sparklies and grainy hd cable.

sparklies

What cable provider are you using? Are you sure you are outputting 1080i/720p etc. to your set?

That picture looks like it has a lot of compression noise, like it was upscaled to a hd resolution from a regular SD camera/source. Does it look like that all the time?

no but it does look edgy

DVD and HD cable?
And they're all hooked up with 3-video COMPONENT cables (audio separate)?

background fuzzy

Take it to PM

I'd say start a new thread in Rear Projection Units asking about the issues you are seeing with your picture.

heres a color test i think yellow is like mustard and green is like lime.

ok sorry

I had the color wheel in my HLN507W replaced last week because the squeal was driving my wife crazy. Afterward, I looked at the PQ, particularly on HD channels and I thought the color was sharper and deeper than before the color wheel change. I didn't say anything to my wife about it and that night, she made the same comment. Does that make any sense?

My Sammy was purchased in July 2003 and a prior color wheel replacement was done 10/03. I currently have 7,700 hours on the original lamp.

Sure, if the color wheel was spinning at a slower than "ideal" speed this would affect the picture quality and probably make "rainbows" more prominent.

what is ideal speed?

I don't remember the numbers for the ideal speed. I believe it varies with the type of color wheel which varied from model to model, 6 segments vs 7 segments. I remember the speed of the color wheel being discussed a few months ago with the switch from the 6 to 7 segment wheel.

chazklf,

I would not use those THX Optimizers to check the color, I don't think most of them are accurate. I had my set ISF calibrated and checking the color bars on Avia or DVE the colors are dead on but, the THX Optimizers always say that the colors are off. I'm not saying that you don't have a problem just don't trust those THX Optimizers, use DVE or Avia.

I would also second the opinion about getting it ISF calibrated. I was a constant tweaker and was never 100% satisfied before I had my set calibrated. Since the calibration I'm 150% satisfied and I no longer have to tweak the settings anymore.

Has anyone installed a ND filter on a Samsung HLN series? If so, what type and where, and what kind of results did it give? I've seen other threads where it really seemed to improve blacks.

I have an HLN4365W, made in October 2003, and an SA 8000HD cable box in which the DVI output was only recently activated by my cable supplier, Videotron. When connected by DVI, the box displays a message that the DVI is blocked. I have heard the problem is that the HLN4365 is HDCP version 1.0, and the cable box uses HDCP version 1.1. Has anyone had compatibility problems with DVI connections? I'm surely not the first to have this problem. Is there a firmware update which can fix it?

I have an HLN4365W, made in October 2003, and an SA 8000HD cable box in which the DVI output was only recently activated by my cable supplier, Videotron. When connected by DVI, the box displays a message that the DVI is blocked. I have heard the problem is that the HLN4365 is HDCP version 1.0, and the cable box uses HDCP version 1.1. Has anyone had compatibility problems with DVI connections? I'm surely not the first to have this problem. Is there a firmware update which can fix it?

This is an issue your cable co needs to addess. Their box is not programed to work with your DVI input. Call up their service reps and explain that the DVI connection is not working with as much detail as you can give them. There's nothing you can do to your TV to make it work. The problem is theirs and has to do with programming their box and they generally can do this without making a service call. They can download a new program from their headquarters while you are on the phone with them.

chazklf,

I would also second the opinion about getting it ISF calibrated. I was a constant tweaker and was never 100% satisfied before I had my set calibrated. Since the calibration I'm 150% satisfied and I no longer have to tweak the settings anymore.

I keep reading about professional callibration but can't find anyone who actually performs this task. The repair guy Best Buy sent out to screw up my color wheel and lamp replacement didn't know what "callibration" was. Where do I find one of these guys, and are any of them in the boondocks? (west Texas)

I keep reading about professional callibration but can't find anyone who actually performs this task. The repair guy Best Buy sent out to screw up my color wheel and lamp replacement didn't know what "callibration" was. Where do I find one of these guys, and are any of them in the boondocks? (west Texas)

You've stumbled upon a very valid point. Just about everyone agrees that these sets need calibration even the Best Buy sales people. In fact mine said that was a great reason to get the extended warranty, their repair guy could calibrate the colors for you. Unfortunately their repair guy couldn't spell calibration. His idea of calibration was to use the user menu settings on the remore control. You call up Samsung and they don't even know who to send your way.

To find a calibrator go to a high end AV dealer in your town. If that doesn't work then try this:

http://www.milori.com/community/calibrator/

I keep reading about professional callibration but can't find anyone who actually performs this task. The repair guy Best Buy sent out to screw up my color wheel and lamp replacement didn't know what "callibration" was. Where do I find one of these guys, and are any of them in the boondocks? (west Texas)

Try Googling the Imaging Science Foundation

Try Googling the Imaging Science Foundation.....I'd post a link but the board won't let me.

Here's the link to their search page:

Imaging Science Foundation (http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm)

Time to bring this thread back to life:
I discovered something while replacing my color wheel that I haven't seen addressed in this tread before:

The Service Menu Delay adjustment (Color Wheel Phase) should precede any other adjustment; and, regretably, it can only be accurately done with a Color Analyzer. Unlike Red purity on a CRT the correct setting is not visually obvious; by eye (with a Red field) there appears to be a continuum from Magenta thru Red to Orange, but with a color analyzer you can see there is a small "flat spot" several counts wide where the CIE x value is at peak (most Red) and the y value is unchanging. With the new Color Wheel the correct setting was 10 counts off the nominal, and the flat spot is much smaller, so simply setting to the default is not a workable solution. All three Primaries were nicely placed when Delay is set on Red as noted. I'm more than a little curious as what servicemen are doing when they change a Color Wheel, and whether professional calibrators are checking it. . .

Time to bring this thread back to life:
I discovered something while replacing my color wheel that I haven't seen addressed in this tread before:

The Service Menu Delay adjustment (Color Wheel Phase) should precede any other adjustment; and, regretably, it can only be accurately done with a Color Analyzer. Unlike Red purity on a CRT the correct setting is not visually obvious; by eye (with a Red field) there appears to be a continuum from Magenta thru Red to Orange, but with a color analyzer you can see there is a small "flat spot" several counts wide where the CIE x value is at peak (most Red) and the y value is unchanging. With the new Color Wheel the correct setting was 10 counts off the nominal, and the flat spot is much smaller, so simply setting to the default is not a workable solution. All three Primaries were nicely placed when Delay is set on Red as noted. I'm more than a little curious as what servicemen are doing when they change a Color Wheel, and whether professional calibrators are checking it. . .Well hello there Clyde! Its really good to see you again! Your calibration tips for max red output have remained the best way to tweak these sets. Thanks again for sharing that clever idea. I moved on to a different model (HLP4674W) but still use the same calibration technique.

As for the color wheel's "DELAY" setting, many servicemen are not adjusting it, and those who do, simply set it to the old value! I've been through 4 light-engine replacements with 2 different sets, and only once did the guy know to do the adjustment. Until I discovered that the delay was way off, the picture was HORRIBLE, and couldn't be calibrated (for obvious reason).

I do not have a color analyser, so I have to do it by eye, just guessing where the "flat spot" is. Definitely not ideal. Nevertheless, with enough staring at the red screen, I became more sensitive to the magenta/orange shift, and I also noticed a bit of a "flat spot". So I noted where the shift first began on each side (about 10 clicks apart) then I set the "DELAY" in the middle. I'm fairly confident that I'm somewhere on the "flat spot", but who knows for sure? And yes, some of the new light engines had a completely different "DELAY" setting. I certainly hope the pro calibrators are checking it!

Gary

How often does the guy who's replacing the color wheel or light engine also have access to and training in using a color analyzer? Seems to me what you're saying is after replacing a color wheel, it is imperative to have it recalibrated with an Analyzer. In defense of these techs if they're not trained in calibration they ought not re-set the color wheel timing as they're replacing the color wheel.

One more question: Is it your opinion that these sets "hold" their calibration indefinitely assuming no other work is done on them? I find myself tweaking mine months after I felt it was perfect. I'm wondering if it is just me or if as the light ages or whatever color changes do occur.

In other words, if you hooked a DLP to a color analyzer a year or two later would you get the exact same readings or might it have changed?

How often does the guy who's replacing the color wheel or light engine also have access to and training in using a color analyzer? Seems to me what you're saying is after replacing a color wheel, it is imperative to have it recalibrated with an Analyzer. In defense of these techs if they're not trained in calibration they ought not re-set the color wheel timing as they're replacing the color wheel.

One more question: Is it your opinion that these sets "hold" their calibration indefinitely assuming no other work is done on them? I find myself tweaking mine months after I felt it was perfect. I'm wondering if it is just me or if as the light ages or whatever color changes do occur.

In other words, if you hooked a DLP to a color analyzer a year or two later would you get the exact same readings or might it have changed?

Unless parts are replaced, calibration is pretty much permanent on an HLN. The only color shift that can happen is due to spectral shift in the lamp, which uniformly affects gray scale, so it should be very hard to notice unless extreme. In a year and a half I haven't seen enough shift to make me even think of breaking out the Color Analyzer, until the color wheel when noisy and recalibration was required. Differences in filter density on the wheel from one wheel to another can also give a noticeable shift when replaced, but then you're ready to recal anyway because of the need to set Phase.

As for the color wheel's "DELAY" setting...

I do not have a color analyser, so I have to do it by eye, just guessing where the "flat spot" is. Definitely not ideal. Nevertheless, with enough staring at the red screen, I became more sensitive to the magenta/orange shift, and I also noticed a bit of a "flat spot". So I noted where the shift first began on each side (about 10 clicks apart) then I set the "DELAY" in the middle. I'm fairly confident that I'm somewhere on the "flat spot", but who knows for sure? I tried something interesting to verify the color wheel "DELAY" setting that I had earlier picked by eye.

I biased a phototransistor with a 100k resistor and a 9V battery, then hooked it to an oscilliscope. I found that it produced a signal that could quite easily substitute for a color analyser in this application. I displayed a 100% red field from Avia/DVE. Then I boosted the contrast until there was absolutely no more increase in light output. The scope measured a short rectangular pulse of red light, every 300th of a second or so.

As I adjusted the DELAY setting, the square pulse would start to change shape, forming a spike on the leading or trailing edge of the pulse, depending which way I adjusted the DELAY. As the red field became more orange, the spike would appear on one end of the pulse, and as the red field became more magenta, the spike would appear on the other end of the pulse. As Clyde also mentioned, there was a bit of a "flat spot" where the pulse remained square, with no change.

And the point of this post? The middle of that "flat spot" was in exactly the same spot that I had picked by eye, using the technique in my last post. So it is possible to set the DELAY reasonably accurately by eye, if you have the patience, and if you are able to discern a fairly small color shift.

Once DELAY is set correctly, you will need to recalibrate the set.

Gary

II biased a phototransistor with a 100k resistor and a 9V battery, then hooked it to an oscilliscope. I found that it produced a signal that could quite easily substitute for a color analyser in this application. I displayed a 100% red field from Avia/DVE. Then I boosted the contrast until there was absolutely no more increase in light output. The scope measured a short rectangular pulse of red light, every 360th of a second or so.

Gary

Glad we've stimulated creativity out there! Putting a red filter from an Avia or DVE disk box in front of the phototransistor might make it even easier to tune red for max, since it will filter out the light thru the wrong wheel segments, and might make for a peak-for-max on a DVM, rather than with a scope, practical.

Great idea! That might just work. I'll give it a try sometime.

Gary

I have an HLN6167 and recently had some issues with it. Through my extended warranty they changed the lamp and color wheel. When I got it back there was some color issues so another company came out and changed I think the light engine. I received the tv back and I was still not happy with the picture quality as it looked grainy/blurry. I read through the forum and was not able to pinpoint an exact issue. I also downloaded the phillips test pattern and ran through the various screens just to see if anything looked terribly off. What I found was the vertical resolution bars werent clear. I havent been able to get a screen shot of it to post but basically the black lines are not solid and they look like they are moving from right to left and vice versa in constant motion. I was hoping someone could tell me what would cause that and if there was any adjustments I could make to rectify it. Attached is a screen shot from my laptop of the pattern I was using off my desktop on my tv just so you know the pattern I was referring too. Any info would be appreciated.

Color issues come from differences in the light engines. A tech replaced a whole LE one time because the color wheel got noisy, and afterwards my dark reds (shadows of red areas, etc.) were all purple. I recalibrated my set and got everything down good. If you want a good picture, you have to recalibrate when they change the whole light engine. Swapping out light engines only fixes it if the one you get looks okay with your service menu settings.

For these vertical lines, how were you viewing them? You have your computer hooked up to the set? If so, what connection type are you using? Do you have 1:1 pixel mapping, with your desktop resolution set properly and everything? Do you have DNIE enabled, or the sharpness up really high (either could produce that effect if the lines are thin enough) - either sharpness (caused by either) or blurriness could cause that effect.

All you veteran Microdisplay owners, please vote on lamp life here;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=629175

Thought I would ask this in this forum also....

My HLN-5065 has a problem... it has developed a flickering/flashing that is present on all inputs, even a blue "no signal" screen.

Several repair attempts have been made.. new ballast/bulb... new analog board... new DMD board... and none has solved the problem....

Has anyone had a similar problem? If so, what was done to fix the problem.

My extended warranty company is starting to get nervous.... I am now talking to the Senior Service Manager, having to convince him that there is really a problem... not just in my mind... or eyes.... I'm worried that they may start to balk....

Anyone?

Thx

Don

hello all,

i've been out of the loop for awhile, but here's an issue i've noticed recently...

i have the hln5065w (T-B3k6101-306).

while viewing on component 2 or 3 (720p), when i first power on the tv, my picture (i.e. channel guide grid, etc.) is hazy or dim.

if i press "tv/video" and choose another input (i.e. antenna, or s-video) and then return to component 2 or 3 input, then my picture is no longer dim or hazy....it's now nice, bright and crisp ( i specifically use my directv on-screen guide to look at blue background and white text to be consistent).

everything is fine until i turn off the set and then power on again...then component 2/3 viewing is dim/hazy again until i toggle the input to something else and then back again...then it's fine again.

i have tried 2 different sources (hd-stb and dvd player) to component 2/3 and the result is the same, so it's not my source.

i have not tried my alternate lamp yet, but something tells me it's not the lamp...there's something about toggling the input that resolves the situation, so i presume it's in the lamp control circuitry...

has anyone else seen or heard of this phenomenon?

i have service coverage on the dlp tv, but am wary of having bb service practice their craft on my set...

on one hand, it seems to be a minor problem since i have a work-around...

but, on the other hand, i spent alot of $ on this set and want it to work correctly!

any thoughts, feedback appreciated...

i have determined that there is a threshold in the S_CT adjustment in the DNIe menu...

if i set it from 0-150, my setting remains once i exit the service menu.

if i set if from 151-255, my setting remains while in the service menu....but, once i turn the set off and back on, i must toggle the input from component 2/3 and then back again for the contrast setting to return to what i had set in the service menu...

have never seen this occur before...interesting...

There is a PDF out there if you do a google for WBDEFSET on the Samsung HLN series DLP, look in the groups for the link.
A bit more DLP tweaking information (and original settings JIC)

Good posts guys. Keep them coming!

I've come across a strange issue.

I use an HTPC with my HLN4365W, and on the Windows XP screen where you select a profile, I have noticed the blues acting strange at the bottom for quite a while.

But last night watching "Good Night, and Good Luck," I noticed some purplish tints to some areas at the bottom of the screen. Today I dragged around a black-white gradation on the screen on my HTPC, and found that values above 50% grey have a slight bluish/purplish tint to them at the very bottom 5" or so of the screen, all the way across.

