i bought my 50 inch A10 from amazon about 10 days before xmas. i got it for about 1890 shipping included when i figured in a 5% customer appreciation special they were running. the shipper was was a company called eagle. they called the same day they were delivering. i was at home and helped the guy carry the tv into the second floor game room, unboxed the tv, looked it over and that was it. the tv works great. i was aware of the return policy with amazon. this was as cheap a price i could find without resorting to one of the brooklyn new york online retailers. i have ordered other electronics through amazon and have had no problems but i have not had to return anything either. my tv was an october 2005 build and i have a tech coming on monday to do an update on the firmware although i have not experienced any problems with the tv. hope this is helpful

I know you're not suppose to mention online shops, but since it's come up a few times, I also bought my 50" from Amazon just this past week. I buy just about everything from Amazon, it's my "online Costco" so to speak. It was a stretch though buying something this large with no real return policy. But the savings made the shipping risk worthwhile, and of everything I've ever bought from them, I'd never had to return a thing (knock on wood). It's good to hear at least a few good things about Eagle, the shipper Amazon uses for big-screens. I had never heard of them and didn't know who Amazon would use to ship my TV, since they don't disclose the shipper until after the item ships. Anyway, I googled Eagle and found nothing but complaints from people, from Amazon, Target, and other online shops who use them. So needless to say, I've actually been worried about my how well everything is going to play out come next week when it's suppose to arrive.

I am curious though, when the shipper unpacks the TV and sets it up for you, do they stick around while you turn it on so you can verify that not only is it not damaged visually, but that the TV actually works? Any "quick-checks" someone could recommend for checking out the TV upon plugging it in? Such as known- issues to look for right away that could be resultant from poor handling? I know I'd be hard-pressed to reject the shipping b/c of a few dead pixels or not-perfect color uniformity. I doubt they'd allow it anyway. At least it only has to cross two states to get here. Keeping my fingers crossed...

I also got my tv from amazon, and it too was delivered by Eagle. My only complaint is that it took 2 weeks for it to finally show up. However I have had no problems with it. I don't buy a ton of stuff from Amazon, but I felt comfortable with the purchase because Amazon is an established company. As far as Eagle goes, my guy didn't help me unpack the TV or anything like that. Although I didnt ask him to do so. I didn't even realize that was an option to be honest. For the record, as far as I can tell, I was lucky enough to get a "perfect" tv

I wanted to ask the group as a whole, what they have their cable box output set at? I've read in previous posts that 1080i setting on the box was the best, but I am a little confused by this. Why wouldn't I choose 720p or even the "pass through"? My cable box is the Pace brand from Time Warner

I wanted to ask the group as a whole, what they have their cable box output set at? I've read in previous posts that 1080i setting on the box was the best, but I am a little confused by this. Why wouldn't I choose 720p or even the "pass through"? My cable box is the Pace brand from Time Warner

The reason to use 1080i on the Motorola 6412 is because the A10 does a better job at deinterlacing the signal. If you set it to 720p the cable box does the job and it makes 1080i signals look too soft. 720p signals are unaffected.

For your box use the "pass-through" option.

Does Anyone On Here Have The Directv Hd Dvr Hooked Up To Their Tv?

Does Anyone On Here Have The Directv Hd Dvr Hooked Up To Their Tv?

Yup. :)

The 2 tuner DirecTV TiVo via component to the A10 so my Oppo DVD player can use the HDMI input (via a DVI-HDMI cable).

I just purchased my 42A10 yesterday and I already love even with the my old inferior cables that I need to replace. The question I have is in regard to component connections. My current equipment consists of the following:

1) DirecTv Receiver/Tivo Model R10 (S-Video or RCA output only)
2) Yamaha A/V Receiver
3) Sony DVD/VCR Combo (Component Out)
4) X-Box
5) Sony KDF-E42A10

On my previous tv (32" Direct View) I had all of the components wired into the Yamaha receiver and then one cable going out to the TV so switching between components was done on the receiver remote. Should I continue with this setup or should I route all of the video straight into the 42A10 and audio to the receiver?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dan

I just purchased my 42A10 yesterday and I already love even with the my old inferior cables that I need to replace.Heading out to make a "monster" purchase, huh? :eek:

(Just kidding. No attacks, please.)

On my previous tv (32" Direct View) I had all of the components wired into the Yamaha receiver and then one cable going out to the TV so switching between components was done on the receiver remote. Should I continue with this setup or should I route all of the video straight into the 42A10 and audio to the receiver?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dan

I use my HK 435 receiver to send the main component out into Vid4 in on the TV, that feeds both HD cable signal and my DVD player. For XBox and Playstation2, both now using component cables, I run them into the other inputs on the TV directly for the video signal.

The reason is that the games require pretty whacky settings to look their best while the HD and DVD signals are calibrated the same and if the DVD needs tweaking I change the settings in the DVD player menu itself rather than upset the calibrated levels on the TV.

I also have the speakers turned off completely for the TV, they are just too awful to listen to compared to my small audio system. I run all audio through the receiver.

Thanks to all those who have spent the time making this a great thread. I bought the 50A10 yesterday and all the info here played a large role in me feeling comfortable laying out the $2K for the TV. Performed the "red push" fix (very easy) and the picture looks great.

One question, I would like for my Dish remote to control the volume and mute function of the TV. I cannot find the correct code to program the Dish remote. Does anyone know what the code is? I have tried all those I could find on the internet to no avail.

I'm scheduled to have my firmware updated tomorrow (Sept '05 build) and have a quick question regarding a value that my pre update firmware doesn't seem to show that all others who have posted pre and post update do. When I enter the service menu to check my firmware version I show all values except for the one highlighted. Anybody have an idea?? Thank for any help...


Firmware Before Update:

ATI : H05-01.15
SAIPH PROGRAM: 1.000
BOOT: 1.000
NVM: 1.200-1233 <--- not shown
CHIMERA PROGRAM: 1.000
PACK: 1.000
OSD: 0.300
BOOT: 0.004
NVM A0: 6.210
NVM AC: 6.090
NVM AE: ----
HDMI: 1.300

Thanks to all those who have spent the time making this a great thread. I bought the 50A10 yesterday and all the info here played a large role in me feeling comfortable laying out the $2K for the TV. Performed the "red push" fix (very easy) and the picture looks great.

One question, I would like for my Dish remote to control the volume and mute function of the TV. I cannot find the correct code to program the Dish remote. Does anyone know what the code is? I have tried all those I could find on the internet to no avail.

Mach65,
Which satelitte system do you subscribe to? I have Directv and my receiver is the R10 model with the built in Tivo. My receiver has a list of codes built for all makes of TVs. The Sony codes to control power, volume and mute listed in my receiver are:
0238
0043
0067
0075
0117
0130
0136
0170
0247
0309

Hope these help.

RCLAMS Mine Is Hooked Through The Hdmi What Setting Do U Use Have Mine At 720p Any Custom Settings Worth Trying?

Ok, I was wrong, my tv shows different numbers than theirs. I'm not certain the H05-1.20 is the number we should be looking at. My tv reads as this (post update):

ATI: H05-1.20
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
HDMI: 1.300

Their tv reads (pre-update):

ATI: H05-01.20
SAIPH Program: 1.000
Boot: 1.000
CHIMERA Program: 1.000
Pack: 1.000
OSD: 0.300
Boot: 0.004
NVM A0: 7.092
NVM AC: 6.090
HDMI: 1.300


Yawny - The quote above from AuroraProject is comparing a tv after the update with one before the update. As you can see, the tv before the update also doesn't list the NVM value, so maybe it's something with the older sets. When was your set built? I just remember AuroraProject and decided to check what his parents' tv settings were and found the similarity.

sugarkang,

Try my powerstrip timings listed in my signature below (assuming you are using the VGA input).

Tim

I tried your settings and i get a smooshed screen with some garbled video towards the bottom.

I'm using a VGA input.
Am I supposed to use the "use custom timing from clipboard" button in powerstrip?
and i just have to Ctrl + C this timing:
1232x696=1232,112,128,192,696,45,5,50,79392,2050

Did I do everything correctly?

I tried your settings and i get a smooshed screen with some garbled video towards the bottom.

I'm using a VGA input.
Am I supposed to use the "use custom timing from clipboard" button in powerstrip?
and i just have to Ctrl + C this timing:
1232x696=1232,112,128,192,696,45,5,50,79392,2050

Did I do everything correctly?

Copy this whole thing:

PowerStrip timing parameters:
1232x696=1232,112,128,192,696,45,5,50,79392,2050

Generic timing details for 1232x696:
HFP=112 HSW=128 HBP=192 kHz=48 VFP=45 VSW=5 VBP=50 Hz=60

VESA detailed timing details:
PClk=79.39 H.Active=1232 H.Blank=432 H.Offset=96 HSW=128 V.Active=696 V.Blank=100 V.Offset=45 VSW=5

Linux modeline parameters:
"1232x696" 79.392 1232 1344 1472 1664 696 741 746 796 -hsync +vsync

I'm not sure you need it all, but I know it works if you copy the whole thing. Now go to the "Custom Resolutions" screen under advanced timings. Click the "paste timings from clipboard" button, as you mention, then click "add new resolution".

Go ahead and let the card switch to that resolution if it asks, and it should work. Note I had to set my TV stretch mode to "zoom". You may need to run the auto adjustment on the TV again if it doesn't look like it's mapping 1:1. Set the TV to Text mode, Video mode messes up the blacks and seems to turn on some sort of sharpening effect.

One more thing: I'm using an nVidia 6600GT. I'm not sure if ATI cards will react the same way with the same timing.

I have the 50 inch with a DirecTV HD receiver and the Pioneer 1015. I have the video running into the TV with HDMI and the audio running to the Pioneer with an optical. I am experiencing some audio/video sync issues. I'm sure it's been dealt with somewhere but can't find it. Anyone who can point me in the right direction it will be greatly appreciated!

We recently bought this tv a month or two ago.My question is, are there any tweaks someone could recommend? Like for a better picture etc.Thanks

We recently bought this tv a month or two ago.My question is, are there any tweaks someone could recommend? Like for a better picture etc.Thanks

See post #1 and 24 from this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709).

There's a thread on this forum called "Grand Wega V Tweeks" that can be found here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709&page=1&pp=30

Most people seem to like Dark Rain's custom settings, his posts start near the end of the first page. They are also listed in his signature. Have fun!

I have the 50 inch with a DirecTV HD receiver and the Pioneer 1015. I have the video running into the TV with HDMI and the audio running to the Pioneer with an optical. I am experiencing some audio/video sync issues. I'm sure it's been dealt with somewhere but can't find it. Anyone who can point me in the right direction it will be greatly appreciated!
I HAVE THE SAME SETUP, BUT HAVE A SONY HOME THEATER,INSTEAD OF PIONEER..ON MINE IN THE MENU THERE IS AN A/V SYNC FIXES MY PROBLEM CHECK FOR THE SAME ON YOURS.HOPE THIS HELPS :D

Still Looking For Some Custom Settings From Anyone With The Directv Hd Dvr Connected To Tv Through Hdmi.anything Would Be Appreciated.

Hi, I have the 50" A10 (December 05 build) and I noticed an annoying problem dealing with picture quality. It happens on all inputs. The problem is: intensity of the color changes randomly on its own. It's like when you change the color temp from 'cool' to 'neutral', you see a more reddish tone, the only difference is that it's not that dramatic change in color temp, but enough to notice the shift.

Anyone has any idea if this is a TV set problem or something I can fix from within the menu?

Thanks.

Hi, I have the 50" A10 (December 05 build) and I noticed an annoying problem dealing with picture quality. It happens on all inputs. The problem is: intensity of the color changes randomly on its own. It's like when you change the color temp from 'cool' to 'neutral', you see a more reddish tone, the only difference is that it's not that dramatic change in color temp, but enough to notice the shift.

Anyone has any idea if this is a TV set problem or something I can fix from within the menu?

Thanks.

You see a reddish tone when in neutral because these tv's come from the manufacturer with a heavy red push. If you do the red push fix (grand wega V tweaks thread) then you will not have that issue.

Quick update.... I havent done the red push fix, but I think the picture quality is just great on HD and dvds look awesome so far. Thanks to Dark Rains settings things got a bit nicer from out of the box... defenitly. I like the eye popping colors so far.

Hi, I have the 50" A10 (December 05 build) and I noticed an annoying problem dealing with picture quality. It happens on all inputs. The problem is: intensity of the color changes randomly on its own. It's like when you change the color temp from 'cool' to 'neutral', you see a more reddish tone, the only difference is that it's not that dramatic change in color temp, but enough to notice the shift.

Anyone has any idea if this is a TV set problem or something I can fix from within the menu?

Thanks.


Are you sure you aren't seeing the 'Advanced Iris' in action? It dynamically brightens/darkens based on the scene you are watching. Go into the advanced menu and turn it off and see if you still notice what you're talking about. I leave it on low and it's not that noticeable, but on medium and high it makes me nutty.

I just bought the 42" and I use D* with a HR10-250. What is the best way to turn on CC? I can do it by going to the menus on the HR10-250 but that is a pain. Is there a one push button that will turn on CC, either digital or analog or at least somthing less time consuming than going through the HR10-250's menu?

Thanks,
Butch

My wife and I are about ready to buy the 50" set. Can anyone think of any reason NOT to get it? I've read through most of the thread, and people seem generally happy, which is kind of creepy.

I've also looked at a few DLPs, but I've noticed that I see the rainbow effect. Oh well.

I was unable to decide... my wife got fed up and purchased the 50a10 and I am glad she did. Very good SD and awesome HD. It's easy to set up and use.

Don't buy it if you like spending lots of extra money on TVs that either look worse or at best look about the same.

Don't buy it if you can't afford to spend $150-$200 every 3-4 years on a new projector bulb that makes the set look "good as new" as opposed to the the fixed-life plasma, direct view lcd flatscreen (backlight eventually dies), or CRT sets. The other sets don't require the expense of buying new bulbs every few years, but they do eventually either lose brightness or convergance or in the case of lcd directview eventually the backlight dies so they don't last forever.

If you like sitting very close to your bigscreen TV (like 3-4 feet away), then get a 1080p set like the SRXD because you will notice "screen door effect" when viewing this TV at obnoxiously close distances.

If you want to see little rainbows running across the screen out of the corner of your eye during action scenes, buy a DLP set.

If you want to hang the TV on a wall, don't buy this set. Get a Panasonic plasma or a Sony flatscreen LCD set.

If you like to watch a lot of Hockey in HD, you might want to consider a plasma instead because the LCD projection and DLP sets have something called "silk screen effect" that is apparent when you are watching a show with very large white-colored background objects. But even these can be minimized if you turn down the brightness and if you sit in a position that is slightly off-center from the TV. In other words, the effect is worse if you are sitting directly opposite the center of the TV.
EDIT: Fixed the "silk screen effect" wording.

If you want near-perfect black levels ("inky" blacks), then buy a Panasonic plasma.

Most of these reasons are either attempts at humor by myself, or are not a concern for the typical owner.

But like all TVs, there are plusses and minuses for each and you might be better off with a different set if some of these minuses are important to you.

Are you sure you aren't seeing the 'Advanced Iris' in action? It dynamically brightens/darkens based on the scene you are watching. Go into the advanced menu and turn it off and see if you still notice what you're talking about. I leave it on low and it's not that noticeable, but on medium and high it makes me nutty.

Well, advanced Iris is configurable when you are using custom setting. I'm using 'Vivid' which doesn't give you the option to modify 'advanced iris'

Copy this whole thing:

PowerStrip timing parameters:
1232x696=1232,112,128,192,696,45,5,50,79392,2050

Generic timing details for 1232x696:
HFP=112 HSW=128 HBP=192 kHz=48 VFP=45 VSW=5 VBP=50 Hz=60

VESA detailed timing details:
PClk=79.39 H.Active=1232 H.Blank=432 H.Offset=96 HSW=128 V.Active=696 V.Blank=100 V.Offset=45 VSW=5

Linux modeline parameters:
"1232x696" 79.392 1232 1344 1472 1664 696 741 746 796 -hsync +vsync

I'm not sure you need it all, but I know it works if you copy the whole thing. Now go to the "Custom Resolutions" screen under advanced timings. Click the "paste timings from clipboard" button, as you mention, then click "add new resolution".

Go ahead and let the card switch to that resolution if it asks, and it should work. Note I had to set my TV stretch mode to "zoom". You may need to run the auto adjustment on the TV again if it doesn't look like it's mapping 1:1. Set the TV to Text mode, Video mode messes up the blacks and seems to turn on some sort of sharpening effect.

One more thing: I'm using an nVidia 6600GT. I'm not sure if ATI cards will react the same way with the same timing.


Hot damn!! It worked!
I have an ATI radeon 9800pro and it still worked.
not only that, i live in Seoul, Korea, so my TV is the 220V version and it's still all good.

Now, it's perfect on the sides, cos i had a slight geometry problem. and this ever so slight overscan hides the bad geometry. however, my top and bottom are just a little too chopped off. anyway i can make the vertical size just 10 pixels or so shorter?

ANYONE RUNNING THIS TV WITH A PC MUST TRY THIS SETTING!
AWESOME!

Well, advanced Iris is configurable when you are using custom setting. I'm using 'Vivid' which doesn't give you the option to modify 'advanced iris'

Ah, yeah you should absolutely calibrate the set using Avia or digital video essentials DVD's. At the minimum, try deconvolver's suggested settings in this thread below as a start.

Grand Wega V Tweeks (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709&highlight=Grand+Wega+V+Tweeks)

Read through that thread for lots of tips.

