I just spoke to my local A/V place and the are going to get me a Denon 3800 to demo. They are also going to get me a Faroudja DVP-1010 to demo. I will let you know how it goes.

You would need to get a Denon 3800 that has been factory upgraded to do a proper comparison. These players had several flaws that Denon fixed over time.

I will ask them to make sure it is! If there is anything else I can do to make the picture quality better, I would be happy to try anything.

I would get a JVC D-VHS deck if you want the best PQ available today. There is not a huge amount of recorded material available, but it does offer great quality and the ability to save HD material over firewire. I also use this to generate HD test patterns through my STB for proper HD calibration. You can pick up a JVC 30k pretty cheap on Ebay.

umr,
You are unbelievable! you were right about my mirror on the set. If I grab the top and bottom of the right side of the screen and push on the top and pull on the bottom the picture evens out. It seems as if the screen is not totally secure to the base. i am applying a bit of pressure to get this to happen. Do you have any kind of suggestions?

Originally posted by AMO
umr,
You are unbelievable! you were right about my mirror on the set. If I grab the top and bottom of the right side of the screen and push on the top and pull on the bottom the picture evens out. It seems as if the screen is not totally secure to the base. i am applying a bit of pressure to get this to happen. Do you have any kind of suggestions?

I have read some reports of people torquing their sets like you did and having a positive and permanent effect. I am not sure what else you can do besides taking the thing apart and trying to tighten it up. That is a pretty big job though unless you could get it done under warranty. These sets have a bunch of screws and I am not certain it would help.

I wonder how this could have happened!!!!? Almost as if the set was dropped or something.

AMO was your set delivered with one of those "tip alert" stick-ons, which would show if the box had ever been laid on its side or otherwise tipped-over? In any case, what is the warranty on the XBR, isn't it >1yr?

I am considering the cc20r filter tweak for my GWII. I was wondering if anyone has experienced any warp or fading of this filter. I have no problem replacing it as I do an annual pm, but I would like to know when this might occur. Also, it is possible to use a Optiflex type filter rather than the gel? I'm sorry if this has been discussed before, but I didn't see a thread.

merlinsmurd,

I have had mine in for quite some time with no warping or fading. You can use a different filter type, but it will be more difficult to install if it is not flexible.

I would certainly appreciate if any others here who have tried this would weigh-in on it. umr your doc is clear that re: filter type "YMMV" but given the filter is $90 and the viewing kit is >$20 it might be nice to know that no one here has found any filter(s) other than the CC20R that work better for them.

In which case I'd just order a CC20R and forget the viewing kit.

My suspicion is that very few GWII owners have done this? Others? Anyone find it cheaper than adorama? Oops, maybe that is against the rules to even ask?

B & H Photo, will get it for you for less, but it will take a couple of months. This tweak is absolutely the most dramatic of UMR's suggestions. Once the color and gray scale have been adjusted to the filter the PQ is stellar. I recently had my lamp ballast replaced (BTW, Sony picked up the bill, ballast, new bulb, and labor) and the Sony service rep was astonished at the PQ. He said that he had not seen PQ that good on any other Sony he had worked on.

niesman

I did the CC20R filter tweak.

I did not use the viewing kit, but I picked up a free Roscolux swatch book from my local stage lighting company. I determined that a light red filter made my blacks look more like black, confirming a cyan bias. I then went ahead and ordered the filter. The improvement is significant. I think I've had it in since July or so.

In an attempt to further improve black level, I experimented with neutral density filters as well. I tried poly filters from Roscolux and Lee, which are also thin and flexible like the wratten gels. I liked some of the effects of the ND filter, but the trade-offs were too big. Stacking the poly ND filter with the CC20R was problematic, and reflections were visible, no matter how much I tried repositioning. Also the poly filters cause refraction (diffraction?)patterns that the gel filters do not. I've decided that gel is the only way to go. I have a 2/3 stop ND Wratten gel filter on order from Adorama. I've been waiting over a month so far...

My filter has curled sometimes. Maybe it's because I went in and out so many times for the ND tests. The last time I went in, though, it settled down in its proper "C" shaped curl over the lens without any corners curling up.

Originally posted by niesman
I recently had my lamp ballast replaced (BTW, Sony picked up the bill, ballast, new bulb, and labor) and the Sony service rep was astonished at the PQ. He said that he had not seen PQ that good on any other Sony he had worked on.

niesman
niesman,

You left the filter in and kept the umr tweaks in the service menu when the service rep came? I've always dreaded needing a service call, figuring I'd have to yank the filter and restore factory settings in the SM before the guy came. I'm surprised he didn't say "You opened the TV, tampered with the service menu, and voided your warranty!"

I have to agree, though. I still don't see any TVs on the salesroom floors that compare with my GWII, its inherent flaws notwithstanding.

niesman, thanks but can you confirm: you used a CC20R without other types tried or considered?
Originally posted by nealgrof
I did the CC20R filter tweak.

I did not use the viewing kit, but I picked up a free Roscolux swatch book from my local stage lighting company. I determined that a light red filter made my blacks look more like black, confirming a cyan bias. I then went ahead and ordered the filter. The improvement is significant. I think I've had it in since July or so.

In an attempt to further improve black level, I experimented with neutral density filters as well. I tried poly filters from Roscolux and Lee, which are also thin and flexible like the wratten gels. I liked some of the effects of the ND filter, but the trade-offs were too big. Stacking the poly ND filter with the CC20R was problematic, and reflections were visible, no matter how much I tried repositioning. Also the poly filters cause refraction (diffraction?)patterns that the gel filters do not. I've decided that gel is the only way to go. I have a 2/3 stop ND Wratten gel filter on order from Adorama. I've been waiting over a month so far...

My filter has curled sometimes. Maybe it's because I went in and out so many times for the ND tests. The last time I went in, though, it settled down in its proper "C" shaped curl over the lens without any corners curling up. Good stuff, many thanks Neal. Methinks I will check-out B&H and maybe in the meantime your ND will arrive. You must be a perfectionist though to wanna tweak the GWII still more yet.

Hey, is Moody's Pub still around? Loved their burgers!! Been so long I forget which street it's on. North of Wrigley...

Laserfan,

I suppose "perfectionist" is the nice way to put it:) .

Yes, my previous TV was a Sony Wega 36XBR200 that I tweaked. Still a great TV. Coming from a CRT, the thing I miss most with the GWII is black blacks, so I'm just tinkering some more. It's only time and money, so what the hell.

Moody's is on Broadway near Bryn Mawr (~5600 N.). Let me know when you're in Chicago and we'll grab a burger.

-Neal

Originally posted by nealgrof
niesman,

You left the filter in and kept the umr tweaks in the service menu when the service rep came? I've always dreaded needing a service call, figuring I'd have to yank the filter and restore factory settings in the SM before the guy came. I'm surprised he didn't say "You opened the TV, tampered with the service menu, and voided your warranty!"

I have to agree, though. I still don't see any TVs on the salesroom floors that compare with my GWII, its inherent flaws notwithstanding.

I did not matter, the set was already out of warranty, Had there been some damage to the light engine, I may have had a problem. The rep was only concerned with the state of the electronics in the back of the set ( never touched by me).

niesman

Oh yes, I did use a CC20R filter

I see. It didn't occur to me that your warranty might have lapsed.

In fact, I purchased a 3-year extended when I bought mine. So now, I hope I never need service!

Why would service menu adjustments void the warranty. They are used during ISF calibration and that doesn't void the warranty. Lew

I haven't checked here for quite a while. Is the latest and greatest set of GWII tweaks available somewhere without culling through 77 pages of replies?

Originally posted by NightHawk
I haven't checked here for quite a while. Is the latest and greatest set of GWII tweaks available somewhere without culling through 77 pages of replies? Yes--by using the Search function!

Or, you can be lazy and hope some kind soul (or poor sucker) will do the work for you as follows:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3770895#post3770895

Thanks Laserfan. I am what I am. :cool:

Hi Guys,

Please excuse what may be a noob question, as I already feel a bit silly...

I somehow, many months ago, either deleted or disabled several of the inputs as they appear when you toggle through TV/VIDEO. I now only have video1 and video5. I believe I was trying to simplify moving between inputs, figuring there shouldn't be a problem to re-enable.

