I would bet the bank that everyone has this light/dark/light issue on these sets. The only ones noticing is those of us who watch TV and movies in a dark room and a dark scene is on the set. This problem cannot be noticed with much light in the room at all, atleast on mine, if the room has even a little bit of brightness this light/dark/light issue cannot be seen.

In other words, it is my belief that this issue cannot be fixed by samsung. I dont think a new LE or anything else will work.

For those of you that say you dont have this problem. I challange you to sit in a pitch black room. Turn on your TV and turn off your cable or sat box. Im pretty sure that you will see the light/dark/light issue.

I'm confused...I thought the 6412 Phase III was the latest and greatest Comcast DVR with HDMI. Is that not the case?

From what gathered in the 3412 thread, the 3412 is the new and latest STB.
AFAIK, the 64XX does not support ADS, & the 34XX does.
I don't know which 6412 I traded in, but I did so appx. 4 months ago.

I would bet the bank that everyone has this light/dark/light issue on these sets. The only ones noticing is those of us who watch TV and movies in a dark room and a dark scene is on the set. This problem cannot be noticed with much light in the room at all, atleast on mine, if the room has even a little bit of brightness this light/dark/light issue cannot be seen.

In other words, it is my belief that this issue cannot be fixed by samsung. I dont think a new LE or anything else will work.

For those of you that say you dont have this problem. I challange you to sit in a pitch black room. Turn on your TV and turn off your cable or sat box. Im pretty sure that you will see the light/dark/light issue.

Yes, I tend to agree with that statement. Eliab(official Sammy calibrator guru) told me that he has seen this issue in every set he has calibrated, and he even told me that the tech and I were wasting our time trying to fix it. I figured there a different degrees of this problem, so I was hoping a replacement part or two might actually lessen the effect I have now. It is VERY noticeable for me as it is now. Reading between the lines with Eliab, he seemed surprised that I see it during real video playback and not just total dark screens. Therefore, I feel he must tweak it enough to lessen the issue. This is just a guess tho.

Right now, I am on the fence when it comes to an exchange of the set or to try a new LE. I will be calling my sales friend tomorrow for my options, as I said, I may upgrade one size and see if I can get lucky with minimum degree of flaws on a 61 inch set or do the unthinkable and try my luck at SXRD set.

I would bet the bank that everyone has this light/dark/light issue on these sets. The only ones noticing is those of us who watch TV and movies in a dark room and a dark scene is on the set. This problem cannot be noticed with much light in the room at all, atleast on mine, if the room has even a little bit of brightness this light/dark/light issue cannot be seen.

In other words, it is my belief that this issue cannot be fixed by samsung. I dont think a new LE or anything else will work.

For those of you that say you dont have this problem. I challange you to sit in a pitch black room. Turn on your TV and turn off your cable or sat box. Im pretty sure that you will see the light/dark/light issue.

Do you spend a lot of time sitting in a pitch black room watching a TV that has no signal being fed to it? Sounds exciting.

TV's weren't ment to be watched with no signal fed to them. Anything you get goes outside the design speck. Now, if you see it on a regular picture during a dark scene in a movie, then that is a different story. Cue up some space scene on a Star Trek or Star Wars movie and pause it. If you can clearly see the L/D/L bars, then there is a problem.

It just kills me when someone says watch a TV with nothing else turned on to see a problem (common thing for people with a SXRD to say). If I'm watching TV and I close my eyes, I see white spots all over the screen. The set must be defective... :D

Do you spend a lot of time sitting in a pitch black room watching a TV that has no signal being fed to it? Sounds exciting.

TV's weren't ment to be watched with no signal fed to them. Anything you get goes outside the design speck. Now, if you see it on a regular picture during a dark scene in a movie, then that is a different story. Cue up some space scene on a Star Trek or Star Wars movie and pause it. If you can clearly see the L/D/L bars, then there is a problem.

It just kills me when someone says watch a TV with nothing else turned on to see a problem (common thing for people with a SXRD to say). If I'm watching TV and I close my eyes, I see white spots all over the screen. The set must be defective... :D

Well, lets see. I watch most my TV in a light controlled and very dim lit area. I prefer it that way. Also, I DO notice the brighter stripe during live action video as some others also have. So, I guess your point is taken about staring at a black screen not mattering, but when I am watching my favorite shows and see this type of imperfection, then there is an issue as you have stated.

Due to the fact that this issue has to do primarily with brightness, and not some obvious color issue, or geomtry issue etc.., I think there are varying degrees depending ALOT on the TV viewing ambient light and so forth. Some may never see it, others most definitely will.

I am seeing the issue when watching programming from any source. I have shown the tech the problem on the opening space scene in Star Wars , the darker cave scenes in LOR and the anything in the office on 24 ( which is pretty much 1/2 the show). I believe what HD-Nut is trying to say is that turning off the cbl or sat receiver will show the issue without you having to put in a dvd and searching for a dark scene or waiting for a dark scene on HD/SD. I too would like to see the other owners try this so that we would know if this is common on all sets. Maybe it doesn't bother you. Thats fine but knowing that this is present on all of these models and realizing that it's not fixable would allow those of us who are bothered by it to return the set or just accept it as a flaw.

I am seeing the issue when watching programming from any source. I have shown the tech the problem on the opening space scene in Star Wars , the darker cave scenes in LOR and the anything in the office on 24 ( which is pretty much 1/2 the show). I believe what HD-Nut is trying to say is that turning off the cbl or sat receiver will show the issue without you having to put in a dvd and searching for a dark scene or waiting for a dark scene on HD/SD. I too would like to see the other owners try this so that we would know if this is common on all sets. Maybe it doesn't bother you. Thats fine but knowing that this is present on all of these models and realizing that it's not fixable would allow those of us who are bothered by it to return the set or just accept it as a flaw.

I may have missed it, but what was your decision for your set? Are you going with a different brand, or an exchange for anohter Sammy?

By the way, big fan of 24 myself and yes it is rough with all those office scenes. :(

I would bet the bank that everyone has this light/dark/light issue on these sets. The only ones noticing is those of us who watch TV and movies in a dark room and a dark scene is on the set. This problem cannot be noticed with much light in the room at all, atleast on mine, if the room has even a little bit of brightness this light/dark/light issue cannot be seen.

In other words, it is my belief that this issue cannot be fixed by samsung. I dont think a new LE or anything else will work.

For those of you that say you dont have this problem. I challange you to sit in a pitch black room. Turn on your TV and turn off your cable or sat box. Im pretty sure that you will see the light/dark/light issue.

Last night I was looking for this but can't see it on my 6178. Pitch black room. My STB was on, but I paused it with a black background displaying a single small white line from the closing credits. Background was black everywhere. No light-dark-light effect present.

No luck with the tech on Monday. He is coming back out tomorrow morning to get rid of the white spots ( I hope ). He is looking into the LDL thing with Samsung tech support and says that it could take awhile to get a fix for that if at all. I spoke with tech support today and they say they have never heard of this problem. Soon after I got in touch with TVA to have my 30 day return deal extended until I hear from Samsung on whether or not this can be corrected. I don't have much hope on a fix so I most likely will return this and pre-order the 61in HLS model. Not the LED version as I don't think I can wait that long after spending a few weeks with this. I don't want to go back to a 36inch until summer. From what I gather the new HLS line MSRP's for around $600 less than the one I have so I'm hoping the TVA cost will be less than what I paid for the 6168 and it has 1080P through the HDMI input. Maybe this will all work out after all. I'll let you know if the service tech fixes anything.

My original repair was way back in late August when I noticed green / pink artifacts on the screen when using my component inputs. It was determined that the digital board was bad (which it was and the replacement fixed this problem), but since doing so the PC input's gray scales were way off. My new set doesn't seem to have the brightness issue, or at least I don't notice it at all. I do see the hashmark patterns when I turn off my cable box and have just the TV on; however, I have to be standing up right in front of the TV looking down on the screen to see this issue. Because the pattern's aren't seen from my normal viewing area, I am not too worried about it..

Best regards,

Steve

Steve,

I take it that the replacement set you got doesn't have the light/dark/light screen problem? If not, it sounds like those of us with that problem simply need to try LEs until we get one that's good. I think I'll try another round.

Bill

Do you spend a lot of time sitting in a pitch black room watching a TV that has no signal being fed to it? Sounds exciting.

TV's weren't ment to be watched with no signal fed to them. Anything you get goes outside the design speck. Now, if you see it on a regular picture during a dark scene in a movie, then that is a different story. Cue up some space scene on a Star Trek or Star Wars movie and pause it. If you can clearly see the L/D/L bars, then there is a problem.

It just kills me when someone says watch a TV with nothing else turned on to see a problem (common thing for people with a SXRD to say). If I'm watching TV and I close my eyes, I see white spots all over the screen. The set must be defective... :D
No I dont at all. No need to be a smart ass either. Im telling people to do this because this is a simple way to see what we are talking about. I can also see it on a very dark scene in a dark room. The scene has to be VERY dark though, thus my reason for telling people to turn of there STB as it makes for a dark screen.

Gadgtman, I'm in Malden. My friend upstairs still has the 6412. I traded mine in. I think the PQ is better? I mentioned it to him about exchanging his and he doesn't want to bother right now. It seems to be the same, just different and maybe a little better. lol. I never heard of model numbers going down? I was upset with the tech. at first since I thought he gave me a 6412 I. I don't see how a 3412 I is better than a 6412 III judging by model numbers alone? The 3412 thread does say its better and is being replaced from the 6412 so I was relieved and I probably owe the tech. an apology. Then I thought I'd wait and see if I have some of the trouble people have reported on that thread first. lol. I hate Comsucks.
Thanks, that helps. I'm a longtime Dish Network customer and am somewhat "forced" to switch to Comcast because they're the only provider around that serves up NESN in HD (Red Sox, Bruins). So I've been away from Comcast since '98...and somewhat leery about it as I really like Dish.

I'll make sure to request the 3412 when they come out in a few weeks. Are there any tweaks or gotchas I should know about?

Sorry all to ask this on the Samsung thread....

I believe what HD-Nut is trying to say is that turning off the cbl or sat receiver will show the issue without you having to put in a dvd and searching for a dark scene or waiting for a dark scene on HD/SD. I too would like to see the other owners try this so that we would know if this is common on all sets. exactly. :)

Last night I was looking for this but can't see it on my 6178. Pitch black room. My STB was on, but I paused it with a black background displaying a single small white line from the closing credits. Background was black everywhere. No light-dark-light effect present.
If you can, try it tonight with the STB off and make sure the room is very dark. I have the 6178 also and my set has the light/dark/light problem but it seems that its not as severe on the 6178 as it is on the other models for some reason.

It is VERY noticeable for me as it is now. Reading between the lines with Eliab, he seemed surprised that I see it during real video playback and not just total dark screens.
Your issue sounds like it is more severe then mine. I can only see the light/dark/light problem in a VERY dark scene like in Preditor VS Alien when it is totally dark or if my STB is off. I cannot see this problem anytime else. which model do you have? i have the 6178. it seems like certain models are worse then others when it comes to this problem.

Savagsa, how were you able to get a thirty day extension? Most people here with issues were not able to return it, just after thirty days. Do you have something in writing, like a fax or email, from someone who is authorized? I hope it works out for you but my experience has been they are too busy getting new customers and put current customers or those with issues on the bottom of their priority list. What would be wrong with just returning it within thirty days and get another? Seems like you'd be in the same position just about?

Don't feel too bad. I had my first service call today also, and it was also somewhat comical at times. The tech ran through a bunch of service menu tests using his signal generator, trying to see if it was a setting issue causing the L/D/L issue. To his surprise he determined it was in the Light Path. I said Bingo, I already knew that. So, he scrapped the DMD board replacement and wrote me up for a Light Engine replacement. Here is where is got sticky between us. He was able to notice I had the set calibrated, and we right away got into the Sammy warranty issue. He finally subsided about it and then tried to say that if the new LE didnt fix the issue that the calibrator was to blame, since he believes the LE should fix everything. I told him that is odd since the L/D/L issue was there prior to calibration and that I was hoping the calibration would help the issue. He seem to finally settle down, and say that he would do everything possible including call Samsung to try and figure out any other measures of repair beyond the LE replacement. So, since some don't seem to have this issue, I will now cross my fingers that I get a LE that doesn't have this issue, and doesn't cause any other issues as some have seen.

The tech definitely knew his way around the Sammy, but boy some things these guys say, you know they just don't have a clue at times. He questioned my calibration helping at all, and kept telling me how you can always find things wrong with all TVs, etc etc... I don't expect for these guys to know everything about every set, but its the generalizations they make that I question. So, now I wait and hopefully they can get the LE in soon and I will be able to report those results. By the way, he made write that the set was calibrated on the work order, just so he had that info for some reason.

SORRY. Big mistake, I would of never wrote that down on paper, because now it is in writting. If you didnt write it, then it would of been your word against his. Samsung usually listening to the customer more. I hope that this doesnt come back and bite you in the butt, because they might charge you $1,400 for the Light engine. The less you write and tell these service people, the better.

My friend did the exact same thing and they billed him for the light engine about 4 months ago.

Gadgtman, We had Dish and liked it a lot but they don't have an offer for two HD DVR STBs so we went with Comsucks. Check out some of the posts a little further back. I just had a problem when I got home. I used the Comsucks remote to turn off the STB and set. I went to turn them both on and the STB had no picture, only guide info. It did play from the DVR and then at some point I checked the channels and it started working. They say to leave the STB on all the time, since it really is anyway when you turn it "off." I have to get in the habit of using the Sammy remote again.

Dosent it say that if the Service Menu is accessed that the warranty is void? I may be wrong, thats was just my understanding.

My understanding is that, if you open the Set up, make any adjustments (non-remote related), and service your set, (IE fans, LE, etc), then the warrnaty is voided. It doesnt state anything about having the TV calibrated if it voids the warranty or not.

Samsung is getting smarter, I bet the new TV's will have this stated in the manual.

I am almost POSITIVE you had the EXACT same tech that I had... Over and over he kept telling me how these sets get no better than factory defaults... After he messed up gray scale on my PC input and kept arguing with me that it was the same before the digital board replacement I more or less told him to screw off and I just got my set replaced... Hopefully things go more smoothly for you.

Best regards,

Steve

THAT TECH SUCKS THEN, IF HE IS SAYING THIS. I CAN PROVE TO HIM AND TO ALL THE TECHS, THAT THESE TV'S CAN LOOK SO MUCH BETTER AFTER THE CALIBRATION AND VELUX INSTALL. ARE THESE TECHS RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL???

StallionRe, where does it say in writing that you can't calibrate the set? You didn't mention anything about your friend that I recall? He probably could've at least delayed paying by challenging it. I don't know if I would just pay it without questioning it first, knowing the cost of the set I already paid for.

I would bet the bank that everyone has this light/dark/light issue on these sets. The only ones noticing is those of us who watch TV and movies in a dark room and a dark scene is on the set. This problem cannot be noticed with much light in the room at all, atleast on mine, if the room has even a little bit of brightness this light/dark/light issue cannot be seen.

In other words, it is my belief that this issue cannot be fixed by samsung. I dont think a new LE or anything else will work.

For those of you that say you dont have this problem. I challange you to sit in a pitch black room. Turn on your TV and turn off your cable or sat box. Im pretty sure that you will see the light/dark/light issue.

I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS THAT YOU MENTIONED. THE CALIBRATOR AND MYSELF WAS IN A TOTALLY DARK ROOM AND WATCHED TV, MOVIE AND HIGH DEF AND NOTHING. ALL IS GOOD. ACTUALLY TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, MY TV WORKS BETTER IN A COMPLETELY DARK ROOM AFTER THE CALIBRATION, BUT BEFORE THE CALIBRATION, IT SUCKED!!!

Last night I was looking for this but can't see it on my 6178. Pitch black room. My STB was on, but I paused it with a black background displaying a single small white line from the closing credits. Background was black everywhere. No light-dark-light effect present.

EXACTLY!!! Mine works the same as yours. I have the 6178W. So is this the only model that works well in a completely dark room? I have no effects at all in any degree of light or darkness. After the Velux install, my background is even darker, I couldnt get my TV darker, even if I tried. I wouldnt want to anyway.

No matter what signal source I use, any inputs, etc, my TV works the same.

StallionRe, where does it say in writing that you can't calibrate the set? You didn't mention anything about your friend that I recall? He probably could've at least delayed paying by challenging it. I don't know if I would just pay it without questioning it first, knowing the cost of the set I already paid for.

My friend just told me this about 2 weeks ago, when I got him on this forum. He is just going through the pages reading and didnt post anything just yet, until he knows what he is talking about. I asked him to post here for us and for the people who are having these problems. I cant post something that I dont see on my TV screen.

The warranty doesn't say anything about calibration, I was saying that for the NEW TV's the warranty might state, that you can't calibrate your TV or it will void the warranty, since Samsung seems to be against us calibrating our TV's. What do you think?

I have the 6178W. So is this the only model that works well in a completely dark room? Nope, I have the 6178 and I do have the light/dark/light issue but mine seems to be to a lesser extent then others have posted about.

Nope, I have the 6178 and I do have the light/dark/light issue but mine seems to be to a lesser extent then others have posted about.

That is great. I wonder if the 6178W sets are made differently, like in another plant with higher regulations, testing, etc?

I think the issue is that people here are under the impression, right or wrong, that calibrating your set, either yourself or by a professional calibrator, will void the warranty. I'd like to hear from a professional calibrator about this issue. It sounds like an issue since the service tech. that Vegasjay used knew right away that his set was calibrated, threatened to void the warranty and made him make a note on a work order. Like I said earlier, I don't see how someone can provide a service that will void a warranty? It reminds me of having your car windows tinted. There are several degrees of tint available and the amount varies from state to state. If you get a ticket in your own state for too dark a tint then the tint shop should pay for the ticket and give you the right tint at no charge. Will a professional calibrator pay for a new LE?

i will send cheezmo a pm and ask him to respond here.

I think the issue is that people here are under the impression, right or wrong, that calibrating your set, either yourself or by a professional calibrator, will void the warranty. I'd like to hear from a professional calibrator about this issue. It sounds like an issue since the service tech. that Vegasjay used knew right away that his set was calibrated, threatened to void the warranty and made him make a note on a work order. Like I said earlier, I don't see how someone can provide a service that will void a warranty? It reminds me of having your car windows tinted. There are several degrees of tint available and the amount varies from state to state. If you get a ticket in your own state for too dark a tint then the tint shop should pay for the ticket and give you the right tint at no charge. Will a professional calibrator pay for a new LE?

