In the spirit of all the other owners threads, I'm starting one for owners of the new HD2+ RCAs.

I'm picking up my HD50LPW162 from Best Buy on 11/27.

Are there any quirks I should know about? Has anyone determined if you can access the service menu? Does a service menu even exist?

I'll make an attempt at posting pictures of the set in its new home just as soon as I get it set up and get a digital source on it. If anyone else has the 162 or 163, post some pics of your setup. I'm like a kid at Christmas...I can't wait to pick up my set.

What's the difference between the 162's and 163's?

The most obvious difference is the 162s have a popular RPTV cabinet-style: speakers placed in the base of the cabinet, with screen above, which is surrounded by a narrow (1/2" or so) gray/slate-colored bezel.

The 163s have what RCA is calling a "floating screen" whereby the screen is actually mounted to the surface of the cabinet, so that it protrudes about 1/2" giving it the illusion of floating.

It is very slick looking and I actually prefer this to the 162. However, I can't seem to locate a reputable dealer (local or online) that is selling the 50 incher. In fact, RCA has removed it from their website (http://www.rca.com/product/viewmodellist/browseproduct/0,2589,CI700294,00.html?) (if it was even on there to begin with...I don't recall). I know they (will) exist...google HD50LPW163 and it's there...

At any rate, the 163 adds:

Firewire ports
NetConnect (a Windows CE based web browser)


I think that's about it. The rest of the internals (DLP chip, light engine, color wheel, etc etc) should all be the same...I didn't look too much more into the 163s, because only the 61" is for sale at this time (from what I can tell) and that won't fit into the 48" space I have available in the armoire in which it's going.

I am also a fan of the 74 series from Samsung, but the RCA is 4" bigger and at least $500 cheaper. Essentially, what I'm doing is giving the RCA a test drive. If it seems lacking somehow in the next 30 days (well, 26 now), I'll return it to BB and then I'll buy the Samsung.

I hope this helps.

I have been told that the noise from the fan on the RCA's is enough to eliminate them from my final list of DLP's.

Any truth to this? Obviously, RCA owners weren't fazed. Has anyone returned an RCA because of the fan?

Thanks.

I'll let you know...I am supposed to pick mine up today, but naturally BB claims they don't have it..."It should be on our truck later today."

Gee, thanks. You could have told me that BEFORE I made the 30 minute drive.

Well, I finally was able to pick up the TV today (11/29). However, we have a painter in the house, so I am unable to set it up for now.

I'll set it up, post some pictures and give my initial impressions just as soon as I can.

I was fortunate enough to get mine last Tuesday and have had several days to play with it. I had a first gen 61 that went bad after 10 months and BB swapped it out for the new one much to my surprise. Needless to say I like the set much more than the first gen. From picture to menus its a vast improvement. I am running BHN pace box via dvi with an HDMI adaptor. The new DVR boxes with HDMI come out next month and I am on the list. Picture wise its more of an evolutionary approach than revolutionary but I concur after looking at all of the models they had I came back to the rca everytime. Not to mention because of a very decent price difference as well. I am not waiting for the Samsung 941 to appear and I will be a happy camper unless another HDMI dvd player comes out. I am happy to provide pics if anyone would like or answer specific questions. Also I DO NOT notice the fans to be any louder than the first gen....

Cheers

Suzook -- doe sthis model finally accept its native resolution via DVI and/or component?

(Do you have a cable box or Xbox that will output 720p to do the experiment?)

Thanks.

Joe

I can confirm that it does accept native resolution !!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah! I might have to go look at it now :)

I purchased my HD61LPW162 from Best Buy on 9/27/04. I think that it is a great value for the price (and of course I got a great deal) :D. The cable card function works pretty good and XBOX game (via component) looks great. It also functions great as a 61 inch PC monitor (which is now my primary display) with my ATI 9800 pro and HD dongle. Ya the fan is abit noisy and startup/shut down takes longer than I like, but overall this set is simply outstanding period. I love the fact that set can be updated, I updated to the latest firm/SW and now the one HD channel that I was having issues with comes in clear as a bell :D . Anyone else update thier HD61LPW162. Also is Bestbuy the only retail (non-internet) store that sells the HD61LPW162 or do other retail stores carry it?

Originally posted by njx3
I have been told that the noise from the fan on the RCA's is enough to eliminate them from my final list of DLP's.

Any truth to this? Obviously, RCA owners weren't fazed. Has anyone returned an RCA because of the fan?

Thanks.

It's really not to bad:cool: If possible go to Bestbuy and check it out

Is it pronounced "see-nee-um" or "sen-nee-um" ?

Dont know how I overlooked this but this set no longer has the web browser..bummer

Originally posted by twohype
It also functions great as a 61 inch PC monitor (which is now my primary display) with my ATI 9800 pro and HD dongle.

Great! What resolution are you running? How much overscan is there?(any pics?:) )

Do you have a DVI----->HDMI cable/adapter or plan on getting one? I'd like to find out if/how well this set functions as a PC monitor through the HDMI input.

I saw one of these sets at BB,(the smaller one) it was just hooked up. It had a great picture.

Originally posted by Low Roller
Great! What resolution are you running? How much overscan is there?(any pics?:) )

Do you have a DVI----->HDMI cable/adapter or plan on getting one? I'd like to find out if/how well this set functions as a PC monitor through the HDMI input.

I saw one of these sets at BB,(the smaller one) it was just hooked up. It had a great picture.

:D NO overscan at 1216 by 696 using the beta catalyst 12 drivers which allow for custom resolutions (for component). The HD dongle works on the DVI port and of course it's using a component hookup:D

I got my 51" 162 3 weeks ago. Few quirks...

In 4x3 aspect mode the image is a bit pinched/skewed. Meaning that in 4x3 the image is slightly wider at the top and bottom then in the middle. Its about 1/8 inch. I had a BB tech out to look at it and he said some BS that it was normal and if I was not satisfied to return it.

Also the fan noise. I have come to realize that all, and I mean all, HD2+ sets are high on the fan noise Richter scale! I have seen/had the Panasonic, Mits, RCA, and Sammy. All had fan noise that was higher then a set with the HD3 chip. THe HD2+ might use a brighter bulb or something that requires the extra cooling. The Mits particularly sounded like a turbine engine and has a fan that stays on all the time after the set is powered off. Anyway, the RCA I feel is the lowest of the HD2+ chip sets out there. Also because of the cabinet design it lends itself easily for me to build a simple wooden shield to divert all fan noise to the rear of the set and dampen it at the same time. However, from a normal viewing distance the noise is not noticeable to me or I am becoming use to it? Either way I want a set with the HD2+ so I have to deal with it I guess.

I am a techie person and would love to be able to access the service menu which as the end owner I feel I am fully entitled to do. Its a shame that RCA makes it so damn hard to do so! I still, after extensive searching, have not found out if its even possible much less how to access the menu. I would suspect that my 1/8 inch skew could be instantly corrected from the SM.

Aside from those issues, being the negatives, the positives are many. I love the menu system and all of the user controllable settings. I like that each input retains its own picture settings and the personal settings are per input as well. Since SD TV is poor, I tend to have vary different pic settings then while watching a movie and different still if its day time or night time. Also you have to love the ethernet connection on the rear of the set. Everything in the house should just use ethernet! I wish I could force it to go to the net and check for updates to the firmware, but alas, its not meant to be. I like the fact that the set's speakers can be used as the front channel speaker. I personally do not do this but for the average person it would do nicely.

Its odd but the plastics used in this set are very high quality. If you can compare them to the Panny DLP. There is no comparison. Tactilely they feel nicer and frankly they feel stronger. Granted the TV is not being deployed in a war zone, but still, stuff like that makes me feel good that I bought the best set I could find.

Overall, great set. Hopefully someone here find out or knows how to get into the damn service menu.

Originally posted by njx3
I have been told that the noise from the fan on the RCA's is enough to eliminate them from my final list of DLP's.

Any truth to this? Obviously, RCA owners weren't fazed. Has anyone returned an RCA because of the fan?

I have had a first generation 50" RCA DLP for thirteen months and have found fan (actually both the fan and the color wheel spin) noise not to be a problem. With the TV sound on it is inaudible. Even with the sound muted and just the heat or air conditioning running it is virtually inaudible. In short, I wouldn't worry about it.

Originally posted by forkball
Since SD TV is poor...
What is the source of your SD? And by poor, do you mean worse than what you were used to with a CRT?

I'll have my 50" 162 set up later tonight and connected to an HDTiVo. I can't freaking wait. And while it looks gorgeous still sitting on the family room floor in the bottom tray of the cardboard box in which it came, it will look much nicer in the armoire. :)

SD is *not* poor with the RCA, in fact, I dare say it is the best SD I've ever seen from a rear-projection. It beats out Sony's Grand WEGA series which many believe to be great with SD.
SD in full-screen mode on the RCA via DirecTV is television bliss.

Originally posted by forkball
I got my 51" 162 3 weeks ago. Few quirks...



Overall, great set. Hopefully someone here find out or knows how to get into the damn service menu.


Press and hold menu and either channel down or volume down (can't remember which) for several seconds with TV running. Be Careful!!!!

Select service menu

Use volume up button to raise value (V:) to 76 for service adjustments
Set value to 80 for test patterns. Set value to 90 for lamp hours

I did get into the menu. I was unable to correct the skew issue I have through it though. Its very weird that you have to up the V vaule to those numbers to access other items. Anyway, do you know how I would adjust the right and left sides of a 4x3 image to even it out?

Thanks in advance.

Well, just a quick post to let y'all know that my HD50LPW162 has been set up (along with an HR10-250 HD DirecTiVo) and it is GORGEOUS! I absolutely love the picture on this thing OOTB. I can't wait until I have a chance to record the HDNet test pattern to adjust the picture.

I also plan to use AVIA to adjust the picture on the DVD player input (component).

I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow (sorry, black tie affair tonight) and get them posted along with some of my first impressions.

I've had my HD50LPW162 for about a week now and I must say I'm very impressed with the picture quality and features. I tried to access the service menu using menu+vol down and menu+channel down with no success. What exactly are key presses?

_________________
Brian

Turn the TV on. From the controls on the set, press the Menu button and hold it while pressing the button right next to it, I believe its Vol down. Then you will get a sub menu on the screen, arrow down, from the remote, to the Service Adjustments sub-menu, and follow the instructions posted above.

The menu button and vol are not adjacent on my remote. The nearest button to the menu button is the arrow/ok pad. I've tried pressing menu+vol down with no result

Originally posted by forkball
Turn the TV on. From the controls on the set, press the Menu button and hold it while pressing the button right next to it, I believe its Vol down. Then you will get a sub menu on the screen, arrow down, from the remote, to the Service Adjustments sub-menu, and follow the instructions posted above.



Menu and Channel down buttons on TV itself. Once in the menu you can use the remote to adjust. Have not had a chance to look at menu for a little while . Don't believe you can adjust much as far as linearity etc.

For those of you that have the HDxxLPW162... how does it compare to the Samsung 4674? I'm very curious as I want a DLP with the HD2+ chip but I can't go too wide. The Sammy is only 40" wide while the RCA is 47". Also, do you know of any other sets with the HD2+ besides the Toshiba 46HM94 (53" wide), Panny 50DL54 (56" wide), Mits 52725 (50" wide... but I here has a glare problem). Thanks!

I've had my HD50LPW162 set up and in use for about 4 days now. I must say that I am absolutely thrilled with this set.

Connected to the set is an HDTiVo using HDMI (DirecTV), an OTA antenna (split, running both to the HDTiVo and to the set directly), and a cheapo APEX prog-scan DVD player using component.

OOTB, the HD picture is fantastic. A bit too bright (the pq preset is on Vibrant...meant for showroom floors and/or very brightly lit rooms), but easily corrected in the menus. I'm recording the HDNet test patterns Tuesday morning, so I'll be able to properly adjust the HDMI input PQ. Note: each of the inputs are individually adjustable. I'll be using the AVIA disc to adjust the component inputs around the same time.

I watched the first half of the Steelers/Jaguars game on ESPNHD and I am still amazed at the incredible detail you can clearly see in every shot: the perforations in the player's jerseys, the blades of grass on the field, the enormity of Joe Theismann's ego ;). Needless to say, I am thrilled so far with the HD PQ.

What I am even more impressed with is the SD PQ. Before I bought this set, I had read horror stories from nearly everyone that DLPs are horrible with SD. Well, that's just not true. In fact, the SD PQ is just as good, if not better than on my 8 year old 32" Philips CRT and my 2 yr old 27" JVC flat-screen CRT. And I think they both have phenomenal pictures. SD PQ: better than I expected!

DVD playback is equally impressive. I haven't done any thorough testing, but I can't tell the difference in PQ between interlaced and progressive. That's probably because I'm using a cheap DVD player, but like I said, the PQ is excellent already.

Some things I haven't tried yet, but will very soon:

Calibration using Avia/HDNet test patterns
Gaming console PQ
Gaming console lag (reported heavily in Samsung threads)
A/V sync issues (have none to this point, but I'm using TV speakers for now)


Some other things to keep in mind about this set:

Has Ethernet port (firmware can be upgraded)
Built in HDTV tuner (and CableCard slot...I don't need it, but maybe you do)
Digital optical audio output
Can be had for considerably less than a smaller Samsung


To sum up, the HD PQ is stellar, the SD PQ is very good and much better than I expected, and I have not experienced any A/V issues, such as sync problems, rainbows, eye fatigue, etc.

All in all, a great set to this point. I still have some more input devices to add and an A/V receiver to connect (for the all important DD 5.1!), but I don't anticipate any problems, based on my experience to this point.

I have no desire to tell anyone what to buy, but I decided originally to "test drive" the RCA from BB for 3 weeks or so and if I wasn't thrilled with it, I would return it for a refund and order a Samsung 74.

I'm keeping the RCA :)

Thanks Chris. That helps a ton. I think I'm going to do the same... save the money (perhaps to get a better DVD player) and go with the RCA. If you do end up running into any problems, if you could post them that would be great!

I've had my HD50LPW162 for about a week now. I'm connected to a direct cable feed only with an HD box on the way. With the built in QAM tuner, I'm pulling in 20 SD digital channels that I didn't get before and about 40 or so music channels. So far I haven't found any HD channels but I suspect they are on there somewhere.

Like Chis I'm very impressed with the quality of the SD picture, with the proper adustments it's spectacular. I spent much time fooling around with the picture settings until I got it the way I wanted it. Here are the settings that look best to my eyes for SD television

Contrast - 53 Color - 47 Tint - 50 Black Level - 54 Sharpness - 58

Color warmth - cool Green stretch - off Edge enhancement - high

Contrast expand - off

I know videophiles are adament that edge enhancement (scan velocity modulation) should not be used.but it definitely sharpens the picture on SD content. The contrast expansion on the other hand does make the blacks, blacker but I find that detail is lost with this turned on.

Can't wait to see the HD quality!! I spent hours researching DLP sets in stores and online and for the price, features and picture quality, I don't think anything can compare to the RCA.

Originally posted by PythonNF
I spent hours researching DLP sets in stores and online and for the price, features and picture quality, I don't think anything can compare to the RCA.
Amen.

Originally posted by PythonNF
I've had my HD50LPW162 for about a week now. I'm connected to a direct cable feed only with an HD box on the way. With the built in QAM tuner, I'm pulling in 20 SD digital channels that I didn't get before and about 40 or so music channels. So far I haven't found any HD channels but I suspect they are on there somewhere.

Like Chis I'm very impressed with the quality of the SD picture, with the proper adustments it's spectacular. I spent much time fooling around with the picture settings until I got it the way I wanted it. Here are the settings that look best to my eyes for SD television

Contrast - 53 Color - 47 Tint - 50 Black Level - 54 Sharpness - 58

Color warmth - cool Green stretch - off Edge enhancement - high

Contrast expand - off

I know videophiles are adament that edge enhancement (scan velocity modulation) should not be used.but it definitely sharpens the picture on SD content. The contrast expansion on the other hand does make the blacks, blacker but I find that detail is lost with this turned on.

Can't wait to see the HD quality!! I spent hours researching DLP sets in stores and online and for the price, features and picture quality, I don't think anything can compare to the RCA.

Well said, I agree:D

Hi,
I'm considering the HD61LPW163. I plan to use the CableCard; can anyone who has this set tell me if there is a "TV Guide" type channel guide? I understand that this is the only way I can get an on-screen program guide if I'm using the CableCard rather than the digital STB....

The other set I'm considering is the Toshiba 62HM94, which does have the guide feature....

Thanks,
Dave

How about clearing up an apparent misconception I have.... Concerning the 50inch 162 series.

I assumed that the presence of the Ethernet port meant you had the built in browser. Did your set come with the wireless keyboard to access the Internet?

I have to agree that this set has a LOT of "bells and whilstles" and its "value rating" is WAY WAY up there...and, it fits into my slightly less than 48" space. But...I saw the 50 incher at BB next to JVC DILA. I have to tell you, as much as I was rooting for the RCA, the JVC was a much better HD picture.

See my comments interspersed in your quote:
Originally posted by BBH
How about clearing up an apparent misconception I have.... Concerning the 50inch 162 series.

I assumed that the presence of the Ethernet port meant you had the built in browser. Did your set come with the wireless keyboard to access the Internet?

No, the 162 does not have a web browser, nor comes with a wireless keyboard. That is for the 163/165 models.

I have to agree that this set has a LOT of "bells and whilstles" and its "value rating" is WAY WAY up there...and, it fits into my slightly less than 48" space. But...I saw the 50 incher at BB next to JVC DILA. I have to tell you, as much as I was rooting for the RCA, the JVC was a much better HD picture.

I'm not here to bash any other display technology nor JVC in particular, but read this review in a very recent edition of PC Magazine (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1729309,00.asp). I have always said that you should go with what looks best to you. If the JVC honestly looks better to you than the RCA, go for it. Just be sure you have tweaked each display's PQ settings to your liking (so they both look their best), then compare. That's what I did and the DLP (specifically the RCA) won out.

Chris... Thanks for your quick response. I just visited the RCA web site and it looks like the 165 series could be the winner. I am intrigued by the ethernet port !!... and my wife likes the RCA.

