Have been using HDMI hookup since purchase, via a Scientic Atlanta HD cable box from Comcast, with DVI output. Had some issues with the HD channels (bad sparklies) that went away when I switched the box's HD output to 1080i only. No problems otherwise, and no rainbow effect.

Anyone ever use the normal viewing mode for SD TV for extended periods of time? My family normally watches program material in the 4x3 SD mode however when we watch programming in the 16x9 format we can tell the center area of the picture is darker and the outer edges are nice and bright. It sure seams like wearing of the pixels. I know there is a bright white setting on the TV to clear this up and the problem is even more pronounced. I was wondering if anyone has had this problem and if the bright white screen actually corrects this problem.

I've got the same problem. I thought I've broken in the screen long enough, (bought it in March) but my family (kids) watch lots of 4:3 content. I've tried as much as possible to stretch it to fill the screen, but I still have the problem.

When I watch HD content, I can faintly see the vertical "lines" on each side where the SD content would start. And the screen cleaner does not fix it even if I leave it on for a few minutes. This is bothering the crap out of me as I see it all the time now.

Is there anything I can do now? Do I just live with this burned in? Is this a warranty issue? Can I take it back to C*****?

Arghhhh!

Is there anything I can do now? Do I just live with this burned in? Is this a warranty issue? Can I take it back to C*****?

Of COURSE you could, and should, return it. That's what C****'s* liberal return policy is for. Customer satisfaction is a top priority for this retailer. Unfortunately, some people abuse it.

The bigger question is what do you replace it with? My suggestion: take the rerfund, add $500 and get the 42-inch Westinghouse 1080p LCD.

did you try letting the image cleaner run for a couple of hours??

did you try letting the image cleaner run for a couple of hours??

I left the image cleaner on from about midnight to 7am this morning and it looks about the same. I guess I'm screwed unless I decide to take it back to the store. If I get a new one, I suppose now I have to pay $300 more than what I paid for in March madness week. Crap.

Can I get Vizio to swap it? Or is this considered normal wear? The thing is less than 3 months old.

I left the image cleaner on from about midnight to 7am this morning and it looks about the same. I guess I'm screwed unless I decide to take it back to the store. If I get a new one, I suppose now I have to pay $300 more than what I paid for in March madness week. Crap.

Can I get Vizio to swap it? Or is this considered normal wear? The thing is less than 3 months old.

At our local stores (Portland, Oregon) the regular price has come down what you paid originally.

The price has come down but even if it hadn't all you'd have to do is do an exchange.

Took it back to the store today, no problems. I couldn't take the lighter pillars on each side anymore. I can't take the risk of another plasma with the burn-in vulnerablity. My kids watch a lot of SD and forget to "stretch" it. Any ideas for a replacement, considering the Westinghouse 42" 1080p isn't available anymore? At least my BB didn't have it.

Maybe an LCD would be better?

Took it back to the store today, no problems. I couldn't take the lighter pillars on each side anymore. I can't take the risk of another plasma with the burn-in vulnerablity. My kids watch a lot of SD and forget to "stretch" it. Any ideas for a replacement, considering the Westinghouse 42" 1080p isn't available anymore? At least my BB didn't have it.

Maybe an LCD would be better?

Check out the Philips - it automatically adjusts the aspect ratio to stretch SD.

Anyone having problems with the QAM tuner not picking up all the available channels?

I have a FusionHDTV card which tunes in at least 2 channels that the Vizio does not.

Anyone having problems with the QAM tuner not picking up all the available channels?

I have a FusionHDTV card which tunes in at least 2 channels that the Vizio does not.

I think I'm having a problem. On the DTV connector I have rabbit ears. I can see the mountain top about 8 miles or so away on which there are 3 transmitters, ABC, NBC & CBS. More than half the time I get the words "No Signal" on the ABC station. All of the transmitting antenna are on top of each other so alignment of the rabbit ears is not the problem.

And I cannot get the PBS station which is 2.5 miles away & about 180 degrees the other direction, but the signal would have to come through the house which I understand.

So the Vizio is not reliably picking up ABC for some reason. PQ on CBS is stunning and is quite good occasionally on NCB, such as the US Open last weekend.

Tom

same here grizz.. just hoping we're not on borrowed time. i'm not too worried, though. if it were purchased from another store then it would be a different story.


well, i think i spoke too soon. mine shutdown on me last night for the first time. it did it twice within an hour. i'm going to try the "unplug" trick when i get home today to see if that does it.

an update on my issue if anyone is interested -

tv shut off problem remains and will be returened to C*stco next week. it's really too bad, as i was very pleased with this tv's performance. i won't be getting a replacement as i just don't want to risk dealing with the same issue again. i'll probably replace it with one of the sony grand wega rear projection LCDs. good luck to all those that have not experienced any problems with theirs.

is it possible to hook up a PC using a DVI/hdmi cable? i'm using a dvi-dvi cable with a dvi-hdmi adapter and the TV doesn't detect any input. however it works on RBG.

hello all,

I'm having trouble playing widescreen dvd's on the 42 inch vizio. When i play the dvd, there's black bars on the top and bottom. These dvd's are in the 16:9 format. It is not filling up the whole screen for some reason. If i put the TV into Normal mode, the picture becomes a small rectangle in the middle of the screen with black borders all around. Only DVD's that are in Full screen format fill up the entire screen when it is in wide mode.


I have entered the set up of the dvd player and made it to widescreen. I also made sure the tv was set to widecreen.


The DVD player is hooked up with component cables to the TV.


Anyone else having similar problems? Is my unit defective?

Thanks for all your help.

These dvd's are in the 16:9 format. It is not filling up the whole screen for some reason.

Is my unit defective?The set's aspect ratio is indeed 16:9 (i.e., 1.78). Some DVD's which describe themselves as 16:9 are actually displayed at a 1.85 ratio (look carefully at the label). So yes, this kind of DVD may show thin black bars top and bottom because the image can't fill the screen. If your set has a high level of overscan (not a desirable feature), these black bars (along with some of the right and left sides of the image) can be cut off and not visible.

So if the DVD's in question are 1.85, consider yourself lucky that you can see the black bars (i.e., your set has low overscan). :D

I have heard of this set having a "hazy" or "cloudy" picture compared to other sets. Any of you have this problem? I am looking at purchasing it.

The set's aspect ratio is indeed 16:9 (i.e., 1.78). Some DVD's which describe themselves as 16:9 are actually displayed at a 1.85 ratio (look carefully at the label). So yes, this kind of DVD may show thin black bars top and bottom because the image can't fill the screen. If your set has a high level of overscan (not a desirable feature), these black bars (along with some of the right and left sides of the image) can be cut off and not visible.

So if the DVD's in question are 1.85, consider yourself lucky that you can see the black bars (i.e., your set has low overscan). :D

The thing is, it's not thin black bars. It's pretty darn thick.

Like I said in my original post, when i play dvd's that are in full screen format, it filles up the whole screen. If a dvd is in full screen format and the dvd player and tv is set to wide, shouldn't there be black bars on the side of the screen? It just doesn't seem to make sense to me.

thanks again for the help!

I have heard of this set having a "hazy" or "cloudy" picture compared to other sets. Any of you have this problem? I am looking at purchasing it.


Depends on the source material. Also, this set prefers dimly lit room environments. In some conditions it looks as good as anything out there, in other situations picture looks washed out. But for $700 savings over the leading 42-inch plasma, I can live with it.

For wide screen DVDs, I use the zoom mode instead of the wide mode. My theory is that the TV preserves the native resolution of the player (IE 480P), thus the very small picture on "normal mode". If you use "wide mode" you are actually stretching the picture, however zoom mode does not. This works perfect for 16:9 DVDs, however some content with diferent aspect ratio will still show bars.

For wide screen DVDs, I use the zoom mode instead of the wide mode. My theory is that the TV preserves the native resolution of the player (IE 480P), thus the very small picture on "normal mode". If you use "wide mode" you are actually stretching the picture, however zoom mode does not. This works perfect for 16:9 DVDs, however some content with diferent aspect ratio will still show bars.

So basically you are saying that there is nothing wrong with my set?

I just find it a bit wierd. I aslo have the vizio 50 inch plasma and haven't experienced any problem like this. I leave it on wide mode and all is good.

Thanks again.

I really don't know if it is right or wrong. BAsically I am just trying to infer the sets operation from what I see with the various inputs. With WS DVD in normal mode, the image is a small letterbox. The proportions of this box are correct, so it makes sense that zoom willl preserve those proportions, while wide will add distortion. With my HD cable box on HDMI, a 4:3 signal viewed in normal has correct propotions. Imagine now that I viewed a widescreen movie within that 4:3 box, I would expect to see additional letterboxing of the 4:3 box, thus the large black border around everything. Maybe the 50" automoatically stretches the content to fit the screen, that is why it is not an issue there.

Hey all, I've got a quick question. I was watching Chronicles of Narnia last night and saw something a bit weird. In the big battle scene towards the end, where the big soldier half man/half horse soldier is charging the queen (there is a spoiler ahead for those who haven't seen the movie) and then she ends up freezing him with her staff there is, if I remember right, a bright flash. Well while watching it on the vizio, at that point the TV went black but it looked like a bolt of lightning or something went across the middle of the screen. I think it was a weak link in my system somehow, and i'm hoping it wasn't the Vizio. I also noticed the same thing when watching Terminator 2. Right at the beginning when it shows the playground dream then jumps to the future. I think the screen shows a big explosion, which again seemed like too much for something to process. Now I don't know if the weak link is the Vizio, the cabling (Cat5 going through Video balun), the receiver (doing the video switching) or the dvd player. I was going to connect a different DVD player I have directly to the vizio with component and see if that made any difference, but before I went through all that I thought i would probe to see if anyone else has had that problem. Thank you.

Other then that, this TV has been rock solid so far, and this problem may not even be the TV. Time (and troubleshooting) will tell.

Just checking in again. Has anyone else had this problem? Here's what I've tried so far.

Connect a different DVD player locally through component (works fine), no lightning bolt.

Connect video balun directly to dvd changer (problem still there, so it's not the receiver).

Run component cable to TV from DVD changer to eliminate balun (problem still there, so it's not baluns).

The next thing to try is to take the dvd player that I tried locally (and worked) to the A/V rack and try it through the long run to see if the problem persists. The changer & TV are on the same circuit, so it should be a ground loop problem, and the only thing I can think of is to try to ground the DVD player chassis to see if that fixes it (it only has a 2-prong plug, so no ground).

Any other thoughts? PM if you have any suggestions, and if any of them solve the problem I will post them here.

Thanks.

Killgoj,

So what you are saying is that you have to watch widscreen movies in zoom mode instead of wide mode? and that's normal?

Thanks.

Killgoj,

So what you are saying is that you have to watch widscreen movies in zoom mode instead of wide mode? and that's normal?

Thanks.

I'm not happy with this problem either and I'm really surprised at the lack of options regarding image formatting. Watching an "On Demand" WS presentation (480i) in normal mode is a small image with large bars on all sides. In Wide mode it's a stretched image with a large letterbox bars. The zoom mode always shows "2x" on the screen and cuts off too much image.
kingkai: are you sure the 50" doesn't have these problems?
Maybe it's time for me to upgrade.
stu

I'm not happy with this problem either and I'm really surprised at the lack of options regarding image formatting. Watching an "On Demand" WS presentation (480i) in normal mode is a small image with large bars on all sides. In Wide mode it's a stretched image with a large letterbox bars.The problem is with your service, not the set. You describe the broadcast as "widescreen," but at 480i. 480i is a standard definition broadcast, not HD, and only in 4:3 format, not 16:9. The black bar letterboxing is part of the broadcast image, not a limitation of the set.

