Great news, Big Dog. Sounds like Costco still takes care of its customers, unlike Best Buy.

FWIW, I've been saying lately that if I were to buy now, I'd probably go with LCD. I've been intriqued with D-ILA, but I'm afraid that a D-ILA is a DLP with more potential areas to have fail.

Congratulations!

I wonder if Samsung is backing these up somehow. I can't image Costco just giving away 3-4k.

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 believe people have stated it is located behind the screen.

The IR receiver IS behind the screen - actually close to the light engine. Unfortunately, they moved it to the Samsung circle for subsequent models.

I wonder if Samsung is backing these up somehow. I can't image Costco just giving away 3-4k.

This is Costco's policy across the board. If a product does not last "as long as you think it should" take it back for a full refund. They brag about it and back it up. They say this means you do not need to worry about extended warranties and such. As for their manufacturers like Samsung, I wonder if they do give something back to Costco in exchange for the defective set.

If the IR target is near the light engine, do you know if there is an easy way to get an IR emitter to that location? Do you know if you can get to it through the lamp replacement door on the HLN-567?

Thanks!

I don't think you can get to it easily through the lamp replacement door. Since the light engine was replaced several times on my TV, I had the opportunity to see the IR receiver. You might be able to get to it by removing the back panel, though, without actually removing the light engine.

Well, I guess I need to change my member name. Check out my tale of woe:

I bought my HLM507W in April 2003. I bought the extended warranty, which expired in April 2006. While the unit was covered under the extended warranty, I had to replace the color wheel. Cost, if not under warranty, +/- $500.

Then, after the warranty expired, the lamp went out. Okay, no room to gripe there -- it had 8192 hours on it. So, I replaced the lamp. Cost, including S&H, $250. Since it was out of warranty, I paid that.

That was in June of 2006. Almost immeditely after replacing the bulb, the picture went absolutely crazy -- frezing, rolling, scrambling -- the exact symptom of DMD failure. It only got worse.

Then, to top it off, the lamp, the new lamp, with 708 hours on it, failed. So, as of this minute, I am looking at a $750 DMD board and a $250 lamp, and the labor to install the DMD. Bottom line, this is a likely $15000-$2000 repair, including the lamp. Add that to the earlier lamp I bought and the replacement of the color wheel, and I have more in repairs to this 78 pund paperweight than the set cost new.

I called Samsung, and they laughed. They said that I should expect these problems because the TV is "old and out of warranty."

Unbelievable. The reason I did not buy Plasma in April of 2003 was because everyone said you wouldnt get 5 years out of one. I couldnt get 3.5 years out of a DLP! When I asked tech support why I should ever buy a new Samsung or recommend one to my friends, she laughed and told me she wouldnt own one either, based on my experience.

So, even though this board is technically about the HLN series, I know that potential Samusng DLp buyers check this board, and I would like to warn everyone -- be careful of DLP and avoid Samsung like the plague. Their product is crap, and their customer support is non existent.

Oh, BTW, I take delivery of my new Sony this Thursday. KDS-50A2000, with a 5 year service agreement for the grand total of $2500 after rebate. I will never ever own a Samsung product of any kind again, and I am making it my duty to my friends and everyone else to warn about Samsungs shoddy products and terrible customer support practices.

Anything with moving parts and "millions of mirrors" is an accident waiting to happen.

What is DMD? And what is the Sony? Plasma?

Is this a Samsung problem or a DLP problem? I wonder if lots of DLPs are prone to failures after 8000 hours of use due to the computers, moving parts etc? How many computers last for 8000 hours?

I do know one thing. I will strongly consider renewing my warranty with BestBuy when it expires next year.

My guess is none of these digital TVs will last anything like the CRTs of old.

I really can't imagine all these parts of a DLP holding up indefinitely. My guess is most folks will have problems after 8000 hours. How you put 8000 hours on in three years is foreign to me. I've had mine for three years and I have less than 2000 on mine which I think is the reason I haven't had problems. If you're going to have your TV on for 8-10 hours a day you need a workhorse and I don't think DLP is a good option. I admit this is hindsight but we can learn a lot from hindsight. I think the talk of the DLP being a unit that runs flawlessly as long as the bulb is replaced has proven to be bunk.

Sea Ray, I think you are absolutely correct.

In an unscientific way to test my hypothesis I've started a new thread for DLP owners to chime in on their experiences. I'll be curious as to what "comes in".

In an unscientific way to test my hypothesis I've started a new thread for DLP owners to chime in on their experiences. I'll be curious as to what "comes in".

Well after the first day the responses to my thread about reliability of DLPs has really surprised me. As folks who frequent this thread know, people have posted here often about the many issues they're having with their Samsung DLP.

So far I've gotten 16 responses and none of them have had a significant problem. Their experience ranging from one month to 10,000 hours. Unanimous. Everyone is pleased with their DLP and the "consensus" is that Samsung makes a good DLP but Toshiba makes shotty ones.

I hope more people chime in but after reading this thread I am amazed that I haven't had more folks complaining about their DLP.

My motive here is too fold. Number one, I'd like to know if my experience has been good fortune or whether it is the norm. And number two, as people ask me "what should I buy" I want to give them an idea of what to expect from a DLP.

Can you post the link to your thread?

Can you post the link to your thread?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=737822

Hey folks... been a member a while, just not a poster. I had a an HLN617W1 for less than a year about two or three years ago and had significant issues with: the projector lamp (and its replacement) and patches along the perimeter of the screen, specifically on the sides that were visible mainly on a stark white screen. The unit was purchased at PC Richards however I was quickly sent to Samsung with my concerns. Samsung was speedy in their remedy -- a brandy new unit!

Much to my surprise when it arrived it was an HLP6163WX. I have had this unit since and to this day put it against virtually ANY, and I mean ANY DLP or LCD projection unit commercially available. Aside from paying to much to be a first to have, this may in fact be the best tech purchase I have ever made in terms of happiness over time.

In case anyone cares I have the set paired with a B&K 507 playing through Vienna Acoustic Mozart's in front, a VA Maestro center and Cambridge Soundworks S300's in the back.

Ah yes, one more thing: I have a mint condition, completely unspindled and utterly unopened Users Guide for: HLN467W1/HLN567W1/HLN4365W1/HLN5065W1/HLN437W1/HLN507W1/HLN617W1.

I'd be happy to send that off to a needy soul for $1.00 plus postage. If you are interested send me a message.

Rob

My HLN507W is acting up... luckily I've still got 2 years on the warranty. They replaced the light engine in August to fix a loud color wheel. In the past week or two, it's been having trouble turning on... sometimes taking several minutes. I can hear the fan and/or color wheel spinning up, then down, then up again a few times before it finally comes on. A couple of times, I've gotten the dreaded 3-blinking-lights (requiring an unplug to clear).

So I called Tweeter where I bought it and it seems that they've outsourced the warranty to "Aon Warranty Group". The screen was blank when I called them but during our call, the TV finally came on. So we went through an unplug and turn-on cycle and everything seemed OK.

Their recommendation... unplug it for 8 hours tonight and see if that clears the problem.

So... to you DLP owners... is that valid advice or total BS?

-Steve

Did they give you a new bulb when they replaced the light engine? I had the same long startup, occasional blinking lights, etc., then I replaced the bulb and everything has been fine since then (April).

Steve,

Sounds to me, too, like a lamp on its last legs. If you are under the Tweeter extended warranty, you get one free lamp replacement. Give it another week -- it probably won't light off at all. This is exactly what happened to my nearly 3-year-old set last spring.

That's what I thought (dying bulb) and that the "unplug for 8 hours" thing is total BS.

As far as the Tweeter extended warranty goes, I had them write it into the contract (it's on the receipt) that the 5 year extended warranty includes bulb replacements, so I shouldn't be limited to just one (and yes, when they replaced the light engine, I'm pretty sure a new bulb went in with it).

-Steve

A lamp shouldn't go that quickly, unless you've had it on 24 hours a day. But anything can happen.

My HLN507W is acting up... luckily I've still got 2 years on the warranty. They replaced the light engine in August to fix a loud color wheel. In the past week or two, it's been having trouble turning on... sometimes taking several minutes. I can hear the fan and/or color wheel spinning up, then down, then up again a few times before it finally comes on. A couple of times, I've gotten the dreaded 3-blinking-lights (requiring an unplug to clear).

So I called Tweeter where I bought it and it seems that they've outsourced the warranty to "Aon Warranty Group". The screen was blank when I called them but during our call, the TV finally came on. So we went through an unplug and turn-on cycle and everything seemed OK.

Their recommendation... unplug it for 8 hours tonight and see if that clears the problem.

So... to you DLP owners... is that valid advice or total BS?

-Steve

Aon will do anything and everything to not honor the warranty. My light engine died after 2.5 years. Aon actually had me unplug for 24 hours. Beyond that, after they confirmed I needed a service tech, the simply closed my ticket with a comment that there are no authorized service techs in my area. I'm in one of the 5 boroughs of NYC.
I called Harvey's Electronics from which I purchased and they had to broker a service call to Samsung so I could get service. When the Samsung tech replaced the light engine, I had to pay the tech 1800.00 dollars, then Harvey's had to fight with Aon to reimburse me the money.
From this fiasco which had me pulling my hair out for weeks, Harvey's decided to switch warranty companies.
If you care to see how often this happens, just do a simple search for Aon at the Better Business Bureau web site. When this was happening for me, there were about 36 complaints in a 3 month period.

Good luck.

That's exactly the impression I got when I was on the phone with them... that they just wanted to jerk me around and do anything to avoid actually fixing the problem.

The funny thing is, the TV seems to be behaving properly now... of course I'd be shocked if unplugging it was the fix and not just a coincidence. The moment it hiccups, I'll be back on the phone with them.

-Steve

My 2 year old Samsung DLP (HLP4673) just had a bulb die last week (12/15). I have an extended warranty through Tweeters that covers one bulb replacement. My issue is that the service department was not open until Mon 12/18 and I was then told my bulb would not arrive for 7-10 BUSINESS days.

This stinks as I am without my TV and have company for the holidays.

I did not realize that the warranty doesn't not cover in-home installation. I also think it is rotten that the service center for tweeter does not stock these bulbs or at least provide expeditited shipping.

Has anyone had experience with tweeter extended warranty for bulb replacement? How long has it taken you to get your replacement bulb?

Had I known, I would have claimed a shot bulb a few omnths back, changed to the new replacement, and kept the old one on the shelf as a backup.

So far I have been without my TV for 1 1/2 weeks. I jsut hope the problem is in fact the bulb (have 3 blinking lights)

I have a PS3 that sends the signal via HDMI/DVI to the set but all I get is a black screen. I called Samsung they said the set was HDCP compliant, Had a tweeter tech come out (Under 5 year warranty)and he checked the unit out and said it was working fine. He wasn't sure about the HDCP compliance. I contacted Samsung and he said the tech he spoke with was sure the set was not compliant.

How do I prove my set is compliant and that it's just not working correctly?

PS the HLN617w does see the inputs, if I feed 720P it displays that res, if I send 1080i it says it's there I just get a black screen. Tech says thats because it's not HDCP.

Please help.
Sam

I have a PS3 that sends the signal via HDMI/DVI to the set but all I get is a black screen. I called Samsung they said the set was HDCP compliant, Had a tweeter tech come out (Under 5 year warranty)and he checked the unit out and said it was working fine. He wasn't sure about the HDCP compliance. I contacted Samsung and he said the tech he spoke with was sure the set was not compliant.

How do I prove my set is compliant and that it's just not working correctly?

PS the HLN617w does see the inputs, if I feed 720P it displays that res, if I send 1080i it says it's there I just get a black screen. Tech says thats because it's not HDCP.

Please help.
Sam

I think you'd be better off with a DVi to DVi cable. Something about the HDMI/DVI is screwing it up. I have DVI connected on my HLN and on my cable STB it will only allow output 720p. (I'd actually prefer a pass through but whatever). If I connect thru COMP I can set the various outputs to whatever, 1080i, 720p, etc.

I think the set is DVI compliant but not HDMI.

sgmcool,

Have you tried hooking the Playstation 3 up with component cables. I believe I read somewhere you had to run a software update on the Playstation 3 to get it to work on some DVI only sets.

-Rob

Also. Check out this link. The HLN is HDCP Compliant:

http://s95405675.onlinehome.us/digiupdate//G002_DVI_HDMI_and_HDCP.html

Also Also... From the Samsung support page:

Important: All Samsung TVs with DVI connectors are HDCP compliant. All Samsung TVs with HDMI connectors are HDCP compliant.

Also Also... From the Samsung support page:

Important: All Samsung TVs with DVI connectors are HDCP compliant. All Samsung TVs with HDMI connectors are HDCP compliant.
That must mean current Samsungs. I have a HLN507W DLP with DVI and HDCP is not mentioned in the manual.

the component cables work at least they did once. Very first time I hooked up by component it didn't work, but when the tweeter tech was here it worked. I haven't tried again since then.

I've tried a all three cable types A HDMI cable adapted with DVI, I tried DVI cable with a HDMI adapter, and a HDMI to DVI cable. None of which work. they all work fine on a
Mitsu projector.

Sam

Can you provide that link from samsung?

Here is a better answer from their site. If you go to this page and search for HDCP you will see this FAQ.

http://erms.samsungusa.com/customer/sea/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp
Why Does My TV Say It Is Not HDCP Compliant?

All Samsung DLPs except for the 2002 HLM series are HDCP compliant. If you have an HLM series DLP TV and you connect it to a video device that is HDCP compliant using a DVI cable, you will see a message saying the TV is not HDCP compliant. If you have an HLN, HLP, HLR, or HLS series DLP, and you see a message about HDCP compliance, it means that the video device (a DVD player or a cable box, for example) you have connected to your TV using a DVI or HDMI cable is not HDCP compliant or that its HDCP circuitry has been turned off.

OK so what's next. I have Samsung saying the set is HDCP compliant and I don't get the message they talk about, so what is the problem. Why a black screen? I know the PS3 is working via hdmi I know the cables are fine. the tv see's cables are connected. the tv knows a signals is there (otherwise it would say searching for signal) it's displays the resolution settings from the PS3.

So now what? Can i get this resolved with the extended warranty?

Does anyone who own's a HLN series tv input a HDCP signal via a HD DVD player or other? if so does it work using the DVI port?

Sam

Sam,

I have a playstation 3 on order. I will be trying to get it hooked up via the DVI port too. If no one gets back to you before then I will let you know how it goes.

-Rob

Great rob. Which HLN do you have? I have the HLN617W (HLN617WX/XAA).
When do you expect your PS3 to be in?