Like many, many marketing decisions, the one that installs an ethernet port, but eliminates the browser baffles me.

The RCA site is no help in finding a 165, however. Oh well, maybe around Christmas.

Well, the ethernet port is still useful on the 162: the set can download and install firmware upgrades!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BBH
[B]Chris... Thanks for your quick response. I just visited the RCA web site and it looks like the 165 series could be the winner. I am intrigued by the ethernet port !!... and my wife likes the RCA.

Dont forget BBh...the 165 series uses the hd3 chip. Most on this board favor the hd2+ chip.....Corkster

Attention HD50LPW162 owners!!!!

BB has the HD50LPW162 for 5% less than what I paid for it 2 weeks ago. Perhaps it's less that what you paid for it was well.

I'm going to print out the webpage and head there tonight to get my price match.

[i]

Dont forget BBh...the 165 series uses the hd3 chip. Most on this board favor the hd2+ chip.....Corkster [/B]

I know. The Consumer Dilemma. The almost perfect set for you has everything you want, except......

As unbelievable as it sounds, RCA can't tell me where I can find a 165 series here in south Florida. Unbelievable !!!!! Numerous OnLine retailers claim to have the set in stock, but MOST of those guys tend to LIE. Discounts off retail of up to $1000. Caramba. Obviously quite a markup on these sets.

Given everything else positive about this set, ...it even includes the "TV Guide" interactive menu, I am still leaning towards it. I would like to actually see one, however. Silly me, huh?

BBH, I don't believe the RCA has its own guide...the guide button on the remote is designed to pull up the guide from another component you may have connected to your set (such as satellite or cable box).

Is there a way to check lamp hours on the new RCAs? I have searched through the manual and the on-screen menus and I can't find it.

Perhaps it's in the service menu?

Fellow RCA Scenium HD61LPW162 owners, a new software update is available today (A6.0C) the fireware version is still the same B4.03. thus the new software version for the RCA Scenium HD61LPW162 is A6.0C/B4.03. Anyone have a clue what added freatures or what it fixes? I just updated and it seem like it updated alot of the internal software, based onwhat was displayed during the update

[QUOTE]Originally posted by luebster
Is there a way to check lamp hours on the new RCAs? I have searched through the manual and the on-screen menus and I can't find it.

Perhaps it's in the service menu? [/QUOTE


While set is running,

1. Press and hold menu and channel down button on TV, it should immediately display the service screen menu.

2. press channel down to highlight item 2 Service alignment, press menu on tv to activate the alignment screen.

3. Once the alignment screen is activated, press volume up button until value ( V: ) reads 90 then press Channel up and hours on should appear..

I've been looking for a set that had it all - and these look promising!

Has anyone tried hooking up their audio through a receiver? I'm wondering if any audio delay is detected, as in the Samsung sets. How about a PS2?

For the 165 series, RCA's web site says:

One-Touch DVR Record Yes - DVR Required

Can someone explain what this means? What DVRs would be supported? how would they be hooked up?

luebster, i have been following this thread closely and appreciate your input since i may pull the trigger on this model soon. after downloading and reading some of the pdf from rca, it seems you can't do split screen but only p-i-p with this set. is this true? that would suck. is the p-i-p window adjustable in size? i realize you can only show an analog signal in the p-i-p window which is a bummer. with my brother-in-law's sony wega lcd rptv you can split the screen with two channels and zoom in and out on either side. just great funtionality. i was hoping the rca would be as flexible. this restriction would certainly not be a dealbreaker for me since i like the picture on this set a lot.
the rca beat out any set i compared it too at it's relative price point for picture quality and features.

regards,
paul

Paul, there is no split-screen on the RCA. In fact, PIP is pretty useless. You can only use PIP for 480i source material. Why would you want to watch 480i on this beautiful of a screen?

Anyway, I have an HDTiVo, so I don't really have a need for PIP. If I want to watch 2 shows that are on at the same time, I record them both and watch them both later! ;)

Originally posted by jensph
Has anyone tried hooking up their audio through a receiver? I'm wondering if any audio delay is detected, as in the Samsung sets. How about a PS2?
I just hooked up my receiver today and there is a noticeable delay on some programming. I think it's a source thing...meaning it really just depends on the channel you are tuned to. The source is an HDTiVo, which is outputting everything at 720p, so the RCA should have minimal processing to do (if any).

I noticed a delay watching some roller coaster show on HDNet, but didn't notice any on Die Another Day on ShowtimeHD.

I think I recall seeing others report that HDNet is frequently out of sync.

Haven't hooked up the PS2 yet...one thing at a time!

Has anybody tried hooking up a PC to one of these sets via a DVI---->HDMI cable yet?

Originally posted by luebster
I just hooked up my receiver today and there is a noticeable delay on some programming. I think it's a source thing...meaning it really just depends on the channel you are tuned to. The source is an HDTiVo, which is outputting everything at 720p, so the RCA should have minimal processing to do (if any).

I noticed a delay watching some roller coaster show on HDNet, but didn't notice any on Die Another Day on ShowtimeHD.

I think I recall seeing others report that HDNet is frequently out of sync.

Haven't hooked up the PS2 yet...one thing at a time!

Thanks for the reply - though I'm a bit confused. If your HDTiVo outputs everything at 720p, then the RCA has no scaling to do - so, presumably anything you watch through the HDTiVo using the receiver for audio wouldn't have a delay. Where would the delay when watching HDNet come from?

I'm fairly certain it's a problem with HDNet. I recall seeing posts regarding HDNet and a/v sync issues.

I also had my 162 update itself on Saturday. The only thing I noticed that was different was when I hit the info button while watching a movie. Previously movies would show the title when I pressed the info button. Over the weekend, after the update, I was no longer able to see the title. Now maybe its movie specific or something, who knows, but it was before, and now its not!

I will continue to monitor and report if it changes.

Aside from this one small thing, I noticed absolutely no difference at all!!!

Originally posted by luebster
BBH, I don't believe the RCA has its own guide...the guide button on the remote is designed to pull up the guide from another component you may have connected to your set (such as satellite or cable box).

I am prettty sure both the 163 and the 165 DO have TV Guide On Screen. You must have a cable connection either feeding a cable box or cable ready VCR. These devices are the conduit to the TV set, but once ( and after daily/weekly updating...) you download the TV Guide EPG via one or the other of these devices, it resides within the innards of the TV set.

Once the download of data is complete (until you need an update, of course...) the TV is a standalone device containing the TV Guide data.

You can download the owner's manual at the RCA site.

I looked at the owner's manual. Cleared up a number of questions I've had.

It also answered a question that I posted previously:

One-Touch DVR Record Yes - DVR Required
Can someone explain what this means? What DVRs would be supported? how would they be hooked up?

You can hook up a DVR using the DTVLink port - a.k.a. FireWire. This would allow for the interesting possibility of cable connection using a CableCard and DVR connection. Though the only DVRs that support DTVLink that I know of are the two from RCA.

I also saw that there's an audio optical digital out for connecting to a receiver. This makes me wonder if you hook up cable using a CableCard and a DVD using HDMI, and then use the digital out to pipe audio through your receiver - would you then avoid any audio/video delay issues?

One last thing: was there always a 165 series 44" on their web site? I thought 50" was their smallest, until just noticing it yesterday. Anyone know when this series will appear in stores, if ever?

Originally posted by BBH
I am pretty sure both the 163 and the 165 DO have TV Guide On Screen. You must have a cable connection either feeding a cable box or cable ready VCR. These devices are the conduit to the TV set, but once ( and after daily/weekly updating...) you download the TV Guide EPG via one or the other of these devices, it resides within the innards of the TV set.

Once the download of data is complete (until you need an update, of course...) the TV is a standalone device containing the TV Guide data.

You can download the owner's manual at the RCA site.
Sounds good to me. I have a 162 and my owner's manual says exactly what I posted earlier. It's really immaterial to me since I have an HDTiVo, which of course has its own guide.

But it is good to know that the guide does what it's supposed to do on the 163s and 165s. Thanks for checking it out further!

Got a technical question on the 162. Got mine a couple of days ago and have been going thru the different functions on the TV. When I play a dvd thru component out to the TV, the info button on the remote control displays that the video souce is 4:3 normal , stretch,zoom, cinerama, 480i SD. Shoudn't I be displaying in 16:9. I am viewing widescreen DVD's( Matrix, Master and Commander etc.) Is there a place to control this setting, or is 4:3 480i SD the correct output. Any informationwould be helpful Thanks, Corkster

Did any of you do direct comparisons with the Samsung xx85 or xx74 series? If yes, I'm curious as to your impressions as I'm currently looking at the Samsung 5674 vs the RCAs. If by chance this information is posted elsewhere, I missed it and would appreciate a redirect. Thanks.

gt

Originally posted by corkster
When I play a dvd thru component out to the TV, the info button on the remote control displays that the video souce is 4:3 normal , stretch,zoom, cinerama, 480i SD. Shoudn't I be displaying in 16:9.

Corkster, I know that my Sony DVD player has a settings menu that allows me to specify whether my TV is 4:3 or 16:9. It was 4:3 by default - perhaps yours is too? Also, 480i is SD. If it's a progressive scan DVD player you can turn this on to get 480p - again, check the DVD player settings.

I have one of the Samsung HD841 upconverting DVD players hooked to my new 162 using the DVI cable that came with the player and a DVI-to-HDMI adapter I bought. Picture quality is great (obviously not as good as true HD though). When I hit my info button mine shows the signal as 1080i.

I originally tried the Toshiba upconverting DVD player because of it's native HDMI interface however there were problems with the HDMI signal. Sometimes it would work fine but other times I would either get static or an "Incompatible Signal" message on the TV. I went through 3 different units and all of them had same problem. After the third time I tried the Samsung and it works perfectly so far.

And for anyone who might be interested: the Samsung HD841 will play DVD+R media. The specifications only say that it will play "-R" but I tried some of my "+R" discs and they worked fine!

Scott

Originally posted by gtunney
Did any of you do direct comparisons with the Samsung xx85 or xx74 series? If yes, I'm curious as to your impressions as I'm currently looking at the Samsung 5674 vs the RCAs.
I couldn't do exact side-by-side comparisons, but my local BB had 85s and 162s in the store at the same time. My impression was that the RCA held its own against the Sammy. The Sammy seemed to have slightly better black levels and was a smidge sharper. I also figure the 85s would compare the same to the 74s. So, considering the 74 was likely slightly inferior to the 85 and I could visually see that the RCA was also slightly inferior, I guesstimated that the 74s and 162s were about equal. (I have still never seen a 74 in person). The 85s form factor is a non-starter for me.

So, even though I know the 85 has a better (if only minimally) picture than my RCA, I'm thrilled with it. I do not have any second thoughts that I should have purchased a 74 instead.

If you are on the fence, buy the 162 from BB. You can always return it to your local store within 30 days for a full refund.

Geed,

One thing, you might want to set your Sammy 841 DVD player to 720P instead of 1080i. I found on the RCA162 that I have that the 720p looks better then 1080i. I know there are tech reasons which would back up that statement, but it looked better to me.

Just a thought.

Originally posted by luebster
I couldn't do exact side-by-side comparisons, but my local BB had 85s and 162s in the store at the same time. My impression was that the RCA held its own against the Sammy. . . . If you are on the fence, buy the 162 from BB. You can always return it to your local store within 30 days for a full refund.

Thanks, Chris. I was at BB yesterday and surprise, they had the Sammy 85 right next to a 162. The 85 might have been a tad sharper and it was brighter on display. But then, you have no idea to what extent they've tuned the sets. I could only stay for a few minutes and of course, one of the young sales guys who had not done any serious research on the TVs came to hover for a bit. He wasn't much use but he was trying at least. He tried to make a point that RCAs are built with generic parts where as Samsung and others make their own and thus were a higher build quality. Not sure where he knew what he was talking about as the components of a TV usually come from many manufacturers. Nevertheless, I have to confess, the pricing sure is appealing. Wish I could find a 163 with Win CE built in.

Originally posted by RBenson
Press and hold menu and either channel down or volume down (can't remember which) for several seconds with TV running. Be Careful!!!!

Select service menu

Use volume up button to raise value (V:) to 76 for service adjustments
Set value to 80 for test patterns. Set value to 90 for lamp hours
Very cool! So are there other V: values we can enter to get more info? I tried V: 1 but it didn't do anything....

BTW, does anyone have a good source for lamps? Last I heard they were like $750 through RCA! My set has almost 2000 hrs on it so I want to start thinking about buying a backup lamp....

Originally posted by forkball
One thing, you might want to set your Sammy 841 DVD player to 720P instead of 1080i. I found on the RCA162 that I have that the 720p looks better then 1080i. I know there are tech reasons which would back up that statement, but it looked better to me.

Hmmmm.... 720P, I will give that a try. I switched through all of the resolutions and at quick glance they kinda all looked the same to me...hahaha. Then again, I actually haven't had time to sit down and watch a full DVD movie yet either. I've been busy setting up my new 1000 watt Onkyo 6.1 DTS surround sound system. Since the option was available I used the tv's speaker as the front center channel. Althought I am sure there are some audiophiles out there who will disagree with me, I must say that it sounds great!

I have a few questions:

1. Can anyone confirm that these RCAs convert digital to analog back to digital? I saw a post that htwaits claiming that is the case.

2. Anyone know the color wheel rotation speed?

3. Contrast ratio - can we assume >2000:1 since that is what Samsung claims for the xx74s?

Thanks.

gt

Originally posted by gtunney
I have a few questions:

1. Can anyone confirm that these RCAs convert digital to analog back to digital? I saw a post that htwaits claiming that is the case.


gt I'm not sure, but I think he was talking about last years models which were guilty of this.

I haven't seen any info about this one way or the other for these new sets.

Thanks Low. Anybody else know?

I have not either seen any info regarding your inquiries. Based on the noise I hear from the unit I suspect the color wheel is spinning damn fast, but i have no idea what the RPM of it actually is.

Try calling up RCA. If nothing else you would just be out a few minutes on the phone. Don't bother talking to anyonre at Best Buy though, they will not know much beyond what is written on the front of the Price Signage.

Happy Hunting

No kidding about the lack of knowledge at BB. I had one kid, literally kid, tell me I could remove the pedestal from the 85 series Samsung. I explained to him that the light engine was in there and that would break the TV. He insisted until I had him ask a co-worker who corrected him. I can only hope he didn't sell any to some poor un-informed soul.

Originally posted by Low Roller
Has anybody tried hooking up a PC to one of these sets via a DVI---->HDMI cable yet?

Roller, did you get a response to this question? I'm interested in connecting a PC to one of these in general - whatever connections people were successful with.

gt

I've been looking a dlp's for a while now, but haven't pulled the trigger. After reading through this thread, this new RCA sounds intriguing. My only concern is the vertical viewing angle. I will have to put it in a niche that is 43" high. I will be sitting 13' from the TV so this may be ok. Does anyone have a similar situation who can tell me if the picture looks just a bright from this angle as it does straight on?

Thanks

Also,

Isn't only 1 HDMI connection a severe limitation of the 162? I was planning on getting an HDTivo and using the HDMI connection. Doesn't this mean I can't connect a DVD player with a digital connection?

Thanks

I'm still looking to hear from anyone who has tried connecting a PC to a 162 or 163. Has anyone tried? If yes, how'd it go and what connections did you use? Thanks.

gt

Originally posted by hoops2
My only concern is the vertical viewing angle.
I think the only way to satisfy this concern is to go to a store that carries it and look for yourself. For what it's worth, in my local BB the 162 was positioned on a shelf about 6' off the ground and the brightness variability did not strike me to be an issue.

Isn't only 1 HDMI connection a severe limitation of the 162?
It is a limitation, though it is one present in most sets today. Of course, with the 162 you have the option of using the CableCard, and with the 163 and 165 models there's the additional option of DTVLink (firewire) which can be used for a DVR - though I'm only aware of RCA DVR's that can use this port (though I haven't looked). But for your configuration as stated, you might consider a switch box or using component for one source.

I have been studying the forum for about four months, always on the edge of pulling the trigger. Many kind people personnally emailed me with their deals and advice. Thanks to all.

Finally I decided it was time to get into the game. Armed with my downloaded internet prices, I set out to purchase my Samsung 5063. Working my way through the various stores, I finally arrived at BB. My fiancee, who has no interest in my high tech toys and would rather I keep my money anyway, immediately noticed that the RCA looked better than the Sammy 4663 sitting next to it. Just for entertainment, I said I was looking to buy the 5063 for $xx but what could they do on the RCA.

I've been with my 162 for the last weekend. I paid for next day delivery so that I could see the Uof L Cardinals win their bowl game. Unfortunately, the Louisville network affiliates have not learned of 16:9 HDTV yet for any of the college bowl games. Last night, I watched my first DVD movie. Amazing picture, truely stunning.

I have the lamp on long life, chose cinema and turned the contrast up almost to 100. This sound right to anyone else? Most importantly, the fan in mine seems loud. During the movie, my fiancee (the one not interested in technical matters) asked, unprovoked, about the noise. I have the 162 on the RCA stand. It was made for the previous models but the 162 fits nicely.

Any advice on the noise, I don't read many others complaining on this thread. Like most on this thread, I feel this is a real value and would like to stay with the set. Patrick

PHHPHD-

Did they come down in price on the 162? I am currently trying to decide between this and the HLP5063 and see that I can get either of them for $2599 at BB. My experience with BB is that since they are not on commssion, they have no incentive to negotiate.

Originally posted by PHHPHD
I have been studying the forum for about four months, always on the edge of pulling the trigger. Many kind people personnally emailed me with their deals and advice. Thanks to all.

Finally I decided it was time to get into the game. Armed with my downloaded internet prices, I set out to purchase my Samsung 5063. Working my way through the various stores, I finally arrived at BB. My fiancee, who has no interest in my high tech toys and would rather I keep my money anyway, immediately noticed that the RCA looked better than the Sammy 4663 sitting next to it. Just for entertainment, I said I was looking to buy the 5063 for $xx but what could they do on the RCA.

