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Anyone else have problem with HDTV making them sick?

Messages
10
Hello,

Anybody else have trouble with HDTV making them sick?

I have never been able to watch HDTV but I can live without that.

The problem is I have always been able to watch SD TV, but I had to move recently and change cable providers and now I cannot watch SD TV anymore either.

I was using Xfinity Comcast and could watch their Standard Def channels (but not their HD channels). I had to move and Xfinity is not offered here. I got AT&T Uverse which has what they call Standard Definition channels but they make me sick.

I am confined to the house most of the time. Like many of you I struggle every day. And this illness has taken so many things from us. One of the things I used to cope was watching TV at night.

The sick feeling I get is hard to describe. It is not the Nausea and motion sickness that I have seen others describe. Mine starts with a warm feeling between my eyes that moves down my chest, then my heart skips beats, and I just start to feel weak and generally bad.

I use an older Samsung 32 inch TV 720p max with refresh rate of 60 from the early 2000’s. I have watched this TV for years with no problem. Therefore, I do not believe the TV is the problem. Never could watch any newer flat screen tvs with 1080 and 120 refresh rate.

I can watch DVD’s (not Blu Ray) with an older DVD player on my older TV. So again it is not the TV.

I tried a HD to SD converter, but all it did was make the picture more blurry, it still made me sick. I read that RCA composite cables, (Red, Yellow, White) could only carry Standard Def signal, so I connected the TV and cable box with these, but it still makes me sick.

From my research, Satellite TV is all HD, Streaming is all HD, and open air antennas are all HD.
I did try streaming and it instantly made me sick.

I am not convinced that the AT&T Uverse SD channels are really SD 480p.

I just want to be able to watch the SD TV again.

Anyone else have this problem and are there any solutions?
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,461
Location
Great Lakes
I get the same with LED lightbulbs and computer monitors however since I've been trying to treat possible Lyme co-infections it seems better at least for the lightbulbs.

Hope you get some answers.
 

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
Digital TVs and some computer monitors can give me headaches (don't get me started on what some but only some models of Kindles did, or floresent lights), so here' what I do- not sure if this would be possible for you.

I use an old analog TV set...with a converter box... Analog TV is not capable of showing anything in high def as the term is currently used. (my further conections, though i don;'t think this will matter , is I use just over the air antanee , no cable, no att, no satellite, etc, and stream stuff through a roku and select standard definition from amazon prime. my wifi connection is just a high speed dsl, which means pretty slow, but works fine for standard def shows)

would analog set and converter box work? must be someone selling old analog sets on the internet. as for converter box, you can still buy those new on amazon

if too much of a pain, what are your alternatives to the ATT? maybe its what theyre doing since you said now sdtv doing it too?
 

Viala

Senior Member
Messages
639
I would check if the problem is still there when you have your eyes closed. It may be the refresh rate or the amount of data send or received, or both. If it's the eyes, maybe there are some glasses that could help with it? You could also try some other converter that works on refresh rate as well, it may be that some other type would work well.
 
Messages
10
I use an old analog TV set...with a converter box... Analog TV is not capable of showing anything in high def as the term is currently used. (my further conections, though i don;'t think this will matter , is I use just over the air antanee , no cable, no att, no satellite, etc, and stream stuff through a roku and select standard definition from amazon prime. my wifi connection is just a high speed dsl, which means pretty slow, but works fine for standard def shows)

Thanks for the info. Sounds like a possibility. Just have to find an Analog TV. What kind of converter box do you use?

I didn't know you could chose SD with Amazon Prime, that sounds good too.

Do you use the roku only for amazon prime, or are you able to watch other things with it?

Are you using roku because amazon firestick does not have SD (asking because I do not know)?

Thanks
 
Messages
10
Digital TVs and some computer monitors can give me headaches (don't get me started on what some but only some models of Kindles did, or floresent lights),

Any computer with Windows 7 or higher causes the same symptoms as HDTV for me. I use an older Dell laptop from 2008 with Window Vista (I know it is no longer supported) and I can use this computer hours at a time with no problems. Have the same Identical computer with Windows 7 and it makes me sick. Cannot use wife's Macbook pro, parent's windows 10, or any Ipads.

I cannot use Smart Phones either. As soon as I look at the screen I start getting sick.

Have you found any solutions to the computer problems or any ideas for Smart phone problem?
 
Messages
10
and stream stuff through a roku and select standard definition from amazon prime. my wifi connection is just a high speed dsl, which means pretty slow, but works fine for standard def shows)

Sorry for so many questions. What is the Roku connected to? The Analog TV or the converter box?

Thanks
 
Messages
10
I would check if the problem is still there when you have your eyes closed.

Mine seems to be all visual. It is only when I look at the TV screen, or any computer with anything higher than Windows Vista (Windows 7, 10, Macbook Pro, Ipads, Smart Phones).

