Originally posted by Amp Janitor
I'm running a Pioneer HD cable box into a component video splitter box so both sets can be on at the same time.
The Mitsubishi converts all inputs to analog for processing and then converts back to digital to display the image.

The Samsung has a digital path from it's HDMI and DVI inputs. If you want to see Samsung at it's best I believe you should use those inputs.

Using an analog conversion in a DLP set does not enhance the image. Component, composite and S-Video inputs are analog by default.

I don't believe there is a focus adjustment on the Samsung and probably not on the Mitsubishi either.

Originally posted by Amp Janitor
Can anybody tell me if the 5674 focus can be adjusted? Right now I have a 5674 and a Mits 52725 side by side in my AV room. I'm trying to make a decision as to which one I want to keep and the only problem with the Samsung is the focus is soft compared to the Mitsu, which is sharp. I might have noticed this at the store but I wasn't sure. Is this possibly normal because of the screen differences?
I have the 52725 a few weeks but the big problem, for me, is the amount of noise the fan makes and the painfully slow tuner. Right now the Sammy is much quieter.
I only have about 20 hours on the 5674 and the red push(?) has calmed down some and with some playing around I've got both sets looking nearly alike, because I do like the Mits picture. The focus may have gotten a little better also. I can just about count the hairs on Jay Leno's head with the Mits but not quite with the Sammy.
I'm running a Pioneer HD cable box into a component video splitter box so both sets can be on at the same time. I have as yet to try a DVD.
The only color that needs a little more pop on the Sammy is the yellow but I don't know how to go about that.
A little help on the focus and the Mits. will be making its way back to the store. Any info or comments would be appreciated.

Could it be the differences in the screen? The Mits is more CRT like with a shiny screen while the Sammy has the frosted (if you will) screen (softer) to cut down on ambient light messing things up. I know that with my Sammy I don't see hardly any glair like I did with my 35" CRT that was in that same space in the living room during the day. At first I thought the Sammy had a "soft' (read not sharp or as crips) look to it, I didn't like it as much at first, then realiezed (for me at least) that since the screen is dull per se, that the picture will look soft, verse the crisper look that you get on a CRT or that I saw on the Mitz that I was looking at too. however life is not shiny and if I had to pick which one was more life like, I would say the softer look of the Sammy.

Like a gloosy or matte finish on a photo, sure the glossy looks more impressive, but is it accurate? The matte is more life like.

The Mits is 4" smaller, correct? That may be some of it too? How about the sharpness and digital effects, are they all off?

Just food for thought, I am new to all this for the most part, so please take my views with a grain of salt. Matt

Originally posted by htwaits


The Samsung has a digital path from it's HDMI and DVI inputs. If you want to see Samsung at it's best I believe you should use those inputs.



Last night I hooked up my Time Warner Scientific Atlantic Explorer 3250HD to my HLP5674W with a DVI cable. The picture appeared to be the same as the component input. I was shocked. Then I had my wife look at it too and then we both seemed to like the component over the DVI. The DVI looked a tad bit noisier and the blues were not as good (or so it seemed). we were watching DIscovery HD

Is there a setting I need to change on the box and or Sammy? We went back to the component for now, and the $49 DVI cable is collecting dust right now.

I thought with component, it was going from a digital source, then converted to analog via the box, then into the sammy as analog and then converted back to digital for the DPL to use it. DVI is supose to be digital to digital and cut out the middle man, right?

Corn-Fused... Please advise, thanks

Originally posted by Burkhardi
I thought with component, it was going from a digital source, then converted to analog via the box, then into the sammy as analog and then converted back to digital for the DPL to use it. DVI is supose to be digital to digital and cut out the middle man, right?
That's right.

I don't know anything about your Atlantic Explorer 3250HD STB but for the DVI connection to work at it's best the source has to be 720p.

Do you know what your STB is set to output? If you are using component out I doubt the box is set to 720p unless you changed it.

Originally posted by htwaits
That's right.

I don't know anything about your Atlantic Explorer 3250HD STB but for the DVI connection to work at it's best the source has to be 720p.

Do you know what your STB is set to output? If you are using component out I doubt the box is set to 720p unless you changed it.

I looked at the STB setup sceen and nothing jumped out at me as far as a setting, that was the first thing I looked for. It's can't do both DVI and Component at the same time, I forgot which one, but one overrides the other, so I have to do them one at a time. I assumed that when the DVI was in by itself that the STB would auto-sence and change to 720p, but you know how assumptions go ;)

if all else fails, when I get home, then I'll RTFM. It was late and we hit the hay, so I didn't check the manual, now I am doing what drives me crazy, posting a post before reading the manual.

Forgive me, it's my first week ;)

Thanksd for the help, Matt

Originally posted by Burkhardi
I looked at the STB setup sceen and nothing jumped out at me as far as a setting, that was the first thing I looked for. It's can't do both DVI and Component at the same time, I forgot which one, but one overrides the other, so I have to do them one at a time. I assumed that when the DVI was in by itself that the STB would auto-sence and change to 720p, but you know how assumptions go ;)

if all else fails, when I get home, then I'll RTFM. It was late and we hit the hay, so I didn't check the manual, now I am doing what drives me crazy, posting a post before reading the manual.

Forgive me, it's my first week ;)

Thanksd for the help, Matt

It could be the nature of that box. I think I read that it is not a very good HD box by comparison. I have the Pace 550 from TWC and the DVI is sharper on my my 4674 than component. You may want to read around the forums about different cable boxes. Look in the HDTV hardware section. If you find anything that supports what I said, maybe you can call TWC and ask them for a different namebrand. Here in Cincinnati, we have I think 3 boxes that do HD, but the Pace 550 is the most current and seemed to get the best regards. I think we also have a Pioneer box and a SA box. I do remember in my search that I was told to get the Pioneer of the Pace if possible.

Hope this helps.

Originally posted by Burkhardi
I assumed that when the DVI was in by itself that the STB would auto-sence and change to 720p, but you know how assumptions go Matt, go to the menu and select "Picture." Scroll down the "Size." Select it, and if you have the "Expand" option, then your STB is outputting 720p. If you don't get the "Expand" option, then it's not and you have to set the STB to output it. Keep it on "Expand" once your able to get it.

Just press the INFO button on your remote -- the Samsung will display what mode it is in.

There is a whole forum on the different HD set top boxes over here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=25

If you search on your box type you will probably find lots of info on setting it up (and if it has problems with dvi etc)

Thank you so much. I found expand. I wonder why I can't access that through the menu?

Another question sir.

When I watch Van Helsing in the DVI Mode, (TV set to expand, DVI input )It seems way too dark. If I use component the picture seems brighter. In the DVI mode dark scenes are literally impossible to see. Any ideas?




quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Timbo 2000
info button says

signal-stereo
picture-cinema
sound-movie
srs tsxt-off
1280x720@60hrz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That's what it should be.

When you press the "P. Size" button on the remote you should cycle through "Wide (TV)", "Wide(PC)", "Expand", and "4x3" modes.

What modes do you see if you keep pressing the "P. Size" button?


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Originally posted by Timbo 2000
Thank you so much. I found expand. I wonder why I can't access that through the menu?

Another question sir.

When I watch Van Helsing in the DVI Mode, (TV set to expand, DVI input )It seems way too dark. If I use component the picture seems brighter. In the DVI mode dark scenes are literally impossible to see. Any ideas?


Sounds like you need to increase the brightness. I would recommend using a calibration DVD or the THX Optimode section found on many DVD's to set your brightness, contrast, color, and tint.

I just bought DVE so I will be trying that soon. I also called samsung and the guy said It's the dvd player (samsung DVD-HD841). I however trust you (and the other good people here) far more than him. My tweeter salesman is going to check the player (he seems like a bright guy). I will try to calibrate after that. I just can,t believe how samsung would make both products and have to make major adjustments out of the box. Go figure.



Originally posted by Cheezmo
Sounds like you need to increase the brightness. I would recommend using a calibration DVD or the THX Optimode section found on many DVD's to set your brightness, contrast, color, and tint.

Originally posted by Timbo 2000
I just bought DVE so I will be trying that soon. I also called samsung and the guy said It's the dvd player (samsung DVD-HD841). I however trust you (and the other good people here) far more than him. My tweeter salesman is going to check the player (he seems like a bright guy). I will try to calibrate after that. I just can,t believe how samsung would make both products and have to make major adjustments out of the box. Go figure.

The Sammy 841 is notorious for "Black Crush". It is inherent in the player. I have not tried one personally but have read quite a bit about them. If you head over to the DVD player forum you should be able to find some discussion about it. Mostly, I have read to just stay away from it.

Sorry to burst your bubble. But if you have an opportunity to return it you may want to try a different one. There is quite a bit of discussion on all the different scaling players on the market.

Originally posted by mchuckp
The Sammy 841 is notorious for "Black Crush". It is inherent in the player. I have not tried one personally but have read quite a bit about them. If you head over to the DVD player forum you should be able to find some discussion about it. Mostly, I have read to just stay away from it.

Sorry to burst your bubble. But if you have an opportunity to return it you may want to try a different one. There is quite a bit of discussion on all the different scaling players on the market.

Thank you so much
As I said, I trust the good people of this fourm any day over a paid represenative of say Samsung! ;)

I can still return it!

I've seen the 841 open box at BB for less than 100 bucks before. I think it is because so many people return them. I was tempted when I first seen them until I came home and read AVS. Thank god for AVS!!!

I personally have the Sammy 941. Good player but it has its issues as well. Look for a thread called "My Sammy 941 Review". If you are willing to spend $250 and up, there are some decent players. If you want to spend less than that, you are better off staying away from the scaling players and just get a good progressive scan player. But using the DVI or HDMI is a bonus on these types of players! You will notice that every scaling player on the market has its faults. Spend a few hours reading through the forums.

Models you are likely to read about are:
Sammy 941
Panasonic S97
Denon 1910 and 2910
Sony (don't remember the model #).

These are all sub $300 players except the Denon 2910.

Hope this helps. PM me if you have any particular questions since this is off topic here.

Good luck!

I took delivery of my Samsung HL-P5674W on Nov. 29 and I thought I'd offer the insights I've gained since then. For those of you trolling the forums seeking the "best" HDTV (as I once did) here is more grist for your mill:

Picture Quality

HD: Excellent. The various HD broadcasts (which I receive via Comcast cable using DVI output) are really stunning. Before Christmas, WB showed the "Wizard of Oz" in HD and I was amazed at the detail and gorgeous Technicolor. I've never seen the film in a theater and this was a great experience. I kept looking for flaws in the image (TV related) and here's what I found: when Dorothy and friends arrive at the Emerald City and the gatekeeper opens the hatch, there's a little drip of green paint on the wall. Talk about detail. In my opinion, it's just about impossible to tell subtle differences in HDTV images unless the TVs are all together and properly adjusted, but I am very pleased with the 5674's high-def PQ.

DVD: Very good. My progressive scan Panasonic DVD player produces images (with a component connection) that look a lot better than they ought to given the lower (480p) resolution and up scaling. I think they come close to HD in quality.

Digital SD: Good. Not quite up to DVD, but not bad.

Analog SD: Poor to fair, depending on the station, but I don't think this is the TV's fault. When you blow up analog to a 56 inch screen, you just aren't going to see a good image. Those of you planning to buy a Samsung or another large HDTV, this is the price you're going to pay until everything goes digital and HD.

Other Image Issues

4:3 Images: When I watch 4:3 images, no matter what the source, the left and right sides of the picture curve inward. You see the same sort of geometry problems on computer monitors, but they have controls that allow you to adjust the picture shape. This problem is irritating and if anyone knows if it can be adjusted (service menu?), please speak up.

Component vs. DVI: I hooked up the HD cable box using both the component and DVI outputs, and really couldn't tell the difference. And, the component cables travel 40 feet (12 meters) as opposed to the DVI's 3 feet (1 meter)!

Distance from screen: I sit (or, rather, lay, potato-like) about 12 feet (3.5 meters) from the screen and I'm very happy the screen size at this distance; not too big or small.

Picture size controls: The 5674 comes with the usual stretch and zoom modes, but my gripe is that these modes are not available with component or DVI sources. There may be technical reasons, but this seems really dumb. If a channel like TCM is showing a movie in letterbox format, I have to switch to the (inferior) S-Video source to zoom it to fill the screen. Since it isn't as good a source, the zoomed image is then all the worse for it.

PC Display

One of the things that attracted me to the Samsung is the VGA connector that some of the other brands don't have. I intend to build a PC specifically to use with the TV, but I decided to connect my current system to verify that it works reasonably well before investing in a new computer. My NVIDIA GeForce4 MX Integrated GPU is not exactly the latest in PC graphics, but it does handle HD resolutions. Using PowerStrip I got it working with the 5674 in an acceptable manner: the image does not entirely fill the screen, but comes close (one-inch black bars remain on either side) and with further tweaking it may get better. Standard text in Word is easily readable from where I normally sit, with only minor fuzziness in some characters. I don't have DVI output on my current computer and that may provide a better image than the VGA connection.

If anyone is interested in the details of setting up a PC on the HL-P5674W, post a message and I'll provide a description.

Audio

Adequate audio for regular TV viewing, but if you have a home theater sound system, you'll want to use it for DVDs and HD movies, at a minimum. What's missing is the ability to use the TV speakers for the center channel. This is a nice feature for many people that have trouble finding a place for that center speaker.

User's Manual

Good and bad. Thumbs up for having a whole section on PC hook-up and display, including horizontal and vertical frequency, pixel clock, and sync polarity info for each supported resolution (which includes 1280x720). Thumbs down for having five color temperature settings and not telling what temperatures any of them represent. I've selected "Warm 1" hoping it's 6500K, but that's just a guess. If anyone knows the color temperatures for each setting, please post them.

It's my impression that Samsung is making an effort to move into the upper tier of audio/video manufacturers, especially in HD and DVD. I would think that they have enough of a U.S. organization to get their manuals proofread and avoid statements like: "New image compensation Algorithm presents brighter, clearer, much detailed image. DNIe technology will fit every signals into your eyes." (page 53)

Remote Control

The TV comes with a universal remote, which works fine, but you won't want to use it as your universal controller. There's no backlighting, and many of the non-TV controls are very small buttons hidden under a sliding panel. Also, the remote codes are incomplete: for example, there are no codes for Scientific Atlanta cable boxes, which is what Comcast uses and I have.

Fan Noise

I never heard any fan noise prior to thinking about it for this posting. But, in order to be complete, I made sure the house was quiet and then muted the sound. Yes, there is fan noise. At 12 feet from the TV I can hear it, though it is very minor. Once I turned the sound back on and started watching, it went away, at least in terms of my perceiving it.

Conclusion

Would I recommend the HL-P5674W? Yes, I would. It's not perfect, but I think it does the important things well. Samsung, if you're listening, here's a to-do list (in order of importance) if you want to produce a really stellar product:

Either fix the curving sides of 4:3 images at the factory, or give us the controls to do so.
Provide all picture size modes for all sources.
A better manual with more information.
Fan noise should not be heard by someone standing in front of the TV.
Offer a center speaker option

D_Duck,

Thanks for your report. Very interesting. I also have a 5674 and a SA cable box. Do you use 2 remotes or did you find one that can control both?

Originally posted by D_Duck
4:3 Images: When I watch 4:3 images, no matter what the source, the left and right sides of the picture curve inward. You see the same sort of geometry problems on computer monitors, but they have controls that allow you to adjust the picture shape. This problem is irritating and if anyone knows if it can be adjusted (service menu?), please speak up.

There is no adjustment for that, unfortunately. I measured mine and had a short discussion with Cheezmo about it. Lens geometry. No choice but to get used to it...this is my single greatest challenge to overcome personally. I think I am getting used to it as I don't seem to think about it as much as I did when I first got the set. The same distortion is in your 16:9 HD image as well, but it is less noticeable since there is not a vertical black bar to point it out. Run a test pattern off DVE or the ones they run on HD cable and you will see it...

Originally posted by Timbo 2000
Thank you so much
As I said, I trust the good people of this fourm any day over a paid represenative of say Samsung! ;)

I can still return it!
But didn't the "paid representative of Samsung" tell you it was the DVD player. :)

Right now there are various problems with the upscaling DVD players in the $200-$300 range. Panasonic, Sony, Bravo2, or Samsung all have them. You need to figure out which "problem" bother's you the least. I would start with Panasonic and Sony.

Here is a good thread. The first message has all the details you could ever want. Then you can skip to the more recent messages to find out what is going on.

Panasonic DVD-S97S FAQ / Brain dump (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=463025&perpage=20&pagenumber=1)

Originally posted by temtexdent
There is no adjustment for that, unfortunately. I measured mine and had a short discussion with Cheezmo about it. Lens geometry. No choice but to get used to it...this is my single greatest challenge to overcome personally. I think I am getting used to it as I don't seem to think about it as much as I did when I first got the set. The same distortion is in your 16:9 HD image as well, but it is less noticeable since there is not a vertical black bar to point it out. Run a test pattern off DVE or the ones they run on HD cable and you will see it...

Seems like most the complaining I hear about the curved edge is on the 5674. I have the 4674 and noticed it the day I got it, but really haven't noticed it since. I'm assuming it must be more pronounced on the 5674. I will have to check it out sometime if I get to see one in the store or know someone who has one.

For anyone contemplating buying the 4674 and are hesitant because of this, I wouldn't worry about it.

Any other 4674 owners out there agree? I'm just glad I can actually watch 4:3 material without the concern of screen burn!

Originally posted by D_Duck

Either fix the curving sides of 4:3 images at the factory, or give us the controls to do so.

What you are seeing is a artifact of any "short throw" RPTV set. I've seen it on all the micro chip displays that I've checked from the $7K Loewe to the cheapest available.

A CRT computer monitor is not a RP device so the same kind of controls are not possible. Evidently the cost of a lens system that would give you perfect straight lines would be prohibitive.

Originally posted by htwaits
But didn't the "paid representative of Samsung" tell you it was the DVD player. :)

Right now there are various problems with the upscaling DVD players in the $200-$300 range. Panasonic, Sony, Bravo2, or Samsung all have them. You need to figure out which "problem" bother's you the least. I would start with Panasonic and Sony.

Here is a good thread. The first message has all the details you could ever want. Then you can skip to the more recent messages to find out what is going on.

Panasonic DVD-S97S FAQ / Brain dump (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=463025&perpage=20&pagenumber=1)

Hmmm? You don't work for samsung do you;) ? But seriously, sure when I called and spent 45min on the phone twice I finally got a level 2 tech. who said without even thinking about it, that it was the DVD player. After reading a little in the DVD fum it is obvious that the player sucks and samsung knows this . My problem is why don't they just recall the player? Sure it will cost them. But what they are doing is selling a DVD player boasting about the DVI that will never work good and hoping that there is enough suckers out there to keep it anyway. I don't like people like that.

Timbo, have you checked out the Oppo? (http://www.extremephono.com/Oppo_DV971.htm) It works great with my 5674. $200. There's a few threads about it.