No, but it gives Sasmung a right to void a warranty based on what the calibrator did and when he removed the screen if Sasmung really wants too, However this should not void the warranty on the DMD or LE at all, because the calibrator doesn't touch these units to do his job including installing the Velux.

Nope, I have the 6178 and I do have the light/dark/light issue but mine seems to be to a lesser extent then others have posted about.
Do you agree that overall, having the TV professional calibrated including the install of Velux lessen's the light/dark/light issue???

But why does it effect the 6178W model the most and corrects this issue more than any other Samsung model? Strange.

Do you agree that overall, having the TV professional calibrated including the install of Velux lessen's the light/dark/light issue???

But why does it effect the 6178W model the most and corrects this issue more than any other Samsung model? Strange.
I have not had the Velux installed on my set so I dont know about that. As far as the calibration, the bright/dark/bright issue is about the same.

Does anybody have the 6778? I see alot of people with the 61" but I have been unable to find anything bigger on display to look at myself. Just wanted to make sure there isn't any unusual problems with the 67" Amazon has a good price on them I was thinking of just getting it over with.

The other model I was think about was the 70" JVC D-ILA. I was able to compare both 61" TV's at the store and I couldn't tell the difference between the two and the black detail is supposed to be better with the Samsung's.......right? There is also the fact you can't get a JVC at the moment plus it would cost me about $1200 more. Anybody but Auditor 55 feel free to respond.

Not waiting for SED

I really can't add much. It is up to the manufacturer and I doubt many of them have a documented policy on professional calibration (other than Brillian/Runco/Pioneer/Vidikron, a few that actively support it).

Reason would dictate that if you change something in the service mode, you shouldn't be asking for warranty service if your change causes a problem or results in an image that you don't like.

Similarly I would consider it inappropriate for a manufacturer to deny warranty service on an issue unrelated to the service adjustments made in a typical ISF calibration.

But all that is just my opinion, nothing official.

Thankfully most of the adjustments required for an ISF calibration are finding their way into the normal user menus of many manufacturers. Not Samsung at this point but hopefully in the future.

No, but it gives Sasmung a right to void a warranty based on what the calibrator did and when he removed the screen if Sasmung really wants too, However this should not void the warranty on the DMD or LE at all, because the calibrator doesn't touch these units to do his job including installing the Velux.

I told him the issue was there before the calibration, which is the truth. In fact, I had hoped the Velux would get rid of the issue initially. I even posted that here on the site. I am just an idiot sometimes, but he knew almost immediately that something was up. He was staring at all the DNIe stuff and knew they were not the default. The service shop called today and said the LE was on its way and there was no issue from Sammy. I will double check tho before they install it. Again, this should be a moot point, but I guess you never know.

I honestly think I notice it slightly more now that the velux is in their, but maybe its just because I know its there and I almost look for it now.

Also, he laid off the warranty issue once he ran through a bunch of service menu tweaks, and noticed that nothing he tried affected the problem, therefore he concluded and said to me that the issue was internal to the light path and was not adjustable at all in the service menu.

Does anybody have the 6778? I see alot of people with the 61" but I have been unable to find anything bigger on display to look at myself. Just wanted to make sure there isn't any unusual problems with the 67" Amazon has a good price on them I was thinking of just getting it over with.

The other model I was think about was the 70" JVC D-ILA. I was able to compare both 61" TV's at the store and I couldn't tell the difference between the two and the black detail is supposed to be better with the Samsung's.......right? There is also the fact you can't get a JVC at the moment plus it would cost me about $1200 more. Anybody but Auditor 55 feel free to respond.

Not waiting for SED
there is no 6778. these sets jump from 61 inches to 71 inches. there is no 67 inch in the 78 series.

Update to my situation. As a refresher, I had the digital board replaced on 2/27/06 and then noticed faint white shapes on 2/3rds of the screen that could only be seen at night during a dark scene or when switching between inputs.

A tech from Tekniton came out today, different repair shop from before, and just as he was about to close out the ticket as "problem could not be duplicated", I decided to cover the screen with a blanket and then look for the shapes. Sure enough, the tech finally could see what I was talking about.

The tech said he wasn't sure which part was causing the problem but that he was sure it was coming from the light source. He ordered a light engine and in about two weeks he would call back to set up another appointment. I'll keep you posted.

there is no 6778. these sets jump from 61 inches to 71 inches. there is no 67 inch in the 78 series.

Sorry I guess I meant the 68 series 6768.

StallionRe,its pretty much one way or the other, not it depends. If they are not authorized to service or touch the set any more than a consumer then it would be just as void, if that's the case? If the screen is damaged then that's not covered under the warranty anyway. In other words I think consumers can install Velux and have as much authorization as a calibrator for installing it. Samsung or a service tech. has no business looking inside the screen. I don't think making adjustments to a computer BIOS voids a warranty and I think making adjustments to a SM is very similar to a BIOS. Those options and adjustments are there for a reason. They wouldn't be there if they weren't necessary. Certified calibrators rely on this issue for their business as much as a local car mechanic changing your oil does. If it voided the warranty you could only change the oil at the dealer.

StallionRe, I think you should get in touch with your friend right away and find out if they did pay for the LE or a service call that should be under warranty. They might have a case against Samsung and or the calibrator to get any money back. The issue seems to go back and forth but I can't see simply paying for something like a LE and not questioning it? I'd be sure to get a clear answer that was in my favor. lol.

bcpv, I didn't get another 30 days added to the return. I got at least another week. I informed TVA that I had seen in some of their reviews that they had extended the 30 days for some customers that were having issues and asked for the same. They have documented each call and concern that I have had so they understand that I have had an issue since I received it. I have no written proof or contract from them however. As far as returning the TV and getting the same in return I have seen in their reviews that others were denied that opportunity. I believe it's because it is Samsung's resonsibility to get the set working properly not TVA's and it didn't make sense to return one for the same TV when the parts of these sets are essentially plug and play. If the new sets weren't coming out in April or May I think the decision would be a little more difficult.

Take a good look here at this picture and remeber this is your brand new TV that you have spent good money for. Case closed? Maybe you like spotted scenes with non uniform brightness, I happen to find it annoying.

The point that Im trying to make here is that your screen has a uniform brightness or lumens and in those areas that are brighter you will have a brighter area when there is a picture during regular viewing. Try this experiment while you are watching your favorite movie, have a friend stand behind you with a mag-lite and shine it in the middle of the screen when the lights are dim and see if it's acceptable to you. Better yet have him use a laser pointer and make funny shapes on the screen and see how that goes. Have fun :D

Aside from all my sarcasm my repairs are scheduled for today and I am hoping for the best. I'll post when my heart starts beating again.







Do you spend a lot of time sitting in a pitch black room watching a TV that has no signal being fed to it? Sounds exciting.

TV's weren't ment to be watched with no signal fed to them. Anything you get goes outside the design speck. Now, if you see it on a regular picture during a dark scene in a movie, then that is a different story. Cue up some space scene on a Star Trek or Star Wars movie and pause it. If you can clearly see the L/D/L bars, then there is a problem.

It just kills me when someone says watch a TV with nothing else turned on to see a problem (common thing for people with a SXRD to say). If I'm watching TV and I close my eyes, I see white spots all over the screen. The set must be defective... :D

johnnyczar

Wishing the best for you.

Where's a webcam when you really need one. :)

johnnyczar

Wishing the best for you.

Where's a webcam when you really need one. :)

LOL. Absolutely, Johnny. I hope today is a great day for you.

Bill

I would bet the bank that everyone has this light/dark/light issue on these sets. The only ones noticing is those of us who watch TV and movies in a dark room and a dark scene is on the set. This problem cannot be noticed with much light in the room at all, atleast on mine, if the room has even a little bit of brightness this light/dark/light issue cannot be seen.

In other words, it is my belief that this issue cannot be fixed by samsung. I dont think a new LE or anything else will work.

For those of you that say you dont have this problem. I challange you to sit in a pitch black room. Turn on your TV and turn off your cable or sat box. Im pretty sure that you will see the light/dark/light issue.

Since I spent hours staring at gray screens (and green blobs) on three Sony SXRDs before returning them in favor of a Samsung 6768, I thought I'd have even more fun staring at a completely black screen by accepting your challenge!

I waited until midnight last night, turned out all of the lights, stumbled over the coffee table, cued an AVIA black screen... and saw only uniform black. When I replaced black with white, I observed one dead pixel... but that's it.

This test was conducted on DVD playing 480i through component (because I don't have a STB to turn off to get a black screen).

Anybody with a 6768 who *does* experience this L/D/L phenomenon?

For those of you who do have this problem, by any chance are the light/dark transitions located at the left and right edges of 4:3 content?

Take a good look here at this picture and remeber this is your brand new TV that you have spent good money for. Case closed? Maybe you like spotted scenes with non uniform brightness, I happen to find it annoying.

The point that Im trying to make here is that your screen has a uniform brightness or lumens and in those areas that are brighter you will have a brighter area when there is a picture during regular viewing. Try this experiment while you are watching your favorite movie, have a friend stand behind you with a mag-lite and shine it in the middle of the screen when the lights are dim and see if it's acceptable to you. Better yet have him use a laser pointer and make funny shapes on the screen and see how that goes. Have fun :D

Aside from all my sarcasm my repairs are scheduled for today and I am hoping for the best. I'll post when my heart starts beating again.

I wait to hear how it goes Johnny. Good luck.

Since I spent hours staring at gray screens (and green blobs) on three Sony SXRDs before returning them in favor of a Samsung 6768, I thought I'd have even more fun staring at a completely black screen by accepting your challenge!

I waited until midnight last night, turned out all of the lights, stumbled over the coffee table, cued an AVIA black screen... and saw only uniform black. When I replaced black with white, I observed one dead pixel... but that's it.

This test was conducted on DVD playing 480i through component (because I don't have a STB to turn off to get a black screen).

Anybody with a 6768 who *does* experience this L/D/L phenomenon?

For those of you who do have this problem, by any chance are the light/dark transitions located at the left and right edges of 4:3 content?

Maybe there is some hope for this problem. I think this makes multiple people who say they DON'T see it. This is on a 6768, which I dont think we have heard from any of those owners yet. When was your set made? Thanks for taking the test.

Why is it in the 61" version the 78 series cost about $700 more than the 68 series. Other than cosmetics aren't they identical?

Johnnyzcar, I wish you the best and I hope today is the end of this long drawn out saga. Either the set is fixed and doesn't have new issues or you should get a new one with a new warranty. Don't take any more bull. Good luck.

If you have a cable HD cable box that can connect through the HDMI port to the Samsung 78x, please provide the model number. I am going to see if my cable company has an alternate box that I can use. The Scientific Atlantic 3250 does not handshake from my frustrating experience over the last few days.

When connecting my PC to the Samsung through the HDMI port digitally it appears much sharper than when I go through the VGA port, I would at least like to see if a digital connection from the HDTV cable box would net any improvements.

Maybe there is some hope for this problem. I think this makes multiple people who say they DON'T see it. This is on a 6768, which I dont think we have heard from any of those owners yet. When was your set made? Thanks for taking the test.

November 2005. Also, despite my best efforts to see it, I cannot observe the "hash mark" phenomenon. My only PQ complaint is 1/2" SD pincushion and slightly soft focus, but perhaps ring focus adjustment during ISF calibration will fix the latter.

This is not to say everything is perfect. Samsung should add some discrete IR codes (tuner input, internal muting) and fix the dynamic range bug (my remote is programmed to set "movie mode" after every input).

And yes... after several weeks without rainbows, I can now see them occasionally. Bright, thin features (particularly in static test patterns) are the worst offenders, but my entire family noticed the problem during "The Skeleton Key".

All in all, Sony's SXRD PQ and overall refinement are noticeably better than Samsung's... but I'm willing to accept a bit less than state-of-the-art in exchange for correct whites and grays.

November 2005. Also, despite my best efforts to see it, I cannot observe the "hash mark" phenomenon. My only PQ complaint is 1/2" SD pincushion and slightly soft focus, but perhaps ring focus adjustment during ISF calibration will fix the latter.

This is not to say everything is perfect. Samsung should add some discrete IR codes (tuner input, internal muting) and fix the dynamic range bug (my remote is programmed to set "movie mode" after every input).

And yes... after several weeks without rainbows, I can now see them occasionally. Bright, thin features (particularly in static test patterns) are the worst offenders, but my entire family noticed the problem during "The Skeleton Key".

All in all, Sony's SXRD PQ and overall refinement are noticeably better than Samsung's... but I'm willing to accept a bit less than state-of-the-art in exchange for correct whites and grays.

Wow, sounds like with a calibration you would be about as close to perfect as possible with these sets. Knock on wood, I hope it stays like that for you. Except for the L/D/L issue, I am very happy with my set and hope that the new LE at least makes the LDL issue less noticeable, and I will be ready to fully enjoy my set.

StallionRe,its pretty much one way or the other, not it depends. If they are not authorized to service or touch the set any more than a consumer then it would be just as void, if that's the case? If the screen is damaged then that's not covered under the warranty anyway. In other words I think consumers can install Velux and have as much authorization as a calibrator for installing it. Samsung or a service tech. has no business looking inside the screen. I don't think making adjustments to a computer BIOS voids a warranty and I think making adjustments to a SM is very similar to a BIOS. Those options and adjustments are there for a reason. They wouldn't be there if they weren't necessary. Certified calibrators rely on this issue for their business as much as a local car mechanic changing your oil does. If it voided the warranty you could only change the oil at the dealer.

StallionRe, I think you should get in touch with your friend right away and find out if they did pay for the LE or a service call that should be under warranty. They might have a case against Samsung and or the calibrator to get any money back. The issue seems to go back and forth but I can't see simply paying for something like a LE and not questioning it? I'd be sure to get a clear answer that was in my favor. lol.

I called my friend and he said that the LE was $1,400.00, however, Samsung gave him a discount and charged him $1,160.00 Now I have to find out if he can get the money back because of the warranty, but Samsung stuck it to him because of the calibration and Velux install. I need some more info from him to make sure my facts are right.

Update to my situation. As a refresher, I had the digital board replaced on 2/27/06 and then noticed faint white shapes on 2/3rds of the screen that could only be seen at night during a dark scene or when switching between inputs.

A tech from Tekniton came out today, different repair shop from before, and just as he was about to close out the ticket as "problem could not be duplicated", I decided to cover the screen with a blanket and then look for the shapes. Sure enough, the tech finally could see what I was talking about.

The tech said he wasn't sure which part was causing the problem but that he was sure it was coming from the light source. He ordered a light engine and in about two weeks he would call back to set up another appointment. I'll keep you posted.

If you're in southern California then my apologies for the wait. Tekniton replaced my light engine which they had in stock about a week ago. Sorry if I took the last one. Well.....not real sorry :)

Good Luck :)

Ok guys the tech came today on time and dresssed in official Samsung garb and driving an official Samsung vehicle. I was impressed with their work and all the problems are solved. I showed him the reflections and the hashmark issues and he said he would have felt the same if the set was returned to him with those problems. Actually the tech came along with the owner of Complete Electronics. The owner brought the LE and screen with him. He was a bit more anxious than the tech, I don't know why but I'm thinking they had me pegged as a chronic complainer or something and he wanted to make sure I was happy before they left.

He had the LE replaced in about 5 mins. The part that fixes the hashmark problem is a plastic cover that fits over the lens and it's held on with a screw down bezel ring. Basically Samsung had to recast or mold the part. It's a ring with a rectangle in it and the old one had too big of a rectangle, that's it nothing more. Now as to whether or not the pattern is actually from the DMD board missing that plastic shroud I don’t know but it's hidden or blocked with the new piece and never manifests itself on the screen.

They replaced the LE and my screen. When he put the new LE in he went in to the SM and loaded the CCA which is the color info from the LE, that took like 2 secs and then he adjusted the V position and H position and that was it done. The screen replacement was a bit trickier and it took 2 people to do that. One thing I just noticed is there is some debris in between the 2 screens again but I'm thinking of putting the velux in and when I pop off the screens I'll get it out. I think it's small particles from the cardboard packaging or something, not really a big deal and it's not visible unless you are 1 foot away.

I asked about a warranty extention and he said he would look into it and he also gave me the option to buy an extended warranty but the 3 year warranty was $835.00 for my set. I thought that was a bit pricey so I’m going to shop around some.

So my color has returned and I can breathe again, at least until I try to put in the velux. :D

Most excellent, Johnny. While shopping for extended warranties, you might consider Brian Pool's offers at TapeWorks Texas (see sticky on AVS Forum Power Buys thread). The pricing was among the best I've seen, and my local Samsung service representative confirmed that they are happy to work with the Mack warranties.

I generally skip EWs... but the occasional flakiness of these new TVs makes me nervous. Of course, you know that far better than most! Congratulations on finally resolving the problems.

Ok guys the tech came today on time and dresssed in official Samsung garb and driving an official Samsung vehicle. I was impressed with their work and all the problems are solved. I showed him the reflections and the hashmark issues and he said he would have felt the same if the set was returned to him with those problems. Actually the tech came along with the owner of Complete Electronics. The owner brought the LE and screen with him. He was a bit more anxious than the tech, I don't know why but I'm thinking they had me pegged as a chronic complainer or something and he wanted to make sure I was happy before they left.

He had the LE replaced in about 5 mins. The part that fixes the hashmark problem is a plastic cover that fits over the lens and it's held on with a screw down bezel ring. Basically Samsung had to recast or mold the part. It's a ring with a rectangle in it and the old one had too big of a rectangle, that's it nothing more. Now as to whether or not the pattern is actually from the DMD board missing that plastic shroud I don’t know but it's hidden or blocked with the new piece and never manifests itself on the screen.

They replaced the LE and my screen. When he put the new LE in he went in to the SM and loaded the CCA which is the color info from the LE, that took like 2 secs and then he adjusted the V position and H position and that was it done. The screen replacement was a bit trickier and it took 2 people to do that. One thing I just noticed is there is some debris in between the 2 screens again but I'm thinking of putting the velux in and when I pop off the screens I'll get it out. I think it's small particles from the cardboard packaging or something, not really a big deal and it's not visible unless you are 1 foot away.

I asked about a warranty extention and he said he would look into it and he also gave me the option to buy an extended warranty but the 3 year warranty was $835.00 for my set. I thought that was a bit pricey so I’m going to shop around some.

So my color has returned and I can breathe again, at least until I try to put in the velux. :D

Congrats Johnny,

Two things. Did you get the impression that the new piece that is added to the lens is a standard issue item with a LE replacment or is this something they added due to your specific issue?

Also, I dont want to try and burst you euphoric bubble, but when you get the opportunity, can you see if you have any of the Light Dark Light issues? Even if you have to wait for it to be night time or something?

