[TV] Help understanding streaming / digital TV and old programmes please

[portlock seagull]

Have an HD 42” TV with Internet apps.

Lots of excellent old films and programmes from 70s,80’s and 90s I remember that are free to view on YouTube only which like to revisit.

But when watching on such a big TV, they’re too ‘block-ey’ even if adjust aspect or resolution (options on mine are limited seemingly, TV is approaching 20years old mind!)

Is there anyway to watch these as a smaller picture on a large TV or make it more concentrated?

Or is the only solution to buy DVDs, link up and play (and even then?)

So much rubbish on Netflix,Prime and so forth these days, I’d love to watch loads of old documentaries etc that are unavailable seemingly except where people have kindly put on YouTube. But watching them on large TV is terrible. Surely there’s a solution?

Apologies for non technical explanation, but hopefully someone will know what I mean!!

Thank you.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

 

[Weststander]

Is the strength of your broadband connection strong?

We've a newish TV LG (not an expensive model) and excellent Virgin internet, giving a game-changer of crystal clear TV from any platform and YouTube.

 

[Bodian]

Have you tried using your laptop with HDMI, and selecting 'display only on screen 2'. That sometimes helps with resolution.

 

[portlock seagull]

Is the strength of your broadband connection strong?

We've a newish TV LG (not an expensive model) and excellent Virgin internet, giving a game-changer of crystal clear TV from any platform and YouTube.

Yep, by blocky I don’t mean juddery though I mean the pixel original shot in is so stretched over 42” that the picture detail is slightly blurred. So if watching an 1980s programme on YouTube it’s too poor. If repeated on eg Dave channel, they’d adjust it so it’s watchable. But I’m unable to do this when watching YouTube uploads obviously.

 

[portlock seagull]

Have you tried using your laptop with HDMI, and selecting 'display only on screen 2'. That sometimes helps with resolution.

Yep, know what you mean and that’s worth a try ie mirroring? Will give it a go. Good suggestion. Thanks

 

[Bodian]

Yep, know what you mean and that’s worth a try ie mirroring? Will give it a go. Good suggestion. Thanks

Yes - but have a go at selecting 'duplicate' and 'only on screen 2' - because the latter is generally better (or it is for me anyway)

 

[Is it PotG?]

Have you tried d/l the file from YT. You're still reliant upon the quality of the original u/l but the media player in the tellybox might help with quality.

 

[Weststander]

Yep, by blocky I don’t mean juddery though I mean the pixel original shot in is so stretched over 42” that the picture detail is slightly blurred. So if watching an 1980s programme on YouTube it’s too poor. If repeated on eg Dave channel, they’d adjust it so it’s watchable. But I’m unable to do this when watching YouTube uploads obviously.

I understand. My LG TV and strong broadband signal mean that I just don't get that. Excellent image including old stuff.

 

[Official Old Man]

Is there a picture setting to view in original size?
ie widescreen or 4x3.
My thoughts regarding the laptop is that it will still be the same. Your showing a film of 625 lines on a TV of 1080 lines hence each original pixel is taking up 4 pixels on the screen, thus looking blocky. Pre 70's was 405 lines, now that will be blocky.
Good chance the stuff you're watching is recorded on VHS which is even fewer lines.
I'd imagine there is some simple software studios use to soften the picture so old movies and TV shows can be shown on new 4K screens. For instance Dads Army.

 

[schmunk]

Modern televisions have sophisticated 'upscaling' technology which can improve this significantly, however there is a limit to what can be done - as above, if you've only got an e.g. 640x480 pixel picture, then each of those blocks is going to look quite, err..., blocky...

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Modern televisions have sophisticated 'upscaling' technology which can improve this significantly, however there is a limit to what can be done - as above, if you've only got an e.g. 640x480 pixel picture, then each of those blocks is going to look quite, err..., blocky...

This.

A lot will depend on what resolution the video was uploaded to You Tube in. If it’s in a very low resolution there is nothing that can be done really. There may be an option for the TV to display it at its original resolution but on a 42” HD or 4K TV you’ll end up watching a tiny square in the middle of the TV that you’ll barely be able to see.

Is there a picture setting to view in original size?
ie widescreen or 4x3.
My thoughts regarding the laptop is that it will still be the same. Your showing a film of 625 lines on a TV of 1080 lines hence each original pixel is taking up 4 pixels on the screen, thus looking blocky. Pre 70's was 405 lines, now that will be blocky.
Good chance the stuff you're watching is recorded on VHS which is even fewer lines.
I'd imagine there is some simple software studios use to soften the picture so old movies and TV shows can be shown on new 4K screens. For instance Dads Army.

Older stuff would have been broadcast at that lower resolution and often it’s that broadcast that has been uploaded to things like you tube via someone’s VHS recording which leads to the poor quality found there.

