Brax4, I'm a little slow. lol. One month only happens to what, two other people here? That is unacceptable and I'd get on the horn first thing. The problem is going to be finding out who's at fault. Samsung probably can't check the status of your LE shipment. That could take a while to figure out. You might nicely ask what the max. of time is for a replacement since they offered it and since you've just wasted a month on your warranty. I'd be really pissed at someone. Take care of it.

Find out where the other place is located. Call them and get their take on a LE. I'd make it sound as if you're down the street. When was the last time they replaced that LE? How long is the BO? Don't tell me they replaced one yesterday or some heads are going to roll. lol. Time for ZZZ.

A kind of amusing update for you guys. Yesterday's post reported the flashing and split screen after the LE replacement. Now I'm "happy" to report that each time the tv is turned off after a significant cooling off period the symptom displayed is different each time after it's been on for an hour or so.

One of the new "features" displayed is not flashing but a stretched (top to bottom wise) picture with only the top part of the image displayed. This image's color looks like there are only a few available colors like in the old days of pc's and what used to be called dithering or banding of the colors - quite amusing. You should have seen Earl's deformed features further distorted by this tv.

When turned on again later,the picture was fine. Then the screen would go blank, flashes of bright green bands across the screen or flashes of pink and green and partial pixelation - the kind of think that I would have attributed to broadcast problems.

I think now I'm going to call this feature the undocumented kaleidoscope mode.

I am so angry about this the only thing I can do is try to make it amusing.

Rrldtx, at first I thought it was the DMD but now it sounds like the digital board? I'd say its one of those and I think both are easy to replace. I'm not sure how replacing the LE might have knocked one of those outta whack? Just be sure to get them back right away to look at it and get those parts in case they're not sure which one it is.

My parents needed a new LE after Eliab calibrated. The set still looks "ok" for them after it was replaced. What is up with the LE breaking? Same issue as jamesk. Shadow on left hand side of screen. This is the only thing putting me off a new Samsung. Otherwise the sets are spectacular after calibration.

I've done a search but didn't get any good hits.

How do I achieve 1:1 pixel mapping?

I connected my HTPC via VGA, put the tv in WidePC mode. Had the TV auto-adjust the xp desktop, and then used the TV controls to expand the image outward.

Have an Nvidea GeoForce 5600 I think.

Thanks guys.

Alright update time. Guy came out today, I believe his name was dan. Yeah he had to replace the whole light engine, he knew exactly what to do, so it seems like its a big problem with a lot of owners. They were pretty quick about the response time. I called last week and now my set is back to great working condition. Hopefully it stays that way. Also cool thing they guy dropped off a pamphlet of info about extended service plan directly from samsung. Its great. I'm definately getting that before my warranty is out this year. They're asking $500 for a 3 year plan. That sound good? I'm definately gonna give them a call to get it if its good.

Well, after 351 days and 4,552 hours of operation my HLR-6168 has developed a 2" stripe/shadow down the right hand side. I have placed a call with Samsung and they are sending a technician.

I guess I am somewhat pleased that this occurred during the manufacturer’s warranty period, and since I have been following this thread since the beginning, I am not too surprised that I would run into something sooner or later. At least, I can still watch the TV while waiting for the tech to visit.

I think that these are great TVs. I can’t help but being a little disappointed that my TV developed a problem but Samsung seem eager enough to put things right.

Add me to the list of people needing a new LE due to a shadow on the left hand side. It's about 1/2 inch at the widest. I really didn't notice it until tonight. Kinda creeps up on you. Good thing I caught it before it got really bad. Also, I have a calibration coming up with Eliab (http://www.avical.com) later this month. It was for a recalibration but now it looks like it is going to be a full blown calibration. Recalibrations are cheaper. Think I should let him know? :D

Eliab, you don't read these forums do you? You do! :eek: Darn.


BTW: Eliab confirmed for me that I would still be paying for a recalibration, not a full calibration even though the LE and Digital modules have been replaced. Now that I call excellent customer service!

Is there a separate thread for discussion of the HLS7178?

I just got my Samsung HL-R5678W setup and running. I wish the owners manual would have mentioned that the hdmi connections do not passthrough DD 5.1 I wasn't aware of that and started trying to figure out why I was only getting prologic when I disconnected my switcher box from the stereo receiver and connected the tv fiber to the receiver. Fortunately I came to this forum and used the search function and found out what was going on. I have one issue that is still going on and I can't find a solution. I have the hdmi connected from my dishnetwork vip622 hd receiver. I have the audio going from the hd receiver to my stereo for dd 5.1 sound. A lot of times the sound is not in sync. From what I read this was an issue with the component video but with hdmi. Anyone have any ideas how to stop this from happening.

A lot of times the sound is not in sync. According to conventional wisdom, de-synchronization of audio and video (lip sync error) primarily occurs because of the time required by the display to process the video signal (scaling, de-interlacing, etc.). Thus, lost of synchronization can be experienced with any of the audio inputs. The typical solution is to electronically delay the audio until the video catches up. Many of the newer AV receivers have audio delay capabilities built in. There are also some stand alone devices on the market built specifically to address this problem (Felston (http://www.felston.com/))

A complicating factor in addressing the problem is that lip sync error can also be source related. That is, the error is there before it even gets to your system. And, the amount of error can vary btwn sources. Thus, after initial setup, you might need to make small adjustments with each different source and maybe even between programs. However, I personally found that after initially micro-adjusting the delay every five minutes while watching the thing, I finally stopped watching lips, started watching the programs and became de-sensitized to small lip sync errors. YMMV.

Source lip sync issues appear from time to time. I have Comsucks. I noticed it can be on just one channel so I wonder if it is from the network or Comsucks? Sometimes I feel like calling them. Its as though someone in the control room hit a button for a few moments. A couple times it was days. How can no one else notice it? Its been less frequent lately. I think this might have confused some people here thinking it was the set and or their sound system and not the broadcast.

I have noticed that the only sync issues are on a couple of the HD channels. All of the other channels are perfect.

I think that's just it. There shouldn't be any broadcast sync issues and you'll see it varies on the amount and channels. Once it was Fox HD and NBC HD for the most part that I've noticed. It might be a matter of paying attention to the channels you watch more often. In other words it can be any channel at any time for any length of time. I think people with AVRs don't realize the amount of broadcast sync issues there are.

I have a Samsung HL-R6168W that I got last January. The cable connection input appears to have stopped working. When I tuned to the high channels I received not signal and snow for a picture, then it happened with all the channels.

I still received over the air signal though. I switched the cables and placed the CATV cable on the OTA conncetor and I get the cable TV channels again. It's like the one connector stopped working.

Has anyone any experience with this sort of problem? Is a service call in order?

Thanks,

Bob Allen

I have a Samsung HL-R6168W that I got last January. The cable connection input appears to have stopped working. When I tuned to the high channels I received not signal and snow for a picture, then it happened with all the channels.

I still received over the air signal though. I switched the cables and placed the CATV cable on the OTA conncetor and I get the cable TV channels again. It's like the one connector stopped working.

Has anyone any experience with this sort of problem? Is a service call in order?

Thanks,

Bob Allen

Not quite the same. I had an HDMI input that went bad after a couple of months and the other was bad from the get go. It does sound like you have a bad connector. A service call IS in order. They will most likely replace the Digital Board. Make sure they do the LE to Digital Board settings transfer in the SM. If you haven't tweaked the SM and have not had the set calibrated you'll be good to go. If you have, I have direct experience with saving the settings and restoring them after the Digital Board is replaced and would be happy to help.

Im running my Xbox360 to my Samsung hl-r5078w with the Microsoft VGA cable (to beat lag in games). The picture is amazing when im playing 360 games :) , but when I pop in a movie, the picture is very grainy and sub-par what I thought the TV and the 360 is capable of. I have a few questions on how I can fix this:

I tried turning DNEi off, but the picture is still grainy, is it DNEi fault?

I was planning on purchasing a DVD home theater system, one that has a DVD player with progressive scan, would this help?

Is it the 360's fault?

Any help would be much appreciated, Thanks :)

After 2 days of using this HL-R5678W I must say the picture is great but I am very disappointed overall with the television itself and the samsung documentation. First I found out that the hdmi and component didn't pass through dd 5.1 but only the cable connection. That was acceptable because I connected my hd receiver and my dvd player to my stereo system for dd 5.1. I have just now found out through searching the forum that hdmi and component connections don't support closed captions. If I want those I have to connect using coax. This is unacceptable to me. I have to use the close captions as my father-in-law doesnt' hear very well. My satellite receiver does not have a coax output on it I looked in the owners manual for this model and it doesn't say anywhere about the dd 5.1 only being on the coax or rf and it doesn't say anything about using cc only on the coax. Samsung should have either stated this up front or done something to fix the issue. I replaced a 54" panasonic tv that would do cc through component so I know it can be done.

After 2 days of using this HL-R5678W I must say the picture is great but I am very disappointed overall with the television itself and the samsung documentation. First I found out that the hdmi and component didn't pass through dd 5.1 but only the cable connection. That was acceptable because I connected my hd receiver and my dvd player to my stereo system for dd 5.1. I have just now found out through searching the forum that hdmi and component connections don't support closed captions. If I want those I have to connect using coax. This is unacceptable to me. I have to use the close captions as my father-in-law doesnt' hear very well. My satellite receiver does not have a coax output on it I looked in the owners manual for this model and it doesn't say anywhere about the dd 5.1 only being on the coax or rf and it doesn't say anything about using cc only on the coax. Samsung should have either stated this up front or done something to fix the issue. I replaced a 54" panasonic tv that would do cc through component so I know it can be done.

Garbage in; garbage out, apparently. My HLR5668W has no trouble displaying closed captions, whether the source is OTA, Cable Card or my HD-DVR (cable). I'm using HDMI, but there's no reason why switching to a component video cable would make any difference. And, IMHO, there's no reason why Sammy should be faulted for producing a TV that doesn't pass through DD (it also doesn't toast marshmallows). It outputs DD just fine when the source is its internal tuner or a CC.

ElAguila, that does suck if the set doesn't work out for you the way you thought but it is the buyer's responsibility. Even if a salesperson says it does something you want it would be up to you to confirm it. I hope you can get it to work somehow or are able to return it without a problem. You should call Samsung about it and see if there is another model available. Maybe you can exchange it instead of return it. Where did you buy it? If you had it shipped you might not have to pay for shipping it back as long as you exchange it.

What really sucks about it is that nowhere on Samsungs website nor in the tv brochure or the little cards that they have listing their features does it say CC only works with the internal tuner. As I said in the post I can live with it not passing dd 5.1 but not allowing hdmi or component to go through the cc decoder doesn't make sense to me especially when they push the hdmi as one of the big selling points. I am not sure if I will be able to return or exchange it.

What really sucks about it is that nowhere on Samsungs website nor in the tv brochure or the little cards that they have listing their features does it say CC only works with the internal tuner.

Yep, there are some things that aren't possible to know until you get it home, unfortunately. Even if you ask the specific question (and in most cases, it probably wouldn't occur to anyone that the question needs to be asked), you'd probably get an incorrect answer or none at all. Same with DVD players - some will not output CC, no way to know which ones unless someone else happened to run into the same problem...

This is the first big screen tv that I have ever owned that would only do cc through the coax input. I guess they had their reasons but it doesn't make sense to me.

What really sucks about it is that nowhere on Samsungs website nor in the tv brochure or the little cards that they have listing their features does it say CC only works with the internal tuner. As I said in the post I can live with it not passing dd 5.1 but not allowing hdmi or component to go through the cc decoder doesn't make sense to me especially when they push the hdmi as one of the big selling points. I am not sure if I will be able to return or exchange it.

What "really sucks" is your continuing to post false information about this TV. Please do return it to your dealer and end this effort to defame a product that you don't understand or, apparently, even want to.

I have not attempted to defame this product. You and I must have 2 very different ideas as to what defame is. I have never heard of a customer complaining about features or lack of features as defaming. As I said in a previous post I am very pleased with the picture quality. What information did I post that is false? Are you telling me that you have this model and it will do cc or dd through hdmi or component? If so, then please tell me how you did it because according to Samsung's tech support this model only supports dd and cc decoding using the coax input.

Im running my Xbox360 to my Samsung hl-r5078w with the Microsoft VGA cable (to beat lag in games). The picture is amazing when im playing 360 games :) , but when I pop in a movie, the picture is very grainy and sub-par what I thought the TV and the 360 is capable of. I have a few questions on how I can fix this:

I tried turning DNEi off, but the picture is still grainy, is it DNEi fault?

I was planning on purchasing a DVD home theater system, one that has a DVD player with progressive scan, would this help?

Is it the 360's fault?

Any help would be much appreciated, Thanks :)

The Xbox 360 isn't a very good DVD player. My Toshiba player listed below has a much better picture for something like $250

Ok trying to decide to buy or not to buy an extended warranty. I was thinking of the repair masters 5yrs (which I know will actually only be 4 because the first year everything is still covered under Samsung). Price is around $265.

My question is does anyone know the price of some of the most common items to be replaced, other then bulb? My LE is in the process of being replaced, service center is getting the part sometime this week, supposedly. So what would have been the price of the LE if I had tried to order it myself? Would I have to go through a service center order some of the guts of the TV if I wanted to repair it myslef?

Also what are some of the other "known" things to go out, DMD, digital boards,...etc and what are their cost?

Basically I am trying to justify the purchase of the warranty. I figure that I should be good for 4yrs on the LE since it's being replaced, bulb should be good for 4yrs as well, what else has been the big issues?

Ok trying to decide to buy or not to buy an extended warranty. I was thinking of the repair masters 5yrs (which I know will actually only be 4 because the first year everything is still covered under Samsung). Price is around $265.

My question is does anyone know the price of some of the most common items to be replaced, other then bulb? My LE is in the process of being replaced, service center is getting the part sometime this week, supposedly. So what would have been the price of the LE if I had tried to order it myself? Would I have to go through a service center order some of the guts of the TV if I wanted to repair it myslef?

Also what are some of the other "known" things to go out, DMD, digital boards,...etc and what are their cost?

Basically I am trying to justify the purchase of the warranty. I figure that I should be good for 4yrs on the LE since it's being replaced, bulb should be good for 4yrs as well, what else has been the big issues?

I honestly believe you are looking at this the wrong way. The set is completely modular. I don't own a service manual but from what I can tell there are two main components (plus a power supply? Just an assumption). I've read most of the posts in this thread and I seem to remember someone stating that the LE was a $1400 component (retail). Subtract the price of the bulb ($400.00 ? retail). Digital board would also be quite expensive. Having seen one up close I would think it would be > $500 retail. None of these components are user repairable below the module level. You have to get the entire module for replacement.

Buy the service warranty. Keep track of the time left on the warranty and just before it is about to run out report that your lamp is extremely dim. You'll get a new one and that will more than make up for the price of the warranty. I would bet that you would be able to buy yet another extended warranty.

BTW: The (D)igital (M)icromirror (D)ivice is in the LE and cannot be purchased separately.

I honestly believe you are looking at this the wrong way. The set is completely modular. I don't own a service manual but from what I can tell there are two main components (plus a power supply? Just an assumption). I've read most of the posts in this thread and I seem to remember someone stating that the LE was a $1400 component (retail). Subtract the price of the bulb ($400.00 ? retail). Digital board would also be quite expensive. Having seen one up close I would think it would be > $500 retail. None of these components are user repairable below the module level. You have to get the entire module for replacement.

Buy the service warranty. Keep track of the time left on the warranty and just before it is about to run out report that your lamp is extremely dim. You'll get a new one and that will more than make up for the price of the warranty. I would bet that you would be able to buy yet another extended warranty.

BTW: The (D)igital (M)icromirror (D)ivice is in the LE and cannot be purchased separately.

I would say that I am looking at if from a user that is willing to replace things myself if it is close to the service warranty then buying a service warranty rather then "a wrong way". Put it this way do you think say someone who works in a car service center buys an extended warranty on their new car? Probably not because they can fix anything that goes wrong as long as they can get a hold of the parts at a decent price. I'm not saying that I can fix anything that goes out on the TV, but should be able to do the major things. Your bulb is a little much b/c from Samsung is around $180. I understand that the components are modular, hence the reason why I wanted to know what prices are. I have the service manual and looking through it does not look that bad on replacing any of the main boards if they go out. My concern was how much are the "known" things that have gone out retail and would I be able to order them?

Actually there is a DMD Board. So you have a Power Board, Detect Board, Analog Board, Digital Board, DMD Board, Ballast Board, Fans, etc...

Also have to look at it like this. I reported the veritcle side shadow issue on July 9 and it is still not fixed nor does my service center have the part in. Samsung claimed it is coming this week. Since that time I have read 2 post where other people have developed the same issue and have already had their TV's fixed. Also the tech guys that came and looked at mine said that "no adjustments where needed after a LE replacement." It states specific items to do after a LE replacement in the service manual, which means they don't even have a service manual. Needless to say my repair center is a true mom n pop shop. Say for instance the LE was the only thing that went out in my extended warranty period and cost$500 and my warranty cost me $400. I would rather spend the extra $100 and do the work myself then have to put up with the hassel that I have had to deal with.

What information did I post that is false?



See above.


Are you telling me that you have this model and it will do cc or dd through hdmi or component? If so, then please tell me how you did it because according to Samsung's tech support this model only supports dd and cc decoding using the coax input.

Well, what is the source of your misinformation? You first said it was something you read somewhere at AVS and now attribute it to "Samsung's tech support." I happen to have a 5668W, but, as is explained at the start of this thread, the internals of all 2005 1080p models are identical. The 5668W and 5678W manuals (at pages 100-103) both discuss how to view closed captions. The only possible reason why CCs might require anything other than an HDMI or Component connection is viewing broadcast analog channels (with an antenna) or a cable box that doesn't support captioning. With a correctly configured cable box, I have no difficulty viewing CCs using HDMI. I haven't tried viewing analog channels not carried by my cable company; if I had problems doing that, I'd just use S-Video instead of HDMI (see the manual, p. 101).