Thanks.

For those of you who do have this problem, by any chance are the light/dark transitions located at the left and right edges of 4:3 content?
yes, the light bar is on the far left side of the screen you need to do this with 16:9

Finally...congrats!



Ok guys the tech came today on time and dresssed in official Samsung garb and driving an official Samsung vehicle. I was impressed with their work and all the problems are solved. I showed him the reflections and the hashmark issues and he said he would have felt the same if the set was returned to him with those problems. Actually the tech came along with the owner of Complete Electronics. The owner brought the LE and screen with him. He was a bit more anxious than the tech, I don't know why but I'm thinking they had me pegged as a chronic complainer or something and he wanted to make sure I was happy before they left.

He had the LE replaced in about 5 mins. The part that fixes the hashmark problem is a plastic cover that fits over the lens and it's held on with a screw down bezel ring. Basically Samsung had to recast or mold the part. It's a ring with a rectangle in it and the old one had too big of a rectangle, that's it nothing more. Now as to whether or not the pattern is actually from the DMD board missing that plastic shroud I don’t know but it's hidden or blocked with the new piece and never manifests itself on the screen.

They replaced the LE and my screen. When he put the new LE in he went in to the SM and loaded the CCA which is the color info from the LE, that took like 2 secs and then he adjusted the V position and H position and that was it done. The screen replacement was a bit trickier and it took 2 people to do that. One thing I just noticed is there is some debris in between the 2 screens again but I'm thinking of putting the velux in and when I pop off the screens I'll get it out. I think it's small particles from the cardboard packaging or something, not really a big deal and it's not visible unless you are 1 foot away.

I asked about a warranty extention and he said he would look into it and he also gave me the option to buy an extended warranty but the 3 year warranty was $835.00 for my set. I thought that was a bit pricey so I’m going to shop around some.

So my color has returned and I can breathe again, at least until I try to put in the velux. :D

Mahoney67, I don't understand? How can your cable co. give you a box that doesn't work? Most here seem to have the 6412 III or 3412 I, the newest one, both made by Moto.

I also don't understand your PC issue? The set is not meant to take a PC connection from HDMI, only VGA. Are you getting 1920x1080 from your PC? You might check all of your display settings on the PC first. The picture is great on VGA if its set right. I agree it is a little soft but its amazing at that size and quality. No one else can do that.

Johnnyzcar, its great your set if finally fixed. That's gotta be a big relief. Do you have the date you first called to report the problem and how long did you wait until you called? I waited a few weeks before I called about my issue.

At this rate I wouldn't go near the set. If the specs or dirt are still there then they should send someone out and get rid of the stuff inside, not you. I also would hold off on the Velux in case you have another problem. I hope you don't but knowing how long this took I wouldn't want to cause more problems with the warranty. At least wait and see what happened with StallionRe's friend first.

Mahoney67, I don't understand? How can your cable co. give you a box that doesn't work? Most here seem to have the 6412 III or 3412 I, the newest one, both made by Moto.

I also don't understand your PC issue? The set is not meant to take a PC connection from HDMI, only VGA. Are you getting 1920x1080 from your PC? You might check all of your display settings on the PC first. The picture is great on VGA if its set right. I agree it is a little soft but its amazing at that size and quality. No one else can do that.

My cable company says that the DVI output is enabled, but they won't support its use. I think there is a problem between the 3250 and the 78x. Are you 100% sure that the 3412 will output connect to the samsung 78x through HDMI?

The PC is coming in perfectly through the HDMI port at a little less than 720p (underscanning a bit to fit everything in), it is significantly brighter and sharper than going through the VGA port. I can get 1920x1080 no problem analog. When I try to go higher than 720p digital, the text shimmers which makes it an unworkable option.

The tech opened a separate package and changed the existing plastic piece on the new light engine. It should be on all the new LE but I'm not sure how long it takes before that is implemented. I don't think the part was made just for me because it had instructions in the box and looked official. Once you see how simple it is to fix you'll laugh. It's basically a circle shaped lens cap with a rectangle in the middle. The original cap had too big of a rectangle I guess.
One thing I noticed, these guys did not let any of the packaging sit opened for very long and everything was reboxed and cleaned up immediately. I did see a DHL box and I think that was for the new lens cap. The tech was very knowledgeable and I think I could call him and ask questions if I needed to.

When he finished up he had me put on the dish net standby to check for a blank screen and I was looking for the light dark thing but the sun was shinning directly onto the front of my house soe it was bleeding in and I couldn't really tell. I am almost scared to look he he. I'll look later this eve and recalibrate using DVE and let you know.



Congrats Johnny,

Two things. Did you get the impression that the new piece that is added to the lens is a standard issue item with a LE replacment or is this something they added due to your specific issue?

Also, I dont want to try and burst you euphoric bubble, but when you get the opportunity, can you see if you have any of the Light Dark Light issues? Even if you have to wait for it to be night time or something?

Thanks.

The tech opened a separate package and changed the existing plastic piece on the new light engine. It should be on all the new LE but I'm not sure how long it takes before that is implemented. I don't think the part was made just for me because it had instructions in the box and looked official. Once you see how simple it is to fix you'll laugh. It's basically a circle shaped lens cap with a rectangle in the middle. The original cap had too big of a rectangle I guess.
One thing I noticed, these guys did not let any of the packaging sit opened for very long and everything was reboxed and cleaned up immediately. I did see a DHL box and I think that was for the new lens cap. The tech was very knowledgeable and I think I could call him and ask questions if I needed to.

When he finished up he had me put on the dish net standby to check for a blank screen and I was looking for the light dark thing but the sun was shinning directly onto the front of my house soe it was bleeding in and I couldn't really tell. I am almost scared to look he he. I'll look later this eve and recalibrate using DVE and let you know.

Johnny, Congrats!!!! after all these days. Hope all stays well with your set. Let us know how it works in the dark. I wonder if all the caps are an issue on all these sets.

Mahoney67, yes the 6412 and 3412 both handle 1080i HDMI. You might check your STB settings in its menu. On the moto you power it off and press menu. I checked mine and accidentally switched it to DVI. I got a warning that said changing it might give you a blank screen, in which case you wouldn't be able to see the menu to change it back. I guess I pushed the buttons too fast. I put it back to HDMI and checked the rest to be sure it was right. I don't think the 3412 has DVI and that might be the issue? There are some 6412s that are DVI. The newer 6412s are HDMI, so be sure to confirm that. I had to wait a couple of weeks to get two 6412s. I told them I didn't want them to waste my time bringing the wrong one.

Just if anyone is curious about the lens cap replacement. The lens cover should easily fit on any of the LE glass projection lenses. It is held on by a threaded ring and the tech basically removed the ring took off my old lens cover and put the new one on my new LE. That's it good to go and no more hashmarks or reflections.
Ihaven't confirmed the light dark issue yet but I will look this eve and post.

Johnny,

Congratulations. Happy viewing to you.

I'm thrilled to hear about the fix they implemented for the hashmarks. It's just what I thought they'd do. Now I can call and get Tweeter to get that part for me.

Bill

If you have a cable HD cable box that can connect through the HDMI port to the Samsung 78x, please provide the model number. I am going to see if my cable company has an alternate box that I can use. The Scientific Atlantic 3250 does not handshake from my frustrating experience over the last few days.

When connecting my PC to the Samsung through the HDMI port digitally it appears much sharper than when I go through the VGA port, I would at least like to see if a digital connection from the HDTV cable box would net any improvements.


The 3250 is a bottom of the line box, ask for the 8300HD as it supports HDMI. I have it hooked to my Samsung 78x with interesting results. I have a great picture on all HD digital signals (1080i and 720p). However, analog signals display "no signal." The Adelphia technician has no explanation as he was out today to check the "box." I keep the component video hooked up in case I want to watch analog signal TV. Good luck on this.

Does anybody have the 6778? I see alot of people with the 61" but I have been unable to find anything bigger on display to look at myself. Just wanted to make sure there isn't any unusual problems with the 67" Amazon has a good price on them I was thinking of just getting it over with.

The other model I was think about was the 70" JVC D-ILA. I was able to compare both 61" TV's at the store and I couldn't tell the difference between the two and the black detail is supposed to be better with the Samsung's.......right? There is also the fact you can't get a JVC at the moment plus it would cost me about $1200 more. Anybody but Auditor 55 feel free to respond.

Not waiting for SED

I have had a 6768 since September. I turned off all of the lights and got a dark screen, but do not see any dark light stripes. :D

I have had a 6768 since September. I turned off all of the lights and got a dark screen, but do not see any dark light stripes. :D
Sounds great!!! Just like my set.

No problems with my 6768, since December. Anyone tracking stripes vs. lamp time? It's a good way to see if there's correlation of time to "failure".

I haven't confirmed the light dark issue yet but I will look this eve and post.Did you check to see if the light/dark/light issue was fixed yet? Thanks

I have checked on a dark screen in a dark room and don't see what you are describing. If it's there I can't see it. If you have any suggestions as to exactly what to look for I'll check again. I think your problem can be fixed with a new LE.
Maybe I'll take a picture and blow out the contrast and levels and see what it shows.

I have checked on a dark screen in a dark room and don't see what you are describing. If it's there I can't see it. If you have any suggestions as to exactly what to look for I'll check again. I think your problem can be fixed with a new LE.
Maybe I'll take a picture and blow out the contrast and levels and see what it shows.
johnny, if it was there, you would be able to see it. you must not have the issue. what model do you have? thanks

johnny, you did have the light/dark/light issue before the replacement correct?

Do you think it would be possible for one to just mask off part of their lense and get the same results as the new lense cover? I can't stand the tech in my area and would much rather try to fix the hashmark issue myself... The hashmark issue really doesn't bother me though as it cannot be seen from my seating area and can only be seen when standing directly in front of the set and looking down.

Best regards,

Steve

Just if anyone is curious about the lens cap replacement. The lens cover should easily fit on any of the LE glass projection lenses. It is held on by a threaded ring and the tech basically removed the ring took off my old lens cover and put the new one on my new LE. That's it good to go and no more hashmarks or reflections.
Ihaven't confirmed the light dark issue yet but I will look this eve and post.

Do you think it would be possible for one to just mask off part of their lense and get the same results as the new lense cover? I can't stand the tech in my area and would much rather try to fix the hashmark issue myself... The hashmark issue really doesn't bother me though as it cannot be seen from my seating area and can only be seen when standing directly in front of the set and looking down.

Best regards,

Steve

I hear you Steve. I was going to ask them about the new lens cap, but figured our tech buddy would not have a clue and probably give me a hard time about it just because he can. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that the new LE has no issues associated with it, and I don't have to call on him anymore in the near future.

By the way, what happened to Johnny? He must be so excited about the new set he can't pull himself away from it. I don't blame him. :D

PIP SWAP:

I'm amazed.... the remote control does not have a button to swap the PIP. You have to drill down through the menu.

Has anyone found a "discrete" code to do the PIP Swap? I found a thread that said an OBC=33 will do the swap on the HLN series. Doesn't work with HLR??

Got my HL-R5678W two weeks ago. Appears to be a good one. SD as noted kinda sucks!

George in Albuquerque

Skeeteroplagus, the way things are going here I wouldn't touch the set until all of your problems are resolved. I think you can call Samsung and get a regional engineer or something, Johnnyzcar has the lingo on that and tell them you want a different tech. I would give the same shop a chance with a different tech. if there wasn't someone else available in your area.

Now that we know what the issue is you should be able to describe the problem and let them know that you know how to fix it.

Now that we know what the issue is you should be able to describe the problem and let them know that you know how to fix it.
I very much doubt that they would actually listen or believe the problem even if we told them. They would say something along the lines of, "your contrast setting may be to high" or "try unpluging the set". :rolleyes: :D

I very much doubt that they would actually listen or believe the problem even if we told them. They would say something along the lines of, "your contrast setting may be to high" or "try unpluging the set". :rolleyes: :D

The tech that worked on my set, wanted nothing to do with any opinions from this forum(even tho I told him some have literally talked with Sammy itself). Half you guys here probably have as much knowledge or at least know these specific TVs better than he does almost. I am sure alot of repair people in general are tired of internet driven opinions, but this site definitely is a site that can only add to the knowledge of these sets and such. I mean I bet Johnny and a handful of folks at Sammy even know about the new lens cap. :D

I agree, but they'll be sorry if they mess with me or any of my peeps here. lol. The problem is they don't know that we know what we're talking about.

The service tech that has been working on my set tried to duplicate the issue in the warehouse here in Jersey and succeeded. He has shown it to his superiors and they are looking into it so he says. He says I should be getting a visit from one of them soon. I'm not very hopeful at this point but if what he says is true then it's a step in right direction. The new lens cover for the hashmark deal was from someone reporting this problem and it looks like they have manufactured a fix for that. On a side note the tech was here with 3 new DMD assemblies to try and rid my set of the white spots. Each board had it's own problems though. One board would get rid of the spots but add smears of white in different areas. Another would have more spots than before and finally the one that is now living in my set only has 2 in the right corner. None of them however fixed the LDL. Just a heads up in case you have the spotting. Make sure your tech has a few of these or at least a few LE's since each one has a different DMD chip/board.

Nope, my problem started when the set died completely and I had to let the less than qualified shop take the tv in to work on it. When it was returned it would turn on but it had lighter colored spots randomly on the screen and once I noticed that i noticed the hashmark pattern. I didn't have the light dark issues I had the poki dot hashmark issue LOL.

My set is the HLR6768 btw.

johnny, you did have the light/dark/light issue before the replacement correct?

I'm here reading guys and yes I am able to actually enjoy the set now without getting pissed about the service.
I am mostly sure that the LE needs to be removed form the chassis in order to replace the covering. I have found a picture of the cover in my service manual and will try to scan it and post. Also I don't know what the actual size and palcement of the rectangle is over the glass.

Also on the light dark light issue I guess I might have had that but it was due to the recfractions from the lens and I believe the retro fit lens cover should solve that. If not a new LE and lens cover will solve it, because mine seems to be repaired now.

I hear you Steve. I was going to ask them about the new lens cap, but figured our tech buddy would not have a clue and probably give me a hard time about it just because he can. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that the new LE has no issues associated with it, and I don't have to call on him anymore in the near future.

By the way, what happened to Johnny? He must be so excited about the new set he can't pull himself away from it. I don't blame him. :D

i own a samsung 6168 and a dish dvr 942. i was looking at dropping dish and going with a tivo S3. i am not liking tivo's new pricing plans and think it bodes well that the S3 will not have lietime subscription as an option.

so i am looking at making my own homebrew hdtv pvr.

1. has anyone used an hdtv capture card hooked up to a samsung dlp over vga?

2. if so how does the picture compare to live tv?

3.to cable/satelite hd dvr??? how does non hdtv quality look?

4. does mpeg 2 or mpeg 4 make a difference?

most of the htpc forums talk of displays with a s video or less connection so that is why i posted here for people with my tv.

thanks

Madjimithing, I don't follow Tivo but I know there are some new boxes due out soon. I heard Tivo is about the same price as cable a month but I don't like buying a box. I've gone through two boxes in a year. What are you going to do when it breaks?

As for the PC, you would need an output from the cable afaik, so you'd still need a box, just maybe not a DVR. VGA is one way and I think most if not all cables are one way so you'd need to go from the source, not the set. A cable card probably won't work either.

The analog signal isn't 1080 so the picture will take a hit, whether you notice it is up to you. Its a good idea, but I don't think it'll work or is worth it.

MPEG4 is better since you save much more space and the difference in PQ is close to none.

thanks for the reply but i think you missed my idea

Madjimithing, I don't follow Tivo but I know there are some new boxes due out soon. I heard Tivo is about the same price as cable a month but I don't like buying a box. I've gone through two boxes in a year. What are you going to do when it breaks?


the new box (s3) will not have lifetime so i am not interested.

As for the PC, you would need an output from the cable afaik, so you'd still need a box, just maybe not a DVR. VGA is one way and I think most if not all cables are one way so you'd need to go from the source, not the set. A cable card probably won't work either.

i do not want cable anymore s i will not need a box. the hdtv cards have built in tuners. i am talking vga from the computer to my tv which is how i have it set up now just not with a tv card.


The analog signal isn't 1080 so the picture will take a hit, whether you notice it is up to you. Its a good idea, but I don't think it'll work or is worth it.

i don't know what you mean here i am talking about having a coax plugged into a hdtv card which then would be displayed full screen at 1920x1080.

MPEG4 is better since you save much more space and the difference in PQ is close to none.

Sorry I guess I was thinking you were going the other way, from the Set to the PC but if you go cable card, which I realized later and mentioned, where are you going to plug the cable card in the PC? You can't go in both directions. That's what I meant and it looks like you want it both ways?

Cable card-I don't think has any outputs at all so that's out.

STB without DVR I don't think is worth it since you lose PQ going to PC and it is less convenient.

If they had MPEG4 sat. DVRs I'd consider getting them but there aren't any promos for two of them so I'm stuck with cable for now.

If you can plug a cable card to your PC then it might work but I don't see it being more convenient. You could use VGA for 1080 output though.

i own a samsung 6168 and a dish dvr 942. i was looking at dropping dish and going with a tivo S3. i am not liking tivo's new pricing plans and think it bodes well that the S3 will not have lietime subscription as an option.

so i am looking at making my own homebrew hdtv pvr.

1. has anyone used an hdtv capture card hooked up to a samsung dlp over vga?

2. if so how does the picture compare to live tv?

3.to cable/satelite hd dvr??? how does non hdtv quality look?

4. does mpeg 2 or mpeg 4 make a difference?

most of the htpc forums talk of displays with a s video or less connection so that is why i posted here for people with my tv.

thanks

1. Yes

2. No difference

3. Don't know. I only tune the digital channels. Cable analog sucks

4. Don't know of a card that does mpeg4

Some other things to consider. I am using windows XP, not Windows MCE. AS far as I know MCE currently does not directly support HD cards (there may be hacks).

When using a HD card, you are basically replacing your computer monitor with your TV set. I have a 5078 and can set the res to 1920 X 1080. However, the text from the computer is tiny. It's barely readable. The tuner software does not scale making it hard to see. Because S vid is a much lower resolution, you don't see size as a problem on the other threads.

IMO, you'd be better served by going with you providers DVR rather than setting up your own PC HD PVR.

i own a samsung 6168 and a dish dvr 942. i was looking at dropping dish and going with a tivo S3. i am not liking tivo's new pricing plans and think it bodes well that the S3 will not have lietime subscription as an option.

so i am looking at making my own homebrew hdtv pvr.

1. has anyone used an hdtv capture card hooked up to a samsung dlp over vga?

2. if so how does the picture compare to live tv?

