Step #9 top of page 50 in the manual.

HS-

took the plunge finally decided on a projector and orderd the sony VPL-HS51A
glad to be part of the family now!

now i cant wait till it arrives should be monday or tuesday!!

I used to own a Sony HS51 and an HS 20 before that... I finally switched to a Sanyo PLV-Z4...It has a sharper image quality and much higher contrast ratio.
ROTFLOL

ROTFLOL
Its ROFLOL :) I know its grammatically incorrect, but come on, its a chat acronym, none of them are correct, lol!

I posted this in the ruby thread and the HS51a/HS60 but really should go here as the hs60 can't reproduce the result. If you want a BIG improvement in light output so your image is brighter than with the iris off and high lamp mode then try the following. Set open reg and close reg to the same value and watch what happens with the iris set to auto. Doesn't matter which one you change just make them the same value and those that see very little improvement just changing the open reg will see a verry big difference.

these settings can be found in the other menu in factory mode.

Greetings,

I have had my HS51 since April 2005. I keep my unit sharply focused and have noticed that almost daily I have to refocus it as it falls slightly out of sharp focus.

This was happening before but it was much less ( maybe once evey few weeks or so ). For instance last night I focused it and then this morning it needed it again.

The focus ring does not appear to be loose and feels the same as it did from day one.

This issue has been discussed before and I was wondering if any others have experienced it and if there is any user resolution?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

I posted this in the ruby thread and the HS51a/HS60 but really should go here as the hs60 can't reproduce the result. If you want a BIG improvement in light output so your image is brighter than with the iris off and high lamp mode then try the following. Set open reg and close reg to the same value and watch what happens with the iris set to auto. Doesn't matter which one you change just make them the same value and those that see very little improvement just changing the open reg will see a verry big difference.

these settings can be found in the other menu in factory mode.
Why would people who purchased a projector that has an excellent black - and perhaps even purchased it because it has an excellent black level - want to make an "adjustment" that then RAISES the black level?

Why would people who purchased a projector that has an excellent black - and perhaps even purchased it because it has an excellent black level - want to make an "adjustment" that then RAISES the black level?

I think Jutty was saying the tweak made the higher luminance scenes brighter like IRIS OFF, while maintaining the excellent black levels you mention.

I think that's what he is saying. Right Jutty?

If not, then you are on the money Pepar and the tweak would be useless.

Greetings,

I have had my HS51 since April 2005. I keep my unit sharply focused and have noticed that almost daily I have to refocus it as it falls slightly out of sharp focus.

If you let the projector warm up and set focus, does it hold focus through the viewing of one film or more?

If you then leave the focus as is, warm up the projector on another day, is the focus different?

I find the 51 and 51A both hold focus when adjusted after warming up.

This is not to say it's not possible the focus somehow develops focus creep, causing the focus to drift as the optical block cools and then reheats.

One thing you might try... apply some masking tape to hold the focus ring in place once you achieve proper focus at operating temperature. See if this focus remains correct on subsequent viewing sessions. If it does, you may have found a low tech solution.

Greetings,

Byte, It certainly seems to me to be related to the unit warming up and then cooling and then warming up upon next start up. I will try letting the unit warm up next time it appears out of focus upon start up and see what happens.

It does appear to hold focus through the entire viewing once it is set. The problems occurs at next start up. I will try these ideas and report back.


Thanks much.

Regards,

I think Jutty was saying the tweak made the higher luminance scenes brighter like IRIS OFF, while maintaining the excellent black levels you mention.

I think that's what he is saying. Right Jutty?

If not, then you are on the money Pepar and the tweak would be useless.
I followed this on a Ruby thread. Alan Gouger posted it as a way to turn the Ruby into a light cannon. His trick did not involve setting two values the same, but the result was the same. He also paraphrased the dickens out of it as something to try and then undo simply by turning off the unit. But he clearly likes it.

The maximum brightness is not changed - a full open iris is a full open iris and the bulb remains the same. It merely monkeys with the programming of the iris for other IREs and everyone who tried it saw a higher black level along with brightened scenes. We, or at least a lot of us, drool over inky blacks and shadow detail and Sony has invested and continues to invest in improving those specs. For folks to come up with a simple registry hack and proclaim it as the second coming is absurd. There is no free lunch to be had here. IMO, only NATIVE improvements in CR and black level is acceptable.

If a particular projector doesn't meet your needs, don't buy it!

I followed this on a Ruby thread.

Let us agree the Ruby appears to be a slightly different beast than the 51/50 & 51A/60 as far as the IRIS adjustments, namely because there appears to be a greater number of IRIS controls on the Ruby.

However, I would like to disagree the adjustment of the HS-50/51/51A/60 AUTO IRIS function is an either/or proposition.

Lowering the IRIS CLOSE REG value will indeed eventually begin to boost the level of darkest blacks, and I would only lower this value to the point where the darkest blacks remain unaffected.

However, lowering the IRIS OPEN REG values does not affect blacks, rather it only affects the IRIS state during brighter scene conditions. Lowering the value from (40) to (0), causes scenes with less than 100% average to be reproduced more brightly because the IRIS opens more fully at lower video levels. It does not change the iris function on the bottom end.

The adjustment appears to come without any apparent artifacts, but I remain open to learn what I might be missing.

Lowering the IRIS CLOSE REG value will indeed eventually begin to boost the level of darkest blacks, and I would only lower this value to the point where the darkest blacks remain unaffected.
Wouldn't ANY change in this value affect blacks?

However, lowering the IRIS OPEN REG values does not affect blacks, rather it only affects the IRIS state during brighter scene conditions. Lowering the value from (40) to (0), causes scenes with less than 100% average to be reproduced more brightly because the IRIS opens more fully at lower video levels. It does not change the iris function on the bottom end.

The adjustment appears to come without any apparent artifacts, but I remain open to learn what I might be missing.
Me, too. Nonetheless, the main question(s) in my mind remains "wouldn't Sony have arrived at the settings they did because they represented the best overall performance?" And the corollary "if this truly represents a way to improve one spec without decrementing another, why isn't it at that setting already?"

... "wouldn't Sony have arrived at the settings they did because they represented the best overall performance?" And the corollary "if this truly represents a way to improve one spec without decrementing another, why isn't it at that setting already?"

:D

Perhaps for the same reason Sony does not provide near perfect grayscale tracking. Perfection can be achieved, but why Sony does not provide better calibration for the LOW, MID & HIGH color temps is a great question.

If we have learned anything from our years of tinkering with HT gear, most hardware can be tweaked to provide better performance.

In some cases, better performance is in the eyes of the beholder, and not something we would all appreciate.

I think if we consider the Ruby and the Alan light cannon tweak, there are folks who would not mind giving up some lowend black level performance in order to get brighter top end performance.

So in some cases a tweak might be an all around performance boost, while in other cases it's a choice among compromises.

In some cases, better performance is in the eyes of the beholder, and not something we would all appreciate.

I think if we consider the Ruby and the Alan light cannon tweak, there are folks who would not mind giving up some lowend black level performance in order to get brighter top end performance.

So in some cases a tweak might be an all around performance boost, while in other cases it's a choice among compromises.
I couldn't have summed it up better myself. :)

All I did was post what I found by accident. If someone wants to try it out and test it all be good. I don't have a light meter so I have no idea what it did. If the blacks aren't that black any more a black enhance of low might work given the extra light output I have no idea. How many people actually tried the tweek?? And did anyone make any measurements. All in all it wasn't meant to be wow that makes your projector the best it will be it was more ohh look what that did. If someone calibarted to that setting and found it gave them the best result good for you. But everyone is different some people will like it some won't. Like all the gain and bias tweaks that have been posted in the past it's just something else to try.

All I did was post what I found by accident. If someone wants to try it out and test it all be good. I don't have a light meter so I have no idea what it did. If the blacks aren't that black any more a black enhance of low might work given the extra light output I have no idea. How many people actually tried the tweek?? And did anyone make any measurements. All in all it wasn't meant to be wow that makes your projector the best it will be it was more ohh look what that did. If someone calibarted to that setting and found it gave them the best result good for you. But everyone is different some people will like it some won't. Like all the gain and bias tweaks that have been posted in the past it's just something else to try.
Sorry, jutty, didn't mean to seem like I wanted to kill the messenger. As a Sony HS20 owner whose impending projector upgrade is being driven almost entirely by a desire for better black levels and detail - the 51a is the current champ and WHY I'M HERE! - hacking the iris to improve brightness at the expense of black level/detail is HERESY. But then the Pepsi Challenger drove Coca Cola crazy enough to abandon a legendary formula in favor (flavor?) of a sugar-laden, new wave replacement. Go figure. :confused:

Sorry, jutty, didn't mean to seem like I wanted to kill the messenger. As a Sony HS20 owner whose impending projector upgrade is being driven almost entirely by a desire for better black levels and detail - the 51a is the current champ and WHY I'M HERE! - hacking the iris to improve brightness at the expense of black level/detail is HERESY. (...) :confused:

Not so fast... :D

Depending on factory calibration, there may be an advantage of setting a less "agressive" iris setting. On my HS60, I find the default iris "close reg" to be just too high, which causes two visible artifacts while watching a movie: 1. the picture gets too dark on very dark scenes, and in those scenes the white level gets visibly too grey - this is especially evident on subtitles, which you can see going from pale-grey to white as the scene luminance changes, but it's also visible that the picture looses some "punch"; and 2. the iris movements become too visible and in some scenes you can see the picture constantly getting brighter and darker in small discrete steps. These effects are more disturbing than a very, very slight less black. So I changed the close reg from 221 to 218. In mid to bright scenes there is absolutely no change in black level or detail. In the very dark scenes (only) the black level is just a little bit less black (small difference), but the picture has a lot more punch and 3D-look, and I don't notice the iris artifacts. Also, I can actually see more detail, because the whole brightness, including shadow detail, is less "muted".

It's a matter of personal preference, I guess, but this can also be related with factory calibration differences.

Cheers,
Dave.

It's a matter of personal preference, I guess, but this can also be related with factory calibration differences.

Roger that. As no projector is yet perfect, they are a series of balances and compromises. As such, tweak-minded users will want to substitute their own preferences for the manufacturers'and balance/compromise things differently.

Perhaps alcohol would decrease your perception of the iris action? :)

Roger that. As no projector is yet perfect, they are a series of balances and compromises. As such, tweak-minded users will want to substitute their own preferences for the manufacturers'and balance/compromise things differently.


Of course! :)

Perhaps alcohol would decrease your perception of the iris action? :)

Yes, that actually could be a "fix" to most pj artifacts, now that you mention it! :D Pity about the "side effects"... :p

Cheers!
Dave.

Ok I'm still a newby. I bought my Sony VPL-HS50 about 9 months ago. I replaced 1 lamp already. I used the DVI output of my Media Center to convert it to the analog DB15 an connectet it to the Input-A. APA did it's thiong and I was amazed... but wanted to connect my HS50 with the HDMI interface. I searched the net and did not yet found a HDMI graphics card. Let alone a fanless one

Just recently I read that HDMI is actually convertable to DVI, caus its the same signal..(-sound). Go figure... thats why I am a 9 month newby

I bought a DVI to HDMI cable (55€), connected it to my HS50 and shut up for 2 hours while gasing at the screen. Whaw! what a difference... but here comes the question:

It seems the signal is not correct, while having much better colors and contrast, it does not display the whole screen. I lose about 20 pixels on each side or so. While in normal Windows I can't see my 'start' bar, I loose half an icon left, miss the menu bar at the top and lose the same on the right.

Just to be clear, I lose image, I do not have black bars like when the image is to small.
I checked my graphics card, its sending 1280x720 (I believe thats native) just the same as using the input-A. I tried even setting it to 800x600, and still lose image...

the manual is confusing, it states HDMI only support up to 1080/50i (whatever that means) I thout it had 1280/720 res?

APA does'nt seem to work on HDMI, and the only thing I can adjust is vert and hor. shift. but that does not size my image. THe graphics controller does not have image sizing (Asus EN6800)

The dealer mensioned a service menu on the projector but did not know how to access it and if it would allow me to adjust the sizing... he suggested buying a component capable graphics card... that analog right? I rather have HDMI working

I wonder, if the adapter is sending out 1280x720 and the projector is displaying only part of the image it is not sending 1:1 right?

I'm not (yet) in to tweaking, but I just want all of the image to be full, and since it does not bother me while viewing tv/films (belgium does not have many 16:9 channels) I'm not even considering changing back to input-A

Pls help getting the picture right?

Thanks

Ok I'm still a newby. I bought my Sony VPL-HS50 about 9 months ago. I replaced 1 lamp already. I used the DVI output of my Media Center to convert it to the analog DB15 an connectet it to the Input-A. APA did it's thiong and I was amazed... but wanted to connect my HS50 with the HDMI interface. I searched the net and did not yet found a HDMI graphics card. Let alone a fanless one

Just recently I read that HDMI is actually convertable to DVI, caus its the same signal..(-sound). Go figure... thats why I am a 9 month newby

I bought a DVI to HDMI cable (55€), connected it to my HS50 and shut up for 2 hours while gasing at the screen. Whaw! what a difference... but here comes the question:

It seems the signal is not correct, while having much better colors and contrast, it does not display the whole screen. I lose about 20 pixels on each side or so. While in normal Windows I can't see my 'start' bar, I loose half an icon left, miss the menu bar at the top and lose the same on the right.

Just to be clear, I lose image, I do not have black bars like when the image is to small.
I checked my graphics card, its sending 1280x720 (I believe thats native) just the same as using the input-A. I tried even setting it to 800x600, and still lose image...

the manual is confusing, it states HDMI only support up to 1080/50i (whatever that means) I thout it had 1280/720 res?

APA does'nt seem to work on HDMI, and the only thing I can adjust is vert and hor. shift. but that does not size my image. THe graphics controller does not have image sizing (Asus EN6800)

The dealer mensioned a service menu on the projector but did not know how to access it and if it would allow me to adjust the sizing... he suggested buying a component capable graphics card... that analog right? I rather have HDMI working

I wonder, if the adapter is sending out 1280x720 and the projector is displaying only part of the image it is not sending 1:1 right?

I'm not (yet) in to tweaking, but I just want all of the image to be full, and since it does not bother me while viewing tv/films (belgium does not have many 16:9 channels) I'm not even considering changing back to input-A

Pls help getting the picture right?