All is not lost, as I do have access to the other inputs via discrete codes put into the Pronto remote, but would like to re-enable the inputs on the normal remote.

Any ideas? I've searched the menus (and forums) to no avail!

Thanks,
/temple

Temple just press 'Menu' and go to the far right icon 'Setup' and down 2 to 'Video Label'. You will see what is Skipped and what is Enabled with what name. In my manual this is on Page 80.

Temple just press 'Menu' and go to the far right icon 'Setup' and down 2 to 'Video Label'. You will see what is Skipped and what is Enabled with what name. In my manual this is on Page 80.
Perfect! Thanks Laserfan!
Now I feel even more silly...

Originally posted by templeofdoom
Perfect! Thanks Laserfan!
Now I feel even more silly... Don't! We've all been there! :D

I've searched this thread and can't seem to find any post on this topic. When watching 2.35:1 material either from DVD or an HD movie over the satellite and when there are certain light colors in the background of the picture, there appears to be a narrow green band effect along the horizontal edge of the letter-boxed picture.

Anyone else notice this? Is there a service menu adjustment?

i'm seeing a similar effect... also see a vertical line along the right and left edges of the screen when watching some 4:3 (sd and hd) programming.

anyone have any suggestions?

Originally posted by leeda2
i'm seeing a similar effect... also see a vertical line along the right and left edges of the screen when watching some 4:3 (sd and hd) programming.

anyone have any suggestions?

That is usually image revision. Check the user menu. It can also be adjusted in the service mode.

Originally posted by JJaret
I've searched this thread and can't seem to find any post on this topic. When watching 2.35:1 material either from DVD or an HD movie over the satellite and when there are certain light colors in the background of the picture, there appears to be a narrow green band effect along the horizontal edge of the letter-boxed picture.

Anyone else notice this? Is there a service menu adjustment?

Have you done all the service mode tweaks? This sounds like the SYSM parameter to me.

Originally posted by umr
Have you done all the service mode tweaks? This sounds like the SYSM parameter to me. I had done them all. I just tried the rest and made the corresponding adjustments for sharpness, brightness and picture. The problem still exists.

Originally posted by umr
That is usually image revision. Check the user menu. It can also be adjusted in the service mode.

none of the options work... one even creates a series of red shadows.

i go back and try some of the service menu tweaks.

my picture used to look great, but recently this problem has gotten worse. any thoughts on what causes this gradual change?

Originally posted by leeda2
none of the options work... one even creates a series of red shadows.

i go back and try some of the service menu tweaks.

my picture used to look great, but recently this problem has gotten worse. any thoughts on what causes this gradual change?

The Image Revision feature is designed to correct the lower switching speeds of the drive transistors with time. With the Image Revision feature set to Auto the unit will have zero offset (same as manual position 1) for the first 1000 hours of use as indicated by the accumulated timer. Once the unit reaches the 1000-hour mark the Auto feature will correspond to manual position 2 (12.5nsec advance). When the units accumulated timer reaches 6000 hours the Auto setting will correspond to manual setting 3 (25.0nsec advance).

The timer which controls the Auto setting is the accumulated timer. Therefore, resetting the Lamp Timer will not disturb the Image Revision feature.

Here is a more detailed procedure for correcting Image Revision. Use this at your own risk though.

UMR:
I recently replaced my lamp and at the same time I installed the filter on my GWII for the first time. After tweaking everything I have to say the improvement is significant. So I think I'm good to go. My question to you is the placement of the filter. Your instructions say to place it on the ledge which I believe I did correctly. I just read another post from earlier this year where someone put it in there with a "C" curl. I know what he is talking about and I wondered if I should put it in there that way too. But I simply left it on that ledge where it is laying flat horizontally above the lens. Am I OK? It appears to be OK.

MJBVIDEO,

I have not seen any problems with filter placment unless it does not cover the entire light path or is visible at the bottom of the screen. It sounds like you are just fine to me.

Originally posted by umr
The Image Revision feature is designed to correct the lower switching speeds of the drive transistors with time... I am frequently amazed by your posts umr but this one is especially amazing so I gotta ask: Is this tidbit in the Service Manual or did you figure this out on your own???! :D

Originally posted by Laserfan
I am frequently amazed by your posts umr but this one is especially amazing so I gotta ask: Is this tidbit in the Service Manual or did you figure this out on your own???! :D

This tidbit is a little inside info direct from Sony. It is not in the service manual.

I am entering into the calibration business so hopefully many people will be able to benefit from some of this knowledge.

In the image revision document, image #5, I see a red bar on the right. Is this the "before" or "after" image?

I've had a bar like that on 4:3 stuff since day one. The Image Revision UM setting has never eliminated this.

Originally posted by RobbinMerritt
In the image revision document, image #5, I see a red bar on the right. Is this the "before" or "after" image?

I've had a bar like that on 4:3 stuff since day one. The Image Revision UM setting has never eliminated this.

This is the "before" image. The instructions are discussing how to eliminate this. You may also be able to eliminate it by just adjusting the single parameter listed in the version 5.2 of the GWII tweaks pdf. It is not unheard of that a service mode adjustment is required to fix this.

Robbin,

I notice that you are in Houston. I am available for hire at this point if you would like me to tweak your set. PM me if you want to discuss this in greater detail.

umr if you ever get to the Hill Country west of Austin I would be interested in your services also, especially if you would be able to install that filter for me (the color correction afterwards has stopped me from trying this).

I'd thought about promoting some sort of "group buy" for the filter, but having one "professionally installed" appeals to me even more!

Originally posted by Laserfan
umr if you ever get to the Hill Country west of Austin I would be interested in your services also, especially if you would be able to install that filter for me (the color correction afterwards has stopped me from trying this).

I'd thought about promoting some sort of "group buy" for the filter, but having one "professionally installed" appeals to me even more!

I am willing to travel PM me for more info.

Originally posted by umr
This is the "before" image. The instructions are discussing how to eliminate this. You may also be able to eliminate it by just adjusting the single parameter listed in the version 5.2 of the GWII tweaks pdf. It is not unheard of that a service mode adjustment is required to fix this.

Yep, V POS D did the trick. I remember seeing that setting in the guide but I never applied it (I used v4.5 originally). But I only saw the line on SD and I assumed that it was a problem with that type of input. If the red line appears on 16:9 material, I don't see it. An update side to the GWII's large overscan, I suppose.

Thanks!

I have a Kodak Filter Viewing Kit on the way, and a few ?s I hope folks here can help me with. Note I have been everywhere on AVS including the original posts where umr had gotten the CC30/40R ideas for his set from a color expert (his name escapes me):

1. I recall that umr said to look for "the most pleasing blacks" thru these filters. Is this going to be self-evident or is there something specific I should look for? Is there any reason to look at only red filters vs. e.g. magenta or other colors? I believe there was a scientific reason for the 'Red' filter as 1st choice, but then I found too that the HS20 projector uses a magenta filter...

2. There are cheaper filters to be had that are not Wratten. For example has anyone got an opinion on why you wouldn't use an acetate filter, say one meant for Enlarger use?

3. What is the smallest filter that would fit and cover the lens (mine is a 60XBR800). Is 6x6" or 150x150mm the smallest, or might a 5" square filter work? I know a 100x100 is too small.

I will probably end-up with a 150mm Wratten for $80 bucks like others here, but am income-challenged enough to want to make the right buying decision up-front. Umr if you can give your opinions based on what, now 2 years' worth of experience/background that would be most welcome of course. TIA!

p.s. I should add that I read the Pana LCD forum wherein they only considered/used neutral density ND filters, which is part of why I ask question 1.

Anyone get the Toshiba DST-3000 HD tuner remote and GWII to work, i.e. the DST remote controls the volume on GWII? I've tried all the codes in the manual and searched the forums but can't find anything. HELP!

Anyone get the Toshiba DST-3000 HD tuner remote and GWII to work, i.e. the DST remote controls the volume on GWII? I've tried all the codes in the manual and searched the forums but can't find anything. HELP!

