Hi All: I just received my Syntax LT26HVX yesterday. A couple of thoughts I wanted to run by Olevia owners. At first...I used a DVI cable thru my Samsung TS-360 HD D*TV receiver. On SD material I was getting "static" on the top of the screen. I was worried from the start. But all HD sources were perfect..No static. I called Syntax tech. support & he said that this is "normal" when using a DVI input on SD broadcasts. Really? Ummm...Seems strange. Anyway...he suggested that I use component output, which I did. Issue gone.

Also...when I was using the DVI cable I had no access to my screen formats or the picture adjustments inside the menu. Once I switched to component..I could.

Now....I must admit I'm thrilled with the HD picture & I haven’t tweaked the settings that much yet. I watched W. VA. vs. UConn last night on ESPN2 HD & I must admit it looked stunning! This is my 2nd HD LCD TV. My first was an older 22" 15:9 Samsung (LTN225W) The Olevia picture is much better then the 3-year-old Samsung, which makes sense.

What I don't like about the Olevia is:

The remote is terrible, which is standard for inexpensive 2nd tier manufacturers. I don't really care because I programmed it to my D*TV remote. Oh....for those who are wondering what Syntax code to use....I had luck with LG code #001

Viewing angle (178) isn't that great. I noticed hazing fairly quickly on a hard angle. My Samsung did a much better job IMHO. Again...this isn't a problem for me because it's a bedroom TV that I'll be watching head-on.

On-Screen displays are too small. The volume numbers are super tough to read & I would say I have average eyesight.

The Sound is decent. It's really not that bad & I haven’t had any "hissing or crackling" issues that some people have reported with certain Olevia's. You can do some sound tweaking in the menu, but I used the Surround on & left the EQ's off. Good enough for me.

What I do like about the Olevia:

Again...The HD picture is pretty damn good for a budget LCD! SD source material is what you can expect in a stretch mode, which I use.

Playing DVD's thru my older Panny RP-62 via component looks great! The blacks are excellent. I was expecting some issue here...but to my surprise I'm pleased.


Inside the advanced video menu there is a few tweaks like Black Level Extender, White Peak Limitator, Flesh Tone & Adaptive Luma Control. I put these to "on" & without an Avia tweak it does help out-of-the-box. Nice touch.

This weekend I'm going to sit down & tweak with Avia & I'm sure I can clean up the picture a tad.

All in All....I'm pretty happy with my purchase. It appears that Syntax support is solid (1 year on-site) & they pick up the phone fairly quickly. I'm impressed with the money I spent with what I received. I guess the word "Value" really does apply here.

Alex

Come on guys......No Syntax 26" owners out there? This is a great set for the coin. PLEASE.....even if you don't have a 26" Olevia...Could someone chime in & let me know your thoughts about Syntax?

Thanks a bunch!

Alex

I have owned a 30" Syntax LCD for almost a year and it has been a great TV. I have it hooked up through DVI to my HP z545 Media Center, and I have my Game Cube hooked up Component.

I have been impressed for what I got for my money. Syntax was helpful when I contacted them for the remote, and firmware upgrade. However I still have not heard anything about the rumored HD tuner upgrade that was supposed to be available this summer.

Enjoy your new toy Boston

Man, I knew these would ship before the Holiday Shopping Season!

The 27" is out also if anybody is wondering and its set for a lower resolution (1280x720), which my card will support. Its little more than $100 more than the 26"

Depending on what happens in the next few days I'll finally be able to get one!

I just wanted a decent HDTV for a moderate price. I'm pretty happy with it so far, but there are problems, mainly because it has an odd resolution: 1366x768. I tried hooking this up to the NVDIA GeForce 5200 card in my MythTV PC, and found it to be pretty incompatible, as the driver believes that the DVI port is reporting a max resolution of 1280, while the driver will not accept a VGA resolution which is not an even multiple of 8. I ended up overscanning a bit to 1368x768 over VGA with a nice image. I will try 1360 instead to see if I can make it better.

DVD playback over s-Video is beautiful. My wife watched a yoga video and I was amazed by the quality.

Watching standard definition out of a TiVo with an s-Video connection is fairly mediocre, and muddy, but I expected that given the source.

I did not try the integrated speakers, and should have no cause to, having a decent receiver and speaker system already. I wish they were detachable, like some older Syntax models. As it is, the TV is a little wide for my desk.

The cable guy will be out tomorrow to set up the HD settop box. I will try DVI and if that doesn't work component. It is pleasant to have so many choices of inputs.

CircuitCity was not quite up to speed on this display. The web site says it has an HDMI port (it does not). Sunday, they did not have a display model out. Monday, they did not have a price tag posted.

This Week in Consumer Electronics
this wont be the last time you hear from this company

LAS VEGAS ? Syntax Groups announced here that it will expand its business in 2005, in part, through an agreement to source LCD panels from LG.Philips, which will enable the company to move into very large screen displays.

At the same time, the company showed new models that it is using to reinforce its brand image as a producer of high quality digital-television products at value price points.

The deal with LG.Philips will enable the Syntax Olevia line to carry large-size LCD-TV products including the 32W-inch, 37W-inch and 42W-inch screen sizes and will eventually include 47W-inch and 55W-inch units, said James Li, Syntax Groups' CEO.

At International CES, the company released sales figures showing it shipped over 97,000 LCD TV units to retailers since its launch in April 2004. Syntax claims that it achieved a position in the top five U.S. LCD TV vendors last year.

?Sales during the hot Q4 '04 holiday buying season accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total units, indicating strong consumer demand for the unique value that Syntax's Olevia brand brings to the digital living market,? the company said.

The company said that during the first half of 2005 it will deliver Olevia LCD TVs ranging from ?space-efficient? 20-inch units to several models with Super In Plane Switching (Super-IPS) technology from LG.Philips LCD.

New Olevia 20-inch LCD TVs (models LT20S and LT20SD) feature 500:1 contrast ratios, 800 by 600 resolution, 12ms response times, VGA and component inputs. The LT20SD ($549 suggested retail) adds a built-in DVD player.

Syntax also unveiled a new 26W-inch HDTV-ready Olevia LCD TV ? model LT26HVE ($899 suggested retail) ? featuring a high black bezel design, 1,280 by 768 resolution, 750:1 contrast ratio, 700 cd/m2 brightness, a wide 170/170 viewing angle, 12ms response time and 15:9 aspect ratio. Inputs include HDCP DVI, VGA and component video. It also includes a built-in NTSC tuner.

New high-end Super-IPS based Olevia LCD TVs include a 32W-inch HDTV monitor in the Olevia LT32HVE ($2,199 suggested retail). The unit features 1,366 by 768 resolution, 8ms response time, 16:9 aspect ratio and VGA and component inputs.

Syntax will also add its first 1,080p, HD-compatible 37W-inch LT37HVDP suggested retail) and 42W-inch LT42HVE (suggested retail) fully integrated HDTV sets. The models will feature 1,920 by 1,080 resolution, 1,200:1 dynamic contrast ratios, 8ms response times and built-in ATSC tuners. Also planned are the 37W-inch LT37HVD ( suggested retail) and 42W-inch LT42HVE (suggested) models with 1,366 by 768 resolution.

Syntax also showed at CES a 61W-inch LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) rear-projection microdisplay HDTV featuring 1,080p resolution, 1,500:1 contrast ratio and over 1,000 nits of brightness. That unit will carry a suggested retail.

Syntax also announced it will add its Colossus Media Center Home Theater PC System Series that combines audio and video playback.

The Media Center is based on the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 OS, and will enable music downloads and playback, online movie rentals, photo viewing, editing and sharing, e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing.

CurrThis Week in Consumer Electronics

LAS VEGAS ? Syntax Groups announced here that it will expand its business in 2005, in part, through an agreement to source LCD panels from LG.Philips, which will enable the company to move into very large screen displays.

At the same time, the company showed new models that it is using to reinforce its brand image as a producer of high quality digital-television products at value price points.

The deal with LG.Philips will enable the Syntax Olevia line to carry large-size LCD-TV products including the 32W-inch, 37W-inch and 42W-inch screen sizes and will eventually include 47W-inch and 55W-inch units, said James Li, Syntax Groups' CEO.

At International CES, the company released sales figures showing it shipped over 97,000 LCD TV units to retailers since its launch in April 2004. Syntax claims that it achieved a position in the top five U.S. LCD TV vendors last year.

?Sales during the hot Q4 '04 holiday buying season accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total units, indicating strong consumer demand for the unique value that Syntax's Olevia brand brings to the digital living market,? the company said.

The company said that during the first half of 2005 it will deliver Olevia LCD TVs ranging from ?space-efficient? 20-inch units to several models with Super In Plane Switching (Super-IPS) technology from LG.Philips LCD.

New Olevia 20-inch LCD TVs (models LT20S and LT20SD) feature 500:1 contrast ratios, 800 by 600 resolution, 12ms response times, VGA and component inputs. The LT20SD ( suggested retail) adds a built-in DVD player.

Syntax also unveiled a new 26W-inch HDTV-ready Olevia LCD TV ? model LT26HVE ( suggested retail) ? featuring a high black bezel design, 1,280 by 768 resolution, 750:1 contrast ratio, 700 cd/m2 brightness, a wide 170/170 viewing angle, 12ms response time and 15:9 aspect ratio. Inputs include HDCP DVI, VGA and component video. It also includes a built-in NTSC tuner.

New high-end Super-IPS based Olevia LCD TVs include a 32W-inch HDTV monitor in the Olevia LT32HVE ( suggested retail). The unit features 1,366 by 768 resolution, 8ms response time, 16:9 aspect ratio and VGA and component inputs.

Syntax will also add its first 1,080p, HD-compatible 37W-inch LT37HVDP (suggested retail) and 42W-inch LT42HVE ( suggested retail) fully integrated HDTV sets. The models will feature 1,920 by 1,080 resolution, 1,200:1 dynamic contrast ratios, 8ms response times and built-in ATSC tuners. Also planned are the 37W-inch LT37HVD (suggested retail) and 42W-inch LT42HVE suggested) models with 1,366 by 768 resolution.

Syntax also showed at CES a 61W-inch LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) rear-projection microdisplay HDTV featuring 1,080p resolution, 1,500:1 contrast ratio and over 1,000 nits of brightness. That unit will carry a suggested retail.

Syntax also announced it will add its Colossus Media Center Home Theater PC System Series that combines audio and video playback.

The Media Center is based on the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 OS, and will enable music downloads and playback, online movie rentals, photo viewing, editing and sharing, e-mail, instant messaging and Web browsing.

Currently, Syntax is shipping Super-IPS-based Olevia 32W-inch (LT32HV, ) and 37W-inch (LT37HV, LCD TVs.

In rear-projection, Syntax is offering an Olevia 50W-inch LCoS projection TV, which is currently priced at suggested retail.

The LT32HVE and LT37HVE feature 176-degree expanded viewing angles, 1,200:1 high contrast ratios and resolution of 1,366 by 768 (WXGA). They also feature 8ms response times, 800 cd/m2 high brightness, 16:9 cinema-style widescreen aspect ratio with automatic progressive scan, 3D comb filter and 3:2 pull-down, the company said.

Syntax's Olevia 50W-inch LCoS RPTV incorporates a three-panel subsystem (RGB) with 1,388 by 780 native resolution (1,920 by 1,200 under DVI, and 1,280 by 1,024 under VGA); 16:9 aspect ratio; a 1,000:1 contrast ratio; 1,000 nits brightness with preset and adjustable modes; progressive scanning; 3:2 pull-down; a wide 170/170 horizontal viewing angle; and DVI/HDCP inputs.ently, Syntax is shipping Super-IPS-based Olevia 32W-inch (LT32HV, ) and 37W-inch (LT37HV, ) LCD TVs.

In rear-projection, Syntax is offerin an Olevia 50W-inch LCoS projection TV, which is currently priced at a suggested retail.

The LT32HV and LT37HV feature 176-degree expanded viewing angles, 1,200:1 high contrast ratios and resolution of 1,366 by 768 (WXGA). They also feature 8ms response times, 800 cd/m2 high brightness, 16:9 cinema-style widescreen aspect ratio with automatic progressive scan, 3D comb filter and 3:2 pull-down, the company said.

Syntax's Olevia 50W-inch LCoS RPTV incorporates a three-panel subsystem (RGB) with 1,388 by 780 native resolution (1,920 by 1,200 under DVI, and 1,280 by 1,024 under VGA); 16:9 aspect ratio; a 1,000:1 contrast ratio; 1,000 nits brightness with preset and adjustable modes; progressive scanning; 3:2 pull-down; a wide 170/170 horizontal viewing angle; and DVI/HDCP inputs.

I just wanted a decent HDTV for a moderate price. I'm pretty happy with it so far, but there are problems, mainly because it has an odd resolution: 1366x768. I tried hooking this up to the NVDIA GeForce 5200 card in my MythTV PC, and found it to be pretty incompatible, as the driver believes that the DVI port is reporting a max resolution of 1280, while the driver will not accept a VGA resolution which is not an even multiple of 8. I ended up overscanning a bit to 1368x768 over VGA with a nice image. I will try 1360 instead to see if I can make it better.


Hopefully someone that already has this set can help me with my setup problems. I'm trying to hook it up to my PC (Radeon 9600) via DVI cable to keep the signal all digital. The LT26HVX is reporting its max resolution as 1280x1024, so the max widescreen resolution the card wants to allow is 1280x720. Since the panel's native rez is 1366x768, this results in blurry text due to undesirable scaling.

I tried using Powerstrip to create a new monitor driver with a 1368x768 max rez (must use either 1366 or 1368). This resulted in being able to select 1360x768 from the 9600's control panel, but now the picture was skewed about 3/4" to the right.

I think this TV will function beautifully as a monitor if I can just get the resolution down. Does anyone know the recipe for success?

Hopefully someone that already has this set can help me with my setup problems. I'm trying to hook it up to my PC (Radeon 9600) via DVI cable to keep the signal all digital. The LT26HVX is reporting its max resolution as 1280x1024, so the max widescreen resolution the card wants to allow is 1280x720. Since the panel's native rez is 1366x768, this results in blurry text due to undesirable scaling.

