Hey, I have had my 5678 since November. No issues... all of a sudden I turned it on today after a trip and I have the lines.

I think it is a light engine or lamp issue. Maybe something more? I've got Sound Advice coming out Tuesday to fix it.

-Neil

Hey, I have had my 5678 since November. No issues... all of a sudden I turned it on today after a trip and I have the lines.

I think it is a light engine or lamp issue. Maybe something more? I've got Sound Advice coming out Tuesday to fix it.

-Neil

Howdy all, its been a while since I last posted in this thread, but I was a part of the original power buy with TVA.

I am just wondering if anyone could tell me if there has been any change/update on the status of hte HLRxxx8 TVs and the video delay issue? Just recently I have found myself more and more annoyed by the fact that my gaming (with XB360 like Ghost Recon and PS2 like Guitar Hero) either has to look like ass or play like ass. I know the trick to set the input to GAME and its supposed to "lessen" the effects of the video processing. But its still pretty annoying ESPECIALLY with a game like Guitar Hero that 110% about timing with the music to the video. :) Interactive media with a delay is basically impossible to fix while passinve media (movies) you can fix with a sync delay. Not the case with games.

Also, I hate the fact that it doesn't support 1080p input despite me having the DVDO FP30 that can upconvert and output anythin gat 1080p.

Thank you!

The trick is to get the vga cable and use the vga input. It produces a superb picture when you input 1280x720P and there also isn't any lag.
Also with the 1080P input on HDMI get a new Samsung. The 06 sets will accept 1080P on the HDMi inputs. I knew when I placed my order in June last year that it wouldn't accept 1080P but I figured I might as well enjoy it. I did the same thing in 2001 when my set didn't have a DVI input, but I got 4 years of great viewing out of that set. i expect to get a few great years out of my 6168 also.

The trick is to get the vga cable and use the vga input. It produces a superb picture when you input 1280x720P and there also isn't any lag.
Also with the 1080P input on HDMI get a new Samsung. The 06 sets will accept 1080P on the HDMi inputs. I knew when I placed my order in June last year that it wouldn't accept 1080P but I figured I might as well enjoy it. I did the same thing in 2001 when my set didn't have a DVI input, but I got 4 years of great viewing out of that set. i expect to get a few great years out of my 6168 also.
Okay, that's right, so getting everything out through the VGA would solve hte problem huh? Hmmm. I have a couple of BGA to VGA cables around here somewhere that I could use to take it through the VP30 -- do you think it has considerably less video processing delay than the TV? Is the TV's normal for 1080p or abnormally slow?

What is the next model coming out in 06? After 5668?

Thanks!

I run my 360 straight into my 6168. I don't go through my VP30. You have to use the VGA input on the Samsung since that input bypasses alot of processing that is performed on the component and HDMi inputs. I just know the VGA input made a big difference on gaming with the 360. I didn't realize there was video lag until I tried the vga input. All my scores were always higher on the vga input and I realized it was because my reaction time was quicker since the video wasn't being delayed slightly.

Agreed, I have my 360 on the VGA, actually, just realized that. On the original xbox though, i didn't and had some problems with halo 2.

The problem is i have xbox360, ps2 and gamecube and an HTPC that should all use VGA right to get the best "lack of lag". I dont' know of any VGA switches that might be remote controlled for use with my harmony. The VP30 has a BGA output that i could use for output for the video games, but it only has a single rgb input...

Any ideas where a switcher like that might be found for a reasonable amout or any other ideas?

Hmm I wonder how HD-DVD will look like on my HLR-5668w? I pre-ordered the player tonight. :)

So my beautiful 6168 which I've had since September has now realistically been out of service since end of January with 2 short periods of appearing to have been fixed.
end of january I had a service call for broken composite ports scheduled and before the service guy appears, the "lines", picture breakup, etc. appear with overall picture degradation, which unfortuantely way too many of us are becoming familiar with.
So the first service guy comes out and says the issue for everything is that I am using HDMI for inputs - they're no good, he says - and sells my wife a composite cable along with replacing an analog board with the composite inputs.
Well obviously this was bs. So... my wife lost the first half day waiting for the service guy.
So a week later (!) I finally get samsung to schedule a second visit by another repair agency and when he gets here (now a second day coming home from the office) it turns out repair had sent the new service guy - wouldnt let the first agency back in my house - parts for a xx67 - so he cant do anything.
Now the 3rd service call after another week and a half goes by and this time he replaces the dmd but the light engine which he also swapped is dead on arrival so he has to put back the old light engine!
Set works for less than 2 weeks and as of last Thursday the lines and blocks are back and the set is completely unusable.
I dont feel it is right that I need to keeep going thru these trips where I have to leave my office to make sure the work gets done right.
Any comparable experiences? Also - I think it is time to demand a new set. I sortof hate to post this experience but I am at my wits end. Has anyone had sets replaced after the initial 30 day or so retail return period?
I was one of the early owners and posters on this thread and a big samsung fan. Especially since this set is so darn unbelieveable when it is working..... and I have almost $4k invested - I'm now wondering whether this was a questionable decision.

I don't think there were more than two people maybe that were able to exchange the set after thirty days? The great thing about them is that the components are easy to exchange. If you get a new set you could end up with the same bad components. I think the first guy had no business selling your wife a cable. It seems there are too many techs who aren't as knowledgeable as they should be. Its not like the good old days. Same with cars. They are trained to replace parts, not fix them. Some know more than they need to, which is great, but it doesn't seem to be a requirement. Your techs I think replaced the right parts but some of them were defective and that's not their fault. I guess I blame Samsung for not hiring more qualified techs, needing better QC on replacement parts and wasting your time. If it takes ten visits at least you know your set will be fixed with working parts.

So my beautiful 6168 which I've had since September has now realistically been out of service since end of January with 2 short periods of appearing to have been fixed.
end of january I had a service call for broken composite ports scheduled and before the service guy appears, the "lines", picture breakup, etc. appear with overall picture degradation, which unfortuantely way too many of us are becoming familiar with.
So the first service guy comes out and says the issue for everything is that I am using HDMI for inputs - they're no good, he says - and sells my wife a composite cable along with replacing an analog board with the composite inputs.
Well obviously this was bs. So... my wife lost the first half day waiting for the service guy.
So a week later (!) I finally get samsung to schedule a second visit by another repair agency and when he gets here (now a second day coming home from the office) it turns out repair had sent the new service guy - wouldnt let the first agency back in my house - parts for a xx67 - so he cant do anything.
Now the 3rd service call after another week and a half goes by and this time he replaces the dmd but the light engine which he also swapped is dead on arrival so he has to put back the old light engine!
Set works for less than 2 weeks and as of last Thursday the lines and blocks are back and the set is completely unusable.
I dont feel it is right that I need to keeep going thru these trips where I have to leave my office to make sure the work gets done right.
Any comparable experiences? Also - I think it is time to demand a new set. I sortof hate to post this experience but I am at my wits end. Has anyone had sets replaced after the initial 30 day or so retail return period?
I was one of the early owners and posters on this thread and a big samsung fan. Especially since this set is so darn unbelieveable when it is working..... and I have almost $4k invested - I'm now wondering whether this was a questionable decision.
Stick with the repair process. I think that Samsung has a policy that they will swap out the set after three unsuccessful repair attempts. Of course, not having the right parts on a given visit is probably not counted as an unsuccessful repair visit. Hopefully, you will get the right parts and the set fixed.

Stick with the repair process. I think that Samsung has a policy that they will swap out the set after three unsuccessful repair attempts. Of course, not having the right parts on a given visit is probably not counted as an unsuccessful repair visit. Hopefully, you will get the right parts and the set fixed.

I am a customer who spent $4k on the top brand name in HD in the world not some cheapo knockoff. I own and buy other expensive home theatre/audio equipment and my time does have value - whether or not a service guy who gets paid by the hour can afford to ride back and forth to my house (not to disparage service guys; some of my best freinds are service guys).
So I think that this level of service is abominable and I had to cancel a party for which I bought a bunch of food for the NCAA.
I want rid of this lemon and get a new set that isnt one of the first off the assembly line.
(do you sense aggravation....)

I've thoroughly enjoyed this website and because of it: my HL-R5668W. Great picture. But I'm thinking to get it calibrated as whites are saturated and blacks are too dark and not-to-mention the rare green hue in certain shadows are present. My question is, the only ISF calibrator in my area (lower Wisconsin) seems competent but has never worked on HL-Rxxx8 models. He reassured me it's no problem, but is there anything more to calibrating these sets than good equipment and knowing how to use them? Any Service Menu tweaking that may not be obvious to the Samsung line? I can think of forcing DNIe off...
Thanks in advance

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

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.


Well, the new cable worked fine in HDMI1. I have no idea why the first cable would work only in HDMI2... bottom line, I have 2 working HDMI ports, and a superb picture!

RichNY, I totally agree with you that this shouldn't happen to any of us here. There's no reason for them to fail after three months. Most here have had great service like me and have only needed one service call. This thread has helped a lot of people know what to expect, what to demand and what to check. You can't really do much about the waste of time or inconvenience. The bottom line is you want your set fixed right. Johnnyzcar had the worst service experience of anyone here and afaik he is satisfied.

It isn't right. Make sure the new service call is from the right people this time. Johnnyzcar and others know of the lingo for the regional engineers or something to ask for since you can tell them how they've already wasted your time. Getting a new set probably won't happen and might not solve anything. Let's hope this is the last call.

I am a customer who spent $4k on the top brand name in HD in the world not some cheapo knockoff. I own and buy other expensive home theatre/audio equipment and my time does have value - whether or not a service guy who gets paid by the hour can afford to ride back and forth to my house (not to disparage service guys; some of my best freinds are service guys).
So I think that this level of service is abominable and I had to cancel a party for which I bought a bunch of food for the NCAA.
I want rid of this lemon and get a new set that isnt one of the first off the assembly line.
(do you sense aggravation....)
Rich,
I had a bad experience also, where I had to deal with incompetent service until I got the Samsung engineers to come and fix my set. I believe it's called RSE coverage, so ask the CS rep about that. It can be frustrating dealing with the 800-Samsung people as there seems to be some disconnection between them and corporate. I will say that if you hang in there Samsung will fix it and if it can't be fixed after 3 times they will exchange it. There's no reason why a tech can't fix your set in your house in less than an hour or so, given he brings the right parts. It sounds like it's your digital board going bad, but they would probably replace the whole LE in a flash and you'll be back in business. I know I felt slighted in my repair dilemma but once I talked to the correct persons I was quite satisfied with the results. My set died after about 40 days or so and was sort of repaired by a mom and pop store and when it was returned it was working but had irregular reflections on the screen. Once Samsung sent the RSE guys over my set was fixed and looks great now.

Hang in there and if you can't get fair results PM me.

I know how you feel about the $ expenditure on these new sets, but even if you get a new TV it might have the same problem down the road. If they put in a new LE its basically a new set at that point anyway. These sets are very modular in thier design and a new LE is really a new TV in itself, just with out the screen LOL.

Good luck and keep us informed on the progress of your service.

Hi John. lol. I get the feeling they designed these things knowing they need to be serviced. I guess that's how the techs can fix it on site and why they don't need to remove the set in order to fix it. If they just had better techs and QC this wouldn't be an issue. For the money people have paid they should. I know I'd be banging on the door or making phone calls and not putting up with it for very long.

Well, the new cable worked fine in HDMI1. I have no idea why the first cable would work only in HDMI2... bottom line, I have 2 working HDMI ports, and a superb picture!
Thanks for the feedback! Think of the cable as part of the "system" - you need to get "digital" signals that are up in the RF frequency range from Point A to Point B. Impedance (resistance, capacitance, etc.) is important and is determined not only by the terminations, but by the materials used and quality of construction. Signal timing can change significantly if something is wrong. RF coax is not the only place where you need to worry about this stuff. (I work with RF for a living, so I think about this all day long- I need a hobby... :)).

BTW: I'm using a Moto 6200 STB with DVI output (DVI - HDMI cable). It always shows "DU1" for about a second on the front panel when it does the initial handshake with the Sammy (6768).

Thanks for some of the suggestions on my service issue(s) of a proactive - not just waiting to get shtuped ...a yiddish phrase for getting the shaft... approach.
I now have my retailer involved (an excellent local Long Island store where you know the guy who owns it and he wants to keep customers) and his people are now pushing this up the food chain.
In addition, I happen to know someone at Samsung corporate who I am waiting to go back to to make my report on this situation, but I dont understand why this should need to be necessary at this price of consumer purchase.
I expect to be moving to resolution within the next 5 days and will kit.
I appreciate especially the feedback about the RSE service...

Hi i just got the samsung HLR-5667and would like the experts advice. Can someone give me there settings there using for this tv. Thanks!

Maybe my eyes have failed me since I have been reading this thread for the past two hours.. but has anybody found a resolution for the vertical shadow on the left side of the screen? I've been watching it grow from around 1 inch to two inchs in width over the past week and a half? And just to clarify, you can see it in any light condition since it's very obvious. It looks as if the main lamp that lights up the screen is being blocked on that side since you can see color through the shadow. Another interesting point is that the shadow is not a perfect line from top to bottom but curves outward a couple of degrees toward the outer edge of the screen.

Can this be fixed by swapping out the LE or is something else the culprit? I have a 6178 that is 6 months old. I have called samsung and am awaiting a call back to schedule a service call. Just want to make sure this is resolved the first shot.

Lightspeedsd, I think your info is correct. The difference in size reported might be based on the size of the set? I said it looks like the width of duct tape. Probably the only thing duct tape won't fix. lol. A new LE will fix it, assuming the replacement is not defective, which has happened here a few times.

Pleased with my HLR5678W but BLACK CRUSH on HDMI is a pain. I get it to go away by toggle from standard to movie, but this gets old fast. I don't want to go into service menu and make changes, should not have to do that anyway!

My question: will Samsung send support for this problem? I just got it from Sound Advice, should I bug them instead and see if they will calibrate it or do something to fix the black? Still have 3 weeks left and may return this HLR5678W and wait for the new models. Anyone got some suggestions?

All you can do is do what you can with the brightness control.

Since the black level is dynamic (without service mode changes) you won't be able to find a setting that is perfect for everything, but if you turn it up to where things aren't crushed in the scenes that you are concerned about, you will trade the black crush for somewhat washed out looking dark scenes. Thanks to dnie, that is the tradeoff you have to make.

I've tried searching this forum and in particular this thread, but the search tool here is not that great. Anyway, what I'm looking for is a document or guide to the service menu in my new Samsung HLR6168W. I've already been in there to tweak the DNI thing, which helped tremendously on the quality. There were a LOT of settings in there that were labeled, well, odd. So my interest was peaked at what all that was for. Does anyone have an idea on where I can find more information on this menu and what all the settings do? Even a guide on general DLP settings and calibration might help also.

Thanks!

thanks for the confirmation bcvp. i have a field rep coming out to hopefully fix the issue.

I've tried searching this forum and in particular this thread, but the search tool here is not that great. Anyway, what I'm looking for is a document or guide to the service menu in my new Samsung HLR6168W. I've already been in there to tweak the DNI thing, which helped tremendously on the quality. There were a LOT of settings in there that were labeled, well, odd. So my interest was peaked at what all that was for. Does anyone have an idea on where I can find more information on this menu and what all the settings do? Even a guide on general DLP settings and calibration might help also.

Thanks!

Yeah I can't help you but I sure would like to see some detailed instructions for getting into the service menu and turning off Dnie assuming it makes a positive difference in the picture quality.

Pleased with my HLR5678W but BLACK CRUSH on HDMI is a pain. I get it to go away by toggle from standard to movie, but this gets old fast. I don't want to go into service menu and make changes, should not have to do that anyway!

My question: will Samsung send support for this problem? I just got it from Sound Advice, should I bug them instead and see if they will calibrate it or do something to fix the black? Still have 3 weeks left and may return this HLR5678W and wait for the new models. Anyone got some suggestions?
You didn't really give us enough information to know exactly what your problem is ... but, I will make some assumptions. If your have a DVD player attached to the HDMI input, I would guess that their are two possible causes. 1) Your DVD player does not support blacker-than-black in the mode that you are using it or not at all and is crushing the blacks; 2) Your DVD player supports BTB, but you have it set in a mode that is crushing the blacks. It would be helpful if we knew what model your DVD player was and what picture mode you were using.

Even if the player passes BTB you have to disable the auto Iris to display the picture correctly. Turning off the settings in the SM that disable DNIe will turn off the auto Iris and provide a predictable picture since the Iris isn't changing.

Even if the player passes BTB you have to disable the auto Iris to display the picture correctly. Turning off the settings in the SM that disable DNIe will turn off the auto Iris and provide a predictable picture since the Iris isn't changing.
It won't matter if your DVD player is sending a crushed signal to the TV. Even great players often have standard picture modes that crush the blacks. His problem may be as simple as just using the right picture mode on his player or as serious as a player that will never yield a good result. Service menu tweaks are a good option after the basics have been covered ... if the the results are still disappointing.

Pleased with my HLR5678W but BLACK CRUSH on HDMI is a pain. I get it to go away by toggle from standard to movie, but this gets old fast. I don't want to go into service menu and make changes, should not have to do that anyway!

My question: will Samsung send support for this problem? I just got it from Sound Advice, should I bug them instead and see if they will calibrate it or do something to fix the black? Still have 3 weeks left and may return this HLR5678W and wait for the new models. Anyone got some suggestions?

More information on my black crush problem, just looking for a good fix for this!
1: Using the Oppo OPDV971H latest firmware connected to HDMI 1.
2: Default setting with Oppo.
3: Movie mode with contrast to 0 and brightness at 45.
4: Pioneer DV-588A connected to component same problem as Oppo.
5: A positive note: No lip sync problems noted so far.

Bottom line is if I have the DNIe disabled will this take care of the black problem, and if so will it create other problems? Possibly I should live with the problem and just toggle from standard to movie which always takes care of this issue! This is such a great forum and I appreciate all the input from all of you, Thanks!

More information on my black crush problem, just looking for a good fix for this!
1: Using the Oppo OPDV971H latest firmware connected to HDMI 1.
2: Default setting with Oppo.
3: Movie mode with contrast to 0 and brightness at 45.
4: Pioneer DV-588A connected to component same problem as Oppo.
5: A positive note: No lip sync problems noted so far.

Bottom line is if I have the DNIe disabled will this take care of the black problem, and if so will it create other problems? Possibly I should live with the problem and just toggle from standard to movie which always takes care of this issue! This is such a great forum and I appreciate all the input from all of you, Thanks!

