Hi,
My Hitachi 57s500 plays just fine until I plug somthing like a game player or a DVD player into one of the inputs then the picture starts to roll slowly up and will not stop. But the cableTV input works just fine. Is there a fix for this. Ive heard or read somewhere that the Mitsubishi models had a problem with the PIP module. Could this be the case for my Hit.57s500? Please help!

The problem the Mit's had was in their SMD caps, used in that module. They would lose vertical sync, or hor sync, or both and thus the whole picture.

The fix was usually to replace C7001, tho other caps in there went bad also.

Hitachi told me once during a repair I called in about where one of their defective SMDs would be, and presto, changing it out solved the problem. Neither of those companies have ANY kind words for SMD caps. A year or 2 later Mit changed over to strictly the old fashioned electolytic caps in their newer PIP circuits, before they stopped making CRT tech.

So I wouldn't be a bit surprised...

:rolleyes:

Mr Bob

Thanks Bob,
any idea which smd cap could be bad on my Hit..57s500?

Thanks Bob,
any idea which smd cap could be bad on my Hit..57s500?


No, sorry. Have not come across this one before -

Thanks for taking the time to help.. It sure is appreciated!!

-Brandon

Thanks Bob,
any idea which smd cap could be bad on my Hit..57s500?

Sometimes a bad cap has leaked black brackish stuff out of it, which smells like fish. Repaired streakiness in a Mit that way once.

This black stuff sometimes makes it to the bottom of the board somehow, at the pad! Must crawl thru the solder...


Mr Bob

Thanks for taking the time to help.. It sure is appreciated!!

-Brandon

;)

Searching through this thread did not bring any results, so...

What resolution/refresh rate settings should I use on a Nvidia 9800GT videocard attached to my Hitachi 65S700 through the DVI connector?

1920x1280 at 60 Hz, if that's possible. Or 1280x720.

I tried this years back with my PC, and I remember it was more complicated than I would like. Something about front porch/back porch and stuff.

Edit - Here's the thread I used for guidance: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=206854

Matt

Thanks. That helps. You are right about it being a pain ;)

Yes, your display is HDCP complaint. My display, the previous year's SWX20B, is also HDCP complaint and I have had no trouble with HDCP equipped devices.

Thanks,
Mark

I'm interested in purchasing a Sony STR-DG720 receiver for the HDMI inputs. If the 57S500 is HDCP complaint, does anyone know whether or not I can output HDMI from this receiver to the 57S500 using an HDMI-DVI cable?

Thanks in advance.

I'm interested in purchasing a Sony STR-DG720 receiver for the HDMI inputs. If the 57S500 is HDCP complaint, does anyone know whether or not I can output HDMI from this receiver to the 57S500 using an HDMI-DVI cable?

Thanks in advance.

It's not whether the display is HDCP compliant. It's whether the sending source is.

I just did a hookup that was fairly simple comparatively speaking, but got hung up when the Pio receiver would pass the BluRay HDMI just fine, but would not pass the Comcast cable's HDMI, via DVI, thru the receiver's switching.

I called Pioneer, and found that HDCP only kicks in if an intermediate device is involved. When the digital stream is going straight to the display from the source, no HDCP is involved because no intermediary device is in the path of the digital stream, which could potentially be trying to copy HD material illegally. It works fine. But since that Comcast box is not HDCP compliant, the receiver would not pass it thru unscathed - there was a monster error message blocking most of the picture saying that HDCP was attempting to be abrogated, internally generated, coming from inside the Pioneer receiver.

Pioneer said to call the maker of the offending source unit - in this case the Comcast box - and find out if IT was HDCP compliant. I did, and Comcast had no idea what I was talkling about, had never had that query before.

So I did as the error message instructed - hooked the cable box up via component and fibre optic audio instead of HDMI. Worked just fine that way, even tho the installation was now not quite as simple as it woulda been with all HDMI switching...


Mr Bob

Bob, thats interesting as my Onkyo 605 has no problem outputting via an HDMI-DVI cable to the Hitachi. I have a DirectTV DVR (HR20-100) and an Oppo DVD player as sources connected via HDMI. I've never updated the hardware/software since I purchased the 57S700 4 years ago now. Picture is still fabulous too, though I know I should have it cleaned inside....Everett

Bob, thats interesting as my Onkyo 605 has no problem outputting via an HDMI-DVI cable to the Hitachi. I have a DirectTV DVR (HR20-100) and an Oppo DVD player as sources connected via HDMI. I've never updated the hardware/software since I purchased the 57S700 4 years ago now. Picture is still fabulous too, though I know I should have it cleaned inside....Everett


So DirecTV's STB must be HDCP compliant. Remember, the BD was also, in my owner's HU. But not the cable box. Both were going thru the Pioneer AV receiver's switching. One got thru, the other didn't, no matter which actual input I used on either at the receiver.


b

I'm experiencing an audio problem that's noticeable when I'm watching football games. The announcers voices are subdued and the background noises (fan's, stadium announcements, stadium music, etc) are enhanced.
I've tried trouble shooting this via the audio menu, but can't seem to correct.
This only seems to happen sporadically, but is particularly annoying.

Anyone know the cause and solution. Thanks?

D

I'm experiencing an audio problem that's noticeable when I'm watching football games. The announcers voices are subdued and the background noises (fan's, stadium announcements, stadium music, etc) are enhanced.
I've tried trouble shooting this via the audio menu, but can't seem to correct.
This only seems to happen sporadically, but is particularly annoying.

Anyone know the cause and solution. Thanks?

D

You've lost your center channel, some way or other. Is your audio coming from your display or your AV receiver? You didn't say.

If the receiver, the display is in the clear.


b

I'm experiencing an audio problem that's noticeable when I'm watching football games. The announcers voices are subdued and the background noises (fan's, stadium announcements, stadium music, etc) are enhanced.
I've tried trouble shooting this via the audio menu, but can't seem to correct.
This only seems to happen sporadically, but is particularly annoying.

Anyone know the cause and solution. Thanks?

D

It could be at the source as well. I have watched episodes of 'Lost' and have experienced times where all dialog is missing and only sound effects and sound track remain. After a few minutes things then return to normal. If I rewind the problem scene on my HDPVR, the problem remains, so I know it is a problem with the source.

Wayne

does anyone know how I can reset the password for this TV? I forgot what it was/

Tony

I think it was four zeroes, unless you changed it to a different password.

Mike

How's your Hitachi, Mike? Forgot to check in with you before CES!


b

Still doin' great, Bob. Such a nice picture I just can't justify getting something new. We had our 14th Super Bowl party here last week, and got a lot of positive comments on the picture.

Mike

Still doin' great, Bob. Such a nice picture I just can't justify getting something new. We had our 14th Super Bowl party here last week, and got a lot of positive comments on the picture.

Mike

Whoo hoo! And we weren't even able to do all we wanted to do, the one time I WAS there, because of the idiot installer scratching the hell out of the coolant covers on the guns you DID have, at that time!

;)

b

Any suggestions on a digital STB for my Hitachi 57SWX20B. Anybody have any experience with the current Samsung DTB-H260F unit. Also, will the component input accept and display an 1080i signal, or is it just better to use the DVI input.

Thanks in advance.

Also, will the component input accept and display an 1080i signal, or is it just better to use the DVI input.

Thanks in advance.

I have yet to see an analog CRT triple-gun RPTV whose HDMI circuit is better than its component circuit. HDMI adds just one more stumbling block, in terms of upconversions, and to do it right is evidently quite challenging in the first place, from all the discussions I have seen on the net. Just having it there at all sets up a massive hoop for the set's electronics to have to jump thru. I won't even USE my Mit's HDMI circuit it's so bad, and I have the final Mit series ever built by them, with everything that was state of the art in CRT tech at that time, including the latest HDMI circuit possible from Mit.

I'd stick with component. I do, and my screenshots are proof of how great component can look. Among other things, it's the closest thing possible to true RGB input, where RGB is the final stage on ALL CRT tech, at the CRT socket boards themselves. This is true for ALL CRT tech, whether RPTV or front pj.

Component does outrageously gorgeous 1080i images without even breaking a sweat.


b

Thanks for the reply Robert!

My brother has a Samung LCD with a PS3 hooked up for 1080p resolution and it still amazes me that my several year old Hitachi RPTV with a Denon 1600 hooked up, 480p, via component can still hold it's own.

Thanks for the reply Robert!

My brother has a Samung LCD with a PS3 hooked up for 1080p resolution and it still amazes me that my several year old Hitachi RPTV with a Denon 1600 hooked up, 480p, via component can still hold it's own.

You must have good 480p. Congrats -

Get HD! Fully calibrated, not only will your statement stand, but the pic will be just as good as the LCD's, if not better.


BTW, the PS3 does not do blacker than black on HD, which is easily confirmed on the BD version of DVE, using the Pluge pattern. Might want to step up to a BDP that will, as depth of shadow detail sucks on the PS3 on BluRay HD, on anything with lots of darkness and shadow detail content.


b

Was looking at the possibility of removing my glare screen on my 65s700. Kids are now 10+ and a little more responsible. Followed the guide on the removal proceedure and stopped after the front surround bezel would not release. Looked inside and noticed lots of dust on the 3 guns and cleaned them with windex. Ok, I thought that was funny, but in reality I used a dry lint free micro cloth for auto detailing to gently wipe the 3 lenses. What a huge difference after 5+ years of dust accumilation. Brightness and contrast had to be lowered 20 levels each after upping the numbers over the years. I had been thinking of getting a new TV (Mitsu wd-73835), but after viewing the live HD broadcast of the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade I put all plans on hold. The picture is beautiful again. Yes, things get cut off the bottom, like the 800 numbers of many infomercials and I'm missing some data from the sides due to the limited resolution, but for a set that has been on 7+ hrs a day for many years I could not have made a better investment.

Was looking at the possibility of removing my glare screen on my 65s700. Kids are now 10+ and a little more responsible. Followed the guide on the removal proceedure and stopped after the front surround bezel would not release. Looked inside and noticed lots of dust on the 3 guns and cleaned them with windex. Ok, I thought that was funny, but in reality I used a dry lint free micro cloth for auto detailing to gently wipe the 3 lenses. What a huge difference after 5+ years of dust accumilation. Brightness and contrast had to be lowered 20 levels each after upping the numbers over the years. I had been thinking of getting a new TV (Mitsu wd-73835), but after viewing the live HD broadcast of the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade I put all plans on hold. The picture is beautiful again. Yes, things get cut off the bottom, like the 800 numbers of many infomercials and I'm missing some data from the sides due to the limited resolution, but for a set that has been on 7+ hrs a day for many years I could not have made a better investment.


It's not limited res that causes you to miss what's on the edges, it's overscan. The res on these babies is really superb, once dialed in properly!

Hope you were VERY careful when cleaning the lenses - they are plastic and VERY vulnerable.

HINT - NEVER go back and forth on them like you would a window. Also, I don't use microfiber cloths because they are not nearly absorbent enough for my tastes, on these tasks -


b

Is there any special procedure that I should take to separate the top and bottom cabinate's on the Hitachi 65 T500 TV?
I've sold the set and I remember the top part comes off, but is there any special connectors that need to be disconnected or do you remove all 8 allan screws and the 5 hex screws on the back and lift the top off.
I seem to have misplaced the manual and I'm hopping someone knows.

Hey Robert

Any suggestions on a 1080i DVD player via component? I've been reading alot of the reviews on what's out there now but most are taylored for the HDMI input and 1080p resolution. I would appreciate any recommendations you may have.

Hey Robert

Any suggestions on a 1080i DVD player via component? I've been reading alot of the reviews on what's out there now but most are taylored for the HDMI input and 1080p resolution. I would appreciate any recommendations you may have.

I hear Oppo makes one that can be hacked to put out 1080i on component from SD 480i DVDs.

The Samsung 841 also does it, properly hacked. Since I now have an HD DVDP and BluRay also, plus the HD Fury II for HDMI conversion, I can part with my fully hacked 841, if you want to contact me directly about it. It does delicious 1080i via component from SD discs -


b

Is there any special procedure that I should take to separate the top and bottom cabinate's on the Hitachi 65 T500 TV?
I've sold the set and I remember the top part comes off, but is there any special connectors that need to be disconnected or do you remove all 8 allan screws and the 5 hex screws on the back and lift the top off.
I seem to have misplaced the manual and I'm hopping someone knows.

See attached PDF. Hope it helps.

Wayne

I have a 57S500 that I bought in Feb '04. Was very happy with the set except for some centering and image bending issues near the edges, so in January I finally decided to get an ISF calibration and had Gregg Loewen come down and calibrate it. He fixed some of the worst color he said he's ever seen - the grayscale was so bad it wasn't even on the chart - and made the picture go from what I thought was good to absolutely mind-blowing.

Unfortunately, about a week ago, I started seeing a problem. On the upper half of the screen, there's a thin horizontal section from the center to the left edge where the image is vertically stretched ever so slightly. On a still or horizontally panning shot, I don't really notice it - but whenever there's vertical movement, it looks like whatever's in that area is stretching, bulging, or flowing over something. It's extremely distracting when watching stuff like Planet Earth or playing 2D games.

When I asked Gregg about it, he said it would be hard to completely fix, and since there was already edge distortion that he couldn't get rid of when he calibrated the set, I'm thinking it's time to move on to an FP display. I'm currently planning on a 54" or 58" 12G Panny plasma when they come out this summer - but, as there's six months until then, I'm open to suggestions about how to ameliorate this issue, not to mention I'd have little chance of selling the set without some kind of fix.