Originally Posted by spextar
Well, advanced Iris is configurable when you are using custom setting. I'm using 'Vivid' which doesn't give you the option to modify 'advanced iris'

Spextar, you should follow kingsqueak's advice. If you prefer the saturated color levels of "Vivid" mode, however, you should at least mimic them in custom mode, this way you will have access to the advanced settings. Some other readers should correct me if I'm wrong, but i believe the advanced iris is ON by default in "standard" and "vivid" modes, not allowing you to turn it off.

vivid mode... *ouch*

hurts my eyes

After several months (due mainly to some remodeling work), I purchased the 42A10. I was one of those people that read everything on plasma, LCD, DLP and projection LCD. I went through paralysis by analysis several times and really couldn't make up my mind.

Last Friday I stopped by a store that specializes in home theater and they had two 42A10's next to several plasmas! At 10 feet away, I had a tough time seeing any difference. I bought the 42A10 Saturday from Circuit City because I got a better price.

From just over a day and a half of viewing, I couldn't be happier. Thanks to Dark Rain and Deconvolver for there starting settings. I have not done "red push fix" and don't think I need to. High definition is unbelievable. I watched some NBA basketball yesterday and a replay of the Olympic gold medal hockey game and WOW. My wife watched the Oscars in high def and said it was unbelievable.

I wasn't sure about the size either and thought I might have buyers remorse for not moving up to the 50". Nope! The 42" fits nicely into my living room, looks great, and isn't overpowering. My wife sits about 9 feet away and I sit about 11 feet away and the size is perfect.

Overall, thanks to everyone who posts and asks questions and those that answer questions. This is a fabulous site and this TV is unbelievable. My set was manufactured in October, 2005 and I already have a service rep coming this Friday to perform the update (again thanks to this site).

Only complaint is football season is 5-6 months away!

Ok, I have a November 2005 50A10. The website said I needed the update, so I just got it done this past Saturday.
Following are my versions from the service menu before:
ATI : H05-01.20
SAIPH PROGRAM: 1.200
BOOT: 1.000
NVM: 1.200-1203
CHIMERA PROGRAM: 1.140
PACK: 1.061
OSD: 0.300
BOOT: 0.004
NVM A0: 7.092
NVM AC: 6.090
NVM AE: ----
HDMI: ----

Following are my versions from the service menu after:
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

Following got upgraded:
NVM: 1.200-1203 to 1.200-1233
HDMI: ---- to 1.300

Following got downgraded:
CHIMERA PROGRAM: 1.140 to 1.139
NVM A0: 7.092 to 2.000

I have verified my "after" settings match up with versions others have posted who have also done the software update (The Keither (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7151007#post7151007), pnkflyd51 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7196711#post7196711), AuroraProject (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7207728&&#post7207728)).

The only posting of service menu versions I have found on a post November 2005 TV that did not need the update was by Melanotheron (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7207909#post7207909). His versions are different from the versions people have after the software update.
ATI: H05-1.20
SAIPH Program: 1.200
Boot: 1.000
NVM: 1.200-1213
CHIMERA program: 1.140
Pack: 1.061
OSD: 0.300
Boot: 0.004
NVM A0: 7.092
NVM AC: 6.090
NVM AE: ----
HDMI: 1.300

Differences between after the software update vs. post November 2005 TVs are:
NVM: 1.200-1233 vs. 1.200-1213
CHIMERA PROGRAM: 1.139 vs. 1.140
NVM A0: 2.000 vs. 7.092

I don't know what "CHIMERA PROGRAM" or "NVM A0" do but it looks like those didn't need to get downgraded during the software update. Oh well, I can only hope Sony knows what they are doing :(

Also, as to what to look for in terms of version numbers to see if you need the software update the only think I can deduce is maybe look at the "NVM" version. Though not the same, it's the only setting where the before version and post November 2005 TV version is upgraded to something greater. So if you have NVM: 1.200-1213 or greater maybe you are ok. All the other versions don't seem to matter.

Hope people find the info useful.

Can a channel that the auto scan will not pick up be added manually? There are 2 digital channels that are new in my area and my sony will not add them when it scans. Can I add them manually? Thanks

Hi, I posted this on the A20 thread also, but this one seems to be much more active, and it sounds like the menu stuff is the same....Hopefully it's not too much of a sin to cross post :)


Just brought home my A20 last night and love it! One thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to have it skip the Cable input. I use Direct TV and an Xbox but that's it for inputs...So, I figured out how to lable the external inputs to "Skip" so they don't show when I cycle through the inputs but I still get the cable one to show, with a big screen full of snow...says C2 or something like that.

Help!?

Thanks in advance. Fabulous forum here, btw!

Jeff

Dogg - I don't think you can skip the cable input, but if you set it to Channel "0" then you will get a blank screen, not one full of snow. Also, if you have the WegaGate (not sure on the A20) you can hit the WegaGate key and scroll down to "external inputs" hit the center button and choose which input you want to go to. Hope this helps.

Can a channel that the auto scan will not pick up be added manually? There are 2 digital channels that are new in my area and my sony will not add them when it scans. Can I add them manually? Thanks
You can manually add channels by tuning the digital station number with .1 added. The digital station number is in the last column of the www.antennaweb.org station listing. If you go to the diagnostics screen the read-out can help with finding the correct aim for the antenna. It is usually better to just do an add station scan but the manual entry is useful for problem cases which need weird antenna pointing etc.

Hi, I posted this on the A20 thread also, but this one seems to be much more active, and it sounds like the menu stuff is the same....Hopefully it's not too much of a sin to cross post :)


Just brought home my A20 last night and love it! One thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to have it skip the Cable input. I use Direct TV and an Xbox but that's it for inputs...So, I figured out how to lable the external inputs to "Skip" so they don't show when I cycle through the inputs but I still get the cable one to show, with a big screen full of snow...says C2 or something like that.

Help!?

Thanks in advance. Fabulous forum here, btw!

Jeff

I just picked up a harmony 676, it is able to go directly to the video input you want. BTW they do make a Harmony 360

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/detailsharmony/US/EN,CRID=2084,CONTENTID=11250

You can manually add channels by tuning the digital station number with .1 added. The digital station number is in the last column of the www.antennaweb.org station listing. If you go to the diagnostics screen the read-out can help with finding the correct aim for the antenna. It is usually better to just do an add station scan but the manual entry is useful for problem cases which need weird antenna pointing etc.

Along that same line if I rescan my A10 to find possible new channels
will it drop off the ones that are not coming in as strong as the first scan I ran months ago?

Don't buy it if you like spending lots of extra money on TVs that either look worse or at best look about the same.

Don't buy it if you can't afford to spend $150-$200 every 3-4 years on a new projector bulb that makes the set look "good as new" as opposed to the the fixed-life plasma, direct view lcd flatscreen (backlight eventually dies), or CRT sets. The other sets don't require the expense of buying new bulbs every few years, but they do eventually either lose brightness or convergance or in the case of lcd directview eventually the backlight dies so they don't last forever.

If you like sitting very close to your bigscreen TV (like 3-4 feet away), then get a 1080p set like the SRXD because you will notice "screen door effect" when viewing this TV at obnoxiously close distances.

If you want to see little rainbows running across the screen out of the corner of your eye during action scenes, buy a DLP set.

If you want to hang the TV on a wall, don't buy this set. Get a Panasonic plasma or a Sony flatscreen LCD set.

If you like to watch a lot of Hockey in HD, you might want to consider a plasma instead because the LCD projection and DLP sets have something called "screen door effect" that is apparent when you are watching a show with very large white-colored background objects. But even these can be minimized if you turn down the brightness and if you sit in a position that is slightly off-center from the TV. In other words, the effect is worse if you are sitting directly opposite the center of the TV.

If you want near-perfect black levels ("inky" blacks), then buy a Panasonic plasma.

Most of these reasons are either attempts at humor by myself, or are not a concern for the typical owner.

But like all TVs, there are plusses and minuses for each and you might be better off with a different set if some of these minuses are important to you.

Thanks for the fun post. We bought the TV tonight, it should be delivered on Wednesday. Then the real fun begins.

We were very dissapointed with the setup of many of the floor models at other stores, but Tweeter had the TV setup right, and put in a DVD for us. They weren't going to price match though, so we ended up buying from Best Buy.

Questions about skipping the cable input, this easily fixed by any RF coax coming from another source such as directtv or dish, etc.

I have one on mine and works just fine. :)

Hi all,

I got a KFE50A10 last weekend, and one thing I am currently wondering is how good is the internal scaler in these TVs? I'm considering getting the Oppo DVD player that upscales to 720/1080 and outputs that via DVI/HDMI.. but is that really going to be much better than a non-upscaling standard res DVD player, and letting the TV itself resize to 720?

rejj: I have the KDF-E42A10 with the oppo dvd player, before that I had a normal cheapo $50 dvd player connected and as soon as I put on the oppo and set 720p, I noticed a nice difference (so did my brother, mom and a friend who was here when I hooked it up), picture quality is improved. I have it upscalling to 720p through the DVI/HDMI cable.

Don't buy it if you like spending lots of extra money on TVs that either look worse or at best look about the same.

Don't buy it if you can't afford to spend $150-$200 every 3-4 years on a new projector bulb that makes the set look "good as new" as opposed to the the fixed-life plasma, direct view lcd flatscreen (backlight eventually dies), or CRT sets. The other sets don't require the expense of buying new bulbs every few years, but they do eventually either lose brightness or convergance or in the case of lcd directview eventually the backlight dies so they don't last forever.

If you like sitting very close to your bigscreen TV (like 3-4 feet away), then get a 1080p set like the SRXD because you will notice "screen door effect" when viewing this TV at obnoxiously close distances.

If you want to see little rainbows running across the screen out of the corner of your eye during action scenes, buy a DLP set.

If you want to hang the TV on a wall, don't buy this set. Get a Panasonic plasma or a Sony flatscreen LCD set.

If you like to watch a lot of Hockey in HD, you might want to consider a plasma instead because the LCD projection and DLP sets have something called "screen door effect" that is apparent when you are watching a show with very large white-colored background objects. But even these can be minimized if you turn down the brightness and if you sit in a position that is slightly off-center from the TV. In other words, the effect is worse if you are sitting directly opposite the center of the TV.

If you want near-perfect black levels ("inky" blacks), then buy a Panasonic plasma.

Most of these reasons are either attempts at humor by myself, or are not a concern for the typical owner.

But like all TVs, there are plusses and minuses for each and you might be better off with a different set if some of these minuses are important to you.

You DEAD on in your post .... I love my 42" and am thinking of doing the red push fix as well and may make it event better :)
Mark

anybody have the A10 and cable through cablevision
the regular broadcast channels are awful
any fixes for that

Hi all,

I got a KFE50A10 last weekend, and one thing I am currently wondering is how good is the internal scaler in these TVs? I'm considering getting the Oppo DVD player that upscales to 720/1080 and outputs that via DVI/HDMI.. but is that really going to be much better than a non-upscaling standard res DVD player, and letting the TV itself resize to 720?

I noticed no difference and took my oppo back.

Lucan

Hi all,

I got a KFE50A10 last weekend, and one thing I am currently wondering is how good is the internal scaler in these TVs? I'm considering getting the Oppo DVD player that upscales to 720/1080 and outputs that via DVI/HDMI.. but is that really going to be much better than a non-upscaling standard res DVD player, and letting the TV itself resize to 720?

I compared the Sony scaler by inputting an old Panny E80 recorder/player at 480i through component and an upscaled Oppo. I couldn't tell the difference.

anybody have the A10 and cable through cablevision
the regular broadcast channels are awful
any fixes for that


You're now seeing how bad non-HD stuff really is. Your old tv couldn't show all of the flaws in the picture, but newer tv's can.

Not trying to say that the two above opinions are invalid... but they really are the only two I've ever heard that felt that way.

The Faroudja scaler in the Oppo is VASTLY superior to Sony's internal scaler, and on a well calibrated display it should be a pretty clear difference. Were the comparisons done (in particular) with DVD's containing a lot of fast motion with vertical edges (fences, etc)? Did you do any comparisons via the Avia test patterns between the two?

Personally, I'd keep the Oppo for its ability to play back Divx files alone, but the picture truly is beautiful.

Picture quality is of course always subjective though... I mean some people never even see the DLP rainbows either.

I'm using it with the 50A10 btw.

I just took a long look at both with several dvds. No Avia or DVE. The Sony scaler does an excellent job with 480i material so I moved my Oppo to an LG plasma in another room which benefited greatly from the Oppo.

I have cablevision, use the settings in Dark rain's signature for the DRC Pallette. The picture improves 1000 times.

If the A10 will not add the channels after a scan can you add them manually. I have 2 new hdtv channels in my area but my Sony will not add them after a scan.. Any other way to add them?

With my old tv we used the closed caption by hitting the mute button. This was a good feature and was wandering if there was a way to turn the closed caption on and off without going through the entire menu. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I also noticed this question asked earlier but didn't see a response, if i missed it sorry.

I read most stuff here and SA 8300 threads and can't seem to figure it out.

I have a new E42A10 and yesterday the cable guy brought the SA8300HD-DVR. We hooked it up HDMI, which, BTW, he said TWC does NOT support (?). it works, but I have optical out of TV and my AV receiver doesn't see Dolby Digital. If I switch to cable input, with a cable hookup on IT, it works, decoding DD of channels that have it.

I've read here about settings and have set cable box to Digital Audio or whatever it is, and I get NO sound. Set to HDMI I get sound, but no DD. I currently have an optical out directly from the cable box to the AV receiver and THAT works fine. Cable from bluejeanscable. Can't be the receiver, it works from other sources and from cable box direct

What is it I don't understand about this HDMI? Doesn't it, ot the TV, pass DD, or is there some other setting I'm missing.

Thanks for the replies, guys.
I suspected that the internal scaler was pretty decent quality (from watching 480i output DVD I currently have connected).. but I wasn't sure if there would be any difference. This is my first big/HD TV, so I haven't had much experience to compare quality against.

I'd read pretty good things about the Oppo, so I thought it may have been some ultra-magical cool thing that would look even better. I guess I'll save my $200US :)


.. at least for the time being.

I read most stuff here and SA 8300 threads and can't seem to figure it out.

I have a new E42A10 and yesterday the cable guy brought the SA8300HD-DVR. We hooked it up HDMI, which, BTW, he said TWC does NOT support (?). it works, but I have optical out of TV and my AV receiver doesn't see Dolby Digital. If I switch to cable input, with a cable hookup on IT, it works, decoding DD of channels that have it.

I've read here about settings and have set cable box to Digital Audio or whatever it is, and I get NO sound. Set to HDMI I get sound, but no DD. I currently have an optical out directly from the cable box to the AV receiver and THAT works fine. Cable from bluejeanscable. Can't be the receiver, it works from other sources and from cable box direct

What is it I don't understand about this HDMI? Doesn't it, ot the TV, pass DD, or is there some other setting I'm missing.
AFAIK the HDMI "handshake" lets the receiving component (in this case your 42A10) select the audio profile. Since the 42A10 only supports stereo 2.0 sound via HDMI, receiving DD over HDMI is impossible in your setup. It sounds like you have a Passport SA8300HD DVR from TWC (I was told the same thing about HDMI support). Like you experienced, setting the cable box to digital audio only results in no sound because the A10 doesn't support DD over HDMI.

I gave up on the HDMI connection from the cable box to the TV. I now use an optical cable to my receiver for audio and component cables directly to the TV for video. I could not be any happier; I didn't notice a difference in video quality from HDMI to component.

Anybody have a code to program the Sony remote to work with an H20 Directv reciever?

I read most stuff here and SA 8300 threads and can't seem to figure it out.

I have a new E42A10 and yesterday the cable guy brought the SA8300HD-DVR. We hooked it up HDMI, which, BTW, he said TWC does NOT support (?). it works, but I have optical out of TV and my AV receiver doesn't see Dolby Digital. If I switch to cable input, with a cable hookup on IT, it works, decoding DD of channels that have it.

I've read here about settings and have set cable box to Digital Audio or whatever it is, and I get NO sound. Set to HDMI I get sound, but no DD. I currently have an optical out directly from the cable box to the AV receiver and THAT works fine. Cable from bluejeanscable. Can't be the receiver, it works from other sources and from cable box direct

What is it I don't understand about this HDMI? Doesn't it, ot the TV, pass DD, or is there some other setting I'm missing.

Each market is different on the current version of the software that has on the boxes. For example, my area just did an update to address HDMI handshake issues and some other details. Here is a link to the regional broadcast forums. You should be able to find your area if you are close to a large market. There should be a forum for both OTA reception as well as cable. I find this to be the best resource for me when troubleshooting cable reception issues, etc.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45

anybody have the A10 and cable through cablevision
the regular broadcast channels are awful
any fixes for that
Make sure that the input you are watching cable on has the DRC palette set like Dark rains. I think mine is set as
Reality 63
Clarity 61

That will make a huge difference.

AFAIK the HDMI "handshake" lets the receiving component (in this case your 42A10) select the audio profile. Since the 42A10 only supports stereo 2.0 sound via HDMI, receiving DD over HDMI is impossible in your setup. It sounds like you have a Passport SA8300HD DVR from TWC (I was told the same thing about HDMI support). Like you experienced, setting the cable box to digital audio only results in no sound because the A10 doesn't support DD over HDMI.

I gave up on the HDMI connection from the cable box to the TV. I now use an optical cable to my receiver for audio and component cables directly to the TV for video. I could not be any happier; I didn't notice a difference in video quality from HDMI to component.

Actually I have SARA SA8300HD DVR, not Passport, but behavior mimics what you said!! I've done what you did except, so far, HDMI is still hooked up, passing video only. I might as well hook up component and save the HDMI for something else in the future.

So you have Passport is SE Wisconsin, eh? I have SARA in NE Wisconsin.

Actually I have SARA SA8300HD DVR, not Passport, but behavior mimics what you said!! I've done what you did except, so far, HDMI is still hooked up, passing video only. I might as well hook up component and save the HDMI for something else in the future.

So you have Passport is SE Wisconsin, eh? I have SARA in NE Wisconsin.
Yep, every TWC Milwaukee cable box I've used in the last few years has been Passport. Yippee..... :rolleyes:

One thing I've noticed is that for SD material, watching via the cable input (NTSC tuner ch. 3, after it passes through the 8300 so I can use the guide!) yields the best picture IMO. I just couldn't get used to the picture quality of SD material through component cables. HD programming through component, however, is fantastic!!