I tried using Powerstrip to create a new monitor driver with a 1368x768 max rez (must use either 1366 or 1368). This resulted in being able to select 1360x768 from the 9600's control panel, but now the picture was skewed about 3/4" to the right.

(Edited by author)
I originally had posted some DVI timing settings, but in retrospect, they don't work very well, and I don't want to waste anyone's time. I wish I knew how to get a 1to1 pixel display on this monitor via DVI be it at 1368x768, 1366x768 or 1360x768.

Just took delivery of one of these too, For my Mom's early Christmas present. I was super impressed with the PQ in the store, and proceeded to order it from Beach Camera. Excellent service and delivery!

One thing that bothers me a bit is that only two models, the 42" and one 37", comply with the FCC mandate of having a built-in ATSC tuner. No new models have been announced for quite a while - you'd think they would give some hints as to their 2006 lineup, including smaller sets which will then fall under the FCC mandate.

I think the requirement to have built-in ATSC tuner is for those TVs over 32".

The PQ of this LCD panel is good for the price.
Syntax Olevia LT26HVX 26"

I have two issues so far with this LCD.

1.- When using a DVI connection, analog and non-hd digital channels have a line of "static" at the top of the screen. Same problem Boston-HD was having. This is not acceptable in my opinion. There has to be a way of adjusting the screen size or position in the service menu. I am using a Motorola Cable HD STB.
Maybe we can try the LG codes for service menu. Since this LCD has much in common with LG LCD's it might just work.

2.- I really dislike the lack of control when using the DVI input. The advanced settings and a few others in the Video menu are grayed out when using the DVI input. I have no idea why they did this. I have not used a component connection yet but know that when you select one of the component inputs these options are adjustable. I do not know if the settings used in the component inputs apply to the DVI input. I highly doubt it because no other TV that I know of does this.

Besides that I am happy. This TV will be used in the bedroom.

Now that this TV went on sale in many places for Black Friday we can get some people to start tweaking this baby. I suggest we post any findings in this thread and make it the "Syntax Olevia LT26HVX discussion thread".
That is up to you Boston-HD. Your initial impressions steered me towards this model.

I was one of the (lucky) ones that picked on up for XXX.XX A/R at Circuit City. I'll definitely be reading any LT26HVX threads closely. For me the only option for my cable connection is component since the Moxi box has a neutered DVI, however for my PC (only briefly for the time being) it will be all DVI. Can't wait to get home from work to set it up (and return my Samsung LN-237W since it didn't (appear to) support HDMI in from the PC w/ a DVI -> HDMI cable.

I picked up this TV today at Circuit City to replace a 4 year old 27" Toshiba tube in the bedroom. For the price I am very happy with it. I hooked it up downstairs to our DirecTV HD receiver and was quite happy with the picture. Currently I have a DirecTIVO hooked up via S-video, DVD player via component, and a GameCube via composite. I kind of want to get a Mac mini for the room now, but all this talk of static across the top of the screen when using the DVI port worries me. Overall, I am very satisfied with this screen and consider it a big improvement.

I would think Nvida and ATI are working on drivers that support this odd resolution. That's why I targeted the 27" model with more managable 1280x720 which my card does with it 4.xx driver series.

I'd suggest you email ATI and Nvida and find out the status on the next driver up date. With some powerful PC games coming down this Christmas they might just throw you LCD guys a bone.

If your using the DVI with your HD boxes, eh I dunno what to tell you. Complain to Syntax they listen...

I took delivery of the Syntax LT26HVX LCD TV from the Circuit City deal, and i'm disappointed with the picture quality. This is my first venture into LCD and widescreen tv. I am used to CRT's and standard definition. I actually have a 27" JVC I'ART tv.

In any event, I first hooked up my ps2 to the syntax utilizing the s-video connection. The picture looked extremely dull and washed up. It looked blurry and pixelated. The colors didn't seem rich..almost like running a computer desktop at like 640x480 on a 21 inch monitor.

Then I tried running analog cable through the syntax via coaxials... The picture again was very poor...picture was not sharp...colors washed out..pixelated..way way way way worse than the jvc. Is the standard definition picture supposed to look like this? It reminded me of the early days of low quality avi video.

Another super disappointing thing about the Syntax was that I had one annoying dead pixel in the middle of the screen. It really bothered me more than anything else. I feel like returning the tv for that reason alone.

Anyway, I did not have a chance to run the tv in progressive scan or hd. how does the picture quality look then? Is it extremely sharp and colorful?

Do you guys think I should try to exchange the tv for one with no dead pixels? or should i just return it? Thoughts.. not sure whether to keep or let go. thanks.

I sent email to support@syntaxgroups.com asking how to 'fix' the lt26hvx so that it will correctly report the native resolution to attached devices. If they can't provide a fix, I'll be returning it to CC on Monday/tue..

IMO, they can't sell this claiming a resolution of 1366 by 768 and then report a max resolution of 1280x1024 to attached devices....i think that's called 'deceptive marketing' or something like that. I really like the picture once I finally got the omega drivers & multi-res to run it at 1360x768...but I'm afraid it won't be so easy with an XBOX360.

Faron

people at LCD-TV Reviews have tried various fixes for the resolution challenges. start here:

http://www.lcd-tv-reviews.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&topic_id=952&forum=13

Nice to find this thread as I just bought the Syntax 26 inch at CC yesterday and am generally very happy with it. I also plan to do some tweaking with it through AVIA today so I'll post any results. If others doing tweaking could also post any fixes I would appreciate it.

Re: the DVI connection, I have the same problems as others. I am going to try component to see if I have more control over the PQ. I personally don't mind using component. Does DVI offer significant advantages for this type of TV? My main experience is with my 50 inch Sony Grand Wega and it worked the same through component.

Re: native resolution -- try changing the native resolution from the STB. When I put it at 1080i it worked fine. But I had to fix it at 1080i. This also got rid of the waviness at the top of the screen.

Re: audio - I have just experimented with the surround sound which worked well for last night's Star Wars movie. It doesn't work so well for regular broadcasts.

Anyway, I an very happy with the PQ of the TV and will probably keep it even if the DVI problem persists.

Also, I am looking for a wall mount that will allow be to turn the TV from side to side but not up and down. I also don't want a mount that sticks too far out from the wall.

Anyway, nice to see a thread on this TV.

This is the first HD tv i have bought. All I have is a Standard cable signal. I am trying to figure out what the best settings would be. If someone could please tell how they fixed their picture to maximum quality it would be a major help. Also I have a xbox 360 ready for me for christmas and I was wondering how it looks on this tv. Thanks Alot

So, here are my setting after doing a basic AVIA callibration:

Brightness 48
Contrast 42
Saturation 48
Hue 49
Sharpness 58

I have the color temp and back light set to middle and all of the advance setting set to on.

Also, as was discussed before, you can't do many of these setting in DVI mode. The DVI mode also has some other problems so I'm not using it. So, I have my STB going through component and a dvd player going through component.

I am going to try the computer set up today.

Hope this is helpful!

Got it at CC on BF too. For that price, I am pretty happy with it. I am using DVI for my DISH HD Receiver, HD looks superb, and SD looks decent (some channels are sharper than others, like MSNBC is pretty good). For ppl complaining about blurry SD pictures, are you guys using its own tuner?

For DVD, I am using component video. Not as good as HD DVI. Wondering if using the other component video input would help or not? No time to mess around yet.

And I will later try to hook up my laptop using VGA.

Last, my complain (might be a bit off-topic) is, I am really not getting used to watching this LCD TV set. After a while, I feel kind of dizzy (kind blood pressure rising around the eyes), just like I changed prescription glasses a couple of months ago. Does anyone have problem with this specific TV or other LCD HDTV sets, or you guys have heard of similar problems from others?

Thanks.

This is my first widescreen or lcd for that. I also am getting sort of dizzy from the tv and my eyes feel really weird when i walk and look away from the tv. I believe I am getting used to it though.

By the way i have found a stuck pixel already on this tv. Anyway to fix that?

By the way i have found a stuck pixel already on this tv. Anyway to fix that?

it's possible it can revert back, but most likely not, and there's nothing that can be done to fix it.

Now, can someone pleeeeeease tell us how this looks with an XBOX 360?? lol

it's possible it can revert back, but most likely not, and there's nothing that can be done to fix it.

Now, can someone pleeeeeease tell us how this looks with an XBOX 360?? lol
Would do if I had an XBOX 360. ;)

I would definitely call Syntax on a stuck pixel. There is a 1 year manuf warranty on the unit.

I picked this up on Friday too. only have it hooked up to the TV out from the main HD box (motorola 6412) in the living room. Using the antenna in for picture. SD is as good as my plasma in the living room (42" so i would expect the smaller set to look sharper from a distance). Anyway I was watching football yesterday and I got a huge migraine - I didn't attribute the migraine to the TV until I read the last couple of posts. Once my headache goes away I will watch more TV and see if I get dizzy/migraine again... never even heard of anything like this. If I keep this TV I will be getting a second HD box from comcast and putting that in the basement, I will run component cables up the wall to connect - my wife wants to keep everything clean in the kitchen. I use a one for all remote with RF signal to operate the hidden box - this set up works well operating the main HD box in the living room from the bedroom on the second floor.

anyone else getting dizzy from this TV.

No dizzyness or headaches on my part -- its hard for me to imagine that there could be anything unique to this tv causing such a thing. Perhaps LCDs can somehow cause this but I've not seen anything on this.

Also, perhaps one of us should go ahead an start an official thread for this unit (assuming that Boston HD is no longer active in this thread). This would be more likely to attract interest compared to the current title of the thread. I would be glad to take the lead but would also welcome anyone else who would like to do so.

BTW, I hooked this up to my computer and it worked fine. Only problem was that I could only keep it in stretch mode (no 4:3).

I've had the LT26HVX for about 6 weeks. My only 2 complaints are the inability to get 1:1 pixel mapping and the sound.

Until I set up a 5.1 system in the room I thought the LT26HVX had a cooling fan. When I quit using the speakers on the LCD the "fan noise" went away. Now that the speakers are turned off, it's not a problem.

I'm using the LT26HVX with a PC that has a Radeon 9250. I fiddled with PowerStrip and could not get 1:1 with the 1360x768 or 1368x768 resolutions. I'm using 1280x768 and it has the least obvious scaling.

Well I mounted my LT26HVX on my wall this weekend. When I was going to remove the stand on the TV, I noticed the manual stated nothing about which screws to remove. I looked on the Syntax website and found a PDF on stand removal for the LT26HVE but not the LT26HVX. Problem is LT26HVX has an extra 2 Screws that need to be removed to slide the stand out.
I have posted a pic of the instructions on how to remove the stand.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/9118/lt27hvxback7av.jpg


I do not notice any dizziness with my LCD. You might want to check to see if "Panorama" view is on. What "Panorama" does is squeeze the sides and leave the middle of the screen not squeezed. In fast moving programs like football or basketball that use the whole screen it will look kind of weird, like looking through a clear cup of glass (magnifying effect) and may cause dizziness to some.

P.S.- I will post some pics of my set-up soon.

Thanks for the info on the stand -- it will come in handy as I am mounting mine also. What mount are you going to use? I need one that pivots left and right. I think I am going to buy the Axsys one from Target.com.

I only needed my TV to Pivot forward, since its mounted in front of the Bed, so I got the Sanus Brand Vuepoint at Waldart. LINK (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2684089)

By the way this mount only comes with the 75/100 Vesa plate, which the site nor the box specify. It only bolts to a set of 4 holes on the TV instead of all six. This TV is supposed to be mounted using a 100/200 Vesa plate, which will mount to all six(if I am not mistaken). I did not buy the 100/200 plate, which the Sanus website sells. I just mounted the TV using the existing 75/100 plate. This mount is rated up to 50 lbs., so it should hold. I bolted the mount to the set of four holes, off-center to the right. I hope it holds. In addition, in South Florida all the houses non-load bearing walls(inner walls) are built using metal studs. I made sure not to over-tighten the bolts. With wood that shouldn't be a problem. I hung from the mount so I think it should hold a 35 lb TV. I hope. :rolleyes:

Edit: Almost forgot, after you slide out the stand, there is a ugly hole left under the TV. I am going to call the boys at Syntax and ask them how to correct this and the line of static for DVI SD signal input.

Hoopnoop --

Thanks for sharing your initial AVIA calibration settings for the LT26HVX.

One thing I have noticed over the last couple of nights, when watching HI-DEF on some of the darker scene shows like 'Jordan's Crossing' or 'Surface' is that the tv seemed to perform better with 'Adaptive Luma Control' turned off. With it on, and again during the dark scenes, it appeared that there was a subtle but noticeable shifting of dark to light and back again in the background of the picture.

I was lucky enough to find one of these sets at CC late in the evening on BF, and actually I am quite impressed with it so far. I have spent several hours with side by side tests with a Sony LCD HD TV that I have (KLV-26hg2), and I would give the Sony the edge in SD tv and flesh tones. However, the Syntax is a much more versatile set in terms of connections, including pc connectivity. When I turn the Sony off, and look strictly at the Syntax (like tonight watching MNF game in HD), I am quite pleased with the set. Especially with the great price!

Herby,

Thanks for the info on the mount. I was also going to use a Vesa 100 mount also figuring it would hold given that the TV is listed at about 30 pounds. Is the hole left by the stand in the front of the TV?

Franktho,

I'll try the adaptive luma off. I had noticed that my Syntax struggles with black levels much more than my Sony Grand Wega. I guess this is pretty typical of LCD tvs. Have you found that your Sony LCD is better at handling blacks?

Also, my callibrated settings may be a bit bright. I always have a bit of trouble setting the brightness of the TV with AVIA.

I am experimenting a bit with resolution from my STB. Given that the Syntax has a unique resolution (the same as my Grand Wega) I am currently feeding the native resolution from my STB in order to avoid double scaling. I think that works better than 1080i. I haven't tried 720p.

The hole is left behind by the stand, where it slides in. It is under the TV.

I called tech support today. I asked them about the static line issue. He said that is the broadcast signal and has nothing to do with the TV. He said, when using the DVI input the TV does not chop the top of the image so that is why we see that static line. The DVI connection for this TV was designed with a PC signal source in mind. The pure digital connection provided by the DVI input does not work well with analog
signals. I told him that my 50 inch Sammy DLP does not show a static line. He said because the Sammy probably cuts some of the image up top. He said to compare images from my Sammy and HVX and I will notice that some of the image is cut off by the Sammy up top. I haven't had the time to verify this. He said the only way to fix this is by using a component input (no kidding). Which the TV does do some cutting of the image up top. He also noted, that if a pro calibrator where to calibrate any TV you would see that static line at top of the pure analog source signal coming from the broadcast.
Maybe someone that knows what there talking about can elaborate on my gibberish.