3.to cable/satelite hd dvr??? how does non hdtv quality look?

4. does mpeg 2 or mpeg 4 make a difference?

most of the htpc forums talk of displays with a s video or less connection so that is why i posted here for people with my tv.

thanks

1. Yes. I use a DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold Plus tuner PCI card with FusionHDTV Recording Scheduler software on my HTPC hooked to my Samsung DLP via VGA.

2. Can't tell the difference between live and recorded programs. FYI, I record everything in Transport Stream format.

3. I also have two (2) Sony DHG-HDD500 High-Definition Digital Video Recorders hooked to my Samsung DLP via HDMI. Picture quality is better (sharper) via HDMI and the Sony DVRs are easier to operate than the HTPC.

4. I don't know. I haven't compared them side-by-side using same source and same monitor.

In my opinion, the Sony High-Def DVRs deliver the best picture quality available, and once you own the DVR, there are no additional fees like Tivo and ReplayTV. Note: the Sony High-Def DVRs are for use with cable and over-the-air only; they are not designed to work with satellite systems.

1. Yes

2. No difference

3. Don't know. I only tune the digital channels. Cable analog sucks

4. Don't know of a card that does mpeg4

Some other things to consider. I am using windows XP, not Windows MCE. AS far as I know MCE currently does not directly support HD cards (there may be hacks).

When using a HD card, you are basically replacing your computer monitor with your TV set. I have a 5078 and can set the res to 1920 X 1080. However, the text from the computer is tiny. It's barely readable. The tuner software does not scale making it hard to see. Because S vid is a much lower resolution, you don't see size as a problem on the other threads.

IMO, you'd be better served by going with you providers DVR rather than setting up your own PC HD PVR.
what hd card do you have?
thanks

Sorry I guess I was thinking you were going the other way, from the Set to the PC but if you go cable card, which I realized later and mentioned, where are you going to plug the cable card in the PC? You can't go in both directions. That's what I meant and it looks like you want it both ways?

Cable card-I don't think has any outputs at all so that's out.

STB without DVR I don't think is worth it since you lose PQ going to PC and it is less convenient.

If they had MPEG4 sat. DVRs I'd consider getting them but there aren't any promos for two of them so I'm stuck with cable for now.

If you can plug a cable card to your PC then it might work but I don't see it being more convenient. You could use VGA for 1080 output though.

i want to go no cable , no dish, just ota. with an hd tv capture card in my computer hooked up to an atennea. then go vga out to my tv. thats it. i am trying to determine the loss in picture quality and that is why i am asking for people with this setup's opinions.

I finally found time to install the velux inside of my TV.I highly recomend this to everyone.The colors are more deeper,vibrant,bolder.It jumps out of the screen at you.I dont have the masking on faces anymore The whites,blacks more whiter,backer. And I havent had a calibration yet
I have the 88 and by far more complicated to takle then the other models I have seen in pics.
I used about 4.5 ft x 45 in of material and took me about 6 hrs including smoke breaks hehehehe.
Whats nice about the 88 is I can slide it out to work on it lol.
Removing the screen:Has 18 screws to be removed.I Didnt take the top corner screws out the whole way so i could push them to help with the removal. Need to pull out the top of the screen and lift up as the bottom sits in a channel.There is also a pin in the bottom middle of the screen that needs to be pulled out as well.I found sticking a 4 in putty knife did the trick.
As from the picks there were voids on the bottom of the case.I filled these with foam boards to level it off.I then made a pattern with pieces of paper to outline the piece I was working on.Using a exacto knife i cut along the corners to get my pattern.I then took the pattern and layed on the back side of the velux stapling the bottom as to not move.I scissored around the pattern leaving an eight inch for over lap.I made a dry fit first to make sure the patterned worked out. I started in the middle and worked my way outward peeling the paper back as I went.The over lap around the lens i trimmed off with exacto knife using a slight angle for clearance.
This material adheres very very well and will seperate from each other.Will also tear if not careful.It is a very flexible materal.Very nice to work with.It also sticks to itself very well.I hid my speaker wires under strips of it. And hiding the protruding casing.
I then did the same process on the sides next removing the speakers with its 5 screws per each. And just kept taking 1 piece at a time till I was done.
2 words of caution, 1. when the screens are out the casings are very flimsey.Screens are a very structual part of the casing. 2 DO NOT touch the mirror as I found out.I just brushed my hair up against it,and before i put the screen back on I inspected it and looked clean.When I started watching I seen little freckles in the picture.So I had to take off the screen and sure enough I didnt inspect it well enough lil spots of oil from my hair was on it.And yes I shower lol.
All in all I couldnt be more pleased with the outcome of how much more alive the TV is.
pics coming too large to put in

Edit:Improved on SD viewing also

1. Yes. I use a DVICO FusionHDTV5 Gold Plus tuner PCI card with FusionHDTV Recording Scheduler software on my HTPC hooked to my Samsung DLP via VGA.

2. Can't tell the difference between live and recorded programs. FYI, I record everything in Transport Stream format.

3. I also have two (2) Sony DHG-HDD500 High-Definition Digital Video Recorders hooked to my Samsung DLP via HDMI. Picture quality is better (sharper) via HDMI and the Sony DVRs are easier to operate than the HTPC.

4. I don't know. I haven't compared them side-by-side using same source and same monitor.

In my opinion, the Sony High-Def DVRs deliver the best picture quality available, and once you own the DVR, there are no additional fees like Tivo and ReplayTV. Note: the Sony High-Def DVRs are for use with cable and over-the-air only; they are not designed to work with satellite systems.

do you notice a difference of quality from ota staight to the tv than from ota through the pc live/recorded?

More pics

and more pics

final pics

Possible "Velux" substitute:

http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productID=1502

final pics

Do you have a link to where I may buy the material to do this?

Do you have a link to where I may buy the material to do this?

http://www.mcmaster.com/
part #88015k2
Item Description: Velvet Fabric
Phone # 562.692.5911

Edit:If you go to "about us" on web site they have different cities of distrubutions

what hd card do you have?
thanks
I have both a MyHD card and a Fusion III. Looks the same on both. I use my own software for scheduling recording on these card although I have not done so in quite some time since my two 6412s give me enough capacity for what I want to watch and so far have been quite stable, far more stable than my PCs :rolleyes:

I haven't looked into the Velux much but it seems to me that any black fabric like material that doesn't reflect should work. Do people here agree? I'm just wondering if there is something else available that might be less expensive that does as good a job? The adhesive back is a definitely worth it though and will be tough to find something as good.

I haven't looked into the Velux much but it seems to me that any black fabric like material that doesn't reflect should work. Do people here agree? I'm just wondering if there is something else available that might be less expensive that does as good a job? The adhesive back is a definitely worth it though and will be tough to find something as good.

Seems to me the material is just Velvet Fabric so any fabric store should have that in black. That and a can of 3M adhesive should work just as good imo.

do you notice a difference of quality from ota staight to the tv than from ota through the pc live/recorded?

Yes. There is a subtle but noticable difference between straight OTA to TV and OTA to FusionHDTV tuner card in the PC, then PC-to-TV via VGA.

The straight-to-TV path yields a slightly sharper image because everything stays in the digital domain. My PC uses the Samsung's VGA port, and that's an analog link, so I get a slightly softer image. Very, very nice but slightly less crisp.

Again, the best solution is the Sony DHG-HDD500 (or Sony DHG-HDD250) High-Definition DVR. With the Sony connected to the Samsung via HDMI, everything stays in the digital domain. That means when you watch a recorded program, it's bit-for-bit identical to the original, so there's no image degradation whatsoever.

Seems to me the material is just Velvet Fabric so any fabric store should have that in black. That and a can of 3M adhesive should work just as good imo.

Yup. I think the Vel in Velux comes from the word "Velvet" and lux is there because lux is a unit of measure for the perceived intensity of light.

BTW, I've seen decent quality black velvet in the fabric department of WalMart stores. It's not very expensive there.

I haven't looked into the Velux much but it seems to me that any black fabric like material that doesn't reflect should work. Do people here agree? I'm just wondering if there is something else available that might be less expensive that does as good a job? The adhesive back is a definitely worth it though and will be tough to find something as good.

The fact that the Velux is much stiffer then plain fabric and the fact it comes with the high temp resistant self stick backing, makes it a winner in my book. I looked at just plain fabric with double side tape and such, but the Velux is just the easiest and least messy solution out there in my opinion.

I'm here reading guys and yes I am able to actually enjoy the set now without getting pissed about the service.
I am mostly sure that the LE needs to be removed form the chassis in order to replace the covering. I have found a picture of the cover in my service manual and will try to scan it and post. Also I don't know what the actual size and palcement of the rectangle is over the glass.

Also on the light dark light issue I guess I might have had that but it was due to the recfractions from the lens and I believe the retro fit lens cover should solve that. If not a new LE and lens cover will solve it, because mine seems to be repaired now.


I think I will call the service shop tomorrow, and see if I can't get them to look into the new Lens Cap, since they ordered the LE, I might as well get it all, so I have the best chance of no problems when they are done. Of course, getting the service shop to listen to my opinion may be tough, but worth a shot.

Yes. There is a subtle but noticable difference between straight OTA to TV and OTA to FusionHDTV tuner card in the PC, then PC-to-TV via VGA.

The straight-to-TV path yields a slightly sharper image because everything stays in the digital domain. My PC uses the Samsung's VGA port, and that's an analog link, so I get a slightly softer image. Very, very nice but slightly less crisp.



Probably the difference of 1080i vs. 1080p. I don't think the VGA port is upconverted.

Seems to me the material is just Velvet Fabric so any fabric store should have that in black. That and a can of 3M adhesive should work just as good imo.
I would worry that fresh adhesive might out-gas inside a warm TV.

I would worry that fresh adhesive might out-gas inside a warm TV.

Then I guess one could let it air out (with the front panel off) for a few days. This of course wouldn't work for me because my cats would be sleeping inside my Sammy within an hour. :)

I am a field engineer and I spend most of my time on site at Texas Insturments. I have finally made the right connections to get all of our DMD questions answered straight from the fab that builds them. My contact says if he can't answer a question he'll know who to go to for an answer. I don't read this forum every day but I have read every page as I too have a HL-R6168. It took me months and months to catch up to the current page. For those keeping count my TV works great and I haven't seen any light reflections on the screen. Everyone that walks into my living room for the first time says WOW! :D I think maybe the picture could be the slightest bit better with a professional calibration, but I don't think anyone else I know would notice... maybe after the kids are out of college. So if anyone has a question about those DMDs, fire away. I'll forward them to "The Man" and we'll see if we can get some answers.

I would worry that fresh adhesive might out-gas inside a warm TV.

This is a description of the velux from web site "Soft and plush, this fabric is great for cushioning and vibration dampening. Fabric has a low acrylic pile with rayon/polyester lining. Adhesive is acrylic based and has a max. temp. of 212° F; low end not rated. Color is black.
To Order: Please specify length: 3, 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 ft.
I am a contractor and work with many sealants.When I do apply them I let em stand for the gases to evaporate.This product was was oderless and didnt seem to let off any gases.Plus by the time it took me to apply it I'm sure the gases escaped lol.
The TV casing is a sealed unit and does not get hot inside,not mine anyway, it has a built in channel for the bulb to release the heat which is another compartment.Only the light through the lens comes into the TV.It is a very well designed piece of equipment.
My sorrows go out to those with problems,and hope a remedy comes quick.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Graf
I would worry that fresh adhesive might out-gas inside a warm TV.


This is a description of the velux from web site "Soft and plush, this fabric is great for cushioning and vibration dampening. Fabric has a low acrylic pile with rayon/polyester lining. Adhesive is acrylic based and has a max. temp. of 212° F; low end not rated. Color is black.
To Order: Please specify length: 3, 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 ft.
I am a contractor and work with many sealants.When I do apply them I let em stand for the gases to evaporate.This product was was oderless and didnt seem to let off any gases.Plus by the time it took me to apply it I'm sure the gases escaped lol.
The TV casing is a sealed unit and does not get hot inside,not mine anyway, it has a built in channel for the bulb to release the heat which is another compartment.Only the light through the lens comes into the TV.It is a very well designed piece of equipment.
My sorrows go out to those with problems,and hope a remedy comes quick.

_________________
Matt

I was referring to taking a plain fabric and spraying adhesive on it.

Kevin
PS. Your instructions were great.
HR-R5087W

And I use spray adhesive alot and never dawned on me. I visited Jo-Ann fabrics,Michaels and the closest material to velux,wasnt sure what I was looking for till I bought the velux,was car head liner material. So I dont see why that wouldnt work.Dont remember the price though.I would be gun ho to try it if I was to do it again.
Also the screen has a foam seal around the frame. It is a darned good sealed cabinet so no dust can get in.

PS Thanx

Warning: I am a newb to these forums, to these TVs, and to digital video displays in general. But I have been reading this forum over the last couple weeks for tips on how to self-calibrate my new 6168, and this weekend I was also experimenting with the Color Weakness controls in conjunction with Digital Video Essentials. I haven’t found much here on that subject, so I thought I would pay back a little of what I have learned from this forum with a report. Please bear with me if I garble my account through ignorance of terms, and I will be happy to answer questions if anything I did is unclear. Finally, this is long, so I am breaking it up into three posts.

Anyway, I connected my 6168 to a Sony DAV-FX100W (a HTIB with an upscaling DVD player) through HDMI 1, with the output on the DVD player set to 1080i. DNIe is still on (for now at least, I don’t intend to enter the Service Menu myself).

After turning Sharpness down to 0 and using DVE to calibrate Brightness and Contrast, I turned to the basic color calibration in DVE. I ran into what I gather is a tint problem, meaning that I could not get both of the middle boxes through the blue filter to match the background at the same time. For reference, the cyan box matched the background with the color set to 24 and the magenta box matched the background with the color set to 44. With the color set at the mean of these values (34), the boxes through the red filter looked OK but the boxes through the green filter were all over the place. Of course, DVE suggested that this problem can be addressed with tint controls, but there are no tint controls on the 6168 for HDMI inputs.

(cont.)

(cont.)

I then tried looking at the 100% and 75% primary-only patterns in Title 14 of DVE through the color filters (note: I have no idea if this is what they are for or whether what I did makes sense). Through the green filter, I was still getting light from the blue patterns. That suggested to me that the tint problem was caused by extra green in the blue primary (note: I don’t know enough about color technology to describe this well, but I’m putting this here so you know my assumptions). I gather some people have also reported seeing a green tint to some DVDs when they are played through HDMI, which might indicate the same problem.

I then tried playing with the Detail Control in the My Color menu, turning green both down and up all the way, the same with the blue and red, and a bunch of combinations. On their own, these changes didn’t seem to do much, if anything, to fix the tint problem.

I then tried playing with Color Weakness. I found that I could only manipulate one color at a time (it would zero out the other colors as soon as I changed one). With some experimenting, I found that I could reduce (but not eliminate) the gap between the cyan and magenta boxes through the blue filter by increasing the blue setting under Color Weakness (note: I also tried turning up the red setting, but that did not seem to do anything). Again for reference, with the blue setting turned all the way up to 9, the cyan pattern matched the background at 38 and the magenta box at 46. At the mean of 42, the boxes through the green filter all looked pretty good, but the magenta and red boxes through the red filter both looked dark.

(cont.)

(cont.)

Finally, I then tried My Color again on top of my Color Weakness adjustment, and this time it had a noticeable effect. After some experimenting, I seemed to get the best result by turning red and blue all the way up to 100 and green all the way down to 0. Through the blue filter, the cyan box matched at 40 and the magenta box at 48. At a mean of 44, the boxes through the green filter all looked very close, and the red and yellow boxes through the red filter matched the background, although the magenta box through the red filter was still dark (but about half as dark as before I played with My Color).

And that was the best I could do (although I welcome suggestions). To summarize, based on my crude understanding, it seems like turning up blue under Color Weakness, and then turning up red and blue and turning down green under My Color, got me a result somewhat similar to what I could have gotten with some tint adjustment.

Finally, after recalibrating Brightness and Contrast (and leaving Sharpness all the way down), I watched a few scenes in The Pirates of the Carribean (a movie I have seen in the theater and on something like three different TVs at this point). I thought the colors looked great: skin tones looked “natural” to me (and not homogenous, meaning different people had different skin tones in the same scenes), the colors of things like painted objects, metal objects, and uniforms were bright and clear, and the colors of things like sky, water, sand, and trees were bright but natural. I also thought there was great detail in the darker and more monochromatic scenes (like the candlelit or moonlit scenes). So, to my untrained eye at least, this calibration process also resulted in a pleasing picture.

I just got a Samsung HL-R5078W this weekend as an extended warranty replacement for a HLN-5065W. I must say that the PQ on HD material is noticably better on the 5078. Upconverted DVD content is also noticably better. I thought SD picture quality was slightly worse, but just slightly.

I don't have any hashmark issues either. Also, I tried to test for LDL, but I'm not sure how you guys could possibly be testing for it. On any input (AV, SVIDEO, COMPONENT, or HDMI), if I turn my device off so there is no signal, I get a big blue box in the middle of the screen that says no signal. I also get a box in the ULC that tells me the input name. On my set, these never go away (at least after 10 minutes of waiting they never went away). Pressing info, or other buttons on the remote don't make them go away either. So how exactly are you getting a totally black screen, with no signal from another device being displayed? Doesn't appear to even be possible on my set. Anyway, with just those two boxes, I couldn't detect the presence of any kind of LDL in a totally pitch black room.

Overall, an excellent set. Much improved over the HLN-5065W. Don't let a few problems other people are having scare you away from it!

I just got a Samsung HL-R5078W this weekend as an extended warranty replacement for a HLN-5065W. I must say that the PQ on HD material is noticably better on the 5078. Upconverted DVD content is also noticably better. I thought SD picture quality was slightly worse, but just slightly.

I don't have any hashmark issues either. Also, I tried to test for LDL, but I'm not sure how you guys could possibly be testing for it. On any input (AV, SVIDEO, COMPONENT, or HDMI), if I turn my device off so there is no signal, I get a big blue box in the middle of the screen that says no signal. I also get a box in the ULC that tells me the input name. On my set, these never go away (at least after 10 minutes of waiting they never went away). Pressing info, or other buttons on the remote don't make them go away either. So how exactly are you getting a totally black screen, with no signal from another device being displayed? Doesn't appear to even be possible on my set. Anyway, with just those two boxes, I couldn't detect the presence of any kind of LDL in a totally pitch black room.

Overall, an excellent set. Much improved over the HLN-5065W. Don't let a few problems other people are having scare you away from it!
go to the menu and you will see an opption for "blue screen". turn it off.

