Home audio & video forum: HDMI looks worse than Component on Comcast HD Box. Help!

my situation is the reverse, and I am sure we would like to change places! Just use the component connection? I mean, honestly, what do you lose? I can only see a positive gain for you as that means more hdmi slots available for bluray, hd-dvd, or upscaling dvd players, all of which require hdmi connections for optimal playback. This is not true for set top boxes.

just use the component connection, and consider yourself lucky (if you can).

Make sure your box is set up for 1080I, to do this turn the box off then hit the menu button on the remote. it will bring you to the user settings screen. the hdmi/ypbpr output should say 1080I, also make sure your 4:3 override is set to 480p. if your using your hdmi output then go to the additional hdmi settings. make sure the color space is set to ycc 4:4:4.I hope that helps. The bar along the bottom shouldn't be blurry. If it is that usually has to do with the response rate of the tv. Another thing to check is make sure your tv is not in stretch mode that will distort your picture. Your not going to notice much difference between hdmi and component on the cable box.

You just solved a problem that I was having getting my DCX3400 to send 1080i to my TV. I had no clue about the [menu] button while the power was off. I have been fumbling with buttons for an hour or more.

Thanks so much !

I have Verizon FIOS T.V. and a Samsung DLP HDTV. The combination is great, picture and sound, but component sometimes can look noticeably better than HDMI (Sound is ALWAYS best in HDMI.)

I believe that HDMI being superior actually makes it worse in our cases! The graininess in the picture (something like static) is smoothed out from the inconsistency of the component cable, making it appear clearer.

The way it sounds for you, though, is much worse than it should be. You should have your service provider send a technician to view the TV and wiring to inform you whether or not there is a problem with the signal or receiver.

HDMI is much more convenient and superior than component, and you shouldn't be subjected to using inferior components.

Hope this helps,

Simon

First off, regular channels are always going to look crappy on either component or HDMI. They may look worse on HDMI because the HDMI is 100% digital and the all digital signal, while better for HD can make SD channels look worse while the lower resolution of component can blur the edges a bit and make things look smoother.

My big problem was not with the TV (thank god). My issue, after having a second comcast tech come out, was that my signal strength was low. My signal strength was at Zero. He said that's the lowest of the "Acceptable" range. What they like to see is a +1 or even better.

So, with a booster, everything is good again.

If you're having the same problems I did, just call comcast, or whoever your provider is.

Comcast came out and tested my signal, then installed one for free. Not sure if it's always free or what. But since my account is new, they said no charge.

Also, not sure if other companies have them. But they most likely do. I think they one comcast installed was from Motorola.

hope that helps.

But you've got to admit, I called it. Maybe you didn't notice it, but you basically reiterated exactly what I said, sentence for sentence.

Hey, no matter who said what, we're only trying to help fix this guy's dilemma.

Simon,

it is the cable companies business to provide the booster. Don't think automatically adding a booster is a good idea. You can very well mess your signal up.

The whole thing about what connector works best is always an individual situation. HDMI is the future standard, but not necessarily implemented well early on. Secrets of Home Theater High Fidelity & The Perfect Vision have done comparative tests with the same results. Early implmentation is problematic so when they A-B compared component & HDMI connectors with a sample of common equipment, the component connections gave better result more that 50% of the time.

Until implementation kinks have gotten ironed out, one should actually always try both type of connectors to see which is better with your particular equipment. Then return the other type connector.

your right.. 4 outlets signal and amp is needed if there is a # 5.. though some homes don't need it.

btw are you a tech or a phone rep or ? (i am guessing your a comcast/charter employee)

I too was searching for better signal about 6-8 months ago when we were having DVR/HD box problems on RCN cable. Installing the booster as you have referenced by Motorola didn't help the "stuttering" problems as it really was a software problem eventually cured by RCN.

But what I found was:

First I ran the cable line coming into the house to the input on the booster and then out of the booster to the first splitter in my cable runs. I used a 3 way splitter with -4db going to HD/DVR cable box and -8db going to modem. the last -8db out I ran to the rest of my tv's on the system via a 4 way splitter.

This did not work well for the HD signal from my STB (cable set top box) It actually increased the signal to noise ratio on HD channels.

I then ran the cable line coming into the house to the input of the 3 way splitter with the -4db out direct to my STB for my HD set, and the -8db to the cable modem. The 3rd -8db out I ran to the input of the booster and then out from the booster to a 4 way splitter and to the rest of the house from there.

SUCCESS!! This seemed to work the best. It appears that by putting the booster AFTER the first splitter it didn't pull signal away from the HD STB and Modem on the first 3 way splitter to push to the rest of the system. Maybe sounds crazy but I proved it as I had DirecTv installed and was not happy with the signal and disconnected it. I re-ran the cable in to the 3 way splitter and to my STB and modem only to quickly regain TV for the night. Picture was okay but not as good as the next day when I reinstalled the booster and configured my splitters again as I had them. Once that was again done and the booster was powering the rest of the system, but not my HD tv or modem, my HD STB picture once again was excellent.

It works for me.. so hopefully it will work the same for others.

remember most channels are still being broadcasted analog,some digital and some hd.(by feb 2009 all stations need to go digital)dont matter what hd tv u buy.they all look da same.tnc cableman is correct about the amp install.A good way to find out if the line is bad is to connect the coax directly to da tv set,now if you see some channels especailly lower ones grainy etc, you have bad signal.bad signal will not give you a ugly picture using a set top box.but the picture will start macro blocking,meaning tiling,picture break ups and sound problems and most times no picture at all.hd boxes are 100% digital no way it can upconvert analog properly.the only solution at this time is getting a regular digital box.picture looks great but ofcourse no hd channels.i beenComcast employee for 3 years

NO BOXES, NO CABLES. LAST I KNEW PIONEER WAS STILL PUTTING CARD SLOTS

IN THE 5080 and 6080 models. The newer models, I'm unsure about.

River.

...If I have 8 outputs? I know, it sounds crazy, but basically I have 1 modem and 7 televisions. I know the first thing question will be "cut out 4 of those televisions!" I wish I could, but for arguments sake, lets just say I need each and every output.

Will running an two of these amps in series from the source cable be beneficial? Lets say after the amps, I split it two ways, one going the modem and the other going to the other televisions (which will split the signal even more as we go down the leg) In this case, would running an amp in series be beneficial? I've read that placing an amp before each split would work, but I think all it would do is amplify an already degrading signal.

I thank you in advance for the feedback!