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!


Just saw this post. This is good start to answering some of my questions in a previous post...

Thanks.

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.


Most HDTVs make Ps2 look kind of crappy.... thats because the Ps2 is old and outputs a pretty poor signal, so the TV has to upgrade the signal and it just looks plain bad. I mean games are still playable but they look pretty crappy compared to playing on an older set. Really for me this isnt a problem because Im waiting for the ps3 to come out, I still play my ps2 on HDTV but I realize that its the big picture im looking at (haha no pun intended) so I can easily wait, the ps3 is going to look like pure magic!!!



Look - take it from me or anyone else, EVERY SINGLE HDTV has its own unique problems and set of throwbacks, overall you have to look at which one has the least, and if you spent time prodding around these forums youd see that overall the SONYA10 has the LEAST amount of negative comments, and like someone stated earlier the newest Consumer Reports came out stating that in this category the SONYA10 is #1! So I think for this price range, type of TV (rear projection) and size the SONYA10 is clearly #1.

The word "better" is purely subjective but if you have spent nearly as much time as I have obsessing over the fine details and trial and error youll realize that its worth the effort to just grab this TV!

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.
It may take a while for you to read the previous pages, but all the answers you are looking for are contained in those posts. This entire thread is replete with the overwhelming endorsement of the A10. With all due respect to the few contributors that have had issue of some sort with Sony, by and large the product is well worth it. If you plan on investing $$ into the A10, then investing some time to peruse this thread (as I did) will be just as beneficial and educational. You won't regret it.

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.Thanks for the info. I wasn't questioning your answer, just didn't understand what you meant. I hadn't noticed this before and thought there might be a problem. When you spend this much on a TV, you don't expect to see things like this. Just to be sure, I've sent the pics off to Sony to get their opinion. I also didn't say looking down at that angle was normal. I just said that's where I noticed the effect.

I hope you do not have a problem. Does it affect the PQ when looking directly from the front? Good Luck, WolfpackRon.No. As I stated earlier, I don't see the effect under normal viewing angles. Thanks for your reply.

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. 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.Too funny. Yeah, that's how I normally watch the TV. Again, I didn't say I watch the TV at that angle, I just said that's where I noticed the effect.

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.LOL! At least someone has a "sense" of humor...

Thanks for your replies. When I hear back from Sony, I'll let you know.

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

Don't use NBC or the olympics in your equation for the TV swap. Now if you had the Grammy's DVR'd, I'd tell you to use that. That was some of the best HD content I've seen to date, the NBC coverage of the olympics varies wildly minute to minute.

Oh yeah dont worry im not basing it on that at all..... .that was one of the last things I saw on tv.... im basing it on things ive seen at other peoples places, in the store, dvd.... other hd content.... etc etc.... im 100% sure that what im doing is what I want.

the olympics really does vary in quality minute by minute its weird.

Very nice Star Wars pics deconvolver, I thank you for posting them! :) I'm getting seriously anxious now about getting this TV, I can only hope my credit is good enough to get financing on it.

Oh yeah dont worry im not basing it on that at all..... .that was one of the last things I saw on tv.... im basing it on things ive seen at other peoples places, in the store, dvd.... other hd content.... etc etc.... im 100% sure that what im doing is what I want.

the olympics really does vary in quality minute by minute its weird.

If you read the (probably now unstickied) thread about the coverage that gost posted a few days before they started it makes a little more sense. First off, NBC is not shooting the olympics. Sure they have some cameras there, but the main majority of cameras and filming is being done by another company. Second part of that is the fact that it's about half and half HD and 16:9 SD. The SD looks darn good, because it is widescreen and doesn't have a chance to get degraded before upconverted to HD, but it's still not HD. Lastly there is the transmission to NBC, who then transmits it to the US, then transmits it to your local stations. I'm no expert, but that's a lot of signal degradation I'd imagine. Tie that in with the blizzards in the US that are making transmission difficult, and you've got some very messy coverage.

Anyhow, I am very happy with my 42A10, just wanted to make that point about not using NBC to judge HD.

... the NBC coverage of the olympics varies wildly minute to minute.
I'll second that. I have not been impressed at all with NBC's Olympic coverage in HD. :-(

Edit: Just read your later post about why the coverage is spotty -- makes sense. Thanks for the info.

Got a letter from Sony friday that stated their was a software issue on the TV I purchased in Sept.. The letter stated that the upgrade was for the KDLV26/32/40XBR1(Bravia) Flat Panel and KDFE42/50A10 Rear projection LCD televisions. The letter staed that they (sony) have recently learned that a limited number of televisions manufactured through November 2005 may after a long period of time depending on usage, fail to turn on or off due to a software issue. This condition is easily resolved with a simple software upgrade provided by Sony at no charge. I have the KDFE42A10 and had no problems but called the number provided (1-866-210-6333) and since my TV had a manufactors date of Sept 2005 it needed the upgrade, it took the guy about 20 min. to remove a small panel on the back that covered a USB port, he then plug in a device that had the upgrade on it and was done 10min. later. You can also go to WWW.updatemytv.com and input TV model number and serial or call the Toll-Free number. No problems with my TV, just curious to see if anyone has had the upgrade yet. I love my Sony 42A10 and would recomend anyone looking for a TV to buy a Sony 42A10.

Hey ... this site is fantastic.

I too have the 42A10 and I just noticed the blue blob in the upper left folks have discussed.

Also, I also hear a faint static pop (or crackle, snap, hiss) when I change channels. And sometimes it does it during a broadcast. Very faint sounds. Also when testing sound for Star Wars III it replicated this sound every time it did the Subwoofer test. Anyone else see this issue with the TV? Do I have a setting wrong?

I am well within 30 days, so I can just return the set and swap it out, but don't want to do so if these are just characteristic problems of this particular set. Sounds like the blue bob issue is an optic engine thing, so not thrilled about doing that on a 2 week old set. Kinda sparks the whole fear of .... it already needs to be fixed. What else will happen.

Got my 50A10 Sunday at HH Gregg. Great sale somewhere else and they matched it. Lowest $ I've ever seen the TV in a B&M shop.

Anyway, got the 5 year Extended Service contract which explicitly states that it covers surge and lightning damage. It didn't explicitly state that it covered the lamps/bulbs (didn't exclude them either) so I asked the manager to write it on my receipt. He gladly did that with date, signature, name, and employee #. I have to believe that the esp does cover the lamps, otherwise, because he had no issue whatsoever with documenting that I had been assured that it covered the lamps.

He wrote "...covers lamps throughout the entire ESP contract period." -- So, that doesn't even limit the #.

FYI

***Also, I've done an extensive search and I find NO stuck pixels or dead pixels. I have a couple of small (smaller than pixels) blackish spots that look like a tiny dust fragment. It takes me a long time to even find them when right a the TV.

Question: Do dead/stuck pixels appear over time with usage OR if you get one with no dead/stuck pixels are you pretty well assured of not having the problem in the future?

I apologize if this has been discussed before in this thread, but it is a bit long to wade through.

I have had my 42" A10 since January 10. I have been loving the TV, haven't really had a chance to get the settings all adjusted, but the defaults look fantastic.

To "clean" the screen, I had been using a new Swiffer, which mainly just got the dust off. Everyone in my house knows not to touch the screen, and not to get anything around it, so using a swiffer worked well. This weekend I used my swiffer method and noticed huge smudges all over the screen. Paniced I found my Microfiber cloth (which I use to clean my computer LCD screens) and cleaned the smudges off. This seemed to work, but after I was done I started looking at the screen from different angles to make sure I removed all the smudges.

So of course I noticed some weirdness that I didn't before and want to know if it is normal, or if I truly goofed my screen up. Essentially there is a large window to the left of my screen. When standing at least 8 feet away to the right, at more than 45 degrees, when the set is off, it looks as though the surface is not smooth. As though there are variations in the plastic, almost like ridges going top to bottom. Not sure how to describe it better. When looking at the screen dead on, you can't see it, and when the screen is viewed up close it looks fine.

I am not really complaining, just want to make sure I didn't goof my screen up. Also, I purchased a "Monster Screen Clean Kit" and there is a warning label inside that says "if your TV manual says to only use soap and water (which the Sony manual does), do not use this product" What does everyone use to clean their screen? I don't want to have another swiffer experience.

Got a letter from Sony friday that stated their was a software issue on the TV I purchased in Sept.. The letter stated that the upgrade was for the KDLV26/32/40XBR1(Bravia) Flat Panel and KDFE42/50A10 Rear projection LCD televisions. The letter staed that they (sony) have recently learned that a limited number of televisions manufactured through November 2005 may after a long period of time depending on usage, fail to turn on or off due to a software issue. This condition is easily resolved with a simple software upgrade provided by Sony at no charge. I have the KDFE42A10 and had no problems but called the number provided (1-866-210-6333) and since my TV had a manufactors date of Sept 2005 it needed the upgrade, it took the guy about 20 min. to remove a small panel on the back that covered a USB port, he then plug in a device that had the upgrade on it and was done 10min. later. You can also go to WWW.updatemytv.com and input TV model number and serial or call the Toll-Free number. No problems with my TV, just curious to see if anyone has had the upgrade yet. I love my Sony 42A10 and would recomend anyone looking for a TV to buy a Sony 42A10.

Thanks for the info, went online, mine is one of the units. It will be updated Feb.
20th. Maybe I'll get a free bulb :D

BTW it's pretty cool, you schedule your appointment on-line

...Maybe I'll get a free bulb :D...

Does it say you get a free bulb when this is done?

I bought mine in August, so I am likely also affected...Will look tonight.

BTW, for those of you that are new to the TV/forum, this TV runs embedded Linux. A link to the source code was posted sometime last year, if you are interested.

Yeah I noticed that the olympics isnt really great at all... yeah the SD material looks pretty good but its just.. ugh.. not HD! haha. .oh well.

Most HDTVs make Ps2 look kind of crappy.... thats because the Ps2 is old and outputs a pretty poor signal, so the TV has to upgrade the signal and it just looks plain bad. I mean games are still playable but they look pretty crappy compared to playing on an older set. Really for me this isnt a problem because Im waiting for the ps3 to come out, I still play my ps2 on HDTV but I realize that its the big picture im looking at (haha no pun intended) so I can easily wait, the ps3 is going to look like pure magic!!!


Just another Playstation2 note. Be sure to get the accessory cable for component out. It made a huge difference over using the composite cable it came with.

Yeah.....the only reason I couldnt use the new cables I bought with the ps2 on my old sammy is because it didnt have an optical IN on the TV so no sound.... .useless.... does the SONYA10 have an optical in?



also I just packaged my Samsung DLP back up in the box and im taking it back to the store to exchange it for the SONY KFE50A10 they dont have any at the location but in the warehouse so ill have to wait a day or two tops... which is fine for me. ill report back hehe...

The Sony A10 doesn't have an optical input...I haven't actually seen any tv with an optical input, only output (for 5.1 to a receiver through a cable signal)

Yeah.....the only reason I couldnt use the new cables I bought with the ps2 on my old sammy is because it didnt have an optical IN on the TV so no sound.... .useless.... does the SONYA10 have an optical in?



also I just packaged my Samsung DLP back up in the box and im taking it back to the store to exchange it for the SONY KFE50A10 they dont have any at the location but in the warehouse so ill have to wait a day or two tops... which is fine for me. ill report back hehe...

You don't have a receiver/amp? You're going to be hard pressed to find a TV with an optical input, if it exists, because TVs are going to have stereo speakers, so there would be zero point to have an optical input. You may as well just run the white and red left/right audio if all you have is the TV for your audio.

[QUOTE=abward]Does it say you get a free bulb when this is done?

No I was just kidding :D

I have a Toshiba 34hfx85 (34 inch wide CRT), and I'm thinking I'm probably going to return it due to a few problems. Anyway, I'm curious how the geometry is on the KFE42A10. Do LCD Projection TV's have as much overscan as a CRT? Also, how long does the bulb last in this set? How much is a new bulb? Thanks for the info.

Yeah.....the only reason I couldnt use the new cables I bought with the ps2 on my old sammy is because it didnt have an optical IN on the TV so no sound.... .useless.... does the SONYA10 have an optical in?



also I just packaged my Samsung DLP back up in the box and im taking it back to the store to exchange it for the SONY KFE50A10 they dont have any at the location but in the warehouse so ill have to wait a day or two tops... which is fine for me. ill report back hehe...

FYI, here's a picture of the rear from Crutchfield.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-qRhbdj9Fo3w/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=147350&id=morephotos&pi=2&i=158KD50A10&display=XL#Tab

Yeah dont worry I wasnt expecting the TV to have a optical in or anything - Im getting the sound system when I move...which is soon.

I have a Toshiba 34hfx85 (34 inch wide CRT), and I'm thinking I'm probably going to return it due to a few problems. Anyway, I'm curious how the geometry is on the KFE42A10. Do LCD Projection TV's have as much overscan as a CRT? Also, how long does the bulb last in this set? How much is a new bulb? Thanks for the info.

- Geometry is near perfect on the A10s (you'll be much, MUCH happier with it)
- There's about 2% overscan on my 42A10
- Bulb life varies, but I expect to get at least 4000+ hours on mine

Anyway, I'm curious how the geometry is on the KFE42A10. Do LCD Projection TV's have as much overscan as a CRT?

