[VU+ Solo4K] New TV problem

[Tangfolio]

We got a new TV recently and found there is an odd 'shimmering' effect sometimes when viewing stuff through the Vu+ openvix box, doesn't happen on terrestrial or the sat Rx in the TV set.
I experimented with various settings and found switching to 60Hz video seemed to fix it but the next time the box came out of standby the effect had returned and checked freq again but it was still on 60 so tried 'multi' but no difference and went back to 50Hz which seemed to work but it keeps appearing after box has been in standby and have to go through freq switching each time.
Shows on top of vix settings page in attached image.
Any ideas?

 

[ronand]

50Hz is the correct setting for the UK and most European channels.

 

[adm]

We got a new TV recently and found there is an odd 'shimmering' effect sometimes when viewing stuff through the Vu+ openvix box, doesn't happen on terrestrial or the sat Rx in the TV set.
I experimented with various settings and found switching to 60Hz video seemed to fix it but the next time the box came out of standby the effect had returned and checked freq again but it was still on 60 so tried 'multi' but no difference and went back to 50Hz which seemed to work but it keeps appearing after box has been in standby and have to go through freq switching each time.
Shows on top of vix settings page in attached image.
Any ideas?

What have you got configured in menu/setup/audio and video/settings/mode?

If set to xxxxp (progressive) set it to 1080i (interlaced)

UK broadcasts are 50Hz interlaced

Setting interlaced can help rule out problems with a HDMI* lead. Setting interlaced will lower the data rate on the cable.


Don't overlook that your TV will have settings for video input via the HDMI socket that may/will be different to what the TV may do internally from its own inbuilt tuners.

These days most/all broadcast is up-scaled for display in a modern TV. This up-scaling can be performed in a set to box or by the TV itself. One device may be be than the other for up-scaling so sometimes it may be better to set the external box to output 1080i and let the TV do the up-scaling and in other cases visa versa.

*As TV technology had developed the HDMI specification has also changed to meet the higher data rates.
The original specification for HDMI could handle 1080 interlaced at 60Hz but may/will have fallen over at 1080 @60Hz progressive (HDMI versions 1 to 1.2)

If you are now trying to output 4K @60Hz from your box you probably need a HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 cable for reliability.

HDMI 1.0 max data rate = approx 4 Gbits/sec
HDMI 1.3 max data rate = approx 8 Gbits/sec
HDMI 1.4 max data rate = approx 8 Gbits/sec
HDMI 2.0 max data rate = approx 14 Gbits/sec
HDMI 2.1 max data rate = approx 42 Gbits/sec

A 2 metre cable of the highest specification should cost less than 10GBP - gold plating adds nothing to the picture quality

 

[Tangfolio]

Thanks for the suggestion's and info.
It was on 2160p and there is not a 2160i option so tried 1080i at 50 Hz and it appears to have stopped the previous effect but pictures do not seem quite as sharp, there is a faint dark edge to a lot of images.
We have a new 2.1 HDMI cable but I had also tried an ordinary HDMI one, don't know the version, previously without noticing any difference.
The TV appears to handle most of the HDMI ports it's self , there are just options for HDR, dolby etc., settings though the HDMI CEC stuff is not too good at picking up changes.

 

[cactikid]

Does your tv be 4K if not your limited to 1080.
My Sony is 4K and H7S is also 4K and setting is 2160

 

[Tangfolio]

The TV is 4K but there is not much 4K input on the Vu+ box, I've only found a couple of demo channels from astra, we got it mostly through streaming services built into the TV.
We only really use the Vu box as the EPG and stuff through freeview and freesat on the TV is atrocious.

 

[adm]

Thanks for the suggestion's and info.
It was on 2160p and there is not a 2160i option so tried 1080i at 50 Hz and it appears to have stopped the previous effect but pictures do not seem quite as sharp, there is a faint dark edge to a lot of images.

My guess that you have configured your TV sharpness setting to maximum. Does the dark edge disappear if you put the setting to zero sharpness.

