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Is HD TV good for watching movies?

GetafixGetafix
edited June 2012 in General Discussion Posts: 11,425
Just watching QoS on massive new HD TV at home and am struck by how the HD makes it look like a soap opera. For some reason the ultra clear picture and detail actually detracts from the movie. It loses the grainy quality that I actually associate with 'proper' films. Any one else had the same experience?

Comments

  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,236
    I agree. I watched the Blu-Ray on a 46" HD TV and it doesn't look very impressive at all. But then again, Quantum never looked like a $200 million film to me anyway. The older films actually look great though, especially Thunderball.
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    I haven't watched the older movies on HD yet. Will have to give it a go.

    But could the 'made for TV' quality of QoS also be something to do with it being (I assume) shot on digital rather than real film?
  • DarthBorkDarthBork
    Posts: 114
    It could be more to do with your settings? I have a plasma and its capable of handling blu rays at 24p very well, and results in a very natural cinematic image. Some LCD tvs employ features such as higher refresh rates like 200hz which really detracts and creates the soap opera effect like you mentioned, over sharpening aka edge enhancement also ruins the look. Just depends how your tv deals with the images its receiving.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,236
    DarthBork wrote:
    It could be more to do with your settings? I have a plasma and its capable of handling blu rays at 24p very well, and results in a very natural cinematic image. Some LCD tvs employ features such as higher refresh rates like 200hz which really detracts and creates the soap opera effect like you mentioned, over sharpening aka edge enhancement also ruins the look. Just depends how your tv deals with the images its receiving.

    That is very true. A lot of HD TVs have different settings on them for different types of viewing. My Phillips TV has different modes like "gaming" "natural" and "cinematic". All of them affect the fluidity of the image. Fiddle around until you get the look you enjoy most. I find it quite hard to watch films in other people's houses when they have their TV on the "natural" or "normal" setting. It's terribly distracting.

  • Commander_SkyfallCommander_Skyfall
    Posts: 371
    +1 on the settings, I know exactly what you mean, I have one of the latest Samsungs, the D8000 and I was initially disappointed at the 'unreal' way Blu-Rays and HD movies looked on it, but a quick google search lead me to a couple of AV forums where the best settings for movie watching were all listed, a bit of tweaking later and it's brilliant.
    I would say, that almost all of the so called 'picture enhancement' functions that Samsung build in are now turned to 'Off'!
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    edited June 2012 Posts: 1,874
    Commander_Skyfall wrote:
    +1 on the settings, I know exactly what you mean, I have one of the latest Samsungs, the D8000 and I was initially disappointed at the 'unreal' way Blu-Rays and HD movies looked on it, but a quick google search lead me to a couple of AV forums where the best settings for movie watching were all listed, a bit of tweaking later and it's brilliant.
    I would say, that almost all of the so called 'picture enhancement' functions that Samsung build in are now turned to 'Off'!

    If you're watching films always turn off the 'image/picture enhancement', the frame rate for films is 24p/s. Should look pretty good then.
    QoS never looked like it was the most expensive Bond, must be the less than glamorous locations!
    Oh, and Dr No is stunning on Blu-ray.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    Getafix wrote:
    Just watching QoS on massive new HD TV at home and am struck by how the HD makes it look like a soap opera. For some reason the ultra clear picture and detail actually detracts from the movie. It loses the grainy quality that I actually associate with 'proper' films. Any one else had the same experience?

    Well...I've seen FRWL and CR on blu-ray and both looked impressive (and that was on a small TV - perhaps that doesn't do it justice?)

    Quantum...I dunno...doesn't quite achieve the wow factor in the cinematography stakes to me. There are some good shots but nothing like the camera sweep over the crane in CR.
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