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[DaveH]

I just hooked up my first X10 cam, a XX16A. How good of a picture image should I expect to get when running the signal from the wireless video Rx into a plasma HD tv using the composite input? I don't have a convenient way to check the picture with a conventional tv at the moment, but maybe this weekend. The picture isn't very good....I was expecting better. It doesn't really change for better or worse whether the camera and Rx are 1 foot apart, or 30 feet.

I'm thinking my image is going to be really limited by running it into the plasma. I say this because I remember how lousy the broadcast picture was when I first got the tv and was trying to view channels which were in standard definition. It sucked. Once I hooked up with the digital cable (and an up-converting dvd player), things got a LOT better. And, I know the X10 cameras are not HD.

So am I on the right track here with my thinking, or are some of you getting good pictures from X10 running into plasma tv's?

Thanks.

[HA Dave]

The X10 camera picture looks great on my 1080i 42 inch LCD TV.

[Jsnlong]

How big is the Plasma Tv?

I have installed alot of Tv's for people and when ever they get a new Plasma or LCD they seem to think it makes there TV programs look crappy. The truth is it always looked crappy you just was use to watching it and then when you put it on a screen like the Plasma it just blows the picture up and shows you how in perfect the picture always was. This mind trick gets worse when you are use to watching stuff in HD and go back to regular broadcast TV. 

This other post has screen shots but are from a computer. But I'm just wondering if you look at them and can tell if you think tv picture looks like any of them. or maybe worse?? Let use know? http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=16829.15

 

[dave w]

So am I on the right track here with my thinking, or are some of you getting good pictures from X10 running into plasma tv's?

Thanks.

Dave,
Don't expect much. The "X" cameras have a horizontal resolution of about 300 lines. After wireless modulation/demodulation it will be less. The X cam picture on any TV will be about as good as the playback from a VHS tape. They are made for surveillance which does not put high demands on picture quality.

How far apart are your camera and wireless receiver? Lots of video noise in the picture could be caused by weak signal reception at the receiver.

[HA Dave]

......... The "X" cameras have a horizontal resolution of about 300 lines. After wireless modulation/demodulation it will be less. The X cam picture on any TV will be about as good as the playback from a VHS tape. They are made for surveillance which does not put high demands on picture quality.

Well... factually correct... but not true. Filtering and line doubling technology is built into TV's now-a-days... it is pretty easy to get a good picture. I have a couple videos up on YouTube... which actually show the TV, X10 cameras video on the TV... and even a DVD playing in my theater wirelessly sent to the TV. Of course... they will all look like YouTube Videos being displayed on your PC... if you view them.

Don't expect non-HD content to display as HD. But do expect HD TV's to display your X10 Camera views at least slighty better than an old TV.

[dave w]

......... The "X" cameras have a horizontal resolution of about 300 lines. After wireless modulation/demodulation it will be less. The X cam picture on any TV will be about as good as the playback from a VHS tape. They are made for surveillance which does not put high demands on picture quality.

Well... factually correct... but not true. Filtering and line doubling technology is built into TV's now-a-days... it is pretty easy to get a good picture.

Don't expect non-HD content to display as HD. But do expect HD TV's to display your X10 Camera views at least slighty better than an old TV.

Yeah, but look at the OP's , 2nd paragraph, second and third sentence.....An X10 cam can barely match standard broadcast resolution (about 330 lines after transmission, on a good day) . So if DaveH thought standard broadcast sucked on his Hi Def TV, then X cam will suck also. I am just telling him to not expect more. Its the silk purse, sows ear thing.

[dellzip]

I just hooked up my first X10 cam, a XX16A. How good of a picture image should I expect to get when running the signal from the wireless video Rx into a plasma HD tv using the composite input? I don't have a convenient way to check the picture with a conventional tv at the moment, but maybe this weekend. The picture isn't very good....I was expecting better. It doesn't really change for better or worse whether the camera and Rx are 1 foot apart, or 30 feet.