If it is the "dynamic range" bug, turning off DNIe is not guaranteed to take care of the problem. Some people have had success others have not. DNIe is off on my set yet I still have to send a "Movie mode" command when I switch inputs.

More information on my black crush problem, just looking for a good fix for this!
1: Using the Oppo OPDV971H latest firmware connected to HDMI 1.
2: Default setting with Oppo.
3: Movie mode with contrast to 0 and brightness at 45.
4: Pioneer DV-588A connected to component same problem as Oppo.
5: A positive note: No lip sync problems noted so far.

Bottom line is if I have the DNIe disabled will this take care of the black problem, and if so will it create other problems? Possibly I should live with the problem and just toggle from standard to movie which always takes care of this issue! This is such a great forum and I appreciate all the input from all of you, Thanks!

I suggest you get you set calibrated. Eliab did my set and the increase in PQ is amazing. When Eliab calibrated my set he showed me what DNIe was doing to my picture. It's worthless.

That said, turning off DNIe will help improve the black crush somewhat. There's one setting in particular that helps with this. I don't remember the exact setting but it's about 2/3 down the DNIe settings. You can find it for yourself by freeze framing an image that is generally dark but should have details in it you cannot see. Try turning the settings off and on one by one. If you hit the right one you'll notice more detail in the image.

The problem I noticed when turning off fDNIe is that the picture was to soft, the details were missing so I kept DNIe on. After calibration, I now have DNIe turned off, no black crush, correct colors and a properly focused and detailed picture. It's almost like this is a completely different TV.

More information on my black crush problem, just looking for a good fix for this!
1: Using the Oppo OPDV971H latest firmware connected to HDMI 1.
2: Default setting with Oppo.
3: Movie mode with contrast to 0 and brightness at 45.
4: Pioneer DV-588A connected to component same problem as Oppo.
5: A positive note: No lip sync problems noted so far.

Bottom line is if I have the DNIe disabled will this take care of the black problem, and if so will it create other problems? Possibly I should live with the problem and just toggle from standard to movie which always takes care of this issue! This is such a great forum and I appreciate all the input from all of you, Thanks!
Since you have the OPPO, I know that the player can be adjusted to minimize black crush. I have several players, including the OPPO. If you would like to learn more about configuring the OPPO, I can recomment the OPPO thread in the DVD players forum area. We also discussed the OPPO configuration earlier in this thread and you may be able to find those posts.

Purchased 6178 Dec '05. Set WAS very quiet at first. Now I notice the hum of the color wheel that can be heard at 10-15 feet. It is subtle, but noticable especially at low audio volume. It is more like a whine or hum (the sound of displaced air from a wheel turning 10,000 rpm!). Any reason I hear it now and not at first? Should it be replaced? When I turn the set off, I can hear the wheel slow to inaudible. The cooling fans are whisper quiet and then shut off.

I've been searching and searcing but I couldn't find an answer to this problem. I just got my 5668 set today and after hooking everything up I noticed a black spec on the screen. At first I thought it was just dirt, but after closer inspection it appears to be on the INSIDE of the screen.

If it was an LCD I would say it was a dead pixel, but since this is DLP, I'm guessing it's just dirt inside the TV? It's also not perfectly square, which suggest it's got nothing to do with a "pixel" at all.

I've attached a picture of it to this post. (You can see the black spec next to the pause button on the screen)

If it is dirt inside the screen, how do I clean it? Should I call Circuit City and have them come out here and clean it or will they just end up breaking the TV all together?

Thanks.

I've been searching and searcing but I couldn't find an answer to this problem. I just got my 5668 set today and after hooking everything up I noticed a black spec on the screen. At first I thought it was just dirt, but after closer inspection it appears to be on the INSIDE of the screen.

If it was an LCD I would say it was a dead pixel, but since this is DLP, I'm guessing it's just dirt inside the TV? It's also not perfectly square, which suggest it's got nothing to do with a "pixel" at all.

I've attached a picture of it to this post. (You can see the black spec next to the pause button on the screen)

If it is dirt inside the screen, how do I clean it? Should I call Circuit City and have them come out here and clean it or will they just end up breaking the TV all together?

Thanks.
You can easily open the round side ports. Then use a microfiber cloth (often used to clean glasses) ,or if you are a photographer a air blower, to remove the item from the inside of the screen.

That's what I was guessing, but I didn't want to mess with the round side ports without knowing. They seem very difficult to get off...should I just pull and not worry about it? I don't want to break a clip or something.

Thanks much!

That's what I was guessing, but I didn't want to mess with the round side ports without knowing. They seem very difficult to get off...should I just pull and not worry about it? I don't want to break a clip or something.

Thanks much!
Here are the instructions from an earlier thread.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=576835&highlight=spiders

Thank you...sorry I couldn't find it myself. I really DID try searching! :D

EDIT: Dirt spec is gone and the TV looks perfect now. Thanks again! :)

Purchased 6178 Dec '05. Set WAS very quiet at first. Now I notice the hum of the color wheel that can be heard at 10-15 feet. It is subtle, but noticable especially at low audio volume. It is more like a whine or hum (the sound of displaced air from a wheel turning 10,000 rpm!). Any reason I hear it now and not at first? Should it be replaced? When I turn the set off, I can hear the wheel slow to inaudible. The cooling fans are whisper quiet and then shut off.


Pay attention to this! I had an HLP that the color wheel went from quiet, to a little noisy, to buzz saw volume in about 3 weeks. If you do notice an increase in noise volume have a tech come out and replace it. By the way, the first time the tech came out he had a defective replacement part.

I had about twenty different size specs, I think they are black plastic shavings? I had them replace the set since I thought it might have been caused from shipping. All of the packaging was smashed too. I don't see how it could pass inspection at the factory like that? I was also concerned if there could be other damage down the road? The box was smashed on the second one I got and the third was just right. lol.

I just had my HLR-6168W calibrated, and I have to say it's like I have a new TV all over again. I can't believe how cr@ppy it used to look compared to what it looks like now. On top of that, I used to think the old picture looked GOOD, psshh... I learned quite a bit from watching my TV get calibrated...

Oh, yeah and by the way it was calibrated by the one and only Eliab! He is truelly the man.
DNIe is completely useless, and they should toast that process all together - what a farce.

I love this TV, movies are spectacular... Can't wait for BR and HD-DVD :) Now if only my Xbox 360 could be used on the component input instead of the VGA (sync issues)

I just had my HLR-6168W calibrated, and I have to say it's like I have a new TV all over again. I can't believe how cr@ppy it used to look compared to what it looks like now. On top of that, I used to think the old picture looked GOOD, psshh... I learned quite a bit from watching my TV get calibrated...

Oh, yeah and by the way it was calibrated by the one and only Eliab! He is truelly the man.
DNIe is completely useless, and they should toast that process all together - what a farce.

I love this TV, movies are spectacular... Can't wait for BR and HD-DVD :) Now if only my Xbox 360 could be used on the component input instead of the VGA (sync issues)

I wish i could find someone to calibrate my HLR-5668w here in Reno, Nevada.

I too just got my 71 inch Sammy ISF'd by Eliab on his Seattle/Portland tour. It is now truly awesome. I especially like the second temperature setting for a true black and white picture. If you are a fan of old B&W movies/TV shows, this TV is worth it's weight in gold once it has been calibrated by Eliab. This is my second DLP Eliab has calibrated for me. The other is now three years old and is still terrific!

Get the VGA adapter for the Xbox 360. there is no lag when using the vga input on the 1080P samsungs with the 360.

I've read several posts like this, and they convinced me to get this TV. However, after setting up the TV and Xbox 360 with VGA inputs (outputting at 1360x768) I still seem to be getting a VERY small ammount of lag. Although small, it's enough to mess up my aim in shooting games for example.

I want to try everything to fix this problem, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. Would changing the rez to 1280x720 help? Should I disable all of the DNIe functions from the service menu on the PC input?

Or is the answer that ALL DLP TV's have lag (~30 ms) and there is nothing I can do? Just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I went in to the other room and tried various things on my Panasonic CRT HDTV, and my aim was much better. I also tried jumping to and from menus with different buttons, and the menus jumped EXACTLY when I hit the button, where as on the DLP it would be a very slight (probably not noticble to most people) delay of around 30ms.

I'll be damned...after turning off all of the DNIe processes the lag is gone.

I was using someon else's recommended settings that left SOME DNIe processes on, and turned some off. Once I just turned them all off, this TV is now awesome for gaming :D!

I've never tried the Xbox 360 with component cables on this TV, but I'm asuming most of the lag is removed with the VGA cable, but that last 30 ms or so is caused by the DNIe processing.

Pay attention to this! I had an HLP that the color wheel went from quiet, to a little noisy, to buzz saw volume in about 3 weeks. If you do notice an increase in noise volume have a tech come out and replace it. By the way, the first time the tech came out he had a defective replacement part.



Is it supposed to be completely quiet with no audible noise? It sounds like fluorescent lights. I am afraid of creating a bigger problem by calling a tech. Is it a big deal to have the color wheel replaced? Am I inviting a new set of potential problems by having someone open the set? TIA

I'll be damned...after turning off all of the DNIe processes the lag is gone.

I was using someon else's recommended settings that left SOME DNIe processes on, and turned some off. Once I just turned them all off, this TV is now awesome for gaming :D!

I've never tried the Xbox 360 with component cables on this TV, but I'm asuming most of the lag is removed with the VGA cable, but that last 30 ms or so is caused by the DNIe processing.

Is the picture quality any better with DNie off? Also could you list the options to turn off?

A note on DNIe...while I wish I could kill it for the lag it causes...with external sources...I have to say that the picture on the HD channels seems to be a lot nice and a lot sharper with it on. Hope that doesn't make me a heretic, but at least when it comes to HD coming from my cablecard, DNIe actually improves the picture.

All that said, when it comes to the external sources, such as my DVD player that's another story.

SV

Is the picture quality any better with DNie off? Also could you list the options to turn off?

For the Xbox 360 on VGA, it certainly doesn't look worse without DNIe. It might look a little better, but my main concern was getting rid of the lag, so I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it. From my HD Cable Set top box on HDMI however, turning off all of the DNIe functions (without a calibrated TV) seems to make everything look soft.

Here's the settings:

Factory:

SNI_PROC_CEA ON
SNI_PROC_CEP OFF
SNI_PROC_DEP ON
SNI_PROC_DCE ON
SNI_PROC_CCS ON
SNI_PROC_BWS ON
SNI_PROC_PCC ON
SNI_PROC_WTE ON
SNI_PROC_CTE OFF
SNI_PROC_CVD …
SNI_PROC_OUTP ON

My settings for HD Cable TV on HDMI (1080i):

SNI_PROC_CEA ON
SNI_PROC_CEP OFF
SNI_PROC_DEP OFF
SNI_PROC_DCE OFF
SNI_PROC_CCS ON
SNI_PROC_BWS ON
SNI_PROC_PCC ON
SNI_PROC_WTE ON
SNI_PROC_CTE OFF
SNI_PROC_CVD …
SNI_PROC_OUTP ON

I found the above settings helped get rid of the grainy blacks and made dark scenes look much better without sacraficing any bright picture quality. I believe the settings I turned off had to do with edge enhancement, but the rest of the settings that are on help deal with the "soft" picture.

My settings for Xbox 360 on VGA (720p):

SNI_PROC_CEA OFF
SNI_PROC_CEP OFF
SNI_PROC_DEP OFF
SNI_PROC_DCE OFF
SNI_PROC_CCS OFF
SNI_PROC_BWS OFF
SNI_PROC_PCC OFF
SNI_PROC_WTE OFF
SNI_PROC_CTE OFF
SNI_PROC_CVD …
SNI_PROC_OUTP OFF


You can test it for yourself if you want. Just turn on your Xbox 360 and put it on the xbox dashboard screen. Then turn your TV on in the service mode. You can turn off every SNI_PROC except for one, and you'll notice a very slight lag when you press the right or left button to jump menus. Once you turn off the very last SNI_PROC setting and DNIe is completely disabled, the lag goes away. :D

I must say that DNIe is kind of a catch 22 in my opinion. It adds better black levels and more contrast of colors. However, for analog signals DNIe causes obvious "digitized" reproduction of some colors on my set. For instance the tail lights of a car look like someone took a marker and colored them in. I also notice on HD programming, pixels of color where they are not supposed to be (HDNet concerts). While watching Discovery HD for example on an underwater ocean scene where the bottom is dark and the surface is lighter... I notice obvious bands of color going darker and darker instead of a smooth transition from light to dark. On the other hand, turning DNIe off I think causes somewhat of a "foggy" look or washed out look. Although the digitization is not there and the really bad color reproduction doesn't occur.

I have had complaints about my TV since about 5 days after I got it home. I have had my Samsung for about 3 months now and can now honeslty say I regret buying it. Samsung customer service and support are pitiful. For what its worth, (I dont put much faith in them) Consumer Reports rated the HL-R6168W 11/2005 one of the worst sets they tested (both HD and analog). Surprisingly the JVC HD-ILA or whatever was the best. Although they had a higher than normal repair history.

Kurajo, what is/was wrong with the set? Have they fixed everything, how many visits did it take and what was replaced?

My 6168 needed a professional calibration to bring out the best in it. It has a superb picture and also works great with the Xbox 360 on the vga input at 720P.

I have the HL-R5067W and searched the forum and found the thread on the dark, light, dark issue here.

There seems to be various issues. On mine the left side is noticeably darker, then lighter and darker. It's almost as if watching something in HD and a commercial comes on in 4:3. I know these sets don't suffer burn-in, but the area that is lighter is about the same exact size when in 4:3. Or, to put it another way, the dark vertical "stripes" are quite wide on the left & right sides like in 4:3. The left side seems darker btw.

Even though I just read the thread on this, I was unable to determine what part needs replaced or service needs to be performed.

Those of you who have had this resolved, I'd appreciate your feedback. I had my set professionally calibrated by an ISF calibrator about a month ago. This started showing up very recently. Bought January 20th.

Thanks in advance!

hi guys, i'm new to this forum and have a question about my sam. hlr 5678w tv. when i watch a dvd movie and a very dark scene is on and my room is very dark i can see a faint strip of light about 6 inches across on the left side of the screen running vertically. is this normal? i contacted tweeter etc and they said it was. does anyone here have the same problem? when there is some light in the room or the scene is not dark i notice nothing wrong. thanks :confused:

hi guys, i'm new to this forum and have a question about my sam. hlr 5678w tv. when i watch a dvd movie and a very dark scene is on and my room is very dark i can see a faint strip of light about 6 inches across on the left side of the screen running vertically. is this normal? i contacted tweeter etc and they said it was. does anyone here have the same problem? when there is some light in the room or the scene is not dark i notice nothing wrong. thanks :confused:

Go back quite a few pages here or do a search, there is a long thread on this issue.

Go back quite a few pages here or do a search, there is a long thread on this issue.
i did and it seemed that some people complained about this issue but no one had a fix or a reason for this.

Kurajo, what is/was wrong with the set? Have they fixed everything, how many visits did it take and what was replaced?

Well, I know they replaced two items, the mirror/processor unit, and the piece that contains the cable card slot and the tuners.

The problem I am having is horrible pixelization, and really bad color reproduction. The technician broke two wiring connectors and put them back together with some silicone sealant. This is from what Samsung calls an "A" class service center. Kinda funny the tech showed me his phone with Samsung on his speed dial labeled "Samsuck". Two other service centers refused to come even after being dispatched from Samsung. One of them told me Samsung doesn't pay thier servicers in a timely manner or at all, so they dont go on Samsung calls anymore.

I saw in the earlier post about the Windows Media HD. So I downloaded all the IMAX samples and ran them from my laptop at 1920X1200 and was not impressed. It just looks grainy and blurry to me. It looks 10 times better on my laptop than it does on my set. You know I have been following Samsung for a long time now, and wanted the battle between 720p and 1080i to settle down before buying. So thats why I bought this set.

Now American TV and Appliance is coming out to look at the TV. We'll see what happens this time.

I saw in the earlier post about the Windows Media HD. So I downloaded all the IMAX samples and ran them from my laptop at 1920X1200 and was not impressed. It just looks grainy and blurry to me.

Let's see.... Could it be that your Samsung can only go to 1920X1080? ;)

Well, I know they replaced two items, the mirror/processor unit, and the piece that contains the cable card slot and the tuners.

The problem I am having is horrible pixelization, and really bad color reproduction. The technician broke two wiring connectors and put them back together with some silicone sealant. This is from what Samsung calls an "A" class service center. Kinda funny the tech showed me his phone with Samsung on his speed dial labeled "Samsuck". Two other service centers refused to come even after being dispatched from Samsung. One of them told me Samsung doesn't pay thier servicers in a timely manner or at all, so they dont go on Samsung calls anymore.

I saw in the earlier post about the Windows Media HD. So I downloaded all the IMAX samples and ran them from my laptop at 1920X1200 and was not impressed. It just looks grainy and blurry to me. It looks 10 times better on my laptop than it does on my set. You know I have been following Samsung for a long time now, and wanted the battle between 720p and 1080i to settle down before buying. So thats why I bought this set.

Now American TV and Appliance is coming out to look at the TV. We'll see what happens this time.

The WMVHD discs look excellent on my set. I have several of the discs and the 1080P content looks fantastic over the VGA input. 720P even looks great but you can definitely see more detail on the 1080P versions.

Actually via VGA port it supports 1920x1200.

Has anyone had their set calibrated in South Florida (Miami-Dade\Broward County)? If so who did it and would you recomend them?

Thanks.

Actually via VGA port it supports 1920x1200.

Thank you! Obviously I completely agree.

The WMVHD discs look excellent on my set. I have several of the discs and the 1080P content looks fantastic over the VGA input. 720P even looks great but you can definitely see more detail on the 1080P versions.

Yeah thats what bothers me. I dont know if Im too much of a perfectionist or what. I too was using the 1080p formats. I downloaded the PT-109 which was 720p but all the others were 1080p.


Grain Grain Grain is all I can see....and Im going out of my mind!!!!!!! Maybe I'm obsessive compulsive.

I'm wondering if that is from the movie instead of the set? I mean the set is only as good as the source. If you can watch T2 WMVHD and that's grainy, fuzzy or whatever then yes, something's wrong. That movie is crystal clear. It looks fake, which bothers me. lol.

