[BayHDguy]

I put this question under another post as well.


My buddy in So Cal wants to get a Sampo 34" after having come up to see me and my new set. He was ready to buy but has flinched because of how it looked in Fry's. We have friends in the Phoenix and Houston area where Fry's runs an HD loop that said the picture looked poor. They do not know enough to tell us why it looks bad. Does anybody here live by one of these stores that knows for sure if it was improperly set up by the store or if it is a set issue. If it is a store issue he is going to buy it. I think it is a store issue because Frys sales people are not to swift.

 

[Juan]

I live in Southern CA and I have been to Fry's plenty of times and I can tell you that the problem is their feed, it is not the tv's. And dont bother asking them any questions because they dont know what they are talking about. Their prices are also hire than other stores.


------------------

Juan Ruiz


[This message has been edited by Juan (edited 07-18-2001).]

 

[acourvil]

Don't know about the store your buddy was in, but the Fry's near my work is able to make the DTV demo loop look like weak standard definition on all of the 50 or so TV's that they feed it to, even the HDTV sets that I know are decent.

 

[kbsetter]

I think Tony's suggestion 1(also split about 50 ways) and 3 is correct. Sampo will look especially bad with composite feed because it has no internal line doubler.


On the plus side, Frys do sell it now at $1899.


[This message has been edited by kbsetter (edited 07-19-2001).]

 

[Tony Chick]

There's usually one of three reasons it looks bad.


1. They have it connected via the S-Video or composite SD output instead of component (I've seen this at local stores).


2. the component output from an STB is split via a distribution amp and fed to many different sets. Component is analog and subject to the same degradation as any other analog signal. The best picture is always a direct connect from the STB to the set via the shortest and best set of component cables you can get.


3. They have the brightness, contrast and picture controls on the set cranked to maximum like they are used to doing with regular sets, the opposite of what is needed to make an HD feed look good.


Tony

 

[tpgaffney]

I played with the Sampo at Fry’s in Phoenix. I had to move the black level and the contrast all the way up to get whites that did not look gray. It still did not look as good as the Panasonic or the Toshiba 34’ that it was next to. I think the set needs some internal adjustments or has been burnt out or something?