Got the replacement color wheel today. installed it, and everything is fine. Will wait for nightfall to check calibration, but it looks fine now. The new color wheel's housing was exactly the same as the old one--no alignment pin had to be removed. Thanks for the help! --Crow

Did you use the color data printed on the color wheel to recalibrate your set? I believe that each wheel is tested and has its own unique data for the color codes.

Oh boy, 300+ pages of posts, I will be honest I didn't read them all but I did try to search for my question beforehand.

I have the HL-R5688W (the one on the huge stand) and it supports 1080p. At the time this HDTV was released there really was no real 1080p content.

I figured my best bet to get 1080p working on the set was to hook my computer into it (mac book pro) DVI->HDMI->HDTV. No dice it says its interlaced 1080i. (Please don't tell me I need to use the VGA port)

I did notice this tidbit in the manual:
To view TV in the best visual quality of 1080p,
connect to a PC whose graphic output is WUXGA
(1920 x 1080).

Not sure what WUXGA is or how to enable that on the Mac Book Pro...

My second option was to try the PS3 which supports 1080p (HDMI). Went to display setting and did a test at 1080p....no dice, screen goes dark for 30 seconds then bounces back to 1080i.

I should note here that I am using HDMI v1.3 cables from monoprice.

So my question to the vast AVS community is this: How do i get 1080p content on my HL-R5688W?

Thanks in advance for your help,

-Jeff

powertowerpro,
Check out the first post in this thread. 1080P is not supported on any of HLR series. I have an HLR6168 and feed it a 1920 x 1080 signal from an Xbox 360 over the VGA input. It works but you loose some color control. The best you can do is 1080i from any other input.

Oh now I see it:
HDMI Supported Inputs: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i (1080p will NOT be offered)

What a shame....guess I will just have to wait until I upgrade. Thanks for the heads up.

Most, if not all, of the HL-R series support 1080p through the VGA connector, not through the Component or HDMI connectors.

Video Game question.
This is my first Madden I have purchased on the PS3 and I think I am experiencing the dreaded video lag on my HLR6168.
I can always tell when trying to do kick offs and field goals.
On the Xbox 360 version, using the PC/VGA input, I never had a problem.
With the PS3, I have to use the HDMI input.

Is there a way to reduce/remove the video lag via the service menu?
I can shut off DNI but does that help?

Same setup with an HLR7178. I use VGA with the XBOX360 ('cause COD4 needs top priority) and HDMI with the PS3 ('cause all I do with it is watch BluRay).

I think turning off DNIe will buy you some lag back. You have to do it in the service menu and there are several fields to change. Search this forum for the instructions.

Other than that, you can buy one of the several HDMI->RGBHV converters and share the VGA port between the 360 and PS3.

Cary

Actualy, turning DNIE off does NOT affect the lag. You're stuck with it over HDMI. It's about 100ms regardless.

BTW: Same is true for component inputs not that that matters.

Yea, I turned off DNIe and I didn't notice much of a difference.
I hooked up the PS3 to my Dell 1080p monitor and it was perfect.
I have gotten better adjusting to the timing but it I know it is going to affect my running game and precision passing.
Anyone have a link to a reasonably priced HDMI>VGA(RGBHV) converter?

You'd be better off connecting to the PS3 direct as VGA. Anytime you add a conversion in the chain the picture degrades. That's also the cheapest route.

But how do you get VGA out of a PS3? I'm pretty sure you can't.

As far as the conversion goes, you will suffer a little since it gets converted back to digital in the set, but it's not bad.

Cary

Oops. My bad. I have an xbox 360, no PS3. I assumed that since the 360 has a cable that can do VGA, the SONY can as well. I don't see VGA for the PS3. :o

Has anybody had problems with a legend "check fan #3" in HL61A750?

Does anyone know were can I download a service manual for the DLP Samsung HLR5678WX/XAA?:confused:

SAMTV56 i will give you a link but system does not allowe me since i havent complete 3 posts yet (I m a new member)

I found it in Samsung website-> support -> download center -> search by product

then you put your search parameters (television>television>dlp>model number)

now I have complete my 3 post, so samtv56 please try this link
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/search/supportSearchResultView.do?group=televisions&group_cd=&type=televisions&type_cd=02010000&subtype=dlptv&subtype_cd=02010300&model_nm=HL-R5678W&dType=D&vType=R&mType=&model_cd=&menu=download&prd_ia_cd=02010300&acc_ia_fl=N&disp_nm=HL-R5678W&isEqualsY=

now I have complete my 3 post, so samtv56 please try this link
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/search/supportSearchResultView.do?group=televisions&group_cd=&type=televisions&type_cd=02010000&subtype=dlptv&subtype_cd=02010300&model_nm=HL-R5678W&dType=D&vType=R&mType=&model_cd=&menu=download&prd_ia_cd=02010300&acc_ia_fl=N&disp_nm=HL-R5678W&isEqualsY=

It looks like the link is for the User manual not the Service manual as was requested.

Alright guys, Ive had my HLR6768 since we had that powerbuy from TVAuthority awhile back. Ive had to replace my light engine within the year I bought it but it worked great besides that.

Now recently while I was watching the whole set turned into an orange hue. I thought it might have been the DirecTV channel so I turned the set off. When I went to turn it back on, I am hearing this loud noise and no picture. It sounded like it wanted to turn it self on but it wasnt. The green lamp light was flashing a couple of times the it went to standby and repeated the process. I went to turn the set off but it wouldnt so I had to unplug the power cord.

Anyone know what the problem could be and if Samsung would offer a replacement cause it has already been serviced on? Thanks!

Loud noise and no picture points toward a color wheel. If that's it, you can replace it yourself for not too much money.

I believe the replacement deal is three repairs in the first year.

Where can I purchase a color wheel for this set and is there a tutorial on how to aswell?

You can get a color wheel at www.samsungparts.com, put your model into the left column and your parts list will be displayed.

Then go back one page on this thread to p. 392, scroll down to post 11746 and 11747 where I posted a link to a "how to" replace a colorwheel on an HLR.

Also another guy posted a how to here for a 68 model like yours: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050735&highlight=replacing+samsung+color+wheel

Hope that helps.

Yeah I just talked to Samsung and they told me that its a cooling fan problem. But from what Ive read, I would have gotten a message on screen to fix it. Thanks for the links!

Remember, my thought about the color wheel is just an educated quess. You won't know for sure till you open the tv and take a look. I just wanted to let you know I'm not positive without looking inside.

Alright I just took a look and saw that the color wheel was in pieces :eek:

Looks like ill be getting one of those now...

Ah, the educated guess was right! Good luck with the replacement. I'm not sure the how to's address the fact that after it's all done, some people need to go into the service menu and adjust the ccd and the index delay. If the dark colors look muddy after the replacement, the ccd and index delay adjustments will fix it. If you have a service manual, the info is in there, if not, samsungparts sells it on the same list as the color wheel.

There are only 3 moving parts in our series of TVs. The color wheel and 2 fans. When the TV starts making repeating loud noises ya gots 3 choices. As yet, I haven't heard of a fan going bad in one of these TVs.

Hey everyone.

I have a HL-R6168W.

Last night when I turned it off, it broke.

I actually lately have been just pushing the button on the front of the set to turn it on and off.

Now when I push the button to turn it on, there is no little digital notes like there usually is. "Lamp" flashes, which it usually does, but nothing happens. It flashes a while, then I hear two clicks and it flashes some more, like it's trying again. After it fails this time, all the words on the button light up and just flash endlessly.
There is also no whirring sound when I try to turn it on like there usually is.

What's wrong?
Is it the lamp? Or the color wheel? Or something else?

Thanks!

That doesn't sound like a normal startup. The delay is it probably failing the start-up tests and running through diagnostics. I'll bet the clicking is it trying to start a fan or color wheel and it says to hold up, there's a problem here. Don't go any further or it's going to hurt.

Check your manual. The additional flashing is probably an error code. All the lights on the indicator (Timer / Standby / Lamp) blinking mean that the lamp is defective.

That's only what the TV thinks is wrong. Could be a lot of things. Is the door to the lamp closed all the way? No picture?

I have a HL-R5678W and recently noticed columns of squares which are visible on the lower 3rd running horizontal. They are on all inputs. I have searched through this thread and haven't found what the problem is yet, but would like to have some idea prior to the technician coming in selling me down the river. Mostly visible on bright scenes. It is right now kind of an annoyance problem, but when the whole point is HDTV then it needs to be fixed... The Samsung tech I chatted with said it is a circuitry problem? Any help is greatly appreciated, and I am sorry if this is a known problem as I couldn't find it.

Agarc,

A picture would help a lot. Generally, lines running horizontally or vertically indicate the dmd board failing. Samsung also shows a beehive pattern of lines can occur when the dmd board is going out. But the lines unually cover the whole screen. So just on the lower 1/3, might be something different. Try to post a pic if possible.

Ok, I am trying to attach 2 pictures. One closeup of the columns of rectangles and another showing the location accross the bottom of the screen (right below the highlited row). I briefly talked with a local service tech and of course he said sounds like we need to replace the light engine, which is the most expensive option. Since it is out of warranty I will likely live with it unless a somewhat reasonable solution. (<$300) Again, thanks for your help.

I looked in my service manual. And the only thing I can see which looks like your picture is called a "dotted vertical bar". Which is the result of an error in the Rambus Dram or the soldering. Their solution: Replace the dmd board.

The dmd board is very expensive and not worth replacing on a tv this age. Some people have had success calling Executive Customer Service at Samsung and the dmd board replacement was either split in cost or covered by Samsung. So definately, give them a call and complain in a pleasant:D way.

Or, if you are very handy and they won't help, I guess you could look at the board and see if a solder is loose and fix it.

That's about the only thing which resembles your issue that I could find.

I guess I'm just going to have to take this thing apart.
If I take the TV apart, how can I tell if the lamp is bad?
I saw the link mes444 posted on getting to the color wheel.

Thanks

Thanks mes444, while not the news I was hoping for. This TV is only 2 years, old out of the store, but I should have got the extended warranty, a terrible lesson my wife will not let me live down. I will try the Executive Customer Service route.

Thanks mes444, while not the news I was hoping for. This TV is only 2 years, old out of the store, but I should have got the extended warranty, a terrible lesson my wife will not let me live down. I will try the Executive Customer Service route.


If it's only two years old, maybe you bought it with one of the credit cards which doubles the manufacturer's warranty. Many do, check yours out. And if it does, you can get it fixed under their warranty.

Good luck either way. And as I always mention along with my advice. It's just what I think it might be. It could be less of a problem and only a service tech could tell you for certain.

Understand, but at least i have something to talk over with a Tech instead of him just replacing the light engine.

I have the HLR-6768W and I understand the only true 1080p input is through the VGA port.

I want to hook up a blu-ray player via 1080p, so I was considering this for $250:
HDfury2 - w w w . curtpalme.com/HDFury2.shtm

Does anyone have any experience with these or similar devices on Samsung DLP's?

Thanks in advance,
-Dan the Man

You can hook up a blu ray player to an HLR and select the 1080i setting. The tv will upconvert the signal to 1080p and you can't tell the difference. That's the way I have my bluray and HLR set up and the picture is perfect. You don't need any other converters, your tv will do the job.

Note of interest: Had my color wheel shatter. Waited 4 long weeks for the backordered part to arrive. Got it from an online discount store for $103. Bought a lamp while I was at it for $122 since I had 6600 hours on it. Found a local guy who put the parts in for $100. Took him 40 minutes. The broken wheel had to be sucked out with a vacuum. Samsung was no help......I think broken color wheels is a huge problem and is why the part is always on backorder. The old lamp had a crack in it as well. The good news is the picture is better than ever. So I guess I did ok for $323. Still can't the lamp timer reset. The menu is vague. Any detailed info?

Still can't the lamp timer reset. The menu is vague. Any detailed info?I have never reset the lamp in my HL-R. I had figured that selecting "Lamp Clear" in the "Service" submenu in the Service Menu would either directly clear the hours or lead to another menu to verify that you wanted to reset the hours. FWIW.

you can hook up a blu ray player to an hlr and select the 1080i setting. The tv will upconvert the signal to 1080p and you can't tell the difference. That's the way i have my bluray and hlr set up and the picture is perfect. You don't need any other converters, your tv will do the job.

ditto

Note of interest: Had my color wheel shatter. Waited 4 long weeks for the backordered part to arrive. Got it from an online discount store for $103. Bought a lamp while I was at it for $122 since I had 6600 hours on it. Found a local guy who put the parts in for $100. Took him 40 minutes. The broken wheel had to be sucked out with a vacuum. Samsung was no help......I think broken color wheels is a huge problem and is why the part is always on backorder. The old lamp had a crack in it as well. The good news is the picture is better than ever. So I guess I did ok for $323. Still can't the lamp timer reset. The menu is vague. Any detailed info?

The colors on the shatterd remains of my wheel were very faded and washed out compared to the colors on the new wheel. I found the colors displayed, on the screen, after the wheel changeout to be very much better.

Hi guys,

GREAT thread, though INCREDIBLY long!

I have a HLR5688W .... having a few problems.

1) When I turn on the set, it does it little audible tones ... the lights on the fron display light up .... a few seconds of nothing .... then it makes the audible tones again, the lights light up ... a few seconds of nothing ... audible tones ..... repeats sequence one or two more times than finally turns on screen.

2) When screen DOES turn on, very dim (washed out).

3) Do you guys think it's the bulb ... the color wheel ... BOTH? I'm just not sure if the bulb or color wheel slowly die or what. And whatever you think it might be, it seems like swapping out the bulb is no big deal ... how 'bout the color wheel? (I'd grade myself a solid B+ when it comes to tech/handiness level.

THANKS!

If you get a decent picture, but it's just very dim, I'd say it's not the color wheel. If the color wheel was broken, you wouldn't be able to get any decent picture.

What does your manual say about the front panel LEDs? I've got an HL-R6768W, it doesn't have the audible tones. You might need to explain a bit more about exactly which LEDs are on during startup- that's a possible clue to an error code.

Not enough info. However, here's what happens with my set. I turn it on, audible tones, lamp light flashes several times, set turns on.

So, what is happening to you?

If the picture is there but dim and otherwise normal, as geekgirl said, it's not your colorwheel. If the set went dim overnight, it is most likely not the bulb. Arc lamps tend to degrade slowly over time and don't normally go dim rapidly. If it didn't light up at all then igniter could be bad and would attmept several restarts (could explain the tones you're hearing).

As another theory, if it happened all at once, it *could* be a light tunnel collapse. I have seen some horrendous pics on this thread of LT collapses. One in particular that comes to mind is where a member had 4" of normal pic on the right side of the screen with the left side dim, opposite of most reports about a LT failure. But, it was a LT failure!

Without more info, perhaps you have a similar problem only the LT failed in a way in which your entire screen went dim.

Will document EXACTLY what happens during the turn-on sequence ... it's definitely changed and now takes a total of at least 60 seconds for the screen to turn on. And it's really dim and washed out.

I assume the bulb simply goes out when it's done, correct? It wouldn't slowly dim then die.

I'm now worried that something "bigger" is going on ... I live just north of Houston, wondering if it's worth calling Samsung support and setup a call with them OR try to figure this out on my own?