I've been with my 162 for the last weekend. I paid for next day delivery so that I could see the Uof L Cardinals win their bowl game. Unfortunately, the Louisville network affiliates have not learned of 16:9 HDTV yet for any of the college bowl games. Last night, I watched my first DVD movie. Amazing picture, truely stunning.

I have the lamp on long life, chose cinema and turned the contrast up almost to 100. This sound right to anyone else? Most importantly, the fan in mine seems loud. During the movie, my fiancee (the one not interested in technical matters) asked, unprovoked, about the noise. I have the 162 on the RCA stand. It was made for the previous models but the 162 fits nicely.

Any advice on the noise, I don't read many others complaining on this thread. Like most on this thread, I feel this is a real value and would like to stay with the set. Patrick

Your contrast setting seems pretty high. I have mine set to normal and the contrast set to something around 50. Do you get HDnet by any chance? If so, tune to it at 8AM on any Tuesday...they broadcast a series of HDTV test patterns that you can use to adjust your settings.

Just for fun, I'll jot down my settings when I get home and post them. Keep in mind however that they will be what MY eyes see and prefer. YMMV.

As for the fan noise, I only really notice it during start up. Once the audio kicks in from my A/V receiver, the noise is drowned out. Of course, during a quiet scene, it might be noticeable. In my opinion, it's a very small price to pay for such an outstanding unit.

Originally posted by gtunney
I'm still looking to hear from anyone who has tried connecting a PC to a 162 or 163. Has anyone tried? If yes, how'd it go and what connections did you use? Thanks.

gt

I'd like to know too. For me, this is a deciding factor on getting a 163, since I plan to spend a considerable amount using an HTPC. I've looked through the HTPC forum and can't find any mention of someone trying this out. Very surprising, although it also surprises me that more people don't own these sets. I believe the Samsung owners are pretty happy with their results on the HLP models. What about RCA?

Thanks,

-T

Originally posted by gtunney
I'm still looking to hear from anyone who has tried connecting a PC to a 162 or 163. Has anyone tried? If yes, how'd it go and what connections did you use? Thanks.

gt

Many people including myself have connected a PC to the 162. I've got an ATI 9800 using the latest cat drivers and the ATI component dogle. It works great obvious since it is now my primary monitor.

Originally posted by PHHPHD

I have the lamp on long life, chose cinema and turned the contrast up almost to 100. This sound right to anyone else? Most importantly, the fan in mine seems loud. During the movie, my fiancee (the one not interested in technical matters) asked, unprovoked, about the noise. I have the 162 on the RCA stand. It was made for the previous models but the 162 fits nicely.

Any advice on the noise, I don't read many others complaining on this thread. Like most on this thread, I feel this is a real value and would like to stay with the set. Patrick

Yep the 162 is abit noisy, but it's no big deal

I've been reading these forums for quite a while now. I decided to go ahead and sign up so I can post my purchase story from Best Buy.

I went into their store a few times to check out the sets. So, when I came back in on New Year's Day, the manager recognized me. I was interested in the HD50LPW162. The original price was $2,799. There was a $200 off sale which brought the set down to $2,599. I asked the manager how much he could take off the price of the set and he came back with $300, so that brought the price of the set down to $2,299 (and that's without having to buy an extended warranty, although I did end up purchasing one). Off that price, I get to deduct a $100 gift card, $90 back from BB Rewards, and $100 off my Comcast bill because I signed up for it there in the store! Needless to say, I was pretty happy.

I'm looking forward to my set being delivered on the 9th!

-- Alex

Congratulations on your purchase adossey. Sounds like you got a fantastic deal, even without the giftcard and reward zone points. You will be thrilled with the HD50LPW162. I have it and couldn't be happier.

Earlier I posted that I would post my PQ settings just for fun and comparison. Keep in mind that these settings adjust MY TV to the PQ that looks best TO ME. Please don't set your TV to these settings then come back and tell me it looks like crap on your TV. I'm only posting so we can compare...for amusement only.

With that said, here goes:
Note: I arrived at these settings using the test pattern broadcast by HDNet on Tuesdays at 8AM. I will probably tweak a bit more with AVIA at a later date.

Contrast: 50
Color: 64
Tint: 50
Black Level: 64
Sharpness: 0

Auto Color: On
Color Warmth: Normal
Green Stretch: Low
Edge Enhancement: Off
Contrast Expand: Low

These are my settings. YMMV.

When watching 4:3 on the HD50LPW162, are the side bars gray or black?

I've seen other TV's with gray bars and they are annoying. I think black bars are better.

Black.

I've been stalking these forums for the last few months, awaiting my HDTV purchase. I've had my sights set on a samsung until today I discovered the HD50LPW162.

My local best buy does not have it in stock, but I was going to check out their samsung 5063 prices online when I "found" this set. I'd been waiting for the samsung 4674 to show up in stores and it still hasnt, but with the HD50LPW162 having HD2+ and being the EXACT size that I need, it seems great. Best buy has a few hundred $ off right now as well, with the price (on website) at $2650 or so.

Unfortunately for me, they dont have any in stores in my area, or any other random zipcodes I put in on their website.

The major "flaw" that I see on the specs of this TV is the single digital input. Having 2 component inputs makes this thing maxed for me right out of the box (xbox, dvd player on component, TiVo on HDMI). There are HDMI/DVI switch boxes out there, so I can probably live with this.

I'm 99% sold on this set, especially since it has ATSC and cablecard (dont use cable now, but not having to have a seperate box for it would open this option for the future).

Anyhow, I've scoured the internet and the PDF manual for the HD50LPW162 but cannot come up with one answer. Does its HDMI support HDCP encryption? I see ABSOLUTELY no reason why it wouldnt, but it's not mentioned on its spec sheet nor on its full PDF. Does anyone know?

Thanks if anyone has the answer to this.

--falz

I can't say FOR SURE, but I have my HDTiVo connected to my HD50LPW162 via the HDMI port and nothing has been "blacked out" so to speak...so I'd have to say that HDCP is enabled.

Don't worry about it not being at a store nearby. If any other store in the country has one, they will ship it to a store of your choosing. That's what they had to do for me.

Originally posted by luebster
I can't say FOR SURE, but I have my HDTiVo connected to my HD50LPW162 via the HDMI port and nothing has been "blacked out" so to speak...so I'd have to say that HDCP is enabled.

Don't worry about it not being at a store nearby. If any other store in the country has one, they will ship it to a store of your choosing. That's what they had to do for me.

That's good to hear. I'm not sure how much blacking out would happen as of yet anyway. I did find some mentions of HDCP on this set- just odd that it's not in the manual.

I've actually just purchased the set from Best Buy, and it's shipped in two days. Sucks not to see it first, but I've been staring at plenty of other DLP sets, and specificly HD2+, and I don't anticipate being dissapointed.

It seems that Best Buy doesn't stock these sets in smaller markets (I'm in Madison, WI). I ended up getting free shipping and delivery, and even got some haggling to get the Set to $2250 with the agreement to buy a extended warranty, which ends up being $2650. This seems fair to me, especially since I didnt expect them to accept any haggling. (I also got a HR10-250 from them for $850 WITH extra warranty!)

--falz

Hello everyone,
I'm new here and have a couple of questions.
I have just purchased the RCA Scenium 162 and it is very nice looking. I have a couple of questions I hope can be answered here.

1) I am using my TV as an HTPC using a DVI > HDMI Cable. I am getting some overscan using 1280x720. I tried using 1216 x 969 but could not get a signal using Powerstrip. I know someone had some luck using it with an HDTV Dongle but I do not have one. My video card is a 9600XT

2) Where is a good place to purchase some calibration tools and which ones are recommended?

3) I've also noticed that my desktop is very crisp and clear on the left side of the screen but a little blurry on the right. Is there any way to correct this?

Thnx in advance for any help.

Originally posted by omegatek
2) Where is a good place to purchase some calibration tools and which ones are recommended?
Other posters on the board have had varying measures of success with AVIA and Digital Video Essentials, both DVD-based calibration tools, which can be found at various online retailers.

I will be trying the AVIA disc soon.

You could also tune to HDNet at 8AM on any Tuesday, when they broadcast a 10-minute calibration program. I've used it and it is useful. Just how useful can be debated.

Good luck and congrats on choosing a fantastic set.

Just an update to those who remember my story. I love the picture but my fan seemed a bit noisy. I had the RCA approved service guy come over and he decided it was not that noisy. Buttttt, he did inquire about my exchange rights and he seemed on the edge. Two nights ago I lost some low volume dialog under the fan noise and decided to take a chance. The exchange is Sunday. I really hesitated becaue I have the picture dialed in just right. It even impressed the repair guy. I'll update the results of my exchange to help others decide for themselves in the future. Patrick

Well, I just finished my first round of tweaking my set using FFDShow for DVD playback. My jaw hit the ground after I got this running. Now, if only I could get the overscan corrected on the desktop......

My 162 just arrived yesterday. I must say that it's quite impressive picture wise. I still have to do some adjustments, once I finally got it all setup, I had to loaf on the coutch and watch stuff.

So, for anyone who wants to see what this TV looks like, some pictures of it are here:

http://falz.net/gallery/hdtv

I will be adding more as well. RCA doesn't have any decent pics of the set on their website at all. I must say that I notice the noise o this TV even while watching it, I can hear the fan and whining noise. My TV is positioned in a closet which I assumed would block out noise. I didnt listen to it "out in the open" but I would imagine it's extremely loud then.

PHHPHD, I'm curious how your swap goes. If you get a quieter set, I may do the same.

--falz

I have had my RCA 162 about a month. Excellent picture in HD and very acceptable picture in SD. No problem with noise at all. I purchased an upscaling DVD player, the LG DVB418 which has a HDMI cable output. I believe the audio sync problem is because I connect the HDMI cable to the TV and run the coaxial audio cable to my Yamaha receiver. I am thinking the video picture is getting to me faster than the audio sound. My receiver does not have a HDMI imput. I have tried to delay the audio on the receiver with no success. Any other sync problems out there? Any ideas for a fix? Corkster

Originally posted by corkster
I have had my RCA 162 about a month. Excellent picture in HD and very acceptable picture in SD. No problem with noise at all. I purchased an upscaling DVD player, the LG DVB418 which has a HDMI cable output. I believe the audio sync problem is because I connect the HDMI cable to the TV and run the coaxial audio cable to my Yamaha receiver. I am thinking the video picture is getting to me faster than the audio sound. My receiver does not have a HDMI imput. I have tried to delay the audio on the receiver with no success. Any other sync problems out there? Any ideas for a fix? Corkster

If they are lagged, I would think the video portion would be slower than the audio, hence audio delays in receivers. Try and feed audio into the TV as well, and turn it to something audible. See if there's a weird echo noise- this will let you know if the TV is delaying audio/video seperately from your stereo.

--falz

If you then find that the TV's audio is in synch with the video, I would be very interested to know if you can then connect the RCA's digital optical audio output to your receiver and then have the sound in synch with the video. Does the Yamaha receiver have an optical input?

So, assuming the TV just passes the digital audio signal through to the optical connection, this could be a way to avoid the synch issues. I keep hearing about this synch issue (in particular with the Samsungs), and the RCA is on the top of my list because it has this connection option and I'm assuming this configuration will avoid the problem. But it'd be great to know if this is true!

My purchase story is up above for my 50" 162. The TV finally arrived and I'm sad to say that it will be going back. The fan noise is just too much for us. The audio needs to be turned down a lot of the night because of a sleeping baby, and the fan noise is VERY audible over the audio volume. Another problem is that the TV is too high for our stand because of the speaker on the bottom. The bottom part of the screen is several inches from the bottom of the TV.

The good news is that BB gave us an excellent price on the 52" Toshiba DLP (52HM84).

Please don't let this discourage anyone from at least giving this TV a shot. The picture quality was excellent. Some might be quieter than others.

-- Alex

I have 61" 163 and the the only way I can hear the fan is to turn off TV
and come up very close. It looks like the noise level varies from set to set.
The stand got to be very low- mine is 18" and it's OK. 14'' would be perfect.
I have it for a few weeks now and my overall impression is
PQ is very good but everything else could be better.
Inconvenient remote Control, PIP almost impossible to use.
But PQ is the most important feature for me so am gong to keep it.

Here's a beginner's question. Why do I need a progressive scan upconverting DVD player? Isn't the TV doing this job? If so, should I get a high quality basic DVD player instead? (I guess that's 3 questions.)

Originally posted by PHHPHD
Here's a beginner's question. Why do I need a progressive scan upconverting DVD player? Isn't the TV doing this job? If so, should I get a high quality basic DVD player instead? (I guess that's 3 questions.)

DVD's are encoded natively progressive scan. If your DVD player does not support it, your TV could, but it's still only getting half the information that a native progressive scan player would output.

It certainly will work, but it will look better w/ a progressive scan player. I just bought mine- they can be had from as little as $30. I settled on one that I still considre cheap ($70) - Philips 642. It plays DivX and all CD/DVD formats, and also has a remote code to make it region free without any issues (just a few buttons, that's it!)

--falz

Originally posted by PHHPHD
Why do I need a progressive scan upconverting DVD player?
I highly recommend this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4752955#post4752955) .

Originally posted by falz
DVD's are encoded natively progressive scan. If your DVD player does not support it, your TV could, but it's still only getting half the information that a native progressive scan player would output.

It certainly will work, but it will look better w/ a progressive scan player. I just bought mine- they can be had from as little as $30. I settled on one that I still considre cheap ($70) - Philips 642. It plays DivX and all CD/DVD formats, and also has a remote code to make it region free without any issues (just a few buttons, that's it!)

I was wrong here I was always under the impression that DVD's were not interlaced natively. The above link and this one:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_4/dvd-benchmark-part-5-progressive-10-2000.html

are VERY good reads if anyone is interested. In the link above, the "How Progressive Players Work" (1/3 down) is very interesting.

"There’s a persistent myth that DVDs are inherently progressive, and all a DVD player needs to do to display a progressive signal is to grab the progressive frames off the disc and show them. This is not exactly true. First of all, a significant amount of DVD content was never progressive to begin with. Anything shot with a typical video camera, which includes many concerts, most supplementary documentaries, and many TV shows, is inherently interlaced. (Some consumer digital video cameras can shoot in progressive mode, and a handful of TV programs are shot in progressive, particularly sports events.) By comparison, content that was originally shot on film, or with a progressive TV camera, or created in a computer, is progressive from the get-go. But even for such content, there is no requirement that it be stored on the DVD progressively.

DVDs are based on MPEG-2 encoding, which allows for either progressive or interlaced sequences."

--falz

I thought I had done my omework when buying the TV and upscaling DVD player but I had not read either of these links and they are an eye opener. Everyone do yourselves a favor and read these.

Well, I read the posts. They are excellent. However, now I don't want to buy any of the DVD players being sold today. Nothing passed all the tests. I guess I'll wait for true HD media. Patrick

Got my 162 exchanged today. The fan, which was the problem, is very much quieter. In fact, I received a personal email from a fellow RCA owner who had a service guy make an adjustment and his set became quiet. Mine is whisper quiet. Unfortunately, I don't get a picture, just a black screen with thin horizontal lines. It looks like a the tags (scu or squ?) on groceries. I thought it might be a built in test pattern. It's very interesting but I'd rather have a picture. So now I've had two RCAs that were bad out of the box. The RCA repairman is now shown to be a joke. He thought the noise was normal, it is not and I never thought it was. Two calls to RCA were worthless, but I'm not sure what I expected. This whole thing is getting kinda ugly.

Bottom line, I advise all who are thinking of this purchase to think a little longer. Tommorrow I proceed with yet another exchange. Patrick

Originally posted by PHHPHD
Got my 162 exchanged today. The fan, which was the problem, is very much quieter. In fact, I received a personal email from a fellow RCA owner who had a service guy make an adjustment and his set became quiet. Mine is whisper quiet. Unfortunately, I don't get a picture, just a black screen with thin horizontal lines. It looks like a the tags (scu or squ?) on groceries. I thought it might be a built in test pattern. It's very interesting but I'd rather have a picture. So now I've had two RCAs that were bad out of the box. The RCA repairman is now shown to be a joke. He thought the noise was normal, it is not and I never thought it was. Two calls to RCA were worthless, but I'm not sure what I expected. This whole thing is getting kinda ugly.

I suppose my set would be quiet too if it didnt display a picture..

Did the guy who emailed you mention what adjustment the tech made to make it quieter? Hopefully he didnt just shove a sock over some vent. :)I've had my set for almost a week now and have either mentally filtered out the fan noise, had the fan noise blend in with my TiVo, or it just got quieter.

--falz

Before this leaves my brain.. Anyone know of a way to enable on screen text that tells you what "stretch" mode you're using when you toggle through them? Stretch, zoom, etc.

There are times that it's locked in if the TV is positive it's being fed 16:9 material- this is good. However, since a few local stations broadcast stretched material, I sometimes find myself hitting this button to attempt to get sidebars. Doing so has no apparent affect, except for setting the tv into some mode that I may not want (zoom, for example) for the future.

I'm sure they could update this via firmware- and it would be very nice. Anyone else have this beef?

--falz

I'm sure that falz is just funning with me, but for those not following closely. The lamp is on and putting up an interesting test pattern-- a very bright test pattern I might say. Some lines are one pixel wide, some are two. It's interesting to see this and study the pixel pattern. Some how the HD2+ chip is frozen in position or the driving circuits are locked into this pattern. The cooling fan is doing its job well, meaning it is audible only when there is not sound. I want it all, the great picture I had with the previous set and the quiet fan this set possesses. Today a working DLP tv, tommorrow the world. Patrick

I am the one that had the fan adjustment made on my RCA unit. It took the service tech about 5 minutes to make a minor adjustment to the cooling fan. Now you have to be on top of the set set to hear any fan noise at all !
From 3 -4 feet away, no noise !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been very happy with the picture from the start. With this adjustment, the set is PEREFCT !

Originally posted by Yorker
I am the one that had the fan adjustment made on my RCA unit. It took the service tech about 5 minutes to make a minor adjustment to the cooling fan. Now you have to be on top of the set set to hear any fan noise at all !
From 3 -4 feet away, no noise !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been very happy with the picture from the start. With this adjustment, the set is PEREFCT !