I would say that I am looking at if from a user that is willing to replace things myself if it is close to the service warranty then buying a service warranty rather then "a wrong way". ....

I would rather spend the extra $100 and do the work myself then have to put up with the hassel that I have had to deal with.


Brax4,

Didn't mean to offend you with the "wrong way" comment. I understand what you are trying to do. Waiting over 2 weeks for a service call on a LE is beyond rediculous. My LE got the left shadow last week. I placed a call late Thursday and as of 30 minutes ago (12:45 PDT) I have a new LE and the set looks great. While the tech was here, I asked him what parts could be bought ala cart. There weren't a lot. Anything having to do with the optics of the LE (except the bulb) are sold as one unit. That doesn't leave a whole lot left over. There are some circuit boards that can be bought for the LE.

The tech said that the Digital Module is not available as seprate parts, it's replaced as a singel unit.

The power supply is replaceable but in the techs opinion, it was pretty beefy and he has not seen any go bad.

I mentioned to the tech the problem one person was having with the flickering and the color distortions and he did mention a particular board and said that that can be bought ala cart.

All in all though, I came away with the impression that you are facing a 70/30 chance than an expesive part would fail before a cheap part. This is of course just my opinion.

Of course this was with a rather casual conversation with one tech who may or may not know what he is talking about. All I can say is that he did seem knowledgable, has worked on many of the Sammy HLR 50xx series, and lastly was able to take a quick look at my set and without any arguments replace the entire LE in less than 15 minutes.

Quite frankly, I'd keep my fingers crossed and hope that they don't come up with an LE and they are then forced to get you a new set.

Best of luck.

Jim

The information comes from both this forum and the samsung tech support. If you search the forum you will see it. This is only one of the results from the forum post:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6093173&highlight=caption#post6093173
You can go to the samsung support site as well and do a search on the FAQ/knowledgebase and you will come up with this information as well "Consequently, if you have a set-top-box, cable box, satellite receiver, or any other video source connected to your TV using Composite video, S-Video, Component video, DVI, or HDMI, you will not be able to access and use the Closed Caption function when you watch TV using that source." AsI mentioned above I don't have a cable box, I have a satellite reciever which does not allow you to view captions as it is greyed out in the menu. So no I have not posted misinformation. That is all I have to say about this issue. What I stated was not false and was not defamation.

Brax4 I personally always get the extended warranty. I have had things happen to componenets in the past and the warranty really paid off.

Brax4,

Didn't mean to offend you with the "wrong way" comment. I understand what you are trying to do. Waiting over 2 weeks for a service call on a LE is beyond rediculous. My LE got the left shadow last week. I placed a call late Thursday and as of 30 minutes ago (12:45 PDT) I have a new LE and the set looks great. While the tech was here, I asked him what parts could be bought ala cart. There weren't a lot. Anything having to do with the optics of the LE (except the bulb) are sold as one unit. That doesn't leave a whole lot left over. There are some circuit boards that can be bought for the LE.

The tech said that the Digital Module is not available as seprate parts, it's replaced as a singel unit.

The power supply is replaceable but in the techs opinion, it was pretty beefy and he has not seen any go bad.

I mentioned to the tech the problem one person was having with the flickering and the color distortions and he did mention a particular board and said that that can be bought ala cart.

All in all though, I came away with the impression that you are facing a 70/30 chance than an expesive part would fail before a cheap part. This is of course just my opinion.

Of course this was with a rather casual conversation with one tech who may or may not know what he is talking about. All I can say is that he did seem knowledgable, has worked on many of the Sammy HLR 50xx series, and lastly was able to take a quick look at my set and without any arguments replace the entire LE in less than 15 minutes.

Quite frankly, I'd keep my fingers crossed and hope that they don't come up with an LE and they are then forced to get you a new set.

Best of luck.

Jim

Not offended, maybe took it a little harsh though, tough to judge tone through forum. I am just trying to figure if there are any other items (besides the LE since it's getting replaced under my factory warranty) that are highly likely to go out on my set. I just don't see buying an extended warranty and then if nothing happens call and get a lamp replacement, warranty that includes a lamp replacement is around $370 and one new lamp is around $170 now will probably be less in a couple of years. That means I just wasted about $200. Also you have to add in the lamp replacement option in to a warranty which is normally around $100. I figure you have a 50/50 chance on a tech coming out and saying nope your lamp is fine. Again the techs I am exposed to (and many others here) simple just get their certificates to be able to work on Samsung products and have NO actual knowledge of their DLP sets. Mine obviously don't even have a service manual, which others have even had the techs use their service manual because they didn't have one. Needless to say I will not break mine out while they are replacing my LE and if the picture looks like crap after they replace it, then I will demand a new TV. Again mine told me "nope no adjustments needed all settings are stored in the TV." Directly from the service manual "After Light Engine is changed - select OPTION > DMD → DIGITAL". Hmmmm do I believe the tech or the service manual.

Not offended, maybe took it a little harsh though, tough to judge tone through forum. ... Again mine told me "nope no adjustments needed all settings are stored in the TV." Directly from the service manual "After Light Engine is changed - select OPTION > DMD → DIGITAL". Hmmmm do I believe the tech or the service manual.

Yeah, I know its hard to determine tone. Sorry it came across as harsh, it was the furthest thing from my mind.

As far as the tech saying no adjustments are necessary, I'm wondering if they may be correct with these new LEs (the replacement LE had a slightly different part no). I've had my set calibrated by Eliab and the new LE took to these settings just fine. Since I know how to do the DMD to Digital thingy I was not too upset that the tech didn't do it. That's my fall back position.

DNIE is turned off, settings are at post calibration state, colors look great, looks like the set was calibrated. I checked some of the test patterns and as I understand it the solid red pattern is the one you want to concentrate on when setting the index delay. To my eyes, it looks to be the same color and eveness as before the LE was replaced. The digital settings were not changed and the picture looks very good. Need to see it at night though to see if all this is true.

This goes contrary to what I think I know about these sets. It shouldn't be all that great.

Eliab will be out in late September to recalibrate the set. It will be interesting to see how far off the new LE is from the old LE.

BTW: I did make two adjustments that the tech should have. The vertical and horizontal positions were off by about 1".

Manatus, I don't see why you jumped all over ElAguila? I think he posted a valid point. I went to my CC for fun and mine too is greyed out. I seem to recall having it at one point when I muted the set though? I was thinking back and remembered I used to have component and another STB. I'm not sure if the CC I remember was on this set or not though?

I read the manual where you pointed it out but it won't help if the CC is greyed out. I then called Samsung and spent about twenty minutes with them. After fifteen minutes with tier one I was transferred to tier two. The rep. said CC is not supported on component or HDMI. I thought to myself ok, maybe that's why its greyed out but what about Manatus? A light bulb went off and I said I thought CC was a federal law? I asked if he was saying that CC was not available with HD on this set since component and HDMI are HD cables.

He changed his tune fast and said most likely the CC issue is with the STB. I then asked if he was blaming the cable company? He said more than likely it is the STB. I said fine, I'll call the cable company. I called Comsucks and the rep. was familiar with my issue. He said that CC is disabled in the STB menu. I told him how I thought I used to see the CC when the audio was muted. He said CC varies from set to set.

The bottom line, check your STB and see if CC is enabled or listed on the menu? Call the cable company and tell them you don't have CC. This rep. offered to go through the steps to set it up. I told him I'd look into it and call him back if I needed to. See what the cable company says. CC is a federal law but the Samsung rep. started to infer that CC doesn't apply to HD. That's when I jumped. Let us know what you find out. You should read your receipt and know what your return and exchange policy is though.

The information comes from both this forum and the samsung tech support. . . . .
You can go to the samsung support site as well and do a search on the FAQ/knowledgebase and you will come up with this information as well "Consequently, if you have a set-top-box, cable box, satellite receiver, or any other video source connected to your TV using Composite video, S-Video, Component video, DVI, or HDMI, you will not be able to access and use the Closed Caption function when you watch TV using that source."

Dyslexic, dumb or just dishonest? Hard to tell. I looked up the quote that you excerpted from the Samsung.com site FAQ section. There, after going through basically the same instructions for using Closed Captions that are included in your own TV's manual (which it says apply to most of its current TV models), the FAQs state:

"Important: If you do not have a current model Samsung TV, you can not get Closed Captions on Digital channels. For details, click HERE." [Emphasis added.]

Clicking on the "HERE" link brings up this text:

"Any video source that is not connected to your TV's RF or Antenna inputs bypasses the TV's Closed Caption decoder. Consequently, if you have a set-top box, cable box, satellite receiver, or any other video source connected to your TV using Composite, S-Video, Component video, DVI, or HDMI, you will not be able to access and use the Closed Caption function when you watch TV using that source."

Your use of the underlined portion of that paragraph, which does not apply to any of the TV's discussed in this thread, is deceptive and dishonest, to put it gently.

Manatus, I don't see why you jumped all over ElAguila?

I "jumped all over" him for several reasons, including accuracy, honesty, and a fiction and emotion-, not-fact-, driven agenda (see above). While I realize that successful viewing of CCs depends on several factors which, in their various possible combinations, can lead to quirkiness, I have no trouble viewing them, not only with my cable box (a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR) but also with my Cable Card and digital channels received OTA.

I still don't get it? Yes, CC works for you and he did edit his post and maybe he did quote the wrong model but the bottom line is he doesn't have CC and feels stuck. I think I just solved his problem by suggesting he check the CC setting in the STB. I didn't see you offering any help, hence the jumping all over term. lol.

Well, this CC issue got to me so I just went to the STB and enabled it just to see what would happen. I should have said earlier that CC is greyed out on the set since that only applies to the internal CC decoder in the set like Manatus pointed out. When I enabled it the CC worked right away but stayed on whether the audio was muted or not. There might be a setting or option for that since like I said before I used to have CC when the audio was muted, or was that on another set? Bottom line is CC works with HDMI if the STB has that option. The Samsung rep. made it sound like older STBs might not have this CC option with component or HDMI. Call the cable company if you can't get it to work and let us know if you get it to work.

ElAguila, I should have been clearer. The three posts I made above this one address your issue, in case you missed them. Also a cable box or satellite box is the same thing. STB stands for set top box, the same thing. CC is a federal law so call the satellite company instead of the cable company, its the same issue regardless. You should read the satellite box instructions on CC and call them if you can't figure it out. It should work so let us know what happens.

Not quite the same. I had an HDMI input that went bad after a couple of months and the other was bad from the get go. It does sound like you have a bad connector. A service call IS in order. They will most likely replace the Digital Board. Make sure they do the LE to Digital Board settings transfer in the SM. If you haven't tweaked the SM and have not had the set calibrated you'll be good to go. If you have, I have direct experience with saving the settings and restoring them after the Digital Board is replaced and would be happy to help.


Thanks, I called them for service tonight. Could you explain the "LE to Digital Board settings transfer in the SM" I'm not familiar with the terms. I haven't had the set calibrated yet. I'll see how the service "engineer" is. I think this is a field I need to get into.

Sounds like you've done a little bit of work on these sets already.

Thanks, I called them for service tonight. Could you explain the "LE to Digital Board settings transfer in the SM" I'm not familiar with the terms. I haven't had the set calibrated yet. I'll see how the service "engineer" is. I think this is a field I need to get into.

Sounds like you've done a little bit of work on these sets already.

Yeah, I am a freakin' expert. :D :D :D :rolleyes:

This was posted by Brax4:

After Light Engine is changed - select OPTION > DMD → DIGITAL". Hmmmm do I believe the tech or the service manual.


This is what I was talking about. I just had my LE replaced (read back a couple of posts) and the tech said that this did NOT need to happen. Since I know how to do this myself and since I have had the set professionally calibrated, I let the tech off the hook since I want to see if a LE replacement without any SM changes really works.

I need a darker setting to see how good the picture really is, it's stiill daylight here and it's been less than 7 hours since my LE was replaced. I'll post back in the next day or so to let y'all know what happened.

JK

PS. I'll have some really good info in Sept after my set is recalibrated.

I have not attempted to defame this product. You and I must have 2 very different ideas as to what defame is. I have never heard of a customer complaining about features or lack of features as defaming. As I said in a previous post I am very pleased with the picture quality. What information did I post that is false? Are you telling me that you have this model and it will do cc or dd through hdmi or component? If so, then please tell me how you did it because according to Samsung's tech support this model only supports dd and cc decoding using the coax input.

Most, if not all, cable boxes will decode the CC, place it in the picture, and output it on either the HDMI or Component outputs. I'm not sure that the HDMI or Component standards makes provision for carrying undecoded CC.

This is my first post, so please be forgiving. I did my best to search thru this thread as well as the Audio section of the forum, but did not find anything that would help. We just got a Samsung HLS6187. Its the first TV we have bought in 10-15 years. The TV is great -- we love it. Now the next thing we need is a new sound system. Again, we have not bought anything in 10-15 years. Can anyone recommend a sound system that works/interfaces well with this particular TV? I guess we are looking to spend $600 or less. Would like the package to include an upconverting DVD player that also plays regular CDs and MP3s, as well as a receiver (and of course speakers, etc) as part of the package if possible. Our room is fairly large (don't have the measurements with me right now).

Can anyone offer any recommendations?

Brax4, I think you might look at it from another view. I agree with you about how the service quality varies. Some have had better experience than others and I too would opt to repair it myself if it wasn't under warranty. The problem is the parts are much more than the labor costs since these parts are so easy to replace. True you pay for the service call but after that you know they can't charge that much for the labor.

You need to look at the part and labor costs. Since the parts cost more than the labor I think of it as getting the labor warrantied for free. If they make a mistake they'll have to fix it. If something happens to the set after you fix it, it will be hard to show the problem isn't new or related to something you did. You'll be stuck buying another part. The responsibility is on the tech.

The other problem is just because one part was already replaced under warranty doesn't mean it won't need to be replaced in the future. The LE, which I think is the most expensive part, also contains the most components. Any one of those components can go at any time. The most common issue lately is the vertical stripe. People had the hash mark and the light dark light issue too. All of those are caused somewhere in the LE. I think they can happen at any time and there is no guarantee from Samsung that all replaced LEs are 100% reliable.

I agree about the lamp replacement. That is the least of the costs and problems. Its not an issue in the big picture. That's how they get you though. I think its a mistake not to get the extended warranty knowing what can go wrong and the costs for the parts alone. Getting a lamp included is just a bonus, not the reason for getting the extended warranty. Knowing the cost of the lamp is around $200 can help influence getting the extended warranty by deducting that amount and betting on needing a lamp. Some credit cards offer an additional year of coverage so that might be a factor too. With the extended warranty you get a lamp, any part and any labor included.

Without the extended warranty you'll have to diagnose it yourself and get all of the parts needed, plus the bulb. Now I've seen a lot of extended warranties have an option to add more time. You have to ask for it and guarantee that the set is working and not call for service for at least thirty days. I don't know about this set but I've now seen it for a refrigerator and washing machine. My fear is how long will I keep the set and what will I do when the extended warranty expires? I hope this option is available but again you'd have to see what your plans are at that time. Maybe there will be something better than HD by then? lol.

Can anyone recommend a sound system that works/interfaces well with this particular TV? I guess we are looking to spend $600 or less. With a budget of $600, you probably should consider one of the "home theater in a box" (aka. HTIB) systems. This web site is a good source of info on the breed: HTIB.com (http://www.htib.com/). Here's an example of a sub $500 systems listed: Sony HTIB (http://www.hometheaterinabox.com/sony.htm). I personnally have not used or auditioned any of these HTIB systems so I can not vouch for quality. Once you have identified a few systems you are interested in, you probably should check back here to see if anyone else has experience with them. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Accidentally clicked in the wrong place and came across this: Sony At Vanns (http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/501499286). Again, I have never heard this system or ordered from Vanns (though a lot of folks on these forums have ordered from Vanns).

MomOfBruno, I'm not sure but I think there is another thread for your Samsung? With that budget I'd even check with Consumer Reports. Once you have an idea of what you can get for the price you could check Costco, etc. Best bet is to wait for Green Friday or whatever, the day after Thanksgiving. Worst Buy has unbelievable deals. I saved a lot of $$$.

I'm not sure if your set has the same lip sync issues as these Samsungs? That could be a bigger issue than how many watts you have. If there are reports of lag with your set then you should spend your money on a AVR that meets the lag delay requirement. Otherwise you'll have a great stereo with lag.

You might also look into stereos that offer wireless surround sound speakers so you don't have wires going to the rear speakers. I'm trying to hold off getting an AVR until I can find one with Sirius, delay and wireless 7.1 speakers. Maybe there is one now? I haven't found any and stopped looking.

Could someone save me the 332 page read and tell me if DNIE can be turned off on the HLR-5078W or HLR-5678W. I am considering purchasing one of these, but I hate DNIE. I will not buy a display where I can't shut it off. Thank you.

P.S. Yes I did a search, but the number of results made it near worthless.

You might also look into stereos that offer wireless surround sound speakers so you don't have wires going to the rear speakers.

Last time I looked, wireless speakers were pretty worthless. Maybe they've improved?

Opus312, probably worthless in the audiophile sense. lol. I know I prefer wireless over wired regardless of how lousy the sound is. There are IR models that work on any stereo. I haven't heard them but I'd bet its no better than PC speakers, or ipod for that matter.

There are speakers that use FM I think also? I've heard those and they aren't bad. Those are not surround sound speakers but you might be able to use them for that purpose? I've seen a couple of boxed AVRs with ports for optional wireless surround sound speakers. That's what MomOfBruno probably should consider getting. My take is the rear surround sound speakers don't have to be as high quality as the others.

Could someone save me the 332 page read and tell me if DNIE can be turned off on the HLR-5078W or HLR-5678W. I am considering purchasing one of these, but I hate DNIE. I will not buy a display where I can't shut it off. Thank you.

P.S. Yes I did a search, but the number of results made it near worthless.

It can be turned off in the service menu as explained in this post. Enter the service menu at your own risk.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6628276&&#post6628276

thanks vandu

I'm actually really familiar with the service menu on my current Samsung. I'm guessing they are pretty similar.