Also, I'm sure it's super obvious, but a lot of you talk about how many hours your sets have ... where do you get that number from?

I'll post more info later.

I've had my Samsung HLR-6168W for a few years (just replaced the lamp actually) and I've never been happy with the colors, especially the blacks. It does not handle blacks very well at all. Also the picture quality seems a bit fuzzy (everything is connected via component cables).

I purchased a tuning DVD but that didn't help at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get better picture quality and colors, especially making the black levels more black and more consistent?

I've had my Samsung HLR-6168W for a few years (just replaced the lamp actually) and I've never been happy with the colors, especially the blacks. It does not handle blacks very well at all. Also the picture quality seems a bit fuzzy (everything is connected via component cables).

I purchased a tuning DVD but that didn't help at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get better picture quality and colors, especially making the black levels more black and more consistent?With a "few years" on the set, it impossible to be specific. In regard to blacks, have you done a basic brightness (black level) and contrast (white level) adjustment. Tom Huffman's guide to color callibration covers the basics of brightness and contrast and a lot more: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=852536. As you'll note in reading this guide, special equipment (or a professional calibrator) is needed if you want to work with colors. As far as the "fuzziness" is concerned, it could be that the ring focus of the set is off (many sets in this series were shipped with the ring focus slightly off). You can do this yourself but it requires opening the back of the set and digging into the works. Or, you could get a tech to do it. Some professional callibrators include the ring focus in their basic calibrations. Since I have never had a set professionally calibrated, you should get the input of others who have had a set of similar age calibrated to assess whether it is worthwhile. FWIW.

Will document EXACTLY what happens during the turn-on sequence ... it's definitely changed and now takes a total of at least 60 seconds for the screen to turn on. And it's really dim and washed out.

I assume the bulb simply goes out when it's done, correct? It wouldn't slowly dim then die.

I'm now worried that something "bigger" is going on ... I live just north of Houston, wondering if it's worth calling Samsung support and setup a call with them OR try to figure this out on my own?

Also, I'm sure it's super obvious, but a lot of you talk about how many hours your sets have ... where do you get that number from?

I'll post more info later.

Bulbs die in different sequences. Some dim, some just go out. I think, unless you have an extended warranty, it would cost you less to go to www.samsungparts.com and order the bulb for your tv and try it (they also sell the color wheel if the bulb doesn't fix the problem). The bulb is about $150, probably less than a repair visit, and I think it may be the problem. Many people have changed the color wheel themselves, if you have the pedestal tv it might be a little different, but instructions are here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050735&highlight=replacing+samsung+color+wheel

I do have the pedestal version, so I'm guessing the color-wheel swap would look a little different. But here's to hoping that it's not the color wheel.

The more I've read here, I agree with you that it must just be the bulb that is dying. It now goes throught the "bootup" sequence about 5 times before FINALLY turning on ... and when it does, it's really dim. I went to samsungparts.com and went ahead and ordered a new bulb WITH housing. I'm assuming it's a fairly easy swap with it being in the housing already ... just pop a couple of screws out and swap?

And I've read about the service menu "don't ask don't tell" methodology here ... can someone private message me how to check the HOURS on my set? I accessed the service menu but can't figure out where to see the actual number (although I did see the "clear lamp" function).

Thanks again everyone.

I have the same tv, so please post back about the bulb and if it works. When you ordered it, did you check that it was the bulb with the triangular housing. Apparently our tv requires a different housing than the rest, which are square. A while ago a guy posted the bulb model BP96-01415A as being the one for our tv.

I'm just trying to see if it's still the same because soon I'll probably be needing one too.

Thanks for any further input.

I would say your lamp is going bad. It's easy to replace. But after seeing how deep into the TV the guy I paid to change the color wheel had to go, I wouldn't try that myself. I don't think your wheel is bad (yet) anyway.


Hi guys,

GREAT thread, though INCREDIBLY long!

I have a HLR5688W .... having a few problems.

1) When I turn on the set, it does it little audible tones ... the lights on the fron display light up .... a few seconds of nothing .... then it makes the audible tones again, the lights light up ... a few seconds of nothing ... audible tones ..... repeats sequence one or two more times than finally turns on screen.

2) When screen DOES turn on, very dim (washed out).

3) Do you guys think it's the bulb ... the color wheel ... BOTH? I'm just not sure if the bulb or color wheel slowly die or what. And whatever you think it might be, it seems like swapping out the bulb is no big deal ... how 'bout the color wheel? (I'd grade myself a solid B+ when it comes to tech/handiness level.

THANKS!

Evening everyone.

Wanted to let you know that I got the bulb today, swapped it out, and THAT was it! I was a little worried after first turning the set back on, as there was some bending in of the picture in the corners, but as it warmed up the picture came back as good as EVER!

For those that have the HL-R5688W pedestel TV, the proper replacement is the BP96-01415A lamp. The samsungparts.com indicated that my lamp code was discontinued, and did indicate the correct lamp as the replacement.

The swap was incredibly easy. If it took five minutes I'd be stunned. There are two screws you need to back out to remove the door ... and right inside the door is the lamp unit. You then back out the two lamp housing screws, and give the entire lamp unit a slight pull and it comes out. Slide the new assembly in, screw in the two screws, put the door back up and re-fasten with the first two screws you removed. That's IT!

I thought about taking some pictures, but trust me when I tell you that it's a painfully obvious - and easy - swap!

Anyway, thanks for the help everyone. Glad it appears it was JUST the lamp. I guess problems with the light tunnel/color wheel could still pop up down the line.

ON A SIDE NOTE - Now that I have the old housing (with burnt bulb in it), does anyone think it's a wise move to peruse the net to buy JUST the bulb? Then install it into the old housing and keep on hand for when this lamp burns out? If so - any suggestions on best places to buy JUST the bulb/lamp (sans housing)?

I just bought the lamp for $103 from partstore.com and installed it into the old housing. Cheaper and very simple. It would be wise to get a lamp, install it in the old housing and keep it for a spare.

Hi guys,

GREAT thread, though INCREDIBLY long!

I have a HLR5688W .... having a few problems.

1) When I turn on the set, it does it little audible tones ... the lights on the fron display light up .... a few seconds of nothing .... then it makes the audible tones again, the lights light up ... a few seconds of nothing ... audible tones ..... repeats sequence one or two more times than finally turns on screen.

2) When screen DOES turn on, very dim (washed out).

3) Do you guys think it's the bulb ... the color wheel ... BOTH? I'm just not sure if the bulb or color wheel slowly die or what. And whatever you think it might be, it seems like swapping out the bulb is no big deal ... how 'bout the color wheel? (I'd grade myself a solid B+ when it comes to tech/handiness level.

THANKS!

yes bulb

Alright guys, Ive had my HLR6768 since we had that powerbuy from TVAuthority awhile back. Ive had to replace my light engine within the year I bought it but it worked great besides that.

Now recently while I was watching the whole set turned into an orange hue. I thought it might have been the DirecTV channel so I turned the set off. When I went to turn it back on, I am hearing this loud noise and no picture. It sounded like it wanted to turn it self on but it wasnt. The green lamp light was flashing a couple of times the it went to standby and repeated the process. I went to turn the set off but it wouldnt so I had to unplug the power cord.

Anyone know what the problem could be and if Samsung would offer a replacement cause it has already been serviced on? Thanks!
I too have the 6768 and I am on my 6th light engine replacement. Glad I bought extended warranty! These sets are all doomed to eventual failures. Last LE was replaced because color wheel failure. The replacement LE lasted exactly 6 hours before crashing. Other problem was light tunnel. Thanks Tweeter extended warranty. They are too lazy to fix the actual problem and instead replace LE. Which is fine with me.

My HL-R5078W is shutting off with all three lights blinking.

-- It runs OK for a while, then goes dark.

-- A second later I'll hear a distinct "click" like a relay changing state.

-- A few seconds later, the three display lights on the power button begin blinking.

-- When I hit the power button, it turns the TV back on. The lamp warmup stage takes longer than usual, but it will eventually come back on.

-- When it is running normally, I can turn the TV off. When the set shows the three lights, pushing the button turns the TV on.

I'm averaging one repair every six months between bulbs, light engines and now this problem.

This thread is over 11,000 posts. I searched, but didn't find my exact issue. Any ideas?

Ditto for strategies on getting some ownership out of Samsung for producing a $4000 MSRP piece of crap.

I am very unhappy with Samsung over this DLP set. My wife is on the verge of KILLING me, since I spent a ton of money on a nice HT upgrade that DOESN'T WORK. I don't think I'll get much sympathy from her next time I want to upgrade -- and thanks to my two little girls I'm due for a speaker replacement.

I just spec'ed out and ordered a $17,000 HT upgrade for a friend. Guess what? NO SAMSUNG.

Unhappily yours,

Aaron

three blinking lights = Lamp might be defective. Please contact a certified technician.

I would just like to say that I am so happy with my Samsung HLR-6768:)
I got it in Dec of 2005 from a NJ Online Storefront operation. This set has never even hiccuped. It has been the Main TV/DVD Watching/X-Box 360 playing unit in my home and I have no idea how many hours it has logged as I lost my manual that I bought online (I never needed it!!!).

:D:D:DTHANK YOU SAMSUNG for a TOP-NOTCH DLP TELEVISION!!!:D:D:D

Well, I'm very happy with my HLR-7178 as well - purchased late 2005. It's been the TV, HD DVD, Bluray, XBOX360, PS3 machine.

However, it did have the light-tunnel collapse and it's got annoying software bugs that haven't been addressed by Samsung and never will be.

So "thanks for the nice implementation of the technology Samsung" but no thanks for the follow-up.

Cary

It's been almost a year since my HL-R 6768W had it's light engine replaced (this was the 2nd replacement). No problems whatsoever since. Great picture. Also purchased in Dec of 2005 from local Tweeter.

I just sold my HLS6188W (for a steal), as it was taking up too much space, replaced it with a ln52a860. The PQ in the 860 is phenomenal compared to what I was used with the 6188, but I am still adjusting to the smaller screen size :)

For the 2 years I owned the 6188w though, never had any issues and at the time I sold it, had about 3000 lamp hours logged, yet picture was still very bright. I bet that bulb has at least another year of life left in it.

Geez, its amazing how fast these depreciated. I didn't realize that the market was trending towards flat screens, at the time of purchase in Dec of '06, I figured the flat screens would be to high-priced for quite some time. Needless to say, the fellow who got my 6188w got a steal :)

I'm considering getting the new Panasonic BD35 blu-ray player to go with my HLR5668W. I know this set will only accept 1080i over HDMI.

But will the audio from the HDMI cable be passed through the optical audio out from the TV? Both the tv and the blu-ray player have optical outs, but my Yamaha receiver only has one optical in (and one coax PCM digital in, which doesn't help me). And I want the digital audio from both tv programs and the blu-ray player.

Thanks.

I'm considering getting the new Panasonic BD35 blu-ray player to go with my HLR5668W. I know this set will only accept 1080i over HDMI.

But will the audio from the HDMI cable be passed through the optical audio out from the TV? Both the tv and the blu-ray player have optical outs, but my Yamaha receiver only has one optical in (and one coax PCM digital in, which doesn't help me). And I want the digital audio from both tv programs and the blu-ray player.

Thanks. If you do this, the tv will probably only pass stereo out back to the receiver for the sound from the bluray. It will only send 5.1 for sound from its cable/antenna input. That's how my Sony tv worked if I did the same for my dvr.

I'm considering getting the new Panasonic BD35 blu-ray player to go with my HLR5668W. I know this set will only accept 1080i over HDMI.

But will the audio from the HDMI cable be passed through the optical audio out from the TV? Both the tv and the blu-ray player have optical outs, but my Yamaha receiver only has one optical in (and one coax PCM digital in, which doesn't help me). And I want the digital audio from both tv programs and the blu-ray player.

Thanks.

Not sure about this, but I think this is correct. If you connect the BD player via optical to your TV, it will pass the signal unchanged from your TV to your reciever. In other words, you willl get either DD5.1 or DTS5.1 depending on the source. The TV merely switches the optical ins and resends it via the optical out on TV.

... If you connect the BD player via optical to your TV, it will pass the signal unchanged from your TV to your reciever.There is no optical audio input on the HL-R models. Phil's post nailed it.

There is no optical audio input on the HL-R models. Phil's post nailed it.

Yep, messed that one up a bit. I can get 5.1 sound out via optical from the tuner as mentioned but I also get it for my firewire connection which is where I made my mistake. Forgot that it works for firewire only as an outside source to the TV.

However, all is not lost. You don't need to send the audio to the TV from the BD player. One method is to use the digital coax input on your reciever. It's not PCM as mentioned but an actual bitstream in either DD or DTS and 5.1 depending on the source. It has the same capabilites as an optical connection and is actually legacy to the optical connector. The only real difference is that coax uses copper. I think you can have the optical from the TV on one and the coax from the BD player connected on the other to get two inputs to your reciever. I know my Sony S550 has both optical and digital coax but I don't know if that is true for the Panny player (would be odd if it wasn't).

If that doesn't work, then a simple but inelegant solution is to put in an optical Toslink switch. They go for about 6 bucks for a manual 2-1 port switch. There are also IR controlled switchers for more. In any event, you can have two digitial inputs into a single input without too much hassle or cost.

Hope that helps.

Jim

If you do this, the tv will probably only pass stereo out back to the receiver for the sound from the bluray. It will only send 5.1 for sound from its cable/antenna input. That's how my Sony tv worked if I did the same for my dvr.

Make that "...the tv will DEFINITELY only pass stereo out back to the receiver for the sound from the bluray."

I was having a strange power on problem where the TV would turn on normally, then would power down after a few seconds (with tones). I would have to power cycle the TV a few times to get it to stay on. The best I could make out of the blinking lights was that the lamp needed to be replaced. I had replaced the lamp earlier this year, like in June. Well, after having replaced the LE in the first year, the color wheel in the second year, I just figured I'd be replacing something else now.

Turns out that unplugging the TV for about half an hour fixt the problem. It's been good to go for about 2 weeks now.

I have had my Samsung DLP HL-R5078W now for over 3 years and it is amazing that this tread is still living.

By any chance has anyone done a calibration on this TV and if so where is the data. I have never had it calibrated and only recently replaced the bulb with over 8500 hours.:) It didn't burnout but I just decided to put the new one in.

How has your Samsung DLP been?

Thanks

I have had my Samsung DLP HL-R5078W now for over 3 years and it is amazing that this tread is still living.

By any chance has anyone done a calibration on this TV and if so where is the data. I have never had it calibrated and only recently replaced the bulb with over 8500 hours.:) It didn't burnout but I just decided to put the new one in.

How has your Samsung DLP been?

Thanks

I suggest you rea all the posts. Your answer are in there! :rolleyes:

Each set is slightly different so the data is different. There is no one set of calibrated data that wiill work the same on any HLR. I've had my set calibrated by the good folks at AviCal. Good people.

I suggest you rea all the posts. Your answer are in there! :rolleyes:

Thanks but:
I will rely on what I have at the moment. Trying read all 400 messages may take a day or two .LOL
I have not touched any of the factory default settings as it was on startup. TV is still beautifully clear and amazes my friends every time they watch a football game. :D

Ok, 2 years later and I am still hoping soeone can help.


