samsung txp-3271h scan problem

[Blues_X]

I have a samsung txp3271h. When watching broadcasts via our digital cable HD box in 16:9 mode, it keeps showing a strange scan-related issue in the image from time to time.

Starting at the top of the screen, what appears to be a scanline will appear. This line is visible only if there is movement on the screen, and it is shown as a split in the image. The areas above the line and below the line get out of sync, with the top of the image being a split-second behind the bottom of the image. If there is no movement, you can't see it.

Here's an animated GIF to illustrate the problem.
http://bluesx.cliche-host.net/assets/scanissue-example.gif


This line that splits the image will slowly crawl down the screen, and then will disappear just a bit after it passes the halfway point (about 55% of the way down from the top of the screen).

When this split appears, if you switch from 16:9 mode to 3:4 mode, the split is no longer visible. Switch back to 16:9, and it is visible again. And it will stay visible until it crawls down the screen to the same spot and disappears.

I have not seen this problem at all when using our DVD player (hooked up via S-video) or our Xbox (component connection).

If the problem remained visible when I switch to 3:4 mode, then I would say it is the cable box. If it was visible when watching 16:9 DVDs or Xbox games, I'd say it was the HDTV. But it only happens when using the cable box, and only when in 16:9 mode.

My current theory is that the 1080i signal from the cable box is somehow causing a problem with the progressive-scan conversion in 16:9 mode.

Does anyone else have any ideas? Or has anyone else ever seen this type of problem before?


thanks,
Blues

[Blues_X]

bump, and more info....

One thing I believe is related: in normal 3:4 mode when watching cable (any station), sometimes the screen looks like it is having a seizure. For a second or so, it looks like the tv keeps stuttering between two different frames of the broadcast and can't decide which it should go with.

Now, last night I was watching HBOHD in 16:9 mode and the tearing started. It was an action sequence in Last Samurai, so I switched to 3:4 mode since the squishing-effect is much less annoying than the tearing in an action scene. After roughly 90 seconds, the 3:4 image went through one of the 'seizures' mentioned above. I switched back to 16:9 mode, and sure enough the tearing was gone.

The next time I see this 'seizure' issue in 3:4 mode, I'll switch to 16:9 to see if it is showing the tearing problem. But I think the two problems may be symptoms of the same issue.

And I should mention again that I have never seen this problem when watching widescreen movies via the s-video connection. Nor have I seen the tearing or seizure problems on my Xbox via the other component input. But I have seen it when watching a show recorded on the cable box DVR.

So I'm still hopeful it's just the cable box causing the problem, but I'm not certain about that at all. I just know that I don't want my TV in the shop for a few weeks unless it's absolutely necessary, as I'm now addicted to my HDTV ;)

[Blues_X]

I have not been able to switch from 3:4 mode to 16:9 mode and catch the scan line issue in action, so to speak. I can only get it to start when I am in 16:9 mode to begin with.