OK, really stupid noobie HD question. I bought the 42A10 2 days ago, as soon as I got it set up, I watched a basketball game on ESPNHD and it was amazing. I used DarkCloud's settings (thanks) and the picture was great. Last night I went to watch some more HD and I had black boxes at the top and bottom of the screen (didn't fill the whole screen). It was the same way on all of the HD channels.

Did my wife mess something up when I was at work or is it the way they are broadcasted?

Sorry for the stupid question and thanks for any answers.


The zoom aspect might have been switched, you can set the defaults per signal in the settings menu for this too. There's a control for this right on the remote.

For SD and 4:3 programming I like 'wide zoom', fills the screen without chopping off parts of the frame and with minimal stretching.

My OTA stopped displaying program information except for FOX and ABC. Any ideas as to why or how to fix it?

Sony also has a lower commission price than just about everyone else. You buying the Sammy = more $$$ in his pocket!


not true at all

CC doesnt work off commision anymore...they changed their salesmen to flat rates...

Hey Guys, great thread. I wanted to ask this question, and I haven't seen this asked in the thread yet, but forgive me if it has.

I am in the market to buy the KDFE42A10 in the next month or so. What I am wondering is where I should make the purchase? I want to avoid any bad situations any of you have gone through.

I live in Orange Country, Couthern California. There are just about ever option available to me. The ones I am considering are Crutchfield (although having it shipped makes me wary), Circuit City, Sony Style Store (physical store in a mall), Best Buy (I'd like to avoid since I worked there and despise the company), and I am sure there are several other places as well.

This is my first exploration into the world of Hi Def big TVs, and the A10 will replace my current TV, which is a Symphonic 27 inch I got in College (lol).

Anybody have bad experiences at any of these places? Who would you recommend?
Thanks for any and all the help guys!

Anybody have bad experiences at any of these places? Who would you recommend?
Thanks for any and all the help guys!
i got mine about 4 weeks ago from circuit city
i was kinda forced into it, as i had an apex 32" SD tv that went bad, i had the circuit city warranty and since they dont repair them, and they dont sell it anymore, they just gave me what i paid for it (on a gift card) off a new tv

i would have rather gotten it from best buy (and w/ RZ gotten $60 back)

but it is nice that circuit city's warranty just gave me the money back i paid 3 years ago for the tv + i got 1/2 of what i paid for the warranty in a check this week also.

i initially had it setup on the same industrial cart @ 32" (base of tv) and didnt like the slight off-center glare, so i lowered it to 24" (so view was dead center) and its awesome.



i have a side question also, and rather than start a new post in this topic regarding it, ill simplify and ask it in here...
***my question***
i tried DVI-HDMI from my friends powerbook (as my laptop only has VGA) to test out the scaling of a dvd when the DVI output is 1280x720 (default resolution of the sony) when i ran a dvd, it would crop about 10 pixels (guessing here) off each side on a movie

now, i havent tried DVI from a pc (that could be using powerstrip to adjust the video output) but im wondering...

why a 1280x720 (which is the default resolution of the tv) would overscale the output so that you would LOSE some of the image?

i have been reading about the OPPO HDMI up-samping dvd player and debating between it and an HTPC setup and wondered if that is going to happen on the PC also. i know that the "image crop" has been an issue that has been discussed for the OPPO and it has "scaling" options so that the image doesnt crop any pixels off of the screen.

thanks for the input (and plz dont flame me if this has been discussed before and i missed it)

Tornadobox,

When Sony serviced my old WE610 TV, they came out first and then ordered the light engine. I highly doubt that they will have the light engine there when they first show up. Reason being is that they "try" to clean the original light engine first to get rid of blobs. Tha obviously doesn't work and they need to put in a "ticket" and order the light engine based on the service's guy's reccomendation. Its a really expensive part (at least 1k), so they are strict about the ordering procedure. I went through 3 different light engines before i finally got them to replace the whole TV. They wanted to replace it with a refurbished WE610...I refused shipping. I went to CC and (after some convincing) they replaced it with a brand new 50A10.

Hey Guys, great thread. I wanted to ask this question, and I haven't seen this asked in the thread yet, but forgive me if it has.

I am in the market to buy the KDFE42A10 in the next month or so. What I am wondering is where I should make the purchase? I want to avoid any bad situations any of you have gone through.

I live in Orange Country, Couthern California. There are just about ever option available to me. The ones I am considering are Crutchfield (although having it shipped makes me wary), Circuit City, Sony Style Store (physical store in a mall), Best Buy (I'd like to avoid since I worked there and despise the company), and I am sure there are several other places as well.

This is my first exploration into the world of Hi Def big TVs, and the A10 will replace my current TV, which is a Symphonic 27 inch I got in College (lol).

Anybody have bad experiences at any of these places? Who would you recommend?
Thanks for any and all the help guys!

My Testimonial:

Last summer I decided to buy my first HD set. So I went to Circuit City and bought the Samsung Slimfit CRT. After a few weeks of having it in my home, I was really unhappy with it, so I took it back to CC and exchanged for a Sony RP-LCD (last years version, which was bigger and all silver). After having that in the house a day or so, my wife was unhappy with the way the outside of the set looked (kind of gaudy) so we returned it. Next, we got a Samsung DLP which was defective and immediately exchanged for another of the same. This one only lasted a few hours in our house but the picture quality was very poor compared to the Sony, so we took it back. Next was the Panasonic LCD, which also had poor PQ compared to the Sony, so it was back to Circuit City again. It was about this time that Sony released the 42a10. So when we returned the Panny, we got the a10 and have been 100% satisfied ever since.

So that was Five returns in the span of about 45 days, and only one being due to a defect. The remainder were all customer dissatisfaction. Circuit City employees never once gave me a hard time, or even so much as questioned if I was crazy :o
I highly recommend Circuit City for any A/V purchases. Since these events took place, I have purchased my entire component home theatre system from CC and have had no complaints.

Hey Guys, great thread. I wanted to ask this question, and I haven't seen this asked in the thread yet, but forgive me if it has.

I am in the market to buy the KDFE42A10 in the next month or so. What I am wondering is where I should make the purchase? I want to avoid any bad situations any of you have gone through.

I live in Orange Country, Couthern California. There are just about ever option available to me. The ones I am considering are Crutchfield (although having it shipped makes me wary), Circuit City, Sony Style Store (physical store in a mall), Best Buy (I'd like to avoid since I worked there and despise the company), and I am sure there are several other places as well.

This is my first exploration into the world of Hi Def big TVs, and the A10 will replace my current TV, which is a Symphonic 27 inch I got in College (lol).

Anybody have bad experiences at any of these places? Who would you recommend?
Thanks for any and all the help guys!

None of the above. Fry's. I'll PM you with the price and you'll see why.

Can anyone tell me if there is something I have to do to pick up HDTV on my WEGA 50A10 using an High DEF antenna input? ABC is supposed to be broadcasting in HDTV but I keep getting "NO SIGNAL". I'm not sure if there is somethink else I have to set.

Can anyone tell me if there is something I have to do to pick up HDTV on my WEGA 50A10 using an High DEF antenna input? ABC is supposed to be broadcasting in HDTV but I keep getting "NO SIGNAL". I'm not sure if there is somethink else I have to set.


Did you run the auto scan?

I think I did it once but I will go and try it right now.

My Testimonial:

Last summer I decided to buy my first HD set. So I went to Circuit City and bought the Samsung Slimfit CRT. After a few weeks of having it in my home, I was really unhappy with it, so I took it back to CC and exchanged for a Sony RP-LCD (last years version, which was bigger and all silver). After having that in the house a day or so, my wife was unhappy with the way the outside of the set looked (kind of gaudy) so we returned it. Next, we got a Samsung DLP which was defective and immediately exchanged for another of the same. This one only lasted a few hours in our house but the picture quality was very poor compared to the Sony, so we took it back. Next was the Panasonic LCD, which also had poor PQ compared to the Sony, so it was back to Circuit City again. It was about this time that Sony released the 42a10. So when we returned the Panny, we got the a10 and have been 100% satisfied ever since.

So that was Five returns in the span of about 45 days, and only one being due to a defect. The remainder were all customer dissatisfaction. Circuit City employees never once gave me a hard time, or even so much as questioned if I was crazy :o
I highly recommend Circuit City for any A/V purchases. Since these events took place, I have purchased my entire component home theatre system from CC and have had no complaints.

I did the exact same thing,I had 5 sets here before I picked the 50-A10.
Started with the old Sony 655 that the A10 replaces,and even had a Plasma but wasn't happy with it.
Circuit City was the best,I thought they would think I was crazy,maybe they did but they went out of there way to satisfy me,I got a free stand out of it and a great deal to boot.'']
I am happy with CC..

I did the exact same thing,I had 5 sets here before I picked the 50-A10.
Started with the old Sony 655 that the A10 replaces,and even had a Plasma but wasn't happy with it.
Circuit City was the best,I thought they would think I was crazy,maybe they did but they went out of there way to satisfy me,I got a free stand out of it and a great deal to boot.'']
I am happy with CC..

That's funny. Glad to know I'm not the only one! :D

Thanks Dave65,
I did like you suggested but I think I am just located in a bad spot! I was able to tune in a couple of stations but of course not the Super Bowl. Did get PBS. I am pretty much at the base of the hill the broadcast is coming from so I do not think the signal hits me. I have an indoor antenna but streached coax outside and tried to put the atenna on the roof. As i said I got some results but not what I was after. Thanks again for your suggestion.

Thanks Dave65,
I did like you suggested but I think I am just located in a bad spot! I was able to tune in a couple of stations but of course not the Super Bowl. Did get PBS. I am pretty much at the base of the hill the broadcast is coming from so I do not think the signal hits me. I have an indoor antenna but streached coax outside and tried to put the atenna on the roof. As i said I got some results but not what I was after. Thanks again for your suggestion.

Strangely, it sounds like you live right next door to me. >.> Best thing I get is PBS (WSKG) and the next-best thing I get is Fox 40, which comes in about 1/2 as well.

Needless to say, I've been watching a lot of PBS lately. :D

hey nik54, not sure if you're still actively reading this thread or not...but what were the steps you went through to get the light engine replaced by sony? I called them up yesterday about the blue blob on my display, they had me unplug the tv for a minute, and that didn't fix it, then they said to unplug it for a half hour and to call back if that didn't fix it either. last night I unplugged it for over half an hour and the blue blob's still there, so I've got to call back tonight.

did the service guy come ready with the light engine, or did he look at the tv first and then order the light engine and come back another time?

Tornadobox,

When Sony serviced my old WE610 TV, they came out first and then ordered the light engine. I highly doubt that they will have the light engine there when they first show up. Reason being is that they "try" to clean the original light engine first to get rid of blobs. Tha obviously doesn't work and they need to put in a "ticket" and order the light engine based on the service's guy's reccomendation. Its a really expensive part (at least 1k), so they are strict about the ordering procedure. I went through 3 different light engines before i finally got them to replace the whole TV. They wanted to replace it with a refurbished WE610...I refused shipping. I went to CC and (after some convincing) they replaced it with a brand new 50A10.

That's essentially the same thing I went through. The CSR had me do all those steps before authorizing a service call. The service tech came out (without the light engine) and gave the inside of the screen a quick cleaning just to be sure it wasn't a smudge. He decided to order the light engine right away as opposed to trying to clean it (he knew it wouldn't work). It took several weeks for the part to arrive from Sony since it was on backorder.

If you have DVE or Avia, I highly recommend asking the tech if you can view a few test screens before the tech leaves to make sure you don't have any defects with the new light engine. In my case, there's no blobs with the new engine, but the overall color uniformity is much worse. 2/3 of the screen has a faint green cast. I would have asked him for a replacement had I been able to test it. I'm not sure if I want to take off of work for another service call. However, the greenish grays, browns, and shadows can drive me nuts at times, so I guess I'll have to consider it.

sparky 1945: I suppose suggesting a quick scan of the manual would be considered crass, huh? ;)

Any differences between the 2 sets as far as picture quality, black levels and black & grey scale?

Is latency an issue with the A10?
My main use is going to be for the x-box 360 & watching dvd & sports.

I do have a space issue, but I think I might be able to sqeeze the A10 into the corner so its watchable.

I actually posted the same question in the "DVD" forum, and got a decent amount of info.

But seeing as most of you guys here actually OWN this set and most likely have a DVD player with it, I probly shoulda posted this question here to begin with.

In my price range I've got the Sony S70 and Panny S77. There is also a lot of talk about the OPPO, but I don't know the price on that one. As well, a reply to my original thread mentioned some new models coming out that might be worth waiting for.

I'm just looking for some first-hand information on what players work well with this set. The Sony S70 seems like such a good deal, but the Panasonic has that Faroudja (sp?) chip that many seem to be impressed with.

anyways, what do you guys here say is a good match-up with this set?

thanks!

I actually posted the same question in the "DVD" forum, and got a decent amount of info.

But seeing as most of you guys here actually OWN this set and most likely have a DVD player with it, I probly shoulda posted this question here to begin with.

In my price range I've got the Sony S70 and Panny S77. There is also a lot of talk about the OPPO, but I don't know the price on that one. As well, a reply to my original thread mentioned some new models coming out that might be worth waiting for.

I'm just looking for some first-hand information on what players work well with this set. The Sony S70 seems like such a good deal, but the Panasonic has that Faroudja (sp?) chip that many seem to be impressed with.

anyways, what do you guys here say is a good match-up with this set?

thanks!

I'd be interested to hear this too. Got my set a little over a week ago and found out the hard way that the DVD player I thought I bought a couple of years ago for component outputs and progressive scan (for the future) I apparently just bought for the component outputs (Sony NS65 or something). Forced to use my Xbox360 for progressive scan DVD playback at the moment. Contemplating waiting for an HD-DVD/Blu-ray player (assuming they will do DVD also).

I have the 42 Sony RP LCD.

Bought some PS2 component cables. But, there is a lot of "noise" around the players even when they are standing still. Cannot read the numbers and names on their jerseys very well.

How good a PQ should I really expect with a PS2? Not expecting crystal clear, but just curious what other folks have seen.

Any differences between the 2 sets as far as picture quality, black levels and black & grey scale?

Is latency an issue with the A10?
My main use is going to be for the x-box 360 & watching dvd & sports.

I do have a space issue, but I think I might be able to sqeeze the A10 into the corner so its watchable.

I can't tell you the differences between the A10 and XBR, but I can tell you that the A10 does games beautifully from my experience. I have played PGR3, COD2, RR6, and a lot of XBLA games on my 360. I absolutely love it for gaming. Latency issues you hear about on some technologies / older sets is non-existant. There is one guy on a CNET review out there that claims he has latency on an A10, I need to go report it, because either the guy had his HD set to other than 720p, or he is mixing the A10 up with another set. I have never bothered to try setting it to 1080i or 480p, to see if there was conversion latency, but somehow I doubt that too, as I don't get any lag watching TV at those res's.

I have the 42 Sony RP LCD.

Bought some PS2 component cables. But, there is a lot of "noise" around the players even when they are standing still. Cannot read the numbers and names on their jerseys very well.

How good a PQ should I really expect with a PS2? Not expecting crystal clear, but just curious what other folks have seen.

