Awesome, thanks for the info.
When is your calibration scheduled for?
I feel like I'm as excited as you are to hear about the results for the calibration!

Edit:
Nevermind, just realized you posted the 30th above...thanks

You can name the inputs on the VS810 series.

I have gone in and done this.

The input device is correctly listed when I press the "info" key on the remote. The OSD shows the input number, device (DVD, SAT, whatever) and the
resolution (480I, 480P etc.)

But when I press the "input" key on the remote the OSD still reads Input 1, Input 2 etc., not the programmed names. I have to remember which device is attached to each input. Not a big deal for me but it is for my wife.

I thought the TV would do this or was I just dreaming?

The input labels only work when you press the "Info" button and it shows which source you're receiving the signal from. Kind of stupid, if you ask me. I hope they eventually have a firmware upgrade that allows custom names on the input menu that you're talking about.

doesn anyone know how to get the latest firmware. I am still using the initial firmware from the purchase

eric,

i had the strobbing effect 2. returned my unit and got a new one. you are not crazy it was def. an issue

Hello. I wanted to see if anyone knew if the strobing effect can be fixed or adjusted. I am on my 3rd set by the way and I think I finally found a good set until I noticed this issue. The strobing on my set seems to only occur in the darkly lit scenes moreso than the brighter scenes.

I also noticed that this usually only occurs on my DVD's and the TV seems to be fine when watching regular HD channels.

Is this just my DVD player possibly?? I own a Toshiba SD-5980 with the HDMI cable that "upscales" the resolution to HD.

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.

i replaced my set. the issue was in dark scenes also for me but the new set fixed it. to me the only fix i will accept will be a new set. but then again, this is my 3rd new tv in 3 years so i have a track record of saying, screw it...buy something new.

I am having a local tech come soon about the blotches between seens and the stupid green issues. I suppose I will need the inner screen replaced and a new light engine for the green problem.

Has anybody here had these fixes applied with success? I think I read that the new inner screen definately fixes the dirty blotch issue, but will the light engine fix the green on ym screen??

Have read through this entire thread and thought I did my homework on these models by seeing them at CC and Sears along with the high reviews from Cnet. I felt the picture was far superior than any of the other models on display.
I opted for the later 50V710 with the built in tuner and stand. My problem is that there is a yellow hue or tint on the entire top 2 inchs or so of the screen and a blueish one inch hue or tint on the right bottom of the screen. It isn't that bad just anoying and should not be there at all. It doesn't matter what the video source is either. Made some reccomended ajustments from the 50v500 thread but to no avail. The clue is that even in Screen Wipe these tints or hues are visable. You can turn the color down to 0 and they are still present.The unit is only 2 weeks old with a 4 year extended warranty but I bought it off the Net so have no recourse with local stores. I emailed Hatachi customer support thinking they would give me a simple sub menu fix but they said to call in for service. Sure hope I don't get caught up in some of the threads horror stories. Have not even put up my new hdtv antenna yet. I have owned and still own a 6 year 55" rpct Hatachi that has never needed anything but an ocasional cleaning. Thanks in Advance for any input as to my problem. I called one place for service and they wanted to just pick it up and keep it for a month or so? I suspect they hadn't a clue as to these models. Called another and atleast they will send out a tech to take a look at it but again they are talking new LE and maybe a screen which they claim are on back order.

Sorry to hear others were having issues with the strobing but nice to know I wasn't going crazy!

The new set is great so far, haven't seen anything even with the black enhancement on. I was getting headaches the past couple of weeks and couldn't figure out what it was from but since I got the new set they seemed to have gone away. I wonder if the strobing was going on all the time and causing some eye strain even though I only noticed them in certain scenes.

Hello.

I just bought this TV and noticed that the screen needs to be adjusted about 1-2 degrees. Currently in the bottom left corner, portions of the screen get cutoff at the bottom. It looks like it's only off around 1/16" but i'd like to reposition the screen so that the tilt is perfect.

Does anyone know specifically what I should change in the service menu to correct this?

It doesn't seem like H Position or V Position would fix this. I can't find anything about changing tilt.

I seem to have a similar problem, but it seems to happen only when I play certain xbox games.

games like burnout 3, project snowblind, advent all have noticably larger black bars on the left then on the right.

does anyone have the same set and notices the same thing?

I understand that replacing the inner screen fixes the dirty splotch issue.

Is there any consensus on what causes the green bleed issue and what needs to be done to truly fix it, and can it even truly be fixed???

Please help me out here!!!!

where did you buy your TV from?
I would request a new set, and another until you get one that is problem free...

I bought it from Circuit City. Problem is that 30 days has passed, and I am already on my 4th set with still these same da*n issues, so I have looked into a service repair man under the Hitachi warranty.

Should I just go and purchase the Circuit City entended warranty and keep exchanging them until I get one that works???

I bought it from Circuit City. Problem is that 30 days has passed, and I am already on my 4th set with still these same da*n issues, so I have looked into a service repair man under the Hitachi warranty.

Should I just go and purchase the Circuit City entended warranty and keep exchanging them until I get one that works???
Considering that you have replaced the tv 4x already, I doubt you will get one without these issues. Whatever store you bought these from seems to have a batch with all the same problems. You might as well get a competent service tech to fix it and if he can't, exchange it or just return it and get something else.

I don't think CC will continue to exchange the tv after 30 days just because you buy an extended warranty. Good luck with that if you decide to try it.

I bought it from Circuit City. Problem is that 30 days has passed, and I am already on my 4th set with still these same da*n issues, so I have looked into a service repair man under the Hitachi warranty.

Should I just go and purchase the Circuit City entended warranty and keep exchanging them until I get one that works???

Me personally, for this much dollar amount purchase, I'd be camped in the store manager's office until they provide a working set. And if that store manager blows you off, I'd be on the horn with their Regional management (and writing letters to the Better Business Bureau documenting the facts, with copy to CC corporate offices) and on up the chain.

And if I bought it on a credit card, I would be in touch with the credit card issuer disputing the charge (as the vendor has not delivered a acceptable product).

No, I wouldn't put another penny in CC's hands (extended warranty) until they delivered me first of all an acceptable initial product.

I bought it from Circuit City. Problem is that 30 days has passed, and I am already on my 4th set with still these same da*n issues, so I have looked into a service repair man under the Hitachi warranty.

Should I just go and purchase the Circuit City entended warranty and keep exchanging them until I get one that works???


What did hitachi say? Are they going to send someone to your house free of charge to address your problems?

I bought it from Circuit City. Problem is that 30 days has passed, and I am already on my 4th set with still these same da*n issues, so I have looked into a service repair man under the Hitachi warranty.

Should I just go and purchase the Circuit City entended warranty and keep exchanging them until I get one that works???

I doubt this is a coincidence, but it's interesting how CircuitCity's website does not list the 50VS810 anymore. It's been this way for the past couple of days. I've been checking to see if their price has gone down since I purchased mine.
They still list the 60" and 70" though.

Curious, did you check out the manufactuers date on the sets that you've had probs with and returned to CC? I'm still wondering if early sets exhibited the issues you've been having more than recently made sets.

Hitachi gave me a local service place and they will supposedy *fix* it under warranty. Trouble is they only pick up and fix at their place which will take 7-10 business days *IF* they stock the needed parts.

So it looks like I am going to be without my TV for a while.

The 30 days policy at CC has expired. Do I still have any leverage with them to get a new one??

Finally, all the sets I have had were make in Oct-Nov 2004, and all have sucked bad. I want a 2005 if possible. I even called the local warehouse for CC who delivers my TV and I told them how to easily look at the number on the box and to send me a 2005 model. Of course they acted like this was a hard thing and said they couldn't do it. This was before the set I have now was delivered!!!

I love and hate this TV, but I love it too much to buy a different model!

Hitachi gave me a local service place and they will supposedy *fix* it under warranty. Trouble is they only pick up and fix at their place which will take 7-10 business days *IF* they stock the needed parts.

So it looks like I am going to be without my TV for a while.

The 30 days policy at CC has expired. Do I still have any leverage with them to get a new one??

Finally, all the sets I have had were make in Oct-Nov 2004, and all have sucked bad. I want a 2005 if possible. I even called the local warehouse for CC who delivers my TV and I told them how to easily look at the number on the box and to send me a 2005 model. Of course they acted like this was a hard thing and said they couldn't do it. This was before the set I have now was delivered!!!

I love and hate this TV, but I love it too much to buy a different model!
Just fyi, the new VF820 series will be out in August (the VG825 will be available in Sept). Supposedly alot of things have been fixed with this new model. Might want to check with CC to see when they will be receiving these and possibly exchange your set for a new model (may be a little more money). The MSRP for the VF820 50" is supposed to be only 3,099. Press release at Design Technica (has pics also) (http://news.designtechnica.com/article7572.html)

Just fyi, the new VF820 series will be out in August (the VG825 will be available in Sept). Supposedly alot of things have been fixed with this new model. Might want to check with CC to see when they will be receiving these and possibly exchange your set for a new model (may be a little more money). The MSRP for the VF820 50" is supposed to be only 3,099. Press release at Design Technica (has pics also) (http://news.designtechnica.com/article7572.html)
:D Uh, the frames on these sets are just gorgeous! I like some silver equipment, but these sets in all black make for a piece of art.

:D Uh, the frames on these sets are just gorgeous! I like some silver equipment, but these sets in all black make for a piece of art.
I love the way these sets look also, plus the fact that I can get them at a little above wholesale makes them even more attractive. ;)

I'm just glad they don't put the speakers on the bottom like alot of other companies do, to me it makes it look more 'widescreen' and helps sound seperation (if you actually use the tv's speakers for regular viewing).

anybody have dish 811 reciever. What are your settings for hd if so. Also i had to return a set and recieved another it seems to me hitachi improved the tuner as ota signals improved greatly.

anybody have dish 811 reciever. What are your settings for hd if so. Also i had to return a set and recieved another it seems to me hitachi improved the tuner as ota signals improved greatly.

Do you recall the manufactuers date on the set you returned and the date on your new set?

returned set waqs sept 04 new set is may 05

I had my set calibrated by Eliab of Avical on Saturday and it looks great! It made a big difference in black levels, contrast and colors. He was very detailed and it came out fantastic. I highly recommend getting it done for the best possible picture.

One bad thing I did notice on my new set, when we were moving it around to change some of the inputs, is that there is about a 3" scratch on the protective screen in the upper left hand corner that I did not see when they delivered it. I can't see it straight on, only when I was looking at it with the set off from an angle. I can't see it with the set on so it is not affecting the picture. Now I just need to convince myself that it is not bothering me being there. Wish I had seen it before the calibration though.

What does everyone use to clean their screens on these sets?

Be careful. I don't think you can universally state that all 2004 sets are "bad" and all 2005 sets are good. I have a 60VS810 that was manufactured in November 2004 and have had absolutely no problems with it for the two months that I have owned it. Although the set is a bit difficult to set up video-wise, using an AVIA disk helped me a lot.

The tuner sensitivity is also very good on this set. It is just about identical to an external LG 3510 tuner and is a little better than several Voom OTA boxes that I have. The Hitachi tuner in my set is much more sensitive on weak signals and better on multipath than the tuner in my Sony 60XS955. It is also much more sensitive than another external tuner that I have used, the Samsung T151.

Eric,

Congrats on the calibration. I have a couple of questions:

Did you notice too much green in the picture prior to the calibration? What effect did the calibration have on this (if you had the emphasized greens that many of these sets seem to exhibit)?

What happened to the whites after the calibration? Have they brightened up? One of my gripes with the Hitachis is that I have to increase the blues quite a bit in order to get brilliant whites in the picture.

I am going to have UMR calibrate my 60VS810 if he ever makes it to San Diego. Any other SoCal owners interested in this? Cost is on the order of $400 and the various calibrations/owners need to split his round trip travel costs from Houston.

Would you share the calibration results?

Be careful. I don't think you can universally state that all 2004 sets are "bad" and all 2005 sets are good. I have a 60VS810 that was manufactured in November 2004 and have had absolutely no problems with it for the two months that I have owned it. Although the set is a bit difficult to set up video-wise, using an AVIA disk helped me a lot.

The tuner sensitivity is also very good on this set. It is just about identical to an external LG 3510 tuner and is a little better than several Voom OTA boxes that I have. The Hitachi tuner in my set is much more sensitive on weak signals and better on multipath than the tuner in my Sony 60XS955. It is also much more sensitive than another external tuner that I have used, the Samsung T151.
Steve, not at all.
I was not universally stating that all earlier build dates are bad.
Just that Hitachi's process of building these sets or parts "may" have improved from late last year to now.
My 50VS810 was built in Oct. 04 and I have not experienced any problems with it so far.

Eric, glad to hear your calibration went well and that you're pleased with the results!
...just wish I had the loot for a professional calibration. :(

I'm gonna try and post this in a way friendly to Forum Rules.
Please let me know if I break the rules with any of this.

I just noticed Sears dropped the price of their 50VS810.
For anyone who's recently purchased their set in the last 30 days, this is your opportunity to get that 110% price match from CC or whichever retail store you bought from. Sears price is now $200 less than what I paid at CC at the time.

This could be the result of the new versions of this set supposedly coming out Aug. and Sept. according to the Hitachi press release that was posted earlier.

Eric,

Congrats on the calibration. I have a couple of questions:

Did you notice too much green in the picture prior to the calibration? What effect did the calibration have on this (if you had the emphasized greens that many of these sets seem to exhibit)?

What happened to the whites after the calibration? Have they brightened up? One of my gripes with the Hitachis is that I have to increase the blues quite a bit in order to get brilliant whites in the picture.

I am going to have UMR calibrate my 60VS810 if he ever makes it to San Diego. Any other SoCal owners interested in this? Cost is on the order of $400 and the various calibrations/owners need to split his round trip travel costs from Houston.

I didn't have a problem with the greens on this set so that wasn't an issue. The overall brightness of the set increased quite a bit but I noticed the biggest difference in the black levels and contrast. The picture in HD and DVD has a more of a 3-D look to it and the colors are much more life like. The whites are much better without being to bright.

I can post my user menu settings later but since most of the changes were made in the service menu they may not correlate well to anyone elses set.

This could be the result of the new versions of this set supposedly coming out Aug. and Sept. according to the Hitachi press release that was posted earlier.
Both the VF and VG series are on Hitachi's site now, hopefully the sets showing up at stores will soon follow. The only difference I can see soo far is they have an updated base and the new Virtual 1080p II chipset along with a slightly updated remote. If the VS series didn't have an anti-relective screen, these new ones do.

What is everyones take on the blotch issues?

I have a couple that show up on boot but go away after about 15 minutes. Apparently they are very common. For owners that have had this tv, what is your experience with them? Have you been getting more blotches over time? Should I keep exchanging my tv until I get a set that has absolutely no blotches?

Someone mentioned that it might only occur during the break in phase of the TV?

I'm gonna try and post this in a way friendly to Forum Rules.
Please let me know if I break the rules with any of this.

I just noticed Sears dropped the price of their 50VS810.
For anyone who's recently purchased their set in the last 30 days, this is your opportunity to get that 110% price match from CC or whichever retail store you bought from. Sears price is now $200 less than what I paid at CC at the time.

