I am having a 110fd delivered tomorrow for my den. UMR says its the best flat screen.

Anyone have the Pioneer Elite 110 or 150FD kuro?

I'm getting the 110FD (50 inch) set for a bedroom and it's arriving this Wednesday.

Impressions?

I have been lurking in the shadows of this thread for quite some time. I have enjoyed the technical info that you guys have shared as well as the friendly banter that exists.
I was also impressed how this thread never evolved into fanboy warefare.
I came very close to upgrading my KF50WE610 to a QUALIA 006 several times but rumor of the KURO kept me at bay.

I have been enjoying the Pio 150FD for the past 2 months and this display is top quality. I have never had any real quality time with the 006 so I will not begin to compare the 2.
I will say that with my amature calibration equipment you can get a tight flat D65 grey scale track as well as accurate primary and secondary color points.
The processing on sd material was impressive as well. This sold me on the showroom floor as it was next to a panasonic and the panasonic had much more visible artifacts than the pio.

This has been mentioned several times but on a good hd signal the display develops a 3 dimentional depth.

Now for the fault side: Compared to lcd the max white level is lower, but if you go by standards of a recommended viewing brightness of 35-40fl I have acheived this at a contrast setting of 30.
The max contrast level before white compression takes place is 40.
The other odd anomolie that i occasionally see but does not bother me is, on high contrast pictures if you shift your focus to different points on the screen.
I sometimes get a green/yellow shadow for a micro second. Like I said for me it is not a deal breaker as I have to force it to happen or be focused on looking for it.

Also if you like to tweak this set is a tweakers dream.

Well back to the shadows.
Happy Holidays to all the Qualia owners

Regarding the GE extended warranty:

I just called and ordered a 4-year plan. It was $892 and includes one free bulb replacement. Since a bulb is $300 I think it's worth the cost. Selling this set will be easier in a couple of years, if I decide to do that with a warranty. Also, I don't trust the optical block repair to last forever.

Note that you can purchase any length duration from 1 to 5 years that you want. A 5-year contract is about $1100, much more than mspan orginally paid a few years ago.

You MUST purchase the contract before the original 3-year warranty expires.

nhey,

That's great news that we can still purchase the GE warranty. So I am hoping that a 4 year warranty means an additional 4 years after the SONY warranty has expired and not just an additional 1 year. The reason I ask is that many extended warranties run concurrently with the manufactures warranty.

SONY bulbs can be had for $250 from a couple of resellers. But getting a free bulb and the prospect of $5,800 for an OB makes the cost of the GE warranty well worth the cost.

Regarding the GE extended warranty:

I just called and ordered a 4-year plan. It was $892 and includes one free bulb replacement. Since a bulb is $300 I think it's worth the cost. Selling this set will be easier in a couple of years, if I decide to do that with a warranty. Also, I don't trust the optical block repair to last forever.

Note that you can purchase any length duration from 1 to 5 years that you want. A 5-year contract is about $1100, much more than mspan orginally paid a few years ago.

You MUST purchase the contract before the original 3-year warranty expires.

Glad it worked out. I have heard that they did increase the price a little after I bought mine. I still wonder if Sony believes that we will all have this problem at about 6000 hours? I may call them after the Holidays.

Glad it worked out. I have heard that they did increase the price a little after I bought mine. I still wonder if Sony believes that we will all have this problem at about 6000 hours? I may call them after the Holidays.


I now suspect that I've had this problem much longer than just the last month or so, since the picture is so much different than I can recall for quite some time (in a good way).

Divedude - yes, the 4 years is definitely added onto the 3 years that Sony provided, so my set is now covered for 7 years from purchase (otherwise I seriously doubt anyone would purchase the contract at that cost for just one more year). How's PentonMan doing? Hope all is well with him.

I assume that the GE warranty does not have any pre-existing condition language like health insurance.

That would get you lawyers some extra business.;)

hey divedude

I called sony. They will replace my bulb free of charge. If that doesn't fix it they told me to call the repair center they provided me with.

How do I reset the lamp? I couldn't find it in the instruction book. Thanks again. I should get the bulb by this wednesday.

I now suspect that I've had this problem much longer than just the last month or so, since the picture is so much different than I can recall for quite some time (in a good way).

Divedude - yes, the 4 years is definitely added onto the 3 years that Sony provided, so my set is now covered for 7 years from purchase (otherwise I seriously doubt anyone would purchase the contract at that cost for just one more year). How's PentonMan doing? Hope all is well with him.


Glad all worked out. As I have said, with a little over 500 TOTAL hours on mine I am not sure I would see anything yet!

OH, pre-existing conditions are Ok if you were on COBRA. :D

hey divedude

I called sony. They will replace my bulb free of charge. If that doesn't fix it they told me to call the repair center they provided me with.

How do I reset the lamp? I couldn't find it in the instruction book. Thanks again. I should get the bulb by this wednesday.

nine9898,

Good news about the lamp. Not reset, reseat. A term we use in the computer industry, it simply means to unplug it and plug it back in. Just follow the preocedures for replacing the lamp (on page 20 of the manual). It would be a long shot, but worth a try. And it will give you practice for when your new lamp comes in.

nine9898,

If there is dust inside of the lamp compartment and on the lamp, you will want to clean both. If you are replacing the lamp, just clean the compartment. I use the upholstery tool attachment on my vacuum cleaner, the one with the small square brush. Be careful not to scratch the glass on the left side of the lamp compartment. I then use a high quality camera lens cleaner to clean the glass on the left. Don’t spray liquid inside, put it on a lens cloth and gently clean it.

I assume that the GE warranty does not have any pre-existing condition language like health insurance.

That would get you lawyers some extra business.;)

I have the feeling there may be a run on GE warranties in the near future :)

Mini Dive got a hold of some kangaroo juice and would like to toast a Very Merry Christmas to all of our friends, "Here’s hoping Santa leaves a bounty of presents under your tree" :D

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f200/divedude/MerryChristmas2007.jpg

Mini Dive got a hold of some kangaroo juice and would like to toast a Very Merry Christmas to all of our friends, "Here’s hoping Santa leaves a bounty of presents under your tree" :D

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f200/divedude/MerryChristmas2007.jpg

same to you and all fellow Qualia owners...

tracking santa on norad right now...almost here :)

well, since it tis the season, i now have in my sights the Integra DTC-9.8 pre/pro ... just have to figure out where to buy one...this way i won't have to get rid of my yamaha rx-z9 (would love to u/g to the rx-z11 but i just don't want to spend $5K on an avr when i can get a few toys for the same amount ;))

anyone have any ideas on where to pick this up...i discovered that integra products aren't permitted to be sold online, but i've never seen restrictions stop anyone before ...

may have to give docdvd a call...

Got ya...Thanks Divedude. I will be careful

I will let you know on Wed. night

Happy Xmas all - may all your Qualia dreams be green free (except for the "exotic tropical adventure ones") and may all your directions be everything you imagined :).

Live long and prosper (watching the entire startrek movie series)

Alright, fellow Qualians, here we go . . . Just like the "old days" when posters (including moi) would give a play-by-play of their Q006 being delivered; in the spirit of the holidays, as I (we) approach the Q006 3 year Anniversary, I'm going to provide play-by-play of my repair :D

The tech just got here 10 min. ago. He brought the optical block with him, unopened, in the brown cardboard box it had been shipped in. It was packaged pretty well inside the box.

He did not ask me to turn on the Q006 first to evaluate it! This was a relief, because unlike some of you, the flaws in my unit are subtle. No green tint. Just some murkiness in the shadows, but more importantly, umr said it was incapable of being calibrated because of the defects it had developed.

I should add, this second go round with Q-Serve has been a much better experience than the first time with the other repair shop, who first told me they would be ordering a new optical block, then came back out to "reinspect" the Q006 after SONY told them my unit was fine and operating within parameters.

The tech here used to work for Sony and hasn't seen many Q's :eek: At first he wanted me and him to lift the Q006 off its stand and place it face (screen) down, so he could work on it. I wasn't comfortable with just the two of us lifting it off, then on, so he is now attempting to do the repair while it is still on the stand.

More, with pictures, in a bit. . .

Optical Block and Q006 Rear

More, with pictures, in a bit. . .

Mini Dive is getting the popcorn ready :D

Mini Dive is getting the popcorn ready :D

Speaking of Mini Dive, I have found your next underwater toy to share...

http://www.i4u.com/article13718.html

Check out the dust :(

Speaking of Mini Dive, I have found your next underwater toy to share...

http://www.i4u.com/article13718.html

I wonder what the excess luggage charge for that piece of gear is :eek:

It looks very cool. :cool: Here is a sub that was on the boat I was on at Cocos Island, CR, last summer.

http://www.underseahunter.com/uh/english/deepsee/deepsee_index.php

Well, after about two hours, the original optical block has been removed.

Check out the dust :(

The dust doesn't really surprise me, considering the mount of air pulled thru it. Did you vacuum out the dust? With the guts pulled out, looks like the perfect time to do it.

Did you vacuum out the dust?

dd, we think alike. I asked the tech if it would be a good idea if I vacuumed out the dust while he had the unit apart and he said, "don't worry about it, I'm going to clean it all up for you." :)

Did he have to remove some screws from the front? I see the cover is off.

Did he have to remove some screws from the front? I see the cover is off.

Yes, he removed the lamp as well, and in the picture above labeled "front view," you can see straight through to the back.

Good thing you talked him into leaving it upright ;)

3 hours into it now . . . the new optical block is in place . . . he says we're rounding third base . . . and he's putting it all back together.

I wonder what the excess luggage charge for that piece of gear is :eek:

It looks very cool. :cool: Here is a sub that was on the boat I was on at Cocos Island, CR, last summer.

http://www.underseahunter.com/uh/english/deepsee/deepsee_index.php

Very Cool

The entire replacement took just about 4 hours. All installed and cleaned up. Picture is up and good. Waiting for umr in March.

The entire replacement took just about 4 hours. All installed and cleaned up. Picture is up and good. Waiting for umr in March.

4 hours and it is just "good" ???? ;)

hey dd,

how about a late Christmas present to yourself:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/26/squba-the-driving-diving-concept-car-from-rinspeed/

hey dd,

how about a late Christmas present to yourself:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/26/squba-the-driving-diving-concept-car-from-rinspeed/

It's cool, but unfortunately it only goes down 10 meters. Now if it could go down 50 meters it, that would be some diving in style :)

The sub at Cocos required 2 hours of maintenance after every dive. A crew of 4 would crane it out of the water, wash and dry every crevice, and run a complete check on all electronics and mechanical parts.

The entire replacement took just about 4 hours. All installed and cleaned up. Picture is up and good. Waiting for umr in March.


Jb007,

My OB replacement last week was similar to what you describe, except that mine took about 3 hours, I think. I had a similar amount of dust. I actually cleaned it up myself with a "Swiffer" cloth that attracts dust. I also have UMR coming in April. The color is now clearly and significantly better and the skin tones, in particular are great. I'm really glad I had it done.

It's cool, but unfortunately it only goes down 10 meters. Now if it could go down 50 meters it, that would be some diving in style :)

The sub at Cocos required 2 hours of maintenance after every dive. A crew of 4 would crane it out of the water, wash and dry every crevice, and run a complete check on all electronics and mechanical parts.

i think i would find that comforting while maybe only be slighting irritating that it required so much maintenance :)

hey Divedude....My Qualia is back. What a big diffrence when I put the new bulb in. The picture quality was brighter and better. WOW..I am so excited. Thanks for everything

hey Divedude....My Qualia is back. What a big diffrence when I put the new bulb in. The picture quality was brighter and better. WOW..I am so excited. Thanks for everything

That's great, glad to have been of help. It's not a bad idea to keep a spare bulb on hand. Here is where I purchased my last one and saved $60.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12015352&highlight=lamp#post12015352

That's great, glad to have been of help. It's not a bad idea to keep a spare bulb on hand. Here is where I purchased my last one and saved $60.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12015352&highlight=lamp#post12015352

Honestly, not trying to one (or 5) up divedude, but the link on post #1 has lamps for $65 less than MSRP. ;)

Honestly, not trying to one (or 5) up divedude, but the link on post #1 has lamps for $65 less than MSRP. ;)

And for you guys in California, that is especially a good deal, since you don't have to pay tax in Florida. (the company I noted is in CA).

Bummer,

I waited a month for the optical block to arrive from being back ordered. My scheduled appointment was a few days ago. Two techs had the new optical block installed and fired up in about 2 hours. Only one problem, the TV would start. After checking dozens of connectors, they pulled out the new unit, replaced it with the old, and the TV turned on. Prognosis, brand spanking new optical block was DOA. I sure hope I don’t have to wait another month for the next one to arrive. Back to watching The Hulk, Green Hornet, and Green Acres in living green technicolor.

Paul

Bummer,

I waited a month for the optical block to arrive from being back ordered. My scheduled appointment was a few days ago. Two techs had the new optical block installed and fired up in about 2 hours. Only one problem, the TV would start. After checking dozens of connectors, they pulled out the new unit, replaced it with the old, and the TV turned on. Prognosis, brand spanking new optical block was DOA. I sure hope I don’t have to wait another month for the next one to arrive. Back to watching The Hulk, Green Hornet, and Green Acres in living green technicolor.

Paul

Did they try putting the new block in twice? Mine was determined to be DOA until they brought it back to the shop and realized that they had missed two wire connections.

