SaskTel maxTV Install Manual

Brand: SaskTel

Model: maxTV

Type: Install Manual

CONNECTIONS CHECKLIST

1. Know your jacks and plugs – most are color coded:

• Yellow plugs are Video connections

• Red plugs are Right Audio connections

• White (or black) plugs are Left Audio (or Mono)

connections. If you VCR is mono-sound, it will

have only a white or black plug, no second red

one.

2. Perform one connection at a time. If you have

several accessories to connect, make sure each

connection is correct by checking to see that it works

properly before trying the next connection.

3. Unplug the power cord during each connection.

4. Follow the In and Out Concept. Remember In and

Out – the Output jack from one devise will go to the

Input jack of the other. Read the jack panels, they

are all labeled

Cables

Video

Jack

Cable

Name

Typical Use

Level of

Video

Quality

a.k.a. radio

frequency;

antenna; cable

Antennae, VCRs,

cable and satellite

boxes

Lowest

Composite Video

a.k.a. yellow video;

video; A/V (when

combined with

audio jacks)

Cable and satellite

boxes, VCRs, DVD

players, game

consoles

Low

S-Video

a.k.a. DIN 4

Cable and satellite

boxes, S-VHS VCRs,

DVD players, game

consoles

Medium

Component

a.k.a.

Y, Pb, Pr;

1080i; 720p; HDTV

Regular and

progressive-scan

DVD players, HDTV

receivers

Very High

RGB

a.k.a. VGA; 15-pin

D-sub; RGB-HV

Computers, some

HDTV receivers,

video processors and

projectors NOT

supplied by SaskTel

Customer supplied

Very High

FireWire

a.k.a. IEEE 1394;

iLink

HDTV receivers, D-

VHS VCRs

NOT supplied by

SaskTel Customer

supplied

Highest

DVI-D with HDCP

a.k.a. DVI-D;

Digital Visual

Interface; High-

bandwidth Digital

Content Protection

HDTV receivers and

DVD players

NOT supplied by

SaskTel Customer

supplied

Highest

HDMI

a.k.a. High-

Definition

Multimedia

Interface

HDTV receivers and

DVD players

NOT supplied by

SaskTel Customer

supplied

Highest

AUDIO

Jack

Cable

Name

Typical Use

Level of

Video

Quality

RCA HDTV receivers,

cable boxes, Home

Theatre systems,DVD

players

Medium

S/PDIF HDTV receivers,

cable boxes, Home

Theatre systems,DVD

players

Very High

Optical Audio

a.k.a TOSLINK

cable

HDTV receivers,

cable boxes, Home

Theatre systems,DVD

players

Highest

TYPICAL SD SET TOP BOX (STB)

TICLES

Typical components

Set-top box (STB)

The same connections that are found on the back of most televisions and

VCRs are also found on the back of the STB, as shown below. In addition,

the network connection port is used to connect to the jack, hub or modem

through which the MAX service is received.

Ch 3

Ch 4

MOUSE

KEYBOARD

VIDEO OUT

AUDIO OUT

S-VIDEO

OUT

POWER

RF OUT

AERIAL IN

PARALLEL SERIAL

ETHERNET

TV set

This is a diagram of some of the typical connections found on the back of

most television sets. These are the connections that are used to receive

audio and video signals from a source. Most of today’s TVs also feature

additional A/V input connections on the front of the TV-set (not displayed

here).

VIDEO

AUDIO

S-VIDEO IN

POWER

ANT. IN

VCR

The connections that are found on the back of the most common VCRs are

similar to TV connections. All of the ‘IN’ and ‘VHF/UHF IN’ jacks are used

to receive a signal from the set-top box or from another source. Also note

the channel ¾ switch. When using the VHF/UHF jacks, this switch must be

set to the corresponding channel on the television in order for the

audio/video feed to be received.

DVD player

Unlike VCRs, majority of today’s DVD players only feature output

connections. They include S-Video and RCA connections. It is

recommended that you use the S-Video output wherever possible for best

results.