Now your disappointment at the lack of fidelity in the zoom levels is justified as that would help in this situation, but you would also make the lack of resolution inherent in the 480i signal all the more apparent as well.

Regarding zoom, use the wide button (pushed twice to cycle to zoom mode), not the zoom button, that way you wont get the "2x" display.

Regarding zoom, use the wide button (pushed twice to cycle to zoom mode), not the zoom button, that way you wont get the "2x" display.
That only works in analog

The problem is with your service, not the set. You describe the broadcast as "widescreen," but at 480i. 480i is a standard definition broadcast, not HD, and only in 4:3 format, not 16:9. The black bar letterboxing is part of the broadcast image, not a limitation of the set.

Now your disappointment at the lack of fidelity in the zoom levels is justified as that would help in this situation, but you would also make the lack of resolution inherent in the 480i signal all the more apparent as well.

I'm aware of the original signal's limitations re: quality and format. I'm just surprised and disappointed in the the set's lack of formatting options.
Normal and Wide is all we get in Digital? At least the HDMI and Component inputs have the zoom feature. Guess I'll have to get an STB.

That only works in analog

Works with HDMI and component for me.

Is everyone here watching 16:9 dvd's in "zoom" mode?

I have used both inputs with my Vizio for viewing TV (from a Comcast/Scientific Atlanta HD box), and I think the PQ is much better with component. Richer colors, better contrast. Now using the HDMI input for an upconverting DVD player (a decent, attractive and inexpensive vertical model from Best Buy under its Insignia house brand).

The Vizio 42" purchased at Costco on March 21 is dying on me. For the last two weeks (in stand by mode with amber light on) it's been making clicking sounds similar to that made when turning on and off the set. It's been shutting off on it's own and lately sometimes just refuses to turn back on. Received this Email from Vizio:

Based on what you are telling me, I suspect there is a problem with the power board on your set. I can place a request for an onsite repair. How that works is, we use a company (Warranty Corporation of America) that will find a local subcontractor in your area. Then we ship the replacement power board (or whatever parts they need) to the subcontractor, and when they receive it they call you to arrange an appointment for you. The process might take a couple of weeks but they do fix it at your home which is convenient for a lot of our customers.

Couple of weeks? Yikes! I've been overall happy with the set, the PQ, particularly with the HD. I really don't like that it's less than 4 months and needs to be repaired or replaced and thus I'm considering just returning the set and buying a different brand at Costco. This would be the second return for me as I had a defective 42" Sceptre too. :(

Which leaves the question what should I buy for the return trip from Costco? Their site lists a 42" Panasonic, 40" Sony, 42" Philips, 42" Maxent. I'd prefer picking up the set to avoid shipping charges. Having built in HD is a must and based on recent history a brand with reliable QC.

Bummer.

I'd go the LCD flat panel route at this point, and would consider the Philips, Sharp or Sony Bravia units. (Costco's online assortment differs from in-store.)

Just saw that C__co now has a 42" LCD from Visio on display. Almost same price as plasma. Nice looking too.

Mulling over my options I emailed Vizio on July 20:
Thank you for the reply. I have been hesitant to respond because of your estimate of a "couple of weeks" for the repair and I was considering just returning the TV back to COSTCO. I have a few questions:

A) Is this repair under warranty and at no cost to me?

B) Is the problem I reported a known issue or common repair that typically does not need to be done more than once?

C) Assuming your online diagnosis is correct, is the repair job usually a one day event?

If you can answer the above questions with a "YES", then I ask you to make a request for an onsite repair at my address.July 22 Vizio answered yes to all three and placed a work order for me. The subcontractor called today for an 8:00 AM appt. Monday July 31. He confirmed that the problem sounds like a 30 minute job replacing a motherboard and that it shouldn't need to be done more than once. Crossing my fingers and will update next week.

I just hooked up a MOXI DVR to my Vizio . For those interested the remote code is 1178.
Moxi thru component inputs is an excellent PQ so far.
stu

Repair guy was in and out in about 30 minutes, replacing a board (I was at work). My eyes and memory may be playing tricks on me but the PQ looks better, at least better whites. Well, it looks as good as I think I remember it. Hopefully it won't need a second repair. Crosses finger.

Happen to visit COSTCO today and saw this set at a new price :) and the new 42" Vizio. The a thinner silver speakers are easier on the eyes and black border trim is improved too.

--- edit ---

Yes, the new 42" LCD: VIZIO GV42L HDTV - 42" HD LCD TV
It retails a little more than the plasma that this thread is about.

new set? they upgraded/remodeled the p42?

I think he's referring to the Vizio LCD.

I know other have tried and are now using other DVD players
Some questionable results with the OPPO

I am trying to give the OPPO a go..
However, I am not getting any audio ?
Video is fine
Connected via dvi-hdmi. I have tried the cables OPPO provided. No luck with the audio
I have tried the dvdi-hdmi cable I purchased at Monoprice
Used some different rca's as well..

I was able to get the component to work..audio and video.

Connection problem? Vizio-bad HDMI ? OPPO problem?

Just noticed the OPPO 970, this has the hdmi-hdmi connection. I am tempted to possible give OPPO a call to make an exchange. I have the 971

Thanks

Ouch
My bad here
I should have read an earlier post
I had to switch the audio output to dvi on the Vizio
That was why I was not getting any audio via the dvi-hdmi connection
So far so good as far as the picture-amazing what an upconverting dvd player can do

Connection issue
Not sure about this

I have the OPPO connected dvi to the Vizio HDMI connection. In addition for audio using the rca from OPPO to Vizio rca , right next to the hdmi input on the V

Great so far.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------

My question is once I get my HR10-250 what to do?

I plan on getting the 5x1 HDMI switch from Monoprice.

I can connect the HR10 HDMI to the V HDMI using the HDMI switch, no worries there
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
As far as the OPPO, where do I connect the rca to? Is it okay to connect the rca's to the V-Input as I have it right now? I guess this is my only option

Hope this makes sense

Thanks

They compare five 42-inch plasma models (LG, Philips, Maxent, Vizio, , AOC):

"LG's 42PC1DA paints the prettiest picture, and Philips's 42PF9631D provides fascinating features, but the humble Vizio P42HDTV combines the lowest price here with remarkably good display quality to offer the best bang for the buck. When screen quality and value come together like this, a formerly little-known brand becomes a name worth remembering."

Full report here:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126031-page,2-c,plasma/article.html

Does anyone play XBOX360 with this HDTV? IF so, how is the response time? Is this still a better TV than the new LCD by Vizio? Any thoughts?

Lost local LA channel KCOP 13 over the weekend Fri - Sun. Tried to re-scan several times but to no avail. Switched the cable to Analog and got reception but no reception for KCOP 13 on DTV input. It finally re-appeared on Mon. on a re-scan. The re-scan also picked up channel 18.3 whereas I previously only got 18.1 and 18.2. However 18.3 periodically drops out and there is no reception - Pressing up on the remote the TV progresses 18.1, 18.2, 30.1. Just noticed as I write this that also means I lose PBS station KCET 28 when that happens. Anyone with an idea on the problem I'm experiencing?

BTW 18.3 is the FUNinmation channel, Japanese anime.

The local newspaper doesn't have a HDTV channel guide. I just googled and found Titan TV quick guide for HDTV listing. Anyone use a different off the air HDTV guide?

Does anyone play XBOX360 with this HDTV? IF so, how is the response time? Is this still a better TV than the new LCD by Vizio? Any thoughts?

It looks fine to me, but I'm not a serious gamer.

Hello. I just purchased the 42" vizio plasma. I just have it sitting on the floor right now. I am such a newbie, that i dont even know where to begin in terms of setting my unit up....what to DO and what NOT to do. Basically, for a newbie like me, could something walk me through some simple, basic first steps in terms of setting my vizio up, so i dont royally screw the pooch.

Here are some questions i kind of have....

1. Right out of the box and once mine is mounted on my wall, what should i do?
2. Once #1 is completed, should i leave it on to burn - in, adjust the contrast and brightness down <50 ?

3. What cables and all do i need? Should i buy the kit from my local c____o, would that that sufficient, or should i buy my cables from monoprice? (if so, which ones or kit)

4. please dont bash, i have read nearly every post of the 42" and 50" vizio plasma tv's, but i just want a simple, basic, step-by-step guide on how to get my tv up and running without creating ghost images, etc.....

thanks so much for your help

Has anyone called Vizio and ask about there warranties? If so, please let me know if they are reasonable.

Hello. I just purchased the 42" vizio plasma. I just have it sitting on the floor right now. I am such a newbie, that i dont even know where to begin in terms of setting my unit up....what to DO and what NOT to do. Basically, for a newbie like me, could something walk me through some simple, basic first steps in terms of setting my vizio up, so i dont royally screw the pooch.

Here are some questions i kind of have....

1. Right out of the box and once mine is mounted on my wall, what should i do?
2. Once #1 is completed, should i leave it on to burn - in, adjust the contrast and brightness down <50 ?

3. What cables and all do i need? Should i buy the kit from my local c____o, would that that sufficient, or should i buy my cables from monoprice? (if so, which ones or kit)

4. please dont bash, i have read nearly every post of the 42" and 50" vizio plasma tv's, but i just want a simple, basic, step-by-step guide on how to get my tv up and running without creating ghost images, etc.....

thanks so much for your help

I purchased at least three times from Monoprice with COMPLETE satisfaction. Very quick shipping I must add.

Has anyone purchased the Vizio bracket found on there website:
http://shopping.netsuite.com/c.417054/site/products/product_vmt37-57.html

I'm thinking of picking one up since you can tilt it to the right or left if needed. If anyone purchase this bracket please respond with your pros/cons or thoughts.

Thanks!

I was at Costco yesterday and noticed a big price drop in the 42' Vizio PDP. Much lower than I paid. Anyone else notice.

Hello. I just purchased the 42" vizio plasma. I just have it sitting on the floor right now. I am such a newbie, that i dont even know where to begin in terms of setting my unit up....what to DO and what NOT to do. Basically, for a newbie like me, could something walk me through some simple, basic first steps in terms of setting my vizio up, so i dont royally screw the pooch.

Here are some questions i kind of have....

1. Right out of the box and once mine is mounted on my wall, what should i do?
2. Once #1 is completed, should i leave it on to burn - in, adjust the contrast and brightness down <50 ?

3. What cables and all do i need? Should i buy the kit from my local c____o, would that that sufficient, or should i buy my cables from monoprice? (if so, which ones or kit)

4. please dont bash, i have read nearly every post of the 42" and 50" vizio plasma tv's, but i just want a simple, basic, step-by-step guide on how to get my tv up and running without creating ghost images, etc.....

thanks so much for your helpStart by reading the Vizio's Quick Start Guide and then the manual if you have any other specific questions.

For general Plasma and LCD TV questions try-
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=608677
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=407154

fall is almost here, comes foliage and quess what , price reduction. thats right, competition is heating up . Panasonic lowered the msrp on there plasma.

hello all. I have posted a few times. I am FINALLY handing my vizio 42" plasma on the wall (peerless st660 tilt mount) tomorrow. Last weekend, i put in a clock outlet for the vizio power and placed 2 holes (1 behind tv, and 1adjacent to my original power outlet...these are for my AV cables.) Everything looks really good and clean.

