HDTV Stuck?

[bsmeaton]

OK, now I'm really in outer space. Had the Monty plugged in last weekend and my daughter turned on the LCD TV. With the antenna down, it still picked up several channels and I was quited amazed. Some were HD, some were not. Not wanting to spend too much time messing with it, I went about my business. Shortly after my daughter asked me if I paused the TV. I grinned and turned, and sure enough, the picture was just stuck. I changed channels and came back and everything was fine, but noticed most of the channels would just "pause" every once in a while.

Not worried about a malfunction, as I was in a metal building with the antenna laying on the roof, however, I'm really curious how the TV does that. Does an HDTV have a memory system like a DVR? Is the signal spooling in there somewhere before it is displayed? I always thought that a lost signal would just cause the image to vanish. Please tell me I'm not experiencing "the day the earth stood still"

[fulltimedreamer]

Brad,

I have been using an HDTV for about 6 weeks now (love the picture and audio). I have an OTA (over the air) antenna and have seen various results when a signal is lost - mosaic pattern, blue screen (no picture), even a still picture for a short time. I can't say what is normal. These new TVs being digital instead of analog may just keep displaying the last complete data they received. I have managed to make mine hang a couple of times - changing channels and inputs rapidly as in not giving the TV a chance to catch up with me. In those two cases I had to unplug the TV to do a hard "reboot" like a PC sometimes requires. Since these TVs are digital, they are at their heart a computer so may display some wierd things if the display memory gets corrupted. Anyway, that is my guess as to what is going on. JMHO

[bsmeaton]

Thanks Lamar - guess I wasn't stuck in time! As I scanned through all the channels, I noticed most all of the symptoms you discussed.

I wonder if they have an onboard memory that is actually buffering the display picture as it is received. Really strange to see a still picture while the sound continues.

[Wrenchtraveller]

I have a 26" Panasonic LCD and a 42" Panasonic Plasma. They are both 07 models . The LCD has never frozen but the plasma has once but I have the high def satelite reciever with the built in hard drive and I was sure that was what froze up. I rebooted the receiver and it was fine.
If you use the instant replay and fast forward, the voice and picture can go out of sinc and my son knows how to fix that. New technology can be weird, but it is stunning to watch when it is working.

[bsmeaton]

Hey Don - I have noticed the "out of sync" on our HD DVR in the stick house everyonece in a while - thank for telling me about it. I thought they were just "B" movies filmed in China or something. I'll have to try and re-sync next time by restarting.

We do plan to use the HD DVR in the Monty - but I haven't put it in yet. The LCD was stuck with just nothing more than the TV and the factory antenna - wierd -

[Dave e Victoria]

Brad, Not only does it have an onboard memory that creates a complete picture, the more sophisticated recievers include a delay line so that if some part of teh transmission gets screwed up it can be fixed before the picture makes it to the screen. All of this happens so fast no one is aware of the few milliseconds involved.

[Wrenchtraveller]

I'll ask my son how he got the voice and pic to get back in sinc and I'll post this.
High Def is pretty neat and Jay Leno wears some nice ties and those women in dancing with the stars..........sometimes I forget to blink and my eyes dry out.

[bsmeaton]

Dave -

Thanks for clearing up the mystery for me! That would explain it. Guess that accounts for some of the cost on the HDTV.

Don -
The picture is wonderful, so detailed in fact some of the actors and actresses just don't look as good as you thought they did.

[Wrenchtraveller]

My son said he has had the regular DVD player as well as the satelite reciever recorder go out of voice sinc. He has had to turn them both off and on again to fix.

[bsmeaton]

Thanks Don,

I'll have to try shutting both the TV and DVR down and up. Watched a HD movie last night that started to stall and run out of sync, but the other channels were OK.

Brad