What about the OTHER rear set of component inputs? Do they work?
Alan, I just tried the other rear inputs and using video 4, had same bad result = sound, no picture. I also tried the side (video 2) and same thing = sound, no picture.

Could it be the TV can't handle the image? Or is it something so simple, I'm just over thinking this??? :mad: :confused: :(

Thanks Jim, what page? :p Trust me, I have read it and I've labeled the external inputs real nice, too. I just can't get video 5 to give me an image, only sound!! And I have tried the side component inputs too with the same bad result. WTH!!!?!!? :confused:

Do you mean to tell me on a new set this (video 5) wouldn't be defaulted as on?


Page 79.

Be sure that its not set to "skip".

Have you tried connecting your component to a known good input? Starting to sound like maybe the cables are mixed up or loose at the component end.

Alan, I just tried the other rear inputs and using video 4, had same bad result = sound, no picture. I also tried the side (video 2) and same thing = sound, no picture.

Could it be the TV can't handle the image? Or is it something so simple, I'm just over thinking this??? :mad: :confused: :(

My best guess is it's the TV, since you said the Comcast boxes, and your DVD player all failed to show a pic using component. Have you tried more than one set of cables? (to verify they are not the problem) Have you called the Sony 800 number, and told them your issue yet? I am really stumped. Maybe UMR (an expert on this forum) has a suggestion too.

You should not have to do anything special to the TV to get the component inputs to work, they are all on by default (you set an input to Skip via the setup menus to disable it). Like AlanB said, try the other rear component input. Also, make sure your sources are set to 480i or 480p or 720p. 1080i input should also work. Make sure your source device is not configured to output via HDMI or DVI rather than component (for example, on the HR10-250 D*HDTivo receiver the component outputs are disabled if you connect via HDMI). However, it really does sound like there is a problem with the TV in that the component inputs are busted! As you've only had the TV for two weeks, have Sears provide you with a replacement. No need to have a technician come out and repair the TV this early on.

Dumb question, but when you say make sure sources are "set to 480i or 480p or 720p. 1080i input should also work. Make sure your source device is not configured to output via HDMI or DVI rather than component" , do you mean the Comcast box?? If so, any thoughts on adjusting that (Comcast box)? If not, is there a setting in the video section I'm completely missing wrt setting 480/720/1080?

Thanks for your help.

Dumb question, but when you say make sure sources are "set to 480i or 480p or 720p. 1080i input should also work. Make sure your source device is not configured to output via HDMI or DVI rather than component" , do you mean the Comcast box?? If so, any thoughts on adjusting that (Comcast box)? If not, is there a setting in the video section I'm completely missing wrt setting 480/720/1080?

Thanks for your help.

My former Comcast HD box (I have the DVR version now, and can't vouch for it) put out BOTH DVI, and Component at the same time. You could even hook it up to 2 tv's at the same time that way. I don't think the box set up is to blame, and besides that wouldn't explain why your DVD isn't working either.

The fact that the two Terks were open-box may be an indicator. I hear that the Terks are pretty week. I have the Phillips Silver Sensor antenna and can pull in all of the local HD stations. I'm in 30078. I've also read some good things about a bowtie style antenna by Radio Shack.

Well I finally joined the club! :D Got my 42A10 from BB last Saturday for 33% off of MSRP. It was the last 42 'incher they had in the store so it was the display model (I was told 4 days out of the box). While they went & got the remote/manual I checked it out. I did not see any stuck/dead pixels or any splotches either (& I have not in in the 2 days that I have had it in my house). Also picked up that Terk indoor HDTV antenna.


This is my first HDTV set & I must say that at times it can be stunning. I do see what evey body means about vivid mode out of the box. Also, it should be a crime for a device with this many inputs does not have a dedicated access button for each one of them on the remote!

I'm on DirecTV & as such, I also got the H10 HD reciever which will not be applicable until this coming Friday when I get the triple LNB installed. Now onto the Terk.

I can only get one (VHF) HD channel (ok, actually 2) which is NBC here in Atlanta. Channels 11.1 & 11.2. Eleven-dot-one is (according to the A10) an 1081 feed. My mom would be so proud of me if she knew that I watched Law&Order (I hate those types of shows) last night. It was in a word incredible. Also, checked out Crossing Jordan to. The main male character needs to shave. It struck me as odd & annoying that I kept noticing his 3 day shadow in such detail & then it hit me. This is the power of HDTV! Eleven-dot-two is a continuous feed of local weather at 4801. I have a question about that. I thought a station sending out 1081i had to use it's entire DTV bandwidth & thus could not have any sub-channels but this must be incorrect?

Watched the Return of the King. I could not believe the amount of detail that I missed before. Not only the extra screenspace, but the resolution (I never noticed , all of the intricate designs on the coustumes before) was so much more. I have a cheaper Sony DVD/SACD 5 disc changer & the A10 does a much better job of upconverting than the player does.

All in all (especially at the out-the-door price) I am very satisfied with my purchase. I did not get the BB warranty & instead will opt for the Sony branded one in month 12. I will be testing the VGA input tonight with my laptop & I may even get a PS2 :) 'cause, at least thus far, this has just been an incredible experience! :cool:

p.s. Anybody in the ATL think I should be able to get more than channel 11 from the 30281 zip code. Channel 11 is the closest antenna to me, according to antennaweb, at 17 miles, but even the furthest (43 I believe) is only about 20.2 miles away. The Terk I had was an open box item (they only had 2 in the store, both open box)

How far are you sitting from your TV? Also, be warned that you are much more likely to see rainbows at home in a darker room than at a bright store. I strongly advise you buy a DLP only if you can return/exchange it.

Measured the viewing distance with a tape measure. It will be 9.5' (that's 9-feet, 6-inches). I didn't realize that just because I don't see rainbows in the store doesnt mean I am immune. Btw, I did watch DLPs at a local Frys which has darkened viewing rooms also. But not for prolonger periods. In any case, I assumed Frys has a 30-day return policy.

Still on course for the A10. I think.

I ordered a 42A10 for the $1599 sale price. They were out of stock and my delivery date is allegedly Sept 26, but who knows? Anybody have experience with BB on backordered products?

I ordered one from them during the sale and my date was 9/23. It actually came in Saturday and I picked it up yesterday. Hopefully, you get lucky too!

What is the OFFICIAL contrast ratio for the A10?

Measured the viewing distance with a tape measure. It will be 9.5' (that's 9-feet, 6-inches). I didn't realize that just because I don't see rainbows in the store doesnt mean I am immune. Btw, I did watch DLPs at a local Frys which has darkened viewing rooms also. But not for prolonger periods. In any case, I assumed Frys has a 30-day return policy.

Still on course for the A10. I think.

As much as I am a Sony fan, I suggest you try the Toshiba DLP first, since you are on a budget. You will likely be happier with the much larger screen area at your viewing distance. Just make sure you can return it in case you feel it is too large, or find rainbows to be bothersome. You can always get the Sony later. Better to start out too large, than too small, and then regret it later.

Is there any way to set the cable RF input to skip? I ran the initial setup yesterday with the cable directly wired into the TV, but since I got my PVR today and there is no PIP capability, I decided to not split the signal and nothing is connected to that input now. I skipped all the video inputs I'm not using, but it still cycles through the cable RF and I can't figure out how to skip it.

Is there any way to set the cable RF input to skip? I ran the initial setup yesterday with the cable directly wired into the TV, but since I got my PVR today and there is no PIP capability, I decided to not split the signal and nothing is connected to that input now. I skipped all the video inputs I'm not using, but it still cycles through the cable RF and I can't figure out how to skip it.

I wish that could be skipped too...since I only use the cable box with DVI to HDMI. So far I haven't figured out how to skip it though.

As much as I am a Sony fan, I suggest you try the Toshiba DLP first, since you are on a budget. You will likely be happier with the much larger screen area at your viewing distance. Just make sure you can return it in case you feel it is too large, or find rainbows to be bothersome. You can always get the Sony later. Better to start out too large, than too small, and then regret it later.

My tape measure is only 5' long (I'd assumed it was 6'!).

So ammend my initial viewing distance to 8'6". Would this make any difference to your recommendation to try out the 52HM84 first? Thanks.

On a releated note: I'd posted on the HM84 thread asking if long-term owners (after all the model has been out for well over a year) could chime in with their "reliability" thoughts. No replies however...maybe the model is too old to have active participants on the forum but I was hoping for a couple of folks to give it resounding props...not so though.

My tape measure is only 5' long (I'd assumed it was 6'!).

So ammend my initial viewing distance to 8'6". Would this make any difference to your recommendation to try out the 52HM84 first? Thanks.

You are getting borderline close at that distance. You are where the 42 may be a bit too small, and the 52 may be a bit too large. Where do you prefer to sit at a movie theatre? That can provide a clue as to your taste in viewing distance. I also would suggest you hang out at a store, and watch both sizes at your actual distance. I would imagine the Sony would have the better overall PQ of the 2 tv's.

Unfoprtunately not. However you can avoid it by using the External Inputs list in the WegaGate menu to select from.

True..but that takes even more button pushing..lol

Hi cgbick, welcome to the board. I'm in Stockbridge, exit 224 off of I-75S, Eagle's Landing area. Could you go to **** & see how far you are from the Atlanta towers? I'm 17 to 20.5 miles away. I can only get channel 11 which is VHF. Im beginning to think that there is something wrong with the UHF port (the removable part) of my Terk antenna.

Sounds like the problem. I'm between 14 and 29 miles from the digitals I'm getting, but most are 18-21 miles. The digital channels are coming in much better than the corresponding analog stations. One of the UHf's is from Rome (29 miles), so the others should be in your range.

What is the OFFICIAL contrast ratio for the A10?

Long answer: I do not believe Sony ever published one.

Short answer: Good

The repair shop is coming out on Saturday to look at the green "blotch" I have on my Sony KDF-E42a10. They said they would be bringing a part with them.

Any idea what this part might be? I have not read of any fixes except a cleaning, on this board.

Thanks, Brad :)

i am getting comcast cable tomorrow for my new 50a10.
will i need to buy an hdmi cable or a dvi to hdmi cable? do they provide one? i'm in the dark. what else might i need?

i am getting comcast cable tomorrow for my new 50a10.
will i need to buy an hdmi cable or a dvi to hdmi cable? do they provide one? i'm in the dark. what else might i need?

The type of cable depends on the box. Most of the boxes have DVI out, but I have read that the newest boxes have HDMI out. I have a feeling they will only provide you with component cables, but maybe things have changed since last year when I got my box. I had to buy, and install the DVI cable myself. (since I bought the A-10 last week, I had to buy an adaptor to use the DVI cable in the HDMI jack on the rear of the new tv) Many people have reported that the PQ is about the same via component, as it is using the DVI to HDMI or HDMI to HDMI method. Let us know which cables you get free from them. You can always go buy the better cables later, once you know which one you need exactly. Don't buy Monster though...save your cash, and buy something reasonably priced.

does the brand of any cable (hdmi, dvi or component) even matter?
i got the $10 madcatz component cables for my ps2 to hook to my 50a10.
are these in some important way inferior to the sony brand or some other brand. key word: important
by the way, i have a dark "blotch" right near my side av input that is noticeable on white or black backgrounds. it's about the size of a little cell phone and isn't viewable most of the time, but i'm wondering if it occurs often with the a10's and if it could be indicative of a larger problem down the road.

does the brand of any cable (hdmi, dvi or component) even matter?
i got the $10 madcatz component cables for my ps2 to hook to my 50a10.
are these in some important way inferior to the sony brand or some other brand. key word: important
by the way, i have a dark "blotch" right near my side av input that is noticeable on white or black backgrounds. it's about the size of a little cell phone and isn't viewable most of the time, but i'm wondering if it occurs often with the a10's and if it could be indicative of a larger problem down the road.

I think most any brand of cable is good enough for these needs. As for the blotch...it may be a dust issue. I would call Sony, and complain about it. UMR seemed to indicate that dirt is often the culprit on this. Perhaps the Mexican plant isn't keeping things as clean as they should be during assembly?

I just purchased the 50A10 w/stand as a package at Sam's Club for a killer price !!...Out of the box it was just awesome. Analog channels are also really good. My previous TV was a JVC AV48WP74, it was an HD CRT set. This one leaves it in the dust. .....I also had no idea that LCD sets have no convergence settings ?

Sometimes it can be. It depends on the set and if the manufacturer documents how the voltages are set. This seems to be less of a problem today, but it can still happen.


was it just on that one tv then that i saw? or is this more common?

i am getting comcast cable tomorrow for my new 50a10.
will i need to buy an hdmi cable or a dvi to hdmi cable? do they provide one? i'm in the dark. what else might i need?

This is definitely a YMMV...Do you know what type box you're getting? I had a Motorola 6208 hooked up by Comcast and all they provided was component. I went to a local service center to swap for a 6412 when they became available and they also handed me a DVI cable to go with it (I didn't even have to ask and did not return the original component). I just had a 6412 Phase III installed for the new A10 and it was component only. He told me I would have to provide my own HDMI cable. Regardless, I don't think there is a chance in hell that they would actually have a DVI to HDMI cable laying around.

Here is one that is making me sick, angry, confused. etc.

50A10, 20 days from purchase.

Tonight I turn it on and see a strange black blotch in the lower left corner. I change the channel on the cable box and it's still there, I get up and walk over to the TV and it's a spider on the inside of the screen.

Now what do you do?

I watch him crawl across the screen and disappear. He has made a few appearances since.

Now to the next problem. When I got close to the screen I noticed a tiny pinhead black spot (dead pixel?) then as I examined closer I found 4 more tiny black spots. All on the inside of the screen and all stay static regardless of what's being displayed.

So I go from no black spots (dead pixels?) yesterday to a spider and 5 black spots today.

I am so angry right now I can barely see straight. :mad:

5 dead pixels!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

If this is the case are dead pixels something I can tell BB is a problem and get the TV swapped for a new one?

I don't know what to tell you about the spider but I have a few "dirty" pixels on my KDF-50WE655 that only show up against a white or very light background. You have to be inches from the screen to notice them. I have always had them and I don't consider them dead pixels but some microscopic dust that was there during assembly. It doesn't bother me in the least. I wouldn't worry about the tiny specs of dust but I would want to get rid of the spider!

okay, your post has settled me down a bit and I thank you for that.

What does a dead pixel look like?

What I am seeing is a tiny pinhead spot that is kind of irregular shaped that is dark gray in color.

Worst case is dead pixel. Best case is some sort of spider something that the spider deposited on the screen while moving across it. Hopefully if that is the case it will evaporate over time.

I still have 10 days to return it if it's dead pixels.

I really love this TV and this is the first time I have felt any negative towards it.

okay, your post has settled me down a bit and I thank you for that.

What does a dead pixel look like?

What I am seeing is a tiny pinhead spot that is kind of irregular shaped that is dark gray in color.

Worst case is dead pixel. Best case is some sort of spider something that the spider deposited on the screen while moving across it. Hopefully if that is the case it will evaporate over time.

I still have 10 days to return it if it's dead pixels.

I really love this TV and this is the first time I have felt any negative towards it.


Two choices. Get is serviced to get rid of the spider or return it to Best Buy. You're still within your 30 day return window.

I see it now for sure.

It must be dust.

Each square being a pixel. The "blotch" is a 4 block square with varying degrees of gray to clear.

I think this could just be something the spider tracked across the screen/ Now it down to the simple fact of will it ever go away? and then even worse, I have no clue where the spider is now, and if he continues to crawl around on the inside of the screen, will more "damage" result?

What a stupid problem to have. Never would I have thought that spider attack would have me in a panic. :)

Two choices. Get is serviced to get rid of the spider or return it to Best Buy. You're still within your 30 day return window.


Can someone clean the inside of the screen? If so, that sounds like the way to go.

Well I just exchanged my Tosh 62HM95 for the Sony 50" A10. I switched it out because the HD tuner died and it would only show a black screen with audio only. I went down to the 50" because I thought I sat too close for the 62", plus I got a special for it being an open item at BB.

The Sony has great picture and looks great with SD content. I can read text and see faces clearly. The Tosh did horribly at SD, but looked awesome for DVDs. My only complete on the Sony is when I am play GTA:SA on PS2, the TV did not recognize the game being set at 16:9. Plus when I went to Full mode, the picture was a trapezoid with slanted edges ( /_____\). I don't know how to get into the service menu and don't feel confident messing around with that. Is this something the BB tech can easily fix or is this a warning for problems down the road?

IF you got your cable card working, please let me know if there is anything that needs to be done. The comcast guy came by the other day and it wouldnt download any channels. If i didnt already have expanded basic, i would be going crazy. Im glad this tv has such a great tuner so i can watch the network HDs no prob, but i want all the rest. thanks. Please PM me with any ideas.

okay, your post has settled me down a bit and I thank you for that.

What does a dead pixel look like?

What I am seeing is a tiny pinhead spot that is kind of irregular shaped that is dark gray in color.

Worst case is dead pixel. Best case is some sort of spider something that the spider deposited on the screen while moving across it. Hopefully if that is the case it will evaporate over time.