This could be the result of the new versions of this set supposedly coming out Aug. and Sept. according to the Hitachi press release that was posted earlier.


Me too! I'm gonna call CC and see if they'll give me the difference. Else i'll just return it completely and hope that Sears has a better batch of 50vs810s. I'm actually about to send my 2nd one back to CC for a new one so we'll see how they play.

What is everyones take on the blotch issues?

I have a couple that show up on boot but go away after about 15 minutes. Apparently they are very common. For owners that have had this tv, what is your experience with them? Have you been getting more blotches over time? Should I keep exchanging my tv until I get a set that has absolutely no blotches?

Someone mentioned that it might only occur during the break in phase of the TV?


vblick,

I had the blotches on my set and it's the inner screen that is defective.I had Hitachi replace the inner screen about 4-5 months ago and haven't had a blotch since.I think they came out with a new screen around feb.- march of this year.When was your set made? If you can get a set with a built date say like june or july you might not get the blotches, I would return the set for a new one.

Me too! I'm gonna call CC and see if they'll give me the difference. Else i'll just return it completely and hope that Sears has a better batch of 50vs810s. I'm actually about to send my 2nd one back to CC for a new one so we'll see how they play.


I called Hitachi and they are sending a guy over to replace the screen. Unfortunately my tv is from october 2004.

Edit. I just spoke to the tech and they don't know what/how to fix that problem. I'm within the 30 days so i'm just gonna return it and buy the newer 50/55VG825 when it comes out in September. Apparently these models have all these problems corrected.

Anyone planning on "upgrading" their 810 for a new 820/825? If so, are there any options other than selling it yourself?

does hitach 50vs810 comes with hd-ready? if not, what do i have to do the view local hdtv channel?

yes it is hd ready, meaning it is capable of displaying high defintion broadcasts.

call your local provider and they will give you the low down on how to subscribe.

so does that mean i don't have to buy hdtv tuner. and is the hdtv local channel free?

Does anyone know if there is a big PQ difference or other major difference between the Hitachi 50VS810 and the Hitachi 50V710 models? I know the styling is vastly different but there seems to be some real good deals on the 710 models right now.

I'm a first time HDTV shopper looking to buy soon. My other option I've been looking at is the Panasonic PT-52LCX65.

Any opinions on any of these models would be appreciated.

Thanks!

the main difference between these models is the v170 has an 11 element lens and one hdmi connection while the vs810 has a 25 element lens and 2 hdmi connections.

the vs810 also has a glass sheet above the screen that can cause glare.

the more elements allow for higher contrast and detail...

I need everybody's help here quickly!! My screen had the "dirty fingerprint" blotches and I contacted Hitachi and they set me up with a service tech. Well I called the techs today to get the status of my set and they said the inner screen was the problem, but that it is only under warranty for 30 days?? Is this true??

I was under the assumption it was an outer screen that was only under warranty for 30 days!! Please help me out because they said I am going to have to pay for it now!!

I would be on the phone to Hitachi verifing what the tech said.

watching the packers play san diego on espnhd on this set was amazing(60vs810). Anybody on the fence about hitachi lcd get off. The pq is simply outstanding

why did you return your first set steelhrd?

Well I just joined the Hitachi club. After CC advertised a new lower price today of 2499 on the 50vs810, i took the plunge and made the purchase.

I am very pleased with this TV out of the box. I'm not a videofile or an expert but I don't see a need for much tweaking at this point. HDTV over the air looks outstanding. I watched LOTR, Finding Nemo and Moulin Rouge and they all looked better than expected.

Very happy with the purchase so far!

Can't wait for the first HD broadcast of NFL over the air on ABC or CBS or maybe fox.

Just fyi, the new VF820 series will be out in August (the VG825 will be available in Sept). Supposedly alot of things have been fixed with this new model. Might want to check with CC to see when they will be receiving these and possibly exchange your set for a new model (may be a little more money). The MSRP for the VF820 50" is supposed to be only 3,099. Press release at Design Technica (has pics also) (http://news.designtechnica.com/article7572.html)

I owned 2 50VS810's, I loved the appearance of the TV and for a rear projection the picture was fantastic. Unfortuneatly both sets had problems with smudges showing up intermittently on the screen. I bought it from CC and was way impressed by thier customer service. The first set was returned after almost 45 days and I got no push back. The second set was returned 35 days after I swapped units. At that point I gave up on the Hitachi and ended up with a 50" Panasonic plasma. Lesson to all you married HDTV hopefuls, ALWAYS drag your bride with you to exchange the TV's. she insisted I get the plasma with the hope of not having to return anymore TV's. Call and talk to the store manager, that worked for me.

I actually returned 3 sets. The first for green push. The second would power of and would not come back until it set for 30 mins. The third had premature lamp failure and the store kept getting the wrong bulb from hitachi so they replaced it. The first set was probably good i didn't have the settings i got from this forum then.

wow thats a few sets, I guess I shouldn't talk I returned two of the v series before I bought mine.

what settings are you using steelhrd?

Your experience is pretty typical. I also had to exchange my first set due to smudging and dead pixels, but the second one has a perfect picture. I would say that although the set is not perfect, the PQ is excellent, and although some sets might play HD just as well or even better, I don't think that any other set plays SD programming as well as this one.

Does anybody have any info on the replacement to this model, which seems to be coming out soon?

It seems as if the majority of problems are far more prominent with the 50" models in regards to smudging/blotches (from what I've read).

The new VF series which is due out this month will supposedly ship out in a few weeks (Hitachi rep didn't have actual date to go by). I assume the VG series will ship out late Sept.

on the 50vs810 model.
does anyone know if the Day/Night timer only switches the picture mode if the tv is on when the timer hits that time?
I noticed that if I turn my tv on at 9pm at night, its still in day mode, even though the time says to switch it at 8pm.

I've noticed a SIGNIFICANT improvement in picture quality by using the Night mode exclusively. Try this. Copy all the settings between Day and Night then switch between them on a paused scene on a dvd. I notice a big difference in picture "noise" that no setting the Sharpness or any other setting will remove from the Day mode. Look and decide for yourself.

on the 50vs810 model.
does anyone know if the Day/Night timer only switches the picture mode if the tv is on when the timer hits that time?
I noticed that if I turn my tv on at 9pm at night, its still in day mode, even though the time says to switch it at 8pm.

Yes... worthless feature the way that Hitachi implemented it.

T

It seems as if the majority of problems are far more prominent with the 50" models in regards to smudging/blotches (from what I've read).

The new VF series which is due out this month will supposedly ship out in a few weeks (Hitachi rep didn't have actual date to go by). I assume the VG series will ship out late Sept.


I beg to differ I have the 60 inch and the blotches did appear when I first bought the TV, but seem be gone ( month later ) now.... has anyone had these blotches completely disapear?

I beg to differ I have the 60 inch and the blotches did appear when I first bought the TV, but seem be gone ( month later ) now.... has anyone had these blotches completely disapear?
You disagree that I stated that "the majority of problems are far more prominent with the 50" models" in regards to smudging/blotches? Notice I didn't say "exclusively" as I know there have been other sizes that have had blocthing, but the majority have been mainly 50" models. The reason for this is that the 50" inner screens were developed by Hitachi which are more prone to this problem (not all have had this and has now been rectified) to where the 60" and 70" inner screens were provided/developed by a different manufacturer.

Just to note, others have stated that a possible cause for the blotches that tend to go away after 15-30 minutes may be due to humidity within the set that dissipates(sp) after a short period of use.

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 just bought the vs715 and the matching stand came free (one of the reasons I leaned towards this model) and I ran into the same issue! The is NOOOO room at all on those shelves, my Harmon Kardon wouldnt come close to fitting on either shelve let alone my center channel... SO I took out the top shelve and stacked my equipment on top of each other, not exactly what I wanted to do but its the only way to make it fit. I have my cable box on top of the center and my dvd player on top of the receiver...bad thing is the piece of glass on the bottom is bowed out, and last time I check glass doesnt bend well :o But the stand was free so I guess I cant complain...

Btw does anyone else reading this thread have the 715? Is the only difference the color between it and 710, and between the 810 the extra HDMI port?

I just bought the vs715 and the matching stand came free (one of the reasons I leaned towards this model) and I ran into the same issue! The is NOOOO room at all on those shelves, my Harmon Kardon wouldnt come close to fitting on either shelve let alone my center channel... SO I took out the top shelve and stacked my equipment on top of each other, not exactly what I wanted to do but its the only way to make it fit. I have my cable box on top of the center and my dvd player on top of the receiver...bad thing is the piece of glass on the bottom is bowed out, and last time I check glass doesnt bend well :o But the stand was free so I guess I cant complain...

Btw does anyone else reading this thread have the 715? Is the only difference the color between it and 710, and between the 810 the extra HDMI port?


I wound up returning the stand and bought a Bello AVSC2515 - from how difficult it was to actually find one, I think it was the last one in existance! I'm happy with the way it looks so far and ALL of my equipment and my center channel will fit in there.


T

You disagree that I stated that "the majority of problems are far more prominent with the 50" models" in regards to smudging/blotches? Notice I didn't say "exclusively" as I know there have been other sizes that have had blocthing, but the majority have been mainly 50" models. The reason for this is that the 50" inner screens were developed by Hitachi which are more prone to this problem (not all have had this and has now been rectified) to where the 60" and 70" inner screens were provided/developed by a different manufacturer.

Just to note, others have stated that a possible cause for the blotches that tend to go away after 15-30 minutes may be due to humidity within the set that dissipates(sp) after a short period of use.

yes I do disagree...
I can hazard to guess that the majority of people bought the 50 inch being as the the 60 was substantially more money when frist released.

There are posts, including myself, of people with 60's with the same problems as the 50's ... even though some say the screens of 50's had different manufactures, but it seems the 60's are not immune to the same problems.

It would just be interesting to know the numbers on 50 vs 60 sold.

I wound up returning the stand and bought a Bello AVSC2515 - from how difficult it was to actually find one, I think it was the last one in existance! I'm happy with the way it looks so far and ALL of my equipment and my center channel will fit in there.


T

Oh trust me if I had paid anything for that ****** stand I would have been returning it as well. There are so many things majorly wrong with the stand, its not deep enough, the shelves arent tall enough, and then the plastic end pieces that you screw on for appearence but serve no purpose other than taking away the 6-7 inches that would be usefull for your audio components.

But on a side note I was watching Discovery Hd last night and was really loving the picture. I also made the switch from Day to night mode while watching Sportscenter HD and noticed that the Day mode made the colors really unnatural. The background looked overly bright and florescent in Day mode.

I'm starting to get some strobing on my second set now. I hadn't noticed it before last night so I think it just started. It isn't nearly as bad as the first set, it gets a little brighter or darker for a split second every 20-30 seconds where the last one was constant. I am afraid it is something that will get worse but since I dumped the money into a calibration I am hesitant to return it for another one.

Has anyone that has had this problem been able to have it fixed instead of just replacing the unit? What does it look like when a buld is starting to go? I wonder if it is that? I know the bulb can be changed without effecting the calibration settings but if it is a light engine problem I would just have to start from scratch anyway.

Tom Bee did you buy the 50 or the 60 inch version?

Was the default color temp set to high on your model?

50vf820 available for special order @ CC, they told me 2 week delivery.

I bought 60vs810A about 4 months ago from CC, love the set, no problems whatsoever until this week.. All of a sudden the TV will not come on, it does the warming up thing and then the 'broken lamp' stays on continuously. Of course I am assuming this means I need to replace the bulb, but is this not extremely premature for a bulb to go out? I watch maybe an average of 2 hours a day, and the unit is plugged into a surge protector. I have called Hitachi and they said they will send out a bulb free of charge.
Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem? If so, what was your solution?

sounds like you are right, just a faulty bulb...

never heard of the 60vs810a... wonder what the changed on the unit to add the A prefix...

I have had my 60 inch since October of last year and love it. The PQ is still the best I have seen. I also own a Sammy 4674 and the Hitachi far outshines it. The only caveat with the Hitachi is to set it up in a dark room else glare is an issue. I also have the Panasonic upconversion DVD player which makes DVD viewing almost as good as HD.

slywinder do you use hdmi for upconversion or component?

I have a samsung HD 850 and the digital upconversion does not look as good as 480i on component, the hdmi seems blurry and not as detailed as component on 480i ... the 480p on component looks terrible.

I was thinking about buying a better quality hdmi cable and seeing if it makes a difference...

slywinder do you use hdmi for upconversion or component?

I have a samsung HD 850 and the digital upconversion does not look as good as 480i on component, the hdmi seems blurry and not as detailed as component on 480i ... the 480p on component looks terrible.

I was thinking about buying a better quality hdmi cable and seeing if it makes a difference...
I use HDMi as the connection and have the Panasonic set to upconvert to 720p. The cable is nothing special, just the one that came with the DVD player.

And you find the hdmi connection to be superior to component at 480i not 480p?

or have you tried setting it to 480i?

The picture was so good that I did not bother to experiment at lower resolution or using component cables. Maybe I'll experiment tonight.

The picture was so good that I did not bother to experiment at lower resolution or using component cables. Maybe I'll experiment tonight.

I thought the same thing when I first hooked up mine through hdmi, but after using component at 480i I was mistaken, the picture is MUCH more crisper. Just last night I watched Sin City and it looked amazing...

the only thing I had to change was the brightness had to be set to about 40 on component compared to around 50 on hdmi.

try and let me know, I am curious to know if its the same in your setup...

Anybody have the denon 1910.

Does anyone have set top box connect via HDMI to their set?

I have a shaw cable box hooked up through dvi to hdmi to my set. I notice the picture looks a bit more cleaner but the color and saturation looks washed out. not to mention the picture is noticeably darker.

does anyone have feedback to share in regards to hdmi vs component from digital cable box or other sources?

I finally took my rear projection hitachi50v715 apart to try to remove what I thought was a bug. Well it turns out that it's not a bug at all but appears to be some kind of small defect in the screen itself. When conditions are right (bright behind the spot) it looks like a small beetle maybe 1/4 the size of a ladybug or perhaps a large gnat. Don't know what to do about it(if anything). I took out the lightbox and dusted the bulb(airduster). Also gave the lens a few blasts as well. Whatever this is it is definately on the back layer of the screen and it is a... well pit is the only way to describe it and it's inside of 9 pixels (I'm guessing pixels when I get close to the screen I see a grid and it is those grid sections I'm counting). While I had the screen leaned out I took a fingernail to it very lightly thinking it was a stuck bug and thats how I know it is actually a pit. I have had the TV for less than a year and bought an extended warranty from HHGregg for 3 years.

umm this the vs thread dood...

umm this the vs thread dood...

Yeah I know that but there is no v715 thread so I just decided to ask here guess this thread is just too much different for someone to have that same kind of problem or have heard of such. Maybe I should have asked over on the Sony threads instead?

Those type of comments make me want to say worse but I'll stop here.

Thanks anyway.

why are you taking apart your tv when you bought an extended warranty?

thats what they are for... you may have voided yours.