So, my question, once i get my tv hung on the wall, what would be the first 5 things i should do in order for everything to go smooth.

1. hook up hdmi from vizio to DTV box
2. hook up other components to my vizio
3. turn tv on and set contrast and brightness to <50 to avoid burn-in.

4. u get the ideal.....what would u do, or did u do it?

thanks so much

hello all. I have posted a few times. I am FINALLY handing my vizio 42" plasma on the wall (peerless st660 tilt mount) tomorrow. Last weekend, i put in a clock outlet for the vizio power and placed 2 holes (1 behind tv, and 1adjacent to my original power outlet...these are for my AV cables.) Everything looks really good and clean.

So, my question, once i get my tv hung on the wall, what would be the first 5 things i should do in order for everything to go smooth.

1. hook up hdmi from vizio to DTV box
2. hook up other components to my vizio
3. turn tv on and set contrast and brightness to <50 to avoid burn-in.

4. u get the ideal.....what would u do, or did u do it?

thanks so much

You don't need to wait to hang your TV to adjust it. I would have done that from day 1. Well actually I did. As for hooking it up, I don't think you need a step by step play here if you can install an electricval outlet without burning down the house. Hook it up as you normally would. I can't think of anything you should be asking for. As for contract and brightness levels, saying <50 is a false statement I see here all too frequently. Some good advice if you want to be a do it yourself HD enthusiest is to buy a DVD tuneup video and adjust your TV according to those test results. If you don't want to spend the money on a cvalibration DVD then watch a DVD or TV program you are familiar with and adjust your picture to your liking. I will say that on my Visio the bightness was too bight out of the box and I had to adjust it down a bit but your tastes may vary. I used the Sound & Vision Tune Up DVD and it got me into the ballpark. I adjusted the color/tint a bit to my taste after that.

Enjoy your TV because it's a good piece of equipment.

-Joe

well after a few months on light use, my set is starting to turn itself off. I reseated the power cord and it did not seem to help.

Tonight - when I turned it on, the HDMI screen flashed a bright pink and then settled into the regular setting. Then 10 min later, set turns off, I turn it back on and there is a loud buzzing sound with no picture. I turn it off and back on again...and all is well.

Not sure what to make of this, but I am not too thrilled with Vizio's build quality. It makes one wonder how this set will hold up down the road.

hello all . I purchased the 42" vizio plasma a few weeks ago from c*****. It is the new version and i was thinking it had the built in tuner. If so, i dont see it on my menu options or rather i just dont have it on the 42.

could someone help me out here, and what is it exactly used for? (i have an idea, but just not exactly sure)..

thanks

hello all . I purchased the 42" vizio plasma a few weeks ago from c*****. It is the new version and i was thinking it had the built in tuner. If so, i dont see it on my menu options or rather i just dont have it on the 42.

could someone help me out here, and what is it exactly used for? (i have an idea, but just not exactly sure)..

thanks

Never heard of a new version of the 42". Are you sure you don't have just a monitor? You will know by the lack of RF inputs (Antenna Jacks).

no, its not the monitor. By new, i was meaning this on (P42HDTV10A). Im pretty sure they call it new because supposedly it had a built in tuner, but i have yet to find mine on my menu options.....oh well....could someone clarify this issue for me please.

thanks

no, its not the monitor. By new, i was meaning this on (P42HDTV10A). Im pretty sure they call it new because supposedly it had a built in tuner, but i have yet to find mine on my menu options.....oh well....could someone clarify this issue for me please.

thanks

I have that model and it was released 6 months ago. The price has gone down about $300.00 over what I paid when it came out.

I am trying to figure out why you are posting here because the owners manual covers the hookup and programming of the channels. Did you read the owners manual? I'm not one for flaming people so I won't tell you to take your head out of your rear and read the manual, instead I will just politely remind you the Visio company produced a nice owners manual and it has the information contained within it's pages to help you on your trek. If for some strange reason the manual does not mention a tuner then you must have a monitor, not a TV. But you did specify the TV model number so I don't see the issue.

-Joe

thanks man, i read the manual. I do have the built in tuner, but im assuming it wont show up unless i have the vizio hooked up for the built in tuner (i currently just have directtv hooked up, no tuner needed....right?)

Also, Im not sure i ran my image cleaner correctly last night. I pulled it up on the menu, and then pressed the (>) button.....everything went white.....so i went to sleep and when i woke up it was still on. I had heard that i would run for like an hour , then the tv would turn off itself. The manual doesnt tell u anything about the image cleaner, so im not sure i did it correctly or if i messed anything up.....

thanks again

thanks man, i read the manual. I do have the built in tuner, but im assuming it wont show up unless i have the vizio hooked up for the built in tuner (i currently just have directtv hooked up, no tuner needed....right?)

Also, Im not sure i ran my image cleaner correctly last night. I pulled it up on the menu, and then pressed the (>) button.....everything went white.....so i went to sleep and when i woke up it was still on. I had heard that i would run for like an hour , then the tv would turn off itself. The manual doesnt tell u anything about the image cleaner, so im not sure i did it correctly or if i messed anything up.....

thanks again

The image cleaner is used when you have a problem with image burn in. I think Visio calls it Image Stick. You use this to white out the burned image. You do not need to run this often, only when you see some visual defects. As for the operation, yours is working fine. You set it up, the screen goes white. You have to stop it yourself. If you see it written elsewhere for this specific product that the image goes out or the TV turns off on it's own, the poster of that message probably have a problem with the TV or more likely the power went out on them that night when they ran the image cleaner.

As for the tuner issue. Realize you have two RJ-59/6 type coax jacks on either side of the TV. Looking at the TV from the back the left connector is only for digital TV signals and the right hand connector is for only NTSC standard TV signals.

As for your DirecTv hookup, a question: Is the DirecTv receiver connected to the TV with the S-Video cable and the RCA audio cables or through a RG-59/6 type antenna cable to the TV's right side cable (as looking at the back of the TV)?

True, you do not need the tuner if you are using a DirecTv receiver, however I would verify the tuner does actually work if possible. I still don't understand what you mean when you say you can't get the TV Tuner menu?

With your users manual in hand flip to page 12 and 13. On your remote control press the button named TV (near the bottom of the remote, not the top). This will switch you to the tuner. Press AV to go to the AV1 input, press AV again to go to AV2 input. You get the idea.

Now for the TV Menu... Read carefully the instructions on pages 30 and 31. You should see the same menu even if you have nothing connected to the back of the TV other than the power cable. If you do not see the menu then I would call customer service or take it back for an exchange.

Now if this does not work I would be curious to know what you did see and including a photo of the screen goes a long way to help out.

-Joe

thanks again. I just simply put the input to TV and i could find the tuner menu for it. Thanks for that.

How often do you run your image cleaner, and what are your settings on your vizio when u were trying to break it in.

again, thanks

For those who are using a VGA connection, do you have any underscan issues? No matter what resolution I use from the PC, there's always a 1/8" section on the right that isn't used. I tried using a DVI-HDMI adapter, but the PQ wasn't nearly as good as VGA. I tried shifting the horizontal position, but it doesn't help either. Any fixes anyone knows of?

For those who are using a VGA connection, do you have any underscan issues? No matter what resolution I use from the PC, there's always a 1/8" section on the right that isn't used. I tried using a DVI-HDMI adapter, but the PQ wasn't nearly as good as VGA. I tried shifting the horizontal position, but it doesn't help either. Any fixes anyone knows of?

I dont' recall having any underscan issues using VGA. My first response would probably be to change the settings on your PC, but you said you did that.

I could not get the HDMI-DVI adapter to work. What I did was buy a HDMI-DVI adapter and then connected it to a DVI-DVI cable. Are there inherent issues with that? should I have gone with a HDMI-DVI cable instead?

Actually I just tried 1024x768 and it worked fine, but here's the problem I'm running into:
When in 1280x720 or 1366x768 and watching a video or DVD in MCE, each video retains it's original aspect ratio and there is no "zoom" option present. The zoom option is only there when I'm watching a full-frame movie. There is, however, the 1/8" border at the right side that is always there.
When in 1024x768 or any other 4:3 ratio, the 1/8" border is gone, however, any movies or videos shown are always shrunk vertically, and the "zoom" option is back. To fix the aspect ratio, I have to switch to "zoom option 3" for those who are familiar with MCE.
Is there any way to fix this without going to a DVI-HDMI route and using NVIDIA's underscan correction?

thanks again. I just simply put the input to TV and i could find the tuner menu for it. Thanks for that.

How often do you run your image cleaner, and what are your settings on your vizio when u were trying to break it in.

again, thanks
This is only my opinion and not based on any burn in factoid and as far as I know the Vizio company does not publish recommended burn in settings.

I recommend you adjust the TV to your liking and watch it. The talk about burn in and you should or should not do things is a bit over rated. Lets face it, the Vizio is a bargin brand HDTV with an excellent picture after minor changes out of the box. If you have a Calibration DVD, use it. The most important two adjustments are Contrast and Brightness. If you get those set properly then the Tint and Color you can adjust to your liking.

A thing about the TV settings... Each TV is different so don't let someone tell you that a contrast setting of 80 is the sweet spot. I may be for them but not for your TV.

Forget about burn in and just enjoy your TV.

The image cleaner... I ran it twice, once to see what it did and the second time (over night) to try and get rid of a pink discolorization which by the way did not go away. I ended up returning the set. Costco said they never heard of the Pink problem and I have not see it here so I hope mine was an isolated incident. I don't think I can give you sound advice on how often to use the image cleaner because I just didn't use it. From what I understand you only need to use it if you have an image burned into your screen say from a video game.

Again, forget burn in and just adjust the settings on the TV. 6 months from now adjust them again and repeat every 6 months. I just made that up. I would adjust my TV again when I noticed a problem or someone points out the picture looks like crap.

Enjoy your TV.

This is only my opinion and not based on any burn in factoid and as far as I know the Vizio company does not publish recommended burn in settings.

I recommend you adjust the TV to your liking and watch it. The talk about burn in and you should or should not do things is a bit over rated. Lets face it, the Vizio is a bargin brand HDTV with an excellent picture after minor changes out of the box. If you have a Calibration DVD, use it. The most important two adjustments are Contrast and Brightness. If you get those set properly then the Tint and Color you can adjust to your liking.

A thing about the TV settings... Each TV is different so don't let someone tell you that a contrast setting of 80 is the sweet spot. I may be for them but not for your TV.

Forget about burn in and just enjoy your TV.

The image cleaner... I ran it twice, once to see what it did and the second time (over night) to try and get rid of a pink discolorization which by the way did not go away. I ended up returning the set. Costco said they never heard of the Pink problem and I have not see it here so I hope mine was an isolated incident. I don't think I can give you sound advice on how often to use the image cleaner because I just didn't use it. From what I understand you only need to use it if you have an image burned into your screen say from a video game.

Again, forget burn in and just adjust the settings on the TV. 6 months from now adjust them again and repeat every 6 months. I just made that up. I would adjust my TV again when I noticed a problem or someone points out the picture looks like crap.

Enjoy your TV.Just wanted to say I enjoy your realistic and practical approach to HDTV. It's a refeshing change from the usual dogma and old wives tales that frequently get repeated here. :D

Keep up the good work!

