Rca DLP [Text View] - Page 5

PaulGo

03-04-05, 09:58 AM

Thomson ’04 Sales Slide 6%

By Jeff Malester -- TWICE, 3/3/2005 8:07:00 AM

Paris — Thomson’s 2004 sales dropped 6 percent to $10.5 billion from the previous year’s $11.1 billion, as the French consumer electronics giant posted lower profits for its CE division.

Operating income for the digital contents solutions segment at Thomson — mainly the company’s CE business — dropped to $390.1 million in 2004, compared with $476.8 million in 2003, as division results reflected the impact of currency translations and margin pressures.

CE segment operating margin decreased to 13.1 percent in 2004, compared with the previous year’s 16 percent, due primarily to a sharp decline in VHS volumes and, to a lesser extent, increasing raw materials prices and DVD pricing. The start-up costs for North American distribution expansion also exacerbated margin impact.

Thomson did not break out end-of-year sales for its digital contents solutions division, but included full-year CE revenue under a wider displays and CE banner. Here, revenue for 2004 reached $2.8 billion, down from $3.5 billion year-on-year. Operating loss for 2004 hit $257.5 million, down from a loss of $319.2 million the previous year.

For the 12 months, licensing segment operating income declined to $426.9 million, down from $539.9 million in 2003.

Full-year earnings, after restructuring costs, at Thomson’s CE segment, moved down to $349.4 million from a year-ago $415.1 million. Costs in 2004 hit $40.7 million for the segment, compared with $63.1 million the previous year.

Consolidated operating profit at Thomson for the 12 months dipped to $570.1 million, down from $667.3 million in 2003, but would have been $749.4 million in 2004, after adjusting for extraordinary items.

Income for the company was impacted by $1.2 billion in exceptional items taken during the past year, mainly for restructuring and reorganization.

Thomson reported a consolidated net loss of $835.4 million in 2004, including the $1.2 billion in charges. This compares with net income of $34.2 million in 2003.

The company’s second-half loss reached $587.2 million in 2004, compared with the same period in 2003, which produced net income of $155 million. Thomson said much of this decrease was due to costs attributed to the company exiting the TV tube business.

PaulGo

03-15-05, 09:59 AM

RCA Shows Off New TV's At HDTV Summit
Monday, March 14 @ 07:47:29 PST

At this years HDTV Summit, RCA introduced seven new SDTV televisions and 23 new Scenium and HDTV televisions.

Seven RCA brand direct-view models in 27- and 32-inch screen sizes will comprise the SDTV line-up with availability starting this summer. The SDTV models incorporate a built-in over-the-air ATSC tuner/decoder that will receive and display any of the 18 different digital TV formats and deliver DVD viewing quality for digital terrestrial broadcasts.

The new SDTV models feature 5-channel favorite program listings in most models, a 5-brand graphic equalizer in select models, comb filters to minimize "edge crawls" and other picture distortions, and component inputs. The new models will be available in both flat-screen and standard color TV picture tube formats.

SDTV models in the 27-inch screen size will be available at suggested retail prices below $300 while 32-inch models will start at suggested retail prices under $400.

The RCA Home Court Advantage promotion features 23 RCA and RCA Scenium high-definition digital television sets and monitors including 15 models based on Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing (DLP™) technology that offers dazzling picture performance in lightweight designs and space-saving slim-line cabinets. All the models featured in the promotion are available at national retail stores as well as independent retailers throughout the country.

Among the DLP HDTV Sets included in the promotion are the 61-inch RCA Scenium Profiles HD61THW263 ultra-thin HDTV with a cabinet only 6.85 inches deep and weighing only 135 pounds. The industry's only DLP HDTV capable of hanging on a wall; the HD61THW263 was awarded several honors including the prestigious 2005 Best of Innovations for outstanding digital display, the highest honor accorded by the International CES Innovations Design/Engineering competition. Priced at only $6,999, the acclaimed model is joined in the Home Court Advantage promotion by the new 50-inch RCA Scenium Profiles HD50THW263 that is available for $4,999.

Rounding out the DLP models are 12 fully integrated HDTV Sets that do not require a separate set-top tuner/decoder to receive HDTV broadcasts. Ten of the featured models include an integrated ATSC Tuner/Decoder plus Digital Cable Ready circuitry that enables the consumer to easily receive cable HDTV programming as well as over-the-air HDTV broadcasts without a separate digital cable set-top box.

Additional features include:

* HDMI interface that combines video and audio into a single digital interface for connection with DVD players, set-top boxes and other audio/video devices

* 7-Band Graphic Equalizer and Digital Audio Output for optimum connection of premium sound components

* Audio outputs (L/R plus subwoofer) and analog A/V record outputs for recording digital programming on standard VCRs

* CableCARD interface for easy connection to high-definition services over cable

PaulGo

03-15-05, 06:54 PM

From a review of the 7" thin InFocus DLP which is the same as the thin 7" RCA.

Overall, the 61md10 is an interesting animal. On the one hand, our colorimeters didn't like it all that much. Measured performance was just OK, not great—not something you'd expect at this price point. Some of this was the fact that RPTVs have some inherent issues due to their underlying technology. As a result, their contrast ratio isn't as good as that seen on plasmas and LCDs. But our eyes generally liked most of what the 61md10 was showing us, at least after doing a fair amount of initial tweaking. We also like the fact that its slender figure will let it squeeze into some corners more traditional RPTVs cannot. This RPTV fares best in dimly-lit or darkened viewing environments, so if you can't easily control ambient light in your TV room, the 61md10 probably won't be a good fit.

Priced at nearly $7,000, the 61md10 is not cheap, though a 61-inch plasma HDTV will cost anywhere from about $8000 on up. So in comparison to a plasma TV, this unit still offers you a pretty good value proposition. But it's still put a pretty good wallop on your wallet. Note that somewhat less thin, 61-inch DLP rear projection HDTVs can be found at well under $4,000, with some offering better picture quality. If you're in the market for a big picture HDTV, the 61md10 is worth a long gander, but you should spend some time with DVD material you're familiar with, and tweak the OSD settings to see if the 61md10's overall picture quality is pleasing to your eyes. If you like what you see, then the 61md10 will bring the Big Screen right into living room. But take a look at less pricey units from competitors first.

Product: InFocus 61md10 61-inch HDTV
Price: $6,799 (street)
Company: www.infocus.com
Pro: Good performance on visual inspection tests; Internet connectivity with an auto-update feature for its software/firmware; very good OSD controls.
Con: Though a good deal for its size, the 61md10 is not cheap; so-so contrast ratio performance; klunky non-backlit remote control; needs a simple setting to dial in 6500K color temperature.
Summary: A big yet slender RPTV that delivers good subjective performance, very good OSD controls, good digital I/O and even an integrated web browser. At $7,000 it’s not cheap, but then again, it is 61” of HD goodness.

Full review can be found at:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1776204,00.asp

PaulGo

04-04-05, 12:24 PM

High-Tech TVs: Here Comes China

It's still a bit player in the industry's major shift to flat panels. It won't be for long

It wasn't so long ago that having a color TV in China was a sign of affluence. Today, many millions of Chinese own them, and China's TV makers are among the world's biggest. One is TCL, based in Southern China's Guangdong province near Hong Kong, which now controls the RCA TV brand. TCL won the RCA name thanks to the Chinese company's dominant role in a joint venture with France's Thomson group, making TCL one of the world's most powerful TV makers.

Yet, as more and more American consumers scrap their clunky old TVs and buy sleek new thin-screen models, could it be that the Chinese are out of their league? Companies like TCL, Konka, and Changhong have grown large by producing cheap, low-tech cathode-ray tube models. That CRT technology may be popular in China and other developing countries, but it's quickly losing favor in the world's wealthier economies to snazzier, more complicated technologies such as liquid-crystal (LCD), plasma, and rear-projection digital-light processing (DLP) models.

Right now, the companies that dominate these categories are the traditional big-name brands -- names like Sharp, Panasonic (MC ), Samsung, and Philips (PHG ) -- with new competition from American PC makers like Dell (DELL ) and Hewlett-Packard (HP). Still, it's likely that the Chinese will be major players in the world of high-tech TVs. Certainly China's major TV makers aren't going to sit back and let the Japanese and Koreans and Dutch dominate the market.

LOWER BARRIERS. Already, the Chinese are moving into the more lucrative thin-screen market. "Everyone is getting into this business," says Henry Lau, the former CEO of Chinese TV maker Skyworth Multimedia. Skyworth had just 15 LCD TV models in 2003 but several dozen last year. "Flat screens are now not very big for us, but we won't give up," says Zhao Zhongyao, the CEO of TTE, the joint venture between TCL and France's Thomson that controls the RCA brand in the U.S. TTE has a joint laboratory in the Southern Chinese city of Shenzhen with Texas Instruments (TI ) to work on DLP technology. It's also working with Trident Microsystems (TRID ) to develop chipsets and has plans to start producing its own displays.

Another factor that will keep China front and center in the new TV era is its role in the outsourcing food chain. Just as PC companies have been able to outsource production of their computers to manufacturers in Asia, the companies that sell brand-name TVs are finding that they can rely on others to do the manufacturing and design for them. That means the barriers to entry are falling.

"We have a paradigm shift, with an opportunity for a whole set of new players to enter the marketplace," says Douglas Woo, the 44-year-old CEO of Westinghouse Digital, a Southern California-based startup that has revived the old Westinghouse brand by selling LCD TVs made by a partner in Taiwan. "Who survives and dominates the next generation of TVs is really up for grabs."

SHANGHAI WORKFORCE. And if the parallels with the PC industry hold, as more companies outsource to the Taiwanese, more of the actual manufacturing will be shifting to low-wage locations across the Taiwan Strait in China. So a few years from now, when you buy your next TV, chances are good that it's going to be made in China.

One thing is certain: The shift to digital TVs means even more of the design and manufacturing of TVs will be taking place in China and other parts of Asia. For instance, Silicon Valley chip designer Trident Microsystems employs 100 engineers in California to work on the algorithms, architecture, and advanced design of its TV chips, but it has 200 more in Shanghai to work with customers in the region. As Trident grows, it will be adding more engineers in China, says CEO Frank Lin.

Lin is also intrigued by the potential of the domestic Chinese market. "China produced 65 million units last year -- 34 million for domestic consumption and the rest for export," he says. "Only 6% are digital." As the Chinese middle class grows, so too will the demand for higher-end TVs that make use of Trident's chips, Lin believes. "In China alone, you can see that the growth potential is huge," he says.

ADDED INCENTIVE. Another factor in China's favor is the fact that Asia is the center for production of plasma and LCD panels. The U.S. still has chipmakers like Intel (INTC ), Texas Instruments, AMD (AMD ), and Micron (MU ), but when it comes to LCDs and plasmas, the action is all in Asia -- in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The Chinese hope to get into the business too, with new fabs in Beijing and Shanghai.

But even if China doesn't succeed in making the LCD and plasma panels, its close proximity to the Asian producers of these components will give companies even more incentive to assemble their TVs in China. With old-fashioned CRTs, multinationals spread out their manufacturing around the world, since the picture tubes themselves were so big and bulky that it was too expensive to ship them from Asia to the U.S. or Europe. That allowed countries like Mexico and Turkey to have major TV manufacturers, even though their labor costs weren't nearly as low as China's.

But as the industry's growth increasingly comes from LCDs and plasma displays, manufacturers realize that they have no choice but to ship from Asia. So there's less reason for companies to stick with uncompetitive locations.

"No matter what you do, the panel has to come out of Asia," says Frans van Houten, CEO of the consumer-electronics division at Philips. "More products will come out of Asia. That is definitely the case." So one way or another, the Chinese are going to emerge as high-tech TV winners.

PaulGo

04-22-05, 07:43 PM

Thomson Reports 14.8% Core Biz Growth

By Jeff Malester -- TWICE, 4/22/2005 7:04:00 AM

Paris — Under a new organizational structure implemented Jan. 1, French media and entertainment company Thomson reported a first quarter sales gain of 14.8 percent in its three core media and entertainment divisions — including services, systems and equipment and technology.

Total core sales for the three segments hit $1.77 billion for the first three months, ended March 31, and $1.82 billion at constant currency. This compares with $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2004.

Among the media and entertainment segment activities are licensing revenue, home networking connectivity and DVD home entertainment and film services.

Thomson’s non-core displays and CE partnerships business, which, in the past, included RCA-brand consumer electronics products, reported first quarter 2005 actual sales of $347.3 million, or $356.4 million at constant currency.

The $872.1 million recorded for displays and CE partnerships in the first quarter of 2004 does not take into account changes in the segment’s structure, mainly the outsourcing of its television business and the discontinuation of its tube business. Therefore, a quarter-over-quarter percentage change could not be calculated.

The impact of TV deconsolidation from Thomson’s displays and CE partnership segment, completed last August, is underscored by $428.2 million in first quarter 2004 sales of televisions and tubes, which is not translatable to the newly constructed segment’s first quarter of 2005. The same is true for additional sales for marketing and sales services this year, currency effects, plant shutdowns, disposal in tubes and lower activity.

Thomson does not report income numbers in its first and third quarterly reporting periods, only revenue. Both sales and profit numbers are reported only at the end of six months and the full year.

PaulGo

04-24-05, 01:10 PM

RCA's "floating" 61-inch rear-projection HDTV
January 8, 2005; 1:59 p.m.
RCA HD61LPW175

The product: RCA's latest DLP HDTV is another looker. The HD61LPW175 crams all the electronics into an integrated base, leaving the 61-inch screen to "float" above. The TV also packs all the HD basics: it boasts a 1,280x720 resolution, and it's CableCard-equipped (digital cable ready).

* 1,280x720p resolution
* HDMI input
* TV Guide onscreen EPG
* Built-in ATSC tuner and CableCard slot

The price: Final pricing was not provided, but look for this product later in 2005.

The prospects: It's not thin and light enough to hang on a wall (as RCA's winning HD61THW263 does), but the HD61LPW175 is one great-looking DLP set. Design-centric shoppers will want to include this one on their short list when considering HDTV upgrades for 2005.

By John P. Falcone, senior associate editor, CNET Reviews

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ts/ces/2005/ps/RCAHD61LPW175_01_300.gif

PaulGo

04-29-05, 10:22 AM

The following article explains the relationship of Thomson with the RCA TV brand. TTL now produces RCA TVs (TTL is owned 67% by a Chinese firm and 33% by Thomson). It will be interesting to see what new products TTL comes up with.

Thomson Outlines Connectivity Business Strategy

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 4/28/2005 12:31:00 PM

New York � With Thomson out of the television business and no longer representing its display brands in the United States, the company took advantage of the Home Entertainment Expo, being held here, to outline its new business strategy.

The Thomson Connectivity Business Unit (CBU), headed by company veteran Mike O�Hara as its executive VP, is one-third of a company that consists of three product groupings: home networking accessories (connectivity, user interface and network adapters); consumer A/V (DVD, PVR and digital audio); and ATLINKS/communications (corded and cordless phones, cell dock and SOHO).

CBU continues to market the RCA and Thomson brands, along with RCA Lyra, Acoustic Research (AR), Jensen, Gyration, Recoton, Advent and SpikeMaster. CBU�s customers include retailers and consumers. TTL has a 20-year license for the RCA and Thomson brands in television and based on the licensing fees Thomson is getting from TTL, �We are investing in these brands. Our intention is to put money back into the brands.� And he noted that TTL is doing the same.

Through its other two units, the services division that provides services through its Technicolor brand to content creators, and systems and equipment division that sells video systems and equipment to broadcasters, cable and satellite providers, Thomson is now involved all aspects of getting media and entertainment to consumers. The difference now is that Thomson�s only relation to the television business is through TCL, the joint venture that Thomson has a 33 percent stake in.