For those interested, the new 50VF820 is now available at Sears.com. I would assume CC and others should be soon to follow in the next few weeks at the latest.

I finally have a all HDMI HD connection (via DirecTV HD Tivo) and unfortunately my 50VS810 still has plenty of silk screen effect. I was hopeful it was bad because of my low-def programming over analog cables. So S&V Magazine was wrong about its root cause. I'm interested to hear about how bad SSE is on the new 2005 Hitachi models.

Chris

Have posted this on its own thread, with no response, so I thought it might get more attention here:

After returning for a two week vacation, my set will not power up. Instead, when I turn it on, I get an endless "intermediate" blue blinking light, but no picture. Hitachit tech support said that they never heard of this problem, and I am now waiting for a tech. I have tried unplugging and replugging it, but no difference.

Has anybody else experienced this problem? If so, what was the solution? It sounds to me very much like the 3BLP problem that seems to plague Samsung DLPs.

I too just had d* hooked up via the hd tivo and am somewhat dissapointed in the sde. I have seen quite a few sets that look better. I did not notice as much in the store as I do at home. Oh well, I am stuck with her now, CC 30 day period is up.

I finally have a all HDMI HD connection (via DirecTV HD Tivo) and unfortunately my 50VS810 still has plenty of silk screen effect. I was hopeful it was bad because of my low-def programming over analog cables. So S&V Magazine was wrong about its root cause. I'm interested to hear about how bad SSE is on the new 2005 Hitachi models.

Chris

Is your source cable or satelite?

if its cable you may have a loss of signal somewhere.

for the record I own a 60vs810 and I think SD looks good... not spectacular but pretty decent.

most large hd sets I have seen do not handle sd very well... though some handle it better than others.

Is your source cable or satelite?

if its cable you may have a loss of signal somewhere.

for the record I own a 60vs810 and I think SD looks good... not spectacular but pretty decent.

most large hd sets I have seen do not handle sd very well... though some handle it better than others.

I have satellite. I'm not complaining about SD -- I agree that its pretty watchable. I just don't like the greasy, shimmering I see in lighter scenes such as clouds or sky. It's distracting.

Anybody else annoyed by the lingering input selection menu. If you don't manually exit the menu after selecting a new input, it hangs around for an eternity. All other menus seem to time out after a reasonable time.

I've also wondered why they allow you to name each of your inputs, but don't apply those names to the input menu. I've had to tape a list on the bottom of my remote because I'm the only one in the family that can remember what's connected to each input.

I finally hooked my pc to my tv and i was so thrilled with the picture quality i am going to build a htpc. I only experimented about an hour but man did it look good.

I have satellite. I'm not complaining about SD -- I agree that its pretty watchable. I just don't like the greasy, shimmering I see in lighter scenes such as clouds or sky. It's distracting.

could also be your STB, some of the new ones have better tuners....

Anybody else annoyed by the lingering input selection menu. If you don't manually exit the menu after selecting a new input, it hangs around for an eternity. All other menus seem to time out after a reasonable time.

I've also wondered why they allow you to name each of your inputs, but don't apply those names to the input menu. I've had to tape a list on the bottom of my remote because I'm the only one in the family that can remember what's connected to each input.

yeah that menu hangs around for ever... and the input naming is rather pointless.

CircuitCity is now offering the 50VF820. Since I just bought the 50VS810 about 2 weeks ago, I'm thinking about exchanging mine, especially since my set has a green circle on the screen that can only be seen when the screen is powered on but all black. Comparing the specs of the 2, I can't tell what is different between them, other than the way the trim on the speakers is designed and the remote for the 820 is craptastical vs the heavenly scrolly remote for the 810. The VS810 is a Cineform screen whereas the VF820 is not. But what does that mean?

Anyone know what are the real differences between the VS810 and the VF820?

I asked the same awhile ago and never got an answer... I think the guts of the two models are pretty identical. I think Hitachi refers to the Heavy Glass screen as Cineform where as the vf820 I think does not have the heavy glass and is less reflective.

I don't think its much different but if your having problems with your set you may want to exchange for something new.

I asked the same awhile ago and never got an answer... I think the guts of the two models are pretty identical. I think Hitachi refers to the Heavy Glass screen as Cineform where as the vf820 I think does not have the heavy glass and is less reflective.

I don't think its much different but if your having problems with your set you may want to exchange for something new.

Thanks for your reply. CC didn't yet have one out on the floor so I wasn't able to compare it to the set I have at home. Hopefully they'll put one out and I'll try to figure out what's different. The glass screen is a good possibility since I did notice the 50VF820 is about 13 pounds lighter than the 810. That kinda sucks because the shiny reflective surface of the 810 is one its great aesthetic features.

For reference, here's PDFs of the manuals:
http://merchant.satisfusion.com/library/manuals/owners/50_55_60VF820.pdf
http://merchant.satisfusion.com/library/manuals/owners/50_60_70VS810.pdf

And the sales spec sheets:
http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/lcd/pdf/50VF820.pdf
http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/lcd/pdf/50VS810.pdf

Hard to find much of a difference. Feature wise they seem the same. The 810 has better aesthetics (and remote) in my opinion. But I paid 2700 for the 810 and the 820 is currently < 2400 at CC. That's a tough call.

Does anyone know how I can update the firmware on my TV? Currently I'm running on the factory installed firmware. Will any new firmware help at all or is it currently okay?

when is the 50VG825 UltraVision® CineForm™ 50" LCD HDTV coming out?

and when is the 50VF820 UltraVision® 50" LCD HDTV coming out?

Just saw the 50 and 55 VF820s at CC website.

Just got our 50VF820 in tonight. And of course they didn't put the stand on this truck, have to wait till Thurs.

Did any of the vs810 owners out there pick up a set from UEC Web, Hitachi's authorized refurb company? I'm thinking of going this route for a 60 incher. Would love to know others opinions of this TV and this seller . . .

I've had my 50VS810 for almost 8 months and haven't had any issues: until now...

Anyone ever see the following problems:

TV Issues:

On DVD (HDMI):

Contrast shift (momentary 'bounce' of black level, brightness etc.)
Aspect shift (momentary move to 4:3 with grey bars)

ON Tivo (S-Video):

Green Picture (momentary loss of red channel, appears like blue/green screen).
Aspect shift (momentary move to 4:3 with grey bars).

On XBox (Component):

Nothing yet witnessed.

The contrast shift is a noticeable alteration in the brightness/black level/contrast of the image spontaneously. It seems to occur most often during dark scenes, but I've seen it once or twice during bright scenes so I don't think it's specifically related to some sort of 'auto-contrast compensation'.

You can't miss the Aspect shift. Watching a DVD in 'letterbox' format and it will suddenly crop to 4:3 with grey bars down the sides. It will only stay that way for a few seconds and then bounce back to normal. No pause or hiccup in playback occurs. This has happened on BOTH the DVD (HDMI) and Tivo (S-Video) inputs, which is why I suspect the TV rather than the source.

I have the Circuit City protection plan, and will probably call them in, but I thought I'd post here to see if there is something I should be aware of.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Update:

Definitely a major issue with the set. Happens rarely, but caught the "Green Screen" issue during a gaming session (XBox) tonight. It's not the splotches or anything like tha t reported before, but rather a brief moment where it looks like the Red element of the image disappears.

Hopefully CC can get this fixed. I'm nervous now.

Have posted this on its own thread, with no response, so I thought it might get more attention here:

After returning for a two week vacation, my set will not power up. Instead, when I turn it on, I get an endless "intermediate" blue blinking light, but no picture. Hitachit tech support said that they never heard of this problem, and I am now waiting for a tech. I have tried unplugging and replugging it, but no difference.

Has anybody else experienced this problem? If so, what was the solution? It sounds to me very much like the 3BLP problem that seems to plague Samsung DLPs.


After many weeks without a set, the shop dropped it off, allegedly with a new "digital board", whatever that means. Unfortunately, I don't think that the problem is fixed, and that I have been stuck with a temporary solution. Now the TV will turn on most of the time, but frequently refuses to power on at all (just flat out dead with no lights and no fan, just nothing). The workaround is that I can unplug the set, wait a few seconds, and then it will power on normally. Has anybody else experienced this? I see lots of similar complaints with other Hitachi TV models.

I've had my 50VS810 for almost 8 months and haven't had any issues: until now...

Anyone ever see the following problems:

TV Issues:

On DVD (HDMI):

Contrast shift (momentary 'bounce' of black level, brightness etc.)
Aspect shift (momentary move to 4:3 with grey bars)

ON Tivo (S-Video):

Green Picture (momentary loss of red channel, appears like blue/green screen).
Aspect shift (momentary move to 4:3 with grey bars).

On XBox (Component):

Nothing yet witnessed.

The contrast shift is a noticeable alteration in the brightness/black level/contrast of the image spontaneously. It seems to occur most often during dark scenes, but I've seen it once or twice during bright scenes so I don't think it's specifically related to some sort of 'auto-contrast compensation'.

You can't miss the Aspect shift. Watching a DVD in 'letterbox' format and it will suddenly crop to 4:3 with grey bars down the sides. It will only stay that way for a few seconds and then bounce back to normal. No pause or hiccup in playback occurs. This has happened on BOTH the DVD (HDMI) and Tivo (S-Video) inputs, which is why I suspect the TV rather than the source.

I have the Circuit City protection plan, and will probably call them in, but I thought I'd post here to see if there is something I should be aware of.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

the contrast your talking about occurs when you have the black enhancement on high and or contrast set to dynamic... if you change to your factory settings of night you should not see any shift in contrast, or you could just turn the contrast to normal and set the blackness enhance to off.

I have never noticed an aspect shift of any kind from any source, with s video I notice abnormal aspects with standard broadcasting as well as with HD... I only use S video for standard broadcast HD is viewed better with component or HDMI.
You may want to try a switch out your dvd player for another and see if the problem still exists.

After many weeks without a set, the shop dropped it off, allegedly with a new "digital board", whatever that means. Unfortunately, I don't think that the problem is fixed, and that I have been stuck with a temporary solution. Now the TV will turn on most of the time, but frequently refuses to power on at all (just flat out dead with no lights and no fan, just nothing). The workaround is that I can unplug the set, wait a few seconds, and then it will power on normally. Has anybody else experienced this? I see lots of similar complaints with other Hitachi TV models.

How quickly are you turning the set ON/OFF? The TV has a built in feature to make sure the bulb cools properly after turning the set off, that blocks you from turning it back on too quickly. The only sign is a blinking light (forget which colour it was)

Anybody know how check hours on this set.

How quickly are you turning the set ON/OFF? The TV has a built in feature to make sure the bulb cools properly after turning the set off, that blocks you from turning it back on too quickly. The only sign is a blinking light (forget which colour it was)


Unfortunately, the problem isn't as simple as the bulb (and I never switch it on and off quickly in any case). They seem to have a lot of bad sets with bad power boards out there, which are just waiting to go bad.

Unfortunately, after not having the set for several weeks while it was in for repair, I can see that the problem is returning. Sometimes, the set will simply not power on at all (no lights, no nothing, just dead), unless and until it is unplugged from the wall for a bit. The set will power on after I do this. This is the same symptom I have had before the repair, so I imagine that the set is a time bomb, and Hitachi seems unwilling and unable to do anything further for me. I hope to replace the set before this one goes bad again -- but not with another Hitachi.

I am interested in hearing from anybody else with similar problems.

I had a set that did exactly the same thing. returned it.

I had a similar problem, no powerup but the overtemp light would flash. The repair shop came and picked it up, naturally they could not duplicate the failure, but they replaced the bulb, ballast and fan as preventive maintenance. They stated as the bulb ages it takes more power/voltage to light the lamp which the ballast may sometimes may not be able to provide. The set was approx 6 months old when this occurred.

Hello,
This is my problem. I have a 50sv810 and I want to setup the digital output from the TV to be heard on my Denon Reciever. The problem is that according to the manual (pg 50) I enter the Audio menu and scroll down past Loadness and I should see 3 more menues. ie: Language/Dolby/DCP, But I DON"T have the choices. Can someone help me out here.

Thanks

Hello,
This is my problem. I have a 50sv810 and I want to setup the digital output from the TV to be heard on my Denon Reciever. The problem is that according to the manual (pg 50) I enter the Audio menu and scroll down past Loadness and I should see 3 more menues. ie: Language/Dolby/DCP, But I DON"T have the choices. Can someone help me out here.

Thanks
Read the bottom note on page 50: "These functions are only available when viewing digital programs."

I saw that, but doesn't having the TV hooked up to Bell Expressvu Constitute that? "Digital Programs" I'm using the HDMI connection from the Expressvu receiver into the TV

I saw that, but doesn't having the TV hooked up to Bell Expressvu Constitute that? "Digital Programs" I'm using the HDMI connection from the Expressvu receiver into the TV
Apparently not. For me, the functions are only available when viewing digital programming through Ant A or Ant B.

My cable box is connected with HDMI and it doesn't seem to enable the extra audio options. Of course, it's only the video that's digital here; the audio is analog.

i just got off the phone with hitachi cuz im having the same problem.they said the tv isnt detecting the digital signal and does work with hdmi and and comp cables.if anyone finds a solution let me know thanks

i just got off the phone with hitachi cuz im having the same problem.they said the tv isnt detecting the digital signal and does work with hdmi and and comp cables.if anyone finds a solution let me know thanks



redrocker24,

The Digital out seems to be for the TV tuner as phousley stated.

I have the CableCard and using the Digital out on my set to the receiver it works perfect.

I also have my DVD player hooked up via hdmi and since I had the Digital out on my set running too my receiver I thought I would get sound out of my receiver when using my DVD player but I did not,only out of the TV speakers.

My Question to Hitachi is why have hdmi inputs if there is no way too output the sound from the TV.

See Ya,Hoss

Hi,
Well, after counting myself lucky the past 11 months with my VS810, where none of the issues in this thread(been lurking) have appeared with my TV- I now have a green
hue that basically covers the entire middle portion(top to bottom) of the screen.
Ive called the Hit rep-there coming out in a few days, I want to make sure
I at least know the reasons for the green hue when they do come, Ive seen many posts in this thread
documenting the same problem as I, but didnt see a clear resolution to the problem.. is there one? Its been a great set up until now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated..

I haven't been here in a while but I thought I'd chime in and post my impressions after living with a 60VS810 for about a year. Keep in mind that I still have the original set I purchased and never went through the exchange process that many others have.

First of all, the set absolutely must be situated in a room with little or no ambient light. The reflective properties of the screen will reflect any ambient light and become extremely annoying. I haven't seen the Director's Series sets but based on what I've read about the non-reflective screen, this would be the way to go if you use this set in a room with lots of windows. Mine is set up in my finished basement and the only window is covered up so reflections have never been an issue for me.

Green screen issues - I have this to a certain degree and have ameliorated the problem as best I can using the color management menus and calibrating the set with the Digital Video Essentials DVD. Most of the time I don't really notice it as I have simply learned to live with it. There is just something about this set that makes the image come to life so a minor greenish hue, most notable with flesh tones, is a defect I've come to accept, but it's till a defect nonetheless and one that many buyers won't be able to live with.