Full disclosure: Gregg removed the glare screen while he was here, and about two weeks ago I had to press pretty hard on the upper right side of the screen to scrape off a solidified droplet of sugar solution that had gotten on there (it was medicine for one of my cats, and giving medicine to a cat isn't easy). I don't know if this contributed to the problem, but I may as well mention it.

Anyone have any ideas?

I have a 57S500 that I bought in Feb '04. Was very happy with the set except for some centering and image bending issues near the edges, so in January I finally decided to get an ISF calibration and had Gregg Loewen come down and calibrate it. He fixed some of the worst color he said he's ever seen - the grayscale was so bad it wasn't even on the chart - and made the picture go from what I thought was good to absolutely mind-blowing.

Unfortunately, about a week ago, I started seeing a problem. On the upper half of the screen, there's a thin horizontal section from the center to the left edge where the image is vertically stretched ever so slightly. On a still or horizontally panning shot, I don't really notice it - but whenever there's vertical movement, it looks like whatever's in that area is stretching, bulging, or flowing over something. It's extremely distracting when watching stuff like Planet Earth or playing 2D games.

When I asked Gregg about it, he said it would be hard to completely fix, and since there was already edge distortion that he couldn't get rid of when he calibrated the set, I'm thinking it's time to move on to an FP display. I'm currently planning on a 54" or 58" 12G Panny plasma when they come out this summer - but, as there's six months until then, I'm open to suggestions about how to ameliorate this issue, not to mention I'd have little chance of selling the set without some kind of fix.

Full disclosure: Gregg removed the glare screen while he was here, and about two weeks ago I had to press pretty hard on the upper right side of the screen to scrape off a solidified droplet of sugar solution that had gotten on there (it was medicine for one of my cats, and giving medicine to a cat isn't easy). I don't know if this contributed to the problem, but I may as well mention it.

Anyone have any ideas?

What you're talking about is called speedbumping, and it's sometimes small, sometimes large in its scope, and its distracting ability. It's a geometry issue, and CAN be remedied virtually completely, I have done it on Hitachis to such a level that it's no longer noticeable, even on movie credits. However, it's difficult when using their internal grid.

If in DCAM yours has the ability to hit Menu and send your own grid in there, it would help. Circles help to get geometry in line, as do boxes that should all be the same size. I had to work on my 73" Mit over several sessions to completely get it right.

I would not be surprised - and personally would not blame him -
if Gregg charged extra for this, as it is probably within factory spec as we speak. I have seen some pretty bad geometry out there, OOB.

Gregg is the consumate professional, he will do right by you -


b

Re: upconverting 720p
I have a 57 SWX20b, still a great box, and have only had to repair the convergence once so far.
Recently the old marantz dvd player packed it in, and so decided to get a sony blu-ray - BDP-BX1.
The SWX does not accept the 1080i or 720p signal from the sony, it will only do 480p on normal dvds. Tried the sony on other tvs, and it will push a very good 720p upconverted feed - the 'fill' is quite good - so would like to see about getting the SWX to accept the 720p or 1080i from the sony.
The SWX 1080i works fine on HDTV, so I know the 1080 is fine.
Any experience on upconverting with the SWX?

Does the SWX have DVI with HDCP support? You need HDCP to get a 1080i signal from a bluray player.

rader - thanks for the reply, and I'll sheepishly say I did not understand the HDCP implication, because I assumed it would work over component, but from what I have just read, it will only work on HDMI or DVI - is that true? (hey - can't believe EVERYTHING you read on the web ;)
Which is why it worked on the other tvs, because I used HDMI.
The SWX only has DVI and component.
Any suggestions on getting from the sony bd to DVI?
Thanks in advance - I'm new here!

Monoprice has some hdmi->DVI cables. Should work. I watch blurays over a HTPC with DVI output, so I've never tried it.

OK, looks like a $14 cable, I can live with that...

dekdekdek12,

Doesn't your blu ray output 1080i via component? Your SWX should certainly handle a 1080i input thru component or DVI/hdmi. My UWX can do 1080 from my samsung blu ray with component or dvi...... Maybe your players resolution is set to output 480? Hope this helps

To get 1080i to your set via component, you have to have your BDP set to go no higher than 1080i. If you set it to go all the way up to 1080p on a CRT RPTV nothing will happen, as none of those was ever designed for p, and then they stopped being produced.

CRTs will do p with no sweat - as in ceiling pj - just not RPTV CRT. It only goes up to i. It's in the design of the circuitry, not the design of CRTs themselves. The guns have no problem with it at all.

Component is still the best way to get true HD to CRT RPTV. HDMI is not necessarily, tho I have heard some good reports about it. Component is ALWAYS excellent on HD for CRT RPTV.

If you're talking about upconverted 480i->1080i, it's a different discussion altogether. That's when HDCP kicks in and demands HDMI...




b

Thanks folks!

The SWX at 1080i and lower works great via component for our HD TV box, but as Mr Bob points out, upconverting DVDs requires HDCP, and HDCP means DVI or HDMI only, not component. When I was connected via component, it would not go higher than 480 no matter what settings I used on the BD player. The SWX has HDCP support through the one DVI port.

As for a $14 cable - ya right! Mon$ter wants $120 for a DVI-to-HDMI cable, but I found one locally for $30 and its all good - BD player is now upconverting to 720p (and 1080i).

Stick with 1080i unless absolutely necessary, it has roughly twice the pixel density of 720p, plus there is always a lot more ee on 720 than 1080, mulching things up at your edges and compromising your depth perception. Use 720p only if you need to for games, etc.

www.Monoprice.com has the best prices I know for such things for us mere mortals, MCM is excellent also -

I would be interested to know which is better - the built-in DVI port or using the HD Fury II on component.

On my Mit there's no contest, the built-in HDMI sucks bigtime in comparison to the excellent HD Fury->component for the upconversion -


b

I have noticed lately when watch DVDs that are higher than 16:9 aspect ratio that there seems to be some bleed when images are bright into the black bands at the top and bottom. I don't recall this when I first bought the set (51s700). Any suggestions on a solution?

I have noticed lately when watch DVDs that are higher than 16:9 aspect ratio that there seems to be some bleed when images are bright into the black bands at the top and bottom. I don't recall this when I first bought the set (51s700). Any suggestions on a solution?

Clean the dust from the CRT lenses.

Clean the dust from the CRT lenses.


And mirror. And from between each lens bottom and the CRT coolant cover beneath it, if necessary.

That's 1 additional surface if you only add the mirror, and 6 additional surfaces to that, if you add the deeper optics because they need it. 7 additional surfaces yet to be cleaned in most cases, after the lens tops. 10 surfaces total that need cleaning, if the set needs and is to receive the nth degree of optics cleaning. The inner lenses in each lens stack are not necessary to clean, only the ones at the outside of each stack.

You can tell about how dirty those other surfaces are by specific techniques. Usually it doesn't look like they are dirty at first glance.


b

Thanks. I am above average in terms of taking things apart and putting them back together. Is this the sort of thing that is reasonable for a do-it-yourselfer or should it really be done by a tech? And if I can do it myself can you point me to some decent materials on the "how to"?

And mirror. And from between each lens bottom and the CRT cover beneath it, if necessary.

That's 1 additional surface if you only add the mirror, and 6 additional surfaces to that, if you add the deeper optics because they need it. 7 additional surfaces yet to be cleaned in most cases, after the lens tops. 10 surfaces total that need cleaning, if the set needs and is to receive the nth degree of optics cleaning. The inner lenses in each lens stack are not necessary to clean, only the ones at the outside of each stack.

You can tell about how dirty those other surfaces are by specific techniques. Usually it doesn't look like they are dirty at first glance.


b

Thanks. I am above average in terms of taking things apart and putting them back together. Is this the sort of thing that is reasonable for a do-it-yourselfer or should it really be done by a tech? And if I can do it myself can you point me to some decent materials on the "how to"?

This can be done by a DIYselfer. However you need to be very careful on not scratching any of the surfaces.

Here is the "Mother of RPCRT" threads ... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695922

Another one ... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1037039&highlight=rpcrt+cleaning

And ofcourse if you search for cleaning will give you alot more threads...

This will bring your set to like new condition, you'll like the result.

Hi,

I have had my 65s700 trouble free since 2003, it has been a great TV. However, recenlty (the last three months) I have noticed the black getting redder and redder and the sharpness seems to be fading. I do the magic focus but that does not help. I even tried to adjust the color manually and the black just won't be black anymore. The set hasn't been ever been cleaned, will cleaning the set return the black or is there another problem developing. Any advice you can give would be appreciated. :confused:

Oh one other thing, during the magic focus the background color is still black,
and all the colors are normal.

Sounds like your grayscale is drifting off and needs rebalancing. Not uncommon in CRT tech after years of faithful service.

Or your focus block needs to be rebalanced in its Screen settings - it may be degenerating, as there is HV in there at all times the set is on. Or one of your CRTs could be having an internal problem.

Your optics obviously need cleaning as well.


b

Thought I'd reprint this...


7 year old Pioneer Elite, same day before and after a full cal, including internal blackening with a black Sharpie or 2 - different sizes - plus both levels of optics cleaning including the deeper optics cleaning.

Pix are mirror imaged, sorry, done by my roomie the one who scanned them -


Before -

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7316/opticsbeforeaq0.jpg[/URL]

After -

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1382/opticsafterzt4.jpg[/URL]

Sounds like your grayscale is drifting off and needs rebalancing. Not uncommon in CRT tech after years of faithful service.

Or your focus block needs to be rebalanced in its Screen settings - it may be degenerating, as there is HV in there at all times the set is on. Or one of your CRTs could be having an internal problem.

Your optics obviously need cleaning as well.


b

Mr Bob. Is there a procedure to follow to rebalance the gray scale or to tell if there is a problem with a crt?

Mr Bob. Is there a procedure to follow to rebalance the gray scale or to tell if there is a problem with a crt?

Yes. Either get a local tech on it or contact me off board. Or surf till you find something. It's not easily gotten into, and can involve working with live circuitry. I would be glad to talk with you privately about it for a few minutes anyway...


b

Sounds tricky mabe I should call a tech. Although I am pretty handy and am laid off with lots of time on my hands.
I guess I am not allowed to pm till I post 5 times

Sorry (4)

Sorry (5)

Sounds tricky mabe I should call a tech. Although I am pretty handy and am laid off with lots of time on my hands.
I guess I am not allowed to pm till I post 5 times

PLEASE DON'T PM ME! Please use my regular contact info if you want to reach me, it's in my sig.

My pm box is next to overflowing now.

Thanks -


b

My 57S500 would not power up. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it sounded like it was power cycling (no video or audio but you could hear the up/down 'click'). After another try, it started ok. Watched it for a couple days with normal operation, however, it would periodically power on by itself. It is now non-responsive.

Called the local Hitachi service place and the diagnostic costs (pickup/diagnostics/repair) are prohibitive so I don't want to follow that route - may as well buy a new TV at that point. I have a friend who used to repair TVs who has offered to help, but I'm looking to get some schematics so he can have something to work from to help me out. (He doesn't think he'll need them because he says most problems/boards are pretty similar - but I'd feel better). Can anyone point me to a place to get them? I called Hitachi and offered to buy them, but they wouldn't sell them to me.

Can anyone point to a schematic link or suggest help ideas?

Try www.servicemanuals.net. For around $16.99/download, I have gotten many manuals that are perfect, and some of them instantly!


b

Rob, here is a link to a pdf of the service manual - http://www.filedropper.com/hitachi51s700servicemanual

Matt

Thanks so much. This looks perfect!

Bigrig -

Awesome resource. Thanks!


;)


b

I inadvertantly connected the PSP (audio) connector to the PADJ (convergence?) connector on the deflection board. I now have the attached image on my HD channels and I'm not sure if this is a result of my error or more likely related to the original power up/down issue I am seeing. Std definition channels appear ok as long as the power is up.

I have had a 51S500 for about 6 years now and have been completely happy with my "ancient" CRT despite most of my friends going flat-screen happy. When I first bought it, I got a geometry grid from someone on this forum and I took the time to do geometry/convergence plus basic DVE color tweaking and it improved my set dramatically and enough for me to not consider pro calibration as I don't watch that much TV.

The grid, I remember at the time, was not exactly factory spec as it brought my overscan down to about 4.5% all around. I have since lost that grid and have not been able to find one like it. About 6 months ago I decided it was maybe time to due geometry/converge again but without that grid I have been forced to do to factory spec. I carefully measured it out and did geometry and thought I would just pull in slightly each line to get the smaller effect I had with the overlay before.

After that work, some time passed and I thought everything was ok until I noticed ESPN some scores were cut off on right side. It was missing last few letters of team names, etc. This in HD. I never had this problem before and I thought it was maybe the geometry job I did this time. So I redid it to factory spec exact as I could but scores/etc still cut off on right side.