Silly question for the A10 owners out there, I figure it is nothing but I got my 42A10 last night and love it so far but noticed something strange.

With the t.v off in the upper middle portion of the screen I notice a whiter shade, it appears like perhaps something is behind the LCD panel.. perfectly normal I'm sure but just wanted to check.. it is barely noticeable at all.

Also, I have two young kids... what do you guys recommend for protecting my screen?

Yep, every TWC Milwaukee cable box I've used in the last few years has been Passport. Yippee..... :rolleyes:

One thing I've noticed is that for SD material, watching via the cable input (NTSC tuner ch. 3, after it passes through the 8300 so I can use the guide!) yields the best picture IMO. I just couldn't get used to the picture quality of SD material through component cables. HD programming through component, however, is fantastic!!

Mine actually looks OK on HDMI for SD content thru the cable box. Do you mean you went from the coax out on the cable box to cable in on the TV and it looks better that way? I might have to try that, see if it's different that HDMI or component, which I haven't tried either, yet.

[QUOTE=jmet]With the t.v off in the upper middle portion of the screen I notice a whiter shade, it appears like perhaps something is behind the LCD panel.. perfectly normal I'm sure but just wanted to check.. it is barely noticeable at all.
QUOTE]

I have two of those "whiter shade" spots, like 5" splotches, on mine, only noticible when OFF, and very faint but noticible. Doesn't seem to be noticible with a picture. I don't know what it is.

What do we use to clean the screen, Windex, or some high tech solution? I haven't looked in the manual to see if there's something recommended.

Oops, I screwed up the quote by trying to edit it, sorry!!

[QUOTE=jmet]With the t.v off in the upper middle portion of the screen I notice a whiter shade, it appears like perhaps something is behind the LCD panel.. perfectly normal I'm sure but just wanted to check.. it is barely noticeable at all.
QUOTE]

I have two of those "whiter shade" spots, like 5" splotches, on mine, only noticible when OFF, and very faint but noticible. Doesn't seem to be noticible with a picture. I don't know what it is.

What do we use to clean the screen, Windex, or some high tech solution? I haven't looked in the manual to see if there's something recommended.

Oops, I screwed up the quote by trying to edit it, sorry!!

In my experience with LCD computer monitors (I work in I.T) I use a cloth baby diaper moistened with water, I would never use a cleaning solvent on one.

With the t.v off in the upper middle portion of the screen I notice a whiter shade...Has something to do with the projection system, the mirror and light that enters the cabinet I've heard. Normal.

Has something to do with the projection system, the mirror and light that enters the cabinet I've heard. Normal.

Kind of what I thought, back to ignoring it!!

Make sure that the input you are watching cable on has the DRC palette set like Dark rains. I think mine is set as
Reality 63
Clarity 61

That will make a huge difference.

Actually:

Reality 65
Clarity 63

But close enough. But these settings are for watching ANALOG cable (usually stations 2-99) through the A10's RF coax. The analog tuner in the A10 is superior to any cable box tuner. For watching SD analog/digital through the cable box use something like:

Reality 24
Clarity 90

Has anyone brought one of these sets home in a passenger car, vs a van or SUV?

I may pickup one of these 42" sets, but the store is almost 50 miles away & they want about $100 for delivery. I could rent a van. But thought if I un-crated the set it may fit in the back seat of car. I know I'm grasping at straws, but if any has ever got one of these into a car I'd like to know about it, and of course what model car.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Has anyone brought one of these sets home in a passenger car, vs a van or SUV?

I may pickup one of these 42" sets, but the store is almost 50 miles away & they want about $100 for delivery. I could rent a van. But thought if I un-crated the set it may fit in the back seat of car. I know I'm grasping at straws, but if any has ever got one of these into a car I'd like to know about it, and of course what model car.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

The size of the box is 18x33-1/2x43-1/2 inches

Has anyone brought one of these sets home in a passenger car, vs a van or SUV?

I may pickup one of these 42" sets, but the store is almost 50 miles away & they want about $100 for delivery. I could rent a van. But thought if I un-crated the set it may fit in the back seat of car. I know I'm grasping at straws, but if any has ever got one of these into a car I'd like to know about it, and of course what model car.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

We have a 94 Aerostar, we removed the middle seat and it fit just fine.

Does that HDMI really make a difference over Components on this TV?

From what I've read through other posts, no one seems to have any complaints about fan noise, but mine seems right on the border of annoying. With the TV muted, it's easily heard from ~12 feet away, and during medium volume viewing, noticeable from our normal viewing distances of ~9 ft.

It's definitely one of those things that doesn't bug you until you notice it, then you can't stop hearing it. My impression from other posters is that they had to get 2-3 ft away before they could ever hear it.

Just for grins, I went into the settings and made sure High Altitude was set to Off. It was, but for fun I tried turning it On, expecting the fan to get even louder. No luck... sounded exactly the same. Has anyone else ever changed that setting? Just wondering if others can hear the fan kick up to a higher speed and if maybe mine is just stuck up at that higher speed.

Is your TV mounted inside a tight enclosure?

Maybe it will be quieter if the set is exposed to the open air.

i can hear my fine pretty well, not that its annoying to me, but then again i used to run 2 towers under my old TV that had 6 80mm fans in them...

i sit about 6'-8' away from it, and have hard floors, but a carpet between the sofa and the tv. my tv is sitting on top of an industrial kitchen rack (those chrome tube columns w/ wire shelves that slide down onto plastic spacers that hold the shelf in place) and the tv is on a piece of plywood on a shelf... the back is about 16" from the wall, which is actually the french doors to my closet, so when they are open another 2-3' behind that.

on mute the fan can be heard, and ive found myself watching movies on 40 volume on the receiver, rather than the 35 i used to, no big deal to me, probably b/c the center (voice) channel isnt as tall located as it used to be.

Kind of what I thought, back to ignoring it!!

you dont have any lights on in the room do you ?

ive got a compact-flourescent light in the middle of my room and a friend though i had a hot-spot on the screen when it was on, i had noticed it the week before and noticed that it was that.

i have a halogen light shinning on the back wall of the room i have the tv in, and i get no hot spot from it, but then again, it doenst light the room as well when im using it for reading, eating, etc...

Interesting, this happened to us last night while watching a movie. For a few minutes minutes during the movie, the label (I've changed mine to say "PC") started popping up. It didn't seem to match how the labels usually pop up. It came up for a second, went away, came back and stayed on for a few seconds and was turning on and off randomly. Then it just stopped and all was back to normal. There were no signs that it lost the signal or lost sync, it just popped up the label for a while.

It may or may not be totally unrelated, but when I turned the TV on this morning it took a real long time to turn on. The green light flashed, and it seemed to take 2-3 times longer than normal to turn on the bulb. I wonder if the software on these things has some glitches that show up after time (like the power problem that the new firmware update is fixing). Mine was built in December so it isn't one of the units due for the update. Maybe just taking a copy of the new firmware and installing it will fix strange things like this?
After the firmware update the Video 7 label has started to pop up a lot more frequently - sometimes it stays on for almost a minute! I called Sony and they told me to do a soft reset, by unplugging the TV for 3 minutes and then turning it on using the power button. This fixed the problem for about an hour and it started again. I have no idea what to do now. Maybe there is a service menu setting which completely turns off the input label display?

Hot damn!! It worked!
I have an ATI radeon 9800pro and it still worked.
not only that, i live in Seoul, Korea, so my TV is the 220V version and it's still all good.

Now, it's perfect on the sides, cos i had a slight geometry problem. and this ever so slight overscan hides the bad geometry. however, my top and bottom are just a little too chopped off. anyway i can make the vertical size just 10 pixels or so shorter?

ANYONE RUNNING THIS TV WITH A PC MUST TRY THIS SETTING!
AWESOME!

:D glad it worked for you! It's good to know that this timing works with various video cards, and even on other international versions of the set!

After the firmware update the Video 7 label has started to pop up a lot more frequently - sometimes it stays on for almost a minute! I called Sony and they told me to do a soft reset, by unplugging the TV for 3 minutes and then turning it on using the power button. This fixed the problem for about an hour and it started again. I have no idea what to do now. Maybe there is a service menu setting which completely turns off the input label display?

Soft resests only work temporarily for me as well. Disappointing that the firmware update didn't help. I managed to get a copy of the newer firmware even though mine was a December build and I was going update my TV to see if it fixed the problem with the input label popping up, but it sounds like this issue is still there. I'll probably call sony as well, hoping that they get enough calls and realize they may have a software glitch.

Unfortunately, the service menu options are often so cryptic that I'm not sure it would be obvious which one to change!

Has anyone brought one of these sets home in a passenger car, vs a van or SUV?

I may pickup one of these 42" sets, but the store is almost 50 miles away & they want about $100 for delivery. I could rent a van. But thought if I un-crated the set it may fit in the back seat of car. I know I'm grasping at straws, but if any has ever got one of these into a car I'd like to know about it, and of course what model car.

Thanks in advance,
Mike


I purchased my 42" back in January at CC. I had them take it out of the box and brought it home in the back seat of my 4 door 2005 Hyundai Elantra. Fit there sitting upright with no problems.

Vinnie

Mine actually looks OK on HDMI for SD content thru the cable box. Do you mean you went from the coax out on the cable box to cable in on the TV and it looks better that way? I might have to try that, see if it's different that HDMI or component, which I haven't tried either, yet.
That's exactly what I'm doing for SD programming. I used Dark Rain's settings and it seems to be the best picture, especially after adjusting the DRC palette. I generally only use the component connection for HD material and my PS2.

The fan noise is ok when waching regular tv programs, but for some movie where they insert silence, to built up suspense for example, it get distracting :(

I search through this tread :eek: and did not find any guideline on reducing the fan noise, obviously without reducing lamp/TV life.

Could any one point me to some information on reducing fan noise, using sound treatment material such as absorber. Or using some sound trap that would not reduce air flow...

THanks,

The only time I hear the fan at all is in an adjoining room where the angle of the TV reflects it perfectly off the wall and at my seat at the dinner table. I can only hear it if the house is otherwise silent. It is far quieter than the fans on my PC's or managed switches in my home office.

If you have the TV in a cabinet, open the back, I bet you can't hear it anymore or at least not at an intrusive level.

For the guys that are bothered by fan noise.......do you have the tv on High Altitude mode? This increases the fan speed, and I would think that would make the fan louder as well. I have mine on normal mode and the only way I can hear it is when the tv is off and it's doing the 2 min cycle.

Any suggestions for sound settings?

I purchased the 42A10 last Saturday and have zero problems and love the set. Used DarkRain settings for everything except I couldn't adjust DRC palette settings (no problem).

But...I have the volume at 12 and it's pretty loud. I have audio set to Dynamic sound. I've tried other settings but really like this setting. I read other people who have their sound to 25-30 and wonder how! If I put my volume on 25, I would be blown out of the room.

I'm not really complaining but do I have something set wrong?

Actually:

Reality 65
Clarity 63

But close enough. But these settings are for watching ANALOG cable (usually stations 2-99) through the A10's RF coax. The analog tuner in the A10 is superior to any cable box tuner. For watching SD analog/digital through the cable box use something like:

Reality 24
Clarity 90


How about reality/clarity settings when watching SD satellite TV, like through Dish Network or DirecTV? Should the settings be the same as SD digital cable? I am using Dark Rain's reality/clarity settings while watching SD Dish Network and it's fine. But then again, I didn't notice too much of a difference using any other reality/clarity setting. I have my satellite box hooked up to my Sony 42" A10 through component cables.

For the guys that are bothered by fan noise.......do you have the tv on High Altitude mode? This increases the fan speed, and I would think that would make the fan louder as well. I have mine on normal mode and the only way I can hear it is when the tv is off and it's doing the 2 min cycle.


Like I mentioned a few posts ago, I actually tried turning on the High Altitude setting and was surprised that the fan did not get louder - didn't play around a lot with it though, maybe any changes don't take effect until after powering off and back on.

Sounds like I'm one of the few that still notices the fan during normal TV viewing :( The set is completely out of any enclosure and about 8 inches from the wall as well... maybe I'll see if Sony has any suggestions on the topic.

Does the HDMI really make a difference over Components on this TV?

Does the HDMI really make a difference over Components on this TV?

All things being equal, I found the HDMI to provide a cleaner/less noise picture with DVDs (the player does have to be of good quality).

All things being equal, I found the HDMI to provide a cleaner/less noise picture with DVDs (the player does have to be of good quality).



I find the same findings as well. Not that component is terible by any means, but the HDMI is just a bit sharper with DVD's. On DirecTV, there's no difference between the two which is why my HR10-250 is component and the DVD is HDMI.

Any suggestions for sound settings?

I purchased the 42A10 last Saturday and have zero problems and love the set. Used DarkRain settings for everything except I couldn't adjust DRC palette settings (no problem).

But...I have the volume at 12 and it's pretty loud. I have audio set to Dynamic sound. I've tried other settings but really like this setting. I read other people who have their sound to 25-30 and wonder how! If I put my volume on 25, I would be blown out of the room.

I'm not really complaining but do I have something set wrong?


Watching regular (and HD) satellite programming, it gets very loud if it's at 10-12.

Watching OTA transmissions, 10-12 is about in the middle towards the lower end as I can have it up to 15-19 for some sporting events.

Watching DVD's with just the tv sound, 10-12 is minimum sound.


YMMV

How about reality/clarity settings when watching SD satellite TV, like through Dish Network or DirecTV? Should the settings be the same as SD digital cable? I am using Dark Rain's reality/clarity settings while watching SD Dish Network and it's fine. But then again, I didn't notice too much of a difference using any other reality/clarity setting. I have my satellite box hooked up to my Sony 42" A10 through component cables.

If you notice a lot of MPEG-2 compression then keep the 'Clarity' setting high. The 'Reality' setting seems to worsen the compression artifacts the higher you set it. Either way, SD digital looks like crap because they add too much compression. The movie channels aren't quite as bad, but they still have that compressed look to them.

I usually switch to the STANDARD picture mode when watching SD digital channels because I watch them through my cable box. Also, if I record any analog shows with the DVR I switch to STANDARD mode as well when watching them. The reason I do this is because I watch my HD stuff with a CUSTOM picture mode setting and for the SD digital stuff I like the STANDARD setting better. Black Corrector kicks in and there seems to be some added sharpness.

For analog cable it's simply better to use a splitter and run a line to the A10's coax input and set the 'Clarity' and 'Reality' settings to my settings. The PQ difference is huge.

The size of the box is 18x33-1/2x43-1/2 inches

Thanks for the box size. That 33.5" height is not going to make it. The set itself is 28.5" high per Sony's web site, & that may fit. I'll have to do some careful measuring.

Mike

I have noticed a few times when I am watching a program and they pan from side to side my 42A10 seems to have a bit of a pincushion problem. The top corners are okay but as it gets towards the center it bows in a bit.

Is there anyway to fix this?



BTW. To all the people who have posted their settings for the different inputs.... THANK YOU!!! It has been a great help. My set was manufactured Feb of 06 (It must have left the factory and went right into my hands. :) ) and I don't see the need to do the red push fix. After reading about it many times in these threads I have been on the look out for the saturated reds and everything seems to be very well balanced.

The true test was watching The Lord of the Rings on DVD last night. It was like seeing it for the first time. (Thanks Dark Rain for the DVD settings.) :D

If anyone has settings for an xbox hooked up via component cable it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Again to everyone,

Dan

I still can't figure out how to display all of the program information for OTA signals without some of it getting.....

(cut off)


Beuller, Beuller.................. anyone?

[QUOTE=jmet]With the t.v off in the upper middle portion of the screen I notice a whiter shade, it appears like perhaps something is behind the LCD panel.. perfectly normal I'm sure but just wanted to check.. it is barely noticeable at all.
QUOTE]

I have two of those "whiter shade" spots, like 5" splotches, on mine, only noticible when OFF, and very faint but noticible. Doesn't seem to be noticible with a picture. I don't know what it is.


It's ambient light from the room being reflected to the center of screen. Nothing to worry about.

I purchased my 42" back in January at CC. I had them take it out of the box and brought it home in the back seat of my 4 door 2005 Hyundai Elantra. Fit there sitting upright with no problems.

Vinnie

Thanks for the reply.
I just had a thought this evening - why not take out the back seat cushion? The part you sit on usually comes out quite easily. I think mine just snaps in place. Bringing home the carton would be helpful in the event there was a defect & the TV had to be brought back for an exchange. This weekend I'll see if my seat cushion pops out.

Mike

Thanks for the reply.
I just had a thought this evening - why not take out the back seat cushion? The part you sit on usually comes out quite easily. I think mine just snaps in place. Bringing home the carton would be helpful in the event there was a defect & the TV had to be brought back for an exchange. This weekend I'll see if my seat cushion pops out.

Mike


I doubt very much that the box will fit through the door, unless you are driving a full size car with a very large rear door opening.

For the A10 and the A20 are the video adjustments the same? I have the A20 but I haven't really seen any suggested settings.
Thanks

I am sure this is perfectly normal, but when you have had you're A10 off for awhile how long does it take for it to "warm" up and give full brightness and picture after turning it on?

I noticed that mine takes around 30-60 seconds at worst to fully "light" up..

That is normal in general for RPTV's, mine does the same

Yea, its normal

30-60 secs

bgilly I have the H10 STB and find HDMI superior to component; sharper pic, deeper color.

However out of my sony DVD 3100ES can't really see a difference.

Depends on your particular source components.

Interestingly (and I know there are rules about price posting) but CC and BB both significantly reduced the A10's price online.