Sam

Does anyone who own's a HLN series tv input a HDCP signal via a HD DVD player or other? if so does it work using the DVI port?

Sam

Toshiba HDA1 hdmi-dvi to a HLN437/W1X. Aside from not passing BTB, it works fine.

Sam,
I have the HLN567W. I hope my Playstation 3 will be here within a week. I am really excited to get my hands on it.

-Rob

Toshiba HDA1 hdmi-dvi to a HLN437/W1X. Aside from not passing BTB, it works fine.What is BTB?

What is BTB?

Blacker than black.

Sam,

I just plugged my PS3 into the DVI port on my HLN567W and it came right up. I am using the hdmi to dvi cable that came with my Oppo DVD player. I think it is just a regular cable. The only setting change I made was to go from the default 480p to 720p.

Looks GREAT on the TV!

-Rob

Thanks guys, I'm sure it's my set now. I'm looking forward to the tech bringing a new board out. He said he was almost positive it wouldn't fix my set but I think he's wrong. I also noticed since I try to hook up the PS3 via component cables if the PS3 is switched from HDMI or Composite over to component the HLN says mode not supported. I have to go to another tv set it out to output via component then return and it will work.

I'll report once I get the new board in.
Thanks
Sam

Do you guys know what RGB range DVI port on this TV operates in, i.e. Cinema RGB or PC RGB?

I have an HLN 5065WX. Its had the bulb, light engine and color wheel replaced. The reason I am going to replace this set is the noisy light engine. I have a very good ht setup and during quiet passages I can hear the hum from the l.e. all the way to the couch. Hell, clear to the back of the room. The BB warranty guys say, "what noise?" Do any of you guys with later model sets have this problem. If this problem has been solved in later sets, I may consider the HLS 87 series, w/ 108-p. Thanks for any input...

I just got the dreaded 3 blinking lights. (Not bad since I bought it in 2003).

The service call is for Wednesday (I have an extended warranty, we'll see if Best Buy honors their pledge to pay for lamps).

Should I leave the three blinking lights on or unplug the machine until the service technician gets here (turning off the set doesn't seem to work).

Thanks,

Rich N.

Aon will do anything and everything to not honor the warranty.

They're giving me quite a run-around now. The bulb finally died in my HLN507W... it had been going south for a while, but I did their "unplug for 24 hour" thing, and that made it better temporarily (They KNOW it's dying, but I guess it's better for their business to put off fixing it for as long as possible so that maybe some of the customers will fall out of warranty by the time it does really die).

But now I'm fighting with them over whether the bulb is covered. You'd think they'd have a copy of the invoice, but they don't. It says on it, in plain English, "Warranty includes bulb replacement for 5 years". I told them last week that's what it said, and they told me someone would call me to schedule an appointment to fix the TV. No one called. Today I called back only to be told "We have determined that the bulb is not covered due to the age of your television." Huh? I've since faxed them a copy of the invoice and they said they'd call back when they got it. Still no call.

So yes, exactly true to what you said... they're doing everything in their power to not honor the warranty.

I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness the Patriots weren't in the game yesterday or else I would have been going bonkers without an HD set to watch it on.

-Steve

Hi all; Today a black dot appeared right in the center of my HLN467. My first thought was that I had some stuck mirrors but if I change inputs the black dot goes away. It is only there on component 3. If I switch to antenna it is gone, same for component 1 (my dvd). Could this be stuck mirrors? or is it something to do with my newish moxi dvr? (that is what is hooked up to component 3) Also, could it be dust in the light path or anything of that nature?

The fact that the the black dot disappears when you change inputs strongly suggests that the problem is with your video source (dvr) rather than your display device (the Samsung HLN).

Yeah that's what I thought. good news its not the tv! :) Bad news, I now get to deal with my cable companies custormer service :eek:

Try hooking up something else to that input to confirm that it is the source

I currently have a Samsung HLN617W1 TV and a Samsung SIR-TS360 DirecTV HD box. The box has a DVI output and the HLN has a DVI input. I have been watching both SD and HD via my DVI connection for close to 2.5 years.

I recently tried to upgrade my DirecTV box to a HD DVR - it didn't go so well. I knew that the DVR had a HDMI output, so i bought the adapter. When DirecTV was at my place yesterday, the box wouldn't work via the DVI input on the TV but it would work if the DVR to TV connection was component.

After some frustration, i indicated to the installer that i didn't want the upgrade at this point and DirecTV refunded everything over the phone no problem. I spoke to DirecTV tech (not customer service) and he indicated that he has not heard of this issue before and suggested i upgrade my TV. I wanted to do some more research before i place the order again, and it appears that this is the most knowledgable site i could find. I wanted to try here before i call Samsung.

So, my problem is that i want to use the DirecTV HD DVR box via my DVI input on my HLN but cannot with the current DVI cable and HDMI adapter i have. This leads to a few questions:

1. If i understand HDMI and DVI correctly, the HLN should be able to accept a HDMI output via a DVI cable w/ an adapter. Am I correct, or should the DVI cable be a specific type of DVI cable?

2. Is there an advantage to using a HDMI-DVI cable rather than a DVI cable w/ an adpater?

3. Is anybody on the board using the DirecTV HD DVR with a DVI input-only HLN?

4. Any other information and/or suggestions that anybody can provide me to help me solve my problem?

Any and all help would be very much appreciated. As an aside, i know that it's late, but i am very sorry to hear about the passing of Arun - i read a lot of his posts this morning and then came upon the news of his accident from 2004.

I am using both an HR 10-250 DirecTV HD Tivo and an HR 20-700 HD DVR with my HLN 5065 via DVI. They are hooked up through a 4 port Geffen DVI switch using DVI - HDMI cables into the switch. So far I have had no problems with connectivity with either unit.

I tried using a SA8000 HD from Comcast with my HLN617w1 via a DVI cable they gave me with the STB. It only comes up with a message "DVI Alert Your HDTV does not support HDCP blah blah use component cables"
Any ideas on this? I've been unable to find anyone with exactly this problem and a solution for it. Thanks.

Timdlp,

It may be the cable box. Does your cable company support the SA8300HD?

From Samsung:
Why Does My TV Say It Is Not HDCP Compliant?

All Samsung DLPs except for the 2002 HLM series are HDCP compliant. If you have an HLM series DLP TV and you connect it to a video device that is HDCP compliant using a DVI cable, you will see a message saying the TV is not HDCP compliant. If you have an HLN, HLP, HLR, or HLS series DLP, and you see a message about HDCP compliance, it means that the video device (a DVD player or a cable box, for example) you have connected to your TV using a DVI or HDMI cable is not HDCP compliant or that its HDCP circuitry has been turned off.

-Rob

I tried using a SA8000 HD from Comcast with my HLN617w1 via a DVI cable they gave me with the STB. It only comes up with a message "DVI Alert Your HDTV does not support HDCP blah blah use component cables"
Any ideas on this? I've been unable to find anyone with exactly this problem and a solution for it. Thanks.


Could be a "handshake" issue. Try turning them on in different "order."

When I see the HDCP message, I have to reboot my cable box. The key to staying away from the message, I ensure that my cable box is powered on before I power on the TV. I usually leave the cable box on 24/7 and just power the TV on and off.

Hope this helps.

Calibraited by Eliab (Awesome job!)If you have written a report about your calibration by Eliab I would like to include it in the list that is linked at the bottom of my post. :)

I have a HLN617W. It had the light engine replaced 3 times under warranty, but now that it is out of warranty, it has started making the dreaded buzz saw sound again.

I am wondering if I can order the parts and replace it myself, or if it needs to be handled by a service center. I am guessing if I need to get a service center involved that the labor plus parts is going to be high enough that I would be better off just replacing the whole thing.

Thoughts?

I have a HLN617W. It had the light engine replaced 3 times under warranty, but now that it is out of warranty
Thoughts?

My thoughts are as follows.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I'm not sure about thrice and on.

I have a HLN617W. It had the light engine replaced 3 times under warranty, but now that it is out of warranty, it has started making the dreaded buzz saw sound again.

I am wondering if I can order the parts and replace it myself, or if it needs to be handled by a service center. I am guessing if I need to get a service center involved that the labor plus parts is going to be high enough that I would be better off just replacing the whole thing.

Thoughts?Samsung replaced light engines when they could have replaced color wheels. Somewhere in this thread there are a couple of examples of owners replacing their own color wheels.

The problem is that the HLN color wheels, based on your experience, are still failing. You need to figure out how the cost of repair, if parts are available, compares to the cost of a new TV. With prices dropping it's getting harder to justify the cost of repair if it includes a $1000+ light engine.

Yeah, if it costs me $1k then it is a no brainer. But if I can get the part for $150 or $200 and fix it myself, then it saves me the hassle of trying to get rid of the thing and it should buy me another year or two.

Yeah, if it costs me $1k then it is a no brainer. But if I can get the part for $150 or $200 and fix it myself, then it saves me the hassle of trying to get rid of the thing and it should buy me another year or two.True -- if you can get it installed and running. It's been done.

Where do I start... I bought a HLM 5065w in Dec. 02. First question what is the difference between a HLN and HLM (probably some of you laughing right now). Secondly my Onkyo DVD receiver just died and I want to get a new DVD recorder/receiver. Any recommendations on the best kind, make , model to go with an HLM 5065. I've been dazzled by some of the new Plasma and LCD's but hate to dump my DLP after just 4 years. Thanks for any input.

Go to the first post in this thread and you can find out everything about the 2003 HLN sets. You've been living with an HLM for four years. It should be easy to figure out how they are different. You will not find any major differences except that most of the HLN sets have discrete commands that you can use with a universal remote.

Thanks. A wealth of information and help!

Thanks. A wealth of information and help!You're welcome. This thread was started by a very special person.

You will find that some of the external links no longer work. :o

My HLN5065 went through the dreaded color wheel high pitched whine problem. Since I could correct the problem by powering off the TV and powering it back on, I delayed reporting it through my extended warranty company. I know, dumb. So one day the color wheel noise went away and has not been back for months. Now I have a problem on cold starts (after being off for several hours) where it takes 45-50 seconds for the picture to show when turning it on. Any ideas? Could this still be a color wheel issue? I have less than 4K hours on the bulb. Picture quality is still great.

My HLN5065 went through the dreaded color wheel high pitched whine problem. Since I could correct the problem by powering off the TV and powering it back on, I delayed reporting it through my extended warranty company. I know, dumb. So one day the color wheel noise went away and has not been back for months. Now I have a problem on cold starts (after being off for several hours) where it takes 45-50 seconds for the picture to show when turning it on. Any ideas? Could this still be a color wheel issue? I have less than 4K hours on the bulb. Picture quality is still great.

If the only problem is it takes 45-50s to get a picture I wouldn't worry about it. I've never timed mine but I bet it takes 30s or so to get a picture on a cold start. If you're still covered by a warranty and it's free that's one thing, but if you're asking is it worth spending cash for a service visit whereas all you can tell them is it takes 45s for it to warm up, I say let it go and enjoy the great picture once it does come on.

Quick update on my color wheel issue:

I ordered the color wheel part from Herman Electronics and followed the instructions on this page: How to Replace Your Color Wheel in your Samsung DLP (http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/).

I did the surgery yesterday, and it wasn't all that bad. The only real tricky part was pulling the connector with the white/white/blue wires that is connected to the color wheel out of the the main board. But my wifes smaller hands got the job done. If you do attempt these surgery, take the suggestion mentioned in the instructions of just leaving that wire in there, and taking it off of the color wheel side.

I got everything put back together and booted it back up, and thought I really broke something, because it wasn't making any noise... But the picture came up and all was well. It is nice not to have the dentist drill sound anymore.

Now I have a problem on cold starts (after being off for several hours) where it takes 45-50 seconds for the picture to show when turning it on. Any ideas? As the lamps age it takes them longer to "strike" and come up to full brightness. As long as your image isn't getting a lot dimmer you are probably OK.

Hey Aaron -- Glad you were successful. Can you say what the new colorwheel cost and how long it took you to do the replacement? Was getting the focus and geometry very difficult?

Hey Aaron -- Glad you were successful. Can you say what the new colorwheel cost and how long it took you to do the replacement? Was getting the focus and geometry very difficult?

It was $113 for the part plus another $6 for the shipping. I got it from Herman Electronics which was mentioned much earlier in this thread. It looked like it was going to be cheaper from Samsung Parts, but they tacked on a shipping charge and a handling charge. The handling charge put me off and it made it a little more expensive in the long run, so I decided to boycott that site.

I think it took me somewhere between 2 and 3 hours. I had lunch in the middle of it, and spent a while trying to find a tiny screwdriver and pliers to try to get that little white connector out. So it really isn't all that bad. Just keep good track of the screws you take out, and the wires you unplug in the process. The instructions on that link I gave earlier were pretty good. The only thing that I would do different is reuse the white/white/blue cable from the older color wheel. I was afraid to do that this time, because you have to break part of the connector off, but after seeing which part breaks off, it is a non-issue.

The other somewhat tricky part was getting the foam to go back over the lense. I had my hands at an awkward angle and ended up touching the lense. It was dusty anyway, so this forced me to go get a microfibre cloth and clean the thing.

As far as focus and geometry go, I didn't have to do a thing. I am not really sure what you could mess up in the process that would cause you to have to change this. Everything either gets plugged back in, screwed in, or pushed in along a track. I know you have mentioned in previous posts about the potential for things getting misaligned, and this was one of the things I was worried about, but there were no issues during the process.

I came pretty close to giving this set away when the whining started again. But this fix was so cheap and easy enough, that even if this color wheel goes bad, I won't mind replacing it again.

I bought my HLN507W back Jan. 2004 and have been very happy with it. However, I've had an issue that I haven't seen mentioned here even after a quick search. Every few months when I hit the power button the set doesn't give me a picture for over a minute. It seems to reset itself and then gives me a sort of checkerboard pattern (with rectangles instead of squares). Usually it works fine after I restart the set but this weekend it wouldn't reset for me. I got audio and the checkerboard pattern but no useful picture. I also don't get the sound of the colorwheel spinning up. When I tried again on Sunday the set worked fine.
I have the extended warranty so I got a guy to come out to the house. But he refused to do anything until the set completely fails.

Does this sound familiar and/or consistent with a color wheel problem?

Thanks in advance.

No, it does not sound of the color wheel. That sounds like a processor (board) issue, not a mechanical issue like the wheel.