First off, I have never personally played PS2 on an HD set. I have owned a PS2 in the past though, and I know that first off you need to load up the config screen on your PS2 and set it to progressive scan to get 480p. Then after that, there are only a mere handful of games that support 720p on the PS2, and most of those are not what I would consider games that push the limit of the system, hence their ability to get away with power to spare to support 720p (Rez for example).

So with that said, I think 480p should look decent, so my guess is you might not have it set to progressive scan. If you're looking for 720p, try googling, none of the games you have might even support it.

First off, I have never personally played PS2 on an HD set. I have owned a PS2 in the past though, and I know that first off you need to load up the config screen on your PS2 and set it to progressive scan to get 480p. Then after that, there are only a mere handful of games that support 720p on the PS2, and most of those are not what I would consider games that push the limit of the system, hence their ability to get away with power to spare to support 720p (Rez for example).

So with that said, I think 480p should look decent, so my guess is you might not have it set to progressive scan. If you're looking for 720p, try googling, none of the games you have might even support it.

Actually, no games (or very few) support 720p. GT4 supports 1080i, but other than that, some games support 480p. However, there is no central configuration of resolutions like on the Xbox; the progressive setting in the PS2 system menu is for the DVD player only. Each game has to be configured for progressive scan and some do not have it as a menu option. If there is not a menu option for enabling PS, while booting, hold square + triangle (or possibly X + triangle); if the game supports PS, you'll be prompted to enable it (and confirm it 8 times).

The PQ you get from the PS2 is decent, but many older games still look like ass through the component cables. Recent games that support PS look good (i.e. GT4, God of War), and some games that don't still look good for the system from 5 years ago (i.e. Dragon Quest VIII). An Xbox blows away the PS2 on PQ and SQ, it just sucks so many games are exclusive to the PS2.

Actually, no games (or very few) support 720p. GT4 supports 1080i, but other than that, some games support 480p. However, there is no central configuration of resolutions like on the Xbox; the progressive setting in the PS2 system menu is for the DVD player only. Each game has to be configured for progressive scan and some do not have it as a menu option. If there is not a menu option for enabling PS, while booting, hold square + triangle (or possibly X + triangle); if the game supports PS, you'll be prompted to enable it (and confirm it 8 times).

The PQ you get from the PS2 is decent, but many older games still look like ass through the component cables. Recent games that support PS look good (i.e. GT4, God of War), and some games that don't still look good for the system from 5 years ago (i.e. Dragon Quest VIII). An Xbox blows away the PS2 on PQ and SQ, it just sucks so many games are exclusive to the PS2.

Yeah, I realize now I goofed, it was Xbox that had a handful of games in 720p, but not many. PS2 only has limited games in 480p even, but it's a decent amount, and GT4 in 480p and 1080i.

I hope someone can give me an annswer to this,I haven't had any issues with my A10 until now,on MSNBC I have a small square box in the lower right corner,it is blue in color,but it is only on this channel,is this a dead pixel??

Thanks

I hope someone can give me an annswer to this,I haven't had any issues with my A10 until now,on MSNBC I have a small square box in the lower right corner,it is blue in color,but it is only on this channel,is this a dead pixel??

Thanks


Not if it's only on one channel.

Ok thanks :)

Any insight as to why the program information stopped displaying for my OTA channels?

Can anyone tell me if there is something I have to do to pick up HDTV on my WEGA 50A10 using an High DEF antenna input? ABC is supposed to be broadcasting in HDTV but I keep getting "NO SIGNAL". I'm not sure if there is somethink else I have to set.

I assume you mean OTA High def. Go to antennaweb.org enter your address and find out how far you are from the broadcast tower and in what direction it is. Signal strength is crucial. Point the antenna directly at the tower and try scanning again. Review your antenna specs and upgrade the antenna if you are iffy on the range. You might try an amplfier but thats often a problem with digital signals. While Weinguard is a good antenna company, its hard to beat the return policy at Radio Shack. This can turn into a science experiment.

To directly answer you question, No the A10 has the ASTC tuner to decode OTA digital signals. So once you run Auto Scan, the A10 will do the rest.

Mike

Any insight as to why the program information stopped displaying for my OTA channels?

That usually has to do with the channels themselves sending the info.

That's essentially the same thing I went through. The CSR had me do all those steps before authorizing a service call. The service tech came out (without the light engine) and gave the inside of the screen a quick cleaning just to be sure it wasn't a smudge. He decided to order the light engine right away as opposed to trying to clean it (he knew it wouldn't work). It took several weeks for the part to arrive from Sony since it was on backorder.

If you have DVE or Avia, I highly recommend asking the tech if you can view a few test screens before the tech leaves to make sure you don't have any defects with the new light engine. In my case, there's no blobs with the new engine, but the overall color uniformity is much worse. 2/3 of the screen has a faint green cast. I would have asked him for a replacement had I been able to test it. I'm not sure if I want to take off of work for another service call. However, the greenish grays, browns, and shadows can drive me nuts at times, so I guess I'll have to consider it.

hey guys, thanks for the replies. well, i talked with the local sony service tech whose number the sony support gave me, and I guess I lucked out. I told him the problem I was having, and also about what I was able to find about the blue blob myself (though, even before I told him what I found he said, "oh, that sounds like an optic engine problem"), and he said he was just going to go right ahead and order a new optic/light engine for my tv without even coming out and trying to clean anything. Barring any back-orders, he told me the part should arrive to him this week and he'll come out and install it this week as well.

hey guys, thanks for the replies. well, i talked with the local sony service tech whose number the sony support gave me, and I guess I lucked out. I told him the problem I was having, and also about what I was able to find about the blue blob myself (though, even before I told him what I found he said, "oh, that sounds like an optic engine problem"), and he said he was just going to go right ahead and order a new optic/light engine for my tv without even coming out and trying to clean anything. Barring any back-orders, he told me the part should arrive to him this week and he'll come out and install it this week as well.


Just wanted to confirm what everyone else has said- when I had my ballast problem, instead of waiting for the service tech to come out, decide what was wrong, and then order the part, I immediately called the service tech after I got off the phone with Sony.

I told him the problem, he identified the part I needed at that moment, and ordered it. Much more efficient, and I highly recommend doing that if you need service. Helps to eliminate a step in the process.

One question- is the light engine something that can be installed in-home, or do they have to take the TV out to the shop? They thought they could replace my ballast in my home, but something about how it's buried deep with the wires made them take it away.

So, has anyone had their light engine replaced in their home?

Hello all...

I had asked this question on the "Grand Wega V Tweaks" thread but did not get a response, so I thought I would try here:

With my Samsung DVD player (HD850) connected by HDMI to my 50 inch A-10, I have a "darkness" setting in the DVD player setup menu. What should I have this at before I run AVIA? Currently I have it right smack in the middle.

Also, what is the RGB Regular/Extended function do?

Finally, I have it outputting 720p instead of 1080i- if I cannot tell much of a difference between the two, should I leave it at 720p?

Thought of one more question- when setting the picture level with AVIA, how do I work the white level/black level setting in conjunction with the iris control? I am just confused because with 2 iris settings (main and the advanced), plus all the gamma, white settings, black corrector, etc., I don't know where to start with this thing. For example, when I run AVIA, where should the iris setting be before I set the white level?

When I do run AVIA and set the picture level (white level), I can't really make the fainter of the two bars disappear. I can work the black level just fine, though.

Many thanks, once again.

Any insight as to why the program information stopped displaying for my OTA channels?
There is a setting to turn that on/off - so you most likely turned it off in the settings menu. I can't remember where in the menu's but there is definetly a way to do that.

One question- is the light engine something that can be installed in-home, or do they have to take the TV out to the shop? They thought they could replace my ballast in my home, but something about how it's buried deep with the wires made them take it away.

So, has anyone had their light engine replaced in their home?
It can be done in-home in an hour or two. It took my tech two since it was his first A10.

Well poop. I am on my 5th set exchange. And have actully had this one for a couple weeks now. But have now got a problem. All the other sets were exchanged because of either lots of stuck pixels, blue blob upper left corner, green blob in upper right and blue blob in upper left , and the one before this one had all of those plus horrible geometry.

Well this one doesnt seem to have those problems. I noticed about 4 nights ago that everything in the bottom left quarter of the screen had a pink tint to it, compared the rest of the screen. Whites are really noticeable. It was really bad during the superbowl. The right side of the field had nice lush green looking grass, while the majority of the left (worse on the bottom) looked like dead winter grass LOL. I'm guessing from the pink washing out the green.

Now I cant help but see it in everything I watch. I stuck in a black and white movie to confirm. And yep everything is perfect, but the bottom left quarter is rosey as hell =(.

Think this is something that a cleaning will fix??? .....boy this is getting old.

Well poop. I am on my 5th set exchange. And have actully had this one for a couple weeks now. But have now got a problem. All the other sets were exchanged because of either lots of stuck pixels, blue blob upper left corner, green blob in upper right and blue blob in upper left , and the one before this one had all of those plus horrible geometry.

Well this one doesnt seem to have those problems. I noticed about 4 nights ago that everything in the bottom left quarter of the screen had a pink tint to it, compared the rest of the screen. Whites are really noticeable. It was really bad during the superbowl. The right side of the field had nice lush green looking grass, while the majority of the left (worse on the bottom) looked like dead winter grass LOL. I'm guessing from the pink washing out the green.

Now I cant help but see it in everything I watch. I stuck in a black and white movie to confirm. And yep everything is perfect, but the bottom left quarter is rosey as hell =(.

Think this is something that a cleaning will fix??? .....boy this is getting old.


Wow, you seem to be having lots of problems. 5th exchange! Mine has been working great so far.
Just curious, how much ventilation do you have around your TV? I noticed that Sony recommends something like 4" behind and on the sides and I think 12" above the TV remain open. Just wondering if your problems could be caused by overheating.

Well poop. I am on my 5th set exchange. And have actully had this one for a couple weeks now. But have now got a problem. All the other sets were exchanged because of either lots of stuck pixels, blue blob upper left corner, green blob in upper right and blue blob in upper left , and the one before this one had all of those plus horrible geometry.

Well this one doesnt seem to have those problems. I noticed about 4 nights ago that everything in the bottom left quarter of the screen had a pink tint to it, compared the rest of the screen. Whites are really noticeable. It was really bad during the superbowl. The right side of the field had nice lush green looking grass, while the majority of the left (worse on the bottom) looked like dead winter grass LOL. I'm guessing from the pink washing out the green.

Now I cant help but see it in everything I watch. I stuck in a black and white movie to confirm. And yep everything is perfect, but the bottom left quarter is rosey as hell =(.

Think this is something that a cleaning will fix??? .....boy this is getting old.

Well, I'll just say it again that it's a color uniformity issue that you are seeing. Do a search for "Polarized Light" in this thread. My TV has this issue but it has become less and less bothersome. I'd suggest you either learn to live with it or try DLP. DLPs don't have this problem.

Wow, you seem to be having lots of problems. 5th exchange! Mine has been working great so far.
Just curious, how much ventilation do you have around your TV? I noticed that Sony recommends something like 4" behind and on the sides and I think 12" above the TV remain open. Just wondering if your problems could be caused by overheating.

Yeah, or anything else strange? Speakers directly next to your TV with no spacing? (I have no idea if magnets can effect this tech, but I am just grasping at ideas of anything that could be causing all these problems).

Something is going on I am thinking, the odds of this many bad sets make so little sense. Do you have bad power in your area? Lots of brown or black outs? Think of anything odd that you are used to, that could perhaps be contributing to the problems.

Yeah, or anything else strange? Speakers directly next to your TV with no spacing? (I have no idea if magnets can effect this tech, but I am just grasping at ideas of anything that could be causing all these problems).

Something is going on I am thinking, the odds of this many bad sets make so little sense. Do you have bad power in your area? Lots of brown or black outs? Think of anything odd that you are used to, that could perhaps be contributing to the problems.

It's light engine related. Do a search.

It's light engine related. Do a search.

I know about light engine problems, but he said he is on his 5th set. What are the odds of 5 bad sets?

*shrug* You're the expert, just saying, seems odd.

I tend to agree that 5 bad sets is so incredibly unlikely.

I've not even seen one bad A10 and I've looked at a lot.

Suggest you buy it from someone else.

I guess I'm just lucky LOL. I dont gamble either (never win). I have a great deal of clearance around the tv. Mnn I just dont get it. It's pissing me off. And att his point I'm scared to excange again LOL. All my speakers are shielded, and not close to the set. Polarized light huh drak rain? Gonna look that up now....

I know about light engine problems, but he said he is on his 5th set. What are the odds of 5 bad sets?

*shrug* You're the expert, just saying, seems odd.

This just gets back to my argument about people being TOO picky. Color unifomity varies on these TVs. It's a well known problem. Ask the real expert, UMR.

He didn't get "5 bad sets." He got 5 TVs that he wasn't satisfied with. MANY people would have been happy with the first one he got. Do you see where I'm going with this?

I'd say move on, Toggle. I just don't think it's bad luck or a bad batch of them. I just think you're expecting perfection from a projection technology that has flaws. If you don't believe me then talk to UMR. He's a pro at this stuff.

I hear ya. I hear ya. just kinda sux that they're charging what they do for this technology, and are knowingly shipping these things out with this kind of stuff. God for bid I was a fan of black and white movies..... lol

What does everyone think about putting together a catalogue of screen photos? For example, I have a 42A10 and I don't see any of these colour variance issues. If everyone were to post a pic of their screen, head-on, with an image from DVE or similar, we could compare what is really acceptable and what is not.

Hey all,

Have had my 42A10 since Thanksgiving and have now noticed a strange (for lack of a better term) comet effect when standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at a 45 or so degree angle. I haven't noticed this until over the weekend while watching the Super Bowl. I can't see this effect while normal straight on viewing.

I've attached a few pics to show you what I'm talking about. The first one is with a blue screen and the others are from a hockey game on INHD. Not a real hockey fan and no offense, but it shows the effect better with a white background.

It looks like something very bad to me. I'm well within the warranty period, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting it repaired. Just thought I'd get your opinions on what this might be. Thanks for any help.

Hey all,

Have had my 42A10 since Thanksgiving and have now noticed a strange (for lack of a better term) comet effect when standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at a 45 or so degree angle. I haven't noticed this until over the weekend while watching the Super Bowl. I can't see this effect while normal straight on viewing.

I've attached a few pics to show you what I'm talking about. The first one is with a blue screen and the others are from a hockey game on INHD. Not a real hockey fan and no offense, but it shows the effect better with a white background.

It looks like something very bad to me. I'm well within the warranty period, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting it repaired. Just thought I'd get your opinions on what this might be. Thanks for any help.

I only see this when I have lights on in the room, ie. reflections back through the front plastic screen. Turn off your room lights a tell me what you don't see :)

Hey all,

Have had my 42A10 since Thanksgiving and have now noticed a strange (for lack of a better term) comet effect when standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at a 45 or so degree angle. I haven't noticed this until over the weekend while watching the Super Bowl. I can't see this effect while normal straight on viewing.

I've attached a few pics to show you what I'm talking about. The first one is with a blue screen and the others are from a hockey game on INHD. Not a real hockey fan and no offense, but it shows the effect better with a white background.

