KDL32WD756 setup frustration

[janhitch]

We're a fortnight in with a KDL32WD756 and I'm getting rather frustrated. I didn't think that a TV out of the box could be so frustrating. I would be very grateful for any advice.

All we want is terrestial Freeview HD and SD and decent sound, and the ability to record on our Humax Fox T2. Good picture and sound is imperative, other gizmos are secondary. The setup is the RF lead goes to the Humax and then loops to the TV. There is a HDMI lead from the Humax to the TV. There is a minature jack to audio lead which goes from the TV headphone/audio out to the hifi. That's it.

All is reasonably well when just using the TV and hifi. All I have done is turn the contrast down from 95 to 75 to try to get a more realistic picture. Cricket on channel 5, for instance, is stunning. TalkingPicturesTV (TPTV) is full screen (even if broadcast in 4:3) and sound is of course great across all channels. It's when we watch through the Humax that everything goes wrong. We have viewed through the Humax to our old 20" Bravia for over ten years as the Humax has HD tuners with no problems at all.

Unfortunately the KDL32WD756 seems to have great difficulty with multiplex Com 7, with none of the channels appearing in the guide listings. This multiplex carries BBC News HD among others which we watch frequently. The Humax has no difficulty with this multiplex so we are forced to watch though that. All the TV channels are there, and the Humax's menu is far, far better than the Sony's. But now the problems begin.

1) Picture: We tune to TPTV and the picture is shown in 4:3 aspect ratio. When we then change to BBC news, say, it remains as 4:3, which is ridiculous. If I flick up and down across channels it will eventually return to 16:9, or I have to turn off and on the TV, or the Humax. When I look at the screen settings the format is shown as Wide Zoom on the BBC and as Normal on TPTV. How can the picture settings change between channels?

2) Sound: Whilst viewing through the TV all is fine, good sound through the hifi, constant volume across all channels (vol set at around 15). Through the Humax the volume on BBC is fine, similar to the TV. Go to TPTV and the sound is far quieter. Go to ITV4, for instance, and we can hardly hear a thing. The volume has to go up to 60 to be listenable. This has rather startling results if switched back to the BBC. The sound varies from weak to poor on non-major channels.

So we can't watch BBC News HD on the tv because it doesn't pick up the multiplex and we can't watch TPTV through the Humax as the aspect ratio is wrong and we can't hear anything on most of the other channels. I'm almost in send it back mode.

[abmitey]

Hi I have just bought a similar TV as you and agree it is far more complex than needs be but it may be aimed at a different type of consumer! My TV is the KD32wd751 and even registering it was a task. I have the foxsat T2 as well but not in use at the moment with this TV. The TV has multiple settings, and needs practice. This is a quick point for getting the correct aspect ratio. Look carefully at the remote and down at bottom on right hand side, there is a button that will change the aspect ratio to suit. So if you move from a 4:3 picture and tv does not change press said button and choose wide etc. Within the settings them selves there will be a facility to set screen details. Try this when you are watching through HDMI, press home, down to settings, press ok, system settings, press ok, then down to screen and it is here you set how aspect will work. Bear in mind the foxsat will be set to output as well so you may need to adjust them as well.

[janhitch]

Thanks for that. I realise that I could change the aspect ratio for TPTV, but I assumed that the settings for the Picture and Screen would apply to all channels on that input. Why does the screen format of Full Zoom apply to all other channels but change for TPTV? I shouldn't have to apply the screen format to individual channels.

I guess it's the Humax that's doing it. I will check the settings on that but I think they are all auto-format full screen defaults. Then I'll give in and set the TPTV setting individually. Then on to the sound. I guess that's the Humax too. It's annoying that the Hunax worked brilliantly with the 20" Bravia out of the box for so long, but the WD75 is having none of it.

I have read that changing the settings using the Home button changes them globally, but it doesn't, they are not carried over on to all input types. I'm advised to activate the Common setting. Where on earth is that?

(PS I think that the only difference between the 751 and 756 is that the 756 has a satellite input.)

[janhitch]

You could say that the films on TPTV are transmitted in 4:3 ratio (which they are) and it's fine to watch them in their original format. I think that that's a valid point, and I could watch an old film in 4:3. But afterwards, when I go to another channel the 4:3 aspect is retained instead of returning to 16:9, which is really, really, really annoying. This is not a smart TV, but a rather dumb one.

[abmitey]

So we have same tv and yes that sound problem is a real bummer.   The TV is for OH so cant get access so easy.  Its ITVHD that's watched mostly and sound is fine.  I use a non standard box, its a Tiviar alpha plus with an enigma 2 image called openatv 6.1.  Its all pre set and the number of adjustments is endless.   If you set 4:3 on tv to auto zoom it will stretch but if its set at normal it will show 4:3 and when you switch to 16:9 it will stay at 4:3 now we know why that aspect  button is in situ.

I use a JBL soundbar via hdmi 1arc and the sony remote works the bar but it does mean having to adjust volume between channels.

[abmitey]

I forgot to add did you try the hdmi 2 socket as well as hdmi 1?  And reverse hdmi cable or better still try another hdmi cable.  

[janhitch]

I had to give up on finding the reason behind the 4:3 being carried over onto other channels, I set the TPTV Screen Format from Normal (I think it was) to Full. That seemed to do the trick, will test more tonight. The 4:3 Default was already on Wide Zoom so I left it as that.

I think I have a solution to the sound, again I will test it tonight and post back with the method and results.

Yes, I initially used HDMI1 and then tried HDMI2, no difference. The Humax is not ARC enabled so I don't think that it matters which HDMI input is used. No doubt my HDMI cable is a cheapie but I don't think it's that. I guess I should fork out for a couple of decent RF and HDMI leads, the trouble is that they seem to be thick and stiff and aren't very amenable to being bent into position. I also have to suffer the existing coax embedded in the wall which is many years old and no doubt the cheapest variety the builder could find.

[janhitch]

One you win, one you lose. I watched TPTV through the Humax this afternoon, and it had reverted to 4:3, the Screen Format setting had gone back to Normal. And, as before, when I switched to a 16:9 channel it remained at 4:3. This is really staggeringly painful. I watched the Simpsons on Channel 4 HD which was an old episode in 4:3 but that reverted to 16:9 for the adverts and when the programme finished. So this problem persists and it's probably somewhere deep in the Humax.

Right, the sound. I am indebted to those who have suggested this solution previously, including a thread on here some four years ago.

Set the required volume on the TV. Switch to the Humax and tune to an SD channel. Adjust the volume using the Humax remote until it matches the TV volume (I had to go to 20, the max). Go to Humax settings and change the audio output from Multi-Channel to Stereo. That's it. The volume for both the TV and Humax viewing can be controlled by the TV remote. The volume now is pretty much equalised across the TV and Humax on SD and HD.

Apparently HD audio is Dolby and is embedded in the HD signal, which has to be decoded by the TV. The SD audio is MP2 and is decoded and transmitted by the Humax. Changing the Humax output from Multi-Channel to Stereo forces the Humax to recode the HD audio to MP2, the same as SD, and the Humax audio output is thus equalised across HD and SD channels. Phew, only umpteen hours and hundreds of web pages and I'm there, I think.