Thanks
Don't know for sure, but you might need this - http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm.

My previous projector was a 4:3 display. It automatically sensed the difference between anamorphic widescreen and non-anamorphic widescreen DVD input.

When I view a DVD at 480p component input with anamorphic widescreen content in the "Full" mode, it displays properly. If there is non-anamorphic widescreen material like a preview on the disk, it shows it full screen but stretched and distorted. To view it properly I have to change to "Zoom" mode. I'm constantly shifting back and forth when viewing Special Features on the DVDs. If all the content on the disk is non-anamorphic widescreen, I have to use the "Zoom" mode and lose some (maybe 5%) of the material at the top and bottom of the screen

Is this normal for the Sony HS51 or is mine defective?

Projector is 6 months old -- bulb dimmed at 830 hours and went out shortly after. It was almost alwayd run on low lamp mode, HAM off. Getting ready to call Sony support -- wish me luck.

Projector is 6 months old -- bulb dimmed at 830 hours and went out shortly after. It was almost alwayd run on low lamp mode, HAM off. Getting ready to call Sony support -- wish me luck.

I just got off the phone with Sony support. On the bright side, it didn't take long to get through to them, everyone was friendly, and they will fix it under warranty. The bad news is that I need to send the projector back. I tried to get them to ship a bulb, but they will not. I know some have had bad experiences with shipping projectors to support, but I will probably ship it back unless there is a better way to solve the problem.

I just got off the phone with Sony support. On the bright side, it didn't take long to get through to them, everyone was friendly, and they will fix it under warranty. The bad news is that I need to send the projector back. I tried to get them to ship a bulb, but they will not. I know some have had bad experiences with shipping projectors to support, but I will probably ship it back unless there is a better way to solve the problem.


Yeah, that's what they told me too... NOT a good idea to ship the projector -- high risk of damage (by Sony or by the shipper). I plead with them to ship me a bulb, they refused. I had already installed my "spare" bulb (purchased with the projector) so after a bunch of back-and-forth they agreed to reimburse me for the bulb if I FAXed them the reciept -- they got the FAX... now I'm waiting to see how big the check is -- my quess they'll cover 50% of the bulb price -- who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and get more. (I got it on the 'net for $255.) It's still way better than shipping the projector.

HS

I posted this in the ruby thread and the HS51a/HS60 but really should go here as the hs60 can't reproduce the result. If you want a BIG improvement in light output so your image is brighter than with the iris off and high lamp mode then try the following. Set open reg and close reg to the same value and watch what happens with the iris set to auto. Doesn't matter which one you change just make them the same value and those that see very little improvement just changing the open reg will see a verry big difference.

these settings can be found in the other menu in factory mode.


Just tried this with my 51A, it worked great! Much brighter than IRIS off.

A few things though, the menu numbers are different for the 51A

other, option 35 and 36. I just set both to 100... suddenly brightness jumped way up. The black levels in my opinion are just fine. I was worried I made a mistake buying this dark pro jo until now..

Thanks.. I tried the anti edge enhanced mod too, didn't see much of a difference.

Yeah, that's what they told me too... NOT a good idea to ship the projector -- high risk of damage (by Sony or by the shipper). I plead with them to ship me a bulb, they refused. I had already installed my "spare" bulb (purchased with the projector) so after a bunch of back-and-forth they agreed to reimburse me for the bulb if I FAXed them the reciept -- they got the FAX... now I'm waiting to see how big the check is -- my quess they'll cover 50% of the bulb price -- who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and get more. (I got it on the 'net for $255.) It's still way better than shipping the projector.

HS

I took another look at the projector last night, with all lights off and on dynamic mode I could still view a picture -- I checked the hours -- it only has 370 hours rather than 800ish hours. I will probably take my chances and send it back to have them check everything out since this seems to be much shorter than even the typical failure rates posted here.

I took another look at the projector last night, with all lights off and on dynamic mode I could still view a picture -- I checked the hours -- it only has 370 hours rather than 800ish hours. I will probably take my chances and send it back to have them check everything out since this seems to be much shorter than even the typical failure rates posted here.
As much as that increases your level of anxiety, that's probably the best thing to do.

Greetings,


Well I am currently on hold with Sony customer service. I purchased a replacement/back up lamp back in November. The lamp started dimming about a month ago and is now unwatchable. I reinstalled the original lamp which had 704 hours on it and it is like brand new.

I am on my third call and have gotten shifted from location to location after being told I called the wrong department.

The lamp started to fail one month out of warranty which is unacceptable. I hope I can get some reasonable resolution to this......


Regards,

Never buy replacement bulbs before they're actually needed. Warranties start with purchase, not use.

Never buy replacement bulbs before they're actually needed. Warranties start with purchase, not use.

Greetings,


Actually using your theory I would right now not have a useable lamp. The fact that the one purchased is the one that failed is moot. If I had only one I would be without a projector while this is sorted out.


Regards,

Greetings,


Actually using your theory I would right now not have a useable lamp. The fact that the one purchased is the one that failed is moot. If I had only one I would be without a projector while this is sorted out.


Regards,
Well, OK, it worked out to your benefit this time. But usually projector buyers get roped into buying a second bulb when they purchase the projector. Two years - or so - later when they put it in it fizzles and they're screwed. People occasionally get thrown safely clear of a vehicle, too, that then goes on to explode, but I still wear my seat belt.

Well, OK, it worked out to your benefit this time. But usually projector buyers get roped into buying a second bulb when they purchase the projector. Two years - or so - later when they put it in it fizzles and they're screwed. People occasionally get thrown safely clear of a vehicle, too, that then goes on to explode, but I still wear my seat belt.


Greetings,

Buying a spare lamp at the time of purchase is obviously a poor choice. In fact most do not. I appreciate your attempt at an acknwledgement however the scenerio you describe above is rare and certaily does not fall into a "usually" category. To me the benefit of having a spare lamp can not be overstated.

If you elect not to then that is up to you. I have seen that these lamps are unpredictable. The day that yours fails and an attempt to order one leaves you without while it is on backorder you might end up feeling differently.

Ecouraging others to do the same is not necessary or warranted.

Regards,

Greetings,

To me the benefit of having a spare lamp can not be overstated.
If you've seen that the lamps can be unpredictable and feel that strongly, why not buy two? And didn't your "spare" lamp turn out to be the one that had previously been replaced?

Ecouraging others to do the same is not necessary or warranted.
My post was titled "Note to self" and most folks here are smart enough anyway to take away from the experiences - and posts - of others what they will and arrive at their own opinions. I have read quite a few posts of bulbs being bought way in advance and then failing when finally installed - out of warranty.

Regards,

Jeff

Greetings,

Jeff, yes the replacement lamp was the one that failed prematurely. I am not sure what difference that makes because a premature failure is a premature failure. This could easily have been the original lamp which has happend in many cases as well.

I think we have covered why buying TWO lamps at the same time would be counter productive. Wouldn't you agree?

Generally a "note to self" is just that. There are many here who have considered the idea of having a spare lamp. There are many who have never thought about it and have been caught short. I did not post strictly to offer my thoughts why someone should or should not do so. I dropped a post in a relevant discussion which was then responded to by yourself with an indication that THIS is what happens when you buy a spare lamp ( not directly a quote ).

I happen to disagree as this could happen at any time....to anyone.

Regards,

Greetings,

Jeff, yes the replacement lamp was the one that failed prematurely. I am not sure what difference that makes because a premature failure is a premature failure. This could easily have been the original lamp which has happend in many cases as well.

I think we have covered why buying TWO lamps at the same time would be counter productive. Wouldn't you agree?

Generally a "note to self" is just that. There are many here who have considered the idea of having a spare lamp. There are many who have never thought about it and have been caught short. I did not post strictly to offer my thoughts why someone should or should not do so. I dropped a post in a relevant discussion which was then responded to by yourself with an indication that THIS is what happens when you buy a spare lamp ( not directly a quote ).

I happen to disagree as this could happen at any time....to anyone.

Regards,
Yes, honestly Ralph, it was not merely a note to myself as I could have sent myself an email for that purpose. :)

Actually, I mis-read your original post to say that you bought the bulb in November and just now installed it to find it defective, hence my rant about buying lamps in advance. I don't know what to take away from this - have a spare when you need it, but not before strikes me as nigh impossible. It's a crap shoot. Perhaps replacing a bulb at some time into it's anticipated lifetime and keeping the "old" bulb for possible future use - as you were so fortunate to have done - is the way to go.

It is normal to take things to an extreme - and bend 'em a bit further - for discussion purposes as you've done with my words about buying a spare lamp. And your parenthetic disclaimer was as disengenuous as my "note to self."

Peace,

Jeff

Greetings,

And your parenthetic disclaimer was as disengenuous as my "note to self."


Jeff, point taken..

Best regards,

Not to throw fuel on nearly-extinguished flames, but I would NEVER own a projector without keeping a "spare" lamp on the shelf. Lamps seem to fail the afternoon of the evening your best friend is coming over to watch the game (race, porno or whatever).
See one page above to read my lamp story. I ordered (and have received) my next "spare".
If I don't use it, it will go with the projector when I sell it -- a nice perk for the buyer.

HS

Just tried this with my 51A, it worked great! Much brighter than IRIS off.

A few things though, the menu numbers are different for the 51A

other, option 35 and 36. I just set both to 100... suddenly brightness jumped way up. The black levels in my opinion are just fine. I was worried I made a mistake buying this dark pro jo until now..

Thanks.. I tried the anti edge enhanced mod too, didn't see much of a difference.

I have been messing around with the values in the factory menu for a while , without actually seeing too much difference - After setting open and close to the suggested 100 I was amazed at the difference .
Colour and black is still vibrant and not washed out as it is in dynamic mode - this simple tweak is a revelation!
I suggest everybody does it - you won't go back

Do you mean setting both Iris Open n Close to 100 will give more brightness to the picture ? Also, should it be on Auto Iris mode too ?
If not, please enlighten me. Since I did improve my picture brightness by setting the Iris Open at 0, as Byte suggested on the other HS60 thread. Thanks.

Not to throw fuel on nearly-extinguished flames, but . . .
;)

Do you mean setting both Iris Open n Close to 100 will give more brightness to the picture ? Also, should it be on Auto Iris mode too ?
If not, please enlighten me. Since I did improve my picture brightness by setting the Iris Open at 0, as Byte suggested on the other HS60 thread. Thanks.

Yes - both open and close to 100 .
and leave auto iris on.

I was astounded by the improvement.

Greetings,

Well I finally reached someone at Sony who apprears to be willing to help me. I will post back to this thread once I have resolved my situation.

Thanks to those who participated and helped out.

Regards,

Greetings,

Well I finally reached someone at Sony who apprears to be willing to help me. I will post back to this thread once I have resolved my situation.

Thanks to those who participated and helped out.
Good luck, sir!

Do you mean setting both Iris Open n Close to 100 will give more brightness to the picture ? Also, should it be on Auto Iris mode too ?
If not, please enlighten me. Since I did improve my picture brightness by setting the Iris Open at 0, as Byte suggested on the other HS60 thread. Thanks.


Yep, I would compare the difference to setting the lamp from low to high.

With the lamp in low mode, with the auto Iris mod, it's brighter than with the lamp on high, without the auto iris mod, AND with iris turned off. With the lamp in high mode, the image is even brighter still.

I am on my third call and have gotten shifted from location to location after being told I called the wrong department.

I also got misdirected from the voice menu. I called back in and was misdirected to the same wrong department -- the trick is to simply insist that they connect you to the right department. I asked them to connect me, and they called the correct person, waited to ensure somebody was available and then handed the call off to them. Same thing happened when I escalated my case to the manager -- he waited until there was a connection to hand it off. I can't complain about their phone support -- although it probably helped that I called on a non-peak time (5PM on a Saturday) -- but I have an issue with a bulb failing after 370 hours. Hope you're able to resolve your issue.

I have replaced the air filter to my pj after only 520 hours .
I keep high altitude mode on most of the time and found significant debris in the filter maybe due to the increase in air flow?
Easy enough to do and the filters are only cheap anyway

I also got misdirected from the voice menu. I called back in and was misdirected to the same wrong department -- the trick is to simply insist that they connect you to the right department. I asked them to connect me, and they called the correct person, waited to ensure somebody was available and then handed the call off to them. Same thing happened when I escalated my case to the manager -- he waited until there was a connection to hand it off. I can't complain about their phone support -- although it probably helped that I called on a non-peak time (5PM on a Saturday) -- but I have an issue with a bulb failing after 370 hours. Hope you're able to resolve your issue.

Greetings,

Thanks. I was in touch with someone yesterday who seemed very willing to help. I faxed over a copy of my receipt for the lamp. I will post back once the issue has been resolved.

Thanks for the support and good luck with your issue as well.


Regards,

Yes - both open and close to 100 .
and leave auto iris on.

I was astounded by the improvement.


Does this only work on the 51A? What projector are you using?

Does this only work on the 51A? What projector are you using?

I am using the 50/51

Yes - both open and close to 100 .
and leave auto iris on.

I was astounded by the improvement.

Improvement?

How was the darkest black performance?

Lowering the IRIS CLOSE REG to 100 would significantly boost the brightness of the darkest black levels.

I found lowering the CLOSE REG below 200 beigns boosting black on my 51. My 51A needs the setting to be atleast 220 before blacks start to elevate.

Improvement?

How was the darkest black performance?

Lowering the IRIS CLOSE REG to 100 would significantly boost the brightness of the darkest black levels.

I found lowering the CLOSE REG below 200 beigns boosting black on my 51. My 51A needs the setting to be atleast 220 before blacks start to elevate.

I can't help ya, I think the blacks are just fine, but if you are the kind of person who absolutely needs the blacks so black that other blacks are jealous of those blacks and tell their black level friends about how black those blacks are not.. black black black black BLACK!!!!!

Oops, sorry I got stuck. :)

You know what I mean.. It's all in the person watching the pro jo. the great thing is all of this is completely reverseable.

... I think the blacks are just fine, but if you are the kind of person who absolutely needs the blacks so black that other blacks are jealous of those blacks and tell their black level friends about how black those blacks are not.. black black black black BLACK!!!!!.

Say what?

That might just be the most whacky thing ever written on the Forums. :p

I have also tried setting both to 100. The light is great but the blacks are terrible. :D

I go back to 0 and 218.