Many of the products that CBU now sells are, or seem to be, accessories, but that�s not the term that executives with the �new� Thomson likes to describe the operation. That term is �connectivity.�

�Our (CBU) mission statement is to expand our portfolio ... enabling network operators, retailers and consumers to connect, control and interface with media and entertainment content across Thomson product platforms,� O�Hara said. CBU is focused on four areas of revenue growth: new technologies, client expansion, new channels of retail distribution and territory expansion.

Thomson no longer just wants to sell individual products, but �solutions� that will �enable consumers to take content with them,� as O�Hara stated, in a relatively easy and seamless way. Because the company is so involved in the development of technology with content creators and content distributors, the expertise it is gathering can enable Thomson to provide �end-to-end solutions,� he said.

Whether the consumer wants to use content from DVD, CD, via a USB port, Bluetooth, the Web, UPnP, Wi-Fi et al, Doug Lankford, VP/chief technology officer for CBU, said Thomson must provide �products that easily interface with the consumer and ... serve content within the home.�

PaulGo

05-09-05, 12:14 PM

I was in Best Buy over the weekend - they are selling the thin 61" RCA DLP for under $4000 (clearance). What a drop in price! From $10,000 to $4000 in less than a year. I guess there is very little demand for this "breakthrough" set.

xortam

05-09-05, 12:57 PM

Originally posted by PaulGo
... I guess there is very little demand for this "breakthrough" set. This lack of interest is also reflected in this thread Paul. You're the only one who's been posting here since Feb. ;)

luebster

05-09-05, 01:23 PM

cheneyp

05-09-05, 02:56 PM

I agree. I've had nary a problem with my 50" W42 since I got it in Feb. I enjoy reading the updates (and glad there are not too many problems being mentioned lately!)

pg_rider

05-09-05, 07:46 PM

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong with trying to find HD channels over-the-air with the built-in tuner on my HD2 set? I've done both a "Full Search" and a "Quick Search" and have picked up several feeds, I seem to be missing some others. When I try to "force" it to go to that channel by entering it in with the remote it often reverts back to the SD version (i.e. I enter 13-1 and it goes to 13). Also, on my Guide+ listing it shows the channel call sign follwed by HD (i.e. KTTVHD) yet it's not the HD channel. Is there someway to edit the Guide+ manually? I know about the setup menu choices but the channels are listed there incorrectly as well.

Does anyone in LA have an HD2 RCA that they would like to demo for me?

dadndudes

05-09-05, 09:05 PM

pgrider, could be the heavier than usual Santa Ana winds are affecting your antenna signal. I'm in Diamond Bar and when the winds kick up it can affect your tv's reception quality as they are right now. Doing a "full" or "quick" scan right now would not accurately set your channel guide. Wait for the winds to die down then attempt another scan. By the way, I've got the same model as yours.

Dave

cheneyp

05-10-05, 02:39 PM

pgrider,

I live in CT and rescan at least once a month as it seems there are more digital channels appearing (or at least changing frequencies) all the time. It does appear that sometimes the weather conditions affect what channels are picked up on each scan. No Santa Ana winds here, although plenty of trees! ;)

Ektalog

05-10-05, 03:58 PM

Gang, what's your initial impression about these new RCAs? A friend of mine is looking into the 61" Scenium hd61thw263 and we would really appreciate input from current owners.

Thanks!

cheneyp

05-10-05, 04:19 PM

Ektalog - had my 50" W42 for 3 months now and am very happy so far. It has been very quiet (some had complained about fan/color wheel noise) and the PQ is excellent. I really like the built-in HD tuner as I can pick up unscrambled HD signals from the cable company as well as OTA on the other coax input. I am working on an HTPC that I hope to be able to record HD out of the firewire connection in the back of my TV. Only minor complaint is that it does not have a POP feature (i.e. allow for side-by-side channel viewing). PIP is OK but even with this size TV, the window is pretty small.

xortam

05-10-05, 05:13 PM

I had a feeling my post would cause some reaction. ;)

Do the latest RCA DLPs still convert the digital input to analog or do they now process it all in the digital domain?

luebster

05-11-05, 08:08 AM

AFAIK, there no more D-A-D conversion.

RMLewis

05-12-05, 12:16 PM

Hello Everyone,

I have an RCA HD50LPW162. I have been having a couple of intermittent problems with it and I wondered if there were any of you that have had similar expreriences, and what you ultimately had to do about it.

Problem 1
Sometimes, the second or third time I want to turn my TV on in a day, it will not fire up. I can turn the power on, I hear the color wheel spin up (mine has always spun up twice before turning on), but the lamp does not come on, the power light blinks a few times, the color wheel stops, and then it tries to turn itself on all over again (power light goes solid, color wheel spins up twice again). This will continue for several minutes, and sometimes as many as 45 minutes before the TV will turn itself on (i.e. the lamp will come on). If there is a source already feeding the TV, I will hear the audio, but not see the picture. I say that this happens the second or third time I turn on the TV in a day because it has never happened the very first time I turn the TV on in a day. Also, it is usually AT LEAST 2 - 3 hours between turning the TV off, and trying to turn it back on again.

Problem 2
Another intermittent problem is with the sound. Sometimes, out of the blue, on all sources, the sound will just sound really distorted - kind of like a scratchy or screeching sound as sound is coming through the speakers. I can still figure out what everyone is saying and hear the sound effects, etc., but the quality of the sound is really horrible. If I mute, then un-mute, the effect goes away for a few seconds, and then comes back. This only happens about once or twice a week. During the rest of the week, the sound is perfect. When it happens, I can be sure it will continue happening for the rest of the night.

Anyone else having similar problems?? What ultimately had to be done about it??

I had a technician out to take a look, and of course, the problems did not exhibit themselves while he was there. He did go through the service menu to determine if there were any error codes. He's going to get back to me and let me know how we will proceed (after he talks to the RCA tech line).

luebster

05-12-05, 02:05 PM

RMLewis,

I had a problem where the set would display the floating "Unusable Signal" box after the 2nd or 3rd power up of the day.

The remedy (discovered after a power failure in the neighborhood) was to unplug the unit from the electrical outlet for a small period of time (2 or 3 minutes usually did it). Apparently, it was an HDMI handshake issue, that once it occured, all inputs were affected.

The last such occurance for me was probably back in Jan or Feb. No issues since then.

So, perhaps you could give some more details of issue #1 and let us know if unplugging the unit helps.

Good luck,

pg_rider

05-12-05, 05:12 PM

Sounds like your bulb isn't "striking" or "igniting" properly (I forget the exact term). It's not uncommon; it's happened to my RCA 1st-gen DLP a few times and I've read about it happening to other sets. The first time it did it I unplugged the set, plugged it back in, and it started up properly. However, the last time it happened I simply waited about a minute and the bulb ignited all on its own. I wouldn't sweat it unless it starts happening all the time....

DaveWolf

05-17-05, 08:40 AM

I am getting my HD content through my co-ax cable right now through my local cable company. (TWC). I am getting only the free digital channels.

My question is when I am switching channels, I always have to go to the first sub-channel of the base.

For example, NBC is channel 116-2. FOX is channel 116-3. If I punch in channel 116-3, the TV goes to the base 116 channel and then "wanders" to the first subchannel it hits, which is ofcourse 116-2.

So every time I want to watch FOX, I first have to flip past NBC. Is there any way to get around this? Thanks.

pg_rider

05-17-05, 10:10 AM

Check it out guys -- modded my screen frame slightly.....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=539957

luebster

05-17-05, 11:14 AM

Originally posted by pg_rider
Check it out guys -- modded my screen frame slightly.....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...&postid=5626334
Link not working...

PaulGo

05-17-05, 05:16 PM

Try this thread for pg-rider's screen frame mod.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=539957

Jimbo Moran

05-17-05, 05:43 PM

It Looks good PG. Great idea with a fine result.

pg_rider

05-17-05, 06:31 PM

Link fixed in my original post. Thanks PaulGo!

bogie3

05-18-05, 06:04 PM

I've been reading through this long topic and I do not see any mention of RCA's model HD61LPW52. I purchased this model in February with reservations about their quality. Because I was buying it at Costco, I decided the price and the features it offered were worth the risk. So far the set has been perfect. The HD picture is gorgeous. The show that really looks fantastic is Idol. I have basic cable and have a outdoor antenna for the HD stations mounted in my attic. One of the features I like is the optical out for sound. My progressive scan DVD player is connected by component. Does anyone else have this model?

luebster

05-19-05, 09:26 AM

I don't have that model, but welcome to the RCA fan club! Isn't it unbelievable how reasonably priced these sets are (comparatively, of course)?

PFC5

05-26-05, 01:13 AM

Heh...I guess that's a good thing. My 50" 162 has been getting quite a workout since I bought it around Thanksgiving last year and I have no complaints. That's the biggest reason why I've rarely been posting lately.

I expect that these boards (and this thread) will heat up again as football season arrives.

That is why we have widescreen HDTVs, right? ;)

Keep coming with the updates, Paul. Us RCA fans appreciate it.

Hey Luebster:

I have the same TV as you and I love it also. I have not had any significant problem with my TV, although the color wheel does make a whining noise at startup now. It always goes away within 10-15 seconds of turning it on. The only issues I have with this Tv are minor (when compared to the PQ issues with the other brands). They are:

1. I wish the Cabinet was ALL black. The cabinet looks kind of dated compared to the LG (which suck on PQ & QC)
2. I wish the PIP worked with something other than just SD signals. This makes it useless, but not a huge problem because I never had this feature on any other TV before.
3. This is the biggest - I wish it had a dedicated sleep button (or at least a discrete code to use with my Harmony). I should not have to go through 3 menus to get to it. Also why is it time of day based? It should be minute based like everyone else. (i.e. 30 min, 60 min, 90 min, etc), not based on the time of day.

When it comes to the PQ this TV has everyone else beat IMO. I tried 6 LGs, and a Samsung, and the RCA easily beat both on PQ, especially in the dark/shadow area of the picture. PQ was much closer with the Samsung, but I just couldn't get over TWO big problems I had with the Samsung HLP4663W.

First, I noticed that the electronics over processes facial features, and either creates the Clay Face effect, or it washes out the features (facial lines/wrinkles) in peoples faces.

The second thing was the lip-sync problems. I spent thousands on the sound of my home theater before I even thought about the picture. I think sound brings you into the movie more than the picture. Samsungs solution to "solve" the lip-sync problem was to run the sound through the TV first, then to the receiver.

This was very unacceptable to me because then all I would have is stereo sound NOT DD 5.1 or DTS when watching a movie. Are they kidding me? :confused:

luebster

05-26-05, 06:20 AM

PFC5

05-26-05, 09:16 AM

Personally, I'm not too concerned about the cabinet color. Once I get into the program/movie, the gorgeous picture draws me in and I don't notice.

I'm with you on the PIP. I've seen other sets do side-by-side (granted it was SD), but it was cool.

Again, a sleep timer doesn't do anything for me with THIS SET. It's in our living room, not our bedroom. But I agree that time of day based is ridiculous. On our set in the bedroom, we hit the sleep button on the remote once for each 15 minute increment we want to add to the timer. This is a case where being different is NOT GOOD.

Yeah, obviously the thing that drew me to the RCA was the price. When I spec'ed it out, the RCA blew the others away.

In Samsung's defense, you did not compare apples to apples. Our RCA's have an HD2+ DLP chip in them. The HLPXX63W line from Samsung has the HD3 DLP chip in it. It is a slightly different design and technology, which allows for lower manufacturing cost, at the sacrifice of PQ of course. A comparable Samsung would have been an HLPXX74W.

I compared against those and RCA still won out IMHO.

Interesting comment about how Samsung expects you to route sound. Pretty absurd to me.

Peace

I should have filled you in on the fact that I originally received the RCA HD50LPW164 (HD3) when my TV was delivered from BesyBuy. That was also better than the HLP4663W. It is almost exactly the same as the 162 except that it has the HD3 chip/Light Engine & the 162 has the HD2+.

I was caught in BestBuy's transition to the 164 from the 162, and they could not get anymore 162's. I ended up getting an extra $300.00 off to take the display model 162, or I could have got the same $300.00 off if I kept the new 164. I chose the 162, for all the obvious reasons, since I knew I needed the PSP from bestbuy to cover all the lamps I would go through.

My point is that RCA (as much as I hate them) have the best DLPs at EACH chip level. They just have better electronics/supporting chips AND Optics to provide the best picture. I attribute this mainly to the use of the Infocus Light Engine in these TVs.

I think RCA made a HUGE mistake when they decided to only use the HD3 chip in all but the "Profile Series" TVs. They could have blown away the competition and forced them to make better TVs which would benefit us all. :)

Have you noticed any noise at startup?

PFC5

05-26-05, 09:20 AM

Interesting comment about how Samsung expects you to route sound. Pretty absurd to me.

Peace

Yeah they said that was necessary so the internal electronics could delay the sound out to the receiver. Samsung didn't put video processing chips that were fast enough to do what they were programmed to do. THAT is why they STILL have a video lag problem.

luebster

05-26-05, 09:28 AM

I totally agree with you on the better quality at each chip level.

Yes, I get startup whine. I get an initial weeeoooo, than a slighly louder "2nd" startup weeeooo. It's a bit loud, but once the audio comes in through my amp/receiver, it's drowned out. So it's one another one of those shortcomings that I'm able to dismiss.

A shortcoming that's harder for me to dismiss so easily is the lack of multiple digital inputs. The Sammies have an HDMI AND a DVI, while we only have the single HDMI. I currently have only one HDMI source (my HDTiVo), I'll soon have another (the PlayStation 3, next spring).

I guess that means I'll have to get a new receiver capable of HDMI switching. :p

cheneyp

05-26-05, 10:33 AM

I have the 50" W42 and I get the initial "weeeeoooo" and then a quiet whir but it virtually disappears in a few seconds, even before the sound comes on. Crossing my fingers that this continues as this sound hasn't bothered me at all and I don't want it to start!

I've had this set since the Super Bowl....

gwsat

05-27-05, 09:11 AM

I think that the high pitched whirring sound that occurs just before the screen lights up is normal. RCA replaced the light engine in my HDLP50W151 last fall because the color wheel was intermittently noisy. Both the old light engine and the new one, which has performed flawlessly, have produced the whirring sound for a few seconds just before the screen lights.

The problem I had with the old light engine was that the color wheel would occasionally make VERY loud noises, which were obviously abnormal. By contrast, the whirring sound that occurs immediatley before the screen lights seems perfectly normal to me.

PaulGo

05-28-05, 06:40 PM

RCA's "floating" 61-inch rear-projection HDTV
January 8, 2005; 1:59 p.m.

RCA HD61LPW175
TalkBackTalkBack: Add your opinion
The product: RCA's latest DLP HDTV is another looker. The HD61LPW175 crams all the electronics into an integrated base, leaving the 61-inch screen to "float" above. The TV also packs all the HD basics: it boasts a 1,280x720 resolution, and it's CableCard-equipped (digital cable ready).

* 1,280x720p resolution
* HDMI input
* TV Guide onscreen EPG
* Built-in ATSC tuner and CableCard slot

The prospects: It's not thin and light enough to hang on a wall (as RCA's winning HD61THW263 does), but the HD61LPW175 is one great-looking DLP set. Design-centric shoppers will want to include this one on their short list when considering HDTV upgrades for 2005.

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ts/ces/2005/ps/RCAHD61LPW175_01_300.gif

PaulGo

06-13-05, 06:24 PM

TCL promotes DLP TV
(eastday)
Updated: 2005-06-13 17:14

China's leading home appliance giant TCL International Holdings Limited is gearing up a promotional plan for its digital light processing TV, hoping to expand DLP TV to share China's upscale TV sector alongside plasma display panel TV (PDP TV) and liquid crystal display TV (LCD TV).

TCL's joint venture with French TV heavyweight Thomsom, TCL-Thomson Electronic (TTE), announced on Saturday in Shenzhen the start of research and development on the third-generation DLP monitor, a key part of the DLP TV, the National Business Daily (NBD) reported.

The focus will be on the mass production of 80 x 120 inch monitors.