I still have 10 days to return it if it's dead pixels.

I really love this TV and this is the first time I have felt any negative towards it.

Could it be the spider's eggs? :D

Could it be the spider's eggs? :D

Imagine the spider weaving a huge web inside the TV. Worse yet would be seeing hundreds of baby spiders crawling all over inside the screen. But even worse than that would be having a certified Sony tech say "that's normal and within spec." :D

blkacklover,

The life of the spider is less than the life of the TV, so he/she will not be around much longer.

The spots sound like spider eggs or spider poop.

Alan, I just tried the other rear inputs and using video 4, had same bad result = sound, no picture. I also tried the side (video 2) and same thing = sound, no picture.

Could it be the TV can't handle the image? Or is it something so simple, I'm just over thinking this??? :mad: :confused: :(

I would check the DVD player and/or Component cables... Sounds like it might be a problem with the source.

I would reccomend returning the Terk and getting a Channel Master antenna.. Its well worth the money.. I bought a Terk when i first got HD and could not for the life of me get it to get all the OTA channels.. The channel master i got was:

Channel Master 8-Bay UHF HD TV antenna, This antenna is about 40" by 40" wide

I beleive it was about $50..

Chris

Thanks for the suggestion Chris, but that is an outdoor antenna. Indoor only or just wait until D* rolls out the HD Locals.

Thanks for the suggestion Chris, but that is an outdoor antenna. Indoor only or just wait until D* rolls out the HD Locals.

Are they bringing out HD Locals or just locals?? I was under the impression it wasn't going to be HD. What have you heard??

was it just on that one tv then that i saw? or is this more common?

It has definitely been a problem on more than one.

... Plus when I went to Full mode, the picture was a trapezoid with slanted edges ( /_____\). I don't know how to get into the service menu and don't feel confident messing around with that. Is this something the BB tech can easily fix or is this a warning for problems down the road?

This is almost certainly not correctable in the service mode on these sets and if it was it would be a mistake to use it on a fixed pixel display. Electronic keystone correction generally destroys image quality. Your best option would be to change the optical alignment.

The fact that the two Terks were open-box may be an indicator. I hear that the Terks are pretty week. I have the Phillips Silver Sensor antenna and can pull in all of the local HD stations. I'm in 30078. I've also read some good things about a bowtie style antenna by Radio Shack.


I was kinda thining that too, rnp22. That Terk is going back tomorrow. I'll probably check out the Radio Shack Antenna as there is one in the Galleria Mall, which is only about 2 miles from work.


edit: I just found out that the Terk I have is supposed to be amplified!!. :eek: That's why it was open box at BB & does not work in my house. I will be running right over to RadioCrap today at lunch & picking up a working one. :p

blkacklover,

The life of the spider is less than the life of the TV, so he/she will not be around much longer.

The spots sound like spider eggs or spider poop.

Can you imagine the Sony Telephone Tech Support people trying to even look up Spider / Spider Poop / Spider Eggs / Spider Babys ... in thier script database?

"Sir, we think this is within spec" but ...uh... Did you say SPIDER?

Are they bringing out HD Locals or just locals?? I was under the impression it wasn't going to be HD. What have you heard??

The HD locals on D* will only be in certain large markets in the USA.

I have heard Tampa (me) is one of them, so I am waiting to upgrade my Direct Tv TiVo to HD....

Sounds like the problem. I'm between 14 and 29 miles from the digitals I'm getting, but most are 18-21 miles. The digital channels are coming in much better than the corresponding analog stations. One of the UHf's is from Rome (29 miles), so the others should be in your range.

Ok, it is confirmed. Actually, I think I'll just go get another antenna today, & take the Terk back after I compare the two. :D

Are they bringing out HD Locals or just locals?? I was under the impression it wasn't going to be HD. What have you heard??

The "Plan" is for D* to start a trial in the Detroit DMA next month. Then in November the 12 largest DMA's (of which Atlanta is one) will be able to get HD LiL & the rumor is D* will swap out your existing HDTV receiver for a new MPEG 4 device for free. I put plan above in quotes, becuase this is all predicated that D* will have their new bird up (hint, it's still on the ground as I type this) with the MPEG 4 transponders.

As an aside, the r15 should be available for delivery in 6 weeks or so.

My only complete on the Sony is when I am play GTA:SA on PS2, the TV did not recognize the game being set at 16:9. Plus when I went to Full mode, the picture was a trapezoid with slanted edges ( /_____\). I don't know how to get into the service menu and don't feel confident messing around with that. Is this something the BB tech can easily fix or is this a warning for problems down the road?

I, too, am having difficulties with my ps2. The xbox works beautifully, but the ps2 (over component) does not fill the screen on either full or any of the zoom modes (letterboxed, only rotated 90 degrees). I have the ps2 set to 16x9. Any thoughts? :confused:

Thanks in advance!

Imagine the spider weaving a huge web inside the TV. Worse yet would be seeing hundreds of baby spiders crawling all over inside the screen. But even worse than that would be having a certified Sony tech say "that's normal and within spec." :D



:D For sure.

The web is my greatest fear.

I did a search in rear projection tv's for cleaning and found another thread where a poster had a spider in his TV as well. No resolution in that thread though. :(

I kept the TV on last night until about 2am. The spider was only present crawling about from the moment of turn on which was around 9pm till about 9:30 then I never saw it again.

I turned the TV up louder than normal too. Perhaps a combination of rising heat and loudness drove him from the TV set. ;)

Justg like to say that I've had my A10 for a few weeks now, have had zero problems and am so pleased with the picture. Properly tweaked, it just displays an excellent DVD image in 480p. Couldn't be happier.

I would check the DVD player and/or Component cables... Sounds like it might be a problem with the source.

Nope, it first became apparent when I hooked up the DVD player via component cables to make use of progressive scan. Again, sound no picture. Then Comcast came out and tried to hook up HD box which he said had to be viewed through video 5. I didn't say anything; just watched. Again, sound, no picture. He tried another new Comcast box without luck. So...


I brought it back to Sears last night and they're ordering me a new one. I should have it the earliest, 9/28. Now I'll have to see if the new set has this same problem. Oh goody. :rolleyes:

...I turned the TV up louder than normal too. Perhaps a combination of rising heat and loudness drove him from the TV set. ;)

Put on a Discovery HD show about spider eaters :D

I just purchased the 50A10 w/stand as a package at Sam's Club for a killer price !!...Out of the box it was just awesome. Analog channels are also really good. My previous TV was a JVC AV48WP74, it was an HD CRT set. This one leaves it in the dust. .....I also had no idea that LCD sets have no convergence settings ?

Convergence is set at the factory and never needs adjustment. I love my A-10 from Sam's too. I have found that adjusting the VIVID mode helps the PQ a lot. Back the iris down to 3, and the color WAAYY down to the mid 30's, and it looks much better. You can do a lot in the Custom mode too if you read back a couple of pages. Some shows look better on CUSTOM, and some look better on VIVID.

I've posted about this before...but here's the latest. I ordered my 42A10 from BB on 9/12 for delivery on 9/26. Today I called the distribution center to confirm, and they tell me they're only getting in a partial order, and I shouldn't expect my TV any time soon. What the heck is that? They've been paid their $XXXX. Technically, they shouldn't bill my credit card until the order ships.

Anybody think that there is any possibility of getting an additional discount for the hassle?

I've posted about this before...but here's the latest. I ordered my 42A10 from BB on 9/12 for delivery on 9/26. Today I called the distribution center to confirm, and they tell me they're only getting in a partial order, and I shouldn't expect my TV any time soon. What the heck is that? They've been paid their $XXXX. Technically, they shouldn't bill my credit card until the order ships.

Anybody think that there is any possibility of getting an additional discount for the hassle?

I, personally, am NO fan of BB, especially their "customer service." Nor do I think they are the "Best" buy, eg. their cables are way over priced!!

Give em hell. You're being charged interest on something you don't have. Go get 'em. :mad:

This is almost certainly not correctable in the service mode on these sets and if it was it would be a mistake to use it on a fixed pixel display. Electronic keystone correction generally destroys image quality. Your best option would be to change the optical alignment.

So what should I do? Have the tech correct it? Could it be the PS2? I don't really want to mess with the TV, especially if it means trouble down the road.

On the other hand, I got the service plan with it and I know the BB tech is a real idiot and more times than not, decides to exchange the TV if it is too difficult to fix.

I've posted about this before...but here's the latest. I ordered my 42A10 from BB on 9/12 for delivery on 9/26. Today I called the distribution center to confirm, and they tell me they're only getting in a partial order, and I shouldn't expect my TV any time soon. What the heck is that? They've been paid their $XXXX. Technically, they shouldn't bill my credit card until the order ships.

Anybody think that there is any possibility of getting an additional discount for the hassle?

EXTRA discount? LOL That was the all-time giveaway price on the A-10...you better sit tight, and wait them out on it. I heard at CEDIA that the price was a mistake, and BB never intended to sell them that cheap. Hang in there and enjoy your good deal. :) BTW I am NOT a big fan of BB either!

So what should I do? Have the tech correct it? Could it be the PS2? I don't really want to mess with the TV, especially if it means trouble down the road.

On the other hand, I got the service plan with it and I know the BB tech is a real idiot and more times than not, decides to exchange the TV if it is too difficult to fix.

I doubt it is your PS2.

This is a crap shoot with these sets. Some possible outcomes to consider are listed below. This is your call. If the geometry is tolerable I would not push this.

1) Swap set better PQ.
2) Swap set worse PQ.
3) Repair set fixes problem better PQ.
4) Repair set fixes problem creates new problem better PQ.
5) Repair set fixes problem creates new problem worse PQ.
6) Repair set does not fix problem creates new problem worse PQ.
7) Repair set does not fix problem PQ stays the same.
8) Technician declares set OK. PQ stays the same.

This is definitely a YMMV...Do you know what type box you're getting? I had a Motorola 6208 hooked up by Comcast and all they provided was component. I went to a local service center to swap for a 6412 when they became available and they also handed me a DVI cable to go with it (I didn't even have to ask and did not return the original component). I just had a 6412 Phase III installed for the new A10 and it was component only. He told me I would have to provide my own HDMI cable. Regardless, I don't think there is a chance in hell that they would actually have a DVI to HDMI cable laying around.

i don't know what type of box. one of their dvr hd boxes. it's likely to be dvi output huh?

oh, and about that blotch of mine...what's the best number to call? maybe i should just swap it out. just got it 4 days ago.

:rolleyes:
umr has contributed a LOT to this forum (all of it, not just this thread) and is a GREAT ASSET while all you have contributed are a few dumb-ass remarks here and there every few days (many of which have been offensive enough to necessitate the mods editing or removing them)! Personally, I'd rather that you **** off and leave this site!

I concur. I prefer large amounts of actual, useful information, mixed with a dash of vanity and self-promoting, over ad hominem attacks and name calling.

The ISF guy I have been in contact with is Gregg Loewen. I sent him a copy of this post and this is what he wrote back,

(to paraphrase: new A10 menus pretty much same as prior Sony Plasma menus - no big deal)

I'm pretty sure I am going the pull the string and go for it.

Well, ok then. Please keep us posted as to the results of Gregg's workings with your set. I will certainly be interested to know his reaction to the A10 service menu, given what my guy told me.

I'm gathering that Gregg must have already calibrated an A10, or at least spent some time in the service menu, or he wouldn't be able to state that it was similar to the plasmas. That's a good sign, as I, a consumer with already one experience with an ISF calibrator and this set, would recommend that any ISF calibarator you choose has had some experience with these things. Especially in light of UMR's comments that these are not easy to calibrate, I wouldn't necessarily want to be a "case of first impression" for a calibrator

So, good luck - pull the trigger and please do keep us all informed as to the results!

Can one safely take the cover off this set so as to gently blow out dust with a can of compressed air? Details please.

EXTRA discount? LOL That was the all-time giveaway price on the A-10...you better sit tight, and wait them out on it. I heard at CEDIA that the price was a mistake, and BB never intended to sell them that cheap. Hang in there and enjoy your good deal. :) BTW I am NOT a big fan of BB either!


umm I actually got my 42A10 at the BB in Morrow, GA, for 252 less this past Saturday. YMMV :cool:

Your math is way off. An additional 8 inches to a 42 inch screen is not a 42% increase. It is a 19% increase. A 42% larger screen would be 17.6 inches bigger.

Ah, I see - after I come up with all the math below, I note that you recognized the error of your calculations and saw the light . . . . should I just delete this then? Naw . . . it was fun to write. As noted in posts above, the meaningful number here is not just hypotenuse length, but total screen area. It goes like this:

A 42 inch diagonal 16:9 TV has sides roughly equivalent to 36.61 inches by 20.59 inches, which comes to approximately 753.8 square inches in total screen area The math here, by the way, is algebra/trigonometry.

A 50 inch diagonal 16:9 TV will have sides roughly equivalent to 43.58 inches by 24.51 inches, which yields approximately 1068.14 square inches in total screen area.

Now, watch closely . . . :

1068.14 square inches is pretty much 42% larger than 753.8 square inches.

Make sense? Good. Tomorrow we look at properly measuring the area of circles and how the differential in circle diameters also does not linearly correlate with the differential in their total areas . . . . .

yeah I would like to know that too.

I see the many screws that are around the top and sides. Not sure where the bottom ones are though.

How ingenious that would be though. If you could just unscrew 20 screws and pull the screen down so you could access it for interior cleaning.

Edit: Also, good stuff posted above FFFred.

If you could just unscrew 20 screws and pull the screen down so you could access it for interior cleaning.

Assuming there is no little sticker saying something like:
"There are NO consumer servicable parts inside"
You MIGHT not VOID your warrenty :D

haha. yes.

What exactly would they do if they came to clean it?

Ha. Probably unscrew 20 screws while I stood there thinking "crap, I could have..."

I don't have the guts to do it though.

umm I actually got my 42A10 at the BB in Morrow, GA, for 252 less this past Saturday. YMMV :cool:

I negotiated my 50A10 for $****, list was $2400.. so I think it's a decent price :)

Can one safely take the cover off this set so as to gently blow out dust with a can of compressed air? Details please.

In general, anytime compressed air is used to blow anything away, one always risks blowing it into another bad spot.

Well, ok then. Please keep us posted as to the results of Gregg's workings with your set. I will certainly be interested to know his reaction to the A10 service menu, given what my guy told me.

I'm gathering that Gregg must have already calibrated an A10, or at least spent some time in the service menu, or he wouldn't be able to state that it was similar to the plasmas. That's a good sign, as I, a consumer with already one experience with an ISF calibrator and this set, would recommend that any ISF calibarator you choose has had some experience with these things. Especially in light of UMR's comments that these are not easy to calibrate, I wouldn't necessarily want to be a "case of first impression" for a calibrator

So, good luck - pull the trigger and please do keep us all informed as to the results!

I find all this talk of getting a set 'calibrated' rather pointless. When I have to mess with both the video mode used, and the settings within that mode every time I change the program source, what good is a calibration to some 'ideal' standard? The darn DVD's, and shows are so freaking variable in quality, contrast, tint, color intensity, brightness, and other issues of PQ, that setting the TV up to some 'ideal' standard seems fruitless overall. Example...I had the TV set on CUSTOM, and used DarkRain's suggested settings Sunday nite when Pearl Harbor was on ABC. It totally rocked, and looked PERFECT. Then you go to a different show, or DVD, and wham...not so good. UGH There is sure not much uniformity on things. But why should I be suprised...even the AUDIO volume from one channel to another is all over the map..lol I am just asking how much good can come from calibration, when our sets are being fed such variable garbage?

umm I actually got my 42A10 at the BB in Morrow, GA, for 252 less this past Saturday. YMMV :cool:

I find that hard one hard to believe...it would be well below dealer cost. I think we have a game going here of who can top each others deal. Truth or NOT..lol :)

haha. yes.

What exactly would they do if they came to clean it?

Ha. Probably unscrew 20 screws while I stood there thinking "crap, I could have..."

I don't have the guts to do it though.

When the service tech comes out on Saturday I will let you know how "easy" it is to
get the front off the TV. They may not be able to do that in my living room. Another post said the TV had to be taken to the "clean room" to be serviced. That definitely would not be my dusty living room.

Brad

When the service tech comes out on Saturday I will let you know how "easy" it is to
get the front off the TV. They may not be able to do that in my living room. Another post said the TV had to be taken to the "clean room" to be serviced. That definitely would not be my dusty living room.

Brad

Very cool of you.

I appreciate that.

Guys, please heed the forum rules about not discussing pricing other than MSRP lest you incur the wrath of the mods. ;)

Sorry about that :) Is there a reason pricing can't be discussed.. in other words..was there some arguement that caused that?

Sounds like you guys are paying too much for your TV's. My 42a10 was $**** with tax, $**** before tax. You can get these Tv's for below $**** if you try.

That's substantially *below* dealer cost (by over $100) ....we just ordered a couple last week....so I dunno how one can accomplish that simply by "trying."

*Prices edited out to remain in good-forum-standing. :p

whoa, where do you get a deal like that?

