Author Topic: TV Quality vs. PC Quality (Read 4284 times)

Xtras · « **on:** August 20, 2009, 01:06:39 AM »

I have found that if I have a DVD of a movie, when I play it on my tv with a dvd player, it takes up the full screen and still looks great. But then I put it on my PC and it only takes up a small space on my 22" monitor. If I fullscreen it, then it starts to lose clarity and you see the pixelation. Anybody know why this happens. It happens for my anime encodes also. When I burn it to a DVD and play it on my TV (which is much bigger than my monitor), it comes out full size an in great quailty as opposed to me playing the file on my computer.

Drew · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2009, 01:39:52 AM »

That's because your average run-of-the-mill TV has a very low resolution compared to your computer monitor. It appears to look worse because the computer has to stretch the pixels to fit your screen.

Edit: Here's an image:

Compare the NTSC (720x480) to the average size of computer monitors (1280x1024 to 1920x1200).

Xtras · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:05:37 AM »

Wait, so then, if I change the resolution on my computer monitor to say 800x600 , then I could watch anime at full screen without the fuzziness? If that is the case, why are high resolution TV's so highly praised, if they just make some of the older dvd's and non-HD channels look bad?

bloody000 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:21:24 AM »

You are only two feet or so away from your computer monitor. that's why.

sanguis · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:27:52 AM »

Quote from: xtras on August 20, 2009, 03:05:37 AM

Wait, so then, if I change the resolution on my computer monitor to say 800x600 , then I could watch anime at full screen without the fuzziness?

Correct, but why would you go to that effort and not just watch it on the TV?

Quote from: xtras on August 20, 2009, 03:05:37 AM

If that is the case, why are high resolution TV's so highly praised, if they just make some of the older dvd's and non-HD channels look bad?

because you are supposed to watch HD content on them. I'm sure there is a setting on the TV somewhere that will let you watch non-HD content at the original resolution, but that leaves big black boxes all around the image.

Xtras · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2009, 04:50:04 AM »

Quote from: bloody000 on August 20, 2009, 03:21:24 AM

You are only two feet or so away from your computer monitor. that's why.

Actually I have noticed that to some extent. You make a valid point. I wonder if the anime studios will continue to release their series in better and better quality (i mean some of the gundam stuff from the 80's is now coming out in Blu-Ray!

N.Maniac 64 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2009, 05:46:56 AM »

Also, the media player you're using on your PC may not be doing a quality upscale - possibly only bilinear which, while it works, isn't exactly of the best quality. This is where you get things like GPU-accelerated upscaling since they can do all kinds of video post-processing much quicker and better than a CPU ever could.

Drew · « **Reply #7 on:** August 20, 2009, 08:34:22 AM »

Quote from: xtras on August 20, 2009, 03:05:37 AM

Wait, so then, if I change the resolution on my computer monitor to say 800x600 , then I could watch anime at full screen without the fuzziness? If that is the case, why are high resolution TV's so highly praised, if they just make some of the older dvd's and non-HD channels look bad?

If you have a CRT, sure, but if you're using an LCD it will be just as fuzzy.

fohfoh · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2009, 11:55:42 AM »

Using an s-video cable on my old laptop, I found that the laptop is slightly fuzzy but the 50" TV looks great. Imagine how much better it would look if I had HDMI?

Probably a software issue on my end + capability issues.

But also, the movie is not fuzzy, but the desktop is fuzzy as hell. (Based on the comments above, you know why)

misachaos · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2009, 12:58:08 PM »

Quote from: xtras on August 20, 2009, 04:50:04 AM

Quote from: bloody000 on August 20, 2009, 03:21:24 AM
You are only two feet or so away from your computer monitor. that's why.

Actually I have noticed that to some extent. You make a valid point. I wonder if the anime studios will continue to release their series in better and better quality (i mean some of the gundam stuff from the 80's is now coming out in Blu-Ray!

They need to release robotech on Blu-ray. I miss that show

Sosseres · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2009, 01:31:20 PM »

So, summary.

You sit near a monitor in most cases and thus notice it. Try moving away and see if you still notice it. (This is the main reason for me.)

Bad filters on the computer, might be the case or might not.

Resolution of the monitor. A LCD has a fixed resolution which you can just emulate to other resolutions so changing that has little effect as opposed to CRT where it might give a bit of effect.

Any other reason people want to bring up?

mgz · « **Reply #11 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:20:10 PM »

Quote from: Sosseres on August 20, 2009, 01:31:20 PM

So, summary.

You sit near a monitor in most cases and thus notice it. Try moving away and see if you still notice it. (This is the main reason for me.)

Bad filters on the computer, might be the case or might not.

Resolution of the monitor. A LCD has a fixed resolution which you can just emulate to other resolutions so changing that has little effect as opposed to CRT where it might give a bit of effect.

Any other reason people want to bring up?

he might need glasses

Xtras · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:44:03 PM »

So if I were to replace my current 40" CRT TV with an LCD, then if I were to play DVD's and things, it wouldn't look as good, since most LCD's that size are a high resolution. If that is the case, why go out and buy a pricey LCD TV? Also, if I were to use a projector, and change the resolution on it, would it still look blurry like the LCD's would? (P.S. My glasses are already good to go for my myopia).

misachaos · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:49:20 PM »

If your going to get LCD get a Samsung. my Samsung LCD = really nice displays for that stuff. My polaroid = horrible.

fohfoh · « **Reply #14 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:55:27 PM »

Quote from: misachaos on August 20, 2009, 02:49:20 PM

If your going to get LCD get a Samsung. my Samsung LCD = really nice displays for that stuff. My polaroid = horrible.

