Yep thanks Hoss.. They seem to be fading away. I tried to lower the green color decode to 35 as suggested by captain, but no joy. What are your settings Hoss?

I am gonna cell local service tech tomorrow.

well my lamp blew already. the week of the big ten tournament. this hurts

I didnt do enough research. As a network engineer, I am disappointed in myself.

Blotching and Green Issues --

A user in another forum ("High Def Forum") asked a question about the "blotching" problem. In part the person said "I have blotches (gray smudges) in the picture. They are always in the same place and is starting to get worse (spreading). . . "

Here is the reply I sent to that person: I too own a Hitachi 50VS810. I purchased the unit in June, 2004. Fortunately I have not had any problems with my set and my PQ is excellent. I have been told by the retailer from whom I purchased my set that they have had only one unit with the "blotching" problem (very similar to what you describe) and that they replaced the "lamp" to correct the problem. The retailer (who I consider to be a high quality audio/visual business) keeps several Hitachi lamps on hand for possible replacement. Further, Hitachi provided the retailer (free of charge) with a replacement lamp for the one they replaced on the problem set.

Now, regarding the "green" issue, FORTUNATELY I do not have this problem. I have read about the problem on this and other forums. Also, I have discussed this issue with my Hitachi retailer and have been told that Hitachi is aware of this problem. I'm very sorry for you folks that are having the "green problem." I only wish it was a simple color management issue (that could be tweaked with your settings) but I think it is something else.

For me, the bottom line is that my Hitachi 50VS810 is a sweet "black beauty" void of any problems (for the moment). (Incidentally, this is my second Hitachi TV. I owned a 50" Hitachi RPTV purchased in 1996 (before I got the "810").)

i was really thinking of moving to another brand, but then i went to buy some gently used boston acoutics vr975 speakers from one of ultimate elec. salesmen. he had the mitsu 61 dlp isf tuned and i was not impressed. recieved my replacement monday green push is still present but much better. i can only see it on certain dvds prominently. it doesn't handle black people skin tone well. but i think i will keep the set as the highdef pq is the best rptv i have seen. my manufacture date is jan 05 so this is an ongoing problem.

What did he replace? i have a service tech coming out as well.

the entire set was exchanged .

i have an incident going on - to make a long story short: I bought a tv from CC and had it delivered.... (60 inch tv VS810) the tv was defective so they came and picked it up and brought me another one....and took away the first set...

the 2nd tv was also defective... so they sent someone out to verify that it was defective. he came and saw the tv and said it was defective. but he did not pick up the tv.... i told him i wanted a refund....
and asked him to take the set away... he said "I really cannot do that without my managers authority"...

5 hours later i get a call from CC and they told me to come down and get my refund (over $4k
in cash) .. so i did..... (meanwhile the TV was still at my house!!!) THEY NEVER PICKED IT UP!!!! 6 days have gone by and they have not called me to get the TV!!!!..... my reciept even shows that the tv was returned.... (i think they messed up big time)

what should i do if they call? can i get into trouble. or arrested? what if they call and
want the tv back? could i get into trouble for keeping the tv? can they sue me? can I keep the tv?
is it there fault or mine.

I have the $ and the TV at this point. this is crazy!!!

any feedback will be much appreciated!!!


thanks, technoreid

Just keep it. I talked to the manager and he said he was going to throw it away anyway.

Originally posted by technoreid
i have an incident going on - . . . what should i do if they call? can i get into trouble. or arrested?
thanks, technoreid

I don't know the legal issues here but the easiest and best thing to do is to be honest with yourself (and the vendor (CC)) and call the vendor and tell him to pick up the set. I'm sure you will feel much better about all of this and rid yourself of any possible guilt feelings.

Originally posted by technoreid
i have an incident going on - to make a long story short: I bought a tv from CC and had it delivered.... (60 inch tv VS810) the tv was defective so they came and picked it up and brought me another one....and took away the first set...

the 2nd tv was also defective... so they sent someone out to verify that it was defective. he came and saw the tv and said it was defective. but he did not pick up the tv.... i told him i wanted a refund....
and asked him to take the set away... he said "I really cannot do that without my managers authority"...

5 hours later i get a call from CC and they told me to come down and get my refund (over $4k
in cash) .. so i did..... (meanwhile the TV was still at my house!!!) THEY NEVER PICKED IT UP!!!! 6 days have gone by and they have not called me to get the TV!!!!..... my reciept even shows that the tv was returned.... (i think they messed up big time)

what should i do if they call? can i get into trouble. or arrested? what if they call and
want the tv back? could i get into trouble for keeping the tv? can they sue me? can I keep the tv?
is it there fault or mine.

I have the $ and the TV at this point. this is crazy!!!

any feedback will be much appreciated!!!


thanks, technoreid
As you said, the set is defective. What are you going to do with it?

Not to sound moralistic, but I wouldn't feel right keeping the set. Do you really want to keep "looking over your shoulder" to see if CC has realized their mistake? Getting into legal trouble aside, that's going to be an embarrasing phone call if CC does find out and give you a call.

CC took the TV back... this thread is all over....


somebody please delete it.

tr

Ok concerning my green bleed and blotch issue, the tech came out and traiged my TV. I told him the blotches go away after a half houor or so. The green bleed a diffrerent issue.

He calls me back in 3 days and says Hitachi is aware of the issue and says he need to install a "new and improved" screen... hahah

We will see how this one goes.

When you change the grey bars (in 4:3 mode) to black...do they stay black when you shut the TV off and turn it back on?

i was wondering what type of dvd players are being used with this tv and what type of results do you get from it

Hello all,

Here are my observations:

I do see screen door effect at about 7 feet. It seems worst from a 480 image.

To my eyes feeding a 480i image to the set looks better than a 480p. Perhaps the conversion in the Hitachi is better than my sony DVD changer? Any comments?

There isn't much to adjust using video essentials. Varing a paramenter has minimal effect.

Has anyone used a sensor to calibrate the set with the service menu?

The corners of the set are a bit dim. I believe this can be corrected using the service menu I have read.

Glare is not an issue in my application. I have a dedicated low light environment.

The internal over air tuner looks nice but is slow in changing channels. I have not used the cablecard option because the menu looks annoying. I wish they would make a pure monitor option with future firewire/USB control for this set.

The remote is not bad but I don't use it. I think the director's series with the IR blaster might be a good thing (plus the darker screen never can hurt) if it does macros and you have the direct preset codes for all the functions you need.

I don't see any green shift, but I will look.

From what I understand this set will do 1080p, is that the native resolution? I am thinking it must be.

From my experience with computers the naitive resolution is always the highest capable resolution. When a LCD panel is set to a lower resolution the pixels are grouped, which is why 800x600 looks a bit funny on a 1024x768 LCD panel.

Has anyone adjusted the white balance with the service menu? I am wondering how well the factory setting are. There seems to be 32 points to calibrate.

I have heard there are 25 sections of the screen that can each be adjusted for luminence.

The "standard" color setting is said to be 6500K from the factory, as expected.

Each color setting can be individually adjusted in the service menu.

Any comments?

I believe the set is native to 720p and upconverts to 1080i. It does not accept a 1080p input according to the specs. comments?

It is a 1280 x 720 display. The video processor supposedly converts all signals to 1080p for processing then downconverts to 720p for display.

Hello again everyone! Thank you for your replies to my earlier question!

So I made my purchase of the 60VS810 at CC last weekend (unfortunetly I won't be able to get it delivered till next week till my hardwood floors are done).

I've been reading through the manual and noticed that the TV has a guide feature. Has anyone used this at all? What does this actually mean: "The availability of Channel Guide Information will depend on the type of Antenna input (analog, digital) and cable subscription."

I'm looking into getting a cablecard from my local cable provider (Shrewsbury Cable) so I'm interested if this guide feature could potentially replace the guide from a set top box.

Thanks!

Originally posted by Sport73
videobruce...

Any idea how to eliminate overscan on the HDMI ports? I've got a computer connected via DVI-to-HDMI and I'd prefer to eliminate the overscan while maintaining resolution (vs. using software to compensate with a decreased resolution etc.)

THANKS!

PS. 50VS810
Using the latest build of Powerstrip, a Radeon 9600SE graphics card, a DVI to HDMI cable, and my 60VS810, I have now achieved 1:1 pixel mapping with minimal to no overscan (unless your display geometry is absolutely perfect, you need a pixel or two of "overscan" to not have the picture go to all four edges of the rectangle).

It was actually very simple. Just follow the steps listed here: http://www.entechtaiwan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2089.

In the end your set will display 720P on the info screen, and you will have your display outputting in a resolution less than 1280 x 720 that fits the set perfectly.

Questions or problems, ask here.

Charlie

Has anyone tried both component and HDMI hook-ups from set top box and seen any noticeable difference in picture quality?

Does anyone else notice a slight bow on their 60VS810 or another size?

Originally posted by robinasu
Does anyone else notice a slight bow on their 60VS810 or another size?
Depends on what you are describing as a "bow". I had an unacceptable "tilt" / "slant" on my first 60VS810. My replacement has an ever so slight keystone (i.e. a touch of an hour glass effect) that for now I am living with.

I purchased a service manual on ebay, and if I ever get brave I may try to see what I can do to improve the keystone.

Might help if you post a picture. Also, if you have a thumb drive, I made a 1280x720 jpg file to assist with evaluating the set. If you want the file, let me know.

Charlie

Originally posted by kielby
. . . I've been reading through the manual and noticed that the TV has a guide feature. Has anyone used this at all? What does this actually mean: "The availability of Channel Guide Information will depend on the type of Antenna input (analog, digital) and cable subscription." I'm looking into getting a cable . . .

The channel guide information is provided by the vendor from whom you purchase your HD signal. Not all vendors provide channel guide information when using a CARD. You will need to visit with the company from whom you purchase your HD signal regarding the availability of channel guide information when using a CARD.

My vendor provides either the CARD or an HD box but they only provide the channel guide information when the signal is received through the box. (Please get back to me (robert.kramer@cfu.net) if you have any questions.)

Robert

I had a wierd experience with my 50vs810, the lamp would not turn on when powering up the television. The power LED flashed as is if the set was warming up, and I could hear the fan running, but nothing on the screen. It powered down from from this state normally. I tried this about 3 times before unplugging the set entirely, which seemed to work. Had me scared for a moment as this is my third set (no green clouds this time) and dont want to return again. Anyways, it seems ok now, anybody else experience this?

I had a similar situation occur about a month ago, although I don't remember the exact particulars. I seem to recall that the set would sit there and flash the blue LED but nothing was getting displayed on the screen. Unplugging the cord for a minute or so cleared the problem and it has not since reoccurred.

I have never had that problem but I do know that it takes quite a bit of time for the unit to turn off (i.e., when the blue light ends and the fan shuts down).

BTW, I have had to unplug the unit on two occasions: (1) When installing the software upgrade, and (2) per the request of my cable provider when I was not getting any sound on one of the HD channels. (Incidentally, the sound problem was not related to the set, rather it was associated with the broadcaster.)

I bought a 60VS810 a few months ago and have a Bell Expressvu 6100 receiver or for you in the US, the Dishnetwork 811 receiver. When I had the STB hooked up via component video all was fine but when I got an HDMI cable the other day and starting using that instead I noticed that 4:3 and 4:3 zoomed material(vai the STB zoom) is off centre (ie the black bars on the left side are smaller than thsoe on the right side) It is not the aspect ratio of the TV or of the STB that is the problem. Not sure if I am using the right terminology but I think it might be a geometry problem. Can anyone offer any help or suggestions?

Also if my TV was built in September 2004 are there any software upgrades I should be concerned about getting.

Now that you mention it, I have noticed that some material is offset to the right, and not the left as you indicated. The vertical black bar is wider on the left than it is on the right if the program is not widescreen. Shows that are in 4:3 generally appear in the center but the difference between the bar sizes may not be a noticeable since they are much larger.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Zeagle
The Technician was out at my house this morning to replace the custom board sent by Hitachi. From what I can tell the problem has been fixed with the component inputs. The TV did not lose sync on the Star Wars scene that I have a sample of. I will know more later tonight when I get a chance to sit down and spend some time watching a few dvds to confirm that the issue is fixed.

The part that Hitachi sent was UE23212 and from what I saw it is the eletronic chasis. It contained most all the electronics, tuner, video inputs and took about 30 minutes to swap out. I am waiting to hear back from Hitachi today about when they are going to manufacture the board. I will post more tonight.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



zeagle,
if your still out there, fill us in on what the final outcome of your problem was. I am now experiencing the sync problem with mine. this is my third set now and I thought it was problem free, until now. As I watched a movie at 480p via component input, the screen went blank for a second or two and the input display appeared in the top right corner. This occured after a bright flash scene in the movie, and was reproduced each time I replayed that paricular scene. rbeaumon you were having the same problem, what was your final outcome?

p.s. I am using panny dvd player.

thanks

Just returned 2 Sony 60xs tvs, one was failing and the other was a bad manager problem at BB. So I just got a Hitachi 70vs810 delivered. The picture quality doesn't get anywhere as clear as the first Sony I had. Is this normal? Do I have to go back and try another Sony (and hope it doesn't fail) to get a good picture? The Sony was much clearer on HD and blows away the Hitachi on SD. Even the DVDs looked better on the Sony. I used to have a Hitachi years ago and was hoping they made a better set than Sony. Do I have a bad set or is this normal. CC said they haven't had any returns on this model but have on the Sonys.

I can't speak for the Sony you mentioned but I'd highly recommend performing a calibration of your Hitachi with DVE or the Avia DVD. The settings for the Hitachi right out of the box are generally way off, as are most sets these days. I've got the 60VS810 and the first time I saw one of the latest Hitachi 810 models it required some serious twaeking to get it to look right. Still, even with a badly adjusted picture it still looked better than the 60" Sony 950 LCD RPTV that was sitting next to it. I've had mine for almost six months now and haven't had the problems that are widely reported for thiese models other than the fact that the image is not centered on the screen (it's offset to the right just a bit).

I tend to shy away from Sony products. They seem to be designed to fail and when they do getting them repaired is an expensive lesson.

I went to CC this weekend and found the 50VS810 at an incredibly low price (Jackson, MS through 4/23/05). I have been reading up on this TV for some time. However in person I noticed what I would almost call mosquito noise in the sky and on human faces while viewing Discovery HD over component inputs. It was like the screen was greasy or something. The 50” Sony LCD and Samsung DLP didn’t show this effect. Was this just something particular with this unit's settings or the CC feed? I’d really like to pick this set up this week.

Also most of my viewing will be SD and DVD. How does the 810 fair on SD material (D* over s-video)? I paid for the AVGuide review which says the wife won't be happy with the quality of QVC on this set without an external scaler.

Thanks, Chris

I picked up the 50VS810 last night at CC. Last one in stock at the same price as the 50" Sony Grand Wega and 50" 710. The guy said they are moving them for a new model in the next 3-4 months. Any word on this new model (if he indeed knows what he is talking about)?

Chris

I haven't read anything about 2005 Hitachi models, but you have to know there will be new models coming out.

But my question for you is so what? Are you going to take your set back or cancel or what if there are new models? If the price point was right, I say enjoy the set. Depending on the price you paid, I can pretty well assure you any new model will be at least $500 higher when it initially comes out. So, for $500 more, do you want to wait for the 2005 model?

Anyway, if you bought from CC be sure and keep an eye on the CC prices every week if not more frequently. I got back over $700 on my 60VS810 between the price I paid and the later CC sale price during my price guarantee period (the huge amount was due to an incredible sale on 4/15).

Enjoy the set. I think it's a great TV.

Charlie

The VS810's have dropped up here in Canada too. From $5000 to $4000 for 50VS810.
I struck a deal with my retailer late last month at the old price but, luckily, haven't picked the set yet.
Time to go back a strike a better deal. That "huge" discount I got is now only $200.

Has anyone had success with using a remote besides the one Hitachi supplies to change the input device? With Tivo and DirecTV remotes, I can activate and scroll down the input menu, but I can't seem to select a different input device once it's highlighted. Any suggestions?