It looks like something very bad to me. I'm well within the warranty period, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting it repaired. Just thought I'd get your opinions on what this might be. Thanks for any help.
I only see this when I have lights on in the room, ie. reflections back through the front plastic screen. Turn off your room lights a tell me what you don't see :)It's not a refection, trust me. It's MORE pronounced in a dark environment...

It's not a refection, trust me. It's MORE pronounced in a dark environment...


Ok, I re-read your post. You must be looking down 45 degrees through the mirror assembly with light being transmited. Don't sweat it. Mine does the same at that angle, I just checked.

Ok, I re-read your post. You must be looking down 45 degrees through the mirror assembly with light being transmited. Don't sweat it. Mine does the same at that angle, I just checked.Mirror assembly??? I'm confused as to what are you talking about. I'm talking about standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at about 45 degrees. It's the same with ALL inputs and any picture material whether it's cable, DVD or test pattern. It's definitely NOT a reflection and it's definitely NOT normal in my opinion. Anyone else???

Mirror assembly??? I'm confused as to what are you talking about. I'm talking about standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at about 45 degrees. It's the same with ALL inputs and any picture material whether it's cable, DVD or test pattern. It's definitely NOT a reflection and it's definitely NOT normal in my opinion. Anyone else???

Chill out dude! Behind your plastic screen is a mirror assembly/light engine that projects light onto the screen. Looking down at 45 degrees on all inputs and any picture is definitely NOT normal in anyones opinion.

Anyone else ???!

Anyone else ???!
I agree. I see the same thing. It's part of the optics of the TV, and definitely not a defect.

Yawny,
I looked down on my Sony KDF-E55A20 HD TV and I see the same effect that you are seeing. Mine does not seem very pronounced, but never the less, it is there. I am afraid that you may be over analyzing your TV. On another thread, a person asked "How many of you are just kicking back and watching your TV?" I am very happy with my picture quality. I hope you do not have a problem. Does it affect the PQ when looking directly from the front? Good Luck, WolfpackRon.

Does anyone know how to find out how many hours the projection lamp has on it? Is it in the service menu?

What does everyone think about putting together a catalogue of screen photos? For example, I have a 42A10 and I don't see any of these colour variance issues. If everyone were to post a pic of their screen, head-on, with an image from DVE or similar, we could compare what is really acceptable and what is not.
This was much harder to do than I expected it to be. The lens I used vignetted plus the raw conversion seemed to exagerate color and contrast even though the settings I chose should have resulted in faithful reproduction (probably a result of pushing the exposure in the conversion so the dark level glow could be seen). So, I corrected the image in photoshop using PTLens for the vignetting correction and color and brightness/contrast adjustments until the image matched what I see with my eyes. Because I reduced the size the uploaded image of the THX resolution test doesn't show that in the original picture the highest frequencies at the right of the test image are resolved.

Yes, it is in the service menu. Do a search to find the magic, un-rememberable combination to find it.

When researching RPTV's before settling on my 50A10, I noticed that some have a power or lamp save mode, theoretically lengthening lamp life. Do the various picture and iris controls on the A10 have any effect on lamp power or are they simply software controls of a fixed lamp output?
Thanks in advance,
atek99

I'll be taking pics of my pink section tonight. Then everyone can tell me if I'm a total freak or if there is in fact a problem. LOL

[QUOTE=maverick0716]Does anyone know how to find out how many hours the projection lamp has on it? Is it in the service menu?[/QUOTE

My apologies to the original poster. I had saved this one.

"I'll give it a shot, with the caveat that I am not responsible for any resulting harm done to anyone's set by anyone delving into the service menu. I am not a tech. Proceed at your own risk:

In standby mode, press the buttons on the Remote Commander sequentially, in rapid succession, like this:

A. Press [Display] , Channel [5] , Sound Volume [+] , Power [ON]

B. You want to be in what Sony calls the "BE-micro service menu," press JUMP two times to get into this cryptic menu.

You'll see something like this on your display (note the forum message editor doesn't seem to let me format the below, so this is a bit jumbled compared to what you actually see):

CONFIGRATION 00 SERVICE
CP18_COLOR_SYS 00 00A0 BE Micro

Press channel 4 once to go one item down into the lamp time display (4 = next adjustment item down; 1 is up) You'll see something like this on your display:

GW_SPECIAL 34 SERVICE
LAMP_TIME 02 00000032 BE Micro

That's your lamp time - a zero-filled 8-digit number, in this case: 00000032. This means "lamp time = 32 hours". Now you know how long your lamp/bulb has been on.

To see how long your panel display has been going, press 4 again. You see this on your display:

GW_SPECIAL 34 SERVICE
PANEL_TIME 01 00000032 BE Micro

. . . .your panel has been on a total of 32 hours . . . .

Exit service mode by turning off your set.

There you go. Again, proceed with EXTREME caution in this completely unknown service menu . . . once you get into the service menu per above, if you start pressing the channel buttons haphazardly, all sorts of wierd stuff comes up. BE CAREFUL."

Thank you......but I tried it and that post forgot one thing. Before you exit the service menu you have to get back to the "root" menu by pressing jump one more time......otherwise when you fire up the TV, the menu will still be up (kinda freaked me out haha)

I have been trying to hook my tv up to my computer. If I use the laptop the pic has always been awsome. If I hook it up to my desktop and set the refresh and resolution the same as my laptop, the picture is junk. I could never figure out what was going on until I happened to hook up my laptop to the tv while it was plugged into the charger. Apparently, having anything plugged into the 110 from the wall causes distortion (slow scrolling shadows and the color changes slightly)
Has anyone had this problem, and if so how did you fix it? Line conditioner?


Just a follow up. The ground for my cable is different from the house ground. They are only about 6 feet apart and both are copper rods driven 8 feet into the ground.
Just for grins I ran a wire connecting each ground. That cleard up about 80 % of the problem. Still have a slight shadow that scrolls but it is much less. I purchased a line conditioner and a hum-x. Going to redo all of my hookups and see if I cant get rid of all the distortion.

Hey all,

Have had my 42A10 since Thanksgiving and have now noticed a strange (for lack of a better term) comet effect when standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at a 45 or so degree angle. I haven't noticed this until over the weekend while watching the Super Bowl. I can't see this effect while normal straight on viewing.

I've attached a few pics to show you what I'm talking about. The first one is with a blue screen and the others are from a hockey game on INHD. Not a real hockey fan and no offense, but it shows the effect better with a white background.

It looks like something very bad to me. I'm well within the warranty period, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting it repaired. Just thought I'd get your opinions on what this might be. Thanks for any help.

Ummm, looks like the same light that Cole's mother saw in pictures of the boy on "The Sixth Sense". Maybe your tv can see dead people. I'd be worried if I was you. :D

I'll be taking pics of my pink section tonight.


That just sounds SOOO wrong!!! :P


I tried taking pics of my set to ask about an odd line I have on the edges of my top and bottom black borders, and it is a lot harder than it sounds. Was difficult to get a nice clear shot.

Have had my 42A10 since Thanksgiving and have now noticed a strange (for lack of a better term) comet effect when standing in front of the screen and looking down on it at a 45 or so degree angle. I haven't noticed this until over the weekend while watching the Super Bowl. I can't see this effect while normal straight on viewing.
You are seeing an artifact of the projector. We all have it. The difference is, most of us don't see it because we don't watch TV from a foot away looking down at it.

It looks like something very bad to me. I'm well within the warranty period, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting it repaired.
It is not something very bad. I can't think of a single person who watches their 42"/50"/55"/60" RPTV from a foot away at a 45 degree angle. Using this logic, that is like saying something's wrong with your car because you can smell exhaust when you stand a foot behind it with the engine running.

Just a follow up. The ground for my cable is different from the house ground. They are only about 6 feet apart and both are copper rods driven 8 feet into the ground.
Just for grins I ran a wire connecting each ground. That cleard up about 80 % of the problem. Still have a slight shadow that scrolls but it is much less. I purchased a line conditioner and a hum-x. Going to redo all of my hookups and see if I cant get rid of all the distortion.
There should not be any need to carry extremely low frequencies from the cable into the house. You should therefore be able to isolate the cable connection after it is grounded by either putting capacitors in series with both the shield and center conductor of the cable or by using an rf transformer. If you could find a transormer type 75 to 300 ohm converter that completely isolated the input and output grounds you could try using two of them to go from 75 to 300 ohms then back from 300 to 75 again. The point is to isolate the ground connection on the shield of the cable company's cable (which seems to be carrying a significant current) from connecting to your equipment.
On second thought, the cable company should fix this for you.

Hey, those of you that have recently purchased a 42A10, did it come with the black 3LCD/DCR sticker on it in the lower right hand corner? Just curious as mine did not (and I was thinking back to the store display and theirs had that sticker on it). It popped into my head that mine didn't come with that sticker when I realized that I don't think I got a product registration card either.

Hey, those of you that have recently purchased a 42A10, did it come with the black 3LCD/DCR sticker on it in the lower right hand corner? Just curious as mine did not (and I was thinking back to the store display and theirs had that sticker on it). It popped into my head that mine didn't come with that sticker when I realized that I don't think I got a product registration card either.
My 50" didn't have any of the stickers on it either when I opened the box. I had the same concern, but upon closer inspection I've convinced myself that the box had never been opened. All the internal packaging looked original. They may have either stopped putting the stickers on, or they just supply the stickers to the retailers for their display models.

Hey, those of you that have recently purchased a 42A10, did it come with the black 3LCD/DCR sticker on it in the lower right hand corner? Just curious as mine did not (and I was thinking back to the store display and theirs had that sticker on it). It popped into my head that mine didn't come with that sticker when I realized that I don't think I got a product registration card either.

I purchased mine December 15th, 2005 and it *does* have both stickers in the lower right corner.

I've been thinking about removing them because they are ugly, but not sure which type of solvent would remove the glue yet not harm the plastic.

thanks for the info guys...I mean I'm pretty sure the TV is brand new, heh, it had a piece of paper taped to the top rear of the tv, the black straps weren't broken holding the box together (do you need to actually cut those in order to get the box open, or can you just slide them off? i cut them when I opened the box), and it doesn't look like the box has been re-taped.

i guess i just can't for the life of me remember seeing a product registration card at all, and the lack of the sticker (which was on the store model) got me thinking...

i do feel better though now that Mr. Pibb also did not get the sticker :)

also, just to note, my purchase date was January 30, 2006, and I'm pretty sure that the manufacture date was October 2005.

I too recently got the kdf-e50a10 on 2/2/06. I also did not have the lower right stickers. However, if you look closely, you can see some adhesive residue there. I hope they were removed more for aesthetic-purposes and NOT because it is no longer dcr-ready?

otherwise, the box/packaging definitely appeared factory-sealed.

what is DCR anyway? It's different from DRC right? Is DCR Digital Cable-Ready or something?

I bought the 42" last week and it did have the stickers on it. I took it back a day later because it just wasn't the right size for the room I have. Tomorrow I have the 50" showing up which I believe will be the right size.

I would like to get an update of how everyone likes this TV. I read earlier on this thread that some people were having problems with pixels and screen issues. Overall are most people getting sets that perform well with no problems?

I'm extremely happy with my set, even though it's got the blue blob in the top left corner of the screen. I've got a service call in with a sony repair guy at the moment who's ordering me a new optic engine to get rid of the blue blob, so after that's taken care of it'll be perfect.

For those concerned that they may not have a brand new tv due to the lack of stickers, you could go into the service menu and check the bulb life. That'll tell you if it has been a floor model. When I bought my Samsung DLP (which I returned) last summer, I went into it's service menu to check the bulb life and it had over 250 hours on it. :eek: I assumed it was a floor model that somebody at Circuit City had repackaged.

I purchased mine December 15th, 2005 and it *does* have both stickers in the lower right corner.

I've been thinking about removing them because they are ugly, but not sure which type of solvent would remove the glue yet not harm the plastic.

They're designed so you can just slowly pull them off without them ripping or leaving white stickiness behind.

Hi all


I just purchased a Samsung DLP set and im pretty unhappy with it, it shows dark colors poorly and has a "grainy" look to most of the picture even though im running a hd upconversion dvd player through hdmi cable... it still looks grainy and background colours (lets say like the sky in a scene) fluctuates and is really bad grainy effect... very frustrating to say the least.


Im really looking into the SONY KDFE50A10.... it looks great and ive read much more good reviews of it over the sammy I bought.

Im going to make the leap and grab the KDFE50A10 I think, im hoping I wont be disapointed.... anyone do any gaming on these KDFE50A10s? Help please! any info would be great... im new here but I plan to make a nice stay at it.. thx!


EDIT: also does anyone have a link or any info on generally the best settings to tweak this tv to?

You have to understand the frustration iam sure many of you have had this frustration when getting a TV that makes ya happy. the Sammy DLP defenitly isnt making me happy while watching DVDs....

My son plays xbox 360 on my A10 and it is spectacular to say the least.

For those concerned that they may not have a brand new tv due to the lack of stickers, you could go into the service menu and check the bulb life. That'll tell you if it has been a floor model. When I bought my Samsung DLP (which I returned) last summer, I went into it's service menu to check the bulb life and it had over 250 hours on it. :eek: I assumed it was a floor model that somebody at Circuit City had repackaged.

Do you have details on exactly how to do this? As most people I'm nervous about going into the service menu willy nilly.

So Gaming looks great on these tvs... HDTV content too and DVDS?? why the hell did I go for the Sammy? they really pushed it on me almost... even though I was ready to spend a bit more on the KDFE50A10...... argh! now I have to take my Sammy DLP back and exchange it for the SONY KDFE50A10... bastards!


Like I said gaming is important to me on these, but I really dont have an audience for when I sit around and play games so I dont care about a bit of interlacing on the games, my main problem with the SAMMY DLP was it just looked so grainy, especially the background.... it frustrates me to no end.... anger! mwhahaha.. but really the SONY KDFE50A10 seems like the best bet for me, most people seem happy with theirs and it looks amazing at the store playing HD content... sigh... here we go again.

what is DCR anyway? It's different from DRC right? Is DCR Digital Cable-Ready or something?
Yup, dcr is digital cable-ready, while DRC is sony lingo (i'm a newbie and have not looked into what it is/does).

In reference to REFLEX's query:
i too started out with the samsung hl-r4667w DLP, but returned it for the 50a10. I'm more into bright pictures, sharper image which the sony has. if you prefer the dark 'cinema look' then the consensus appears to be that samsung DLP is better at that.
also, the samsung did have a high-pitch noise from the color wheel (but then the sony fan is louder than the samsung fan).
overall though, i like my sony better.

sorry, i don't game, so have no input on that.

Do you have details on exactly how to do this? As most people I'm nervous about going into the service menu willy nilly.

Slidell just posted the instructions on how to check the number of hours on the bulb using the service menu. However, be sure to hit the "jump" button when you are finished to take you back to the original screen before you turn off the TV. His post is #6410 on Page 214 of this thread.