One of my hobbies is amateur astronomy and I've learned to stay clear of compressed air (i.e. in a can) to clean optics because sometimes the propellant used in the can of compressed air comes out and can mar the optics.

So, if anyone is thinking of doing something like opening up the TV and cleaning it, I would suggest using a bulb that you squeeze to push air (photographers use them, or you can find them at the pharmacy used for sucking stuff out of babies ears and stuff).


Mitch

whoa, where do you get a deal like that?

I wasnt looking to buy until the holidays rolled around in Nov/Dec.
Walked into PC Richard on Sunday August 14 for an A/C. Saw they had just received the new 42a10 and to my suprise they were selling them for ****which is the price I thought they would be around holiday time. The sales guy smelled blood and was all over me telling me how good of a price it was for a brand new model blah blah blah. I really wanted it and did think it was a good price, so I bought it. After I walked out of the store I remembered my friend telling me awhile back about Sears friends and family night and his friend worked there. Called the friend at Sears and this is what he did for me:

**** base price (his manager actually called PC Richard, they didnt believe me)
**** price match
**** friend and family discount(10%)

**** selling price, enjoy

I'm not a mod so I'm not trying to enforce any rules but the forum does have a policy described here...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=482944

I wonder why the mods haven't been enforcing this policy? Almost every thread has tons of posts with purchase price below MSRP. And... point 5) of the posting rules is constantly broken too. Here's a post on the first page of the Rear Projection Units Forum.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=582615

BTW my 50A10 comes tomorrow and I got it for a nice price too. :D

M

anyone play around with the drc pallete?

does noise reduction affect pq in a good or bad way?

I find all this talk of getting a set 'calibrated' rather pointless. When I have to mess with both the video mode used, and the settings within that mode every time I change the program source, what good is a calibration to some 'ideal' standard? The darn DVD's, and shows are so freaking variable in quality, contrast, tint, color intensity, brightness, and other issues of PQ, that setting the TV up to some 'ideal' standard seems fruitless overall. Example...I had the TV set on CUSTOM, and used DarkRain's suggested settings Sunday nite when Pearl Harbor was on ABC. It totally rocked, and looked PERFECT. Then you go to a different show, or DVD, and wham...not so good. UGH There is sure not much uniformity on things. But why should I be suprised...even the AUDIO volume from one channel to another is all over the map..lol I am just asking how much good can come from calibration, when our sets are being fed such variable garbage?

Alan, Alan, Alan!!! You of all people putting down calibration of a TV? You even went to CEDIA! I'm disappointed in you :D :D :D

Calibration most definitely DOES make a difference, and with a good display you will really see a difference. I had my little 27" Sony done 8 years ago and have not looked back (BTW, umr if you are reading this -- do you know a calibrator in the southeast by the name of Louis Carliner?) since. The color decoding is EXCELLENT, skin tones look spot on and the black levels are awesome! Even the DVD player passes the pluge pattern (which back then was a pretty big deal!)

Now you are correct, the new TVs *do* have to be calibrated for each input, but once those settings are stored permanently in the EEPROM you are in good shape. Trust me when I say a calibration is well worth it. Just imagine -- $500 for a calibration and you enjoy the TV for 5 years. That's $100 a year, hardly a large amount to get excellent results.

Chris

Alan, Alan, Alan!!! You of all people putting down calibration of a TV? You even went to CEDIA! I'm disappointed in you :D :D :D

Calibration most definitely DOES make a difference, and with a good display you will really see a difference. I had my little 27" Sony done 8 years ago and have not looked back (BTW, umr if you are reading this -- do you know a calibrator in the southeast by the name of Louis Carliner?) since. The color decoding is EXCELLENT, skin tones look spot on and the black levels are awesome! Even the DVD player passes the pluge pattern (which back then was a pretty big deal!)

Now you are correct, the new TVs *do* have to be calibrated for each input, but once those settings are stored permanently in the EEPROM you are in good shape. Trust me when I say a calibration is well worth it. Just imagine -- $500 for a calibration and you enjoy the TV for 5 years. That's $100 a year, hardly a large amount to get excellent results.

Chris

I knew I would open a can of worms on this one..lol. I still ask that with all the variablity in programs, and DVD's, how valuable is a calibration? I am adjusting things all the time depending on the show I am watching. I can usually come up with a mode, and settings that please me. You never adjust anything on your TV? You're telling me that your skin tones are spot on for CSI Miami without backing the color down for example? There are too many variables to make calibration worthwhile for me. The dynamic iris makes calibration even less needed than on the older models..since we can now get decent blacks, and better adjust the light output to suit our room lighting conditions. I'll save that money toward my next TV...but to each their own.

I find all this talk of getting a set 'calibrated' rather pointless. When I have to mess with both the video mode used, and the settings within that mode every time I change the program source, what good is a calibration to some 'ideal' standard? The darn DVD's, and shows are so freaking variable in quality, contrast, tint, color intensity, brightness, and other issues of PQ, that setting the TV up to some 'ideal' standard seems fruitless overall. Example...I had the TV set on CUSTOM, and used DarkRain's suggested settings Sunday nite when Pearl Harbor was on ABC. It totally rocked, and looked PERFECT. Then you go to a different show, or DVD, and wham...not so good. UGH There is sure not much uniformity on things. But why should I be suprised...even the AUDIO volume from one channel to another is all over the map..lol I am just asking how much good can come from calibration, when our sets are being fed such variable garbage?

Awh . . . . damn. . . you got a point. And I resent you for it . . . what can we do? My feeling is, we're on the cusp of a new TV paradigm and we're the ultimate TV "early adopters." SD, HD, DVD, Games, PC, OSX . . . . nobody's put a standard together that works like clock-work quite yet . . . we're all on the forefront, blazing a trail as best we can . .. I suspect you're right - ISF Calibration, DIY calibration . . it's all a crap shoot. We try this, try that . .. what a mess . . .

And I love it all .. . . fun fun . . . where will this all lead to? Who knows . . .

All I know, is my 50A10 blows me away, every night, all the time . . . . If this ain't the best, if this is mediocre, I can't wait for the best, I can't wait for the Final Video Solution . . . . Clearly, it's gonna send me to the Moon when it comes . . .

. . . . Long Live Kick-Ass-Less-Than-Perfect-HD-TV . . . . .. .blows me away, on a regular basis . . . . and I've never had. so. much. fun. . . ... . .

anyone play around with the drc pallete?

Yes, and it does wonders for SD sources.

does noise reduction affect pq in a good or bad way?

I personally don't use it, but it could be helpful if you have a poor analog cable signal or other noisy SD sources. The 'High' setting makes everything look real soft, so I would only use Auto, Med, or Low.

I wonder why the mods haven't been enforcing this policy? Almost every thread has tons of posts with purchase price below MSRP. And... point 5) of the posting rules is constantly broken too.

There probably isn't enough time to catch every post that breaks policy. The mods do the best they can, but they also have a life outside these forums--I hope.

Awh . . . . damn. . . you got a point. And I resent you for it . . . what can we do? My feeling is, we're on the cusp of a new TV paradigm and we're the ultimate TV "early adopters." SD, HD, DVD, Games, PC, OSX . . . . nobody's put a standard together that works like clock-work quite yet . . . we're all on the forefront, blazing a trail as best we can . .. I suspect you're right - ISF Calibration, DIY calibration . . it's all a crap shoot. We try this, try that . .. what a mess . . .

And I love it all .. . . fun fun . . . where will this all lead to? Who knows . . .

All I know, is my 50A10 blows me away, every night, all the time . . . . If this ain't the best, if this is mediocre, I can't wait for the best, I can't wait for the Final Video Solution . . . . Clearly, it's gonna send me to the Moon when it comes . . .

. . . . Long Live Kick-Ass-Less-Than-Perfect-HD-TV . . . . .. .blows me away, on a regular basis . . . . and I've never had. so. much. fun. . . ... . .

. . . . . Exhibit A: A show on HDNet - about killer tigers in India .... . unbelieveable . . . .. the quality of video, contrast, black levels . . . . amazing audio . . . . all lights out . . . this is just ridiculious . . .. . .. the intensity of realism is all I need . . . .all I can take . . . . amazing . . . . . picture is stunning, picture is beyond words I can conceive . . . . this just rocks . . . from what I can tell, A10's are just the beginning . . . . if this picture is imperfect, then the Perfect Picture of Future Sets/Technology will transform our experience. . . .. it's all downhill from here . .. we all win . . . . clarity, depth of color, full-spectrum grey-scale . . . it's only going to get geometrically better . .. . Long Live Kick-Ass TVs .. . . . . .

It is my firm belief that the A010s step up the level of visual quality beyond any other price/quality equation. Perhaps Not the best, but still the Best for the Money, and, better yet, the Best Yet for the Money Paid, unquestionably . . .

I'm no "fan boy" for the A10's, far from it . . . What I am saying is that the A10's may well represent a certain significant stage in the progress of video quality. A stage worth looking into, one that might offer a viewer quality and stability that might endure for a few, or more, years to come.

Wow ... . . that's a mouthfull . . .I better stop there . . . .

What do you have DRC set to?

Digital Cable (Motorola 6412 DVR cable box; component output)
Reality - 24
Clarity - 90 (the high setting seems to help mask the compression artifacts from my cable provider)

Analog Cable (A10's RF input)
Reality - 65
Clarity - 63

VHS (composite out on Input 1)
Reality - 65
Clarity - 30

The Reality setting brings out more detail and the Clarity setting smooths out any graininess or harshness in the image.

The DRC palette doesn't work for HD or progressive signals. The settings I listed above work best for ME. But, it's one of those things that you'll have to experiment with yourself to get the best results from your own SD sources.

how about an interlaced signal from your dvd player as opposed to using progressive. I getter better detail using an interlace siganal than progressive from my sony 775 and have you tried using the drc palette then?

I have the same DVD player and use progressive mode. I think it's smoother looking with progressive. You could probably pull a bit more detail out of DVDs with the DRC palette, but I'm not sure how much better it would look. I really don't think a 480i DVD signal needs any additional digital processing unless it's a poor looking transfer. In that case it might benefit from some light to moderate DRC processing.

Wow ... . . that's a mouthfull . . .I better stop there . . . .

Hahaha....Fred you been drinkin' tonight? :D

I knew I would open a can of worms on this one..lol. I still ask that with all the variablity in programs, and DVD's, how valuable is a calibration? I am adjusting things all the time depending on the show I am watching. I can usually come up with a mode, and settings that please me. You never adjust anything on your TV? You're telling me that your skin tones are spot on for CSI Miami without backing the color down for example? There are too many variables to make calibration worthwhile for me. The dynamic iris makes calibration even less needed than on the older models..since we can now get decent blacks, and better adjust the light output to suit our room lighting conditions. I'll save that money toward my next TV...but to each their own.

Well let me tell you my thoughts. :D The intention of a calibration is to set the color decoder, greyscale, geometry, etc. as close as possible to a studio quality set (such as the Sony sets which cost 12k for a little 19"). In doing so, you are seeing the program exactly as the production staff intended. Therefore if you think the skin tones are off on CSI Miami, they might be doing that for a reason or they might not be aware of it. There are certain cameras that have filters and they can have all sorts of fun in the production room...

I don't adjust anything at all -- it is what it is. Like you said, to each their own, but you owe it to yourself to at least SEE a nice expensive HDTV that is calibrated. It really is nice. :)

I knew I would open a can of worms on this one..lol. I still ask that with all the variablity in programs, and DVD's, how valuable is a calibration? I am adjusting things all the time depending on the show I am watching...but to each their own.
Maybe so, but I can't believe you adjust your set each time you watch a show or dvd.

Maybe so, but I can't believe you adjust your set each time you watch a show or dvd.

I almost always adjust something (color level most often) for every show. I am pretty picky, and I want the skin tones etc as good as they can be. Yeah I need to get a life...lol :) The A-10 is a great TV though, and for the $$ it rocks. I do not regret my purchase at all!

Well let me tell you my thoughts. :D The intention of a calibration is to set the color decoder, greyscale, geometry, etc. as close as possible to a studio quality set (such as the Sony sets which cost 12k for a little 19"). In doing so, you are seeing the program exactly as the production staff intended. Therefore if you think the skin tones are off on CSI Miami, they might be doing that for a reason or they might not be aware of it. There are certain cameras that have filters and they can have all sorts of fun in the production room...

I don't adjust anything at all -- it is what it is. Like you said, to each their own, but you owe it to yourself to at least SEE a nice expensive HDTV that is calibrated. It really is nice. :)

I agree with you in theory. In reality though, it seems the production staff of both network programs, and DVD's doesn't really give a hoot what we see, since the quality is all over the map on these things. 99% of the public doesn't even notice, so hence not much effort goes into perfection. If all shows were like Leno, Letterman, and The Office, a calibration would probably pay off a lot more. :D

. . . . . Exhibit A: A show on HDNet - about killer tigers in India .... . unbelieveable . . . .. the quality of video, contrast, black levels . . . . amazing audio . . . . all lights out . . . this is just ridiculious . . .. . .. the intensity of realism is all I need . . . .all I can take . . . . amazing . . . . . picture is stunning, picture is beyond words I can conceive . . . . this just rocks . . . from what I can tell, A10's are just the beginning . . . . if this picture is imperfect, then the Perfect Picture of Future Sets/Technology will transform our experience. . . .. it's all downhill from here . .. we all win . . . . clarity, depth of color, full-spectrum grey-scale . . . it's only going to get geometrically better . .. . Long Live Kick-Ass TVs .. . . . . .

It is my firm belief that the A010s step up the level of visual quality beyond any other price/quality equation. Perhaps Not the best, but still the Best for the Money, and, better yet, the Best Yet for the Money Paid, unquestionably . . .

I'm no "fan boy" for the A10's, far from it . . . What I am saying is that the A10's may well represent a certain significant stage in the progress of video quality. A stage worth looking into, one that might offer a viewer quality and stability that might endure for a few, or more, years to come.

Wow ... . . that's a mouthfull . . .I better stop there . . . .


Alan, I share pretty much the same sentiment as you. Last night I saw my first HD broadcast that was actually shot in HD. It was that comedy on ABC with the younger Belushi brother. The show was predictable & insipid but who cares about that right now :D. It was in a word, incredible. There was a parody at the beginning of the first scene of the first Raiders movie. Instead of a priceless artifact & a rock, it was Dagwood Special & a old, worn out houseshoe. That sandwich looked like I could just reach out & grab it. (now the fact that my local ABC affiliate, suddenly started transmitting in 4:3 halfway through the program is another matter altoghether :rolleyes: )

Alan,

I find colors/levels to be more consistent than your post implies. When a display and your various sources are setup properly I don't find anywhere near the problems that you are seeing. You might want to carefully evaluate your whole setup if you are having such serious problems.

No I know what his post implies. He's only exaggerating a tiny bit.

He's just saying the content that is delivered to the TV is all over the place quality wise.

Nobody can argue with that point.

Now do you need to adjust the tv everytime you change the channel? If you want all the content to look the same you would have to.

I just deal with it.

Calibration will never solve the quality of content delivered to the TV.

For example, if I had my TV calibrated, how much better is the crap euro feed on Fox Soccer Channel going to look? It's still going to look like it's a 256 color palette, moiring and artifacting all over the place.

There probably isn't enough time to catch every post that breaks policy. The mods do the best they can, but they also have a life outside these forums--I hope.

Life outside these forums! Ridiculous! Just kidding. It really doesn't bother me too much that people post prices. Sometimes it is helpful and other times not. Ah the beauty of the catch 22.

Peace out. My 50A10 arrives today. :D To bad I'm in California and can't be there to see it unveiled. :(

M

I agree with you in theory. In reality though, it seems the production staff of both network programs, and DVD's doesn't really give a hoot what we see, since the quality is all over the map on these things. 99% of the public doesn't even notice, so hence not much effort goes into perfection. If all shows were like Leno, Letterman, and The Office, a calibration would probably pay off a lot more. :D

You are absolutely right, there is a lot of junk out there!

Chris

For example, if I had my TV calibrated, how much better is the crap euro feed on Fox Soccer Channel going to look? It's still going to look like it's a 256 color palette, moiring and artifacting all over the place.

Oh man, you are right, those Euro soccer games come out HORRIBLE...why is that? I guess they just don't care...

Alan,

I find colors/levels to be more consistent than your post implies. When a display and your various sources are setup properly I don't find anywhere near the problems that you are seeing. You might want to carefully evaluate your whole setup if you are having such serious problems.

I never said I have 'serious' problems....I just like the picture to look as natural as possible, and that often requires a bit of tweaking. Changing the color control just a few steps makes a difference. I don't find it to be a big deal at all. Most people would just watch the thing and not worry about it..lol :)

I wonder why the mods haven't been enforcing this policy? Almost every thread has tons of posts with purchase price below MSRP. And... point 5) of the posting rules is constantly broken too. Here's a post on the first page of the Rear Projection Units Forum.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=582615

BTW my 50A10 comes tomorrow and I got it for a nice price too. :D

M\

Hi coolpepper,

If you or any other members see a post containing non-MSRP pricing, please help us by hitting the "Report Post" Link on the left under the posters username and info.