Jon

I use the Harmony 676 and it works great. It actually knows discrete codes to go to an input directly (without going to the input selection drop down).

So, for example, when I choose my 'Watch HD' activity, it will automatically turn the tv to input 2 and change my audio receiver to the correct input. When I choose 'Watch a DVD' activity, it will go to input 1 on the tv and again get my receiver on the correct input.

It can also control by device, so if I pick the tv device, I can go to any input directly without going into the drop down.

Very wife friendly.

I picked up the 50VS810 last night at CC. Last one in stock at the same price as the 50" Sony Grand Wega and 50" 710. The guy said they are moving them for a new model in the next 3-4 months. Any word on this new model (if he indeed knows what he is talking about)?

Isn't the 915 series already a new model?

Originally posted by hogdad
Isn't the 915 series already a new model?

No the 915 is the "step up" Director Series model that came out around the same time the 810 did. I think the internals are basically the same apart from the anti-reflective screen, firewire, etc.

Originally posted by Jon Komar
Has anyone had success with using a remote besides the one Hitachi supplies to change the input device? With Tivo and DirecTV remotes, I can activate and scroll down the input menu, but I can't seem to select a different input device once it's highlighted. Any suggestions?

Jon I am using a ReplayTV remote. Like you, the select button would not work at first. I had to specifically program the select button with button code 086. I don't know how flexible your remote is, but the following links might help.
For more Hitachi codes: http://www.hifi-remote.com/cgi-bin2/ueic.cgi?TV_0145
For remote control guidance: http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/

Other button codes that I found useful:
Exit - 196
Pause - 201
Aspect - 074
PIP - 229

Has anyone had success with using a remote besides the one Hitachi supplies to change the input device? With Tivo and DirecTV remotes, I can activate and scroll down the input menu, but I can't seem to select a different input device once it's highlighted. Any suggestions?
I'm using the Home Theater Master MX-700 remote. It's only supposed to be available through custom home theater installers and retailers but you can find them on ebay for a good price, especially since the new MX-800 has been introduced as it's successor. The codes for the VS810 models are available through the HTM downloadable database. They have direct codes for selecting inputs 1 thru 5 without having to navigate through the menus to switch inputs.

I was surprised to see that they also had the codes for my Marantz DV-9500 DVD player that had only just been released to the marketplace shortly after I bought my 60VS810. I've set up macros for turning on my entire system with a single button as well as changing all of the inputs to the TV and preamp/processor when I select various components. The pre/pro controls the audio and the TV changes between HDMI inputs for the video. I also have an external Gefen HDMI switcher as I have more than two HDMI components and the macros control them as well.

I've heard good things about the Harmony remotes. Both the HTM and Harmony remotes have on-line IR codes for download in a large database. The HTM is programmable via your PC with a serial cable and it's easy to modify and make changes if and when you add or delete components from your system. Check out the remote-central.com website for info and reviews on just about any remote available.

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum but finally had to chime in after lurking for a couple of weeks.

I recently purchased a 50VS810 from CC and noticed the green right away. It was on the right 1/3 of the the entire screen so even my friends noticed it right away. The effect was that close-ups would have people looking sickly, gray sidewalks would look discolored, clouds and snow would look like someone pee'd there. After a week of this, I searched online and confirmed my suspiscions that something was wrong.

I exchanged it for another set and that seemed much better, at first. Two days later, I began to notice that the green was now on the left side of the screen, but only in the lower left corner, covering about 1/5 of the screen area. I was almost ready to cry. I called Hitachi CS thinking they might have a better solution than to keep exchanging sets, but they referred me to a local repair place who sent out a tech the same day. He looked at it and didn't make much to do about it. He said that all RPTVs have some problems and that the my set was one of the best looking he'd seen. After some more conversation, he said it looked like the problem was on the screen because the image didn't move or change from different viewing angles. He said that defects that appear to change location depending on viewing angle are usually in the light engine or light path. Defects that don't move are usually on the final two screens. He said that he'd confirm with Hitachi and then proceed to replace the screen. He also said that there was no guarantee that it would fix the problem or wouldn't introduce new problems such as dust particles. I'm not sure what to do! I love the TV, the silkscreen effect is noticeable but not too bothersome. The screen door effect isn't too noticeable from my viewing distance of about 9 feet, only bright solid colors show any signs of SDE.

Here's the kicker, I went to the CC near work to check out the other sets. The 50VS810 they had on display had the problem. My coworker instantly pointed it out to me when I did a screen wipe. The 50V710 next to it didn't have the problem. The 60VS810 didn't have the problem and the 70VS810 doesn't have the problem! So far, all three 50VS810's that I've looked at have the problem. Is it the optics design and the relatively small cabinet size of the 50VS810? Can anyone confirm that the green tinge is mostly on the 50VS810 and doesn't appear on the 60 or 70 inch sizes? What should I do? The 60 is too large for my viewing area so that's out of the question. I'm stuck with 50, so I really want to find a good set. Otherwise, I'm returning it and going back to SD!

I have the same concern because I am about to buy the same model.

The word from Hitachi here in Canada is that they had a bad run on the screens themselves. A different supplier supposedly manufactured the 60" and 70" screens.
They say all the service depots are aware of the issue and have replacement screens in stock. Any models manufactured after a certain date should be OK.
My dealer has two in stock, both manufactured in Sept. 2004. I'm worried because I suspect the "new screen" models were made later than that.

The serial # tells you the date V4I for example is "4" for 2004 and "I" for the ninth month (Sept).

Does anyone know which manufacture dates are safe?
Or does the new screen actually solve the problem?

Hmm, my first one started with 4I and my current set starts with 4K. I'm going to ask for an exchange to a unit that starts with a 5D!

I'm not suggesting that pre 2005 sets are bad, it may have been only one month or even part of a month. Who knows...maybe only early '04 sets.
Hard to say when none of us know exactly which production run is the culprit.

Personally, I'll feel more comfortable with a newer unit.
In my case the extended warranty is refundable after 5 years if no claims are made. I figure I've got a better chance of cashing that in if I get a newer set.

I have a 60VS810, and have no noticeable green.

I did have a severe tilt problem on my first set (a 4I serial number, i.e Sept 04), but my replacement 5A (Jan 05) while not perfect was acceptable. I tool a thumb drive with my screen geometry test .jpg to three different CC stores, and all but one set was unacceptable in terms of tilt -- thus I decided that my second set was good enough.

Charlie

Can anyone with a 50VS810 and no green tint problem post the first few characters of their set's serial number? Perhaps we can figure out just when they supposedly switched screen manufacturers.

1. Thanks everyone for the help on remote controls! My mail-ordered Harmony remote on it's way.

2. My 60vs810 was manufactured Sept '04 and has no green tint.

Is this series the most current from Hitachi or is there something new from them coming around the corner?

I was in Sears last night and I saw this TV, the 710, several brands' DLP's, some plasmas, etc. and the Hitachi's really had some of the best PQ on the floor against some rather stiff competition. I was impressed.

I'm looking seriously at Samsung's 1080p DLP line that comes out in several months, but while I sniff around and explore, I wouldn't mind getting to know this territory a little better.

FWIW, the May/June issue of Robb Report Home Entertainment - (I nickname this the Science Fiction/Fantasy magazine because I'll never have the money to do the things shown!) - had an editorial on page 86 that basically put this unit as one of the best HDTV's they have ever seen, period. And these folks see a lot of high end gear. All you have to do is leaf through the magazine for about 20 seconds to see that! ;)

The VS810 and VX915 (Director series with different anti glare screen and some remote features) are the current Hitachi models. No 2005 models have been announced yet, but you have to know they are coming.

I've owned the 60VS810 for about seven weeks and am very happy with my second set ;)

I had a seven year old Pioneer Elite 16x9 SD TV that the Hitachi replaced, and had done much research and vacillating before deciding on the Hitachi. In my mind it is in the top quintile of state of the art sets -- but saying it is the best is a fruitless exercise.

Charlie

Originally posted by aafflyer
The VS810 and VX915 (Director series with different anti glare screen and some remote features) are the current Hitachi models. No 2005 models have been announced yet, but you have to know they are coming.

I've owned the 60VS810 for about seven weeks and am very happy with my second set ;)

I had a seven year old Pioneer Elite 16x9 SD TV that the Hitachi replaced, and had done much research and vacillating before deciding on the Hitachi. In my mind it is in the top quintile of state of the art sets -- but saying it is the best is a fruitless exercise.

Charlie

I don't see a lot of displeased owners and Hitachi usually has a stirling reputation. I sure as hell can't argue with what my eyes saw last night. It's a contender for sure. If Hitachi puts out a successor in the next few months or so that does 1080p like the Sammy DLP's will, then it would come down to a direct shootout for me at that point. I'll be very eager to see what they will roll out for 2005. I hope they announce something soon!

Even as is...it's pretty close. I was impressed with these sets very much.

As a happy owner, do you honestly have any...cons, warnings, pet peeves about this set that you could tell me about?

Well not with the 50vs810 yet, Being delivered this Sat, but I do have a huge problem with a bad light engine after only 16 months on a 50v500. Hitachi has been very fair deciding to exchange the unit for a 810 rather than replace the light engine due to availability problems.

I'm not holding my breath, but at least CC & Hitachi honor their warranty obligations.

Originally posted by Q of BanditZ
As a happy owner, do you honestly have any...cons, warnings, pet peeves about this set that you could tell me about? 1) Don't buy this type of purchase over the net. Any savings will be lost if you have problems.
2) Check out your geometry with some type of test pattern. While I'm happy with my 2nd Hitachi, the first one was unacceptable.
3) Don't second guess your decision. But if you do get a defective TV, deal with it during your exchange / refund period.
4) There will always be something better / cheaper after you purchase. Make the best decision for you and enjoy.

Charlie

I know the Hitachi camp here is small compared to sony,samsung and toshiba but after watching about 8 hours of HD on the s810, wow.

Of course I was watching a v500 whith a red cloud covering 1/3rd of the screen for 1.5 months so a b/w zeinth would have looked good in comparison.

Build date Nov. 04
One stuck red pixel, upper left
no green discoloration in the corners
The screen really is like a mirror in the daytime especially with a few windows around.

The built in atsc tuner is not that great on weak signals, the Huges htl-hd handels OTA much better.

i have been watching this tv for a couple of months. the more i watch the better i feel about buying it. I have seen a two of the set that rival it in home enivroment the sony and the mits and i don, think either comes close

Anyone know who sells the Hitachi VX915 series in the
San Jose, CA area?
Circuit City sells the VS810, but not VX915.
I'd like to compare the two.
Thanks.

I about to give up on this TV. I'm on my third set of 50VS810. This one has the green bleed problem, a noisy fan and a skewed picture. My second set was probably the best of the three but it still had green bleed. At least the picture was straight and the fan was quiet. The first set had severe green bleed. The curious thing is that I didn't see any green bleed on the 60VS810 and 70VS810 that I looked at. Does anyone have any experience with the 50VX915? The Hitachi has all of the connectivity options I want and the cabinet has the best aesthetics of any RPTV. If not this TV, then what? 50" is really the largest screen my viewing area can accomodate at 720 resolution. If I go to 1080 resolution, will I be able to accomodate a 56"?

Chris,

Can you describe what the "Green Bleed" looks like?

Bought one of these yesterday, after much deliberation including reading this thread.

Want to know what to look for. I have 30 days to return the set if I'm not happy.

I've heard that the 50" screen used a different supplier than the 60 & 70.

What is your serial#? The production date can be determined from that.

Go into the screen saver settings under the Setup menu. There's an option called "wipe" or "screen wipe". If you select it, the entire screen will turn white. You'll see all the uniformity problems then. Look at the corners and there may be a greenish hue kind of cloudy in appearance. Another thing you'll notice that is normal to RPTVs is the center will appear brighter than the edges of the screen, but it's normal as long as it's symmetrical and not skewed to one side or the other. Again, out of the 8 or so sets I've looked at, only the 50" had the green. The 60" and 70" didn't appear to have any green bleed. I plan to find a 50VX915 to look at just to see if it has the green bleed, too.

Did the screen swipe.

There might, and I stress might be a very very slight greenish tint on the lower corners. Or maybe just not quite as bright as the centre.

Will have to check again later. It may not be there....I keep expecting the worst.

Thanks for the tip. Not sure if I would have figured that out from the manual (which of course I haven't read yet).

PS Not sure why I called you "Chris"....brain cramp I guess.

Went to the local Cambridge Soundworks at lunch and saw the 50VX915. It also has a slight green bleed. The serial number was V4D something. So far, every single 50" Hitachi VS810 I've seen has the green bleed. I haven't seen any 60" or 70" with the problem and the 50V710 was fine, too. I'm going to call Hitachi tech support and try to get a candid answer from them. If this is part of the design, that would be really sad. If the TV was much cheaper, say under $2000 USD, I might learn to live with it. But at this price, I can't stand the fact that snow, clouds and white screens in videgames have this green cloud near the lower edges of the TV.

Although I'm not a VS810 owner anymore (now Sony 55XS owner) I would like
to inform the VS810 current owners that after having both sets in my living room (although my 3 sets were plagued with green bleed bad, vertical banding) that the picture on the Hitachi sets I find to be superior to my new Sony. HDTV content is 90% of Hitachi's at best but of course by no means is this bad, it's gorgeous as well, but I preferred the Hitachi. The "4:3 expanded" mode for viewing SDTV is far superior with the Hitachi. I have always encouraged curious buyers to go with the Hitachi, hoping they get a good set first off as I can attest to the slight superiority with the Hitachi over the Sony XS models.
I am happy now as I don't have any green bleed or vertical banding problems but I do miss my 50VS810. I would like to note that asthetically they both are gorgeous when setup and both produce that "WOW" effect for visitors.
Enjoy your vs810 models and bask in the glory knowing the 810 outshines the bigboy Sony :) .......at least from my viewing and tweaking experiences.

Vertical Banding??

Don't tell me there's something else I need to look for.

Can someone please describe this problem so that I know what to look for?

Thanks

Vertical banding is not so common as the green bleed is for this TV.
It's as if the screen was 1 solid blue colour and then someone took a pencil eraser and erased a vertical line from top to bottom every 1 cm across the entire screen, so the erased line was a slightly less blue than the rest of the screen.
I wouldn't worry about this as a "common" problem with the Hitachi's.
I'd suggest that your basic worries are the Green bleed (use the screen saver "wipe" function for this) and the smear/smudge that looks like liquid is inbetween the screen, which is actually created from condensation on the lens system that is magnified on the screen, but does go away after each on/off cycle approximately 1-2 hours after continous operation.

The vertical banding you're describing sounds like what some people are calling silkscreen effect. I think this is common to all microdisplay RPTVs. I've noticed this on the Samsung DLPs that I've looked at but you're right that Hitachi LCDs seem to show it more clearly. It doesn't bother me much because it's uniform across the screen and, like the SDE, seems to disappear at the proper viewing distances.

Vertical banding is quite different from SSE. This physically looks like lines from top to bottom acrooss the entire screen that are either lighter or darker than what the picture should be. Colour a square with a pencil fully. Then take an eraser and lightly move it from top to bottom over the square showing 1 line, onscreen this line is showsn across the entire surface. That is vertical banding as best as I can describe it. But again this is a very limited problem with the Hitachi's I had, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Just a quick note to say after 10 weeks still happy with the 60VS810.

While I can't be sure, I think the happy Hitachi owners outnumber the unhappy previous owners by at least 20 to 1.

I didn't want anyone thinking about the set reading nothing but bad stuff here in this thread...

And if the serial number above was 4D... that was an April 2004 set.

Charlie

Has anyone adjusted there color management settings on there Hitachi, I'm still searching for that ideal picture and am wondering if the CM settings are being tweeked by anyone.

I did a search and found nothing.

Right now I am trying to decide between one of the few remaining Sony 60XBR950 sets and the Hitachi 60VS810. My wife and I both like the styling of the Hitachi much better than the Sony. However, we still have not made the purchase, as the Sonys (all of the current models) seem to have a "whiter" white than the Hitachis. This is obvious when you look at white text on a black background. The differences are particularly obvious if you are looking at any of the Hitachi VS810 models compared to a 50-70 inch Sony in a store like Circuit City.

