you have to change the NTSC setting to japan while under 480i or 480p, or else the HDMI setting lies - it'll say japan but it's really still on US.

I think. :p

I was the one who originally reported the lower black clipping and the NTSC US/Japan switch solution. It is only changeable on 480p (and probably 480i), but the setting does stick for 720p/1080i. However this issue only affected component input. It also was supposedly fixed in the first FW update.

Blacks and whites being clipped and user brightness/contrast not providing enough settings range as in Benchobi's case sounds more like incorrect RGB gains and offsets. Tops is very likely just slapping in a new design bulb without doing a calibration which could lead to this. My new design bulb seems to have a far different range of RGB Gain adjustments as compared to my old bulb.

Just an FYI. I have blown 3 lamps and the 4th one is the new design. I have never made it over 100 hours on the 3 bulbs. Right now I am running my projector in bright mode, standard altitude for 8 hours a day. This is so I can see if I can get over 100 hours and confirm the new design bulb with the latest firmware has done anything for me. I am at 52 hours.
I have noticed it to be a little more noisier since the firmware update. Man it's a great picture though! It's projected on a white wall. I have not ordered a screen yet. I don't want to jinx it. :p
I have the SA3250 over DVI to HDMI set to "through" so the MT700 converts the 1080i signal to 720P whenever that signal is used. The MHD channel looks great. I cannot believe its a 1080i signal. I really hope this is the final fix. Good luck to all. :cool:
-tom

Well, it's over. I'm not sure how many hours I got on lamp #3, more than most it seems, but it died while I was watching a show tonight. Click, dark. Time for a phone call in the morning. Not sure what I want to do, I'll push for at least a replacement machine. The lamp looks fine. Guess I can stop holding my breath.

I actually remembered to check the temp in the room this time. 61F. I wouldn't call that too warm.

Don't sell yourself short. Ask for a refund and accept nothing less. At the very least set yourself up for a refund on the next bulb explosion.

The MT700 rollercoaster ride is over for me. After sending it back twice for flickering, I am getting flickering again. When they asked me to send it back last time they indicated if this didn't work they would refund my money. When the thing works it looked so great I really didnt want to return it, since I think I will have to spend alot more to get a better picture, and I thought this would be a great unit to use while waiting for 1080P. I guess I can't complain too much. Even with all the returns and waiting 2 months for a bulb, I had intermittant use of a great projector for a long time (I think I was the second person on this forum to get the unit (right after MikeSRC)

Not sure what I'm looking to get but any suggestions for my next projector would be welcome .(I have already read the AE900u suggested).

Kudos to Toshiba for dealing with a difficult situation on a product they didn't even manufacture (beyond their control). Their only shortcoming was being caught without replacement bulbs, (again probably beyond their control). I will definitely buy Toshiba products again.

Even though I am running on my 4th bulb, I am looking too. Baseball season is next week and next thing you know it's Football season. And a little hockey in between too.
I see Infocus will have a DLP projector, IN76 I think. The offset is kinda funky though. And yeah the AE900u is supposed to be comparable to ours. But I have read that once you are acclimated to DLP there is no going back to LCD. I will have to see it in person.
-tom

I will post my comparison impressions of the IN76 after having the MT700 for a year after this Friday. I didn't even consider an LCD.

Don't sell yourself short. Ask for a refund and accept nothing less. At the very least set yourself up for a refund on the next bulb explosion.
My error lights were blinking instead of solid, which suggests a power or fan problem rather than just lamp, according to the documentation. We'll see what happens, I'll send it today.

I'm just not sure any of the other models in the $$$ range will work for me for various reasons. So a refund may not be all that helpful. The AE900 price is tempting, though.

I will post my comparison impressions of the IN76 after having the MT700 for a year after this Friday. I didn't even consider an LCD.
That's real cool. Thanks. :D
I'm jealous. :p

Just got the IN76. I posted some quick impressions over in the Infocus thread, but the full on impressions and comparison post is coming later this weekend. I will link to it here. Quick answer: yeah it's better. Not many buts.

NoThru22 - you have my attention.

Here is the link to my comparison of the IN76 and MT700 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7413015&&#post7413015)

Yeah, I'd read your review, thanks -- it surprised me when I saw it. BUT, you said that you saw more SDE at 1.5x screen width. Later on (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7417549&&#post7417549), you said you sit at 1.29 x. Which is it? And for which PJ?

You were also complaining about the fan noise on your MT700 (which I think was after your 1st "repair". It seems like your disappointment with the MT700 is clouding your memory a little. Is the IN76 really as loud as your MT700 was when it last worked?

I'm really happy for you, since you seem to be happy with your new IN76. From what I've read, that PJ seems to be a good choice of the under $3K DLPs. BTW, what did you do with your MT700? Did you just write it off as a bad investment in a "boat anchor"?

I'm still trying to decide what the best course is for me. I can't really afford spending $3K on another PJ. It's even a stretch for $2K for me, I have to put on a new roof too which is a really big expense and leaves me with very little for new toys :eek:.

The 1.29x was a clarification after I had actually measured it. I don't want anyone to think the IN76 is quiet, but it's a totally different kind of sound than the MT700 and much more preferable. The changing speed of the sound in the Toshiba really bothered me. It always reminded me it was there. I can't say for sure the IN76 is equal or less, it's probably a little less, but I won't say that and get people's hopes up. :D

Toshiba is going to refund me like ssj2.

Here is the link to my comparison of the IN76 and MT700 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7413015&&#post7413015)
Loved the review. With my MT700 I have to increase the sharpness to 3 to get a detailed picture. Did you ever have to do that on yours? And I guess with the IN76 you don't need to adjust the sharpness at all? Can you lower sharpness on it? On the MT700 we can't.
-tom

NoThru22 -- I never had the fan speed change on my MT700 - that must have been a change that your "repair" involved. I'm glad to hear that Toshiba is giving you a refund.

cheezmo1 -- I had to leave my sharpness at 0 and lower it one notch on my DVD player to get rid of EE on DVDs. There were still some minor EE on my TV signals (D* to MT700 via the VGA connection).

Maybe I'm a sharpness freak. :rolleyes:

nothru22 - thanks for posting the comparison. It good to see some added competition in the lower priced PJ's. Unfortunately, the fixed offset of the new InFocus would make it unusable for my 8' ceiling. My 142" screen top is within about 5" of the ceiling. I'm sticking with the MT700 for now, but the AE900 seems to be shaping up as a potential replacement if things go (further) South.

I always left the sharpness at 0. You can lower the sharpness on the IN76. There are five settings and it comes set to the middle. I had all the fans replaced in my MT700 twice, but someone had suggested that maybe I was hearing the colorwheel spin. I don't know. All I do know is that the noise level was not steady and it changed every 30 seconds or so. I also run my Panny S97 with sharpness to -1.

The results? Disaster. I haven't even turned the unit on, but it's obvious just from looking at the unit that it's undergone some serious wear and tear during the last week. I'm on the phone with Toshiba now.

RCC

Anyone have TOPS phone number now? The old one just goes to Toshiba's CS system, same as 1-800-631-3811.

The only number I know of for TOPS is the one off their website -- 800-972-8677. TOPS Electronics is not owned by Toshiba, so it's somewhat surprising if their number is getting forwarded to them.

I have always called Toshiba warranty at 1-866-590-0912. It's called TACP's Consumer Solution Center on the warranty paper.

Edit: This isn't TOPS. Sorry.

(978) 374-9877

damn that sucks man...I hope they resolve it for you.

I have been gone for about 10 days. (vacation) Any new information from Toshiba? It looks like some units are still having problems and Toshiba is now refunding monies. Do they have a firmware upgrade or is that still only for the BenQ to fix the problem?

I have gotten the word that indeed I am getting a refund. I am going to buy the Samsung SP-H710-AE . I have decided that going with any of the DLP chips that are smaller than the 700's HD2+ chipset, would be s step backward since I watch at closer than 1.5 x (even if it has a higher contrast ratio) The H710 has the same HD2+ chip as the 700 has, but is a better implementation (at about $500 more than I am getting back)

(978) 374-9877
Above is the one I have that went to the same menu system for Toshiba.

This one worked: 800-972-8677. Thanks.

Edit: Left a message, waiting for a call. While waiting my PJ showed up from FedEx. 3 business day turnaround this time. Certainly can't complain about their service.

More edit: While typing this they called back. They replaced my lamp and upgraded firmware, that's it. Considering it was about 6 months and 700 hours on this lamp, I'd say the warranty extension is working pretty well. Now I just have to worry about how long this one will last. At least I get to check out the new firmware and watch House in 90" instead of 5" tonight!

The way I'm going, I'll never need to buy a lamp. Just keep replacing them under warranty every couple months.
I know quoting yourself is almost as bad as talking to yourself. But I find this 6 month old comment of mine priceless as I stare at the box next to my desk with my 3rd free replacement lamp in 11 months of ownership.

Am I correct that Toshiba is saying that the firmware upgrade will not have an effect on the FIX for the early bulb blow outs?

Am I correct that Toshiba is saying that the firmware upgrade will not have an effect on the FIX for the early bulb blow outs?

A tech at TOPS confirmed for me via email that the updated firmware is not a fix for the lamp problems.

The fans on my MT700 seem to run faster (i.e. louder) since my firmware upgrade. Despite what the techs have been told, I believe that "whoever" created the updated firmware also was working on the cooling issue. Have we ever figured out exactly where these are built and who creates the firmware? Toshiba and BenQ may just be middle-men, only knowing what the factory has told them (which may be incomplete on a niche product such as these). Some of the things that the BenQ "insider" has posted over on the PE7700 thread have seemed to be based on incomplete or erroneous information.

Mine is definitely louder. And about the BenQ "insider". I don't believe him. I asked what's going on with the MT700 and got no response. Not even a don't know.

cheezmo1 - I was skeptical about benqdude as well (you can probably find my posts in the PE7700 thread). To his credit, he and I exchanged a few PM's and I believe he is who he claims to be. If so, he inherited a tough job and is at the mercy of past sins, bad info, bad manufacturer support and a very irate customer base. That doesn't make the customers wrong, just creates a very uphill battle.

Any corporate entity with more than ten employees has guys at/near the top of the chain who don't know everything they need to or should know. If you're a new guy to the job, it is even tougher to figure out what to believe and what not to. If the bulb comes from a third party, they are a very easy target for blame. "It's not our fault boss, the supplier has been sending us crap." Three months later: "It's still not our fault boss, the supplier fixed it but forgot to tell us something important. Don't worry, we'll work a bunch of overtime and fix it right this time." And on, and on, and on.......

NMJack- That makes sense. Thanks for the info.
I actually made 102 hours! But I must say that it was at 8 hour intervals. When I was blowing bulbs earlier, it was about 4 hour intervals. I still expect mine to go at any time though. :mad:

i got mine one year ago today, and just hit 1000 hours on original bulb

tho the nightmares of a burn out continue..........

still loving the pic, new firmware sounds good for pic, i have to crank my brighness for my silverscreen diy.


other stats:

25% bulb on high, average room temp 80 degrees, hotter on ceiling i'd guess...
and no circulation


i truly feel sorry for those that have problems, i still wonder cause is and ratio of those without problems

tho the nightmares of a burn out continue..........


