[dbassman]

I just purchased an LG 42" 3D TV and one thing that is very noticeable to me and anybody who watches it is any TV show/movie I watch part of the picture looks very "cheesy" like the picture is if you look at a soap opera. I called HH Gregg and spoke with the salesman I purchased it from and he told me that's just the way it is with the new TVs and that if the production quality is low on a show you notice it more. I just wanted check here and see if that is the case or if it's something with my TV.

My second question has to do with playing a 3D movie I have a Sony BDP-BX58 3D Blu-ray player but when I try to play a side-by-side 3D movie I cannot switch my TV to side-by-side 3D. In talking to a friend who has a LG 3D TV and LG 3D Blu-ray player we think we've figured out it's because I do not have a high speed HDMI cable. He paid $140 and HH Gregg for his with a lifetime guarantee, I've seen him on the Internet for as low as $6. Will a cheaper one do the same job for me?

 

[Kevin F]

Any hdmi cable will work.


Also 3D can look cheesy on the LGs and vizios because of the 3D technology they use. Each eye only receives an image that is 540p. I can explain more in depth if you would like.

Kevin

 

[John Williams]

1st: Need a model number for the TV or we have no idea what we're dealing with. This is always one of the most important pieces of info to give (and not to bash you) but I can't understand people that get on a forum board, ask generic questions with no specific information, and actually expect to get a real answer. When usually there's no way to do so without making a lot of assumptions.

2nd: Can you describe what "part of the picture looks very "cheesy" like the picture is if you look at a soap opera" means? Are you saying half the screen looks that way and the other half not? I'm also assuming we're talking about the non-3D picture, which it seems you are alluding too. The other poster seems to think you meant the 3D picture. Could you please clarify.

With that info we sould be able to help.

 

[Stech]

I had the same issue with my new VIZIO 3D TV, M3D550KD . I had to go into the Advanced Picture settings and turn off the "Smooth Motion Effect."

I found out this info from a review on the VIZIO site.

Below is info from the review.

The first thing you notice when you watch a movie on the TV (from ANY source), is that there is something wrong. It looks funny, and you WILL notice it. Note before you read on, know that you can adjust the picture so that it looks “normal,” but out of the box, including in Viso’s “Movie” preset (which does nothing to address this), you will find ALL movies look funny on your new TV. You MAY like it, but many find it troubling. What is “it?” It is that your TV is VERY high definition and has a super fast refresh rate of 240 Hz. So how is that a problem…. Isn’t that why we bought an HDTV in the first place? Yes but you will notice movies look funny, more like cheaply made television video camera shot soap operas rather than movies made on film. We put on the Star Wars Blue Ray and it was very funny looking. Back to the Future too. I mean ROFL funny. The actors looked like they were on a live tv show very bright and very clear, but not at all like a movie film. I actually thought I saw a black square box around one of the starfighter ships in Star Wars, probably a mating effect that I was not supposed to be able to see. There is way to turn off the 240 hz fast refresh (Picture Advanced Options) and when off, movies will look like we are used to on our TVs. I wish Vizio would save this option in their picture presets so that “Movie” preset actually did something rather than just change some brightness and contrast settings. How about it Viso?

 

[dbassman]

Sorry John, I meant to include my model, it is a LG 42LM6200., I have updated my signature to show all my hardware.

(All problems in this paragraph are referring to 2D viewing) The part of the picture that has a "soap opera" look is mostly when they show close-ups of people or people in a small setting like in an office. The people just seem to stand out more as do some of the objects in the scene. It doesn't look as natural as it did on my older 32" LG 32LC2DU TV or on any of my other TVs, all of which (with the exception of my Toshiba 24" LED TV) are older 720p, my Toshiba is 1080p and was just purchased this spring. The picture looks more normal on it as well. It is easy to compare the Toshiba to my new LG 3D TV as they're both in the same room one on either side of my bed as I'm a quadriplegic and watch the 24" when I lay my left side and a new 42" when I land my right side and mostly when I am on my back, however when I'm on my back I can easily look to the left and see the Toshiba or look to the right and see the LG 3D. (Again just to be clear this is in 2D viewing)

Any hdmi cable will work.

In my Sony BDP-BX58 3D Blu-ray player manual that states in order to watch 3D movies you need a "high-speed" HDMI cable. If any HDMI cable will work, why can't I get my LG TV to switch into side-by-side 3D mode when I have my Blu-ray selected?

 

[jimmie57]

I found this on the Crutchfield site.
http://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/home/cables/hdmi.html#ReadMore2

What kind of HDMI cable do I need for 3D TV?

Most recent good-quality HDMI cables should be able to carry 3D video, especially if they're 2 meters or less in length. If you're buying new cables, look for ones labeled "high-speed," "1.3," or "1.4" to be sure. You'll need higher-bandwidth cables to carry the full 3D signal - it's equivalent to nearly two 1080p signals, simultaneously. Check out our 3D TV FAQ and introduction to 3D TV articles for more info.

My son's 2D 52" Mitsubishi said to hook it up with the High Speed cable. We did not have one so we used the one the DTV tech hooked it up with. I went to the store and got one that was labeled High Speed. It did make a difference in his TV.
I do think some are better than the others and I also think some are way over priced.

 

[John Williams]

OK. What you are seeing is the gimick of higher refresh rates (i.e. 120Hz, 240Hz, etc...) that causes this in a lot of brands. LG calls it TruMotion and on your TV it's 120Hz.
Go into you menu: Settings - PICTURE - Picture Mode - Picture Options - TruMotion. In that menu, turn everything off or set to 0 if it's a number values.
While you're in there, set your Picture Mode to ISF Expert 1. And turn the Intelligent Sensor off.

By the way, you'll have to do the above for each input on your TV you use.
Also if you buy a video test disc, you can go even deeper in setting up all those settings more accurately. But that's a another thread that would take a lot of time and effort to do and explain.

3D
If you are getting the picture on the TV with the HDMI cable you are using, then the cable will work just fine. An HDMI cable is NOT going to make a display switch to another format, etc... The cable is just the transport, it is either going to work, not work, or the inbetween is where you picture cuts in & out (or works sometimes). You always want to use a good quality cable but if you are getting a constant picture with no dropouts, the cable you are using will work.

The LG you have auto detects a 3D signal and puts the TV in the right mode. There is a software update for that TV as well, this can affect the 3D working in the TV correctly. Make sure you run the software update - if the TV can't be connected to the internet, do the USB update by downloading the file at LG's website.
The Sony bluray has a setting in the menu to turn 3D output of a disc on or off. Make sure that is turned on. Also there is a software update for the Sony bluray as well - make sure you do that one also.

[edit]: One last trick. Try plugging the bluray's hdmi cable into the TV's HDMI 1 input on that LG (the one labeled 'ARC'). Not all HDMI ports on a TV are the same, for some odd reason some HDMI ports are more compatible than others. Ususally the one labeled ARC (Audio Return Channel) has the best connectivity.

 

[dbassman]

Sorry it took so long for me to post my findings, but I'm a quadriplegic and had to wait for people to help me. I borrowed a high-speed HDMI cable and tried it in HDMI 1, which has the ARC, no difference. I finally went into my Blu-ray settings again, but this time checked every one not just the 3D ones. There was a resolution setting set to auto, I changed it to 1080p and that took care of the problem. I can now watch 3D Blu-ray's. I have noticed though the quality seems to be better if I play them directly from my computer.

I want to thank everyone here for all their help!

P.S. I'm using my original HDMI cables, which were purchased four or five years ago, and I'm also going through a Monoprice 4 x 4 HDMI switch, so much for needing "high-speed".