Trying to clear them out maybe?
Thanks for mentioning that. I went to BB's site and saw that the A10 - the 50" anyway - was listed as having a regular price as $200 below what we all know to be the regular full retail price. The 42" was still the same 'ol number. If they truly have lowered it a bit, guess I better start watching another local retailer who frequently marks it down $500...about every 3rd week. Maybe they'll be marking it down $500 off the new adjusted price before too long. Then I can get back on the wagon :) I took my first one back after it had a bad video card (and buyer's remorse).

For the A10 and the A20 are the video adjustments the same? I have the A20 but I haven't really seen any suggested settings.
Thanks
No, the A20 is similar to the previous generation: GW-IV.

Wow, this thread is massive. Without going through every page, is there a decent collection of screenshots or pictures of this set? Also, how are the black levels? DLP like? I'm sure it's mentioned in this thread alot, and a quick search for 'black level' in this thread brings up some, but it's still alot to sort through.

Called Sony about the problem with the VGA input and Video 7 label, and after escalating the call they said they had no idea how to get rid of it and referred me to a service center.
Has anyone else with this problem found a solution?

Just hooked up an Xbox360 on my 50 inch A10. It looks fantastic. Call of Duty 2 is amazing looking. All Xbox360 games ouput 720p, so they look great on these sets.

Just hooked up an Xbox360 on my 50 inch A10. It looks fantastic. Call of Duty 2 is amazing looking. All Xbox360 games ouput 720p, so they look great on these sets.


You think CoD2 looks good, pick up Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter :eek:

Any suggestions for sound settings?

I purchased the 42A10 last Saturday and have zero problems and love the set. Used DarkRain settings for everything except I couldn't adjust DRC palette settings (no problem).

But...I have the volume at 12 and it's pretty loud. I have audio set to Dynamic sound. I've tried other settings but really like this setting. I read other people who have their sound to 25-30 and wonder how! If I put my volume on 25, I would be blown out of the room.

I'm not really complaining but do I have something set wrong?


I watch tv at volume setting 7, so no, it's not you.

You think CoD2 looks good, pick up Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter :eek:

Yeah it uses the xb360´s engine to its best as of available out right now

or watching SD analog/digital through the cable box use something like:

Reality 24
Clarity 90



The Reality slider makes a huge difference. The higher the grainier the pix gets. I'm not sure why it's called Reality. I've left it at 1 because the pix is cleanest.

The Clairity slider doesn't seem to do anthing! So I set it at 100.

Which seems stange because I remember others saying about 10/10 was correct?

The reason to use 1080i on the Motorola 6412 is because the A10 does a better job at deinterlacing the signal. If you set it to 720p the cable box does the job and it makes 1080i signals look too soft. 720p signals are unaffected. For your box use the "pass-through" option.

With an 8300HD if you enable 720p and 1080i and also set PASS THROUGH -- as you change channels the TV seems to resync. and cause a disturbance.

So if we want clean and fast channel changes we need to choose 720p OR 1080i. it seems we have a choice:

1) the STB deinterlaces 1080i and scales it down to 720p. So you are right the STB does the very hard job of deinterlacing. But, the deinterlacer is at least scaled DOWN,

OR

2) the STB "interlaces" 720p and scales it to 1080i then the A10 "deinterlaces" the 1080i and scales it back to 720. (These aren't true "interlaces" or "deinterlaces" since the video starts as progressive.) Also, 1080i is deinterlaced in the A10 and scaled down to 720p.

Seems #2 is better. Output and input at 1080i.

The Reality slider makes a huge difference. The higher the grainier the pix gets. I'm not sure why it's called Reality. I've left it at 1 because the pix is cleanest.

The Clairity slider doesn't seem to do anthing! So I set it at 100.

Which seems stange because I remember others saying about 10/10 was correct?

It may look better with the Reality set at 1 and Clarity set at 100. It's kind of a taste thing.

OK Guys....I really need some help here!

I just purchased the A10 50" and set it up along with my Scientific Atlanta 4200 Component Cable Box and Yamaha HTR-5890.

Believe it or not, I'm very disappointed with this set. I am sitting about 10 feet away from this TV and ALWAYS see the screen door effect right in the middle of the screen (about a 14" diameter). I didn't see it on the display model at the store I purchased it from.

I've tried Dark Reigns settings but still see it. I'm pretty sure I have everything setup correctly with Component cables.

Could I have a defective set? Or am I just one of those people that will always see the screen door effect.

I'm beginning to think I made a HUGE mistake by purchasing this TV. The SXRD or Samsung DLP might have been a better choice. PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG!! I'm sick to my stomach right now! :(

All responses will be greatly appreciated. THANKS!!!

-KEVIN-

OK Guys....I really need some help here!

I just purchased the A10 50" and set it up along with my Scientific Atlanta 4200 Component Cable Box and Yamaha HTR-5890.

Believe it or not, I'm very disappointed with this set. I am sitting about 10 feet away from this TV and ALWAYS see the screen door effect right in the middle of the screen (about a 14" diameter). I didn't see it on the display model at the store I purchased it from.

I've tried Dark Reigns settings but still see it. I'm pretty sure I have everything setup correctly with Component cables.

Could I have a defective set? Or am I just one of those people that will always see the screen door effect.

I'm beginning to think I made a HUGE mistake by purchasing this TV. The SXRD or Samsung DLP might have been a better choice. PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG!! I'm sick to my stomach right now! :(

All responses will be greatly appreciated. THANKS!!!

-KEVIN-

You probably mean silk screen effect (sse) not screen door effect (sde). SSE looks like you are watching through a thin layer of silk, and if you are sitting right in front of the TV it would be visible in the center of the picture. With SDE you can see the lines between the pixels and that would be visible across the entire screen.

SSE bothered me quite a bit at first, but after a month or so I rarely even notice it any more. SSE is visible on ALL rear projection TV's. You probably moved from a CRT (like I did) or some other type of TV with a smooth screen. If you switch to another rear projection TV you'll probably be just as disappointed if you are focusing on that part of the picture.

Turn the contrast down a little and just try to ignore it. I bet after a while you won't see it any more.

Tim

I agree with Mr. Pibb and you will have this SSE on DLPs and SXRD's too. When I first got my set, I let it bother me but once I stopped obsessing and "looking for it" I really started to enjoy the T.V. Its really only noticable on really bright scenes with a white background anyway. If it is really gonna bother you, you might wanna switch to a plasma or CRT......

I have done much research and have decided to pick up the Sony 42" A10 on Wednesday. I do however have one more question.

The set will be my family's primary TV and will be in the Family Room where we have the TV on for as much as 12 hours a day. It will be used for HDTV programming, Standard TV, DVDs and certainly Xbox 360 as well.

Should I be concerned at all about the amount of use I'm about to put this set through? Thanks in advance for any comments you may have regarding this.

That's how ours gets used, from all I read the only issue is that we'll go through bulbs a bit faster than most.

So far so good and if you get the accessory component cables for the game consoles, the picture is pretty amazing. The number of inputs makes for a very flexible setup.

You think CoD2 looks good, pick up Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter :eek:

It should be in my mailbox today or monday, can't wait

It should be in my mailbox today or monday, can't wait

great game, loving playing it online right now, reminds me alot of Socom just looks and plays better.

You probably mean silk screen effect (sse) not screen door effect (sde). SSE looks like you are watching through a thin layer of silk, and if you are sitting right in front of the TV it would be visible in the center of the picture. With SDE you can see the lines between the pixels and that would be visible across the entire screen.

SSE bothered me quite a bit at first, but after a month or so I rarely even notice it any more. SSE is visible on ALL rear projection TV's. You probably moved from a CRT (like I did) or some other type of TV with a smooth screen. If you switch to another rear projection TV you'll probably be just as disappointed if you are focusing on that part of the picture.

Turn the contrast down a little and just try to ignore it. I bet after a while you won't see it any more.

Tim

Yeap....I must be seeing Silk Screen Effect, not the Screen Door Effect. But to be honest, I really feel it takes away from the sharpness of the picture. I try to ignore it but I just can't. Its so obvious even when I turn down the contrast.

You say that very rear projection TV has it?
My brother in law has the 46" Samsung DLP and I don't remember ever seeing it on his TV. I watched the Super Bowl on it and my jaw dropped. Just a gorgeous picture and I didn't see the rainbow effect either. But I can't get that set because of the lag on Xbox and PS2 games.

Is it at all possible that my A10 50" is defective?
I don't remember of seeing the silk screen effect in the store before I bought it. I watched Stealth for about 30 minutes and the picture looked great. Definitely not as sharp as the SXRD but pretty close. Now that I have it home, I'm just not thrilled with it.

I don't want a plasma because of the possible burn in and the fact that it has a pretty limited life span. What am I to do? :confused:

I have an 42A10 and have noticed some pixelation when there is fast movement sports on HD ota. When play stops it couldn't be clearer. This may just be the broadcast. I don't notice anything like this on sd DT programing over the ota, maybe because sd doesn't have the resolution. I don't have HD on anything but my ota so i don't know have anything to compare it to. I love my TV by the way.

FYI..Firmware updated today by QualXserv. In and out in 10-15 minutes. 10 of those were spent just sitting on my couch waiting for the light to go Amber. Smooth as silk he said. I asked about going into the service menu for confirmation but he was told not to do so because of the possibility of damaging the TV. No changes to settings.

I see SSE often too, but at first it bothered me a bit but I know it happens on all RPTVs..... and after a while I could care less really - I enjoy my TV set a lot.

The Reality slider makes a huge difference. The higher the grainier the pix gets. I'm not sure why it's called Reality. I've left it at 1 because the pix is cleanest.

The Clairity slider doesn't seem to do anthing! So I set it at 100.

Which seems stange because I remember others saying about 10/10 was correct?

For SD digital cable you can also try:

Reality 1
Clarity 34

All Clarity really does is add more noise reduction the higher you set it. The picture will become softer.

Reality adds more density which can give a grainy look. For analog cable using the A10's tuner it looks better at around 65. Decrease it for less graininess. To get that number I just increased it until I got a sharp picture. Then I pushed up the Clarity setting until it smoothed out the grain.

There are several serious issues with SD.

1) aliasing on diagonals.

2) cross color artifacts -- chroma edges get garbage.

Setting to Clarity to 100 really does eliminate both artifacts. This is far more important than getting any extra detail!

Once you get rid of these artifacts, you can increase Reality to about 50. But if you watch weather maps, you'll see edge enhancements (white outlines around black edges and visca versa) appear as Reality increases above 1. Edge enhancements are another artifact and you do not want.

Weather maps are perfect to adjust. You want a totally "QUIET" picture with no "busy" garbage on edges -- especially when the garbage is "alive."

Quiet is much better than noisey. However, if you want more sharpness, increase Reality up to 20.

So I recommend setting your cable box to output 480i and 1080i. That way DRC will clean up SD.

Doing this can yield an SD image almost as good as a 36" 4:3 TV.

Is there a difference between the KDF-E42A10 42" and the KFE-42A10 42"? Cuz I've checked the sony website and I can't find the KFE-42A10 which is kinda of weird..

I recently helped a friend with the purchase of a 42A10. Because of the cabinet that it is placed in, the center channel speaker must be placed on top of the set. The speaker is a larger Polk model. What type of add-on shelf have 42A10 owners been using for this purpose? Thanks.

Just got my Sony 42 A10 and love it so far.

I want to see what over the air hd signals I can receive. What is recommended to do this? Should I try plain old rabbit ears or by an indoor antenna?

How will I know the channels it picks up are in HD or not?

Thanks,

-Tim

Just got my Sony 42 A10 and love it so far.

I want to see what over the air hd signals I can receive. What is recommended to do this? Should I try plain old rabbit ears or by an indoor antenna?

How will I know the channels it picks up are in HD or not?

Thanks,

-Tim

Try whatever you have first you might be surprised at what comes in. I got in that the
house we bought some years ago still had a rooftop antenna with a rotor. I'm glad I left it
up. I had both cable and the OTA(Over The Air) antenna hooked up when I did my intial
scan so I guess you could hook it up and rescan.
Grateful11

Is there a difference between the KDF-E42A10 42" and the KFE-42A10 42"? Cuz I've checked the sony website and I can't find the KFE-42A10 which is kinda of weird..

Try the Sonystyle canada site. The biggest difference between the two is that the KFE does not have the built in tuner. I think maybe the # of inputs is different too, but I'm not sure about that. Here is the link to the different models on the Sonystyle CA.

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/CategoryDisplays?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&categoryId=45260&navigationPath=32050

Hi,
Can somebody send me the A10 firmware update files? If you can, please send me a private message and I'll give you the address of my FTP server.

Thanks in advance...

If one is going to view the A10 approximately 8-10 hours per day in 2 to 3 hour intervals over a 16 hour elapsed time per day......which is better for bulb life, turning the set on and off 3-4 times a day, or leaving it run the entire time? Has anybody got any definitive information on this?

Is there a difference between the KDF-E42A10 42" and the KFE-42A10 42"? Cuz I've checked the sony website and I can't find the KFE-42A10 which is kinda of weird..

The only difference is the KDF-E has the "over the air" HD tuner built in......everything else is the same. I decided to get the KFE because there's only 1 maybe 2 OTA HD channels where I'm located....definitly not worth the extra $200.

I recently helped a friend with the purchase of a 42A10. Because of the cabinet that it is placed in, the center channel speaker must be placed on top of the set. The speaker is a larger Polk model. What type of add-on shelf have 42A10 owners been using for this purpose? Thanks.

I also have a large Polk center speaker and purchased the OmniMount Center-Channel Speaker Shelf from Circuit City for $35. I'm very pleased with it. It comes in several different colors, but I found that the black looks very good with the A10. You might be able to find something cheaper, but again, I'm happy with this particular speaker shelf.

-Scott

I also have a large Polk center channel speaker that once fit perfectly atop my old 27XBR50....that set had the detachable subwoofer on top that I never used, but it made a perfect platform for the Polk CS-350.

Since got the A10, I've been experimenting with placement of the center channel and have decided I'm going to build a shelf for it below the TV....it weighs close to 25 pounds, and I don't want to tempt fate by perching it above the TV.

Besides, placing it above the TV would put the drivers about 4-1/2 feet off the floor....more than 18 inches above my ears. Having said that, putting it on a shelf below the TV results in the drivers being almost 18 inches BELOW my ears, but still a little closer to the height of my surround speakers, and a little easier to accept visually, IMO.

At least that's the plan for now. ;)

I'm getting pastel flesh tones with my set up and I don't know how to adjust the set so that it looks more natural. Unfortunately, its not consistant. Most distance shots look fine, its only the 'talking heads' shot that has the 'pastel' look.
I've used Avia to set up the balance with everything ajusted according to the book but it still has the pastel look when the camera closes in. Basketball games look great.

using the 003b color setting,
iris - 3 (lots of ambient light- lots of daytime viewing)
picture - 80
Brightness - 55
color - 53
Hue - R5 (eyeball attemp to get more natural flesh tones)
Temp - warm2
sharpness - 5
Noise - off
Black corr - off
Avdanced iris - High
Gamma - Low
Clear white - off
Live Color - off

Also the set is in a niche above the fireplace , angled down by 3 degrees, but most of the viewing is still from below the center line of the picture.

Any suggestions would be helpful

Mike

I'm getting pastel flesh tones with my set up and I don't know how to adjust the set so that it looks more natural. Unfortunately, its not consistant. Most distance shots look fine, its only the 'talking heads' shot that has the 'pastel' look.
I've used Avia to set up the balance with everything ajusted according to the book but it still has the pastel look when the camera closes in. Basketball games look great.

using the 003b color setting,
iris - 3 (lots of ambient light- lots of daytime viewing)
picture - 80
Brightness - 55
color - 53
Hue - R5 (eyeball attemp to get more natural flesh tones)
Temp - warm2
sharpness - 5
Noise - off
Black corr - off
Avdanced iris - High
Gamma - Low
Clear white - off
Live Color - off

Also the set is in a niche above the fireplace , angled down by 3 degrees, but most of the viewing is still from below the center line of the picture.

Any suggestions would be helpful

Mike

Try using 0002.

Other suggestions would be to drop the Color down a bit. Also set the Advanced Iris on LOW. You might also want to drop the Brightness down. Even though you calibrated it with AVIA, it's sometimes best to drop it down a few more notches. The calibration is really only good for setting up your DVD player.

Thx Shozbot and maverick0716 for the helpful info.. I was also wondering which TV do you guys think is better the Sony KFE-50A10 or the Samsung HL-R5064? I know both have there problems but I was wonder which has the best picture and features etc..

I have decided I'm going to build a shelf for it below the TV....it weighs close to 25 pounds, and I don't want to tempt fate by perching it above the TV.


If you find a "wedge" that can be used to tilt the speaker upward when lying on the floor, I sure would love to know about it because I've got the same problem.

Radio Shack used to make a tilt stand so you could place a bookshelf speaker on the floor.

Thx Shozbot and maverick0716 for the helpful info.. I was also wondering which TV do you guys think is better the Sony KFE-50A10 or the Samsung HL-R5064? I know both have there problems but I was wonder which has the best picture and features etc..

Well, I'm kind of biased towards the Sony since I own one.......but I've heard the Samsung DLP's are pretty good too. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. DLP's tend to have deeper blacks, but if you see the "rainbow effect" then that would be very annoying. LCD's are very clear and sharp but tend to have a "screen door effect" if you sit too close to the screen......I don't notice it on mine from 7 ft. Both tv's have what's called a "silk screen effect" which makes the screen (especially on white) look like it's shimmering a bit, due to the plastic front screen.......another issue I have no problem with.

Why would my 50A10 always power-up like it's never been turned on?

It askes me to choose the language and then asks me if I want to do a Auto Scan to which I always say no because I have no antenna connected because I have a cable box!

This is nutty behavior!

I'm getting pastel flesh tones with my set up and I don't know how to adjust the set so that it looks more natural. Unfortunately, its not consistant. Most distance shots look fine, its only the 'talking heads' shot that has the 'pastel' look.