Hi-

Just ordered my 4674 from TVA. I am trying to work out my cabling prior to arrival. Does anyone know if the VGA input will accecpt component signals as well? In other words, does it have a "sync on green" ability? The reason I ask is that I will have 3 component inputs: cable box, DVD player and XBOX. I was planning on purchasing the Ironman SVGA - 3 RCA Component Video Cable (it is a component to VGA adapter) but I am not sure if this will work.
Thanks in advance

if at all possible use a DVI or HDMI from your cable box and likewise your DVD player

I have a 4674 and as for the discussing on the curving sides in the 4:3 mode. Well thanks guys!!!! I really hadnt noticed it or just took it for granted. Now that i've read it here.... it's bugging me!!!! *grin*

All kidding aside... have you noticed how loose the actual sceen feels. I you lightly touch it in the middlle it exagertaes the curve. Maybe if it was a little stiffer it wouldnt be noticed as much.

Craig

mimatched-

I wish! But I have TWC in NYC and we only get the SA 8000HD without HDMI enabled. I may be in the market for a new DVD player, but after convincing the wife on the 4674 I need to go slow :)

rothsss: I use my cable box controller to handle the cable box and the basic TV functions like volume & mute. I have to resort to the Samsumg controller to do much beyond that.

temtexdent & htwaits: Thanks for the info, though I wish it was more positive.

calcraig: Sorry. Ignorance can be bliss.

To answer my own question above: I called Sammy tech support and the rep stated that the 4674 should accept any High Def signal through the VGA port (ie it will do the sync on green). I will try it when it arrives and confirm!

I was fooling around with my 5674 and a laptop yesterday. The 5674 makes a beautiful monitor! Anyway, the laptop doesn't do 1280x720 like my desktop can. In 1024x768 mode, it looked pretty nice but the picture did not fill the screen and obviously, it was stretched since 1280x720 is higher aspect ration than 1024x768. There was about 1 inch or so all around the picture. Does anyone know if the screen gets completely filled if you feed it its native resolution of 1280x720?

Thanks,
Randy

Have been able to fill the entire screen with my Mac Powerbook using either 1280 x 854 or 1152 x 768. Don't have the powerbook with me so I am not sure but yes the 5674 makes a "adequate" monitor!!

I was fooling around with my 5674 and a laptop yesterday. The 5674 makes a beautiful monitor! Anyway, the laptop doesn't do 1280x720 like my desktop can. In 1024x768 mode, it looked pretty nice but the picture did not fill the screen and obviously, it was stretched since 1280x720 is higher aspect ration than 1024x768. There was about 1 inch or so all around the picture. Does anyone know if the screen gets completely filled if you feed it its native resolution of 1280x720?

Thanks,
Randy

I was ready to jump on the 5674 till I read about the 4:3 picture mode curving. Well, guess I will have to wait longer for a set with perfect geometry.

If you want perfect geometry, Plasma and LCD flat panel displays would be your best option in the near future. CRT based RPTV with the help of a geometry grid and lots of experience can be made pretty decent too as any optical issues can be calibrated out.

The other issue with fixed pixel rear projection sets is convergence. No, they dont' have convergence adjustments, but look at the edges of the screen and you'll see there is misconvergence (usually described as chromatic abberation). It is caused by the optics and has probably always been there in rear projectors but calibrated away in CRT based displays where you could move the 3 colors independently.

Cheezmo,

I currently have a CRT RP (65HX81) that has been pro claibrated, but it is still hard to get the geometry 100%, I have even used a grid template. I am probably about 97% there, but I can still tell and I guess it bugs me. I can probably get rid of my geometry errors by increasing the overscan, but then I would have to probably go over 5% and I don't want to do that. Plasma is not an option because of burn-in and LCD just does not look as good to me as DLP. I have seen the chromatic abberation, but is not as bad as the JVC DILA so I can live with that. Thanks for all your info though.

Thanks to all on all of your help and information.

Although I thought about waiting for the 68 and 78s later this year, I wasn't sure they would fit the opening I have and was happy to go with the HD2+.

The first show I watched was an IMAX show on INHD2 (about Beavers - the animals :) ) - the picture is phenomenal (I have a Mits HD tv also so it's not just the difference from SD). The picture looked like a photograph.

A few thoughts:

Reading this board got me concerned about rainbows, smudges, broken pixels, off-color schemes etc.

So far, after 24 hours I've had no problems and the picture is great.

I also go a Sony HDMI DVD player - but I just bought the HDMI cable today so I haven't seen a pure digital DVD signal yet. But the S-video signal looks sharp.

The ultra thin bezel looks great.

I haven't figured out the remote yet - I have a HomeTheatre 500 which works all of the functions but am still looking for the codes so that I can go directly to various input sources, "Component 1" for example, instead of having to repeated hit the "source" button.

A nice surprise was how good the horizontal viewing angle is - I looked in the store but had mixed results because of lighting, and the vertical viewing angle as set up in the store. However, we are having a Super Bowl party and if people stand at +-60 degrees, they will be able to see the TV easy. My wife was able to read the names on the credits of a movie from 15 feet away and about 75 degrees off-center - very impressive.

Another nice surprise is the sound quality. My next purchase will be an amplifier and speakers but the sound quality out the TV is strong and crisp.

More later.

Originally posted by lollygagger44
Reading this board got me concerned about rainbows, smudges, broken pixels, off-color schemes etc. When only the people with problems post, it's seems like there are lots of them. You don't hear from the thousands of problem free satisfied owners.

To lollygagger44

This is one great display for bright and dark rooms. And yes if you move your eyes quickly away bright objects will rainbow. all your other concerns I have not seen.

get it , enjoy it!

mismatched

RCBrust --

I was able to come close to filling the entire screen. You'll need a graphics card that can do 1280x720 and probably PowerStrip to get the settings correct. PowerStrip has 3 predefined 1280x720 resolutions. I'm working from memory, but the middle one (I think) that says DVI has the correct values according to the 5674 manual. (Don't worry about the DVI part, it works for VGA.)

Important: Once you get the image displayed, select the TV's PC Wide mode. When you select it you'll see the little "PC Wide" popup appear, and to the right are adjustments for size and position. You select them (quickly) with your arrow keys and that allows you to expand the image size. PowerStrip lets you do some fine tuning, but if you adjust too much the whole image goes nuts. Be sure to have Ctrl-Alt-S set up on PowerStrip to take you back to 640x480 safe mode.

Hope this helps.

Duck

I also took the plunge and ordered a 4674 today from TVA.

I must admit that this board caused 6+ months of analysis paralysis; but, I'm confident that my final decision was based on sound reasoning and complete information. I want to thank everyone for helping me via their participation in this forum. I look forward to sharing my experience so that I return the favor and assist someone else during their purchase process.

Thanks again,

Tim

Hope this isn't off topic too much but has anyone hooked-up their camcorder or digital camera the 74's yet? My questions are:

-How's it look thru a standard (RCA) connection?
-Are there any "optimized" connectors/-tions from some these new cameras that will really take advantage of this stunning HD2+ screen?
-I'm dreaming of getting one of these new megapixel camcorder combo units - am I dreaming that PQ playback will be anywhere close to HD?
-...if you're gonna dream dream big, right! :)
Thanks!

Ok I know this is a bit of a silly question so ignore if you like BUT I am anxious for the new 4674 I ordered from TVA on Thurs (Jan 31)

For those of you who ordered from TVA, how long did it take to get the tracking info? Also, if anyone in the NYC area ordered through them how long did the tv take to arrive?

Thanks!

Originally posted by frankle1
For those of you who ordered from TVA, how long did it take to get the tracking info?
Have you called TVA for an explanation?

...also, has anyone got an "AnyNet" ready Sammy A/V receiver? Given the VERY tiresome "source-source-source-source-source-source" just to go from HDMI to DVI.....UNLESS you have anynet, it's 2 keystrokes, not NINE! Maybe Sammy's A/V Rcvrs are not the best, but it is for a family room setup where I can't shake the house down anyway...

htwaits: yes they said they are "waiting on the tracking information"

It is no big deal - I am just impatient in general!

Originally posted by frankle1
htwaits: yes they said they are "waiting on the tracking information"

It is no big deal - I am just impatient in general!
That depends on whether your TV has shipped or when it was supposed to ship.

Originally posted by frankle1
Ok I know this is a bit of a silly question so ignore if you like BUT I am anxious for the new 4674 I ordered from TVA on Thurs (Jan 31)

For those of you who ordered from TVA, how long did it take to get the tracking info? Also, if anyone in the NYC area ordered through them how long did the tv take to arrive?

Thanks!

I ordered a 5674 on 12/30/2004 and it arrived on 01/13/2005. The TV made a stop in NY. The final destination was CT. The tracking information was close to useless. I called when I got impatient. The TV was already in NY when the tracking information suggested that it had not shipped yet.

Thanks! Good information...

Originally posted by chrisdow
...also, has anyone got an "AnyNet" ready Sammy A/V receiver? Given the VERY tiresome "source-source-source-source-source-source" just to go from HDMI to DVI.....UNLESS you have anynet, it's 2 keystrokes, not NINE! Maybe Sammy's A/V Rcvrs are not the best, but it is for a family room setup where I can't shake the house down anyway...

Try a programmable universal remote. A Harmony or Pronto should suit your needs. There are discreet commands for the inputs available on the internet. There have been some problems with the older units and digital inputs, but the 4674 that was delivered to me on 12-31 works fine with all discreets.

Originally posted by teekster
Try a programmable universal remote. A Harmony or Pronto should suit your needs. There are discreet commands for the inputs available on the internet. There have been some problems with the older units and digital inputs, but the 4674 that was delivered to me on 12-31 works fine with all discreets.

So are you saying there is a discrete code if I have one of these remotes that will automatically take it to a different input? Sounds like it, but I was double checking. This would be very nice!

If yes, where do you find such codes? I know nothing about these types of remotes.

Thanks.

...so does that mean there's not a Sammy A/V recr that is Anynet & stand alone out there?
-Have folks tried to re-program the Sammy's TV remote for simple commands like volume of recvr? (-not to mention my HDTivo)
-I've found the Universal remotes to do ALMOST everything but you still need the original for that one command...plus, I can't/don't want to memorize those 20 commands that are put under a generic or other buttons...one mfr allows for everything with the same name at least...

Originally posted by chrisdow
...so does that mean there's not a Sammy A/V recr that is Anynet & stand alone out there?
-Have folks tried to re-program the Sammy's TV remote for simple commands like volume of recvr? (-not to mention my HDTivo)
-I've found the Universal remotes to do ALMOST everything but you still need the original for that one command...plus, I can't/don't want to memorize those 20 commands that are put under a generic or other buttons...one mfr allows for everything with the same name at least...

I talked to a guy I worked with who has a high end universal remote. According to him, you can do about anything imaginable with them and totally program them to be easy to use and understand. Sounds like the LCD type are really cool so you don't have to have a million buttons. His was very expensive, like $300 or something. I haven't researched much yet to see what the price range on these remotes are but I plan to. If anyone knows any threads off hand to check out let us know.

I, like many, use about 3-4 remotes and 2-3 of them are only needed for 1, maybe 2, buttons. I'd love to be able to hook everything up.

Chris, I don't remember where, but I read that Samsung is releasing some sort of receiver soon that is Anynet. I know nothing about it and how good it will be. Just something I stumpled upon a few weeks ago and can't remember where I read it.

Originally posted by mchuckp
So are you saying there is a discrete code if I have one of these remotes that will automatically take it to a different input? Sounds like it, but I was double checking. This would be very nice!

If yes, where do you find such codes? I know nothing about these types of remotes.

Thanks.

I am using a Harmony 680 remote with the following:

Sammmy 5674
Denon 3805
Denon 2910
Motorola 6412

the remote works great, is easy to set up and the support is simply the BEST.

mismatched

PS And "No" I do not work for Harmony or in any area related...

www.remotecentral.com (http://www.remotecentral.com)

Try this site. I currently have 4 of the Pronto remotes throughout my house. My favorite is the TSU 7000 in my basement (color touchscreen), but it was fairly expensive.

You may not like the lack of many hard buttons and would prefer the Harmony remotes. There is a new one that was announced at CES that has a color screen and has an MSRP of $249.

Originally posted by teekster
www.remotecentral.com (http://www.remotecentral.com)

... I currently have 4 of the Pronto remotes throughout my house. ...

Wow

You need a remote for your remotes!! :)

I'll have to check out the expand mode when I get home. I did set my STB (SA3250HD) to pass-through and even though it's not a big difference, it looks better on SD and also some other stuff. I assume the scaler is better on a $4K tv then a "free" STB...LOL

So that is a nice improvment. I used a link from a prevouis reply to this thread to read up in the 3250HD and I went to the setup wizard and used it and then enabled pass-though (I had it on "Fixed" before).

Thanks for the help y'all!

Originally posted by mismatched
I am using a Harmony 680 remote with the following:
That is good news for me. I also use a Harmony (688) with my HLM. I will be getting my 5674 next week, and was hoping that the discrete codes were already in Harmony's database.

Did you have any setup problems, or were the codes already online for the 5674?

had turn on problem and switching inputs in one step. Harmony solved both and most likely any given tech will have seen and solved these issues previously. They tech support is superb!

Anyone with the Avia calibration DVD... PLEASE will you look for ringing/edge enhancement (highlighting) around the lines and text on the patterns with a gray background. Some examples are; the Static Zone Plate, the Overscan, and the Widescreen Enhanced Resolution patterns.

I have a fully calibrated HLN437, and I see this artifact at 480i and worse at 720p. I set gamma to 0, sharpness to 0, NR to OFF, DNIe to OFF, Film Mode to ON, but nothing helps. Bob Pariseau reckons its not on the DVD, so it could be the TV. I'm curious if the HLPxx74 does this too.

Hi Deaf, GoSpurs99, I'm especially interested if the Oppo player produces this artifact on the 74 series.

Gary

I've been a proud owner of a 5674W and tonight when I turned it on, white vertical bars appeared - about an inch and a half apart, across the entire screen, always - each and every input. Have had the set about a month, so it is under warantee, and have searched for anyone else with this problem, but am stumped. Don't really want to be without, but seeing teh world through bars seems like I did something wrong! Anyone else experience this sort of problem or have some input? TIA

Better call Samsung.

That's my worry! Thanks, tho.

One comment for those trying for best PQ from a PC through VGA: I have been experimenting on my 5674 and, after playing a bit with Powerstrip, I could eventually get a very nice 1:1 pixel mapping with no overscan and hardly any noise.

- the first step, as Duck mentions, is to use Powerstrip to get a 1280x720 res at the scan rates that the set wants. The problem using PC wide and the adjustments is that you most likely won't get 1:1 pixel mapping, making the fonts look fuzzy. Instead, as Cheezmo advised, I recommend you use the Expand mode, which should appear as an option if correct 1280x720@60Hz timings are fed. At this point you should see 1:1 pixel mapping, beautifully sharp fonts and desktop, but some overscan (close to 3% in my case, making almost all the taskbar disappear). Note: I picked the default powerstrip setting for DTV 720p, it is called 1280x720, TrueColor (32 bit) from DTV.

- Second step: to completely get rid of the overscan while keeping the 1:1 mapping, you then need to run a "resolution in a resolution" in powerstrip. It's essentially equivalent to redefining the smaller pixel group your TV actually shows as the active group to use for display, but keeping the timings exactly as the ones in step one so the 1:1 pixel mapping remains. There is actually a very nice and easy way to do it in powerstrip, which allows you to point and click to define a box in which you want the windows desktop to fit. This way you don't have to calculate or guess various timing parameters (FP, BP, etc. anymore). To do it: When in the "Advanced timing options" screen for the timing described in step 1, select "Custom Resolutions". Then click on the icon with the ruler and the arrow at the bottom right of the screen, and reshape the box to the full screen area of the TV. Click OK. I ended up with 1240x697 active pixels. Then click "Add new resolution". You will probably have to restart windows to have the adapter accept that new resolution.

By selecting the newly created resolution, I end up with 1:1 mapping and zero overscan over VGA, which is nice. Actually, I purposedly kept one pixel line overcan all around to make sure all the screen is lit, as there is a very slight curvature in the bezel :) I currently lug my office PC (AIW9600XT dual VGA - no DVI :() to the bedroom for these tests, I am still deciding on a box to build just for that TV, for which I will do the same but through DVI (since this TV can keep a full digital path.) I may not see much difference though as there is hardly any noise with the VGA hookup. The very slight pixel jitter I can see on fonts only from less than 3 feet away is limited to a small vertical region in the right part of the screen. Interestingly it flips to the left when I reverse the Hsync polarity, which leads me to believe it has to do with the horizontal timing parameters. I may retry starting from slightly different 720p timings. Oh, finally, as Paul_PDX mentioned, make sure you use a short and well shielded VGA cable. Hope this helps!

digilight --

Thanks for the insights. Can't wait to try it out.

Duck

Thought I would put my 2 cents in.... I just bought the Home Theater Master MX-850(Orion) and am really pleased with the remote control. I have converted 9 remotes into the single unit and have setup macros that make watching a DVD, TIVO, or Satellite a simple press of 1 button no matter what is on or off. HTM already has the discretes for the HLP46/5674's in their IR database so it made it easy to select. Another bonus of this remote is that you can add on the MRF-250 and control your a/v equipment via RF instead of IR. This was nice since I keep my equipment in a cabinet behind glass and sometimes the IR had problems getting thru. I also looked at the Harmony's and Pronto's but prefer a hard button remote and the add on RF unit sealed the deal. It's still not cheap but I got a really good price for it off ebay. Other than having to spend a day or so getting used to the programming interface I'd highly recommend.

Originally posted by mchuckp
I talked to a guy I worked with who has a high end universal remote. According to him, you can do about anything imaginable with them and totally program them to be easy to use and understand. Sounds like the LCD type are really cool so you don't have to have a million buttons. His was very expensive, like $300 or something. I haven't researched much yet to see what the price range on these remotes are but I plan to. If anyone knows any threads off hand to check out let us know.

I, like many, use about 3-4 remotes and 2-3 of them are only needed for 1, maybe 2, buttons. I'd love to be able to hook everything up.

Chris, I don't remember where, but I read that Samsung is releasing some sort of receiver soon that is Anynet. I know nothing about it and how good it will be. Just something I stumpled upon a few weeks ago and can't remember where I read it.

Originally posted by mismatched
had turn on problem and switching inputs in one step. Harmony solved both and most likely any given tech will have seen and solved these issues previously. They tech support is superb! Yes they are. Usually when they solve a problem, they put it in the device database. Hopefully they have done that, and when I download the 5674 from their site it will have the changes already.

Hey--I had a bad thing happen this weekend on my new baby, er 5674 :

--I had strange, white vertical lines spread across my screen. A power down & up fixed it.
-think, I should call the retailer?
-The lines disappear after a few minutes.
-Is this a power thing?
-Any other ideas?
-What's the fix? Something simple, I hope! -Thanks!

Originally posted by chrisdow
I had strange, white vertical lines spread across my screen.

You're not alone. TBP, just 7 posts above yours, reported the same thing. There's no tweak to fix that.