Black level - This is one area that the critics and major Home Theater publications really stress for quality displays, and after living with the Hitachi for almost a year I understand why. I have to admit, that even in a darkened room, black level on this set is just not all it should be. I have to say that when this set gets replaced I'm going to look at the black level with much more scrutiny as it will move up to the top of my list of priority features.

My advice is, if you can live with the negatives then this is a really nice display, but far from the best that's currently available. If you're looking for the best picture then there are lots of other sets that will outshine this one. The problem with deciding on which one to buy is that most of them are not set up properly in showrooms to really strut their stuff, except perhaps in some high-end home theater salons. I was really impressed with some of the DLP sets when I started looking at HDTV sets and never really had a problem with the rainbow effect but the thought of a state-of-the-art TV using something as archaic as a color wheel just turns me off. I'd have to go with a three-chip DLP set with this technology but I don't know of too many that offer it other than some of the more expensive front projectors. I'd also have to consider one of the LCoS sets like the JVC DiLA models. I wasn't overly impressed with them in Circuit City's showroom but that's a display and setup issue and not the set itself.

The critics all consistently rave about DLP and LCoS so there must be something to them. I just need to find someplace where I can audition them properly to make an educated decision. LCD RPTV sets are improving but this Hitachi isn't quite there yet. It still greatly outshines my older Mitsubishi 50" RPTV so it's a major improvement over what I used to watch, which is why I'll be keeping it for some time. Right now I'll just consider this purchase a lesson learned.

After owning the 60vs810 for about half a year I have to agree with Captain about all he has mentioned.

When I first looking for a set I didn't even know what black level was let alone that LCD lacked substanially in this Debt.

I have to say that his set really does shine in the hd arena, no other set have I seen looks as sharp and realistic as the vs810, IMO.

I have not noticed the green issues captain touched on... might have something to do with being partially color blind. ha!

One thing I do notice is the SDE is still pretty noticable in solid colored scenes, I am around 9 - 10 feet back, this has been noted in many reviews as well.

also the Contrast on this set is poor in my opinion, I have a hard time viewing some shows in the daytime and in a brightly light room, I am unsure if this is also a problem with the 50.

The glare was a problem in my original setup so I had to set it up in front of the largest window in the my place so that kinda sucked.

In all if I had to do it again, I would have bought a 50 Inch plasma, the 60 is great for watching movies and hd but is pretty friggin big for an apt my size, not to mention moving the thing requires two guys and scares the **** out of me.

Hello all,
I just came back to my tv and had all three lights were blinking on my LED output and no picture. It seems like the bulb went out after 12 mos. Has anyone seen this error. I haven't called Hitachi yet, it's no longer under warranty. About two weeks past....everytime! Please let me know if anyone has had this same error and has anyone changed a bulb, is it easy? Should a service tech do it for me or can I? Any help would be great.

The bulb is meant to be user replaceable item. There are instructions in the user manual on replacing the bulb. However, you should really have a repair shop look at your set since the cost of a bulb is around $200 or more. I had a similar problem of only the overtemp led flashing and the set would not turn on. The tech could not verify the failure when they got it back to their shop, but they did replace ballast, bulb and fan as a preventive measure. All of this was covered under warranty. Also if you are planning on troubleshooting this yourself, there are a couple of people selling v810 service manuals on ebay. I've not dealt with these people, so this a fyi only.

Hello all,
I just came back to my tv and had all three lights were blinking on my LED output and no picture. It seems like the bulb went out after 12 mos. Has anyone seen this error. I haven't called Hitachi yet, it's no longer under warranty. About two weeks past....everytime! Please let me know if anyone has had this same error and has anyone changed a bulb, is it easy? Should a service tech do it for me or can I? Any help would be great.


Stataman,
I would be surprised if you are lucky enough that this is just a burned out bulb. If you scroll up, you will see that lots of us have had this problem of blinking lights and no picture. It appears that this is usually caused by a faulty board inside the TV, which in my case took almost 3 weeks to repair.
You should try unplugging the set and trying to turn it on again after 10 minutes. Unfortunately, this doesn't work every time.

Thanks for the reply. I just skimmed the past few posts, it does seem like their are some problem sets. I tried the unplugging method a few times and it didn't work. However, this time the blinking was in order-power-temp-lamp and I just let it blink for a while and it seemed like the lamp was trying to fire on and i could here a clicking noise like a furnace starting. This clicking noise happened about three times and then finally the TV shut itself off and the lamp light stayed on. So i'm hoping that i'm a "lucky" one and the lamp is just bad. Only 12 months though?! Did other people's set have this clicking noise when they had problems with the blinking lights? I've never had a problem with my set until this moment.

yes had the clicking noise.

I had the clicking noice as well.

Let us know what it turns out to be.

Did you guy's have the lamp light stay on also? I remember reading about mostly blinking lights in the past few posts? On the TV were it those lights are, are the explantions of what each light means and so forth. It say's if the light stays on then it's a broken lamp or a something to that effect? Unforturnatly/fortunetly i'm heading on vacation this weekend and I can't get a tech to take a look at it, so it will be a few weeks before anything is fixed. What did your problems end up being and are they fixed?

Hello:

I have the following problem with my 50vs810. There is ONE stattion now where no picture appears. The screen shows the channel number 5-1 and after a while it displays weak signal or no signal present. All other HD channles work fine. I tried the standard cycle power, reset channel list and did an auto channel scan and still had the problem. One thing that happened is when I powered on the set it came up on channel 5-1 and I was not able to do anything with the remote except for power on/off. THe way I got out of this lock up problem was to power off, disconnect the antenna, power on and hten set the channel to something other than 5-1. It worked for getting back to the point where the other channels worked. There is another TV in the kitchen with the USDTV tuner hooked to it and 5-1and 5-2 work fine. Also on the Hitachi if the signal meter is brought up for 5-1 it is a solid 88-90 signal strength. My next step is to temporarily run the TV antenna hooked to the Kitchen setup and see if 5-1 will work. I doubt it will make a difference.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Barry

Did you guy's have the lamp light stay on also? I remember reading about mostly blinking lights in the past few posts? On the TV were it those lights are, are the explantions of what each light means and so forth. It say's if the light stays on then it's a broken lamp or a something to that effect? Unforturnatly/fortunetly i'm heading on vacation this weekend and I can't get a tech to take a look at it, so it will be a few weeks before anything is fixed. What did your problems end up being and are they fixed?

My lamp light did not stay on. Perhaps this is a good sign for you.

2 Questions:
They pretty much go hand in hand.
I've had the 60VS810 for over a year now and I wanted to know:
1. Sometimes, my set's menus and displays will randomly change to a different language. I don't touch anything, and I just turn up the volume and it says "Volumen".
2. How do I get a firmware upgrade?

What are people finding as their average bulb/lamp life on the 50VS810? I've had mine since Dec-2004 and had no issues ... yet.

I'm wondering if it's smart to go ahead and order a spare now or, do I safely have another 12mths for average lamp life?

I run the TV for ~ 5 hrs/day and it's on a UPS.


Thanks.

2 Questions:
They pretty much go hand in hand.
I've had the 60VS810 for over a year now and I wanted to know:
1. Sometimes, my set's menus and displays will randomly change to a different language. I don't touch anything, and I just turn up the volume and it says "Volumen".
2. How do I get a firmware upgrade?

I've had the same issue. Not sure about the cause or why I have gone a long stretch of late without it re-appearing. The only thing I heard about getting the new Firmware was to call Hitachi. You do it and tell me how it works out? ;-)

I've had the same issue. Not sure about the cause or why I have gone a long stretch of late without it re-appearing. The only thing I heard about getting the new Firmware was to call Hitachi. You do it and tell me how it works out? ;-)
Installing the new firmware is simple.

To get the firmware, call Hitachi (1-800-HITACHI). They will send you an MMC card and instructions.

Turn off the TV, put in the MMC in the back, turn on the TV, go to MENU -> SETUP -> Upgrades -> Update Now. When it says it's done, turn the TV off. Wait for blue lamp fan to stop flashing, pull plug. Wait 30 seconds, plug in, turn on.

You are now running on the new firmware. You can verify this by going to the same Update Now screen and it should show the new firmware version as the current version.

I just installed the new firmware today, and it TOTALLY FIXED my problem with audio and video errors on digital stations when using my CableCard. I am both happy that I can now watch HDTV channels and have NO audio or video dropouts and unhappy that I waited so long before contacting Hitachi to enquire about the problem being a firmware issue rather than a CableCard hardware problem or a cable TV signal quality problem.

Charlie

have had the 60 inch VS810 now for about 11 months and have come across an issue which wanted to share with other owners. Recently when watching DVD movies or Cable through the component inputs, I noticed the picture would break during scenes where the source is going from one take to the next. The most evident was in the movie War of the worlds where there is a lot of lightning flashes and scene changes.

Hitachi have been able to duplicate the issue and are not sure when they will be releasing a fix for this issue. they have stated this issue is likely to occur in all these models. The most likely fix is either a new firmware revision or a new board. I will provide an update again when I have recieved a fix. :rolleyes:

I just got the firmware update but haven't yet installed it.

Either way, even with a few little bugs I can say that I've LOVED every minute with this set since getting it last year, and couldn't be happier with the Picture quality, features, or design aesthetic even today (in fact, I think the high-gloss 810 is more attractive than the dull newer models).

Hopefully everyone else is equally as happy. The only other set I would want is a Sony SXRD, but I'm glad I didn't wait the extra year to begin enjoying a real HD set.

Update:

Hitachi have released a new board with new firmware to fix this issue. Tech will be coming out soon to replace. will provide an update if issue is fixed.

New to the forum and can not find much info on vertical banding.

Is vertical banding suppose to be present on the 50vs810? I see it especially when the tv has a simlar color over a large area. The bands are equally spaced and usually a slightly different color from the color around them. It occurs on any input device. The tech who came to look at my TV indicated that i could not find banding on the sets i compared it to in the stores is because of differences in ambient light, indicating this was normal for this tv. So I do not know if this is simply part of the LCD technology, my ambient light (which there typically is little) or a defect with a part of the TV. The tech indicated that Hitachi had asked to replace the screen, but he stated that it would not make a difference. Any help or explanation would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hiya,

Very new to the board, About to have a Hitachi 50VS810A delivered and I want to get an xbox 360 soon, does anyone have this TV and an xbox 360, how does it look, are there any issues I should be aware of concerning gameplay on this TV? Will this TV be suitable for the Playstation 3 when it comes out? I am new to this whole HDTV thing, is it bad that I am getting this unit from Rent A Center, I know it is alot of extra charges but I don't want to save for a year to buy a big screen when I can get one now, anyway I saw this TV and fell in love. Impatient yes. Stupid yes. Anyway do I have to have an HDMI monster cable to connect the HDTV Cable Box to the TV? Any help would be awesome ty all.

Take Care and Be Safe...

Tommy

Hiya,

Very new to the board, About to have a Hitachi 50VS810A delivered and I want to get an xbox 360 soon, does anyone have this TV and an xbox 360, how does it look, are there any issues I should be aware of concerning gameplay on this TV? Will this TV be suitable for the Playstation 3 when it comes out? I am new to this whole HDTV thing, is it bad that I am getting this unit from Rent A Center, I know it is alot of extra charges but I don't want to save for a year to buy a big screen when I can get one now, anyway I saw this TV and fell in love. Impatient yes. Stupid yes. Anyway do I have to have an HDMI monster cable to connect the HDTV Cable Box to the TV? Any help would be awesome ty all.

Take Care and Be Safe...

Tommy

I have a 360 with my 50VS810 and it looks incredible. No problems in the year and a half I've had my set; one of the best purchases I've ever made. I've seen very little in the current crop of sets to make me feel like I should've waited. Yes, your set will be PS3 ready, in fact most PS3 games are expected to be 720p, just like the 360, which is the native resolution of this set.

New to the forum and can not find much info on vertical banding.

Is vertical banding suppose to be present on the 50vs810? I see it especially when the tv has a simlar color over a large area. The bands are equally spaced and usually a slightly different color from the color around them. It occurs on any input device. The tech who came to look at my TV indicated that i could not find banding on the sets i compared it to in the stores is because of differences in ambient light, indicating this was normal for this tv. So I do not know if this is simply part of the LCD technology, my ambient light (which there typically is little) or a defect with a part of the TV. The tech indicated that Hitachi had asked to replace the screen, but he stated that it would not make a difference. Any help or explanation would be appreciated. Thanks.

I've had my 50vs810 for almost a year now. I'm not exactly sure what you are seeing, but I don't see any type of banding on my set. Both of my sources are HDMI, so I can't comment on other inputs.

I have a 360 with my 50VS810 and it looks incredible. No problems in the year and a half I've had my set; one of the best purchases I've ever made. I've seen very little in the current crop of sets to make me feel like I should've waited. Yes, your set will be PS3 ready, in fact most PS3 games are expected to be 720p, just like the 360, which is the native resolution of this set.

Thanks I appreciate it, I can't wait for the TV to be delivered!!!! Thursday Afternoon wooohoooooooooooooooooooo. So how do you like the 360, Call of Duty 2 looks awesome, can't wait to get it, but should I wait for the PS3, but I don't think the PS3 will be out this Spring as Sony says, so I might need a 360 to hold me over LOL. Hey does the regular xbox look any better on this TV than a regular TV set? Now if I can only find a 360 without paying a fortune, ya know like at Best Buy LOL.

Anyway I would love to hear from more people, but TY Sport 73 for answering my questions, I hope to be a regular visitor to this forum. Take Care and Be Safe.

Tommy

I've had my 50vs810 for almost a year now. I'm not exactly sure what you are seeing, but I don't see any type of banding on my set. Both of my sources are HDMI, so I can't comment on other inputs.


I do not believe my problem is a matter of inputs, I see the banding on any input with HDMI or composite. The bands are most noticeable in areas such as a gray sky or underwater blues. They are basically not noticeable in busy scenes that have a lot of detail. For example, the movie Pirates of the Caribbean has a foggy scene on the water in the beginning. In the fog I can see bands about a half inch apart running vertically across the screen. Once again the technician believes I am seeing the screens in the tv, a problem that can not be fixed. I have not seen this problem when I viewed the same tv in many stores - thus his explanation of ambient light differences. Should I have the screen replaced or settle for the banding?

I have this exact same vertical banding issue on my v720. I read somewhere a few weeks back about someone else who had this problem and fixed it easily in the service menu, but I can't seem to get in. Yesterday I started a thread to find out how to access it, but no word yet. That thread is titled: Hitachi v720 service menu access.

Bill

no I think hes referring to the screen door effect. banding is more apparent with low quality signals

Perhaps digimat, but I have the vertical banding very similar to jandry's description, and it's not SDE. I also have it on both HD and DVD inputs (HD via DVI w/HDMI adaptor, and DVD on input 3 via component). Any idea how to get into the service menu on this set (v720, I assume same as v820)? I really want to fix this myself if at all possible...

This link may help access the service menu:

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15779

Occasionally, while watching OTA programming, the message "Weak signal or channel not available" appears for no apparent reason. I'm getting a very good signal (90-95), no dropouts, no pixelation, nothing.