Question. I know there are some DLP sets that are easier and cheaper to replace the bulbs than others. Are the Samsung HLRXX78W easy/cheap? Where do they rank against other models/brands in this category? I read a review (don't remember the brand) where the salesman did not disclose the fact that there were 3 bulbs to replace at over $500 per bulb. I’m getting ready to purchase a DLP set and the HLR5078W is the front-runner, but I am concerned with this bulb issue. Thanks in advance.

Actually via VGA port it supports 1920x1200.

Yes, but native resolution is 1920X1080. So what is it supposed to do with the extra 120 horizontal lines of resolution? It has to interpolate it which would reduce PQ. Of course, I am completely all wet if the native resolution is 1920X1200. (actually the set is 960 X 1080 native, it uses wobulation to get to 1920 X 1080)

I hereby invoke flame retardant in case my head is completely up .....

Edit: Try running the same material on your laptop at 1920 X 1080, does that look fuzzy? If not try that on your Sammy and see how it goes.

Question. I know there are some DLP sets that are easier and cheaper to replace the bulbs than others. Are the Samsung HLRXX78W easy/cheap? Where do they rank against other models/brands in this category? I read a review (don't remember the brand) where the salesman did not disclose the fact that there were 3 bulbs to replace at over $500 per bulb. I’m getting ready to purchase a DLP set and the HLR5078W is the front-runner, but I am concerned with this bulb issue. Thanks in advance.No RPTV set that uses projection bulbs has more than one. Your salesman must have been referring to a CRT based rear projection set which has three CRT tubes -- one for each color. It's an apples and oranges thing.

The price of rear projector bulbs can vary from ~ $200 to over $400. Samsung sets have bulbs that cost around $200. It's still one each for all of them.

Actually via VGA port it supports 1920x1200.
I can't visibly see a difference between 1920x1200 and 1920x1080P on my Samsung. Since the native resolution of the set is 1920x1080P I figured it would make sense to only input that resolution over the vga input. But the video at both resolutions look very detailed and sharp . Much more detailed than anything OTA or of course DirecTv which uses downconverts to 1280x1080i. I guess I'll see how HD DVD looks on the Sammy in a few weeks. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

The next generation model uses LED. They last much longer, turn on much faster, use less power/heat and should be less expensive to replace than the one lamp these sets use. The catch is I heard the model is around $1k more. I guess that price will drop at some point but so would these current models. The color is supposed to be better and sharper, so I guess you could say the difference in price might be worth it. It will also be 1080p input.

Question. I know there are some DLP sets that are easier and cheaper to replace the bulbs than others. Are the Samsung HLRXX78W easy/cheap? Where do they rank against other models/brands in this category? I read a review (don't remember the brand) where the salesman did not disclose the fact that there were 3 bulbs to replace at over $500 per bulb. I’m getting ready to purchase a DLP set and the HLR5078W is the front-runner, but I am concerned with this bulb issue. Thanks in advance.

It's very easy to do on these sets. There is an access panel on the rear, and the single bulb is right there. I believe the replacement bulb is about $200.

According to Eliab, you should not run the TV in 1920x1200. You should always use 1920x1080. I can't remember the exact reason, but with Eliab, I trust everything he says with these sets.



Yes, but native resolution is 1920X1080. So what is it supposed to do with the extra 120 horizontal lines of resolution? It has to interpolate it which would reduce PQ. Of course, I am completely all wet if the native resolution is 1920X1200. (actually the set is 960 X 1080 native, it uses wobulation to get to 1920 X 1080)

I hereby invoke flame retardant in case my head is completely up .....

Edit: Try running the same material on your laptop at 1920 X 1080, does that look fuzzy? If not try that on your Sammy and see how it goes.

Thanks guys for the responses. The following is a customer review from c/net on the HLR5078W. Anyone know about this supposed problem with these sets? Remember, this is NOT my review.



"Don't buy any Samsung TV model that begins with HLR
I had the Samsung technician to fix my HLR5078W Set. The problem was that the picture had a "keystone" meaning that all vertical lines were 1/2 an inch closer together in middle of the picture that at the vertical edge of the picture. The technician told me that the Keystone problem was normal for all Samsung HLR series HDTV 1080p sets. He said it was not of DLP problem it was a Samsung problem. I asked for the set to be replaced he said no because Samsung said that the Keystone was according to spec. The Tweeter salesman did not tell me this, the instructions and set specifications do not mention the Keystone problems. So no warrantee and no fix for the problem. So I wasted $3400 and feel cheated. This is a true and accurate version of what has happened. My advice is buy a different brand. I now rate the HLR series product a 2. "

Any comments appreciated.

Any comments appreciated.The writer is either clueless or inaccurate or both. He says nothing about contacting Samsung, or if he did, what level at Samsung he contacted.

The "Samsung" technician would have most probably been a technician from an authorized repair service not a Samsung employee. The quality of that kind of service can vary widely.

All rear projection sets have some amount of keystone due to the lens arrangement, but I doubt very seriously that .5 inches would be acceptable if he made his case directly to Samsung at the right level.

The "right level" means he keeps pushing up the chain of command until he reaches a level where they have the authority to exchange or repair his set. :)

Thanks guys for the responses. The following is a customer review from c/net on the HLR5078W. Anyone know about this supposed problem with these sets? Remember, this is NOT my review.



"Don't buy any Samsung TV model that begins with HLR
I had the Samsung technician to fix my HLR5078W Set. The problem was that the picture had a "keystone" meaning that all vertical lines were 1/2 an inch closer together in middle of the picture that at the vertical edge of the picture. The technician told me that the Keystone problem was normal for all Samsung HLR series HDTV 1080p sets. He said it was not of DLP problem it was a Samsung problem. I asked for the set to be replaced he said no because Samsung said that the Keystone was according to spec. The Tweeter salesman did not tell me this, the instructions and set specifications do not mention the Keystone problems. So no warrantee and no fix for the problem. So I wasted $3400 and feel cheated. This is a true and accurate version of what has happened. My advice is buy a different brand. I now rate the HLR series product a 2. "

Any comments appreciated.
This is true of all rear projection TV's. Not just Samsung. The degree of the problem varies from set to set. My HLR5668W has less than 1/16th of an inch difference between the top of the screen and middle. It was even hard to measure with an aluminum yard stick as a vertical guide. Minor, not an issue. BUT, if you were to read the entire thread (not recommended at this point) you would find reports of this problem at 1/2" and smaller sizes. It is only a problem when watching SD. You can instantly test for this problem on any TV and if you do not like what you are seeing ... just return it.

Thanks again for the replies. Is there an optical or other type of correction feature on any of the RP DLPs like there is on some FP DLPs?

UCSB....is that for UC Santa Barbara?

I think that's normally called a "pincushion" problem. A "keystone" problem is when the display looks like a trapezoid. I haven't seen many reports in this thread of keystone problems with the Samsungs.

I think that's normally called a "pincushion" problem. A "keystone" problem is when the display looks like a trapezoid. I haven't seen many reports in this thread of keystone problems with the Samsungs.The original report was not a trapezoid.

"... the picture had a "keystone" meaning that all vertical lines were 1/2 an inch closer together in middle of the picture that at the vertical edge of the picture."

The original report was not a trapezoid.[...]
I know. All I'm saying is that I think the technician was incorrect in calling it a "keystone" problem and it may not be productive for "gregavi" to look for reports about keystone problems with the Samsungs. He's better off looking for reports about "pincushion" problems.

People call it pin cushioning when the picture looks like this: ) ( . There has to be a spec. or benchmark Samsung uses to know when it is out of spec. I'm not saying what you describe doesn't exist but I think this thread would be flooded by now if it was even slightly noticed or bad enough to distort the picture. People here don't tolerate anything. lol.

According to Eliab, you should not run the TV in 1920x1200. You should always use 1920x1080. I can't remember the exact reason, but with Eliab, I trust everything he says with these sets.

I totally agree :D Eliab is the man!

BTW: On my 5078 I have on 4:3 material a 1/4 inch pincushion edge of the viewable material using component inputs. I've known about this since day one of owning the set. To me it is very minor and not a distraction at all. In full screen 16:9 I can't see it at all. I've read that a certain amount of pin cushion is present in most DLPs. What I don't know is how the Samsungs measure up to the competion.

I've read that a certain amount of pin cushion is present in most DLPs.Make that all DLP, LCD and LCoS(SXRD) micro chip rear projection sets and you've got it right. It's a function of the short distance (throw) that the micro chip and it's lenses are from the screen.

What I don't know is how the Samsungs measure up to the competion.Average. :)

As I understand it the solution involves much much more expensive lenses. It's possible to luck out and have so little pin cushion that you can't detect it with a 4x3 image. It's also rare but possible to have it so bad that you can see bowed vertical lines in a 16x9 image. I've never seen one that bad personally.

Regarding the HL-R7178W and it's RS232 port - does anybody know either:

a) discrete power on/off codes, instead of the abysmally stupid toggle

or

b) determine the status of the TV - on or off ?

I have looked, and I simply don't see any way to do either ....

Recently, I noticed that my HLR5668 (purchased in July, 2005) was unable to receive one of the high-def channels (channel 882) that worked well a few months ago. Thinking it was a cable company or CableCARD issue, I called Comcast. They sent a knowledgable tech to my house, and he confirmed my "no-signal" problem with channel 882. All other channels work fine, and he checked signal quality (excellent), reset the existing CableCARD (made no difference), and installed a new CableCARD (made no difference). The tech told me that he has had very few problems with CableCARDs, and this was the first time he has ever seen only one (digital) channel affected.

To continue troubelshooting and to confirm that channel 882 was being delivered into my house, he took a new Comcast high-def cablebox from his truck, plugged it into my Samsung with component cables, and plugged my house's coax cable into the cable box. Using the box, he was able to tune to channel 882; reception was clear and strong. Then, when he disconnected the box and switched back to the CableCARD, channel 882 went away. The Samsung said, "No signal" when tuned to channel 882. All other channels worked great.

The tech consulted with some higher-ups at Comcast, and they concluded that the problem is with my Samsung. They say it needs a firmware upgrade in order to receive channel 882. I've already placed a request for a service call, but I'm wondering if other Samsung HLR-series owners have ever seen this problem. Will a firmware upgrade cure what ails my Samsung?

I'm a little puzzled but it has nothing to do with a FW update. INHD2 works fine here in Malden. I guess if it worked before with the same setup then it wouldn't be a FW, that doesn't make sense. I also don't see how only one channel is affected, maybe you could try other channels you don't normally watch? I think its a Comsucks issue. I know if you unplug the STB it resets and normally works again but me and my friend are both on our second STB.

The tech consulted with some higher-ups at Comcast, and they concluded that the problem is with my Samsung. They say it needs a firmware upgrade in order to receive channel 882. I've already placed a request for a service call, but I'm wondering if other Samsung HLR-series owners have ever seen this problem. Will a firmware upgrade cure what ails my Samsung?

Hmm...cable card doesn't work, cable box does work. Doesn't surprise me that they make the huge jump to assume its the tv. Does it cost you more to rent a cable box than it does the card? I kind of guessing that it does. I'm surprised they didn't just try to get you to rent the box therefore getting them more money.

reset the existing CableCARD (made no difference), and installed a new CableCARD (made no difference).

What do you mean by "reset" the CC? Have you tried having the HLR re-scan for available CC channels? (Menu->Setup->CableCard->CableCard Reset). That usually works with my 5668W.

Is it possible it's some kind of DRM (rights management) issue? That's the only thing I could believe that would possibly require a FW update.

Cary

I apologize if this topic has been covered before. I have a 5668. Recently it has developed a dark stripe down the left side. Can anyone tell me what this is and how to get rid of it?

What do you mean by "reset" the CC? Have you tried having the HLR re-scan for available CC channels? (Menu->Setup->CableCard->CableCard Reset). That usually works with my 5668W.

1. By "reset" the CableCARD, I mean that the Comcast tech called someone and asked them to reset (initialize?) my CableCARD via remote control.

2. You're a genius! I just had my Samsung re-scan available CableCARD channels and voila! Channel 882 (INHD2) works perfectly once again.

Thanks so much for your help, Manatus. I feel like a real dummy for not thinking of this remedy myself. Now I can cancel the service call.

Recently, I noticed that my HLR5668 (purchased in July, 2005) was unable to receive one of the high-def channels (channel 882) that worked well a few months ago. Thinking it was a cable company or CableCARD issue, I called Comcast. They sent a knowledgable tech to my house, and he confirmed my "no-signal" problem with channel 882. All other channels work fine, and he checked signal quality (excellent), reset the existing CableCARD (made no difference), and installed a new CableCARD (made no difference). The tech told me that he has had very few problems with CableCARDs, and this was the first time he has ever seen only one (digital) channel affected.

To continue troubelshooting and to confirm that channel 882 was being delivered into my house, he took a new Comcast high-def cablebox from his truck, plugged it into my Samsung with component cables, and plugged my house's coax cable into the cable box. Using the box, he was able to tune to channel 882; reception was clear and strong. Then, when he disconnected the box and switched back to the CableCARD, channel 882 went away. The Samsung said, "No signal" when tuned to channel 882. All other channels worked great.

The tech consulted with some higher-ups at Comcast, and they concluded that the problem is with my Samsung. They say it needs a firmware upgrade in order to receive channel 882. I've already placed a request for a service call, but I'm wondering if other Samsung HLR-series owners have ever seen this problem. Will a firmware upgrade cure what ails my Samsung?


Yes, I had this same issue with my set. DiscoveryHD, ESPNHD, and BravoHD were the onyl channels affected. Signal strength was sky high. A channel list re-organization fixed my problem.

I apologize if this topic has been covered before. I have a 5668. Recently it has developed a dark stripe down the left side. Can anyone tell me what this is and how to get rid of it?

Call Samsung, I believe the fix is a new LE.

I apologize if this topic has been covered before. I have a 5668. Recently it has developed a dark stripe down the left side. Can anyone tell me what this is and how to get rid of it?

It think it is called ghosting. My HLR6768 developed a black shadow that suddenly appeared on the left edge of the screen after about 7 months. The stripe was about one inch wide starting at the bottom, but terminated about 3/4 the way up. It stayed for about two weeks and then disappeared. However, I had already called Samsung and a technician had examined the TV when the problem still existed. Samsung replaced the LE.

I should comment on the Service I received from Samsung. Although, I am disappointed I had a problem with my TV, the service I received was extremely fast. I called Samsung on a Saturday to report the ghosting problem. Within 3 1/2 hours, a technician was at my house examining the TV and came from another city over 70 miles away. Wow...talk about fast service. The following weekend I had a new LE installed!

Afaik, ghosting is where there is a duplicate, faint image, like a ghost. I think people here called it a shadow? The techs know it as the vertical stripe issue. I think this problem has more to do with the rear projection. Regardless the LE fixes it. Note that some here had defective replacement LEs with either the same or new issue. Mine was replaced the next day.

It think it is called ghosting. My HLR6768 developed a black shadow that suddenly appeared on the left edge of the screen after about 7 months. The stripe was about one inch wide starting at the bottom, but terminated about 3/4 the way up. It stayed for about two weeks and then disappeared. However, I had already called Samsung and a technician had examined the TV when the problem still existed. Samsung replaced the LE.

With about 850 hours viewing time on my 6168W I developed the same problem. LE was replaced which solved the problem. Mine looked like this:

Dark Shadow on Left of Screen (http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/IMG_1111websize.jpg)

on edit: I had a tech out in 2 working days after the call who made the repair. Excellent service.

Is there anybody here that uses the RS232 serial port on their Samsung DLP for remote control???? Please get in touch, if so.

I'm having some problems, and would like to compare notes.

Thanks.

I wouldn't describe my issue as a stripe. The left side is much darker and very wide. It spreads over to where a 4:3 image would start. Right side not as dark. Center of screen is much lighter.

I don't want to call Samsung and have then try various things. It'd be much nicer to know what the fix is.

Btw, I looked at the stripe jpeg and mine does not look like that.

Thanks in advance!

There are two different picture issues. One is a very narrow vertical stripe along the left edge as pictured above that is from 0"-3" wide, like duct tape. The other issue is not a vertical stripe since it goes across the screen like you mentioned. The vertical stripe is fixed with a LE and I forget what the solution is for the DLD issue.

That reminds me. I noticed a new issue twice, once when my new LE was installed and when I watched "24" on Monday. I have three or four of those white dots or blobs towards the center, top of the screen. It isn't the smudge issue, I don't know if it is the blob issue? lol. I think this was a problem people had earlier in the thread. I guess thinking now since I have a new LE that I need another LE since I didn't have the issue before? I want to be sure I know what causes it and what part needs to be replaced.

This happens in a dark room with a black image. I know, I finally tried watching TV with the lights out, at night. Never thought I'd do that and didn't know what all of the hype was about. lol. I guess the issue is if you don't notice it most of the time, is it an issue or does it affect the image even if you don't notice it? I'm a big "24" fan and would love to shoot terrorists, but that's for another forum. lol. Believe it or not they just had a PSA on being prepared for a terrorist attack. Geez.

Yes, I had this same issue with my set. DiscoveryHD, ESPNHD, and BravoHD were the onyl channels affected. Signal strength was sky high. A channel list re-organization fixed my problem.

What fixed this for me...was unplugging the TV after it is completely shut down. (the fan on the bulb stops). Wait a few seconds. Plug it back in. It hasn't happened for a while, but there was one time when all the digital channels on comcast just stopped working.

I also had the problem that someone else mentions here, where one side of the screen is perfect and the other half of the screen is snow. Unplugging fixed this as well. (I think the kids had caused that by hitting the power button a few times in a row, grrrr)

Very glad to report that the Samsung service technician came this afternoon and replaced the DMD board on my HLR5688W. This was blatantly the cause for my strange pixelization and loss of picture almost two weeks ago. Now my 'kirk' once again looks as good as new. :) The tech told me that he had just attended some updated training at Samsung's NJ facilities last week and that he was told that future Samsung DLP models will have the DMD as a seperate part from the digital board which it is currently attached to inside my HLR model. Apparently, the board fails more often than the actual DMD, which will no doubt lower the cost of repair replacing just the board verus the board with the DMD permantly mounted to it. He also mentioned to me that he was told they are having some issues getting the red out of the new 5679 led model. :rolleyes: In the end kudos to Samsung for handling my repair in a prompt and professional manner. I am highly considering a new HLS model for another room in my home, but I have personally decided not to risk issues with the first generation of led dlp models. Well, at least that's my .02. :cool:

With about 850 hours viewing time on my 6168W I developed the same problem. LE was replaced which solved the problem. Mine looked like this:

Dark Shadow on Left of Screen (http://gallery.avsforum.com/data/508/IMG_1111websize.jpg)

on edit: I had a tech out in 2 working days after the call who made the repair. Excellent service.

