The Official Samsung SlimFit HDTV Thread... [Text View] - Page 2

Gnusmas7

08-27-05, 05:41 PM

hi guys, new to avsforum

i'm from europe, and in europe hdtv is years away, here cable is the standard (SD picture) and cable television is mostly in 4:3, and i watch more cable then dvd's,
so i was looking online for information about the samsung slimfit one day (which is on sale in my country (WS-32Z308, simmilar to your TX-R3079WH) when i stumbled across an article (lot's of them) that said samsung's gonna start selling 68cm (66cm real screen size, 26inch in america?,) 16:9 slimfit in autumn, and 72cm (68 cm real screen size, 27-inch in america?) 4:3 version by the end of the year (December)

here's what it says
"In the third quarter, Samsung will ship a 26W-inch SlimFit unit, followed by a 27-inch 4:3 version in the fourth quarter"

and because i watch more cable than dvd's and hdtv is nowhere to be seen in europe, i don't need a16:9 tv, so 4:3 Samsung Slimfit is exactly what i need

my question
i know 16:9 slimfit has geometry issues, but do you agree that 4:3 tv's usually don't have any or should i say less, mainly beacuse you don't have to strech 4:3 signal in 16:9

i'm buying 4:3 slimfit when it arrives and i think 4:3 won't have geometry issues?
What do you think?

little buddy

08-27-05, 11:02 PM

KBI

08-27-05, 11:07 PM

JeffinFL

08-28-05, 12:17 AM

I don't see where folks keep coming up with, quote, "the SlimFit has geometry issues". I have had my SlimFit for 3 months with 0 GEOMETRY PROBLEMS. I have used it with the analog tuner, HD tuner, HD Cable Box and upconversion DVD player and I have had absolutely no bowing or distortion problems. I've used every type of connection: RF cable, S-Video Cable, Composite cable, component cable, and HDMI cable with no problems. The picture quality was perfect, right out of the box.
I guess since a lot of us have tried two or even three of these things and they ALL had geometry problems we have deduced that Samsung Slim Fits have issues. You should consider yourself lucky if in fact yours does not have display problems (or you haven't noticed them). The three I looked at had very obvious issues...I guess thats why I don't feel too bad telling everyone I know that is interested in one of these that they have geometry problems. I had an employee at Circuit City explain to me that the people who say these TVs have geometry issues don't know what their talking about...the funny thing is while he was jabbering on about it a program with a horizontal ticker that should run along the bottom of the screen came on and guess what.....we both watched as the letters moved very noticeably almost two inches up the screen on the SlimFit as they approached the center of the display. That is when I decided to give up on Samsung and spend my $1000 dollars on something else and strangely the employee got real quiet. I say if you feel lucky roll the dice and get one of these babies...you might luck out and get one that works right, but probably not. Hell if enough people buy the defective sets Samsung may never have to correct the problem! It's too bad because the slim design is a great idea and I wouldn't mind having one of these if it functioned properly, but I looked at three and they all did the same thing. Thats enough proof for me. How does the saying go "fool me once shame on me, fool me four times and I'm just dumb!" or something like that :)

fleabash

08-28-05, 11:20 AM

justsc

08-28-05, 08:54 PM

I like a lot about the TV. But the geometry issues scare me. I'm moving and need a TV for my apartment, might as well be an HD model. But, I'm tight on money and $1K is about all I can afford. If anybody can confirm or deny that the new 3080WH fixed the geometry issues, then I'm golden.
I don't think you can hope for such a confirmation. Each set is different since crt is an inherently analog technology.

Most of Samsung's sets are good ones. Unfortunately, the SlimFit has gotten a bad rap on the forums, as folks with no problems don't normaly go to the forums for help.

If I were in your shoes I'd buy my SlimFit from a local reseller so you can return easily if needed. If you get a lemon return it tight away and get an exchange. Do it again if necessary.

A good Samsung set is a real gem. Good Luck! ;)

KBI

08-28-05, 09:47 PM

I don't think you can hope for such a confirmation. Each set is different since crt is an inherently analog technology.

Most of Samsung's sets are good ones. Unfortunately, the SlimFit has gotten a bad rap on the forums, as folks with no problems don't normaly go to the forums for help.

If I were in your shoes I'd buy my SlimFit from a local reseller so you can return easily if needed. If you get a lemon return it tight away and get an exchange. Do it again if necessary.

A good Samsung set is a real gem. Good Luck! ;)

Yeah, I'm temped to get the newer model Slimfit.. Looks so sleek & cool.. But I might get the Panny or Sony instead..

patsnyanks45

08-28-05, 11:23 PM

In my never ending quest to find an affordiable HDTV (<$1200) that is over 27 inches, I have decided against getting a Samsung Slimfit TV. Seeing how other users bought Sony's KV-30HS420 for $900, I was about to travel on over to Circuit City when I saw the KD-30XS955 on Sony's site and on Best Buy's site. This TV not only has a bunch more features but also has a built in HD tuner which would save me $15 a month (wouldn't have to get Comcast's HD package thing).

Now, seeing as I am by no means an expert on TV's, would this be a good set to get? Are the features worth $300 over the KV-30HS420 or should I just wait and see how Samsung's TX-R3080WH Slimfit turns out?

KBI

08-28-05, 11:55 PM

patsnyanks45

08-29-05, 12:00 AM

KBI

08-29-05, 01:16 AM

1. Alright, is there any diffrence between quality with the built-in tuner and the box from Comcast? As far as I know, no..

2. I could pick up Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC over the air right? Yes. I thought those were the only stations that offered HD broadcasting anyway. Others include PBS. HDNET. UPN. (besides Digital Cable)

3. What advantages are there by paying Comcast for the box?[/QUOTE] Getting HD cable.. Unless you aren't interested in watching cable in HD?

justsc

08-29-05, 10:37 AM

Yeah, I'm temped to get the newer model Slimfit.. Looks so sleek & cool.. But I might get the Panny or Sony instead..
I think you'll have a winner with any of your choices.

Good Luck! ;)

justsc

08-29-05, 10:55 AM

1. Alright, is there any diffrence between quality with the built-in tuner and the box from Comcast?
2. I could pick up Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC over the air right? I thought those were the only stations that offered HD broadcasting anyway (besides Digital Cable)
3. What advantages are there by paying Comcast for the box?
I've heard that thare's little to no compression accompanying OTA signals. Maybe an expert could chime in here?

Advantages? Possibly - with my Comcast subscription (the basic digital package) I get channels like "The Science Channel," National Geographic," INHD1 & 2, Discovery Theater HD, ESPN HD, ESPN Classic & News, Discovery Health, etc... These would not be available OTA.

Larry Fletcher

08-29-05, 11:34 AM

justsc

08-29-05, 11:42 AM

I really wanted to get the Slimfit too. I cannot justify the purchase though when I have seen the same problem at 3 seperate stores. I am not about to spend $1000 on a hope that I get a model without this noticable problem.
Have you considered a non-SlimFit Samsung set? The series would be TX-P, and some of the newer TX-R. I have been recommending the TX-P series sets for now. I realize they're listed as "archived" but you can still find them relatively easily. And for less money as well.

These sets are as good as most sets out there IMHO.

Larry Fletcher

08-30-05, 09:19 AM

I am now. Its between the non slimfit Samsung and the Sony. :)

justsc

08-30-05, 12:00 PM

I am now. Its between the non slimfit Samsung and the Sony. :)
I think you win either way. I have a Samsung series TX-N set and it was my first love. It got me into the whole Home Theater frame of mind.

Interestingly, my set was not advertised as HD. Samsung sold it as an EDTV, a tube EDTV. It converted all incoming signals to 480p and, of course, was great with DVDs.

I learned from one of the forums that there was a "switch" in the SM that enabled 1080i. Sure enough it was there and it "worked." Imagine the flood of purchases that spawned when folks could get into a 27" "HD" set for $400 (in '03)!

I am now a lifelong Samsung fan. ;)

patsnyanks45

08-30-05, 12:02 PM

justsc

08-30-05, 01:30 PM

Advantages/disadvantages of both?
Last year I was going to get Samsung's TX-P3075WH 30in CRT HDTV (which is now the next gen TX-R3075WH 30in) but then they came out with the Slimfits and I started thinking about getting one until I heard about the issuses people have with them.

Now, as I said before, I'm almost possitivly going to get Sony's KD-30XS955 30in CRT HDTV
If you have the cash, get the Sony XS955. It has resolution you simply cannot match. However, if you plan to sit relatively far back, say 6ft or more, then get the Samsung TX-P set. That far back the greater resolution will be sacrificed to distance.

xgrep

08-30-05, 02:17 PM

The poster was talking about horizontal resolution, not horizontal lines. This really isn't that hard to grasp, is it?Hmm, for you, it seems that it's a bit beyond your current understanding.

Can you define a difference between "horizontal resolution" and "horizontal lines"? Do you suppose that "horizontal lines" means a number of horizontal lines that go from left to right across the screen?

1,280 lines or "more?" Like I said, this is about horizontal resolution. This means the vertical lines running across the display.When you come down from your high horse, you'll learn that "horizontal lines" is the term used by video professionals and knowledgeable amateurs to describe the horizontal resolution of a CRT. It's shorthand for "vertically displayed lines measured in the horizontal direction". In the days before color dot masks (and even today), the way you measured horizontal resolution was by putting up a test pattern of vertical bars. The number of bars across the screen that could be seen at the densest pattern was the "horizontal lines" of the display, and equivalent to the horizontal resolution. The term "horizontal lines" is still in use by professionals and other knowledgeable contributors to this very thread.

Vertical resolution has to do with horizontal lines running up and down the display.In your uninformed terminology, yes.

COMMERCIAL HD SETS DO NOT HAVE MORE THAN 1,080 LINES OF VERTICAL RESOLUTION.Sort of. The resolution of the display can be greater than 1080 and still be HD, though there's no need if you're only using it as a TV display.

Your measurement technique is flawed.The mearurement, which was described in detail, was the horizontal distance between vertical stripes. This is a good measurement of horizontal resolution.

Try taking this sorry old argument elsewhere. :rolleyes:Arrogance and ignorance know no limits on the internet.

x

paulbehnke

08-30-05, 04:50 PM

Now, now CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bmel

08-31-05, 10:06 PM

I just got the 3080. Seems to have only minor geometry problems that I hope I can fix. Picture will require some tweaking, but that's to be expected. Perfect for my use, bedroom, inside a 17 inch deep armoire.

Anybody know how to get reid of the annoying chirp it makes when powering up or down?

Brian

bmel

09-01-05, 09:57 AM

As usual my question was already anwered, thank you bocmir:

Well, if you don't know already, to get into the service menu: with the set turned off, on the remote press MUTE, 1, 8, 2, POWER. That'll take you to the service menu. The menus you should be concerned with are DEFLECTION, VIDEO ADJUST 1 and VIDEO ADJUST 2.

Video Adjust 1 deals with a few important settings. Only modify CTI_LEVEL, COL_AXIS, LTI_LEVEL and MELODY VOLUME in here. I haven't touched anything else. If you want to get rid of the annoying chimes that play when you turn your TV on or off, changed MELODY VOLUME all the way down to 0. COL_AXIS handles "red push". A setting of 1 (not 0 for some reason) turns it off. This is definitely recommended. CTI_LEVEL and LTI_LEVEL handle enhancement of chrominance and luminance; I turned them both down to 0 for a more natural picture.
.

Vegeta

09-05-05, 06:31 PM

Which has the overall best picture quality (excluding geometry issues for the moment):

A 1366x768 Samsung LCD or a Samsung CRT HDTV?

xgrep

09-05-05, 06:51 PM

Which has the overall best picture quality (excluding geometry issues for the moment):

A 1366x768 Samsung LCD or a Samsung CRT HDTV?This is really a matter of personal preference. Here are the facts; you'll have to decide for yourself which is "best":

The LCD will have much better resolution, and an ability to clearly display whatever fine detail is present in the signal.

The CRT will have much better contrast and brightness, and no loss in quality when viewing off axis (i.e., from an angle toward the side).

What many people find, subjectively, is that the LCD's higher resolution goes largely unnoticed. This is due to two factors: (1) the eye doesn't really "care" that much about detail when there's a lot of movement, and (2) there is extremely little content broadcast today that actually has detail at the limits of today's HD spec. I read somewhere that HDTheater video cassettes for JVC D-VHS VCRs are the best HD material available outside the studio, but I haven't seen one to know.

What many people also find is that LCD contrast/brightness in a brightly lit room is not adequate for best viewing, especially off axis.

What all this means is that if you plan to invite some friends over to watch a ball game, you will probably prefer the CRT by a long shot. Its detail will be more than adequate, and the contrast/brightness and off-axis viewing will make it the better choice.

If you like to watch test patterns at night (like I do), by all means, get the LCD :-).

So why to people buy LCDs? Because they're so nice and thin!

x

Vegeta

09-05-05, 09:18 PM

So xgrep, at a viewing distance of 8 feet, would a 30" LCD panel running at 720p still look sharper than a 30" CRT HDTV running at 1080i?

pepperpot

09-06-05, 01:00 PM

So as not to be missed, I posted some comments on the exchange started by KBI asking when the SlimFit would be available in retail stores. Just my opinions. It's hard to be positive in this day and age, but I just had to do it.

Hockeymac18

09-08-05, 06:51 PM

justsc

09-08-05, 07:10 PM

How would you guys compare this slim-fit set to the old TXP Samsungs in terms of PQ? I was thinking about just buying the TXP models, but I was wondering if the new slim-fits had the same or better PQ than the old models. Really, size isn't an issue. Would it be better to get a TXP than a slim-fit? They're cheaper (but not that much cheaper...a few hundred dollars on average depending on where you get it on the internet).
I usually don't go with any "rev 1" products from any manufacturer. For that reason I'd wait until Samsung has a couple of revisions out first. The older TXPs are great. I actually have one even a little older, from the TXN series and I just love it.

Watch out buying over the internet. It can be a real hassle if you need to exchange or return it.