First, this is typical with SD that is from DV/Beta SP sources. But it should not be true of SD from DigiBeta or DVCPRO50. In other words, SD varies with it's source. It should not be true of HD!

Now about your ADVANCED IRIS.

I find the shifts in overall level from shot-to-shot are so bad it's impossible to use the Advanced Iris except at LOW or OFF. The only thing HIGH could be used for is to enable Sony to get dramaticlly higher contrast for PR specifications.

I noticed that setting Advanced Iris at LOW gives a better black levels than setting it OFF -- which causes a brighter pix. So, I'm leaving it set at LOW.


Folks have measured gray scale color shifts as the IRIS is closed toward 1 and 2. And, I've confirmed this by watching a B&W movie. As you open the iris open to 4 or 5 you get a much more uniform gray, while when you close it down to 1 or 2 the gray B&W image becomes tinted with red or green!!!

Which means the UNIFORMITY of the gray scale -- which is the most important parameter to have correct -- is directly tied to the opening of the IRIS. And since closing the iris screws-up color -- getting good black levels by closing the physical iris seems like a very bad idea. So I recommend setting it to 4.

To get back decent black levels, now turn Brightness (Black Level) to 45 in a mederately lit room. In could probably go lower if you view in the dark.

Picture at 75 and Color at 35 and Warm1. All but AI to off -- although you could try BC at Low rather than OFF to get deeper blacks.


ASSUME YOU ARE IN CUSTOM MODE!

Why would my 50A10 always power-up like it's never been turned on?

It askes me to choose the language and then asks me if I want to do a Auto Scan to which I always say no because I have no antenna connected because I have a cable box!

This is nutty behavior!


I'm pretty sure that you must run Auto Scan or the A10 will always ask until it's run and completed. Just run it without any atenna feed and that should correct your problem.

Why would my 50A10 always power-up like it's never been turned on?

It askes me to choose the language and then asks me if I want to do a Auto Scan to which I always say no because I have no antenna connected because I have a cable box!

This is nutty behavior!

It did the same to me, until I let it do the auto-scan. I also don't have anything connected to the RF inputs, so it didnt' find anything. Since they it's been normal.

Has anybody had success getting the sony "picture" button to work on their Harmony 676? I tried attaching it to the "A" button but it does not work.

Hello,

I've got a huge problem on my hands, I hope somebody is able to help me.
I bougt a E42A10 Sony RPTV, which is a really great tv.HDMI looks great!

Last weekend, I borrowed a Xbox360. After I Hooked it up, I cranked it up to 1080i. At first I was in pure awe...but then..the screaming started.
There were wide vertical lines going down the screen. Interference?
Sometimes you don't see them, or they're not that bad. But they always come back.

I personally own a Xbox (normal one). I bought a component cable for that.
It seems to have the same problem @ 720p (smaller lines though), but not @ 480p. Which is weird..right?.

I'll describe some of the situation which might be relevant.

- No Wi-Fi. I live in an appartment, so my neighbours might have it. I don't know.
- I disconnected every cable (except component). No difference.
- I placed both Xbox further away from the TV. No difference.
- HDMI doesn't show anything. It's a great, Interference free picture.

Is there a way I can test if it's indeed Interference? Personally I think there's something wrong with the TV. But I'd really like your opinion before I call Sony. A lot of people (E42A10 owners) here have hooked up their 360 and don't seem to have this problem.

Any advice is appreciated.

Cheers,

Erwin

p.s. I live in the Netherlands, so technically the model nr. is E42A11. But it's the same television

Hello,

I've got a huge problem on my hands, I hope somebody is able to help me.
I bougt a E42A10 Sony RPTV, which is a really great tv.HDMI looks great!

Last weekend, I borrowed a Xbox360. After I Hooked it up, I cranked it up to 1080i. At first I was in pure awe...but then..the screaming started.
There were wide vertical lines going down the screen. Interference?
Sometimes you don't see them, or they're not that bad. But they always come back.

I personally own a Xbox (normal one). I bought a component cable for that.
It seems to have the same problem @ 720p (smaller lines though), but not @ 480p. Which is weird..right?.

I'll describe some of the situation which might be relevant.

- No Wi-Fi. I live in an appartment, so my neighbours might have it. I don't know.
- I disconnected every cable (except component). No difference.
- I placed both Xbox further away from the TV. No difference.
- HDMI doesn't show anything. It's a great, Interference free picture.

Is there a way I can test if it's indeed Interference? Personally I think there's something wrong with the TV. But I'd really like your opinion before I call Sony. A lot of people (E42A10 owners) here have hooked up their 360 and don't seem to have this problem.

Any advice is appreciated.

Cheers,

Erwin

p.s. I live in the Netherlands, so technically the model nr. is E42A11. But it's the same television


Ok. The first thing I have to ask, is have you tried your consoles on a different component input?

Hey I have packed away my A10 manual while some work is being done on my home.

What kind of cable will hook a Laptop pc to the A10?

Hey I have packed away my A10 manual while some work is being done on my home.

What kind of cable will hook a Laptop pc to the A10?

Just use a standard VGA monitor cable. Not an extension cable, but an actual monitor cable. Don't buy the junk they sell at Best Buy, the one I purchased had horrible ghosting. I purchased a cable for 1/3 the cost at Micro Center (local) and it worked great.

Use the powerstrip timings linked to in my signature for perfect 1:1 pixel mapping.

Ok. The first thing I have to ask, is have you tried your consoles on a different component input? (By AngryRedGod)

Hey AngryRedGod,

The European (Dutch) model only has 1 component in.... :(
I didn't try Composite or S-vhs In...

Is there something else you would like to know...your help is really appreciated.

Greetz,

E.

I also don't have an Advanced (not service) menu. So can't control Advanced Iris and such. I don't know If I can activate that in the Service Menu, but I don't wanna lose my warranty...

Just use a standard VGA monitor cable. Not an extension cable, but an actual monitor cable. Don't buy the junk they sell at Best Buy, the one I purchased had horrible ghosting. I purchased a cable for 1/3 the cost at Micro Center (local) and it worked great.

Use the powerstrip timings linked to in my signature for perfect 1:1 pixel mapping.


Thanks!

Just what I needed. Now to research this powerstrip action.

Are your game consoles plugged into the same power circuit as the TV? If not, this can cause noise in the picture.

ey kingsqueak,

Yes they are...but I don't get Interference with 480p on my Xbox (one..old one).
The 360 was plugged in a different powersupply..So I don't think it's the problem.

Cheers,

E.

Ok. The first thing I have to ask, is have you tried your consoles on a different component input? (By AngryRedGod)

Hey AngryRedGod,

The European (Dutch) model only has 1 component in.... :(
I didn't try Composite or S-vhs In...

Is there something else you would like to know...your help is really appreciated.

Greetz,

E.

I also don't have an Advanced (not service) menu. So can't control Advanced Iris and such. I don't know If I can activate that in the Service Menu, but I don't wanna lose my warranty...

Eek! Okay. Well, what we're trying to get to the bottom of is if it is your component input or not. So first thing:

1) Try what the other user suggested. Make sure you are on the same socket. If it is simply interference caused by seperate sockets, then you are home free.

if not....

2) Next hook up your DVD using component to the component Input. If you have the same problems, then it is probably your input.

Allright....

I'll try that...
But my 868i (which is a Pioneer Elite series, don't know the model) only supports 480p (not higher) through component. But I'll check it out.

Do you guys (in the US) have an option in the Service Menu to turn off the "advanced menu"? Because if soo...I might me able to turn it on also :D .

I will let you know my findings...if there are more options to explore, I'm always listening..uhm..reading.

Greetz,

E.

The "Advanced" menu I believe turns on when you enter 'custom' as the video mode. It's scrolled off the main screen tab displayed under settings though. You need to scroll to see it. In the section with 'picture' 'sharpness' etc., scroll on that list to see the Advanced menu section.

IRIS controls how wide iris is opened. Assume we turn off iris "auto" operation by setting AI to OFF.

Closing the iris from 5 should simply close the iris thus dimming the light UNIFORMLY like using an ND filter. As overall illumination is reduced, "blacks" obviously get darker -- and so do whites.

1) Despite folks wanting to do this -- TV designers keep increasing the brightness of the bulbs used. It would seem logical that the power of the bulb and the ability of an LCD to become opaque would be balanced in the design of the TV. So if folks want a better blacks , it would seem they could simply dial down Black level and White Level. If so, what is the iris (or ND) used for?

3) The answer that comes to my mind is that there are optimal RGB signal levels for the LCD panels. These levels are set by adjusting Black level and White Level.

WHICH SUGGESTS SETTING THESE 2 CONTROLS SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE APERATURE WIDE OPEN AS YOU ARE ADJUSTING THE SIGNAL LEVELS -- NOT YOUR VIEWING LEVELS. COLOR SHOULD ALSO BE ADJUSTED.

4) Once the LCDs are getting the correct range of signals -- the iris can be used to adjust overall brightness. Perhaps one setting for Day and one setting for Night.

5) From what I read and see -- the range from 0IRE to 20IRE is too green, which is why shadows get a greenish tint. Likewise, the range from 80 to 100IRE is too red which is why whites get pinkish. (I'm checking this by viewing B&W movies!) During ISF calibration this "tracking problem" would be fixed by adjusting RGB GAIN and DRIVE. But 99% of the TVs don't have an iris control. Once tracking is adjusted -- it's a done deal.

But, here's where the rub comes. Unlike using an ND filter, for some unknown reason, closing the iris causes the gray-scale tracking to be screwed-up. Specifically, it either CREATES or EXPOSES a gray-scale tracking problem. But which? And how?

CREATES: how can simply closing the opening through which light passes create more red in the bright levels and more green in the dark levels? RGB should/are mixed together by the time they pass through the iris. Thus, I don't think closing the iris creates the problem -- which is good news.

EXPOSES: If the gray-scale tracking problem comes from the signals sent to the LCD, then we have 4 questions:

a) Can gray-scale tracking be improved by adjustin BL and WL correctly? Perhaps we are driving the LCDs too hard because we adjust BL and WL with the iris almost closed? Does the Color Level alter tracking? (It shouldn't, but LCD color response may not be linear.)

b) Are there User adjustable RGB levels that MIGHT help fix the tracking problem. (Other HDTVs have them.) In general, the answer is no because we have different colors at different levels that need adjustment. But, where are our RGB controls?

c) Red Push has traditionally been a problem of the Color Decoder. But, most of us are feeding the A10 with analog or digital RGB. Thus, the various posted "fixes" for Red Push I suspect are not altering the Color Decoder. They are altering the signals sent to the LCDs. If so, then we need to be able to apply corrections to RGB at different brightness levels. For example, pull down red at very high levels and pull down green at very low levels. Can we do this?

d) Can we get into the Service mode to adjust RGB GAIN and DRIVE? This would be a lot simpler than patching values!

Unless we have had ISF calibration, it is safe to assume we all have some level of gray-scale tracking problem. So we are left with trying to explain:

A) how closing the iris inceases the visibility of the gray-scale tracking problem.

AND/OR

B) how opening the iris reduces the visibility of the gray-scale tracking problem.

I'm really stumped by this! My very hazy answer is that when the iris is fully open, the overall brightness is simply so great that somehow the screen material is "over driven" and so the red tint at the brightest levels simply bleaches out to white. If I'm correct, then we should still a greenish tint in the "dark greys" that now show on the screen as lighter grays.

In other words, opening the iris should fix "red push" in whites but not "green push" in very dark greys. If my memory serves me right, as I opened the iris it was the pink whites that went white. (Don't remember what happened to the very small amount of green push in the darker areas.)

COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?

Turned my KDF-E50A10 on Sunday morning and it started flashing the red lamp light? I've had the TV for about 6 months. I pulled the plug, and pulled the lamp out to check it. Put the lamp back in , plugged the TV back in and it worked (even though it seemed alittle dimmer) After Church, tried to turn it on and had to go through the same proceedure to get it to work? Well, that was the last time that the fix worked and the TV has not worked since. I talked to Sony and they went through a couple small things and said that it needs to be serviced. I called their recommended service center to find out that it will be 2.5 weeks until they can come out! I'm not sure of the lamp life, but there are many days that we do not even turn the TV on( I would say that I am a Low volume user) I pulled the lamp out today at lunch and I am def. sure that the lamp is burned out. Sony said that they will warranty it if a service tech installs it. HMMM. I'm trying to work a deal right now to get one. I'll keep you posted, hopefully it is just the lamp - I love this TV!
Jim

I'm getting pastel flesh tones with my set up and I don't know how to adjust the set so that it looks more natural. Unfortunately, its not consistant. Most distance shots look fine, its only the 'talking heads' shot that has the 'pastel' look.
Mike
Mike,

I tried 003b first, but found 0005 even better (I also tried 0002 - didn't like that one).

Well after months of leaning towards the A20, I changed my mind - again - got a nice price match from BB (2K) and finally purchased on the A10. Nothing hooked up yet as I'm awaiting the stand.

As far as the EW, I'm leaning towards the Sony 4 yr. plan. The BB EW seems pretty steep (although I know it includes unlimited bulb replacement).

Anyone else have the Sony EW - or another comparable EW for A10?
Is the BB EW worth the money?

thanks.

I'm really stumped by this! My very hazy answer is that when the iris is fully open, the overall brightness is simply so great that somehow the screen material is "over driven" and so the red tint at the brightest levels simply bleaches out to white. If I'm correct, then we should still a greenish tint in the "dark greys" that now show on the screen as lighter grays.

In other words, opening the iris should fix "red push" in whites but not "green push" in very dark greys. If my memory serves me right, as I opened the iris it was the pink whites that went white. (Don't remember what happened to the very small amount of green push in the darker areas.)

COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?

I've noticed the grayscale tracking is off with the IRIS at 1 or 2. There is a red tint on mine. I've noticed that if you set "Clear White" to Low or High the grays get less red and start taking on a blue color. I'll try messing with the IRIS later tonight.

Thanks for the informative post.

Yeap....I must be seeing Silk Screen Effect, not the Screen Door Effect. But to be honest, I really feel it takes away from the sharpness of the picture. I try to ignore it but I just can't. Its so obvious even when I turn down the contrast.

You say that very rear projection TV has it?
My brother in law has the 46" Samsung DLP and I don't remember ever seeing it on his TV. I watched the Super Bowl on it and my jaw dropped. Just a gorgeous picture and I didn't see the rainbow effect either. But I can't get that set because of the lag on Xbox and PS2 games.

Is it at all possible that my A10 50" is defective?
I don't remember of seeing the silk screen effect in the store before I bought it. I watched Stealth for about 30 minutes and the picture looked great. Definitely not as sharp as the SXRD but pretty close. Now that I have it home, I'm just not thrilled with it.

I don't want a plasma because of the possible burn in and the fact that it has a pretty limited life span. What am I to do? :confused:

I feel exactly the same way. I too thought I might have a defective set. I have had this TV for about a week and a half and I just can't get past the SSE/SDE or whatever it is. The picture just isn't as sharp as my brother's plasma. I watched the Super Bowl on his and was amazed at the PQ. I figured that with the A10's higher resolution than his 42 inch plasma that the A10's PQ would be as good if not better. It is simply too distracting for me. It is now going back to the store for a plasma which is a shame. I really wanted to like this set. Deal breaker for me. Maybe some people are more sensitive to it then others?

IRIS controls how wide iris is opened. Assume we turn off iris "auto" operation by setting AI to OFF.

Closing the iris from 5 should simply close the iris thus dimming the light UNIFORMLY like using an ND filter. As overall illumination is reduced, "blacks" obviously get darker -- and so do whites.

1) Despite folks wanting to do this -- TV designers keep increasing the brightness of the bulbs used. It would seem logical that the power of the bulb and the ability of an LCD to become opaque would be balanced in the design of the TV. So if folks want a better blacks , it would seem they could simply dial down Black level and White Level. If so, what is the iris (or ND) used for?

3) The answer that comes to my mind is that there are optimal RGB signal levels for the LCD panels. These levels are set by adjusting Black level and White Level.

WHICH SUGGESTS SETTING THESE 2 CONTROLS SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE APERATURE WIDE OPEN AS YOU ARE ADJUSTING THE SIGNAL LEVELS -- NOT YOUR VIEWING LEVELS. COLOR SHOULD ALSO BE ADJUSTED.

4) Once the LCDs are getting the correct range of signals -- the iris can be used to adjust overall brightness. Perhaps one setting for Day and one setting for Night.

5) From what I read and see -- the range from 0IRE to 20IRE is too green, which is why shadows get a greenish tint. Likewise, the range from 80 to 100IRE is too red which is why whites get pinkish. (I'm checking this by viewing B&W movies!) During ISF calibration this "tracking problem" would be fixed by adjusting RGB GAIN and DRIVE. But 99% of the TVs don't have an iris control. Once tracking is adjusted -- it's a done deal.

But, here's where the rub comes. Unlike using an ND filter, for some unknown reason, closing the iris causes the gray-scale tracking to be screwed-up. Specifically, it either CREATES or EXPOSES a gray-scale tracking problem. But which? And how?

CREATES: how can simply closing the opening through which light passes create more red in the bright levels and more green in the dark levels? RGB should/are mixed together by the time they pass through the iris. Thus, I don't think closing the iris creates the problem -- which is good news.

EXPOSES: If the gray-scale tracking problem comes from the signals sent to the LCD, then we have 4 questions:

a) Can gray-scale tracking be improved by adjustin BL and WL correctly? Perhaps we are driving the LCDs too hard because we adjust BL and WL with the iris almost closed? Does the Color Level alter tracking? (It shouldn't, but LCD color response may not be linear.)

b) Are there User adjustable RGB levels that MIGHT help fix the tracking problem. (Other HDTVs have them.) In general, the answer is no because we have different colors at different levels that need adjustment. But, where are our RGB controls?

c) Red Push has traditionally been a problem of the Color Decoder. But, most of us are feeding the A10 with analog or digital RGB. Thus, the various posted "fixes" for Red Push I suspect are not altering the Color Decoder. They are altering the signals sent to the LCDs. If so, then we need to be able to apply corrections to RGB at different brightness levels. For example, pull down red at very high levels and pull down green at very low levels. Can we do this?

d) Can we get into the Service mode to adjust RGB GAIN and DRIVE? This would be a lot simpler than patching values!