Any idea what he did? And, how long has the set been running with this "fix"?

--falz

I have been looking at the RCA HD61LPW162 info the last few weeks and thinking about buying one. I finally found a store that had a RCA RPTV on display (most BB and Circuit City's in my area don't have any RCA PRTV's on display) however it was the 50 inch model and not the 61 inch. While looking at the 50 inch RCA and a Samsung next to it I noticed that the color on the Samsung looked smoother and more solid then the RCA did. The RCA to me looked like it I could see other colors in a solid color area, I guess the rainbow effect. However, I also notice that the picture on the RCA (along with two other TV's on display) would go to an all black screen with the message unusable signal on it. I asked one of the sales men why it did that and he told me that they had a problem with the wiring that was in the wall and the signal to that TV would fade out once in a while. Could that also effect the PQ and quality of the image? Has anyone else see the rainbow effect on the RCA DLP TV's?

Originally posted by jensph
If you then find that the TV's audio is in synch with the video, I would be very interested to know if you can then connect the RCA's digital optical audio output to your receiver and then have the sound in synch with the video. Does the Yamaha receiver have an optical input?

So, assuming the TV just passes the digital audio signal through to the optical connection, this could be a way to avoid the synch issues. I keep hearing about this synch issue (in particular with the Samsungs), and the RCA is on the top of my list because it has this connection option and I'm assuming this configuration will avoid the problem. But it'd be great to know if this is true!

This is a good idea, so I looked into it. Apparently the current HDMI spec does not pass the full Dolby Digital 5.1 through it, only two channels (huh? that sucks.)

So I tried it, since I've been noticing some sync issues with my RCA 162. Bad news- the optical output only appears to output a signal when you're using its internal tuner- you don't get audio AT ALL from this jack when you're set to HDMI as the input.

Perhaps RCA could make this work via a firwmware update it, but I doubt it. They probably wired it up to only go along with the internal tuner.

There may be another way, however. The TV has 6 RCA line level outputs (per page 10 in the owners manual (http://www.rca.com/documents/HD50LPW162(IB)_703375_25.pdf)). If your receiver supports an external decoder, (5.1 RCA type inputs) maybe the TV outputs from these to your receiver. However, if it's not getting a 5.1 signal in from the HDMI in the first place, then what's the point.

One last conviluted solution would be to use optical to a reciever as normal, but somehow mute the center channel only from your receiver, and only when you're on the TV input, and enable the audio from the TV's internal speakers for the "voice". This should work, but then of course you're using whatever speakers are in the set (I havent used mine yet, I don't know if they suck). Also, if anyone ever broadcasts something that's not Pro Logic or Dolby Digital, the voices will come from the main L/R and there will be an echo.

--falz

Here is what occured with my set.

I ordered it from an internet site. Upon receipt, I unpacked it and hooked it up. During the first 10 - 15 minutes from start-up there was a rubbing or clicking nose. I could tell it was obviously coming from the cooling fan or the color wheel. After 10 - 15 minutes, there must have been some thermal expansion taking place as the noise went away. Then the set would be whisper quiet.
Based on this it almost had to be the cooling fan.
The local RCA tech came over, confirmed my diagnosis and made a very minor adjustment to the fan. It took only 5 minutes.
Problem solved !
It is now whisper quiet from start-up.
This adjustment was made 2 weeks ago, with no reocurrance of the noise.
My guess is that others who are experiencing fan noise have fans that are further out of alignment than mine was, since the noise continues even after things heat-up. I would still bet that a proper fan adjustment would solve most if not all fan noise issues.

The story gets curiouser. To recap, I received a 162 with a loud fan. Had the service guy come to tell me it is normal. Finally got an exchange with quiet fan but, alas, no picture. RCA call-in help line couldn't understand the problem and suggested I return the set.

Now I'm a superstitious type and rarely leave things alone. So, every so often I would turn the tv back on to see if it miraculously repaired itself. Of course is didn't, so I arranged for BB to do another exchange. (by the way, they have been pleasant and cooperative throughout this journey) This morning while leaving for work I turn on the TV and, you guessed it, it works normally. Came home tonight to run it through its paces and it continues to work. Now I have a picture and a quiet fan. Can only be heard when no other sound is on. The forced air heating in my house drowns out the fan noise now.

Bottom line, the fan should be quiet. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. When both the sound and picture are in place, this can be an amazing set. (of course I live in mortal fear that the initial "test pattern" screen of death will reoccur) Patrick

Patrick, any chance your power went out or the set was physically unplugged from the electrical outlet just prior to its miraculous recovery?

Originally posted by falz
Bad news- the optical output only appears to output a signal when you're using its internal tuner- you don't get audio AT ALL from this jack when you're set to HDMI as the input.
falz, thanks for trying - though that's a disappointing result!

If you want connect a source with digital audio to your receiver and digital video to the TV, then HDMI isn't very useful. The TV has the audio signal, so it seems to me RCA engineers didn't think to pass this signal on to the optical out.
Originally posted by falz
The TV has 6 RCA line level outputs
Does the TV output audio to these in all cases?

Originally posted by jensph
Does the TV output audio to these in all cases?
I have yet to find this out. I'll play with it when I'm digging around back behind there (probably not too far out).

--falz

Luebster

RCA recommended that I unplug and replug in the TV in order to reset it. This did not work (I tried more than once, embarrassed to say how many times.) One thing that RCA said in passing intriqued me. The person I spoke with wondered about the warehousing of the set. It was a very cold day. Could the DMD chip have frozen and taken a day to thaw out? I don't know. It has been two days and the HD programming I get over the air is wonderful. Again, when the set works, it's amazing and a real value.

I'm still curious what the adjustment the repair person made to the fan. Perhaps they don't all get mounted well in the chasis or something simple like that.

Patrick

Interesting....

I have had two separate occasions where everything but the internal tuner goes out. Anything connected to the set (DVD Player, HDTiVo, etc) comes up as Unusable Signal. However, I can use the set's internal tuner to get OTA SD and HD.

The remedy (which I figured out after the power went out while the set was in limbo)? Removing the set completely from the power source. Certainly this causes some sort of reset, but I have no idea why this works, nor what is causing the problem in the first place.

At least I know the cure.

I've been looking into the whole 16x line from RCA, and have settled on the 163 (which only comes in 61") as the best of all worlds. I discounted the 162 since it doesn't have firewire, and from all that I've read, that will be the connection standard of the future. With Firewire (or IEEE 1394 or DVLink) you can chain together every component in a line, one FW cable between each of them. As long as the slower connections aren't in the middle (FW comes in 400 and 800 speeds now, with higher rates to come) Everything runs at top speed along this path. Not only that, but the systems self-detect each other. (An additional layer is out there called HAVi, but it's not necessary to have this functionality. It's just icing on the cake, with sprinkles.) The 162 also does not have the web surfing feature, which, while not a must-have, it could be useful with house-controling web pages I can serve from my LAN.

So the 162's were out. The 164 and 165 have the on-screen TV Guide, but that has been reported as spotty, and I think it's a rather ugly interface. Besides, the 164 and 165 are HD3 chips, and everything I've read has led me to believe that the HD2+ chip is the best, producing a sharper image.

So this left me with the 61" 163. I've found a good deal on it from Tiger Direct, a company I've done business with in the past. It's base price is about the same as the list pice of the 50" 162 at Best Buy. Best Buy adds in deals with giftcards and rebates for several hundred dollars, but they add tax too. Tiger has $155 shipping to me, but no tax and this is a 11" larger TV (I'm just putting it on a stand in the corner, so larger is FINE).

As a Comcast subscriber, I plan to get a HD CableCARD ($5/mo) AND a Mitsubishi 4612 HD cable box/dual-tuner PVR ($10/mo). With two tuners, I can record two shows, play one back, and watch another live feed through the CableCARD. (And as the SD output from the 4612 is not well reviewed, the CableCARD provides an alternate source for SD.

I also will be setting up a spare Powermac as a D-VHS box with a second Firewire connection to the TV. This will let me at least record video from the CableCARD, if not do full time-control playback as well. For non-paychannel footage, I can also record the output from the 4612 to the Mac I believe. (Pay channel footage is broadcast flagged as record once, so I can't copy a copy.) This gives me nearly unlimited storage as the Mac has a DVD burner and HDDs are cheap.

I hope that the 5.1 audio (if present in the program) that travels over the Firewire DOES come out of the optical link on the TV. If not, I will have two digital audio streams (DVD and 4612 cable box) and only one digital audio in on my current receiver.

I can't wait for receivers and DVD players to join the Firewire chain...

Excellent choice! I was in line for a 61" 163 until our newly-built house dictated that our bedroom armoire would not fit up the staircase to our 2nd floor bedroom. That relegated the 7' high behemoth to the 1st floor great room, where we were planning to put the 163.

Even with as large as the armoire is, at 48" inside width, the 61" just wouldn't fit. Luckily the 50" does, so I was "stuck" with the 162. Still a great set, but like you detailed, it is missing a few niceties.

As for receivers and DVD players jumping on the Firewire bandwagon...I think you'll see A/V (and possibly even PC) gear migrate to HDMI. Since it supports copy protection, Hollywood will really push for HDMI.

[Edit: please ignore the Firewire/HDMI portion of this post. I was a uninformed goob. See below.]

Originally posted by luebster
As for receivers and DVD players jumping on the Firewire bandwagon...I think you'll see A/V (and possibly even PC) gear migrate to HDMI. Since it supports copy protection, Hollywood will really push for HDMI. HDCP, used for DVI and HDMI connections, is designed solely as a component-to-display connection that is secure and un-recordable. If the source doesn't detect a valid HDMI key from the dispaly, nothing will be transmitted. It's not meant for component to component connections. (Though a receiver acting as a switcher would accept DVI or HDMI connections by acting as a mediary for the encrypted data.) So HDCP(DVI/HDMI) is always "copy never" and only used to connect to displays.

Firewire supports copy protection in the form of 5C/DTCP, or just 5C for short (since 5 companies together formed the standard). It actualy is better for the end consumer because it supports three flag types, "copy freely", "copy once", and "copy never" as well as a "copy-no-more" that the "copy once" turns into once it's been recorded once. Firewire can be used to connect any two A/V components, and even supports LAN traffic with the IP protocol. So firewire can be used to connect just about anything and has a copy protection scheme that doesn't deny your digital rights of fair use.

I prefer Firewire, which is why I'm decided right away to forego the 162 line (which doesn't have it) in favor of one of the others (163, 164, or 165). :)

Wow...I stand corrected. That is a terrific post, Nonsanity. I knew about the limitations of HDMI (or should I say restrictions), but I had no idea how powerful the Firewire standard has become.

Thank you for opening my eyes. :)

I'm fairly sure that the industry looks at firewire as a way to record data, and that's about it. I don't think it's intended to ever be used as a primary audio/video connection method from DVR's, set top boxes, etc.

It would be nice if it were though. I'd have to look it up, but is the "broadcast flag" supported w/ firewire/1394? I thought it was DVI/HDMI only (hdcp).

--falz

Originally posted by falz
I'm fairly sure that the industry looks at firewire as a way to record data, and that's about it. I don't think it's intended to ever be used as a primary audio/video connection method from DVR's, set top boxes, etc. I found a mostly correct article on Firewire. Nothing wrong exactly, but it does underestimate the bandwidth of Firewire.

http://www.audiorevolution.com/news/0702/11.firewire.shtml
Originally posted by falz It would be nice if it were though. I'd have to look it up, but is the "broadcast flag" supported w/ firewire/1394? I thought it was DVI/HDMI only (hdcp). [/B]Yes and no. The "Broadcast Flag" is only for OTA digital transmissions at this time, with digital cable and satellite system left to their own devices, as it were. Firewire DOES have the digital transmission content protection (DTCP) sometimes refered to as DTCP/5C or just 5C with the flags I mentioned above. In general, a cable provider will tag PPV and VOD programs as "copy never" (though PVRs may still be allowed to time delay for up to 90 minutes), pay channels will be tagged "copy once" and then "copy no more" after they HAVE been copied once, and all other digital programs would be tagged "copy free".

EDIT: typo

Also note that the new Samsungs (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=493443&pagenumber=1) due out over the next few months apparently have firewire.

I've been strongly considering the RCAs, but I'm thinking now of holding out to see how these sets turn out.

I ordered my 163 yesterday. It should be here monday. Woot! :)

As per my last post (THE last post) I'm trying to get everything ready for the new TV's arrival. Even making a scale model of my living room in Second Life, furnishing it, and seeing how the TV will fit. (If you play, look me up. I'm "Tiger Crossing"... If you don't, add .com to the end and check it out.;)

But I'm stuck as to what to use for a stand. The HD61LPW163 doesn't have a high enough base built into it to get it up to proper viewing height, but nothing I have is the right height either. I've looked around at B&M stores and online, but it seems the current style is for shelves to be open... And made of glass. RCA's being the prime example, but in good company.

I have an 11 month old.

...Ain't gonna happen.

So I'm looking around for options. I want something that's low and long. My 3D mock-up tells me 58-60 inches wide by 16-17 inches high would be ideal, but I don't know how deep it would need to be. All the measurements for the TV are for the minimum box that will hold it. It tells me nothing about the unit's footprint.

So this is a plea for all RCA 61" 163 owners out there... Can you dig a tape measure out of the depths of your toolbox and post the size of this TV's base? Thanks! :)

Check out Ikea if you have one anywhere near you. I have Oppli (http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=11149&langId=-1&parentCats=10104*10174), although it's not currently in use. This would probably fit your TV just fine.

--falz

Originally posted by falz
Check out Ikea if you have one anywhere near you. I have Oppli (http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=11149&langId=-1&parentCats=10104*10174), although it's not currently in use. This would probably fit your TV just fine. That Is one of the better choices, but I'd have to modify it to close it in some way so little fingers won't go pushing buttons. Another one I found along the same lines is this cube system (http://www.gothiccabinetcraft.com/product_info.php?products_id=675) though it pretty much has the same problem, since the doored modules aren't wide enough for many component pieces and the back is closed up to boot. (No ventilation.) Eitehr one would require considerable modifications.

I hope I don't have to end up hiding the components away somewhere and using an IR repeater to control them, since those things are $80-100 themselves.

I'd build my own stand, but I do all my woodworking on the deck and that's covered with a foot of snow at the moment. And I'd still need to know the footprint size of the 61" RCA 16x Sceniums to make something the right size. Since I'll be installing the TV in the corner, a trapesoidal or triangular base would be ideal, but we can't have everything. (Can't even have the bare minimum, it seems...)

Yea, making your own would be best, that's what I ended up doing for my 50" 162:

http://falz.net/gallery/hdtv

This is really just drawers for DVD storage, but my Xbox is in there, and stereo components could be shoved in there if I wanted.

In my case I had a closet I decided to pillage, and the components are away from tiny fingers. For the IR stuff, check out the Xantech IR Control systems (http://www.xantech.com/). This is something I'll likely do in the future (in a different home). Not really needed for the TV, but these RCA's do have a 1/8" jack for "wired ir" that would work with this type of setup as well. It is unfortunately expensive. Some stereo components support the 1/8" jack stuff though. I just noticed that my yamaha receiver has an in/out for wired IR- would save a fair amount of money if yours did.

--falz

I am an owner of the 61" 162 model and I have been very pleased with all aspects of the TV for the past month I have owned it. I have not experienced any problems at all.

But now I have a couple of questions for you current owners of these models:

First: I am on my second Toshiba Upscaling DVD player (SD-V592 - the model that has the HDMI interface). When connecting it to the TV and selecting the HDMI input, my screen usually (9 out of 10 times) just flickers on and off with white noise and will not display anything. Occasionally. it will sometimes tune in the picture. I think since this is the second DVD player I have tried, I may have something wrong with the TV's HDMI input. What are your thoughts?

Second: Earlier, on the rare occasion I got it to work, I did receive audio through my receiver based on the TV's Optical Digital Out going to my Onkyo receiver. Now though, on the rare occasion I get it (the DVD picture) to work via HDMI, I get no sound whatsoever from the receiver. This is what an early post was stating in that they thought that no sound was transmitted from the TV's optical digital out unless using the TVs tuner, but I did have it transmitting sound earlier when using the HDMI interface. Anyhow, how am I supposed to hook-up a DVD player with an HDMI interface? I assume I am not supposed to also take an optical or coax digital line direct from the DVD to the receiver if I am using the HDMI to the TV - and then the TV optical out to the receiver. How have you guys hooked these TV/HDMI DVDs up?

Finally, with my frustrations with the HDMI issues, I went back to using Component video connections to the TV for picture and a Coax Digital connection to the receiver for sound. I was able to view the picture but again could not hear any audio via the receiver. But more bothersome was that I could not view the picture in widescreen mode even though the DVD was set to output in 16:9. Does this TV not display a 16:9 picture on its component video inputs?

Anyone who has expereince with what I thought should be some very basic hookups here, I would greatly appreciate your feedback to my questions.

I am starting to wonder if I have a faulty HDMI port on my TV.

Thanks Again!

Originally posted by plunketl
Second: Earlier, on the rare occasion I got it to work, I did receive audio through my receiver based on the TV's Optical Digital Out going to my Onkyo receiver. Now though, on the rare occasion I get it (the DVD picture) to work via HDMI, I get no sound whatsoever from the receiver. This is what an early post was stating in that they thought that no sound was transmitted from the TV's optical digital out unless using the TVs tuner, but I did have it transmitting sound earlier when using the HDMI interface. Anyhow, how am I supposed to hook-up a DVD player with an HDMI interface? I assume I am not supposed to also take an optical or coax digital line direct from the DVD to the receiver if I am using the HDMI to the TV - and then the TV optical out to the receiver. How have you guys hooked these TV/HDMI DVDs up?

I'm not sure what's causing all of your HDMI problems, but it sounds like the only way to find out for sure would be to get a 2nd different HDMI device and try it out. When I switch to HDMI on my set, it usually is green/pink flicker, sometimes some "ant races" static, then picture within 3 seconds.

As for your audio, you should be getting audio from the TV's internal speakers. You'll have to go over the audio settings on the TV as the internal speakers may be disabled, or set to be the center channel through the powered speaker input.