Well, just lost both inputs to the TV. I'm not sure what is going on with it. The service tech, sorry, "engineer" is coming tomorrow. So, I'll have to see what he does. It's been a good set up to now, but it seems odd that all of a sudden it dies and less than a year old too. I hope that these sets aren't going to be very sensitive.

I've been away from the forums for a while - has the situation with game lag on component inputs changed in the past nine months?

My Xbox 360 was connected to component inputs for a long time, and then last week I switched it over to the VGA input. The difference is amazing, my Geometry Wars score went from 300K to 900k in three games, and I had a similar experience with Monster Storm. Both of these are extremely twitchy games.

Unfortunately, this means I can't hook up my PC to my TV, since the TV has only one VGA input.

So, has there been any progress with the lag issue?

Reljam, there hasn't been any developments, improvements or anything with these sets. Everything is the same. I was thinking you might be able to get a VGA switch with inputs. I think someone tried one and had problems but I can't remember what components he was using? I think it might have been DVI and of course that won't work. If your PC and VGA are working with the right cables then you'll know right away if the switcher works or not. Make sure you can easily exchange it. I was thinking of doing this for two PCs, a desktop and notebook. The switcher might not work the same way that certain VGA cables don't always work. Let us know if you get one soon.

I have seen S5087 model and is very good. It's bright, has 10000:1 contrast ratio, 1920x1080 res, 1080p native. It would cost me $2100.

Now last year's model R5078 has also similar features, except 1080p native resolution. It accepts 1080i and upconverts to 1080p. However it is $1600. It has a picture in picture also, and has 30W speakers (no big deal).

So I am now confused to pick S5087 vs R5078. What say guys ? Considering the small difference between last year's and this year's models is the 1600 a great price for the older model and should I grab it? or pay extra 500 and get S5087 ?? Is the extra money really worth it????

I have seen S5087 model and is very good. It's bright, has 10000:1 contrast ratio, 1920x1080 res, 1080p native. It would cost me xxxx.

Now last year's model R5078 has also similar features, except 1080p native resolution. It accepts 1080i and upconverts to 1080p. However it is xxxx. It has a picture in picture also, and has 30W speakers (no big deal).

So I am now confused to pick S5087 vs R5078. After you edit out the prices in your post you might think about buying the "R" and using the difference in price for an ISF calibration from one of the calibrators you can read about in the link at the bottom of my message. :)

If you are not able to have the set ISF calibrated it becomes a value judgement for you. The "S" sets have better PQ, but it's in the eye of the beholder.

A third consideration is that it's my impression that the "S" models have some features that make it easier for an owner, with the help of folks here in the forum, to do some PQ improvements on their own. User calibration doesn't match ISF calibration but it can make a difference.

Good luck. :)

Vertical side shadow was reported on July09. My service center still does not have the part in, but they claim that it will arrive on Monday. If the part does not arrive by Monday then Samsung has stated that they will start the process to replace my TV. It was unclear if that means a replacement unit like my HL-R or this years model.

Sorry to not update in a while.

I had a left and right shadow that required a new LE. Tech came out within two days of my call to Samsung (very happy about that) and agreed that a new LE was needed. It took about a week (instead of the few days he initially estimated) to get the new LE from Samsung. Problem was that we couldn't hook up for almost another week due to schedule conflicts.

He was finally over to install it this past Thursday. Amazing how modular these sets are. We spent more time unhooking my 5078 and unpacking the new LE than the time it took for him to unscrew the back panel, disconnect the old LE, slide in and connect the new LE and screw the back panel back on. I wish I had taken pictures of both LEs like I said I was going to do, but they looked identical to me (except for what appeared to be an excess of silicone on the old one).

Unfortunately the tech, who had originally asked me if I'd been in the SM before he had even seen the tv, knew very little about the SM. He knew how to get in and out, but he had trouble finding anything specific (ie, the first time around he was just randomly trying different things, which made it "look" like he knew what he was doing).

In any case, he didn't do the DMD --> Digital transfer, nor did he know about the Index Delay (although he had chanced across it in his first visit). He even glossed right over the DNIe menu (with all of the _PROC_ settings right there under his nose) while looking for "anything else he could do to improve the picture."

The picture looks pretty good, but has some stairstepping on angled lines. I should be able to correct that with adjustments to the Actuator Gain in the SM. Using the DVE color filters, I noticed that I'm now getting much more accurate results using Warm 1 Color Tone instead of my usual Warm 2 -- I can get red much closer, although green is still as whacked out as it always was (meaning that no changes to the Color control get it even close to correct). Color temperature also appears to be closer to D65 using Warm 1 right now, but I have no way of knowing for certain, since I just don't have the calibration equipment to test it. Regardless, Warm 2 now appears cooler (in temp., not color) on the Kelvin scale. I'm expecting that doing the DMD --> Digital transfer would set things right again.

It also has a bit more pincushion than my previous LE, and the top right corner warps upward slightly (the bottom is perfectly straight all the way across). I don't think there's anything I can do to fix those issues, so I'll need to decide soon on whether I can live with them. On the plus side, the DLD problem my old LE always had is now an LDL problem and it's much less visible. And the stripes/shadows are gone, of course. And I have a new lamp, and it's very bright -- too bright, in fact. Had to drop contrast down to 20 just to keep from burning my retinas.

So if I stick with this LE, I'll be preparing my notes for making the SM adjustments as soon as the bulb reaches the 100-hr mark. I'm very curious to hear jameskollar's experience with the recalibration in Sept., since his tech didn't do the DMD --> Digital transfer, either.

My tv has developed the notorious left side shadow after 8 months. I called Samsung 2 weeks ago to report the problem. They gave me the number of a local mom and pop electronics repair shop and said they would fax them my info. I thought to myself I sure hope this goes better than the other stories I have read on hear about all the trouble some people have had. I was going to be out of town that week so I told the tech to come the following week. I got a message on my answering machine the following day that they had ordered a board and would call me when it comes in. I called them back the next day and asked to speak to the tech but of course it was out. I asked the lady that answered the phone how he could know what was wrong with my set when he hadn't even looked at it. She said she would ask him and get back with me. Two more days go by and I call her back. She said he had called the tech line and they told him the board was bad. I told her that I had heard that the light engine goes bad and causes this problem and that it was fairly common. She acted like I had know idea what I was talking about. I said look I have been fixing $20,000 copiers for the last 15 years I know a little about electronics and such. I told her I was emailing her a pic of my tv and several posts from this board about this problem and would she please show it to the tech. That was last Wednesday. I called them today to see if my (board) had come in. The guy said no not yet. I asked what board they had ordered and he said a DMD board. I am thinking of calling Samsung and demanding another repair shop.

I am thinking of calling Samsung and demanding another repair shop.Do it but ask to speak to a higher level at Samsung Customer support.

My tv has developed the notorious left side shadow after 8 months. I called Samsung 2 weeks ago to report the problem. They gave me the number of a local mom and pop electronics repair shop and said they would fax them my info. I thought to myself I sure hope this goes better than the other stories I have read on hear about all the trouble some people have had. I was going to be out of town that week so I told the tech to come the following week. I got a message on my answering machine the following day that they had ordered a board and would call me when it comes in. I called them back the next day and asked to speak to the tech but of course it was out. I asked the lady that answered the phone how he could know what was wrong with my set when he hadn't even looked at it. She said she would ask him and get back with me. Two more days go by and I call her back. She said he had called the tech line and they told him the board was bad. I told her that I had heard that the light engine goes bad and causes this problem and that it was fairly common. She acted like I had know idea what I was talking about. I said look I have been fixing $20,000 copiers for the last 15 years I know a little about electronics and such. I told her I was emailing her a pic of my tv and several posts from this board about this problem and would she please show it to the tech. That was last Wednesday. I called them today to see if my (board) had come in. The guy said no not yet. I asked what board they had ordered and he said a DMD board. I am thinking of calling Samsung and demanding another repair shop.


If you don't read the rest of this post please read this part: When you call Samsung support ask to speak to their supervisor. The first person you speak to will call the service center and just take their word for everything. I found out today that the next level up has a different set of questions they ask the service center and can actually find out where your part is, if it has been ordered, and a tracking number.

Oh my God we may have the same service center. Long story short for me, I reported my problem on July09. Recent develops over the past few days and b!tching several people out at Samsung it turns out my service center ordered the part but somehow it never got shipped. Well that is one story someone told me today. I also heard that the service center had not ordered it until today. I have been calling the service center and Samsung almost every other day for the past 2 weeks. Long story short my new LE "supposedly" shipped today. I kept asking the service center lady "can you get a tracking number" and she kept telling no it should be in, in a couple of days. You would think that after about 2 weeks it would have dawned on her, maybe I need to call to find out where the part is. I asked her several times if she could call and find out where the part is and when it would get in. I was told at least 3 times yes I'll call and call you back to let you know. Never would get a call back, so I would start the cycle again and call service center and then Samsung.

Sounds like you may be facing a different problem with your service center, which is, they don't know which part to replace.

Good luck

At least they ordered the right part for you. I doubt the people I have to deal have ever even seen one of these sets. I think there main business is repairing microwaves. I have followed your post and have said many times that I hope this never happens to me. I think I will call Samsung tomorrow.

Couple of things. Don't take any BS from anyone period. Don't be an a$$ either. I'm not saying anyone is but the only way to get anywhere with these people seems to mean you have to do both. Very, very few have had a problem with Samsung. I can't even remember anyone getting the wrong part and finding out it was solely Samsung's fault.

Anytime there's been a problem it has been with either with the service center and or the service center communicating with Samsung. People should know by now that if you think you are getting the run around then you are. I don't know about the percentages but I think most people did not need to have a service call first in order to determine what replacement parts were needed.

There are only a few parts and they cause unique symptoms. I don't think any symptom could be caused by more than one part. Its a matter of describing the symptoms to Samsung and the information getting to the service center. The service center called me and we both knew I needed a LE. I got mine the next day. Most people here had a good experience like that.

No doubt the smaller service centers have less experience with these sets and maybe less training. Its no excuse though since its a matter of ordering the right part and installing it in minutes. Its so easy even my mother could do it. All they need is maybe a list of better symptom descriptions, some pics like the ones here and the part needed. Real basic. That's what pisses me off.

I feel for both of you ... (and here I am complaining about how much my tech knew about the SM :rolleyes: ) ... good luck and keep us posted!

Couple of things. Don't take any BS from anyone period. Don't be an a$$ either. I'm not saying anyone is but the only way to get anywhere with these people seems to mean you have to do both. Very, very few have had a problem with Samsung. I can't even remember anyone getting the wrong part and finding out it was solely Samsung's fault.

Anytime there's been a problem it has been with either with the service center and or the service center communicating with Samsung. People should know by now that if you think you are getting the run around then you are. I don't know about the percentages but I think most people did not need to have a service call first in order to determine what replacement parts were needed.

There are only a few parts and they cause unique symptoms. I don't think any symptom could be caused by more than one part. Its a matter of describing the symptoms to Samsung and the information getting to the service center. The service center called me and we both knew I needed a LE. I got mine the next day. Most people here had a good experience like that.

No doubt the smaller service centers have less experience with these sets and maybe less training. Its no excuse though since its a matter of ordering the right part and installing it in minutes. Its so easy even my mother could do it. All they need is maybe a list of better symptom descriptions, some pics like the ones here and the part needed. Real basic. That's what pisses me off.

I think it all depends on where you live as to what type of service center you have. Basically my problem is that Samsung is blaming the service center and the service center is blaming Samsung for the part not being in. I asked several times when I called both Samsung and the service center, can you check to see if the part has shipped yet. My response from the service center is I'll check and call you back. Would wait a couple of days and never would hear anything and so I would call again and start the cycle all over. My response from Samsung when I asked them about the part varied: "I'll have to call you back because the place that ships the parts is notorious for keeping people on hold for long time" never have gotten a call back, and "there is no way to get that information" and my favorite is "I'm not sure how to do that". I think I have most defiantly gotten the run around. You stated your new LE came in the next day, it has been over a month and I am still waiting.

I started the process yesterday of demanding a new TV. After I did that I had to speak to a supervisor and oddly enough I was told by the supervisor that the part is guaranteed to be in by Thursday. I guess I should have demanded a new TV from the start and maybe things would have happened faster. I do feel that I am one of those odd cases but still when something like this happens to you makes you not want to buy from that company, in my case Samsung, again.

One thing that stuck out to me from your post was "No doubt the smaller service centers have less experience with these sets and maybe less training." My service center has had zero training on these sets, I asked. Makes you feel good that someone with zero training on a $3k TV is the repair guy. Also I have posted these a couple of times, I asked what adjustments or settings need to be done after the new LE is replaced. The guy told me "nothing everything is stored in the TV's memory." Not so fast my friend, the service manual states differently. I did not say anything to him about that and doubt that I will when the replace the LE. I was planning on waiting to see what the picture looked like and if it looks like crap, I will then demand a new set. I'll call Samsung when they are at the house.

Has anyone had the LE replaced twice? My concern is that Samsung is sending out refurbs and that the problem has not been resolved yet.

Brax4, I agree with you. After this hassle you want to make sure your set is better than when you first got it. Two more points. lol. Don't let the tech. leave until you have thoroughly inspected the set. Test several channels, put the color settings back or what ever you have to do. Have him document any issues you think you still have.

Don't blame the tech, its not his fault if he wasn't properly trained but it is now his problem. There is a difference. He is now the go to guy since once he leaves your house Samsung assumes your set is fixed.

Also, I wouldn't mess with the SM while he's there so see if you can get the set back to the way it was before you might have changed anything in the SM. You can always call for a new issue but knowing what you've been through I wouldn't want to go through that again for the same issue.

Gmz, I think there have been less than four people including myself who needed another LE. I don't think anyone had the same issue with their first, replacement LE. I'm sure they're refurbs, but the problem that was reported must have been addressed with new components replaced. They were tested of course but like the original LE I think they could still have new issues. I think its less likely with what would be a second inspection with new replacement parts.

I have the white blotches sometimes on the top, center in dark scenes in a dark room. I only noticed it a couple of times but its enough to know there is a new problem.

I wish they would just ship the part to me and I would fix it myself. I have the service manual and it doesnt look that hard. Speaking of the service manual, where in there does it say what needs to be done after light engine replacement? I have look and cant seem to find it. I purchased my set from Tweeter and I am going to purchase an extended warranty from them in December when my year is up. They told me they have there own service dept. So maybe I wont have to go through this a second time.

I wish they would just ship the part to me and I would fix it myself. I have the service manual and it doesnt look that hard. Speaking of the service manual, where in there does it say what needs to be done after light engine replacement? I have look and cant seem to find it. I purchased my set from Tweeter and I am going to purchase an extended warranty from them in December when my year is up. They told me they have there own service dept. So maybe I wont have to go through this a second time.

Check page 3-16 it should say
select OPTION > DMD → DIGITAL

It's not a great big write up or anything but it does state this in the service manual.

Ok I hope this does not sound as stupid as I think it may but I was looking through my service manual and I noticed that it has DNIe On/Off and the default is set to off. Does anyone know if this just means the demo mode for DNIe is default to off or the actual Digital Natural Image engine itself is default to off? I know that you can do the little demo but is DNIe always on or does it have to be turned on through the service menu? Seems odd that you would have to turn it on through the service menu but also seems odd that they would not have named it DNIe Demo.

When ever I run my demo I can see the difference but then after I quit the demo the picture does not look as bright and sharp as in the demo. I had always just attributed that to the fact that the good and bad pictures were side by side in the demo and thus the contrast between the two were so drastic. But now I'm not sure.

That does indeed turn it off but whenever you cycle the power on the set it will be reset to on.

That does indeed turn it off but whenever you cycle the power on the set it will be reset to on.


Do you mean just the demo or the DNIe itself? If you mean the DNIe itself, so then there would not be a way to permanently disable DNIe? I saw somebody asking if there was a way to disable it in another post.

Also if you mean the DNIe itself and not the demo, just out of curiosity, why then does it have default of off? Seems like it should be default to on.

Do you mean just the demo or the DNIe itself? If you mean the DNIe itself, so then there would not be a way to permanently disable DNIe? I saw somebody asking if there was a way to disable it in another post.

Also if you mean the DNIe itself and not the demo, just out of curiosity, why then does it have default of off? Seems like it should be default to on.


It does turn off DNIe. And yes you can permanently disable it. Just set all of the SNI_ PROC setting to off, although I left a couple of mine on. They gave the picture a little more pop. Not sure about the default thing, this is just the info I read here way back somewhere.

Does anyone know what it is exactly that goes wrong with the light engines that causes the shadows on the edge of the screen. I read a few pages back something about a piece of tape in the path of the optics. If that is all it is I am thinking about yanking my light engine and having a look see.

Mgreen200, I'm not so sure its that easy or worth the risk. If you have a problem just call Samsung. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. lol. I don't think its worth it. There is no official report on any of these issues. Yes it could be tape but isn't that unlikely or wouldn't you need to replace it with something else?

Does anyone know what it is exactly that goes wrong with the light engines that causes the shadows on the edge of the screen. I read a few pages back something about a piece of tape in the path of the optics. If that is all it is I am thinking about yanking my light engine and having a look see.
I don't personally know the cause but a few weeks ago a Samsung repair man, who said he has fixed many of these light engine problems, posted that the cause of the shadow was that the light engine tunnel was four mirrors which are held together by thin metal clips. He said the clips lose their strength and the mirrors slip out of place and block the light path. He said previously the mirrors were glued together so the problem did not occur. As I said, I don't know if this is true or not, but I found it interesting and he seemed to be knowledgeable.

Mes444, now that sounds more likely a possibility to me. The only thing is I thought this happened to older sets too? I wonder when they switched to clips, that would be interesting. It also shows how a refurb. LE might not be that big a deal.

Thanks for the post mes444, that certainly sounds plausible.

mgreen200: In comparing the old and new LE when the tech was here, I couldn't identify any differences between the two; there certainly wasn't any tape visible. The LE was larger and also more completely encased than I had envisioned before seeing it, so there wasn't much to see regarding the actual light path, color wheel, DMD or mirrors. Anything interrupting the light path within the LE is going to be hidden (unless you were to start disassembling the thing!).