OK, maybe there was a momentary signal burp. But my problem is that the message NEVER goes away. The only way to get rid of it is to change channels then come back. Anyone else seen this?

In case anybody cares, the newest Firmware version for VS810 models is 0140.0000. I confirmed with the Hitachi rep is includes many fixes and compatability issues (Cable Cards is definately one of them).

I will provide it here all you must do it Private Message me. And all one must do is download it and put it on a SD-MMC flash card and do the procedure. If anybody needs help I will be glad to assist!

A link to that update might be helpful.
Thanks!

I know this is a different model Hitachi, but is there a update like that available for the v500 series Hitachi tvs?

If your TV is firmware upgradeable than most likely there is an update for you. Call 1800-hitachi and ask for what the newest version for your tv is. I checked all of the compatable models for the update I have and yours is not one of them. Sorry!

Hello all...

I know I'm coming in on the tail end of this issue, but it has just become a problem for me. I have the dreaded blotches on my screen and have read all the current info...my question is has anybody had any luck in getting Hitachi to work with them to fix this after the warranty period has expired? I got my unit in Nov. 2004 so I am plagued with the "Spots".

Any info on how to proceed (including fixes) will be appreciated....

Thanks.

how do you check hours on the 60vs810

My TV powers up (blinking blue power light), shows video for about 5 seconds, then goes black and returns to blinking power light. If you wait long enough, the video will return (again for about 5 seconds), then go away again. If you have a menu screen up when the video dies, it freezes that menu on the screen, which says that the lamp is still working. Any suggestions?
What does ballast problem look like? I'm afraid this problem might be a board problem :(

I have my Xbox 360 connected via component and my SA 8300 HD connected via HDMI to my Hitachi 70VS810. I have noticed when I am playing games, or watching cable, that my screen flickers from normal to a little darker, then back and forth between the two. I can only see it on cable if I am watching something where the screen doesnt change for a few seconds ie. public access. It's almost as if I were switching contrast settings on my TV. There is no set time for either the normal or darker time period it is very random. Sometimes it does it more than others. Anyone have any idea as to what could be causing this?

Hello all,

It has been a while since my last post. Here are my findings on these extremely disappointing television sets:

1. My first 50VS810 was my first HD set. I was amazed, but also saw blotches and green bleed. The screen was replcaed twice. No joy.

2. They replaced that set with a 50VX915 directors series (woo hoo) and still green bleed. But here is the most interesting thing: I dont know if anyone else notices this, but with this TV, HD viewing is WORSE then the 50VS810. It is almost as if there is water residue over the picture. HD is not as crisp, and its almost like there are hundreds of sporadic reflective pixels. It is so hard to explain. A true videoist (which I am not) would clearly see this. I mean dont get me wrong, it looks good, but nowhere near as good as the VS810. I have called those clowns numerous times and got no reply.

Anyone have this same issue with the 50VX915?

There is an option that I really love about this tv. You can set it up so that it changes the input depending on the device you have chosen to control. There is an option missing though. I would like to be able to choose ANT1 when I choose to control the TV. Is this possible, or I am I going to be bummed out.

Long time since my last post. I've had my vx915 for 23 months now. No problems until recently. A couple of months back I started thinking that the picture quality was not as good. I recently purchased a 20" LCD and it hit me that the 915 usedto look almost that good. I had a ton of hours on the bulb so I decided to replace the bulb and did the latest firmware upgrade. Not much improvement.

Now, I've noticed on WIPE that my screen is no longer solid white. I am seeing a faint green cloud which is irregulary centered while the corners are bright white. The WIPE used to be solidly bright white. I have a 4 year extended warranty and will call them next week. I still have a pretty good picture but now realize that it is nowhere near what it was 6 months ago.

I have had my 70VS810 for 18 months now and the picture is still sharper and clearer against my 2004 Sony 60" LCD RPTV set, but that isn't saying much.

The green cast in faces and such is either the same as it always was or I have just gotten used to it. :D

Sometimes I attribute it to keeping the contrast on high vs. lower, as with the night setting, which is just really awful, so I use the daytime settings only, leaving the factory default settings, for the most part, as is.

The only thing I have changed in the settings is the green and yellow colour pallatte as it seems to eliminate some of the green tints in things that should be grey or deep brown, like the contrast on a sun-tanned person's face in shadows, which the Hitachi really sucks at.

For this reason and others, I will never buy another or recommend a Hitachi HDTV for this reason...poor colours, bad customer service and the difficulty with changing inputs on the set (slips on screen too easily).

I have had my 70VS810 for 14 months. I have started noticing a fllicker on my screen. Hopefully its just the bulb, which I dont think has THAT many hours on it. I have never really had any problem with the green monster that I have noticed. The only problem I really have with this tv is the screen showing up on really bright/white backgrounds.

Well, I couldn't take it any more. I called for service and they are to pick up the set on Monday even though the EW contract says repairs in the home. 2 days for diagnostics and 7-14 days for authorization and repairs, if needed. Well, repairs are needed.

To rehash my problems. Screen wipe does not produce a white screen. Picture is dark (even with new bulb), HD doesn't look a whole lot better than SD and the color is just not right. I'm thinking that the light engine has gone south.

When the lady from the shop called she asked me what was wrong. I told her that I was depressed over having a $400 LCD TV which blew away my $4000 TV. :)
I am hopeful that this shop knows what they are doing and that the warranty company will authorize all needed repairs. I still think my TV had the best picture of any RP LCD that I have seen.

Sucks to hear that, I actually went back and did another screen wipe after reading your post. I turned off all the lights and sure enough, almost the whole right side of my screen has a huge green splotch. I have never seen it before. I think my bulb is about to be replaced to, my picture flickers light->dark. Almost as if I was playing with the contrast setting or switching from day mode to night. I guess when they call back to set up my appointment for that I will tell them about the green half of my tv. I love this tv, just wish this problems could be fixed.

OK. Two (2) guys with big truck just picked up my TV. Should know in a couple of days what's up with it. There is a ton of info about Hitachi V500 light engine issues but I could not find anything about the later models.

This is actually the ONLY thread I have ever found about this tv.

This is actually the ONLY thread I have ever found about this tv.

Yeah, not long after I got my TV, I quit posting here. Don't know why exactly unless it was because I had no issues. Plus, for some reason, I quit receiving notifications of replies to the thread.

I wish some of those who purchased this TV would start posting again and provide info on how their sets are doing.

Sucks to hear that, I actually went back and did another screen wipe after reading your post. I turned off all the lights and sure enough, almost the whole right side of my screen has a huge green splotch. I have never seen it before. I think my bulb is about to be replaced to, my picture flickers light->dark. Almost as if I was playing with the contrast setting or switching from day mode to night. I guess when they call back to set up my appointment for that I will tell them about the green half of my tv. I love this tv, just wish this problems could be fixed.

Hey Brandon, be sure and post what happens with your service call. I'll do the same. Good Luck!

Well, I talked to them last Thursday and she said they had to call Hitachi to see if there were any notices that had been released. And that she would go ahead and order a lamp and a new balast(whatever that is). I havent told them about the green side of my screen yet. She said they would call me back later to set an appointment up. I thought she meant later that day, I still havent heard from them. I called yesterday and the message said they were 2-3 weeks behind because they are the ONLY true in home repair company anywhere close to here. I guess I will call back tomorrow when I am off work. I guess the reason no one posts here anymore is because this TV is pretty old as far as TVs go. It would be nice if some of the originals came back though. We are the only 2 left! LOL. How long do you have be be without your tv?

Well, they said 2 days for diagnostics and 7-14 for parts ordering, repairs, coffee breaks, lunch, etc. LOL! I will probably call them tomorrow (Thurs) afternoon if I don't hear from them. That'll be almost 3 full days in the shop.

Yeah, 2 year old TVs are yesterday's news. But, I'm thinking that maybe since the owners haven't had any problems, they just quit posting. Also, I don't know how many of our models were sold. I think Hitachi sold a ton of the earlier models and there were some problems. Another thing, in my case, was that for some reason I quit receiving notices of posts. I thread subscription.

Yeah I subscribe to all of my posting threads also. Hopefully that is the reason people quit posting here. I fear its more to do with people just accepting the faults of the TV, or they returned them. I have been kinda looking at other TVs, but I hate to get a new one already, I really do love this tv. Plus being that I went with the 70'' model, I can only go down in size unless I buy a projector. I dont know if I want another RPTV or not. I dont care much for the Screen Door Effect, I can see it on this TV at 15' feet away on bright colors, mainly white. The 'green monster' is also quite a problem.

I've had the 60vs810 since Jan '05. I've been more than pleased with this unit. At about 6000 hours on the unit, the center of the screen is now brighter (yellowish or greenish), most noticable when white text on a black background is on screen. At certain bright scenes, blue or white, it is also somewhat visible. I also notice the change when the screen wipe is on. This used to be totally gray, now it is gray to blue on the outer edges, and an amber color on the center. This covers @ 60% of the screen, oval shaped and centered.

I contacted Hitachi, and they felt that since I was still using the original bulb, that a new bulb might clear up the bright spot. I put a new bulb in this afternoon, (easy) and checked to make sure there was no dust or dirt on the lens ahead of the lamp. All was clean. The new bulb made absolutely no difference to the picture, no brighter, and no change in the spot. Guess these bulbs may last even longer, 6400 hours to date.

Has anyone else had this problem? How was it corrected?

Hitachi told me today that it may be dust inside the lens array, or on the polorizers / prism. I called their authorized service center, and they have no idea, but are more than willing to have a look for $89/hr with no guarantee of being able to diagnose the problem. They say it may take several visits dismantling the set, and contacting Hitachi before they may come to a conclusion. That could easily run well over $600 just find the problem.

I considered an ISF, but if there is a physical problem, that also could be a waste of money.

That said, the spot is not overly obvious most of the time, but knowing it's there, and may worsen, concerns me.

thanks
Vega

I've had the 60vs810 since Jan '05. I've been more than pleased with this unit. At about 6000 hours on the unit, the center of the screen is now brighter (yellowish or greenish), most noticable when white text on a black background is on screen. At certain bright scenes, blue or white, it is also somewhat visible. I also notice the change when the screen wipe is on. This used to be totally gray, now it is gray to blue on the outer edges, and an amber color on the center. This covers @ 60% of the screen, oval shaped and centered.

I contacted Hitachi, and they felt that since I was still using the original bulb, that a new bulb might clear up the bright spot. I put a new bulb in this afternoon, (easy) and checked to make sure there was no dust or dirt on the lens ahead of the lamp. All was clean. The new bulb made absolutely no difference to the picture, no brighter, and no change in the spot. Guess these bulbs may last even longer, 6400 hours to date.

Has anyone else had this problem? How was it corrected?

Hitachi told me today that it may be dust inside the lens array, or on the polorizers / prism. I called their authorized service center, and they have no idea, but are more than willing to have a look for $89/hr with no guarantee of being able to diagnose the problem. They say it may take several visits dismantling the set, and contacting Hitachi before they may come to a conclusion. That could easily run well over $600 just find the problem.

I considered an ISF, but if there is a physical problem, that also could be a waste of money.

That said, the spot is not overly obvious most of the time, but knowing it's there, and may worsen, concerns me.

thanks
Vega
From your post, I assume that you did not purchase an extended warranty. Based on your post, I think that I would call Hitachi back, ask for a supervisor, explain the problem just as you posted. Jesus, $89/hr with no guarantee of being able to diagnose the problem. Is there another Hitachi autorized repair center near you?

Well, got the offical word today. Sorta. The shop called me and confirmed that the optical engine is defective. They said they would fax that info to the dealer for authorization to fix it. I called the dealer but the guy to speak with won't be in until tomorrow. So, I'll call him tomorrow and see if I can get a read on how long before my TV is fixed and returned.

As a side note, I just happened to see a 60VX915 on the tigerdirect.com website for $1599.

Here's an addendum to your side note, I found the 70VX915 for $2,499.99 at a very reputabe website. Good luck on getting up with that guy. Still no word from my people and I called them again yesterday and left a message. Hopefully this problem will be taken care of before my warranty runs out.........in 2009, lol.

Well, there's finally some activity on this thread over the past week!

I've also noticed that the corners are slightly darker than the center portion, but it's been that way since the beginning, and I was assuming that this is one of the drawbacks of the RP technology at that time. It's not noticeable except in the "wipe" screen mode, so I just chose to ignore it, but it looks like more people are seeing it after a year or two of use. I would be interested in seeing what happens with your experience in getting this fixed. BTW, I wonder if the SXRD also exhibits this phenomena in the corners?

I was an early adoptor fo the 50vs810, and still follow this thread, but not much has happened recently that has caused me to want to post anything, as things are now somewhat "stable". All of my problems were within the first 8 or 10 weeks -- I'm on my third set (1st=DOA; 2nd=returned due to very bad green splotches; 3rd=some green blotches, and elected to have the unit repaired by a replacement of the light engine). In other words, I'm glad I purchased the extended warranty.

Since these initial problems, for the last two years things have been pretty good overall, and I don't regret making the purchase that I did, as this unit was the best out there in the summer of 2004. I realize that there are now better quality units out there for significantly lower prices, but I had been putting off buying a HD TV for quite a while, and "just couldn't wait anymore" when I made the decision to purchase the unit.

I'm still using the original firmware, and should probably upgrade sometime, but I hadn't seen the problems that others saw that required the upgrade. I wish they would fix the issue of "input 1" vs. the name I assigned, and I'm assuming that will never be fixed now...

Well, I talked to the people that are gonna be fixing my TV tonight. They were hoping to stop by and look at the TV tommorrow because they will be in town, they are stationed a good 45 minutes away. Unfortunately I will be at work, so maybe later this week. He asked me to try to explain what I was seeing. He thinks its probably a engine going bad, or it could possibly be the lamp. He said the green problem sounded like an engine problem and the flickering is probably the lamp. Hopefully these are the culprits of the problems and can be fixed in my home. We will find out later this week hopefully.

Is there a way to switch to the antenna without having to manually go through the list and selecting it? Is there a 'one button press' way?

He said the green problem sounded like an engine problem and the flickering is probably the lamp.

What is the "green issue" you refer to?

I have read of splotches that show up on the screen wipe.
I don't seem to have that problem.

But on scenes with bright whites I sometimes get a green edge, or a green halo around lights.

I'd be interested to see if a new engine corrects this.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8469067#post8469067

The link above is to the Hitachi LCD V500 Issues thread. It seems that people are getting light engines replaced and only having to pay labor after talking with Hitachi. For those who don't know, the 810 replaced the V500.

I have noticed over the past number of months that a “defect” in picture quality has become apparent. The issue is one of a pattern of “smudges” that are visible when a light coloured image is shown. This pattern consists of 12 irregular shaped dots, each approximately 1/2” in diameter on 2” centers that run approximately horizontally about 8-9” from the top of the display. It is visible when looking directly at the set and diminishes as you move to left or right.

Has anyone else seen or heard of this effect? Is there a known cure?

