SKY HD PROBLEMS / Novatech 32" HD?LCD

[paulbadassbriant]

I'm due to get Sky HD on the 30th June, i got the 32" Novatech LCD in November, ready for SKY HD and XBOX 360. The XBOX 360 is amazing, but it seems some people's component connection for SKY HD works and some peoples doesn't, how can this be, if they're all the same telly? So Novatech what are you gonna do? I'm sure no one would of got this telly if they knew the problems we all now face. Lets just hope my telly works, or i'll be contacting the helpline for a new one.

[gwendes]

I far as I am aware the problem is the Atec display not having the same connection as all Sky+ boxes. There is no issue with supporting the image that it outputs.

Where have you heard that there is a problem and do you have any more information about this?

[paulbadassbriant]

If you read all the other posts in the forum, you'll find that no one can get the supposed hdcp dvi to work with sky hd, and others can't get the component connection to work with this tv. Seriously flawed tv!

Here are some extracts

NO 1; I have just had Sky HD installed and the Sky engineer spent 2 hours trying to get a high definition picture. DVI input had the picture frame to the right with no menu option to correct this. He left me with component cables connected, but the colour in is no way acceptable. It's dark and colours are way out of true and unwatchable. I am waiting for a reply from Novatech on this serious issue, but I think this is a fault with these sets. The sky engineer said it was the first TV he had unsuccessfully set up.


NO 2; Wish I had seen these posts before!!!

I too have just had my Sky HD box installed today. Same problems with DVI and component (my screen is red). Has anyone heard anything since the lasts posts? Is there much point in me phoning the technical support line as it appears everyone else is being told to wait for someone else to come up with a solution.


Have paid over a £1000 for this tv and hd box set up and am not impressed.

I have had a 768 picture with a dvd upscaler on this tv, but had same problems when trying to force it into 720. managed to fix the problem by changing dvd player output to NTSC!!!! Sadly Sky HD box doesn't have that option.

[stuclemit]

I'm due to get Sky HD on the 30th June, i got the 32" Novatech LCD in November, ready for SKY HD and XBOX 360. The XBOX 360 is amazing, but it seems some people's component connection for SKY HD works and some peoples doesn't, how can this be, if they're all the same telly? So Novatech what are you gonna do? I'm sure no one would of got this telly if they knew the problems we all now face. Lets just hope my telly works, or i'll be contacting the helpline for a new one.
My advice...cancel Sky HD for now...There are serious problems with this "HD ready" TV (ATEC 32") you will not get a High Def.picture in DVI and component connection is unwatchable!!! I have been waiting a WEEK for a reply to my Query on this problem.Good luck....We'll need it.

[paulbadassbriant]

Dear Sir



I am an electronic engineer working for Amkotron UK Ltd, we provide repair service and support for Atec and several other manufacturers.



Connection to the TV via DVI seems to require the Sky box to be set to 576p mode.



The HD standard is a pretty wide one, encompassing a wide range of video resolutions and picture formats. Until Sky’s release of their HD box, the prevailing view was that 720p and 1080i would be the “standard” modes in use, as they are in the rest of the world. However, Sky’s decision to support a different mode set and also to enact the HDCP standard – which allows them to block you from using the signal on unauthorised systems, such as recording devices or anything else they decide they do not want you to use – has led to a problem with many of the HD sets on the market, in particular those which use DVI interfaces which generally do not support the HDCP Digital Rights Management (DRM) system. An explanation of HDCP can be found here http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060214-6177.html



The Sky HD Box will work using DVI in 576p mode and also on component, so either will get you working now, but it is likely that Sky will fully enact the HDCP protection at some time in the future, and this will cause problems, though they are under pressure to enact HDCP in such a way as to support legacy non HDCP devices.



The warranty issue is a thorny one. The set is HD complaint in the sense that it follows the HD specification as defined. The manufacturers of the set could not have known that there would be a problem with Sky’s HD box because it did not exist at that time. Since it could not therefore be guaranteed to work with the future Sky HD box at the time of sale, there is no breach of promise, or of “reasonable expectation” as would be defined under Sale of Goods et al. In essence, the set you bought fully supported all HD formats available when you bought it. Now that is no longer the case, but that’s not the fault of the manufacturer since they have no crystal balls either.



It’s an unfortunate reality that if you are an “early adopter” of new technologies you face a higher than average risk of going down a branch which later becomes obsolete – a bit like the VHS/Betamax quandary in its day, and the Blu-Ray / HD-DVD one now. If you buy a Blu-Ray DVD recorder today and in a year HD-DVD is the standard then it’s not the fault of the manufacturer it’s just the Darwinian nature of technological standards advancement in the arena of consumer electronics.



I understand that this is not exactly good news, but as an engineer I try to tell it like it is, no sales patter, no BS, just the basic facts as I see them. The partnership of Sky/Microsoft/Intel ties us into a concept of DRM which is aimed solely at the benefit of the producer not the consumer, and it is a fact that most of the displays sold today will be made obsolete by changes in their software at any time in the future, indeed, they are likely to all have problems when the HDCP system is fully enacted since it’s details are still not fully known, so no manufacturer can be sure their product will be fully compliant when it does come along.



If there’s any further assistance or information I can give you, just email me back at this email address.



Kind regards



Alec Wood

Technical Support Engineer

Amkotron UK Ltd

alec.wood@amkotron.co.uk

[David T]

As per the other threads for this item, this issue is being checked into, with Purchasing being in discussion with both SKY and Atec regarding this issue and it is hoped that a solution will be found soon.

Any users that have this item, please bare with us as we are trying to get a solution for all.

[energylevel]

Does anyone know if NTL Cable TV will also be a problem too ... I bought this LCD TV looking a ahead to NTL offering HDTV .....

[Alec]

That depends on just what equipment NTL offer (I am eagerly waiting for my NTL HD too!).

I think the likelihood is that the Telepest TVDrive will be the equipment on offer, and hopefully it's buggy as **** firmware will have been sorted out by then.

Unfortunately I cannot say with any degreee of certainty which chipsets, if any, might have problems, but as far as I know, if you can get the thing to work then it works fine with these TV's.

Thus far I have only had contact with two customers who had problems, but these were both with AV320 model, and both their problems turned out to be the TVDrive needing an update.

The biggest problem with TV drive seems to be getting the output mode selected on the box - it seems for at least part of the process you are working blind - i.e. with no display on the TV counting the number of times you have pressed a particular button.

Alec