Audio/Video receiver or home theater system

Most Audio/Video receivers function as concentrators for home theater

systems. By taking input from various sources (VCR, DVD, etc) receivers

direct the output to one or more common destinations like your TV-set

and/or audio system. Depending on the number and type of A/V inputs

that the receiver has, there may be many different ways of combining your

audio/video equipment together. This manual will review a few straight

forward examples.

AUDIO

VIDEO

OUT

VHF/UHF

OUT

VHF/UHF

Ch 3

Ch 4

Console gaming system

Although there are a great variety of console gaming systems, most of

them feature some type of RCA connectors. For example, both XBOX and

PlayStation require proprietary RCA cables, which come with the

respective products.

Connecting components

A. Basic configuration (TV + STB)

Coaxial

To connect the set-top box to the TV, place one end of the coaxial cable

into the bottom cable connector (RF OUT) of the set-top box and the other

free end into the VHF/UHF IN or ANT of the television set.

RCA cables

To connect the set-top box to the TV, plug one end of the A/V connector

(yellow) into the jack labeled VIDEO IN on the back of the television set.

Now plug the other end of the cable (yellow) into the VIDEO OUT on the

set-top box. Connect the left (white) audio cable into the left audio jack on

the television. Now plug the other end of the cable (white) into the left

audio jack on the set-top box. Repeat the last step for the last cable (red).

Now, to view a television broadcast, select Video 1 or Video 2 on the

television set.

S-Video (SVHS) cable

This configuration provides the best quality performance and is available

on most new models of television sets. To connect the set-top box to the

television, plug one end of the S-Video cable into the jack on the back of

the television labeled S-VIDEO IN (or SVHS IN). Plug the other end of the

S-Video cable into the S-VIDEO jack on the set-top box. Connect the two

audio cables (Left and Right) as described in the section above.

B. Adding VCR or DVD-player

Connection VCR with coaxial cables

To connect the set-top box to the TV and VCR using two coaxial cables,

attach one end of the coaxial cable to the RF OUT of the set-top box and

the other, free, end of the cable to the VHF/UHF IN jack of the VCR. Using

another coaxial cable, attach one of the ends to the VHF/UHF OUT jack of

the VCR and the other end of this cable to the WHF/UHF IN or ANT of the

television set.

Connecting VCR with RCA cables

To connect the set-top box and VCR to the TV, you will need two sets of

RCA cables. Depending on how many RCA input links your TV supports, it

may be possible to connect both components directly into TV (see the

following section on connecting DVD-player with RCA cables). In the event

that your TV has only one RCA input, please consult the diagram below.

Connecting DVD-player with RCA cables

If your TV has enough A/V inputs, you may connect all of the components

directly into the TV. As in the diagram below indicates you will require two

sets of RCA cables. Furthermore, your VCR can be connected in the similar

fashion as the DVD-player below.

Connecting DVD-player with S-Video cable

Much like the previous diagram, if your TV has enough inputs, the

components may be connected directly to the TV. However, instead of

using the Video (yellow) jack, an S-video cable can be used to connect

both the DVD and STB to the TV-set.

Some older TV-sets may not have enough inputs to connect your STB and

DVD-player. Therefore it may be necessary to connect STB to the TV-set

with a coaxial cable (as indicated by the dotted line).

C. Audio/Video receiver or sound system

Coaxial cables

In this scenario a home theater system is used in conjunction with an

older VCR and TV-set, both of which support only RF connectors. Although

an S-video cable is used to connect STB to the A/V receiver, the picture

quality is limited by the TV’s RF input.

RCA cables

In this diagram both STB and VCR are connected to the receiver with RCA

cables. A DVD-player can be substituted for the VCR. However, it is

recommended to use S-Video connectors whenever possible. More devices

can be added by utilizing unused inputs on the Audio/Video receiver

and/or TV-set.

S-Video cables

This configuration provides the best quality performance. All components

are connected using S-video/RCA-audio cables combination. Any number

of additional devices maybe added to this set up. Additional devices can be

added in the future by utilizing unused inputs on the Audio/Video receiver

and/or TV-set itself.

IV. Adding a console gaming system

Scenario 1

Most of today’s console gaming systems require an RCA input to connect

to TV. Depending on the number and type of available inputs on your TV

you may have to either connect the console with RCA cables, or…

… with coaxial cable to the TV. If your TV lacks RCA inputs, please see FAQ

section of this manual for further information.