I have experimented quite a bit with all of the user video controls on several store demo Hitachis to try a get a more brilliant and "whiter" white. To my eye, the following settings have improved the Hitachi's picture quality, including the whites.

First set first and second page video settings to the factory defaults, by selecting the reset option at the bottom of the both pages of the video settings.
Then make the following adjustments:

Main settings (these are saved for each input)
Contrast/Picture 95
Brightness 70
Color 53
Sharpness 66

The following settings are on the second page of the Hitachi video settings, and I believe they only apply to the set's component inputs:

Color Management
Yellow gain 45
Green gain 40
Blue gain 60

Color Decoder
Red 53
Green 40
Color 53


The above settings should apply to all of the VS810s, but you may need to vary other settings according to your room lighting situation. Basically, by decreasing the green and increasing the blue a bit, I think you will get much more brilliant whites and more natural colors overall on the Hitachi VS. The Sony's whites are still a bit better, but the adjustments I cited above have the effect of bleaching the Hitachi's whites a bit. If you can compare the Sony and Hitachi sets side by side, I think you will be very impressed by the adjusted Hitachi picture. Circuit City often has the Hitachi 70 inch set located near some 55-70 inch Sony sets so that you can make this comparison.

I would appreciate feedback from other Hitachi VS/VX owners on how the above settings work for you. If you have some recommended settings for the 50/60/70 inch sets, please post them to this thread, as NMAS requested.

I like my 50VS810 and will keep it. But it isn't perfect. This is my first HDTV so I'm no expert. And I know other sets have faults too. The silk screen was bad at first. But after a while of viewing at 10' back, I have not been noticing it as much. You can see glare, but I don't notice that anymore either. I don't see screen door at all. I see a very slight dusting of green in the lower corners. But this is only noticable on completely white images. Otherwise you can't see it at all. My set is also a hair less than perfectly square on 4:3 material (0.5" bow at lower left corner). I love the picture (even SD programming) with everyday material. But once the image gets white or dark, its less than perfect. It might be my settings (only Digital Video Essentials), but whites are blindingly bright and I seem to be suffering from black crush. I think the black crush is mostly SD material on DirecTV. Because the blacks have much more detail on DVD. Unfortunately I don't have any HD material to view on the set yet. DirecTV probably won't have HD locals for me until 2006. If you have access to more HD programming, I would check out the DLP. The Samsung DLP beat the 50VS810 in the latest Sound&Vision Magazine.

Chris

Borchert,

Since you have calibrated your set a bit with DVE and indicate that you have bright whites, can you post the numerical settings for all of the video controls that have been changed relative to the Hitachi's day default settings? Thanks.

BigTVSteve- you did these settings in the store?? My concern is how bright that store is . My main settings are much lower, I'm not at home, but I think my contrast is around 40, brightness is about the same and colour is in the 30's.

I will give yours a whirl and see how it looks.

NMAS,

Yes, these were in store settings, so I had to compensate for the brighter lighting than in the home. Let us know how you like these settings and whether they make your whites a little brighter and cleaner.

Out of the box, I think the Hitachi whites are sort of dingy (towards gray a bit) compared to the Sony's out of the box settings. I think that is because there is a little too much green in the Hitachi default settings.

I am finding there is a bit too much green, that is essentially why I posted my questions.

I am finding there is a bit too much green, that is essentially why I posted my questions.

I believe I ran close to those settings as well when I had my 50VS810's.
45 Contrast 52 Brightness and 31 Colour, Tint notched 4-5 to the right. These settings were from a completely dark room for Movie viewing. I think I also turned down the Green in the Colour management and that was as best I could do but the green was still there. The green itself apparently is not something you can get rid of only mask it. After the 3 sets I had, eventually Hitachi had actually agreed with me and talked with me and the store stating they are aware of the light engine issue producing green bleed. I believe the compactness of the engine coupled with the case size has created this. As someone above mentioned the 60's and 70's I've seen (albeit only a few) did not produce this bleed either. Hitachi credited the store what I paid for the TV/Stand and pretty much gave up. So I switched brands. If it's only a little intrusion on the bottom corners and you can deal with it then deal with it. It's the best Fixed Pixel display (minus a few plasma's) while displaying HD Content that I've seen, including the new Sony XS series. See if you can swing a 60'' version maybe :p

Anyone know who sells the Hitachi VX915 series in the
San Jose, CA area?
Circuit City sells the VS810, but not VX915.
I'd like to compare the two.
Thanks.

Hi victorb ...

I'm a new user to the forum who just bought a 50VX915 from Century Stereo (in the shopping center at Saratoga & Prospect) in San Jose and I'm eagerly awaiting installation on June 16th

I realize that it's been about a month since your post, but hopefully this will be helpful to you.

Palsgraf948

my set has the vertical banding problem, and I didn't know what it was until now. It's not blue however, just clear. It was very annoying when i first got the set, but my eyes have now become accustomed to it.

NMAS, Borchert, Others,

Can you post your best video settings and observations of their effect on the picture quality of your Hitachis? I don't think the default factory settings do much to sell these sets out of the showrooms. There is just too much emphasis on green and the out of the box whites are not that good, either. However, I think these are among the most user-adjustable sets on the market.

As I understand things so far, the color management and color decoder gain settings affect the picture most during bright scenes. I am not so sure about how the phase settings in the color management menu affect the picture. Maybe the phase settings affect the picture more during dark scenes?? Anyway, I have dialed the green and yellow gain back a bit in order to get better whites out of these sets; so far I have left the phase settings at the factory defaults of 50%. Does anyone know how best to set these Hitachi settings by eye or through use of a diagnostic DVD disk?

Actually, my 50VS810 had pretty good video settings out of the box. I used a Digital Video Essentials DVD to calibrate and only changed the brightness slightly, and turned down color by 4 percent and then in the color decoder turned down red by 2 percent. The main thing is to change the color temp to medium, or whatever it's called, instead of standard. I think it might be more accurate than standard. I also had the black enhancement on medium without noticing any loss in detail. Posting actual settings isn't going to help much because every set is slightly different, hence the need for calibration. Get a copy of Digital Video Essentials for $20 or so and it'll pay for itself the first time you use it.

Unforunately, I don't think I can live with the green bleed in the corners. I guess I'm just sensitive to green or something because I can see it everything there's a light-colored scene.

Has anyone posted the adjustment procedure for fixing/minimizing vertical banding yet? Sorry, I haven't read all 28 pages of this thread.

bump

Whats the difference between the v710 & vs810?

Looking at the 50" and the delta is $200.

VS810 has a smaller cabinet design that eliminates the lower base seen on all RPTVs. It's got a higher contrast screen, but is more reflective. Nicer style, more input options. I think picture quality between the two sets is very similar. VS810 just has much, much nicer aesthetics. And a beautiful matching stand, too!

Just be aware that the 50" sets have a green bleed problem usually seen in the corners but can intrude into more than 1/3 of the viewing area in really bad cases.

VS810 has a smaller cabinet design that eliminates the lower base seen on all RPTVs. It's got a higher contrast screen, but is more reflective. Nicer style, more input options. I think picture quality between the two sets is very similar. VS810 just has much, much nicer aesthetics. And a beautiful matching stand, too!

Just be aware that the 50" sets have a green bleed problem usually seen in the corners but can intrude into more than 1/3 of the viewing area in really bad cases.

Has it ever been determined if all sets have green bleed or just some of them?

I recently bought this set and some white backgrounds seem to have a greenish hue at times but that's about it. How obvious is this green bleed.

I need to decide within a week if it's staying or going.

The new Hitachis look pretty good too cosmetically. Would love to know if they have dealt with this issue.

How do you eliminate "Green Bleed"?

Just be aware that the 50" sets have a green bleed problem usually seen in the corners but can intrude into more than 1/3 of the viewing area in really bad cases.

I'd be careful and say "some" 50" sets have a green bleed problem...that is not the case with my 50vs810 (and others).

I'd be careful and say "some" 50" sets have a green bleed problem...that is not the case with my 50vs810 (and others).

And this problem is easily found doing the "screen wipe" procedure once you have it at home?

And this problem is easily found doing the "screen wipe" procedure once you have it at home?

Probably so. I have done the wipe on mine and it's completely white.

I have a 50v710 (manufactured Feb 05) and it does not have green bleed problem.

I would have to say that the 50v710 with the matching tv stand looks just as good as the vs810 box. That's because the lower part of the tv looks like part of the stand and the actual floating tv screen style appears slim -- great effect.

While the v710 has that extra 6" at the bottom, it looks like the VS810 is bigger in the back. It's quite noticeable if you compare them side by side.

At Circuit City, they have a mock living room with the vs810 and v710 right next to each other. The more reflective nature of the vs810 screen was very noticeable with the store lights, although the overall picture quality of the two tv's looked similar.

mwgordon,

Can you tell me what the first two characters of your set's serial number are? I've gone through 4 sets and have looked at a total of 7 sets of 50VS810 and I can see green bleed on all of them. Some of the sales people don't see it right away, but all my friends see it without me even having to point it out to them. I would consider myself blessed if I could find a set that I didn't see green bleed on!

The serial number will start with a "V" , second a number for the year ("4" for 2004 etc.), 3rd a letter for the month ("A" for January, "B" for February etc.)

V5B........... for February 2005

Oh right, I guess I need the second and third characters. The first character is always V.

Looking at pg 23 of the owners manual (from pg 1 of this thread), it shows that a 480i/480p signal and a NTSC/480i/480p signal. Can someone help clarify the two?

I'm just thinking of the dvd's that I *don't* have in widescreen format. It looks like if it views them in the non-NTSC/480i/480p format (scenario #2), they will be somewhat compressed on screen assuming I am using progressive scan dvd player with something other than an hdmi input.

Am I interpreting this correctly?

480i and 480p signals can come in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios. Widescreen DVDs are typically 480i/p and 16:9 aspect ratio. A 4:3 aspect ratio DVD would be treated as an NTSC/480i/480p input if you go by that page in the manual. NTSC over-the-air or cable is 480i and 4:3. ATSC over-the-air or cable can be all sorts of combinations of resolution and aspect ratio. These are the digital stations that can be HD, SD, ED or whatever.

There isn't any DVD you can't watch in it's native and proper aspect ratio.

Thanks for the clarification!

I went to CC yesterday and drooled again. It was sitting next to the Kirk and the WF655. What a beautiful set and picture.

My only concern left is my viewing distance of 7' or so against the 50" screen and SDE. I think I may be on the border...

Hey Guys,

I need your help and advice. I had the same problem like some of you here. Green Bleed and Blotches. Blotches dissipate usually in 30 minutes. Today, a technician from a local company came to check my TV. First of all, he told me that the Hitachi warranty does not cover the screen replacement. As far as I understood from this thread, this is not true. The technician suggested to me to take my TV to be repaired for 10-20 days. I asked him to change the screen at my home. He told me that it isn't possible, and that his company is only one that has Hitachi support. My serial number is V41******. What is your suggestion, what should I do in this situation ?

Thanks,
Elena

.

Hey Guys,

I need your help and advice. I had the same problem like some of you here. Green Bleed and Blotches. Blotches dissipate usually in 30 minutes. Today, a technician from a local company came to check my TV. First of all, he told me that the Hitachi warranty does not cover the screen replacement. As far as I understood from this thread, this is not true. The technician suggested to me to take my TV to be repaired for 10-20 days. I asked him to change the screen at my home. He told me that it isn't possible, and that his company is only one that has Hitachi support. My serial number is V41******. What is your suggestion, what should I do in this situation ?

Thanks,
Elena

.

Elena,

I had my screen replaced about 3 months ago for the blotches,and they did it in my house in about two hours and to this day no more blotches.

Hitachi warranty does cover the screen replacement and in your home, I would call Hitachi and tell them about your problem.

Hope this helps, Hoss

Elena,

I had my screen replaced about 3 months ago for the blotches,and they did it in my house in about two hours and to this day no more blotches.

Hitachi warranty does cover the screen replacement and in your home, I would call Hitachi and tell them about your problem.

Hope this helps, Hoss

Thanks for your replay Hoss! Just called Hitachi. Rep. told me that the screen covered under the warranty for only 30 days?! I am already have this set longer.
Did you have green bleed?
Rep. told me that it is for sure not a screen issue. :rolleyes:

Thanks for your replay Hoss! Just called Hitachi. Rep. told me that the screen covered under the warranty for only 30 days?! I am already have this set longer.
Did you have green bleed?
Rep. told me that it is for sure not a screen issue. :rolleyes:


Elena,

Remember that there are 2 screens, the inner and outer I believe the outer screen is for 30 day warranty because I had my set for 3 or 4 months when they replaced the inner screen.


Yes I have the green bleed and they replaced the light engine and I still have it,
I'm going to wait a while then call hitachi and see if they have a fix for it.

It's hard for me too believe that Hitachi won't fix your set when they know that
the screens are defective.I just wondering how many people had there screens
replaced.

I would call them back and tell them that you had these blotches since day one
and that your set is unwatchable and getting worse every day.That you did'nt pay all that money to look at blotches on the screen.The blotches start out small
then they start to grow so it's hard to tell at first if you have them at least that's what happened to me.

See Ya, Hoss

Elena,

With respect to the blotches, I would do as Hoss suggests above and call them again. Using your zip code, you can get a list of all of the authorized Hitachi service centers in your area from the www.hitachi.com web site.

To reduce or eliminate the "too green" effect on most of these Hitachis, you need to make some user level video adjustments. Try my recommended settings on page 28 of this thread. They have greatly improved the naturalness of the picture on a number of these sets for me. I own a 60VS810, but I have tried these and similar settings on about 10 Hitachi sets (all of the VS and VX series sizes) before I purchased the 60 incher.

Basically, you need to reduce the green gains a bit and increase the blue and red gains. Settings will vary a little from set to set, but these recommended settings will get you much closer to a good picture than the factory defaults do. Hitachi must have some 80 year old guy with cataracts in Tokyo who arrived at the factory defaults; the typical human eye is very sensitive to the color green.

Let us know how your resolve these issues. Good luck.

So I'm looking at the vs810 right next to the v710 - and besides the obvious difference in aesthetics - is the 810 (with stand) worth an extra $600 over the 710?

The sets looked pretty damn good - not sure if I can see the difference.

Am I missing something from a technical viewpoint?

I have the 70VS810 and it is an excellent set...I wonder, too, what what the difference is but no matter, I got an excellent price at CC for it with stand.
Aesthetics is a personal thing, buy it instead for the picture...but does the V710 have 2 HDMI inputs, day/night settings, as nice a remote and as many colour settings as the VS810?
So,maybe that is the difference, too. :)

Hoss and BigTVSteve, thanks a lot for clarification! I've called to Hitachi one's more time and asked about anouther service company in my area. The guy from them will come tomorrow or next week.
BigTVSteve, I know that I have to colibrate my set. I've just bought AVIA for this porpose.
Thanks and I will keep you posted.

Elena

I have the 70VS810 and it is an excellent set...I wonder, too, what what the difference is but no matter, I got an excellent price at CC for it with stand.
Aesthetics is a personal thing, buy it instead for the picture...but does the V710 have 2 HDMI inputs, day/night settings, as nice a remote and as many colour settings as the VS810?
So,maybe that is the difference, too. :)


Did you buy the extended warranty from CC? A Hitachi dealer told me to go directly to Hitachi for the plan - you can activate it up to 11 months and xx days after you purchase the set.

I'm trying to keep this purchase reasonable but also do the right thing.

Thanks.

does anyone know how to set contrast using DVE?
I have a 60vs810 and the test pattern they show does not "bloom" like the say.
I notice alot of low contrast settings in this forum is this correct?

also does it matter which lamp temp you are using?

Also I noticed alot of the settings that are posted are calibrated with the high lamp setting.... with my 50v500 I had a standard setting that was supposedly the norm.