Just wanted to say I enjoy your realistic and practical approach to HDTV. It's a refeshing change from the usual dogma and old wives tales that frequently get repeated here. :D

Keep up the good work!
Thanks but don't let the jeans and t-shirt fool ya, there is a suit under there somewhere ;) I prefer to enjoy watching my HDTV vice playing with the picture adjustments all day. Of course I do enjoy reading and daydreaming of the next HDTV components I would love to buy if I could afford them. :rolleyes:

Again thanks for the comment.

First, I've read the Break-in FAQ. It wasn't as helpful as I had hoped. I downloaded and burned the break-in dvd and it doesn't work on my Xbox 360 or my Dvd player.

That said, one of the things said about the initial break-in is to reduce brightness and contrast. I think it says it about three times. I get it. Unfortunately, I don't know how much. I cut everything down to 50 but the picture is awful. I found some recommended settings on this thread so I'll give them a try for starters.

That said, does an audio visualization app like the one on the 360 make for a good break-in with its constantly changing images and colors?

Thanks.

First, I've read the Break-in FAQ. It wasn't as helpful as I had hoped. I downloaded and burned the break-in dvd and it doesn't work on my Xbox 360 or my Dvd player.

That said, one of the things said about the initial break-in is to reduce brightness and contrast. I think it says it about three times. I get it. Unfortunately, I don't know how much. I cut everything down to 50 but the picture is awful. I found some recommended settings on this thread so I'll give them a try for starters.

That said, does an audio visualization app like the one on the 360 make for a good break-in with its constantly changing images and colors?

Thanks.

On my 42 Vizio I just backed the contrast and brightness off a little bit at first. After a few hours I set it to what I thought was the best picture and forgot about "burn in" problems. There have been none. It works great! Wow, am I ever enjoying the football games using my Over The Air antenna.

Jay

While I am beginning to believe that burn in is overstated, this is used exclusively with a 360 so I may be at greater risk. Then again, perhaps not.

While I am beginning to believe that burn in is overstated, this is used exclusively with a 360 so I may be at greater risk. Then again, perhaps not.

Atari,

From what I have read a plasma tv uses the same or similar phosphors and retains the charicteristics of a normal TV screen that can have image burn-in caused by having graphic images stay in the same place for long periods of time. I would say you are highly suseptable to screen burn-in fore this situation. One way to tell is to run the image cleaner and if you see anything other than a nice white screen then you have some burn-in. You can run this image cleaner over night (I hear 6 hours) to see if it helps. My TV Repair Man friend said the way he understands it to work is a pure white image is placed on the screen and this in fires up all the little phospher tubes. This basically excersizes the tubes that have not been used over a period of time. I don't know if I believe this but that's what he told me. Again, run the image cleaner to see if you have images you can see or a nice white screen. If the screen is white then check it every once in a while until you get a good feel about the gaming.

I myself am not made of money (nor a gamer these days) but if you can afford this here is an option for all those game players out there... Buy a nice HDTV that uses rear projection vice plasma. There is no screen burn-in and you can play and leave the screen on all the time and these HDTVs cost less than a plasma of the same size. I would not go with LCD due to the slow LCD responce times but some may sets may work well.

Hope this helps and I'd be interested in knowing if you do have some burn-in and how many hours of gaming v.s. watching tv you do.

-Joe

P.S. I remember Atari computers, Gorf, Pong, and many many others from my younger days. I even remember running my BBS (Buliten Board Service) and something called FIDO NET before the internet was born. Nice name ;)

Thanks for the input and the compliment. I shied away from projection because the tv will live in a glass patio. I thought projection would be too washed out by the sun.

I'll see what the cleaner does.

Thanks.

I just picked one of these up at Costco and had a couple of questions:

1. Does having a built-in tuner even matter if I do not have an antenna and have DirecTV? In other words, I can't bypass the D* box and connect right out of the wall to the TV, correct? I do have a D* H20 box, which is HD, but was wondering what the advantage of a built in tuner in my position would be.

2. Has anyone used a swing-arm type mount with this? If so, what kind, where did you get it, and how do you like the results.

On on my 2nd Vizio (1st one went out after 1 week) and after 2 weeks, the screen went black and in the upper left came up a green test screen when I changed the channel. I powered everything down, checked the cables and when I am in HDMI or component, the picture is heavily tinted green. When I use the AV1 setting with RCA cables, the picture is fine. Is this a board problem? I don't want to take it back again as my wife is ready to throw in the towel.

Any suggestions?

ralphyboy: i have no issues with mine and I'm very satisified with my purchase. No problems like the ones you are experiencing. when you returned it did you return to the C store or the vizio themselves? personally i would be more content contacting vizio.

I returned it to Costco and got a new one because I heard it was a good 2 week wait for most people to get Vizio out to their house.

I guess it varies... I'm in CA so it was less than a week. but in the long run (IMO) there's a higher guarantee that you'll get a 100% working unit if you go straight to vizio. when this model first came out there was that random on/off problem that a lot of people had... i was a part of that batch. I called up vizio and they knew about it and replaced my unit at no cost to me. I've had no issues since.

edit; you may want to contact vizio to see if your issue is a "known" issue. I personally did not want to gamble by getting another bad unit from the C store.

can anyone please tell me what aspect ratios are available for watching in either
4:3 and while watching 16:9?

thanks

can anyone please tell me what aspect ratios are available for watching in either
4:3 and while watching 16:9?

thanks


Um, 4:3 and 16:9 :D

Okay, I was gonna stop there but I'll answer the question for what I believe your asking...

A 4:3 program can be viewed as a 4:3 or 16:9 (streatched, zoomed, or whatever fills the entire screen) and is user selectable.

A 16:9 program will only allow you to view in 16:9 format and no user selection available.

This is true for every set I've seen and true for the Vizio, mind you I have limited experience with HDTVs and only own three (Vizio, Philips, and Panasonic). I'm looing at the flagship Pioneer Elite but that's a bit pricy.

If this doesn't help restate your question in detail.

-Joe

Um, 4:3 and 16:9 :D

Okay, I was gonna stop there but I'll answer the question for what I believe your asking...

A 4:3 program can be viewed as a 4:3 or 16:9 (streatched, zoomed, or whatever fills the entire screen) and is user selectable.

A 16:9 program will only allow you to view in 16:9 format and no user selection available.

This is true for every set I've seen and true for the Vizio, mind you I have limited experience with HDTVs and only own three (Vizio, Philips, and Panasonic). I'm looing at the flagship Pioneer Elite but that's a bit pricy.

If this doesn't help restate your question in detail.

-Joe


sorry, question should have been more specific.
does vizio do non-linear stretch of 4:3 to fill the screen?

sorry, question should have been more specific.
does vizio do non-linear stretch of 4:3 to fill the screen?

I would recommend you do a Google search for vizio, go to thier website (something like vinc.com) and download the users manual. This will answer all your questions. We call this technical term "Research". I'm not trying to "Flame" you but these are just simple questions you should have been able to find answers to on your own.

Now if you have a question that is not in the manual please search the forum first and then if you find nothing place a posting. A good question eqample would be "My screen is turning a slight shade of pink and I have contacted customer service. They told me they are not liable for screen burn in issues. Can I get some advice please?" and an appropriate answer would be "If you purchased the set from Costco then return it as a faillure of customer satisfaction. Tell them the problem when asked and they will return your full purchase price."

Again, not trying to flame you, no swearing here. I'm just trying to get you to do some research before taking the easy way out and posting a message. And yes, they do have a non-linear stretch but it is poor at doing it. The best stretch I have seen personnaly is from Philips and Sony. You will find watching a 4:3 program in the Vizio better looking in 4:3 mode. That is only my opinion and others may like it just fine.

-Joe

thanks joe

and to reply to your comments - what i have learned over the years is not to trust user manual from startup companies like vizio.
here is an example, bought vizio GV42L LCD during sale about 6 weeks back at big C. according to the manual - program info was available if info button was press - guess what it doesn't work.
added to that GV42L's manual reported that there were 4 aspect ratio for watching tv - but didn't report that these work only in 480i, p - so while viewing anything with higher resolution there were only wide and stretch options.

again thank you - after all you were the only one who responded to my questions.
fyi - i did read the user manual from vizio site. just confirming

I bought the 42HDTV at Costco last month. I couldn't be happier with it. SD picture quality is much better than I expected and HD is fantastic. I did not want to wall mount it so I found this:

http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Contempo_Flat-Screen_TV_Stand/

and it has worked out nicely. The only change I made was to swap out the feet for wheels that I picked up at my local hardware store. It's now easy to move it to get to cabling or angle it.

For those of you who has changed the following in the service menu to:

R gain = 128
G gain = 110
B gain = 110

what are best settings in the "user" picture adjust that you have experianced?


Thanks guys

I bought the 42HDTV at Costco last month. I couldn't be happier with it. SD picture quality is much better than I expected and HD is fantastic. I did not want to wall mount it so I found this:



and it has worked out nicely. The only change I made was to swap out the feet for wheels that I picked up at my local hardware store. It's now easy to move it to get to cabling or angle it.

Hmmm...that is nice. Decent price too

For those of you who has changed the following in the service menu to:

R gain = 128
G gain = 110
B gain = 110

what are best settings in the "user" picture adjust that you have experianced?


Thanks guys

How did you get to service menu. I used exit, 1,2,3 as bruzzio described and nothing happens

How did you get to service menu. I used exit, 1,2,3 as bruzzio described and nothing happens

1] On the SIDE of the TV: Hold the channel UP and channel DOWN buttons and then turn the set on with the Power button. Once the tv is on, press and hold the Menu button on the side of the TV until the Factory Mode Settings screen appears (just a second or two).

Hmmm...that is nice. Decent price too

I agree. Especially with the mount included. By the way, the glass is very thick and tempered. The only other thing you would need to buy are four 8M bolts (8mm, 1.25 pitch, around 9/16th in length) to secure the TV to the mount.

The only issue I ran into was not mounting the tv higher than around 5-6 inches from the top glass shelf because the back of the mount would then cover the connector labels on the back of the tv. You can do it, but it would just mean a little more fumbling (and crib sheet) to connect cabling. But even at that height it still looks great.

1] On the SIDE of the TV: Hold the channel UP and channel DOWN buttons and then turn the set on with the Power button. Once the tv is on, press and hold the Menu button on the side of the TV until the Factory Mode Settings screen appears (just a second or two).

What are some of the things that you can do from here?

BTW, Vizio delivered my 3rd new plasma this past Friday after the first 2 crapped out. This build date is February 2006 opposed to the August 2006 build dates of my previous 2 sets. The HDMI handshake issue with my D* H20 still annoys me, so I'll be switching to components.

The HDMI handshake issue with my D* H20 still annoys me, so I'll be switching to components.

Strange, I have my Vizio P42 connected via HDMI into my new D* HR20-700 w/o any problems whatsoever.

Have you tried a different HDMI cable to compare?


BTW: I have one dated August 2006

It just takes long to switch channels w/ HDMI & the "No Signal" comes up for awhile. Also, sometimes nothing will come on for 20 seconds or so. It seems like when I tested the TV w/ component, it switched faster w/ no difference in picture. I'll just use the HDMI for when I get an upscaling DVD player.