Do any of you that own the hlr-6178 or similar version have components running into a receiver using HDMI and then from the receiver to the TV using HDMI?

My tv will accept HDMI directly from an HD DVD player or a Direct TV receiver but if I run those components into my Pioneer Elite VSX-94txh then to the TV using HDMI the screen says "Not Supported." The same thing happened when I had the vsx-74txvi as well.

I completely suspect the TV, and over Thanksgiving I will finally get off my butt and pull run the receiver into 2 different Tvs using the exact setup to see if it works on a different TV. If it does, then I know for a fact it is the TV.

Looking to get a blu-ray player soon and want it hooked up and NOT having to use component cables this time.

hoopsrgreat



Sorry but I have a basic setup with my HD receiver box to the TV.
Hopefully someone else will chime in and possible help.
Sorry

Not my configuration either, but there was a lot of discussions a while back about problems with HDMI and AV receivers. It could be a difference in timing that causes the handshake to fail: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1045790

You might want to ask over on the "official" VSX-94TXH thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=891909

Do any of you that own the hlr-6178 or similar version have components running into a receiver using HDMI and then from the receiver to the TV using HDMI?

Yes,

I run my TiVo S3 and Panasonic DMP-DB30 BluRay into an Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver via HDMI. The receiver then drives my HL-R6178W via HDMI.

Works like a champ! Everything is HDMI V1.3 except the TV.

HL-R6768W - This is getting ridiculous! I've had my light engine replaced twice and color wheel has shattered for the 2nd time. Of course, bulbs have also been replaced throughout this time. Is it just me, or does a massive lawsuit need to take place? Samsung is treating us like sh*t over here. This is outrageous.

HL-R6768W - This is getting ridiculous! I've had my light engine replaced twice and color wheel has shattered for the 2nd time. Of course, bulbs have also been replaced throughout this time. Is it just me, or does a massive lawsuit need to take place? Samsung is treating us like sh*t over here. This is outrageous.

I agree. Seems that so many had their light engines replaced as well as other items. It has happened to all whole series of DLP HL-RXX68 and 78.

I agree. Seems that so many had their light engines replaced as well as other items. It has happened to all whole series of DLP HL-RXX68 and 78.

Yeah, tell me about it. And when I start thinking my situation is bad, I can look at other people who have had their light engines replaced not two or three times.. but SIX OR MORE TIMES. How much are they again?.. something like $1200-$2000 a pop?? It's ok tho.. I have some plans up my sleeve. If it all works out, and it will.. I'll be sure to come back to this thread and tell all about it.

On the other hand, though, why not gather everyone we can in one spot.. help figure out a way to pay for travel expenses, and pile in a court room somewhere? I think they're in NJ? That's way up there for me, but I'd do it in a heartbeat, without a doubt.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have had NO problems as of today with this TV. Last night I come home, turn it on and the pic looks like crap Color is off. Then I remembered I was just messing with connections because i just bought a Blu-Ray player. Go to the back of my receiver and one of my component wires was lose, pushed it back in and all was well.

By the way, there was a class action suit already in progress over this TV and the dark shadow on the left side due to the light engine or something that was coming unglued.

Here is the link: Samsung suit (www.samsungtvshadowclassaction.com/main/home.sfx)

Little history: I have a two year old HLR6168 and have had the light engine replaced on it, which went out promptly after the warranty expired. Samsung did extend the warranty and replaced the engine without cost. I have also had the color wheel shatter, which I replaced myself, after purchasing it online for about $100.

Now the problem: Dish Network recently upgraded their DVR unit from a 622 to a 722 and I am now running into an issue where after running for 30 mins to an hour, the picture goes away and the screen splits half and half into black and white. I can hear the voice and am able to change source, but once it gets to that point, nothing changes unless I turn the set off and after leaving it off for a few minutes, turn it back on. The cycle than continues. If the kids are playing the Wii, or we watch a movie on DVD, this issue never shows up. I had read that this could be due to a low signal strength and was wondering if anyone else is either experiencing the same issue or could provide any info they may have on it.
Thanks in advance.

I'm betting that your DVR is on the HDMI input. If so, power cycling the TV forces the DVR to renew it's handshake (re-authenticate) with the display (your Sammy). You may get the same result by switching the source inputs on the Sammy- go from HDMI to tuner to component, etc. and back to HDMI. If the problem is fixed, it's the DVR.

I'll bet your DVD or Wii are on the component inputs. That would also point to the DVR, as screen problems should be on all inputs.

When I tried to replace the lamp on my HLR5678W, it doesn't fit. It slides in real easy, but the screw that attaches the lamp casing to the TV just doesn't quite reach the chassis so I can't screw in place. Close but not close enough, about 1/8" off maybe less.

The tag on the side of my TV says BP96-01073A so that's what I ordered, but the lamp that was in the TV was a BP96-01099A. Visually they are almost exactly the same, except for a slight difference with the plugs.

It just doesn't seem like I can push the lamp case in any further. Not sure what to do here. Should I order a 01099A? Bang on it with a hammer? :P Would Samsung send me out a replacement BP96-01073A?:confused:

I put the old lamp back in, and that was no problem - fits real easy. That lamp has over 7500 hours though, and I'd swear the picture is darker, but I can't be sure about that. That's why I ordered the replacement lamp but it does me no good if it doesn't fit.

Any help would be appreciated.

When I tried to replace the lamp on my HLR5678W, it doesn't fit. It slides in real easy, but the screw that attaches the lamp casing to the TV just doesn't quite reach the chassis so I can't screw in place. Close but not close enough, about 1/8" off maybe less.

The tag on the side of my TV says BP96-01073A so that's what I ordered, but the lamp that was in the TV was a BP96-01099A. Visually they are almost exactly the same, except for a slight difference with the plugs.

It just doesn't seem like I can push the lamp case in any further. Not sure what to do here. Should I order a 01099A? Bang on it with a hammer? :P Would Samsung send me out a replacement BP96-01073A?:confused:

I put the old lamp back in, and that was no problem - fits real easy. That lamp has over 7500 hours though, and I'd swear the picture is darker, but I can't be sure about that. That's why I ordered the replacement lamp but it does me no good if it doesn't fit.

Any help would be appreciated.

I have the HL-R6178. I suspect the same chassis as yours. The tag on the TV also calls for the '73A.

I had ordered a spare '73A from Samsung.

When the service guy was here replacing the light tunnel, I also had him install my spare lamp. The original lamp he removed was a'73A. It was a very tight fit when he installed the new '73A. If I recall correctly, he took the chassis out of the set in order to get the new lamp to seat properly. It has worked since.

Maybe you just have to work at it a little more. Good luck!

Hi all. Sorry, this is going to be a long post. Please read if you have the stomach for it. I want to relate some difficulties I have had with getting my set repaired or replaced under my extended warranty and see if anyone has any advice and/or has successfully navigated these waters recently.

I have an HL-R5678W, purchased in November of 2005 at Sound Advice. I purchased their 5 year extended service plan with the set. Didn't know it at the time but it turns out their plan was actually through N.E.W.

Not sure if the set would qualify as a "lemon" but it has had a rough repair history:

1) November, 2005 (2 weeks old) - lamp blew out. It literally shattered. The tech said he had never seen that before. It took 6 weeks to get a replacement lamp through Sound Advice service. Maybe I should have gone directly to Samsung at that point but I was hoping the store would intervene and get it done faster.

2) May, 2007 - set developed the light tunnel collapse issue. Light Engine was replaced under EW (took 6 weeks to get part).

3) June, 2007 - one HDMI port stopped working. Digital Board was replaced under EW (took 4-5 weeks to get part).

4) June, 2008 - light tunnel collapse happened again. Light Engine was replaced under EW (took 6 weeks to get part).

5) Aug., 2008 - new problem developed which still hasn't been properly diagnosed / repaired. At best, the display flickers and freezes. At worst, it goes totally black or displays random pixels / patterns. This time the tech insisted he had to take the set back to his shop to diagnose it properly. After about two weeks, he concluded that it needed a new Digital Board. This part took over 8 weeks to come in. I got the set back last week.

6) Dec., 2008 - the set worked for all of 17 minutes when it was returned to me. After the tech left, the flickering / freezing / black screen problem started again. At this point, completely fed up, I started making calls to both Samsung and N.E.W. for help. I would engage the store as well for leverage but that is no longer an option -- Sound Advice recently closed their stores.

Samsung was very polite but not willing to do anything for me since I have an EW that was not purchased through them.

N.E.W. has been extremely difficult to work with in this matter. They have shown little to no interest in trying to help me, other than continuing to slowly go down the service route and spend their money (and my time) on ineffective repairs. I called last week and requested that they replace the set due to the repeated repairs and the mounting costs that they are surely facing. A few days later they told me that their buyout department rejected the request because a) they don't actually believe it is broken, and b) it doesn't meet their "lemon" requirements (the same part has to be replaced 3 separate times and then fail a 4th time).

So after much arguing on my part, now they have set up a different service company to look at the set and determine what is wrong with it. The tech came out yesterday and said he believed it probably needed a new digital board but he had to take it back to his shop to diagnose it properly. Also, when he lifted up the set from my stand, there was a little piece of yellowish plastic under it that he identified as a piece that is clearly broken off a color wheel.

If things go really well (although I'm not sure why they would at this point), I may be able to get this resolved soon. They need to diagnose it, write up an estimate of what is needed to repair it, and submit to N.E.W. for "reconsideration" by the buyout department.

If things don't go well.... well, I don't even want to go there.

I have been without a working set for nearly all of the past 6 months.

If I don't get extremely fast resolution from here... any thoughts / ideas / suggestions on how to proceed?

Has anyone else had experience with N.E.W. that was particularly good or bad?

Anything would be appreciated at this point.

Thanks kindly,
brownmaxxx

My Extended Service Contract is with Tweeter so it is worthless with one year remaining. I've had my HLP swapped out for an HLR after 3 failed repairs. I had my HLR repaired for the collapsed light tunnel with the entire engine swapped out. My PC port failed but I didn't risk a repair. I'm still on the original bulb.

I don't know what I would do if it stopped working, as the options for 60 to 70 inch LCD or plasma's are too expensive

I've reposted this report here so that other owner's can read it. I've also inluded it in the RPTV (Post#1) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

Last week, my 3 year old Sammy HLR6168w DLP blew a color wheel. Using these instructions http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15344733#post15344733, replacement was a breeze. I also dropped in a new lamp.

Yesterday, Bill Hergonson of Coast Calibration (I found Bill via an ISF link in AV Forums) calibrated my set and it has never looked better! The whites really "pop" and the colors are incredible. Thanks to Bill's work, the set is operating at very close to the theoretically perfect 6500k standard at nearly every applicable IRE level.

Bill was prompt, efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. He also took the time to explain the process in detail, answer my questions, as well as share some great "war stories" of his adventures over the years.

I highly recommend Bill for anyone in Southern California who wants to maximize their set's performance!!!!

I bought the HL-R5668W a while ago, and I've never gotten either of the HDMI connections to work. It would always return with a "Input Not Supported" error dialog. When I first tried it I wasn't sure if the problem was just my Comcast DVR, the cable or my Samsung TV. Now that I've finally bought a second HDMI box I can see that the problem is with the Samsung. Composite in works fine, as does the VGA connection. Is there any chance Samsung will fix this? If not, I don't think I'll be trusting Samsung again...as it sucks this was broken from the beginning.

@_@

I bought the HL-R5668W a while ago, and I've never gotten either of the HDMI connections to work.How long ago is a "while" ago? You have a 2005 model. Samsung will fix it if it was bought new less than a year ago. All you need is proof of purchase.

You should be using a component connection instead of composite. 2005 was the first year that Samsung DLP RPTV sets had HDMI.

Repair or Replace - I got my 5668 in July 2005 with an extended warranty. So far the light engine has been replaced twice. Now that the warranty has expired, the color wheel nees to be replaced. If nor for the extended warranty, this TV wouls have cost me a lot of money by now. The quote on replacing the color wheel is $600. Should I repair or replace?

I had the same problem. My problem was the connector in the front side of the new lamp is different and that kept it from sliding in that last 1/8 inch. Swapped the connectors and problem solved.

I just need the $82 ballast for lamp correct? I am looking to stock a spare bulb for my HLR6178W


from www.samsungparts.com

Model No. : HLR6178W

Part Number Description Specification Price Add to cart
BP96-01073A DLP TV LAMP ASSY/CHK ORIGINAL LAMP CODE L6,L8 (L620,L680) ,~ 61 INCH $149.99 Add to cart
BP31-00010B FAN - LAMP FAN - 3 1/4 INCH SVP-50L7XHD,UL94V-0, PBT,WIRE LEN $33.18 Add to cart
BP96-01415A DLP TV LAMP ASSY / ONLY FOR HLR5688WX L7 (L780),PHILIPS 120W,E22 $149.99 Add to cart
BP96-01099A DLP TV LAMP ASSY/CHK ORIGINAL LAMP CODE L6,L8 (L620,L680),67 INCH ~, $149.99 Add to cart
BP47-00027A BALLAST FOR LAMP EUC 120 DP31,120W,130MM CAB $82.76 Add to cart
BP96-01074A ASSY LAMP P //CHECK OLD LAMP CODE L7 (L780),PHILIPS 132W,E22,1 n/a see detail
[previous 10] [ 1 ] [next 10]

I just need the $82 ballast for lamp correct? I am looking to stock a spare bulb for my HLR6178W


from www.samsungparts.com

Model No. : HLR6178W

Part Number Description Specification Price Add to cart
BP96-01073A DLP TV LAMP ASSY/CHK ORIGINAL LAMP CODE L6,L8 (L620,L680) ,~ 61 INCH $149.99 Add to cart
BP31-00010B FAN - LAMP FAN - 3 1/4 INCH SVP-50L7XHD,UL94V-0, PBT,WIRE LEN $33.18 Add to cart
BP96-01415A DLP TV LAMP ASSY / ONLY FOR HLR5688WX L7 (L780),PHILIPS 120W,E22 $149.99 Add to cart
BP96-01099A DLP TV LAMP ASSY/CHK ORIGINAL LAMP CODE L6,L8 (L620,L680),67 INCH ~, $149.99 Add to cart
BP47-00027A BALLAST FOR LAMP EUC 120 DP31,120W,130MM CAB $82.76 Add to cart
BP96-01074A ASSY LAMP P //CHECK OLD LAMP CODE L7 (L780),PHILIPS 132W,E22,1 n/a see detail
[previous 10] [ 1 ] [next 10]

If you just want a spare bulb, the part number for your HL-R6178W is most likely the BP96-01073A. Check the orange sticker on the left side of your TV to confirm. That is the part number on my HL-R6178.

The BALLAST is a component that provides the voltage for the lamp. If your TV is presently working, you most likely do not need to replace that component.

I've had my Samsung HLR-6168W for a few years (just replaced the lamp actually) and I've never been happy with the colors, especially the blacks. It does not handle blacks very well at all. Also the picture quality seems a bit fuzzy (everything is connected via component cables).

I purchased a tuning DVD but that didn't help at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get better picture quality and colors, especially making the black levels more black and more consistent?
You can improve your picture quality by avoiding component cables. With my 6188 there is a noticeable difference between component and HDMI inputs. Also a noticeable difference between OTA, QAM and cable box. OTA best, comcast cable box worst.