Originally posted by Laserfan
I have a Kodak Filter Viewing Kit on the way, and a few ?s I hope folks here can help me with... I have received the Viewing Kit, and frankly it is not intuitively obvious which filter to select. No feedback on my post above?

I don't know about the viewing kit -- but I went straight for the CC20R. I've had it in for a good 10 months or more. It was definitely worth the time, money and effort. I'd have to look back at my older posts (there are not many) to find out the exact date.

Well, I know that the cc20r has been the recommended filter from the beginning, but right along umr has said as well "YMMV" so I am trying to understand better how you would go about selecting the right filter from the viewing kit of filters.

Also, I vaguely recall reading about the various filter types, but searched even the archives here and could not find anything about wratten vs. other e.g. acetate. Maybe it's too obvious a question but I have no photographic background or experience to know.

And someone here should know the answer to my question "would a 5" filter work"?

I notice a number of other threads re: the GWII that have not seen umr appear in them--he must either be on vacation or is otherwise traveling & working hard! I guess the rest of the filter users here just "went with the flow" and did the Kodak CC20R without questioning it for their sets???

I am not aware of anyone using anything other than a CC20R on these sets.

The way to determine what it is best is to see what filter corrects black (0% input) closest to D65. This would be the least tint to the picture. My set and all that I have seen tend toward cyan. That is why red is being used. Other filter types have been tried with mixed success. I am aware of no problems with the Kodak Wratten.

Dumb question but where is this filter installed at?

Do adjustments have to be done on each individual input?

The filter is installed above the lens, and IIRC umr recommends re-doing the individual inputs as well as the general color balance of the set. You need to search for the "gwxbr tweaks" document which is around here somewhere. This tells all.

Help with non-instrument calibration of GWII...

Well I had tweaked my GWII with all the tweaks from UMR's original tweak documents and I got pretty good visual performance out of the set just using UMR's non-filter settings...2 1/2 years later, trying to stave off the upgrade bug, I went and installed the Kodak CC20R filter...and applied UMR's actual post filter settings and results were YUCK! So I ordered AVIA (had VE, but tried tweaking that w/o much success)...So tweaking with AVIA allowed me to significantly improve PQ but I am still not certain whether a I prefer pre or post filter, but I am leaning towards post...given the rave feedback, I must be doing something wrong on the cal side...so on to the questions...

1) On setting White / Black levels on the GWII, what should I be looking for in the moving bars on the respective AVIA test patterns...in White level, no matter what I do, the total brightness changes, but I can't seem to get one of the two bars to "become invisible". Black level is ok, I can get one of those bars to disappear?

2) On setting RYR/GYR etc using the panel off method...what exactly am I looking for in the test pattern (trying to make all the red look the same?)

3) In the post filter section, What does "be sure to try and MAX out whatever panel is limiting during the gray scale calibration to maximize the contrast ratio" mean in terms execution? I assume this is refering to page 7 of the guide and setting 2170P-1 RDRV through BCUT...any other tips on how to do this part right also, what settings are you getting with the filter installed...Mine are 40, 43, 40, 26, 23, 17 but I really can't see anything happening with BDRV or any of the xCUT settings so I'd like help here if any one can qualitatively describe what they see when it is "good" Also, any external sources I can use under standard incandescent lighting to compare to on screen results (e.g. "yellow should look like Paint brand X card Y from home depot...on screen grey should look XXX" would be awesome...also, if there are PC based test pictures I should use to calibrate a PC input that would be helpful)

4) How do you know that 2170P-4 SCOL, SHUE, SPIC are set correctly?

5) What AVIA / VE test patter is appropriate for setting the sharpness level and what should I look for in those patterns to say it is "good"?

thanks for any help...

mv

UMR has been so helpful with all these tweaks, I hate to ask one more thing esp. considering the above query, which is quite involved.
But hopefully the answer to my question would have some value for many including JMV.

Bascially, considering ALL the GW tweaks, can we have a summary outline, or sequence on what should be done in order.

This would be especially helpful after installing filters, etc. re; to how much needs to be 're-done'.

thank you in advance.....I would gladly copy/paste the response under all GW tweak threads. Or under a new topic...

videoaddikt,

I think what you are asking for (implementation order) is basically there in the current guide from UMR (v 5.2, 5/4/2004). Page 3 "The following is an overview of the recommended order to implement all of the adjustments in this document". Am I missing something?

jmv

Yes, the Tweaks guide IS already a summary, and DOES describe the sequence to be followed.

But it is also a GUIDE i.e. all GWIIs are different, and some significant energy and effort are required to achieve the results that are possible...

Laserfan...agreed but could you elucidate on your statement...I would like to do the work on setting white balance and greyscale...but as you can see I am stuck not able to find any clear resources for doing this with LCD projection / instrumentless.

mv

videoaddikt,

I think what you are asking for (implementation order) is basically there in the current guide from UMR (v 5.2, 5/4/2004). Page 3 "The following is an overview of the recommended order to implement all of the adjustments in this document". Am I missing something?

jmv

Let me review that again...more than likely I am missing something... ;)

Laserfan...agreed but could you elucidate on your statement...I would like to do the work on setting white balance and greyscale...but as you can see I am stuck not able to find any clear resources for doing this with LCD projection / instrumentless.Sorry mv, wish I could help but I have not done the filter tweak, nor do I have Avia. You will probably need to advise too what player you are using the test disc with--does it pass blacker-than-black? for example.

I expect umr is busy these days or he would help...

Laserfan...agreed but could you elucidate on your statement...I would like to do the work on setting white balance and greyscale...but as you can see I am stuck not able to find any clear resources for doing this with LCD projection / instrumentless.

mv

Page 7 and 8 of the tweaks guide layout the procedure. If it is unclear to you I would suggest you hire someone to do it for you.

UMR,

Page 7 and 8 are very clear...you did a very good job and I followed the instructions. The problem is my eyes ain't good enough so I don't see the changes that you describe in the procedure. I am also not sure what you mean specifically by "maximizing" the limiting panel.

But I am more interested in getting your insight into what to look for in setting the black / white levels. Again, on setting the White level, I cannot get the right hand side bar to change significantly regardless of how high or low I set the contrast...any suggestions on a filtered GWII on what to visually look for in setting these two parameters would be greatly appreciated. If you prefer...sending me to other resources to read up on the subject would also be helpful (my googles all lead me to the same end of trying to get the RH bar to become invisible which I fail to be able to do...)

thanks,

jmv

Following instruction tweaking ghost image V POS D on D GM TG category after save data the ghost image disappear. But after few hours watching TV, the ghost image come back ... so I have to tweak again and then problem come back.....
Why is that, look like TV was not saved new tweaking data ?
Thanks in advance for your help

My friends KF-60XBR800 is shutting off on its own. He said it has done this 3 times now and each time it shuts off the red indicator light starts flashing and then the TV comes back on. Has anyone experienced this problem; my first guess would be to over heating. Maybe one of the cooling fans has stopped working?

I recently changed my lamp on my KF50XBR800. Should I change the Image Revision to 1 or leave it on Auto. My lamp timer is at 5500 hours. Thanks!

I recently changed my lamp on my KF50XBR800. Should I change the Image Revision to 1 or leave it on Auto. My lamp timer is at 5500 hours. Thanks!

Mine is always on Auto but I have not changed my lamp as of yet. I have 7800 hours on it and it is fine.

locky, I had the same problem as well but thankfully mine is still under warranty. A service tech came out and fixed it about a month ago. I'm not sure what he did as I was at work and i'm sure my wife wasn't paying attention. Needless to say the picture looks great! (for what it is anyway).

Following instruction tweaking ghost image V POS D on D GM TG category after save data the ghost image disappear. But after few hours watching TV, the ghost image come back ... so I have to tweak again and then problem come back.....
Why is that, look like TV was not saved new tweaking data ?
Thanks in advance for your help


I had this problem 2 years ago. It sould be saved unless what ever causes the ghosting just keeps changing the value. I only had to do it once & it's been fine ever since.

By the way. My update on Lamp. I think the photo says it all.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Colorado59/Miss%20Pics/176_7606.jpg

Can anyone tell me if this TV can be transported laying either on it's face or back? I've got to move it about 30 miles down the road and can't quite fit in my pickup standing up because of my shell. Thanks!