Unless we have had ISF calibration, it is safe to assume we all have some level of gray-scale tracking problem. So we are left with trying to explain:

A) how closing the iris inceases the visibility of the gray-scale tracking problem.

AND/OR

B) how opening the iris reduces the visibility of the gray-scale tracking problem.

I'm really stumped by this! My very hazy answer is that when the iris is fully open, the overall brightness is simply so great that somehow the screen material is "over driven" and so the red tint at the brightest levels simply bleaches out to white. If I'm correct, then we should still a greenish tint in the "dark greys" that now show on the screen as lighter grays.

In other words, opening the iris should fix "red push" in whites but not "green push" in very dark greys. If my memory serves me right, as I opened the iris it was the pink whites that went white. (Don't remember what happened to the very small amount of green push in the darker areas.)

COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?

Great Post
I went from a old tv to this tv so it just looks amazing to me. The only thing I ever noticed is the blacks sometimes have a greenish look to them, most noticable during million dollar baby.
I have been reading this post for months and had never come across someone else talking about this so I just assumed it was (normal)
I do not have a lot of experience with tweaking this tv but I love to fool around and get the best picture possible. I have done the red push fix and have the iris turned off. I would love to get rid of this green effect in the blacks so if anyone has any suggestions I am up to trying it.

Hi All

I was REALLY happy to find this thread/forum today. I just bought the KDF-E50A10 on Saturday, and then I started looking around at different threads about Sony Rear Projection LCD's. From what I've read, Sony Rear Projection LCD TV's (not the KDF-E50A10 ; those threads usually pertained to other Sony LCD model/product lines) seem to have a billion problems with the light engine, prematurely/consistenly blowing bulbs, etc. Has anyone had any real problem or heard of any consistent problems (such as the roadmap - on -the -screen issue) with the A10 series that we all have?

Basically I've been pondering getting an extended warranty from Best Buy or Sony for this TV, as I've gotten a bit freaked out about what I've seen on other threads. Any problems that have come up after, say, 6 months of ownership?

I've heard Sony hasnt had as good reliability track record in recent years, so any input would be appreciated.

Also, does anyone have the link to Dark Rain's Wega Tweaking guide? Thanks so much!

I have done the red push fix and have the iris turned off. I would love to get rid of this green effect in the blacks so if anyone has any suggestions I am up to trying it.

I'm going to collect Dark Rains posts on Red/Green alterations.

My concern is he has only found the overall RGB adjustments and not the ones specific to bright and dark levels.

I feel exactly the same way. I too thought I might have a defective set. I have had this TV for about a week and a half and I just can't get past the SSE/SDE or whatever it is. The picture just isn't as sharp as my brother's plasma. I watched the Super Bowl on his and was amazed at the PQ. I figured that with the A10's higher resolution than his 42 inch plasma that the A10's PQ would be as good if not better. It is simply too distracting for me. It is now going back to the store for a plasma which is a shame. I really wanted to like this set. Deal breaker for me. Maybe some people are more sensitive to it then others?


Yeap.... I love the picture quality but the SSE is killing me!!! I'm wondering if its true that some people are more suseptible in seeing SSE or SDE.

Did yours have it right in the middle of the screen or was it all over?
Mine is mostly right in the middle.

I'm going to start looking at some different HDTV's because I think this one is going back.

Plasma is out of the question because of the burn-in issue and limited life span. I hear DLP has major lag when playing XBOX or PS2 which is not acceptible. SXRD is an option but its over $700 more for the same size! :eek:

I might look into the JVC LCOS sets. I hear they are really nice.

I see it all over the screen. My friends see it also so I know it isn't just me. I have read nearly this entire thread prior to buying my A10 and not many people at all have complained about this which makes me think it is just my set? I hear you on the confusion over what to buy. There really is no perfect technology. All of these sets: LCD, RPLCD, PLASMA, LCOS, DLP, seem to have their share of warts or niggling issues.
Since I see SSE so easily, rear projection is out. JVC's LCOS sets seems to have a good amount of reliability problems, bulb issues etc... SXRD is too expensive for me. LCD sets are also prohibitively expensive and don't display deep blacks. I initially ruled out plasmas because of burn-in/image retention but my brother and friends that own them are all happy with their sets and many of them play video games on them regularly, a must for me. What to do...what to do...?

Where did you buy it from? Maybe they'd be willing to exchange it for another one before you decice to return it just to make sure it isn't a problem with your set. I feel, though, that it's in the technology (rear projection) and not your particular set, though.

I see it all over the screen. My friends see it also so I know it isn't just me. I have read nearly this entire thread prior to buying my A10 and not many people at all have complained about this which makes me think it is just my set? I hear you on the confusion over what to buy. There really is no perfect technology. All of these sets: LCD, RPLCD, PLASMA, LCOS, DLP, seem to have their share of warts or niggling issues.
Since I see SSE so easily, rear projection is out. JVC's LCOS sets seems to have a good amount of reliability problems, bulb issues etc... SXRD is too expensive for me. LCD sets are also prohibitively expensive and don't display deep blacks. I initially ruled out plasmas because of burn-in/image retention but my brother and friends that own them are all happy with their sets and many of them play video games on them regularly, a must for me. What to do...what to do...?

I just can't get past the SSE/SDE or whatever it is. The picture just isn't as sharp as my brother's plasma.I'm also a new owner of an A10....and I also notice the SSE, if I look for it, but my wife has a good solution for my problem...."Quit looking for it for Christ's sake, it's just a TV!!"

I have to admit I've been a little anal about it. This set replaces a 15 year old everyday TV in our family room....it's not like I'm outfitting a $20k HT room, and I shouldn't expect it to perform like a $5k plasma display.

Bottom line is, there's a "best solution" for each situation....and each has its compromises. If all I did was watch movies and sporting events, I'd have bought the plasma....but for the 6 o'clock news, and the 50% of our viewing that's SD, what's that plasma going to look like in a year or two of black bars on each side several hours a day?

I know few outside this forum that would argue that any lcd rp has pq equal to that of a good plasma.....if it was why would they be selling for under $2k?

I'm not one to spend money needlessly, but I'm willing to pay for quality.....however, when quality comes at the cost of practicality, then I'll usually settle for less. I looked at displays for two months before coming full circle and buying the set I'd rejected on the first day, and I'm slowly convincing myself it's the best "bang for the buck" and fits my needs best. (Besides, the money I'm saving will more than pay for the two Sony HDD250's and the DVD player I bought. :D)

I've still got two weeks to evaluate this thing but at this point it's probably a keeper. Something really impressive would have to appear to cause me to change my mind. They haven't yet made the TV that pleases me 100% (not even close) and even today's so-called "jaw-dropping" displays are guaranteed to look dismal by next year's standards.

Looking for some help here...when I first purchased my TV I was using cable, so I plugged the cable into the back of my TV and all was fine. I ran the setup, it found all the channels, etc.

Since then I no longer have cable. However, when cycling through the inputs it still insists on on going to "cable" even though there is nothing there. Not that big of a deal, but I assume a TV of this grade should be able to do a "channel lock" (my old Sony did it).

Does anyone know of a way to make the set (KDF-E42A10) not use the tuner? I simply want to be able to go between my 2 inputs (both component) and not hit the tuner when hitting the "TV/ Video" button on the remote. Am I the only one who wants to use this set as a monitor?

Yeap.... I love the picture quality but the SSE is killing me!!! I'm wondering if its true that some people are more suseptible in seeing SSE or SDE.

Did yours have it right in the middle of the screen or was it all over?
Mine is mostly right in the middle.

I'm going to start looking at some different HDTV's because I think this one is going back.

Plasma is out of the question because of the burn-in issue and limited life span. I hear DLP has major lag when playing XBOX or PS2 which is not acceptible. SXRD is an option but its over $700 more for the same size! :eek:

I might look into the JVC LCOS sets. I hear they are really nice.

I don't understand why you only see it in the middle......it's actually caused by the material used (plastic) and it should be all over the screen.

I'm also a new owner of an A10....and I also notice the SSE, if I look for it, but my wife has a good solution for my problem...."Quit looking for it for Christ's sake, it's just a TV!!"

I have to admit I've been a little anal about it. This set replaces a 15 year old everyday TV in our family room....it's not like I'm outfitting a $20k HT room, and I shouldn't expect it to perform like a $5k plasma display.

Bottom line is, there's a "best solution" for each situation....and each has its compromises. If all I did was watch movies and sporting events, I'd have bought the plasma....but for the 6 o'clock news, and the 50% of our viewing that's SD, what's that plasma going to look like in a year or two of black bars on each side several hours a day?

I know few outside this forum that would argue that any lcd rp has pq equal to that of a good plasma.....if it was why would they be selling for under $2k?

I'm not one to spend money needlessly, but I'm willing to pay for quality.....however, when quality comes at the cost of practicality, then I'll usually settle for less. I looked at displays for two months before coming full circle and buying the set I'd rejected on the first day, and I'm slowly convincing myself it's the best "bang for the buck" and fits my needs best. (Besides, the money I'm saving will more than pay for the two Sony HDD250's and the DVD player I bought. :D)

I've still got two weeks to evaluate this thing but at this point it's probably a keeper. Something really impressive would have to appear to cause me to change my mind. They haven't yet made the TV that pleases me 100% (not even close) and even today's so-called "jaw-dropping" displays are guaranteed to look dismal by next year's standards.


DITTO

Can someone recommend the type of memory card/stick that is used to perform the firmware update?? Thanks!!

I've found that with ADVANCED IRIS at LOW there are still very slight color and brightness shifts. So I've set it OFF giving-up on Sony's not ready for prime time feature.

If you use B&W video, and switch the IRIS between 4 and 5 you can see the set alter the color. Going from 5 to 4 causes a slight shift toward red. Which confirms my thinking that it is best to set the IRIS = 5.

I set Brightness (BL) = 42 to bring black level down. PIC = 72.

I tried the Black Corrector, but LOW causes too much loss of shadow detail, but it could be useful in certain conditions. Perhaps in a dark room. Some old films that lack contrast.

Warm2 may be closer to 6500K, but it is just too green, so I use Warm1.

I've dropped Color to 34. Still havent fixed Red Push. Hopefully this will remove the pink in flesh.

For me the critical issue is getting a true B&W movie. Unfortunately, without access to RGB controls it is hard to bring B down while keeping R and G constant.

Nevertheless, Sin City looks perfect in HD.

In short, turn OFF all the special modes and treat it like any HDTV.

I don't understand why you only see it in the middle......it's actually caused by the material used (plastic) and it should be all over the screen.


Mine is indeed all over the screen but it seems like its concentrated right in the middle. I watched a travel show on PBSHD last night and called my wife in to take a look at the PQ. She said it looked awesome BUT it does look like the picture is behind a sheet of silk screen which gives it somewhat of a washed out look. Since she saw it, I know I'm not going crazy.

Before I bought my set, I read this WHOLE thread. :eek: Out of all the posts here, I might have read only a handful that mentioned this Silk Screen Effect that is unbearable. That's why I chose this set over everything else on the market right now. Plus it was ranked #2 by Consumer Reports. I was all set to purchase the SXRD but couldn't justify the price tag. I bought a Yamaha HTR-5890 receiver and JBL e80 speakers with the money I saved on this set.

So......what do you guys think. I should I try to return my set for another one, in hopes of finding one with less or no SSE? Or just return it all together a purchase a different technology?

OK after returning my 42 incher and going Samsung (too grainy, horrible cable tuner, unresponsive remote, green circles and last but not least free pop up ads -I mean channel info) I am now back with the Sony but the 50 inch one this time.

I do have a major problem that was also on my previous KDF42 which I returned because of bad vertical banding but also because I thought the set might have been a lemon since it was open box. I have an upconverting Sony DVD player via HDMI and the picture is excellent with the exception of slight faint horizontal lines spaced about 2 inches which sometimes show up on the background. For example, on Battle Star Galactica the mini series at around 42 minute mark commander odama is giving a speech and his face is clear no problem but the area to the left these lines show up. Ive seen these on Star trek Enterprise as well. They are static and they are not found over component on either the same DVD player or a second changer ruling out both the movie and the player. Also, when running the player on the Samsung over HDMI, the problem did not show up. I really like this TV set it is the best choice at the moment but I need to find a fix for this.

Any one else showing this or have any other suggestions/solutions to try? I know most here use HDMI for cable box etc. but I am concerned this problem might show up on the upcoming Blu Ray and or HDDVD players. The effect look similar to the picture that from the A10 wega series V tweeks thread when pixel mapping is off etc. by Vid Kid.

Turned my KDF-E50A10 on Sunday morning and it started flashing the red lamp light? I've had the TV for about 6 months. I pulled the plug, and pulled the lamp out to check it. Put the lamp back in , plugged the TV back in and it worked (even though it seemed alittle dimmer) After Church, tried to turn it on and had to go through the same proceedure to get it to work? Well, that was the last time that the fix worked and the TV has not worked since. I talked to Sony and they went through a couple small things and said that it needs to be serviced. I called their recommended service center to find out that it will be 2.5 weeks until they can come out! I'm not sure of the lamp life, but there are many days that we do not even turn the TV on( I would say that I am a Low volume user) I pulled the lamp out today at lunch and I am def. sure that the lamp is burned out. Sony said that they will warranty it if a service tech installs it. HMMM. I'm trying to work a deal right now to get one. I'll keep you posted, hopefully it is just the lamp - I love this TV!
Jim
Long story short. I have a new lamp coming in this week. The funny thing is that no suppliers stock this lamp in my area? The story that I got was that these bulbs have a very good life span and they do not go out that often? BTW this was a very reutable shop that was calling around for the lamp from his suppliers not just me calling around. One thing that I didn't mention before. The night before my lamp went out, I watched War of the Worlds on my new home theater system at a pretty loud volume. If you didn't already know, WOTW is a very good movie (one of the best) for testing your Subwoofer. I wonder if the high levels of bass shattered the lamp? The sub sits to the right of the TV, right next to the Lamp? Just a random thought.
Jim

Ok I solved my own problem. It seems that setting the screen adjustment to -1 is the root of the problem (I am compensating for the Sony upconverting black band on top/shift issue). So I guess the Sony player is going back though I must admit the PQ over HDMI @480 is still cleaner than component and there is no shift issue at this setting......

Ok I solved my own problem. It seems that setting the screen adjustment to -1 is the root of the problem (I am compensating for the Sony upconverting black band on top/shift issue). So I guess the Sony player is going back though I must admit the PQ over HDMI @480 is still cleaner than component and there is no shift issue at this setting......
I had the Sony upconverting DVD player (the N70H I think it was) for about 3 weeks and I just returned it for a refund. I had mine hooked up via HDMI and set to 720p(1080i looked worse). I just hooked my panasonic progressive scan player back up and Honestly the picture is as good IF NOT BETTER with the panny. The T.V. already upconverts the resolution anyway. Actually I like the panny's picture better because the Sony gave me a "smaller picture"(larger horizontial bars on 2.35:1 movies. I also used the screen adjustment at -1 but you shouldn't have to do that--the sony player is the problem(has a shift issue).
These upconverting DVD players are "snake oil" In my opinion. I'm waiting for HD-DVD or Blu-ray.......

Looking for some help here...when I first purchased my TV I was using cable, so I plugged the cable into the back of my TV and all was fine. I ran the setup, it found all the channels, etc.

Since then I no longer have cable. However, when cycling through the inputs it still insists on on going to "cable" even though there is nothing there. Not that big of a deal, but I assume a TV of this grade should be able to do a "channel lock" (my old Sony did it).

Does anyone know of a way to make the set (KDF-E42A10) not use the tuner? I simply want to be able to go between my 2 inputs (both component) and not hit the tuner when hitting the "TV/ Video" button on the remote. Am I the only one who wants to use this set as a monitor?


Edit/Label your inputs in the Wega Gate settings menu.

Edit/Label your inputs in the Wega Gate settings menu.

That lets me skip the inputs, but not the tuner.

Allright....

I'll try that...
But my 868i (which is a Pioneer Elite series, don't know the model) only supports 480p (not higher) through component. But I'll check it out.

Do you guys (in the US) have an option in the Service Menu to turn off the "advanced menu"? Because if soo...I might me able to turn it on also :D .

I will let you know my findings...if there are more options to explore, I'm always listening..uhm..reading.

Greetz,

E.

make sure you switch the thing on the cable to HD. also, try outputting to 720p. mine looks incredible on that setting and i know that there have been problems with people overlooking the option to switch the cable itslef to HD.

Ey Guys,

I have the European model (42") KDF-E42A11.
I don't have the "advanced" menu nor WetaGate..
The European model only has 1 Component input.

So it's not a long stretch to see that the European and the US version are different.
Still, I do believe the software should be the same.
I have 3 options for Picture Settings (Vivid/Standard/Custom). I have it in Custom, but still...no advanced options.

I haven't been in the ServiceMenu, but I would like to know if there's an option to activate the Advanced Options. (For Instance: Advanced Iris)

I know it's a long stretch..but can somebody have a look see for me? :)

Thx in advance....

Mine is indeed all over the screen but it seems like its concentrated right in the middle. I watched a travel show on PBSHD last night and called my wife in to take a look at the PQ. She said it looked awesome BUT it does look like the picture is behind a sheet of silk screen which gives it somewhat of a washed out look. Since she saw it, I know I'm not going crazy.

Before I bought my set, I read this WHOLE thread. :eek: Out of all the posts here, I might have read only a handful that mentioned this Silk Screen Effect that is unbearable. That's why I chose this set over everything else on the market right now. Plus it was ranked #2 by Consumer Reports. I was all set to purchase the SXRD but couldn't justify the price tag. I bought a Yamaha HTR-5890 receiver and JBL e80 speakers with the money I saved on this set.