Hockeymac18

09-08-05, 07:47 PM

yeah, I'd prefer not to buy over the internet...but if I could get my hands on a TXP, and knowning that it'd be cheaper...and if I knew the PQ was better or just as good as the current slim-fit models, I'd highly consider going that route..size is not an issue, so the slim-fits being smaller isn't really a big deal to me...in fact, if there are sacrafices being made, I'd rather just buy the older models that are the similar and cheaper, but not as small. Thanks for your input.

ghost runner

09-13-05, 09:43 PM

xgrep

09-14-05, 10:56 AM

1. How do I fix 4:3 geometry issues (have been in service menu to get 16:9 looking correct)?While I don't have personal experience calibrating the slimfit, I'm fairly sure you can hire a TV calibration professional to do this. But it could cost a couple hundred $, and that might more than make up for the difference in price of a different model, unless you are very pleased with other aspects of this set (it's wonderful size, for example).

x

justsc

09-14-05, 11:21 AM

Purchased 3079 slimfit. I have "geometry" issues when in 4:3 mode. When in 16:9 everything is great. When utilizing OTA, tv automatically switches between 16:9 and 4:3 between show/commercials and show/show (some shows 16:9, some 4:3)

1. How do I fix 4:3 geometry issues (have been in service menu to get 16:9 looking correct)?

2. is the switching normal, and can I keep everything in 16:9?

if i can't get it fixed, I will go back and get Sony xs955, but I would really like to fix/keep set if possible.

Thanks
The switching is normal. While watching Monday Night Football you'll see the game in 16:9, and the commercials (usually) in 4:3. Then, the very next show might be 4:3. I even saw some transmission problems during the game Monday night where the picture was arbitrarily switching between 16:9 and 4:3.

What, specifically, are the geometry problems you're seeing?

Before trying anything yourself, call your reseller and have them come out and fix the problem.

ghost runner

09-14-05, 11:54 AM

The switching is normal. While watching Monday Night Football you'll see the game in 16:9, and the commercials (usually) in 4:3. Then, the very next show might be 4:3. I even saw some transmission problems during the game Monday night where the picture was arbitrarily switching between 16:9 and 4:3.

What, specifically, are the geometry problems you're seeing?

Before trying anything yourself, call your reseller and have them come out and fix the problem.
Thanks xpgreg and justsc.

This may be a dumb question, but I assume they there is not a one-size fits all group of service menu settings?

I may just take it back, and get the sure thing Sony. but I do like the style..................

justsc

09-14-05, 12:21 PM

Thanks xpgreg and justsc.

This may be a dumb question, but I assume they there is not a one-size fits all group of service menu settings?

I may just take it back, and get the sure thing Sony. but I do like the style..................
One size fits all? It's been a long time since I've been inside the Samsung SM. I seem to remember that geometry issues were handled through the individual "Offsets" (e.g. 1080 Offset, 480p Offset, etc). The Video Adjust (1 through whatever) where for system-wide settings like gamma, VSM, etc.

You seem hesitant to place a trouble call. True? Your satisfaction is their responsibility, not yours.

Maybe I'm just lazy, but I'd rather have them fix it in my home than lug my 200lb tv back to CC for an exchange.

Best of Luck with whichever road you choose! ;)

Rafter Man

09-14-05, 08:21 PM

The deflection pcb has been updated so supposedly the geometry issue has been improved. This should be covered under warranty so I would like to get anyone's feedback who has had this board replaced and if it has helped.

TIME2PLAYDAGAME

09-19-05, 02:09 AM

Since ima n00b here, let me first say hello :)

Ok well i bought this TV a lil over a week ago and everything seems fine. I had read everyones comments & point of views but still went for it. My Samsung HDTV crapped out on me after 4yrs, so this TV seemed logical b/c i love Sammy's pic quality & the look & price is awesome. Anyways My problem comes when i play Xbox,PS2 or GC games via component cables. During scenes where the picture goes black, im seeing white shadows the size of the screen vertically on both the right & left hand side of the screen. They're about 2-3 wide and maybe an inch away from the right & left edges of the TV. As soon as the screen goes back & playing the games it seems to disappear. Now i dont have these white shadows while watching TV in regular or Hi-Def viewing. Even while watching DVD's which i have connected thru S-Video i dont see the shadows. Its only the games! :(

Ok heres where my problem probably lies but i'd rather have an 'expert' opinion first. The 3 systems are connected through a $20 Phillips component switch i bought from Wal-Mart. Also maybe im freaking out prematurely b/c i have yet to try plugging 1 of the systems through the TV components. My TV repair man came & took a look @ it and said there was another customer with the same TV who had the same shadows while playing video games but he was using a different component switcher that had a power plug. My TV repair man went on to say he thinks its the video games? :rolleyes:

Sorry for such a long post my first time but can anyone give me any ideas or suggestions? Anything with the service menu maybe? Thanks

rhcorolla

09-19-05, 11:21 AM

bilboda

09-19-05, 11:30 AM

Also maybe im freaking out prematurely b/c i have yet to try plugging 1 of the systems through the TV components.

Sorry for such a long post my first time but can anyone give me any ideas or suggestions? Anything with the service menu maybe? Thanks
Try that first to eliminate the switch.

TIME2PLAYDAGAME

09-19-05, 02:51 PM

Thanks for the reply. Ok i plugged the component cables into the TV and its still the same. Maybe not as bad but i can still see it. And its even worse while using the PS2. Its only on the right hand side though. Im wondering if it could be my Aiwa stereo which is on a stand to the right side of the TV(maybe 1ft away) causing some kind of magnetic problem? I have the speakers to the radio on the left & right of the TV on the floor also. If its not that then possibly its the Mad Catz component cables i bought? Does Monster cables really make a difference? Im @ loss on what to do here b/c everything else with this TV is perfect! No sign of these shadows watching TV even when black bars are present or watching DVDs. :confused:

TIME2PLAYDAGAME

09-19-05, 11:50 PM

For whatever reason, i think i've 'fixed' the problem. In the SM my CXA Left was 28 and the CXA Right was 20. I set the CXA Right to 23* and the shadow went away. Doesnt seem to have an effect on my viewing of TV or anything, so i guess it worked. :p

Quick question though...What exactly is the setting i changed? lol

XDanX

09-21-05, 10:28 PM

So I messed around with the deflection settings for this tv a little to much not realizing that the reset option didn't reset everything:/ I have been looking everywhere for the defaults and I haven't been able to find them, so I was wondering if anyone had this tv if youcould you please please please post them for me it would be greatly appreciated. It's not that I can't get the tv looking normal but I havent been able to get it exactly right and I figured if anyone could help me it would be the people on here. Thanks again!:P

JIMMYJAMMA

09-24-05, 04:01 PM

Welome to the club. I did the same thing. Took me 6 hours and a fifth of Stoli to get it looking good. Good luck! Might want to try something other than Stoli :-)

JIMMYJAMMA

09-26-05, 01:14 PM

I just bought the service manual online for the TX-R3079WH (30" Slimfit with wide speakers). If you need it to adjust geometry email me. I found there are many setting that should be "fixed" not adjusted. The other one posted on a previous page is not for this TV. Found out the hard way. Not an S62 chassis. Its a K62A chassis.

Jim

jgarrirz

09-26-05, 09:36 PM

kilgore trout

09-27-05, 10:38 AM

I used the pdf linked by vagabond to learn what some of the service menu geometry type settings do and also found justsc's post on page 6 to be rather helpful.

I believe the values in the service menu at start are set at the factory on an individual set basis - so seriously write them down. Out of the box my screen was noticiably off center by about 1/2 an inch to the bottom (and slightly to the left), so zoom1 would show a small black bar at the top of screen. I was able to correct that and I also tinkered a bit to slightly improve the geometry. I think that a noticable amount of geometry distortion must be inherent to this design, but it doesn't bother me at this point - Especially since I was able to access the service menu and tweak it.

I hadn't well researched this TV beforehand, and I wish I had... BUT for the money, its looks, and its size - that 1/3 reduction really can make a big difference in placement and access to connections on the back of a TV - I am happy with this set. Other than the slightly noticable distortion, the picture looks great and it's far and away the nicest set I've owned. Unless there's another goodlooking slim ws tube tv in this price range, I'd buy it again. I do find it inexcuseable, however, that samsung would have such quality control and calibration issues - I'm well aware that I shouldn't have to go into the service menu to make improvements on a new set.

This forum won't let me post links until I've made 5 posts :(

wmorag1

09-28-05, 11:13 PM

Went to Crutchfields website and got better details about the newly designed slimfit. It appears that other than the design of the new slimfit samsung has added a 3d digital comb filter to help the PQ ( the haze on a NFL referees jersey). As a side note I have worked at a Best Buy for about 2 years now and I have never heard of the geometry problems. However I am sure they are their now that i have read this forum. Unfortunately the BB i work at is in Louisiana and our Samsung was a victim to some hurricane katrina debris so I havent been able to see it for myself.

bmel

09-29-05, 07:59 AM

As a side note I have worked at a Best Buy for about 2 years now and I have never heard of the geometry problems. However I am sure they are their now that i have read this forum.

I've always thought that the AVS Forum should be required reading for salespeople at the big box stores. An excellent educational tool.

rhcorolla

09-29-05, 09:07 AM

As a side note I have worked at a Best Buy for about 2 years now and I have never heard of the geometry problems. However I am sure they are their now that i have read this forum.

I've wondered if the only Samsung R3079WH slimfits w/ geometry problems were the ones sold by Circuit City (not casting aspersions on CC, they just might have got a bad batch early run possibly).

kilgore trout

09-30-05, 01:28 PM

My TV has some geometry issues (albeit tolerable - although that's subjective) and it came from best buy - my service menu had something listed with a march 2005 date, I'm assuming that is when it left the factory - But I'm not sure when they started producing these. Does anyone have any documentation of the 3080 and later 3079 actually making improvements? The 3080 seems to have the exact same feature set with a different external design.

rhcorolla

09-30-05, 03:10 PM

Rafter Man

09-30-05, 03:30 PM

New defl PCB is from Aug. 05 production onwards. Sounds like you have the original version.

XDanX

10-02-05, 10:50 PM

Alright so I finally got the deflection the way I needed them and sure enough later today I turned on the tv to watch some cable and the picture is in black and white! Now the thing is its only the cable not anything else, dvd's work fine and so does everything else except for the cable now I can't see anything in the service menu doing this at all so my question is is there a setting in there that I could have possibly messed with that would have done something like this? I am really starting to hate this tv:/

wmorag1

10-05-05, 10:02 PM

holy crap i went into work today and displayed a new samsung and also got one back from our service guys that was damaged in the storm. I must say after looking at both TV's im very dissapointed. I switched both TV's to 4:3 mode and the bars on the side were terrible, one worse than the other. If your not ever going to use the 4:3 mode then this is a great tv but if you plan on using the 4:3 mode then you better be prepared for some crap.

propag

10-10-05, 12:52 PM

bmel

10-10-05, 07:11 PM

xgrep

10-11-05, 04:31 PM

I have my comcast STB plugged in via component video and analog audio. I thougt I would try the DVI out from the STB and got a dvi-hdmi cable. I get a picture but no sound on the hdmi input. Is there no way to direct the tv to the analog audio inputs when using the HDMI input? Can I expect sound if I use a digital audio input along with the HDMI video?Very interesting. As you already know, DVI does not carry the audio signal, while full HDMI does.

For what it's worth, two other TVs I have tried in that configuration (DVI to HDMI) had clear instructions on how to select audio from an alternate input when using the HDMI input for video only. These were a Sony and a Toshiba. I downloaded the manual for your set and looked through it, and there's nothing that says how you would get audio in such a situation. Your idea to try the digital audio input might work. Also, have you tried connecting the audio cables to all possible audio inputs while the HDMI input is selected? I suppose you probably have, but just thought I'd ask.

If all else fails (and obviously, component input hasn't failed), you could look around to see if there isn't some kind of DVI-HDMI adapter that also encodes analog audio input (or even digital) and inserts it into the HDMI data stream. But frankly, even if such a thing exists, I would be very surprised if it would be worth the cost/effort for you.

If you ever get it working, please let us know! If not, I would say this is a nasty "unfeature" of the set.

x

bmel

10-11-05, 05:34 PM

justsc

10-11-05, 06:33 PM

In some areas, Comcast is introducing a new version of its 6412 STB that has HDMI out. You might give them a call and see if you can switch (if you even use this box) since your set only seems to support HDMI-HDMI.

Rabbit_Ears

10-12-05, 02:59 PM

I just purchased a Slimfit (TX-R3079WH) and wanted to add my experience to the mix.

I live in San Jose, CA and purchased the TV from Sears. Sears has a price matching policy and they matched the $799.99 online-only price that was offered by the Good Guys chain and refunded me 10% of the difference ($20). The day after I purchased the TV, the Good Guys went out of business and the online store was shut down. Lucky timing! I preferred buying the TV from Sears since I knew there was a chance I would need to return it based on all the comments I read on this forum and others.

After a few days of useage this is what I have found: I don’t have a geometry issue at all. Horizontal lines (ie text scrolls) look nice and straight. If I position myself sideways to the TV and sight down the text scroll, I can see a very slight warp upward in the middle of the screen but its very subtle on my TV. Looking straight into the screen, I can’t see it at all. Perhaps my set is newer and the problem is resolved?

Somebody complained that when you don’t use all of the screen (ie 4:3 mode), that the background bars are grey. My bars are black. So that’s good.

Somebody said their Slimfit had a strong hot-plastic smell. Not mine (unless I stick my nose right up to the rear air vent)

Now for the PQ:
I installed a smallish Radio Shack antenna (VU-75XR) in my Attic and that allows me to pick up all the San Francisco area HDTV signals. Free HDTV! I’m not willing to pay Comcast the extra $$$ for digital TV and HD content. The HD image on the Slimfit is fantastic. Way better than LCD screens at twice the cost. The TV really shines in this regard.