Is this TVs settings complete different? IMO I still think standard or medium looks more natural and realistic that high... high looks washed out to me...

Did you buy the extended warranty from CC? A Hitachi dealer told me to go directly to Hitachi for the plan - you can activate it up to 11 months and xx days after you purchase the set.

I'm trying to keep this purchase reasonable but also do the right thing.

Thanks.

Yes, I did a two year warranty since it included lamp replacement and friends of mine had excellent experiences with CC on their inhouse warranties.

I dont believe the best color reproduction is on high temp... I think it over saturates the picture making it looked over exposed, I think medium or standard is a better alternative.

Yes, I did a two year warranty since it included lamp replacement and friends of mine had excellent experiences with CC on their inhouse warranties.

Manufacture's warranty should be (think it includes bulb at least samsung does) use an americanexpress card and they double - all for free...or is CC 2+ the one

Digimat,

Can you get nice "white" whites with your standard or medium color temperature settings? I have tried a number of video adjustments and cannot get the Hitachi's whites to look natural on settings other than high for color temperature. The whites appear sort of dingy or dirty, unless I am using the high color temperature setting. I have a 60VS810 and have done a lot of comparisons and tuning to the Sony GWIII, GWIV, and Hitachi VS/VX sets. Properly adjusted, I think the Hitachi picture is a little more natural (better flesh tones, more of a 3D look) than the Sony's, but the Sony's whites are still a little brighter and more natural to my eyes.

Either post or PM me your complete video settings and I will give them a try and let you know how they work on my set.

Your right BigSteve its hard to get the whites truly white with any setting other than high... playing amped 2 on standard looks like spring skiing at whistler....

but I feel the rest of the color palette looks much more accurate with a standard or medium setting and achieving higher dteail in the process , of course this does sometimes depend on the material you are watching... some dvds look better on high and vice versa...

heres my settings for standard..

contrast 80
brightness 53
color 31
tint 6 to right
sharpness 30
color decoding - didn't really change these settings.

used DVE with samsund dvd player and HDMI - contrast setting may be a bit high but I dont really know how to properly adjust it with DVE.

I will try with medium setting tonight and post those settings as well.

Hello everyone. I need some major advice on what to do about my 50vs810. I purchased one last month. Everything worked great until about day #26 and my TV just went out while I watched it. The screen turned off and the red lamp and temp lights started blinking very fast. They continued blinking for about 30 seconds or so and then the lamp light just stayed lit. I assumed I just got a bad set so I decided to exchange it at Circuit City.

They bring me a brand new set and set it up and everything looks great. 5 days later the same exact thing happened. I called Hitachi and they said that they have never heard of such a thing with the temp and lamp lights blinking simultaneously.

I could get a 3rd TV but I decided to have a tech come out to see what the heck is wrong with the TV. Did I get two bad lamps back to back??? The first TV I purchased, I had to pick up at another store because the one by my house was out of stock. The 2nd one that was brought to me came from the store by my house!!!

I purchased an 80 dollar Monster Surge protector just for my TV so I know nothing shorted out. Everything is hooked up properly as well. What do you suggest I do???? I love this TV to death and I don't want another one as this one has all the features that I want. And it looks much nicer which I'm sure all of you know.

Also I have the same issues with the blotches on my screen. Unfortunately I am just past my 30 day warranty, but Circuit City said that since I had to exchange for a 2nd TV, my 30 day warranty resets itself. I purchased the extended warranty so do I have to go through them to get the screen replaced?? Or do I have to go directly through Hitachi???

Please any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Frank

Your post regarding the CC purchase on a VS810 Hitachi would have scared me into not buying my 70VS810, but I did see other posts
in several other forums regarding the 50-inch models, even before I bought it.

I went to CC several times before buying the 70" one, viewing this model in the 50, 60 and 70 inch sizes as these were displayed and even though I was only buying a 70" model to update and replace my older Mitsubishi, I noticed some colour differences in the Hitachi 50" to the Sony 50" side-by-side, same programmes.
The Hitachi 50" set had a greenish-cast and the 50" Sony, the KDF-50WF655, did not. It seemed pretty clear to stay away from the Hitachi in that size.
I do believe the internals are manufactured a different location than the 60 and 70 sizes per what I had read in other forums (maybe this one!).
Here is what I would do with CC if I were you unless you have the stand that goes with it (do you?)...ask them to replace it with a different brand of 50", similarly priced or ask them if they want to give you your money back.

I know the Samsung 50" and the Sony 50" both looked better than that 50" Hitachi and if my 48" Mits (which STILL looks better per size) died out or whatever, I would not buy another Hitachi 50" unless it was LCoS or plasma.
Your only option is a different brand, similarily priced or cash back and be done with it. I am very distressed at the fact I have TWO HDTVs from CC (with extended warranties) and that is how they treat their customers!

RealDeal,

Contrary to what GParris just posted, it sounds like CC is honoring their warranty and 30 day satisfaction guarantee to you. Since you have some green blotches, I think you are doing the right thing by having a tech come to your house to make the necessary repairs on the screen and electronics problems. If the set cannot be repaired in a timely fashion, then that would be the time to exercise your 30 day return rights. Under their sales terms, CC would take the stand back, too, so you don't need to worry about that. Just to be certain about your situation, I would talk to the CC manager and get his agreement prior to proceeding with the repair approach.

I looked at a large number of these Hitachi sets before purchasing my 60VS810. In my experience, all of them (50, 60, and 70 inch sizes) needed some video adjustments for better, brighter whites and to reduce their tendency to emphasize green colors. I did not notice that the 50 inch sets were any better or any worse in this regard. The 50 inch set is capable of producing a very nice picture when properly adjusted.

You will probably need to decrease the green and yellow gains by 5-10% in the color management video settings and decrease the green by about the same amount in the color decoder settings. Most other sets (including the non-XBR Sonys) do not have this level of user adjustability, so I would stick with the Hitachi, even though the picture is a little trickier to adjust.

I also have a two year old Sony 50XBR800 LCD RPTV, so I am pretty familiar with the pros and cons of each manufacturer. The Sonys tend to have a little too much emphasis on the color red ("sunburned faces"), but this is also controllable with user level video settings. No set that I have seen is perfect.

I appreciate your comments on what to do guys. Still, have you heard of these TV's lamps going out so soon?? If it is just a lamp problem and they replace the lamp, will I be okay for the next couple of years or am I going to have to worry about this problem happening again.

Also, as far as the blotches go. Do screen adjustments that you mentioned take care of this problem?? Or will they have to replace the screen?

I have been looking at other 50" TV's but none of them have the features that I want. Do you know of any other TV's with 2 HDMI inputs? Also, I am staying away from Samsung DLP's because I have been reading reviews on how they are not good for video games. I've also heard they have a delay on voices with some DVD's as well and that is just not acceptable. I'm sure I'll be able to return the stand as well but I don't want to have to go researching more TV's

I really want to keep this TV. I just don't understand how you can spend so much money on a TV that has this many problems. My 7 year old Sony Trinitron that I spent 500 bucks on had better reliability than this TV.

RealDeal,

The lamps are "supposed" to last for 6000-8000 hours of viewing. Good advice is leave the TV off for about 30 minutes before turning it back on. The cooling fan should run for a few minutes after each shutdown.

I have not seen the screen blotches on any of the 12-15 Hitachis that I have looked at. To help verify if you have this problem, go to the Setup>ScreenSaver option in the menu and select the Screen Wipe menu item. You should see a uniformly white screen with no blotches. The video adjustments I mentioned previously will not correct a defective screen.

If you have screen blotches, other owners have reported that the internal screen must be replaced by a technician. Be careful on this, as the Hitachi warranty on the external screen is only for 30 days. If you have the CC extended warranty, you should be covered for the full period of the extension period.

In case you decide to switch horses, both the Sony 55XS955 and 60XS955 LCD RPTVs have dual HDMI inputs. If you can get your technical issues resolved, I would stick with the Hitachi.

Does the 50VS810 automatically choose the input format based on what's feeding it? I'm refering to 480I/480P/720P etc.
I borrowed a Panny DVD-S27, set it to progressive enabled and plunked in a DVD. When I press the info key on the TV remote the OSD in the top right corner says it's displaying 480I. Should it not say 480P? I can't find anything in the manual pertaining to this.
I'm new at this stuff....am I missing somwthing obvious?

I think you have to set the dvd player to progressive.
The tv will automatically detect the resolution.

BigTVSteve,

Thanks for the input on the other TV's with 2 HDMI's. A Circuit City Tech is coming out to look at my TV tomorrow to see why it blew it's lamp so fast. Hopefully they keep the lamps in stock so I don't have to wait for a long time for one. I did purchase the extended warranty. Should I just tell them that the screen blotches is a very well known problem and it's the inner screen that needs replaced? If so, will they come to my house and install it or am I going to have to let them take my TV for a while?

Regarding your burned out lamp:

You might consider buying a little ups battery backup for your tv electronics theater. This can be great for saving your bulb if there are minor power fluctuations, brownouts. And if there is a blackout, you have time to power down your system correctly. I think bulbs last longer with this setup imho. I bought one at costco for $95 -- excellent high end model.

RealDeal,

Others have had their Hitachi screens replaced in home and that is what I would strongly request if I were you and my TV had the green blotchies. You might want to do some searches on the word blotch and get some ammunition ready for the tech visit.

Please let us know what the CC tech says about your two short life/dead bulbs. Some other brands with quickly expiring bulbs have had some other parts (capacitors, I believe) retrofitted into them by their manufacturers. I have not heard of this bulb problem with the Hitachi VX or VS series, though.

Well, the Circuit City Tech came to my house today and here is what he thinks is going on with my set. I wasn't at home by the way, my roommate was there. He apparently said that the bulb looked like it was in good shape. He is going to order me a new bulb just in case. He said that he is going to replace the power ballast (I think that's what he said, he had a deep accent). Anyways, this is going to take about 5 business days to get the parts in which sucks but CC said they would give me a loaner TV in the meantime.

He also told me that sometimes during the shipping process, a bulb can "leak" something which causes the bulb to go out prematurely. But then he told me today that the bulb looked like it was in good shape. He told me that this was his first service call for a 50vs810 model and was suprised what happened with both of my sets. My set is plugged directly into a Monster Surge Protector so I know it wasn't a power surge.

I've decided to let them fix it to see if that fixes the problem instead of getting a 3rd set and rolling the dice. I just hope this takes care of the problem. Has anyone heard of the power ballast??? What does it do???

Picked up my loaner TV last night and I spoke to one of the salesman. I told him about the problems I've been having and he told me something interesting. He said that there are several bad areas in the City of Aurora, CO, which is where I live, that have really bad power surges. I told him I had a Monster Surge Protector and he asked me which one I had. I showed him and he said that that is not enough to handle such surges!!!! I was pretty baffled and I'm not sure he knew what he was talking about but it did get me thinking.

I spent 80 bucks on an 1850 joule rated Surge Protector from Monster. It's not the most expensive one but it is pretty nice. The guy I bought the TV from told me that the one I bought should be just fine for my TV and equipment.
Every once in a while, our lights do dim and get bright all of a sudden. Nothing really major but it is noticeable. Could this be enough to cause a surge in the TV even though it is plugged directly into my surge protector??

Here's another crazy thing. Last night when I unplugged my 50vs810 to plug in my loaner, I noticed that my TV wasn't plugged into the surge protector. It was plugged into the wall!!! I wondered why that was and I remembered that when CC brought me this 2nd TV, they plugged it in to test to make sure that it worked. Well they didn't plug it into my surge protector and I didn't even notice. Now I'm really wondering if the 2nd TV did go out because of a surge. If so, should I even worry about getting it fixed?? Could it have caused more serious problems and if so should I just get a 3rd TV??

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks for all your help.

Your right BigSteve its hard to get the whites truly white with any setting other than high... playing amped 2 on standard looks like spring skiing at whistler....

but I feel the rest of the color palette looks much more accurate with a standard or medium setting and achieving higher dteail in the process , of course this does sometimes depend on the material you are watching... some dvds look better on high and vice versa...

heres my settings for standard..

contrast 80
brightness 53
color 31
tint 6 to right
sharpness 30
color decoding - didn't really change these settings.

used DVE with samsund dvd player and HDMI - contrast setting may be a bit high but I dont really know how to properly adjust it with DVE.

I will try with medium setting tonight and post those settings as well.


Digimat,

Did you really mean to say that you had tint set to 6 clicks toward green (i.e., to the right of center)? I tried your settings above, but this resulted in a picture on my 60VS810 that further emphasized the greens; the whites were not very natural either. I tried all three color temperatures with your settings, but they still did not work on my set. I am using the Hitachi's internal HDTV tuner and an external VOOM receiver and a DVD player, both connected via component cables.

Perhaps the HDMI input requires different video settings than the component cables or the internal tuner, as I am using my set. To get the most natural picture on my set I need to reduce the green gain (to 40 or so) and yellows (to 45) and then increase the blues (to 55-60), as I posted above. The increase in the blue really helps to cure the "dingy/dirty" whites problem that these sets seem to have with the factory settings. To get the most natural fleshtones on some programs, I have the tint control 2-4 clicks to the left (toward the red).

Picked up my loaner TV last night and I spoke to one of the salesman. I told him about the problems I've been having and he told me something interesting. He said that there are several bad areas in the City of Aurora, CO, which is where I live, that have really bad power surges. I told him I had a Monster Surge Protector and he asked me which one I had. I showed him and he said that that is not enough to handle such surges!!!! I was pretty baffled and I'm not sure he knew what he was talking about but it did get me thinking.

I spent 80 bucks on an 1850 joule rated Surge Protector from Monster. It's not the most expensive one but it is pretty nice. The guy I bought the TV from told me that the one I bought should be just fine for my TV and equipment.
Every once in a while, our lights do dim and get bright all of a sudden. Nothing really major but it is noticeable. Could this be enough to cause a surge in the TV even though it is plugged directly into my surge protector??

Here's another crazy thing. Last night when I unplugged my 50vs810 to plug in my loaner, I noticed that my TV wasn't plugged into the surge protector. It was plugged into the wall!!! I wondered why that was and I remembered that when CC brought me this 2nd TV, they plugged it in to test to make sure that it worked. Well they didn't plug it into my surge protector and I didn't even notice. Now I'm really wondering if the 2nd TV did go out because of a surge. If so, should I even worry about getting it fixed?? Could it have caused more serious problems and if so should I just get a 3rd TV??

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks for all your help.

All of your garden variety surge protectors are not equiped to handle slow power surges, like your lights dimming/brightening... they are really set up for very fast transients such as lightning strikes and momentary hits on the like from loads coming on and off. It sounds like you might need to invest in a UPS with a fast switch over...

T

Digimat,

Did you really mean to say that you had tint set to 6 clicks toward green (i.e., to the right of center)? I tried your settings above, but this resulted in a picture on my 60VS810 that further emphasized the greens; the whites were not very natural either. I tried all three color temperatures with your settings, but they still did not work on my set. I am using the Hitachi's internal HDTV tuner and an external VOOM receiver and a DVD player, both connected via component cables.

Perhaps the HDMI input requires different video settings than the component cables or the internal tuner, as I am using my set. To get the most natural picture on my set I need to reduce the green gain (to 40 or so) and yellows (to 45) and then increase the blues (to 55-60), as I posted above. The increase in the blue really helps to cure the "dingy/dirty" whites problem that these sets seem to have with the factory settings. To get the most natural fleshtones on some programs, I have the tint control 2-4 clicks to the left (toward the red).

I think you are right bigsteve, I noticed the green emphasis watchin Frankenstein on dvd the other night. Im not sure if its the hdmi connnection or if DVE does not calibrate right with a digital connection.

Can you post your entire settings and color temp so I can try them out for myself ?

I think you are right bigsteve, I noticed the green emphasis watchin Frankenstein on dvd the other night. Im not sure if its the hdmi connnection or if DVE does not calibrate right with a digital connection.

Can you post your entire settings and color temp so I can try them out for myself ?