FWIW, my tech said that he would have loved to have kept one of the returned LE's as a backup for his own set, but Samsung is keeping very close tabs on each and every one of them. They make his shop pay a $600 deposit for each LE they order, refundable only upon Samsung's receipt of the original, defective LE. Sounds like the incidence rate is still very high and that the cost of fixing (or at least temporarily fixing) the problem is relatively inexpensive.

brax4: To build on mgreen200's comments, you can permanently defeat DNIe -- but not permanently turn it on/off with a single setting -- by turning all of the SNI_PROC_ settings to OFF.

There are two toggle settings overtly related to DNIe: One in the DNIe menu (DNIe On/Off; default value: OFF), the second in the OPTION menu (DNIe Demo On/Off; default value: ON).

I haven't tested either setting (assuming both to be useless), but apparently the former always reverts to its default setting of OFF once you go through a power cycle (as in every time you leave the SM, rendering a change to it pointless). If I recall correctly, the latter behaves similarly. Once the defeat was found last summer, most of us quickly forgot our obsession in understanding the apparent lack of common sense exhibited by the behavior of either of these settings.

Add me to the dreaded left stripe saga. I called tech support on 8/21, and they said the nearest authorized service center was 37 miles away and they only went 25 miles. This requires a special authorization. I was told to expect a call within 24-48 hours. After the time passed without a call I called them. This new tech said because of the special authorization it would take at least a week. The regional service rep. needs to do something to make the service center actually do the service call. I guess they negotiate a price for the extended service area.

Had I known Samsung service would be so difficult in my area they would have never seen any of my dollars. Although, it is a very good picture even with the stripe.

So here I am, ready for some football and the tv is on the blink! Life is wonderful. Without such problems a retired Entomologist would be lost to his scales! :)

Avas, since you're in the "Zone" make sure they know its the LE before they arrive, with a new one and be sure they don't take your set. Those are two biggies for people in the Zone. Good thing you weren't a proctologist or...lol.

Avas, since you're in the "Zone" make sure they know its the LE before they arrive, with a new one and be sure they don't take your set. Those are two biggies for people in the Zone. Good thing you weren't a proctologist or...lol.

I wonder what the chance is that they will listen to my advice and bring the LE with them?

My HLR5668W is about eleven and one-half months old, so I am just ahead of the warrenty period. Even though they assured me they would take care of the problem, I hate to waite around on them.

Thanks to everyone on this forum for the insight and suggestions. I have learned, even at an old age!

Well has luck would have it, bad or good luck depending on how you look at it, my service center still has yet to call me. I was guaranteed the new LE would be in by Thursday by supervisor at Samsung and service center would call by Thursday. The supervisor said if the service center has not called you within 2days to call back and ask for him. I called Samsung yesterday since it had been 2 days (today being Friday) and they could not get the service center on the phone. The supervisor has issued the process for a replacement TV. I asked about the warranty on the replacement unit and was told that it was only valid until my original one is up. Is this correct? I would have thought that it would have been for a yearl. I asked him if it would be a direct replacement or a different model and he did not know for sure but said more then likely it would this years model, which from what I gather should be the HL-S5688W. Which I guess means I'll be changing threads. I'm not holding my breath that I'll get a replacement unit but I guess I can always dream.

It's now been about 7 weeks since my HLR5668W started having problems. A ballast replacement by a local service company resolved the first of them (the TV wouldn't turn back on after a lamp replacement). The second problem -- a right-hand vertical stripe -- was more persistent. After a tech from the service company diagnosed the problem as requiring a LE replacement, nothing happened for 3 weeks. The service company would only say that it could do nothing until Sammy sent it the replacement LE and wouldn't predict when that would happen or tell me what, if anything, it was doing to expedite delivery.

At that point, I called Sammy back, and the problem was quickly moved to a higher service tier, resulting in visit today by one of Sammy's own "field engineers, " who, to my surprise, brought a new LE with him. As expected, the LE replacement solved the stripe issue.

Everything looks good now, but I haven't had time to examine the picture very closely. All the custom settings in the SM appear to be intact after the LE replacement, including those turning off DNiE.

Congrats on getting your TV fixed (or atleast it appears as if it is fixed!).

I am confused about this LE and SM business. Does a new LE mess up the SM values or does it not? It looks as if in your case, it doesn't but I have heard otherwise on this forum.

This is one of the reasons I am not getting my TV caliberated because if the LE goes bad (its right around the 8 month timeframe since I got the TV!), I don't want to pay for a re-cabliberation!

Thanks.

It's now been about 7 weeks since my HLR5668W started having problems. A ballast replacement by a local service company resolved the first of them (the TV wouldn't turn back on after a lamp replacement). The second problem -- a right-hand vertical stripe -- was more persistent. After a tech from the service company diagnosed the problem as requiring a LE replacement, nothing happened for 3 weeks. The service company would only say that it could do nothing until Sammy sent it the replacement LE and wouldn't predict when that would happen or tell me what, if anything, it was doing to expedite delivery.

At that point, I called Sammy back, and the problem was quickly moved to a higher service tier, resulting in visit today by one of Sammy's own "field engineers, " who, to my surprise, brought a new LE with him. As expected, the LE replacement solved the stripe issue.

Everything looks good now, but I haven't had time to examine the picture very closely. All the custom settings in the SM appear to be intact after the LE replacement, including those turning off DNiE.

[QUOTE=Avas]I wonder what the chance is that they will listen to my advice and bring the LE with them?

If there anything like mine then not a chance in h*ll. :mad:

The supervisor said if the service center has not called you within 2days to call back and ask for him.



Care to share his name and number with us???? :rolleyes:

I am confused about this LE and SM business. Does a new LE mess up the SM values or does it not? It looks as if in your case, it doesn't but I have heard otherwise on this forum.Short answer:

No, but someone should "mess up" ;) the SM values during an LE install to make sure your tv is displaying an accurate picture.

Long answer: (the best I can muster based upon what I understand)

By itself, the hardware installation of a new LE doesn't do a thing to the SM. I noted no changed values in the SM afterward, since my tech made no SM changes himself. But he should have.

Each LE has unique color characteristics (among other things) that are the result of its unique physical properties (variances in the color wheel, DMD, optics and heaven knows what else). Those characteristics are stored in the DMD as a set of color primaries and color temperatures that define a color space. That color space defines the boundaries for everything that particular LE can display.

A new LE means that your tv's color space has just changed (among other things), and since the digital board in your tv doesn't yet know about the new color space, it's sending picture data through the LE that will now be displayed inaccurately to some degree (visible or not). So if the new LE defines red differently than how the digital board defines it, red (and all colors using red) will be displayed inaccurately.

In my case, aside from the brightness of a new bulb and some geometry idiosyncrasies, overall PQ remained similar -- but not identical -- to its original character. The most noticeable change for me appeared to be a shift in color temperature.

So logically, SM adjustments are needed after the LE hardware install to tell the digital board to match the color space used by the new LE.

As outlined by several members recently (several July posts cover the topic, including donb1948's thorough post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7894845&&#post7894845) ), the CCA values need to be copied over from the DMD to the digital board using the DMD --> Digital command in the SM's OPTION menu. <insert prerequisite SM warning and disclaimer here> This enables the digital board to use the values specific to that particular LE.

I'll be carefully doing this for my 5078 tomorrow -- you'll be the first to know if I turn it into a 75-lb paperweight.

As soon as that transfer is properly done, the CCA values specific to that LE will be visible in the CCA menus of the SM, and will be used by the digital board.

Most, if not all, other SM and UM settings should operate within the color space defined by the CCA values. So you will probably want to recalibrate the tv after a proper LE install to get your tv as accurate as you're willing to make it: via UM adjustments alone, UM and further SM (V-Position, H-Position, Actuator Gain, Index Delay) adjustments, or the services of a professional calibrator.

I've had a couple doozies for posts ... I'll try to keep them shorter in the future. :o

Short answer:

The most noticeable change for me appeared to be a shift in color temperature.


I'll be carefully doing this for my 5078 tomorrow -- you'll be the first to know if I turn it into a 75-lb paperweight.



Calbert,

I have done the DMD -> Digital command. In addition, I first did a user reset. All is well with my set. I hope you have the same experience. (I also have a 5078).

Now for the rest of the story...

I basically have a new set. The first component to go out was the Digital board. It had two bad HDMI inputs. The set had already been calibrated by Eliab (http://www.avical.com) and I knew that the new Digital board would mess that up. Calbert was spot on his description of the color space. I took pictures of all of the settings in the SM paying particular attention to the CCA values for each of the inputs. It is important to mention that for some inputs, the settings need to be slightly different in a properly calibrated set.

After getting the new Digital board I restored all the settings to their calibrated values. It was really interesting watching the set go to really weird colors than snap back to normal. Fortunately, when I was done, the set was back to it's calibrated state.

A couple weeks ago my set developed the infamous left hand shadow. It was only about a 1/2" wide but I was not willing to wait for it to get worse. Good thing was my service center appears to be on top of things. I called about the problem Thursday evening, told them I needed a new LE, and had a new LE by noon the following Monday. They listened to me in that I suggested the tech come with a new LE and indeed the tech had a new LE with him on the first visit. (Same was true for the Digital board).

Couple of interesting things about install. The new LE had different part number than the old LE (one digit difference at the end). I am hoping that means that the shadow problem has been fixed. We'll see...

The other is that the tech is under the patently false impression that no changes to the SM are required. He didn't touch it. They're not getting the correct training on this. I really couldn't care less since I know more than they do about reseting/ restoring these values. However, for those that don't know this, well...

So now I have a set that has been calibrated to a specific LE running a new LE. I let the set "burn in" for 20 hours berfore messing with it. I know thats not long enough, but at least it was a start. The set was a mess. The red level was pushed way to high. Other colors were off. Before this, on one particular HD recording I have I could see the subtle rouge a women wearing. This was all gone.

I knew that a new LE would mess up the calibration but it had to be done.

It was obvious to me that the set would not be watchable in it's current state. So I first did a user reset then did a DMD-> Digital transfer. That put the set back to nearly what the factory settings would be. It should be noted the there were no changes to the DNIE settings (mine are off) so if you want that on you'll need to do that yourself.

The end result is a watchable picture but it is not as good as a claibrated set. Eliab is making another tour though my area late next month and I have reserved a spot with him. Cool thing he is charging me only for a recalibration, not a full calibration. I really miss the improved PQ of a calibrated set. :(

jameskollar,

Just curious: Why did you do the user reset? What areas of the SM did it affect?

Glad to hear all is well with your set after the transfer, and looking forward to hearing about Eliab's recalibration.

jameskollar,

Just curious: Why did you do the user reset? What areas of the SM did it affect?

Glad to hear all is well with your set after the transfer, and looking forward to hearing about Eliab's recalibration.


As you know, this thread is quite long. Many posts back I read that a user reset was the equivalent of a factory reset. I've not verified this but sounds reasonable. The set was pretty whacked out so I figured what the hell, can't hurt anything (I'm much more cavalier about changing the settings in the SM than most). I know that the CCA values were wrong and so my thought was to start with a clean slate then apply the DMD settings which should restore the CCA settings to what the LE likes. From my experience this works. YMMV.

I have absolutely no idea what the user reset did. I figured that since the tech was so unknowledgable about the settings he should have changed, that I would feel no remorse whatsoever if I had to call in yet another service call to repair any damage I may have done. This just seemed like the proper steps to take and they worked out for me.

I have absolutely no doubt that Eliab will get my set into top notch shape yet again. I cannot overstate how much a proper calibration improves the PQ on these sets. I thought I had a great picture outta the box but little did I know how much better it can be.

I have been a big fan of all the technical knowledge on this forum. I have had the 5668 for about 3 months now. My trouble is that I see "green" instead of "blue". E.g., i was watching the pre season game betwee Tennesse and Atlanta and the Tennesse uniforms looked light green instead of deep blue. Any ideas on what I should be doing to fix this?

A professional calibration!

...I have had the 5668 for about 3 months now. My trouble is that I see "green" instead of "blue". E.g., i was watching the pre season game betwee Tennesse and Atlanta and the Tennesse uniforms looked light green instead of deep blue. Any ideas on what I should be doing to fix this?Be sure that your set isn't defective before you have it calibrated.

Did you just start seeing light green instead of deep blue.? Is it possible some user controls got changed without you realizing it?

Try Eliab's DVE instructions and see if that helps. If is doesn't help then you need a service call.

Eliab on using DVE for calibration. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7913037&&#post7913037)

Good luck.

htwaits, thanks a ton for pointing out Eliab's DVE article ... fantastic stuff!

htwaits, thanks a ton for pointing out Eliab's DVE article ... fantastic stuff!You're welcome. :cool:

Many posts back I read that a user reset was the equivalent of a factory reset. Aaah... I don't believe this is correct. However, due to fear on my part, I've only checked half of the situation so I can not factually say this statement is incorrect.

I have used the "User Reset" function just to determine what it changes in the service menu. My testing did not find any service menu values changed by the "user reset" function.

On the otherhand, I have not used the "Factory Reset" because I believe it could cause problems. The factory default (reset) values are not necessarily the same as the out-of-the-box values present in your service menu on receipt of your set. When I compared the "default" values for service menu items listed in the service manual with my out-of-the-box values, many were significantly different. With some of the "default" values, I wonder if the set would even work. As a non-lethal example, the "default" listed for Index Delay is 166. My current value is 47. I'd guess a "factory reset" would require a lot of work to get the set back to a viewable state. FWIW.

I have been a big fan of all the technical knowledge on this forum. I have had the 5668 for about 3 months now. My trouble is that I see "green" instead of "blue". E.g., i was watching the pre season game betwee Tennesse and Atlanta and the Tennesse uniforms looked light green instead of deep blue. Any ideas on what I should be doing to fix this?I have made something similar to your problem (made all my reds turn to yellows) happen by screwing around with the CAA menu in the service menu... Assuming you have not been in the service menu and you have not accidentally made an adverse change to the color controls in the user menus, it's time for a service call.

The CCA transfer went without a hitch. :cool:

In my particular case, the DMD => Digital command changed only the following settings:

1) Index Delay
2) CCA: First column only (Red x,y,Y | Green x,y,Y | Blue x,y,Y | White x,y,Y)
3) Actuator Gain

The new Index Delay value appeared dead on (although I can see how professional calibration would definitely improve grayscale tracking as the ramps approached black).

I find it curious that only some values were altered in the CCA menu. None of the "D" color values in the second column were altered (wondering how they're used...), as were none of the color tone values. The "D" color values in the Cinema CCA menu were also unaltered (before and after the transfer, they were set identically to the "D" color values in the CCA menu).

The new value for the Actuator Gain turned out to need adjustment. Original value before the transfer was 85, after it was 90, and after my adjustment it is now 105. There was about a 20-point spread from 95-115 where I could see the lines begin to go jagged, so I simply split the difference and now have nice, smooth horizontal and vertical lines. However, an oddity is present when using Part 1: The blue crosshairs never quite become smooth, even though I can get the red, green and white ones perfect. Anyone else notice anything like this? Too bad I never adjusted this setting with the old LE so I'd have some context ...

It's looking quite nice already ... now for some DVE calibration tomorrow!

On the otherhand, I have not used the "Factory Reset" because I believe it could cause problems.By the way, I ended up not messing with User Reset (anything with the word "reset" in the SM just sounds too close to an adventure I'd rather not take). Factory Reset must be buried (and for good reason!) ... I don't see it anywhere in the first- or second-tier SM menus.

Question for anyone who's using the PC (vga) input:

My 5078 has always had blacks that weren't as black on that input (using an xbox 360). Even without the 360 turned on, when the tv goes to that input, I can see that the full black screen actually gets brighter (than other inputs with either no source turned on or a source sending an all-black picture). So I'm not thinking it has anything to do with the 360.

No UM adjustments to Contrast or Brightness affect the problem ... it's as if the bulb is set to ouput 10% more on that input or something. Anyone seen this, and is there anything I can do to help it? It's not a killer problem; just seems strange.

How does one access the SM?

By the way, I ended up not messing with User Reset (anything with the word "reset" in the SM just sounds too close to an adventure I'd rather not take). Factory Reset must be buried (and for good reason!) ... I don't see it anywhere in the first- or second-tier SM menus.

Ahh, come on. Be adventurous, do a User Reset. :rolleyes: :D

Just kidding.

jameskollar, you're scaring me! :D

How does one access the SM?A few posts back I linked to one of many posts that outlines how to get in and out of the SM.

Some of us may be tired of the warnings, but the importance of documentation and being very deliberate with your button presses can't be undestated. It's so easy to screw up your set it's not even close to funny, and those posting the info here don't want to be the ones who set someone off on the path toward having problems. You enter the SM at your own risk.

It's not that any of it's rocket science, it's just that the following three things combine for a recipe for disaster if you're not paying attention to what you're doing:

1) 90% of the settings aren't obvious in what they do
2) Changes go into effect immediately; there are no "are you sure?" messages
3) Menu navigation does not behave the same as with the UM

By way of example, the only time I've ever been careless in the SM was last week: I wanted to check my lamp usage a few days after my new LE install, so I went into the OPTIONS menu to check. I read the number (36 hrs) and then for some reason hit the right direction key. When you go into a submenu, the first item in that menu is highlighted ... under OPTIONS, that happens to be Lamp Clear. So I suddenly find myself in the wrong place, and without thinking I hit the left direction key, thinking to back out of the submenu (forgetting that the way to back out of a submenu is using the Menu key). Poof! my lamp count is reset. :eek: Good thing I looked at the number first. It was pure luck that the change was harmless; but imagine had the Digital => DMD command been highlighted, or any of the many unexplained settings or commands. The possibilities make me queasy just thinking about them.

It's that easy, so be careful. ;)

If you're not the type to do things carefully and methodically, I'd strongly recommend that you leave it alone. If you are the type, then good luck!. There are definitely some things you can do to greatly improve the PQ.

jameskollar, you're scaring me! :D

A few posts back I linked to one of many posts that outlines how to get in and out of the SM.

