Novatch Q321 and HDMI > DVI Cable

[KAKEV]

Hi

I Purchased a Q321 Very happy with it, then decided to buy a hdmi>dvi cable, I cannot get any output from the TV frive via this cable, apart from what looks like static (only in colour)
I purchased the cable that was featured on the same web page as the q321 on Novatechs website, (CAB-HDDVI2) thinking that this is the correct cable
(as it was under the section...customers who bought this item (q321) also bought above cable, can someone please confirm that this cable works with
a tvdrive and a q321 please and if not can i return this cable for the correct type

Thanks


Kevin

[Bruce]

i am using this set with TVDrive via a HDMI to DVI cable although I got mine from a high street supplier. The cable is not an output cable but an input, so presuming what you mean is that you can't get any signal/picture on screen when you set the source to DVI, it may just be that you have not got your TVDrive set up. there seems to be a bit of dificulty here because the TVDrive does not recognise the set as HD Ready and most of the Telewest support staff do not know how to get it to work (or at least they did not when i got mine). The set is HD Ready and it works fine with the TVDrive, but you need to set it up like this: First you need to have your TVDrive plugged in with both the DVI to HDMI cable, Audio cables from back of TVDrive to DVI Audio on TV, and a Scart, turn the Source to the scart you have your TVDrive plugged in (you will now have a picture although not in HD yet). Next get your TVDrive remote and press the Blue Home button, then select Settings & Services, then Display & Audio. Now set your "Set TV display format" to HiDef HDMI and below that to 1080 (this will give you a slightly better picture than 720), and press OK, the screen will go blank, and then you will get a screen asking you if you saw a picture (you did but you would not have seen it as it was on DVI), and to press the OK or cancel button; do nothing yet, now change your TV source to DVI, wait a mo untill the screen goes blank, NOW press the OK button on your TVDrive remote, the TVDrive will now switch to DVI and you will have a picture, you have a few seconds to press the "Txt" button on you remote to confirm before the TVDrive switches back to SD, the Txt button is the bottom right button on your remote. Now change the TVDrive to channel 108 or 118 to see HD, there are also a couple of films and some stuff on teleport, but it all looks fantastic.

[KAKEV]

Hi Bruce

Thanks for your reply, Perhaps I should have stated that i have HD working via component cable via the TV Drive, so I am aware of the different settings in the TV Drives Menus (audio & Display) If I connect the cable I ordered from Novatech (the cable is on the same page as the Q321) I get what looks like digital noise briefly, then no signal is displayed on the screen, I have just tried again and the TV Drives menu was on screen for a split second although it was Pink in colour and affected by the static noise described above, I am beggining to suspect that the cable is not the correct type :(

[KAKEV]

Hi

Any Novatech Support staff able to answer this question, or can anyone
suggest a Cable that does work?

Thanks


Kev

[Alec]

below that to 1080 (this will give you a slightly better picture than 720)

If the 1080 in question is 1080i then it will actually give you a worse picture than 720p. I believe the TV Drive unit does 720p & 1080i

720p = progressive scan 720 lines per frame
1080i = interlaced scan, 540 lines per frame alternated to give you a 1080 picture but at half the frame rate. Then those 1080 lines are downscaled by the TV to fit the screen with the accompanying image manipulation, anti-aliasing etc that goes with that.

Alec

[KAKEV]

I heard so much about the wonderful support that Novatech Gives
SO WHERE THE **** IS IT (the Support)

Now Not A happy Novatech Customer!!!

[Bruce]

I may be wrong but i thought interlacing was for CRTs and LCDs only do progressive scan, my understanding is if you set the output to 720 it will be upscaled to the screen res, and the 1080 would be downscaled, downscalling ives a clearer image than upscalling; while the TV excepts inputs of 720p and 1080i it displays them on a 1366 x 768 screen progressivly scanned, as there is no black area around the screen when input at 720 it must be upscaled to fit the screen, and when 1080 is used it is first deinterlaced and then down scaled to fit the 1366 x 768 screen. If the screen res was 1280x720 then it probably be better to use 720 from your Xbox and/or TVDrive/Sky HD, but i defintaly get a clearer image with 1080 both from the Xbox 360 and the TVDrive with no problems from fast moving programmes and games.

[mjr600]

Bruce

Many thanks for the explaination about how to set the Q321 up for Telewests TVDrive.

My TVDrive is fitted in a week, can you confirm the cable or adaptor you used from the HDMI on the TVDrive to the DVI on the Hyundai.

If not Bruce, anyone at Novatech.

Thanks

Mick

[Bruce]

Yes, i got a shielded belkin HDMI to DVI cable from Currys, Telewest will suply a HDMI cable with the tv drive, and i think you can get an adapter at maplins. the belkin cable is pretty expensive but they are cheaper ones around, just i jumped at the first one i found. My sister in law got one from the sony shop still expensive but a little cheaper than the belkin version.

[Alec]

I heard so much about the wonderful support that Novatech Gives
SO WHERE THE **** IS IT (the Support)

TV Drive is a difficult animal, which is probably why the thread's been quite quiet. Because the setup process is so protracted (thanks to Bruce for walking us through it) there is a lot of opportunity for setup problems, also the myriad of different firmware versions in the earlier TV Drive's means this is not always an easy question to answer.

