Wobbly picture with ATV2 - anyone else?

Nah Randydog, you're just holding it wrong! 🙂

I am also seeing the waving screen issue. Sony Grand Wega KF-60WE610 using an HDMI to DVI cable. This tv supports both 720p and 1080i. I have not seen this wavy picture with any other connected device, including ones coming through the DVI port.

Same hardware, same connections, same issue, same attitude.

Well, before anyone gets excited I recommend someone else verify my findings as I may have been lucky. 🙂

I don't have all the specific details handy but I talked to a friend who specializes in AV gear yesterday and he loaned me an HDMI switchbox from Monoprice. I tested it with the new AppleTV and my early 2004-era Sony 50" HDTV with DVI. Wobbling is pretty much gone (seems to be some slight movement when up close but at normal viewing angles it's fine and I'm now going to replace my first generation AppleTV with the new model now that I can use it.

Here's the Switchbox I'm ordering that worked for me:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?cid=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&pid=5557&seq=1&format=2

The only glitch I had was when rebooting the AppleTV or waking it from sleep the picture had a very distinct pink "hue" to it. This was resolved by switching the inputs on the switch box to another input and then back again. Maybe I'm using an older HDMI cable in the mix that is doing this, I dunno but it's certainly something I can live with. Especially if it means holding off replacing my TV for a couple more years.

I welcome other people to try this solution and report here if it works for you as well. It works fine for me and I'm ordering one of these Monoprice boxes today.

The box also has the added benefit of separating out the audio from the HDMI cable so you can do optical out from the back with an older receiver that lacks HDMI. The only downsides on the device I felt were that one HDMI port is on the front (3 on the back along with the output) and that it has bright LEDs on the front of the box that are annoying in a dark room while watching a movie (nothing some tape can't fix).

I hope this information serves useful to others.

Thanks,
Bill

Awesome find. Thanks for sharing. I may have to give this a shot.

Bill do you have any idea why this device fixes the problem? It reads like a standard HDMI switcher.

Thanks for the info. I just ordered one. I also have a Sony, KF-42WE610. I will report back if this works or not.

Got the same problem with a 6yr old Sony Grand Wega 42" 720P.

Using HDMI to DVI cables.

My MacBookPro works perfectly but not my new ATV2.

It seems silly that the ATV2 doesn't come with even the most basic control of the output resolution. The fact that so many ATV first gens work and this one doesn't means their expecting a few back response from the HDMI, not getting it and reverting to 480P.

Guess I gotta send the ATV2 back.

Ryan

The folks at Monoprice said that: because the device amplifies the signal it will preform better than a passive adapter. I also ordered one. We'll see.

Like I said earlier, I have a Sony 42" HDTV KDF-42WE655 which supports resolutions from 480i/p, 720p to 1080i. I created a 1280x720 image test pattern and displayed it on ATV2 via Photo sharing. I compared the same image with my PS3 running at 720p resolution. To my findings, the PS3 displayed more lines on 720p than ATV2.

Out of curiosity, I switched the resolution of my PS3 to 480p and compared the images displayed. To my astonishment, the quality or the number of lines displayed matches that of what ATV2 resolution. Hence ATV2 is displaying at 480p!

Though the wavy lines were a nuisance, which I got used to, I was actually watching movies at 480p the whole time!

This is not right and needs to be fixed.

I remember the PS3 had this problem since the initial release where owners had the resolution downgraded to 480p if it couldn't find the highest resolution such as 1080p instead of dropping down to 720p.

Actually, this is what I suspected was the case from the beginning since my TV was allowing me to adjust the "picture size" which it only does when it is receiving a 480i/p signal.

What I suspect is happening is that the atv has a bug in the firmware (handshake) which is causing my tv to default to assuming the signal is a 480p. Since it is actually a 720p signal, I get the waves.

So, what I'd like to know is: does the monoprice device actually somehow properly recognize the 720p signal and pass that into the tv... OR is it simply converting the 720p to a proper 480p and passing it to the tv. Either one would resolve the wave issue but the former would mean everything is being downsampled to 480p... 😟

The thing about "amplification" is probably moot since the wavy behavior is not related to signal strength; it is a digital signal.

I would like to add to my earlier comments. While I have been experiencing the same wobbly/waterfall images as everyone else who has been viewing ATV2 via HDMI-DVI cable, I have not had trouble renting copy protected content (as my DVI-only,HD,TV -Sony KF-50WE610- is HDCP compliant). I thought I would experiment and I plugged the ATV2 into my 27", Dell, flat screen computer monitor via my same Apple Store purchased, Belkin HDMI-DVI cable... it works perfectly!

So I reached Sony support and while the TV's DVI input will accept 480i or p, 720i or p, up to 1080i... the native format is 1080i. They say it will display whatever of these resolutions is supplied by the source. There is no way for me to adjust or tweak what is expected (that is supported: i.e. they don't recommend going into the service menu and messing with the native resolution defaults). They say that the resolution must be dictated by the source device. This lands squarely on Apple.

Additionally, as I raised earlier, I don't understand why they even have an optical audio if they are requiring you to use HDMI anyhow... I would be happy with this if it was just a bug and I could hope that Apple would address it, but they are intentionally not supporting this, which is irksome.

8 days left until I must return... I have been working WAY too hard at getting this to work... this is an Apple product, right?

-Ringo'n'Bob

This is a terrible user experience and I expect that apple will fix this soon, unless it requires a hardware fix. If thats the case, it will never be fixed

hello. is the picture wobbly in the movies or just in the menu?

Received ATV2 and Belkin HDMI-DVI cable from Apple today.
Cable was one of 6 or so accessories in ATV accessory section of store.apple.com when I ordered.
Wobbly screen and artifacts on 60" Sony Grand Wega KDF-60XBR950.

Ipad has me expanding apple products in my house for first time ever (new iMac and Airport Extreme) but this thing looks like junk on the screen.

I'm attentive to detail, but this feels like a hoodwink.

Serious buzzkill on a company I'm really starting to enjoy.