# TV Video Help for an IDIOT



## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Hi friends, as far as electronics, I'm pretty much an idiot.....(other things also not excluded).

But our 6 year old 55" LG (fullHD which is apparently around 1K) crapped out over the weekend. (Not pertinent to my request for help, but I tried reboots etc/etc and it is just adious.)

So I went and bought a new Hisense 75" 4K, and hooked it up over the weekend.

My current setup is using a cable from our local Reliance cable supplier...All my TVs are ROKU, but I have not cut the chord yet and still using cable for our main and local supply..

I think our reception on our new 75" is crappy......we are seeing less than sharp figures/focus, with some wavy or ghosty type representations especially around peoples faces when on our cable feed.

But, when I go to one of our ROKU internet channels, I get alot clearer picture. (I am pretty sure they are not feeding 4K as they are just cheap free stations.)

*MY ISSUE: I'm trying to figure out : 

1) if my new 75" TV is crappy (and I should rebox it for a return within 30 days which is not easy to do.)
2) if this might be normal when imposing a 75" picture on a normal cable feed.
3) if my cable feed might be deficient...in either what the cable copany is sending or whether my RG6 home cable might be deficient.*

Other facts that may help you in advising me.

a) My cable feed into my home was supplying six TV outlets and our reception was fine on less K machines...several 1K's and a couple 720 small TVs. Reception on them was not altered by my new install.

b) I was worried that maybe my cable was split (weakened?) too much, so i took out 4 connections and have it split just two ways right now (LR and Master) and I don't think any clearer on the new 75" 4K TV.

c) When connecting on cable with the 75", I do not get a full screen. It is about a 55" screen with black borders...(I can get a full screen when I set it to ZOOM or almost full screen when I set it to sSTREACH.)

But when I go to ROKU and pull in an internet/wireless fed station I do get a full screen.

I'm about ready to call Reliance cable to discuss this with them....but I sure would like a little education and advice so I can tell if they are BSing me.

Any ides, advice or explanation of what might be the issue is greatly appreciated, or any questions that I can obtain for you from Reliance.

Thanks in advance...Peter


.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

subscribing


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

You've already tried the one thing I could think of which was lessening the weakening of the signal with all of the splitters. The only other thing I have to offer is my 4K TVs do not show the picture from edge to edge if the show is not in high enough definition so one of the questions I would ask of your provider is at what resolution they broadcast.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

How are you connecting from the cable box to the TV, RG6 cable or HDMI? If not HDMI you should tryconnecting with HDMI.

Sent from my Lenovo TB-X606F using Tapatalk


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

stick\shift said:


> You've already tried the one thing I could think of which was lessening the weakening of the signal with all of the splitters. The only other thing I have to offer is my 4K TVs do not show the picture from edge to edge if the show is not in high enough definition so one of the questions I would ask of your provider *is at what resolution they broadcast.*


STICK.....So every cable company does not necesarily broadcast normal TV at the same resolution. (I do know that not many broadcast at 4K.)

That is a question I will ask them

So, it makes me wonder how a big TV can take a picture that works on 720, and expnd it to a big screen....????


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

There are several YouTube videos about your TV? You be able learn something from YouTube.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

rjniles said:


> How are you connecting from the cable box to the TV, RG6 cable or HDMI? If not HDMI you should tryconnecting with HDMI.
> 
> Sent from my Lenovo TB-X606F using Tapatalk


RJ..Thanks for responding.

I do not have a cable box (our Reliance supplier does not have/use cable boxes)

As best as I can explain/understand, our cable supplier (Reliance) comes right in thru my RG6 (might be quad shield ...I can't remember as I have not worked on cable for a long time) and goes directly to the antenna input on the back of the TV.

On ROKU, I have an input called "antenna and cable."

I do not know how our cable is delivered down the street. Our internet is fast and an optical cable feed, but *I THINK* (means I don't know for certain) that the two feeds (cable TV and inrternet) are independent and not related.

Best


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

rogerwh said:


> There are several YouTube videos about your TV? You be able learn something from YouTube.