It just takes long to switch channels w/ HDMI & the "No Signal" comes up for awhile. Also, sometimes nothing will come on for 20 seconds or so. It seems like when I tested the TV w/ component, it switched faster w/ no difference in picture. I'll just use the HDMI for when I get an upscaling DVD player.

Sounds like your H20 needs to be replaced IMHO.. as I also have an H20 in the bedroom connected to another Vizio set (LCD).

I connected the H20 to the P42 to test it, and no 20sec delay or No Signal nag.. channel changing is as normal as my HR20, and all I do get is a beautiful HDTV picture coming thru.

I'd return that H20 of yours and get a replacement.. Just a thought.

1] On the SIDE of the TV: Hold the channel UP and channel DOWN buttons and then turn the set on with the Power button. Once the tv is on, press and hold the Menu button on the side of the TV until the Factory Mode Settings screen appears (just a second or two).

I got to the regular menu with an f in the corner. However, I find that all I need to do now is hold down the menu button on my remote and I get the service menu

Thanks,

For those of you who has changed the following in the service menu to:

R gain = 128
G gain = 110
B gain = 110

what are best settings in the "user" picture adjust that you have experianced?


Thanks guys

I would just like to point out that these values are for your (Axia) TV and not everyones. They are calibrated for your TV to produce white. Grant it they may not be 100% perfect but you generally cannot take your settings and plug them into another TV and expect the same results.

I have adjusted these values on my TV to my satisfaction in order to reduce some green but I could not state that my settings would work on any other TV than mine.

So, asking the best settings for the users setting may give you mixed results. I suggest you look hard at your picture and play some program/DVD you know and make adjustments accodingly if you do not have the proper calibration equipment. Remember to record your factory settings before you make you own adjustments that way if you get lost you have a starting position.

Now, you do have the ability to alter other setups at the same time. You can set up two groups of settings very similar and switch between them for fine tuning or maybe the difference between a live TV brodcast or a DVD.

Good luck and in spite of what I've said, I'm certain someone will want to know your end results after you find your sweet spot settings.

-Joe

thanks joe

and to reply to your comments - what i have learned over the years is not to trust user manual from startup companies like vizio.
here is an example, bought vizio GV42L LCD during sale about 6 weeks back at big C. according to the manual - program info was available if info button was press - guess what it doesn't work.
added to that GV42L's manual reported that there were 4 aspect ratio for watching tv - but didn't report that these work only in 480i, p - so while viewing anything with higher resolution there were only wide and stretch options.

again thank you - after all you were the only one who responded to my questions.
fyi - i did read the user manual from vizio site. just confirming
Not a problem and I'm glad you read the users manual. Yes, sometimes the users manual can be shotty but Vizio has been around for quite some time but it's only recently that we have heard of them. That of course nevr makes a difference with the users manual. Even Philips, Sony, Pioneer, etc... these companies at times come up with poor users manuals. Sony sometimes has everything covered but it's written where you need a PHD to decypher it.

Hope all your questions were answered.

-Joe

I just wanted to make sure everyone here that is new to this thread has read the entire thread before playing around with the service menu. Yes the thread is long but there is so much information here and some warnings about what you could do to damage your TV from the service menu.

So please, take the time if you haven't to read the thread and it could save you a trip in returning your TV for something you did by accident.

Good Luck for those delving into this world.

-Joe

I would just like to point out that these values are for your (Axia) TV and not everyones. They are calibrated for your TV to produce white. Grant it they may not be 100% perfect but you generally cannot take your settings and plug them into another TV and expect the same results.

I have adjusted these values on my TV to my satisfaction in order to reduce some green but I could not state that my settings would work on any other TV than mine.

So, asking the best settings for the users setting may give you mixed results. I suggest you look hard at your picture and play some program/DVD you know and make adjustments accodingly if you do not have the proper calibration equipment. Remember to record your factory settings before you make you own adjustments that way if you get lost you have a starting position.

Now, you do have the ability to alter other setups at the same time. You can set up two groups of settings very similar and switch between them for fine tuning or maybe the difference between a live TV brodcast or a DVD.

Good luck and in spite of what I've said, I'm certain someone will want to know your end results after you find your sweet spot settings.

-Joe


Yeah I kinda figured that for myself... so I went ahead and placed Digital Video Essentials on my BlockBuster rental cue. :D

What's up guys. I've had my unit for over 8 months now and for the most part its been operating flawlessly. Just recently, however, the audio will cut-off. I can easily bring the audio signal back by changing the channel than changing it back. I can't determine whether this is an issue w/ the unit or something else. Just recently, my Comcast digital cable service was replaced w/Time Warner. Do you guys think its an incompatiblility issue with Time Warner's digital feed from the box to the unit? Or is this a symptom that the audio channel on the PDP is going out? Any feedback or thoughts regarding this issue would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,
Joker

Probably the cable box. What box do you have? I have a Moxi and this happens often. Still happens now with my 46" LCD.

Probably the cable box. What box do you have? I have a Moxi and this happens often. Still happens now with my 46" LCD.

Thanks for your response. I've got the Motorola 6412 dual tuner DVR set top box. If it had to be something I was hoping it would be the box. It just started happening when the service was changed over to Time Warner. Is TWC your provider also? I guess I'll go ahead and report the problem to them and see if they'll replace my box. I doubt they'll assume accountability and blame my wiring or something to that effect.

First, thanks to all the contributors....I've learned much reading this thread.

1. My Vizio P42HDTV is about 45 days new. I've really enjoyed it. I get my HD feed via Comcast and the STB with the dual DVR (not sure of number). This weekend, I noticed that I could hear a distinct clicking when the NBC feed would switch between the commericals and Saturday Night Live.

I tried it again today during the "Today" show and it is the same. A slight, but distinct clicking as the feed switches from the commercial to the main program.

I have been able to hear it on other channels, but I have not tested all of them. I'll try later today.

Any ideas??

AR

Does anyone know (for certain) what the differences in the new model will be? At first I thought this was the same model, but after reading lots of websites I see that the VP42HDTV is an update of the P42HDTV. There is a post on one website that says the new model has 2 HDMI inputs instead of the one on the current model. Can anyone confirm?

Also, I plan on purchasing this PDP in the very near future, but will not have the chance to get my DirecTV HD box right away. I intend to buy the PDP early in the morning and have it set up by 11:00a.m. on the day of purchase to watch a football game. The game will be broadcast in HD on a local network and I'd like to be completely setup for OTA HD by that time. What should I do/get now to make sure that I am ready to rock that morning? I need an antenna, I know, but what else?

All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for helping out a n00b.

Does anyone know (for certain) what the differences in the new model will be? At first I thought this was the same model, but after reading lots of websites I see that the VP42HDTV is an update of the P42HDTV. There is a post on one website that says the new model has 2 HDMI inputs instead of the one on the current model. Can anyone confirm?

Also, I plan on purchasing this PDP in the very near future, but will not have the chance to get my DirecTV HD box right away. I intend to buy the PDP early in the morning and have it set up by 11:00a.m. on the day of purchase to watch a football game. The game will be broadcast in HD on a local network and I'd like to be completely setup for OTA HD by that time. What should I do/get now to make sure that I am ready to rock that morning? I need an antenna, I know, but what else?

All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for helping out a n00b.


It appears to have 2 hdmi with hdcp and a backlit remote. Rumor has it a major vizio outlet will be selling them for under a grand on the friday after thanksgiving

It appears to have 2 hdmi with hdcp and a backlit remote. Rumor has it Cosco will be selling them for $999 on Black Friday

At that price it really sounds like a steal. I have the 50 Vizo and have been happy. my parents want to buy a plasma for their bedroom and I think my brother wants one for his family room. I know Walmart has some similar plasma deal but I dont know anything about that one and with Costco policies I think that is a better place to go. The real question is whether we can fit two of these units nto one mini van..

Rob

Thanks for the info.

Dean,

You may want to edit. I know they strongly discourage price, and especially "black friday," talk on the forums. FYI.

Check the Vizio website. The new VP42 has less cd/m (only 480 as opposed to 1200) than the prior model. No headphone jack.

Includes color fine tuning adjustments though...whatever that means. Also color temperature.

Also has greater viewing angle of 178 vs. 170 on P42hdtv.

So, is it the same panel as the P42HDTV? Which was an LG.

I just bought my P42HDTV and could still return it if I wanted to get this one....

I would do it for the few hundred bucks, if I knew it to be actually better. My guess is that it is slightly cheaper in build, etc. Which is why it is priced less...

AR

After getting off the phone with Vizio Technical Support (option #2 when calling in), they supposedly looked up some internal documents on the specifications for the newer model VP42.

They were able to say the VP42 compared to the P42 will be made of some lighter material, which isn't the fact listed on their website (VP42: 89.3lbs vs. P42: 85lbs) and lower power consumption, which also isn't the fact listed on their website (VP42: 320 vs. P42: 320).

The main reason I called Vizio was I noticed the VP42 product page boasted about DCDi De-Interlace creating high quality superior picture quality earlier this week (verifiable thru google cache). However, looking at VP42's product's detail/feature page today, all mentions of DCDi have mysteriously disappeared.

Vizio Technical Support was able to confirm that the Vizio VP42 does not use DCDi De-Interlace, but uses a 3D comb de-interlacing.

Anyone have additional comments about the VP42 compared to the P42 and how the native plasma resolution on it is 1024x768?

With the service menu, are you guys able to get rid of the yellow/greenish tint to the picture?

I'm looking to return my P50HDM since it has this god awful red static on light moving objects on the screen on all inputs, along with sounding like it's about to explode on all white scenes, and again I'm kinda drawn towards the "value" of the Vizio.

Truthfully I think the Vizio 42" LCD looks better than the P42, but I know that the poor blacks on the LCD will really get to me. I plan on going with a projector setup sometime in the future, so I'm willing to step down a bit on my screen size for everyday viewing and whatnot. Plus I think most of the C....co 50 inchers either look horrible aesthetically, or picture wise.


So does the picture clean up in the service menu?

I have only had to adjust the contrast, brightness, color settings to make this tv look great in my living room. I used the Video Essentials DVD, but it did not do that much for me.....I coulc have used the THX calibration DVD that came on certain DVDs I own to similar results.

I own the P42HDTV and must say I am very satisfied. The picture looks great in HD and in SD. I am using the HDMI input from a Motorola STB (Comcast) with dual DVRs.

I'm not wild about the Motorola STB, but it works ok (apparently it causes a click sound on my NBC HD channel when the screen changes from SD to HD (e.g. commercials to the main show).

I also have a splitter on the cable which runs into the STB and into the QAM input on the Vizio. I pull in 70 channels and some of them are not in my cable lineup. The tuner labels each channel in an unorthodox way. It takes some getting used to. I have only played with this function and I watch mainly through the STB.

Vizio is a fine TV in my opinion. I'm not an AV expert, but I would know if the picture was poor. It's my second HDTV (first being a Sony CRT) and I like this one best.

As for the new model, I would hope that Vizio improves upon prior models. If so, it will no doubt be a very popular TV...especially if prices are as low as I've heard.

Since no one has one, we can only compare the specs from the Vizio website. On that basis, I like mine better (see prior post on differences), but time will tell.

Brought home my Vizio 42" Plasma today... and so far so good! I even hooked it up to my laptop and am currently viewing my laptop screen on the TV. :) I bought it at Costco this black friday at 8am.

It auto scanned a number of HD channels and they looked great via antenna. However, I have one cable from the antenna and one from the satellite, and they join in a box that goes through to the TVs in the house. When I used that setup, I could not pick up the HD channels. I had to pipe it directly from the antenna to the TV.