I've always used the Avia Setup Disc and its numerous test patterns to adjust the picture of my sets. In regards to color, I made the following out of the box observations using the standard setting. There was a slight bit of red push (+5%), there was a lot of green push (+10-15%), and blue was underdriven (-10%). My basic compensation for this was to use Normal instead of Warm 1 or Warm 2. After a minor adjustment to the color control, I was left with red at 0%, green at +10%, and blue at -5%. I then used the my color control to try to tweek the green and blue to 0%. I was never able to get there.

Increasing the value of blue to 100 didn't give me 0%. On the test pattern, the difference between 50 and 100 was barely noticable. However, I could clearly see a difference watching normal material. I ended up returning it to 50 because that seemed more pleasing to my eye. I was able to get green to +5% by setting the green color control to around 25. Again, taking it lower than this seemed to have no effect on the test pattern, but I could see a difference on real content. 25 is the point where it stopped making a difference on the test pattern, so I left it there.

Having played with the my color control option, I'm not convinced that it is actually doing what we think it should be doing (increasing or decreasing the effect of a color on the overall picture). To me, it appears that it is a video processing trick. If you increase the value of green, for example, anything in the picture that is already green will appear more green (like grass or trees). However, if there is a slightly green tint to say a black car or facial tones, this setting has no effect since it is mostly black. It's part of some picture enhancement algorithm, not part of the color correction.

I'm planning on putting my color control back to default and making the correct compensations in the service menu. I'm not going to to this right away until I've had time to live with the set a little to look for other small things I might want to tweak (like disabling DNIe).

go to the menu and you will see an opption for "blue screen". turn it off.


It was off by default and is still off.

It was off by default and is still off.
try going in and turning it on and see what happens. maybe your STB displays a blue screen when off.

I just got a Samsung HL-R5078W this weekend as an extended warranty replacement for a HLN-5065W. I must say that the PQ on HD material is noticably better on the 5078. Upconverted DVD content is also noticably better. I thought SD picture quality was slightly worse, but just slightly.

I don't have any hashmark issues either. Also, I tried to test for LDL, but I'm not sure how you guys could possibly be testing for it. On any input (AV, SVIDEO, COMPONENT, or HDMI), if I turn my device off so there is no signal, I get a big blue box in the middle of the screen that says no signal. I also get a box in the ULC that tells me the input name. On my set, these never go away (at least after 10 minutes of waiting they never went away). Pressing info, or other buttons on the remote don't make them go away either. So how exactly are you getting a totally black screen, with no signal from another device being displayed? Doesn't appear to even be possible on my set. Anyway, with just those two boxes, I couldn't detect the presence of any kind of LDL in a totally pitch black room.

Overall, an excellent set. Much improved over the HLN-5065W. Don't let a few problems other people are having scare you away from it!

I just grab any old DVD that I know has a long lead in of just credits or lots of black screens. Any episode of 24 starts out with tons of black screens, so its a piece of cake to view it using that.

I've always used the Avia Setup Disc and its numerous test patterns to adjust the picture of my sets. In regards to color, I made the following out of the box observations using the standard setting. There was a slight bit of red push (+5%), there was a lot of green push (+10-15%), and blue was underdriven (-10%). My basic compensation for this was to use Normal instead of Warm 1 or Warm 2. After a minor adjustment to the color control, I was left with red at 0%, green at +10%, and blue at -5%. I then used the my color control to try to tweek the green and blue to 0%. I was never able to get there.

Increasing the value of blue to 100 didn't give me 0%. On the test pattern, the difference between 50 and 100 was barely noticable. However, I could clearly see a difference watching normal material. I ended up returning it to 50 because that seemed more pleasing to my eye. I was able to get green to +5% by setting the green color control to around 25. Again, taking it lower than this seemed to have no effect on the test pattern, but I could see a difference on real content. 25 is the point where it stopped making a difference on the test pattern, so I left it there.

Having played with the my color control option, I'm not convinced that it is actually doing what we think it should be doing (increasing or decreasing the effect of a color on the overall picture). To me, it appears that it is a video processing trick. If you increase the value of green, for example, anything in the picture that is already green will appear more green (like grass or trees). However, if there is a slightly green tint to say a black car or facial tones, this setting has no effect since it is mostly black. It's part of some picture enhancement algorithm, not part of the color correction.

I actually did all my color calibration in Warm 2. I'll have to try again in Normal to see if using Color Weakness to increase blue works better with such a head start.

Incidentally, I have no firm grasp of what My Color does, let alone how it works. But your explanation would make sense of why turning up the red in My Color seemed to help the red box more than the magenta box.

I am a field engineer and I spend most of my time on site at Texas Insturments. I have finally made the right connections to get all of our DMD questions answered straight from the fab that builds them. My contact says if he can't answer a question he'll know who to go to for an answer. I don't read this forum every day but I have read every page as I too have a HL-R6168. It took me months and months to catch up to the current page. For those keeping count my TV works great and I haven't seen any light reflections on the screen. Everyone that walks into my living room for the first time says WOW! :D I think maybe the picture could be the slightest bit better with a professional calibration, but I don't think anyone else I know would notice... maybe after the kids are out of college. So if anyone has a question about those DMDs, fire away. I'll forward them to "The Man" and we'll see if we can get some answers.

I don't know if they are the right people, but if you can talk to them about the Dynamic Range problem and a possible fix, that would be great. Thx.

Yes! The end of the thread. I can't believe I finally made it. Sort of anticlimactic actually. I was expecting some sort of movie at the end, like after beating a videogame. Well, at least I feel like i'm entitled to ask my question now so here goes...

Uh, uh, uh, damn! I can't remember it :-(

i want to go no cable , no dish, just ota. with an hd tv capture card in my computer hooked up to an atennea. then go vga out to my tv. thats it. i am trying to determine the loss in picture quality and that is why i am asking for people with this setup's opinions.

If you just want to record OTA, then there is no mpeg4 vs mpeg2 issue. All digital OTA broadcasts are mpeg2 only.

try going in and turning it on and see what happens. maybe your STB displays a blue screen when off.

If I turn blue screen on, I get a solid blue screen that says "no signal" in the middle and has the input name in the upper left corner. With blue screen off, I get a blue box in the middle of a black screen that says no signal. There is another semi-transparent blue box in the ULC with the input name. The no signal and input do not go away unless I turn on the component for that input.

There is never an all black screen to test for LDL.

BTW, it isn't a set top box exhibiting this effect. It's the TV set. It occurs to me that the only valid test for a defect in image projection of the TV is a test that isn't dependent on a signal from another device. Or if it is dependent on another device (like a black level generator), then that device should be calibrated.

I've repeatedly read here that you should display an all black screen. Any LDL would then be caused by something in the light engine. How do you do that with just the Samsung TV since it appears you will always get " No Signal" displayed on the screen? It could be your source or content causing the LDL. Or it could even be a defect in the analog or digital board (which aren't replaced with a light enginer).

I just grab any old DVD that I know has a long lead in of just credits or lots of black screens. Any episode of 24 starts out with tons of black screens, so its a piece of cake to view it using that.

Then how do you know it isn't your DVD player creating the LDL?

Then how do you know it isn't your DVD player creating the LDL?

Because every input including test patterns generated by the tech show the LDL issue. There are quite a few people that have it. I really wish it WAS my DVD player. :)

Yes. There is a subtle but noticable difference between straight OTA to TV and OTA to FusionHDTV tuner card in the PC, then PC-to-TV via VGA.

The straight-to-TV path yields a slightly sharper image because everything stays in the digital domain. My PC uses the Samsung's VGA port, and that's an analog link, so I get a slightly softer image. Very, very nice but slightly less crisp.

Again, the best solution is the Sony DHG-HDD500 (or Sony DHG-HDD250) High-Definition DVR. With the Sony connected to the Samsung via HDMI, everything stays in the digital domain. That means when you watch a recorded program, it's bit-for-bit identical to the original, so there's no image degradation whatsoever.

have you had any problem scheduling shows with the sony dhgs?

have you heard of the sony RDR-HX715?

have you had any problem scheduling shows with the sony dhgs?

have you heard of the sony RDR-HX715?

1. No problem scheduling shows whatsoever. The Sony High-Def DVR uses the TV Guide On-Screen system to deliver and maintain a 7-day program grid (kinda like Tivo). The TV Guide On-Screen service is free and delivered during the VBI (vertical blanking interval) of the signal that carries it. In fact, it's identical to the TV Guide On-Screen feature included with the Samsung HLRxxx8W DLP TVs.

2. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the Sony RDR-HX715.

I actually did all my color calibration in Warm 2. I'll have to try again in Normal to see if using Color Weakness to increase blue works better with such a head start.

Incidentally, I have no firm grasp of what My Color does, let alone how it works. But your explanation would make sense of why turning up the red in My Color seemed to help the red box more than the magenta box.
do it with your setting at Warm 1. its all about the 6500 kelvin temp. warm 2 makes skin tones to reddish on most content.

Of course, no first-time post would be complete without first thanking some of the many folks who contributed to this forum, including UCSB, TetsujinWave, Aaronwt, Schaffer970, htwaits. Thanks very much guys - extraordinarily helpful stuff. I suspect I’d still be watching my old Mitsu CRT if not for you.

Based on much of what I learned here, I purchased the HL-R 5668W from TVAuthority, last September. A few months later, I had it professionally calibrated. All was well, save for the few known issues (e.g., loss of dynamic range upon switching between inputs and, of course, the non-defeatable DNIe - though the latter problem has, for the most part, been addressed with service menu tweaks).

Unfortunately, last week, the set died. Not completely dead, but undeniably “mostly dead.” The picture was extremely dim and I had the inch-or-so wide stripe down the left side that others have reported. Samsung hooked me up with an outfit called SASCOA Electronics, in East Providence, RI (I live in New Hampshire). They sent out a Field Tech - Michelle - who was great. She was prompt, knew exactly what was going on (she’d apparently seen this problem before), and replaced the light engine without breaking a sweat (or, for that matter, losing any of the many screws). After making sure that all was well, she attached a signal generator to see if the picture was centered and aligned. After a few tweaks in the service menu (horizontal position and vertical position), she got it pretty near spot on. She pointed out what many in this forum have noted - given the nature of rear projection, we’re going to see a bit of pincushioning; it’s unavoidable. But, at least with my HL-R 5668, it’s very minimal. A few final checks and tweaks in the service menu, and she was done. Great job. She knew her stuff, was extremely pleasant (notwithstanding my near-constant barrage of questions), and was patient enough to spend a bit of extra time making sure everything was okay and I was happy with the way things turned out.

Anyway, the potentially useful information I thought I’d share with the group is this: Michelle, the Field Tech, told me that Samsung is working on a firmware update for these sets (I assume the entire 68 and 78 series, possibly to include the 88’s - sorry, I didn’t ask for specifics), and it’s close to releasing that firmware to the Field Techs. She wasn’t sure if Samsung had yet decided whether they would also release it directly to consumers (as does, I believe, Mitsubishi), nor did she know precisely which issues it would address. But, after repeated wasteful phone calls to Samsung (one service rep told me these sets don’t have firmware, so there’s nothing to update - Wow . . . . I'm speechless . . . ), and several unanswered e-mails, it’s nice to get a little confirmation that Samsung is aware of some of the issues associated with these sets and working on a fix. Of course, this isn’t gospel. But, Michelle was very well informed, works exclusively on Samsung sets, and impressed me as someone who wouldn’t say something if she wasn’t sure what she was talking about.

Second point: I mentioned the loss of dynamic range issue to her, but she said she’d never seen it before. So, I gave her a brief demonstration (my set, perhaps because it was one of the first off the assembly line, still has this issue even after turning off the BWS setting in the service menu). She said she would speak directly with the Samsung techs who are working on the firmware about it. So, while I would hope that they already know about, at least one more Field Tech will be reporting it to them.

And, finally: I asked about the lens “adapter” that has been discussed here recently and whether she had any experience with it. She said she was aware of it, but also said that she believed that only the larger sets (not my 56 inch set) were susceptible to the “hash-marks” or internal reflections issue. I told her that I’d never seen it on my set (and, believe me, you guys made me panic and I definitely did look for it). So, again, for what it’s worth, a bit more potentially useful info. - seems that the adaptor for the lens may only be for the larger sets in the series; not the HL-R 5668 (I hope I’m not contradicting any other posts here).

As much as I hated being without set for about a week, I have to give high marks to Samsung, SASCOA Electronics, and especially the Field Tech, Michelle. I’m back up and running and, once again, I love this tube. . . . . now, I’ve just got to figure out whether I need to have the calibrator back to tweak the set, now that its guts have been completely replaced.

Thanks again to all who have contributed - great forum. And, for those still waiting on getting service, I hope it all turns out well in the end.

- Bob

HL-R 5668W
H/K AVR 55
Bose 901, Series VI
Cambridge Soundworks C/RR/LR
Oppo DV971H - thanks Bill, I love it; nice unit, great price.
Xbox 360
Brick Wall Surge Suppressor

The dynamic range problem is something else I wanted to comment on. My HL-R5078 doesn't appear to suffer from this problem. I can put my pluge pattern up through the HDMI connection. Cycle through the inputs and it is exactly the same when I return. Is this the correct way to test for this limitation?

RJF3232, great news! Lets hope the firmware update becomes available. If indeed it happens it would certainly move Samsung up in the customer service ratings. I think most people are very satisfied with their service but this would be "icing on the cake".

Regarding hashmark issue. I finally looked at my 6168 that I got in the first shipment from TVA tonight. I turned off all the lights and turned off my cable box so it was a black screen. I then looked at the tv from my sitting locations. Could not see anything. So I stood up, still nothing. I then walked toward the screen. I'll admit, I could see the hashmark, but the only way I could see it was literally standing directly in front of the tv and looking down at the tv. Basically parallel to the tv screen from the top. I thought, huh...there it is. So now knowing where it is I kept at that distance and crouched down so my eyes were at my viewing level. It disappeared. I stood completely up and it came back. I then walked backwards and as soon as I was 1 step away it disappeared.

I don't know about you but if it is completely invisible at viewing distances and is only visible when you are standing basically inches from the screen and looking straight down. I don't know, but that doesn't sound like a defect to me. Is it there? Sure. But I can't see it unless I'm standing on top of the tv. Does it impact the picture when something is actually on the tv? No.

tuckhill, Which version of DVE did you use on your set? My brother gave me the NTSC Component version but I understand there is a HDTV version. I am wondering if I should exchange it.
________
HL-R5668

tuckhill, Which version of DVE did you use on your set? My brother gave me the NTSC Component version but I understand there is a HDTV version. I am wondering if I should exchange it.
________
HL-R5668
The last time I checked the HDTV version was on D-VHS tape ... let us know if there is one on DVD now.

Of course, no first-time post would be complete without first thanking some of the many folks who contributed to this forum, including UCSB, TetsujinWave, Aaronwt, Schaffer970, htwaits. Thanks very much guys - extraordinarily helpful stuff. I suspect I’d still be watching my old Mitsu CRT if not for you.


And, finally: I asked about the lens “adapter” that has been discussed here recently and whether she had any experience with it. She said she was aware of it, but also said that she believed that only the larger sets (not my 56 inch set) were susceptible to the “hash-marks” or internal reflections issue. I told her that I’d never seen it on my set (and, believe me, you guys made me panic and I definitely did look for it). So, again, for what it’s worth, a bit more potentially useful info. - seems that the adaptor for the lens may only be for the larger sets in the series; not the HL-R 5668 (I hope I’m not contradicting any other posts here).




Yes, that could be very true, I personally only have the LDL issue and have not seen the hashmark issue with my 5668.

By the way, I am scheduled for my LE replacement tomorrow to attempt to fix the LDL issue. I did mention the Lens Cap to the shop, but they said it all comes with the LE and that was that. So, I didn't want to argue with them, plus, the cap sounds like a fix primarily for the hasmark issue.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the new LE only makes things better and not actually worse, as some others have posted in the past. I think Sammy is starting to refine everything for these problems, so I am actully optimistic things will go well.

What video card would you folks recommend to get the highest resolution out to the TV. I also want dual monitor support. Thanks

tuckhill, Which version of DVE did you use on your set? My brother gave me the NTSC Component version but I understand there is a HDTV version. I am wondering if I should exchange it.

I am using the NTSC version. As far as I could tell, the only way to get the HDTV patterns on DVD is to buy DVE Pro, and even then you have to use a Windows PC to play them. And I guess that makes sense, in light of the current absence of HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players.

Mike,
I wish it was so for me (and most others from what I gather from this thread). I can CLEARLY and very annoyingly see the hashmark on my 67inch sitting about 11 feet away.
This ONLY is visible in darkness (dark room, dark picture theme), but it's very much so.
I have a service call to replace my LE now, as this seemed to have down the trick with Johnny, who reported in great detail the apparent cause for it (and a new LE should apparently fix it, as it ought to come with the new 'cover' that's the culprit.

Cheers,
Dan


Regarding hashmark issue. I finally looked at my 6168 that I got in the first shipment from TVA tonight. I turned off all the lights and turned off my cable box so it was a black screen. I then looked at the tv from my sitting locations. Could not see anything. So I stood up, still nothing. I then walked toward the screen. I'll admit, I could see the hashmark, but the only way I could see it was literally standing directly in front of the tv and looking down at the tv. Basically parallel to the tv screen from the top. I thought, huh...there it is. So now knowing where it is I kept at that distance and crouched down so my eyes were at my viewing level. It disappeared. I stood completely up and it came back. I then walked backwards and as soon as I was 1 step away it disappeared.

I don't know about you but if it is completely invisible at viewing distances and is only visible when you are standing basically inches from the screen and looking straight down. I don't know, but that doesn't sound like a defect to me. Is it there? Sure. But I can't see it unless I'm standing on top of the tv. Does it impact the picture when something is actually on the tv? No.

Just wanted to let everybody know that via email I kindly thanked the people at Samsung who were instrumental with helping solve my dilemma. I told them what a great job Anthony and Eric from Complete Electronics did for me. I also requested that my warranty be extended for the downtime I had and they graciously agreed. I am very happy with the results of my repairs and hope everybody who has a problem can receive the same. I really didn’t expect it to turn out like this but I’m happy that it did.

Does that mean you dropped the charges? lol. Will you be able to get something in writing about extending the warranty? It sounds like you are all set now. Better late than never. lol

Mike,
I wish it was so for me (and most others from what I gather from this thread). I can CLEARLY and very annoyingly see the hashmark on my 67inch sitting about 11 feet away.
This ONLY is visible in darkness (dark room, dark picture theme), but it's very much so.
I have a service call to replace my LE now, as this seemed to have down the trick with Johnny, who reported in great detail the apparent cause for it (and a new LE should apparently fix it, as it ought to come with the new 'cover' that's the culprit.

