Picture settings menu Screenshot by Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Televisions are unlike other consumer electronics products. Their setup and settings have a tremendous effect on how well they perform. The best TV on the market incorrectly setup will almost always look worse than a mediocre TV setup well. Ideally, you’ll get a setup disc to ensure the …
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December, 2013
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15 December
Why doesn’t my TV say 120Hz/240Hz?
CNET reader Steven U. asks: I bought a 240 Hz LED LCD, and if I press the “Info” button, all I ever see is 1080p/60. Does this mean I’m only getting 60 Hz? Is there something wrong with my TV? Do I need a special HDMI cable? Your question is a pretty common one, actually. So we’re all on the …
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15 December
Morrison’s Mailbag: Why are some of my TV controls grayed out?
CNET reader Diana F. writes: I have a new 65-inch plasma, and I just hooked up an HD cablebox from Comcast. In the setup menu I can’t access the HD Size (grayed out) What’s wrong? Thanks, Diana Well, Diana, TV companies just don’t want you changing things. Just kidding, there’s more to it than that, and it’s far more common …
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15 December
Set
Cable box or satellite box, DVR or digital media receiver, it’s important to set the output resolution so it looks best with your TV. But what looks best with your TV? The answer is probably easier to find than you’d imagine. All HDTV broadcasts are either 1080i or 720p. Most stations, such as CBS, NBC, and others, are 1080i. Fox, …
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15 December
You have a new TV. Now what?
A new TV is a great thing. A new TV, right after it’s taken out of the box, is not. To get the most out of your TV you need to adjust the settings, use the right cables, adjust your sources (like your cable box) and more. Compiled here is a directory of everything you’ll need to get your TV …
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15 December
LG adds Quickflix support to Smart TV range
Hot on the heels of adding Foxtel Play to its entertainment line up, LG now has Quickflix on its Smart TV range. (Credit: LG) The Australian video-on-demand service will be available on LG’s 2012 and 2013 range of Smart TVs. The Quickflix service is already available on Samsung, Panasonic and Sony smart TVs, as well as recently adding the PS4 …
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15 December
What is the blockiness in my TV’s picture?
Geoffrey Morrison A common complaint I get via e-mail or in comments on other articles involves a picture that breaks up into what look like little blocks. Often, people incorrectly refer to these as “pixels,” or blame their TV settings. In fact, this artifact is in the source, and unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it. All video …
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14 December
The prodigal daughter: Can she bring her Verizon LTE smartphone to AT&T?
Sending our children out on their own in the world is scary, but it’s nice to know they can always come home. In one reader’s case, his daughter can come home to Mom and Dad’s wireless plan. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a father figure out how he can help his daughter return to the family’s AT&T …
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14 December
Dell Venue 11 Pro: The anti
My first impression of the Dell Venue 11 Pro is positive. It’s very different from the iPad Air but that’s OK. The Venue 11 has a gorgeous 10.8-inch — an unusual size — 1,920×1,080 IPS display, and the model I’m using is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3770 “Bay Trail” processor with 2GB of memory. (See updated impressions of …
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14 December
O2 knocks a fiver off 4G, contracts now from £17
With Three’s same-price-as-3G service coming soon, O2 has slashed its 4G prices. Knocking a fiver off its Airtime plans on O2 Refresh, you can now bag a contract with 1GB of superfast data — plus unlimited calls and texts — for £17. A gig won’t go very far when you can download at an average speed of 16Mbps (just under …
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