For those concerned that they may not have a brand new tv due to the lack of stickers, you could go into the service menu and check the bulb life. That'll tell you if it has been a floor model. When I bought my Samsung DLP (which I returned) last summer, I went into it's service menu to check the bulb life and it had over 250 hours on it. :eek: I assumed it was a floor model that somebody at Circuit City had repackaged.

great suggestion! I just checked and both my lamp and panel time are 51 hours, very plausible considering i've had the set for 9 days now, which would come out to a little over 5 1/2 hours of viewing a day...could definitely be possible.

so, at least I know mine's not a floor model :)

I too recently got the kdf-e50a10 on 2/2/06. I also did not have the lower right stickers. However, if you look closely, you can see some adhesive residue there. I hope they were removed more for aesthetic-purposes and NOT because it is no longer dcr-ready?

otherwise, the box/packaging definitely appeared factory-sealed.

Yup, dcr is digital cable-ready

well i'm happy to report that my TV is still DCR even though I didn't get the stickers, heh. I'm able to pull in some digital stations (almost all are the crappy music stations though), and broadcast HD channels through my standard analog cable service line.

Yup, dcr is digital cable-ready, while DRC is sony lingo (i'm a newbie and have not looked into what it is/does).

In reference to REFLEX's query:
i too started out with the samsung hl-r4667w DLP, but returned it for the 50a10. I'm more into bright pictures, sharper image which the sony has. if you prefer the dark 'cinema look' then the consensus appears to be that samsung DLP is better at that.
also, the samsung did have a high-pitch noise from the color wheel (but then the sony fan is louder than the samsung fan).
overall though, i like my sony better.

sorry, i don't game, so have no input on that.


well the thing is, i like the cinematic look, i know the KDFE50A10 is going to give me a great movie experience from what ive read..... the cinematic look on the SAMMY DLP is fine but its so grainy.. .I notice it alot well its hard not to when its right there in your face.

Over all your really happy with your KDFE50A10 huh? Im really close to just taking back my sammy and getting the KDFE50A10 sony..... cause I dont like the grainy look at all, its really bothersome.

well the thing is, i like the cinematic look, i know the KDFE50A10 is going to give me a great movie experience from what ive read..... the cinematic look on the SAMMY DLP is fine but its so grainy.. .I notice it alot well its hard not to when its right there in your face.

Over all your really happy with your KDFE50A10 huh? Im really close to just taking back my sammy and getting the KDFE50A10 sony..... cause I dont like the grainy look at all, its really bothersome.
yes, i'm overall happy. the reason why you can say i'm "really happy" and confident with my purchase is because amazon has them on sale right now. so i just paid another $100 bucks for the 50" sony (samsung was 46") than the samsung i got at BB. of course, you have to wait a few days for the shipment but i think it's worth it.

on the KDFE50A10 no one has come up with grainy look or fluctuating backgrounds? .... i understand a bit of calibration is in order, but right from the box ive heard much better things about the SONY KDFE50A10 over the Samsung DLP's......


My Samsung DLP is grainy... and the backgrounds (especially dark, but even the sky and others) look really grainy and the image in the backgrounds moves around a bit.. fluctuates.... argh.


ALSO: the KDFE50A10 is still native 720p and yet it looks sharper than the SAMMY 720ps? .... no 1080i for these?

Thanks Dave65,
I did like you suggested but I think I am just located in a bad spot! I was able to tune in a couple of stations but of course not the Super Bowl. Did get PBS. I am pretty much at the base of the hill the broadcast is coming from so I do not think the signal hits me. I have an indoor antenna but streached coax outside and tried to put the atenna on the roof. As i said I got some results but not what I was after. Thanks again for your suggestion.

My indoor antenna didn't do well either,I had to put the indoor antenna up on the second floor,close to a window to pickup ABC in HD.
When I did this,I got most of the HD channelsin my area..

on the KDFE50A10 is there any problems with pixelation or macroblocking or whatever in fast motion scenes???

this tv KDFE50A10 seems to be the one with the most happy people posting about it.

i just cant stand the goddamn grainy look on my sammy right now.. im going to calibrate it either tonight or tomorrow and then ill have to make my choice.. because to be honest I cant stand this grainy look at all, its so annoying and doesnt make the image look sharp at all.

on the KDFE50A10 is there any problems with pixelation or macroblocking or whatever in fast motion scenes???

this tv KDFE50A10 seems to be the one with the most happy people posting about it.

i just cant stand the goddamn grainy look on my sammy right now.. im going to calibrate it either tonight or tomorrow and then ill have to make my choice.. because to be honest I cant stand this grainy look at all, its so annoying and doesnt make the image look sharp at all.
Macroblocking on fast motion scenes is usually a problem with the source signal that is not caused by the TV at all. The representation of subtle shadow details in a pristine encoding with no compression artifacts like macroblocking will be slightly different between the Sammy DLP and the Sony RP-LCD. The DLP will have truer color calibration without any blobs or shifts from the left to right sides but you may prefer the way the Sony handles the dark grey steps without the need to dither using courser levels. Overall though the source encoding and compression problems like macroblocking typically swamp these subtle differences. I would recommend trying to find the best HD sources to view before condemming the picture on a given model TV.

Question:

Since the 42 & 50" A10 have a native resolution of 720P, I assume that this means my Dish811 receiver that's outputting 1080i it is being downconverted to 720P, and my Denon 2200's 480P signal is upconverted to 720P by my E50A10.

Don;t get me wrong.....the image quality is stunning, but would a 1080P set (namely the Sony SXRD series) offer a noticable improvement in the image quality department since it would upconvert everything to 1080P, or is the gain minimal to say the least?

Hi!
I think I have sold myself on the A10 model. Now I am trying to decide between the 42 and the 50 inch model. I have read that the whole SDE can be eliminated if you arent sitting too close to the TV. My viewing distance will be 8-10 feet. Which size would you recommend? My primary use for the TV will be for video games and sporting events. Does anyone not recommend this TV for those primary purposes? My father has the 42 inch model and I was sold on it when I visited him over the holidays. Early in my HD research I was leaning towards the Sony 46 inch (HLR4667W) just because it seems like that size is optimal(I wish Sony would produce a 46inch a10), and people talk up the DLP technology. But I am not so sure anymore. It seems like basically everyone who has the A10 is happy, whereas the dlp's seem much more hit or miss. Any advice?? Also he had some voice sync issues on the HD channels, is this common? He doesnt have any surround sound system or anything like that.
thanks

I'll chime in about gaming on the A10.......it's incredible, and no lag at all.

Question:

Since the 42 & 50" A10 have a native resolution of 720P, I assume that this means my Dish811 receiver that's outputting 1080i it is being downconverted to 720P, and my Denon 2200's 480P signal is upconverted to 720P by my E50A10.

Don;t get me wrong.....the image quality is stunning, but would a 1080P set (namely the Sony SXRD series) offer a noticable improvement in the image quality department since it would upconvert everything to 1080P, or is the gain minimal to say the least?
Correct, everything is converted to 720p for viewing on the A10s. If you sit close enough for the screen size- which means about 6 feet from a 50 inch set- then a 1080p set will have a sharper image when viewing de-interlaced 1080i30 from 1080i30 or 1080p24 sources. At 8 and a half foot or more viewing distance though it will be difficult to see any difference between an A10 and a 1080p 50 inch set. For bigger sets that distance would scale, so a 70 inch 1080p set would be perfect for viewing from about 9 feet. Of course low quality SD shows would look fairly hideous at that size so I would hope future set designers add a shrink mode to handle that case.

Hi!
I think I have sold myself on the A10 model. Now I am trying to decide between the 42 and the 50 inch model. I have read that the whole SDE can be eliminated if you arent sitting too close to the TV. My viewing distance will be 8-10 feet. Which size would you recommend? My primary use for the TV will be for video games and sporting events. Does anyone not recommend this TV for those primary purposes? My father has the 42 inch model and I was sold on it when I visited him over the holidays. Early in my HD research I was leaning towards the Sony 46 inch (HLR4667W) just because it seems like that size is optimal(I wish Sony would produce a 46inch a10), and people talk up the DLP technology. But I am not so sure anymore. It seems like basically everyone who has the A10 is happy, whereas the dlp's seem much more hit or miss. Any advice?? Also he had some voice sync issues on the HD channels, is this common? He doesnt have any surround sound system or anything like that.
thanks
I think the 50 inch size is perfect for your viewing distance.
I have heard of voice sync issues that are the fault of the tuner in the receiver (those cases sometimes cleared up after changing the channel back and forth) but it is common for it to be the station's fault. The networks are getting better at keeping things synced but local stations still sometimes mess things up. WTNH in CT has had voice sync problems for years that they don't bother to correct.

Sony man here. I own KDFE60A10. Also have Sony RM AX 4000 touch screen remote. I havent tweaked it . I quess I have more $$ than sense. Any suggestions. I am also thinking of getting the Oppo DVD player and a new Receiver.

I suggestion I maight add. Call Sony Directly to order TV. Set was 3499 in CC and same at besy buy. Both had warrenty for $499, plus shipping.So over $4200 it would have ran me. I called Sony Got KDFE60A10, plus warrrenty for $299 instead of $499 delivered and set up for $2900.

Hi!
I think I have sold myself on the A10 model. Now I am trying to decide between the 42 and the 50 inch model. I have read that the whole SDE can be eliminated if you arent sitting too close to the TV. My viewing distance will be 8-10 feet. Which size would you recommend? My primary use for the TV will be for video games and sporting events. Does anyone not recommend this TV for those primary purposes? My father has the 42 inch model and I was sold on it when I visited him over the holidays. Early in my HD research I was leaning towards the Sony 46 inch (HLR4667W) just because it seems like that size is optimal(I wish Sony would produce a 46inch a10), and people talk up the DLP technology. But I am not so sure anymore. It seems like basically everyone who has the A10 is happy, whereas the dlp's seem much more hit or miss. Any advice?? Also he had some voice sync issues on the HD channels, is this common? He doesnt have any surround sound system or anything like that.
thanks

I have had both sizes/types and sit at 9 ft from the TV. The 42 is the best overall performer at this distance. The size is not as impressive but the fact that it is smaller makes DVDs and regular cable look sharper and SDE is not visible. HD is not a problem at this distance so you could in theory go larger if this is your main viewing material but SDE is visible at this distance (unless you get 1080p). DLP is in some cases better but reliabilty problems and rainbows are a killer (you will see them wether you want to or not and yes they will eventually get to you be it annoyance or headache).

My plan is to wait until there is more HD stuff available wether it be HDDVD/BluRay or more HD channels then (after prices drop a bit) I will go for a large set for the same viewing distance 60-70.

Sony man here. I own KDFE60A10. Also have Sony RM AX 4000 touch screen remote. I havent tweaked it . I quess I have more $$ than sense. Any suggestions. I am also thinking of getting the Oppo DVD player and a new Receiver.

When did Sony release a 60" GW V? :p

Macroblocking on fast motion scenes is usually a problem with the source signal that is not caused by the TV at all. The representation of subtle shadow details in a pristine encoding with no compression artifacts like macroblocking will be slightly different between the Sammy DLP and the Sony RP-LCD. The DLP will have truer color calibration without any blobs or shifts from the left to right sides but you may prefer the way the Sony handles the dark grey steps without the need to dither using courser levels. Overall though the source encoding and compression problems like macroblocking typically swamp these subtle differences. I would recommend trying to find the best HD sources to view before condemming the picture on a given model TV.


Thanks for that tidbit there, im going to finally get to see the SAMMY in full force tonight with the help of my DVI to HDMI cable that ill be using for my HD cable box.... then ill be able to make a better judgement, but im still leaning towards grabbing the KDFE50A10.... cant seem to get away from how crisp it looks in comparison.

Quick Question :

How does 1080i HD signals like actual HD television look on your A10? From what I saw in the store (they were playing Discovery HD which I know for a fact is broadcast in 1080i) and it looked frickin amazing even from about 6 feet away. Confirmation?


ARGH I hooked up DVI to HMDI cables and there is no sound... which ive read to happen because DVI only handles visuals.. how the hell do I get sound now to my TV? what the hell :mad:

Quick Question :

How does 1080i HD signals like actual HD television look on your A10? From what I saw in the store (they were playing Discovery HD which I know for a fact is broadcast in 1080i) and it looked frickin amazing even from about 6 feet away. Confirmation?


ARGH I hooked up DVI to HMDI cables and there is no sound... which ive read to happen because DVI only handles visuals.. how the hell do I get sound now to my TV? what the hell :mad:

1080i looks incredible on the A10.

For sound to the TV you need to use the L&R (white and red) output jacks from your source.

Here it goes on Friday im going to be making my first HD purchase. I happen to work at BB and my discount is very nice on these sets. Im in between the HLR5067w and the 42a10 or the 50a10. I say the 42 because its nearly the same price as the 50 sammy. I would pay the extra money for the 50a10 but im thinking the 42 would be perfect for my space. Id be viewing movies and such from about 8 feet and most of my tv viewing from about 5 feet at my computer. :D Now ive seen both these sets alot as I work there I have compared and read and compared again. The Sammy dont look half bad nor does the Sony. I do like the DLP but it im worried about moving parts and audio sync. The sony does have the SDE and I do see it but im basically right on top of it we just recently set up two 42a10 with a 360 and a ps2 I must say these things like really good on this set. Im so on the fence about this purchase I dont want to wait for the new models I want a TV now. :p Id like to know your guys opinion on this purchase. If you had it to do all over would it be Sony or another model? Let me know what you think.

AVS Greatest HT Forum.

Thanks for that Dark Rain im switching from my Samsung DLP tomorrow to the A10....



And to "vatoman" from all the frustration ive been though id say go for the SONY, the DLP just seems too grainy for me, and when comparing the two in the store using the same cables and getting the exact same feed in, the SONY A10 looks sharper than the Samsung DLP I have.... I cant stress that enough, that if you want the sharper/clearer image youd go for the SONY. Which iam doing.

Just finished watching Corpse Bride on the DLP and it looked better than Batman Begins but the fuzzy/grainy look was still there and I noticed it quite often during the film. Its not so bad for movies like that, or PIXAR films but for regular stuff it shows up constantly. And on HDTV (actual Tv shows in HD) the DLP had the grainy look to it as well (on 720p channels and on 1080i) so over all id say again: go for the Sony.

Looking around these forums (which are great by the way) I think the SONY A10 gets over all the most positive comments - in its respective topic of conversation. Just from what ive seen, regardless the world of HD and the TVs therein is so huge and frustrating that id say go with your gut instinct and (it doesnt hurt to shop somewhere that has a good return policy so you can exchange it for whatever reason you see fit) grab what you think is best.

SONY A10 Here I Come haha.

Did anyone watch the Grammy's last night? (I watch maybe 10 minutes) My TV got quite pixelated during the Sly Stone ensamble. There were intense strob lights so I'm not sure if it was my TV that could not handle it or the CBS camera's. I was watching it OTA. That's really the only problem I saw - oher than that it looked pretty good for a live event - I was impressed.

Just wanted to see if it was the signal or if my TV can't process strob lights. It's a Sony 42 RP LCD A10. Either way it really doesn't matter as I don't watch much TV with Strob in it!

Did anyone watch the Grammy's last night? (I watch maybe 10 minutes) My TV got quite pixelated during the Sly Stone ensamble. There were intense strob lights so I'm not sure if it was my TV that could not handle it or the CBS camera's. I was watching it OTA. That's really the only problem I saw - oher than that it looked pretty good for a live event - I was impressed.