I also noticed that DVD titles of movies would not fit my screen and getting cut off on both side of long full screen titles. I popped in my DVE disc and on the overscan screen I am getting about 5% overscan around with factory geometry. Here is a shot:

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6427/img1404i.th.jpg (http://img17.imageshack.us/i/img1404i.jpg/)



I also noticed that despite my meticulous effort to find center of screen that the DCAM geometry is centered perfect on my center but image underneath is slightly off. Here is a shot. Hard to see but the cross underneath on the DVE is ever so slightly up/left of center:

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/9986/img1405o.th.jpg (http://img190.imageshack.us/i/img1405o.jpg/)



My geometry appears pretty good in the grid and I have no squished tickers, etc. But I feel like I am losing a small portion of my broadcast and hence don't think my set is as sharp as it could/used to be. Despite the 5% overscan around, the right side suffers lost info as seen in this shot of CNN:

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8974/img1409v.th.jpg (http://img17.imageshack.us/i/img1409v.jpg/)



The left side looks fine in that shot but here is a shot of DVE on the left. You will notice it missing the arrow on the menu.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8845/img1407w.th.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/i/img1407w.jpg/)



I really want to reset my tv and do everything from scratch but there is no good step-step anywhere. Meaning do this first then do this in order. The service manual I have has those steps but they don't seem word friendly and are a little confusing, despite me being very technically inclined. And I really don't want to spend the $600 for a good professional calibration as I am not made of money.

Is there something maybe going bad on my set to which no calibration will fix? Or is it just in need of proper calibration that I apparently messed up this time but somehow got pretty good the first time I did it 6 years ago?

Everything you are saying points to overscan. If you were to redo it according to your original 4.5% template, I am sure you would not be having these problems.

Their internal grid is not totally easy to use, but CAN be used to reduce overscan accurately without speedbumps if your eyes are up for it. The key is getting whatever boxes that are the same size as each other to STAY the same size as each other, across the screen.

Some people need templates for this. I just eyeball it and the grid eventually gets symmetrical everywhere across the screen, with enough work from my eyeballs. And makes the DVE grids come in with a circle being a circle everywhere.

BTW, your DVE circles are ovals, as if you are using the original VE, which was SD, not HD. How's that happening?


b

Thanks for quick reply.

Everything you are saying points to overscan. If you were to redo it according to your original 4.5% template, I am sure you would not be having these problems.b

I have been thinking it is overscan as well but I don't recall my set having this chopped info out of the box. And you can see that overscan is currently just about factory spec being slightly over 5% around.

Also, you can see that overscan is close to same on both sides but how come right side chopping off weather but left is fine. Is this just because broadcast may be compensating because when I show the dvd image you can you see left side chopped off as well?

I would redo with my original grid if I hadn't got it thrown away (Ugh). I have the original autocad file for the original grid but can't be for sure I got it printed out correctly. I can't remember what the printing settings were. Something to do with autocad. I think I had it printed wrong this time because I am 99% certain when I was done with geometry with my first grid I was under 5% all around. Either this grid is wrong or something may be showing its age on my tv.

Even if I was to pull in overscan to 4.5 it doesn't appear it would be enough to bring in the full weather quotes and missing arrow of the dvd menu.



BTW, your DVE circles are ovals, as if you are using the original VE, which was SD, not HD. How's that happening?

b

You tell me...

I noticed this as well but brushed it off being DVE as I heard their reference materials aren't really upto par?


Wish you were coming to Vegas soon and I could afford you..

Your centering may be on while your horizontal linearity may be off. Are all the boxes in your grids EXACTLY the same width as each other?

The ovalness is suspect too. Are the HD ABC and CBS logos symmetrical on your screen - are they true circles? They are a good doublecheck to anyone's geometry setup.

I come to Vegas every January for CES and would love to do some work for you while there next year. Or as part of a vacation there.

Send me your contact info and I'll put it in my customer book flagged for your location should something come up that would bring me closeby.


b

Scott -

If you're really getting 5% overscan that would be great...I don't think you can go much lower without the edges starting to curl. But the oval circle makes me think it might be some kind of aspect ratio setting? Something's up.

Matt

I inadvertantly connected the PSP (audio) connector to the PADJ (convergence?) connector on the deflection board. I now have the attached image on my HD channels and I'm not sure if this is a result of my error or more likely related to the original power up/down issue I am seeing. Std definition channels appear ok as long as the power is up.

Your sync seems to be confused, looks like you have the top and bottom halves reversed on the HD only.

I would disco the entire set for at least a minute and plug it back in again. This will reset the micro. Hopefully that will act like a restart would on a computer.

These HD displays all involve computers inside these days, y'know. That's the only way they can handle the immense amount of info being processed per second that HD requires...


b

Originally Posted by Mr Bob
BTW, your DVE circles are ovals, as if you are using the original VE, which was SD, not HD. How's that happening?

b




You tell me...

I noticed this as well but brushed it off being DVE as I heard their reference materials aren't really upto par?




Not THAT badly off! The circle in the HD version of DVE is at least a recognizeably full circle, not an oval!

The only version that should not be used for geometry is the SD DVD VE version. The HD version is just fine for geometry. I find that it seems half a percent off on the vertical vs. the horizontal on the overscan grid, but that's insignificant compared to the huge amount of ovalness you are showing in your screenshots, which is VERY off.

If you are using the HD version of DVE, there's something definitely wrong with how you have things set up or how you did the geometry.


b

If you are using the HD version of DVE, there's something definitely wrong with how you have things set up or how you did the geometry.


b


Yes, I used the HD DVE. I will go recheck to see how bad it looks in real life. Possibly the photo is emphasizing the ovalness?

Anyway, I don't think it could be the geometry because here is a picture of it and it looks pretty darn uniform:

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9287/img1406mtt.th.jpg (http://img269.imageshack.us/i/img1406mtt.jpg/)



Now I did get a tape measure out and measure the distance between each box and while they were off a 1mm or 2, I still don't feel that correcting them would overall match the size of what is getting cutoff. I could be wrong though as 1mm or 2 adjusted across the screen could be the problem. Could it? It does seem like as I measured outward from center in each direction the boxes were minutely getting larger to the point of last one being about 1.5mm larger than the inner boxes. Hmm, since I put it that way, it does seem like it is the geometry.

I am beginning to suspect the person I got to print this grid did it slightly off and it has carried over to the TV. Only problem is I don't accept factory spec from the manual as I want tight overscan but I don't think I am good enough to eyeball it as it will end up off by mm's still.

Is there a way to "reset" the geometry to factory default and then redue it or should I just fix it from here as it seems to be close anyway to being pretty good with 5% around?

Thanks very much

You say you used the HD DVE, yet the oval in your pix above says "720x480". That's NOT the HD DVD or BD version of DVE, which would say "1920x1080". It looks like the original SD VE version, whose geometry is not right and never has been, for 480i/p. If you're using the SD version of DVE, as your "720x480" might also indicate, your player settings may not be right.

Your grid DOES look very uniform. I think it's the pattern you're using and how you have your pattern hitting your screen that's causing the oval look to it.

The built-in grid is of course not very valuable for seeing why part of your pic is being cut off on your program material. Which I hope is true HD, and not upconverted but playing on an HD capable channel while not truly HD. To truly get the image right and not overscanned, you may need to use a broadcast true HD image to do so, if you don't have the proper pattern to use. That's what I always did before the HD version of DVE was available. And the ABC and CBS logo circles, for trueness in the geometry.

And that probably means something other than the image in your pix above, the newscast. They often add those side edges to NON HD newscasts, which are 4x3 native. If it is a true HD newcast, those sidebar info things are not usually there.


I know of no way to go back to factory spec on CRT RPTVs. They all seem to leave that behind as soon as you change anything. I don't know of any brand where the original factory specs are available to be summoned up again at some later time, after changes have been made to them. The changes become the new factory default, every time changed.

Keep in mind, they were designed to be changed ONLY by technicians, so keeping changes as the new factory default is only to be expected, really...

Nobody designs them to be easily changed by DIYers...

:D


b

Mr Bob - There is a Factory Reset option in the service menu.

Scott - If you check out the service manual I linked to a few posts up, there is a way to reset the geometry and start from scratch. (Pg 72) Also a way to adjust the horizontal centering. (Pg 68)

Matt

The Factory Reset wipes out ALL convergence corrections, making you start from TOTAL scratch. That's what Factory Reset means on these sets. Trying to get back to Factory Default, as he mentioned, means he's looking to get back to where the factory had set it up originally, which was what I was talking about.

Under the circs doing the Factory Reset is NOT what I would recommend, as it's really pretty darn close now. To have a Factory Default that would be the same thing his set came with OOB, they would have to tell the set to memorize a certain set of settings permanently, and make them unerasable. I don't think any of them do that.


b

You say you used the HD DVE, yet the oval in your pix above says "720x480". That's NOT the HD DVD or BD version of DVE, which would say "1920x1080". It looks like the original SD VE version, whose geometry is not right and never has been, for 480i/p. If you're using the SD version of DVE, as your "720x480" might also indicate, your player settings may not be right.

b

I stand corrected. I just assumed it being called "DIGITAL" Video Essentials that it was the HD version but I see no reference to HD on the cover. But wouldn't one need a HD DVD player for the HD DVE? That is why I don't have it as I only have 480p DVD player.

So you think it could be my DVD player and TV source material causing the discrepancies. I beleive my STB is upconverting the cable HD signal plus the TV itself adds some sort of "virtual" conversion that can't be disabled.

Interesting. Maybe I should take your advice and find a true HD signal that isn't messed with and fix any geometry issues with it.


EDIT: my STB was already set to "Pass-through" so back to square one in figuring out why I am missing info despite geometry looking pretty good and close to measurement. UGH!

But I am getting missing info on both DVD and broadcast HD. Didn't have this a few years ago. Is it possible this could be caused from when I cleaned the lenses/mirror? I did take each lens off seperately and thought I was careful putting back on. I honestly can't remember if this picture issue was happening before I did lens cleaning but I think it was.

Mr Bob - I agree there's not a factory reset for the geometry...but the service menu settings I believe are stored and available for recall.

Scott - Even if it's not HD it should still be widescreen. Make sure the TV aspect is set to 16:9 and your DVD player is set to output to a 16:9 display.

Hi everybody. Been reading a lot trying to see if I could correct my problem on my own but I've gotten as far as I can. I have a 5 year old Hit 57s500 that's gotten a bit fuzzy on lettering and I can see some shadowing on certain movements. Up to this point, it has never been touched and has an awesome picture. I followed the thread (and Bob's advise) about cleaning the guns and mirror. I also blacked out the frame area where the guns sit while I was in there and this made a big difference in the picture but my fuzzy issue is still there. Is this something I try to correct? I could take some pics and post them if it would help.

I was wondering if someone would be willing to share a copy of the service manual for my set. There's a link from bigrig but it doesn't work any more.

Thanks, Keith

Hey, Keith. I uploaded the file again, I guess it only stays on the website for a certain time period - http://www.filedropper.com/hitachi51s700servicemanual

Fuzziness might be convergence - you can go in and make sure all the guns are aligned. Or it could be focus - you can turn the lenses on top of the guns to adjust. I don't think that would just go bad spontaneously though.

Instructions for manual convergence are in the service manual, and this thread - http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273639

Additional Q&A for that thread - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=300466

Matt

Thanks so much for that Matt! I'll do some more reading and give it a shot. I'm a huge do-it-yourselfer but I do like to get an understanding of what I'm doing so all this information really helps. Thanks again and I'll post my results - if any. :)

Well, after having my 57s500 for nearly 6 years, I found myself considering a flat panel replacement.
But, after reading several threads here, I finally decided to check the lenses on the guns. Now I am one of those who has NEVER touched it since uncrating it.

This is what I found:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g154/TheOtherChris/DirtyLightGun.jpg

As you can see, it was long overdue.
Every year or two would be a good idea, but waiting 6 years is RIGHT OUT!
So, I got out the Windex and paper towels and carefully followed the instructions Mr. Bob and others had laid out (float the dust and don't rub).
The result was dramatic....like having a new unit!
I see NO reason to replace this fine monitor for some time to come.

While in there, I noticed a lot of grey metal and unfinished wood that I will deal with next.

Hey Chris, looks like you and I were sort of in the same boat. I ended up getting an Avia disc and digging into the settings. All I can say is WOW! I did manage to get the fuzziness out that I had posted about before. I still want to do some more as I think it can be better but I can't get alone time with the set long enough to do it! My wife loves the new, clear look it has and has been keeping it busy.

Thanks again to bigrig for the links and manual. I've learned a lot more about my set and how to keep it looking great. :)

Although I sold mine, its still going strong. I was slick1ru2 in the earlier posts.

I have a 51S700 that I was having a few issues with, one being a yellow haze in the corners, and in sort of a line down the middle and across the screen (in various other areas of the screen as well).

I had a tech come out and after cleaning the mirror and the lenses and it still didn't go away he said it was probably burn in (so it was not covered under warranty). It's been there a while, but it seems to be getting a little worse. It's really annoying because it really changes the color of anything that is light colored in the area.

Has anyone else had this problem and/or know what it is? I'd like to get more information if possible before my warranty runs out, which is very soon.

I have always watched my content stretched (no side bars needed) and don't watch too much of anything with tickers if that matters.

Thanks.

Hi Bob long time no type... I been busy the last two years with photography, I bought me a couple of DSLR's and been learning how to take pictures.
Anyway I finally got my 57T500 calibrated and I hadn't noticed how much the picture needed it till it was finished. The guys had to drive a 100 miles (one way) and worked on it for over 3 hours and only charged me 300 dollars including gas.
I just wanted to thank you for telling people to have it done to improve the picture and life of your set.
I waited over a year for the TV to be broke in properly.
I have one quick other question:
I just picked up a 32" Hitachi 720p LCD HDTV for my spare bedroom. I also have a D* HD DVR HR20-700 connected to it. I noticed that the only way the picture will fill the screen, even on some HD programs is to choose zoom 2 option and then some of the picture dosen't show. It's like the picture is too big for the screen.
I know the HD DVR has different Format settings as does the HDTV, Is there a way to set it up properly? Or is it that it's a 720p set and not a 1080i.?