I also use my 6188 as a monitor for a Mac Mini. HDMI has noticeably better quailty than analogue computer port.

You can improve your picture quality by avoiding component cables. With my 6188 there is a noticeable difference between component and HDMI inputs. Also a noticeable difference between OTA, QAM and cable box. OTA best, comcast cable box worst.

I also use my 6188 as a monitor for a Mac Mini. HDMI has noticeably better quailty than analogue computer port.

I'd add one thing about cable boxes. The Mot 64xx boxes aw indeed awful but the 34xx are good. If you have the former you can swap it out for no charge. Course you could have a DCT box or on other carriers something else altogether. Don't know baout those. Finally, you could ty a Tivo box.

2 years ago my DLP started producing white flashes on my screen, and then the screen would turn white eventually, with a very faded image in the back ground. After fighting with my extended warranty company they refunded my purchase price. After two years of no use I decided to turn on the TV before throwing it out. To my surprise it was working perfectly, but after turning it on and off several times the white flickering came back.

I noticed if I leave the TV on for 15 to 20 minutes, the white flickering will go away, and it appears to be working fine (the symptom does not come back until the next time I turn on the TV). Does anyone know what could be wrong?

Could it be a bad Dynamic Black Module?
:confused:

I'd add one thing about cable boxes. The Mot 64xx boxes aw indeed awful but the 34xx are good. If you have the former you can swap it out for no charge. Course you could have a DCT box or on other carriers something else altogether. Don't know baout those. Finally, you could ty a Tivo box.My box is a Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC.

I'm looking to replace the lamp on my HLR-5668W soon. What reputable suppliers have folks found? Any experience with a vendor called DLP Lamp Source?

Any thoughts on lamp only versus lamp+housing?

Thanks everyone.

Cheers.
-Hobbes

I'm looking to replace the lamp on my HLR-5668W soon. What reputable suppliers have folks found? Any experience with a vendor called DLP Lamp Source?

Any thoughts on lamp only versus lamp+housing?

Thanks everyone.

Cheers.
-Hobbes

Bought this for my HLS

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160286699371

No problems what so ever. Fast shipping and double boxed.

I bought a 6768 in August 2005 and it was love at first site! I also bought an extended warranty until August of 2009.

I've have at least 2-3 light engines replaced and last night the tv kept trying to turn on but couldn't. It made the electronic beeping sounds (start-up sounds), and then this nasty grinding sound. The grinding would stop after about 3-5 minutes and then I got the 3 flashing lights, 2 green, 1 red.

I brought the old bulb in and was given a new one.

I will install tonight and inform the forum if it works or not. After the warranty is over, what will I do? I can't afford to keep paying for a new light engine every year!

slowroll

I bought a 6768 in August 2005 and it was love at first site! I also bought an extended warranty until August of 2009.

I've have at least 2-3 light engines replaced and last night the tv kept trying to turn on but couldn't. It made the electronic beeping sounds (start-up sounds), and then this nasty grinding sound. The grinding would stop after about 3-5 minutes and then I got the 3 flashing lights, 2 green, 1 red.

I brought the old bulb in and was given a new one.

I will install tonight and inform the forum if it works or not.

slowroll


So I want to know, you have an extended warranry yet you are going to do the repair work yourself? (BTW: Not to be nasty, but from what you describe sounds like you may still have a broken set after your attempt to fix but I do hope it goes well for you). Why not let them fix it? It's what you paid for.

PS: I too have a warranty until Aug 2009 on a 5078. They already told me they will replace the bulb at anytime I choose. That's part of the warranty.

That's what I usually do but I didn't want to wait 7-10 days for someone to come out. I only have one TV in the house and so I figured this would speed up the process a bit.


So I want to know, you have an extended warranry yet you are going to do the repair work yourself? (BTW: Not to be nasty, but from what you describe sounds like you may still have a broken set after your attempt to fix but I do hope it goes well for you). Why not let them fix it? It's what you paid for.

PS: I too have a warranty until Aug 2009 on a 5078. They already told me they will replace the bulb at anytime I choose. That's part of the warranty.

That's what I usually do but I didn't want to wait 7-10 days for someone to come out. I only have one TV in the house and so I figured this would speed up the process a bit. Hear ya. Good luck, really. I would have thought that attempting a repair at the level you are doing would invalidate the warranty. I'm fortunate that I can replace the TV with a smaller one I have in the house.

Thanks!

Hear ya. Good luck, really. I would have thought that attempting a repair at the level you are doing would invalidate the warranty. I'm fortunate that I can replace the TV with a smaller one I have in the house.

..., and then this nasty grinding sound.
:eek: That does not sound like a bad bulb, unless it exploded. When you have the unit opened, you might want to check your color wheel. FWIW.

I installed the bulb and it did NOT work. :mad: The repair guy is coming next Tuesday...

slowroll

I installed the bulb and it did NOT work. :mad: The repair guy is coming next Tuesday...

slowroll

Kinda thought that would be the case when I first saw your post. Didn't sound right, like has been said a broken color wheel? In fact the bulb could actually be intact. But won't matter now, most likely you'll be getting an entirely new LE. And it could be since the model is really old now (by CE time, you now, like dog time?) the tech will only be able to get the part number today, have to order it, and come back another day. In any event, I hope it's not as bad as that and best of luck to you.

Hi folks, I had to change out the color wheel a few months ago and all was well for a while. Now it seems the old Clay Face problem has reared it's head. The faces look blotchy in standard view, a little better in movie. Any quick and easy (short of pro calibration) adjustment I can make?
Thanks

They replaced the light engine on my 6768 and it's working now. However, my warranty runs out later this year. After three light engine repairs, I'm worried about the continued cost of ownership.

I called the place of purchase and while Samsung would NOT replace the TV, they agreed to replace it with a HL67A750 (at no cost to me) OR give me $1500 credit towards any television. What should I do? Any suggestions? Should I go for a new television or get that new Sammy?

Thanks!
slowroll

They replaced the light engine on my 6768 and it's working now. However, my warranty runs out later this year. After three light engine repairs, I'm worried about the continued cost of ownership.

I called the place of purchase and while Samsung would NOT replace the TV, they agreed to replace it with a HL67A750 (at no cost to me) OR give me $1500 credit towards any television. What should I do? Any suggestions? Should I go for a new television or get that new Sammy?

Thanks!
slowroll

It's gonna be very hard to find a screen at that size for the price you're being offered wich is free. I'd go for the new set. See if they are willing to sell you an extended warranty with it and then I think it really becomes a no brainer to go with their offer.

HLR-5668 here. One problem after another. I am on my 2nd Light engine and now I get this? I have no idea what the problem is.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd130/bimmer29/P1120469.jpg

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd130/bimmer29/P1120473.jpg

Any ideas?

It's in the LE. There may be a subcomponent in the LE they can replace to fix it but in the past they typically just replace the LE. If you are under warranty, with three service calls they may be willing to buy you out. I know they were willing to do that for me but since it costs me nothing to get it fixed and everytime it comes back to normal, I decided to keep mine (5078). The next set I want will be bigger. I'm actually hoping I can get this set to last until Lasar DLPs come out at reasonable prices and sizes (say just south of 4K?). My warranty lasts till August.

It's gonna be very hard to find a screen at that size for the price you're being offered wich is free. I'd go for the new set. See if they are willing to sell you an extended warranty with it and then I think it really becomes a no brainer to go with their offer.

Just got back from the store. I went with the free HL67A750 and added the 4yr warranty. :)

slowroll

Just got back from the store. I went with the free HL67A750 and added the 4yr warranty. :)

slowroll

I just retired my HLR6168W for a HL67A750. Took me two weeks to get the picture right, but it's spectacular now. No more lamps or color wheels to worry about. Now if the LE just holds up.

Looking for some suggestions as to what might have happened.

Was watching TV. There was like a loud bang, and the picture started flickering. Changed channels, same flickering.

Pushed the TV OFF button. Tv did not turn off, but lamp went off. Started hearing noises like a noisy motor. This would stop, then restart.

Unplugged TV, let TV cool. Now when I replug in, get the same noises - noisy moter sound, stops, restarts, stops, restarts....

Sounds to me like maybe the color wheel broke, but any better suggestions from this group?

Walt

I'd also guess color wheel.

I have a hlr6178w that last week during a storm the power in the house went on off on off and the set went out now when I try and turn it on it just makes whirring noise and the lamp light flashes on and off then the set resets and starts again. I tried a new lamp that did not do it, I was told it was the ballast I ordered a new one and want to install it.

I tried unplugging the ballast and plugging it back in and it would try to start so I am pretty sure its the ballast as I was told. I also got the new light tunnel to fix the shadow I had. I live in rural Ga and there are no repair shops near me so going to do it myself lol anyone have pics of the dis assembly or something to help me replace my ballast.

thanks

They replaced the light engine on my 6768 and it's working now. However, my warranty runs out later this year. After three light engine repairs, I'm worried about the continued cost of ownership.

I called the place of purchase and while Samsung would NOT replace the TV, they agreed to replace it with a HL67A750 (at no cost to me) OR give me $1500 credit towards any television. What should I do? Any suggestions? Should I go for a new television or get that new Sammy?

Thanks!
slowroll


Slowroll, did I understand correctly that you got Samsung to agree to replace your HL-R6768W with a new HL67A750? Can I ask how you went about doing that? Was that AFTER you got the LE fixed? Is your current warranty through Samsung or a 3rd party?

I think that is a GREAT long-term move....forget having to deal with lamps and color wheels. And hopefully the newer LE design will be much more stable. I was hoping my current warranty company would opt to not replace my LE a second time and refund my purchase so that I could get the HL67A750.

Thanks, Patrick

I have had my HL-R6768W LE replaced x2 in the first 2 years of ownership. Each time has led to a new lamp replacement as well. I also have had my color wheel and DMD board replaced once each.

The most recent repair of the LE was just 3-4 days ago. Last night I had an interesting issue with my TV and wanted to get people's input. I had my TV power cord plugged into my reciever. That way I can just turn on the reciever and my whole system turns on. Reciever is a Denon AVR-988. I had entered the SM to turn off the DNIe per Eliab American Wired Article. Last night the TV wasn't turning on. The lamp light would blink 7-8 times but the screen stayed black and eventually the lamp light would stop blinking. After a couple more minutes the screen was still black and the standby light came back on. This cycle happened several times. I confirmed the audio and video was being pushed out of the A/V reciever via HDMI to the TV. I decided to unplug the TV power cord from the reciever and plug it into my surge protector directly. After that I was able to get the picture to appear and it seemed to work normally for the remainder of the evening. Any ideas? Thank you in advance..Patrick

I have had my HL-R6768W LE replaced x2 in the first 2 years of ownership. Each time has led to a new lamp replacement as well. I also have had my color wheel and DMD board replaced once each.

The most recent repair of the LE was just 3-4 days ago. Last night I had an interesting issue with my TV and wanted to get people's input. I had my TV power cord plugged into my reciever. That way I can just turn on the reciever and my whole system turns on. Reciever is a Denon AVR-988. I had entered the SM to turn off the DNIe per Eliab American Wired Article. Last night the TV wasn't turning on. The lamp light would blink 7-8 times but the screen stayed black and eventually the lamp light would stop blinking. After a couple more minutes the screen was still black and the standby light came back on. This cycle happened several times. I confirmed the audio and video was being pushed out of the A/V reciever via HDMI to the TV. I decided to unplug the TV power cord from the reciever and plug it into my surge protector directly. After that I was able to get the picture to appear and it seemed to work normally for the remainder of the evening. Any ideas? Thank you in advance..Patrick

Yikes! You really don't like your TV very much! :rolleyes: If I understand what you wrote, you turn on your reciever and the TV comes on. The bad thing is, when you turn the receiver off, the TV also turns off, no power. Right? Please tell me you are not doing that. You see, the TV needs to gracefully powerdown. Even after you have turned the set off, the fans keep running to help cool the unit after use. By cutting power, you're bypassing this function and shortening the life of the TV. Also, the switchabe outputs on a reciever are typically low wattage, you could also be burning out the relay contacts in your receiver. Not good.

James, nope you are right...that is exactly what I was doing (to my credit, I haven't been doing that until just recently...since LE replacement, so only 4 days). I started thinking it might be a problem hence the post. Thanks for confirming my suspision; that is why I no longer have it powered this way. And to make matters worse, I was using a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter.... :eek: . But yes I would like for my TV to last for longer than 3 months without issue...which seems to be a stretch at times for these TVs.

James, nope you are right...that is exactly what I was doing (to my credit, I haven't been doing that until just recently...since LE replacement, so only 4 days). I started thinking it might be a problem hence the post. Thanks for confirming my suspision; that is why I no longer have it powered this way. And to make matters worse, I was using a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter.... :eek: . But yes I would like for my TV to last for longer than 3 months without issue...which seems to be a stretch at times for these TVs.

Glad I could help. Just don't do it again! :D

BTW: I bought my HLR5078 back in August of 05. It's still going but it has had 1 DMD replacement and 3 LE replacements. So I'm getting about 10 months between breakdowns. Glad I bought the extended warranty. :)

Im not sure this is the right thread for this or not. I have a HLR5078w that needs a new DMD board. I have already bought another tv. If anyone needs any parts I will make you a good deal on them.. It has a new lamp, the color wheel is good the digital board, analog board, balast and remote also are ok. I also have a service manual and a new light tunnel... thanks

after replacing the color wheel and bulb my picture was off a about an inch too far to the right,there is now a dark area on the left side of the screen about an inch wide the goes 3/4th of the way up the screen .I adjust the picture to the left but I still have the dark area?. I can still see a picture where the dark area is but is dimmer. any help would be appreciated. thanks guys:(

It sounds like the light tunnel collapse issue where the mirrors glue lets go and one falls into the light path. Samsung repairs the light tunnel under an extended warranty if that is the issue. There is a long thread on this forum about the "Samsung Side Shadow". So do a search for it and if the pics look like your problem, just call Samsung Customer Service and use the "collapsed light tunnel" phrase and they will fix it.

is the "light tunnel" the same as the light assembly? samsung parts has it for 65.00$ is it hard to replace? I was able to do the color wheel without problems and mine was smashed to bits..

I'm not sure about the light assembly. It's just a mirrored light tunnel, not assembly. They do sell the tunnel, but they will fix it for free so you'd probably be better off letting them do it if you are sure it's the problem. I can't answer the exact part question, but if you go to the beginning of the thread, they talk about everything. I have linked you to the last page of the large thread about the issue. Look it over to be sure that is the problem you are having.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=758625&highlight=samsung+side+shadow&page=80

Sorry to cross-post, but I am getting desperate! My original post as follows:

Almost 4 years ago this thread helped me decide on the HL-R6168W. Just before my original factory warranty expired, I got the banding on one side of the screen and the light engine was replaced. As of this week, suddenly a serious display corruption has appeared and I could really use some advice and help determining the component responsible.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9840/001smallx.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4013/004smallr.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8946/005smalliqk.jpg

As you can see, the image is duplicated and transposed onto the top half of the display, offset no less. This occurs with various input sources and also with no sources just viewing the service menu. I tried activating the three various reset options in the service menu, but I am sure this is a hardware malfunction. Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Link to original thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=665890&page=682

I have a call into a service center, but as I said, I am eager to perform any replacement of parts myself. First I really need a solid determination of the root cause however. Please?