Scenario 2

If the TV has enough RCA inputs, the console should be connected directly

to the TV. In the event that all inputs are already taken it may be possible

to reposition some of the components. For example you can connect STB

and VCR in series as pictured below, thereby freeing up an input for your

favorite gaming system. If instead of a VCR you have a DVD-player that

does not have any inputs it may be required to temporarily disconnect on

of the unused components.

Scenario 3

When adding a console gaming system to an existing home theater

system, it is recommended to connect it directly to your TV, thereby

reducing the chance of accidentally disconnecting any of the components.

Furthermore, majority of newer TV’s feature an input panel on the front

just for such purposes. If, for whatever reason, your TV does not have an

available RCA input, you can connect the console directly to the home

theater receiver, much like you would a VCR or DVD-player.

Customer does not require a wireless or firewall device as the new

Residential Gateway provides both functions. However if they wish to use

their existing device it must be placed between the PC and the Gateway.

MOTOROLA HD/SD SET TOP BOX (STB)

Front Panel

KEY ITEM FUNCTION

1 POWER

If held for less than five seconds, turns the Max

set-top box on or off

If held for five seconds or longer, restarts the

set-top box

Lights Green when the Max set-top box is on

2 USB USB 2.0 connector

3 LINK Lights green when receiving a stream

4 HD

Lights blue when receiving a high-definition

program

5 RECORD

Lights red when you are recording a program

with the

DTVR. *** Applies to VIP 1216 only - not the

1200

6 MENU Displays the Home Page

Up and Down

arrow keys

Left and right

arrow keys

Changes the channel up and down

Moves through the on-screen program guide and

Selects channels or menu options

Rear Panel

KEY

ITEM FUNCTION

1 TO WALL

Coaxial input (VIDEO IN)

2 HDMI

Connects to a high-definition TV or home theatre receiver with

an HDMI input (for a DVI input, use an HDMI-to-DVI adapter)

3 NETWORK

Ethernet 10/100Base-T RJ-45 port

4 Y Pb Pr

RCA-type component video outputs to an HDTV

5 S-VIDEO

High quality video output to a VCR or TV that accepts S-Video. It

carries video only; you must also connect to the TV or home

theatre receiver for audio.

6 OPTICAL

S/PDIF audio output to a digital home theatre receiver

VIDEO

OUT

RCA-type video outputs to a TV, VCR, DVD recorder, or other

device

AUDIO

OUT

Left and right RCA-type stereo audio outputs L and R

9 TO TV

Coaxial output to a TV or VCR (VIDEO OUT)

10 USB USB 2.0 connector

POWER

+12 DC

Connector for the DC power adapter

Motorola Default Settings

TV Type

This setting affects how HD material will be displayed.

The Motorola VIP1200 has the default setting of 16:9. This is done

because nearly all HDTVs are at a 16:9 ratio and most HD content

is filmed in a 16:9 ratio. Setting 16:9 as the default ratio will

provide customers with the best HD viewing experience. If

customers have a 4:3 TV, HD content will be displayed with

letterboxing (or black bars at the top and bottom of the screen).

For example, CSI is filmed in a 16:9 ratio and will be displayed in a

16:9 ratio.

If you have a 4:3 ratio TV, you will see letterboxing at the top and

bottom of the TV screen.

YPbPr Output

YPbPr is also known as a Component connection.

This sets the format to be used by the Component, DVI or HDMI

connectors. (RF, Composite or S-Video will be for Standard TV

use.)

The output default is set to1080i to allow for the best possible

viewing experience for customers in an HD format.

4:3 Override

This tells the Set Top Box how it should display Standard Definition

Content.

The default setting is 480i. Standard Definition is displayed as it

would be on a SDTV on this setting. There will be Pillarboxing

(black bars at the sides) on the screen.

This will avoid the stretching and distortion of the picture to make

it fit on the 16:9 screen. The customer’s viewing will be clearer in

this mode.

It is always suggested that the default settings are left in place in

order avoid picture stretching and distortion that may occur if

these are changed.