I'm getting mixed up on what is possible with my DVI connection. We were fortunate enough to find an Xbox 360 for Christmas. I would like to use a VGA to DVI converter so I can connect the XBox (VGA out) to my DVI input. I would also like to keep using my existing DVI cable so I dont have to re-run a VGA cable. Sooo, I have found a place that has a DVI (Female) to VGA (Male) adaptor.

Here's the issue. The rep at the cable house is telling me that if my connectiono iis not DVI-I then this will not work. I think the connection is DVI-D.

Does this make sense? Anyone know if the adaptor will work for my application?

Thanks!

EDIT: of course this is for application on a GWII...

Can anyone tell me if this TV can be transported laying either on it's face or back? I've got to move it about 30 miles down the road and can't quite fit in my pickup standing up because of my shell. Thanks!Common sense would suggest that if you have to do this, you would want to lay in on its face because the screen is the heavy part. Next you would have to worry I suppose about how well the mirror was supported inside.

In any case yours is a scary proposition I think! If you end-up transporting it this way, please come back here and let us know what you did & how it went!

No!!! Do not transport on any side. It should only be transported right side up. Find another way or remove your cap.

Wondering if someone can point me in the right direction -- first post here do be gentle.
I'm getting a candy cane ghosting (redish-pink and white) around skin tones on my GWII. The candy cane runs vertically (with short horizontal stripes along the edge of the flesh tone). Any ideas where to look ir what to do to eliminate them?

Sounds like it "might" be the image revision. Go into setup in the users menue & scroll down to Image Revision. Try 1 through 3 if it's on auto. If not, try auto. That's the only thing I can help with at this point.

No!!! Do not transport on any side. It should only be transported right side up. Find another way or remove your cap.


You can transport on it's back.. leaned back is best against something soft, like old clothes, pillows, etc. Carried mine that way 150 miles in the rear of our SUV, out of the box. That was 11 months ago from a dealer. Has worked flawlessly ever since.
I would prefer to do that than keep it vertical and bouncing around in a UHaul.
Never, never, never face down!!!

My brother just bought my GWII from me. He hauled it 3 hours in the back of his SUV strapped down on it's back. No problems at all.

Wondering if someone can point me in the right direction -- first post here do be gentle.
I'm getting a candy cane ghosting (redish-pink and white) around skin tones on my GWII. The candy cane runs vertically (with short horizontal stripes along the edge of the flesh tone). Any ideas where to look ir what to do to eliminate them?

If image revision doesn't do it, I suggest adjusting V POS D on D GM TG category. You can search on V POS D to find more information about this service menu item. I had to do the same thing.

Robbin,
Slam dunk. Worked like a charm. The image revision in tyhe user menu didn't work so I used the V POS D on D GM TG category tweak. bumped the value from 30 to 32 and the picture looks great !

/Dave

Umr,

I found myself with the same Image Revision problem as others. As usual I followed your instructions and documentation and it is now gone! PM me if you are in the North East ever. Thanks.

I wonder if I'm having a similar problem. I recently began to notice a distinctly yellow shadow or ghost on the left of every strongly contrasted black line. This is especially true with black titles on a white background (ok, so I watch a lot of old B&W movies from the 40's...)

I tried the various Image revisions: 0 and 1 are awful and 2 and 3 look similar to AUTO. I've had the set for over 4 years now.

Any ideas?

I wonder if I'm having a similar problem.... Any ideas?
A lot of discussion about image revision is also going on in the 'How's your GWII doing' thread here. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6701726&&#post6701726)

A lot of discussion about image revision is also going on in the 'How's your GWII doing' thread ...

Thanks for the pointer. I had already reviewed that last night, but only saw mention of "pinks" and "reds", not yellow. Thought they might be related but wasn't sure.

Meanwhile, I have been trying to get into the SM to tweak that option by using the keypresses mentioned by UMR in his epic tome on the subject, but for some reason, it's not working this time. I've been there before, back when I implemented some of his tweaks a coupla years ago, so I know it worked then. Maybe I'm doing it wrong or my eyes were too crossed last night from trying to sleep train our infant. I'll try again tonight. Meanwhile, it is: DISPLAY - 5 - VOL+ - POWER all done simultaneously from a powered down state, correct?

... Meanwhile, it is: DISPLAY - 5 - VOL+ - POWER all done simultaneously from a powered down state, correct?
Yes, however do one at a time and within 4 seconds.

If it's already powered on, just add 'power' to the front:

[POWER]
[DISPLAY]
[5]
[VOL+]
[POWER]

When your done with SM, press:

[POWER]
small pause
[POWER]

And it will be on but out of service mode.

Thanks so much! Works great. Made the revision and now -- no more ghosting of any color! Appreciate your help...

Is there a chance this could start a fire? has anyone tried this on the Hitachi v500 series?

Is there a chance this could start a fire? has anyone tried this on the Hitachi v500 series?
What could start a fire?
Try what on the Hitachi?

What could start a fire?
Try what on the Hitachi?
I think he is referring to installing a color or ND filter on his Hitachi to improve black level from this thread. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=655705)

Just wanted to add that I also recently experienced the "ghosting" problem that some others here have seen. My GWII is a little over 3 years old and has over 13,000 hours on the (original) lamp (!). I was about to request a service call from my extended warranty company (yikes) when I saw the recent updates on this topic in this thread. Anyway, after reading the suggestions here, I applied the V POS D tweak, and sure enough, the ghosting went away! In my case, I had to change the value from 30 to 31; if I went to 32 or higher I started to see ghosting in the other direction (to the "right").

Can anyone confirm that the appearance of this ghosting artifact has something to do with the gradual aging of the lamp? This makes sense to me, since the ghosting appeared on my set rather spontaneously; I hadn't made changes to any of the settings for quite some time. I'm curious if I'll need to "undo" this tweak when I eventually replace the lamp.

...Can anyone confirm that the appearance of this ghosting artifact has something to do with the gradual aging of the lamp? This makes sense to me, since the ghosting appeared on my set rather spontaneously; I hadn't made changes to any of the settings for quite some time. I'm curious if I'll need to "undo" this tweak when I eventually replace the lamp.

It is a flaw in Sony's design. They have a timer that automatically changes the logic associated with this after a fixed number of hours. It ended up being a problem in every set. It is not really an age or lamp issue.

umr,

Hmm, interesting.... I wonder what the intended purpose of having this sort of "time-based" logic in there was?

Is it your opinion that the aforementioned tweak to the V POS D value is a "righteous" fix to this problem? Or is it more like a "workaround"?

umr,

Hmm, interesting.... I wonder what the intended purpose of having this sort of "time-based" logic in there was?

Is it your opinion that the aforementioned tweak to the V POS D value is a "righteous" fix to this problem? Or is it more like a "workaround"?

It is a Sony approved method to "fix" the problem. I guess that could be called righteous.

They believed this needed to change with the age of the panels, but it appears to be a miscalculation on their part.

Well, color me mildly disturbed that the performance of the panels in these TVs is expected to change over time. (Gulp.)

Does anyone know if there is a way of doing a horizontal adjustment for only one type of resolution on a particular input? I find that 720p content from my new D* H20 box is off-center 1" to left. The issue does not exist on 1080i or 480p. I am using a HDMI to DVI cable. Also the issue does not exist thru component inputs.

Huuum? I'm not really sure but I don't think so. Have you checked the new box to se if you can adjust it?

Huuum? I'm not really sure but I don't think so. Have you checked the new box to se if you can adjust it?The adjustment on the box only affects the menus.

Does anyone have detailed instuctions on how to install the filter (I apologize if it is already in the thread somewhere, but I don't have to time to look at all 50 pages.) thanks!

PM me your e-mail addy & I'll send you what I have.

Has anyone taken on the challenge of cleaning the inside (light engine, lenses and mirrors) of this beast? If so, any insights, do's and Don'ts?

Thanks

niesman

Hmmm, surprised that no one has responded niesman. I wonder if the Service Manual tells how to get things apart for such a task? I don't have one myself. Maybe you will report back here after you've taken yours apart...