I have an HL-R5078W that has been working for several years with a single-stream (S-card) Motorola CableCard. Now my cable provider is forcing me to get a Scientific Atlanta cable card and is only offering a multi-stream (M-card) CableCard. Has anyone had success getting this model to work with a Multi-stream CableCard? When I insert the M-card I get an error 161-1. I have tried numerous cards without success and Samsung is useless for support.

Thank you all for your help over the years.

I got one of the first HL-R5078W sets that hit the East coast on July 29th, 2005. The extended warranty got me thru the first 3 years with 2 replacement light engines, both to fix the light tunnel mirror problems I had in Oct '07 and again in May '08.

Now I have no picture, the green Lamp indicator flashes for about a minute, then another minute of nothing, then the set goes off. The bulb comes on, I can see it thru the rear of the set, but nothing on the screen, and I just replaced the bulb and ballast last week hoping it would solve the problem, and I checked the color wheel which has no damage and it does spin up. I don't want to spend $750 for a light engine that may only last one year.

I have been on this AVS forum thread since before these 1080's came out, and I truly appreciate everyone's advice over the years. You all have gotten me thru problems I otherwise couldn't solve, so thank you all for that.

Any last words of advice? I'll probably write to Samsung and seek some kind of trade in since this was the only $3800 TV I was going to purchase for 10 years or so. My wife won't have another Samsung in the house unless they can make some kind of deal to make her happy. We'll see. If they offer us a nice 44 inch something it would be nice in the bedroom.

In the mean time, this weekend looks like a good time to get a 50" plasma for under $1500, less than the cost of 2 light engines. I'm checking other parts of this AVS forum for the latest advice on plasma's.

I'll let you all know if I have any response from Samsung.

Cheers,
John G. (with the '71 red VW Bus)

Well I'm sad. My HL-R5688W finally is acting up. I bought this TV after salivating over it for months before it's release July 2005. 3 nights ago as I'm playing my Xbox after a few hours it shutdown and gave me a flashing what looked like a Fan/ Thermometer, and then a flashing light bulb symbol in the little blue circle. My first and still main thought is it's a heat condition as the brightness is perfect and sharp as the day i got it (In my opinion though). On that note for the first time I took the back off of the TV and removed the bulb, and also the fan. The fan was a little caked in dust, but seemed to still spin unencumbered so i cleaned it out. Now i get a bout 45 minutes before it shows the same symptoms as described above.

My question: Does anyone have any experience with heat issues with this tv?

if so what was the remediation for this? just a little background on me, I'm a IT professional with 15+ year of experience. I don't mind cracking the TV open, where i draw the line is having to re-soldering anything..

You guys are a wealth of information and I can't wait to hear from you all!

Thanks!

I have the same tv. If you saw the little bulb symbol it means you need a new bulb. I haven't changed mine yet, but that's what the manual says you need when that symbol shows on the front.

For the ventilation issue, I have been vacuuming all the rear vents, the one in front of the bulb on the back as well as the one ones on the bottom of the screen on the back every few months since I got the tv in 10/05. That seems to help a lot in venting it.

Post back on your solution.

I have the same tv. If you saw the little bulb symbol it means you need a new bulb. I haven't changed mine yet, but that's what the manual says you need when that symbol shows on the front.

For the ventilation issue, I have been vacuuming all the rear vents, the one in front of the bulb on the back as well as the one ones on the bottom of the screen on the back every few months since I got the tv in 10/05. That seems to help a lot in venting it.

Post back on your solution.

I have a bulb on order, but listen to this and let me know if this sounds consistent still with the bulb being bad.

one day i get an hours worth of viewing, and then 3 days go by and i have no issue.

I just figured if it was the bulb it'd be dead or dying more regularly. I'm also concerned with putting a new bulb in and it being a heat condition that will drastically negatively effect the life span of the new bulb.


Thanks again for the sounding board, and I'll be happy to post my results.

I have a bulb on order, but listen to this and let me know if this sounds consistent still with the bulb being bad.

one day i get an hours worth of viewing, and then 3 days go by and i have no issue.

I just figured if it was the bulb it'd be dead or dying more regularly. I'm also concerned with putting a new bulb in and it being a heat condition that will drastically negatively effect the life span of the new bulb.


Thanks again for the sounding board, and I'll be happy to post my results.

If you are saying that the TV shuts down, then it might be the switch on the bulb housing. You can do what I did and use a rubber band to make sure it stays down. No more problem. Others have had the same problem. Search the thread and you will see it.

Well I'm sad. My HL-R5688W finally is acting up. I bought this TV after salivating over it for months before it's release July 2005. 3 nights ago as I'm playing my Xbox after a few hours it shutdown and gave me a flashing what looked like a Fan/ Thermometer, and then a flashing light bulb symbol in the little blue circle. My first and still main thought is it's a heat condition as the brightness is perfect and sharp as the day i got it (In my opinion though). On that note for the first time I took the back off of the TV and removed the bulb, and also the fan. The fan was a little caked in dust, but seemed to still spin unencumbered so i cleaned it out. Now i get a bout 45 minutes before it shows the same symptoms as described above.

My question: Does anyone have any experience with heat issues with this tv?

if so what was the remediation for this? just a little background on me, I'm a IT professional with 15+ year of experience. I don't mind cracking the TV open, where i draw the line is having to re-soldering anything..

You guys are a wealth of information and I can't wait to hear from you all!

Thanks!

I have the same TV and had exactly the same issue. I bought a new bulb and swapped out the old one. Have not had any problems since replacing the bulb.

darc87

PS. Got mine around July also, did you get the TVAuthority deal?

I'm reposting factorz's report about having David Abrams (dave@avical.com) calibrate his Samsung HL-R4266W DLP here so that other owner's will have a chance to read it. It is also added to the RPTV (Post#1) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

I had the pleasure of having Mr Abrams calabrate my Samsung DLP the other night and I have nothing but positive things to say. David took time to answer all my questions and provide quite a few humerous stories of life on the road.

As to the calabration itself I couldn't be happier with my picture and David did a great job making sure all my components were set right and looking their best. I have a little bit of a older DLP, but see no reason to upgrade after David worked his magic.

David is a true professional and did a top rate job on my set and I encourge anyone looking to improve their picture quality to drop him a line.

BTW: I had the pleasure of introducing David to Little Hug juice drinks which I believe he is now a fan of :D

I have a 6768w. There is excessive fan noise and no video or audio. It started with all 3 leds flashing. Samsung tech said to change bulb. Done. The fan still is noisy and the unit cycles a few times with the lamp led flashing then quits with all leds flashing. Samsung now say to call a service tech. Live in the country with no service near. Any thoughts. Thanks

I also have a 6768w. Sorry, but the only thing I can help with is the front panel LED indicator codes. The 3 flashing lights means the bulb is "defective" and the flashing Lamp LED means "The picture will automatically appear in about 15 seconds."

Sounds like it's trying a start-up sequence and tripping off on a fault condition. Does the color wheel spin up to speed? Try listening for the motor (the usual start-up sounds). I can't help much more here.

Its fixed.. Replaced the color wheel. Not only did it not spin up. It had exploded inside the housing. Thanks

Hey all. I'm in North Texas and have been looking for an HL-R5688W for quite a while now. There seems to be a nice unit in Oregon, but that doesn't exactly help me. I would appreciate any suggestions where you think I might find one of these.

I live in N. Texas and have one but I wonder why you want to buy an almost 4 year old dlp tv. Mine is still working fine and they were/are an original, interesting looking tv with an excellent pic, but Samsung has stopped making dlps and in time parts will be hard to find, etc. If you are really interested in getting one, post back as the one I have is still in excellent condition.

I have an HL-R5688W pedestal set. Recently it has been loosing the right half of the picture. The screen goes completely blank on the right half. It is very intermitent, somedays happening every half hour and other days not at all. I have caught the drop-out while I have had the service menu active. All the self tests check out as valid and I can do the vertical and horizontal swaps and see the proper changes in the picture. The only really odd item was the test patterns. Most showed the left half, but the final four (white, blue, red and green) had light over the full screen. I assume this is a DMD board problem. I have opened the TV and vacuumed out the dust and played with the connectors and the problem persists. I would buy a replacement DMD but at over $800 is doesn't seem worth the price. I can get a nice 55" LCD for under $2000 and be certain the problem is fixed.

I'd be interested in any advice from the community.

Your guess is correct. Half blank screen is the result of the dmd board failing. Some people have replaced the part by themselves and have a thread going on this forum. I think, unfortunately, our tv's being an early model of their type, had both the dmd board and the dlp chip on the same board, later they divided them and then the cost of replacement was cut in half (at least that's what I read), but on our tv you have to buy the whole board assembly. But anyway, I think your are correct in your diagnosis of the problem.

Again, it's just a memory, but I think some people were successful in getting the part from Samsung under some unwritten extended warranty. They complained long enuf that Samsung agreed to provide the part if they did the labor, themselves or thru a service tech. So calling executive customer service and seeing what they might do can't hurt. They have nothing to do with the part anymore, so maybe they will be generous.

Does anyone know what the current resale value of an HL-R5688W is? I'm moving (Chicago) and would like to sell the 56 and matching stand that I have.

Hi All. Can't beleive this thread is still going.

I have an HLR-5078 and the only thing that have been replaced are the Engine because of the left hand screen had a large dark line and I also had a OEM bulb replaced 8 months ago.

SYMTOMS
Well recently I have had the TV go totally blank with a black screen and all 3 lights flash. I do not hear any unusual noises. I usually turn the set off for a second and start back up and everything is OK.

This has happened now 4 times over the past 2 weeks at randon times. The TV is usually been running for a few hours so everything is warm.

I have installed another bulb to try an eliminate it from the problem.
The interior is clean and no dust, fans are running and the ballast looks ok.

Does anyone know what may be going?
Thanks

IggyAZ:)

I have the model HL-R6168W, purchased it in May of 2006 and it's our main tv in the house so it gets a fair amount of use. Have had the light bulb replaced, and just last week had a service tech out to replace the cooling fan in the unit as it was "purring". This has all been done under the extended service contract for the tv.

Now I notice there are two black spots on the screen, both approx. 1.5"-2" in diameter. One is just about in the center of the screen, the other is in the lower left. I called the GE Warranty center and they are trying to tell me that this only happens from "impact damage" and that it isn't covered under warranty.

This tv doesn't move, it is still in the same position as it was when they left last week after replacing the fan. Any thoughts on what could have caused this issue??

Hi All. Can't beleive this thread is still going.

I have an HLR-5078 and the only thing that have been replaced are the Engine because of the left hand screen had a large dark line and I also had a OEM bulb replaced 8 months ago.

SYMTOMS
Well recently I have had the TV go totally blank with a black screen and all 3 lights flash. I do not hear any unusual noises. I usually turn the set off for a second and start back up and everything is OK.

This has happened now 4 times over the past 2 weeks at randon times. The TV is usually been running for a few hours so everything is warm.

I have installed another bulb to try an eliminate it from the problem.
The interior is clean and no dust, fans are running and the ballast looks ok.

Does anyone know what may be going?
Thanks

IggyAZ:)

Funny you should bring this up at this time. My 5078 is doing the same thing and then failed hard yesterday. Tech came out and saw it same day I called it in (pretty cool). I had an older bulb that I know works and the tech replaced the new bulb I got back in Feb with a new LE. With the old bulb I've now had it on for 16 hours and no failures. Go figure.

That said, I don't trust the unit and the warranty runs out in Aug. Tech doesn't know whats wrong so he is "shotgunning" the problem. We're gonna put in a new LE and new Digital Board. This will basically give me a brand new set with one brand new bulb, a bulb with 1000hrs on it and a older bulb with 3000 hrs. Plus the tech gave me a light tunnel he had ordered but didn't use. So, keeping my finger crossed, maybe I'll get nother 3 years out of the set.

I know, doesn't help with what may be going on, but in my case I don't care. If I had to guess though, my thought would be that it's the ballast. Maybe some heat sensitivity. My older bulb is not nearly as bright and perhaps runs a bit cooler. Also, just opening it up may have freed up a smidgen of air flow due to dust removal. Good luck to you. And remember, you don't ave to diagnose the problem, let the tech do it and if she can't explain, shotgun it. It's why you bought an extended warranty!

Funny you should bring this up at this time. My 5078 is doing the same thing and then failed hard yesterday.!

Thanks James. I guess it will be a waiting game on our sets to see if the bulbs the problem or ?

I have a 5 year warentee which expires Oct 2010 so I'm hoping something pops soon.
I'm now looking for a replacement bulb OEM bulb (Phillips).
Seems they are running about $120 for a BP96-01073A (P120W)
Anyone have a good source for the Phillips bulb under $120?

SYMPTOMS
HLR-5078W Shuts down and all 3 lights blink. Bulb has been replaced and it still does it.
Happens every few weeks now happening every few days.

UPDATE
The TV shuts down again even with the new bulb installed.
Called it in for service and they will come out July 10th.
I will let you know what they decide.
I suspect they will take it to the shop and try to duplicate the problem because I told them if I turn it off and back on it works ok.
They want me to leave it blinking and plugged in until they arrive.

Oh well

Hi All. Can't believe this thread is still going.

I have an HLR-5078 and the only thing that have been replaced are the Engine because of the left hand screen had a large dark line and I also had a OEM bulb replaced 8 months ago.

SYMTOMS
Well recently I have had the TV go totally blank with a black screen and all 3 lights flash. I do not hear any unusual noises. I usually turn the set off for a second and start back up and everything is OK.

This has happened now 4 times over the past 2 weeks and has been increasing. Now it only takes a few hours to shutdown.

Bulb has been replaced a few days ago with the same outcome.



UPDATE (Friday July 10, 2009)
Service tech came out and looked my set over and didn't see anything unusual other than the 3 lights flashing. Turned the set off and back on and everything is ok.

He took the set to the shop to see if he can do some board swapping.
Hopefully this doesn't become a nightmare.
:eek:


UPDATE (Wednesday July 15, 2009)
Well the latest is the light engine assemble is bad and replace the whole assembly.
Has to be ordered so I'm still out another week.

I'm so glad I bought the 5 year warentee.

I'm reposting this owner's calibration report here so that other owner's will have a better chance to read it.

want to thank RayJr for doing a great job on my Samsung DLP RPTV.
I had just put a new bulb in the TV about 100+ hours ago, and wanted to make sure that it was working at 100% of it potential. I posted on here looking for someone to calibrate my TV and RayJr replied. After a PM and a phone call we settled on him coming by and doing the job Friday evening. RayJr got here right at the time we had discussed and got right to work. I was very impressed with his knowledge of my TV, and then RayJr told me that he has basically the same display and was very familiar with it. RayJr was really good about explaining everything he was doing and why, as well as answering all my questions. When he was done the TV looked amazing, far more natural then I ever remember it ever looking. He also made adjustments to my Blu-ray player and my Denon receiver that not only improved the picture but also improved the audio. I will say that RayJr’s knowledge and understanding of video as well as audio is very impressive and well worth a visit to tuneup your system. I think the slogan on his card says it best “SEE & HEAR your systems full potential”

Thanks RayJr

MV

I have an HLR-5078W set and have the following questions about the bulb.
Hopefully you can give me your experienced answers.
Thank you

1. Is the OEM Phillips bolb really better than an OSRAM bulb?

2. Who does the bulbs have two wattages? My BP96-1073A(P) has a 100 and 120Watt rating. Does the set change wattages onthe fly or?

