Blurry TV (1 Viewer)

[echoing]

TV-Server Version: 1.0
MediaPortal Version: 1.0
MediaPortal Skin: XFace
Windows Version: Windows XP Pro Eng SP3
CPU Type: AMD Phenom 3-core 2.3 GHz
HDD: Seagate 1.5 TB SATA
Memory: Kingston HyperX DDR2-1066 2GB (2x1024)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78G-DS3H
Video Card: Asus GeForce 8600GT 256MB GDDR3 Silent
Video Card Driver: 6.14.11.7813
Sound Card: Realtek HD Audio
Sound Card AC3: Optical
Sound Card Driver: 5.10.0.5694
1. TV Card: Digital Everywhere FloppyDTV-C/CI
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C
1. TV Card Driver: 4.8.0
2. TV Card: Dilog Conax CAM
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: fddshow
MPEG2 Audio Codec: fddshow
h.264 Video Codec: CoreAVC
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Canal Digital
HTPC Case: 3R HT 1000B
Cooling:
Power Supply: Chieftec 400W
Remote: MStation
TV: TH42PX70E Panasonic 42 plasma
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI-VGA

First of all, I want to say that I have been reading other threads describing similar problems, without really finding a solution. If this is covered in a FAQ or thread which I haven't been able to find, please bear with me. I am very new to all of this.

I built a HTPC some days ago to get rid of the bad Sagem HD decoder from Canal Digital (cable supplier), and bought a FloppyDTV with a Dilog Conax CAM for my digital cable subscription.

The GeForce 8600 has 2 DVI ports out, and the TV has HDMI and D-SUB in. The native resolution of the plasma panel is 1024x768, even though the aspect is 16:9.
I began with connecting a DVI-HDMI cable from the PC to the TV, but I found that the picture was quite blurry overall in 1280x720.
Today I went for a DVI-D-SUB cable instead, with 1024x768. The Windows desktop, MediaPortal etc is clear now. The problem is TV. It's very blurry, and looks as if the FloppyDTV is receiving a TV signal equivalent to something like upscaled 320x200.

I don't think this actually is a MediaPortal problem, as I get the same blurry picture in FireDTV Viewer. (Click to see screenshot full size).

As you can hopefully see from the screenshot, everything is crystal clear except the TV signal. Look at the subtitles, they are very blurred. It's blurred even though I'm not viewing TV in fullscreen, so something is definitely wrong.

I am starting to wonder if I did something wrong during installation of the FloppyDTV drivers. I just installed them from the CD, and followed the instructions in the booklet. Did I miss a choice like "enable digital tv"? Or is there a hardware problem in the FloppyDTV?
All the TV channels are much clearer using the very bad Sagem decoder. Also, other 720p sources, like my Pioneer DV-600AV DVD player, give a crisp, beautiful picture on the TV.

Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Spragleknas]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

1. Make sure your refresh rate is set to 50 Hz (PAL material)
2. Try to use a DXVA capable codec. I recommend Cyberlink - trial is fine.
(Or you can install SAF --> https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-55/standalone-filters-mediaportal-saf-44614/ )

Could you please write down what kind of TV you use?

 

[echoing]

Thank you for replying so fast. The TV is TH42PX70E Panasonic 42 plasma, as you can see from my profile.
I can't set the refresh rate lower than 60 with D-SUB. I think I could when I used HDMI, but that only made it worse overall. Does the refresh rate really affect the sharpness?
I have actually bought PowerDVD, but I found the CoreAVC codec to be faster, and it gives better picture quality.
Another thread advised to stay away from PowerDVD's audio codec, so I switched back to fddshow, and that really improved channel speed.

Another thing.. There is quite a lot of noise in the picture, much like mpeg encoded vhs recording. I didn't notice this with the Sagem decoder. It's just as if the FloppyDTV is just receiving the analogue signal. But it isn't, because I can see the HD channels (with slightly better quality).

 

[Spragleknas]

t's just as if the FloppyDTV is just receiving the analogue signal. But it isn't, because

... it can't (it's digital - only)
In my experience, PAL (50Hz) will never look sharp viewed @ 60 Hz (someone please correct me if they have other experience) - and using a DXVA capable codec (like Cyberlink) is also beneficial for live TV (I'm on analogue, btw), perhaps if you tweak FFDShow you'll get good results, though.

I can't set the refresh rate lower than 60 with D-SUB

I had a nVidia card once (6200), and even though my TV would not "allow" 50 Hz (damn EDID), I managed to force it via the nVidia CP.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

If the TV and graphics card are capable of dvi\hdmi, then that is what I would use.

My TV will only run at 60hz and its picture perfect, make sure you are running at the plasma screens pc resolution setting, you may have to play around a bit with this to get the sharpest picture, but default always a good place to start .

Make sure under the nvidia control panel you change these settings.

These changes are done in advanced setting view, under video & television.

Adjust video colour tab, select nvidia, not player.
advanced, dynamic range set to full.

Adjust video image settings, select nvidia, not player for both options.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[echoing]

Paranoid Delusion: Thanks, I will try that.

I just realized that much of the blur has to do with the de-interlacing. Maybe I don't need to de-interlace at all if I use a HDMI cable and use a refresh rate of 50 or 100? If I turn off de-interlacing with D-SUB, the picture is sharper, but I get the typical interlaced lines like on a PC monitor.

I wasn't able to use 50 on the tv through D-SUB, even though I specified it manually in the nvidia control panel. The screen just went black.

I will go back to using DVI-HDMI and test tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Spragleknas]

My TV will only run at 60hz and its picture perfect

Not possible with PAL material (still pictures might still be)

 

[echoing]

I woke up too early this morning, so I had a go with the DVI-HDMI.
It seems as if it's impossible to get a clear picture from Windows on this plasma TV with anything else but D-SUB. That's also the impression I had after googling some comments on the subject.

Whatever I choose, 1024x768 or 1280x720, the image is still not clear. I'm just talking about the Windows GUI here, the TV signal is a different issue. I can force 1024x768 to 50HZ, but the plasma doesn't display it properly. The screen is kind of doubled horizontally. It works ok with 60 HZ, but not in any way as clear as with D-SUB. It seems like the TV is smoothing the picture or something.

Cable TV is, as I said, much clearer without deinterlacing, but the interlacing stripes really show when there is a lot of movement, even with 1280x720 @ 50HZ. Anyway, it's my impression that the refresh rate shouldn't influence the sharpness of the picture that much, isn't it rather a matter of fluent movement?

My conclusion is that I really need to use D-SUB with 1024x768 @ 60HZ to get a clear Windows picture on the TV.
Still, (digital) cable is not nearly as clear as with the Sagem decoder from Canal Digital.

I will try to bring the HTPC to a friend with a LCD with native 1080p. If it's all good there, I'll just buy a new TV.

 

[Spragleknas]

My guess is that the reason why you are not getting a clear image is due to the TV's internal scaling.
Even if you send some TV's the "correct" resolution, it will still do scaling S). This might not be the case when it comes to VGA, as it is intended to accept PC resolutions.

I hooked up a HTPC on a 1080p Samsung LCD, using 1920x1080. Even so, the picture looked like shit. I had to enable the "Just scan" function of the TV to get (crystal clear) picture.

 

[echoing]

But if it's like that, I find it strange that the Windows GUI is crystal clear with D-SUB, but the FireDTV window inside it is very blurry.
That makes it seem like it's more an issue in the HTPC/FloppyDTV/cable than the TV. It's all a mystery to me.