After fixing the color wheel, I got about 5 days out of my set before it decided it wants more work done. I hope it is just coincidence, but I lost the picture last night. I heard a very faint pop, then all went black, then we got the three blinking lights. I got it to come back on somewhat, but the picture was super dark.

I am hoping this is just a bulb and not related to the fix I implemented over the weekend. I went ahead and ordered up a new bulb last night. I was happy to see that the the current going rate for these is under $200.

Good times.

A "heads up" for anyone ordering a replacement lamp for their set: Samsung's documentation makes clear that several different and non-interchangeable lamps are used in these sets, and you should go by the sticker on the case near the lamp access door when you order your replacement.

HOWEVER, if you have ever had the entire Light Engine replaced as a unit, it is possible (as happened to me!) that the lamp assembly in your current Light Engine is different from the lamp assembly in your previous Light Engine, rendering the sticker on your case incorrect (unless your service tech thoughtfully updated the sticker -- which mine did not).

My suggestion, therefore, is that you actually pull the lamp and examine it before ordering a new one, if you have had your Light Engine replaced and this is your first lamp replacement.

Depending on which lamp is called for, you may also discover that one of the lamps Samsung originally used has been superseded and a different (but compatible) part must be ordered.

What exactly should you examine? When I had mine apart last week, I noticed there was a sticker on the lamp case that had a part number that matched the sticker on the outside of the set. Is this good enough or do I need to actually look at something on the bulb itself?

What exactly should you examine? When I had mine apart last week, I noticed there was a sticker on the lamp case that had a part number that matched the sticker on the outside of the set. Is this good enough or do I need to actually look at something on the bulb itself?
I replaced mine over a year ago now and my memory about it is getting a little fuzzy, but I think the number on the lamp holder assembly should be correct.

Anyone have a more recent experience they can relate (or have a memory sharper than mine?)

My HLN507W1 is over three years old but going strong. 7,000+ hours on original bulb, no repairs except for color wheel upgrade under warranty at 13 months. I visited my daughter and son in law last weekend and observed that the picture on their new Sony DLP was much crisper with superior contrast to my old Samsung.

This weekend I did a close evaluation of my HLN and determined that my picture was slightly hazy with internal light reflecting and bleeding from light to dark areas of the picture.

I then pulled out my trusty power screwdriver and proceeded to dismantle the front screen to examine the condition of the projection lense cover and rear mirror.
Both were quite dirty with dust and a hazy film appearance. I cleaned both with a damp microfiber cloth followed by a dry cloth. Reassembled everything and fired it up. Picture is outstanding!

I guess over the years I had not noticed the gradual degradation in picture quality. IMHO it is now superior to the Sony DLP.

My HLN507W1 is over three years old but going strong. 7,000+ hours on original bulb, no repairs except for color wheel upgrade under warranty at 13 months. I visited my daughter and son in law last weekend and observed that the picture on their new Sony DLP was much crisper with superior contrast to my old Samsung.

This weekend I did a close evaluation of my HLN and determined that my picture was slightly hazy with internal light reflecting and bleeding from light to dark areas of the picture.

I then pulled out my trusty power screwdriver and proceeded to dismantle the front screen to examine the condition of the projection lense cover and rear mirror.
Both were quite dirty with dust and a hazy film appearance. I cleaned both with a damp microfiber cloth followed by a dry cloth. Reassembled everything and fired it up. Picture is outstanding!

I guess over the years I had not noticed the gradual degradation in picture quality. IMHO it is now superior to the Sony DLP.

How many screws did you have to remove and where were they located?

People have also lined the inside of the cabinet with dark cloth, forgot what it's called. But they do it so there's not as much light bouncing around inside, making the "black" areas blacker.

This originated with the big CRT RPTVs.

Good information, though. I might check that out and see about taking mine apart.

IMHO it is now superior to the Sony DLP.It should be. Sony has never built a DLP set. ;)

What is the typical time for a bulb. I have a HL-N5065WX and the bulb (oringinal) has 13,000 hours, also have had no problems, "knock on wood". Sticker on TV says bulb is a BP96-00224C(P), which is no longer available. The new p/n is BP96-00224J.

What is the typical time for a bulb. I have a HL-N5065WX and the bulb (oringinal) has 13,000 hours, also have had no problems, "knock on wood". Sticker on TV says bulb is a BP96-00224C(P), which is no longer available. The new p/n is BP96-00224J.You are way over the expected life span. Initially Samsung rated them at 10,000 hours. Then they reduced their estimate to 5,000. I would get a new lamp and use the old one as an emergency backup.

There is the possibility that a HLN set will also need a ballast change to work with a new version of the lamp. You might want to check with Samsung and see what information they have for your serial number.

You are way over the expected life span.

You got over 2 times the hrs that I got out of my first bulb on my HLN-5065 (6000hrs)

Don

Thanks htwaits and Don1959 for the feed back. I guess I got a good one.

Arun Gupta started this thread over four years ago. It's been a little over three years since we lost Arun, but his desire to help others goes on in this thread.

Best wishes to all those who have contributed. :D

Arun Gupta started this thread over four years ago. It's been a little over three years since we lost Arun, but his desire to help others goes on in this thread.
Best wishes to all those who have contributed. :D
Greetings HT,
Nice of you to remember and keep this thread going. Arun would be pleased.
This was the first thread I read on AVS many moons ago and have been hooked ever since.
Time does in fact fly...
YMMV,
b.

This was the first thread I read on AVS many moons ago and have been hooked ever since.
I met Arun for the first time the day he started this thread. What? Me hooked? ;)

I met Arun for the first time the day he started this thread. What? Me hooked? ;)
Greetings again,
If I recall, you "retired" for a while and then came back into the fold.
I'd consider that addicted.
:D
YMMV,
b.

Greetings again,
If I recall, you "retired" for a while and then came back into the fold.
I'd consider that addicted.Before, during and after. ;)

Before, during and after. ;)LOL! ;)

Quick update on my color wheel issue:

I ordered the color wheel part from Herman Electronics and followed the instructions on this page: How to Replace Your Color Wheel in your Samsung DLP (http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/).

I did the surgery yesterday, and it wasn't all that bad. The only real tricky part was pulling the connector with the white/white/blue wires that is connected to the color wheel out of the the main board. But my wifes smaller hands got the job done. If you do attempt these surgery, take the suggestion mentioned in the instructions of just leaving that wire in there, and taking it off of the color wheel side.

I got everything put back together and booted it back up, and thought I really broke something, because it wasn't making any noise... But the picture came up and all was well. It is nice not to have the dentist drill sound anymore.


The link provided here is a lifesaver! Thanks!

FYI Lamps are now $149 at Samsung parts and color wheels $110. Color wheels are cheaper elsewhere by $10, but not the lamp and the shipping was the same.

The link provided here is a lifesaver! Thanks!

FYI Lamps are now $149 at Samsung parts and color wheels $110. Color wheels are cheaper elsewhere by $10, but not the lamp and the shipping was the same.

Awesome! So I take it that your surgery was a success?

Not sure if I'm even posting in the right forum but here goes. My HCN 4226W is major league on the fritz. There is a banding wave right through the middle of the screen and it is absolutely unwatchable. I've only had it for a little over a year. Does anyone know what it could be? I'm paraying it's a setting issue but I highly doubt it and am probably only being optimistic. Also, the perfect foucs isn't working HELP. Once again, if I posted in the wrong spot I apologize in advance.

Not sure if I'm even posting in the right forum but here goes. My HCN 4226W is major league on the fritz. There is a banding wave right through the middle of the screen and it is absolutely unwatchable. I've only had it for a little over a year. Does anyone know what it could be? I'm paraying it's a setting issue but I highly doubt it and am probably only being optimistic. Also, the perfect foucs isn't working HELP. Once again, if I posted in the wrong spot I apologize in advance.This thread is for 2003 HLN models that use a DLP microchip to create an image. I think your TV is a CRT based rear projection TV.

You might have better luck if you start your own thread. Be sure to include the full model number in your subject field along with the type of TV that you have.

No I haven't done the surgery yet, parts should be here next Monday.

The instructions plus the pictures that I took last Sunday of my HLN 4365WX clued me in as to what I need to do. Questions that I had were answered and more answers were given for questions that I would certainly have when in the process.

I would love to figure out a safe fool proof way of removing the blue white wire connection without trashing the digital board. I have built a fair number of PC's and there are some 3 pin connectors that can be a bear unless you know which way to put pressure when you pull.

Thanks again for posting the link!

Help - dread blue screen "no signal"

My HLN 567 no longer sees a signal on DVI or component. Blue screen says "no signal".
Tried two different sources (Moto HDR cable box, Sam 931 DVD) - no luck.

Happened after I hot swapped DVI cable from Cable box to DVD player - did I fry something? How to fix?

Hi, I have a Samsung DLP Model HLN617W1X which started to display only black & white output and a buzzing sound. I have searched thru the threads but I cannot find symptons the same like mine. I suspect that I need a new color wheel. But could anybody confirm that this is a color wheel problem before I order a color wheel. Also, what is the part no. for the color wheel. Thank you in advance!

Help - dread blue screen "no signal"

My HLN 567 no longer sees a signal on DVI or component. Blue screen says "no signal".
Tried two different sources (Moto HDR cable box, Sam 931 DVD) - no luck.

Happened after I hot swapped DVI cable from Cable box to DVD player - did I fry something? How to fix?


And the answer is........

Tech visited and confirmed DVI input not working.
Came back yesterday to replace board. Took cover off and discovered Samsung sent him wrong one. Simply replaced cover and rechecked - DVI input works! Therefore intermittent problem (the worst kind).

Since 4 year warranty expires in 1 month decided best course of action is get correct board from Samsung and change out.

BTW tech's new Sencore signal generator demonstrated outstanding sharpness of 4 year old board with maximum input.

Since 4 year warranty expires in 1 month decided best course of action is get correct board from Samsung and change out.


Yeah, my 4 yr warranty expires this month and I'm torn as to whether I should renew it for another 3 yrs. I've had no problems whatsoever for 4 yrs but I'm betting that won't be the case in the next three yrs. I like the TV and it fits perfectly into my cabinet, but I know its technology is outdated. I can get a 1080p with digital tuner for half what I paid for this one but it would still cost 3x the cost of renewing my warranty.

When these DLPs came out the idea was that the only part that would wear out with use was the bulb. I'm thinking that other things such as the color wheels, light engine and mother board also will wear out in time.

Is it inevitable that things other than the light bulb will fail or is it a freak thing to have them go out?

Yeah, my 4 yr warranty expires this month and I'm torn as to whether I should renew it for another 3 yrs. I've had no problems whatsoever for 4 yrs but I'm betting that won't be the case in the next three yrs. I like the TV and it fits perfectly into my cabinet, but I know its technology is outdated. I can get a 1080p with digital tuner for half what I paid for this one but it would still cost 3x the cost of renewing my warranty.

When these DLPs came out the idea was that the only part that would wear out with use was the bulb. I'm thinking that other things such as the color wheels, light engine and mother board also will wear out in time.

Is it inevitable that things other than the light bulb will fail or is it a freak thing to have them go out?

My extended warranty on a HLN617W ends in October. My color wheel screeched for about 45 seconds a few weeks back. It was the only time it did. I called the warranty place and told them that my color wheel was getting louder and that my bulb was getting dimmer. They replaced both parts without any problem. I recouped some of the cost of the warranty by getting these new items. I will not be extending my warranty as it costs way too much for something that is already 4 years old and technologically speaking even older than that! :eek:

I figure I should be good for a few more years as it is and if the Sammy dies, then I will see what a repair will cost. If I feel it is too much to do the repair then I guess it will be time for an LED DLP!!!:D

Chances are that it will last even longer as it has virtually no moving parts (less the ity-bity mirrors on the DLP chip) and the technology will be that much more mature and reliable. LOL

Hi Guys. I'm new to this forum, but was hoping someone could help. I've searched around, but I can't find anyone using my TV (Samsung HLN567W) with a Tivo HD. I'm ready to take the jump into HD and ready to upgrade my Tivo from a Series 2 and was hoping to find someone who's successfully connected them using the DVI input. I'm a little scared of shelling out all that money if it won't work. In theory it should be just fine, but you never know. Thanks for any advice you can give me!

Hi, I have a Samsung DLP Model HLN617W1X which started to display only black & white output and a buzzing sound. I have searched thru the threads but I cannot find symptons the same like mine. I suspect that I need a new color wheel. But could anybody confirm that this is a color wheel problem before I order a color wheel. Also, what is the part no. for the color wheel. Thank you in advance!

It certainly sounds like the color wheel. Go to Samsung Parts and enter your model number - you will then get a list of parts. I just replaced the color wheel in my HLN617. It was making a noise like a buzzsaw. If you are not handy don't do it yourself as their are a lot of delicate parts. It took me about two hours.

The link provided here is a lifesaver! Thanks!

FYI Lamps are now $149 at Samsung parts and color wheels $110. Color wheels are cheaper elsewhere by $10, but not the lamp and the shipping was the same.

Thanks for the heads up!

I should probably order a spare as my original bulb is just passing the 7000 hour mark and it would be best to have the spare handy for the day I need it.

I'm glad that I didn't buy one several years ago along with the set, waiting seems to have saved me $200 ; )

Anyone tried using this adaptor with the new style bulb with a hln dlp?
http://fixyourdlp.com/blog/?p=32

Anyone tried using this adaptor with the new style bulb with a hln dlp?
http://fixyourdlp.com/blog/?p=32

I would be concerned about using a different bulb. If the electrical characteristics are not the same it could damage the ballast. Also since it is going into an adapter the focus point of the bulb will be slightly off possibly altering the light output. For $40.00 more you can get an exact replacement including the housing from Samsung Parts.

I think you might be right. I'm still on the original bulb (8000+ hrs)so I guess I should order one soon.

I have a HL-N617WX DLP set, it is about 3.5 yrs old, it has been serviced once for a fault filter wheel (screeching) while under warranty. For the last 1.5 yrs or so it has been having a problem with intermittent green snow that varys in pattern and intensity. The snow is on all inputs and source types.

In the past the problem would cure itself and not come back for months at times. Lately is has gotten much worse to the point of being unwatchable. I am attaching a pic of the problem.

Any ideas?

Cool another Next Generation fan! Sorry for the green goblins. I have no idea what is causing it. I would guess that one of the circuit boards is starting to fail. THe color wheel would have nothing to do with greeen on the BARS and around the edges.

I contacted Samsung today, I am out of warranty but I thought I would try and get them to cover it. My set appears to be known for problems with the digital board. When reading Samsungs own FAQ on my set, one of the problems listed in the FAQ is green snow in dark areas of the image, the remedy is "Your set needs service"

So I am hoping they will help me out.