;)

I have also tried setting both to 100. The light is great but the blacks are terrible. :D

I go back to 0 and 218.

;)

Greetings,

I took a look at mine. Mine are set to 201 and 40. To be honest my HS51 is really very bright on bright scenes. Blacks are very good. I played around with the settings and ended up putting it back. I have been very happy with my unit's image.


Regards,

There are interesting comments on how images don't look great on certain projectors.

Some have commented on how certain projectors look better with HD-A1 with 1080i as the input rather than 720p.

Anyone who has experience with HS50 with Toshiba HD-A1 - how sharp is the picture on it?

See also this comment here - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7495004&&#post7495004
about scaling of projectors.

Do we know how exactly HS50 scales 1080i signals ? Does it first go to 540p and then to 720p ?

With D-Theater 1080i the picture Looks great on my HS50

lg

Anyone who has experience with HS50 with Toshiba HD-A1 - how sharp is the picture on it?

Do we know how exactly HS50 scales 1080i signals ? Does it first go to 540p and then to 720p ?

Just checking in here for the same reason. Have not seen the HS-51 mentioned in the HD-A1 End User Thread yet, still have about 18 pages to look at though.

Picked up the player on Saturday, but Best Buy I purchased at would not sell any media. Hope to have an answer to the first question tonight or tomorrow.

I am expecting the 1080i to look better than 720P from what others have said and what I saw when I changed the output resolution to 720P on the store demo unit. Picture went way south.

I will be doing A/B testing with the HD-A1 and Pana S97S DVD with HDMI switching AVR. If I can get 2 SD copies of one of the launch titles I will do HD-DVD to upconverted SD-DVD and comparison of upconverted SD from both.

I am curious about the second question also. I have one of the earlier units with the 720P blanking problem. Have not sent it in for the mod. yet. I generally feed it 1080i, just seems to look better to my eye.

Here is what I have noticed so far with the HS-51 and the HD-A1. I originally tested the HD DVD player through VGA. DVI to VGA converter and 720p output from the player. Image was not even close to my Oppo and a SD DVD. Image was terrible!!! Hooked up via HDMI and set to 720p... "So no 1 to 1 pixel mapping... Big freaking deal..." Not much better :( grrr. Next set it to 1080i... OMFG!!! Thought I was watching it through the Hubble space telescope! hahaha. Image was amazing. So it must be the scalers on the inside of the player. Wouldn't you want to output the most pixels and let your display decide what to do with them? Just a thought!

Some people complain about it not being a lot better than OTA HDTV... One word to ponder on, 1080i is 1080i no matter witch way you look at it. The higher bit rate just eliminates the pixelization that you get when a scene is moving. I will say that it does look smother than OTA HD though! Tested Serenity and WOW, looks good. Can't wait for Apollo 13 next week!

Another thing to consider is how well the studios scan in there film to HD... if they do a crappy job than it is not going to look good no matter what format it is on.

BTW, all the content is 1080p, it just doesn't output 1080p.

One question for the Forum, what are your settings for Contrast and brightness for the HS-51?

Audio DAC's are awesome, I have it hooked up analog.

SD DVD upscale is a lot better than the Oppo, surprise there... :eek:

All in all a really good player, except for the fact of no good 720p support.
Hope this helps everyone out there...

Well my bulb went super dim and then popped at the 1072 hour mark. Sucks that the bulb died so fast--I guess I was just used to my old HS10. My HS10 bulbs (2) each went close to 3000 hours and never failed--they did dim but are still useable whereas my HS51 bulb got very dim and then popped. Hopefully the next bulb will be better and will get me to my next pj--anyone have better luck with the replacement bulb?

Hopefully the next bulb will be better and will get me to my next pj--anyone have better luck with the replacement bulb?
Based on one of my clients getting only a few hundred hours out of his Qualia 006 original bulb and the posts of others on the forums about short lives of original bulbs, I think that the original bulbs might have shorter lives because they are shipped as part of the projector and receive higher inertia changes during shipping. The replacement bulbs weigh almost nothing and come shipped separately and so get a much softer ride. That's the only idea I can come up with as to why the originals go fast and the replacements seem to last longer. It would also be interesting to see if there is any correlation between shipping distance and bulb life. In my case I am 2 UPS days from the Sony warehouse and so my unit received a lower amount fo shipping jarring.
Bouncing along in a UPS truck for 6 days vs. 1 or 2 days might be the difference between 500 hours and 1500 hours. If there was a correlation it might incentivize the makers to ship the bulbs separately with new PJs to keep the customer complaints down.

That is if my hypothesis that it is the normal shipping jarring that is shortening the life of the originals is valid.

I have my projector housed in an Ikea coffee table and run an auxilary fan that keeps the PJ much cooler than if it just sitting out on a table. I'm hoping a longer bulb life will help pay for the table.

I will try and get the install shots I took online this week.

M./

I think that the original bulbs might have shorter lives because they are shipped as part of the projector and receive higher inertia changes during shipping. The replacement bulbs weigh almost nothing and come shipped separately and so get a much softer ride.

M./

This was my thought as well...

My first bulb lasted 822 hours, second has only been in for a couple of weeks so I won't know its life for some time.

Sony reimbursed me 1/2 the price of my replacement bulb -- they would have replaced the bulb if I had shipped the projector back to them. Obviously shipping the projector 2-ways again is a stupid alternative on a variety of levels.

I keep a spare bulb on hand.... If I don't need it, whoever buys my used projector some day will get a fresh bulb!

Happy televiewing!

HS

Here is what I have noticed so far with the HS-51 and the HD-A1. I originally tested the HD DVD player through VGA. DVI to VGA converter and 720p output from the player. Image was not even close to my Oppo and a SD DVD. Image was terrible!!! Hooked up via HDMI and set to 720p... "So no 1 to 1 pixel mapping... Big freaking deal..." Not much better :( grrr. Next set it to 1080i... OMFG!!! Thought I was watching it through the Hubble space telescope! hahaha. Image was amazing. So it must be the scalers on the inside of the player. Wouldn't you want to output the most pixels and let your display decide what to do with them? Just a thought!

Some people complain about it not being a lot better than OTA HDTV... One word to ponder on, 1080i is 1080i no matter witch way you look at it. The higher bit rate just eliminates the pixelization that you get when a scene is moving. I will say that it does look smother than OTA HD though! Tested Serenity and WOW, looks good. Can't wait for Apollo 13 next week!

Another thing to consider is how well the studios scan in there film to HD... if they do a crappy job than it is not going to look good no matter what format it is on.

BTW, all the content is 1080p, it just doesn't output 1080p.

One question for the Forum, what are your settings for Contrast and brightness for the HS-51?

Audio DAC's are awesome, I have it hooked up analog.

SD DVD upscale is a lot better than the Oppo, surprise there... :eek:

All in all a really good player, except for the fact of no good 720p support.
Hope this helps everyone out there...


Apperently no one cares about the HD-A1 with the HS51... Oh well. I like mine.

That is if my hypothesis that it is the normal shipping jarring that is shortening the life of the originals is valid.

Sounds like a good theory to me...

My bulb just died at ~900 hours. Dimmed severely at around 890 and then popped. Seemed to me like it went from 100% - 90% pretty quickly (in the first month or so). And then went 90% - 5% at the end and pop. No gradual dimming effect here...

Had the pj 4 months when it popped. My theory to this point was that I didn't run the fan in high altitude mode. I live in CO (~5000ft). Initially I did. But then the fan noise started getting to me. I figured if there was a problem running it on low, I'd run into some sort of overheating. Never did so I assumed it was OK.

Think I'm gonna leave it on high for the next bulb...

Hey Everyone,

I am in Colorado, and one of our big box retailers has the cineza hs51a for 2000 with a warrant thay covers 2 bulbs over the next few years. I would be coming from a 42inch WEGA as my primary set, and I was curious if I should have a secondary set for viewing, or if I use it as my primary display for movies, gaming, and hd television that I will eat up my hours..Any Thoughts?

Thanks.

Greetings,

My original lamp is currently in my projector. I bought a replacement lamp back in November and installed it in the unit. The original lamp had 704 hours on it and was working just fine. I like to have a spare lamp and intended to keep the original as a back up.

The replacement worked fine up until around the last week in March. All of a sudden the lamp dimmed severely and became unwatchable. The lamp had just over 350 hours on it at the time. Rather than wait for it to pop I removed it and put the original back in. All returned to normal. The original lamp now has 764 hours on it and is still functioning very well.

I contacted Sony and a replacement lamp was ordered under warranty and should be shipped to me by weeks end. They were on back order until this week.

This is a circumstance that may shoot the theory regarding the original lamps in the foot somewhat.

So far Sony Customer support has been extremely helpful. I will post back upon receiving the replacement lamp to conclude the total experience.

Regards,

I am in Colorado, and one of our big box retailers has the cineza hs51a for 2000 with a warrant thay covers 2 bulbs over the next few years. I would be coming from a 42inch WEGA as my primary set, and I was curious if I should have a secondary set for viewing, or if I use it as my primary display for movies, gaming, and hd television that I will eat up my hours..Any Thoughts?
Using the pj as our primary display is how I got to ~900 hours in ~4 months. We're reconsidering our usage pattern. Well, my wife is at least. Will probably try to limit it to nighttime viewing only. During our first 4 months, the pj was often on for 10 hours a day. Now that she realizes how much bulb replacements cost (though our first 2 are going to be replaced under warranty), I think she will remember to turn the TV off during the day.

Anyway, dunno if that helps answer your question. Guess it all depends how sensitive you are to the replacement costs and how you want to use it. In my mind, limiting the usage to nighttime family viewing hours and weekends makes sense. Using it all day long for the kids' cartoons does not. We will be banishing the kids to a br TV during the day or better yet, outside to run around.

Greetings,

I average 100 hours a month on my HS51. It is used primarily for family viewing in the evenings ( TV mostly ) and for movies. I fire it up twice a day and every now and then three times a day.

Regards,

Greetings,

I average 100 hours a month on my HS51. It is used primarily for family viewing in the evenings ( TV mostly ) and for movies. I fire it up twice a day and every now and then three times a day.

Regards,


I too average about 100 hours a month on my HS51... my first bulb failed at 822 hours and I wondered about the shaking-while-being-shipped possibility, plus I used to sometimes turn the projector on several times a day for very short periods of time to program the TiVo.... I've often wondered if the turning the pj on and off -- running it for short periods -- shortened bulb life. With new bulb I only turn pj on when I intend to watch it for an extended period. (Sort of like not driving a car for 2-3 mile trips -- always allowing it to warm up completely for at least 30 min.)

Just a thought.

HS

Thanks Derek, definitely helps out. I need to factor that in. I think I would be using the projector quite a bit as a primary display. The cost of replacement bulbs at $300 dollars a piece might either cause me to rethink this or setup a secondary display for viewing.

Using the pj as our primary display is how I got to ~900 hours in ~4 months. We're reconsidering our usage pattern. Well, my wife is at least. Will probably try to limit it to nighttime viewing only. During our first 4 months, the pj was often on for 10 hours a day. Now that she realizes how much bulb replacements cost (though our first 2 are going to be replaced under warranty), I think she will remember to turn the TV off during the day.

Anyway, dunno if that helps answer your question. Guess it all depends how sensitive you are to the replacement costs and how you want to use it. In my mind, limiting the usage to nighttime family viewing hours and weekends makes sense. Using it all day long for the kids' cartoons does not. We will be banishing the kids to a br TV during the day or better yet, outside to run around.

I used my HS50 as my primary display for the 1st 9 months and racked up about 1500 Hours - I then bought a Plasma for day to day TV viewing and only use the HS50 for big sporting events and movies at night time. As a result I now have about 1700 hours on it - or less than 300 hours in 6 months (still on my first globe too!).

I recomend NOT using your PJ as your primary display just from the "having to live in a dark cave" aspect alone.

Thanks as well Djos. I might have been looking at the implementation of a projector all wrong. If I can configure things so that I have a second viewing area for movies and sporting events, then the projector makes total sense and I would keep the hours down. If I can't, it might be better to stay with the 42inch for the time being.

I too average about 100 hours a month on my HS51... my first bulb failed at 822 hours and I wondered about the shaking-while-being-shipped possibility, plus I used to sometimes turn the projector on several times a day for very short periods of time to program the TiVo.... I've often wondered if the turning the pj on and off -- running it for short periods -- shortened bulb life. With new bulb I only turn pj on when I intend to watch it for an extended period. (Sort of like not driving a car for 2-3 mile trips -- always allowing it to warm up completely for at least 30 min.)

Just a thought.

HS

Greetings,

HS, thanks for the input. Actually I never power the unit up for anything less than 1 hour. I have a 14 inch CRT monitor that I use for cueing my HD DVR and for viewing the menu system on my pre/pro etc. My projector is used in the morning for 1 to 1.5 hours and then in the evening from 1 to 3 hours. Every now and then it may be used mid day for an hour or so.

Regards,

Thanks as well Djos. I might have been looking at the implementation of a projector all wrong. If I can configure things so that I have a second viewing area for movies and sporting events, then the projector makes total sense and I would keep the hours down. If I can't, it might be better to stay with the 42inch for the time being.


No Worries, here is how I setup my 1 and only living-room so I could have the best of both worlds:

NEC 42VM5W 42" SD Plasma (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~derekjosborn/Plasma.jpg) Mounted on my display wall
Sony Cineza HS50 HD Projector & Equipment (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~derekjosborn/Projector_Equipment.jpg) behind the main seating in the corner (Equipment shown isn't current as I have just upgraded to a Denon 2910 DVD/SACD & Yamaha RX-V2600 AVR.
Birk 92" Motorised Screen (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~derekjosborn/PJ_Screen.jpg) shown in the down position.

To bring up and old topic - what's the current status of the hs50 with hdmi. I live in the UK and 720p HD is just being released here. I want to drive the PJ over hdmi (I use vga at the moment), but I want 1-1 mapping. My dealer told me that 1-1 mapping is only possible over hdmi using a connection with hdcp - sounds dodgy to me, but has anyone tried it?

Thanks,

SB

I sent my projector in to Sony service for bulb failure after 370 hours. They turned it around in only a few days -- faster than the 10 days quoted. It also seems to work ok and the unit wasn't scratched or damaged. On the negative side -- although it was returned in my original box, the inside padding was different and didn't seem to hold the projector in place that firmly (if there is any truth to the shipping theory on bulbs, this one won't last long either because it probably got bounced more than typical because of the loose packing). Overall Sony service was fast and generally helpful (although I remain upset about needing to replace the bulb after 370 hours).