See my pictures from DVE on the previous page. Geometry appears to be very good to me.

If you are exchanging for the 50 inch A10, check the model number and confirm with the store sales person: I think you will find that the KDF version, with the digita tuner, has the optical out while the KF version, analog only tuner, does not.

I have a Toshiba 34hfx85 (34 inch wide CRT), and I'm thinking I'm probably going to return it due to a few problems. Anyway, I'm curious how the geometry is on the KFE42A10. Do LCD Projection TV's have as much overscan as a CRT? Also, how long does the bulb last in this set? How much is a new bulb? Thanks for the info. I bought the same TV (Toshiba 34HF85) before going with the Sony 42A10. The Toshiba looked like the picture waz in 3 different sections (up and down) and the service man tried to fix it and blured the picture by moving the tube back and fourth, made me sick, so I returned it for a refund and went somewhere else to buy the Sony 42a10 which Iam very pleased with. The Sony has a much better picture, and the menu is a breeze to learn.

I need the 42A10 software update, too. Scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. That's good service, if the tech really shows up. ;)

You can also go to WWW.updatemytv.com and input TV model number and serial or call the Toll-Free number. No problems with my TV, just curious to see if anyone has had the upgrade yet. I love my Sony 42A10 and would recomend anyone looking for a TV to buy a Sony 42A10.

Thank you very much for posting this. Got mine in august and just scheduled an appt to get the update. Sweet.

Thanks for this link ! I put in my serial and it too requires the update. Scheduled my appointment. Even though mine 50A10 is running flawlessly. Love this site. Thanks again!!!

My E50A-10 needs the update also.

After the software update, do you loose any settings (or tweaks)?

Hmm, the Sony TV is already running Linux and now we find out there's a hidden USB port. Can hacking the TV be that far off? I'd love to be able to connect a external USB2 DVD burner.

Is the update completely necessary? The way it sounds you can just unplug it for a minute or so and it'll be back to normal for another few months. Reason I ask is that there isn't an authorized service tech within 60 miles of here so getting the update would be a pain. Anyone experienced the problem yet? I've had mine since December with about 8 hours of use a day and nothings happened. I also checked the serial number and it is one that needs it.

Can someone who has purchased the 50A10 recently from Best Buy shoot me a PM? My wife bought one for our anniversary a few weeks ago, and she wasn't aware that the price is haggle-able. They gave her 5% without any work, but I know that we can do a little better with just a little bit of ammo..

Thanks!

Hmm, the Sony TV is already running Linux and now we find out there's a hidden USB port. Can hacking the TV be that far off? I'd love to be able to connect a external USB2 DVD burner.

Here is the source code: http://products.sel.sony.com/opensource/source_tv.shtml#2005.1

Have at it!

It would be rather interesting to plug your PC into that USB port and see what happens! Hint, hint! :rolleyes:

I also would not be surprised if there was a firewire port on the main board, but without a header.

Does the KFE50A10 need the software upgrade when I went to the web site it just lists the KDFE models but I entered my serial # anyways and it says my serial needs the upgrade can anyone confirm that the KFE models need it ?

Thanks Ed

Does the KFE50A10 need the software upgrade when I went to the web site it just lists the KDFE models but I entered my serial # anyways and it says my serial needs the upgrade can anyone confirm that the KFE models need it ?

Thanks Ed

There was an 800 number on that site. Call them and let us know what you find out.

After the software update, do you loose any settings (or tweaks)?
Glad you asked, just checked my custom setting and they changed, not sure about any other settings , I havent messed with anything else. Watching UCONN vs. Nova on HD-espn and the picture looks awesome.

There was an 800 number on that site. Call them and let us know what you find out.

I just did but I'll have to wait until tomorrow they are closed. Once I find out I will let everyone know.

Glad you asked, just checked my custom setting and they changed, not sure about any other settings , I havent messed with anything else. Watching UCONN vs. Nova on HD-espn and the picture looks awesome.

So, we need to record all of our settings before we have the fix done!

It would be interesting to see if the lamp hours timer was reset too.

And one more question about the update, in this picture, was the panel covering the USB port at the red, green, or blue arrow (or somewhere else)?

http://home.nc.rr.com/abward/Rear%20KDF-E50A10.jpg

It looked like he waz taking out the fan at first, so Id say the green or maybe the red, it was one screw and a small plastic panel. Someone tell me how to check the lamp hours and I do so, I asked the guy if he knew how and he said didnt. It did bring up a black screen with green letters after all the power and timer lights blinked and changed color.

And one more question about the update, in this picture, was the panel covering the USB port at the red, green, or blue arrow (or somewhere else)?

though i havent tried to open mine, if you will notice, the space about 3" below the HDMI/HDCP connection, there is a missing back panel (they took it off)

now that, though the image is somewhat crappy, looks like what a motherboard header for 2 USB jacks side-by-side would look like...

...

so i just removed the red pointed to panel and there isnt anything behind it - just a deep hole (dont have a flashlight) but i didnt see anything in it, it is curved in like a end of a trumpet

i wasnt about to remove the green, as my guess is that its an eject for the fan, my guess is that your supposed to "clean" the fan out when you replace the lamp.

now, the exposed circuit board (im the image) below the HDMI connector looks like (from removing that plastic cover) a 30 pin (2x15) like a floppy connection, doesnt look big enough to be an IDE, as the pins are about 1/2 the depth and closer, like a scsi-LVD connector, but not off-set on one side...

my guess is that its a proprietary connector (as sony LOVES those)

My uncle just got a 42" A10 and he hooked up a Moto 6412 Phase III box to it via HDMI. I'm wondering if he should set the Moto to output 720p or 1080i. Logic would tell you that 720p makes the most sense because it matches the native resolution of the set, but I seem to recall someone mentioning that you get a better picture with 1080i. I can only assume this is because the Moto does a bad job scaling 1080i -> 720p. What's the general consensus on this issue?

You'll need to try both and let your eyes be the judge.

I set my Dish811 to 1080i and it produces a more detailed image on my E50A10. When the 811 is on 720P things get a little blurry IMHO.

I have the SA 8300HD box and I set it to do both 720p and 1080i. When I left it at 720p only, I noticed that the 1080i broadcasts were not as good as letting the TV scaler do the work. For example, the INHD logo would flicker in 720p mode and the logo was stable when I put the box at 1080i.

If you are exchanging for the 50 inch A10, check the model number and confirm with the store sales person: I think you will find that the KDF version, with the digita tuner, has the optical out while the KF version, analog only tuner, does not.


Yeah I got the KFE version because it doesnt come with the tuner and I dont need it - if I got the KDFE version it would be a waste of money.. since I have the motorola HD box for cable it would be a total waste of 500 bux or so... but yeah I plan on getting a sound system right when I move into a new place. Thanks for the info though!




What is this update for if your plugging in your PC or what?



PS. I exchanged my Samsung DLP and because they had some issue with the warehouse I have to wait till next week to pick up my A10. Doesnt bother me, but I have to wait a week to get the darn thing... oh well! Cant wait!

6 months ago I exchanged my 1st 50A10 for this very issue! Several times the green light would blink and the bulb would not fire. Sony tech. was out and of course couldn't duplicate the problem. Sears exchanged the TV at my insistance. I'm glad they found the problem. They'll be out Friday for the update. :D

i would like 2 say thanks for all the info guys.a few weeks back i had the same problem tv would not shut off.

...Someone tell me how to check the lamp hours...

Lamp hours: Post 3080 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6200303&&#post6200303

Well I called Sony and they said the upgrade is only needed in the KDFE models and not in the KFE ones. So my 50" is good to go. Just thought I would let everyone know. :cool:

Put my serial in and it looks like i need the upgrade. I haven't had the problem yet and the workaround of just unplugging the set isn't too bad. But you never know and I am like having up-to-date software. There could be some tiny, non-critical bug fixes in there too.

Sorry for the repost ... but I really could use some help. I am within my return window and wondering if I should just go thru the hassle of returning it. Sorry to be pesty and thanks in advance for your help.

__________________

Hey ... this site is fantastic.

I too have the 42A10 and I just noticed the blue blob in the upper left folks have discussed.

Also, I also hear a faint static pop (or crackle, snap, hiss) when I change channels. And sometimes it does it during a broadcast. Very faint sounds. Also when testing sound for Star Wars III it replicated this sound every time it did the Subwoofer test. Anyone else see this issue with the TV? Do I have a setting wrong?

I am well within 30 days, so I can just return the set and swap it out, but don't want to do so if these are just characteristic problems of this particular set. Sounds like the blue bob issue is an optic engine thing, so not thrilled about doing that on a 2 week old set. Kinda sparks the whole fear of .... it already needs to be fixed. What else will happen.

Lamp hours: Post 3080 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6200303&&#post6200303 AbWard, TY,TY,TY, I have 195 hours showing on both the lamp and panel, thanks again.

Sorry for the repost ... but I really could use some help. I am within my return window and wondering if I should just go thru the hassle of returning it. Sorry to be pesty and thanks in advance for your help.

__________________

Hey ... this site is fantastic.

I too have the 42A10 and I just noticed the blue blob in the upper left folks have discussed.

Also, I also hear a faint static pop (or crackle, snap, hiss) when I change channels. And sometimes it does it during a broadcast. Very faint sounds. Also when testing sound for Star Wars III it replicated this sound every time it did the Subwoofer test. Anyone else see this issue with the TV? Do I have a setting wrong?

I am well within 30 days, so I can just return the set and swap it out, but don't want to do so if these are just characteristic problems of this particular set. Sounds like the blue bob issue is an optic engine thing, so not thrilled about doing that on a 2 week old set. Kinda sparks the whole fear of .... it already needs to be fixed. What else will happen.

I've only noticed the popping sound thing once, during last week's episode of Lost (never when changing channels or anything like that), and it hasn't happened since that episode either.

As far as the blue blob, it's certainly NOT supposed to be there (many, many, many people, a vast majority, do NOT have the blue blob on their TV set). If I weren't having the service tech swap out my optic engine tomorrow, I'd have returned the set for a new one already. If for some reason this new optic engine is crap, I'm going to return the set for a new one anyway.

Don't be stuck with something you're not happy with.

Sorry for the repost ... but I really could use some help...

Another vote for returning it. You paid a TON of money for this thing; it should work right.

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
Reflex.

The Olympics are mind blowing at times (Pictures of mountains, etc) - the wow factor. I have the 42 and at times am stunned at the picture quality. I saw the last hour or so of the opening ceremony and also was stunned at how good it looked.

Most of the olympics was/is pretty awesome. But other times shows look ok, but never bad or grainy (I'm talking HD OTA).

Now DVD can look good at times, and grainy at other times. I call it acceptable, but I sure notice a difference between DVD and the Olympics, for instance.

Again, it all depends on the programming (and getting the settings tweeked).

Also, I also hear a faint static pop (or crackle, snap, hiss) when I change channels. And sometimes it does it during a broadcast. Very faint sounds. Also when testing sound for Star Wars III it replicated this sound every time it did the Subwoofer test. Anyone else see this issue with the TV? Do I have a setting wrong?.

Ok i am a little confused by this one. Is the sound coming from your TV speakers or from your Home Theatre speakers? If you are playing Star Wars 3 through a DVD player hooked to your HT, then it would be the HT speakers with the problem.

No HT system yet. So, definitely coming thru the TV speakers.

I just for giggles tried the Optimization test on SW 3. And I noticed that pop sound every time the test moved from the Subwoofer test to the Left Speaker test.

No HT system yet. So, definitely coming thru the TV speakers.

I just for giggles tried the Optimization test on SW 3. And I noticed that pop sound every time the test moved from the Subwoofer test to the Left Speaker test.

If it's just doing it from the DVD player try changing the audio cables or try a different player if possible. If it's doing it from every source (cable, OTA, VHS, etc.) then exchange the TV.

One other thing to try is to plug the TV into a different AC outlet.

Thanks folks. I am thinking the speakers are an issue.

The blue haze thing ... is that now an issue for all of these off the assembly line? Some folks seem to say they have gotten the optic engine replaced to resolve the issue. I am probably returning this on the basis of the sound issue alone, but want to get a sense of whether I can expect the blue haze problem on any set I buy from here on out.

The blue haze/blotch issue varies wildly on the A10. Chances of getting one without any trace of it is slim. And the issue can crop over time, so if you get one that doesn't seem to show it doesn't mean it won't appear later on. Do a search on "Polarized" in this thread. UMR made a post regarding this problem.

I kind of have a hard time believing that this blue blotch issue is so widespread and so prevailant...if it were I'd think you'd see TONS of people returning this set, salespeople suggesting other TV's, etc. I dunno, that's just how I see it.

Yes well its hard to tell right? Because the only people we have info for are the ones that post here and well that cant be too many compared to how many actually own this set!



By the way no one answered me (I dont think) could someone please enlighten me on the subject.. what is this "update" that you are discussing?


Also is this color issue you are talking about fixable by warranty or what?