Dead screen, 1 red light, starry sky scene

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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?
__________________
Electronic Village Idiot

Dead screen, 1 red light, starry sky scene

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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?
__________________
Electronic Village Idiot
my hln4365n did the exact same thing. took the whole thing apart looking for lose wires or burnt caps. (this was about 2 years ago) found a post on how to do a "hard reset"
I don't remember the steps but it was somthing like power on, hold power switch ,unplug. or somthing like that,but it's worked fine ever since. I don't think it was anything you did in the service menu.

Thanks..

I talked to a guy at the extended warranty place who said unplug it for a few minutes. I did that, and the three flashing lights stopped, but the picture was still upside down, and I couldn't get into the service menu...which is tough to navigate upside down!

Then, the three flashing lights returned. The guy advised me to wait till the new bulb arrives and then call back if there's still a problem.

At one point, I was able to see 4633 hours on the bulb...I guess it's reasonable to assume that that's at least part of the problem.

I'll post results of new bulb when it arrives.

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....:D

Now that I've figured out how to navigate the service menu without tweaking things unintentionally, I may give it a shot....:D:eek:

Now that I've figured out how to navigate the service menu without tweaking things unintentionally, I may give it a shot....:D

:eek:

Thank you for your support....:D

Hey guys: Well the lamp on my hln467w died on me tonight.:( I pulled the old bulb and the number ended with a letter c. I then went to samsung parts and was redirected to a bulb that ended in a letter j. Otherwise the part number was the same. A note on the order page said that the c lamps had been discontinued and the j lamp was the replacement. Other than the letter does anyone know what the difference (if any) is?

Probably just made at a different time and possibly by a different plant. I wouldn't worry about it.

Mike: How many hours did you get on your bulb?

Well I have not checked in a couple of months but when I last checked it was a little over 8,000 hours. About average I think?

I'm waiting impatiently for th e bulb to arrive from UPS. While I wait, is there anything I should know about installing the new lamp or what I can expect when it's in? I recall a burn in period for the TV when it was new, will I again have to wait 100 hours or so before the picture starts looking real good?

Kevin< when I zero out the hours on the lamp I'll be sure to note the number of hours logged.

Personally, when I replaced my lamp I thought the picture looked great right away.

My two cents is to get some canned air and blow out the area around the fans.

The picture should look great as soon as you replace the bulb. During the first 100 -200 hours, the bulbs tend to dim and then stablize through the rest of its life span. The color temperature of the bulb also shifts during this time, so if you are going to do a gray scale calibration, you should wait a 100 hours or so.

Real problem here guys. Maybe I should go back to the begining. Last thursday I was watching the news when we heard a loud bang and a shattering noise. The picture was gone immediately and the three blinking lights came on. I thought lamp blew and ordered a new one which came today. Instalation of the new lamp was a breeze. However, when I turn on the set there is an extremely loud bass rumble (not like the high pitch whine or buzz saw noise) the picture comes on but it is black and white and flickers badly. I called samsung who told me it was out of their hands and gave me the number of a local tech who said it sounds like the color wheel may have shattered. Does this sound plausible? What does a blown lamp look like? What should I see when I look down the light tunnel with the lamp out?

This tech guy quoted me a price of $ 145.00 for the color wheel and $100 for installation. Does that sound reasonable, assuming its the color wheel?

The color wheel from Samsung parts is about $110 plus S&H. Labor time is over an hour so it sound like a good deal. (And it is tedious and exacting work).

Yes, your color wheel shattered.
Go here if you're brave http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/ and good luck! :eek:

Thanks guys. I checked out the repair process and to be honest it looks to be beyond me. I can replace a lamp, I can even swap out video cards on my pc but that looks like a bit much for my skill level.

So, it sounds like about every 4 years or so I am expected to shell out about $400 (150 for the lamp and 250 for the color wheel and instalation) for the pleasure of having a dlp set? Do other types of rear projection tvs have this problem? Prices have dropped so much that I'm thinking that a more reliable technology new set is the way to go.

In my opinion DLP is still a superior technology. There are newer models from Samsung and others that use LED instead of bulbs which means no more bulb replacements and no more color wheels. Mine is just over four years old and because I purchased an extended warranty I got my new bulb and color wheel for free...well, for the cost of the extended warranty. :rolleyes:

I doubt that I will put any more money into this set. If something goes bad I will be looking at the newer technology without moving parts. :p

What could be proper speed for the color wheel ? I set mine at 214 and that eliminated a problem that bug me for some time " washout scenes " I am very happy the way that
my HLN looks now.

A new color wheel should last the life of the set.

Shouldn't the original color wheel have lasted the life of the set? I'm still getting mixed signals; some (like the Sam sung techs-I talked to two) say shattering color wheels are part of the norm if you own a dlp tv. Others, like paul and the guy at the Part store that samsung recommended say its pretty darn rare. Any thoughts?

From all the posts I've read concerning the Samsung DLP's it appears that the biggest problem with the "older" color wheels (from sets made 3 or 4 years ago) is a high pitched squealing that can occur. That is what prompted me to take advantage of my extended warranty to get mine replaced. Fortunately mine only screeched one time for about 30 seconds about two months before the warranty expired! ;)

Although I have read about a few of the color wheels shattering, I believe it is pretty rare. :eek:

The biggest problem with these "older" DLP's is that they have too many moving parts. That's why I am happy for the newer technology using LED's. :p

Final report on my problem. It was the color wheel which had shattered. A new one was installed by the Samsung certified tech in my area. This set me back $250 (plus the $150 for the lamp that had not in fact burned out). The picture looks great and I can't complain about the service tech. I am still very disappointed to learn that color wheels shatter with some (disputed amount) of frequency.

Oh and to kevin: I checked and the old bulb had 8785 hours on it and apperently still has some life in it! It is now my spare bulb for when the new bulb kicks the bucket, hopefully in about another 3-4 years.

Always vacuum as much dust out as possible before blasting canned air into your TV , you can end up pushing all that dust into the engine and up onto the mirror. :)

I wonder if anyone else has experienced the same thing I am (not a real problem, yet). If I (or my kids) turn off the TV, then turn it back on again within 5-10 minutes (well after the normal cool-down period), the lamp never lights on the first try. It's almost as if the TV isn't actually trying. After about 30 seconds, it shuts off, tries again, and it works fine. I'm on my second lamp, and I don't remember this being a symptom of the lamp starting to go, although it certainly could be. Like I said, it's not really a problem; just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience.

The main light source used on DLP based rear screen projection TVs is based on a mercury vapor arc lamp. At start up the arc lamp is "struck" by a 5000V charge to start the arc in the arc tube. The arc starts and after warmup the "hold" voltage drops to approximately 60 volts. At the end of its life, a mercury-vapor lamp commonly exhibits a phenomenon known as cycling. As a lamp gets older, the maintaining voltage for the arc eventually rises to exceed the voltage provided by the ballast module. As the lamp heats, the arc fails and the lamp goes out. Eventually, with the arc extinguished, the lamp cools down again, the gas pressure in the arc tube is reduced, and the ballast can once again cause the arc to strike. The effect of this is that the lamp glows for a while and then goes out, repeatedly. The RPTV ballast designs detect cycling and give up attempting to start the lamp after a few cycles. If power is removed and reapplied, the ballast will make a new series of startup attempts. This failure is then typically indicated via LEDs on the unit, and necessitates replacement of the lamp.

Thanks, jojo. I'll have to check the lamps next time this happens - they're behind a center channel speaker, so I have to move that. Funny thing is that it doesn't "sound" like it's trying to fire the lamp the first time.

I have diagonal beat lines on my Samsung HLN467W, only on the analog inputs (all of them, composite, svideo and component), and *only* in 480i mode. The issue is not present on 480p or higher. DVI input is fine.

I suspect its the analog board, would you agree?

I found someone else who posted a picture which is like mine, so I've attached that.

97522

I've already replaced a color wheel myself, so I guess the analog board replacement shouldn't be too bad.

This could be a 60 Hz ground-loop which is the "gremlin" of analog connections (meaning it is very difficult to solve). Try disconnecting everything from your TV and see if the lines go away. If that solves the problem, connect one item at a time to try and isolate which component has the ground problem. Do a search for "ground loop" on the web and then good luck trying to fix it - most of the time it is your cable/satellite coax connection.

Kevin,

Yeah, I wish that were the case. I suspected that early on, but the lines remain even if I disconnect all other inputs. It does seem to be input independent.

And as a test, the only remaining input is plugged into the exact same outlet as the TV, both source and tv are two wire supplies, so I don't think it's a loop problem.

I just replaced the color wheel on my 4 year old HLN 467. Great instructions here (http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/) Replaced the lamp for the first time while I was at it.

Just reset the lamp hours and it had 12,441 hours on it!!!

I just posted on the older thread that contained the picture which John included above. I have the same lines and wonder if replacing the two prong TV power cord with a grounded power cord grounded to the chassis, if it has one, could solve this. Could this be caused by a static electricity buildup somewhere in or on the TV?

Right before New Year, I turned on my TV and, to my horror, the picture looked green. Switched to another source just to make sure - the same. There was absolutely no red color! :eek:
Turned off the TV, started thinking, cooled off myself, cooled off the Sammy, turned it on just for the hell of it, and everything was perfect again, and ever since (*knocking on wood 3 times*)

Any idea what it could have been? Color wheel out of sync? :confused:

It could be a bad connection on one of the three component cables.

Yeah check those cables! I had a loose blue cable once and thought they had changed the color of Supermans suit to green. Saw it another time and it was back to blue. Checked the cables and the blue cable had come loose. It wasn't out, just loose which explains the intermitant nature of the problem.

If this is the problem there are pro's and cons you will experience:

con: you will feel like a complete idiot for getting so worked up over a loose cable (well at least I did!).

Pro: Tightening the cable doesn't cost much:o

It could be a bad connection on one of the three component cables.
I should have been more descriptive, but I use DVI connection only. Also, to make sure that it was a TV, not a source, I brought up an internal TV menu, and it's colors were screwed up too. :rolleyes:

Well darn. thought we had an easy fix for you!

Has anyone replaced the screen on a HLN5065W1? Kids put a couple deep scratches in the screen so I'm wondering if it could be replaced?

Thanks

If you can find one you can probably replace it. I have an HLN617 and took off the front to look around and do some cleaning inside (didn't even need it after nearly four years) and it certainly was easy enough to remove and replace.

It didn't look as if it would be to difficult to replace but I can't seem to find a store which sells it. Does anyone know where I could buy a replacement screen?

Check out www.samsungparts.com

I have the Samsung DLP HLN617W tv and recently the picture started blacking out randomly. The yesterday it went completely black and started turning itself on and off. The powere button on the remote and tv did nothing. I unplugged it for a bit and then plugged it back in and the same thing started happening. The temp light on the front circle was solid red and the lamp light was blinking green. Naturally this combo is not in the user guide and tech support had no idea. I figured it was the lamp going since it is almost 4 years old and there was no light coming out of the back of the tv where the lamp is. I ordered a new lamp, but is there anything else it could be?

Thanks.

You might consider doing the color wheel too because that's next.

...I ordered a new lam, but is there anything else it could be?...

Thanks.

Could possibly be the balast for the lamp. You can order them from samsungparts or probably where you got the lamp. But I'd start with the lamp. Nothing to loose there.

I have a 46 inch HLN set a couple of times the pic would freeze, the frozen pic would be black and white, looks almost like a negative of a photo.The dvd would still be playing as I can tell by the sound track of the movie. Any thoughts what this could be? Anyone else ever have this problem?

I had it and it was the lamp. The lamp going bad has multiple symptoms.

Wow, I haven't seen this thread in a long time.

I bought my HLN507W back in May 2003. I just checked to see how many hours were on the lamp, and I'm at 2984. I guess it has some life left in it yet.

Had an odd problem with my 4-5 year old Sam HLN467W DLP. Last night the TV was on but wouldn't turn off either by the remote or power switch. The TV was completely unresponsive to any actions (volume level , channels, video mode, etc.) Had to unplug the unit to get it off, waited 15 mins, plug it back in and it wouldn't turn on.

Unplugged everything overnight, plugged everything back in and the TV turned right on the next day with no issues. Could this be a light or board problem and if so any idea on $$$? Think it's worth getting fixed?

Also, I'm not able to find any information on how to access the service menu.. I'm curious on how many hours are on my still original lamp.

Any help or ideas are appreciated Thank you

Well after 9000+ hours on the original bulb, I finally think that it's time to go ahead and order a new one.

;)

It's still running but frankly the picture is now about 60% dimmer that it was originally.

Question though, I calibrated this set originally back when the bulb was new (less than 400 hours) in the service menu for all inputs and have left things alone over the years other than user level adjustments (brightness, contrast, etc.).

Once I swap out the bulb, I shouldn't have to do any serious re-calibration, should I?

Components age along with the bulb, so things could change. But if you are happy with the picture I would not bother.

I'm trying to get this TV to work with RTI T2+ Remote. Since my Firmware is 211
the set does not offer Discrete video switching.

Has anyone in the group tried to update the firmware?

Thanks

The only way to get discrete video switching is to upgrade to a newer video board. That is the way Samsung did it at that time. I had mine (HLN6617) upgraded for free because of the sound synchronization problem (under warranty).

Thanks for the info....:(

Anyone have an idea of what a newer video board would cost? or anyone have one for sale?

at 50 something pages hope i'm not hijacking this thread or interrupting, but i could sure use some help. i have an old hln467w that i'm trying to keep going for another year or so, but i am not really happy with the colors. could anyone that has theirs calibrated give me some suggestions on settings that would get close to the ntsc 6500 standard? the only suggestions i've found online is to set it to movie mode, warm 2 preset and reduce the color to kill the reds a bit. can anyone give me more?

I guess I'll pile on to this thread in the hopes someone is still reading.

I have a circa 2003 HLN567W

About 6 months ago, the screen went black and the lamp light flashed. After unplugging it for a while, it went back to working normally when I fired it up again.

This same thing happened every month or so, but always returned to normal.

Still, I thought maybe the lamp would need replacing, so I ordered one and kept it around for a time when I could not fix it.

Now the TV is really acting up - It will turn on as normal and be on for about 30 seconds and then just go black. When it does this, I am unable to use the Power button to turn it off...I get no response to any input. I unplug the TV and hear a click from the disconnect of power, and then if I let it sit for a couple minutes I can re-plug it in and turn it on with the power button, but 30 seconds later it does the same thing.