The projector was returned with fan set to high altitude mode (it wasn't set before and I don't live in high altitude area), I'll leave that in place and hope it helps bulb life going forward.

My video settings were reset during the bulb replacement at the service center. I've seen a lot of tweaked settings posted, but I would rather not make any service menu changes -- does anybody have recommended settings with the service menu set to default? The projector is used in light controlled room with 106" Da-lite screen.

No Worries, here is how I setup my 1 and only living-room so I could have the best of both worlds:

NEC 42VM5W 42" SD Plasma (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~derekjosborn/Plasma.jpg) Mounted on my display wall
Sony Cineza HS50 HD Projector & Equipment (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~derekjosborn/Projector_Equipment.jpg) behind the main seating in the corner (Equipment shown isn't current as I have just upgraded to a Denon 2910 DVD/SACD & Yamaha RX-V2600 AVR.
Birk 92" Motorised Screen (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~derekjosborn/PJ_Screen.jpg) shown in the down position.

Thats actually a very good idea, and I love your layout. I am still new at this, but I was curious about your wiring setup. Everything looks super clean. Was this room built around the theater, or did you retro fit it? Would love to talk to you about doing something similar in my place....

Thats actually a very good idea, and I love your layout. I am still new at this, but I was curious about your wiring setup. Everything looks super clean. Was this room built around the theater, or did you retro fit it? Would love to talk to you about doing something similar in my place....

Thanks for the compliment's :cool:

I've replied to your PM - to see the construction phase check out this thread: I hate my apartment... any advice for small spaces? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=573358)

In answer to your question the Town-House was 2 years old when I bought it and everything you see including the plaster work was retro-fitted.

My video settings were reset during the bulb replacement at the service center. I've seen a lot of tweaked settings posted, but I would rather not make any service menu changes -- does anybody have recommended settings with the service menu set to default? The projector is used in light controlled room with 106" Da-lite screen.


Most folks have been happy with adjusting User 1 to:
Contrast 78
Brightness 55
Color 44
Hue 51
Sharpness 0
Black level OFF
Gamma OFF
Color temp LOW
DDE Film
Advanced iris AUTO
Lamp Cpntrol LOW
RCP OFF

Hope this helps.

HS

Most folks have been happy with adjusting User 1 to:
Contrast 78
Brightness 55
Color 44
Hue 51
Sharpness 0
Black level OFF
Gamma OFF
Color temp LOW
DDE Film
Advanced iris AUTO
Lamp Cpntrol LOW
RCP OFF

Hope this helps.

HS

Thanks -- will give it a try tomorrow

Is there a known solution to the red shift across the screen? It has recently started on my hs51 and it is really starting to annoy me. I have had the pj for 10 months, 950 hours. I tried byte's suggestion of setting 04 DE/UF SW = 0 and it didn't help. Can I have someone come calibrate the gamma to fix this or should I look into taking it in for service? I bought it at Frys and I got the service contract because I have had some TV's need reparing in the past and found the service agreement comes in handy. I am not sure I trust Frys to fix it, but if they give a replacement I would be fine with it :)

Atleast with the 51 you can go into the gamma shading service menu and work your way through the 11 luminance ranges.

You could also do as I did when my 51 began to have serious red/blue bias error, and contact Sony for a service visit. My projector began to exhibit extreme red/blue errors very quickly. Sony ended up replacing the projector prism block, which is basically all of the image elements between the lamp and the lens. The repair solved my problem.

Although I did find the 04 DE/UF SW = 0 tweak did make the over all screen white balance even better. I was never able to try the tweak on the 51 before the repair, and the tweak does not work as well on the 51A.

Good luck and feel free to ask for help if you decide to conatct Sony and they give you any trouble.

I reported on my red shift above, it has been happening for about 2 weeks. I first noticed it on 24 when they do the countdown. The numbers went from orange to yellow. The filter message hadn't come up, but I looked at it and it was pretty dirty so I changed it. Then my wife and I watched Batman Begins, I didn't notice any red shift, then we watched 24 and it was gone! The PJ is also a lot quieter now. I had also noticed an increase in noise lately. I assume the dirty filter was restricting airflow, which was causing uneven heating of the lcd panels or the optics, or something else. I think I will start changing the air filter every 500 hours.

Kevin

Greetings,

For those who read this thread on a regular basis you may be familar with my problem with a spare lamp for my HS51.

For those who may not I will restate the problem. I bought my HS51 in April of '05. In November I purchased a spare lamp for use as a backup. My original lamp had 704 hours on it and was performing fine. Upon receiving the spare lamp I immediately installed it in the projector and to ensure that there were no premature failures which would be covered by the 90 day warranty.

The lamp was fine until the last week in March when it dimmed severely and got to the point where it was unwatchable. I removed it and reinstalled the original and things were back to normal. The backup had just under 500 hours on it when it failed.

The first week in April I contacted Sony customer service regarding the lamps premature failure. I felt that even though the lamp was a month out of warranty that this was unacceptable. After being routed through several levels and getting no where I finally got the right person.

After faxing a copy of my receipt for the lamp I was advised that it would be replaced under warranty. The lamps were on back order and were not due until the end of April.

I was advised yesterday that the lamp shipped to my home address and was provided with a UPS tracking number. The lamp is due to arrive on Thursday.

I just wanted to post in this thread to advise that I have been very satisfied with Sony's customer service. This is the second Sony product that I have owned that required dealing with their customer service ( I owned the HS10 as well and it needed a service visit to Laredo ) and in both instances I was treated fairly.

I will post back upon receiving the lamp and having installed it in my HS51.


Thanks for listening.


Regards,

I assume the dirty filter was restricting airflow, which was causing uneven heating of the lcd panels or the optics, or something else. I think I will start changing the air filter every 500 hours.

Kevin

My recommendation would be to vacuum the filter clean of dust and then back blow with compressed air every 50 hours or so depending on dust levels, especially of you run the fan on high altitude.

My recommendation would be to vacuum the filter clean of dust and then back blow with compressed air every 50 hours or so depending on dust levels, especially of you run the fan on high altitude.

That sounds like a great idea hawkeye3.1. I will start doing that.
Thanks,
Kevin

To put this lamp thing into pespective let's look at the true cost assuming only 900 hrs of usage and $300 replacement cost. 900/300 = $.33/hr or $33/mo assuming 100hrs a month usage. Here's one more at $1/day. I am not going to sweat that. I am at 800 hrs going strong....cross fingerslooking for that $250 bulb I used to see around.

Greetings,

For those who read this thread on a regular basis you may be familar with my problem with a spare lamp for my HS51.

For those who may not I will restate the problem. I bought my HS51 in April of '05. In November I purchased a spare lamp for use as a backup. My original lamp had 704 hours on it and was performing fine. Upon receiving the spare lamp I immediately installed it in the projector and to ensure that there were no premature failures which would be covered by the 90 day warranty.

The lamp was fine until the last week in March when it dimmed severely and got to the point where it was unwatchable. I removed it and reinstalled the original and things were back to normal. The backup had just under 500 hours on it when it failed.

The first week in April I contacted Sony customer service regarding the lamps premature failure. I felt that even though the lamp was a month out of warranty that this was unacceptable. After being routed through several levels and getting no where I finally got the right person.

After faxing a copy of my receipt for the lamp I was advised that it would be replaced under warranty. The lamps were on back order and were not due until the end of April.

I was advised yesterday that the lamp shipped to my home address and was provided with a UPS tracking number. The lamp is due to arrive on Thursday.

I just wanted to post in this thread to advise that I have been very satisfied with Sony's customer service. This is the second Sony product that I have owned that required dealing with their customer service ( I owned the HS10 as well and it needed a service visit to Laredo ) and in both instances I was treated fairly.

I will post back upon receiving the lamp and having installed it in my HS51.


Thanks for listening.


Regards,


Greetings,


As per the above, the lamp arrived yesterday. I installed it this afternoon and it is up and running. Sony customer service came through and are to be commended. For those who may have issues in the future I recommend that you hang in there and be patient. If you can reach the customer relations unit and have a reasonable request I believe you can count on being treated fairly.

Regards,

Greetings,


As per the above, the lamp arrived yesterday. I installed it this afternoon and it is up and running. Sony customer service came through and are to be commended. For those who may have issues in the future I recommend that you hang in there and be patient. If you can reach the customer relations unit and have a reasonable request I believe you can count on being treated fairly.

Regards,
Thankkfully, this worked out for you. Ideally, one would not need customer service, but it's nice to hear someone had a positive experience when they did need it. Thanks for the update.

Hey everyone,
I have read roughly the last 5-10 pages of this forum along with the first 10-20 pages. Obviously there is a big difference in time frame since the thread was started in 2004 and we are now in 2006. I am considering this projector (HS51 not the HS51A) mainly because of price, but I have a few questions:

1. SDE - Is this an issue? And if it is, how far back do you need to be to not see the SDE?

2. I have seen some DLP projectors in the same price range with the same resolution, is there somethingI should be loking at that would put the Sony ahead of a DLP projector?

3. When this unit first came out Sony was trying to put it with a special screen, is that really necessary or is there a screen that would be recommended?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Kemical

1) I was happy with a seating distance 1.5x of the screen width. Some folks have need the distance to 1.6x.

2) There are pros & cons with both the 51/50 and similarly priced DLPs. If you can handle long term exposure to the color wheel artifacts of the DLP, DLP would probably be a better all around choice. However, if not, the 51 was one of the 1st LCD projectors to offer a competitive alternative.

3) The Sony screen does offer a contrast performance advantage, but it's a little pricey at around $1300. You can get competitive performance from a range of $250-500 alternatives, and you would narrow down these screen choices based on your HT setup and audience viewing positions.

Hey Byte,
Thanks for the information. Just out of curiousity, do you prefer the BenQ PE7700 or the Sony HS51? They are similarly priced with same basic features other than one is LCD and the other is DLP. Also, any brand preference? Draper vs. DaLite?

Thanks again,
Kemical

I owned the NEC HT1000 for two years and really enjoyed the projector up until the end. For some reason, I became more sensitive to color wheel artifacts, becoming unable to watch without eyestrain or headaches. As a result, I find many single chip DLPs unwatchable, although I have not tried some of the units like the H79, which is reported to offer better color wheel performance.

When I initially auditioned the HS-50, I was very impressed with the performance. After some tweaks it was even better. I have since moved up to the 51A, but I still think the HS50 is a terriffic value when it can be bought for atleast $500 less than the 51A.

Regarding screens, I have a pull down DaLite High Power for my personal viewing. Then I have a ultra white flat painted screen on the wall behind the High Power. I use the painted screen for my family viewing and when I have a full house. That way everyone in the room gets a decent image.

There are some screens in between the two extremes which might be a better all around choice, however I love the High Power image when sitting in the sweet spot.

I have not made many direct DLP comparisons to the HS50 & 51A. I have not followed the 7700 but there are couple of threads you might check out for more info.

Personally, I don't see my self buying another single chip DLP. Rather I will probably end up with a 3 panel DLP once the prices come down. Until then, I am hoping the 51A will hold me over.

happy shopping

RJ
...

Thank you Byte for the information and the time. I really do appreciate it. I am afraid I am like you with the headaches and eyestrain and that is why I am looking at the HS51 (not to mention the price). Again, thank you very much for the detailed information and recommendation on the screens.

Kemical

Hey everyone,
I have read roughly the last 5-10 pages of this forum along with the first 10-20 pages. Obviously there is a big difference in time frame since the thread was started in 2004 and we are now in 2006. I am considering this projector (HS51 not the HS51A) mainly because of price, but I have a few questions:

1. SDE - Is this an issue? And if it is, how far back do you need to be to not see the SDE?

2. I have seen some DLP projectors in the same price range with the same resolution, is there somethingI should be loking at that would put the Sony ahead of a DLP projector?

3. When this unit first came out Sony was trying to put it with a special screen, is that really necessary or is there a screen that would be recommended?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Kemical

1) SDE ceases to be an issue for me at 2X screen width, but I'm sensitive to it having 20/15 vision. A very slight defocus of the lens can sometimes help with this.

2) I'm sensitive to RBE so I won't ever buy a single chip DLP. IMO the areas where the DLP has traditionally been stronger than LCD have largely been mitigated by the HS51's auto iris which results in a very good CR and deep blacks (for LCD). The blacks aren't CRT inky, but they are nonetheless very satisfying, particularly with the screen I'm using.

I've always thought one of the HS51's strengths was very good/natural colors with excellent differentiation of different shades and hues. Kris Deering's recommended gray scale settings for this unit really helped eliminate that last bit of pinkish tinge in the lower/midle grayscale ramps and colors are now spot-on from this unit.

3) I'm having very good results with a 3910 outputting 720p via HDMI and an Atlanta Scientific 8300 HD cable box outputting 720p via HDMI, to the HS51 projected onto an 82" (diagonal) Stewart Grayhawk RS. This screen was designed in conjunction with Joe Kane and is color neutral and designed for LCD/DLP PJs. The gray screen gives deeper blacks yet still has an 0.95 gain, so brightness is very good (at least on that smallish screen) even in low lamp mode, and it also has a broad viewing angle and no hotspots. The image is never drab and has lots of pop, especially on high def material and particularly with sports.

Ed,
Thank you very much for the detailed response. I was hesitant on getting an LCD projo, but after you and Byte responded with detailed information I believe I will be going with this unit.

Again, thank you very much for the detailed response, it helped quite a bit.

Kemical

Well, I've gone from a panny ae100 LCD to a benq 6200 DLP and then the sony 51 LCD.

1) at 1.5x, no SDE for my eyes
2) I can deal w/ sony's contrast; color is better than the benq, esp. red
3) I use a da-lite HCCV w/ 1.1 gain

I'm happy and so is my wife; no more rbe or eye fatigue. For the money, I'm delighted. Connecting w/ a zenith upconvert dvd at 1080i, movies like Italian Job or LOTR looked fantastic; best is cartoon stuff like Incredibles or Nemo. Would consider HD-DVD when the player becomes reasonable. Next major upgrade would be something like the d5 LCD's. Don't think I could afford 3-chip DLP anytime soon.

Lenny

Hi,

some time ago I asked you guys how to fix my screen coming from a Nvidea Geforce 6800 in 1280x720 seems to big for the HDMI interface.