Call Samsung.

Gary

Originally posted by Juan
I was ready to jump on the 5674 till I read about the 4:3 picture mode curving. Well, guess I will have to wait longer for a set with perfect geometry.

its not that bad, and streaching it to 16:9 is even better, you really do get used to the streach after about 5 mins of viewing, your brain adapts and its no biggie, not worth waiting over IMHO

Originally posted by melodicskys
its not that bad, and streaching it to 16:9 is even better, you really do get used to the streach after about 5 mins of viewing, your brain adapts and its no biggie, not worth waiting over IMHO

I agree dont let this 4:3 curve stuff bother you. I had not even noticed it at all until I read some posts in this thread. And yeah if I look real hard I can see it sometimes. The PQ on this baby is awesome. You will find yourself mostly watching HD anyway and DVDs. and with these you will be blown away. Remember these forums are mostly for solving problems and hence the relative excess of negativity. And these forums attract perfectionists. don't discount the 74s

I read everything in this thread about expand mode. I understand that expand mode is 'the' solution if the source is 720p. But what about the TV channels in 1080i. If I fix the output of my SA8300HD DVR to 720p, then it will do the convertion. I read in other forums that it is better to let the expensive TV do the conversion instead of the cheap cable box. Please comment.

Originally posted by rothsss
I read everything in this thread about expand mode. I understand that expand mode is 'the' solution if the source is 720p. But what about the TV channels in 1080i. If I fix the output of my SA8300HD DVR to 720p, then it will do the convertion. I read in other forums that it is better to let the expensive TV do the conversion instead of the cheap cable box. Please comment.

Thats the approach I am taking with HD. I figure my boxes are designed to be as cheap as can be even to the point of the scalers inside them. On the other hand I figure the tv has been designed to make a great looking HD picture. The only exception is DVD scaling -- since it is less than the res of the set to start with I scale to 720p so as to only have one scaling take place external to the set.

It is kind of a tough call. The Samsung may do better scaling, but with more overscan than if you feed it 720p in Expand mode. I would suggest comparing it both ways and try to decide for yourself if you can tell a difference in the quality of the scaling. If so, go with the better one, if not, stick to 720p.

Originally posted by Cheezmo
It is kind of a tough call. The Samsung may do better scaling, but with more overscan than if you feed it 720p in Expand mode. I would suggest comparing it both ways and try to decide for yourself if you can tell a difference in the quality of the scaling. If so, go with the better one, if not, stick to 720p.

By setting my boxes to output native mode I only had to set the 5674 to show expand mode on DVI once when I was actually tuned to a 720p channel (my local ABC). After than the 1080i channels display in normal widescreen mode and when I switch to a 720p channel they automatically display in expand.

Originally posted by Paul_PDX
By setting my boxes to output native mode I only had to set the 5674 to show expand mode on DVI once when I was actually tuned to a 720p channel (my local ABC). After than the 1080i channels display in normal widescreen mode and when I switch to a 720p channel they automatically display in expand.
Sounds like I am getting the best of both worlds if I set the cable box to pass-through mode. Thanks for your help.

Originally posted by mismatched
I agree dont let this 4:3 curve stuff bother you. I had not even noticed it at all until I read some posts in this thread. And yeah if I look real hard I can see it sometimes. The PQ on this baby is awesome. You will find yourself mostly watching HD anyway and DVDs. and with these you will be blown away. Remember these forums are mostly for solving problems and hence the relative excess of negativity. And these forums attract perfectionists. don't discount the 74s

For me, the curve is quite noticeable. I can ignore it ok in 4:3 mode, but in 16:9 mode, ironically, I actually notice it a lot and it's very bothersome. Whenever there is a line in the background such as a door frame or lined wall-paper, the lines are all noticeably and even extremely curved. I think certain sets may be more curved than others. I'll try to get a picture up to compare to see if it's something to be looked at or not.

Originally posted by rothsss
Sounds like I am getting the best of both worlds if I set the cable box to pass-through mode. Thanks for your help. I tried that, and every time the 8300 switched resolutions, I got an annoying static screen for about a second. Are you getting that?

Found this posted on the internet at MSN Tech & Gadgets. It says a lot about Samsungs commitment to it's customers.

""Recently, I had problems with the color wheel of my Samsung DLP 46-inch monitor. It was almost exactly one year, one month old (and came with Samsung's one year, parts and labor warranty)," Terrance writes. "And of course, I didn't buy an extended warranty (from the retailer)."

Terrance called Samsung anyway. The company extended his warranty, and the part was replaced at no charge, with in-home service, within one week. Terrance had been told by a third-party repair company that the repairs would have cost him up to $300. "The repairman said he likes working with Samsung and was going with the company exclusively in his repair business since it does things like this [extending the warranty] routinely," he adds.

I've had a similar experience. My Samsung portable DVD player ceased working entirely about two months after its one-year warranty expired. I had inherited the player from a close friend who passed away, and I had no receipt for it. Given the player has emotional--as well as entertainment--value, I took it to Best Buy, where it had been purchased. Though I paid $25 for Best Buy to ship it to Samsung, the electronics manufacturer made the necessary repairs for free--even though it was out of warranty. You've got to love that."

Originally posted by T_Bro
Found this posted on the internet at MSN Tech & Gadgets. It says a lot about Samsungs commitment to it's customers.

""Recently, I had problems with the color wheel of my Samsung DLP 46-inch monitor. It was almost exactly one year, one month old (and came with Samsung's one year, parts and labor warranty)," Terrance writes. "And of course, I didn't buy an extended warranty (from the retailer)."

Terrance called Samsung anyway. The company extended his warranty, and the part was replaced at no charge, with in-home service, within one week. Terrance had been told by a third-party repair company that the repairs would have cost him up to $300. "The repairman said he likes working with Samsung and was going with the company exclusively in his repair business since it does things like this [extending the warranty] routinely," he adds.

I've had a similar experience. My Samsung portable DVD player ceased working entirely about two months after its one-year warranty expired. I had inherited the player from a close friend who passed away, and I had no receipt for it. Given the player has emotional--as well as entertainment--value, I took it to Best Buy, where it had been purchased. Though I paid $25 for Best Buy to ship it to Samsung, the electronics manufacturer made the necessary repairs for free--even though it was out of warranty. You've got to love that."

This is good to hear about Samsung. There is much competition out there in the general tech world. The BEST companies realize how important reliability and service are to the customer.

Got my DVE disk today and was playing around adjusting my 4674. I dont have a lot of patience looking at patterns but I got through it. However, on the shapness adjustment I coundnt notice a difference on the test patten going from 0 all the way to 100. Am i missing something here? I left it at 0.

I have my setting in cinema mode now set at:

contrast: 64
brightness: 58
sharpness: 0
color: 34
digital NR: off
dNile: off

To anyone and everyone, what are your settings for your 4674's?

I have no doubt if i went through the process 10 times....i will come up with 10 different settings.

Craig

Sharpness doesn't do anything for anyone as far as my read of this and related threads indicate.

Your settings are very similar to what a pro tech calibrated quickly using some test patterns in Avia. I dont have them handy but I think my contrast was closer to 68-70 and my brightness setting likewise a bit higher than yours. My color setting was about 42 however and this may be taste or my room or the fact that your contrast and brightness are both lower than mine. What type of video connection are you using between your DVD player and Sammy??

Now sit down relax and enjoy it!!

PS find something on INHD or another good HD channel and try to find a travel of nature show that is showing some place or something that you are intimately familiar with. Then ask yourself "does this look real???" If it does you are there and you dont need to tweak and tweak!

I used DVE and got a 43 on Brightness. It made sense, since 43 is where the "Dancing Green Dots" dithering disappear.

Had my 5674 ISF calibrated on Wednesday by Gregg Loewen and the user settings he selected ended up as this:

Contr: 100
Brightn: 40
Sharpn: 50
Color: 45

DNR & DNIe off, of course

Gregg spent 2 hours total and calibrated inputs for my Denon 2910 via HDMI and my Moto DCT5100 STB via DVI.

He used his expensive gear connnected to his laptop with a neat software program Milori set up for him to run the algorithms Joe Kane put together for Samsung when he was consulting for them in the developmental days. This was news to me that Joe Kane was an early consultant hired by Samsung.
Gregg used DVE .

What can I say but ..... man, did Gregg dial this set in. Very impressive. The gray scale adjustment was an hour project alone ( he took his time and answered all my questions ). The grayscale adjustment is the bedrock and once he made all the SM adjustments and hit "SET" in the SM the "white" screen on the monitor turned a shade I have never seen with all the tweaking I have done to the set. After that, it was a matter of adjusting color and he brought them all in line.

A real pro at work...... priceless. I highly recommend Gregg and his Lion A/V associates, which Steve... aka Cheezmo ...Martin is one.

I watched Master and Commander and Open Range later that day and they looked pure cinema. Best 400. I ever spent in 6 years playing and tweaking with this hobby.
I could have tweaked with DVE for weeks and ultimately lived with a compromise due to my lack of knowledge. After seeing Gregg work his magic, I realized expensive test gear and knowledge don't compromise on the video quality we are all after. The monitor is either dialed in, or it's something else altogether.

BOK

PS if interested about Lion A/V and an ISF see http://www.lionav.com

Excellent, BOK123. I hope to use Steve myself on my forthcoming 5685 set in hopefully March or April if he heads Houston way again.

Thanks for the feedback on your ISF cal,
Jeff

Jeff,

Yeah, it was interesting to hear Gregg speak of his recent calibration experiences....... esp. with plasma owners. He said he really liked working with the Samsung DLP's ( the 2+ sets) and said the tweakability of Samsung vs Mits, for instance , was extreme. Seems the Mits DLP's are not nearly as easy to bring into line because of the SM constraints. As for plasma, he just said the black level was so disappointing vs DLP.

After the cal, we watched the Fifth Element SB...... with him at the controls through various chapters--- each stop was to point out the directors intent in regards to light, contrast, color. Cool stuff, as I know the disc well and it was an eye opener with the post cal changes.

Just bought a 6500k Ideal-Lume bias light- time to toss the 25w bulb with shroud.
Good luck with your 5685 replacement.

Brian

I am close to pulling the trigger on the 4674, but one remaining concern.

Currently we watch HD off Dish and SD off of antenna or BUD on a 36" Sony XBR. The SD signal is great. My concern is how much degradation for SD on OTA signal if I move to the 4674. I assume my best picture will be off of the local digital stations, as opposed to the analog stations.

What has been the experiences of 4674 owners for watching local station SD regarding quality and setup, particularly compared to direct view TV's.

Also has anyone tried the 4674 for SD with the big dish signal?

My greatest fear: "Wife says that yes the HD is great, but why are my other stations worse than before."

Originally posted by BOK123
[B]Had my 5674 ISF calibrated on Wednesday by Gregg Loewen and the user settings he selected ended up as this:

Contr: 100
Brightn: 40
Sharpn: 50
Color: 45

DNR & DNIe off, of course

Gregg spent 2 hours total and calibrated inputs for my Denon 2910 via HDMI and my Moto DCT5100 STB via DVI.



did these settings apply equally well for both inputs, ie the Denon and Moto sources??

also was your DVD player set on normal or enhance black, and IRE 0 or 7.5 (although I am not sure the latter matters with the HDMI connection???

thanks

mismatched

Note that when you post the user settings after an ISF calibration, that contrast/brightness and many other things were likely also adjusted in the service menus. Even moreso than out of the box it makes no sense at all to copy those settings to another TV and expect it to be right.

Thanks, Brian.

I use 6500K Ideal Lume lights behind both of my HDTV's as well. I currently have the theater room's mounted on the Ikea P.O.S. stand that my HLN is sitting on.. so I'll need to come up with a new way to mount that once the HLP arrives. Best guess I have right now... I mount a shelf above the DLP on the wall behind it and affix the Ideal Lume to the underside of that. My theater walls are all painted to match an 18% Kodak Grey Card... so it should work nicely to bias things... hopefully even better than it does now.

Man... I am getting crazy excited to get the new tv and have it ISF'd by Steve. Anticipation is killing me, but I'm trying to keep my hopes in check.

Thanks again,
Jeff

Originally posted by BOK123
Had my 5674 ISF calibrated on Wednesday by Gregg Loewen and the user settings he selected ended up as this:

Contr: 100
Brightn: 40
Sharpn: 50
Color: 45

DNR & DNIe off, of course

Gregg spent 2 hours total and calibrated inputs for my Denon 2910 via HDMI and my Moto DCT5100 STB via DVI.

He used his expensive gear connnected to his laptop with a neat software program Milori set up for him to run the algorithms Joe Kane put together for Samsung when he was consulting for them in the developmental days. This was news to me that Joe Kane was an early consultant hired by Samsung.
Gregg used DVE .

What can I say but ..... man, did Gregg dial this set in. Very impressive. The gray scale adjustment was an hour project alone ( he took his time and answered all my questions ). The grayscale adjustment is the bedrock and once he made all the SM adjustments and hit "SET" in the SM the "white" screen on the monitor turned a shade I have never seen with all the tweaking I have done to the set. After that, it was a matter of adjusting color and he brought them all in line.

A real pro at work...... priceless. I highly recommend Gregg and his Lion A/V associates, which Steve... aka Cheezmo ...Martin is one.

I watched Master and Commander and Open Range later that day and they looked pure cinema. Best 400. I ever spent in 6 years playing and tweaking with this hobby.
I could have tweaked with DVE for weeks and ultimately lived with a compromise due to my lack of knowledge. After seeing Gregg work his magic, I realized expensive test gear and knowledge don't compromise on the video quality we are all after. The monitor is either dialed in, or it's something else altogether.

BOK

PS if interested about Lion A/V and an ISF see http://www.lionav.com



WOW 100 on contrast. Everything I have read says the contrast needs to be turned way down out of the box.

Craig

Question:

Can you use a hdmi cable from your STB ( I have the SA 8300) and then use the optical output for surround sound system. Can you disable the audio through the hdmi? I would be nice if the surround sounnd AV's had hdmi and dvi inputs and outputs.

thanks,

Craig

Originally posted by calcraig
WOW 100 on contrast. Everything I have read says the contrast needs to be turned way down out of the box.

Craig

As I said, calibrators usually make adjustments in the service menus, leaving user settings at defaults as much as possible. No one should copy these settings over and expect their TV to look like one that was calibrated.

Originally posted by Mike K
I am close to pulling the trigger on the 4674, but one remaining concern.

Currently we watch HD off Dish and SD off of antenna or BUD on a 36" Sony XBR. The SD signal is great. My concern is how much degradation for SD on OTA signal if I move to the 4674. I assume my best picture will be off of the local digital stations, as opposed to the analog stations.

What has been the experiences of 4674 owners for watching local station SD regarding quality and setup, particularly compared to direct view TV's.

Also has anyone tried the 4674 for SD with the big dish signal?

My greatest fear: "Wife says that yes the HD is great, but why are my other stations worse than before."

I'd love to tell you that you will love the SD quality compared to your 36", but if you want my honest opinion, it will be a bit worse. HD is incredible and SD is watchable but I think you will find that your 36" did a better job. I still don't regret buying the TV. If it concerns you that much, you should go to the store and see if they can tune into some SD for you. The trade off of awesome DVD quality and HD out weighs mediocre SD quality for me. Sometimes I purposely watch some SD material on my 32" Toshiba tube on purpose.

Again, this is my opinion. Oh, you asked about OTA. I cannot comment on that. I have used Dish Network and Time Warner Cable. TWC looked better than Dish Network in my area except for TWC's analog tier. God, I wish cable would go all digital!

Steve is right, once the service menu adjustments are made then the user setting are just for final tuning. The contract at 100 did not crush the white after calibration so Gregg just left it there.
The sharpness as well did not impact the DVE test screen he used so he just left it at 50, harmlessly in the middle.
Changing the user color and brightness settings did alter the image and Gregg was careful to select 45 and 40 respectively as where they needed to be.

He set the 2910 Picture Adjust menu to Standard, and as Steve has said, ISF guys like to use the baseline factory defaults. That way if there are problems, or a bulb change, a quick phone call to the ISF tech can have him bring up all your setting on his laptop and he can walk you through bringing the menu setting back to the ISF adjusted levels.

IRE was set to 7.5 and black level Normal ( I had it there before he arrived). HDMI is set at Y Cb Cr

Gregg did not spend much time at all in the 2910, just enough to set the Pic Adj to Standard and undo my Memory setting "tweaks".
Again, as Steve said, ISF is all about the service menu adjustments and all user controls can't get you to K6500 unless you have the gear and knowledge.
Mismatched, Gregg made minor changes with the Moto box but they were minor.

On a final note, Gregg had good things to say about the Sammy and it was obvious he liked the set. He also liked the result of his cal as he commented how nice the picture was on Fifth Element. He did recommend I get some mattes though, as the "black bars" were not the black bars he sees doing CRT's. But we all know that.

Originally posted by Cheezmo
Note that when you post the user settings after an ISF calibration, that contrast/brightness and many other things were likely also adjusted in the service menus. Even moreso than out of the box it makes no sense at all to copy those settings to another TV and expect it to be right.

Steve

Thank you very much for this important reminder! It is easy for us novices to forget that everything is connected so to speak...

I have never gone into the service menu and only tweaked via Avia, myself and by a tech who installed my system and mainly tweaked audio stuff. He thought the picture looked great and only did adjustments with Avia using a couple of their basic test patterns. I believe he did improve it some mostly by lowering the contrast and color settings a bit. I am very happy with the picture and will likely give the ISF folks around here to become a bit more familiar with this model Sammy and then get one you guys out here for the final tweaking.

mismatched

Originally posted by calcraig
Can you use a hdmi cable from your STB ( I have the SA 8300) and then use the optical output for surround sound system.? Yes, you can do that if the 8300's HDMI is active. Go into settings and set it on Dolby Digital. Then just turn down the volume on the Sammy.

Folks, I have lurked here for the past few month's reading and absorbing. I am currently in the garage workshop building a 12' wide x 8.5' tall built-in entertainment center for the 5674. I think I will be happy based on what I have read.

I plan to hook up a Dish 921. Anyone have insight for me on the quality. I have all TV viewing coming in via Dish (locals, etc). I may have to go OTA to get HD locals. Still researching.

I guess I am looking for warm fuzzy's to pull the trigger. Also, really interested in other folks that have hooked up the 921. A side note, I realize everyone has had different experiences, but how long after placing an order with TVA and selecting standard ground shipping, did the unit take to arrive. I want it to coincide with completion of the cabinets.

Thanks!
FLAPILOT;

Hello. I'll be receiving my 4674 on Tuesday and this site has been most helpful for reviews and things to look for when buying gear. I do have a few questions re: configuration of inputs that I didn't see in the thread (though I did read all of it at once and was a bit glassy-eyed by the end).

Equipment:
The 4674
Moto DCT5100 STB (via Comcast; for HDTV channels)
Sony progressive-scan DVD player
ReplayTV 3030


I currently have a (dead) Sony 43HT20 CRT RPTV that the Sammy is replacing. It's hooked up to the 5100 and DVD via component, and uses S-video for the Replay. We watch standard (analog; I don't subscribe to the digital tier) cable through the coax port as we've found the PQ better through the coax direct to the set's tuner rather than running through the box first.