Don't look at it as the "nightmare of burnout." Look at it as the "opportunity to start with a brand new bulb for free." That's what has a lot of us still feeling okay about Toshiba. I got a combined total of 999 free hours out of my first two bulbs. I now have 102 on my third. What happens happens. It's hard to be upset when watching that big, beautiful image. :)

Don't look at it as the "nightmare of burnout." Look at it as the "opportunity to start with a brand new bulb for free." That's what has a lot of us still feeling okay about Toshiba. I got a combined total of 999 free hours out of my first two bulbs. I now have 102 on my third. What happens happens. It's hard to be upset when watching that big, beautiful image. :)

True. But, what do we (anyone can answer here) think will happen?

True. But, what do we (anyone can answer here) think will happen?
It IS hard to get upset when looking at the big clear picture!
But I think Toshiba will keep replacing bulbs until the projector warranty runs out. In the meantime, Toshiba will refund anyone, whoever asks, that has gotten a few replaced bulbs AND sent it in to TOPS if they still get an early bulb failure. It doesn't seem like there are too many MT700 owners, as compared to the PE7700. It looks like 3 people are getting refunds, and about 12 of us have premature bulb failure. That doesn't seem like too big of a hit against Toshiba if they had to refund us all on this board.

I just bought a dell e1705 laptop. When I connect it to the projector using the VGA to BNC connection it will not sync right. If I "extend the desktop" to the projector at 1280x720 the projector sycs at 800x600. And other resolutions don't sync properly either. I attched my ibook before without issue at 720p. Any suggestions.? The e1705 has the ATI x1400 card running XP media edition.

First, make sure that you have the latest drivers available from ATI. They are frequently updated.

If that isn't the problem, then check out the HTPC forum. There are a number of very experienced ATI troubleshooters over there. Many a sync issue with ATI cards.

I originally paired my MT700 with an HTPC with a Radeon 9600. No problems with 1280 x 720 over DVI.

Has anyone who requested a refund of their MT-700 been successful? If so, how long did it take?

My refund was approved a couple weeks ago. That process took about a week after refusing to send it back in for repair -- it's 3rd lamp had just failed, and had come back from TOPS Electronics only a couple months prior to that. I was told the refund process could take 4 - 6 weeks. Toshiba has had the projector back for two weeks now, so I'll be calling to find out the status of the refund tomorrow.

I am in the process right now. They just came and got it on Tuesday.

^^ ^ So what's next for you two??

I'm leaning towards the Infocus In76. NoThru22 already purchased the IN76.

I already posted this on the previous page, but here is my comparison of the IN76 vs the MT700 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7413015&&#post7413015

I am in the process right now. They just came and got it on Tuesday.

How were you able to convince them to refund your money?

How were you able to convince them to refund your money?
Because I'm Tom.

Seriously though, you just use Tom's Law of dealing with CSR's. You always remain polite and respectful but you make sure they KNOW you're not going away until they solve your problem (A.K.A. giving you your way.)

I told them that bulb #4 had just blown up and they said to get it right into them for a replacement. I said I was tired of not having a projector for a week at a time (it always seemed to happen on a Friday too, just to screw me) and that it was no longer a question of "if" the bulb was going to blow, but "when." They told me to fax a letter stating what I wanted along with a copy of my receipt and about a week later they called me at home and told me how to proceed with my refund.

I know what you mean. When mine came back with updated firmware the picture quality was terrible. I spent a few hours last weekend calibrating with Avia. It was so far off I couldn't even use the user menu to get it calibrated. For example, on the 10 IRE step pattern blacks and whites were crushed such that the 10 and 90 IRE steps were the same intensity as the 0 and 100 IRE steps. I had to use the factory menu to be able to adjust brightness and contrast to correct.


hey guys, i just tried to calibrate with avia today and it's impossible. Like the brightness/contrast test etc, i could not even see tue moving bar that's used.

The picture looks terrible, can someone just post their mt700 setting so i can copy it over to mine?:) i am using component as the source. thank you.

hey guys, i just tried to calibrate with avia today and it's impossible. Like the brightness/contrast test etc, i could not even see tue moving bar that's used.

The picture looks terrible, can someone just post their mt700 setting so i can copy it over to mine?:) i am using component as the source. thank you.


Sounds like you had the same problem I had. You'll have to use the service menu to calibrate as the normal user menu won't allow you the adjustment range to properly calibrate. Also, make sure you're using NTCS mode = Japan to make sure that's not the root cause.

I could give you settings to copy, but if you feel comfortable in the service menu I'd recommend using Avia and your service menu to calibrate as your ambient conditions, screen size, screen material etc. will probably cause your calibration to differ from mine. My settings may not give you an acceptable image because of these variables.

Just in case anyone is interested, I did about 4 hours of comparing the MT700 (just about to go back for a refund) with my new Samsung H710.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7508673&&#post7508673

Here is a link to the post, but also read my post 2 posts or so above that one that indicate I am seeing so much more in the signal, that I am seeing alot more compression artifacts as well.

Both units were driven via DVI or HDMI and plugged or unplugged quckly to the monoprice switcher, (and blocking the light from the corresposnding projector) so it was a very fair and revealing shoot out, (and quite an education for me). Interestingly they both use the same TI chip, so it shows that the light engine is just one factor in image qualty.

Any questions or comments, please post back here as opposed to that thread in the "silver spoon" forum.

I sent my MT700 in to TOPS on 3/26 after the second bulb blew. They returned it, with substantial case damage, in early April. After going around and around with them about sending it back yet again, I did so, but explained that I would be out of the country and unavailable to receive it until after 4/22. The manager I spoke with explained that he would put a hold on the unit and that it wouldn't ship until after I returned.

Well, I returned home yesterday and discovered that my front door had been peppered with delivery notices. Closer inspection of the notices reveiled that the unit had been returned to me just after I left the country - they hadn't put a hold on it at all.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it's still very disappointing. By the time this is all said and done, I will have been without a usable projector for a month...

Steve,
How is your refund from Toshiba coming along?

Anyone else?

I have not received anything yet. I am not hurting, as I wrote myself a zero interest check for the amount already so as soon as it comes in I will just pay off my credit card bill.

Jeff, I was told to expect my refund 4 - 6 weeks after they received the projector back, which was 3/31. I called a couple weeks ago to confirm the refund is being processed, which it supposedly is.

Status:
Well, I'm waiting for the refund. According to Toshiba, they have recorded receipt of the Mt700 that I returned. Their 4-6 week refund clock started ticking once they received the unit. They tell me that a check should be processed by around the 2nd week in may. I'll breath easier when I see it (hope it doesn't bounce).

The day Toshiba customer service told me that they would authorize a refund (2/28/06), I went right out and purchased thru an AVS vendor (Visualapex) a Sanyo PLV-Z4. Sorry to any diehard DLP'ers, but my bottom line is: Am I happy with the picture? For $800 less than what I paid for the Toshiba, I am very happy. I also got the replacement lamp as a free rebate and a nice followup note from Visualapex. The only downside is that I'm just stuck with a PE7700 lamp that I bought with about 125 hours on it.....oh well. :)

It seems like the reports of bulb failures has STOPED!

chazmo,
I'm sure you can unload that bulb in one of the BenQ or Toshiba threads pretty easily. I would have taken it off your hands, but I got my free bulb by mail in rebate, so now I am good to go.

I called today and I was told that the 4-6 week clock started when they sent my rebate request to the main office, which was April 4. I know it wasn't sent in until after the 11th, so that means I shouldn't receive it any later than May 16 (give or take a few days for mail.) You better believe I'll be calling them the week of the 16th to ask where's my money!

Chazmo,
With the money left over you can purchase a HD-DVD player. :)

With the money left over you can purchase a HD-DVD player.

The thought crossed my mind, but I ain't gonna live on THAT particular bleeding edge. I'll let'em duke it out until the 21st century version of the VHS/Beta wars can show me a clear leader. I'd prefer BR, but the way these cats are fighting, who knows.

I'll let'em duke it out until the 21st century version of the VHS/Beta wars can show me a clear leader.

It's somewhat ironic, but Toshiba was teamed with Sony on the losing side of that war. My first VCR was a Toshiba branded Beta. That's $350 I wish I had back... :)

I haven't posted in a few months since I received my replacement bulb from Toshiba.I was hopeful to be done with the early lamp failure issue.I have all of my equiptment ran thru a power conditioner.I also wired an additional fan to force more air into the unit in hopes to prolong bulb life.Despite the additional loud fan noise,I tolerated the annoyance in hopes of more movies to enjoy.Shame to have to do so after paying a few thousand dollars for a projector.Good thing I sound proofed my theater room so I can turn up the volume to overcome the fan noise.
Well all of this did help I asssumed,My bulb blew last week at around 400 hours instead of 200 hours from the 1st bulb.It took almost 5 months to get the 2nd bulb.My projector will be out of date if it takes any longer to get another.Providing Toshiba replaces this one.the 90 day period is over for this bulb as well.I bought a Optoma projector for $600 the last bulb failure from my Mt700.So at least my theater room doesnt get unused while I wait.my thought is that instead of bulbs for $500 every 4 months I should just buy cheap multimedia projectors that last longer than my mt700.

Providing Toshiba replaces this one

If you don't mind a suggestion, give Toshiba a call and threaten their sorry rear ends. A bunch of us are in that "been there, done that" category. After my third lamp failure (6 hours on lamp 3), I called Toshiba customer service and told them that I'd been through too much with the PJ and that I was going to contact my State's Attorney General's Office to find out if I had any legal recourse because of Toshiba's policy of not addressing the problem. I then demanded to speak to a supervisor. After five minutes on hold, they came back with an authorization for a full refund.

I bought a Sanyo PLV-Z74 for 800 bucks less and haven't looked back. I still have to ride them on the refund check, but I'm confident that they will follow through and close this sad loop.

There is no need to mean or rude (not saying you were Chazmo.) Just be polite and give them the impression you won't get off the phone until they solve the problem in the way that makes you happy.

You are right NoThru. You get more flies with honey than with vinegar AND it takes a great deal to rile me up. I was polite, but firm when I threatened them with legal action. I even told the poor CS rep to not take it personally. ;)

I spent a couple of days talking with various customer service people about my bulb blowing out again. They have replaced it once without a problem. This time the official response was that I needed to buy a new bulb and they would not replace the bulb outside of the warranty period.

I asked to speak with a supervisor. And of course they called my home during my commute time. So I called back in and the CR told me that the supervisor said I needed to purchase a new bulb.

Every time I called in, about 6 times, a supervisor was not available. But when I got home and called in they transferred me to Michael.

I decided to take a different approach I went away from saying that the bulb blew to saying that there must be something wrong with the projector to keep causing the bulb to blow.

I hope this argument may help others.

Bwoodman, are you in the U.S.? I've never heard of them refusing to replace the lamp if it failed prematurely. How many hours did you have on the lamp before it failed, and how many months between failures?