On the same day, TTE also announced a price cut on its existing 44 x 61 inch DLP TV products in six Chinese cities, Guangzhou, Beijing Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai, to increase market share.

For example, the price of a 31T6 TV will be marked down from 42,000 yuan (US$5,079) to below 30,000 yuan, and that of a 44-inch model will be cut from 22,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan, both world lows according Shi Wanwen, president of TCL's multimedia department.

Shi is confident about the rosy outlook of DLP TV over PDP TV and LCD TV, referring to its superiority in technology and production cost.

"Technically, it's much easier to produce larger than 100-inch DLP TV sets," he said. "As well, a 56-inch DLP TV may be priced less than 20,000 yuan, while a PDP TV of the same size may cost 80,000 yuan."

Compared with TCL's sheer optimism, retailers are cautious about DLP TV.

An official with Shanghai Gome Home Appliance Co., a leading home appliance retail chain in the city, said DLP TV has reported flat sales for the past two years at its outlets.

Responding to the poor market reaction, many domestic companies have dropped DLP TV while overseas firms have slowed down the development, according to him, who was quoted in anonymity the NBD report.

PaulGo

06-28-05, 05:12 PM

This was posted in the hardware forum by HeadToob:

http://toob.typepad.com/content/2005/06/the_end_of_rca_.html

The End Of RCA Televisions?

Francis_barraud_masters_voice_nipper_1EE Times and Reuters are reporting that French Company, Thomson (marketed in the U.S. as RCA) is selling off their television production to India's Videocon.

This is sad from a number of points of view. RCA Victor (Sarnoff Labs, et al) with Nipper listening for his master's voice, are a part of Toob history here in the United States. And obviously, JVC (Victor Company of Japan) was a spin off back in the day.

RCA was NOT the first with color television here. [The first was an awkward and iffy electromechanical product.] The first electronic TV was a Westinghouse product.
Rcact100hd
But RCA became the winner of the standards race with their all-electronic products. And their March, 1954 launch of consumer color television sets (click the CT-100 to the right, courtesy of The Early Television Foundation) led to the color TV boom in the early 1960's in America.

The rest is history. Thomson closed the Marion Indiana, RCA Television plant in March of 2004, and has been moving out of the TV business ever since.

We'll have a conversation with The Early Television Museum and Foundation later in the week on this, and other subjects.

Here's the press release from Thomson, confirming the various reports of the disposal of their tube business.

http://www.thomson.net/EN/Home/Press/Press+Details.htm?PressReleaseID=50da3c2a-b489-4eae-80be-bd58f20a4581

As yet, there is no visible discussion of the disposal of their HD-DLP products, set-top-boxes, and miscellaneous other goods, but they can't be far behind, as Thomson states (and has done so for a couple of years) that they are not a consumer electronics company, but rather in the media and entertainment industries.

luebster

06-29-05, 11:45 AM

Guess we better buy up some DLP bulbs while we can!

PaulGo

06-29-05, 05:17 PM

I don't think you have to worry TCL has effrectively taken over production of RCA rear projection televisions.

PaulGo

06-30-05, 02:34 PM

It appears the RCA has only given up US product the TTE corporation (TCL major owner) will continue to make RCA tube sets.

TTE CORPORATION READY FOR FRIDAY DEADLINE WITH FULL RANGE OF AFFORDABLE DIGITAL RCA SETS
14 New Models to Join Catalog of 20 Integrated Digital Television Sets
Indianapolis, June 29, 2005 -- In advance of the July 1 F.C.C. digital deadline mandating that all televisions 36-inches and larger incorporate an ATSC high definition tuner, TTE Corporation today reaffirmed its commitment to deliver a full array of digital television sets to meet the digital deadline.

TTE currently offers 20 RCA HDTV models with integrated tuners with prices starting below $1,100. The current range of integrated HDTV Sets includes projection TV models with Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing technology that deliver remarkable picture performance in lightweight designs and space saving cabinets. In addition to the integrated ATSC digital tuner/decoder for reception of over-the-air HDTV broadcasts, all the DLP sets incorporate Digital Cable Ready circuitry that enables reception of cable HDTV programming with operator-supplied CableCARD .

An additional 14 models with ATSC digital tuners will begin shipping to retailers next month.

"For the past 18 months, TTE has been transitioning its 36-inch and larger HDTV product line to comply with this mandate," said Greg Bosler, Executive Vice President, TTE. "We have spent millions of dollars in research and development to complete the transition from analog to digital television and will offer an even broader array of HDTV Sets for retailers beginning in July," he added.

Recognizing that high prices have been a deterrent for many consumers, TTE is taking a leadership role in delivering affordable digital TV with the introductions, later this year, of Standard Definition Digital Televisions (SDTV) starting under $300. The SDTV models, in 27- and 32-inch screen sizes, feature a built-in over-the-air tuner/decoder for digital TV broadcasts, and will receive and display any of the 18 different over-the-air digital TV formats. Digital reception capability enhances the picture and provides DVD viewing quality for terrestrial over-the-air broadcasts.

"SDTV offers a truly affordable introduction to digital technology for the consumer. It's the ideal technology for small-screen digital TVs at a very attractive price point," Bosler added. "But price isn't enough. We need to make sure the customer understands this new technology so they can make an informed purchase decision."

To help consumers navigate the confusing maze of digital technology, TTE has partnered with Wiley Publishing, which produces the "For Dummies" series of "how-to" publications, to develop information designed to unravel the mysteries surrounding digital technology. In addition, both www.rca.com and www.dummies.com will provide consumers with information on digital television technology.

# # #
About TTE Corporation
TTE Corporation, a joint venture between TCL and Thomson, is a leading global television enterprise. Established in July 2004, TTE specializes in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of television products. TTE offers a complete range of television products - from budget to premium, from basic features to high-end innovation, from analog to digital technology. TTE employs a highly-skilled workforce of over 29,000 personnel in five profit centers, five R&D centers and ten manufacturing plants around the world.

PaulGo

07-06-05, 10:50 AM

TCL - tha parent of TTE (that owns RCA) will be producing 100"+ DLPs in China. I guess if this is sucessful they will then export it to the US.

TCL promotes DLP TV
(eastday)
Updated: 2005-06-13 17:14

China's leading home appliance giant TCL International Holdings Limited is gearing up a promotional plan for its digital light processing TV, hoping to expand DLP TV to share China's upscale TV sector alongside plasma display panel TV (PDP TV) and liquid crystal display TV (LCD TV).

TCL's joint venture with French TV heavyweight Thomsom, TCL-Thomson Electronic (TTE), announced on Saturday in Shenzhen the start of research and development on the third-generation DLP monitor, a key part of the DLP TV, the National Business Daily (NBD) reported.

The focus will be on the mass production of 80 x 120 inch monitors.

On the same day, TTE also announced a price cut on its existing 44 x 61 inch DLP TV products in six Chinese cities, Guangzhou, Beijing Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai, to increase market share.

For example, the price of a 31T6 TV will be marked down from 42,000 yuan (US$5,079) to below 30,000 yuan, and that of a 44-inch model will be cut from 22,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan, both world lows according Shi Wanwen, president of TCL's multimedia department.

Shi is confident about the rosy outlook of DLP TV over PDP TV and LCD TV, referring to its superiority in technology and production cost.

"Technically, it's much easier to produce larger than 100-inch DLP TV sets," he said. "As well, a 56-inch DLP TV may be priced less than 20,000 yuan, while a PDP TV of the same size may cost 80,000 yuan."

Compared with TCL's sheer optimism, retailers are cautious about DLP TV.

An official with Shanghai Gome Home Appliance Co., a leading home appliance retail chain in the city, said DLP TV has reported flat sales for the past two years at its outlets.

Responding to the poor market reaction, many domestic companies have dropped DLP TV while overseas firms have slowed down the development, according to him, who was quoted in anonymity the NBD report.

7ate9

07-19-05, 09:57 AM

Does anyone have a listing of the service menu "options?" Or any information at all regarding the service menu?

I have the 50lpw52, but info for any rca dlp is tough to come by.

PaulGo

07-28-05, 10:19 AM

Thomson Core Sales Rise 11.8% In First Half

By Jeff Malester -- TWICE, 7/28/2005 6:13:00 AM

Paris — Strong contributions from “growth engines,” such as DVD services and set-top boxes, boosted core net sales in the first half at French media and entertainment company Thomson by 11.8 percent, hitting $3.4 billion, up from $3.1 billion in the first six months of last year.

Core media and entertainment systems consist of three segments — services, systems and equipment and technology. Among the media and entertainment businesses are licensing revenue, home networking connectivity and DVD home entertainment and film services.

In the systems and equipment segment’s first half, Thomson noted a “solid performance” from set-top boxes, offset by “poor performance” in audio/video products with connectivity. The company said margins grew in set-top boxes, and were “broadly stable” in other activities, except audio/video.

Thomson expects the systems and equipment division will grow more slowly in the second half, compared with a “very strong” second six months in 2004, and given the weaker audio/video activity.

Pro-forma core net income climbed 25 percent in the first half, ended June 30, reaching $78.5 million, up from $62.8 million in the same six months a year earlier.

Thomson’s non-core displays and CE partnerships, which, in the past, included RCA-brand consumer electronics products, reported first-half sales of $233.1 million, down from $997.5 million in the same period in 2004. However, comparison of non-core business sales year-over-year is not meaningful, said the company, since some activities are now treated as discontinued operations.

Thomson said the disposal of its tube business and related charges accelerated into the second quarter ahead of schedule, with the main activities discontinued. Discontinued operations in the first half accounted for a loss of $483 million, compared with a loss of $271.7 million in the same time frame a year ago.

Consolidated Thomson revenue from continuing operations in the first half hit $3.6 billion, down from $4.1 billion in the first six months of the prior year.

The company reported a consolidated loss from continuing operations of $74.9 million, compared with profit from continuing operations of $41.1 million in the same six months in 2004.

Consolidated net loss for the first half reached $568.8 million, compared with a net loss of $229.4 million in the first six months of last year.

pg_rider

07-28-05, 11:12 AM

Any other 1st-gen RCA DLP owners still checking in? How are your sets holding up? Mine is 1 1/2 years old and still going strong. I've tweaked the settings compared to what I posted 6-8 months ago and I like the picture a lot more now. Basically I set the Contrast Expand to High (used to have it Off). I'm well aware that I may be losing shadow detail by crushing the deepest blacks, but in my opinion it's worth it as it gives the picture a little more "pop". Speaking of that, I covered the gray screen border with black pinstriping from Pep Boys and that made a noticeable difference in bringing the image off the screen. Highly recommend this mod for those non-Scenium owners.

As for gripes, I still get the occasional (once a month or so) whine from the color wheel but it goes away after a few seconds. And as far as PQ, I still notice a bit of graininess or noise in the picture if I look hard enough. Overall I'm happy though.

One more thing -- I'm moving in about a month from LA to Colorado. VERY nervous about having movers handle my TV. I don't have the original packaging so I'm hoping they have something sufficient. If something does get damaged, will my extended warranty cover it?

bogie3

07-28-05, 12:13 PM

My HD61LPW52 purchased Feb 05 is working fine. No problems so far. I've never noticed any color wheel noise. I would be nervous about movers handling my set. I believe it helps to be present when they are loading and packing. I moved here to Fl from Littleton, CO 10 years ago. The only damage was to the top of a fridge that they piled something heavy on. I moved all my electronic equipment in my van and pick up except for the rear projection TV. This RCA TV seems quite a bit more delicate.

You will love Colorado.

pg_rider

07-29-05, 11:52 AM

Wow, no more 1st-gen'ers anymore???

Jimbo Moran

07-29-05, 05:33 PM

Wow, no more 1st-gen'ers anymore???

I'm still here pg_rider, no problems with mine. Never have experienced the color wheel noise, but about once a month mine has to restart when first turned on but no noticeable side effects.

Enjoy Colorado.

cheneyp

08-01-05, 09:06 AM

My HD50LPW42 is still going strong (6 month anniversary today). Never had color wheel noise. Good luck with your move!

ShawnB

08-04-05, 04:22 PM

Mine is still going strong as well. 18 months of daily use. It may be a credit to the TV that I haven't had the need to come to AVS recently......

PaulGo

08-08-05, 11:11 AM

Some info on the new RCA DLP cable ready sets from the RCA web site:

61" diagonal RCA Scenium DLP™ HDTV HD61LPW165

HD3s w/DLP™ Light Engine (Digital Light Processing™) - 16.7 Million Colors - Twice the contrast of most other microdisplay technologies.

Digital Cable Ready with Integrated High Definition Tuner and Off-Air HD Tuner

Digital Hi-Pix™ Picture Systems with TruScan Digital Reality™ Intelligent Signal Processing - "Because the Picture Intended Should be the Picture Presented"

Proprietary DLP™ Video Bit Sequences

HD Connectivity with HDMI™ and 2-Way DTVLink™

CinemaScreen™ Floating Picture Screen

NetConnect™ - Ethernet with Microsoft Win CE® Operating System and Internet Explorer® Web Browser

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/6F165064-DD03-409E-96CE-84AACAAF3C55/0/HD61LPW165.pdf

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/4B115376-257F-416C-B425-B43868AA6E52/0/HD61LPW165.gif
The HD50LPW165 has the same features.

61" diagonal Scenium DLP™ HDTV with DCR and Integrated ATSC Tuner HD61LPW167

TV Guide On Screen® Program Guide

DLP™ (Digital Light Processing™) Light Engine - Latest DLP Technology - Twice the Contrast of Other Display Technologies

Digital Cable Ready w/ Integrated High Definition Tuner & Off-Air HD Tuner. Additional HD Connectivity w/ HDMI™ Accepts Both Digital Video & Audio From Ext HD Devices

Digital Hi-Pix™ Picture Systems with TruScan Digital Reality™ Intelligent Signal Processing - "Because the Picture Intended Should be the Picture Presented"

Advanced Audio Capabilities Including 7-Band Graphic Equalizer and SRS TruSurroundXT™, Digital Audio Output, 2 Pair Audio Outs and Subwoofer Out

3 Sets of Rear Input Jacks - 1 Set of Composite Inputs Plus 2 More Sets of Inputs That Can Be Used For Either a Composite, S-Video, or Component Connection

Thin and Lightweight Design - Weighs Less Than 90 Lbs and Measures Less Than 17" Deep

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/C101E44C-3526-4670-805F-4AC9A0CD345E/0/HD61LPW167_SS.pdf

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/D9AE5546-CAAF-4891-BE1D-9FD86FC472D9/0/HD61LPW167.gif

The 50" HD50LPW167 has the same specifications.

