[jesseb_66]

I've had my Series 2 Tivo for probably 2-3 years and have always thought Sports specifically football through my Tivo looked like crap!
It gets all pixelated on fast action or just looking at players from one of the sky cams.

It is most pixelated when a player has green grass as a back ground. I have tried numours cables though coax, composite, and S-video also with a cable box and with out. It doesn't change it. If I don't use my tivo and go straight coax or into my cable box with the Tivo removed I have no issues.

I typically record at best quality and sometimes just highest quality but it doesn't really matter if its recorded or not it looks just as bad watching it as live TV.

Any one else have this happen or know of a way to solve it? thanks
-Jesse

 

[JimSpence]

You can't solve this problem. It is a result of DirecTV's overcompression of the channel. Fast moving scenes are affected the most.

 

[pdhenry]

Jim:

I didn't see anything in the OP about DirectTV. I think Jesse's on cable.

Jesse:

"Live TV" on TiVo is actually recorded at highest quality and immediately played back. That's why it's the same.

I know that one of the local ABC affiliates (in Baltimore) does something with their video signal that causes it to be pixellated even when watching live TV without a TiVo. Are you seeing the bad video on all channels?

 

[jesseb_66]

Yeah it doesn't matter what channel its on ABC, FOX, CBS, ESPN etc. Anything through the TiVo looks bad. If I change the video source to straight coax from the wall to the TV or from the wall to a Cable box to the TV it looks fine.

You are correct no Direct TV here. I use Cox here in Tucson, AZ though it looked equally as bad with the Tivo when I had Charter in VT previously.


It's definitly something the Tivo causes I just wasn't sure if it only happens to me or if others experienced this same issue.

 

[ZikZak]

Some slight pixellation during fast action is to be expected because of tivo's MPEG compression.

 

[jesseb_66]

Of course I could understand slight but this looks down right disgusting. I personally think it is unwatchable Of course my wife doesn't even barely notice it. I wonder if I can take a pic of it with my camera and see if I can show what it looks like.

 

[Stanley Rohner]

If your wife doesn't even barely notice it, but you think it's disgusting maybe you should go see an eye doctor.

 

[jesseb_66]

She is also the type of person who doesn't notice aspect ratio on widescreen TV's. She doesn't really watch football games thats why she doesn't notice. I'm not really sure why you come out saying I need to see an eye doctor because the TV looks like crap... OTHER people agree with me as well so it has nothing to do with MY eyes.
Thanks for the very helpful post.

 

[geecotec]

have you considered that you're getting bad signal quality? we just got our tivo and had a similar problem that most shows (action or not) were grainy. i got the motorola signal booster from circuit city. and i can say that the picture was improved drastically

 

[bv1187]

I agree, I had two SA tivo's and for the most part the picture q was pretty nasty. It was much more noticable with sports but with no exceptions the picture quality takes it in the rear .

 

[gtrogue]

This is mostly a problem with the cable company.
Analog channels on my cable system look like crap whether or not the Tivo is involved. The Tivo makes the crappy channels look crappier, especially at medium or basic quality.
My digital premium channels at high or best quality look pretty much as they do when the cable goes directly into the TV.
Football games I've recorded on ESPN2 (a digital channel) look much better than the games I record on ABC, FOX, CBS, or ESPN (analog channels on my cable system).

 

[jesseb_66]

I wouldn't doubt it is a signal problem. I was just wondering if others had this issue. If not I was looking for a resolution and if it was the norm then thats fine too, but alteast I would know I wasnt having issues. thanks for all the info guys I will have to look around for this Moto signal booster. Do you know how much they typically run in price?

 

[Stanley Rohner]

She is also the type of person who doesn't notice aspect ratio on widescreen TV's. She doesn't really watch football games thats why she doesn't notice. I'm not really sure why you come out saying I need to see an eye doctor because the TV looks like crap... OTHER people agree with me as well so it has nothing to do with MY eyes.
Thanks for the very helpful post.

You're welcome.

 

[ZikZak]

Jesse, try setting the sharpness and contrast on your TV using a calibration DVD. Most tivo artifacting is unnoticable if the sharpness is set more or less all the way down, where it is supposed to be anyway.

 

[geecotec]

I wouldn't doubt it is a signal problem. I was just wondering if others had this issue. If not I was looking for a resolution and if it was the norm then thats fine too, but alteast I would know I wasnt having issues. thanks for all the info guys I will have to look around for this Moto signal booster. Do you know how much they typically run in price?

i got the one at circuity city for $50 after rebate (i can't post links yet, just go to circuit city and search for motorla signal booster)

 

[dirtypacman]

Jesse, try setting the sharpness and contrast on your TV using a calibration DVD. Most tivo artifacting is unnoticable if the sharpness is set more or less all the way down, where it is supposed to be anyway.

I agree with this post... I had to calibrate my tv on the TIVO input to improve picture quality. Which certainly worked for me!!!

Also remove any splitters you have in place with the line coming into to TIVO.

I have not used the booster option but that could potentially help if others said it has.