Yes I am in Michigan.
I had 120 hours on the bulb installed late January so what is that 90 something days which is outside there 90 day window. The bulb started flickering on Saturday night so I switched to High power mode (whatever it is called) and checked the hours.

On Monday during the ultimate Detroit sports night (Basketball, Hockey and Baseball all on TV) --The screen went black.

I explained the scenario to Patrick, operator 9943, and he was the first to deny. He also said the first bulb replacement was out of the goodness of their hearts and in no way indicated that anything was wrong with the projector. I told them about the forum and they said you can't trust what you find on the internet. I told them about BENQ's "offical acknowledgement" (now gone from their site) and Patrick informed me that they do not support BENQ products.

Every other person I called back in and talk with read what Patrick had written and completely stonewalled any progress.

Thankfully, I switched tactics and said something must be wrong with the projector as it keeps blowing bulbs that is when they released the fedex account number and was told to send it to Toshiba LCD Projectors.

Is the warranty on the projector 1 year or 2?

The PJ has a two year warranty, but that doesn't mean we're SOL after 24 months. As long as the problem occurs during the warranty period (obviously it does), and we formally document it with Toshiba, then they're on the hook to fix it. In my case, they've sent me two new lamps and had me send it to TOPS once (firmware and general check). In fact, I was told when the second lamp was issued that the PJ needed to be send it. In my mind, that's an admission by Toshiba that the PJ is part of the problem and they need to ultimately repair it so that it achieves its advertised hours (2000 - 3000) or replace it.

This is why you always claim something is wrong with the machine. Mine has been in 3 times, never had a customer service issue.

Wife just called and said the projector is back.

I will hook it up tonight and see what is new and improved. Mailed in on Thursday returned on Tuesday. That is pretty efficient.

Any ideas of what I should expect?

What is the new firmware?

I think the firmware upgrade is .029, a July '05 version. Check service menu to be sure. Other than firmware and a new bulb there is likely to be no further changes.

Poof. 5th lamp out. Refund on the way...didn't even have to argue with 'em! I'm gonna go for the Optoma HD72...It is $XXX cheaper than what I paid for the MT700 a year and a half ago, and it even comes with a free lamp!! :D
gmon

Gmon make sure you take into account the Optoma has, I believe, a 32% offset compared to the Toshiba's 0. I had difficulty switching to the Infocus IN76, which only has a 16% offset, but luckily removing the arm from my mount was exactly the right height difference.

Still no word on the refund. They said they processed it in early April and it would take 4-6 weeks. May 16 is 6 weeks so you better believe they will be getting a call.

still no word on my refund either. Friday the 12th will be 6 weeks.

Poof. 5th lamp out. Refund on the way...didn't even have to argue with 'em! I'm gonna go for the Optoma HD72...It is $XXX cheaper than what I paid for the MT700 a year and a half ago, and it even comes with a free lamp!! :D
gmon
gmon, about how many hours did you have on this last bulb? What were the hours compared to before the FW and/or new style lamp?
I have never got more than 100 hours until this new bulb/FW. I am at 302 hours and running. Just want to prepare myself.

Gmon make sure you take into account the Optoma has, I believe, a 32% offset compared to the Toshiba's 0. I had difficulty switching to the Infocus IN76, which only has a 16% offset, but luckily removing the arm from my mount was exactly the right height difference.

Thanks - Yeah, I know about the offset. Just means I gotta hang my screen like 2 feet lower from the ceiling...sucks but I'll deal with it. I think I'll rig something up so I can raise and lower the screen (manually) so it doesn't hang down all the time when the screen is rolled up (it is in my living room). Keep us posted about your refund...I plan on calling often until they actually send me the check!

gmon, about how many hours did you have on this last bulb? What were the hours compared to before the FW and/or new style lamp?
I have never got more than 100 hours until this new bulb/FW. I am at 302 hours and running. Just want to prepare myself.

This 5th lamp was the second "new style" I had. The FW was updated at the same time they installed it. I think it blew at about 175 hrs (may have been a record for my PJ)...none of the 5 lamps I had made it to 200 hrs!! I got LOTS of flickering too, from the moment I first turned it on until it gave up. Good luck.

I bought my MT700 in February and it was manufactured in January 2006. Reading all posts regarding bulb problems now I'm worried that it might happen with my PJ. I have 67 hours in it and no problems... yet...
Does anyone have a 2006 model here? Is it possibe that Toshiba built these 2006 PJs with the new PSU and new lamp design? Otherwise it's like russian roulette > Can go off any minute :(

Guys, Just an FYI...when I was refunded way back in late Sept it only took them 4-5 days to get my check out to me, that included full shipping and my useless bulb warranty. 6 weeks is crazy talk.....


TJ

You're right TJ. I tried to debate the 4-6 week timeframe with the guy who OK'd my refund, but I couldn't get anywhere with him. To make matters worse, my six weeks were up yesterday, and no check came. Someone from the "home office" is to call me Monday.

Not to rub it in ssj2, but I just got my check yesterday. May 16 would've been 6 weeks. They did not refund the warranty. Is $80 worth calling and bitching about?

NoThru22 -- To be absolutely correct, they should have refunded that too (it was part fo the original purchase price). However from a practical standpoint, I'm not sure it's worth the hassle (beyond an email/phone call requesting that refund too).

Don't remember whether or not I let you guys know what happened to my MT-700 so here goes.

After the last repair on which they replaced the psu, ballast, mainboard, firmware and lamp I got it back with them saying that all my problems with the MT-700 was supposed to be fixed.

Get it home, put it up in the ceiling, connect it, power it on... and... it can no longer pixelmap a 1280x720 picture from my computer. Pretty useless since that is pretty much all I use it for. Also, as noted here before, the cw-delay of the color wheel was WAY of so all colors had banding. Allthough the cw-delay was easily fixed the pixelmap issue was just too much for me as that had worked flawlessly during the 6 months that I did have it. Introducing new problems to an allready pissed of costumer is not the way to handle business... so I returned it.

I'm getting my Optoma HD72i today and hopefully it will become a more pleasant experience.

Good luck to the rest of you who decided to keep your MT-700's.

:)

Just passed 1100 hrs on original lamp. Brought projector in may 2005. Hope I didn't jinx the lamp now. Hope I have lucked out. Still excellent pix.

Just passed 1100 hrs on original lamp. Brought projector in may 2005. Hope I didn't jinx the lamp now. Hope I have lucked out. Still excellent pix.
I didn't hit 1100 hours with all four of my lamps combined.

Justhanging,
You are probably the record holder for number of hours and on original lamp design!

Hi,
I'm new to this forum but have followed the MT700 thread for a while.
I purchased an MT700 last year, and was hoping to be one of the lucky ones with no problems. Bulb died yesterday with around 250 hours on it.
I'm presently living in Canada and have arranged to have the bulb replaced by Toshiba. I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with getting refunds in Canada (I realise I will probably have to go through at least a couple of replacements until a refund would be possible)?

I have an extra M700 bulb for sale in the for sale section.

Me too!

It's slightly used, and slightly burnt. Sold as-is :p

Now, I'm really getting pi$$ed. My 3rd lamp blew Friday night. Toshiba has denied me a new lamp each time. This time I asked to send the projector in for service because there is obviously something wrong with it causing it to blow lamps every 150-200 hrs. At first he denied this and I argued with him a bit and he placed me on hold. When he came back, he told me that I could send it in but I would have to pay for the replacement lamp. I told him this was unacceptable and I wanted the unit repaired, replaced, or refunded I really didn't care which. He again told me that this was all he could do. I then asked to speak to a supervisor, was placed on hold for another 10 mins, then he came back and told me a supervisor was not available, but he would put me in for a call back when one became available. I'm already out 800 bucks on lamps and they say I have to buy another before they can do anything. This is getting real old real fast.

SSragtop, did you buy your projector new or used? If new was it from an authorized dealer? What reason(s) have they given for not replacing the lamps for you?

I bought it new from Beach Audio in April 05. I think I got one of the first units released in the US. The first lamp blew at 96 days and they refused to replace it because it was 6 days out of warranty. This has been their standard response. What really pi$$es me off though, is this time they said that I could send it in to be checked out but I would still have to pay for the lamp. I'm waiting on a supervisor to call me back. If I still don't get some type of resolution, I may consider legal action. I don't really want to go that route though because after lost worktime, it wouldn't be anymore cost effective than just buying another lamp.

The problem for them is they have been taking care of other people. I don't know why they think they can rip you off like that.

Yep, that's nuts. I can't imagine what they're thinking. Really stupid to be inconsistent in their responses. My 1st lamp failed just outside the 90 day lamp warranty, and they replaced it without question -- which is what pretty much everyone else got.

On another front, my refund for my MT700 was supposed to arrive by 5/12 (the end of the 4-6 week period they referenced). Two different supervisors advised that it will take another 2-3 weeks. Neither were able to tell me why. I sent a detailed complaint letter this morning to Toru Uchiike, Chairman and CEO of Toshiba American Consumer Products.

I have already bookmarked the online complaint forms for the BBB and Alabama Atorney General's office. If I don't get resolution from them, this will be my next step. Still haven't received a callback from a supervisor.

You could do as someone else did and call and say your projector just broke.

I am willng to give them the opportunity to do the right thing, but I cannot afford to buy a new lamp every three months. Not to mention the 6-8 weeks it takes to get one. If the supervisor ever calls back, maybe we can come to a mutual agreement. The CS guy I talked to was nice and he understood my situation but said that he wasn't authorized to do more.

Supervisor never returned my call. Looks like they're trying to blow me off. Guess I'll call them back tomorrow and see if I can get anywhere.

This is very odd because it is nothing like anyone else has experienced (including myself). Hmmm.

Could it be that it was just a matter of time before they quit replacing lamps out of warranty??

That's been my concern with the BenQ and Toshiba. They can't go on replacing lamps forever, and the Toshiba has been out of production for some time now. I'll be curious to see if this is just the start.

Could it be that it was just a matter of time before they quit replacing lamps out of warranty??

It sounds like SSragtop had his first bulb go out long ago, before many of us got replaced no questions asked.

What is "possible" is that the first bulb went out before Tosh realized it was a big problem, when they were sticking strictly to their 90 day policy. And that since then, since he's replaced the first bulb himself, that there's some problem because the second bulb would have gone out >6months after purchase, which may be too far even for the now liberal replacement policy.

I agree, the first bulb went out before they realized that they had a problem and I replaced it myself. Then the second bulb went out and they again refused warranty so I had to replace it at my expense. Now the third lamp has blown and they still refuse to replace it. They wouldn't even allow me to send it in unless I agree to pay for another lamp. It seems as if they are willing to help until they look up the past cases on their computer and then they completely shut me off and say sorry that's all I can do. Yesterday, I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told that he wasn't available at that time, but he would call me back. I sat in the house all day waiting, but of course, he never called. I guess I'll sit around all day again today and if he hasn't called by this afternoon, I'll call them back. And I will not be as nice this time.

I never got more than 4 months or 200 hrs out of any of the bulbs. I really think there is another problem causing the bulb failures. After all, these lamps are rated at 2000-3000 hrs. I don't think that I am being unreasonable in asking them to repair or replace it.