Congrats on your purchase decision. It sounds like you got a good deal from your local CC, too. My current video settings are in post #821 on this thread. Let us know in this forum how these work out for you. Send me a PM if you need some further settings information.

Steve

I just received the latest copy of The Perfect Vision in the mail today and it contained a review of the 50VX915. I am pleased to announce that they gave it a highly favorable review. Considering that the concensus of the magazine in the past has been that LCD RPTVs are not even worthy of consideration is a big step forward for them and indicates that the newest Hitachi LCD sets are real contenders in the HDTV arena, but we already knew that, right?

ok I need to know what is the sugested contrast setting for the vs series.

I've read numerous posts where settings are as low as there brightness.... I find this to be too dark...

does anyone know how to set contrast with DVE?

people please post your contrast settings and color temp, thanks.

Congrats on your purchase decision. It sounds like you got a good deal from your local CC, too. My current video settings are in post #821 on this thread. Let us know in this forum how these work out for you. Send me a PM if you need some further settings information.

Steve

I think you quoted the wrong post bigsteve, I didn't buy my tv from CC bought mine from a canadian outlet... Visions.

ok I need to know what is the sugested contrast setting for the vs series.

I've read numerous posts where settings are as low as there brightness.... I find this to be too dark...

does anyone know how to set contrast with DVE?

people please post your contrast settings and color temp, thanks.




digimat,

Here's my settings;

Contrast - 63%
Color Temp.- High

It seems a lot of people are having trouble setting there contrast and sharpness with DVE or Avia.
I have avia and it hard for me to get these 2 settings right. I haven't played around with it much lately but it seems to look fine with these setting of course my set is in the basement, so try these settings for nite veiwing.

I think you quoted the wrong post bigsteve, I didn't buy my tv from CC bought mine from a canadian outlet... Visions.


Digimat,

I am not sure what you are referring to about the wrong post number, but this text below was copied from my post #821 in this thread:

"I have experimented quite a bit with all of the user video controls on several store demo Hitachis to try a get a more brilliant and "whiter" white. To my eye, the following settings have improved the Hitachi's picture quality, including the whites.

First set first and second page video settings to the factory defaults, by selecting the reset option at the bottom of the both pages of the video settings.
Then make the following adjustments:

Main settings (these are saved for each input)
Contrast/Picture 95
Brightness 70
Color 53
Sharpness 66

The following settings are on the second page of the Hitachi video settings, and I believe they only apply to the set's component inputs:

Color Management
Yellow gain 45
Green gain 40
Blue gain 60

Color Decoder
Red 53
Green 40
Color 53


The above settings should apply to all of the VS810s, but you may need to vary other settings according to your room lighting situation. Basically, by decreasing the green and increasing the blue a bit, I think you will get much more brilliant whites and more natural colors overall on the Hitachi VS. The Sony's whites are still a bit better, but the adjustments I cited above have the effect of bleaching the Hitachi's whites a bit. If you can compare the Sony and Hitachi sets side by side, I think you will be very impressed by the adjusted Hitachi picture. Circuit City often has the Hitachi 70 inch set located near some 55-70 inch Sony sets so that you can make this comparison.

I would appreciate feedback from other Hitachi VS/VX owners on how the above settings work for you. If you have some recommended settings for the 50/60/70 inch sets, please post them to this thread, as NMAS requested. "


To clarify things a bit in my post 821: the default settings (which I am using) for Day include a Color Temp of High, Contrast Mode of High, and Black Enhancement of High.

Since I am now a 60VS810 owner, depending on various program sources I have varied contrast settings between 65-90 and reduced the brightness to 65 or so without harming the whites or getting the green emphasis effects back. Digimat, please let us know how these settings work for you there in Canada, eh.

Steve



*

BigSteve did you use anything to derive these settings like DVE or AVIA?

I think the color adjustment does work as you said to intensify the whites but I dont think the high brightness or contrast looks that good.

As well the high color setting makes flesh tones look unatural, IMO.

BigSteve did you use anything to derive these settings like DVE or AVIA?

I think the color adjustment does work as you said to intensify the whites but I dont think the high brightness or contrast looks that good.

As well the high color setting makes flesh tones look unatural, IMO.


Digimat,

Did you mean the high color temp setting?

The factory default color settings on my set were both at 50. I am using 53, which is not too different. The factory color temp setting for Day viewing is also high. The flesh tones on my set look pretty natural to me. Right now, I am comparing the Hitachi's picture and flesh tones to those on a 56 inch CRT-based HDTV (Panasonic PT56HX40) that is located right next to it for evaluation purposes and to a 50 inch Sony 50XBR800 set that is located about 70 feet away in a bedroom. I like the Hitachi picture the best, although the XBR picture is pretty excellent, too. The Hitachi is replacing the 5 year old Panasonic.

So far, I have just used the Mark 1 eyeball to make adjustments. I find baseball, basketball and car racing to be about the best source material to work with, because I know from life what the team colors are supposed to be on the uniforms, race cars, and the grass. The basketball court and its end areas is a good reference, too. I just adjust for the most natural and life-like picture.

I do have copies of DVE and AVIA on order, because the Hitachi is much trickier to adjust than any of my other TV sets. Thankfully, it also has the most user adjustability. I will post any changes that I make once I have tried these CDs out.

The bottom line is to use the settings that work best on your set and with your lighting situation. My viewing areas are pretty bright, so I probably have that setting up a little higher than would be the best for darker settings.

Steve

no I meant the color setting of 53...

One other thing I noticed is that the black enhancement makes dvds look much nicer.
I tend to keep it in the middle setting... with high I think you lose to much detail.

Well, the Circuit City Tech came to my house today and here is what he thinks is going on with my set. I wasn't at home by the way, my roommate was there. He apparently said that the bulb looked like it was in good shape. He is going to order me a new bulb just in case. He said that he is going to replace the power ballast (I think that's what he said, he had a deep accent).... ...Has anyone heard of the power ballast??? What does it do???
I had a similar "one-time" occurrence with the 60vx915 going blank. I was using a harmony remote and was messing around with the power toggle. I turned the set on and off quickly several times and then the set would not turn on at all. The temp light flashed rapidly and there was a faint blue glow on the screen. I tried for over an hour to turn the set on but it would just flash the red lights. I had a technician look at the set the next day. Of course at that time it worked just fine. He mentioned however, that the power ballast can get "confused" with surges in power (either from the line) or from flicking the power switch on and off repeatedly. I am more careful with the power switch now and I am happy to report that since that episode several months ago, I have not had that problem again.

I believe I've decided on the Hitachi VS810 series at this point. While I do notice the Screen Door Effect a bit on LCD's most DLP's I've looked at are a tad bright, and don't work for me. So LCD it is going to be.

I am torn on size, the 50 or 60. Primary viewing will be from 11-12 feet, sports and movies for the most part.

Thoughts?

60".

Charlie

I agree with aafflyer.... get the 60.

GreenGiant,

From a viewing distance of 11-12 feet, I would definitely get the 60 inch size set, as Aaflyer just recommended. The SD picture in 4x3 format is still highly watchable with an OTA signal feed.j

Steve

Do you have room for the 60" ?

I bought the 50", seating position about 10 feet. No discernable SDE from that distance.
The area where the TV sits would not accomodate the 60" (a little too wide). Price also a factor. Great TV either way. Good luck.

GreenGiant, I strongly agree with the recommendations thus far -- 60" without a doubt. I sit 9' away and that's fine -- no SDE. And, the amount of area increase in the screen is substantial -- over 40% more viewing area than a 50".

Good luck,
Andy

for the 60. I will say that I do notice the SDE in store on both the sony and hitachi (the panasonic is the worst) at about 9 feet on a 55 or 60. Part of me really leans DLP because there isn't that issue.

But the rainbows bother me. I'm mainly a sports guy and though I hear both sides of the coin my understanding is sports is better on a LCD (correct me if I am wrong).

The wife acceptance factor of the Hitachi and the stand are very appealing also. Really for the price the stand looks great and has much more space than other brands.

Other TV's that have impressed me are the JVC DILA, but I'm scared of JVC quality issues (I've had problems in the past) and I do like the Mitsubishi DLP's.

I like the precision of the LCD though, I think that the Hitachi does better on details than any of the screens. The mitsu DLP IMO was the best of the bunch of the DLP's (725 series).

The sony's are appealing on some level, but I think the gray cabinets look cheap and their stands are so-so. I do wish the Hitachi came in a 55 though, that would be the ticket for me.

But I got a smoking deal on the Hitachi (just over 3k for the 60, plus 5% back from CC) Used a sale price and a 10% off coupon, stacked with the CC credit card). I know I have 30 days, and the coupon expired Saturday so I jumped. Haven't picked the TV up yet and while I know I have 30, I would like to get this right on the first try. I've heard rumors of a 55, and if Mitsubishi had a decent stand I would look more at their DLP (part of my TV issue is I REALLY think black should be the standard color) Gray looks cheaper IMO. But the picture is what matters most.

If I could only score a 55 plasma for under 4k...

Here is an update of my situation. "I" called Circuit City's warranty 800 number to find out the the parts for my TV had come in. Then the lady has the nerve to tell me that the soonest they can get to my house is July 6th!!!

Maybe I'm just being a big baby, you guys tell me please, but I think that is absolutely unacceptable.

I'm still within my 30 day warranty and am already on my 2nd TV. Should I just demand a 3rd TV? I am getting sick and tired of this waiting. I spent nearly 4 grand on everything and they're going to make me wait another 10 days????

What would you guys do?

Has anyone had their 810 professionally calibrated? I know it made a huge difference on my old CRT set but didn't know how much of a difference people were seeing on the LCD's.

Decisions decisions...

I'm in the market for new HDTV and am leaning to the Hitachi LCD over DLP... my dilemma right now is this... is the VS810 picture superior to the say the V715 to be worth the extra $500. My only knock against the 810 is the glare that comes off that screen... it is horrible at the two stores that I have seen it at and I am concerned because I have windows behind my seating... Daytime viewing would take a major hit... I don't really care at this point about the extra HDMI port that the 810 brings to the table, but is there anything else to consider???

Next is the 50" vs 60"... my seating will be about 11-12" from the screen... at first I was set on the 50", but I can get the 60" for $200 more... it is almost a no brainer except for that I will still be watching a lot of SD material (until DTV gets the entire lineup all in HD) so I'm hesitant to go with the 60" due to the softer picture.... Am I wrong on this???


Thanks,

T

well tedkunich I had the same decision to make a few weeks ago.
After everyone in this forum, and my girlfriend, told me to get the 60", I bought it.

I traded my 50v500a in for the 60vs810 at of course a higher price... I have noticed that the picture is quite a bit softer then the 50v I traded in.... I am curious though I received the same 200 more for the 60 scenario from a store in calgary AB... I wondered if they did not sell as many 60's or that the 50 is pound for pound a better tv.

Also daytime viewing is not so hot with this tv... the glare is a bit of a problem for me anyways.

The 60 uses the same lamp and lens system as the 50... which I am sure is the reason for the softer pic....

I think the problem is that a bigger set that like this needs an hd signal to look half decent..

Does anyone else think that this sets picture is not so great? or is this standard for a set this size?

The 60 uses the same lamp and lens system as the 50... which I am sure is the reason for the softer pic....


I think that is reason enough to stick with the 50"... everything else being equal, the 50" should have a brighter picture. Not to mention that the 60" would look out of place in my setup... it is just too big....

Now I need to decide on the VS810 vs the V715.... the glare issue is going to be the deal maker/breaker for me...

I think the glare from the glass cuts down on the sde to some extent.
I haven't seen the 715 so I can't tell what I think of the two sets, only what I've read.

I think the glare from the glass cuts down on the sde to some extent.
I haven't seen the 715 so I can't tell what I think of the two sets, only what I've read.

From what I can tell, the only real difference is the sleaker cabinet on the 810, screen (710/715 seemed to have much less glare), one more HDMI port on the 810 and black vs titanium... the specs on everything else are the same as far as I can tell. The V715 is the same as the V710 except for it being titanum vs silver.

T

I've owned the 60VS810 since February. While the SD picture is not as good as DVD or HDTV, I was very surprised with the quality once I got a good cable signal (Cox came and optimized my signal for $0 as I have their service assurance / inside wiring as part of a combo package).

And lest you think that I am not a discriminating owner, the Hitachi replaced a 16x9 Pioneer Elite CRT that was 6K new...

And again, while a nightime picture is better than daytime with my windows, the daytime picture still is surprisingly good.

But the best is DVD via my HTPC (720P input to the TV via HDMI input) and of course HDTV.

Bottom line, I highly recommend the VS810 over the 715. And I recommend the 60" as opposed to the 50".

Get the set. Enjoy it. If it really doesn't work for you, the use the CC 30 day return. But I think you will like it once you get it in your own home environment and can tweak it to your liking.

Charlie

P.S. to BigSteve: I still have to try the settings -- things have been busy! I do have Cox putting in a cable card on Thursday, and turning on HBO and Showtime, so I'll finally have more HD than just the networks...

Get the set. Enjoy it. If it really doesn't work for you, the use the CC 30 day return. But I think you will like it once you get it in your own home environment and can tweak it to your liking.




The local CC guys are bunch of pricks and won't deal... the web store does not have the stand for the 50" listed at all, and I have been able to find the 810 with stand delivered for less than the CC price less tax and less stand....

What would you guys do?

You don't know me :rolleyes: , but I'd ask for another set.

There is just too much emphasis on green and the out of the box whites are not that good, either.

Hitachi literature brags about a "color range that exceeds the HDTV standard". Looking at the color spectrum chart, green is WAY pumped up, which is apparent to you. Probably because they've also increased blue a little, and red just a hair, is why the white's don't look so good.

I am really desiring a 60VS810, but I went to CC today and they were out of 60's but DID have a 70VS810. Phew! I sat 12' away, mimicing how I'd be setup at home, and I'm think maybe I >DO< need the 70! It was awesome.

I've owned the 60VS810 since February. While the SD picture is not as good as DVD or HDTV, I was very surprised with the quality once I got a good cable signal (Cox came and optimized my signal for $0 as I have their service assurance / inside wiring as part of a combo package).

And lest you think that I am not a discriminating owner, the Hitachi replaced a 16x9 Pioneer Elite CRT that was 6K new...

And again, while a nightime picture is better than daytime with my windows, the daytime picture still is surprisingly good.

But the best is DVD via my HTPC (720P input to the TV via HDMI input) and of course HDTV.

Bottom line, I highly recommend the VS810 over the 715. And I recommend the 60" as opposed to the 50".

Get the set. Enjoy it. If it really doesn't work for you, the use the CC 30 day return. But I think you will like it once you get it in your own home environment and can tweak it to your liking.

Charlie

P.S. to BigSteve: I still have to try the settings -- things have been busy! I do have Cox putting in a cable card on Thursday, and turning on HBO and Showtime, so I'll finally have more HD than just the networks...


Why do recommend the 60 over the 50? Can you give us some reasons for favoring the 60 other than the fact that it is bigger.

I would like to know if anyone has compared the 60" with other sets like the Sony, and noticed if the picture is any crisper.

another thing do you notice a difference between 720p and 1080i when displaying dvds? or do you just preferr 720p?

Hitachi literature brags about a "color range that exceeds the HDTV standard". Looking at the color spectrum chart, green is WAY pumped up, which is apparent to you. Probably because they've also increased blue a little, and red just a hair, is why the white's don't look so good.

I am really desiring a 60VS810, but I went to CC today and they were out of 60's but DID have a 70VS810. Phew! I sat 12' away, mimicing how I'd be setup at home, and I'm think maybe I >DO< need the 70! It was awesome.

Well, I DO have the 70VS810 and wondered how I would make it into the space my 65" Mits CRT RPTV but did, that's all and I do not regret it.

Everytime something is letterboxed to 2:35:1, I am grateful for 70"
and would buy it again, stand and all!
tedkunich: I got a great price at CC!

tedkunich: I got a great price at CC!

