Wobbly picture with ATV2 - anyone else?

Just hooked up my ATV through an HDMI cable direct to my TV.

No issues with a "normal HDMI" connection.

Yes. Approximate 6 HR old 42" panasonic plasma tv. Using new Belkin hdmi cable purchased at time of order. Looks like you are watching tv behind a waterfall or in the rain.

Will check tv settings but I don't think there are any to be changed for hdmi.

Wobbly/wavy picture here also on my 5-year old Panasonic plasma. HDMI from ATV2 thru HDMI switch straight into the TV.

Tried bypassing the HDMI switch and tried different HDMI cables. Nothing fixed this so far!

Using a belkin hdmi cable and an auvio hdmi switch. I don't notice any issues with picture.

Yes I'm sure this isn't widespread but it's interesting that at least two of us have this problem.

My TV is a Panasonic TH-37PD25 and it's connected directly into the ATV2 via HDMI.

Here are the manufacturer specs on the TH-37PD25:
PRODUCT FEATURES: Lightweight, Ultra-Thin Design; 42" Diagonal Screen Size; Built-in NTSC Tuner and Speaker System; 2-Tuner Picture-in-Picture with Split-Screen Display, Scalable P-I-P Image Size; Motion-Adaptive 3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter; BBE ViVA High-Definition 3D Sound; Artificial Intelligence Picture and Sound; DVI Interface; EDTV (480p) Display Capability; 408, 960 (852 x 480) Pixel Display; 16: 9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio; Anti-Reflective Screen Coating; Wide Viewing Angle (160º); Progressive Processing; 1, 070 Million Display Colors; 4000: 1 Contrast Ratio; 16W (8W x 2) Audio Output; Component Video Inputs, S Video Input; Remote Control Included; Pedestal Stand Included.

I found this on an old CNET review. Maybe this isn't exactly an HDTV...

*This is an EDTV with 852x480 resolution, which means that the set has enough pixels to display 1080i and 720p HDTV material but not its full detail. Like all plasmas, the PA20U scales computer, HDTV, VHS, cable, and all other incoming video to fit the available pixels*

No I'm having the exact same problem plugged it into my 40" panasonic HDTV and wavy lines and I can't seem to fix it.

YES! I have the exact same problem.

I have an older TV that only has DVI input but I've used several other HDMI devices successfully with a simple, passive HDMI->DVI cable, in fact I have two different ones around. I've tried them both, straight into the TV and I get exactly what you describe: wobbly picture, like it's behind a waterfall.

Bad news is, I tried my neighbor's newer Visio TV with HDMI input and it works fine, no waves. So the problem is related to my TV and probably to the HDMI->DVI setup but I'm just guessing there.

I already called Apple support and they were blaming my TV, told me to try making sure my TV was set to accept a 720p signal instead of 1080i but my TV has no such setting (I dug through the manual to make sure). Besides, I've never had to do that in the past. I always send it a 720p signal from my little Acer Revo which has HDMI output via Nvidia ION and it works fine, no changes required on the TV.

So, yeah, definitely a problem here! I'm considering purchasing an HDM to YPbPr converter but they don't come cheap (about as much as the ATV2) and it will probably burn more power than the Apple TV does. GRRRRRR!

Seth

I also have the Panasonic TH-37PD25 and have the exact same symptoms. Just got the ATV2 delivered today and plugged it in about an hour ago. Directly connected from ATV2 to HDMI port. I take the ATV2 down to a newer TV I have downstairs and it works wonderfully.

I'm not sure it's fair to say it won't be wide spread if this is the first day the ATV2 is out and we already have this many people experiencing the issue. I am hoping there is a solution.

Here's some more info:

- My TV is a Toshiba 32HF73 (at least, I think it is. It matches the picture on their web site). It is over 6 years old. It's a 32" CRT, 4:3 ratio with DVI input for digital HD content (supports both 720p and 1080i) and YPbPr for analog HD (also goes up to 1080i). It's what Toshiba calls an HDTV Monitor.
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/product.asp?model=32hf73

- I shot a video of the issue with my iPod and put it on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ys1F46fHLM

As mentioned, my TV is a CRT so there's a tracing line visible in the video you'll have to ignore but I think the problem is pretty easy to see (especially when you look at small text or the edges of thumbnails where there's a big contrast with the black background).

clafournaise wrote:
I found this on an old CNET review. Maybe this isn't exactly an HDTV...

*This is an EDTV with 852x480 resolution, which means that the set has enough pixels to display 1080i and 720p HDTV material but not its full detail. Like all plasmas, the PA20U scales computer, HDTV, VHS, cable, and all other incoming video to fit the available pixels*

This may be the case but is a step backwards from the old unit if it requires a 720p ready HDMI input.

The old unit offered options for 480i/480p/576i/576p up to 1080i/p, with 720p in between from memory.

Are there no video options for HDMI anymore under Settings?

(Don't have a new one to try).

Old ATV worked DVI to HDMI cable; new ATV NO picture! TV is about 6 years old - Loewe (no longer sold in US). Will pickup HDMI to HDMI and try with a small TV to be sure ATV is not defective. Not sure calling Apple will help. Ideas?

Ahh, well that's encouraging! Let me know how it turns out. Since we've got similar TVs I may want to pursue an exchange as well.

Hope it works out!
Seth

The TV in question is similar to, and shares the same owners manual with, the TH-42PD25, and I can tell you from the work I did trying to connect a Roku HD XR box to the TH-42PD25 just yesterday, and confirmed by reading the manual, this TV does NOT handle 720p but only 1080i. That is what the specifications say in the original manual. Unless at some point there was a firmware update, we're SOL.