This one looks the most interesting:

50" diagonal Scenium DLP™ HDTV with DCR & Integrated ATSC Tuner HD50LPW175

TV Guide On Screen® Program Guide

DLP™ (Digital Light Processing™) Light Engine - Latest DLP Technology - Twice the Contrast of Other Display Technologies

Digital Cable Ready w/ Integrated High Definition Tuner & Off-Air HD Tuner. Additional HD Connectivity w/ HDMI™ Accepts Both Digital Video & Audio From Ext HD Devices

Digital Hi-Pix™ Picture Systems with TruScan Digital Reality™ Intelligent Signal Processing - "Because the Picture Intended Should be the Picture Presented"

Advanced Audio Capabilities Including 7-Band Graphic Equalizer and SRS TruSurroundXT™, Digital Audio Output, 2 Pair Audio Outs and Subwoofer Out

3 Sets of Rear Input Jacks - 1 Set of Composite Inputs Plus 2 More Sets of Inputs That Can Be Used For Either a Composite, S-Video, or Component Connection

Thin and Lightweight Design - Weighs Less Than 70 Lbs and Measures Less Than 16" Deep

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/D0EC09AE-6D24-4503-9459-AF88DF5A0FB1/0/HD50LPW175_SS.pdf

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/578D0E92-5399-4A64-8C1C-3837FC2A4286/0/HD50LPW175.gif

HWL

08-11-05, 09:54 PM

I have an RCA/InFocus 61" thin DLP unit (HD61THW263/61md10), that I want to wall mount on a tilt. Has anyone found a swivel mount for this unit?
The company sells a flat wall mount, but I need to tilt the entire unit down about 8 degrees. Remember that the viewing chassis is not centered; that is, the screen is the top 2/3 and the engine is the bottom 1/3.
Any help? Thanks
HW Lam
apt at cabida com

PaulGo

08-17-05, 10:16 AM

TTE CORPORATION: PREVIEW OUR EUROPEAN STRATEGIES AND NEW TV OFFERINGS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE
08-08-2005 13:29

MUNICH, Germany, August 8 /PRNewswire/ --
- Get Ready for the Latest Television Technology Sensation From our Thomson-Branded New TV Products That Promises to Raise Standards of Home Entertainment to a New High - Brought to You by TTE Corporation, the World's Largest TV Company
We look forward to unveiling our new range of breakthrough TV products, including latest LCD, plasma and slim DLP offerings at more affordable prices -all guaranteed to impress and astound TV viewers around the world.
For an exclusive preview of TTE's latest Thomson TV offerings, we also cordially invite you to a press conference on September 1, 2005 at 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm, to be held at ICC Roof Garden. Our product experts will be available to demonstrate and discuss how our newly launched TV products can transform the way you watch and enjoy television, delivering unbeatable viewing pleasure for all.
What is more, Chairman and President of TCL Corporation, Chairman of TTE Corporation, Dong-Sheng Li, will provide attending journalists the latest corporate overview on TTE and the company's strategic plan to maintain our leadership position in the global TV industry. In addition, President of the TTE Europe, Gerard Bocquenet, will elaborate on our blueprint to reinforce and further grow our operations in the strategic key markets in Europe. Chairman Li and President Bocquenet will also demonstrate how synergies between TCL and Thomson, as created since the establishment of TTE in July 2004, has helped the company to leverage our competitive advantages to deliver world-class TV products, cutting-edge technologies and a highly efficient and scaleable global operation.

VISIT OUR BOOTH
TTE invites you to experience first hand the latest incredible offerings in this fast evolving digital era. Visit Digitown and see for yourself the new exciting product range which defines the next generation of home entertainment, as well as those technologies that form the cutting-edge of new trends in television.
Visit our booth at Hall 21 at the IFA Fair 2005 in Berlin from September 2 - 7, 2005.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM TTE AT IFA 2005
The TTE press conference will display some of Thomson's latest TV offerings, including its award-winning and elegantly designed Thomson Scenium series HD ready LCD, plasma, and compact DLP rear-projection screens, designed to deliver stunning and crisp picture quality.
But that's not all. At TTE, we don't just focus on providing a good picture. The ergonomical look, coupled with optimum versatility, perfectly compliments our exciting new technologies. Designed to look great in any setting, these products will bring unique high-resolution images to viewers everywhere.
TTE's recently launched Thomson Intuiva range of screens introduces a whole new concept for plug-and-play display solutions. Utilizing high-tech connectivity as the main driver for future Intuiva product development, TTE has revolutionized the way viewers interact with their displays. With multi-layered functions, TTE products enable smooth connections with a diverse range of high tech tools, including linking with a PC or digital camera, an SD card slot for maximum music enjoyment or an HDMI connection for delivery of high definition content.
TTE is at the forefront of shaping fabulous technologies that will alter our future viewing experience, setting new standards of unmatched television technology.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TTE
TTE Corporation is the world's largest TV company in volume. Combining the strengths of its shareholders TCL (67% equity stake) and Thomson (33% equity stake), TTE specializes in the R&D, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of television products.
Established in July 2004, we are the only TV manufacturer that offers a complete range of television products - from budget to premium, from basic features to high-end innovation, from analog to digital. TTE deploys a multi-brand strategy, with three core household brands Thomson, TCL and RCA, which have established recognition amongst consumers in key regions in Europe, US and China.
TTE's truly global network allows the company to synergize structure and optimize resources to establish a highly efficient, scaleable and coherent operation. Our four R&D centers and ten manufacturing facilities, located in five continents, are in proximity to major international markets, allowing rapid response to suite the varying needs of worldwide TV audiences.
TTE is fully committed to servicing the global TV consumers. And coupled with our total dedication to deliver cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art products, TTE is uniquely positioned to create its own distinctive advantages to facilitate TV innovation to our worldwide customers who demand superior quality of digital technologies and TV entertainment at an affordable way.
Led by an executive management team of seasoned industry veterans, TTE employs a highly-skilled global workforce of over 30,000 personnel spanning across five profit centers and services customers through a wide international sales and distribution network.

RICKSRIBS

08-17-05, 11:12 AM

mbishop

08-20-05, 03:26 PM

Some info on the new RCA DLP cable ready sets from the RCA web site:
......
This one looks the most interesting:

50" diagonal Scenium DLP™ HDTV with DCR & Integrated ATSC Tuner HD50LPW175

.....

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/D0EC09AE-6D24-4503-9459-AF88DF5A0FB1/0/HD50LPW175_SS.pdf

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/578D0E92-5399-4A64-8C1C-3837FC2A4286/0/HD50LPW175.gif

Anyone seen one of these in person yet?
RCA's dealer locator doesn't turn up anything. Best Buy has has it on their website, but through delivery only.

PaulGo

09-09-05, 12:22 AM

RCA - HD61THW263 61-IN HDTV DLP Scenium Profiles Television with CableCARD Slot

The new HD61THW263 RCA Scenium series is the latest in thin DLP technology paired with the RCA Scenium proprietary bit sequences, which can produce incredibly clear pictures. The HD61THW263 is digital cable ready and capable of surfing the internet in a ultra thin dispaly that can easily be hung on a wall.HD2+ w/DLP Light Engine (Digital Light Processing) - 16.7 Million Colors - Twice the contrast of most other microdisplay technologies.Digital Cable Ready with Integrated High Definition Tuner and Off-Air HD Tuner Digital Hi-Pix Picture Systems with TruScan Digital Reality Intelligent Signal Processing - "Because the Picture Intended Should be the Picture Presented" HD Connectivity with HDMI and 2-Way DTVLink CinemaScreen Floating Picture ScreenNetConnect - Ethernet with Microsoft Win CE Operating System and Internet Explorer (IE) Web Browser 3D Y/C Digital Frame Comb Filter HD61THW263 Latest DLP technology paired with RCA Scenium propietary bit sequences produce incredibly clear pictures that are nothing short of stunning. HD61THW263 Delivers cable-ready HD with CableCARD slot and off-air HD reception of digital high defintion broadcasts without the need for a seperate ATSC or digital cable box. Synergistically optimize picture performance by synchronizing advanced signal processing, display technologies, HD connectivity and CinemaScreen. Dual SYNCROSCAN PLUS component inputs. HDMI for uncompressed digital signals. Dual FireWire connections w/2-way DTVLink for component networking. The black borderless screen enables viewers to become immersed in the action giving the images more vibrance. Capable of surfing the internet and watching TV simultaneously. Can network with the home PC to display photos directly from the computer's hard drive. The HD61THW263 seperates the signal into seperate components eliminating dot and edge crawl while providing better transitions between scene changes.

Full specs
General
Product type Projection TV - Color
Technology Projection DLP
Diagonal size 61 in
Image aspect ratio 16:9
HDTV compatible Yes
CRT type Real Flat
Series SCENIUM
Width 56.6 in, Depth 19.2 in, Height 46.8 in
Weight 135.4 lbs
Color Black
Video System
Resolution 1280 x 720
CRT / Light System HD2+, InFocus® DLP™ Light Engine
Comb filter 3D-Y/C digital
Analog video format NTSC, PAL
Analog video signal Composite video
Pixel Pitch 0.155 mm
Viewing angle 160 degrees
Audio System
Audio system sound output mode Stereo
Built-in decoders Dolby Digital
Surround sound effects SRS TruSurround XT
Audio controls Balance, Equalizer
Equalizer bands Yes (7-band)
Total output power 60 Watt
Speakers included Subwoofer, 2 speakers
Speaker system details 2 x Right/left channel speaker - Built-in - 15 Watt, 1 x Subwoofer - Built-in - 30 Watt
Audio system additional features Sound Logic Audio Leveler
Television Features
Widescreen modes Zoom, Normal, Stretch
Closed captioning Yes
Commercial skip Yes
Freeze memo Yes
Display menu language French, English, Spanish
Invar shadow mask Yes
Picture adjustment Vibrant/Natural/Cinematic/Personal
Color temperature control Yes
Additional features Contrast enhancer, First-surface mirror, Video noise reduction, Anti-reflection coating, 3:2 pulldown compensation, Wide Band Video Amplifier
Tuner / Channel Details
Tuner type (qty) Standard TV (2)
TV tuner multi-channel preview Picture-in-picture (PIP)
TV tuner reception system NTSC, ATSC
MTS stereo Yes
Secondary audio program (SAP) Yes
dbx noise reduction Yes
Channel labeling Yes
Extended data service (XDS) Yes
Electronic program guide Digital EPG
Parental channel lock Yes
V-chip control Yes
Remote Control
Remote control Universal remote control (Infrared)
Supported devices DVR, VCR, Radio, Amplifier, CD player, Cable box, DVD player, Cassette deck, Digital player, Satellite TV system
Remote control features Learning, Multi-brand compatibility
Connections / Cables / Slots
Input/Output connections 2 x RF input (F connector) - Rear, 2 x Composite video/audio input (RCA phono x 3) - Rear, 2 x S-Video input (4 pin mini-DIN) - Rear, 2 x Component video input (RCA phono x 3) - Rear, 1 x HDMI - Rear, 1 x Subwoofer output (RCA phono) - Rear, 1 x Fixed/variable audio output (RCA phono x 2) - Rear, 1 x Composite video/audio input (RCA phono x 3) - Rear, 2 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire/i.LINK) - Rear, 1 x SPDIF output (TOS Link) - Rear, 1 x Network (RJ-45) - Rear, 1 x Surround speakers output (RCA phono x 2) - Rear, 1 x Center speaker output (RCA phono) - Rear, 1 x Remote control - Rear, 2 x Audio line-in (RCA phono x 2) - Rear
Slot(s) provided 1 CableCARD
Integrated Device(s)
DVD player type None
VCR type No
Radio tuner bands None
Power
Power device Power supply -
Compliant standards EPA Energy Star, UL
Shipping Dimensions
Width (shipping) 68 in
Depth (shipping) 23.7 in
Height (shipping) 54.8 in
Weight (shipping) 225.3 lbs

Keith Allen

09-12-05, 12:57 PM

Can anyone point me towards a service manual for the RCA HD61THW263?

I bought one about a month ago and am pretty happy with it, especially on HD content. I saw a pretty fair review in ultimateAV magazine online. In that article, they comment on the need to calibrate the white color temperature setting. I have the color setting on "warm," but the picture still seems too blue. (The Simpsons are coming out kinda green. I assume this is because of too much blue - yellow and blue makes green, right?) I am hoping that adjusting the color temp will improve this.

I used the user-accessible tint setting, but this seemed to make flesh tones a little too red, and made green scenes kinda drab.

Thanks.

0tisFrump

09-19-05, 10:19 AM

I am trying to control all my A/V equipment with a Xantech IR distribution system but I am having trouble with the RCA TV portion. I can't seem to find the IR receiver on the front of the TV so I can place a stick-on emitter over it. Then I noticed the wired IR port on the back of the set but the users manual gives no info about it. So my questions are:

1. - where is the %#@*^() IR receiver of the front panel?

2. - can I plug into the wired IR port on the TV and connect that to the IR IN port on a Xantech connecting block?

Thanks in advance.
Alan Whitney

PaulGo

09-20-05, 12:15 PM

Infocus made the slim 61" DLP for RCA. Infocus is abandoning this line because of the falling DLP and Plasma prices (they couldn't make a profit selling these sets). I assume RCA will also discontinue their slim 61" DLP. You may get a good deal at closout prices but in a few years it may be difficult to get replacement parts for these sets due to the very limited production.

InFocus pulls back to projectors
Falling prices for flat-screen televisions undermine the Wilsonville-based company's attempt to establish itself in a new market
Saturday, September 17, 2005
MIKE ROGOWAY
The Oregonian

InFocus Corp. abandoned efforts to break into the booming market for flat-screen TVs on Friday, announcing it would instead focus all its efforts on reviving its core digital projector business.

The faltering Wilsonville company replaced key managers and said it would make unspecified job cuts in the coming months as it tries to reduce operating expenses and return to profitability. Once on the leading edge of a new market for high-quality digital projectors, InFocus has struggled as established brands such as Epson and Sony ate into its market share.

On Friday, InFocus said an effort to use projector technology to break into an entirely new market -- flat-screen televisions -- had failed because of falling prices for LCD and plasma TVs. The company plans to press ahead with a joint venture in China that it hopes will establish a foothold for InFocus projector sales in that rapidly growing market.

The value of InFocus' stock has dropped by more than 60 percent since new chief executive Kyle Ranson took over in September 2004. It slipped another 10 cents after Friday morning's announcement, closing at $3.36.

The company lost $33.5 million in the first half of 2005 and doesn't expect to be profitable before next year, at the earliest.

"Our financial results were unacceptable and we needed to make significant changes in our overall cost structure to get us back on track to profitability," Ranson told investment analysts Friday.

The restructuring plan calls for cutting operating expenses by 25 percent, largely through layoffs, and eliminating a number of key managers. InFocus said it will detail its job-cut plans late next month when it announces third-quarter financial results.

InFocus has close to 670 employees worldwide, including about 360 in Wilsonville. Ranson said fewer than a quarter of his company's employees will lose their jobs in the restructuring.

A few high-profile executives are already gone. The overhaul announced Friday replaced or reassigned many of the company's highest-profile managers, including:

Board chairman John Harker, InFocus' CEO from 1992 to 2004. Harker will remain on the board. InFocus did not name a new chairman, but said former Microsoft President Michael R. Hallman, an InFocus board member for the past 13 years, will handle the chairman's duties.

Chief Financial Officer Mike Yonker, once a candidate to become CEO. Yonker had been in charge of finding new business opportunities for the company; he will remain with InFocus in an advisory role through December. Controller Roger Rowe is now CFO.

Scott Hix, senior vice president of worldwide sales and nephew of InFocus co-founder Steve Hix. The company said Scott Hix resigned because InFocus is reorganizing its sales force and he did not want to accept a reduced role.

Friday's news from InFocus concluded a bad week for Oregon's technology industries. On Tuesday, LSI Corp. said it would sell or close its Gresham chip factory, leaving the future of 540 employees up in the air.

Oregon's video display companies, once regarded as one of the state's core technology strengths, are rapidly fading amid competitive pressures from outside the region.

In April, Beaverton-based Planar Systems Inc. announced its own corporate shakeup, laying off employees and replacing key managers in an attempt to boost flagging sales of its video displays. Chip designer Pixelworks Inc., which had been consistently profitable with its line of semiconductors for advanced televisions, lost money in the second quarter and expects another loss during the current quarter. Its share price is down about 28 percent this year.

At InFocus, Ranson said in a Friday interview that preserving Oregon's cluster of video display business requires adapting them to the global economy. InFocus, like others, outsourced its manufacturing to Asia a few years ago but is now transferring its production to a Chinese joint venture the Wilsonville company owns with TCL Corp.

Oregon companies retain a special expertise in designing and marketing video technologies, Ranson said. He promised that InFocus would roll out innovative new projectors in January.

Continued success for Oregon companies requires coming up with a strategy for coordinating Silicon Forest design work with production work elsewhere, he said.

"If we can do that I think we can continue to be an industry leader in this space," Ranson said. "Sometimes that requires making some tough decisions."

314

09-27-05, 11:02 AM

Anyone seen one of these in person yet?
RCA's dealer locator doesn't turn up anything. Best Buy has has it on their website, but through delivery only.