The defaults will be configurable, if the customer wishes them to

change, but how to access the screens will not be obvious, to avoid

having a customer accidentally change the defaults and then not

know how to change them back.

YPbPr (or Component) and HDMI are both common connections for

HD Set Top Boxes. SaskTel Max will be using a Component

connection on installation because while many TVs have both

connector types, Component video is the most widely supported

HDTV connection. If customers choose to use another type of

connection, they will be responsible for providing it themselves.

Closed Captioning

The Set Top Box sends the Closed Captioning information to the

TV. If Closed Captioning is enabled on the Set Top Box, the

banners will appear, irrespective of what is set on the customer’s

TV.

Closed Captioning is disabled as a default setting on the Set Top

Box. This is done to accommodate most customers, as most

customers watch TV without Closed Captioning banners.

If the customer wishes to change the default setting on Closed

Captioning and enable the banners, they will find it off the Max

Portal Home Page, under Settings

These settings may also be adjusted through the television

menu. It is important to note that you may need to consult

the TV manual to adjust settings so that the picture is

displayed correctly

Connecting components

Connecting to an HDTV – Video Only

Connecting to an HDTV – Audio Only

Connecting to a Home Theatre Receiver

– Audio Only

Connecting to a Stereo TV

This video connection does not support HD video. For

information, see “Connecting to an HDTV – Video Only”.

Connecting to a Stereo TV and Stereo VCR

This video connection does not support HD video. For

information, see “Connecting to an HDTV – Video Only”.

Connecting to a Home Theatre Receiver, TV, and

VCR

This video connection does not support HD video. For

information, see “Connecting to an HDTV – Video Only

”.

ARTICLES

Connections (Sound & Vision Buyer’s Guide

2003)

Not so long ago, hooking up a TV set was petty simple. You had

antenna inputs, and if you had a high-end model, there might also

be a composite-video input and some audio outputs. But as video

sources and home theatre have proliferated, so have the varieties

of connections.

Today you can expect to find video connections in four flavors:

composite, S-video, component, and digital. Composite video is

the lowest common denominator. Originally developed for

broadcast use, it multiplexes the color and luminance portions of

an analog video feed into a single signal, which must be pulled

apart again in the TV tuner for display. Composite connections are

normally made via ordinary RCA jacks.

Because there are losses and artifacts associated with combining

and un-combining a composite-video signal, it’s better to keep the

luminance and chrominance elements separate, which is where S-

video, or Y/C, connections come in. The “S” stands for

“separated,” and small, round multi-pin jacks and plugs are used

to carry S-video signals. (S-video connections are sometimes

called S-VHS connections, but the only link between S-video and S-

VHS is that S-video connections were first introduced on Super

VHS VCRs.)

S-video is most useful when the incoming signal was never in

composite form to begin with. Digital video sources, such as DVD

and DTV, fall into this category. With these sources, and S-video

connection will usually give a significantly better picture than a

composite-video link. But if the luminance and chrominance

elements were combined at some point – as in digital satellite

signals that were delivered to the uplink site as composite video –

using S-video connections later in the signal chain is unlikely to

yield much, if any, noticeable improvement.

Component video takes the process one step further by keeping

the elements that make up the chrominance signal separate as

well. That gives you a luminance signal (Y) and two color-

difference signals, Y – R (luminance minus red) and Y – B

(luminance minus blue). From these three signals, the color

demodulator within the TV set can derive the RGB (red, green, and

blue) signals necessary to drive the display. This can yield another

step up in picture quality with MPEG digital video sources such as

DVD and DTV, for which component video is the native format. A

component (or digital) video connection is necessary for

progressive-scan signals, and a wide-bandwidth component

connection (or a digital connection) is necessary to handle high-

definition signals. Component connections are usually made via

three RCA jacks.

Some high-end sets – front projectors especially – have RGB-

component connections. Typically these consist of five RCA jacks:

three for the color components plus two synchronization signals,

horizontal and vertical (thus the term RGB+H/V). Sometimes

these inputs are switch able between component-video and RGB-

component modes.

