I don't have access to a PS2 but with an Xbox 360, the LG 30FS4D does properly handle the black bars. For true 16:9 format dvds, the black bars are totally removed.

I have the LG 32FS4D. I bought it in Korea for about $550US.

I've had it about a month. In that time:

I've recognized no sound/speaker problems;
No color problems;
The image on the sides is a little less defined than the center area of the screen, but the difference is so minimal I can only recognize it when I am looking for it and under certain images;
The picture is awesome when playing XBOX360;
I have no problem removing the black bars when watching DVDs through either my DVD Player or my 360 - The TV has a display option for "cinema mode" in which you can magnify the screen up to 16 times, so that you can remove the letterboxes.

I am currently shopping for a entry level hdtv. I just received a 360 for christmas and would like to upgrade my tv to be able to play the games. My only question about this tv is the QAM tuner. Does it pick up the hd channels? I know you can't get ESPN and other premium content without paying but I am wondering if people are getting the NBC/FOX HD displays. Please let me know. Thanks

I am currently shopping for a entry level hdtv. I just received a 360 for christmas and would like to upgrade my tv to be able to play the games. My only question about this tv is the QAM tuner. Does it pick up the hd channels? I know you can't get ESPN and other premium content without paying but I am wondering if people are getting the NBC/FOX HD displays. Please let me know. ThanksThere are two antenna inputs on the back of the TV. One is for an off-the-air antenna, the other for cable-tv. When you perform a channel scan, both are scanned. The off-the-air input will scan for both analog and digital signals on both UHF and VHF frequency ranges.

If your cable system has analog channels, they will be recieved. If there are "digital' (QAM) channels that are not encrypted on cable, they too will be recieved. If there are HD channels (QAM) not encrypted, they too will be recieved. In my area FOX, NBC, CBS, and PBS are some of the unencrypted HD channels on my cable. On the other hand,ABC is not carried at all as a HD channel on my cable system at all.

Since you did not indicate where you were located, or who your cable company is, there is no way for anybody to give you an answer to if you will get NBC or FOX.

From what I've read, most cable companies do not encrypt the local HD channels, but... some do. so, it is likely you will be fine... but there is a possibility you will need a cable box to get even the local channels.

Joe L.

There are two antenna inputs on the back of the TV. One is for an off-the-air antenna, the other for cable-tv. When you perform a channel scan, both are scanned. The off-the-air input will scan for both analog and digital signals on both UHF and VHF frequency ranges.

If your cable system has analog channels, they will be recieved. If there are "digital' (QAM) channels that are not encrypted on cable, they too will be recieved. If there are HD channels (QAM) not encrypted, they too will be recieved. In my area FOX, NBC, CBS, and PBS are some of the unencrypted HD channels on my cable. On the other hand,ABC is not carried at all as a HD channel on my cable system at all.

Since you did not indicate where you were located, or who your cable company is, there is no way for anybody to give you an answer to if you will get NBC or FOX.

From what I've read, most cable companies do not encrypt the local HD channels, but... some do. so, it is likely you will be fine... but there is a possibility you will need a cable box to get even the local channels.

Joe L.

Thanks a lot! I live in Nutley, New Jersey and have Cablevision as my provider.

Does anyone play their 360 in 1080i on this television? If not does anyone play in 720p with the cinema zoom set to like 1 or so?

I ask because it seems like 1080i zooms the picture in slightly. And I also noticed a bar of some sorts scanning horizontally across the television pretty quickly from left to right. Other than that..I think 1080i looks better..its just that bar. I like the picture being zoomed in..but only slightly.

I picked up this LG today, replacing my (reasonably) faithful Technica after 22 years of service - - I've been hooking up peripherials and have uncovered a disturbing situation -

I have the 'Monitor Out' jacks run to my 'vintage' stereo (Sansui rack into corner horns) -

works fine except when recieving digital over the air signals when there is apparently no signal out of those jacks - the DVD player outputs thru the monitor jacks just fine - analog broadcast outputs thru those jacks just fine -

any help here? - any way to get around this? - I like my stereo, and will not be replacing it - and I think I was really liking this TV before I ran into this -

thanks for any feedback/suggestions/resources - and thanks to the AV forums which helped much with my shopping -

I don't have this TV yet, but have looked through the manual and have seen this on other TV's. I had previously purchase the BB house brand 32" 4:3 and found that one doesn't even have an analog audio output at all, so I had the opposite problem you have. (My receiver does have a digital audio input).

