Doesn't look as good as it should?

[I3uller]

I've had the Samsung ln32a550, 32" LCD 1080P flat panel, for a while but just now got a BD player. I'm a big fan of Discovery HD Theatre and all that but know that its 1080i instead of p and every time I've gone into Circuit City I've seen their BD setup in there and just done one of these . So I finally got it and played Live Free or Die Hard and wasn't impressed. I've seen way better quality on some of the HD cable channels. I've got a standard 500HD monster cable HDMI and maybe that's why? Maybe its just the movie or something? It just seems strange that an HD channel on 1080i cable would look better than an actual Blu-Ray 1080p movie. Especially when there was any motion it seemed really blurred and not scary awesome like at the store display.

[BStecke]

Is your TV calibrated in any way?

[Eddie2u]

Originally Posted by I3uller

I've had the Samsung ln32a550, 32" LCD 1080P flat panel, for a while but just now got a BD player. I'm a big fan of Discovery HD Theatre and all that but know that its 1080i instead of p and every time I've gone into Circuit City I've seen their BD setup in there and just done one of these . So I finally got it and played Live Free or Die Hard and wasn't impressed. I've seen way better quality on some of the HD cable channels. I've got a standard 500HD monster cable HDMI and maybe that's why? Maybe its just the movie or something? It just seems strange that an HD channel on 1080i cable would look better than an actual Blu-Ray 1080p movie. Especially when there was any motion it seemed really blurred and not scary awesome like at the store display.

What kind of Blu-Ray player did you get? Did you Setup the Blu-Ray player to output 1080P?

[Blurred]

Not really my area but maybe they had "digital nature motion" or whats it called turned on to maximum, while the pic is very clear and realistic its also too realistic, the "film-look" is gone and it feels like ur watching an amatuer vid. Like a daily soap opera show.

On my tv its called "100Hz Motion Plus" (i have a samsung) and i hate it, so its always turned off, BUT i can imagine that it looks sweet on nature shows,

just my 2 cents.

[I3uller]

Its a Sony S350. The TV isn't calibrated. I watched The Incredible Hulk just now and the picture is definitely waaay better on that than the Die Hard movie. The motion still seems really chunky though....like kinda blurred and skippy.

[BStecke]

See if you can find a setting, I think it should be called Auto Motion plus, and turn that shiz off. Then get a calibration disc of some sort and tune up your set. Live Free Or Die Hard is one of the better discs out there and should be right up there with Hulk. If your TV isn't calibrated, your sharpness, contrast, and brightness settings are probably WAY too high.

[andyman1970]

If the picture is blurry then it sounds like the sharpness is way to low. Definitely get a calibration disc and calibrate your set. You'll be amazed at the difference. I would suggest Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics.

[JasonR]

Actually, for HD sources sharpness should be turned all the way down or only slightly turned up. Sharpness introduces to many artifacts and enhances the film grain greatly.

[I3uller]

Originally Posted by JasonR

Actually, for HD sources sharpness should be turned all the way down or only slightly turned up. Sharpness introduces to many artifacts and enhances the film grain greatly.

Ya Die Hard looked really really grainy. Do any retail places sell the calibration DVDs or is it something I'll have to order online?

[BStecke]

You'll probably have to order it online. 17 bucks. Die Hard's got a bit of grain in it anyway, but I'm guessing you're probably seeing more noise than grain.

[andyman1970]

Originally Posted by I3uller

Ya Die Hard looked really really grainy. Do any retail places sell the calibration DVDs or is it something I'll have to order online?

Best Buy carries it, if you can find it at a local store. And it comes on Blu-ray which is what you want.

[I3uller]

I'll give Best Buy a go and if not I'll just get it online. You think it will fix the weird motion blur and stuff I'm getting? Like in the Hulk on the Brazil scenes everything looked great and all the colors were really vivid when the camera was still but as soon as it would pan like in the first overhead shot when it went over the whole city it would just blur and not look nearly as clear.

[BStecke]

Originally Posted by I3uller

Like in the Hulk on the Brazil scenes everything looked great and all the colors were really vivid when the camera was still but as soon as it would pan like in the first overhead shot when it went over the whole city it would just blur and not look nearly as clear.

That's just the way that shot is. The judder was very apparent even in the theater. If your motion looks like it's almost in fast forward, that's that Auto Motion Plus that I was talking about.

[I3uller]

Originally Posted by BStecke

That's just the way that shot is. The judder was very apparent even in the theater. If your motion looks like it's almost in fast forward, that's that Auto Motion Plus that I was talking about.

I'm not positive but I don't even think my TV has that. If it does I havn't found it in any menus. Unless its a BD player option.

[BStecke]

Nope, strictly a TV option. I just flipped through the user manual of that TV and it doesn't look like you have the Auto Motion feature, so that shouldn't be it. I don't think it supports 24p playback either, but you may want to go into the player settings and check to see what it's set for as far as 24p playback goes.

[Driver_King]

Hold your horses! Look at this. Notice it says firmware updates there too. Here is my post for settings before updates plus the sound settings that make the sound less tinny sounding.