At the end of the day, TV Drive is not a Novatech product, so why direct your anger at them? Why not direct it at Telewest, the other half of the combination?

Compatibility issues are often very difficult to resolve. Novatech can recommend cables which work with the TV in good faith, Telewest can do likewise for the TV Drive, but neither can support the other's product, thus you are reliant on other users with the same equipment combination as you.

Personally I think the very setting up of this forum is testament to an excellent customer service ethos on the part of Novatech. You won;t find such by Comet, Dixons or the other big multiples - or Telepest for that matter!

:roll:

[mjr600]

Bruce

What code are you using for TVDrive remote control, it does not list Hyundai ?

[Bruce]

Bruce

What code are you using for TVDrive remote control, it does not list Hyundai ?

i am not using the TVDrive remote for the volume/mute on my TV can't find the codes, seems no one knows the codes for Hyundai LCD TVs as a google search will turn up loads of threads for people looking for the same for Sky remotes. talking to a guy at Telewest seems we need to know the manufacturere of the remote circuit board.

[RepairTech MGR]

I may be wrong but i thought interlacing was for CRTs and LCDs only do progressive scan, my understanding is if you set the output to 720 it will be upscaled to the screen res, and the 1080 would be downscaled, downscalling ives a clearer image than upscalling; while the TV excepts inputs of 720p and 1080i it displays them on a 1366 x 768 screen progressivly scanned, as there is no black area around the screen when input at 720 it must be upscaled to fit the screen, and when 1080 is used it is first deinterlaced and then down scaled to fit the 1366 x 768 screen. If the screen res was 1280x720 then it probably be better to use 720 from your Xbox and/or TVDrive/Sky HD, but i defintaly get a clearer image with 1080 both from the Xbox 360 and the TVDrive with no problems from fast moving programmes and games.

Hi Bruce,

I concur with Alec,

720p (720 lines progressive - almost native Q321 / A321 resolution best performing signal)
1080i (540 lines progressive since the LCD as you mention does not scan in an interlaced fasion, so it converts 1080i to 540p)
Best world wide standard, not currently available over here that i am aware 1080p but then the Q321 / A321 would have to downscale since the max res is only 1366 x 768......

Mike.

[Bruce]

the TVDrive makes no mention of progressive or interlaced, only 720 or 1080, i just presumed it was either 720p or 1080i, but i have just rechecked my settings on both the TVDrive and Xbox 360 and in both cases the image looks sharper and more defined when the out put of both is set to 1080 (granted it is only slightly better than 720, but it is still better), there is no way the display is 540 because when using DVT or non-HD programmes on the TV TVDrive the image while still good is clearly not of the same quality of the HD games and broadcasts.

Also if i use a 1280 wide background for my Xbox 360 it does not fill the screen, i have to use a 1366 wide background to fill the screen, which would suggest with the 360 at least it is diplay at a 1:1 pixel ratio via component lead.

I am not alone in this, it seems other users of the xbox 360 find they get a better image when using 1080i on 1366x768 LCDs, suggesting that the output is not converted to 540p and upscaled but to 1080p and downscaled. As i say i am only going on what my eyes are seeing, so this is purly conjecture. All i can say is although in theory 720 should look better, this is not allways the case and i suggest just trying 1080 to see which you prefere.

[RepairTech MGR]

the TVDrive makes no mention of progressive or interlaced, only 720 or 1080, i just presumed it was either 720p or 1080i, but i have just rechecked my settings on both the TVDrive and Xbox 360 and in both cases the image looks sharper and more defined when the out put of both is set to 1080 (granted it is only slightly better than 720, but it is still better), there is no way the display is 540 because when using DVT or non-HD programmes on the TV TVDrive the image while still good is clearly not of the same quality of the HD games and broadcasts.

Also if i use a 1280 wide background for my Xbox 360 it does not fill the screen, i have to use a 1366 wide background to fill the screen, which would suggest with the 360 at least it is diplay at a 1:1 pixel ratio via component lead.

I am not alone in this, it seems other users of the xbox 360 find they get a better image when using 1080i on 1366x768 LCDs, suggesting that the output is not converted to 540p and upscaled but to 1080p and downscaled. As i say i am only going on what my eyes are seeing, so this is purly conjecture. All i can say is although in theory 720 should look better, this is not allways the case and i suggest just trying 1080 to see which you prefere.

Hi Bruce,

The reason why normal non HD material does not look so good is that it runs 625i (Normal PAL) which in theory only equals 312p, i can tell you the scaler would not upscale to 1080p then downscale. To be honest there is a strong change that your eyes are not as sensative to the line flicker on interlaced signals, everyone is different and what one person thinks looks good another would not.

Personally if you think 1080i looks better then this is what suits you best and you should use in the most comfortable way. There is also a possibility that the scaler inside the TV is better than the one in the 360 and could be why.
I can only give you the technical side which is that the screen is native 720p therefore lends itself to a 720p signal input.

Mike.