DA AV forums:
"I have the Samsung 429.The problem your experiencing is called "smearing".
It is caused by CRT's that have 100hz processing,and is well known.It is more noticeable on broadcast channels that have more compression.For example films on Channel 5 or perhaps TCM.It can vary a great deal.It usually affects faces and in my experience the details on green fields.Premier League on Sky Sports in this instance would be much better than a match broadcast from Finland for example.
The good news is that it can be reduced and in fact eliminated.
To reduce its effect,you need to go into the service menu and set to "0" the VCM Gain in Video Adjust 4.I won't tell you how to do this,as its detailed in other threads about the Samsung.Its the same code for the 409/419 and the 429 by the way.Another piece of Good news is that when you play DVD's using a component connection,smearing does NOT occur.The reason for this is very straightforward.The DVD Player forces the CRT to play 720x576/480i at 50Hz,so no smearing.If you play it through a scart connection,smearing although less pronounced may still be evident.I presume 100hz processing is still involved here.
On broadcast TV the only way to eliminate completely is to get a HD Box through HDMI or Component which again forces the CRT to display at 50Hz.
Even SD material is displayed at 50 Hz using a HD Box.All this has been confirmed by the way,so its not guess work.See "melting faces" thread.
Last night I watched Dead Mans Chest via component at 720x576i and the picture was absolutely outstanding.I've also played loads of other DVD's and again NO smearing.Try it and see for yourself.Don't ask me why this, or any other TV has 100hz processing if it causes smearing, because I don't know".
Altri ancora...
"The Samsung only applies 100Hz processing to 576/50i SD material converting it to 576/100i, it displays 1080i and 720p HD (and I think 575/50p progressive) material at 50Hz (which is close to the same line rate as 576/100i)
The heavy compression on some SD Sky channels will exacerbate this, as the MPEG2 encoding is likely to introduce large amounts of noise reduction which also smears motion, removing detail from faces, or causing the texture to move in a different direction to the object it is on. (You see skin texture move independently of the face commonly)
When you watch regular DVDs on your PC upscaled via HDMI, do you get the melting faces still?
When you watch the same regular DVDs via a DVD player via the RGB SCART do you get it?
(DVDs are mastered at higher data rates than Sky channels often broadcast at - so the lack of heavy noise reduction MAY mean it is less visible)
My gut feeling is that it is the 100Hz processing that is the problem."
"your diffenatley right about 100 hz being applied to RGB, With SVM set right down to zero the picture is better , but still plenty of artifacts present. But if i send a SD signal through component or HDMI , via my HTPC , there are no melting faces and the pictures improve slightly. Component seems to be a better picture than HDMI , as on HDMI i have to adust the vertical frequency on my nvidia drivers but .0001 of a hz"
"Yep - the 100Hz processing will have to be applied to all 576/50i inputs - whether they are RGB, S-video or composite/RF.
The 100Hz processing will NOT be applied to 576/50p, 1080/50i or 720/50p inputs - which can only be delivered via HDMI or Component (don't think the set has a VGA or DVI input)
This is because CRT displays used in TVs are not usually designed to cope with a wide range of horizontal line scan frequencies (they aren't as "Multisync" as a lot of PC CRT monitors)
576/50p, 576/100i (i.e. SD video displayed at 100Hz) and 1080/50i are very similar in horizontal line scan terms - but 576/50i is much lower and thus not displayable natively.
(This is why Sony can offer both 576/100i and 1152/50i DRC modes on their CRT displays when fed 576/50i inputs)
100Hz processing is a very common cause of "smearing" "plastic faces" etc. artefacts - and thus it is likely to be the cause of complaints.
Sky HD viewers who are using the component or HDMI output of their Sky boxes won't be subjected to this, as SD material will be converted to 100Hz by the TV, as the Sky box will convert to either 576/50p, 720/50p or 1080/50i, which will then be displayed at 50Hz by the TV.
Similarly owners of HTPCs - such as Windows Media Center - who use a non-SD output via component or HDMI - will see SD material upconverted to 1080/50i or 720/50p (possibly 576/50p - though less common) and also avoid the plastic face issue.
There could be a market for SD Freeview boxes with 576/50p or 720p/1080i HDMI outputs"
