May says that the same advice applies to Blu-Ray players. In most cases, your screen has the tools to do a better job, although on a budget HD screen you’ll probably be hard pushed to tell the difference.” In Auto mode, the upscaling of SD content is carried out by your TV, rather than the set top box. However, you can check the settings and intervene in the case of any strange effects or weird behavior. If you occasionally watch standard definition content on your HDTV, you’ll want to ensure that your TV and not your set-top box is doing the upscaling.Īs May explains, “Hi-def from set top box services is invariably 1080i. May notes that while source components often have a variety of display options, they “typically manage themselves” depending on the display that they’re partnered with. The next step is to make sure that all of your equipment is working together correctly.
Check that your sources are set up correctly May notes that, “by and large, the only connection you should be using is HDMI, unless there’s an overriding reason to opt for a legacy interface.” You don’t need to spend a lot of money on HDMI cables, since they all perform the same, but you should use HDMI cables whenever you can so that you’ll actually get HD on your HDTV.Ģ. Once you’ve ensured that your equipment is up to date and your service is in the right resolution, you need to make sure that you’re using the right connections. And make sure that your TV service is, in fact, in HD. If you have decent broadband speed, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re set up to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, or your favorite streaming service in HD. As Steve May reports for TechRadar, you need to use “ decent source components,” which today means either a DVD player at the low end, or a Blu-Ray player and HD set-top box if you’re concerned about picture quality. If you’re having issues with the picture quality on your HDTV, the first thing that you should check is that you’re using the right sources and connections.