Now for my complaint about the Slimfit. The analog signal from my Cable TV lead is weak due to it being extra extra long and having 2 splitters at two locations. I took the weak lead and split it again with one lead going to the new Slimfit and the other going to an old (12 years old) 25” Magnavox TV. The Magnavox image is faded from age but it does a better job of displaying the weak image than the Slimfit. The Slimfit image was very grainy. The Magnavox image was a little bit grainy but not enough to prevent you from watching. The Slimfit grainy image was absolutely unwatchable. My next test was to use a much shorter cable from the source and I removed the two splitters. The result was that the Slimfit image was now better than the old Magnavox. So the bottom line is that for analog TV watching, the Slimfit needs a very strong analog input signal or you will get a much grainier picture than a typical older analog TV. Even with the stronger signal, the Slimfit image was not perfect so my next test will be to replace the cheap 25’ coax lead I used from the source (under my house) with higher quality cable.

While I’m at it, the remote control is very un-cool looking. It looks like a remote control from the 80’s. It doesn’t match the good looks of the Slimfit TV at all. Strange!

Overall I really love the looks, size, price, and built-in HDTV tuner of the Samsung Slimfit so I’m doing everything I can to improve the grainy image from analog cable. I’ll report back when I upgrade my cable lead.

rhcorolla

10-12-05, 03:27 PM

kilgore trout

10-12-05, 04:00 PM

The 4:3 mode on my 3079 has gray bars. If I watch DVDs on my slimfit tv, however, the dvd player supplies black bars.

An interesting note on my tv set (3079 pre-updates): I came home a week or so ago and turned the tv set on and the tilt was way off (it did this overnight on its own). I was able to readjust the tilt with the remote, but I now have significantly more bowing in the middle of my TV, as has been described by many others. The bottom 2 inches or so aren't bad, so tickers are fine. But as you go a few more inches up towards the middle of the tv it is quite noticable with larger banners, etc. I'm not really sure how/why this has happened. It's still not awful, but I'd like to have a pristine picture for the $1000 I paid. I'm wary of contacting samsung about this, because I live in a rural area and I'm not interested in lugging my tv on a several hour drive for repairs.

Has anyone successfully gotten their tv replaced or repaired by samsung due solely to geometry issues (i.e. not a store return, after owning the tv for several months)? If so, what were the results?

Rabbit_Ears

10-12-05, 04:13 PM

Thanks for the review Rabbit_Ears, most informative! Heck of a deal you got as well...

Have you tried DVD's?

It's interesting that your 3079 has black bars on 4:3 AR, as I saw a 3079 this past weekend @ Circuit City, & it definitely had "light gray" bars when changing an ESPNHD 16:9 feed to 4:3.

Yes, I tried a DVD (Harry Potter) using old-school composite cables and it looked just fine but I'm expecting it to look better when I switch to component cables. I will say that the Slimfit speakers sounded great. I could detect the stereo seperation sitting 6 feet away from the screen. Thats probably an advantage the 3079 has over the 3080 which has the speakers below with less seperation.

I am definatly not getting light gray bars. Vertical and Horizontal bars are black on my set. I will have to check out display models at Best Buy and Circuit City to see what those gray bars looks like.

For earlier posts, It sounds like there is a way for me to see Date and Revision Level information regarding my TV. How do I find that info?

kilgore trout

10-12-05, 04:21 PM

lubor

10-12-05, 04:43 PM

Hi,

I live in France and just have ordered Samsung CW29Z306V which seems to be a European model of SlimFit, perhaps the first SlimFit coming to the market here.

But something strange - the Samsung technical specifications gives the weight of this 29" model 13,5 kg ...
You can check French Samsung website.

This must be an error, right?
This strange weight is actually on every Internet site offering this model...

I hope that the quality (made in Hungary) is better than those in US, made in Mexico :D

xgrep

10-12-05, 07:25 PM

Well, upon further review...There is no digital audio input on the tv. The optical jack on the tv is an audio out jack for the ota tuner. I can find no way to get the tv to recognize the analog audio inputs when the HDMI input is selected. A DVI-HDMI cable is a no-go on this tv.
Thanks for trying. I'll stick with component for now. The HDMI pq does not appear to be significantly better.
BrianOK, thanks for the follow-up.

For what it's worth, differences in HDMI/YPbPr PQ sometimes depend on the STB's output resolution setting (i.e., 720p or 1080i) and the resolution of the video content. There are image scalers in both the STB and the TV, and the exact combination that works best isn't always the same. You can find that the subjective PQ can be the same, or better one way or the other, and that it can change as the video content's resolution changes. In all cases, though, it's still usually a lot nicer than SD or even ED.

x

xgrep

10-12-05, 07:28 PM

But something strange - the Samsung technical specifications gives the weight of this 29" model 13,5 kg ...
You can check French Samsung website.

This must be an error, right?:-) :-)

That would be either a very wonderful TV, or a very empty TV :-).

I believe the weight would be very close to the US model (about 55kg?).

x

Gnusmas7

10-13-05, 09:40 AM

lubor

10-13-05, 09:57 AM

FYI, the price is 399€.
You can see the specification including the wrong weight at
samsung com fr products tv televisions files cw29z306v pdf
Just replace the spaces by slashes or dots :p

rhcorolla

10-13-05, 10:20 AM

The only Samsung slimfits shown on their US website are the 2- 30" WS models & a 27" WS model...

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_subtype.jsp?eUser=&prod_path=%2fAudio+and+Video%2fTV%2fSlimFit+HDTV

edit: justsc, you are correct sir. The 27" is not WS 16:9.

justsc

10-13-05, 11:15 AM

The only Samsung slimfits shown on their US website are the 2- 30" WS models & a 27" WS model...
The 27" model is a 4:3 set.

justsc

10-13-05, 11:16 AM

hello
samsung has just released 4:3 version of slimfit in america, which means it will be on sale in europe in a month or two. (i'm from Europe)

check it out on samsung's website

i'm guessing that 4:3 version won't have geometry issues, (usualy 4:3 tv's are more "resistant" to that kind of problems) because it doesn't need to shrink the signal from 16:9 to 4:3 mode!

do you guys agree?
4:3 models are not exempt from geometry problems. I have an older "TXN" series set and it had some geometry issues. Luckily, like most, these were easy to fix in the Service Menu.

high def mon

10-14-05, 02:56 AM

High all Just had the gratifying experience of seeing the Samy SlimFit setting next to a Sony KD-34XBR960 and the good fortune to have the general manager helping me. He assured me that all the sets were right out of the box with no calibration done. Which is too bad since I was shopping the Sony. He said that they (a fairly large electronics store) stayed away from the first gen. of SlimFits, unlike the CC nextdoor. I have to say I saw no geometry problems in HD however I did see a narrower black bar on the bottom right in SD. No bowing, it was just a slightly slanted BLACK bar that got about 1/4" narrower at the bottom. Taking into consideration the the Sony was 4" larger, the PQ of the Samy was sharper. I wonder if he would let me try and do some calibrating on the Sony;) Well all tomfoolery aside I don't think the (out of box) Sony's picture is worth $800 more than the Samy's. However to be fare I will reread all posts in this thread and with a more critical eye go back to this store. BTW has anyone with professional equipment done a review of the Samy?

Rabbit_Ears

10-14-05, 12:03 PM

The date that I found - although I'm not completely sure of its significance - was on the service menu. Turn off the tv, press mute, 1, 8, 2 and then hit power to access the menu. You don't have to make changes or anything to see a date, it's on the main menu. Don't make any changes without writing down defaults as some have done.

Thanks for the pointing out how to see the date code in the service menu.

Since my set doesn't have major geometry issues AND it has black bars in 4:3 (not light gray), I was expecting the date code to be a little more recent that what I actually saw. Perhaps, like you said, this date may not be significant.

The date code as displayed on the Service Menu looks like this:
T_COREAUS0_2001, May 20 2005
T_COREAUS5_102

Additonally, in my earlier post, I stated my TV didn't have any geometry issues but since then I've discovered a couple of geometry type things that I didn't notice before. Both are minor but I will point them out anyway.
(1) In the upper right hand corner, a horizontal line near the top of the screen will bow slightly downward. I didn't notice it before because I had not seen any programming with horizontal lines in that part of the screen.

(2) When in 4:3 mode, the vertical black bar on the left side of the screen is wider at the top than at the bottom which means the screen boundary on that edge is not perfectly vertical. The other side (right side) is good.

GamerGirl

10-14-05, 02:58 PM

Could someone please tell me the model number for the newest 30" widescreen Samsung SlimFit HDTV? I know it's in here but I'm too lazy to look through all the posts lol

:)

Paul210

10-14-05, 03:03 PM

I think you're referring to the TX-R3080WH

GamerGirl

10-14-05, 03:25 PM

The one listed at BestBuy.com is the TX-R3079WH. So are they going to be discontinuing that one for the newer model you mentioned?

justsc

10-14-05, 03:30 PM

I'm not sure if the "80" is a replacement, or just another configuration. Usres have been screaming for manufacturers to put the speakers on the bottom of the tube, rather than on the sides. It helps with tight fitting entertainment centers.

I have heard that the "80" has some bug fixes though...

Paul210

10-14-05, 03:32 PM

Someone more knowledgeable can chime in here any time. The '79' has the speakers on the side and the '80' has them on the bottom, effectively reducing the overall width. I don't know if they're discontinuing the 79 or if the 80 is just another design addition.

Paul210

10-14-05, 03:36 PM

justsc,

Sorry--we posted at same time.

It sure would be nice if they fixed some of the issues, i.e., geometry, red push, etc. The size of this set is exactly what I'm looking for.

Paul

GamerGirl

10-14-05, 03:43 PM

After learning I can get this for $900, I'm debating whether to get it or the Sony 30" everyone's raving about, which is about the same price. But the geometry problems bug me. I mean, if they aren't too bad, I don't care, but some of what people have said sounds bad.

justsc

10-14-05, 03:44 PM

justsc,

Sorry--we posted at same time.

It sure would be nice if they fixed some of the issues, i.e., geometry, red push, etc. The size of this set is exactly what I'm looking for.

Paul
No problem.

Multiple posts with the same info helps buyers have confidence in the info they're getting here.

Most problems posted regarding the SlimFits are pretty easy to resolve in the Service Menu. You just have to know where to look to make adjustments. Many buyers are now bringing these sets home with little to no problems.

GamerGirl

10-14-05, 03:50 PM

Thanks for the info, guys. :) Well now that I know I can put these sets on layaway for pretty much as long as I want, I'll go down to the store and check the SlimFit and the Sony out. Might even run across another set that's more suitable for my budget and needs.

thirteenyahs

10-15-05, 07:45 PM

Hi guys. I just bought myself a slimfit and have only found one real problem: all the cable channels are in black and white. Is there somewhere in the service menu I can see if it's turned off or something, or should I just take it back? I've checked the cable i'm using and it's fine. Everything else I plug in are all in color and look great.

not-a-tech

10-16-05, 07:30 AM

Does anyone know when the 3080 model of the Slimfit will be widely available? I have only seen it on the internet available through a few local distributors but none in my area.
Thanks,
not-a-tech

nuzreq

10-16-05, 06:09 PM

Sparco

10-16-05, 06:18 PM

They have the new slim fit at Tweeter.

http://www.tweeter.com/sm-samsung-txr3080wh-30-and-034-slimfit-and-153-hdtv-w--pi-2066726.html

scotlandcap

10-16-05, 11:44 PM

I believe Abt in suburban Chicago has them and ships everywhere as well.

byrd

10-17-05, 12:30 AM

has ANYONE had a repair person successfully repair the geometry issue? Was it by replacing a part or was it a service menu adjustment? I'm curios if it's worth the trouble of having someone come fix it. Menu tweeks have only gotten me so far.

bocmir

10-17-05, 01:48 AM

Is there any possible way of resetting the service menu back to it's default settings? Or, possibly a better question, does anyone know the factory settings for the Deflection menu from the service menu?There's no way to get back to default settings. There's a "reset" option, but that'll just clear all the values, not revert them to factory setting. And every set comes with different values; they're all individually configured. If you went ahead and changed values without writing them down first..well, good luck. Your best bet will be to get a copy of DVE/Avia, load up a geometry/overscan pattern, and tweak until you get some results.

WaltA

10-17-05, 01:26 PM

You would still need the HD package if you want cable in HD..Builr in tuner just allows you to recieve OTA HD broadcast from local stations.. &, yes, I'd get the 955 over the 420 & slimfit..

So, the "built-in HD tuner" doesn't receive HD digital cable QAM??? Bummer... :(

Sparco

10-17-05, 02:00 PM

I saw the new slimfit at Tweeters. It's definitely better looking than the older one but I think that picture quality suffers when they shrink the form factor. It seems only natural that something would have to give in the tradeoff.

GamerGirl

10-17-05, 03:59 PM

I saw the new SlimFit at a local electronics store side-by-side with an XBR360 (I know, kinda unfair comparison lol), and the thing that annoyed me was that both sets were receiving identical HD feeds, the PQ was pretty decent on the Samsung, but it kept freezing and stuttering throughout the broadcast, whereas the XBR360 was smooth and perfect. The sales guy next to me said it was because the HD tuner probably wasn't as strong as the others in the room, and I was like "Duh!" Why would anyone want to buy the set, then, if the salespeople themselves put down the HD tuner?

What a let down. I'm gonna go with a different set.

idahov

10-17-05, 04:08 PM

Sparco

10-17-05, 07:27 PM

I recently returned the SlimFit after two weeks of viewing. It was replaced by a Sony 955. Not only are the OTA HD feeds smoother on the Sony, the Sony actually picked up one additional channel. Same antenna, same everything.

Did you have the older or newer slimfit?

I have to admit, I saw the newer slimfit at a different tweeter today and it looked pretty good.