HDMI's spec apparrently says that HDMI does not (yet) pass Dolby Digital- so if you have a 5.1 setup, you will definately want to be using digital audio (coax or optical) directly from the DVD player to your receiver.

Interesting to hear that you had the optical out working when switched to an HDMI source. I may have to play w/ this again just to see.

--falz

falz-

Thanks for the feedback.

I have tried two different HDMI inputs (the two different Toshiba players) to the TV and both act up like this. What type of HDMI inputs are you using? I am going to BB today and ask them to hook up the Toshiba player to their display model and see if it does the same thing to them so I can see if it is my TV.

I definitely had sound when I got it to work twice (once for Nemo and once for Troy movies) via the HDMI to TV then TV optical out to my receiver.

Another basic question though - should'nt I be able to see a full 16:9 picture (no black boxes on the side of the screen) when I do not use the HDMI input but rather use the TV Component inputs from the DVD player? If not then I guess I have to use HDMI for widescreen DVD viewing. I looked through the TV manual and it says nothing regarding this widescreen issue.

Regards

The only HDMI device I have is the HD TiVo (model HR10-250).

You definately should get widescreen through component- I do on my xbox and DVD player (both are analog component inputs). Perhaps toggling through the tv's formats (zoom, stretch, etc etc) will fix it. Also make sure the DVD player is told that you have a 16:9 tv.

And just to be clear on the HDMI audio, then optical from TV issue- the only cable going from the DVD player was HDMI, and you got audio from the optical output on the TV? I'm going to go try this right now again- I don't think I tweaked with the audio menu settings when doing this, perhaps I set something incorrectly.

--falz

can you please tell me what other lcds or dlps you looked at in SD before deciding on the RCA? SD determination is my #1 challenge on makng a purchase. I keep reading different things---sammy dlp better than sony lcd out of box, etc... I need help on what product has the best non-DH (SD) from a Direct TV source and how hard it is to get the PQ to the best it can be?

toon,

what other dlp or lcd's did you look at and compare the SD signal? i need help on what is the best otion on SD quality through direct tv non-hd

thanks

Originally posted by falz
This is a good idea, so I looked into it. Apparently the current HDMI spec does not pass the full Dolby Digital 5.1 through it, only two channels (huh? that sucks.)

So I tried it, since I've been noticing some sync issues with my RCA 162. Bad news- the optical output only appears to output a signal when you're using its internal tuner- you don't get audio AT ALL from this jack when you're set to HDMI as the input.

Perhaps RCA could make this work via a firwmware update it, but I doubt it. They probably wired it up to only go along with the internal tuner.

There may be another way, however. The TV has 6 RCA line level outputs (per page 10 in the owners manual (http://www.rca.com/documents/HD50LPW162(IB)_703375_25.pdf)). If your receiver supports an external decoder, (5.1 RCA type inputs) maybe the TV outputs from these to your receiver. However, if it's not getting a 5.1 signal in from the HDMI in the first place, then what's the point.

One last conviluted solution would be to use optical to a reciever as normal, but somehow mute the center channel only from your receiver, and only when you're on the TV input, and enable the audio from the TV's internal speakers for the "voice". This should work, but then of course you're using whatever speakers are in the set (I havent used mine yet, I don't know if they suck). Also, if anyone ever broadcasts something that's not Pro Logic or Dolby Digital, the voices will come from the main L/R and there will be an echo.

OK, I messed with the optical out some more. It actually DOES pass audio through that came in through HDMI! The RCA 5.1 outputs do as well!

HOWEVER- there is one major snag- it will only pass an audio signal if the source is just stereo- NOT Dolby Digital. Any channel that has Dolby Digital encoded audio is simply silent- both in the internal speakers, as well as the optical and RCA outputs. So, if you're using anything as your external tuner (likely a TiVo), you cannot use the TV's optical out unless you are on a channel that's standard stereo. Blegh.

So, to summarize:

The optical and 5.1 RCA outputs will pass audio that came in through HDMI ONLY when the HDMI source is something "standard" like stereo. It will NOT pass dolby digital. You will only get silence.

You can test this yourself without even using the Optical/RCA outputs- enable the TV speakers- if you get sound from your HDMI source, it will pass it through. If you don't (DD/AC3/5.1), it won't.

--falz

falz-

Thanks for the insight into the HDMI/sound issue.

I found that tonight at BB the HDMI from the Toshiba DVD player works fine - so my guess is there is something wrong with my HDMI port on my TV. I will be using the extended service plan sooner than I planned! I wonder if this is a common , "quick" fix or if I will end up with another TV out of this?!?!

Lastly, I did use the various image stretch options to make my component DVD input signal fill the whole screen - that was pretty obvious once you mentioned it. I hope it is not truly "stretching" the picture as it normally does to regular 4:3 broadcasting. I guess none of that will matter once the HDMI port is fixed and I am runnning the DVD through there again.

Thanks again.

Has anyone looked at the new D44LPW134? I would like opinions if anyone has seen this set. Thanks.

Has anyone seen rainbows on the 162 series? I'm in a bind...I have a toshiba 44nhm84 that has a great picture, but it's rainbow city for me. Today, I ran across an open box 50" 162 series for 1699.00, no remote, no manual.

I briefly had a panny 50" dlp that I saw no rainbows on, but ended up returning it (long story). I got the toshiba instead and started seeing rainbows on it.

Does anyone know how many segments this color wheel has? I'm trying to figure out how prone this tv might be to rainbows. I can't see any at the store, but of course I couldn't see them on the toshiba either till I got it home.

Also, how might I get the remote for this thing if I end up picking it up?

First, I have not seen rainbows, nor ever seen rainbows on any DLP set. I have also had the Panny DLP, 2 sets in fact of the current 50" model. That picture is in my opinin equal to the RCA in every way. I, however, have no idea about how many segments the wheel has. In fact I researched this prior to purchase and I have never seen anything but speculation as to the number. I think RCA is keeping that one a secret for some unknown fool of a reason.

I bought my 50" 162 in mid-November and have had nothing but good luck with it.

As for the remote I would surmise that any RCA after-market remote would work. Check at your Best Buy. I remember seeing several RCA remotes there. Just a thought, you might just want to upgrade straight out to a Harmony remote or something like that. Lots of internet deals floating around on the Harmony's right now and after you configure it, you should have the same functionality as the stock RCA remote.

Also, just as a thought, before you buy this open box deal you might want the store to plug it in, preferably in a quiet room or something so you can test the image and listen for any noises that might be present. Turn it on and off a few times to make sure there is nothing wrong there either.

Buyer Beware
Happy Hunting

forkball, thanks. When I went by, the tv was plugged in and turned on. It looked ok. As for remotes, I personally don't like the all-in-one things. I tried several of them, and there is always some feature that is on the stock remote that cannot be found on any of the all-in-ones, so I'm happy sitting in my pile of 8 or 9 remotes.

Anyways, I didn't see rainbows either until I got this toshiba. I haven't had any luck finding out how to contact toshiba (their tech support # for TVs is harder to find than the president's cell phone), and I'm running out of time if I want to return it.

The RCA looks great at the store, but of course I'm terrified of starting to see rainbows on it. That's why I was asking about the color wheel. Some theories are that more segments=less rainbows. The panny had an 8 segment wheel and I saw no rainbows. The toshiba has a 6 segment wheel and I see rainbows....

Worst case scenario I could take it back, but I've already returned 2 TVs to one store, and if I decide to take back the toshiba it will make 3 returns. If I get the rca and see rainbows, it would make 4 returns, and my getting blacklisted from every single freakin store in the city. I wouldn't even consider buying it if it weren't for the 1699 price. I actually went by looking for any open box or killer deals on the JVC. They didn't have any, but showed me the RCA.

Hey, they have the return policies for a reason, to make sure you get what you want!

Based on Price alone I could surmise that the RCA is a 6 segment wheel. However from what I've read the spec for the HD2+ chip allows for 6, 7, or 8 segmented wheels. I assume that all depends on the internal optics engine or something though. Hey, I don't know if anyone has or not, but you could give RCA a call and see what they say in regards to the wheel? If nothing else you might be out a 5-10 minute call. And if you do find out, inquiring minds need to know!

Yeah that's a hell of a price. Out the door with coupons and discounts mine was $2400 +tax.

The reviews I have seen on the JVC weren't the best, for what its worth.

The Mits 725 series DLP is pretty nice as well. The screen on that is anti-glare and its a lot better then the 525 series. Those are quite a bit higher in price though. I think they run the 7 segment wheel.

Also I've heard Optoma will be shortly coming out with a new set. Seeing them before purchase is a challenge though.

Honestly I could not be happier after what, 3 months or so with my 50" 162. Even the fan noise which I thought might be a problem is non-existant to me now. Even at low volumes I cannot hear it. Everyone who has seen my set has commented that its an awesome picture (maybe some were just being nice, but some of those had to be true). I play a lot of Xbox and PS2 games, both run magnicificently. I have yet to hook up my PC, but will likely at some point. Only fault is maybe that its hard to do a calibration on it. Small sacrifice as I see it since there are so many user definable settings to adjust. Maybe tweeking the overscan would be nice, but its not important. Oh, yeah, a little pet peeve is how the set changes inputs. You just have to hit the input button and cycle through in one direction. It would have been nice if they listed them out like the Panny.

Originally posted by falz
The optical and 5.1 RCA outputs will pass audio that came in through HDMI ONLY when the HDMI source is something "standard" like stereo. It will NOT pass dolby digital. You will only get silence.
Thanks for this update, falz - very interesting.

I wonder how far does the dolby digital get - in other words, is the source trying to output the audio to the HDMI out - or is the TV not looking for it on the way in. You mentioned the HDMI doesn't support digital 5.1? So I suppose it's the latter - that the source simply isn't (can't) outputing the audio through HDMI.

Originally posted by forkball
a little pet peeve is how the set changes inputs. You just have to hit the input button and cycle through in one direction. It would have been nice if they listed them out like the Panny.
Actually, on the RCA remote, there are dedicated buttons labeled things like SAT, DVD, VCR, etc. In the RCA's menu, you can tell the set which button corresponds to which input. So, when you hit DVD, it will switch to Input 2 (or whatever). When you hit SAT, it will switch to HDMI. You get the idea.

No sh*t?

I really should read the manual. I had no idea I could just hit that button on the remote to switch the input. I am such a dumb a** sometimes!

Opinions Wanted:

Here is the story...I bought a 52' RCA CRT one year ago from a local RCA dealer. I like the TV and have not had any problems with it. But I have been looking at the DLP's. So the store where I bought the CRT is now offering me like $850 or so on a trade in on a DLP. Also, they said they would transfer the extended warranty that I bought with the CRT to the new DLP if I get one. Any opinions?

On one hand I have a CRT TV I like but I sit about 8 1/2 feet from it so it is a little big. And it is a older technology.

On the other hand I could get a new technology and get a 50 inch. ( not that it will make a difference with only two inches )

Also, the store doesn't have the HD50LPW162 they have the 164 and 165 with the HD3 chip. So I was going to see if they would order me a 162.

Any opinions?

Best Buy is exclusively carrying the 162, so you would probably see if they could order the 163.

I do not like RP CRT, so my thoughts would be to go with the DLP, but that's just me.

I got my HD61LPW163 this week, and it has some issues. I'll try to take some pictures of the screen tonight, but a text description follows:

1) A dark and purple band across the top of the screen, slanted, starting close to the top on the left, and getting thicker and farther into the screen on the right.

2) Alternating large gradients of green then purple moving up the screen, jumping once as they pass. More noticable on white areas, but visible even on pure black regions. (Except the unused areas to either side of a natural 4:3 image, which remain completely black.)

3) Slight fan noise... Probably not enough to get the tech to look at it since they DO make SOME noise. It's just a matter of where you draw the line of "this is too loud" and as the owner, I'm more likely to draw that line closer to "silent" than any tech looking at more work to do.

As Comcast wasn't going to be able to get out to see me for over a week, I picked up a HDTV indoor antenna for $50 or so. Crap. Got me ONE channel (and its dopler radar subchannel) so I took it back. I've gotten to talking with one of the lead engineers at Comcast here (who trains, or tries to, all the tech support people) and he let me know of a special promo Comcast was doing. Because of the high level of Superbowl-fed demand for HD cable boxes, they are letting people walk in and swap up to one instead of requiring an instalation appointment. I took them up on that and have it sitting in my car right now. It's just from today till the Saturday before the game.

The wouldn't give me a CableCARD, however, so I'll still have to have a tech come out for that. Which is really silly, since all you do is plug it in then read off some numbers to Comcast over the phone. Duh.

At least I'll have HD tonight, albeit alternating purple/green HD... Anyone have the full service menu docs somewhere? I'd love to be able to fix this myself, if it's not a hardware issue. The TV guy isn't coming for two weeks! :(

I didn't know they were the only ones carrying it? I guess that is why I cant find it anywhere else?

Originally posted by jensph I wonder how far does the dolby digital get - in other words, is the source trying to output the audio to the HDMI out - or is the TV not looking for it on the way in. You mentioned the HDMI doesn't support digital 5.1? So I suppose it's the latter - that the source simply isn't (can't) outputing the audio through HDMI.
My guess is the source isn't sending it out. My TiVo does have a setting to disable Dolby Digital, so there would be a way to test it out. Hoever, regardless of the outcome of that, it's not anything I or anyone w/ a decent sound setup would want.

Quite silly that whoever added audio to DVI to come up with HDMI wouldnt simply allow the passthrough the audio stream, regardless of what it is (DD, DTS, PCM..)
--falz

Any one else have a opinion for me? Keep mine or buy new? I guess I would be looking at the HD50LPW163?

Originally posted by dankfoot
Any one else have a opinion for me? Keep mine or buy new? I guess I would be looking at the HD50LPW163?

The 163 is the same as the 162, but with firewire and a built in WinCE web browser. Apparently the browser is useless, so you'll have to decide if you want firewire or not.

My local BB didn't carry the 162 in store (or display any models of RCA, in fact) but they gladly ordered it for me and I had it in about two days. I got my 162 for around $2200.

I guess it depends on how much you like your CRT RP. I'm assuming it's a floor standing model. I can't handle that, as I like to store things underneath. Is this a big bonus for you? If not, if you wait another 6 months or a year, the new LG and Samsung's will be out, and it will drive prices of the RCA's down further (as well as older samsungs).

--falz

I could have sworn that my 162 has a Firewire port. Is it not active or useable?

Falz,

How did you get the 162 for $2,200?

I talked to the manager of my local Best Buy today and he would not budge on the current sale price of almost 2400. I don't have a BB card and he would not take off 10% if I opened one.

Steve

Originally posted by stgamba
How did you get the 162 for $2,200?

I talked to the manager of my local Best Buy today and he would not budge on the current sale price of almost 2400. I don't have a BB card and he would not take off 10% if I opened one. A few things. I had a 10% off coupon that they had shipped me (I've had a best buy card only for about 1year prior to this). What I didn't say in that message is that I bought the service plan as well. I also bought the HD TIVo at the same time. I was going to order the TiVo online, but it ended up being good barter-bate.

Here's the full breakdown of what I got (beginning Jan '05):

162: $2200
4 year extended warranty TV (includes bulb) $400
HD TiVo $750
4 year extended warranty TiVo $100

I had no intention of buying a warranty with the TV, but what really happened was I got the TV for 10% off, with the warranty thrown in. I don't have the receipt in front of me, but the TV + extended warranty ended up being 10% less than their normal price for the TV. I considered this a fair deal, especially when getting the TiVo for $850 w/ extended warranty.

On top of this, a few days later they had "double reward zone points". I was able to go in and have them credit these to me, which will be somewhere around $250 in best buy $.

Interestingly, when I was having them credit me for this, one of the guys doing it was somewhat manager like, and he said straight up that he would never give me that deal. So, it sounds like it depends on who you speak with.

--falz

Dude your deal rocked. With the extended warranty I was out the door $300 higher then you. Wish I had gotten the double bonus points too! Well done indeed.

falz,

Thanks for the reply. I am happy with me CRT for the most part but it is big and bulky. Really the only thing that is making me want to buy a new DLP is my dad has the 151 model and he loves it and it looks really good but also the store is willing to buy back the CRT and give me a deal on a DLP and transfer the warranty for free. So I kind of feel like I need to take advantage of this?

After considerable deliberation, intense research, and money burning a hole in my pocket, I I picked up the RCA 50" DLP (HD50LPW162) on 2/1/05 - despite the concern of some that RCA may not be a brand to trust. Thankfully, I purchased a 4 YR extended warranty and I'll probably want a new model after that anyway!

So how do I like it? Well, first of all it's my first big screen TV so I'm likely a bit schewed in the excitement department. I've been wanting a widescreen TV ever since I started investing in DVD's in 1999. That said, I'm pretty picky and have no problem returning things I buy if I am not happy with them. Thankfully, I'm extremely happy with the RCA unit thus far!

THINGS I LIKE

1) Built-in tuner. Since using an OTA antenna is a requirement to get HD locals in my area, I wanted to get an HDTV with a built-in tuner. I'll eventually be upgrading my Dish receiver to HD, but it's nice knowing I'll always have the capability to view local HD channels with only an antenna.

2) Picture quality. Along with the built-in tuner, picture quality at the store was probably the primary reason for choosing this model. It simply looked great in the store and easily held its own against other models that were slightly more expensive. I'm glad to say that PQ at home is also very good. I was expecting my Dish SD channels to look pretty crappy on the HDTV, but for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised. The SD locals that I get through DISH don't look great - the compression they use on these channels is amplified when viewing on a large screen like this. But the rest of the channels look pretty decent and certainly watchable. This alone makes the wait for switching to HD programming much more bearable. DVD's look great as expected, and Finding Nemo was one reference disc I popped in right away (wow)! Xbox games at 480p/720p look terrific and I can't ever imagine playing video games on the small screen again! Soul Caliber II (which is 720p), in particular, simply looks fantastic and I can't wait until the next generation of consoles comes out with HD all the way. SUMMARY: Picture quality on the RCA is very good, no complaints at all. I still need to calibrate the TV though, but I'm not sure which tool I'm going to use (nothing expensive, that's for sure). Byt he way, I *can* see the color wheel once in a while when I move my eyes quickly from side to side, but it has not distracted me in the slightest and I can't imagine this ever bieng a problem for me.