I too would like to see if anyone has had any experience with this set.

pcolom1

10-03-05, 07:41 PM

i bought one yesterday and i have a question that hopefully someone can help me with.
when the tv is turned on there is somewhat loud hiss that comes from the back of it, its audibile when sitting in the room and watching tv at a normal volume, it seems loud to me..
my question is pretty simple
is this normal? how can i tell if this isn't normal?
thanks

paul

Terran

10-11-05, 02:29 PM

My dad has an RCA Scenium. It's a fairly recent purchase (within the past couple of months). It's an HD61LPW165. I searched, but I did not find any other reports of these issues on this unit.

Anyway, I've noticed a couple of things that worry me.

1) In high dark/bright contrast scenes, I see several dark vertical ghost lines to the right of the dark area. To illustrate what I'm seeing, here are a few pictures:
Test Pattern, full screen (http://www.adamporter.com/images/scenium/full.jpg)
Test Pattern, zoomed 1 (http://www.adamporter.com/images/scenium/in1.jpg)
Test Pattern, zoomed 2 (http://www.adamporter.com/images/scenium/in2.jpg)
In this Star Wars shot, you can see the lines to the right of the dark towers.
Movie Shot, full screen (http://www.adamporter.com/images/scenium/mfull.jpg)
Movie Shot, zoomed (http://www.adamporter.com/images/scenium/min.jpg)

2) I know that widescreen TVs have a certain amount of "fisheye" at the outer edge, but it's really noticeable on this TV...at least for me. Look at this quick Star Wars clip for a quick demonstration. The planet appears to distort at the left and right 20% of the screen. Is this an excessive amount of fisheye?
Fisheye Demo (http://www.adamporter.com/images/scenium/fisheye.wmv)

3) When watching a DVD through the soundsystem, the sound does not match up with the video. It DOES match up when it comes out of the TV speakers. Is there some setting that will correct this?

Please take a look at the shots and video. Is there anything that I can do to correct either of these issues? If you need more information, let me know and I'll stop by his place and get that info for you.

Thanks for any info you can provide!

PaulGo

10-11-05, 02:54 PM

What is the source of thes images (external such as a DVD player or internal). If it is external what inputs are you using (component, DVI) since it could be a faulty cable, or does it also happen from the built in TV tuner? They do sell receivers that have a time delay function so you can match up the sound with the picture (they are somewhat expensive).

Terran

10-11-05, 03:20 PM

Bmr4life

10-17-05, 12:47 AM

I just got a HD50LPW42 for a real good price but it was a display unit and has a good amount of hours on it. If the lamp goes out in the within the next year (from my purchase date) will RCA still replace the lamp even though it will have a large amount of hours on it?

cheneyp

10-17-05, 08:31 AM

I would assume if you bought it from a store and it was considered "new", you should still be covered by the 1 year warranty. What I would do is get the warranty card from the paperwork you got and go online to register. You should be covered for 1 year beyond your registration/purchase date.

PaulGo

10-20-05, 01:49 PM

From Sound & Vision (November)

Test Bench: RCA Scenium HD50LPW175 50-inch DLP HDTV

by Philip Ryan
November 2005

Color temperature (Warm color temperature before/after calibration)
Low window (20-IRE): 8,205/7,988 K
High window (80-IRE): 6,667/6,485 K
Brightness (100-IRE window before/after calibration): 99.3/56.5 ftL

Though the reported numbers don’t show it, the HD50LPW175 benefited greatly from service-menu calibration. While the color temperature at 20 IRE remained very blue (almost +2,500 K!) even after calibration, I was able to get color temperatures from 40 through 90 IRE to within 60 K of the 6,500-K standard. Plus, overall grayscale linearity improved from ±422 K before calibration to ±248 K afterwards (Calibration needs to be performed by a qualified technician, so discuss it with your dealer before purchase, or contact the Imaging Science Foundation at imagingscience.com or 561-997-9073.)

The TV was very bright out of the box. In the Professional preset, it reached 140 ftL, though it was a little more tame in the Cinematic preset, which turned in 99.3 ftL. Even after calibration, I couldn’t get it down further than 56.5 ftL. Resolution tests showed that the TV doesn’t fully resolve 720p HDTV test patterns. Color decoding was very accurate, measuring 0% red or green push on the Avia DVD’s color-decoding-error test pattern. Overscan was 2.5% through the TV’s HDMI input, and picture centering was near perfect.

Edit: The full review is now available.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=897&page_number=1

http://tv.rca.com/NR/rdonlyres/578D0E92-5399-4A64-8C1C-3837FC2A4286/0/HD50LPW175.gif

Grayson73

10-21-05, 05:14 PM

I just got the RCA 50" HD50LPW42.

Is anyone using an upconverting DVD player via DVI input? From what I've read, the only upconversion is to 1080i?

Bmr4life

10-21-05, 09:13 PM

I just got the RCA 50" HD50LPW42.

Is anyone using an upconverting DVD player via DVI input? From what I've read, the only upconversion is to 1080i?

did you get it from Target like I did?

PFC5

10-22-05, 01:04 PM

I too would like to see if anyone has had any experience with this set.

I saw it at the local BB where I live and I thought it looked very good. I actually thought the standard depth RCA DLP (HD2+) I bought looked better though.

PFC5

10-22-05, 01:24 PM

All images, and the movie clip, is DVD. I believe it's all connected via RCA cables. I have not looked to see if regular TV shows these anomalies.

I know his components are fairly old (7 - 10 years). The receiver is Denon. No idea what brand the other stuff is. All he did was replace the TV (formerly a 52" Mitsu RPTV from 1988).

That just seems crazy that all these new digital TVs would suddenly cause delay and now you have to pay for an uber-receiver...just to get back to square 1. Very odd....considering so many people are buying these TVs to watch movies. Surely they can't ALL be buying new receivers. Weird.

I will stop by dad's house tonight and try to get some more information.

Thanks for your info...I'll be back with more.

He must have the DVD player connected with composite (single yellow wire) instead of component (3 wires-red, green, & blue or RGB) which is what is necessary to get progressive scan and the best PQ. Just so you know, if he has a HD cable/sat box he is not getting HD if the is using the same yellow composite connection for that too.

You need to get this cable to get the best PQ with your set:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5573925&type=product&id=1069297060473

Don't waste your money with Monster brand. They are over hyped & overpriced.

What your screen shots are showing are not normal with that "ghosting" that shows up. I suspect if you get the above cables it will solve the problem, unless it is a problem with the DVD player.

This will probably fix that lip-sync issue too. Apparently the additional processing required with that composite signal might be causing it. or it could be caused by the DVD player. What brand/model DVD player are you using?

On the stretching issue just use the regular stretch mode of the TV. That fishbowl effect drives me crazy too! All stretch modes that stretch more on the outer 1/4s will have this problem to some degree, that is why I do not use them. Just use the regular stretch mode and you should be fine.

Hope this helps!

Grayson73

10-24-05, 09:53 AM

did you get it from Target like I did?

Yes, I did.

Is the only way to remove channels on the HD50LPW42 by going through Parental Controls? Also, is there a way to remove individual subchannels? For example, it says 82-6 to 999, but I want to keep 82-11 and disable the rest.

luebster

10-24-05, 10:24 AM

Grayson73

10-24-05, 10:30 AM

Did you set your DVD player to wide screen 16:9?

PaulGo

10-24-05, 10:45 AM

OK, stupid question....

I have an HD50LPW162 and a prog-scan DVD player (samsung DVD-recorder) that's connected via Component (RGB) to input 4. However, even though input 4 is setup in the menu to accept component video and the DVD player is set to output a 16:9 image, the picture does not fill the screen. I have black bars, top and bottom. I have to use the zoom feature on the TV to fill the screen.

This doesn't seem right to me. Any thoughts?

Most DVDs use a ratio that is wider than the 1.85 (16:9) aspect ratio. So on some DVDs you should get black bars on the top and bottom. If the DVD box states a higher ratio such as 2.35 you will see bars.

cheneyp

10-24-05, 11:14 AM

I just got the RCA 50" HD50LPW42.

Is anyone using an upconverting DVD player via DVI input? From what I've read, the only upconversion is to 1080i?

I have the Oppo upscaling DVD player connected to my DVI input. Yes, because the set will not accept 720p input (other than from the cable input), you have to upscale to 1080i. However, the PQ is excellent - definitely an improvement over standard 480p progressive.

cheneyp

10-24-05, 11:16 AM

Is the only way to remove channels on the HD50LPW42 by going through Parental Controls? Also, is there a way to remove individual subchannels? For example, it says 82-6 to 999, but I want to keep 82-11 and disable the rest.

I don't know. I've never looked at the parental controls and it is sometimes annoying to have to cycle through channel after channel of nothing.

Grayson73

10-25-05, 06:00 PM

Since the HD50LPW42 is native 720p, should I set my Comcast HDTV DVR to 720p instead of 1080i?

luebster

10-25-05, 08:05 PM

Most DVDs use a ratio that is wider than the 1.85 (16:9) aspect ratio. So on some DVDs you should get black bars on the top and bottom. If the DVD box states a higher ratio such as 2.35 you will see bars.
I understand the possibility of getting letterbox bars top and bottom due to varying aspect ratios, however I'm getting bars on all 4 sides. Imagine a 5x7 photo mounted on an 8x10 matte.

Yes, the DVD player is set to output 16:9.

PaulGo

10-25-05, 10:40 PM

You also need to put the TV in the wide mode (stretch). If it is in the standard mode you will get the bars on the side. You are using component cables?

cheneyp

10-26-05, 12:20 PM

Since the HD50LPW42 is native 720p, should I set my Comcast HDTV DVR to 720p instead of 1080i?

No, because this TV does not accept 720p input to DVI or component. I know this makes no sense since it is native 720p but that's the way it is... :mad:

I have my Oppo upscaling DVD player set to 1080i and the picture is great so the scaler seems to work OK in the TV.

luebster

10-26-05, 12:39 PM

You also need to put the TV in the wide mode (stretch). If it it in the standard mode you will get the bars on the side. You are using component cables?
Yep, component cables (red, blue, green). I guess it just seems odd that I would have to use a stretch mode for a widescreen signal.

Thanks for the help.

Grayson73

10-26-05, 02:27 PM

Yep, component cables (red, blue, green). I guess it just seems odd that I would have to use a stretch mode for a widescreen signal.

Thanks for the help.

That makes no sense to me. If you DVD player is set to wide, 16:9, you should only get bars at the top and bottom, not the left and the right.

luebster

10-26-05, 02:46 PM

That makes no sense to me. If you DVD player is set to wide, 16:9, you should only get bars at the top and bottom, not the left and the right.
Exactly. What's odd is my PS2 does the same thing. Even if it is set to display 16:9, I get the "matted" look (5x7 picture on an 8x10 black matte). The PS2 is also hooked up with component (into input 2).

Grayson73

10-26-05, 03:11 PM

It must be a setting with the TV then.

Grayson73

10-26-05, 03:12 PM

Jimbo Moran

10-26-05, 04:35 PM

OK, stupid question....

I have an HD50LPW162 and a prog-scan DVD player (samsung DVD-recorder) that's connected via Component (RGB) to input 4. However, even though input 4 is setup in the menu to accept component video and the DVD player is set to output a 16:9 image, the picture does not fill the screen. I have black bars, top and bottom. I have to use the zoom feature on the TV to fill the screen.

This doesn't seem right to me. Any thoughts?

I hate to mention this possibility but are you viewing a fullscreen or widescreen DVD?

luebster

10-26-05, 04:42 PM

I hate to mention this possibility but are you viewing a fullscreen or widescreen DVD?
Heh...that would be funny. I even tried Toy Story 2, which lets you choose full or wide.

Is there anyone here that has an RCA DLP that is able to display widescreen DVDs that fill the screen from left to right without using a stretch mode?

Bmr4life

10-26-05, 04:59 PM

Heh...that would be funny. I even tried Toy Story 2, which lets you choose full or wide.

Is there anyone here that has an RCA DLP that is able to display widescreen DVDs that fill the screen from left to right without using a stretch mode?

yup.

http://www.geocities.com/bmr4life/TD.JPG

Grayson73

10-26-05, 05:03 PM

I have the same TV as Bmr4life and it works fine without stretch mode.

luebster

10-26-05, 05:37 PM

This is exactly why I'm confused. Are you two using upconverting DVD players?

Grayson73

10-26-05, 05:48 PM

I am not.

PaulGo

10-26-05, 10:46 PM

I have a Panasonic 50" DLP, a Samsung 61" DLP and a 30" Toshiba HD CRT, I have a Pioneer, Sony and JVC dvd players all set to 16:9 progressive. All the three TV's need to be set to stretch mode (full) mode to properly display widescreen DVDs.

luebster

10-27-05, 06:33 AM

Thank you all for helping me understand. I'll just set my stretch mode to full and be happy.

Thanks again!

Grayson73

10-27-05, 09:28 AM

PaulGo

10-28-05, 11:42 AM

Read your instruction manual - their has to be a way to change the aspect (screen size). It appears luebster has the RCA set to the way you want it - with bars on the side for regular (non-hd) program material.

luebster

10-28-05, 11:57 AM

For 480p, my RCA stretches the image and it makes people look fat. Is there a way to display 480p without the stretch?

I tried viewing a full-screen DVD with 480p output and the RCA said it was 16:9 480p and therefore stretched the image. Same thing happened with ReplayTV outputting at 480p.

Is there a way to get the RCA tv to accept 480p at 4:3? I couldn't find it in any of the menus. It's a problem with my TV and not the DVD player and ReplayTV, right?
My RCA (HD50LPW162) has 4 different display modes. I can't remember their specific names, but here goes:

Normal - No stretching of source material. This is what you should use for 4:3 source material.
Stretch edges - leaves center mostly untouched, but stretches the edges more the closer to the edge. (horizontal only)
Full stretch - stretches evenly across the frame (horizontal only)
Zoom - this simply zooms the entire picture by 33% (or so). This may cause cropping of the top and bottom of the picture. (vertical and horizontal)

I hope this helps.

Grayson73

10-28-05, 12:57 PM

None of these modes change the picture because the TV is interpreting it as a 16:9 image, not a 4:3 image. I can't get 480p to show as 4:3.

pg_rider

10-29-05, 09:05 AM

Grayson is right -- if you feed the RCA a 480p signal it believes it is a 16x9 image and therefore displays it as such. The stretch functions are disabled for 480p signals, just like they are with true HD.

At least, that's how it is with my 1st-gen. Kinda sucky but what can you do...

grittree

10-29-05, 08:34 PM

I'm looking for a little advice here.

I've got the hp61lpw42 set, almost two years old, and with a guestimated 6-8000 hours on it. In the last month it is getting dimmer and I changed to "normal" on the bulb. It still is less than bright except when feeding from a MyHD card over component, which lets me overdrive the video.

I bought the $250 4-yr ext warr from BB, which supposedly covers bulbs.

How do you ask for a bulb replacement for "dim", since that is pretty subjective?

Jimbo Moran

10-30-05, 12:18 AM

None of these modes change the picture because the TV is interpreting it as a 16:9 image, not a 4:3 image. I can't get 480p to show as 4:3.

Seems like you'd be much better off just sending 480i to your RCA. After all it will be converted to 720p for display purposes anyway.

PaulGo

10-30-05, 10:27 AM

Grittree:
From what I have read the bulb displays symptoms of failing soon. You could call BB and complain about the dim picture, if they are smart they will realize the bulb is near failure and avoid a service call by replacing the bulb. If that doesn't work you have two choices - wait till the bulb fails or "help" the bulb fail.

grittree

10-30-05, 04:34 PM

Paul, are you saying they might ship me a bulb and let me install it? And wouldn't that still apply even it went black?

PaulGo

10-30-05, 04:50 PM

No, BB would have to confirm the problem and install the new bulb.

grittree

10-30-05, 08:04 PM

OK, so how does that "avoid a service call"?

