Sky TV a bit "grainy" on New Flat Screen?

[PGowdy]

Hey guys, i just got a Samsung flatscreen, led, smart blah blah TV. Never owned one before but it was time to catch up with the rest of civilisation.
Anyhoo, the picture i'm getting on Sky now is pretty shitty. The worst is football, you can see grainy/pixley areas around each player.
Never had an issue before does anyone have any experience of this or can give me any advise. Is it an issue with Sky or the TV? Are there settings that need changing? Is it because i'm using a skart? (altho i called my brother who has a huge flatscreen and sky and he uses a skart and says the picture is perfect)

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

 

[JuniorChubb]

I would guess the scart cable is your problem, and probably only noticable since you upgraded your TV.

You need to connect to your sky box through an HDMI cable for better results, then for optimium results use one of the HD channels. As for your brother, once he connected through an HDMI cable, he would not want to go back (assuming his TV is HD, otherwise this is why he does not notice).

I don't have enough HDMI sockets on my TV though so I only bother running my PS3 & Wii U through HDMI, I'm not really bothered with my Virgin box being in HD.

BTW you will love your gaming in HD. :wink:

 

[PGowdy]

Yeah i'm playing Crysis 2 at the moment. ****ing quality.
I think i will have to get a HDMI cable and see if it improves matters then. The guy in the shop tried to sell me one for about 40 quid. I told him where he could go. I'll see if i can get one cheaper online.

 

[JuniorChubb]

You should be able to use your PS3 HDMI cable in your SKy box to see if it improves your Sky picture quality... watch out buying online (or anywhere really), with these I think inferior quality leads to inferior picture...

The upgrade is awseome on the PS3, I remember when I first played Oblivion in HD after playing it in standard resolution for weeks beforehand. It was a real WOW moment.

Make sure you try a few Blu-Rays too, but be warned the PS3 contols are different on Blu-Ray to DVD.

You have just taken your first steps into a larger world. :wink:

 

[Richard_H]

Remember the sky HD is not 1080 but 720 so it isn't true HD quality.
I got a very good HDMI cable for about £18 from amazon, you can get shitty ones from £8 or so

 

[PGowdy]

I don't have SKYHD.

 

[JuniorChubb]

Spot on Cc, most of what we watch and play is not true 1080p but 720p or even 1080i. Its nice to be prepared though...

 

[JuniorChubb]

I don't have SKYHD.

That might help explain some of your issues....

 

[Richard_H]

What size TV do you have. There is almost certainly a resolution issue. Bit like getting a jpg and stretching it. On a sky hd box you can change the resolution output but don't know about none HD.

 

[PGowdy]

It's a 37"

 

[PGowdy]

I don't have SKYHD.

That might help explain some of your issues....

Thing is you shouldn't get a grainy picture just because you don't pay £10 a month extra for HD which is a ****ing scam anyway. Sky sports looks like a poor quality download.

 

[Richard_H]

There is an unproven rumour that Sky have downgraded the quality of their SD as the newer, larger LCDs will exaggerate the poor picture quality. I wonder why they'd do that? :evil:

 

[JuniorChubb]

I don't have SKYHD.

That might help explain some of your issues....

Thing is you shouldn't get a grainy picture just because you don't pay £10 a month extra for HD which is a ****ing scam anyway. Sky sports looks like a poor quality download.

No a grainy picture is not on, but HD would improve your picture quality, its more of an option than a scam.

It might be something that was disguised slightly by the inferior quality of your old TV and is now revealed by your higher definition unit.

There is always the chance your cables aren't pushed in properly... :shock:

In the long run you might be better of swallowing the Sky scam or switch to Virgin.

 

[spoons]

Pete, I have a Samsung tv and sky hd an have no issues with a scart. The non hd channels aren't as good but they are not grainy.

I'd try a new scart in the first instance

 

[ODB]

Remember the sky HD is not 1080 but 720 so it isn't true HD quality.
I got a very good HDMI cable for about £18 from amazon, you can get shitty ones from £8 or so

Errrrr HDMI are digital so the difference between a cheap one and an £80 one will be nothing. I've never paid more than a couple of quid for mine as there simply is no point in doing so.

Don't believe me:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/home...-cables-make-no-difference-the-absolute-proof

or

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20056502-1/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/

or

http://www.techradar.com/news/video/why-you-dont-need-to-spend-more-than-2-on-an-hdmi-cable-1071343

 

[JuniorChubb]

Cheers for clearing that up ODB.

I did wonder if cheaper meant inferior quality, as is the case with some audio cables. Looks like I was wrong to wonder.

I will need an HDMI spliiter at some point, I assume the same applies?

 

[Richard_H]

Remember the sky HD is not 1080 but 720 so it isn't true HD quality.
I got a very good HDMI cable for about £18 from amazon, you can get shitty ones from £8 or so

Errrrr HDMI are digital so the difference between a cheap one and an £80 one will be nothing. I've never paid more than a couple of quid for mine as there simply is no point in doing so.

Don't believe me:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/home...-cables-make-no-difference-the-absolute-proof

or

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20056502-1/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/

or

http://www.techradar.com/news/video/why-you-dont-need-to-spend-more-than-2-on-an-hdmi-cable-1071343

I never referred to the quality of the picture. The one from Sky is shitty. A poor quality cable that'd be easy to damage. The more expensive one is very thick and shielded very well.

 

[edd_jedi]

HD displays are designed for HD video mate. If you're not watching Blu-Rays or HD TV, there really is no point having one. You may as well go back to having a large SD TV, it will look better.

 

[ODB]

I never referred to the quality of the picture. The one from Sky is shitty. A poor quality cable that'd be easy to damage. The more expensive one is very thick and shielded very well.

You don't need shielding unless you are going over large distances and if a cable breaks the pictures quality doesn't degrade like a scart lead you end up with a snowstorm effect on the screen.

These are all you ever need to buy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMIKing--H...60DM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1362133608&sr=8-4

 

[spoons]

These are all you ever need to buy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMIKing--H...60DM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1362133608&sr=8-4

Thanks - just bought one