The dark shadow problem is slowly but surely becoming the most prevalent problem with Samsung HLR sets. Unfortunately, it appears that no one knows what causes it. Please note that LE replacement is not the answer. Unless you know the source of the problem, you can safely assume that in 850 hours you will need another LE. At some point, your warranty will run out, and you will need to pay for LE replacement.

So, what is really causing the dark shadow to appear along the left vertical edge? Again, saying that LE replacement takes care of the issue is the wrong answer. Samsung needs to acknowledge the existence of this problem and confirm that replacement LEs are not susceptible.

If one watches TV four hours every day, then 850 hours translates into 7 months. Chances are many people watch less than four hours per day on average. Therefore, it is possible that many more people will run into this problem as they slowly approach 850 hours or so. Some people may run into this problem well after the warranty expires. Does anyone have more than 850 hours on their set and no sign of dark shadow?

"Does anyone have more than 850 hours on their set and no sign of dark shadow?"

How do you tell how many hours the set has run?

Section 10 in Service Menu. See Message 5058.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6196339&&#post6196339

Section 10 in Service Menu. See Message 5058.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6196339&&#post6196339

Great now how do you exit the service menu?

I am soon going to need a service call to repair the shadow (half way down the left side broadening to 1.75 inches at the bottom. I already had the LE replaced for the black bars on the right side of the screen. I now have very little confidence in the tv. I'm wondering if anyone has successfully negotiated a trade up to the new sets coming out9 no doubt a premium being paid) as I would like the 1080P without the complications of wobulations. Incidently the picture quality of the second LE are not as good as the first( it has color banding very annoying in low light scenes and audio delay is very much worse. I am field service and scheduling servicde calls are quite difficult for me

"Does anyone have more than 850 hours on their set and no sign of dark shadow?"

How do you tell how many hours the set has run?

No shadow, no problems at all.
I've had a 5078W since October.
It's on a lot. At least 4-6 hours a day.

Same here, no shadow yet and over 850 hours on my 6168. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself.

I don't think anyone has determined a set time where the set fails. The only thing people can determine is that the sets don't fail within three months. Few had them fail close to the thirty day return and even fewer just days over thirty. I agree the sets shouldn't fail but when they do its covered and the service is way above average for most people here.

I would still consider the LED models, maybe two or three months after they are shipping, heck the price drops after what eight months anyway.

Great now how do you exit the service menu?

Press Power button to turn the the TV off. Then wait a couple of minutes to turn it back on. Never cycle Power on and off quickly because your Samsung TV may end up in lala land. Also, be very careful when you are in Service Menu. All changes that you make will stick right away and there is no factory reset option to return to default values.

I wouldn't describe my issue as a stripe. The left side is much darker and very wide. It spreads over to where a 4:3 image would start. Right side not as dark. Center of screen is much lighter.

I don't want to call Samsung and have then try various things. It'd be much nicer to know what the fix is.

Btw, I looked at the stripe jpeg and mine does not look like that.

Thanks in advance!

If you go back a bit in the messages, most people have a Light Dark Light issue. Yours seems a bit different. Most people notice a 8 inch brighter vertical stripe then about 20 inches normal then rest of the right side is a touch brighter. As you can see from this thread, no one has truly had it fixed. I have noticed it much less since the new LE and calibration. I don't see it anymore in the normal video watching mode. Lighting is a big thing usually. If you have light in the room its much less noticeable. According to the great ELiab, almost all the sets he has seen, inherently has this issue. He has worked on a lot of them too. It doesn't bother most people, and I am happy now that I don't see it under normal video watching..

Update on my situation…

(On my HL-R5688W, I had faint white smudge marks scattered across the screen similar in appearance to bones on an x-ray. They were only visible at night either on the left and right bars of a 4:3 input, in a darkly lit scene or when switching between inputs.)

A different Tekniton tech came out yesterday and while he could not see the problem with the screen like the first tech could, he still replaced the LE. He told my wife that this should fix whatever problem I was having. After thoroughly testing the TV last night and tonight, I am happy to report that the screen is perfect again.

Now, I can think about getting the set calibrated. I have the DVE NTSC Component calibration DVD but since so many of you have raved about the infamous Eliab, I thought I would consider paying someone to calibrate my set for me. Can anyone recommend someone in the San Francisco Bay Area?

If you go back a bit in the messages, most people have a Light Dark Light issue. Yours seems a bit different. Most people notice a 8 inch brighter vertical stripe then about 20 inches normal then rest of the right side is a touch brighter. As you can see from this thread, no one has truly had it fixed. I have noticed it much less since the new LE and calibration. I don't see it anymore in the normal video watching mode. Lighting is a big thing usually. If you have light in the room its much less noticeable. According to the great ELiab, almost all the sets he has seen, inherently has this issue. He has worked on a lot of them too. It doesn't bother most people, and I am happy now that I don't see it under normal video watching..

This developed post calibration performed by Doug, a very experienced ISF calibrator here in the St. Louis area and highly recommended. My set looks fabulous. I have low ambient lighting at night.

I'm not real picky, just picky and it detracts from that willingness to suspend disbelief while watching a movie. It moves away from the immersion in whatever I'm watching.

Samsung is replacing the LE and screen as my pincushion is on the fat side of 1/4 inch. I had gotten used to it, but may as well get it taken care of too.

Appreciate the reply.

I thought I would consider paying someone to calibrate my set for me. Can anyone recommend someone in the San Francisco Bay Area?SethS is a member of AVS and did our HLP5063. I think he does outstanding work, and has done some consulting for Samsung DLP sets.

I don't know if he would be able to come to Brentwood. As a child we would visit Brentwood to see my grandfather. :)

You can contact Seth here:

AVConsulting (http://www.avconsulting.us/index.html)

Here is a second Bay Area possibility:

LionAV (http://www.lionav.com/services.php)

Samsung is replacing the LE and screen as my pincushion is on the fat side of 1/4 inch. I had gotten used to it, but may as well get it taken care of too.I hope your "pincushion" is improved but changing the screen won't improve it.

To the Samsung 1080p owners:

What are your thoughts on the Toshiba 62HM195 as compared to your HL-R6168 or 78?

Keep in mind you'll need another calibration for each LE replacement.

There is no reason to replace the screen. I think that was a solution for early service calls when they didn't have answers. I wouldn't let them touch the cabinet and possibly make things worse. Let them first try everything else before replacing the screen.

Keep in mind you'll need another calibration for each LE replacement.

There is no reason to replace the screen. I think that was a solution for early service calls when they didn't have answers. I wouldn't let them touch the cabinet and possibly make things worse. Let them first try everything else before replacing the screen.


Yes, of course changing the LE changes it and it will be calibrated again. Already made arrangements.

So if it's NOT the screens for the pincushion, what is? What is "first try everything else"? That's not very specific.

I hope your "pincushion" is improved but changing the screen won't improve it.

Then what will?

Then what will?

Ummm... nothing. In you last two posts you did not mention the size of your screen but I did post a while back that on my 5078 I have a 1/4 pincusion effect as measured righ on the edge of 4:3 material. I have to believe it is slightly worse at the outer edge. Pincusion is inherit in projection sets. See the execellent post by Htwaits a few posts back.

If you really want to totally eliminate pincusion get a direct view set such as plasma or LCD.

If you really want to totally eliminate pincusion get a direct view set such as plasma or LCD.Or a front projector. :)

As I understand it from reading here, pincushion is cause by the lens setup needed to do rear projection TV sets that are only ~14" - 20" deep. Changing the light engine can cause Pincushion to be worse depending on the "luck" of the mounting done by someone in the field. It's hard enough to do in the factory.

Getting less than .25" could be quite hard to do.

Ummm... nothing. In you last two posts you did not mention the size of your screen but I did post a while back that on my 5078 I have a 1/4 pincusion effect as measured righ on the edge of 4:3 material. I have to believe it is slightly worse at the outer edge. Pincusion is inherit in projection sets. See the execellent post by Htwaits a few posts back.

If you really want to totally eliminate pincusion get a direct view set such as plasma or LCD.

It's 50". I said since I am having a service call and might as well get it looked at the same time. Samsung allows for a 1/4 difference. No where did I say I expected it to be totally eliminated. Pincushion is inherent to a certain degree and even though I have gotten used to it, it is out of spec as far as Samsung specs go.

It's 50". I said since I am having a service call and might as well get it looked at the same time. Samsung allows for a 1/4 difference. No where did I say I expected it to be totally eliminated. Pincushion is inherent to a certain degree and even though I have gotten used to it, it is out of spec as far as Samsung specs go.
During your service call, ask the technician to ring focus your set. There is a ring in the set that is used to focus the image on the screen. Then at least you will know that your set is properly focused and that the pincushion is being caused by the lens or geometry in your set.

During your service call, ask the technician to ring focus your set. There is a ring in the set that is used to focus the image on the screen. Then at least you will know that your set is properly focused and that the pincushion is being caused by the lens or geometry in your set.

Thanks for your response. I will mention it to the tech.

The two parts that have no effect on anything, besides the form factor cabinet is the screen and mirror. If it is in fact .24" and out of spec. then let the tech. figure it out.

My issue is I know that replacing the screen doesn't do anything so that tells me they don't know what they are doing and that is unacceptable. It seems that the LE is the fix for it anyway so I'd try another LE, which I think is what you said you were doing. Measure the pin cushion again after the new LE and see if it has changed, I think it will.

I'm going to be sitting at a distance of about 12 feet from where the TV will be located. I was thinking of getting a new 56" DLP HDTV. Is that too far sitting for that size screen? Does anyone with a current 56" sitting about that far have any comments? I know there aren't any precise recommendations on sitting distance for screen size, but do you all think it will look fine? What are the general recommendations anyway?

If it is in fact .24" and out of spec. then let the tech. figure it out.


My whole point in posting was to get feedback and information which is why we ask questions in these forums. I was asking for info prior to a tech actually opening up my set which is reasonable. I'm just trying to get a handle on this as the thought of something going wrong is worrisome and I'm not looking forward to having it serviced. It's only 2.5 months old.

The tech only had to look at it to see it's out of spec. It's very obvious, so no "if in fact".

My whole point in posting was to get feedback and information which is why we ask questions in these forums. I was asking for info prior to a tech actually opening up my set which is reasonable. I'm just trying to get a handle on this as the thought of something going wrong is worrisome and I'm not looking forward to having it serviced. It's only 2.5 months old.

The tech only had to look at it to see it's out of spec. It's very obvious, so no "if in fact".

MoInSTL,

Just reread my post and I see that it could have been read as a dig at you. That was not my intent. My bad. :o I meant my post to be just slightly on the flippant side.

What got me started is that you mentioned that Samsung is going to replace both the LE and screen in an attempt to help with pincushion. I don't see how replacing the screen would help in any way with this. You also mentioned that the pincushion is on the fat side of 1/4". That's about where my set is at and since we both have the same size screen I would not be surprised that a service call would not help at all with this.

However, further back you did say that you are seeing LDL which may be a good reason to have a service call depending on the severity. My set also has LDL problems (as do all the HLRs to some degree or another) but I don't see it. Eliab offered to show me the problem but I turned him down since I don't see it and for me ignorance is bliss.

I sit 11' back from the set which is perhaps a little far for this size screen but maybe this is why I don't care about these problems, they're too small. Also, I had Velux installed which may also help reduce the LDL problem?

That said, hope the service call works for you. Let us know how it goes.

MoInSTL, people have helped me here from pre-purchase to post-service. I have returned the favor and try to help others the way they helped me. I think my post was helpful to you and I'm sorry if I offended you, that wasn't my intention.

I guess my point was that the sets already have pin cushioning, and a certain amount is acceptable. I don't know how much beyond that you or others are referring to? Are you saying yours is .24" in addition to the original pin cushioning? That would be a total of about .5" since the pin cushioning is probably just under .24" normally. Like I said, a replacement LE that is not defective should improve it. Regardless, be sure they don't remove the screen, you could end up with more problems.

Maybe a better question is if anyone has an exact measurement of the normal pin cushioning? That would be the benchmark to compare to.

I'm going to be sitting at a distance of about 12 feet from where the TV will be located. I was thinking of getting a new 56" DLP HDTV. Is that too far sitting for that size screen? Does anyone with a current 56" sitting about that far have any comments? I know there aren't any precise recommendations on sitting distance for screen size, but do you all think it will look fine? What are the general recommendations anyway?
I sit about 11-12ft and my 67" is just about right. I would not want to go any smaller. Sometimes when watching a movie, I move my chair up a couple of feet.

I have a 5678 and sit about ten feet away. That is a good distance. I usually sit at my computer to the side at about five feet. My friend has a 5078 and he sits about six feet away. I find that people on a 5078 is just under "actual size," a 5678 is "actual size" and anything larger than those is just plain big. lol. The 5678 I think is a good place to start unless space or price is an issue.

MoInSTL,

Just reread my post and I see that it could have been read as a dig at you. That was not my intent. My bad. :o I meant my post to be just slightly on the flippant side.

What got me started is that you mentioned that Samsung is going to replace both the LE and screen in an attempt to help with pincushion. I don't see how replacing the screen would help in any way with this. You also mentioned that the pincushion is on the fat side of 1/4". That's about where my set is at and since we both have the same size screen I would not be surprised that a service call would not help at all with this.

However, further back you did say that you are seeing LDL which may be a good reason to have a service call depending on the severity. My set also has LDL problems (as do all the HLRs to some degree or another) but I don't see it. Eliab offered to show me the problem but I turned him down since I don't see it and for me ignorance is bliss.

I sit 11' back from the set which is perhaps a little far for this size screen but maybe this is why I don't care about these problems, they're too small. Also, I had Velux installed which may also help reduce the LDL problem?

That said, hope the service call works for you. Let us know how it goes.

Btw mine is DLD (dark, light, dark)

No problem, I just didn't expect the remarks like get another set like a plasma and other comments like I was the one suggesting it's the screen. I'm stressed out as my 9 week old HD-DVR has corruption on the hard drive and D* is sending me a *refurbished* one. :( Turns out they are having trouble getting them out right away (after 3 days they still have no tracking number as it hasn't been shipped). So I have to rebuild my Season Pass list, am losing a bunch of saved stuff, wait for the guide to update, etc. Have other SD DVRs and never a problem. Then this dark, light, dark thing appears on my new set. It's a little overwhelming. We women tend to get a little emotional over these types of things. I have to trust some guy I know nothing about (Google yielded nothing) and it turns out based on posts here he is wrong about the screen. It's stress inducing for anyone I would think.

Before I bought my set I researched a lot. For various reasons I narrowed it down to a Sony A10 and the Sammy. I was leaning toward the Sony but try as I might I was very susceptible to SDE. With the Sammy I knew I was taking my chances with RBE and saw the pincushion in the show room when I went to something in 4:3. So I knew what I was getting into and decided it was worth the tradeoff as ALL sets have tradeoffs. So whoever made the crack about get a plasma, give me some credit. I also calculated the screen size versus number of feet away for viewing, the right height for the stand, the correct lighting (lighting needs work) and hooked it all up to my receiver. I then researched OTA antennas and have a roof mounted CM 4221 I installed.

I have gotten very used to the pincushion but when anyone comes over and pic goes to say a commercial in 4:3, it's the second thing they comment on (first is how awesome the PQ is) and then they ask what the heck is wrong with it and go on about it. Everything else was so darn good I decided it wasn't worth the trouble to exchange it over that even though initially it was annoying. I even paid a bit more to have the calibrator take a look and while he said the pincushion was more than usual we decided it was a keeper based on the PQ and he made some minor adjustments. He said my grayscale was way off, pulling too much blue in whites and I noticed it was overly green and edge enhancement was IMO awful. I am pleased to say after I got my 100 hours on the lamp that it cleaned up well and is great after a full calibration. I know that the LE if replaced requires another calibration.

Anyway, I did a general Google search and then searched AVS. The only thread the dark, light, dark issue showed up is here. I have the HL-R5067W. The 720p set. Not the 1080p but nothing in that owner thread (or any other got search hits). I know there are only a few components in these sets like the digi board, LE (which has to have the focus ring adjusted if it's replaced), power supply and so forth. The tech saw the 6" wide dark vertical black "stripe" during daylight hours with the drapes drawn. He didn't even bother measuring the the pincushion as it's so plainly more than 1/4 inch. He's the one who said it's the fat side of 1/4'. So I figured I might as well get that taken care of at the same time and reported back here what he said. If it's not the screen, cool. I merely relayed what the guy said. I am not suggesting that is the fix. It would apply perhaps if the cabinet wasn't holding the screen in properly and it physically bowed in.

So the plan is to grill the guy about how the screen being replaced is going to do anything more than stress me out and put some $ in his pocket. He will have to strongly justify his reasons for screen replacement. FWIW, he said there are two screens.

Finally, I received the following email and it seems to sum it up:
But back to your basic question, I don’t really see the screen swapout fixing the pincushion, because this is solely an issue of the throw distance and the focal plane, and I don’t see either of those changing enough with a different screen to have a major impact. But maybe Samsung has made a change where the screen sits slight farther away from the light engine. It’s possible, but seems somewhat unlikely.

Edit: I read about Velux back in the day with my old Mits and chickened out. ;)

MoInSTL, you clearly have done a lot of research that takes a lot of time and effort, you know your stuff. I'm not sure that it is recommended to have the set calibrated with only 100 lamp hours though, I think that might be too early? These guys here will know. Also, I think the calibrator should have said to replace the LE first, knowing there was a problem before having it calibrated. You seem to understand how replacing the screen doesn't make sense but from your post you're willing to try anything first but the LE since it was calibrated. The LDL requires a LE too.

Bottom line is the calibrator should've said he/she will return when you have a LE. I don't say new since they are refurbs. Very few here had defective replacement LEs, meaning they either had the same problem or a new issue, so make sure you test it well before they leave. Calibrators I think charge less for the second visit. I would take it up with the calibrator.

Btw, this is the second time I heard of this, since I started counting. Always get the set fixed first before getting it calibrated. I think the calibrators should do a better job in asking upfront questions regarding lamp hours and any issues. It is a waste of your time and money, not theirs. Afa Velux, that is another reason not to have the screen removed by anyone. Try everything first and then the screen removal last.