They might have just gotten lucky putting your old one back in (there are a lot of wire connections and reassembly involved); but if you got a sense that they knew what they were doing then maybe it was dead.

They did not install twice. It was going on 4 hours and 5:30PM after they reinstalled the original block and put the tv back in its place so no one was in the mood to do the swap two more times (if it didn't work a second time).

I hear ya on the wiring. There were a ton of connectors. I did get the impression they knew what they were doing as I watched most of their work and it appeared they could have done this operation blindfolded.

After I hear back from them on the lead time of ordering a new one, I'll ask that they bring both the one they tried to install and the one soon to be shipped so that we have two chances of sucess, if indeed it was just a wiring issue.

Is it me or is there a lot of us Qualia owners experiencing this problem? It gives me concern as to what the longevity of the replacement part would be if so many people have experienced the same problem and I question whether I should purchase an extended warranty prior to the lapse of mine or if there is something more to this issue that would warrant elevating this to "the next level", whatever that may be.

Paul

Well it looks like my bulb went out or atleast I think that is the problem. I just get the green blinking light with no picture. I had noticed it looking a little dull yesterday but today I get no picture. I pulled out the lamp but I don't see any obvious structural damage. I don't know if it should show any type of damage. What have the rest of you guys expirenced?

I hope the bulb is the problem and that I can find a bulb tomorrow (OU fball game. What a nice time to go out! :mad: ).

Oh and I didn't take the advice of Dive, I believe, of getting the spare bulb for times just like this.

Hope everyone had a good Holiday Season.

Well it looks like my bulb went out or atleast I think that is the problem. I just get the green blinking light with no picture. I had noticed it looking a little dull yesterday but today I get no picture. I pulled out the lamp but I don't see any obvious structural damage. I don't know if it should show any type of damage. What have the rest of you guys expirenced?

I hope the bulb is the problem and that I can find a bulb tomorrow (OU fball game. What a nice time to go out! :mad: ).

Oh and I didn't take the advice of Dive, I believe, of getting the spare bulb for times just like this.

Hope everyone had a good Holiday Season.

That seems to be the way thing go, just when you need it. I don't think the bulb actually looks burnt out when they go out.

I'll be cheering for OU, go Big 12 ! ! !

Here are my thoughts regarding the Q versus my new Pioneer Elite kuro 110fd. I now have about 150 hrs. on the 110FD with the breakin DVD, and have been comparing picture quality of the 2 sets. My Q had its optical block replaced about 2 weeks ago.

I honestly prefer the picture on the Q as compared to the Elite (which is setup using DNice's recommended settings - those who follow the Kuro threads in the Plasma forum know of whom I speak). I'm not saying the picture on the 110FD is not excellent, because it is, but there is just something about the Q's picture that I like more. It is brighter (which I think gives the picture more "oomph"), and the black's are almost as good, in my opinion as the 110FD (or, at least, let me say "good enough" for me). There is also no question that the 70 inch screen size gives the Q a big advantage in terms of overall impact compared to the 110FD (which is in a bedroom), which I admit is probably playing a part in my observation. Another advantage is that with the Q I never have to think about the black bars, and network logos, and burn in, which you have to with a plasma.

Makes me think back to the superlatives we all voiced when we got our Q's a few years back. It is still one fabulous set. Too bad SXRD has now been relegated to the annals of HD history. Maybe I'll change my mind once UMR calibrates the 110FD in April, but he'll also be touching up the Q so I don't expect my feelings to change that much. Time will tell.

Here are my thoughts regarding the Q versus my new Pioneer Elite kuro 110fd. I now have about 150 hrs. on the 110FD with the breakin DVD, and have been comparing picture quality of the 2 sets. My Q had its optical block replaced about 2 weeks ago.

I honestly prefer the picture on the Q as compared to the Elite (which is setup using DNice's recommended settings - those who follow the Kuro threads in the Plasma forum know of whom I speak). I'm not saying the picture on the 110FD is not excellent, because it is, but there is just something about the Q's picture that I like more. It is brighter, and the black's are almost as good, in my opinion as the 110FD. There is also no question that the 70 inch screen size gives the Q a big advantage in terms of overall impact compared to the 110FD (which is in a bedroom).

Makes me think back to the superlatives we all voiced when we got our Q's a few years back. It is still one fabulous set. Too bad SXRD has now been relegated to the annals of HD history.


i agree, there are certain things that just look/feel better being viewed on the Q, particularly outdoor sporting events...i just have a problem with the blacks sometimes, even moreso after i had gotten the pio elite pro-fhd1.

re sxrd, i just hate it when something gets relegated to history's anus!!! :D

Makes me think back to the superlatives we all voiced when we got our Q's a few years back. It is still one fabulous set.

nhey,

That is great to hear from both you and BenDover. I got word that my new OB is in and the transplant is scheduled for Friday afternoon. Even though I have been very happy with the 52XBR4 that I have been watching for the last 2 weeks, I can't wait to be blown away by my soon to be rejuvenated 006 :D

I have 18 new Blu-ray and HD DVD's to catch up on. The Amazon BOGO's have been very enticing ;)

nhey,

That is great to hear from both you and BenDover. I got word that my new OB is in and the transplant is scheduled for Friday afternoon. Even though I have been very happy with the 52XBR4 that I have been watching for the last 2 weeks, I can't wait to be blown away by my soon to be rejuvenated 006 :D

I have 18 new Blu-ray and HD DVD's to catch up on. The Amazon BOGO's have been very enticing ;)

i had been avoiding making any purchases of optical media since i got my netflix account and was largely successful, only picking up one or two must haves...

but i, like you, had a weak moment...maybe it was all the holiday cheer and gorging on food stuffs and the like, who knows...i took advantage of some amazon bogos as well as some deals at best buy...d'oh!

just got word that my new toy will be arriving...i could very well take delivery on friday...Integra DTC-9.8...

i got the samsung bd-up5000 dual format player over the holidays and have been playing around with that ... overall i'm happy with it but am being hopeful that they are going to provide some f/w upgrades to allow full multi-channel lossless decoding and bitstream output of dd-thd and dts-hd ma:confused::o

BD,

I've been doing the Netflix as well. Some of the titles I got were ones I have already seen, but I really liked them. Or, maybe it was the sugar high from "all the holiday cheer and gorging on food stuffs and the like" that caused temporary insanity :eek:

Please let us know how you like your new Integra DTC-9.8 after you put it thru its paces.

I have been keeping up with the 5000 thread; I hope that news about the BROADCOM chip isn't true.

Hey guys,

Just need a little sanity check...here is what I'm seeing in the last 7 days or so with my Q. When I turn it on now, it takes literally about 4 minutes before the blinking green stops blinking and goes constant and the picture actually displays. Once displayed, the picture is very dark, almost muted, as if I'm watching through dark tinted glasses.

Now, as if on queue, about 5 days ago, I ordered 2 lamps from the site listed in Post 1 here. Thought I should have 2 just in case.

Question is - are these symptoms just normal slow painful death of a lamp, or something more serious? I replaced my last lamp about a year ago, the first one lasted much longer than this one if it is the lamp. I also don't recall the set ever taking 4-5 minutes to actually display an image and for the blinking green to stop blinking and go constant.

Waddya guys think? Straightforward lamp replacement time? I'm hoping to swap on Saturday if that is the case. Good thing I ordered those lamps before NFL playoff time!

Thanks for the help!
Brian

Hey guys,

Just need a little sanity check...here is what I'm seeing in the last 7 days or so with my Q. When I turn it on now, it takes literally about 4 minutes before the blinking green stops blinking and goes constant and the picture actually displays. Once displayed, the picture is very dark, almost muted, as if I'm watching through dark tinted glasses.

Now, as if on queue, about 5 days ago, I ordered 2 lamps from the site listed in Post 1 here. Thought I should have 2 just in case.

Question is - are these symptoms just normal slow painful death of a lamp, or something more serious? I replaced my last lamp about a year ago, the first one lasted much longer than this one if it is the lamp. I also don't recall the set ever taking 4-5 minutes to actually display an image and for the blinking green to stop blinking and go constant.

Waddya guys think? Straightforward lamp replacement time? I'm hoping to swap on Saturday if that is the case. Good thing I ordered those lamps before NFL playoff time!

Thanks for the help!
Brian

if the picture is dark even after lighting, and it is taking the lamp that long to strike the arc and maintain, then it certainly sounds like lamp replacement time to me

Brian,

It wants a new lamp :cool:

At least I feel like it, my 006 has been restored to new condition. Maybe better than new since the OB has newer firmware. The picture is just fantastic and so big when compared to the 52XBR4 that I have been watching for the last couple of weeks.

Daniel, the very talented technician, from StarPower in Dallas did an excellent job in a professional manner. This was his 3rd 006 OB replacement. He completed the transplant in 2 hours even, including checking the picture before and after. I think a new world record :D

At least I feel like it, my 006 has been restored to new condition. Maybe better than new since the OB has newer firmware. The picture is just fantastic and so big when compared to the 52XBR4 that I have been watching for the last couple of weeks.

Daniel, the very talented technician, from StarPower in Dallas did an excellent job in a professional manner. This was his 3rd 006 OB replacement. He completed the transplant in 2 hours even, including checking the picture before and after. I think a new world record :D

congrats dd...i'm thinking of calling and complaining of green tint in order to have my OB swapped before my 3yrs is up...(mar or may of this year...i know it starts with an m...will have to search this thread for my answer:) too bad we lost our historian otherwise i might just be able to ask him ;))

with wb going blu-exclusive, i think i'm returning the samsung dual format player...not sure if i should pick up the 30K or wait the profile 2.0 players coming in 1Q08

thing is, i picked up my Integra DTC-9.8 this afternoon and i'm dying to feed it some bitstream audio to see the DD+, DD-THD and DTS-HD MA light up :)

hello guys
sorry to hear about all of these issues with the OB. I've had no issues with my q so far (touch Wood) except my lamps don't seem to last much longer than 2400 hrs, currently 2000 into my third lamp. Time to order a new one I guess. Do you believe that all the q's sold will ultimately experience this failure?
I was just wondering, with the new gen of receivers and or prepro amps passing through hdmi 1.3 will our q's complete the handshake with the source? My manual states that dts and ac3 compressed sound is not compatible through the hdmi in. IS this an issue if I'm not using the q's speakers? I'm hoping that Video signals are not a problem. I am currently looking at upgrading my receiver to a prepro onk pr sc885 or the interga dtc 9.8.

By the way hope everone has a happy and prosperous New Year
Ross

with wb going blu-exclusive, i think i'm returning the samsung dual format player...not sure if i should pick up the 30K or wait the profile 2.0 players coming in 1Q08
thing is, i picked up my Integra DTC-9.8 this afternoon and i'm dying to feed it some bitstream audio to see the DD+, DD-THD and DTS-HD MA light up :)

Have you seen the info on the Marantz BD-8002
http://www.avrev.com/news/0108/03.marantzbd226.shtml

A bit pricey

congrats dd...i'm thinking of calling and complaining of green tint in order to have my OB swapped before my 3yrs is up...(mar or may of this year...i know it starts with an m...will have to search this thread for my answer:) too bad we lost our historian otherwise i might just be able to ask him ;))

with wb going blu-exclusive, i think i'm returning the samsung dual format player...not sure if i should pick up the 30K or wait the profile 2.0 players coming in 1Q08

thing is, i picked up my Integra DTC-9.8 this afternoon and i'm dying to feed it some bitstream audio to see the DD+, DD-THD and DTS-HD MA light up :)

BD,

I'm still not convinced that HD DVD is dead, Universal still has a lot of movies.

As far as the Panny, I don't think you will be sorry. Excellent Blu-ray player. And you need to feed that Integra good stuff. ;)

hello guys
sorry to hear about all of these issues with the OB. I've had no issues with my q so far (touch Wood) except my lamps don't seem to last much longer than 2400 hrs, currently 2000 into my third lamp. Time to order a new one I guess. Do you believe that all the q's sold will ultimately experience this failure?


rmw2007,

It sounds like your 006 has as many hours as mine does. Do you see any green on B&W movies? If not, you are good. That is where it shows up really bad. Even when I would turn the color all the way down, the B&W would still have a green tint. It does seem to be a wide spread problem that seems to crop up after 5-7K hours, but I don't know if it is going to be a problem for every 006. I think only SONY knows that.

I have been replacing my lamps about every 2,700 hours.

rmw2007,

It sounds like your 006 has as many hours as mine does. Do you see any green on B&W movies? If not, you are good. That is where it shows up really bad. Even when I would turn the color all the way down, the B&W would still have a green tint. It does seem to be a wide spread problem that seems to crop up after 5-7K hours, but I don't know if it is going to be a problem for every 006. I think only SONY knows that.

I have been replacing my lamps about every 2,700 hours.

DD
I got my 006 about the same time as you. I am still on my original bulb at over 6200 hours. It is starting to show signs of tiring though as the startups are a little slower.

DD
I got my 006 about the same time as you. I am still on my original bulb at over 6200 hours. It is starting to show signs of tiring though as the startups are a little slower.

I bet if you put a new lamp in, you are going to need to get out the suntan lotion :cool:

DD
nothing showing up yet re green tint, but my sony warranty is up in May so I'm going to keep a close eye on it
ross

thestewman
6200 hrs,... what are you doing sleeping with the bulb!!! that's incredible
Ross.