3. The Phillips bulb is rated for 6,000 hours of use. My first was still going strong at 8,500 hrs and relaaced it just becasue and my 2nd has been in for 4,500 and still good.
How long has your bulbs lasted. Just curious.

4. Has anyone found these expensive bulbs at a reasonable price some where? $109 is the best I can find for a Phillips (bulb only)

There seems to be a lot of "my set broke" posts running now. Are we at the end of the useful service life of this model?

A few minutes ago, my HL-R6768W purchased in Dec 2005, just imploded. Loud crash with sounds of shattered plastic pieces inside the box. As soon as the lamp cools down, I'll pull off the cover and confirm a busted color wheel... :(

My spouse says the display briefly went to black& white just before the crash. Probably the vestiges of the color wheel as it was breaking up.

Update: 4 weeks back-order? You gotta be kidding. :mad:
Part Number: BP96-01103A
Division: TV
Description: COLOR WHEEL / FOR CHASSIS (L6)
Stock Availability: Item is nation-wide back order. We may have it within 4 weeks.
Price: $122.14

http://www.samsungparts.com/part_detail.asp?catalog_name=Parts+and+Accessories&product_id=BP96-01103A

Anyone have a better source (reliable)?

Update: Color wheel replacement is at this post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14486043#post14486043, but use the link to go to this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050735 I still need to confirm that it's shattered, but this is a good thread on how to get to it.

Here is a generic replacement video of the color wheel
http://guides.fixyourdlp.com/samsung/bp96-01579a.php



Color Wheel $79.99. Make sure it is the right one.
http://www.discount-merchant.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=colorwheel&Click=11380


Try these
http://www.encompassparts.com/products/?BP96-01103A

http://www.partstore.com/Part/Samsung/Samsung/BP9601103A.aspx?s=froogle


http://bestbuy.partsearch.com/Part/Samsung/Samsung/BP9601103A/New.aspx

http://jr.partsearch.com/Part/Samsung/Samsung/BP9601103A/New.aspx

As of today, the tech that has been working on my HLR-5087 is gonna put in "junk out" order so I'll be in the new TV market. It first went into it's final death spiral three weeks ago when it would power down and stay down (had been and itermmittent problem but final gave up the ghost). Replaced ballast and power supply and all was good for 2 days.

Then the picture started breaking up. Tech replaced the digital board (I know, it's in the LE and is a problem with the DMD). Worked for a short while then started acting up again. The tech doesn't want to bother with it again and I'm all for that. Since Aug of 05 I've had the LE replaced three times and the Digitial board replaced twice, power suply once, bulb twice and ballast once.

Sooo.... I learned some lessons and I am actually glad I had the foresight to get the extended warranty. It runs out this August and the TV finally quit this month. Perfect timing. I don't normally buy extended warranties but with this TV being new technology at the time and having all those moving parts, it made sense and boy, did it pay off.

I'm glad I bought the set. When it did work, which was most of the time, it delivered a great picture! I got five years (minus a few months due to repairs) of service from the set and the support for me was excellent. I'd do it all again. But things have changed and I don't think I'll buy DLP again. Haven't done any shopping yet but from what I've read I've put a 55" LED-LCD from Samsung on my short list. It's gonna be fun doing the homework and shopping.

Hopefully the junk out order will take and I'll get a decent amount for the current set. Goodbye to this thread and I look forward to joining the owners thread of whatever TV I decide to buy.

55" LED-LCD. Fantastic choice. People have posted pics of the quality on that tv and it looks outstanding. Post back to let us know how you like it if you do decide to purchase it. We all will be looking for new tv's within a year at most, so former DLP owner's reviews of the newest LCD would be great to hear.

55" LED-LCD. Fantastic choice. People have posted pics of the quality on that tv and it looks outstanding. Post back to let us know how you like it if you do decide to purchase it. We all will be looking for new tv's within a year at most, so former DLP owner's reviews of the newest LCD would be great to hear.

Will do! Also, just found out Samsung is coming out with a 9000 model this summer or fall that will have local led dimming instead of the edge lighting in the current 8000 model. Sooo.... Perhaps I'll buy 45 inch as a bridge tv until the 9000s come out, upscale to 55 inches and move the 45 inch into my bedroom to replace an older CRT. 5,000,000:1 (not a typo) constrast ratio. Fun, fun, fun.....

Here is a generic replacement video of the color wheel http://guides.fixyourdlp.com/samsung/bp96-01579a.php

http://www.partstore.com/Part/Samsung/Samsung/BP9601103A.aspx?s=froogleThanks! Shattered color wheel confirmed. I used the guide in my original post, it was very accurate and easy to follow. I used partstore.com as I get free shipping and they have a 30 Day return policy. In stock.

The only problem might be is that I think I may have moved what looks like a focus adjustment ring on the light output to the screen. It's right after the light tunnel. Did it by accident. Hope it's still in focus. I reset it back as best I could.

I'm looking for a place with a reasonable (under $500) for the HL-R5688W (pedestal model) DMD board. I've seen priced from ~$800 to well over $2000. Send me a message if you have any ideas about where to get a replacement board at a reasonable price.

I'm looking for a place with a reasonable (under $500) for the HL-R5688W (pedestal model) DMD board. I've seen priced from ~$800 to well over $2000. Send me a message if you have any ideas about where to get a replacement board at a reasonable price.

I believe GeekGirl has the answer you need. Go to partstore.com. I think the DMD you need is Samsung BP96-00696A. It sells for $582. I'm in the market for a DMD (maybe?) because if they junk my TV and let me keep it (doubtful) I may try to fix it myself. I have to wait until Monday for a manager to come back from vacation to see if they will authorize the junking of my 5078 and how they propose to do it.

I'm looking for a place with a reasonable (under $500) for the HL-R5688W (pedestal model) DMD board. I've seen priced from ~$800 to well over $2000. Send me a message if you have any ideas about where to get a replacement board at a reasonable price.


When checking the price on the dmd board for the pedestal, I recall that it was about twice the cost of the other models. So be sure you get the right one. The reason, again from memory, was that in the 5688 the dmd board was part of a larger board assembly, so the whole thing had to be replaced. Later, they split the dmd board from the other board, thereby reducing the cost of replacement. Just wanted to mention that so you get the "special" pedestal board. It's a different model than James K mentions above. See the link.

http://www.samsungparts.com/part_detail.asp?catalog%5Fname=Parts+and+Accessories&product%5Fid=BP96-01106A&search%5Fmodel=HLR5688W

In my totally non professional opinion, there would be no way I would spend more than a new lamp or color wheel ($150?) (and maybe not even that) on a 4 year old dlp tv. I have the HLR 5688w and it's fine so far, but even tho it's been a great tv, putting money into the dlp technology is like pouring it down the drain. One repair leads to another, like an old car.

I'm looking for a place with a reasonable (under $500) for the HL-R5688W (pedestal model) DMD board. I've seen priced from ~$800 to well over $2000. Send me a message if you have any ideas about where to get a replacement board at a reasonable price.

I think that the pedestal models (Captain Kirk) were HL-P5x85W and HL-R5x87W. So HL-R5688W should be HL-R5687W.

I think that the pedestal models (Captain Kirk) were HL-P5x85W and HL-R5x87W. So HL-R5688W should be HL-R5687W.

So they were called the Captain Kirk model? Too funny.

Jstuart, if you go to partstore.com and type in BP96-00696A (ASSY DMD BOARD) and then click on which models it works with both the 88 and 87 model. At the price they have it can't be the LE, it's must be just the DMD board which has a processor and memory on it if I remember right. If this is broken it could cause wierd things such as half a pic, picture repeated and frozen, lines, outright shutdown, etc. If the picture is breaking up it will be digital artifacts with everything still in focus. You didn't mention why you need a DMD board so I have to assume that the above is what you're seeing.

If you're looking for an LE, then this is NOT the right part #. I think I can safely say that the responses to your problem are attempts to help you out, not confuse you. Don't take my word on what the right part # is, you'll need to do your own research to make sure you get the right part.

BTW: The part number mes444 mentioned is for the 88 models only so be sure of your model. And the price at the Samsung store is outrageous. Shp around. Best of luck to you!

I think that the pedestal models (Captain Kirk) were HL-P5x85W and HL-R5x87W. So HL-R5688W should be HL-R5687W.

The two pedestal models for 2005 were the HL-R5087W and the HL-R5688W. there were other pedestal models including the HL-P5085W and the HP-P5685W. What I remember as the major difference is the addition of the 1080p mode in the R version of the sets. That difference, plus the introduction in 2005 by Texas Instruments of the updated DLP chip (xHD3), would lead me to believe that the HLP and HLR models are significantly different internally.

I did purchase the Service Manual for the Hl-R5688W and the replacement part suggested (BP96-00696A (ASSY DMD BOARD)) in a couple of the other posts is not listed. The correct item, as listed in the service manual, is BP96-01106A. The subassemblies for that part are: BP94-02218A [ASSY PCB S-DMD], BP63-00495A [shield Case-DMD(F)], BP63-00460A [Shield Case-DMD(R)].

I have decided to replace the DLP unit with a LN52B750. It is smaller but I liked the 240Hz update rate and the price at BestBuy was the same as the LN55B650. The trade was refresh rate versus size and refresh rate won.

I was amazed that the in store price was 15% lower than the web site price. Had the prices been different I would have gone with the less expensive set.

5687 not 5688

The long model numbers were:
HLR5087WX/XAA (HL-R5087W)
HLR5687WX/XAA (HL-R5687W)

Unless my service manual is wrong!

Success ! :)

Part arrived today, 2 days after I placed the order. Got it here: http://www.partstore.com/Part/Samsung/Samsung/BP9601103A.aspx?s=froogle. Followed the instructions for replacement, relatively painless. Just be careful. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050735

Display came right up like nothing happened and... found a bunch of weird shadows at the bottom of the screen. :eek:

Back to the workbench. Pulled the color wheel and looked a bit closer. Turns out that vacuuming out the broken glass wasn't enough. I turned the light engine upside down and shook out a whole bunch of glass shards that the vacuum didn't get. I made sure that I shook it with the light tunnel pointing down in case any glass got in there. Will add that step to the instructions.

All OK now. However, the picture looks different than before. I'll have to play with the adjustments a bit. The index delay (service menu, color wheel timing) didn't need to be changed.

I hope the next failure is the light tunnel, as I want to get some credit towards my next display. FWIW, this light engine was only 2 years old (display is nearly 4).

5687 not 5688

The long model numbers were:
HLR5087WX/XAA (HL-R5087W)
HLR5687WX/XAA (HL-R5687W)

Unless my service manual is wrong!

According to this post on AVSFORUM, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=493443 , the models you have cited are the 720p models. The HL-R5688W model is the 1080p. The DLP chips are different and I'd expect that the DMD boards would be incompatible.

UPDATE (Friday July 10, 2009)
Service tech came out and looked my set over and didn't see anything unusual other than the 3 lights flashing. Turned the set off and back on and everything is ok.

He took the set to the shop to see if he can do some board swapping.
Hopefully this doesn't become a nightmare.
:eek:


UPDATE (Wednesday July 15, 2009)
Well the latest is the light engine assemble is bad and replace the whole assembly.
Has to be ordered so I'm still out another week.

I'm so glad I bought the 5 year warentee.


UPDATE Friday July 24, 2009
Well the new light engine assembly arrived and they are replacing it.
They will deliver the TV on Monday July 27th.

Question.
I was told that the light engine assembly comes with a new bulb.
Does any one know if that is true?

Thank you GeekGirl for the updated information on the replacement of the color wheel. I think we probably have better information than the TV Tech who repairs these sets.

I'm still looking for a good price for a replacement Phillips bulb BP96-01073A (P)

Question.
I was told that the light engine assembly comes with a new bulb.
Does any one know if that is true?Yes, it does. Both of the light engines that I had replaced had bulbs.

I seem to remember that a lot of dealers were scavenging the bulbs and selling them separately. That was a while ago, probably in one of the AVS forum threads somewhere.

Success ! :)

All OK now. However, the picture looks different than before. I'll have to play with the adjustments a bit. The index delay (service menu, color wheel timing) didn't need to be changed.



When the tech replaced my color wheel it had a series of numbers on a label stuck to the side. He said that each color wheel was unique and he entered the numbers somewhere into the TV. It was a long time ago so I really don't remember the details.

I have just had another issue pop up with my tv. I have the dreaded shadow on the left side, but I have already bought a new light tunnel to fix that issue. I know have the entire screen flickering with small green lines going through the middle. It is transparent and makes the screen look sort of cloudy. This just started happening about two days ago. I turned off the tv and let it sit the first time and when I turned it back on everything was normal until today, it came on fine, but then the flickering started again. Could it be the bulb? I believe everything in my tv has been replaced back when they didn't know what was going on with the light tunnel, the replaced the light engine, digital board, and the analog board i think. To me it is practically new, but the light tunnel issue came back, so I am going to try and fix that myself. Any ideas on the flickering cloudy screen?

Wow, boy was I wrong!
Sorry, I thought all the Captain Kirk pedestal models were related.
And to think that I have a HL-R5087W that I got new 3 & 1/2 years ago.

When the tech replaced my color wheel it had a series of numbers on a label stuck to the side. He said that each color wheel was unique and he entered the numbers somewhere into the TV. It was a long time ago so I really don't remember the details.Good point. I looked all over for any type of markings on the unit or paperwork that might have come with the unit. Nothing to be found.

It makes perfect sense, as I was wondering how they account for batch variations in the glass. I'll bet that's what's in the light engine firmware - calibration data for the wheel.

When I had my light engine replaced (twice), the tech went into the service menu and did a DMD --> Digital transfer to load the new light engine data (or was it the other way around - you can do both in the service menu). He explained that the light engine contains custom data, but he didn't go into details.

There's a discussion about that in this thread somewhere. You used to have to do this manually. Not anymore.

In this case, the light engine doesn't know any different, so no new calibration data.

The HDMI input doesn't allow for user adjusted tint control, just color level and temperature settings. Each input has its own settings, so no use to go any farther with HDMI. There's more possibilities with the component input.

Good point. I looked all over for any type of markings on the unit or paperwork that might have come with the unit. Nothing to be found.

It makes perfect sense, as I was wondering how they account for batch variations in the glass. I'll bet that's what's in the light engine firmware - calibration data for the wheel.

When I had my light engine replaced (twice), the tech went into the service menu and did a DMD --> Digital transfer to load the new light engine data (or was it the other way around - you can do both in the service menu). He explained that the light engine contains custom data, but he didn't go into details.

There's a discussion about that in this thread somewhere. You used to have to do this manually. Not anymore.

In this case, the light engine doesn't know any different, so no new calibration data.

The HDMI input doesn't allow for user adjusted tint control, just color level and temperature settings. Each input has its own settings, so no use to go any farther with HDMI. There's more possibilities with the component input.

It's definitely the DMD->Digital transfer that you want. I too think it is in the firmare in the LE as set by the factory.