So......what do you guys think. I should I try to return my set for another one, in hopes of finding one with less or no SSE? Or just return it all together a purchase a different technology?

You will get SSE with any rear projection TV, be it rp LCD, DLP, or LCOS (SXRD)

I've found that with ADVANCED IRIS at LOW there are still very slight color and brightness shifts. So I've set it OFF giving-up on Sony's not ready for prime time feature.

If you use B&W video, and switch the IRIS between 4 and 5 you can see the set alter the color. Going from 5 to 4 causes a slight shift toward red. Which confirms my thinking that it is best to set the IRIS = 5.

I set Brightness (BL) = 42 to bring black level down. PIC = 72.

I tried the Black Corrector, but LOW causes too much loss of shadow detail, but it could be useful in certain conditions. Perhaps in a dark room. Some old films that lack contrast.

Warm2 may be closer to 6500K, but it is just too green, so I use Warm1.

I've dropped Color to 34. Still havent fixed Red Push. Hopefully this will remove the pink in flesh.

For me the critical issue is getting a true B&W movie. Unfortunately, without access to RGB controls it is hard to bring B down while keeping R and G constant.

Nevertheless, Sin City looks perfect in HD.

In short, turn OFF all the special modes and treat it like any HDTV.

Sounds to me that instead of doing all of this speculation about the reds and greens in certain images you should actually do the Red Push Fix......then make your speculations. For me personally, I can't stand the Iris being anywhere above 2 and I always have the Advanced Iris on low.

Sounds to me that instead of doing all of this speculation about the reds and greens in certain images you should actually do the Red Push Fix......then make your speculations. For me personally, I can't stand the Iris being anywhere above 2 and I always have the Advanced Iris on low.

I agree. But he's right about the poor grayscale tracking with the Adavnced Iris turned on. But, the majority of people aren't going to notice it or really care.

If you want decent black levels on the A10 the Advanced Iris must remain on Low, Medium, or High.

I finally got my 42 inch A10 (exchanged the Samsung DLP) and it is great! Just wanted to thank all the poster on this board who helped lead me to this TV. still playing with the settings, etc but ithe PQ is great even out of the box.

One more question. I have the Samsung HD - 950 DVD player, but its really terrible. Can anyone reccomend a good dvd player under $200? Thanks

For me the critical issue is getting a true B&W movie. Unfortunately, without access to RGB controls it is hard to bring B down while keeping R and G constant.



Try renting or buying Good Night and Good Luck, which I believe was released to DVD this week. Excellent movie, and it's totally in black and white. Would be very useful in helping to calibrate this TV.

Sounds to me that instead of doing all of this speculation about the reds and greens in certain images you should actually do the Red Push Fix......then make your speculations. For me personally, I can't stand the Iris being anywhere above 2 and I always have the Advanced Iris on low.


IF the red push fix is altering the parameters in the COLOR decoder it has nothing to do with grayscale tracking issues.

These are two very different issues. I really think you have not read/understood the issue with the iris altering color on B&W material.

You MUST calibrate using B&W before using any color material.

The last thing is adjusting Red Push -- if it is even needed.

I agree. But he's right about the poor grayscale tracking with the Adavnced Iris turned on. But, the majority of people aren't going to notice it or really care.
If you want decent black levels on the A10 the Advanced Iris must remain on Low, Medium, or High.

You may be right -- the majority of folks who buy will watch in Vivid. But ALL color is built UPON the USA's 6500K UNIFORM grayscale. (It need not be 6500K -- it could be up to 9300K the Japanese video standard.)

The pinkish whites and greenish shadows are from tracking problems -- not red push, etc.

Besides the NORMAL tracking problems of every TV, the Iris system adds it own problems. For the most uniform grayscale the iris MUST be open (5).

Before there was Iris, black levels were set by the BL control. You can still get decent BL by doing so. How do XSRD owners get a decent BL? By setting the BL with a pluge pattern.

The Advanced Iris only increases the dynamic range. So you have a choice -- do you want a tiny increase (AI = LOW) at the expense tiny color and level fluctuations? That is a matter of taste. Or, make multiple settings. Dark room, AI = OFF and very low BL. Light room, higher BL and AI = LOW.

Perhaps you meant to say decent BL depend on the iris being partially closed. This is true in the sense that cutting overall illumination reduces the both B and W levels on the screen. So for inky blacks IN A TOTALLY DARK room you likely do need to adjust the iris down.

And, you can likely find someway of getting decent color with the Iris more closed. This is what most folks seem to be doing. Set BL to taste and then adjust Red Push to cancel out the increased "iris caused" red. This suggests the FIX values must be based upon the iris setting. So far no one has done this!

Moreover -- I am not sure the Red Push fixes will work on real B&W material. And, for those of who watch B&W movies -- these fixes may not work.

Bottom line -- there is a reason for ISF calibration! And this calibration always begins with getting a perfect 6500K B&W pix.

I finally got my 42 inch A10 (exchanged the Samsung DLP) and it is great! Just wanted to thank all the poster on this board who helped lead me to this TV. still playing with the settings, etc but ithe PQ is great even out of the box.

One more question. I have the Samsung HD - 950 DVD player, but its really terrible. Can anyone reccomend a good dvd player under $200? Thanks


just go buy a regular sony progressive scan player.....those ones that upconvert are worthless

You may be right -- the majority of folks who buy will watch in Vivid. But ALL color is built UPON the USA's 6500K UNIFORM grayscale. (It need not be 6500K -- it could be up to 9300K the Japanese video standard.)

The pinkish whites and greenish shadows are from tracking problems -- not red push, etc.

Besides the NORMAL tracking problems of every TV, the Iris system adds it own problems. For the most uniform grayscale the iris MUST be open (5).

Before there was Iris, black levels were set by the BL control. You can still get decent BL by doing so. How do XSRD owners get a decent BL? By setting the BL with a pluge pattern.

The Advanced Iris only increases the dynamic range. So you have a choice -- do you want a tiny increase (AI = LOW) at the expense tiny color and level fluctuations? That is a matter of taste. Or, make multiple settings. Dark room, AI = OFF and very low BL. Light room, higher BL and AI = LOW.

Perhaps you meant to say decent BL depend on the iris being partially closed. This is true in the sense that cutting overall illumination reduces the both B and W levels on the screen. So for inky blacks IN A TOTALLY DARK room you likely do need to adjust the iris down.

And, you can likely find someway of getting decent color with the Iris more closed. This is what most folks seem to be doing. Set BL to taste and then adjust Red Push to cancel out the increased "iris caused" red. This suggests the FIX values must be based upon the iris setting. So far no one has done this!

Moreover -- I am not sure the Red Push fixes will work on real B&W material. And, for those of who watch B&W movies -- these fixes may not work.

Bottom line -- there is a reason for ISF calibration! And this calibration always begins with getting a perfect 6500K B&W pix.

The problem I found with having the IRIS way open at 5 was that I needed to turn the brightness way down to around 25 or so to prevent a washed out look. I also had the Advanced Iris set to OFF. At that low a brightness level it was causing black crush and looked rather nasty. But grayscale was more accurate which is a good thing.

The red push fix doesn't correct grayscale. I believe the service menu has adjustments for red, green, and blue color bias. It's probably a better idea to have a trained ISF person make these changes since they have the equipment to get it as accurate as possible. Even so, UMR mentioned having an issue with the Advanced Iris in an earlier post. He said that he had trouble calibrating the grayscale on the A10 because of the dynamic nature of the Advanced Iris. With it off it wasn't an issue.

I do watch a fair amount of B&W movies (film noir fan). The A10 isn't really the best TV for doing B&W with its limited black level and poor grayscale tracking.

Heres a Ez guide to thicken fonts - to make the screen easier to read when using the Sony on the computer . I used Lucida Sans Unicode and followed the directions from the link below .



I found this made a LARGE difference , and is pretty easy .
Ps I would make a clickable link - But I dont have 5 posts yet and I cant . So I will submit this --------

and this

one more time

I finally have 5 posts


HERE (http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showthread.php?t=29701&highlight=fonts)

The problem I found with having the IRIS way open at 5 was that I needed to turn the brightness way down to around 25 or so to prevent a washed out look. I also had the Advanced Iris set to OFF. At that low a brightness level it was causing black crush and looked rather nasty. But grayscale was more accurate which is a good thing."

"The red push fix doesn't correct grayscale. I believe the service menu has adjustments for red, green, and blue color bias.

I agree and here is where choice comes in. With a few hundred watts in my room I can "decent" BL with BL = 42. But I'm used to both an LCD panel and a FP which never had great BL. But did, after much adjusting show great B&W.

My FP had 4 settings per input so I made settings for different needs. As I understand it, the A10 with only a SINGLE INPUT is limited to either 1 (CUSTOM) or 2 (CUSTOM and STANDARD) because VIVID (and perhaps STANDARD) lock in certain settings.

If I can get at least 2 settings -- perhaps FILM (B&W and Color) in a dark room + HDTV (only color) in a moderately lit room. You'll immediately see that a FILM setting will be nearly impossible! Film in dark room means iris ON for great BL which means poor B&W. :mad:

So it looks like one for B&W movies -- in a dark room -- (iris OPEN) and lowering WL and BL together based upon a pulge pattern. This I'll also use for HD editing.

Then a non-B&W setting which ignores grayscale and delivers a dynamic pix.

Do you notice any fluctuations with AI = LOW? I think I do.


Do you know how to enter the SM and which settings control what? There should be both BIAS and GAIN controls for RGB.

Alternately, the A10 is the only HDTV I've had that had RGB adjustments of any kind on the User menu! Am I missing something?

Thank you for your help!

Try renting or buying Good Night and Good Luck, which I believe was released to DVD this week. Excellent movie, and it's totally in black and white. Would be very useful in helping to calibrate this TV.

We may need one DVD (SD) plus SD TV plus an HD TV source of B&W. Must record a B&W HD movie. Sin City isn't really B&W.

Ah -- I've recorded the INHD bars and tones and it must have a grayscale!

IF the red push fix is altering the parameters in the COLOR decoder it has nothing to do with grayscale tracking issues.

These are two very different issues. I really think you have not read/understood the issue with the iris altering color on B&W material.

You MUST calibrate using B&W before using any color material.

The last thing is adjusting Red Push -- if it is even needed.

I obviously don't know nearly as much as you on this issue.....and I'm by no means a pro. I went into a THX optimizer last night and was messing around with the Iris settings (both advanced and normal) and I see what you're talking about, with the colour for blacks and whites being shifted ever so slightly the more you close the Iris.....but to me, I'd rather watch a movie with deep blacks and a slightly off gray scale then a washed out picture with a perfect gray scale. Just my personal preference I guess. There's one more thing that (I think) helps the pink in the whites is turning on Clear White......in puts blue into the whites and they sort of cancel each other out.

I'd rather watch a movie with deep blacks and a slightly off gray scale then a washed out picture with a perfect gray scale.

Remember that all color build on a uniform grayscale. It is the foundation for everything you see.

I agree and here is where choice comes in. With a few hundred watts in my room I can "decent" BL with BL = 42. But I'm used to both an LCD panel and a FP which never had great BL. But did, after much adjusting show great B&W.

My FP had 4 settings per input so I made settings for different needs. As I understand it, the A10 with only a SINGLE INPUT is limited to either 1 (CUSTOM) or 2 (CUSTOM and STANDARD) because VIVID (and perhaps STANDARD) lock in certain settings.

If I can get at least 2 settings -- perhaps FILM (B&W and Color) in a dark room + HDTV (only color) in a moderately lit room. You'll immediately see that a FILM setting will be nearly impossible! Film in dark room means iris ON for great BL which means poor B&W. :mad:

So it looks like one for B&W movies -- in a dark room -- (iris OPEN) and lowering WL and BL together based upon a pulge pattern. This I'll also use for HD editing.

Then a non-B&W setting which ignores grayscale and delivers a dynamic pix.

Do you notice any fluctuations with AI = LOW? I think I do.


Do you know how to enter the SM and which settings control what? There should be both BIAS and GAIN controls for RGB.

Alternately, the A10 is the only HDTV I've had that had RGB adjustments of any kind on the User menu! Am I missing something?

Thank you for your help!

Another thing I forgot to mention about B&W on the A10 is color uniformity. Since the light engine uses polarizers (filters) there are problems with faint blue or red blotches appearing near the corners of the screen. The severity varies from set to set. If you don't see this issue consider yourself lucky.

STANDARD and VIVID modes lock in the AI and Black Corrector. No way to change them. So, for B&W you will need to use a Custom setting if you want good grayscale.

I do see the fluctuations with the Advanced Iris on LOW but they are pretty small.

I don't know the SM parameters for RGB bias/gain. You might want to check the official Grand Wega IV thread and do a search for it. I believe UMR gave tips on fixing grayscale tracking.

So it looks like one for B&W movies -- in a dark room -- (iris OPEN) and lowering WL and BL together based upon a pulge pattern. This I'll also use for HD editing.

Then a non-B&W setting which ignores grayscale and delivers a dynamic pix.

This is an excellent idea. I'll have to do some more tweaking and dig out my copy of DVE and look at some test patterns.

You will get SSE with any rear projection TV, be it rp LCD, DLP, or LCOS (SXRD)

Yeap...Your right.

To make sure my set isn't defective, I went to Circuit City last night to look at all of the HDTV's. All of the rear projection TV's were lined up next to each other and EVERYONE had SSE. If felt the A10 SSE was a little more noticable than the other sets but each one does have it to some degree. The salesman said that some people can see it more than others and that I'm probably one of them. This might explain why my brother in law says his Samsung DLP doesn't have it. It does, but he just can't see it as well as I can.

The only rear projection set that had hardly any SSE was the Sony SXRD. Its so slight that I had to really look hard to see it. The SXRD is by far the nicest rear projection set on the market. The PQ compares to plasma. But for that price tag, it should!

After comparing all of the RP sets side by side, the A10 definitely has the nicest picture. Better than Samsung, Hitachi, JVC and Toshiba. So.....I'm going to keep my A10 50" and try to get over the SSE. WISH ME LUCK!!!! ;)

Another thing I forgot to mention about B&W on the A10 is color uniformity. Since the light engine uses polarizers (filters) there are problems with faint blue or red blotches appearing near the corners of the screen. The severity varies from set to set. If you don't see this issue consider yourself lucky.


And, I forgot to mention HOW BAD these blotches are! Frankly, I'm thinking of returning it for the 42" LCD. The only thing that prevents me from doing so: you can't seee them on color material, $$$$, and the fact that I've got way too many HD movies unwatched on my DVR.

Plus, I've seen almost every key B&W film. So given limited time -- do I rewatch SD B&W films or watch color HD films. (And, many SD films are letter boxed which means you need to zoom them which causes a further drop in SD quality!) And, since INHD is running all the great films from the `70 and `80 they are a great alternative.

STANDARD and VIVID modes lock in the AI and Black Corrector. No way to change them. So, for B&W you will need to use a Custom setting if you want good grayscale.

I do see the fluctuations with the Advanced Iris on LOW but they are pretty small.

Briefly, I have adjusted VIVID to be my daytime SD/HD setting. CNBC. MSNBC, CNN all control video levels so well that I see flucturations only on commercials. Almost no fluctuations on video-based Discovery HD and InHD. Movies are not good -- but I don't watch them during the day.

Turned-up BL to overcome Black Corrector. I suspect AI = MED and BC = LOW. Confirm?


I've set STANDARD to be my general evening, some lights on, HD setting. The Neutral setting is way too blue for B&W, but it doesn't seem to hurt color too much. I suspect AI = LOW and BC = OFF. Confirm?


I've set CUSTOM for my lights off, most color & grayscale accurate, setting. Everything is optimized toward getting about 6500K (by eye) with no variations.

Amazingly, using the old fashioned, reduce both BL and WL -- I've managed to get black levels to equal what LCD-based systems can do. Not what folks can get from the A10, but I suspect equal to the A20 and perhaps the SXRD sets.


All this has been done by eye. Tonight I'll see how accurate my BLs are with a pluge tonight. For Custom it needs to be 100% correct so I can check HD video.

Then I'll fix Push/Pull. Could you please check my posting of the Step-by-Step under A10 tweeks as there are two open questions. Thank you!

Yeap...Your right.

To make sure my set isn't defective, I went to Circuit City last night to look at all of the HDTV's. All of the rear projection TV's were lined up next to each other and EVERYONE had SSE. If felt the A10 SSE was a little more noticable than the other sets but each one does have it to some degree. The salesman said that some people can see it more than others and that I'm probably one of them. This might explain why my brother in law says his Samsung DLP doesn't have it. It does, but he just can't see it as well as I can.

The only rear projection set that had hardly any SSE was the Sony SXRD. Its so slight that I had to really look hard to see it. The SXRD is by far the nicest rear projection set on the market. The PQ compares to plasma. But for that price tag, it should!

After comparing all of the RP sets side by side, the A10 definitely has the nicest picture. Better than Samsung, Hitachi, JVC and Toshiba. So.....I'm going to keep my A10 50" and try to get over the SSE. WISH ME LUCK!!!! ;)


You and me both, it was driving me nuts and i've only had the TV for four days.
Although whenever i don't sit directly in front of the TV, the SSE is not as noticeable, especially in the troubled center area.

Thanks for saving me the trouble of trying out other sets and Good Luck!

I just bought this TV and I love it except for ONE thing. Whenever I view non-widescreen material, specifically when I'm playing my PS2 or Xbox, the black bars on the left and right are not a uniform thickness all the way down the screen. I measured them and it seems that the bars are about a quarter of an inch thicker at the top than they are at the bottom! Is this normal, or is my TV defective? Thanks guys!