I have noticed over the past number of months that a “defect” in picture quality has become apparent. The issue is one of a pattern of “smudges” that are visible when a light coloured image is shown. This pattern consists of 12 irregular shaped dots, each approximately 1/2” in diameter on 2” centers that run approximately horizontally about 8-9” from the top of the display. It is visible when looking directly at the set and diminishes as you move to left or right.

Has anyone else seen or heard of this effect? Is there a known cure?

i think i know what you are talking about and if it's the problem i had,they had to replace the screen because it is actually a moisture problem.do the smudges go away after a 1/2 hour or so?

No. The smudges don't go away. They are apparent from the time the set goes on until you turn it off. They also don't seem to be humidity related. It's not real humid here.

If I were to guess, and that's really all this is, it is dust, internal to the projector. The pattern, perhaps from vents in and around were the dust is collecting, is probably associated with the cooling fan.

Does anyone know if the device is equipped with a filter?

Does anyone here know of a discrete code to select the antenna input? There seems to be one for every input except for the antennas and photo input.

First, the bad news. The TV dealer called me on Friday and said that it would take 2 weeks to get optical engine from Hitachi. Interesting, since I had called Hitachi and learned that the part was readily available.

Then, the good news. The TV dealer offered a loaner TV and it was delivered Saturday. 52" Toshiba DLP. Really bright picture and a nice TV overall but my Hitachi was better.

The saga continues...

good to hear our tv is the better of the 2. I also have a new engine on the way. The guy didnt even come look at it, he is just going by what I described to him. I am supposed to hear from them by the end of the week for an appointment.

Hmm... strange. Hockey on MSG just started up again and I noticed a yellowish/green tint to part of the ice surface. I did a wipe and notice that on about 2/3s of the left side of the screen has the tint to it. I'm hoping its just dust on the light engine or inner screen but reading some of your posts here I'm not so sure. What makes me think its dust is that the tint is not very uniform. about 1/2 the screen on the left side has the tint and a bottom portion of the right side has it. The top right side of the screen looks perfect. What wierd is that my wife watches it all the time and she never noticed it until I pointed it out watching hockey. Most programs you really don't notice it, but the white ice surface really brings the tint out. The only other way is by doing a wipe. The lamp runs about 12-18+hours a day so its got to be getting close to the end of its life. I'm still under CC extended warranty til Jan 07 I think it covers lamps. Never needed a service call til now The wife loves this set I'll post what happens.

a quick update

the serviceman came Friday, (not the first one I called from above), and said the light engine has failed. He faxed his report to Hitachi before leaving here. Questioned further, he said that the light engine is a sealed unit, and they do not try to repair these. It could be the blue polorizer is burned from heat, or dust on the lens, polorizer, or prism, none of which is servicable. The new light engine has a design change to prevent this.

I will find out from Hitachi on Monday what they will do for me, as I am 8 months past warranty. The repair man said labour would be $265 to replace the light engine (@3hrs), and said Hitachi has picked up the cost of the parts in the past on work he's done.

crossing my fingers ..........

vega

a quick update

the serviceman came Friday, (not the first one I called from above), and said the light engine has failed. He faxed his report to Hitachi before leaving here. Questioned further, he said that the light engine is a sealed unit, and they do not try to repair these. It could be the blue polorizer is burned from heat, or dust on the lens, polorizer, or prism, none of which is servicable. The new light engine has a design change to prevent this.

I will find out from Hitachi on Monday what they will do for me, as I am 8 months past warranty. The repair man said labour would be $265 to replace the light engine (@3hrs), and said Hitachi has picked up the cost of the parts in the past on work he's done.

crossing my fingers ..........

vega
You can replace the light engine yourself its just a fancy name for light bulb or lamp In the owners manual see pages 69-72. Its 3 screws and and 10 min it took me longer to move the furniture out of the way.
I seem to be having similar problem with a yellow/greenish tint. I got around this morning to opening up the access panel and taking out the light engine/bulb to see if there was any dust on the window/prism of the light engine What I noticed is there is a yellow/green haze around 2/3's or the bulbs reflector. This was most likely due to heat of the bulb breaking down the reflector metal/plastic coating all of this and that about polorizer, prisms len's, Thats all a light engine is a Xenon bulb with reflector in an over priced sealed housing.
What I'm going to do is call CC service on Monday and see if they just send me the bulb or send out a tech with a bulb I'll let you know

You can replace the light engine yourself its just a fancy name for light bulb or lamp In the owners manual see pages 69-72. Its 3 screws and and 10 min it took me longer to move the furniture out of the way.
I seem to be having similar problem with a yellow/greenish tint. I got around this morning to opening up the access panel and taking out the light engine/bulb to see if there was any dust on the window/prism of the light engine What I noticed is there is a yellow/green haze around 2/3's or the bulbs reflector. This was most likely due to heat of the bulb breaking down the reflector metal/plastic coating all of this and that about polorizer, prisms len's, Thats all a light engine is a Xenon bulb with reflector in an over priced sealed housing.
What I'm going to do is call CC service on Monday and see if they just send me the bulb or send out a tech with a bulb I'll let you know


Token, we're talking light bulbs and light engines here. The bulb is an ~$250 BULB. The light engine costs a lot more and is an assembly within the TV. You can't change it out in 10 minutes and there are a helluva lot more than 3 screws involved.

I put new bulb in (see my post above), and it made no difference. The prism in front of the bulb was clean. I believe the light engine is an internal assembly. I will have to wait for Hitachi's response tomorrow.

vega

I hate to burst bubbles here, but I had the green tint and had a light engine replaced by Hitachi. The outcome was better, but I still had green, less of it mind you, but still green.

I have the CC extended warranty and am considering calling them to get another replacement. I am interested though in this new light engine redesign you mentioned Vega. Where did you get your info?

d2thez
from Hitachi Canada, the changes include enhanced cooling porting, and higher output fans. These are on all new light engines, and incorrporated into all refurbs.

to follow up, Hitachi did not reply today ..... hopefully tomorrow.

Maybe I should call Hitachi Canada too.

The green tint seems to be getting worse on my 1.5 year old set.

My set does not have the green tint, or any of the other problems others have reported. I have the yellowish bright spot covering 2/3 of the screen, centered and oval. (very faint, hardly noticable watching most programming, but very evident with the screen wipe)

Convergence, black level detail, color rendition, geometry, and overscan are all excellent. Color uniformity is off center screen since the above problem began.

hmm

A TV "light engine" seems to be different then what I consider to be a "light engine" To me a "light engine" is just that a source of light. similar to the use of New LED Technology for home and commercial lighting or GE Xenon bulbs inside a housing. but anyways.
I called circuit city today and got the number of the local repair shop they use in the area I talked to the Tech there he called it a Optical Engine. He told me once he gets the paperwork it will take about a week or two to get the part and a couple of 2-3 days in his shop.
It just seems funny that now its almost 2 years later and similar problems are cropping up on the first vs810's made. Makes me think this forum will get active again real soon.

When I refer to "green tint" I mean there are sometimes green edges on bright white areas.
For example: the edge of a white shirt, a green halo on bright lights etc.

The whole picture, or even the area in question, are not completely tinted green. Screen looks pretty white during a screen swipe.

Is this what others are seeing?

My service people came by my house finally and also seems to think my green blobs AND the flickering are both due to a failing light engine. I wonder if our engines can be replaced with the new engines Vega spoke of. My engine is already on order nonetheless.

When I refer to "green tint" I mean there are sometimes green edges on bright white areas.
For example: the edge of a white shirt, a green halo on bright lights etc.

The whole picture, or even the area in question, are not completely tinted green. Screen looks pretty white during a screen swipe.

Is this what others are seeing?

This is not what I'm seeing. When I do a screen wipe about 2/3's of the screen has a non uniform green tint instead of being white.Another example would be, a white football player's jersey would have a yellowish/green tint to the whole jersey except if that player was in the 1/3 screen where is wasn't happening. Another way to seen it to watch a hockey game the ice will look a yellowish/green on parts of the screen.
Another thing I did was check price of the light engine/optical assembly (I'm not saying this is the part in question I'm just not sure) if its the same part I looked up then the online price is around $1600-1700 plus the $300 for labor tax etc boils down to the unit being junk (at todays prices). This is if you don't have an extended warranty and hitachi not covering the cost of replacement parts. I think I paid about $3500/3700 back then for the unit. If you think about how many of theses units that are out there and at some point hitachi won't cover the cost of replacement parts and or the extended warranty will run out. Makes me really want to think twice about buying another hitachi considering the problems they had with the previous model.

This is not what I'm seeing. When I do a screen wipe about 2/3's of the screen has a non uniform green tint instead of being white.Another example would be, a white football player's jersey would have a yellowish/green tint to the whole jersey except if that player was in the 1/3 screen where is wasn't happening. Another way to seen it to watch a hockey game the ice will look a yellowish/green on parts of the screen.
Another thing I did was check price of the light engine/optical assembly (I'm not saying this is the part in question I'm just not sure) if its the same part I looked up then the online price is around $1600-1700 plus the $300 for labor tax etc boils down to the unit being junk (at todays prices). This is if you don't have an extended warranty and hitachi not covering the cost of replacement parts. I think I paid about $3500/3700 back then for the unit. If you think about how many of theses units that are out there and at some point hitachi won't cover the cost of replacement parts and or the extended warranty will run out. Makes me really want to think twice about buying another hitachi considering the problems they had with the previous model.

My eyes are bleeding reading this thread. I purchased the 60vs810 March 2005. All had been good until August when the green center screen issue cropped up. I did not take an extended warranty as I have owned many Hitachi products and never had the need to have one repaired. All lasted well beyond my expectations, most still working.

I contacted Hitachi, and they felt a new lamp would correct the problem. It didn't. Next they had me call their authorized service center to look at the set. 3 minutes, and $114 later, I am informed the light engine has failed. Fax the service report to Hitachi, and wait, and wait....

Looks like Hitachi Canada has come to that point. I'm getting the bum's rush, "we didn't receive your fax", (resent and waited for verification), "I can't find your fax", (sent a third time) "waiting for a reply from head office", "the warranty people are on vacation", "call back next week, we'll have an answer", "Jim hasn't finished with your file", "this is not a problem we are familiar with, understand that your problem is unique" etc etc etc. they insisted first that I replace the lamp, over $400, then pay for their authorized service people to look at the TV, $114, to verify the problem. now it seem sthey do not want to deal with this issue.

I have owned many Hitachi products over the last 25 years, and have been happy with all previous purchases, but that could be because I didn't have to deal with customer service, or the shoddy quality now present. The 50" CRT rear projector I had is 13 years old, and still works perfectly, has had no issues, and is in my son's home singing along.

Hitachi was supposed to have an answer for me on the 18th of September. All I have so far is nothing but excuses. I hope I'm wrong, and Hitachi will make good on their known defective light engine.

At this point, I have a $5900 CDN tv, and another $500+ in a lamp and a service call, 19 months old that needs over $2200 CDN worth of repairs. And who knows how long the repair will last, the warranty on the replacement engine is only 90 days, according to the service center. Talk of expensive, almost $3000/year to run their tv, if their brochures stated that, everyone would run from their products. On the plus side you would have a brand new set every year and a half.

Live and learn, like everything else, you can't bank on a companies past products or performance.

I feel your pain, still no answer from Hitachi, 9 days and counting ............ four calls to date and simular excuses.

Hope for both our sakes Hitachi will come through. My set is getting worse by the day.

My 50VS810, purchased April '05, has been pretty good so far.

But the tone and stories on this thread lately have me scared "bleep"less.

Of course, I see the prices on Sony SXRD and even plasmas a year and half later and I shake my head. Buts that's typical....same thing with my computer after 18 months.

Luckily I bought an extended warranty. I wish everbody luck dealing with Hitachi Canada.
Sounds like some denial going on there....I hope they do the right thing.

I wish we could get a definitive answer as to what causes the green problem. It appears to most obviously be something in the ptical engine, but the question is what?

I am most interested in Token22's post like 8 above where he says he took out his lamp and saw there was a yellowish-green haze on the reflector which he theorizes was caused by heat. Can anybody confirm the same phenomenon, and has anybody tried to clean this haze off?

I vaguely (and I mean vaguely...my memory is usually not to be trusted) recall reading somewhere that the physical design of these TVs plays a role.

Most LCD RPs have maybe 2, 3, 4 inches of real estate below the screen where buttons or even speakers reside.

That's not the case with these. They are very low. They look like a plasma.
What I recall is that this arrangement impacts the geometry of the guts and somehow this green issue is a side effect of that.

Again....I'm not 100% sure on this but does it sound feasible?

Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember hearing that somewhere before too, probably earlier in this very thread.

I guess it could be feasible, but would that still explain the 60 and 70 inch models experiencing this too? They are larger in design and thus have more room. And to be honest, he CC model I viewed forever before and after I bought mine didn't suffer from it at all!

If the bulb was the problem, my new bulb would have fixed the spot, it did not. The old bulb I removed from the set was perfectly clean, as was the prism in front of it. The only difference between the new and old bulbs was at the bottom of the reflector there was a little pitting, at the base of the bulb. This would not be a factor as the bulb itself covers these marks on the reflector.

Well, today I finally received an answer from Hitachi. Sorry but you have to understand your warranty has expired. This person tells me the part offer is only for US customers. Hitachi must consider Canadians as second class, even as we pay a 35% premium for their products here.

After lengthly objections, I received a condescending $100 offer on the purchase of their $8900 plasma unit, good for 14 days.

Should I jump at this??? Hell another $8800 + tax for another 15 months tv.

I was given the customer relations number, and a contact name, but that only got me voice mail.


The service company offered to repair the set for $2365 + tax, the best they could do.
they also told me that there was no reason for Hitachi to have me purchase a bulb, they know from their own service bulletins that the problems are the light engine. So to add insult to injury I have put out another $425 for a bulb, and $113 for a service call at the request of Hitachi, all uneccessary, and all for nothing. Thank you Hitachi

To recap,
original purchase $6255
lamp 425
service call 112

total investment $6792
15 month longevity used @25 hours / week

that's $453 / month
108 /week
16 /day
4 /hour
this seems reasonable in Hitachi's view.

sorry about the rant, all I can say is buyer beware.

The service company offered to repair the set for $2365 + tax, the best they could do.
they also told me that there was no reason for Hitachi to have me purchase a bulb, they know from their own service bulletins that the problems are the light engine. So to add insult to injury I have put out another $425 for a bulb, and $113 for a service call at the request of Hitachi, all uneccessary, and all for nothing. Thank you Hitachi

To recap,
original purchase $6255
lamp 425
service call 112

total investment $6792
15 month longevity used @25 hours / week

that's $453 / month
108 /week
16 /day
4 /hour
this seems reasonable in Hitachi's view.

sorry about the rant, all I can say is buyer beware.[/QUOTE]


Sorry to here about your troubles up in canada. I'm not sure of the laws there but could you start a class action lawsuit?

My guess would be hitachi most likely didn't sell a lot of those units up in canada considering the cost. Maybe hitachi figures they can get away even thou they know they have a problem with these units.