 Roger....I've been thru quite a few but found none ddressing my issue....most seemed to be advertizing primarily.

But thank you...I am looking constantly to try and understand better.


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## A. Danger Powers (Aug 13, 2021)

You have pretty much figured out the problem which is the TV feed over the RG cable is NOT HD. Even with a digital HD set top box, most cable feeds are upsized/overscaled at the box. There is a ton of video compression so a Full HD stream over the internet will typically have much higher quality than the stream over cable TV. Won't get into satellite but they handle Full HD video a bit differently.

When you say Reliance cable, do you mean Reliance Connects (https://relianceconnects.com)? If so, from reading through their documentation, it sounds like HD requires a box or using their EZVideo app. The best quality HD feed is from the app, 2nd is set top box with HDMI connection.

When the cable industry went native digital ~2012-2014, part of that was the media licensing monoliths requiring better scrambling for HD feeds to improve copy protection. The copy protection usually relies on HDCP which requires an HDMI connection. Thus two reasons requiring a set top box.

Any cable provider offering Full HD without a set top box or using an app would be violating a media licensing agreement. These agreements were just emboldened last week with the Locast judgement.

Have you tried the EZVideo app from Reliance? I am not seeing them in the Roku channel store. Speaking of which, have you hooked up the TV to the internet and done the software updates?


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Cable providers typically compress their video signals a fair bit.

Do you have access to an ATSC antenna?

Edit: just noticed you have no cable box. If not, the signal over coax is limited to Standard Definition, which is why you have such a schitty picture.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

A. Danger Powers said:


> You have pretty much figured out the problem which is the TV feed over the RG cable is NOT HD. Even with a digital HD set top box, most cable feeds are upsized/overscaled at the box. There is a ton of video compression so a Full HD stream over the internet will typically have much higher quality than the stream over cable TV. Won't get into satellite but they handle Full HD video a bit differently.
> 
> When you say Reliance cable, do you mean Reliance Connects (https://relianceconnects.com)? If so, from reading through their documentation, it sounds like HD requires a box or using their EZVideo app. The best quality HD feed is from the app, 2nd is set top box with HDMI connection.
> 
> ...


WOW....*THANKS DANGER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

You are exactly right/correct. I have Reliance Connects and now I will have a beginners understanding when I call them in a little while and discuss an EZVideo etc. (Yes, I had hooked up the TV and gave it my router router login it did automatically update.)

I especially like/enjoy what I call your 'overview' look/explanation that you provide as to the why and how something is working. It really helps me begin to understand..... rather than just the technical steps to do something....like call them and get the EZ video app.

Your information sent me off in some other directions on the internet to further understanding this morning also.....mainly gogling "resolution" related issues which furthered my understanding. (I'm still and idiot ....but I even understand 1080*P* verse 1080*I *now.

And furthermore, you took the time to look-up Reliance connects. So did I, but their website does not explain what is going on....just what to click on.

*Really Bubba...Thank you for the help and EXPLANATION.

Peter*


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## A. Danger Powers (Aug 13, 2021)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> WOW....*THANKS DANGER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
> 
> You are exactly right/correct. I have Reliance Connects and now I will have a beginners understanding when I call them in a little while and discuss an EZVideo etc. (Yes, I had hooked up the TV and gave it my router router login it did automatically update.)
> 
> ...


Glad I could help. Us Colorado kids gotta stick together... ;P

On the upside, it sounds like Reliance internet service is really good. If you can switch over to internet delivered content, I think you will be very happy with it.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

huesmann said:


> Cable providers typically compress their video signals a fair bit.
> 
> Do you have access to an ATSC antenna?
> 
> Edit: just noticed you have no cable box. If not, the signal over coax is limited to Standard Definition, which is why you have such a schitty picture.


 *Thanks HUES.....* 
Yours and Dangers explanation/confirmation make me feel a chitload better...