Got a letter from Sony friday that stated their was a software issue on the TV I purchased in Sept.. The letter stated that the upgrade was for the KDLV26/32/40XBR1(Bravia) Flat Panel and KDFE42/50A10 Rear projection LCD televisions. The letter staed that they (sony) have recently learned that a limited number of televisions manufactured through November 2005 may after a long period of time depending on usage, fail to turn on or off due to a software issue. This condition is easily resolved with a simple software upgrade provided by Sony at no charge. I have the KDFE42A10 and had no problems but called the number provided (1-866-210-6333) and since my TV had a manufactors date of Sept 2005 it needed the upgrade, it took the guy about 20 min. to remove a small panel on the back that covered a USB port, he then plug in a device that had the upgrade on it and was done 10min. later. You can also go to WWW.updatemytv.com and input TV model number and serial or call the Toll-Free number. No problems with my TV, just curious to see if anyone has had the upgrade yet. I love my Sony 42A10 and would recomend anyone looking for a TV to buy a Sony 42A10.

REFLEX - d1live posted this yesterday morning to alert everyone about a letter from Sony regarding a software update needed for sets built through November 05.

Oh ok thanks. Since I bought the KFE version and not the KDFE version do you think I will need it, I guess ill just check when I get it anyway.

Oh ok thanks. Since I bought the KFE version and not the KDFE version do you think I will need it, I guess ill just check when I get it anyway.


I posted early today that I called Sony to see if the KFE models needed the upgrade as I have the KFE50"A10 I asked them and gave them my serial number and they said no it's only the KDFE models. I was wondering the same thing as you because mine was made in Nov 2005 but I guess if you have the KFE model everything is good to go. :cool:

I kind of have a hard time believing that this blue blotch issue is so widespread and so prevailant...if it were I'd think you'd see TONS of people returning this set, salespeople suggesting other TV's, etc. I dunno, that's just how I see it.

The reason many people aren't complaining is that it really only shows up when you watch something in b&w. And then it only appears very faint. It may also appear during something with a nighttime scene or a screen that is all black. A corner of the screen may look slightly blue or red. On mine I can never see any trace of it on a completely white, blue, red, or green colored screen pattern. If I bring up a gray colored pattern I can see a faint hint of blue in the upper right corner on my 42A10. On a completely black screen I can also make it out but it's very faint.

It's not really a bright blue or red blotch. If that's the case then the light engine needs replacing or just exchange the TV. Getting the light engine cleaned by an Sony tech might also be an option.

what about Consumer Reports? I would think they'd recommend the DLP TV's over LCD Projections instead of stating that the E50A10 is the BEST RPTV in the 50" range. Maybe my blue is just REALLY bad (and like you, it's only on gray/black, not on colored or white)...I posted a picture of it on page 219

Well I called Sony and they said the upgrade is only needed in the KDFE models and not in the KFE ones. So my 50" is good to go. Just thought I would let everyone know. :cool:
Yay! :D

Ahhh so the KFE models dont need the upgrade.. oh well Ill still check maybe when I get it next week but atleast I know now - thanks a lot.


All these TVs have their problems, id gladly deal with a faint color issue sometimes that deal with a grainy image all the time.

The reason many people aren't complaining is that it really only shows up when you watch something in b&w. And then it only appears very faint. It may also appear during something with a nighttime scene or a screen that is all black. A corner of the screen may look slightly blue or red. On mine I can never see any trace of it on a completely white, blue, red, or green colored screen pattern. If I bring up a gray colored pattern I can see a faint hint of blue in the upper right corner on my 42A10. On a completely black screen I can also make it out but it's very faint.

It's not really a bright blue or red blotch. If that's the case then the light engine needs replacing or just exchange the TV. Getting the light engine cleaned by an Sony tech might also be an option.
If I look at the TV with no input in a darkened room then after about 10 seconds I can see a slight variation to the coloration of the dark background glow. The coloration was most visible with the iris set to maximum and was very difficult to see with the iris set to the minimum. The visibility of the color shift also seemed to vary with viewing angle. For the first few seconds after watching normal color TV though the background appears a uniform blue-grey to me even with the iris at maximum. With a photograph exposed for normal TV the background is too dark to capture the coloration shifts with my digital rebel D-SLR camera. If I expose the background to a mid grey on the camera though IIRC there was some color shift visible in the image. I expect that both the viewer's sensitivity to it and the severity of the TV's coloration shift varies for each owner.

So ... is this not necessarily a symptom of a faulty optic engine or not? Seems like a lot of folks seem some variation of it.

So ... is this not necessarily a symptom of a faulty optic engine or not? Seems like a lot of folks seem some variation of it.
No. There were some reported cases of green blobs that were fixed by having the light engine cleaned. What you're seeing is most likely a fault of the technology. The use of polarizers is to blame.

I purchased the 50" last week and recently I noticed I have a VERY faint "blue blob" in the upper right corner. You can only see it if you are switching between channels. It doesn't affect normal viewing at all. If I turn off all of the lights in the room and then change channels the blob is gone. So for me it apparently is where the TV is in reference to the lights around it.

Maybe the light is some how reflecting off of something inside of the TV back up on to the screen?

So ... is this not necessarily a symptom of a faulty optic engine or not? Seems like a lot of folks seem some variation of it.
Well some people's color blobs could just be reflected ambient light. This technology does use polarizers that are not perfect though and I think small variations in the polarizers causes some background color shifts. How severe the shift is for a given TV will be difficult to quantify without something like a colorimeter. If everyone used the same camera technique (for instance 16 bit linear conversions from Canon raw files exposed 2 stops below histogram end) and similar cameras we might get a rough idea of how different sets compare. Or if a calibrator has seen a lot of A10s then they might have an idea of the range of variation. Does umr have a comment?

I purchased the 50" last week and recently I noticed I have a VERY faint "blue blob" in the upper right corner. You can only see it if you are switching between channels. It doesn't affect normal viewing at all. If I turn off all of the lights in the room and then change channels the blob is gone. So for me it apparently is where the TV is in reference to the lights around it.

Maybe the light is some how reflecting off of something inside of the TV back up on to the screen?
Ambient light can definitely cause reflections from the TV. If possible you should place the room lights against the wall the TV is in front of; don't put them behind you where the rear surround speakers go.

I have my Motorola box set so that ALL channels are output to the TV at 1080I.
That way the tv and box are always in synch, and channel changes are smooth. The SD channels are not great PQ no matter what output you use anyway

Split the coax. Run 1 to the box for HD and run the other to the TV tuner for SD. You'll get the same HD as now but much better SD by using the internal TV tuner.

Split the coax. Run 1 to the box for HD and run the other to the TV tuner for SD. You'll get the same HD as now but much better SD by using the internal TV tuner.Unfortunately, this only helps if you are watching live TV. Most people with DVR's rarely watch anything live, if ever.

When the service dude(ette) comes to update the firmware, has anyone managed to talk them into a cleaning or something while they are there?

Maybe we cannot get a free bulb out of it, but I was wondering if there is anything else I can get out of it.

My 42a10 just arrived today after waiting for the last 15 days and fretting over if it was the right decision all I can say is hot damn this a nice tv!

I upgraded from a Samsung 27 HDTv Crt

Damnit I cant wait for my TV next weak .... 7 days! Argh! Hahaha....

Ok. I haven't seen anything about this yet so thought I'd ask. It may seem like a strange question but...

With this a10 (42") is there any way to turn off the upconverting from 480i? I noticed on the Pricegrabber webpage that lists the specifications that this television is supposed to be able to display it.

I assume that's what this means:

"Broadcast Format Displayed: 480i (SDTV), 480p (EDTV), 720p (HDTV)
Broadcast Format Supported: 1080i (HDTV), 480i (SDTV), 480p (EDTV), 720p (HDTV)"

Supported meaning what the tv can accept and displayed meaning what the tv can actually show on screen without converting it into something else.

So if that site (couldn't confirm this anywhere on Sony's site or in the manual) can be believed shouldn't there be a way to just view straight 480i without any progressive scanning or upconverting?

If there is it would greatly help my old game systems when playing them on this tv.

[edit] On a whim I checked the 50" model on Pricegrabber and it only showed 720p so now I'm thinking it was just a typo on the site. -_-

Well from my experience..... you cant change the Tv's native resolution which is 720p... so it converts everything into that resolution. So... your stuck with that.

@hibiki

the native resolution of both the 42" & 50" Sony A10 models is 1280x720 (720p)
this can never be changed. content can be displayed in its original ratio 4:3 or 16:9 (or any close to said ratio for movies)

if you dont use the A10's scalar (normal, full, zoom, wide zoom)
NTSC (480i) is displayed in a 4:3 box in the middle, w/ pillarbars on either side

if you do use the scalar, its shown w/ about 1" cropped off top and bottom (e.g. the space where CNN displays the news @ the bottom of the screen will be 75% off the screen)

e.g.
regular tv is NTSC (SDTV) 480i, but some shows are widscreen (black horizonal bars @ top and bottom of image) those shows look like they have a box around all sides of them when you watch SDTV on the A10's. you can use the tv's scalar to wide-zoom (aspect ratio is the same, but you loose contnet on the top and bottom of the screen so that it can remove the black spaces to the left and right of the image.

the xbox (except for a handful of games that are 720p and 1 thats 1080i) are all 480i
i use wide-zoom to fill up the entire screen w/ the same aspect ratio of the original 480i content. i lose 1" on the top and bottom of it, but thats neglegable for most things. but when watching dvds on my xbox, depending if the movie is 2.35 or 1.85 ratio i use either wide zoom or just zoom; while using the menu of a dvd i have to use normal w/ the pillar boxes (black vertical bars) so i can see everything (b/c normally in zoom or wide-zoom you lose some of the content for the buttons on dvd menus.

when watching HDTV (ota myself) whether its 720p or 1080i it fills the entire screen.
there are some local channels here that have their #.2 channel as just a weather channel in 480i (which is just SDTV over a digital signal, so its crystal clear in terms of signal, but since its a 480i image shown progressive output, its not as nice as a hdtv source.

dont get me wrong, i love my sony 42 A10, but garbage in is garbage out. watching something taped on cable (clean signal, yet VHS = 200lines of content) looks like complete garbage compared to the same thing HD (e.g. watching ER on NBC from vhs on analog cable verses HD)

hopefully i have cleared up your confusion rather than making it worse...

Yes its a fact that many people buying new HDTVs dont know that regular cable looks like crap on most of these new TVs. I mean its easily watchable but it doesnt look like it would on and older CRT TV.


Everything you watch gets turned into the TV's native resolution, mentioned many times. So to answer your question again (hehe) you arent going to run into any luck - everyhing gets turned into 720p on your tv.

Oh, I'm aware of all the nuances of those things, the resolutions and aspect modes. I didn't go far enough into it I guess.

The problem isn't viewing the picture, I don't mind the 4:3 when playing something on an old game system. I don't even mind the image itself, it's actually really good. The problem I'm having is the progressive ghosting when something moves across the screen. When the television upconverts 480i to 720p it either uses the DRC function and/or some 3:2 pulldown to reinterlace the frames. That makes moving objects have ghosts in front of and behind the object.

Sprite game backgrounds like Super Mario Brothers and things with scroll are terrible to play if your eyes are able to see that ghosting.

I was hoping since I saw 480i in the "displayed" line at Pricegrabber that the set was able to shut off the full-time upconversion but it looks like that was just a typo on the website.



the xbox (except for a handful of games that are 720p and 1 thats 1080i) are all 480i
i use wide-zoom to fill up the entire screen w/ the same aspect ratio of the original 480i content. i lose 1" on the top and bottom of it, but thats neglegable for most things. but when watching dvds on my xbox, depending if the movie is 2.35 or 1.85 ratio i use either wide zoom or just zoom; while using the menu of a dvd i have to use normal w/ the pillar boxes (black vertical bars) so i can see everything (b/c normally in zoom or wide-zoom you lose some of the content for the buttons on dvd menus.

On a related note, have you tried going into your Xbox dashboard under video settings and putting the aspect ratio in widescreen there as well? I've personally noticed the Xbox does a really good job of filling the screen with every game without as much fishbowl effect on the edges (like with the wide-zoom mode)

I've tested it with almost every game I have and they almost look meant for 16:9 the way the Xbox does it itself.

For regular Xbox games I use the 16:9 mode in the Xbox Dashboard and then use "full" mode (I think, if I remember right) for screen aspect ratio. Fills the screen perfectly with almost no distortion. I only notice it on rare occassions.

hey guys, this thread has so much traffic I am wondering if anyone could help me out with a Sony RM-AV3000 remote Q (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=645049)

Does anyone know a discrete Video 5 code for the 42A10?

hey guys, this thread has so much traffic I am wondering if anyone could help me out with a Sony RM-AV3000 remote Q (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=645049)

Does anyone know a discrete Video 5 code for the 42A10?

I wish. I have been needing to look/post at http://www.remotecentral.com/

I did hear someone mention something about some way to swap inputs or something, I thought, but have just been doing the manual menu -> external input -> Video 5. Sucks after having all my stuff macro'd perfectly for years. My macros always sent a discrete off to all components upon starting though, to give me a clean slate, and I don't want to cycle the RPTV like I did my CRT though.

LCD and plasma TVs are fixed pixel displays, so some conversion must be performed or otherwise the 480i/480p resolutions would only take up a tiny portion of the entire screen.

As for A10 conversion processing, it is possible to turn DRC and Cinemotion to OFF from inside the settings menu.

I think if you send an "Channel UP" command, it will automatically return the TV set to the TVtuner input.