1080i vs. 720p should not be an issue here, if it's an LCD. You gotta play with it and call whoever you call as your content provider; either them or the manufacturer of your TV should be able to answer that question.

Otherwise you gotta hope someone who owns one or has worked on one will know. Sometimes even they gotta make that call, tho.

I would. I haven't worked one of those before -


b

I stand corrected. I just assumed it being called "DIGITAL" Video Essentials that it was the HD version but I see no reference to HD on the cover. But wouldn't one need a HD DVD player for the HD DVE? That is why I don't have it as I only have 480p DVD player.

"Digital" has nothing to do with whether something is of a particular scanrate.
DVE exists in both SD and HD versions.


So you think it could be my DVD player and TV source material causing the discrepancies. I beleive my STB is upconverting the cable HD signal plus the TV itself adds some sort of "virtual" conversion that can't be disabled.

Interesting. Maybe I should take your advice and find a true HD signal that isn't messed with and fix any geometry issues with it.

A bluray player would be best, with the HD version of DVE.


EDIT: my STB was already set to "Pass-through" so back to square one in figuring out why I am missing info despite geometry looking pretty good and close to measurement. UGH!

But I am getting missing info on both DVD and broadcast HD. Didn't have this a few years ago. Is it possible this could be caused from when I cleaned the lenses/mirror? I did take each lens off seperately and thought I was careful putting back on. I honestly can't remember if this picture issue was happening before I did lens cleaning but I think it was.

Removing and re-installing the lenses will not affect this. Most that would happen is that the crosshairs would need realignment afterwards, which is universally true.

Your HV - high voltage - may have diminished over the years in which case the hor and vert sweeps would be pulling the image apart more than normal. It's always a balancing act between the HV pulling the electrons towards the screen with a certain amount of force vs. the h and v sweeps tugging that same set of beams up and down and side to side as they draw each image, VERY fast...




b

Hey Chris, looks like you and I were sort of in the same boat. I ended up getting an Avia disc and digging into the settings. All I can say is WOW! I did manage to get the fuzziness out that I had posted about before. I still want to do some more as I think it can be better but I can't get alone time with the set long enough to do it! My wife loves the new, clear look it has and has been keeping it busy.

Thanks again to bigrig for the links and manual. I've learned a lot more about my set and how to keep it looking great. :)

Just thought I'd share some shots from a cal I did recently, on a set much that I believe is much older than yours. It is a Pioneer Elite 720, which I calibrated in Seattle a couple of weeks ago. It looked pretty bad when I started.

No reason your Hitachis here can't look every bit as good as this, when fully supertweaked. Owen in Australia has sent in a pic -Colleen - that knocks my socks off every time I see it, from his fully supertweaked 57" Hit.


b


http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8245/seattleportlandtripfort.jpg

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/8245/seattleportlandtripfort.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8245/seattleportlandtripfort.jpg

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8245/seattleportlandtripfort.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3343/seattleportlandtripfortt.jpg

I have a 51S700 that I was having a few issues with, one being a yellow haze in the corners, and in sort of a line down the middle and across the screen (in various other areas of the screen as well).

I had a tech come out and after cleaning the mirror and the lenses and it still didn't go away he said it was probably burn in (so it was not covered under warranty). It's been there a while, but it seems to be getting a little worse. It's really annoying because it really changes the color of anything that is light colored in the area.

Has anyone else had this problem and/or know what it is? I'd like to get more information if possible before my warranty runs out, which is very soon.

I have always watched my content stretched (no side bars needed) and don't watch too much of anything with tickers if that matters.

Thanks.

A yellow haze in the corners indicates impediments in the blue gun in the same corners. Remove your viewscreen and look directly into the lens, on primarily white video out at the corners.

Also shut the set off and take a strong flashlight in there, and again look straight into the lenses, shooting the light in along with your eyes. If there's cooties in the coolant, that should show it up, one way or the other.


b

A yellow haze in the corners indicates impediments in the blue gun in the same corners. Remove your viewscreen and look directly into the lens, on primarily white video out at the corners.

Also shut the set off and take a strong flashlight in there, and again look straight into the lenses, shooting the light in along with your eyes. If there's cooties in the coolant, that should show it up, one way or the other.


b

Thank you for the advice! If there are other yellow clouds in the main viewing area then, does that mean this is NOT burn in? Would a replacement of the blue gun most likely fix this?

nice thread just read almost the whole thing before i registered. Someone is giving me a 51S500 thats in very good condition, only problem is i have to transport it 50 miles. Any tips? i read the split procedure for the 57S500, is it pretty much the same for the 51? what do i need to be careful of when transporting, as far as bumps/

I don't think the 51" splits, only the 57 and 65.

Matt

I don't think the 51" splits, only the 57 and 65.

Matt

oh man thats not good..can anyone confirm this?

Thank you for the advice! If there are other yellow clouds in the main viewing area then, does that mean this is NOT burn in? Would a replacement of the blue gun most likely fix this?

If there have been no all blue clouds to cause screenburn in those areas, then it won't be screenburn. What you are describing sounds ONLY like cooties in the coolant. Take a flashlight in there and see.

Some brands allow for the coolant to be changed out, restoring completely normal ops after that, others - like Mit - insist on swapping out the entire CRT instead, requiring complete setup - calibration - of that gun afterwards.


b

oh man thats not good..can anyone confirm this?
I checked the service manual and it shows the procedure only for the 57 and 65.

Yeah, only the bigger sets come apart, of any brand.

Put it on top of half a dozen unbuilt Uhaul boxes, which use triple corrugated cardboard, to protect against the road shock. Be careful on the ramp if it's the kind with knurls. Put smooth boarding down first.

I moved my 65" Panny 3/4 of a mile and up 2 steps and over a threshold very carefully and it didn't even need redoing of the crosshairs, much less the dynamic conv.

Keep it SMOOTH!

;)

b

I have a 6 year old 51s500. This issue started about a month ago but thankfully, does not seem to be getting any worse. Does anyone out there know what could be the problem?

Well, I read through most of this thread (and others) trying to find out if anyone has had a similar issue with their Hitachi as the picture showed in my previous post. No luck but I have been very impressed with the all the different topics covered. And I figured if nothing else, I could go in and clean the mirror and lenses. It took about three hours but I was very careful and took my time with each and every part. The next time it should only take about an hour. Kudos to everyone out there who supplied tips and photos of their adventures. By the way, Mr. Bob is now a hero of mine.
Here is a before picture:152334
I was only going to do the top lens but then I saw this smudge (bottom left) which was on the bottom lens on the blue housing. It might have been a finger print (during manufacuring?) but with a little more effort the Sprayway and papertowels clean it off. 152335
I used the techniques that Mr Bob had described in previous threads and it worked like a charm. It took a little time but I was very careful.
Here's a couple of after pictures152337
I did try to black out the interior shiny surfaces with a sharpie and black felt.152338
I picked up the DVE HD disc last night and if my shift isn't to bad tonight I'm going to try some basic calibrating tomorrow. I don't know how much the the DVE disc will help because of my previous stated screen problem but we'll see. Again, thanks to everyone who contributed to a very positive experience.

Nice! Glad you found my info helpful.

(Owners, I am available for phone coaching if you own a CRT RPTV and want to be sure to to get it right without locating and reading all the posts you'd need to read, to be sure. This applies to all facets of the calibration process that can be handled by you at your end, with the right coaching. I don't support just any advice on these issues, and have been misquoted many times on the net, so if you don't want to take any chances on the info you find, contact me directly, not by pm please.)

Now that you KNOW what your set's been hiding from you for years and is now really ready for - and capable of again, now that you have a crystal clear light path again, giving your set that "new" look all over again, with all the depth and punch that's there now and that it's been incapable of delivering to you for years - you might want to tap my brain for the finer points of getting a dazzling picture.

Have you looked down inside now to the deeper lenses? Only 2 surfaces per color are important to do, and only if needed - the bottom of each lens barrel and the CRT coolant covers. I call that the deeper optics cleaning. If you find you need that, it covers 6 additional lens surfaces of the 10 total - of which you've done 4 now - and if needed makes even more of a difference in your picture than what you have done so far.

Do them 1 color at a time before you move on to the next if you find they need it, so you can't get them mixed up. Each lens barrel has its own focus setting, tightened with the wingnut. Each lens barrel is dedicated to its own color. Do NOT allow them to get mixed up.

No need to clean the inner lenses inside the barrel, of which there are usually 4 total per barrel. Individual particulates are out of focus at that part of the light path and as such are inconsequential; only a blanketing of dust ever needs to be gotten rid of, and I've never seen this on the inner lenses.

Great job and great pix!

:cool:

b

crauen just wrote a great review on my work on his Hitachi CRT in Chico. It's post #5889 at

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17160958#post17160958

Mr Bob

Can I hook a BluRay DVD player to my 57T500 HDTV? If so where? all I have is DVI and a Componet connection.

Yes, you hook the sound up to the TV using the DVI left and right inputs via RCA cables. You use a DVI male to male cable just like you normally would for older players. Then you use this to connect it to the TV DVI input: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-P132-000-HDMI-Adapter/dp/B000BTGVV2/ref=cm_cr-mr-title You most likely need to go through the menu of the player to make sure it has sound going to through the RCA component connect. I would recommend a PS3, at $299 it plays everything and updates firmware automatically when connected to the web. It also has a web browser and you can rent and own movies through the Playstation Store. If you don't get one, I would recommend a network Blu Ray, I think LG makes one and if you have Netflix you can stream almost HD quality movies through it.

Connect video to tv with an hdmi to dvi cable. Connect audio to your surround reciever via toslink. Worked great on my 57s500.

Ok so I can run the sound through the Denon AVR and use the converter for the video. I just have to unplug my Sat. box everytime I want to watch a Bluray disk. Thanks

or connect sat box via component

or connect sat box via component


Right, or I had one of the DVI switches when I had surround so I would switch the DVI and the surround input. But those DVI switches are expensive ($100 to over $200) and you are talking about another remote. They have DVI to HDMI cables too on Amazon, but the one I put on here works with the type of DVI the TV has because that's the one I used. There is more then one type of DVI connection.

Yes, you hook the sound up to the TV using the DVI left and right inputs via RCA cables.

No, DVI does not contain the sound, like HDMI does.


b

No, DVI does not contain the sound, like HDMI does.


b

I mean, in the input section of the TV, if you are using the TV for sound, you use the component RCA Lt and RT out from the DVD player to the RCA Lt and Rt inputs for the DVI input area vs the component or RCA input area on the back of the TV.

Gotcha. Makes a lot more sense now -


b

Although I sold mine, its still going strong. I was slick1ru2 in the earlier posts.

How much did you sell it for?

Other, Any idea what I should ask for it?

I'm in the NJ area.

I plan on selling mine. Reason is that I am converting to a projection system. Why? couple reasons. I have too big a room and need a larger picture. Losing our NY Giants season tickets I will be watching my football at home and want a huge screen!

If your viewing room is not light isolated and you need to sometimes watch in the daytime, you might consider a used Mit 73" CRT RPTV. They can be calibrated till you can sit 8' back from them, rendering you a SUPER sized picture. Watch mine all the time, tho I have gone to 9' these days because not all my content is Bluray, the highest res available.

And they can be used in the daytime, as the optics - not to mention the 9" guns - gather the light and beam it right to you, whereas on a front pj sys it gets scattered to the 4 walls and beyond. The same 9" guns on a CRT RPTV deliver 3x more light to your eyes as the same sized 9" guns used on an 8' front screen with low enough gain to not hotspot.

There are incredible mods that can also be done to them. I have done them all on mine - except replacing the mylar mirror with glass, which I will get to as time permits - and the result is absolutely spellbinding. Even after a long day of work when I am getting home after midnight from an all day calibration, I just gotta turn mine on and veg out for awhile...


:rolleyes:

b

I currently sit 13ft from the 57" I have right now. Due to the room setup being not ideal (really long!) this is all I got. I can pretty much shut out all the light so thats good.

My kids were very excited yesterday morning to find that all of their cartoons were in "3D". I wasn't nearly as happy, although seeing them watch a broken TV with 3D glasses was pretty funny. My 51S500 seems to have developed a convergence problem overnight. I spent several hours manually aligning the screen, but I still have a 4" by 4" square in the lower left corner that won't come into focus. Has anyone purchased a "convergence repair kit" from this company: www dot tvrepairkits dot com/order-now/132 dot html ? I'm pretty confident that I can do the work myself, but I want to get the parts from a reputable dealer. Any advice is appreciated

I currently sit 13ft from the 57" I have right now. Due to the room setup being not ideal (really long!) this is all I got. I can pretty much shut out all the light so thats good.

If you follow thru on getting a fp setup, remember that if you use a 10' screen or larger, you'll have to double the light OP of your projector to keep the grays gray and the blacks black. With CRT that means using a double stack - 2 pjs firing at the same screen - if you want enough light OP while still preserving the blacks CRT is famous for.

If you go bulb driven, you'll have higher light OP, but the blacks won't be anywhere as inky and transparent - and thus capable of that incredible depth CRT is famous for - as the blacks of a CRT front pj.


See shots from Cliff's G90 double stack at the Screenshot War!!!!!!!! thread, if you want to see those incredible blacks in action -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=900831&page=127

;)

b

I have a 57S500. About 5 inches from the left side, all the letters start to double in a different color and then go back to normal about mid-screen. Does anyone know what I need to do to fix this? Best regards, Jamey

Sounds like convergence issue, possibly the failure of one or more of the ICs.