Rabbit_Ears

10-17-05, 09:04 PM

How sad. On Sunday I returned the SlimFit and got my money back. I really hated returning this TV, especially after getting it for such a good price ($780). On my initial post (on 10/12/05) in this forum, I stated that the geometry issues on my set were very very minor and the only real issue I had was a general graininess of the picture. The HDTV signal I pulled in over the air was fantastic but the (non-digital) images from my analog cable were just too grainy to watch. I spent lots of money and countless hours of time, rerouting the cable line under my house to be as short as possible. I upgraded all the F-connectors to new gold plated stuff. I eliminated two splitters. I even tried adding a signal booster at the halfway point of the cable lead. After all that, I did see an improvement but the picture was still too grainy. When I disconnected the cable input to the Slimfit and hooked it up to my 12 year old Magnavox, the picture was better on the old TV. The grain was there but its very subdued on the Magnavox while the SlimFit seems to boost the graininess. According to people I talk to, they say the problem is due to the digital TV scaling up the NTSC image and therefore boosting the signal noise to be more prominent on the higher resolution screen. So my conclusion is that the SlimFit TV still has potential to be great as long as you feed it a digital signal (Digital Cable, Satellite, or over-the-air HDTV) and you get one without the gray bars and geometry issues. Its funny, even though I don’t own it anymore, I still want to see this TV succeed in the market!

nuzreq

10-18-05, 12:02 AM

There's no way to get back to default settings. There's a "reset" option, but that'll just clear all the values, not revert them to factory setting. And every set comes with different values; they're all individually configured. If you went ahead and changed values without writing them down first..well, good luck. Your best bet will be to get a copy of DVE/Avia, load up a geometry/overscan pattern, and tweak until you get some results.

I was just curious, i haven't changed anything drastically and the picture looks pretty sweet. I was just curious if there was a way to get back to the orignal settings.

KBI

10-18-05, 12:15 AM

So, the "built-in HD tuner" doesn't receive HD digital cable QAM??? Bummer... :(

after further investigation some sites say it does support QAM.. So the jury is still out..

idahov

10-18-05, 12:54 AM

Did you have the older or newer slimfit?

I have to admit, I saw the newer slimfit at a different tweeter today and it looked pretty good.

I had the older one. I loved the look and design of the TV, but it had significant geometry issues. I had a hard time keeping a TV that required a service tech right out of the box. Was going to replace it with another, but made the CC guys pull it out of the box and hook it up in the store before I took it home. The second one was worst than the first. So, I bagged that idea and stumbled into the 955 as it went on clearance at BB.

Sparco

10-23-05, 02:39 AM

It seems that most people eventually get a Sony.. I wonder if that's what I'll end up doing.

Does anyone else have an opinion on the Samsung TXR3080WH?

byrd

10-23-05, 01:27 PM

and also, has anyone successfully had the geometry issues repaired by a technician?

Nich

10-23-05, 04:25 PM

I live in Europe, and it seems that there are only two models of this TV out, both without
HDMI and 720p. Does anybody know if the HDMI/720p models will be available here??

Thanks,

Nicholas

Sparco

10-23-05, 04:55 PM

I went to Tweeter again today and really liked the picture on the TXR3080WH. The problem was there was obvious bowing going on at the bottom of the screen.

Nich

10-24-05, 03:21 AM

Oh, by the way!

Could it be used OK as a PC monitor?? maybe at 1020x576?

Nicholas

vilcabti

10-24-05, 04:43 PM

Nich, I'm afraid no. The european model doesn't have neither HDMI nor support 720p. Ask Samsung why...

About your last question, I'm waiting my ATI dongle VGA-YUV. In theory this set can be used as PC display. When I try it, I'll post here my results. It will be in a couple of weeks (I'm from Peru and I have ordered from USA).

Cheers.

Nich

10-24-05, 05:20 PM

vilcabti, thanks!!

Looking forward to hearing your results!!

Nicholas

dinge

10-31-05, 03:07 PM

Hi,

I'm very interested in buying a Samsung SlimFit TV (the WS-32Z316V).

Could someone (preferrably an owner) tell me whether this TV has an audio output (analog or digital) to hook it up to my receiver?
I don't see any outputs listed on the Samsung site...
But it would be strange to put such a TV on the market with no audio outputs, right?
Or is there another way to "extract" audio from this machine (via scart??)

Thank you!
Dinge.

Ticotva

11-01-05, 12:27 AM

It seems that most people eventually get a Sony.. I wonder if that's what I'll end up doing.

Does anyone else have an opinion on the Samsung TXR3080WH?

We have one in our store here and it looks fine. We havent' had the Geometry issues. I know the new one has all the fixes too. I actually like the design a bit better

j3ff3r

11-01-05, 08:47 PM

hi! i'm new to the forums. i'm thinking of getting one of these slimfit tv's for our living room and the only model available here in manila is the samsung WS-32Z30HE. do you guys think this model will have the same problems as those units available in the US?

thruxton

11-02-05, 12:46 AM

I went to Tweeter again today and really liked the picture on the TXR3080WH. The problem was there was obvious bowing going on at the bottom of the screen.

i saw this once, after a long examination.

went again yesterday to CC and could not find any issues with dvd music videos or a dvd movie playing thru component. i wonder if some TV's have it and some not? or is it something that is not there all the time :confused:

overall the PQ is ok. about the same for all the CRT's. 3 1/2 - 4 stars depending. Robots looked so-so while Driven looked pretty good.

this Tv is officially on my "good enough" list and priced thousands less :cool:

SCriss

11-02-05, 05:24 PM

It seems that most people eventually get a Sony.. I wonder if that's what I'll end up doing.

Yep. I got the 30" slimfit, because of the size issue. Looked great in the store. Looked like crap at home. The everpresent bowing was a problem, and SD was unwatchably horrible.

Returned it literally hours later for a Sony 30xs955 (I know - not really a competitor, as it is a significant step up) and I could not be happier. Amazing PQ all around.

Of course, the Sony is a monster, so I had to buy an extra plant or two to disguise it! :p

J.C. Eagle

11-02-05, 10:40 PM

Yep. I got the 30" slimfit, because of the size issue. Looked great in the store. Looked like crap at home. The everpresent bowing was a problem, and SD was unwatchably horrible.

Returned it literally hours later for a Sony 30xs955 (I know - not really a competitor, as it is a significant step up) and I could not be happier. Amazing PQ all around.

Of course, the Sony is a monster, so I had to buy an extra plant or two to disguise it! :p

They still sell the XS955's in stores? Where was this, Caldor?

justsc

11-03-05, 12:42 PM

They still sell the XS955's in stores? Where was this, Caldor?
The XS955s are available from many resellers. For some reason BB decided to close them out, but that's not because of any such direction from Sony. I was just at Fry's here locally last week and there were lots of these available.

Caldor? Wow! I used to live in Woodstock, NY and there was a Caldor in Kingston. This chain is still going?

Snake2715

11-03-05, 04:59 PM

Just an FYI the SLimfit is available from ABC wharehouse (if you have those in your location) supposedly it ahs or will be dropping to 899 on sale and normally you can get them to drop another $100 off the price.

This is in reference to the Slimfit 3080 (this particular model has the speakers on the bottom giving it a narrower width than the common 3079)

FYI

rkduke

11-03-05, 08:31 PM

Add me to the list of people with geometry and fuzzy blotch problems with the SlimFit. Do not buy this TV - at least not at Tweeter. I bought the "80" version in late August and immediately notice geometry problems and a yellowish blob on the right side of the picture. It took Tweeter 3 weeks to get somebody out to see the TV and then two months to get me a replacement. You'd think Tweeter would have the decency to deliver a replacement for a defective TV to my home but no - they made me lug my first unit into the store. They then tried to pawn off a TV in a previously opened box. Fortunately, I made them take the TV out and try it in the store - it had the same problems as the first unit. I asked for a refund and after trying to push me to other options and putting up a fuss Tweeter finally gave me my money back. That's the last time I step into their store!

julio388

11-05-05, 01:10 PM

Have you seen the latest consumer reports december issue, samsung slimfit got poor reviews. Sony crt took top honors once again. Don't know why such a big blob about slimfit, it sucks from day one i saw it .

Crono617

11-05-05, 02:02 PM

I heard the geometry issue with this set can mostly be corrected via the service menu. Anyone with this TV that has eliminated most if not all of the bow effect along the bottom of the TV mind posting their service menu settings? Thanks in advance for any help one can give me.

Kitkat88

11-05-05, 06:34 PM

I waited about 6 months to get a slimfit. Just when I made up my mind to get the 3079, but 3080 came out. I was going to go to a retailer today and pick up the 3080 model. For some reason, I just went on the Samsung website and there is a newer model of the slimfit: the 3081. I called customer service to find out what is the difference between the 3080 and the 3081. He couldnt find anything, but I was told that the 3081 is going to be released between now and January 1st. I also did a google search, couldnt come up with anything on the 3081.

I can't understand why Samsung would put out another model that is not some type of upgrade of the previous models. It seems like a waste of time and money. Hopefully this model corrects some of the "bowing" issues that was with the 3079 and the 3080.

Does anyone have any info on the txr3081wh? Thanks.

julio388

11-05-05, 07:23 PM

If you have read the latest consumer reports dec. issue slimfit is just a major disappointment. Why are you considering buying a slimfit, while the prices of lcd are going down.

Crono617

11-05-05, 07:45 PM

Other than that slight bow on the bottom (which I read here in this thread can be eliminated) this TV set is operating nicely. DVD's look sharp. Video games look sharp. It handles SD extremely well which is a big plus in my book. I'm fiddling with the service menu but I cannot get the bow right. I'm hoping someone who has this set can help. At only 850-900 dollars, even with the slight bow the size, picture, and features make this a bargain.

iatoolie

11-05-05, 10:05 PM

I'm having a problem with my Samsung 3079wh I'd like to throw out to see if anyone has been able to fix it or had it repaired by a service technician. On the right side of the screen, I notice alternating, blurry stripes of green, blue, and red. They are most noticeable against black backgrounds (for instance, space scenes in Star Wars episode III). These only appear when watching HDTV or DVD's in 16:9, zoom1, and zoom2 modes. They are not present in panoramic and 4:3 modes. I have unplugged the TV to degauss it several times. Sometimes they disappear completely, sometimes they lessen in intensity. If they do disappear it seems they come back if I switch between components/antenna signals or turn the TV off and on. I have removed all possible magnetic sources away from the set but his does not seem to affect them. These were not there when we first got the TV . . .

Any advice, service menu settings, etc? Should I just call Samsung and have someone come out? Thanks in advance!

Crono617

11-05-05, 10:26 PM

I think the problem you are describing is like that one I had, but mine occurred at the top of the screen. I adjusted the V-Shift in the service menu and it went away. Try changing your H-Shift and see if that works. Be sure to right down your original setting before you do this.

scotlandcap

11-05-05, 11:23 PM

Paul210

11-06-05, 01:25 AM

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_subtype.jsp?eUser=&prod_path=%2fAudio+and+Video%2fTV%2fSlimFit+HDTV

According to the specs, the 3081 does have side inputs. They must be on the opposite side as they aren't visible in the picture. The cabinet looks totally different from the 3080.

SJshopper

11-07-05, 02:01 AM

Has anybody seen the 3080 model in the San Francisco bay area? I can only find the 3079, which is too wide for my cabinet. The 3080 seems to be available in other parts of the US, but no dealer here has been able to tell me anything about availability.

JonnyZ

11-07-05, 09:08 PM

mimik

11-08-05, 05:50 AM

Hello everyone,
I'm from Europe and i have samsung ws 32z316 slimfit tv. This is not a digital HD tv but it looks the same (speakers on the bottom of tv). I also have geometry problems and i try to fix them in service menu.
I turned tv off first, but pressing /MUTE/1,8,2/POWER/ DOESN'T WORK ON THIS MODEL :confused:
Please, does anyone know how to enter service menu on this model!?
Thanks in advance

Crono617

11-08-05, 10:39 AM

I just purchased the TX-R3079WH today from PC Richard in NY for $750 total with tax and everything... although reading this thread leaves me a little worried. but that was my absolute total limit on spending as i want this tv in my bedroom for when i purchase an xbox 360 later this month... i cant afford a few more hundred bucks for the Sony (which doesn't even include the HDTV tuner, which was a big selling point for me).

has anyone had any problems playing video games on this in HD? the TV doesn't come in until wednesday, so i cant test out my regular xbox with component out until then

Hi Jon,

I got my SlimFit this past Saturday. Like the others, I do have the bow in the bottom center of the screen. I purchased the TV for the same reasons as you. I played Star Wars EpII, Blade 2, and Lord of the Rings on the DVD via the Xbox and then I tried Halo 2 and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. The TV displays an excellent picture. The only time you will have a problem is when you play a game that has a HUD or text on the bottom center of the screen if your TV has the geometry problem.

I think other than the bow this TV is great. Earlier in this thread I read that the geometry problems can be fixed via an Avia discs and the service menu. My Avia disc comes in tomorrow so I'll try that and let you know how it goes. I also placed a service call with Samsung and a local TV repair facility will call me in a couple of days. In the meantime I'll try the calibration.

You may be fortunate and get a TV that has no geometry problems. My opinion is to take delivery of the TV and if the problems bother you and you cannot fix them, exchange it or ask for refund.

Hope this helps.

-C

hdpapi

11-08-05, 06:05 PM

My first post, but been lurking for a while. Very informative site, as I am looking to purchase my first HDTV. Anyway, according to Samsung's website, it looks as though the 3081 may not only accept, but actually display 720p! For me, this changes everything. I was all set to buy a direct view HDTV (cheaper and better picture quality) until I saw the LCD prices coming down from the stratosphere to something I could actually afford. So I was going to go the 32" LCD route (I have a small space, and 37" is probably the largest that would make sense for me). But if the new Slimfit 3081 displays 720p, then wouldn't this be the best of both worlds? What do you think?

justsc

11-08-05, 06:10 PM

justsc

11-08-05, 06:14 PM

Hi Jon,

I got my SlimFit this past Saturday. Like the others, I do have the bow in the bottom center of the screen....

I think other than the bow this TV is great. Earlier in this thread I read that the geometry problems can be fixed via an Avia discs and the service menu. My Avia disc comes in tomorrow so I'll try that and let you know how it goes. I also placed a service call with Samsung and a local TV repair facility will call me in a couple of days. In the meantime I'll try the calibration.