Well, the 18yr old assclown at the local CC would not talk about any dealing unless it involved buying the set, stand AND their extended warranty, PLUS some other goodies (I can only assume cables and such). I might try a different CC, but I can get the TV and stand delivered for $2900. I can get the extended inhome warranty for ~$200 through another source... CC's web price is $2850, then add tax and the $400 stand on top of that... not such a great deal IMO....

If it is not breach of the forum rules, could I ask how much you paid? PM me if you cannot/don't want to post it.

Thanks,

T

Well Circuit City has agreed to give me a 3rd set. Hopefully the 3rd time is the charm. One question for everyone. I'm sure this has been discussed but I just want to make sure.

If I get this new one and I do the SCREEN WIPE feature and it shows the green spots you guys have been talking about, should I just tell them to take the TV back?? Or will fixing the light engine fix this dilemma. Also, I'm sure I'm going to get the blotches as my first 2 TV's had them. If I do, should I immediately schedule an appointment to have the inner screen replaced as well as the light engine??

Everytime something is letterboxed to 2:35:1, I am grateful for 70"
and would buy it again, stand and all!
tedkunich: I got a great price at CC!

I agree about letterbox being great on this tv but what about full widescreen?

I don't know about you but it doesn't always look amazin to me...

Why do recommend the 60 over the 50? Can you give us some reasons for favoring the 60 other than the fact that it is bigger.

I would like to know if anyone has compared the 60" with other sets like the Sony, and noticed if the picture is any crisper.

another thing do you notice a difference between 720p and 1080i when displaying dvds? or do you just preferr 720p?
For the PC to TV (and the PC is my DVD player), the two are hooked up with a DVI to HDMI cable (DVI is on the PC side, HDMI on the TV side). And my ATI 9600 based graphics card automatically senses the other end as a DTV (digital TV) and chooses a 720P output. There may be a 1080i mode I can put it in, but I haven't looked for it as I am happy with the 720P picture.

As far as HDTV network broadcasts, both the 720P and 1080i signals look good to me, and since I don't have an A/B comparison on the same show, I can't tell you if I like 1080i over 720P.

As far as the 60" set vs the Sony, I considered the Sony 60XS955. It's a nice set, the pictures nice. I never found a store with both the 60" Sony and 60" Hitachi. All of the CC's where I live have the 50" and 70" Hitachi's on display. But given equal picture, the Hitachi styling appeals much more to me than the Sony set did -- not to mention that the WAF was much higher with the Hitachi styling.

Finally, as to 60" over 50", it's a personal preference for the largest set that fits the budget and the room. What was described to me seemed to meet the 60" better.

Charlie

I think that is reason enough to stick with the 50"... everything else being equal, the 50" should have a brighter picture. Not to mention that the 60" would look out of place in my setup... it is just too big....

Now I need to decide on the VS810 vs the V715.... the glare issue is going to be the deal maker/breaker for me...

I went through the same decision on the VS810 versus the V710. I loved the look of the 810 but hated the glare on the screen. I got the 710 last week with matching stand for $500 less and have to say I absolutely love the picture. Very little tweaking out of the box. I used some of the settings posted here as a starting reference point and got a very nice picture.

Well, count me in as a new owner... CC had the 50" unit on sale for $2499 and got to use a 10% coupon... I could not resist... should be delivered Sunday...... :)

Just got my 3rd 50vs810 delivered two days ago and all is well. I purchased a 250 dollar Belkin Surge Protector just to make sure this TV doesn't go out because of a surge. The picture seems even better than ever now that my cable runs directly into the surge protector and then goes to the TV.

This is my first HDTV and I have a question. Currently I have my cable TV set to 1080i because I feel this gives me the best looking picture. When I watch sports or fast things move across the screen, I see a little bit of pixelation or if a scene changes from one scene to another real quick it does the same thing. It isn't a major concern yet but when football season comes I will be more concerned.

I changed it to 720p to see if that helped and it did help a little but not very much. Is this just something I have to get used to?? Does it depend on who broadcast's the program your watching??

RealDeal77 :
Yes, it does do as the broadcast is...your set is fine and it is just the bitrate the show you are watching is given. Hope you do not have any more problems.

Congradulations on tedkunich on his CC deal- I KNEW they would come out for you and enjoy it! I PM's you and hoped that helped you out.
If you have any concerns about your set let us know.

Just a heads up on anyone trying to use a cable card.

I started a separate thread two days ago so hopefully a VS810 / VX915 owner would see it without going thru this long thread, but got no answer.

Very quickly, when using my cable card, I got no encrypted channels. After three visits by Cox (where only the last one really knew what they were doing), they said to check with Hitachi about the latest firmware because it was not their issue. A call to Hitachi, who thankfully and surprisingly was working today (1-800-HITACHI) yielded the result that there is new firmware V0136 that addresses "some cable card issues".

So, this will be sent hopefully next week. I say hopefully, because the process is that they have a set stock of upgrade cards that they ship free, you do the upgrade, and then return. Crazy. I called back asking if I could download the upgrade (I would buy my own MMC card today), but the not so bright person said "no you can't download it, it's built into the card". I almost lost it, and started to unload my frustration on him in that I am sure its just a regular MMC card with the data file on it, but I decided to let it go.

I'll post an update here later once I do the firmware update.

Charlie

In what city does CC offer 10% discounts? I'd love to buy this set but I think I'd love to get a 10% discount as the price is still borderline for me.

Also, are people buying an extended warranty? Is it necessary for new technologies and new tvs like this one? I know this is sbjective but I'd appreciate some thoughts or points to consider while making my (OWN) decision.

I love how elegant this set looks and i think the picture q. is really good.

Thank you I love this forum

optimist2

Well, count me in as a new owner... CC had the 50" unit on sale for $2499 and got to use a 10% coupon... I could not resist... should be delivered Sunday...... :)

In what city does CC offer 10% discounts? I'd love to buy this set but I think I'd love to get a 10% discount as the price is still borderline for me.

Also, are people buying an extended warranty? Is it necessary for new technologies and new tvs like this one? I know this is sbjective but I'd appreciate some thoughts or points to consider while making my (OWN) decision.

I love how elegant this set looks and i think the picture q. is really good.

Thank you I love this forum

optimist2


The store was handing out the 10% off coupons and the sale was over yesterday... This was the CC in Dublin, CA.

My local CC stores in HOuston are selling it for $2699. How come they offer it for $200 less in CA? I thought these chains had same prices nationwide. Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the good prices are doing the rounds and will get home soon. Or perhaps i can ask the manager to match a price from California :o

Thank you for the info

My local CC stores in HOuston are selling it for $2699. How come they offer it for $200 less in CA? I thought these chains had same prices nationwide. Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the good prices are doing the rounds and will get home soon. Or perhaps i can ask the manager to match a price from California :o

Thank you for the info


Dunno, the tag price was indeed $2699, but when it rang up in the computer, it was $2499... I was not going to argue ;)

The 10% coupon thing was a local stores promotional contest.... per the sales rep, they had a bet/contest with the local CC's to see which store could sell the most....

T

I own a 50vs810 and have comcast cable. I am using the HD Cable Box that Comcast provides for me and everything is great. I was wondering since my TV has the built in HD tuner, is it even being used right now??? If not would I be better off getting the cable card to get better quality??

Sorry for the lame question. Just not sure what the purpose of the HD tuner built in is if the Cable box that I only pay 5 bucks more a month for does the same thing.

you hd tuner is not used with a cable. its only used to receive over the air broadcasts. hook up an ant, and see what you get. the fcc want to shutdown standard broadcasting (to resale the broadcast frequencies), so they are forcing new tv to be built with a tuner to receive the new broadcast frequencies. the cable card was added to make make cheap cable available for the new frequencies (its really a decryption device).

a cable card may or may not give a better picture. if the cable box has a digital out (dvi/hdmi), then they are the same. a cable card is receive only so no pay-per-view features are available on it.

if your cable is not all digital, then you will not receive the analog channels with a cable card.

[QUOTE=blb]you hd tuner is not used with a cable. its only used to receive over the air broadcasts. hook up an ant, and see what you get. the fcc want to shutdown standard broadcasting (to resale the broadcast frequencies), so they are forcing new tv to be built with a tuner to receive the new broadcast frequencies. the cable card was added to make make cheap cable available for the new frequencies (its really a decryption device).

a cable card may or may not give a better picture. if the cable box has a digital out (dvi/hdmi), then they are the same. a cable card is receive only so no pay-per-view features are available on it.



blb,

your HD tuner can be used with cable I have done it before I had my CableCard installed. All you have to do is go to setup-Channel Manager-Auto Channel Scan. It will then scan the analog channels then it will scan the digital channels. The digital channels will be differant than the cable company uses like TNT-HD is channel 80-300 and ABC-HD is 82-2 and so on. Have a piece of paper ready as it stops at each channel it scans and if there is something on that channel it will add it and when it's all done it will tell you how many digital channels you can receive.

What stand is everyone here using for this set? I love the set and how well the matching stand looks, but I cannot fit any of my equipment on the shelves! The shelves are way too shallow to accept any of my equipment - they hit the metal bars in rear of the frame forcing the front feet to hang over the front edge of the shelf. Any recommendations?


Thanks

T

I only use the stand for my center channel speaker and my pronto when charging.
Although the 70" set has a stand that can easily accompany a receiver, DVD player and DVR, I choose to keep my component rack that matches it next to it.
Additionally, that cluttered look with all those components is kept to a minimum allowing the set and stand with just the center channel (or maybe just the DVR below if you want to) to "shine". :)
Also, I added black cloth the the back of the metal parts of the stand to hide the cords and used velcro to attach it in case I needed to remove it for any reason.

Finally, I built a stand (for the stand) by using two 3/4" sheets of wood and screwed them together, inserted wheels underneath, used a finishing board for the front and drilled two holes for pulling the stand for future connections and sprayed it a glossy black to match it all.

The result?

A finished look, a TV picture just slightly higher up for better viewing, wheels on what what would have been a hard to move TV/Stand with still maintaining a great look for under a hundred dollars. The TV stand gets a lift, looks great and it all moves. ;)

I only use the stand for my center channel speaker and my pronto when charging.
Although the 70" set has a stand that can easily accompany a receiver, DVD player and DVR, I choose to keep my component rack that matches it next to it.
Additionally, that cluttered look with all those components is kept to a minimum allowing the set and stand with just the center channel (or maybe just the DVR below if you want to) to "shine". :)
Also, I added black cloth the the back of the metal parts of the stand to hide the cords and used velcro to attach it in case I needed to remove it for any reason.

Finally, I built a stand (for the stand) by using two 3/4" sheets of wood and screwed them together, inserted wheels underneath, used a finishing board for the front and drilled two holes for pulling the stand for future connections and sprayed it a glossy black to match it all.

The result?

A finished look, a TV picture just slightly higher up for better viewing, wheels on what what would have been a hard to move TV/Stand with still maintaining a great look for under a hundred dollars. The TV stand gets a lift, looks great and it all moves. ;)

Have any pictures of the setup? I currently have all my gear in a Salamander Architype rack system... have had it for several years now, but the cherry finish does not really go well with the black TV.... I'd hate to entertain the thought of painting that beautiful wood....

T

Just a heads up on anyone trying to use a cable card.

I started a separate thread two days ago so hopefully a VS810 / VX915 owner would see it without going thru this long thread, but got no answer.

Very quickly, when using my cable card, I got no encrypted channels. After three visits by Cox (where only the last one really knew what they were doing), they said to check with Hitachi about the latest firmware because it was not their issue. A call to Hitachi, who thankfully and surprisingly was working today (1-800-HITACHI) yielded the result that there is new firmware V0136 that addresses "some cable card issues".

So, this will be sent hopefully next week. I say hopefully, because the process is that they have a set stock of upgrade cards that they ship free, you do the upgrade, and then return. Crazy. I called back asking if I could download the upgrade (I would buy my own MMC card today), but the not so bright person said "no you can't download it, it's built into the card". I almost lost it, and started to unload my frustration on him in that I am sure its just a regular MMC card with the data file on it, but I decided to let it go.

I'll post an update here later once I do the firmware update.

Charlie
Firmware update done today. No help!

All channels in the clear received with cable card; all encrypted channels give black screen -- no message about not authorized, just black screen.

Cox is scheduled to send a cable card trouble shooter out Sunday morning...

Charlie

Hey, guys!
Technician from local company came and installed the new light engine. Now I have green tint that I have before. :confused:
I have reported this issue to Hitachi. On Monday new technician will come to see my TV.
Not sure at all that the problem could be fixed.
What shell I do?

Thanks,
Elena

Do you have any pics of the green tint?

Any comments on Hitachi's new line of RP's due to come out soon? A newbie, I am, so can someone explain some of these upgrades from the VS810's? What is LCoS? Should I wait for the new line? Will Hitachi address the blotch issue and glare problems with their new sets?

Firmware update done today. No help!

All channels in the clear received with cable card; all encrypted channels give black screen -- no message about not authorized, just black screen.

Cox is scheduled to send a cable card trouble shooter out Sunday morning...

Charlie
Another useless visit by Cox.

Two more cable cards put in, still no encrypted channels. After two hours, the guy gave up, said it was a Hitachi issue and left.

I called Hitachi and got the "secret handshake" to be able to get to the Scientific Atlanta cable card diagnostic screen [To get there go to the Cable Card info page where it shows your cable card and host id and RAPIDLY hit right arrow, left arrow, right arrow, left arrow, exit. This takes you back to picture. Do the same thing again (get to cable card page, right, left, right, left, exit). Do once more (if needed -- not sure if two times is good enough). Now go to cable card info and you will have a new screen.]

Looking at this screen, I was able to go the the CP provider page and see that I have no EMM messages -- these are key to your cable card being told what channels you are authorized to view. There also is data available on the tope most menu item screen that tells you if you are authorized to view a channel (0x71 in the available field means you can't view the channel).

So, armed with this new info I called Cox back and told them "there's nothing wrong with my TV, because unless I get EMM messages, it's your problem". I still don't think they have a clue, but they are coming back a fifth time on Monday.

The only good thing about this mess is that I am now up to $80 in credits they have issued for being late on three of the appointments (they have a guarantee to come withing a two hour window) and a credit for the second visit when they sent a third party contractor who does not do any cable card work).

I'll post an update after the next visit.

Charlie

Purchased the set from CC Sat. 7/9 and they had a slot for delivery that day.
So far the set has performed great. I'll be picking up Dig. DVR box from Cox in CT later today, so I have not been able to view HD channels yet. Will chime back in once thats set up.
Only things I've tested so far are SD cable over coax, DVD movies via component, Xbox over component and PC over component using ATI AIW X800 XT.
Pretty dang happy with the results so far.
One thing that had me alittle worried is the build date on my set, 10/2004.

I've attached a couple quick pics for your viewing pleasure.
The pic with the signal is World of Warcraft from the PC.

nice looking set up stephman....

I'll post some pics of my 60vs soon...

have a question, are you hooking up your pc via dvi - component doggle?
have you tried dvi to hdmi?

Im using dvi to hdmi seems to work pretty with most games... just wondering if there any advantages in using component?

thanks good luck with your new set.

nice looking set up stephman....

I'll post some pics of my 60vs soon...

have a question, are you hooking up your pc via dvi - component doggle?
have you tried dvi to hdmi?

Im using dvi to hdmi seems to work pretty with most games... just wondering if there any advantages in using component?

thanks good luck with your new set.
Thanks Digimat,
Right now the PC is connected to TV via Component. The ATI AIW X800XT has some special dongle that has the component outs, totally seperate from the DVI.
But I have another PC that will be permanately connected to the TV via ATI 9600XT. That one will use a DVI to Component dongle that I just ordered today.
I have a DVI to HDMI cable on it's way in the mail as well. Was going to use that from the cable box to TV, but will try and hook it up to the PC to TV for a quick test.

nice looking set up stephman....

I'll post some pics of my 60vs soon...

have a question, are you hooking up your pc via dvi - component doggle?
have you tried dvi to hdmi?