OK, on to the questions:

- Is it worthwhile picking up a DVI cable to use DVI for the HD signal? Noticeable enough difference from component on this set?

- For analog cable, one salesguy mentioned that S-video (via the 5100) would be a better choice for rather than DVI through the 5100. True or false? And, whether true or false, what have people found insofar as optimizing analog cable PQ? Better to pipe the analog cable channels direct through coax to the set or go through the 5100 (and, if so, which output provides the best PQ)?

- I've generally been satisfied with the analog cable PQ, and the few additional channels on Comcast's digital tier really hold little appeal...so long as I get my HD signal I'm happy. HOWEVER, if the SD channel pics will have better PQ on this set by upgrading to digital cable, I will do so (especially since I can get $200 back from Sammy through a promo they and the cable companies are running).

- It didn't appear from the hardware forums that there'd be much benefit to having Comcast swap my 5100 box for the newer 6200. True?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience/recommendations!

(I'll be calibrating w/Avia once the lamp and set have settled in. Thanks to those who have provided their settings as it's a great starting place before then!)

Originally posted by FLApilot
...I realize everyone has had different experiences, but how long after placing an order with TVA and selecting standard ground shipping, did the unit take to arrive...I ordered my 4674 last Tuesday from TVA and after a couple of follow-ups initiated by me they indicated that I should receive my set by the end of this week – so that would be 10 days. They say it has "shipped" but cannot provide any tracking information.

I think it really depends on what your location is vs. where the set is physically located. Apparently to save money on their shipping costs, TVA bulk ships items destined to the West Coast from their East Coast-based distributor to their own warehouse and then contracts w/ a freight company to deliver them to the consumer. I assume that is cheaper for them vs. paying for the sets to be shipped individually from the East Coast. I would be more comfortable with this practice if they didn't list the unit as "In Stock" though. Oh well, I guess it is "In Stock" for non-West Coast customers.

I'll let you know when I receive my set and any feedback on subsequent interactions with TVA during this purchase.

--Tim

[B]Folks, I have lurked here for the past few month's reading and absorbing. I am currently in the garage workshop building a 12' wide x 8.5' tall built-in entertainment center for the 5674. I think I will be happy based on what I have read. I plan to hook up a Dish 921. Anyone have insight for me on the quality. I have all TV viewing coming in via Dish (locals, etc). I may have to go OTA to get HD locals. I guess I am looking for warm fuzzy's to pull the trigger. Also, really interested in other folks that have hooked up the 921. A side note, I realize everyone has had different experiences, but how long after placing an order with TVA and selecting standard ground shipping, did the unit take to arrive. I want it to coincide with completion of the cabinets.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FLApilot

I have the 921 down in FLL area. The 921 has worked great, I put a V21 antenna from Antenna Direct up for local HD and ran 150' of RG6 to the back of the 921. My 4674 looks great in on all HD stations, local and Dish. The 921 seems to have a mind of it's own recording local HD's. Been told by Dish it will record "digital" local signals which all HD channels are. But sometimes it will default to the analog Dish local station. The major hassle was a bad install of the 921 by the rushed bozo Dish installer. If you have other analog STB's in house, they need to use analog switches or other STB's won't work right. TVA blew my delivery date by a week, then sent it air freight at their cost. 921 has been rock solid, no software issues. Use DVI into 4674.

Originally posted by mchuckp
I'd love to tell you that you will love the SD quality compared to your 36", but if you want my honest opinion, it will be a bit worse. HD is incredible and SD is watchable but I think you will find that your 36" did a better job. I still don't regret buying the TV. If it concerns you that much, you should go to the store and see if they can tune into some SD for you. The trade off of awesome DVD quality and HD out weighs mediocre SD quality for me. Sometimes I purposely watch some SD material on my 32" Toshiba tube on purpose.

Again, this is my opinion. Oh, you asked about OTA. I cannot comment on that. I have used Dish Network and Time Warner Cable. TWC looked better than Dish Network in my area except for TWC's analog tier. God, I wish cable would go all digital!

Ditto all above. I also had wife concerns and was pleasently surprised by how much she appreciated the HD content and DVD quality. I use the Dish 921 via DVI into the 4674, V21 antenna from Antennas Direct for OTA local HD.

Originally posted by oregonstitch
I have the 921 down in FLL area. The 921 has worked great, I put a V21 antenna from Antenna Direct up for local HD and ran 150' of RG6 to the back of the 921. My 4674 looks great in on all HD stations, local and Dish. The 921 seems to have a mind of it's own recording local HD's. Been told by Dish it will record "digital" local signals which all HD channels are. But sometimes it will default to the analog Dish local station. The major hassle was a bad install of the 921 by the rushed bozo Dish installer. If you have other analog STB's in house, they need to use analog switches or other STB's won't work right. TVA blew my delivery date by a week, then sent it air freight at their cost. 921 has been rock solid, no software issues. Use DVI into 4674. [/B]

Thanks for the words. I am planning on that route.

Originally posted by Hi Deaf
I tried that, and every time the 8300 switched resolutions, I got an annoying static screen for about a second. Are you getting that?
When the 5674 has to switch resolutions, the channel switch takes about a second longer in passthru mode. In this second I see the picture flashing and disappearing again. Definitely not nice. I configured the SA8300HD to 720p so that the channel switch is always fast and smooth.

If the user contrast adjustment after an ISF is pegged at 100. It doesn't leave any room for adjustment from the user menus. For example, during the day you may want higher brightness and contrast levels then at night.

So I don't understand why some margin can't be left in the contrast to allow for user adjustment

PS - I'm having mine calibrated on Wednesday by Steve.

TWD,

Keep in mind that the main reason for ISF on your particular DLP monitor is to bring your greyscale setting back to the 65000K industry standard.

It is akin to setting, or adjusting, the "canvas" ( in terms of painting ) of your whitescale to the correct palette, or color temperature. This involves resetting the RGB, and white, factory values set by Samsung out of the box. Every set has different values, as no 2 sets are alike. The same as the old days of analog NTSC CRT''s where " no two sets consistent", in a way,and so to speak.


My out of the box 5674's service menu setting will surely not match yours.

This is where an ISF, like Steve, can come in and re-set your greyscale so that the contrast user settings are a non-issue. Your color and brightness setting are your only user controls after he is done doing his calibration.

Now, I have a dedicated basement HT room so my viewing environment is different than yours. I can get a total, pitch black room 24/7. Easy for my ISF tech, Gregg, to make one setting - and all are happy. I pretty much was the "switch the light on/off guy" when he did his calibration ;*). Don't know your light/dark environment so can't comment.

Just keep in mind that once the color palette is set to D65, then you will find that the user controls become buttons you may rarely touch after Steve leaves, light environement permitting, of course

And once he calibrates your DVD player you will never touch the DVD players "picture adjust" modes either, if you have such a button. I pretty much wrote his values down and made a point not to lose them --- the picture was that good.

Best of luck with the calibration. If you are at home at the time it is a cool process to watch--- hope you can see it come together.

I could list my SM values, but for what reason--- it probably would not help another set owner, and if it did, it is professional courtesy not to. Once done, one understands what these techs have to do, and how much they invest.

BOK

Pegging contrast at 100 shouldn't be a problem. Generally one calibrates so that contrast is as high as possible without clipping. Raising contrast would cause clipping and therefore be undesirable no matter what.

Raising brightness is still possible (and the right thing to do to compensate for lots of light in the room). Raising brightness would likely put white into clipping if it was set close so you would then need to lower contrast to get out of clipping again.

So, never any reason to raise contrast.

Thanks Guys. That explains it.

I know this is off topic but I found it appropriate since so many people are disliking their 74 series remote. A few people on here have mentioned that they use the Harmony remotes by Logitech with a lot of success to run their 74 series along with all their other components. Here is a link to a mail in rebate for 25% money back if you buy one. The page says is is exclusive for Tivo owners, but there is no mention to proving you own a Tivo in the form.

http://www.logitech.com/lang/pdf/rebates/OLRS00371_Harmony_TiVo_25.pdf

If you price shop, there is some really good prices on them! Try www.surfremotecontrol.com or www.cdw.com.

I'm going to pick up the 680 per Mismatched recommendation. Thanks Mismatched!

mchuckp

you are welcome. Hmm..., I have a Tivo!! But darn, bought the remote last month!! Meh!!

Thanks anyway

m

Mismatched, if you get a chance please check your PM messages. I had one more question about the Harmony before I spring for it.

Sorry to everyone else about being off topic.

Does anyone know if the Harmony 659 does everything we need for the 5674? It seems to according to the Harmony website. Is there any reason I'm not seeing for going to the 680?

Thanks,
Randy

I've been trying to figure out what the difference is between the 659 and the other models. If anyone knows please elaborate. I just have heard from several people that the 680 is great. A lot of people don't like the button layout of the 688 which is supposedly optimized for DVR. People complain the buttons are too small and not ergonomic. I've also seen the 676 and to me it seems that it is the same as the 680 but isn't pre-programmed for PC. Unless someone can shed light to the difference between the 659, 676, & 680, I will just go with the 680 since I know for sure that some 74 series owners are using it with success. Better safe than sorry!

There are several good harmony discussions here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=93

and of course the ultimate reference for remotes including very detailed reviews are at remotecentral.com.

definitely go for the 680.

I have the following and operation is nice, the support staff is sweet and setting this thing up is for dummies!! :)

Sammy 5674
Denon 3805
Denon 3910
Motorola 6412

The 4674 arrived today and WOW what a great pic right out of the box. I dialed down some of the adjustments based on prior Avia/DVE posts while I wait for it to settle in before running Avia myself.

It's being fed via DVI from a DCT5100 and the pic, especially in HD, is killer. Crisp, clear, bright. Really blows away the CRT-based Sony RP HDTV we had.

I'm finding SD/analog channels through the box just adequate; they're better direct via coax to the set. This was also the case with the old Sony.

I'm also using 480p override rather than disabled; it seems to provide more stretch/zoom choices for 4:3 over the DVI input that way (unless I'm missing something) and the PQ isn't compromised enough to matter.

The only thing I don't care for is the method for switching inputs/sources. It's slow and a kludgy implementation. You either have to go "around the horn" or get into the menu. Blecch.

Unfortunately, the MX-500 remote (which I love) can't d/l discrete codes from a 'puter and there are none in its internal database (and as you all know, the Sammy remote sucks and has nothing to teach it).

Our family really likes the UI and form factor on the MX-500...any suggestions for a newer model like it that would enable discrete codes, esp for switching inputs/sources?

I have used an MX500, MX700, Harmony 659, and Harmony 676 (among others). Right now, the 676 is my favorite. The MX500 needs to be taught (though I can teach it from any of the others), the MX700 and 659 don't have dedicated buttons for my DVR functions.

It only took a few minutes to get the 676 to nicely control an HLP4674, an AV system, Dishplayer DVR, and SciAtl HD cable DVR. And I haven't bothered to see whether it's using discrete codes to get where it's going -- it just works.

Originally posted by StevenZ
I have used an MX500, MX700, Harmony 659, and Harmony 676 (among others). Right now, the 676 is my favorite. The MX500 needs to be taught (though I can teach it from any of the others), the MX700 and 659 don't have dedicated buttons for my DVR functions.

It only took a few minutes to get the 676 to nicely control an HLP4674, an AV system, Dishplayer DVR, and SciAtl HD cable DVR. And I haven't bothered to see whether it's using discrete codes to get where it's going -- it just works.

So will it switch SOURCE for you automatically or do you have a SOURCE button you push. Hitting SOURCE about 4-5 times after watching a DVD on HDMI to get back to my cable box on DVI is getting old.

In other words, does it directly dial in the input for you in one push of a button?

Hey-Did you guys with with white vertical lines in your picture, how'd you get the problem resolved? Was it fixable or did it require replacement? Thanks!

Ok, just ordered a Harmony 659 to go with my 5674, but a question just occurred to me. The Harmony's have "action" buttons that do everything at one time. For example, you can push "watch movie" and it will turn the DVD player and 5674 on, and set the 5674 to HDMI input.

Now, what I don't get is, if the 5674 is already on, won't it turn off? Or does the Harmony use discrete on and off codes that the standard 5674 remote doesn't use?

Thanks,
Randy

Originally posted by StevenZ
I have used an MX500, MX700, Harmony 659, and Harmony 676 (among others). Right now, the 676 is my favorite. The MX500 needs to be taught (though I can teach it from any of the others), the MX700 and 659 don't have dedicated buttons for my DVR functions.

It only took a few minutes to get the 676 to nicely control an HLP4674, an AV system, Dishplayer DVR, and SciAtl HD cable DVR. And I haven't bothered to see whether it's using discrete codes to get where it's going -- it just works.

And give the Harmony 680 consideration. Very nice button arrangement. And again does everything I need with my Sammy 5674, Denon 3805 and 3910 and Moto 6412

Originally posted by RCBrust
Ok, just ordered a Harmony 659 to go with my 5674, but a question just occurred to me. The Harmony's have "action" buttons that do everything at one time. For example, you can push "watch movie" and it will turn the DVD player and 5674 on, and set the 5674 to HDMI input.

Now, what I don't get is, if the 5674 is already on, won't it turn off? Or does the Harmony use discrete on and off codes that the standard 5674 remote doesn't use?

Thanks,
Randy

I have a 659 & no, it doesn't turn the TV off when changing activities (unless it doesn't need to be on for that activity!). Not sure how it does it, but it "knows" the current state of all my devices & will NOT turn the tv off when switching from "Watch TV" to "Watch a Movie" for example. It simply turns on my DVD player & receiver, switches the tv & receiver to the correct inputs. I believe it uses discrete codes to switch inputs - I do not see it flipping thru the inputs - seems to go directly to DVI, Component 1, etc. as required.
I'm very happy with it - works great for all my components: Sony receiver, Pioneer DVD player, Samsung 4674, Panasonic DVD recorder, Motorola 6412 STB/DVR...

Hope this answers your question...

Barry

Thanks Barry, that pretty much answers it. I guess the Harmony keeps track of the on/off state of everything. It would be interesting to see what would happen if you manually turned the Sammy off and then used the Harmony. If the Harmony works by keeping track of on/off states, that should mess things up.

Thanks,
Randy

Originally posted by RCBrust
Thanks Barry, that pretty much answers it. I guess the Harmony keeps track of the on/off state of everything. It would be interesting to see what would happen if you manually turned the Sammy off and then used the Harmony. If the Harmony works by keeping track of on/off states, that should mess things up.

Thanks,
Randy

It does... But not permanently - it's easy to correct & get everything back in sync...

I second the Harmony 680 recommendation...especially if you have a DVR.

On a side note (actually, more on topic), I received shipping notification/tracking from TVA and my 4674 should be here on Friday.

--Tim

People with decisions about the Harmony vs Home Theatre Master or other alternative remotes ahead of them need to decide how they use the remote and how complex their setup is (and how much they want to customize/tinker the remote for their situation).

I personally feel the MX-800/MX-700 is fantastic for DVR use.

My MX-800 (same as the Mx-700 but with addressable wireless capabilities) has all the DVR capabilities you could want. It is all about how it is set up. Here is how mine works:

When anyone presses ON, on my remote it turns on the TV (only if it was off) and my receiver(same). It sets the TV input source to Compnent 1 (where the Tivo is) and sets the receiver to normal volume -20db, in Dolby Pro logic IIx mode, with recvr input from Toslink from the Tivo. (It does all this no matter what mode all the settings were before starting out).

At that point all of the transport controls are set up for the Tivo (ff, pause, rew, record, etc). Volume is set to control the recvr, aspect controls the TV, Guide controls the Tivo, etc.

If I touch the DVD button, it does a similar series automatically changing to DVI, setting the receiver to the DVD Input for Dolby Digital+DPLIIx, sound level to a better audio level for movies of -10db, and turns on the DVD player if it was off. All the transport keys are now set for the DVD.

One touch of the TIVO button and it resets everything for Tivo.

I have similar buttons for HDTV, CD Changer, LD, and PC connections (which automatically reconfigure 3 or more devices at a time).
I also have 50 buttons (on 5 pages) for direct tuning to all the TV channels or Digital Audio channels on DirecTV or OTA that I would ever need. (ex touch CBS and it sets up for HDTV on CBS, touch SciFi it sets up for Tivo tuned to SciFi, if I touch Top40 it sets the recvr to 7 chanel Audio surround and tunes a digital audio channel on DirecTv, etc).

If you press off it shuts off the TV and the audio in the Living Room. If you press and hold off for a third of a second it shuts off everything else too.

My 84 year old mother was able to use the setup with less that 5 minutes instruction when visiting.

On top of this since my remote is wireless and I have set up whole house distribution the remote can control all the zones in the house even away from the set (the MX-700 cant do that).

This all took me about 6-8 hours to get totally customized from the time I received the remote.

People trying to decide what remote should really go to the remotecentral.com forums or the remote control forum here on avsforum to figure out what they want their remote to do for them.

Those forums are excellent for which remote is best discussions and except for which remotes have what quirks with our sets are probably a better place for those discussions.

Originally posted by VegasTim
I second the Harmony 680 recommendation...especially if you have a DVR.

On a side note (actually, more on topic), I received shipping notification/tracking from TVA and my 4674 should be here on Friday.

--Tim

I'm looking at the 676 or 680. Does the 680 have any buttons the 676 doesn't have that make it better? They appear to be the same cost and look nearly identical. I can tell from pictures that they have a slightly different button layout as to where the record, play, FF, Rew. etc are. I'm wondering if they are exactly the same but have the buttons in different spots or does one actually have 1 or 2 more functions on it that make it better for DVR.

Originally posted by Paul_PDX
People with decisions about the Harmony vs Home Theatre Master or other alternative remotes ahead of them need to decide how they use the remote and how complex their setup is (and how much they want to customize/tinker the remote for their situation).

I personally feel the MX-800/MX-700 is fantastic for DVR use.

My MX-800 (same as the Mx-700 but with addressable wireless capabilities) has all the DVR capabilities you could want. It is all about how it is set up. Here is how mine works:

.

Paul,
I have the MX-700 that I am trying to program for my setup. The way you have yours programed sounds really nice. Any chance you would share your data file?

Presley

Paul,

I'd like to take a peek at your MXF file as well if you'd be willing to share. Always nice to see how others set stuff up. I need to make my setup as "wife/kid" friendly as possible. Right now I have a similar setup to you with the "Watch TV", "Watch DVD" buttons on the front main page... takes you to the particular component needed as far as control goes, etc. The only thing mine does that yours may not is to turn on the Ideal Lume bias light via the IR to X10 controlled wall outlet that it's plugged into. Great feature to me.

Thanks,
Jeff

quote "I'd like to take a peek at your MXF file "

Sounds like I need to post mine on remotecentral's files section. I will try and get that done later this week.

Originally posted by VegasTim
I second the Harmony 680 recommendation...especially if you have a DVR.