Yes, there is noise at the edges of an NTSC signal. Most TVs will overscan so you don't see it, but if your TV is showing the signal in its entirety, you will see the noise at the edges.

Re: the DVI input, I would first of all say that I am having more problems then just squiggly lines at the top of the screen. My HD works sometimes and sometimes does not. And, of couse, there is the lack of video adjustments that you can make through DVI.

Also, I have experienced the squiggly lines at the top even in SD mode. When I have the STB set for native resolution then it seems to occur. But when it is at 1080i it doesn't occur. So, it seems at least partially relate to feeding the TV a 480i or 480p signal.

I don't understand how they can design the DVI input for a PC. That is what the VGA input is for.

Anyway, my interpretation of all this is that the DVI just won't cut the mustard on this unit. I am fine going with the component especially since there are two component hook-ups (stb and dvd player). But it would certainly be nice to get some better answers re: the DVI problems. I have an email in to Syntax groups so we'll see what they say.

Here is the response I got from syntax regarding the DVI problem and also choosing a mount:

All analog broadcasts through the DVI input are going to have a line of
noise at the top. This is part of the broadcast signal. The TV can
handle any 480p/720p/1080i signal. However, some function better than
others on certain HD receivers. I would recommend using the 720p output
from your box for the best results. The wallmount pattern is VESA
200x100, as can be seen here:
http://secure.syntaxgroups.com/products/images/tv/lt27hvx_back.jpg.
VESA 100 will usually not work, because you cannot center it on the back
of the TV.



I'll give the 720p a try. I had already ordered the Vesa 100 mount so we'll see if this guy's right and it doesn't work.

Hello all, im a newbie here so Im still learning about all these terms. Any way I got this unit at CC on BF too. Im using this mainly for my PC but have the cable hook up for TV viewing. Im using the VGA input but not sure if I want to get the DVI cable to hook from PC to screen yet since the SQ is pretty good. My screen is set to 1280x768.

It seem like I can't post a link since I don't have 5 post yet. But here is a picture.

Charlie

Has anyone had these TVs break down on them? I got the warranty from Circuit City that same day for $130 for 3 year warranty.. I'm wondering if I should keep the warranty or just return it. It's our main living room TV in our apartment and usually on for about 4 hours a day

Yellow

Welcome to this forum. Hope the TV makes for a nice PC set-up for you. Thanks for the pic -- looks like you have a few monitors going.

Oli

I would check to see what the CC warranty covers. If you look at the Syntax website there is a big difference between the price of warranties that cover the lcd panel versus the warranties that cover other stuff. I presume that the panel (e.g., dead pixels) is the big thing. See www.syntaxgroups.com

Also, keep in mind that the unit comes with a one year warranty so you are essentially buying two extra years through CC.

I didn't get a warranty because I thought the cost was too high relative to the replacement value of the TV. But with Syntax being a relatively new manufacturer I can certainly understand that some people feel more comfortable with an extended warranty.

I purchased both 26HVE and 26HVX last weekend. 26HVX definitely is a keeper, even though it requires rebate and the final price is $50 more expensive.

I will use this LCD mainly as a computer monitor. I am using a Dell DVI-D Single Link cable to hook up these LCDs to my computer. I have an ATi 9550, and by using the ATi driver (not the lastest one, but one or two version older), I can get 1280x768 on HVE and 1280x720 or 1280x768 on HVX. Even though the advertised res. of HVX is 1366x768, just like almost everyone in this forum, I can't make it work with 1:1 pixel mapping. Still, it looks pretty sharp on HVX with this resolution. I can live with 1280x720 at this moment on HVX. Hopefully new video driver from ATi or nVidia in the future can handle the strange 1366x768 resolution.

I can say everything looks better on HVX than on HVE. From regular Windows apps to video play back. The advertised brightness, contrast, response time on both LCDs really live up to their claims. When I setup the brightness and contrast to 50 and 75 respectively on both LCDs, HVX performs closer to my Dell computer LCD, while HVE is darker, lack of detail, and kind of edgy when playing HDTV programs that I recorded. I tried to increase the brightness on HVE, but then everything washed out a little bit.

Both 26HVE and 26HVX look almost identical. Don't be misled by the 26HVE images on Syntax website. Both exhibit some hiss sound from the side speakers, while the HVX is a little louder. The noise will stop if I turn off the speakers.

Yellow

Welcome to this forum. Hope the TV makes for a nice PC set-up for you. Thanks for the pic -- looks like you have a few monitors going.

Oli

I would check to see what the CC warranty covers. If you look at the Syntax website there is a big difference between the price of warranties that cover the lcd panel versus the warranties that cover other stuff. I presume that the panel (e.g., dead pixels) is the big thing. See

Also, keep in mind that the unit comes with a one year warranty so you are essentially buying two extra years through CC.

I didn't get a warranty because I thought the cost was too high relative to the replacement value of the TV. But with Syntax being a relatively new manufacturer I can certainly understand that some people feel more comfortable with an extended warranty.

thanks for the response. the CC warranty covers everything, and if they can't fix it they will replace it. One problem: CC's service sucks.

My HVX had a problem with component input, when I plugged in my Xbox 360 the sharpness level looked like it was set to full so you would see white borders around text and textures. Changing the sharpness setting by even 1 amount would fix the problem, but it would appear again when I turned the TV off then on again.

Anyways, I tried to get CC to fix it but the CSR I talked to got the brand wrong. She thought it was a SONY instead of SYNTAX... and forwarded my request to the wrong company. I had to argue with the repair center that my TV was different from what CC had told them... and that repair center was pretty bad too... here was our conversation:

repair center: oh you just plugged your cables in wrong..
me: no. I know how to plug these things in...
RC: you really did plug them in wrong. call sony.
me: wtf, i don't own a sony
RC: you so DO own a Sony!! [rattles off a model number]
me: NO. I own a Syntax. LT26HVX. OK?? I know what I am talking about.
[she shuts up for a few seconds]
RC: oh. well we can't help you.

So then I call CC again, their system is down and can't make any new repair requests... idiots.

then I call AGAIN in the evening and this time they make me wait for an hour and a half... and I didn't even get to talk to anyone. I called back again later in the evening and got to talk to somebody and the case was that they didn't have Syntax registred as one of the brands they sold.. idiots.

As of now, they moved my case up to Escalations department and they're supposed to give me a call back today.. it is now 4pm and still have not heard from them.. incompetent idiots.

In short, CC warranty is cheap for $130 but the stress you have to deal with isn't worth it. Returning the warranty before 30 days and probably just sticking with the 1 year that syntax includes.

Here is the response I got from syntax regarding the DVI problem and also choosing a mount:

All analog broadcasts through the DVI input are going to have a line of
noise at the top. This is part of the broadcast signal. The TV can
handle any 480p/720p/1080i signal. However, some function better than
others on certain HD receivers. I would recommend using the 720p output
from your box for the best results. The wallmount pattern is VESA
200x100, as can be seen here:
http://secure.syntaxgroups.com/products/images/tv/lt27hvx_back.jpg.
VESA 100 will usually not work, because you cannot center it on the back
of the TV.



I'll give the 720p a try. I had already ordered the Vesa 100 mount so we'll see if this guy's right and it doesn't work.


I also used the Vesa 100 mount on my TV. He is right it will not center. Like I wrote on an earlier post I used only 4 holes. In my situation it came out ok because I only had one stud to mount the TV to. This stud was off center in the wall. By mounting the TV off center I was able to make the TV look centered the on the wall.

I finally opened up my LT26HVX that I purchased during the Circuit City door buster. After approximately 30 minutes with the TV, it's going back.

Pixel response was fine, as was the picture from HD sources. Even SD looked okay.

The contrast ratio of this TV is terrible. Shadow detail and grey scale tracking is non-existent. No backlight setting (even dark) or brightness setting helped. These two traits are the most important when it comes to picture quality. I was hoping for something a little better with these LG/Phillips LCDs, but was not impressed.

To top it all off. it had about 6 dead pixels, most of them around the center of the screen.

Steve

Thanks for the advice on the mounting Herby! I am working with one stud as well so hopefully it will work out. Does it seem relatively secure with the 4 screws?

Looks like we have a couple of returns on this tv -- partially due to the dvi problems and partial due to some picture problems. I'm not sure about greyscale and shadow detail but I have certainly noticed that the lcd does not handle blacks as well as my Grand Wega (and I think a CRT is best of all for blacks). But I expected this and from what I've seen, this LCD holds its all relative to competitors. Syntax in general has gotten very good reviews for its LCD products (see the Syntax website at www.syntaxgroups.com). I am a pretty avid reader of the Perfect Vision and it gave a particularly strong recommendation to one of the Syntax LCDs.

Is it normal for the picture to look darker when viewing it at an angle from the side?

I purchased this mount for mine ............
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10409151&loc=101&sp=1



They raised the price.

Hoop like I wrote earlier it is pretty strong. I hung on the mount and it didn't fall.

Miadlor that is a damn good deal on that mount from buy.com. That is the mount it supposed to take. Here is a link of the mount that you bought (St635) with a pic at the peerless site. LINK (http://www.peerlessindustries.com/profile.cfm?ut=I&id=635ST&sg=FPSS)
And they sell it for double.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/2240/im0007260pq.jpg

This is the mount and where the cables run through. I am probably gonna put a plate over the hole to clean it up.

And the TV.
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/8601/im0007245be.jpg

When you look at your tv do you notice is you see writing. Its almost like it is wrote like 3 extra times very faint to the right of it. Like it is repeating everything in the background?

Really nice mounting job -- looks very sharp! Not sure if I'll be able to get my wires in the wall. We are probably just going to put a piece of wood with a gap in it over the wires.

I haven't notice the picture problems that others are talking about. It looks plenty bright to me from the side -- the ability to see a good pic from different angles is pretty impressive. It does have a bit of a different feel than what I am used to partially because it is not a projection technology.

I found my mount as well at buy.com. It was $30 cheaper than at Target. It is a Vantage Point mount.seem to have extra points. I like the vantage point mounts. Here is a link: http://www.vanptc.com/lcd/lcd_line.htm

Just keeping track here....

Prices are falling pretty quickly on all LCD's

Still targeting the 26" or 27" HVX models.

I have my tv in my bedroom so I am pretty close to it. I notice on still objects I see these blurry lines around the object almost like it is repeating it 3 or 4 times. When I stand to the side of the tv i do not notice this hardly at all. Is this because of the In plane switching? It is only noticeable on a stand still image. Anyone know what I am talking about or how to correct it?

Well I notice now when i turn the DNR all the way to high it almost takes the problem away. Now it isn't nearly as bad.

I will try the DNR on high as well. Also, you may want to fiddle with the incoming resolution. I put mine on "native" which avoids double scaling. You might also try feeding the TV 720p.

I'm also a BF CC purchaser - so far I'm pretty happy. I would like to get the PC hooked up native but haven't had any success with my FX5200 yet. Currently running in 1280x720 and have to say it looks very good, on par with my Sammy DLP.

My major issue right now is the lack of discrete remote codes for input selection. I've tried the codes from my LT32HV, but they don't work. And I spent an hour running through 255 possible codes with my OFA remote without any luck. I've sent Syntax a support request but haven't heard anything back yet. I can't imagine a reason not to provide discrete codes (you don't have to put them on the remote, just provide them for the power users). Without the discretes it becomes a logistical nightmare to create input changing macros to switch between devices.

Edit: I heard back from Syntax and the LT26HVX does NOT have any discrete remote codes for input selection available, nor do they have any plan to add them in the future. Personally, that's just ridiculous, it's not like it costs them any money to add that functionality...

I've ordered the Peerless SP740P mount for it. BTW, Peerless has a mount finder on it's home page and has the LT26HVX listed so you can see all the mounts that they have availble for this model. Buy.com had the best prices I could find on the mount and free shipping too.

tsw

Looks like the viewing angle of the 26HVX is far less than the advertised spec. Yes, you can see something if you stand at the side of the LCD, but viewable is not the same as "watchable". There is a purple tint over the screen image if I view it from a 30 degree onward, and then it gradually becomes unwatchable if the angle increases. It is worser than a lot of RPTV.

I have no complaints about the viewing angle. I can watch it from a sharp angle and it is fine. Are you using the DVI connection?

I am using DVI also. I don't think the input source will make a big difference in terms of viewing angle of the TV itself. It has a purple haze when I look it from the side, from 30 degree onward.

Seems using the VGA for the PC and running it anywhere most of these ATI cards run, it works fine. I don't see the benefit of trying to get the LCD to do a resolution the VGA input isn't ready to support.

BTW my 4.1x drivers will go up to 1280x1024, but it seems most are finding the best PQ with 1280x768.

Going back to work this week, so I should be able to pull the trigger on a purchase before the end of the year.

Thanks for the continued input guys.

Hmm, it seems that I can't give a link to a post yet due to spam issues,

It's in the FAQ section of the EnTech forums (makers of powerstrip)

I personally have a Radeon X850XT connected via DVI, I cannot achieve 1366 due to the problem listed in the link above, so I have powerstrip doing 1368.

Doing 1368 dosen't look that good because there is apparant scaling about every 1/12 of the screen when looking at one of those 1:1 testing grids.

I hope to upgrade to a Geforce 7800GT soon which does support 1366. (gaming is important to me!)

The link also says that the ATI X1k series will support 1366 res on both VGA and DVI.

All recent Nvidia video cards with external TDMS DVI controllers will do 1366 via DVI only. (which should be 6000 series, maybe even a 5200 and above)

I am using DVI also. I don't think the input source will make a big difference in terms of viewing angle of the TV itself. It has a purple haze when I look it from the side, from 30 degree onward.

I was wrong. The DVI doesn't have as much purple haze as the other input source. I hook up my DVD player with S-Video cable, and the purple haze is very prominet. I play the same DVD on my computer which use DVI, the problem is still there, but a lot less in my opinion.