There still seems to be this gray cloud over Velux and calibrators for some reason.

Btw mine is DLD (dark, light, dark)

No problem, I just didn't expect the remarks like get another set like a plasma and other comments like I was the one suggesting it's the screen. I'm stressed out as my 9 week old HD-DVR has corruption on the hard drive and D* is sending me a *refurbished* one. :( Turns out they are having trouble getting them out right away (after 3 days they still have no tracking number as it hasn't been shipped). So I have to rebuild my Season Pass list, am losing a bunch of saved stuff, wait for the guide to update, etc.



MoInSTL, I was the one that made the crack about plasma. After your last post I now feel really, really bad. :( It was a joke. I would never seriously recommend plasma to anybody. The only cool thing about plasma is its form factor. Too many other problems.

I have 2 Comcast HD DVRs hooked up to my Sammmy and I am going to start up another one next Friday. I have a whole season of Lost on one of them that my wife and I are just beginning to start. If I Lost (pun intended) that hard drive I would literally begin crying. I feel your pain....

Missed the part about yours being a 67 series instead of 7x so I don't know much about your screen. You said the tech said it was a two parter. If true, I would guess that one "screen" is a fresnel lens and the other would be a diffuser. Aside: (Hey Guys, does that make sense? ). I can say that the screen in my set is a single piece. It is very stiff and does not bend. The mounting brackets are mere clips that put no physical strain on the screen so I don't see how my screen could bow.

The only way I can see that the screen would aggravate pin cushion is if the screen was bowed either inwards or outwards in the horizontal. Maybe there is some other way, but I don't get it. If this was the case, this bowing would also cause a slight variation in focus when going from top to bottom. If the focus is sharp and uniform, then the screen most likely is not bowed. I would definitely ask the tech what theory he is operating under that would explain pincusion being aggravated by the screen.

The fact that your friends make comments about the pincushion is enough to convince me that you need a LE exchange. It shouldn't be that obvious.

As far as DLD, are you seeing the DLD issue only with 4:3 material?

..... Sorry, couldn't resist the small joke.

It does sound like the LE is bad. No matter what, that should be replaced. Make the tech do that first then see where you're at. Replacing the screen on a 5078 is no big deal but I have no idea what it takes on a 5067. I would be concerned about introducing dust and smudges.

I also agree with BVCP. Wait one hundred hours on the new bulb before having the set recalibrated. The bulb settles down after that. One thing you might try especially if you have an extended warranty is to ask the tech to replace the bulb in the new LE with the one from the old LE. That way you won't have to wait the 100 hours to get your set recalibrated.

Good luck! Post back and let us know what happens!

I also agree with BVCP. Wait one hundred hours on the new bulb before having the set recalibrated. The bulb settles down after that. One thing you might try especially if you have an extended warranty is to ask the tech to replace the bulb in the new LE with the one from the old LE. That way you won't have to wait the 100 hours to get your set recalibrated.


Here I am quoting myself. Just dawned on me. I would suspect that the color wheel is manufactured to tight tolerances. One should be equal to the next. The analog boards by nature do have some variation but I would guess they have little to do with variations in calibration. The rest is digital so no variation there. The biggest part in variation is the bulb itself. By using the same bulb in the new LE, I would venture to guess that restoring your current calibration settings would get you very close to where you are now.

Just a thought...

Ya might want to pass this idea by your calibrator.

MoInSTL, you clearly have done a lot of research that takes a lot of time and effort, you know your stuff. I'm not sure that it is recommended to have the set calibrated with only 100 lamp hours though, I think that might be too early? These guys here will know. Also, I think the calibrator should have said to replace the LE first, knowing there was a problem before having it calibrated. You seem to understand how replacing the screen doesn't make sense but from your post you're willing to try anything first but the LE since it was calibrated. The LDL requires a LE too.

Bottom line is the calibrator should've said he/she will return when you have a LE. I don't say new since they are refurbs. Very few here had defective replacement LEs, meaning they either had the same problem or a new issue, so make sure you test it well before they leave. Calibrators I think charge less for the second visit. I would take it up with the calibrator.

Btw, this is the second time I heard of this, since I started counting. Always get the set fixed first before getting it calibrated. I think the calibrators should do a better job in asking upfront questions regarding lamp hours and any issues. It is a waste of your time and money, not theirs. Afa Velux, that is another reason not to have the screen removed by anyone. Try everything first and then the screen removal last.

There still seems to be this gray cloud over Velux and calibrators for some reason.

Hmm, you are assuming a lot and the worst here about a well respected calibrator. That said, you are right, I am trying to not do anything before I gather and glean as much info as I can ahead of time. Not avoiding replacing the LE due to calibration. I am avoiding anything until I at least have a general understanding of what needs done. I know now to decline the screen replacement for example.

I first spoke to the calibrator about it and it's covered. I also posted that I had him come check it out before it was calibrated and he went through some material, recorded all of the SM settings, made minor adjustments and centered the picture on the screen. He has a well trained eye and would have noticed it right away and would have said to go ahead and exchange it if it was evident. I had him look it over 3 weeks into my 30 day exchange window precisely to see if it was a keeper. I paid a nominal charge for taking that extra step.

I had 187 hours on the lamp. I had it on a lot to rack up the hours. What I read was 100 was to burn off some coating on the lamp. AFAIK once it's burned off it's ready and used the 100 when I posted. I should have used the actual number of hours. He will come back out after the LE is/if replaced and is not going to charge me. Guess serving pizza and oven baked chocolate chip cookies didn't hurt (actually he's a great guy). The problem with the dark, light, dark showed up this last week. It wasn't evident at the time of calibration. Things break. Since you had yours calibrated you know how many tools, grids, patterns, etc are used. He came in with 4 equipment boxes and tool chests. He would have spotted it right away both times he was here. I was sitting next to him and would have seen it too. After calibration I was really looking closely at various content in detail since it was so nice and would have quickly spotted it.

ISF calibrators value their reputations and he wouldn't calibrate a faulty set. He knew I was committed to having it done regardless of which set; the one I have or an exchange. He's well respected and has a deserved good reputation. LOL, I researched him too by reading forums and I sent private messages asking about his experience and level of expertise since I was new to the area. I got glowing referrals that I sought out, not a referral list from him. I asked him a lot of questions over the phone ahead of time and feel confident I made a good choice.

Five years ago my ex-VP at work lined his Mits with some black velvet. I had the same set as he did but was too intimidated to try it.

Here I am quoting myself. Just dawned on me. I would suspect that the color wheel is manufactured to tight tolerances. One should be equal to the next. The analog boards by nature do have some variation but I would guess they have little to do with variations in calibration. The rest is digital so no variation there. The biggest part in variation is the bulb itself. By using the same bulb in the new LE, I would venture to guess that restoring your current calibration settings would get you very close to where you are now.

Just a thought...

Ya might want to pass this idea by your calibrator.

You read my mind. He already said at least I won't have to wait to get the hours on the lamp this time. I will hold off after any repairs are done to verify it's fixed or note any new issues prior to having it calibrated again.

So the consensus is it is more than likely the LE and to keep the tech's mits off my screen. Tech is going to New Jersey for a Samsung training seminar (probably in advance of the new sets) so it will be a week or so.

So the consensus is it is more than likely the LE and to keep the tech's mits off my screen. Tech is going to New Jersey for a Samsung training seminar (probably in advance of the new sets) so it will be a week or so.After reading all your posts I think you are definitely on the right track. Good luck.

MoInSTL, I was the one that made the crack about plasma. After your last post I now feel really, really bad. :( It was a joke. I would never seriously recommend plasma to anybody. The only cool thing about plasma is its form factor. Too many other problems.

I have 2 Comcast HD DVRs hooked up to my Sammmy and I am going to start up another one next Friday. I have a whole season of Lost on one of them that my wife and I are just beginning to start. If I Lost (pun intended) that hard drive I would literally begin crying. I feel your pain....

Missed the part about yours being a 67 series instead of 7x so I don't know much about your screen. You said the tech said it was a two parter. If true, I would guess that one "screen" is a fresnel lens and the other would be a diffuser. Aside: (Hey Guys, does that make sense? ). I can say that the screen in my set is a single piece. It is very stiff and does not bend. The mounting brackets are mere clips that put no physical strain on the screen so I don't see how my screen could bow.

The only way I can see that the screen would aggravate pin cushion is if the screen was bowed either inwards or outwards in the horizontal. Maybe there is some other way, but I don't get it. If this was the case, this bowing would also cause a slight variation in focus when going from top to bottom. If the focus is sharp and uniform, then the screen most likely is not bowed. I would definitely ask the tech what theory he is operating under that would explain pincusion being aggravated by the screen.

The fact that your friends make comments about the pincushion is enough to convince me that you need a LE exchange. It shouldn't be that obvious.

As far as DLD, are you seeing the DLD issue only with 4:3 material?

..... Sorry, couldn't resist the small joke.

It does sound like the LE is bad. No matter what, that should be replaced. Make the tech do that first then see where you're at. Replacing the screen on a 5078 is no big deal but I have no idea what it takes on a 5067. I would be concerned about introducing dust and smudges.

I also agree with BVCP. Wait one hundred hours on the new bulb before having the set recalibrated. The bulb settles down after that. One thing you might try especially if you have an extended warranty is to ask the tech to replace the bulb in the new LE with the one from the old LE. That way you won't have to wait the 100 hours to get your set recalibrated.

Good luck! Post back and let us know what happens!

No harm no foul. I wanted to underscore how this awful combination of DVR and set is freaking me out. The tech said he uses a blanket to place the screen on. :eek:

I know, this is looking worse and worse for this guy. My calibrator said good grief, use clean paper. I have large sheets of no ink packing paper left over from my move on some art I haven't hung yet. But that's irrelevant now since I will not let him do it. I'll make him try the LE first.

I'm with you, my first thoughts were fingerprints, smudges, and dust.

I think he plans on using the same lamp. I have the extended warranty though I usually don't but because it includes one lamp replacement that only has to dim or flicker rather than being completely blown, I got it. One lamp and my warranty pays for itself. My Sammy is fairly new. I bought it January 20th so it's under the standard warranty.

The black vertical bar and center being lighter is only noticeable when there is a black background during movie credits or in a scene that fades to black or that momentary black when going from commercial or vice versa. I don't see it when I am watching something else. At the risk of wasting some new crediblity here I am picky, but not that picky and it's very distracting like the pincushion was. I used the 4:3 example to illustrate how much area has this problem. The area in 4:3 is where it's lighter. Imagine burn-in of a 4:3 image on a plasma with the black vertical bars and center image.

Have to go, I have much sought after evening tickets to the open house of the new Busch Stadium for the Cardinals. (I know, I know, a chick who is into home theater, computers AND baseball). :D

No harm no foul. I wanted to underscore how this awful combination of DVR and set is freaking me out. The tech said he uses a blanket to place the screen on. :eek:
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Have to go, I have much sought after evening tickets to the open house of the new Busch Stadium for the Cardinals. (I know, I know, a chick who is into home theater, computers AND baseball). :D

Hope you're having a good time at the game! I have a minor (ok major) correction to make. There is no such thing as an analog board as I implied a previous post. If you use component cables there will be and analog to digital conversion (which is not what I was talking about) but if you are using hdmi there is no analog conversion.

The DMD works strictly on digital signals. Each mirror is either on or off, wobulated or not wobulated (FYI: I don't think the 67 series use wobulation). It is the length of time the mirror is on and the position of the color wheel that generates the picture you see. There is no conversion to analog.

If my previous statement about the color wheels are correct these are the only major factors that I can think of that would screw up a calibrated set when replacing the LE:

1) Changing the bulb.
2) Losing focus.
3) A change in the index.

Outside of the bulb this is probably the biggest. The index controls the timing of the signal that syncs the rotational speed and the position of the color wheel with the DMD. I believe when my set was calibrated the index was changed and probably does vary from LE to LE.

4) Not restoring the calibrated settings.
5) Different rotational speed of the color wheel.

I do not know to what tolerance the motor that spins the color wheel is designed to. The speed may be controlled by the digital board (that's what I would do) which would most likely render this point moot.

Bottom line: IMO you have a good chance of getting your set back to it's calibrated state merely by restoring the calibration settings. It's worth a try.

MoInSTL, sounds good. The last issue will be a defensive tech who isn't as informed as you, having to listen to you, a woman and take orders. Someone here was at work when their wife ended up buying a cable they didn't know they didn't need from a tech. First, it wasn't necessary and second I don't think it was appropriate for him to sell it. FYI my tech was a woman and I was shocked and pleased. She knew a lot about the Sammy, computers and video editing. I showed her my "big" workstation. lol.

I'm glad the calibrator will take good care of you. I don't have an issue with the techs either for the most part, just for the record. I do have an issue when a few people here got the total run around, were sold cables like I said and clearly don't know what they are doing by suggesting a screen replacement. Maybe they can check your microwave while they're at it? lol. Try not to take any BS from them or anyone else when you know what's right.

I haven't had mine calibrated yet. I'm looking forward to doing the Velux install first, and get the calibration after the HD/BR DVD. You can check a few pages back and do a search. There were some really good reports and pics on the Velux install. It sounds like getting the Velux cut to the right shapes to properly fit inside is the difficult part.

The screen in the 1080 sets are made up of at least two components but neither could cause pin cushioning. I don't know of any report where a replaced screen has fixed anything. I would be concerned with damage to the screen or cabinet also when removing or re-installing.

I don't think you need to apologize for being picky. People here have spent a lot for these sets and they shouldn't have these issues, its not your fault. At least we know what to look for, look out for and know if there is a new issue that they'll be right back.

HT, computers and baseball? Are you single? j/k. lol.

MoInSTL, sounds good. The last issue will be a defensive tech who isn't as informed as you, having to listen to you, a woman and take orders. Someone here was at work when their wife ended up buying a cable they didn't know they didn't need from a tech. First, it wasn't necessary and second I don't think it was appropriate for him to sell it. FYI my tech was a woman and I was shocked and pleased. She knew a lot about the Sammy, computers and video editing. I showed her my "big" workstation. lol.

I'm glad the calibrator will take good care of you. I don't have an issue with the techs either for the most part, just for the record. I do have an issue when a few people here got the total run around, were sold cables like I said and clearly don't know what they are doing by suggesting a screen replacement. Maybe they can check your microwave while they're at it? lol. Try not to take any BS from them or anyone else when you know what's right.

I haven't had mine calibrated yet. I'm looking forward to doing the Velux install first, and get the calibration after the HD/BR DVD. You can check a few pages back and do a search. There were some really good reports and pics on the Velux install. It sounds like getting the Velux cut to the right shapes to properly fit inside is the difficult part.

The screen in the 1080 sets are made up of at least two components but neither could cause pin cushioning. I don't know of any report where a replaced screen has fixed anything. I would be concerned with damage to the screen or cabinet also when removing or re-installing.

I don't think you need to apologize for being picky. People here have spent a lot for these sets and they shouldn't have these issues, its not your fault. At least we know what to look for, look out for and know if there is a new issue that they'll be right back.

HT, computers and baseball? Are you single? j/k. lol.

Heheh, I added that last part as that makes me a good catch in some circles. ;)

You're absoultely right. I am going to have to really watch how I broach the subject with the tech. I'm in IT and I wouldn't like it if someone told me to not replace a bad hard drive and just defrag it instead. I'll give it some thought. They only problem I see is I already asked him if 3 trips out constitute a lemon and he said both things would count as one. I don't want him to think I am shooting for a replacement. I will say I want to see the efffects of the LE first. I'm aware of protecting his ego. :rolleyes:

jameskollar, I wish it was a game. Home opener in the new stadium is Monday. EBay sellers are getting crazy prices for opening day. STL has always been a huge baseball town. This is just an open house to check it all out, sample the concession stands and get excited. Quite a few games are in HD this year and I can't wait.

Grabbing my camera and heading out.

Sounds good, have fun. People here have demanded a replacement and few were able to get one. I think the issue is, what will you accomplish with a replacement? You just want a working set that you know is in good shape. I've said a replacement doesn't guarantee that the replacement won't be worse than the one you have now. I'm on my third 5678. The first set was damaged, the second box was damaged and I refused it and this one was perfect as though I picked it up in Mexico myself. lol. The parts to these are very easy to replace, easier than a computer. I'd take three LEs before I take a replacement that could need something else and waste more of my time. Remember, I'm on my second LE. I hate these service calls but I'll take a Samsung call over a Comsucks one any day. lol.

HT, computers and baseball? Are you single? j/k. lol.

Dibs :D

jameskollar, I wish it was a game. Home opener in the new stadium is Monday. EBay sellers are getting crazy prices for opening day. STL has always been a huge baseball town. This is just an open house to check it all out, sample the concession stands and get excited. Quite a few games are in HD this year and I can't wait.

Comcast is still nogotiating with FSN to carry the Mariners in HD. Looks like the earliest we would get that is in June which just about where the season ends for us. :(

I too am in IT and I completely understand what you're saying. It is soooo easy to be snowed by "experts" if you have no idea what they are talking about. Hopefully you now feel well armed to handle these guys.

PS: I think BVCP has a crush on you. I'm married, I'm not allowed to have a crush. :D :D :D

jameskollar, I wish it was a game. Home opener in the new stadium is Monday. EBay sellers are getting crazy prices for opening day. STL has always been a huge baseball town. This is just an open house to check it all out, sample the concession stands and get excited. Quite a few games are in HD this year and I can't wait.

Grabbing my camera and heading out.

So hopefully the beer was cold and the grass green :D

Wow just reading that post by bberns22 gave me a headache. :) Is is possible to do a simple calibration of a Samsung using one of those calibration discs like AVia and make an improvement or are they a waste of time?

To do what bberns22 did I would need to get a refresher course in electrical engineering from MIT LOL.

I'm a little slow, what does a calibrator do compared to what bberns22 did? I thought it was the same idea but what hardware, software or equipment do they use? I assume they use the same but unless you plan on calibrating twice a year its better to use their service. Plus not everyone has time to learn everything you need to know in order to perform a proper calibration. I guess I hope the calibrator I use has the latest and greatest gear since I'm sure they're all knowledgeable.

I'm a little slow, what does a calibrator do compared to what bberns22 did? I thought it was the same idea but what hardware, software or equipment do they use? I assume they use the same but unless you plan on calibrating twice a year its better to use their service. Plus not everyone has time to learn everything you need to know in order to perform a proper calibration. I guess I hope the calibrator I use has the latest and greatest gear since I'm sure they're all knowledgeable.