Some of us may be tired of the warnings, but the importance of documentation and being very deliberate with your button presses can't be undestated. It's so easy to screw up your set it's not even close to funny, and those posting the info here don't want to be the ones who set someone off on the path toward having problems. You enter the SM at your own risk.

It's not that any of it's rocket science, it's just that the following three things combine for a recipe for disaster if you're not paying attention to what you're doing:

1) 90% of the settings aren't obvious in what they do
2) Changes go into effect immediately; there are no "are you sure?" messages
3) Menu navigation does not behave the same as with the UM

By way of example, the only time I've ever been careless in the SM was last week: I wanted to check my lamp usage a few days after my new LE install, so I went into the OPTIONS menu to check. I read the number (36 hrs) and then for some reason hit the right direction key. When you go into a submenu, the first item in that menu is highlighted ... under OPTIONS, that happens to be Lamp Clear. So I suddenly find myself in the wrong place, and without thinking I hit the left direction key, thinking to back out of the submenu (forgetting that the way to back out of a submenu is using the Menu key). Poof! my lamp count is reset. :eek: Good thing I looked at the number first. It was pure luck that the change was harmless; but imagine had the Digital => DMD command been highlighted, or any of the many unexplained settings or commands. The possibilities make me queasy just thinking about them.

It's that easy, so be careful. ;)

If you're not the type to do things carefully and methodically, I'd strongly recommend that you leave it alone. If you are the type, then good luck!. There are definitely some things you can do to greatly improve the PQ.

Let me second that (kinda). Maybe others are tweaking settings in the CCA area. Without a proper backup (pictures) that could be disastrous. To be honest, the only settings I have touched are the DNIE settings (turned off BTW), the infamous User Reset (didn't do anything that I could see), DMD->Digital which should have been done by the tech, messed with the index delay just for fun (makes really weird stuff happen when set wrong, not advised unsless you know how to get it back :D ) and the CCA settings. I would not have touched the CCA settings except that my set had been calibrated and I then had the Digital board replaced. Restoring the calibrated settings from the pervious Digital board restored the calibration. Whew!

If you have played with your CCA settings and the colors are off and you can't get them back, I wonder if the DMD->Digital transfer will fix the problem. Perhaps the person that posted the green colors wrong should try that to correct the problem by doing that. I know that it helped get rid of the red crush I had after an LE replacement.

Also, I believe when Eliab calibrated my set he said that there was no way to get to the true SMPTE values from the user controls alone. They just don't have the range necessary to do so. You can improve the picture, but it won't be as good as a having it calibrated. DVE is good, professional calibaration is better.

None of the "D" color values in the second column were altered (wondering how they're used...),... At your own risk, read this: Calibrating White Balance on Samsung DLP RPTVs.... (http://www.sencore.com/newsletter/July06/SamsungDLP_RPTVwhtbal.htm) This is the way it should work. Believe me, after many hours of screwing around, it's not that simple. Evidently, per Eliab, UMR and others, there are errors in the lookup tables and in one aspect I think this article might be incorrect, at least for the HL-R models. But, since I don't really know what I'm doing and every day in the SM is like a day at the circus, I'll keep that opinion to myself. YMMV

Ok, I'm getting close to testing out the SM. I know, I can hear everyone saying don't do it. I'm really interested in checking the patterns to see how well the set is aligned. I also find my 1080p PC, VGA connection to be very soft. Is there a setting somewhere in the SM that might address this? Would this be the same as adjusting the alignment or something? Any instructions on where these options are located would be great since I don't have a manual. I don't think its necessary for a couple of menu options, unless its really involved.

I plan on installing the Velux and getting a pro calibration when I get a HD/BR DVD player. I don't think I can make a color calibration as good as a pro so I'm not going to mess with anything else.

I also find my 1080p PC, VGA connection to be very soft. Is there a setting somewhere in the SM that might address this? Would this be the same as adjusting the alignment or something? Any instructions on where these options are located would be great since I don't have a manual. I don't think its necessary for a couple of menu options, unless its really involved.. I briefly connected my portable via the VGA port when I first got the Sammy. In my case, the picture was not soft at all. On the other hand, I only used the Sammy as a computer display and did not watch any movies. Adjusting for alignment (tilt, position, etc.) will not alleviate softness. If all of your inputs are "soft," you might need to "align the focus" which requires taking the back off the set and reaching into the guts of the machine to access the focus ring. A pro calibrator (or, at least Eliab does) can make the adjustment if needed. I am not aware of any SM parameters that are specific to "softness" related to the VGA port (but of course that does not mean they do not exist). FWIW

I don't think I can make a color calibration as good as a pro... ...nor can I. And, certainly not as inexpensively. But, I really get a kick out of the discovery process. YMMV.

My 5678 looks great on the inputs for VCR, which I don't use but have connected, DVD recorder and HD/DVR STB of course. I don't understand how those look great with composite, composite and HDMI connections on those inputs and yet the VGA is soft? I don't have a game console yet.

I was thinking the focus ring too but how can the other inputs look great? Do you think its the video card or something on the card software could be adjusted? That would be interesting if that was it?

Some possibilities to consider: poor quality cable, excessive filtering on the outputs of the VGA card. The cable is the easiest to check, and the most likely.

Does anyone have any experience adjusting the horizontal and vertical tilt?

I had my lamp replaced but now my geometry is pretty bad and is very noticeable via VGA with my PC

Can this be done with the SM? I know he adjusted it briefly before he left by physically moving something in the back and then looking at the geometry screen to align it. Unfortunately it looks pretty bad

i got a question
do the hls5087wx is good upgrade from a lg 44 icht dlp?
do the color is better whit the samsung?

Does anyone have any experience adjusting the horizontal and vertical tilt?

I had my lamp replaced but now my geometry is pretty bad and is very noticeable via VGA with my PC

Can this be done with the SM? I know he adjusted it briefly before he left by physically moving something in the back and then looking at the geometry screen to align it. Unfortunately it looks pretty bad Adjusting tilt is a physical adjustment that requires removing the back of the set and physically manipulating the DMD board. My daughter and I actually preformed a tilt adjustment (and ring focus) on our set 2 or 3 weeks ago. The procedure is simple (it's described in the service manual). But, execution was a real bear. In my opinion, it's really a three person job: One to spot the location of the grid on the screen and give directions to the person(s) moving the board; One to control vertical movement of the board; one to control horizontal movement of the board and the spotter has to run around back and tighten the screws of the DMD board while the other two stop breathing to ensure the thing does not shift. (Actually, it impossible to get the hands of three people in the work space!) My daughter and I tweaked this thing for over an hour. In the end, we did not have it perfect but we agreed it was better than when we started, so we declared victory and retreated from the field. It could go easier for you if you are more dextrous than I am and on the other hand it might not. My advice... Get the tech back in and "help" him do it right. FWIW.

I own a Samsung HL-R5668W and I recently entered the service menu to see just how much better the picture quality would be if I turned off DNIe. Before I even entered the DNIe sub-menu, I noticed that at the top of the list of sub-menus it said MODE: None and (here is where I believe a problem may be)RES: ERROR. This is the same across all sources.I also confirmed several times that everything was connected properly. I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm getting this error.

I would appreciate any help in regards to what may be causing this error, as well as any solution you can offer.

I own a Samsung HL-R5668W and I recently entered the service menu to see just how much better the picture quality would be if I turned off DNIe. Before I even entered the DNIe sub-menu, I noticed that at the top of the list of sub-menus it said MODE: None and (here is where I believe a problem may be)RES: ERROR. This is the same across all sources.I also confirmed several times that everything was connected properly. I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm getting this error. Just an observation that's probably of little use to you... I' ve seen a similar error before. It was only "similar" in that the error did not occur across all sources, only HDMI2. It turned out that if I entered the service menu while viewing a source on HDMI2 or if while in the service menu I selected HDMI2 as a source, I got the error. At first I thought it was a conflict with the signal generator I had connected to HDMI2 but realized later that the error occurred regardless of what was connected to HDMI2 and whether HDMI1 was connected to a source. In my case, I ignored it and did all of my work on HDMI1. Obviously you can not do the same...

Care to share his name and number with us???? :rolleyes:

Not avoiding you I promise, I was waiting to see if a replacement set process would go through. As luck would have it my service center got the part yesterday. After a call to Samsung, turns out that just because a person starts the replacement set process doesn't mean that it will happen. It has to be approved by the Executive Customer Relations Department, which has no direct line and you have to have an authorization number to be transferred. So as you can probably guess mine got denied since the service center has the part. I am not scheduled until next Wednesday for the LE replacement, which will make 2months since I reported the problem, ok technically 3days shy. Anyway the supervisor I spoke with was James, don't have a number, but as I mentioned apparently it doesn't matter what they say or guarantee it all has to be approved.

I was able to get an extra 90 days from the end of my warranty which I went over 3 times with the girl to make sure it was in my file. I'll be looking at an extended warranty probably, after the set is fixed of course.

My wife asked what happens if they can't fix it. I told her that was not even funny. But as my luck would have it they will probably replace the LE and it will look like crap. I feel sorry already for the service guys because they are not leaving until every input is checked and I am happy.

My 2cents is never get off the phone with the person from Samsung without, a tracking number and a confirmation that the parts department got the order. This was my biggest problem because every time I called back in to Samsung I could never, and I mean no matter how hard I tried, talk to the same person. Also if you have to call back go ahead and ask for a supervisor because you can always be transferred to them and as I was told they have a different set of questions they ask the service centers and more access then the first tier person. One note though, I found out there are at least 2 different service center buildings and you can get routed to any of them. So if you get a supervisors name ask if there are any others with that same name. The first tier person will transfer you to a supervisor and will to a specific one if you give them their name.

Brax4, thanks for posting that info on the inner workings at Samsung. I know people Googling will find that helpful. I didn't want to burst your bubble earlier but you just knew a replacement was out of the question, especially a free upgrade. lol. Did they offer the extended warranty or did you have to ask since you lost two months?

I still think Samsung must be one the best afa customer service, and probably reliability even. It still sounds to me like the local service center is to blame, again and not Samsung. I'm glad they took care of you regardless.

I have the shadow on the right hand side. I think I am 35-40 days out of the warranty. We will see if Samsung fixes this seemingly common issue on their dime or not. Fortunately I bought it with a Platinum Card so hopefully this will not be a repair on my dime.

They said a couple days and I should hear from a tech. :confused:

I truly hope Samsung takes care of us or the class could be in session, :eek: it seems way cheaper for them to just take care of it.

Dealer92, that sucks. Afaik there is no recall for any of these issues. I don't know what has to happen in order to issue a recall, like the number of complaints and so on? I don't see how they have to fix it since its out of warranty. I hope they do though. If your credit card has the free extended warranty coverage then it will be covered, as long as the card was used to pay for the total purchase. There probably will be a class action if a recall isn't issued, if it should be.

Also the warranty starts on the day you received the set, not the date you bought it, if the dates are different. There should be a little extra coverage anyway. I don't know how much, like a week or something? I can't see them refusing to fix something a week after the warranty expires.

At least you are in a good service area. Stay on them. You need a LE and don't take any BS and be sure they bring it with them. You're a little different since your warranty is up. You should consider an extended anyway. I think you have to enroll within a certain amount of time and state that the set is in working order and you can't file a claim within thirty days. That's my understanding. Also they go by the manufacturer warranty date, not some gimmick from a credit card company. You should look into the details on that.

The LE is around $1,200 and you can install it yourself, out of warranty. Also this shadow issue might be easy to fix without a LE. Someone recently said it was caused by a mirror that slipped off the clips. They don't want these untrained techs to mess with the LE so they just replace it, but that doesn't mean someone who is good at fixing things can't try and fix it, when out of warranty.

Brax4, thanks for posting that info on the inner workings at Samsung. I know people Googling will find that helpful. I didn't want to burst your bubble earlier but you just knew a replacement was out of the question, especially a free upgrade. lol. Did they offer the extended warranty or did you have to ask since you lost two months?

I still think Samsung must be one the best afa customer service, and probably reliability even. It still sounds to me like the local service center is to blame, again and not Samsung. I'm glad they took care of you regardless.

Yea I kind of figured that it was high hopes. After all the only thing that I really wanted out of it was the 1080p on the HDMI and component inputs. But by the time I need it, I am sure I will have upgraded my TV. I don't plan on getting an HD-DVD player until they come out with a changer, the 400 Disk ones not the 5 Disk ones, or a PC video card that is decent price that will output 1080p.

As for the warranty, they certainly did not offer it up I asked for it. The girl was doing her end of call routine when I asked about "what about my warranty, will be extended?" So I imagine if I had not asked for then I would not have gotten it. I'm probably going to do a repair master warranty, if the new LE looks ok.

As for whose fault it was, I was able to get some info on that. Turns out the service department did order the part the day after they came and inspected it. However Samsung's parts department, "lost" the order and it never got in their system. But you would have thought that as many calls to the service center as I made it would have dawned on them to call and check on it. So I blame both.

Brax4, and Dealer92:
A bummer to Dealer, but finally light at the end of the tunnel for Brax. I am only 7 days out from my first report of the left shadow, so I called support to make sure it didn't fall in a black hole. I asked for a supervisor, and after about a 6 minute on hold Fay (smooth talker) said it had to go through the 7 to 14 work days before they could bump it to another level. I asked what would happen if on the 15th day I had not received a call from the service center? Her reply, call us back, and we will send it to the Regional Service Manager. At her level they do not have the ability or authorization to have the service center bring the LE with them.

I asked about a recall, and she said there was no known problem with the LE on a large scale, which I think is bunk. I bet the numbers on this forum are only the "iceberg tip."

bcvp, if you get into the SM and mess up your set, you will probably need a proctologist. :)

Avas, I will definitely be careful when going in the SM. If I need to have the set fixed again and don't get the same great service I had last time I'll be up someone's a$$ so much that they'll need a proctologist. lol.

I'm usually the one warning people. As easy as it is to go in and change things people should remember its easy to make the set unwatchable. The SM is not for the consumer to use. You can't call Samsung if you mess it up and get service under warranty. That might be the issue. It could void the warranty, which is yet to be seen but calling for service when the call is due to the SM would not be covered. Just a friendly reminder. lol.

I called my repair center to see if they have gotten the dmd board in for my tv, that they ordered to fix my left hand shadow problem. They still had not gotten it in (has been three weeks since I first reported the problem). They said they would call Samsung and check on it. Same crap they said last week. To my surprise they called me back in five minutes and said that Samsung did not have the part in stock and expected it in today. I said whatever and told them to call me when they get it. I called Samsung customer support a coulple of hours later and demanded to speak to a supervisor. The lady I got was super nice and listened to my ranting for about 10 minutes. She was not at all fimiliar with the shadow problem. I told her that I thought my service center had ordered the wrong part for my set. She said they have a technical hotline for the service centers to call. She could not have cared less that I thought they ordered the wrong part. She went into the spill about if they cant get it fixed in a reasonable amount of time I would get a new set. She tried to call the service center but they are only open till 12 pm ( I guess when you are as good as they are you only have to work half a day) :D She said she would call them tomorrow and make sure they know about the hotline. I give up I am just going to let them come and put the board on. When it dont fix it I am going to make him take it back off and put the other one on. I hope he gets it on crooked and makes the picture all out of whack. I am not going to let him leave until it is straight.. I think I will then remind him about me telling him to order the light engine in the first place. :mad:

Mgreen200, sorry but I forget your exact issue. What was their explanation for ordering the wrong part? lol. That just pisses me off. I would not have let them get that far. Too late now so make sure you stay on them since you know you're not going to get anywhere until the LE is installed. You should see how far you can get with Samsung afa extending the warranty. Are you in the Zone outside a metro area?

When I tell them they (Samsung or the service center) they act like I dont know what I am talking about. What other choice do I have short of putting my foot up someones arse. Samsung did give me 90 more days on my warranty. I have a feeling that they do that to everybody that has their set serviced. They didnt act like that was a big deal. I am about 75 miles from a mojor city.

The lady I got was super nice and listened to my ranting for about 10 minutes. She was not at all fimiliar with the shadow problem.

mgreen200, Sounds like we reached the same supervisor with a silver tongue, and not a clue about the problem. I still have 6 more days before I call them back.

Anyway I can still watch football with a left stripe about 1 and a half inch at the top and near zero at the bottom. So I have a 56 incher one way and a 54 incher the other. I now walk around with my head cocked! :)

Man am I ever a screwed-up dude. :mad:

At your own risk, read this: Calibrating White Balance on Samsung DLP RPTVs.... (http://www.sencore.com/newsletter/July06/SamsungDLP_RPTVwhtbal.htm) This is the way it should work. Believe me, after many hours of screwing around, it's not that simple. Evidently, per Eliab, UMR and others, there are errors in the lookup tables and in one aspect I think this article might be incorrect, at least for the HL-R models. But, since I don't really know what I'm doing and every day in the SM is like a day at the circus, I'll keep that opinion to myself. YMMV
I would go as far as to say that this procedure is almost entirely incorrect and very lacking to boot. Furthermore, it WILL NOT work at all for the HL-S line.

Eliab

I would go as far as to say that this procedure is almost entirely incorrect and very lacking to boot. Furthermore, it WILL NOT work at all for the HL-S line. WOW! That's nice to know. Now, I can free up a few bytes on my document drive.

Ahaa.... I suppose you are not disposed to being more specific about the errors inherent with this procedure as regards the HL-R series? ;) :D

WOW! That's nice to know. Now, I can free up a few bytes on my document drive.

Ahaa.... I suppose you are not disposed to being more specific about the errors inherent with this procedure as regards the HL-R series? ;) :D
:D Let's just say that it significantly oversimplifies the procedure to the extent that it literally makes no mention of other extremely important adjustments that need to be made. On the HL-S line, the procedure is even more idiosyncratic and a much greater challenge.