Have you seen the info on the Marantz BD-8002
http://www.avrev.com/news/0108/03.marantzbd226.shtml

A bit pricey

yeah, that's my problem, i'm not willing to shell out that kind of coin on a player again...after the denon 3910 i've promised myself not to ...

something up to $1k, maybe, but it better be balls to the walls for that money!

dd, how do i check the f/w version of the panny?

i've been through all the menus and i didn't see anything relating to upgrading or f/w???

dd, how do i check the f/w version of the panny?

i've been through all the menus and i didn't see anything relating to upgrading or f/w???

BD,

Here you go:

Follow the steps below to check the firmware version currently installed in your Panasonic BD player.

Steps
-Turn on the main unit.
-Press the [SETUP] button on the remote control to open the display menu screen.
-Using the Up and Down cursor buttons on the remote control, select the "DISPLAY" tab - "DISPLAY" items will appear.
-Press and hold the "STATUS" button on the remote control. While doing so, the current firmware version for your player will be displayed in the lower right hand corner of the screen (e.g. "1.0") .


All of this is on their download website:

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/bd/index.html

BD,

TCM is Turner Classic Movies. On Direct it is on 256.

Just replaced my lamp again, only had 1865 hours on this one. I'm a little surprised how short it lasted compared to the first one I had. Couple things of note here:

1. The bulb itself had a large "bubble" protrusion at the bottom of the stem in the middle of the bulb. It was very strange, and nothing like that happened at all with my first one (still have the original old one for comparison).

2. I took my time and cleaned the lens housing to within an inch of its life with Purosol optical lens cleaner on an optical lens cloth. The dirt was nasty in there, I got tons of dirt off onto the rag. Probably cleaned it no less than 15 times before the entirety of the dirt was gone.

3. After researching some old posts by pawrumpe, I finally understand what he means by that little metal screen thing on the lamp assembly itself, directly below where the bulb itself sits in the plastic housing. Just like he had noted, my old lamp was caked over with dirt and dust on that little screen, making it impossible for air to enter the bulb for cooling. The metal screen at the top was perfectly clean, but of course that is the exit vent not the entrance screen. I am willing to believe pawrumpe when he states that if you take your lamp out every month or so and clean that little screen, it is quite likely you can extend your lamp life considerably, as overheating inside the bulb itself would be less likely to occur.

I'm going to make it a point to remove my lamp about every month to clean that little screen, clean the lens cover in the TV itself, and also to check to make sure the "bubbly" stem issue that occurred to the last bulb has not happened. I'm just curious to see if there is a pattern there.

4. Lastly, and most importantly, the picture post-cleaning and post-brand new lamp install is absolutely stunning. My GF and I cannnot pull ourselves away from movies and playoff football today. You could eat the picture with a spoon, its got tons of depth, vibrant jump off the screen 'pop', and just overall very clean and crisp.

I reset the lamp timer so we'll see how it goes. I am hopeful to get much more life out of this lamp than the last one.

Just thought I'd share guys...the Q-vision over here has never been better!

Cheers,
Brian

Just replaced my lamp again, only had 1865 hours on this one. I'm a little surprised how short it lasted compared to the first one I had. Couple things of note here:

1. The bulb itself had a large "bubble" protrusion at the bottom of the stem in the middle of the bulb. It was very strange, and nothing like that happened at all with my first one (still have the original old one for comparison).

2. I took my time and cleaned the lens housing to within an inch of its life with Purosol optical lens cleaner on an optical lens cloth. The dirt was nasty in there, I got tons of dirt off onto the rag. Probably cleaned it no less than 15 times before the entirety of the dirt was gone.

3. After researching some old posts by pawrumpe, I finally understand what he means by that little metal screen thing on the lamp assembly itself, directly below where the bulb itself sits in the plastic housing. Just like he had noted, my old lamp was caked over with dirt and dust on that little screen, making it impossible for air to enter the bulb for cooling. The metal screen at the top was perfectly clean, but of course that is the exit vent not the entrance screen. I am willing to believe pawrumpe when he states that if you take your lamp out every month or so and clean that little screen, it is quite likely you can extend your lamp life considerably, as overheating inside the bulb itself would be less likely to occur.

I'm going to make it a point to remove my lamp about every month to clean that little screen, clean the lens cover in the TV itself, and also to check to make sure the "bubbly" stem issue that occurred to the last bulb has not happened. I'm just curious to see if there is a pattern there.

4. Lastly, and most importantly, the picture post-cleaning and post-brand new lamp install is absolutely stunning. My GF and I cannnot pull ourselves away from movies and playoff football today. You could eat the picture with a spoon, its got tons of depth, vibrant jump off the screen 'pop', and just overall very clean and crisp.

I reset the lamp timer so we'll see how it goes. I am hopeful to get much more life out of this lamp than the last one.

Just thought I'd share guys...the Q-vision over here has never been better!

Cheers,
Brian

You might consider setting the Q on low power and high altitude to add considerable time to the bulb

thestewman,

Do you think that with your settings, we may be able to avert the green tint problem? Maybe everyone can post their power settings, number of hours on their Qualias and whether they are experiencing the green tint issue. We can continue to update this information every few months. Hopefully, we may find some kind of correlation. I have very few hours, ~900 hours, so I have not experienced this problem that many of you have. I use a low power setting, also. I appreciate the helpful information this particular thread has offered. Thank you all for contributing.

thanks dd...

still haven't gotten in much time with the panny but hope to this morning...been really tired and also watching football :)

i don't think my servce has tcm...will sin city do?

BD,

Here you go:

Follow the steps below to check the firmware version currently installed in your Panasonic BD player.

Steps
-Turn on the main unit.
-Press the [SETUP] button on the remote control to open the display menu screen.
-Using the Up and Down cursor buttons on the remote control, select the "DISPLAY" tab - "DISPLAY" items will appear.
-Press and hold the "STATUS" button on the remote control. While doing so, the current firmware version for your player will be displayed in the lower right hand corner of the screen (e.g. "1.0") .


All of this is on their download website:

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/bd/index.html

You might consider setting the Q on low power and high altitude to add considerable time to the bulb

Yeah, unfortunately, that's not gonna happen. My set is in a corner setting with massive floor to ceiling windows flanking either side of it. Let's just say the ambient light coming in, even when the shades are pulled completely is fairly bright. Low power would make it worse.

Thankfully, UMR calibrated my set very well, and the best thing about the new lamp and cleaning I did is that I finally got back to his Pro settings instead of using the Vivid settings just to see the picture. Yesterday was a very sunny day in Boston, and no trouble at all viewing even with the ambient light coming in the windows.

Thanks for the thought anyway Stew, always appreciate the input.

-Brian

Just replaced my lamp again..
...The bulb itself had a large "bubble" protrusion at the bottom of the stem in the middle of the bulb.This usually occurs due to finger contact with the bulb. The glass on the bulb should never be handled. If it does happen (or as a general rule, always) clean the cool bulb with Isopropyl alcohol before installing.

The oils in the skin react with the heat on the glass causing the bubble.

3. After researching some old posts by pawrumpe, I finally understand what he means by that little metal screen thing on the lamp assembly itself, directly below where the bulb itself sits in the plastic housing. Just like he had noted, my old lamp was caked over with dirt and dust on that little screen, making it impossible for air to enter the bulb for cooling. The metal screen at the top was perfectly clean, but of course that is the exit vent not the entrance screen. I am willing to believe pawrumpe when he states that if you take your lamp out every month or so and clean that little screen, it is quite likely you can extend your lamp life considerably, as overheating inside the bulb itself would be less likely to occur.

I'm going to make it a point to remove my lamp about every month to clean that little screen, clean the lens cover in the TV itself, and also to check to make sure the "bubbly" stem issue that occurred to the last bulb has not happened. I'm just curious to see if there is a pattern there.

Cheers,
Brian

Brian,

Sounds like a good plan. The screen is easy to remove and easy to clean. Mine haven't been that dirty, but I think the more air flow, the better.

thestewman,

Do you think that with your settings, we may be able to avert the green tint problem? Maybe everyone can post their power settings, number of hours on their Qualias and whether they are experiencing the green tint issue. We can continue to update this information every few months. Hopefully, we may find some kind of correlation. I have very few hours, ~900 hours, so I have not experienced this problem that many of you have. I use a low power setting, also. I appreciate the helpful information this particular thread has offered. Thank you all for contributing.

kalbert,

Here are my stats:

Normal power setting (lots of back light from windows during day)
~7800 hours
New Optical block (no green tint anymore :D)

i don't think my servce has tcm...will sin city do?

BD,

Not sure if Sin City will work. It has a different look than the old 30's and 40's B&W movies do.

This usually occurs due to finger contact with the bulb. The glass on the bulb should never be handled. If it does happen (or as a general rule, always) clean the cool bulb with Isopropyl alcohol before installing.

The oils in the skin react with the heat on the glass causing the bubble.

Larry, good call man. I actually had a feeling I might have handled the glass front before I had put that first replacement bulb in back in March 2007. Makes perfect sense that it would explain the short life. Just to be completely sure, this time around I made sure not to come even close to touching the front of the bulb during the swap. Hopefully, it results in better life and picture.

Thanks a bunch, really enjoying the playoffs here with the new Q-vision :-)

-Brian

BD,

Not sure if Sin City will work. It has a different look than the old 30's and 40's B&W movies do.

HA! Man, am I the only crazy dude with old Hitchcock B&W movies on DVD??? TCM rocks too!

-Brian

thestewman,

Do you think that with your settings, we may be able to avert the green tint problem? Maybe everyone can post their power settings, number of hours on their Qualias and whether they are experiencing the green tint issue. We can continue to update this information every few months. Hopefully, we may find some kind of correlation. I have very few hours, ~900 hours, so I have not experienced this problem that many of you have. I use a low power setting, also. I appreciate the helpful information this particular thread has offered. Thank you all for contributing.

kalberk, I am not ready to get too worried about the "green tint" problem yet. Fact is, I feel confident I can get Sony to replace mine if/when it should happen. BTW, you would want to get the Manufactured date from folks too for data collection here - it is on everyone's serial number sticker on the back of their Qualia if you're trying to see correlations. As others have noted, firmware versions are likely different during the couple year production of the Qualia. It would not be unusual in my experience to find for instance that later production runs of Q06's utilized different/newer optical block firmware.

Here are my stats FWIW:

-slightly over 5000 total hours
-Manufacture date of May 2005
-Purchased in Novemeber 2005
-Warrantied through November 2008 from Sony directly
-not even a hint of green blob, and I frequently watch B&W movies
-ISF-calibrated by UMR about 4 months after purchase

-Brian

BD,

Here you go, the new Panny DMP-BD50:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=970806

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=215165&modelNo=Content01052008065621607&surfModel=Content01052008065621607

This usually occurs due to finger contact with the bulb. The glass on the bulb should never be handled. If it does happen (or as a general rule, always) clean the cool bulb with Isopropyl alcohol before installing.

The oils in the skin react with the heat on the glass causing the bubble.

This is also true for any quartz or halogen lamp. In fact many of the replacement lamps say to re-install using a clean cloth.

the production date of my q was 4/05
total hours may be around 2200 at this time
has the power save mode on
I only watch movies on my Q (no Kids use or for games etc)
seems like there was a very slight yellow stain on the upper right corner but not very noticeable at all only when I do the closeup inspection on white screen
and keeping my fingers cross

BD,

Here you go, the new Panny DMP-BD50:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=970806

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=215165&modelNo=Content01052008065621607&surfModel=Content01052008065621607

thanks, i saw that last night :D

congrats dd...i'm thinking of calling and complaining of green tint in order to have my OB swapped before my 3yrs is up...(mar or may of this year...i know it starts with an m...will have to search this thread for my answer:) too bad we lost our historian otherwise i might just be able to ask him ;))
Ben,

Your Qualia was delivered on May 10, 2005 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5601521#post5601521), after they missed the planned delivery on the day before (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5598528#post5598528).

"I don't want to go on the cart...."

--Dwayne

Official Historian of the Qualia 006 Owners' Thread

Hey Hey Guess Who!!!!!!

Hello and long time no hear fellow Qualians. Like many, I have lurked around here and there. Instead of trying to read any previous pages, any thought on how the Blu-Ray players look on the Qualia? Specifically with the Sony BDP-S300 or BDP-S500.

Laterz

Hey Hey Guess Who!!!!!!

Hello and long time no hear fellow Qualians. Like many, I have lurked around here and there. Instead of trying to read any previous pages, any thought on how the Blu-Ray players look on the Qualia? Specifically with the Sony BDP-S300 or BDP-S500.

Laterz

Both you and Zechman posting on the same day - cool :cool:

I think you will enjoy Blu-ray on the 006. I can only speak for my Panny, but I love it. I also love the picture from my Tosh HD DVD. I figure them more HD the better, that is what the Qualia likes :D

Are you having any of the green tint problems? I and others have had our optical blocks replaced.

Ben,

Your Qualia was delivered on May 10, 2005 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5601521#post5601521), after they missed the planned delivery on the day before (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5598528#post5598528).

"I don't want to go on the cart...."

--Dwayne

Official Historian of the Qualia 006 Owners' Thread

LMAO...i thought my post my draw you out of the woodwork... ;)

--Dwayne

Official Historian of the Qualia 006 Owners' Thread

Great to hear from you :)

Are you having any of the green tint problems?

Both you and Zechman posting on the same day - cool :cool:

I think you will enjoy Blu-ray on the 006. I can only speak for my Panny, but I love it. I also love the picture from my Tosh HD DVD. I figure them more HD the better, that is what the Qualia likes :D

Are you having any of the green tint problems? I and others have had our optical blocks replaced.