I replaced the lamp and have the same problem.

What do you suggest?

I assume your cooling fan is running? Have you cleaned the inside?

Sorry for the simple question, but how do I know if the cooling fan is running? I hear the whirring from the back, but I assume that is the color wheel?

Nevermind, thought I couldnt run it without the back cover on, but only the lamp cover seems to need to be on. Cooling fan is running and I just vacuumed it out.

So did that help?

Nope, it did not. The screen still goes black after anywhere from 20-60 seconds but the lamp appears to still be on - it glows white when I look at the bulb from behind, but the screen itself is blank. Not dead, but just black. When I unplug the TV, the screen goes from a blank black to an off appearance, and they are slightly different.

I have had the earlier behavior you described on mine which I bought in 2003. Since I had the extended warranty I had the service guy come to the house. Of course it worked fine when he arrived. He said "the computer" was my problem. I'm not sure what the proper name for that module is but it seems consistent with the behavior of the TV. Frankly, I'm impressed that my lamp is still going after 5 years. I just wish the rest of the TV was as dependable.

Well, I may be wrong about this, but it sounds like the infamous DMD chip. I think that's what it is called. It happened to me about a year and a half ago. At that time, it cost more for the part and labor than a new display. Samsung customer service was no help, and laughed at me because I told them I expected more than 3 1/2 years from my set. These sets were essentially disposable items, despite the prices they were selling for at that time. That experience taught me that DLP, at least as far as Hi-Def Televisions are concerned, was only a temporary but dying and overpriced technology that would eventually be a forgotten relic as Plasmas and LCDs came down in price. That is essentially what has happened. Don't let my member name fool you. I would change it if I knew how. I will never buy another Samsung product of any type. As for DLP sets of this vintage, I guess we as consumers have to live and learn. Our eagerness to embrace the latest technology sometimes causes us to by things that are transient flashes in the pan.

Not sure how you justify calling the DMD chip "infamous". Your particular situation may have resulted in a problem, but I haven't seen a large number of complaints about the chip on this thread. My 5 year old HLN still seems to be working well. My set was not without problems (color wheel bearings, covered under basic warranty), but I think my 720p DLP has a better overall picture than my 1080p LCD (which was significantly cheaper, but is 3 years newer). I would actually like to buy a new LED based set (since 60+ inch plasmas and LCDs are still quite expensive), but I just can't justify it. I do see DLP's going away partly because most people, whether they need them or not, are drawn to flat panels.

When new and/or working like new, the old 720p Samsung DLPs provide PQ that rivals many 1080p LCDs, though slightly less sharp than the best 720p and 1080p LCDs. Their matte screens minimize reflections due to high room light or sunlight, which makes them superior to most plasmas for viewing in other than a basement home theater. The viewing angle on my HLN507W is far superior to that of the average LCD based on my comparison of it versus a CR top-rated Samsung 32" LCD I bought last XMas. That LCD was rated as having an average viewing angle for an LCD, but my DLP has easily double the "effective viewing angle" (i.e., point at which the colors shift or go soft) of that LCD.

All that said, the Samsung DLPs have been a disappointment in reliability and I'm glad that I purchased a 5-year warranty when I bought mine back in 2003 (note, we are high usage owners with well over 20,000 hours on our Sammy). We lost our first color wheel within 3 months of purchase and the replacement failed a year later. At 3 years we encountered, what I named, the "freeze-melt" problem, which is directly linked to some inherent weakness in the DMD board design. The video board and DMD board were replaced and we were trouble-free for almost two years after that.

However, PQ degraded with age. Changing the lamp didn't recover the PQ and I suspect it was the result of dust on the mirrors, which requires an expensive service call to have properly corrected without putting the light engine at risk.

Last May I discovered that my Sammy DLP started displaying "lines" across the picture when viewing any 480i input. This is another, along with "freeze-melt", of the chronic problems that plague Sammy DLPs with age and high usage. Searching these forums I found several posters who had encountered the same problem and never solved it. I spent over two months working with my warranty company's service provider and Samsung's highest tier of technical support.

The problem remains and I have just found work-arounds for my use of this DLP (I use DVI exclusively for daily viewing and upscale all 480i signals to 480p before inputting via component cable). In the process my video board was replaced again, my analog module was replaced, and finally my whole light engine (lamp, ballast, mirrors, color wheel, etc.) was replaced. Samsung technical support DID NOT know how to fix this problem, which is not unique to my DLP. The service provider didn't have any other answers, but wanted to pull the new light engine (because of the cost of the module) if we proceeded to try any other repair options. We chose to call the agony to halt because the new light engine restored the the original PQ to our Sammy and since most of our use is via DVI, the analog problem wasn't a show-stopper.

In summary, these Sammy DLPs had and have much to recommend them, but clearly the technology wasn't perfected and the component reliability wasn't ensured before Samsung released these HDTVs. Paying $3,600 for a TV that has been shown to have an average service life of less than 5 years is frustrating to say the least. Based on what I've seen, the current crop of DLPs have, at best, the same PQ as my old DLP and a lesser viewing angle. They may be more reliable and they certainly are cheaper, but in the under 60" group where I sit, I think one would be much better off buying one of the current crop of Sammy LCDs.

BTW, my switch to a 52" Sammy LCD planned for this XMas is now on hold since the DLP is providing such good PQ again and, with the economy and what might happen to it with the election, now doesn't seem like a good time to drop a couple of K on a TV.

Excellent post. Thank you.

9106 hrs on the original blub, and it just blew. PQ seemed great till the moment it blew. Love this set, but after reading all above, could be living on borrowed time. Purchased Xmas 04 TV Authority (RIP).

I've been having some of the turn-on/turn-off issues I've been reading about here. I know someone attributed that to a blub problem, but I'm guessing the bulb either works or it doesn't. Is that bulb life survey still going on somewhere? Also, in trying to slide out the light housing, it ran straight into the side of the TV set. I had to grind it down to get it out. Samsung L2 and Exec Support had no idea and I sent them the attached picture.

Anyone else had this issue? What do we think blub life is? I bought an Osram blub instead of Phillips. Any issues with that?

Thanks for the responses all - based on my situation above, do you think it's worth calling Samsung or are they pretty unhelpful? It is not under warranty anymore - I had a 3 year extended.

Say it is a DMD chip - can that be changed by someone who can't change his own oil, and how much would it cost?

Thanks for the responses all - based on my situation above, do you think it's worth calling Samsung or are they pretty unhelpful? It is not under warranty anymore - I had a 3 year extended.

Say it is a DMD chip - can that be changed by someone who can't change his own oil, and how much would it cost?

i am sure someone can change it ,but it will probably be expensive

Might be time to start thinking about an upgrade to a new 61 or 67 inch LED DLP model. I made the switch in August and don't regret it.

If Samsung even has the parts anymore, it may be quite expensive to fix it.

Check first, of course.

Calling Samsung won't help - they wouldn't diagnose it over the phone. And it probably will be expensive to fix.

Also, in trying to slide out the light housing, it ran straight into the side of the TV set. I had to grind it down to get it out. Samsung L2 and Exec Support had no idea and I sent them the attached picture.

Anyone else had this issue?

With the HLN Sammy's the lamp carriage will sometimes stick or hang up when you try to slide it out. The sticking often occurs when you first pull on the carriage. It will then often stick or hang up when it is half or more removed from the set. Sometimes jiggling the carriage sets it free. Sometimes one has to push it back in and start over ensuring a straight out pull. I've had to try as many as 3 times to get the lamp carriage out, but never have I encountered a situation in which the lamp carriage wasn't removable and I would have to consider "grinding or cutting" on my unit. You might have just got a set with some plastic "flash" overhang that prevented clean removal. Otherwise, the lamp carriage is part of the light engine assembly and all those parts when together manually, so they will come apart manually.

Thanks for the responses all - based on my situation above, do you think it's worth calling Samsung or are they pretty unhelpful? It is not under warranty anymore - I had a 3 year extended.

Say it is a DMD chip - can that be changed by someone who can't change his own oil, and how much would it cost?

Samsung technical support may help to confirm your diagnosis and tell you for sure what the fix is, but that's as far as it will go. They will give you phone support even if your warranty is up, but the support is often of little value.

If it is the DMD board then you really should get a knowledgeable service tech to replace it for you if that is what you want to do. I was told by my service tech that they hate to deal with DMD board replacements as a single item because of the time and difficulty involved in proper removal and proper installation. They typically try to get a full light engine replacement authorized when they identify the need for a DMD board.

Most of us can probably handle the replacement of the full light engine as it is simply a slide out, slide in module replacement and the attendant plug disconnects and hookups. The problem is the cost of the light engine assembly compared to the DMD board. If you aren't under warranty, the light engine assembly is cost prohibitive since you can buy a new, replacement DLP of the same size for what the light engine assemby costs. However the light engine assembly essentially gives you a new set.

If you plan to keep your Sammy even if you buy a new HDTV, then I'd recommend you get a quote from a service provider for a DMD board replacement. For a few hundred dollars you will buy several more years of service from your Sammy.

9106 hrs on the original blub, and it just blew. PQ seemed great till the moment it blew. Love this set, but after reading all above, could be living on borrowed time. Purchased Xmas 04 TV Authority (RIP).

I've been having some of the turn-on/turn-off issues I've been reading about here. I know someone attributed that to a bulb problem, but I'm guessing the bulb either works or it doesn't. Is that bulb life survey still going on somewhere?

What do we think bulb life is? I bought an Osram bulb instead of Phillips. Any issues with that?

Lamp life of the OEM Phillips lamps is anywhere from 6,000 to 12,000 hours with the average probably around 8 or 9 thousand hours. The replacement Phillips lamps have less bulb life, probably because they improved the light intensity from the bulb. You could probably expect 6 to 8 thousand hours with the replacement Phillips bulb.

Never heard of Osram. Be sure you have an exact match for the lamp code that is printed on the lamp carriage.

Lamps either work or they don't. However, ON/OFF problems can occur with problems with the lamp ballast (a separate component). I've never had a lamp ballast problem, but I've read many posts over the years from those who have had ballast problems.

Hi Guys,

Well, I was watching my HLN617W the other day, and the following happened. The screen dimmed a bit, and there was a rippling effect -- as if I was watching through ripples in water. Simultaneously, there was a *loud* whirring/grinding noise. At first, I thought the cooling fan had died. But reading this thread indicates it is the color wheel.

Does that sound correct? If so, is it worth replacing?

You'd have to search back a bit, but I thought a color wheel replacement wasn't ridiculous; maybe in the $300-$500 range. Not cheap, but still less than a new 61". Unless, of course, you want a new TV, in which case it might be easy to justify the ~1800 for an LED DLP. IIRC, there also may be DIY instructions on this thread, if you want to go that route.

Hi Guys,

Well, I was watching my HLN617W the other day, and the following happened. The screen dimmed a bit, and there was a rippling effect -- as if I was watching through ripples in water. Simultaneously, there was a *loud* whirring/grinding noise. At first, I thought the cooling fan had died. But reading this thread indicates it is the color wheel.

Does that sound correct? If so, is it worth replacing?

Yes that sounds like the color wheel. There are a couple of on-line sources for buying the part and at least one for DIY instructions for installing it. When I get back on my Mac I'll post some links for you. You might also call a competent service provider and get a labor & material quote for replacing the color wheel. That will give you 3 options (i.e., repair yourself, service repair, buy a new HDTV).

BTW, is this your original color wheel? I'm on my fourth, although the third was still in good shape when it got replaced with a replacement of my light engine assembly. If it is your original, count yourself lucky, as the original color wheel in the HLNs was a defective design. Replacement color wheels, starting sometime in 2004 were of a revised design that really did fix the initial problem.

Yes that sounds like the color wheel. There are a couple of on-line sources for buying the part and at least one for DIY instructions for installing it. When I get back on my Mac I'll post some links for you.

Thanks. I could use the help.

You might also call a competent service provider and get a labor & material quote for replacing the color wheel. That will give you 3 options (i.e., repair yourself, service repair, buy a new HDTV).

Good idea. I'll do that.


BTW, is this your original color wheel? I'm on my fourth, although the third was still in good shape when it got replaced with a replacement of my light engine assembly. If it is your original, count yourself lucky, as the original color wheel in the HLNs was a defective design. Replacement color wheels, starting sometime in 2004 were of a revised design that really did fix the initial problem.

Yipe! I didn't realize they were that bad. Yes, this is the original CW. Maybe this particular TV didn't suck as much as I thought. :)

Try this site for a DIY color wheel replacement.
http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/

Thanks. I could use the help.:)

Here is the Samsung parts site page for your color wheel:

http://www.samsungparts.com/part_detail.asp?catalog%5Fname=Parts+and+Accessories&product%5Fid=BP96-00250A&search%5Fmodel=HLN617W

and here is an alternate source for the color wheel:

http://www.partstore.com/Part/Samsung/Samsung/BP9600250A/New.aspx?s=google&gclid=CJPH9r-Tk5YCFRxNagodjS3JEg

Prices are almost the same, don't know about shipping, customer service, or quality issues.

Here is a site with step-by-step instructions on how to replace the color wheel. It is a less than two hour job. However, read some of the 2007 and 2008 posts at the end of the site for examples of problems encountered. It has not been a glitch-free operation for everyone. Apparently there is some variation in design between the model used for the instructions and some of the other similar Samsung DLP models.

http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/07/24/samsung-dlp-replace-color-wheel/

And here is a link to jangro.com's home page for DLP HDTVs:

http://www.jangro.com/dlp-tv-repair/

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

BTW, I have not personally done any repairs on my Sammy HLN507W as my warranty covered everything except lamp replacement and ran through last July. My knowledge of service and repairs on Sammy DLPs comes from closely watching and questioning the half dozen techs who have worked on my Sammy over the years. I hope to get another 5 years out of my Sammy DLP, one or two as our primary HDTV and then it goes to the basement for summertime TV watching.

Hey folks,

Okay so my problem above of the screen going black after 20-60 seconds, was just diagnosed by Samsung's local repair contractor as a "System Control Circuit" and the cost to repair/replace parts+labor is quoted at $575.

What is this, can I do it myself, and/or is it worth it? It's a 4 year old HLN567W which I paid $2500 for initially, have only had one problem with (repaired under warranty).

Thoughts?

Hey folks,

Okay so my problem above of the screen going black after 20-60 seconds, was just diagnosed by Samsung's local repair contractor as a "System Control Circuit" and the cost to repair/replace parts+labor is quoted at $575.