Cheers,
Dan


If it ever changes to where I can can see it from any location besides almost standing on the tv itself then I'll have the LE replaced. But seeing as how I can't see it in anything but non-normal operating conditions its not worth the time and hassle to me.

Hookster, get the cheapest one you can find. The problem is the current models don't have the HDCP chip in them so if you get a HD burner/player later you won't be able to play HD out on it.

Check the specs to see that it outputs 1920x1080@60. You need to make sure your computer can handle it though.

There is a difference between dual monitors so make sure it does what you want. The common one is to have the same output on both monitors. It is harder to find one that will split the screen with different outputs on each monitor.

Is there anyone using the HL-R5078W with a PC through the DVI port? I was reading the manual and it mentioned that the DVI/HDMI port was not for the PC...is that right? I was using my XBox on the VGA port and PC on DVI on my current lemon. Does it work? Thanks.

Is there anyone using the HL-R5078W with a PC through the DVI port? I was reading the manual and it mentioned that the DVI/HDMI port was not for the PC...is that right? I was using my XBox on the VGA port and PC on DVI on my current lemon. Does it work? Thanks.
No ... you can't use the HDMI input for PC support.

I am currently running my pc through the 7178x samsung. The hdmi port at 1176x664 is connected through a nvidia 6600. The card has a dual dvi out, the other side is connected through vga at 1920x1080. Both ports work fine. The hdmi connection is noticeably brighter and sharper. I have found that samsung can't properly resolve anything above 720p thru hdmi also I have to underscan to fit everything in. Unless you are steve austin, 1176x664 is excellent for general surfing as you can comfortably read all of the type on most web sites from 10+ feet away.

I have no problem at 1920x1080P on my HTPC with MCE at 9 feet away. You just have to set the proper font size. The 720P and 1080i OTA content converted to 1080P over vga looks excellent. I wish this set and PC HD tuners would have been available in 2001 when I first started recording HD and using the PC to play it back. It would have mad e for and excellent combo. A stand alone box is much more convenient now though.

To increase the font size go to advanced in the display properties and increase the DPI.

It has been reported here on more than one occasion that the HLR sets sometimes wake up with picture and no audio. Turning off the set and turning it on again clears the problem.

The other night this problem occurred having forgotten the above solution I went exploring. The audio setting "Internal Mute" was set to OFF. Yet, when moved the setting to the ON position and returned it to the OFF position, the audio came back.

This may be old news. If it is, call it a confirming report.

J.

Vegasjay, keep us updated as to how your LE replacement went today. Has the light/dark/light issue been fixed? thanks

A question for those of you with the HLR sets, especially anyone who owned a HLN or HLP prior to that: How did last year's versions of Samsung's DLPs deal with the audio/video lag/sync problem? That used to be as pervasive a problem reported on the boards as the infamous SXRD "green glob" is now. There was thread after thread about audio sync problems that seemed inherent to the set's video processing, not just sync issues that were dependent on the source material or introduced during console gaming.

So, what's the story? I certainly don't see new "Why is my audio and video not synced on my DLP" threads anymore. Has the problem been completely solved (again, except where the fault lies with the source) or at least substantially improved? An update could be extremely helpful for folks like me who are very tempted by Samsung's 2006 HLS line.

Thanks!

A question for those of you with the HLR sets, especially anyone who owned a HLN or HLP prior to that: How did last year's versions of Samsung's DLPs deal with the audio/video lag/sync problem? That used to be as pervasive a problem reported on the boards as the infamous SXRD "green glob" is now. There was thread after thread about audio sync problems that seemed inherent to the set's video processing, not just sync issues that were dependent on the source material or introduced during console gaming.

So, what's the story? I certainly don't see new "Why is my audio and video not synced on my DLP" threads anymore. Has the problem been completely solved (again, except where the fault lies with the source) or at least substantially improved? An update could be extremely helpful for folks like me who are very tempted by Samsung's 2006 HLS line.

Thanks!

I don't have any lag problem with my HLR-5668w.

A question for those of you with the HLR sets, especially anyone who owned a HLN or HLP prior to that: How did last year's versions of Samsung's DLPs deal with the audio/video lag/sync problem? That used to be as pervasive a problem reported on the boards as the infamous SXRD "green glob" is now. There was thread after thread about audio sync problems that seemed inherent to the set's video processing, not just sync issues that were dependent on the source material or introduced during console gaming.

So, what's the story? I certainly don't see new "Why is my audio and video not synced on my DLP" threads anymore. Has the problem been completely solved (again, except where the fault lies with the source) or at least substantially improved? An update could be extremely helpful for folks like me who are very tempted by Samsung's 2006 HLS line.

Thanks!

SYNC continues to be a challenge. All internal audio / video is sync'd well in the TV: that was the problem on the HLN. So that problem has been 100% solved. But, depending on your other external equipment, especially AV receivers, expect to have to add 120ms of delay to the audio to get good audio/video sync. So just to be clear, if you use an external receiver, plan on adding a delay in most circumstances. This delay can be added by the source component (DVD player, for example), an external AV sync box (Felston), or your receiver.

I am currently running my pc through the 7178x samsung. The hdmi port at 1176x664 is connected through a nvidia 6600. The card has a dual dvi out, the other side is connected through vga at 1920x1080. Both ports work fine. The hdmi connection is noticeably brighter and sharper. I have found that samsung can't properly resolve anything above 720p thru hdmi also I have to underscan to fit everything in. Unless you are steve austin, 1176x664 is excellent for general surfing as you can comfortably read all of the type on most web sites from 10+ feet away.


Great...that's what I was wondering...I'm using my HLN5065W with the PC through DVI port at 1240x700 with a slight overscan. So I'm comfortable at that resolution...also, it makes it easier to run games with max graphical settings. My main problem with my current system is that a number of games require at least 1024x768, which doesn't work through DVI on mine. I've heard that trying to do a PC at 1080p can cause some graphical distortion through the hdmi port...but maybe I could somehow get at least 1024x768 to look good. My VGA port is for my 360...but perhaps I will need to break out my KVM to swap VGA components.

SYNC continues to be a challenge. All internal audio / video is sync'd well in the TV: that was the problem on the HLN. So that problem has been 100% solved. But, depending on your other external equipment, especially AV receivers, expect to have to add 120ms of delay to the audio to get good audio/video sync. So just to be clear, if you use an external receiver, plan on adding a delay in most circumstances. This delay can be added by the source component (DVD player, for example), an external AV sync box (Felston), or your receiver.

Thanks for the response. That's the gist of what I've been getting from the forums lately, but again, it doesn't seem that as many people (especially new members, first coming here for information) are complaining about sync issues as there used to be.

So a follow-up question: This may be an inaccurate conclusion, but from reading about the SXRDs here and elsewhere, I don't get the sense that audio/video sync is an issue unless the source is the culprit. So I'm wondering if there's an inherent difference in the video processing (and thus increased video lag) that's done on a DLP than occurs in a SXRD. Is there just something about DLP that adds another few ms of delay that pushes the lag past the acceptable threshold for most people?

Thanks for the response. That's the gist of what I've been getting from the forums lately, but again, it doesn't seem that as many people (especially new members, first coming here for information) are complaining about sync issues as there used to be.

So a follow-up question: This may be an inaccurate conclusion, but from reading about the SXRDs here and elsewhere, I don't get the sense that audio/video sync is an issue unless the source is the culprit. So I'm wondering if there's an inherent difference in the video processing (and thus increased video lag) that's done on a DLP than occurs in a SXRD. Is there just something about DLP that adds another few ms of delay that pushes the lag past the acceptable threshold for most people?
If you are worried about the SYNC issues, the 2006 HLS models (HLSxx87W, HLSxx78W, and HLS5679W) will probably have mininal SYNC issues and they will start to be released in a month or two.

All large HD TV's process video and add some delay, including the SXRD. The problems occur when the delay reaches 60ms or so and can be perceived. I am not familiar with the SXRD delay, but it is smaller than the 2005 Samsung delay.

Well guys, these sets must be damn good! i went to a local dealer today that carries Fujitsu and Runco Plasma's aswell as the Sony SXRD 1080P Projector. I took a long look at each of these products. Keep in mind that all of these displays are in or over the 10k range. I was not impressed at all. I was expecting lot more. They are all very nice but none of them gave the same PQ as my calibrated Sammy.

To be fare, there HD source was D* HD-lite and I saw artifacts on all the sets. I still thought the PQ would have been better for such expensive items.

I have definitly been spoiled by my sammy.

If you are worried about the SYNC issues, the 2006 HLS models (HLSxx87W, HLSxx78W, and HLS5679W) will probably have mininal SYNC issues and they will start to be released in a month or two.

All large HD TV's process video and add some delay, including the SXRD. The problems occur when the delay reaches 60ms or so and can be perceived. I am not familiar with the SXRD delay, but it is smaller than the 2005 Samsung delay.

Thanks once more, UCSB. I'm definitely interested in the HLS line. You'll see me leading the charge for another PowerBuy in the 2006 Samsung DLP thread. :D Although I'm still somewhat on the fence about the SXRDs, too.

So one additional follow-up question: what is it about the 2006 HLS line that makes you think they'll have minimal sync issues compared to the previous models?

Thanks once more, UCSB. I'm definitely interested in the HLS line. You'll see me leading the charge for another PowerBuy in the 2006 Samsung DLP thread. :D Although I'm still somewhat on the fence about the SXRDs, too.

So one additional follow-up question: what is it about the 2006 HLS line that makes you think they'll have minimal sync issues compared to the previous models?
TetsujinWave sent me a large collection of high resolution photos from CES 2006 that I am going to use in the 2006 Samsung thread. Sorry, to everyone, but I have not been able to find the time to post the info and photos yet. In some of the Samsung materials they lead you to believe that there will not be any gaming lag on the PS3. The only way for that to be true would be if they have solved the AV lag problems. Plus Samsung is partnering with Microsoft on the gaming side. That would have been a really stupid move for Microsoft if the HLS models continued to exhibit gaming lag on the XBox 360.

I don't have any lag problem with my HLR-5668w.


I went to my brothers house to watch the Super Bowl on his brand new 61" Toshiba DLP. He did not see a sync problem. Of course, having a DLP (5078) much longer than him, I noticed it immediately. At first, I too did not notice the lag on my 5078, I was too awed by the PQ to notice much else. As time went on and I got more used to it I saw the problem on my 5078.

I pointed out what I was seeing on the Toshiba DLP to my brother and he agreed there was a problem. Added 80ms delay, problem gone.

IMO, not necessarily worth much, the lag issue is a dead issue. PC input on the Sammys, no lag. All other inputs, 80ms to 120ms of lag. Problem common with most / all DLPs and perhaps with most / all 1080P screens?

BTW: Why do they sell these sets with internal speakers? You go out and spend 2.8K + and you're going to use internal speakers?

Vegasjay, keep us updated as to how your LE replacement went today. Has the light/dark/light issue been fixed? thanks

Hey guys,

Today was the LE replacement. Sorry to say, the problem is still there. There is some good news tho. I seem to notice it MUCH less now. I have only looked at a couple video feeds, but I cannot see it in the video feeds at all hardly. I could really only see it during his testing with an all black screen. I don't see it even changing inputs unless its TOTALLY dark in the room.

The tech wrote it up as not fixed to satisfaction. It's now up to me to decide if I want to push Samsung further. He told me that he knew about the cap and that he wasn't sure if that would help this problem at all. I have to say tho, I am approaching the satisfied level with this. I will be watching some more TV looking for the issue the next few days. Its really up the owner I think on this one. As I said before, Eliab believes its inherenet on these TVs.

If I can't see it, I think I will let it be. Otherwise, I will calling Sammy again. The tech said he was going to follow up again with Sammy too to see if they had any other ideas.

So, the saga continues I guess.

I went to my brothers house to watch the Super Bowl on his brand new 61" Toshiba DLP. He did not see a sync problem. Of course, having a DLP (5078) much longer than him, I noticed it immediately. At first, I too did not notice the lag. However, I pointed out what I was seeing to my brother and he agreed there was a problem. Added 80ms delay, problem gone.

IMO, not necessarily worth much, the lag issue is a dead issue. PC input on the Sammys, no lag. All other inputs, 80ms to 120ms of lag.

BTW: Why do they sell these sets with internal speakers? You go out and spend 2.8K + and you're going to use internal speakers?
Internal speakers are valuable if you are using these sets in different settings. I use one of my Samsung DLP's in my home gym and the speakers are just great in that application. After you have owned your set for a while, you will upgrade to a new set and move the old set into a bedroom or other location and may not want to setup a full audio system.

Internal speakers are valuable if you are using these sets in different settings. I use one of my Samsung DLP's in my home gym and the speakers are just great in that application. After you have owned your set for a while, you will upgrade to a new set and move the old set into a bedroom or other location and may not want to setup to a full audio system.

You must be rich of you can afford more than one HLR xxx8 models! :D

Anyone planning on unloading these and getting the 06's? How much do these drop used? No lag, sharper picture, no lamp replacement, better color, no RBE, 1080p input, lower price, is there something I missed? lol.

I might, it depends on what I could get for my 6168 and if I can find someone to pick it up. But realistically the picture is excellent right now so I shouldn't even think about replacing it yet.

Anyone planning on unloading these and getting the 06's? How much do these drop used? No lag, sharper picture, no lamp replacement, better color, no RBE, 1080p input, lower price, is there something I missed? lol.

My first PC was a compaq with a whopping 10 MEGABYTE hard drive.

In the early 90's, I rented 256 Megs of Ram for a rendering job i was doing. I rented it because at the time to buy it would have cost 20 grand.

Stuff is always getting cheaper and better...Anyone that plunked their hard earned money down for a 68/78x - Enjoy. These sets rock!

Anyone planning on unloading these and getting the 06's? How much do these drop used? No lag, sharper picture, no lamp replacement, better color, no RBE, 1080p input, lower price, is there something I missed? lol.
No way, the PQ on my 6178W is flawless. I really have a hard time believing that the 06 model will offer any better PQ then my current 05 set. also keep in mind that the led based DLP is a first generation technology. i would never buy first generation. there are always problems.

my 6178 is a great TV and I wont be buying a new set until SED comes in about 5 years. once that comes the 6178 will go into the bedroom and I will continue to enjoy it.

As intrigued as I am about changing technology and wanting the lastest toys,I dont see me getting rid of my 88.Like your first kid, troublesome at times but cant get rid of em cause its your first lol. They discontinued this model and in 2035 would fit into ant home decore. My home theatre projector doesnt come close to the quality of this TV.And I havent had calibration done on it yet.

Anyone planning on unloading these and getting the 06's

Yep, I'm unloading my 6168 and getting the 6187. It's close enough to my 30-day in-home trial from Magnolia that they extended the trial period for me until they have the new ones in their system, then they're swapping it out for me.

My main problem is the video game lag, but there will be numerous other improvements that are addressed in this one (including defeatable DNIe, next gen light engine, etc) that make it logical to me to swap them out. It should also end up being a wash on price, so that's good too. :)

I guess I thought this was the last HDTV I would ever need. I didn't know about any of these issues they had until I read them here. Now I find out how much better the next model is with improvements, better design and lower cost. I really don't mind tossing this one in the bedroom, but I wonder if I'd be better off selling it or giving it to my family? I think if I sell it, I would have to before the new one is out and I don't know if I can do that? I'd miss it too much. lol.

I didn't know about any of these issues they had until I read them here.

Maybe ... but don't forget that technology is CONSTANTLY moving forward. For whatever reason (whether the sets are still within the return timeframe, or people just have a lot of disposable income), some folks are able to upgrade. These are still phenomenal sets, so don't second-guess what you have!

Does anyone have any tips or tricks to installing the velux? I have mine and would like to install it soon. I was wondering if it would be best to just install it on the inside using the adhesive backing or use foamcore. Any thoughts from those that have DIY. I would also guess that I should cut templates before cutting the materials.

Someone here just had a great writeup on it maybe two pages back? I think they used foamcore on the bottom to get a flat, even surface. Where did you get it, from the same source as others here?

bcvp,
I got the material form www.mcmaster.com part number 88015K2. It's 45 inches wide and I got 2 three foot rolls. It's very low pile and has an adhesive back.
I don't have any foamcore but I bet it would stick pretty good without it. One question is how do you attatch the foamcore to the inside of the chassis.
I might just cut it to fit and stick it directly to the chassis.

Could someone please explain to me what Index Delay is?
I have seen in the SM, & I have seen that several of you have written about adjusting it, but what is it?

I came across an interesting white paper on how the Samsung and TI does deinterlacing you may find interesting.

This paper describes a deinterlacer developed for use in display systems based on the
DMD (Digital Micromirror Device). The deinterlace algorithm performs motion adaptive interpolation, using median filtered inter-frame differences to generate the motion signal. The interpolation process is edge adaptive using five different edge orientations computed from the original interlace picture. Progressive scan-rate individual bit plane level digital data is then used to drive the DMD display using a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technique. Real-time implementation is realized using the Scan- line Video Processor (SVP).

http://www.dlp.com/dlp_technology/images/dynamic/white_papers/105_Motion_Adaptive_Deinterlacer_DMD.pdf

I came across an interesting white paper on how the Samsung and TI does deinterlacing you may find interesting.

This paper describes a deinterlacer developed for use in display systems based on the
DMD (Digital Micromirror Device). The deinterlace algorithm performs motion adaptive interpolation, using median filtered inter-frame differences to generate the motion signal. The interpolation process is edge adaptive using five different edge orientations computed from the original interlace picture. Progressive scan-rate individual bit plane level digital data is then used to drive the DMD display using a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technique. Real-time implementation is realized using the Scan- line Video Processor (SVP).

http://www.dlp.com/dlp_technology/images/dynamic/white_papers/105_Motion_Adaptive_Deinterlacer_DMD.pdf

Good stuff. The data rates involved with this processing are not nearly as high as I would have expected(33 MHz is noted). It's also interesting that some of those progressive algorithms were being developed as far back as 1989.

I wonder how much of those algorithms fall within their DNIe engines that people try so hard to defeat?

Could someone please explain to me what Index Delay is?
I have seen in the SM, & I have seen that several of you have written about adjusting it, but what is it?
It is the sync control for your color wheel timing. It should have been set at the factory, but can be adjusted if you have access to calibration equipment. If you are setting it without equipment, then you need to use a very careful procedure to get an approximate setting. Basically, I think the user estimate procedure is to display a 100% pure red image and adjust the value so that you are seeing only red without any other tint. Adjust the value by finding the high and low points before red starts to show a tint and take the value in the middle for your setting. In general, unless there is something wrong with your color ... don't touch.