Eliab

I have searched through different forums but could not find the answer to the color gradient question.
I have a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR from Comcast hooked to my HL-R5078W on the HDMI1 input.
When I watch HD content on the TV with material that has color gradient of a particular color it looks really bad/digitized. For example, if the scene is showing the sky or underwater wher the color goes from light blue to dark blue, I can see each color band distinctively and their melding points with bad pixelations.
I have tried to do the calibration with the AVIA and DVE DVDs from my OppoDigital 971H hooked on to my HDMI2 input, and the Oppo set to the Video2 mode for pure digital mode connection.
But even after that, the colors dont look right. There is blotchiness, and fading bleak colors on the picture.
So, after all that, here are my questions:

Is this happening because the TV has an 8-bit color engine? I looked at the service manual and the block diagram of the TV, and it looks like the HDMI transciever sends the data to the Xilleon 226 chip, and that guy sends it out in 4:2:2 16-bit format. Does that mean that the values are all in the 8-bit digital domain?
Could it also be the SA 8300HD is processing/sending the data in the 8-bit color domain?
Or maybe it is any or all of the above PLUS, Comcast has an "unbelievable" amount of MPEG2 compression on the streams they are sending, so when displayed on the TV, it looks horrible?

Any comments or help are greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
--selim

Baygins, do you have this issue with other inputs? Have you seen this issue with several HD channels? I think its more likely to be the channel or Comsucks. The picture is awesome and now with HD-DVD its unbelievable. I don't think specs in this case matter all that much. I don't even think a cheap HDMI cable makes a difference.

It is more evident on the Comcast input from the 8300HD DVR. When I watch a DVD, such as the excellent The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the blotchiness is less, but still evident in some scenes.
--selim

Baygins, I was trying to eliminate the set. If it was the set then everything displayed would have the same poor quality. That wouldn't change. A better test would be to display a lot of HD content on several HD channels. Make sure you have the newest Comsucks STB. I'm betting its the STB or Comsucks.

They could check your signal on the wiring from the set to the street. If it was a problem with the set you'd hear about it a lot here. If it was Comsucks you'd hear about that too. Have them take a look. The issue is probably with Comsucks. Not my favorite company. lol. I have more audio issues than video. I don't have an AVR so the issue is either from the source or Comsucks. Lately I've had some video issues but that's been less than two weeks when the picture drops. That must be from Comsucks. lol.

Just got a HLS5687W and the gray scale needs to be calibrated. I am getting green's in the b&w scenes. Having had a CRT RP before I am used to adjusting the Cuts & Drvs for this. Don't want to touch the color controls as they affect skin tones. How do you attempt a gray scale adjustment in the DLP RP's??

Just got a HLS5687W and the gray scale needs to be calibrated. I am getting green's in the b&w scenes. Having had a CRT RP before I am used to adjusting the Cuts & Drvs for this. Don't want to touch the color controls as they affect skin tones. How do you attempt a gray scale adjustment in the DLP RP's??The service menus for the HL-R and HL-S series are different. You would more likely get a response if you posted in the HL-S thread (Samsung 1080p Owner's Thread --- HLSxx87W/HLSxx88W DLP Models (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7463748&&#post7463748))or calibration forum (Display Calibration (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=139)).

Just got a HLS5687W and the gray scale needs to be calibrated. Check here too.

Samsung HLS xx87/xx88 Tech Links (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=697413)

Question for anyone who's using the PC (vga) input:

My 5078 has always had blacks that weren't as black on that input (using an xbox 360). Even without the 360 turned on, when the tv goes to that input, I can see that the full black screen actually gets brighter (than other inputs with either no source turned on or a source sending an all-black picture). So I'm not thinking it has anything to do with the 360.

No UM adjustments to Contrast or Brightness affect the problem ... it's as if the bulb is set to ouput 10% more on that input or something. Anyone seen this, and is there anything I can do to help it? It's not a killer problem; just seems strange.

I have a similar problem. When I first set the system, Samsung HLR6168W, up there was no difference between any of the input modes. Then I lost the Video card in the PC (eVGA 6600GT AGP) and had to have it replaced (eVGA 7600GS AGP). Then the connector broke on the Hauppauge MCE500 card and I replace it. Now the picture is grainy and has a green hue while playing back video and is washed out with regular PC.

I replaced the VGA cable, no change. I suspect the Hauppauge is bad because of the picture quality (the first one was fine and the OTA is fine and I don't notice the green hue either... :confused: When connecting the PC to another monitor there is no green hue.

Then the CATV input on the TV stopped working, snow on all channels. I switched out the CATV to the second input and that worked for about 10 days and it stopped the night before the field engineer was to come out to first the problem. He replaced both the digital and analog [input] cards and everything seems to be working again, except for the green hue/washed out view in the PC mode.

I want to calibrate the set, but I want to make sure there is nothing wrong "mechanically" with the set before I have that done.

Any comments?

Question for anyone who's using the PC (vga) input:

My 5078 has always had blacks that weren't as black on that input (using an xbox 360). Even without the 360 turned on, when the tv goes to that input, I can see that the full black screen actually gets brighter (than other inputs with either no source turned on or a source sending an all-black picture). So I'm not thinking it has anything to do with the 360.

No UM adjustments to Contrast or Brightness affect the problem ... it's as if the bulb is set to ouput 10% more on that input or something. Anyone seen this, and is there anything I can do to help it? It's not a killer problem; just seems strange.I've wondered about this since the initial post and had hoped someone more knowledgeable would respond. Though my experience with the VGA input has been brief, I have an idea I'd like to present if only to get someone to shoot it down. Based on my brief experience, I'd guess that the VGA input is "all wired" (i.e., expects more than just the RGBHV signals) and thus truly expects a computer to be at the other end. Based on this, I'd also GUESS that the input is expecting a "computer" signal that has black pegged at the equivalent of digital 0. If the 360 is outputting "video" levels (black is the equivalent of digital 16), then I would expect "black" to look more gray on the display. Have you any idea whether the 360 is pegged to computer or video black levels?

Since we are dealing with analog signals, there is also the question of whether the 360 uses the 7.5 IRE setup when sending black and whether the VGA port was calibrated with or without the setup. If the 360 is sending the 7.5 IRE setup and the VGA port is calibrated without it, black will appear gray on the display.

If one of these is actually the problem, then there is likely a menu selection or calibration that can correct it. But, I'd really like to have one of the pros or experienced 360 users either validate or shoot down one or both of these. FWIW.

Donb1948, I don't have an answer or a 360, but I was thinking the same thing. I'd bet the issue is with the 360. It certainly isn't with the Samsung and my PC looks great. You can adjust the PC white balance and what not on the video card if you had to. I would've thought the 360 was more advanced though so I wouldn't think it was the problem but it seems that way.

I am not scheduled until next Wednesday for the LE replacement, which will make 2months since I reported the problem, ok technically 3days shy. Anyway the supervisor I spoke with was James, don't have a number, but as I mentioned apparently it doesn't matter what they say or guarantee it all has to be approved.

(snip)

My wife asked what happens if they can't fix it. I told her that was not even funny. But as my luck would have it they will probably replace the LE and it will look like crap. I feel sorry already for the service guys because they are not leaving until every input is checked and I am happy.

My 2cents is never get off the phone with the person from Samsung without, a tracking number and a confirmation that the parts department got the order. This was my biggest problem because every time I called back in to Samsung I could never, and I mean no matter how hard I tried, talk to the same person. Also if you have to call back go ahead and ask for a supervisor because you can always be transferred to them and as I was told they have a different set of questions they ask the service centers and more access then the first tier person. One note though, I found out there are at least 2 different service center buildings and you can get routed to any of them. So if you get a supervisors name ask if there are any others with that same name. The first tier person will transfer you to a supervisor and will to a specific one if you give them their name.

Sounds like a rough experience. I gotta say that I had an excellent experience with my repair. I called Samsung on a Thursday with the left side shadow issue. They tried to connect to the service center directly but ended up leaving a message. The service center called me Friday and scheduled an appointment for Monday. The technician showed up promptly with a new LE under her arm. Took one look at the TV, and went to work installing the LE. That took about 10 minutes and she spent another 20 tweaking the picture in the service menu. Afterwards everything was perfect. The whole process was about as painless as it could possibly be. As a bonus my service technician was a beautiful, tall, blond, 35-year old ukranian woman.

This has got to be the best customer service ever!

I realize this doesn't help your situation all that much but I just wanted to share a positive experience for once.

Dan

Dan, she is hot. Lol. She replaced my LE too. That's the problem though. People in the Zone are far from a metro area like Boston. The further away the worse the service and that's not right. You'd think with all of the service calls they've had they'd get the message that they need to address their service center coverage issues.

Ordered my replacement (Will be my 3rd)
Arrives day after my birhday 9/11/06
:(
HLS 7178W
Worked great for 2 weeks now when I turn it on
sounds like a fan or something is buzzing
:(
bestbuy returned and ordered me a new one no problem
set only had 105 lamp hours on it - arrived aug 19th I believe

really sucks - just came home and went to go watch tv and bam
here's pics - nice canon 7mp :)

http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0029pj9.jpg
http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0041dj8.jpg

ill take pics of the new tv
I really like the stand that it came with - well that I bought :)
and I got a GREAT deal on the tv - eager for monday to try some 1080p content

This has probably been asked a million times re: problems but...I have had the HLR6168W since August, 2005 with no problems until the last few days.

The set shut itself off during a DVD viewing session a day or two ago. I immediately put it back on and it worked fine.

Tonight, the set shut itself off twice within a one-minute period. I put it back on after the first shutoff but have kept it off after the second.

Can anyone identify the problem?

Thanks, in advance.

I'm not sure but I think someone had a similar issue and narrowed it down to the lamp or was it the lamp door sensor? Have you replaced a lamp or been near the door?

This may have been asked somewhere in this thread, but I wasn't able to find it....

I love my HRL 5678... but I can't seem to figure out how to display what format is being viewed....

IE: When I click info, it just says "SD" or "HD"
Is there any way to see what format it's being offered seen in? like 480i/p 720p, 1080i?

Thanks!

IE: When I click info, it just says "SD" or "HD"
Is there any way to see what format it's being offered seen in? like 480i/p 720p, 1080i?How do you have your video inputs connected?

How do you have your video inputs connected?

I'm refferring to digital cable TV... so coax directly to the digital tuner.

I'm refferring to digital cable TV... so coax directly to the digital tuner.I don't have your TV model or a connection like yours. Maybe an owner with you setup can comment.

It's possible that the "info" option provides different information depending on the connection you are using. With my HLP set I get resolution information with the HDMI and DVI inputs that I'm using.

bcvp,

Re: lamp and/or lamp door sensor...I need to look into this today...thanks for the advice.

I did notice the last time the set shut off that the "stand by/temp" LED remained on while the "lamp" LED was blinking.

The manual does not address this situation where the "timer" LED is off while the other two LED's as id above are on.

So...possibly a lamp problem!?

Just looked at the back of the set. The lamp cover is as tight as a drum. So...the next question is if, in fact, it is the lamp that needs replacing. Since I turned on the set, I have not experienced another shut down, so...I'll have to wait for the next big event! (I wish things were simpler!)

Ed Weinman, people here say its not good to recycle the power often. If it happens some more I think you should call Samsung. I don't think they'll give you a straight answer but the service center might have more info on it and its free. Your lamp could burn out early if it continues. I haven't heard of a bulb going causing the issue and isn't it too early to be a lamp issue? The set isn't in a cabinet, which might cause a heat issue right?

bcvp,

Right, the set is free standing. I wish that the LEDs that are on after the set goes off match what the manual states could be the problem(s). I do not see a situation were the LED for standby/temp is on but only the lamp LED blinks.

I will call Samsung.

Thanks

Just finished talking to Samsung Service...the technician had me turn on the set, unplug the set, keep it unplugged for aprox three minues, then plug it in (at which point the set came on without me having to do anything) .

This was a reset-to-factory-specs procedure (I believe). He gave me a transaction no. and indicated that, if the set shuts off again, to call back, refer to the trans. no. and that they would advise at that point.

So...I hope that this has corrected the problem!

Ed Weinman, does that affect your inputs, color and audio settings? What if anything was reset? I hope that works. You might have them check it when your warranty is close to expiring or if you need a service call for another issue just to be sure.

bcvp,

Good questions! You'd think that I would ask! Oh, well. No...the inputs, color and audio settings remain in tact. (And, yes, I am close to having my warranty expire.)

Ed Weinman, I think its best to get a service call now, even if you don't think you need one. There are no parts that get adjusted, they just get replaced. I don't think this issue has anything to do with the LE, which affects your picture.

In other words, its up to them to find out what caused the issue and get the part replaced now, before the warranty expires. If it was my set the issue would probably happen again, a week after the warranty expired. lol. You might consider extending the warranty. The LE part is over $1k, well worth the cost of a warranty, since that is a very common part that gets replaced for several issues.

You should have good service being in OC. I wouldn't wait for another possible service call. Make an appointment soon and tell them it happened again.

I'm wondering if anyone has the problem where the brightness of the set will gradually dim over some time. I have a HL-R5078W which had the LE replaced because of the shadow thing on the left side. The old lamp, before the LE replacement, was dimming also after 1400 hours of usage. When the LE was replaced along with the lamp, the bright vibrant colors came right back, and now it's happening all over again. The shadow has not come back but the set is lacking that punch it used to have. If even some filtered daylight is coming into to the room during dark scenes, it is hard to see the picture. I have about 1 month left on my warranty and will probably extend it. Any thought on this.

Thanks in advance.

Gmz, first I would confirm your UM settings to be sure no one changed it. The lamps do dim after some time. I don't think there is a set amount of time before they dim. I don't think the lamp is covered under warranty besides burning out? Maybe someone knows how to burn it out early in order to get a new lamp. I don't think there is anything other than the lamp that affects the brightness, besides the settings.

bcvp,

How does one get the warranty extended? I have not been offered an extension from Samsung and I have not purchased other warranty coverage?

Thanks, in advance.

Gmz, first I would confirm your UM settings to be sure no one changed it. The lamps do dim after some time. I don't think there is a set amount of time before they dim. I don't think the lamp is covered under warranty besides burning out? Maybe someone knows how to burn it out early in order to get a new lamp. I don't think there is anything other than the lamp that affects the brightness, besides the settings.


What are the UM settings? The system menu?

bcvp,

How does one get the warranty extended? I have not been offered an extension from Samsung and I have not purchased other warranty coverage?

Thanks, in advance.


This is from the local company that serviced my unit under the Samsung warranty. The tech left me the brochure and told me that for the price of a one or two year extension I could get a new lamp. At this point it sounds good to me. I remember when I first got the TV about a year ago it felt like I would need sunglasses to watch it. Not anymore.

Gmz, sorry about that. The UM is the user menu, the consumer settings to set the inputs, picture and audio settings, the regular settings. The SM is the service menu used by a service tech, which is not to be used by the consumer or end user.

Ed Weinman, usually the place of purchase offers an extended. You could contact them and sometimes they have more than one extended company with several plans. People here might know of better plans. The one I have I think is the more popular one here but I don't have the info right now. I bought my set from TVA. This thread has been slow lately so if you don't hear from someone soon I'll see if I can dig it up.

My understanding with these extendeds is the set has to be in working order at the time of purchase and you can't call for service within thirty days of a plan purchase. I got an extended bundle which includes a lamp replacement. That seems to be the most popular. The lamp coverage is sort of like a bonus after you look at the different plan costs. You're betting you'll need a lamp but regardless the lamp coverage is like a gimmick to help convince you to get the bundle.

I am only 7 days out from my first report of the left shadow, so I called support to make sure it didn't fall in a black hole. I asked for a supervisor, and after about a 6 minute on hold Fay (smooth talker) said it had to go through the 7 to 14 work days before they could bump it to another level. I asked what would happen if on the 15th day I had not received a call from the service center? Her reply, call us back, and we will send it to the Regional Service Manager. At her level they do not have the ability or authorization to have the service center bring the LE with them.

I asked about a recall, and she said there was no known problem with the LE on a large scale, which I think is bunk. I bet the numbers on this forum are only the "iceberg tip."


Well on the 15th day I called them, and to my surprise they gave me the phone number of a local service company (special approval from Samsung). They even had my information at the service center. Again to my surprise the service tech agreed it was the LE, and he would order it before coming out. He estimated about one week, and he was familiar with the LE problem and had changed some already. I hope he is correct.

Avas, sounds good, just stay on them. Some have reported shipping delays. I'd check in a few days. You could get their tracking info or something to be sure things are moving.

bcvp,

I've had the set since Aug.'05 and also bought it from TVA. The one yr. warranty was extended by 3 months when I registered the set on line (I believe). Isn't it too late to purchase an extended warranty from TVA or am I missing something here?

Ed Weinman, I'm not sure but you might check their site for the extended info first. Get the company name, plan and price. Call TVA and ask to purchase it. Tell them how you bought the set from them and the warranty has not expired. If they won't sell it then call the extended directly.

It sounds like you should be all set since your warranty is still in effect. I'd work on it soon in case it isn't as straight forward as I think it is. Worse case is my earlier suggestion should work if it had already expired. Also, with that plan the extended is transferable should you decide to sell the set.

o.k.,bcvp. Thanks.

Keep us posted.

Does anyone know the version of the HDMI port on the Samsung HL-R5668W?
I already tried to find this information on google, yahoo and the AVS forums, but had no luck.
Thanks in advance.

HDMI: Definitely not 1.3. But, I do not know whether it's 1.1 or 1.2 (or if it makes a difference).

Dpambouk, I'm not sure if it matters either since there are very few components that either have HDMI or components that only have 1080p HDMI. In other words I haven't heard of any component not working and if it doesn't I'd bet it was 1080p. Let us know if you've heard of a component that wasn't backward compatible or something.

OK bcvp. The reason I’m asking this is because I ordered the Denon DVD-1930CI (delivery scheduled for next Thursday) and I was wondering if my TV will accept the 1080p signal from the denon, but if it doesn’t, I’ll be happy with 1080i.

---------------------
Daniel

Dpambouk, let us know what the 1080p HDMI picture looks like. I'd imagine it says no signal but that would be interesting.