Im using dvi to hdmi seems to work pretty with most games... just wondering if there any advantages in using component?

thanks good luck with your new set.
I'm not sure if there are any pros/cons for PC to TV via DVI or Component.
While browsing the forums, I thought I remember some people having problems getting 1280x720 to output from the PC while using DVI to HDMI.
I'll just have to test it out myself and see what my results are.

I have had the 70" VS810 for a few weeks now and have a few questions.

I noticed that occasionally the picture will flicker or blink light to dark. It usually only happens in dark scenes but I noticed it yesterday when I was watching a ballgame as well. Is this a known issue with the set or is there something wrong with mine? It only happend every once in a while and I have not been able to get it to repeat automatically.

Is the Silk Screen Effect something that you get used to? It seems to be really bad in bright lit scenes like something with snow/sand or a bright blue skies. I thought it was SDE when I first got the set but after reading a little more it seems it is really SSE. I have already gotten used to some of the softness on the analog and digital channels and was wondering if anyone that was bothered by SSE isn't as they watched the set more.

I have had the 70" VS810 for a few weeks now and have a few questions.

I noticed that occasionally the picture will flicker or blink light to dark. It usually only happens in dark scenes but I noticed it yesterday when I was watching a ballgame as well. Is this a known issue with the set or is there something wrong with mine? It only happend every once in a while and I have not been able to get it to repeat automatically.

Is the Silk Screen Effect something that you get used to? It seems to be really bad in bright lit scenes like something with snow/sand or a bright blue skies. I thought it was SDE when I first got the set but after reading a little more it seems it is really SSE. I have already gotten used to some of the softness on the analog and digital channels and was wondering if anyone that was bothered by SSE isn't as they watched the set more.
I've seen some slight SSE on brightly lit scenes as well. Hasn't affected me too much, as I've only had the set for a day.5 so far.
Just picked up my HD box from Cox at lunch. We'll see if I still notice SSE later tonight after hooking up the box.

SSE on my 50VS810 probably is my biggest complaint. But I have gotten used to it. Turning the contrast (white level) down helps. Most people think SSE is a problem with the screen, but Sound&Vision Magazine answered my question about it this month. They blame it on poor video processing, especially in SD material. I agree that SD shows the problem worst, but if its video processing why does the image 'shimmer' when I pause the tivo and I move my head side to side?

I have had the 70" VS810 for a few weeks now and have a few questions.

I noticed that occasionally the picture will flicker or blink light to dark. It usually only happens in dark scenes but I noticed it yesterday when I was watching a ballgame as well. Is this a known issue with the set or is there something wrong with mine? It only happend every once in a while and I have not been able to get it to repeat automatically.

Is the Silk Screen Effect something that you get used to? It seems to be really bad in bright lit scenes like something with snow/sand or a bright blue skies. I thought it was SDE when I first got the set but after reading a little more it seems it is really SSE. I have already gotten used to some of the softness on the analog and digital channels and was wondering if anyone that was bothered by SSE isn't as they watched the set more.

the fickering your referring to is caused by blackness enhancement setting.
turning it off will eiliminate the problem.

I dont really understand the whole SSE AND SDE to my eye they are one in the same.

I have noticed on a poor signal the 50vs seemed to have some faint vertical lines of distortion but I have yet to experience it on my 60"

I'll check the blackness settings. I thought I had it turned off but I may have turned it back on when I was playing with the settings.

I had never really seen the SDE or the SSE before I got the set home. SDE is noticeable up close and looks like you are looking through a screen window. The best way I can describe the SSE is that it makes light areas look shiny or shimmery. Kind of like shining a flashlight through a nylon or stocking. It can be rather annoying where there is a big background area of white or blue but I don't see it in darker areas at all.

I am on my fourth set and I must say all have had the green patches. Honestly, it really makes me angry. I didn't get an extended warranty and my 30 days at Circuit City are up, so no more chances to get one that works right.

I don't want to try a light engine replacement because they must disassemble the unit and that could introduce dust and dirt into the picture.

Has anybody dealth directly with Hitachi on this issue and gotten it resolved, via new light engine or any other method?? Does anybody know what the root of this problem even is?

I love everything else about this TV, I just want the green to disappear. It makes me soooooooooooooo angry!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another useless visit by Cox.

Two more cable cards put in, still no encrypted channels. After two hours, the guy gave up, said it was a Hitachi issue and left.

I called Hitachi and got the "secret handshake" to be able to get to the Scientific Atlanta cable card diagnostic screen [To get there go to the Cable Card info page where it shows your cable card and host id and RAPIDLY hit right arrow, left arrow, right arrow, left arrow, exit. This takes you back to picture. Do the same thing again (get to cable card page, right, left, right, left, exit). Do once more (if needed -- not sure if two times is good enough). Now go to cable card info and you will have a new screen.]

Looking at this screen, I was able to go the the CP provider page and see that I have no EMM messages -- these are key to your cable card being told what channels you are authorized to view. There also is data available on the tope most menu item screen that tells you if you are authorized to view a channel (0x71 in the available field means you can't view the channel).

So, armed with this new info I called Cox back and told them "there's nothing wrong with my TV, because unless I get EMM messages, it's your problem". I still don't think they have a clue, but they are coming back a fifth time on Monday.

The only good thing about this mess is that I am now up to $80 in credits they have issued for being late on three of the appointments (they have a guarantee to come withing a two hour window) and a credit for the second visit when they sent a third party contractor who does not do any cable card work).

I'll post an update after the next visit.

Charlie

Hooray!

Sixth visit, and we finally got a working cable card! Though it was touch and go...

The tech was here for about 45 minutes and we were back to "it's your TV". I tried to explain what Hitachi told me in terms of no EMM messages, and that the OOB S/N was too high, but the tech in my house didn't want to hear any of it.

Finally, after badgering I got to talk directly to the help desk, and the when I told the guy what was on the SA diag screens, the guy said the OOB signal WAS too hot. They put in a 2 db attenuator, and I started getting EMM messages, but still no encrypted channels.

The tech in the office said "swap the CC". When I took the CC out, it was cool (all the others had been warm). Put the new CC in, waited for all the data to get downloaded, and bingo - encrypted channels that I was subscribed to were now on the set!

So, countless CC cards, new firmware, and a 2db attenuator, $80 in service credits ($20 each time they were late + $20 one time sending a tech not qualified to work on CC), and I'm all set.

Charlie

I am having the same problem with my 50vs810 and a Scientific Atlanta cablecard, but I have Comcast.

I just got the new Version software from Hitachi. Could you please be very specific and map out what the secret handshake screens mean and how I can tell whos fault it is so when the Comcast dude comes back we can make progress?

Hey all,

After 4 years of loyal service with my Hitachi RP-CRT it was time to upgrade :) I'll be receiving the 60vs810 on Thursday.

What are you 60" owners using for tv stands? I don't like the Hitachi stand that much, especially for the price.

Also, if there's still anyone out there looking for this TV (in the CT / MA area) check out Bernies. I got an awesome deal. $3500 out the door, including tax and a 6 year warranty (includes bulb replacement) with 12 months at 0%.

Edit: If posting the package price was wrong, I apologize.

Hey all,

After 4 years of loyal service with my Hitachi RP-CRT it was time to upgrade :) I'll be receiving the 60vs810 on Thursday.

What are you 60" owners using for tv stands? I don't like the Hitachi stand that much, especially for the price.

Also, if there's still anyone out there looking for this TV (in the CT / MA area) check out Bernies. I got an awesome deal. $3500 out the door, including tax and a 6 year warranty (includes bulb replacement) with 12 months at 0%.

Edit: If posting the package price was wrong, I apologize.
Heya fellow CT Nutmeg stater!
I almost bought my 50" set at Bernies as well, but I got Circuit City to beat their price by $100. Plus CC had a deal with Cox and Comcast for 1 year worth of discounts on their dig cable, HD box/DVR etc...

Who will you be getting tv signal from? Satelite or Cable? Cox or Comcast?
Just curious how your cable quality will be compared to mine.

I am having the same problem with my 50vs810 and a Scientific Atlanta cablecard, but I have Comcast.

I just got the new Version software from Hitachi. Could you please be very specific and map out what the secret handshake screens mean and how I can tell whos fault it is so when the Comcast dude comes back we can make progress?
From post # 932 above:

I called Hitachi and got the "secret handshake" to be able to get to the Scientific Atlanta cable card diagnostic screen [To get there go to the Cable Card info page where it shows your cable card and host id and RAPIDLY hit right arrow, left arrow, right arrow, left arrow, exit. This takes you back to picture. Do the same thing again (get to cable card page, right, left, right, left, exit). Do once more (if needed -- not sure if two times is good enough). Now go to cable card info and you will have a new screen.]

Looking at this screen, I was able to go the the CP provider page and see that I have no EMM messages -- these are key to your cable card being told what channels you are authorized to view. There also is data available on the tope most menu item screen that tells you if you are authorized to view a channel (0x71 in the available field means you can't view the channel).

So, armed with this new info I called Cox back and told them "there's nothing wrong with my TV, because unless I get EMM messages, it's your problem". I still don't think they have a clue, but they are coming back a fifth time on Monday.
The key items include:

a) You must be locked on the OOB channel (thats the out of band channel where authorization messages are sent).
b) The OOB S/N can not be too high, though I'm not sure you can trust the measurements reported. You will know its to high if on screen 6 (the CP provider screen -- going on memory here) the EMM count CAN NOT be 0
c) Also, on the screen 0 or 1 (the first of the offered screens) the available item must be 0x01 if you are tuned to a digital channel that you are should be receiving.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted on the outcome.

Charlie

P.S. I got a bunch of info at this thread that helped put me on the right track: http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/2/111081.html

I am on my fourth set and I must say all have had the green patches. Honestly, it really makes me angry. I didn't get an extended warranty and my 30 days at Circuit City are up, so no more chances to get one that works right.

I don't want to try a light engine replacement because they must disassemble the unit and that could introduce dust and dirt into the picture.

Has anybody dealth directly with Hitachi on this issue and gotten it resolved, via new light engine or any other method?? Does anybody know what the root of this problem even is?

I love everything else about this TV, I just want the green to disappear. It makes me soooooooooooooo angry!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since no one else is chimming in, I will. I don't own a vs810 but from what I have read, the green patches mainly occur on 50" sets. The only way I have read that it can be fixed is by replacing the inner screen. I doubt you will have to worry about dust or dirt getting into the picture unless you never clean your place. :)

Heya fellow CT Nutmeg stater!
I almost bought my 50" set at Bernies as well, but I got Circuit City to beat their price by $100. Plus CC had a deal with Cox and Comcast for 1 year worth of discounts on their dig cable, HD box/DVR etc...

Who will you be getting tv signal from? Satelite or Cable? Cox or Comcast?
Just curious how your cable quality will be compared to mine.

I was going to go back to CC and see what I could do but they were less than accomodating the first time. They kept trying to push the 60" floor model on me...

I've had Comcast forever it seems (since the AT&T days) :) I have had the HD since it became available and it looks awesome on my CRT (53"). I can't wait to see how it looks on the 60 incher! I'm going to call Comcast to get a new STB (I think they have one with HDMI) and see if I can strike a deal for PVR too.

What/who are you using?

why dont you just get the lamp engine replaced... couldn't be worse than watching everything in hulkvision.

I was going to go back to CC and see what I could do but they were less than accomodating the first time. They kept trying to push the 60" floor model on me...

I've had Comcast forever it seems (since the AT&T days) :) I have had the HD since it became available and it looks awesome on my CRT (53"). I can't wait to see how it looks on the 60 incher! I'm going to call Comcast to get a new STB (I think they have one with HDMI) and see if I can strike a deal for PVR too.

What/who are you using?
I'm using Cox. Picked up the HD/PVR box from them yesterday, but it's not working properly. ALL the channels say "Unavailable". So I'm waiting for them to come out Thr and check it out. So I have NO clue what HD looks like yet on the set...soon hopefully! :)
They're using the Motorola HD/PVR box, I believe 6400 series. Dual Tuner as well, nice to record 2 different shows at the same time.

I was going to go back to CC and see what I could do but they were less than accomodating the first time. They kept trying to push the 60" floor model on me...

I've had Comcast forever it seems (since the AT&T days) :) I have had the HD since it became available and it looks awesome on my CRT (53"). I can't wait to see how it looks on the 60 incher! I'm going to call Comcast to get a new STB (I think they have one with HDMI) and see if I can strike a deal for PVR too.

What/who are you using?

I bought my 70" set at CC. The first time I went in there they wouldn't do anything with the price (just under MSRP) so I shopped around a little more. I went to another local store and they gave me a price for the set, stand, tax, delivery and extended warranty that was more than a thousand less then the set alone at CC, the only drawback was they didn't offer financing and CC had 18 months free at the time. I went back over to CC and asked if they would price match the other store and they did on the set, stand, tax and delivery but wouldn't on the warranty. When I started to balk they took another 100.00 off the set and it ended up being a few dollars less than the other place. Without a local store that was offering it for less I doubt they would have budged on the price.

I also bought my 70'' at CC, got it on sale, then 4 days later I picked up at 10% off entire purchase which they adjusted for, now this week its on sale even more, so I am going back in for the 30 day price match, after all this I will save over $2000 on this TV. Not to mention 18 months no interest. I am VERY satisfied with this TV, but I was wondering what other 70'' owners think of their sets. Have you had yours professionally calibrated? Or used Avia or DVE to adjust yourself? If you adjusted yourself, are your settings about the same as the smaller versions posted earlier in this thread?

I'm using Cox. Picked up the HD/PVR box from them yesterday, but it's not working properly. ALL the channels say "Unavailable". So I'm waiting for them to come out Thr and check it out. So I have NO clue what HD looks like yet on the set...soon hopefully! :)
They're using the Motorola HD/PVR box, I believe 6400 series. Dual Tuner as well, nice to record 2 different shows at the same time.

Did you get your HD up and running yet?

I got my 60vs810 yesterday and got it hooked up just in time for the first pitch of the Sox - Yanks game :) I did some small fiddling with the picture but it's going to get a full DVE today. I have to say that I didn't expect that much more from an HD signal compared to my RP-CRT but I was pleasantly surprised. It had more "wow" factor to it, kind of like the first time you see HD.

I am really happy with SD material on this set. It looks better than it did on the old TV. Hitachi's aspect controls are stellar as well.

On a side note, when I was waiting for my TV at Bernie's, I asked about their price match policy. They told me that they will match internet pricing...so I stand a chance to save another $200-$300. Which will somewhat defer the cost of the stand :)

Did you get your HD up and running yet?

I got my 60vs810 yesterday and got it hooked up just in time for the first pitch of the Sox - Yanks game :) I did some small fiddling with the picture but it's going to get a full DVE today. I have to say that I didn't expect that much more from an HD signal compared to my RP-CRT but I was pleasantly surprised. It had more "wow" factor to it, kind of like the first time you see HD.

I am really happy with SD material on this set. It looks better than it did on the old TV. Hitachi's aspect controls are stellar as well.

On a side note, when I was waiting for my TV at Bernie's, I asked about their price match policy. They told me that they will match internet pricing...so I stand a chance to save another $200-$300. Which will somewhat defer the cost of the stand :)
YES, Cox came out and got the box working yesterday. Same as you.....WOW!!!
I could not stop watching Discovery HD last night. I have to quote what a co-worker said to me yesterday..."It looks better than real life". Also pleased with SD channels as well, they look somewhat better than they did on the old tube we had. Although some SD channels do look better than others. I'm just happy SciFi channel comes in ok...just in time for new season of SciFi FRIDAY!

Next step is to pull out the AVIA disc I think I have laying around somewhere and tweak the set some more. Oh, DVI to HDMI cable also showed up in the mail yesterday. I wouldn't say I saw a huge difference over component cables but it was noticable.

So even though I haven't fully calibrated the set yet, I am more than happy with tv's SD, HD, DVD and PC performance!

YES, Cox came out and got the box working yesterday. Same as you.....WOW!!!
I could not stop watching Discovery HD last night. I have to quote what a co-worker said to me yesterday..."It looks better than real life". Also pleased with SD channels as well, they look somewhat better than they did on the old tube we had. Although some SD channels do look better than others. I'm just happy SciFi channel comes in ok...just in time for new season of SciFi FRIDAY!