In fact, although my 60" XBR is now 2.5 yrs old, I have never even had to wipe the screen on it! And we live in a dusty environment!!?? I don't get it; the screen is as perfect as the day they uncrated it here.

Among the (many?) benefits of not having kids/grandkids I guess! ;)

Has anyone taken on the challenge of cleaning the inside (light engine, lenses and mirrors) of this beast? If so, any insights, do's and Don'ts?

Thanks

niesman

Be very careful about getting dirt inside the light engine. The speakers are the filter for the air intake. I would cover the air intake with plastic to try and keep dust out. You are also likely to need two people to lift the top off and put it back on.

Personally, I would not do this unless you are certain you have a problem. The unit is designed to be very tight because it has the air intake inside.

Thanks UMR,

I do not have an obvious problem, in fact the set never looked better. I recently replaced the red filter and saw immediate improvement in PQ. The old filter had deformed to the point that the filter edges no longer covered the entire light path.

I asked about cleaning because I also added some new fans and ventilation to my built in enclosure and found an unacceptable amount of dust had accumulated around the components.

niesman

I would look at cleaning the light engine (fans and heat transfer fins) from behind. There are high voltages and fragile compenents, but dust could hurt the displays ability to cool properly.

If you do pop the top off, be carfull with it & the wiring that's plugged into the guts. When I pulled mine off a couple years ago. Somehow one of the plugs came off & I had a hard time figuring out where it was.

Everything inside was really dusy & dirty. Except the light engine inside of course.

I really need to do it again!

Since this gwII thread is up, I'll post that my original bulb finally failed at 11,970 some odd hrs. Pretty good for a bulb designed for 8000 hrs. After the umr tweaks, this set is handling the abuse of my household superbly. Thanks Umr!

Be very careful about getting dirt inside the light engine. The speakers are the filter for the air intake. I would cover the air intake with plastic to try and keep dust out. You are also likely to need two people to lift the top off and put it back on.

Personally, I would not do this unless you are certain you have a problem. The unit is designed to be very tight because it has the air intake inside. (emphasis added)

I recently had an entertainment center built in a media niche. The speakers of my KF-50XBR800 is covered flush by wood so that only the screen and foot can be seen from the front. Does covering the speakers this way cause any problems if it is supposed to be the filter for the air intake?

Thanks,
alinski...

(emphasis added)

I recently had an entertainment center built in a media niche. The speakers of my KF-50XBR800 is covered flush by wood so that only the screen and foot can be seen from the front. Does covering the speakers this way cause any problems if it is supposed to be the filter for the air intake?

Thanks,
alinski...

If it is tight you may have some problems with it not cooling well or sucking dirt in through areas of lower resistance.

Hi all,

My GWII is still delivering a great picture after 3 1/2 years.

I'm wondering if anyone has done any tweaking on the DVI input picture. I remember awhile back, probably a couple of years ago, that I tried the DVI input from a D* HR10-250, but found the tweaked picture using component inputs to be better. The DVI input seemed slightly "filmy" or had less "pop" to it. I tried a couple of things, but wasn't able to find the magical settings, and then just went back to the component inputs.

With new devices coming to market (HD DVD, BD, Tivo S3, etc.) I'm interested in possibly re-visiting this issue.

So, has anyone done any tweaking on the DVI picture? Where's a good place to start?

Thanks.

Looking for a low-cost DVD player for my GWII and "Secrets" likes this one in component-out mode (progressive).

Has anyone with this set tried it yet?

I am curious about the newer players too but I'm really stuck in a bind here. I have the fine Denon 3800 BUT it doesn't have any of the upgrades and it has no warrenty so I'm not sure how much it would cost to ship it somewhere to be upgraded. I also want to have a High Def DVD player but not for what they are currently selling for. So my troubled 3800 is driving us nuts and I'm thinking about getting a new cheapo one to bridge my needs for a year or two until HD DVD's are more affordable.

Hmmm, since the the 3800 is virtually "umr's choice" for use with the GWII, I wonder what you find to be "troubled" about it? Or maybe yours is just broken?

LOL, I know that because I took his advice and bought one. It doesn't have the upgrades and it is skipping and locking up - a big bummer. It was a good runner for the first couple years. I'm sure it'll be $250 or so to fix it, including shipping. Decisions, decisions...

I still have the umr gwii tweaks instructions; I looked at them, and I am not clear how to fix Overscan.
I don't have a DVD player, at the moment, so no test DVD; but I can bring up a FOX broadcast, and pause it.
The FOX logos (local and national) are what brought the Overscan to my attention.
I see I should look up the TV's current values, and do I just try increasing and decreasing them to see what corrects it?
But, I recall more than one setting, so I don't know how they relate to one another.

Anyone?

Any additional tweaks required for upgrading to HD DVD?

I'm getting ready to get the XBox 360 HD DVD player add on. I missed the whole upconverting DVD player phase and am moving from my Panny RP-82.

So, do you think I should toss the RP-82? If I use the same input, will I need to tweak anything.

FYI, some time ago I did all the tweaks including the color correcting filter.

Thanks!

Ha! I'm still using my RP-82. If I were you I'd keep it & forget the upconvert unit. I can't see there would be much of a diff.

I'm just going to wait & get a blueray or HD DVD player when they come down a bit more.

Or I mught just get a blueray for my HTPC.

Hi all,

I have had my GWII for years now, and have just replaced the lamp for the first time. Since the change, I have had what I can only describe as a ghosting issue with the set. It seems like a reddish ghost appears slightly to the left of darker parts of the image. I have tried the Image Revision setting in the menu but it doesn't help. I also tried the vertical stripe adjustment settings in the service manual, but they do not help either.

I am attaching two pictures of the issue here. Any help you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Hi all,

I have had my GWII for years now, and have just replaced the lamp for the first time. Since the change, I have had what I can only describe as a ghosting issue with the set. It seems like a reddish ghost appears slightly to the left of darker parts of the image. I have tried the Image Revision setting in the menu but it doesn't help. I also tried the vertical stripe adjustment settings in the service manual, but they do not help either.

I am attaching two pictures of the issue here. Any help you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

So you set image revision back to auto and adjusted the V POS D setting in the service menu?

So you set image revision back to auto and adjusted the V POS D setting in the service menu?
I set image revision to Auto but did not adjust V POS D in the service menu.

I set image revision to Auto but did not adjust V POS D in the service menu.

Based on your images, I think that will help you. I posted step by step instructions on how to do this earlier in this thread.

Yep, that's how I fixed mine after image rev. no longer worked almost three years ago. It only took one click up to fix it. It's in cat. D GM TG

Based on your images, I think that will help you. I posted step by step instructions on how to do this earlier in this thread.
Worked like a charm. Thank you very much!

thank heavens i found this thread :)

first, i had to check my sony orders to figure out what model my xbr was, since i was getting lost in all the gwii gwiii etc etc...

i'm in the right thread at last.

i hardly watch tv, but while watching the usc vs ucla game this weekend, i started to notice a shadow (ghosting, probably) offset next to the static images like the scores, etc...

i'm trying to plow through this thread for answers, but i would really appreciate some guidance on where i can find the tweaks that are posted somewhere in this thread :)

oh, and i started to notice the image issues after trying to connect my new htpc via the dvi... and the PQ was horrible :(

thank heavens i found this thread :)

i'm trying to plow through this thread for answers, but i would really appreciate some guidance on where i can find the tweaks that are posted somewhere in this thread :)

I'll skip the usual "search is your friend" lecture due to Christmas and just post the link you need: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7476720&&#post7476720

I had the ghosting thing about 6 months ago, luckily I had the extended warranty. I wasn't home when they fixed it so i'm not sure what he did. Anyway here it sits now waiting to be picked up by it's new owner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/davis769/Misc/gwii.jpg

As this took it's place...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/davis769/Misc/tv-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/davis769/Misc/tvgow.jpg

omg!!!!

that totally fixed the problem.

30 to 31 :D

instantly!!!

thanks!

What I can say was ithat tweeking it did not help, he had to replace some component. Along with the ghosting I also had a faint line that went down the right side edge of the screen. I'll see if I can find the paper work.