Has anyone ever seen this or heard of this before?

We had a lightning storm the other night...and I'm now having several problems with electronics (including DVD player, garage door opener, and TV). The TV is HLN567w. I can't get it to power up. I get the normal green blinking light, like it's trying to come on, then cycles off, then on, several times, then I end up with 3 blinking lights. It's my understanding the 3 blinking lights typically means a bad bulb. I've popped it out and re-seated it. Same results.

The TV has under 4,000 hours on it. Since the problem came as a result of the lightning storm, I'm not sure if it's really the bulb, or if it's something else. I also can't hear the fan at all when it's trying to cycle on.

Can anyone offer some help?

Get out your Samsung manual/warranty card and call the 1-800 numer on it.

Today I dragged around a black-white gradation on the screen on my HTPC, and found that values above 50% grey have a slight bluish/purplish tint to them at the very bottom 5" or so of the screen, all the way across.

Has anyone ever seen this or heard of this before?That sounds decidedly weird. Is it a gradual shift to purple at the bottom, or is it a sharply distiguished line? If it is a sudden, sharp transition, it may be the DMD or electronics. If gradual, it is more likely to be an optics problem.

Gary

It goes from 100% strength to about 75% strength or so at about 5-6" from the bottom, then cuts off at a line.

Hi all. I'm hoping that someone who has calibrated their hln can help. I have an hln5065W with it's second lamp with about 1000 hrs on it. I purchased a SpyderTV colorimeter this week and am using its xyY data with Rader's spreadsheet to calibrate. I can get it tracking nicely at D6500 throughout the gray scale yet when I punch in the numbers for 100% primaries on a cie chart my green is way off the mark and oversaturated. Blue and red are pretty close to where they belong. I know green has been a problem with this model. I'm only calibrating the DVI input as that's all I use with my HTPC. K2ue and I went through making sure my color wheel delay was set properly. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Bill

Hi all. I'm hoping that someone who has calibrated their hln can help. I have an hln5065W with it's second lamp with about 1000 hrs on it. I purchased a SpyderTV colorimeter this week and am using its xyY data with Rader's spreadsheet to calibrate. I can get it tracking nicely at D6500 throughout the gray scale yet when I punch in the numbers for 100% primaries on a cie chart my green is way off the mark and oversaturated. Blue and red are pretty close to where they belong. I know green has been a problem with this model. I'm only calibrating the DVI input as that's all I use with my HTPC. K2ue and I went through making sure my color wheel delay was set properly. Any ideas? Frustrating. I experienced this green oversaturation too. I couldn't do much with it on the HLN. I just turned down the overall saturation to establish an average (green slightly high, red and blue slightly low).

I now have an HLP model that has a crude "Color Weakness" feature, which allows you to compensate for single-color oversaturation. I only found this feature necessary on the Component inputs... there was no such problem on the DVI input. (According to the manual, they called it "Color Weakness" because they infer that it compensates for color weakness in your eyes! What a nerve!!)

Look through this thread to find the ISF calibrators who worked on these sets, and try contacting them to see if they can suggest anything else with the HLN.

Gary

It goes from 100% strength to about 75% strength or so at about 5-6" from the bottom, then cuts off at a line.cyberbri, any resolution on this issue? I have noticed very faint tint shifts in certain parts of my screen too, but yours sounds bad. Is it getting any worse?

Gary

Hi all. I'm hoping that someone who has calibrated their hln can help. I have an hln5065W with it's second lamp with about 1000 hrs on it. I purchased a SpyderTV colorimeter this week and am using its xyY data with Rader's spreadsheet to calibrate. I can get it tracking nicely at D6500 throughout the gray scale yet when I punch in the numbers for 100% primaries on a cie chart my green is way off the mark and oversaturated. Blue and red are pretty close to where they belong. I know green has been a problem with this model. I'm only calibrating the DVI input as that's all I use with my HTPC. K2ue and I went through making sure my color wheel delay was set properly. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Bill

Are you saying that when you check the primaries Green is not where the SpyderTV says it should be? That's sort of a non-problem -- it will be where the green filter of the Color Wheel puts it (mine had a much higher y value tha "ideal") but does not prevent proper color rendition near the center, where we are tint-sensitive, if they did their matrix reasonably OK, and Gray tracking suggests they did. Most TV's have nowhere near ideal primaries, even many that get raves for their color. My observation is that pale skin, with the highest white content, looks striking (CSI anyone?) while tanned skin showns a trace of the green vector being a bit too large -- but nothing like the Kermit Green of the original settings.

cyberbri, any resolution on this issue? I have noticed very faint tint shifts in certain parts of my screen too, but yours sounds bad. Is it getting any worse?

Gary


No, I haven't called, and it's not getting any worse. I'm out of warranty (although I may have an extended warranty with Circuit City).

Nothing is noticeable unless there is no color there or nearly no color (like Sky Captain), and even then it is only with 51% grey and up. I may dig out my Circuit City receipt and see if I have a warranty. Even so, the hassle of trying to get it fixed, then re-calibrating everything once new electronics are installed, is still pretty big.

hello all,



while viewing on component 2 or 3 (720p), when i first power on the tv, my picture (i.e. channel guide grid, etc.) is hazy or dim...


I noticed the same thing. I have about 1500 hours on my second lamp and notice the picture seems hazy and duller than it has been. No snap. I tried your swtiching to another input and then back again but it really doesn't work. the lamp seems bright enough but I wonder if it has lost a percentage of its punch. the hazy look is like you want to turnthe contrast up to brighten some areas and darken others, but doesn't seem to work. adjusting sub CT doesn't do very much etiher.I would also like to know what the anwer is or is it all in my head.

We had a lightning storm the other night...and I'm now having several problems with electronics (including DVD player, garage door opener, and TV). The TV is HLN567w. I can't get it to power up. I get the normal green blinking light, like it's trying to come on, then cycles off, then on, several times, then I end up with 3 blinking lights. It's my understanding the 3 blinking lights typically means a bad bulb. I've popped it out and re-seated it. Same results.

The TV has under 4,000 hours on it. Since the problem came as a result of the lightning storm, I'm not sure if it's really the bulb, or if it's something else. I also can't hear the fan at all when it's trying to cycle on.

Can anyone offer some help?

I have a Samsung HLN5065W that is almost 4 years old. I have noticed a problem lately that often times when I first turn the set on, I can hear the audio for a while, but see no picture (stays black), then it turns itself OFF then ON again very quickly once or twice. Usually the picture eventually comes up after this sequence. The whole time the green lights on blinking on the front of the set.

I have the original bulb, and don't know how to check the hours on it via the menus. Anyone experiencing the same difficulty? Why is the TV turning itself ON & OFF repeatedly?

Thanks!

One guess is that the bulb is not igniting on the first start sequence so the TV restarts and tries again (lighting the bulb takes quit a bit of voltage and as it gets older, it gets harder to start). This is typical for a DLP. My guess is that sometime soon, your bulb will refuse to light, and you will see the dreaded 3 flashing red lights, which means time to get a new bulb. The good news is that your TV will look like new when you replace the bulb.

"I have a Samsung HLN5065W that is almost 4 years old."

I thought the N's came out in 2003...but, yeah, sounds like the bulb is starting to go. Order one from Samsungparts.com and keep it on hand for the big day.

I have a HLN507WX/XAA, & my tale of woe: Last week while turning on the TV I heard a "pop". Fairly loud at that. That cant be good.
This is the 2nd bulb blown, 1st one was replaced about 6 months ago.
This set was dated May 2003/ Mexico. I purchased it in June. Unfortunately for some unknown reason I didn't opt for the extended warranty.
And my questionable intelligence goes one step further, no UPS used.

Anyway I am psyching myself up to repair this. It was my understanding that when replacing the bulb, it is wise to replace the ballast.
But don't know for sure.
What is generally done? Is there a simple test?

My complaint about this set was that it has a limited set of discrete codes.
Would anyone know which digital board replacement addresses that.
Not sure if I will purchase that as I'm not overly anxious to spend a lot to fix this set, although the picture is very decent to my eyes.

parts list:
BP96-00224A bulb (matches side panel #)
AA47-00008A ballast ? (needed?)
BP94-00502W digital board ? (for future reference, possibly a service manual as well?)


Attached is the Samsung parts list for this set.

seems like all the HLS excitement has pushed this thread to the way back.
my dilemma is: go for a HLS (or even an HLR @ discount), but what to do with the dead HLN?
Sure buy & fix is an option, but 2 big screens is over doing a bit.
Well, I say fix the HLN & wait for the 2nd wave of the DLP-LED series to arrive....
Meanwhile, watching a 15 yr old color 15" w/ surround sound, & it tunes to the comcast HD channels!

I noticed the same thing. I have about 1500 hours on my second lamp and notice the picture seems hazy and duller than it has been. No snap. I tried your swtiching to another input and then back again but it really doesn't work. the lamp seems bright enough but I wonder if it has lost a percentage of its punch. the hazy look is like you want to turnthe contrast up to brighten some areas and darken others, but doesn't seem to work. adjusting sub CT doesn't do very much etiher.I would also like to know what the anwer is or is it all in my head.


Just an added question. Is it possible that module inside that controls contast has gone bad or is it just the general usage of the bulb that causes it to look less punchy? I have an extended warrenty but hate to bring a guy out if it is really nothing. The brightness looks ok just doesn't have the contrast that gives it the punch.

I have six months left on my extended warranty for my made in korea HLN5065. I just got it back from the shop for its third repair. The first was for a color wheel, the second a light engine and the third when 480p and 480i signals stopped being displayed. The techs were vague about what was replaced but it included a new bulb and ballast and 'several chips' in a series until they found the culprit but it took them three weeks to do it and they had to do it in the shop. They also alligned the image which had a slight skew to the right from the replacement light engine. The warranty company had a difficult time finding an authorized repair facility in the region as the one in Nashville no longer does this work or they no longer work with them, they were a bit vague about that. They ended up sending a company from 75 miles away. The extended warranty repair bill must be approaching 4000 bucks as they were hit for 650 for the color wheel and 2200 for the light engine. This new company was much more secretive on the work done and relayed no cost info.

The picture is back to its original glory as it has been after every new bulb and repair and is magnificent but this is the worst quality consumer product I have ever owned. It is even worse than the HR10-250 that I had replaced three times and the three repairs on my Maytag dishwasher, all coincidentally, purchased in the last three years. Maybe three times will be the charm for all three as they say up here in the country!

Yeah, similar issues here with my HLN 567W..

2+ more years on warranty, hope it breals again and they replace/credit me towards a new one...

Wow, I got my HLN 5065W in July 2003, and its been pretty much trouble free.
Only thing I have had serviced is the digital boards replaced with newest version and firmware upgraded to the latest about 6 months ago to make sure I am compatible with latest HDMI standard and such. Even got the warranty to cover a new bullb for free old one had only 2000 hours on it and still looked good.

I now hook up my PC to it over DVI, and it rocks for online gaming!
I also use my new Samsung HD 950 which looks beautiful. I have the Component upconverting hack enabled but usually use DVI for movies, unless my PC is downstairs on the weekends for gaming on it.

I tried about several different upscaling DVD's from Denon, Sony, LG, and new Sony DVP-75. Samsung worked best for compatibility and plays dual layer DVD no problem. All the others had shortscomings in some respect.

Denon 1920 PQ & AQ not really better in my opinion and it wouldn't play a second of home recorded Dual layer DVD's.

LG was a POS in my opinion.
Sony DVP-70 had the infamous shifting problem.
Sony DVP-75 refused to upscale up/down from 720...

I was reluctant to buy a Samsung anything due to my DVP-830 DVI outpput died about 18 months ago and was lost by the repair facility. Took me 8 months to get my original purchase receippt reimbursed for their mistake.

I hope this one is better!

I will probably ppurchase a 1080p model later this year and use the HLN in my bedroom as my PC monitor exclusively. Makes things easy to read for 40 year old eyes... LOL

Denon 1920 PQ & AQ not really better in my opinion and it wouldn't play a second of home recorded Dual layer DVD's.
Booktype them to DVD-ROM while recording and they will play on anything.

Gary...

What do you mean by "booktype", please?

Thanks

You can Google any number of references to booktyping or bitsetting. Here is one.

http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/150

After being upset how my HLN4265 was looking dull...I decided to call in my Best Buy extended warranty. They sent someone out the next day. I told them that it either looked like it was loosing contrast or the lens and inside screen were getting dirty. ( I clean the exterior all the time) I should mention that I have about 2,000 hours on my second lamp.

They took the set apart checked it and cleaned the inside screen and all the lenses. I was almost alike a new set again. The lamp has lost some of its punch but the screen looks bright and crisp.

This was news to me as I thought dirt couldn't get inside the lens and interior screen. Didn't know that regular cleaning would be benefit. Nothing in the manuals on that. Anybody else notice the same thing?

I recently had my HLN 617W serviced for a bad color wheel. After watching the set for a few hours I noticed some color banding which is kinda purple. The Tech that replaced the color wheel did not adjust anything in the service menu after he was finished. Also my Bulb seems very dim. Does the bulb affect this in any way? :(

How many hours on your bulb LOS seres?

How many hours on your bulb LOS seres?
I would say somewhere around 5000 hours use. It G\gets used quite alot.

Bulb lives for these sets are rated at 8000 hours. That's an overly optimistic stat. The reality is somewhere between 5000 and 7000 for most sets. The color wheel replacement should not affect your bulb output in terms of overall light intensity. Did you perhaps switch from using Dynamic in the past to something else now? That would make a significant change in your pic brightness.

As far as the color wheel and your purple tint... in all likelihood you might have to tweak your delay setting in the service menu to get the timing of the color wheel to be correct with the old light engine. Make note of the setting it is right now and move it right or left up to around 20 ticks. If you aren't comfortable navigating the SM, you'll either have to have the tech come back out and tweak it correctly or hire an ISF guy to calibrate your set. That is, unless you have a buddy that you trust to monkey in the SM. :)

Good luck,
Jeff

Just called the warranty repair service to come back out, they said sometime next week.They seem to think I need a new bulb. My settings are basically the same as they were before but thanks for the heads up. I will definitely tell the tech to tweak it. Thanks alot for the Info, much appreciated! :p

No problem. Good luck with the "repair".

Regs,
Jeff

I recently had my HLN 617W serviced for a bad color wheel. After watching the set for a few hours I noticed some color banding which is kinda purple. The Tech that replaced the color wheel did not adjust anything in the service menu after he was finished. Also my Bulb seems very dim. Does the bulb affect this in any way? :(Jeff has it right. Make sure you read this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6509528&&#post6509528) and the 5 subsequent posts about color-wheel delay.

Gary

Jeff has it right. Make sure you read this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6509528&&#post6509528) and the 5 subsequent posts about color-wheel delay.

Gary
I have finally decided to tweak this myself. I entered the service menu with Mute 1 8 2 Power and went to the DD1010 (ALL). After I went to Delay. the Default Value was 226 But the menu buttons looked Purple. Now My Question is Should I go up or down on the Red Color? And what do you think would be optimal for an HLN617W? Any help Appreciated Thanks!

To be completely honest, I don't know which way to go. You really can't hurt anything (to the best of my knowledge) in cranking the control all the way left (0) or right (can't recall the range). It soulds like the timing of the color wheel is causing the red and blue segments to come too close together, creating the purple hue. Just flick it 20 ticks left or right and see if you get more red and less purple. Sorry there isn't a better way to do this by eye. You really need a spectrocolorimeter to set the delay correctly. Eyeballing it should be good enough to get rid of the purples though, assuming there is not an actual defect in the set.