The viewing angle problem on this TV is really not as bad as others out there.

It seems, however, that the height placement of the TV can have a significant influence on viewing angle. If the TV is at eye height, then moving left to right while maintaining the same eye height will give you quite good viewing angles- more than 80 degrees without color distortion. If however you are higher or lower than the TV, then the viewing angle drops off sharply when moving left to right. Similarly if you stand directly in front of the TV and move up and down, again the viewing angles can be up to nearly 80 degrees without color distortion.

This at leasts allows one to get up and down and not suffer viewing angle problems and also allows people to sit on other angles around the room without problems. Just be careful not to be sitting at an angle and then get up!

I had a Maxent 26" and it was MUCH worse. There was significant viewing angle problems no matter where you were unless you were directly in front of the TV at eye level.

Thanks for the insights Ashley. I'll try the viewing angle at different heights -- I have been look at it at eye level height.

Just picked up my second one of these babies, I got the 26" on Black Friday for $$$ and the 27" at BJ's for $$$, I just can't believe that there is anything better for this kind of money. Very reasonable TV so far for a cheapy.

EDIT>>

mod note: no price talk, please. MSRP only, thanks.

Just picked up my second one of these babies, I got the 26" on Black Friday for $$$ and the 27" at BJ's for $$$, I just can't believe that there is anything better for this kind of money. Very reasonable TV so far for a cheapy.

EDIT>>

mod note: no price talk, please. MSRP only, thanks.

Can you tell us about the image quality diff between the 26 and 27?

I can't really see any image difference, in fact if it wasn't for the box denoting that the models were different, I would have thought it was the same TV.

I just got a LT27HVX yesterday for a steal. It must be a crime to get this good of a deal.

So far so good. Initially hooked cable straight from the wall and the picture was great, no HD. DVD looks great. Have not hooked up my xbox 360 yet.

For $$$ there is no better deal.

I just got a LT27HVX yesterday for a steal. It must be a crime to get this good of a deal.

So far so good. Initially hooked cable straight from the wall and the picture was great, no HD. DVD looks great. Have not hooked up my xbox 360 yet.

For $$$ there is no better deal.

Can you point us to where you get this good deal?

OK, for those BF shoppers, we have about a week to return LT26HVX back to CC. Anyone will return it, or have returned it already?

I probably will return it, as the speaker noise and purple haze trouble me. Also, I couldn't get a perfect 1366/1360/1368x768 from my nVidia or ATi video card.

I got it from a regional chain similar to wallymart. The store is called Meijer, and are mostly located in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Email me if you want price details.

Are you guys hearing the hissing sounds coming from the speakers??? On low volumes, I can hear hissing from the speakers that is quite annoying. What could be causing this? I am connected via coax, svideo and component. First I was suspecting the noise is probably caused by thethe cable out on my dvd/vcr. But another friend who has the same TV complained of the same issue. Anybody???

I've noticed it when close to the TV, but it is not obvious when at normal viewing distance. Even close to the TV it is not very loud. It is most noticeable when a DVD is paused or when an input is selected that has nothing connected. Again, it does not bother me too much.

The noise is there whenever the TV is on and the speakers are on, no matter whether the TV is hooking up with other equipment or not. Even in a blank blue screen (no signal), the noise is still there from the speakers.

I'm thinking the speakers or something is grounded which causes the static/noise? I will try to remove the coax and see what happens. I also noticed how flimsy the coax input is on this TV. When I tighten my cable, even with light pressure the coax input itself is going along when I torque it.

I haven't seen any posts in this thread about color acuracy, Are fleshtones and other colors spot on? How did your dve or avia calibrations come out with each color filter, were the colors off?

I picked up a LT26HVX today (after returning a semi-defective 26" Panasonic HDTV) and it looks great with the Xbox 360 via component (about as good as the CRT based HDTV looked only not as good regarding black level , obviously) . SDtv via coax is ok with some stations looking better than others . I plan to try the VGA input with the 360 and see if there is any benefit .

----------- Jason

I haven't seen any posts in this thread about color acuracy, Are fleshtones and other colors spot on? How did your dve or avia calibrations come out with each color filter, were the colors off?


My color calibrations came out nearly perfect using the colorfacts blue glasses and I would say fleshtones look pretty dang good . I am actually fairly impressed with this particular display considering that I have always hated LCD .

------------ Jason

My color calibrations came out nearly perfect using the colorfacts blue glasses and I would say fleshtones look pretty dang good . I am actually fairly impressed with this particular display considering that I have always hated LCD .

------------ Jason
Thanks, Great to hear. Do you happen to have any pics of it playing video?

Sorry no pics yet ;) .

--- I just connected my Xbox 360 to the 26HVX using VGA and running at 1360x768 and I must say that this display simply 'ROCKS' , I am honestly blown away ( this thing destroys the Samsung's that I have seen ;) ) .

--- If you are looking for an excellent priced 26" flat panel to use with the 360 then look no further because this baby knocks it out of the park and right through an SUV window :D !

--- 360 Component (1280x720p) looked good but the switch to VGA (1360x768) made all the difference IMO ... WoW !

------------- Jason

Here is a Quick pic of "Kameo" from the Xbox 360 (over VGA) on the LT26HVX ;) . Please forgive the clarity as I snapped it off quickly with no tripod and no settings adjusted on the camera .


http://home.comcast.net/~jlcburg3/wsb/media/19852/site1194.JPG


----------- Jason

very nice

Thanks , the pic really does not do the real image justice but they are fun to look at ;) .

----------- Jason

I have the 26" and 27" Syntax, great picture for the money, even good with SD. I too have the hissing sound from the speakers, if it wasn't for the fact that I use them in spare rooms I am not to worked up about it but it is annoying.

Question...I'm looking at the 32" but what's the diff between the HVM and the HVE? Specs are the same other than the contrast. Any other aesthetic differences?

On your xbox 360 do you notice in lag in the screen when you turn your characters around quickly. I play Halo 2 and I notice a blurry feeling when i turn my character around. I have gotten use to it. When I do hook my xbox 360 to it will it make that much of a difference by going to VGA? A $30 difference?

On your xbox 360 do you notice in lag in the screen when you turn your characters around quickly. I play Halo 2 and I notice a blurry feeling when i turn my character around. I have gotten use to it. When I do hook my xbox 360 to it will it make that much of a difference by going to VGA? A $30 difference?

No Lag at all here with the 360 and I honestly expected to see some . It looks like the 8ms rating is enough to prevent it . I have a friend with a 12ms LCD flat panel and it has some Lag here and there .

Quick question : what is the best thing to clean the screens on these things ?

-------- Thanks ,
--------- Jason

Howdy new guy here. Now I am having a problem with my LCD and I was wondering if anyone here was able to help me out or maybe someone is having the same problems.

Now I love this TV I think its great and I can’t say enough about it. We all know about the known problems resolution, speakers the remote ect…… but I have learned to overlook these problems.

Now the problem that I am having is that when using DVI out of my laptop I get little green lines horizontally on the screen. So to fix it I have to bring the resolution down to 1024x768 and no problems whatsoever. Everything looks great at 1280x720 everything fits perfect but the lines are annoying. Here is the setup I have

Acer 8104 with the ATI X700 (Omega Drivers 2.6.87)
And LT26HVX.

Now here are the things that I have tried. New drivers new DVI cables, resolution, refresh rate and Powerstrip. I have not tried VGA but I will today I just really wanted to use DVI instead of VGA. When using my HD cable box and DVI output to the LCD everything works great awesome picture so I know it’s not the cable or the DVI input so what gives? Is it the TV? Has anyone seen this problem before?

Thanks in advance for your time and help. Glad to be a member!

Raul

Raul ,

--- Possibly the Video Card is not sending proper timings even though you have adjusted it to do so (via Powerstrip) .

--- Just a guess ;) .

---------- Jason

I don't know if this is helpful to anyone but here is someone's review with info on Remote Codes:

I shopped around for an inexpensive LCD tv and I am glad I found this one. In my opinion it's picture quality is better than most overpriced name brand LCDs. The interactive picture and audio settings are simple and very user freindly. Also, if you havepurchased this TV and want to use your universal remote with it codes for Yamaha and LG work.

Hey, its no fair talking about the hook-up with xbox 360 as virtually all of us (that I know of) have not been able to get the 360. :-)

Anyway, I am going to edit my previous post of settings for the TV as I found that the brightness and contrast were set a bit too high (I was getting white wash out).

I personally haven't noticed any sort of hissing sound from the tv. Generally, I'm very satisfied with the TV -- the only think that I find lacking is the black levels which is a general problem with all LCDs.

yea i tried it with the vga output and it worked fine. man i wish i could get this working because the screen looks great but them dam lines screw it all up.!! any other ideas?

I have a new Syntax LT26HVX that was a BF CC purchase. I am feeding it a signal via component from a Time Warner Scientific Atlanta HD Cable box. When I set the cable box to upconvert-2 and the TV to 16:9 I get a strange artifact that appears as if there a 8 stuck or dead pixels at the top of the screen, roughly 30% in from the right hand corner. These pixels are white, and do not change color. What is also strange is that halfway through the screen at the top the line seems to terminate.

This problem is only evident on HDTV channels, not on SDTV channels

When I set my TV to Full, and then set the HD box to Passthrough and run the HD box setup wizard to basically run everything at 1080i, and then change to an HDTV channel there are no artifacts.

Do I have a defective TV, or I am trying to upconvert twice or do something that is passing an incorrect signal to the TV?

Another question: Any thoughts on whether one has to view an LCD tv straight on, or are there any problems with mounting it over the fireplace mantle. Given that this is a "small" TV in the realm of what typically gets mounted on the walls. What is the appropriate viewing distance for a 26" HDTV set. I plan on using it with a Media Center PC, so I need to be able to view text.

I had luck using the LG code on the Time Warner Scientific Atlanta HD box, and also have the speaker hissing problem. Other than that I am fairly pleased given the price. I had thought that HDTV would be extremely immersive, but so far I have not been impressed relative to some of the big screen TVs that one sees at Best Buy.

Hey mrclie

Sounds like you should contactl Syntax regarding your tv (www.syntaxgroups.com). I haven't heard of this type of problem especially with component conneciton. There have been some problems in this thread regarding DVI connection and other issues like the sound hiss, etc.

Re: viewing distance -- its a fairly small tv so I would say that roughly 4 feet or more is probably fine. You can even sit closer if you are comfortable with it. Its really a subjective thing -- just try watching it at different distances and see what works well for you.

Sorry if this has been addressed before....

I actually own the LT26HVE, but I could not find a thread on it. My problem is the SD picture, in my opinion, is terrble. It is very grainy and pixelated, like watching video on a regular computer, and is much worse than my Sony KV32HS420 CRT. I have TWC in NYC, and currently use component cables until my HDMI-DVI cable arrives in a few days. The HD channels look pretty good, again not as good as the Sony CRT, but decent.

Also, and somewhat surprisingly, DVDs look barely better than the SD. I have a Panasonic DVD-S29 and it is also pixelated and grainy using component cables.

Should I have been expecting this type of picture with the SD and DVD given its an LCD, or is there something I am missing that can improve things? Perhaps a setting, or color scheme? Any ideas?

Thanks a lot, any help would be make me much happier with my purchase.

I own the 26 and 27 inch Syntax's and the SD through basic cable is the best I have seen on many tvs we have owned and currently own. Better than our 37" Panansonic Plasma and 57" Hitachi RPTV. In fact, that is the main reason I am keeping these Syntax's, every other lcd we brought home was miserable on SD. DVD may be a different story but it doesn't matter too much because we use these TV's in other rooms and not for a main viewing. I think therein lies the problem, I don't know if you are using this display as your main TV, if that is the case, you have to ask yourself what you expect for $500. Generally, if you want the best value/picture for $500, its not lcd.

randomday ,

--- Most HD-LCD's look bad with SD content , nature of the beast .

--- After seeing both the HVE and the HVX there is really no comparison , the HVX is superior on all counts IMO . So maybe try an HVX model , just don't expect SDtv to look great as it will be probably be 'OK' at best ;) .

------------ Jason

I have the HVX as well and the dvd quality is excellent -- similar to my 50 inch Sony lcd projection tv. My SD quality is fine -- keeping in mind that SD quality is always not as good as one would hope on an HDTV. It seems that HDTVs tend to really show the flaws with SD pictures.

So I tried changing all the settings on my video card but to no avail because I still get the green lines on the screen when using DVI and any resolution above 1024x768. So like I said before vga works great. At first when you hook it up the screen is off center but just hit the auto picture button on the remote and it lines it up just fine. I guess the last thing to do is hook it up to my friend’s machine and a different video card to see if that’s the problem. Also have any of you noticed a better picture with component than with HDMI? I am using a hdmi to dvi converter from radio S-ack and last night I paused the live discoveryHD channel on a picture that had lights and a checkered flag on it and kept switching back and forth between dvi and component and the lights and flag and everything else looked way better with component. Is this because of the converter?

Thanks

Hooked up my xbox 360 a few days ago and everything is awesome. This tv looks much better than the displays in the store. I mean it is a whole lot better. All lag is gone from my tv that I talked about earlier. No lag. Halo 2 looks much better now coming from the 360. Only thing now is I am not sure if i should get VGA cables or wait and see if they come out with DVI. Not sure how good the VGA cables would make it look anyway.

nuv22 ,

--- I don't have that problem via DVI with my Nvidia 6600GT-OC card , but a 1:1 pixel map is difficult with this display .




wesley3flex ,

--- The 360 VGA connection is worth it ($40) IMO . The picture is crisper and the colors are more vivid (after having calibrated both Component and VGA) .


------- Best Wishes ,
----------- Jason

I have changed the callibrations in my earlier post consistent with my current settings. My brightness and contrast were too high and I was getting some wash out on the whites.

