very slow channel switching

[Ronald Long]

I have a TW/SA8300HD connected via HDMI to a Samsung PN58B650 TV.
The channel switching especially from the Favorites button is extremely slow.
The screen is at first blank except for an HDMI input message. Most of the time I do not even see the TW channel info bar - it has disappeared before the video comes on. Is TW or Samsung at fault? I recently observed a relative's TV with Comcast and switching was instantaneous. Would it be better if I used component instead of HDMI. It is as if the HDMI is trying to sync or some such.

[bucknut43210]

If your STB displays natively then it may be switching from 720p to 1080i or vice-versa depending on the resolution of the channels you're switching to.

I just checked the manual for your box and this is indeed the case. I don't know if this is what you are noticing or not but it would be my first theory. If on the STB in General Settings on Picture Format you have it set to pass-through, then your tv is probably adjusting for the new input resolutions when you change channels that use different resolutions. (If your Samsung is like mine, on the top left there will be a display box that says HDMI1/2/3 whichever one you are on, and under will have the current input resolution. When it happens check to see if the resolution goes blank, then changes to a new resolution. That would be what you are exeriencing) If it is, you can change to upconvert 1 to always send the signal in 1080i or upconvert 2 to always send the signal in 720p

[Ronald Long]

Thank you very much. On the STB Settings, Display, Output Resolution I had both 720p and 1080i selected. I changed to only 1080i. Result is a big improvement.

Sometimes I long for the days when things were simpler.

[bucknut43210]

No problem, some people like it that way though, as only the tv has to do any resolution adjusting. Now you have the STB changing the picture from 720p to 1080i and then the TV changing it again to 1080p whereas before the STB sent the pic in 720p and only the TV had to make any adjustment. I honestly don't know if it makes much difference in picture (additional motion artifacts) or not though.

It would be much simpler if they put a button on the remote that allows you to change the output resolution of the box without going through menus, or having to get up and hit the button on the front of the box (I have a button on the front of my Motorola, and it would be so much easier just to be able to hit a darn button on the remote)

[nicholc2]

Typically the TV does a better job of converting the pic than the set top box. With my PN50A550, I have my box setup to 720p and 1080i so that each channel displays in its native resolution and the TV takes care of the rest.

Your TV shouldn't be taking a crazy amount of time to change resolutions.

On a different subject, would you be interested in a calibration? :-)