Well according to their warranty, they have to do something. I guess you could send them the reciept of you buying the new bulbs to convince them that it is the projector, then send the projector in to get "fixed", which usually means a firmware update. If that doesn't work then I would ask for a refund.

Wow, supervisor just returned my call. He told me right off the bat to just ship it to Topps and they would get it taken care of. Even gave me the FedEx account number for return shipping. I hope they fix it. I'll keep everyone updated.

Sure will miss AI on the big screen tonight and tomorrow night. May have to ride over to my cousin's house and watch it on his H-77

They can't go on replacing lamps forever, and the Toshiba has been out of production for some time now. I'll be curious to see if this is just the start.

I don't believe the unit is out of production, just no longer being sold in the United States. I actually believe (hope?) that they can go on replacing lamps "forever." Just because we pay $400 for lamps doesn't mean Toshiba does. Their cost may be more like $50 - $100. At that point, continuing to replace lamps may be the smartest approach they have. Ultimately, the projectors will become obsolete and/or most owners will lose interest in asking for replacements. Never discount the laziness of the masses. We are a very small, very vocal minority that may be best appeased by tossing us lamps to keep us reasonably happy. God bless America. :)

Never discount the laziness of the masses.

We are a very small, very vocal minority that may be best appeased by tossing us lamps to keep us reasonably happy. God bless America. :)


These two lines made my night :p hahahaha

Wow, supervisor just returned my call. He told me right off the bat to just ship it to Topps and they would get it taken care of. Even gave me the FedEx account number for return shipping. I hope they fix it. I'll keep everyone updated.

Sure will miss AI on the big screen tonight and tomorrow night. May have to ride over to my cousin's house and watch it on his H-77
Next time a lamp goes out, don't tell them your lamp died. Tell them something is wrong with your PJ. Exaggerate if you have to. My first problem turned out to be a PJ issue, plus dying lamp, I didn't wait for it to go dark. (at 120 hours) The 2nd problem turned out to be a faulty install job from the first time, plus destroyed lamp. (at 89 days, 450+ hours) The 3rd one turned out to just be the lamp (at 4 months, perhaps 700 hours), but I certainly wasn't going to just call them and say "my lamp is bad" at that point. I made sure that they would be checking out the whole PJ.

Even if you are convinced it is just the lamp, you want the unit checked out. And their turnaround time is very fast.

I bought the projector in april 2005 and am still on the original lamp almost 400 hours now. I did have an issue that a dark vertical unfocussable stripe was in the utmost left of the picture, probably something in the optical path. I sent in my projector to my dealer who had to ship it to Toshiba europe.
I mentioned the lamp issues I heard of in this forum and also a possible HDMI upgrade (since I have a lot of problems with HDMI).
I just got a message that the projector is back and they replaced the following:

- HDMI eprom latest version
- Replaced Mainboard
- Replaced PowerSupply.

I can not say this has anything to do with the lamp issues but it sure looks a lot at the modification that Benq is doing for their 7700 series. I am waiting for my dealer to sent back the projector so I can not give any further info.
Any other people that had a similar modification? Any lamp problems after that?

I did have an issue that a dark vertical unfocussable stripe was in the utmost left of the picture, probably something in the optical path.

I had the same condition, plus a few lighter "blotches" toward the middle of the image. With the dark strip, my theory was delamination of a mirror (just a theory, I really haven't a clue). TOPS replaced the "optical block" and both have gone away. :)

Sent the projector out Tuesday and got it back Thursday. They replaced the lamp and upgraded the firmware but I don't know if they did anything else. I am very happy with the service once I got past the original CS guy. I'll also take a look at the lamp and make sure it is the new design later on tonight. At least I'm not out the price of another lamp, thanks to the info that I've read here. I really owe you guys one:)

Is there anyone left using that hunk of junk Mt700? Boy you guys must be stupid!

Hey aren't you the guy from the over $3500 forum with a dead as a doornail Samsung 710?

Uh... Uh... Okay maybe I am... But I will say one thing. A non functional Samsung 710 has a much nicer case than a non functional MT700 - so there. In fact I'm enjoying looking it's cool case design right now!

Have you guys seen this: "Toshiba Investigates DLP Lamp Problems"[B], on Audioholics web site? Check it out: http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/ToshibaDLPlampproblems.php.
Well, it seems we're not the only ones in trouble...

Well it took longer than it should have, but I finally got my refund check from Toshiba yesterday for my MT700.

ssj2 - that is great news. I too am waiting for my refund. In the meantime I have a wicked cool hood ornament Samsung 710, and for entertainment I am doing shadow puppets.

Bottom line is my last 2 projectors (MT700 and Samsung H710) have both had major problems affecting a high percentage of units. Can I pick 'em, or what?

Be sure to let us know what your next PJ is so we can avoid it :D

ssj2 - that is great news. I too am waiting for my refund. In the meantime I have a wicked cool hood ornament Samsung 710, and for entertainment I am doing shadow puppets.

Bottom line is my last 2 projectors (MT700 and Samsung H710) have both had major problems affecting a high percentage of units. Can I pick 'em, or what?

For a while there I had a major case of envy when I heard you were switching out of the MT700. I still have my benq edition. I hope you get your problem resolved. It's really a bummer. It seems that many of the latest crop of PJs have problems of one sort or another. We can speculate that it may be the marketing types pushing to get their product out of the door too quickly. Some of these PJs have a one year product life before they're replaced with something else. It must be tough on engineering and QA. I posted in the 7700 thread that for my next PJ I'm going to wait until a machine has been out for a while before I commit. Good luck

I already have My Next projector. It is a sony PVM14L5 -- It's a 14" HD professional CRT monitor. It only projects like a 11 inch 16:9 image - but what an image........

Though I'm joking about it being a projector, that's actually what I'm watching on till my projector gets fixed.

Click! #4 gone. Just under 2 months on this one, less than 200 hours. This is the shortest time period yet. So the new and improved lamp blew up faster for me. Wonderful. 4-6 weeks, eh? Great, just great....

Sorry to hear about the lamp Spiky. Just so you know what you're up against, the 4-6 week timeframe starts once they have the projector back in their hands. Getting approval for a refund took me a week. I hope it's shorter for you (if that's the path you're taking).

Click! #4 gone. Just under 2 months on this one, less than 200 hours. This is the shortest time period yet. So the new and improved lamp blew up faster for me. Wonderful. 4-6 weeks, eh? Great, just great....

Have you had TOPS upgrade the firmware?

Yes, got newest firmware at the beginning of April. I didn't have any obvious change in fan usage like some have mentioned. But I didn't actually take any measurements before or after to test. My room was a sweltering 65 F last night, I had a blanket over my feet.

Yes, got newest firmware at the beginning of April.

Hi Spiky, just wondering if TOPS had also replaced the powersupply with your projector?

Ballast was replaced last year, not the main power supply.

Add me to the list of those in line for a refund from Toshiba. After the 5th failure, its quits for me. Took one week to get approval from Concession Team and another week to get mailing label. Now another 4-6 weeks to get check.

Will still lurk here but am focusing more on the PE7700 thread.

I'm getting all this process going with Toshiba, too. TOPS has my 700, but they don't want to put another faulty lamp in it, so it is basically just sitting there. It actually sounded like the repair guy has had lamps die instantly or something, but that was from his notes read by someone else. He is out today, I'll try to talk to him directly next week.

Spiky -- When you talk to him next week, ask him about the Ballast Regulator. Its the part of the power supply that provide the striking voltage (and sustaining voltage) for the lamp. If this circuit has the wrong part values, the lamps are guaranteed to fail. I had a fairly long initial lamp life (about 325 hours) which I attribute, in part, to my long operating times (fewer number of turn-ons).

I'm very interested in what you find out. If TOPS doesn't have a clue, then I'm dumping it for a more affordable PJ that doesn't have a design or manufacturing problem. Except for the low resolution and CR, my cheapo HC3 backup PJ has been keeping us going and has been working like the MT700 should have the first time (around 20 hours/week, average, for over 9 months - 40+ hours some weeks and 0 hours for others).

Just passed 1200 hours on the original lamp. Maybe they should look at my MT700 to see why my lamp is lasting. Hope I don't get jinxed.

CT_Wiebe: When you had your MT700, for how long was it turned on for an avarage use. Where you watching TV on it?

Last week I visited a department that designs these ballasts for projector lamps. I asked the guys who do this work for over 8 years now what is the biggest impact on lifespan for these lamps. The answer was indeed the ignition and take-over stage (the stage just after the lamp has been ignited). What was even more damaging for lifespan was a warm ignition since then the ignition voltage has to be DOUBLED :eek: . So even with a correctly designed projector you can better not ignite when the lamp is still hot, it is really hard on the lamps.
Another thing which I found interesting is that even after 1200 hours the light is soo much reduced that actually for proffesional use the lifetime is over. Yeah they say 2000 or even 3000 hours, but then you have soo little light left that you need to recalibrate to get correct colours/gamma/CR etc.

Very useful information Kjelt!
Thanks!!! :cool:

lipigab -- Over 4.5 hours minimum, 6 hours usually - one or two 2 hour movie(s) and TV (while I'm surfing the AVS forum) until I go to bed. My longest session was on a day that had an auto race, followed by TV until it got dark outside and then 2 movies, for a total of about 14 hours.

Kjelt -- That explains why Bob Williams of Infocus recommends at least 2 hours between uses. That's also why I won't use my PJ if the room temperature is over 75 degrees (less if possible).

Since part of my engineering career involved work in Spacecraft Reliability, I am well familiar with the effects of turn-on power surges and heat on the lifetime of electronic parts (I also ran a Failure Analysis Lab).

i also have had fairly long usage times. I tend to use it in the evening for maybe 4 hours, and much longer on weekends. Whenever grand slam tennis is available, it can be on for minimum 8 hours/day for a week. And during NFL season or while setting up my Mac Mini, I've done several ~14 hour days. After reading your comments over a year ago about this issue, I've been following your advice and virtually never turn it on twice in one day.

My MT700 was again returned to Toshiba since they failed to repair the optical problem :(
Today I heard that they have to replace the entire optics so they offered a refund (very rare here in europe) :)
If this goes well I guess I take it and leave the MT700 scene foregood.
Just wondering which projector I will get next, what did the majority of late MT700 owners switch to? Any suggestions?

Kjelt,
Doubt am in the majority, chose the PE7700.

Yeah, check our 7700 forum. We are all a bunch of happy campers now. BenQ is back to a 2 day exchange for warrenty problems. That is a very good sign.
Warren.

Hmm. So getting the PJ back faster is the new benefit? Nothing about NOT having lamps die?

What is the definition of insanity?

Doing the same thing over and over yet expecting a different outcome every time.

The point is that they must not be too busy changing lamps if their service is that fast now. Warren.

With all respect to the happy 7700 owners, I had enough of this projector (the MT700 = 7700) and it's quirks. Here in Holland you have to pay yourself for the transport to and from the reparation service. New lamps are NOT given and some other stuff that is quite normal in the US is here just not done. So now I know that this projector has some kind of jinx, I am not gonna burn myself again.

