Model #LN40B500P3FXZA SAMSUNG lcd television
Question and Answers
Why does my new Samsung LN40B500P3FXZA look pixelated?
I assume you have connected your HD cable box through the HDMI jack on the back of your TV. My first check would be to make sure the cable box is outputting high resolution video. Hitting the info button on the TV (not the cable box) usually tells you the resolution of the video coming in. If not double check the cable box settings. Although the cable company probably installed it, they may have not set it up optimally. Once you have the settings right make sure you are on a high definition source. There is still a lot of standard resolution video that is not going away for a while. This video can be upconverted a million times but the image will still have 480 lines of resolution worth of information. This video when watched through a large screen like a 40 inch will have some noticeable lack of detail compared to 720 and 1080. If you are sitting 6 feet away from your TV for HDTV, you need to sit around 14 feet away when watching standard definition in order not to notice the artifacts that come with it. The viewing distance is not an exact science but it gives you an idea that the minimum viewing distance is a lot farther with a low quality source. Most problems with picture quality are due to connections, settings, or high customer expectations. I think you should be getting a great picture with the equipment you have. If that's not the case, contact service for the TV and the cable system.