It is the sync control for your color wheel timing. It should have been set at the factory, but can be adjusted if you have access to calibration equipment. If you are setting it without equipment, then you need to use a very careful procedure to get an approximate setting. Basically, I think the user estimate procedure is to display a 100% pure red image and adjust the value so that you are seeing only red without any other tint. Adjust the value by finding the high and low points before red starts to show a tint and take the value in the middle for your setting. In general, unless there is something wrong with your color ... don't touch.


I guess it's "Be careful what you ask for". In hindsight, don't touch would have done it.
But thanks, because I've asked about this a few times, to no avail.

Am I correct in that Gamma has to do with the relation between dark & light areas of the screen, and it is preference rather than an exact setting that determines which mode is used?

Anyone run into this?

I have a 5078 hooked up to a Comcast 6412 DVR via a DVI adapter and HDMI cable. I'm using the HDMI2 input. What happens is I can get a very clean signal for about to seconds then the screen goes blank. Switching to another input and back again gives me another two seconds. The picture looks good so I don't think it's the cable. It appears to be related to copy protection. I have seen it itermittently state (paraphrase)

The device copy protection has been modified. Use component instead.

Sound familar to anyone?

BTW: Can't use HDMI1 since it appears to be broken (only passes green, red and blue are dead).

I think only HDMI2 is for DVI. It could be the STB. When it happens try hitting info, guide, menu or something and see if you get an image? You could also unplug the box for a minute, but you'll lose the guide info. I had STB issues and my friend did too. We'd get different problems but sometimes the screen would be black but the other STB options would work. I don't think its a copy protection issue. How long has it been a problem?

Have you completely unplugged the 6412 from the wall (this does something of a reset) and brought it back up again? The experts on the 6412 are in this thread: Official Comcast 6412 / iGuide Discussion (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=464986). Good luck.

Are you guys expecting a significant price drop for the '05 models when the '06 models hit retail? If so, how much of a drop is expected? I'm VERY interested in the HLR5078W but I don't want to buy now if the prices will drop in a month.

Our sets come with the sheet "Procedures for Controlling a DLP DTV using an RS-232C Connection", which lists discrete RS-232 codes for Input : Source List : TV and Sound : Internal Mute : Off/On (among many others). Does this mean that there really are corresponding discrete IR codes for these particular functions (for which many of us have searched so long in vain)? If so, is there a straightforward mapping from RS-232 to IR coding sets?

Are you guys expecting a significant price drop for the '05 models when the '06 models hit retail? If so, how much of a drop is expected? I'm VERY interested in the HLR5078W but I don't want to buy now if the prices will drop in a month.

Didn't they already drop?

I had problems with my Comcast 6412 III DVR yesterday as well. At first, I was about to blow a gasket because my HLR5688 was exhibiting the same problems it had a few weeks ago--horizontal colored lines across the screen. That was fixed with a digital board replacement. (I’m still waiting for the LE replacement to fix the light smudges all over the screen.)

After unplugging the DVR from the wall and then plugging it back in again, the problem was gone. Phew, I was just about to call Samsung and say take it back. Needless to say, I am still a little uneasy about this TV even though the picture is AMAZING. I’ll let you know what happens when the LE is replaced.

I would replace the box if you keep having problems. I waited until I burned DVDs off the DVR. My friend and I are on our second box. He thinks he might need a third? This is one of the main reasons why we went with Comsucks and not satellite. I can't see buying these boxes until they are more reliable, maybe with flash media instead of a drive.

bcvp, LOL. Comsucks. Its so true. I have only had their digital service since Dec 30, '05 and this already is the third box!

Regarding burning to DVD...when I bought my TV, Samsung sent me a "free" DVD Recorder. (DVD-R120). I have been trying to exchange it wherever it is carried to no avail. Now I might as well just keep it seeing as though I am going to have to replace my DVR again.

Didn't they already drop?


I don't know if they did or not. I'm new to HDTV and was just wondering if a price drop is expected.

They have dropped to what the "special" Power Buy prices were when they were released. I would think they would drop below that at some point?

Just4Kicks, I shop at Worst Buy and Circuit Sucks too. lol. You'd be better off Ebaying it or giving it away maybe?

I think only HDMI2 is for DVI. It could be the STB. When it happens try hitting info, guide, menu or something and see if you get an image? You could also unplug the box for a minute, but you'll lose the guide info. I had STB issues and my friend did too. We'd get different problems but sometimes the screen would be black but the other STB options would work. I don't think its a copy protection issue. How long has it been a problem?

Have you completely unplugged the 6412 from the wall (this does something of a reset) and brought it back up again? The experts on the 6412 are in this thread: Official Comcast 6412 / iGuide Discussion . Good luck.


I've not hooked up HDMI till now. Just had the set calibrated by Eliab. BTW: What a difference. I thought the picture was good before. It's way better now.
Wanted to try HDMI to see if I good get an even better picture.

I've tried unplugging the unit, had the cable co reset the box, tried to get it to come up in the 6412 service menu, no joy. Two seconds worth of picture then black.

I believe it is indeed a copy protection issue, just wondering if anyone else has seen that problem. As I understand it, in order to use HDMI, part of the protocol is to do a copy protection handshake (same is true for the firewire outputs). If the receiving device does not perform it's half of the handshake, the output device will shut down the HDMI port.

I believe this message which I sometimes see on start up is being generated by the cable box, not the TV:

"The HD content protection of your display has been compromised. Please use the YPbPr outputs for your HD connection."

I finally got off my lazy rear end and googled around and found this (http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?p=338891) interesting thread. The 6412 uses DVI. Comcast is now offering the 3412 which has an HDMI output. I'll give that a try before I give up. Hope this helps anyone else who runs into this issue. I'll post back with the results from the 3412.

Just4Kicks, I shop at Worst Buy and Circuit Sucks too. lol. You'd be better off Ebaying it or giving it away maybe?

LOL again. Yah, I thought about ebay but I checked and they aren't selling for a lot. I might just be better off keeping it. Its still unopened.

jameskollar, I've got the Comcast Motorola 6412 series III box that does have the HDMI output on it. My previous box, the 6412 II series, had DVI.

Jameskollar, just to be clear, the 6412 was first DVI. You could use a DVI to HDMI adapter or cable and that is supposed to work on the HDMI2 port. If you have the new 6412 with HDMI then that should be connected to HDMI1. The 3412 has replaced the 6412, DVI or HDMI. Either way or no matter what the set should work and if it doesn't I would try a new box, even if it isn't an upgrade. The 3412 has some issues the 6412 HDMI doesn't have, so be prepared for that. The plus is a better picture on SD channels.

Thanks all!!!

OK. here's what I know. The HDMI1 on my sammy is bad. I'd place a service request on that issue only if I had discovered this before having my set calibrated. HDMI1 is not usable for me. I'll live with component forever if I was forced to give up calibration to get the HDMI up and running. Component on my set is "soooo" much better after calibartion that until Blu-Ray comes out (a pox on HD-DVD) I will not do anything to jeopordize my calibration.

Sooo.... My theory is that perhaps the DVI-HDMI adapter cable I have is not completing the handshake on the the good HDMI2 port. The adapter DVI adapter I have is NOT part of the cable. You plug the DVI adapter into the comcast box then connect a HDMI cable to it and the sammy. My thought is that the HDMI2 input should be able to accept both DVI to HDMI adapters and straight HDMI inputs. By going to the 3412 (or 6412 III) I can at least eliminate the adapter as a potentional problem source. In the link to a thread in my previous post, there seemed to a problem with handshaking when using DVI to HDMI. The symptons described match exactly what I have observed.

BTW: I have two 6412's and a 6400 that all exhibit the same problem. I wish I had another source DVI but my DVD player is component and my next one is still months away.

Thanks all!!!

OK. here's what I know. The HDMI1 on my sammy is bad. I'd place a service request on that issue only if I had discovered this before having my set calibrated. HDMI1 is not usable for me. I'll live with component forever if I was forced to give up calibration to get the HDMI up and running. Component on my set is "soooo" much better after calibartion that until Blu-Ray comes out (a pox on HD-DVD) I will not do anything to jeopordize my calibration.

Sooo.... My theory is that perhaps the DVI-HDMI adapter cable I have is not completing the handshake on the the good HDMI2 port. The adapter DVI adapter I have is NOT part of the cable. You plug the DVI adapter into the comcast box then connect a HDMI cable to it and the sammy. My thought is that the HDMI2 input should be able to accept both DVI to HDMI adapters and straight HDMI inputs. By going to the 3412 (or 6412 III) I can at least eliminate the adapter as a potentional problem source. In the link to a thread in my previous post, there seemed to a problem with handshaking when using DVI to HDMI. The symptons described match exactly what I have observed.

BTW: I have two 6412's and a 6400 that all exhibit the same problem. I wish I had another source DVI but my DVD player is component and my next one is still months away.

I'd still get it fixed, especially if Blu-Ray and HD-DVD only playback 480p through component...

After 8 months of absolute flawless performance my beloved Samsung HLR5688W 'Kirk' has encountered it first internal malfunction. (Delivered 7/26/05)

For whatever reason it's now completely unable to display a proper picture for any and all inputs. Both of the 2 HDMI inputs display an ever changing display of lines. Also, when powered on for more than a minute it begins displaying streaks of color and even appears to display menu funtions duplicated or not fully at all when selected from the remote. I have already contacted Samsung Service and expect that a qualified technician will diagnose the situation sometie later this week.
Does this sound like a problem with the light engine or possibly the DLP chip itself?
I am just curious to if anyone else here at AVS has seen these same issues with other HLR 1080p models? Any advice or ideas to what may be causing this are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

http://images.radcity.net/5265/1361785.jpg http://images.radcity.net/5265/1361786.jpg

After 8 months of absolute flawless performance my beloved Samsung HLR5688W 'Kirk' has encountered it first internal malfunction. (Delivered 7/26/05)

For whatever reason it's now completely unable to display a proper picture for any and all inputs. Both of the 2 HDMI inputs display an ever changing display of lines. Also, when powered on for more than a minute it begins displaying streaks of color and even appears to display menu funtions duplicated or not fully at all when selected from the remote. I have already contacted Samsung Service and expect that a qualified technician will diagnose the situation sometie later this week.
Does this sound like a problem with the light engine or possibly the DLP chip itself?
I am just curious to if anyone else here at AVS has seen these same issues with other HLR 1080p models? Any advice or ideas to what may be causing this are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

http://images.radcity.net/5265/1361785.jpg http://images.radcity.net/5265/1361786.jpg

PushStar, This is EXACTLY the same problem I had several weeks ago. The Samsung tech came out about 10 days after I called and replaced the digital board. Now I have another minor display problem but the TV works fine. See my previous posts.

Thanks Just4Kicks for your reply. I checked out your digital images from 2/26 and yes this is the exact problem I now have with my HLR5688W. Thanks again for the information as I now have a much better idea of what is really going on with the set.

Thanks.

Replacing the digital board doesn't affect calibration. Right? I thought the only component that would change the calibration settings was the LE. Are there other components?

Thanks all!!!

OK. here's what I know. The HDMI1 on my sammy is bad. I'd place a service request on that issue only if I had discovered this before having my set calibrated. HDMI1 is not usable for me. I'll live with component forever if I was forced to give up calibration to get the HDMI up and running. Component on my set is "soooo" much better after calibartion that until Blu-Ray comes out (a pox on HD-DVD) I will not do anything to jeopordize my calibration.

Sooo.... My theory is that perhaps the DVI-HDMI adapter cable I have is not completing the handshake on the the good HDMI2 port. The adapter DVI adapter I have is NOT part of the cable. You plug the DVI adapter into the comcast box then connect a HDMI cable to it and the sammy. My thought is that the HDMI2 input should be able to accept both DVI to HDMI adapters and straight HDMI inputs. By going to the 3412 (or 6412 III) I can at least eliminate the adapter as a potentional problem source. In the link to a thread in my previous post, there seemed to a problem with handshaking when using DVI to HDMI. The symptons described match exactly what I have observed.

BTW: I have two 6412's and a 6400 that all exhibit the same problem. I wish I had another source DVI but my DVD player is component and my next one is still months away.

I just received my 6768W this past Sunday, and found that when I connected my SA8300HD-DVR to HDMI1, I got "no signal"... I thought it was the HDMI cable, which was cheap and quite taut between the 2 - but now I'm wondering if it isn't the HDMI1 port also! I guess I'll be trying HDMI2 tonight to see if that works instead - then I'll be calling Samsung...

PushStar, This is EXACTLY the same problem I had several weeks ago. The Samsung tech came out about 10 days after I called and replaced the digital board. Now I have another minor display problem but the TV works fine. See my previous posts.

Just had the same problem with the same result; swapped the DMD (digital board) now works perfectly again now.

Replacing the digital board doesn't affect calibration. Right? I thought the only component that would change the calibration settings was the LE. Are there other components?

Yes it does. All of your service menu settings are actually saved on the digital board itself.

Best regards,

Steve

Plan on a new HLR5678W from sound advice here in Tampa maybe next week. Salesman give me price of $3000, does this sound like good price? Also my viewing distance is between 8-9 ft. I have Sony 51" rear proj. for 3 years and works great with my Oppo. I think the new firmware should take care of audio sync, but wonder about my Pioneer with component connection. I like to use it on certain movies. I do have hearing loss so use subtitles most of the time, so I suspect it will cause problems, but will have to try it and see. Plan on keeping my Sony for at least a few weeks to see if I'll be :) happy with this set or not.

That is the going price, not a special. You might try Tweeter or its sister stores for a better price when they have a private sale. The price might drop soon anyway since the new models are due out soon, relatively speaking.

I just received my 6768W this past Sunday, and found that when I connected my SA8300HD-DVR to HDMI1, I got "no signal"... I thought it was the HDMI cable, which was cheap and quite taut between the 2 - but now I'm wondering if it isn't the HDMI1 port also! I guess I'll be trying HDMI2 tonight to see if that works instead - then I'll be calling Samsung...

It could still be the cable. The first cable I had was indeed bad. It would not pass a picture, nothing. I took it bak to Magnolia and had them check it on their sets and it failed there also. We then tested a new cable and I know for a fact that the cable works. In fact, I even know that the hdmi2 input is good because we were able to calibrate it. The problem I am having with my HDMI1 port is that it syncs and shows green, but red and blue are gone. I guess what I am trying to say is, take your cable and plug it into a know good setup. It is still very likely you have a bad cable, especially since you seem to have stretched it.

Just had the same problem with the same result; swapped the DMD (digital board) now works perfectly again now.

RichNY, I hope you didn't have to pay for it! :)

This issue as well as the number of people who have reported color wheels going out is the reason I plan on getting an extended warranty once my set is completely fixed.

Steve

Plan on a new HLR5678W from sound advice here in Tampa maybe next week. Salesman give me price of $3000, does this sound like good price? Also my viewing distance is between 8-9 ft. I have Sony 51" rear proj. for 3 years and works great with my Oppo. I think the new firmware should take care of audio sync, but wonder about my Pioneer with component connection. I like to use it on certain movies. I do have hearing loss so use subtitles most of the time, so I suspect it will cause problems, but will have to try it and see. Plan on keeping my Sony for at least a few weeks to see if I'll be :) happy with this set or not.
Bill ... with the 2006 HLS5687W due out in a month or so, prices will be dropping on the HLR5678W. Prices on the 2006 models are down. You might want to look at the specs and cabinet on the new 2006 model and decide if it is worth considering. A new model the HLS5688W is going to be out a little later that has the same cabinet as the HLR5678W, but is all black. I don't know how the 2006 will compare to the 2005's in terms of performance.

Plan on a new HLR5678W from sound advice here in Tampa maybe next week. Salesman give me price of $3000, does this sound like good price? Also my viewing distance is between 8-9 ft. I have Sony 51" rear proj. for 3 years and works great with my Oppo. I think the new firmware should take care of audio sync, but wonder about my Pioneer with component connection. I like to use it on certain movies. I do have hearing loss so use subtitles most of the time, so I suspect it will cause problems, but will have to try it and see. Plan on keeping my Sony for at least a few weeks to see if I'll be :) happy with this set or not.

I paid $100 more for my 61" 6168 back in October 2005. Also, HLR5668W's sell widely for $600 less than your quote. The 78 series is the same set with a shiny black trim bezel. $3K sounds very steep to me for a 56" set. Especially a model that is going to be replaced by the new sets coming out in 2-3 months. I would think the retailers are thinking about cleaning out the soon to be stale inventory about now. Bargain for a better price.

Sorry, web toubles = double post.

It could still be the cable. The first cable I had was indeed bad. It would not pass a picture, nothing. I took it bak to Magnolia and had them check it on their sets and it failed there also. We then tested a new cable and I know for a fact that the cable works. In fact, I even know that the hdmi2 input is good because we were able to calibrate it. The problem I am having with my HDMI1 port is that it syncs and shows green, but red and blue are gone. I guess what I am trying to say is, take your cable and plug it into a know good setup. It is still very likely you have a bad cable, especially since you seem to have stretched it.

Well, it works fine on HDMI2. I picked up a new HDMI cable (5 meters long, no stretching) from a different manufacturer, which I'll test tonight in HDMI1 - here's hoping I don't join the list of Samsung service calls.

The cable's digital, it either works or it doesn't. If it worked on HDMI2 I wouldn't have bought another cable to test? I wish it was the cable but it sounds like the set and I hope you can return the new cable.

The cable's digital, it either works or it doesn't. If it worked on HDMI2 I wouldn't have bought another cable to test? I wish it was the cable but it sounds like the set and I hope you can return the new cable.
That's only true if there's a single wire going across the interface, i.e. a serial interface. HDMI has a multiple signals, i.e. a parallel interface, at frequencies well up into the RF range. Check out the Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

I'm holding my bet on the cable. At these frequencies and voltages (it's a differential signal), even a partial "break" of a wire will drop out a channel. Could be that the digital negotiations are OK, but a color got broken somewhere.

Anybody heard of this problem before? I've had my 6168 since October, and just a few days ago I started having a problem where the right half of the screen is black when I turn the TV on. It doesn't happen all the time, but it is starting to occur more frequently. If I turn the TV on and off a few times, the screen will eventually turn on with a full picture, however, this morning I had to turn it on and off over 10 times before getting the full screen picture.

Any clue, my wife is giving me the evil eye for spending so much money on half a screen....