The only reason I now get my money back is that it was too expensive for Toshiba to repair my unit: they had to replace the Power Supply, the motherboard and the complete optical unit :eek: In short they had to rebuilt it from scratch and the only problem I had was a vertical line in the picture :rolleyes:

Anyway I am now looking at the H79 but I heard that one too has lampproblems and strange as this might seem there is also a 250W UHP lamp involved. I wonder if I should skip all 250W UHP projectors :confused:

Unfortunately the H79 is discontinued and the successor the 7100 is not for sale here. The only projector which is a step up is the Benq8720 but locally the testresults were very bad: a lot of noise, no stable picture. And that for a projector costing twice as much. Also this has the same 250W UHP lamp inside, so I wonder when the first "My 8720 lamp problem" topic will be opened :rolleyes:

The Ruby and H81 are way over my budget, I heard a cheap Sony 1080p is going to be launched but haven't seen anything on the internet. Still a long wait though for that one will be released and now with the WorldChampionship soccer I really do miss my projector :( Maybe I have to wait for the 1080p DLP's to be released for a good price somewhere in 2007 and buy a cheapo LCD 720p till that time.... it will be a step back although i have no worries about lamps anymore ;)

Kjelt,
If you are considering LCD, the Panny 900 consistantly gets good reports and no lamp problems. DLP choices sure seem limited at this time especially with the crazy offsets on the Optoma H72 and the like. Good luck in your search.

Chazmo and g-mon93001,
Have you received your refund yet. I am due about 7/20.

The point is that they must not be too busy changing lamps if their service is that fast now. Warren.
Meanwhile, TOPS is now holding my PJ since they don't want to simply give me another dud lamp. Or a lamp that will be trashed by this dud PJ. Whichever is the real issue.

Kjelt -- I'm seriously considering the AE900 too. Art (presenter) has a good review of it on www.projectorreviews.com, and seems to think it's comparable to the "new" version of the PE7700 (not quite as good blacks, but very close, and better color). Besides, with the US costs, it makes my MT700, boat anchor, expense less painfull.

Since I've been putting up with my cheap Mitsubishi HC3 backup PJ (which I've been using for the last 10 months), the AE900 will be a real improvement. The MT700 was my first DLP PJ, so going "back" to a LCD isn't that much of a problem for me, although I will miss the excellent picture that the MT700/PE7700 has (if I can remember that far back :rolleyes: ).

I've concluded that with the current problems with PJ lamps and production quality, my next one (after the AE900?) will have to have an established track record, before I'll spend the money. Even if that means that I won't have the "latest & greatest" version.

Why is your MT700 a boat anchor? Mine is money in my pocket. Have you given up on Toshiba???

Mine continues to "anchor" my HT quite nicely.:) It is currently approaching 500 hours on lamp #3 (90+% on "high" mode). I am somewhat curious as to how long this lamp will last. Lamp 1 = 634, Lamp 2 = 364, so I'm right at the average of my first two.

Mine still running strong at 405 hours too. 4th lamp. New design plus new FW. I never turn it on twice in one day. Got 1 year left on warranty. I am waiting it out. :confused: Besides, I can't find a comparable replacement that can project a 118" screen at 13 feet.

A little over one year on mine. 2nd bulb with new firmware. Watched a pretty good movie last night with my wife. It looked and sounded great!

A little over one year on mine. 2nd bulb with new firmware. Watched a pretty good movie last night with my wife. It looked and sounded great!
I agree, always a great picture! Seems even better with the World Cup matches.
It looks like we are the last two "suckers" using this projector. :p Good Luck!

Number three here, and I absolutely love it. I'm on bulb three with around 500 hours I think. A friend of mine bought an Infocus SP5000 and all he talks about is how much better my pj is :) He's going to have to buy a new one, haha.

Bulb issues aside (whether resolved or not) this PJ still has one of the best bang for the buck images you can find. I'm sure it'll be surpassed soon, but until then I'm sitting pretty.

Yep - it will soon be obsolete, it has been down for weeks at a time, I never know when the next bulb is going to go poof but still; it has provided me with as much enjoyment as about anything I've ever spent my hard earned money on... :)

I'm just hoping the manufaturers get the situation with bulbs resolved before 1080P hits us at an affordable price. I will say this, if I were a manufacturer with bulb problems I would have a back room full of competitor's products running, cycling, etc. to try to figure out just exactly what it takes to get 2000+ hours from a bulb. They already seem to know very well how NOT to do it.

I know how you all feel about the great picture the MT700 throws. After having it for a year I do miss it. Replaced with the PE7700 and although a great PJ the picture is a bit softer than the Toshiba.

I'm quite surprised that the BenQ's picture would be different at all, much less noticeably so. Interesting.

Lamp #3 just bit the dust.

Lamp 1: original design, 633 hours

Lamp 2: new design, 364 hours

Lamp 3: new design w/updated firmware, 472 hours

I'll let you all know what Toshiba says on Monday. Maybe it's time for a refund...

i have a question for those of you who got the refund. My 4ths bulb just died and after a long discussion with the csr they finally agreed to refund my purchase and told me they will get the process started and asked me to wait for a call.

So i waited 2 days and no call came, i then called toshiba and the csr checked my record and it indeed showed the refund notes on there. However he's clueless what the next step is?

csr: it said here to wait 6 weeks for your check
me: hmm ok but dont i have to return this projector to you first?
csr: ahh yes hold... (long wait)...please send it to ...etc..
me: ok what do i put on the package?
csr: your name/address
me: err how you going to identify me or this refund then?
csr: hmm...
me: shouldnt there be some kind of rma # or id?
csr: i dont know, can you wait a few days and see if you get a call.
me: ..........bye


For those of you that got the refund, can you please tell me what the process is after they agreed and said will call back? did they give you an rma #? what's the address that they want to you send it to? etc? thanks

gaga

After your initial call, request for refund goes to the Concession Department and it takes about a week before they call you with instructions. They will send you a mailing label and issue you a "MC" number to write on the box. You will mail Fed Ex, so can check the shipping number to verify delivery, usually two days. Once Toshiba receives PJ, allow six weeks for refund check to arrive.

Thanks for the info Jeff. I'm probably going to request a refund when I call Monday. I would be happy with another lamp as well, but it doesn't appear that the new lamp design and updated firmware has accomplished anything. Now I just need to decide if I switch to the AE900 or try the PE7700. I wish we had a few more months of experience with BenQ's updated firmware. Although we haven't heard of many recent failures, we also don't have reports of 1000 - 1500 hours on lamps.

Thanks for the info Jeff. I'm probably going to request a refund when I call Monday. I would be happy with another lamp as well, but it doesn't appear that the new lamp design and updated firmware has accomplished anything. Now I just need to decide if I switch to the AE900 or try the PE7700. I wish we had a few more months of experience with BenQ's updated firmware. Although we haven't heard of many recent failures, we also don't have reports of 1000 - 1500 hours on lamps.

jeff, thanks i will wait until next friday before calling them again.

nmjack, you must be crazy to get a mt700 clone (pe7700) after all this trouble!

For me, after much research, i have decided to get the infocus in72. From all accounts the picture is comparable to a calibrated mt700 in everything except hdtv, and even then it still shows hd beautifully. The BEST part? 1) with the $300 rebate right now, its price is in TRIPLE digits! (only slightly more expensive than a 4805 on ebay!!) 2) it's infocus = reliable/solid lamp & performance.

There is NOTHING on the market right now that comes even close to the price/pq ratio of the in72 with the $300 rebate.

If you really want a 720p hd projector, then i would look for the ae900 or the in76.

nmjack, you must be crazy to get a mt700 clone (pe7700) after all this trouble!

If you really want a 720p hd projector, then i would look for the ae900 or the in76.

Careful with the "crazy"..... I didn't say I was buying the PE7700, nor did I suggest I would do so without the emergence of reports of better lamp lives. :)

Since BenQ has acknowledged the problem and claims to have fixed it via firmware, it won't be long before we know if it is in fact fixed. Toshiba, OTOH, has stuck their head in the sand and still hasn't openly acknowledged the problem.

That being said, if I do move forward in the near future it will likely be with the AE900. As you suggest, that would be the safe approach. I definitely need at least 720P, since I'm throwing it onto a 142" screen. If the BenQ does in fact prove fixed, I would be tempted in that direction due to my satisfaction with the DLP picture and the ability to reuse my Chief RPA-118 mount.

Costco is currently carrying the AE900 but has, apparently, dropped the PE7700. I really like their "satisfaction guaranteed" policy, so that may ultimately make my decision for me.

Costco has the AE900? That is going to make this decision much easier.

:mad:
I had to open my mouth. My HDMI port died. So I thought. I connected my HDMI dvd player and it still didn't work. So after about an hour with no signal, the lamp died. I tried to power it back on and got the solid red and flashing orange light. :mad:
I don't think I had a bad cable. At this point I can't test it.
I think I'm done too. :confused:
Unfortunately, I almost have to get a PE7700 because of the offset and distance to screen size issue. I'm at 13 feet with 118" screen. I could move the mount as a last resort a foot back.

Most of use 7700 users with the new firmware are at 500 hours without a problem. Seems like BenQ got it right.
Warren.

Most of use 7700 users with the new firmware are at 500 hours without a problem. Seems like BenQ got it right.
Warren.

Warren - I don't think 500 hours constitutes victory. In my mind, I would want at least 1500 hours in order to feel the performance was reasonable. Hopefully, BenQ has it fixed, but it may still be too early to reach that conclusion.

I don't think me getting 500 hours is, but everyone is. If it wasn't fixed there would likely be more people with problems. It could be a deal where they all break at 600 hours, but that seems quite unlikely.
Warren.

I don't think me getting 500 hours is, but everyone is. If it wasn't fixed there would likely be more people with problems. It could be a deal where they all break at 600 hours, but that seems quite unlikely.
Warren.

Time will tell. As I said, hopefully they've got it right, but we really won't know for sure until we see reports of extended lamp life.

Am happy to report I got my refund from Toshiba today. Only took 20 days from the time they received the PJ.

Unfortunately, I almost have to get a PE7700 because of the offset and distance to screen size issue. I'm at 13 feet with 118" screen. I could move the mount as a last resort a foot back.
The snake has bitten you thrice yet you keep reaching out for it to pick it up.

Lamp #3 just bit the dust.

Lamp 1: original design, 633 hours

Lamp 2: new design, 364 hours

Lamp 3: new design w/updated firmware, 472 hours

I'll let you all know what Toshiba says on Monday. Maybe it's time for a refund...

Toshiba says send it in......again. I'm pretty much okay with that for now. I'm not sure how many times they want to pay for shipping (both ways) and more lamps, but at least they're being good about it and the PJ is great between failures.

Jeff - I checked your posts and it looks like it took five lamp failures before they refunded yours. Anyone get a refund after three? Four?

I was at 4 but I've talked to people that had it done at 3. If you're persistent and polite, the number of failures shouldn't really matter (as long as it's at least 3 I'd say.)