We replace those ICs all the time, many DIYers do it for themselves. If you wish you can send the board to me and I can do it for you. If so contact me off board directly, not by pm please.


b

Can someone post there calibration setting for the 57S500?

I am trying to use the Avia DVD and I well my eyesight sucks.

ugh, I was thinking of selling my 57S500 over the past 2 days it got all screwed up and needs calibration. Peoples faces look green and I can't seem to get it adjusted right. Needless to say I want to avoid paying $400 for a professional calibration.

Can someone post there calibration setting for the 57S500?

I am trying to use the Avia DVD and I well my eyesight sucks.

ugh, I was thinking of selling my 57S500 over the past 2 days it got all screwed up and needs calibration. Peoples faces look green and I can't seem to get it adjusted right. Needless to say I want to avoid paying $400 for a professional calibration.

You should hit Factory Reset and see how that looks and go from there.

Hitachi 57S500 won't power up.

After cleaning the lenses on the light guns today, the unit won't power up. I checked the only connection that requires disconnect. There is no specific event that occurred that would cause this problem; unit was unplugged before service. There is a fuse on the circuit board next to the power cord which appears to be good. I checked for power at the cord / board termination and it's present. Any help or tips would be appreciated.

Any ideas before I call for outside service?

Not powering up is one thing. Powering up then going into protection is another. Which is it?

If it's powering up then shutting down, chances are something inside is shorting and you have a problem that may require the attention of a service tech.

If it's just not responding to a remote command, the sensor for the remote IR waves may be blocked or may have become disco'd.

Try your power button on your front panel. Does that make it work where your remote does not? If that does not work as well, your front panel may have become unplugged and may not have been plugged in again after you put the screen sandwich back on.

The Hitachis are generally wired for Magic Focus, which should not affect turn-on one way or the other. But since the frame is strung with wiring, that wiring may have become unplugged inside the optical cavity. Sometimes a kitchen chair helps when you have to get inside the optical cavity, to support the end of the viewscreen opposite its pivot point of the wiring without removing or disconnecting any of that wiring.


b

Thanks for the reply. Nothing happens at all when the front switch is pressed. I plan to remove the screen top again today and investigate, but I don't see what it could be as there is very little wiring involved. There is only one connection that requires disconnect thru the handle port on the left side of the unit and I have triple checked that. There is a small circuit board mounted at the top edge of the light box which I removed and replaced for painting the enclosure but the wiring was never disconnected; except for the aforementioned connector.
I removed and replaced the plastic grommets that hold it to it's mounting location.

If you get no response at all, that's the best case scenario. That means that the turn-on signal is just not getting in to where it needs to go. Which is the microprocessor.

Either the sensor for the remote is not picking up the IR commands, or the Power On button is not hooked up to where it needs to go, to get that temporary-on connection of the button to the micro that receives those commands and then in response sends out all the different signals needed to fully power up the set.


b

Update: Service tech was out today. Power board is dead. The part is no longer available so mine is being shipped to some outfit in Indianapolis for repair. He agreed with me that the board probably failed after being unplugged, when it had been plugged in for at least 3-4 years. Now that I think about it, the power went off and on several times last month and although its plugged into a surge protector; that probably didn't help. Total cost for repair: $463.00 and three weeks. Looks like I'll miss the playoffs; on the big screen at least.
BTW, tech told me that it's easier to remove the viewing screen to access the light guns for cleaning than removing the whole top. So I wonder why Hitachi tells you to go to all the trouble of removing the top. Besides that, I didn't really have to unplug it just to clean the guns; and then I wouldn't be having this problem!!! At least not until the next time the power went out.

Yeah man, just take off that bottom control panel and you can fit your arm in there to clean the top of the lenses.

Hey everyone. It's been quite a while since I've been here. The 57S500 has been working great for 5 years. Now I can't get a picture through the DVI input. Anyone have any experience with this problem? I tried searching this thread but couldn't find anything.

Anyone? I've tried two sources and neither produce an image. I can get an image throught the same #1 component input but nothing on the DVI.

Anyone? I've tried two sources and neither produce an image. I can get an image throught the same #1 component input but nothing on the DVI.
I don't remember hearing any other cases like this. I would guess a failure in the input video circuit. At least you have the component as backup. Digital input into an analog display doesn't really gain you much, right? :o

Anyone? I've tried two sources and neither produce an image. I can get an image throught the same #1 component input but nothing on the DVI.

What are your sources? Maybe change the video output from your source from component to hdmi/dvi?

Normally I have a HD PC video card (MyHD MP130) as the source using the DVI Daughter card. I connected the source to another monitor to verify the source isn't the problem. I also connected a DVD player using HDMI to DVI adapter converter and still no picture. I'm assuming it is a failure in the input video circuit but wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences before I contacted someone for service.

I was informed this fix would probably require a very expensive DVI board which Hitachi doesn't make anymore. :(

I have the same TV. Last year I tried everything to get a picture using the dvi from the HDMI on a new DVD player; I wanted to use the upconversion feature on the DVD player. Nothing and no connector I tried would produce a picture. Decided it was a compatibility issue and gave up. ( I worked on this for a solid month)

BTW, it's true that many of the parts, boards, etc. are no longer available for this TV. However, there is a company in Indianapolis that repairs, rebuilds the boards. I went through Sears but you be able to use them directly if you choose. ModusLink PTS Aftermarket solutions 800 844 7871

Update to this issue:
Power board came back "Passing" after bench testing. New tech this time delved in deeper. Determined that the switch-button board, assembly, whatever, was shorting out the power board. When disconnected, power board lit up again like a christmas tree. Then he discoed the IR sensor board and the switch board returned to function; TV Powered up. Finally examined IR sensor board; I had removed the board from the metal light gun box for painting of the enclosure. Apparently when I replaced the board, a protruding resister wire on the back of the board, bent over against another terminal on the back of the board shorting out the whole system. Tech bent the wire back; end of story. They are refunding about $200 of the $463 because no repairs were performed on the board; only testing. I was happy with the company/techs that Sears sent out and I would use again. I used Sears because I could put it on my Sears card. For future cleanings I will not be removing the top half of the unit; will remove only the screen to gain access to light guns and mirrors. BTW, picture looks great again but the delay from cleaning to watching again ,(3 weeks) ruined the WoW factor I expected after cleaning.

Guess since it was all on you, you didn't get much satisfaction out of the fact that there was never anything wrong with your set.

You might want to rethink that and count your lucky stars instead.

:eek:

Then go in and enjoy your newly cleaned picture with its newly crystal clear light path, like you had wanted to then!

You deseve your WOW factor! You worked hard for it! You delayed it a bit by messing up, of course, but you still deserve it!

:p

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I can't believe this thread is still going. This thread help me to decide on a 65" S700 5/6 years ago. Well after many years of not tweaking anything, I figured I would do a elec/manual focus of the guns. Looked around briefly for refresher notes to ensure I twisted the right pots. Well long story short, couldn't find them and dug right in. 50/50 chance right? Well you guessed it, my eyes aren't good enough to see the word "focus" and the word "screen" and I changed the screen pots. I have eyeballed the picture back so that it is watchable, but I know it isn't right. Are there any ISF guys in the RI/ Southeastern MA area that could reset my grayscale for me?

Thanks, Dave

Last time I attended an ISF training, Joel specifically stated to NOT change the Screen trimpots. To avoid them at all costs. What is what you didn't do, even tho it has been stated here on these threads incessantly for the last 10 years.

Upshot is, ISF does not train in how to set up those trimpots. After which a complete grayscale is needed, which ISF does teach about.

Only those of us long-timers, who are experienced at that already, can add that to our regular and customary ISF arsenal.

;)

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Has anyone attempted to shim mod one of these sets? http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1129800

I'm pulling mine apart to see what it would take. Wondering if anyone has any pointers on removing and shimming the tray. My overscan is around 7% on the sides and 4% top and bottom. I'd like to get it down to around 3% all around and use some more of the CRT faces.

Has anyone attempted to shim mod one of these sets? http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1129800

I'm pulling mine apart to see what it would take. Wondering if anyone has any pointers on removing and shimming the tray. My overscan is around 7% on the sides and 4% top and bottom. I'd like to get it down to around 3% all around and use some more of the CRT faces.
Greetings,

Look up the shimming mod for Hitachi RPTV. The concept and procedure is the same. Only the screw locations might be different. The tray need not be removed, just lifted with the shims. You can shim up the CRT assembly and get an immediate reduction in overscan and increase in apparent detail. Shimming up + redoing the overscan adjust can open up new phosphors, but beware if you have burn in. The new phosphors will show up as lighter compared to the "old" ones.

You can peer into the CRTs using a flashlight to check the condition of the phosphors. Good luck!

Regards

Thanks, I checked out the F series tweek thread, and it has some good info. The internals look a bit different than my set, but I guess I'll find out what I need to do tonight to raise the guns.
I think I should be okay regarding screen burn since I've been running the factory overscan settings, which is quite a lot. I'll find that out tonight as well.

If you want my help on this project, a visit to my old home town - Portland, OR - may be in the offing soon. It definitely will be, if I have some calibrations to do up there while there.


b

Thanks, I checked out the F series tweek thread, and it has some good info. The internals look a bit different than my set, but I guess I'll find out what I need to do tonight to raise the guns.
I think I should be okay regarding screen burn since I've been running the factory overscan settings, which is quite a lot. I'll find that out tonight as well.

If your set has some years on it, as Joe says the aging footprint will limit how much your raster size can be increased to utilize more of each CRT face. It's not really screenburn - it is, and it isn't. It's natural for the aging footprint to eventually set in, and yes that's uneven phosphor wear. So it really is screenburn.

It's just not typically what is called screenburn, which is why I call it the aging footprint. Which is a version of screenburn, yes...


b

It looks like this won't be as easy as the new F series sets where the stack sits in a tray which sits in the particle board chassis. On the S500 the tray is screwed into a metal part of the chassis that looks like it is probably epoxied to the bottom of the set (no screws and it ain't movin). The tray is also notched so there's no way to easily move it up or down without some serious tin snip work.
The easiest way I could see to do this is to unscrew each gun from the tray, and then screw them to a 1x1x19" shim running under all three. But do the guns need to be bolted directly to the metal tray for cooling?

I didn't take any pics yet to show phospor wear. I took some pics directly through the tubes of the convergence pattern to show how much of the CRT face is currently being used.

Rader,

You hitachi insides look like mine. I never shimmed mine yet. but I did take it all apart to move it upstairs.

the whole CRT assem/cage slides out after removing all the screws. When I took it all apart, I thought I could easily shim the whole thing buy putting 2 lengths of 2x4 on the bottom inside of the set and just set the whole cage, CRT/electronics and all ontop of the 2X4.

If you have or can find a service manual on line there are step by step instructions on how to disasemble and pull the whole CRT assem for transportation, repair purposes.

Here is a little sketch of what I had in mind. This is looking in from the rear of the set with the back perforated panel off, and the shim done from the bottom. Never tried it, I think it would work and just a suggestion.

It looks like this won't be as easy as the new F series sets where the stack sits in a tray which sits in the particle board chassis. On the S500 the tray is screwed into a metal part of the chassis that looks like it is probably epoxied to the bottom of the set (no screws and it ain't movin). The tray is also notched so there's no way to easily move it up or down without some serious tin snip work.
The easiest way I could see to do this is to unscrew each gun from the tray, and then screw them to a 1x1x19" shim running under all three. But do the guns need to be bolted directly to the metal tray for cooling?

Hi Rader,

It's not easy, but you can get at it. This assembly looks similar to mine. It must be removable for factory service purposes. Remove the wood trim piece on either side of the CRT assembly (tray). That will expose the (top) screws holding the tray down. There may also be screws coming in from either side of the tray holding it fast.

Here's an after shimming photo taken showing the side of the tray. Disregard the black plastic cone protruding toward the front of the display. In the side of the tray you'll see some empty screw holes. The holes held the screws coming in from the side holding the tray fast. Your set looks similar. You'll just scrape your knuckles getting at those screws:). Upon removal of those trim pieces this is what you'll see, keeping in mid my tray is lifted at this point.
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu272/summit_hdtv/_DSC2552.jpg

Here's a look at the right hand edge.
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu272/summit_hdtv/_DSC2551.jpg

Here's a close up showing the lifted tray and a gap filled with pillow stuffing. This is the gap you'll use to unscrew the side screws. Use a small screwdriver and access from down below.
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu272/summit_hdtv/_DSC2544.jpg

Let us know how it goes!

Regards

I didn't take any pics yet to show phospor wear. I took some pics directly through the tubes of the convergence pattern to show how much of the CRT face is currently being used.

Hi rader,

You're on the right track. Ideally you want to use almost the entire CRT face. I say almost because going past the edge of the CRT face can damage the CRT. So stop just short of the edge of the CRT face. The limiting edges will be the sides of the CRT face as this is a widescreen image so there will be unused CRT face on the top and bottom. The only way to use more of the CRT face is to shim the tray up then perform an electronic overscan modification which actually increases the overscan.

Think of it as a push-pull system. Mechanical shimming pulls in the overscan, allowing you to push the overscan outward using the DCU convergence. Adding overscan in this way exposes new CRT phosphors, moving the image toward the edge of the CRT face. It's a balancing act once you get into it. Or you can just mechanically shim up, reducing overscan and gaining detail in the process. Mechanical shimming alone will not introduce new phosphors as far as the CRT is concerned, but it will display more of the phosphors already in use, increasing efficiency and detail.