I also remember the discussion about this transfer occuring automatically. It was someone's tech (who didn't know any better) that said it wasn't necessary. Not correct. I too have had my LE replaced twice over the years and I have aslo had the set ISF calibrated. Replacing the LE in both cases did NOT reset the calibration settings until the DMD->Digital transfer was done. If your set still looks good after a LE replacement without the transfer then it's just plain dumb luck.

BTW: I lived with the calibrated settings for a day or two after the last LE replacement, did not do the DMD->Digital transfer as I requested of the service tech not to do it. Picture was awful. I had to eventually do the transfer which at least cleaned up the picture to factory defaults. In my mind, proof positive that LEs are not alike.

Thanks for the info. Yes, the tech did the transfer both times and all was OK.

I did some checking in the service menu and found that I had the gamma correction on the HDMI input set to "Film". I set it to "Video" and I got some improvement. I also got some improvement by changing the color temperature (user adjustment) to "Normal". I probably had these settings when I was adjusting the component inputs and didn't realize I was on the wrong input.

HDMI is connected to my Verizon FiOS STB and it looks OK. Could be better, but it's decent. Used mainly for sports.

My DVD player is on the component inputs, so I have more room to adjust with DVE if needed. So far, that looks OK.

UPDATE (Friday July 10, 2009)
Service tech came out and looked my set over and didn't see anything unusual other than the 3 lights flashing. Turned the set off and back on and everything is ok.

He took the set to the shop to see if he can do some board swapping.
Hopefully this doesn't become a nightmare.
:eek:


UPDATE (Wednesday July 15, 2009)
Well the latest is the light engine assemble is bad and replace the whole assembly.
Has to be ordered so I'm still out another week.

I'm so glad I bought the 5 year warentee.

UPDATE Monday July 27, 2009
Set just arrived and is 99% perfect.
Noticed a few dark blotches on screen The guys wanted to take it back to shop but asked if they can check something first.
They removed the light engine assembly and looked at the lens next to the mirror on the Light engine assembly.
We found 2 spots like we saw on the screen. They cleaned with their fluid and cloth and all was right inthe world again.

I actually changed to Movie mode because it was way too bright. Everything else is normal.

Question?
Do you folks furn on DNR ( Digital Noise Reduction) while on calbe?
I have it on and helps a little

There should be practically no difference with a new light engine. If it's way too bright, did they do the DMD --> Digital Transfer (see jameskollar post above)? It's in the service menu. You can do it also, but I'd call them first.

DNR is off on mine. Maybe it depends on the source material.

After nearly 3 days with the new color wheel, the picture suddenly started tearing on all inputs. I could hear the color wheel changing speeds. After a few minutes, nothing but gray intermixed with partial frozen pictures.

I fired up the service menu and it displayed "Mode: Error, Res 480p". That's on the HDMI input, watching ESPN-HD in 1080i. It lost internal video sync. Now, I have no picture whatsoever. Audio OK. It may come back if it cools down. We'll see.

Maybe this problem caused premature color wheel failure. So much for a $100 gamble. I'm glad I didn't spend any more on this. Not worth a DMD board replacement. Time to take it out back and put it down. :(

Why couldn't the light tunnel go next? At least I'd have a shot at getting credit towards a new model.

Like many others here, I purchased my display in December 2005 and have been following this thread since before that time. Thanks to everyone for the help. Off to the AVS display forums..:rolleyes:

FWIW, I can't buy anything until I come back from vacation, which starts this weekend.

There seems to be a lot of "my set broke" posts running now. Are we at the end of the useful service life of this model?

A few minutes ago, my HL-R6768W purchased in Dec 2005, just imploded. Loud crash with sounds of shattered plastic pieces inside the box. As soon as the lamp cools down, I'll pull off the cover and confirm a busted color wheel... :(

My spouse says the display briefly went to black& white just before the crash. Probably the vestiges of the color wheel as it was breaking up.

Update: 4 weeks back-order? You gotta be kidding. :mad:
Part Number: BP96-01103A
Division: TV
Description: COLOR WHEEL / FOR CHASSIS (L6)
Stock Availability: Item is nation-wide back order. We may have it within 4 weeks.
Price: $122.14

http://www.samsungparts.com/part_detail.asp?catalog_name=Parts+and+Accessories&product_id=BP96-01103A

Anyone have a better source (reliable)?

Update: Color wheel replacement is at this post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14486043#post14486043, but use the link to go to this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1050735 I still need to confirm that it's shattered, but this is a good thread on how to get to it.

GeekGirl, I recently had an almost exact sounding failure. My son was playing xBox when there was a sudden breaking/crashing sound and they lost all color. When they turned it back off it was just a loud noise. I unplugged it and sent an email for my extended warranty (which they have been trying to deny me for a couple of weeks, but that's another story and it looks like they will come through).

I am hesitant to spin it around and open it up because of the warranty. CPS (warranty company) told me today that it sounds like the bulb failed and I would be billed $160 if it was just a bulb failure because bulbs are not in my warranty. But the noise and the loss of color has me convinced it's the color wheel so I'll move forward tomorrow to get an appt for service.

My HLR-6768 has not given me a peep of trouble since purchasing it in Nov 2005. I checked the hours a few months ago and it was over 6000. So I'll go ahead and purchase a new bulb to replace after the color wheel is done.

Thanks to everybody for the great info on here.

Yikes, now I see that GeekGirl has a terminal TV.... sorry to hear that. Mine will be having surgery soon. Wish me luck.

If you mean that you saw only black & white, I'd put my bets on the color wheel. The lamp shines a white light through the wheel which makes the color. No wheel, it's all white.

The loud noise was (probably) the color wheel motor spinning up. When the electronics didn't sense a turning wheel, it stopped the motor. It keeps doing this for about 30 S, at which point it gives up and flashes the LEDs on the front panel to say "Houston, we have a problem".

See if you can talk them into a new light engine instead. The light engine comes with a bulb.

snip...
See if you can talk them into a new light engine instead. The light engine comes with a bulb.

I had a new light engine installed a few months ago. It did not come with a bulb!!! The service guy (nice, reliable, old guy) originally said it would come with a bulb. When he opened the package in my house, no bulb!

I wouldn't blame the service guy. Mine did. Maybe it's a refurb. I dunno, it's hard to tell these days.

I wouldn't blame the service guy. Mine did. Maybe it's a refurb. I dunno, it's hard to tell these days.

Wasn't blaming the service guy, Said he was a nice, reliable, guy. He opened the shipping carton in front of me, so I know the LE came w/o a lamp.

As far as being a refurb, I think that is all that is available for these four year old HL-R models. At ~$700 for a refurb LE, it is not cheap, but you get an essentially new 61" TV at a relatively low price. Plus, you can't get a TV with the features of the HL-Rxxx8 series anymore.

It's final. The warranty company took my HLR5078 off of life support. They are buying me out. I'm getting full retail price and can use that to select a new set! I could take the check but I've decided to pull the trigger on a Samsung 58" 8000 (860) series plasma. I was very interested in the LED LCD sets but the Samsung model I want with local dimming won't be available for a while (240 hz, 55"). I'll actually get a few bucks back on the 58" Samsung but I'm putting that into an extended warranty and a wall mount kit with installation. So not quite free, but close enough.

I'll post back once installed to give y'all my impressions.

BTW: I know the Pioneer Plasmas are the best, but I just can't get past the fact that they are getting out of the TV biz. So I'm sticking with a company I know and trust. Forgive me Eliab. :(

See you in the plasma forum! Same deal here - I've also been getting recommendations for the Pioneer Kuro as the best display on the planet. However, it sounds like the model is being discontinued, so I'm running gun shy. Nothing wrong with Samsung. Life moves on. Support is part of the decision process. With this experience, discontinued models are non-starters.

OTOH, I should compare to LCDs. There's nothing like seeing this stuff in person. I'll either buy local or from one of the AVS forum sponsors.

See you in the plasma forum! Same deal here - I've also been getting recommendations for the Pioneer Kuro as the best display on the planet. However, it sounds like the model is being discontinued, so I'm running gun shy. Nothing wrong with Samsung. Life moves on. Support is part of the decision process. With this experience, discontinued models are non-starters.

OTOH, I should compare to LCDs. There's nothing like seeing this stuff in person. I'll either buy local or from one of the AVS forum sponsors.

So this is the Samsung model I pulled the trigger on: PN58B860Y2FXZA. I should be getting it this weekend.

Basically, I get it for free as when I bought my HLR5078 it retailed for about the same price and all that goes into my piggy bank. I'm buying a wall mount, installation help, and extended warranty so it will cost me some, but certainly not the $3400 MSRP that they are asking for.

I'm afraid that plasma is also a dying technology but the best LCDs still can't match the best Plasma's (yet, maybe never). If you do look at LCD, make sure you concentrate on LED LCD with local dimming as that is the best LCD's offer right now. Also, models on the market are (or mostly) 120hz if they have local dimming except for perhaps the way overpriced Sony. Samsung will have an 8500 model later this year in 45 and 55 inches, 240hz with local dimming.

Hoping my Plasma breaks one month before the warranty is up in 5 years just like my DLP did. I'll feel like I am just leasing these things and putting in maintenance costs only. What a deal!

Thanks. LED? OK, I'll check it out. It seems that 60" or so is the maximum size for either plasma or LCD. I can live with that, but not much less. You wouldn't think that plasma is a dying technology if you look at the sheer numbers surfing the forums. Currently running at 197 viewers for plasma, 319 for LCD. There's a lot of factors to consider.

Model: HLR5678

My TV Guide on Screen is no longer filling in. All channels are showing "No Listing".

Things were working fine until just a few days ago. I believe the information was coming on a subcarrier to PBS Analog Channel 5 over the air.

I have an outside antenna connected to the "over the air" input and Comcast cable (no settop box) connected to the other RF input.

I have set the zip code to 00000 as some have suggested and unplugged the set for about 30 minutes. When I powered back up and went into the Guide it prompted me for the information: Zip Code, Over the Air Input & Cable input. I waited the usual overnight period for the guide information to populate, but no joy?

I have rescanned the channels and they are showing up in the Guide.

Where has the TVGOS information been moved to? and why does it no longer appear? If it's been moved to a digital channel perhaps this Samsung's RVGOS will no longer work?

My wife really likes the TVGOS because it's the slickest way to switch between over the air signals and cable signals.

Anyone have any ideas?

The HL-Rxxx8 series TVs will not receive TVGOS from digital channels. TVGOS will only work if your cable company puts the TVGOS data on an analog channel.

Some have done this, some will not. You will have to talk to your cable company.

You can get better info in AVS forum's Local HDTV Info and Reception forum, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45

There are dedicated threads for OTA, Comcast, and Verizon FiOS for many cities in the US. Ask your question there and someone should know about TVGOS channels.

The sticky with the city list: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=453241

The Albuquerque HDTV thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16911321#post16911321

So I got my 58" Samsung Plasma 860 today. OMG, what a difference from my HLR5078. Can't believe I watched that HLR for so long and how good this new set is! It's in the burn in phase (gonna put 200 hrs on it before calibrating it). All kinds of new things to play with, Youtube, Yahoo widgets, + more all available on the set. It even recogonized my Ethernet DNLA 1TB network drive. Hook up to my network was instantaneous, did not have to set even one network parameter, it was the pentultament of plug and play!

It can outputs sound via Optical SPDIF so no need to ever use internal speakers. I haven't seen it at night yet so I post back later with some more impressions. I'm one happy camper. It's a very dramatic difference.

Oh, another cool thing. Total cost to me so far is $400 for an extended warranty. I'm having them mount the set on an articulating wall mount so that will cost some and I'll also get it ISF calibrated.

Final thing is they let me keep the 5078. It has a brand new Digital Board (module), 6 month old LE (with a broken DMD board) and new Power Supply. It would probably cost < $600 to fix it myself. So, I may fix it or part it out or whatever.

To GeekGirl:

Make sure that if you look at LED LCD TV's you know the difference between LED local dimming and LED edge lit. Local dimming can give you deeper blacks and more uniform lighting across the entire screen while edge lit tends not to able to go as black and is susceptible to hot/weak spots. There's a lot more to know but really does not take too long to learn.

If you mean that you saw only black & white, I'd put my bets on the color wheel. The lamp shines a white light through the wheel which makes the color. No wheel, it's all white.

The loud noise was (probably) the color wheel motor spinning up. When the electronics didn't sense a turning wheel, it stopped the motor. It keeps doing this for about 30 S, at which point it gives up and flashes the LEDs on the front panel to say "Houston, we have a problem".

See if you can talk them into a new light engine instead. The light engine comes with a bulb.

And off to the shop goes my HLR-6768W. Hope they can fix it properly......I miss it already :(

Please forgive me if this has been covered somewhere else - haven't been on this forum in quite some time and of course it is a problem I'm experinecing that has brought me back...

Have an HLR 6168 and it just started showing vertical (matrix-like) static bars on the screen - 5 or 6 of them, each a couple of inches wide and spread evenly across the screen. And here's the thing - they only appear with the dvd (blu-ray hdmi2 input) and the Wii side panel inputs. HDMI1 with my cable box appears ok. I tried plugging the dvd player into HDMI1 but it still has the static banding.

Any ideas what this could be? Thanks so much. You guys have been a tremendous help in the past and hope you can help me out here.

Usually, the bars indicate that your dmd board is going out. Tho they would appear on all inputs. And it could also be your digital board going out, but then the lines would appear on all the digital inputs.

Could you have some interference causing problems? You say, "And here's the thing - they only appear with the dvd (blu-ray hdmi2 input) and the Wii side panel inputs. HDMI1 with my cable box appears ok. I tried plugging the dvd player into HDMI1 but it still has the static banding." So HDMI 1 is good with the cable box but bad with the dvd player? If so it's the dvd player. I'm not not too clear on what you are saying.

I'd think the problem will get worse soon and provide an easier to diagnose problem.

At this point I'd guess, the digital board they are plugged into is failing or the dmd board.

Please forgive me if this has been covered somewhere else - haven't been on this forum in quite some time and of course it is a problem I'm experinecing that has brought me back...

Have an HLR 6168 and it just started showing vertical (matrix-like) static bars on the screen - 5 or 6 of them, each a couple of inches wide and spread evenly across the screen. And here's the thing - they only appear with the dvd (blu-ray hdmi2 input) and the Wii side panel inputs. HDMI1 with my cable box appears ok. I tried plugging the dvd player into HDMI1 but it still has the static banding.

Any ideas what this could be? Thanks so much. You guys have been a tremendous help in the past and hope you can help me out here.

One other thing to try is using the HDMI cable from your cable box connected to your BD player and HDMI1. Conversely, you should try the cable box HDMI into HDMI2 and see if the problem still exists. I've had bad HDMI cables. IMO, HDMI connectors are a joke. The fact that you said that plugging the DVD player into HDMI1 which works with your Cable box tends to lead towards a bad cable (or bad DVD player).

The HL-Rxxx8 series TVs will not receive TVGOS from digital channels. TVGOS will only work if your cable company puts the TVGOS data on an analog channel.

Some have done this, some will not. You will have to talk to your cable company.What about those who don't use cable? I understand that the local CBS affiliate sends the TVGoS data in a digital stream as well as a separate PID - SCTE 127 stream that is supposed to simulate the analog TVGoS data. However, my HL-R5678 shows "no data" for TVGoS as well.