It would be a full time job trying to read every single post made and I already have one of them! :)

Thanks in advance.

Sorry about that :) Is there a reason pricing can't be discussed.. in other words..was there some arguement that caused that?

Maybe that the guys who sponsor (ie pay for) this forum sell this stuff and they are doing it so people can exchange info about the gear and maybe (indirectly) get more customers for them selves - not simply act as a clearing house for finding the lowest prices others offer.

There are plenty of web search shopping tools for that anyway (too bad those don't pick up on B&M offers).

A10 question
for some reason my Cablecard needs to be reset for the past three days in a row, i don't loose any of the analog channels just digitals. Has anyone heard of this problem or any idea's of a fix?

A10 question
for some reason my Cablecard needs to be reset for the past three days in a row, i don't loose any of the analog channels just digitals. Has anyone heard of this problem or any idea's of a fix?

Isn't that a cable card question? :cool: I've heard nothing but problems with the cable cards. I think the best fix seems to be to return it and get the STB from the cable company.

First time poster, but I've been reading this thread for awhile now and haven't seen an answer to this question (LONG thread, coulda missed it), and its probably a dumb one... but here goes...

I've seen a lot of people say that their set tells them the source is 480i or 1080i or 720p, etc, but I can't seem to get the same info from my A10. I mean I can clearly see the difference between HD souces and SD sources, and I know ESPN broadcasts in 720p while INHD broadcasts in 1080i, but never has my set told me this...

Long question short... Where/How are people able to get their A10 to tell them what the source is broadcasting?

Thanks!

Not sure about the TV, as I have never seen it shown on my A10, but my STB shows the channel format.

My STB is an SA 8300HDDVR.

Edit: Sweet, AKA. Thanks for that info.

Hahaha....Fred you been drinkin' tonight? :D

. . .I'll never tell . . . !

A10 question
for some reason my Cablecard needs to be reset for the past three days in a row, i don't loose any of the analog channels just digitals. Has anyone heard of this problem or any idea's of a fix?

Easy fix. Just follow these instructions very carefully:

(1) Locate the little button just below the cable card slot.
(2) Push that button - the card will come out.
(3) Firmly grasp card with thumb and forefinger.
(4) Carefully drop said card into trash.
(5) Curse the day you ever heard about those damned cards.
(6) Get an STB.
(7) Finally watch TV without problems (not to mention with an interactive program guide, Video on Demand, Instant PPV - none of which is available with that stupid little card)

That's the fix that worked for me. Mine lost digital signals allll the time - three cable guy visits and a half-dozen calls to Customer Support, yet still the stupid card never worked. Eventually the cable company gave up and advised me to stick with the box. You get more options/versatility with the box anyway.

I hate cable cards . . .

I have been researching for some time and I have come down to the 42" A10 or the Panasonic TH42PD50. I am looking for a 37" or 42" for my vacation home. I will probably use it exclusively for SDTV and DVD as the HD offerings are few. The width needs to be 42" max to meet my wife's criteria.

Because it won't get much use (600 hours max per year) I'm trying to keep the price down and these two units have received relatively good reviews and the price (online) is exceptional.

Neither of them have PIP but I may purchase a DVR and use it to generate PIP. If I do it won't get too much use.
I've looked at both at BB and they both look good to me. The technology is totally different and I'm not sure how significant that will be as it won't get all that much use.

Any thought or comments on one vs. the other would be appreciated.
Thanks

I have been researching for some time and I have come down to the 42" A10 or the Panasonic TH42PD50. I am looking for a 37" or 42" for my vacation home. I will probably use it exclusively for SDTV and DVD as the HD offerings are few. The width needs to be 42" max to meet my wife's criteria.

Because it won't get much use (600 hours max per year) I'm trying to keep the price down and these two units have received relatively good reviews and the price (online) is exceptional.

Neither of them have PIP but I may purchase a DVR and use it to generate PIP. If I do it won't get too much use.
I've looked at both at BB and they both look good to me. The technology is totally different and I'm not sure how significant that will be as it won't get all that much use.

Any thought or comments on one vs. the other would be appreciated.
Thanks

I would vote for the Sony. If is much higher resolution, and true HDTV. The Panny will look grainy in comparison. If you aren't going to use some kind of HD source, and you sit at least 9 feet away, the Panny would be fine too. With so little use the bulb should last 4-5 years minimum in the Sony, and you shouldn't have to worry about the plasma going dim for a long time either. Either one would be a fine choice for a vacation home. I would unplug them when not home to protect against power surges etc.

To UMR,

How was the convergence on the set you calibrated? When I was mucking around and turned on the crosshairs, I could clearly see blue peaking out of the right side of the hairs.

Is this something I should bring up with the service guy (if, when) Sony calls me back and sets up an appointment?

Kai

To UMR,

How was the convergence on the set you calibrated? When I was mucking around and turned on the crosshairs, I could clearly see blue peaking out of the right side of the hairs.

Is this something I should bring up with the service guy (if, when) Sony calls me back and sets up an appointment?

Kai

I didn't think that LCD and DLP rear projection sets' convergence had to be calibrated (ie lining up crosshairs like with CRT's). I was under the impression that these newer technology's had auto-convergence.

or is this something that is done in the service menu to further enhance or correct the convergence if there is a problem?

I didn't think that LCD and DLP rear projection sets' convergence had to be calibrated (ie lining up crosshairs like with CRT's). I was under the impression that these newer technology's had auto-convergence.

or is this something that is done in the service menu to further enhance or correct the convergence if there is a problem?

I think convergence is pre-set at the factory. UMR would know if there is any way to adjust it in the field. I also think that it is seldom perfect on these sets if you are looking VERY close to the screen. Both my GWIII, and my A-10 are a TINY bit off on one side of the screen. At normal viewing distances you shouldn't see any convergence issues at all though.

To UMR,

How was the convergence on the set you calibrated? When I was mucking around and turned on the crosshairs, I could clearly see blue peaking out of the right side of the hairs.

Is this something I should bring up with the service guy (if, when) Sony calls me back and sets up an appointment?

Kai

I'm pretty sure the thing with these (rather, all) LCD RPTVs is that the three LCD panels (R, G and B) are set/glued in place; no adjustment is possible. I think that's why UMR was talking about possible (but unlikely to be available in the service menu) digital convergence calibration, as the only possible way convergence might be adjusted with these sets, as opposed to a physical moving/aiming of the panels (a la CRT RPTVs).

However, I certainly can see how digital convergence calibration would be, as UMR says, really really not good for PQ. Kinda like digital zoom on a camera v. optical zoom . . . . not the best analogy, but close enough for a lay-tech like me.

SO . . . .if your convergence is way off/bad (as in noticeable from your viewing distance; not as in noticeable from a foot away), I would definitely bring this up with the service guy because it's time for a replacement set.

I just bought the 50" A10 and decided to forego buying the accompanying stand as I thought it was ridiculously priced. So I'm buying an Ikea OPLI stand instead.

The question I have is one of stability. I know that the Sony stand comes with a strap to attach to the TV so it doesn't topple over. Is this something I should worry about in the strap-less Ikea stand?

TIA.

I am about to purchase the KDF-E42A10 but have one more question. This will go in the corner of my condominium and therefore there will be about 45% off angle viewing from the chair and from the sofa. Will that be a problem?

I tried to check this out at the BB and it looked okay. But I thought I would ask those of you that are already using it in your homes.

Thanks

I to have narrowed my choices down to these two models. Feature wise both models have what I need. They will be in a room that get's limited some sunlight and I will be viewing from approx 8' away. I will be watching DVD's and HD sports. I have had trouble comparing the PQ of both these units at the same time. Both look great in the store. I feel like the sony is the right choice, if for nothing else I like the way it looks(not wall mounting so Plasma size is not an advantage), but can't get over thinking the plasma will ultimely have better PQ. I know the Sony has a higher resolution and the Panny is only ED. That should not matter for the DVD(?) and the HD sports I have viewed on these units appears to both be excellent.

Has anyone viewed these side by side with same source? Any thoughts?

Thanks..Bret

I didn't think that LCD and DLP rear projection sets' convergence had to be calibrated (ie lining up crosshairs like with CRT's). I was under the impression that these newer technology's had auto-convergence.

or is this something that is done in the service menu to further enhance or correct the convergence if there is a problem?

DLP has NO convergence issues at all...because the picture comes from ONE chip, and the colors are made by a color-wheel spinning rapidly. The tradeoff is you might see the 'rainbow effect' since there is only one chip generating the picture. LCD RPTV's convergence is factory set, and should stay good (not perfect..but good enough to not be an issue at normal viewing distance) for the life of the TV.

. I know that the Sony stand comes with a strap to attach to the TV so it doesn't topple over. Is this something I should worry about in the strap-less Ikea stand?

TIA.

The set has most of the weight toward the front. I could see how it could be tipped over. Should not be that hard to home brew some lash up to tie it down. I have seen the snap together buckle/connector on other things, just don't know where to get one. I would do something however.

Multiball!

What's your DVD player? I have a Pioneer DV563A. Has anyone tried 480i vs. 480p with this player and their A10?

I've got the same thing. Once I finally got CineMotion turned on :rolleyes:, I could not tell any difference between 480i and 480p from the Pioneer (via component, of course). I've decided to leave the player at 480i and let the set do the heavy lifting.

(lost the context...) Wouldn't this mean that the TV has a better deinterlacer than the DVD player?

For an inexpensive player, that's quite possible. Although there are inexpensive upconverting players that also do really great deinterlacing, the average player you'll find at the big box stores will only be so-so at progressive scan. In my way of thinking: the set is already taking your 480 line input and upconverting it to 720, so why not let the set manage the whole shebang?

Something odd happened last night. I was watching the new Survivor on the CBS HD channel. The entire show, there were thin black bars on each side of the picture. Not the same type of black bar you would see if watching something in 4:3 format, much smaller. I scrolled up through everyone of my other HD channels and there were no bars.

I didn't see that (don't care for Survivor), but I did notice on the LOTR-Two Towers broadcast this past Sunday on the WB that the network appears to send out an off-center 4x3 'window'. All of the other channels put that window dead-center on the screen, but the WB network feed had the window shifted slightly to the left (on the national commercials, the windowbox on the right was wider than that on the left). They also took the 2.35:1 original and cropped it down to 16x9...but that's another story. I think the moral is that the networks can and do frequently screw up screen placement and sizing within the 16x9 window.

I am about to purchase the KDF-E42A10 but have one more question. This will go in the corner of my condominium and therefore there will be about 45% off angle viewing from the chair and from the sofa. Will that be a problem? I tried to check this out at the BB and it looked okay. But I thought I would ask those of you that are already using it in your homes.

In my experience and from other comments through this thread, I think the consensus is that horizontal offset (moving to the side) produces a small dropoff, while vertical offset (looking at the set from above or below dead center) produces dramatic dropoffs. So as long as your seating arrangements result in similar eye-level height (and the stand puts the TV at the correct height), I think you would be OK.

Hi guys,

great thread so far..tons of info to consider.

I'm facing a fairly common dilemma. I'm looking to upgrade my standard def 27" trinitron to a moderately priced HD set. I'll be doing a non-trivial amount of gaming, so plasma and dlp are ruled out (for burn-in and sync, respectively). I don't care for the bulk of CRT RPTVs, and don't have room for a projector, so my choices are limited to lcd RPTV, lcd flat panel, or CRT.

considerations:

1.) My viewing distance is roughly 9 ft in a room with some windows (but not extremely sunny)

2.) My use will be 20%-30% gaming, 20% dvds, and the rest split between SD and HD content. (hard to say what the split will be in advance)

I'm looking at the 42a10 as the current best fit for my space and viewing conditions.

Pretty much the only other contender is the xbr960 34inch CRT, which I've heard nothing but good things about (aside from the weight and the screen size).

some questions:

Are there any gaming related concerns/caveats with the a10's? i know that flat panel lcd's don't handle fast motion well; do the a10's share this weakness?

I know these are fairly new, but are there any 'real world' reports on bulb life? possibly based on previous generations? I've heard several "hours ratings" figures, but I'm curious as to how this translates into the real world...are people really springing for new bulbs every two years? This seems like a fairly significant additional cost if so

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who also looked at the xbr960, and what the deciding factor was (although I have a feeling it will be size). I don't want to start a religous war, but I'm especially interested in how the picture quality compares since that seems to be the xbr960's strong suit.

Thanks in advance

I am about to purchase the KDF-E42A10 but have one more question. This will go in the corner of my condominium and therefore there will be about 45% off angle viewing from the chair and from the sofa. Will that be a problem?

I tried to check this out at the BB and it looked okay. But I thought I would ask those of you that are already using it in your homes.

Thanks

It is best for you to answer this one yourself. There will be some reduction in brightness.

I actually prefer to watch mine about 20 degrees off angle, since that reduces the SSE somewhat.

One positive thing is that a triangle shaped object (an A10) fits nicely in a corner! Just remember to allow enough clearance for cablization (I made up a word) and cooling.

...hard to say what the split will be in advance...

Since this is my first HD TV, I find myself searching the HD channels for something to watch first, and either turning it off or searching the SD channels in disgust.

Easy fix. Just follow these instructions very carefully:

(1) Locate the little button just below the cable card slot.
(2) Push that button - the card will come out.
(3) Firmly grasp card with thumb and forefinger.
(4) Carefully drop said card into trash.
(5) Curse the day you ever heard about those damned cards.
(6) Get an STB.
(7) Finally watch TV without problems (not to mention with an interactive program guide, Video on Demand, Instant PPV - none of which is available with that stupid little card)

That's the fix that worked for me. Mine lost digital signals allll the time - three cable guy visits and a half-dozen calls to Customer Support, yet still the stupid card never worked. Eventually the cable company gave up and advised me to stick with the box. You get more options/versatility with the box anyway.

I hate cable cards . . .


I have the same prob, sometimes when I turn the tv off, the digital channels arent there anymore and we figured out that if we did a reset and after a few seconds everything was there again. SInce cablecards are free, i think its ok, im not paying for an extra stb other than my DVR which I can get ppv etc with. I like the cablecard jsut for when im recording 2 things at once, just like NOW where im recording 2 shows and I can watch the safe landing of the jetblue flight. WHEW, good job pilot!

Is anyone else getting HD content WITHOUT a cable card? I just plugged the CoAxial Cable into the cable slot on the back of the TV, and I was getting CBS, NBC AND ABC in high def, as well as picking up random digital channels and ON DEMAND content that I do not pay for.

Is this just a conincidence, or has anyone else gotten an HD feed straight from the wall to the TV with no box and no cable card in between?

BTW, I can confirm it was HD b/c I got the ND/MSU and Fla/Tenn games and they were clear as day.

Is anyone else getting HD content WITHOUT a cable card? I just plugged the CoAxial Cable into the cable slot on the back of the TV, and I was getting CBS, NBC AND ABC in high def, as well as picking up random digital channels and ON DEMAND content that I do not pay for.

Is this just a conincidence, or has anyone else gotten an HD feed straight from the wall to the TV with no box and no cable card in between?

BTW, I can confirm it was HD b/c I got the ND/MSU and Fla/Tenn games and they were clear as day.
Yes, I received my TV on Monday, and I'm getting a few HD stations and a bunch of digital channels on cable, even though I don't have a STB. I also have a OTA antenna that picks up quite a few local broadcast HD channels. You'll want to visit the HDTV forums to learn what's in your area: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=6

Hi. I just bought the Sony KDF-E50A10 Rear Projection LCD TV. It seems that when I turn the TV off and then turn it on again the display would flicker. Is this normal? The flickering would stop though after a few minutes. Does it have something to do with the bulb?
Another thing is that the picture is somewhat tilted to one side. If I'm watching a widescreen DVD you would notice that the right top black bar is slightly bigger or wider than the left side portion. Is there an adjustment that I can do to correct this?

Hi guys,
Are there any gaming related concerns/caveats with the a10's? i know that flat panel lcd's don't handle fast motion well; do the a10's share this weakness?

Not that I've found. I've had my set for a little over a month now, and it's been amazing, esp. for video games. I've been spliting my time with Xbox and my HTPC (It's fun running emulators of old systems at that size!).

Is anyone else getting HD content WITHOUT a cable card? I just plugged the CoAxial Cable into the cable slot on the back of the TV, and I was getting CBS, NBC AND ABC in high def, as well as picking up random digital channels and ON DEMAND content that I do not pay for. Is this just a conincidence, or has anyone else gotten an HD feed straight from the wall to the TV with no box and no cable card in between?

Some cable systems do in fact pass through unencrypted HD signals -- mostly local stations. The A10s have a QAM tuner (in addition to the ATSC over-the-air tuner), so the set will pick up any programs that the cable company sends out, CableCard or no. (If the programs are encrypted, then you would need a CableCard to see them.) Some cable systems don't advertise the "free" locals in HD, since they're always trying to get you to rent a set-top-box and order PPV and higher programming tiers.

