BT Vision Picture Quality is Poor

Bussta · 21-07-2010, 16:31

I hope there is a solution to this.

For the past months I have been spoiled by a very good picture quality coming from my standard sky on my sony bravia 32" via Scart.

I have recently moved house and have just signed up to BT Vision as sky could not provide boradband in my area so the BT package is more cost effective.

I have just got it up and running and I am disappointed at the picture quality of the vision. To me it's no better than the freeview quality I can receive

To give example it looks like the poor quality you see running in Comet or Currys on their flat screens they have on display, very contrasty, blocky and over sharpened or blurred, basically a significant jump down from what we received via SKY.

I have connected it via HDMI and have set it to 720p, but to be honest it's not that great, ON demand films you can see compression blocks/artifacts in the dark scenes.

Does anyone have a solution for this as I am feeling a bit annoyed, the platform seems great and the on demand stuff a blessing, but the image quality could be so much better!

I get an OK reception for freeview - do you think it would change the BT vision quality if I got some super duper Ariel installed on the roof?

wwwebber · 21-07-2010, 18:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bussta

I hope there is a solution to this.

For the past months I have been spoiled by a very good picture quality coming from my standard sky on my sony bravia 32" via Scart.

I have recently moved house and have just signed up to BT Vision as sky could not provide boradband in my area so the BT package is more cost effective.

I have just got it up and running and I am disappointed at the picture quality of the vision. To me it's no better than the freeview quality I can receive

To give example it looks like the poor quality you see running in Comet or Currys on their flat screens they have on display, very contrasty, blocky and over sharpened or blurred, basically a significant jump down from what we received via SKY.

I have connected it via HDMI and have set it to 720p, but to be honest it's not that great, ON demand films you can see compression blocks/artifacts in the dark scenes.

Does anyone have a solution for this as I am feeling a bit annoyed, the platform seems great and the on demand stuff a blessing, but the image quality could be so much better!

I get an OK reception for freeview - do you think it would change the BT vision quality if I got some super duper Ariel installed on the roof?

Are oyu having issues with BTVision Freeview or VOD picture quality ?. How does it compare to Freeview through your TV ?.

You're correctly using HDMI so that's good. One word about VOD - it's generally the same quality as Freeview but you will sometimes see artifacts etc as VOD is compressed more than Freeview but like I said you don't tend to notice it unless you're looking for it.

AjayK40 · 22-07-2010, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bussta

I have connected it via HDMI and have set it to 720p, but to be honest it's not that great, ON demand films you can see compression blocks/artifacts in the dark scenes.

Try changing the screen display setting options to 16:9 Widescreen. I found this a much better picture quality than 720p.

I have also just changed from SKY and for the price I am very happy with BT Vision.

I did make sure that my aerial was good quality and used digital quality coax without any joins from aerial to BT Vision box.

steven3001 · 22-07-2010, 13:23

also, make sure you have the adapters plugged directly into the plug socket and not into an extension socket

is your broadband speed ok, if not order an accelerator for free

Bussta · 22-07-2010, 13:54

Hi,

My broadband is over 6meg so it's fine in that respect, i'll try the 16:9 option to see if that makes a difference.

The image quality looks no better really than the freeview quality I can get, which to me looks significantly worse than the picture I was getting with Sky. I know BT vision is essentially freeview through the box, but I would have thought with an HDMI lead it would improve the quality

The plugs are directly in the wall sockets not on extension leads either.

I have searched around and many people have said that their BT vision matches if not exceeds what they get on Sky, so there must be something wrong somewhere?

BT Support · 22-07-2010, 15:37

Hi Bussta

If you check out my profile section you will find contact details for me, if you send me your account number, forum username and a link to this post I will carry out some tests to see if there is anything that may be affecting your BT vision service from the network side of things.

Regards David

Bussta · 22-07-2010, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT Support

Hi Bussta

If you check out my profile section you will find contact details for me, if you send me your account number, forum username and a link to this post I will carry out some tests to see if there is anything that may be affecting your BT vision service from the network side of things.

Regards David

Great thanks David,

I am away until Monday so i'll get them to you as soon as I'm back if thats ok, thanks for your help!

wwwebber · 22-07-2010, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bussta

Hi,

My broadband is over 6meg so it's fine in that respect, i'll try the 16:9 option to see if that makes a difference.

The image quality looks no better really than the freeview quality I can get, which to me looks significantly worse than the picture I was getting with Sky. I know BT vision is essentially freeview through the box, but I would have thought with an HDMI lead it would improve the quality

The plugs are directly in the wall sockets not on extension leads either.