I had the ghosting thing about 6 months ago, luckily I had the extended warranty. I wasn't home when they fixed it so i'm not sure what he did. Anyway here it sits now waiting to be picked up by it's new owner.


Welcome to the SXRD. I just upgraded to the 70". It's an amazing improvement!

I had the ghosting thing about 6 months ago, luckily I had the extended warranty. I wasn't home when they fixed it so i'm not sure what he did. Anyway here it sits now waiting to be picked up by it's new owner.
I am thinking of selling my GWII TV to an acquaintance, but don't know what $ to ask.
So, if you don't mind me asking, how much $ did you get for the GWII TV?
And how well did you know the person buying the TV?

While I have no clue how much are GWII's are worth right now I would not take less than $1800 for mine.

I recently bought a used GWII along with a Samsung DVD player, tried the tweaking in SM but the reddish ghosting is still there. What went wrong?

FYI, I have HDMI Samsung connect to TV by HDMI cable and DVI connector.

Not only is the ghosting problem visible but the overall image is out of focus..

Any help will be greatly appreciated

While I have no clue how much are GWII's are worth right now I would not take less than $1800 for mine.

$1,800! I might pay half that.

QZ1 I was going to send you a PM but there is no option to send you one.

Haven't checked into this thread in a LONG time now. Now I'm glad I did, since I learned about the "V POS D" setting. I never knew I had an actual problem, but a couple months ago when I hooked my laptop up to the screen via DVI I *did* notice a soft green ghost on the left side of everything for the first time. From my viewing distance it wasn't really noticable, but since I had to use the laptop right next to the screen I *really* saw it.

Just now, after reading about this, I went and adjusted that setting - changed it from 30 to 31 and the ghost completely disappeared. I found the best screen was my cable company's TV Guide, which uses soft blue and white backgrounds. On that static screen, I could clearly see the ghosting caused by the service menu's on-screen display. 30 had the ghost on the left, 31 had no ghost, and 32 had it on the right. Any number higher or lower was *completely* messed up. :-)

Oh, and my KF-60XBR800 now has 11,500 hours on the original bulb, going strong for just shy of 4 years now.

However, now that I have four HD sources - PS3, Cable, OTA & HTPC - I'm now eying upgrading to the 70" XBR2...

I recently bought a used GWII along with a Samsung DVD player, tried the tweaking in SM but the reddish ghosting is still there. What went wrong?

FYI, I have HDMI Samsung connect to TV by HDMI cable and DVI connector.

Not only is the ghosting problem visible but the overall image is out of focus..

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Gee, there are so many choices to such a wide question:
- You didn't make the change correctly.
- You forgot to save the change after making it
- You didn't reset the user menu image revision to "auto"
- It's a different problem entirely.

Where is the "tweaks" PDF or doc that Umr made? I cant find it at all in this whole thred. I am driving myself nutz:(

Thank you for the help

PM me your e--mail & I'll send it to you.

I just wanted to say THANKS ALOT for this thread.

A special thanks to UMR and everyone else who has contributed.

You guys have extended the life of my 50" Grand Wega.

After I fix my "Ghosting" issues I will be more inclined to invest $ into a surround sound system and dvd player.

Ghosting is finally gone, thanks to all of you. The screen looks great and not I'm ready to go out buy nice sets of satelites and AV receiver to round out the system.

I'm getting a cluster of small black pixels in the middle of my screen. They appear and then disappear quickly. It must be something I have done in the service menu. If anyone could help me with this it would be greatly appreciated.

Hello All,

I have a GWII and tweaked it using some seeting using UMR's guide. I had a hard copy of it and it got lost in a recent move. Was wondering if anyone could send me a electronic copy of it?

TIA

PM me if you can.

Was wondering if anyone could send me a electronic copy of it?


If you want to PM your e-mail to me, I'll send you a copy.

Hi. I'd also like to get a copy of UMR's tweaks guide. Can someone send me a PM and I'll give you my email? Thanks!

Jeff

Can someone recommend where to order a lamp for my KF-50XBR800. It's going to be 4 years old and I thought I may keep one handy for the day the factory lamp dies.

TV still looks pretty good to me, even though I never got to adjust it using UMRs tweaks. I am pretty good messing inside a PC, but decided to take the advice and stay away from the Service Menu. Picture has always looked very nice to me, so if it was not broken... I just did not feel comfortable enough to mess with the TV's service menu.

Another quick question, is there any way to make the TV show the resolution of the displayed signal without having to go to the service menu? (720p, 1080i, etc.)

Thanks in advance... Macanudo

PD. After exiting the service menu, pressing power small pause power, how long one has to wait before being able to enter the service menu again? I powered off my set disconnected it from power waited 5 minutes and it still would not go back to service mode.

Can someone recommend where to order a lamp for my KF-50XBR800. It's going to be 4 years old and I thought I may keep one handy for the day the factory lamp dies.

TV still looks pretty good to me, even though I never got to adjust it using UMRs tweaks. I am pretty good messing inside a PC, but decided to take the advice and stay away from the Service Menu. Picture has always looked very nice to me, so if it was not broken... I just did not feel comfortable enough to mess with the TV's service menu.

Another quick question, is there any way to make the TV show the resolution of the displayed signal without having to go to the service menu? (720p, 1080i, etc.)

Thanks in advance... Macanudo

PD. After exiting the service menu, pressing power small pause power, how long one has to wait before being able to enter the service menu again? I powered off my set disconnected it from power waited 5 minutes and it still would not go back to service mode.

You can get a replacement lamp directly from Sony Here (http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/web/viewItemDetail.do?operation=getItemDetail&itemID=26640&category=15&categoryName=Television).

I never saw a delay between when I could return to the service menu. I did find that sometimes I wouldn't get the key strokes correct or timing correct and so it wouldn't enter the SM.

As a rule, I always allowed the lamp to fully cool before powering the TV back on anyway. So it rarely became an issue.

Since the resolution on the GWII is 1366x768, does this means that it downconverts 1080i signals to 720p?

I have tested by setting the ouput on the TIVO S3 to 720p output and 1080i, and cannot tell a difference between them. So I have set it to output 720p, thinking the that way the TV does not have to do any conversion.

Any comments/suggestions?

Another question on the lamps, my TV is approaching 8000 hours after a 3 years 4 months. Are the lamps failing close to Sony's recommended lifespan of 6000-8000 hours? Or do they tend to last longer? Anyone has had any experience with lamp life?

Since the resolution on the GWII is 1366x768, does this means that it downconverts 1080i signals to 720p?

I have tested by setting the ouput on the TIVO S3 to 720p output and 1080i, and cannot tell a difference between them. So I have set it to output 720p, thinking the that way the TV does not have to do any conversion.

Any comments/suggestions?

No, the GWII downconverts to 768p. Either way (1080i or 720p) the TV will have to scale the signal. If you set the STB to output at 720p even for 1080i signals, you are losing (768-720)=48 pixels of resolution vertically and (1366-1280)=86 pixels horizontally. I suggest you set the TIVO to output whatever resolution the source is if you can.

Another question on the lamps, my TV is approaching 8000 hours after a 3 years 4 months. Are the lamps failing close to Sony's recommended lifespan of 6000-8000 hours? Or do they tend to last longer? Anyone has had any experience with lamp life?

I've had my set since December 2002, and I didn't have to change my lamp till maybe last November. That's almost 4 years, and definitely over 8000 hours. When I changed the lamp I think I was between 9000-10000 hours. Even then the picture was still great. It was just that the lamp would power off every couple of minutes and turn on again by itself.

The TiVo S3 can be set to hybrid (basically pass thru) but when I choose that option, you see the TV swtich resolution, which does not happen when I force the 720p. Since I do not see any difference on the signal quality on the TV, I may force it to 1080i. That way when changing channels I will not experience the resolution switching lines.

Thanks for the info...

I have a tuner that will switch according to source, but don't like the effect either.

FWIW in the case of my Pinnacle SC200 Showcenter media player, setting it to 1080i output makes the menus look fuzzier, but the picture is noticeably better than 720p, so I've left it at 1080i and long-term have been very happy with it.