Just wanted to see if it was the signal or if my TV can't process strob lights. It's a Sony 42 RP LCD A10. Either way it really doesn't matter as I don't watch much TV with Strob in it!

MPEG-2 compression doesn't handle flashing lights very well. It's on the broadcasters end and not the TV.

Here it goes on Friday im going to be making my first HD purchase. I happen to work at BB and my discount is very nice on these sets. Im in between the HLR5067w and the 42a10 or the 50a10. I say the 42 because its nearly the same price as the 50 sammy. I would pay the extra money for the 50a10 but im thinking the 42 would be perfect for my space. Id be viewing movies and such from about 8 feet and most of my tv viewing from about 5 feet at my computer. :D Now ive seen both these sets alot as I work there I have compared and read and compared again. The Sammy dont look half bad nor does the Sony. I do like the DLP but it im worried about moving parts and audio sync. The sony does have the SDE and I do see it but im basically right on top of it we just recently set up two 42a10 with a 360 and a ps2 I must say these things like really good on this set. Im so on the fence about this purchase I dont want to wait for the new models I want a TV now. :p Id like to know your guys opinion on this purchase. If you had it to do all over would it be Sony or another model? Let me know what you think.

AVS Greatest HT Forum.

You'll be happier with the 42A10 for Xbox 360. Make sure under the system settings tab on your 360 to set it to 720p when you get the set, so it is showing it at the Sony's native resolution.

Also, for your distance, you will be happier with the 42 over the 50, you'd be too close for the 50". I am the same distance and have the 42" and it's plenty big and the perfect distance.

I am very happy with the 42A10. Use Dark Rain's settings for a starting point and you can't go wrong.

1080i looks incredible on the A10.

For sound to the TV you need to use the L&R (white and red) output jacks from your source.

And if you have the option, hook up the digital audio as well, whether it be optical or coaxial...that way you can get the 5.1 or better encoded audio that many HD programs are broadcast with.

Ehhh i cant get the pix to come out right. Could a few of you do me a favor? Turn the color all the way off or put in a black and whit movie, and tell me if everything looks uniform (only black and white) or if you have diffrerent tones bleeding through, or blotching (i.e. pink, blue, green)

yeah, i was trying to take a picture of my blue blob, but it's really hard to get it to come out right. anyhow, i don't have any color bleeding or anything on white pictures, but i do have the blue blob on black.

So I did it. I just ordered the 42A10 from Amazon. Unfortuneately it will be a delayed gratification as the estimated delivery isn't until late next week. My next job is to get a stand, and I was wondering if you guys had recommendations for stands. I would prefer something in the 200 dollar range if possible. It needs to have enough shelf space for an xbox, ps2, and reciever, although I think that most if not all stands would be able to accomodate those.

Ya my pink corner is getting irritating. Its pretty bad when theres someone walking donw a hall way and one side of the wall has a rose tint to it and the other is perfectly white

So I did it. I just ordered the 42A10 from Amazon. Unfortuneately it will be a delayed gratification as the estimated delivery isn't until late next week. My next job is to get a stand, and I was wondering if you guys had recommendations for stands. I would prefer something in the 200 dollar range if possible. It needs to have enough shelf space for an xbox, ps2, and reciever, although I think that most if not all stands would be able to accomodate those.

congrats, enjoy the new TV!

I got the Bush VS88536 TV stand from Best Buy, it's currently going for $168.99

Here's a pic of my 42A10 on the Bush stand (http://www.tornadobox.com/new_setup.jpg)

Ya my pink corner is getting irritating. Its pretty bad when theres someone walking donw a hall way and one side of the wall has a rose tint to it and the other is perfectly white

have you had your optic engine replaced? if not, and you can't/don't want to deal with returning the tv to the store for a new one, call sony support. i've currently got a tech call in with my local sony tech and he's ordering me a new optic engine (others have reported that this fixes the blue blob at least, may fix your pink blob too).

Guys getting back to the stickers. When I tried to pull mine off the big one took off paint (or whatever) from the cabinet. I called Sony and ***** like crazy and finally got them to replace the set. I had my dealer pull off on the replacement set and they came off with no problem.

At least one other posted here with same problem but he touched his up I believe.

As to you gettting sets with no stickers perhaps Sony stopped putting them on. I got my 50 way back in September and perhaps many other had removal problems with the earlier sets also.

In any event be careful pulling them off!!!!

I got my TV last week and there were no stickers on the cabinet. I'm guessing Sony quit putting them on, as well.

So I did it. I just ordered the 42A10 from Amazon. Unfortuneately it will be a delayed gratification as the estimated delivery isn't until late next week. My next job is to get a stand, and I was wondering if you guys had recommendations for stands. I would prefer something in the 200 dollar range if possible. It needs to have enough shelf space for an xbox, ps2, and reciever, although I think that most if not all stands would be able to accomodate those.

I paid $219 for this stand at Circuit City when I bought my KDF-E42A10:

http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/slb/PC.SLB.220337.RT.JPG

It left me about 9" to each side to put my satellite speakers. I'm happy with the stand. I like the look and construction quality is great....my only gripe is its hard to hide all the cables, even with the cable management channel on the back. It was also the cheapest one I could find that didnt *look* cheap.

Hey so what are the build dates for you guys just recently getting sets?? All the ones I have had problems with and others on the board as well have had a Nov 2005 build date. Woundering if the ones with no stickers are a sign of a new batch??? Possibly without some problems?? Might be worth another swap if theres a newer batch out.

Hey so what are the build dates for you guys just recently getting sets?? All the ones I have had problems with and others on the board as well have had a Nov 2005 build date. Woundering if the ones with no stickers are a sign of a new batch??? Possibly without some problems?? Might be worth another swap if theres a newer batch out.

I'm pretty sure my build is October 2005 (I'll double check later on tonight), I bought it from Best Buy in-store on Jan 30th, 2006, and mine didn't come with any 3LCD/DCR stickers. I also have the blue blob which is going to get fixed soon (didn't want to return the tv for exchange since I have zero geometry problems and zero dead/stuck pixels).

I'm pretty sure my build is October 2005 (I'll double check later on tonight), I bought it from Best Buy in-store on Jan 30th, 2006, and mine didn't come with any 3LCD/DCR stickers. I also have the blue blob which is going to get fixed soon (didn't want to return the tv for exchange since I have zero geometry problems and zero dead/stuck pixels).
If they replace the light engine then they are replacing the LCD which is where the dead pixels would be and how well they align the light engine will determine if you end up with geometry problems or not.

interesting, i did not know that...well at least i'll be within my 30 day return period still if something goes awry with the new light engine install

Here i go today for the A10...... ill report back later heheh.

Hey so what are the build dates for you guys just recently getting sets?? All the ones I have had problems with and others on the board as well have had a Nov 2005 build date. Woundering if the ones with no stickers are a sign of a new batch??? Possibly without some problems?? Might be worth another swap if theres a newer batch out.
Mine is October 2005, and it did have the 3LCD and DCR stickers. Also, have to re-check, but I believe it also said it was assembled in Mexico. I don't know if Sony has any other assembly plants that serve the North American market, so I don't know if this would also be a factor in the missing stickers or build quality. I bought it in January of this year at the local Costco. So far it's been perfect.

My Sony didnt come with 3lcd sticker but it did come with the wareenty card and i purchased mine in january 2006.
My 50" didn't have any of the stickers on it either when I opened the box. I had the same concern, but upon closer inspection I've convinced myself that the box had never been opened. All the internal packaging looked original. They may have either stopped putting the stickers on, or they just supply the stickers to the retailers for their display models.

Did anyone watch the Grammy's last night? (I watch maybe 10 minutes) My TV got quite pixelated during the Sly Stone ensamble. There were intense strob lights so I'm not sure if it was my TV that could not handle it or the CBS camera's. I was watching it OTA. That's really the only problem I saw - oher than that it looked pretty good for a live event - I was impressed.

Just wanted to see if it was the signal or if my TV can't process strob lights. It's a Sony 42 RP LCD A10. Either way it really doesn't matter as I don't watch much TV with Strob in it!

Yeah i saw the same thing over unecrypted cable during the U2 performance. Its macroblocking and its on either the source or the cable comapny. I get it sometimes when 24 switches angles soemtimes. Its just distracting for a half second.

January 2006 build date, no stickers at all.

I paid $219 for this stand at Circuit City when I bought my KDF-E42A10:

http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/enlarged/slb/PC.SLB.220337.RT.JPG

It left me about 9" to each side to put my satellite speakers. I'm happy with the stand. I like the look and construction quality is great....my only gripe is its hard to hide all the cables, even with the cable management channel on the back. It was also the cheapest one I could find that didnt *look* cheap.

I also have the Nea Moda (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Nea-Moda-Wide-TV-Stand-220337-/sem/rpsm/oid/110765/catOid/-12892/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) stand (got it for $219 w/ tax) for my E50A10 and it is very nice. I am also pleased that my Klipsch RC3 II center fits on the adjustable center shelf. My head is pretty much in the center of the screen when I am on the couch.

http://www.elitekiller.com/images/home_theater/front.jpg

Thats a nice looking pic Device Manager. Did you have your set calibrated? Or did you use any of the do-it-yourself discs?

FYI... My 50A10

November 2005
Made in Mexico
Came with stickers

No problems whatsoever...

congrats, enjoy the new TV!

I got the Bush VS88536 TV stand from Best Buy, it's currently going for $168.99

Here's a pic of my 42A10 on the Bush stand (http://www.tornadobox.com/new_setup.jpg)

BTW Tornado, my son tells me you are not suppose to put your X box on it's side.

Thats a nice looking pic Device Manager. Did you have your set calibrated? Or did you use any of the do-it-yourself discs?

Follow the info in the Grand Wega tweaks thread and use DVE or Avia to calibrate. You can do a heck of a job on your own with a little patience. You can go further using a colorimeter or hiring someone with one, but I'm very pleased with one, learning what all this is about, and two, the results I actually got with just some basic tweaking.

Also, there have been quite a few mentions that people who bought the affordable colorimeter units like the Spyder have come within veeerrry close numbers of what they tuned using the DVD's and their own eyes anyway.

BTW Tornado, my son tells me you are not suppose to put your X box on it's side.

mine is on its side since zero hour... its ran like a champ...

TexRob whered you get you set from?>

mine is on its side since zero hour... its ran like a champ...

Mine has been vertical since day 1, and has frozen a couple of times...

Thanks Kings, I have been meaning to try one of those discs. I do like the way my picture looks now with basic eye tweaking, so just wondering if it will make a significant difference. Device Manager's pic seems to bee very clear, just wandering if he eye-tweaked or used a disc?

Thats a nice looking pic Device Manager. Did you have your set calibrated? Or did you use any of the do-it-yourself discs?

Thank you. :) I started off by using some of the "popular" settings in the A10 Tweeks thread. Then I used AVIA to calibrate the DVD input and the HDNet test pattern to adjust only the brightness on the Sat input. Everything else appeared to match up nicely. Overall I have about 15-20% green pull, but you can't tell unless you look thru a filter all day.

Iris - 1
Picture - 75
Brightness - 46 (49 sat input 5 calibrated w/ HDNet test pattern)
Color - 48
Hue - G1
Color Temp - warm1
Sharpness - 30
Noise Reduction - Off
Black Corrector - Off
Advanced Iris - Low
Gamma - Low
Clear White - Off
Live Color - Off

DRC: Auto

All Video Inputs: (Red push fix applied)

CH_ITU_MODE1: 0002
CH_AXIS1: 003B

I got my 42a10 mid January 2006 and it only has one dead pixel, no blobs and the geometry is correct from what I can tell. I didn't have the stickers either and was wondering about them, I thought I was the only one.

The build date on the TV was 1/2006 and it was assembled in Mexico.

When did Sony release a 60" GW V? :p


Unsure. I got mine end of November. I was incorrect with model # , mine is KDF-E60A20.

BTW Tornado, my son tells me you are not suppose to put your X box on it's side.

Ok, first off, it's supposedly designed to work laying down or standing up. That said, the opposite of what your son said is actually the best way to do it. The way he has his, on it's side as you call it (I'd call it laying flat, and standing up to be on it's side actually) is the safest way to have it. With a spinning disc, at the very high speeds the Xbox 360 spins at any movement at all can be catastrophic (there are vids out there of it warping discs and killing machines). The unit is much more stable laying flat, and it's the way I'd reccomend everyone to keep theirs at if possible.

Never ever move any disc based console while the disc is spinning.

TexRob whered you get you set from?>

Best Buy on the 1st of Feb if I recall correctly. I'm in Texas, so perhaps the Mexico build location is true for me to get one so close to it's build date? All I know is I see no blobs, and it looks great, so I'm very happy.

Its official im switching to the A10 SONY on monday...


Another Quick Question:


On my CURRENT TV The samsung DLP the 1080i content on HDTV doesnt look too hot, iam posting this here in this topic because on monay like I stated above I will be switching it for the less grainy and more SHARP SONY A10.... now my question is this:


When watching actual HDTV, if lets say CBS broadcasts at 1080i should I set my HDBox to output 1080i and then let the TV do the conversion? Or should the Box be left on 720p all the time... or does it matter that much?

On my Dish 811 I set it to do 1080i and the TV downconverts to 720P. The image quality is stunning to say the least. However if I set the Dish 811 to do 720P I find that the image quality suffers a great deal. YMMV, so try both settings and let your eyes be the judge.

Ok, but for 720p broadcasts you set your box to output 720p correct? so there is no work to be done?...

No, I always leave the Dish 811 receiver configured to do 1080i. Even SD material is upconverted and then downconverted to 720P by the TV.

Isnt there some quality compromised doing that? I dont know too much about it, so thats why I ask.

So if your TV is 720p and the Box is set to 1080i and it recieves 720p signals doesnt that mean that the box has to do work to out put it to 1080i and then your TV has to down scale it to 720p? Isnt that extra work that doesnt need to be done and/or cause loss of quality?

Here's a pic of my Z-Line Designs TV Stand (23541S) (http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=69535&WT.mc_n=4&WT.mc_t=U&cm_ven=COMPARISON%20SHOPPING&cm_cat=GOOGLE&cm_pla=DATAFEED-%3EPRODUCTS&cm_ite=1%20PRODUCT&cm_keycode=4)

It doesn't have room on the side for my speakers so my speakers are a little behind the side of the TV. And the wire management holes in the back do absolutely nothing. But it looks good and matches the TV well.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/nyczzzjohn/Apartment/zline.jpg

Isnt there some quality compromised doing that? I dont know too much about it, so thats why I ask.

So if your TV is 720p and the Box is set to 1080i and it recieves 720p signals doesnt that mean that the box has to do work to out put it to 1080i and then your TV has to down scale it to 720p? Isnt that extra work that doesnt need to be done and/or cause loss of quality?

It's the same with the Motorola 6412. When I set it to 720p, 1080i stuff looks very soft but 720p stuff looks good. When I set it to 1080i, both 720p and 1080i look very sharp and detailed.

I've come to the conclusion that the deinterlacer inside the 6412 isn't a good as the one in the A10. So, when set to 1080i the A10 does most of the work and produces the best PQ. When set to 720p, the box has to upscale, deinterlace, and then downscale incoming 1080i signals back to 720p. This is where a lot of degradation occurs.