DD,
Good to hear from you! I just noticed this topic today. So viewing any b&w footages is a way to test this? Does it matter if it's in HD or not? I was one of the first to get a Q, and I think it was in January of 2005. Does that sound right or was in in 2004?

If I do see a green tint, who do I call? Telephone numbers please!!!!!!!

DD,
Good to hear from you! I just noticed this topic today. So viewing any b&w footages is a way to test this? Does it matter if it's in HD or not? I was one of the first to get a Q, and I think it was in January of 2005. Does that sound right or was in in 2004?

If I do see a green tint, who do I call? Telephone numbers please!!!!!!!

It would have been 2005, and unless you got an extended warranty, your 3 years are about up. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a good source for B&W. SD is fine. It is just easier to see it on a B&W movie. It also shows up on color, but not as easy to see when it first starts. As it progresses, the reg tint can not be turned up high enough. Just call the Qualia number at 1-877-782-5423. This is what mine looked like:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=12334135&postcount=13595

It would have been 2005, and unless you got an extended warranty, your 3 years are about up. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a good source for B&W. SD is fine. It is just easier to see it on a B&W movie. It also shows up on color, but not as easy to see when it first starts. As it progresses, the reg tint can not be turned up high enough. Just call the Qualia number at 1-877-782-5423. This is what mine looked like:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=12334135&postcount=13595

I recently saw a "I Love Lucy" episode (not HD) and I didn't see any green tinting, will look more later at home. How many owners have reported this? I hope they can honor this type of repair after warranty periods ends if it is a defect. So far my Q has been flawless, and I am still not with the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD program yet. My Denon 3910 still produces spectacular pictures.

Hey Hey Guess Who!!!!!!

Hello and long time no hear fellow Qualians. Like many, I have lurked around here and there. Instead of trying to read any previous pages, any thought on how the Blu-Ray players look on the Qualia? Specifically with the Sony BDP-S300 or BDP-S500.

Laterz

Panasonic announced their BD50 coming out in spring (whatever that means!)...and Sony showed two *prototypes* of their new players...if you can wait until at least the spring, the Panny seems like a great bet...

if you can't wait, and you have something outboard that can decode the advanced audio codecs, the bd30 makes for a great player...

then you have the bd10 which i believe does onboard decoding but isn't profile 1.1...is that right dd?

btw, with the recent addition of my new toys of late, i have to admit that i've got a nice, full rack :D

now, if only my wife could say the same thing :eek:

i'm so glad she doesn't read this...but my daughter does know that I'm BenDover so I will have to be careful around her ...

then you have the bd10 which i believe does onboard decoding but isn't profile 1.1...is that right dd?

The BD10 does onboard decoding. It does TRUEHD and DTS HD (out of all channels), but not capable of delivering DTS MA. DTS MA is what a lot of people are excited. I love the 7.1 analog outs.

OMG History has come alive!! WB to both you and kaduku :) Sorry you had to return to so many "ouch moments" here in what had been a pretty ideal world. Hopefully the grinch will stay away from the rest of our Q's.

OMG History has come alive!! WB to both you and kaduku :) Sorry you had to return to so many "ouch moments" here in what had been a pretty ideal world. Hopefully the grinch will stay away from the rest of our Q's.

Haha, I was never dead, been a quiet observer in a way!!!!! Good to talk to you guys though and really glad this thread is still kicking. I guess having a TV that proves to still be formidable with todays technology helps.

Anyways, looked at my Q and watched a B&W show and no signs of green tinting. So what do I do now. My warranty ends in like a week or two.

Well, besides saying hello and welcome back to kaduku and Zechman (where are you Penton Man?), it's Anniversary time once again.

It was three years ago today that I received the first Q006 :D

Well, besides saying hello and welcome back to kaduku and Zechman (where are you Penton Man?), it's Anniversary time once again.

It was three years ago today that I received the first Q006 :D

Happy Anniversary to our Thread Founder!!!!! :D Whassuup JB! Where is PM? Hope he is doing fine! Zechman good to see that you're still giving good advice like the rest.

Anyways, looked at my Q and watched a B&W show and no signs of green tinting. So what do I do now. My warranty ends in like a week or two.

Glad to here you are not having any problem with the OB. How many hours do you have?

I was told by SONY the OB is a $5,000 part and $800 labor. The guy that replaced mine said that was the service center cost, the retail replacement was $7,000 for the OB. Don't know if that is true, but either way it is a lot of money. If you still love your 006 as much as the rest of us do, the GE warranty would be a good deal to cover you in the future. My understanding is that it must be purchased before the factory warranty runs out.

Well, besides saying hello and welcome back to kaduku and Zechman (where are you Penton Man?), it's Anniversary time once again.

It was three years ago today that I received the first Q006 :D

PM went to a Blu Ray forum. He posted here a bit before the Holidays. I think it is the Blue Crew or something like that.

Well, besides saying hello and welcome back to kaduku and Zechman (where are you Penton Man?), it's Anniversary time once again.

It was three years ago today that I received the first Q006 :D

jb007,

Mini Dive is holding up 3 fingers in recognition of your Anniversary ! ! !

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f200/divedude/MiniDive3Years.jpg

jb007,

Mini Dive is holding up 3 fingers in recognition of your Anniversary ! ! !

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f200/divedude/MiniDive3Years.jpg

Awesome!!! Much appreciated :) My only concern is if the Q006 makes it to 5 (well, MD does have two hands ;))

Regarding the GE extended warranty:

I just called and ordered a 4-year plan. It was $892 and includes one free bulb replacement. Since a bulb is $300 I think it's worth the cost. Selling this set will be easier in a couple of years, if I decide to do that with a warranty. Also, I don't trust the optical block repair to last forever.

Note that you can purchase any length duration from 1 to 5 years that you want. A 5-year contract is about $1100, much more than mspan orginally paid a few years ago.

You MUST purchase the contract before the original 3-year warranty expires.

nhey,
Do you have the GE Warranty number, all this talk about green tinting and $5000 repairs got me freakin scared and my warranty ends in a week or two, plus the extra bulb thing would be great because I think I may need one soon.

Question though, when you called did you need to give them the serial number or other info, or did they have your name listed already like Sony did when I first ordered my first bulb?

nhey,
Do you have the GE Warranty number, all this talk about green tinting and $5000 repairs got me freakin scared and my warranty ends in a week or two, plus the extra bulb thing would be great because I think I may need one soon.

Question though, when you called did you need to give them the serial number or other info, or did they have your name listed already like Sony did when I first ordered my first bulb?

kaduku, check post #1 for the extended warranty info

kaduku, check post #1 for the extended warranty info

Yes, I saw that post that you were placing it there. I should have known that you would do that. The man is always on top of his thread!!!!!!!

I just got a quote from GE warranty for the 5 year extended warranty:

$1,274.00.

This does not include coverage for a bulb.

If anyone has any other suggestions or input, I'm all ears. My Sony warranty is up soon.

Thanks.

I just got a quote from GE warranty for the 5 year extended warranty:

$1,274.00.

This does not include coverage for a bulb.

If anyone has any other suggestions or input, I'm all ears. My Sony warranty is up soon.

Thanks.

I just called too with no option for a free bulb replacement like nhey got. I PM'd him about this. Maybe that was a one time deal.

I just got a quote from GE warranty for the 5 year extended warranty:

$1,274.00.

This does not include coverage for a bulb.

If anyone has any other suggestions or input, I'm all ears. My Sony warranty is up soon.

Thanks.

Check the first post link again. When I got my 5 year, they said it DID cover the lamp/bulb. They said it was covered as it was needed for the set to function. The exclusion was for other equipment, etc where the lamp or bulb is not required for the item to wotk...like an indicator light or light in a freezer.

I just got a quote from GE warranty for the 5 year extended warranty:

$1,274.00.

This does not include coverage for a bulb.

If anyone has any other suggestions or input, I'm all ears. My Sony warranty is up soon.

Thanks.

Ouch :confused:

They may only consider a complete bulb failure covered, not if it gets dim loosing light output as it ages. If the warranty is transferable, it may be worth it if you sell the TV sooner than 5-years. If there is a light engine failure.........

Hi:
I just ordered the 5 year plan for my Q. - S/N 200070, one of the first.
According to the lady I talked with, it does cover the bulb needed for the picture. If it is a bulb, say for the on light, it is not covered.
The warranty is transferable for $10, or, if you want out prior to 5 years, it will be pro rated.
Love the Q; great forum - thanks everyone for the comments.
BTW, the pioneer blu-ray looks great on the Q.
Dave

Hi:
I just ordered the 5 year plan for my Q. - S/N 200070, one of the first.
According to the lady I talked with, it does cover the bulb needed for the picture. If it is a bulb, say for the on light, it is not covered.
The warranty is transferable for $10, or, if you want out prior to 5 years, it will be pro rated.
Love the Q; great forum - thanks everyone for the comments.
BTW, the pioneer blu-ray looks great on the Q.
Dave

Yup, that is what they told me when I first got it. The main Lamp IS covered.

Now on to looking into BluRay!

Dave, too.

For those that opted for the GE Warranty, I have spoken to two people now, and they confirm with me that they do NOT offer a free bulb/lamp replacement for the Qualia 006. Unless you folks have spoken to someone else, I would call them back to confirm this. They said to me that you guys might not have understood the warranty plan.

At this point I don't know what is up!!!!!!!!!!

Now on to looking into BluRay!


WARNING - DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE Blu-ray ! ! !

It will burn your eyes out :cool::D

WARNING - DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE Blu-ray ! ! !

It will burn your eyes out :cool::D


OK...I guess that HD-DVD was OK then?

Does the BluRay have 5.1 DTS available on digital Audio out to go into my Proc?

FWIW, I was very clear when I asked about whether a bulb replacement was included. She was adamant that it was not covered. If anyone is interested, I might be able to get her name, but she was not either of the two ladies listed in the thread, because I was looking right at it when I spoke to her. I did ask if I decided to go ahead with the warranty, whether I could contact her again, just in case she got some kind of commission. She said it didn't matter and that her department didn't have specific extensions. Given that and the fact I was put on hold a long time could indicate she might not be correct on the bulb issue, but she didn't hesitate on the bulb answer. She was courteous and helpful, but was not familiar with the Qualia.

Bummer,

I waited a month for the optical block to arrive from being back ordered. My scheduled appointment was a few days ago. Two techs had the new optical block installed and fired up in about 2 hours. Only one problem, the TV would start. After checking dozens of connectors, they pulled out the new unit, replaced it with the old, and the TV turned on. Prognosis, brand spanking new optical block was DOA. I sure hope I don’t have to wait another month for the next one to arrive. Back to watching The Hulk, Green Hornet, and Green Acres in living green technicolor.

Paul

Appointment tomorrow for OB #2. Didn't take near as long to get #2.

Here's hoping I'll see less green and more Blu(-ray)

Paul

Appointment tomorrow for OB #2. Didn't take near as long to get #2.

Here's hoping I'll see less green and more Blu(-ray)

Paul

Paul,

Here's hoping. :)

Well, besides saying hello and welcome back to kaduku and Zechman (where are you Penton Man?), it's Anniversary time once again.

It was three years ago today that I received the first Q006 :D
I know that, the day is burned in my memory banks.
Who the hell do you think gave you the phone number for the Delivery people?

PM went to a Blu Ray forum. He posted here a bit before the Holidays. I think it is the Blue Crew or something like that.
Correcto-mundo…………….
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=338835&postcount=5772

^
B.T.W. One needs to sign-up as a member to view the pic.
It may be worthwhile. ;)

I just got a quote from GE warranty for the 5 year extended warranty:

$1,274.00.

This does not include coverage for a bulb.

If anyone has any other suggestions or input, I'm all ears.
Thanks.
Buy a Blu-ray player for zz best sound.

Also...........

Call Jessica at 1-866-766-9259 (Sony).
She should be able to get you a 3 year extended warranty for $509. and change for the Q.

You welcome.

P.S.
Attention Bendover, if I were you, I would not try to get this service contract using the name “Ben Dover”, as I can pretty much guarantee that will not happen.

Buy a Blu-ray player for zz best sound.

Also...........

Call Jessica at 1-866-766-9259 (Sony).
She should be able to get you a 3 year extended warranty for $509. and change for the Q.
happen.

Hi PM,

Great to hear from you :)

I'll be giving her a call tomorrow, good price. Mini Dive says anyone named Jessica has to be good to talk to :D

Correcto-mundo…………….
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=338835&postcount=5772

^
B.T.W. One needs to sign-up as a member to view the pic.
It may be worthwhile. ;)


PM do the BD players output 5.1 DTS? I had heard that the HD-DVD players mix the 5.1! Perhaps I should just join blu-ray.com.

PM do the BD players output 5.1 DTS? I had heard that the HD-DVD players mix the 5.1! Perhaps I should just join blu-ray.com.

They both do and much more.

Hmm it appears I have one of the very first units produced then December 2004 serial 2000012. Anyone an earlier vintage? It appears I was one of the lucky first dozen as I don't see any green on b&w but I must admit my hours are not anywhere near as high as you guys.

Just curious anyone happen to have an earlier production date (or sn?) I received mine after jb and a few of the others but it seems I might have gotten one of the very first ones off the line.

Buy a Blu-ray player for zz best sound.

Also...........

Call Jessica at 1-866-766-9259 (Sony).
She should be able to get you a 3 year extended warranty for $509. and change for the Q.

You welcome.