Next step is to pull out the AVIA disc I think I have laying around somewhere and tweak the set some more. Oh, DVI to HDMI cable also showed up in the mail yesterday. I wouldn't say I saw a huge difference over component cables but it was noticable.

So even though I haven't fully calibrated the set yet, I am more than happy with tv's SD, HD, DVD and PC performance!

Awesome. Stupid Comcast doesn't have Discovery HD in central CT yet :(

Yeah, I'm waiting for my 2 DVI-HDMI cables to come in...rebuilding the HTPC in the meantime. After you calibrate your set, let me know what you ended up with. I'm curious as how it compares to my results.

Any comments on Hitachi's new line of RP's due to come out soon? A newbie, I am, so can someone explain some of these upgrades from the VS810's? What is LCoS? Should I wait for the new line? Will Hitachi address the blotch issue and glare problems with their new sets?

Hey Guys-

Does anybody know if Hitachi manufactured any 50VS810 models in 2005? I've read a lot of negative posts regarding the green hue and blotches that were part of the Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec 2004 batch that was produced?

Was this problem resolved in models made after this date?

Anyone have a model with a 2005 manufacture date?

Those of you who bought in June or July, what was your manufacture date?

Thanks for the info!

Mark V.

Hey Guys-

Does anybody know if Hitachi manufactured any 50VS810 models in 2005? I've read a lot of negative posts regarding the green hue and blotches that were part of the Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec 2004 batch that was produced?

Was this problem resolved in models made after this date?

Anyone have a model with a 2005 manufacture date?

Those of you who bought in June or July, what was your manufacture date?

Thanks for the info!

Mark V.


Have no idea when mine was made, but I've had it for two weeks now still cannot believe the picture on this thing... My only bitch is the worthless stand... cannot fit any of my gear in it because it is so shallow.


T

I thought this TV was supposed to auto-detect when you had two sources plugged into input 1 or 2. I have my cable box hooked up via HDMI and my Xbox via component. i thought that if the cable box was turned off the TV should detect when I turn on my Xbox and switch over to component. But it did nothing, I had to unplug my HDMI cable fr the XBox to be shown on screen. Is this correct?

Some (most?) cable boxes (especialy DVRs) never really turn off. they just go into "standby". This may leave the HDMI output powered. So, for a real test, you need to pull the plug from the STB.

I thought this TV was supposed to auto-detect when you had two sources plugged into input 1 or 2. I have my cable box hooked up via HDMI and my Xbox via component. i thought that if the cable box was turned off the TV should detect when I turn on my Xbox and switch over to component. But it did nothing, I had to unplug my HDMI cable fr the XBox to be shown on screen. Is this correct?

switch to the second hdmi slot... each component input is shared with its secondary hdmi input... just swap hdmi slots.

I am on my fourth set and I must say all have had the green patches. Honestly, it really makes me angry. I didn't get an extended warranty and my 30 days at Circuit City are up, so no more chances to get one that works right.

A new 30 days should have started each time they delivered a new set! I be raising holy heck with the store manager if it's been less than 30 days since delivery of the latest set and it's not right either!

Has anybody dealth directly with Hitachi on this issue and gotten it resolved, via new light engine or any other method?? Does anybody know what the root of this problem even is?


Many have suggested it's caused by condensation and goes away after and hour or two with the set on. Get a cheap humidity sensor and put it in the room where the tv is and see if you've got high humidty in that room. Just a thought.

switch to the second hdmi slot... each component input is shared with its secondary hdmi input... just swap hdmi slots.

Well, I would but my JVC TH-M505 is plugged in component in the second input. So I guess I am screwed, I will have to unplug something either way I go. Is this correct?

Have no idea when mine was made, but I've had it for two weeks now still cannot believe the picture on this thing... My only bitch is the worthless stand... cannot fit any of my gear in it because it is so shallow.


T

Yes the picture is awesome :)

I decided against the Hitachi stand for that exact reason. I went with a Bello AVS-2601 (on sale at Tweeter). The stand looks like it was made for the VS810 (60").

http://home.comcast.net/~usurpers26/IMG_1473.jpg

The rat's nest of wires is almost under control now...

Well, I would but my JVC TH-M505 is plugged in component in the second input. So I guess I am screwed, I will have to unplug something either way I go. Is this correct?

You could try putting your cable box in HDMI-2. I have my HTPC in HDMI-2 and my DVD player in Component-2 and the TV sees the DVD player when the HTPC is off.

Have no idea when mine was made, but I've had it for two weeks now still cannot believe the picture on this thing...


tedkunich-

There should be a label on the right-back of your television that has a manufacture date. It should be easy to decipher what month and year it was manufactured.

If it doesn't clearly state the month and year (as it should), the first three characters of your serial number should start out with V, then a number, then a letter. The number stands for the year it was manufactured (4 stands for 2004) and the letter represents the month it was made (ie. "J" would stand for October because October is the 10th month and J is the 10th letter).

If you can reach the back of your TV and can provide the info without rearranging your entertainment area the info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark V.

I am still getting some light pulsing on the screen with my set. I made sure the black enhancement is off and I turned off all the other auto features on it as well. It seems to be a real problem in bright white scenes. I was watching Penn and Teller Bulls**t last night and when they do the parental warnings where it is just the text and a white background it was almost like a strobe. Has anyone else had this problem?

sounds like your tv is having a rave or something...

I have never experienced what you are referring to.... I would call a tech..

Last night I had both component and hdmi hooked up through my dvd player and was using PIP to see the difference between each.... and in to my surprise each window had each input was dispalyed on each picture but I don't think it was actually displaying different signals... the pictures looked the same...

does anyone know if a dvd player can display both signals at the same time??

Manufact. Date: 10/2004
Purchase Date: 07/09/2005

Was alittle worried about the manufactured date, but everything is running fine so far.

I thought this TV was supposed to auto-detect when you had two sources plugged into input 1 or 2. I have my cable box hooked up via HDMI and my Xbox via component. i thought that if the cable box was turned off the TV should detect when I turn on my Xbox and switch over to component. But it did nothing, I had to unplug my HDMI cable fr the XBox to be shown on screen. Is this correct?

A post a number of months ago discussed this (and I have validated it on my set) .... The 50VS810 does less of an auto-detect and more of a prioritized selection. If HDMI 'and' Component devices are plugged into Input 1 (or input 2) - the 50vs810 will default to HMDI unless there is no signal on the HDMI input and then select Component. So in your case:
Input 1 HDMI - Cable Box
Input 1 Component - Xbox

If you power down the Cable Box (HDMI) the 50VS810 will select Xbox (Component). This means you need to turn off the Cbale Box each time yuo want to use the Xbox.

If you can reach the back of your TV and can provide the info without rearranging your entertainment area the info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark V.



Just checked... mfg date of October 2004

A post a number of months ago discussed this (and I have validated it on my set) .... The 50VS810 does less of an auto-detect and more of a prioritized selection. If HDMI 'and' Component devices are plugged into Input 1 (or input 2) - the 50vs810 will default to HMDI unless there is no signal on the HDMI input and then select Component. So in your case:
Input 1 HDMI - Cable Box
Input 1 Component - Xbox

If you power down the Cable Box (HDMI) the 50VS810 will select Xbox (Component). This means you need to turn off the Cbale Box each time yuo want to use the Xbox.

I did turn off my cable box, but the TV still didnt switch over to the Xbox. I guess I will try switching my cable box over to input 2 as usurpers26 suggested.

If you have a hard power switch for your cable box. Turn off the box with the hard switch. That should do it. What could be happening is you're just putting the cable box on standby, and it's still sending some sort of signal.

I have the SA 8300HD, I dont think I have a hard power switch because of the hard drive in it. i guess unplugging it will have to do.

I did turn off my cable box, but the TV still didnt switch over to the Xbox. I guess I will try switching my cable box over to input 2 as usurpers26 suggested.

Brandon,

If you just turn the TV on, then turn the Xbox on, does the TV detect the Xbox (cable box off but still in HDMI-1)?

Brandon,

If you just turn the TV on, then turn the Xbox on, does the TV detect the Xbox (cable box off but still in HDMI-1)?

No luck there either. The TV still doesnt recognize the Xbox connection unless I unplug the HDMI cord.

I have my Comcast box hooked up DVI-HDMI on Input 1 and my Denon DVD hooked up HDMI and X-box Component on Input 2. I have no problem's with the TV auto-selecting the source. DVD off, X box on and vice versa.

attached a pic of the tv on bello stand.

I have my Comcast box hooked up DVI-HDMI on Input 1 and my Denon DVD hooked up HDMI and X-box Component on Input 2. I have no problem's with the TV auto-selecting the source. DVD off, X box on and vice versa.

I have a Comcast DVI-HMDI through a Denon AVR4806 that is HMDI to the 50VS810 and can not get a picture. Get a flashing screen but no picture. Any ideas?

the 4806 does switching right? i would assume one of them is not hdcp compliant if it is flashing, just my first guess which is usually wrong :D

[QUOTE=ricktsu]I have my Comcast box hooked up DVI-HDMI on Input 1 and my Denon DVD hooked up HDMI and X-box Component on Input 2. I have no problem's with the TV auto-selecting the source. DVD off, X box on and vice versa.

What kind of box do you have, mine has DVR so it never really turns off, just goes into standby, I think that may have something to do with it.

ricktsu ... is that the 50 or the 60?

neverming I read your previous posts.

How do you like your 60vs810?

digimat, it is the 60 inch on a bello avs 2572. the glass on top is 73 inches long, i wanted the tv to be smaller then the stand, i like the overhang on either side for asthetics.

digimat, it is the 60 inch on a bello avs 2572. the glass on top is 73 inches long, i wanted the tv to be smaller then the stand, i like the overhang on either side for asthetics.


Could you post a picture of your setup? I'm in need of a stand for my 50" and have been looking at that stand.

Thanks

T

your in luck theres one above in his last post...

i have a standard comcast non dvr box. it never gets turned off, that is why i have it on input 1 and the denon/x box selectable power on input 2. it just seems that your problem is from the box always having power, and that is one of the reasons i bought the hitachi for the 2 hdmi's so I would not have to un plug units.

I see, well I dont think I can do the same as you, I have my cable box HDMI into input 1 and my JVC component into input 2. So I guess I am just stuck manually switching.

ricktsu, do you get any HD channels? If so, do you have any problems with this TV using auto-aspect as you switch between SD/SA and HD channels. The reason I ask is because you too are using HDMI between the TV and cable box. When I switched from component to HDMI the TV no longer automatically switched to 16x9 for HD channels. It stays 4x3 expanded for all channels now. I was wondering if it had to do with the HDMI.

hey ricktsu you never replied to me about how you like your 60vs810?

how is dvd playback on yours?

oh, sorry digimat i wasnt paying attention. I def love the tv. I had a hitachi 57s700 which while it put out a great picture, did not fit so well with my room. HD channels on the 60vs look so sweet. I have a denon 2910 for the dvd player. DVD's look better to me on this TV then my old hitachi. SD looks good sometimes, sometimes not. SDE does not really bother me too much. The tv looks so pretty just sitting still. I was going to get a Sony xs but the design imho is something that is meant to look futuristic and diffrent but was not meant to look beatiful. The only thing though this tv is not my main HT system. It is more of an every day tv while I finish off my projector HT room. Still though no regrets and every body drools when they see it.

Brandon,

I just checked for you, I swapped between Troy HD on HBO and The Real World MTV. It maintained 16 : 9 aspect, but I think I can remember it going to 4 : 3 sometimes. Maybe it is source material dependent.

Do you watch your SD in 4x3 or 4x3 expanded? I watch mine 4x3 expanded. But I noticed if I watch SD in 4x3, then switch to a HD channel it switches to 16x9. It must have something to do with the HDMI, auto-aspect, and the original aspect of the material. I called hitachi and the CS rep. said the only reason she could think of, was component must default HD to 16x9 while HDMI defaults to 4x3 expanded. That didnt make much sense to me, my reasoning makes more sense I think. If you watch all channels in original aspect then it will correctly auto-aspect. But if you change aspects to say 4x3 expanded, it stays on that for all channels. This only applies for an HDMI connection. Also, ricktsu, I agree 100% with what you said about this TV, VERY nice, I have the 70 inch. Extremely asthetically pleasing, and great pic right out of the box. I have yet to get my set calibrated nor have I used DVE, but that will come with time. Anyone on the fence about getting this TV I would gladly push you over the edge to get it.

i watch all of my material in 16 : 9 , i am pretty sensitive to the 4 : 3 expansion software/hardware and I notice the curve of the material when stretched. I do not notice in 16 : 9, even though sometimes it looks better in 4 : 3 expanded if I am messing around.

I am so glad you said that, I have never even thought of just using 16x9. I have been using auto-aspect, you are right 16x9 looks way better than 4x3 expanded. I really didnt like the look of the expanded material either, but I hated wasting the space/didnt want to chance burn in of 4x3 standard. Man I feel kinda dumb right now, lol. Oh well thats what I am here for, learning. Thanks, I will try just 16x9 for a while and see what I think.

You guys having problems with aspect ratios may also want to check what your HD cable box output is set at. There's a setting in my Cox/Motorola 64?? dual tuner box that lets you set
what the output of the box will be.
1080i, 720P and within those settings is another section which lets you preserve
4x3 material or stretch 4x3 material.
Just some more info to think about if you didn't know these settings were available.

For those having issues sharing input 1 hdmi/component or input 2.
To solve this problem, I purchased a component switch box, Pelican PL-957 or PL-960 wich has 8 component video inputs and 1 component output.
So HD/DVR cable box is connected to TV's HDMI 1 input.
DVD, Xbox and PC is connected to Swith component inputs 1,2 and 3.
Then I have the Switches component out connected to TV's Component 2 input.
Also, the switch came with a small remote to choose which component to use.
Now all I need to do is train my univ. remote to learn those switch commands and hopefully I should be all set.

Hope this helps anyone who may be in need of something like this

I went back to CC on Wed to see about getting someone out to look at the strobing I was seeing on my set. Since it was within the first 30 day window they said they would just bring out a new set. Seems they won't even send a tech out in the first 30 days.

Got the new set yesterday afternoon and it looks much better than the old one. I did notice that it was made this past March while the one I had before was made last Sept. Not sure if that makes a difference but even the SSE seems less noticeable on this set.

I also decided that since I had it moved that I would try some different set up with the antennas. I ran a splitter off my cable and put that into antenna A and was surprised to find out I could pick up all the non premium HD channels that comcast has without running it through the box. I also picked up an indoor antenna and hooked that up to antenna B and was able to pick up all the local digital and HD channels that comcast has yet to pick up. Now I can actually watch another channel while my Replay is recording something. I am pretty happy about that.

I have a calibration scheduled for the 30th and am looking forward to see how the set looks after that. Has anyone else had their 810 calibrated? I have not seen it mentioned in any previous posts.

I have a calibration scheduled for the 30th and am looking forward to see how the set looks after that. Has anyone else had their 810 calibrated? I have not seen it mentioned in any previous posts.
Eric, I'm very curious about the calibration. Did you set this up through Circuit City
or somewhere else?
Also, if you don't mind and if it's not against forum rules, can you let us know the price of the calibration and any other info you think interesting about the whole process?
Thanks

Eric, I'm very curious about the calibration. Did you set this up through Circuit City
or somewhere else?
Also, if you don't mind and if it's not against forum rules, can you let us know the price of the calibration and any other info you think interesting about the whole process?
Thanks

I set it up with Eliab at Avical who is a forum member with good reviews. He is going to be in Chicago that week so I booked it with him. I had a local guy do my old CRT set but wasn't real happy with him so I thought I would go another route this time.

Not sure about the rules on pricing but he has everything listed on his website
Avical (http://www.avical.com/Default.htm)

I haven't seen anyone post saying that they have had their set calibrated but he told me he has done a few with great results. If nothing else, I will let everyone know how it turns out after I have it done.