For DTV, especially, some manufacturers use other types of

connectors for component-video signals, either 15-pin VGA or

something proprietary. The key is to make sure your TV has the

right inputs to match up with the outputs on your source

components – and enough of them, especially if you’re not using

an external switcher.

Increasingly, HDTV sets and monitors also come with digital video

inputs, either FireWire (a.k.a. IEEE 1394 or i.Link) or, much more

often, DVI (Digital Visual Interface). This is a desirable feature

because it helps ensure compatibility with digital copy-protection

systems that may be applied to future DTV broadcasts and because

it keeps the signal digital all the way to the set’s scaler, instead of

requiring an extra analog-to-digital step that might slightly reduce

the final picture quality.

TV sets and Video Projectors (Sound &

Vision Buyer’s Guide 2003)

Choosing a TV has become more complicated than just figuring out

how big a picture you can get for the amount of money you have

to spend!

There are three main factors to consider: your performance goals,

how long you expect to keep the set, and your budget.

The bets sets today fall under the DTV umbrella and are ready,

willing, and able to help you through the transition from analog

television to digital TV. They can display large, bright pictures in

either widescreen (16:9) or standard (4:3) format, with resolution

limited more often by the source than by thee set. (The 16:9 and

4:3 designations refer to the aspect ratio, width to height, of the

TV screen. A 16:9 display, which is the emerging, more cinematic

standard, has 16 units of width for every 9 units of height, while a

conventional 4:3 display has 4 units of width for every 3 of height.)

Some high-definition TV (HDTV) sets have built-in tuners for both

analog and digital TV, and sometimes satellite TV as well, whereas

others, billed as HDTV monitors, require an outboard HDTV tuner

or set-top decoder to receive digital broadcasts. There are two

good reasons to buy a 16:9 HDTV or monitor: The standard aspect

ratio for HDTV is 16:9, and many widescreen DVDs will exhibit

better vertical resolution on a 16:9 display than on a 4:3 one.

Because a large 16:9 display cathode-ray tube (CRT) is hard to

make and very heavy, most widescreen sets use some variety of

video-projection technology, either with a ceiling or table-mounted

box beaming images at a separate screen (front projection) or as

part of an all-in-one unit which the picture projects onto the rear of

a translucent screen (rear projection).

A step down from widescreen HDTVs and HDTV monitors are high-

def 4:3 models. To fit widescreen programs into the narrower

aspect ratio, these sets normally display them in “letterbox”

format, with bars at the top and bottom of the screen. This allows

you to view the full width of the image at the sacrifice of some

image height and vertical resolution.

Next are enhanced-definition TVs (EDTVs) and monitors, which can

receive high-definition signals but can’t display them in high

definition. EDTVs and monitors must be able to accept and display

progressive-scan signals such as those available from many DVD

players.

Finally we land in the familiar world of purely analog TV sets, large

and small. Most of these are either direct-view sets with picture

tubes or rear-projection models. Although more limited in their

display capabilities than HDTVs, the best of the breed can give you

splendid pictures from conventional analog broadcasts and DVDs,

especially at modest screen sizes.

Which of these paths you should go down is largely a question of

how long you expect to use the set and how much you can afford

to spend on it. Not surprisingly, the most affordable sets are the

basic analog models, while the most expensive are the high-end

HDTVs. If you don’t mind replacing your new set in, say, five

years, it could make sense to buy a good analog TV now – that will

get you more performance bank for your buck in the short term.

There’s still less HDTV programming available than conventional

standard-definition fare. And by the time HDTV dominates, the

prices for compatible sets – already coming down – will have

dropped substantially.

If, on the other hand, you want the new set to last you ten years

or more but care about performance, you’re likely to find yourself

dissatisfied for quite a bit of the period. Since wide-screen HDTVs

and HDTV monitors do a better job of presenting DVDs than

conventional sets, you should think seriously about spending more

up front and console yourself with the thought that on a cost-per-

year basis the expense is actually reasonable.