Thank you! Whoever happens to speak with her could you post if she is able to note the account so there is no question that a bulb replacement is included? For some of us I am sure that is profitable (2+ bulbs and it more than pays for it). I am likely to only get 1 replacement but that certainly eases the cost and improves my mood to know that worst case scenario of bulbs going bad left and right I am still covered.

Also from Sony rocks since there is not the annoyance of them having to deal with a true outside vendor for service/parts.

Buy a Blu-ray player for zz best sound.

Also...........

Call Jessica at 1-866-766-9259 (Sony).
She should be able to get you a 3 year extended warranty for $509. and change for the Q.

You welcome.

P.S.
Attention Bendover, if I were you, I would not try to get this service contract using the name “Ben Dover”, as I can pretty much guarantee that will not happen.


What's wrong with the name Ben Dover? :confused:

Just curious anyone happen to have an earlier production date (or sn?) I received mine after jb and a few of the others but it seems I might have gotten one of the very first ones off the line.

Mine is # 70

New Optical Block

Oh yea baby - I LOVE BLU!

Here are some crude photos of before and after (check out the difference in color). First shots are from Wizard of OZ. I know it's not B&W (sepia tone) but it was the only thing I had that was close. The other shots are from the opening of Pirates of the Carribean #1. The skin tone actually looks close to right and this is before any calibration.

It's like the joy I experienced the first day I got the Q. I have a whole new appreciation for my baby.

Thanks for the support out there. I think I'll take PMs suggestion for the extended warranty, just in case we have another issue down the road with the optical block.

Paul

Buy a Blu-ray player for zz best sound.

Also...........

Call Jessica at 1-866-766-9259 (Sony).
She should be able to get you a 3 year extended warranty for $509. and change for the Q.




PM has come through again! I will be calling today! :D

Just curious anyone happen to have an earlier production date (or sn?) I received mine after jb and a few of the others but it seems I might have gotten one of the very first ones off the line.

Mine is ser # 10. I was also one of the first to report on an OB replacement, before Thanksgiving. Still going OK. My GE warranty kicks in in April

I just spoke with Jessica and got my warranty extended for 3 years for 551.94. This does not include any bulbs however. My original 006 was #51 but they replaced it with #1564 when they could not fix an hdcp issue.
brgds,
jp

PM has come through again! I will be calling today! :D

Okay fellow Qualia Owner's!!!! I called the Sony Extended Warranty number and did a 3 year warranty ($509.87), but it DOES NOT include a replacement bulb, which is just fine with me. Compared to the $980 qoute from GE, also without a bulb. The only difference is that the sony is only 3 years and the GE one is 4 years. Which again is alright with me, because the cost difference is almost double.

One thing too is that I rather go with a warranty company that actual knows the equipment they are covering.

Thanks to PM again!!!!!

Okay fellow Qualia Owner's!!!! I called the Sony Extended Warranty number and did a 3 year warranty ($509.87), but it DOES NOT include a replacement bulb, which is just fine with me. Compared to the $980 qoute from GE, also without a bulb. The only difference is that the sony is only 3 years and the GE one is 4 years. Which again is alright with me, because the cost difference is almost double.

One thing too is that I rather go with a warranty company that actual knows the equipment they are covering.

Thanks to PM again!!!!!

Hmmm, I wonder why kaduku is $42.07 cheaper than jp2 :confused:

Hmmm, I wonder why kaduku is $42.07 cheaper than jp2 :confused:

I believe it is sometimes based on your locaton??? :confused: Hey I'm not complaining :D

Okay fellow Qualia Owner's!!!! I called the Sony Extended Warranty number and did a 3 year warranty ($509.87), but it DOES NOT include a replacement bulb, which is just fine with me. Compared to the $980 qoute from GE, also without a bulb. The only difference is that the sony is only 3 years and the GE one is 4 years. Which again is alright with me, because the cost difference is almost double.

One thing too is that I rather go with a warranty company that actual knows the equipment they are covering.

Thanks to PM again!!!!!

Hello all,

The original GE warranty offer which mpsan (Dave) researched and shared was for 5 years and in March of 2006 when I purchased it, cost $717.99. In it, it says it DOES cover anything (including bulbs) that cause it not to FUNCTION as intended. At the time of purchase, I confirmed the replacement bulb for function (ie, displaying a picture), WOULD be covered. Maybe they changed it, modified it, etc. to now not include bulbs of any type, but a contract is a contract. As I'm still on my original bulb (4800 hrs) and have the free Sony replacement, I have not had to fight (or not) with GE yet. On a unrelated note, Blu_ray and HD-DVD both look and sound awesome on my UMR calibrated Q and audio.

For what it's worth - Serial number #2001807, Build date May 2005, Purchase date Sept. 2005 from Vegas Q store (now Sony store). Knock on wood, no green.

C-Dub006

Hello all,

The original GE warranty offer which mpsan (Dave) researched and shared was for 5 years and in March of 2006 when I purchased it, cost $717.99. In it, it says it DOES cover anything (including bulbs) that cause it not to FUNCTION as intended. At the time of purchase, I confirmed the replacement bulb for function (ie, displaying a picture), WOULD be covered. Maybe they changed it, modified it, etc. to now not include bulbs of any type, but a contract is a contract. As I'm still on my original bulb (4800 hrs) and have the free Sony replacement, I have not had to fight (or not) with GE yet. On a unrelated note, Blu_ray and HD-DVD both look and sound awesome on my UMR calibrated Q and audio.

For what it's worth - Serial number #2001807, Build date May 2005, Purchase date Sept. 2005 from Vegas Q store (now Sony store). Knock on wood, no green.

C-Dub006

The GE Warranty might have changed recently. I guess they figured out that the original first batch Qs warranty were about to run out.

I also bought my Q from Sony Las Vegas on January 15, 2005 and also no green (so far), also knock on wood.

Mine is ser # 10. I was also one of the first to report on an OB replacement, before Thanksgiving. Still going OK. My GE warranty kicks in in April
Thanks for the info. I guess that makes you a Qualia cousin :) At least that lets me know that the Q a mere 2 slots over (and produced at the same time) had issues with the OB. Of course I had hoped that it was a different run (and potentially a different part/firmware) but it appears I may be living on borrowed green free time. Definitely yet another push to get a warranty and the peace of mind of knowing the company that built it is giving the warranty is important.

Thanks and glad to hear that the operation was a success and the patient is staying healthy. Long Live the Qs even if they discontinued the line and then the whole friggin technology!

Hello all,

The original GE warranty offer which mpsan (Dave) researched and shared was for 5 years and in March of 2006 when I purchased it, cost $717.99. In it, it says it DOES cover anything (including bulbs) that cause it not to FUNCTION as intended. At the time of purchase, I confirmed the replacement bulb for function (ie, displaying a picture), WOULD be covered. Maybe they changed it, modified it, etc. to now not include bulbs of any type, but a contract is a contract. As I'm still on my original bulb (4800 hrs) and have the free Sony replacement, I have not had to fight (or not) with GE yet. On a unrelated note, Blu_ray and HD-DVD both look and sound awesome on my UMR calibrated Q and audio.

For what it's worth - Serial number #2001807, Build date May 2005, Purchase date Sept. 2005 from Vegas Q store (now Sony store). Knock on wood, no green.

C-Dub006


Yup...I should call them with my contract number just to see what they say now!

They both do and much more.

DD, the reason I asked is that I have coax and optical audio inputs on my Proc...a Meridian 568. I had heard that the DVD-HD mixes this if you are not using HDMI. I wanted to be sure I would continue to have great 5.1 DTS sound.

Hi Penton, good to hear from you, thanks for the info.

mpsan,

I have an HD-DVD player and a PS3. My Lexicon MC-8B processor does not have HDMI, and I use it for DD, DTS, SACD and DVD-Audio. You probably know this, but the lossless codecs for the HD discs cannot be passed by optical or coax. Without HDMI capabilities in the receiver/processor, you can only use 5.1 analog inputs for lossless (but the PS3 and some Blu-ray players don't have 5.1 analog outs). FWIW, I considered a Zektor switcher, but it would have taken over 20 cables to get me connected. I also considered a new receiver, but all of my stuff uses balanced connections, so I'll wait for a new Lexicon to join the party with an HDMI/balanced package other than the MC-12B.

DD, the reason I asked is that I have coax and optical audio inputs on my Proc...a Meridian 568. I had heard that the DVD-HD mixes this if you are not using HDMI. I wanted to be sure I would continue to have great 5.1 DTS sound.

mpsan,

So if the Processor doesn't have 5.1/7.1 analog inputs or HDMI inputs, you can send it bitstream over the optical toslink. As long as your Meridian does DTS decoding you will get the 5.1 surround. If the source is DTS-HD, you will get the DTS core.

I haven't tried optical, so I can't say for sure, but that is what the manuals say. I would suggest asking on one of the AVS forums for the player you are looking at.

Regarding the GE contract in Section 2 in the back of the contract it states that "a covered product will be restored to normal operating condition after it has failed during normal single-family household use excluding failures due to power surges".

However, in Section 11, which is entitled "What is Not Covered" it states that consumer - replaceable items such as batteries, tapes, ribbons, bulbs, hosees, water membrances, air and water filters, fuses, belts, knobs, vacuum cleaner belts, bags, projection TV screen protectors etc. are not covered. So it does day that bulbs are not covered; of course they are probably referring to regular light bulbs not RPTV bulbs, but a lawyer would argue otherwise and say there are no bulbs they will cover.

So, it's not 100% clear if the bulbs we are talking about are or are not covered. When I ordered my contract they said that one bulb replacement WOULD be covered. I didn't get her name.

Note that you CAN cancel the GE contract, and in fact, in my situation, I could cancel it now and get a full refund of the $892.71 I paid for 4 additional years. I agree with Kaduku that it is better to get another 3-years from Sony and pay about $300+ less in my case, especially if GE will not cover a bulb replacement. I will call GE and if they say "no go" to a bulb replacement I will cancel it and get the Sony contract. I like the service firm that Sony uses; they replaced my OB promptly, with no hassles, and they know what they are doing.

Regarding the GE contract in Section 2 in the back of the contract it states that "a covered product will be restored to normal operating condition after it has failed during normal single-family household use excluding failures due to power surges".

However, in Section 11, which is entitled "What is Not Covered" it states that consumer - replaceable items such as batteries, tapes, ribbons, bulbs, hosees, water membrances, air and water filters, fuses, belts, knobs, vacuum cleaner belts, bags, projection TV screen protectors etc. are not covered. So it does day that bulbs are not covered; of course they are probably referring to regular light bulbs not RPTV bulbs, but a lawyer would argue otherwise and say there are no bulbs they will cover.

So, it's not 100% clear if the bulbs we are talking about are or are not covered. When I ordered my contract they said that one bulb replacement WOULD be covered. I didn't get her name.

Note that you CAN cancel the GE contract, and in fact, in my situation, I could cancel it now and get a full refund of the $892.71 I paid for 4 additional years. I agree with Kaduku that it is better to get another 3-years from Sony and pay about $300+ less in my case, especially if GE will not cover a bulb replacement. I will call GE and if they say "no go" to a bulb replacement I will cancel it and get the Sony contract. I like the service firm that Sony uses; they replaced my OB promptly, with no hassles, and they know what they are doing.


It was explained to me that they meant lamps that did not impact function and these parts of the contract were for Freezers, etc. Since our TV would not function without the lamp it would be covered!

Hi Penton, good to hear from you, thanks for the info.

mpsan,

I have an HD-DVD player and a PS3. My Lexicon MC-8B processor does not have HDMI, and I use it for DD, DTS, SACD and DVD-Audio. You probably know this, but the lossless codecs for the HD discs cannot be passed by optical or coax. Without HDMI capabilities in the receiver/processor, you can only use 5.1 analog inputs for lossless (but the PS3 and some Blu-ray players don't have 5.1 analog outs). FWIW, I considered a Zektor switcher, but it would have taken over 20 cables to get me connected. I also considered a new receiver, but all of my stuff uses balanced connections, so I'll wait for a new Lexicon to join the party with an HDMI/balanced package other than the MC-12B.

Yup, my proc does NOT have 5.1 analog in. It does, however, do a great job of 5.1 DTS.

mpsan,

So if the Processor doesn't have 5.1/7.1 analog inputs or HDMI inputs, you can send it bitstream over the optical toslink. As long as your Meridian does DTS decoding you will get the 5.1 surround. If the source is DTS-HD, you will get the DTS core.

I haven't tried optical, so I can't say for sure, but that is what the manuals say. I would suggest asking on one of the AVS forums for the player you are looking at.

When I do decide on a player, it will be my first concern. I do not wish to change from my Meridian 568!

When I do decide on a player, it will be my first concern. I do not wish to change from my Meridian 568!

I have the Pioneer 94HD BluRay....excellent player, fast load times, great history of firmware revisions as needed...it will send DTS 5.1 over optical or coax as needed. For what its worth, I am an audio snob to the nth degree, this video stuff is all very secondary to me, really...I have a Meridian G08 disc player that I could not live without, best sound for CD's I've ever heard...you will be very very impressed with a current Pioneer Elite model like the 94HD or 95HD.

I have great respect for the Meridian 568, great processor, don't ever let it go!

Enjoy!
-Brian

I like the service firm that Sony uses; they replaced my OB promptly, with no hassles, and they know what they are doing.

