LG LST-3510A HDTV Receiver/DVD Player
$699
us.lge.com |
Sure, you can buy a separate DVD player for movies, a video scalar to improve the quality of your video, an HDTV tuner to receive HDTV broadcasts, and a digital signal switcher to manage all those connections. But why? LG's LST-3510A rolls all those functions into one. You'll want to take advantage of each to get your money's worth, and we'll show you how.
The LST-3510A's primary function is as an HDTV tuner. You need a separate tuner to receive HD broadcasts unless your display has a built-in ATSC (Advanced Television System Committee) tuner that receives HD signals. The LST-3510A receives signals through an over-the-air antenna or digital cable connection. LG includes a built-in cable card to receive unscrambled digital and HD cable channels.
The LST-3510A provides better video outputs than most other tuners. The DVI (Digital Visual Interface) output keeps signals digital, retaining better picture quality than analog component (and other) video connections. Most digital TVs have just one DVI input, though. The LST-3510A sends both DVD and TV signals through one DVI connection, though, so you won't have to choose between them.
 Setup & Installation
LG made this tuner's setup simple. Connect the LST-3510A to your TV and A/V receiver with a component, composite, or DVI cable, and also a digital audio cable. Then connect the TV antenna or cable TV cord to the LST-3510A's ANT IN jack. Next, press the Display Format button on the LST-3510A's front panel and press the Forward or Back arrows on the panel to select the video signal type, which depends on the cables you use to connect the receiver to the TV (such as component, RGB, or DVI). Press Select and use the arrows to select a display resolution (1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i). The numbers refer to lines of resolution, and "i" or "p" refers to an interlaced or progressive signal in which the TV displays either half (interlaced) or all (progressive) the lines of the TV image every 1/30 of a second. Progressive is the better of the two.
Now, customize other settings. Turn on both the receiver and your TV. Press the Menu/Setup button on the LG remote control. Use the Up and Down arrows to highlight the Setup menu and press Select to enter the submenu. Start by checking your receiver's signal strength. Press the Down arrow to highlight the DTV Signal option and make sure you have reception. Then use the Up arrow to highlight EZ Scan, press Select, highlight your signal source (DTV for over-the-air antenna or CADTV for cable), and press Select again. The unit will find and index available digital channels. When finished, press Exit to scroll through your lineup.|
The LST-3510A's DVI connection lets you get the highest-quality HDTV images.
|
Press the Menu key again. Press the Down arrow to select the Option submenu, press Select, and highlight the Aspect Ratio option. Select your preferred display format (Normal, Wide, or Zoom, for example). We recommend choosing the Set By Program option, letting the source material dictate which format the receiver uses. Finally, set up the electronic programming guide. Navigate to the Guide option in the main menu. Press Select, highlight the Program Guide option, and press Select once more. Be patient, though; it sometimes takes a few hours to display listings the first time.
Improve DVD Quality
Beyond its TV functions, the LST-3510A shines in its role as a DVD player. First, the LST-3510A can upconvert, or scale, DVD's 480p signal to either 720p or 1080i. This process uses mathematical formulas to improve picture quality by adding extra lines of resolution. Upconversion can be tricky—poorly done, it can render images worse off than before. But the LST-3510A pulls the trick off well, with sharp clear images all around. Enabling upconversion is simple—just use the Display Format button on the HD receiver's front panel to match the receiver's outgoing resolution to your television's native resolution. Select your video output connection, such as DVI or component, and then the correct resolution. If you don't like the way upconversion looks, reselect Native from the same menu.
Use the Display Format function to switch between display modes and optimize the video resolution for each movie and show (whether in HDTV or standard definition). One nice perk of this model is that standard-definition connections work simultaneously with HD outputs. In other words, you can watch a program in HD and record it in SD (using two separate outputs from the receiver).
Your home movie experience will also benefit from the LST-3510A's digital DVI video output. Still not standard for consumer-level DVD players (component video is usually as good as it gets), DVI is an all-digital high-quality connector. It means less converting to and from analog (degrading the signal with each conversion) and a better picture at the display. And you'll only have one cable to connect to the TV, rather than three, as is the case with component cables. After connecting the cable (not included) to the LST-3510A's DVI-HDTV Out jack and your television's DVI input, select the DVI output using the receiver's Display Format button, as described above. 
by Gregory Anderson |