For 720p signals with the box set at 1080i, the box will scale them to 1080i, but the A10 will deinterlace and scale it back down to 720p.

The bottom line is that the A10 just does a better job over the cable/satellite box. 720p TV shows like "24" and "Lost" look razor sharp with the box set at 1080i.

Dark Rain:: Thank you very much for that info once again youve been very helpful for me. Iam excited to see the difference between the A10 and my current Samsung DLP which I enjoy but find the picture to be a bit too grainy. I was watching CSI and it looked great but again the grainy look was still there. I have left my Motorola Cable HD Box at 1080i now after reading your post and that other persons. Iam really hoping that the Sony will be sharper than what I have now. Obviously it couldnt be worse. Hahaha..... SHARP is what I Wanted with HD... not softer grainy images. Either way the stuff looks great. I just wish more programming in HD was available through cable. The cable guy told me that by the end of the year about 5 more HD channels will be added... I really hope to god they will add Discovery HD....


Anyway from what ive heard leaving it on 1080i and letting everything sort its self out is best, and ill do that. And that the Sony A10 is sharper than what I got now.. it seems that way anyway. Thanks.






EDIT>> Also once again another quick question: On the A10's it says on the specifications that there is a "Game Mode" what does this do, and why.. etc etc etc? Iam a big gamer and Im going to get the PS3 when it comes out and the new Nintendo Revolution when that comes out too.... (im not an xbox fan at all)... so im just wondering.

REFLEX,

Just keep in mind that when you do get the A10 that it won't look so good until you tweak the picture settings. Follow the links in my signature to get you started on a good to great looking picture. The A10 is a great TV once you do the red push fix and tone down the out of the box settings.

Iam scared of entering the service menus, without fixing the red push can you tweak it out as you detail in that topic and have the picture look good, obviously people here havent all done this right? (the red push fix)

I mean I havent calibrated my Sammy yet at all, wont get a chance cause im switching it for the A10... outta the box I hear that the sony is just sharper and over all better (I know that last comment might be subjective) than the sammys.

Like I said Im kind of weary of entering the service menu and although those instructions for fixing the red push seem straight forward I have been known to go into something without full knowledge and screw things up, which I totally wouldnt want to do in this case. So my back to my first question is it possible to (without red push fix) make the TV look better with your settings you posted?




EDIT>> Also you have showed what many different settings depending on whether its SDTV, HD, or DVD etc, can you keep those settings and switch them easily on the A10 or is it something you change all the time.... or is there one best setting set or what? Im kind of over my head at the moment. Im still wanting to exchange my Samsung DLP for the Sony.


Also what exactly is the red push problem?? I was watching the HD feed in the store and they played all sorts of stuff and red looked fine to me.... Sorry so many questions.

For the TV to look better WITH the red push you just need to set the COLOR setting down more. 38 seems to be a good number, but you'll have to find your own settings to taste. But by doing this all other colors are affected and look quite pale. The SM isn't that difficult to get into and you can't screw it up if you just follow the directions carefully.

As for the settings, each input has it's own. For instance if your DVD player is on input 5 you get the option to use CUSTOM, VIVID, or STANDARD modes for that input. CUSTOM lets you tweak every setting, whereas STANDARD and VIVID are somewhat limited. These 3 different modes of settings wont affect other inputs. So after you set up, say, a CUSTOM mode for your DVD player, you won't have to switch back to it as those settings will be saved for just that input.

Red push is when the color decoder accentuates the reds. An example would be when someone is wearing a red shirt and it looks very saturated compared to other colors surrounding them. Another example would be skin tones. People tend to have rosy-looking faces when there is too much red push. Turning the color down makes them look more normal but desaturates all the other colors. So, fixing the red push is critical to get more accurate color rendering.

Hmmm I see..... so for each individual input, (HDTV, DVD, GAMESYSTEM, ETC.) you have individual settings that are saved for each, so when you switch the settings switch automatically right? Got it.

You say the Red Push instructions are easy to follow even for someone nervous about it because they are a total noob when it comes to TV?

Without doing the Red Push (like the model at the tv store) it looks sharper than my DLP at the moment me thinks. I guess the other alternative is to just sit back and enjoy the big picture that is overall wayyyyyyy better than regular tvs and ofcourse being able to watch things like CSI in HD.



Obviously there are people here who havent done the red push fix.... what are all your opinions?

You say the Red Push instructions are easy to follow even for someone nervous about it because they are a total noob when it comes to TV?

Without doing the Red Push (like the model at the tv store) it looks sharper than my DLP at the moment me thinks. I guess the other alternative is to just sit back and enjoy the big picture that is overall wayyyyyyy better than regular tvs and ofcourse being able to watch things like CSI in HD.

Just going in and out of the SM won't cause your TV to be messed up. Once you make a change, that change has to be saved into memory. So, the key is to write down the default setting of whatever you're going to change BEFORE you change it. That way you can always go back to that setting if you didn't like the results.

I have stated that even without the red push fix that the A10 looks very good. So, you may be happy without doing it.

Let us know how you like it when you get it.

Hmmm I see..... so for each individual input, (HDTV, DVD, GAMESYSTEM, ETC.) you have individual settings that are saved for each, so when you switch the settings switch automatically right? Got it.

You say the Red Push instructions are easy to follow even for someone nervous about it because they are a total noob when it comes to TV?

Without doing the Red Push (like the model at the tv store) it looks sharper than my DLP at the moment me thinks. I guess the other alternative is to just sit back and enjoy the big picture that is overall wayyyyyyy better than regular tvs and ofcourse being able to watch things like CSI in HD.



Obviously there are people here who havent done the red push fix.... what are all your opinions?

If you go to the first post in the tweaks forum, there is step by step instructions on doing the red push fix:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709

Even a "noob" can follow it, and if along the way of doing it, you can always back out without saving, so nothing gets messed up.

As far as which setting to use on your cable box (1080 vs 720), my box gives me a passthru option. So if I'm watching a program in 720, the box passes it through as-is, with no scaling. The same for 1080. The TV then does the work on the 1080 signal, scaling to 720. This way you don't have to worry about which setting you should be using. The downside to this is that when switching between channels displaying different formats, it takes a few seconds for the tv to "tune in".

I don't know what box you said you have, but I have the SA8300HD PVR.

Added note: I had the Samsung DLP last summer for a few days, but also was unhappy with the grainy picture. Traded for the 42a10 and couldn't be happier. Hope you have the same experience. :p

Yeah I guess that makes me a bit more confident about the red push fix problem, I just popped in Spiderman1 and from a bit farther away than my couch it looks great even with the slight gainy look, I think for DLPs the reccomended distance should be well over 11 feet, cause it makes a big difference. From father away (hahah sittin on my kitchen table in our small ass apartment) it looks quite a bit better on my sammy dlp.... so maybe thats it?


At this point, ill look over the red push fix, and over the weekend ill watch a few different kind of dvds and check them out from farther away (we are moving to a much bigger place in a few short months), and make my final choice my monday morning, because all this is purely subjective as well I do know... and at this point its so mind boggling and frustrating that im debating just keeping what I initially got and being happy with a nice big tv thats obviously far superier to old tv technology and it can play HD, and HD games with the ps3 coming out in a while.


I will rent some newer films, and watch them and make a choice... in the end isnt it about just enjoying the great big screen and nice pic quality? i dont know what to do anymore....... haha. im scared ill take my sammy back, get the sony and something will be wrong with it .. IE: i fix the red push and it looks too green or something. blaH!!

Yeah I guess that makes me a bit more confident about the red push fix problem, I just popped in Spiderman1 and from a bit farther away than my couch it looks great even with the slight gainy look, I think for DLPs the reccomended distance should be well over 11 feet, cause it makes a big difference. From father away (hahah sittin on my kitchen table in our small ass apartment) it looks quite a bit better on my sammy dlp.... so maybe thats it?


At this point, ill look over the red push fix, and over the weekend ill watch a few different kind of dvds and check them out from farther away (we are moving to a much bigger place in a few short months), and make my final choice my monday morning, because all this is purely subjective as well I do know... and at this point its so mind boggling and frustrating that im debating just keeping what I initially got and being happy with a nice big tv thats obviously far superier to old tv technology and it can play HD, and HD games with the ps3 coming out in a while.


I will rent some newer films, and watch them and make a choice... in the end isnt it about just enjoying the great big screen and nice pic quality? i dont know what to do anymore....... haha. im scared ill take my sammy back, get the sony and something will be wrong with it .. IE: i fix the red push and it looks too green or something. blaH!!

I don't know if you have HBO HD, but they often show 'I Robot' on there. I find this to be one of the best looking movies they broadcast. Very crisp and does not have that 'film grain' that many movies do (and many people prefer). I don't know how the DVD looks, but the HD broadcast is great.

I just checked, and it looks like the next time it will be shown is not until the 15th at 12:40 AM. :(

Obviously there are people here who havent done the red push fix.... what are all your opinions?

I have had my set for 2 weeks, and have not done the red push fix. The colors seem decently balanced to me, and I think I keep color at 45 or whatever the default setting Dark Rain has. I figure I'd wait until I started getting picky and venture into the service menus. I never knew that it only wrote the data once you saved and left, that makes me about 1000 times more likely to go into the service menu, as you would truly have to ignore the directions to mess it up by saving after doing something you weren't sure about.

BTW Tornado, my son tells me you are not suppose to put your X box on it's side.

why is that?

REFLEX,
I have the KDF-E55A20 and I tend to like what I think people are calling "red push." I tried adjusting settings on my TV and generally like it with the settings "out of the box." Some call it cartoony, but I like the brighter colors which is personal preference. WolfpackRon.

does anyone by chance know if you can determine the manufacture date of the TV via anything on the barcode label of the box? i'm waiting to hear back from my service tech who said he was ordering my optic engine, if he hasn't ordered it yet or it's on back order and he can cancel it, i'm just going to exchange the tv at best buy...but if i do exchange it i'd want to get the newest build date they have.

also, do you guys recommend the extended warranty through best buy? i'm still within the 30 days to purchase the extended warranty if i choose to.

i checked into sony's extended warranty as well, and made a few phone calls regarding their "claims limits" clause, and apparently with theirs if you have any repairs that total over the amount of the retail cost of the television within the extended warranty time period, they'll just buy out the contract and you're stuck with a busted tv, so i'm not going to go with the sony one.

does anyone by chance know if you can determine the manufacture date of the TV via anything on the barcode label of the box? i'm waiting to hear back from my service tech who said he was ordering my optic engine, if he hasn't ordered it yet or it's on back order and he can cancel it, i'm just going to exchange the tv at best buy...but if i do exchange it i'd want to get the newest build date they have.

also, do you guys recommend the extended warranty through best buy? i'm still within the 30 days to purchase the extended warranty if i choose to.

i checked into sony's extended warranty as well, and made a few phone calls regarding their "claims limits" clause, and apparently with theirs if you have any repairs that total over the amount of the retail cost of the television within the extended warranty time period, they'll just buy out the contract and you're stuck with a busted tv, so i'm not going to go with the sony one.

Nothing on my box that indicated manufacture date. By the way bought mine on Jan 23 from CC with a January 2006 manufacture date - with no problems whatsoever.

ah well, guess i got screwed with best buy back-stock. i wonder if they made a change to the optic engine after Nov 2005, which is why the newer sets are much better with regards to the color blobs.

i got a call back from my service tech, and my optic engine is due in on Monday via DHL, and he'll install it next week. hopefully it's a good optic engine, but just incase, at least i'll still have about 2 weeks left on my 30 day return period.

Good Luck with the replacement!!

borgdaddy, the build date is the back of the tv itself

borgdaddy, the build date is the back of the tv itself

yeah, he was replying to my question about whether or not the build-date is apparent on the outside of the box of the tv (so, if one were to go into best buy they could request the newest build-date they had in stock).

Ya I just caught that. Thats what I get for not reading the page before first. lol

Ya I just caught that. Thats what I get for not reading the page before first. lol

:)

out of curiosity, did you ever get any decent pictures of your color problem?

You say the Red Push instructions are easy to follow even for someone nervous about it because they are a total noob when it comes to TV?


Obviously there are people here who havent done the red push fix.... what are all your opinions?

I've had my 50A10 for about two weeks and I found that the red push fix makes a huge difference and I highly recommend that you use it. I was also a bit nervous about going into the Service Menu but it was well worth it, believed me. Before I did the red push fix, skin tones were pink and folks looked like they were sunburned. Also, don't forget that the actors and news anchors all use stage makeup, so sometimes I they had "clay" looking faces because of the pancake makeup they were wearing. The instructions originally posted by Deconvolver were easy to follow and I didin't have too much difficulty in making the fix. One thing, however, is to be sure to hit "jump" after you have written your changes to take you back to the original SM screen BEFORE you turn of your TV. Otherwise, when you turn the TV back on, the Service Menu will still be there and nothing you do will get rid of it. I had to unplug the set for a few minutes to get rid of it. The user's manual gives you a way to reset the TV to the factory settings. It is listed in the "Troubleshooting" section, under the "General" category, so if you don't like what you've done in the SM, I assume you can always reset to the original settings.

Your grainy picture on your current TV may be due to your cables or the set top box. I had a grainy picture when watching SD through my Motorola DVR, so I bought a better HMI_DVI cable and brand new coax cables and, while the picture is improved, it still is not as good as the picture from the cable straight to the TV. I have come to the conclusion that my cable company is using substandard equipment and that I have the best picture I can get...maybe I will look into satellite or other options. Like you, the SD picture looks better the farther away I sit from the TV, so maybe I should buy a bigger house! The red push fix also helped the SD PQ because it tones down the colors so things don't look so bad, especially when the backgrounds are brown.

Finally, I think the "Game Mode" on the A10 is to sync the sound when it is coming through a receiver. I read it in the manual, but didn't pay too much attention to it since I don't have a surround sound system or the like. I could be wrong, maybe someone with a sound system could tell you more.

Good luck with your decision, I don't think you can go wrong with the A10.

....
Without doing the Red Push (like the model at the tv store) it looks sharper than my DLP at the moment me thinks. I guess the other alternative is to just sit back and enjoy the big picture that is overall wayyyyyyy better than regular tvs and ofcourse being able to watch things like CSI in HD.

Obviously there are people here who havent done the red push fix.... what are all your opinions?
Relflex, I think you will be quite happy with the A10 with or without the fix. I too was nervous about going into the service menu. So for the first two weeks I used Darkrains settings (click the link in his signiture) which document what settings for color with or without the red push fix. I recommend printing out his settings and using them - then tweek to taste.

I then did the red push fix and turned up the color and the TV even looks better. If you see grain on HD on the DLP then I would return it and get the A10. You will love it! It's not perfect, but man, sometimes it just looks so good.

tornadobox, ehh the camera wasnt co operating with me lol

All you guys that are scared to go into the service menu and do the red push fix...DON'T BE. Its not nearly as difficult as it may seem. Just copy/paste and print the step by step instructions, read them a couple of times and take the paper with you to the t.v room. Take your time with each step and realize that you don't have to rush through the process. There is not a certain amount of time that you have to perform each step. It really is an easier process than you think and does make a noticable difference in the color performance(not that it was really bad before). Just remember, TAKE YOUR TIME and don't rush through it ;)

Melanotheran - There is a way you can get rid of the service menu if you accidentally didn't press jump to get back to the main menu screen. I did this and was scared when I turned my tv on too! All you have to do is get back to the sub menu (that is currently on the screen) so they overlap and then it goes away.