My experiences with hitachi were similar to others here I bought my first 53 inch big screen back back in 92 and it was a really good unit. I think I put only 200-300 in repairs back around 99 (The thing still is running today my son uses it for xbox 360 in the basement) back around 2003 we decided to by buy a widescreen We ended up with a Hitachi 57 inch uxb??? I took the extended warranty. About 4 months later the unit developed a flicker where the thing would get dim. After 6 or 7 service attempts to fix it lasting over 1 year I got fed up and invoked circuit citys extended warranty lemon law. It took me a month and a ton of phone calls and fax's but in the end circuit city refunded me the entire purchase price including the cost of the extended warranty and tax. I added an extra $1500 and got a 60vs810. It had the best picture out of all the other LCD's and DLP's at the time. I also took the entended warranty again.
Now almost 2 years later the vs810's are having problems. (Like the previous model it replaced?) My unit will be going into the the shop later this week or early next week when he gets the part. I ask the service tech how much would it cost if I didn't have the extended warranty and he said around $1200-1300 plus tax If it comes back with a greenish/yellow tint like others have had after the part has been replaced. It will be going right back. If after the 3rd attempt they don't fix it I will be doing the phone calls and fax's to circuit city.
The whole point is that all this LCD and DLP technology is fairly new. Someone once told me that they are using projector technology as TV's. He said that this stuff really wasn't designed to run 12-18 hours, day after day. When your on the cutting edge of technology sometime's you fall off. Maybe the old CRT supporter's are right who knows. I will say this my next big screen purchase won't be Hitachi

and
Always, Always take the extended warranty.

Good Luck

Wow how did you get them to pay you back for the extended warranty and tax? Just in case I need to have the same done, lol.

Wow how did you get them to pay you back for the extended warranty and tax? Just in case I need to have the same done, lol.


Yep Its in the Circuit City Comprehensive Service Guide Page 13-14 number 9 for Home and Car electronics

9. No Lemon Guarantee. Notwithstanding Sections 5 and 6
above, during the term of the Contract if Your Product is
repaired twice and it fails a third time, as verified by the Service
Provider, We will replace it under Our No Lemon Guarantee.
Replacement Products will be of equal or similar features and
functionality, though not necessarily of the same brand or
original purchase price. Replacement Products may be new
or rebuilt at the sole discretion of the Service Provider. If We
are unable to provide a new or rebuilt replacement Product
within a reasonable time period, at Our discretion, We may
issue a Circuit City Gift Card to You equal to the original
purchase price of Your Product, excluding sales tax. Please
refer to Section 5.C. above and the Gift Card for controlling
terms of use. A condition of replacement is that You may be
required to return the original Product to the Service Provider,
at the Service Provider’s reasonable expense, upon receipt of
the replacement Product. Service events that don’t result in a
physical repair such as “customer education,” “no defect
found,” or cleaning and preventative maintenance do not
constitute a repair event.

What basically happen was I saved all my repair reciept's plus they had all the repair records listed in there database. I had to keep after them with the Fax's and phone calls I think it went pretty high because I kept getting passed up to supervisors and managers and they kept saying the amount ($2800) was more then they could authorize. Under the terms it says "excluding tax" but I still got the tax back. Maybe it was there screw-up. Maybe because the defective unit was serviced 6 times for the same problem (3 of those included parts replacement), Maybe because of the month of hassle, who knows. What the final guy from corporate who called me basically gave me was of a gift card number over the phone for the full amount I paid. There were a couple of conditions first off I had to use the credit to buy a new TV of at least $2500 and I had to put the extended service on it. which I was going to get anyway's. I bought the 60vs810 for 3999 plus tax and the extended service contract. Less then a month later there was a price drop on the 60vs810 down to $3600 so I went back to the store and got the difference refunded to my credit card. after all was said and done the sales receipt was like 15 feet long.

lol, sweet, I will keep all that in mind. Well I am on my first service call now, so we will see how that goes. Good luck to everyone still here, lol.

Well They picked up my unit last week wednesday and brought it back today (monday ) All looks really good I did a srceen wipe and the screen has no greenish/yellow tint just pure white. Picture looks really good, like a brand new set. We'll see how long it lasts. The man who did the repair and delivered the TV back said the replacement Light Engine was better then the original one but he also said I'd keep the extended warranty and renew it for as long as CC allows. I'll give an update in a month or so by then it should have 400+ hours on it

Token22, glad to hear all went well for you.

I still have not heard from Hitachi, and cannot get anything but a lot of lame excuses, and worthless timelines. Hope to fair better than HDTVGuy, but am beginning to think my luck will be the same. 4 weeks plus and no decision. Nine calls, and they will not commit.

If any one has any information, or service bulletins regarding the known defective light engine issue, and Hitachi's US policy to replace them, it would be appreciated.

thanks in advance
vega

My repair people checked and said there were NO existing service bulletins. Sorry. I am still waiting for Hitachi to approve my service, they sure are slow, its been 2 weeks now.

Hey Token,

You said your service tech said the new light engine was better than the older one. What exactly is better, did he say?

I am considering exercising my CC plan and would like to know as many details as possible so I can request/assure I get one of these "better" optical engine.

If I were you d2thez, the is NO WAY I would buy this TV and not get the extended warranty, even if its only for 2 years. There have been way too many of the same problems to take a chance. Unless you are getting some kinda great deal, I wouldnt even recommend buying this model with all of the better models out there $$$ wise. And yes I really do like this TV, I just know that for the money there is better today.

Well truth to be told, I already own it and have for over a year. But Token22, my green isn't very apparent on the screen wipe either because that scren is just so defeningly white.

However, go to the photo input with its grey background. This definately shows the miscoloration of my set and would be a good proving point to possibility you really do have a fixed unit. Please respond back!!

vega how do you check hours on this set

steelhrd
go into the service menu, and use the up arrow on the remote until you see 4 digit number, that is the total hours on the set. If you select the numbers, and use the right arrow, this will take you to another screen with two sets of numbers. If your set has not had a "factory preset" or "memory init" done to it, the numbers will be the same. The upper number is total hours on the set, the lower the bulb. If you select the bulb (lower) number, holding the right arrow will reset it. The total hours on the set can only be reset from the "memory init".

steelhrd
go into the service menu, and use the up arrow on the remote until you see 4 digit number, that is the total hours on the set. If you select the numbers, and use the right arrow, this will take you to another screen with two sets of numbers. If your set has not had a "factory preset" or "memory init" done to it, the numbers will be the same. The upper number is total hours on the set, the lower the bulb. If you select the bulb (lower) number, holding the right arrow will reset it. The total hours on the set can only be reset from the "memory init".

How do you get into the service menu?

with the tv off, and the cooling cycle complete (all panel lights off), on the set press and hold the input button, press the power button, count 2 seconds, release both buttons, when the set starts you will see the service menu.

be careful not to press the right arrow on the remote while "factory preset" or "memory init" is selected. these will reset all to factory defaults.

Well truth to be told, I already own it and have for over a year. But Token22, my green isn't very apparent on the screen wipe either because that scren is just so defeningly white.

However, go to the photo input with its grey background. This definately shows the miscoloration of my set and would be a good proving point to possibility you really do have a fixed unit. Please respond back!!

Well My problem was definitely noticable on a screen wipe It was more yellowish then greenish. There was noway I could adjust it out. I just did the Photo Input and its perfectly grey no shadows our anything. In fact the thing looks like it did when it was brand new now that its been repaired.
As for the procedure I just called CC's repair number I had all my paperwork there in front of me (I think that first 1-800 # for CC repair is a call center in India) They gave me a number of the local repair company that CC uses in this area. They said a repair work order will be faxed to them. I called the repair company after I got off the phone with CC and told them my problem he told me it usually takes a day to get the repair order I told him the make and model # and the problem with the TV and he immediately said it was a Light Engine/ Optical Engine. THe repair company called me the next day and said they got the repair work order from CC authorizing the repair He told me he would order the new engine and it should be in his shop in a week. He told me the TV would be in the shop for a week. He also told me the replacement part was a NEWER STYLE LIGHT ENGINE I said ok I said, "hope it lasts" and he said, "the new part should last allot longer then the original part." (Time will tell). He picked up my unit last week Wednesday and returned the repaired unit last monday. And it looks great!!

Just a few notes

A long time ago TV repair was pretty straight forward you had you horizontal /vertical sections, High voltage ,tuner, AGC, etc all TV's makers pretty much made the same product. The only difference was the quality of the parts and maybe a bell or whistle (Better quality Picture tube or tuning circuit) The reputable repair shops and parts places formed local electronics guilds dedicated to quality repair. During the 80's things like VCR's CD players Stereo TV and Big screens came out . What the electronic guilds started doing was educating TV repairmen on the "Newer Technologys" They ran repair seminar's gave out repair procedure packets to its members and so on. Most of the time these were sponsored by the manufactures of the products. What they then started to do was keep and share there repair databases on different makes and models of consumer electronics. Instead of spending a couple of hours figuring out whats wrong with a set they first go to the database. What they found was that certain makes and models were coming up with the same problems manufactures would also keep track of this and modify the parts as they made different runs of a particular unit. Similar to auto makers keeping "Technical Service Bullitens" on cars THe other thing that might happen is the the manufacture might have gotten a bad run of a certain component from one of there supplers that over time would break down. What does this have to do with the vs810? A lot.

First this is all just my opinion or educated guess if you will.

From going back through some of these posts on this unit the first people to have problems were the ones that had the 50vs810 made in aug/sept 04 they said it was a bad run of the light engines. back then everything was still under hitachi warranty or CC warranty so all that happen was they exchanged the set and everyone was happy. The problems continued until 3/05 then all mention of green blobs and light engines stop. A guess would be the Techs reported the problems on there network and it took hitachi 4-5 months to correct the problem. In the mean time CC repaired the bad units charged everything back to hitachi and sold them "open box repaired" They knew about the light engine problem back 2 years ago on the first runs of the vs810. My 60vs810 was made in Nov 04. Maybe my unit had one of those magical 04 serial #'s and I had the extended warranty . My Light Engine lasted 1 1/2 years instead of a month. Maybe thats the reason mine got authorized in 1 day while people here are still waiting on hitachi. When you think about it how often does CC's extended warranty dept authorize $1300-$1400us in repairs on a projection screen tv.
Its been almost a week now the picture still looks great What sucks is Hitachi only warranties Light engines for 1 year. The replacing of a light/optical engine in my opinion is equivalent to replacing a picture tube on a old style TV. They used to cover those for 3-5 years. Good Luck just remember you got to be presistent.

Token 22

glad to hear all is well with your set. I am still waiting, or should I say being stalled by Hitachi Canada. I am never allowed to speak to a manager / supervisor, and the story from Hitachi continues to change. Now they claim it is not the light engine, but they do not know how to fix my set. They want me to spend another $114 for another service call from the same people that were here in August. They still stand by their first diagnosis, the light engine is bad. They claim to have a service bulletin from Hitachi regarding defective, and failing light engines, but will not give me a copy, they are committed to Hitachi more than the victims of defective product.

I am still trying to get a copy of the bulletin, but to date have had no luck.

The only remedy I have is to bring the set to my business in the mall, set it up in the front window, and let the public see what $7000 looks like 15 months down the road, and display all the logged calls I've made to Hitachi since July, along with the bills for an unneeded lamp, and the service call Hitachi requested at my expense, then ignores.

If anyone has a copy of any service bulletin on this set, or the light engine / optical engine problem, I would really appreciate a copy. I do not have the money to purchase another set, or repair this one ($2365), and the wife / family are upset with me over this purchase.

OK, I have an update from my TV. Came home tonight from work to a message on my machine from the CC corporate office. 'Dear Mr. Woodworth we are calling you to inform you that your TV has been approved for an exchange and I am calling to give you your claim number.' This is the first I have heard of this on this thread. This is also the first time I have heard from CC, I was still waiting to hear from my service repair man, he was here about 2 weeks ago. I wonder if this means I can trade this TV in for whatever I want? I wi be calling them tommorrow time permiting.

OK, I have had the 50vs810 for 2 years now with a few problems with smudges and green bleed... Smudges were fixed by replacing the screen assembly about a year ago... The original screen was a 3 piece screen and then new one is a one piece screen... Samsung, Hitachi, and Mits had the screen smudge problem and have since went to a one piece screen... Picture depth greatly improved after I replaced the screen... Green bleed was not ever that bad, and I made some adjustments in the service menu to help bleed and flicker... Now when watching Bikini Destinations I don't see any flicker or green tint/bleed in the sand when those lovely ladies are rolling around... I was wondering why the model #'s for the lamp for the 50vs810 and the 50vx915 were different.... I am planning on getting a new lamp because I want to be prepared for the future....

50vs810- lamp UX2514
50vx915- lamp LM600

These are supposed to be the same TV's except for the Directors series is supposed to have a better anti-glare screen for better blacks...

OK, I have had the 50vs810 for 2 years now with a few problems with smudges and green bleed... Smudges were fixed by replacing the screen assembly about a year ago... The original screen was a 3 piece screen and then new one is a one piece screen... Samsung, Hitachi, and Mits had the screen smudge problem and have since went to a one piece screen... Picture depth greatly improved after I replaced the screen... Green bleed was not ever that bad, and I made some adjustments in the service menu to help bleed and flicker... Now when watching Bikini Destinations I don't see any flicker or green tint/bleed in the sand when those lovely ladies are rolling around... I was wondering why the model #'s for the lamp for the 50vs810 and the 50vx915 were different.... I am planning on getting a new lamp because I want to be prepared for the future....

50vs810- lamp UX2514
50vx915- lamp LM600

These are supposed to be the same TV's except for the Directors series is supposed to have a better anti-glare screen for better blacks...

they one and the same lamp, so is the LM700

... The original screen was a 3 piece screen and then new one is a one piece screen... Samsung, Hitachi, and Mits had the screen smudge problem and have since went to a one piece screen...

According to my service depot there is no solution for the screen smudges.

I wonder if they don't realize a better part is available or maybe this improved part has not made its' way to Canada

My smudges are gone.... The new screen assembly took care of that.... I watched and assisted the technician and looked at the two screens side by side... They were very different... The part number for the new screen is KR03244.. That is KR-zero-3244,.... not the letter O... My blotches/smudges were bad especially during warmup.... The new screen assembly corrected my problem 100% and overall picture was improved greatly.... Hopes this helps someone who is tired of the blotches/smudges.....

I wonder why they didnt try to fix my TV. I called corporate today and I have been approved for an exchange meaning I get a new TV from CC that is comparable to mine. Comprable in the stores eyes anyway. I will find out later today which set that is, I can only hope for something nice as I paid over 4 large for this one. The thing is I really like this TV for aesthetics and PQ. I was really hoping to just get it fixed and be done with it, especially with all the new posts about the screen assembly and light engine fixing the probs.

Does anyone know if the VS910/915 model suffer from the same problems as th VS810's?

Does anyone know if the VS910/915 model suffer from the same problems as th VS810's?

my brother in-law had a 70vx915 with a bad light engine right out of the box. Green glow problem, and bright spot 1/3 of the screen.

dang, I was kinda hoping to get the same tv out of this deal, I havent really seen another tv I liked as much as my vs810. No telling what I am gonna get from CC, they are calling me back in 10-15 minutes though.