On a side note (actually, more on topic), I received shipping notification/tracking from TVA and my 4674 should be here on Friday.

--Tim

So I tried to take a good close look at the 680 via online picture. I don't see buttons for "Page Up/Page Down". I would assume it has it somewhere. This is needed to flip through channel guides rapidly. On my Time Warner Cable box it moves about 5 channels at a time through the GUIDE.

Am I overlooking them, is it called something else, or is it something you have to program into the LCD screen?

Originally posted by RCBrust
Thanks Barry, that pretty much answers it. I guess the Harmony keeps track of the on/off state of everything. It would be interesting to see what would happen if you manually turned the Sammy off and then used the Harmony. If the Harmony works by keeping track of on/off states, that should mess things up.

Thanks,
Randy The Harmony has a "HELP" button to re-sync things up. When you press this button it will ask you a series of Yes / No questions like "is the TV on?" If you press "NO" it will send the IR to turn the TV on. If you answer YES then it will continue on with more questions. It really is slick.

Originally posted by mchuckp
So I tried to take a good close look at the 680 via online picture. I don't see buttons for "Page Up/Page Down". I would assume it has it somewhere. This is needed to flip through channel guides rapidly. On my Time Warner Cable box it moves about 5 channels at a time through the GUIDE.

Am I overlooking them, is it called something else, or is it something you have to program into the LCD screen? I can't be of much help because my Tivo unit uses Channel Up/Down for that function within the guide.

If you provide your Time Warner Cable box model info, I'll see if I can add it to my profile and let you know what the auto-setup configures for Page Up/Down.

--Tim

You can hook up your 680 via a USB connector and go to the Logitech/Harmony remote website and re-map virtually any button on your remote. Each button can be re-mapped individually by the device selected too.
Example;
I use the channel up/down buttons to do the menu scroll for my directv receiver but I use the same buttons to go up/down channels for the tv receiver.

Regards,
Frank

Thanks for all your help everyone. I went with the 680. I like the button layout and the gem style buttons over the rubber buttons on the 676.

Below is a link to a picture of all four 600 series remotes by harmony lined up. I found it over at the remote central forums (I didn't want to take credit). Save it to your hard drive and use some sort of picture viewer to look at them. You can zoom in nice and close to read all the buttons.

Basically my understanding is that all of them have the same basic insides and do the same thing. The difference is button layout and gem style buttons vs. hard rubber buttons.

I like the gem buttons personally. I also like that the 680 has a button called "REC'D" and "LIVE" since I use a DVR. The 676 doesn't have these buttons, the are substituted with "A" and "B". The 688 has the most buttons for DVR use but most complain that the button layout is not intuitive and that they are too small.

http://www.lewishq.com/images/harmony_6XX_comparison.jpg

Good Luck!

Mike

I can only find "expand mode" via the PC input, however, from reading the thread, it looks like it's also avialable in DVI? What input can have this choice, and what does "Expand Mode" do again? I looked in the manual and I only saw it in the PC area and it was a quick overview.

While using the PC input, I notice a ghost image for lack of a better word?
I have the PC to display 1280X720 @60hz and I am looking at it in Wide PC mode, as well as expand mode.

Overscan is where the input is larger then the screen, in other words the image is cut off, like when you look at the PC in Wide TV verses Wide PC, right?

I tired to use the course and fine tunning from the Sammy's PC menu and it seems to have zero effect other then making the screen narrow.

An example of the ghosting I am seeing it when I have the wallpaper/desktop on blue and all the icons have a faint blur to the right of them. On web sites that have black and white parts, I can see a ghost of the black on white. So if the text is black and it's on a white background, I will see it again very faintly to the right.

Any ideas, help or explanations would be wonderful, thanks,Matt

I forgot when mentioning it before --

You only will see Expand mode on 720P DVI or HDMI when HDCP is off.

Also PIP will only be available there when HDCP is OFF.


Expand mode is the one to one mode for 720p -- it has very little overscan (about 1%). Wide TV has more overscan maybe 3% and Wide PC has underscan to make the image fit the screen and it is not one to one.

I just won a Logitech 676 from a contest they are having. I am psyched to say the least. Is there somewhere online where I can see a list of supported devices ? I tried the logitech website, but couldnt find anything without needing a password.

-Ken

Hi everyone,

I got a Samsung HL-P4674 recently. A couple of comments about the set follow.

The fan noise is audible, but it appears to be travelling mostly sideways. I don't notice any fan noise during normal viewing (even at low volume settings), but when I listen from the either side of the set I can easily hear it even from some distance.

I can see the rainbow effect whenever I "want" to see it and sometimes I notice it inadvertently. This doesn't bother me though. At the same time my wife says that she doesn't see any rainbow effect on this TV.

Now, maybe someone can help me with the answer to the following question:

I'm trying to use DVE DVD in order to adjust picture parameters. However, when I enter the color adjustement menus the TV displays a pre-defined picture of a girl standing in front of a lake or something (plus some grass, trees, sky etc). This is a nice picture, but I would prefer to see the test pattern from DVE DVD while making the adjustments, not this pre-defined test image. Is there any way to disable this test image and make the TV to keep DVE pattern displayed instead while making color adjustments (just like it works with virtually all other settings)?

Welcome to the club!

using your remote press menu
select picture
at the top you will see mode, select it
switch to any of the three dynamic, standard or cinema
I use cinema.

From there you can change the contrast, brightness, etc.

Good luck
-john

Burkhardi --

I was unaware of the Expand mode until I read about it here. When good ole' Comcast dropped off my HD cable box, they didn't provide a manual for it. I had to locate one online at Scientific Atlanta's web site. It turns out that my cable box defaulted to 480i/1080i output, so I wasn't getting 720p even when watching a channel that was broadcasting at that resolution. If you're not seeing Expand when you turn to ABC or Fox, it's probably for that reason. Get your cable box set up properly and things will change.

Duck

Originally posted by kenvt
I just won a Logitech 676 from a contest they are having. I am psyched to say the least. Is there somewhere online where I can see a list of supported devices ? I tried the logitech website, but couldnt find anything without needing a password.

-Ken

I have the 659 and it works great with my HLP4674W. The only thing I haven't been able to find is a working descrete code for the antena input. Other than that it works like a charm.

You can go ahead and make an account at the Harmony Web site and even start setting up your devices before the remote arrives if you want.

Originally posted by Surf Monkey
I have the 659 and it works great with my HLP4674W. The only thing I haven't been able to find is a working descrete code for the antena input. Other than that it works like a charm.

You can go ahead and make an account at the Harmony Web site and even start setting up your devices before the remote arrives if you want.

Question for those using the harmony remotes with the 74 series. I should be getting my 680 in the mail early this week. I went ahead and created an account with harmony so I can go ahead and pre-configure it. I noticed going through the drop down box for sammy tv's, it had 3 of them for 4674. They were all 4674 with a different ending. Are all these the same or are there actually different variations of this tv?

Thanks,
Mike

There are different variations of the TV. Samsung updates the firmware throughout the model year and it seems the discrete IR codes change from firmware version to firmware version. I can personally confirm two different IR code sets on different firmware versions of the the HL-P5063.

If I didn't own one myself, I would never have believed the "improves with use" theory -- that the picture gets better as you approach 100 hours of viewing. But I'm a believer now. :D

The picture for the most part is absolutely beautiful.

My only concern thus far -- and I'll have to decide before my 30 days is up -- is whether I'll be fully happy with the "blacks" on the set not being black. I certainly understand that this is part of the technology and that it is better than most of the alternatives. But the fact that the blacks are gray does take some adjustment after coming from a CRT background. Its just strange that the black speaker area is darker than the blacks of the screen. Again -- very understandable -- its just new for me. I don't imagine that the xHD4 will change that, even with the higher contrast ratio, but maybe the perception will be that there's more detail in the darks.

Anyway....love it...just getting used to the difference

Regarding the blacks. Try this. Sit in a darkened room with a little light. Look around. Do you really see anything in the room that is CRT black? I don't. Tomorrow go outside and look around. How many things do you see that are CRT black? I like blacks, but I think that the CRT black thing is over blown. What bothers me more is detail in the blacks.

Originally posted by johnmont
If I didn't own one myself, I would never have believed the "improves with use" theory -- that the picture gets better as you approach 100 hours of viewing. But I'm a believer now. :D

The picture for the most part is absolutely beautiful.

My only concern thus far -- and I'll have to decide before my 30 days is up -- is whether I'll be fully happy with the "blacks" on the set not being black. I certainly understand that this is part of the technology and that it is better than most of the alternatives. But the fact that the blacks are gray does take some adjustment after coming from a CRT background. Its just strange that the black speaker area is darker than the blacks of the screen. Again -- very understandable -- its just new for me. I don't imagine that the xHD4 will change that, even with the higher contrast ratio, but maybe the perception will be that there's more detail in the darks.

Anyway....love it...just getting used to the difference

have you attempted to adjust your color settings? Sammy's have a pretty bright default setting. I heard stories before buying mine that DLPs were weak on blacks. I have no problems with the black levels in mine. I think it is great. But maybe we differ in what we like in a picture. I did turn my blacks down quite a bit from the default setting out of the box.

Good luck!

Originally posted by johnmont
If I didn't own one myself, I would never have believed the "improves with use" theory -- that the picture gets better as you approach 100 hours of viewing. But I'm a believer now. :D

The picture for the most part is absolutely beautiful.

My only concern thus far -- and I'll have to decide before my 30 days is up -- is whether I'll be fully happy with the "blacks" on the set not being black. I certainly understand that this is part of the technology and that it is better than most of the alternatives. But the fact that the blacks are gray does take some adjustment after coming from a CRT background. Its just strange that the black speaker area is darker than the blacks of the screen. Again -- very understandable -- its just new for me. I don't imagine that the xHD4 will change that, even with the higher contrast ratio, but maybe the perception will be that there's more detail in the darks.

Anyway....love it...just getting used to the difference

I have been impressed by the black levels...they are not perfect, but I guess they were better than I was expecting. I have not followed your prior posts, so I might be suggesting something already done, but have you adjusted your brightness with DVE or Avia or the cable test patterns? I had to turn mine WAY down...

Thanks folks, for the suggestions to make sure I've got the black level set correctly. I've done so -- taken brightness just down to the level where the gnats disappear. I really thinhe look and feelk it looks very good. As far as the quality of image, I think the DLP does the best job (and amazing job) of accurately reproducing the look and feel of film, especially in high definition sources.

Originally posted by TWD
Regarding the blacks. Try this. Sit in a darkened room with a little light. Look around. Do you really see anything in the room that is CRT black? I don't. Tomorrow go outside and look around. How many things do you see that are CRT black? I like blacks, but I think that the CRT black thing is over blown. What bothers me more is detail in the blacks.

Obviously from my first message, I'll respectfully disagree that the CRT black thing is overblown. :) But for me your last sentence hit the nail on the head in many ways. At the luminance level of the blacks which I see on the screen -- the level at which the pillar boxes are at for 4:3 video -- I *would* expect to see some detail at that level. But I don't. Its just a dark flat gray area. I agree -- more detail would be a great enhancement.

Regarding black levels in "the real world" -- that's a good test. There were actually lots of them in the room last evening. I turned off my HLP and the screen became blacker than it was with it was turned on with "black" feeding it. My guitar case, the recesses of shelves, the remote on my table -- all very much blacker than what I saw on the screen. When the set is on, as I mentioned the speaker area on the 74 is blacker than the screen. During the day, you're correct -- there is a lot of ambient bounce in the environment so there is very little that is true black.

What also matters is that what we see at home matches the creative result of what artists do in telecine color correction and grading for television and film. It doesn't matter what exists in the real world but instead what they want me to see. Its why I'm planning on having my set calibrated by a professional. Maybe that's one reason films look so much better to me, since technology of projection is so much closer to what we see in the DLP.

Ok...this is going off topic and getting too general. I think that's enough of my perceptions of the 74W. :p

Has anyone had audio sync issues using a surround receiver if the set is fed a 720P signal. Thanks.

OK - just received my 4674 on Thurs and have been playing with it all weekend, as well as browsing these forums. Overall I am very impressed with the picture quality, although SD are crappy they are not as bad as I thought they would be and HD rocks (I watched a show on Canadian Rivers just because of the picture!).

I have one question and one complaint-

Question: the Tint is grayed out on my menu (I am using component in for my cable box and DVD player). Why is this? How come I can't adjust the tint?

Complaint: dark scenes on DVDs show a significant green push. I watched Collateral last night and Tom Cruise's face had a green tint to it during nearly the entire movie. This is really annoying after having paid so much for a TV and once I started to notice it I began to be driven crazy! Anyway, I have read that other have seen this and that it may go away with use; has anyone found a fix for this? My settings are roughly the same as posted elsewhere in this thread.

Thanks
GF

ps: I service menu walk through would be great if there is anyone who understands all the menu options.

Originally posted by frankle1
OK - just received my 4674 on Thurs and have been playing with it all weekend, as well as browsing these forums. Overall I am very impressed with the picture quality, although SD are crappy they are not as bad as I thought they would be and HD rocks (I watched a show on Canadian Rivers just because of the picture!).

I have one question and one complaint-

Question: the Tint is grayed out on my menu (I am using component in for my cable box and DVD player). Why is this? How come I can't adjust the tint?

Complaint: dark scenes on DVDs show a significant green push. I watched Collateral last night and Tom Cruise's face had a green tint to it during nearly the entire movie. This is really annoying after having paid so much for a TV and once I started to notice it I began to be driven crazy! Anyway, I have read that other have seen this and that it may go away with use; has anyone found a fix for this? My settings are roughly the same as posted elsewhere in this thread.

Thanks
GF

ps: I service menu walk through would be great if there is anyone who understands all the menu options.

As far as the green push, you can play around with the color settings using DVE or AVIA. Is it possible it is your DVD player? There are a few models that have a green push to them but I think those only happen when hooked up through DVI or HDMI. I had a Denon 1910 and returned it because of the green push.

Collateral is a movie much like the Matrix, it's green! Just like underworld and payback is mostly blue/gray. There's nothing wrong with your TV. Also if your TV is being fed via component, it thinks that the color ratios are correct, hence it's grayed out.

If you want to tweak your service menu, there is a post that "htwaits" posted about setting the gamma on these sets. It works quite well. The default gamma setting is probably 2 (mine was) and resetting it to 0 made the picture richer. It didn't make much if any difference in my avia/dve settings.

Good luck
-john

Originally posted by fibreKid
Collateral is a movie much like the Matrix, it's green! Just like underworld and payback is mostly blue/gray. There's nothing wrong with your TV. Also if your TV is being fed via component, it thinks that the color ratios are correct, hence it's grayed out.

If you want to tweak your service menu, there is a post that "htwaits" posted about setting the gamma on these sets. It works quite well. The default gamma setting is probably 2 (mine was) and resetting it to 0 made the picture richer. It didn't make much if any difference in my avia/dve settings.

Good luck
-john

regarding setting the gamma to 0 are you using DVI or HDMI, or component video? And might that make a difference??

Originally posted by mismatched
regarding setting the gamma to 0 are you using DVI or HDMI, or component video? And might that make a difference??
Based on what others reported I set GAMMA to zero on the DVI input of a May build HLP5063 and liked the results. I have no idea, good or bad, what it would do on any other model or firmware version. Our current set (HLP5063 - October build - ver. 1035) is still set to GAMMA = 2. Maybe I'll give "0" a try to see how it looks.

I have an HLP4674W and am using the DVI input from a Denon 5900 and the component input from a Panasonic F65. The Gamma setting is a global one, it seems to affect everything. I didn't have complaints before but I like the picture better after the change. The picture is a little dimmer but the colors are richer.

OK, while I'm waiting to get through to TVAuthority via chat, I figure I'll ask you guys...

I ordered the HLP5674 from TVAuthority last week and it just landed in town yesterday. I talked to the freight company who stated that the box was "damaged" somehow. I asked how big the hole was and he said it was about a "foot size" hole. He said he stuck his arm in and it seemed OK (the plastic was intact and it didn't feel damaged to him (of course he's not going to say any different). He said I should just take possession of the TV (as long as it's up to my standards from looking at it) then contact TVA if there's something wrong and get them to switch it out. I thought this sounded plausible (it's on a credit card and TVA has been awesome about this kind of stuff for everyone else on this board).

Thoughts?

Originally posted by fibreKid
If you want to tweak your service menu, there is a post that "htwaits" posted about setting the gamma on these sets. It works quite well. The default gamma setting is probably 2 (mine was) and resetting it to 0 made the picture richer. It didn't make much if any difference in my avia/dve settings.

Good luck
-john

John or HTwaits

Where is the post for tweaking the gamma setting in the service menu and cautions (if I recall correctly...).

thanks :)

mismatched

Originally posted by Lampei
I talked to the freight company who stated that the box was "damaged" somehow.
I would call TVA and ask to speak to Neil. My other first reaction would be to refuse the shipment. That sounds like a big hole. :)

Think of it this way. How hard would you have to hit a box to put a hole of that size in it. Remember that the cardboard used to ship this stuff isn't all that flimsy. Also the shock delivered to the box was also transfered to the TV. Not as much but it got some of it. ...

How much did it cost? :-)

Originally posted by mismatched
Where is the post for tweaking the gamma setting in the service menu and cautions (if I recall correctly...).

mismatched
Here you are.

Originally posted by millerwill
htwaits: Is it possible for you to give a step-by-step 'idiot proof' protocol for going into the SM and making this gamma change? I've never been into the SM and have always been nervous about the idea. But you sound like it's worth it. (Have a 6163.)
Can one idiot protect other idiots? ;)

Here are the "enter-SM" instructions for the HLN sets. They are the same for a HLP set but the contents of the SM and navigation keys are different. I haven't checked all the navigation instructions myself.

Find Samsung Firmware Version:

The firmware version installed on any set is recorded on the first page of the SM. There is a long ID number at the bottom of the page. The last three digits (HLN) or last four digits (HLP) are the firmware version of your set.

Remember that in any dealing with Samsung you are not supposed to know your firmware version.

Record your User Settings for "Picture" before you enter the SM. The HLP sets will revert to factory defaults for the UM when you exit the SM.

Instructions for accessing the Samsung Service Menu:

Anyone using these suggestions should know that the only change I have ever made to the SM is changing GAMMA from the default value to zero. I have never "messed around" in the SM. Remember that there is no reset function. If you see something that looks like one don't use it.

I can recommend, without any reservations, recording all original SM settings before making additional changes.

****** Thanks to LCH. 09/02/2003 ******

Turn Melody off in the user menu (allows entering the Service Menu from power On state without using a lamp cycle).

With the set ON, press Power-Mute-1-8-2-Power in quick succession.
(If the set is already off, just do Mute-1-8-2-Power )

The service menu should appear for the input you were viewing before keying the above sequence. Be sure to give the set enough time to complete the process(30-60 seconds).

While in the service menu, you can change inputs with the TV/Video button to view the SM for other modes.

Use the CH up, CH down & select keys to navigate the Service Menu. Press MENU to return to the main Service Menu after viewing individual functions.