I have searched around and many people have said that their BT vision matches if not exceeds what they get on Sky, so there must be something wrong somewhere?

If you're getting a crap signal in you'll geta crap signal out wether you use HDMI or not.

betsvigi9 · 23-07-2010, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bussta

Hi,

My broadband is over 6meg so it's fine in that respect, i'll try the 16:9 option to see if that makes a difference.

The image quality looks no better really than the freeview quality I can get, which to me looks significantly worse than the picture I was getting with Sky. I know BT vision is essentially freeview through the box, but I would have thought with an HDMI lead it would improve the quality

The plugs are directly in the wall sockets not on extension leads either.

I have searched around and many people have said that their BT vision matches if not exceeds what they get on Sky, so there must be something wrong somewhere?

How do you find the quality of VOD?

victorslot · 23-07-2010, 15:00

The BTV box has a standard Freeview tuner in it so it is unlikely to look as good as a Sky satellite picture. A lot will depend where you are and how good your freeview reception is. The chances it of being any better than the tuner in your TV is very slim. Using the HDMI for a standard definition picture does not necessarily mean it will be better, it's worth trying it over scart to see the difference. It would also be worth trying to disable the upscaling of the picture via HDMI in the box (if that is possible) and let the TV upscale to see if that makes a difference.

Bussta · 25-07-2010, 21:57

anyone know how to do this?

Dacco · 25-07-2010, 23:03

Go into Settings>TV Settings>Screen aspect ratio, then choose either 4:3 Standard Def or 16:9 Wide screen Standard Def.........You would have seen them when you first set up the box from factory default.

littleboo · 26-07-2010, 09:34

I have a 37" Bravia and the upscaled Freeview over HDMI from the Vison box is very good.

Bussta · 27-07-2010, 14:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by littleboo

I have a 37" Bravia and the upscaled Freeview over HDMI from the Vison box is very good.

So just to check i'm not going mad - you have set yours to 720p / 1080i and it looks sharp & clear?

There must be something wrong somewhere then as I'm just not convinced with mine, it;s really contrasty, whites are bleached out and there are jaggies on the edges of people if I look at it properly, just looks...well sh*t really

I have checked the DTT strength and the picture quality is 100% on all channels with the signal strength being from 70% & up

Presume that is fine for the freeview reception?

To be honest I'm not really seeing any difference in having a scart attached or the HDMI, 16:9 or 720p/1080i, they pretty much all look the same to me,

I'm not short of sight, my upscaling DVD player is sharper than Elvis's hair doo and as I said Sky was very smooth and clear.

I am confused

scotty2808 · 27-07-2010, 14:42

Ditto mate.

Not doubting you have a problem.
I'd ask for an engineer to visit with a spare box.

Bussta · 27-07-2010, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty2808

Ditto mate.

Not doubting you have a problem.
I'd ask for an engineer to visit with a spare box.

Have asked David from BT support on this forum for help, will see what he can suggest, if not will ring them and get someone out.

Thanks for all of your help, I know I bleet on, but am just a bit dissapointed if this is the quality I am going to be stuck with for 2 years

masona2 · 03-08-2010, 01:16

Hi Bussta,

I had the same problem when I bought a new HD TV.

I rang BT Vision Help and they helped me sort it out.

Go into Settings>TV Settings>Screen aspect ratio> and select 1080i, or 720p, depending upon your preference.

And BINGO! Problem should be solved. If not, theres a problem with you're box.

intercept · 03-08-2010, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bussta

it;s really contrasty, whites are bleached out and there are jaggies on the edges of people if I look at it properly, just looks...well sh*t really

I have checked the DTT strength and the picture quality is 100% on all channels with the signal strength being from 70% & up

Presume that is fine for the freeview reception?

What you describe is unusual - most people report excellent picture quality from the Vision box for VOD. The Freeview quality is very signal dependent but the VOD should be solid.

You say that the DVD picture is fine - try temporarily connecting the Vision box to the TV using the same input as you're using for the DVD. Then play one of the free VOD trailers.

Many modern TVs have a selection of picture "styles" that you can adjust and assign to the different inputs. Often the factory defaults are not nice. Find out which one is being used for the DVD input - is it the same style as being used for the Vision box?

If none of this helps then its probably time to explain it to the helpdesk in the hope that they'll send you a new box.