The general idea behind the rationale is cost. There is no coverter between analog and digital (in either direction) in the TV. This implies digital in - digital out, analog in - analog out. With your DVD player, you probably are sending the audio in through an analog channel. Also, with analog TV signals, its analog in, so the analog out works. With digital TV signals, the audio is digital, so the only two paths out of the TV are; 1) TV speakers, and 2) digital optical output. If your receiver does not have digital audio, then you are out of luck on this.

I'm pretty much a newbie too on Digital TV, but this looks common on most if not all of the TV's to me (at least in this price range). I'm guessing someone makes an external box that you could use that down-converts a digital audio signal to analog, but I don't have any suggestions at this point.

re:audio - I just bought one of these sets, and encountered the same issue. However, after playing around with the in/outs, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the optical output carries all the input sources I've tried - including both analog and digital TV, the optical input, and the component video analog audio inputs. Apparently it has an A-to-D converter that digitizes the analog audio sources and sends them out the optical port as stereo PCM data when those sources are selected. When a digital audio source is selected (digital TV, optical/hdmi input) that input stream is also sent out the optical port.

I don't think this is accurate, well, or maybe they changed something in production of these Tv's. I also have this TV and after reading your post a run to the store and got an extra Optical audio cable. Let me tell you why: my receiver only has one optical input, so I always had the optical out from the Xbox 360 going straight to the receiver.

After reading your post I thought, well, I can route the 360 optical out to the optical input of the TV, and then have the Optical out on the TV connect to the receiver. In this way I can have it all, xbox and tv audio go to the receiver. Right? Wrong!!!

The TV for some reason only pass whatever is coming from the optical input to the Optical output IF you have the TV set to DVI/HDMI. I obviously have the 360 video connected to the TV thru the component cables, so I get the image on the TV but no sound is routed to the receiver. If I switch the tv source to DVI then sound starts coming out of the receiver but I get no image on the TV as I dont have a way to connect the 360 to the DVI port on the TV (Microsoft does not have a DVI cable yet, but there is rumors sometime soon there will be for the HD DVD player they have on the market).

Can others with this TV confim this for me? whatever source you connect to the Optical In in this TV is only passed thru the Optical out IF and only IF the TV is set to DVI/HDMI??

Thanks.


re:audio - I just bought one of these sets, and encountered the same issue. However, after playing around with the in/outs, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the optical output carries all the input sources I've tried - including both analog and digital TV, the optical input, and the component video analog audio inputs. Apparently it has an A-to-D converter that digitizes the analog audio sources and sends them out the optical port as stereo PCM data when those sources are selected. When a digital audio source is selected (digital TV, optical/hdmi input) that input stream is also sent out the optical port.

You are correct; the optical input is only active when "dvi/hdmi" is selected - which works fine for me with my upconverting Oppo DVD player with DVI output through a DVI->HDMI cable. This is stated in the owner's manual; the optical input is provided for precisely this case (DVI+optical source), and is why I said "optical/hdmi input" above.

The real focus of my post (in response to the complaint about the ANALOG OUTPUT) was that the set digitizes analog audio (at least those I've tried) and ships it out the optical port. FWIW, as a point of comparison my Samsung slimfit (yes I have both LG and Samsung slim sets) didn't provide this feature; the only thing that goes out ITS optical port is DTV (and I assume HDMI) - NO digitized analog audio.

BTW, I'm in the same boat as you, with only a single optical input on my sound system. However, if you've got a spare coax input on yours, I picked up a $20 optical->coax converter on ebay to hook up the optical output of my xbox to a coax input on my sound system. A tiny little box with three connections (optical, coax, power) and a 'wall wart' transformer, but hey it works...