Regs,
Jeff

To be completely honest, I don't know which way to go. You really can't hurt anything (to the best of my knowledge) in cranking the control all the way left (0) or right (can't recall the range). It soulds like the timing of the color wheel is causing the red and blue segments to come too close together, creating the purple hue. Just flick it 20 ticks left or right and see if you get more red and less purple. Sorry there isn't a better way to do this by eye. You really need a spectrocolorimeter to set the delay correctly. Eyeballing it should be good enough to get rid of the purples though, assuming there is not an actual defect in the set.

Regs,
Jeff
Thanks for the info will try tonight.

After taking your advice on the 20 clicks method, I have finally got the picture to look more natural.
The Purple tint is definetly gone! Thank you very much for all your help! :p
Now all I have to do is wait for the tech to arrive with the new Bulb :D

Your warranty service may not think you need a new bulb now that you've "fixed" your problem.

Congrats. And wrahn has a point. They may say "I don't see the issue" now that the colors are better. Of course, if you just told them it was not as bright as it used to be, and they see you have 5000 hours on the bulb, perhaps they will replace it.

Regs,
Jeff

i'm getting odd vertical lines on my hln617w (2003-07-06). they are normally coming after after a few hours of viewing. But some times right away (or not at all - but sadly most of the time they do come out).

I quick unplug doesn't fix the problem. If they lines are there they will still be there after a power on/off, unplug, different inputs, etc..

I opened the back to clean the dirt out (there was alot) - but it didn't seem to fix anything.

I am past my 5000 mark for the blub, but while not as powerful as when it was new - it is still doing its thing. But I'm hoping it is a blub issues, because that is easy to replace ^_^

any ideas?

Can you provide a photo? Are the lines distortion to the image (can you see through them) or are they more opaque and light? Do they show up on all inputs or just a specific one?

They are on all inputs. They also aren't everywhere on the screen, at first...
They reflect what is going on the screen - when i first start seeing them, they are normally at the edge of ppl's faces. They are mostly red lines, some blue and some green-ish looking (all vertical).
I'll turn the TV on now.. i should have some pix in a few hours.

this is about as bad as it gets :P
*note, the first pix is zoomed in close and the second (blurred one) is so one can get the scale.

Hi all,
I have an HLN 5065W, ? manufature date, with firmware VER: T-MLB50NUS-1030. Purchased this from a family member and am not sure if they messed with the SM. I was wondering, does anyone have the default values for the SM so I can start from scratch - instead of getting the service manual? Thanks,
Nate

this is about as bad as it gets. That looks like a DMD board or digital board going bad. If you are out of warantee, you could always try reseating all the connectors on those boards. If that doesn't help, it may be that one of the boards needs replacement. Bummer.

Gary

samsung tech told me (gain of salt here) is that if u leave the unit unplugged for a few hours till will reset to factory default.

That looks like a DMD board or digital board going bad. If you are out of warantee, you could always try reseating all the connectors on those boards. If that doesn't help, it may be that one of the boards needs replacement. Bummer.

Gary

yeah, that is what i was thinking too. It is oddly almost cheaper just to get a new/ bit smaller model for the cost of that part :) (i'm already getting a new 61" for other reasons)

which board should i be messing with? ^_^
the one near the lamp? or the ones in the center of the TV?

The tech fed you a line of BS. There is no way to return anything in the SM to "default" values. Also, while there might be RANGES of values that could be "in the neighborhood" as far as what your tv was set to when it came from the factory, each tv is a little different from the next. Unless your family member wrote down each setting for each input, you are SOL as far as getting back to original factory settings. That being said, if it's really a big deal to you and you want to get the best out of your set, you should consider having it ISF calibrated by a knowledgeable calibrator. There are several that post on this forum. You can also do a search here: http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

Regs,
Jeff

which board should i be messing with? ^_^
the one near the lamp? or the ones in the center of the TV? The DMD board stands upright on the light engine assembly, near the lens, and the digital board is between the light engine and the analog board near the input connectors. (Going by my model).

Gary

ok.. so i took the whole TV apart :)
looking for dirt and making sure all the fans were working... put it all back together (yes, still worked :) )
and the problem pop'd up again...

I gave up.. i should be a new hls6187w coming in a few works.. and moved to another long delayed project - cleaning up all the wiring/switching/remotes/pronto/dust bunnies/etc...
in the process i moved the TV away from the wall... hrmm... so far no errors on the screen. I think it was just getting to hot back here. It has been a few hours no lines.. Could that have been it?

update: nope.. started coming back :(

...in the process i moved the TV away from the wall... hrmm... so far no errors on the screen. I think it was just getting to hot back here. It has been a few hours no lines.. Could that have been it? Yes, heat could definitely be a problem, but so could stress on the DVI/HDMI connectors. If the cable has to make a tight bend against a back wall, the connector could be stressed, perhaps causing a poor connection and dropping bits of information.

Gary

...They took the set apart checked it and cleaned the inside screen and all the lenses. It was almost alike a new set again. ... Anybody else notice the same thing?
jtirak,
Thanks for the info on cleaning the light engine - it inspired me to perform some maintenance on my 3 yr old HLN507WX. Actually I was primarily trying to remove what I initially thought was a dust particle in the light engine, but what I eventually realized is probably a broken DMD mirror structure (one pixel is fairly dark and rectangular while the adjoining pixel looks like a rapidly fluttering mirror - thus impacting a 2 pixel group of overall medium tone - not horribly noticeable, but annoying on occasion.) The odd thing is that the "spot" doesn't really start to show until about 30 seconds or so after the TV image 1st appears when the set is turned on??

Anyway, regarding maintenance on my 3 year old set with ~5500 hrs:

- The "spot" showed up about 4 months ago.

- Although the original lamp was still working @ 5300+ hours, I replaced it with a new one & will keep the old lamp as a backup.

- The color wheel noise was increasingly noticable & it started having occasional shriek fits about 2 months ago, so I ordered a new CW & replaced that.

- I noticed a measurable (with spectro) luminance increase from before/after CW replacement & attributed that to the slight film (cleanable) on the old color wheel glass panels (non-smoking household, but rather dusty.)

Finally I decided I wanted to try to find the source of the "spot" that I initially thought was dust, and I 1st tried cleaning dust from the projection chamber (outer projection lens cleaning, & compressed-air dusting of the projection chamber mirror & fresnel screen - both which seemed otherwise clean.) No luck tracking down the "spot", & I used a makeshift "screen" of white paper on cardboard that I held between the lens & projection chamber mirror/screen while the TV was on which also showed the "spot", proving that the chamber mirror/screen weren't the source.

After reading your post I had more confidence that I could clean the light engine lenses/prism & mirrors so I gave that a shot. After removal of the Color Wheel cover, I found that the covers to the LE lenses/prism & mirrors were removable with a handful of screws and that made the LE cleaning fairly accessible. I cleaned all except for a couple of the interior projection & focus lenses that were sealed well enough to not likely require cleaning. I also didn't access the prism glass on the DMD panel side (as I believe access to this would require subsequently realigning of the DMD board - which I *really* didn't want to do.) As for the cleanliness state of the LE, some of the lenses/prism/mirrors had a bit of film or dust, & some seemed very clean. Surprisingly, I found fingerprints from factory assembly on a couple of these items! (I wore latex gloves to avoid...) And the large projection chamber mirror had a number of rather large scratches - very sloppy! I nervously held my breath when 1st trying my set upon reassembly - fortunately all was still functioning properly although the "spot" was still present!@#.

The following are maintenance impacts on *maximum* luminance, as measured by spectro on the Service Menu PATT_SEL white screen, in candellas/m^2:

Note that this max value may be impacted by service menu settings such as S_CT(DDP) which increases contrast luminance until it reaches a setting value of ~150 (this setting can be raised much higher but it won't continue increasing the luminance.) It may also be impacted by other settings such as when calibrating the gains. When calibrating, a 100 IRE white screen might be targeted to only reach ~103 c/m^2, so even though the *maximum* possible luminance may be decreasing as the set/bulb ages, you may still be able to calibrate to a sufficient luminance by increasing User Menu contrast or, if necessary, setting the SM S_CT(DDP) value higher.

- Original max luminance when the set was new: 203 c/m^2

- After 5300 hrs on original bulb: 122 c/m^2 max. Yikes!

Maintenance impacts:

- New lamp installed: 165 c/m^2 (disappointing; I was originally sold on the expectation that the only maintenance required to restore DLP sets to original viewing capability is a new bulb - hah, hah.)

- New Color Wheel installed: 178 c/m^2 (no film on new CW panels - both old & new CW were optimized with SM Delay setting.) Even if no bearing noise problem requires replacement, cleaning every few years may be considered!

- Cleaning of majority of the Light Engine path (221 hrs on new bulb): 195 c/m^2 (close to original max!)

Now I'll just live with the "spot" & all else looks fine. Frankly, since I calibrate a 100 IRE screen to only ~103 c/m^2 anyway, the appearance has stayed fairly consistent all along - no real dulling. I merely had to increase the User Menu brightness & contrast settings (or eventually increase the SM S_CT setting) as the bulb aged.

Fascinating! Good work and good post!

I once also had an LE with 2 bad pixels (different areas of the screen) and one of them flickered when displaying certain colors. Thankfully, it was new, and covered by warranty.

Gary

Very interesting post. Do you have any photos you can post of your work? Did you find that the factor focus was good? I've been tempted to see if I could tweak a little more sharpness out of mine.

...Do you have any photos you can post of your work? Did you find that the factor focus was good?...
Kevin,
I *do* have photos from when I replaced the Color Wheel & from when I checked the Projection Chamber. Unfortunately, I didn't photograph the Optical Engine cleaning. I have a DIY Color Wheel procedure text containing my Notes & some photos on that process at this link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=599860
(Post# 5)

I also took notes when inspecting the projection chamber & some additional notes on cleaning the Optical Engine. If anyone is interested, let me know & I'll post these also when I get a chance.

Regarding the focus, mine seems very sharp & as long as the LE tray is properly reinstalled shouldn't be impacted from the maintenance I performed. There is a focus ring cover on the Optical Engine which is a bit tricky to remove, as it's anchored by a plastic fastener with a hook-style barb through a small hole, in addition to an easily removed screw. I was able to squeeze the barb with needle-nosed pliers and eventually force it out through the hole. If I wanted to just clip off the plastic barb fastener, I don't think it is all that important, as the screw should be sufficient to anchor, but...) The funny thing is, after removing the focus ring cover, you notice that a white streak of paint was placed across the focus ring assembly, marking the proper focus location/alignment after manufacture testing. If you're experiencing a soft focus, you may be able to inspect to see if that white paint alignment has been altered, or if it is intact you could use it to return to original position after experimenting with focus adjustment.

I've attached two images:
1 - The projection chamber, including a rear port cover interior-labeled "Cover - Dust". This can be removed with a single screw, without taking anything else apart - I was able to compressed-air blow some dust off the projection lens/mirror/screen while a vacuum extension was inserted to pull away any loose floating dust (especially visible if the TV is powered on.)

2 - a picture of the Optical Engine (pre-disassembly) that I took while replacing the Color Wheel, with the focus ring cover indicated, etc.

...I once also had an LE with 2 bad pixels (different areas of the screen) and one of them flickered when displaying certain colors...
Gary,
Thanks. (Wish I'd bought that extended warranty!) I suspect (wild guess) that a DMD mirror Yoke/Torsion-Hinge may have stretched? or pulled loose, allowing the mirror to pull free from its base pixel (darkening it) & flutter continually across a portion of the adjoining pixel. It really only shows up when embedded in lighter portions of an image, and then only if its a fairly similar patch of image such as sky or faces (upper left third of screen.) Usually I don't notice it unless I'm looking for it.

I found this link that shows the DMD mirror structure, etc.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dlp.htm

I have a DIY Color Wheel procedure text containing my Notes & some photos on that process at this link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=599860


rchaz,

thanks again for your posts and notes...

below is comments i made at your other thread also re: my experience performing a color wheel and optics cleaning...


The one serious challenge I struggled with was disconnecting the "non-ribbon" Color Wheel cable connector from its DMD Board socket. All other cable connectors seemed straight-forward. Those who've succeeded with this, please let me know the proper technique for disconnecting that cable, as there didn't seem to be any obvious connector hook or release mechanism (although the connector seemed to snap in during replacement. )

Hope this is useful!

rchaz,

thanks for all the good info!

i have 4 yr. old hln5065w.

i'm on my 2nd lamp, but have not been impressed with brightness & resolution lately.

after reading some posts in the front proj. forum re: cleaning the the color wheel and what a huge difference it made, i decided to "explore" my set and do some cleaning.

i removed the light engine and the color wheel assy. (i had major problems with the connector you mentioned also...could not release it, so i cut the wire and resoldered it during reassembly). i cleaned the color wheel and all exposed lenses with 91% isopropyl alcohol and then a final cleaning with my breath (distilled water). i used q-tips, but should've picked up a roll of sterile cotton @ drug store. ( i used to service surgical microscopes and using a small wood stick much like a bbq skewer and rolling your own cotton onto the end of the stick is much better than q-tips).

the color wheel and exposed lenses were filthy, so i was sure this would make a difference...probably alot of blocked and refracted light.

i also attempted to remove the one mirror on top that was secured with 3 screws to access the optics below...this was a mistake! the 3 screws are adjustment screws and i succeeded in mis-aligning that mirror.

i was able to remove the assembly that this mirror was attached to, though....and, then was able to access more optics below...(a couple of condenser lenses, etc.).

i then reassembled everything and powered up. my picture had dark "shadow lines" across the left side & bottom.

with power on, i was able to slide the light engine out far enough to still achieve projection and adjust the 3 screws on the mirror i had misaligned. while my wife watched and gave feedback, i was able to realign the mirror so that the "shadow lines" disappeared and the light path was centered again.

i must say i was worried about the whole adventure and screwing something up....i worked on this close to 6 hrs.
but, after everything was buttoned back up, my wife & i were both astonished at the difference in the image...much brighter & much clearer resolution.

i have no regrets and am sure that i will implement this as probably a semi-annual preventive maintenance.

i use a light meter in my job, but unfortunately it was out for calibration and i couldn't measure light output before & after, but it is significantly better.

thanks again to you & clyde & others for all their input on servicing this set!

...(i had major problems with the connector you mentioned also...could not release it, so i cut the wire and resoldered it during reassembly)...

...i also attempted to remove the one mirror on top that was secured with 3 screws to access the optics below...this was a mistake! the 3 screws are adjustment screws and i succeeded in mis-aligning that mirror....
Dave,
Well your "adventure" sounds so familiar, LOL! After my initial Color Wheel servicing experience, I had to "go back in" and remove that CW cover again when I decided to clean the Optical Engine. I too decided to snip/splice the wires for that CW cable rather than grappling with the connector. Splicing was a breeze in comparison with the nerve-wracking connector removal!

I was luckier than you when it came to the 3 adjustment screws mirror assembly. I noticed that mirror had some drops of glue at the edge to seal it in place, and also the head of one of the 3 adjustment screws seemed intentionally modified (maybe a drop of clear glue?) so that a conventional Phillips head screwdriver couldn't engage it - so I left that assembly in place, thank goodness, and removed the overall cover by unscrewing it from the tray base. That still gave me some access to the working end of the mirror, by coming in from below.

Like you, I also spent a good chunk of the day on that project, meticulously cleaning with optics cleaning fluid, alcohol, microfiber, Q-Tips, compressed air, breath vapor & latex gloves - especially careful to avoid damaging mirrors or leaving film or dust on anything. ...and trying not to drip too much nervous sweat!