I'll be looking around for more info... is there a special 'box' I'll need to join up the two cables so the Vizio can see both? Or is that possible?
Thanks.

I bought the Vizio VP42 Plasma today, I'm really impressed with this TV.

I got it from Costco for $999 and for that price, I should had gotten 2. Why haven't I? I got the last one at my local Costco. People in the store were walking out with 2 each, one guy even came out with 4 in his store dolly!!

I took it home and connected it to my 360. Gears of War looks great, I set it at 720p and then to 1080i. For the money, I would not think twice of getting another one.
Im watching a movie on it right now with the 360's HD-DVD attachment. It's cool and I'm glad it only set me back a grand.

I'd appreciate some assistance in tweaking the VP42HDTV for optimum viewing. Just picked this up from Costco today as well as many others have done. This is my first HDTV.

I'm already enjoying it quite a bit but have some questions/issues with the resolutions I've been getting out of the set:

Good: My Comcast HDMI connection sends a 720p/60 feed to the TV. My Xbox 360 sends a 720p/60 feed to the TV via component video.Odd: My Xbox 360 only seems to want to display 480p/60 when playing back DVDs, but will play back at 720p/60 when playing HD-WMV's (DVD backups) over the network.WTF?: My Sony 5-disc DVD changer only seems to want to send 480i even though it's using component.So... anyone have insight as to what's up with my DVD playback? What's even wierder (and cool) is that the VP42HDTV can handle (downscales) a 1080p signal from the 360.

I bought the Vizio VP42 Plasma today, I'm really impressed with this TV.

I got it from Costco for $999 and for that price, I should had gotten 2. Why haven't I? I got the last one at my local Costco. People in the store were walking out with 2 each, one guy even came out with 4 in his store dolly!!

I took it home and connected it to my 360. Gears of War looks great, I set it at 720p and then to 1080i. For the money, I would not think twice of getting another one.
Im watching a movie on it right now with the 360's HD-DVD attachment. It's cool and I'm glad it only set me back a grand.


I too, picked up the last one at my local Costco, which was the actual "one-day" display model (never plug-in at the store). We are very happy with the picture quality, inputs and sleek design. It matched perfectly with a TV stand we already owned. I would recommend picking-up the unit even at the regular retail price of $1,199.99

I'd appreciate some assistance in tweaking the VP42HDTV for optimum viewing. Just picked this up from Costco today as well as many others have done. This is my first HDTV.

I'm already enjoying it quite a bit but have some questions/issues with the resolutions I've been getting out of the set:

Good: My Comcast HDMI connection sends a 720p/60 feed to the TV. My Xbox 360 sends a 720p/60 feed to the TV via component video.Odd: My Xbox 360 only seems to want to display 480p/60 when playing back DVDs, but will play back at 720p/60 when playing HD-WMV's (DVD backups) over the network.WTF?: My Sony 5-disc DVD changer only seems to want to send 480i even though it's using component.So... anyone have insight as to what's up with my DVD playback? What's even wierder (and cool) is that the VP42HDTV can handle (downscales) a 1080p signal from the 360.

check the back of the dvd player. my sony has a progressive/interlace switch on it.

Hi All,

I just got the vizio too on black friday. Picture looks great. I do notice a buzzing sound coming from the tv though. It is there whether I use OTA HD or my PS2 via component. The buzzing sound is level whether I turn the TV's sound all the way down or all the way up, so I don't think it's coming from a bad audio connection.

Anyone else experiencing this?

Thanks,
-S

Hey, I also just got this set (VP42) ... for some reason it seems that when I connect my PC or Cable Box (SA3250HD) to through the HDMI ports, theres a loud high pitch squeal coming from the back of the VP42. Im not sure what to do at this stage.

As for the buzzing sound, I notice a slight buzzing but it is pretty quiet.

I wonder if this is a hdmi hdcp thing or what? Please let me know if anyone knows something about this.

Edit: I am using DVI > HDMI cables, they are known good because they work great with my Vizio L32.

check the back of the dvd player. my sony has a progressive/interlace switch on it.My bad. It's a Panasonic. Model DVD-F87 to be precise. It has a software switch to enable or disable progressive output. I've tried switching it on and it doesn't appear to work.

I've got all of the audio piping into my Onkyo HT system. I've got an older model that only goes up to s-video so all of my video is plugged directly into the TV.

I can live (begrudgingly...and at least for now) with 480p DVD playback from the Xbox 360, but 480i from the DVD player over component just seems silly.

EDIT: OK so I found the roundabout way to fix the 480i playback issue. Turns out that along with enabling progressive output in the Setup menu, I also needed to change settings in the Display menu during playback.

Press Display, select Other Settings, Picture submenu, Video Output Mode = 480p.

And it would seem that this player is incapable of outputting a 720p signal.

Is the 360 only able to do 720p via the HD-DVD add-on and/or the VGA cable?

is there any way to change the color of the black bars you see when viewing 4:3 material? I think some sets allo wyo to change it to gray, but I see no option here. Or is this content specific, such as HBO HD when not widescreen? thanks

Looks like this might be the thread to ask this in, so ......

I picked up the Vizio VP42HDTV plasma on Friday for my parents. Just wondering what picture settings people are using, i.e. what setting is your picture, color, brightness, tint, etc. at?

I can't seem to find a good balance. Could use a little help here.

Thanks.

[I picked up the Vizio VP42HDTV plasma on Friday for my parents. Just wondering what picture settings people are using, i.e. what setting is your picture, color, brightness, tint, etc. at?

I can't seem to find a good balance. Could use a little help here.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]


Max20,
I picked one up Friday as well. I currently have all of the settings turned down very low during the recommended 100 hour break in period talked about throughout this forum.

Break in settings:

Contrast 45
Brightness 40
Color 48
Tint 0
Sharness 1
Color Temp Custom
Red 126
Green 125
Blue 127

Advanced settings:

DNR Low
Blk level ext. on
wht peak lim on
CTI Low
Flesh tone on
Adapt. Luma off

I'm certainly no expert as this is my first plasma, but the picture looks pretty good. It is just a little on the dark side due to the low settings for break in. I will be glad when my 100 hours are up so I can really play with the settings and see what this set is capable of. Despite the current settings this set has an awesome picture in HD darn god SD as well. It is a phenominal value!

Hey guys,

I have had the Vizio P42HDTV for 6 months and have had some fan problems and black out problems. I spoke with the company and they said that the 2006 model had problems because the plasmas would overheat because the fan could not keep the plasma cool enough. The overheating would cause the plasma to go black and shutdown for a short period. Vizio told me that the 2007 model (VP42HDTV) was completely redone on the insides. I just bought the VP42HDTV from Costco on Friday and returned the P42HDTV. I'm starting to wonder if that was a bad decision. The VP42HDTV plasma is not as bright as the P42HDTV, which is pretty noticeable. This is what I have found out about the two plasmas:

Other than the obvious cabinet designs,there's not much difference other than the VP has two HDMI inputs. The only other difference is that the "P" has higher brightness:
VP = Brightness: 480 cd/m2 (typical)
P = Brightness: 1,200 cd/m2 (typical)

Does anyone know the proper settings to get the brightness higher on the VP? The reds are noticeably darker on the VP. Anyways....if anyone is considering buying the VP and returning the P42 to Costco, realize that there is a difference! You gain 1 more HDMI input (2 total), but you will lose the brightness (unless someone can figure out better settings than the standard settings).

Hey guys,

I have had the Vizio P42HDTV for 6 months and have had some fan problems ... I spoke with the company and they said that the 2006 model had problems because the plasmas would overheat because the fan could not keep the plasma cool enough. ...
The P42HDTV has no fans, so what model do you really have? :rolleyes:

is there any way to change the color of the black bars you see when viewing 4:3 material? I think some sets allo wyo to change it to gray, but I see no option here. Or is this content specific, such as HBO HD when not widescreen? thanks

i was able to change the colors through my Comcast menu - so depending on what provider you have, check those menu settings - if you have Comcast digital, hit Menu -> Menu -> Set: TV Borders

hope this helps.

I had Comcast digital, but now have Time Warner. However, I still use the same STB, a Motorola DCT6200. I do not have that option in the setup menu. thanks anyway

The P42HDTV has no fans, so what model do you really have? :rolleyes:

When I spoke with Vizio, the customer service rep said that the P42 had some issues with overheating due to cooling problems. I recall them saying it was something with a fan.

i noticed this the first day i got mine, and was trying to ignore it...but it hasn't gone away - i have tried unplugging it for a bit, and it seems to help in the short-term - but it's definintely there...sometimes worse than others - i'm really not excited about haivng to deal with technicians etc - any luck on fixes with this anyone?

sorry, i should note that the sound i'm getting is a buzz, not a squeal :)

Hey, I also just got this set (VP42) ... for some reason it seems that when I connect my PC or Cable Box (SA3250HD) to through the HDMI ports, theres a loud high pitch squeal coming from the back of the VP42. Im not sure what to do at this stage.

As for the buzzing sound, I notice a slight buzzing but it is pretty quiet.

I wonder if this is a hdmi hdcp thing or what? Please let me know if anyone knows something about this.

Edit: I am using DVI > HDMI cables, they are known good because they work great with my Vizio L32.

just wanted to see if there were any other people experiencing the Vizio "buzz" noise.

i noticed this the first day i got mine, and was trying to ignore it...but it hasn't gone away - i have tried unplugging it for a bit, and it seems to help in the short-term - but it's definintely there...sometimes worse than others - i'm really not excited about haivng to deal with technicians etc - any luck on fixes with this anyone?

sorry, i should note that the sound i'm getting is a buzz, not a squeal :)

Perhaps I have missed it, but has anyone compared the Vizio P42HDTV with the new Vizio 42 inch plasma? I have seen a few remarks earlier in this thread, but I need to know if the new one is better than the old one. My old one has the occasional turning off problem and sometimes seems a little milky in the picture. Does the new one conquer these problems? How about the inputs, which is better?

Thanks,

Jay

I have a question.1st of all I'm a noob. 2nd what causes the "ghost effect"? The reason I ask is because I've been experiencing it for a while now but a little more than before. I called the Costcos concierge line and one guy claimed that its my connection (hdmi) but he didn't sound too confident and claimed he would do more "research" on it and call me back. Well I didn't get that call back so I called again and spoke to a lady and she claimed that the ghosting was being caused by my Directv receiver (H20) which is not compatible w/ vizio T.V.s but I told that I was getting the ghost effect w/ my xbox as well but she then stood quiet for about 20 seconds and said she was going to get a hold of vizio but unfortunately for me Vinc was closed. Anywho is costco concierge service a hoax? Should I just return the t.v. to costco? or should I try getting a hold of Vinc on my own? any suggestions, ideas, or advice would be greatly appreciated thanx in advance.

I have the Vizio and I just started to hear a fant buzzing sound also. I have some speakers hooked up below it, could that be causeing the problem? I moved them around a bit and still got the buzz. Anyone figure out a fix for the buzz?

Do you access the service menu for VP42 the same as P42. Thanks Drew

It would be great if we could get the settings that the reviewer from the http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/ site used. Anybody know?

Could someone provide their video settings for the VP42? I don't have access to any of the Calibration Disc's.