Once you are at a known point (TVtuner), you can then program your macro to switch to input 5.

well the sony tech is here replacing my light engine...he took a look at the tv first and said he didn't think it'd help the blue blotch, but he'd install it anyway since he's got it.

guess we'll see the end results later on.

ah cool report back whenever its conveinent and let us know if it fixed the problem or not.

Rick Steve's "Europe"

Was watching the Belgium episode last night
and they were doing several museums with long closeups of paintings.
On several occasions I turned my a10 from Custom to Vivid
and the pictures were so stunning that I literally felt like I was standing in the
museum 5' from the paintings.
It was an almost unreal experience.

It makes me wonder what a SXRD would look like on the same content.

On a related note, have you tried going into your Xbox dashboard under video settings and putting the aspect ratio in widescreen there as well? I've personally noticed the Xbox does a really good job of filling the screen with every game without as much fishbowl effect on the edges (like with the wide-zoom mode)

i did do the part regarding tv has support for 480i, 720p, 1080i but i didnt see the widescreen part

ill have to give that a look see next time i boot my xbox (i didnt really look @ all the options when i was in that menu last time)

The tech left about an hour ago, and I've been messing around with the tv ever since (HDTV, DVD's, Xbox 360). The damn blue spot is still there in the exact same spot, so whatever it is has absolutely nothing to do with the light engine. Bah!

I think I'm going to go with the Sammy DLP instead. That color uniformity issue just bothers me way too much.

I hope this hasn't already been posted - I did a quick search and didn't see anything about it.

Sony has recently announced that up to 400,000 Bravia and Grand Wega RP-LCD TVs had a defect in the firmware that would make them shut off (or not shut off) after 1200 hours. They are offering a free upgrade (only until 2008 though) through this website (http://www.updatemytv.com/). I would strongly suggest all owners verify their units and pass the information on to other owners.

The tech left about an hour ago, and I've been messing around with the tv ever since (HDTV, DVD's, Xbox 360). The damn blue spot is still there in the exact same spot, so whatever it is has absolutely nothing to do with the light engine. Bah!

I think I'm going to go with the Sammy DLP instead. That color uniformity issue just bothers me way too much.
Did the tech really replace the light engine which contains the LCD? Is the blue spot there in a completely darkened room? I think that the slight color variations that I see in my set are from the polarizer non-uniformity which is part of the light engine. Since your blob didn't go away I wonder if you are just seeing some reflected ambient light or if the tech didn't replace the part that contains the micro-LCD (which is normally called the light engine.)

Did the tech really replace the light engine which contains the LCD? Is the blue spot there in a completely darkened room? I think that the slight color variations that I see in my set are from the polarizer non-uniformity which is part of the light engine. Since your blob didn't go away I wonder if you are just seeing some reflected ambient light or if the tech didn't replace the part that contains the micro-LCD (which is normally called the light engine.)

the tech did replace the light engine containing the 3 tiny LCD panels (he showed it to me...the thought it was cool when he shined his flashlight into the bulb input and lit up all 3 little LCD panels).

also, the blue spot is actually pretty much only apparent in a dark room (very low to no lights), if there's much of any ambient light, it's very hard to see the blue spot (unfortunately I love watching in the dark).

best buy is being very nice, i can either return the tv in exchange for a new one, or they'll even honor the 0% till Jan. '09 financing deal i got when i bought the tv (they're no longer running that promotion) on ANY other TV (I think it's $699 and up) in the store since I'm still within my 30 day return period...guess it's time to start shopping TV's all over again.

at this point I'm not sure if i want to try another Sony.

Here is the source code: http://products.sel.sony.com/opensource/source_tv.shtml#2005.1

Have at it!

It would be rather interesting to plug your PC into that USB port and see what happens! Hint, hint! :rolleyes:

I also would not be surprised if there was a firewire port on the main board, but without a header.

It would be nice to be able to plugin a 1or 2GB Jump Drive.
Grateful11

I hope this hasn't already been posted - I did a quick search and didn't see anything about it.

Sony has recently announced that up to 400,000 Bravia and Grand Wega RP-LCD TVs had a defect in the firmware that would make them shut off (or not shut off) after 1200 hours. They are offering a free upgrade (only until 2008 though) through this website (http://www.updatemytv.com/). I would strongly suggest all owners verify their units and pass the information on to other owners.

It was, thanks. Check the last couple of days of posts.

Rick Steve's "Europe"

Was watching the Belgium episode last night
and they were doing several museums with long closeups of paintings.
On several occasions I turned my a10 from Custom to Vivid
and the pictures were so stunning that I literally felt like I was standing in the
museum 5' from the paintings.
It was an almost unreal experience.

It makes me wonder what a SXRD would look like on the same content.

I too torture myself by watching his show in 1080i HD (local PBS). It is a good show case.

I had my software updated today to address this bug. Took about 10 min. My software went from version 1.19 to 1.20.

The tech guy was a dork. You wouldn't believe what this guy did.

Rick Steve's "Europe"

Was watching the Belgium episode last night
and they were doing several museums with long closeups of paintings.
On several occasions I turned my a10 from Custom to Vivid
and the pictures were so stunning that I literally felt like I was standing in the
museum 5' from the paintings.
It was an almost unreal experience.

It makes me wonder what a SXRD would look like on the same content.


I saw that. It looked incredible. :) I stayed in Pro, however.

the xbox (except for a handful of games that are 720p and 1 thats 1080i) are all 480i
i use wide-zoom to fill up the entire screen w/ the same aspect ratio of the original 480i content. i lose 1" on the top and bottom of it, but thats neglegable for most things. but when watching dvds on my xbox, depending if the movie is 2.35 or 1.85 ratio i use either wide zoom or just zoom; while using the menu of a dvd i have to use normal w/ the pillar boxes (black vertical bars) so i can see everything (b/c normally in zoom or wide-zoom you lose some of the content for the buttons on dvd menus.


You only have to zoom on DVDs that aren't "anamorphic". If they are anamorphic you should set the tv to full mode.

Hello:

I had my KDF-E42A10 firmware updated this evening. Look at post #6643 and locate the green arrow. Behind this single screw plastic L cover is a USB port. This was used with a thumb drive to update the firmware. This post is for your information only. Do not void your warranty by playing with this USB port. This firmware update is for the KDF-E4210A and KDF-E5010A models. I have enjoyed my Sony HDTV since September 2005.

Only go to the samsung DLP if you want a grainy image... even on HD material......

Only go to the samsung DLP if you want a grainy image... even on HD material......

I agree,been there done that...

Quote:
Originally Posted by FFFred
{regarding getting to a bulb life hour counter in the service menu . . . } I did. I can't remember sitting here at work how I got there, but it is available in the very mystical service menu. The Service Manual actually says how to access it. In fact, other than the hour meter for the bulb (AND another for the display, interestingly), that's the only useful info that service manual has...

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.

WOW,mine says 1160 hours,gosh I haven't had it that long,3 1/2 months..OUCH

Oh yeah, welcome the new owner of a KDFE-42A10...my first HDTV *cries* :)

I love this TV, the picture is absolutely amazing. I don't watch movies that much, but I hooked up my Xbox and dammmmnnnn it's sweet. Makes me wish I had a Xbox360 or even a PS3. I even love the design of the TV. Heck it matches perfectly with my whole entertainment room furniture, it's all black and silver...the EXACT same tones as the TV.

I've been flipping through this HUGE post trying to find settings and tweaks people recommend but damn this post is more than I can read in my spare time lol. Actually, my spare time is filled now checking out how ma games look on this TV lol. Anyone have just a quick summirzed version of what settings to recommend to newbies. I read about the service menu but for now I would prefer to stay out of it.

Oh yeah, welcome the new owner of a KDFE-42A10...my first HDTV *cries* :)

I love this TV, the picture is absolutely amazing. I don't watch movies that much, but I hooked up my Xbox and dammmmnnnn it's sweet. Makes me wish I had a Xbox360 or even a PS3. I even love the design of the TV. Heck it matches perfectly with my whole entertainment room furniture, it's all black and silver...the EXACT same tones as the TV.

I've been flipping through this HUGE post trying to find settings and tweaks people recommend but damn this post is more than I can read in my spare time lol. Actually, my spare time is filled now checking out how ma games look on this TV lol. Anyone have just a quick summirzed version of what settings to recommend to newbies. I read about the service menu but for now I would prefer to stay out of it.


Welcome, I too am pretty new to this forum.. its great! Anyway here is a link to a member of this sites' settings Dark Rain is his forum name... here is the link to his settings (from what I understand they are quite good):
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6258295#post6258295

And here is a link (also thanks to Dark Rains signature) to the SONYV tweaks (if you like, but im sure the settings will do ya just fine)L:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709



Anyway hope that helps. :cool:



I agree,been there done that...

Yeah I was really let down by the Samsung DLP, I mean it SOUNDED great and it looked great (the TV its self, NOT the picture quality), but it just was grainy - on movies, and even on all the HD material I watched. Very unsatisfied... so I switched to the SONYa10. I just couldnt let myself stick with a grainy image.. no way in hell.

Hello:

I had my KDF-E42A10 firmware updated this evening. Look at post #6643 and locate the green arrow. Behind this single screw plastic L cover is a USB port. This was used with a thumb drive to update the firmware. This post is for your information only. Do not void your warranty by playing with this USB port. This firmware update is for the KDF-E4210A and KDF-E5010A models. I have enjoyed my Sony HDTV since September 2005.

Was the thumb drive (I' not sure what a thumb drive is) attached to a cable? The reason I ask, the sony web site says that they have to have clear access to the rear of the unit. I don't want to break everything down and move the TV if I don't have to.

I'm also curious! I have enough room to squeeze behind the TV (which is mounted in a large wall unit). I can get back there to insert a usb cable, but I doubt a tech would deal with it without removing the TV.

Was the thumb drive (I' not sure what a thumb drive is) attached to a cable? The reason I ask, the sony web site says that they have to have clear access to the rear of the unit. I don't want to break everything down and move the TV if I don't have to.

The drive my tech used was just a little bigger than a memory stick. I think he needs enough room to get at the screw and unhook the cover. After that it was just a matter of plugging in the drive.

I pulled mine out into the middle of the room and when he came in he mentioned that I didn't have to go that far. I think he can do it as long as he can see, get at, and loosen the screw. I doubt you'd have to unhook everything, depending on your setup, but it's not like he has to tinker back there for more than thirty seconds.

The update takes the longest, and that's just him sitting on your couch looking at all your stuff while the tv does its stuff.

Rick Steve's "Europe"

Was watching the Belgium episode last night
and they were doing several museums with long closeups of paintings.
On several occasions I turned my a10 from Custom to Vivid
and the pictures were so stunning that I literally felt like I was standing in the
museum 5' from the paintings.
It was an almost unreal experience.
Is that the PBS show where he also visited Paris? If so, it is very good. I could not get over how good it looked. Oh, and the paintings from the museums were quite breathe taking - as you mentioned.

We never watched PBS in my home since it looked so bad over cable. Now I find myself watching it all the time since the quality is quite good at times.

I'd rather live with a grainier image (though my buddy who has the 46" Sammy DLP has had zero complaints) than this stupid polarity color issue crap (which according to Dark Rain is a common problem with these sets, and can happen at any time...so even if I got a new one with no spot there's no guarantee a spot wouldn't show up in the future).

REFLEX - out of curiosity...what model was the Sammy DLP that you returned?

I'd rather live with a grainier image (though my buddy who has the 46" Sammy DLP has had zero complaints) than this stupid polarity color issue crap (which according to Dark Rain is a common problem with these sets, and can happen at any time...so even if I got a new one with no spot there's no guarantee a spot wouldn't show up in the future).

REFLEX - out of curiosity...what model was the Sammy DLP that you returned? If it was my money, I wouldnt even think about returning a Sony for a Samsung, any Samsung, atleast go with a Panasonic or Mitsubitchy (hehe). Take it back and get another Sony like the one you wanted to start with. I wouldnt buy a Kia over a Toyota, either one could have a problem but the Toyota is least likely to have any problem. Goodluck, just my 2 cents worth, you Kia owners, Please dont take this as bashing your auto, Iam just trying to prove a point. Sony is very good quality, many things can happen during shipping and it may have happened to your TV TB.

Samsung's the only 42" DLP that Best Buy carries (I actually can't remember seeing other brand DLP's at that size). And for our room, our viewing distance is only 6' so we really don't want to go over 42". I've liked what I've seen of the Sammy DLP's in store, and like I said, my buddy has the 46" version and he's had zero complaints.

Also, keep in mind I did have my light engine replaced yesterday and it didn't make a lick of difference. Sure, something could have dammaged it in shipping to Best Buy, but this issue is just too widespread (counting posts on here, people exchanging the TV's up to 5 times, a co-worker of my wife getting the same tv with the same problem), just too much freaking hassle.

Samsung's the only 42" DLP that Best Buy carries (I actually can't remember seeing other brand DLP's at that size). And for our room, our viewing distance is only 6' so we really don't want to go over 42". I've liked what I've seen of the Sammy DLP's in store, and like I said, my buddy has the 46" version and he's had zero complaints.