When I get a chance, I'll attach my notes-files for anyone else so inclined for internal cleaning. Now that I know how to approach the process, it'll be pretty easy if/when the TV needs another "refresher" cleaning down the road. And I feel a new sense of power over my TV; less helplessness without an extended warranty, hah, hah...

The attached text files describe my experience and the procedures I used for:

1) Light Engine Cleaning

2) Projection Chamber Access

This is for a 3 year old HLN507W.

NOTE: To view the attached .txt files, right-click/save the .txt attachment locally and read it from that location. The jpg image is referenced within .txt attachment 2).

I have a HLN507W that has a DVI connection. Can I use a upconverting DVD player that has a HDMI connection?

I have a HLN507W that has a DVI connection. Can I use a upconverting DVD player that has a HDMI connection?Yes, but you need an HDMI-to-DVI adapter cable. Some players, like the mighty OPPO 971 or 970 come with the cable included.

Gary

Color Wheel squealing. Replaced color wheel and bought a new lamp, mine due for replacement anytime. Everything seemed to go well but on powering up barely enough brightness to see picture. Everything else OK, just a dark picture. Tried both old and new lamps but no luck. Havn't touched any settings, controls or adjustments. Any ideas what might have went wrong during CW and lamp replacement?

If it's a different kind of lightbulb than before, you need to go into the service menu and specify which bulb you are using (and reset the lamp hours).

Color Wheel squealing. Replaced color wheel and bought a new lamp, mine due for replacement anytime. Everything seemed to go well but on powering up barely enough brightness to see picture. Everything else OK, just a dark picture. Tried both old and new lamps but no luck. Havn't touched any settings, controls or adjustments. Any ideas what might have went wrong during CW and lamp replacement? If you tried the new and the old bulb, with the same results, that sounds bad. Check the connections. Check that nothing was accidentally left in the optical path, or misaligned when replacing the CW. Did you get a new ballast with the lamp? Different types of bulbs require different ballasts, and sometimes a Service Menu change... but do not make any Service Menu changes unless you know the bulb type for certain. A mistake can damage the bulb!

Thanks for ideas. Going to try them all. Will post results.

My parents replaced their bulb and had the same issue. It went away after a couple of days. My dad said the bulb must have needed to be burned in or something for it to go to full brightness. Give it a couple of days and see what you have.

Color Wheel squealing. Replaced color wheel and bought a new lamp, mine due for replacement anytime. Everything seemed to go well but on powering up barely enough brightness to see picture. Everything else OK, just a dark picture. Tried both old and new lamps but no luck. Havn't touched any settings, controls or adjustments. Any ideas what might have went wrong during CW and lamp replacement?

bmacinc46,

as well as checking that "right" lamp is selected in service menu, i would strongly suggest reading rchaz's & k2ue's comments on color wheel replacement & cleaning as well as optics cleaning.

if the new color wheel is smudged or has some kind of haze on it, your brightness will suffer!!

read my post above...i made an incredible difference in my pq and brightness by cleaning color wheel & optics...major difference!

Any ideas what might have went wrong during CW and lamp replacement?
Also keep in mind that the Service Menu "Delay" value under "1. DDP1010 - (ALL)" should be tuned after replacing the Color Wheel, although it shouldn't cause a huge drop in brightness - more likely just color issues...

Dust or other foreign objects in or blocking the tiny Light Tunnel (or its alignment?) can make a significantly large dimming impact, although probably not uniform.

I've searched for a solution/explanation for the following problems, but have not found an answer. A have the hln507w. I tried connecting my htpc via dvi and the samsung would say not supported. However, the htpc does recognize the tv as a display. The video card is a 6600gt using mce. Resolution is set to 1280x720. I next connect to it via vga and my htpc would not boot. But, if I boot the htpc first, then connect via vga, it works.

I've searched for a solution/explanation for the following problems, but have not found an answer. A have the hln507w. I tried connecting my htpc via dvi and the samsung would say not supported. However, the htpc does recognize the tv as a display. The video card is a 6600gt using mce. Resolution is set to 1280x720. I next connect to it via vga and my htpc would not boot. But, if I boot the htpc first, then connect via vga, it works.

Did you explicitly set the video card to 60Hz sweep? TV displays assume 60Hz progressive, or 30Hz interlace.

Yes, the card is set to 1280x720 @60Hz progressive.

I've searched for a solution/explanation for the following problems, but have not found an answer. A have the hln507w. I tried connecting my htpc via dvi and the samsung would say not supported. However, the htpc does recognize the tv as a display. The video card is a 6600gt using mce. Resolution is set to 1280x720. I next connect to it via vga and my htpc would not boot. But, if I boot the htpc first, then connect via vga, it works.In the 2003/2004 timeframe, Samsung's firmware v204 & v208 would not work with ATI or NVIDIA cards. v302 fixed the problem, v309 still worked fine, but v321 went bust again. I had many fights with Samsung CS, who tried to tell me that the HLN was not designed for PC use. BULL! (The manual mentions PC connection and PC resolutions). Eventually, they reluctantly agreed to have an engineer look into it. He was able to verify and solve the problem. He sent me a new digital board with a later version of firmware that worked fine.

Check your TV's firmware version, and try calling Samsung... But first make sure you have the latest version of the drivers for your video card, and try turning off options like DDC (Digital Data Channel). This is a display handshake that tells the PC what it is, and what resolutions and refresh rates it supports. DDC wasn't working properly with some of the Samsung firmware versions, and that caused the drivers to barf.

Gary

I am trying to wire an IR emitter to this TV. Does anyone know the location of the IR target?

It is not located in the lamp status eye in the center of the TV, and Samsung support was unable to tell me.


Thanks

I have an HLN437 from May 2003. I have a new bulb, but have not replaced it yet. For a while now I have seen "flutters" in the picture. In other words some white or light backgrounds will go dark and light, and dark and light. Sometimes I notice this with other color backgrounds as well. Its as if the lamp can't keep up the same brightness with certain backgrounds. Its like a white that flickers darker and lighter.

Have any of you guys noticed this at all? I have about 5,000 hours on my bulb. Is this a color wheel issue or a bulb issue?

Any input would be great. Thanks.

I have an HLN437 from May 2003. I have a new bulb, but have not replaced it yet. For a while now I have seen "flutters" in the picture. In other words some white or light backgrounds will go dark and light, and dark and light. Sometimes I notice this with other color backgrounds as well. Its as if the lamp can't keep up the same brightness with certain backgrounds. Its like a white that flickers darker and lighter.

Have any of you guys noticed this at all? I have about 5,000 hours on my bulb. Is this a color wheel issue or a bulb issue?

Any input would be great. Thanks.

It almost sounds like part of the color wheel may have collected some dirt/dust over the years and needs cleaning. I recall reading how people in the front projector forum cleaned their color wheel and it made a dramatic difference in picture quality.

In the 2003/2004 timeframe, Samsung's firmware v204 & v208 would not work with ATI or NVIDIA cards. v302 fixed the problem, v309 still worked fine, but v321 went bust again. I had many fights with Samsung CS, who tried to tell me that the HLN was not designed for PC use. BULL! (The manual mentions PC connection and PC resolutions). Eventually, they reluctantly agreed to have an engineer look into it. He was able to verify and solve the problem. He sent me a new digital board with a later version of firmware that worked fine.

Check your TV's firmware version, and try calling Samsung... But first make sure you have the latest version of the drivers for your video card, and try turning off options like DDC (Digital Data Channel). This is a display handshake that tells the PC what it is, and what resolutions and refresh rates it supports. DDC wasn't working properly with some of the Samsung firmware versions, and that caused the drivers to barf.

Gary

Gary,

Where is DDC? In my video card's options or my HLP's SM? Where do I turn it off?

I'm having the same problems with resolutions. I have an ATI x-1600 (512 MB) card connected via DVI. I set the Sammy to "Expand" and the screen overscans by 1/2-1/3 of an inch! Not good.

As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Dave

Gary,

Where is DDC? In my video card's options or my HLP's SM? Where do I turn it off?

I'm having the same problems with resolutions. I have an ATI x-1600 (512 MB) card connected via DVI. I set the Sammy to "Expand" and the screen overscans by 1/2-1/3 of an inch! Not good. Dave

The DDC option is in the driver software.

That amount of overscan is perfectly normal, but obviously a disadvantage when trying to see the full desktop on a computer. The best thing to try, is a driver (or software) that allows you to generate custom resolutions. Then with 1:1 mapping in "Expand" mode on your TV, you can output a slightly smaller frame to see the full desktop. Just make sure you turn off the option to "Scale image to full panel size".

Gary

is there a write up on start to finish of how to calibrate with avia and service menu(delay ,contrast.ect) ?

is there a write up on start to finish of how to calibrate with avia and service menu(delay ,contrast.ect) ? See this post: HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358).

Gary

Has anyone had any luck finding a quieter main cooling fan for an HLN507W? The last time I talked to a service tech (about a year ago), he said that while Samsung issued an improved color wheel, they never issued a revised main fan, even though they included a quieter fan on later similar models.

They replaced the entire light engine in my HLN507W to fix a loud color wheel. In addition to the color wheel noise being better, the cooling fan noise was much improved as well.

-Steve

My TV has developed several issues. It started off with the dreaded color wheel screeching. It was attempted to be replaced under warranty. The tech BROKE the connection on the DMD board. Fortunately, they replaced the whole light engine at no charge. I think to myself "great, it's like getting a brand new tv".

Shortly after that, the next round of troubles started. After a week or two the picture would have green, red and blue colored lines scrolling form the upper left to the lower right when first turned on. I found if I switched from DVI (my direct tv hr20) to component 3 (My dvd player) unitl I got blue screen, then back to DVI, the picture was back to normal. It has stopped doing this now.

Next, the tv started going blank after and hour or more of operation. It still glows like when its warming up, except no flashing light on the panel. If I press the power button and turn it back on while it's glowing, the picture appers upside down and backwards (with a great deal of green tint). If I press off, and wait till the screen goes completely black, THEN turn it back on my picture is back to normal. It still does this everytime I use it after about an hour of veiwing.

If that wasn't enough, occassionaly it will completely shut down and all three lights flash. The only thing that fixes this is unpluging it. This usually means the bulb is going bad, right? The picture is still very bright, so I don't really think the bulb is bad since it was replaced with the light engine.

I called the tech who did the warranty repair and he said it sounds like it may be the Digital board since it occurs with the DVI input. I haven't had time to watch the picture long enough to see if I have the same symptoms in component mode yet.

Anyone have any experiences like this? The tech is supposed to call Samsung and get back with me today. Form what I have read here, I don't have much confidence Samsung will be of any help. Yup, It's out of warranty.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Barry

Upside-down picture, scrolling stripes etc, is definitely the digital board, or perhaps the DMD board. Bummer. Let us know how your situation turns out after the tech gets back to you.

Gary

Tech called but has not been out to work on it yet. After a discussion with Samsung tech he said it could be the digital board, the light engine or a ballast. I'll let everyone know what he finds. If it's the digital board I may have to use component 1080i/720P for HD while I save up some more $$$.

Barry

UPDATE

Set does the same blank picture and flashing three lights...even on component video 1.

Hello Gary,

I have read many of your posts over the last year and think you are the man.
I have owned a HLR 5078w for about a year. I am in the process of getting a new light engine now( for a dark shadow on the left hand side). My set has always had a problem with banding and macroblocking. I recently read your post on this thread you posted early last year about the HLN Calibration Crash-Course.
My question is would this help my set? After the new light engine of course

thanks
Mike

I hope someone can help with this...
I have a HLN507WX which is getting the best of me. In the 1st year, under warranty, the lamp was replaced. 2 months ago the color wheel got to screeching - replaced that. 2 weeks after the color wheel was replaced, the unit would not power up. It would do the old 3 time try to fire up - then the 3 flashing lamps. So, I replaced the lamp. This seemed to take care of it. And after reading many posts here, I took advice and let the set stay on for about 80-100 hours to cook the lamp in before powering down. But then, it would not power up! I couldn't hear the ballast whine as it usually did on the startup. So I replaced the ballast. Same thing - most of the time it will not startup. On occassion, it will finally start and the lamp will light. (Great picture... without tweaking the color wheel delay after replacement, BTW)
What's going on here?? When I can hear the ballast whining up, it starts. But unfortunately, I'm not hearing that sound on each power up attempt!

I hope someone can help with this...
I have a HLN507WX which is getting the best of me. In the 1st year, under warranty, the lamp was replaced. 2 months ago the color wheel got to screeching - replaced that. 2 weeks after the color wheel was replaced, the unit would not power up. It would do the old 3 time try to fire up - then the 3 flashing lamps. So, I replaced the lamp. This seemed to take care of it. And after reading many posts here, I took advice and let the set stay on for about 80-100 hours to cook the lamp in before powering down. But then, it would not power up! I couldn't hear the ballast whine as it usually did on the startup. So I replaced the ballast. Same thing - most of the time it will not startup. On occassion, it will finally start and the lamp will light. (Great picture... without tweaking the color wheel delay after replacement, BTW)
What's going on here?? When I can hear the ballast whining up, it starts. But unfortunately, I'm not hearing that sound on each power up attempt! Sammy insanity indeed! How frustrating. Are your lamp/ballast connections loose perhaps? Or do you have dirty power, with surges, or lightnng? It may pay you to get decent power conditioning.

Gary

Hello Gary,

I have read many of your posts over the last year and think you are the man.
I have owned a HLR 5078w for about a year. I am in the process of getting a new light engine now( for a dark shadow on the left hand side). My set has always had a problem with banding and macroblocking. I recently read your post on this thread you posted early last year about the HLN Calibration Crash-Course.
My question is would this help my set? After the new light engine of course

thanks
MikeThank you very much Mike. The principles in my HLN Calibration Crash-Course will definitely work with the HLR, although the names of the settings will be different. I used those techniques on my HLP with excellent success. Banding and macroblocking was pretty much eliminated - except of course, if those problems appear in the source material.

Gary

Tech called but has not been out to work on it yet. After a discussion with Samsung tech he said it could be the digital board, the light engine or a ballast. I'll let everyone know what he finds. If it's the digital board I may have to use component 1080i/720P for HD while I save up some more $$$.

Barry

UPDATE

Set does the same blank picture and flashing three lights...even on component video 1.You are describing two different issues. The blank picture accompanied by 3 flashing lights is the lamp, not the digital board.

Gary

Thank you very much Mike. The principles in my HLN Calibration Crash-Course will definitely work with the HLR, although the names of the settings will be different. I used those techniques on my HLP with excellent success. Banding and macroblocking was pretty much eliminated - except of course, if those problems appear in the source material.

Gary


Thanks Gary,

Were the names different on your set also or the same? I am looking through the service manual now and dont see any that match up.

Loose conections?? Well, I've reseated the lamp a couple times, and the connections to the ballast are secure. As for dirty power... I don't know. The set operated fine for close to 3 years on the same outlet.

I had the lamp replace on 10/23 after 8979 hours. When I got my 467W in April of 2004 I only changed the gamma to 0 and left the factory setting as they were. I enjoyed all my hours with fantastic PQ quality on SD and outstanding PQ on HD. Set is connected to my HR10-250 Tivo from DTV.

After the new lamp was installed, it brought back the original quality I once enjoyed. Then on 12/19 I had the color wheel replaced (squeeling bearing at times). WOW was I disappointed with the PQ. Nothing I did in the UM or SM (slight tweaks of gamma from 0 to 4) made any difference in retruning to my original quality.

So after 2 weeks of trying to do the SM/UM settings I finally got back to 98% of the PQ I once enjoyed. Lots of AVIA tweaking (using the posted HLN calibration from k2ue) really paid off. I still have an appointment with Tweeter in January but I may cancel it. I was so stressed that I started to make the rounds to CC, BB, and Tweeter looking for a plasma replacement...... I thought I was done with DLP/LCD and all the gamma, green push, lost picture detail, etc.