As to the "unauthorized" programming, that may be a case where the cable company has either set their front-end equipment up incorrectly, or they are temporarily testing -- and you just lucked out with your timing. Either way, I wouldn't expect to keep getting the premium channels indefinitely.

Hi. I just bought the Sony KDF-E50A10 Rear Projection LCD TV. It seems that when I turn the TV off and then turn it on again the display would flicker. Is this normal? The flickering would stop though after a few minutes. Does it have something to do with the bulb?
Another thing is that the picture is somewhat tilted to one side. If I'm watching a widescreen DVD you would notice that the right top black bar is slightly bigger or wider than the left side portion. Is there an adjustment that I can do to correct this?

This is some kind of geometry issue I think... mine has it too, although I never noticed it until recently with a new Sony DVD player. Generally, with the overscan, it gets hidden.

Kai

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who also looked at the xbr960, and what the deciding factor was (although I have a feeling it will be size). I don't want to start a religous war, but I'm especially interested in how the picture quality compares since that seems to be the xbr960's strong suit.

I had looked into buying the 34XBR960. I had a Sony 30HS420 CRT prior to my 42A10, and stepping up only 4 more inches would not have been that great. Size was a major deciding factor, but also having to deal with geometry and convergence issues on the XBR960 made the the A10 the better choice for me.

The XBR960 may have a superior picture, but I don't regret my purchase. The A10 is an excellent TV with tons of user tweakability and a lot of inputs. This thing is amazing.

I had looked into buying the 34XBR960. I had a Sony 30HS420 CRT prior to my 42A10, and stepping up only 4 more inches would not have been that great. Size was a major deciding factor, but also having to deal with geometry and convergence issues on the XBR960 made the the A10 the better choice for me.

The XBR960 may have a superior picture, but I don't regret my purchase. The A10 is an excellent TV with tons of user tweakability and a lot of inputs. This thing is amazing.

I agree. I really love my new 50 inch A-10. With the right tweaking, and a good HD show (The Office, Leno. Letterman, etc.) the thing is amazing for the $$$.

oK i tried to post this with the correct quote from above, but for some reason it did not 'take'. Is the DRC (Digital Reality Creation circuit) the same as Cinemotion?

I too will concur w the above assessments about the A10...it is an incredible TV, w incredible PQ, whether it be SD or HD.

That it is reasonably priced makes it that much more attractive.

I am considering purchase of the 50 inch A10 and have read in the user manual: "Keep your TV at least 4 inches away from the wall to provide proper ventilation."
My question, if I squeeze that distance-to-wall down to 2 or 2.5 inches, in an area that is not tightly confined, am I likely to run into any problems of overheating or shortened bulb life? Has anyone done this, and could you please report your thoughts/experience?

If someone has seen the 50" A10 next to the "equivalent" Sony 50" CRT RPTV (KDP-51WS655), I would love to hear comments.

The A10 is a few $ hundred more when I checked prices, but since I already have the space and ent. center for a 50" CRT behemoth...size is not an issue for me.

I was curious how the PQ would compare between the two, but also curious about ease of hooking up a PC (and resulting PQ). Many have said the A10 would be easier for PC hookup, but as always, you will always get two people completely contradicting the other here given the amount of posts.

If someone has seen the 50" A10 next to the "equivalent" Sony 50" CRT RPTV (KDP-51WS655) . . . .
I was curious how the PQ would compare between the two, but also curious about ease of hooking up a PC (and resulting PQ). Many have said the A10 would be easier for PC hookup, but as always, you will always get two people completely contradicting the other here given the amount of posts.

Don't know about the CRT model, but hooking up a PC on the A10 is a snap, as it has a dedicated VGA input (with sound in as well). I keep a VGA extension and audio cord permanently connected to the back of the TV and just hook up my laptop whenever I want. It's not 1:1 pixel mapping and does not completely fill up your TV screen, but whatever - close enough. The picture's really clear to me, works for my needs. . . .

The set has most of the weight toward the front. I could see how it could be tipped over. Should not be that hard to home brew some lash up to tie it down. I have seen the snap together buckle/connector on other things, just don't know where to get one. I would do something however.

Just go to Harbor Freight or a hardware store and buy a 1" wide strap w/ locking buckle and a small towel bar. In back of the set , connect the towel bar with molly screws to the wall and connect the strap through the rear opening of the set. Pull until tight and cut the stap end to fit

I have 6 to 7 inches behind my 50A10 and its in a bit of a confined space and I can feel the heat oozing out above and at the sides of the TV. I would be careful about doing anything that would impede good airflow at the back of this TV. The bulb generates a lot of heat that the fan has to work hard at removing that heat to prevent the bulb from getting too hot.

Well, AkaStp, I have to follow the post just above yours & completely disagree. I too, have about 6 to 7 inches behind my set & this morning I made of point of listening for the fan after I turned it off. I could not here it & I have felt no hear what-so-ever. I just got my set last Saturday, & as I still don't have an adequate OTA indoor antenna (just rabbit ears for now), I have spent about 30 minutes a day behind the set/entertainment center & have not felt any heat. YMMV.

Don't know about the CRT model, but hooking up a PC on the A10 is a snap, as it has a dedicated VGA input (with sound in as well). I keep a VGA extension and audio cord permanently connected to the back of the TV and just hook up my laptop whenever I want. It's not 1:1 pixel mapping and does not completely fill up your TV screen, but whatever - close enough. The picture's really clear to me, works for my needs. . . .

Why does it not fill up the whole screen? How much is missing? Thx.

Hi forum, long time lurker and learner with a typical subjective question on viewing distance.

Bought the 42A10 three weeks ago and have been loving the overall set for the money. However, in a freak transaction error by CC, I was able to land the extended warranty for free when they screwed up a price match. With some extra Benajmins now in my pocket, I'm starting to wonder if it's worth upgrading.

I know I have a less-than-ideal HT setup with a sectional couch. The long portion along the backwall is 9'6" viewing distance, but the additional seating gets as close as 3'6" away (although not that often is the couch filled to that point). From previous posters it sounds like 50" will do just fine for the usual seating at 9'6". I'm just worried about the additional seating. What's the closest anyone uses this set regularly? It's just been really hard for me to judge well on the showroom floor if it'll be an issue.

One follow-on question. I definitely notice SSE on the set, but as long as I'm not focused on it, doesn't seem to bother me too badly. However, will SSE become worse / more noticeable for a 50" model? Based on previous discussions it doesn't seem so, but I've never seen anyone directly correlate SSE to picture size / viewing distance.

Not to open up a can of worms, but for someone that's already pretty happy with their first HDTV, would you recommend rather spending this newfound money on some other critical component? ISF calibration?

Hi forum, long time lurker and learner with a typical subjective question on viewing distance.

Bought the 42A10 three weeks ago and have been loving the overall set for the money. However, in a freak transaction error by CC, I was able to land the extended warranty for free when they screwed up a price match. With some extra Benajmins now in my pocket, I'm starting to wonder if it's worth upgrading.

I know I have a less-than-ideal HT setup with a sectional couch. The long portion along the backwall is 9'6" viewing distance, but the additional seating gets as close as 3'6" away (although not that often is the couch filled to that point). From previous posters it sounds like 50" will do just fine for the usual seating at 9'6". I'm just worried about the additional seating. What's the closest anyone uses this set regularly? It's just been really hard for me to judge well on the showroom floor if it'll be an issue.

One follow-on question. I definitely notice SSE on the set, but as long as I'm not focused on it, doesn't seem to bother me too badly. However, will SSE become worse / more noticeable for a 50" model? Based on previous discussions it doesn't seem so, but I've never seen anyone directly correlate SSE to picture size / viewing distance.

Not to open up a can of worms, but for someone that's already pretty happy with their first HDTV, would you recommend rather spending this newfound money on some other critical component? ISF calibration?

Lots of questions..lol I have the 50 inch A-10, and I think it would look fine at distances as close as 8 or 9 feet. Any closer is TOO close for my taste...plus SDE would become noticeable. I think SSE is the same regardless of the screen size. I would go for the bigger set over calibrations, or other gadgets. You just can't beat screen size to enhance your viewing pleasure, so long as you don''t go TOO big. I don't feel that the A-10 needs to be calibrated to be enjoyed. With the dymanic iris used properly, and the right settings of the user controls, it can look really nice as is. (and I am in the top 10% of picky :) ) I think the calibrations probably helped the GWIII, and IV more, since they lacked the iris control, and had really mediocre dark scene performance.

My Sony KDF-E50A10 seems to have it's display tilted to one side. If I watch a widescreen DVD I would notice that the right top black bar is a little bit bigger than the left side portion. The picture is slightly rotated. Have you guys noticed this on yours?

My Sony KDF-E50A10 seems to have it's display tilted to one side. If I watch a widescreen DVD I would notice that the right top black bar is a little bit bigger than the left side portion. The picture is slightly rotated. Have you guys noticed this on yours?

Mine is fine...but yes I did see one on display with that problem. It would drive me nuts! I would either have service come and fix it, or exchange it for a new TV. I don't there is a fix in the service menu...they probably have to adjust the light engine location a tad.

Well there's two of us in this forum with this problem. I wont be surprise if other units will have the same symptom. For you guys who own this TV please check if your display is slightly tilted. The best way is to watch a widescreen DVD and check the measurements on the opposite sides of the top black bar. If there's a difference in the measurements then it means that you picture is tilted.
Sony KDF-E50A10

Hey guys, thanks for the all the great advice so far.

The more I read in the thread, the more SSE seems to come up. I finally have a good idea what it is, thanks to the thread on the main page, but I'm getting more and more curious about how frequent it occurs, and how big of a problem it is.

I initially thought that SSE was one of those things that only certain people saw...and wasn't a big deal if you weren't on of those unlucky people. I felt even better since I couldn't see a trace of it in the store (smaller electronics store, not a big box). More and more, however, it seems like it may just go along with the technology, and I won't know how bad it is until I get this TV in my living room

so which is it? Is it intrinsic, or in the eye of the beholder.

I'd be interested to hear from owners of the a10 (not just people pimping their other favorite technology), how bad is SSE *really*? has it made you regret your buying decision? Is it something that's constantly visible if you're looking for it?

Hi forum, long time lurker and learner with a typical subjective question on viewing distance.

Bought the 42A10 three weeks ago and have been loving the overall set for the money. However, in a freak transaction error by CC, I was able to land the extended warranty for free when they screwed up a price match. With some extra Benajmins now in my pocket, I'm starting to wonder if it's worth upgrading.

I know I have a less-than-ideal HT setup with a sectional couch. The long portion along the backwall is 9'6" viewing distance, but the additional seating gets as close as 3'6" away (although not that often is the couch filled to that point). From previous posters it sounds like 50" will do just fine for the usual seating at 9'6". I'm just worried about the additional seating. What's the closest anyone uses this set regularly? It's just been really hard for me to judge well on the showroom floor if it'll be an issue.

As a pure consumer (ie total newbie) I'm viewing my 50a10 from just over nine feet, but I wouldn't want to go much closer, so if you or other would spend a considerable amount of time closer, I wouldn't want to upgrade, but I think I'd want the 50 over the 42 if I spent 90+% of my time watching at 9+ feet.

Anybody else have this problem, i have setup my PS2 to display in 16:9 and with components. However the tv is saying the signal it is getting is only 4:3. I have to set the tv to wide mode for the ps2 picture to fill the screen and then it doesn't even fill the whole screen! there is like a 2 inch bar on the left and a 1 inch bar on the right, both vertical, both just black. Its like the picture won't fill the whole screen! I own only killzone and GT4 but i have had this problem with both games. On GT4 doesn't matter if i set it to 480i, 480p or 1080i, the problem is still there. I own an xbox and i have set it to 480p and widescreen and that system works perfectly!

I have to chalk this us as ironic, due to two sony products not working in conjunction with each other.... :p

I had my 42A10 delivered today, viewer001, and I did notice a good deal of heat coming from the back of the machine. My advice, if it says 4", best to give it 4" clearance.

Is there any way to set a remote address on these units because I have another SONY TV in the same room? I checked the manual and didn't find it mentioned.

on the heat issue. I have the tv about 18inches from the wall. Its on a stand and not in cabinet so its all open air in the back. Warm air only comes out of fan area. It never gets really hot. Sometimes when i have it running for an extended period of time (long gaming sessions or a movies) I'll run a fan in the corner to blow the heat out. It runs for about 2 minutes when i turn off the tv, the fan is running lower than when its own to cool down the bulb.

Re: cooling

For you new guys, see my post on page 64 (with pics) on my fans I use to help cool my cabinet (and hence my A10).

Well first things first. I want to thank everyone for the numerous posts on what they have either seen or have learned about this tv. Today I purchase a 50 in A10, Stand and warranty from Sears. I was going to buy a SXRD but decided to wait a few more years intil they work the kinks out for 1080p etc. I know I will be happy with this tv and you cannot beat what you get for the price. Hopefully I dont get any of the problems that some people have but if so I can always return and get a different one. I am getting it Sat so I will post more info and pics when I get it all set up. Thanks again people. You've helped me choose a great product

Hey guys, thanks for the all the great advice so far.

The more I read in the thread, the more SSE seems to come up. I finally have a good idea what it is, thanks to the thread on the main page, but I'm getting more and more curious about how frequent it occurs, and how big of a problem it is.

I initially thought that SSE was one of those things that only certain people saw...and wasn't a big deal if you weren't on of those unlucky people. I felt even better since I couldn't see a trace of it in the store (smaller electronics store, not a big box). More and more, however, it seems like it may just go along with the technology, and I won't know how bad it is until I get this TV in my living room

so which is it? Is it intrinsic, or in the eye of the beholder.

I'd be interested to hear from owners of the a10 (not just people pimping their other favorite technology), how bad is SSE *really*? has it made you regret your buying decision? Is it something that's constantly visible if you're looking for it?

As a 42A10 owner, I can say that I can definitely see SSE any time that I want to look at it. In that same regard, it's very easy to focus it out if I want to as well. To be honest, I wouldn't say it's regretted my decision to purchase, but it has been the chief drawback to me with this technology.

For whatever it's worth, I don't remember seeing the effect at all when I first brought home the set - I think Vivid mode settings tend tended to mask it a bit, although that seems a bit contradictory as it really brightens the screen. Who knows...

The more I read in the thread, the more SSE seems to come up. I initially thought that SSE was one of those things that only certain people saw...and wasn't a big deal if you weren't on of those unlucky people. More and more, however, it seems like it may just go along with the technology, and I won't know how bad it is until I get this TV in my living room

so which is it? Is it intrinsic, or in the eye of the beholder.

I'd be interested to hear from owners of the a10 (not just people pimping their other favorite technology), how bad is SSE *really*? has it made you regret your buying decision? Is it something that's constantly visible if you're looking for it?

I have a 50A10, and I do see it with some frequency. I believe it's an inherent quality of the technology that all will see to some degree. It doesn't annoy or bother me, though - no regrets here at all.

But, while I believe everybody will see it, the annoyance with it definitely is in the eye of the beholder; not the effect itself. Just as some see rainbows on DLPs and aren't annoyed by it, while others are fairly driven crazy by it, so the same thing happens with the SSE on these sets. It's definitely there, though.

Well, I have put in a service call, and Sony doesn't have any "Authorized Service Centers" in my area, so they are contracting some mom and pop shop to check it over.

I'm a little concerned, as the main issue I have (the color blotching), isn't really visible in the room natural daytime lighting... even with the blinds closed. I'm really afraid this guy is going to come in and call me crazy.

Of course, the tilted screen issue should be enough to at least open it up or take it with him, so I'm not sure how this is going to turn out. Hopefully the guy will take my word for it and view it in a darkened room.

Kai

Why does it not fill up the whole screen? How much is missing? Thx.

Sadly, I am still at work, so I can't give you precise measurements, but I can tell you it's substantially all of the screen. I recall it's missing perhaps just under an inch on the top and bottom, and maybe a few inches on either side.

I don't know why it does this, but I know that many have experienced this. Some are upset/frustrated by it; I just don't care. It's a huge enough picture for me - very clear and totally readable. I love it.

If you so desire, one can choose the zoom setting and then it does fill up the screen, though you then lose a bit on the top/bottom (overscan, I believe, is the term).

I don't know of anyone on this forum who has acheived the holy grail of 1:1 pixel mapping on this set. If that's important to you, then apparently this TV won't do it.

If you have a laptop, or access to one, I'd just take it and a VGA cable to a showroom, hook it up to the vga on the back of any A10, choose Input 7 (VGA input), and see what you think of it.

Well, AkaStp, I have to follow the post just above yours & completely disagree. I too, have about 6 to 7 inches behind my set & this morning I made of point of listening for the fan after I turned it off. I could not here it & I have felt no hear what-so-ever. I just got my set last Saturday, & as I still don't have an adequate OTA indoor antenna (just rabbit ears for now), I have spent about 30 minutes a day behind the set/entertainment center & have not felt any heat. YMMV.

No heat? That's amazing. When I get behind my 50A10 to adjust something, the heat is palpable and unavoidable. In fact, it surprised me at first, not having a hot bulb needing cooling before I got this set. I have more than 6 or 7 inches behind my set - more like a foot.