Also, keep in mind I did have my light engine replaced yesterday and it didn't make a lick of difference. Sure, something could have dammaged it in shipping to Best Buy, but this issue is just too widespread (counting posts on here, people exchanging the TV's up to 5 times, a co-worker of my wife getting the same tv with the same problem), just too much freaking hassle.


I think all TV's have some sort of problem. I have read many complaints about the Samsung TV's also. Generally there are a group of people that for whatever reason end up with a bad TV and of course the rest of us with that same TV start worrying and wondering when it will happen to us. I don't think a lot of people just take the time to sit down to just watch the TV. They all sit there waiting for something bad to happen. That's not how it should be. I ended up with a good set "so far" and for the first few days I paid more attention to the screen and not what was being televised on it. I constantly checked for bad pixels or some sort of color blothes. Finally last night I just said screw it, I have a 4 year warranty and if something messes up I intend to nag the hell out of someone until it gets fixed.


No TV will ever be perfect, the way they are made, the technology, how they are shipped......a lot of factors may result in a consumer ending up with a lemon. It's just there are lemons with every brand. I researched HDTV's for months before getting this Sony. I read hundreds of complaints about the Panny's, Sammy's, Sony's and JVC's etc etc. I feel confident about my purchase and if it screws up I really don't believe there are any other alternatives out there for me.

I don't believe the problems with this particular model are as bad as it may sound but I do think that having a little luck goes a long way in purchasing a good TV these days. Thank god for 30 day return policies.

The drive my tech used was just a little bigger than a memory stick. I think he needs enough room to get at the screw and unhook the cover. After that it was just a matter of plugging in the drive.

I pulled mine out into the middle of the room and when he came in he mentioned that I didn't have to go that far. I think he can do it as long as he can see, get at, and loosen the screw. I doubt you'd have to unhook everything, depending on your setup, but it's not like he has to tinker back there for more than thirty seconds.

The update takes the longest, and that's just him sitting on your couch looking at all your stuff while the tv does its stuff.

Did you happen to notice if your settings were reset to the default? Had you done the red push fix and was it reset?

See attach photo for USB external drive (thumb, stick drive) used to update firmware.

The tech had to get to the back of the TV (left side view from the rear) to get to the USB port (Look at my previous post). I moved the TV forward and turned it to the left for the Tech. No big issues - this TV is light weight. My "Dark Rain" (red blush) setting were reset back to factory settings.

Hope that answers your questions!

No TV will ever be perfect...
I've been saying this for quite some time. What it really comes down to is what you're willing to live with. After awhile you will quit looking for the technical flaws and will just enjoy watching your favorite TV shows and movies.

With regards to the height of any TV, the *best*, is when your eyes are in direct line with the center of the TV....so the question is ( for the 50 " model ) how many inches higher or lower from *center* can you go, before you start to lose PQ ?

Dick W.

Did you happen to notice if your settings were reset to the default? Had you done the red push fix and was it reset?

None of my settings were reset but I also didn't do the red push adjustment to begin with.

Firmware update completed. Ten minutes from start to flashing amber light. Software version 1.20 installed. ;)

I had the Samsung HLR5064W... the Canadian equivelent to the 5076 or something I think. It was a nice looking TV... its subjective I guess, the picture quality pissed me off from the 1st movie I watched to the last PBS show I watched in HD... .GRAINY!!!

Every tv does have its problems, if you look through the samsung hlr topic youll see tons of people who arent very pleased. Not saying dont buy it, but just saying youd hate to have to do what I did... which is pack it all back up just because the image is far too grainy for your tastes.

hah i hear you completely, i hate having to pack up the sony for the blue spot, but that's what i'm doing because i'd rather deal with a potentially grainy picture (who knows if i'll even notice it) than the polarizer blue spots (which are annoyingly noticeable for me).

I guess so, from what ive read the blue spot (depending on how bad it is) is not nearly as annoying for some than an overall total grainy image... I mean some stuff just looked like crap, even from 11+ feet away.... no good not for me.... ill take my chances, just like I did with the samsung I guess... all tvs in general I suppose.

So. REFLEX, do you have your A10 yet?

NO! Damnit! They didnt have them in stock at the warehouse so I have to wait just under a week.. till next wednesday the 22nd.... bastards! haha.. . well it aint their fault, and I still got it on a sale price! so it cost me nothin to exchange! ... I cant wait to get it back, my HD cable box and DVd player are just waiting to be hooked up!.... damn!

How long does the lamp last ? (min. - max. time)
How much does it cost ?

How long does the lamp last ? (min. - max. time)
How much does it cost ?

It's unknown. But some people have reported getting over 8000+ hours on the older Grand Wegas. I expect to get at least 4000+ on my A10.

Price on the A10 lamp is $200. This is at the Sony Web site. I've seen them priced at $180 at other places.

WOW,mine says 1160 hours,gosh I haven't had it that long,3 1/2 months..OUCH

That's over 11 hours a day!!! That can't be right. Are you sure that you didn't get a used model? Unless you have the TV on from 6pm until 5am EVERY single day of the week, I would be calling the store where I bought it and asking for a NEW TV, not someone's returned model!!

I seem to be having problem with these sets. Whenever there is motion from left to right on solid colors like a hockey game, I notice faint vertical banding. It also appears if I freeze the action scene and is also evident (though with a smaller spacing) in the subsequent smaller window. Went to the stores and thought I noticed this on other sets like mine but thought I should post and ask here if this is normal for this TV and or technology. Other than this issue the TV set is great especially compared to older model Sonys LCD and rainbow prone DLPs but I dont want to decide between bulky reflection prone RP, rainbow prone DLP and now possibly banding LCD.

Anyone on this board good with linux?

Given that a link to the source code was posted earlier and the A10s "freeze" feature...what are the chances of someone creating a hack to allow for PIP on this set? I realize it may be a long shot, and I don't even miss not having it....but curiosity is killing me!

It's unknown. But some people have reported getting over 8000+ hours on the older Grand Wegas. I expect to get at least 4000+ on my A10.

im hoping for more than the quoted 2000

i got mine 1 month now

and the menu says ive had it on for 211 hours (or about 6hrs a day)
which sounds about right
if i do a tv show and probably a movie in the evening and the most of the day on the weekends playing xbox or watching movies (10am - 2am)

it would be nice to get more than 2000 hours (as that would only be 10 months)

im hoping for more than the quoted 2000

i got mine 1 month now

and the menu says ive had it on for 211 hours (or about 6hrs a day)
which sounds about right
if i do a tv show and probably a movie in the evening and the most of the day on the weekends playing xbox or watching movies (10am - 2am)

it would be nice to get more than 2000 hours (as that would only be 10 months)

After 5 months I think I had something like 830 hours on mine. I don't think it's unrealistic to think that the lamp will last at least 4000 hours. For me that will probably come out to be about 2 years.

Got mine the week they came out in the U.S. (about 6 months ago) and I'm at 1300+ hours as of last week! :eek: At this rate, if the bulb last an avg of 4000 hours, I'll be needing a new at about the two year mark. Hopefully I'll be one of the cases that makes it 8000 hrs.

Just a little thought on the discussions about "blue blobs" and "color uniformity" etc. Dark Rain and others are quite right when they state that no TV is perfect; imperfections and technology limitations acceptable to me may not be acceptable to someone else. However, if you are not completely satisfied with your product you have the right, nay, the obligation to complain. How long do you think companies like Best Buy, Circuit City and Future Shop, with their hassle free 30 day return policies, will tolerate problem products from manufacturers. With their volume purchasing clout they will demand items that are not going to be constantly returned; they simply cannot make their mark-ups with product being sold as "open box" all the time. If you don't demand the best product you can get, manufacturers would be happy to maintain the status quo.

Has anyone come up with a source for discounted bulbs?



Got mine the week they came out in the U.S. (about 6 months ago) and I'm at 1300+ hours as of last week! :eek: At this rate, if the bulb last an avg of 4000 hours, I'll be needing a new at about the two year mark. Hopefully I'll be one of the cases that makes it 8000 hrs.

AAARRRGGHH!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

The moron of a service tech came out. Had no clue what he was doing, did something during the update and completely bricked the tv.

The only thing it will do is the POWER/STANDBY light alternately blinks red/green.

Great.

Sony tech support has no clue what to do.

Anyone need a 50" paperweight?

<SOB>

dont you love when you know more than the service tech ?

so since "they broke it" they gonna give you a new one for FREE ?
its then its just the hassel to take it back, get the new one and set it up again

Has anyone come up with a source for discounted bulbs?

Keep in mind that the bulbs have, I think, a 90 day warranty. If you buy one ahead of time, you are on your own.

dont you love when you know more than the service tech ?

so since "they broke it" they gonna give you a new one for FREE ?
its then its just the hassel to take it back, get the new one and set it up again


They are going to come back with a second usb stick and see if that one works. Highly doubtful since YOU CANT TURN ON THE TV (hence, how can you start the update)

Ugh.

I imagine I'll get a working A10 at some point....but how long is that gonna take.

... completely bricked the tv...

I doubt you will get a new TV; just a new motherboard. Maybe you will get a new bulb out of it somehow too.

P.S. Mine is scheduled for Monday. I hope it goes better.

I doubt you will get a new TV; just a new motherboard. Maybe you will get a new bulb out of it somehow too.

P.S. Mine is scheduled for Monday. I hope it goes better.


Make sure the tech knows what he is doing, please. I dont wish this sick feeling in my stomach on anyone.

Seriously, as long as I can get it working again, I dont care what they have to do...

fix it.

Here is a digital photo of the black background on my E50A10 exposed to a mid grey on my Canon digital rebel and converted from raw with ACR with a color saturation adjustment setting of 0. I see this coloration with the iris at maximum after a couple of minutes of just a black background on the TV in a dark room. When the image goes black briefly while watching normal color TV (like when changing channels) I can't see this coloration, the screen just looks a uniform blue-grey to me. I expect this amount of coloration is probably typical for an A10. No one [at my house] has noticed any non-uniformity from this effect when watching normal color TV and movies. I haven't yet watched any black and white content on this set so I don't know if I would notice colors while viewing something that should be monochrome.

I believe that the source code that Sony released was just for the linux kernel and system applications.

Any custom programs like their TV user interface, for example, were probably written from scratch by Sony and contain no GPL code.

Sony does not need to publish the source code for their in-house developed standalone apps unless parts of them are based on other "open source" projects.

So it is unlikely that a "hacker" will be able to add a feature such as PIP to these TVs. Not completely impossible, but VERY unlikely.

As for the firmware update, like all other FLASH updatable devices, I would expect that it is important that the power stays ON and the storage device stays PLUGGED IN for the entire update process.

I would not try doing an update during a thunderstorm, for example. And I would not let the moron unplug the drive until the light was no longer blinking. And even then, I'd probably still wait an extra few minutes after the blinking stopped, just to be safe.


As for the "bricked" TV, wasn't there some "Reset it to the factory settings" magic button presses that were listed in this forum somewhere?

Maybe it can "unbrick" your TV.

If you are a TV "perfectionist" that is looking for near-perfect image quality on a 42" set with no price limit, why don't you give the Panasonic plasma a try? It is supposed to be the "cream of the crop" in that category.

AAARRRGGHH!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

The moron of a service tech came out. Had no clue what he was doing, did something during the update and completely bricked the tv.

The only thing it will do is the POWER/STANDBY light alternately blinks red/green.

Great.

Sony tech support has no clue what to do.

Anyone need a 50" paperweight?

<SOB>

Mine did the same. He turned off the power before the light turned amber. turning on the set gave us nothing but a blinking green light. He plugged the USB drive back in, turned on the set, it did its update again, finished and the set was fine. Good thing I was ready to kill him.

I have an E50A10 that has an October build date. When I checked the Sony site, my unit was due the software update and I made an appointment. The technician showed up on time :) and he was very courteous. Turns out he does not work for a TV service company but rather for a computer software/hardware company located nearby. He stated Sony has contracted with them for various services and this software update was one of them. He came prepared with two memory sticks, one for the A10 line and one for the Bravia LCD panels, and a sheet of instrutions from Sony. As luck would have it, I was his first service call on this :eek: . After unplugging the unit, he removed a small panel on the back, and inserted the appropriate memory stick into the USB port. He re-plugged the TV in and hit the power button. A sequence of lights on the lower front panel began to flash and it continued for around 6-8 minutes until the sequence indicated it was done. The tech then pulled the memory stick out directly and powered down the unit since he needed to bring up the Service Menu screen to verify the updates had loaded properly. It was interesting that he was having difficulty finding the right keys, i.e. display/5/Vol+/On, as he was unfamiliar with the new remotes. After showing him a couple of times, he suggested that I give it a try since time was important in hitting the sequence quickly to call up the SM. Little did he know that I had experience with this sequence as I had just fixed my red push a couple of days before (by the way, 003B works great for my unit :) ). Once I got the SM up, he compared the numbers on my screen to the numbers on his printed sheet and everything matched, indicating that the software update was successful. The unit was then powered down and the lamp cooled. Once I fired the unit up again, ALL of my video settings were unchanged, as was my red push fix. The software was transparent and I did not have to re-do any personal settings. My A10 continues to provide great HD and digital pictures, and the SD looks pretty good as well. No signs of any video problems, i.e. blotches or discoloration. Only other work required was the installation of the heat shield to keep my cable card reader cool so it wouldn't forget the digital/HD signals. Everything is working great now and the services by Sony have been great when needed, a very pleasant surprise.