I do not have black borders but I do not see all of it (missing about 50 pixels on all sides). Kind of hard finding the start button when you can't see it.

You suggested using powerstrip

Well the program seems to be able to move my screen in all directions but not resize it so all pixels fit the screen.

Can anyone help me here?

and when I move it to far to the bottom or the right the projector shuts the screen saying 'out of range'

thanks

Well, I've gone from a panny ae100 LCD to a benq 6200 DLP and then the sony 51 LCD.

1) at 1.5x, no SDE for my eyes
2) I can deal w/ sony's contrast; color is better than the benq, esp. red
3) I use a da-lite HCCV w/ 1.1 gain

I'm happy and so is my wife; no more rbe or eye fatigue. For the money, I'm delighted. Connecting w/ a zenith upconvert dvd at 1080i, movies like Italian Job or LOTR looked fantastic; best is cartoon stuff like Incredibles or Nemo. Would consider HD-DVD when the player becomes reasonable. Next major upgrade would be something like the d5 LCD's. Don't think I could afford 3-chip DLP anytime soon.

Lenny

Greetings,

Congrats Lenny, and welcome to the HS51 family.... :cool:


Regards,

Hi,

some time ago I asked you guys how to fix my screen coming from a Nvidea Geforce 6800 in 1280x720 seems to big for the HDMI interface.

I do not have black borders but I do not see all of it (missing about 50 pixels on all sides). Kind of hard finding the start button when you can't see it.

You suggested using powerstrip

Well the program seems to be able to move my screen in all directions but not resize it so all pixels fit the screen.

Can anyone help me here?

and when I move it to far to the bottom or the right the projector shuts the screen saying 'out of range'

thanks
You're now getting into the area where, I believe, you'll find your answers on the HTPC forum. :)

so i use to own an HS10 and really liked it. i moved and my new place didn't have space for it so i got rid of it. my new place now has room again, should i look elsewhere or just get the hs51?

so i use to own an HS10 and really liked it. i moved and my new place didn't have space for it so i got rid of it. my new place now has room again, should i look elsewhere or just get the hs51?
Or the 51a if you can afford the difference. But either way, you will be blown away. I'm using an HS20 and a friend has an HS51 and I'm amazed at the blacks and shadow detail. And the 51a has even better blacks. Neither 51 or 51a are bright, and some complain about being too dark.

Absolutely loving our HS51. We've racked up ~1300 hours since Xmas '04. With total light control (http://ronin-tech.com/Blogs/mode=display/id=9/comments=show.html) and a UPW painted wall screen, we'd rather watch it than go to the theater. I'm currently looking for a source of bulbs (and filters) as I don't want to be watching the world cup of soccer in HD only to have the bulb blow mid game and be SOL :). Up here in Canada, Sony wants $450 for a bulb. With our dollar approaching par to the US dollar (~0.91) that seems ridiculous.

So can anyone recommend a good source for replacement bulbs?

I buy mine locally from ABT Electronics for $205. They have a website under the same name.

I buy mine locally from ABT Electronics for $205. They have a website under the same name.

Half price. Unbelievable....

I buy mine locally from ABT Electronics for $205. They have a website under the same name.
I'm on their website and am not able to find "bulbs." I might be seaching incorrectly. Do you go there in person or order online?

TIA!

I couldn't find them either so I've sent them an email. I'll post back when I get a response.

1)Kris Deering's recommended gray scale settings for this unit really helped eliminate that last bit of pinkish tinge in the lower/midle grayscale ramps and colors are now spot-on from this unit.

Are these new grayscale settings posted since he got his 51A? or the ones he posted before about his 51?

Thanks, woudn't mind tweaking a bit more red out of the lower shadows.

M./

Are you sure it was $205 Monty? $70 is too big of a diff for me not to call them on it if correct.

Hi, we actually have one lamp left here in our stock room. The price of
this bulb is 275.00 plus tax. I have already put it aside with your name on
it. If you would like me to make an official claim for you, just let me
know. Otherwise, I will put it back into stock.

Thank you,
Tech Support

Are you sure it was $205 Monty? $70 is too big of a diff for me not to call them on it if correct.
US$205 vs C$275?

US$205 vs C$275?

No, $275 US vs $205 US.

Re; ABT Electronics, I go there locally. They are a large electronics and appliance store here in the Chicago area. I bought a bulb for my HS51, the LMPH130, for $205 last November.

A bunch of us ordered them from ABT in November. We bought out the stock they had on back order and then they removed the bulb from the site.

So, have there been any updates on the lens shift issue that I missed? I am still suffering from the problem where my image is off the screen almost everytime I power up. Any resolution to this? I am thinking about sending the unit in for repair one of these days to see if they can tighten it up. But I am reluctant.

No problems with shifting image. But i have to re-focus a load. Almost every movie i can refocus which always results in a sharper image.

So, have there been any updates on the lens shift issue that I missed? I am still suffering from the problem where my image is off the screen almost everytime I power up. Any resolution to this? I am thinking about sending the unit in for repair one of these days to see if they can tighten it up. But I am reluctant.



As far as I know, there is no "fix" to the lens shift issue. Some do it, some don't. The "shift" is caused by vibrations (a sub woofer perhaps, on ceiling-mounted units someone stomping around on the floor of the room above). My unit is ceiling mounted (no room above) and my subs will shift the image to the right about 1/2-inch. I've gotten in the habit of setting the image 1/2-inch to the left and letting it "settle in" for a few nights. I find I only need to adjust every week or so.

If I listen at what my wife calls "normal" ;) listening levels it won't shift the image at all, but crank the volume up a bit and the shift will occur.

HS

If I listen at what my wife calls "normal" ;) listening levels it won't shift the image at all, but crank the volume up a bit and the shift will occur.

HS

We watched LOTR TT & ROTK cranked with the SVS sub last weekend and did not have any shift issues. Is this something that is an issue for only some of the pj's?

So far I have not noticed any trouble here. Just a great picture! :)

My 9 month old HS51 with 800 hours on it just bit the biscuit. While watching TV last night when I heard a loud "pop" from the pj. The screen went blank though I was still getting power from the pj. I powered it off and back on, and now a get a ticking noise from it (almost like the exhaust fan is rubbing up against something). Still no light emitting from the pj so I am pretty sure the lamp is toast. I have no idea what the ticking noise is though. I called Sony and I have to send it in for repair, but does anyone have any idea what might have happened that is causing the ticking noise?

My 9 month old HS51 with 800 hours on it just bit the biscuit. While watching TV last night when I heard a loud "pop" from the pj. The screen went blank though I was still getting power from the pj. I powered it off and back on, and now a get a ticking noise from it (almost like the exhaust fan is rubbing up against something). Still no light emitting from the pj so I am pretty sure the lamp is toast. I have no idea what the ticking noise is though. I called Sony and I have to send it in for repair, but does anyone have any idea what might have happened that is causing the ticking noise?

Maybe something is too close to the fan blade?

Maybe something is too close to the fan blade?
Yeah, maybe exploded bulb innards. :)

Yeah, maybe exploded bulb innards. :)


That's my thought as well. I never had any noticeable noise emitting from the pj previous to the bulb popping.

That's my thought as well. I never had any noticeable noise emitting from the pj previous to the bulb popping.
Pop it open and take a look.

Pop it open and take a look.


There were no remnants from the bulb when I removed it. I am not going to pop off any more screws as this pj is still under warranty and I want to be sure Sony will service it for me. The ticking noise might even be an audible alarm (is there one when a bulb goes?) as it seems to go away within about 5 seconds of powering it on.

I am not going to pop off any more screws as this pj is still under warranty and I want to be sure Sony will service it for me.
Seems prudent.

I have the oportunity to purchase a HS51-A directly from Sony for around 2k.

For the $2,000 price range, is this the best projector I'm going to find, or are there other projectors at this price point I should consider (such as the Panasonic PT-AE900U? I can't afford to spend much more than this.

Thanks,

Drew

I have the oportunity to purchase a HS51-A directly from Sony for around 2k.

For the $2,000 price range, is this the best projector I'm going to find, or are there other projectors at this price point I should consider (such as the Panasonic PT-AE900U? I can't afford to spend much more than this.

Thanks,

Drew
You should probably read as many reviews as possible and make that decision yourself. The 51a is the contrast and black level king and the 900's strong point is lack of visible pixel structure. They both have some negatives though for some people/installations.

the other projector i'm considering in this price range is the hd72. i am reading as many reviews as i can, but would love some input on people who have owned them for awhile.

side by side comparisons are especially of interest.

it is generally considered that DLPs have better black levels. Is the 51A the exception to this?

the other projector i'm considering in this price range is the hd72. i am reading as many reviews as i can, but would love some input on people who have owned them for awhile.

side by side comparisons are especially of interest.

it is generally considered that DLPs have better black levels. Is the 51A the exception to this?
10-4, but that may be difficult as they are current generation models and ownership of one generally means it was selected over the others and would be the only one (of the three) that that particular person has owned. And then you have DLP vs LCD, which seems to cause deep divisions. The 51a, I believe, has better than DLP black levels. Personally, I categorically ruled single-chip DLP out because of rainbow, not so much for me because I never looked at one, but because I could not round up every present AND future friend that was ever going to watch a movie in my theater and take 'em to the demo.

If I were shopping right now in your price range, the HS-51A is still at the top of my list.

This could change in a couple of months if something new is introduced at CEDIA, but for now, the 51A is still king in my book.

Of course I am also speaking from a position of not being able to watch a single chip DLP for extended periods. If I did not suffer color wheel artifacts, there are some competting alternatives, including the NEC HT1000 I used to own.

Do your home work. Try to audition some projectors. And then come on and jump in the pool.

:)

As far as I know, there is no "fix" to the lens shift issue. Some do it, some don't. The "shift" is caused by vibrations (a sub woofer perhaps, on ceiling-mounted units someone stomping around on the floor of the room above). My unit is ceiling mounted (no room above) and my subs will shift the image to the right about 1/2-inch. I've gotten in the habit of setting the image 1/2-inch to the left and letting it "settle in" for a few nights. I find I only need to adjust every week or so.

If I listen at what my wife calls "normal" ;) listening levels it won't shift the image at all, but crank the volume up a bit and the shift will occur.

HS

Because of this issue, I am considering swapping it out for a Z4 with the lens shift lock feature. Am I crazy?

Because of this issue, I am considering swapping it out for a Z4 with the lens shift lock feature. Am I crazy?
I don't think we have enough evidence. :)

Can the 50/51/51a be "locked down" with some sort of aftermarket/DIY fix? This drifting is enough to give me pause as I was planning on buying a 51a.

I have heard of no such fix and it would give me pause as well. I enjoy my HS51. But I don't enjoy shifting the image on screen almost every time I use it. And even worse, I hate knowing that if I had some friends over and was able to crank it up to demo the theater, it is quite likely that the image would not stay on the screen for more than 30 minutes. You spend all of this time building your theater and tweaking it all out, etc. Then, the one thing that people actually look at... the center of everyone's attention, that piece of your theater moves off the screen to obscure part of the image.

It's just a real kick in the pants. I think that I will send it back to Sony first to see if they can address the issue by tightening the lens shift. But I haven't done that yet. I am a bit worried to do that and reluctant to live without my theater for 1-2 weeks.

I have heard of no such fix and it would give me pause as well. I enjoy my HS51. But I don't enjoy shifting the image on screen almost every time I use it. And even worse, I hate knowing that if I had some friends over and was able to crank it up to demo the theater, it is quite likely that the image would not stay on the screen for more than 30 minutes. You spend all of this time building your theater and tweaking it all out, etc. Then, the one thing that people actually look at... the center of everyone's attention, that piece of your theater moves off the screen to obscure part of the image.

It's just a real kick in the pants. I think that I will send it back to Sony first to see if they can address the issue by tightening the lens shift. But I haven't done that yet. I am a bit worried to do that and reluctant to live without my theater for 1-2 weeks.


If you DO bother to send it in for service, please report results. I've tried taping the thumb-wheels in place after an adjustment -- that doesn't work.

HS

If you DO bother to send it in for service, please report results.
Roger that!

Reaper,
Your situation is definitely unacceptable. I use the lens shift and it doesn't budge between the times when I set it, so your PJ must be messed up. Does your sub seem to make the picture move? If this is the case, you could also try putting Auralex Mo Pads or a similar product under your sub to isolate it so it won't transfer as much vibration to the projector. I built my sub with the mopads specifically in mind, as shown in this picture
http://i4.tinypic.com/10mjtoy.jpg
I cut 2 of them in half for the corners, one runs along the back and one down the middle. The speakers fire down and 2 passive radiators fire forward.

I have actually auditioned two hs51s and one HS51A for 30 days on each. None of them has had a problem with lense shift.

Since I was only checking them out temporarily, I did not ceiling mount them. They were sitting on top of an ironing board (how ghetto is that?) which may have absorbed some of the subwoofer vibrations.

Still, I had no indication that any of these units shifted the image

. I would try another unit, if possible. Otherwise, try shock-mounting the projector. I'm sure there are many ways to DIY a shockmount (an ironing board for example). :)

FWIW my HS51 lens shift is rock solid and I occasionally pound the room so hard on demos that the picture temporarily blurs on the huge bass hits. It's ceiling mounted with a Chief RPA 102 which is mounted to a wooden plate which in turn is mounted to two ceiling studs. Guess I'm lucky, but that level of lens shift is not acceptable IMO - Sony should repair it.

If you DO bother to send it in for service, please report results. I've tried taping the thumb-wheels in place after an adjustment -- that doesn't work.

HS


Since mine was just sent in re: the bulb popping, I figured I would add the lens shift issue to the list of things to check out. I'll report results when I get it back.

My HS-60's picture used to shift every day also. It was ceiling mounted and the floor above it was a high-traffic area. I moved the pj to a different part of the ceiling, closer to a support beam and haven't had a problem w/ shift since.

Is your pj mounted in a "high-vibration" spot?

FWIW my HS51 lens shift is rock solid and I occasionally pound the room so hard on demos that the picture temporarily blurs on the huge bass hits. It's ceiling mounted with a Chief RPA 102 which is mounted to a wooden plate which in turn is mounted to two ceiling studs. Guess I'm lucky, but that level of lens shift is not acceptable IMO - Sony should repair it.