No worries, though - that's what happens with a hot bulb - a fan blows the hot air out of the set.

I can't believe you feel no heat when you're behind the set. All I can think of, is perhaps it's the side of the set you are typically on. I access the back of mine from the right side; and that is the side where the fan/heat is - right there, rear right. Perhaps if you are accessing from the left side, that would explain the crisp cool environment you are experiencing.

Fan noise isn't an issue at all when I'm watching the set, but, if it's on and I'm behind the set adjusting something, I do hear it. I kinda prefer to hear it - and feel the heat - because that means it's working and getting that heat out of the TV. It's a comforting heat/noise ensemble . . . . .

If you have a laptop, or access to one, I'd just take it and a VGA cable to a showroom, hook it up to the vga on the back of any A10, choose Input 7 (VGA input), and see what you think of it.

Good advice, I will do that.

Out of curiousity, what resolution do you run? Are results different running DVI into the HDMI input (I assume this is possible).

Thx.

Anybody else have this problem, i have setup my PS2 to display in 16:9 and with components. However the tv is saying the signal it is getting is only 4:3. I have to set the tv to wide mode for the ps2 picture to fill the screen and then it doesn't even fill the whole screen! there is like a 2 inch bar on the left and a 1 inch bar on the right, both vertical, both just black. Its like the picture won't fill the whole screen! I own only killzone and GT4 but i have had this problem with both games. On GT4 doesn't matter if i set it to 480i, 480p or 1080i, the problem is still there. I own an xbox and i have set it to 480p and widescreen and that system works perfectly!

I have to chalk this us as ironic, due to two sony products not working in conjunction with each other.... :p


My setup works exactly opposite, the PS2 works fine and the Xbox wont fill the screen! Odd.

Well, AkaStp, I have to follow the post just above yours & completely disagree. I too, have about 6 to 7 inches behind my set & this morning I made of point of listening for the fan after I turned it off. I could not here it & I have felt no hear what-so-ever. I just got my set last Saturday, & as I still don't have an adequate OTA indoor antenna (just rabbit ears for now), I have spent about 30 minutes a day behind the set/entertainment center & have not felt any heat. YMMV.

Umm, you might want to check that the fan is operating, by shining a flash light in the exhaust in the right (from the front) rear corner. If it is not turning, you definetly need it fixed.

My setup works exactly opposite, the PS2 works fine and the Xbox wont fill the screen! Odd.

Aurora Project, are you using the component plug in on the side of the tv? I noticed problems with that with the PS2 but the problem is on the other inputs too.

For xbox, make sure to put the game system in 480p and only 480p unless the game supports something higher. Set the system in widescreen and then set the tv in full. That should solve the problem.

I have a 42" A10 and SSE does not bother me.

I would be more concerned about suddenly noticing the rainbows from a DLP 6 months later when it is too late to return the set, than I would worry about SSE in an LCD projection set.

However, I would categorize myself as a

"guy who wanted a nicer TV than his old 35inch CRT set and with high definition"

instead of a

"guy who obsesses over perfect picture quality and expects a below $2000.00 TV set to look as good as some nearby rich guy's $50k home theatre setup"

In summary:

Compared to a nice old 35" Panasonic CRT set, this Sony blows it away with or without SSE even for SD material. If you are used to watching an old tube set, the SSE will most likely be a non-issue because you fall into the "average joe" category of users and not the "I calibrate home theatres for rich people for a living and like to spend hours making minute adjustments that only a robot or the visual equivalent of a wine taster will ever notice" category of users.

But that's just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

Anybody else have this problem, i have setup my PS2 to display in 16:9 and with components. However the tv is saying the signal it is getting is only 4:3. I have to set the tv to wide mode for the ps2 picture to fill the screen and then it doesn't even fill the whole screen! there is like a 2 inch bar on the left and a 1 inch bar on the right, both vertical, both just black. Its like the picture won't fill the whole screen! I own only killzone and GT4 but i have had this problem with both games. On GT4 doesn't matter if i set it to 480i, 480p or 1080i, the problem is still there. I own an xbox and i have set it to 480p and widescreen and that system works perfectly!

I have to chalk this us as ironic, due to two sony products not working in conjunction with each other.... :p


I'm having the exact same problem. I've hooked up my ps2 with madcatz component cables, and the tv only seems to recognize the ps2 as 4:3 480i, even though its set for 16x9... only way to get it to fill up the screen is to use zoom effects.

Does anyone know of a fix to this?

I'm having the exact same problem. I've hooked up my ps2 with madcatz component cables, and the tv only seems to recognize the ps2 as 4:3 480i, even though its set for 16x9... only way to get it to fill up the screen is to use zoom effects.

Does anyone know of a fix to this?

just put the wide mode in full and it should be ok. I have to do this with some xbox games as well. As far as filling up the screen, it wont all the way because the ps2 is really underscaned from what I have read. Same thing on my crt, I had overscan set to 2.5-5% and I would get thin black bars around the whole picture.
Some games are worse than others, but its very tolerable I think.

I have a 42" A10 and SSE does not bother me.

I would be more concerned about suddenly noticing the rainbows from a DLP 6 months later when it is too late to return the set, than I would worry about SSE in an LCD projection set.

You can see SSE on many DLP's as well. This is not an issue with LCDRP only. It's because of the anti-glare screens they are using. Some of the nicer DLP's may not show it as much, but I definitely saw SSE on the Sammy 5067 when I was making my purchase decision...probably even more than the 50A10. However, I did not notice much SSE on the Sammy 5677, which was a very nice set but a little out of my price range. After much deliberation, I ended up with the 50A10 and could not be happier. Great set for the $.

Just wanted to chime in on the blocth problem some people are experiencing. I received my 50a10 last friday and did notice a green blotch when the barkground is a solid dark colour. I made a call to my dealer and he arranged a service tech to come by to have a look. The tech came by yesterday and removed the panel of where the LCD panels resides blew some compressed air into the panels and the surrounding area. Reassembled the unit, turned the TV back on and voila! No more green blob. I had the same issue with my HS10 also and removed the blob myself last night.

Besides the green blob I am really happy with the 50A10 the picture is beautiful.

Just wanted to chime in on the blocth problem some people are experiencing. I received my 50a10 last friday and did notice a green blotch when the barkground is a solid dark colour. I made a call to my dealer and he arranged a service tech to come by to have a look. The tech came by yesterday and removed the panel of where the LCD panels resides blew some compressed air into the panels and the surrounding area. Reassembled the unit, turned the TV back on and voila! No more green blob. I had the same issue with my HS10 also and removed the blob myself last night.

Besides the green blob I am really happy with the 50A10 the picture is beautiful.
Details on how to remove Panel please

Sadly, I am still at work, so I can't give you precise measurements, but I can tell you it's substantially all of the screen. I recall it's missing perhaps just under an inch on the top and bottom, and maybe a few inches on either side.

I don't know why it does this, but I know that many have experienced this. Some are upset/frustrated by it; I just don't care. It's a huge enough picture for me - very clear and totally readable. I love it.

If you so desire, one can choose the zoom setting and then it does fill up the screen, though you then lose a bit on the top/bottom (overscan, I believe, is the term).

I don't know of anyone on this forum who has acheived the holy grail of 1:1 pixel mapping on this set. If that's important to you, then apparently this TV won't do it.

If you have a laptop, or access to one, I'd just take it and a VGA cable to a showroom, hook it up to the vga on the back of any A10, choose Input 7 (VGA input), and see what you think of it.

You won’t achieve 1:1 through a VGA connection. A VGA connection is analog. You need an all digital connection like HDMI/DVI to achieve true 1:1 pixel mapping. Until now none of the Sony LCDs could receive and display a 720p image natively. The A10 is the first Sony LCD with a true 1280x720 resolution. I can’t believe no one has plugged their A10 up to a computer with a DVI to HDMI cable? Can someone please try this? Both ATI and Nvidia video cards will give you the ability to reduce or eliminate the overscan and still maintain 1:1 pixel mapping over DVI(If you need help doing this let me know). ATI will let you do it over component also but component is analog like VGA so that doesn’t help with true 1:1 pixel mapping. Please let us know if anyone has actually tried DVI/HDMI with an A10 and a computer. What are your results?

Details on how to remove Panel please


I did not remove the 50A10 panel myself the tech did that. But from what I saw you have to remove about 8-10 screws from the back plastic cover of the unit. Remove some more screws on the board where the TV Tuner and video inputs reside on. This board has some wires attached to them that have to be unplugged before you can get this board out. From here you should be able to see the blank plastic housing in where the LCD panels are attached to. Remove some more screws and pull this housing out. From here the tech used some compress air to blow the dust out of the lcd panels. Then reattached the LCD housing and turn the TV to verify that the dust blobs are gone. Once confirmed reassembled the rest of pieces.
(As stated I did not remove it myself. I only cleaned my HS10 FP which was very simple.) It took the tech just over an hour to complete the service.

Re: cooling

For you new guys, see my post on page 64 (with pics) on my fans I use to help cool my cabinet (and hence my A10).


Hey could you elaborate on that post more. I saved your pic to my computer.

I am having some built ins made to house my 50"A10 and fans are a necessity.

What model fans did you buy?

You put two fans in each corner of the shelf the tv sits on?

And the fans exhaust downwards?

I've haven't come across this issue yet in the discussion:

When I switch inputs on my 50A10 -- for example from HDMI (from my Motorola 6412) to component (from my DVD player) -- and then switch back to HDMI, I get a double picture -- side by side, duplicate images that are highly distorted.

I can restore a single image by going to the Moto 6412's channel guide and selecting a new channel, but I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this problem.

This problem also occurs with the component output of the 6412. My guess is that the problem is a function of the cable box, not the A10.

Any ideas or thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks, Photoflash

I've haven't come across this issue yet in the discussion:

When I switch inputs on my 50A10 -- for example from HDMI (from my Motorola 6412) to component (from my DVD player) -- and then switch back to HDMI, I get a double picture -- side by side, duplicate images that are highly distorted.

I can restore a single image by going to the Moto 6412's channel guide and selecting a new channel, but I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this problem.

This problem also occurs with the component output of the 6412. My guess is that the problem is a function of the cable box, not the A10.

Any ideas or thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks, Photoflash

I have had the same problem with the Motorola box on 2 different TV's. I just change the channel, and it fixes it. Who knows why it does that. I love the cable box with DVR, but the thing is pretty buggy..it does lots of weird things, and I have to cut it's power off briefly now and then to reset it, and make it behave. I am glad that Comcast owns it, and not me. :)

I did not remove the 50A10 panel myself the tech did that. But from what I saw you have to remove about 8-10 screws from the back plastic cover of the unit. Remove some more screws on the board where the TV Tuner and video inputs reside on. This board has some wires attached to them that have to be unplugged before you can get this board out. From here you should be able to see the blank plastic housing in where the LCD panels are attached to. Remove some more screws and pull this housing out. From here the tech used some compress air to blow the dust out of the lcd panels. Then reattached the LCD housing and turn the TV to verify that the dust blobs are gone. Once confirmed reassembled the rest of pieces.
(As stated I did not remove it myself. I only cleaned my HS10 FP which was very simple.) It took the tech just over an hour to complete the service.

So this fixed the problem, then? The dust blobs are gone?

Hi guys,

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who also looked at the xbr960, and what the deciding factor was (although I have a feeling it will be size). I don't want to start a religous war, but I'm especially interested in how the picture quality compares since that seems to be the xbr960's strong suit.

Thanks in advance


I cross shopped the xbr960 and a10 also and with the same DVD source the xbr was clearly superior. However once I considered the size, price, and additional inputs of the A10, I felt I could live without ultimate PQ for better flexibility and money saved.

I don't regret my purchase one bit.

So this fixed the problem, then? The dust blobs are gone?

isn't that what he said?

Huh? I didn't see his above post.
What's with the hostility, Mark?

If you knew it fixed it why couldn't you have just showed me where he said that?

Jeez.

So this fixed the problem, then? The dust blobs are gone?

Hi Yoda1,

This certainly did fix the problem. No more dust blob.

Sometimes the tv does keep the digital information inthe card and when i turn on the tv all i get are teh analog channels. Resetting the card restores all the channels. I dont have to do this all the time. I have a 6412 dvr split as well. Could there be some procedure to properly turn off the tv so it doesnt get rid of the digital channels? A cablecard reset restores everything in about 10 seconds but its kind of a pain.

You won’t achieve 1:1 through a VGA connection. A VGA connection is analog. You need an all digital connection like HDMI/DVI to achieve true 1:1 pixel mapping. Until now none of the Sony LCDs could receive and display a 720p image natively. The A10 is the first Sony LCD with a true 1280x720 resolution. I can’t believe no one has plugged their A10 up to a computer with a DVI to HDMI cable? Can someone please try this? Both ATI and Nvidia video cards will give you the ability to reduce or eliminate the overscan and still maintain 1:1 pixel mapping over DVI(If you need help doing this let me know). ATI will let you do it over component also but component is analog like VGA so that doesn’t help with true 1:1 pixel mapping. Please let us know if anyone has actually tried DVI/HDMI with an A10 and a computer. What are your results?

/raises hand. My 42" A10 is about 80% TV watching so first I made sure I could live with my Pace HD STB connected via component. I a/b compared it with component and DVI to HDMI and if there was any difference, it was less than negligible. I then a/b comared my pc hooked up to the vga port and again with DVI to HDMI. This time the differences were more noticeable with the HDMI looking better than the vga. I've left it with DVI to HDMI as a secondary monitor on my nvidia FX5600U in Dualview with 77.72 whql drivers. From there it is really simple since it's a digital connection. I chose "treat digital display as HDTV" then used the overscan correction tool to fill the screen on all edges. It is awesome and I have no intention of going back.

For those using the vga (I saw the question somewhere in the last page or so) go into WegaGate and choose Zoom it will then fill the screen.

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading this thread since around mid-August. And thanks to your advice I purchased a 42A10 at BB when the had their BIG sale. It had to be ordered and I was told that it would not be here until Sept. 29 :eek: So I call BB today to check if it had come in yet and guess what , they tell me it came in last night 6 days EARLY !! :D I am very excited about this TV and will pick it up tonite. But before I do I want to make sure I get everything I need, to get the most viewing enjoyment out of this set. Correct me if I'm wrong , I made a list:

1st. Good cables (not necessarily the most expensive ones)
2nd. The list of settings that I made from this thread , to get it just right
3rd. Measuring tape ( so I can position my lazyboy at the best spot )
4th. One sympathetic cable guy who understands my need for the cleanest signal and best HD equipment
5th. Light meter, so as to make sure room lighting stays constant
6th. Large box fan or room A/C
7th. Earplugs ( incase the fan makes to much noise )
8th. One can of compressed air ( Blotches )
9th. And I almost forgot... One can of Raid ( spiders ) :)


I'll report back to you all how things go, I Know this is going to be a good thing !


Soon to be proud new owner of a 42A10
Postal1

You forgot loud surround sound system with mind blowing bass, then you can mark off earplugs and the raid (my dog is scared of the subwoofer so I would think spiders would be too j/k).

Huh? I didn't see his above post.
What's with the hostility, Mark?

If you knew it fixed it why couldn't you have just showed me where he said that?

Jeez.

I had the same type of a hostile remark. Quoted Sony as A10 sets were going to be assembled in Mexico, but I had hoped my 42 " A10 would be assembled in Pittsburg. Got an anti- american comment from the same source.

Huh? I didn't see his above post.
What's with the hostility, Mark?

If you knew it fixed it why couldn't you have just showed me where he said that?

Jeez.


Don't worry about him...he is simply upset because he is getting his as$ spanked over on the thread he started entitled "Why I have to recommend against Samsung DLP's" :p

Huh? I didn't see his above post.
What's with the hostility, Mark?

If you knew it fixed it why couldn't you have just showed me where he said that?

Jeez.

It wasn't hostile. I just didn't your understand the question when he answered it so clearly.

Hey could you elaborate on that post more. I saved your pic to my computer.

I am having some built ins made to house my 50"A10 and fans are a necessity.

What model fans did you buy?

You put two fans in each corner of the shelf the tv sits on?

And the fans exhaust downwards?

There is one Zalman 92mm fan in each corner in the rear of the "box" for the TV. They blow upward.

The doors on the front of the lower cabinet do not fit tight and have about a 1/8 to 1/4" gap all around them; the total area of which more or less equals the size of the fan holes (3 1/4" holes).

Placement of the fans there allows the air to be sucked in past the doors, cool the cabinet box below the TV (where the A/V receiver is), and then push air into the TV box. The gap above the TV to the shelf, about 2", allows the air to exhaust out of the TV box.

My goal was not to cool the TV, but rather to keep fresh air moving through the box, and let the TV cool itself.

So far, it seems to work well.

The fans are attached to a 6V DC adapter, that is plugged into the auxillary AC outlet on the A/V receiver. The remote control for my 8300HD DVR has a button that turns on/off all of the devices it knows about, so the fans are on whenever the TV is on.