Depends. Series 5 is just slightly lower to the higher priced comparable Aquos. However, Series 6 and beyond are nicer than the Aquos. (Did a side to side comparison in a few TV shops in Hong Kong)

On the other hand, Toshiba can't compare to shit.

Strangely enough, the next in line was Sony. Even Hitachi was terrible in comparison to the Samsungs.

I have no doubt that Samsung's quality is present in their LCD monitors too.

misachaos · « **Reply #15 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:02:36 PM »

Yep! ^^ goodluck~

pparker · « **Reply #16 on:** August 20, 2009, 03:57:28 PM »

Everything said so far makes sense. My anime DVDs looked far better on my old EDTV plasma than on my computer screen, because the resolution matched DVD resolution perfectly. But here's a story...

I just did the whole media PC/HD upgrade, because I wanted a 50" and to watch 1080p anime on it and play games from my recliner. I got a decent new PC, AMD PHENOM II X2 550 AM3 with an ATI HD 4870/1GB card (HDMI output). Plasma is still to my eyes richer in color, so I got last year's best Panny TH-50PZ850U. Out of stores now, but nice deals online, and it's apparently the very last consumer model that gives you access to the pro settings.

Anyways... this was after buying, used, a 2-yr old top of the line Mits 50" LCD, which was Editor's Choice in 2007. I re-sold it within 3 days. Just not a plasma, really. I can't give up my phosphors and viewing angle. Plus the detail in blacks was gone compared to my old 42" Panny plasma display, already 5 years old. I only had a Pioneer Elite DVD with upscaling at the time, and DVDs were literally unwatchable whether the Mits TV or the player was handling upscaling. I mean large pools of pixelation, that followed Batman around as he walked.

Enter the new Panny, the media PC with Blu-ray drive and the ATI HD card, and a new Pioneer VSX-1018AH-K. Let the card do the upscaling via GPU, so 1080p goes straight to the receiver. Even anime DVDs (SD), which obviously were unwatchable on the other setup, are crisp. Very occasionally, I get minor pixelation on lines, but almost not noticeable at about 7 feet, my usual viewing distance. I also have a 24" Dell monitor that goes beyond 1080p. Occasionally, I've watched a bit of anime on it, and it looks good, but definitely not comparable to my new setup. I've yet to see an LCD that achieves the richness of plasma (YMMV), and now with 1080p and proper upscaling, there's just no comparison.

Moral of the story, you can get the CRT-TV/DVD-anime experience, but you must have the upscaling quality to get the experience you want at HD resolution levels. My setup (PC, TV, Receiver) cost me about $3,500 total, which I consider a steal. Add $500 for a decent speaker/subwoofer set, and $200 for misc. crap, and you're set for another 4 years. I don't need a separate Blu-ray player, and I have full access to online services and streaming (even CR "fake 720p" streams look fine). Not to mention it rocks for playing games as well. With 50" 1080p, I get to play Bioshock in my kind of style

You don't need to spend what I did though. Just make sure that somewhere in the chain is high quality upscaling for old DVDs and low-resolution video files, and again I suggest plasma because it uses phosphors, so is closer to the CRT experience. And I would suggest upscaling at the earliest possible point rather than relying on the TV or receiver to do it (e.g, PS3 for DVDs).

misachaos · « **Reply #17 on:** August 20, 2009, 04:06:38 PM »

Thanks to that it gave me brilliant idea! New tv time. my litle guy fails at Some games like Disgea 2 and those plug-in-play games cause the damned screen flickers! and it says "1080" but no channels show it. looks just as bad as Tube. unless your watching like... Discovery channel. Ill hunt down a panny x3 .gets my gun and runs off.

mgz · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2009, 04:18:04 PM »

plasmas are known to look very nice, the reason the market is steering away from them is very bad rep for short lifespan regardless of whether its lifespan isnt as short as it used to be. Its the Vista of TVs not that its REALLY BAD but more that a couple small things destroyed it vs its competent counter parts coupled with the ever improving LCD screens

pparker · « **Reply #19 on:** August 20, 2009, 04:42:17 PM »

Quote from: mgz on August 20, 2009, 04:18:04 PM

plasmas are known to look very nice, the reason the market is steering away from them is very bad rep for short lifespan regardless of whether its lifespan isnt as short as it used to be. Its the Vista of TVs not that its REALLY BAD but more that a couple small things destroyed it vs its competent counter parts coupled with the ever improving LCD screens

Plasma to me is the BETA vs. VHS story. I've had a plasma for 5 years, built way before all the latest anti-retention technology, and it has zero retention or "burn-in". And I watched a LOT of TV and then anime DVDs and fansubs at 640x480. Statistical data shows very few instances of actual burn-in on plasmas (which it isn't technically, but that's too long a story...), but the initial "rep" as you say has never really been overcome.

Doesn't matter, though. LCD will win because of manufacturing economy of scale. The factories are already there pumping out LCD monitors by the millions, so companies will move to LCD exclusively just as Pioneer finally did, and the research money is there as well. Panasonic is the last for plasmas, I think. And if you walk into BestBuy, every salesperson will sell you LCD (which is not what happens when you veer over to Magnolia, BTW).

In the end, it's up to the viewer. A lot of people have only experienced LCD in large panels, and I'm not saying it's bad. If you watch TV in high light conditions, as in daytime, LCD's are a bit brighter, so may be better.

I just still see a difference with the gas phosphors. Just like pro photographers still use CRT monitors instead of LCDs. The LCD's are getting better, but just haven't yet achieved the color and black reproduction levels of CRT/plasma. Plus the viewing angle drops off pretty quickly, just like your computer monitor.