I own a LT27HVX, and it's my first HDTV. Right now I'm using the cheap component cables from Charter(a Cable company in case you didn't know). Half the HD channels look good while the other half look ok. Will getting more expensive cables or a DVI cable improve the quality?

finally got a dvi-i cable to hook up my 26hvx. looks great at 1280x720. i've got a nvidia 6800 and so i added the custom resolution of 1280x768 to it and that looked even better. added 1360x768 and that looked great too, but the computer screen was wider than the lcd screen and so it would pan(?) over to show the very right part of the screen when you moved the mouse to the right. when i use vga with 1360x768 the image fits in the lcd screen and there is no panning, if that's the right term to use.

anyone know any good computer games that support widescreen resolutions like 1280x768 and 1360x768? the only one i've got is half-life2 and counterstrike source that support wide screen resolutions. battlefield2 looks better on my 15" lcd monitor with a native resolution of 1024x768 than on the 26hvx. i'll try cod2 tonight.

so far, not very impressed with computer gaming on the 26hvx, but i think that's mostly due to sitting too close to the screen, the larger pixels in the screen, and the lack of games supporting widescreen resolutions. dvd's look fantastic though when played from the pc. there is no "blockiness" from the big pixels like there is in the computer games.

I own a LT27HVX, and it's my first HDTV. Right now I'm using the cheap component cables from Charter(a Cable company in case you didn't know). Half the HD channels look good while the other half look ok. Will getting more expensive cables or a DVI cable improve the quality?

My guess is that your problem is with Charter and not the cables. My experience is that the quality of the component cables is not a big factor -- the ones you get from your cable company should generally be fine. But Charter may be compressing some or all of its HD channels leading to some quality degregation.

I would not go with DVI mostly because this TV has some issues with DVI as reported in earlier posts on this thread. Also, you may want to try the settings that I mentioned in one of my early posts and see if that improves the PQ.

Jason do you think they will be coming out with any DVI cables soon?

Also I just got a surround sound system. Anyone know where I can get optic and component cables at a good price. It seems to me that everywhere I look that cables are Extremely overpriced such as monster etc.

Also do the games look better in 720p or 1080i with this tv?

I just ordered the lt26hvx..I'm praying that everything goes well. At first I was concerned with finding a decent quality yet modestly priced lcd (which the Syntax 26hvx appears to be), but now I'm ub3r concerned about the company i purchased it from. They had the item in stock on the 23rd, out of stock the 24th, and then they SAY that it's in stock today. I'm not sure...might be waiting awhile, but its worth it for the 200$ rebate, which prices will not dip down to equivalently for some time I'd expect. Just wanted to say thanks for all the info in this particular thread, esp. Jason with all his knowledge ;)

I'll update as the process continues.

Cheers

after a little more time with the 26hvx, this tv is really annoying with the computer. the vga input gets off center quite often and i have to hit the auto adjust button. even when the pip is showing the vga it will get off center. 1:1 pixel mapping is impossible. 1360x768 doesn't show the X or the scroll bar (the very right of windows) when a window is full size. this makes no sense at all to me. it seems like it would have 3 pixels on each side of unused space and show the entire window within the 1360 pixels. whoever came up with the 1366x768 resolution that is used in so many lcd TVs is a complete moron.

also, the tv doesn't have a standby or sleep mode. when the computer turns off or the computer goes to standby, the lcd screen displays a bright blue screen instead of powering down. extremely annoying.

one of the stupidest things is the extremely annoying blue light when the tv is turned off. this light is so bright that you could put it in a lighthouse and guide ships to shore with it. it's so bright it casts shadows in my bedroom. is this supposed to be a tv or a nightlight?

the remote sucks too. there is no way to directly select a source without scrolling through all sources or using a menu. the enter button far away from the arrow keys you use to navigate menus. after using the arrow keys to get to the menu item i want, i often mistakenly hit the menu button thinking it should be the enter button and get kicked out of the menu.

with the xbox over component, it won't show what kind of signal it's getting. halo2 at 480p (if it's actually getting 480p) looks horrible (full of jagged lines). tonight i'm going to try turning off 480p, 720p, and 1080i from the xbox and see if it looks exactly the same as with 480p turned on. i really need to try a 720p or 1080i xbox game. anybody know of an xbox game that does 720p or 1080i? if i could find a 360 i'd buy one, but no stores down here have gotten any since launch.

so far, the only really good thing about the 26hvx is that dvd's from the computer really look nice.

i'm seriously considering returning this tv.

Sorry for your negative experience Charlie!

I haven't had any problems with my computer hook-up via VGA.

Re: the blue light, we usually turn off the power to all of our electronics in the bedroom at night. Alternatively, you can put a kleenex box or something else in front of it or some people have put black tape over it.

The remote isn't great. I use a universal instead. The one catch is that when I use the input change button I have to scroll up and down using the channel and volume keys.

It is true that the tv has no convenient sleep function. How they could have missed it I don't know. There is a timer that you can use to turn the tv off and on.

But despite these types of faults I still think the tv is a very good buy for the price. The PQ is generally comparable to other LCD HDTVs and it has gotten good reviews (not this specific model but Syntax LCDs in general). So, I will certainly keep mine!

Does anybody have this TV connected to a PS2 over component? I just bought some Sony component cables and I can't get a signal. All it says is "no signal" and "not support". And I can't return the cables because I bought it from Media Play, which is going out of business and won't accept any returns. So I'm pretty much screwed. So are there any component cables that'll work?

The remote isn't great. I use a universal instead. The one catch is that when I use the input change button I have to scroll up and down using the channel and volume keys.


The TV does support a remote code for "next input", I saw it when I setup my Harmony remote via the harmony website. I prefer it to selecting from the input menu.

Jason do you think they will be coming out with any DVI cables soon?

Also I just got a surround sound system. Anyone know where I can get optic and component cables at a good price. It seems to me that everywhere I look that cables are Extremely overpriced such as monster etc.

Don't expect to see any 360 DVI/HDMI cables for a while :confused: .

--- Try a gaming store for a cheap optical cable , they usually have them for under $10 .

--- Games look better in 720p vs. 1080i on the LT26HVX (IMO) .

------------ Jason

But despite these types of faults I still think the tv is a very good buy for the price. The PQ is generally comparable to other LCD HDTVs and it has gotten good reviews (not this specific model but Syntax LCDs in general). So, I will certainly keep mine!

--- I Agree :) .

-- Actually the PQ of the LT26HVX bests most other 26" LCD HDTV's , I have seen most of them . Honestly the only LCD HDTV that I have seen with a better over-all image is the Sony Bravia XBR at 3x the price :eek: .

--- Sure the unit has its faults/bugs but you will not get a better image from a 26" flat panel at this price (or even several hundred dollars more for that matter) . Honestly I cannot think of any HD display in recent times that has not had some faults/bugs (even the mighty Bravia has some issues) .


---------------- Jason

--- I Agree :) .

-- Actually the PQ of the LT26HVX bests most other 26" LCD HDTV's , I have seen most of them . Honestly the only LCD HDTV that I have seen with a better over-all image is the Sony Bravia XBR at 3x the price :eek: .

--- Sure the unit has its faults/bugs but you will not get a better image from a 26" flat panel at this price (or even several hundred dollars more for that matter) . Honestly I cannot think of any HD display in recent times that has not had some faults/bugs (even the mighty Bravia has some issues) .


---------------- Jason
Agreed as well and further, it is not like this TV is only a hundred bucks less than your Samsungs, Panasonics and Sony's, it is several hundered less and very comparable PQ wise. It also seems to be a step up from the real bobo brands (Akai, Westinghouse, Maxent) and in most cases, less money than those brands too. I would definately spend more money for a 26" lcd if I was convinced that I was getting something appreciably better but its just not the case.

Keep the reviews coming. Seems people with Nvida products are having problems and those with ATI's aren't really save for resolution issues, but once that's ironed out, I haven't heard (read) a peep from the ATI crowd.

The Dell 32" has gotten great reviews, but the Syntax is stil got a target on it.

Compusa is having this panel onsale Sunday, i went online and reserved one, the price is higher but they should honor the sale price as i picked in store pickup option.
I'm not too wild about these narrow 15:9 widescreen lcd's as SD 4:3 must look stretched?

Bud, the CompUSA model is the LT26HVE, not the LT26HVX that this thread is about. The HVX is a 16:9 model, not a 15:9 like the HVE. If at all possible, try and hold out and find an HVX (my 2 cents)

Ahhh!! thanks alot for the tip, whats wrong with the HVE? if i may ask.

THe HVE has (I think) 12 ms pixel response time vs 8 on the HVX and, of course, the odd 15:9 rather than the standard 16:9. If you look through this long thread there were other reasons but I can't recall them offhand. The Syntax website will allow you to compare them, too.

Happy New Year

Just an FYI for anyone looking for this TV - I went over to CompUSA to check out the deal for the HVE model they had advertised. There were out of stock on that model, but they are subbing the LT26HVX in its place for the same price, so I picked one up. This was at the Wilmington DE store BTW.

Just an FYI for anyone looking for this TV - I went over to CompUSA to check out the deal for the HVE model they had advertised. There were out of stock on that model, but they are subbing the LT26HVX in its place for the same price, so I picked one up. This was at the Wilmington DE store BTW.

I got there at 9am here in manchester Ct, they had HVE in stock didnt see any HVX, your lucky!!!
I hooked it up thru sd cable and looks good, all ive tried so far..
Wish i didnt read this thread because this is going to bother me!!
I always want the best for the buck, i looked in the back and they had 7 all seemed to be HVE's....grrrrrr, Compusa doesnt list a HVX on there site, ohh well as my moto says "Boned Again"!!
Ive been returning too many things lately so this forum can drive you nuts!!

THe HVE has (I think) 12 ms pixel response time vs 8 on the HVX and, of course, the odd 15:9 rather than the standard 16:9. If you look through this long thread there were other reasons but I can't recall them offhand. The Syntax website will allow you to compare them, too.

Happy New Year

--- The HVX is also slightly brighter and has about double the contrast ratio of the HVE . The HVX has a 1600:1 dynamic contrast ratio (1200:1 normal) which pretty much puts it in a league of its own at this price point .

---------- Jason

Wow , that price for the LT26HVE at CompUSA is a great deal (today and tomorrow only) ;) .

----------- Jason

I returned it, made another guy in line happy as he was holding a raincheck,the PQ didnt turn me on, as i only have SD cable in the bedroom, another reason is how many tv's do i really need?
15:9 ratio's didnt do me justice either......

the PQ didnt turn me on, as i only have SD cable in the bedroom,

i think the SD cable picture quality looks very good on the hvx. my cable is split 10 bazillion times before it gets to the hvx and still looks good.

I also saw the Ad at Compusa that ran on Sunday.

When I got there I just asked for one and they brought out the HVX.

For the money, it was a no brainer!

So far, no problems except for the speaker hiss that everyone seems to have.

I just received my LT26HVX today and I'm having some mixed feelings about it. It's definitely an upgrade from the 13" Daewoo crt tv I'm replacing. :D

Main reason I bought this unit was to use as a 2nd monitor with my "new" ati radeon 9200se :eek: I got as a xmas present. For that intention, it's great. Tremendous new desktop area connected via DVI.

However, as a stand alone bedroom TV, it comes up a little short even by my low budget standards. I am using analog cable running through my vcr via coax.

I'll probably jettison the vcr (which I never use anymore, but too lazy to remove) and I'm going to have to see if the Pioneer analog cable box has other outputs, but will a RCA or s-video connection improve the SD picture quality much?

I fiddled with the PIP setting the PIC1 as TV1 & PIC2 as DVI. Then I hit swap & came up with a small child window with crystal clear cable tv! Then I hit view & it went to split screen, but I lost the audio feed. Was not able to bring it back. Any way to maintain this setting?

If I wanted to hear audio from the pc via the tv speakers, will all I need is a RCA to 1/8" mini-plug cable?

Any response to my newb questions will be greatly appreciated.

Hey Spanky!

Perhaps I can help you a bit:

Analog cable picture quality is questionable to begin with so I'm not sure that you'll be able to improve on it much. It certainly can't hurt to try the s video hook up and not go through the VCR. This TV should perform as well as similar size TVs with regard to analog or SD channels. But its strength of course is in HD.

Not sure about hooking up volume via a PC. I just use the computer speakers but I'm sure there are others who have done this.

Re: the PIP, remember that the TV is looking for two different pictures for two different inputs. If you want two different TV channels then you will need two different sources for tv channels (e.g., antenna and cable). This would allow you to do PIP.

Re: the PIP, remember that the TV is looking for two different pictures for two different inputs. If you want two different TV channels then you will need two different sources for tv channels (e.g., antenna and cable). This would allow you to do PIP.

If only I could post or link to pics, I could show you what I was referring to. Source 1 was DVI (my pc) & Source 2 was TV1 (analog cable). I was able to get crystal clear PQ with sound from Source 2 in the smaller window. After I hit the Swap button, I would lose sound. Just curious if anyone else had this happen.

Thanks for your help anyway.

re: Pioneer BA-6300 analog cable box - I only have a coax output... :(

re: Sound output from TV speakers when connected to PC with DVI - I picked up a RCA to stereo mini plug cable from radio shack and wasn't able to get it to work...will try more over the weekend

I just got this tv from work (I work at Fry's) the other day. I hooked up my PS2 with component cables and it makes all my games look weird, even the ones that support progressive scan. I'm assuming the tv is scaling 480 to 720, is there any way to fix that?

Tribal, try changing settings inside the game in addition to setting the console itself to 16:9.

I believe that I got the HVE, but my manual stated 8ms response and I cannot recall the contrast ratio...for some reason 1000:1 is stuck in my head. I will not know until I get back home from Japan.
-Wish that I could take the Japan spec Xbox 360 home as it is cheap compared to home AND I can get one in just about any electronics store!
MW

Tribal, try changing settings inside the game in addition to setting the console itself to 16:9.

I believe that I got the HVE, but my manual stated 8ms response and I cannot recall the contrast ratio...for some reason 1000:1 is stuck in my head. I will not know until I get back home from Japan.
-Wish that I could take the Japan spec Xbox 360 home as it is cheap compared to home AND I can get one in just about any electronics store!
MW

Did that already, didn't do much.

Did you try swapping inputs on the set itself?
I can only comment on my set, and finally getting decent performance from my PS2. Much better than on a standard non-hd tv that I was stuck with using before. (36" JVC)
in addition the HTPC test that I did showed real potential.

As a last ditch effort, see if you might borrow some cables from a friend...again, PQ will not be xbox or x360 like, but it can be and should be an improvement over what you may have run before if it was not a HDTV.
Good luck and sorry I could not help out.
MW

Did you try swapping inputs on the set itself?
I can only comment on my set, and finally getting decent performance from my PS2. Much better than on a standard non-hd tv that I was stuck with using before. (36" JVC)
in addition the HTPC test that I did showed real potential.

