Fuzzy Image -SDTV

[jbrooks92]

I want to know if there are settings I can adjust for the Vudu screens (their user interface). I have an old fashioned 27" tube (non-HDTV), I know that's weird given the wonderful HDTV's out there now. However, don't want to upgrade by Television give the majority of television broadcast is still in SDTV. The Vudu user interface is fuzzy (using the default setting of boxed (like the widescreen), movies look fine; it's just the Vudu screens which are fuzzy. Thanks!

[Nded]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

I've expereinced the same thing, as one of my Vudu's is attached to an SDTV. The interface on an older TV is a compromise that you just have to live with at this point. I can tell you that you'll love it when you eventually move up to a newer TV capable of displaying all your Vudu has to offer.

[NA9D]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

More and more content is in HD on TV. And I think even normal SD content looks better with an HD set. SD sets just don't have the resolution for the Vudu graphics.

[RonV]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

I want to know if there are settings I can adjust for the Vudu screens (their user interface). I have an old fashioned 27" tube (non-HDTV), I know that's weird given the wonderful HDTV's out there now. However, don't want to upgrade by Television give the majority of television broadcast is still in SDTV. The Vudu user interface is fuzzy (using the default setting of boxed (like the widescreen), movies look fine; it's just the Vudu screens which are fuzzy. Thanks!

I have used all the interfaces on the VUDU against both standard TV's and those that are capable of 1080i and I agree that the composite or S-Video interface the VUDU's menus are a bit fuzzy. When you think about it how many scan lines are actually used on a standard TV set? Out of 525 that the NTSC specification defines you average about 480 and not every broadcast contains all those lines.

Standard 4:3 sets have supportable resolution of 720?480 (345,600 pixels). HD Sets labeled 720p have a resolution of 1280?720 (921,600 pixels), and 1080i/p sets have a resolution of 1920?1080 (1,382,400 / 2,073,600 pixels).

You can see by the pixel counts that a standard NTSC picture has about 2/3 less pixels that a entry level 720p HD set does and that is where you are loosing the details of the menus on the VUDU. VUDU has gone to great lengths to make sure that the VUDU will work on analogue sets and the movies still look great on these TV's.

[jleavens]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

On the other hand, if your set can display 480p, SD looks pretty darn good.

Older TVs, of course, can't, they're all going to be the old 480i standard. But the VUDU does a great job with SD even with just the minimal improvement.

[jbrooks92]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

Thanks for all the assistance. I was still hoping for some way to adjust the image of the GUI of Vudu for an SDTV. I work for Best Buy (was in home theatre for 4 years), so I'm quite aware of the resolutions of EDTV and HDTV. It just difficult for me to believe their isn't a simple fix Vudu could provide to adjust this image for SDTV. A SDTV image (analog) looks horrible on an HDTV, a digital SDTV looks better, but it's still blurry. Hell, even HDTV images vary by cable provider (due to compression rates). The best HDTV signal right now is still your local network as it's over the air and non-compressed. I can't tell you the number of people who return HDTV's because they don't have HDTV service or the program content they watch is not in HDTV. Nieslen (as of 11/26/07) estimated only 11.3% of the 112.8 million home in the US were equipped with HDTV's. So they're are still more SDTVs than HDTVs in US homes. It's something I would have thought Vudu would address. Here is the article on the HDTV penetration: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6504745.html. I hope Vudu may try to provide some sort of fix.

[RonV]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

It A SDTV image (analog) looks horrible on an HDTV, a digital SDTV looks better, but it's still blurry.

I am confused now on what you are asking for. Are you asking that the SD image form VUDU look good on a HD set when its not using HD intefaces (HDMI, Compoent)? Who would run such a configuration?

[MaxH]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

I am confused now on what you are asking for. Are you asking that the SD image form VUDU look good on a HD set when its not using HD intefaces (HDMI, Compoent)? Who would run such a configuration?

Not very common, but I can see someone on a budget with an older set, with one set of HD inputs, maybe component only, who would rather not spend the money on a switch. Of course, I think the Vudu is the most deserving of one coveted HDMI input, but that's my opinion.

Also, to the OP, please remember that the Vudu can only output 480p over component due to licensing restrictions. To get full 1080 resolution, you need to use HDMI.

While I have to admit that on my secondary TV, an old 25" CRT, the menus and metadata are not easy to read, I do find them legible from ~10 feet.