It's hard to tell from the photos, but it seems most of the CRT face is being used already. I hope to explain this clearly, in that you are limited to how much you can shim up by the CRT that uses the entire face first! So look for the smallest gap between the used CRT phosphors and the CRT edge. Note if it's R, B, or G and use that as the reference. Keep that in mind as you consider electronically expanding the CRT footprint.

Here's an after shimming + overscan procedure shot showing the expanded Green CRT face. Please note the right hand edge. It ended up a little too close to the edge for my liking, but all's well that ends well...
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu272/summit_hdtv/GreenCRTrighthandedge.jpg

Regards

I didn't take any pics yet to show phospor wear. I took some pics directly through the tubes of the convergence pattern to show how much of the CRT face is currently being used.

Show us both sides of the green, which is usually pretty well centered already. Which is good, because it's good to leave something alone in there to use as your basis and starting point. The green is as good as it gets, as being in center position it requires no alterations based on angles, like red and blue do.

That' s a huge amount of lost phosphor face area on the red! Send us left/right shots of the red as well, and before and after if possible.

Your red definitely needs to be recentered and possibly re-aimed, if you can do so based on what you find of your aging footprint. If the footprint is showing too much uneven phosphor wear, you can't expand your footprint outward towards the edges after all.

Be sure to center your green image electronically by way of the HD DVE Overscan pattern before you loosen up and move anything around in there. That needs to be your guide for getting things correct again after the shimming. It also lets you know diametrically the difference in overscan you are making by doing the shimming and other o'scan redux ops, like changing the sizing in sm one way or the other - expanding it or contracting it.

As always, if changing sm sizing values, write down all starting values on positioning before you change any.


b

Here's a close up showing the lifted tray and a gap filled with pillow stuffing. This is the gap you'll use to unscrew the side screws. Use a small screwdriver and access from down below.
http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu272/summit_hdtv/_DSC2544.jpg

Let us know how it goes!

Regards

Joe -

How much net distance forward did this mod allow you to do?

And have you darkened your surfaces in there yet? Hitachi leaves huge amounts of surface area metal! Needs to be blackened, either with Sharpie pen - use the big ones for the big areas - or duvetyne, or some velvet substance. The stuffing needs to be darkened as well, perhaps with an old black T shirt, which is what I did with my 65" Panny.

I am sure you did that blackening later, right?


b

Joe -

How much net distance forward did this mod allow you to do?

And have you darkened your surfaces in there yet? Hitachi leaves huge amounts of surface area metal! Needs to be blackened, either with Sharpie pen - use the big ones for the big areas - or duvetyne, or some velvet substance. The stuffing needs to be darkened as well, perhaps with an old black T shirt, which is what I did with my 65" Panny.

I am sure you did that blackening later, right?


b

Hi Bob,

I shimmed up 1 7/8" on a 51" display. Yes I blackened the entire interior with a velvet material. Even the black plastic surfaces were too shiny so I covered them also. I didn't post pics however because it looks like a crummy job :eek: Regardless it does the job!

Regards

That's what my shims look like on my Mit, too. Ragged and disheveled and mismatched in everything but their identical thicknesses, but boy do they do the job!

:p

b

Rader,

You hitachi insides look like mine. I never shimmed mine yet. but I did take it all apart to move it upstairs.


Thanks Angelo, I think this is the way I'm going to try to do it. Sounds, much easier than trying to shim each gun and maintain alingment, which is what I was thinking previously. Plus, I have lots of left over 2x4's from my HT construction project. :D

Wow Summit, that looks like you're making *really* good use of the CRT face. It's amazing how much of the top and bottom CRT faces doesn't get used on these sets. I wonder why they couldn't have used some type of anamorphic lens to squeeze the 4:3 CRT image to the 16:9 screen, to make better use of the face. I imagine they would be capable of crazy horizontal resolution if fully utilized.

Mr. Bob,
I have some pics using the AVSHD overscan pattern which shows me at a little over 5% oscan on the sides and a little under 5% top and bottom. The convergence pattern actually looked fairly well centered on the guns, but I'll check more thoroughly. My camera won't take pictures of the blue gun without distorting wildly.
A crazy idea I had if the phospor wear showed around the edges was to create a pattern to display which is 100% ire around the edges and 0% in the center, then just run it at 100% contrast for days on end until the wear at the outer edges catches up with the center.

Just gotta be careful about lines of demarcation on something like that.

Pix of my shimming op are somewhere in the Don't Dump thread, you gotta find them tho. Before and afters showing how much space was being wasted on my 73".

Anamorphic squeeze lenses cause pincushioning on throw distances this short.

Rather than creating 16x9 guns for HD, they elected to simply continue using 4x3 guns, which had always been around, and just not use the full face. Tool and dye'ing up - and all the incredible expense that would have incurred - for a new gen of widescreen CRT pj faces was just not in the cards.



b

Last night I was able to shim the set 1.5" using 2x4s. It was quite a job requiring the entire circuit board and gun assembly to be lifted, including the back panel connectors. Securing everything in final position is going to require some minor modifications to the cabinet with a coping saw for clearance issues. I'll post some pics later.
Once shimmed the convergence is all out of whack, with the red an blue lines equally moved to the left/right. I assume now I need to do a mechanical re-aim of the guns to get everything centered again? I've been going over the CRT pj articles at curtpalme which are a great reference even though fp oriented.
I did a quick hack job with the focus and convergence, and expanded raster to get closer to the CRT face edges. I am at a little over 5% overscan all around. I think I could probably shim up a 1/2" more at least, and expand raster a little more. Might as well get it perfect since I've gone this far. I have a lot of pin cushion whch I guess I'll need to fix through service mode convergence.
I was able to find the 51SWX20B service manual at eserviceinfo dot com. It's a year older set but almost identical in terms of design.. Anyone know where to find a service manual for the S500/S700 series?

rader - http://www.filedropper.com/hitachi51s700servicemanual

Keep fighting the good fight!

Last night I was able to shim the set 1.5" using 2x4s. It was quite a job requiring the entire circuit board and gun assembly to be lifted, including the back panel connectors. Securing everything in final position is going to require some minor modifications to the cabinet with a coping saw for clearance issues. I'll post some pics later.
Once shimmed the convergence is all out of whack, with the red an blue lines equally moved to the left/right. I assume now I need to do a mechanical re-aim of the guns to get everything centered again? I've been going over the CRT pj articles at curtpalme which are a great reference even though fp oriented.
I did a quick hack job with the focus and convergence, and expanded raster to get closer to the CRT face edges. I am at a little over 5% overscan all around. I think I could probably shim up a 1/2" more at least, and expand raster a little more. Might as well get it perfect since I've gone this far. I have a lot of pin cushion whch I guess I'll need to fix through service mode convergence.
I was able to find the 51SWX20B service manual at eserviceinfo dot com. It's a year older set but almost identical in terms of design.. Anyone know where to find a service manual for the S500/S700 series?

Great job! Refocus is required. May as well clean the optics while you're at it. You're on exactly the right track.

Regards

rader - http://www.filedropper.com/hitachi51s700servicemanual

Keep fighting the good fight!

Awesome, thanks a ton!

After studying the internals of the set I decided on shimming by raising the entire assembly including the gun tray, circuitboard, and rear connectors. I experimented with raising only the metal assembly holding the CRTs, but then ran into mechanical interference issues with the heatsinks on the mainboard, and not being able to access the raster pots and service DCU button. Raising the whole damn thing actually seemed to be the easiest way to go about it.
I settled on 3" of shim, or two layers of 2x4 studs. This puts me at about 3-4% overscan and just about maximizes the use of the CRT face. The not suprising downside is that there is visible phosphor wear about 1" on the sides, and 2" on the bottom of the screen. I couldn't see any wear looking directly at the CRTs with the lens assembly, and it doesn't show up in pictures, but with a full screen white pattern it's there. I suppose if I went with 1.5" of shim I could get by without showing phosphor wear on the sides, but for me the compromise of improved resolution density and getting a usable windows desktop (finally!) on my HTPC is worth it.
Here are the pics, hopefully this works...
Lower shim which raises the the entire gun/mainboard assembly and is screwed into the bottom of the cabinet with 3.5" screws:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4Ledr5o4oI/AAAAAAAAAMs/py_pO39-sr8/lower%20shim.JPG
Installed:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4Ledgn0TUI/AAAAAAAAAMw/TDrgqu9Xb68/shim%20installed.JPG
Cabinet interference:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LedPwQVDI/AAAAAAAAAMg/i4kMKFvw9qY/cabinet%20interference.JPG
Modified with a cutout tools so that gun assembly fits back in original position (old blankets in place to prevent getting dust on the mirror):
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LedOzH2rI/AAAAAAAAAMk/HHmCK_QdGhk/cabinet%20mod.JPG
Upper shims to raise particle board up level with the gun assembly:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LfT8JA3mI/AAAAAAAAAM8/M1UhVMAsG78/upper%20shim.JPG
The panels come up almost flush with the bottom edge of the box after this, but looks factory once they are installed.

Other mods necessary:
-relocate magic sensor board at back of set (not necessary if shimming only 1.5"). I tossed it, magic focus sucks.
- About 1" needed to be cut off the top of the perforated panel at the back of the set (probably not necessary if shimming only 1.5")
- A small 1.5x1" section needed to be cut from the particle board panels which sit on either side of the gun assembly. Easily done with a coping saw.

A full days work overall, but no more difficult than a number of HT projects people regularly take on (IB subs, absorber panels, hush boxes, etc). I made sure to get everything secured down as well as the factory setup, so I don't have to redo convergence everytime the set is moved or gets bumped.

Green CRT face usage after shimming (convergence pattern shown):
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LedtiCXgI/AAAAAAAAAMo/MuLia5ANUOQ/s640/CRT%20face%20use.JPG
AVSHD overscan pattern after shimming and doing a hack focus+convergence job:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LfTu9fJ-I/AAAAAAAAAM4/gHdOLRNJAA4/oscan.JPG
I ended up increasing raster pots to get around 3-4% all around.

After I finished shimming I took some measurements with ColorHCFR and my i1 sesor. One of the most significant improvements noted in the shimming thread, which convinced me to try this mod, was an improvement in light output. Immediately after the shimming mod, with no additional changes to display setting, light output at 100IRE went from 28.4 ftL to 30.6 ftL. What's more, is I was able to increase contrast up from 33% before shimming, up to 41% before I got any trace of blue falloff. This resulted in an increase from 28.4 to 33 ftL (or 97 -> 113 cd/m^2), a 16% increase! It seems a big benefit of using more of the CRT face is being able to drive the guns harder before any clipping occurs.

Green CRT face usage after shimming (convergence pattern shown):
...
AVSHD overscan pattern after shimming and doing a hack focus+convergence job:
...
I ended up increasing raster pots to get around 3-4% all around.

After I finished shimming I took some measurements with ColorHCFR and my i1 sesor. One of the most significant improvements noted in the shimming thread, which convinced me to try this mod, was an improvement in light output. Immediately after the shimming mod, with no additional changes to display setting, light output at 100IRE went from 28.4 ftL to 30.6 ftL. What's more, is I was able to increase contrast up from 33% before shimming, up to 41% before I got any trace of blue falloff. This resulted in an increase from 28.4 to 33 ftL (or 97 -> 113 cd/m^2), a 16% increase! It seems a big benefit of using more of the CRT face is being able to drive the guns harder before any clipping occurs.

Nice job!!! A true shim mod.

Really worth it in every respect.

rader,

That is just great. I'm glad that my suggestion of shimming from the bottom did indeed work for you! Your framing looks very professional to boot. Very nice and neat and nothing suspended, the whole structure still supported from the base of the unit.

Again Great Work!

Your framing looks very professional to boot.

I made sure to resize the pictures, so the gaps from uneven saw cuts, and hammer marks do not show. :D

Your being modest. Its the pros that make the hard things look great....

Green CRT face usage after shimming (convergence pattern shown):
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LedtiCXgI/AAAAAAAAAMo/MuLia5ANUOQ/s640/CRT%20face%20use.JPG
AVSHD overscan pattern after shimming and doing a hack focus+convergence job:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_tGQW1aNAWcI/S4LfTu9fJ-I/AAAAAAAAAM4/gHdOLRNJAA4/oscan.JPG
I ended up increasing raster pots to get around 3-4% all around.

After I finished shimming I took some measurements with ColorHCFR and my i1 sesor. One of the most significant improvements noted in the shimming thread, which convinced me to try this mod, was an improvement in light output. Immediately after the shimming mod, with no additional changes to display setting, light output at 100IRE went from 28.4 ftL to 30.6 ftL. What's more, is I was able to increase contrast up from 33% before shimming, up to 41% before I got any trace of blue falloff. This resulted in an increase from 28.4 to 33 ftL (or 97 -> 113 cd/m^2), a 16% increase! It seems a big benefit of using more of the CRT face is being able to drive the guns harder before any clipping occurs.

rader,

Wow Wow Wow! With woodwork like that you'll have friends asking if you'll redo their deck!

You did a super job. Nice documentation to boot. Enjoy the new display.

Regards

Rader - Incredible job! NICE!