I also layed a 3rd Zalman fan on the top of my 8300HD DVR, since it felt quite warm. It plugs into the AC outlet on it. The DVR seems to always be running, so this fan makes the case for the DVR room temperature now.

All these fans makes it a little bit noisier than it could be. I had these Zalmans laying around. I suspect newer models might be quieter.

Holler if you want to know more.

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading this thread since around mid-August. And thanks to your advice I purchased a 42A10 at BB when the had their BIG sale. It had to be ordered and I was told that it would not be here until Sept. 29 :eek: So I call BB today to check if it had come in yet and guess what , they tell me it came in last night 6 days EARLY !! :D I am very excited about this TV and will pick it up tonite. But before I do I want to make sure I get everything I need, to get the most viewing enjoyment out of this set. Correct me if I'm wrong , I made a list:

1st. Good cables (not necessarily the most expensive ones)
2nd. The list of settings that I made from this thread , to get it just right
3rd. Measuring tape ( so I can position my lazyboy at the best spot )
4th. One sympathetic cable guy who understands my need for the cleanest signal and best HD equipment
5th. Light meter, so as to make sure room lighting stays constant
6th. Large box fan or room A/C
7th. Earplugs ( incase the fan makes to much noise )
8th. One can of compressed air ( Blotches )
9th. And I almost forgot... One can of Raid ( spiders ) :)


I'll report back to you all how things go, I Know this is going to be a good thing !


Soon to be proud new owner of a 42A10
Postal1


Too funny! I'm watching the same 25 inch tube TV that I bought in 1987. sometimes it doesn't come on right away and most days the remote doesn't work but all of the above have kept me from buying this set. I've been shopping for a HDTV for about a year now. With all the bulb isssues, pixel issues, SSE, SDE, blobs, macroblocking , etc not to even mention the technology changing every 3-6 months....I've decided to pass on buying a new set until my tube TV totally dies.

/raises hand. My 42" A10 is about 80% TV watching so first I made sure I could live with my Pace HD STB connected via component. I a/b compared it with component and DVI to HDMI and if there was any difference, it was less than negligible. I then a/b comared my pc hooked up to the vga port and again with DVI to HDMI. This time the differences were more noticeable with the HDMI looking better than the vga. I've left it with DVI to HDMI as a secondary monitor on my nvidia FX5600U in Dualview with 77.72 whql drivers. From there it is really simple since it's a digital connection. I chose "treat digital display as HDTV" then used the overscan correction tool to fill the screen on all edges. It is awesome and I have no intention of going back.

For those using the vga (I saw the question somewhere in the last page or so) go into WegaGate and choose Zoom it will then fill the screen.

Not an owner yet..but hopefully soon.

For those that are dissatisfied with the vga input, a DVI to HDMI cable should be a great choice as stated above since both ATI and Nvidia now provide decent support for HD resolutions in their latest drivers.

If you are using your single HDMI input for something else, consider getting a video card that has a component output dongle. Both ATI and Nvidia make cards with DVI or VGA to component. While not as wonderful as DVI to HDMI, you will still be able to get 1280x720 as your resolution.

In what I think was a truly stupid move, the vga resolution supported is 1280x768, so it sounds like your options are to a) crop/overscan or b) zoom out. Such a brilliant idea (VGA jack), with poor follow through (mismatched resolution).

I use my pc more heavily than my cable box, record first then watch at will, so I'll probably go DVI to HDMI myself, but the component dongle is also a good solution since there are plenty of those inputs. :)

Sorry laptop guys, I don't think there are any component dongles yet for any of the laptop chipsets in use. If there are I'd love to hear about them.

Anybody else have this problem, i have setup my PS2 to display in 16:9 and with components. However the tv is saying the signal it is getting is only 4:3. I have to set the tv to wide mode for the ps2 picture to fill the screen and then it doesn't even fill the whole screen! there is like a 2 inch bar on the left and a 1 inch bar on the right, both vertical, both just black. Its like the picture won't fill the whole screen! I own only killzone and GT4 but i have had this problem with both games. On GT4 doesn't matter if i set it to 480i, 480p or 1080i, the problem is still there. I own an xbox and i have set it to 480p and widescreen and that system works perfectly!

I have to chalk this us as ironic, due to two sony products not working in conjunction with each other.... :p

After spending an entire evening chasing this problem, I have come to the conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with the A10s -- they don't seem to sync to the right video mode on any input.

I have an 8300HD connected via HDMI to the A10 (Video6). I set up the 8300 to output 1080i and the TV indeed accepts it as 1080i (pressing the Display button confirms 16x9 1080i). If I then switch input (to *any* input other than Video6) and then come back to Video6, it's reset back to 480i. WTF?

Also, I have my DVD player connected to Video4 via component cables. The player is setup to output progressive but no matter what I do, Video4 always shows as receiving 480i (I believe this is the same problem as DeathMoJo is having).

I can't believe nobody else has noticed this problem??

Too funny! I'm watching the same 25 inch tube TV that I bought in 1987. sometimes it doesn't come on right away and most days the remote doesn't work but all of the above have kept me from buying this set. I've been shopping for a HDTV for about a year now. With all the bulb isssues, pixel issues, SSE, SDE, blobs, macroblocking , etc not to even mention the technology changing every 3-6 months....I've decided to pass on buying a new set until my tube TV totally dies.


Well the 42A10 is in the house and it ROCKS. Setup was a snap thanks to this thread. Getting HD over cable without paying for it :cool: SD looks great but the HD is FANTASTIC. So this is what everyone is talking about. I say put that 25 inch tube in the garage sale like I did and do yourself a big favor and get an A10. I say all TVs will have issues, but man look what I've been missing. Sorry to go on I guess I'm like a kid with a new toy. AND LOVING IT !!!! :D

Postal1...I know how you feel.

Also, I have my DVD player connected to Video4 via component cables. The player is setup to output progressive but no matter what I do, Video4 always shows as receiving 480i (I believe this is the same problem as DeathMoJo is having).


I don't have this problem on my 50a10. When I press the display button it indicates 480p.

oK i tried to post this with the correct quote from above, but for some reason it did not 'take'. Is the DRC (Digital Reality Creation circuit) the same as Cinemotion?

No. Digital Reality Creation (DRC) is Sony's software 'voodoo' for cleaning up standard-def signals. DRC is unavailable on any source higher than 480p (like 720p or 1080i). CineMotion is Sony's term for 3:2 pulldown detection, a.k.a. progressive/film-based reconstruction. Here are some examples in use.

I have my SD coax cable input, my 'receiver' input (which carries my SD Tivo, VCR and LaserDisc signals), and my 2 DVD inputs (standard player, and cheap DVD-RW unit) all set up with various DRC levels to clean up the standard-def signals being received by the set.

I also have CineMotion turned On for all of these inputs, so if I watch film-based content on any of these sources, the set will take the interlaced signal and try to reconstruct the original frames. This means that the set may be able to show a cleaner signal from movies on TV, videotape, etc., or even film-based TV programs (like many one-camera dramas), by applying 3:2 pulldown processing.

You can leave CineMotion turned On for all inputs, and if the set doesn't detect film-based content, that circuit isn't activated. The only reason to turn it off is if you watch certain content that 'tricks' the set into trying to process video-based content -- producing artifacts, etc. I've personally never seen this happen, so IMO it's OK to just leave it On all the time. If your DVD player is set to Progressive output (480p), the set will automatically turn CineMotion off for that input as long as it sees a progressive signal.

...DRC is unavailable on any source higher than 480p...

I believe you meant 480i

Too funny! I'm watching the same 25 inch tube TV that I bought in 1987. sometimes it doesn't come on right away and most days the remote doesn't work but all of the above have kept me from buying this set. I've been shopping for a HDTV for about a year now. With all the bulb isssues, pixel issues, SSE, SDE, blobs, macroblocking , etc not to even mention the technology changing every 3-6 months....I've decided to pass on buying a new set until my tube TV totally dies.

I understand, BUT you truely can just set it up and enjoy a great picture with out worrying about all that. This is like buying computers; there will always be something coming that is faster, cheaper, etc...just go ahead and buy when your price range has been reached. In my opinion, the A10's price/value ratio is a significant milestone.

how does the iris and advance iris work? I have complete control over lighting and can make the room really dark so I am looking to get the best blacks I can get. Does raising the levels on the iris and advance iris raise or lower contrast? I still cant get rid of my pink whites and I peaked in the service menu and everything is way different than it was on my 36hs420 crt, so I dont want to touch anything. The problems I am having with pink whites are whites on dark backrounds that make them look pink, but if I am watching a dvd and in the movie it is a bright sunny day then everything is fine and whites are white, unlike sin city that that the street lights have a pink tone.

I have an 8300HD connected via HDMI to the A10 (Video6). I set up the 8300 to output 1080i and the TV indeed accepts it as 1080i (pressing the Display button confirms 16x9 1080i). If I then switch input (to *any* input other than Video6) and then come back to Video6, it's reset back to 480i. WTF?

Also, I have my DVD player connected to Video4 via component cables. The player is setup to output progressive but no matter what I do, Video4 always shows as receiving 480i (I believe this is the same problem as DeathMoJo is having).

Well, I have to take back the second item on my original post. It seems it's not enough to select progressive on my DVD player's setup menu; there's a button in front of the unit that you also have to press. Now that it's pressed, I'm getting 480p just fine.

But I still have the first problem. And I've discovered it doesn't just happen when you change inputs. It also reverts back to 480i when you turn the TV off and back on again. I also wonder if the HDMI connection could be causing this -- guess I can try component and see if that resolves the issue.

Anyone out there with an A10/8300HD combo experiencing these problems?

[EDIT] I've now confirmed that the A10/8300 work ok with a component connection. So it's definitely the HDMI that's screwing up.

techademic

What did you use to generate the grayscale and what service menu item did you adjust?

Sounds like grayscale calibration on this set may require other adjustments. Isn't there something called clear white in the user menu??

techademic

What did you use to generate the grayscale and what service menu item did you adjust?

Sounds like grayscale calibration on this set may require other adjustments. Isn't there something called clear white in the user menu??

I didn't touch anything. I remember fixing a similar problem on my crt before, but I don't remember what service code it was so I rather not touch anything. Even with clear white on high there is a pink tone. I have the color temp on cool because when I have it set on neutral the whites get redder.

techademic

Sounds like red drive is set too high, but I'd hesitate in changing anything on a new set. If it was me, I think I'd send it back for a swap out.

I didn't touch anything. I remember fixing a similar problem on my crt before, but I don't remember what service code it was so I rather not touch anything. Even with clear white on high there is a pink tone. I have the color temp on cool because when I have it set on neutral the whites get redder.

There should be no pink tone with clear white on High. Have you tried setting the Color down to around 38 or a bit lower?

I have it at 40 as suggested from this thread.

Anyone out there with an A10/8300HD combo experiencing these problems?



My 42A10/SA8300(Passport) over HDMI works great. I would make sure that you have the 8300 only output one resolution, eother 1080i or 720p. I use 720p.

My 42A10/SA8300(Passport) over HDMI works great. I would make sure that you have the 8300 only output one resolution, eother 1080i or 720p. I use 720p.

I do -- but 1080i. Maybe I'll try 720p to see if it makes a difference.

Also, my 8300 doesn't have the Passport software; it uses SARA. Pretty sure this must be bug in the SARA code.

[EDIT] DancingBear: Thanks, that did it! Works fine at 720p. Guess the bug only affects the 1080i connection. Can you do me a favour and try setting the output of your box to 1080i to see if you have the same problem? Thanks.

I too am looking for a cheap, small alternative to sound. My room is too small or a 5 or 6.1, so I was looking for a nice 2 or 3.1 system, or something like the zvox 315.

I'd be interested in hearing anyone's opinion on a nice 2 or 3.1 sys or something in a box. Any thoughts?

Ijust got the Zvox 315 and hooked it up to my Sony 42"A10. Great sound ! Glad I got this system, its way above the cheap lousy Sony HDTV sound system.
Look at your local BB stores as they are discontining this product. You might have to contact numerous BB stores. The store I bought from was the only one out of 6 stores in my area that one left. Their reduced price was $100 less $10 for being a open box floor model . Igot a bargain for $90. Works great. If you find one BUY it.

Anyone have a PC hooked up via the HDMI port? Seems the desktop loses about a 1/2" - 1" around the edge (overscanning?). I have it running at native res, and have tried several other resolutions, but it seems it's the TV, not the PC. Once Media center is running, I don't notice it anymore.

Please let us know if anyone has actually tried DVI/HDMI with an A10 and a computer. What are your results?
I have (see my post above). My video card is a nVidia GeForce 6600. I can't get the entire desktop to show. Start button is only showing top half on bottom, along with the system tray to give you an idea of how much is missing... maybe a 1/2" inch. Any suggestions?

I am trying to decide b/t the 50A10 and the 60XS. In the store I was very impressed with the PQ of the 60XS, just as much as the 50A10. Under the specs for the 50A10 I see that it has 2.7 million pixels or resolution of 1280 x720. However the specs on the 60XS indictaes only 1.1 million pixels for that monster. Nevertheless, I could not see much of a difference in the PQ b/t the two in the store when viewing the same HD broadcast. Can somebody tell me where I am missing the obvious in the PQ between these 2 HDTV's. I know that the 50A10 has PC input so is that where the 50A10 would really outshine the 60XS?(for example how would the 2 compare on JPEG display quality?) Thanks for any feedback you can give me.

Okay, TV was delivered today by Best Buy, 10 minutes after they leave I notice what looks like an "oil" or "finger smudge" on the screen, but not something on the surface that I can wipe off.

I assume this is was a clustr of "dead pixels" look like? You can only tell this dark mark when there is a light background (white, tan, yellow).

I called BB immedaitely and they are sending a tech out. Just curious to know what this sounds like it is.

Thanks :-)

Can someone reccomend what SETINGS I should use for standard cable and/or HD channels.

Right now I have my cable box hoked up via Coaxial, but will have the CableCard in 2 days, so I'm gearing towards that.

Thanks for your help. For the life of my I can't get a decent PQ with anything yet :( :( :(

Okay, TV was delivered today by Best Buy, 10 minutes after they leave I notice what looks like an "oil" or "finger smudge" on the screen, but not something on the surface that I can wipe off.

I assume this is was a clustr of "dead pixels" look like? You can only tell this dark mark when there is a light background (white, tan, yellow).

I called BB immedaitely and they are sending a tech out. Just curious to know what this sounds like it is.

Thanks :-)


Sounds like one of those 'dust blobs' others are reporting as having. Apparently there is a fix for this, something about opening the back of the set and using compressed air. I'd be weary of BB's 'tech's. Call Sony, they'd probably be much better at diagnosing the problem.

I was all set to pick up one of these 50a10s today but my plans were foiled. I local retailer has the 50a10 at 3 Benjis below retail and another retailer has a sale where you get 10% off your purchase if you use your store card. That would have put this at over 5 Benjis below retail after using a price match. Only thing is, store B says they can't verify store A's price. I asked them to call and they said that store A won't tell them the price over the phone. Any ideas on how to resolve my delemma? Store A rhymes with "skies" and store B with "ears". ;)

My video card is a nVidia GeForce 6600. I can't get the entire desktop to show. Start button is only showing top half on bottom, along with the system tray to give you an idea of how much is missing... maybe a 1/2" inch. Any suggestions?
I have the Geforce 6600 as well. I have even more problems. There is no red in my display and over one inch of black around the display. If I go to the color settings on my video card and try to adjust red I can't All red is black. anyone else having this problem? I'm using the rgb input I'm going to try the HDMI when I get an adapter. Only problem if that works I will have to switch the TV to rgb (my t360 has an rgb and dvi out)or component. Does anyone using the PC input get true colors? Any help out there?

I had the tech come out today to check the "smudge" or "green dot" the size of a quarter on my screen. Turns out the compressed air trick did nothing, so now my TV is headed to the shop for 7-10 days of service to get the light engine repaired--- :mad:

Hope the tech does not mess it up worse than it already is. He says talking with customer service at Sony, the disassembly is quite a bear and will take about three hours just to take it apart and put it back together.

Let me know how others fair with this problem.

Brad

Just thought I'd throw in an idea about inputs on these TVs after some complained that they don't like cycling through a number of inputs on the TV/Video button. I don't have an A10, but a CRTRP Sony 51WS655 which has the same single button for inputs.

I've decided to leave only one input active for Satellite to go along with the fixed input for antenna. When I want to play a game or watch a DVD I activate that input and deactivate when I'm through. This way when I watch the Red Sox game on Satellite and want to flip between a football game or golf on the antenna, the TV/Video button serves as a Jump button between the two inputs. This works well for me.

There are enough buttons on the Sony remote already without having 6 more buttons for inputs. Maybe this is what Sony intends for us to do if we don't have patience to cycle through 4 plus inputs.