What is this, can I do it myself, and/or is it worth it? It's a 4 year old HLN567W which I paid $2500 for initially, have only had one problem with (repaired under warranty).

Thoughts?

Well here are the available parts for your Sammy:

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

http://www.partstore.com/Model/Samsung/Samsung/HLN567W.aspx

I don't see a System Control Circuity listed, but it could have a different name in Samsung terminology. I noticed that a Service Manual is available for $28. I'd sure buy one if I were considering such a repair.

Hey folks,

Okay so my problem above of the screen going black after 20-60 seconds, was just diagnosed by Samsung's local repair contractor as a "System Control Circuit" and the cost to repair/replace parts+labor is quoted at $575.

What is this, can I do it myself, and/or is it worth it? It's a 4 year old HLN567W which I paid $2500 for initially, have only had one problem with (repaired under warranty).

Thoughts?

For my money, and I know that it's not, I would just buy a new set. You can get a new 67" LED model for right around 2g's with a price match. The 61" LED is going for much less than that! My HLN617W is 5 years old and still looks great, but if I was facing a $575.00 repair it would be time for a new set. Just my $0.02;)

Okay new info - I was told the price is for a DMD rebuild...not a replacement, which would run over 800 bucks they say.

What does this mean???? DMD Rebuild?

I'm really curious as to the source of your estimates. One of us is getting some bad info -- two years ago, I was told that replacing my DMD would cost $1500 - $1800 inclusive of parts and labor.

This is just the Samsung authorized repair center in my area (North Carolina)

I was told 575 for a rebuild - mostly labor, as the parts would be components...trying to save from the cost of a whole new board

850-1000 for a DMD replacement, parts and labor

I found the DMD online for 300 bucks - is this really such a labor-intensive replacement that it would cost 600+ in Labor?

Okay new info - I was told the price is for a DMD rebuild...not a replacement, which would run over 800 bucks they say.

What does this mean???? DMD Rebuild?

Never heard of such a thing. The DMD is a circuit board inside a shiny casing. I can't imagine a local shop would have the capability to analyze a problem on a circuit board and repair it.

Maybe they mean that they are just replacing the DMD board with a factory reconditioned board or are just replacing the DMD board as opposed to replacing the whole light engine assembly. A whole light engine assemby would cost almost $1K for the part itself. A DMD board, if you can find a new one for sale is around $400 to $500 for the part.

I'm guessing that they are quoting you parts and labor for a factory reconditioned DMD board. Ask for more detail and perhaps the part number that they are replacing.

Thanks CEB - I guess what I am trying to get to is if this is at all possible as a DIY job for someone who isn't that great at these things (I changed a lamp, though - heh)

And IF it could be done myself, how much I'd be looking at - sounds from what you said that I am still looking at 400+ dollars.

If this is the case, I think I better just bid bon voyage to my DLP

This is just the Samsung authorized repair center in my area (North Carolina)

I was told 575 for a rebuild - mostly labor, as the parts would be components...trying to save from the cost of a whole new board

850-1000 for a DMD replacement, parts and labor

I found the DMD online for 300 bucks - is this really such a labor-intensive replacement that it would cost 600+ in Labor?

The confusion is because of mis-use of terminology. The DMD board is a single circuit board inside a shiny case. It can be purchased as a new part or a re-conditioned part. At $300, I'd guess that it is a factory reconditioned board as new ones are more like $500. Installation is not easy and is time consuming for a technician to get it exactly right (i.e., it's physical position directly affects the centering of your screen image; taken two visits each time for techs at my house to get it centered precisely).

The $1K part is the whole light engine assembly that includes the DMD board, color wheel, mirrors, lamp, ballast, etc. Installation of the light engine assembly is pretty easy, but with the 10% markup for parts, $50 service call, and $200 for installation, it can easily near $1,500 total cost. If you are getting it done under warranty or doing it yourself, the whole light engine replacement is the way to go. If you are paying a tech to do the repair, then the cheapest route would be to replace only your DMD board with a factory reconditioned DMD board (be sure there is a warranty on the reconditioned board). That's about a $500 fix and right on the borderline for a fix or replace decision.

Thanks CEB - I guess what I am trying to get to is if this is at all possible as a DIY job for someone who isn't that great at these things (I changed a lamp, though - heh)

And IF it could be done myself, how much I'd be looking at - sounds from what you said that I am still looking at 400+ dollars.

If this is the case, I think I better just bid bon voyage to my DLP

Personally, I wouldn't tackle a DMD board only replacement in a Sammy DLP and I tear apart PCs and rebuild them frequently. The whole light engine assembly is a simple module slide out-slide in replacement that most of us can do without screwing anything up. If you want to pursue the DMD board only replacement, I'd suggest you purchase the service manual and review what needs to be done and how to do it. Then you can make an intelligent decision as to whether or not you feel comfortable tackling the job. With a service manual, I might even consider trying it myself.

Good luck.

Thanks again - really appreciate the info and the time you took to explain. Sadly, this is the death knell for my Samsung. With a 720p 50" plasma available (Panasonic or samsung) at 900 bucks, it's almost a no-brainer. I would hate to fix this component and then have the ballast give out in 6 months.

Thanks again - really appreciate the info and the time you took to explain. Sadly, this is the death knell for my Samsung. With a 720p 50" plasma available (Panasonic or samsung) at 900 bucks, it's almost a no-brainer. I would hate to fix this component and then have the ballast give out in 6 months.

My personal opinion is without warranty coverage, it really isn't cost effective to make a repair costs half or more than a like-for-like replacement HDTV.

Regarding a 720p 50" plasma, you probably are buying into another out-going technology, which has reflection and glare problems and uses a lot of electric energy. I'd go 1080p LCD for a replacement HDTV over 40". I predict that in 5 years plasmas will have about as much market share as do DLPs now.

My personal opinion is without warranty coverage, it really isn't cost effective to make a repair costs half or more than a like-for-like replacement HDTV.

Regarding a 720p 50" plasma, you probably are buying into another out-going technology, which has reflection and glare problems and uses a lot of electric energy. I'd go 1080p LCD for a replacement HDTV over 40". I predict that in 5 years plasmas will have about as much market share as do DLPs now.

Ideally I agree with you, however budget it extremely limited for this purchase. We just bought a 1080p 46" LCD...this TV will be our basement set and thus needed to be large. I'm not too worried about market share or the fact that 720p is antiquated...just want a decent set at an affordable price, unfortunately spending over 1000 dollars isn't in the cards. Spending 100 wasn't even in the cards until the DLP went black!

Ideally I agree with you, however budget it extremely limited for this purchase. We just bought a 1080p 46" LCD...this TV will be our basement set and thus needed to be large. I'm not too worried about market share or the fact that 720p is antiquated...just want a decent set at an affordable price, unfortunately spending over 1000 dollars isn't in the cards. Spending 100 wasn't even in the cards until the DLP went black!

You can get a 50" Sammy DLP, current model for that kind of money and it would be 1080p.

I have the 841 connected to my HLN617. I got snow too at first. Connect the player via DVI and component. The player is set to default output to component. Go into the setup menu and set it to output to DVI. Quickly switch the TV to DVI input and confirm that you want to use that input, otherwise the player will default back to component. I hope that is all that your problem is.

Digging up an old thread here after searching around for an answer...

On my HLN 5065, I am trying to change to default input to component when using the Time On and Off function. The Component setting sticks just fine when manually powering on/off connected to a Comcast HD DVR.

However when using the Timer On/Off functionality, it turns on with an Antenna input and I receive a blue screen. Change the input to Component and Im back in business. Unfortunately, this extra step at 6am is a PITA.

How does one change the default setting specific to the Timer? Is this choice available in the Service Menu?

Thx for your help!

Digging up an old thread here after searching around for an answer...

On my HLN 5065, I am trying to change to default input to component when using the Time On and Off function. The Component setting sticks just fine when manually powering on/off connected to a Comcast HD DVR.

However when using the Timer On/Off functionality, it turns on with an Antenna input and I receive a blue screen. Change the input to Component and Im back in business. Unfortunately, this extra step at 6am is a PITA.

How does one change the default setting specific to the Timer? Is this choice available in the Service Menu?

Thx for your help!


I've tried to figure that one out myself for quite some time and I concluded that it can't be done. Even my new Samsung LCD only allows the Time ON function to work with a coax/RF input (either cable input or OTA antenna input).

If someone knows of something in the SM that will change that, I'd be thrilled, since my antenna input has a PQ problem and I don't use it anymore.

Well that sucks :)

Thx for the quick response....hopefully someone has a miracle solution.

My Samsung HLN-507W1 did something strange today: the image had a distinct green tint with green waves rolling over it.
Turning the set off and back on fixed it.

What does it sound like?

Thank you!

Don't know. With all the problems my HLN507W has endured, that hasn't ever occurred. If I were to take a guess though, I'd suspect your color wheel. Getting any color wheel noise?

2 CEB II:
No. Quiet like a mouse.

2 CEB II:
No. Quiet like a mouse.

If it isn't the color wheel (a fairly inexpensive fix that owners can sometimes do themselves), then you may be looking at the video and DMD boards. Those boards ofter require replacement in tandom. The video board isn't too costly and can be replaced by the owner without too much fear or effort. The DMD board is very pricey and really takes a tech who knows what they are doing. Often, if the DMD board needs replacement, a tech will go for a whole light engine replacement, which is a $1K job and not worth it for a 5-year old DLP HDTV that can be replaced with a comparable new one for that kind of money.

I'd say, hope for the best. Good luck.

2 CEB II,
I was kind of hoping it'd be a lamp. I heard about some strange symptoms from a failing bulb.

My Samsung HLN-507W1 did something strange today: the image had a distinct green tint with green waves rolling over it.
Turning the set off and back on fixed it.

What does it sound like?

Thank you!

This used to happen to my HLN-617 fairly often. I had to replace the color wheel due to whine and it hasn't happened since. My guess is it is the color wheel. It wasn't that big of a deal to live with though, like you said just turn it off and back on.

I love how informative this thread is. I have HLN617 I purchased back in 2004 and it is a champ. It's lived through 2 replacement bulbs and a colorwheel. Has anyone tried to use their HLN61 as a monitor? My PS3 is connected via component and displays at 1080i so I was thinking it would be nice to be able to connect my Lenovo Thinkpad tablet X60 via VGA to HLN617's component interface to get a 1920x1080 desktop.

Just for grins I tried it via VGA to VGA and the HLN617 kept flashing UNSUPPORTED MODE. Perhaps the signal from my laptop to the HLN617 needs to be tweaked before it can be displayed in a HLN617 manual stipulated supported mode: Page 80 : PC Display : Display Modes :
DTV: 1920x1080i : Hor.Freq: 33.75kHz, Polarity : X, Ver.Freq: 60.00Hz, Polarity: P, Pixel Clock : 74.25 MHz, Sep: 0, Com: 0, SOG: x.

It also has a note : The interlace mode is not supported.

I'll try it VGA to VGA and see if I can get it by using a software that seems to allow me to adjust pretty much any of the video output signal settings : EntechTaiwan PowerStrip v3.8. No, I'm not affiliated with the company. It's free to try so why not.

If VGA to VGA doesn't work then I'll try Component 1080i.

My other alternative is to purchase a video VGA to Component scaler but that costs anywhere between $300-750. $30 for Powerstrip 3.8 and 12 ft VGA to VGA cable I already have seems like a better option if it works. $10 more if I have to get a VGA to Component cable.

Has anyone had any success in hooking up their desktop or laptop to the HLN DLP's to get 1920x1080 resolution desktop?

Also, if this is the wrong thread for this please advice and apologies in advance.

Has anyone had any success in hooking up their desktop or laptop to the HLN DLP's to get 1920x1080 resolution desktop?


I hook my Mini and my MacBook up to my TV with no problems. Not sure the resolution though...I will check.

I use a DVI cable.

Just to clarify, I can plug in my Thinkpad notebook to the HLN617 via VGA to VGA and get 1024x768 but it's the large resolution of 1920x1080, which is 1080i resolution, I am having difficulty obtaining.

1024x768 is such a small pc resolution and gives me a comparatively small desktop which in turn makes me scroll everything, especially in browser. Also, I have an external monitor which can support that but in my home right now, only my 4 year old HLN617 has the potential for a 1920x1080 desktop.

I'm a developer and when I remote into my office pc, I'm always having to wrestle with the scroll bars to see everything or lower my office pc's resolution which allows me to see everything bigger but also less of everything. So when I'm trouble shooting and need to see as much programming code on the screen as possible, it's very frustrating.

I just figured that since my PS3 can display in 1080i resolution, my pc should be able to as well either through the VGA port or the component port, HOPEFULLY.

Also, I didn't see this issue being tackled by anyone else with a non 1080p Samsung HLN. This would also negate my need to go buy a 42" 1080p tv so I can get to the 1920x1080 desktop saving myself a $1000. =)

The Sammy HLNs can only display 1280 x 720p. They convert all inputs to that resolution. A 1920 x 1080i input gets converted to that 720p resolution for display. The HLNs can only accept 1080i inputs via DVI and Component (possibly only Component 2 and 3).

<----QUOTED
The Sammy HLNs can only display 1280 x 720p. They convert all inputs to that resolution. A 1920 x 1080i input gets converted to that 720p resolution for display. The HLNs can only accept 1080i inputs via DVI and Component (possibly only Component 2 and 3).
----->

Interesting. Are you saying that regardless of input port, the OUTPUT will always at a maximum 1280x720p (1280x720 resolution PROGRESSIVE)? I ask because through my single DVI port I have my TimeWarner cable box hooked up to it and when I switch to a HD station the HLN617 will state DISPLAY resolution of 1920x1080 @60 Mhz (when I click on the DISPLAY button on remote). When I watch Blu-Ray from my PS3 connected to my Component 3, my PS3 is setup to display Blu-Ray DVD's at 1080i (again DISPLAY button reports 1920x1080 @60 Mhz). I thought these are being displayed at 1920x1080 resolution INTERLACED.

Oh, one thing is for sure though, I was not successful in getting 1080i through VGA so you are correct that 1080i can only be accepted via DVI and Component and not through VGA. Vexing.

I'm going to go purchase a VGA to Component cable at lunch today.

Amazing news. I've been having problems connecting my HLN567W to an HDMI 1.3 device reliably. It will talk to my Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player but not my DTV box or Onkyo receiver...well, it will once but when I change sources (or HD channel to SD channel or vice versa), it drops the handshake and I have to cycle the power on the receiver. Works fine with my smaller HDMI-equipped LCD TV, so I called Samsung tonite.