If you want to see a scenario of what I did to my 73" Mit in this regard go to this thread, starting at post 5126, from back a few months -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695922&page=171

Green sides - not bad, perfectly centered

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3268/32209randbrecenteringop.jpg[/URL]

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/7299/32209randbrecenteringopd.jpg[/URL]



Red and blue - not so good. Very badly centered -

centermost section - almost at the edge

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/4951/32209randbrecenteringopg.jpg[/URL]

Look at the top. You can see the edge of the CRT face itself in the background as it goes upward from the edge of the image on it. This side looks great.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7255/32209randbrecenteringopf.jpg[/URL]

outermost section - way far away from the edge

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3268/32209randbrecenteringop.jpg[/URL]



blue at centermost edge, almost touching it

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3867/32209randbrecenteringopa.jpg[/URL]

outermost edge with WAY more space

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/2646/32209randbrecenteringoph.jpg[/URL]

Really badly centered by Mit. The green was deceptively well centered while simply not expanded fully, at first glance indicating all was well.

But the red and blue were hugely telltale - blazingly off center and totally wasting huge amounts of valuable CRT face real estate.

:rolleyes:

I took care of that. Follow the thread and you'll see Afters...

:p

b

Hi Mr. Bob, the mod to your mits was one I followed as well before attempting this. I played around some with re-aiming the red and blue guns after shimming but they seem to be aimed pretty well from the factory. If I toed in the red to line up with the green in the center of the screen, it ended up being farther off on the right side of the screen requireing more correction there. So I just left them as they were. The shot of the green CRT edge I posted is the closest any of the guns get to the edge of the CRT face, so I had plenty of space to work with.
Last night I finished up geo and convergence with the screen jig I bought years ago. Put the duvethyne cloth back, lens hood, and added some minor lens stripping. Touched up grey scale and color decoder with colorHCFR and my i1, put the rest of the trim panels back together and called it done. I've been tweaking this set continuously for probably the last month. Before that I hadn't touched it for 3 years. Hard to believe it's a 7 year old set. I hope to get a full 10 years out of it before moving on to fp based home theater 2.0 (which will also require a new house!)

How's it look?

Portland's my home town y'know...

b

Better than ever of course!

Hey all,

I've had my s700 for 7 or so years now and have never replaced the bulb/lamp. The TV still looks good but I think it could be brighter. What is the replacement bulb for this tv and any recommendations on where to buy it?

Thanks!

If this is a CRT set, which I believe it is, it doesn't use bulbs but CRTs. And they are ready to go for years and years more, if it's only 7 years old. They don't go out all the time like bulbs do.

CRT sets are permanent sets. Not like the short lifespan sets of today. I have repaired and calibrated 18 year old CRT sets, and they just keep on truckin' -

If it's dim and your optics have never been cleaned, that's your answer. Have it professionally done, or do it yourself on a phone consult with me, and I'll keep you on the straight and narrow.

Don't attempt it yourself without professional grade guidance. Those optics are very fragile and sensitive to being scratched, which is permanent damage. And these days they are near irreplaceable.

b

Wow, good to know! Yea it is a CRT.

Any idea how much it costs to clean the optics? Any suggestions on companies that do this? I'm in Atlanta if that helps any.

Thanks again!

If this is a CRT set, which I believe it is, it doesn't use bulbs but CRTs. And they are ready to go for years and years more, if it's only 7 years old. They don't go out all the time like bulbs do.

CRT sets are permanent sets. Not like the short lifespan sets of today. I have repaired and calibrated 18 year old CRT sets, and they just keep on truckin' -

If it's dim and your optics have never been cleaned, that's your answer. Have it professionally done, or do it yourself on a phone consult with me, and I'll keep you on the straight and narrow.

Don't attempt it yourselfd without professional grade guidance. Those optics are very fragile and sensitive to being scratched, which is permanent damage. And these days they are near irreplaceable.

b

I don't know anybody in your area who would know how. And that includes most ISF calibrators, as stuff like this has never been taught at ISF.

Contact me directly for information like this, no pm's please -

b

Wow, good to know! Yea it is a CRT.

Any idea how much it costs to clean the optics? Any suggestions on companies that do this? I'm in Atlanta if that helps any.

Thanks again!
If you want an easy way to do it on your own - remove the speaker cover, and the screws from the control panel. Once that control panel is off, you can reach through the hole to access the tops of the CRT lenses. Use appropriate care to not scratch the lenses - use a soft wet cloth and gently remove the dust from the surface. Maybe blow the lenses off with canned air first? It's not a full cleaning, but it's easy and better than nothing.

Matt

Thanks!

Here's an article from the curtpalme.com site on lens cleaning:
http://www.curtpalme.com/Lens_Cleaning.shtm
It's front projection oriented but still applicable to our sets. A lot of good info on that site.

I have a 57s500 and the other day my power blinked on and off. When I turned my set back on the screen displayed the word locked and will not let me view any channels. I can change the channel and video mode but I get nothing but the word locked afterwards. I can't pull up any menus, not even the service menu. Can anyone please help me?

I have a 57s500 and the other day my power blinked on and off. When I turned my set back on the screen displayed the word locked and will not let me view any channels. I can change the channel and video mode but I get nothing but the word locked afterwards. I can't pull up any menus, not even the service menu. Can anyone please help me?
The power surge must have done something to the lock feature. On the setup menu go to the locks tab and see if you can unlock it. Did you have an access code for channel lock? The factory preset according to the manual is 0000. If you set it and have forgotten your own code, the manual says 7777 will erase your key number and reset it to 0000. Hope that helps, its on page 57 of my manual. I have a 57S700 though.

I have tried to do that, but I don't have access to my setup menu. I can't pull up any menu. When I press the menu button my screen goes black.

I have tried to do that, but I don't have access to my setup menu. I can't pull up any menu. When I press the menu button my screen goes black.
Did you try it from the front panel rather than the remote? On my set if you press the select button on the front of the set it brings up the menu and you can navigate to the different options using the arrow keys. If you choose locks, the first thing it asks is the access code, see if that works. Have you tried using different inputs or the tv tuner, I think each can be locked out separately. Also you can lock out the TV from being viewed for a scheduled period of time. Hard to know exactly what happened during the power surge or low voltage condition that often erases/changes electronic settings. I can't find how to reset to factory settings in my manual, though usually there is some key combination that will do that. Good luck....

Yes I've tried the front panel. None of the buttons work. I hope there is a way to unlock it somewhere. Thank you for your help.

Yes I've tried the front panel. None of the buttons work. I hope there is a way to unlock it somewhere. Thank you for your help.

Trying unplugging the unit for a long time. If that doesn't work and you can't enter the service menu (Hold INPUT button on front panel and then power on), I don't know what else to suggest. The service manual does not list a 'master reset' procedure. You could try to push the SERVICE ONLY switch on the DEF/CONV to enter the DCU adjustment mode. Just to see if the set will do anything else. The surge might have fried a chip. Good luck.

Wayne

DK if getting into the service mode will help, but I have found that to get in via the front panel, you have to do things with a certain critical timing.

To get in you're supposed to "hold Menu and Input together with the unit off while you turn it on." Well that's not nearly enough information.

What you really have to do is turn the unit off from on, punch those 2 buttons in together immediately, then within 3 seconds turn the unit back on as you're holding both buttons in, all on the front panel, no use of remote at all.

At one time I kept trying to do what they say and failing to get it to go in, and time after time my owner was able to, when I was not. Confounded by this, that's when I found out about the 3 second rule. And this was after talking with the techs at Hitachi and having them tell me that THEY have trouble getting in, too!

It is my custom to always allow a little time between power off and power on, I have seen sets blow up because kids get ahold of the remote and push and push and push that power button, off and on and off and on and off and on, till something really bad happens. So I always give it at least 5 seconds between power off and on or vice versa. That's what was keeping me out, in this particular situation.

When you're trying to get into the service menu, no more than 3 seconds! And you'll get in every time.

Again, don't know if this will help, but at least it covers how to get into the service mode. If you have never done so, be advised that you can really screw up you set if you go in there and don't know what you're doing!

Always leave a trail of bread crumbs back to where you started, anytime you are even CONTEMPLATING making any changes in there!

Document, document, document!

b

Sorry to change the subject, but...

I just stumbled upon this forum, and figured this might be the place to get some answers.

I have the 57s500. I also own a PowerBook 17" Titanium. My 57 acts as a monitor, using the PowerBook's S-video and audio outputs. This is because I can not figure out how to connect them with a Dual Link DVI cable.

When attached, my PowerBook clearly recognizes the TV, as evidenced by the Display Preferences drop-down menu. But when I press input 1 on the tv remote, I get a blank screen.

My understanding is the Mac outputs NTSC, but the 57s500 only recognizes ATSC (whatever THAT means).

Is there a solution, or do I have to settle with the S-video output? That would be very disappointing, since I am contemplating getting a new Mac, and new Macs no longer use S-video, but only use dual-link dvi and mini-dvi outputs.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to reply.

You will need to output a resolution that the Hitachi will recognize. Either 640x480, or 1280x720 @ 60hz refresh rate. The set will not display 1920x1080p, and I'm not a mac user but I bet your macbook does not support interlaced resolutions. Some PC graphics parts will still output 1920x1080i, but interlaced is going by the wayside.

Thank you, rader. In the System Preferences, I can choose 1280 X 720 @ 60Hz in the window labeled, "Hitachi PTV." But I can not choose 1280 X 720 in the other window labeled, "Color LCD." I did manage for set both to 640 X 480, with no success.

It's still a great tv, but I guess it's just too old to keep up with today's technology...

But I'll gladly hear a second opinion if one is out there!

Thanks again, rader.

Back in the day I had my PC connected via DVI. Rader is right, you just have to find the right settings the TV will accept.

You will need to output a resolution that the Hitachi will recognize. Either 640x480, or 1280x720 @ 60hz refresh rate. The set will not display 1920x1080p, and I'm not a mac user but I bet your macbook does not support interlaced resolutions. Some PC graphics parts will still output 1920x1080i, but interlaced is going by the wayside.

Yet 1920x1080i is what this set receives best, and which looks best on this set.

If you must use PC or Mac as your source, you need to find a card that puts out 1920x1080i. Regular STBs already do that. For computers no, 1080p won't work on this set, but 1080i definitely will.

b

Is there a solution, or do I have to settle with the S-video output?

S-video does not do HD in any form.

b

Thank you, rader. In the System Preferences, I can choose 1280 X 720 @ 60Hz in the window labeled, "Hitachi PTV." But I can not choose 1280 X 720 in the other window labeled, "Color LCD." I did manage for set both to 640 X 480, with no success.

It's still a great tv, but I guess it's just too old to keep up with today's technology...

But I'll gladly hear a second opinion if one is out there!

Thanks again, rader.

1080i is no slouch. There's nothing wrong with that TV, it is not old. The difference between 1080i and 1080p is very negligible on a fully dialed in CRT RPTV.

b

If you have an AVR, you could try connecting via HDMI to your AVR, then to the HDTV via a HDMI->DVI cable. I run a HTPC 720p signal to a Onkyo 1007 AVR, which then scales and outputs 1080i to a Hitachi 57s500. The Farourdja and HQV scaler used in modern AVRs are vastly superior to the scaler used in the hitachi rptv. I get the best picture this way with almost no visible interlaced flicker or scaling artifacts.

Thank you, rader. In the System Preferences, I can choose 1280 X 720 @ 60Hz in the window labeled, "Hitachi PTV." But I can not choose 1280 X 720 in the other window labeled, "Color LCD." I did manage for set both to 640 X 480, with no success.

It's still a great tv, but I guess it's just too old to keep up with today's technology...

But I'll gladly hear a second opinion if one is out there!

Thanks again, rader.

Superior to native 1080i via component?

b

Yeah, with 1080i you end up with massive migraine inducing interlaced flicker when using the PC desktop, web pages, and any other applications that use single pixel lines/fonts (basically all of them). With 720p and a good scaler, those lines are made fatter and smoothed out, and any sign of flicker disappears. It's a softer, but usable image. I used to switch back my htpc to 1080i for watching movies, but now I usually stick with 720p output to keep things simple. 720p just tends to be more reliable, I doubt any of the graphics manufacturers bother testing 1080i much any more. It does work pretty well with my onboard intel graphics.

Thanks, guys.

BTW, it's a 57s700, not a 57s500, if that matters. Someone at H.G.Gregg once told me I need the Mac to output 1366X768. Is there software that will add this resolution as an option?

Shouldn't matter, s700 just adds the HDTV tuner. That guys blowin smoke, no way it will sync to that res. He's probably confusing it with some of the early LCDs/plasmas before 1080p panels became standard.

1. Could my problem stem from the cable I'm using? I have a DVI-D male to DVI-D male dual link Cable. Should I try a DVI-i? Single link?

2. I don't know what an AVR is. (I assume it's an Analog Video Recorder) But, anyway, do you think an Apple TV may be my answer?
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/apple_tv?mco=MTM3NTM1Nzk

Sorry, guys. This stuff is WAY over my head. I really appreciate your patience.

AVR = Audio Video Receiver

I believe DVI-D (digital) is higher grade than DVI-I (interlaced?)

Have seen Apple TV in action, it was great. Don't use it tho, so can't tell you any more -

b

Thanks, Mr. Bob. Let's run with that.
So, what if I get a DVI-D to DVI-I cable?
DVI-D connects to PowerBook. DVI-I connects to TV.
Would that give me the interlaced signal that you folks are telling me the TV requires?

DK. I am a component kind of guy, have not needed to know that yet, esp. since HDMI has eclipsed DVI so greatly by now.

But when you find out let us know -

b

Time for me to de-lurk and clear up some things about DVI.

A DVI connector has pins for both the digital signals and legacy analog signals. The legacy analog signals are intended for computer monitors that have VGA connectors, so that you can connect a VGA monitor to a computer that has a DVI port with a simple cable adapter.