OK, I just got off the phone, I get to pick out whatever TV I want, my account has been credited for the amount I paid for the TV minus tax of course. Anyone have any suggestions? It took me a good 4-5 months to decide on this TV, and that was only about 15 months ago. Does anyone have any good replacement ideas for this set? I have the 70'' as of now.

My service depot has been waiting for a new screen since April. They don't trust the original part but seem to know nothing about the replacement mentioned a couple of posts back by mheav.
I mentioned to Hitachi that I also now have a yellow tinge to the picture and a noisy fan.
It's out of warranty and has never been in the shop. The depot only took a quick look before ordering the screen.
Suddenly Hitachi is offering me a new TV!
Trouble is, they are talking about the 50VS69, a far cry from the VS810.
I suspect the new TV will cost them less than a repair, hence the offer.
I'd rather keep the 810 if I could be sure the proper screen and light engine would solve my problems.
But what if I their attempts to fix are unsuccessful? Am I better to try and negotiate a better replacement now (50VF820 maybe)?

Rang... Don't get the 50vs69.... I would ask for the 50vg825 or one of the plasmas... The 50vs69 is a step back from the 50vs810... The 50vg825 is probably the closest you will find as far as picture quality and looks....

http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/lcd/lcd/lcd_index.shtml

Their plasmas are pretty good also....

OK, I just got off the phone, I get to pick out whatever TV I want, my account has been credited for the amount I paid for the TV minus tax of course. Anyone have any suggestions? It took me a good 4-5 months to decide on this TV, and that was only about 15 months ago. Does anyone have any good replacement ideas for this set? I have the 70'' as of now.

I would demand a refund as 70 inches is 70 (SEVENTY) inches...no less, as CC does not carry ANYTHING in 70 inches, at least on their website or in their stores.
Anything else (smaller) is a rip-off, as if you sit at a certain distance from the set and expect to get all the HD resolution you have got and expected to (performance), smaller won't get-you-there.
It is NOT your fault if CC doesn't carry 70" sets, anymore.
The alternative is them special-ordering the KDS-R70XBR2 Sony SXRD set for you as they DO carry the 60" XBR2 sets, no excuses.
They once carried the LCD RPTVs from Sony and Hitachi - both - in the 70" size (and for $6999 list).
Since this set also sold for $6999 originally, too, so they have no excuse if it is a price issue. Recently, Sony's list MSRP price has dropped to much less that that, too.
I do not know WHAT you bought in terms of price for YOUR set, but if MY 70VS810 went out like yours is...CC had BETTER replace it with the same-currently-priced 70" SXRD with stand (I have the matching Hitachi stand)...or give me the full refund to buy ELSEWHERE! :mad:

Question:
I have a 70VS810 with no issues (yet):
vega509: WHAT did your brother-in-law DO - get an exchange or refund? :confused:

OK, I just got off the phone, I get to pick out whatever TV I want, my account has been credited for the amount I paid for the TV minus tax of course. Anyone have any suggestions? It took me a good 4-5 months to decide on this TV, and that was only about 15 months ago. Does anyone have any good replacement ideas for this set? I have the 70'' as of now.


Brandon good to here your getting a replacement. As for a replacement I suggest Direct view LCD. Also when they come and pick up your old unit make sure you have the owners manual otherwise they will deduct $50

Question:
I have a 70VS810 with no issues (yet):
vega509: WHAT did your brother-in-law DO - get an exchange or refund? :confused:


he had the light engine replaced, the part number of the replacement was different from the original. He tells me the problems are solved, and the picture is excellent, including black levels.

he had the light engine replaced, the part number of the replacement was different from the original. He tells me the problems are solved, and the picture is excellent, including black levels.

That's all I realy wanted, not a new search for a TV. :(

he had the light engine replaced, the part number of the replacement was different from the original. He tells me the problems are solved, and the picture is excellent, including black levels.

Does the whole line use the same light engine or are they different for each screen size?

[QUOTE=gparris]I would demand a refund as 70 inches is 70 (SEVENTY) inches...no less, as CC does not carry ANYTHING in 70 inches, at least on their website or in their stores.
Anything else (smaller) is a rip-off, as if you sit at a certain distance from the set and expect to get all the HD resolution you have got and expected to (performance), smaller won't get-you-there.
It is NOT your fault if CC doesn't carry 70" sets, anymore.
The alternative is them special-ordering the KDS-R70XBR2 Sony SXRD set for you as they DO carry the 60" XBR2 sets, no excuses.
They once carried the LCD RPTVs from Sony and Hitachi - both - in the 70" size (and for $6999 list).
Since this set also sold for $6999 originally, too, so they have no excuse if it is a price issue. Recently, Sony's list MSRP price has dropped to much less that that, too.
I do not know WHAT you bought in terms of price for YOUR set, but if MY 70VS810 went out like yours is...CC had BETTER replace it with the same-currently-priced 70" SXRD with stand (I have the matching Hitachi stand)...or give me the full refund to buy ELSEWHERE! :mad:

Are you saying I should demand a new stand also? I tried to get corporate to give me money for the stand also, but the lady was a real b**** and may as well laughed in my face. I did get back the exact dollar amount I paid for the TV though, she said that was very unusual as they normally take out for what the unit would be worth today. I thought that was a load of crap, She went on about how parts become cheaper and sets dont cost as much and how as technology increases the older units cost less. So I was pretty happy with getting what I paid minus tax.

Brandonw27858
glad to hear you got a refund. Is the credit applied to your credit card or the store?

I agree that you should also have been reimbursed for the stand, what use is the stand without the matching set?

Such is the extended warranty fiasco, read them carefully, be prepared to argue, and expect to come out the loser if something should go wrong. Some of the EW's do not even cover bulbs beyond the first year, most will try to replace your set with an inferior model. I hadn't seen one that was hassle free, or not loaded with loopholes that only a lawyer could decode.

As with any other product or service, the EW's are designed for profit, not the consumer. If they were on the up and up, the language would be plain English, simple, and to the point. It should be hassle free, period.

he had the light engine replaced, the part number of the replacement was different from the original. He tells me the problems are solved, and the picture is excellent, including black levels.

Thank you for the quick answer as this light engine thing can get really interesting.
Hopefully, that is all that ever happens outside of the bulb replacement.
I always thought the black levels on this set/size were excellent and the set didn't need much tweaking from the factory settings, either. :D

Quote:
"Are you saying I should demand a new stand also? I tried to get corporate to give me money for the stand also, but the lady was a real b**** and may as well laughed in my face. I did get back the exact dollar amount I paid for the TV though, she said that was very unusual as they normally take out for what the unit would be worth today. I thought that was a load of crap, She went on about how parts become cheaper and sets dont cost as much and how as technology increases the older units cost less. So I was pretty happy with getting what I paid minus tax."

Dear Circuit City, regarding your so-called extended warranty "coverage":
What the set is "worth today" is what it IS in dollars to replace a 70" RPTV and if the stand does not match the new replacement set's dimensions and weight requirements (to insure safe operation and so it doesn't break thru the glass of the old stand), you WILL (and should, without conditions) replace the stand, too.
If you had bought a stand other than the matching manufacturer's I would understand that a lot better, but IF you buy the stand that matches the set to match the load/dimensions of the now-broken set, you replace the stand, too.
IF you don't get satisfaction in the end with CC, let me know and I will send my clients, elsewhere, especially if you end up with anything less than 70" in size.
Your seating distance and setup in your home for viewing should not and will not be indirectly dictated by CC's so-called warranty resolution.

well stated ...

Brandonw27858
glad to hear you got a refund. Is the credit applied to your credit card or the store?

I agree that you should also have been reimbursed for the stand, what use is the stand without the matching set?

Such is the extended warranty fiasco, read them carefully, be prepared to argue, and expect to come out the loser if something should go wrong. Some of the EW's do not even cover bulbs beyond the first year, most will try to replace your set with an inferior model. I hadn't seen one that was hassle free, or not loaded with loopholes that only a lawyer could decode.

As with any other product or service, the EW's are designed for profit, not the consumer. If they were on the up and up, the language would be plain English, simple, and to the point. It should be hassle free, period.

I just checked CC's website and now they have the 73" Mitsubishi DLP set.
There is no matching stand (yet) as CC has with the their other 3 sets they sell.
Honestly, I do not think that old Hitachi stand can handle that set nor would I want to try it. Use it as a stand for plants, decorator anything, not a new set.
These particular stands, IMO, are designed specifically for the weight-bearing loads and archtecture of the particular TV set model and design.
FYI, I have that particular Hitachi HDTV stand and would not venture/trust the Mits 73" with the Hitachi 70" stand.
That is why CC should have refunded the stand price, too, or ordered the Sony 70" set with matching stand and be done with it.
As for Mitsubishi, I have had 2 of their HDTVs in the past 3 years and sold them, reason being is what I considered to be low quality of workmanship as both needed service in such a short time. I cannot even begin to trust their DLP sets, but that is for another thread, further DLP and LCD/LCoS are different display technologies, too, so that is something to consider if you or any household member is prone to rainbows or migrane headaches (I see them).

OK. Yesterday marked seven (7) weeks since they picked up my TV. Since that time, the bad light engine was diagnosed within a week by one company and I was told that it would take a couple of weeks to get the part. One month later, I called the shop that picked up my TV and was told that the dealer said not to fix it. I then called the dealer (2 weeks ago) and was told that their in-house tech was going to replace the light engine and it should be ready in a couple of days. I waited a week and called back and learned that the TV is now at an authorized Hitachi repair shop and the guy said he would call them and call me right back. He didn't call me back and I finally got mad.

I called Hitachi twice about these clowns and told them what I thought about their Director Series dealer. I then called the repair shop myself and learned that they had contacted Hitachi and ordered the part. No timetable on when it will arrive. I also learned that they had only had the TV a few days. Consequently, my TV has been sitting around for almost six (6) weeks waiting to get repaired. The only upside to the story is the guy at the repair shop was really nice and said to be sure and check back with him every few days if I wanted.

I am really pissed. I will never buy another freaking thing from these guys.

Got a call from Hitachi Customer Service yesterday and was told that the service center that had my TV had been contacted. They also said that the part (light engine) had been ordered by the service center on 10/19/06.

So, I now know that the service center has been waiting two (2) weeks for a part that CC and other repair shops either stock or get within days. So, along with the one (1) week for diagnostics, that leaves a four (4) week time period where the TV was "forgotten." JEEZ. This saga has to got to end.

Hitachi here in Canada seem to be falling over themselves trying to help me. Kind of weird.

Told the National Serice Manager today that a new 50VS69 was not an adequate replacement. I bought a Mercedes, don't want a Volkswagen in exchange.

Trougle is, the VF and VG series are now disco'd, in Canada at least, so they don't have much to offer me. A local dealer has some stock, maybe I can strike a deal through them.

I'd still rather fix my VS810 if I could be assured of having no further problems.

Hitachi here in Canada seem to be falling over themselves trying to help me. Kind of weird.

Told the National Service Manager today that a new 50VS69 was not an adequate replacement. I bought a Mercedes, don't want a Volkswagen in exchange.

Trouble is, the VF and VG series are now disco'd, in Canada at least, so they don't have much to offer me. A local dealer has some stock, maybe I can strike a deal through them.

I'd still rather fix my VS810 if I could be assured of having no further problems.

Yeah I also am still trying to find a replacement. I think I have it narrowed down to the Sony XBR 70'' or the Mits DLP 73''. CC only carries the Mits as of now, I am going to find out IF they will be carrying the Sony as they do have the 60'' model.

Hitachi here in Canada seem to be falling over themselves trying to help me. Kind of weird.

Told the National Service Manager today that a new 50VS69 was not an adequate replacement. I bought a Mercedes, don't want a Volkswagen in exchange.

Trouble is, the VF and VG series are now disco'd, in Canada at least, so they don't have much to offer me. A local dealer has some stock, maybe I can strike a deal through them.

I'd still rather fix my VS810 if I could be assured of having no further problems.

You mentioned in an earlier post you purchased the extended warranty. I don't understand why Hitachi would replace your set instead of repairing it.

Did the service person tell you what failed and had to be replaced?

Aside from that, I have been helping a friend shop for a set, and have seen nothing Hitachi offers here in Canada that has the same PQ as the vs810. What I do know is the replacement light engines, some call refurbs, are new light engines modified (refurbed) with bigger cooling ports and filters, and larger fans. These are from Hitachi, not aftermarket replacements. The aftermarket light engines are more than likely the used, failed units that have been repaired, but not neccessarily modified with the above improvements. The repairman that replaced my Brother-in-laws light engine showed him the difference between the original and new parts.

By the way, I still have not had any luck with Hitachi on my set. I e-mailed customer service, in the US Wednesday and did get a call from them yesterday. I could not get a commitment from them either, but they promised I would get a definite answer by Friday morning at the latest. Guess what, no call from Hitachi, and when I called at 3 pm, still no answer. I do plan to see a lawyer Monday. I don't think I'll have much success as I have not been able to get a copy of the service bulletin regarding the light engine problem.

HDTVGuy, have you contacted a lawyer? Which province do you live in? I would be interested to see what could be done legally if more than one person drew suit against them, or if documents could be subpoenaed from them.

You mentioned in an earlier post you purchased the extended warranty. I don't understand why Hitachi would replace your set instead of repairing it.

I also purchased the extended warranty, my factory warranty has only been up for about 3 months. I also have only been given the choice of a replacement and not any offer of repair. I too would prefer just to have my set repaired as I love this set. Instead I was given a dollar amount for the replacement. Oh well. The service man, when he was here, said he was sure it was the light engine, and that was what he reported to Hitachi. SOMEHOW it must be cheaper to replace my TV than to repair it. I don't know how that is possible though.

Took a chance and called the repair shop today. Guy said he would call the dealer and call me back. Jeez, I thought, here we go. 2 minutes later, the dealer calls. TV is fixed and will be delivered tomorrow between 1-3. I'm praying that I am going to be a happy camper.

Well, I am not a happy camper. TV was delivered Friday afternoon. The guys got everything connected and all seemed well. The picture was pretty good, at least the darkness issue had been addressed. I did a screen wipe and was disappointed as there was a noticeable yellow/green strip which criss crossed the screen. Also, a small purplish/blue semi-circle in upper left hand corner. The yellow/greenish problem was most noticeable in the lower right-hand corner during bright scenes such as a snow boarding event. What the Hell, after 8 weeks of waiting, I'll live with it.

I wake up this morning (Sunday), turn on the TV and ALL IS SCREWED! I first noticed that the words in the ticker running at the bottom of CNN were light purple instead of white. I then noticed that on a couple of channels some really strange stuff. For instance, on an outdoor channel, the bright orange hunting vests would change from orange to green as the people moved. Almost as if the vest were alilve or something. Strangest thing I have ever seen. Then, I noticed that the menu options were black instead of white and were unreadable. At the top, the menu says DAY mode but when I select it, the menu drops to the bottom for selection and says NIGHT.

Next, I did a screen wipe and instead of being WHITE, it is SOLID BLACK.

I will be calling the dealer back tomorrown and tell them to come get this piece of junk and either fix the damn thing correctly or give me another freaking TV. I am also calling Hitachi Customer Service and give them an update.