I haven't read or searched on everything concerning this green tinting on this thread, and I don't think (correct me if I am wrong) that anyone has yet had to deal with GE Warranty to get this type of issue resolved. Just wondering how much a difference would be in repair timeframes, quality in service, getting the right people to do the job, etc, if GE Warranty was to handle this problem. So far the Q owners here who has had their OB replaced have been very pleased and impressed with the technicians that were sent by Sony. Think about it, if it is sooo unclear about the bulb thing now, (different peeps there saying different things) how clear will it be when you start having actual issues and needing some repairs. I am not saying to cancel your GE service, but if they give you some sh*t, it's good to know you have other options.

Note though that if you do decide later on to go with Sony, will they (Sony) still cover your Q even when the original warranty with them had expired.

Funny thing was when I called Qualia Service to confirm when I purchased my Q, they didn't have any options for me to extend my warranty. Thanks again to PM for the tip.

I haven't read or searched on everything concerning this green tinting on this thread, and I don't think (correct me if I am wrong) that anyone has yet had to deal with GE Warranty to get this type of issue resolved. Just wondering how much a difference would be in repair timeframes, quality in service, getting the right people to do the job, etc, if GE Warranty was to handle this problem. So far the Q owners here who has had their OB replaced have been very pleased and impressed with the technicians that were sent by Sony. Think about it, if it is sooo unclear about the bulb thing now, (different peeps there saying different things) how clear will it be when you start having actual issues and needing some repairs. I am not saying to cancel your GE service, but if they give you some sh*t, it's good to know you have other options.

Note though that if you do decide later on to go with Sony, will they (Sony) still cover your Q even when the original warranty with them had expired.

Funny thing was when I called Qualia Service to confirm when I purchased my Q, they didn't have any options for me to extend my warranty. Thanks again to PM for the tip.

Kaduku,

After reading your post, (and others including nhey's who has already dealt with the OB issue) I felt the best thing would be to cancel the GE warranty(5 yrs.) get a full refund and go with the Sony 3 year plan. Even with the 2 year difference, the piece of mind is worth it for me anyway, knowing it would be Sony (or Sony authorized) fixing any problem that may or may not occur. At that point, in 2011, I can use that as an excuse to get something new anyway. "Honey the TV died, it will cost $6000 to fix, I think we should just get a ......"

Thanks PM for the Sony info and Jessica was great to deal with by the way:)

Kaduku,

After reading your post, (and others including nhey's who has already dealt with the OB issue) I felt the best thing would be to cancel the GE warranty(5 yrs.) get a full refund and go with the Sony 3 year plan. Even with the 2 year difference, the piece of mind is worth it for me anyway, knowing it would be Sony (or Sony authorized) fixing any problem that may or may not occur. At that point, in 2011, I can use that as an excuse to get something new anyway. "Honey the TV died, it will cost $6000 to fix, I think we should just get a ......"


Very wise move! I know what you mean about the peace of mind. BTW, I was also planning that move with da wife later :D

I have the Pioneer 94HD BluRay....excellent player, fast load times, great history of firmware revisions as needed...it will send DTS 5.1 over optical or coax as needed. For what its worth, I am an audio snob to the nth degree, this video stuff is all very secondary to me, really...I have a Meridian G08 disc player that I could not live without, best sound for CD's I've ever heard...you will be very very impressed with a current Pioneer Elite model like the 94HD or 95HD.

I have great respect for the Meridian 568, great processor, don't ever let it go!

Enjoy!
-Brian


Great! Will look it up. I ALWAYS was a Mono/Stereo person...still even have records...even a number of Sheffield direct to disk cuts!

I like the sound of the Meridian and use B&W speakers all around (except for the .1). I remember playing a CD (Old Sony 707ESD player) and being mad that I selected Stereo and the Center was on! Darn...I did not want trifield on CD's. I went up to the big center and it was OFF! That is what I call imaging!

OK, I called GE. I gave them my contract # and they told me to call Customer Relations at 1-800-437-3783...and then forwarded me to that number. I spoke to Makeshia.

I was told that when they said that they will not pay for the Lamp Replacement in an RPTV, they meant that since you can just remove a few screws and do-it-yourself, they will not pay...to roll a truck.

BUT, they will mail you a new lamp to install yourself!

Perhaps this info and Number can be added to my link on the first post.

Hi:
Seems to me that a couple of lamps at $250 each, and an $5000 part, and you are way ahead of the game on a five year contract; compared that is, to Sony, which though less expensive is also only for three years and no lamp replacements.
Time will tell.
Big thanks, though, to all contributors on this forum.
Love that Q picture.
Regards from Southern California (Big Love Saturday night with the wife!),
Dave

Hi:
Seems to me that a couple of lamps at $250 each, and an $5000 part, and you are way ahead of the game on a five year contract; compared that is, to Sony, which though less expensive is also only for three years and no lamp replacements.
Time will tell.
Big thanks, though, to all contributors on this forum.
Love that Q picture.
Regards from Southern California (Big Love Saturday night with the wife!),
Dave

I wonder what Sony will do about the OB after 3 years. After all, it is a known issue and a case can be made, I guess, that they all will fail after X hours. Those of us with very few hours should not be stuck with the known bad OB. I wonder what Sony would say about this? Also, have we EVER heard that the replacement was fixed, or will it fail, too, in time?

I guess I wonder about this because, even with the GE contract, I would hope that Sony will "do right" by us and fix it on their own!

New Optical Block

Oh yea baby - I LOVE BLU!


Paul,

Great news that your 006 has been cured. Enjoy :D

I just signed up for the Sony warranty for about $540, which included sales tax. For me, it's a toss-up if I got the GE extra 2 years, even with bulbs that are more like $300, and figure on needing 2-3 more in the next 5 years. I have heavy hours of usage, over 6000, with no problems, and I have another spare bulb already. I think it's a crapshoot on timing the OB going bad. Besides, I'm with C-dub006, by the time an even newly replaced OB goes out, the Q is 6-8 years in the tooth, and I'm ready for the 80 inch LCD panel with LED and 120hz and that's only today's technology.

mspan, Meridian (and B&W) are terrific gear, especially if you still fancy 2-channel. I'll never give up my SACD and DVD-A, even if I have to go to a dedicated audio set-up to get lossless HD audio in my HT. Of course, I want it all in a single package, but know better, for now.

My best guess is that after all of the warranties run out, if you lose the OB, Sony will not pony up. And there are not enough Qualians to create a class action, exclusive as our class would be.

Paul,

Great news that your 006 has been cured. Enjoy :D

Thanks DiveDude. Now I realize why I fell in love with the Q in the first place. Long live the Q!

Paul

Does anyone know what the warranty is on a replaced optical block? This would be a determining factor if I should purchase the Sony extended warranty. If my new OB warranty is 3 years, I probably wont purchase the extended warranty. If it's a year (or less) on the new OB, and my Q warranty expires in December, then I will definitely buy the extended warranty.

Paul

I just signed up for the Sony warranty for about $540, which included sales tax. For me, it's a toss-up if I got the GE extra 2 years, even with bulbs that are more like $300, and figure on needing 2-3 more in the next 5 years. I have heavy hours of usage, over 6000, with no problems, and I have another spare bulb already. I think it's a crapshoot on timing the OB going bad. Besides, I'm with C-dub006, by the time an even newly replaced OB goes out, the Q is 6-8 years in the tooth, and I'm ready for the 80 inch LCD panel with LED and 120hz and that's only today's technology.

mspan, Meridian (and B&W) are terrific gear, especially if you still fancy 2-channel. I'll never give up my SACD and DVD-A, even if I have to go to a dedicated audio set-up to get lossless HD audio in my HT. Of course, I want it all in a single package, but know better, for now.

My best guess is that after all of the warranties run out, if you lose the OB, Sony will not pony up. And there are not enough Qualians to create a class action, exclusive as our class would be.

Well, Frys had a Panny BD30K for $369. BB matched it and I got 5 Movies. Another 5 in the mail!

It does have lossless, but what I wonder is if the Meridian will switch to DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 when it sees the digital audio stream!

Does anyone know what the warranty is on a replaced optical block? This would be a determining factor if I should purchase the Sony extended warranty. If my new OB warranty is 3 years, I probably wont purchase the extended warranty. If it's a year (or less) on the new OB, and my Q warranty expires in December, then I will definitely buy the extended warranty.

Paul

Paul,

I was told the replacement OB is 90 days parts and labor by both Sony and my repair facility.

Well, Frys had a Panny BD30K for $369. BB matched it and I got 5 Movies. Another 5 in the mail!

It does have lossless, but what I wonder is if the Meridian will switch to DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 when it sees the digital audio stream!

mpsan,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Blu. It looks like you are getting good advice on the BD30K Owners Thread. Have you installed the latest firmware update?

So I guess you setup is the HDMI direct to the Q and the optical to the Proc. Don't forget to turn the HDMI Audio Output off in the settings of the player.

mp, congrats and good luck with the bd30...

dd, i've not yet u/g'd the firwmare to 1.3 (it is at 1.1) as i've not yet had any issues and i've seen some complain of audio problems after updating to 1.3 :eek:

Paul,

I was told the replacement OB is 90 days parts and labor by both Sony and my repair facility.

That sounds about right if your Q006 is out (or soon to be out) of warranty. However, if you're still within your 3 years, or the extended warranty period, your OB should be covered through that end date.

That sounds about right if your Q006 is out (or soon to be out) of warranty. However, if you're still within your 3 years, or the extended warranty period, your OB should be covered through that end date.

jb007,

You are absolutely right. In my case, the warranty for the OB will extend about a week past the warranty for my 006.

hey guys, just curious who else here is "familiar with my work" and what exactly my work might be ??? :confused:

Paul,

I was told the replacement OB is 90 days parts and labor by both Sony and my repair facility.

Very helpful - I will purchase an extended warranty from Sony.

mpsan - good score and nice price on the panny - First Blu player that I really love and I've been through a few.

Paul

hey guys, just curious who else here is "familiar with my work" and what exactly my work might be ??? :confused:

BD,

I figured "your work" was to buy as much new AV stuff as possible :D

BD,

I figured "your work" was to buy as much new AV stuff as possible :D

I know you are capable of doctoring up the AV forums

hey guys, just curious who else here is "familiar with my work" and what exactly my work might be ??? :confused:

Well you work in NYC so my guess will be that you are part-owner of the Knicks. Or a pimp, I can't decide.:rolleyes:

OK - I have read enough to be really depressed. I was hoped the lens in front of the bulb had gotten dirty again but no such luck, I have the green screen of death and no warranty. It will be a very hard decision to spend the money if it is really $5k. This should be a real black eye for Sony the way the units are starting to fail. Has anyone had any luck getting some help from Sony? In any case I am in the Dallas area and will take recommendations on good service shops. I have one of the first units delivered so it is better than a year out of warranty but that kind of repair cost is still ridiculous for a unit with the original cost of $13k.

In any case I am in the Dallas area and will take recommendations on good service shops. I have one of the first units delivered so it is better than a year out of warranty but that kind of repair cost is still ridiculous for a unit with the original cost of $13k.

texas_buff,

I am sure you are not a year out of warranty. They come with a 3 year warranty. jb007 got the first one delivered and his 3 year anniversary was just on January 7. Check your receipt. And even if it is just a few days out, I am sure Sony would take care of you. Call the Qualia number at 1-877-782-5423 to get verification and a trouble ticket.

Sony may recommend others according to what comes up on their screen, but I would highly recommend Daniel at Starpower. He did mine, his third and knows exactly what to do. Call them at 972-503-6000 and ask for Michelle. She can setup the repair for you.

mpsan,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Blu. It looks like you are getting good advice on the BD30K Owners Thread. Have you installed the latest firmware update?

So I guess you setup is the HDMI direct to the Q and the optical to the Proc. Don't forget to turn the HDMI Audio Output off in the settings of the player.

That will be my setup. Still watching football and have not even opened it yet. Do I let the player, via HDMI, output 1080P to the Q?

Should I see a big picture change from HBO-HD to Blu? I assume the Blu is better, but is it that much?

mp, congrats and good luck with the bd30...

dd, i've not yet u/g'd the firwmare to 1.3 (it is at 1.1) as i've not yet had any issues and i've seen some complain of audio problems after updating to 1.3 :eek:

I didn't know you had the BD30. I had wondered if I should go to 1.3 as well. I wonder if we can save, or get, the old f/w to revert back if we wanted?

Very helpful - I will purchase an extended warranty from Sony.

mpsan - good score and nice price on the panny - First Blu player that I really love and I've been through a few.

Paul

I didn't know so many here had it. What setting should I choose when using HDMI to Q? I think I can set the Panny to either 1080i or 1080p.

BD,

I figured "your work" was to buy as much new AV stuff as possible :D

bullseye

I know you are capable of doctoring up the AV forums

HUH?!?!? is there some back-room dealings or back-room communications i'm not familiar with?

Well you work in NYC so my guess will be that you are part-owner of the Knicks. Or a pimp, I can't decide.:rolleyes:

hmmm, either one of those might be nice, the latter only to pimp JA to *myself* :D

That will be my setup. Still watching football and have not even opened it yet. Do I let the player, via HDMI, output 1080P to the Q?

Should I see a big picture change from HBO-HD to Blu? I assume the Blu is better, but is it that much?

mpsan,

I am watching football also.

If it is like my BD10, it will only let you send it 1080i (the 1080p will be grayed out). You can choose various levels of input or tell it auto and it will pick. I told mine 1080i just to be sure it always did that.