As a last ditch effort, see if you might borrow some cables from a friend...again, PQ will not be xbox or x360 like, but it can be and should be an improvement over what you may have run before if it was not a HDTV.
Good luck and sorry I could not help out.
MW

I know not to expect much, but it shouldn't scale the image more than it should be. It's my feeling that this TV wants to run everything at 720 and as such, it's scaling the PS2's progressive 480 signal up to it, but not doing a very good job of it.

Hey Jason so i finally got my desktop machine up and running with a GeForce 7800 GT CO and man does it look awesome with the LCD !!! running right now at 1280 x 1024 and it looks great !! i guess that old ATI x700 was the problem after all because i tried everything to get it to work and nothing. BF2 looks great it's also nice to be able to turn all the settings up on the latest games and watch the card not skip one bit! the dvd's look great on the tv. i am using a 12$(down from 100$) DVI radio shack cable it works GREAT ! the only thing i noticed is ONE dead pixel on the screen. should i be worried? i think if i am correct it takes 3 pixels to be up for RMA from olevia. it really does not bother me because it is down in the bottom right of the screen and unless you are about 6 inches away u cant see it. so other than that everything is GREAT !!! still one question thoug why am i getting better picture quality from Component cables than DVI from my cable box??? its the weirdest thing. i am using a HDMI to DVI converter but i don't think that would make that much of a difference but i might be wrong what do you guys think? i have a SA 8300HD any ideas ??? wait did i forget to mention THIS LCD IS BAD ASS!!!!!! :D

If only I could post or link to pics, I could show you what I was referring to. Source 1 was DVI (my pc) & Source 2 was TV1 (analog cable). I was able to get crystal clear PQ with sound from Source 2 in the smaller window. After I hit the Swap button, I would lose sound. Just curious if anyone else had this happen.

Thanks for your help anyway.

re: Pioneer BA-6300 analog cable box - I only have a coax output... :(

re: Sound output from TV speakers when connected to PC with DVI - I picked up a RCA to stereo mini plug cable from radio shack and wasn't able to get it to work...will try more over the weekend

Only one source can use the units speakers for sound. I use source 1 for cable (using the tv's speakers) and source 2 for dvi (since it uses the computer speakers.) Whichever source you SELECT will have the audio for that video.

Does anybody have this TV connected to a PS2 over component? I just bought some Sony component cables and I can't get a signal. All it says is "no signal" and "not support". And I can't return the cables because I bought it from Media Play, which is going out of business and won't accept any returns. So I'm pretty much screwed. So are there any component cables that'll work?


Did you remember to change the settings in the PS2 setup menu? You have to set the PS2 to use component cables before you can use them. A rather silly way of doing things, but that's how it works. And remember, if you need to switch back from component to RGB, you have to have the component plugged in, switch it, turn it off, plug in the RGB, then it will work, and vice versa for going from RGB to component...

Hello all,
I have built an Media Center 2005 PC using an MSI mobo with GeForce 6150 integrated video card /w PureVideo support, Nvidia decoder. Using SD analog cable to a Hauppage PVR500MCE and displaying using DVI to a Syntax LT26HVX running 1280x768.

When I tune to certain SD channels such as Weather Channel I see a closely spaced cross-hatching pattern on both live and recorded TV. Sometimes I see a hatching pattern @ 45 degrees, other times it is at 135 degrees.

It is less visible when the MCE zoom setting is 4:3, and more visible when the picture is zoomed.

The same channel displayed via a digital stb to component on the Syntax does not have this artifact.

I have some questions:

1) Are these artifacts the result of noise (power cables next to video) or are they related to the various scaling going on between Media Center and the TV.

2) Could someone point to a step by step procedure for how to get as close to 1366x768 on this TV using powerstrip or the nvidia utilities (custom timings?)

3) Should I use VGA to the TV instead of DVI from the PC?

So, here are my setting after doing a basic AVIA callibration:

Brightness 48
Contrast 42
Saturation 48
Hue 49
Sharpness 58

I have the color temp and back light set to middle and all of the advance setting set to on.

Also, as was discussed before, you can't do many of these setting in DVI mode. The DVI mode also has some other problems so I'm not using it. So, I have my STB going through component and a dvd player going through component.

I am going to try the computer set up today.

Hope this is helpful!


Anybody know if these settings work well with the LT26HVE?

MrClie, I picked up a geforce 6200 to attempt to try 1:1 pixel mapping @ 1366x768. I gave up after fiddling with the advanced timing with the latest drivers and powerstrip.

I read from the makers of powerstrip that the 6 series via DVI can only fake 1366...

1280x720 looks semi decent, scaling is apparent in text but not that bad in HD video.

Maybe i'll try a ATI X1300 later on, supposedly those can do true custom resolutions by individual pixel increments.

how many of you wanna bet these rez problems wont be fixed until you make Gates richer with his next OS?

Anybody know if these settings work well with the LT26HVE?
Every room will have different amounts of ambient light, the time of the day will make a big difference, and your personal tastes will further dictate how you feel about the settings. Use others settings with that in mind...nothing has been stated with the above to let you know how much light was in the room when he was calibrating with the disc.

Anybody know if these settings work well with the LT26HVE?

Yes, I would definitely recommend callibrating your tv yourself if you have the time. I used Avia home theatre for mine. There is also video essentials. It can definitely be a matter of personal taste.

I also wanted to update on my tv with the computer. It has worked fine with no problems using the VGA hook-up.

I have had nothing but problems with these units.

I have returned four of them within the past 2 weeks, then decided to buy a brand name.

First unit=Bad Speaker
Second unit=lcd leakage all over the screen
Third unit=lasted 15 mins before it blew out.
Fourth unit=lasted about 8 hours before the screen died.

I know these units have very attractive pricing and great specs, but they are just made like garbage!

To make matters worse, try calling their customer service....it is a joke.

You wait for ten minutes, then they ask you to leave a message.

STAY AWAY!!!!

I have had nothing but problems with these units.

I have returned four of them within the past 2 weeks, then decided to buy a brand name.

First unit=Bad Speaker
Second unit=lcd leakage all over the screen
Third unit=lasted 15 mins before it blew out.
Fourth unit=lasted about 8 hours before the screen died.

I know these units have very attractive pricing and great specs, but they are just made like garbage!

To make matters worse, try calling their customer service....it is a joke.

You wait for ten minutes, then they ask you to leave a message.

STAY AWAY!!!!

Really? Mine is perfect! I also called them to check out their response, it was excellent. Had it since BF and could not be happier.

MrClie, I picked up a geforce 6200 to attempt to try 1:1 pixel mapping @ 1366x768. I gave up after fiddling with the advanced timing with the latest drivers and powerstrip.

I read from the makers of powerstrip that the 6 series via DVI can only fake 1366...

1280x720 looks semi decent, scaling is apparent in text but not that bad in HD video.

Maybe i'll try a ATI X1300 later on, supposedly those can do true custom resolutions by individual pixel increments.

i have a 6800 and found the following -
using dvi, 1280 was the only width that worked correctly. 1360 or 1368 made the pc image bigger than the screen width for some reason. didn't have any problems with setting the height to 720, 768, or 1024.
using vga - i got it set to 1360x768 and it looked pretty good. the vga connection seems to work much better as far as getting close to a 1:1 pixel mapping.

I got this TV about a week ago. I've got a couple questions about it.

Is there a zoom feature, not 4:3 mode, that will allow me to watch programs with Black Bars off normal coax cable TV?

What tweaks have you guys done to improve picture quality and black levels?

Really? Mine is perfect! I also called them to check out their response, it was excellent. Had it since BF and could not be happier.
I just guess that Compusa must have had a bad lot of them.

As far as Syntax customer service, they answer the phone, but try to talk to the tech department.

I tried over a dozen times, had the same thing happen....kept on hold then just asked to leave a message.

I also left them an email almost 2 weeks ago...still waiting to hear from them!

Seph,

You will see picture tweaks earlier in this thread.

The TV gives you a number of options in terms of widening the picture. You simply go into menu and scroll to the right and select the thing that looks like a screen. I don't mind the bars so I don't zoom the picture but it is an option. I believe that each input has its own unique picture width that you can save. I should note that VGA only lets you use the wide (stretched) picture as far as I can tell.

Regarding problems with this tv, I would definitely disregard the previous post warning against purchasing this tv. Sounds like he had a terrible experience but I would say that most people in this forum have had a very positive experience with the HVX. Aside from the issues regarding the DVI connection (discussed earlier in this thread), the TV has performed great for me!

Fry's had a one day sale on this TV yesterday, so I decided to take advantage of it and buy it.

Didn't get a chance to hook it up until today, and for the time being, it's being used as my PC monitor. I have it hooked up through the VGA cable that came with the TV. When I changed the resolution in the PC settings to 1280x720, the screen would shift to the left and up a little bit, when I tried 1280x768, it got worse, and 1280x1024 even worse. I decided it looked best in 1280x720, so I went with that, and I adjusted the screen position in the TV menu.

Is that the best way to go about centering the screen, or is there another option? Since I changed the horiz and vert screen position in VGA, will that apply to the other inputs as well, or are the settings each seperate? I haven't had time to hook up an xbox or dvd player yet, but I was worried that the screen position would be messed up on those.

Maybe using DVI or a better VGA cable would help?

When I first hooked it up, I noticed a stuck pixel (blue) on the right side of the screen, not really noticable or anything, so it didn't bother me. Since then I noticed a reddish one in the middle of the screen near the bottom. Very noticable against a white background or even a grey background. I'm not sure if it was there since the beginning, or popped up afterwards. It's kind of annoying. Should I even bother packing this thing up and exchanging it? Will it be noticable at all during gaming or watching DVDs? Do retailers even take exchanges due to dead pixels? Is there anyway to correct stuck pixels?

I finally figured out how to get the TV to stop stretching through VGA.

Run 1280x768
Go to your display properties > advanced > displays > Uncheck the "Preserve Widescreen aspect" box
Go into the menu of the HVX and center it, and that'll be the best possible for using the HVX as a monitor without the picture being stretched.

Thanks for the very useful info Seth! I will try it!

butto

I think each input is independent.

Re: dead pixels, you may want to check out Syntax's policy at www.syntaxgroup.com I think there needs to be a set of dead pixels, something like 4 or more, for them to take a return. However, if it were me, I would definitely exchange the unit and get a new one either through the retailer or Syntax. If you explain your situation, I'm pretty sure they will honor an exchange.

What are the chances of the new TV having a dead pixel, or even more dead pixels?

I would hate to go through the hassle of packing it back up, driving over there, exchanging it, and setting the TV back up only to have it be even worse than the first one.

It's only really noticable up close in regular computer use. When I play a video and focus on it, then move away from the TV to a regular viewing distance, it kinda blends in and I don't see it.

But I would like to have the TV be perfect. Has anyone returned an LCD to Fry's? Did they give you any hassle about it?

i have bought afew syntaxs from frys and had now problems with any sets having dead pixels...knock on wood, i wished my frys still carried there sets looks like they are being replaced with emprex model

i have a 6800 and found the following -
using dvi, 1280 was the only width that worked correctly. 1360 or 1368 made the pc image bigger than the screen width for some reason. didn't have any problems with setting the height to 720, 768, or 1024.
using vga - i got it set to 1360x768 and it looked pretty good. the vga connection seems to work much better as far as getting close to a 1:1 pixel mapping.

Yes, I have the same results with VGA.

Is anyone actually using a ATI Radeon X1xxx series video card with this TV? It should be able to do 1366x768 via VGA in addition to DVI.

Does this LCD have Picture in Picture? If so, can I be working on something on my computer online and be watching a game off my HD receiver?

What are the chances of the new TV having a dead pixel, or even more dead pixels?

I would hate to go through the hassle of packing it back up, driving over there, exchanging it, and setting the TV back up only to have it be even worse than the first one.

It's only really noticable up close in regular computer use. When I play a video and focus on it, then move away from the TV to a regular viewing distance, it kinda blends in and I don't see it.

But I would like to have the TV be perfect. Has anyone returned an LCD to Fry's? Did they give you any hassle about it?

I work the returns counter at a Fry's. As far as returning a TV, it's usually straightforward, we just take it out of the box and turn it on(USUALLY). If you want to get an even exchange they should be more than happy to oblige, that is if they have any in stock. At my store we constantly run out, especially when it's selling for cheap.

Edit: Also wanted to say that we don't charge a restocking fee. If we do you charge you, it's usually because the UPC is missing and we will charge for how much the rebate is worth or you're missing items from the box and the PIC (Person In Charge) accepts the return.

I just finished mounting my Syntax LCD in the bedroom. I used a 75/100 mount called Axsys and available through buy.com. The link is:

http://www.buy.com/prod/Vantage_Point_AXWL02_S_LCD_Tilting_and_Panning_Mounting_Syst em/q/loc/111/90120586.html

I will post a picture when I get a chance.

Anyone else notice extra sharpness when switching back to the component input (either 1 or 2) from another source? I have an HTPC hooked up as well as a 360. When I go from VGA to Comp1, the 360 has extra edge enhancement. It is fixed but moving the sharpness control up or down one but it's weird. Anyone else notice this? I've also hooked up the X-Box to see if it happens as well. Basically moving from component (at least) and then back to component introduces extra sharpness on the image.

Has anyone had any problem with the backlight flickering slightly? I'm having problems with it. It seems to happen when the TV has been on for a period of 2-3 hours.

Has anyone had any problem with the backlight flickering slightly? I'm having problems with it. It seems to happen when the TV has been on for a period of 2-3 hours.

Do you have the Adaptive Luma Control option turned on in the Advance Picture Adjust.

It's there whether it's on or off.

Nobody notices any extra sharpness when moving to component from another source? I've seen 3 sets that all did this. Anyone?

Nope, but I'll look for it.

It's there whether it's on or off.

OK, sounds like an issue internally in the set. Might as well either exchange it if you are within the store's return policy or call syntax for service.

How does this LCD shape up against a Samsung LNR238W?

How does this LCD shape up against a Samsung LNR238W?

