I recently purchased a 48" JVC HDTV and went to Comcast to get the HD box. The lady there gave me the standard composite cables and said "These are the same thing as component" after I asked her for Component. I know they are not the same thing but I didnt want be in there anymore after standing in line for a half an hour. I got home and called for a tech to bring me component after trying out the composite. My question is: should I just go and buy a HDMI cable or wait for the component cables to get here? Here are my tv specs: 48" Widescreen Rear Projection HDTV D.I.S.T. 1080i (Digital Image Scaling Technology) ATSC/QAM Digital Tuner Protective Screen Shield Single Tuner, Freeze and Index 16 MEGA 10 BIT 3D Y/C Comb Filter Super Focus Auto Convergence & 81 pt. Manual Convergence HD Range DSD (Digital Super Detail) High End Edge Correction Circuitry Natural Cinema (3-2 Pull Down) Selectable Velocity Scan Modulation Dual Auto Sensing Component Video Inputs Video Status (D6500K, Standard, Theater, Dynamic, Game) 6 Aspect Modes Including HD EZ Fill (Panorama, Regular, Cinema, Full, HD Cinema Zoom & HD Panorama) HDMI with HDCP Digital Input 4 AV Inputs (1 Front, 3 Rear) 3 S-Video Inputs (1 Front, 2 Rear) Graphic On-Screen Display BBE High Definition Audio Advanced HyperSurround Fixed Audio Output with Speaker On/Off XDS Auto Clock Set with ID Display and EZ Surf Return + Interactive Plug in Menu Multi-Function Timer Sleep Timer Closed Caption w/Text Digital Noise Clear Circuitry Black Level Expansion V-Chip AV Compu Link III Universal Remote with TV, VCR and DVD Control Capability Hyper Scan High Speed Channel Changer RF Input Width 47-1/4" Height 46-7/8" Depth 24-1/2" Weight 157.3 lbs.
Hello Kentrey...welcome to afterdawn! You've got a hell of a nice TV! I also have comcast hidef. Personally, I think you would be better to get an HDMI anyway ... when you get the component, set them aside; odds are you'll find a use for them sooner of later. HDMI has a couple of advantages; first, less cables...HDMI will carry both your video and audio while with component, you've got the three cables colored blue, red and green and then you'll need to run either an optical or coax for your digital sound. Secondly, there is no conversion of signals...an HDMI, unlike component, is digital to digital directly and has a better picture (but I've got to be honest in saying that, to me, you need the eyes of an eagle to tell the difference but, facts are facts and it is a better pic). Remember though that you've also got to set the menus of Comcasts hi def box. It should be in the mess of instructions, charts and other confusing stuff you got from Comcast. In the box's menus, it will allow you to choose various options as to how the signal is delivered from the box to the TV. It will give you the option to convert 4:3 to 16:9, widescreen, or only the signals that come that way. Comcasts box will also have a 1080p setting if you TV has it .... well, it will be self explanatory when you get in there to look. I just like to point out to comcast people that those menus are there in the HD box ... many don't know and end up with a pic that could be better and, for god knows what reason, comcast just buries the fact of those HD box menus in all that stuff without highlighting the fact. Let us know if you have any problems...I or others will be glad to help out any way we can. Happy viewing...I don't regret buying my hi def TV for a moment! EDIT: I forgot to mention that the component cables you're going to get from comcast are real junk anyway! Even if you used component, you'd probably go out and get some better ones. Good cables are important (I don't mean that they have to put you in the poor house but there is such a think as just plain crap too ... a lot of it).
@gerry1 "In the box's menus, it will allow you to choose various options as to how the signal is delivered from the box to the TV. It will give you the option to convert 4:3 to 16:9, widescreen, or only the signals that come that way. Comcasts box will also have a 1080p setting if you TV has it .... well, it will be self explanatory when you get in there to look. I just like to point out to comcast people that those menus are there in the HD box ... many don't know and end up with a pic that could be better and, for god knows what reason, comcast just buries the fact of those HD box menus in all that stuff without highlighting the fact." How do you get to this? When I go to setup I don't see what your talking about.
Make sure that you're cable box has been plugged in for a least an hour. Make sure the TV is on but that the cable box (hi def box) is off but plugged in. With the TV on and the cable box OFF but plugged in, press the "setup" button on the comcast remote (yes, the cable box must be off, I know it sound strange) but press "setup" followed by "menu" on the comcast remote and the cable box's menu will show on the screen. From there its really easy as you'll see. I'm on the road going back to Philly today so I won't be around until 8:30 tonite; will check back then....Gerry
I think that most people don't know about the setup menu on their cable box. I have Comcast HDcable through a Motorola box. For the setup menu, the box must be off (T.V. on, Doh!), press menu, then quickly down arrow, then right arrow. This gives you a menu to adjust screen size and quality of HD video up to 1080i(no 1080p here), you can set 4:3 SDTV up to 480p which is a nice improvement over 480i.
I'm a tech for c*mcast..........our office supplies HDMI cables to customers. Ask & specifically ask for them to bring you a HDMI cable. I'm not sure if all offices do it.
I finaly found how to get to what gerry1 was talking about. Am I better off with 720P or 1080I output from the comcast box. I've got a 42" samsung plazma HPS4253XXAA.
I guess it depends on the resolution of the t.v. Is it 720p or 1080p? Most of the plasmas that i've seen from last year and early 2006 are 720p.BTW Comcast gave me a DVI to HDMI cable as well so they've got all of the cable types.
DaBig, I've got the option on my box to set 4:3 to 480p and it seems to be a slight improvement. Is this what you are recommending or is there something else I can do to improve the SD resolution? Thanks.
You have two options. 1) You can set the box to 720p to match your sets native resolution (and let the cable box do the video processing to down-convert 1080i to 720p). or 2) Set the box to 1080i making the cable box up-convert all 720p programming to 1080i (and let your tv down-convert everything back to 720p). PQ depends on how good the video processing (how well Scaling and De-Interlacing are preformed) in within your TV set VS. your Cable box. I don't know which is better but I would bet that the cable box has better chips unless the tv has name brand video processing (which your model doesn't). [bold]So, I would personally set the cable box to 720p.[/bold] Ced
ChiknLitl I usually set the 4:3 overide to 480i, for customers. But set it to what ever looks best to you.........