I've read through this entire thread and decided this was the TV for me. I brought it home and hooked it up to my digital cable box from Time Warner Cable (Scientific) and the picture was grainy and kinda lagging, I figured it was because I had to upgrade the box to an HD box. They came out this morning, and yes the HD channels look great, but the regulars still look terrible, WAY worse than my Sony Trintron SDTV that was about six years old. All the digital HBO's, SHO - everything but the HD looks nothing near as good as it did on my SDTV. Am I doing something wrong? I'm using all Monster Cables as well. I haven't done any adjusting, just the aspect ratio's and what not. If anyone has any ideas please let me know - for if this is the way it has to be, I'll have to return this TV and HD Cable box with my old TV, I'm totally bummed!

I've read through this entire thread and decided this was the TV for me. I brought it home and hooked it up to my digital cable box from Time Warner Cable (Scientific) and the picture was grainy and kinda lagging, I figured it was because I had to upgrade the box to an HD box. They came out this morning, and yes the HD channels look great, but the regulars still look terrible, WAY worse than my Sony Trintron SDTV that was about six years old. All the digital HBO's, SHO - everything but the HD looks nothing near as good as it did on my SDTV. Am I doing something wrong? I'm using all Monster Cables as well. I haven't done any adjusting, just the aspect ratio's and what not. If anyone has any ideas please let me know - for if this is the way it has to be, I'll have to return this TV and HD Cable box with my old TV, I'm totally bummed!
How did the TW cable guy/girl connect the TV to the cable box? Did they use a component video input? or composite video? or HDMI? or RF via coax and you are tuned to channel 3 to see the cable box (please tell me this is NOT what they did) Hopefully you are using component or HDMI between the two and NOT using composite video or RF.

What resolution are you sending the TV from the cable box? 480i? or 480p? or 720p? or 1080i?

On my SA 3250HD cable box, to set the resolution you must turn TV on and the cable box off, then press INFO and GUIDE on the face of the cable box simultaneously to enter the screen-type setup mode. (Then press "A" to continue and use the "advanced" mode to select the modes you wish it to use)

I know my installer did NOT do this for me and left it on the factory default setting, odds are your installer did not set your resolution up either. In fact, I had to ask for a manual for the cable box... they apparently don't give them out unless requested. Without it there is no way I'd have known how to set the unit's resolution for my set's best performance.

I selected ONLY the 720p resolution and SD tv looks pretty darned decent on the LG 30FS4D set. Of course, HDTV looks a lot better. Selecting this feeds only the one 720p resolution to the set and SD is upscaled by the SA box. (I tried both 1080i and 720p and preferred 720p. )

I am connected via component cables from the TWC cable box to the "Comp1" input on the TV.

I've been very happy with the sets performance. Don't send it back yet. Odds are you might just need to set it up properly.

Joe L.

There are very interesting posts on this thread. I just exchanged a samsung tx-s3082wh for the LG 30FS4D. I am very pleased. However, I do have one question.

I must explain my setup first. I am using cable directly from the wall to the television; I am not using a cable box. I also have an antenna hooked up.

I was able to pick up local HD channels with my antenna on the Samsung. The Samsung displayed the resolution it was running at, 480i, 720p or 1080i. The LG is picking up the same local HD channels with my antenna, but the LG is not displaying the resolution of the program/channel.

Has anyone else had this experience? The LG's QAM tuner also picked up some unencrypted cable HD channels, but they to do not display the resolution. Does anyone know how to make the LG display this?

Would actually subscribing to comcasts HD cable service (where I get the cable box) fix this?

Thank you.

Hit the 'Info' button on the remote to see the specific resolution.

Thank you for the reply. It works! I've tried everything - thanks for the help!

after MUCH researching and contemplation i'm gonna go ahead and purchase this T.V.

I'll give my opinion on the unit when i bring it home tomorow night. :D Late X-mas presents ROCK.