Toshiba says send it in......again. I'm pretty much okay with that for now. I'm not sure how many times they want to pay for shipping (both ways) and more lamps, but at least they're being good about it and the PJ is great between failures.

Jeff - I checked your posts and it looks like it took five lamp failures before they refunded yours. Anyone get a refund after three? Four?

Has anyone checked into the possibility of sending in our Toshiba projectors to Benq for the Firmware update. When they go bad, we could send them into Toshiba for the free bulb replacement and then send them to BenQ for Firmware update. I realize that would probably void the warranty and would also be some out of pocket expense for shipping and labor. But I've noticed some of us with low ceilings have few other options unless we either spend more or go with LCD. Not sure if BenQ would even consider it, but was wondering if it's even been discussed.

Tosh had a firmware update, too. Hasn't helped. Is the BenQ different? I thought it was the same.

nmjack,
Just to warn you, my PJ has been in the shop for a couple weeks, now. They can't/won't fix it. Good luck.

nmjack,
Just to warn you, my PJ has been in the shop for a couple weeks, now. They can't/won't fix it. Good luck.

Sorry to hear that. OTHO, if they can't/won't fix it, that would seem to give you a stronger basis to request a refund. Since mine has only been to TOPS once, and they turned it around quickly, I think I "owe" it to them to give them another chance. When the next lamp fails, I should be in a stronger position to push for a refund.

What have you been told that suggests they aren't doing anything?

I was at 4 but I've talked to people that had it done at 3. If you're persistent and polite, the number of failures shouldn't really matter (as long as it's at least 3 I'd say.)

I got the impression that three failures, spaced about four months apart, didn't yet meet the threshold for refund consideration. Also, I don't think they would refund a unit that has only been into the service center once. It will be a much stronger case when they've had two chances to repair it and four lamps have failed prematurely. In the meantime, I'll just continue to enjoy that outstanding picture.

Toshiba has different firmware. Menus are different, etc. It could be BenQ would be the same. I doubt they would do anything. You could call them anyway.
Warren.

Add me to the list - Toshiba just informed me that they are sending a refund and that it will take about 4-6 weeks. I have had the projector for about a year and this is the fifth time it is at Tops for repairs - 4 lamps, one HDMI input and one motherboard. I understand from Tops that they are making the decision this week on a number of units at Tops for repair. Although I am not happy about the need for a refund - I would rather have a working projector - I must say the Toshiba has been generally very responsive throughout the process (I have not had any problems reaching a CSR each time and they have called me each time that they said they would to update me on the status) and it is not every company that will give a full refund after a year.

The problem is now with what to replace it. When it worked, I really liked the picture and it is about the only DLP that fits my placement. I could get a Optima HD7100 but I would have to move my ceiling mount closer to the screen, and it seems that this projector is having lamp problems too - I don't need that again. I can't stand the thought of starting over with a Benq PE7700. I have a Panasonic AE900 in another location but don't like the picture quite as much as the Toshiba. I am leaning towards a Sony - according to the Sony website, a new version, the HS60, is due out in 3 weeks. I had a W400Q, which my son has now that is still going strong after 6 years with no problems. The two lamps have lasted 1500 hours when I replaced them becauses they dimmed quite a bit, not because they failed. I would be interested in learning what others have done when they got a refund.

I went ahead and got the PE7700. Also had the MT700 and received refund. Only took 20 days from the time they received the PJ.

The installation was a snap, no adjustments necessary to my setup. I also have a ND2 filter which fits and an extra lamp I purchased earlier (both PJ's use same lamp). BenQ seems to have solved the lamp issue and got a HELL of a deal on the BenQ. For all these reasons my decision was based.

I favor DLP over LCD. Only drawback to the BenQ is that the picture is a tad bit softer than the Toshiba. The MT700 is a great PJ when it works.

Add me to the list - Toshiba just informed me that they are sending a refund and that it will take about 4-6 weeks. I have had the projector for about a year and this is the fifth time it is at Tops for repairs - 4 lamps, one HDMI input and one motherboard. I understand from Tops that they are making the decision this week on a number of units at Tops for repair. Although I am not happy about the need for a refund - I would rather have a working projector - I must say the Toshiba has been generally very responsive throughout the process (I have not had any problems reaching a CSR each time and they have called me each time that they said they would to update me on the status) and it is not every company that will give a full refund after a year.

The problem is now with what to replace it. When it worked, I really liked the picture and it is about the only DLP that fits my placement. I could get a Optima HD7100 but I would have to move my ceiling mount closer to the screen, and it seems that this projector is having lamp problems too - I don't need that again. I can't stand the thought of starting over with a Benq PE7700. I have a Panasonic AE900 in another location but don't like the picture quite as much as the Toshiba. I am leaning towards a Sony - according to the Sony website, a new version, the HS60, is due out in 3 weeks. I had a W400Q, which my son has now that is still going strong after 6 years with no problems. The two lamps have lasted 1500 hours when I replaced them becauses they dimmed quite a bit, not because they failed. I would be interested in learning what others have done when they got a refund.

i replaced it with IN72 (not 76), it's on a fedex truck as we speak:) With a perfect out of box picture, good pq even in hd, almost zero reported problems (other than fan is bit loud in high power), $300 off (from avs sponsor) AND $300 rebate (that's $600 off MSRP), i really cant convince myself to get ANYTHING else.

So my plan is to save the rest of the refund ($2k left) and get a 1080 in a year or so when it becomes more common and widespread. I know for sure in72 will make me happy for at least a few years.

EDIT: Order cancelled, in72 doesnt fit in my room :mad: :mad:

I went ahead and got the PE7700. Also had the MT700 and received refund. Only took 20 days from the time they received the PJ.

The installation was a snap, no adjustments necessary to my setup. I also have a ND2 filter which fits and an extra lamp I purchased earlier (both PJ's use same lamp). BenQ seems to have solved the lamp issue and got a HELL of a deal on the BenQ. For all these reasons my decision was based.

I favor DLP over LCD. Only drawback to the BenQ is that the picture is a tad bit softer than the Toshiba. The MT700 is a great PJ when it works.

fool me once shame on you, fool me twice....

j/k, man really hope your pe7700 works out. I will keep you in my prayers.

Anyone who has gotten a refund may want to consider the Samsung H710, since you are familiar with the refund process, you will be at home when Samsung offers you a refund on your broken 710.

While I'm half kidding (and only half), everyone on this thread with issues should applaud Toshiba for the way they have handled the issues. Samsung can't even manage to file paperwork to send a refurb unit in less than 2 weeks. I had my MT700 fixed several times in 4-5 days from time of my shipping to return to my door. It takes samsung almost that long just to send you an email with shipping info.

If the H710 ends up being a stable unit, it is a significant upgrade to the MT700 (I had them on side by side and could easily note the big difference in quality flipping back and forth)

UPDATE: I got a replacement Samsung 700 (since 710's are hard to come by)
I can now really enjoy home theater - the 700's lamp will stay lit for almost 20 seconds at a time before going into overheat. I plan on watching mostly commercials with it since they tend to be 30 seconds.

Emailists,
Sounds like you need to get on the prayer list. ;)

Thanks everyone,
I have decided to go for the H79 because the price here in Europe is very interesting since it is no longer manufactured. I have to pay aprox. 10% more then for the MT700 so I like the DC3 chips and the extra 5 speed and 8 colourwheel. I also saw the projector in action and I thought the Tosh was quiet, the H79 is even quieter. Since it is out there for more then a year and there are no real issues with this projector I feel confident in it.....

Well, my refund is on the way. Took only one day for them to call me back after I requested it. Although I have been without it for a month, now. Maybe the check won't take long, either. Very likely I will just get the AE900 and wait for 1080 to drop in price.

Congrats Spiky! My MT700 arrived at TOPS today; soon to be returned for who knows how many more hours of spectacular viewing!*


*with the inevitable oh s*** when lamp #4 crosses over to the great beyond....

I'm still thinking there's a refund and an AE900 in my future. That is, unless the impossible happens, and our T & T friends actually fix this thing. I'm good either way. :)

I will, once again, give Toshiba props for good service. They returned phone calls in the promised time frames, worked with what I asked for, and sent my file/problem all over the place to try to resolve it. Unfortunately, the MT700 lamp situation is simply broken, and I don't mean just mine.

NMJack,
I would call Tops later today to see if they have fixed your PJ. If it is just a lamp, they could have fixed that and sent it out yesterday and you'd have it back today, so check this afternoon if you don't have it. They ended up holding mine, trying to make Toshiba come up with a real fix. Which Tosh has been unable to do, obviously. That's why I have been without HD for a month. Tops won't call you unless you call them first. And if you call Tosh to ask about the repair, they will call Tops and get back to you, but only after about 3 business days. If you have a situation like mine with Tops trying to hold it, I'd just jump right to refund discussions.

NMJack,

They ended up holding mine, trying to make Toshiba come up with a real fix. Which Tosh has been unable to do, obviously.

If you have a situation like mine with Tops trying to hold it, I'd just jump right to refund discussions.

Good advice for all. I did call TOPS today and, as Spiky suggested, they are "holding" my unit (along with "8 or 9 others") per direction from Toshiba. That's the good part. Toshiba has acknowledged (finally) that there is a problem beyond the lamp design. The guy I talked with seemed close to the situation. He refered to the original lamp redesign as an attempt to fix the early lamp failures and confirmed that there was more needed. A few other interesting comments:

a) he thought that Toshiba and BenQ were working together to fix this
b) Toshiba had indicated to them that a fix may be provided by the end of this week (which obviously hasn't happened).

I then called Toshiba to pursue it with them. Nothing new came from that discussion, but I did firmly and clearly (but politely) request a refund. They were not unreceptive to this and, apparently, documented my request to start whatever review process they have. My key points to them:

- been without PJ for approximately 2 months (total)
- repair center acknowledges design problem and fact that there is no known fix
- repair center has been instructed to hold units (versus replacing lamps and sending back)

We'll see! :)

We'll see! :)

Dito, I just sent mine in for a second time (5th bulb IIRC). I plan to call Monday and find out what's going on. If it's held, I'll also be requesting a refund.

Dito, I just sent mine in for a second time (5th bulb IIRC). I plan to call Monday and find out what's going on. If it's held, I'll also be requesting a refund.

Good luck! At some point TOPS will probably tire of having to talk to all of us while Toshiba tells them to just stash the projectors and wait.

May I ask how much % Toshiba refunds on the original buying price?

I have heard today from Toshiba Europe, that I do not get all the money back, only about 77% worth.
A little bummer since that means I have to put in a heck more money for my new projector then I counted on. Anyway how does Toshiba handle this in the US?

Full refund of purchase price in the US.

Just passed 1300 hours on the original bulb and going strong. I still think its a heat problem since the lamp is 250 watts. My exhaust is just warm. Mine is not ceiling mounted and wonder if the projectors mounted on the ceiling are getting too hot since heat rises.

I, too, have wondered about ceiling versus table mount. I'm up to 790 hours table mounted on my BENQ PE7700.