You may be fortunate and get a TV that has no geometry problems. My opinion is to take delivery of the TV and if the problems bother you and you cannot fix them, exchange it or ask for refund..-C
I have an older 27" set from Samsung and the history of the "bow" goes way, way back. It is mostly adjustable through the SM with H SIZ and H LIN and by adjusting overscan. Your calibration disk can help with these adjustments.

Try to do the best you can before deciding to return the set, because these Samsung sets have picture qualities that really grow on you.

Crono617

11-08-05, 08:25 PM

I have an older 27" set from Samsung and the history of the "bow" goes way, way back. It is mostly adjustable through the SM with H SIZ and H LIN and by adjusting overscan. Your calibration disk can help with these adjustments.

Try to do the best you can before deciding to return the set, because these Samsung sets have picture qualities that really grow on you.

Hi Justsc,

When you say "mostly" can it get to the point where you'll hardly even notice it is there anymore?

I was stupid and decided to play with the Service Menu with the calibration disc. Luckily I wrote down most of the default settings but I forgot to write down 2 of em (bow and h-tra). I'm hoping I can fix everything using that disc.

justsc

11-09-05, 11:20 AM

Hi Justsc,

When you say "mostly" can it get to the point where you'll hardly even notice it is there anymore?

I was stupid and decided to play with the Service Menu with the calibration disc. Luckily I wrote down most of the default settings but I forgot to write down 2 of em (bow and h-tra). I'm hoping I can fix everything using that disc.
Crono617,

I was never able to "fully" get rid of the bow. By adjusting for overscan the bow can be eliminated but then other anomalies arise. You need at least 2-3% overscan. Frankly, I have learned to live with the little bit of bowing I have left. The overall PQ is so good that I'm willing to forget about the bow. And I am extremely PQ obsessed. I work at NASA in Flight Simulation and our out-the-window displays have to be "dead to rights" right on 100%. I take that obsession home with me when it comes to my home theater. But, even with that, I was able to forgive the bowing because the set is so nice.

I'm sorry about your SM experience. I know how easy it is, in the midst of battle, to forget to record one or two default settings. You get so focused on what you're doing that it's easy to forget. Good Luck with that.

Most of all - Enjoy! ;)

Lee1981

11-10-05, 03:00 PM

Does anyone know if the Samsung Slimfit is subject to burn-in issues and how likely it would be for something to burn into the screen?

justsc

11-10-05, 05:26 PM

Does anyone know if the Samsung Slimfit is subject to burn-in issues and how likely it would be for something to burn into the screen?
Yes. All crt televisions are subject to burn-in.

Driving the tv in "torch mode," meaning contrast way up and the picture mode in Vivid (Sony moniker) or it's equivalent.

For the Samsung, try to use the "Custom" picture mode and keep Contrast at no more that say 35.

Watching SD material with bars on the sides, hour after hour, can also cause burn-in. Any image left static on the screen too long can burn-in. If you watch lots of SD, use one of the stretch modes as much as possible.

Liam_Mc

11-12-05, 11:11 PM

justsc

11-12-05, 11:45 PM

Just got the slimfit 3080, so far so good. DVD's and xbox look great, directv seems to vary from channel to channel, looks best about 10-12 feet away. I browsed the service menu options and noticed that the setting for 3D-Comb was 0 which I'm guessing means off, so is this supposed to be on? I didn't really notice much difference either way, so I'm just asking around for some advice on the matter, thanks.
What input was in use and what kind of signal was being input when you entered the SM. The 3D Comb Filter is for SD analog signals. If you entered the SM while watching from a digital input then the filter is supposed to be off. This would also hold true if watching a DVD connected via Component Cables. Again, it should only be set to on with an analog input (e.g. analog cable or antenna, composite or S Video). Many, many SM settings are input dependent.

Liam_Mc

11-13-05, 12:28 AM

It was an S-video connection from my DirecTV DVR, thanks for the info. Also, know anything about the loud buzzing sound it makes when it's turned on after being shut down for a while?

plughplover

11-13-05, 10:05 PM

justsc

11-14-05, 01:14 PM

It was an S-video connection from my DirecTV DVR, thanks for the info. Also, know anything about the loud buzzing sound it makes when it's turned on after being shut down for a while?
I did a little more searching on the 3D Comb Filter - I believe the filter is bypassed when using an S-Video connection as well as with Component and Digital connections.

Loud Noise - it's normal. It's the degaussing circuit sounding off, that's all. I've been hearing mine lately as well. It seems that with colder temps and heaters running and drier air that the build-up of static electricity causes the degaussing - which is a good thing.

justsc

11-14-05, 01:18 PM

I've been through all the posts in this thread, and there seem to be conflicting opinions.

Do the 3079/3080 actually display 720p, or do they scale/convert it?

Yes, I'm aware of the varying horizontal dot pitch, and it isn't relevant to my question.

I'm asking if it can actually scan 720 lines in a progressive (non-interlaced) fashion.

If so, at which atsc-specified frame rates (24, 30, 60)?

And in case it matters, through which input paths (OTA, HDMI, component)?

Thanks!
There are no Samsung direct-view crt sets capable of displaying 720p. All incoming 720p signals are scaled to 1080i. The set is capable of displaying 480p at 60 frames per second, which makes it a super set for DVD playback.

mec9t8

11-15-05, 01:28 PM

justsc

11-15-05, 01:47 PM

I recently purchase this Samsung TX-R3079WH HDTV, and as I was trying to get into deflection menu ... I screwed up the settings.

I have tried for hours to "fix" this, it was getting worst .

Wondering if anyone have the default deflection setting that can share with me.

Greatly appreciated.
The "default" settings on your set were specifically for that tv and no other. These are adjusted at the factory, and being analog devices, each is inherently different. Loading someone else's settings may not be of any help.

Your best bet is to read KenTech's posts on service codes for the XBR line of sets and try to figure out how they translate to a Samsung tv.

The Service Menu is only for folks who know what they are doing and are meticulous at recording values before making any adjustments.

mcs921

11-16-05, 06:51 AM

Schwingding

11-16-05, 10:33 AM

WOW! First post here. Read the first 4 pages of this thread and the last about this TV. Hopefully I'll make time to read the rest.

I've owned this model for a little under a month now. I think I'm a bit more discriminating than the typical TV viewer and have only noticed a tiny bit of the "geometry issue" that seems so prevalent with this TV. I have only noticed it in 4:3 mode, btw, and if I fill the screen up with "panorama" or one of the zoom modes it disappears entirely (but then the pic suffers). At the moment my sat/DirecTV is only in standard def but on Thursday I will be upgrading to HD service. Not sure if my new sat/tivo unit will have a HDMI port or component - should have checked into that beforehand.

I have ordered the DVD "digital video essentials" to be sure I'm getting the most out of my set.

I also purchaed a Samsung DVD-HD850 with HDMI output. I am totally blown away by the picture in 1080i! The latest Star Wars flick produces jaw dropping picture quality, with the kind of detail I was ogling over on the plasma screens but couldn't afford, BUT I cannot get HDMI audio output through the TV for some reason, so I have the audio outputs from my sat and DVD going directly into the receiver. I had hoped to have only one audio connection to the receiver - optical from the TV with all of the other inputs going into the TV but that apparently is not to be.

I have a ? about the HDMI vs component outputs as I only have one HDMI input into the tv but will probably have 2 HDMI capable devices - is HDMI really that much better than component? If so, I see there are powered HDMI switches on the market. If not, I'll use component on the DVD player as I watch that less frequently than TIVO/TV.

Thanks. Great forum!

justsc

11-16-05, 04:08 PM

Has anyone else who has the Slimfit 3079 experienced any type of ghosting of numbers/words/letters? There is no ghosting of images whatsoever but every letter/word/number that comes across the screen, there is a faint ghost of each letter or number. What is going on? Could it be the cables that I am using or what?

By the way, I just have basic cable tv and use a regular old cable line from my wall to the back of my tv. But then I also see the same type of ghosting when playing videogames and movies with text that appear on the screen. Ahhh, this is frustrating me, I've had the set since the end of July and I am just starting to notice this stuff.

Any help?
What are your settings? Make sure you are not using "Dynamic." Use "Custom." Also, your "Contrast" should be no higher than 45-50. Also, you might try turning off DNR. Finally, your set may be suffering from Overscan Bounce. This can be adjusted by reducing Overscan in the service menu, and, again, by keeping "Contrast" in check. Worry about the Service Menu later, for now try the other ideas.

MLS

11-16-05, 05:11 PM

Dropped in to a local ATL CC today and saw the TX-R3081WH on dispaly. It appeared that the model on display had some minor horizontal bowing at the bottom of the screen (but not at the top). It also seemed as though a competitor unit sitting next to it (don't recall the brand) also had the same minor bowing issue. Other nearby displays did not have noticeable bowing.

I did not see the same "speed bump" style distortion I noticed several months ago in a TX-R3079WH at BB.

Schwingding

11-16-05, 08:46 PM

mcs921

11-16-05, 09:15 PM

What are your settings? Make sure you are not using "Dynamic." Use "Custom." Also, your "Contrast" should be no higher than 45-50. Also, you might try turning off DNR. Finally, your set may be suffering from Overscan Bounce. This can be adjusted by reducing Overscan in the service menu, and, again, by keeping "Contrast" in check. Worry about the Service Menu later, for now try the other ideas.

I am using the "Custom" setting, and my settings are:

Contrast = 40
Brightness = 42
Sharpness = 45
Color = 50
Tint = 55/45
Color Tone: Normal

I am scared to adjust anything in the service menu as I wouldn't know what I am doing. I was going to get my set ISF calibrated but do not currently have the money to do so. Are my settings correct or do you suggest I change anything? Thank you.

justsc

11-17-05, 11:22 AM

I am using the "Custom" setting, and my settings are:

Contrast = 40
Brightness = 42
Sharpness = 45
Color = 50
Tint = 55/45
Color Tone: Normal

I am scared to adjust anything in the service menu as I wouldn't know what I am doing. I was going to get my set ISF calibrated but do not currently have the money to do so. Are my settings correct or do you suggest I change anything? Thank you.
First things first - "Correct" is whatever pleases "you." And, whatever is not harmful to the set. Since these are analog devices, even though they're called digital tvs and can show HDTV signals, each set is somewhat different from the next. So, correct for me may not be correct for you.

From what I see here, your Sharpness and Color settings seem a bit high to me. I have different settings for different signals. I have specific settings for standard definition analog cable/antenna, and specific settings for HD/DVD as well. All of my settings have been derived from using the Avia Calibration DVD.

For your information, here's my settings for analog cable/antenna:
Custom Picture Mode
Contrast = 30
Brightness = 45
Sharpness = 27
Color = 39
Tint = 50/50
Color Tone: Normal
DNR = On

For Digital Inputs (using either Component Cables or HDMI/DVI) including HD & DVDs:
Custom Picture Mode
Contrast = 54
Brightness = 58
Sharpness = 45
Color = 49
Tint = 51/49
Color Tone: Normal
DNR = Off

I hope these can be at least a little helpful. By all means, invest in one of the calibration DVDs (Avia, DVE, Home Theater Tune Up) and use it to get the correct settings for you set.

Cheers! ;)

mcs921

11-17-05, 01:27 PM

justsc

11-17-05, 01:36 PM

Thanks! I have the DVE calibration disc but I don't know what I am looking for when using it. It is pretty sad. Anyway, I hope that I can figure out a way to get rid of the ghosting somehow. Thanks for your help
DVE can be very difficult to navigate, so don't feel too discouraged.

I started out with Sound & Vision's Home Theater Tuneup. It's great for beginners, and I still use it sometimes when I'm helping someone and I don't have much time.

See if you can rent it from one of the video rental chains or the library.

Dr. Cheesesteak

11-17-05, 04:43 PM

Hello everyone.

I picked up this TV (81 model) yesterday - very much against the recommendations of most of you - because I just couldn't resist the features to price ratio - mainly the HD Tuner.

I did view 3 of these in Best Buy and Circuit City, only one of which showed any geometry issues, so I felt fairly confident in making the purchase anyway.

Well.. I got it home and of course.. geometry problems. However, they are really minor and I probably wouldn't have even noticed had I not read this thread beforehand and been meticulously scanning every inch of the monitor looking for problems. HD OTA signal looks fantastic, and SD is pretty... meh... but my wife is the one that watches most of the stuff on SDTV and she said can't really tell the difference.

My main issue is with what I think is an overscan issue when playing Xbox. With Halo 2, in 16:9 480p, all of the HUD in the corners of the screen is cut off about 1/4 inch all around because the image is too big for the screen. Can this be fixed by the service menu? And if I do, is it going to cause me problems with viewing images from any source other than the Xbox?

It also seems like my Component 1 input has a much higher brightness/contrast than Component 2 - even when set to the same picture mode with the same settings. Is it possible to have one be bad? Everything just seems to be blooming on Component 1. Maybe I'm going crazy and I just need to tweak things a bit more.. but it seems like I might have a problem there.

I'm going to poke around in the service menu with my Avia disc tonight, and see what can be done, but I had one more quick question about how the SM works. I got the impression from a few posts earlier in the thread that each separate input has its own settings in the SM - as in me turning it on with the Xbox running 480p component, adjusting, and then having to turn it off and on again running my DirecTV box on S-Video 1 and tweak it seperately - etc.

Do each of these have their own settings, or is the does the SM make universal adjustments?

plughplover

11-17-05, 07:04 PM

I too pulled the trigger today; ordered a 3080 online ($805 with shipping - no local outlets with 3080 or 3081)

The 3079 I saw at BB had obvious geometry issue, the 3079 at CC looked fine. I went with the 3080 because it will fit where I want it and it (supposedly) has the updated board that fixes the geom prob. Still wish I could figure out if there is any internal diff between 3080 and 3081, but it's moot now.