But now I will wait and see how things look in the next few days. Its amazing how much the new color wheel changed the settings I once had. Listed below is the defaults from before the CW change and what I ended up with after the tweaks:

(Setting - before - after)
Delay - 224 - 223
Gamma - 0 - 0
R_GAIN - 130 - 128
G_GAIN - 120 - 113
B_GAIN - 110 - 105
R_OFFSET - 124 - 128
G_OFFSET - 127 - 128
B_OFFSET - 130 - 130
S_BR - 248 - 237
S_CT - 112 - 128

The biggest changes where the S_BR and S_CT. What really helped the most was setting the Red to its max (using steps in the k2ue procedure). I'll post any further updates if I re-tweak. But for now it looks like I'm holding pat on my DLP.

After watching lots of HD and SD I found my previous settings were still lacking facial detail. Color tones were OK, but faces seemed less than optimal especially when good lighting from different scenes were broadcast.

So the only real way of getting this detail was to change the gamma from 0 to 1. I know there's been lots of talk about this but I believe the newer color wheels have more color depth, thus reducing the primary color light entering the light engine.

The gamma change required a full re-tweak but surprisingly the RGB gain/offsets were close to what I set at gamma 0. What changed the most was the sub-brightness and sub-contrast. I'm now at about 98% of what this set produced before the lamp and CW replacement. Here are my final settings:

(Setting - before - after)
Delay - 223 - 223
Gamma - 0 - 1
R_GAIN - 128 - 128
G_GAIN - 113 - 120
B_GAIN - 105 - 110
R_OFFSET - 128 - 128
G_OFFSET - 128 - 126
B_OFFSET - 130 - 130
S_BR - 237 - 246
S_CT - 128 - 114

Thanks Gary,

Were the names different on your set also or the same? I am looking through the service manual now and dont see any that match up. Names were different, but similar enough for me to make an educated guess. You'll have to browse the threads for your TV to get the relevant names and any other necessary procedures.

Gary

Loose conections?? Well, I've reseated the lamp a couple times, and the connections to the ballast are secure. As for dirty power... I don't know. The set operated fine for close to 3 years on the same outlet.Bummer! If Samsung warantees the lamp and/or ballast you bought, just get them to replace those again.

By the way, its worth protecting your equipment with power conditioning, no matter how good your power may seem. It only takes one bad spike to kill stuff.

Gary

After the new lamp was installed, it brought back the original quality I once enjoyed. Then on 12/19 I had the color wheel replaced (squeeling bearing at times). WOW was I disappointed with the PQ. Nothing I did in the UM or SM (slight tweaks of gamma from 0 to 4) made any difference in retruning to my original quality. What you have described here, immediately sets off alarm bells... did you adjust the "DELAY" setting after the color wheel was replaced? The new color wheels were quite different.

Make sure you read this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6509528&&#post6509528) and the 5 subsequent posts about color-wheel delay, and the HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358).

Gary

What you have described here, immediately sets off alarm bells... did you adjust the "DELAY" setting after the color wheel was replaced? The new color wheels were quite different.

Make sure you read this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6509528&&#post6509528) and the 5 subsequent posts about color-wheel delay, and the HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358).

Gary

Thanks Gary.

My take is the new color wheel (looks exactly the same as the old) has darker primary color tints. I've gone through a few tweaks and the color balance is fine with my new settings:

R_Gain 128
G_Gain 120
B_Gain 110
R_Offset 128
G_Offset 126
B_Offset 130

However, getting the gamma right is difficult. I started with Gamma 0 and many movies were too dark..... backgrounds losing lots of detail in blacks. Then with Gamma 1 there was much improvement, but I still thought I could get more of the dark details. So I did gamma 2 today.

Watching Bird Mirgation on Discovery HD looked awesome. But after an hour, my eyes felt tired. Bright scenes almost lite the room even with good background room lighting. SD programming (news, weather channel, etc) looked good with even background/foreground lighting.... similar to CRT screen.

I have S_BR at 240 and S_CT at 122 which I set using k2ue's procedure and looking at the AVIA needle pulses +steps. Now that I got the color gains/offsets set for good greyscale, I may try tweaking the gamma back to 0 or 1 and readjust the S_BR/S_CT again to match the gamma levels.

I set the color wheel delay to 223 (default) before doing the adjustments. The original settings before color wheel /lamp replacement were:

Delay 224
Gamma 0 (delivered at 4, reset to 0)
R_Gain 130
G_Gain 120
B_Gain 110
R_Offset 124
G_Offset 127
B_Offset 130
S_BR 148
S_CT 112

Do you think I'm going in the right direction? Any comments/suggestions? I want to enjoy my DLP without getting eye fatigue. My friend just got a new Samsung 50" DLP. When watching his set for a few hours I notice moderate eye fatigue. I'm sure he's running the default out-of-the-store gamma 4 setting.

Thanks!

However, getting the gamma right is difficult. I started with Gamma 0 and many movies were too dark..... backgrounds losing lots of detail in blacks. Then with Gamma 1 there was much improvement, but I still thought I could get more of the dark details. So I did gamma 2 today.

Watching Bird Mirgation on Discovery HD looked awesome. But after an hour, my eyes felt tired. Bright scenes almost lite the room even with good background room lighting. SD programming (news, weather channel, etc) looked good with even background/foreground lighting.... similar to CRT screen.

I have S_BR at 240 and S_CT at 122 which I set using k2ue's procedure and looking at the AVIA needle pulses +steps. Now that I got the color gains/offsets set for good greyscale, I may try tweaking the gamma back to 0 or 1 and readjust the S_BR/S_CT again to match the gamma levels.

I set the color wheel delay to 223 (default) before doing the adjustments. The original settings before color wheel /lamp replacement were:

Delay 224
Gamma 0 (delivered at 4, reset to 0)
R_Gain 130
G_Gain 120
B_Gain 110
R_Offset 124
G_Offset 127
B_Offset 130
S_BR 148
S_CT 112

Do you think I'm going in the right direction? Any comments/suggestions? I want to enjoy my DLP without getting eye fatigue. My friend just got a new Samsung 50" DLP. When watching his set for a few hours I notice moderate eye fatigue. I'm sure he's running the default out-of-the-store gamma 4 setting.

Thanks!

I had noted what Gamma I was using in my posts -- at the time I determined which was closest to ideal with a color analyzer. I found visual evaluation of Gamma to be of little value -- what the eye likes on one scene it hates on the next. The machine didn't lie -- I have been happy overall for some time now with that choice.

From my earlier post:
"The difference between Gamma 0 and Gamma 1 is subtle -- Gamma 1 is a bit truer at low levels, BUT compresses the high end, attenuating peak White punch on direct sun shots, explosions, etc. Gamma 0 is about equally good/bad in both ranges, and places the center 50 IRE level at the right point relative to peak White, which is a fair basis for compromise. So someone who favors Gamma 1 probably uses dark scenes to judge -- I would suggest they purposely evaluate bright scenes and see if they are as happy with those -- life is full of choices."

I had noted what Gamma I was using in my posts -- at the time I determined which was closest to ideal with a color analyzer. I found visual evaluation of Gamma to be of little value -- what the eye likes on one scene it hates on the next. The machine didn't lie -- I have been happy overall for some time now with that choice.

From my earlier post:
"The difference between Gamma 0 and Gamma 1 is subtle -- Gamma 1 is a bit truer at low levels, BUT compresses the high end, attenuating peak White punch on direct sun shots, explosions, etc. Gamma 0 is about equally good/bad in both ranges, and places the center 50 IRE level at the right point relative to peak White, which is a fair basis for compromise. So someone who favors Gamma 1 probably uses dark scenes to judge -- I would suggest they purposely evaluate bright scenes and see if they are as happy with those -- life is full of choices."

Hi Clyde,

First, thanks for the excellent crash-course calibration you wrote. Its the only reason I got my settings to the point they are now. I can agree with your assessment of gamma 0. That's what I changed 1 week after I first got my set. PQ was excellent across the DVD/SD/HD spectrum.

I will be re-doing the gamma at 0 tomorrow (wife wants to watch TV without my interference). My only concern is what Gary poined out above about the colow wheel delay. The tech never readjusted it when replaced 2 weeks ago, causing all this recent readjustment exercise.

In your post about the delay setting (I have no color meter), should I display a 100 IRE form AVIA, use the red filter, and look for the magenta/red/orange changes?

Hi Clyde,

First, thanks for the excellent crash-course calibration you wrote. Its the only reason I got my settings to the point they are now. I can agree with your assessment of gamma 0. That's what I changed 1 week after I first got my set. PQ was excellent across the DVD/SD/HD spectrum.

I will be re-doing the gamma at 0 tomorrow (wife wants to watch TV without my interference). My only concern is what Gary poined out above about the colow wheel delay. The tech never readjusted it when replaced 2 weeks ago, causing all this recent readjustment exercise.

In your post about the delay setting (I have no color meter), should I display a 100 IRE form AVIA, use the red filter, and look for the magenta/red/orange changes?

I'd prefer any sort of meter -- like even an SLR light meter thru a Red filter, but without one yes I'd look for the first hint of change in either direction and split the difference.

A thought: try moving one way and look for contamination, then see if there is any visible light thru a Blue or Green filter -- if so you could look for the onset of visible non-Red light in both directions and split the difference (if one side gives Blue, the other will give Green).

I'd prefer any sort of meter -- like even an SLR light meter thru a Red filter, but without one yes I'd look for the first hint of change in either direction and split the difference.

A thought: try moving one way and look for contamination, then see if there is any visible light thru a Blue or Green filter -- if so you could look for the onset of visible non-Red light in both directions and split the difference (if one side gives Blue, the other will give Green).

Great idea. I'll give both a try.

Gary

Actually the three flashing lights is a diff scenario than the blank screen. Sometimes the screen just goes blank (no lights at all). It did this in Component and Dvi. If I turn it off and immediately back on, pic is upside down/reversed and GREEN. Doesnt matter if it is DVI or Component.

Now it isn't having any of the problems I described. It's working "normally?". I am getting it to a tech anyway. Bulb and Light engine should not be a problem since they are new.

Barry

Can someone please let me know which tweak is recommended for the HLN-5065W? This is such a long thread. THanks.

I had the lamp replace on 10/23 after 8979 hours. When I got my 467W in April of 2004 I only changed the gamma to 0 and left the factory setting as they were. I enjoyed all my hours with fantastic PQ quality on SD and outstanding PQ on HD. Set is connected to my HR10-250 Tivo from DTV.

After the new lamp was installed, it brought back the original quality I once enjoyed. Then on 12/19 I had the color wheel replaced (squeeling bearing at times). WOW was I disappointed with the PQ. Nothing I did in the UM or SM (slight tweaks of gamma from 0 to 4) made any difference in retruning to my original quality.

So after 2 weeks of trying to do the SM/UM settings I finally got back to 98% of the PQ I once enjoyed. Lots of AVIA tweaking (using the posted HLN calibration from k2ue) really paid off. I still have an appointment with Tweeter in January but I may cancel it. I was so stressed that I started to make the rounds to CC, BB, and Tweeter looking for a plasma replacement...... I thought I was done with DLP/LCD and all the gamma, green push, lost picture detail, etc.

But now I will wait and see how things look in the next few days. Its amazing how much the new color wheel changed the settings I once had. Listed below is the defaults from before the CW change and what I ended up with after the tweaks:

(Setting - before - after)
Delay - 224 - 223
Gamma - 0 - 0
R_GAIN - 130 - 128
G_GAIN - 120 - 113
B_GAIN - 110 - 105
R_OFFSET - 124 - 128
G_OFFSET - 127 - 128
B_OFFSET - 130 - 130
S_BR - 248 - 237
S_CT - 112 - 128

The biggest changes where the S_BR and S_CT. What really helped the most was setting the Red to its max (using steps in the k2ue procedure). I'll post any further updates if I re-tweak. But for now it looks like I'm holding pat on my DLP.

Where did you or your servicer get the color wheel, and do you have the part number? I have one in service right now that I need a color wheel for and it appears to be unavailable from Samsung.

The number that I have is BN64-00092A. Anyone have another part number or a supplier that has them. I hate to have to replace the light engine for just a color wheel.

Never mind. The new part number for the color wheel for the HLM5065W is BP96-00250A.

I have studied this thread like a monk studies the bible. I have taken the crash course on calibration and survived... I think. All of the changes appear to be great improvements. The Masters really showed off the settings! There is however one thing that I notice that is bugging me. On certain sky shots (for instance the beginning of the Sopranos when it is showing Jersey during Tony's drive), it seems very "fuzzy." Sorry for the lack of terminology but that is the only way I could describe it. I changed the gamma back and found that hid the problem but I really like the gamma setting as described in the crash course (it really showed the detail in the sand traps at Augusta National). Anyway, could it be related to any other settings? Brightness/Contrast? Any help would be appreciated as it is the ONLY thing that is bugging me with my set. Thx.

On certain sky shots (for instance the beginning of the Sopranos when it is showing Jersey during Tony's drive), it seems very "fuzzy." Yes, I'm afraid that is very non-descript. How, exactly, does sky look "fuzzy"?

Gary

Yes, I'm afraid that is very non-descript. How, exactly, does sky look "fuzzy"?

Gary
It doesn't look pixelated or anything... it just seems to be very grainy and not as clear as before I did my changes. The best way I could describe it is that the grey sky shots looks like sand sifting around... very... "fuzzy". ;) I have DirecTV so perhaps with the tweaks I made it is now showing more of the issues with picture quality that I have heard DirecTV can have because of how they transmit the signal. I am just a little curious because it only really seems to appear on sky shots where the sky is overcast...

Any and all ideas would be great... Maybe I will try to post a picture of the issue as well... That is the only other thing I can think of to try and show you what I am seeing but I am not sure if that will turn out.

Thanks again!

i'm posting this here because i don't want to make a new thread. Maybe someone here could help me.

I have a Samsung DLP HLN617W tv. Where can i go to find other user's colour settings so i can make my tv look nice. Or if you could guide me in the right direction. Thanks.

edit- i've seen some partial calibration settings in here but its very hard to understand. so i should calibrate the settings using the service menu instead of user menu??

I just got a Samsung DLP HL-N5065W from a Samsung Service center, refurbished, they told me the ballast needed to be replaced and the lamp. They wanted 450 bucks to do it for me, so I decided to just go ahead and replace it myself, opened the TV up to replace it and to my surprise the power Assembly board is missing, as with 2 cables too. I have seen on the Service Manual and the Wiring Diagram I need the cabled cn802 which goes from the power PCB to the DMD DRIVE CN106. Also I need the power PCB cable cable CN801 which goes to the Ballast. Does anyone know where I can obtain this cable from, the service center are now being total jerks about it saying it didnt leave them like this and they cant help me locate the cables I need. Even Partstore dont recognise the cable names "CN802" etc etc Any Ideas or where I can get the cables from would be much appriciated.

I seem to have killed my HLN567WX.

I wanted to see how many hours were on the bulb, as I had ordered a new one.

I entered the service menu, and while trying to find the screen where the hours on the bulb were displayed, the screen went blank.

It has appeared only briefly since then, I can't get into ANY menu, and when it does appear, it is upside-down, off-center, and green. A couple of times all three front LEDs would flash, but now it only has a solid red LED, and a screen that looks like a starry night sky. I can't get any response from any inputs.

Other than shoot myself for stupidity, any suggestions?

I fixed it..