My bulb was well into the teens before I swapped it out. My old bulb also was kicking off and on but only a few times a week. It will serve as a good backup just in case the new one blows insted.

Sadly I was too lazy & just kept puting off reseting the lamp timer so I have no idea how many ours I have or will have on the new bulb when it goes.

...the GWII downconverts to 768p. Either way (1080i or 720p) the TV will have to scale the signal...BTW has anyone here tried one of the new HD DVD players with their GWII? I'm itching to get a Toshiba XA2 and connecting to my GWII via component. Along with HD-DVD playback, it apparently is the best upconverting SD-DVD player ever (though you have to rip the copy-protection out of your SD discs). Anybody?

BTW has anyone here tried one of the new HD DVD players with their GWII? I'm itching to get a Toshiba XA2 and connecting to my GWII via component. Along with HD-DVD playback, it apparently is the best upconverting SD-DVD player ever (though you have to rip the copy-protection out of your SD discs). Anybody?

I had the original Toshiba A1 connected to my GWII via component. As you apparently already know, it would only output DVD at 480p. I was surprised by this. Even so, it does a better job than my 480i DVD player. I didn't get 1080i from DVD until I upgraded my TV in Nov.

As you apparently already know, it would only output DVD at 480p. While I knew/know that copy-protected discs can not be upconverted over component, I understood that the A1 upconverted non-copy protected discs, which is what I do most of the time anyway (make a backup with all junk removed & only the movie left).

Did you not ever try a non-copy protected disc, either commercial or home-made, over 1080i component to the GWII?

I understand why you would keep it at 480p if all your discs were comm'l/copy-protected but I'm trying to ascertain whether the GWII had any trouble with the player's 1080i output.

Laserfan,

I have not tried an HD-DVD player, but I can assure you that the Playstation 3, IMHO, is a great Blu-Ray player. I have mine set to output 1080i to my GWII, and when playing Blu-Ray DVDs, it is awesome. Now that I have gotten used to the higher quality, DVD's no longer look as good as they used to. Unfortunately, the PS3 does not upconvert a DVD's 480p to 720p nor 1080i (I have heard talk about maybe in a future upgrade). DVD's on my PS3 certaily look just as good as they did on my Pioneer DV-563a or Toshiba SD-4700.

And when not playing the role of a BD player, the graphic on some of the games are just superb. You can download a fully functional demo of Gran Turismo HD (free) and it is just spectacular.

Regards... macanudo

Unfortunately, the PS3 does not upconvert a DVD's 480p to 720p nor 1080i (I have heard talk about maybe in a future upgrade).I've been gravitating lately to getting the HD-DVD Toshiba (XA2) because everyone's been oohing & ahhing over its Reon chip and subsequent SD-DVD wonderfulness. Given my large SD-DVD collection that would be a big plus I think.

I bought a used gizmo last year whose component-outs at 720p wouldn't work with the GWII--my ShowCenter works fine at 1080 so I think it was/is that gizmo at fault, not the GWII, but when it comes to buying a $1000 HD player I'd just like that little extra bit of confirmation with some other GWII owners, ya know...

BTW I do know that umr has waxed eloquent in the past that upconverting players offer little benefit to the GWII (it has to convert again to 768p) but as I said already my ShowCenter looks so much better outputting 1080i that I'd like to see what a good upconverting DVD player can really do.

Is it possible to fix overscan in the Service Menu w/o a calibration DVD?
I don't have a DVD player right now, but I can bring up a channels w/ a logo in the corner that isn't fully displaying.
Is this procedure in umr's instructions?
I extensively calibrated this TV using the instructions.

While I knew/know that copy-protected discs can not be upconverted over component, I understood that the A1 upconverted non-copy protected discs, which is what I do most of the time anyway (make a backup with all junk removed & only the movie left).

Did you not ever try a non-copy protected disc, either commercial or home-made, over 1080i component to the GWII?

I understand why you would keep it at 480p if all your discs were comm'l/copy-protected but I'm trying to ascertain whether the GWII had any trouble with the player's 1080i output.

Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation!

I didn't try a non-copy protected disc, but I did play plenty of HD-DVD discs at 1080i on the GWII and it had no problem.

All,

For some reason I am getting some major ghosting and have tried successfully to eliminate it in the service menu V POS D.

It shows write in the upper habd corner when I Mute-Enter but it never save the settings.

Am I missing something?

TIA

All,

For some reason I am getting some major ghosting and have tried successfully to eliminate it in the service menu V POS D.

It shows write in the upper habd corner when I Mute-Enter but it never save the settings.

Am I missing something?

TIA

You are doing "mute" followed immediately (but not at the same time) by "enter?" This should work.

Thanks! That was it!

Where is the "tweaks" PDF or doc that Umr made? I cant find it at all in this whole thred. I am driving myself nutz:(

Thank you for the help

I have been doing the same, if anyone could send it to me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Here you go ..

Here you go ..


Thanks so much, I really appreciate it.

Greetings,

FYI, I haven't looked at the number of hours on my second lamp, but I'm seeing a bulb failure coming. Similar to the first bulb, I see a red ring in mostly white pictures. I think there's a hot spot on the wire that carries the current to the bulb. On the first, bulb, I started to notice the red ring, and a few weeks later, the wire went.

I didn't get great life out of the first bulb, and I'm thinking that I'm not getting good life out of the second bulb either. I think the first bulb went at around 7500 hours or so.

I'm wondering if this is the normal way that the bulb goes, or if I'm just not lucky with 2 going in the same way?


Cheers,
Ray

Both lamps that I have had did not show any signs visually. The TV/lamp just shuts down & then comes back on untill the next shutdown.

My secound bulb just did this a few days ago. It was shutting down every minute or so.

I got my new lamp today & all is well.

I'd like to know what exactly goes bad in the thing. The bulb itself seems fine & brite.

What's also in the box that goes bad? I assume it's a resistance thing of some sort.

When I posted my last message, I mentioned the PS3 did not upconvert regular DVD's. As of firmware upgrade 1.8, the PS2 now does upconvert DVD's!!! Like other players, it will only upconvert protected DVD's when your TV connection is via HDMI. Only non protected DVDs upconvert via component connections.

One thing I can say (IMHO)... there is significant improvement in image quality when DVD's are upconverted to my GWII. I was looking at a scene with foilage (ferns) and turning the upconversion on/off, wow! There was so much better detail in the leaves.

PS3 as a Blu-Ray disc player has met all my expectations and more! Sony's continuous release of software upgrades has been excelent.

Want a BD player for your GW!!, try a PS3... I think it really is worth looking into it.

Regards... Macanudo

...there is significant improvement in image quality when DVD's are upconverted to my GWII.I can now concur firsthand that my new HD-XA2 when outputting SD-DVDs at 1080i (upconverted) works so beautifully I am amazed. It's almost like getting a new TV at least insofar as SD DVDs are concerned, what with (especially perhaps) the Reon chip in the XA2.

And HD-DVDs are of course "the look and sound of perfect" as well! ;)

Very worthwhile upgrade, until I can get a 1080p front projector setup!

Thats good news Laserfan!

I also look forward to the day when I can upgrade to a 1080p front projector. Unfortunately, after 9 months of unemployment, it may be a long while for me. I just hope that my lamp on my GWXBR keeps going a little longer (well over 8,000 hrs now). It will be tough to come up with the $200 to replace it. Anyone knows where to get the best price for a lamp?

Macanudo

Hi Macanudo, I stumbled onto a replacement lamp at www.buslinkbuy.com. Look in their "Replacement Lamps" section, and you should find a XL2000U. I haven't purchased anything from this site, so I don't know how good of a store it really will be.

I also recommend looking for a local repair shop. When my lamp died on a Sunday afternoon, I was able to find someone who sold a Sony lamp to me for the same price as the Sony site. No shipping or waiting, so I was watching a movie that night.

As always, be safe on the net.

Hi guys - my bulb finally went after 4+ years and it must have been well over 10,000 hours. I ordered what I thought was the original replacement bulb off Ebay. What came was an OSRAM which didn't have the same markings as the original. I installed it in the housing, hooked up the wires and put it back. The bulb came on and all looked good for about 30 seconds then faded.. not it is blinking and occassionally it comes on but now completely dead. Did I get a dud damaged in shipping or wrong model bulb?