Hi everybody, I recently sent the following email to Vizio's technical support and was wondering if anybody here has experienced the same problem or may know what the problem is:

[/I]Just recently my display has been exhibiting a pinkish hue or shade within the 4:3 ratio area of the screen. This pinkish hue is very noticeable during white or light background scenes broadcasted in 16:9 and it seems to be getting worse. The sides of the 16:9 broadcast are fine, but you can definitely see the pinkish hue in the 4:3 area making it appear that the sides are much like the black bar areas of the screen except that these areas are displaying normally and not the black bars. I have adjusted my picture display settings but this doesn’t help. I switched from HDMI to Component but this doesn’t help. I play a DVD and this doesn’t help. Please HELP. I believe there is something defective w/my unit.[I]

thanks in advance for anybody's feedback on this....

looks as though this thread has gone dead......

anyone wanna chime in on their settings? it appears the "newer" vp has some additional picture adjustmens

i found the 42" to be average at best. It looked like there was a white haze whenever you viewed it, and when comparing to panasonic,s the haze or fog was removed for you.
Simply tweaking it, as i did in the store, does not help.

Hi everybody, I recently sent the following email to Vizio's technical support and was wondering if anybody here has experienced the same problem or may know what the problem is:

[/I]Just recently my display has been exhibiting a pinkish hue or shade within the 4:3 ratio area of the screen. This pinkish hue is very noticeable during white or light background scenes broadcasted in 16:9 and it seems to be getting worse. The sides of the 16:9 broadcast are fine, but you can definitely see the pinkish hue in the 4:3 area making it appear that the sides are much like the black bar areas of the screen except that these areas are displaying normally and not the black bars. I have adjusted my picture display settings but this doesn’t help. I switched from HDMI to Component but this doesn’t help. I play a DVD and this doesn’t help. Please HELP. I believe there is something defective w/my unit.[I]

thanks in advance for anybody's feedback on this....

I think I know what you are talking about. Sometimes I have the pink, sometimes green. Looks like the Aurora Borealis, but momochrome. Tech is on the way to replace main board.

Keep watching it....I started to see printing; then it occured to me just what Iwas looking at: The menu!! Seems like there is cross-talk with the menu.

After six months my P42HDTV recently began exhibiting red sparkles during dark scenes. Supposedly this is either a voltage issue or one of three boards could be going bad. I was going to go the whole repair route but since I was at Costco yesterday I talked to a rep who said to just bring it in for a return and get something else. I really liked the PQ on this unit but I couldn't resist the offer to upgrade to a newer model and save a few hundred bucks to boot.

I think I know what you are talking about. Sometimes I have the pink, sometimes green. Looks like the Aurora Borealis, but momochrome. Tech is on the way to replace main board.

Keep watching it....I started to see printing; then it occured to me just what Iwas looking at: The menu!! Seems like there is cross-talk with the menu.

This is turning into a nightmare -- still trying to get a tech.

Max20,
I picked one up Friday as well. I currently have all of the settings turned down very low during the recommended 100 hour break in period talked about throughout this forum.

Break in settings:

Contrast 45
Brightness 40
Color 48
Tint 0
Sharness 1
Color Temp Custom
Red 126
Green 125
Blue 127

Advanced settings:

DNR Low
Blk level ext. on
wht peak lim on
CTI Low
Flesh tone on
Adapt. Luma off

I'm certainly no expert as this is my first plasma, but the picture looks pretty good. It is just a little on the dark side due to the low settings for break in. I will be glad when my 100 hours are up so I can really play with the settings and see what this set is capable of. Despite the current settings this set has an awesome picture in HD darn god SD as well. It is a phenominal value!

How did you get into the advance setting?

Hey guys, they are having a heck of a deal on this tv at buy.com, although it is a refurb. Does anyone have any experience with refurb Vizios?

Also to knock out a few birds with 1 stone..
-Does this set have any overscan and if so is it adjustable?
-How wide is the stand? My tv stand is about 29.5 inches wide and I am just trying to see if this would fit. Thanks!

These reviews are encouraging..

Vizio refurbs (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2509774&Tab=11&NoMapp=0)

I know there are many out there with this tv, I would be so greatful if someone would measure the width of the stand so I know whether I should purchase this or not.. it is going to sell out quick!

I know there are many out there with this tv, I would be so greatful if someone would measure the width of the stand so I know whether I should purchase this or not.. it is going to sell out quick!


I measured 32.5 inches long for the base. Hope this helps.

I measured 32.5 inches long for the base. Hope this helps.
Damn! I guess it's time for a new tv stand...

A lot of people are comparing this set to a Panasonic or Pioneer, but I would be upgrading from a Sylvania EDTV, so is it safe to assume that this will be a significant upgrade picture quality wise?

A lot of people are comparing this set to a Panasonic or Pioneer, but I would be upgrading from a Sylvania EDTV, so is it safe to assume that this will be a significant upgrade picture quality wise?

Yes. The bottom line is you are getting a lot for your money when compared to sony/panasonic ect. IF there is any picture quality difference from the bigger names I seriously doubt it would be worth the big price difference. I have several vizio's of various sizes and love the picture quality.

Anyone have the most optimal settings for this TV? I just got it from buy.com refurb, SD content looks real good. The only problem was bezel is dirty and the screen had thumb prints which i am cleaning using a lint free cloth.

Any help?

Would greatly appreciate if someone can post the optimal configuration after they did any calibration or used any technique.

FYI - the pic quality is great, except when I am watching shows that are recorded through Dish DVR, the colors dont seem deep and kind looks pixelated, anyone experience the same?

I bought a refurb unit from buy.com --> not a good experieince -- but I got a unit where the screen was fine and quality is good.

Any help?

Would greatly appreciate if someone can post the optimal configuration after they did any calibration or used any technique.

FYI - the pic quality is great, except when I am watching shows that are recorded through Dish DVR, the colors dont seem deep and kind looks pixelated, anyone experience the same?

I bought a refurb unit from buy.com --> not a good experieince -- but I got a unit where the screen was fine and quality is good.

I just got the same one in from buy yesterday. Your settings are going to be unit/system specific. You might be able to get some general ideas of settings in here, but you need to snag a calibration dvd or have it ISF'd. The new DVD player gets here today and the DVE calibration disc by the wknd or early next week. I'll post back up after I've tweaked with it a bit.

(Ditto on the buy.com experience. Had an issue with billing/shipping address at first and after being on hold for 45 mins, I was disconnected. Resorted to just sending multiple emails. Finally straightened out. They're not known for great CS, but couldn't beat the price and free shipping. The only issue on mine was fingerprints and a small scuff.)

lordkenyon - i had the exact same problem - fingerprints and scuff marks on the bezel. I havent noticed any burn in or anything like that yet. But on SD if you read ppl exerpeinces -they had horrible experiences, from cracked screen to burned in images from buy.com

This is a lesson learned for me, not to buy large electronic items from buy.com

Let me know the settings you are able to calibrate.

Thanks!!

lordkenyon - i had the exact same problem - fingerprints and scuff marks on the bezel. I havent noticed any burn in or anything like that yet. But on SD if you read ppl exerpeinces -they had horrible experiences, from cracked screen to burned in images from buy.com

This is a lesson learned for me, not to buy large electronic items from buy.com

Let me know the settings you are able to calibrate.

Thanks!!


Will do. I just got the Oppo 970HD and slapped in a DVD, set the upconvert to 1080i and it's awesome. Heck even at 480p it's pretty darn good (lowest I can go through HDMI). I've turned down most settings (all to 50 or lower), but when the DVE finally gets here, I'll let you know what I figure out with it.

I've heard bad stories about their customer support, but hadn't heard of any really bad damage like cracked screens. Yikes, guess I lucked out. I'm getting the DVE disc from them (again, great deal), but I think it'll likely be my last purchase from there. Just can't stand poor customer service, especially when they have completely unjustified and unexplained 3-5 business days "at the warehouse" until things shipped. I'd rather pay a bit more and go elsewhere for good support. It's what I'll be doing in the future!

I think I went through this entire thread to compile diff settings ppl are using and some useful info, pasting it in this post in case anyone needs it.

brightness 55
contrast 75
color 58
tint 50
sharpness 50

As previously mentioned, it's not the pixel quality or sharpness - it's all the faded color. That's just what it looks like... faded.

This leads me to believe there may be an issue with the quality of the darker colors. Bright colors do look decent however.

brightness 52
contrast 70
color 56
tint 50
sharpness 50 (but on some material 75 looked better, IMO)

Brightness: 48
Contrast: 88
Color: 44
Tint: 50
Sharp: 0

Brightness: 50
Contrast: 70
Color: 45
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 50

Brightness = 47
Contrast = 47
Color = 41
Tint = 40
Sharpness = 25

Brightness: 56
Contrast: 81
Color:45
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 0

Settings below
Brightness: 50
Contrast: 50
Color: 45
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 50

Here goes:

Imput set on TV
Turn set off then on with buttons on side of TV
While turning set on or immediately thereafter, push channel up and down buttons at same time on side of TV.
Now, using remote, push menu button, you should get your regular menu up, but there should be a "F" in the bottom right corner of the menu. (This if for factory).
Push menu button on side of TV and hold it for a few seconds. You will now be in service menu.

This is what is looks like:

ADC Calibration
Auto Burn In
R Gain
G Gain
B Gain
R Offset
G Offset
B Offset

I was told to document your default setting before doing anything and not to touch the bottom 3 settings. I dont know what the first 2 settings do, if anyone knows, please advise. Also in the upper right is your version number (N.0.17) and what looks like date 2006.01.21. As of now I havent changed anything. My set is weird. Most shows (HD) are great, but others like "24" the other day have a reddish/violet/greenish aura or rainbow-like look on faces, almost like they are bruised in some scenes: reddish cheeks and lips in others with a slight greenish look to the shadows in the face. I'm interested to know everyone's default settings in factory mode and versions. Also if you calibrate let me know your new settings. Thanks and I hope this is helpful to everyone.

Brightness: 50
Contrast: 60-70 (I know this isn't a great idea, but oh well)
Color: 45
Tint: 50
Sharpness: 50


Brightness 55
Contrast <50
Color 32
Tint 54
Sharpness 0

Brightness: 48
Contrast: 75
Color: 36
Tone: 55
Sharpness: 50

Just got DVE in today, so I'll add my settings so far to the mix. It's a bit time consuming to go through them mostly b/c the Vizio's on screen setup menu that blocks the test patterns. Kind of annoying to keep toggling between the two.

Brightness: 51
Contrast: 55
Color: 47
Tint: 48
Sharpness: 25

Looks pretty good through the demos. I might double check things again tonight after it's dark (the room's pretty light).

This was done with the NTSC side of the DVE disc with and Oppo 970HD set to upscale to 1080i through HDMI cable. (I used the upscaling b/c that's how I generally watch movies, so it seemed to make sense to calibrate the same way.)

So I would just love to read through all 64 pages here.. but is there a way to get in and adjust overscan on this set? It seems to be about 5% through hdmi which is a little much, like 2 or 3% through cable which is better I don't know why.. they should have just stuck with that for the other inputs.

Does the vga input have 0 overscan? Also I read that vga mode has a color temp adjustment and rgb settings. Could I use a component-VGA adapter from my cable box to the tv? Would that work? Or can I just use a dvi cable?

I just got the Oppo 970HD and slapped in a DVD, set the upconvert to 1080i and it's awesome.