I can't answer your first question. But they have thousands of dollars of equiment and meters. Don't HOPE for the best. Research them. Get references. Go to your local area AVS forum and ask around. Send private messages to folks who have used the local calibrator for their review. Check out the calibration thread here in AVS. Find out how many years experience they have, how many Sammy DLPs in general and how many done for your screen size and model. Make sure they are ISF certified. Ask more questions as you become more familiar with what they do and have reasonable expectations for the end result. Ask them if they provide a comprehensive report a couple of days later (most always do, but make sure). Ask if they will come back at no charge if you prefer some setting changed a bit since it is afterall a matter of personal preference. Mine suggested I watch mine for two weeks and call for another visit if needed after that.

One calibration is all that is needed unless something drastic changes.

EDIT: Below is a link to that thread. There's an FAQ located there too.
http://heh.pl/&2NM

Hey all, check out The Viewing Angle (http://americanwired.com/video/theviewingangle.html). It has numerous articles written by Eliab et. al. Here is a quote from AviCals site about The Viewing Angle:

"We will be covering the various aspects of a video calibration and how it pertains to today's line of displays and future designs."

Looks cool and should have some answers to questions about calibration posted in this thread. There is no charge for this site.

Ok, I tried using the VGA input to hook up my Xbox 360 last night and I was very disappointed. First the fact that I have to resize the screen to use al 50" of my HL-R 5078w is a little annoying. Especially when it doesn't fit exactly. That I could have lived with. The real problem was the picture quality. Everything was muted and seemed like it had a gray fog covering it. The difference between component and VGA was night and day. Maybe I have a bad VGA cable? Has anyone else experienced bad quality with the VGA input and Xbox 360?

You'll have to adjust the brightness and contrast but once you set that and the picture size that should be it. My picture is excellent on my 6168 and no lag on the VGA input like the component input. The Xbox 360 is set for 1280x720P output on the VGA.

I have 1800 hours on my HL-R6178W and the left side stripe has just appeared on my set. Called Samsung tonight after checking to forum to see if anyone else has seen this, and apparently plenty have. I also asked Samsung what would happen if this happens with the next light engine, assuming that is the problem, and he said he could not address it, but to call an 873 number and they could help. Has anyone else been given this number and did it help?

Has anyone seen multiple failures with this yet? Tech should be contacting me in the next couple of days to set up a visit. This is the first issue I have had with the set, so I am not upset yet.

I will post what happened after the visit.

Eerret, I think percentage wise very few people have had problems. Of those that posted their issues I'd say less than a handful had the same or new issues after their set was serviced. It looks like I am one of those people now. I have the three white marks that can only be seen in a dark room on a dark image. My LE was replaced and I noticed the problem very briefly, almost immediately but I couldn't replicate it until now. I just grabbed my service invoice and I was going to try and call Samsung tomorrow.

The parts they replace are refurbs. I think they should address the QC issues they have before the new sets ship and with their replacement parts. Most people with an issue have had the set over three months. Good thing its not a ninety day warranty. lol. It seems the LE is the most common part to fail.

You'll have to adjust the brightness and contrast but once you set that and the picture size that should be it. My picture is excellent on my 6168 and no lag on the VGA input like the component input. The Xbox 360 is set for 1280x720P output on the VGA.

I did resize it and play with the brightness and contrast. But it looks like there is a haze covering the screen. I need to try and hook it up to a PC monitor and see if I get the same results. It may be the cable and not the TV.

I did resize it and play with the brightness and contrast. But it looks like there is a haze covering the screen. I need to try and hook it up to a PC monitor and see if I get the same results. It may be the cable and not the TV.
I think that this problem was discussed and solved earlier in this thread ... I just can remember the solution.

I think that this problem was discussed and solved earlier in this thread ... I just can remember the solution.


I haven't been able to find it in the thread.

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.

Mannnnn! I have the HLR5688w as well, I'm getting this same problem now. Exactly the same problem as the pictures posted by Pushstar and Just4kicks. I've only had the TV for a little over a month. Repair Tech came and the TV worked fine throughout the whole time they were here. I felt like an *ss. They said that they can take the TV with them to their shop so they can completely examine it. I was just reluctant to be away from my new TV so soon. The next day the problem came back. I reschedule for repair tech to come back. If i tell them that i read forums as my second job(i don't really read forums often), would they believe me that it needs a new DMD board? Should they have to haul the TV with them to repair such a problem? I'm hoping they would just order that DMD and install it right inside my house. I'd hate for them to dismantle or exchange other parts that might not even be the problem. I guess the my main concern is, for those who has replaced the DMD board, would it go "BAD" again? ...since it is the same design that they replace it with?

Just ordered a Samsung HLR6168W and am awaiting delivery that is scheduled for next week. Have not had a chance to read every one of the posts on this forum but I am hoping that all owners of this TV on this forum have had a positive experience with it. One question I wanted to ask was about the fact that I was able to purchase this TV for $2400. Not that I am complaining, but was just curious if any one had an idea on this drastic drop in pricing?
Thanks.

Just ordered a Samsung HLR6168W and am awaiting delivery that is scheduled for next week. Have not had a chance to read every one of the posts on this forum but I am hoping that all owners of this TV on this forum have had a positive experience with it. One question I wanted to ask was about the fact that I was able to purchase this TV for $2400. Not that I am complaining, but was just curious if any one had an idea on this drastic drop in pricing?
Thanks.
The new 2006 models are just hitting the stores ... you got a close-out price. You might check in the 2006 Samsung DLP thread for more details. But, here is a summary. It looks like the AV sync problem on the HLR models has been fixed on the HLS models. In addition, gaming lag on the HLR models appears to be gone on the HLS models. DNIe can be turned off on the 2006 models. There are many other changes, but those are the most important. If you are a gamer, then you probably should get the 2006 HLS6187W or HLS6188W. Great price by the way!

After another visit from the Tweeter tech, my two issues have been resolved. For whatever reason, Tweeter could not obtain a new light engine or the retrofit lens cap in a timely fashion. So, at their option not mine, they decided to swap out the whole set and restart the warranty. I went through the set last night and have the following observations. First, the hashmarks are still there but only visible in the center of the screen at a ridiculous viewing angle. They are not visible at the top of the screen at all from any angle. Since the pattern in the middle of the screen is not visible under any normal viewing condition, I consider it resolved. Second, this new set has the same light/dark/light profile when the screen is dark and blank. However, it is less pronounced and it does not bleed through the image in a dark room as the last one did. For me, it's really only a curiousity now as to what causes it but since it's no longer noticeable under viewing conditions, I'm satisfied.

Tweeter was excellent in terms of service and support on this. The two techs that visited my house were knowledgeable and helpful. I can now get some hours on my bulb and have the set calibrated and veluxed. Psyche!

Bill

Will_Morr, why put up with anything again, now on a new set? Did you call Samsung or Tweeter for service? I think Tweeter offers in home service but that is different from the Samsung warranty. Of course they couldn't fix it or get the right parts, I think they wasted your time. Its great you have a new set, but only if its perfect, the way it should be. Take it back and get the '06 model or call Samsung and get it fixed the way all of us had to. lol. I wouldn't settle for something that expensive. Get it fixed right.

I had a DV camera serviced at Tweeter I think from their previous extended warranty provider. Tweeter had my cam for six months trying to get Sony parts. Ridiculous. They told me to go elsewhere to get it serviced next time. Thanks. lol.

[I like Tweeter a lot for their sales and support, but their repair department has a lot of room for improvement.]

The new 2006 models are just hitting the stores ... you got a close-out price. You might check in the 2006 Samsung DLP thread for more details. But, here is a summary. It looks like the AV sync problem on the HLR models has been fixed on the HLS models. In addition, gaming lag on the HLR models appears to be gone on the HLS models. DNIe can be turned off on the 2006 models. There are many other changes, but those are the most important. If you are a gamer, then you probably should get the 2006 HLS6187W or HLS6188W. Great price by the way!


Thanks for the info Bill. Kinda disappointed about the new line already coming out as I thought I was on cutting edge :( It was my understanding that the 1080p models just came late last year; apparently not.

Does any one know whether this works? This is from a review of the HLRXXX8W TV on CNET where it states that these steps would turn DNIe off on these TVs. Anyone planning on using these directions should read the review.

1. Enter the service menu by pressing "mute, 1, 8, 2, power" within a second of one another while the TV is turned off.
2. Once in the service menu, use the arrow keys to go to the "DNIe" page and right click.
3. Once in the DNIe page, turn each of the following parameters in the first column to the "OFF" position.

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

Thanks for the info Bill. Kinda disappointed about the new line already coming out as I thought I was on cutting edge :( It was my understanding that the 1080p models just came late last year; apparently not.

Does any one know whether this works? This is from a review of the HLRXXX8W TV on CNET where it states that these steps would turn DNIe off on these TVs. Anyone planning on using these directions should read the review.

1. Enter the service menu by pressing "mute, 1, 8, 2, power" within a second of one another while the TV is turned off.
2. Once in the service menu, use the arrow keys to go to the "DNIe" page and right click.
3. Once in the DNIe page, turn each of the following parameters in the first column to the "OFF" position.

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

There is extensive discussion of this topic in this thread. But, you should be aware of the fact that there is no reset or return to factory settings on the service menu. So you can mess your TV up ... take digital pictures and make sure they are readable of each setting before you change it. That will allow you to return the TV to it's orginal settings if you do not like the results or make a mistake. Be very careful because Samsung tech's can not fix service menu mistakes. There are a few settings that may get you to a place where you can not see the screen to undo them. You might just want to use your set for a few weeks to let the lamp burn-in before spending a lot of time on settings.

I finally got it to work! I don't know where to find the test patterns? I went to Service I think and selected vertical I guess. It had a red 16x9 rectangle. The lines were even left and right but the line was on the black bezel of my 5678 on the bottom. The top was about the same distance as the sides, maybe a little larger. Is that set correctly? Sometimes I get the CC and data underscan on the top, but not always. I can't figure out if it is the STB or set?

Will_Morr, why put up with anything again, now on a new set? Did you call Samsung or Tweeter for service? I think Tweeter offers in home service but that is different from the Samsung warranty. Of course they couldn't fix it or get the right parts, I think they wasted your time. Its great you have a new set, but only if its perfect, the way it should be. Take it back and get the '06 model or call Samsung and get it fixed the way all of us had to. lol. I wouldn't settle for something that expensive. Get it fixed right.

I had a DV camera serviced at Tweeter I think from their previous extended warranty provider. Tweeter had my cam for six months trying to get Sony parts. Ridiculous. They told me to go elsewhere to get it serviced next time. Thanks. lol.

[I like Tweeter a lot for their sales and support, but their repair department has a lot of room for improvement.]


Like I said, it's resolved as far as I'm concerned. Neither problem manifests itself under normal viewing conditions which includes a totally dark room. And, Tweeter was very responsive to my problem. I wouldn't have had a problem waiting for replacement parts but they swapped the TV instead. I guess they're making room for the 2006 models.

Thanks for the info Bill. Kinda disappointed about the new line already coming out as I thought I was on cutting edge :( It was my understanding that the 1080p models just came late last year; apparently not.

Does any one know whether this works? This is from a review of the HLRXXX8W TV on CNET where it states that these steps would turn DNIe off on these TVs. Anyone planning on using these directions should read the review.

1. Enter the service menu by pressing "mute, 1, 8, 2, power" within a second of one another while the TV is turned off.
2. Once in the service menu, use the arrow keys to go to the "DNIe" page and right click.
3. Once in the DNIe page, turn each of the following parameters in the first column to the "OFF" position.

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

That will indeed turn DNIe off. But beware, IMO this should not be done without getting the set ISF calibrated. Turning it off is not particulary dangerous, its just that it makes the picture appear much softer. I really hated the set with it turned off.

However, I have since had my set calibrated by Eliab. DNIe is now off and the picture is spectacular. I have to think that set as it comes from the factory is calibrated to work with DNIe. Turning it off, and only turning it off mucks up the factory calibration and decreases PQ.

Mind you, this is only an opinion. YMMV

BTW: Turning SNI_PROC_BWS may help improve black crush. This is one place where I would change a DNIe setting without an ISF calibration.

Bberns22, I think your post is a little harsh don't you? What information is "untrue" and why haven't you pointed it out at the time?

I'm no expert but I have time to post. lol. My understanding is that each set has unique settings when leaving the factory? If that is the case, and I'm not sure that it is, then those settings won't be recorded anywhere. The SM is not for consumer or end user use. People here are attempting to make adjustments at their own risk.

Its great you found a way to reset the DNIe though. I think getting the manual is useful but I don't think it will help getting the other settings back the way they were. There is no reset option or factory default. Also, I think that is why people have different settings and results after a calibration. If everything was the same and listed in a manual then one calibration could be applied to all sets. Maybe its helpful to know what is "untrue?"

Like much of the information on this thread, this statement is completely untrue. DNIe settings can be reset back to factory defaults by going into the OPTION portion of the service menu and initiating EER Reset. This will reset / clear the EEPROM. All DNIe settings will then be as they were when shipped from the factory for all inputs, digital and dmd. However this will not reset the CCA. Those changes are permanent once you hit WBSPREAD.

Also turning the floating black level and edge enhancement off are the two best tweaks you can make. Color temp, gamma, and color gamut coordinates are relatively close in movie mode.

I would suggest more of you purchase the service manual and do a little research. Any qualified service tech can restore the service menu settings back to their original settings as long as they have the service manual. All settings are listed.

The most dangerous things to play with are Index Delay, Chroma (analog) and maybe the test pattern in GM1601.

bberns22, what are the parameters in the Service Menu for "floating black level and edge enhancement"? Is one of them SNI_PROC_BWS?

Like much of the information on this thread, this statement is completely untrue.No it isn't. You just didn't understand it. :rolleyes:

Like much of the information on this thread, this statement is completely untrue.

Somebody sure got up on the wrong side of the bed. :p Might I remind you that the title for this thread is "Samsung 1080p Owner's Thead --- HLRxxx8W DLP Models." It is not the "Samsung 1080p Technicions Thead --- HLRxxx8W DLP Models" or the "Samsung 1080p Engineers Thead --- HLRxxx8W DLP Models." The intention of this thread is for owners of these models to share their experiences, imperssions, opinions, and information. By the very nature of this thread, there will be statements presented as fact that are incorrect. There will also be some very good and correct information. This community, IMO, does a decent job of self correcting mis-information. In fact, if true, the rest of your post may have been quite useful to some. Hope you didn't get anything wrong in the rest of your post. :D

I would suggest that a better way to approach your subject would have been to say -- "A factory reset is indeed possible with the following caveats..."

Like much of the information on this thread, this statement is completely untrue. DNIe settings can be reset back to factory defaults by going into the OPTION portion of the service menu and initiating EER Reset. This will reset / clear the EEPROM. All DNIe settings will then be as they were when shipped from the factory for all inputs, digital and dmd. However this will not reset the CCA. Those changes are permanent once you hit WBSPREAD.

Also turning the floating black level and edge enhancement off are the two best tweaks you can make. Color temp, gamma, and color gamut coordinates are relatively close in movie mode.

I would suggest more of you purchase the service manual and do a little research. Any qualified service tech can restore the service menu settings back to their original settings as long as they have the service manual. All settings are listed.

The most dangerous things to play with are Index Delay, Chroma (analog) and maybe the test pattern in GM1601.
There is nothing inaccurate in my post ... it was meant as a general caution to a new member about changing settings in the service menu. Just a courtesy that might help them if they have no experience in the service menu. It was not specific to the DNIe parameters listed.

In terms of the accuracy of the thread, I don't think everyone expects every one of the almost 10,000 post to be perfect. Also, remember that many things that we now clearly understand are the result of extensive discussion where many initial posts were in fact in error. By exchanging information and learning we can improve our enjoyment of our TV's.

Just had my set serviced today. The problem with my set was that the one of the HDMI inputs would fire on green (all other colors were gone) and the second HDMI input would display perfectly for 2 seconds then shut down.

The first was obviously a bad HDMI input. The second was caused (to the best of my knowledge) by the set not correctly handshaking the Copy Protection stuff with my Comcast HD cable box. Signal generators used by both the service technician and the all powereful calibrator person (Eliab) worked just fine. They do not require the handshaking. The handshaking is required by the STB and shuts down the signal, the TV does not shut down the signal.

I am happy to report that the service was quick and that all problems have been fixed. This did require a replacement for the digital board. The entire module where the connectors are on the back of the set was replaced. The tech was quite friendly and tested each and every input. In addition, he was willing to wait while I tested each of the inputs with my equipment.

I took digital photos of each of the service menus since I wanted to preserve the calibration settings. Also, I took pictures of the DNIe part of the menu since this according to Eliab (and by my own observation) is input dependant. I can confirm that the digital board that was replaced did have the eeprom on it that stores the settings.

I did lose some of the settings in the DNIe that Eliab made for 480i/p and 720p. But these are not modes I will be using anyway so I really was not bothered by that. I just did not feel like taking the time to capture these modes.

It took about two hours to restore the settings but from what I can tell it is back to it's post calibrated settings. When I see the set in darkenss tonight it will be the true test. I have to admit to be anxious to see if HDMI will improve the PQ over the component cables I was forced to use.

Aside for MoInSTL:

I specifically asked the tech if the screen could cause pincushioning. He did say that it could if the screen was bowed inwards. He also said that they do have some problems with this since the fresnel lens used in the screen is made of plastic and its shape can be distorted by gravity. While this is true, I didn't see how that could be that big of a factor on a 50" screen. Its not that heavy and it is well supported on all four sides.

That said, after the tech left, I got out my trusty plastic 3' level, placed it vertically agianst the screen and ran it gently in the horizontal against the surface of the screen. The left and right outer edges were flat against the level. Much to my chagrin, as I moved the level towards the center of the screen, it began to bow in (evenly on both sides of the screen) until the center point of the screen had a 1/2" seperation from the level.

I really do not know if this indeed is the cause, adds to, or is not a part of the pincushion effect. A better test would be to see if the fresnel lense behind the screen is bowed but I'm not taking apart my set to to that. :D

I have to take back what I said before. I really do not know if the screen is contributing to your pincushion. :(

I have 1800 hours on my HL-R6178W and the left side stripe has just appeared on my set. Called Samsung tonight after checking to forum to see if anyone else has seen this, and apparently plenty have. I also asked Samsung what would happen if this happens with the next light engine, assuming that is the problem, and he said he could not address it, but to call an 873 number and they could help. Has anyone else been given this number and did it help?