PaulGo

10-30-05, 10:28 PM

I didn't mean to imply that it would avoid a service call. I meant to say the tech may change the bulb if he sees a poor picture and recognizes bulb failure. If he chooses not to replace the bulb you could argue to him or BB about soon having a second service call when the bulb dies. Sorry if my response was confusing.

Grayson73

10-30-05, 11:17 PM

Seems like you'd be much better off just sending 480i to your RCA. After all it will be converted to 720p for display purposes anyway.

When I use 480i from my DVD player, it's not widescreen, even though the DVD is a widescreen DVD. Is anyone experiencing this? Can the RCA accept 16:9 480i through component input?

pg_rider

10-31-05, 12:10 AM

When I use 480i from my DVD player, it's not widescreen, even though the DVD is a widescreen DVD. Is anyone experiencing this? Can the RCA accept 16:9 480i through component input?
My 1st-gen can't. If you want to feed it 480i it's gotta be thru S-vid or composite...

grittree

10-31-05, 08:44 AM

Thanks Paul. It makes sense now.

Grayson73

10-31-05, 12:26 PM

So are you using S-Vid for full screen DVDs at 480i and Component/DVI for widescreen DVDs?

If I get a DVD that upconverts to 1080i, will that fix the issue between full screen and wide screen DVDs?

RCA HD50LPW24

pg_rider

10-31-05, 03:02 PM

I use a progressive scan DVD player that sends everything to the TV in 480p via component cables. Works fine for everything except 4x3 DVDs like Eagles' Hell Freezes Over, which gets stretched automatically by the TV...

Grayson73

11-01-05, 04:39 PM

Grayson73

11-01-05, 05:01 PM

Another question. Should I set the color temp to Warm or Normal?

HD50LPW42

LITTLESMITTY

11-01-05, 09:49 PM

No, because this TV does not accept 720p input to DVI or component. I know this makes no sense since it is native 720p but that's the way it is... :mad:

I have my Oppo upscaling DVD player set to 1080i and the picture is great so the scaler seems to work OK in the TV.
Im pretty sure I have the same TV as the guy you replyed to and was wondering if you could go more into detail with this. Its 720p native but none of the inputs support that resolution, so what is the purpose of having 720p if you never view it. Im just baffled by this and cant get a straight answer anywhere else. Maybe you can help. Thanks.

Jimbo Moran

11-01-05, 09:53 PM

My 1st-gen can't. If you want to feed it 480i it's gotta be thru S-vid or composite...

PG,

I have the same model as you and feed it 480i via component cables from three different sources.

??????

Bmr4life

11-01-05, 10:50 PM

Im pretty sure I have the same TV as the guy you replyed to and was wondering if you could go more into detail with this. Its 720p native but none of the inputs support that resolution, so what is the purpose of having 720p if you never view it. Im just baffled by this and cant get a straight answer anywhere else. Maybe you can help. Thanks.

I get 720p from the coax input. I use the built in QAM antenna to get FOX HD through my comcast cable line. I don't have HD comcast, just digital comcast and this is done without the use of a cable box.

cheneyp

11-01-05, 10:50 PM

Im pretty sure I have the same TV as the guy you replyed to and was wondering if you could go more into detail with this. Its 720p native but none of the inputs support that resolution, so what is the purpose of having 720p if you never view it. Im just baffled by this and cant get a straight answer anywhere else. Maybe you can help. Thanks.

For whatever reason, RCA circuitry does not allow a 720p signal to come in over any input other than the antenna (either OTA or cable QAM). You CAN view it if you are watching FOXHD or ABCHD which are transmitted as 720p - you just can't input it over component or DVI. I think there are some other discussions of this much earlier in this thread if you want more info.

pg_rider

11-01-05, 10:51 PM

So you're saying that all 4:3 DVDs (fullscreen) get stretched automatically by the TV over 480p, right? That's the same problem I'm having via 480p component.

Does the 1080i input automatically assume 16:9 also or will getting an upconverting DVD player to 1080i solve this problem?
I believed that was the case, although Jimbo's post below got me thinking... and now that I think about it I do believe my TV will show 480i through component (I know my XBox does this). I think I got confused because when I put my progressive scan DVD player in non-progressive (i.e. 480i) mode it won't display on the TV via component cables. Must be a quirk with my DVD player, not the TV.

I will say that when I play 4x3 DVDs from my DVD player the TV stretches them automatically and there's nothing you can do about that... except maybe send them in 480i.

cheneyp

11-01-05, 10:52 PM

PG,

I have the same model as you and feed it 480i via component cables from three different sources.

??????

I can feed a 480i DVD player into the component inputs without a problem (other than I prefer 480p pic quality!)

pg_rider

11-01-05, 10:53 PM

Another question. Should I set the color temp to Warm or Normal?

HD50LPW42
It's commonly accepted that Warm is the closest setting to the desired 6500K gray scale temperature and therefore should be used. Of course, you should always use what looks best to you! :D

grittree

11-01-05, 10:54 PM

You can view 720p on ABC OTA. I once set up OTA on the tuner and the same show via a 1080i input and couldn't see the diff switching back and forth. YMMV depending on your eyesight.

cheneyp

11-01-05, 10:55 PM

It's commonly accepted that Warm is the closest setting to the desired 6500K gray scale temperature and therefore should be used. Of course, you should always use what looks best to you! :D

I'm actually using the Cool setting (had to check!). I'm going to try the Warm and watch for awhile to see how I like it.

LITTLESMITTY

11-01-05, 11:04 PM

For whatever reason, RCA circuitry does not allow a 720p signal to come in over any input other than the antenna (either OTA or cable QAM). You CAN view it if you are watching FOXHD or ABCHD which are transmitted as 720p - you just can't input it over component or DVI. I think there are some other discussions of this much earlier in this thread if you want more info.
Ok thanks for the clear answer.

Grayson73

11-10-05, 03:10 PM

cheneyp

11-11-05, 02:50 PM

I have the RCA HD50LPW42 DLP HDTV which is native 720p. As you know, it does NOT accept 720p from external sources, so I'm left with 480p or 1080i.

Can you recommend a DVD player for under $200? The TV accepts DVI input.

I currently have the Yamakawa 288k/vga which does not have good 480p output so I'm using 480i

I got the Oppo OPDV971H upscaling player which outputs 480p, 720p and 1080i through DVI. I set the output to 1080i and the picture is great. It also can play DivX/Xvid (.avi) files as well.

I have the same TV as you.

videobruce

11-15-05, 10:34 AM

For all you RCA owners you might want to take a look here;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=602499

ownersedge

11-17-05, 06:40 AM

Does anyone know how to remove channels that you don't want in the channel up and channel down buttons?

Is the only way to remove channels on the HD50LPW42 by going through Parental Controls? Also, is there a way to remove individual subchannels? For example, it says 82-6 to 999, but I want to keep 82-11 and disable the rest.

I removed channels 9 months ago...I'm guessing it was Parental
[B]
** HERE'S MY PROBLEM: how do I get OTA subchannels INTO my channel lineup, for example 9-4? This is especially a big problem for the Guide.

Jimbo Moran

11-17-05, 10:37 AM

I removed channels 9 months ago...I'm guessing it was Parental
[B]
** HERE'S MY PROBLEM: how do I get OTA subchannels INTO my channel lineup, for example 9-4? This is especially a big problem for the Guide.

On mine I just do a full scan and all the ones I don't have disabled show up in my guide screen. Might you have them unchecked in the channel selection menu?

cheneyp

11-17-05, 04:05 PM

On mine I just do a full scan and all the ones I don't have disabled show up in my guide screen. Might you have them unchecked in the channel selection menu?

Jimbo - what "guide screen" do you mean? Are you talking about the "Guide Plus" that shows you a grid of channels and what is on?

Jimbo Moran

11-17-05, 06:08 PM

Jimbo - what "guide screen" do you mean? Are you talking about the "Guide Plus" that shows you a grid of channels and what is on?

Yep. Weren't you?

cheneyp

11-18-05, 11:11 AM

I thought that was what you were talking about but I thought you were saying that the Guide showed the actual channel number. Mine shows like ABC, OLN, MSNBC, etc. but when I tune to a QAM HD channel (like 89-2, which is CBSHD on my system) it just says "Unknown" or some such thing so it's not very useful. Is there some way to add the channel number to these?

Jimbo Moran

11-18-05, 12:14 PM

I'm pretty sure my guide shows the network logo for my QAM channels as well. I'll have to check when I get home tonight and see for sure. I am positive it has the network logos for the OTA digital channels displayed as well as all my cable channels.

Grayson73

11-28-05, 06:05 PM

Have any of you received a 'Fatal Application Error'? I've gotten that twice now. To fix it, I have to unplug my TV and then plug it back in.

What is this?

pg_rider

11-28-05, 07:24 PM

FYI, had my first real issue with my set. Read details here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=602299

Tech is coming Tuesday with the new light engine -- will keep you all updated. :)

PFC5

11-30-05, 01:20 AM

I got the Oppo OPDV971H upscaling player which outputs 480p, 720p and 1080i through DVI. I set the output to 1080i and the picture is great. It also can play DivX/Xvid (.avi) files as well.

I have the same TV as you.

I have been thinking about getting an Oppo, but I am concerned about the macroblocking. Have you seen any on your RCA DLP? I know I have a newer model than you but I think the results will be similar.

Thanks in advance.

iblameLOTR

11-30-05, 01:17 PM

I hooked up an Oppo at 1080i through the Oppo-supplied DVI cable to my W42 and it looks great. I don't have a real clear idea of what macroblocking is, but I haven't noticed anything strange going on in dark scenes. If you have a good movie scene to suggest and what to watch out for, I could give it a shot in the next couple of evenings.

cheneyp

12-04-05, 12:13 AM

I have not seen a problem with macroblocking unless there is a known source issue. If you go to the Oppo threads (there are two) in the DVD Players area, there is a lot of good info on setting up the Oppo for best results.

PaulGo

12-15-05, 10:33 AM

TE Will Return To Plasma TV
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 12/15/2005 6:22:00 AM

New York - TCL Thomson Electronics (TTE) will use CES to show its more mainstream direction for RCA digital television by introducing seven new LCD TVs, four new DLP rear projection models and a return by the brand to the plasma TV category with two models.

The company will also offer under the RCA brand in 2006 an expanded line of integrated direct view CRT SDTVs, 26W- and 27-inch integrated direct view HDTV sets and eight CRT-based rear projection HDTV sets.

One of the barriers to DTV ownership for many people has been retail price points, said Richard Dinsmore, TTE product marketing director, for that reason the company will follow the course set with its SDTVs by offering an assortment of more advanced DTV displays positioned “to hit some key retails,” he said.

The eight new RCA SDTV models include a mix of curved and flat-faced CRT glass, and will follow on the heels of TTE’s introduction of the category last year. RCA SDTV models feature built-in ATSC digital tuning and display images in 480i resolution.

The SDTV line will feature three new 32-inch models (ranging in suggested retail price between $549 and $679) and five 27-inch models (ranging between $369 and $459). Most ship in March.

The company will also offer a widescreen 26W-inch fully integrated HDTV set that ships in June at a $629 suggested retail, and a 27-inch 4:3 HDTV set that ships in March at $549. Both feature 1080i native resolution and ATSC tuning.

To reduce costs throughout the lines, TTE is dispensing with several features offered in prior years. Among these are IEEE-1394 interfaces. In addition, digital CableCARD slots are now offered only in DLP models.

Dinsmore said TTE may not offer the lowest priced products in the market, but it will offer “competitive” products under a well-trusted name brand.

Meanwhile, he said the company opted to return to the plasma market because panel prices have dropped significantly.

“Plasma is still a product that people are demanding,” Dinsmore said. “There are larger panel LCD TVs out there, but their prices are still prohibitively expensive, so with plasma prices coming down, we thought it was time to take a look at it again.”

The line will include the popular 42W- and 50W-inch screen sizes in 2006. Both models will ship in April at suggested retail prices of $1,799 and $2,099, respectively.

The LCD TV assortment will include 11 new models under the RCA brand in the 26W-, 32W- and 37W-inch screen sizes. Four models in the 26W-, 32W- and 37W-inch screen sizes will have integrated DVD players.

All models 26W-inches and larger will have built-in ASTC tuning. An entry 26W-inch LCD TV will carry an $899 suggested retail when it ships in April, while a top of the line LCD/DVD combo product will ship in May at $1,199.

The entry 32W-inch piece will ship in April at a $1,099 suggested retail, while the top of the line 32W-inch LCD/DVD combo will ship in May at $1,499.

The entry 37W-inch LCD TV will ship in June at a $1,599 suggested retail, and the top-of-the-line 37W-inch LCD/DVD combo will ship in July at a $1,999 suggested retail.

LCD TV monitors will continue to be offered in the 15-, 20-, and 23W-inch screen sizes.

In DLP TV, TTE has discontinued the ultra-thin product it had developed with InFocus and is returning with six more mainstream models in the 50W- and 61W-inch screen sizes for 2006. The models include four 50W-inch and one 61W-inch model under the RCA Scenium brand, and one 50W-inch model under RCA.

All models include digital CableCARD slots, ATSC tuners, and 720p resolution. RCA Scenium models add dual HDMI/HDCP inputs.

The RCA 50W-inch model will ship in April at a $1,799 suggested retail. The four 50W-inch RCA Scenium models will ship in June at a $1,999 suggested retail, each, and the lone 61W-inch Scenium piece will ship in June at a $2,499 suggested retail.
The company will also offer under the RCA brand eight new CRT-based rear projection HDTV sets in the 52W- (shipping in June at $1,149 and $1,199), 56W- (shipping in June at $1,399) and 61W-inch screen sizes (shipping in June at $1,499) under the RCA brand.

tagsnatcher

12-18-05, 12:39 AM

Sorry I am very new at this. I have read for 3 days before I found this one from you Guy. Could this proceedure also be used on an RCA 52" projector TV? I can't find anything on it. model munber is p52921 manufactured in 11-1999 and was suppose to have a program within the remote to adjust the tubes but when I contacted them about it they said that was one of them that they had forgotten to program right and there was no way to adjust it without spending alot of money with a serviceman. We are seeing rainbow colors and hubby is about to chunk it out the door. I was trying to get it fixed for his Christmas but it can't afford for someone else to do it. Please help if you can. not sure how to see if you answered but I will try. thanks

grittree

12-30-05, 02:58 PM

luebster

12-30-05, 03:11 PM

Also, starting Jan 1, all DLP & LCD extended warrantees will have a limit of one bulb replacement. This bulb, btw, costs $360. Doesn't look much diff than a spotlight bulb. I suspect the new bulb will last exactly 1.99 years.
Do you know if that is for new warranties purchased after Jan 1 or does this apply to any warranty, new or existing?

grittree

12-30-05, 07:42 PM

luebster

12-31-05, 10:39 AM

Chris, it would have to be just new warrantees. I don't think you can retroactively change a contract in most cases. I hope not, since my contract will expire a few days after my bulb is sure to fail again.
That's what I would guess as well. College bowl season/NFL playoffs has to be the worst time for a bulb to expire. So they are just shipping you a bulb? Does BB have to come back out to install it? I would hope not.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

gwsat

12-31-05, 10:59 AM

My 2 yr old HD61LPW42 went black on me. BB guy came out and will have a new bulb drop shipped to me. Hopefully by the Rose Bowl.

BB here recently switched to their own servicing on TV and appliances.

Also, starting Jan 1, all DLP & LCD extended warrantees will have a limit of one bulb replacement. This bulb, btw, costs $360. Doesn't look much diff than a spotlight bulb. I suspect the new bulb will last exactly 1.99 years.

As expensive as $360 for a bulb is, that beats the replacement price a couple of year ago: $900! I have a HDLP50W151, which I bought in October 2003. I have worried ever since that a replacement bulb would break the bank. Now, if my bulb lasts another couple of years and the price of replacement bulbs comes down another 60% all will be well.

blissenbachj

01-01-06, 03:25 PM

6 months ago I purchased the HD61LPW163, and I've been loving it ever since. I've had no problems, and most everything is what I expected.