I ordered one of these online on Friday after reading the comments here and checking out the set in both Sears and Circuit City. Then today I decided to stop by Best Buy to check out what they had. The 50A10 they had in there looked absolutely horrible. Brightness was laughably high (it was a light grey color when the screen was all black) and seemed to have other problems as well. And of course, the remote either had dead batteries or no batteries, so I couldn't change the brightness. You'd think Sony would have some reps that just go around to the various stores and calibrate the sets properly - the way Best Buy had it set up is only losing them sales.

Arter a couple weeks of waiting, my 50a10 was finally delivered today.

I have a problem with the set and am wondering if anyone else has/had the same problem.

When I first turn the set on, there are vertical lines every 10 or 12 pixels across the entire screen. Needless to say they are very obnoxiousn and make watching the set nearly impossible. But after the set has been on for 15 minutes or so, the lines simply disappear and the set looks awesome.

Is this a known problem? I haven't had the chance to call BestBuy or Sony support yet, but was wondering if this was something that coule be fixed or if I will have to get a new set?

Thanks for all the help.

I am using the Samsung DVD-HD850 with HDMI connection.

The DVD player upconverting to 1080i.

I've noticed that the picture seems somewhat blurry, especially with words that are on the screen.

Any suggestions to make the image sharper? I have already tried moving up the sharpness on the TV settings- does not seem to make a difference. Wondering if setting the DVD player to a different resolution would help...

I've had the 42" A10 for about a week now, and I absolutely love it. I have an H10 feeding it the satellite signal via HDMI, and the SD quality ranges from decent to excellent. Some channels just look like garbage, but since they looked poor on my "old" 32" XBR too, I can't fault the new TV.

DVD's look fantastic, but again, they're completely source dependant. LoTR's and the original Star Wars films look absolutely stunning... while some lower quality discs can be a bit hard to watch. One thing I did notice is that the TV's zoom feature appears to be very good, as I have a few 4:3 letterbox DVD's I thought I would have to retire. As it turns out, most of them looked very good. I was very impressed. The player is a Pioneer 320 recorder, connected via component cables. I would love to get a high-quality upconverting player so I can see if it makes any difference, but I own a pretty good number of out of region movies, so I require that "special feature", which makes my options limited. I thought seriously about importing one of the European Pioneer Elite models (which come in silver to match the rest of my gear), but it would suck to drop that kind of dime on something only to not see any real difference in the picture quality.

The few HD broadcasts look incredible... there's nothing more I can say. Even with my satellite providers poor HD quality (I'm pretty sure you can figure out who I'm referring to), the picture is still awesome. I am seriously considering hitting up the local cable provider for a good deal so I can get some "real" HD channels.

Not a big fan of the dynamic iris, although with certain content it is somewhat useful. I just turned it off after getting my settings where I wanted them to be.

The red push is strong, and I would love to get the set calibrated by a professional. Any recommendations on a tech in the Northern Virginia area?

The digital out seems worthless, which was very disappointing. I had hoped that it would act as a pass through, so I could just feed the HDMI cable to the set, then the digital out to my A/V receiver. The TV will play sound via HDMI through its own speakers, but all attempts to get it to pass the signal to my receiver have failed. It's not a really big deal, but a bit annoying nonetheless.

I'll post some pics of it running various content in a little bit, so you can have a look for yourself.

Kai


I hate to ask this simple question (I did search & only got 4 responses), but your HDMI cable, is it male to male? I know the H10 has a female connector because I plugged one end of my male to male cable into it. I went to the A10 & it was just wierd. Not DVI but not HDMI female (at least not like the one on the H10) either.

I am using the Samsung DVD-HD850 with HDMI connection.

The DVD player upconverting to 1080i.

I've noticed that the picture seems somewhat blurry, especially with words that are on the screen.

Any suggestions to make the image sharper? I have already tried moving up the sharpness on the TV settings- does not seem to make a difference. Wondering if setting the DVD player to a different resolution would help...


Why not set it to 720P?

does anyone who has one of those "dust blotch" could possibly post a pic of what it looks like? I am not sure if I am experiencing the same or not, but on my 50"A10 I have like this blue tint in the upper left hand corner that is pretty big.

does anyone who has one of those "dust blotch" could possibly post a pic of what it looks like? I am not sure if I am experiencing the same or not, but on my 50"A10 I have like this blue tint in the upper left hand corner that is pretty big.

Your problem may be the same as mine. It's color non-uniformity and is common on these TVs. It's a seperate issue and is not related to dust or dirt in the light engine. The only time I notice it is when I'm viewing b&w content. The upper right portion of my screen has a faint blue look to it, and the lower left portion has a faint red look to it. For some reason, it seems to have gotten better rather than worse. I don't find it too distracting, but I could see where it would drive a videophile nuts.

Arter a couple weeks of waiting, my 50a10 was finally delivered today.

I have a problem with the set and am wondering if anyone else has/had the same problem.

When I first turn the set on, there are vertical lines every 10 or 12 pixels across the entire screen. Needless to say they are very obnoxiousn and make watching the set nearly impossible. But after the set has been on for 15 minutes or so, the lines simply disappear and the set looks awesome.

Is this a known problem? I haven't had the chance to call BestBuy or Sony support yet, but was wondering if this was something that coule be fixed or if I will have to get a new set?

Thanks for all the help.

Haven't heard of that problem. I'd just exchange it rather than deal with Sony.

how does the iris and advance iris work? I have complete control over lighting and can make the room really dark so I am looking to get the best blacks I can get. Does raising the levels on the iris and advance iris raise or lower contrast? I still cant get rid of my pink whites and I peaked in the service menu and everything is way different than it was on my 36hs420 crt, so I dont want to touch anything. The problems I am having with pink whites are whites on dark backrounds that make them look pink, but if I am watching a dvd and in the movie it is a bright sunny day then everything is fine and whites are white, unlike sin city that that the street lights have a pink tone.

The iris "appears" to be a fixed setting...you can't see it adjusting as the picture changes. The advanced iris "appears" to be trying to compensate for various scenes.


Personally I find the constant "adjusting" distracting. So I turn "Advanced iris" Off

Arter a couple weeks of waiting, my 50a10 was finally delivered today.

I have a problem with the set and am wondering if anyone else has/had the same problem.

When I first turn the set on, there are vertical lines every 10 or 12 pixels across the entire screen. Needless to say they are very obnoxiousn and make watching the set nearly impossible. But after the set has been on for 15 minutes or so, the lines simply disappear and the set looks awesome.

Is this a known problem? I haven't had the chance to call BestBuy or Sony support yet, but was wondering if this was something that coule be fixed or if I will have to get a new set?

Thanks for all the help.

Not normal.. Set does take a little while to come up to full brightness ( 15-20 seconds) but no lines...do you get this on all inputs?

I still have the "first generation" hd box from comcast. With the new tv I was considering getting the new box. Is there a difference in signal and picture?

Hi folks,

I'm getting lip sync isses every now and then. I think I remember reading something on this and what to do, however now I can't find it.

Using DTV HR 250 with HMDI connection.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Your problem may be the same as mine. It's color non-uniformity and is common on these TVs. It's a seperate issue and is not related to dust or dirt in the light engine. The only time I notice it is when I'm viewing b&w content. The upper right portion of my screen has a faint blue look to it, and the lower left portion has a faint red look to it. For some reason, it seems to have gotten better rather than worse. I don't find it too distracting, but I could see where it would drive a videophile nuts.

exactly what I see, only I see the faint red when I set the color temp to warm1,2.

The iris "appears" to be a fixed setting...you can't see it adjusting as the picture changes. The advanced iris "appears" to be trying to compensate for various scenes.


Personally I find the constant "adjusting" distracting. So I turn "Advanced iris" Off

So would you set the iris on minimum for blacker blacks or what exactly is the iris doing when it is set at low or high? What exactly is the advance iris trying to compensate? shadow detail?

I have the Geforce 6600 as well. I have even more problems. There is no red in my display and over one inch of black around the display. If I go to the color settings on my video card and try to adjust red I can't All red is black. anyone else having this problem? I'm using the rgb input I'm going to try the HDMI when I get an adapter. Only problem if that works I will have to switch the TV to rgb (my t360 has an rgb and dvi out)or component. Does anyone using the PC input get true colors? Any help out there?
PC display update. After getting a DVI-HDMI adapter I now can get an accurate display. The Over/Underscan setting in the NView menu work great by the way.
Can anyone tell me why I should get no reds when hooking up the PC input? Im thinking maybe a bad rgb cable? I really don't want to use my DTV on the component input and I don't want to spend the bucks for some kind of switcher. I have my extended range keyboard and mouse on the way so I can use the PC in my office or on the couch. I'll try a new cable today and update my response.

So would you set the iris on minimum for blacker blacks or what exactly is the iris doing when it is set at low or high? What exactly is the advance iris trying to compensate? shadow detail?

You will get a better black level when you set the static iris at Min. But, you are letting less light through and this setting is best for a dark to completely dark room. The A10 will look dim and washed out in a bright room at the 'Min' settng. Try setting it to 1 or 2 (default) for brighter rooms.

The advanced iris lets even less light through at the High setting. It doesn't really compensate for shadow detail from what I can tell from using it. It just increases the contrast ratio by a fair amount. It's really just an automatic contrast leveler.

oh ok, I figured I would set two different settings. I have complete control over lighting, so I will try setting at min iris and advance high, but at times my girlfriend will like to watch a movie with the lights dimmed or perhaps daytime, but which should I adjust, vivid or standard for daytime use. The main setup will be under custom since we normally watch movies at night and tv durring day.

oh yea, what is the contrast ratio on this tv? 50a10

Not normal.. Set does take a little while to come up to full brightness ( 15-20 seconds) but no lines...do you get this on all inputs?


Yeah it happens on all inputs. The lines will stay up for 15-20 minutes, then disappear. But if I turn the TV off and then right back on, the lines reappear.

I guess I'll have to go down to Best Buy today and have a little chat.

Well, would it be better to deal with them over the phone or in the store that I bought it at?

PC display update. After getting a DVI-HDMI adapter I now can get an accurate display. The Over/Underscan setting in the NView menu work great by the way. Glad to hear it.
Can anyone tell me why I should get no reds when hooking up the PC input? Im thinking maybe a bad rgb cable? I really don't want to use my DTV on the component input and I don't want to spend the bucks for some kind of switcher. I have my extended range keyboard and mouse on the way so I can use the PC in my office or on the couch. I'll try a new cable today and update my response. Obviously the red signal isn't getting thru. This is most likely the cable. However, it could be the Sony input is bad (there are lots of component connections, did you try it on different ones?), or, the component output of your video card could be bad - do you have a monitor with RGB connectors you can try it on? If not, try switching the Red connection with the Green at the PC end of the cable. Things will really look messed up, but, do you now see Red but not Green? If so, your card isn't outputting Red. If you still don't see Red, the problem is either in the cable or the Sony.

I am using the Samsung DVD-HD850 with HDMI connection. The DVD player upconverting to 1080i. I've noticed that the picture seems somewhat blurry, especially with words that are on the screen. Any suggestions to make the image sharper? I have already tried moving up the sharpness on the TV settings- does not seem to make a difference. Wondering if setting the DVD player to a different resolution would help... Based on what a number of people have said in earlier posts, the Sony does a really good job of upconverting the 480i signal from a standard DVD. So, either, set your DVD player to output unprocessed 480i and let the Sony do the upconversion, or, have your Samsung upconvert to 780p so the Sony can display it without further conversion. What you are now doing, is double conversion which is probably degrading the picture.

Which DVD players output 480i through HDMI?

I'd like to know how the Sony handles (upconverts) a purely digital signal.

So would you set the iris on minimum for blacker blacks or what exactly is the iris doing when it is set at low or high? What exactly is the advance iris trying to compensate? shadow detail?

Adjusting "Iris" is like a combination picture/Brightness control...you set that for a rough setting then tweek with the other controls

When you turn on the Advanced iris you get a generally darker picture. You tend to lose detail ..like the stripes in the anchor mans dark jacket. Think they were going for deeper blacks.

Just subjective but personally this is what works for me most of the time..others may and will differ: Using cable box with HDMI output.. Mostly viewing HD broadcast. Also works well with DVD

Custom Settings

Iris: 2

picture: 88

Bright: 48

color: 33

Hue: 0

Color temp: cool ...looks crisper to me..no overall brown tint.

Sharp: 60

Noise reduction: Low

DRC Pallet...still diddling..everything set to 100 for now. standard broadcast will
always look like crap after watching an HD channel (G)

Advanced Video.....

Black Corrector: off ..on loses to much detail

Advanced Iris: off ...when on you can see it constantly working

Gama: High ...lets you see thing in the shadows better

Live White: Off ....can't see it doing anything when on anyway

live color: off ...Don't like "vivid" colors...doesn't do much anyway

I ordered one of these online on Friday after reading the comments here and checking out the set in both Sears and Circuit City. Then today I decided to stop by Best Buy to check out what they had. The 50A10 they had in there looked absolutely horrible. Brightness was laughably high (it was a light grey color when the screen was all black) and seemed to have other problems as well. And of course, the remote either had dead batteries or no batteries, so I couldn't change the brightness. You'd think Sony would have some reps that just go around to the various stores and calibrate the sets properly - the way Best Buy had it set up is only losing them sales.


I noticed the same thing the other day at BB. It's as if someone from Panasonic or Samsung is going around sabotaging Sony's sets.

oh ok, I figured I would set two different settings. I have complete control over lighting, so I will try setting at min iris and advance high, but at times my girlfriend will like to watch a movie with the lights dimmed or perhaps daytime, but which should I adjust, vivid or standard for daytime use. The main setup will be under custom since we normally watch movies at night and tv durring day.

'Vivid' is too agressive with the Advanced Iris setting, and unfortunately you can't adjust it in this mode. I'd probably set up a 'Standard' setting for daytime viewing and add a little more contrast (Picture at 75) and the static iris at 2.

k2koq, I don't know what you're using as a calibration tool to get those settings, but those are nowhere near what they should be.

When you turn on the Advanced iris you get a generally darker picture. You tend to lose detail ..like the stripes in the anchor mans dark jacket. Think they were going for deeper blacks.

It should be set to 'Low' rather than Off for better black level. And you get MORE detail because you're INCREASING the contrast ratio. Low is the least aggressive setting and the working iris is barely detectable.

oh yea, what is the contrast ratio on this tv? 50a10

It's variable by the Advanced Iris setting. Sony never published it, so I doubt we'll ever know. :(

k2koq, I don't know what you're using as a calibration tool to get those settings, but those are nowhere near what they should be.

The only tool I have is my eyes. That is why I carefully used the word "Subjective" I am SURE the setting are not where they should be but that is where they look best to me no slight intended to the true calibration pros out there (G)

I am using the Samsung DVD-HD850 with HDMI connection.

The DVD player upconverting to 1080i.

I've noticed that the picture seems somewhat blurry, especially with words that are on the screen.

Any suggestions to make the image sharper? I have already tried moving up the sharpness on the TV settings- does not seem to make a difference. Wondering if setting the DVD player to a different resolution would help...

I had the Samsung DVD-HD950 which is basically the same thing. After 3 days of tweaking it with my 42a10 I sent it back. My Pioneer 45a looked so much better(with little tweaking)at 480p over component than the Samsung did at 480p/720p/1080i over component or HDMI.

I'm getting the Panasonic s77 delivered tomorrow which I'm hoping will be better than the Samsung or Pioneer.

Hey Guys,

I've had my 42a10 for about a month now. Everything had been working great, except for last week something has happened to the set. All of my channels seemed to be zoomed in. I have triple checked all of my settings, (which should all be default) and cannot find what is wrong. Basically I try to only watch my HD channels, and this morning I was getting ready for football, and still cannot figure out what's wrong. Is there just a factory reset button someplace I can trigger to fix this? I am using the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD with the set. Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

-Brian

Hey Guys,

I've had my 42a10 for about a month now. Everything had been working great, except for last week something has happened to the set. All of my channels seemed to be zoomed in. I have triple checked all of my settings, (which should all be default) and cannot find what is wrong. Basically I try to only watch my HD channels, and this morning I was getting ready for football, and still cannot figure out what's wrong. Is there just a factory reset button someplace I can trigger to fix this? I am using the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD with the set. Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

-Brian

I'm almost positive I had the same exact problem last week.

Tried lots of things....eventually just re-booted the SA8300HD and everything returned to normal!!!!!!

I'm having the exact same problem. I've hooked up my ps2 with madcatz component cables, and the tv only seems to recognize the ps2 as 4:3 480i, even though its set for 16x9... only way to get it to fill up the screen is to use zoom effects.

Does anyone know of a fix to this?

My XBOX is having the same problem with getting the TV (42A10) to recognize it as 480p 16:9 rather than 480p 4:3. Anyone know how to remedy this? I've tried Halo 2 right now, which I hear has had problems, but another 480P snowboarding game I had defaulted to 4:3 as well.

Rob

Hi folks,

I'm getting lip sync isses every now and then. I think I remember reading something on this and what to do, however now I can't find it.

Using DTV HR 250 with HMDI connection.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

You're using the DTV/TiVo HR10-250 DVR, yes?

If this is what yer talking about, try hitting the '8 second replay' button a few times, and see if this helps to get it back in sync.

Lemme know!