3) Value. I don't believe any other model can touch this one in terms of value - no premium here for just a name, though one could argue that RCA does have something to prove. But with a built-in tuner and terrific picture quality at an affordable price, I can imagine this unit being a popular choice in DLP. I was able to pick up the TV for $2200 and I bought the 4 year warranty.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

1) The fan. It's true, the fan emits this annoying high-pitched noise that is easily audible when the volume is low. When watching shows at normal volume it is not noticeable, but with the volume low, it can be distracting. It bothers my wife more than me, so I'll probably ask a service technician to come out and try to tone the noise down a bit (seems to have worked for a few of you guys). Not a deal-killer in any way, but may bother some more than others.

2) The remote. It's pretty cheesy, but thankfully I have another RCA learning remote that I use for all of my equipment and I simply programmed all of TV's remote functions onto my universal. I guess the TV remote isn't terrible, but I don't like having 50 remotes around the house, so the one universal works better.

That's about it! I'm looking forward to viewing more HD programming on the TV as I only have the locals through antenna right now. But between DVD's and Xbox games, I have more than enough enjoyment already.

A quick update:

Aside from the PBS shows that run during the daytime, tonight was the first night I was able to watch some HD content on my new RCA TV. I watch both repeats of "Desperate Housewives" and they looked fantastic! MUCH better than the SD local channels I am currently getting through Dish. Unfortunately, I don't have a HD receiver yet from Dish, so I can't record any HD content... and I am usually working during prime time so I don't get to watch much HD programming.... yet.

Anyway, the RCA continues to impress! Aside from the fan noise, the unit has met or exceeded my expectations.

It appears that the RCA HDxxLPW162 and HDxxLPW163 have been discontinued. They are no longer listed on RCA's web site. If you manually enter HD61LPW162 in the url then you get back a page with no info and if you manual enter HD61LPW163 in the url you get a page back with info but it list the MSRP as $0 (which would be nice). Anyone know if they have been officially discontinued? I have been debating between the HD61LPW162 and the HD61LPW163. My local BestBuy caries the HD61LPW162 but not the HD61LPW163.

Originally posted by Brent01
It appears that the RCA HDxxLPW162 and HDxxLPW163 have been discontinued. They are no longer listed on RCA's web site. If you manually enter HD61LPW162 in the url then you get back a page with no info and if you manual enter HD61LPW163 in the url you get a page back with info but it list the MSRP as $0 (which would be nice). Anyone know if they have been officially discontinued? I have been debating between the HD61LPW162 and the HD61LPW163. My local BestBuy caries the HD61LPW162 but not the HD61LPW163.

Looks like they maybe being produced here's the link
http://www.rca.com/product/viewmodellist/browseproduct/0,2589,CI700294,00.html?

and if they're not then you can pickup one at a real nice (i.,e low) price:D

Originally posted by Brent01
It appears that the RCA HDxxLPW162 and HDxxLPW163 have been discontinued. They are no longer listed on RCA's web site. If you manually enter HD61LPW162 in the url then you get back a page with no info and if you manual enter HD61LPW163 in the url you get a page back with info but it list the MSRP as $0 (which would be nice). Anyone know if they have been officially discontinued? I have been debating between the HD61LPW162 and the HD61LPW163. My local BestBuy caries the HD61LPW162 but not the HD61LPW163.

I don't know if they are being discontinued or not, but RCA's website has been changed in the last few days so they may just be working out the kinks. The newer looking website seems to only be showing the DLP's with HD3. The older looking website (which the previous posted supplied a link to) shows the HD2+ models like the 162's. Whether this indicates a discontinuation or just a website transition is unclear.

However, since you get 0 results when you do a search for the 162 models from the newer looking models, I would tend to think that they are just moving everything over to a newer website design. Because even if they were discontinuing these models, you would still expect to find some search results for these models because I had found manuals and other stuff when I was looking before...

Yeah they are not listed on the new web site. But if you manually type in the URL you get a almost blank page for the HD61LPW162 and a page with info on the HD61LPW163 but it's MSRP is $0. So maybe they have not transfered all the info over or it looks like they have been discontinued by reading the press release.

HD61LPW162 - http://tv.rca.com/en-US/ModelDetail.html?MN=HD61LPW162&nav=ByProductCategory&PC=HighDefinition

HD61LPW163 - http://tv.rca.com/en-US/ModelDetail.html?MN=HD61LPW163&nav=ByProductCategory&PC=HighDefinition

Also in the press release (http://tv.rca.com/en-US/01052005.html.htm) on the new web site they only list the following DLP models for 2005: 61-inch HD61LPW52, 50-inch HD50LPW52 , 61-inch HD61LPW62 , 50-inch HD50LPW62 , 44-inch HD44LPW62 , 61-inch HD61LPW167 , 50-inch HD50LPW167 , 44-inch HD44LPW167 , 61-inch HD61LPW175 , 50-inch HD50LPW175 and 61-inch RCA Scenium Profiles HD61THW263

Is something wrong with my HD61LPW162 RCA HDTV?
When I watch HDTV channels via component cables using my Time Warner HDCable Box, the HD channles are cropped on the sides.

I tried changing the picture formats, I used all of them , 4:3, Auto , Normal, etc.... and its still cropped. In 4:3 mode I have black bars on the sides, but the picture itself is still cropped (overscanned). I can tell because the station logos are partially cutoff, like where it says PBS HD all I see is "S HD"

Is the signal I'm recieving cropped or is it the TV not resizing the image correctly? What can I do? Is this normal? Is it the cable box?

What brand/model of calbe box?

Its a Motorola DCT6200/1000

Originally posted by omegatek
Its a Motorola DCT6200/1000
Does the box have any apsect ratio settings? I'd fully play with those. I've never had the issues you describe with my source (TiVo). It sounds like you're perpetually zoomed in.

--falz

Ah.......
Didn't know there were hidden settings on the box. Called cable company and was informed that by pressing the power button and the menu button (really quickly) I could change the box to output at 720P and 16:9
It was outputting 480P and 4:3!

Now it looks so so much better.

Originally posted by Nonsanity
That Is one of the better choices, but I'd have to modify it to close it in some way so little fingers won't go pushing buttons. Another one I found along the same lines is it pretty much has the same problem, since the doored modules aren't wide enough for many component pieces and the back is closed up to boot. (No ventilation.) Eitehr one would require considerable modifications.

I hope I don't have to end up hiding the components away somewhere and using an IR repeater to control them, since those things are $80-100 themselves.

I'd build my own stand, but I do all my woodworking on the deck and that's covered with a foot of snow at the moment. And I'd still need to know the footprint size of the 61" RCA 16x Sceniums to make something the right size. Since I'll be installing the TV in the corner, a trapesoidal or triangular base would be ideal, but we can't have everything. (Can't even have the bare minimum, it seems...)



I just took the plunge and am anxiously awaiting the delivery of my 50". It's going to be here on Monday 2/21 and it can't come soon enough!

That ikea stand seems like a good option for me, being that my speakers are maple colored. What type of stand is everyone using here?

Based on research which included info from this thread, I decided to order a HD50LPW162 from Best Buy, and take my chances on the fan noise.
I got it set up last night, and here are my initial reactions.
Good:
The picture, OOTB with no changes of any sort, is beautiful. Take a look at Chronicles of Riddick on DVD (even just through a bargain player with component outs) as a guide. WOW.
HD: Once i got my antenna properly situated and got the ota hd channels tuned, I was again impressed. Too bad I have to wait until August for football, but the broadcast shows look great.
Bad:
Man that fan is noisy. I already called customer service, who told me first to reset the tv by unplugging it for an hour (doubt highly that will help) and gave me a number for my local service guy. I am hoping he has dealt with the problem. I know some on this board have had it resolved to their satisfaction. Any idea what was done, so I can clue in the service guy just in case?
After one inght with it, I am very impressed and happy with the picutre quality, and very hopeful that the fan noise issue is resolved, because it is just too prominent as is.

Noel

Originally, I was set on getting the Panny 50" LCD and actually went to a nearby (well, one that is over 60 miles awy) and got an open box for several hundred under list. It had all the timmings but no box. Despite it being 55" wide and my TV stand is a mere 46", I had assumed that it wouldn't be such an issue.

I was wrong.

Here is where the RCA 50" 162series came in. I went back the BB the next day and returned the Panny. They had just put out the RCA 50" as an open box. No box, no remote, no manual. The first and third weren't a big deal. Not having a remote was concerning, however, I was still gonna get it. I haggled the open box price to match the returning Panny (effectively, an exchange on more levels than just price) but only if I can see a signal coming in. They hooked it up and it was only in B&W. Wha??? The store manager that was helping me (the lone TV guy was dealing with 4 people at once) said that they would have to take it back and see what's wrong. So, we got talking about maybe a new in-box RCA set would suffice. We agreed to adding $100 to the open box price of the RCA. I agreed. Luckily, they had it in stock. Took it home and hooked up my non HDTV cable and pro-scan DVD player.

Observations:
> Nearly a purrrrrfect fit in my TV stand.
>Black borders around the tube >>>> gray borders.
>No fan noise issue, yet.
>Vibrant setting in a dark room is bright, Bight, BRIGHT!!
>DVD PQ via component is as expected.....great. However, in the menu of Star Wars IV, I noticed that when the "Play" was highlighted yellow, the text wasn't too exceptional.

I'll be getting my HDTV cable box from Adelphia Friday and will do some audio connection scenarios to test what works and what doesn't.

Is not having Firewire REALLY an issue? What could we expect from Firewire in the coming years and their connectivity to TVs, receivers and other components? Also, unrelated, is there a Firewire to Component Cable adapter or cable? I have a Digital Video camcorder with Firewire output. I'd like to output it through Firewire and since the 162 series doesn't have Firewire, I'd like to know if there is such a cable or adapter that takes a Firewire signal out (from DV cam) to the component-level inputs of the TV + audio.

Oh, and the best part is when I purchased the TV from BB, they printed out a $200 rebate coupon. How's under $2000 for a 50" DLP HD2+ set sound? Sweet!

Update on my HD61LPW163 problems. Shipped from TigerDirect, it arrived with what the service tech who came out said was a broken mirror. Now that they've said it, I can see that that IS why the top edge of the screen is darker... The mirror is angled away there. Also, the purple/blue tinge along the edge of the dark section must be caused by refraction along the crack in the glass. Makes perfect sense... And sucks.

Now there is another problem and I'd like to bounce the symptoms off the forum members, see if it sounds familiar to anyone. On every comonent, composite, or S-video input, I get a scrolling band of green tint followed by a band of purple tint, each about 2/3 the height of the screen and slowly moving upwards. I had thought this was a lightwheel timining issue or something else in the light engine, and the techs who came out to look at it agreed. BUT, I just got a CableCARD installed, and there ISN'T any tint on those channels. So now I'm thinking that there's some interference in the electronics that make up the input panel. (Hmmm... I'll test the front input tonight. Forgot about that one. If THAT is clear, then it's the back input panel for sure. If there's a tint on the front inputs too, it's something more wide-spread or maybe an issue with the A/D converter..?)


thetimmer99:
The Firewire the TV is using is in a specific protocol over the 1394 wires. The protocol coming out of a DVcam with a Firewire (or iLink) port is not the same. The signal on component cables is analog, so there is no simple conversion to or from Firewire. There's a good article (http://www.audiorevolution.com/news/0702/11.firewire.shtml) on Firewire in AV systems, but there are few components yet that will provide anything useful to the TV through this wire. While cable companies are required to provide at least one cable box option with Firewire enabled, I've found that the picture they output on that port is the raw cable feed. This means excellent quality, BUT it means that the cable box is not adding menus to the signal. That means that if you use the cable box for on-screen guides, DVR features, PPV, or On Demand... You are out of luck. (Though if the box supports both Firewire and some other port at the same time, you may be able to switch between the two on the TV.

I haven't yet tested the Firewire on my 163 yet. My plans are to try using it to record programs off the CableCARD into a Mac, using the Mac as a virtual D-VHS recorder. Supposedly, the 163 will be able to see the Mac and all the shows recorded on it, pick one, and play it back with DVR-like controls. We'll see...

Other than some of the technical speed mumbo-jumbo, Firewire will make cabling a bit easier? And, would I expect my non-firewire set up (TV, receiver, DVD player, Xbox) to be obsolete in a few years? I'm thinking 'no'.

thks for the article and explanation, nonsanity.

While I would like to think that Firewire is going to take off, the fact that it hasn't already makes me beleive it won't. HDMI came out, so it will be the connection standard for DISPLAYING video. Firewire will likely be standard on DVR's sattelite boxes (if we're lucky). Essentially, anything that produces a video signal.

Does the 163 output its ATSC tuner contents over firewire? If it does, that would be nice for recording. If it doesn't, I don't see a use for firewire on the display itsself.

--falz

Yes, the 163 will output the ATSC in native format via 1394.
It will also control any 1394 device that accepts the 1394 control commands, such as play, record, pause, etc.
Models should include the Mitsu and JVC DVHS units, as well as the RCA hard drive unit.

Originally posted by koolaid_kid
Yes, the 163 will output the ATSC in native format via 1394.
It will also control any 1394 device that accepts the 1394 control commands, such as play, record, pause, etc.
Models should include the Mitsu and JVC DVHS units, as well as the RCA hard drive unit.

Question re: this. (this is now way-way off topic) did they impliment any channel-changing controls in 1394 in the land of digital TV? like, any type of standard such as "go to channel 100" (which would allow a DVR to control 1394 devices such as cable boxes without messy IR)

--falz

Originally posted by Nonsanity
There's a good article (http://www.audiorevolution.com/news/0702/11.firewire.shtml) on Firewire in AV systems, but there are few components yet that will provide anything useful to the TV through this wire.
Thanks for that link. Can you clarify if TVs with FireWire like the 163 are using the 1394b standard? Or is current hardware still using 1394a? Are these standards compatibile (like USB and USB2)?
I haven't yet tested the Firewire on my 163 yet. My plans are to try using it to record programs off the CableCARD into a Mac, using the Mac as a virtual D-VHS recorder. Supposedly, the 163 will be able to see the Mac and all the shows recorded on it, pick one, and play it back with DVR-like controls. We'll see...
Would the Mac be using 1394b? This would be an interesting set-up - though I don't know exactly what you mean by "virtual D-VHS recorder" - I'm assuming DVR. Would you be able to watch live TV through the Mac by way of the TV and CableCard, such that you could pause live TV? Or would the Mac need a separate source input?

I just had the light engine replaced in my HD61LPW163 (stuck mirror) and now it seems that the fan noise is more distracting but not horrible. After muting the TV, I used my Radio Shack sound level meter to measure the noise at about 50-52 db right next to the vents on the side of the TV. Has anyone else measured the noise levels from their TV? I'd be curious to know what the readings are, particularly from those of you who deem the noise troublesome.

Wish you would have asked this question yesterday, I have a sound meter and my 61" RCA was just replaced for light engine noise. I never thought to measure it.

Mine was really buzzing pretty bad for a while there. It would make loud buzzing noises until it warmed up good, then it would diminish. Under normal conditions any volume from the TV or stereo surround would drown the noise.

I would bring it up with RCA again, maybe you'll get a THW263 like I did!

Originally posted by kito2112
Wish you would have asked this question yesterday, I have a sound meter and my 61" RCA was just replaced for light engine noise. I never thought to measure it.

Mine was really buzzing pretty bad for a while there. It would make loud buzzing noises until it warmed up good, then it would diminish. Under normal conditions any volume from the TV or stereo surround would drown the noise.

I would bring it up with RCA again, maybe you'll get a THW263 like I did!

How did you get them to replace the unit? My light engine was bad and they replaced it but never offered to replace the TV. Maybe now that the fan noise is an issue they will do the same for me. Any suggestions on who I need to talk to?

The tv is 1394a. 1394b is backward compatible with 1394a.
When trying to record to a Mac, one must consider 5C.
I recall being able to connect a DVHS to a PC and recording open content to the PC. I suspect the tv, however, which must understand 5C in order to playback D-Theater tapes, will not allow recording to a computer.

1. Anyone ever figure out how many segments are on the 162/163 series (HD2+) color wheel?

2. I noticed something when I turned on my HDTV and Stereo late last night while tending to my sick boy. It was after 1am and an old Conan was on NBC. Upon first few minutes of powerup, my wife and I noticed a distinct but not severe lip sync problem. I had to go see a man about a horse and when I returned a few minutes later, the lip sync issue had been no more. Since then and through today, no lip sync issues were notec. My only conclusion was that during bulb warmup a lip sync issue exists but returns to normal after a certain period (3-5 minutes?). Has anyone ever experienced lip sync issues on their 162/163 in any way, shape or form -- including the above.

Oh, and I got my Adelphia HD package delivered on Friday. One word: STUNNING!

These are great units . A lot of bang for the buck. Dont the brand scare you off.

Majority of people I've sold these to love it

Tico
TVauthority
tico@tvauthority.com

I've had the 50" 162 for over three months now. No fan noise, no sync issues, no smudges, no bright spots, no glare ..... nothing at all

- except a great picture!!

Just looked at the 162 at BB and it looks like an awesome set. Sorry if this is a repeat question, but what is everybody using for a stand with this TV? Also, if I get this TV I'm thinking of dumping D* and going to Comcast because I hear there is no PQ diff in HD and D* HD startup cost is about $600. (I know you can call D* and negotiate, but unless they negotiate to $0, I don't care). How does the cablecard work? Do I hookup the coax cable from Comcast directly into the TV then I have HD? I'm a bit confused.
Thanks - Jack.

Originally posted by thetimmer99
1. Anyone ever figure out how many segments are on the 162/163 series (HD2+) color wheel?

2. I noticed something when I turned on my HDTV and Stereo late last night while tending to my sick boy. It was after 1am and an old Conan was on NBC. Upon first few minutes of powerup, my wife and I noticed a distinct but not severe lip sync problem. I had to go see a man about a horse and when I returned a few minutes later, the lip sync issue had been no more. Since then and through today, no lip sync issues were notec. My only conclusion was that during bulb warmup a lip sync issue exists but returns to normal after a certain period (3-5 minutes?). Has anyone ever experienced lip sync issues on their 162/163 in any way, shape or form -- including the above.