Mine is mounted in this exact same manner. Although I should add that it is also very close to the I-beam as well and spans 3 floor joists. I figured it would be a very solid spot. You can see it in this image:

http://reaper.us/html/theater_finished_1.html

I will watch this thread to see if they fix the lens shift for copter and then follow suit if they do.

My lens will shift if I hit the bass hard but it also will just shift overnight when I am not even using the device. I never am able to really crank the system up to proper listening volumes. If I were single, I'd be playing it at -10 or so. But I usually play at -30 to -40 to make the wife happy. So, it is much quieter than I want and the bass doesn't come close to shaking the place like I wish it would. So, if it can't handle that situation, then it's unacceptable to me..

Nice room pics Reaper. How big is your screen?

Thanks. I believe the diagonal is about 92".

How far away from your projector ? Did you feel insufficient lumen for a 92" screen ?



Thanks. I believe the diagonal is about 92".

I think I sit about 10 ft back. I think the brightness is OK when the lights are off. I would like a brighter projector only so I could have more ambient light in the room. No big deal.

If any of you frequent the dedicated theater design sub forum, you may have read in the cool theater logo thread about the lightning strike at my house. It did not damage my projector but it did damage many other components. While the theater is under repair, I am thinking about taking the opportunity to send my projector in for a lens shift adjustment. If I do, I'll keep you guys updated on the progress.

If any of you frequent the dedicated theater design sub forum, you may have read in the cool theater logo thread about the lightning strike at my house. It did not damage my projector but it did damage many other components. While the theater is under repair, I am thinking about taking the opportunity to send my projector in for a lens shift adjustment. If I do, I'll keep you guys updated on the progress.
Great, that's the only "issue" stopping me from pulling the trigger on a 51a.

What is the best way to set the focus on a HS-51. I usually try to freeze a screen like TV Guide channel that has text on it, but it's pretty difficult to get the focus just right. Is there a test screen that has a pattern to help set focus?

What is the best way to set the focus on a HS-51. I usually try to freeze a screen like TV Guide channel that has text on it, but it's pretty difficult to get the focus just right. Is there a test screen that has a pattern to help set focus?
Probably. My HS20 has one, and I know there's one on the 51. Look at your remote control - when I press "lens" at pattern appears and I can adjust focus and zoom.

Hello Gurus,
I am in process of connecting a Sony VAIO RC110G(Windows media center) with a DVI-D interface to VPLS-H51 projector with HDMI interface. I brought a 30 feet HDMI to DVI-D cable. This cabling will be permanent inside the wall cable and I want to get this right.
In addition, I am getting 3 other cables, S-video, HDMI-HDMI & Component Video between my Projector and controller.

Following are my primary goals:
- Watch DVD movies using DVD Driver on Sony media center PC and with DIVI-HDMI output to projector.
- Watch VoD programmes streaming from internet thru Sony PC using DIVI-HDMI output to Projector.
- Using the Dish rereceiver too connect my PC and then use its TV-Tuner to watch the channels using the projector and DIVI-HDMI interface.

Any caveats and performance issues with these?
I have not seen any article on connecting a HS51 to a sony PC on DIVI-HDMI. How much better is the performance here?

Should I go with a dedicated DVD player than using a windows media center from this powerful sony PC?

Hope this is the right forum as it talks about VPLS-H51
Thanks in advance and appreciate all the help provided.

What is the best way to set the focus on a HS-51. I usually try to freeze a screen like TV Guide channel that has text on it, but it's pretty difficult to get the focus just right. Is there a test screen that has a pattern to help set focus?


Just use the Picture adj. menu, built into the display! Thas what I use, and its always avail.

-SOWK

Hello Gurus,
I am in process of connecting a Sony VAIO RC110G(Windows media center) with a DVI-D interface to VPLS-H51 projector with HDMI interface. I brought a 30 feet HDMI to DVI-D cable. This cabling will be permanent inside the wall cable and I want to get this right.
In addition, I am getting 3 other cables, S-video, HDMI-HDMI & Component Video between my Projector and controller.

Following are my primary goals:
- Watch DVD movies using DVD Driver on Sony media center PC and with DIVI-HDMI output to projector.
- Watch VoD programmes streaming from internet thru Sony PC using DIVI-HDMI output to Projector.
- Using the Dish rereceiver too connect my PC and then use its TV-Tuner to watch the channels using the projector and DIVI-HDMI interface.

Any caveats and performance issues with these?
I have not seen any article on connecting a HS51 to a sony PC on DIVI-HDMI. How much better is the performance here?

Should I go with a dedicated DVD player than using a windows media center from this powerful sony PC?

Hope this is the right forum as it talks about VPLS-H51
Thanks in advance and appreciate all the help provided.

Your picture will be much better from VGA, with a pc connected to it. As you can get 1:1 pixel mapping.

But others on here may tell you HDMI could offer as good a picture as VGA but only without the 1:1 mapping.

I would say try both, and report back to the forum.

If you try VGA, use these settings.

Contrast = 85
Brightness = 45
Bulb ouput = LOW
Color Temp = Normal or Kris's settings

You should have a great picture.


-SOWK

What is the best way to set the focus on a HS-51. I usually try to freeze a screen like TV Guide channel that has text on it, but it's pretty difficult to get the focus just right. Is there a test screen that has a pattern to help set focus?


Greetings,


I also use the menu screen to adjust focus. It works like a charm.....


Regards,

Your picture will be much better from VGA, with a pc connected to it. As you can get 1:1 pixel mapping.

But others on here may tell you HDMI could offer as good a picture as VGA but only without the 1:1 mapping.

I would say try both, and report back to the forum.

If you try VGA, use these settings.

Contrast = 85
Brightness = 45
Bulb ouput = LOW
Color Temp = Normal or Kris's settings

You should have a great picture.


-SOWK
Thank you. Cool idea.
I will order a VGA cable also. (hopefully 25-30 feet should not have any cable issue)
Will report back in a week or so.

Thanks,
Vijay

Just use the Picture adj. menu, built into the display! Thas what I use, and its always avail.

-SOWK

Thanks very much for the tip -- it's definitely much better than my previous approach TV Guide channel. I still don't feel like I'm getting it right -- I'm not that old, but I think my eyes aren't what they used to be because it gets pretty blurry after a few passes of trying to set the focus. I wish there was a test pattern made specifically for setting focus.

Thanks very much for the tip -- it's definitely much better than my previous approach TV Guide channel. I still don't feel like I'm getting it right -- I'm not that old, but I think my eyes aren't what they used to be because it gets pretty blurry after a few passes of trying to set the focus. I wish there was a test pattern made specifically for setting focus.


I use the menu screen as well, but also I use a small size binoculars so I can fine tune to exact focus.

I use the menu screen as well, but also I use a small size binoculars so I can fine tune to exact focus.
On my HS20 I am able to stand with my nose on the screen and control focus with the remote . . .

I talked to Sony today and got a repair order. I am sending it down to Laredo soon... possibly tomorrow. I hope it comes back fixed or at least as good as it was when I sent it. *prays*

Ok, so I'm going to go ahead with the HS-51A. Any suggestions for Screens? I want a 106" manual roll down.

This is my set-up:

Viewing distance from Screen = 11 '

Ceiling mounted Sony VPL-HS51a = aprox. 6.5 ' - 7 ' off floor (not permanently mounted yet), directly overhead of viewing position (11 feet from screen).

Walls are currently white, but I'm going to paint them brown.

Ambient light is fairly well controlled. I have red curtains surrounding the screen.

I've auditioned the graywolf and a matte white, from optoma as well. I like the graywolf, but being ceiling mounted, the off axis viewing angle is an issue. I could lower my projector closer to eye level if I moved it further from the screen, thus bringing the sweet spot of the GW screen closer to the viewing position, but this is a less ideal setup, logistically.

What other screens are matched well with this projector, given my room set-up?

Thanks,

Drew

Stewart Studiotek 130 is a perfect match. Please note the 51A is not a very bright projector to start with, so don't try any gray or off-white screen. This is my 2 cents !!!

thanks for the reply, ac388. you say to avoid gray, but what if it has gain? wouldn't that actually help? the graywolf has a 1.8 gain. of course it's retroreflective, so projector position becomes a problem.

I use a Grayhawk RS (0.92 gain) with my HS-51 with fabulous results (tons of pop and brightness on HD source material)........BUT........I have good light control and my screen is only 82" diagonal.

The bigger the screen, the less bright the image, and the more you will need a higher gain screen to compensate. Hot spotting might be a concern, too with the higher gain screens.

Not sure why you are spec'ing such a large screen for an 11 foot viewing distance.....you will likely have issues with SDE with a 106" diagonal screen and an 11 foot viewing distance.

I'm sensitive to SDE, so my rule of thumb is to sit 2X the screen width away. My Stewart is about 6' wide, and I sit 11-12 feet away, and SDE is not an issue 95% of the time and the picture if very homogenous. YMMV of course, just my $0.02........

Further to my bulb popping issue (at 800 hours).

I sent my pj back to Sony for repair. They will not cover the bulb under warranty (so far) and want me to pay $350 for its replacement. They did a firmware upgrade on it (it already had the latest firmware that I was aware of) so I'll report back once I find out which firmware they installed on it. They did not tell me what was causing the ticking noise. I'm unsure as to whether or not the lens shift was addressed.

I've now been without my pj for 2 weeks and it's still sitting at Sony while I argue with them over who pays for the bulb. Since they advertise a bulb life of 2000-3000 hours, I said that 800 hours is gross misrepresentation. They have forwarded my complaint onto management for further review. Based on previous posts here, it sounds like they should replace it at no cost to me, but we'll see. Typically I'm pretty good at fighting for what I feel I am entitled to, but Sony is not leaving me with a very good taste in my mouth right now.

thanks for the reply, ac388. you say to avoid gray, but what if it has gain? wouldn't that actually help? the graywolf has a 1.8 gain. of course it's retroreflective, so projector position becomes a problem.
FWIW, I have a Sony HS20 firing at a Stewart Firehawk which is a "gray" screen. It's a 1.35, but the perfing reduces it by 11%. It's not a bright picture overall, but outdoor sceens do not lack lumens. And colors are stunning.

Not sure why you are spec'ing such a large screen for an 11 foot viewing distance.....


because i can, and because bigger is better right? :)

in all seriousness, i appreciate your input. i am actually considering a smaller screen just for those reasons...SDE, and I'm worried that the image will not be as bright on the larger screen (especially as this is not a high lumen projector).

that said, i did want to put in as large a screen as i could get away with, because after all, the big screen is sort of the entire point of a Projector based home theater.

i'm going to audition a 106" tonight, so i'll get back to you about wether i was bothered by SDE and light output.

btw, i'm currently using an hs51, but will be purchasing an hs51A. Is the 51A any brighter?

because i can, and because bigger is better right? :)

in all seriousness, i appreciate your input. i am actually considering a smaller screen just for those reasons...SDE, and I'm worried that the image will not be as bright on the larger screen (especially as this is not a high lumen projector).

that said, i did want to put in as large a screen as i could get away with, because after all, the big screen is sort of the entire point of a Projector based home theater.

i'm going to audition a 106" tonight, so i'll get back to you about wether i was bothered by SDE and light output.

btw, i'm currently using an hs51, but will be purchasing an hs51A. Is the 51A any brighter?
FWIW, I have a 92" wide 16:9 screen with the first row's viewing distance at .8x screen width. My second, and "primary", row is 1.2x screen width. I have a Sony HS20 and am using an IMX lens that completely - COMPLETELY - removes the pixel structure.

because i can, and because bigger is better right? :)

in all seriousness, i appreciate your input. i am actually considering a smaller screen just for those reasons...SDE, and I'm worried that the image will not be as bright on the larger screen (especially as this is not a high lumen projector).

that said, i did want to put in as large a screen as i could get away with, because after all, the big screen is sort of the entire point of a Projector based home theater.

i'm going to audition a 106" tonight, so i'll get back to you about wether i was bothered by SDE and light output.

btw, i'm currently using an hs51, but will be purchasing an hs51A. Is the 51A any brighter?

Many have discovered the hard way that bigger is not always better.

I prefer to "right size" the A/V system to the room, and that (naturally) includes the screen size and the viewing distance. My eval room is only about 12x18, so my "postage stamp" sized 82" diagonal screen is darn near perfect IMO in that room and does not cause any viewer fatigue even after several hours of watching.

While there are industry recommendations for viewing distance and screen size, it's also a personal preference issue - like the folks who like to sit in the front row of a movie theater, or (conversely) those that prefer the back row.

Besides the SDE concern, I personally find sitting too close to a big screen to be very fatiguing, and sitting at 2X the width just works very well for me personally.

While YMMV, if you do audition a 106" screen at 11 feet, you should spend several hours (minimum) with a variety of source material (SD, 480p DVD, 720p/1080i HD). After the newness of the big image wears off, you may find yourself noticing artifacts that will inevitably become distracting over time and reduce your long term enjoyment of the system.

Many have discovered the hard way that bigger is not always better.

I prefer to "right size" the A/V system to the room, and that (naturally) includes the screen size and the viewing distance. My eval room is only about 12x18, so my "postage stamp" sized 82" diagonal screen is darn near perfect IMO in that room and does not cause any viewer fatigue even after several hours of watching.

While there are industry recommendations for viewing distance and screen size, it's also a personal preference issue - like the folks who like to sit in the front row of a movie theater, or (conversely) those that prefer the back row.

Besides the SDE concern, I personally find sitting too close to a big screen to be very fatiguing, and sitting at 2X the width just works very well for me personally.

While YMMV, if you do audition a 106" screen at 11 feet, you should spend several hours (minimum) with a variety of source material (SD, 480p DVD, 720p/1080i HD). After the newness of the big image wears off, you may find yourself noticing artifacts that will inevitably become distracting over time and reduce your long term enjoyment of the system.
I can't disagree with your position, but referring to it as "right size" is a tad condescending to everyone who "sees" it differently than you. If SDE is removed from the equation as it is with an IMX lens, then what is the limiting factor? Personal preference. Some prefer a more in-your-face experience. And generally, the audio sweet spot is an equilateral triangle with the L & R speakers being the front points. Sitting further back than that because one prefers a smaller picture takes one out of that spot and away from the magic of nearfield listening. But honestly, my .8x row *is* too close because one needs to turn one's head to see all the action. this is why I consider my second 1.2x row to be primary. But my room size was such that if I wanted two rows - and I did - the distances needed to be what they are. Smaller screen you say? IMO, the second row at 1.2x is PERFECT. But again, it's all personal preference.