Guess what, a firmware update is being shipped out for the older sets (she didn't specify which ones but implied my 2004 model was included) starting TOMORROW, Wow! talk about fortuitous timing. Apparently the firmware update will improve communications...just my problem. Fingers crossed...

PS: the firmware update will apparently come in the form of a CD and some kind of connector...use the connector to attach a computer to the TV and voila.

I have to admit though that after all my previous fix attempts (various cables) I'm a bit sceptical but hopeful

Sounds great, Roscoe! Please keep us informed of how it goes if you don't mind.

<----QUOTED
The Sammy HLNs can only display 1280 x 720p. They convert all inputs to that resolution. A 1920 x 1080i input gets converted to that 720p resolution for display. The HLNs can only accept 1080i inputs via DVI and Component (possibly only Component 2 and 3).
----->

Interesting. Are you saying that regardless of input port, the OUTPUT will always at a maximum 1280x720p (1280x720 resolution PROGRESSIVE)? I ask because through my single DVI port I have my TimeWarner cable box hooked up to it and when I switch to a HD station the HLN617 will state DISPLAY resolution of 1920x1080 @60 Mhz (when I click on the DISPLAY button on remote). When I watch Blu-Ray from my PS3 connected to my Component 3, my PS3 is setup to display Blu-Ray DVD's at 1080i (again DISPLAY button reports 1920x1080 @60 Mhz). I thought these are being displayed at 1920x1080 resolution INTERLACED.

Oh, one thing is for sure though, I was not successful in getting 1080i through VGA so you are correct that 1080i can only be accepted via DVI and Component and not through VGA. Vexing.

I'm going to go purchase a VGA to Component cable at lunch today.

Yes, I'm saying that regardless of the input port, the OUTPUT will always be at a maximum of 1280x720p. When you use an input other than DVI, DISPLAY will simply indicate the input connection (e.g., component, s-video, video, antenna). When you use the DVI input, DISPLAY will indicate the resolution of the input source. Thus, your cable box shows up as 1920x1080. If you had an OTA ATSC tuner set to pass native resolutions (i.e., whatever the resolution of the source is w/o scaling) and hooked to your DVI input, you would see 1080, 720, and 480, but you are still only displaying 720p.

Amazing news. I've been having problems connecting my HLN567W to an HDMI 1.3 device reliably. It will talk to my Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player but not my DTV box or Onkyo receiver...well, it will once but when I change sources (or HD channel to SD channel or vice versa), it drops the handshake and I have to cycle the power on the receiver. Works fine with my smaller HDMI-equipped LCD TV, so I called Samsung tonite.

Guess what, a firmware update is being shipped out for the older sets (she didn't specify which ones but implied my 2004 model was included) starting TOMORROW, Wow! talk about fortuitous timing. Apparently the firmware update will improve communications...just my problem. Fingers crossed...

PS: the firmware update will apparently come in the form of a CD and some kind of connector...use the connector to attach a computer to the TV and voila.

I have to admit though that after all my previous fix attempts (various cables) I'm a bit sceptical but hopeful

If it is like previous firmware updates, it will be on a CD that you can merely play in an attached CD player to install on your Sammy.

Despite previous firmware updates, I to have continued to experience "loss of handshake" when switching (using a DVI switch) DVI input sources from some of my inputs when I change back and forth (most notably and ironically, from my Samsung upscaling DVD player). So, while Samsung has address the problem in the past, they never did get it quite right.

Did Samsung indicate how other owners of Samsung HLN DLPs were to obtain this new firmware update?

Yes, I'm saying that regardless of the input port, the OUTPUT will always be at a maximum of 1280x720p. When you use an input other than DVI, DISPLAY will simply indicate the input connection (e.g., component, s-video, video, antenna). When you use the DVI input, DISPLAY will indicate the resolution of the input source. Thus, your cable box shows up as 1920x1080. If you had an OTA ATSC tuner set to pass native resolutions (i.e., whatever the resolution of the source is w/o scaling) and hooked to your DVI input, you would see 1080, 720, and 480, but you are still only displaying 720p.
Speaking of HD cable boxes, there's another consideration with regard to resolutions. Most cable boxes give you a choice of passing to your display EITHER the resolution of the program being received OR a fixed resolution of your choice. Usually the default is a a fixed resolution of 1080i. In my opinion that's a bad thing with an HLN set, which has a native 720p display. Reason is, if you tune a program that's being broadcast in 720p, the cable box would scale it to 1080i, and then the HLN would scale it to 720p. There's gotta be some image artifacts introduced in doing that. I trust the scaler in the HLN, so I set my cable set-top box to pass through the native format received on the HD channel. As a bonus, any HD programs in 720p won't be subject to any scaling.

...Most cable boxes give you a choice of passing to your display EITHER the resolution of the program being received OR a fixed resolution of your choice.

Except for my Motorola DCT-6412 :(

Speaking of HD cable boxes, there's another consideration with regard to resolutions. Most cable boxes give you a choice of passing to your display EITHER the resolution of the program being received OR a fixed resolution of your choice. Usually the default is a a fixed resolution of 1080i. In my opinion that's a bad thing with an HLN set, which has a native 720p display. Reason is, if you tune a program that's being broadcast in 720p, the cable box would scale it to 1080i, and then the HLN would scale it to 720p. There's gotta be some image artifacts introduced in doing that. I trust the scaler in the HLN, so I set my cable set-top box to pass through the native format received on the HD channel. As a bonus, any HD programs in 720p won't be subject to any scaling.

If you get a native pass-through option, that is usually the best way to go. With the Dish Network receivers I have or have had, the options are only 1080i or 720p. Since the Dish receivers do a horrible job of converting 1080i to 720p and an acceptable job of converting 720p to 1080i, I always leave them set on 1080i. Also, 90% of the HD on satellite is 1080i, so converted channels are at a minimum.

I have an LG LST4200 OTA ATSC tuner that offers native pass-through, but that setting gives me some funky results with 480i stations, so I leave it on 720p. I've found its scaler and de-interlace function to be as good as my HLN Sammy's, so I'm not sacrificing anything in PQ.

Not to beat the same old cow but ...
if output will ALWAYS be 1280x720p does that mean I will never be able to get a desktop resolution of 1920x1080 on my HLN?

I purchased a bunch of items from the electronics store but haven't had the time to mess it with it yet and I've got 14 days (10 days now) to return the stuff for a refund.

Thanks for your advice, btw.

Not to beat the same old cow but ...
if output will ALWAYS be 1280x720p does that mean I will never be able to get a desktop resolution of 1920x1080 on my HLN?

I purchased a bunch of items from the electronics store but haven't had the time to mess it with it yet and I've got 14 days (10 days now) to return the stuff for a refund.

Thanks for your advice, btw.

Yes, that is what it means. You can certainly send your Sammy HLN a 1920x1080 resolution signal from your PC via DVI (maybe even via component; not sure about that), but what you will see on the screen is 1280x720 resolution (progressive) because that is the native resolution of the HLN. It can't display a higher resolution than what its native resolution is (i.e., the resolution designed into its mirrors, computer chip, and other video electronics)

If it is like previous firmware updates, it will be on a CD that you can merely play in an attached CD player to install on your Sammy.

That would be easy, but not what they described...

Despite previous firmware updates, I to have continued to experience "loss of handshake" when switching (using a DVI switch) DVI input sources from some of my inputs when I change back and forth (most notably and ironically, from my Samsung upscaling DVD player). So, while Samsung has address the problem in the past, they never did get it quite right. Don't say that...I'm counting on them to get this right :)

Did Samsung indicate how other owners of Samsung HLN DLPs were to obtain this new firmware update?
Nope...I just called 1-800-726-7864 and when they told me of the update I asked how to get on that list and she took my info over the phone. I've moved cross country since the purchase so it may be they've tried sending me updates before but I didn't get them.

Nope...I just called 1-800-726-7864 and when they told me of the update I asked how to get on that list and she took my info over the phone. I've moved cross country since the purchase so it may be they've tried sending me updates before but I didn't get them.

No, Samsung has never offered up the firmware updates. You have to b---h and complain about something that the revised firmware is supposed to fix and then they might send it to you or authorize a download. The one firmware update I got I couldn't even beg out of Samsung and I finally got it through a third party. I don't know what Samsung's problem is regarding the distribution of firmware updates for the HLNs, but it has certainly improved with the newer LCD HDTVs.

Interesting that I can't find any firmware update information for HLNs on Samsung's support page. Let us know if you actually receive the CD and whether or not it improved your HLN's operation.

Anybody have a good quality HDMI/DVI switch to use with the HLN567w?
I have a FIOS supplied Motorola DTC-6412 HD-DVR and a Sony BDP-S550 BlueRay player I want to share the single DIV-D input on my Sammy with.

I tried the Monoprice 1.3b 4 port (REV3) HDMI switch but the HDCP between the STB and the Sammy didn't play well together and I lost signal after 5 seconds. The box showed to be HDCP compliant but it didn't work for me even tried a completely different set of cables.

Anybody have a good quality HDMI/DVI switch to use with the HLN657w?
I have a FIOS supplied Motorola DTC-6412 HD-DVR and a Sony BDP-S550 BlueRay player I want to share the single DIV-D input on my Sammy with.

I tried the Monoprice 1.3b 4 port (REV3) HDMI switch but the HDCP between the STB and the Sammy didn't play well together and I lost signal after 5 seconds. The box showed to be HDCP compliant but it didn't work for me even tried a completely different set of cables.

Have you considered a manual switch? With a manual switch HDCP isn't an issue. The links below are for a switch that I purchased and use with my Samsung HLN507W. It can be used as an HDMI switch or a DVI switch (my use). It WILL NOT convert an HDMI input to DVI or vice versa. You need to make the HDMI to DVI conversions with the cables, either all before or all after the switch. Monoprice HDMI to DVI cables are excellent.

http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=DVIAB%2D1&off=4&sort=prod&skuonly=0&search=HDMI+switch&pagesize=20

http://www.sjmediasystem.com/dviab-1.html


BTW, I also have an electronic DVI switch, which works, but is pricey. Using that switch showed me how sensitive the Sammy HLNs are to the HDCP handshake. I can switch to my Samsung upscaling DVD player, turn on the DVD player, and get a solid handshake that lasts. I can then hit the switch and switch back to my Dish HD receiver and establish a new solid HDCP handshake. However, if I try to switch back again to the Sammy DVD player, I lose the HDCP handshake and have to turn-off and restart the DVD player. PITA. The manual switch doesn't have any problem switching back and forth between my Dish HD receiver and my LG DTV tuner.

Have you considered a manual switch? With a manual switch HDCP isn't an issue. The links below are for a switch that I purchased and use with my Samsung HLN507W. It can be used as an HDMI switch or a DVI switch (my use). It WILL NOT convert an HDMI input to DVI or vice versa. You need to make the HDMI to DVI conversions with the cables, either all before or all after the switch. Monoprice HDMI to DVI cables are excellent.

http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=DVIAB%2D1&off=4&sort=prod&skuonly=0&search=HDMI+switch&pagesize=20

http://www.sjmediasystem.com/dviab-1.html


BTW, I also have an electronic DVI switch, which works, but is pricey. Using that switch showed me how sensitive the Sammy HLNs are to the HDCP handshake. I can switch to my Samsung upscaling DVD player, turn on the DVD player, and get a solid handshake that lasts. I can then hit the switch and switch back to my Dish HD receiver and establish a new solid HDCP handshake. However, if I try to switch back again to the Sammy DVD player, I lose the HDCP handshake and have to turn-off and restart the DVD player. PITA. The manual switch doesn't have any problem switching back and forth between my Dish HD receiver and my LG DTV tuner.

Thanks for the info.!
I assume your happy with the picture quality using the manual switch box? BTW -what electronic switch do you use?

Thanks for the info.!
I assume your happy with the picture quality using the manual switch box? BTW -what electronic switch do you use?

A mechanical switch shouldn't affect PQ and doesn't for any of my 3 inputs (Dish Vip211, Samsung DVD-HD931, LG LST-4200A) on my Sammy HLN507W. I bought mine about a year and a half ago and I don't have any complaints, plus you can't beat the price compared to other DVI/HDMI switches.

My electronic switch is a Dtronics DS-21R, which I purchased from Digital Connection for $209 back in January 2005. Dtronics became Dtrovison and now they sell under the brand name of PureLink. Here are some current links:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/ds21r.asp

http://www.purelinkav.com/aboutus.htm

You can probably find it cheaper elsewhere with some searching effort. However, even at $200, it is a pricey switch for just 2 into 1, and it is subject HDCP hiccups under some conditions with certain inputs. Also, while remotely changing the DVI switch sounds nice, since you don't do it daily, you forget where you put the switch's remote and spend as much time looking for it as you would just walking over to it and pushing the button. When you realize that, a manual switch sounds even more appealing. Just wish there was a 3 into 1 manual switch available for under $100.

Not to beat the same old cow but ...
if output will ALWAYS be 1280x720p does that mean I will never be able to get a desktop resolution of 1920x1080 on my HLN?

I purchased a bunch of items from the electronics store but haven't had the time to mess it with it yet and I've got 14 days (10 days now) to return the stuff for a refund.

Thanks for your advice, btw.

If I recall, the HLN series does not do a proper de-interlace of 1080i. Rather it takes the individual 540 line fields and scales them up to 720P frames, so resolution is lost. This still looks pretty good actually, but if you're using a console or a computer as a source and if it can generate true 720P frames, that is the way to go...

No, Samsung has never offered up the firmware updates. You have to b---h and complain about something that the revised firmware is supposed to fix and then they might send it to you or authorize a download. The one firmware update I got I couldn't even beg out of Samsung and I finally got it through a third party. I don't know what Samsung's problem is regarding the distribution of firmware updates for the HLNs, but it has certainly improved with the newer LCD HDTVs.

Interesting that I can't find any firmware update information for HLNs on Samsung's support page. Let us know if you actually receive the CD and whether or not it improved your HLN's operation.

I called to day to see where the promised update was at, and was told that there was no firmware update for my TV. Needless to say I was a bit grumpy. They understood and immediatley pushed me up to the "executive customer care" shop...whatever that means. I explained that I bought a whole suite of equipment that is supposed to work with my TV and they don't...b4ecaue the TV is faulty. I also explained that because they promised me a firmware update, the window for returning items had closed, and that I couldn't afford a replacement TV. Even though my warranty was expired, she seemed to think that they may be able to help...I should get a call back within the next 48 hrs.

I seriously doubt anything will come of this, but I'm sure it will be entertaining...

