Is newer necessarily better?

Thinking I would “upgrade” the quality of my television viewing, I decided to replace my old, “outmoded” 30 inch flat screen HD CRT, and I bought a new 42″ LED HDTV.

When I turned it on I thought I was going crazy. The picture was bigger, but blurrier. A lot blurrier. Jerkier too. And the sound was god-awful. Tinny and irritating. Mind you, both sets are HD capable, but I do not have HD service because I don’t want to pay more for another box and more in monthly fees.

So what’s up with this? I Googled (using Bing now thanks to Google’s gun grabbing issues), and I found this:

Watching a non-HD TV channel on a HDTV will not look very good – especially compared to a non-HD CRT.

1. CRT is still better. CRT provides better sharpness and color than any flat panel technology. However, there’s a limit to how large you can make a CRT due to the sheer weight of the screen – I bet that 32″ CRT requires two people to move it since the screen alone probably weighs upwards of 100lbs, right?

2. All HDTVs (regardless of type) will automatically upscale (sort of like a “stretch”) an incoming picture to its native resolution. This means if you have a 1080p TV, for instance, any incoming picture will be stretched to 1080p. Non-HD TV channels are only 480i, which means at any given time the TV only has 240 lines that it now has to stretch into 1080. While some TVs have a better upscaling processor than others, the fact is you’re still asking the TV to basically guess at 80% of the picture – which is just going to result in a less distinct, fuzzy picture. (if you’ve ever displayed a photo on your computer and then tried stretching it to fit your entire screen, this is pretty much what your TV is doing.)

If that’s true, then buying new technology was not a step up. It was a step down.

Why don’t they warn you about these things? I can return the new set and keep my old one, but it is a pain in the ass. (Although it would have been a greater pain in the ass to get rid of my old one, which weighs a ton.)

Any ideas on what I should do? I’m thinking of returning the new one, because it sure as hell is nowhere near as good as the old one.


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12 responses to “Is newer necessarily better?”

  1. CapitalistRoader Avatar
    CapitalistRoader

    I’m using either rear projector TVs or big single-CRTs. Either are available free or very cheap via Craig’s List. I have a 36″ single-CRT that does weigh a ton (75 lbs?) but looks OK with 480i. It was an alley find as was the 48″ RPTV that needed a couple of convergence ICs. Another freebie is a 52″ RPTV that needed its flyback PCB resoldered and a fuse replaced. I’m no videophile but to my eye the picture quality of RPTVs is outstanding.

    Being semi-retired I have time to search out these deals and do the repairs; most people don’t.

  2. Eric Avatar

    Hmmm… Maybe I should just stick with the old one. It weighs 125 lbs, and is worth almost nothing on CL, probably because of that. One thing is certain: it is the last thing in the world any burglar would take!

  3. John S. Avatar
    John S.

    It’s not that the CRT has a sharper picture (it doesn’t), it’s that the sharper resolution of the HD TV makes the lower resolution of standard TV more apparent (for the reasons stated in point #2 that you quoted). If you’re only watching standard TV and not any digital channels or Blu-Rays, then there really isn’t any reason to get an HDTV. However, if you DO want to watch digital HD channels and Blu-Rays, then an HD TV is the way to go.

    As far as the jerkiness goes, what refresh rate does your new TV have? I’m betting it’s 60Hz, which really isn’t sufficient to deal with a lot of fast-moving action (like football). 120Hz is MUCH better at rendering fast-moving action, and 240Hz even better (although 240Hz is still quite expensive). My parents just bought a new HD TV, and I made sure that they got a model with at least 120Hz refresh rate (they could have afforded an 80″ 1080p 240Hz TV if they’d wanted, but they’re… frugal).

  4. Eric Avatar

    Thanks John. The Samsung monitor IS HDTV capable. It says so right on the front. I just don’t have HD. Anyway, right now I am seeing the opposite of an improved picture and it is puzzling.

    Yes, the 42″ LED has a 60Hz refresh rate. No idea what the refresh rate is in the old monitor.

  5. TMI Avatar

    Finally moved to flat screen end of year. For a lot of channels I don’t use wide or stretch. Still a bigger picture than my old 32″ crt tv. And i think better.

    Throw on PS3 and I’m quite happy. Stream Amazon or Netflix? Quite happy. TV automatically adjusts to full screen.

    I suppose some day I’ll upgrade to DISH HD. But I’m cheap. It’s “good enough.”
    .

  6. Sigivald Avatar
    Sigivald

    “Why don’t they warn you about these things? “?

    Well, the manufacturer isn’t real concerned with printing a big warning on the box for the (figuratively) ten people in the US who still only have SD sources, and yet also want to buy a big flatscreen HD set.

    (Contra John S., refresh rate only matters if the source can provide That Fast [or half of it if you’re doing 3D, which is why “240hz” exists; that and “because bigger numbers look better on a checklist”].

    ATSC HD only supports up to 60hz. I don’t know where you’d find a football broadcast in 120hz…)

  7. Bram Avatar
    Bram

    All the channels from my cable company (I’m far out of range of any broadcast) are now HD. If you are still using a low-def TV, the box will downgrade the signal for you.

  8. Looking Glass Avatar
    Looking Glass

    Calibrate the HDTV immediately with a THX certified movie DVD or BluRay movie. That will have the THX optimization screens you need.

    After that, check if the HDTV has a “Game Mode”. Turn it OFF if it does.

    After that, every HDTV is different.

  9. Looking Glass Avatar
    Looking Glass

    I should add that I’ve gone through this a lot with SD sources on HDTVs.

    HDTVs tend to come from the factory with settings that stand out on the display floor, and look horrid in a room at home.

    So calibrate the HDTV asap and see what you think. There’s no guarantee any replacement TV you get will look any better.

    If need a list of THX certified movies, check their website.

  10. Looking Glass Avatar
    Looking Glass

    Oh, yeah, you’ll probably have to turn the TV’s Sharpness setting down to zero.

  11. Eric Avatar

    Works great on Roku and with the Vudu Blueray player. The problem is DIRECTV. My box is old, and I have been balking at buying a new one plus paying another monthly fee for HD.

  12. Looking Glass Avatar
    Looking Glass

    Understood. BluRay is HD. It should look pretty good on an HDTV.

    Blurriness is a feature of the settings. After calibration I had to turn the HDTV’s Sharpness from 40% down to zero.

    I’d also check the connections for the DirecTV. If the sound is that bad compared to the others then there may be something wrong with the cable. Simple corrosion over time can do this.

    Check both ends for dirt, corrosion, damage, etc.

    If it’s a coax-connection, they tend to work loose and lose quality.