I can watch DVD's on my older TV (as long as it is not BluRay or a DVD player that Upscales the Video Resolution), so I don't think it is the TV refresh rate. And I watched this TV for years with no problems.

What do you mean by the amount of Data sent or received? Are you referring to the Signal coming into TV from AT&T?

Thanks
 

Reading_Steiner

Senior Member
Messages
245
sounds like its related to motion or possibly something to do with focusing of the eyes, dots per inch, font size ?
different types of screen will have different frame rates and ways of updating the image. I've never come across this problem before though sorry, i'm sensitive to maybe 50% of displays like the others said.
 

Viala

Senior Member
Messages
639
Mine seems to be all visual. It is only when I look at the TV screen, or any computer with anything higher than Windows Vista (Windows 7, 10, Macbook Pro, Ipads, Smart Phones).

I can watch DVD's on my older TV (as long as it is not BluRay or a DVD player that Upscales the Video Resolution), so I don't think it is the TV refresh rate. And I watched this TV for years with no problems.

What do you mean by the amount of Data sent or received? Are you referring to the Signal coming into TV from AT&T?

Yes, HD is higher quality and requires more data to be send, some people are sensitive to wifi etc., so the more transfer the stronger reaction. Or it can be that certain devices can cause the reaction when they're on. But if you say it's mostly visual then it's probably something else. It is also possible that your tv is not compatible with HD, but again you notice it with some computers as well. New displays have mostly LED screens and your tv probably doesn't. You could try glasses that specifically block blue light and see if it changes anything.
 

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
Hi bhere are some answers but if i missed any let me know

The roku is connected directly to tv. In fact, converter box often off entirely when i stream. Since its an old tv set, i connect the roku using the old school 3 connectere- red white and yellow. Theres alot of different models of roku now since our world is overcomplicated but some new models still support the old style connections.

Did you say you currently heve amazon firestick and used to stream fine with that until ATT? If yes, then likely roku holds no advantages over amazon for you. I only selected roku because when i first started streaming it was the leader in streaming devices. Yous just have to make sure the amazon has connectors for old tv. So prob then no ned to switch to roku but to answer your question theres hundreds of channels. I stream everything and dont have cable. During primetime hours i only stream in fact and dont watch any live TV.

Im insanely sensitive to computers. And for tvs and computers for me brightness is a big issue. I turn down the brightness to quite dark for everything. One issue with laptops and ipads etc is they have glossy rather than matte screens

Back to tvs, the converter box i currently have is called philco which i thinknis same as sylvania. But i only got this one because i wanted one that worked with my universal remote. Ive also had panasonic which was great abd a crappy one whose nane i forget. If you go that route, get a couple different ones to try cause they have different features

Let me try to take a screen shot now of tv. Ok so on top to the right is converter box. On top to left is the roku Its the tiny black thing. And in the middle is my rabbit ears.
 

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vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
Message continued- okni just reread your original message and you dont say anything about streaming at all. Maybe you put it in a later post. But if you havent tried any streqming device , thats the easiest thing to try. Connect to ykur rgb with cable box turned off /unplugged and see how it goes startingvwith SD movie options. Amusingly, because i have a slow connection , it only supports SD anyway (not even counting my analog tv) so channels often will only give me sd versions automatically

Mim surprised samsung tv is ok and wondering if ykuve just been getting by. Forst time i ever tried digital was a samsung back then and coukdnt watch- but guess we are all different

If sticknworks, youbwont need cable

But then also wonder about what kind of wifi connection ykure getting but soubds lije thats not an issue for you

I deal with computers by only using some computers and operating systens abd i lower the rsolution of my moniters...ive been told external moniters are vetter than laptops but too big and bulky

I forgot just what an issue this all was - since i have things that work now its onky on thinking about it that i am remembering
 

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
Heres tv when its not on flintstones...with closer view of roku
And also just took toku pic so u can see its small size.
 

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Messages
10
Hi bhere are some answers but if i missed any let me know

Thanks vision blue for all the information and also for the pictures. I will start looking for analog tv. You seem to have a good picture. I did find an older Roku on amazon that has red, white, and yellow connectors to connect to analog tv.

My wifi is AT&T Fiber 1000 mbs. Never had wifi this fast, so I am going to call and change this. The lowest speed they offer is 300 mbs.

Thanks again.
 

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
Remember also tho that the roku (or anazon stick) you can use on your digital TV. Its worth just trying that - cost you 30 bucks or so. You can see if you select an standard def movie if yku can watch that or not on your current TV Doing that will give you alot of info cheaply and easily.
 

Bowser

Senior Member
Messages
141
There is a good forum about vision, headache and fatigue issues with displays. There are no definitive answers though, but you can get some good information.

Ledstrain.org