Had an odd problem with my 4-5 year old Sam HLN467W DLP. Last night the TV was on but wouldn't turn off either by the remote or power switch. The TV was completely unresponsive to any actions (volume level , channels, video mode, etc.) Had to unplug the unit to get it off, waited 15 mins, plug it back in and it wouldn't turn on.

Unplugged everything overnight, plugged everything back in and the TV turned right on the next day with no issues. Could this be a light or board problem and if so any idea on $$$? Think it's worth getting fixed?

Also, I'm not able to find any information on how to access the service menu.. I'm curious on how many hours are on my still original lamp.

Any help or ideas are appreciated Thank you

This is the exact same problem I'm currently researching and hoping to solve. I'm kind of at a loss.

A mechanical switch shouldn't affect PQ and doesn't for any of my 3 inputs (Dish Vip211, Samsung DVD-HD931, LG LST-4200A) on my Sammy HLN507W. I bought mine about a year and a half ago and I don't have any complaints, plus you can't beat the price compared to other DVI/HDMI switches.

My electronic switch is a Dtronics DS-21R, which I purchased from Digital Connection for $209 back in January 2005. Dtronics became Dtrovison and now they sell under the brand name of PureLink. Here are some current links:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/ds21r.asp

http://www.purelinkav.com/aboutus.htm

You can probably find it cheaper elsewhere with some searching effort. However, even at $200, it is a pricey switch for just 2 into 1, and it is subject HDCP hiccups under some conditions with certain inputs. Also, while remotely changing the DVI switch sounds nice, since you don't do it daily, you forget where you put the switch's remote and spend as much time looking for it as you would just walking over to it and pushing the button. When you realize that, a manual switch sounds even more appealing. Just wish there was a 3 into 1 manual switch available for under $100.

As A Follow Up: I ended up buying the Oppo HM-31 and it's been working flawless. It's a 3 in 1 out electronic switch with a remote. It was $99 from Amazon with free shipping. :D

I have HLN507W1 for almost 5 years now. I had been using a samsung DVD upconvert player using DVI to DVI port for 5 years with no issue. I have also tried hooking up my ComCast cable box via DVI to DVI without issue in the past though it has been a long while. I only have one DVI port on the TV and thought the improvements on the DVD upconvert was better than any improvement from the cable box when using component cables.

This Christmas I bought the Samsung Blu-Ray player. I hooked up the Blu-Ray to my DLP with HDMI to DVI cable. Played Iron Man Blu-Ray disk and other regular DVDs without any issues for a couple of weeks. Fantastic picture especially on Iron Man Blu-Ray disk. I know it is down converting 1080p to 1080i/720p but by far the best picture I have ever had on any TV. Everyone at the various Xmas and NYear parties I've thrown has been blown away by the picture. I put in Batman Dark Knight Blu-Ray disk last night and started getting issues with frequent static screen. The static would go in and back out to regular picture. It was annoying. I played around with the BD player output setting and changed it to 720p as the manual states it coule be the 1080p signal from the player not sinking properly with my 720p TV. Not sure why this was an issue with Batman but not Iron Man. That worked for awhile, no static screen for most the movie. I turned everything off in the middle of the movie since it was late. I restarted the TV and player the following day to continue watching. I started getting all red, blue or green screen. I tried resetting the player via reset function (hold forward arrow for 5 seconds). That did not fix my problem still got the solid screens. I then put the Iron Man disk back in and got solid color screen still. No disk in the player does the same. I unplugged everything, waited 10 minutes and reconnected to no avail. I tried changing back to my old DVD upconvert player that I have been using for 5 years. That now gives me a red, blue or green screen. If I turn off the player or unplug the DVI and reconnect, I get different colors. When I plug in the ComCast cable box the screen is extremely fuzzy and there is a message I can barely make out but it says that my HDTV not supporting HDCP.

Anyone have a clue on what happened. I'm afraid my Blu-Ray player has killed my TV's DVI port which would be a step back to what I had previously. What do you guys think? And if so, is there anyway to fix? I have a 42 Plasma that has HDMI instead of DVI. It works fine with DVD player using the same HDMI/DVI cables I was using betwen the Blu-Ray and the DLP. I unfortunately don't have HDMI/HDMI cable to test out the Blu-Ray player on the plasma. Will do that in a couple of days.

In 5 years I already changed out bulb, lamp ballister and color wheel (at my cost). Would kill me if I had to front more money to fix the DVI port. I am seriously wondering if a 50 inch Plasma 5 years ago would have been a better investment considering the bulb replacement and breakdown cost.

Read back aways and you'll see I've been having a similar problem. My HLN56___ of the same vintage will work with my Toshiba HD-A3 but not my Onkyo 606, Sony BDP-S350, or my DirecTV HR-21, all HDMI boxes. Becasue the Toshiba worked, I dumped a bunch of $$ a couple of months ago on the others, only to find out that the Toshiba was a anomaly. I should note I tried an HDMI cable box 2.5 years ago and it wouldn't work, so I swapped it out for a DVI version. Never occurred to me at the time that it should have worked.

I've been talking to Samsung and while they're talking a good game, I suspect they'll do nothing to help me and I'll be forced to upgrade my TV (which I want to do anyway but not for a couple of years). In the meantime I use HDMI for sound and component for picture (TV only does 720p anyway) excpet on the Toshiba I use HDMI for picture and optical for sound...ensures that I can upconvert protected DVDs. I think.

Pedro Le,

My HLN507W hasn't ever had a problem with inputs from DVI or HDMI devices. I use HDMI to DVI cables from Monoprice, never the converting connectors. In the early days of HDMI, cables were typically the root cause of video problems. A friend of mine went through 3 cables and 2 HD-STBs from Comcast a couple of years ago with a brand new small LCD HDTV. Never could get a decent picture. Ended up with a component cable hookup.

If you try a new, mid-grade, HDMI to DVI cable from Monoprice and you have the same problem, you, in fact, may have jazzed up the digital input electronics on your Sammy with the Blu-Ray 1080p input. Those Sammys are not designed to accept anything except 720p or 1080i. No telling what it would do with a 1080p signal and I don't know why the Ironman DVD worked. Maybe the Blu Ray had a default that put it at 1080i or 720p when you played your first DVD (i.e., Ironman). Not a good sign that your up-converting DVD player no longer works either.

I've had a lot of things go wrong with my Sammy and get professionally repaired, but I've never had just a solid, green, blue, or red screen. When I lose the HDCP handshake by flipping through my DVI switches, I get a blank black screen with a message, No Signal. The only solid color blank screen I've seen with DVI is a green screen. That has occurred when the video signal I was receiving was suddenly terminated. This happened once when a local DTV station had their antenna hit by lightning. My OTA ATSC tuner signal just generated a blank green screen. Same thing when I switched to that station via my Dish Network HD-STB (HDMI) and their delivery of local station HD.

Sorry I can't be of more help on this issue.

Thanks for the reply back CEB. I never got a chance to try out new higher end DVI to HDMI cables I just ordered as I originally thought the same lines as you. I bought Monster Cables in package from Ebay that will now never be used. After spending time with Samsung folks on the phone, we all agree the DVI port DHCP is not working anymore. I have quotes of 70 bucks to see if a tech can go into service menu to re-enable to 250 bucks to replace the chip/board on the DVI port. I am not willing to spend another nickel on fixing this TV. 70 bucks saved now is 70 bucks closer to a newer TV. Especially at the prices I am seeing. I think any Sammie DLP pre-2006/2007 is going to have their hair pulling issues. This thing is worst than the 78 Ford Granada my parents owned.

To fill you in on what happened. I have never connected HDMI sources to this TV in the past. Cable STB and DVD Upconverting players have always been DVI to DVI. According to the player manual, it should have automatically reduced the output to 720p/1080i on handshake. In any case, I had one or two regular DVDs that would go in and out of picture. Out in this case was a second of snow and then back to regular picture. I went into the Blu-Ray player settings and manually set to 720p as the output and never saw the problem again with DVDs and did not notice any degration when watching the Iron Man Blu-Ray. Player and TV worked like a dream for 2 weeks. Unbelievable picture quality.

Bought Batman Dark Knight Blu-Ray and unlike Iron Man it kept going in and out of picture with snow screen quite a few times, the screen went black which typically means the sync was lost. I stuck Iron man and other DVDs back in and everything played fine. I put Bat Man back in and same as before except this time when I tried putting in other disk, I get snow. Even no disk in player resulted in snow. I was screwd. I thought maybe changing to 1080i instead of 720p would help. Through component connection I made the change. I accidentally chose 1080p. The DLP TV responded with a message about not supporting input mode. I did eventually set it to 1080i but no change from 720p results.

I hooked my old DVD upconverting player back in and it still worked. So the DVI port was still good at this point. At this point I reset the Blu-Ray player by holding down the fast forward skip arrow for 5 seconds with no disk in the machine. Reset showed on front of player and then turned off and unhooked everything. After half an hour and hooking everything up again, the player worked on my TV again with Iron Man. I note the Samsung Player says the HDMI connection signal was 1080i. In any case, I really wanted to watch Dark Knight and plugged it back in. Got through half the movie and no snow. Which was a relief. Didn't finish the movie because it was so late. Turned off the TV and player. Turned it back on next day and the Blu-Ray showed nothing but block. I tried the reset and unhooking everything again but the trick did not work this time. As of now when I hook the blu-ray player up I get the normal start-up screen with the Samsung Blu-Ray decal but it was all screwed up. Faded badly with high blue and red tone. And signal would lose sync after a minute. I tried many more times to no avail. Stuck my old upconverting DVD player back in and I was screwd. It showed boxes of blue, red or green. Or snow with big lines of red. According the manual and the Samsung folks, this is what happens when you hook a Samsung Upconverting DVD player up through DVI/HDMI to a TV DVI/HDMI that does not support HDCP.

So to answer your question, at least on my HLN507, if receiving a 1080p signal through DVI, the TV will provide message about not supporting the input. The Samsung Blu-Ray as best I can tell does not send the 1080p signal but instead reduces the output signal if needed on handshake. Though you can change the player setup to go ahead with the 1080p signal. Not sure what made my TV lose it's HDCP capabilities on the DVI port. Samsung wanted me to use a tech to fix the port at my cost. And as expected would not take blame for anything. As far as they were concern this was coincidence that a Samsung Blu-Ray player was having all these problems with my Samsung TV and my "old" TV's DVI port gave out. I would rather they give me the directions to re-enable HDCP if it is simple setting re-enabling issue. I will live without the DVI pure digital on this TV. The DVI port still works just not with HDCP sources.

If anyone knows the service menu sequence to check the HDCP and enable it if disable, please email or reply me. That would be doing me a BIG favor. I know how to get into the service menu to update bulb counter and other picture settings but I dare not delve any further on procedure for HDCP without verification from someone who knows. For now I will live with crappy Blu-Ray through component which is worst than DVD Upconvert through DVI. Darn shame my Christmas present to the family ended up degrading us back to the dark ages (component) instead of enhancing it to pure 720p digital. Life was better before Xmas.

Pedro Le,

Sorry to hear that long sad story about your attempt to improve your HD viewing that ended up doing the opposite. Sounds like Samsung technical support has adequately analyzed your problem.

I guess since Samsung support suggested a possible adjustment to restore HDCP, that may be an option, but I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe some AVS member that is a tech can advise how to do that. My experience with techs the last couple of years is that they are just component replacers and don't know much about adjusting a Sammy DLP, much less re-programming the software/firmware. Good luck with that avenue. BTW, you can purchase a service manual for your Sammy on-line for $28. Don't know that the SM would tell you what you need to know, but it might help.

OTOH, the DVI connection and input to your Sammy is an appendagea to the video board. New video boards are available on-line, but the price seems to be rapidly rising. Less than a year ago, they could be had for a little over $100. Now the re-manufactured ones are almost $300 (supply and demand; supplies have dwindled and now old Sammys are in need of new video boards). Video board replacement is pretty straightforward, just screws and plugs. The hardest part is getting all the screws out of the back of the TV so you can remove the back and access the video board.

I looked at the two on-line parts vendors for video boards for an HLN507W1 without success. Be sure to use the exact model number for your Sammy as noted on the tag on the side of the case back. Start with it in a search, then delete suffix letters one at a time until you find a listing of parts. Alternatively, if you can get Samsung or a local shop to give you the part number for a video board for your Sammy, you could do a search on it.

Owner video board replacement was a cost effective option when the boards were less than $150, but at some of the prices I saw today, it may not be anymore.

Any one have any luck selling a 507W? I'm in the DC area. My wife surprised me w/ a new LCD (she likes the picture on my brothers) so I'm looking to put this good TV in good hands. Any thoughts (and yes it is on Craig's List).

Any one have any luck selling a 507W? I'm in the DC area. My wife surprised me w/ a new LCD (she likes the picture on my brothers) so I'm looking to put this good TV in good hands. Any thoughts (and yes it is on Craig's List).

You might improve your luck by throwing in a good HDMI-to-DVI cable and an ATSC (HD digital) tuner to make it seem more contemporary.

I've had folks want my 507W if I buy a new LCD, but they all want it for nothing. By the end of this year I'll have that new 52" LCD, but the 507W will just take a trip to the basement to replace the old 35" RCA CRT console for summer TV watching. The RCA died last year; just have to figure out how to get the 300+ pound behemoth out of the basement. It took 4 guys with movers straps to get it down there and I was a lot younger then (1993).

Any one have any luck selling a 507W? I'm in the DC area. My wife surprised me w/ a new LCD (she likes the picture on my brothers) so I'm looking to put this good TV in good hands. Any thoughts (and yes it is on Craig's List).I just unloaded a 5065W to a bud for $300.

You might improve your luck by throwing in a good HDMI-to-DVI cable and an ATSC (HD digital) tuner to make it seem more contemporary.

I've had folks want my 507W if I buy a new LCD, but they all want it for nothing. By the end of this year I'll have that new 52" LCD, but the 507W will just take a trip to the basement to replace the old 35" RCA CRT console for summer TV watching. The RCA died last year; just have to figure out how to get the 300+ pound behemoth out of the basement. It took 4 guys with movers straps to get it down there and I was a lot younger then (1993).
Kind of reminds me of getting rid of my 56" rear screen projection years ago... several sheets over the furniture and a Sawzall did it for me. It was amazing how all those pieces fit in the trash can after that.

Thanks for the advice. I've got a couple of offers at $450 from a Craig's list posting. Of course no one has showed up with the cash yet. I did include the HDMI/DVI cable I have but I never had a HD Tuner. I've always had cable. We'll see - it might wind up in my parents basement yet.