I just went whole hog and replaced all my speaker cables and interconnects with new, nicely shielded cables (that ran $20-30 each). I've noticed that the signal from my DVD (S-Video) has a fine horizontal line pattern to it. I can actually make out pixel stair-stepping in some scenes. The image is crisp and clear (perhaps too crisp!). I've recalibrated everything with Video Essentials. My set is a 3-year old Toshiba 32" (the model escapes me, but I bought it at Sam's if that helps to set the quality level).

Is it likely the TV?

I'm planning on getting the Sony 43" tabletop rear projection set - I hope this problem won't be present on that set.

Any ideas?

Chester

By any chance was this DVD anamorphic enhanced? And which DVD player do you have?

Your TV has a 4:3 format, where if the DVD only has an anamorphic version on it, it will down convert it to give you a letter boxed image. Some forms of this down conversion are better than others. Panasonic and Sony DVD players are better than Toshiba DVD players from most reports. I had a Toshiba 3109, and got rid of it cause of the down conversion is not good, easily see'able on the ending credits, where the credits look all jumpy. I just replacecd it with an Apex, all though the Apex has its falts, the down conversion looks better to me.

The effect has shown up on The Matrix and True Lies (so far). My DVD player is a JVC501, the S-Video signal is routed through a JVC884 Receiver, using Monster Video 3 S-Video cables into a Toshiba CF32F50 TV (definitely 4:3).
The only thing in this set-up that has changed is the new cables (please no flame wars about the cables, the JVC stuff, etc). Before, I didn't see the lines. I'm wondering if the old cables had such a poor signal transfer that the TV got such a fuzzy signal that the lines weren't visible.
Could it just be the TV? I'm planning on replacing it anyway...

Did the crispness appear before or after you recalibrated the TV with Video Essentials? It could be that the video sent it exactly the same, but now your TV is calibrated to show the flaws better.

Just a thought.

Dave

Dave,
I had calibrated the set with VE before I upgraded the cables. Funny thing was that the colors seemed a bit off after upgrading. Also, calibrating seemed to be easier after the upgrade - I was able to get better matches on the color and hue controls and the sharpness was easier to get a good level.

Maybe it is the TV - time to upgrade!!

Isn't that always the way: The DVD player makes you _need_ a new DolbyDigital or DTS receiver, then you _need_ the powered subwoofer to get the LFE, then you _must_ get new cables to optimize the signal, which shows you how bad your TV really is, and soon new speakers can't be too far behind...

...and of course you have to have the perfect remote to control it all - which leads you to --

www.remotecentral.com

(eerie, isn't it?)

;-}

Not to leave out expensive :)

Jeff B