When buying a HD TV some of us will expect the best quality picture straight out of the box. In most cases this is rarely the case and can leave some people confused. Maybe it’s the settings on the TV itself or the devices connected to it, so here are a few solutions we think will help you to achieve the high quality picture you are looking for.
Use good quality cables
Before you set yourself up for disappointment make sure that you are using good quality HDMI cables. Older types of cables like SCART cables and composite cables will work but you will never get the high quality picture that you are looking for. It’s always a safe bet to buy a good set of HDMI cables, whether they are gold plated for a sharper image or braided so they don’t get damage you can’t go wrong. Always make sure that there is a good connection from your device over to your TV. Good cables and a decent connection are key to getting the results you want. if you are struggling then there are many companies available to help you install your TV such as JNB Aerials for example.
Use other HD compatible devices
In most cases HD TV’s that have built in Freeview don’t actually include a built in HD digibox. Maybe you’re using your own digibox or DVD player but do they actually support HD content? If not your brand new expensive TV could be sat going to waste. You’ll want to be sure that you are actually viewing HD channels and content on your new TV. In the case of new age consoles you’ll be fine as they all have HDMI output as standard. The other option is to go out and purchase a new DVD player with HD output or even a HD digibox or a Blu-Ray player. Yes this will add onto the cost of everything but it is well worth the difference in overall picture quality.
Check the settings on your TV
You will want to make sure that you have gone through all the settings on your TV and fine tune everything to your liking. You will want to go through the settings for your contrast, colour, sharpness and brightness. Most TV’s will already have custom picture settings already built in so you might just want to look through them and in most cases you will come across one or more pre-sets that will suit your needs.
Look at the settings on your devices
Have you already setup your device to properly display through HD? In some cases you will have to go through the settings yourself and adjust certain things. In some cases devices like consoles will auto discover the TV and adjust itself to run through your HD TV. You will want to make sure the Hz matches the TV, this will either be 50 or 60 and you’ll will want to make sure your aspect ratio is set to the highest. 480p is standard TV definition and 720p. 1080i and 1080p are all HD quality. In most cases your TV will support 1080i but some new TV’s will support 1080p.
Photo by Brian Lary from FreeImages