I bought my A10 on Dec. 20 and just did the red push fix 2 weeks ago. I was very happy with the picture without the fix but when I did it, I was amazed on how much more realistic skin tones (and other reds) were. Another plus is that I could now turn the colour up, therefore also bringing all the other colours up to where they should be.

Thanks, Maverick. This info will come in handy the next time I decide to mess with the Service Menu, although I don't have any immediate plans to do so. I had this problem last night, and, to make matters worse, my wife walked into the room just as I realized what was happening. Since I don't want her to know that I am messing in the Service Menu (she would freak out), I quickly unplugged my set, waited a few minutes and then turned the TV back on. All was well. She did ask if something was wrong with the TV, but I just told her I was straightening out the nest of wires because I am such a perfectionist about my TV. That was close!

.... One thing, however, is to be sure to hit "jump" after you have written your changes to take you back to the original SM screen BEFORE you turn of your TV. Otherwise, when you turn the TV back on, the Service Menu will still be there and nothing you do will get rid of it. I had to unplug the set for a few minutes to get rid of it...
There is another way to get rid of the service screen. What happens is that when you re-enter the service screen with the set in this condition then hit the jump buttons they seem to work backwards. IIRC after you hit jump twice in the service menu the text disappears; if you then shut off the set it will be back to normal the next time you power it on.
[Edit] I see Maverick beat me to this answer. I was called away from the computer before I could hit send.

Thanks a lot for the info and confidence.. im going to rent I Robot (the newer dvd player I have is better than the panny I returned) and Im going to rent a few other newer movies and watchem this weekend and also watch a lot of HDTV on cable, I think id rather live with the red push than the graininess.... the red push only really effects things when surrounded by whites or yellows and stuff right? Peoples faces, red jackets agasint white sky or snow... things like that?

I know no HD set is perfect they all have their ups and downs.. .pros and cons, ill see how well I can loive with the graininess this weekend.




When doing the red push fix you dont have to push the buttons quickly like lets say dialing a telephone.. press 1 button and then another slowly to make sure im doing the right thing? Also what if I screw up? How do you "not save" and back out so you can try again?? Also how do I get a test pattern? Or do i need one to do the red push fix?

Also what if I screw up? How do you "not save" and back out so you can try again?? Also how do I get a test pattern? Or do i need one to do the red push fix?

the only thing you have to press without a pause is the keystrokes to actually get into the service menu (so, if for some reason you don't press them fast enough, it just won't let you in). the other key presses are just to navigate you through the cryptic menu system (which is why you need instructions), and you very well can take your time with that.

as far as i know, nothing will be saved unless you press mute then enter to write the data. just fyi, i had never ever gone into a tv service menu before i did with the KDF-E42A10, and at no time did i feel like i was going to break anything. i just followed the steps i had one by one, changed my values, saved them by pressing mute then enter, and exited. very very simple. unless you're already prone to hit the wrong buttons on your remote for some reason, you'll have no problem doing the red-push fix.

you don't need a test pattern, you just need to change a value in the menu (by scrolling through a list, so it's not even like you can enter an invalid value)

So when setting up this "fix" by doing so you are setting it to write (therefore save) your settings you are going to put in, but If I get this right as long as you write down ALL the settings before saving you can go back and change all you want, so really there is no way (as long as you properly write them down) that you can screw things up because you can go back and revert your changes to what they really were?


I really really dont want to screw my new TV up haha.... really though.

exactly, all you're doing is changing a pre-set value (it's there in the list for you to pick) in the service menu of the tv. the old value is good to write down just incase you want to go back, but it's not going to disappear from the list if you move away from it and write a new value to memory.

IF you follow the instructions theres NO way to screw things up even if you accidentally put the wrong value? You can just go back right?....


Also I read that some people complained that it made the faces look a bit too green.... or was that something else? You always read one thing about HDTV's that people rave about and then someone or some people come along and say either the opposite or find a problem with that particular thing.... in this case the red push fix making things look a bit too green? I dunno maybe im knit picking.

so how good is this tv?

IF you follow the instructions theres NO way to screw things up even if you accidentally put the wrong value? You can just go back right?....

there are several different pre-sets for the red-push level, none are actually WRONG, it's just what you (and others) prefer. basically, if you go into the service menu, change the red-push value to 003B (which is what's been given as the best value to use) and don't like it for some reason, just go back in and scroll back to the original setting (or any other you may like...i ended up scrolling through the entire preset list just to see what they looked like) and you're set.


Also I read that some people complained that it made the faces look a bit too green.... or was that something else? You always read one thing about HDTV's that people rave about and then someone or some people come along and say either the opposite or find a problem with that particular thing.... in this case the red push fix making things look a bit too green? I dunno maybe im knit picking.

depending on how you already have the Hue set up (if it's on the G side, like G1, G2, etc.) and depending on which value you choose for the red-push fix, you may get a green-push (in which case, you'd either set the Hue setting back to 0, or if it's already there, you'd choose a different red-push fix value from the list...one that's to your liking).

alright..... does anyone have and pics of this service menu and all that jazz..... it would probably make me feel a bit more comfortable about going in there all willy nilly.... im just nervous a bit I think.


so you also have to do this for each individual signal? like do it once for HDTV, do it once for DVD...? once youve done it once how do you switch signals? those signals have to be on? like the cable box is on, and so is the dvd player?

alright..... does anyone have and pics of this service menu and all that jazz..... it would probably make me feel a bit more comfortable about going in there all willy nilly.... im just nervous a bit I think.

well, unfortunately the service menu IS cryptic, which is why it's important to have specific instructions on which keys you have to press to get where you want to go.

however, here's a picture pulled from the service manual that does a decent job of depicting the service menu. keep in mind that each step shown in the service manual is a new screen on the tv service menu (so, first you'll see the top box in the picture, then after pressing "channel 4" on the remote, it'll pull up the next box in the picture.

so you also have to do this for each individual signal? like do it once for HDTV, do it once for DVD...? once youve done it once how do you switch signals? those signals have to be on? like the cable box is on, and so is the dvd player?

you do have to set the value for each input, yes. the good thing is all you have to do is press INPUT (or whatever the button is on the remote, i can't remember), and it works while the service menu is up. you don't have to have anything active on the input, so you don't have to put in a DVD or whatever on your DVD input.

REFLEX - You may choose not to do the red push fix, it depends on your own preferences. No one in my family even noticed what I did with the red faces and all. I changed my value from 3C to 3B (one button push) and I couldn't be happier with the results. There is no green in the faces and skin tones look a lot more natural. I also have one of the newer TV's and when I changed my setting for one input, they all changed, so I didn't have to switch inputs and redo the fix for each. Regardless, you can just hit the TV/Video button to change your inputs while you are in the service menu. The picture from each input stays on the screen, so it's not a big deal.

Yeah Ok I get it.. well im gonna do a lot of watchin this weekend to make a choice.... ill probably still go for the A10.... every HDTV has its own problems, .. ill see.. ill just have to see.

Melanotheron, what is your value for CH_ITU_MODE1 (the one right before CH_AXIS)? Is it 0000 or 0002?

I changed it from 0000 to 0002, as per your suggestion on the tweaks thread. I'm pretty close to your settings, although I set my iris to 2 or 3, rather than 1.

O, hehe. :P

I've tried using Iris 2 on a few occasion but it makes things too bright in my room and washes out the blacks. I guess since my set has the contrast and brightness set correctly it should be ideal.

Have you tried using the black corrector? I didn't like it at all. Even on a fairly bright image it added too much contrast IMHO. It made the shadows even darker.

Yes, I tried the black corrector but didn't like it, either. I did want to ask you what you meant by DRC: Auto. I don't seem to have that setting...it's either High Density or Progressive. In the DRC Pallette, is there a decent setting that you like. Right now I am in the 10-15 range for both Clarity and Reality, but can't really see what these settings do. DarkRain's setting are in the 60-65 range for both, if I remember correctly. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

You only gain access to the DRC pallette if you are using non-HD if I recall correctly. Mine is set to Auto since I have a Dish811 doing 1080i.

:D Well after months and months of trying to figure it out, I did it fellas and ladies. I got the 42A10 and for my room size its the most perfect match. I must say im very happy I didnt get the Samsung. Black levels seem very good better than I expected. Now for a few recent asked questions of recent buyers. No stickers and no residue of a sticker ever being there. Made in Mexico and it was made in Jan of 06' thats sweet to me. Some minor adjusments out of box and it seems perfect but im sure to tweak it for optimal viewing. I got a 360 to go with this bad boy and boy oh boy could I be any happier. Well I want to thank you all for your knowledge and suggestions. Now im off to tweak and enjoy thanks all! :)

well, I finally was able to get a decent shot of the blue blob on my tv, here it is for anyone who's interested...

blue blob (http://www.tornadobox.com/blueblob.jpg)

I just purchased a Samsung DLP set and im pretty unhappy with it, it shows dark colors poorly and has a "grainy" look to most of the picture even though im running a hd upconversion dvd player through hdmi cable... it still looks grainy and background colours (lets say like the sky in a scene) fluctuates and is really bad grainy effect... very frustrating to say the least.


Im really looking into the SONY KDFE50A10.... it looks great and ive read much more good reviews of it over the sammy I bought.
I had the EXACT same feelings with the Samsung DLP. We purchased the HLR4264 from Futureshop and find the image to be very grainy and soft. The reason is the Canadian model (HLRxx64) uses a different DLP chip than its US cousin (HLRxx67). I believe the US model has the newer version and the Canadian one has the same as last year's. The difference is that the Canadian DLP chip produces a softer image on purpose, some people like it, but most (like you and me) don't. I'm sure someone else with more technical knowledge on this matter could explain better than me.

Anyway we exchanged our set for the Sony KFE42A10 without hassle and I could not be any more pleased. The image is SHARP and the colours are vibrant. The sony also has a plethora of display settings to play around with, and some good service menu tweaks have all been explored in the popular Grand Wega V tweak thread. Hope this helps make your decision!

What does the CH_ITU_MODE1 do?

tornadobox thats the same blob i had on my first 3 sets. The first two had the exact same blue corner. And the third had the blue blobbed left corner and a green blobbed right to go with it. The 4th had had neither but Hideous gemoetry ploblems (to much tequilla the night before, must have been a company party at the sony plant;).

And now number 5 has a rosey bottom left corner in lighter scenes , which isnt as bad but still annoying. All of these sets were puked out of the sony plany on Nov 05. I really do love the set minus my issues.

Anyone figure out if we can figure out build date from the outside of the box?

Anyone figure out if we can figure out build date from the outside of the box?

Im looking at my box that I just bought today and no label with the date is on it. Ive worked in retail for years and to be honest no box really tells your manufature date as far as ive ever seen the only way is the label affixed to the unit along with serial # at time of manufacturing. :rolleyes:

Congratz Vatoman, you will be very happy with the TV :)

Now for my question: By entering the service menu, do you void the manufacturer's warranty? ...or for that matter a store bought warranty (like CC or BB)? If the service guy comes to the house and realizes you were in the menu, are you screwed?

I had the EXACT same feelings with the Samsung DLP. We purchased the HLR4264 from Futureshop and find the image to be very grainy and soft. The reason is the Canadian model (HLRxx64) uses a different DLP chip than its US cousin (HLRxx67). I believe the US model has the newer version and the Canadian one has the same as last year's. The difference is that the Canadian DLP chip produces a softer image on purpose, some people like it, but most (like you and me) don't. I'm sure someone else with more technical knowledge on this matter could explain better than me.

Anyway we exchanged our set for the Sony KFE42A10 without hassle and I could not be any more pleased. The image is SHARP and the colours are vibrant. The sony also has a plethora of display settings to play around with, and some good service menu tweaks have all been explored in the popular Grand Wega V tweak thread. Hope this helps make your decision!


Thats what ive read about these DLPs.... It looks great still, but the grainy image is just a bit too distracting me thinks. I just had my van have some break problems today so I need to take it to the mechanic on monday so I doubt ill be able to return the TV then... sigh.. just one more inconvenience... ARGH! I really still think I want to exchange my TV, I bought it from Best Buy so I still have just under 30 days to return it, so I guess I dont need to be in such a hurry. Stupid BREAKS!!!!!!!!

Congratz Vatoman, you will be very happy with the TV :)

Now for my question: By entering the service menu, do you void the manufacturer's warranty? ...or for that matter a store bought warranty (like CC or BB)? If the service guy comes to the house and realizes you were in the menu, are you screwed?
The Sony warranty protects you against manufacturing defects. If the set fails during the warranty period due to a manufacturing defect in materials or workmanship then Sony will pay for the repairs. If you damage the set then Sony doesn't pay the repairs. So, unless you mess up the set by what you do in the service menu then changing something there will not have any affect on the warranty.

Thats what ive read about these DLPs.... It looks great still, but the grainy image is just a bit too distracting me thinks. I just had my van have some break problems today so I need to take it to the mechanic on monday so I doubt ill be able to return the TV then... sigh.. just one more inconvenience... ARGH! I really still think I want to exchange my TV, I bought it from Best Buy so I still have just under 30 days to return it, so I guess I dont need to be in such a hurry. Stupid BREAKS!!!!!!!!
When I returned mine to Future Shop in Ontario they gave me no hassles. Since I had paid $50 for delivery on the first set, I didn't have to pay for delivery of the second one. We just arranged the return of the Samsung DLP in store and then purchase and delivery of the Sony LCD at the same time. Then I just sat at home and enjoyed the Samsung for another couple days until the delivery guys came with the new set and took the old one out. So if your brakes can make it to your Best Buy then go now so you can get an early delivery date!

I doubt my brakes will make it.... too risky! Ill just have to wait... oh well. ;)

I don't think REFLEX really wants to exchange his Samsung, he just wants to complain about the red push fix for the A10. He says his Sammy has a grainy picture and Wongnog is gracious enough to explain why and assure him that the exchange process is easy as pie. Then REFLEX comes up with the bad brakes excuse, but, in my experience brakes don't just go out all of a sudden. They wear down gradually and fixing them only takes an hour or two, regardless. So, if he really wanted to exchange his TV, he could get his brakes fixed tomorrow morning and be at the retailer in the afternoon for the exchange. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and told him the service menu wasn't that big of deal, but he is willing to wait until next week to exchange a TV he is not happy about. Call me cynical, but that's my take.

LOL....geez

What??? Its not a case of the break pads, its something else. And yes they did just go out, my life doesnt revolve around the internet and TV - the brakes are ****ed and its not just brake pads, its going to cost a bit of money which is no problem, but my regular mechanic doesnt work weekends and I dont like taking it to anyone else, I dont really need to explain myself.

The red push fix is something iam confident I can do if all these other folks can seem to do it with no problems then so can I. I think your reaching into whats going on just a little too much - or its just a joke? Either way I wont be able to take it back on monday. All these Tvs have their pros and cons. Im still trying to see if I want to take this one back - the new DVD player took away lot of the fuzz, and im going to try some new settings someone told me.