Why not upconvert to 720p? It's closer to the TV's native resolution of 768p (saves the extra steps of making the TV's video processors downconvert from 1080 and change image from interlaced to progressively scanned.).

Why not upconvert to 720p? It's closer to the TV's native resolution of 768p (saves the extra steps of making the TV's video processors downconvert from 1080 and change image from interlaced to progressively scanned.).

is this a general rule with regards to native resolution? I ask because I've always felt that 720p programming looks a little better than 1080i. (I'm on time warner)

is this a general rule with regards to native resolution? I ask because I've always felt that 720p programming looks a little better than 1080i. (I'm on time warner)

Depends on source material and TV's or DVD player's video processors, but generally speaking, yes, 720p should be a better match for a 768p TV. Check out ABC-TV network shows, broadcast in 720p, vs. CBS or NBC (1080i).

Anyone else have the red sparkles issue? I got a refurb with this problem and they are shipping me out another tv.

Anyone else have the red sparkles issue? I got a refurb with this problem and they are shipping me out another tv.

Sure it's not an HDMI-related issue?

Sure it's not an HDMI-related issue?
Nope, happens on HDMI, component, and cable.

Nope, happens on HDMI, component, and cable.

Well that sucks.

I've had my P42 for over a year now and have been very pleased with its performance. But I did get green sparklies when I used HDMI input with my Comcast digital box. So now I use component for the cable box, and HDMI with my Oppo upconverting DVD player.

Gotta say, this TV compares favorably with anything I've seen.

Since most who post here are the ones having problems, I thought I'd provide a little balance by reporting I've had my P42HDTV for over a year now and without a single problem. Great picture since day one. Do invest a little effort to adjust the picture (but don't obsess), forget about all the 100 hour burn-in voodoo (just don't leave a static image on overnight), and enjoy :D

Remember the squeaky wheel usually gets the grease, not the smooth running ones. And it only takes one to make a lot of noise.

i've had mine since it first appeared. I did the whole 100 hr burn in. I used avia to calibrate. All I know is the biggest factor that makes my TV look good or bad is the source. Shows like Lost and most anything on discovery HD look unbelievable. SD is bearable to kinda crappy... but I didn't really buy the TV for SD anyways. I think I'll be fine in the long run. I'm very happy with my TV.

How have these sets been holding up & any thoughts on buying the lastest version that Wal-Mart & Circuit City has? Thanks

i'm new to all this, so how do i pick up OTA HD channels with my philips silver sensor antenna?

How have these sets been holding up & any thoughts on buying the lastest version that Wal-Mart & Circuit City has? Thanks

Well, I have only had mine for a little over a month. I love it!!! Bought it on sale from CC and used the 10% off coupon from AAA.

This is my first foray into a HDTV. I went from a 27" CRT to this one, but I had done a lot of research up until then and viewed a lot of different HDTV sets in stores. I am very very pleased. My set was built in April of 2007. I have no buzzing issues that a number of folks have complained about and I also have had no green sparkly issues either. All I have hooked up to it at the moment are a cable connection with a few local HD stations and some SD ones, my 5.1 surround sound system and I have a progressive scan DVD player hooked up via HDMI port. My SD dvds look awesome! I was expecting them to look pretty crappy from comments I had seen, but I find that not to be true. The color is rich and the clarity is pretty darn good too, considering DVDs are 480p.

So for me, the price/quality point was perfect. I am thrilled with my set so far. Just because for me this was quite a large investment, I did buy the special 3rd party warrantee deal from Mack through Tapeworks Texas that was offered elsewhere on this site. Gives me peace of mind.

My 17 months old P42HDTV now has the shutdown problem. It shutdowns after one to two minutes. I'm glad COSTCO has that Concierge two year warranty. They promised to send someone to repair it. Will update when that happens.

I thought I would post my Vizio experience here since this thread is what convinced me to get one.

I have a Vizio 42" plasma from Costco. It looked great for the first 9 months but then I noticed that people's foreheads were shiney teal or shiney pink. Obviously that was not acceptable.

Step 1. I called Costco's concierge number. The person there was about useless. They tried to get Vizio on the phone but it was a Sunday so no luck. They told me that I could call them and that they could call Vizio for me or I could call Vizio direct.

Step 2. I called Vizio direct. When I did get Vizio on the line, I was given a troubleshooting step. Unplug for a minute, plug back in.

Step 3. Since the problem was intermittent I had to see if this helped and call back. It didn't.

Step 4. Vizio then had me perform a factory reset.

Step 5 Repeat Step 3. It didn't work.

Step 6 Call Vizio. They will send someone to replace the logic board in about a week.

Step 7 Someone comes to my home and replaces the board.

Step 8 Repeat Step 3. It didn't work.

Step 9 Contact Vizio. I'll save time but due to a couple of screw ups on Vizio's behalf, I have to make multiple phone calls and send a copy of my receipt twice to get them to the next step in the process, replace the TV. I'll get a refurb in 12-15 days.

Step 10 15 days later and not a word, I visit Costco. Share a piece of my tale. They tell me to bring it back.

I've decided NOT to buy another Vizio. A quick check on Consumer reports shows it to be a more repair prone brand than others. With Costco's new return policy, I'll buy a name brand this time. I WILL buy my next TV from Costco. They have been cool.

My 17 months old P42HDTV now has the shutdown problem. It shutdowns after one to two minutes. I'm glad COSTCO has that Concierge two year warranty. They promised to send someone to repair it. Will update when that happens.

Updating my repair experience.

Costco sent out a tech on Aug 6th. He said there was an intermittent power problem. He needed to call VIZIO to get a part number and get Costco to order the part.

VIZIO has never returned his phone calls so I just went ahead and returned the TV back to Cosco. I'll never buy VIZIO again because of their poor service. Costco's extended warranty didn't work in my case. I hope this is not typical for the stuff they sell.

My almost 2 yr old 50 in Vizio PDP [P50HDM] died and the 5 yr warranty purchased from Vizio [Warranty Corporation of America] has not gotten a service person to call my home after 10 days. Vizio [where I bought the warranty] claim that it is not their responsibility and suggested I call Warranty Corporation of America, a 6th time. Do not buy Vizio. I paid over $3000 for the PDP and 5 year warranty. I would avoid Warranty Corporation of America as well.

Follow up at 6:30 PM:
I emailed Vizio customer/tech support about the experience and that I would spread the word around the web. I just got a call from Vizio within 2 hrs and described the problem. I was told it was not repairable and they would send a replacement in 7 to 10 days. It will be 2 yrs old in 2 days.

my 42" Vizio plasma panel is a little over 3 months old; its been a steady performer with no issues. today i turn it on and there are a series of red/green/blue lines running vertically on the screen. they look to be in 'front' of other images on the screen - no amount of adjustment/power cycle has affected them...has anyone else experienced this?

im thinking that it probably just needs to be returned/replaced?

my 42" Vizio plasma panel is a little over 3 months old; its been a steady performer with no issues. today i turn it on and there are a series of red/green/blue lines running vertically on the screen. they look to be in 'front' of other images on the screen - no amount of adjustment/power cycle has affected them...has anyone else experienced this?

im thinking that it probably just needs to be returned/replaced?

Call Vizio tech support. They helped me twice. It will be a good test and will resolve your problem. Obviously service will depend on your area as many companies out-source repairs.

i recently bought an Onkyo TXSR604 receiver. I am unable to get audio out to work on the VP42 plasma.
I have an optical cable connected from the TV to the receiver optical in. I also have a standard rca cable connected to the audio out on tv going to the audio in on the reciver.
I get the sound on the receiver from the optical input(only on digital channels) but do not get any sound on any input (i tried several) though the analog connection fropm my TV to the receiver. i do not think this is a receiver issue.
Anyone else see simillar problem?

My Vizio P42HDTV10A developed a couple of problems recently. When the local PBS station added a 4th subchannel, some shows on the HD subchannel became very jerky. All of the content on one program would be jerky, and the program that followed it would display smoothly. PBS HD repeats shows often, and the same shows would be jerky when they were rerun. My LCD TV in another room displays all of the shows smoothly. My suspicion is that the PBS HD subchannel may be too compressed for the Vizio to decode it.

The other problem was the dreaded red sparkles, which became obvious in dark areas of the lower half of the screen. There are many reports on the web that state that this is a sign that the plasma panel is beginning to fail. Others report that this can be fixed by adjusting voltages inside the set, although some think this is only a temporary fix.

I bought the TV at Costco before the new 2-year extended warranty policy. I asked Costco what they could do for me, and they said to return it. I replaced it with a 42-inch Panasonic plasma.

I bought my P42HDTV in April 2006. I have been exceedingly happy with it and haven't had any problems until today. My son came home from school and turned it on. It started up normally, and he went upstairs. When he returned, the picture was blank. The TV has full sound and the green power light is on, but no picture.

I'm just past the new 2 year extended warranty, so I hope C***** will grandfather me under the lifetime satisfaction guarantee that was in place when I bought the set. If so, it's going back tomorrow. I'll call and report back. It seems many people are having this problem with this set & its 50" big brother and are having good luck returning them.

I called C***** yesterday. They said it is marked in their computer as "returnable", so I'm going to take it back this weekend. Hopefully they have a 50PZ85U in stock at a good price. If so, I'll likely buy that.

I could be wrong but I don't think Costco has gotten ANY new Panny models in yet & on their website the only 1080P TV they have listed is the Pioneer 50" PDP-5010FD for $2999.99 which you can get from Forum Sponsors cheaper.

Well, C***** came through! Took it back without a problem. I talked to the customer service rep a while. She said they get lots back with that problem. I was considering getting the new 1080p Vizio, but I'm 99% sure now that I won't -- especially if it doesn't have the Reon chip.

I could be wrong but I don't think Costco has gotten ANY new Panny models in yet & on their website the only 1080P TV they have listed is the Pioneer 50" PDP-5010FD for $2999.99 which you can get from Forum Sponsors cheaper.I think you are right. I only saw Panasonic 2007 models. I'm curious when they'll get the 2008 ones.

Well, C***** came through! Took it back without a problem. I talked to the customer service rep a while. She said they get lots back with that problem. I was considering getting the new 1080p Vizio, but I'm 99% sure now that I won't -- especially if it doesn't have the Reon chip.

I think you are right. I only saw Panasonic 2007 models. I'm curious when they'll get the 2008 ones.

Mine just went. I was watching it when all of a sudden a pop sound and picture went black. I now get only audio on all my sources. I purchased this in April 06 from C***** too. I hope I can get a refund like you. I would have no problem buying a new set from them.

I ended up buying the 50" VP504. I've had it about a month now and I'm really happy with it. I still need to buy the extended warranty though.

By the way, like all 50" 1080P plasmas, this baby runs hot -- consumes about 550 Watts. See my other comments in the Vizio's New 2008 Lineup thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13918298#post13918298)

Mine just went. I was watching it when all of a sudden a pop sound and picture went black. I now get only audio on all my sources. I purchased this in April 06 from C***** too. I hope I can get a refund like you. I would have no problem buying a new set from them.

This " pop "' just happened to our Vizio as well. It was LOUD. Our cat jumped 3ft in the air. Sound, but NO picture

Any ways, I called Costco, they pulled up my member ID and said to bring it in. And yes, i was under the old return policy, they mentioned that as well. I will have no problems exchanging it.
So, this is per the CSR, I will bring it in to see what they will do.

Looking at the 42 and 50 Panny's now