images.. for 720, further away will look better, closer to 12 feet.  For SD content to not look like crap, you'd have to sit about 20 feet away. 


See this:  http://referencehometheater.com/2013/commentary/4k-calculator/


So to sum up my opinion and suggestions, move back a couple feet.. I sit 11' from a 55" panasonic S60.. its perfect.  Also, limit what you watch in SD.  Generally there are always HD versions, either 720 or 1080 of all SD channels.. hopefully the same is true in your locale.  And as for DVD upconverting, I think suggestion #1 about viewing distance will take care of that if you are not so inclined to buy a $500 OPPO blu-ray player. 

Good points. Also, I have found better results with DVD's by setting the player to 480 native and letting the TV do the up-scaling.



Ian