|
So perhaps it is an upconverter. I spent a bit too much time (due to the very poorly written manual) trying to get my old wide-screen DVDs to display properly. Trust me, if you are new to HDTV, you will like this TV. After some trial and error, I found a setting on the DVD player to select wide screen mode (16:9). I was also able to pull in digital channels with my old rabbit ears, for what it's worth.There are a few negatives I want to mention too, which is why I gave the TV a 4-star and not a 5-star rating.1. Speaking of the manual, it is very poorly written--obviously written by a non-English speaking person. This was very important to me. Spend a lousy few bucks and get a good translation.3.
Very very obvious. In addition to the DVD setting, there is also a TV setting for changing the aspect ratio (normal, wide, cinema, and zoom). This WAS NOT indicated in the manual. Set up was a snap.
I almost didn't buy the TV because of this. While I am by no means a "video-phile", I will say that the picture on this TV looks great, both during the day and at night with the lights turned off. There was absolutely no mention on Haier's website or in the product manual on whether or not the built-in DVD player is an upconverter. It irks me when companies do this. The kicker is that you MUST NOT have a DVD loaded when you change this setting. If you try it with a DVD loaded (most DVDs anyway), the setting is usually locked. But I have no experience with watching old DVDs on HDTV, so I still can't be certain.2. The default setting is standard (4:3).
This was my first HDTV, and I am very pleased with my purchase. I find myself often commenting (out loud) how great the picture is. I'd been looking for an entry-level (read: cheap) 32" LCD model, and besides Haier, I looked at Envision and Vizio, but I opted for Haier because of the built-in DVD player and the competitive price. I will say, however, that my old DVDs look really good. Just plug it in and run the channel auto-search to program any available digital (and analog) channels in your area. I don't have cable or satellite, so I can't comment on how it works with those. By playing with both the DVD and TV settings, you should be able to customize the screen to your liking.
|