I just bought this TV and I love it except for ONE thing. Whenever I view non-widescreen material, specifically when I'm playing my PS2 or Xbox, the black bars on the left and right are not a uniform thickness all the way down the screen. I measured them and it seems that the bars are about a quarter of an inch thicker at the top than they are at the bottom! Is this normal, or is my TV defective? Thanks guys!

This is the pin-cushion problem. Common with all rear-projection TVs. Yes, it's a bug, but not one that will/can be fixed.

Just got my 42A10 today and I couldn't be more pleased. SSE or SDE does not bother me in the least and I consider myself fairly picky about such things. My Xbox 360 looks incredible and HD programming is out of this world. Even my wife, who can really care less about these things, was just amazed at how amazing the HD looked.

Of course I have been tweaking settings all day to try and come up with a tolerable way to view SD. SD certainly isn't the greatest but it's somewhat bearable. Some channels are better than others.

I broke out a pair of rabbit ears out of curiosity and picked up just about every network affiliates over the air HD signal and it's outstanding as well. I was amazed I could pick them up and my rabbit ears arent' even near a window. They are behind my TV. It's funny going from normal over the air channels to thier HD couterpart. It's really crazy.

So....Only about 10 hours into my experience I am about 100% satisfied. Hopefully a majority of all cable programming will be HD in the next year or two and I won't even have to worry about viewing SD anymore either. It's amazing what you will watch JUST to be able to keep the TV on HD programming. My wife and I were watching rugby for God's sake!

Thanks to everyone here for the great posts and advice. I'm very thankful.

Thanks for the reply d-v-c, I was about to have a heart attack there for a second! :D

Even my wife, who can really care less about these thingsMarried 42 years and I still don't understand what's up with these women!! It's not like I brought home a new cordless drill or something....it's a big screen tv!! You can watch all your favorite programs in HD!! And all I get is "that's nice....do we still need all those speakers and wires?" :rolleyes:

When I'm not home she watches "24" on a 12-year-old 13" bugeyed CRT portable! :eek:

Another thing I forgot to mention about B&W on the A10 is color uniformity. Since the light engine uses polarizers (filters) there are problems with faint blue or red blotches appearing near the corners of the screen. The severity varies from set to set. If you don't see this issue consider yourself lucky.

I've got a blue/red area in the upper center just where everyones heads and faces are. The rest of the screen is perfect!

Will Sony replace the light engine based upon one's complaints?

If yes -- how do you go about this?

I've got a blue/red area in the upper center just where everyones heads and faces are. The rest of the screen is perfect!

Will Sony replace the light engine based upon one's complaints?

If yes -- how do you go about this?

Call them. They'll have a local Sony certified tech come out and look at it. Replacing the light engine doesn't guarantee a fix, but it may give better results.

Married 42 years and I still don't understand what's up with these women!! It's not like I brought home a new cordless drill or something....it's a big screen tv!! You can watch all your favorite programs in HD!! And all I get is "that's nice....do we still need all those speakers and wires?" :rolleyes:

When I'm not home she watches "24" on a 12-year-old 13" bugeyed CRT portable! :eek:
I didn't know my wife had a twin sister! :-) Mine preferred watching the Winter Olympics on the 36" SD set rather than watching in HD on the 50" Sony. Her overall reaction to HD is "It's a clear picture, so what?"

Just got my 42A10 today and I couldn't be more pleased. SSE or SDE does not bother me in the least and I consider myself fairly picky about such things. My Xbox 360 looks incredible and HD programming is out of this world. Even my wife, who can really care less about these things, was just amazed at how amazing the HD looked.

Of course I have been tweaking settings all day to try and come up with a tolerable way to view SD. SD certainly isn't the greatest but it's somewhat bearable. Some channels are better than others.

I broke out a pair of rabbit ears out of curiosity and picked up just about every network affiliates over the air HD signal and it's outstanding as well. I was amazed I could pick them up and my rabbit ears arent' even near a window. They are behind my TV. It's funny going from normal over the air channels to thier HD couterpart. It's really crazy.

So....Only about 10 hours into my experience I am about 100% satisfied. Hopefully a majority of all cable programming will be HD in the next year or two and I won't even have to worry about viewing SD anymore either. It's amazing what you will watch JUST to be able to keep the TV on HD programming. My wife and I were watching rugby for God's sake!

Thanks to everyone here for the great posts and advice. I'm very thankful.

I see you said the SSE doesn't bother you in the least.
I'm just curious......Does that mean you don't see it or you just choose to ignore it?

I didn't know my wife had a twin sister! :-) Mine preferred watching the Winter Olympics on the 36" SD set rather than watching in HD on the 50" Sony. Her overall reaction to HD is "It's a clear picture, so what?"

I researched HDTV's for so long that my wife was freaking out. I'm not an impulse buyer, SHE IS! Last weekend she basically threw me out of the house to go purchase it along with whatever else I need! Bought a Yamaha HTR-5890 and JBL E80 speakers as well. :D

Either she feels guilty about the thousands of dollars I've spent on Tiffany jewelry for her or she just can't stand to watch Noggin or Nick Jr. anymore on the 27" CRT we have downstairs in my sons playroom. Now that we have the 50" A10, my son wants to watch his shows on the "BIG TV"! Smart kid!!! ;)

I see you said the SSE doesn't bother you in the least.
I'm just curious......Does that mean you don't see it or you just choose to ignore it?
kb4343,
I've been meaning to chime in on this SSE discussion. I don't see any SSE at all. I do see SDE on PBS alot (I wonder if that may be becasue it's 1080i?), especially on a nice blue sky when the picture may be moving. But I see very little SDE on 720p so that may be part of it.

We cancelled cable and don't watch any SD anymore. (Do I sound like a snob?) We found that once we got our 42A10 in Jan that we stopped watching SD.

I wish someone offered an HD only package, if so I could stop paying around a hundred bucks a month to DTV so that I can get HBO and Showtime in HD.

While researching TV's I took a good look a Samsung DLP's. The price on them was hard to pass up. However I noticed this very distracting glittery texture all over the screen. I tried to point it to the sales man but he really didnt notice. Just now do I discover the term for this effect; the Silk Screen effect

When looking at the 42a10 which I settled on it was not nearly as noticeable. I still see it but only on light colored areas of the screen.

Overall I am very happy with my purchace and feel I got the best value in a TV

I see it on my 42A10 but mostly if I am too close, moving back to about 8-10 feet cures the issue for the most part.

Honestly, I don't really notice the SSE at all. Maybe a little when watching SD programming but I'll never understand people who say it really bothers them. HD programming is near perfect to my 37 year old eyes.

I LOVE MY A10!

Hi guys

I have my PS2 hooked up via component cable to my 50" A10, and it looks like total crap (due to the high TV resolution I assume, since my cables are pretty good). Basically, I was wondering if there is any way to calibrate/set an individual Video Channel (for example, Video 2) to 480i that doesnt mess with the Service settings? It sucks that I upgrade my TV, only to have my video games looks worse : (

Try some Nes or Atari.. :eek:

Sorry, im a big gamer and collector.. it hasnt been pretty.

I'm on the verge of a purchase. I'm sitting 8-9 feet away and am thinking of getting the 50 A10. I think at this distance the 42 is the better size, but I hope to move out of this tiny apartment in the next two years and with a bigger place the 50 would work better. So I'll probably be buying the 50 for the future. But now the 2006 models are announced and the only benefit I see is the extra HDMI. But by the time I need a second HDMI input I should probably upgrade my HT receiver to one that does HDMI switching. The receiver would have multiple HDMI inputs. Any thoughts?

http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/6571

LAS VEGAS, March 16, 2006 - Strengthening its runaway market leadership position in the micro-display rear projection television category, Sony Electronics today introduced three new Grand WEGA™ 3LCD models.


The new line - which features 46-, 50- and 55-inch models - is designed for those looking for a big-screen HDTV experience, along with exceptional value.


Sony's new 3LCD microdisplay television line features the same exceptional picture quality and performance that has led to it being number one in the category, which, as of March 13 has reached close to 59 percent (dollars) and 55 percent (units) according to The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based market tracking firm.


"Grand WEGA has been the shining star of the micro-display sector since tracking began five years ago and our new models look to continue this legacy of success," said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the Home Products Division for Sony Electronics. "Offering greater flexibility, deeper features and outstanding picture quality, the new line delivers HDTV at a very reasonable price."


Sony's new 3LCD line includes the 55-inch KDF-55E2000, the 50-inch KDF-50E2000 and the 46-inch KDF-46E2000. Featuring a compact frame design with bottom speaker, the models offer great placement flexibility fitting into cabinets and smaller spaces than traditional microdisplays.


The new models feature Sony's WEGA Engine™ video processing system, which reduces digital video artifacts and Cinema Black Pro for deep black image reproduction. Additionally, the models offer two HDMI inputs and a high-definition front component input for HDV camcorders. They are capable of receiving a WXGA PC signal via HDMI inputs with a DVI to HDMI adapter cable (sold separately).


The KDF-55E2000 and KDF-50E2000 units will ship early this summer for about $3,000 and $2,500, respectively, while the KDF-46E2000 model will be available in mid-summer for about $2,200.

Just got the 50" Sony A10, but when I'm watching the Basketball games in HD the tops/bottoms of the broadcast are cropped out of the picture? I have Time Warner cable as my feed...any suggestions?

Try pressing the "Wide" button on the remote to change from (Zoom, Full, Wide Zoom, etc). See if its that

Has anyone compared the 42" and 50" A10's for PQ? Do they look the same? Since they're both 1280x720 it would seem the larger screen is not as sharp....is this noticeable? I've had the 42" for a couple of weeks and really like the PQ, but I'm toying with the idea of trading up to a 50".....will I be disappointed?

Im sitting at 10 feet from the screen and yes its a bit softer than the 42 but it does look better than the Samsung 42 DLP so from that point of view its not bad. Its more noticable on DVD and analog cable. I used to own the 42 but returned it because I thought it was faulty (ended up being DVD player) and when I went to purchase it was at same price as the 50 so I got that one instead.

Try pressing the "Wide" button on the remote to change from (Zoom, Full, Wide Zoom, etc). See if its that

Thanks for the suggestion...I changed the output options from my cable box to include 720 (it was set at 480 and 1020 only) and that fixed the problem! I'm still tweaking the settings, but I think it's working fine now.

Honestly, I don't really notice the SSE at all. Maybe a little when watching SD programming but I'll never understand people who say it really bothers them. HD programming is near perfect to my 37 year old eyes.

I LOVE MY A10!


SSE doesn't bother me a bit on my A10. The only time I notice it (and i look for it) at all is when I watch hockey and thats because of of the white ice backround.

I haven't noticed SSE on my 42A10

I haven't noticed SSE on my 42A10


SSE doesn't bother me a bit on my A10. The only time I notice it (and i look for it) at all is when I watch hockey and thats because of of the white ice backround.

Man....I wish I was able to either not see it like Dj_Frost or just forget about it like mplates!!!

I watched the WBC game last night on ESPNHD and the picture quality was amazing. BUT......as always, I kept focusing in on the SSE. Maybe I just need to keep watch for another week and my eyes will be trained to look past it and enjoy the picture?

I'm going to stop by BestBuy tonight to see if any of their rear projection sets on display have less SSE than the Sony. I already checked out Circuit City and each model they had on the floor showed SSE, some more than others but they all had it. I'm hearing very good things about the JVC D-ILA TV's. Maybe it will be like the SXRD (LCoS), which showed the least amount of SSE.

Who knows............ I'm probably just making myself nutz over all of this!! :o

Man....I wish I was able to either not see it like Dj_Frost or just forget about it like mplates!!!

I watched the WBC game last night on ESPNHD and the picture quality was amazing. BUT......as always, I kept focusing in on the SSE. Maybe I just need to keep watch for another week and my eyes will be trained to look past it and enjoy the picture?

I'm going to stop by BestBuy tonight to see if any of their rear projection sets on display have less SSE than the Sony. I already checked out Circuit City and each model they had on the floor showed SSE, some more than others but they all had it. I'm hearing very good things about the JVC D-ILA TV's. Maybe it will be like the SXRD (LCoS), which showed the least amount of SSE.

Who knows............ I'm probably just making myself nutz over all of this!! :o

You'll always notice it. But after watching the TV for several months you will get used to it. It's just really annoying at first because you probably watched TV on a CRT for several years. Give it some time.

Hi guys

{I have my PS2 hooked up via component cable to my 50" A10, and it looks like total crap (due to the high TV resolution I assume, since my cables are pretty good). Basically, I was wondering if there is any way to calibrate/set an individual Video Channel (for example, Video 2) to 480i that doesnt mess with the Service settings? It sucks that I upgrade my TV, only to have my video games looks worse : ( }

What kind of cables do you have?? I have psyclone component, is your ps2 set to component(ybycr). You can calibrate the set for that particular input but the resolution will always be 720p(upconvert the 480i to tv's native resolution) . My games look great I even have GT4 at 1080i and 16x9 and it looks awesome. I have read some monster component cables for ps2 are defective also.

Good thing I never watched TV will now that I have the 42a10....

just used the computer ALOT but I guess that hasnt affected me in order to notice this "SSE" or maybe Im not picky?

although... when I first got the set I had 2 stuck pixels next to each other (thought they were dead at first but then researched and found out that any other color thats not white or black means they are stuck, not dead) and I was going nuts.. no one would see them but I did cause I KNEW they were there. Thank god they got unstuck after using the TV for the 4th or 5th time and had no problems since.

Hi guys

I have my PS2 hooked up via component cable to my 50" A10, and it looks like total crap (due to the high TV resolution I assume, since my cables are pretty good). Basically, I was wondering if there is any way to calibrate/set an individual Video Channel (for example, Video 2) to 480i that doesnt mess with the Service settings? It sucks that I upgrade my TV, only to have my video games looks worse : (
I don't have a PS2 but I have a gamecube and with component cables it looks fantastic. I set it close to the VCR settings that Darkrain has and it's running at 480i so I have access to the DRC palette settings. The DRC makes a big difference for analog cable/vcr/480i stuff.

If you look at previous postings by me, I posted my Gamecube settings to this thread or the "Tweeks" thread.

I don't have a PS2 but I have a gamecube and with component cables it looks fantastic. I set it close to the VCR settings that Darkrain has and it's running at 480i so I have access to the DRC palette settings. The DRC makes a big difference for analog cable/vcr/480i stuff.

If you look at previous postings by me, I posted my Gamecube settings to this thread or the "Tweeks" thread.

Thanks dude. Yeah, DRC can make a huge difference. and when I turn GAME MODE off, it just looks a lot clearer. Do you have the link to your previous GC settings or Darkrain's settings?

Hi guys

{I have my PS2 hooked up via component cable to my 50" A10, and it looks like total crap (due to the high TV resolution I assume, since my cables are pretty good). Basically, I was wondering if there is any way to calibrate/set an individual Video Channel (for example, Video 2) to 480i that doesnt mess with the Service settings? It sucks that I upgrade my TV, only to have my video games looks worse : ( }

What kind of cables do you have?? I have psyclone component, is your ps2 set to component(ybycr). You can calibrate the set for that particular input but the resolution will always be 720p(upconvert the 480i to tv's native resolution) . My games look great I even have GT4 at 1080i and 16x9 and it looks awesome. I have read some monster component cables for ps2 are defective also.

I have the Factory Sony PS2 cables, and they seem to do a pretty decent job. Metal Gear Solid 3 looks sharp when I turn Game Mode off, although Soul Calibur doesnt look too hot. You can only change the game to 1080i if the game options allow it, right? Like, it's not a PS2 console setting?

Man....I wish I was able to either not see it like Dj_Frost or just forget about it like mplates!!




Never said "I just forget about it". I don't notice it at all unless I'm watching a hockey game. Even then it tends to dissappear to my eyes unless I look for it. I sit 8-10 feet from set.

Whether it's SD or HD I do not have any SSE issues. To my eyes the PQ is outstanding.

I have the Dish Network 522 DVR and want to be able to use my existing dish network remote to use on the tv to power it on/off, and for volume.

I cannot find the appropriate device code to enter in order to use the dish network remote control.

Does anyone know the device code for the Sony 42A10?

The DVR lists the following codes for Sony, none of which I can get to work.
500
578
640
670
690

Thanks,

Tim

I got it to work with my remote (not the DVR 522) with the code of 0000.

kb4343,
I've been meaning to chime in on this SSE discussion. I don't see any SSE at all. I do see SDE on PBS alot (I wonder if that may be becasue it's 1080i?), especially on a nice blue sky when the picture may be moving. But I see very little SDE on 720p so that may be part of it.

We cancelled cable and don't watch any SD anymore. (Do I sound like a snob?) We found that once we got our 42A10 in Jan that we stopped watching SD.

You probably don't see SDE on PBS. SDE is mainly affected by viewing distance. If you sit too close to the set, you will see SDE on just about all programming.

It is more likely that you are seeing something called "pixelation", especially during scenes with a lot of detail and moving objects. The worst case is when you are looking at something like waves on the ocean or a lake in HD. There is a ton of detail because each tiny mini-wave is displayed in high definition, but they are all moving constantly and the MPGEG encoder (for Digital TV broadcasts) can't draw everything correctly. Instead, you see little blocks of color scattered across the landscape.

This is particularly problematic for TV stations that encode and broadcast their HD signals at a low bitrate (lower than maximum quality) usually because they do something called MULTICASTING. PBS loves to do this. They broadcast four different TV shows at the same time using their digital TV station. For example, they might be showing PBS HD, PBS Kids, PBS World, and PBS Create.

Other stations might devote all of their digital bandwidth to producing a high quality HD channel, but PBS typically gives you a lower quality HD channel and a bunch of SD subchannels. There are plusses and minuses to this approach.

Personally, I would rather see a single high quality HD channel, but I don't decide such things.

But nevertheless, 1080i is more prone to such macroblocking problems, than 720p. This is the main reason why more sports (e.g football) oriented stations like ESPN, ABC and FOX chose to go with 720p. 1080i gives you more details at the cost of having problems with too much movement.