Has anyone seen multiple failures with this yet? Tech should be contacting me in the next couple of days to set up a visit. This is the first issue I have had with the set, so I am not upset yet.

I will post what happened after the visit.

My HL-R6168W still hasn't displayed the left side stripe. However, I have no doubt that it will given enough time. For some people, less than 1000 hours was enough. In your case, it took 1800 hours. You can assume safely that the next light engine will be susceptible to the same problem. In another 1000 hours or so, you should have the same problem. Until Samsung ackonwledges this problem and provides assurances that they indeed came up with a fix in refurbished light engines that they are installing as replacements, it would be prudent to assume that the left vertical stripe is the bane of HL-Rxxx8 existence.

There was one post a while back describing how disassembling and reassembling the light engine took care of the left vertical stripe. The tech that did it was apparently knowledgeable about LEs and was able to disassemble it. It's almost as if something came loose inside the engine leading to the left vertical stripe. However, in all other cases, LEs were promptly replaced with refurbished LEs that techs brought with them. This approach indeed took care of the left vertical stipe for the time being.

I should perhaps point out that in many cases where a replacement engine was installed, owners complained that the picture quality was not as good as with the original engine. Some people even recommended holding on to the old engine until you are certain you like the new set-up. If you are very picky about PQ, the problems you might perceive after swapping LEs could drive you crazy.

IMO, the left vertical stripe is a very serious problem with these sets, and it should probably have a separate thread. There are about 20 different posts in this thread documenting the left vertical stripe problem that should probably be pointed out in the new separate thread (assuming someone has the time to do it).

As mentioned before, I recently purchased a HLR6168W online and am awaiting it's delivery. Though I do not even have the set, I already find myself looking for ways to shut down the DNIe feature on the set. This is mostly based on the reviews I have read on this forum and on sites like CNET. Question I have is why a feature taunted by the Samsung as a something that "makes the sharpest and clearest images possible" is the feature everyone is looking to turn off?

Question I have is why a feature taunted by the Samsung as a something that "makes the sharpest and clearest images possible" is the feature everyone is looking to turn off?Samsung is selling TVs and you will be watching your TV.

Has anyone had experience with having to change a color wheel? Is it easily done? Do you have to change the entire LE? Does the service person have to be "real good"? I love my picture, BUT the thing is humming/buzzing and it drives me nuts! When you I turn off the set, I can hear the wheel slow down to inaudible. Should you be able to hear it at all? When I first got the set (4 months ago), I do not remember hearing ANY noise. I live in a small town and I am wary of having a local Yahoo open the back of my set.

HLR6178

Has anyone had experience with having to change a color wheel?There should be some who have had it done. There were many more in the early years (HLM, HLN).

Is it easily done?It's probably fairly easy for a tech who has done a few.

Do you have to change the entire LE?No, but sometimes they do.

Does the service person have to be "real good"?Just competent. In the past some inexperienced techs have forgotten to sync the color wheel with the DMD. You wind up with bad PQ and another service call.

... the thing is humming/buzzing and it drives me nuts!At some point it will probably fail. I would get it fixed as early in your warranty as possible.

Bberns22, I think your post is a little harsh don't you? What information is "untrue" and why haven't you pointed it out at the time?

I'm no expert but I have time to post. lol. My understanding is that each set has unique settings when leaving the factory? If that is the case, and I'm not sure that it is, then those settings won't be recorded anywhere. The SM is not for consumer or end user use. People here are attempting to make adjustments at their own risk.

Its great you found a way to reset the DNIe though. I think getting the manual is useful but I don't think it will help getting the other settings back the way they were. There is no reset option or factory default. Also, I think that is why people have different settings and results after a calibration. If everything was the same and listed in a manual then one calibration could be applied to all sets. Maybe its helpful to know what is "untrue?"

He did say the CCA was not documented, which is where most of the color info is I think.

Even index delay is not that big a deal once you get the hang of it. Recording your settings first, and then tweaking it a bit one way or the other watching the colors carefully, can be done by eye.

Like everything in life you probably should only adjust one parameter at a time, and make a recording of every value before and after changing a setting. I especially like the idea of using a camera first, and one should probably ensure they have a printout and possibly multiple copies of the image before entering the SM.

I know first hand about not recording my settings before hand. I had the set calibrated and there were a few settings that did not work right. Luckily I was able to figure out which ones they were and tweak one at a time until I got the set exactly the way I wanted it.

Has anyone had experience with having to change a color wheel? Is it easily done? Do you have to change the entire LE? Does the service person have to be "real good"? I love my picture, BUT the thing is humming/buzzing and it drives me nuts! When you I turn off the set, I can hear the wheel slow down to inaudible. Should you be able to hear it at all? When I first got the set (4 months ago), I do not remember hearing ANY noise. I live in a small town and I am wary of having a local Yahoo open the back of my set.

HLR6178

I had the color wheel replaced on my HLP TV and it was quite an experience. You don't have to have the entire light engine replaced, however it is a lot of work to get the wheel out. The Tweeter tech was very competent, however they sent him out with a bad part, so he put my original part back in and made another service call later. The tech spun the wheel by hand to check out to see if it was any good. I figure that they used a rebuilt unit.

Each color wheel is unique and the tech has to enter 3 different numbers in the service menu that correspond to the wheel. The whole process took about an hour.

After my color wheel experience, my digital board went bad, unrelated to the color wheel, and Tweeter replaced my set for three service calls in a month.

Ccouper, I don't see why you quoted my post? I think most of what you discussed has already been mentioned? I don't mind it. I was more concerned that he said much of this thread is untrue. I haven't seen an apology or know what information he claims is untrue? I'd like to know what he's referring to. lol.

So I've been out of the Sammy DLP scene for awhile. Still enjoying my HLM-507W. (the one that started it all)

Anyway, what is the consensus on the 14,400 RPM 5 color wheel? I guess that's Brilliant Color on steroids? And the 1080P chips are still wobulated? And do they take 1080P through the HDMI port?

Anything coming down the pike to wait for? I'm thinking about getting a 61" or 71" 1080P model.
Thanks!

I am getting 8 sets of vertical black lines on the right half of the screen. Any idea what this is? I will be calling SAMSUNG shortly since this is <1 year old HLR5688W.

Thanks.

Hi Ken,

Nice to hear from you again.


Anyway, what is the consensus on the 14,400 RPM 5 color wheel?Maybe wait and see. I'm not sure.

And the 1080P chips are still wobulated?Very much so.

And do they take 1080P through the HDMI port?As far as we know they will but I haven't seen anything about fps yet. There will be 10 bit processing in the higher end sets.

Anything coming down the pike to wait for? I'm thinking about getting a 61" or 71" 1080P model.Samsung will have a 56" LED DLP set this year -- the HL-S5679. It got some good reviews at CES and should be available in a few weeks.

Mitsubishi has a prototype laser DLP that they have been showing. Sony also has a "thin" SRXD prototype. They "may" have new SXRD chips in their 2006 XBR-2 SXRD sets at 60" and ~70".

SED is, of course, no where to be seen.

I keep reading about the new series of Sammy's coming out in the very near future. I just spent almost three grand on a HL-R6168W after several years with my current CRT and am planning on not upgrading for a while. I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with buyers remorse this early in the prcess where the TV has not even arrived. How badly am I SOL or would this TV handle all inputs for the forseable future? :confused:

I keep reading about the new series of Sammy's coming out in the very near future. I just spent almost three grand on a HL-R6168W after several years with my current CRT and am planning on not upgrading for a while. I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with buyers remorse this early in the prcess where the TV has not even arrived. How badly am I SOL or would this TV handle all inputs for the forseable future? :confused:
Samsung brings out the new models in the spring / summer of the year. So ... if you are buying an HLR right now you are picking it up at the end of the model year. If you are buying it locally with a 30 day satisfaction guarrantee, then you probably can swap it for the 2006 model. But, if you can't exchange it, don't worry about it. Early reports seem to be pointing toward no picture quality improvement in the 2006 HLS over the 2005 HLR. In terms of inputs, the HLR series has all of the inputs. The one change is that he HDMI inputs on the 2006 models can accept 1080p vs the 1080i limitation on the HLR models.

Well ... it looks like people are picking up HD DVD players. For more information, go to the new HD DVD forum area. Netflix has five titles and has created a new category called HD DVD. You can enable HD DVD on your netflix account and order your HD DVD titles.

If anyone picks up one of these new players, please give us your impressions of PQ on the HLRxxx8W. HD DVD players have 1080i output over HDMI. I'm evaluating what I am going to do ... I am tempted to wait a few weeks and see if prices drop and if there are more titles showing up on Netflix.

Here is a link that was posted comparing an HD transfer of LOTR to SD DVD ... interesting: http://www.cornbread.org/FOTRCompare/index.html

I think this sample is broadcast, but HD DVD should even be better.

Bberns22, are you saying that all of the sets have the same factory calibration settings? I didn't think that was the case? I thought people need to be careful not to mess around with the SM? I think you're saying that the Smanual lists all of the settings and that anyone with a Smanual can return anyone's set back to the factory settings? That means people here don't need to write down or take pictures of their settings.

I don't understand that, I think it would mean that the LED sets would all have the same professional calibration settings?

My HL-R6168W still hasn't displayed the left side stripe. However, I have no doubt that it will given enough time. For some people, less than 1000 hours was enough. In your case, it took 1800 hours. You can assume safely that the next light engine will be susceptible to the same problem. In another 1000 hours or so, you should have the same problem. Until Samsung ackonwledges this problem and provides assurances that they indeed came up with a fix in refurbished light engines that they are installing as replacements, it would be prudent to assume that the left vertical stripe is the bane of HL-Rxxx8 existence.

There was one post a while back describing how disassembling and reassembling the light engine took care of the left vertical stripe. The tech that did it was apparently knowledgeable about LEs and was able to disassemble it. It's almost as if something came loose inside the engine leading to the left vertical stripe. However, in all other cases, LEs were promptly replaced with refurbished LEs that techs brought with them. This approach indeed took care of the left vertical stipe for the time being.

I should perhaps point out that in many cases where a replacement engine was installed, owners complained that the picture quality was not as good as with the original engine. Some people even recommended holding on to the old engine until you are certain you like the new set-up. If you are very picky about PQ, the problems you might perceive after swapping LEs could drive you crazy.

IMO, the left vertical stripe is a very serious problem with these sets, and it should probably have a separate thread. There are about 20 different posts in this thread documenting the left vertical stripe problem that should probably be pointed out in the new separate thread (assuming someone has the time to do it).

This is a serious problem that is apparently becoming more prevalent as owners build up hours on their sets. I just had my LE replaced to correct this problem on my 6168. I had about 2000 hours of usage on it. The technician recognized the problem and said he has seen this before. He called his district manager and he told me they were going to report this to Samsung in Korea to determine if the replacement LEs they are now installing have a definitive fix for this or whether this is likely to happen again in another 2000 hours. The technician promised to report back to me in a week or two when he hears back from HQ. I will post an updates as soon as I get them.

Rick

Samsung brings out the new models in the spring / summer of the year. So ... if you are buying an HLR right now you are picking it up at the end of the model year......... Early reports seem to be pointing toward no picture quality improvement in the 2006 HLS over the 2005 HLR.

Time will tell. The HL-S5679W model using 3 sets of 6 LED lamps in as may colors to replace the problem plagued single bulb and the color wheel which will eliminate the rainbow effect some see.
Look for it to approach 4k though.

I am, or was, shopping really hard for a 56" Samsung DLP. I have been a month or so looking at every Samsung thread I can find and googling the heck out of it and there is just too many reports of lamp and screen problems for me to dive in just yet.
But on the other hand I may be a first generation victim of the LED versions. :oe

Bberns22, you said "I would suggest more of you purchase the service manual and do a little research. Any qualified service tech can restore the service menu settings back to their original settings as long as they have the service manual. All settings are listed." I didn't take that to refer to DNIe since you can reset it without the manual. I take it that this statement is untrue. Oh, and everyone here accepts your apology. lol.

I am getting 8 sets of vertical black lines on the right half of the screen. Any idea what this is? I will be calling SAMSUNG shortly since this is <1 year old HLR5688W.

Thanks.

I have the service manual for the 5688 and it says to replace the DMD board for pretty much any regular vertical or horizontal line pattern. And it says the tech should check the following items after a DMD board is replaced: Actuator Gain and Tilt Focus. Hope that helps.

Ccouper, I don't see why you quoted my post? I think most of what you discussed has already been mentioned? I don't mind it. I was more concerned that he said much of this thread is untrue. I haven't seen an apology or know what information he claims is untrue? I'd like to know what he's referring to. lol.
I am not sure he was being specific, but he could be just the typical muck raker stirring the pot.

I sort of took it as a general comment about forums of this type. There is a lot of good in these forums, but like the internet, there is a lot of miss information too. Thats why most people need to read the entire thread (a daunting tasking with this thread) because there are many posts in here that are not correct, and a few posters that have knowingly or unknowingly posted missinformation.

Most people will quickly realize whos post are quality, and whose may be suspect. I certainly won't start a list of those here :D

Different than many posts that just zing out negative comments, his at least provided some useful info, but as UCSB pointed out, could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

I think this thread is so saturated with comments about using the SM and warnings accordingly, we have that covered by now.

Bberns22, ok, so all of your recent posts only refer to DNIe. I didn't get that impression but maybe I'm the only one? lol. Next time consider offering new, useful information that people here don't have instead of inferring that much of the information on this thread is untrue. lol. I think that clears the air. lol.

On the thought of resetting the SM, does anyone know what the factory settings for sub-brightness & sub-contrast are?

Time will tell. The HL-S5679W model using 3 sets of 6 LED lamps in as may colors to replace the problem plagued single bulb and the color wheel which will eliminate the rainbow effect some see.
Look for it to approach 4k though.

I am, or was, shopping really hard for a 56" Samsung DLP. I have been a month or so looking at every Samsung thread I can find and googling the heck out of it and there is just too many reports of lamp and screen problems for me to dive in just yet.
But on the other hand I may be a first generation victim of the LED versions. :oe
I agree the picture quality on the LED based 5679 will probably be qualitatively different than the current HLR models. What I should have said is that early reports have the picture quality of the LAMP based HLS (2006) models as similar to the HLR models.

Don't forget to mop up tonight.

Bberns22, ok, so all of your recent posts only refer to DNIe. I didn't get that impression but maybe I'm the only one? lol. Next time consider offering new, useful information that people here don't have instead of inferring that much of the information on this thread is untrue. lol. I think that clears the air. lol.

I have a question about my HLR6168W and the new Tohsiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player. I remember hearing that my TV does not do 2:3 pulldown on 1080i source material only 480i. If the HD-DVD player does not properly perform de-interlacing can an outboard scaler/de-interlacer or can a player equiped with 2:3 pulldown be just as effective? thanks

I have the service manual for the 5688 and it says to replace the DMD board for pretty much any regular vertical or horizontal line pattern. And it says the tech should check the following items after a DMD board is replaced: Actuator Gain and Tilt Focus. Hope that helps.

Thank for the info. When I turned on the TV this morning the pattern was gone. Something tells me this is not going away by itself. I'm glad I got the 5 year warrenty :)

Quick question. On the HLR-5668w in the setup menu should I have "DNR" (not Dnie) on or off? If it's on will that produce a softer picture? Also what is the best setting for "black level"? Thanks for the help.

In terms of inputs, the HLR series has all of the inputs. The one change is that he HDMI inputs on the 2006 models can accept 1080p vs the 1080i limitation on the HLR models.

What do you mean? Are you saying on the current model you can not get 1080p over the HDMI input? If this is true then how do you get 1080p content on the tv? THe reason I ask is because I wanted to get the 50 inch 2005 model for the PlayStation 3 and I know that in order to get 1080p with that system you have to go through HDMI cables. Please let me know.

Andrew

The current sets only allow 1080P over the VGA input. The HDMI input is limited to 1080i as were the majority of sets sold last year. The new sets will allow 1080P over the HDMI. But my calibrated 6168 provides an excellent picture. I can't wait to connect the HD DVD player later this year. I'll still connect the PS3 just not at a 1080P resolution, unless it has a vga output.

JesusisGod, you can go VGA to DVI so I would think you could go HDMI to VGA? That would be interesting. Are you sure you can only get 1080 on HDMI and not VGA?

Hi Ken,

Nice to hear from you again.


...

Hi Ht!

Thanks for the info. These threads are too monstrous to do from scratch.

Sounds like the Laser is too far off and the SED is going to be too small as is the LED.

That makes my short list:

Panasonic 65" 1080P Plasma (I saw this at CES- suhweet)
Sammy HLS BC sets 61" +
Brillian 65" 1080P LCOS

Just got an email that my HD-DVD player is ready for pickup this morning, so 1080P input will be a key feature.

Any other suggestions on my short list? I'm hoping HP will come out with a new DLP model, but I don't hear any buzz.

Thanks!
Ken

Ken,

The Samsung 1080p sets would be at the top of my list if you can manage lip sync and calibrate them. Their OTB setup is pretty horrible and the lip sync can be horrible as well. The Panasonic would be a close second pick.

Thanks Jeff,

I was hoping you would chime in. My problem with Samsung is that they looked pretty bad as CES. Motion artifacts were everywhere on the demo material. The HP set looked much much better, but it was being driven with HD-DVD (or BD)

I have fine control over audio delay with my Anthem D1 as long as its not a moving target. Also, I'm not as sensitive as some to perfect lip synch.

My biggies are no banding and no blocking or breakup during motion - and of course perfect color. ;)

I want to drive my display over HDMI at 1080P from my Gennum based scaler.

Of course we have to see, but I feel like BC may turn out to be a big hit. Calibration will be even more important than RGB only, but I've seen promising demos and think I understand the mathematical benefits.

My main concern is if the CW, processor, and DMD's can process all the data fast enough.

You haven't seen one of the new BC Sammy's have you?

Ken

I am not certain of all of the exact 1080p models I have worked on, but I can tell you that after calibration they are fabulous. The level of artifacts are some of the least on the market and the color accuracy is phenomenal. I was personally stunned at how noise free the image can be on these sets. I suspect they are using 12 bit processing like a few of the front projectors I have worked on. Without calibration they tend to be pretty horrible.

JesusisGod, you can go VGA to DVI so I would think you could go HDMI to VGA? That would be interesting. Are you sure you can only get 1080 on HDMI and not VGA?