The Samsung is certainly a solid LCD -- well-liked at the Circuit City website and it has a nice sleek design. I'm not sure if you can hang it if that matters. But the Syntax has also been well-reviewed (e.g., check www.syntaxgroups.com or see the publication Perfect Vision). It is not this particular model but another one.

For the same money, I would probably lean towards the Samsung but my Syntax was about half the cost of the 23 inch Samsung and I the Syntax was 26 inches!

BTW, the Radio Shack website is currently featuring this and other Syntax TVs.

Nobody notices any extra sharpness when moving to component from another source? I've seen 3 sets that all did this. Anyone?

I noticed back when I got my xbox 360. anytime you turn off the TV it will come back, changing sharpness makes it go away. I had my TV exchanged and the same thing happened.

Does anyone have the calibrated settings for the LT26HVX?? I've been asking around but no one seems to know.

I posted my callibrations using Avia earlier in this thread.

Hi everyone I'm a new LT26HVX owner. When i play DVDs with WinDVD via DVI the picture is blocky and pixelated. What's causing this? Because in VGA mode the picture is fine with no blocky artifacts.

Hi everyone I'm a new LT26HVX owner. When i play DVDs with WinDVD via DVI the picture is blocky and pixelated. What's causing this? Because in VGA mode the picture is fine with no blocky artifacts.

Various people have encountered problems with DVI using this HDTV (as you will see earlier in this thread). You may want to fiddle with the input resolution if you have that option (not sure about Win DVD). Otherwise, I would suggest trying to use component connections.

Has anyone encountered problems with using an external OTA HDTV tuner? I have the SA HD-DVR going into component 2 and the Samsung HDTV tuner going into component 1. Either source is available for display in the main display, but neither can be put into the PiP! It seems like the only inputs supported for the secondary source are the antenna, S-video and DVI connections.

When I try to use the DVI connection from the Samsung tuner, I get a message that says "1080i not supported" when I try the PiP. What the heck does that mean?!? Does that mean that the secondary source has to be something other than 1080i? Or does it mean that it MUST be 1080i and it isn't?

If anyone has run in to anything similar, I'd love to hear how you dealt with it...

Hi everyone I'm a new LT26HVX owner. When i play DVDs with WinDVD via DVI the picture is blocky and pixelated. What's causing this? Because in VGA mode the picture is fine with no blocky artifacts.


Try running 1280x720 @ 60Hz from your HTPC .

-------- Jason

When I try to use the DVI connection from the Samsung tuner, I get a message that says "1080i not supported" when I try the PiP. What the heck does that mean?!? Does that mean that the secondary source has to be something other than 1080i? Or does it mean that it MUST be 1080i and it isn't?

If anyone has run in to anything similar, I'd love to hear how you dealt with it...

I don't think 1080i is supported through DVI with PiP. I have a different model but I think I was able to get it to work. I got the message that 1080i wasn't supported, switched to 720p in PiP, then back to 1080i and it worked. At least that's what I think I did, I'm not at home to test it out. Worth a try anyway.

I noticed back when I got my xbox 360. anytime you turn off the TV it will come back, changing sharpness makes it go away. I had my TV exchanged and the same thing happened.

Does anyone have the calibrated settings for the LT26HVX?? I've been asking around but no one seems to know.


Did you adjust sharpness for another input (from default) , if so what do you have it set at ?

I have perfect 360 calibration settings for the LT26HVX but they are from the VGA connection and do not hold up across Component .

You usually cannot use other peoples calibration settings unless you are using the same source ( meaning same dvd player with the same menu settings , etc. ) .

---------- Jason

Try running 1280x720 @ 60Hz from your HTPC .

-------- Jason

That did the trick. My Radeon 9200 is kind of outdated and I had to download the latest drivers to get 1280x720. but too bad they don't support 1366x768.

Which input is better for watching hi-def: DVI or component? And how come I can't get into bios through DVI? It just displays the blue screen until windows loads up.

Has anyone encountered problems with using an external OTA HDTV tuner? I have the SA HD-DVR going into component 2 and the Samsung HDTV tuner going into component 1. Either source is available for display in the main display, but neither can be put into the PiP! It seems like the only inputs supported for the secondary source are the antenna, S-video and DVI connections.

When I try to use the DVI connection from the Samsung tuner, I get a message that says "1080i not supported" when I try the PiP. What the heck does that mean?!? Does that mean that the secondary source has to be something other than 1080i? Or does it mean that it MUST be 1080i and it isn't?

If anyone has run in to anything similar, I'd love to hear how you dealt with it...

I get HD OTA through this TV but haven't tried PIP except for when the secondary source is SD. I can tell you that this TV is a bit quirky about resolution -- it has trouble when I feed it the native resolution from the STB. So, I just use 1080i over component. Anyway, I'll fiddle with the PIP and let you know if I find anything useful.

Did you adjust sharpness for another input (from default) , if so what do you have it set at ?

I have perfect 360 calibration settings for the LT26HVX but they are from the VGA connection and do not hold up across Component .

You usually cannot use other peoples calibration settings unless you are using the same source ( meaning same dvd player with the same menu settings , etc. ) .

---------- Jason

Other sharpness from other inputs are set at 68, and the 360 is at around 30. Definitely I can see the problem come up because it's an instantaneous and extreme effect on the picture.

I'm getting a VGA cable as well, so if you could PM or post those settings (since we have the same source and display) it would be great, thanks.

BTW, would you recommend getting Monster VGA cable or should I just stick with the official MSoft one?

I just seen an Olevia Syntax 27" LCD on sale for $$$. That was the LCD I was originally looking to purchase. I thought it was a great price for performance. No I am wondering if I should return my HP LC2600N and get this one instead. I am trying to justify whether the extras on this set is worth the couple of extra hundred I paid for. Hmmmmm!!
Has anyone here seen the HP 26" LCD and have any comparison to the Syntax.

EDIT>>

mod note: no price other than MSRP, please. Thanks

I work the returns counter at a Fry's. As far as returning a TV, it's usually straightforward, we just take it out of the box and turn it on(USUALLY). If you want to get an even exchange they should be more than happy to oblige, that is if they have any in stock. At my store we constantly run out, especially when it's selling for cheap.

Edit: Also wanted to say that we don't charge a restocking fee. If we do you charge you, it's usually because the UPC is missing and we will charge for how much the rebate is worth or you're missing items from the box and the PIC (Person In Charge) accepts the return.

Thanks for the reply, I actually exchanged it a couple days after I made that post, and it was no problem. 2nd one was much better, no burnt pixels, I think the first one was damaged in shipping, screen was a little loose, and the power didn't plug into the tv that well.

Anyways, I had been using it as just a computer monitor, but finally got around to setting it up as a regular TV. Haven't got HD quite yet (getting that soon) but I gotta say SD isn't that bad from a little further away.

Hooked up the xbox via component, and Crimson Skies looked pretty good.

Does anyone know the best video settings for SD/HD and for videogame systems?

Also I need to get a longer DVI cable so I can still use the TV to play PC games, is there any difference between DVI-I and DVI-D? Which one is better?

I will try the DNR on high as well. Also, you may want to fiddle with the incoming resolution. I put mine on "native" which avoids double scaling. You might also try feeding the TV 720p.

It that an option on the TV? I don't see anything in the menu to set it to "native" Also in the menu I can choose the first 4 options, but the last all the way to the right is greyed out. Is that supposed to be like that?

Anyone notice that when you have it in VGA mode, the upper right corner's pixels (about 2 or 3 of them) flash white randomly? This is when it's on a completely black screen, when I have an image over them, it just flashes a brighter version of the color it's displaying. I've seen this both on my PC and 360. Is this normal?

The resolutions are set by on your set top box. If you have an HDTV set top box, you can choose 720p, 1080i and sometimes, native (in addition to 480i and 480p). So, I mean to try to experiment with those resolutions. The same is true if you have an upconverting dvd player.

Anyone notice that when you have it in VGA mode, the upper right corner's pixels (about 2 or 3 of them) flash white randomly? This is when it's on a completely black screen, when I have an image over them, it just flashes a brighter version of the color it's displaying. I've seen this both on my PC and 360. Is this normal?I've noticed that too. It only happens in VGA. I don't use VGA anymore but I'd still like to know what's causing it.

Ok, finally got HD hooked up, and the Yamaha codes for the remote worked.

But when I'm watching a HD channel that has a show on that's not in HD, it doesn't fill the screen. When I choose full or 16:9, it just displays 4:3. If I choose 4:3 it's extra narrow. Anyone know what's causing this? Is there any kind of stretch mode on this tv?

usually there is a menu option on your HD source that has options for what type of tv your signal is going to (16:9 or 4:3). Make sure you have it set to 16:9 otherwise you get a 4:3 signal into your tv that does exactly what you're describing.

and for anyone else, CompUSA is having a very good sale on the HVX for President's Day. Make sure you buy it now for in store pickup and pick it up during the sale to complete the transaction at the Pres Day price.

Ok, finally got HD hooked up, and the Yamaha codes for the remote worked.

But when I'm watching a HD channel that has a show on that's not in HD, it doesn't fill the screen. When I choose full or 16:9, it just displays 4:3. If I choose 4:3 it's extra narrow. Anyone know what's causing this? Is there any kind of stretch mode on this tv?

Does anyone have a problem with the audio hissing? It's an annoying whistling type sound that comes from mine. I got mine during the CC BF deal. If you mute it it goes away, but I'd like to use the speakers.

Gowry

Mine has the hissing sound also. I only notice it when I'm right in front of the set, not from my normal viewing distance.

Many people report the hissing.
Also you might want to check your clock.
Mine gains 1 minute every 2 days.
Contacted them 2 twice by phone which directed me twice to email........no reply.

So I know this TV has problems getting 1:1 pixel mapping with its DVI input. Are there any problems using 1080i and 720p on the DVI input, or am I better off to use the component input for 1080i and 720p?

Has anyone tried opening the tv and replacing the factory speakers? They're terrible. A pair of external speakers connected to the headphone jack is much better. No hissing at all.

Can you set the aspect ratio of the LT26HVX to 4:3 in VGA mode? I don't think I can change it VGA mode. It too stretch out in 16:9 mode for regular internet browsing.

Thanks,

OK, so I just picked up an LT26HVX yesterday. First of all, the picture quality is great, especially for a TV in that price range. But, I've already seen a few problems.

The first is the hissing issue that several of you are talking about, which is pretty much at constant except when the TV is muted or the voume is all the way down to 0. It's worse when using an external input than with the built-in TV tuner. But at least the hiss does not come out of the audio output jacks. So, the hissing must be coming from the audio amp. This is annoying, but I'll put up with it for the price of the TV.

I was watching a component video source, and after an hour, the hissing turned into more of a squealing. It changed based on what type of video was coming in. I could hear it with 480p, but it got really bad with 720p. At 1080i, the squealing almost disappeared. And all this was with the audio cables from the source disconnected, so I know the squealing was coming from the TV, not my external source. (Which was a hard drive based media player, not that it matters.)

And there was one more thing I noticed. I have several of the channels named. If the TV is in TV mode and I turn it off and back on, everything is OK. However, if I have it set to some external input source (just pick one) and turn it off and back on, then put it into TV mode, all my channel labels are gone. And, every channel repeats itself at 70 + the channel number. For example, channel 4 shows up on channel 4 and 74, channel 15 shows up on 15 and 85, etc. The antenna is set to air to use an antenna in the attic. Not sure what it does when set to cable.

Anybody else notice the squealing or the weird channel behavior?

John

Since it seems there are some new owners on here, does anyone have one of these TVs that doesn't hiss? I use this as a bedroom tv and the hissing at low volume levels is really annoying. If there are some that don't have this issue, I'll take mine and exchange it but I don't want to have to haul this back if I don't have to.

For those of you who are tired of the hissing noise, and are sure you want to keep the TV, and aren't afraid to open it up and modify it, here's an idea. This TV is capable of getting *way* louder than I would ever want it to get. You could take it apart enough to give you access to the wires going to the speakers. Put a resistor in series with each speaker so that it gets reduced power. You might also want to put another resistor in parallel just to try to keep the overall impedance the same as the original. You will have to turn up the volume more than you did before, but the hiss will be reduced.

If you don't know how to wire resistors in series/parallel or do the calculation to match the impedance, you probably shouldn't be opening your TV. :)

I have mine in my bedroom and no hissing noise. And I would certainly notice because the slightest noise drives my wife and I crazy.

Have had mine for 3 days in the bedroom and have not noticed the hiss yet. Probably will end up with a receiver in there so I won't even be using the speakers at some point. Love the pic by the way. Even with basic cable the picture was much clearer than my sharp 26" aquos which is over twice the cost.

I think I would've put that sentence first in your post. You never know when you'll get someone that's impatient with a short attention span.


If you don't know how to wire resistors in series/parallel or do the calculation to match the impedance, you probably shouldn't be opening your TV. :)

OK, here's another way to reduce the hiss. (I tried this one -- it works!) Go get yourself a set of amplified PC speakers with a subwoofer. (Just about any set will be better than the TV's speakers.) Plug them into the TV's headphone jack. Set the amplified speakers' volume control so that the TV's volume has to be about halfway up for a comfortable volume level. The hiss will be reduced, and you will be enjoying much better sound.

actually why not just use the audio outs in the back and turn the speakers off if you're going to go that route. Just find something black so it blends well.
.

actually why not just use the audio outs in the back and turn the speakers off if you're going to go that route. Just find something black so it blends well.
.
Is there a way to change the audio out jacks from fixed to variable volume so that you can control it with the remote? Most TVs have this feature, but I couldn't seem to find it in the menu. Also, I don't think the bass / treble / EQ settings affect the audio outs, do they? I guess that could be good or bad depending on what you want.

Since it seems there are some new owners on here, does anyone have one of these TVs that doesn't hiss? I use this as a bedroom tv and the hissing at low volume levels is really annoying. If there are some that don't have this issue, I'll take mine and exchange it but I don't want to have to haul this back if I don't have to.

Bought this TV yesterday with the smokin' deal at CompUSA, and I notice no hissing from the speakers.

The SD picture on this set with a straight coax cable connection is better than the SD picture on my father's 32-inch Westinghouse LCD HDTV, which surprised me.

So far I'm very pleased with this set, especially for the price.