Can anyone tell me if this tv works well as a pc monitor....
ive been lookin for a budget, decent sized hd screen with this resolution, but couldnt find any that i really wanted to spend all that much money on....
I found all of the "slimfit" styles at BB and the res i good.
so if anyone has tried hooking it up to a pc and playing games on it, let me know plzz, ive perused this entire thread and havent found it yet, coulda missed it though.
I wanna be able to watch TV, DVDs, 360, and pc games like bf2 and cod2 and what not....
thanks in advance,

Apache.

well i FINALLY got the tv and to say the least i am escstatic. As of yet i have only used on OTA Antenna (which was has been on my house for as long as I can remember, 15+years) and the HD signal is stunning.

First thing i did when i got the T.V. was lower the contrast so i'm not sure if that raised the clarity but i'm pleased. Depending which channel i'm watching through cable (no Box) some are good some are not so. But the HD is what i got this TV for, obviously.

I'll give a little more in depth review after a week or so of using it with DVD's and PS2 (no PS3 for a while.)

P.S., no buzzing, slight bluriness on edges but more than "acceptable". No geometry issues have arised yet. Watching Cowboys and Seahawks right now and the ticker on the bottom looks straight to me. Just ask any questions if u have any and i'll be more than happy to give an awnser.

Just got this TV yesterday. Watching the local HD channels over direct coax connection. I am so thrilled I found this. I haven't paid attention to HD sets because I don't watch alot of TV. We watch movies on my CRT projector. I finally got an interest and started looking to see if I could find a tubed HD set (honestly didn't know if they made them) I can't stand watching DLP - I see rainbows, can't stand the lcds because of the response time and pixels, and the only plasmas I've seen that didn't have issues were the really high end monsters, which wasn't what I wanted (nor could afford). We don't care to watch TV on a super big screen. We have the projector for that, so finding this TV great. I chose it over the similar Samsung and I think I made the right choice. It's the right size for the room we use it in and I'm laughing all the way to the bank about the price. This has got to be the best secret out there. Pay less for a better picture than I could get on any lcd, plasma or DLP out there. WOO HOO. I'm very pleased.

I do have a question. I will be subscribing to HD service and picking up the box monday so I can get the other channels that aren't coming across (the subscription channels). I prefer however to use the TV's tuner but I've been told on the local hd programming forum for my area that my TV won't know how to handle those scrambled channels even after I've subscribed and that I would need a "cable card" for my TV. Where can I obtain that card and what's the going rate? Right now it's tuning my digital channels great (a few are missing)
but the one's it's picking up are much better than on the old set, and I would really prefer to tune with the TV tuner than the HD cable box.

I do have a question. I will be subscribing to HD service and picking up the box monday so I can get the other channels that aren't coming across (the subscription channels). I prefer however to use the TV's tuner but I've been told on the local hd programming forum for my area that my TV won't know how to handle those scrambled channels even after I've subscribed and that I would need a "cable card" for my TV. Where can I obtain that card and what's the going rate?
In order to use a cable-card an HDTV would have to be equipped with a cable-card slot to plug the card into.

It looks like this:
http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/02/cable_card.jpg

The LG30FS4D does not have a cable-card slot.

We therefore must use the cable company's set-top-box to get any of the scrambled channels. (It also must be a HD cable-box to get any HDTV channels) You will not be abale to use the set's built in tuner to see any of the scrambled channels, in fact, the connection between the cable box and the TV will be via HDMI or component cables, and you will simply choose one of those when watching cable. (You will not be using the cable-tv RF input connector once you connect the cable box)

My cable-tv RF input connector on my LG30FS4D is not connected to anything. My off-the-air RF input is connected to an outside antenna. My HD cable box is set up to output 720p over component, and is connected to component1 input to the LG30FS4D.

Joe L.

Hey all. I've had the tv for 3 days now - its excellent. I previously had the samsung 30'' and yes, it had many geometry issues. Anyway, can someone break down the channel descritions for me, I think I understand them, but am unsure. I am not using a cable box and have both an antenna and cable from the wall hooked up.