After leaving the set off all night and day, I was able to restart it--Still no new bulb--and get into the upside down, purple and shifted to one side service menu.

Found "V-Flip" which set it right side up, Doh!

Then I found X and Y shift, or some such, which got it centered, but nothing seemed to get the color back to positive. (It looked like a color negative), till I found EER Reset, which paused, turned the screen blank, then displayed snow, which freaked me out until I realized it had reset it to the antenna input, which is not connected.

Once I reset to my usual DVI input, everything was more or less back to normal. May try to recalibrate a bit after the new bulb arrives, or maybe I'll just settle. Now that I've figured out how to navigate the service menu without tweaking things unintentionally, I may give it a shot....
__________________
Electronic Village Idiot

Yikes! What a scare! Now I think I understand the reason for your pseudonyms "Technoramus" and "Electronic Village Idiot".

Hey, now!!....:)

Actually , I was only looking for the hours on my set...4633, it turns out, but it was late at night and I somehow made a menu selection instead of a menu navigation. The set is so dim it was hard to see the menu.

I have used the guide in this thread to calibrating my set before with great success, so I don't think I'm TOTALLY incompetent...The pseudonyms are a bit of self deprecating humour, though compared to some of the real pros on these forums, there is a grain of truth to them.

Don't taze me, Bro...OW!!.. OW!!...Ow!!

Hello DustynW, were you able to find the location of the IR receiver. I have same situation.

I have had my Sammy HLM61 for several years now. Like most of you, it has blown lamps (3X) and had the color wheel and balast changed. I took it to the service center while under an extended warranty the first two times, but changes the lamp myself the latest blowout.

The odd thing is, when I turn the TV on, I hear a high-pitched squeel come from the unit. it drives me crazy. The sound is just loud enough to drive me crazy, but not load enough to dump the TV altogether. It starts up when the fans start to move, or so I think.

Oh one more thing, does this set have discreet remote codes?

Any ideas?

The color wheel can give off a high pitch sound. Had it replaced and the noise stopped.

My HLN617W is almost 4 years old thanks to whoever assy. it no problems so far. I
have an extended warranty on it that expire on January. Could be a good idea to call
the tech to clean it before this warranty expire; or better don't touch it? Any suggestions? Oh, I calibrate my tv with the help of a lot of persons on this thread;
thank you, thank you , thank you for excelent information.

My HLN617W is almost 4 years old thanks to whoever assy. it no problems so far. I
have an extended warranty on it that expire on January. Could be a good idea to call
the tech to clean it before this warranty expire; or better don't touch it? Any suggestions? Oh, I calibrate my tv with the help of a lot of persons on this thread;
thank you, thank you , thank you for excelent information.

I wouldn't touch it.

My HLN617W is almost 4 years old thanks to whoever assy. it no problems so far. I
have an extended warranty on it that expire on January. Could be a good idea to call
the tech to clean it before this warranty expire; or better don't touch it? Any suggestions? Oh, I calibrate my tv with the help of a lot of persons on this thread;
thank you, thank you , thank you for excelent information.

I have the exact same TV. Mine also is just over four years old. My extended warranty expired in October! Only one time in mid-August did the color wheel screech for a few seconds. However, since I knew the warranty was about to expire I called Circuit City (where I bought it from) and told them I wanted it replaced WITH a new bulb also. NO PROBLEM! They connected me with their repair people and withing about two weeks I had a new color wheel (much quieter altogether) and a new bulb.

So even though you are not having any problems... my advice is to take advantage of the extra $$$$ you spent on the extended warranty and at least get a new bulb if nothing else. I would request a new color wheel also. That way you will be nearly as good as new. My $0.02:p

I have changed the bulb a few times by myself. New bulbs dont cost that much if you know where to look. Any idea where I can get a replacement color wheel? And, how tough is it to replace at home by myself?

I have changed the bulb a few times by myself. New bulbs dont cost that much if you know where to look. Any idea where I can get a replacement color wheel? And, how tough is it to replace at home by myself?

Read on, and good luck! ;)
http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/

Thanks for your help!

I replaced my 1st bulb on my HLN437W (17,346 hrs) and the picture does not seem as bright as it should be. I used the upgraded bulb that is smaller not the orig. bigger bulb. Any feedback what else could be the issue?

discount-merchant.com/Samsung-HLN437W-OEM-Replacement-LAMP-BULB-

Thanks

Baddawg

I have no answer to your question, however, I thought my 6,000 plus hours on my bulb was great, but it seems you set a new record with your 17,346 hours.

Try this thread for help: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=190738&page=15

Wes

When I replaced the 11,000+ hour bulb in my HLM507W this fall I could not use the small bulb you got without buying a matching ballast. I can't recall if the HLN series needed to replace the ballast to go with the new style bulb but I would recommend checking that.

Called the bulb supplier and bulb was the correct voltage size for my ballast. Said maybe the ballast was getting weaker and should change the ballast. Also said they would extend the warranty 3 more months. Suggest to return the bulb for the higher output bulb and get the higher output ballast

have green and purple wiggley lines running vertically across the screen. think it is an analog problem because my digital cable feed is clear and so is progressive scan on my playstation. have this problem with video in, s-video and component feeds. would it be a good idea to order the manual? i replaced my color wheel by myself and didn't have a problem. would appreciate any feedback.....ty

have green and purple wiggley lines running vertically across the screen. think it is an analog problem because my digital cable feed is clear and so is progressive scan on my playstation. have this problem with video in, s-video and component feeds. would it be a good idea to order the manual? i replaced my color wheel by myself and didn't have a problem. would appreciate any feedback.....ty Sounds as though the analog board has gone bad. With the power off, you could open the back of your set and try reseating connectors between the boards. If that doesn't help, it may require a replacement board.

Gary

thank you for the advice, i did replace the main analog board but still the same problem. can't help but think that it is a bad connection though.

I have a hln4365 and the picture is dark. I have replace the lamp and it didn't help brighten the pic that much. I have read that the ballast could also be a problem. Not to sure on that one. I know that I live in Hawaii on the Island of Maui on the south side where it is very dusty so I'm wondering if I cleaned the color wheel would that help? Or maybe I should just replace both the color wheel and the ballast at the same time. I am very familer with going into the service menu and I am wondering if there is a setting i could change in their to brighten up the picture. Anyone have a similer experence? Any thought's on this would be great!!
Thx.......

Ok, I just moved my HLN50 to the basement. (replaced it with a HLT5087 When I plugged it back in and turned it back on it came up with the red banner near the bottom of the screen that says Error: Check Cooling Fan 3. ( I am not at the tv right now but I think that is close to the exact warning.) I have done a seach of the threads and can find no mention of this error or how to correct it.

Anyone have any suggestions besides calling a service tech? I was hoping for an easier fix.

Ok, I just moved my HLN50 to the basement. (replaced it with a HLT5087 When I plugged it back in and turned it back on it came up with the red banner near the bottom of the screen that says Error: Check Cooling Fan 3. ( I am not at the tv right now but I think that is close to the exact warning.) I have done a seach of the threads and can find no mention of this error or how to correct it.

Anyone have any suggestions besides calling a service tech? I was hoping for an easier fix.

Maybe the link here can help you at least find the answer you seek. http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/09/29/samsung-dlp-how-to-replace-fan-2/

I have a hln4365 and the picture is dark. I have replace the lamp and it didn't help brighten the pic that much. I have read that the ballast could also be a problem. Not to sure on that one. I know that I live in Hawaii on the Island of Maui on the south side where it is very dusty so I'm wondering if I cleaned the color wheel would that help? Or maybe I should just replace both the color wheel and the ballast at the same time. I am very familer with going into the service menu and I am wondering if there is a setting i could change in their to brighten up the picture. Anyone have a similer experence? Any thought's on this would be great!!
Thx.......

The ballast just ignites the bulb, so I don't think that is the problem. The color wheel is fairly well sealed. It could be dust on the projection lens or it could be a problem with the light engine.

I live in Hawaii on the Island of Maui on the south side where it is very dusty so I'm wondering if I cleaned the color wheel would that help? I agree that the ballast is not likely to be a problem. However, I read a case on this forum long ago, where someone opened up the color wheel and cleaned it. He said it was filthy, and his picture brightened up. Another potential dust collector is the projection lens... it faces upward. Use a blast of air to blow the dust off, because using a cloth or tissue can scratch the delicate lens coating very easily. Beware of air can dusters though... they get really cold, and if not held vertically, they spray fluid that could potentially freeze the surface of the glass and crack it.

Adjusting contrast during a Service Menu calibration can help brighten the picture. See this post: HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358). Aside from that, no other Service Menu settings will brighten the picture.
Warning: There is a "Bulb Type" setting in the Service Menu that can be tempting, but it should not be touched unless you change to a different bulb manufacturer. If you pick the wrong bulb type, you can blow the bulb.

Gary

Thanks jaseman. I took the bulb out and did some very light cleaning of the large fan by the light bulb and put it back together. Seems to be working now, no message or red light. I think maybe a better cleaning is in order as a preventive measure.

I have a 50" Samsung HLN 5065W DLP purchased in 9/03 for $4,000.

I have had numerous problems with it over the years, and even had the color wheel replaced under warranty about 2 years ago by Samsung.

Recently, the picture would suddenly "freeze frame" and become this weird black and white pixelated image - almost like a film negative. You can still hear the sound but the picture remains frozen in this black & white strange looking pixelated fashion.

I checked my bulb life in the service menus shortly before these problems worsened. At that time (a couple weeks back) it said the bulb had over 18,000 hours on it (original bulb!) I thought maybe it just would need a new bulb so I ordered one for $163 (including shipping) from Samsung. I did not replace it yet but have the new bulb in the box.

I took the set to a Samsung "authorized" repair center in my area and they told me today that it needs a new light engine and that my DMD module is bad. They said it is cheaper and easier to replace the whole light engine then just the DMD module. They quoted me $800-$900 to fix this for a new light engine with installation. I told the tech I could buy a new 50" Samsung set for about $1,000 these days! The TV is just over 4 years old, so it is no longer under warranty. It really bothers me that I paid $4,000 for this thing and it has only lasted 4 problem-plagued years. I think it will be throwing good money after bad if I was to pay the $800-$900 to replace the light engine (plus the $160 I just spend for the new lamp bulb!).

I have heard Samsung will sometimes agree to replace parts such as this when it is a known problem if you agree to pay the labor. Any suggestions before I call Samsung and see if they will replace the light engine if I pay the labor to install? I would love to know any tips/tacts you have used that is successful. I have another 50" Samsung DLP I bought last year, but also bought a 4 year extended warranty on. That one only cost $1,400 so it won't be as painful if it breaks after a few years. As much as I love the picture quality (when it works), I think I am done with Samsung and lamp-based projection technology. My next set is likely to be a plasma. Looking at this thread, it is amazing how many people have had problems with these Samsung DLP sets. Just imagine how many more have suffered in silence and not posted about their frustrations on a board like this? Samsung needs to do the right thing for us early adopters! These sets are lemons.

Thanks in advance for your help. You people obviously know your Samsung DLP stuff in this forum!

I have a HLN617W that is over four years old. The only reason I replaced my color wheel was because it screeched one time and the extended warranty was about to expire. Other than that I have had not one problem!!!! Yes, these sets have had their share of problems but I think the vast majority have had little problem. It just seems like so many because they come here to complain. Not that they don't have the right to complain but a few bad experiences can appear like many more than there actually are. I think that if these sets were as bad as they appear that someone would have started a class action law suit against Samsung.

Sorry you're having so much trouble with yours. Hopefully the newer one will work trouble free for a long time to come.

I have an HLN56 and I feel your pain. I also have a 13 inch Goldstar that I bought when I was 8 years old for less than $200 and it still works fine, but I digress...

My color wheel is screeching something awful, I did find a site at one point that showed you step by step how to open up and change out all of the parts including the light engine. I lost that favorite in an ugly hard drive crash but I will spend some time to locate it again (EDIT - it's that Jangro site posted above, very detailed with pictures. Here is the color wheel part http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/). Also nice to see some of the info above about cleaning. I may give it a try when I've got time to take this thing apart.

Great picture for it's time, the new ones have such better black levels that I would not cry uncontrollably if I had to get another TV. Paying through the nose upfront just for something better to come along is the life of the early adopter. It's why I refused to get involved in the high def DVD war.

My HLN50 started squealing some and had a dying bulb toward the end of the 4 year extended warranty. After getting it fixed I have moved it to the bedroom where it gets far less use and should go for a lot longer than another 4 years. I wonder how many others are taking this approach.

I have the HLN617W and I still love the picture quality. The only thing I had to replace was the color wheel.

I have a Samsung HLN4663 and recently when it's been sitting off for awhile and I turn it on it will stay on for a few seconds to a few minutes then turn off. Then I turn it back on and again it will turn itself off. I go through this cycle five to ten times before it finally stays on.

Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

Probably the bulb. The bulb going bad has multiple symptoms.

I am just about to take my HLN 507W1 apart to put in a new color wheel and bulb. I want to blow compressed air into the innards to clean out the dust. I am afraid that the dust might end up in the wrong place, like on the inside of the screen.
Should I be worried?

I have a 5 year old HLN-467 that has been trouble free over 8,000 hours since replacing the innards a couple months after purchase. I have my HD DVR hooked to the DVI input and have been using my Xbox 360 hooked up through component for a couple of years. I recently got the 360 HD DVD ad-on and decided to hook it up via the VGA input. The results were not good: dull colors and overly dark picture (even after a calibration using DVE). I have switched back to component, but am unsure what may be causing this issue. Is there something that I might be missing with VGA input (setting tweak)? Anyone have a 360 hooked up via the VGA to an HLN model with good results?

Just replaced my second lamp in my HLN617W. This one lasted 40 months and 6720 hours. Any thoughts on getting a backup lamp right away? Any concern that the lamps may be hard to get in another 3 years? No other problems except replacing the color wheel 3 years ago. Picture is just as bright and beautiful today with the new lamp as it was the day it was delivered. Great TV so far.

Good question on the lamp. Maybe someone more experienced can chime in here to tell us if other sets are using the same lamps. If so then I imagine that they will be available for many years to come. Pricing on the other hand could go higher if they are unique to this model. I too have the same set and after my lamp change a few months back the set looked great and still does. ;)

Just replaced my second lamp in my HLN617W. This one lasted 40 months and 6720 hours. Any thoughts on getting a backup lamp right away? Any concern that the lamps may be hard to get in another 3 years? No other problems except replacing the color wheel 3 years ago. Picture is just as bright and beautiful today with the new lamp as it was the day it was delivered. Great TV so far.

I went ahead and purchased another lamp for my DLP. There's comfort in knowing I have a back-up ready and waiting. Only concern is that the new lamp has a 30 day warranty and I have no way of verifying that the lamp is good unless I swap out the one I just replaced. It looks fine from a visual inspection, so I stored it away for use 4 years from now.

What does 30 warranty mean? Anyway you are just as likely to need a new ballast and color wheel too.

What does 30 warranty mean? Anyway you are just as likely to need a new ballast and color wheel too.

I had my second replacement (3rd overall) color wheel installed in mid-2005 on my HLN507W. Tomorrow I'm having my second replacement DMD assembly installed and I already have my second replacement video board. Never had a ballast issue.

I'm currently using my original lamp and it has over 7K hours on it. Back in 2005 when it had just under 7K hours we thought it was failing (turned out to be the video board and DMD board) and we replaced it. Got just short of 12,000 hours out of the replacement. If you don't turn your set on and off frequently (i.e., you leave it on for long time periods) the lamps last a long, long time and should be the least of anyone's worries with a Sammy DLP. OTOH, my 5 year warranty ends this month, so the next breakdown costing more than $100 will probably send this HDTV to the bone yard. However, I expect to get another 5 years use out of it since it will move to secondary usage status by the end of the year (new 52" LCD for XMas is the plan).