Now I'm venturing into the full potential of the set, and I have a few questions I want to throw out to the group. Does anyone have much experience with the web browser? I purchased the keyboard and hooked the TV up, and things work fine. But, I'm disappointed with the strict security settings and lack of support for things like scripting, streaming content, etc. Has anyone attempted to modify the settings and been successful? Is there any suggestions for me?

The other thing is I just purchased a HD receiver which I hooked up via HDMI to the TV, and I bought a Harman Kardan 7.1 Dolby Digital surround sound set. If I run an optical cable straight from the HD receiver to the HK, I get a Dolby Digital signal on my HD channels. If I run the optical cable out from the TV and set it to auto-pass the Dolby Digital signal, I only get a PCM signal passed, which is then converted on the HK receiver to Dolby PLII. I read reports of a two-channel TV sometimes sending a signal back to the HD receiver, telling it to send only PCM, but when I override that, I simply get no audio at all out of the TV's optical out. Has anyone experimented with this much, and had any success? Seems pointless to have HDMI hooked up, and still have a separate optical cable from the HD receiver to my HK.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thunder1

01-02-06, 08:48 PM

My Tv is a RCA model HDLP61w151 That has a DVI input. (It is about 1 1/2 yrs old)
I bought a Yamaha RX-V2600 Receiver that has HDMI out put to tv used an HDMI to Dvi cable,it starts to work fine but then the receiver says HDMI Error,and HDCP Error.Has any body else had this problem?They all keep saying the Hdmi is backward comp. with the DVI. :confused:

Thanks Thunder

kezug

01-09-06, 11:00 PM

Ok, my neighbor just purchased a HD50LPW175 and out of the box, hooked up to a Sony DVD Player (DVPNS70H), we werent blown away by the PQ. I put in Roger Waters Live In The Flesh and the colors and sharpness were awful. Lots of bleeding reds/blues.

The Darks, were, well, black or should I say, empty, no definition.

The DVD is hooked up with HDMI.

I messed with some of the color management presets and changed from Warm to Cool to see the diffs and some improvements were made, but not much.

Ok, what do we need to do to get this HDTV up to par? Cant find a thread on this, so sorry if it exists, but I looked.

Additionally, Comcast is coming out to hookup HD and am curious as to the best way to connect it to the TV, either HDMI or Component?

Grayson73

01-10-06, 09:55 AM

Did you notice a shift issue?

Are you using 1080i?

kezug

01-10-06, 10:26 AM

Did you notice a shift issue?

Are you using 1080i?

Which post are you asking these questions of?

Grayson73

01-10-06, 11:13 AM

Your post. Did you notice a shift issue for the DVP-NS70H with your RCA when using 720p or 1080i via HDMI? There is another thread related to this.

Also, are you seeing bad picture in 720p or 1080i?

acaoacao

01-11-06, 03:26 PM

Does anyone know the power consumption of these tv while they are on and while they are on standby?

videobruce

01-13-06, 11:55 AM

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

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

grittree

01-16-06, 10:05 AM

I just added a vote to the poll.

Good news is I got way over 6000 hrs. Bad news is there are no replacements available.

That's the #260962 bulb used in most RCA DLPs.

Jimbo Moran

01-16-06, 12:34 PM

I just added a vote to the poll.

Good news is I got way over 6000 hrs. Bad news is there are no replacements available.

That's the #260962 bulb used in most RCA DLPs.

It shows in stock Here for $409.89 (http://www.ercservice.com/lamps/RCA-Lamps/260962.html)

gwsat

01-16-06, 01:22 PM

It shows in stock Here for $409.89 (http://www.ercservice.com/lamps/RCA-Lamps/260962.html)

I found that Web site Jimbo linked to after doing a search this morning because the picture on my RCA HDLP50W151 seems to be getting gradually darker. Note that if you have the nerve to use the old housing you can replace just the bulb for $309.00 from the same outfit:

http://www.ercservice.com/lamps/philips/UHP-100W_120W-R95.html

I am inclined to wait for my bulb to fail and then call my dealer. Doing so will no doubt cost me some extra money but it should benefit my digestion.

Jimbo Moran

01-16-06, 03:08 PM

I found that Web site Jimbo linked to after doing a search this morning because the picture on my RCA HDLP50W151 seems to be getting gradually darker. Note that if you have the nerve to use the old housing you can replace just the bulb for $309.00 from the same outfit:

http://www.ercservice.com/lamps/philips/UHP-100W_120W-R95.html

I am inclined to wait for my bulb to fail and then call my dealer. Doing so will no doubt cost me some extra money but it should benefit my digestion.

gwsat,

Just don't blame us if your bulb goes out in the 1st quarter of the Super Bowl. :)

I saw they had the bulb only as well, I've got a couple of more websites bookmarked at home that also show both the bulb and the full assembly in stock as well.

Jimbo Moran

01-16-06, 04:03 PM

Here is a link for anyone that needs the 265103 lamp (http://www.alltvlamps.com/rcalamps.html) It shows in stock wheras they are out of the 260962 lamp.

grittree

01-16-06, 07:35 PM

Just to clarify, I am in an extended BestBuy warranty situation. As mentioned a page or two back. I also had googled the lamp and saw the one place that has a substitute available. Not that I could get BB to buy it. I can't get BB to even hint at when they can supply the part.

Plus there was an Ebay link which has somebody wanting to buy inop parts. Interestingly he says that it's the housing that is in demand.

Today I went to BB and bought a much smaller Sony LCD set to tide me over. At least for the 30 days until I return it. I hate doing something like that, but BB has me so mad I am not going to have a guilty conscience about it. They don't seem to be worried about my situation.

I'm assigning part of the blame to RCA (TTG or whatever that Chinese company is called). Bulbs are a known support item, and not having replacements available is not acceptable.

So now I have a 120 pound, $3500 paperweight.

Jimbo Moran

01-17-06, 04:39 PM

grittree,

I found this post on another forum, it might prove helpful:

Call this number 1-580-634-0151. It will connect you with one of RCA's Research Teams. These are the folks who can actually do something for you. Unlike the people at the 800# who run 'World Wide Searches" which is techno speak for..." We sent out two midgets with backpacks and walking sticks to find your part. They should be back sometime in the future."

When you dial this number go thru the following sequence: #1, #5, #3, #1 this will get you to a team member.

Good luck

grittree

01-18-06, 11:06 AM

Jimbo, thanks for the number.

Not sure it's going to help. After giving all the info, she's going to do the search (I didn't ask if midgets were involved) and get back to me.

We shall see.

grittree

01-20-06, 04:03 PM

PaulGo

01-20-06, 10:01 PM

It's now official from RCA that the lamp assy is unavailable. BB, however, says that one of their vendors has an estimated 2/14/06 date. Which I assume is a constant 30 days after you ask and will extend into the future.

Does anybody know if they ever have to fix or replace the set?

Unfortunately RCA has a history of abandoning their sets and not supplying repair parts. I thought a manufacturer had to keep parts available for at least 10 years, but maybe not. Perhaps someone should send a complaint letter to the Federal Trade commission.

grittree

02-06-06, 04:14 PM

BB has finally agreed that the bulb (actually, the lamp assy) isn't available and will replace my set.

They don't have much variety in 61 inchers. Got the Mits 1080p on a price match to Sears upcoming sale.

acaoacao

02-09-06, 10:43 PM

I have a 61 in RCA DLP set as well.... does that mean.. if it the bulb is burns out.... I am SOL as well?

grittree

02-10-06, 08:07 AM

If it uses the #260962 lamp assy, and you have no warranty or service plan, then you can can replace just the bulb, $306. Google '260962' for the source.

acaoacao

02-10-06, 10:46 AM

... why didn't Best Buy replace it for you????A?

forgive me if I am dense...

myk26

02-10-06, 11:26 AM

Hmmmm...I think my 162 goes by a different bulb, at least I hope!!! Personally I'd rather keep my 162 then receive one of the newer models (not that I'll throw a huge fit).

So I'm thinking maybe I need to get on the horn to BB and let them think my Bulb has already blown? (I'm 4500 on the bulb now, and also have the extended warrantee) Is this even possible? They don't bring the bulb to your house do they?

Also.....would anyone have a clue as to why one of my component inputs went out? I've made sure of everything possible is connected right, and all menu options have been checked and dbl checked. I've got a repairman coming out this afternoon, I just saw a related thread and thought I'd toss out the question.

grittree

02-10-06, 07:30 PM

acaoacao, I have no idea. I even told the gal on the phone that I would get the bulb replaced if they would pre-guarantee me reimbursement in writing. She said they don't have any procedure for doing that. Then she got word that a replacement was authorized and I dropped the matter.

myk26, they don't bring a bulb. The 162 models use the Osram lamps, which I think are (barely) available. Whether BB's vendors have it is another matter. Just FYI, I noticed my lamp getting dimmer a few months before it went out. Looking at the bulb, it was just like I had taken the assy out and banged it on the counter. The glass filament base was shattered. I probably had 8000 hrs on it. The service guy will look at the bulb, so I don't think you can con him into ordering you a new one.

PythonNF

02-25-06, 10:25 AM

just received a replacement Osram bulb (bulb only) I got it on an E-Bay site for $99 + shipping from Shanghai, China. This is a spare for my HD50LPW162 set.

penticton102

02-25-06, 11:13 AM

just received a replacement Osram bulb (bulb only) I got it on an E-Bay site for $99 + shipping from Shanghai, China. This is a spare for my HD50LPW162 set.

great whats the url?........ :)

Grayson73

04-11-06, 04:06 PM

On the RCA DLPs, which color temp setting is closest to D65 or 6500K?

pg_rider

04-11-06, 07:40 PM

I read in a review that "Warm" was the closest to 6500. It was actually very close, and very "linear" (if that's the right term)...

Grayson73

04-21-06, 05:47 PM

I bought the DVP-NS75H DVD player. Picture over 1080i is definitely better than my Yamakawa 288k/vga.

I currently have it calibrated on Cinema 1, Sharpness 0.

Anyone else buy this player for their RCA?

Grayson73

04-21-06, 05:54 PM

cheneyp

04-21-06, 06:20 PM

I was thinking about getting the Omnimount center speaker shelf for my RCA 50" DLP. Do you think the back of the DLP can handle a 26 lb. center speaker?

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/OmniMount-Center-Channel-Speaker-Shelf-CCH1B-/sem/rpsm/oid/108951/catOid/-12935/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

I have the same shelf on my 50" RCA. Of course, I only have a 5 lb Harmon Kardon speaker on it. I had planned to put my Sony HD DVR on it with the speaker but decided that I didn't want to put the speaker on top of the DVR. I think that 26lbs would likely be on the high end of what you'd want to put on the back of the TV. When I put my hand on the shelf and push down, there is some deflection in the plastic cover.

Grayson73

05-01-06, 11:43 PM

pg_rider

05-02-06, 07:29 PM

I have the HD50LPW42. How do you figure out how many hours the lamp has?

I went into the service menu (hold Menui and Channel down) and under 'Information' see a bunch of stuff (i.e. Lamp Type B, serial# etc) but don't see the lamp hours.
Select "Service Menu", then use Vol Up to enter V=90 -- that will give you lamp hours. I think I'm over 3000 now and going strong, although I'm hoping mine dies before my warranty is up a year from now! :D

PFC5

05-18-06, 08:12 PM

I got 7800 hours on my RCA HD50LPW162, before the lamp went out. It is rated for 8000 hours so I am happy.

Just thought you would like a real world number to work with.

pg_rider

05-19-06, 09:38 AM

Wow, 7800 hrs... makes me feel a bit better as I'm approaching 4000 hrs on my 1st-gen. Did you replace the bulb yourself or was it warrantied? How much was the bulb?

slbubba

05-19-06, 11:38 AM

Folks;

Any of you out there have your set lock up forcing you to pull the plug to reboot the TV?

What usually happens to me is, I turn on the set and everything looks fine until I go to change the channel. At that point it tries to acquire the station but there is no video or audio. The only cure is to shut off the tv and then pull the power cord for a few secs.

W

mtallent

05-22-06, 12:55 AM

Yes, I have to un-plug and reboot my almost 3 year old RCA DLP. Sometimes it will not display any SDTV or it will not change channels.

Where can I find hor many hours are on the lamp on my 1st gen 50W151????

Mike T

slbubba

05-22-06, 08:35 PM

On the set (not the remote) press and hold Channel down and Menu simultaneously.

Enter the Service Menu (can use remote)

Volume Up to V90

Channel Up for usage clock

Press Off to exit

This works on my DLP50W151 and I hear it's the same on others.

mtallent

05-23-06, 12:28 PM

Thanks, that worked fine, do you have any info on any of the other settings in the service menu?

Mike T at 6956 hours and counting

cheneyp

07-12-06, 10:16 AM

I picked up an RCA DVR2160 AVHDD to use to record HD with my 50" W42 set. When I hook it up to one of the firewire ports it is not recognized and shortly thereafter I get a 1394 "bus error" message on the screen. Even after I unplug the DVR I continue to get the message and cannot get to the TVGOS screen. Only way to make it go away is to "reboot" the set by unplugging it for 10 seconds or so. I thought it might be the DVR but I just got a D-VHS unit and I get the same error message and behavior.

Anyone else experience this?

DaveWolf

07-19-06, 10:29 AM

The problem I have with my set is when I turn it on, I get no picture but sound is OK. The blue light flashes 5 times, and I hear the color wheel and bulb try to start up. The manual says this is a sign of me having turned the unit on while it is in cool-down mode, but that is completely bogus since I am only turning on the set for the 1st time of the day.

Sometimes if I turn on the TV, wait for the fan to quit running, and restart the bulb will ignite on the first try. Other times I have just left it running and after 8-10 tries of the TV trying to ignite the bulb, it will eventually come on. Unfortunately that can take 20-30 minutes.

Not a real viable option if I have company come over and we have to wait 30 minutes for the TV to "warm up". Anyone else having that trouble or have suggestions?

Is this a sign of the bulb dying, or just a quirk of the TV? It seems like this is beginning to happen more frequently than in the past. It probably happens 30-40% of the time. FYI, my set is approx. 15 months old. Thanks.

PaulGo

07-19-06, 10:37 AM

It could be the bulb but it sounds more like the ballast (which is used to ignite the bulb). I have a Samsung DLP and according to the articles I have read it can be replaced by the owner who has some technical abilities. I have no idea as to the complexity of replacement in the RCA. It may be prudent to get a service tech to diagnose the problem since some RCA replacement parts can be expensive.

gwsat

07-19-06, 12:33 PM

I, too, have a first generation RCA 50W151 50" DLP, which I bought in October 2003. Last saturday the screen suddenly went black after 2 years and 9 months. My dealer thinks that the lamp has died, so I have had him order a new one for me. It costs $414! I could have saved $25 or $30 by ordering online but decided that doing so would be penny wise and pound foolish. The TV has been great but this seems like an awfully short time for a part that costs more than $400 to last. I'll report further after the service call is completed, but I am 90% sure that my problem is a dead lamp.

pg_rider

07-19-06, 04:10 PM

gw, did you have an extended warranty? If so, was the lamp covered? Way back when there was a post that Best Buy's EW was amended to cover lamps, but have yet to confirm it with anyone in the real world!

Hey, at least $414 is way cheaper than the ~$700 people used to quote for RCA lamps!

My 1st-gen RCA DLP is at around 2 1/2 yrs and going strong (after getting a new light engine early this year)...

gwsat

07-19-06, 05:58 PM

I looked into getting an extended warranty but could not find one that did not expressly exclude lamp coverage -- including RCA's own warranty.

It's true, the lamps have come down in price quite a bit but I am still going to pay about $500 for my repairs when sales tax and the cost of the service call are factored in. For that I could have bought an HD-DVD player. Sigh.