Scanning and Scaling (Sound & Vision

Buyer’s Guide 2003)

Until recently, the basic technology behind television images was

pretty cut and dried. In our analog system, the video stream

consists of 30 complete frames per second, a frame being a

complete still picture created by 480 active scan lines running

horizontally across the screen. (The total number of lines in a

frame is 525, but that includes lines in what is known as the

vertical blanking interval, or VBI, which carries no picture

information.) Each frame is split into two fields, each of which

contains half the scan lines. The fields are transmitted and

displayed sequentially, so that the first field of a frame is

completely scanned, and then the lines of the second field are

scanned between those of the first. This is known as interlaced

scanning.

Interlacing is surprisingly effective. However, if you compare a

scene shot and displayed in standard analog format, known as

480i, with the same scene displayed using progressive scanning –

in which all the lines in each frame are scanned sequentially

instead of being divided into two interlaced fields – the

progressive-scan version will look cleaner and smoother. That

format is called 480p (the number indicates the active scan lines,

and the “I” or “P” indicates the scanning method).

When DVDs are made from movies, the images on the disc are

stored at the native frame rate of film, which is 24 frames per

second (fps). DVD players convert the video from 24 fps to 30 fps,

but that’s not the only way to get the job done. DVD movies can

be displayed progressively at 60 fps if the player is designed to

provide such an output and the TV set is designed to handle it – as

more and more sets are, because 480p is one of the standard-

definition formats in the DTV system. (Another is plain old 480i.)

The DTV standard also defines two high-definition formats, 720p

and 1080i, that provide higher resolution – meaning, greater

detail. An HDTV set must, therefore, be able to accommodate

inputs in a number of scan formats and in both 4:3 and 16:9

aspect ratios for standard-definition signals (4:3 is not used for

high-definition broadcasts). That’s where things get hairy.

It’s possible to design a CRT display to handle all of those formats

directly, which is what high-end CRT front projectors typically do.

But since it’s cheaper to convert some formats to others than to

make a full-bore multi-scanning monitor, most rear-projection and

direct-view CRT sets take the conversion approach. And in the

case of fixed-pixel displays, such as LCD, DLP, and plasma, all

incoming signals must be converted to a progressive-scan format

that exactly matches the display’s pixel array.

Most digital CRT sets work at 480p and 1080i and convert every

other incoming signal to one of those native formats. That usually

means 480i gets bumped up to 480pand, if the set has a built-in

HDTV tuner, 720p gets unconverted to 1080i. (Because 720p

actually has the highest data bandwidth and horizontal scan rate, it

is easier from the display-design standpoint to convert it “up” to

1080i than to step 1080i “down.”) The process of converting

between scan formats is known as scaling.

Unfortunately, good scaling is hard to do, and bad scaling can look

really, really bad. Historically, good scalers have been very

expensive, even if all they did was line double 480i to 480p. And

the very best scalers, from companies such as Faroudja and Runco,

are still very pricey. The good news is that the growing need for

video scaling has let to substantial progress further down the food

chain – a trend that will surely continue. Still, before you buy any

set with built-in scaling – a category that includes all DTV sets and

all fixed-pixel displays – cast a critical eye on how it looks with a

variety of input signals.

Pay special attention to what the set does with ordinary analog

signals from cable or broadcast TV, which tend to give crummy

scalers the biggest fits. Look particularly at what happens around

the edges of moving objects. (Problems are often most apparent

on slowly moving objects in the back ground.) Jagged or fuzzy

edges or halos around objects are a bad sign. Poor handling of

analog TV signals might not matter much ten years from now, but I

t could make you pretty unhappy in the meantime. You should

also make sure the scaler provides 2:3 pull down detection and

compensation for film-originated programs that have been

converted from 24 fps to 30 or 60 fps.

HD Specs

HDTV is actually part of the DTV (Digital Television) specifications,

which has many different video resolutions. The two main

resolutions to be concerned about are 720p and 1080i. The "p"

means progressive and "i" mean interlaced. In both resolutions,

every second has 60 frames of video. Progressive resolution puts

60 full frames on the screen every second. Interlaced resolution

puts 30 frames of only odd lines and then 30 frames of only even

lines up every second. Some people complain about the flicker

produced by interlaced video.

The 720p video resolution is 1280 X 720 pixels, which gives

921,600 total pixels and the 1080i video resolution is 1920 X 1080,

which gives a whopping 2,073,000 pixels.