Oh, and I got my Adelphia HD package delivered on Friday. One word: STUNNING!

1. I believe the RCA rep at Best Buy said it is a 6 segment RGBRGB color wheel.

2. I have never experienced the lip-sync on any broadcasts with my RCA, but when I had a Samsung HLP4663W I had lip-sync with some DVD movies (usually movies with a DTS soundtrack, but also Dolby Digital too). I suspect that it was NOT the bulb warming up on your RCA, but the station got out of sync for a few moments. Some people with various Samsung models have reported lip-sync issues with cable/sat broadcasts, but it was probably the station broadcasting it. I would only worry if you see this problem with DVDs.

I think the RCAs have the best picture out there right now. I just wish they had an all black cabinet like the 6 LGs I returned for major problems with shadows and dark images. I kept trying to find one that worked right because I loved the look of the cabinet. Now I don't care what the cabinet looks like or what the name on the TV is. I just want a great picture and the RCA has it. :cool:

Originally posted by jackbnimble
Just looked at the 162 at BB and it looks like an awesome set. Sorry if this is a repeat question, but what is everybody using for a stand with this TV? Also, if I get this TV I'm thinking of dumping D* and going to Comcast because I hear there is no PQ diff in HD and D* HD startup cost is about $600. (I know you can call D* and negotiate, but unless they negotiate to $0, I don't care). How does the cablecard work? Do I hookup the coax cable from Comcast directly into the TV then I have HD? I'm a bit confused.
Thanks - Jack.

I bought this stand for the original LG 44SZ63D I bought and returned:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Z-Line-Designs-TV-Stand-23541S-/sem/rpsm/oid/69535/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

It works ok with the RCA I now have and love, but at 23" high it seems about 2" too high. The RCA has a little more distance between the base and the bottom of the screen, so my eyes are not dead center when I am fully reclined, but it is a better height for anyone standing in the room. I am comfortable with the compromise.

One more thing.... This stand is very sturdy and I had it setup in about 15 minutes. Easiest stand I ever setup yet. I gives me enough room for a Yamaha receiver, VCR, cable box, a 7 disc JVC DVD player, Samsung DVD player, and a Klipsch RC-25 center channel that is 17" wide. The black with silver accents looks better than the TV.

I got this model for 120.00. CC will negotiate. Just ask.

Originally posted by jackbnimble
Just looked at the 162 at BB and it looks like an awesome set. Sorry if this is a repeat question, but what is everybody using for a stand with this TV? Also, if I get this TV I'm thinking of dumping D* and going to Comcast because I hear there is no PQ diff in HD and D* HD startup cost is about $600. (I know you can call D* and negotiate, but unless they negotiate to $0, I don't care). How does the cablecard work? Do I hookup the coax cable from Comcast directly into the TV then I have HD? I'm a bit confused.
Thanks - Jack.

jackbnimble,

With the Cable Card you would hook the cable line directly to the TV cable input. Once activated, the Cable Card allows you to receive digital and HD channels w/out a box, but you won't have acess to interactive programming guides, PPV programming, etc.

I have Comcast cable but use the STB w/ the DVR. The DVR is pretty cool. The DVR is a dual tuner unit, so you can record one channel while watching another, or record two channels at the same time. It also records programs in HD, and can pause/rewind live TV. I'm not sure there is anything else out there right now that can do all that.

The incoming cable line is split with one line going to the TV cable input and the second going to the digital box. I use the component output from the cable box to the TV. A Zenith Silver Sensor is up in the attic to recieve OTA HD brodcasts.

The cable line going directly to the TV is limited to viewing the basic channels, but that input along with the digital box input allows you to use the PIP feature - albiet with the SD channels only.

The really cool thing about the set-up is that I can record two prime time HD shows while watching a third via the OTA tuner. It certainly leads to fewer battles over control of the remote !!


Train :D

Is it possible to use the Cable Card slot as another input?

BTW. I have had a 162 from BB since December. The lamp had a non-passive failure around 250 hours (terminology for exploded)... I work for a lighting company and actually engineered equipment to produce this type of arctube and lamp assembly). BB replaced the set quickly. The new unit has been fine since..... it is approaching 200 hours now.


What you may see before the lamp fails:
-You will see a flickering image with odd screen colors and wierd digital artifacts that are caused by the arc changing locations thereby affecting focus to the light engine.
-Some folks may see this early on in life before 100 hours during the break-in period..but should end in a short period of time... My situation didn't..kept getting more frequent and for long periods.....then darkness. The reflector and lens contained the failure so there was no debris to affect the light engine. Sometimes this is not the case.

The first set made in 11/04 had a Phillips lamp/ballast package(Lamp A on serial sticker)
The second set made in 12/04 has an Osram Lamp and ballast (Lamp B)


Neither set had fan noise problems. SD from my DirectV signal looks great, and off air HD is incredible. I am happy with the performance of the set. It is light and fits my furniture perfectly. The lamp issue doesn't concern me because the part(s) are easy to replace....and I bought the 4 year warranty.

I have an 18 month old first generation RCA Scenium DLP that quit working two weeks ago. I haven't been able to get anyone to look at it yet. It does have a 5 yr HH Gregg extended service plan that covers all parts and labor including the light bulb. The HH Gregg extended service plan includes lemon protection so that could get interesting if the light engine goes out every 18 months.

Besides not working now, the picture has been fantastic and has not had the image quality issues described here (with proper set up). Up to now, and besides not accepting a 720p external input and the lame web browser the TV has provided very enjoyable viewing 8-10 hours a day. I will update when I get a diagnosis.

Originally posted by balaschak
Is it possible to use the Cable Card slot as another input?

Cablecard itsself is a PCMCI card that just does some decription. The input for it is in the standard COAX Cable input (seperate from Antenna in).

So, the cablecard itsself can't be used for another input, but the cable-in that's dedicated to it and normal ntsc "cable ready" signals is its own input.

--falz

Originally posted by rboit
How did you get them to replace the unit? My light engine was bad and they replaced it but never offered to replace the TV. Maybe now that the fan noise is an issue they will do the same for me. Any suggestions on who I need to talk to?


I really didn't do anything special or get irate with them. The process, including repair shop time, took nearly 3 months. Just keep calling the CSA's. One thing I did do was complain about the attention I was getting from the repair shop and their seemingly lack of knowledge of DLP's.

I believe that RCA couldn't find parts for my TV, but they never told me that, just offered the exchange.

Good luck with yours.

I've had my 50" 162 for about a week now (actually 1 week anniversary today!!!) and at least twice I noticed the 5 blinks, pause, 5 blinks happen to me with the power light indicating that the bulb is trying to turn on. The troubleshooting guide says it's either the bulb is trying to turn on (but can't), the door is open or the bulb is toast. After turning 'off' the unit those times, waiting 5 or so minutes and turning 'on' again, it finally kicked in. Should I be concerned?

I own the HD61LPW163 and notice on the HDnet test pattern that I have some slight overscan problems. Is there a way to adjust this without calling out a serviceman?

Originally posted by Nonsanity
Update on my HD61LPW163 problems. Shipped from TigerDirect, it arrived with what the service tech who came out said was a broken mirror. Now that they've said it, I can see that that IS why the top edge of the screen is darker... The mirror is angled away there. Also, the purple/blue tinge along the edge of the dark section must be caused by refraction along the crack in the glass. Makes perfect sense... And sucks.


How was your experience with ordering the TV through TigerDirect?

I posted a question about ordering the HD61LPW162 through TigerDirect in the following thread.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=515365

My 50" 162 is Dead. Dead bulb, apparently. Got the 5 blinks, pause, 5 blinks of death light from the 'On' button......followed by 1 minute of constant blinking. I only had this baby for a week!!! About 3 or 4 times prior to that, I had the 5-blink issue but the picture eventually came on after a few minutes. Again, I've only had this thing a week. I got a local RCA authorized service shop number from the RCA/Thomson 1-800 number but the shop said that they don't service my area and gave me two other shops. I called them and one doesn't do housecalls and the other was closed for the day. Ugh.

Based on what I described to the RCA/Thompson 1-800 help line, they said it's probably a dead bulb. How could that be? Thank GOD I still got 24 days left on my 30-day return with BB.

:UPDATE:
Just found out it could take up to a week for the repair shop to get the bulb. So, my question is do I wait for simply return it to BB for another set?

RETURN IT FOR ANOTHER SET!!!

Originally posted by thetimmer99
Just found out it could take up to a week for the repair shop to get the bulb. So, my question is do I wait for simply return it to BB for another set?
Everyone here has been quite happy with the set, myself included. "Just" the bulb dieing is different than the whole light engine blowing up.

--falz

I have, at times, put a light bulb into a lamp only to have it go bad quickly. I suspect everyone else has as well. It is, though, a rare event. I suspect that some of these high lum projector lamps are bad out of the box as well. I think with a new lamp, the TV will be fine. If it goes out quickly again, then you have to be thinking in terms of a ballast or some other electronic part. Let me say that now having had the 162 for about two months I'm still satisfied. I wish the fan was quieter, Oh well. I see some people mentioning stands. Am I the only one using the RCA stand? It works for me. Patrick

No stand for me. My 162 is in an armoire. As for my satisfaction: the only way I could be happier is if I bought the 61" instead of the 50".

Quick question. I am looking at purchasing one of the 50" 162's. Here is my setup:

For the forseeable future, I will be content to keep my Time Warner analog cable. I was originally going to purchase an antenna to pick up the networks OTA, but not sure if I am going to.

If I just keep my ANALOG cable connection, can I simply plug it directly into the TV (RG-6 cable) and get the free HD network channels? Or must I get a cable card from TWC to insert into the cable card slot and pay $2-3 a month to get the "free" channels?

Not sure how the ATSC and QUAM tuner deal works. Thanks for any help! There is an open box item I am considering so I have to decide.

I got my lamp repaired after just 1 week of ownership. Took them 10 days to get the lamp, tho. Ever hear of FedEx?

Anyways, all is almost well. I can hear the fan now. Beforehand, I didn't experience the fan noise phenonmenon (sp?) like others did....in fact, I never heard it even when I had the TV on mute. Now, I can hear it but only if the TV sound is way low. What solutions are there? Should I call RCA again and have a tech come back and do a fix?

Also, and this has to do more with my Sony Commander remote and less to do with the TV:

I have the cable feed through Input 2 and DVD through Input 4 on the TV. On the RCA remote to go from Input 2 to Input 4, you press 'Input' then 4. No need to press "Input" twice to get to Input 4. The same is true when I go back from Input 4 to Input 2 -- just press "Input" and "2". I programmed these steps into the macros of my Sony Commander and when I run the macro to switch from TV to DVD (Input 2 to Input 4), it takes me to Input 3 and then to channel 4. Crap. I'm not asking for help (except if you think the Harmony would remedy this or programming no micro-second pause between steps on the Sony remote) just frustration.

Lastly, all Xbox games are 4:3 right? Or, at least most of them. I got my Xbox hooked up and so far all I need to do is get a controller extension cable to allow me to get further away from the TV.

All in all, I am happy. I'll get heading to my BB before my 30 days are up and get the 4yr warranty.

Odd, maybe when the bulb was replaced, they also turned the fan on (the reason your bulb died in the first place?)

In the menu for the RCA you can say which input each item is on, such as "DVD is input 2". Then pressing "DVD" on the RCA's remote is a discrete code to go to input 2. I used this code for whatever input on my universal remote, and it works great.

Yea, the majority of xbox games are 4:3, but nothing close to all. Look at this list:

http://www.hdtvarcade.com/xboxlist.htm

You may wish to check out the wireless logitech xbox controller. I just got one, and now I keep my xbox in a drawer under mt TV with it closed.

--falz

There are setting for the XBOX in the dashboard that control its ability to output a HD signal and also to output in 4x3 or widescreen.

I'm returing my 50" 162. Too many rainbows. Got headaches from them I believe. I'm starting to think that (most) DLPs are not yet ready for the likes of me until manufacturers get cracking on 3-chip sets or employ a standard 8-segment color wheel. At least I got until the end of the 1st two rounds of the NCAA's before my BB 30-day period is over.

Originally posted by thetimmer99
I'm returing my 50" 162. Too many rainbows. Got headaches from them I believe. I'm starting to think that (most) DLPs are not yet ready for the likes of me until manufacturers get cracking on 3-chip sets or employ a standard 8-segment color wheel. At least I got until the end of the 1st two rounds of the NCAA's before my BB 30-day period is over.

I've just started to see rainbows on mine after two months, but only on some bright white text that contrasts with the backround (such as a credit scroll), while I blink or look away from the screen quickly. If I stay watching the screen, I see nothing. Is this similar to what you see, or do you see them while always having your eyes on the screen?

--falz

I'm pretty much seeing what you're seeing.

It see it when light is contrasted to dark, and it don't matter if it's moving fast or slow. I see it when I'm darting away from the screen or into the screen but also when I'm just focused on the screen. It's all the time is what I'm saying. I don't watch much action type stuff but it's annoying. I don't see them when I'm concentrating on particular areas of the screen or when I'm consciously not wanting to see them but if things happen on the screen where the camera pans or when action moves from one part of the screen to another, they're there to some degree.

I want to keep this TV but to pay 2Gs for something that isn't quite right is not worth keeping.

So my 162 from BB had terrible fan or wheel noise, which the service tech said was normal. I decided to return it, order another one, and hope for the best, like a newer build, etc. The exchange happened today. What they brought me was a 164, manufactured last month. Guess what...NO NOISE. Very happy, because I really like the picture.

But going from a 162 to a 164 you are essentially downgrading as the chip used in the 162 is the HD2+ and the 164 has a HD3 chip. But, then, no fan noise is nice to have..........just make sure it's on. I'm not so sure that mine was one, resulting in a blown bulb within 7 days of receiving my set.

The set will not keep running if the fan isn't.

Yeah, I wouldn't have accepted their replacement. They gave you a lesser TV (IMO). The 162 has the HD2+ chip and the 164 has the HD3, with pretty much everything else being equal.

If you can't discern a difference in PQ, then go with it, I guess. But my eyes see a big difference in sharpness between the two. Obviously, YMMV.

Hope it works out for you. :)

Thanks for pointing that out guys. I thought there was a reason I preferred the 162! BB doesnt list the 162 on its website anymore. I will probably stick with the 164, since I mainly watch the important stuff on the projector (hd sports, movies, 24). However, if it does bug me, I can send this one back too, armed with this knowledge. Thanks again.

Do any of you 163 owners have a PS2 hooked up and working? If so, I have a few questions...

-- Do you experience any gameplay lag (as was reported with the Samsungs)? How about in games that don't support progressive scan?
-- Were you able to hook up your PS2 using the component inputs on the 163? The PS2 manual says that its component outputs don't work with HD component inputs...

Thanks,

nj

I have a 162, but I'll take a shot anyway...

1. Yes, there is some lag, but it seems it depends on the game. Madden 2005, for example, seems to experience little to no lag ("measured" during kicks, when timing is vital). ESPN College Hoops 2k5 however has serious lag ("measured" during free throws, where again timing is vital).

So I guess my answer is, "It depends."

It's interesting about your disclaimer regarding games that don't support p-scan. Perhaps setting ESPN CH2k5 p-scan off will help with lag?


2. I have my PS2 hooked up to Input 2 component using a $10 Mad Catz Component cable (please don't flame me for being cheap!). Just make sure you go into the System Adjustments menu and change your PS2 to display in 16:9 mode.

Using the same games as above, ESPN College Hoops 2k5 has an explicit setting for Progressive Scan (on/off). Switching it to on really sharpens the graphics. It looks fantastic. Madden, however, has no such setting. (If it's there, please tell me where cuz I can't find it.) There is a screen ratio setting, but for me, it's greyed out to 16:9.

Hope some of this helps!

Thanks. My assumption was actually that having progressive-scan on would *reduce* lag, because my understanding is that lag is caused by the TV having to upconvert a non-HD signal. I figured upconverting a 480p signal would be easier for the TV than upconverting 480i, but maybe that's not true--from the two games you mentioned, it sounds like the non-prog-scan game is actually less laggy. Odd.

Who knows...maybe it's my cheapo component cable. Your theory makes sense. I'll try some other games this weekend and report back.

Originally posted by luebster
I have a 162, but I'll take a shot anyway...

1. Yes, there is some lag, but it seems it depends on the game. Madden 2005, for example, seems to experience little to no lag ("measured" during kicks, when timing is vital). ESPN College Hoops 2k5 however has serious lag ("measured" during free throws, where again timing is vital).

So I guess my answer is, "It depends."

It's interesting about your disclaimer regarding games that don't support p-scan. Perhaps setting ESPN CH2k5 p-scan off will help with lag?

Hope some of this helps!

You're mistaking video lag with poor (or challenge-inducing) game code. Toggle pscan on/off with ESPN CH 2k5, and see if controller/video display time changes. If there's no difference, there's no video lag (or very minimal lag). When I tried NFL 2k5 in 480i on my Mits DLP, I was shocked because my kicking performance was bad. When I enable 480p, I still sucked! The meter responded consistently with respect to where/when I pushed the button. For that game, it requires pressing the kick button a split second before it reaches full scale, for max kicking power. Both modes (480i/480p) required me to press the button when there was still about 1/8" before full-scale. Doing it this way led to max power kicks. See if you see the same consistency with your RCA.

Eh, but I played ESPN CH 2K5 for about a month before I moved my PS2 to my 162 (and subsequently turned on p-scan). I was easily a 95% FT shooter before and I'm around 70% now.

Granted, I have not yet played on the 162 with p-scan turned off, so I'll try that this weekend and see if there's a diff. If there isn't, then it's definitely the 162. Otherwise, it's the game and/or PS2.