21-07-2010, 16:31	#1
Bussta Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	BT Vision Picture Quality is Poor I hope there is a solution to this. For the past months I have been spoiled by a very good picture quality coming from my standard sky on my sony bravia 32" via Scart. I have recently moved house and have just signed up to BT Vision as sky could not provide boradband in my area so the BT package is more cost effective. I have just got it up and running and I am disappointed at the picture quality of the vision. To me it's no better than the freeview quality I can receive To give example it looks like the poor quality you see running in Comet or Currys on their flat screens they have on display, very contrasty, blocky and over sharpened or blurred, basically a significant jump down from what we received via SKY. I have connected it via HDMI and have set it to 720p, but to be honest it's not that great, ON demand films you can see compression blocks/artifacts in the dark scenes. Does anyone have a solution for this as I am feeling a bit annoyed, the platform seems great and the on demand stuff a blessing, but the image quality could be so much better! I get an OK reception for freeview - do you think it would change the BT vision quality if I got some super duper Ariel installed on the roof?

03-08-2010, 01:16	#17
masona2 Inactive Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 780	Solution! Hi Bussta, I had the same problem when I bought a new HD TV. I rang BT Vision Help and they helped me sort it out. Go into Settings>TV Settings>Screen aspect ratio> and select 1080i, or 720p, depending upon your preference. And BINGO! Problem should be solved. If not, theres a problem with you're box.

21-07-2010, 18:14	#2
wwwebber Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Nottingham Posts: 3,536	Quote: Originally Posted by Bussta I hope there is a solution to this. For the past months I have been spoiled by a very good picture quality coming from my standard sky on my sony bravia 32" via Scart. I have recently moved house and have just signed up to BT Vision as sky could not provide boradband in my area so the BT package is more cost effective. I have just got it up and running and I am disappointed at the picture quality of the vision. To me it's no better than the freeview quality I can receive To give example it looks like the poor quality you see running in Comet or Currys on their flat screens they have on display, very contrasty, blocky and over sharpened or blurred, basically a significant jump down from what we received via SKY. I have connected it via HDMI and have set it to 720p, but to be honest it's not that great, ON demand films you can see compression blocks/artifacts in the dark scenes. Does anyone have a solution for this as I am feeling a bit annoyed, the platform seems great and the on demand stuff a blessing, but the image quality could be so much better! I get an OK reception for freeview - do you think it would change the BT vision quality if I got some super duper Ariel installed on the roof? Are oyu having issues with BTVision Freeview or VOD picture quality ?. How does it compare to Freeview through your TV ?. You're correctly using HDMI so that's good. One word about VOD - it's generally the same quality as Freeview but you will sometimes see artifacts etc as VOD is compressed more than Freeview but like I said you don't tend to notice it unless you're looking for it.

22-07-2010, 10:00	#3
AjayK40 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 92	Quote: Originally Posted by Bussta I have connected it via HDMI and have set it to 720p, but to be honest it's not that great, ON demand films you can see compression blocks/artifacts in the dark scenes. Try changing the screen display setting options to 16:9 Widescreen. I found this a much better picture quality than 720p. I have also just changed from SKY and for the price I am very happy with BT Vision. I did make sure that my aerial was good quality and used digital quality coax without any joins from aerial to BT Vision box.

22-07-2010, 13:23	#4
steven3001 Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 629	also, make sure you have the adapters plugged directly into the plug socket and not into an extension socket is your broadband speed ok, if not order an accelerator for free

22-07-2010, 13:54	#5
Bussta Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	Hi, My broadband is over 6meg so it's fine in that respect, i'll try the 16:9 option to see if that makes a difference. The image quality looks no better really than the freeview quality I can get, which to me looks significantly worse than the picture I was getting with Sky. I know BT vision is essentially freeview through the box, but I would have thought with an HDMI lead it would improve the quality The plugs are directly in the wall sockets not on extension leads either. I have searched around and many people have said that their BT vision matches if not exceeds what they get on Sky, so there must be something wrong somewhere?

22-07-2010, 15:37	#6
BT Support BT Support Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 459	Hi Bussta If you check out my profile section you will find contact details for me, if you send me your account number, forum username and a link to this post I will carry out some tests to see if there is anything that may be affecting your BT vision service from the network side of things. Regards David

22-07-2010, 17:26	#7
Bussta Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	Quote: Originally Posted by BT Support Hi Bussta If you check out my profile section you will find contact details for me, if you send me your account number, forum username and a link to this post I will carry out some tests to see if there is anything that may be affecting your BT vision service from the network side of things. Regards David Great thanks David, I am away until Monday so i'll get them to you as soon as I'm back if thats ok, thanks for your help!