Also, I just finished my first serious calibration run using a new calibration tool called CalMAN v2.0. You can see the results posted over in the PE7700 thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7967350&&#post7967350

Bottom Line: CalMAN appears to be a excellent calibration tool that is affordable and usable by most folks, i.e. those who hang around in AVS. I learned a ton of information about my projector just by experimenting with the controls and observing the results. More importantly, I learned how to fix the shadow detail issue that, as far as I know, no one else has discovered and published before. And, most important, the picture is better than ever, and I'm satisfied that I've tuned the projector to be just about as good as it is capable of being. What more can you ask?

Just passed 1300 hours on the original bulb and going strong. I still think its a heat problem since the lamp is 250 watts. My exhaust is just warm. Mine is not ceiling mounted and wonder if the projectors mounted on the ceiling are getting too hot since heat rises.
Heat may play a part, but the ambient temp probably does not. This is an internal problem. We've discussed and posted ambient temps earlier in this thread, and the BenQ thread.

Mine, for instance, is in my basement that never reaches 70 deg F. Even if it is a degree or 2 warmer at the 7' ceiling than where my thermometer is across the room at 3' high, it still never reaches 70. We keep blankets handy even in the summer.

Full refund of purchase price in the US.
Yep, they have us fax in our invoice, and refund the price paid in full. Perhaps you can discuss that with Tosh Eu.

I, too, have wondered about ceiling versus table mount. I'm up to 790 hours table mounted on my BENQ PE7700.

Also, I just finished my first serious calibration run using a new calibration tool called CalMAN v2.0. You can see the results posted over in the PE7700 thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7967350&&#post7967350

Bottom Line: CalMAN appears to be a excellent calibration tool that is affordable and usable by most folks, i.e. those who hang around in AVS. I learned a ton of information about my projector just by experimenting with the controls and observing the results. More importantly, I learned how to fix the shadow detail issue that, as far as I know, no one else has discovered and published before. And, most important, the picture is better than ever, and I'm satisfied that I've tuned the projector to be just about as good as it is capable of being. What more can you ask?

Just FYI, MikeSRC figured out the gamma/shadow detail fix (set to 70-71) last year for us MT700 folks. :)

That said, I really enjoyed your post, thank you for sharing. It'd be nice to know what settings on the 7700 = MT700 settings and vice versa, just so we could compare better.

Just FYI, MikeSRC figured out the gamma/shadow detail fix (set to 70-71) last year for us MT700 folks. :)

That said, I really enjoyed your post, thank you for sharing. It'd be nice to know what settings on the 7700 = MT700 settings and vice versa, just so we could compare better.

Jon, thanks for giving credit to MikeSRC on the gamma fix! I somehow missed that but am glad you guys have benefited for it already. :)

Good luck! At some point TOPS will probably tire of having to talk to all of us while Toshiba tells them to just stash the projectors and wait.
Just got off the phone with TOPS. They said they got it on 6-30-2006 and are holding it for "testing" because of multiple lamp failures. The lady said she would email Tom ( the tops guy working on them) to see what the latest status is, then call me back. :eek:

I'm happy to report that I got "the call" today from Toshiba. The AE900u is already on order from Costco.com. :) :) :) ......

Now I just need to figure out how to liquidate that Chief RPA-118 custom mount. :D

[QUOTE=jonnyozero3]Just FYI, MikeSRC figured out the gamma/shadow detail fix (set to 70-71) last year for us MT700 folks. :)

I haven't figured out how to tweak gamma yet :confused: . Does anyone remember where these posts are?

Thanx a lot!

Kid, just search for MikeSRC and gamma in this thread and you will find several hits.

The BENQ PE7700 adjustments appear to be the same, just in the service menu vs. user menu. You can check out what I did on mine at: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7967350&&#post7967350.

He and I happened to land on the same initial gamma settings (71 for R, G and B), but I like higher setting for movies with lots of dark content (around 75/76).

I'm happy to report that I got "the call" today from Toshiba. The AE900u is already on order from Costco.com. :) :) :) ......

Now I just need to figure out how to liquidate that Chief RPA-118 custom mount. :D
It looks like Costco has the Sharp Z2000 for about the same price. Looks to be similar to the MT700 in specs....The Sharp is on my short list for when I get "the call".

cheezmo1 - I'm not familiar with that model. After riding the MT700 roller coaster, I'm looking for some solid ground for awhile. Scanning the AE900 thread, I find nothing but talk about how to fine tune these guys. I asked about lamp failure and it was like I was speaking a different language (that's a good sign). With a solid design and Costco's rock solid satisfaction guarantee, I'm looking forward to the break. I'm just hoping that the picture is close to the MT700, as that is one thing we've never complained about. I'll find out on Monday when the express shipment arrives. :)

Full refund of purchase price in the US.

Yep, they have us fax in our invoice, and refund the price paid in full. Perhaps you can discuss that with Tosh Eu.

Toshiba Europe does not believe this and they want proof :(
Does anyone have this in writing? I mean an official document with Toshiba on it and the words "amount in full" or "purchase price" or "100%" or something to that order. If someone has such a document could they please scan it and email it to me (you can blackout your personal stuff) Please PM if you can help. Thanks :)

Kjelt,
Nothing in writing. Just had to fax my receipt of purchase and received my check several weeks later.

Kjelt,
I could copy my check when it arrives, plus my invoice for comparison. Just waiting for it to come, I'll get back to you then.

cheezmo,
The Sharp is the one I checked out when I went to try some in-person shopping before purchasing the MT700. It helped me decide to get the MT700. (I was really only looking for SDE) It is one of the first HD2+ models, I believe, a few years old at this point. Certainly a viable alternative. I don't think it is quite up to the MT700 or Mits HC3000, though. The DMD is the same, but other parts are not as good.

nmjack,
I think there were a handful of people (like, enough to count on one hand) with early lamp failures mentioned long ago on the Panny thread. But it was just normal stuff, sometimes things break, nothing like our issues.

I realize this is in many respects off-topic, but with a number of MT700 folks scratching their heads wondering "what's next?", I thought I would share this here first. I just fired up the new AE900u a few hours ago. As a basis of comparison, this is in the same dedicated HT room as my MT700 was used. This is a "cave" in every sense of the word, with total blackout of windows and doors and a very dark, flat green paint on all walls and ceiling. The carpet is charcoal grey. The screen is large and not very high power (142" Carada with 1.4 gain "brilliant white" fabric). By most/all published reports, this PJ should not be capable of illuminating that screen. I ran my MT700 on both econ and high and brightness was never an issue.

For a test drive, I sampled a very dark movie (Underworld Evolution) and one with a lot of brightness and color (After the Sunset). In both cases, I've found nothing not to like about the AE900. I'm not an enthusiast, nor a big "tweaker", but I know what I like; and I like the AE900 just as well as the MT700. The picture looks very sharp. The fan is quiet. Room placement flexibility is great. Right now I have it sitting on an end table near the extreme of its verticle lens shift and I see no distortion. Ultimately, I'll have it on a shelf on the back wall near the screen height center (much more desirable). I even switched it to low lamp power and it looks fine to me.

Again, I'm just offering this as one man's opinion as to how a single replacement candidate compares with the MT700. Your mileage may vary! :)

Kjelt,
I could copy my check when it arrives, plus my invoice for comparison. Just waiting for it to come, I'll get back to you then.

Spiky, thanks :) That must be enough evidence for them..... I hope.

Good luck!

Well I was just informed by Toshiba that I've got 4-6 weeks to pick out a new projector :cool: (that means I'm getting my refund ;) )

I've still got to give Toshiba credit, their service has been pretty good throughout this whole thing. Not always as prompt as one would like (but can service ever be fast enough?), but I've been given minimal trouble, just have to jump a few hoops here and there.

Anyway, now off to look at the WD2000U and Samsung 710 more in depth. I've all but decided on the Mits. I'm moving to a ~125" diag ~2.40:1 screen and the 700 was beginning to look "dim" on my current ~104" 2.35:1 screen. The WD2000U, at 3x the brightness, looks like it would be perfect with an ND2 filter :D

I know I'm a little late on the subject, but which do you guys think are the best settings concerning gamma adjustment and color temperature? I have my MT700 in a pretty dark room firing on a regular matte white screen in film mode fed by a Panasonic S97 through component 480p.
Thank you very much guys, any help is welcome!

I just received my refund yesterday - they okayed it on June 29 so about 3 weeks.

If anyone is interested, here are the settings from the calibration that was done on mine, which cured the lack of shadow detail and overly red bias:

Adjsut use 1 starting at:
Color Temp=warm
Settings=Standard
NTSC=Japan

Component
Red Gain=56
Green Gain=40
Blue Gain+38
Red Offset=-3
Green offset=-2
Blue offset=-2
Red Gamma=71
Green Gamma=70
Blue Gamma=71

HDMI
Red Gain=45
Green Gain=31
Blue Gain=29
Red Offset=-2
Green offset=-1
Blue offset=-1
Red Gamma=71
Green Gamma=71
Blue Gamma=71

Hope this helps. I really liked the picture when it worked.

Hi, Rickknyc;
by "Settings=Standard", you mean you didn't tweak anything like color, tint, brightness and contrast? Did you calibrate it yourself?
Thanks a lot for helping!

I know I'm a little late on the subject, but which do you guys think are the best settings concerning gamma adjustment and color temperature? I have my MT700 in a pretty dark room firing on a regular matte white screen in film mode fed by a Panasonic S97 through component 480p.
Thank you very much guys, any help is welcome!

Kid, there is a pretty general consensus that gamma settings around 71 (RGB) are a pretty good compromise. However, the actual gamma curves (stimulus vs. luminance) vary quite a bit between Cinema and Home Theater (these are the PE7700 names; not positive MT700 names are the same). I've attached below my actual measured gamma curves for Cinema and Home Theater with gamma settings of 66, 71 and 76. As you will see, changes in the gamma setting for Cinema mode produce more aggressive low and mid-level luminance while the same changes in Home Theater mode produce more aggressive high-level luminance. My advice is to start at 71 and view a variety of content in both Cinema and Home Theater modes while varying the gamma setting to see what looks best to your eye in your room. The charts I've attached should give you a clue about how these changes will affect what you see.

Re: color temperature. On the PE7700 Warm is by far the most accurate (i.e. closest to 6504K), so that is what I would use unless you want to do a gray scale calibration. Of course, you will want to make sure you have the main brightness and contrast set correctly before changing gamma ... using one of the DVD-based tools, e.g. Get Gray, DVE, Avia, Monster.

I just received my refund yesterday - they okayed it on June 29 so about 3 weeks.

If anyone is interested, here are the settings from the calibration that was done on mine, which cured the lack of shadow detail and overly red bias:

Adjsut use 1 starting at:
Color Temp=warm
Settings=Standard
NTSC=Japan

Component
Red Gain=56
Green Gain=40
Blue Gain+38
Red Offset=-3
Green offset=-2
Blue offset=-2
Red Gamma=71
Green Gamma=70
Blue Gamma=71

HDMI
Red Gain=45
Green Gain=31
Blue Gain=29
Red Offset=-2
Green offset=-1
Blue offset=-1
Red Gamma=71
Green Gamma=71
Blue Gamma=71

Hope this helps. I really liked the picture when it worked.

thanks rick! i'm definitely going to try these out.