Peace,

Originally posted by fastnee
Thanks for pointing that out guys. I thought there was a reason I preferred the 162! BB doesnt list the 162 on its website anymore. I will probably stick with the 164, since I mainly watch the important stuff on the projector (hd sports, movies, 24). However, if it does bug me, I can send this one back too, armed with this knowledge. Thanks again.

fastnee:

Best Buy delivered the 164 to me when I bought the 162 like the one they were displaying in the store. They gave me a credit of 10% for my inconvienience and said they would order the 162 for me when i proved to them that the 164 had the lesser HD3 chip instead of the HD2+ chip they were displaying in the store.

When they couldn't get any more 162s they offered me $300.00 off to keep the 164 (average price difference between the HD3 & HD2+) OR $300.00 off and give me the display model.

I took the display model and definitely see a big difference. Brighter, fuller colors and even SD signals look clearer and sharper. I have no problem looking at the TV from 3 feet away without it being blurry with the 162. Very impressive difference to me.

I would tell them you want the 162 back and have a repairman (under warranty) replace either the fan or color wheel. It shouldn't be noisy at all, because mine isn't. If you don't see much if any difference I would complain that they shorted you with a lesser chip when they replace it and get them to give you $300.00 off to keep the 164. IF YOU DON'T SEE A DIFFERENCE!

I'm also having trouble with PS2 lag on the 162 series. I am suring the standard RCA component hookups and I get some serious lag as well on ESPN College Hoops 2K5. Also the same on NFL 2K5. In both games, I've tried to turn the progressive scan feature on in the game menu, but when I do, after I select "Yes" (when it warns me this may damage the TV) the screen goes to black and says unusable signal.

Do I have to have a different type of input hookup to use the progressive scan?Because the picture really is blurry, and I too would like to see if the progressive scan feature can do away with a little of the lag.

Also, has anyone tried switching the TV to the "game" mode to see if that helps with the lag? I assume that only changes visual things like contrast, sharpness, etc. but wasn't sure if that was factored in also.

Thanks for any help.

Originally posted by DaveWolf
I'm also having trouble with PS2 lag on the 162 series. I am suring the standard RCA component hookups and I get some serious lag as well on ESPN College Hoops 2K5. Also the same on NFL 2K5. In both games, I've tried to turn the progressive scan feature on in the game menu, but when I do, after I select "Yes" (when it warns me this may damage the TV) the screen goes to black and says unusable signal.

Do I have to have a different type of input hookup to use the progressive scan?Because the picture really is blurry, and I too would like to see if the progressive scan feature can do away with a little of the lag.

Also, has anyone tried switching the TV to the "game" mode to see if that helps with the lag? I assume that only changes visual things like contrast, sharpness, etc. but wasn't sure if that was factored in also.

Thanks for any help.

I'm a bit confused. Are you hooked up through component cables (seperate red, green, and blue + plus audio l/r), or using the standard connector included with the PS2 (yellow + audio l/r)? You need the component a/v cable for progressive scan output.

Aaah, that's it. I'm using just the red/yellow/white connector. I'll have to stop by and pick up the RGB connector.

Thanks for the help! We'll see how that works!

I get no lag using my HD Pack for my Xbox. When my buddies come over to play they are extremely impressed by the TV's Picture Quality. I use it as my HTPC display also. I love playing PC game on it. 50" PC monitor .....drools on keyboard

In fact I'm sitting 10ft away from the TV right now and typing this reply and its crispy clear. Gotta love DLP's :D

BTW: I have a 162 model

I get some noticeable lag on ESPN College Hoops 2K5 (PS2). I have the 162 version am using the cheap mad katz component cables. The picture looks nice in progressive scan, but it seems like it "skips" quite a bit. I notice it the worst when I play with the broadcast camera. It seems like the center court action is fine, but when play reaches either end of the court and their is a large amount of the screen filled by the crowd, the picture suffers from a slight stutter.

Right now, the stutter is worth it to get the extra picture clarity, but I wish there was a way to correct this.

on NFL 2K5 or Smackdown HCTP, the picture looks awesome, and I don't notice any stuttering. There still is a slight delay however.

Originally posted by DaveWolf
I get some noticeable lag on ESPN College Hoops 2K5 (PS2). I have the 162 version am using the cheap mad katz component cables. The picture looks nice in progressive scan, but it seems like it "skips" quite a bit. I notice it the worst when I play with the broadcast camera. It seems like the center court action is fine, but when play reaches either end of the court and their is a large amount of the screen filled by the crowd, the picture suffers from a slight stutter.

Right now, the stutter is worth it to get the extra picture clarity, but I wish there was a way to correct this.

on NFL 2K5 or Smackdown HCTP, the picture looks awesome, and I don't notice any stuttering. There still is a slight delay however.
I would tend to think the stuttering is the ps2 slowing down when rendering this area. Like a PC, the PS2 probably has a more difficult time at 480p (or whatever res it's in) vs 480i.

Just my guess.

--falz

I just got a HD50LPW42 for a real good price but it was a display unit and has a good amount of hours on it. If the lamp goes out in the within the next year (from my purchase date) will RCA still replace the lamp even though it will have a large amount of hours on it?

I just got a HD50LPW42 for a real good price but it was a display unit and has a good amount of hours on it. If the lamp goes out in the within the next year (from my purchase date) will RCA still replace the lamp even though it will have a large amount of hours on it?

I know this was posted 1 1/2 months ago, but the answer is YES.

The 1 year warranty starts on the day of purchase, not the number of hours on the lamp. Just so you know, I have 6000 hours on the lamp in my HD50LPW162 and it is still going strong. I was told by an RCA rep at Best Buy that they are rated for 3000 hours, and I was also told by a service tech that they are rated for 10,000 hours too! Since I have 6k on it so far I would say that the rep was wrong and the tech was correct. :rolleyes:

Since someone else ressurected this thread..

Anyone notice that these sets TURN ON after a power loss? Anyone been able to figure out how to disable that feature?

I've been thinking of looking this up, but never did. A few months back I was on vacation for a week to come home to notice the TV was on- not good.

It's happened several other times. TV is off, power is lost to house, when power re-enabled, TV is automatically turned on. I want the *exact opposite* thing to happen.

--falz

I know this was posted 1 1/2 months ago, but the answer is YES.

The 1 year warranty starts on the day of purchase, not the number of hours on the lamp. Just so you know, I have 6000 hours on the lamp in my HD50LPW162 and it is still going strong. I was told by an RCA rep at Best Buy that they are rated for 3000 hours, and I was also told by a service tech that they are rated for 10,000 hours too! Since I have 6k on it so far I would say that the rep was wrong and the tech was correct. :rolleyes:


Thanks so much for responding. That info is awesome. I've got about 2700 hours on it now so I should have a good amount time left. Great to hear about that warranty.

6 months ago I bought a HD61LPW163 and have been loving it. Now I've decided to try some of the more extensive features. I bought a HD cable receiver and hooked it up via HDMI. I hooked th optical out to a Harman Kardon receiver. The cable box only wants to send 2-channel audio through HDMI, and when I override it with Dolby Digital, the sound is silent. I read about this happening in threads from February (10 months ago), and was just wondering if anything has found out a way to get this to work, or if I just need to run the optical cable form the cable box to my HK receiver forever? BTW, RCA DOES state this TV has "Dolby Digital Pass-through."

Another thing I've done is hooked up the Ethernet. It downloaded some update, but I'm not sure what was updated. Anyone know of somewhere I can get this info from? I haven't noticed any differences. I also hooked up the wireless keyboard, and have been pretty disappointed with the browser. Security settings prevent me from accessing 80% of the sites I normally hit like Gmail, etc. Has anyone heard of ways to update this software, modify the security settings, or some other way to get around the config that RCA has set up?

Other than this, the TV has been awesome. Great pic, it looks smooth, and all the features are awesome. Definately the biggest bang for the buck.

6 months ago I bought a HD61LPW163 and have been loving it. Now I've decided to try some of the more extensive features. I bought a HD cable receiver and hooked it up via HDMI. I hooked th optical out to a Harman Kardon receiver. The cable box only wants to send 2-channel audio through HDMI, and when I override it with Dolby Digital, the sound is silent. I read about this happening in threads from February (10 months ago), and was just wondering if anything has found out a way to get this to work, or if I just need to run the optical cable form the cable box to my HK receiver forever? BTW, RCA DOES state this TV has "Dolby Digital Pass-through."

The HDMI spec (at the time) does not support 5.1 audio via HDMI, only 2ch. Yes, completely stupid, I have no idea how this would not be a part of the spec nowadays but that's the case. Rumor has it that newer sets w/ HDMI may support it. You'll have to use digital audio out from your source straight to your recevier, it's the only way.

The optical out will only give you DD5.1 from an ATSC broadcast, essentially.


Another thing I've done is hooked up the Ethernet. It downloaded some update, but I'm not sure what was updated. Anyone know of somewhere I can get this info from? I haven't noticed any differences. I also hooked up the wireless keyboard, and have been pretty disappointed with the browser. Security settings prevent me from accessing 80% of the sites I normally hit like Gmail, etc. Has anyone heard of ways to update this software, modify the security settings, or some other way to get around the config that RCA has set up?

I've done two updates since I've gotten it, and I think the menus looked slightly different with the most recent update (two months ago?) Other than that, who knows. I've never been able to find a changelog for it anywhere. It sure would be nice if they put firmware on that would somehow make the HDMI stuff work with DD! Likely this is more of a hardware issue, though.

Anyone have an answer to my last post? Does your set turn on when power is removed/reinstalled (power outage, or unplugging/replugging into wall? I *really* need to get this disabled, it's just silly.

--falz

Anyone have an answer to my last post? Does your set turn on when power is removed/reinstalled (power outage, or unplugging/replugging into wall? I *really* need to get this disabled, it's just silly.
My HD50LPW162 has never spontaneously powered on, via power outage or anything else. A friend that has the same model has never mentioned this to me, but I've not asked him about this specifically.

I have a feeling your issue is out of the ordinary.

Hope this helps.

My HD50LPW162 has never spontaneously powered on, via power outage or anything else. A friend that has the same model has never mentioned this to me, but I've not asked him about this specifically.

I have a feeling your issue is out of the ordinary.

Hope this helps.

Yes, that does help! I'll do some tests with mine when I have the time. I know it's happened twice, both times when my house lost power.

--falz

My set has rebooted itself a few times while it was on, but it has never turned itself on from a powered off state.

Good luck.

I have a buddy that bought an RCA 50" DLP, but I'm not sure which model he has specifically. He did mention that when the power in his house goes out, his set will turn on once the power is restored. I unplugged my set, the plugged it in to test this, and the lights light up, then blink twelve times, then it stays off. Not sure what the difference is. BTW, I have the HD61LPW163. Are you using a power strip? I have some big Monster brand strip, but not sure which one. I guess I'm not certain what else would be causing this. Good luck!

BTW, that stinks about HDMI. I'm going to go send some hate mail. Thanks!

Just to seek clarification on the HDMI support. Do you mean HDMI itself doesn't support Dolby Digital, or the RCA HDMI Port? On the HDMI web site, it states the following:

Does HDMI support Dolby 5.1 audio and high-resolution audio formats? Yes. From the start, HDMI was defined to carry 8-channels, of 192kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio, which exceeds all current consumer media formats. In addition, HDMI can carry any flavor of compressed audio format such as Dolby or DTS. (Such compressed formats are the only multi-channel or high-resolution audio formats that can be carried across the older S/PDIF or AES/EBU interfaces.) The fact that the vast majority of HDMI products shipped are two-channel TVs that don’t support more than two-channel audio doesn’t make this any less the case. Most existing HDMI sources can output any compressed stream, and the newer sources can output uncompressed 6-channel, 96kHz audio from a DVD-Audio disk. There are several A/V receivers on the market that can accept and process the 6- or 8-channel audio from HDMI and more are expected to be available shortly.

Has anyone else experimented with HDMI much?

I have an RCA HD61LPW165, i want to adjust the size of the image, i can't view the complete image, is too big, so don't fit on the screen, i know how to enter to the service mode, but how i can modify the size values.

Any help is welcome.

Anyone notice that these sets TURN ON after a power loss? Anyone been able to figure out how to disable that feature?

I've been thinking of looking this up, but never did. A few months back I was on vacation for a week to come home to notice the TV was on- not good.

It's happened several other times. TV is off, power is lost to house, when power re-enabled, TV is automatically turned on. I want the *exact opposite* thing to happen.

--falz

falz - Had this problem with my 50" W42 set. I was resorting to turning off my powerstrip before I went away for any length of time. I then asked an RCA engineer on the ecoustics.com board and he told me there was a menu setting for this -

He said
"check to see that your dlp isn't set to come on after an ac power cycle. I think it's under connections\special(commercial) features. There is a check box for turning the set on after a power cycle"

Sure enough, I found this and it was set to come on after power was lost and then restored. Unchecked the box and it never happened again - did a simulated loss of power, the power lite blinked for about 15 seconds but it did not turn on.

Hopefully, the menu in your RCA is similar. Good Luck!

All you veteran Microdisplay owners, please vote on lamp life here;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=629175

Small intro: Widescreen newbie just looking for info. Btw...so far this site has been pretty informative, but to touch on some personal issues.

Well, it took a while but I finally tracked down the service menu to display bulb life. I may be calling BB back.....bought this thing (granted for a great deal) a week ago and there are 4200 hrs. on it (stickered w/ a bulb change on 6/24/05). I'm kind of dissapointed by this, but I don't know if it warrants a complaint (being that it was an open item). I bought the 4 years service plan w/ the first bulb free, but I'm only getting half the hours I should be. May call just to see if they can do anything for me.

One thing that worries me. Some channels come in w/ REALLY bad color. To the point where I'm wondering if it's a mechanical failure. The HD and some of the SD channels will look like they are tuned in fine, but once I channel surf to another SD channel it can look HORRIBLE (Blond hair is green, Yellows are lime, and sun glares are colored). I don't think the color can very that much?!?! Is this something that I should get serviced?

One thing that worries me. Some channels come in w/ REALLY bad color. To the point where I'm wondering if it's a mechanical failure. The HD and some of the SD channels will look like they are tuned in fine, but once I channel surf to another SD channel it can look HORRIBLE (Blond hair is green, Yellows are lime, and sun glares are colored). I don't think the color can very that much?!?! Is this something that I should get serviced?

Could be a problem. My RCA has pretty good SD (analog or digital) PQ.

Well, see thats what is throwing me off. My P/Q is excellent in HD (duh) and also pretty darn good in most SD channels.

For example, the wife is watching TLC (SD) and everything looks like it is tuned in fine. Yet when I go to FOX (SD) there seems to be a green hue. Happened across the AMC channel lastnight and noticed sun glares had a blue hue to them.

I've only been using small screen CRT's up untill I bought the 162 last weekend, so I'm about as newbie as you can get on this stuff but I do have a knack for learning. Lastnight I threw some test screens out (the internal ones and THX optimizers), played a lil bit till everything looked good and I still get channels w/ "funny" color.

Bump....

Any other owners around?

Well I found this thread doing a search for "HD44LPW62". My wife works for Target and tonight we were shopping and, as usual, I went into electronics to poke around. I never seriously looked at the HD sets until now, because we are in the market.

The picture grabbed my attention. Then I noticed the price and then the size and I was gitty like a school girl!!!!

I feel very confident in my future purchase after reading this thread.

I was almost set on getting the Syntax 37" LCD. But hey if I can get a 44" for less money, I"M ALL OVER IT!

I did find a forum on the web that has indepth discussion about the bulbs going bad after a year. Have you guys had any problems thus far?


This TV is gonna look great in my living room!

I have an HD61LPW165 with way too many channels programmed into the memory. I have tried to rescan channels with no change, I have gone into service menu and done a "master reset" and that didn't delete them. Any suggestions on how to start over without unplugging the thing for a month and hoping the memory clears out? Also, are there any resources for the RCA HD's beyod the near useless owners manual, thanks, Bear

I have an HD61LPW165 with way too many channels programmed into the memory. I have tried to rescan channels with no change, I have gone into service menu and done a "master reset" and that didn't delete them. Any suggestions on how to start over without unplugging the thing for a month and hoping the memory clears out? Also, are there any resources for the RCA HD's beyod the near useless owners manual, thanks, Bear

I'm suffering from a slight case of this as well :(

It really sucks if you accidently punch in a number it will store that as a channel with no simple way to delete them.

RCA has told me to unplug everthing from it for 10 minutes to reset the on-board computer.....nope didn't work. Then some other "I don't know anything about the TV you are asking about but I can read the same manual as you" CSR told me unplug everthing for an hour!


uh no.

I have found that about the only thing that works is by going into the Parental Controls menu and blocking the channels that are not worth spit.

I initially wanted to use the TV's tuner to pick up HD channels OTA. Unfortunately, my neighbor wanted to "see if 57 works, or 43, or 26" and now I have junk I really don't want to have to deal with.

RCA blew this one really bad!



ZBear, what have you been able to improve with your TV by going into the Service Menu?

Do we have the same neighbor? That is exactly what happened to me. [I]"Lets see if we can pick up these HD channels for Da***** 150 miles away". Now I'm stuck with all these non available channels.

I haven't tried to peak up anything by using the service manual, my picture is dazzling. Just the little crap is annoying. I have the browser connected to my DSL. That is near useless. I was trying also to get some info somewhere to see if the is a hack to put in a faster processor or something. It is nearly a waste of time and equipment trying to use it.

The other thing is I have one of the DSR2160 hooked up to it and would like to buy something better. All it will record is ASTC over the air HD. and then with the TV on to that channel. Seems like a waste to have to leave the set on to record CSI when I ggo to bed early. If I want to record "Deadwood" off HBO I have to use my crappy VCR and then not in HD. I use a Cband dish with a Hd decoder. Any suggestions for a recording devise to look for to do it. I like the firewire connection I use for the DSR2160.

Thanks, Bear

Any suggestions for a recording devise to look for to do it. I like the firewire connection I use for the DSR2160.

Thanks, Bear

I use this http://electronics.smartbargains.com/video/sony-dhghdd500-high-definition-dvr-show.sb?aid=355&ls_sid=Es5Ekr9eEBk-FXx3324lUYdXHE70io6ikQ

with my RCA with OTA and Cable. Records all HD channels (with TV on or OFF) and has Cablecard option for scrambled HD.