I'm thinking my image is going to be really limited by running it into the plasma. I say this because I remember how lousy the broadcast picture was when I first got the tv and was trying to view channels which were in standard definition. It sucked. Once I hooked up with the digital cable (and an up-converting dvd player), things got a LOT better. And, I know the X10 cameras are not HD.

So am I on the right track here with my thinking, or are some of you getting good pictures from X10 running into plasma tv's?

Thanks.

Did you get this working?

[HA Dave]

............ So if DaveH thought standard broadcast sucked on his Hi Def TV, then X cam will suck also. I am just telling him to not expect more. Its the silk purse, sows ear thing.

Yeah your right. I have one of those tiny SD card Video Cameras that record in HD (720). I just wonder when the security cameras will be HD.

[DaveH]

How big is the Plasma Tv?

I have installed alot of Tv's for people and when ever they get a new Plasma or LCD they seem to think it makes there TV programs look crappy. The truth is it always looked crappy you just was use to watching it and then when you put it on a screen like the Plasma it just blows the picture up and shows you how in perfect the picture always was. This mind trick gets worse when you are use to watching stuff in HD and go back to regular broadcast TV. 

This other post has screen shots but are from a computer. But I'm just wondering if you look at them and can tell if you think tv picture looks like any of them. or maybe worse?? Let use know? http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=16829.15

Thanks to everyone for the responses!

The tv is a 50" Pioneer. I hear you about the image perception.....I went from a 32" Sony pic tube to the 50" plasma, and the Sony looked a lot better with the standard definition broadcasts. However, the plasma is fantastic with HD broadcasts, Bluray, etc.

I looked at the shots from the link you provided....my image is very similiar in quality to the first one (labeled as 'X2 Color Cam, Aztak Receiver, VA11A'). Keep in mind too, at the moment the reciever is connected to the tv only, no computer. Maybe I was expecting too much. Anyway, this weekend I'll hook the reciever up to the Sony 32" standard tv in the back room, see how it looks, and report back.

To answer the other question from dave w, the cam and RX are about 30 feet apart. However, the image looks no better or no worse than when I held them a foot apart while testing.

Another thing that occurred to me....I wonder how much it would improve the image (if at all) to run the Rx signal into an up-converting dvd recorder, and use the output of that? I guess I need to try it to satisfy my curiousity....it's just really a pain to get at the back of everything.
 

[HA Dave]

Here is a YouTube Video of my Voice Controlled Ninja Camera. I used my video camera to record the image on the TV... then converted the MOV files to WMV and edited and compressed them. Then I uploaded the files to YouTube... where they were converted and compressed again.

But still... not bad IMHO. If the images/video your getting isn't up to par... it may be your connecting wires or camera focus.

[Jsnlong]

I don't have any X10 wireless cams. My cams are a different brand but when I run them wireless my computer router signal interfere with it and cause the pic to be fuzzy and choppy. Lucky for me my cams can be wired ir wireless.

Just throwing out another suggestion

[HA Dave]

My cams are a different brand but when I run them wireless my computer router signal interfere with it and cause the pic to be fuzzy and choppy.

Yes that can happen (X10 Cams or not). That is yet another issue that can be a source of a bad picture. Changing channels on the cameras... and then if needed on the router can be a help. I just clipped this image from my linksys router. I apparently have six different router channels to chose from.

[DaveH]

Good ideas, thanks, but I think I'm ok in those regards. I went with a wired router about 6 months ago....I have two cordless phones, but one is 5.8GHz, and the other is an older 900MHz, so I don't think I have any problems stemming from those. I suppose I *could* be getting interference from the neighbors.

Dave_x10_L: The image you're getting looks better than what I'm seeing with mine. I'm becoming more convinced that the plasma tv is showing up deficiencies in the video. I'll know more Saturday when I get time to change things around.