Later, you will use the VOL(+) & VOL(-) keys to change the SM values.

" ... when you access the SM on the HLPxx63 (probably all HLP models), the directional arrows around the "Enter" button control navigation, not the volume and channel buttons ..." MacGyver1970.

To Exit the SM, power off. Leave it off for several(30) seconds. (until all cooling activity is complete)

Example steps to change GAMMA on a HLP5063 with firmware version 1011 and a build date of May 2004:

The SM main menu looks like this.

1. DDP1011 (The GAMMA setting is here.)
2. GM1601
3. DNIe
4. FLI2310
5. CXA2171
6. Vsp9437
7. Upd 64083
8. CCA
9. SP Actuator
10. OPTION (The tally of hours of lamp operation is in this menu.)

Ver: T_ATLNUS_1011 (this is the firmware version)

First record user menu entries for "picture" and enter SM.

Steps from the main SM.

1. Select DDP1011 using the directional arrow keys -- up and down.
2. Enter DDP1011. I used the right arrow key but maybe the "enter" key will work too.
3. Select GAMMA using the up or down arrow key.
4. I entered GAMMA using the right arrow key, but the "enter" key may also work.
5. I used the right and left arrow keys to change the value of GAMMA.
6. I used the up arrow key to return to the DDP1011 menu. Again, the "enter" key or "menu" key might do the same thing.
7. I returned to the main SM with the "menu" key.
8. Power off and wait for a full shut down to save entries that you have changed in the SM.

9. Power on after about 30 seconds and enter your user menu picture settings.

This change to GAMMA makes "some" owners happy. I feel that after setting GAMMA to zero and setting brightness with the DVE DVD that the details in dark scenes were improved. To really get the most out of our set I am getting an ISF calibration done by SethS.

As of 12/14/2004:
Mode = Cinema
contrast = 90
brightness = 45
sharpness = 0
color = 48
Digital NR = OFF
DNIe = OFF

Enjoy.

Hi all,

I'm having a problem seeing BTB using the pluge pattern in DVE. Here is my story:

I originally had a Denon 2910 connected to the DVI input of the 4674. I was able to see BTB fine using DVE with this player. Last week, I upgraded to a Denon 3910. Now I'm not seen BTB using DVE. I think the problem is in the player; however, the 3910 seems to be working fine in all other respects, so before I return it, I would like to make sure I didn't inadvertently do something to the 4674 that would cause BTB to be clipped. So, is there anything I could have done to the TV to make it clip BTB? Is there anything I could do to fix this situation?

I've tried everything I could have tried with the 3910 with no luck so far. Thanks for your help.

Originally posted by fibreKid
How much did it cost? :-)

Enough to make me more than a little concerned about a hole in the box :D I ended up using the avs forum members link at TVA.

Talked to a rep at TVA and they said I can check it out and make sure there's no damage to the TV. If there is I can refuse shipment. If it looks OK, I can try it for 24 hours and make sure everything's alright. If not, I can call and get them to reship. If yes, open a beer and enjoy :) Made me a little more comfortable about getting my TV.

I just tried setting the Gamma to 0 on my 4674. I gotta say that I like the results. HD feels less artificially sharp and, more importantly, I am seeing less obvious instances of rainbows. I still see them of course, but they are much less severe. I am definately going to keep this setting for a while.

YMMV but I wanted to let those with serious rainbow problems know about this. I do think it helps (NOT A CURE..but a nice adjustment)


Mike B

Mike B

Did you notice any effect on your Picture settings as per Avia or DVE after switching to gamma=0??

m

I have Samsung service (or their authorized shop) coming out tomorrow to fix white vertical lines (39 to be exact) that have been occuring over the past week on a HLP 5674WX (the X matters, at least when ordering parts). This set is about two months old. They claim this is in their database as a known problem but I searched the forum and couldn't find any others with this problem. I just hope they fix the problem - intermittent at times, very lengthy other times. Anyway, wanted to post the problem and see if any others have experienced it. Part of me thinks to exchange the set. Thoughts, experiences from anyone?

I too have had it on my 5674...my retailer didn't know about it & thought it SHOULD be replaced...it only happens for the 1st minute of a power on...got a power cleaner but didn't help...someone else had seen this on a plasma that turned out to be a software problem but who knows...it seems to me to be one of those things that NEVER gets better, IMO

I don't own AVIA and I hate DVE (which I own). So now I have simply been using the THX optimizer on Monsters Inc.


overall the picture is slightly darker and less sharp. The picture with the Gamma at 0 is more filmlike. An HD signal will make your friends say 'wow' a little less, but it is easier on my eyes. Since there is less edge sharpness overall, I am finding I see fewer rainbows.


I turned up both the contrast and the brightness 3-5 steps.

I have a 5674, The tv turns off for no reason. This can happen anywhere from 5-10 times a night. I must hit the on/off button 5-6 times to get the tv to turn back on. Samsung is sending a service tech, but I was prewarned they probably will take the tv into the shop if they can`t mimic the problem in my house. I can still return the tv.......should I let them fix or send back???? Other then this problem have been happy w/ tv.

Originally posted by wko
I have a 5674, The tv turns off for no reason. This can happen anywhere from 5-10 times a night. I must hit the on/off button 5-6 times to get the tv to turn back on. Samsung is sending a service tech, but I was prewarned they probably will take the tv into the shop if they can`t mimic the problem in my house. I can still return the tv.......should I let them fix or send back???? Other then this problem have been happy w/ tv.
I would exhange it or get a refund which ever works best for you. An intermittent occurring problem can be a mess. Good luck.

Originally posted by VladDracul
Hi all,

I'm having a problem seeing BTB using the pluge pattern in DVE. Here is my story:

I originally had a Denon 2910 connected to the DVI input of the 4674. I was able to see BTB fine using DVE with this player. Last week, I upgraded to a Denon 3910. Now I'm not seen BTB using DVE. I think the problem is in the player; however, the 3910 seems to be working fine in all other respects, so before I return it, I would like to make sure I didn't inadvertently do something to the 4674 that would cause BTB to be clipped. So, is there anything I could have done to the TV to make it clip BTB? Is there anything I could do to fix this situation?

I've tried everything I could have tried with the 3910 with no luck so far. Thanks for your help.

Check ur black level sets on the 3910. Dont rem which one, but one will get BTB and the other will not. I had the 2910 and thats what I had to do to get BTB via DVE. Prob the same on the 3910. Dont have 2910 anymore so can not verify if my memory is correct.

:confused: Why is everyone getting rid of their 2910's???

I have a 5674 scheduled for delivery 2/28 and I've ordered (but it hasn't shipped) a 2910 as well.

Is there some major problem w/that player and these sets that I haven't come across here? I really like the idea of an up-converting player and I really really want a universal player.

If there's somethin' I am missing please let me know. You guys are giving me buyers remorse and I haven't even taken delivery yet :(

Thanks!

There is nothing wrong with the 2910. I had it as a loaner while my 3910 was backordered. It is great video-wise and certainly no slouch in the audio arena. There are just us crazies who need or might I say want, the superior audio that comes with the 3910.

don't have any remorse!!

Thanks for assuaging my fears! I almost had a little panic attack there. I've been slowly researching over the last couple years and was afraid that now that I've made a decision it was flawed.

Deep breaths...

:D

Authorized service rep came out today and replaced the light engine on my HLP-5674WX. The vertical white lines are now gone and now have a new lamp (found out I had 236 hours on the old one). Guess I need to log a few hours before I start playing with the settings again. Wish I had written them down. Seems I used the settings from one of the posts and was happy with them. Maybe I'll print them out, if I find them again. Anyone want to share theirs?

Originally posted by wko
I have a 5674, The tv turns off for no reason. This can happen anywhere from 5-10 times a night. I must hit the on/off button 5-6 times to get the tv to turn back on.

Reminds me of a problem back when I used to be a cable guy (1985). I was out to the same house at least three times to investigate complaints about the remote of our company's Hamlin cable box (we used to call them that back then).

Anyway, after repeated visits and switching out boxes with no problem found, I told the wife to call me at home when it happens again. That night I got the call. I drove out to the house and sure enough, the remote wouldn't work, just like they always claimed. Just then I noticed something different about their living room... the husband was home this time and kicked back with a beer and chips. However, beside his chair was a glowing neon flamingo (stop laughing... it really was a flamingo shaped glowing pink neon sculpture).

I said, "Hey, turn off the bird." He turned it off and bingo, the remote worked like a charm. I guess there was just enough IR noise from the flamingo to mess up the remote transmission.

Funny, huh?

Tim

P.S. Thanks for all the great posts on this forum. I've learned a lot about my 5674 and have enjoyed it immensely.

useda4z,

I own the 5674 and the 2910 and you have no worries. The ISF tech who calibrated my 5674 a couple of weeks ago said he was looking to buy the 2910 ( read a "loaner" ;*) from Denon Dave after seeing him at CES ).

He calibrated the 5674 with DVE through the 2910's HDMI input ( set all the 2910's settings to default prior to 5674 calibration) and it was spot on.

The 2910 is a great player for the dollars spent -- not the best vs the 3910 but a great player with exceptional audio capabilities. My old Pioneer DV414 DVD transport ( since retired) was modded by Dan Wright a few years ago and was a great audio ( both DVD and CD) player after the mod. The video was passable, but the audio was very smooooth.

The 2910 is right there with the sonics of my old 414 and I was very impressed with it's out of the box performance.

Hey, the 2910 is a very nice package for mid-level money.

Enjoy, and no remorse. Save the extra cash for an HD player down the road.

PS. Keep in mind that you will need to move up to v-7 for the 2910, as it is now available through download or CD. I have my v-7 on order with Denon now and you should go to the DVD forum ( 2910 Owners thread) and check out the upgrade particulars, as they are listed, with link included.

Brian

Originally posted by wko
I have a 5674, The tv turns off for no reason. This can happen anywhere from 5-10 times a night. I must hit the on/off button 5-6 times to get the tv to turn back on. Samsung is sending a service tech, but I was prewarned they probably will take the tv into the shop if they can`t mimic the problem in my house. I can still return the tv.......should I let them fix or send back???? Other then this problem have been happy w/ tv.

This is a long shot but at least worth asking:

Any chance you are using any sort of radio frequency remote set up? My brother in law had a problem with his satellite receiver going out all the time. It ended up that his neighbor had the same box with a radio frequency remote and they were set to the same channel. Once they figured out that they were messing with each others set ups they had one person change the channel and all is fine.

Have you ever had it happen in the morning or afternoon. If it is strictly just the evening, it sounds like it may not be the TV.

Just something to think about.

Good luck.

mchuckp & timcosco, Its the tv that is turning on and off. It is very difficult to turn back on once its turns off, takes 15-25 seconds. I have nothing other than a cable box and Dvd player hooked up, and the lot sizes are large, one and a half acres each. So I don`t think it a neighbor. HTWAITS is a very knowledgeable guy so I think I will take his advice......which leads to the next question....get another 5674 or wait for a HLR....ahhhhh does this search ever end??

Originally posted by wko
HTWAITS is a very knowledgeable guy so I think I will take his advice......

Thank you. May I post a copy of your message to my wife? :cool:

which leads to the next question....get another 5674 or wait for a HLR....

That's too personal for me. ;)

ahhhhh does this search ever end??

Nope. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by BOK123
useda4z,

I own the 5674 and the 2910 and you have no worries. The ISF tech who calibrated my 5674 a couple of weeks ago said he was looking to buy the 2910 ( read a "loaner" ;*) from Denon Dave after seeing him at CES ).

He calibrated the 5674 with DVE through the 2910's HDMI input ( set all the 2910's settings to default prior to 5674 calibration) and it was spot on.

The 2910 is a great player for the dollars spent -- not the best vs the 3910 but a great player with exceptional audio capabilities. My old Pioneer DV414 DVD transport ( since retired) was modded by Dan Wright a few years ago and was a great audio ( both DVD and CD) player after the mod. The video was passable, but the audio was very smooooth.

The 2910 is right there with the sonics of my old 414 and I was very impressed with it's out of the box performance.

Hey, the 2910 is a very nice package for mid-level money.

Enjoy, and no remorse. Save the extra cash for an HD player down the road.

PS. Keep in mind that you will need to move up to v-7 for the 2910, as it is now available through download or CD. I have my v-7 on order with Denon now and you should go to the DVD forum ( 2910 Owners thread) and check out the upgrade particulars, as they are listed, with link included.

Brian


Brian,

Thanks for the reassurance.

As far as the v-7 upgrade, I am aware of it and I was hoping that it might already have it when it arrives. The unit is currently on backorder, so I was wishfuly thinking when they come in they'd already be flashed with the new firmware. Thanks for the tip though, I'll definitely double check it when it finally gets here.

One reason I'm not going for the 3910 is just as you stated, the 2910 is a good compromise until the HD players come out.

Now that you've had your set ISF'd, do you feel that it's worth it? I'm pushing the limits of my budget as is, and another several hundred may land me in the doghouse.

Thanks again

Hello All,

I have been lurking in AVS Forum for about 6 months, reading all I can
about various DLP systems. The information here is fabulous, and it
is nice to see so many people getting along so politely.

Thanks to the many people who have voiced their opinions and shared
their knowledge and research. Without you, I would be lost.

Based on all the information I read, I had decided on a DLP TV in August
(2004) and was ready for most anything. At a local store, I saw the
Samsung "Captain Kirk" model, and was completely blown away by the picture
and quality. The pedestal would have been OK, but not with a two year old
boy, who loves to climb, running around the house.

When I read about the then upcoming debut of the Samsung 74 series,
I knew I was done shopping. Then it was just a matter of waiting until
the product was actually available.

I wanted the 5674, of course, but "the wife" (tm) said the 4674 would be
plenty. However, I placed the order, not her. So, 5674 it was.

I went through TVA, and that mostly went smooth.
Overall, it was probably 3+ weeks between credit card time and delivery time.

The issue with any new system was what cabinet/table to use.
I thought of a custom cabinet. But, I build software, not hardware, so that
would mean hiring out, taking extra time, etc.

Then, my wife found a cabinet at a place in Tucson
called Tres Amigos. Great southwest styles of furniture.

They had an armoir type of cabinet that had the correct measurements,
according to the paper specifications. But I was not ready to purchase
a cabinet based on the listed specifications.

So, I waited until the 5674 was delivered. And I measured it 9 times,
and then went to the store. By my tape measure, the Sammy would barely fit.

So, just after Christmas, during a 30% off sale, I purchased the
cabinet, aka armoir.

To say the 5674 fits well is an understatement: The fit is so fantastic
it feels like Samsung and the cabinet artisan were working in the same room.
Truly unbelievable. Want to see? Check out the composite pictures below.

The doors have double sets of hinges and fold flush with the sides.
(In the picture, the doors are a bit open...)

When sitting in the living room, watching TV, the entire metal edging
around the 5674 is just barely visible. I cut large air/access holes in
the back using a fancy blade saw. And the 5674 had to be inserted edge first,
then straightened, but it fits. With room to spare.

As to the Samsung 5674 itself: WOW. I have not made many adjustments,
and I am still in total awe. 40 days later.

I read about problems others have experienced: ghosting, rainbows,
incomplete blacks, etc. I have NOT seen any of these issues. None.
And I look for them all the time.

To further compliment the setup, I now have Voom Satellite with 39 HD
channels. Double WOW. The 5674 is so crisp and clear it is hard to look
away, even during commercials. Yes, SD is a bit wimpy, but put
the screen into 4:3 mode and it is still Very Very good.

Overall, I could not be more happy.

And being able to seal up the system, inside the cabinet, to protect
and hide it, is just awesome.

So, Thanks again to all who helped me get here.

If there is anything that I can give back to this "community", please,
someone, let me know.

Regards from Tucson,

-JPB

There has been a few threads recently about the Denon 2910 DVD player. I tried the Denon 1910 and did not like it because of the green push issue. I traded it in for the new Samsung 941. I'm relatively happy with it except for a few quarks (like no memory). The biggest concern I have with it is that is cannot pass below black levels unless it is hooked up HDMI>HDMI and set to 1080i. Any other resolution or use of DVI and it will fail below black tests. I have also noticed some lip synch issues from time to time. This can usually be corrected if I switch the resolution then back to 1080i.

For the less than $300 cost, it does have a really nice picture (using 1080i) but I'm starting to get annoyed with the lip synch problem and the fact that I can never use it in the future except through my HDMI jack.

So now my question: For those of you using the Denon 2910 with the 74 series, do you ever have audio synch issues?

This question is geared towards anyone who had used a lower end player then switched to the 2910: from an overall audio quality standpoint, do you really hear a big difference in audio quality when using the 2910 vs. a lower end model?

Last question: Can anyone verify that the 2910 passes below back levels on HDMI and DVI?

I talked to Samsung today about my problems with the 941 and they are having me mail it to the factory. The guy on the phone said that he agrees that all my concerns are ligit and if they cannot correct all of them I could probably get a refund. So I am trying to rationalize spending more than twice as much on a DVD player if they cannot correct it and I decide I want my money back.

Since everyone here has the same TV as me I figured you are the best to ask since players act differently on different displays.

Thanks everyone for all your help!

Originally posted by mchuckp
I talked to Samsung today about my problems with the 941 and they are having me mail it to the factory. The guy on the phone said that he agrees that all my concerns are ligit and if they cannot correct all of them I could probably get a refund.
Have you checked out Panasonic DVD-S97S FAQ / Brain dump (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=463025&perpage=20&pagenumber=1)?

The first message summarizes the contents of this gigantic thread. :)

JBP, nice set up. It's an awsome TV. I can't imagine the 1080p sets looking much better. How high is that sitting?

Originally posted by mchuckp
There has been a few threads recently about the Denon 2910 DVD player. I tried the Denon 1910 and did not like it because of the green push issue. I traded it in for the new Samsung 941. I'm relatively happy with it except for a few quarks (like no memory). The biggest concern I have with it is that is cannot pass below black levels unless it is hooked up HDMI>HDMI and set to 1080i. Any other resolution or use of DVI and it will fail below black tests. I have also noticed some lip synch issues from time to time. This can usually be corrected if I switch the resolution then back to 1080i.

For the less than $300 cost, it does have a really nice picture (using 1080i) but I'm starting to get annoyed with the lip synch problem and the fact that I can never use it in the future except through my HDMI jack.

So now my question: For those of you using the Denon 2910 with the 74 series, do you ever have audio synch issues?

This question is geared towards anyone who had used a lower end player then switched to the 2910: from an overall audio quality standpoint, do you really hear a big difference in audio quality when using the 2910 vs. a lower end model?

Last question: Can anyone verify that the 2910 passes below back levels on HDMI and DVI?

I talked to Samsung today about my problems with the 941 and they are having me mail it to the factory. The guy on the phone said that he agrees that all my concerns are ligit and if they cannot correct all of them I could probably get a refund. So I am trying to rationalize spending more than twice as much on a DVD player if they cannot correct it and I decide I want my money back.

Since everyone here has the same TV as me I figured you are the best to ask since players act differently on different displays.

