Because of a mismatch between the resolution capacity of your LCD TV and the resolution of the analog signal delivered by your cable company or OTA broadcaster, standard cable channels or standard over-the-air (OTA) channels often appear fuzzy or blurry on your LCD TV. Your cable company is providing you with a low-definition 480i signal with a resolution of about 640 by 480 pixels. Your LCD TV is most likely a high-definition TV with a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels, 1440 by 900 pixels, or 1920 by 1080 pixels. The problem is caused by a mismatch between the conventional cable or OTA signal resolution and the TV resolution.
Note: Even when watching digital channels, the picture may appear hazy in some circumstances. This occurs because the signal your set is receiving is a digitized standard (480i or 480p) transmission, not a digital high definition transmission, despite the fact that it is digital. You have a mismatch between a normal resolution image and your high definition television display once again.
Fixing the Problem
There are three possible solutions to the blurriness issue:
- Reducing the image to a 4:3 ratio
- Using the Sharpening feature
- Change the connections on your cable box if you have one.
Reducing the Picture Size to 4:3
- If the picture on an analog channel or transmission is fuzzy, you may be able to clear it up by decreasing the picture size to 4:3, which is the native size of analog TV pictures.
- Press the P.Size button on your remote until 4:3 shows on the screen to adjust the picture size to 4:3. On the left and right sides of the 4:3 image, there are black or grey borders.
Using the Sharpness Function If the picture on your LCD TV is blurry, you may be able to clear it up with the Sharpness function. To use the Sharpness function on most Toshiba LCD TVs, follow these steps:
- On your remote, press the Menu button. The main menu is displayed.
- Select Picture with the Right or Left arrow buttons on your remote, then push the Down button. The Picture menu is displayed.
- Sharpness can be adjusted by pressing the Up or Down buttons on your remote.
If You Have A Cable Box
- If the picture on your LCD TV is hazy or unclear, it’s likely that you’re utilizing the Composite (standard, AV, Cable) or S-video connections to connect it to your cable box. These are the connections with the poorest quality.
- Connect your LCD TV to your cable box using the Component (Pb, Pr, and Y) cables to improve your picture. Try connecting digital DVI or HDMI connections if you have digital cable or receive digital shows over-the-air.
- Only video is transmitted across component and DVI connectors. You must also connect the Left and Right Audio out on your cable box to the proper Left and Right audio in connectors on your TV if you use the Component or DVI connections. HDMI is capable of carrying both video and audio. If you select HDMI, you will simply need to connect the HDMI cable.
- You must also set the output resolution of your set-top box or cable box to at least 480p if you pick DVI or HDMI and have a set-top box or cable box. 480i (standard analog) transmissions are not accepted by most DVI and HDMI connectors.
Note 1: If your cable box lacks Component, DVI, or HDMI connections, check with your cable provider to see if replacement boxes with these connections are available. Additionally, utilizing DVI or HDMI to connect will only help with the digital channels.
Note 2: To receive regular, analog stations, you must leave your Composite (AV) or S-Video connections intact if you connect through DVI or HDMI.
Important: If you add connections, make sure you utilize your remote’s Source button to switch to the appropriate video source when watching TV.
What’s the best way to fix a shaky cable TV?
- Check to see if your image has been stretched. Play around with your TV’s settings to make sure the image you’re seeing isn’t stretched. Change your TV’s settings to show standard-definition channels at their natural resolution (you’ll notice black bands on the sides of your image) or use the “aspect” button on your remote to cycle through different image sizes.
- Experiment with the different sharpness and picture modes on your TV. Make careful to test this on a channel that has a lot of activity. Sharpening the image will undoubtedly improve the quality, but if you go too extreme, moving objects may leave noticeable trails.
- Reduce the amount of noise. If your television has digital noise reduction, consider turning it on for a quick solution.
- Replace your cords. Although HDMI is renowned to provide a better picture than a Component Video Cable, either one should be able to provide you with a reasonably sharp image. If all you get is fuzz, replace the cable (or borrow one from a friend who has a sharp, working TV) to see if the problem is with the cord.
- Unplug. Connect the TV and its accessories to a separate outlet or surge protector. Electrical interference through the cord could be the cause of your faint picture.
- It can be moved about. Remove any nearby electrical devices from the vicinity of the television. It’s possible that they’re the ones causing the interference that’s causing your picture to degrade.
What’s up with my cable TV’s fuzziness?
When your TV is fuzzy, it is often because the standard OTA (over-the-air) channels will appear fuzzy on your TV due to a mismatch between the TV’s resolution capability and the analog signal transmission provided by your cable TV provider.
Why is my cable TV covered in snow?
A weak signal or a TV on the wrong input are the most common causes of a snowy image. If this is happening on all of your TVs, it’s most certainly a problem with the outside lines that needs to be fixed by a professional.
Why is my television suddenly pixelating?
Pixelating, snowing, tiling, and ghosting on televisions are all examples of display picture degradation induced by a poor signal. Packets of data that were not received due to a poor signal are represented by the pixelation squares that appear on the screen. When the incoming TV signal is incomplete or poor, this happens.
What can I do to avoid my TV from pixelating?
If your TV picture is breaking up, cutting in and out, or pixelating (everything looks like it’s made up of squares), you’re most likely dealing with a weak signal. Make sure that all of the connections from the wall to your cable box, as well as the cable box to your TV, are secure. You’ll need to contact your cable or satellite provider if you’re still having problems.
Why is my television squeaky?
Static interference or other types of distortion in a cable TV signal can come from a variety of places. Faulty wires, a weak signal, interference from other electrical devices, and issues with the cable provider are just a few of them.
How do you restore pixelated images?
You can do a lot to fix a pixelated image in Photoshop if you have a little more time and a lot more money. Photoshop is the undisputed king of image editing software, although it is extremely expensive to purchase. However, because this software can do so much with your images, the investment will be well worth it. Despite the fact that many Photoshop tools have a steep learning curve, fixing pixelated images takes barely a second.
- In Photoshop, open your image.
- Choose ‘Filter’ and ‘Blur’ from the drop-down menus.
- Choose ‘Gaussian Blur’ and adjust the slider to the desired level. Choose ‘OK.’
- ‘Filter’ and ‘Sharpen’ should be selected.
- Choose ‘Unsharp Mask’ and adjust the slider to a suitable amount. When you’re finished, click ‘OK.’
Another option is to add a layer with soft light to reduce the pixel effect.
What’s causing my cable signal to go out?
Poor signal can be caused by a coverage issue or a problem with your aerial, and is most typically indicated by your picture breaking up into squares (also known as ‘pixelating’). You may check the signal strength meter on most TV sets or systems to see if this is the issue.