Connecting new TV

[Kenster]

I just bought a new 27inch Toshiba. I can connect my UTV via coax, s-video, or composite. the UTV manual gives directions on how to connect all three ways. Should you connect all three ways, or just one? If just one, which is best? Right now, I have all three connected. I don't think the picture is that much better than my old TV which could only be connected to SAT with coax.

[scooper]

My preference would be to use S-Video.

[Mark Lamutt]

Svideo, then composite, then RF coax. That's the order of preference.

[MarkA]

Again, SVideo - and you just connect SVideo (and of course, audio).

[Steve Mehs]

If you have it connected both composite and svideo, the picture you will see will be coming for the Svideo cable. You may want to keep it connected RF, for your VCR, if you want to recored off of ch 3/4. Thats what I do since my E* 2800 only have one set of composite outs.

[scooper]

Steve - not to say you're wrong, but have you tried to use Y-cable splitters on the audio, or Radio Shack makes an A/V distribution amp that takes 1 set of RCA (Video (composite), Left and Right audio) and outputs to 3 different devices. This way, 1 set audio output goes to my TV (the video is via S-Video), one complete set goes to my MRDD1 (modulator/distribution system), and one set to VCR.

[Kenster]

Okay, based on your advice, I disconnected the RF coax and the AV cables. Now I get no recepton at all! The only way I get reception is through the RF coax. I don't get anything at all with just the s-video. What's up with that?

[Mark Lamutt]

My guess is that the svideo input on your television is INPUT1 or LINE1 IN, or something like that, and you have to switch to it. Toggle through your television inputs, and you'll probably find it.

[scooper]

Kenster - you have to have either RF coax, A/V composite with audio, or the S-Video with audio. Then you have to set your TV to the correct input source. On my Sony TV, there is a button that cycles through the different choices - ANT, VIdeo1 (the only S-Video input), Video2 , and Video3 (then it cycles back to ANT, etc.).

So, in your case, take the S-Video cable from your satellite receiver and connect it to the S-Video input on your TV, then also hook up the Red/White RCA jacks on the same source. Then figure out how to change over to your video input sources.

To make it easier for other family members, you might want to leave the RF connection on - this way, they can just tune to channel 3/4 to view the satellite.

[markh]

I think on Toshiba TVs the button that switches between sources is labelled "input". On some of the Toshibas anyway you'll get a menu onscreen that gives you the choice of inputs when you push that button.

[Kenster]

The only choices I can find in the set up screens are:
PIP source: TV, Video One, Video Two. (really don't need PIP setting from the TV since my UTV does that. But I did cycle through all three and it made no difference.

The only other selection is a toggle between TV and Cable. I assume it should be set to Cable. Setting it to TV makes no difference.
No matter what cable configuration I use or what settings on the TV, only the RF cable gives me a picture.

[scooper]

Kenster - dig out your manual that came with the TV, follow the hookups we described and READ your manual on how to switch sources .

What you need to do is connect either the S-Video or the YELLOW composite connector from your UTV to the corresponding S-Video / YELLOW composite connector on your TV (These should be Video 1). Also connect the RED and WHITE audio outputs from the satellite receiver to the corresponding colors on Video 1 of the TV.

[scooper]

Originally posted by Kenster
The only choices I can find in the set up screens are:
PIP source: TV, Video One, Video Two. (really don't need PIP setting from the TV since my UTV does that. But I did cycle through all three and it made no difference.

The only other selection is a toggle between TV and Cable. I assume it should be set to Cable. Setting it to TV makes no difference.
No matter what cable configuration I use or what settings on the TV, only the RF cable gives me a picture.

For this - you will NOT have to go to your setup screens.

As for TV/CABLE - it really doesn't matter until channel 14 . Channel 14 TV is around channel 65 cable, then keeps in step until cable 95-99 - cable 100 (and its OTA equivalent) picks up right after cable 94.