[jbrooks92]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

Sorry for all of the confusion. Here is the situation, I have Vudu hooked up to a 27" tube with composite video cables. The SD movies I rent/buy look great on this TV. However, the Vudu interface (where I scroll through the movies and other content available prior to renting/buying a movie) looks fuzzy. I know it looks great on when hooked to a HDTV, as I've seen it. However, I was hoping Vudu had a setting to adjust the picture for their interface (Vudu screens - everything prior to watching a movie) for a SDTV. I know I can stretch it to fill the screen (4 x 3) for the movies, but how about for their screens/interface.

[NA9D]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

You are correct. But the fact is that it's a high res UI and the graphics just don't port well to 480i. There's not much that can be done. Sorry...

[jbrooks92]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

Thanks - I thought I would ask, as you never know until you ask.

[Rusdude]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

One of my TVs is a very nice 27" Sony set (old, only 480i, I believe) and even on that one Vudu doesn't look quite as sharp as on an HDTV. You can't really tell from far away, but on closer inspection it seems that text/images towards the edges aren't very sharp (softer, more blur). I don't think it ever got very bad to a point that I got disgusted with the interface, but perhaps it's more apparent on JBrooks' set.

[aaronwt]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

Thanks for all the assistance. I was still hoping for some way to adjust the image of the GUI of Vudu for an SDTV. I work for Best Buy (was in home theatre for 4 years), so I'm quite aware of the resolutions of EDTV and HDTV. It just difficult for me to believe their isn't a simple fix Vudu could provide to adjust this image for SDTV. A SDTV image (analog) looks horrible on an HDTV, a digital SDTV looks better, but it's still blurry. Hell, even HDTV images vary by cable provider (due to compression rates). The best HDTV signal right now is still your local network as it's over the air and non-compressed. I can't tell you the number of people who return HDTV's because they don't have HDTV service or the program content they watch is not in HDTV. Nieslen (as of 11/26/07) estimated only 11.3% of the 112.8 million home in the US were equipped with HDTV's. So they're are still more SDTVs than HDTVs in US homes. It's something I would have thought Vudu would address. Here is the article on the HDTV penetration: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6504745.html. I hope Vudu may try to provide some sort of fix.

All HD content from all sources, including OTA is compressed. OTA is far from the best broadcast. There has always been macroblocking problems when there are bright flashes, fast movement or quick camera pans(at least that has always been my experience since 2001 with OTA HD channels). There are several National HD channels that produce a good HD picture with not as many of these problems.
And the VUDU HD content doesn't experience these problems very often. But either way all HD content is highly compressed.

[johndthoma]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

I have the same issue. 25 year old TV, internet thru a blue ray disc player. Discs and Vudu movies and Cinema Now movies all look fine. No problem. The menus, all the text etc, on Vudu and Cinema Now are border line legible / illegible. Good enough to figure out I'm buying the movie, but close to worthless on reading the small text like movie description etc. I can sort thru the movies I may wish to see on my computer with vudu's website and add to my wish list. Makes it a easier. Setting up my Samsung BD 550 gave me a lot of options. I have no idea if my TV is 480i or 480p etc, but have tried all combinations of resolutions, aspect ratios, letterbox or not, etc I guess my TV must be 4:3 at 480, but it does not matter. They all look the same. I'm ok with it, i don't want to spend the money on a new TV

[NA9D]

Re: Fuzzy Image -SDTV

I have the same issue. 25 year old TV, internet thru a blue ray disc player. Discs and Vudu movies and Cinema Now movies all look fine. No problem. The menus, all the text etc, on Vudu and Cinema Now are border line legible / illegible. Good enough to figure out I'm buying the movie, but close to worthless on reading the small text like movie description etc. I can sort thru the movies I may wish to see on my computer with vudu's website and add to my wish list. Makes it a easier. Setting up my Samsung BD 550 gave me a lot of options. I have no idea if my TV is 480i or 480p etc, but have tried all combinations of resolutions, aspect ratios, letterbox or not, etc I guess my TV must be 4:3 at 480, but it does not matter. They all look the same. I'm ok with it, i don't want to spend the money on a new TV

Your TV is 480i. Your TV has basically 640x240 pixels = 153,600. A new 1920x1080 set has 2,073,600 pixels. That's 13.5 times as many pixels. That's why you can't see the images.

Those who say they don't need a new TV don't know what they are missing. EVERYONE without exception who ends up buying a new HD set comes back and says, "Why did I wait so long to buy a new set? This is unbelievable! I wish I'd done it sooner."