RCA replaced my light engine in warranty when my TV was about 9 months old -- it had become noisy. The replacement light engine has been quiet and has given me no further trouble.

I just bought a second HDTV for another room in my house. It should come as a surprise to no one that it is NOT an RCA. I notice, though, that the current 50 and 61 inch RCA DLP HDTVs that look mine, for which I paid $3,200, can now be had for about $1,200. That's a bargain, it really is.

Bmr4life

07-20-06, 10:53 PM

Hey guys, I have a HD50LPW42 and need a replacement bulb. How hard is it to replace the bulb myself? I'm pretty sure I have all the tools myself and have experience with electrical work. What all is required to change it out?

thanks

pg_rider

07-20-06, 11:11 PM

Very very easy. Take a look at your manual and you'll see. Bascially just remove a few screws and pull out the whole assembly.

gwsat

07-21-06, 06:50 PM

Yes. replacing the bulb is definitely something an owner can do. When mine failed I had my dealer's people replace it because i wanted to make sure that something else was not wrong -- it wasn't. The tech only had to open an access door, slip out the old bulb and its housing and slip in the new bulb and housing.

gwsat

07-21-06, 06:59 PM

As noted in my earlier post, bulb failure turned out to be the only problem with my RCA 50" DLP. The bulb had only 4,609 hours on it. Considering that the set had been connected for less that 21,000 hours, the bulb life was not impressive -- to say the least. Nevertheless, I may have got what I deserved because I ran the bulb at high power and had the contrast set at 100% for the bulb's entire life. I have learned my lesson. I am running the new bulb on low power and have set the contrast at 50%. Frankly, the PQ is STILL great.

PaulGo

07-21-06, 07:51 PM

gwsat

07-21-06, 08:16 PM

Contrast level has nothing to do with the bulb life. The bulb brightness remains constant, the contrast just adjusts how long each cycle the mirrors on the DLP stays on the bulb reflecting it on the screen rather than off the screen.

Thanks, I had wondered about that. Even so, I think the PQ may be better with the contrast set at 50% than it was at 100%-- particularly for movies. Better yet, my picture is now brighter than it was at the end of the first bulb's life, although the lamp was then set at high power and the contrast at 100%.

PaulGo

07-21-06, 10:50 PM

When a bulb near the end of life it looses a lot of brightness. Howerer after several hundred hours you may see the bulb dim a bit - this is normal

gwsat

07-22-06, 07:19 AM

I could not discern any loss of brightness in my HDLP50W151 until the lamp was at death's door.

I have a couple of questions: First, is there a thread around that collects the experience of other RCA DLP users about bulb life? Had I known how bad mine would be I would NEVER have bought an RCA DLP. Anything I can do to help others to learn from my bad experience would be good. The RCA bulbs are both remarkably short lived and remarkably expensive -- a bad combination by any measure. Apparently the word is out, though, because RCA DLPs like mine now sell for almost two-thirds less than I paid in 2003.

Second, does anyone know how to reset the lamp hours meter? I found the meter in the service menu but neither I nor my dealer's tech could figure out how to reset it.

PaulGo

07-22-06, 09:44 AM

CMHHME

07-22-06, 10:13 AM

Where are you folks ordering your bulbs from? I've had a #265103 for my 163 on back order for over a month.

gwsat

07-22-06, 03:03 PM

Lamp life is a mixed bag - a few can go at 2,000 hours or 4,000 hours most should last 6,000 hours and a few will last past 8,000 hours (for a 100watt bulb). I have not seen anything to indicate that RCA bulbs last a shorter lifespan than other manufacturers. However I have not seen a many RCA DLP owners participate in lamp life discussiions. As technology improves the value of all sets decrease but the point to remember (I have a 61" Samsung HLN DLP which I paid $4000 for (and at the time it was a very good buy) which is also worth a fraction of what I paid) is you have enjoyed the set for three years.

Because there are so many ways in which users setup their TV sets, I agree that what is a reasonable life for a given lamp is impossible to predict. Nevertheless, I think that RCA's charging twice as much for a lamp as other manufacturers do is inexcusable. My dealer tells me that Sony replacement bulbs are about $200 but I paid $414 for an RCA replacement bulb and my original bulb lasted less than three years -- which I think entitles me to a bit of dissatisfaction.

Bmr4life

07-23-06, 01:02 AM

cheneyp

07-23-06, 09:15 AM

Which bulb do I buy for my HD50LPW42?

Do 260962 or 265103 use the same Bulb? My bulb case says 260962 on it but I just want to buy a bulb and not the whole case.

this website seems to have all the parts i would need.

http://www.ercservice.com/lamps/RCA.html

I pulled my lamp out and its actually cracked on the inside. So I know thats whats broken.

The Lamp says UHP 120W 1.0 232-0234-00 then 101137990.

The seller in the auction linked below list my tv as one that uses his bulb, is he right?

http://cgi.*********/PHILIPS-E23-DLP-TV-HIGH-DEF-LAMP-BULB-LCD-UHP-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ150010739096QQihZ005QQcategoryZ116209QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

My W42 uses Bulb Type A which is by Philips. I think bulb type B is from Osram. Couldn't get to your second link but I bought a Philips bulb from Ebay about 9 months ago for about $75 that fits in the lamp module. I don't know offhand what type of bulb is in the 265103 but I have heard that if you use the wrong bulb it won't work as they are paired up with a separate ballast.

gwsat

07-23-06, 10:36 AM

If I had thought there was any possibility that I could have bought a generic bulb for ~$75 that would have worked in my 50W151's lamp module, I would have chanced it. Unfortunately, the cheapest replacement assembly plus bulb I could find was nearly $400 and I could buy it from my dealer for $414, so I took the safe course and bought it locally. I never found offers for bulbs on line that would fit my TV.

Relatively short bulb life would be no big deal if a replacement could be had for $100 or less. But when the replacement costs more than $400 it's a VERY big deal.

cheneyp

07-23-06, 10:55 AM

I agree on the <$100 "take a chance". For me, it was a no-brainer when I saw how high the prices were for the bulb assys. I am still on the original bulb but I compared the bulb specs to the one I bought and have "on the shelf" and they are virtually the same. Spoke to an engineer at RCA and he confirmed that the bulb I got was a good replacement - just take a little extra time and care to remove and replace from the assembly. I, too, have not seen this deal again - should have bought more but, who knew?

Bmr4life

07-23-06, 11:57 AM

The ebay auction is #150013469658. My tv (HD50LPW42), but how can I be sure it will work right?

cheneyp

07-23-06, 10:08 PM

The ebay auction is #150013469658. My tv (HD50LPW42), but how can I be sure it will work right?

I guess all you can do is try it out. I bought the same bulb last year and I asked an RCA engineer on another thread and his response was the following:

"....the lamp is not hard to mount in the cartridge. It does require a small torx screwdriver. Try to keep oil from your hands off the lamp. You might wear a light pair of gloves.

Before you buy, you want to make sure that the current lamp in your set is Philips. Some sets have Osram lamps and the ballast supply is matched to the lamp. You might verify that lamp you are buying has reflector size E23. The lamp you mention, with a 1.3mm gap was originally made for an LCOS set. . .our DLP lamps have a 1.0mm gap, but the performance should be the same"

Lamp is still awaiting the failure of my original lamp (hopefully not soon!)

Another website that sells these (and has instructions for doing replacement yourself) is: www.260962.com

Edit: Looks like you've already been to the other site! Saw your post asking about the same info...

Bmr4life

07-23-06, 11:23 PM

Yeah, thanks for the help.

I actually found a guy on ebay that said they have4 the Bulb for 260962 for $170 shipped.

He is seller watyylxx. Auction is here 290008833320, titled "New VIP DLP Bulb/lamp for HD TV Mitsubishi Sagem LG RCA" and ends in 12 hours. His feedback looks very promising.

He has 265103 bulbs for $150 shipped.

I asked him through email if he had 260962 and he said yes. HE told me to bid on his current auction and add $20.

He was originally selling the 265103 bulbs for $100 ($125 shipped), but the law of supply and demand took over. Now $125 ($150 shipped).

Bmr4life

07-29-06, 11:37 AM

My Ebay Bulb arrived today. Looks promising. I needed a bulb for 260962 and this is what arrived.

Top 207 J4
UHP 120W 1.0
PHILIPS
MADE IN BELGIUM
101176062
Hg

Paid $170 shipped.

pg_rider

07-29-06, 11:49 AM

My Ebay Bulb arrived today. Looks promising. I needed a bulb for 260962 and this is what arrived.

Top 207 J4
UHP 120W 1.0
PHILIPS
MADE IN BELGIUM
101176062
Hg

Paid $170 shipped.
Please let us know how it works out. If that's the one I might pick one up as a spare for the future.

On a related note, has anyone with a 1st-gen and the extended warranty had a lamp die on them yet? Was it replaced under warranty?

masterxan

07-29-06, 12:04 PM

any news on a 1080p set from RCA?

Bmr4life

07-29-06, 12:35 PM

Please let us know how it works out. If that's the one I might pick one up as a spare for the future.

On a related note, has anyone with a 1st-gen and the extended warranty had a lamp die on them yet? Was it replaced under warranty?

The ebay bulb is installled and works perfectly. Screen is definately brighter than it has ever been. I bought the TV used and it already had 3K hours on the bulb.

enthuzist

09-17-06, 10:30 AM

pg_rider

09-17-06, 12:35 PM

First let me apologize for hijacking this thread, but this is the only one that comes close to my issue with my HD61LPW42 from BB. I had it for approx. 2 yrs. Now it has a black area across the upper left hand corner (forming a inverted perfect right triangle on the edges of the screen). Is this just the bulb going out or do I have something else going on? If so please help, it is bothering my NCAA/NFL enjoyments!
Yes I used search and this is the only thread that came up.

Hours In Use: 5088
Hours Plugged In: 18115
Sounds like what I had -- ended up being the light engine (replaced under warranty). See here:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=602299

Unfortunately the pics I attached were removed when the thread got moved to the archive...

enthuzist

09-17-06, 04:46 PM

Thank you. After reading your previous posts, that describes what I have exactly. Luckily I purchased the 4 yr EW from BB. I'm supposed to call the local outsource RCA Tech Shop tomorrow to set up an appointment per BB Warranty Repair Hotline. They sent my info to them already. Should I also request a replacement bulb since my lamp hours are high? (5088 hrs)

Brent01

09-17-06, 10:28 PM

Is there a way to clear/reset the channels that the tv has found on a previous channel scan so I can do a new one? The problem is that the HD channels have changed their mapping and are not mapped to the numbers like they were before and I would like them back.

cheneyp

09-18-06, 09:25 AM

Brent01

09-18-06, 05:38 PM

Just re-do a channel scan and the new subchannels will become active.

Thanks, that seemed to work. The first time I tried it yesterday it didn't but I also did not have the check mark beside the option to include previously found channels in the search. That must need to be checked for it to work. The subchannels are now back to the analog channel number.

PaulGo

11-18-06, 12:06 AM

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Tcr

11-23-06, 12:32 AM

Hope this doesn't jinx it, but....
HD61LPW42

Hours In Use: 6518
Hours Plugged In: 17029

It has been dimming a bit in SD but not HD. Maybe needs a cleaning?
Anyone know if CC's extended plan covers cleanings?

Tcr

11-30-06, 12:50 AM

Yeah, well, it looks like I did jinx it because it blew yesterday (kinda sounded like a small rock or piece of gravel thrown at a floodlight) with a loud PLINK!
CC is covering full replacement since I bought the EPP (extended warranty) and I opted to install myself since it's much quicker to have it shipped in 2-4 business days then to wait for a tech who probably knows less than I do.
So, there you have it. 2 yrs 3 mo 6500+/-hrs on 'bright' setting.
Now I'm wondering about LED light engines.....
Definitely get the EW for projection lamp units!

cheneyp

11-30-06, 07:45 AM

pg_rider

11-30-06, 09:14 AM

Tcr -- did CC fight you on the warranty claim at all? Does the EW explicitly call out covering bulb replacements? I have an EW on my RCA from BB and I think lamps are covered but I'm not sure...

cheneyp -- EBay link please? :) Just in case BB won't cover mine when the time comes (which I hope is soon because I'm approaching the end of my 3 years....)

Tcr

12-01-06, 12:46 AM

pg_ No Muss, no fuss. Matter of fact I could have conceivably ordered just a spare bulb because all they asked me was "is the replace lamp light flashing on the front of the TV?" Ummm...Yeah.... "OK we'll have one shipped out to you UPS in 2-4 business days unless you would like a tech to install it for you?" Ummm...No...Thank you....
BTW I'm not sure what model you have but here's the link for the bulb (260962) for the HD61LPW42 and similar RCA's
http://search.*********/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&from=R10&satitle=260962&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP%2FPostal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search (http://http://search.*********/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&from=R10&satitle=260962&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP%2FPostal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search)
Good luck.
One more thing. I'm not a huge fan of the EW, as I believe that the product should be of sufficient quality not to have to warrant one to begin and the EW should not run concurrently with the manufacturer's first and usually only 1yr warranty. However with more and more repairs I'm seeing situations where the repairs are costing more than the EW would have (quite a bit more in some instances) due to increased labor cost. Also, due to many companies desire for these programs (they are high margin and very profitable) some of the EWs cover much more than any manufacturer ever would.
That being said, as always, Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)
If it's an emerging, 1st gen tech or from an unproven source, etc, it may pay to just have that piece of mind or not.
Or, as, cheney said, you can search and replace it piece by piece yourself on ebay.

cheneyp

12-01-06, 07:16 AM

Got mine from Ebay for about $75 about 18 months ago. It's "on the shelf" for when the bulb goes. It's a bulb only (no housing) but replacement of bulb in the housing looks quite easy. I have a 50W42, with bulb part number 260962. A search for this on Ebay this AM and I get about 60 hits ranging in price from about $100 to $400. If you don't know your bulb Part number (should be in your manual), just type "rca dlp bulb" in the Ebay search. Good luck!

Tcr

12-02-06, 12:36 AM

Got my lamp last night and installed it in about 10 minutes (would have been 5 but there was a little alignment trouble with the two pins on the rear of the base but I guess you all will see for yourselves or not)
Btw, cheneyp, yes the bulb only replacement looks pretty straightforward but might be a little tricky for the novice. The clip alignment and side anode looks like it could a little bit of a pain. But, hey, I didn't have to do it and maybe I'll find out after my EW runs out in 2 more yrs. I'll see if I can find one for under $75 just in case they no longer make them by then.
Oh, and the brightness has gone back to original factory spec. Sweet!

kim2dunn

01-22-07, 04:21 PM

Breadbin

08-14-07, 04:15 PM

Until yesterday I had an RCA D50LPW134. I had my PC hooked up via DVI for over a year and it worked like a charm. 1280 x 720p worked well for general use, 1920 x 1080i looked great for upscaling DVD and DivX movies. The TV had an extra option on the Picture->Advanced menu to change the DVI mode from TV to PC. This took care of any overscan without having to do anything else on the PC (no Powerstrip, etc).

Yesterday RCA exchanged the D50LPW134 under warranty (due to a flickering issue which needed a circuit board which is no longer available) for an HD50LPW165. I've connected the PC with a DVI->HDMI cable but there is no such "DVI Mode" setting that I can find in the TV menus. 1280 x 720p is overscanned quite a lot and 1920 x 1080i doesn't work at all.

Can anyone advise if they've had any luck with Powerstrip in this respect? I've had a quick go with it, but before I can shrink the 1280 x 720p resolution to the point where it fits the screen I hit a combination of settings/scan frequency that the TV doesn't like.

The D50LPW134, manufactured in Feb 2005, appears to have been at least a generation older than the HD50LPW165, although I might be mistaken. I'm surprised that they removed a setting as useful as the "DVI Mode" on a TV that appears to be bursting with other options and features that my old TV didn't have.