From all the interviews I have read with SOny reps they all seem to point to the delay of the PS3 to the fact of the non unified standard on 1080p output copy protection. Either it will only be over HDMI or both. But from the past interviews I read it seemed to be only over HDMI. Now this could be just for movie playback @ 1080p and games might be 1080p over component but that is just a wild guess at this moment.

Here is one of the articles I was talking about:

http://www.ps3blog.net/2006/03/29/hdmi-13-fud/

HDMI 1.3 FUD

FUD = Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt

It’s something that Microsoft has traditionally been good at. Have a cool product? So Microsoft announces that someday sometime they might make something similar. Then your sales tank. Doh!

Well, there seems to be a bit of FUD going around right now, and I don’t know if it’s from Sony haters or what. But it’s crazy. Like this headline from CD Freaks - “PS3 needs HDMI 1.3 enabled TVs for HD resolution?”. That’s just absurd. Let’s set the record straight.

HDMI 1.3 would only be needed for digitally transporting a DD+, DD TrueHD, or DTS HD audio stream from a BD movie. It will not be required for anything else. So if you have ANY HDTV with HDMI, rest assured that the display will be able to talk to your new PS3. You’ll get the best video your display is capable of.

What about 1080p? Again, HDMI 1.3 is not needed for transporting 1080p signals. Even HDMI 1.0 could handle 1080p. The problem was always the electronics manufacturers who didn’t want to bother upgrading the electronics to be able to handle it.

CD Freaks.com - PS3 needs HDMI 1.3 enabled TVs for HD resolution?

PS You can get really nice HDMI cables at MonoPrice for a very reasonable cost. I just received mine in the mail yesterday. A 6′ HDMI-DVI cable for $15US. Nice.

But like I said, all signs seem to point to HDMI 1080p only. :(

I was going to buy the 2005 50inch model but no way now. The point of me upgrading my 30inch HDTV is for the 1080p on PS3 and there is no way I am spending $2000 (the price just dropped on Amazon and tigerdirect) and not getting that feature. I guess I will wait for the HL-S5087W to drop in price now. That is going to take like 9 months. That's a long time. lol

Any other suggestions on my short list? I'm hoping HP will come out with a new DLP model, but I don't hear any buzz.
As for HP, I think they are too busy getting their USB user installed firmware updates to work.

You might want to look at the the 70" Sony XBR-2 due out this fall. It's expected to have detachable speakers and be a Qualia for the rest of us. UMR knows a lot more about it than I do.

I may be in for upgrade fever this time next year, or the year after. :rolleyes:

Ken,

The Samsung 1080p sets would be at the top of my list if you can manage lip sync and calibrate them. Their OTB setup is pretty horrible and the lip sync can be horrible as well. Samsung says that they have solved the lip sync problem at CES every year. Maybe this is the year.

Ok, I tried using the VGA input to hook up my Xbox 360 last night and I was very disappointed. First the fact that I have to resize the screen to use al 50" of my HL-R 5078w is a little annoying. Especially when it doesn't fit exactly. That I could have lived with. The real problem was the picture quality. Everything was muted and seemed like it had a gray fog covering it. The difference between component and VGA was night and day. Maybe I have a bad VGA cable? Has anyone else experienced bad quality with the VGA input and Xbox 360?

I used a different VGA cable with the same results. I've played with the contrast and brightness but it doesn't get any better. The color is just muted. It's like there is a haze over everything. And with text, like in the G.R.A.W. menu, you can see the rainbow effect easily on the edges of the letters. It almost seems like the colors are being separated. My PC looks fine via VGA so why does the 360 look so bad? I really need help with this issue. Thanks.

Wiggin78, I wonder if the color, contrast and brightness are off? I would start there. Have you run a program to set them? INHD has a good test.

Aside for MoInSTL:

I specifically asked the tech if the screen could cause pincushioning. He did say that it could if the screen was bowed inwards. He also said that they do have some problems with this since the fresnel lens used in the screen is made of plastic and its shape can be distorted by gravity. While this is true, I didn't see how that could be that big of a factor on a 50" screen. Its not that heavy and it is well supported on all four sides.

I have to take back what I said before. I really do not know if the screen is contributing to your pincushion. :(

Well, darn. I called and said to cancel the order on the screens and just bring the LE for the dark 6" wide vertical stripe. The tech is going to NJ for a Samsung training most likely in advance of fhe new sets My appt is not until May 1st. So until then I have nothing else to report. But thanks for the info & update.

Wiggin78, I wonder if the color, contrast and brightness are off? I would start there. Have you run a program to set them? INHD has a good test.

I've played with them and it doesn't make any real difference. Plus, why would my PC look great and the 360 look like crap through the same vga port?

Something's not right? The PC might not have the right PQ settings, but it might still look right. Do you have a photo or something to test? Have you used a test pattern on the set? I would start there. It might not be the cable but I don't think you've isolated the PC, 360 or the set either? Are there settings on the 360 to look at for resolution, output or anything?

Well, darn. I called and said to cancel the order on the screens and just bring the LE for the dark 6" wide vertical stripe. The tech is going to NJ for a Samsung training most likely in advance of fhe new sets My appt is not until May 1st. So until then I have nothing else to report. But thanks for the info & update.

I truly hope that the new LE will fix all the problems with your set. No matter what, you do need a new LE. As far as the screen goes, even though I reported a 1/2 inch deviation, the picture is still sharp and the pincushion effect is not that noticable. You really need to have a straight edge to see it. You might want to perform the same test I did. If your screen has more than a 1/2 inch deviation at center, then that could very well be part of the problem.

I am thinking that since the picture on my set is in focus even with the deviation, that this may be the way the screens are designed. Just a guess. Anyway, best of luck. Be sure to report back after May 1st. :)

Something's not right? The PC might not have the right PQ settings, but it might still look right. Do you have a photo or something to test? Have you used a test pattern on the set? I would start there. It might not be the cable but I don't think you've isolated the PC, 360 or the set either? Are there settings on the 360 to look at for resolution, output or anything?

Other forums I have been checking all point to the 360 as the problem. Excess brightness causes the washed out effect VGA users are seeing. But if you turn the brightness down on the TV it only darkens everything and it still is washed out. This seems to be a big issue with about half of VGA users. Here is a comparison of the difference between Component and VGA. This was taken by another poster having the same issue but it is exactly what I'm experiencing.

http://img217.imageshack.us/my.php?image=example6km.jpg

Are there any adjustments you can make in the 360 or does the game have options? I have no idea but the games do for a PC? That's not right. Also aren't only some games made for the 360? Is this a new game or an old one?

Originally Posted by bcvp
Something's not right? The PC might not have the right PQ settings, but it might still look right. Do you have a photo or something to test? Have you used a test pattern on the set? I would start there. It might not be the cable but I don't think you've isolated the PC, 360 or the set either? Are there settings on the 360 to look at for resolution, output or anything?
It looks like the DNIe is turned off on the VGA input.

I have connected my computer to HLR6168 via VGA cable. The problem is that I get strong yellow tint when I try to display digital photos on it. I was working file till 2 months ago. What could be the problem? I am using 15 feet vga to vga cable.

I tried to correct and reset the color and gamma settings on the video card with no sucess. Will DVI to HDMI cable help as I have Leadtek 6800LE videocard with DVI output.

What is better -- VGA to VGA or DVI to HDMI in my situation.

Any help is appriciated.

Any Twin Cities HLRxxx8W owners out there? I'm curious if anyone has had their set calibrated (or serviced for that matter), and who they would recommend. Do the aforementioned calibrators on this site travel, or can they refer someone locally in Minneapolis? I purchased from Magnolia/Best Buy and am looking to build my phone number list when and if my prized set should fail me.

The big question: Does calibration of these sets help eliminate macroblocking/pixelization during high speed/quick transition/closeups on HD programs? Or is that ALL source related?

I appreciate any help!

This question may have been asked before but I just got my HLR6168 and was wondering if the PQ would be better with a upconvert DVD Player as opposed to the TV itself upconverting the signal from a standard DVD player. If there is, any recommendation on a upconverting DVD recoder with hard drive built in.
Thanks.

This question may have been asked before but I just got my HLR6168 and was wondering if the PQ would be better with an upconverting DVD Player as compared to the TV itself upconverting the signal from a regualr DVD player. If there is, any recommendation on a upconverting DVD recoder with hard drive (DVR) built in.
Thanks.

Gondalguru, the set will only take a VGA PC signal. It sounds like the 360 problem? I would check the color settings on the set first before playing with the PC. If the cable worked before then it should be fine. I too have a fifteen foot. You might go back to the desktop and see how it looks. A picture is a good test but only if you are sure it was properly white balanced first. You might connect your camera directly to the set?

Other forums I have been checking all point to the 360 as the problem. Excess brightness causes the washed out effect VGA users are seeing. But if you turn the brightness down on the TV it only darkens everything and it still is washed out. This seems to be a big issue with about half of VGA users. Here is a comparison of the difference between Component and VGA. This was taken by another poster having the same issue but it is exactly what I'm experiencing.




i also have this problem. i would like no-lag 360 gaming, but the picture quality is unacceptable using the vga input.

Gondalguru, the set will only take a VGA PC signal. It sounds like the 360 problem? I would check the color settings on the set first before playing with the PC. If the cable worked before then it should be fine. I too have a fifteen foot. You might go back to the desktop and see how it looks. A picture is a good test but only if you are sure it was properly white balanced first. You might connect your camera directly to the set?

You might want to try to hook the xbox up to a computer monitor. I don't know what the 360 connector looks like, but some monitor cords unplug on both the monitor and the computer. That's what I would do. Then you could tell if it is still washed out etc.

My HL-R6168W still hasn't displayed the left side stripe. However, I have no doubt that it will given enough time. For some people, less than 1000 hours was enough. In your case, it took 1800 hours. You can assume safely that the next light engine will be susceptible to the same problem. In another 1000 hours or so, you should have the same problem. Until Samsung ackonwledges this problem and provides assurances that they indeed came up with a fix in refurbished light engines that they are installing as replacements, it would be prudent to assume that the left vertical stripe is the bane of HL-Rxxx8 existence.

There was one post a while back describing how disassembling and reassembling the light engine took care of the left vertical stripe. The tech that did it was apparently knowledgeable about LEs and was able to disassemble it. It's almost as if something came loose inside the engine leading to the left vertical stripe. However, in all other cases, LEs were promptly replaced with refurbished LEs that techs brought with them. This approach indeed took care of the left vertical stipe for the time being.

I should perhaps point out that in many cases where a replacement engine was installed, owners complained that the picture quality was not as good as with the original engine. Some people even recommended holding on to the old engine until you are certain you like the new set-up. If you are very picky about PQ, the problems you might perceive after swapping LEs could drive you crazy.

IMO, the left vertical stripe is a very serious problem with these sets, and it should probably have a separate thread. There are about 20 different posts in this thread documenting the left vertical stripe problem that should probably be pointed out in the new separate thread (assuming someone has the time to do it).

Well tonight this left side strip started appearing on my hlr6168. I'm going to have to call them tomorrow to get a service call.

It would be helpful to know what the cause of it is and what fixes it.

I called this morning. First thing they had me do was unplug the tv and hit the power button 15-20 times. Obviously it is still there. So they called the local service guy and left a message with my info to call me in 2-3 business days to setup a service call. I asked about what happens when they replace the lightengine and if it comes back, is there a seperate warrenty for the parts that they install and if it comes back out of my warrenty will the warrenty be extended. He couldn't answer and said that was a decision for the executive customer service team. Hopefully I can get a weekend service call so I don't have to take off work. I'll ask the service guy if he's seen it before and if he knows any other information about it when they do my call. I have a ticket thats been assigned to Affordable Electronic Services in Austin, TX. Anyone from Austin have experience with these folks?

Hi guys,

I have a quick question, and I apologize if this has been asked before (a cursory search didn't yield anything relevant).

I have a HLR 6168, and am having a problem connecting my digital camera to it. I'm using the supplied video cable (for a Canon Powershot G5, FWIW), and am trying to use any AV input on the TV. I keep getting a "Weak signal/connection)" message. I a DVD player connected via HDMI and a PS2 connected via component with no problem.

Any suggestions?

thanks

-c

Hi guys,

I have a quick question, and I apologize if this has been asked before (a cursory search didn't yield anything relevant).

I have a HLR 6168, and am having a problem connecting my digital camera to it. I'm using the supplied video cable (for a Canon Powershot G5, FWIW), and am trying to use any AV input on the TV. I keep getting a "Weak signal/connection)" message. I a DVD player connected via HDMI and a PS2 connected via component with no problem.

Any suggestions?

thanks

-c
Turn your camera on, display picture on camera. Check your owners manual.

Backup option. Write pictures to CD and use your DVD player ... or just use your computer monitor instead of the TV because the SD signal will not look very good on TV.

Assuming the camera is setup correctly, check the cable to the TV. With the camera on and setup, twist the cable plug connected to the TV. If that doesn't work take the cable out a little from the TV and plug it back in. You'll see a signal. Make sure you have the right input selected. Set the blue background on the TV off so you can see a signal. If you still don't get anything then I would check the cable or camera.

Well I guess all the worry about accepting a 1080P signal from the new HD DVD players was for nothing. The new Toshiba player says it outputs at 1080I.

Well I guess all the worry about accepting a 1080P signal from the new HD DVD players was for nothing. The new Toshiba player says it outputs at 1080I.

Yes and no. HD DVD is only 1080i. However, Blu Ray will do both 1080i and 1080p.

Well my lamp just hit the 3500th hour of use since Aug 05.Ever since I've owned TV's they run all the time and in 30 years have never had problem with any of em.Im a believer that TV's turn off and on all the time weakens them.lol

I agree. I used to keep my old CRTs on a unused video input whenever I didn't want to watch tv.

Yes and no. HD DVD is only 1080i. However, Blu Ray will do both 1080i and 1080p.I don't think we know the resolution of the source data on Bluray disks. If the Bluray disks store movies in 1080p then that might make a difference.

I don't think we know the resolution of the source data on Bluray disks. If the Bluray disks store movies in 1080p then that might make a difference.

Resolution or frame rate? I think you're talking about framerate. In any event, most source material at this time will be either 24 fps or 30 fps (film vs broadcast). It s a given that all HD meaterial will be broadcast at 1080i for the forseable future via cable, satellite and OTA. That said, 1080p on blu ray allows the originator of the material to deinterlace the picture resulting in a technically (noticable?) PQ improvement. The source will still be at 24 or 30fps, but deinteralaced at the source. It is my guess that there will be some 1080p/60 content, it just won't be mainstream.

Resolution or frame rate?Thanks. :)

I think I'll wait about a year before I try to get less confused. :rolleyes:

Yes and no. HD DVD is only 1080i. However, Blu Ray will do both 1080i and 1080p.

Actually HD-DVD is 1080p. In fact, the current releases are in 1080p.
The current hardware is only 1080i but that can change.

Well if the Sammy converts it to 1080P then whats the difference in PQ?

The theory is to convert it only once or not at all. The new Sammy inputs 1080p. Since these current models don't I guess that could be an issue. 1080p-1080i-1080p vs. 1080p-1080p.

Can someone let me know if the HLR 5087w or the HLR 5688w still good sets by today standards ( the new dlps released this year)

IMO, the Sammy is still the best out there since it is the only one that takes a 1080 PC input. That will probably be a bigger issue when people upgrade their old computers. The new line of sets, on their own thread, is a big improvement but I heard that line costs $1k more. It's more expensive but its probably worth it.

UCSB,
Since we have Bluray around the corner, I am curious about the HLR sets only accepting 1080i over the HDMI inputs.

Do you think it might be possible to upgrade the HDMI ports to the newer 1.3 spec and have the set accept 1080P or would we be looking at replacing the entire digital board to achieve this?

Also what happens if you send a 1080P signal over HDMI to the sets HDMI input, would it just convert to 1080i then to 1080P internally or would it not recognize it at all?

UCSB,
Since we have Bluray around the corner, I am curious about the HLR sets only accepting 1080i over the HDMI inputs.

Do you think it might be possible to upgrade the HDMI ports to the newer 1.3 spec and have the set accept 1080P or would we be looking at replacing the entire digital board to achieve this?

Also what happens if you send a 1080P signal over HDMI to the sets HDMI input, would it just convert to 1080i then to 1080P internally or would it not recognize it at all?

I do not believe that there is any way possible to upgrade the HDMI port. The chips that accept the HDMI signal have code built into them, it's not a software upgrade. I also don't think that just replacing the digital board would do it either. Timings and processing all has to coordinate within multiple systems in the set.

As I understand it most of the HD players will output both 1080i & p (this is what the HDMI handshake is about - the two devices talking and coming to agreement on how they should communicate). Also as I understand it, discerning the difference between 1080i and 1080p output to the sets will be difficult at least for film shot at 24 frames per second. When and if we have capture at 1080p the story may change.

I have no idea but my thought is what ever chip detects the HDMI signal is the one that needs to be changed and I guess the one that converts the signal. The set has no idea 1080p exists so it can't accept it and it can't display it from HDMI. But then again, it can detect and display 1080p from VGA. It has nothing to do with the processing in the set since it already takes it from the PC. It just has to sense it and when it does it needs to know what to do with it. It is probably a chip or two and it might be in the service manual since its the same path as the PC input? It's a moot point since any mod like that would void the warranty. In other words it is possible to do but its not worth it. It goes back to what a FW update could do. I said could. I don't think anyone has an answer on what chips can get updated and since there is no FW update, that too is a moot point.

VGA input and HDMI input are through two completely separate systems. This Block Diagram (https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=561784&native_or_pdf=pdf) shows the path for the HLR sets. As you will note the VGA comes in at the top right into the GM1601 chip (Genesis Microchip), while the HDMI comes in at the bottom left through the SIL9021 HDMI chip (Silicon Image) and then on to the X226 chip (ATI).

Actually HD-DVD is 1080p. In fact, the current releases are in 1080p.
The current hardware is only 1080i but that can change.

Shhhhsshhh.... What you said is true but we don't want anyone buying HD-DVD. :rolleyes: I'm hoping Blu-Ray becomes the defacto standard mainly due to it's larger capacity and the fact that Microsoft supports HD-DVD.

First gen blu-ray will have 1080p. You'll have to wait on second gen or later HD-DVD to get 1080p.

BTW: For now and the forseable future all 1080p/i will be at 24 or 30 fps.