All in all it is a good HDTV when it is working. Great color depth and saturation. Great viewing angles without loss of color and contrast. Great HDTV for a room with lots of windows. Its only PQ shortcoming is terrible black reproduction. I think it was the best buy I could have made back in July 2003, but man, $3,600 sure seems like a lot of money for basically a five year TV. Just my 2 cents.

After twice in the shop and still failing I just junked mine. You can get a 50" Panasonic plasma now for $1,300 with a much better picture. No more throwing good money after bad.

I was pretty happy with my HLN567W until the dentist drill color wheel started. At first not a big deal but now it's way too loud. I have the page to order one (http://www.partstore.com/GetModel.aspx?MfgName=Samsung&BrandName=Samsung&ModelNumber=HLN567W&PartCategoryName=&Keywords=color+wheel&x=0&y=0)
but they list two different part numbers. Looking at the instructions it also seems to be quite an ordeal to replace it and I consider myself mechanically inclined. CEBII is correct the black level is awful and really the biggest failing. I have had my eye on one Samsung LCD and a few Panny and Pio plasmas. Again, to agree with CEBII, I feel like I spent way too much for a "disposable" tv. I still have an old Goldstar tube tv that I bought with my own allowance at 8 years old. I'm 32 and that tv still works, I put it in one of my rental properties this past November and it still works fine. Every year there is a new enhancement tech, every year a new contrast ratio, even talk now of OLED actually making it to prime time. Enough already. Figure out the next 30 year platform and produce it reliably. The current crop of sets all have issues imho.

which lamps are you guys replacing with? and does the brand matter. i have 5800 on mine and can tell that it isnt as bright.

which lamps are you guys replacing with? and does the brand matter. i have 5800 on mine and can tell that it isnt as bright.

I used this source.

http://www.samsungparts.com/search/search.asp#

Good news, looks like the price is down since I last purchased a lamp. Be sure to verify the lamp code on you TV and lamp before ordering a replacement. Some of the original lamps are no longer available and require a specific replacement. You must be sure you order the correct lamp.

also checked samsung parts recently and found it to be less than the link I posted above. I have decided to try another lamp and color wheel to avoid buying what I really want at this point - Pioneer Elite Plasma. Hopefully the new parts get me back to as happy as I was when I first got this HLN. Back then it was pretty good, VERY bright, but the blacks were never all that.

also checked samsung parts recently and found it to be less than the link I posted above. I have decided to try another lamp and color wheel to avoid buying what I really want at this point - Pioneer Elite Plasma. Hopefully the new parts get me back to as happy as I was when I first got this HLN. Back then it was pretty good, VERY bright, but the blacks were never all that.

And unless you have a room without any natural light source, a plasma won't be the end all either. I'm frustrated because the best big screen LCDs now have glossy, reflective screens that would be a nightmare in my family room. Matte screen was one of the big selling points for the Sammy DLP 5 for us years ago

Recently had nearly all of the internals of my Sammy HLN507W DLP replaced under warranty repair (didn't fix the original issue, but that's another story and not related to my concern here). After getting a new video board (firmware upgraded to T-B3K6101-309, 9/29/2003), a new analog board, and a new light engine (including lamp, ballast, DMD board, & color wheel), under warranty repair, the old DLP seemed to be back to new as far as watching good quality HD broadcasts (e.g., OTA Today and Tonight Shows, live OTA sports, Starz & Cinemax HD from Dish). BTW, we view all content via DVI.

The problem seems to be when viewing SD content, particularly older movies, on various Dish channels (this even applies to TNT HD movies and some SciFi upscaled HD movies). In darker scenes, the Sammy doesn't seem to be able to resolve gray or shadow areas in the scene and instead shows a constantly changing purple/magenta blotch instead of the darker (not black) area. Also seems to affect skin tones in some scenes (same magenta pixillation). I've tried to adjust this out with the User's Custom PQ adjustments to no avail. I've never had the set ISF calibrated in the 5 years I've owned it, but also never couldn't just adjust the PQ to my liking with the User menu. BTW, the wife also thinks that there is just more red in all the PQ than before, but I can't say for sure because the change in lamp and internals made sure a sharpness difference in the picture, that I don't think we would have noticed too much red before the change.

The wife thinks there is something wrong with the new hardware installed, but I really don't want to go down that route yet as the original repair work involved over half a dozen tech visits over two months and a BBB complaint. I really don't want to start something with those folks again unless I'm pretty sure it is a hardware issue that they can be held responsible for.

It seems to smack of the color wheel timing issue, but wouldn't a complete light engine with color wheel, DMD, and mirrors already be synchronized? Could it be just a calibration issue? I really don't want to mess with the Service Menu as I don't have any equipment except my eyes. I did set the Custom PQ in the User Menu with a THX video setup, which worked for me in the past.

Comments and suggestions (other than replace the Sammy)?

I know that going into the Service Menu might be intimidating, but you really do not have much choice. It's nothing to be afraid of though. :eek:

There are many good posts on how to calibrate these things and as long as you don't change anything not mentioned you will be OK.

I just recently calibrated my HLN 617W and even though I felt that the TRUE calibration levels were a little too dark for me, I was also able to easily brighten it up and make it look really good.

This web site has a great deal of good information on the subject and if you follow it closely you will be able to get good grey scale on your TV. http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10457

The document I have attached is also very good for a DIY calibration. I have used it and it should get your reds in line.

Just make sure that for every service menu screen that you go into that you write down ALL the settings before you change anything!!!! That way if you don't like something you can always get back to where you are right now. Go slow, be patient, have fun! Only calibrate those connections that you use. In my case I only use component and DVI. They are independent of each other. So what you tweak in one will not affect the other. You should be able to do all the tweaking in the DDP1010 menu for both inputs. Just select which input on the TV you will be working in and then make your adjustments. If you fix the red problem in DVI and it is still apparent in component (or whichever) then you will have to make the adjustment on that input also.

If by some chance you are trying to fix your component connection and the DDP1010 menu will not get it quite right, you can always use the AD9883:Component 2, 3, 480p menu to make similar adjustments. Again make sure to write down all your settings before changing anything.

Attachment???

I know that going into the Service Menu might be intimidating, but you really do not have much choice. It's nothing to be afraid of though. :eek:

There are many good posts on how to calibrate these things and as long as you don't change anything not mentioned you will be OK.

I just recently calibrated my HLN 617W and even though I felt that the TRUE calibration levels were a little too dark for me, I was also able to easily brighten it up and make it look really good.

This web site has a great deal of good information on the subject and if you follow it closely you will be able to get good grey scale on your TV. http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10457

The document I have attached is also very good for a DIY calibration. I have used it and it should get your reds in line.

Just make sure that for every service menu screen that you go into that you write down ALL the settings before you change anything!!!! That way if you don't like something you can always get back to where you are right now. Go slow, be patient, have fun! Only calibrate those connections that you use. In my case I only use component and DVI. They are independent of each other. So what you tweak in one will not affect the other. You should be able to do all the tweaking in the DDP1010 menu for both inputs. Just select which input on the TV you will be working in and then make your adjustments. If you fix the red problem in DVI and it is still apparent in component (or whichever) then you will have to make the adjustment on that input also.

If by some chance you are trying to fix your component connection and the DDP1010 menu will not get it quite right, you can always use the AD9883:Component 2, 3, 480p menu to make similar adjustments. Again make sure to write down all your settings before changing anything.

So you are thinking that my purple pixelation is a calibration problem and not a hardware problem, correct? What about a color wheel timing problem, possible?

Thanks for the link and the attachment. The stuff on the link seems to go pretty far (purchased software and hardware) and if the cost gets near $300, then it might just be easier to get an ISF calibration from one of the local stores. I think I'll give the attachment a go and see if it alleviates the problem.

It seems to smack of the color wheel timing issue, but wouldn't a complete light engine with color wheel, DMD, and mirrors already be synchronized? Could it be just a calibration issue? I really don't want to mess with the Service Menu as I don't have any equipment except my eyes. Could be both color wheel timing and calibration. I have done both by eye, and got close enough to an instrumented calibration.

If you carefully follow the technique I posted here... HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358), you can do pretty well at no cost (except the calibration disk). This covers the timing as well.

It is rather strange that the "purple blotch" problem only occurs on SD content on Dish channels. Is SD and HD coming through the same DVI input on the TV... and from the same tuner?

Gary

Could be both color wheel timing and calibration. I have done both by eye, and got close enough to an instrumented calibration.

It is rather strange that the "purple blotch" problem only occurs on SD content on Dish channels. Is SD and HD coming through the same DVI input on the TV... and from the same tuner?

Gary

Everything we watch on this Sammy is currently received via the DVI connection. There are a few DVDs which we watch on Component 1 in 480p, but I haven't watched a whole one of those since the refurbishment of the Sammy. The primary source is a Dish 211 HD receiver. The worst offenders are old movies (e.g., Halloween last night on, I think, IFC and Hook on TNTHD). It is as though the source doesn't have enough data for the Sammy to properly resolve the color for that portion of the picture. Very obvious in background shading / shadowing in these old movies. OTOH, Fox News, which is SD doesn't seem to have problems like that. But, then, they are a live or video tape broadcast that doesn't generally have the shadowed images in the first place.

Everything we watch on this Sammy is currently received via the DVI connection. There are a few DVDs which we watch on Component 1 in 480p, but I haven't watched a whole one of those since the refurbishment of the Sammy. The primary source is a Dish 211 HD receiver. The worst offenders are old movies (e.g., Halloween last night on, I think, IFC). It is as though the source doesn't have enough data for the Sammy to properly resolve the color for that portion of the picture. Very obvious in background shading / shadowing in these old movies. OTOH, Fox News, which is SD doesn't seem to have problems like that. But, then, they are a live or video tape broadcast that doesn't generally have the shadowed images in the first place. If the input doesn't change, then it seems as though the SD source material (or the tuner) is at fault. The only other thing I could suggest, is that the TV's black-level calibration has changed. Previously, the TV may have hidden the "purple blotches" by cutting them off (crushing them) to black.

Check your black level by finding a good HD channel that is showing a movie with black bars (top & bottom). In a pitch-dark room, get really close to the screen, and turn the Brightness up until you see DLP dithering (moving pixels) in the black bars. What color did the bars become as the Brightness increased? Purple, by any chance? Now turn the Brightness down until the dithering just disappears to black. Check the SD channels again, and let us know if they improved, or worsened.

Gary

If the input doesn't change, then it seems as though the SD source material (or the tuner) is at fault. The only other thing I could suggest, is that the TV's black-level calibration has changed. Previously, the TV may have hidden the "purple blotches" by cutting them off (crushing them) to black.

Check your black level by finding a good HD channel that is showing a movie with black bars (top & bottom). In a pitch-dark room, get really close to the screen, and turn the Brightness up until you see DLP dithering (moving pixels) in the black bars. What color did the bars become as the Brightness increased? Purple, by any chance? Now turn the Brightness down until the dithering just disappears to black. Check the SD channels again, and let us know if they improved, or worsened.

Gary

Got a good HD movie on HDNet last night and tried the Brightness test you suggested. DLP dithering started in the 60s with gray, but as Brightness approached 90 it turned to purple. Turned the Brightness down to where the dithering just disappeared and checked the PQ. It did improve a bit.

Note, my wife has pointed out to me that the problem isn't limited to SD content. She showed me where the purple shadows also exist in HD movies and similar content. The only place I haven't seen it is on live broadcasts in SD or HD. Turning the Brightness down did help alleviate some of the purple shadowing. I also reduced the Color level and also improved things a bit. My wife pointed out that generally the PQ is just too Red and I can't reduce that with the Color level or other controls. Guess I need to deal with the Service Menu.

Thanks for the tip on Brightness.

Attachment???

Thanks for your suggestions. This obviously takes a calibration disk of some type. I have a DVE, but no color filters for it and it is difficult to move to the parts that you want to work with. It doesn't lend itself to the calibration sequence described.

I tried calibrating the Component 1 480p using a THX Optimizer and encountered some surprises. Changing settings in for Component 1 480p changed other settings that I actually didn't directly adjust, which may be alright. But, it also radically changed several settings for DVI. Fortunately I did write down the factory settings.

I was not pleased with the outcome on Component 1. It is way too dark and the colors are washed out. It might be okay for a pitch dark room, but in average lighting, it is poor. I think that the gamma setting of 0 is way too low for practical daily viewing. This Sammy is not a home theatre in the basement, it is a main TV in the family room on the main floor of the house.

Use GAMMA 2.
Remember that ALL calibration/tweaks you make in the Service Menu (SM) AUTOMATICALLY switches the User Menu (UM) to DYNAMIC.

So when you get things looking good in the SM and you return to the UM it will be in DYNAMIC mode. You can either leave it there or set it to more of your liking which creates a CUSTOM setting for you in the UM. Here again this works separately for DVI and component... both in the SM and the UM.

Note, my wife has pointed out to me that the problem isn't limited to SD content. She showed me where the purple shadows also exist in HD movies and similar content.

My wife pointed out that generally the PQ is just too Red and I can't reduce that with the Color level or other controls. Guess I need to deal with the Service Menu. OK, this confirms that the issue is not source-dependent, so Service Menu it is! Your problem is very common... The primary colors on many displays, DLP included, track pretty badly at near-black levels.

I went through 3 or 4 light engines and they all had a similar issue (close to black, one was purple, one was blue, one was green). I calibrated all of them very successfully using the technique in my calibration post. The procedure is straightforward, and the results are spectacular.

P.S. Be careful of using the THX Optimizer on DVD movies to calibrate. Some of them are inaccurate.

Gary

Thanks for your suggestions. This obviously takes a calibration disk of some type. I have a DVE, but no color filters for it and it is difficult to move to the parts that you want to work with. It doesn't lend itself to the calibration sequence described. DVE is an excellent calibration disk, in spite of the difficult navigation. You do not need the filters, except for checking saturation, and the color decoder (which DVE does not have a test pattern for).

The document jaseman posted was my original calibration process, which is now out of date. I have updated the process multiple times, and posted it here: HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358).

Gary

Use GAMMA 2.
Remember that ALL calibration/tweaks you make in the Service Menu (SM) AUTOMATICALLY switches the User Menu (UM) to DYNAMIC.

So when you get things looking good in the SM and you return to the UM it will be in DYNAMIC mode. You can either leave it there or set it to more of your liking which creates a CUSTOM setting for you in the UM. Here again this works separately for DVI and component... both in the SM and the UM.

Thanks, I'll try Gamma at 2.

I realize that the Sammy defaults to Dynamic after a visit to the SM, and that wasn't a problem. What was of concern in my experiment with Component 1 (480p) was that some things that changed in the Component 1 DNIe menu for Component 1 (some things that I adjusted and some things that changed as a result of my adjustments) showed up in the DNIe menu for DVI. Thus, the menus for Component 1 (480p) and DVI aren't really totally independent. That really concerned me, but fortunately I have the factory settings recorded and I was able to return those items to factory.

BTW, in my panic regarding unexpected changes to the DVI DNIe settings due to my changes to the Component 1 DNIe settings, I failed to record just which items changed in DVI. Next time I try this I'll make a record and report on the items changed.

OK, this confirms that the issue is not source-dependent, so Service Menu it is! Your problem is very common... The primary colors on many displays, DLP included, track pretty badly at near-black levels.

I went through 3 or 4 light engines and they all had a similar issue (close to black, one was purple, one was blue, one was green). I calibrated all of them very successfully using the technique in my calibration post. The procedure is straightforward, and the results are spectacular.