Thanks everyone for all your help!

I had a 2910 paired with my 5674 for a month or so and loved it. It was a loaner while my 3910 was backordered. I almost cancelled my order and kept the 2910 but I had to have the better audio. Dont get me wrong the 2910 sounded great. And I watched a 1/2 doz movies with the 2910 and never noticed any lip synch issues at all. It was hooked up by HDMI.

It is a great player especially for the price.

I cannot compare directly to the 941. sorry

m

I finally got my HLP5674W last night. This was a warranty replacement of my old HLM507W. After a few hours of viewing last night I can say without a doubt I’m gonna be very happy with this set!

I have a couple of questions regarding the color settings, as they are much different from the 507. I’m wondering if there is a good rule of thumb procedure on what to adjust first in order to tweak the colors in. If you could provide me with your user menu settings and order of tweak it’d be of great help.

“My Color Control” – Easy and Detail
“Color Tone” – Standard, Warm, Cool
“Color Weakness”
Contrast, Brightness, Color settings

What is the “Anynet” input for? The manual indicates it is for upgrades.

Hello Hi Deaf,

Thanks. From the floor to the bottom of the 5674 is 29". It views well ...

-JPB

I have the 5674 hooked up to a Denon 3910. I use Cinema mode and used portions of Avia to adjust Contrast, Brightness and Color (well mostly...I also eyeballed the color level once I had gone back and forth adjusting Contrast and Brightness with Avia). I am connected to the Denon and to a Moto STB using HDMI and DVI connections respectively. You should arrive at your own settings by using Avia or DVE. My settings for what they are worth:

Contrast: 70
Brightness: 55
Sharpness: 61
Color: 47

And "Tint" will be grayed out and this is normal...

Sharpness is basically "arbitrary" because it doesn't do anything.

Remember that my settings or anyone else's will not necessarily apply to your set.

PS I have not or will not go into the Service menu per se!

Give you set a 100 hrs or so to "stabilize" and the SD will improve at least perceptively! :)

useda4z,

Do I feel the ISF calibration was worth it for my 5674 ? Absolutely. Best money "tweak" I ever spent on my AV gear the past 5 years.

I have spent a lot of money over the years on a lot of tweaks for audio ( Bybee filters (10), Z Sleeves (6), a few $ power cords, all cryo'd Hubbell outlets, EFS RF treatment, etc....). You get the idea. A lot of money on audio tweaks. And no regrets for those purchases, as they benefited my sonics in no small way. Yet, small increments each time, yet still positive.

However, for the $400. the ISF calibration cost me it is BY FAR the best short money I have ever spent for such a positive and immediately noticable upgrade. Not so much an "upgrade", per se, but it was just near perfect. And for $400 ! Kinda like immediate satisfaction in the ocular/video realm. No small increments, but a giant leap into that "it's done and can't be tweaked anymore" state. Being a tweaker, reaching that level of video display satisfaction, for short money, was welcome.

When I had the calibration done my bulb life was 330 hours. My point is there is no rush to have it done. After 100 hours is the recommended time for ISF. But if you have the rescources to save up a few notes for the calibration down the road then I recommend it very highly.

Like I said, best money I ever spent for such an improvement. My ISF was done primarily for the Denon 2910 HDMI input as I watch DVD's with a crititcal eye. And I was not disappointed.

But as mentioned, I am saving up for an HD player right now. The 2910 is just a pleasant stop-over. Just hope it doesn't take 2+ generations to get DVD HD right.

Brian

After praising my 5674, it died. The dreaded 3 blinking lights. It turned out that the "brain" died. ($1,000 parts and labor if not under warranty) Luckily, from my contact at Tweeter, I'll get new set on Monday. I'll be getting the extended warranty also. Oh well, another brake in period. I had it looking sooo good to.

I have a maybe silly question.

After searching the thread for a while, I can't find a definitive answer to this simple question re: pc viewing. When I plug in my 8 year old laptop which can, at its best, display 1024x768 over the PC connection (this thing has never even heard of DVI), will it:

a) not display at all
b) display, but look like absolute crap
c) pleasantly surprise me?

This thing can't play DVDs, nor games more recent than Sim City, so I'd really just like to surf a little bit of web and ocassionally read an email or a word doc.

Will this work?

Originally posted by BOK123
useda4z,

Do I feel the ISF calibration was worth it for my 5674 ? Absolutely. Best money "tweak" I ever spent on my AV gear the past 5 years.




Brian

Thanks for the input. I will probably give the set a few hundred hours to "break in" and then go for it myself. I have no doubt a professional is more capable of getting the best out of this set than I am.

23 days to delivery and counting! I can't wait!

Thanks again!

I finally was able to get some source of HD from RCN in Chicago. It's been a long wait. I bought an external Qam Capable tuner and now straight from the wall I can get the broadcast channels in HD. They look great. A few questions though.

Do most people set their STB to 720p or 1080i? I know the 5674's native resolution is 720p but I thought I remember some people saying 1080i looked better. I couldn't tell much of a difference by eye, but it is tough since switching the output turns off and back on the tuner.

Also do people change it based on programming (based on the channel they are watching)? Which broadcasts use which format? I know Fox uses 720p and CBS uses 1080i, what about ABC and NBC? Thanks for the help.

I have a 5674 and am looking for the power-on discrete code. I have all the codes for the inputs and power-off, but have not found the power-on. I have searched here and at Remote Central with no success.
I have been using the work-a-round (ie:discrete off, toggle power). None of the power-on codes for the XX63's work on my set.

Has anyone found the power-on discrete code?

5674 & DVE Setup Procedure

Is there are thread that defines the correct 5674 DVE Setup Calibration Procedure?

I have a Panasonic S97S connected via HDMI.

I just purchased the DVE Disc. I have had my 5674 since December and have been watching it using factory defaults. Frankly, I like what I see on my screen now.

I will, however, use DVE to see what settings I arrive at and then compare those with what I have been seeing for the past 8 weeks.

My Primary Question:

What gets calibrated first, the Player or the 5674?

Since they both have User Settings how does one know what the actual starting reference point is?

Since the Player is used as the display source for the test patterns and reference calibration material, would this not impact (bias) what is ultimatley seen on the 5674?

Regardless of which device is calibrated first, does the setting of one, then not indeed effect the setting of the other? How do you ever arrive at a valid point of reference?

Could this not become a case of the dog chasing its tail?

I hope I have made myself clear.

I'm confused!

Thanks for your reply!

HerbL
Charleston, SC

No love at all for my question below? Will no one take pity on my ignorance?

Originally posted by JeffNebraska
I have a maybe silly question.

After searching the thread for a while, I can't find a definitive answer to this simple question re: pc viewing. When I plug in my 8 year old laptop which can, at its best, display 1024x768 over the PC connection (this thing has never even heard of DVI), will it:

a) not display at all
b) display, but look like absolute crap
c) pleasantly surprise me?

This thing can't play DVDs, nor games more recent than Sim City, so I'd really just like to surf a little bit of web and ocassionally read an email or a word doc.

Will this work?

Originally posted by JeffNebraska
No love at all for my question below? Will no one take pity on my ignorance?

Wish I could help you but I have never hooked my pc up to it. IMO, I would think as long as you have a VGA on your computer it should work.

Hopefully someone who has knowledge of this will help you out. You could also try and take your laptop to a store and slap it in the jack.

Good luck!

Originally posted by JeffNebraska
No love at all for my question below? Will no one take pity on my ignorance? It should pleasantly surprise you. It takes signals up to 1024 by 768, I believe, and it can stretch the signal to fill the screen. The scaling isnt perfect, but its HD, and it looks nice.

Am I right that if I use DVE to calibrate my HLP5663W, I will only be able to calibrate the DVD input? I would like to calibrate my HD TiVo, but it does not appear that DVE or any other DVD will be able to do that. The real bummer is that this is a replacement set for another 63 that I had and I had that set professionally calibrated. I could use the settings from that, but I don't think they will be very usefull. Any thoughts?

Originally posted by RMSko
Am I right that if I use DVE to calibrate my HLP5663W, I will only be able to calibrate the DVD input? I would like to calibrate my HD TiVo, but it does not appear that DVE or any other DVD will be able to do that. The real bummer is that this is a replacement set for another 63 that I had and I had that set professionally calibrated. I could use the settings from that, but I don't think they will be very usefull. Any thoughts?

I've asked the same question before but can't get a good answer. I've read someone mention in a different thread to take your DVD player and plug it into the output that your STB will be on, run DVE, and use those settings.

I personally think this is stupid and doesn't make any sense. From my personal experience, I have owned two different DVD players with my 4674 and got totally different numbers when setting it up with DVE. I had a Denon 1910 then a Samsung 941. I had to crank up the Sammy settings around 10 units to get a comparable result. They both had a great picture when using their respective settings. So if I went this route to set up my STB, how would I know which settings to use?

Other than a professional calibration, I would record the test patterns on HDNET (shown every Tuesday from 8-8:10 AM). If you know how to use them, you can do your settings with these. However, I am not sure what to do with some of the test patterns. For example, it will show the scale of colors and a range of whites and blacks. There is no instruction on which black is considered below black so I can set it accordingly. Also, can I use the colored cellaphane that comes with DVE to set my reds, blues, and greens? Probably, but I don't know exactly how.

If anyone knows or has a link that will give some guidance on how to use the HDNET test patterns, it would be great.

To date, mine is strictly set up on my own sight and what just looks right. It looks good to me but it probably could be better.

I've written a guide to using the HDNet test patterns.

http://www.smartcalibration.com/hdnetpatterns.html

Short of an HD test pattern generator or an upconverting DVD player, that should give you a good start.

Originally posted by Cheezmo
I've written a guide to using the HDNet test patterns.

http://www.smartcalibration.com/hdnetpatterns.html

Short of an HD test pattern generator or an upconverting DVD player, that should give you a good start.

Sweet!!!! Thank you very much Cheezmo!!

hi all, I am having a hard time making a decision on the hd set to buy.
I am leaning either toward toshiba 62hm84 and the samsung 5674. Any
suggestions would be appreciated. thanks.

Cant give you a direct comparison but can only say "WOW" about my 5674! I had never spent over $2200 for a TV before and initially felt "guilty" buying the 5674 but have no regrets. Incredibly happy with HD cable reception. Have had to make a few PQ adjustments using Avia but never have been into the Service Menu. Now I am just enjoying it!!

I'm all over the idea of getting a calibration for my 74 -- but I'm curious if the calibration helps bring out any details in the darks. It seems as though the drop off from detail to no detail is quite sharp -- ummm....call it a cliff. And I've tried to make the response as correct as I can from a user standpoint (using Avia and DVE).

I'm gonna spend the money -- just curious because I've got some time to kill before I get some more hours on the bulb on my set.....

Setting the Gamma to 0 in the service menu should take care of that issue. Any calibrator who knows their way around these sets should do that as part of the calibration.

I pulled the trigger on a 5674, it'll be here Friday. I'm set to hook it up to my Samsung SIR TS360 DTV receiver. Plan to use HDMI from receiver to TV, and optical from DTV receiver to a/v receiver. TV does have optical out. Two questions:
1) Is it better to use the TV's optical out to go to my a/v receiver, or just use the DTV receiver's optical out? How does the receiver "know" which sound signal/source (air, cable, DTV) to send to the a/v receiver if I use mthe optical out from the DTV receiver?
2) Do I need to get someone to calibrate it (Virginia Beach) if I mostly watch TV vice DVD? What's the best way to calibrate it on my own, if that makes more sense?
Thanks to UCSB, Administrator, and everyone else in this thread for helpful posts.

I ordered the 4674 from TV Authority on Tuesday and received the set on Friday - before the SB!

Out of the box is terrific. I have not used any calibration tools, just my eyeballs and the picture in HD is awsome. SD, as previously reported is not so good.

My previous 43" Toshiba RPT is junk compared to the Samsung (although the tweakability of the Toshiba, is more encompassing). The difference in technology over 3 years is amazing. HD, now has that "WOW" factor and the form factor is much nicer.

Now I am trying to sell the Toshiba and I almost feel guilty; I may end up donating it to charity and taking the tax write off.

The 4674 is on its way!

After haggling between Good Guys and Magnolia in Emeryville, CA, got a great deal on the set and a Directv-HDTivo [PM me for details].

The set will be delivered on Friday and I have an installer coming Saturday morning to deliver a new dish and set up an OTA antennae.

I spent a long time sitting in the store this weekend making sure this was the set I want. I have to say, the only set in the store I felt had a better image was the Sony LCD XS series, but they don't make one of those nearly small enough for the room I'll be using. Anyway, I love the cabinet of the 4674 and was happy to pay a few hundred extra for that. Also, when I looked at the 4663 after spending a long time sitting in front of the 4674, the difference in sharpness was MAJOR. The 4674 pops like a plasma and the 4663 just feels muted.

Did see some crawling ants in a few scenes of the HD demo, but they were infrequent and seemed to be more or less affecting all the store's sets on those same scenes.

The only SD source I could check out was the store's OTA antennae, which I know is likely to be the best possible SD picture. That looked absolutely fine. I just hope my SD directv signal isn't nauseatingly bad.

Thanks to all for the input on this thread! I will be back with many more questions over the coming weeks.

Edit: based on recommendation in later post, I have taken out the actual prices I've paid from my post. Funny that I never noticed that there were no actual prices being discussed here. PM me if you want the details.

Thats a good price on the 4674. I am still evaluating it vs an LCD. Can you identify which of the two (Best Buy or Magnolia) you ended up buying from.

Out here (Houston) the Best Buys only seem to have the '63 in the stores and the only dealr I have seen with the '74 is Tweeters (I believe they are related to Magnolia). The best I have heard from Tweeter is $3200 but I suspect that price will come down as the new models become known. I also suspect they will listen to more serious price discussions than I have started so far...

It wasn't Best Buy, but Good Guys that ultimately beat out Magnolia for the sale.

Once you've decided on the set, just go in and say you are ready to buy, you want their best price, and you're going to take their price to the other store to beat it and buy from whoever is cheaper in the end. That way, they will really have an incentive to go low right away.

I got the two stores in a bidding war that seemed like it could go on forever. I didn't even have to go in to Magnolia, as they kept lowering their price over the phone.

But once I felt like I had a great price, I ended it because I liked the guy who was helping me at Good Guys and didn't want to be a jack**s.

Good luck.

Originally posted by JeffNebraska
It wasn't Best Buy, but Good Guys that ultimately beat out Magnolia for the sale.

Once you've decided on the set, just go in and say you are ready to buy, you want their best price, and you're going to take their price to the other store to beat it and buy from whoever is cheaper in the end. That way, they will really have an incentive to go low right away.

I got the two stores in a bidding war that seemed like it could go on forever. I didn't even have to go in to Magnolia, as they kept lowering their price over the phone.

But once I felt like I had a great price, I ended it because I liked the guy who was helping me at Good Guys and didn't want to be a jack**s.

Good luck.

JeffNebraska,

I few posts up you mentioned the price you paid. We are only supposed to discuss MSRP or round about ways of telling how much we paid for something. There are sponsors on this page and the admins want to keep them happy by not discussing actual pricing. If you feel you got a great price on something, have someone PM you if they want to know.

I recommend editing your above post if you want to keep the admins and sponsors happy.

Magnolia is related to Best Buy - their 'high end' store (like Lexus to Toyota) not Tweeters. I bought at Tweeter since they had the best price and the 5674 in stock. They also have a 60 day price match policy which clincehed the deal for me. The Magnolia store wouldn't compete in my case and were $300 higher. Tweeter was about two hundred higher than a forum sponsor but once I decided, I didn't want to wait weeks to get it. Am sure more sets are in the pipeline, now. Love the set!

Originally posted by JeffNebraska
The only SD source I could check out was the store's OTA antennae, which I know is likely to be the best possible SD picture. That looked absolutely fine. I just hope my SD DirecTV signal isn't nauseatingly bad.

I just got my 5674 last week. HD content is absolutely great!
I find that the SD DirecTV looks good on this set. My analog cable tv however is terrible. I really think it's just a matter of garbage in garbage out.

As you're getting the HD-TiVo with DirecTV, I would expect that you should get very good results on the SD stations.

Originally posted by Danboy68
TV does have optical out. Two questions:
1) Is it better to use the TV's optical out to go to my a/v receiver, or just use the DTV receiver's optical out?
2) Do I need to get someone to calibrate it (Virginia Beach) if I mostly watch TV vice DVD? What's the best way to calibrate it on my own, if that makes more sense? The 5674 has analog audio out, not optical. It will accept digital HDMI audio in. Just use your STB's optical out to your receiver. You can use a calibration DVD like Avia or DVE to calibrate yourself. A professional calibration runs about $400. Some notice a big improvement, some don't.

Not sure where to post this, but I figured this would be the best spot. I have the OEM Samsung stand for the HLN567W. But since I no longer have that TV, the stand has been sitting in my garage.

I'd like to regain my garage space so I'm looking to part with the stand for around $250. I'm located in Santa Monica and would prefer someone to come pick it up. If anyone is interested, send me a PM. Thanks.

Originally posted by Cheezmo
Setting the Gamma to 0 in the service menu should take care of that issue.

Well..I've read the service menu posts here and done that and it has helped the curve. But I'm beginning to wonder if it is the DirecTV HR10 unit that is doing something. Seriously...the loss of detail in the darks is amazing and quite different from what I see when I hook up my old set (Sony xbr2) to the same unit at SD resolution.

I'm getting up tomorrow morning to check out the HDNet test patterns.... :-)

If the black detail is missing, you indeed have a problem.

The first pattern on HDNet's test pattern is a set of color bars with a strip of numbers on backgrounds of various shades of gray.

If you can't see the 9 and 10, turn up brightness until you can just barely make out the 10. Then adjust contrast if the 0 has disappeared (or looks "pink").

If no adjustment of brightness can make the 10 visible than you have a problem that is not uncommon on these sets and I myself haven't found a good fix for it as it seems to involve feeding the set the correct test pattern while running the "AutoColor" function in the service mode. I'm going to try to resolve this issue with one on Sunday, and if I do figure something out, I'll let people know.

I do not advise that anyone run the AutoColor function unless you are willing to take responsibility for the service call you will have to make if you can't get it back to normal again, as depending on what is input when you run it, you can seriously mess up your component inputs.

Hi,

I am purchasing a 4674W and would love if someone would recommend the best DVD player that goes with this TV. I know most DVD players look different on different TV's. I thought since you all have the TV I am getting then it will be best to ask for someones opinion in here.

I have read most of the issues on all the upconverting DVD players on these forums. I just mainly want to target the search to good opinions from owners of the my new TV.

I am not burning all my cash on a high end Denon as its just not worth that to me. So definitely below the denon 2910 cost. SACD doesnt matter to me but I like great sound in the movies. So is it the samsung, toshiba, panasonic, etc offerrings.

I want the same stuff you guys want...incredible picture and incredible sound.

I appreciate any suggestions.

Lordsmiter

You said: "I want the same stuff you guys want...incredible picture and incredible sound."