Which resolution is better? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,

and future battles may be fought over this question. Some people

like the slightly more "stable" picture of 720p, while others prefer

the greater resolution of 1080i. The best way to figure this out is to

run down to your local TV store and see for yourself.

SOUND

Just as your CDs sound better than your old audiocassette tapes,

HDTV's digital audio signal sounds better than standard television's

analog sound. Also, some HDTV programs include Dolby Digital 5.1

surround sound. Of course this means you need 5.1 speakers to

take advantage of the better sound.

You will have to buy a new HDTV. Some HDTVs come with built-in

tuners, while others do not. The tuner converts the signal into

something that your TV can recognize. HDTVs that do not come

with a tuner are commonly called "HDTV Ready." An HDTV without

a tuner is worthless.

There was a big legal fight between Consumer Electronics

Association (CEA) and the FCC about including tuners in all HDTVs.

The FCC wanted tuners to be included, while the CEA did not. FCC

reasoned that the including tuners would increase adoption of

HDTV. The CEA said that tuners are only for people who want to

receive signals via antenna and is worthless for people who want to

use digital cable or satellite, which have built-in tuners.

Another reason that the CEA argued against including tuners into

HDTVs is that it would drive up the costs of manufacturing the

HDTV. It looks like the FCC won, and as of July 2004 HDTVs with

screens of 36 inches or more must be sold with a tuner included.

Smaller sizes will be phased in over the next three years.

HDTV content uses MPEG-2 compression. A properly compressed

HDTV signal delivering 1080i content is about 19.2 megabits per

second, but the actual rate can vary. Some content providers

compress the signal to a greater degree, so you may see attempts

to deliver HDTV streams as low as 5-6 megabits. Image quality

would definitely be worse than at full bitrate.

For shows that are broadcasted in native HDTV, the video, in 16:9

aspect ratio, will fill up the whole frame of your TV or computer

tuner window. The following screenshot was taken from Navy CIS,

also from CBS. It is a native 1080i or 1920 x 1080 pixels format.

For shows and sporting events that are in native HDTV format,

pictures do not do them justice. You must see it live to appreciate

the quality.

Unfortunately, there's no easy way for a consumer to determine

the actual bitrate, other than by seeing decreased image quality. In

fact, many HDTVs don't even tell you the active display mode

(1080i, 720p). When you're shopping for HDTV products, make

sure they support either 720p or 1080i natively.

RESOLUTION

Resolution, or picture detail, is the main reason why HDTV

programs look so good. The standard-definition programming most

of us watch today has at most 480 visible lines of detail, whereas

HDTV has as many as 1,080. HDTV looks sharper and clearer than

regular TV by a wide margin, especially on big-screen televisions.

It actually comes in two different resolutions, called 1080i and

720p. One is not necessarily better than the other; 1080i has more

lines and pixels, but 720p is a progressive-scan format that should

deliver a smoother image that stays sharper during motion.

Another format is also becoming better known: 1080p, which

combines the superior resolution of 1080i with the progressive-

scan smoothness of 720p. True 1080p content is extremely scarce,

however, and none of the major networks has announced 1080p

broadcasts. Check out our comparison chart to see how HDTV

stacks up against standard TV and progressive-scan DVD.

Name Resolution HDTV? Wide-

screen?

Progressive-scan?

1080p 1,920x1,080 Y Y Y

1080i 1,920x1,080 Y Y N

720p 1,280x720 Y Y Y

Wide-

screen

480p

(DVD,

EDTV)

852x480 N Y Y

Regular TV

Up to 480

lines

N N N

Videophiles are quick to point out that not every HDTV can actually

display all the resolution of an HDTV program. That's true; all but

the most expensive sets with 9-inch CRTs, LCoS engines, or the

very highest-resolution DLP and LCD panels are incapable of

resolving every detail of 1080i material. Plasma, LCD, LCoS and

DLP TVs have a fixed number of pixels, known as native resolution,

and the higher that number, the more detail you'll see. Naturally,

higher-resolution fixed-pixel displays, such as 1080p sets with

1,920x1,080 pixels, cost more money. At the end of the day,

however, even the staunchest video critics will admit that a high-

definition picture on any HDTV looks far superior to regular TV.