Next - an antenna for the attic and a new dvd player...

fallenrelics

11-20-05, 01:45 AM

blind527

11-20-05, 01:38 PM

Can anyone help me with this TV's default deflection settings? I totally forgot to write down the factory numbers and I need help putting it back. I have the 3079 Slimfit model. I also have a slight bow where the lines are, can someone help calibrate that for me? I just need the following factory numbers:

V-AMP
V-SHIFT
H-AMP
H-SHIFT
H-PAR
UP-COR
LOW-COR
H-TRA
BOW
ANGLE

mcs921

11-20-05, 05:59 PM

First things first - "Correct" is whatever pleases "you." And, whatever is not harmful to the set. Since these are analog devices, even though they're called digital tvs and can show HDTV signals, each set is somewhat different from the next. So, correct for me may not be correct for you.

From what I see here, your Sharpness and Color settings seem a bit high to me. I have different settings for different signals. I have specific settings for standard definition analog cable/antenna, and specific settings for HD/DVD as well. All of my settings have been derived from using the Avia Calibration DVD.

For your information, here's my settings for analog cable/antenna:
Custom Picture Mode
Contrast = 30
Brightness = 45
Sharpness = 27
Color = 39
Tint = 50/50
Color Tone: Normal
DNR = On

For Digital Inputs (using either Component Cables or HDMI/DVI) including HD & DVDs:
Custom Picture Mode
Contrast = 54
Brightness = 58
Sharpness = 45
Color = 49
Tint = 51/49
Color Tone: Normal
DNR = Off

I hope these can be at least a little helpful. By all means, invest in one of the calibration DVDs (Avia, DVE, Home Theater Tune Up) and use it to get the correct settings for you set.

Cheers! ;)

How come earlier you suggested that I not have my Contrast any higher then 50 but for your Digital Inputs, your contrast is at 54?? Also, what is DNR? Thanks

wmorag1

11-21-05, 02:08 AM

Does anyway know the release dates to either TX-R3081WH/TX-R3080WH models. I've read all the critizisms but sadly they're the only monitor that fits in my room.

I really like the design of the 3080 model but if it dosnt come out for awhile the 3079 will have to do. From what i heard there are practically no changes in them anyway, is that correct?

I was hopping to buy it from either circuitcity or bestbuy but both retailers still dont have it displayed on their site. If anyways knows of any other slimfit model release dates that will also be appreciated.

I work at BB and we usually get the new Tvs in our system 2 to 3 weeks before we are able to order them and the only one we have in our system is the 3079. So it might be a while till we get any of the other slimfits.

scotlandcap

11-21-05, 09:01 AM

Does anyway know the release dates to either TX-R3081WH/TX-R3080WH models. I've read all the critizisms but sadly they're the only monitor that fits in my room.

I really like the design of the 3080 model but if it dosnt come out for awhile the 3079 will have to do. From what i heard there are practically no changes in them anyway, is that correct?

I was hopping to buy it from either circuitcity or bestbuy but both retailers still dont have it displayed on their site. If anyways knows of any other slimfit model release dates that will also be appreciated.

The 3080 is out and available. I just looked at it this weekend, but I've looked at it before even a few months ago. Tweeter has had them instore for months. I believe Abt Electoronics has them also (Chicagoland area). Its nice and compact. Its my perfect tv---except for the geometry issues. I've seen it on every SF I've looked at, except the last 3080 I saw yesterday. I just don't feel like rolling the dice. I have enough problems to deal with without having to deal with a defective tv.

justsc

11-21-05, 12:12 PM

How come earlier you suggested that I not have my Contrast any higher then 50 but for your Digital Inputs, your contrast is at 54?? Also, what is DNR? Thanks
Good question.

If I recall correctly, your set is relatively new, right? On a new set undergoing its break-in period, you need to be especially careful of burn-in. It's always best to err on the safe side, which is why I recommended the setting be lower.

Also, you are bringing in analog only. If you review my settings post, I had my Contrast set at 30 with that input. Driving that input any harder introduces blooming and could put your set at risk for burn-in.

DNR is noise reduction, for use with analog signals. If this setting doesn't appear on your user menu don't worry about it. If it does, and you are getting some noise on your analog input, go ahead and try it.

fallenrelics

11-21-05, 12:24 PM

I was actually looking just for any stores in the new york area. the only place that has it is jr, which is consistently out of stock at the the store. It is actually quite the distace even for me to travel, and it will be my first purchase there, does anyone know how they are for returns/service/exchanges. I read online that they exchange mail or internet order but nothing about in store purchases.

Also how is Samsungs custumer service, will they send a rep to my house in case their is a prob or will i have to ship it to them with an outragous shipping charge?

I was hopping to get it soon, ignoreing the geometry issues hopefully i can calibrate it well enough not to be seen. With model i looked at best buy there was definatly bowing at the bottom, but i couldnt tell about the sides because they were inputing 16:9 clips.

deecue

11-22-05, 01:12 AM

Where were you able to find the 81 model?

I picked up this TV (81 model) yesterday

deecue

11-22-05, 01:26 AM

well, i've read every single word throughout this thread.. is interesting. i'm highly doubtful of the slimfits but will be keeping an eye on the 80/81.. i like the 80 looks wise, so i'm gonna try and see if i can catch it in any stores to check it out for issues.. as of now i own a samsung 26" dynaflat but am trying to figure out my replacement deal (see my situation in the thread titled "Samsung Slim-Fit CRT's and other CRT HDTV's")..tomorrow i'll be calling hifibuys up in duluth, ga (will be in that area for thanksgiving anyways) to see if they have the 80 in stock. also will be calling fry's which is just down the road from them to see if they have any JVC's (AV-30W776).. plus the panny seems like a nice alternative CT-30WX15 only has no tuner. and yes.. i know i know..the sony 420 and 995.. ugh.. if it just wasn't sony, i would be more inclined to these sets..

Schwingding

11-22-05, 12:37 PM

I just wanted to thank whoever posted the info on page 5 about the service menu settings. I followed your suggestions and noticed HUGE improvement in what I already thought was a good picture. Everything is more clear, sharp, and color has improved, too. Action is not noticeably smoother as well.

And of course I didn't notice the "speedbump" in the middle until I started looking for it! Again, tweaking the settings allowed me to get rid of it, but only after I found the "TEST PATTERN" under the OPTIONS button.Yes I'm replying to my own message.

I quit! I give up. I thought I wouldn't notice the geometry issue anymore after a few tweaks but I see it every time I look at my TV. My wife barely notices, of course. I can't stand it. I called Samsung today and they need to send out a tech. He's gonna go through his motions and say "hmmm.. I see it, too" and leave with no change. I just know that will occur.

Anyway, thats not the only problem. I bought "Digital Video Essentials" (DVE), and used it to calibrate the set. When calibrating the brightness setting, the DVE says you should see 3 vertical bars on either side of the pluge, and if you only see two, your picture is being clipped somewhere in the set. Guess how many I see? Two.

I'm going to wind up ebaying this TV. Wish I had not purchased it. But HDTV still rocks on it, even if I'm pi**ed.

Dr. Cheesesteak

11-23-05, 02:27 PM

Where were you able to find the 81 model?

Circuit City.

Is there a proper order to adjust the settings in the deflection menu? Should I shrink the picture to a specific size first?

I'm finding that I go in circles in the deflection menu, where I'll fix one problem only to create another. I'm wondering if there is a way where you'll get the best results if you go through them in a specific order? I realize it will never be perfect, but I'm certain I can get it looking at least a little better than it did out of the box.

And what pattern on the AVIA disc is best for geometry adjustments? I've never had to do it before this TV.

true1080p

11-23-05, 03:23 PM

Scott MS

11-24-05, 10:07 AM

I bought the 80 model and had it for about 2 hours before I returned it. Horrible geometry. I ended up with the Sony 30" model for the same price. Much bigger, but at least the geometry isn't all wacked.

justsc

11-24-05, 05:14 PM

Hello,
I was looking to buy the 3079 (3080/81 if I find one) this weekend.
I came across some reviews that said - it is not possible to connect the optical digital out on the TV to a 5.1 receiver to get the surround effect, when you are using the HDMI out.
Current owners - Please can you shed some light on this ?

thanks a million.
HDMI Out? From what device? Are you referring to a STB HDMI out to the tv?

I just read the user manuals for the 3079, 3080 and 3081 and none indicated any limitations regarding optical audio out to any device, and it didn't matter which way the tv got its video.

The cleanest way to get audio to your receiver is to send it directly from the STB, if you have one (same thing for dvd players or recorders). You can use HDMI, DVI or Component out to the tv for video, and optical or coaxial digital audio out from the STB to the receiver, bypassing the tv audio out altogether.

PHD SAM

11-24-05, 06:19 PM

Was the problems with geometry fixed on 3080 model? If anyone know please advise as I want to order one tonight because my 10 year old tv is dead. :( Thank you.

mcs921

11-25-05, 01:20 AM

Good question.

If I recall correctly, your set is relatively new, right? On a new set undergoing its break-in period, you need to be especially careful of burn-in. It's always best to err on the safe side, which is why I recommended the setting be lower.

Also, you are bringing in analog only. If you review my settings post, I had my Contrast set at 30 with that input. Driving that input any harder introduces blooming and could put your set at risk for burn-in.

DNR is noise reduction, for use with analog signals. If this setting doesn't appear on your user menu don't worry about it. If it does, and you are getting some noise on your analog input, go ahead and try it.

I bought my set in July, how long before I can turn my Contrast levels up?

justsc

11-25-05, 11:06 AM

I bought my set in July, how long before I can turn my Contrast levels up?
It depends on the incoming signal and how much you've been watching your new set.

If you've been watching your set for, say, 3 hours per day or more, then I believe you can feel safe driving it a little harder. If it's your analog input, I'd still keep it below 55.

Memory doesn't serve me as well as it used to - why is it again that you want to raise contrast? So I appologize if this is old info - keep in mind that contrast raises the "white" level, so the lighter areas get brighter but there's no effect on the darker areas. If you want to lighten darker areas raise the brightness level (which has no effect on burn-in). Folks tend to want to make the picture brighter by raising Contrast, and that's where they get into trouble with burn-in.

So, if the darks are too dark, raise Brightness. If the light areas could be even lighter, raise Contrast.

The very best thing to do is get one of the calibration dvds (Avia, DVE) and follow it's lead in setting all the user menu options. This will give you the best shot at incredible picture quality. I'd had my Samsung set for almost 6 months before learning about these discs. After calibrating my set, I felt like I had a brand new tv. I had to watch all my dvds all over again just to see what they really were intended to look like.

plughplover

11-25-05, 03:57 PM

My 3080 arrived...
no obvious shipping damage, signed for it...
Pull set out of the box, and...

Smack dab in the middle of the screen,
there is a roughly 3" dia. area with no phosphor!
I can take a flashlight and look *inside* the tube.

Called J&R, notified them.
Called Samsung, notified them.
Talked to local service shop, they'll be here next Thur.

Argh!

HALFDEAD

11-26-05, 10:33 AM

This is to the last guy who posted about buying his tv from J&R music World. I brought the 3080 from J&R a week ago, took it home and had no sound. I was told there was no returns whatsoever, I had to call for repairs. I went back the next day and spoke to one of the mangers. He let me return the set to the store the next day. I finally got a working 3080 tv. So maybe you can just get a new one instead of waiting for a repair man. I personally think J&R got in a bad bunch of 3080's. The tv is great, i brought it for my xbox 360.

fallenrelics

11-26-05, 01:29 PM

I wanted to make sure before i purchased this televeision (3080), that it was HDCP complaint. I heard somewhere that any device with dvi/hdmi input is hdcp complaint.

i also heard their were problems with the slimfits hdmi connections, i was wondering if i was feeding it the dvi line from my cablebox (SA4200HD) converted to hdmi that their will still be a problem

Earhog

11-26-05, 03:41 PM

I was wondering if anyone could post their default deflection settings for the 30 in Slimfit. Model TXR3079WH.

Thanks

Br0ken

11-27-05, 03:23 AM

SAMSUNG TX-R3079WH
Service Default Settings

V-AMP 32
V-SHIFT 26
H-AMP 43
H-SHIFT 40
V-LIN 5
UP-LIN 3
LOW-LIN 0
V-SC 4
H-PAR 29
UP-COR 32
LOW-COR 34
H-TRA 33
BOW 33
ANGLE 27
V-POSITION 32
UP UCG 0
LO UCG 0
CXA LEFT BLK 28
CXA RIGHT BLK 20
HDMI_HS_1080i 40
HDMI_HS-720p 40
HDMI_HS_480p 40

Br0ken

11-27-05, 03:25 AM

If anyone had their (TXR3097WH) professionally serviced could you please post your settings in all fields.
Thanks :)

Br0ken

11-27-05, 08:44 PM

Never mind on the service settings.. i returned that pile of junk..
crapy tv. :mad:

Dr. Cheesesteak

11-28-05, 10:59 AM

Never mind on the service settings.. i returned that pile of junk..
crapy tv. :mad:

I'll second that.

I think all that I've succeeded at in my four days off with this TV was to drive my wife crazy by constantly popping in Avia and switching over to the service menu.

I never want to see a cross/dot/any sort of hatch pattern again.

Good luck to those of you that stick with this TV, and hopefully most of you won't have quite as big an issue with Satan's Speed Bump in the middle of the screen as I did. I might have been able to deal with it if that were the only problem, but I noticed the picture was getting really out of focus around the outside of the screen to where I almost couldn't read any text that was there (while playing Xbox360) and Component 1 appeared to be shot because all of the whites were just completely blown out, regardless of what I did to the contrast setting. It's a real bummer because the OTA tuner was a huge deal for me.. but I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and switch over to Charter cable for now.

Panasonic CT-30WX15 a good replacement? Will I miss 720p at all? Most things from here on out will upconvert for me, right?

deecue

11-28-05, 11:16 AM

just wanted to add my input for the rest.. checked out the 80 in atlanta hoping for a better solution from the 79.. same horrible geometry.. they didn't fix a thing.. i wouldn't purchase the tv no matter how cheap it was.. that bowing will drive you up a wall..

justsc

11-28-05, 02:42 PM

Panasonic CT-30WX15 a good replacement? Will I miss 720p at all? Most things from here on out will upconvert for me, right?
A cable box will give you the option of outputting 480i/480p/720p/1080i to your tv set. The "upconverting" dvd players do the same, and the coming HD dvd players will also, I'm sure.