Don't know if you are going to see a big change from HBO-HD, but you sure will between a DVD and a Blu-ray movie of the same title. Do you have any new Blu-ray disks? There is a tier thread that will help you choose the ones that look better than other ones.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858316

I didn't know you had the BD30. I had wondered if I should go to 1.3 as well. I wonder if we can save, or get, the old f/w to revert back if we wanted?

I didn't know so many here had it. What setting should I choose when using HDMI to Q? I think I can set the Panny to either 1080i or 1080p.

I'm holding off on 1.3 until i hit a *road-bump* ... probably the first time i don't blindly upgrade just for the sake of upgrading...

the Q only takes 1080i, even though we had all hoped that someday it might be coaxed into 1080p, so that makes that decision rather easy :)

I was told the GE extended warranty will provide only ONE Qualia bulb replacement. Has anyone been told that they will provide more than one replacement???

I'm holding off on 1.3 until i hit a *road-bump* ... probably the first time i don't blindly upgrade just for the sake of upgrading...


I have not had any problems with the firmware upgrades for my BD10 and have kept it up to date, but I can't say for the BD30. I held off for a few firmware updates on my Toshiba A2 because they had problems, but I am now current.

mpsan,

On my BD10, for HDMI I have the following settings:

HDMI Video Mode - On
HDMI Resolution - 1080i
HDMI RGB Output Range - Standard
HDMI Audio Output - Off (I feed the 7.1 analog outs to my receiver)
Crtl with HDMI - On

one REALLY nice feature on the BD30 that i ran into today, it actually remembers where you left off, even after powering down...

i had popped in "the rock" last weekend but only got a few minutes in before i had to shutdown and head out with the family...today i started up and was SHOCKED when it resumed exactly where i had left off ... nice

one REALLY nice feature on the BD30 that i ran into today, it actually remembers where you left off, even after powering down...

i had popped in "the rock" last weekend but only got a few minutes in before i had to shutdown and head out with the family...today i started up and was SHOCKED when it resumed exactly where i had left off ... nice

I have The Rock on order from Netflix. I watched the new Blu-ray Con Air last night and was captivated and blown away (ha ha). It looked and sounded great.

Thank you all for the suggestions. When I got the Panny BD30 from BB they gave me (for this $369 price) 5 Titles of my choice...which I picked up...and 5 more via mailin.

The ones I got instore free were...
Sunshine (which I hear will be a great test of 1.1 !!)
Sky High
IMAX Blue Planet
Reign Over Me
Talladega Nights

OH...how is the standard Up sampling on this BD30? Should I keep my Sony NS975V connected or isn't it going to be any better than the BD30?

OH...how is the standard Up sampling on this BD30? Should I keep my Sony NS975V connected or isn't it going to be any better than the BD30?

I know on my BD10, the upconversion is not as good as the Sony NS975V. But i'm not sure if the BD30 uses the same chip as the BD10 for upconversion. I use my Toshiba A2 to watch DVD's.

I know on my BD10, the upconversion is not as good as the Sony NS975V. But i'm not sure if the BD30 uses the same chip as the BD10 for upconversion. I use my Toshiba A2 to watch DVD's.

OK, I have an extra HDMI on my Q and I have one more coax input on my Meridian. I may as well just keep the 975 connected anyway! Next I will have to add the BD30 to my Harmony 676 remote!

P.S. Remember radios when you just plugged them in?

from what i've read, the bd30 uses the same chip as the bd10 (panny's own solution) and therefore i would expect the bd30 to have same/very similar sd dvd upconversion performance.

i have other options for sd dvd upconversion so i wouldn't find myself using the bd30 for sd dvd.

Owners of the bd30 might be interested in the review of the player in the current issue of Playback on-line magazine. The magazine just incorporated The Perfect Vision into its format.

Owners of the bd30 might be interested in the review of the player in the current issue of Playback on-line magazine. The magazine just incorporated The Perfect Vision into its format.

Do you have a link or do we need to subscribe?

Help Q Owners,
For those that have easy access or if you already know this. I would have to pull my Q away from the wall to look for this and I admit it, I am lazy too, but does the Q have RCA outputs, specifically for video. My son wants to record video from the Q to his video camera.

Thanks in advance

Help Q Owners,
For those that have easy access or if you already know this. I would have to pull my Q away from the wall to look for this and I admit it, I am lazy too, but does the Q have RCA outputs, specifically for video. My son wants to record video from the Q to his video camera.

Thanks in advance

Video outputs *from* the Q??? Nope, no way...there are video inputs galore of course, and RCA L+R audio outputs as well as optical digital audio output, but no video outputs, only inputs.

There is a mini-DV input on the front drop down hatch, as well as S-video, etc. but again those are inputs.

I'm curious, what exactly is he wanting to record that isn't sourced elsewhere and input into the Q? The real solution it would seem would be to record the actual source directly (DVR,cable,sat,etc.) or from a preamp/processor/receiver. I guess what i'm saying is if we take a step back and say what are you trying to achieve, then maybe I can recommend a way to do it.

Brian

Help Q Owners,
For those that have easy access or if you already know this. I would have to pull my Q away from the wall to look for this and I admit it, I am lazy too, but does the Q have RCA outputs, specifically for video. My son wants to record video from the Q to his video camera.

Thanks in advance

kaduku,

Sorry, no RCA video outs.

EDIT: I see Brian already answered you.

WoW - thanks for getting my head of of a dark place. Not sure how I came up with 4 years but you are correct, it was delivered 2/2/05. I will be on the phone to Sony 1st thing Monday.

Help Q Owners,
For those that have easy access or if you already know this. I would have to pull my Q away from the wall to look for this and I admit it, I am lazy too, but does the Q have RCA outputs, specifically for video. My son wants to record video from the Q to his video camera.

Thanks in advance

Depending on the video camera manufacturer, the Firewire connection which is available in front of the Q would be the ideal connection.

What is your video source ?

Depending on the video camera manufacturer, the Firewire connection which is available in front of the Q would be the ideal connection.

What is your video source ?

It would be the XBOX 360. So how can this be done? I am a newbie in the field.

Help Q Owners,
For those that have easy access or if you already know this. I would have to pull my Q away from the wall to look for this and I admit it, I am lazy too, but does the Q have RCA outputs, specifically for video. My son wants to record video from the Q to his video camera.

Thanks in advance
The only thing you can do is use the i.Link (aka Firewire) to record programs that the Q006 receives from it's built-in ATSC tuner and/or from a CableCard source.

If you're not trying to do THAT, then you need to connect the camera to whatever device is the actual video source.

--Dwayne

33 megapixel (7,680 x 4,320) resolution and 22.2 channel surround :D

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/33-megapixel-super-hi-vision-ultra-hdtv-could-be-on-the-air-in/

The only thing you can do is use the i.Link (aka Firewire) to record programs that the Q006 receives from it's built-in ATSC tuner and/or from a CableCard source.

If you're not trying to do THAT, then you need to connect the camera to whatever device is the actual video source.

--Dwayne

Bottom line is this "SUCKS", I don't think I can connect straight to the XBOX? Any suggestions out there

Bottom line is this "SUCKS", I don't think I can connect straight to the XBOX? Any suggestions out there

kaduku,

whatever connection from the xbox you are using to the Q should be instead routed to the camera, or otherwise to a matrixer which would then send to both the Q and the camera.

also, if you've got an AVR, you could route the xbox to the avr and then the avr's output to the camera (presuming the avr has an output, but most do afaik)

33 megapixel (7,680 x 4,320) resolution and 22.2 channel surround :D

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/33-megapixel-super-hi-vision-ultra-hdtv-could-be-on-the-air-in/

at this point i would rather have fully immersive, w/tactile feedback (;)), virtual reality!!!

kaduku,

whatever connection from the xbox you are using to the Q should be instead routed to the camera, or otherwise to a matrixer which would then send to both the Q and the camera.

also, if you've got an AVR, you could route the xbox to the avr and then the avr's output to the camera (presuming the avr has an output, but most do afaik)

Thanks BD,
This sounds like it may work. Can you elaborate on this Matrixer? :D

mpsan,

So if the Processor doesn't have 5.1/7.1 analog inputs or HDMI inputs, you can send it bitstream over the optical toslink. As long as your Meridian does DTS decoding you will get the 5.1 surround. If the source is DTS-HD, you will get the DTS core.

I haven't tried optical, so I can't say for sure, but that is what the manuals say. I would suggest asking on one of the AVS forums for the player you are looking at.

DD, and others, do you have the BD30 connected via HDMi to the Q with the BD30 set to 1080i or can it be left at 1080p with the Q converting?

After reading everyone's thoughts on the OB problem, it looks like I should buy the Sony extended warranty. Can someone pass along the best way to get the warranty. My original will be up in July.

Thanks

After reading everyone's thoughts on the OB problem, it looks like I should buy the Sony extended warranty. Can someone pass along the best way to get the warranty. My original will be up in July.

Thanks

Just call 1-866-766-9259 and ask for Jennifer. It took like 5 minutes. Good to see a fellow Q owner here in the bay area. I am in Walnut Creek.

DD, and others, do you have the BD30 connected via HDMi to the Q with the BD30 set to 1080i or can it be left at 1080p with the Q converting?

the Q can only accept 1080i so you have to set the bd30 to output 1080i.

i have the bd30 connected via hdmi to an integra dtc-9.8 which is connected to the Q.

at the moment i have been outputting 1080i from the bd30 but you just gave me the idea of outputting 1080p to the integra and having it use its silcon optix reon processor to convert to 1080i...i'll have to see which gives the better solution.

Thanks BD,
This sounds like it may work. Can you elaborate on this Matrixer? :D

how do you have the xbox connected to the Q right now? is it via HDMI or component?

how do you have the xbox connected to the Q right now? is it via HDMI or component?

Presently I have it connected via component.

Just call 1-866-766-9259 and ask for Jennifer. It took like 5 minutes. Good to see a fellow Q owner here in the bay area. I am in Walnut Creek.
Called the number and they did not know who Jennifer was... They transferred me to Sony Style.

I was given 3 options for a warranty.

1. 3 year - 349.99
2. 4 year - 529.99
3. 5 year - 699.99

I went with the 4 year warranty.

Presently I have it connected via component.

there are component matrix switchers (e.g., gefen, zektor, monoprice, etc.) that will take a single component source and send it to two or more displays. if you go the component route, that would be what you need.

if you have an xbox that can connect via hdmi, similar to above there are hdmi matrix switchers (some times called splitters) that operate in the same fashion...taking a single hdmi source input and sending it to two or more displays/devices.

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=2757
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4940 (this would be overkill)
http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=3728&seq=1&format=2

really inexpensive alternatives that might be better suited to this particular instance of recording xbox output:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10422&cs_id=1042205&p_id=2899&seq=1&format=2
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10422&cs_id=1042205&p_id=2848&seq=1&format=2

Called the number and they did not know who Jennifer was... They transferred me to Sony Style.

I was given 3 options for a warranty.

1. 3 year - 349.99
2. 4 year - 529.99
3. 5 year - 699.99

I went with the 4 year warranty.

What?!? You got a better deal?!? I better call them back! You did click on option 1?

Called the number and they did not know who Jennifer was... They transferred me to Sony Style.

I was given 3 options for a warranty.

1. 3 year - 349.99
2. 4 year - 529.99
3. 5 year - 699.99

I went with the 4 year warranty.

yeah, sony has standard extended warranties...

i think the person you were *supposed* to ask for was Jessica...but don't tell her that BenDover sent you ;)

the Q can only accept 1080i so you have to set the bd30 to output 1080i.

i have the bd30 connected via hdmi to an integra dtc-9.8 which is connected to the Q.

at the moment i have been outputting 1080i from the bd30 but you just gave me the idea of outputting 1080p to the integra and having it use its silcon optix reon processor to convert to 1080i...i'll have to see which gives the better solution.

...also, with HDMI, I may be able to get away with letting the BD30 and Q negotiate the res themselves...or is it better to force it?

What?!? You got a better deal?!? I better call them back! You did click on option 1?
Yes, hit option 1...

Yes, hit option 1...


Sorry it was Jessica, but you still got a better deal!

yeah, sony has standard extended warranties...

i think the person you were *supposed* to ask for was Jessica...but don't tell her that BenDover sent you ;)
Do you know if there is a difference between the 3 year warranty everyone seems to be getting here and the standard extended warranty that I received? They claimed that it covered all parts and labor.

Do you know if there is a difference between the 3 year warranty everyone seems to be getting here and the standard extended warranty that I received? They claimed that it covered all parts and labor.

no, sorry, i have no idea...i didn't mean to imply you got a "standard" warranty and others got a "special" warranty, only that all companies offer an extended warranty...some will even call you when your standard is almost up to get you to sign up for the extended (i'm thinking washing machines here...:))

i presume that you told them you were looking for an extended warranty on your Qualia 006? I would call them back and ensure that this covers everything, including parts and labor, short of routine bulb replacement...specifically, the optical block which is the big ticket item.

Yes, told them it was a Qualia 006, gave them the model number and serial number.