... I was wondering if my TV will accept the 1080p signal from the denon, but if it doesn’t, I’ll be happy with 1080i. The HL-R models are spec'd to take 1080p over VGA but not over HDMI. I have unsuccessfully tried to send a 1080p signal from a signal genetator (Accupel HDG-3000) via the HDMI input. All I got was a "mode unsupported" message. 1080i over HDMI has not been a problem for me, though I have read of issues that all seem to be related to certain STBs and "handshakes." I'd also be interested to hear how 1080p over HDMI works for you with the new Denon. I'd REALLY be interested to know how 1080p over VGA from the Denon works for you. ;)

bcvp,

Well...my problem that I thought was solved by Samsung tech. re: the set's turning off has reared its ugly head again.

Only this time, after having it on for 10 minutes, the LED which went on was the normal "standby/temp" that goes on when the set is turned off...no blinking.

So...I'll call tech. for someone to come out. I hope this is not a messy problem!

Gmz, first I would confirm your UM settings to be sure no one changed it. The lamps do dim after some time. I don't think there is a set amount of time before they dim. I don't think the lamp is covered under warranty besides burning out? Maybe someone knows how to burn it out early in order to get a new lamp. I don't think there is anything other than the lamp that affects the brightness, besides the settings.

Here's an update on my lamp issue. On Saturday, after the TV had been on for about 1 hour, I heard a loud pop coming from the back of the set and it went dark. Then it started making a gurgling sound sort of like an espresso machine. I'm not sure if this has happened to anyone. I called Samsung and they scheduled a service call. I'm assuming this is the lamp calling it quits. At least I hope that's all it is. Needless to say, an extending the warranty is definitelly a priority now considering mine is up at the end of this month.

Ed Weinman, what a pain. Better now than later. It will be interesting to know if it is a lamp issue or a power issue. Here I was thinking it was a lamp issue that cut the power but now I wonder if its a power issue that cut the lamp? Try to explain to both Samsung and the service center the LED status, lamp and amount of time details. It would be great if they brought the two most likely parts so they don't have to return. I don't think this is a common problem but maybe your service center is familiar with it.

Quick question guys. Sorry to be a little off-topic.

How do I extend the warranty on my 7178? Is this through Samsung? Will they send me an offer for the extension? Assuming the original warranty was for 1 year, mine will be up in November and I definitely want to extend it. Thanks.

Cary

Some one just sent me this link.

http://www.televisionwarranties.com/

I'll be looking into it since I need an extension on my warranty. As far as I know Samsung will not offer an extension, so you will need to look elsewhere for it.

Samsung does, in deed, offer extension on warranties...that is, I was able, this a.m., to extend my 1 year coverage (ending 11/09/06) for another year. I do not know if these extensions apply to all products but, in my case, my HLR6168 is being extended to 11/09/07.

The Samsung Extended Warranty phone no. is 1-866-237-5278.

I was offered a 1yr or a 3yr extension. Because of the price, I chose the 1yr option knowing that, prior to 11/09/07, I could, again, purchase another extension.

What is the price for the 1 year and 3 year Samsung extension?

Ed Weinman, how much, what does it cover, any details would be great. I would've thought an OEM warranty would be more expensive or cover less? I forget my term but I think its three years, maybe four, includes the entire set and one bulb for $500 and is transferable.

As you may have gathered...I do not ask questions! I simply assumed that the 1-year extension ($258.90) covered the same things as the original 1-year coverage when I bought the set. (The 3-year extension has a price tag of $676.40.)

(Anybody have a piece of desert that you'd like to sell me?)

Ed Weinman, I feel bad but you're covered. Directed at others, the OEM warranty is more expensive and I'm not sure if it includes the gimmicks like a replacement bulb or is transferable?

I'd almost go as far as suggesting to Ed to see if he can cancel it since it isn't in effect yet? I don't know what the fine print is? Maybe you can tell them how you didn't realize you already had coverage and go with TVA?

Let me know if you want in on an ethanol plant in Boston. Its going to be huge. lol.

bcvp,

You've read my mind! How many years has it been now that I've wanted above all else, ethanol in my life. How ironic that you should chose that plant in Boston to offer me. The bigger the better! (Now, if I can only convience my wife!)

P.S., there is something about a Samsung van and technician wearing the Samsung emblem that is so reassuring to me! I'm not sure if I'd like Joe's Deli and TV Repair showing up (although, who knows, he may be a terrific chef).

I also was looking into extending my warranty even tho I have one extra year on my Amex credit card, and I found that only Samsung would extend the warranty as I had only one month left on the original warranty, and they do it only if you still have that one month left on the original, after that no, and they do include one bulb. I checked with TVA about Repairmasters and they said they could only sell me one if three months were left on the original. So, long story short, Samsung was too expensive for my TV for three years, (over $800) and I still have the Amex deal for one year, so no extended warranty beyond that. So maybe Ed has to stay with Samsung for the same reasons?
The Samsung Extended Warranty # is 1-866-237-5278 and the price is dependent on the price you paid for the TV.

I just met with the tech in order to have my burned out lamp replaced. I asked him about getting extended warranty and he gave me the Samsung brochure. The price is the same as the one Ed quoted above and it does include bulbs. I asked him what the difference is in the Samsung warranty and other extended warranty companies out there and he just told me response time. He said parts from a Samsung warranty call are immediatelly available from stock whereas service calls that come from companies such as Warrantech (Repairmaster) are lengthier since these parts need to be ordered and can take 5 to 7 days. He told me that his company does work with Warrantech also.

gmz, mes444, bcvp...

Good to know it includes bulbs...I'm satisfied with the Samsung 1-yr. extension (yes, I ws asked the price of the unit)...perhaps, if the set lasts that long, and I believe it will...I'll renew again.

Thanks to all. (Now, all I have to do is find a local Philips laser disc player repair technician!)

Ed W.

Ed Weinman, lol, lol. I agree that its nice to have the OEM repair your things, set, car, and so on. I don't think most people here had Samsung techs, with a Samsung van in a Samsung jumpsuit? I have seen them around but I don't think my tech was from Samsung. I thought they usually stop by when things go from bad to worse?

I do take my Honda Element to the dealer. I used to always use local shops for my previous cars' repairs. I do like the service I got from Tweeter. I made money on them with their extended on a Sony camcorder. I'm trying to think of other service I've needed that was or was not from an OEM extended.

With this set the parts are not repaired, components are replaced and there are only a handful of components, if that. In other words no one can really screw things up. I do agree the wait for parts could be an issue but a few people here have had to wait for LEs while they were covered under Samsung so I don't know.

Regardless it looks like these sets are not as reliable as they should be and the LE, the most expensive part is over $1k, making getting an extended is almost not an option. People tossed their CRTs due to upgrades, not repairs. You'd think these should be more reliable than they are considering the technology the have.

I've given up on the reliability aspect of CURRENT products (in general). I've had, for instance, my Philips laser disc player since Dec.,'89. At that time Philips was proud of this product as one of their better efforts. I've also had a service contract covering this set since '89 which contains a rider in which, if the set is not repairable, it will be replaced with one of equal or greater value (the unit cost $1,300.00).

Well, Philips decided that they could not replace part(s) for the player and, in its place, offered me a $79.99 DVD player. When I pushed them for an explaination, it was obvious that they had no knowledge of what a laser disc player was (let alone their own product) and finally offered me a $340.00 20" standard tv with built in DVD and VHS players (I can only imagine the quality of this set and its contents).

At least I am very satisfied with Samsung personnel whom I've spoken with over the past two days.

Oh, I may not get that Samsung van/technician from the factory but I feel I'm getting (this coming Monday) a totally reliable firm that will be fixing the set turning itself off problem.

I currently have a HLR-6168W. For some reason the "Digital Audio Out" menu feature is grayed out.. I cant use it.. Does anyone know why this happens?.. I am trying to run my DVD players HDMI connection through the TV, and then the Digital Audio out of the tv to the AVR

Calibration made a big impact!

I've been following the forum for a while and was somewhat skeptical of the need for calibration. After a year of watching my HLR I started to get annoyed by muddy, green shaded blacks and hired a Boston area pro to come out and calibrate my set. The results are amazing.

He had a signal generator and a colorimeter along with a special Samsung remote that allowed him to access the service menu. He showed me the effects of the DNIe processing and I'll be damned, it really does mess the edges of the test programs. First step was to shut it all off on about 15 settings. The he measured the Red, Blue and Green setting along with the white and black levels to determine an x, y and l offset for each. He copied the settings from HMDI 1 to HDMI 2 and then verified the results. He calibrated the VGA input for 720P and now media streaming from my Xbox360 looks as good as from my DVD player.

He did a great job and explained stuff like "blacker than black" so I have a better understand of the process. Overall I'm glad I spent the $400

I currently have a HLR-6168W. For some reason the "Digital Audio Out" menu feature is grayed out.. I cant use it.. Does anyone know why this happens?.. I am trying to run my DVD players HDMI connection through the TV, and then the Digital Audio out of the tv to the AVR


HLRs can't be used, and are not designed to be used, as digital audio pass-through devices (they don't have DD decoders and can't pass HDCP handshakes to devices connected to the HDMI inputs). The digital audio output is strictly for use with the TV's antenna and cablecard inputs.

HLRs can't be used, and are not designed to be used, as digital audio pass-through devices (they don't have DD decoders and can't pass HDCP handshakes to devices connected to the HDMI inputs). The digital audio output is strictly for use with the TV's antenna and cablecard inputs.
I have an hlr 5688 with both my cable box (into HDMI 1) and my DVD player (into HDMI 2) plugged directly into the TV and an Optical cable out into my receiver and the y both work perfectly. So HLRs do pass sound, tho only PCM stereo, but the receiver splits the sound to surround and it sounds good. So it is doable. I don't know why the OP can't get his to work but it should. Maybe replug the optical cable into both to be sure it is securely plugged?

On monday I called Samsung about the left side shadow. It was the worst one I've seen. About 10" wide from the top all the way to the bottom. It had progressively gotten worse over time. But hey, I'm a procrastinator.

Anyway, later that day I got a call from Complete Electronics and scheduled an appointment for today (thursday). The fellow shows up in the appointment window, light engine in hand. Twenty minutes later we were saying our Byedy Byes. TV completely fixed. The guy said he's done alot of these. He claims the "light tunnel" collapses. I'm buying that.

Can't say enough good things about Samsung, TVAuthority and Complete Electronics. I'm happy as a bearded clam at Crazy Horse. They never even asked me if I was still under warranty....PHEW!

Oh Yeah, did I get a new lamp with that new light engine. The repairman said I did. Just trying to confirm.

I too had the shadow problem on my 6178W. I was in the Samsung 3-month warranty extension period, so a replacement LE was quickly installed a week after I called tech support.

The service tech claimed dust settling on the DMD chip caused the problem, but after Googling 'light tunnel' I have come to the conclusion that a mirror dislocating from the light tunnel assembly - due to thermal breakdown of the glue holding the 4 mirrors in the light tunnel together - was responsible for the shadow.

There's an older DLP thread with the same problem. I haven't posted 5 posts yet, so I can't enter the whole url. Put the following after the avsforum home page address:
/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=616165

What sucks is the Samsung only offers the light tunnel replacement (only $80!!!) for the HLN series of DLPs. I am going to call tech support and try to recommend Samsung start selling light tunnels for the HLRs and beyond as well. It would save the company up to a thousand dollars per service call for the LE replacement.

Hey everyone,

I bought a 5078W about 6 months ago and it is the best TV I've ever owned. However, I have a slight problem with it periodically shutting off. It doesn't appear to be temperature related, as sometimes it will do so after 15 minutes of poweron. And other times it can last 10 hrs and still be running.

It seems to be worse on the PC input and am wondering if anyone else has run into this? (I run either 1920x1080 PC or just plain cable)

Thanks,

-pedge

Puffyedge, there have been maybe three people total here that had a problem similar to yours. Two of them are recent, one is in the process of getting serviced. As I recall the first was a lamp issue and the second was a lamp door sensor. Its been slow here lately, someone might correct me if I'm wrong but that's what I remember.

I can't see it having anything to do with the input being used. Did you notice the LEDs? Were they steady, blinking? Now that I think of it I think the first person lost the picture, the screen was off but the power/LEDs were on.

What the? My set, 5678 just went black. I thought it was comsucks since I have problems with them sometimes, I wouldn't be surprised. If I had to chose between something being wrong with the set or the cable I'd bet on the cable. I looked over at the set since I'm doing work on my computer, and the screen was blank and there was no sound.

The LEDs were all off so I thought the set was off. I turned off the set with the remote and it turns out the set was on. I waited for it to cycle off before turning it right back on as I type this. The set turned back on like nothing happened, but the picture was very dim at first, dimmer than it normally is. I guess this is a lamp issue? That's unbelievable posting about a similar issue about twenty minutes earlier and it happens to me. Nice.

Weird, did not mean to put a curse on your set. So some preliminary troubleshooting reveals that the lamp runs up to 150F without shutting off. Is this a normal operating temperatue for the bulb? There's nothing in the manual that specifies normal operating temperatures. How can I safely check if the cooling fan is running?

I'd just like to check out a few things before calling a service tech out.

-Pedge.

Puffyedge, yeah, no sweat. I would not "check" anything. Its not worth the risk of a voided warranty. There are no moving parts besides a door open sensor switch. And I don't think any test we could do would eliminate other components and regardless the set either needs a new component or lamp, both should be covered. It would be interesting to learn what the cause is or what is replaced. My set is working fine right now but I'm going to wonder if it might happen again. Its best to just call for service.

Hey, new to the forums but been browsing for a while.

I have a question regarding the HL-R5688W (the pedestal model, 56"). To my understanding based off information in this thread, it only accepts a 1080p signal through VGA. So, is it completely impossible to display a 1080p signal over component? The reason I ask is because of the 360's update coming this fall to allow it to output 1080p over component/VGA, so just wanted to make sure whether or not the TV would be able to accept the signal (native or upscaled, for gaming) through component. If not, then my only bet is VGA?

Also on that matter, with the 360 being able to output 1080p soon, does that mean gaming lag should technically disappear because the signal matches the TV's native resolution (1920x1080)?

Thanks for the help.

Anyone? :\

Hey, new to the forums but been browsing for a while.

I have a question regarding the HL-R5688W (the pedestal model, 56"). To my understanding based off information in this thread, it only accepts a 1080p signal through VGA. So, is it completely impossible to display a 1080p signal over component? The reason I ask is because of the 360's update coming this fall to allow it to output 1080p over component/VGA, so just wanted to make sure whether or not the TV would be able to accept the signal (native or upscaled, for gaming) through component. If not, then my only bet is VGA?

Also on that matter, with the 360 being able to output 1080p soon, does that mean gaming lag should technically disappear because the signal matches the TV's native resolution (1920x1080)?

Thanks for the help.

There is no way to input 1080P on the component inputs on this set... Trying to do so will probably result in a unsupported signal message that will flash on the screen. VGA will work, and would eliminate lag completely as there's hardly any processing being done on the VGA input.

Here's an update on my lamp issue. On Saturday, after the TV had been on for about 1 hour, I heard a loud pop coming from the back of the set and it went dark. Then it started making a gurgling sound sort of like an espresso machine. I'm not sure if this has happened to anyone. I called Samsung and they scheduled a service call. I'm assuming this is the lamp calling it quits. At least I hope that's all it is. Needless to say, an extending the warranty is definitelly a priority now considering mine is up at the end of this month.
This exact things just happened to me a few minutes ago.

I called customer service but they have to get someone to call me back to schedule a service appointment. They said I'd hear from someone by Tuesday. I guess since its Sunday there's no one available right now. They also said they'd extend the warranty to cover this, which is a nice thing to do considering what I spent on it.

I saw the later posts and from them I assume all they had to do was replace the lamp, is that correct? Is it worth attempting a replacement on my own?

For the longest time I just left it on all the time, which is what I do for most of my equipment. Lately I've been turning it off overnight, and turning it back on when I want to watch something. I then generally leave it on until I go to bed. Which is better -- leave it on all the time, or turn it off when not in use? I watch something pretty much every day, but usually just in the evening.

One year for a lamp, does that sound right? If that's the expected lifetime then I should be able to replace it on my own. I dont want to have to call for service every year.

Not happy that I'll be watching the game on my other TV. Glad I didnt get rid of it. :(

I bought a 5078W about 6 months ago and it is the best TV I've ever owned. However, I have a slight problem with it periodically shutting off. It doesn't appear to be temperature related, as sometimes it will do so after 15 minutes of poweron. And other times it can last 10 hrs and still be running.

Puffyedge

I had similar problem with a HLR6178. Initially they came out and replaced the lamp but it still kept doing same thing. I did a search a found others who also had the lamp ballast replaced. Had them out to fix that and it was better but I still had periodic shutdown, just less often. Then within days the Light Engine gave me the shadow down the left side problem plus periodically shutdown. The LE has now been replaced and finally everything is A-OK I hope. I now wonder if there is any connection on all these issues. I'd definitely see if you can have them bring a lamp and lamp ballast if you can.

Jim

Hi Folks,

Has anyone who has had the infamous "LDL" issue ever gotten it resolved?

I got my HLR6168 in Jan 06, and have had what I guess you'd call an "LDD" issue - a lighter area only on the left side, about 6 inches wide, that is really only visible in very dark scenes. In fact, I may have never noticed it if I hadn't read about it on here (and I haven't mentioned it to my wife, and she hasn't said anything).

Anyway, with everything else about this set working wonderfully for me, I'm not going to make a service call for just this issue, but I was curious if anyone had ever addressed it, and gotten it completely eliminiated.

Assuming nothing else ever goes wrong, maybe I'll put in a service call for this at the very end of my 5 year extended warranty. :)

A replacement LE fixes the LDL issue. I know what you mean about a service call. If you live in a metro area you should be all set. You could get a headache if you aren't. I don't know if its better to get the free service now since you need it and have to tell the boss or wait until she flips and then take care of it? lol. If you're considering a calibration you should get the LE first.

Well guys, it's been a while since I posted but this will likely be good bye on this thread.