.I was worried that the 75" TV was bad....and I sure did not want to return that monster.....to say nothing about repacking it, its not that heavy but is so large I have to drag it, and in retirement my son has the pickup and I had to cram that thing in an audiQ5 and ratchet open the tailgate and drive 55 MPH with my flashers on in the right hand lane for 35 miles.

As to your ATSC antenna question, my retirement home is 80-90 miles north of LV, and I receive very minimal over the air reception. 

Boy, I was disappointed with the Locast Court decision....while it was not in LV, I was hopeing it would get here in the future.

Remember when TV was free.???????????????????????


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Roger....I've been thru quite a few but found none ddressing my issue....most seemed to be advertizing primarily.
> 
> But thank you...I am looking constantly to try and understand better.


Do you get anything scanning for HD channels? We cut the cable a few years ago, when we got our first smart TV. With the HD channels and the streaming channels on the internet, we still watch all the programs we did with the cable.


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Remember when TV was free.???????????????????????


Yes and I remember when the monthly cable bill was $6.35; 18-24 channels.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

I have no idea if this works, but maybe you can watch live TV using PLEX?


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

huesmann said:


> I have no idea if this works, but maybe you can watch live TV using PLEX?


Thanks Hues....and Roger

I'll experiment in a bit after some coffee and my wife is awake.I'm going to read about now.

My basic issue is in receiving our local channels......we are out of range for over the air reception, so I am going to have to patch our cable supply (no box-straight cable) with our cable companyies EZVIDEO app, or just move over to likely youtube.


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## A. Danger Powers (Aug 13, 2021)

PLEX won't have any of the Big 4 & local channels.

Have you tried adding the channels you want from the Roku channel store?

You will need to verify your cable subscription (online via computer or smart phone) but then you will be able to watch the HD streams. Peacock (NBC app) has never prompted us to validate our provider but the others do.

In looking through the provider list, "Reliance Connects - Oregon" is listed. Not sure if that covers your area or if Reliance a different name. Launch one of the apps and follow the validation prompts and hopefully it works.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

A. Danger Powers said:


> PLEX won't have any of the Big 4 & local channels.
> 
> Have you tried adding the channels you want from the Roku channel store?
> 
> ...


 Danger....Thanks for hanging with me.

I have established the Roku account and they add a lot of channels for me and I have added some also (all non pay) and they work fine.

I called Reliance local and yes they are a division of Reliance Oregon but do not have their EZVideo technology as of now. (All the girl could tell me was to check my cable connections)

I did log into one site experimenting that indeed did want my cable supplier, can't remember who right now.....but I did not proceed as I'm* not likely going to keep cable.*....cut the chord.....and probably run with youtube for my major site.

Any opinions of yours as to best local access provider as to cost and additional content etc is always welcome and respected. (Of course I think all of them are one month contract/commitment, so I can experiment around also.)

Best 

Peter


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## A. Danger Powers (Aug 13, 2021)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Danger....Thanks for hanging with me.
> 
> I have established the Roku account and they add a lot of channels for me and I have added some also (all non pay) and they work fine.
> 
> ...


You can go here to see who offers broadband in your area: FCC Fixed Broadband Deployment

DSLreports (Find Broadband Service Now | DSLReports, ISP Information) & reddit (r/cordcutters) are the best places to check ISP reviews. Reliance Connects is gaining publicity for their fiber internet but it's not everywhere. Service changes pretty fast so what's good a few miles away may not be good for you. 

One thing that may help is ask the ISP if they have a business offering. In my area, Comcast will do business service to a residential address IF there is a business registered there. It's the same price as residential service BUT I get dedicated bandwidth. The customer support is also way better. Only downside is it limits cable channel but not an issue since I cut the cord.

YoutubeTV is great & you'll be able to get LV local channels. Only gripe is they keep increasing the price without adding quality channels. If you have a cell phone, check to see what they offer for free; Sprint (Tmobile) does Hulu, Tmobile does Apple+, Verizon has a ton of offerings, AT&T does HBO max I think.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it...
I've been playing with smaller IPTV offerings but licensing makes it a hard space.


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