...also, with HDMI, I may be able to get away with letting the BD30 and Q negotiate the res themselves...or is it better to force it?

absolutely, via hdmi the bd30 should negotiate the available resolutions and set 1080i...that is what happened with mine (the lesser resolutions are available ... can't remember if 1080p is greyed out, but if not, it has a resolution change confirmation time-out thingy i believe...ie, you set 1080p, but if you can't see the scree (meaning your display doesn't support) then you can't see the message asking you to accept the change...like when you change the res on your computer monitor)

Yes, told them it was a Qualia 006, gave them the model number and serial number.

i would maybe call back and ask specifically about the optical block, but otherwise it seems you are good to go...understand i am simply speaking as a consumer like you...i have no inside knowledge of sony.

absolutely, via hdmi the bd30 should negotiate the available resolutions and set 1080i...that is what happened with mine (the lesser resolutions are available ... can't remember if 1080p is greyed out, but if not, it has a resolution change confirmation time-out thingy i believe...ie, you set 1080p, but if you can't see the scree (meaning your display doesn't support) then you can't see the message asking you to accept the change...like when you change the res on your computer monitor)

OK, since my HDMI will go right to the Q I will let it do that.

Someone asked if we could turn subtitles off/on with a button press. I don't see that...what a pain that would be as some movies come up with them on in my other DVD players.

So far, from what I have read, I think I will keep my Sony 975V connected as it is now and add the BD30. I figure I already have it and it may upscale Normal DVD's better than the BD30.

OH, I called Panasonic about the "Sunshine " issue and they said they had not had that reported yet! I KNOW there were some threads stating that they were told about this.

33 megapixel (7,680 x 4,320) resolution and 22.2 channel surround :D

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/33-megapixel-super-hi-vision-ultra-hdtv-could-be-on-the-air-in/

I thought the 3/4" of glass around my XBR4 was excessive, but the glass around the new set is crazy :eek:

OK, since my HDMI will go right to the Q I will let it do that.

Someone asked if we could turn subtitles off/on with a button press. I don't see that...what a pain that would be as some movies come up with them on in my other DVD players.

So far, from what I have read, I think I will keep my Sony 975V connected as it is now and add the BD30. I figure I already have it and it may upscale Normal DVD's better than the BD30.

OH, I called Panasonic about the "Sunshine " issue and they said they had not had that reported yet! I KNOW there were some threads stating that they were told about this.

you can't go by what a CSR tells you as their stories are completely different for everyone calling...outsourced CSR :rolleyes:

absolutely, via hdmi the bd30 should negotiate the available resolutions and set 1080i...that is what happened with mine (the lesser resolutions are available ... can't remember if 1080p is greyed out, but if not, it has a resolution change confirmation time-out thingy i believe...ie, you set 1080p, but if you can't see the scree (meaning your display doesn't support) then you can't see the message asking you to accept the change...like when you change the res on your computer monitor)

On my BD10, the 1080p is grayed out. When I connected it to the 52XBR4, it was available to chose. The excellent deinterlacer on the Q does a great job of creating 1080p.

On my BD10, the 1080p is grayed out. When I connected it to the 52XBR4, it was available to chose. The excellent deinterlacer on the Q does a great job of creating 1080p.

we all can attest to the Q's excellent de-interlacing abilities...

what i'm concerned about is the BD30's ability to take 1080p24 off the blu-ray disc and convert it to 1080i60...don't get me wrong, the picture from the bd30 looks great...i'm just wondering if it can look better, while at the same time adding another reason to justify my purchase of the integra :D

Someone asked if we could turn subtitles off/on with a button press. I don't see that...what a pain that would be as some movies come up with them on in my other DVD players.


Subtitles are controlled via the disk setup for each movie (under the menu option - Languages), just like any other DVD. Usually they are authored to be off. You can also turn them on/off while the movie is playing from the pop-up menu on the remote.

we all can attest to the Q's excellent de-interlacing abilities...

what i'm concerned about is the BD30's ability to take 1080p24 off the blu-ray disc and convert it to 1080i60...don't get me wrong, the picture from the bd30 looks great...i'm just wondering if it can look better, while at the same time adding another reason to justify my purchase of the integra :D

I don't have a cool integra to do fancy stuff like that ;) Let us know how it works.

Subtitles are controlled via the disk setup for each movie (under the menu option - Languages), just like any other DVD. Usually they are authored to be off. You can also turn them on/off while the movie is playing from the pop-up menu on the remote.

There is another option. I think it is the audio button or subtitles that brings up a player generated menu that let's you turn on subs on the fly

you can't go by what a CSR tells you as their stories are completely different for everyone calling...outsourced CSR :rolleyes:

...so I guess it is like calling VerizonFIOS!!! :D

I don't have a cool integra to do fancy stuff like that ;) Let us know how it works.

See, that's just it, I think you should. You deserve it ;)

Subtitles are controlled via the disk setup for each movie (under the menu option - Languages), just like any other DVD. Usually they are authored to be off. You can also turn them on/off while the movie is playing from the pop-up menu on the remote.

I saw that, but on my Sony 975 there is a subtitle button on the remote. Very handy...especially when someone says something and even with two or three retrys we still can not understand what they said. :D

We watched ONCE a few nights ago and some of the dialog was very hard to understand.

See, that's just it, I think you should. You deserve it ;)

I bet if it looked like a fish he would buy one!

I bet if it looked like a fish he would buy one!

mpsan and BenDover,

Mini Dive is hiding the credit cards at this very moment. :D I am thinking my next toy is going to be the BD50 when it comes out.

I saw that, but on my Sony 975 there is a subtitle button on the remote. Very handy...especially when someone says something and even with two or three retrys we still can not understand what they said. :D

We watched ONCE a few nights ago and some of the dialog was very hard to understand.

That's what the volume control is for - crank it up ;)

That's what the volume control is for - crank it up ;)


Maybe I need more power. I only have 4000 Watts!

Actually, I think it was some of the slang of Ireland that we just did not get.

bd
how do you like the dtc 9.8 with the q? any regrets, that's the rig that I'm 99% sure should be in my rack
tia
Ross

DD
I've still not noticed any green tint on B&W. (touch wood) I was wondering how quickly the problem took to show itself (evolve??). did you notice any problems in the full colour spectrum
thanks

Ross

bd
how do you like the dtc 9.8 with the q? any regrets, that's the rig that I'm 99% sure should be in my rack
tia
Ross

i'm loving it...i don't have it all set up the way i ultimately plan (currently using my rx-z9 as the amp) but the 9.8 can do EVERYTHING and was my best option short of simply replacing the z9 with the z11 which would have cost considerably more...

i'm heading down the separates path which i guess is just the natural progression of my hobby/addiction :)

i had it with netflix...

i have the 4 at a time unlimited...hadn't really been having many issues, until recently...

it has been over a week and i've had three empty slots...each day the promise of next shipping pushed to the following day...

i called and they said that the studios don't give them enough copies of high def (that is all i'm down for...not interested in the sd versions)...

i said just knock my account down to 1 at a time unlimited, i'm fed up...

caught the billing cycle just right (we'll see if this does work out as i'm skeptical) since i would have been billed tomorrow for another month at 4 at a time...

they are giving 25% reduction for the next 3 months (maybe it was 4) for my trouble...honestly i just want the damned movies, particularly with nothing on tv lately!

told them i would gladly increase my plan when they solve their supply problem!

i had it with netflix...

i have the 4 at a time unlimited...hadn't really been having many issues, until recently...

it has been over a week and i've had three empty slots...each day the promise of next shipping pushed to the following day...

i called and they said that the studios don't give them enough copies of high def (that is all i'm down for...not interested in the sd versions)...

i said just knock my account down to 1 at a time unlimited, i'm fed up...

caught the billing cycle just right (we'll see if this does work out as i'm skeptical) since i would have been billed tomorrow for another month at 4 at a time...

they are giving 25% reduction for the next 3 months (maybe it was 4) for my trouble...honestly i just want the damned movies, particularly with nothing on tv lately!

told them i would gladly increase my plan when they solve their supply problem!

I never had an issue. I now switched to BR and the top 3 in my list are BR. The top two say short wait. The 3rd says it is available now. So what did they ship today? Some title down on the list that was standard DVD!

OH, I did hook up my BD30 and the audio shows on the player as 3/2.1...that seems like a strange way to show it. I would have expected 5.1.

I never had an issue. I now switched to BR and the top 3 in my list are BR. The top two say short wait. The 3rd says it is available now. So what did they ship today? Some title down on the list that was standard DVD!

OH, I did hook up my BD30 and the audio shows on the player as 3/2.1...that seems like a strange way to show it. I would have expected 5.1.

mine typically says ENG5.1 on BD stuff...

mine typically says ENG5.1 on BD stuff...


This was SD stuff.

OH, I just got off the phone with Netflix. Anyway they did not know why they sent an SDDVD when I had one BR showing as available now, So, he is sending a bonus disk out tomorrow.

He said the problem they are having with BR is that at first they scratched, so then they put a hard coating on them. That stopped the scratching but Netflix has a problem now that they are trying to resolve. He said that the hard coating is making the disks crack in the mail. They are looking for a way to prevent this. I had always wondered how they got away with the thin envelopes they ship the DVD's in.

This was SD stuff.

OH, I just got off the phone with Netflix. Anyway they did not know why they sent an SDDVD when I had one BR showing as available now, So, he is sending a bonus disk out tomorrow.

He said the problem they are having with BR is that at first they scratched, so then they put a hard coating on them. That stopped the scratching but Netflix has a problem now that they are trying to resolve. He said that the hard coating is making the disks crack in the mail. They are looking for a way to prevent this. I had always wondered how they got away with the thin envelopes they ship the DVD's in.

Wow, first I've heard of that on BR discs...for the most part, that was one thing that i absolutely loved about blu-ray, the discs don't have all the minor scratches that you get when even wiping a normal dvd with a soft cloth (not really scratches but you know what i mean...like the finish on your car)

every bd disc i have gotten from netflix was fine...you may have been getting a run around :)

Wow, first I've heard of that on BR discs...for the most part, that was one thing that i absolutely loved about blu-ray, the discs don't have all the minor scratches that you get when even wiping a normal dvd with a soft cloth (not really scratches but you know what i mean...like the finish on your car)

every bd disc i have gotten from netflix was fine...you may have been getting a run around :)

Well, we will see what happens. I have the top 8 selections as BR...they better not send the 9th one!

OH, I think what he meant was that when they go thru the mail they get many more that do not play compared to SD DVD's.

Wow, first I've heard of that on BR discs...for the most part, that was one thing that i absolutely loved about blu-ray, the discs don't have all the minor scratches that you get when even wiping a normal dvd with a soft cloth (not really scratches but you know what i mean...like the finish on your car)

every bd disc i have gotten from netflix was fine...you may have been getting a run around :)

mpsan,

I think the Netflix rep was confusing BD for HD DVD that does scratch easly. Every HD DVD that I got from Netflix was scratched. Even brand new ones that must have been scratched by the process of placing it in the envelope.

I have 5 in queue with very long wait times. The same thing happened last year just after Christmas. A bunch of people get new players and start renting a bunch of disks. And Netflix doesn't plan ahead. I actually started a thread complaining about Netflix last year. I also sent a letter to Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO. A couple of weeks later I started to get movies again. I guess I may need to do that again.

And to top it off, I got email from Netflix telling me I can download movies now and watch them on my PC. I didn't buy a $13,000 Q to watch movies on my PC. :(

DD
I've still not noticed any green tint on B&W. (touch wood) I was wondering how quickly the problem took to show itself (evolve??). did you notice any problems in the full colour spectrum
thanks

Ross

Ross,

I guess a couple of weeks to get noticable on the color programs. I was noticing the skin tones were off. Then I was told to look at a B&W program and there was no mistaking the problem. A couple of weeks later, I couldn't turn the red up enough and put a 52XBR4 in front of the 006 to watch over the holidays.

I just got off the phone with Netflix and they agreed with what I said about the after Christmas rush. Stick it out, they will increase their stock accordinally. I would also suggest, if you don't want a regular DVD sent, take them off your queue, or check to see if it is available in Blu-ray. When I first got my player, I had to go to every existing movie in queue and change it to BD.

OH, I think what he meant was that when they go thru the mail they get many more that do not play compared to SD DVD's.

After reading the Samsung 5000 thread, I am sure a load of BD's have been sent back for playability issues when it was actually the player. Many of the disk complained about played just fine on my player

mpsan,

I think the Netflix rep was confusing BD for HD DVD that does scratch easly. Every HD DVD that I got from Netflix was scratched. Even brand new ones that must have been scratched by the process of placing it in the envelope.

I have 5 in queue with very long wait times. The same thing happened last year just after Christmas. A bunch of people get new players and start renting a bunch of disks. And Netflix doesn't plan ahead. I actually started a thread complaining about Netflix last year. I also sent a letter to Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO. A couple of weeks later I started to get movies again. I guess I may need to do that again.

And to top it off, I got email from Netflix telling me I can download movies now and watch them on my PC. I didn't buy a $13,000 Q to watch movies on my PC. :(

Yes, I got that as well. We can now watch an unlimited number online. I thought WHO CARES! Above all else, who wants to sit in front of the PC for that?

I think they said that the BR does have a coating on them that helps them not get scratched, but for Netflix it made them brittle when sending thru the mail.

I just got off the phone with Netflix and they agreed with what I said about the after Christmas rush. Stick it out, they will increase their stock accordinally. I would also suggest, if you don't want a regular DVD sent, take them off your queue, or check to see if it is available in Blu-ray. When I first got my player, I had to go to every existing movie in queue and change it to BD.

You do not need to do that any more! When you switch to BR it asks if you want them to search your queue and mark all of the ones in your list that have BR available as BR. It sure saved me time. Then I moved the top 8 available on BR to the top. They show that they will send me Good Luck Chuck in BR tomorrow. I better not get it in SD!