I'm happy with Sony also. An online notice comes out that my TV needs a software update.... THE NEXT DAY Sony is at my house applying it.

With I had that luck with Samsung.

I also had a terrible experience with the "Sony authorized" guy that updated my TV. He had no clue what he was doing. When the update finishes, a blinking red/green light on the front of the TV turns yellow signaling the completion. This guy refused to wait until the yellow light came on before unplugging the USB drive saying that "It's just a misprint. It's not going to turn yellow." I told him to wait, especially when the front page of the instructions stated that if the USB drive is unplugged in the middle of the update, it could damage the microprocessors. He didn't listen and said something like, "Those instructions are never right" and unplugged the drive anyway after about 2 or 3 minutes into the update. He tried to get the TV to function but nothing happened so he finally gave in and plugged the drive back in. After about another 5 minutes the light turned yellow. I was furious! My television seems to be working fine, but I'm not even sure now if the update was successful. I can't believe Sony authorizes these people. I think I'm going to give Sony a call. Totally pathetic.

Just curious. What is everyones build date and firmware number? (From diagnostics menu.) I have a Jan 06 Model (Just got it 4 days ago) and the website said I do not need the upgrade. But I just want to compare (in likelyhood they put an older firmware on my TV). My Firmware is H05-01.20 00050.

I also have the Bravia 32XBR LCDTV I got in October (which needed the self installed USB update) which I did, and the firmware is H05-01.15 before and after the update. Which is the same experience from the other people who updated their Bravias. The firmware number did not change. Did your A10s firmware numbers change on the diagnostic screen or only in service menus?

Thanks for the info on these questions!

I'm not even going to bother with the firmware update since my 42A10 has never had an issue with not turning on or off. If it ever does then I'll do the recommended "unplug it, plug it back in" method.

Here is a digital photo of the black background on my E50A10 exposed to a mid grey on my Canon digital rebel and converted from raw with ACR with a color saturation adjustment setting of 0. I see this coloration with the iris at maximum after a couple of minutes of just a black background on the TV in a dark room. When the image goes black briefly while watching normal color TV (like when changing channels) I can't see this coloration, the screen just looks a uniform blue-grey to me. I expect this amount of coloration is probably typical for an A10. No one has noticed any non-uniformity from this effect when watching normal color TV and movies. I haven't yet watched any black and white content on this set so I don't know if I would notice colors while viewing something that should be monochrome.

That's about what mine looks like. When watching b&w content it looks like the upper-right part of the screen has more of a COOL color temp (blue) look. It's really not that noticeable since it's very faint. I can see why it would drive a display perfectionist nuts, though.

Another question,

I just got my 42A10 this week. First set had a small black dot on the bottom of the screen (which looked like dirt or dust behind the actual screen, because I could also see it with a flashlight when it was off). I exchanged it and my new one has a fainter black dot/dash that does not appear to be something on the screen because I cant see it with a flashlight when the TV is off. Im thinking a piece of lint on the bulb or somehing? Dont think its dead pixels because of the shape.

Ive decided to keep this one as a) not as bad as first one, dot was more visible on that one (plus I only see it against white and if I want to look for it) and b) dont want to get one with worse problem like the blue blob or older firmware which needs upgrading.

I am curious since I got 2 in a row with small black dot/dash anomolies on my screen that this is probabaly common with these TV's.

Anyone else have this on their sets?

Thanks

Well, after leaving the A10 unplugged for an hour or so, I plugged it back in, with the same green/red flashing light problem. BUT....after a while (I wasnt really paying attention how long), the power/standby light turned yellow and I could turn the tv on again and it seemed to funciton alright.

The update was attempted once more (b/c I am a glutton for punishment) and it failed again. It is the suspicion of sony tech that the usb mem stick is faulty. The "service tech" (I use this term VERY loosely) will be returning on saturday with a different mem stick.

I left the tv unplugged over-night and plugged it in this morning. I hope to go home at lunchtime and see if it returns to working order again.

If its working again, I may just say forget the update, thank you very much! :mad:

I was considering cancelling my update since i have ahd the tv for about 5 months and haven't had this problem. The only thing that bothers me is the wording on the update page that says unplugging the tv "should" work. I don't want to get a few months down the line and then it have this problem and the unplug not work. I am just going to have to watch the "tech" closely and make sure he follows the instruction correctly.

I'm not even going to bother with the firmware update since my 42A10 has never had an issue with not turning on or off. If it ever does then I'll do the recommended "unplug it, plug it back in" method.
I feel the same way. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If I ever notice this problem, I'll deal with it then.

Hi all.

Strongly considering purchasing the 42" model this weekend with stand and extended warranty. Just need one last nudge in that direction.

Is now a good time to buy? Is the 3LCD technology going to be around for a while? Some of my uninformed friends seem to think that RPTVs are old technology and I should be looking at flat panel LCDs.

I'll be approx 6-9 ft away from this tv, do I need to consider a smaller model? I have trouble with spending $1800 on a 32" LCD which will display SD at less than 27".

I appreciate any help you guys can provide.

No technology lasts anymore. Take a look at the picture, if you like it, pull the trigger and be happy.

I decided on the 42 because it was the right room fit with the screen size for what I wanted and the 42A10 had the best picture quality over a much wider viewing angle than sets in the same price range. Bang for the buck, I saw it as my best option.

What rashman said. think I'll pass on the fix. Had mine since early September with no issues other than the **** sticker removal take paint off the bezel problem.

Set has been calib by Gregg Loewen and don't want to chance messing that up either.

Hello All, Thanks for you suggestions and bearing with me as I kinda freaked out. :)

I think that the update has occurred. When the tv was in its red/green flashing mode, I stuck in the usb memory stick. Immediately the timer light started to blink. After about 15min, the power standby light turned yellow.

I powered up the tv (by the front panel, not the remote). Checked few functions, then turned it off and waited for the fan to go off. Entered the service menu and I now have the following info. Could someone please check and see if these are the updated firmware #'s or the old ones. I'd really appreciate it.

ATI : H05-01.20
SAIPH PROGRAM: 1.200
BOOT: 1.000
NVM: 1.200-1233
CHIMERA PROGRAM: 1.139
PACK: 1.061
OSD: 0.300
BOOT: 0.004
NVM A0: 2.000
NVM AC: 6.090
NVM AE: ----
HDMI: 1.300

Thank you,

Your numbers show the updated firmware. You're a OK!

Your numbers show the updated firmware. You're a OK!

Thank you very much RAF49ER!! :D :D :D

This is very very good news.

Honestly, I do think this update is perfectly safe...

It seems like the only reason people are having bad experiences is because the techs are not reading instructions. It appears to be perfectly safe as long as we wait for the light to turn yellow, correct?

I had an entire ballast replaced because the TV wouldn't turn on/fashing green light on start-up, etc. If I had known about the software update, I would have been much happier, and instead of losing my TV for a week, I would have fixed it in 10 minutes.

Hi all.

Strongly considering purchasing the 42" model this weekend with stand and extended warranty. Just need one last nudge in that direction.

I'll be approx 6-9 ft away from this tv, do I need to consider a smaller model? I have trouble with spending $1800 on a 32" LCD which will display SD at less than 27".

I appreciate any help you guys can provide.
For HD programming you will love this TV. I have the 42 (Got it at the beginning of Jan) and HD looks great. As for analog cable, it's acceptable. When you get an HD TV, you tend to watch more HD programming as it's so much better. At times it's breathtaking, and other times it's ok (funny how quickly I got used to it :-)

It's a great tv and has lots of great features.

I'm not even going to bother with the firmware update since my 42A10 has never had an issue with not turning on or off. If it ever does then I'll do the recommended "unplug it, plug it back in" method.
Should you change your mind, the update only takes ten minutes. Just make sure the tech unplugs the set before inserting the USB device and waits until the flashing light turns amber. Piece of cake but certainly not a necessity, as you point out, as long as unplug/plug solves the problem. ;)

Unfortunately, I was unable to bring the set home without laying it on it's side. It was on it's back, and I don't believe the wife did any jumps over any speed bumps or anything similar. My question is, what could have happened to the set that I may not know of. It seems fine, but what do I know. Would just laying it over mess something up without even driving around with it?

Thanks

Came home and my 50a10 was still not shut down from when i had turned it off as I left for work this morning. It wouldnt turn off from the remote or the power button, had to unplug the unit. Not sure of the hours, Ive owned it since about oct. Hopefully Sony can get someone out to fix it soon. :(

grahamr:

Laying it on its side really shouldnt bring any problems.... I could see if some big bumps were hit or it was thrown around a bit, but if it had a safe ride it wouldnt pose any problems from just having it on its side.

well guy just left from doing the fix. Found the guys that are doing this aren't television techs they are computer techs .Assigned to handle the over whelming load .

Came home and my 50a10 was still not shut down from when i had turned it off as I left for work this morning. It wouldnt turn off from the remote or the power button, had to unplug the unit. Not sure of the hours, Ive owned it since about oct. Hopefully Sony can get someone out to fix it soon. :(



Sounds like you need the software update

I have the Sony RP LCD KDF-E50A10 in Houston. I have been watching a good deal of content over the air (particularly the Olympics and CSI programs). Realatively often, I see what I would call color blocking or distortion of the picture. It is hard to describe, but it kind of looks like a computer display that is set to a low color quality setting (like 256 colors instead of 16 or 32 bit). Does anyone else have this issue?

I am most concerned with finding out if this is a TV issue or signal issue. Thanks for the help.

What is the deal with the audio optical out on the back of the A10?

I have an SA8300HD running hdmi into the A10. Then I am trying to go optical out into my yamaha receiver.

I get no sound.

If I use the rca audio outs on the back into the receiver I get sound.



I looked back through this thread but it's 226 pages long and I just couldn't find a page that had info. Search didn't pull up a thread relative to the A10 either.

Proud new owner of a Sony 42" A10 :D .

I had a 43" samsung DLP and was not happy with it. I went back to CC and saw the sony. I dont know why I didnt look at it before but it caught my eye this time and was amazed at the picture quality. I new I had to pick it up so I returned the samsung and picked up the sony!

I read though some of the posts in this thread and saw Dark rains settings (thanks dark rain) and adjusted them accordingly. I didnt go in the service menu and do the red push fix yet. I pretty happy with the picture the way its set right now. Im sure evenually though, ill go into the service menu and do what you guys said.

The awesome thing is, I dont even have a HD antenna yet and I picked up 4-5 good quality HD channels ( NBC, ABC, couple others). So yeah, ive been watching the olympics all day lol. When I saw the picture quality in HD, I was like :eek: .

Here is a couple picture of my setup......
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b159/jackalpup5/Sony-KDF-E42A10.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b159/jackalpup5/Recentsetup.jpg


One question, Do RPLCD's have problems with stuck and dead pixels like regular LCD's hdtvs have? Guy at CC was trying to say, " you may get a few dead pixels when the life of the bulb is going out, when you replace the bulb, they should go away". I wasnt sure if he was just feeding me BS or not.

sweet pics man.... i cant wait to get this tv.... wednesday! i too exchanged a samsung dlp for this tv... cant wait.



i dont know much about the dead pixel issue..... im sure someone will adress that issue for ya real soon :D

Thanks man, Picture quality is amazing. All though, I have a few questions for anyone who owns this tv.

When watchin HD channels (dont have a antenna yet, but still get a few HD signals) I hear popping everyone once in awhile from the sound. Any idea what that is?

Another thing, I was looking for dead/stuck pixels on the screen and came across two tiny black dots. Are those considered "dead pixels" and are they common among these tv's? I really dont want to return it cuz of 2 tiny dots which dont really bother me at all.

Other then those dots, the rest of the screen seems pretty flawless. I see no other problems that I have been reading about in this thread.

I also read about updating software. I checked the production on the back of my tv and it shows jan. 06. So im guessing this tv has the updated software, correct?

What is the deal with the audio optical out on the back of the A10?

I have an SA8300HD running hdmi into the A10. Then I am trying to go optical out into my yamaha receiver.

I get no sound.

If I use the rca audio outs on the back into the receiver I get sound.



I looked back through this thread but it's 226 pages long and I just couldn't find a page that had info. Search didn't pull up a thread relative to the A10 either.

Do you have a menu setting in your SA8300 to change the audio output. Mine has a menu option under 'Settings->More Settings' to switch between Stereo, Digital, and HDMI. Make sure you are set to HDMI. I know it depends on what software and which version of the software that is on the cable box, which is dictated by your local cable company. Some people have that menu option, whereas others do not. Side Note: When you use HDMI for the audio, it doesn't do Dolby Digital, only analog, so you will lose that feature, at least for now.

The (computer) tech was out yesterday. I had removed the small panel on the rear of the TV to speed things up. My TV's 18" from the wall in a large wall unit. I can slip back there as I'm somewhat thin. Good thing as the tech was a large guy! Everything went smoothly. He said he's doing 3 a day. He told me Sony started out allowing the consumers to do the upgrade, but they were screwing up their TV's. Shutting them down too early etc. I guess perhaps they were mailing a memory stick, or emailing the file? Anyway I'm a happy camper. My first 50A10 was exchanged because it woud sometimes fail to turn on :D

What is the deal with the audio optical out on the back of the A10?