Well then step up and get a 2910 or better yet 3910. I have the 5674 and the 3910 and it is an awesome combo and dont pooh pooh the SACD/DVDA sounds until you experience them on one of these babies. And possibly better yet for you make your first movie "Fifth Element" and the visuals and sound will blow all your socks off!

Lordsmiter,

Although I've also just made my purchase and haven't even taken delivery yet, I did spend a good deal of time sitting in front of the 4674 in the store. While there, I had the guy set up an inexpensive component player and the upconverting Sammy (not sure which of the two models it was).

Anyway, although both players looked awesome on the 4674, I didn't feel the upconverted Sammy made a huge difference. It looked a bit sharper and a bit grainier. So, even if you can't afford the 2910, of which so many on this board are rightly enamored, I wouldn't personally go with that Sammy.

Originally posted by Cheezmo
If the black detail is missing, you indeed have a problem.

The first pattern on HDNet's test pattern is a set of color bars with a strip of numbers on backgrounds of various shades of gray.

Thanks, Steve, for your professional insight. I'm trying to figure out if this discussion belongs on the Samsung thread or the H10 thread.

Well, some knucklehead overslept today and missed the test patterns. But I did take some time to do some more research. I've attached an image comparing two signals on the 74 - both images are SD satellite local channel feeds:

1. HDMI fed by H10 DirecTV unit (HD variety box)
2. S-Video fed by Tivo Series 1 DirecTV unit (SD variety)
3. Gamma on Samsung 74W is set zero.

This is somewhat of a bogus comparison, but it does show quite strikingly what I had perceived to be some issues with black levels. I experience the same loss of detail on the HD channels, etc. For each input on the Samsung, I brought out all the black detail I could via brightness and contrast. The blacks are actually gray, with green marching ants. I then froze a frame on the HDMI input using the Samsung 74W still button. Next, I switched inputs to the SD Tivo and found what was close to the correct frame. While these are digital stills taken minutes apart, they do accurately convey the information in the dark areas which I witness. Take a look at the area to the left of the guy's arm . Also note the fact that a gray strap is totally missing from the woman's shirt area on the right. That's pretty drastic, imho -- there is absolutely nothing there on the HDMI input.

What does this prove? Too soon to tell other than something is amiss with the H10, its HDMI output, or the Samsung's HDMI input. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that the SD Tivo is correct in showing more detail, since that is also what I experienced on the off-the air broadcast on another TV. Obviously some detail is being lost via the H10/HDMI signal path.

1. It could be the H10 misinterpreting the MPEG2 stream -- I figured that since it was the same stream from the satellite that might be a good comparison.
2. It could be wacky color space on the H10 that is changing things.
3. It could be wacky color space/gamma on the 74W.
4. Could it be a blacker than black issue that isn't getting passed? It shouldn't be, because technically they shouldn't be broadcasting blacker than black.
5. I've hooked up the analog component outputs of the H10 to the 74W, and I think there is more detail in the blacks -- but it is hard to judge because I can't create a still frame on the H10. Next week's HDNet patterns will be critical.

Anyway...If there are further suggestions for troubleshooting, I'd appreciate it. I'm not sure I want to bring a DVD player into the mix, but maybe that's a next step. Or maybe a feed from my Powerbook to the DVI input on the Samsung.

Shouldn't have slept in this morning, that's for sure.

Originally posted by johnmont
Thanks, Steve, for your professional insight. I'm trying to figure out if this discussion belongs on the Samsung thread or the H10 thread.

Well, some knucklehead overslept today and missed the test patterns. But I did take some time to do some more research. I've attached an image comparing two signals on the 74 - both images are SD satellite local channel feeds:

1. HDMI fed by H10 DirecTV unit (HD variety box)
2. S-Video fed by Tivo Series 1 DirecTV unit (SD variety)
3. Gamma on Samsung 74W is set zero.

This is somewhat of a bogus comparison, but it does show quite strikingly what I had perceived to be some issues with black levels. I experience the same loss of detail on the HD channels, etc. For each input on the Samsung, I brought out all the black detail I could via brightness and contrast. The blacks are actually gray, with green marching ants. I then froze a frame on the HDMI input using the Samsung 74W still button. Next, I switched inputs to the SD Tivo and found what was close to the correct frame. While these are digital stills taken minutes apart, they do accurately convey the information in the dark areas which I witness. Take a look at the area to the left of the guy's arm . Also note the fact that a gray strap is totally missing from the woman's shirt area on the right. That's pretty drastic, imho -- there is absolutely nothing there on the HDMI input.

What does this prove? Too soon to tell other than something is amiss with the H10, its HDMI output, or the Samsung's HDMI input. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that the SD Tivo is correct in showing more detail, since that is also what I experienced on the off-the air broadcast on another TV. Obviously some detail is being lost via the H10/HDMI signal path.

1. It could be the H10 misinterpreting the MPEG2 stream -- I figured that since it was the same stream from the satellite that might be a good comparison.
2. It could be wacky color space on the H10 that is changing things.
3. It could be wacky color space/gamma on the 74W.
4. Could it be a blacker than black issue that isn't getting passed? It shouldn't be, because technically they shouldn't be broadcasting blacker than black.
5. I've hooked up the analog component outputs of the H10 to the 74W, and I think there is more detail in the blacks -- but it is hard to judge because I can't create a still frame on the H10. Next week's HDNet patterns will be critical.

Anyway...If there are further suggestions for troubleshooting, I'd appreciate it. I'm not sure I want to bring a DVD player into the mix, but maybe that's a next step. Or maybe a feed from my Powerbook to the DVI input on the Samsung.

Shouldn't have slept in this morning, that's for sure.

Sorry I cannot help you with your issue. I don't have the technical knowledge but I can tell you that you did not miss the test patterns. They were scheduled to be on but they had some news on instead. I set my DVR to record it. Hopefully it will be on next week as scheduled.

Well, after reading about 10 hours worth of every post on this and the HLR and the Samsung 360 threads, I've got the 5674 arriving today. I'd like to thank everyone on this thread very much. Here's how I plan to set it up, any feedback appreciated. I'll follow up in the next few days.

Air, cable (for bad weather knocking out Sat in the middle of the Red Wings Game, if there's ever another), and Sat cables in to 360 (Though I read one post that cable might be better directly to TV?)
Samsung 360--HDMI to TV, optical audio to Yamaha a/v 5.1 receiver, also an S-Video to TV (manual suggests this I think for HD channels that don't do HD pics (ESPN HD taped pgms?); set to 720 out
Apex DVD Pro Scan model to a/v via component and optical
VHS via std cables

Will set TV to Expand, DNIe and DNR off. Initially will set Contrast-90, Brightness-45, Sharpness-0, Color-48.
May have to venture into service menu to set Gamma to 0 (?)
Will let set run about 100 hours to allow the picture (bulb) to get settled, then use HDNet test pattern at 0800 Tuesday morning to fine tune.

Okay, please tell me how I'm doing...I sorta feel like I crammed for an essay final exam again (been awhile) and just took it!

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks to all again. Will follow up.

Dan

Well, after reading about 10 hours worth of every post on this and the HLR and the Samsung 360 threads, I've got the 5674 arriving today. I'd like to thank everyone on this thread very much. Here's how I plan to set it up, any feedback appreciated. I'll follow up in the next few days.

-Air, cable (for bad weather knocking out Sat in the middle of the Red Wings Game, if there's ever another), and Sat cables in to 360 (Though I read one post that cable might be better directly to TV?)

-Samsung 360--HDMI to TV, optical audio to Yamaha a/v 5.1 receiver, also an S-Video to TV (manual suggests this as a backup); set to 720 out

-Apex DVD Pro Scan model (inexpensive, I know) to a/v via component and optical

-VHS via std cables

-Bose acoustimass w/ added Sony bass.

-Will set TV to Expand, DNIe and DNR off. Initially will set Contrast-90, Brightness-45, Sharpness-0, Color-48.
-May have to venture into service menu to set Gamma to 0 (?)
-Will let set run about 100 hours to allow the picture (bulb) to get settled, then use HDNet test pattern at 0800 Tuesday morning to fine tune.

Okay, please tell me how I'm doing...I sorta feel like I crammed for an essay final exam again (been awhile) and just took it!

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks to all again. Will follow up.

Dan

Dan, I have firmware v1111 and I tried Gamma 0 but choose to stay at default (3 if I remember correctly). I've had an HLN567 for a year and did find that changing Gamma from it's default of 5 to 0 to be helpful, but it wasn't my case for the 5674.

Your UM settings will really depend on your source device, i.e., brand and make of your DVD player, sat receiver, etc., but those numbers seem to be a good place to start, they're pretty close to where I've got mine across all inputs.

As for DNIe, that's a bit subjective IMHO, I like it on, I feel the picture is too soft without it (maybe I'm doing something wrong here). Granted there's quite a bit more EE with it on, but I've learned to live with it as long as my source doesn't have it as well, i.e., badly mastered DVDs.

anybody know if DNIe's "sharpening" can be tuned down through the SM?

In about an hour, I will be receiving the 4674 and a new DVD upscaler player; in the next few days, I will also be receiving the DVE DVD. I am sure buried inside this 74 page thread is the answer, but is there an optimum way to approach getting all the right settings. If anyone, can point me to the right page or summarize, it would be great. I understand all the standard settings and rationale,( brightness, contrast, etc). Setting Gamma, whatever that is, is another story.

Thanks for any pointers
Mike

Originally posted by mmccking
Dan, I have firmware v1111 and I tried Gamma 0 but choose to stay at default (3 if I remember correctly). I've had an HLN567 for a year and did find that changing Gamma from it's default of 5 to 0 to be helpful, but it wasn't my case for the 5674.

Your UM settings will really depend on your source device, i.e., brand and make of your DVD player, sat receiver, etc., but those numbers seem to be a good place to start, they're pretty close to where I've got mine across all inputs.

As for DNIe, that's a bit subjective IMHO, I like it on, I feel the picture is too soft without it (maybe I'm doing something wrong here). Granted there's quite a bit more EE with it on, but I've learned to live with it as long as my source doesn't have it as well, i.e., badly mastered DVDs.

anybody know if DNIe's "sharpening" can be tuned down through the SM?

Thanks. It just arrived at noon EST, damn if the hdmi/hdmi didn't fit on the 360 (needs dvi) (which someone did mention on an earlier post reply, I forgot):, so I swapped for a dvi/dvi and now back at Navy work defending a nation. Can't wait to get outta here and play w/ the new 5674.

Anybody have any input or recommendations on HDMI cables? As usual Monster are way overpriced($140). I refuse to pay that for a cable!

Craig

I ordered from www.monoprice.com, have not recieved them yet but the cable was around $10. Will let you know.

I bought an acoustic research 6' pro series II cable from buy.com for $34. Seemed like a nice cable and produces a nice picture on my 5674

Originally posted by calcraig
Anybody have any input or recommendations on HDMI cables? As usual Monster are way overpriced($140). I refuse to pay that for a cable!

Craig

I really like the quality, price, and service of Bluejeanscable.com.

Better Cables at the top of this page is an AVS sponsor, great price, selection and service. I have HDMI and DVI from them, work great. Monster is a waste.

Originally posted by Mike K
but is there an optimum way to approach getting all the right settings? Mike, you're going about it the right way. Get the player and the calibration DVD. If you want the best, get a professional calibration. Be very careful if you go into the service menu for the Gamma.

Nebraska dude - 1024 x 768 will work fine via VGA on your DLP, as long as it is set to a refresh rate of 60 Hz. TVs only understand 60 Hz, and other rates can damage their electronics. See if you could find some updated drivers to produce 848 x 480 or 1280 x 720 if you want to fill the widescreen - most PC res's are 4:3.

calcraig,

I clicked on Ram above ( AVS Sponsor) and bought an HDMI and DVI cable from them. Quick delivery, solid build, good performance, and a decent price.

I had a hard time spending over $100. for either cable. Plus, I had read more than a few times on this forum that members were very happy with their Ram cables. My .02

In my system they perform like a million bucks ;*)

I would love to find out how this goes, Cheezmo. I think I have this exact same problem--it's unbelievable how much detail is lost on my set in dark scenes, both in HD and SD. I am using a DVI input from my Comcast Motorola HD DVR. This was a replacement set for another that had "smudges" on the screen, but I don't remember the other set looking this dark. I have the contrast set to 100 and brightness anywhere from 43-55 and dark scenes look terrible. If I pump up the brightness the overall picture begins to look "washed out" but the darks don't look any better. I've also lowered the contrast to 90 or thereabouts without much difference in PQ.

For some reason the Component input doesn't seem to have this problem, as DVDs look fine. It's really the DVI input that looks bad...and I definitely don't remember it looking like this on the old set.

Any ideas are appreciated. Since I have Comcast I don't think I can get the test patterns as I have "InHD" rather than "HDNet".

Thanks!

Originally posted by Cheezmo
If the black detail is missing, you indeed have a problem.

The first pattern on HDNet's test pattern is a set of color bars with a strip of numbers on backgrounds of various shades of gray.

If you can't see the 9 and 10, turn up brightness until you can just barely make out the 10. Then adjust contrast if the 0 has disappeared (or looks "pink").

If no adjustment of brightness can make the 10 visible than you have a problem that is not uncommon on these sets and I myself haven't found a good fix for it as it seems to involve feeding the set the correct test pattern while running the "AutoColor" function in the service mode. I'm going to try to resolve this issue with one on Sunday, and if I do figure something out, I'll let people know.

I do not advise that anyone run the AutoColor function unless you are willing to take responsibility for the service call you will have to make if you can't get it back to normal again, as depending on what is input when you run it, you can seriously mess up your component inputs.

Sounds like your cable box may be crushibg the blacks over the DVI out. I had the same problem you describe with the Samsung T160. It was fixed when I changed to the Directv HD DVR

xymox9

Have you evaluated the black detail after hooking up your Moto DVR to your Sammy with component cables? And perhaps also comparing your DVD player via DVI???

m

Originally posted by RSawdey
Nebraska dude - 1024 x 768 will work fine via VGA on your DLP, as long as it is set to a refresh rate of 60 Hz. TVs only understand 60 Hz, and other rates can damage their electronics. See if you could find some updated drivers to produce 848 x 480 or 1280 x 720 if you want to fill the widescreen - most PC res's are 4:3.

My 1997, 233mhz laptop, with its non-NVIDIA or ATI video card, don't have no fancy drivers available nowhere. I was just grateful it could even handle a PCMCIA wireless card.

The trusty little bastard will, however, happily output 1024 x 768 at 60hz, so I'm hopeful that I will be surfin' in no time.

Originally posted by TWD
Sounds like your cable box may be crushibg the blacks over the DVI out. I had the same problem you describe with the Samsung T160. It was fixed when I changed to the Directv HD DVR

TWD, do you use the HDMI? That's what I'm hoping to do, starting tomorrow when the TV gets delivered, but from all I've read about the HD DirecTivo, I'm not optimisitc.

Either way, it would be great to hear that a working HDMI isn't suceptible to black crush, which I am all too familiar with thanks to my parents Sony LCD RP (GWIII).

Originally posted by Danboy68
Well, after reading about 10 hours worth of every post on this and the HLR and the Samsung 360 threads, I've got the 5674 arriving today. I'd like to thank everyone on this thread very much. Here's how I plan to set it up, any feedback appreciated. I'll follow up in the next few days.

-Air, cable (for bad weather knocking out Sat in the middle of the Red Wings Game, if there's ever another), and Sat cables in to 360 (Though I read one post that cable might be better directly to TV?)

-Samsung 360--HDMI to TV, optical audio to Yamaha a/v 5.1 receiver, also an S-Video to TV (manual suggests this as a backup); set to 720 out

-Apex DVD Pro Scan model (inexpensive, I know) to a/v via component and optical

-VHS via std cables

-Bose acoustimass w/ added Sony bass.

-Will set TV to Expand, DNIe and DNR off. Initially will set Contrast-90, Brightness-45, Sharpness-0, Color-48.
-May have to venture into service menu to set Gamma to 0 (?)
-Will let set run about 100 hours to allow the picture (bulb) to get settled, then use HDNet test pattern at 0800 Tuesday morning to fine tune.

Okay, please tell me how I'm doing...I sorta feel like I crammed for an essay final exam again (been awhile) and just took it!

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks to all again. Will follow up.

Dan


Well, it looks great out of the box. The top of the screen has a slight downward bow that shows a little distortion/"ants", but this is only on some channels. Not sure if this will pass or can be adjusted out?

Their is quite a difference in PQ among the non-HD stations, but we'll see what happens after a hundred hours or so.

Sat SD is really good overall. I'm really happy it doesn't seem too abnormally stretched (no grossly noticeable wide faces). HD great.

I had to adjust the settings somewhat brighter than planned (for example, cinema mode was too dark so I went with standard) since the TV sits high (above fireplace) and I need to compensate a little for the loss of brightness.

Does anyone have an opinion about how the 5663W with a seven segment color wheel compares to the 5674W with a six segment color wheel?

Is there any way to turn off the mute display button? I just bought a Denon 2910 DVD player and when I hook it up to the tv through HDMI, audio comes out of the TV speakers. I have a Harmony remote so I can put in the macro to mute the TV when I watch DVDs, but it doesn't do me much good if the Mute Display stays on throughout the movie. There is no other good way to lower the volume. I can't get to internal mute through a simple key command on the remote either. Turning volume down is tough since my DVD activity controls the receiver with volume keys. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Why don't you just listen to everything through the AV receiver and just keep the internal mute on?

ks.man

I vote with Hi Deaf. I was struggling with the same issue and now set the TV on internal mute (or do I just leave the TV volume turned all the way down--maybe that is what I did/do....

Anyway, heck just use the receiver for all audio, TV, DVD, ghosts.... :) and enjoy the nice sound of your HT system!

And I take it you are using a Harmony (680?).

Originally posted by ks-man
Is there any way to turn off the mute display button? I just bought a Denon 2910 DVD player and when I hook it up to the tv through HDMI, audio comes out of the TV speakers. I have a Harmony remote so I can put in the macro to mute the TV when I watch DVDs, but it doesn't do me much good if the Mute Display stays on throughout the movie. There is no other good way to lower the volume. I can't get to internal mute through a simple key command on the remote either. Turning volume down is tough since my DVD activity controls the receiver with volume keys. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

What the other posts are recommending is that in the User Menu (I think under audio?) you set Internal Mute to "on". This is different than the mute button on the remote. This will not result in an on screen display and will permanently mute sound from your TV speakers.

Rich S is correct but I think that I just left the volume on the TV turned down all the way just in case someone (like my spouse) decided to only turn on the TV and then could not figure out how to get any volume out of it! and then killed me!! :)

Originally posted by mismatched
Rich S is correct but I think that I just left the volume on the TV turned down all the way just in case someone (like my spouse) decided to only turn on the TV and then could not figure out how to get any volume out of it! and then killed me!! :)

Classic!

Originally posted by RMSko
Classic!

Thank you!

looking to buy 5674 but none of my local retailers sell it here in ohio, can
anybody help me with a good place online to buy? thanks.