Jon O.: I've tried Rickknyc settings and liked them a lot.
Chuck: thanks for your help! I just don't know which would be the equivalent "modes" in the MT700 to 7700's "cinema" and "home theater".

I have been out of the loop for some time. Can you guys let me know what is going on? I am still on my second bulb after the first one blew at about 100 hours. I have had the projector for over a year and I only have another 200 or so hours on the second bulb. Are you guys getting refunds just by calling or do I have to wait for the bulb to blow again? I wonder what will happen after the 2 year warranty is up?

SJK - Toshiba has been standing tall on these, offering both replacement lamps and, for those with repeated failures and service attempts, refunds. There doesn't seem to be a firm threshold, but after three failed lamps and two trips to TOPS they agreed to refund my purchase price. I've yet to hear of anyone who hasn't been 100% satisfied with how Toshiba has handled this.

SJK- My fourth bulb got around 400 hours on it, previous ones got 200. I tried on purpose to put more hours on my last bulb and it blew. If I were you, I would run it all day long. Turn it on in the morning and off at night. That's how I got so many hours on mine.
I too have been really happy how Toshiba handled everything. Mine was being held a couple weeks ago at TOPS and they told me to call Toshiba and request some kind recourse because TOPS wasn't going to fix them unless they had an official fix from Toshiba. So I did and I got "the call" and my refund is on its way.
I just ordered the Sharp Z2000 from Costco, mainly because it has HD2+ DMD and the short throw. Good luck!

Kid,
It was professionally calibrated by the seller, Mike at Surfaudio, who has been a frequent contributor to this and other threads. I did not have to change color, tint, brightness or contrast. 0 worked for me pretty well for HDTV, but these are room and screen dependent. Mike suggested that these be adjusted first. For DVD by a Denon 1920, I had to reduce brightness to -8 but that might have been a setting issue in the Denon

On the gamma setting, I found the 70-71 led to too light darks and set up one of the users to 65 as a compromise.

I now have a Sony HS-51A and a Panny AE-900 in two different locations. I miss the great color of the Toshiba but I do not miss the dithering noise in the dark areas. I also could not stand the lack of reliabilty that seems to be a problem in the low-end DLPs (not only the Toshiba/Benq but also the Optoma 7100and Samsung).

Is that pretty much the best advice - to try to burn the bulb out on purpose as fast as I can? I really like the picture, but if this next bulb burns out prematurely I would like to know there will be some recourse. I just don’t know if I should go that route.

Is that pretty much the best advice - to try to burn the bulb out on purpose as fast as I can? I really like the picture, but if this next bulb burns out prematurely I would like to know there will be some recourse. I just don’t know if I should go that route.
It was a tough decision for me to do that. But I thought if I made it to 500 hours that it wasn't going to blow. But it never made it and my refund is on the way. I guess I was fooling myself that the FW update would fix it. :p BTW, mine was in for the second time. At this point I think ANY MT700 at TOPS for bulb failure will be held and someone will get a refund.
If your bulb died at 200 hours before, it will fail early again. I haven't heard of anyone on this forum that had an early failure and then the second one lasted for a long time. Just hasn't happened that I know of.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend just leaving it running for no reason at all, that seems a bit unethical. Don't you have something you can watch a bit? Sounds like you've used it less than an hour/day on average. When tennis grand slam fortnights or football season come around, mine got 8-10 hours/day several times. And 14 a couple times. Maybe you should try some regular TV on it.

I'll admit, I was less cautious on my last lamp. I allowed myself to turn it off in midafternoon and turn it on again later in the day if I was watching things at different times. Usually I would just let it run an extra 2 hours if I was going to use it both early and late, since 2 hours does less damage than turning it on again.

Oh, and my refund arrived on Saturday.

Spiky,

How long did that take?


For anyone interested, I've got an extra MT700 bulb I'm trying to get rid of.

Spiky,

How long did that take?


For anyone interested, I've got an extra MT700 bulb I'm trying to get rid of.

If you don't want it, or don't want a lot for it, I would be happy to take it off your hands.

I forget the exact date. I posted about my request on 7/6 here. So maybe from the 5th to the 22nd, 2.5 weeks.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend just leaving it running for no reason at all, that seems a bit unethical.
I wouldn't call it unethical. That's a little extreme. I call it testing. It's not like you have it running outside in the heat. Its running in normal conditions and you want to see if you can get 500 hours on it. I know of some people who get a computer and purposely leave it on 24/7 to "burn" it in (not a pun) for months. So this is standard procedure for some people. Which is in no way dishonest. It's your choice to run up hours on your lamp. :)

If you don't want it, or don't want a lot for it, I would be happy to take it off your hands.
I have an extra lamp too, new design. I'll give it to someone for free! I think I opened the package too. Just pay shipping or I can meet you in the Phoenix area.

I live in Phoenix. I will take it.
Warren.

I live in Phoenix. I will take it.
Warren.
SOLD! Just PM me.

you're too fast warren :)

Oh, and my refund arrived on Saturday.

That's good news. It looks like I got the call five days after you, so my check should show up very soon. :)

Hi all, haven't been around to post in a while, but it looks like some of you have gotten out of the Mt700 world. Same here. Toshiba came thru with a full refund check in May. It took about 6 weeks. There were no official communications from them other than the instructions to fax receipts and such to them. I'm just glad the check didn't bounce and am very glad to be out from under the problems that I had. So anyway, I guess I am stuck with a PE7700 bulb with 110 (estimated) hours on it that I bought as an emergency backup. I am not sure if testing the waters to sell a used bulb for a model that has had so many problems is worth the effort.

Anywho, I now have a Sanyo Z4 (sorry hardcore DLP'ers). I am very happy so far, no problems whatsoever, spare bulb, dish network HD looks great, no HDMI issues, AND 275 hours on the bulb. I never thought I'd see those numbers :)

Good luck all.

I wouldn't call it unethical. That's a little extreme. I call it testing. It's not like you have it running outside in the heat. Its running in normal conditions and you want to see if you can get 500 hours on it. I know of some people who get a computer and purposely leave it on 24/7 to "burn" it in (not a pun) for months. So this is standard procedure for some people. Which is in no way dishonest. It's your choice to run up hours on your lamp. :)
I don't think you understand "unethical". It is not the same as dishonest.

from chazmo
So anyway, I guess I am stuck with a PE7700 bulb with 110 (estimated) hours on it that I bought as an emergency backup.

Can you identify the vintage of the PE7700 bulb? Date purchased, old design, latest design, etc.? Might be interested.

I don't think you understand "unethical". It is not the same as dishonest.
I understand the difference. Unethical or dishonest it is neither. So if we decide to run up our hours it's unethical (not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behavior)? I don't know how running a projector into its approved hour limit a problem. Please explain.

Seriously, my kids leave the TV's on all over the house all the time. Are they being unethical? I never shut my computer off. Is that unethical? Leaving a product on is not unethical. It may be wasteful, but not unethical.
Warren.

Guys, I'm not trying to take this thread off-track. Running up the hours with the idea of making it burn out so you can get a refund is exactly what the definition of unethical is. I'm not shooting you or claiming it isn't justified, this isn't illegal or anything else. I did a similar thing myself, as I stated above. It was just an offhand comment, geez.

In more important news, I finally got an email. My Panny will be here tomorrow, meaning I get to play this weekend!

Has everybody gotten out of this projector? I still have low hours because I use it mainly fir movies. I called Toshiba earlier this year and they said that my case was well documented so if another bulb does blow I could send it in and get a refund. I guess I am in a holding pattern. I wish they would just recall it so I wouldn’t have to wait. We will see what happens. In the mean time the picture is still great.

I just sent mine in for Repair due to my HDMI output not working. This is the 3rd visit and 2nd time for this issue (previous two visits were in Sept 05). The other issue in Sept 05 were weird color blotches...all visits resulted in the main board being replaced. I also recieved a firmware upgrade on this latest visit. I should be getting mine back on Mon per my phone call to Tops this morning.

If my unit fails again, I am thinking of calling it quits (lemon!) and will demand a refund from Toshiba.. you guys think this is unreasonable?

That would definitely not be unreasonable. In fact I still don’t understand why they are not recalling them. My case is well documented and if/when my bulb goes again I will send it in for a refund as well. I just don’t see the point unless there really are some of these units out there that are functioning properly/bulb not blowing out early. Maybe they think we will just go away but I don’t think we will when forced with option of forking out $400 bucks or not using our home theater.

Running up the hours with the idea of making it burn out so you can get a refund is exactly what the definition of unethical is.
Unethical is Toshiba not recalling these faulty machines. Running them until they blow, (under 1000 hours) when they are not supposed to, is not. I guess we disagree. :rolleyes:

SJK- I just got my Sharp z2000 and it replaces this projector almost perfectly. The upconversion is where it falls short, but the bright colors make up for that. :D

I just sent mine in for Repair due to my HDMI output not working. This is the 3rd visit and 2nd time for this issue (previous two visits were in Sept 05). The other issue in Sept 05 were weird color blotches...all visits resulted in the main board being replaced. I also recieved a firmware upgrade on this latest visit. I should be getting mine back on Mon per my phone call to Tops this morning.

If my unit fails again, I am thinking of calling it quits (lemon!) and will demand a refund from Toshiba.. you guys think this is unreasonable?
Probably won't take much demanding, they are giving out full refunds in the US like dealing cards. Yours seems to be a little different with non-lamp issues, but it will probably go right through.

I got my refund a while back and replaced with a Sanyo Z4. It was cheaper, came with a free lamp and screen, and i actually like the image better -- much cleaner. No dither (obviously) and very little image noise. Also sharp as a tack.

Thank you all for the reassurances / moral support here. I thought about it some more and do you guys feel Toshiba would have grounds to deny refund if I experience another similar major failure -after- the warranty expires (for me that is late March 2007)? I think most ppl here have recieved their refunds during warranty period. It's sad but I almost want the Toshiba to break just so I can ask for a refund now and not have to worry about another failure in the future. so stressful!

If I get a refund in the future, I may go cheezmo1's route and get a Z2000 due to the throw/offset. The price / return policy at Costco is very attractive.

If I get a refund in the future, I may go cheezmo1's route and get a Z2000 due to the throw/offset. The price / return policy at Costco is very attractive.
Don't just take my advice! Try LCD, many here have the AE900 or Z4 and are just as happy as me.

SJK
My original bulb just past 1400 hours. Brought the projector May 2005. Still has the same great picture.

That's good news. It looks like I got the call five days after you, so my check should show up very soon. :)

Like clockwork. :) My refund arrived today, less than a month after approval. I couldn't be happier with Toshiba at this point. They are a class act that places long term customer satisfaction above short term profits. Makes me want to join their "side" in the HD battle. Hmmmm....

Makes me want to join their "side" in the HD battle. Hmmmm....
Funny you should mention that. HD-DVDs look great on my TDP-MT700 (which is still on its third bulb, with under 120 hours so far).