I have an SA8300HD running hdmi into the A10. Then I am trying to go optical out into my yamaha receiver.

I get no sound.

If I use the rca audio outs on the back into the receiver I get sound.



I looked back through this thread but it's 226 pages long and I just couldn't find a page that had info. Search didn't pull up a thread relative to the A10 either.

I had the same experience, and I've found out the reason for my configuration.
The only time I will get sound is if that particular channel is broadcasting in digital audio, otherwise silence. At least that's how it works on my system, I don't have a cable box or cable card, the cable goes direct to the TV.

I have had my 42" A10 for 6 months as of today:

- Bulb hours is 766, so I guess I will get about 3 years or so out of the bulb
- No stuck pixels
- No dead pixels
- No color blotches
- Used a micro-fiber cloth once to wipe the dust off the screen (a few weeks ago)
- I get the firmware update on this coming Monday
- Have not vacuumed yet, but will likely do when the tech comes
- I finally stopped my hourly, then daily adjustments of the settings after about 2 months :)
- My wide-screen camcorder arrives Monday, so eager to see how it looks on the Sony!

SSE continues to be the most annoying aspect of the TV. However, overall, I am still very satisfied with my purchase. Best TV for the buck, IHMO.

I've had a good experience with the firmware upgrade.
I went on the net on Tuesday and typed in my serial with a November build date and was informed I needed the upgrade on my 42" A10. I scheduled the appointment for that Thursday. On Wednesday my wife receives a call from the tech saying he's in the area if he could stop by. She tells him no, to come on Thursday because she wanted me to be there.

The tech calls me Thursday and comes exactly when he said he would, very polite and knowledgeable. Does the upgrade and the yellow light continues to blink for quite a while. He says he wants to wait extra time to make sure all goes well.
Brings up the service menu and checks the settings against his sheet and states the upgrade was a success. The entire process took 15 minutes and he was on his way.

Mind you the TV always worked properly before the upgrade and continues to do so after the upgrade. I was quite impressed with the way Sony handled this and especially grateful I got an experienced technician.

Well, I ended up bringing the 42A10 back to best buy last night because of the blue blotch, and went with the Samsung 42" DLP instead. Bad mistake...both my wife and I see the dreaded rainbows. Also, there are other features in the Sony that we really like that aren't in the Samsung.

Going back to best buy today to swap out the Samsung for another 42A10, hopefully the new A10 won't have any color spots.

ahhh thats too bad.... I HATE having to pack it up and switch tvs... so annoying isnt it! All the luck to ya with the switch...... it was annoying for me as well, I guess since it was xmas recently they were out of a lot of TVs in the warehouse.. I guess.... and at any rate they didnt have the proper TV in so when I switched they had me wait 8 days.... .wednesday..... a few more days left.

Thanks man, Picture quality is amazing. All though, I have a few questions for anyone who owns this tv.

When watchin HD channels (dont have a antenna yet, but still get a few HD signals) I hear popping everyone once in awhile from the sound. Any idea what that is?

Another thing, I was looking for dead/stuck pixels on the screen and came across two tiny black dots. Are those considered "dead pixels" and are they common among these tv's? I really dont want to return it cuz of 2 tiny dots which dont really bother me at all.

Other then those dots, the rest of the screen seems pretty flawless. I see no other problems that I have been reading about in this thread.

I also read about updating software. I checked the production on the back of my tv and it shows jan. 06. So im guessing this tv has the updated software, correct?

Anyone know the answers to my questions? :)

Answers:

No

Yes

Yes

I have the Sony RP LCD KDF-E50A10 in Houston. I have been watching a good deal of content over the air (particularly the Olympics and CSI programs). Realatively often, I see what I would call color blocking or distortion of the picture. It is hard to describe, but it kind of looks like a computer display that is set to a low color quality setting (like 256 colors instead of 16 or 32 bit). Does anyone else have this issue?

I am most concerned with finding out if this is a TV issue or signal issue. Thanks for the help.

Any thoughts??

It's your signal, Smagz. I have the same thing (minor) when the signal is going through the cable box, but never see it when directly through cable. I have a booster on my line, but haven't got it set quite right for my cable box signal.

Two questions:

I have a Comcast DCT 6412 III cable box with the HDMI attachment on the back.

1. Can I use this connection instead of the 3 plug connection the cable guy put on?
2. Is the difference in visual quality worth the price?

Thanks,
RG

Hi,

I am sure you will be able to answer me quickly; I know that the KDFE model is the one taht have the PC input, but this afternoon, I saw a KFE model (the ref was written in the front bottom left of the tv) and there was a plug named RGB... Is it a real PC input or is it disconnected on the KFE and only connected on KDFE ?

thanks by advance

choc

Two questions:

I have a Comcast DCT 6412 III cable box with the HDMI attachment on the back.

1. Can I use this connection instead of the 3 plug connection the cable guy put on?
2. Is the difference in visual quality worth the price?

Thanks,
RG


Yes you can but you don't need to spend alot on a cable . Most buy them from monoprice.com excellent price and quality

Two questions:

I have a Comcast DCT 6412 III cable box with the HDMI attachment on the back.

1. Can I use this connection instead of the 3 plug connection the cable guy put on?
2. Is the difference in visual quality worth the price?

Thanks,
RG

Yes, you can use the HDMI connection instead of the component cables. The improvement to PQ is only slightly better, but it does free up a component connection to the TV. I have a DVD and Xbox 360 running to my component connection, so I use the HDMI cable for my cable box. You can buy HDMI cables for cheap at Monoprice, they have a link at the top of the threads.

Hi everyone,

I purchased my set back in August and am not sure if I just noticed it (I don't think I'd miss something like this, but maybe) or if this has just happened, but I'm noticing some geometry problems. It's especially noticeable on 2.35:1 images, since I can see the black bars tilted from the left up to right (about an 1/8th of an inch).

My old Sony CRT had a tilt correction feature to fix this, but no such feature on this set. Is there anything, service menu tweaks, etc., to fix this or am I hosed?

Edit: looking through the thread, seems that this is somewhat common. Makes me feel better.

Hi everyone,

I purchased my set back in August and am not sure if I just noticed it (I don't think I'd miss something like this, but maybe) or if this has just happened, but I'm noticing some geometry problems. It's especially noticeable on 2.35:1 images, since I can see the black bars tilted from the left up to right (about an 1/8th of an inch).

My old Sony CRT had a tilt correction feature to fix this, but no such feature on this set. Is there anything, service menu tweaks, etc., to fix this or am I hosed?

Edit: looking through the thread, seems that this is somewhat common. Makes me feel better.


As far as I know there aren't any service menu options for tilt correction. I called service on the issue and was told to place my television on a different stand for a few days because the stand I had it on might have been warping the casing. (Uh huh. Yeah.)

So I did, waited a week, and it's exactly the same. If I remember the other options the tech talked about they were adjusting the mirror, or replacing the optics[something-or-other].

Either way, it's not just a simple menu option. Unfortunately. -_-

Discontinued already!? Hey all, I just came back from Best Buy where I was going to purchase a new 42A10 but they didn't have any in stock. The salesperson told me that they had some in the warehouse and could order one for me but he also said they were discontinued and Sony will stop making them. Does anyone have any confirmation on this? I'm a little leery about buying a set whose life is so short.

when i was looking @ getting mine (2-3rd week of january) the guy @ circuit city said they they were gonna go on sale soon (which they did - $200 off) b/c they were trying to get rid of their stock for the this years like (2006) of sony's that they would be getting March 1.

so my guess is that best buy is doing the same thing. from what i have read regarding the 2006 SRD's that its the same "spec" as last years (2005) but its just all "new" and there was rumors that they had "redesigned some of the components for better picture quality - but we will have to wait till we see them to be a judge of that.

i think this the same thing that goes on w/ cars every year, they artificially phase out last years product to replace it w/ this years product, which is 99.5% the same, except for when the come out w/ a new model.

Do you have a menu setting in your SA8300 to change the audio output. Mine has a menu option under 'Settings->More Settings' to switch between Stereo, Digital, and HDMI. Make sure you are set to HDMI. I know it depends on what software and which version of the software that is on the cable box, which is dictated by your local cable company. Some people have that menu option, whereas others do not. Side Note: When you use HDMI for the audio, it doesn't do Dolby Digital, only analog, so you will lose that feature, at least for now.


Damn, too bad. I have SARA software on mine and the version does not have this option. Comcast says it might become available when they upgrade but the will not say when or even if they are upgrading.

I have resorted to just going optical out of the SA8300 to my receiver. I have run all video to the TV and all audio to the receiver. Works okay for me but anyone else who uses my setup will have issues. :)

Is it a real PC input or is it disconnected on the KFE and only connected on KDFE ?

It is a real PC input...the only difference between the KDFE and KFE is the HDTV tuner card. I use the PC input for my laptop and have also used DVI to HDMI from my desktop 9800 pro card and both work fine.

It is like having a crisp and clear 50" monitor...I love it. I have done FPS gaming as well as a bit of everything else. I find I even get better quality out of my divx tv shows playing them this way than through my LG player (must be video codecs are better on pc than hardware on player?).

I went on the net on Tuesday and typed in my serial with a November build date and was informed I needed the upgrade on my 42" A10.

hmm. I just bought my set tonight at CC and it also has a build date of November 2005. But when I enter the serial number into the website it suggest NO update is required. I guess it already has the update. :confused: How do I check for the software version. I noticed that 1.20 is the newest version.

Great TV by the way!!! :D recieving local HD for right now. The ice rink from the olympics looks terrific!!

I purchased the 42a10 an love the picture. Reading through the forums provided some good knowledge on settings.
I have noticed a color shift when scenes change and the color makeup of the two scenes contrast. It is almost as though some color correction is taking several fractions of a second to adjust to each change. I have all image enhancement settings off. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and or knew of a way to eliminate it. It isnt too noticable but it starting to bug me.

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.

Ahh. The sweet joy of success. I was able to get a perfect picture from my computer by adding a line conditioner to all of my main audio components and a hum-x to my computer, besides my previous fixes. The pic is crystal clear now.
For my success I purchased a buttkicker. :p Kicks butt! :D

Well I spent many hours and tried 2 different Radio Shack antennas and was finally able to get 7 digital channels at the same time. Three of them were HD ABC, NBC and PBS. Unfortunately the signals were not stable enough. Being as close to the hill as I am I found setting the antenna to be very touchy. I started out by building a platform that would sit on the peak of my shop so I could place the antenna on it to check for signals. Once I established that I could get the channels I wanted, this after many trips back and forth, I built a 3 legged mast that would set on the roof. It gave me an additional height of about 6 ft. My thought being that if I was close to the hill the higher the better. As it turned out that was not true. After many hours of adjusting the direction of the antenna I found that lower was better. I could not get all of the stations when I used the mast! I finally ended up using a 1 1/2 wooden post with the antenna very close to the roof peak. I also found that positioning was very crucial and it had to be moved about an inch at a time until I got the best signal. After setting it as well as I could I still got some pixel breakup. That night I had some wind and the next morning I got the "no signal" indication. I finally decided it was not worth it and took the antennea back to Radio Shack.

hmm. I just bought my set tonight at CC and it also has a build date of November 2005. But when I enter the serial number into the website it suggest NO update is required. I guess it already has the update. :confused: How do I check for the software version. I noticed that 1.20 is the newest version.

Great TV by the way!!! :D recieving local HD for right now. The ice rink from the olympics looks terrific!!

That's interesting, one November build date needs the upgrade. the other doesn't.
It would appear that November is the transition month when they changed to the new firmware. Just to be sure double check the serial # on the back of the TV then give Sony a call instead of using the web site. Once on the phone ask them what serial # was the cutoff point determining old from new.

The only way I'm aware of to determine your firmware version is through the service menu. Instructions on how to enter are available on this thread.
I have not tried it myself because I saw no need to, I am quite satisfied with the TV's performance as it is and have not done the red push fix.

ahhh thats too bad.... I HATE having to pack it up and switch tvs... so annoying isnt it! All the luck to ya with the switch...... it was annoying for me as well, I guess since it was xmas recently they were out of a lot of TVs in the warehouse.. I guess.... and at any rate they didnt have the proper TV in so when I switched they had me wait 8 days.... .wednesday..... a few more days left.

yeah, having to pack up the original 42A10, then the Sammy did suck. My new 42A10 has MUCH better black uniformity (a faint faint hint of blue, much much harder to see and doesn't bother me at all like my first A10 set), so I'm very satisfied with this one.

I purchased the 42a10 an love the picture. Reading through the forums provided some good knowledge on settings.
I have noticed a color shift when scenes change and the color makeup of the two scenes contrast. It is almost as though some color correction is taking several fractions of a second to adjust to each change. I have all image enhancement settings off. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and or knew of a way to eliminate it. It isnt too noticable but it starting to bug me.
You are probably seeing the dynamic iris. Turn that feature off if the fluctuating bothers you. It drove me nuts!

...told to place my television on a different stand for a few days because the stand I had it on might have been warping the casing...

I have been thinking about this one for a bit. It may not be that far fetched.

It seems to me that if you place it on an uneven stand for a week, and use it (cook it), it just might warp back the other direction.

You could try putting a small washer or something under the feet in two opposite corners. This should warp your set slightly.