22-07-2010, 20:26	#8
wwwebber Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Nottingham Posts: 3,536	Quote: Originally Posted by Bussta Hi, My broadband is over 6meg so it's fine in that respect, i'll try the 16:9 option to see if that makes a difference. The image quality looks no better really than the freeview quality I can get, which to me looks significantly worse than the picture I was getting with Sky. I know BT vision is essentially freeview through the box, but I would have thought with an HDMI lead it would improve the quality The plugs are directly in the wall sockets not on extension leads either. I have searched around and many people have said that their BT vision matches if not exceeds what they get on Sky, so there must be something wrong somewhere? If you're getting a crap signal in you'll geta crap signal out wether you use HDMI or not.

23-07-2010, 13:22	#9
betsvigi9 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Huddersfield Posts: 389	Quote: Originally Posted by Bussta Hi, My broadband is over 6meg so it's fine in that respect, i'll try the 16:9 option to see if that makes a difference. The image quality looks no better really than the freeview quality I can get, which to me looks significantly worse than the picture I was getting with Sky. I know BT vision is essentially freeview through the box, but I would have thought with an HDMI lead it would improve the quality The plugs are directly in the wall sockets not on extension leads either. I have searched around and many people have said that their BT vision matches if not exceeds what they get on Sky, so there must be something wrong somewhere? How do you find the quality of VOD?

23-07-2010, 15:00	#10
victorslot Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 533	The BTV box has a standard Freeview tuner in it so it is unlikely to look as good as a Sky satellite picture. A lot will depend where you are and how good your freeview reception is. The chances it of being any better than the tuner in your TV is very slim. Using the HDMI for a standard definition picture does not necessarily mean it will be better, it's worth trying it over scart to see the difference. It would also be worth trying to disable the upscaling of the picture via HDMI in the box (if that is possible) and let the TV upscale to see if that makes a difference.

25-07-2010, 21:57	#11
Bussta Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	anyone know how to do this?

25-07-2010, 23:03	#12
Dacco Inactive Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: 47°9′ S, 126°43′ W Posts: 2,948	Go into Settings>TV Settings>Screen aspect ratio, then choose either 4:3 Standard Def or 16:9 Wide screen Standard Def.........You would have seen them when you first set up the box from factory default.

26-07-2010, 09:34	#13
littleboo Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: South Coast Posts: 892	I have a 37" Bravia and the upscaled Freeview over HDMI from the Vison box is very good.

27-07-2010, 14:30	#14
Bussta Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	Quote: Originally Posted by littleboo I have a 37" Bravia and the upscaled Freeview over HDMI from the Vison box is very good. So just to check i'm not going mad - you have set yours to 720p / 1080i and it looks sharp & clear? There must be something wrong somewhere then as I'm just not convinced with mine, it;s really contrasty, whites are bleached out and there are jaggies on the edges of people if I look at it properly, just looks...well sh*t really I have checked the DTT strength and the picture quality is 100% on all channels with the signal strength being from 70% & up Presume that is fine for the freeview reception? To be honest I'm not really seeing any difference in having a scart attached or the HDMI, 16:9 or 720p/1080i, they pretty much all look the same to me, I'm not short of sight, my upscaling DVD player is sharper than Elvis's hair doo and as I said Sky was very smooth and clear. I am confused

27-07-2010, 14:42	#15
scotty2808 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 435	Ditto mate. Not doubting you have a problem. I'd ask for an engineer to visit with a spare box.

27-07-2010, 16:50	#16
Bussta Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	Quote: Originally Posted by scotty2808 Ditto mate. Not doubting you have a problem. I'd ask for an engineer to visit with a spare box. Have asked David from BT support on this forum for help, will see what he can suggest, if not will ring them and get someone out. Thanks for all of your help, I know I bleet on, but am just a bit dissapointed if this is the quality I am going to be stuck with for 2 years

03-08-2010, 11:04	#18
intercept Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 311	Quote: Originally Posted by Bussta it;s really contrasty, whites are bleached out and there are jaggies on the edges of people if I look at it properly, just looks...well sh*t really I have checked the DTT strength and the picture quality is 100% on all channels with the signal strength being from 70% & up Presume that is fine for the freeview reception? What you describe is unusual - most people report excellent picture quality from the Vision box for VOD. The Freeview quality is very signal dependent but the VOD should be solid. You say that the DVD picture is fine - try temporarily connecting the Vision box to the TV using the same input as you're using for the DVD. Then play one of the free VOD trailers. Many modern TVs have a selection of picture "styles" that you can adjust and assign to the different inputs. Often the factory defaults are not nice. Find out which one is being used for the DVD input - is it the same style as being used for the Vision box? If none of this helps then its probably time to explain it to the helpdesk in the hope that they'll send you a new box.

DS Forums

BT Vision Picture Quality is Poor