Film cameras have been capable of capturing images that are better than 4K for a long long time, so the original source material (if it still exists) is at resolution that means creating a new HD master is fairly straight forward. There just was not the technology to display these high quality images outside of the cinema until fairly recently.

 

[Balders]

Your picture quality is going to be dependent on the quality of the source picture on Youtube. Although you can check it through the Youtube app on your Smart TV, it's a bit convoluted and much easier to see via the Youtube website on your laptop. Go to any video and click the "wheel" on the bottom right of the Settings taskbar and click quality. The latest videos will show qualities from 4k, 2k, 1080p Premium HD, 1080p HD, 720p, 480p, 360p, 240p & 144p. The higher the number, the better the quality.

Anything with the option of 720p and above should be fine on a 42 inch HD TV, anything less is going to look "blocky" and a bit cack. You can change the picture quality on your laptop - change it to 144p and it will not be as clear/sharp - watching source quality of 144p on a 42 inch and it's going to look pretty bad.

You can adjust settings for Youtube both on the Laptop and Smart TV settings to set it to the best available quality. Modern TVs will upscale but there are limits depending on the quality of the source.

When these programmes are transmitted, they will be at the highest source quality available, but if uploaded to Youtube at a lower source quality, that's when you see the difference.

 

[studio150]

These programmes were made in the era of smaller TVs, just get a smaller TV problem solved.

Or go full old school with a monochrome set.

 

[portlock seagull]

Have you tried d/l the file from YT. You're still reliant upon the quality of the original u/l but the media player in the tellybox might help with quality.

No, haven’t so will also give this a go. Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[Beanstalk]

Your picture quality is going to be dependent on the quality of the source picture on Youtube. Although you can check it through the Youtube app on your Smart TV, it's a bit convoluted and much easier to see via the Youtube website on your laptop. Go to any video and click the "wheel" on the bottom right of the Settings taskbar and click quality. The latest videos will show qualities from 4k, 2k, 1080p Premium HD, 1080p HD, 720p, 480p, 360p, 240p & 144p. The higher the number, the better the quality.

Anything with the option of 720p and above should be fine on a 42 inch HD TV, anything less is going to look "blocky" and a bit cack. You can change the picture quality on your laptop - change it to 144p and it will not be as clear/sharp - watching source quality of 144p on a 42 inch and it's going to look pretty bad.

You can adjust settings for Youtube both on the Laptop and Smart TV settings to set it to the best available quality. Modern TVs will upscale but there are limits depending on the quality of the source.

When these programmes are transmitted, they will be at the highest source quality available, but if uploaded to Youtube at a lower source quality, that's when you see the difference.

Finally the right answer.

The reality is that you’re basically one step removed from watching a dodgy stream if you’re going on YouTube to watch a TV programme and the picture quality will likely never be good enough because the source material isn’t.

The legitimate workaround is (from the sounds of what sort of thing you’re looking for) to get a Brit Box subscription and use the old school channels (iPlayer, ITVX, C4, 5) to watch the shows in original quality on their proper channels. The alternative is to buy an AppleTV box and just rent each show when you want to watch.

I’d recommend using something like the JustWatch app to find where each programme you want to watch is to avoid having to trail through each platform in the hope of finding the show you want.

 

[keaton]

There appears to be a few new Freeview showing stuff you may like at the moment called ThatsTV etc. picture quality isn't great but will be better than most YouTube versions .

A lot of rubbish on it but they seem to have Yes Minister on most nights

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Finally the right answer.

The reality is that you’re basically one step removed from watching a dodgy stream if you’re going on YouTube to watch a TV programme and the picture quality will likely never be good enough because the source material isn’t.

The legitimate workaround is (from the sounds of what sort of thing you’re looking for) to get a Brit Box subscription and use the old school channels (iPlayer, ITVX, C4, 5) to watch the shows in original quality on their proper channels. The alternative is to buy an AppleTV box and just rent each show when you want to watch.

I’d recommend using something like the JustWatch app to find where each programme you want to watch is to avoid having to trail through each platform in the hope of finding the show you want.

I just by chance found out a list of old shows and links to them to watch on iPlayer, ITVX, Pluto TV, etc.
I searched for 'Talking Pictures' on Firestick App Library. No app found but I got the list. Watched some Omnibus shows on iPlayer from the 1970s, v good.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Is there a picture setting to view in original size?
ie widescreen or 4x3.
My thoughts regarding the laptop is that it will still be the same. Your showing a film of 625 lines on a TV of 1080 lines hence each original pixel is taking up 4 pixels on the screen, thus looking blocky. Pre 70's was 405 lines, now that will be blocky.
Good chance the stuff you're watching is recorded on VHS which is even fewer lines.
I'd imagine there is some simple software studios use to soften the picture so old movies and TV shows can be shown on new 4K screens. For instance Dads Army.

you should be able to change the resolution of your laptop display i.e. make it closer to the 625 lines ...