P.S. Be careful of using the THX Optimizer on DVD movies to calibrate. Some of them are inaccurate.

Gary

Thanks, the problem does now seem all pervasive. So do you think that color wheel delay could still be an issue or do you think that is unlikely since the color wheel was a part of the light engine replacement?

My wife is still riding the hardware issue since any warranty on the work performed in July will soon run out. She thinks color wheel, but I think that any color wheel problems we've had in the past involved mechanical failures that were quite noisy. This color wheel is the smoothest and quietest color wheel of the 4 we've had in this Sammy. I'm leaning toward setup, but if I was 100% sure I'd probably try to talk her into popping for an ISF calibration. Given that I'm only about 80% sure it is setup, I'll continue with trying to calibrate it myself.

I'll leave the THX Optimizer for tuning in the User Menu. I'm using the one that came with Star Wars Episode III. It did well for me in User Menu calibration of the original hardware, but it is overwhelmed with the current issues.

DVE is an excellent calibration disk, in spite of the difficult navigation. You do not need the filters, except for checking saturation, and the color decoder (which DVE does not have a test pattern for).

The document jaseman posted was my original calibration process, which is now out of date. I have updated the process multiple times, and posted it here: HLN Calibration Crash-Course (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358).

Gary

Thanks, I'll try using your updated process documentation. I really struggled most with setting the IRE to 0 (black) and 100 (100% white). I just used the no image black screen of the Sammy (no video input to the Sammy) for IRE 0 (is that really an IRE 0?), but I couldn't come up with a good IRE 100. Will I find a 100% white screen somewhere on the DVE disk?

I found Gamma at 0 way too dark for a room with natural, though indirect, lighting during daylight hours. Is your calibration process somehow invalidated if Gamma is set to a higher number? I wish picking Gamma was easy like it is on my Mac where I can just view my options, which are identified by a description rather than just a number, and can pick which I like most.

It is also a pain that in the User Menu, you only get to adjust Color for inputs other than analog (480i). No Tint adjustment. This is part of the reason that I can't do much in the User Menu to compensate for what is going on with the new hardware.

Thanks again for the updated reference.

Thanks, the problem does now seem all pervasive. So do you think that color wheel delay could still be an issue or do you think that is unlikely since the color wheel was a part of the light engine replacement? Yes, color wheel delay could still be an issue. The DELAY setting is reset in firmware when changing a light engine. If the Service Technician neglected to set the delay, it could be significantly off. I went through 4 light-engine replacements, and only once did the guy know to set it. Until I discovered that the delay was off, the picture was HORRIBLE, and couldn't be calibrated. The default DELAY value is 223, but it changed with Samsung's new color wheel.

Gary

Thanks, I'll try using your updated process documentation. I really struggled most with setting the IRE to 0 (black) and 100 (100% white). I just used the no image black screen of the Sammy (no video input to the Sammy) for IRE 0 (is that really an IRE 0?), but I couldn't come up with a good IRE 100. Will I find a 100% white screen somewhere on the DVE disk?

I found Gamma at 0 way too dark for a room with natural, though indirect, lighting during daylight hours. Is your calibration process somehow invalidated if Gamma is set to a higher number? I wish picking Gamma was easy like it is on my Mac where I can just view my options, which are identified by a description rather than just a number, and can pick which I like most.

It is also a pain that in the User Menu, you only get to adjust Color for inputs other than analog (480i). No Tint adjustment. This is part of the reason that I can't do much in the User Menu to compensate for what is going on with the new hardware.

Thanks again for the updated reference. No. You can't use a "no image" screen. DVE has a black level pattern with groups of 3 black bars. Set Brightness so that the DLP dithering just stops on the black background. One of the 3 bars is "blacker-than-black" and should completely disappear. DVE also has a "Gray Steps & Ramps" pattern, which has dots to mark the Black (0%) and White (100%) levels. No below-black steps should be visible. Set Contrast so that the above-white steps are just distinguishable from each other (just before being crushed into white).

If you're calibrating grayscale by eye, the "Gray Steps & Ramps" pattern is the best one to use, allowing you to see the results across the entire black to white spectrum at once.

Gamma 2 is the default setting from the factory, but it is inaccurate, and contributes to problems in dark scenes. However, if the TV is primarily used in daylight conditions, then Gamma 2 may be OK.

Bear in mind that anytime you change Gamma, you MUST recalibrate, or else the picture will look too dark/bright, etc.

If you're going to try the calibration yourself, it is imperative that you follow the calibration procedure EXACTLY. If you go back and change something like Gamma, you need to resume the calibration from that step onward.

Tint is definitely not the right adjustment for the issue you are seeing. Fixing the color wheel delay and the grayscale is the answer.

Gary

Yes, color wheel delay could still be an issue. The DELAY setting is reset in firmware when changing a light engine. If the Service Technician neglected to set the delay, it could be significantly off. I went through 4 light-engine replacements, and only once did the guy know to set it. Until I discovered that the delay was off, the picture was HORRIBLE, and couldn't be calibrated. The default DELAY value is 223, but it changed with Samsung's new color wheel.

Gary

The factory setting for my DELAY is 224, assuming that the correct parameter is the DELAY under menu DDP1010. The fellow who replaced the light engine in my Sammy was very hardware knowledgeable, but really didn't know much about what showed up on the screen or the SM. I'm sure he didn't have a Color Analyzer and I doubt he was even aware of color wheel delay. These guys are all becoming like modern auto technicians. They are just component or module replacers.

In the posts regarding resetting the DELAY by eye, what Red screen is being referred to for looking for the edges of the magenta/orange shift?

No. You can't use a "no image" screen. DVE has a black level pattern with groups of 3 black bars. Set Brightness so that the DLP dithering just stops on the black background. One of the 3 bars is "blacker-than-black" and should completely disappear. DVE also has a "Gray Steps & Ramps" pattern, which has dots to mark the Black (0%) and White (100%) levels. No below-black steps should be visible. Set Contrast so that the above-white steps are just distinguishable from each other (just before being crushed into white).

If you're calibrating grayscale by eye, the "Gray Steps & Ramps" pattern is the best one to use, allowing you to see the results across the entire black to white spectrum at once.

Gamma 2 is the default setting from the factory, but it is inaccurate, and contributes to problems in dark scenes. However, if the TV is primarily used in daylight conditions, then Gamma 2 may be OK.

Bear in mind that anytime you change Gamma, you MUST recalibrate, or else the picture will look too dark/bright, etc.

If you're going to try the calibration yourself, it is imperative that you follow the calibration procedure EXACTLY. If you go back and change something like Gamma, you need to resume the calibration from that step onward.

Tint is definitely not the right adjustment for the issue you are seeing. Fixing the color wheel delay and the grayscale is the answer.

Gary

With the 100% white, I was attempting to use the S_CT(DDP) text to adjust (per the Calibration Crash Course), but for that I have to have the white (red) background that is being adjusted behind the text. Seems like the available whites (reds) aren't anywhere near the text so the adjustment is a guess for me. I'm wading my way through the DVE disk today (I got this disk by chance when some technician left it in the DVD drawer of the DVDR I was having factory repaired, so I really haven't spent much time with it in the past.)

My factory setting for Gamma is 4. Looking at the Gamma 0 for the sloppy calibration attempt I made yesterday for Component 1, it doesn't look too bad using the slides and videos on the DVE disk. It really looked dark and color washed with the Star Wars DVD I looked at yesterday. I may give Gamma 0 or 1 another shot here.

With the 100% white, I was attempting to use the S_CT(DDP) text to adjust (per the Calibration Crash Course), but for that I have to have the white (red) background that is being adjusted behind the text. If you use the DVE "Gray Steps & Ramps" pattern to set Contrast as I described above, you do not need to use a 100% white field or the S_CT(DDP) text.

Gary

In the posts regarding resetting the DELAY by eye, what Red screen is being referred to for looking for the edges of the magenta/orange shift? A 100% red field. There is one on the "Avia" disk, and there should be one on "DVE" too.

Gary

If you use the DVE "Gray Steps & Ramps" pattern to set Contrast as I described above, you do not need to use a 100% white field or the S_CT(DDP) text.

Gary

Okay, thanks, I found the "Gray Steps & Ramps" with the dots in the reference charts on the DVE disk. I'll give that a go.

A 100% red field. There is one on the "Avia" disk, and there should be one on "DVE" too.

Gary

The whole screen is Red or there is a red block on the screen that responds to changes in the DELAY setting? So far the various color block charts I've found don't respond much to anything, so I'm struggling a bit here.

The whole screen is Red or there is a red block on the screen that responds to changes in the DELAY setting? So far the various color block charts I've found don't respond much to anything, so I'm struggling a bit here. The whole screen should be red. A color chart is probably too distracting. Do this in the dark to maximize your eye sensitivity.

To get the idea, hold the direction keys down and let the DELAY value increase and decrease wildly from the default. You should see the red color shifting to orange in one direction, and shifting to purple in the other direction.

Gary

The whole screen should be red. A color chart is probably too distracting. Do this in the dark to maximize your eye sensitivity.

To get the idea, hold the direction keys down and let the DELAY value increase and decrease wildly from the default. You should see the red color shifting to orange in one direction, and shifting to purple in the other direction.

Gary

I never found a whole red screen in DVE so I used a screen that had very large various colored bars. I was sort of able to see a shift at 226 going up and at 218 going down. I split the difference and moved the delay from 224 to 222. Very little change involved here, so I'm somewhat skeptical that DELAY was an issue at all.

I made the DELAY change in Component 1, but I believe that it carries over to all inputs. I'll look at our PQ from DVI tonight and see if there is any change in the purple shadows.

I left Component 1 (480p) Gamma at 0 and ran through the calibration procedure again, this time using the "Gray Steps & Ramps" from the DVE disk. I found that I couldn't tell pure grey from tinted gray by the time I was finished and I think that is reflected in my final product. I think I got brightness down pretty good and contrast maybe not as well. The hard part was the gray-scale matching with the greens and blues. I don't think this went very well as I was trying to control the affects of 4 variables while my sense of pure gray was leaving me.

The final product came out rather dark (I had the room about as dark as I could make it during daylight hours), with no pop to the colors, and an almost green hue to the PQ (even though Green_Gain wasn't input at a high level).

I'll give this one more go on Component 1 and see if I can improve things. Getting a good output on Component 1, my secondary usage input, is very important before I mess with the DVI input. The wife isn't happy with our current DVI PQ and if I change things to where she perceives that it is even worst, well, so much for domestic harmony.

Thanks for all of your help.

If you didn't already know it, AVS Forum had a backup glitch that wiped out all of the posts from 8/2 to 8/11 forever. If you had a question you were awaiting an answer to, please post it again.

We bought this TV on 8/38/03. On 11/30/06 our sound became bad on our TV. It also took a long time to come on. Had a Samsung authorized dealer come out and he replaced lamp and color wheel. If you are in Austin Area email me I would never use this company again. After the tech. left there were light areas on screen when TV is coming on and and when screen goes to black as your turn it off. Tech. had warned me it was very dusty inside my TV and by replace color wheel he might get dust on mirrors. Tech. came back out and took TV into his business and said he cleaned it inside thoroughly. After cleaning we have always had light area on the black screen but we had such a hard time getting the TV back from the tech. we have let it slide. The replace of the color wheel and lamp really made the TV look amazing again, just like new. Since we have had the repair I have tried to dust and vacumn behind the TV frequently but we live on a dirt road and we just can't keep the dust out of our house. A couple of days ago (today is 9/13/08) we were watching TV and the picture became a totally black background and the images on the TV were like outlined in white and distorted. We have tried a hard reset and the TV does work for several hours but will go out the three lights will be blinking (two green and one red) and we can't turn it off with remote or directly on the TV. The only way to get the TV to work is to do another hard reset. I am going to call another authorized Samsung dealer or Best Buy and talk to them about this problem. I was unaware when I purchased the TV of the dust problem. The TV's were brand new and I had to wait to get mine from the place I purchased it. So if anyone has experienced this problem please email me and I will post what happens with my phone calls. I also intend to contact Samsung directly.

We bought this TV on 8/38/03. On 11/30/06 our sound became bad on our TV. It also took a long time to come on. Had a Samsung authorized dealer come out and he replaced lamp and color wheel. If you are in Austin Area email me I would never use this company again. After the tech. left there were light areas on screen when TV is coming on and and when screen goes to black as your turn it off. Tech. had warned me it was very dusty inside my TV and by replace color wheel he might get dust on mirrors. Tech. came back out and took TV into his business and said he cleaned it inside thoroughly. After cleaning we have always had light area on the black screen but we had such a hard time getting the TV back from the tech. we have let it slide. The replace of the color wheel and lamp really made the TV look amazing again, just like new. Since we have had the repair I have tried to dust and vacumn behind the TV frequently but we live on a dirt road and we just can't keep the dust out of our house. A couple of days ago (today is 9/13/08) we were watching TV and the picture became a totally black background and the images on the TV were like outlined in white and distorted. We have tried a hard reset and the TV does work for several hours but will go out the three lights will be blinking (two green and one red) and we can't turn it off with remote or directly on the TV. The only way to get the TV to work is to do another hard reset. I am going to call another authorized Samsung dealer or Best Buy and talk to them about this problem. I was unaware when I purchased the TV of the dust problem. The TV's were brand new and I had to wait to get mine from the place I purchased it. So if anyone has experienced this problem please email me and I will post what happens with my phone calls. I also intend to contact Samsung directly.

Sounds like the classic Samsung DLP "freeze-melt" problem (my name for it). To fix it, a technician needs to replace the DMD and video boards as a minimum. Most would suggest replacing the "light engine" assembly and the video board. Even the minimum repair is pretty costly. While the consumer can probably safely replace the video board, I would strongly recommend against an amateur trying to replace the DMD board.

sub

Been going through the custom settings, but the question i wanted answered is not there, or atleast i dont find it.

I am not interested in the service menu customer settings value, instead, I would like some description on what each of these settings do. Where do you guys think i can find this ?

Any links would be very helpful.

Thanks
Narsi

Been going through the custom settings, but the question i wanted answered is not there, or atleast i dont find it.

I am not interested in the service menu customer settings value, instead, I would like some description on what each of these settings do. Where do you guys think i can find this ?

Any links would be very helpful.

Thanks
Narsi

Seeking to understand your question, do you mean a description of what each of the items in the Service Menu do?

Seeking to understand your question, do you mean a description of what each of the items in the Service Menu do?

Yep, that what I mean, I know i can play around with it and see what each of those does, but dont want to run the risk of fubaring the system in that process. Ideally atleast those properties that relate to video calibration, I would like some information.

Also FYI I have the Samsung HL-N507W DLP.

Thanks

Yep, that what I mean, I know i can play around with it and see what each of those does, but dont want to run the risk of fubaring the system in that process. Ideally atleast those properties that relate to video calibration, I would like some information.

Also FYI I have the Samsung HL-N507W DLP.

Thanks

One source for identifying what some of the variables in the Service Menu are can be found here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5120358&&#post5120358
My adventures in this arena can be found in this thread starting around Post #1700 or earlier.

Otherwise, the only thing I can suggest is that you purchase a Service Manual (available on-line for about $28). However, I can't guarantee that that topic will be covered in the Service Manual as I've never actually viewed a Service Manual for the HLN DLPs.

As to knowing how Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, etc. relate to calibrating your TV, the best source is a calibration DVD from Avia or DVE. They explain and provide the scales that allow adjustment of those settings (both User Menu and Service Menu adjustment). They don't necessarily tell you how to physically do it, just what you are affecting and the ideal you are trying to reach.