The picture-in-picture functionality is pretty much useless as well as it doesn't use the digital tuner.

Are firmware updates available that might resolve these limitations?

I had the left shadow issue, so I bought a replacement light tunnel to correct it. Before I could get a chance to swap it out, another issue arose. It started out with the picture getting hazy and it would have green verticle lines all the way across the screen. The line would work their way up from the bottom and eventually would end up at the top of the screen. Today, I finally got around to replacing the light tunnel. While I was in there I checked the color wheel and it appeared to be okay, no pieces were missing or anything. I put everything back together and tried it, the light tunnel fix is good, but I still have the hazy image and green lines. The lamp looks good, so I don't think it is that. Any other suggestions? DMD board or something else? it does this on all inputs.

More info and help here

http://forum.ecoustics.com/cgi-bin/bbs/show.pl?tpc=2&post=1760407#POST1760407

Vertical Static Banding Issue - Simple (embarrassing) Solution

Hey thanks to both of you - I found the problem and I'm embarrassed to say that it was a rather simple solution. Apparently my grand-daughter had pressed a button on my dvd remote that changed the input from 1080i to 420p - once I switched it back the banding went away. The mystery to me though is that it also went away on the Wii even though the input was on the side panels - somehow connected? Anyway, just glad it was not something much more serious and expensive. Thanks again!!

So I've been living with my Samsung 58" plasma for week now. It is a huge improvement over my HLR5078. The larger size is nice (ok, more than nice) but what is really telling is that there are now details in the blacks that even with calibration I just could not see on the HLR because they were washed out. There have been reports of glare problems with plasmas and plamsa not being very bright in "bright" room.

I have my set in my living room which does not have blackout shades and has 2 skylights. On a cloudy day (most days in the northwest) I can clearly see the screen in movie mode. On a sunny day, I may switch to standard mode to brighten it up a little but it's not really necessary. The glare is no worse and perhaps better than the HLR. To me it's a wash.

I looked at LED LCD's in the store and the Plasmas. That's about the worst place to see this stuff. If you do side by side it may seem that the LCD's have "more pop" but don't be fooled. The whites are a bleached white and very bright. However, you may get a headache in a darkened room watching it that way. It was even a little much in the store. The whites may appear more white and brighter on an LCD but I doubt you'd want it that way in real use. That said, both technologies are an improvement over the HLR series IMO. As these DLP's break down, the new technology is more than up to the task if you like LCD better, I don't think you'll be disappointed with that technlogy either.

Still waiting for the burn in period to expire, almost there, so I can get it ISF calibrated. I've been running the set at night on a HD channel to complete the burn in. At least with the LCD's you don't have that problem.

One last thing, I think that a back light for the Samsung is going to be required. Like the HLR, I cannot get the screen to fade completely to black which I think is why so many love the Pioneer Plasmas. A back light should help with that and as partial proof the other night a hall light upstairs was left on by accident. It provided some light into the darkened living room and the fades to black seemed to much more dramatic with the light on. I suppose the same will be true with the LED LCDs unless you have local dimming. Don't know.

Anyway, hope that helps. Bye bye HLR 5078. You've been a good friend but it's time to move on. My best to the remaining owners of these sets. I hope you still get many years of enjoyment from them.

Thank you James K. for an excellent overview of your new plasma. Glad to see you are enjoying it. I have two LCDs in addition to my still standing HLR and personally prefer the type of pic lcd's provide over plasma, but many prefer plasma, so it's all good.

We will miss you on this thread/forum but ya gotta move on!

Enjoy.....

I'm back from my vacation and will start shopping for a replacement. Buying local. I'll post what I get.

jameskollar - Thanks for all the good info. One of the topics in the Video Essentials DVD (the original one- 4:3 only), stated that you needed to make the area surrounding your display (backlight) equal in level to a certain gray. I can't remember the exact details, but absolutely dark was the wrong answer. That might explain what you're missing - try adding a low-watt light behind the display.

For my viewing situation (living room), there's always some stray light from an adjacent room in the area behind my display.

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, a backlight is necessary. I have a LED light bar desk lamp that I put behind my plasma last night and it was night and day differnece (pun intended). :) The colors were better and more importantly the blacks were blacker. Actually, I read that others have used such thing as LED rope lights and such but the proper way to do it is to backlight with a lamp(s) that puts out 6500K. I found a a site that sells them for 60-229 dollars and I think I'll go with the 90 dollar solution. The goal is to have the back light at 10% luminence (no more) than the whitest white you watch at night. It should even help with your DLPs if you are so unlucky as to still have one of those.

Just kidding. But I can't go back now. If y'all have any specific questions feel free to ask. I'll answer them to the best of my ability. Good luck all!!!!

I just pulled the trigger on the Sammy PN63B550 plasma. Purchased it locally from a small store that's been in business for a long time. I wasn't interested in any internet or networking "features", so the basic model is just fine for me. With tacks, it was very close to internet price. I even negotiated on the delivery fee.

The salesman recommended to not get the extended warranty, as it's covered for 2 years (I used AMEX buyer's assurance). I have some time to think about it if I change my mind. The store is a warranty service station for everything they sell.

The higher-end Sammy models, "6" and "8" series, only go up to 58" display sizes. Coming from a 67" DLP, I would not have been happy to downgrade this much- even for a slight improvement in PQ.

The Panny "V10" series is not available yet (this week or so) and it's a significant jump in price for the same size. So, I got the Sammy. I figure that I'll be tweaking things anyway (after burn-in). Delivery expected by this weekend.

Hey Geekgirl,

Good for you! I too would have had a hard time moving from 67" to 58". Fortunately, I went from 50" to 58" so all is really cool with me! I'd be interested in reading what you think about your new set. See ya in the plasma threads!

Tanks! See ya there. My new stomping ground: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1133092&page=17 I'll be posting there when I get everything up and running.

Best buy dropped off the new Samsung LN52B750 and took away the old HL-R5688W. I was sorry to see it go.

I kept the remote control since it does work with the new TV.

I have a left over unused bulb I'll put on e-bay sometime soon.

My hope for all of you is that your DLP sets have a longer life than mine did.

Yikes. Just talked to the shop. My HLR6768 has a new color wheel (1st arrived broken) paid for by warranty company and I authorized a new bulb. They say the color and brightness are 1000% better, but.......there is silver edging very visible. Light engine quote has been sent to insurance company and they are pretty pricey right? Hope my warranty company does the right thing.....

No off tone, slow startup

Fellow owners, my 4 year old HLR did not start last night. I unplugged it and this morning is started with the LAMP light flashing 5 times and it took longer than usual. The set makes the tones on startup but stopped doing it on shut down after this incident. It has the original bulb and I'm hoping it just a bulb change. Help please and where do I buy a bulb?

How to Get Your Samsung DLP Light Tunnel Issue Fixed for Free

I think since the Class Action suit about the Light Tunnel issues, Samsung may be fixing that problem for free. The link below was updated June 25, 09. I hope it is true for those of you with that problem, however for most of us the light tunnel issue can be fixed for less than $100 in parts.

Mine needs another light engine, it's 3rd, and since it's extended warranty ran out last fall it's going to stay dead. It has the 3 lights flashing issue starting several months ago. A new bulb and ballast did not help.

My new Sony 52" XBR9 is great!
There is life after DLP!

Good luck to you all.
John G.


http://www.pause.com/index.php/how-to-get-your-samsung-dlp-light-tunnel-issue-fixed-for-free/

Hi everyone,

The image in my HLR5078W becomes green (and unwatchable) when I set the picture mode to Movie. I usually have it in Custom, but recently wanted to test different modes and discovered this. It happens on all inputs (HDMI1, HDMI2, PC, Component, etc.). Is this a hardware issue or something I could adjust in the SM? I did mess around in the SM a few years ago in order to disable DNIe as was recommended in the forums at the time, but I don't recall whether I checked Movie mode at that time. The only recent change to the set was replacing the bulb about a month ago after the old one blew up (literally) at about 9,000 hrs. I then went in the SM to reset the lamp life, but did not touch anything else. Thanks in advance.

Hi all been awhile since I posted. I have the 5688 and last night the screen went blank but had couple hundred white pixeels on screen.Does this mean my dmd board is spent.I just had it replaced 18 months ago.And figures my warranty ran out last month.Any comments welcome.The picture will come on after sitting awhile.

Hi all been awhile since I posted. I have the 5688 and last night the screen went blank but had couple hundred white pixeels on screen.Does this mean my dmd board is spent.I just had it replaced 18 months ago.And figures my warranty ran out last month.Any comments welcome.The picture will come on after sitting awhile.

There is a long thread at the link about white specks on the screen. And those people have replace their DMD boards successfully. The only problem with the 5688 is that the board costs about $1000 and they don't have them in stock anywhere.

So it's probably not fixable. Post back if you find anything else on the issue.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1107926

I searched all day long for a DMD Board and the only 1 I found was over 2000 dollars and will take 4-6 weeks.Cant believe this is happenin.In other words I got a worthless TV. So sad. Shoulda got the 5 year plan.But I have Never had any problems with TVs till this crap.Do some more digging Call samsung ya right lol. Ty mes444

Matt, try calling samsung executive customer service and complain about the non availabilty of parts after only four years. My 5688 got overheated on a super hot day last month in the same week our AC died (nasty electronic things!!). But anyway I called Sammy ECS and they sounded 1/2 way apologetic about "no parts" available. They wanted me to get a repair guy to verify the issue, but after my gem of a DLP cooled down, it's been fine. So I didn't follow up.

But, call and see what they tell you as yours won't come back to life and maybe they'll offer something? Worth a try.

Matt, how did that Velux project of yours hold up?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7292919&highlight=#post7292919

Speedskater
The velux worked better than the TV lol.It made the colors more bold,richer.It was a great improvement cause the light reflected off the case that made it seem brighter.I have a whole roll any wants to buy it lol. Its an amazing material.I should take off the screen to see.And I will to let you know

Had my light tunnel replaced today. Samsung covered it under warranty, but it took a couple of calls to have them commit to that in the ticket. Part was backordered about 3 weeks, took the tech about 90 minutes start to finish.

I was expecting something bigger, but it was only about the size of a tube of lipstick.

I'm pretty sure my color wheel is a goner on my HLR7178. I ordered another one from Partstore. Careful with them; I paid for one-day shipping but it's been two weeks now. It will arrive today finally. The delay was due to it being back-ordered but they failed to mention that on the web-site when I ordered.

Hopefully I'll have my baby back sometime later tonight :)

Cary

Whew! What an ordeal with the color wheel but I got it working. It was an unusual problem so I created a separate thread (hope that's ok).

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1193029

Cary

Whew! What an ordeal with the color wheel but I got it working. It was an unusual problem so I created a separate thread (hope that's ok).

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1193029

Cary

Thanks for sharing, I have an HLS. Hopefully I won't ever need this info but I am sure someone will:( Glad it's working again!

Best buy dropped off the new Samsung LN52B750 and took away the old HL-R5688W. I was sorry to see it go.

I kept the remote control since it does work with the new TV.

I have a left over unused bulb I'll put on e-bay sometime soon.

My hope for all of you is that your DLP sets have a longer life than mine did.

My Warranty on my HL-R5688W does not run out until Feb 2011, getting a bulb replacement this week (9980 hours) from them (Three Bulb Plan) so far the problems were 2 digital and one analog board replacement...I plan to run it until it dies or until I have to pay to get it serviced, sure got my $350 out of the extended warranty and I have really enjoyed this unit.

Hi all
I have a hlr5688 and have had the DMD assembly replaced once about 18 months ago.The TV is 4 yrs old.Now the same problem exits.Samsung called with options.It was repair the TV or pro rate it for 20%.Bought it for $3995.00, which means they would pay $800.00.WOW.I got home and this is the email I got "I found a factory engineer to come out to do service for you---but I can’t do the paperwork yet because I need the serial #. Please email it to me and I’ll work on it in the morning.
I will extend the warranty for Parts only for this one time only---you would be responsible for labor. If parts not available—we can talk about other options."
So I would like to have some input from anyone and everyone.Would the the TV part that was replaced still under warranty.Just cant believe that a defective part which they have had numerous complaints about it can be so uncaring.Think about all the warranty companies have gotten screwed because of this.Any input TYVM

Hey Matt, I'd go for the free part and pay the labor (or, get the part and do it yourself). The chances of it failing again are slim.

Cary

hi jcmccorm
thank you for support. I was thinking the same line as getting the part and installing it myself if it can be found.Amazing the part is hard to find I wonder why lol.Sad to have a $4000.00 Tv sit rusting after 4 years.I have hade a 27" for 22 yrs without a glitch a GoldStar.Have a friend that has the same problem and Samsung gave that person 50%,after 3 yrs,Pro Rated.The cost of the part is more than they offering me go figure.At this point I may try a class action suit.I will keep all informed. Again TYVM and anyone wants to join the band wagon please let me know.

hi all,
I've been searching this thread, but am lost.

I have a HL-R6178W. my original post is here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1192667

Replaced the digital board, but am having the same problem.

How can i tell if the light engine is spinning?

Could it be the ballast?

Any troubleshooting tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

Hey tube, I don't work on these sets but I can offer what I know from working on mine.

If the lamp lights up (I guess you've seen it from the back with the back cover off) then you know that the ballast is good and that the color wheel is spinning. The lamp will not light without these two things working.

Besides that, I don't know what is causing your problem, just what "isn't" causing it.

Wish I could help more.

Cary

Hello fellow HLR owners. I have a HLR6178 DLP which has an intermittent issue. It seems the remote control sensor is not working properly. I use a Harmony One remote to control my home theatre. I also have the original HLR6178 remote control and experience the same problem.

I can turn my 6178 on with the Harmony One and say after 2-3 minutes the TV will not respond to any commands. I can't raise/lower the volume. I can't switch inputs. I can't get into the tv menu, nothing. I've had the tv since October 2005 with the exact same cable box and set up and never had this problem before. After about 10-15 minutes everthing is working ok. TV responds to all commands. Then another 10-15 minutes later the remote will not work again. Like I mentioned earlier I use a Harmony One remote but the same thing happens if I use the original HLR6178 remote control.

Has anyone experienced this type of problem?

When I called the company who looks after my extended warranty, the receptionist said that the problem must be my cable box and not the tv. I tried explaining to her how I've had this set up since 2005 with no issues and all of a sudden this has happened. She insisted it was the cable box. She told me, "Sir, either the remote sensor works or it doesn't. It will not be intermittent." After arguing with her for 10 minutes I told her I would unplug the cable from the cable box and go straight into the tv via the antenna connection. Guess what same problem.

My extended warranty is still good till October 2010 so I will be calling her back and demanding a tech come out to servic my HLR6178.

Thanks Cary! This is very helpful!

Yes, the lamp lights - I can see it from behind, and with the cover off. Good to know that the ballast is needed to light the lamp. I cannot tell if the color wheel is spinning, but I'll take your word for it.

It seems to do what it always did, except now after about 10 seconds, it doesn't make the "click" sound and the picture doesn't come on. All the other sounds and lights are the same before then.

anyone else got an idea? PLEASE??? I want my TV back for FOOTBALL... I'm stuck watching my old Mit 46" HD with phosphorus burned side letter-box (from watching 4:3 content)