Hello all,

my question is as above really. I'm a bit disappointed in the picture quality of Sky plus through my new (to me) Avant 32dvd. I see digital artefacts on most broadcasts where there were none with my old Avant 28. now I understand this is probably because of the 100mhz system the Avant DVD32 uses and I've done a bit of googling which suggests that there's not much you can really do about this. Anyway, I've come across the suggestion that buying  a Sky HD box without subscribing to the HD service might give me a better picture quality both on the SD channels but especially on the HD free to air channels. I would also benefit from a bigger hard disk!

Has anybody done this and are there any benefits to be had?!

cheers

Simon

This is a very effective combination -no HD connectivity, so just use a good quality scart, make sure your using RGB not PAL, and its all good - a bigger hard drive, and a better tuner/reciever. 

I do this at home via a 28"DVD Avant  - the picture is excellent.

KingStreet:

This is a very effective combination -no HD connectivity, so just use a good quality scart, make sure your using RGB not PAL, and its all good - a bigger hard drive, and a better tuner/reciever. 

I do this at home via a 28"DVD Avant  - the picture is excellent.

Just to be clear 'King Street'.

Simon says the picture on his 32" Avant is poorer than it was on his 28" and you seem to be saying that the picture on your Avant 28" is 'excellent'. Who's to say that the picture from the Sky HD box would be any better on his Avant 32 and that he wouldn't just be back where he was in thinking the 28" picture was superior?    

Does the Sky HD box produce a better SD picture via scart than the 'old' SKY+ SD box on non-HD TVs?

Finally couldn't it just be the case that SD pictures on smaller screens often look sharper than on larger ones as the inadequacies of the picture aren't as obvious?

Points answered below -

Just to be clear 'King Street'.

Who's to say that the picture from the Sky HD box would be any better on his Avant 32 and that he wouldn't just be back where he was in thinking the 28" picture was superior?   Possibly - but assuming his TV isn't faulty, I would expect the SKY HD box to be a general improvement. 

Does the Sky HD box produce a better SD picture via scart than the 'old' SKY+ SD box on non-HD TVs?  I would say so, yes.

Finally couldn't it just be the case that SD pictures on smaller screens often look sharper than on larger ones as the inadequacies of the picture aren't as obvious? Yes - very true - smaller screens are better, all things being equal - but he's not gone up to 50", so it should not be too different, and as the original post was,  in effect, "would there be an improvement", my view is, on balance, its a worthwhile change.

i didn't know you could view HD content on a CRT! i had a hd set top box with our bv3 and the HD channels were patchy... but i would love to access HD content because there are extra channels!

unless the bit rate on sky hd is improved over normal , i fail to see why moving to an hd service for an sd device has any point whatsoever

the avant is a superb tv but it's just not capable of displaying hd , isn't 480p it's limit ?

There is no HD connection - so any benefit, aside from the content available and the storage, is in the better quality of the tuner/decoders.

Think of a seperates hi-fi system .  A decent amp and speakers can be let down by a poor turntable or CD player.  So improving the source, via the same amp and speakers, improves the listen.  It follows that digiboxes, viewed with a decent screen, can be just as variable.  Otherwise a crappy £20 freeview STB would be no better/worse  than a £90 humax or topfield.

So changing an older SKY+ box for a new SKY HD one is, imo,  worthwhile - albeit your not getting the full HD benefit.  Like a seperates system, the avant will benefit from a higher quality source signal.

Not considering this upgrade to the tuner and storage media - which is what the question was about - just because a CRT is non HD is rather like saying all CD players are digital, and therefore they all sound the same, so don't change.

I have swapped a SKY + for a SKY HD box via a CRT, and the difference was clear, so I suggest its worth doing.  The boxes are now a nominal amount - well under £100 - and the bbc hd content is a bonus - like a BBC greatest hits channel.  If the box was still £300 or more, then maybe not.

thanks King Street! I've been out at work so although I could read the replies to my question I couldn't reply as my iphone won't let me! Anyway, I think I might give it a try as  at least I'll end up with a bigger hard drive and thus more storage space. Your experience that there is a noticeable improvement in picture qulaity with an HD box tallies with what i've read elsewhere so it will be interesting to see. I really don't think there's any problem with my avant as it was sold and tested by a B&O dealer and I also agree with one of the other comments that the fact I now have a bigger screen will amplify any digital artefacts that the sky signal creates. Will set about it tomorrow!

Simon

simon8201:

thanks King Street! I've been out at work so although I could read the replies to my question I couldn't reply as my iphone won't let me! Anyway, I think I might give it a try as  at least I'll end up with a bigger hard drive and thus more storage space. Your experience that there is a noticeable improvement in picture qulaity with an HD box tallies with what i've read elsewhere so it will be interesting to see. I really don't think there's any problem with my avant as it was sold and tested by a B&O dealer and I also agree with one of the other comments that the fact I now have a bigger screen will amplify any digital artefacts that the sky signal creates. Will set about it tomorrow!

 

Simon

Keep us updated on your journey please Simon.