In the end I still think that when my van is fixed ill go switch it up. I know how easy the process is, ive been in Best Buy about 9 times in the last 6 days. If I wasnt to sure about anything at all id just say it; instead of beating around the bush with something as trivial as a television.

or its just a joke?

Yes...you figured it out!

Yes you see, for the last month ive had nothing but frustration and anxiety surrounding anything BUT my van and TV! hahaha.. and now all this crap? Ahhhh I wont let it happen to me, monday the van is getting fixed, I have many days left in my return policy..... so im in good hands.


the SONY A10 does it have DVI inputs?

This may sound like an odd request, but would any of you mind posting pics of one of the Star Wars movies being played on this TV? I'm seriously considering buying the kdfe50a10 and if the Star Wars movies look killer on it, I know I'll be happy with it :). Thanks a lot guys!

This may sound like an odd request, but would any of you mind posting pics of one of the Star Wars movies being played on this TV? I'm seriously considering buying the kdfe50a10 and if the Star Wars movies look killer on it, I know I'll be happy with it :). Thanks a lot guys!

I don't think a picture of a DVD is going to display the capabilities of the set. You are then at the mercy of the camera, room lighting, reflections, etc. The only way to be sure is to see it first hand. I suggest taking a dvd (or three) with you to the store and trying them out. Play with the settings to tweak it, since I'm sure the store employees haven't, and try it on a few different models for comparison. Nothing beats having the tv in your home with a dedicated HD signal and time to play around with it, but if you don't want to make the commitment, then I suggest doing a test drive in the store.

As an added note, this thread alone is over 200 pages and consists of mostly satisfied owners, who are sharing their experiences. While there are those who have had some problems, they are mostly due to technical defects, not picture quality, and most of those have been addressed by replacing the light engine at Sony's expense. I think that most of the people here have been very pleased with the performance of their tv, especially in regards to displaying HD material.

Oh, and REFLEX, the set has an HDMI hookup, not DVI, but you can purchase an HDMI-DVI cable and there is no sacrifice of signal. Just different connectors on each end.

This may sound like an odd request, but would any of you mind posting pics of one of the Star Wars movies being played on this TV? I'm seriously considering buying the kdfe50a10 and if the Star Wars movies look killer on it, I know I'll be happy with it :). Thanks a lot guys!
I can't provide any pictures, but I will tell you that all the Star Wars movies look very good. Episodes IV, V, and VI look especially nice due to little (if any) edge enhancement. Lowry Digital did an excellent job on these tranfers and it really shows:

http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/release/video/f20040916/

The only issue with any DVD is that it's still considered SD and they won't look as good on any big screen HDTV compared to a smaller one. The A10 tends to make some DVDs look a bit "edgy" while others look near HD quality (just not as sharp). I think a lot of it is the transfers themselves and not the fault of the A10. But I will say that DVDs looked a lot better on my smaller 30" Sony CRT. If you're used to watching DVDs on a smaller TV you might be disappointed by the way they look on a bigger screen.

Does anyone know how to program the video inputs so I can go from cable directly to the cable box on input #6? I know I can program them to "skip" but when I do that, in order to get to other inputs #4 (DVD), and #5 (game), you have to reprogram the "label input" each time to change from "skip" to the desired label. Since I want to switch from my cable to input 6 (cable box is hooked up thru hdmi), I have to go through inputs 4 & 5 each time. Not a big deal, but it would be better if I could switch directly between the two.

In that same token Melanotheron...I want to be able to "skip" the cable input on my TV. I don't mind toggling through some other inputs to get to my desired input, but I don't like the fact that i can't "skip" the cable part. I always see a fuzzy channel 106 while switching through. I do not have cable hooked up by the way. Any help?

If the fuzzy screen bothers you, try setting your cable channel to "0" then when you switch through the cable feed you should have a blank screen with a "No Signal" banner in the upper left corner. I don't know how you can bypass the cable feed altogether, though.

Its what ive noticed that the SONY A10 topic has the most satisfied people in it by far compared to any other TV in the Rear Projection TV category!...... thats what really convinced me to switch. Im highly confident about the red push fix after looking at the instructions again this morning it seems totally easy and straight forward.

I was watching Spiderman 2 on my set last night and while it looked good, it just wasnt as sharp as I thought HD should be, I know its a DVD but still, and then watching the olympic ceremonies in HD it wasnt as sharp was I would have thought.... I know the SonyA10 cant be worse! haha.... only sharper and Ill do all the tweaks needed including red push fix and dark rains settings. :p

The Olympics stadium was full of smoke last night from all of the pyrotechnics. Maybe that is why your picture wasn't sharp and clear.

Does anyone know how to program the video inputs so I can go from cable directly to the cable box on input #6? I know I can program them to "skip" but when I do that, in order to get to other inputs #4 (DVD), and #5 (game), you have to reprogram the "label input" each time to change from "skip" to the desired label. Since I want to switch from my cable to input 6 (cable box is hooked up thru hdmi), I have to go through inputs 4 & 5 each time. Not a big deal, but it would be better if I could switch directly between the two.


it can be done through external inputs, set the inputs you don't use to skip.

Video Label... oops reread you post, not sure on that one...

any news on the status of the A10 for the new model? Changes? Updates?

Thanks, Nino. I don't think it can be done. Like I said, it's no big deal, but would be nice if you could change the input numbers aroung a bit.

any news on the status of the A10 for the new model? Changes? Updates?

The current A10 has only been out for about 6 months. Sony showed a new SXRD at one of the trade shows recently, but AFAIK it was just a prototype.

FYI,

You don't NEED to do the "Red Push Fix" in order to improve the appearance of the picture on these TV sets.

While the "Red Push Fix" is regarded by most as a great way to improve the picture, it is by no means the only way, as Dark Rain said.

If you push the picture button on your remote and select the STANDARD mode settings instead of the VIVID mode, the default picture looks pretty good for everyday use. I am sure that many people just set their PC to STANDARD and enjoy the show (Of course I am sure that some people are butchering their eyes with the VIVID settings too and do not know what they are missing).

Anyways, please see my post below on my personal preferences for CUSTOM picture settings but WITHOUT doing the Red Push fix. So you will have something to fall back in case you are too intimidated to enter the service menu.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6258083&&#post6258083

I have a new 42A10 and am having trouble with the aspect ratios. I have a progressive scan DVD player connected with component cables. It is set to output 16:9. I have the TV set to Wide mode. When I hit the TV info button it says 480P 4:3. I have tried different DVD players and several DVD's (including ones that specifically say anamorphic). I still get the same results. It seems like the TV will not recognize 16:9 output from a DVD player. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks.

try setting the tv to full mode.

I'm sorry. I said Wide mode. I ment to say that I have the TV in Full mode. In full mode I think the picture size is OK, but every time I put in a DVD it goes to Normal, and the info banner says 4:3 no matter what aspect mode the TV is in.

This may sound like an odd request, but would any of you mind posting pics of one of the Star Wars movies being played on this TV? I'm seriously considering buying the kdfe50a10 and if the Star Wars movies look killer on it, I know I'll be happy with it :). Thanks a lot guys!
How good Star Wars looks on this TV depends mainly on how well you've adjusted the set. I took some snapshots but I had some trouble with moire (where the camera pixels interact with the screen pixels). These kinds of shots also mostly show how good the photographer is rather than how the set looks but here are three anyway:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/cmarcham/KFE42A10/Red.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/cmarcham/KFE42A10/Green.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/cmarcham/KFE42A10/Blue.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/cmarcham/KFE42A10/Geometry.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/cmarcham/KFE42A10/SMPTETest.jpg

Great pics on both posts!
I used the THX Optimizer on SW III and didn't have to make any adjustments.

For what I paid for the 42A10, I am 100% happy with it.
While typing this post I just realized I bought it 6 months ago!
Time flies when you are immersed in HD and DVD PQ and content.

Hmmm No I was watching before the pyrotechnics..... anyway im positive im going to return my samsung and get the sony a10... going into the service menu doesnt really scare me at all anymore it seems totally easy... so im gonna do it, first ill set all my settings according to dark rains and my own personal touch and then ill see if I even care to do the red push fix.. (which iam sure I will haha) and then BAM! Ill he happy with my TV - I can sit back and relax! (about time too)

I have another question. When I watch a DVD, my black bars above and below are off a little. Is there anyway to fix this in the service menu? For instance, the lower black bar gets increasingly bigger the more left side of the screen you go...its only about a half an inch thicker then normal...but still i notice it. I am using a Sony DVP-ns725p.

thats weird.. ive never seen that before.... really weird.

I just checked it again today (while watching a DVD) and after closer inspection I realized that, the lower bar is half inch thicker then the top bar only. I thought it varied in thickness from side to side (at least thats how it looked from the naked eye), but after measuring, the bottom is uniform across. So anyone know why the bottom bar would be thicker than the top? Anyone else experiencing this?

I just checked it again today (while watching a DVD) and after closer inspection I realized that, the lower bar is half inch thicker then the top bar only. I thought it varied in thickness from side to side (at least thats how it looked from the naked eye), but after measuring, the bottom is uniform across. So anyone know why the bottom bar would be thicker than the top? Anyone else experiencing this?

That would be an issue with the geometry on your set. Typically this usually is only apparent on CRTs but in rare cases can be on LCD's. I believe on CRTs it can be adjusted but not on LCDs.......someone else want to chime in on this?

I just checked it again today (while watching a DVD) and after closer inspection I realized that, the lower bar is half inch thicker then the top bar only. I thought it varied in thickness from side to side (at least thats how it looked from the naked eye), but after measuring, the bottom is uniform across. So anyone know why the bottom bar would be thicker than the top? Anyone else experiencing this?
Some of this might be from the DVDplayer, not all players have perfectly centered outputs. Most of it is probably from the way the light engine in your A10 is aligned. If you check my geometry image I posted previously (here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7085106&&#post7085106 ) you can see that on my set the image is not perfectly in the center either. This is one reson these sets have overscan- it makes small geometry errors less noticeable.

Ok, so its probably the geometry then. Thanks for the information. I think I am just going to leave it alone, it doesn't really bother me.

However...I also noticed that there is a kinda double white line right where the black bar meets the picture. I noticed this on both the top and bottom. Kinda like a blurry line. In other words, there is not a crisp clean edge defining bar to picture. Anyone else have this?

I love my TV...these issues I speak about are only very minor issues that really don't bother me, I'm just asking out of curiosity. I would reccommend this set to any RPTV shopper.

Originally posted by Jmez44
However...I also noticed that there is a kinda double white line right where the black bar meets the picture. I noticed this on both the top and bottom. Kinda like a blurry line. In other words, there is not a crisp clean edge defining bar to picture. Anyone else have this?

I've noticed this too. I have seen it vary from DVD player to player as well as DVD to DVD. My old Toshiba non-progressive was worse than my current Samsung player and my wife's copy of Troy has the worst example of this "scan line " problem I have seen. Perhaps this has been discussed before and some of the more knowledgeable forum readers can explain.

Since we are on the subject of DVD players, what DVD players do all of you recommend for this TV (or HDTVs in general)? I just recently purchased this TV (hasn't even been delivered yet), and I don't own a DVD player other than my Xbox. I know that the old school Xbox DVD player is unlikely to give me the quality output that I could get from some of the newer DVD players, so I am wondering what to look for, etc.

I'm also interested in this...>I have heard to STAY AWAY from the upconverting DVD players and stick with a 480p unit.

thoughts and comments for the A10 specifically would be appriciated!

I never could get the darker drama HD shows to show enough detail in the shadows. Turning on the black corrector just made it worse.

One day just fooling around with custom mode ..
I cranked IRIS up to MAX..
Put Black corrector to low..
Advanced Iris to low..
and Gama to high..

Now I can see detail in shadows without the "Vivid" look

some other settings..

Picture 90

bright 50

color 34

hue R1

Color temp Neutral

I know this goes against the grain here, but it works for me. (G)

A few of the posts (particularly those by Dark Rain) have contained what appear to be very detailed information for adjustments on the 42A10. Question: Is this information appropriate for the 50" as well? (In a procedural/technical sense given that actual values in any category will be a matter of personal taste.) I ask because I recently viewed both sets on display at Sony Style. Each was impressive, but may end up with the larger set and would like to take advantage of the knowledge from the forum.

A few of the posts (particularly those by Dark Rain) have contained what appear to be very detailed information for adjustments on the 42A10. Question: Is this information appropriate for the 50" as well? (In a procedural/technical sense given that actual values in any category will be a matter of personal taste.) I ask because I recently viewed both sets on display at Sony Style. Each was impressive, but may end up with the larger set and would like to take advantage of the knowledge from the forum.


I have used his settings on my 50" to good effect. Use them as they are or as a good starting point.

Yeah use Dark Rains settings ..... once they are set watch a few things and see what you think, you can always change them back to factory settings by hitting reset or you can easily tweak them a bit to your liking - considering his setting are written down on this website.....



Quick Question: How do Pixar films look on the SONY A10? You know.. Robots, Monsters Inc., Nemo.. etc etc.

I have used his settings on my 50" to good effect. Use them as they are or as a good starting point.
Thanks...that was my inkling but with some confirmation I feel better about the process. As suggested earlier, I've printed out those posts that contain the steps and values.

BTW, this site has been the most educational one of many that are out there. What is most appreciated is the patience given to us noobs when we first ventured onto the scene. Granted, there are posts solely for the well-versed, but on behalf of those of us who are "technically-challenged", kudos to all the contributors.

Hey Guys

Just bought a 42a10 - wondering how you change the resolution 720p, 1080i, etc. I can't seem to find it, I think it is set @ 1080i no matter what the channel now.

Also, is there away my cable box can control this - I have the non DVR Motorola box. Any ideas please post. thanks

ps. dark rain's settings are great

cb35,
The A10 will scale each signal to its native 720P, there is really nothing to set, although it will be able to tell you the source resolution. Not really familiar with the Motorola box, but most HD cable boxes have the ability to either pass the signal through as is, whether high def or standard def, to let the A10 do the scaling or the box can upscale the signal to either 720P or 1080i.

if you have the same motorollay cable box I have, all you have to do is make sure your TV is ON, then turn your cable box OFF, and then press MENU and it takes you to the service menu of the cable box. leaving it on 1080i I hear is the best actually.

Just thought you guys would enjoy hearing this: before I got my a10 a few days ago i bought the most recent issue of Consumer Reports. They rated the top 50-52 inch rear projection tvs. Guess which model came out on top? Thats right, the a10. Not that any of you every doubted the supremacy of the a10. Reflex, you may be interested to hear that the sammy came in 11th, lol!

yeah hahah thanks!
believe me iam switching tvs as soon as I can..... early this week, possibly tomorrow!

I just began my search for a new HD TV. I've been to several stores and realized, unless you lock in some minimum criterion, the process can be mind-boggling. I've decided I definitely want to go with a 50" LCD Projection TV.

The A10 really stood out for me, but, since I'm still early in the game, I haven't been able to do much research on the features, quality, complexity, convenience, compatibility, technology, problems, etc that this model offers.

Would anyone be willing to post or reply with a quick crash course on this info and an opinion on whether this would be a good buy? Mainly, I'm looking for good picture quality for HD programs and gaming with my PS2.

Thanks to all for any help.