Didn't mean to be condescending; I'm sorry it came across that way. Thought I was pretty clear about the screen size and viewing distance being a personal preference issue. The "right size" comment was right for me and I didn't mean to impose my personal preferences on the other poster. With that said, I have seen regret over the "too big, too close" phenomenon before, and simply recommended he demo that size/distance combo for several hours with different source material before committing.

Like I said previously, and you said above, some people like an "in your face" presentation and that's perfectly fine. I don't think the above poster will have an IMX lens on his HS51A and SDE might be a concern with a 106"/11 foot combo, and I just wanted him to be aware of that issue, too.

Didn't mean to be condescending; I'm sorry it came across that way. Thought I was pretty clear about the screen size and viewing distance being a personal preference issue. The "right size" comment was right for me and I didn't mean to impose my personal preferences on the other poster.
It was probably me, not you. :)

With that said, I have seen regret over the "too big, too close" phenomenon before, and simply recommended he demo that size/distance combo for several hours with different source material before committing.

Like I said previously, and you said above, some people like an "in your face" presentation and that's perfectly fine. I don't think the above poster will have an IMX lens on his HS51A and SDE might be a concern with a 106"/11 foot combo, and I just wanted him to be aware of that issue, too.
Demoing at length is a very good idea, and you are informing him of various factors that he should consider.

The "natural" size for my 13 x 21 room would most likely have been the 82" wide that I initially considered, but I found a local fellow AVS'er who had the 92" wide and visited his theater several times to check what various seating distances worked and came away with the feeling that the 92" would be fine in spite of conventional wisdom. The IMX was required to eliminate moire from my perfed screen, and the way it does that is by removing pixel structure.

Ed and Pepar...thank you both for all of your input. It is a great help in considering all of this. Ed, I took your "right size" as meaning the right size for the individual, so no worries about offending me. After all, that's why I'm here, to find the "right screen" for me. That may differ from someone elses "right screen", but getting other peoples opinion is invaluable. I also want to consider the experience my guests may have.

From the limited auditioning I've done, I think I am closer to Pepar's preference, in that I felt 1.5X would be pretty ideal. The width of the 106" diag, is 92", so that puts me just a tad less than 1.5X. So that is where I spec'd that size. Guess I shouldn't have been so flippant in my answer before.

Ed, viewing with different source material sounds like a great idea. I will definitely heed that advice.

Thank you both again, and I'll let you know what I decide.

-Drew

btw, Pepar, do you know if your HS20 has a higher lumen output than the hs51a?

Guys, has anyone had his bulb lamp exploded in HS51? It just happened to me last night... It made this pop sound and now bulb seems to be broken inside and has little pieces of glass.

I only had 600 hours on this bulb and less than a year. Does anyone know if SONY will replace this biulb for free?

Should I be concerned that there is possible something wrong with my projector? Or this is normal for lamp do explode like this? As far as I know my fans were working...

Drew,

My room is 14 x 22 and the Da-lite HCCV is 45x80 (92); I sit about 15-16 ft away; it's a hS51 in low light. W/ movie in th 2.35 mode, I could use a 100 inch screen.

Lenny

btw, Pepar, do you know if your HS20 has a higher lumen output than the hs51a?
The published specs for the HS20 are 1400 ANSI lumens and 1300:1 CR. The published specs for the 51a, which has a variable iris are:

High Brightness:
ANSI Lumens: 1200
Contrast Ratio: **
High Contrast:
ANSI Lumens: **
Contrast Ratio: 10000:1

It looks to me that it's not apples-to-apples as they give a lumen spec for the "high brightness" setting, but no CR. And a CR spec for the "high contrast" setting, but no lumen spec.

You'll need to get comments from folks who've had both, or reviews where the comparison is made. Occasionally, I think the HS20's picture is a bit dim, but outdoor ad other bright scenes are not lacking. I've seen a 51 at a friends and was mightily impressed with the CR and black levels. And I am seriously considering a 51a myself - or whatever succeeds it - later in the year.

This is probably a way-out question, but does anyone know if the HS50/51 firmware (or board) can be upgraded to the HS51A/60 version?

I am, of course, interested in fixing the HDMI 720p cropping issue, and don't feel the need to buy the newer model when my current projector is mostly good enough.

Guys, has anyone had his bulb lamp exploded in HS51? It just happened to me last night... It made this pop sound and now bulb seems to be broken inside and has little pieces of glass.

I only had 600 hours on this bulb and less than a year. Does anyone know if SONY will replace this biulb for free?

Should I be concerned that there is possible something wrong with my projector? Or this is normal for lamp do explode like this? As far as I know my fans were working...


Greetings,

This does happen on occasion however it is not normal. Contact Sony support and they will replace the lamp ( for free more than likely ). They may require you to send the unit in to ensure that there were no ill effects.

Good luck.


Regards,

I have actually auditioned two hs51s and one HS51A for 30 days on each. None of them has had a problem with lense shift.

Since I was only checking them out temporarily, I did not ceiling mount them. They were sitting on top of an ironing board (how ghetto is that?) which may have absorbed some of the subwoofer vibrations.

Still, I had no indication that any of these units shifted the image

. I would try another unit, if possible. Otherwise, try shock-mounting the projector. I'm sure there are many ways to DIY a shockmount (an ironing board for example). :)


Before i sent my HS-50 (european model) in for panel alignment my lens and lens shift was rock solid.

When i got it back i can manually move the lens sideways some mm's (= a lot on screen) but only in certain positions.
If i lens shift towards the outer boundary first and then dial it back some the lens is fixed again.
But if i dial toward the outer limits and stop then the lens is loose.

Must be some problem they have when doing the update of the panels.
Could be that if they tighten the lens shift to hard the panel alignment is affected i dont know.

At least now my panels are as close to 100% aligned in the center of the pictur as they can get.
In the corners it is still some minor misalignemnt 1/3 - 1/2 pixel so i guess it is either the opitics or the face that the spacing of the panel grid of the three anels is not 100% exact.

Anywat it is a LOT better then before when each pixel was shifter roughly 1 pixel off. And after calibrating it up I am very please with the picture.
Now i jsut need a good HDMI player to get rid of the minor component haloing and to get all the colours 100% spot on.
Then a screen that blocks ambient ligt better (night drapes but white walls = reflection problems) and having reviewed a bunch including firehawk, greyhawk and studiotek and a "secret brand" i am thinking of the firehawk or the "secret brand" that i unfortunatelly not are allowed to reveal by the manufacturer.

Its very close now and the picture is better than ever - hopefully HD-DVD or blue ray will enter the saloon this autumn and then i will start with the last part of the cinema to get everyhing dialed in.

Maybe its time for a HS-60 by then ;)

Regards
Boogieman

I sent mine in on Friday for the lens shift adjustment. I'll let you know the results when I get it back.

Guys, has anyone had his bulb lamp exploded in HS51? It just happened to me last night... It made this pop sound and now bulb seems to be broken inside and has little pieces of glass.

I only had 600 hours on this bulb and less than a year. Does anyone know if SONY will replace this biulb for free?

Should I be concerned that there is possible something wrong with my projector? Or this is normal for lamp do explode like this? As far as I know my fans were working...


Please go back a few pages and follow my threads about my experience with Sony service. My pj currently sits in Texas awaiting management approval to replace the bulb (I have no idea whether or not that approval will actually come though).

Does anyone have an up to date phone number for the repair center in Laredo? I just wanted to call to:

1. Verify they received my projector.
2. Ensure they understand the problem.
3. Get an estimated date of return.

I found this number in the thread:

(956) 728-2160

But I get no answer there whenever I call.

Any help?

Greetings,

This does happen on occasion however it is not normal. Contact Sony support and they will replace the lamp ( for free more than likely ). They may require you to send the unit in to ensure that there were no ill effects.

Good luck.


Regards,
My bulb capitulated in a similar fashion -622 hours, but Sony were not forth coming.
I was advised that 550 hours was the cut off for a free bulb replacement.

My bulb capitulated in a similar fashion -622 hours, but Sony were not forth coming.
I was advised that 550 hours was the cut off for a free bulb replacement.
That would be fair if the advertised expected life was 1244 hours.

Does anyone have an up to date phone number for the repair center in Laredo?

Try 866-357-6230.

Further update re: my popped bulb @ 800 hours:


My pj was sent to the Sony Repair Center on May 19. They received it on May 30. On May 31, they advised me that it needed a new bulb at a cost of $349. I argued with them for 2 days at which time they offered it to me at half price. I argued some more and have now been given a new bulb. The pj was shipped back to me on June 9. I will have it back tomorrow. Acccording to the people I spoke with, Sony updated the firmware (I have no idea to which version) on the board, changed some voltage settings, replaced the fan with a more powerful one, and replaced the bulb. I suspect my pj will now be nosier. I am hopeful no other issues will present themselves. Sony Rapir Center seemed to think this popped bulb was an isolated case. Reading this forum, it seems to be common place to have the first bulb go at or before 800 hours. I'll report back in another week or so on the status of my rebuilt pj. I have this feeling it'll be hitting Ebay at that time. :(

My HS51A lost its lamp after 41 hours. I heard a loud popping noise and found out lamp was gone (lamp dust and small pieces of bulb were in the lamp compartment). I also noticed the tapping noice. Called Sony and they asked me to send it to Laredo service center. They told I have to pay for shipping and expceted wait time would be about 14 days. I have asked if they could send me a new lamp or least pay for the shipping. Sony asked to get back with me by tomorrow.
I will keep you posted. :mad:

I almost don't believe this, but after months of my projector needing adjustment of its lens shift every couple of days, I may have found a solution.

A couple of days ago, when my projector's image had shifted its traditional inch or so to the right, I decided to try something.... instead of simply turning the horizontal thumb wheel to re-align the image I turned it many turns -- nearly moving the image to its extreme left-hand position. Then I reversed direction to place the image in the center of the screen where it belongs. During the return-to-center process the thumb wheel felt slightly tighter.

Several days have passed and the image has remained perfectly centered -- even after some loud-volume usage (with lots of sub woofer too).

Perhaps this was all I needed to do all along!!!

Please, others with "lens shift" issues, please try this and report back.

HS

I almost don't believe this, but after months of my projector needing adjustment of its lens shift every couple of days, I may have found a solution.

A couple of days ago, when my projector's image had shifted its traditional inch or so to the right, I decided to try something.... instead of simply turning the horizontal thumb wheel to re-align the image I turned it many turns -- nearly moving the image to its extreme left-hand position. Then I reversed direction to place the image in the center of the screen where it belongs. During the return-to-center process the thumb wheel felt slightly tighter.

Several days have passed and the image has remained perfectly centered -- even after some loud-volume usage (with lots of sub woofer too).

Perhaps this was all I needed to do all along!!!

Please, others with "lens shift" issues, please try this and report back.

HS

Greetings,

HS, I have essentially the same issue however mine is vertically. Every few days the image drops about half an inch or so. Although to be honest it has not been much of a problem of late. I will give this a try when I get home later and report back.

Regards,

I have tried that method on my projector. It seemed to help at first but the unit quickly returned to its old behavior. I wish you the best and hope yours doesn't follow the lead of mine.

I am new here. Is anyone havibg problems with their hd-a1 with their hs51. All I am getting is an hdmi error.
Thank you

I am new here. Is anyone havibg problems with their hd-a1 with their hs51. All I am getting is an hdmi error.
Thank you

No problems here. Will get the error msg. if I switch sources (using an HDMI switching AVR), but as soon as I switch back to the HD-A1, pressing Play clears it.

If you have not already: 1) Re-initialize the A1, 2) Check for an intermittent connection by applying light pressure in each direction to the connector on both ends of the cable, 3) Try a different HDMI source if you have one, or a different cable.

I just discovered that Sony has shipped my projector back to me. I never spoke with the repair center and the representative on the customer service line had no record of what was done. It is being shipped next day air. So, I expect I will receive it before this weekend. I hope I have a chance to get it hung and start using it again. As it turns out, my repaired Xbox 360 is being shipped back as well and should probably return by Friday. What perfect timing! Man, I can't wait to get back into the theater and try my gear. Even if the lens shift still sucks, it'll be good to have my big screen back.

I just discovered that Sony has shipped my projector back to me. I never spoke with the repair center and the representative on the customer service line had no record of what was done. It is being shipped next day air. So, I expect I will receive it before this weekend. I hope I have a chance to get it hung and start using it again. As it turns out, my repaired Xbox 360 is being shipped back as well and should probably return by Friday. What perfect timing! Man, I can't wait to get back into the theater and try my gear. Even if the lens shift still sucks, it'll be good to have my big screen back.


Greetings,

Reaper, that is good news. Post back with the results once you are up and running.


Regards,

Oooh baby, my unit is on a truck out for delivery today. Yahooo! My 360 is arriving today too.. on the same truck. Man, I worked that system out perfectly. I minimized my downtime to the utmost perfection. The only issue is that I have a rendering job this weekend and it is father's day, so I don't know if/when I will get to hang the projector back up. I'll keep you guys updated.

Reaper,
Just lose 2 hours of sleep to get it set up and test it, isn't that what being a father is all about, losing sleep? :)

hehe... well UPS just dropped it off. I opened it up to see that they packed it incorrectly! Damnit!

The report that came in the box says:

Projection Lens Assembly
Lamp Replacement


Constand Distorted Picture
Replaced Parts
Replaced Parts

You think I got a new lmap out of it? Does replacing the lens assembly fix the lens shift?

Also, I never said anything about a distorted picture. Perhaps that's how they refer to lens shift issues by shorthand? Needless to say I have mixed feelings already. I am not sure they addressed the problem, packing it incorrectly may have caused damage but I am happy about the possible lamp replacement.

Also, I never said anything about a distorted picture. Perhaps that's how they refer to lens shift issues by shorthand? Needless to say I have mixed feelings already. I am not sure they addressed the problem, packing it incorrectly may have caused damage but I am happy about the possible lamp replacement.
As you're not the only owner reporting shifting images, "replacing parts" may not git 'er dun.

Hahahaha!!!! Who was I kidding? I already have the system up and running again! New bulb baby.

Lens shift is muuuuuch smoother

Lens shift is muuuuuch smoother
Does it seem like it'll drift?