I just bought the Wal*Mart $99 special HD-A2 HD DVD player and the upconversion on it does look much better than my old 480p (Sony) DVD player did. I use HDMI to a Denon 2807 and then an HDMI to DVI cable to the XBR800 and it looks quite good. Interestingly I still have my component hooked up from the DVD to the Denon and from the Denon to the TV and flip back and forth to see if I can find any PQ differences. I haven't noticed anything so far, the only reason I hooked up the HDMI was so I could upconvert movies I get via Netflix without having to rip them first. If nothing you watch has an HDCP requirement (including HD DVD) I'm not sure there's a PQ advantage. Now of course the sound is better for HD movies over HDMI vs Digital so I guess that's a 2nd reason.

Does anyone have the default settings for MID4 dhpl, dhsl, dvpl and dvsl for a 42" GWIII?
Thanks in advance!

Eric

MID4 0 DHPL 138 119 Adjusts Horizontal Screen Position
MID4 1 DHSL 230 177 Adjusts Horizontal Screen size
MID4 2 DVPL 36 10 Adjusts Vertical Screen Position
MID4 3 DVSL 129 189 Adjusts Vertical Screen Size
MID4 4 DHPR 255 255
MID4 5 DHSR 255 255
MID4 6 DVPR 255 255
MID4 7 DVSR 255 255
MID4 8 DCPO 0
MID4 9 DCWD 0
MID4 10 DYCD 0 Y/C delay compensation?
MID4 11 DSTP 0
MID4 12 DSTT 0
MID4 13 DFRV 0
Left side Factory...

esuvan, Need to Look at this thread... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=309559 Plus : http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=331875

I have a little over 13,000hrs on my GWII so I ordered a new lamp (XL-2000U) got it in and installed it with no issue. The problem I have is I think I have a defective lamp it’s very dark with a hot spot in the upper top corner I took it out and reinstalled it several times, still the same.

I put my old lamp back in and it looks fine, so I’m hoping to exchange it this coming week.
Has anyone had this problem.

Well, sent my lamp back should see it back in a few weeks.
No one has had this problem.

Not me. The two new lamps I've gotten have been fine.

hi umr, all,

Anyone have any guidance on replacing the ballast on a GWII? Any links to service guides on replacement of this part? Part numbers? I know, I know, take precaution with voltage, etc...

I have a 50" GWII that takes several attempts to turn on (but eventually does), and a recent lamp replacement has not changed this behavior much.

Other suggestions besides ballast? Reseating the lamp seems to abate the trouble when it gets worse than usual.

Thanks,
Dean Lester
templeofdoom

Once the TV is on does it stay on? Or shuut off by itself?

I don't think I've heard of the ballast going bad in this model. I'm sure they dose though. I wouldn't know how to change it either.

Did you replace just the bulb or the entire housing that includes the bulb - in other words the light bulb assembly?

Thanks Couch, MJB...

Once I get it to go on, it stays on. About 50% of the time when trying to turn it on, it gives me trouble, requiring between 3-6 attempts to turn it on with long delays before it times out with a blinking "lamp" LED. I have not (yet) counted the number of blinks.

I recently replaced the entire bulb/lamp assembly when it started this behavior a couple years ago, after I couldn't take it any more I replaced the lamp. The behavior got a little better, but still happens much more frequently than I'd like. So I've heard, the correct term is the lamp when it is the assembly with housing.

UMR had mentioned earlier in this thread that the ballast seems to be a recurring theme with these models. And since it's not the lamp...

I don't have any other evidence than that, so perhaps I need to take a step back to correctly determine the exact problem before replacing parts. What's the best recommendation on that troubleshooting path?

Thanks,
Dean Lester
templeofdoom

I would check safety switch on Lamp door... Clean lamp connections.. Unpluge & reboot after cooling fan stops... If it stays on , this would show Lamp is staying cool enough when on.

I know this may be old hat to some, but tried to get in SM today to fix a ghosting problem in my GWII. Hit display - 5 - vol+ - power, and it comes up in a "self diagnosis" screen. With only one screen to move to, with a right arrow.
Now I know I was in the SM before but it was 3 years or so ago. What the heck am I doing wrong, I just know its something dumb. Ive been pouring over old threads for the last 2 hours trying to find a post on this.
Is there a step I'm missing after you get into self diagnosis? Any help would be greatly appreciated. The ghosting is bugging me now that I have a computer hooked up to it. Thanks

rad-50,

Any chance you're hitting [display] [5] [vol -] [power] instead of [vol +]?

I was there (self-diagnosis screen) via the [vol -]...

good luck,
dean

Tried it several times, making sure to hit the right button. I do know the + volume buttom works, but I have had some sticking buttons on the remote. I'll try it again tonite paying close attention to that. Thanks for the input.

DOH!!! Looked at my remote a little closer today channel button was worn but I could see it was opposite of vol if I looked close. Since I havent used the remote in a year I didnt notice it was backward. Must have put the Vol button in backwards when I was trying to clean sticky keys a while back. Thanks again for the input.

Anyone have any guidance on replacing the ballast on a GWII? Any links to service guides on replacement of this part? Part numbers? I know, I know, take precaution with voltage, etc...

I have a 50" GWII that takes several attempts to turn on (but eventually does), and a recent lamp replacement has not changed this behavior much.

Other suggestions besides ballast? Reseating the lamp seems to abate the trouble when it gets worse than usual.

Replaced the ballast (aka "lamp driver" aka "lamp power block" - Sony PN 146851015 $263) this weekend, and it was a successful fix for the above.

Research was requesting the number of blinks of the lamp LED. There was no blink code, it was just blinking repeatedly with no pattern. Repeated attempts to turn the set on would eventually turn it on and stay on, but it frequently took 3-4 times to get the set to turn on. As mentioned before, a lamp replacement didn't fix it.

So, a successful fix for the record. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and help.

Did the V pos D Tweak. Works great! I press mute, then enter. All is ok. However when I restart the TV. Ghosting is back! I changed 30 ~ 31. But after a few minutes - turn on the TV. And it always goes back to 30!!! I did the tweak 10 times or more. always works!, but does not appear to save! (I do not press the mute and enter botton at the same time). Is there some knid of auto-correct feature I have to turn off or something? Any help would be Great. As a note: I am in Japan and my TV is called KL-50DX700 it seems to be similar to KP-60ws500. anyway, Sony service came and said I needed to change my LCD block etc... $700.00 or more they said! I started looking for a solution and found this tweak into the SM. Great! works great! Picture is fantastic again! But, please any help on permently saving!!!??? I would be very greatful!

Anyone know of a current supplier of the CC20R filters? I seem to have found some glass filters but none of the gelatin. In lieu of the CC20R is there a new favorite?

Thanks!

Jason

Hello all. I have a strange problem with my GWII, for your consideration.

There's a faint violet-colored or light blue (or sky blue) band overlaying the picture, in the top 1/5th of the screen, extending from the left edge to the right edge of the screen. It is curved upward, ever so slightly. It's only visible if the top part of the screen is showing a light colored scene. If the scene is dark, you can't see it.

The set has never been dropped or banged (jarred). I'm on my second bulb with 10498 hrs
and will get a new one in the Fall. The set is running at 44 degrees C. Probably alot of dust inside.

Tweeks were done several years ago. Except for this strange faint band of color, no real complaints as I feel I have gotten my money's worth.

Any ideas?

UMR, are you lurking out there? Are you still in Houston? PM me with your # and I'll call you if it's OK.

Thanks in advance...............

I think your bulb is going. I saw a pink / red circle where there was a hotspot on the bulb for a few days before the bulb totally failed.

Currently, I'm on my second bulb, and another faint red circle is starting to form. I have a replacement bulb in the closet, so we're ready. You might want to start shopping for that next bulb sooner than later.

Well, on second read of your post, a bad bulb probably won't produce a blue band. I hope it's not serious.

Please post what you learn. We'll all be interested in the information.

Check this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=349103&highlight=gwii

I thought I read something there about a (purple?) haze developing on some owners' screens.