I got my HL-R5078 last November and for months, especially after Eliab calibrated it the picture was incredible. A couple of months ago it developed the dreaded left shadow and the LE was replaced. That one (number 2) turned out to be defective (flashing, flickering, etc.) and a new one was ordered. When that one (number 3) had the shadow along the top as well as horrid color, the tech requested an exchange.

It took a couple of weeks to get approved and will take a couple more to get it, but Samsung is changing it out for a new HL-S5087 which accepts 1080p and from the thread seems be much more reliable than my 5078. The new one doesn't accept a cable card, but that's not an issue for me.

While I was initially quite unhappy with Samsung over the LE issues, I am very pleasantly surprised that they are exchanging mine for a new one and this year's model at that.

By the way, I'll be removing the Velux panels from the 5078 and Eliab says that they aren't necessary in the 5087 as it's already black inside, so I'll have a set fitting a 5078 to spare. And Eliab or David, his partner will be around later this year to calibrate the new set.

So it seems that all's well that ends well! Thanks for your help and I'm sure I'll be seeing some of you on the HLSXXXX87/88 thread.

Hi All,

I have the HLR5678W and have a weird black shadow on the left side of the screen. I see a lot of post have this problems. I call the service departmet and they had a new engine or with lamp order. 5 days later they came and replace whole engine units including the bulbs. Now the black shadow is gone an the TV is like new.

My concern is once replace are we going to run into this problem again since so many people had this problem. Have anyone call Samsung to explain if this new engine they replace is a solid fix or just going to last 5 to 6 month?

Thanks.

The latest news is the shadow is caused by a mirror in the light tunnel that shifted. I would hope that replacement LEs have addressed this problem but I almost want to say I doubt it. Samsung is very tight lipped about any of these issues and when you call for service you are always the first one to call about it. This issue should be resolved unless the mirror shifts again.

In my case re: the set shutting down, Samsung tech. came yesterday and replaced both the bulb (which only had 1322 hours on it) and the balast. I was told to use the set and call back if anything happens.

Here's to positive thoughts!

Ed, any details or info on the ballast like the install, size, location, amount of time...

bcyp,

Sorry...I didn't pay attention...the ballast, as I remember (!) was aprox. 3" by 7" (ish)...It took him no time at all in unscrewing the set's back panel, taking the lamp/ballast units out and, then installing their replacements.

The location of the ballast and the light bulb assembly seemed to be close to each other (I have a bad back and wasn't able to really see what was being done).

The housing for the ballast was not new...the one taken out of the set was used for the replacement.

I had the set ISF'd when new. So far, it doesn't seem to me that I need a new calibration based upon the bulb's being replaced. I have not, as yet, viewed those DVDs that I know so well to see if something appears to be off.

I know this is very vague, but I hope it helps.

I just watched "Howl's Moving Castle" last night and it looked better than my previous viewings of this delightful anime. I don't know why I saw more detail this go-round, but...there you have it!

Now that my expectations are so high with this service, I hope that nothing goes wrong.

Ed sounds good. As long as you're covered I wouldn't worry about repairs. Everything is so easy to replace. I thought I needed another replacement LE but so far so good. I had those white blobs in dark scenes a couple of times and now I don't see them. The only hassle is having to be home for a service call.

bcvp,

There is a simple solution re: being home...at least in my case...retirement! But (he said!) getting back to the repairs: the technician told me that if some kind of board replacement were to eventually be needed...the picture would suffer as a result. I did not ask him to expand on this because, I guess, I just didn't want to hear of it as a possibility!

Now that Sammy has come out with a 1080p BlueRay DVD player, how will Sammy 1080i tv's handle that?

Ed, I have no idea what he meant? Its true for a calibration but I didn't remember you mentioned getting that. Otherwise replacement parts for broken parts should return the set to normal. Is there something I'm missing? There are only a handful of replacement parts regardless.

As for service calls, having a home office is great especially when you plan on using the set for HD video work.

Hookster, as long as the component sends a 1080i signal, which afaik most still do, then you'll be all set.

well, add yet another to the left side shadow/stripe tally. Not at all looking foward to dealing with the Samsung center after my previous horrible experience with them. (posted about 10 months ago when i first got the set) Ended up having the first set replaced by PC Richard because of the worthless samsung service i received (combination of incompetent tech, and horrible service center support, not showing up for appointments etc etc.)

Anyone else on LI, NY have to deal with the service center in regards to this issue?

Edit: went ahead and checked the lamp time so far: 2857

Lankyleo, I assume you're out of the NYC metro area. I think when you call Samsung you should mention the hassle I mean records they have of your prior service issues so they have a heads up. They should give you the red carpet treatment this time. You'll also know if the center are the same ding dongs. You'd think by now everyone is well trained and familiar with the issues. The LE is a simple install. The only issue should be if you've had a calibration. I'd be be nice, direct and get an answer as to LE shipping delays, tracking info and so on so you're clear. It's the delays and unknowns that have been frustrating for some here.

bcvp,

Just to clarify...I had my set ISF-calibrated aprox. one month after receiving it (and what a wonderful job David Abrams did, too!). I was under the impression that a new bulb might require a new calibration...but, I don't see any obvious reason for doing this right now.

As for the panel replacement statement made by the technician the other day, I do not remember what he was referring to. Perhaps, from servicing many sets, he may have had some insight.

Samsung service is awsome in San Jose, CA. I had a black shadow on my left screen Samsung support came out in 5 days to replace it with a brand new LE.

After the replacement the TV look much better since I bought it 10 month ago (HLR5678W). Also I'm not sure if many notice after the LE replace the Antenna reciever was much better and no drop 9signal so clearer then before). The new LE must have a better Antenna reception.

My main concern is those that don't get a new LE might be regreting that they are missing out the new fix on the LE. Maybe Samsung know what wrong with the old LE. When I call they gave me no problem and said they will be out in 1 weeks to fix the problem...make me wonder what they know but not telling the rest of the Samsung owner.

Ed, I think you should get in touch with David. See what he says about the lamp/ballast and while you're at it tell him what the tech. said about replacing boards. I went back to your original post, not knowing your set was calibrated. After reading it again I think the tech. meant that your picture will suffer with a replacement board until you have another calibration. I'd like hear from someone familiar with this issue or from David would be even better. It's been slow here lately. You might also check David's schedule.

Steve98, the LE only affects the picture, not the signal. I don't know if it was just a coincidence or if something got bumped or if the picture was poor from the old LE? I agree Samsung doesn't say anything about any of these issues. As long as these sets get fixed and work the way they're supposed to I guess it doesn't matter. I hope your set continues to work the way it should.

On a side note, I've had a lot of issues with Comsucks. I'm so fed up that I think I need a third STB. I've had problems on and off for some time and now its more frequent.

bcvp,

I'll try and contact David but re: the technician...I didn't tell him that the set was ISF'd and I didn't retain what board he was actually referring to.

Thanks.

Called samsung today and set up an appointment for tommorow between 1 and 4 to slap in a new LE and fix the left side shadow issue. Asked the dispatcher to make sure the tech came with a LE in hand, and she assured me this would be the case. Hopefully they'll make up for the past trouble i had with them, i wont hold my breath though :cool:

Lankyleo, since you've had trouble before you should test everything before they leave and be sure they go through the SM like many here have posted about. Good luck.

Steve98, the LE only affects the picture, not the signal. I don't know if it was just a coincidence or if something got bumped or if the picture was poor from the old LE? I agree Samsung doesn't say anything about any of these issues. As long as these sets get fixed and work the way they're supposed to I guess it doesn't matter. I hope your set continues to work the way it should.

On a side note, I've had a lot of issues with Comsucks. I'm so fed up that I think I need a third STB. I've had problems on and off for some time and now its more frequent.


Yes you are correct that he just replace the LE. After the LE was replace the picture was amazing. My previous LE give a poor picture quality, maybe this is why everybody is talking about hiring a calibrator. In my opinion Samsung F**K up in the first place. The LE cause the picture to perform poorly overtime then when you hire a calibrator he make it better (then over time the LE change without your notice and the picture is **** again).

Samsung figure what was wrong with all the old LE they not letting anybody know (when I call for a replacement they made no hassel, came out in 7 days). After installing the new LE the picture was 10 time better and I thought I had a good TV with the old LE. Therefore those that have an old LE should get it replace. AFter replacement you should not have to calibrate your TV...it is picture perfect. I'm using a regular $20 HD antenna to receive HD signal.

Hiring a calibrator for this TV is full of crap. Samsung made a mistake given us a bad LE. If the new LE is replace there is no need to hire a calibrator....waste of money!

I agree I'm not big on getting a calibration, well until I get a HD/BR DVD player and or game console. I don't think its right that these sets need a calibration. That said I would first install Velux or similar black material inside before getting a calibration since that will affect the calibration also. I've been meaning to do that soon.

Now I'm considering using a matte black spray paint made for plastic. You only need a thin layer and it doesn't have to be perfect. I haven't looked into it yet but I'm thinking it will be easier then cutting and installing Velux or similar material with some sort of adhesive. You can use cardboard to cover the lens area. I just thought of it and the more I think of it the more I like the idea. Any thoughts?

I agree I'm not big on getting a calibration, well until I get a HD/BR DVD player and or game console. I don't think its right that these sets need a calibration. That said I would first install Velux or similar black material inside before getting a calibration since that will affect the calibration also. I've been meaning to do that soon.

Now I'm considering using a matte black spray paint made for plastic. You only need a thin layer and it doesn't have to be perfect. I haven't looked into it yet but I'm thinking it will be easier then cutting and installing Velux or similar material with some sort of adhesive. You can use cardboard to cover the lens area. I just thought of it and the more I think of it the more I like the idea. Any thoughts?

You do know that there is a big mirror in the cabinet that must be very well protected. When I had my velux installed it was impossible not to touch the mirror. Afterwards it took several attempts to remove all the smudges. Even a very tiny or slight smudge messes up the picture.

AS far as calibration goes, Eliab just finished recalibrating my set after I had to have a LE replaced. What can I say, before the LE went bad the set was calibrated and the PQ was spectacular. We had to wait 2 months for Eliab to come back to the Northwest to do yet another calibration. The PQ had definitely deteriorated and during the first hours of use I had to use sunglasses to watch the picture :D . I even resorted to turning DNIE back on which improved the PQ a little but it wasn't the same. It was so bad that my wife kept asking me when Eliab was coming back. I really didn't think she would notice because she's not into this stuff as much as I am, but she did!

Eliab recalibrated my set for just the cost of a recalibration (thanks Eliab!). The set looks incredible once again. DNIE is off, black levels are correct which eliminated a lot of "noise" I was seeing in the picture. Colors are spot on. And, most importantly, the set was calibrated on HDMI1 to present the best possible picture from the Toshiba HD A1 HD-DVD player (I bought one just before calibration time).

I am so glad I did this! The HDMI1 input is dedicated to the Toshiba player. It has settings in the service menu that are unique to this player. All I can say is that the picture is spectacular!

The Samsung sets are good out of the box, however, calibration makes them phenomenal.

Jameskollar, you're right about when I thought about the spray paint. I was thinking the sides were further away from the mirror than I guess they are. My idea with the spray paint was that you are slowly spraying the paint a few inches away, in a controlled manner. That avoids touching the mirror. You can hold a piece of cardboard against the edge of the mirror so the paint doesn't hit the mirror. I think I'll make time to do this soon so I can cross it off my list. When I try it I'll start with a small test area first. Any of these suggestions on this site are at your own risk.

What type of screw/bolt does the screen take? What size, or is it just a standard Phillips/screwdriver?

Thanks for the calibration report. It's been slow here and that was a great reminder for the regulars here like me and those just joining.

I also had a left side shadow issue, and Samsung sent an excellent repair person to fix my HLR-5668. He was in, replaced the LE, and was out within about 30 minutes. He did adjust the index delay, but he didn't adjust any other settings.

Besides for color issue, are there are any other settings I should check?

update, tech was out here on sat. and had the new LE swapped in 15 minutes after he arrived, very nice mid 40's gentleman who knew his way around the set very well. Said the new batch of LE's should not experience the same problem, and that he has changed quite a few here in the tri-state area. Service i recieved this time around complete turnaround form what i experienced a year ago. Picture now looks much better aswell, guess over time i had not noticed how much the picture had degraded.

Samsung likes to be a pain about revealing who the service center is around here, but the reciept shows it as
"Williston Park TV, 338 hillside Ave, Williston Park NY 11596, Phone 516-746-1919"

:)

I'm done. After 2 years and 3 Samsung DLP Tv's I got my refund and bought a Sony. The last model they gave me was the HLR-5078W and it was a piece of junk. It took 6 months to convince them the picture looked like crap. After a week with my new Sony KDS-55A2000 I have to say Samsung has nothing on this TV. I know a lot of you love your Samsungs but I have spent 2 years looking at a crappy picture and now I have a crystal clear HD picture. Good luck to those of you who are having problems with your Sammy.

There is no way to input 1080P on the component inputs on this set... Trying to do so will probably result in a unsupported signal message that will flash on the screen. VGA will work, and would eliminate lag completely as there's hardly any processing being done on the VGA input.

So does that mean the sammy BlueRay DVD (which outputs at 1080p) won't work with our 1080i?

So does that mean the sammy BlueRay DVD (which outputs at 1080p) won't work with our 1080i?

Not at all. You merely have to set the output on your DVD player to 1080i. From what I have read (in other words the following is an opinion :D ) the only thing your giving up by not having 1080p is in fast action scenes there will be less pixelation and de-interlacing problems will be reduced or eliminated.

Also, the mastering process has a lot to do with the PQ. The first BluRay discs got horrible reviews and quite frankly turned me off to the whole idea of BluRay. Quite frankly, at this time I don't think you are going to see much difference between 1080i and 1080p DVD's. This will most likely change in second or third generation players.

I think Its the other way around IMO. The movies need to be properly authored. Period. When they are, whenever that is, they will have the best PQ possible. At that time, whenever that is, the players should be improved by then since more and more people are going HDTV. There are still more 1080i sets already sold and being bought than 1080p. The players will need to output a descent 1080i image for some time.

That leaves me to seeing a noticeable difference between a straight 1080p signal and one that was converted to 1080i and then back to 1080p. I still don't think there will be any significant difference.

There would be if the set didn't already convert to 1080p. Since it does you're talking about a degradation of the conversion. You'll notice something due to the authoring before its from the conversion from the set.

There are new players on the way that will play both HD/BR DVD, so I wouldn't run out and buy anything right now. Besides HD has a strong lead over BR.

Eliab do you come all the way down to key west FL :)

In overall dark scenes and with shadows, faces will take on an iridescent look (red and green accents). The effect is slight with HD over cable (component, Motorola STB) but is much worst with DVDs (component, 480i). The faces essentially look the way the whole screen looks when the Delay Index is mis-adjusted? Is there a cure for this? Should turning off DNIe via the service menu cure this? (I tried that and it did not.) Suggestions? Thanks.

:) You should get your TV calibrated. This should fix most of your problems, if not all. When I got mine calibrated all my problems went away. It has been about 7 or 8 months now and no other problems arose from my TV. Just a thought. Sorry to respond so late, I have been overseas in Iraq, fighting the war. :eek:

I'm done. After 2 years and 3 Samsung DLP Tv's I got my refund and bought a Sony. The last model they gave me was the HLR-5078W and it was a piece of junk. It took 6 months to convince them the picture looked like crap. After a week with my new Sony KDS-55A2000 I have to say Samsung has nothing on this TV. I know a lot of you love your Samsungs but I have spent 2 years looking at a crappy picture and now I have a crystal clear HD picture. Good luck to those of you who are having problems with your Sammy.
:( SORRY to hear that you went with a Sony. Just Kidding. I also love Sony's. That is cool. I also own a Sony XBR2 LCD HD TV and I think it is AWESOME PQ, just like the Sammy HLR 6178W. It depends where you put your TV's. The SONY LCD HD XBR2 is better in a master bedroom. The Sammy however is good for the Living room and Den.

Finally, my LE is scheduled for a replacement. I first called Samsung on August 21, 2006. This will be an independent tech. since I am in the zone.

Avas, that is not acceptable. Be sure to call Samsung back and get additional time on your warranty if you haven't already. I don't know how much you've stayed on top of them but two months is a long time.

Has anyone experience a problem when going into the SM and the TV turns off? Did it change my user settings in anyway? BTW, what would the user settings/menu effect? Does this change the settings Warm1, Warm2, Cool, Standard, Movie? Also if you unplug you TV does it reset the user menu setting to the defaults? This help is great appreciated. Thanks.

I thought I would pass along my experience with Samsung service.

My 6768 picture was freezing up and it took about 20 min for the picture to stabilize. I put off having it serviced since it always came on and worked normally after 20 or so min. Since I was close to end of warranty I decided it was time to have it fixed.

I called Samsung and they had a service tech out within 3 days! It was a Houston sub contractor authorized by Samsung. The tech replaced the LE and after attempting to replace the digital board he discovered he brought the wrong board, so he reinstalled my old digital board. He fired up the set and there was no picture only black.

A few days later he came back with the right digital board. Installed the new board, fired up the set and once again no picture, only black screen. He went out to the truck for a new light engine and as he was removing the LE he discovered he had not removed the protective lens cover!!

Embarrassed over this simple mistake he removed the protective lens cover and fired up the set. After a few SM procedures, ie DMD>digital procedures, it worked perfectly.

Now I have both a new LE and digital board along with brand new lamp. The picture is fantastic and even seemed much better than when I first bought the set. Even so I signed up for Avical's ISF calibration Texas tour next month. I don't see how the picture can get any better.

My hat's off to Samsung and their service techs. I know there have been horror stories about poor service, but I can't complain.

Finally, my LE is scheduled for a replacement. I first called Samsung on August 21, 2006. This will be an independent tech. since I am in the zone.
Hurray! LE replaced this afternoon. Picture is as good or better than originally. The tech couldn't get into the service menu, so no sm settings were changed and everything else stayed the same as to user settings. I don't think the tech had ever changed the LE on this particular model (HLR-5668W).

My thanks to everyone on this forum for the encouragement and information.