DVI-D is a port or cable that only uses the digital signals. A DVI-I port (the 'I' stands for 'integrated') produces both the digital and analog signals. If a cable connects both the digital and analog pins, it's a DVI-I cable. If the cable only connects the digital pins, it's a DVI-D cable.

Since the connectors are the same, and we only need the digital signals (since the TV's port is DVI-D) you can use either a DVI-I or DVI-D cable, the result will be the same.

As for dual-link vs. single-link, you only need single-link. Dual-link has extra digital connections that are needed for the really high-res 30" computer monitors, that aren't used at all for HDTV. You can use a dual-link cable, since they should be backward compatible, but you might try a different (single link) cable.

I just tried connecting my MacBook Pro (approx. 1 year old, which has the Mini Display Port connector) to my 51S700 via the Apple DVI adapter and an ordinary DVI-D cable, and it worked right away with no tinkering. The MacBook recognized the TV and offered 1080i, 720p, and 480p resolutions in its Displays control panel. It even has an 'overscan' checkbox which lets you compensate for the TV's overscan.

Thank you, heathkehoe. Very informative.

When I connect, those resolution choices are not available.
The video preference drop-down menu looks like this:

HITACHI PTV
1344 x 756, 60Hz, (NTSC), Millions
1600 x 900, 60Hz, (NTSC), Millions
√1920 x 1080, 60Hz, (NTSC), Millions
_______________________________
Color LCD
800 x 600 (stretched), Millions
1024 x 768 (stretched), Millions
√1440 x 900, Millions

Does anyone think DisplayConfigX or SwitchResX would help?
The disclaimer on DisplayConfigX about not being responsible for damage to the monitor is scarey, as is the thought of getting a blue screen, and not knowing how to get it back to normal.

Thank you, heathkehoe. Very informative.

When I connect, those resolution choices are not available.
The video preference drop-down menu looks like this:

HITACHI PTV
1344 x 756, 60Hz, (NTSC), Millions
1600 x 900, 60Hz, (NTSC), Millions
?1920 x 1080, 60Hz, (NTSC), Millions
_______________________________
Color LCD
800 x 600 (stretched), Millions
1024 x 768 (stretched), Millions
?1440 x 900, Millions

Does anyone think DisplayConfigX or SwitchResX would help?
The disclaimer on DisplayConfigX about not being responsible for damage to the monitor is scarey, as is the thought of getting a blue screen, and not knowing how to get it back to normal.

The newer macs have better support for HDTV resolutions. But you will likely be successful with one of those programs you mentioned. Don't worry about damaging your TV with incorrect settings. There was a risk that old multisync CRT computer monitors could be damaged if they are fed a signal that they couldn't lock on to. That doesn't apply to the Hitachis (or most other HDTVs for that matter).

Ok, thanks for that. I'll give the software a try when I get a chance. Probably Tuesday. I'll report back with the results.

I just spent some time with SwitchResX, but was unsuccessful. The only new resolution option at 720 was 1152 x 720.

HITACHI PTV
1280 x 720 60 Hz

COLOR LCD
1152 X 720

I restarted.
I disconnected and reconnected the cable from the Mac.
I disconnected and reconnected the cable from the TV.

Nothing.

Any more suggestions before I give up?

You could ask over in the Mac forum - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=115

Thanks. I didn't see that thread before. After reading fedward's post in the Switchres X Tutorial, I felt encouraged enough to start tinkering. Turns out I wasted yet another hour of my life.

I tried a custom setting for my Mac @ 1920x1080i and ended up with a horizontal line across the middle of the screen, with identical partial desktop images on the top and bottom. I tried other resolutions, and got strange results on the Mac screen, but at no time did I get ANYTHING to show up on the TV.

Here's the info from exporting EDID, if anyone has any more ideas. And just so I'm clear, the goal is to change the resolution on the MAC, right? Not the TV.

I'll try posting on the other thread, too.

Color LCD

Descriptor #0 - Timing definition:
Mode = 1440 x 900 @ 59.939Hz
Pixel Clock............. 96.21 MHz Non-Interlaced

Horizontal Vertical
Active.................. 1440 pixels 900 lines
Front Porch............. 64 pixels 3 lines
Sync Width.............. 32 pixels 3 lines
Back Porch.............. 224 pixels 6 lines
Blanking................ 320 pixels 12 lines
Total................... 1760 pixels 912 lines
Scan Rate............... 54.665 kHz 59.939 Hz

Image Size.............. 367 mm 230 mm
Border.................. 0 pixels 0 lines

Sync: Digital separate with
* Negative vertical polarity
* Negative horizontal polarity

HITACHI PTV

Descriptor #0 - Timing definition:
Mode = 1920 x 540 @ 60.053Hz
Pixel Clock............. 74.25 MHz Interlaced

Horizontal Vertical
Active.................. 1920 pixels 540 lines
Front Porch............. 88 pixels 2 lines
Sync Width.............. 44 pixels 5 lines
Back Porch.............. 148 pixels 15 lines
Blanking................ 280 pixels 22 lines
Total................... 2200 pixels 562 lines
Scan Rate............... 33.750 kHz 60.053 Hz

Image Size.............. 16 mm 9 mm
Border.................. 0 pixels 0 lines

Sync: Digital separate with
* Positive vertical polarity
* Positive horizontal polarity

Descriptor #1 - Timing definition:
Mode = 720 x 480 @ 59.940Hz
Pixel Clock............. 27.00 MHz Non-Interlaced

Horizontal Vertical
Active.................. 720 pixels 480 lines
Front Porch............. 16 pixels 9 lines
Sync Width.............. 62 pixels 6 lines
Back Porch.............. 60 pixels 30 lines
Blanking................ 138 pixels 45 lines
Total................... 858 pixels 525 lines
Scan Rate............... 31.469 kHz 59.940 Hz

Image Size.............. 4 mm 3 mm
Border.................. 0 pixels 0 lines

Sync: Digital separate with
* Negative vertical polarity
* Negative horizontal polarity

Descriptor #2 - Monitor name:
HITACHI PTV

Descriptor #3 - Monitor limits:
Horizontal frequency range.......15-46 kHz
Vertical frequency range.........59-61 Hz
Maximum bandwidth unspecified

No, you want to change the resolution going to the TV. Try 1280x720p.

Hey all, I'm having a problem with my 57s700. It is randomly jumping to a flashing green and purple screen. Sometimes its flips to a pattern of green as well. The menu works perfectly (although my videos make it look bad because the iPhone sucks at video). The issue doesn't show up in the menu or in magic focus mode, and it seems to happen on all inputs. Here's two videos that show two of the three ways it's been failing (in the second video, the purple is actually pretty dark and it's consistent across the screen, it's just the bad iphone video camera):
(I have too few posts to post links)
youtube.com/watch?v=a2wi5si5JEA
youtube.com/watch?v=m4dBwC2vBj4

The TV will occasionally work for the first 30 seconds to 20 minutes before flipping to this mode and I have seen it once correct itself for a few minutes. I figure something is loose or shorting but I don't really know where to begin looking.

I'm handy with a soldering iron but I have no idea where to start looking. I didn't see anything obvious when I opened up the back, but the fact that it still sometimes works for a while means it's probably going to be tricky to find. I love this TV so much, I wouldn't even mind swapping a whole board if someone can point me to a part number. Thanks for any help!

I don't know enough about how the set works, but I do have a service manual for the 57S500. I attached a troubleshooting page that might be of some help. Wayne
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/749069/Page93_57S500_sm.jpg

Where do I plug my Denon Receiver into my 57T500 HDTV to do on screen set-up of the speakers. My Bass speaker doesn't come on like it did with my old Mit. receiver? I don't see a Monitor In on the TV.

Just pick a Video Input that is compatible with the receiver output. If it's the yellow composite RCA cable - you can plug into Inputs 1, 2, 3, 4.

This was just posted on another thread, thought I'd share it with you here -


Holy Cow Dave Harper!!! You said ISF is in Florida, so I decided to see where they're located. They're about 5-10 minutes from my house!! Didn't even know it, too darned funny.

I have an elderly Pioneer SD-532HD5 like this one.

http://www4.shopping.com/xFS?KW=pioneer+sd-532hd5&FN=TV+and+Video&FD=85747

I might just need to have this thing calibrated some day. It works OK and has been moved across the country twice, in storage for a couple years, never been touched except when I used the Avia disk set it up initially and when I moved here in Boca Raton 3 years ago.

Just noticed this post in another thread, from way back in '05.

Just so you know, those "elderly" CRT RPTVs are not old, they have a 20 year service life - or more, I've seen it, recently heard about a 29 year old Panny CRT 50" that's still cranking away just fine - and at today's stage are only halfway thru it. I know of an "old" curved screen bounce-off-the-screen Sears CRT whose guns fire at the hinged mirror that you pull out and let fall into place to start it up, that's still cranking away just fine too. We've been looking for someone to take it home and keep it going, or hopefully get it to some sort of video museum, tho I have never actually heard of one...

Well treated by their owners re. usage, light levels and avoidance of screenburn, they are capable of WAY better than new performance, even at 11 years old.

I am being flown all over the country cleaning and calibrating these "elderly" beasts, which are capable of incredible HD, head and shoulders better than a lot of the "affordable" fixed pixel offerings out there in today's marketplace. And better looking in some ways than all fixed pixel offerings.

The main thing that not everybody knows about them is that their optics need to be cleaned yearly, and on some brands - like the Pioneers, be they Elite or non-Elite - the "deeper optics" need it every few years as well. That's because of the air gap between the lens barrels and the CRT coolant covers, where 6 additional surfaces get invaded by dust, soot, smoke and all manner of other airborn contaminants, and thus compromised because of the high voltage turning them into powerful, continuous dust magnets every moment they are powered on. There's 28 optical surfaces in there that need to stay crystal clear, 10 of which get heavily compromised because of the HV. When all 28 surfaces are clean and polished and you have a crystal clear light path again, the results are truly astonishing. Like getting a brand new TV for a simple hour's work.

Just doing this one thing gives your "elderly" set a brand new looking picture - in my area my calibrations are called "The Sparkle Process" - and calibration after that is just incredible icing on the cake.

I started the "Don't Dump Your CRT RPTV!" thread here on AVS more than 5 years ago, and it is still going strong, with over 300 complete pages so far and over 9000 posts. If you have a CRT RPTV at all, HD or non-HD, I invite you to go over there and check it out.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695922&page=327

If you have a CRT RPTV or know someone who does and want info about how to do your optics cleaning with no damage - those soft plastic surfaces in there are incredibly delicate, vulnerable and easily scratched, and any damage to them is permanent - contact me directly, by email or phone. No pm's please!

Thx -

Mr Bob

Can anyone point me to a list of supplies and instructions for the proper cleaning of a Hitachi 65S500's optics? I have done some searches, but they return a ton of results and I have not been able to find them... thanks

I am generally considered the best resource for this information, as nobody was prioritizing optics cleaning until I spoke up, many years ago. Since then I have been screaming from the rooftops about it, that's how important it is.

You have to be very very careful - you get one shot at this per year, and if you screw up, the damage is permanent. My practices guard against such damage, it is my highest priority, right up there with making sure you have a crystal clear light path afterwards and get your dynamic punch completely restored.

I do this personally one on one, on the phone or in person. I feel that's the best way to keep you on the straight and narrow about it, and completely safe.

If you want to reach me, phone or email me, no pm's please -

b

Mr. Bob,

Do you ever make it out to MN? Have a 57S500 that could use some help.

Whenever someone sends me a plane ticket and wants their display thoroughly cleaned, calibrated and supertweaked. I have only been to the Twin Cities once, would love to go back again. Or does MN mean something other than Minnesota?

b

Can anyone point me to a list of supplies and instructions for the proper cleaning of a Hitachi 65S500's optics? I have done some searches, but they return a ton of results and I have not been able to find them... thanks

Soft cloth and some windex. Just need to remove the speaker grill and control panel to get access to the top of the CRT lenses.

No.

Those lenses are soft plastic, face up and very vulnerable. The HV has caused all the airborne particulates to not only land on them but to be sucked to them and embedded upon them over the years. They are now part of the muck.

Soft cloth does not have nearly the amount of absorbency actually needed in this application, nor does microfibre cloth, they both leave huge amounts of residue. Windex with Ammonia D should not be used on either the front surface mirror nor the soft plastic lenses, it is not good for either of them. Windex without ammonia is fine to use. As is Sprayway and Glass Plus.

Special practices need to be followed to maintain the safety of your irreplaceable fragile optics. NOTHING in there that you'll be cleaning is good old hard glass - not the lenses nor the reflective surface of the front surface mirror.

It's not just a quick and easy thing to do, not just an automatic slam dunk and they are clean again and not scratched. Or scuffed. It takes care, diligence and patience. If you don't have those, get someone else to do it.

There are practices to be avoided and other practices to be followed, if you want to do it right and SAFELY get a crystal clear light path again, so that all 28 surfaces are again like new, rendering a sparkling picture again. Believe me it's worth doing, but also believe me when I tell you that just one misstep and it's already too late. Once those surfaces are damaged in there, you can't get them back.

I have been doing optics cleanings on CRT RPTV tech for over 20 years, and have coached dozens and dozens of owners in private phone sessions. If you insist on being a DIY'er on this highly delicate and critical operation, please be careful in there! You can damage them permanently if you're not careful, and it happens instantly upon doing the wrong thing just once.

If you want to get it done the right way every time, you know how to contact me.

b