Take care,
PK

Maybe TVs made before a certain date hiss and the ones made after that don't. On the box that my hisser came in, I see this sticker:

Model: LT26HVX
S/N VELK15512767

Then a smaller sticker has:

00 10
04 XX

Not sure if you can get any date information out of that.

John

.......... This TV is capable of getting *way* louder than I would ever want it to get. ............

Exactly what I think..........like a home stereo with the volume turned completely down.........You can hear the hiss but once a it gets the power it can handle the hiss is gone.

I have streamed music going to mine and the sound is unbelievable compared to regular tv speakers.....but it does suck to listen to late at night with the volume low.

Anyone else check their clocks?

I usually have the volume at 20 and the hiss is still audible. Increasing the volume only drowns it out.

Got mine right after the new years, and its been amazing since. I've had no hissing, SD looks pretty good, HD is AMAZING, and Counterstrike (cpu game) on a 27" lcd is CRAZY!! I'm used to a 17" monitor, so teh 27" is a dream =) Absolutely no complaints about the set, and I recommend it to all of my friends.

without calibration..


whats the best settings for this set?

Can anyone PM me the service menu codes?

Missed the BF sale but picked it up on CompUSA President's day sale last weekend and very glad I did. No hiss what-so-ever with volume set @ 14. This is my bedroom set @ SD and the picture already looks amazingly great. It is replacing a 15 years old 19" CRT and very likely will convince me to upgrade my HT room's almost 10 years old 50" RPTV to a full HD set up which will involve lots of physical labor in dissembling/moving racks full of gear.

As for the bright blue light, nothing a little bit of Sharpie couldn't take care of. ;)

PF

I bought this TV during Pres Day Sale. It's awesome BUT only when i connect my "HD upconverting" LG DVB418 DVD player to it (via HDMI -> DVI) I cannot get it to scale full screen...

there's like a cm. shifted to the left...so the there's a black strip going down the right edge of the screen when i'm watching DVD's

and there's no option to auto scale the picture in DVI mode.

anyone else has this problem?

Can someone PM me the service menu codes as well?

I bought this TV today from CompUSA and hooked up my DVD player with the TV via component cables. But the strange thing was the picture was shifted about 1 inch toward the top of the screen, which chopped off the top of the picture and left the bottom of the screen an balck (empty) stripe. Both my DVD player and the TV were set in 16:9 mode. I tried to adjust the vertical position of the screen but found that menu item on the TV was disabled (in green color). Has anyone encountered the same problem? I guess I would have to return it if this problem can't be resolved. I am new to both this forum and to HDTV, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Roverxie

rover, can you see if your unit has that hissing sound when you put the volume on low? i got mine during the black friday sale and i am occassionally annoyed by this issue.

also i got quite a scare today with my olevia. i tried turn it on but it wouldn't. the blue light wasn't lit. i ended up unplugging the TV and plugging it back on and finally i see the blue light (stand by). turned it on and its still working.

thegoldenhand, yes! the hissing sound is there but I had to put my ear very close (10-20cm) to the speakers to hear it. So, this doesn't bother me.

I did find 2-3 hot pixels (one constant red and one constant blue, the other is not as obvious as the first two), but I guess I can't complain too much with this price.

My initial impression about the PQ of this TV playing DVDs is very good, albeit the two speakers really suck---it almost hurt your ear with the harsh, cold, and lifeless sound.

Finally, the picture shift problem was solved by fiddling with my DVD player's video setting.

I just bought the Syntax yesterday, but I can hear the hissing to. At 0 or 1 I can only hear hissing and no audio. At 10 the audio drowns out all the hissing. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or not.

I sent mail to Syntax about the hissing noise, and within a few days, I got a reply as to the possible causes of my "buzzing noise", which included the TV's backlight setting, dirty A/V contacts, lamp dimmers, etc. None of these are my problem.

I also sent mail about the problem of the channel names going away, but I got no response on that issue.

Maybe if we all sent mail, they might realize that it's a problem? Maybe?

John

I think the consensus is there's a lot of olevia models that has this hissing sound problem (not just the LT26HVX). I also feel there's a lot to be desired in the speaker performance. I use this in my bedroom and it does its job fine. In the future I may go for getting a stereo receiver and some bookshelf speakers.

I am seriously looking at the Olevia LT26HVX at Compusa. Very good price today . Looking for a bedroom. Looking at all other options even open boxes of Sharp or Sony but can only get them down to around a grand compared to five hundred for the LT26HVX. I figure I cannot go wrong on this based on price and half decent quality. Any input welcome!

How is this with regular cable TV? I saw in store and did notice black level problems but can this be adjusted with the settings? Picture in store looked a little blurring but so did other tvs hooked up to the store cable. I am sure my picture at home would be better. Anyone find the same.?

Is this a decent TV for the bedroom??? How about if you just keep regular cable hooked up?
Thank you,
Chip

Is this a decent TV for the bedroom??? How about if you just keep regular cable hooked up?
Yes and no.

Yes, the picture quality is great. I have mine hooked up to an antenna in the attic, and it works very well. I can only imagine cable being better. But, we mostly watch DVDs anyway.

But no, becase I have one of the hissing units. Normally, the audio is loud enough that it covers up the hiss, but if I had to use this in a bedroom where I would keep the volume low, it would be very annoying.

John

John,
Thanks for the input. To get rid of hissing sound can you turn volumn down and use external speakers??? Whats does Syntax say about the hiss sound? Was it there when you bought it new?
Thank you,
Dennis

John,
Thanks for the input. To get rid of hissing sound can you turn volumn down and use external speakers??? Whats does Syntax say about the hiss sound? Was it there when you bought it new?
Thank you,
Dennis
The hissing is there when the TV is not muted, and the volume is anywhere above 0, and if you are actually watching something. If you select an input source that is not there, you get a blue screen, and no hiss. There is a headphone jack, and the hiss comes out of this jack too. There is also a set of audio output RCA jacks, and the good news is that they are hiss-free.

The hiss has been there since I took it out of the box. It's better when watching a TV channel and worse when watching something from an external input, like a DVD player. And this is even with the DVD player's audio cords disconnected, so I know the TV's audio amp is causing the hiss.

I'm still waiting for a good answer from Syntax.

John

The hissing is there when the TV is not muted, and the volume is anywhere above 0, and if you are actually watching something. If you select an input source that is not there, you get a blue screen, and no hiss. There is a headphone jack, and the hiss comes out of this jack too. There is also a set of audio output RCA jacks, and the good news is that they are hiss-free.

The hiss has been there since I took it out of the box. It's better when watching a TV channel and worse when watching something from an external input, like a DVD player. And this is even with the DVD player's audio cords disconnected, so I know the TV's audio amp is causing the hiss.

I'm still waiting for a good answer from Syntax.

John

No hiss here and excellent PQ! Seems that some units have the hiss and others do not. Perhaps it relates to the build date or something. For those who have the hiss, are you using the DVI input? I just use component and no hiss.

I went through three of these sets and found the same hiss each time. Some units were far worse than others, but my small sample set showed it was always there. It still would be nice for the price if you turn those speakers off...

My headphone jack is hiss free.

While I'm not thrilled with some of the problems people are reporting (hiss, remote issues) , its getting hard to sit on the sidelines for this model. I saw a March Madness ad with large rebates at a nationwide Comp store that makes this almost too good to pass up. Just not sure if I will have buyer's remorse rather than wait a few more months for prices to drop on some other big name brands or larger screens. With 26" screens breaking the $500 barrier can the the 30" or 32" ones be far behind? Any thoughts on waiting vs. going for it?

Any thoughts on waiting vs. going for it?
Even with the hiss, I'm glad I went for it, even though it will take 8-10 weeks to get my rebate. :(

Thanks! I went out and got the Syntax today at CompUSA [EDIT] I made the mistake of stopping off at the Sams next door and they had a Vizio L32 floor model for about $200 more. Now my dilemna is whether or not to get the L32 or keep the Syntax. This is killing me! :)

Please let me know if you have the hissing problem, or the problem of the channel names disappearing. (Read my earlier post of how to reproduce that one.)

John

I set up both the Vizio L32 and the Olevia next to each other at home. The PQ from the Olevia was far better- the image was crisper and colors richer. I could really see the issue of "yellowish whites" that others had reported on the L32. To be fair, I was using the feed from SD DirecTV and the composite video connection (I know the Vizio is weak in this area but no HDMI signal source for me). No hissing on the Olevia either! Looks like the Vizio is headed either for the kids tv room or maybe even back to Sams.

One interesting thing I noticed with the remotes is that they seem to use the same coding- the Olevia remote can control the Vizio and vice versa for power on/off and volume.

I had an lt32hve that had a hissing problem but It wasn't a big deal to me as I turned the speakers off anyway. I had to send it back to Syntax with another problem, and the replacement they sent me has no hiss at all. It could be that maybe they fixed the problem in later revisions, or maybe I just got lucky. :)

Please let me know if you have the hissing problem, or the problem of the channel names disappearing. (Read my earlier post of how to reproduce that one.)

John

I got mine at the March Madness sale this past weekend. The hiss on mine is very annoying. I'm going to try and swap it out and see if I get another hissing one. It is particularly bad when hooked up through the component cables. I can totally disconnect the audio cables and the hiss remains, so I know it has to be the tv itself. If I get another and it still hisses, I may get a cheap surround system, as this is for the bedroom. The picture is outstanding, though. I'd hate to just return it. I haven't done the channel-naming thing yet, so I don't know about that.

Update: I exchanged the unit I had for a new one that compusa had just received. No hissing, no dead pixels. I am extremely happy with this purchase.

I had to return my unit 3 times to CompUSA before getting a decent unit.

The first unit had 10 hot pixels sparsely located and the bad hiss sound that wouldn't go away even after turning off the the speakers...

The second unit had 3 bad bright green dead pixels. Sound was ok though...

The third had 1 hot red dead pixel that wasn't too noticeable and the there was no hiss. I figured for $500...... that's the best it's going to get.

My only issue is the bull crap native res of DVI 1366x768 which the EDID is saying it's 1280x1024. Same issue everyone else is having.....

Nvidia's knowlege base talks about this issue. Just do a search in the knowledge base for 1366x768.

hello i own the 26hvx i only use it for xbox360 and movies WHAT "DAFREAK" ARE BEST SETTINGS FOR THIS SET? I TRIED ALOT BUT ITs EITHER TOOO DARK, WASHED OUT, what gives..please im going out my mind!

Does anybody else have the problem of the disappearing channel names? (See my earlier post to find out how to reproduce this.)

John

hello i own the 26hvx i only use it for xbox360 and movies WHAT "DAFREAK" ARE BEST SETTINGS FOR THIS SET? I TRIED ALOT BUT ITs EITHER TOOO DARK, WASHED OUT, what gives..please im going out my mind!
:confused:

:confused:
:confused:

...

So I ordered a 24 awg HDMI to DVI cable from monoprice, plug it up to the Motorola DVR (DCT6412, Comcast service) and the syntax, and I get a HDCP failure and the picture reverts to 480i. This happened with 3 different boxes. Anyone familiar with this problem? I have the "techs" at Comcast stumped.

If anyone could answer any of these questions, it would be very appreciated.

1) Does the 27" model fix the resolution problems with the TV? I have an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. I'm looking to buy it for use with my computer and XBOX360. Not really wanting to use it for TV or DVD watching.

2) Can I have both my PC and XBOX hooked up to the TV at the same time? It seems like it would be kind of annoying to have to be switching cables back and forth all of the time.

3) What are the best settings for the TV for use with XBOX360? I have the HDTV adapter that came with the premium package. I see some people have been using VGA. I really do not want to pay the $40 for it, when I have the adapter that came with the premium pack.

4) What price did you pay for your TV? If the mod doesn't want you to give prices, if you could PM me the price you paid, that would be awesome.

Thanks,
Ryan

edit: Forgot to ask what wall mount you guys recommend for this. I want something you can tilt up and down. I don't want anything too expensive either.

I have a Voom satelite receiver lying around that I wanted to test for HD OTA reception, so I plugged it into my LT26HVX. That seemed to work on SD programming, although at that time of day there was little HD programming to watch and the one channel that would have HD programming, PBS HD, would cause the Voom box to restart.

Regardless, I somehow managed to screw up both of my component inputs, in that I would get a blue screen with either a "no signal" warning or a format error warning. After fooling around with the TV, and resetting to default with no improvement, I unplugged the TV and went shopping. When I got back and plugged the TV in again, my component inputs were working properly. I don't know what voodoo broke the inputs or fixed them, but I guess I'm happy they are fixed.

On a side note, I e-mailed Syntax support about my component problem before it fixed itself, and they suggested the following:

Please try to play DVD Player on video (Yellow, Red, and White)
input. That the best source for DVD Player.





Thank you for contacting Syntax Technical Support.

Not only do I think this highly unlikely, that composite is the best input for a DVD player, but the thought that Syntax would think a TV with two busted sets of component inputs is not in need of fixing amazes me.

hello i own the 26hvx i only use it for xbox360 and movies WHAT "DAFREAK" ARE BEST SETTINGS FOR THIS SET? I TRIED ALOT BUT ITs EITHER TOOO DARK, WASHED OUT, what gives..please im going out my mind!

i love my set..but cant figure out which setting is good! how do i get the best setting for my use..xbox360/movies only!!!!!!!
please help

i have it set to:
brt60
cont35
hue50
sat55
sharp40
r+1..g-1..b-2
dnr middle
everything else is set to on..
is this right?

hello i own the 26hvx i only use it for xbox360 and movies WHAT "DAFREAK" ARE BEST SETTINGS FOR THIS SET? I TRIED ALOT BUT ITs EITHER TOOO DARK, WASHED OUT, what gives..please im going out my mind!

i love my set..but cant figure out which setting is good! how do i get the best setting for my use..xbox360/movies only!!!!!!!
please help

i have it set to:
brt60
cont35
hue50
sat55
sharp40
r+1..g-1..b-2
dnr middle
everything else is set to on..
is this right?

:mad: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

:rolleyes: still waiting

still waiting :(

I'd help you, but I won't be doing the digital essentials thing for another week. Once I do, I'll post the settings. I'll be using a samsung HD-941 via component with the HDCP free hack.

I'd help you, but I won't be doing the digital essentials thing for another week. Once I do, I'll post the settings. I'll be using a samsung HD-941 via component with the HDCP free hack.

please dont forget me!