On Freeview and Freesat a lot of content is still Standard Definition (SD) and no matter how much processing is performed you cannot make this perfect 4K content. On some of the lesser channels the broadcast data rate is low so even SD on a SD TV will look poor. Probably judge the quality of broadcast on BBC1 HD and adjust you TV for this.

Some of the settings on a TV are over hyped and often turning them off (or toning them down) gives a better picture.

 

[twol]

As @adm has indicated, most of the “enhancements“ on modern TV,s are just marketing hype, which is why if your TV has “professional“ picture settings then you will find that all these features are disabled.
So if available use one of of the professional settings or turn off any of the so called enhancements.

 

[adm]

Deleted duplicate post

 

[Tangfolio]

The TV has 5 sharpness levels, if I turn it off it looks worse to me than having the dark edge on some things, it was one the middle one, got it on the second at the moment, will see how it goes. The TV has lots of settings that I haven't really got a clue about and the manual or the manufacturer are not much help with them.
My comment about freeview and freesat were purely relating the their EPG and channel lists, nothing to do with any of the channels on the platforms, Openvix is far superior.

 

[twol]

The TV has 5 sharpness levels, if I turn it off it looks worse to me than having the dark edge on some things, it was one the middle one, got it on the second at the moment, will see how it goes. The TV has lots of settings that I haven't really got a clue about and the manual or the manufacturer are not much help with them.
My comment about freeview and freesat were purely relating the their EPG and channel lists, nothing to do with any of the channels on the platforms, Openvix is far superior.

Do you mind specifying the TV and model?

 

[Tangfolio]

Philips 55oled705-12. I might have been wrong about the 5 levels of sharpness, I was messing with it last night and that setting might only be 3 but there is a lot of stuff in there. Great picture but let down by crappy software and poor customer help.

 

[twol]

So based on the manual, in picture settings I would suggest you use one of these 2 (below)….. with Oled unless you are in a really dark room, I would suggest trying the Day settings first.
 Day - For ISF Calibration, you can press the colour key  APPLY ALL to copy the calibrated settings to all sources.
•  Night - For ISF Calibration, you can press the colour key  APPLY ALL to copy the calibrated settings to all sources.

Its using an LG Oled screen so picture on non SD services should be really good with out messing with features(?) like sharpness.

 

[Tangfolio]

It was on 'standard' and the Day ISF looks quite drab in comparison.

 

[twol]

It was on 'standard' and the Day ISF looks quite drab in comparison.

Unfortunately, you can get used to the blown out „salesroom“ pictures. The ISF Day will be as accurate as you can get without further picture tuning with the proper software

 

[Tangfolio]

I'll take another look, it was only a quick try at lunch time, and see what 'the boss' thinks and I haven't tried the night one yet. "proper software" could be a problem, I have not seen a TV with android OS before and I guess philips have meddled with this but some of it looks to me like it was a nursery school project, it's hard to imagine it was done by anyone who had used a TV much before and some of the settings do not seem to work but their support is pretty useless. It also 'freezes' sometimes when I switch to the HDMI input the Vu box is on with a message saying 'video format not supported' but the support people constantly go back to asking what sort of video file I was playing!

 

[Tangfolio]

I left it on Day ISF and it took 'the boss' a while to notice some difference last night so will give it a try for a while. I was trying to see what it did when the TV was on HDR and stuff but it didn't seem to like changes being made while in those modes so not sure.

 

[ronand]

HDR??? You are definitely are on the wrong wavelength. There are no FTA broadcasts using HDR on Astra 28e so you shouldn't be enabling any HDR modes. These should kick in automatically when watching HDR content only.

 

[Tangfolio]

I didn't say anything about viewing programs on astra when I mentioned HDR, and not on any wavelength, just bandwidth!

 

[Trial]

Hi,
I have a Philips Oled806 and stumbled on one AI feature which often failed. I is called something like auto film detection. I disabled it and now I am happy. The Philips seems to have 2 picture settings normal and film and sometimes the detection of film does not really work.

Ralf