Arithon

12-03-05, 09:25 PM

hi,

just got my set and am pretty happy with the picture quality - slight geometry problem in the top 0.5cm of the screen on the right. I am trying to get into the service menu but the standard procedure doesn't seem to work. Here's what I am doing to get into the service menu:

1. Turn off power using remote
2. Press mute-1-8-2-power on the remote

doesn't work for me. I have tried pressing the buttons fast, medium and slow. all it does is it turns the TV on again. What am I doing wrong? Appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks!

al

TXP3064W

12-04-05, 02:59 PM

Arithon

12-04-05, 07:45 PM

Not sure what's the problem. I am a bit at a loss right now. any suggestions?

Thanks

rhythm

12-05-05, 04:55 PM

justsc

12-05-05, 05:53 PM

what's up guy's....i picked up the slimfit about a month ago and the picture looks gr8, i have no bowing or color issues at all, and i looked for them....aside from dropping the contrast(ghosting issues) the set works fine,and after reading the entire thread i thinked i lucked out.
I'm very glad for you.

I am a die-hard Samsung fan and I've been very disappointed with the performance of the early SlimFits. Your report is encouraging.

All I know is, when you get a good Samsung, you've got a gem of a tv.

Enjoy! ;)

Frogsmasha

12-06-05, 02:51 AM

I went into various places to check out the 30" SlimFlit, and I would have to say its not that very good for showing off SD in comparison with the KVSH420, and if the 420 beats than.. than definently the 30XS955 will smoke it. I would have loved for this SlimFit to have kicked some ass, but having so so PQ with SD didnt seal the deal, and dont forget the geometry issues I encountered at 4 different stores.

I love samsung, and I think they're doing an awesome job. Just not with this TV

Reminisce

12-06-05, 10:29 AM

Just wanted to add my .02 cents.

I recently purchased this TV even after all the skeptical reviews, but more off of my own experience. At first I saw a 79 at Circuit City and the design itself really intrigued me. The representative told me that this set is hit or miss, but the upcoming 81 is much better and resolves a lot of issues.

I decided to take a trip to the best Buy down the street, and lo and behold, they have the 81 on display and in stock! Ironically, they had it sitting next to one of the Sony 30" Widescreens that i was so looking at for a long time. Analog, I wasnt impressed with either TV to be honest... the colors were dry and it looked very muddy. I asked one of the reps there to put in a DVD and they put in Hero (one of my fav movies of all time). Both sets looked wonderful! After a couple hours prodding, I finally decided on the Samsung.

When i first got it home, I again, was not impressed. But I fiddled with a couple controls, with the deflection settings and such and got a good picture. NOW.... I went and purchased a Terk HDTV antenna and WHOA! This TV took itself to a completely new height once I tuned into several HD programs showing that night. Sunday night football was AMAZING, right in your face, colors were spot on, sharpness was so tact. I then went and bought an optical audio cable to run from the set to my reciever and I was just convinced. I've had no bowing or geometry problems with mine that I've noticed with mine, and Progressive scan DVDs and 1080i HDTV keeps me sitting in front of this tube in awe.

Im definitely happy with my set. The only problem now is... I have an all SONY setup (reciever, DVD player, speakers) and need to find a universal remote that will help me maintain all the functionality I need =).

justsc

12-06-05, 12:35 PM

...Im definitely happy with my set. The only problem now is... I have an all SONY setup (reciever, DVD player, speakers) and need to find a universal remote that will help me maintain all the functionality I need =).
FWIW, I recently picked-up the Harmony 688 to handle my "hybrid" setup. I've got a Sony hd set, an Oppo dvd player, a Sony receiver and a Motorola STB. This remote just shines!

The 688 is somewhat geared for those with digital video recorders, but it covers the waterfront. There are many other Harmony models (go to the Logitech web site).

Great news and good luck with the remote! ;)

rydrisc78

12-10-05, 10:49 PM

justsc

12-10-05, 11:54 PM

Both these televisions are going for about the same price right now. The picture quality and screen size is better on the sony but with a HDTV tuner built in and a fairly decent picture is the slimfit a better option?
The 27" SlimFit is very new, the newest of the SlimFit family of sets. I usually avoid "rev 1" of anything. The Sony 32" set is well established and would be my choice, even w/o the tuner.

mcs921

12-11-05, 11:54 PM

justsc

12-12-05, 11:10 AM

Ok, I'm back. I am starting to have serious concerns about my slimfit. How exactly can I tell if there is any burn in on my tv? Is there even a difference between burn in and ghosting?

Like justsc suggested, I have adjusted my contrast and brightness, etc. I never have my contrast higher then 50 for anything. But, I am starting to see a faint "ghosting" that goes to the right of images and words. I don't even know how to describe it properly. Isn't burn in when an image is permanently on the screen? If so, what is happening to my tv?
With burn-in, you'd be seeing a faint representation of an image in the same place, all the time. In other words, if you watch a channel that has a logo, like WABC, and it's always in the lower right hand corner - if left too long like that, burn-in would result in you seeing a very light WABC, in the lower right hand corner, no matter what you're watching.

It really sounds to me like your problem is with your source material or devices (e.g. cables, players, etc), not the tv. I know you watch only analog cable, but have you ever tried watching a dvd from a progressive scan dvd player, over component cables. If you don't have such a player you can rent one - I'd really try to give this a shot just so you can settle your mind that the problem either is, or is not your tv.

Unfettered

12-12-05, 05:37 PM

I bought the SAMSUNG TX-R3079WH over the weekend, and got it mostly setup. Set seems to look ok, but the problem I have is when I play a wide-screen CD, I have the bars at the top. Is this a setting on my set or the component DVD player?? Overall, I am pleased with the way the set looks while in the 16:9 mode while watching a football game on SUnday, but I don't have anything but standard cable hooked to it, and it has only run a couple of hours at this point.

mcs921

12-13-05, 06:14 AM

With burn-in, you'd be seeing a faint representation of an image in the same place, all the time. In other words, if you watch a channel that has a logo, like WABC, and it's always in the lower right hand corner - if left too long like that, burn-in would result in you seeing a very light WABC, in the lower right hand corner, no matter what you're watching.

It really sounds to me like your problem is with your source material or devices (e.g. cables, players, etc), not the tv. I know you watch only analog cable, but have you ever tried watching a dvd from a progressive scan dvd player, over component cables. If you don't have such a player you can rent one - I'd really try to give this a shot just so you can settle your mind that the problem either is, or is not your tv.

Alright, so I'm pretty sure that I don't have burn in now from the way that you explained it. What I am still confused about is when I am playing video games, I can see a faint ghosting to the right of images that appear over light colored backgrounds. Bright colored text, white and yellow mostly, seem to also be ghosting and/or actually bleeding the same color to the right no matter what it is I am watching be it a dvd movie or playing videogames over darker backgrounds.

spyderveloce

12-13-05, 10:18 PM

I recently bought the 3079 and have not really had a chance to use it other than a 10 minute sneak peak to verify that it wasn't "bad out of the box", as it is a Christmas gift to myself and the wife won't let it out to play. I did notice the black bars on mine instead of the gray I saw at BB, as well as a very slight bowing of the 4:3 image at the very top of the left edge. Short of that, I didn't notice any geometry issues. I do have a question though. coming from a 32 inch 4:3 Zenith that has lost a lot of color in the last 10 years, what is the relative size of the 4:3 picture. Is it equivalent to a 27" or even smaller? Anyone have a tape measure handy? My only gripe from the reading I've done so far is the fact that not all audio sources can be input and pass through to the TVs outputs. I personally don't want to have to pick up three different remotes just to watch a DVD (switch receiver to DVD inputs, switch TV to DVD input, Use DVD remote to play movie (no my DVD player isn't supported by the "universal" remote)). There's no way my wife, child, or In-Laws will figure it out without several minutes of tutoring. I'll end that rant right there cuz it applies to nearly every home theatre system. I think I'll just get a Harmony and be done with that.

playstat88

12-14-05, 03:12 AM

plughplover

12-14-05, 07:42 AM

The replacement for my broken-in-shipping 3080 arrived!

Initial impressions -

no "speed-bump" geometry problem when viewing tickers
some non-linearity viewing 4:3 SD material (pillar edge not straight).

DTV tuner does a good job handling some really crappy OTA signals
(I'm on the wrong side of a hill - lot's of analog multipath ghosting)

Now to start tweaking things in...

justsc

12-14-05, 12:03 PM

...I do have a question though. coming from a 32 inch 4:3 Zenith that has lost a lot of color in the last 10 years, what is the relative size of the 4:3 picture. Is it equivalent to a 27" or even smaller? Anyone have a tape measure handy?
The 4:3 picture on a 30" WS is around 25".

My only gripe from the reading I've done so far is the fact that not all audio sources can be input and pass through to the TVs outputs. I personally don't want to have to pick up three different remotes just to watch a DVD (switch receiver to DVD inputs, switch TV to DVD input, Use DVD remote to play movie (no my DVD player isn't supported by the "universal" remote)). There's no way my wife, child, or In-Laws will figure it out without several minutes of tutoring. I'll end that rant right there cuz it applies to nearly every home theatre system. I think I'll just get a Harmony and be done with that.
I have a super Harmony remote that can do this job easily. I recommend you go ahead with your idea to get one.

justsc

12-14-05, 12:07 PM

I plan on getting ps3, and im looking into purchasing a new HDTV. Would it work if i ran a HDMI cable from the ps3 to the tv then ran an optical cable from the tv to my sound system (would the dolby digital / DTS 5.1 go through to my sound system)? Thanks
If the PS3 supports HDMI, than that shouldn't be a problem.

Regarding the audio - why not run the audio directly from the PS3 to the sound system?

playstat88

12-14-05, 11:58 PM

because my sound system has only one optical in, and i didnt wanna buy a optical splitter. If i could only have this optical from the tv, which also carries the ps3 sound go to the system that would avoid this. (and yes, ps3 supports HDMI output - in fact it has TWO HDMI outputs lol).

spyderveloce

12-15-05, 08:29 AM

About the audio inputs and outputs, what outputs do specific inputs pass through? If I'm plugging in my DVD player via Component Video, does the audio from that input pass through to the standard audio outs or the digital/optical audio out or both or neither?

Composite Audio 1 Input - ? Output
Composite Audio 2 Input - ? Output
Composite Audio 3 Input - ? Output
Component Audio 1 Input - ? Output
Component Audio 2 Input - ? Output

I'm sure this would be useful info for anyone who is purchasing or already owns this TV. It's surprises like this that aren't aparrent until you try to hook it up that cause most Home Theater related injuries (fist through screen, cable strangulation, etc.) ;)

Unfettered

12-15-05, 10:19 AM

I didn't think you could pass out the audio from component on this group. I have my dvd and home theater in 1 unit and so I don't pass the DVD audio to the TV.

I did get a chance to finally watch a movie on this set. In 16:9 mode with a dvd, there is severe overdrive and color changes that happen on the right had side of the set, much like a speaker is too close to the screen. I hadn't noticed it before, and I did do the deguassing thing to no avail. I will try the service mode when I get home this evening and see if I can get it cleared up. I've never had a set that required "tweaking" out of the box.

spyderveloce

12-15-05, 10:59 AM

....I hadn't noticed it before, and I did do the deguassing thing to no avail. I will try the service mode when I get home this evening and see if I can get it cleared up. I've never had a set that required "tweaking" out of the box.

Anyone ever confirm that there actually is a degaussing coil in these slim-fit TVs? Most TVs that I've seen unless they were actual studio monitors didn't have the coil in them. I've been out of the loop for only a few years but it was long enough to fall behind on video tech.

Unfettered

12-15-05, 01:53 PM

There may or may not be. I just read previously in this thread where a Samsung tech told someone to unplug it for a bit and plug it back in. Unit fired up just like the old PC monitors that deguase themselves when you first apply the power.

plughplover

12-15-05, 07:50 PM

re:degaussing - yes, it has one (I saw it when tech opened up my first [broken] 3080), and it seems to trigger on power-on after being off for "some time" (not sure how long)... and it's quite noisy on my set (brrannng)

re: sound handling - just discovered that audio1 input is active on my 3080 when using Oppo dvi->hdmi source, as well as when using svideo1 source

Also just discovered while calibrating with Avia that "Sharpness" control has no effect when using the hdmi input (and ota dtv?? need to test that)...

which is why I decided to temporarily connect the Oppo via svideo1/audio1, so I could adjust sharpness setting (for analog tv) and A/B the difference, and noticed I still had sound coming from the tv speakers when I A/B'd Oppo between HDMI and svideo1 source.

BTW, FWIW and FYI, Audio out jacks are also active when watching ota dtv, but I don't know if it's a prologic downmix.

spyderveloce

12-16-05, 08:18 AM

...which is why I decided to temporarily connect the Oppo via svideo1/audio1, so I could adjust sharpness setting (for analog tv) and A/B the difference, and noticed I still had sound coming from the tv speakers when I A/B'd Oppo between HDMI and svideo1 source.

BTW, FWIW and FYI, Audio out jacks are also active when watching ota dtv, but I don't know if it's a prologic downmix.

Good to know about the degaussing. I haven't gotten into a TV for about 6 years since I worked as a TV station engineer. I'm a bit outta the loop on newer sets.

As for the audio... I'm particularly interested in knowing about the component inputs and if they will output to the standard audio outs or to the optical at all. My DVD player has component video that I would prefer to use over the composite. From what I've read on here and elsewhere it seems as if the component audio inputs definately don't output to the standard L/R audio outs but what about the optical? Anyone ever try it? I have an old Pioneer Premier THX receiver that has been on pretty much constantly for nearly 8 years. Rather than turn it off I have simply muted it whenever not in use. I feel that it needs a break so I was hoping to have the option of using it only when a particular movie or show warrants it, opting for the built in speakers most of the time. My 2 year old does not need to watch Dora The Explorer in full on dolby surround or THX.

ch3mical

12-16-05, 08:41 AM

I got one of these TV's yesterday Samsung WS32Z306VB

No problems at all very pleased with it myself :)

Just wondered whats the best way to clean the screen?

spyderveloce

12-16-05, 09:04 AM

I got one of these TV's yesterday Samsung WS32Z306VB

No problems at all very pleased with it myself :)

Just wondered whats the best way to clean the screen?