I'm not sure what's causing the problem but people here say its not a good idea to turn the set on and off frequently. It sounds like you might be causing more damage that you might see down the road like a shorter lamp life. You should call Samsung and see how soon they can get a tech out. I was lucky and got one the next day. It sounds like the DLP though? I don't blame your wife and for some reason most of these issues happen at least three months in. I thought like most things if it was broken I'd know it right away.

Anybody heard of this problem before? I've had my 6168 since October, and just a few days ago I started having a problem where the right half of the screen is black when I turn the TV on. It doesn't happen all the time, but it is starting to occur more frequently. If I turn the TV on and off a few times, the screen will eventually turn on with a full picture, however, this morning I had to turn it on and off over 10 times before getting the full screen picture.


My 5668 had a left-side failure 3 days after I received it, and the dealer (TVA) replaced it. My report about this problem (including a photo) can be found here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6062372#post6062372

You definitely need to schedule a service call. Since exactly half the screen was affected, I suspected wobbulation failure.

Does anyone have a good picture of the light/dark/light issue? Also, has anyone had it sucessfully fixed with a light engine replacement? Thanks.

Bill

Does anyone have a good picture of the light/dark/light issue? Also, has anyone had it sucessfully fixed with a light engine replacement? Thanks.

Bill

When I had my set calibrated by Eliab he offered to show me a fault with the Sammys. It was the LDL problem! Of course, I said no way do I want it pointed out to me. I have never seen the problem and I hope I never do. :D

When I had my set calibrated by Eliab he offered to show me a fault with the Sammys. It was the LDL problem! Of course, I said no way do I want it pointed out to me. I have never seen the problem and I hope I never do. :D

Oh, I have the problem and I have to try and get a picture of it tonight. I had a service tech out for that and the hashmark problem. I have to be able to demonstrate these problems and it's near impossible during the day. I provided him a picture of the hashmarks and that'll be fixed by the new lens cover. Now I need to demonstrate the L/D/L problem so they replace the light engine.

Help please
I have Samsung 5078 DLp I have connected to PC via DVI to HDMI and I am using NVIDIA 7800gtx when I try to put the output on 1080i I get bad picture quality with scan lines and pixels?? What I am doing wrong??
:(

Help please
I have Samsung 5078 DLp I have connected to PC via DVI to HDMI and I am using NVIDIA 7800gtx when I try to put the output on 1080i I get bad picture quality with scan lines and pixels?? What I am doing wrong??
:(

I tried dozens of resolutions and scan rates from my Radeon 9800 via DVI/HDMI... and never could get anything to work.

When I switched to 1080p via VGA... I got a reasonably decent picture (overscanned or shrunk a few percent with the Samsung Picture >> Size menu). Some people say that cheap VGA cables are adequate (as long as they have all 15 pins wired), but my cheap cables do produce some RH edge ghosting. I'm tempted to try better cables... now that I've discovered AtomFilms and actually have something to watch on the PC!

Help please
I have Samsung 5078 DLp I have connected to PC via DVI to HDMI and I am using NVIDIA 7800gtx when I try to put the output on 1080i I get bad picture quality with scan lines and pixels?? What I am doing wrong??
:(

I don't think anybody has been able to get a PC connection working quite right over HDMI... on the up-side the TV has a VGA connection that you can plug right into and run directly at 1920x1080... why shoot for 1080i when you can have 1080p?

Plan on a new HLR5678W from sound advice here in Tampa maybe next week. Salesman give me price of $3000, does this sound like good price? Also my viewing distance is between 8-9 ft. I have Sony 51" rear proj. for 3 years and works great with my Oppo. I think the new firmware should take care of audio sync, but wonder about my Pioneer with component connection. I like to use it on certain movies. I do have hearing loss so use subtitles most of the time, so I suspect it will cause problems, but will have to try it and see. Plan on keeping my Sony for at least a few weeks to see if I'll be :) happy with this set or not.

Check pricegrabbers for best pricing.

I would also recommend getting the (almost identical) 5668 for less $. As someone else stated, the only difference is the finish on the bezel.

Quite a bit better than the $3K quote you got, especially when you figure that you won't have to pay tax on it.

Some people say that cheap VGA cables are adequate (as long as they have all 15 pins wired), but my cheap cables do produce some RH edge ghosting. I'm tempted to try better cables... now that I've discovered AtomFilms and actually have something to watch on the PC!

I had a cheap a VGA cable between my HTPC and my Samsung and noticed some ghosting, too. I checked pin-to-pin continuity and all 15 pins checked out, so I just lived with it.

Just for yucks, I bought two new VGA cables on eBay. The price was right: two (2) VGA cables for one cent. These new cables are much more substantial than my original VGA cable and have heavy ferrite beads on each end.

When I replaced my original VGA cable with a new 1/2-cent eBay cable, picture quality improved substantially. The replacement cable also solved my "no signal" problem that used to happen whenever I powered-up the Samsung TV while the HTPC was running.

I got some pretty good shots of this problem on my TV tonight. Jameskollar makes a good point about not wanting to know if you don't notice a problem. So, if anyone needs a shot of this problem, IM me and I'll pass it along. I sent it to the Tweeter tech tonight and I'll report back on what they intend to do about it.

Bill

I got some pretty good shots of this problem on my TV tonight. Jameskollar makes a good point about not wanting to know if you don't notice a problem. So, if anyone needs a shot of this problem, IM me and I'll pass it along. I sent it to the Tweeter tech tonight and I'll report back on what they intend to do about it.

Bill

Vegasjay sometime back had the same problem and replaced the LE to no avail. He still has the problem(LDL) I believe he is going to continue to update on this post. I myself am currently waiting for my service call. But it has seemed to me that the LDL issue on my TV is becoming less noticable. But the dark center section seems to be getting lighter. My one concern is that my friend has the pedastal model and does not have this issue. He has mangaged to get his blacks quite near perfect.
Once my service call is complete I will post the results.

I don't think anybody has been able to get a PC connection working quite right over HDMI... on the up-side the TV has a VGA connection that you can plug right into and run directly at 1920x1080... why shoot for 1080i when you can have 1080p?

Then tell me why I can see perfectly 480p + 720p + 576p with DVI to HDMI

The vga connection at 1080P looks much better than through HDMi at those resolutions.

Does anyone have a good picture of the light/dark/light issue? Also, has anyone had it sucessfully fixed with a light engine replacement? Thanks.

Bill

They tried to fix mine with the LE replacement. I still have the issue, but its not nearly as noticeable as it use to be. I dont see it during regular TV watching, just when there are total dark screens from time to time. If it begins to show up during regular viewing again, I will have to call Samsung again.

Keep me posted guys. My service company let Samsung know that the problem still persists, and they have not contacted me with any new updates yet. Maybe other service companies will have a new approach to the problem.

They tried to fix mine with the LE replacement. I still have the issue, but its not nearly as noticeable as it use to be. I dont see it during regular TV watching, just when there are total dark screens from time to time. If it begins to show up during regular viewing again, I will have to call Samsung again.

Keep me posted guys. My service company let Samsung know that the problem still persists, and they have not contacted me with any new updates yet. Maybe other service companies will have a new approach to the problem.

The Tweeter tech has emailed my pictures to Samsung. I'll let you know what they say. If they replace the LE with one that still has the problem but is not noticeable when wathcing DVDs, I'll be satisfied. I'd rather they figure out why some LEs have it and some don't. Maybe the HLSs won't have the problem.

Then tell me why I can see perfectly 480p + 720p + 576p with DVI to HDMI

I don't know why some of the lower resolutions seem to work but not the higher ones over HDMI... From what I've seen in this thread the HDMI chip itself that was used in these TV's doesn't support 1080p, but I don't think anybody has fully explained why 1080i doesn't work over HDMI... I would think it's a timing issue or something.

Regardless, 1920x1080 (1080p) looks absolutely stunning over a VGA cable... try it out and then go to www.wmvhd.com and download some 1080p videos and play them over the computer VGA connection... best picture you'll ever see on your TV!

The vga connection at 1080P looks much better than through HDMi at those resolutions.


I just want to see how it will looks like 1080i via HDMI

I need a little help with my HLR6168W. I have an Acer laptop, 8104 (2.0 GHZ, 128mb video card, etc..), connected via VGA. When I play a dvd on the laptop the aspect ratio of the dvd is not properly displayed on either the laptop or the TV. My laptop's resolution is set to 1280 by 768@60Hz. Basically when I play a dvd like North by Northwest that has an aspect ration of 1.85:1 my computer makes it like 2.01:1 or something like that. I have tried a bunch of settings and nothing seems to work. I know this is probably a really easy thing to solve but I cannot figure it out. I am using PowerDVD, but the same thing happens with WMP. Thanks

After monitoring this thread since January, I finally pulled the trigger on the 6768 today. I want to thank everyone for their insight - you're all much smarter than me when it comes to this stuff. I would have waited for the HLS's, but I don't see anything larger than a 61" for awhile and I want something now.

Question - the guy who sold me the TV said there was an HD Shootout in January's Home Theater Mag that rated the Samsung highest among Mits, HP, Sony, etc. I can't seem to find it on the Web....does anyone have a link to it?

Thanks again to all for helping me with this excruciating decision...and I mean excruciating.

Question - the guy who sold me the TV said there was an HD Shootout in January's Home Theater Mag that rated the Samsung highest among Mits, HP, Sony, etc. I can't seem to find it on the Web....does anyone have a link to it?

It was "The Great 1080p Face Off" in the *February* 2006 issue. I cannot find the article online at www.hometheatermag.com. However, I still have the paper article, and scores were:

92 Sony SXRD
91 Toshiba DLP
91 JVC ILA
90 Samsung DLP (HL-R)
89 Mitsubishi DLP
88 JP DLP

The Samsung was controversial due to DNIe. They knew it could be defeated, but they didn't review it that way. However, they concluded that "Had we been able to easily turn off DNIe, it would have surely given the winner a run for its money".

Actually, it was that very remark that motivated my Sammy 6768 after three Sony SXRDs with Green Globs and Purple Blacks. Defeating DNIe and programming my remote to reset Movie Mode after every input (to defeat the dynamic range bug) has produced a fair picture. At least whites are white and grays are gray.

Good luck with your 67. I don't observe the LDL problem. Please let us know your experience. Thanks!

It was "The Great 1080p Face Off" in the *February* 2006 issue. I cannot find the article online at www.hometheatermag.com. However, I still have the paper article, and scores were:

92 Sony SXRD
91 Toshiba DLP
91 JVC ILA
90 Samsung DLP (HL-R)
89 Mitsubishi DLP
88 JP DLP

The Samsung was controversial due to DNIe. They knew it could be defeated, but they didn't review it that way. However, they concluded that "Had we been able to easily turn off DNIe, it would have surely given the winner a run for its money".

Actually, it was that very remark that motivated my Sammy 6768 after three Sony SXRDs with Green Globs and Purple Blacks. Defeating DNIe and programming my remote to reset Movie Mode after every input (to defeat the dynamic range bug) has produced a fair picture. At least whites are white and grays are gray.

Good luck with your 67. I don't observe the LDL problem. Please let us know your experience. Thanks!
Thanks, I will post with a review - I don't take delivery for a few weeks.

Question - I'm assuming you turned off DNIe through the Service Menu, correct? If so, why do you need to reset Movie Mode after every input...is that a different issue than turning off DNIe?

Jon_W, the Sammy manual lists the resolutions it will accept. I think some have said they found the closest one they had and then adjusted the picture on the Sammy to fit better on the screen. I assume the ones you tried are not supported, that is you probably did it correctly.

Thanks bcvp for the reply, much appreciated. I probably worded my problem incorrectly. I am getting a signal. I can play games and surf the web and everything looks fine and proportional. However, when I play any dvd the aspect ratio of the dvd is not displayed correctly on either the computer or the TV that the computer is connected to. I have a feeling I am just not getting a certain setting right, because I do not think this is the same problem as those who are trying to get 1:1 mapping on their TV. I am not worried about that because I do not plan to watch many dvds on this set up. I would post this in the computer section but I think I would get eat'in alive. LOL

Question - I'm assuming you turned off DNIe through the Service Menu, correct? If so, why do you need to reset Movie Mode after every input...is that a different issue than turning off DNIe?

Yes, and probably.

To turn off DNIe in the service menu, go to the DNIe page and turn off all of:

SNI_PROC_CEA
SNI_PROC_CEP
SNI_PROC_DEP
SNI_PROC_DCE
SNI_PROC_CCS
SNI_PROC_BWS
SNI_PROC_PCC
SNI_PROC_WTE
SNI_PROC_CTE

Some claim that this needs to be done for every input and resolution (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i), but my firmware doesn't appear to implement discrete parameter sets for all distinct permutations. For whatever permutations you have, this means a trip into and out of the SM for every permutation. Be aware that exiting the SM resets all user-level picture parameters to their defaults. If you ISF your set, then entering the SM won't require resetting user-level parameters anymore.

Resetting Movie (or your other favorite) Mode after changing inputs appears to be required because some kind of black crush sometimes sets in otherwise. Some claim that turning off some of the DNIe parameters solves this, but others disagree. I experienced erratic results until I reset every time.

I need a little help with my HLR6168W. I have an Acer laptop, 8104 (2.0 GHZ, 128mb video card, etc..), connected via VGA. When I play a dvd on the laptop the aspect ratio of the dvd is not properly displayed on either the laptop or the TV. My laptop's resolution is set to 1280 by 768@60Hz. Basically when I play a dvd like North by Northwest that has an aspect ration of 1.85:1 my computer makes it like 2.01:1 or something like that. I have tried a bunch of settings and nothing seems to work. I know this is probably a really easy thing to solve but I cannot figure it out. I am using PowerDVD, but the same thing happens with WMP. Thanks
This is kind of the wrong forum for your laptop problem. Does the display on the TV look right when you are not playing DVD? I have found with my Toshiba Laptop that first of all I have to turn off the laptop display. Then to get the full "native" resolution, the TV has to be set to WIDE PC (aka 16:9). Some people report overscan, but I went to the menu and somewhere to do with the PC input is an option to do an Auto adjust, and when I did that it fit perfect. If you find the native resolution to small to use even with the big screen, you can increase font and icon sizes from Windows display properties. For any other resolution I feel you have to set the TV for 4:3 unless you are OK with it stretching the picture to fit the screen, I find 1024x768 pretty comfortable to use, for computing but you do lose screen real estate all around the picture. I have tried both WinDVD and WMP, and both seemed fine, but I feel the DVD player does just fine playing DVDs, I only use the laptop to browse web or play games as a family, or watch HD shows I recorded on my main computer (I only do than when my wife is already recording a show on our Sony DHG-HDD DVR).

The Tweeter tech has emailed my pictures to Samsung. I'll let you know what they say. If they replace the LE with one that still has the problem but is not noticeable when wathcing DVDs, I'll be satisfied. I'd rather they figure out why some LEs have it and some don't. Maybe the HLSs won't have the problem.

Hey Will,
I threw blankets over the top of my wooden blinds to darken the room. When the techs arrived I closed all the doors and made the room dark and that was enough to see the hashmarks during the daytime. I don't see the L/D/L issue on my new LE and don't want to know how to look for it, LOL. I have the velux installed and now my blacks are inky and whites are real pure white. I just hope the thing doesn't beak again anytime soon. I still need to finish cleaning my mirror and remove some dust debris from between my screens, you almost need a NASA clean room to get it perfect so I'm going to pick a day when I'm in the righ mood to get it perfect.

Goodluck on your service call.

Also if anyone is interested there is a good product for cleaning the screens on your TV's LCD's and such. It's called Screen Kleen. Yo can get a 16oz bottle with a micro fiber cloth for 14.95 at 800-854-3146 and mention the Samsung offer. Thier website is www.screenkleen.com. This stuff was the only thing I could find that would not leave a residue.The tech left me some samples so I ordered the real thing.

I ordered the velux to install on my HLR-5668w and have some questions about the installation.

1: How hard is it to get the front screen off? Is all I need to do is remove the screws on the back side of the panel?

2: How long does it take to do the install?

3: Should I cut out templates or patterns to get the best fit and avoid wasting Velux material?

4: When it's all done is it worth the effort?

Thanks for any advise. :)

I ordered the velux to install on my HLR-5668w and have some questions about the installation.

1: How hard is it to get the front screen off? Is all I need to do is remove the screws on the back side of the panel?

2: How long does it take to do the install?

3: Should I cut out templates or patterns to get the best fit and avoid wasting Velux material?

4: When it's all done is it worth the effort?

Thanks for any advise. :)

1: Not too difficult. I like to keep a few screws in on the top when focusing on disengaging the bottom clips. This is by far the hardest (and scariest) part of the entire screen removal process. It does take a lot of force to disengage the bottom clips, so be prepared to pull on the bottom portion of the screen.

2: My install probably took around 4 hours or so

3: This probably isn't a bad idea

4: If you want deeper blacks, the mod is worth it.

1: Not too difficult. I like to keep a few screws in on the top when focusing on disengaging the bottom clips. This is by far the hardest (and scariest) part of the entire screen removal process. It does take a lot of force to disengage the bottom clips, so be prepared to pull on the bottom portion of the screen.

2: My install probably took around 4 hours or so

3: This probably isn't a bad idea

4: If you want deeper blacks, the mod is worth it.

Thanks for the tips. So there are some type of clips on the bottom of the set, any on the top?

Also I was wondering if anyone here has calibrated their DLP using the "Avia guide to home theater" DVD and if so did it make a difference in picture quality?

Thanks for the tips. So there are some type of clips on the bottom of the set, any on the top?

Also I was wondering if anyone here has calibrated their DLP using the "Avia guide to home theater" DVD and if so did it make a difference in picture quality?

There are only clips on the bottom. You are going to want to work your way from the outside towards the middle (with hands between floating bezel) on both sides of the set. You will also probably want an extra pair of hands to help unplug the wire that goes to the side button that are attached to the side of the screen.

Best regards,

Steve

I don't know why some of the lower resolutions seem to work but not the higher ones over HDMI... From what I've seen in this thread the HDMI chip itself that was used in these TV's doesn't support 1080p, but I don't think anybody has fully explained why 1080i doesn't work over HDMI... I would think it's a timing issue or something.

Regardless, 1920x1080 (1080p) looks absolutely stunning over a VGA cable... try it out and then go to www.wmvhd.com and download some 1080p videos and play them over the computer VGA connection... best picture you'll ever see on your TV!

I would suggest you look at this article: DVI Compliance Shootout (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1367918,00.asp). They were looking at DVI output, but that is simply a subset of HDMI and is what most people are trying to use out of their PCs. As you will see, at higher resolutions, most video cards were/are having a tough time outputting a good signal. In addition the 05 Samsung sets were using chip sets that also have trouble handling 1080i/p signals (as our testing has found out). Hope this helps. :)