First impressions say no but that will need to be tested by time

The lens doesn't drop during adjustment anymore... it's a nice continuous movement. Ahhh...

Test 1:

I went away from the projector for a few hours and returned this evening to fire it up again. I ended up shifting the image to the right ever so slightly. I am not convinced that it wasn't off from earlier but it was a huge improvement over what I have seen in the past. We'll see if it continues tomorrow.

I think I read in this thread that there is a pattern built into the projector to help one focus. Is that true? If so, can you post instructions on how to access this pattern? I can't find it.

What a great feeling! I turned my projector on this morning to find the image still perfectly on the screen. I don't think that ever happened before. Unbelievable.

I think I read in this thread that there is a pattern built into the projector to help one focus. Is that true? If so, can you post instructions on how to access this pattern? I can't find it.

not on the HS50 there isn't, the HS51 might tho.

not on the HS50 there isn't, the HS51 might tho.


Greetings,

There is no pattern on the HS51. Most just bring up the on screen Menu and use that for focus. That is how I do it as well.


Reap, glad to see things are much improved.


Regards,

OK. Thanks for the advice. Yeah, things are going well and I'm happy not only for myself but for others that may use this same solution to fix their problems as well. So far, I couldn't be happier with the fix. The only thing they did wrong was putting the packaging in wrong. But that seemed to have no effect, luckily.

Afternoon update. I powered it up and it needed about a 1/2 inch shift downward.

Afternoon update. I powered it up and it needed about a 1/2 inch shift downward.
Still drifting, eh? Bummer.

Yeah... a bit. A friend of mine has one and said that his drifted a bit when he first got it but then it kind of settled in after a while and he only needed to shift it about once per week. I guess based on the experience so far that the shift hasn't been completely addressed but greatly improved.

Yeah... a bit. A friend of mine has one and said that his drifted a bit when he first got it but then it kind of settled in after a while and he only needed to shift it about once per week. I guess based on the experience so far that the shift hasn't been completely addressed but greatly improved.
There've been so many members posting about drifting that I'm not so sure it's a "fixable" problem. Seems like a design problem. Anyway, it put me off enough to delay upgrading my HS20.

I don't blame ya. I'd probably do the same in your position. As this was my first projecter, I think I will be happy with the purchase after this fix. But I wouldn't go from a workable solution to this one necessarily.

My results from Sony Reapir Center after a few days of use:

1. Lens Shift - It's actually worse now. Not only does the image still shift, but adjustment is not as smooth as it was prior to repair. I doubt they did anything here and the shipping back and forth has caused a "looser" adjustment wheel.

2. They did not return my lens cap that I shipped with my pj. It was wrapped in plastic wrap, so I don't think the lens would have gotten scratched, but their packaging was less than ideal.

3. They replaced my lamp with a new one. It works like new (as it should).

4. They replaced my fan with a more powerful one. I can hear it slightly more but it's not at all a problem. I still here a ticking noise from time to time though which troubles me.

5. I can't recall how to check the firmware version, so I'm not sure what new firmware they would have put on it.

6. I purposely did not clean out (or replace) my air filter prior to sending it to them. I figured when they went in to do their repair, they would have at least cleaned it a bit. That did not happen.

I'm obviously happy to have my projector back, but I am disappointed about the condition in which it came back to me. I'm not sure they did anything other than replace a fan and the lamp. The looser lens adjustment and my missing lens cap have me questioning their quality control at the repair center. The projector was mailed back to me in the same box in which I shipped it (my original box), but was not packaged nearly as nicely as when I sent it. I think I will write a letter to Sony Corp and express my concerns.

I think I will write a letter to Sony Corp and express my concerns.
Let us know if you get any action from them as your results so far are unacceptable.

My results from Sony Reapir Center after a few days of use:

1. Lens Shift - It's actually worse now. Not only does the image still shift, but adjustment is not as smooth as it was prior to repair. I doubt they did anything here and the shipping back and forth has caused a "looser" adjustment wheel.

2. They did not return my lens cap that I shipped with my pj. It was wrapped in plastic wrap, so I don't think the lens would have gotten scratched, but their packaging was less than ideal.

3. They replaced my lamp with a new one. It works like new (as it should).

4. They replaced my fan with a more powerful one. I can hear it slightly more but it's not at all a problem. I still here a ticking noise from time to time though which troubles me.

5. I can't recall how to check the firmware version, so I'm not sure what new firmware they would have put on it.

6. I purposely did not clean out (or replace) my air filter prior to sending it to them. I figured when they went in to do their repair, they would have at least cleaned it a bit. That did not happen.

I'm obviously happy to have my projector back, but I am disappointed about the condition in which it came back to me. I'm not sure they did anything other than replace a fan and the lamp. The looser lens adjustment and my missing lens cap have me questioning their quality control at the repair center. The projector was mailed back to me in the same box in which I shipped it (my original box), but was not packaged nearly as nicely as when I sent it. I think I will write a letter to Sony Corp and express my concerns.



To enter the Service Menu, on the remote quickly click:

ENTER, ENTER, UP, DOWN, ENTER.
When prompted to enter SERVICE MODE click UP for Yes.

To return to User mode click the same sequence then when prompted to return to USER MODE click UP for Yes.

Hi everyone,
I am at about 1130 hours on my bulb, and last week I noticed that the picture is considerably darker. I am projecting on a 98" BOC screen. Does this sound like normal wear or does this mean the bulb is about to go. Whatever the reason, I really don't like watching it like this :(

Thanks,
Kevin

Hi everyone,
I am at about 1130 hours on my bulb, and last week I noticed that the picture is considerably darker. I am projecting on a 98" BOC screen. Does this sound like normal wear or does this mean the bulb is about to go. Whatever the reason, I really don't like watching it like this :(

Thanks,
Kevin


Ah yes, the evil "dimming of the bulb" -- yes, it's about to go. Consider yourself fortunate - my first blub only lasted 822 hours.

You might want to replace it before it explodes and leaves little glass shards all over the bulb compartment.

Sorry!

HS

Ah yes, the evil "dimming of the bulb" -- yes, it's about to go. Consider yourself fortunate - my first blub only lasted 822 hours.

You might want to replace it before it explodes and leaves little glass shards all over the bulb compartment.

Sorry!

HS

You were lucky ! Mine only lasted 622 hours !

hi all,

just wanting to give the filter a clean on my sony hs51. can someone tell me where it is exactly, before i get the ladder out up high!

thanks.

hi all,

just wanting to give the filter a clean on my sony hs51. can someone tell me where it is exactly, before i get the ladder out up high!

thanks.

If your projector is in the "table top - upright position", the filter is behind the plastic cover just above the rear connections.

Cool thanks.

Also, is there a summarised topic of "the best tweaks" for the sony hs51?

I know people make them "better" but 200 pages of thread....!!!!

Cool thanks.

Also, is there a summarised topic of "the best tweaks" for the sony hs51?

I know people make them "better" but 200 pages of thread....!!!!

Unfortunately, the standard practice on the AVS forums, is a continuing dialog which as you observed, contribute to LONG threads.

In order to find the the wonderful creamy center of the HS-51 calibration donut, you are going to have to read thru or atleast skim over the length of the thread.

Just thought I'd post one last report on my lens shift after living with it for a couple weeks. It definitely will still shift on its own. I do need to adjust it from time to time. However, it is so much improved that it doesn't bother me much anymore. I hosted a gaming/movie night last night. We had the system up loud for about 6 hours and I shifted it a tiny bit one time. I can live with it. I am much happier with my system now. However, people *should* take this into account when buying an HS51.

Just thought I'd post one last report on my lens shift after living with it for a couple weeks. It definitely will still shift on its own. I do need to adjust it from time to time. However, it is so much improved that it doesn't bother me much anymore. I hosted a gaming/movie night last night. We had the system up loud for about 6 hours and I shifted it a tiny bit one time. I can live with it. I am much happier with my system now. However, people *should* take this into account when buying an HS51.


As I reported some time back, I decided to try turning the thumb-wheels to the end of their travel (one way or the other) then centering the image. Before trying this the image would shift an inch or so left or right, and sometimes a bit up or down, every couple of days. Since going to the end of travel first, then centering, the image has not shifted -- even with high volume sub-booming programs.

That's just my experience, yours may vary.

HS-

Are these lens adjustments viscously damped, mechanically damped or something? Could a set screw or something be installed to lock them? I hear reaper in that he can "live with it," but this is a dealbreaker for anyone whose presently using a projector that never drifts.

I wish I read this yesterday, but my bulb got darker and darker over the last week, and then.... POP. I had a spare. 822 hours. I had it on low output. How dare they advertise 3000 hour life. Has anyone complained to Sony or tried for replacement under manufac warrantee???

I think the shift is mechanical but I do not know how to use a set screw. Perhaps studying the review that showed the machine being taken apart might yield an answer. I can't think of the website name... it was in a different language. Man, I have been out of the projector scene for a while. Ugh.

I think the shift is mechanical but I do not know how to use a set screw. Perhaps studying the review that showed the machine being taken apart might yield an answer. I can't think of the website name... it was in a different language. Man, I have been out of the projector scene for a while. Ugh.
I'm thinking you could turn it on end and pour a bunch of epoxy in it. That should fix it. :)

Reaper,

Perhaps this is the site you were thinking of. http://www.cine4home.de/tests/projektoren/SonyVPLHS50/HS50Test.htm

Reaper,

Perhaps this is the site you were thinking of. http://www.cine4home.de/tests/projektoren/SonyVPLHS50/HS50Test.htm
And the Google translation (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.cine4home.de/tests/projektoren/SonyVPLHS50/HS50Test.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.cine4home.de/tests/projektoren/SonyVPLHS50/HS50Test.htm%26hl%3Den%26hs%3Dyf1%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG).

Yes... that is it... and the google translation is as much "teh suck" as it always was. It stops about a page down or so. But the images may help someone brave enough to hack their $3500 (MSRP) projector.

Yes... that is it... and the google translation is as much "teh suck" as it always was. It stops about a page down or so. But the images may help someone brave enough to hack their $3500 (MSRP) projector.
Ha ha, I noticed that after I posted the link. I swear when it first appeared the translation was complete. Well, as "complete" as those things ever are.

I wish I read this yesterday, but my bulb got darker and darker over the last week, and then.... POP. I had a spare. 822 hours. I had it on low output. How dare they advertise 3000 hour life. Has anyone complained to Sony or tried for replacement under manufac warrantee???

I think there is a way to create a poll on the website (i.e. how many hours did your bulb last (<500, 500-750, 750-1000, ...). It would be interesting to get a broad summary of results and send them to Sony. Mine went at 322 hours with lamp in low mode. If it was just a cost issue, I wouldn't mind so much, but it is a major pain to dismount the projector, send it back to Sony for repair, reinstall and set up colors and alignment, etc.

Mine died (is dying) this past week. 498 hours. 3000 my ASS!!

:(

Ooh, looked through a couple pages back and noticed the 550 hour cutoff remark by masterpasser. Was going to call sony later today and bitch about the premature bulb failure... good to know these things beforehand :D

Don't want to rain on everyone's outrage, but I'm at 1200 hours on my HS20 and, other than the picture seeming a bit dim, it's fine. My dilemma is do I buy a new projector - the 51a seems to have gotten to $2k - or buy a new bulb and wait a while to buy a pj?

I'd replace the bulb or try a high gain screen. I have 900+ hrs using a SS and it's still very bright and punchy in low light mode.

I plan to keep my hs51 for 1 more year until my 2 year warranty is up then upgrade pj's. I want a significant improvement in pq so am hoping for 3 chipers or a Ruby 2 under 3-4k by next year.

I'd replace the bulb or try a high gain screen. I have 900+ hrs using a SS and it's still very bright and punchy in low light mode.

I plan to keep my hs51 for 1 more year until my 2 year warranty is up then upgrade pj's. I want a significant improvement in pq so am hoping for 3 chipers or a Ruby 2 under 3-4k by next year.
My screen is a Stewart Firehawk (1.35), but it's perfed (-11%) for the center channel speaker located behind, and it's 92" wide. I'm thinking that someone with a smaller, non-perfed screen would see a considerably brighter picture.

Update:

I haven't needed to shift my image for several days... approximately a week. My issue went from bad to improved to non existant. I love my 51 now Yaaaa!!

Greetings,

Reap, that good news. My Hs51 had minor issues with drifting although it was nothing to complain about. I am happy to reprot that the 51a has no such problems.


Regards,

Update:

I haven't needed to shift my image for several days... approximately a week. My issue went from bad to improved to non existant. I love my 51 now Yaaaa!!
If it happens again, could you put some clear scotch tape on the adjustment wheels to stop it from slipping on it's own? Is it slipping independently of the adjustment wheels?

If it happens again, could you put some clear scotch tape on the adjustment wheels to stop it from slipping on it's own? Is it slipping independently of the adjustment wheels?


Nah... tried that, doesn't help.

The ONLY thing that fixed my lens-shift problem was to turn the thumbwheels to the end of their travel, then center the image (without going too far). That solved it for me.

HS

After about 3,000 flawless hours of operation my VPL-51 (not 51A) is in need of repair. Probably a panel problem there is blue tinting at the the top middle and also blue/purple down the middle and and noticeble blue streak along the right edge.

I am on my 4th bulb since I change the bulb about every 700 hours because of brightness. I swapped out the bulb thinking the blue might be caused by a bulb failure but the problem is the same.

I purchased the projector December of 2004 so I am within the 2 year warranty period.

Is there a prefferred Sony telephone number to call for video projectors to arrange for a RMA number.

Thanks,
Gary

VPL-HS51
DVDO IscanHD+
OPPO SDI modified DVD Player
HD-250 Tivo

Most likely a bad blue polarizer.

Or blue panel misconvergence.

I've had my hs-51 for nearly 1.5 years (has it been that long?), and I've been thinking about sending it in to get serviced as well.

You guys who are sending it in, was it still under warranty, or did you just pay a service charge for all the work done? And I know the current numbers the buried in this thread somewhere, but post plz :)

Note: I have over 2000 hrs on the first bulb(eco mode), and I have changed the filter 2x now, I regularly have it on for 4-6 hrs per session whether I'm there to use it or not. I do remember around the 800hr it suddenly dimmed, I was thinking oh crap, but it turns out after I recalibrated, it seemed ok again.

Have any members married a Toshiba HD-A1 with their Sony ?
I would appreciate any comments.
Thank you.