Regular TV on an HDTV: Aside from being able to display high-

resolution HDTV shows and movies, a high-definition set can also

make regular TV look a little better. Almost every HDTV has a

processor that takes the regular TV image and converts it to

progressive-scan for a more stable image. This conversion won't

work miracles, however, and many HDTV buyers are

disappointed by how regular television looks on their new

sets. That's because the big screen exaggerates the flaws in

standard TV programs. No matter how nice a TV you buy, there

isn't much you can do to make regular TV, including digital cable or

satellite, look better.

DVD on an HDTV: Since most people don't buy HDTV tuners and

converted TV doesn't really leverage the full potential of a new

high-def television, you may wonder why people buy HDTVs today

at all. Most of them will probably tell you it's because of DVD.

HDTVs can make DVD, a very high-quality source, look

spectacular. Progressive-scan DVD players have their own internal

processors that are generally superior to the ones inside most

digital sets. Mating a prog-scan DVD with an HDTV will give you

the best picture you can get outside of HDTV itself.

GLOSSARY

AC-3: The 5.1-channel sound system specified in the Standards

for Digital-HDTV. Also known as “Dolby Digital,” AC-3 delivers CD

quality digital audio and provides five full-bandwidth channels for

front left, front right, center, surround left and surround right

speakers, plus an LFE (low frequency effect) subwoofer, for a total

of 5.1 channels.

Active scan lines: Those scan lines in a video frame that carry

picture information rather than being used for other data (such as

closed captioning) or for synchronization.

Analog TV: Analog TV is the NTSC Standard for traditional

television broadcasts. Analog signals vary continuously,

representing fluctuations in color and brightness.

Anamorphic: A means of recording a widescreen image using

special lenses or processing such that the image is distorted in the

medium but restored to proper proportions during playback.

Aspect ratio: The ratio of width to height of a screen or image;

expressed in whole numbers (4:3, 16:9) or divided out (1.33,

1.78)

ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee): The

industry / government body that issued the US digital TV standard.

Blue minus luminance (B – Y): Part of a component-video

signal; see color difference.

Chrominance (chroma, C): A video signal carrying only the

point-to-point color, both hue and saturation, of a video image and

not its brightness; see luminance.

Closed captioning: A system that transmits caption or subtitle

text and symbol data during the non-image portion of a video

signal. It requires special decoder circuitry for display, hence the

“closed.”

Color difference: A system of transmitting video information in

which the color signals contain the difference between a given

primary color (red, blue or green) and the luminance signal. The

color information on DVD’s and in component-video signals is

encoded in this way.

Color temperature: The specific shade of white produced by a

video monitor in response to a pure-white (luminance only) input

signal, measured in kelvins (K). Low color temperatures produce

a“white” that’s tinted reddish-orange compared with the bluish

“white” at high color temperatures.

Component video: A method of transmitting video signals that

continuously keeps the various color components separate from

each other. Consumer component-video connections carry

luminance and two color-difference signals.

Component video connection: The output of a video device

(such as a DTV set-top box) or the input of a DTV receiver or

monitor consisting of 3 primary color signals: red, green, and blue

that together convey all necessary picture information. With

current consumer video products, the 3 component signals have

been translated into luminance (Y) and two color difference signals

(PB, PR) each on separate wire.

Composite video: A single video signal that combines three video

sub signals (luminance, chrominance, and sync). Until the

development of S-video and component-video outputs, all video

connections in consumer products were composite video.

Contrast: In general, the range between the brightest and

darkest parts of an image; on a video monitor, a control that

adjusts the overall gain of the video signal on its way to the

display.

Convergence: Adjustments in a CRT-based projection monitor

that align the primary-color images produced by the three internal

CRT’s. In a direct-view color TV, convergence refers to the

alignment of the beams generated by the three electron guns.

CRT (cathode-ray tube): A vacuum tube in which electrons

emitted by a hot cathode are focused into beams and scanned

across a fluorescent screen to produce a picture.

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SaskTel maxTV Install Manual

SaskTel maxTV Install Manual

SaskTel maxTV Install Manual

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