Oh, and if it does not work, don't yell at me.

Two questions:

I have a Comcast DCT 6412 III cable box with the HDMI attachment on the back.

1. Can I use this connection instead of the 3 plug connection the cable guy put on?
2. Is the difference in visual quality worth the price?

Thanks,
RG
I started off using the HDMI connection from my cable box to the T.V. but recently switched the cable box to the component connection so I could use the HDMI input for a DVD player. I honestly can see no difference at all in the PQ with the cable box hooked up with component instead of HDMI--in fact the PQ might even be a tad bit better with the component(same video settings)
I'm starting to wonder if this HDMI thing isn't overrated because the DVD doesn't really look any better with HDMI upconverting than component(maybe just a tad bit better)

I'm starting to wonder if this HDMI thing isn't overrated because the DVD doesn't really look any better with HDMI upconverting than component(maybe just a tad bit better)
HDMI will be best suited for HD-DVD. Right now there is simply no reason to use it unless all three component connections are being used. Upconverting DVD players are kind of a joke considering that DVDs are mastered at 480i. At best the image may appear a bit sharper, but with no real added picture detail.

I have been thinking about this one for a bit. It may not be that far fetched.

It seems to me that if you place it on an uneven stand for a week, and use it (cook it), it just might warp back the other direction.

You could try putting a small washer or something under the feet in two opposite corners. This should warp your set slightly.

Oh, and if it does not work, don't yell at me.


Oh, no no, I'm very certain an uneven stand could do that. I'm just 100% certain MY stand didn't do that. :P I did try placing it on a different stand for a week but it didn't change anything.

That was the first thing I checked before I put the tv on the stand, whether it was uniform and level. I could totally see a television as light as this one warping under the wrong conditions.

These TV's seem to twist easily. Try pushing back or pulling forward on one of the top corners and see what it does to your image. It will shift the top of one side down when you pull on it (I think, or up). I can certainly see how a crooked stand could cause a problem. Your problem may be something else, but these things don't have the most rigid frame on them. It's no woder they are so light!

Quick question, does the firmware upgrade overwrite all your settings? If so I'll need to write everything down before tomorrow morning.

HDMI will be best suited for HD-DVD. Right now there is simply no reason to use it unless all three component connections are being used. Upconverting DVD players are kind of a joke considering that DVDs are mastered at 480i. At best the image may appear a bit sharper, but with no real added picture detail.

There is less noise via HDMI (depends on quality of both player and inputs) and this plus the added sharpness makes for a larger signal to noise ratio no contest. Easily the best picture available.

You are probably seeing the dynamic iris. Turn that feature off if the fluctuating bothers you. It drove me nuts!

I had the same thought later as I was exploring the options but even with it off the color shift still occurs. I turned all of the auto adjust feature off as well. It is almost as though the color temp is changing. If anybody else has experienced this or knows of a way to fix it the help would be appreciated.

Quick question, does the firmware upgrade overwrite all your settings? If so I'll need to write everything down before tomorrow morning.

Most are reporting that it does not. I will find out myself in an hour or so (and have not written down my settings).

I had the same thought later as I was exploring the options but even with it off the color shift still occurs. I turned all of the auto adjust feature off as well. It is almost as though the color temp is changing. If anybody else has experienced this or knows of a way to fix it the help would be appreciated.

I noticed this while watching hockey, when going from a crowd shot or a shot near the boards back to mostly ice filling the screen, there was a slight red tint that lasted a second then went back to normal white. For me, this stopped if I turned the Advanced Iris to off...though it sounds like you did this as well and it didn't help.

Do you by chance have the "Clear White" feature turned on?

Quick question, does the firmware upgrade overwrite all your settings? If so I'll need to write everything down before tomorrow morning.

I had mine done friday and all my settings are unchanged.I think this is what everyone else has reported so far.

Just so I know.... what is the differences between the KDFE42A10 and the KDFE50A10/KFE50A10


I know the difference between the ladder two is the tuner... but what about the 42A10 and the 50A10?

Reflex the difference between the 50a10 and 42a10 is size so 50=50 inch and 42=42 inch
And both include a tuner

Getting the 42A10 firmware Upgrade this Wed. the 22nd hope all goes well ...
I guess I got lucky no spots or blobs or dead pixels on mine great HDTV!
Mark

Reflex the difference between the 50a10 and 42a10 is size so 50=50 inch and 42=42 inch
And both include a tuner


Ahhhh I should have known haha.. thanks.

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 too have this happening on my A10. Where the picture meets the horizontal black bars while watching movies formatted in wider than 16x9, the interface is blurry, has kind of a transparent white line. I have tried two different DVD players, as well as different imputs. Does any body know what the problem is? Do I have a defective tv? Any help is appreciated.

Getting the update after work today. Hope everything goes well, i haven't actually seen the problem that they are fixing, but its good to be on the safe side.

Good to hear the settings aren't changed, getting the update Thursday evening. Better safe than sorry.

Still love this tv, now I just need a real DVD player!

I too have this happening on my A10. Where the picture meets the horizontal black bars while watching movies formatted in wider than 16x9, the interface is blurry, has kind of a transparent white line. I have tried two different DVD players, as well as different imputs. Does any body know what the problem is? Do I have a defective tv? Any help is appreciated.

It's EE or edge enhancement. This is seen on a lot of DVDs. The A10 may also be adding some filtering that makes this look worse. There might be a SM tweak to lessen the effect, but I have no idea what it would be. Decreasing the Sharpness setting will make it less noticeable.

A good example of EE is to watch Starz-HD when they are showing a movie that's upconverted from a DVD. This transparent white line can be seen most of the time. A true HD transfer never shows this.

Had the update done 10 minutes ago, the access port is on the other side of the TV than what I thought! No settings changed, thanks guys.

It's EE or edge enhancement. This is seen on a lot of DVDs. The A10 may also be adding some filtering that makes this look worse. There might be a SM tweak to lessen the effect, but I have no idea what it would be. Decreasing the Sharpness setting will make it less noticeable.

A good example of EE is to watch Starz-HD when they are showing a movie that's upconverted from a DVD. This transparent white line can be seen most of the time. A true HD transfer never shows this.

And if you saw "Legally Blond" on FOX the other day. It had a really noticable white bar. It didn't look all that great either. I didn't watch it, just flipping around.

Had the update done 10 minutes ago, the access port is on the other side of the TV than what I thought! No settings changed, thanks guys.


Which side was it on?

Which side was it on?


Looking at the front of the tv, it's on the right side. I thought it was on the left, and proceeded to make the left side accessible!

I hope this isn't a stupid question - but I'm probably going to get the 50". Can someone tell me how tall the box that it come ins is? I'm wondering if it would fit in an SUV.

Javi - I took the back seat out of my minivan and carried mine home without any problems. I didn't have a lot of extra room (1-2" maybe), so I'm not sure if you can get it into an SUV. I still have the box, so I could go measure it if you want to know for sure.

50" box dimensions - 50" x 37" x 20.5"

my wife and I have a Honda CR-V, and we were able to fit the 42" A10 box in the cargo hatch with the seats folded forward...there was maybe about 2-3" to spare height-wise getting the box in the car. i doubt we'd have been able to fit the 50"

As far as I know there aren't any service menu options for tilt correction. I called service on the issue and was told to place my television on a different stand for a few days because the stand I had it on might have been warping the casing. (Uh huh. Yeah.)

So I did, waited a week, and it's exactly the same. If I remember the other options the tech talked about they were adjusting the mirror, or replacing the optics[something-or-other].

Either way, it's not just a simple menu option. Unfortunately. -_-

So what's the chance this is covered by warranty? Or is this an "engineering tolerance" issue like dead pixels where Sony considers it acceptable?

I hope this isn't a stupid question - but I'm probably going to get the 50". Can someone tell me how tall the box that it come ins is? I'm wondering if it would fit in an SUV.
It won't fit in a Jeep Cheeroke. That I know.

Thanks for the dimensions, guys. I did get the TV at a good price, and I will be picking it up tomorrow (with a truck).

Getting the 42A10 firmware Upgrade this Wed. the 22nd hope all goes well ...
I guess I got lucky no spots or blobs or dead pixels on mine great HDTV!
Mark
My first post, so here it goes.

I had my firmware upgrade done today on my KDF-E50A10. Overall it went well and no settings changed. It was they guy's first attempt at doing the upgrade. The key is that the tech must wait for the Power/Standbye light to flash amber before attempting to turn on the TV. Mine didn't wait long enough on the first try and had to call Sony for help. For about 15 minutes, I had an expensive paper weight. He started over and Sony tech support walked him through it.

Also, are the ATSC tuners not very sensitive on these sets? I have an antenna in my attic connected to my E*811 and receive all the Chicago digitals at 85% or better. When I connect the same cable to the Sony, it picks up all the analogs and only one digital which is the only vhf digital station. I borrowed a friend's Hughes E-86 and that picked up all the digitals at 100%. Could I have a tuner problem on the Sony?

The manual says to unplug the TV if you are going to leave it for a while (a week or more). I assume this is mostly for surge protection from the electric company.

I wanted to know if I did unplug the TV for a week or two would the settings be retained?

I'm curious about the video settings as well as channel labels.

Are they eproms or ram?

Mike

I have a slight blue, well, really really faint, but i noticed when i watch Sin City, there was some red on the bottom left. I checked all my setting and realized my Iris set at 2 was causing the problem. i set it to Min and problem gone. Looks great too. I don't use the advance iris but i tested to see if that was causing it and it was not. Try watching another black and white movie and messing with the reg Iris.

Good tip man thanks, Im getting this set finally on wednesday..... .thats so close! The exchange took a while but it was worth it, I just bought Sin City too.... heh. :cool:

I have the KDF-E42A10 with vanilla cable connected via coax no STB. My "cable" company actually rebroadcasts D*TV. I also have a Sony DVP-NS70H hooked up via HDMI.

I notice on some cable channels there is a fuzzy/grainy image along the upper horizontal edge of the picture, roughly the last upper inch of the image where the screen meets the housing. On some channels, this image is larger black and white lines. To me, this appears as an incomplete image as if the intended image is too small for the large screen (if that makes any sense) leaving nothing to display in this "extra real estate". The best description I can think of is that the picture is not tuned in along the very upper horizontal section of the screen running the entire width and about an inch or so in height. The bottom edge of the screen/image is fine.

When I watch a true 16:9 DVD (I was using Blade III), this same area is completely black and void of any image whatsoever. I assume a true 16:9 DVD would fill the entire screen (perhaps a wrong assumption).

The problem on the cable channels is only the SD stuff and never the HD channels. HD broadcasts fill the entire screen as it should. I also noticed the same thing on a Dell 37" LCD which I owned for about a day. This tells me it's not the TV...possibly.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this TV and this is a mild annoyance. I can deal with it but this was my most expensive TV purchase to date after getting rid of my 6 year old 35" Trinitron (no more hernias moving that thing). I am just concerned that my new TV may be a little "off", maybe the image is not centered properly...I don't know, I'm just searching for some enlightenment and could not come up with anything after hours of searching this monster thread.

Can somebody clue me in? Thx...

I had the firmware update last night. The company they sent mostly did computers and Dell Tvs and stuff and had just gotten this contract. It was his first update but he was really good about making sure everything was done. He read the instructions aloud a couple of time before going to the next steps. He also had done a little research and seen some of the screens that come up. He plugged the USB key in and then let it go through its thing. At the end the Power light flashed "amber" but the other light was still flashing red. We waited for a bit and he said the instructions said it was done when the light was yellow. I wish Sony had the othe rlight go green, just because i associate RED with STOP. Anyway we checked the firmware version, and it matched what was upthread. Not a bad experience. The guy was really nice and made sure i knew what was going on and what he was supposed to be doing.

Updated mine yesterday, everything works fine. It was only his second one and he did not check the service menu. I may try it myself.

I just got the 50A10...somehow though, I feel like I'm watching the TV in 480P video mode


how do I change the video mode so it's in 720P or 1080i?

you can't actually change the output resolution of the tv, it scales everything to 720p. If you're watching a 480 signal, it will effectively "stretch" the image to fit the 720 lines of resolution.

New user to the forum here but long time reader... This thread sold me on the tv and wow, the info contained within all these pages makes the internet a great place to have!!! And this site top notch.

Only major concern.... if these are in fact slowly getting phased out to make room for new inventory do I wait or pull the trigger now?

Anyone know when they are gonna be on sale at CC, Sears, Tweeter, etc.

I just got the 50A10...somehow though, I feel like I'm watching the TV in 480P video mode


how do I change the video mode so it's in 720P or 1080i?
First, in order to verify the signal that is coming to your TV, you can press DISPLAY, which will show you if you're getting 480i, 1080i, etc.

Have you changed the settings on your source material? In my case (I am using a Motorola 6412 from Comcast), I had to go into a menu on the STB and specifically tell it to output 16:9 1080i.

On a side note, for those who do have Comcast, don't assume that the CSRs will know what they're talking about, because I specifically called and asked them if there was a setting that I needed to change on the STB and two different reps told me that there wasn't.

One of the cardinal rules is to NEVER NEVER lay an RPTV on any surface but standing up. Its not designed for that and you will damage the TV transporting like that.

How will it be damaged? What will break?