[MarkA]

Well, you either have a "TV/VIDEO" or "INPUT" button on your remote, or you (on a very few TVs) push channel up/down until you find it. It DOES NOT show up on channel 3/4 which is RF

[Kenster]

Okay, I got it. I noticed the TV/Video button on the remote, pushed that and could toggle thru TV/Video one/Video Two, etc.
Chose Video One, then disconnected the RF cable in the back.
Bingo! So I have the S-video cable and the red and white audio cables plugged in to Video one, But NOT the Yellow video cable.
Does that sound right.
Thanks to all.
Ken

[MarkA]

That's exactly correct - isn't the picture far better!

[scooper]

Don't know about the picture (well, there is some improvement), but now you should also get STEREO audio. It will really show up better audio if you output the TV audio through a real home stereo.

If you have a DVD player and an A/V receiver that switches video (most anything recent should do this), the best would be to connect all your sources into the A/V receiver and then connect the S-Video (monitor) output from the A/V receiver into the S-Video input of the TV. The only disadvantage to this (in some peoples eyes - not mine) is that the A/V receiver would need to be on to watch/listen to TV.

[MarkA]

scooper. The picture difference between RF and SVideo is night and day. Images are clearer, more detailed, without dot crawl, static, or ghosts. There's approximately double the perceived resolution at least.

[Steve Mehs]

Scott, I did think about that, but considering how much I use my VCR, I decided against it. Wont have to worry about that next week, when I get my 501, since its has 2 set of composite a/v ins.

[scooper]

Mark - that is highly dependent on the TV's themselves. If you have a somewhat older set that has S-Video (but no or a very poor comb filter on composite / Tuner output), I can see why the S-Video would look that much better. My TV (a 3-4 year old Sony 27" PIP capable model)(yes it has been calibrated with Video Essentials), there is not a lot of difference (the composite and S-Video don't have RF interference like the modulated signal does sometimes) - but as just about everyone will agree, the only way to get stereo audio is via the RCA audio connections. I don't know how good the Toshiba comb filters are, so Kenster may or may not see an improvement visually ( he should be able to HEAR the difference, though).

I can also see the point that an even larger TV would make more of a difference between S-Video and composite (not to mention RF), even with excellent 3D Digital Comb filters.

[MarkA]

True scooper, I'm sure composite has improved. My TV is from 1994, it's a 27" Mitsubishi crud.

[Kenster]

Originally posted by scooper
yes it has been calibrated with Video Essentials.

What is "Video Essentials." Is it a good thing? How do you get it and how does it work?

[scooper]

It's a DVD that you can buy and it will walk you through setting up your home theater (both audio and video). This includes setting the proper brightness, setting color tone/hues correctly, sharpness setting, etc. The next best thing to having an ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) Certified Tech come out and calibrate your TV. I'd recommend strongly - most TV's as they sit on the showroom are setup to "STANDOUT" - not necessarily the same as provides the best picture. This can also help to reduce the DBS artifacts you see. All the adjustments made through Video Essentials (and Avia, a competing but similar DVD) are done through the controls YOU can access in the setup screens.

Yes, I consider it a "Good Thing". :)

[Mark Lamutt]

Kenster -

There are 2 other choices as well for video calibration discs. One is called Sound and Vision's Home Theater Tune Up that is done by the same people that do the Avia disc, and the second choice are all of the dvds that have the THX calibration tools on them. My order of preference:

Avia (it has the most complete set of test patterns, but most of them are really only useful for calibrating from the service menu of your television, beyond the standard user controls)

Video Essentials (has most of the same patterns, although there is an error in the overscan pattern for the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It also has am excellent video montage that isn't available anywhere else that will really put your system through it's paces. It's worth having for that alone.)

S&V Home Theater Tune Up (basically a scaled back version of Avia that has been updated to include DTS sound calibration. Much cheaper also than the 1st 2)

THX optimizer (I have this on several of my dvds, but I've never used it. It looks pretty basic in nature.)

[MarkA]

Kenster, while it's not ideal any THX DVD will allow you the basic patterns, if you aren't yet ready to buy a calibration disc