I would simply use a lint free cloth with a non-amonia spray cleaner like windex. If you are really anal use a bottle of spray lens cleaner that you can pick up at any lens crafters or pearl vision store. Never use a dry cloth and avoid using paper towels as they are a paper product and can scratch the glass minutely.

Soft, lint free cloth and a spray on screen/lens cleaner is what I use on my TVs. For really sticky messes (dried grape jelly from little fingers, or sticker residue) if lens cleaner and windex wont do the job try some goo gone on the cloth and slowly rub it in circles over the "stuff" till its gone, then polish it off with the lens cleaner to get rid of the cloudy residue from the goo gone. Hope that helps.

flexible

12-17-05, 05:41 PM

<snip> with a non-amonia spray cleaner like windex. <snip>.Isn't Windex brand an amonia based spray?

KBI

12-17-05, 10:04 PM

Don't use windex or use a paper towel to clean your display.. Use a non abrassive clothe sprinkled with water.. then rub the screen gently..

antihero998

12-18-05, 02:02 AM

Do any of you know how to reset this TV back to its factory default?

Frogsmasha

12-18-05, 04:33 AM

Do any of you know how to reset this TV back to its factory default?

Ctrl Alt Delete.

Sorry I really dont know :(
You could check through out this thread tho

plughplover

12-18-05, 10:41 AM

As for the audio... I'm particularly interested in knowing about the component inputs and if they will output to the standard audio outs or to the optical at all. Just tried the component inputs on my 3080...
Their audio does not get routed to the analog or digital audio outputs.

justsc

12-18-05, 12:49 PM

Just tried the component inputs on my 3080...
Their audio does not get routed to the analog or digital audio outputs.
I'm hearing more and more of this, and it's really disconcerting.

Would you be so kind as to provide a detailed explanation of your set-up, what you've done and what you'd like to be able to do?

I want to look into this more closely, if you don't mind. ;)

spyderveloce

12-23-05, 04:27 PM

As far as the audio setup goes, I've found my answer to that. I've run pass through RCA audio cables for the DVD player. The plugs have the wires coming out the sides of the plug housing with an extra RCA jack on the end of the plug. All it's doing is splitting the audio signal so I can turn on my THX receiver if I want to use it. I got a Harmony 520 remote but have yet to use it as it is definately a christmas gift. Check it out at Sears for $75 right now (ends 12/24)

Since I've set up my TV I have noticed a few things:

1. Geometry issues are there but barely noticeable. I am unable to fix this with the service menu so far. I have tried several of the settings that were reccommended but none seem to affect the bowing at the bottom of the screen. It's not that noticeable until I turn on a music station on the satellite that has the black screen and a light colored ticker at the bottom.

2. I've ntice a random kind of picture reset happenning once in a while. The picture shrinks and goes fuzzy for half a second. It doesn't seem to matter what input I'm on or if it's HD or SD or even what aspect ratio it's set to but it does it completely randomly it seems. It might do it twice in 10 minutes then not for another hour. It doesn't coincide with any scene changes or anything of that type.

I might try a few things to see if there's any improvement. I just bought a few chokes and inline filters and an FM trap. My reception is pretty good but I get some issues with certain stations that have near perfect signal strength but gap out on me quite often. Any other suggestions.

Pepsiman34

12-23-05, 05:38 PM

I was wondering how good the Samsung 30" (TXR3079WH) is? I have been looking at this TV for some time now.

playstat88

12-23-05, 11:34 PM

after looking over my options, i have finally decided to buy this tv (the fact that it was slimfit won it over for me) over any other 30" hd widescreen tube. I dont really notice any bowing on my set, it does everything i wanted it to do great, and i cant recommend it enough based off of what ive seen.

akkou

12-25-05, 02:49 PM

[Slimfit TV connect to PC]

I just bought 3080WH. But it has a problem... no pc input

I have a laptop and I think s-video is only way for connecting my laptop and TV.

Somebody told with s-video, picture would not be good. And other in my country recommends me to try "d-sub (= pc monitor) to components transcoder".

Also I am thinking that I might be able to buy a desktop pc.... but I still don't know if it could give any benefit for better picture in slimfit TV.

So, I am asking to you guys. How can I solve this connecting problems?

[[ I just found that some of ati graphic cards have component output. I guess I should have a computer with this.]]

playstat88

12-25-05, 05:06 PM

if you have a dvi output (someone please correct me if im wrong - i want to do this too and i want to make sure it will work) on your laptop or computer, you can either get a dvi to HDMI cable to go to your tv, or you can get a dvi to component adapter made by ati (if you have an ati card) and use regular component cables to go from the computer to the tv. From what i can understand you'll be able to get a much better resolution than from s-video or composite cables. I have a question tho - how does progressive scan work if you're using a laptop as a dvd player and outputting it to the 3079 (or 3080) via the dvi component adapter and component cables? Is anything technical involved or when you just play the dvd will it work automatically? Thanks

Pepsiman34

12-25-05, 05:08 PM

Ok I have narrowed it down to these two TVs. The Samsung 27" (TX-R2779) HDTV and the Samsung 30" (TXR3079WH) HDTV. I will buying one of these two TVs mainly for my Xbox 360 and watching TV. I know that the 27" is only 4:3 but that doesn't bug me one bit. Then the 30" is does 16:9, but I keep hearing bad things about this TV. So which one would be the better deal.

playstat88

12-25-05, 05:23 PM

If you ask me widescreen is a big deal, i kno ps3's games will all be in widescreen and i think xbox360's are too but im not sure. I dont kno about you but i wanna eliminate those black bars as much as possible. Plus, with more hd networks starting to pop up, widescreen is only going to become more popular as time goes on (hd is broadcast in 16:9 if you didnt know).

Kitkat88

12-26-05, 07:29 AM

Im having a bit of a problem here. After holding out for about a year. Im going to get a Slimfit tv. My problem is that I dont know which model to get. I can get the 3080 for about 699 and the 3081 for about 950. I researched these models and I find that they dont have any technical differences.

Does anyone know of the differences between these two models besides the price?

Could it be that the kinks that were in the 3079 and somewhat in the 3080 were worked out in the 3081?

Pepsiman34

12-26-05, 03:33 PM

Today I went out and bought the 27" (TXR3079WH) one. I was wondering if anyone has it can share there settings for the TV?

acelink

12-26-05, 08:21 PM

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2005/305/x305TXR3080-b.jpeg

Hi, folks! This is the rear view of Samsung TX-R3080WH taken from a website.
As you can see there are many connectors, which I am not familiar with (nor care about).

If I want to get the best picture and sound quality possible when viewing a DVD and using surround spearkers, which connectors should I be concerned about?
I want to avoid any use of analog connectors if possible. As I am interested in buying this product, I would appreciate if the users of this product inform me the limitations this product has in terms of connectivity between devices.

Thanks in advance. :)

Ballz2TheWallz

12-26-05, 08:44 PM

playstat88

12-28-05, 04:13 AM

quick question - on the model code sticker on my slimfit, it says TXR3079WHX/XAA. Does everyone have that X added on, or is this a updated model or what?

justsc

12-28-05, 02:17 PM

quick question - on the model code sticker on my slimfit, it says TXR3079WHX/XAA. Does everyone have that X added on, or is this a updated model or what?
I've seen the "X" on other Samsung models, so I don't think it's unique to your model. I can't remember specifically what the "X" means, but it usually denotes a feature set.

newsbreaker

12-28-05, 11:41 PM

I've got the same purple spots someone else had earlier, but unplugging didn't help. They are about the size of a nickel in each corner...earlier today one was the size of a forearm, but that has gone completely away.

I have the slight bowing in the bottom, but I wouldn't have noticed it without reading this thread I don't think.

Is it worth returning it for a replacement? I'm very happy with the picture so far, now that I have it properly adjusted. FYI, I have the 79.

The Dord

12-30-05, 12:33 AM

But, I am starting to see a faint "ghosting" that goes to the right of images and words. I don't even know how to describe it properly. Isn't burn in when an image is permanently on the screen? If so, what is happening to my tv?

I'm getting the same thing, I get a band like this on the left side of the screen and the right side of the screen. seems like the tube isn't made flat enough or something.

If I have to return this, I'm going to freak out, this would be crappy item #2 from Circuit City (First, it was a dead pixel in a magnavox 27 inch lcd tv, now its Geometry and ghosting/glow problems in a 30" Samsung Dynaflat TV with HD-Tuner...) :(

niggenz

12-30-05, 01:18 AM

Can anyone here definitively confirm if the Samsung slimfits can decode QAM? Yes/No?

justsc

12-30-05, 01:03 PM

Can anyone here definitively confirm if the Samsung slimfits can decode QAM? Yes/No?
Unfortunately, no.

This issue is shrouded in so much confusion and disappointment, along with very inconclusive info from Samsung that I don't think anyone here can tell you for sure. I really wish some owners who have definitively tried this out would chime in here, but we just haven't heard this from them.

I have a contact within Samsung and the answer comes back that the TX-R and SlimFit series sets have this ability, but when pressed, he can't say for sure.

I'm sorry you can't get a clear answer to this.

plughplover

12-30-05, 05:31 PM

re: QAM

I know that my cable system has some QAM-256 channels in the clear (I also have an AccessDTV card in a PC). When I try to tune the slimfit to those channels, after a few moments it says "Cable ##" and gives me a screen of snow before going to the "Searching for Signals" display.

Interesting side note - When I manually tune an unpropgrammed channel on the antenna input, the channel number display starts out as "DTV Air ##" (while it is trying to detect a digital signal?) then falls back to "Air ##" when it switches to the analog mode. When I manually tune an unprogrammed channel on the cable input, the channel number display starts out as "DTV Cable ##" then changes to "Cable ##" when it switches to analog mode. That pattern makes me think it is trying to detect SOME kind of digital signal on the cable input, but all I can say is it DOESN'T find the unencrypted QAM-256 signals I know are there.

re: PAL

I was playing around with my Oppo DVD player, and was startled to observe that when I switched the player to PAL mode, the Slimfit screen blinked (as it changed sync) and then displayed the PAL input signal. Note that this was via Oppo DVI to Slimfit HDMI digital input - don't know what would happen via the analog inputs.

oldcuster

01-03-06, 12:13 PM

Circuit City's site is listing the TXR3081WH available for sale. The side-by-side comparison with the TX-R3079WH doesn't appear to show any difference. Has anyone seen an 81 in person?

shock913

01-08-06, 01:52 PM

greenscreen

01-08-06, 02:51 PM

Circuit City's site is listing the TXR3081WH available for sale. The side-by-side comparison with the TX-R3079WH doesn't appear to show any difference. Has anyone seen an 81 in person?
From what I saw the main difference was the 81 has the speakers under the screen and the 79 has the speakers mounted on the sides of the screen. This makes the 79 cabinet about 5" wider than the 81. The 81 also has an all silver cabinet where the 79 has a black frame around the screen.

shock913

01-09-06, 03:38 AM

I have a question hopefully somebody can answer. I have the TXR3079 and when watching TV or movies the picture is fine. But when my xbox 360 is playing any games, the picture seems too dark. I've tried adjusting the settings, but nothing seems to improve it. The funny thing is, it's only really dark during dark sections of games. In a well lit area, the game will look fine. Also, when slowly moving from a dark area to a lit area in the game, the dark area kind of fades in and brightens to the level it looks like it should be. Is there any type of setting I could change or turn off/on to improve this?

Actually, I just noticed that when running the Xbox at 720p or 1080i, games look darker, but when I switch it to 480p, the issues with everything being dark are gone. I don't want to have to run the system at 480p all the time, does anybody know what causes this?

justsc

01-09-06, 11:00 AM

Actually, I just noticed that when running the Xbox at 720p or 1080i, games look darker, but when I switch it to 480p, the issues with everything being dark are gone. I don't want to have to run the system at 480p all the time, does anybody know what causes this?
It seems your set is not properly calibrated for the Xbox. A real good first step would be to calibrate your set for the Xbox at whichever hi-res you wish to use.

Use either Avia or DVE to do the calibration. A stop-gap measure would be to raise the black level (brightness) until you get the set calibrated.

Michael2000

01-10-06, 02:51 AM

By the way, very high voltages are inside color sets, even many hours after they've been turned off. Don't play technician if you don't regularly do this stuff, or you will need to make sure your life insurance is paid up, and know that your survivors will enjoy the set.

x

Good advice...while VERY funny, too. :D

Rabbit_Ears

01-10-06, 11:41 AM

Just returned from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Samsung was showing replacement models of the Slimfits in their booth. In general the replacement for the 3079 looks the same except that they extended the black color of the bezel over the speaker grills which to me looked better... and I already liked the look of the 3079. Due to the type of video on the screen I wasn't able to see if these new Slimfit models had any geometry issues. I asked the Samsung rep at the show if the geometry issues were fixed and she pretended not to be aware of any such issues with the TV. I wasn't going to challange her on that other than to say that the internet is full of stories about it. The other styling change was the back cover of the TV.., its more rounded and better looking that the old models which matters if the back or side of the TV is exposed. When I asked when these new Slimfits will be on the market, the rep said they are available now from small retailers but not at any of the big box stores like CC or Best Buy. Also, the other big news from CES 2006 regarding Slimfits was the arival of the LG Electronics version. The LG Electronics Slimfit was surprisingly similar in styling to the 3079 which gave the illusion that maybe Samsung and LG are somehow partnered on these Slimfit TVs. I took pictures of both the new Samsung and LG slimfits and will post them to this group later.

acelink

01-10-06, 09:40 PM