TV - obviously basic TV
CATV - the cable channels
DTV - are these the channels that my antenna is picking up (the local HD?)
CADTV - are these the channels my tv picks up in addition to the CATV? Is this due to the QAM tuner. It seems there are many -2, -3, -4 and so on after the channel. I am unsure of what each means.

Would removing my antenna remove all the DTV channels?

I hope this makes sense - thanks in advance for any responses.

Has anyone had any problems with QAM reception on this unit?

There is ONE channel from my cableco (TW) that seems to give my set fits. Either it won't tune/sync-up at all, or if it does it won't stay locked on it. It isn't a signal strength issue, as the 'meter' shows no problems and the other clear-QAM channels work fine.

*I* think there is something 'odd' about the stream, but of course the cableco will say it's the set.

Has anyone else noticed that when running anything in 1080i there is a dark wave that runs from left to right of the screen and it just keeps going over and over as if it were scanning. Its very annoying. Its more noticeable on a brighter image..but like when I am running my xbox 360 and I play in 1080i(i think it looks clearer than 720p personally) I just see this wave.

It does not do it when running 720p. However, I am not a big fan of 720p with this set simply because it makes the image too soft and then griany ontop of that in my opinion.

Any fixes?

Ok, after having this tv for a few weeks, the "blur" on the sides seem to have gotten worse. Is there anyway to reduce this, I tried the VM setting on low. I REALLY dont want to lug this thing back :(

You could turn XD on if its not already on.

You can also increase sharpness,

Seems with all the problems with Slim CRT Tubes it maybe wise to take them off the market completly afterall and just do LCDs.

I have emailed LG about my problem I mentioned above. I have had the television for a little under a year. I hope I still got the receipt to prove that.

None the less it should be under manufacture warrenty I would hope. I except service or a replacement at no cost.

I went to BB yesterday to purchase this TV. The display unit had the worst distortion I've seen on a CRT. Even worse than the Samsung Slim fit display units I've seen. From what I keep hearing I understand it's a gamble & the LG out of the box may look distortion free. Since I'm a fan of first-person shooters I just can't risk it. I don't have a car & live on a third floor walk up so the idea of messing with returns is too much for me. The NYC Chelsea Best Buy is where I was yesterday.

Just got the LG yesterday. Wow! I’m completely happy with my purchase. I bought the TV at BB, but they did not have a display model on the floor. I bought this TV sight unseen just from what I read on this forum (thanks everyone). This TV looks better than a friend’s $2500 plasma for a fraction of the price.

I was a little nervous after seeing how poorly a Samsung Slimfit 30” looked next to a Sony XBR (would the LG be as bad as the Samsung I asked myself). To my surprise the LG looks every bit as good in my home as the Sony did at BB.

I’m using rabbit ears from my old SD set to get HD OTA and I couldn’t be happier with the picture quality. The Patriots/Jetts game looked incredible in HD as did several nature programs from my local PBS station. DVDs look great from a progressive scan DVD player. Next we’ll try the Xbox.

There is no buzzing, very little distortion at the sides of the picture and I noticed no bowing of the picture.

I highly recommend this TV. I love the PQ and the anti-glare screen.

mathchris,
BB (Chicago) delivered this TV for free. Within 30 days they will pickup the TV for return at a charge of $35. Confirm this with your BB and take the gamble, you’ll be glad you did.

One question with this tv. I shut it off using the left-side panel's power (on/off) button. Later I came back to turn it on with my remote and it would not work. At first I was scared the tv broke down - I then tried turning it on using the left panel button. The red button lit up on the front of the tv and the remote was functional again.

Is this normal? Does turning the power off manually on the tv completely disable it from using the remote? Is the tv actually still on when it is powered off with the remote? Has anyone experienced this or could anyone try this?

Thank you...

One question with this tv. I shut it off using the left-side panel's power (on/off) button. Later I came back to turn it on with my remote and it would not work. At first I was scared the tv broke down - I then tried turning it on using the left panel button. The red button lit up on the front of the tv and the remote was functional again.

Is this normal? Does turning the power off manually on the tv completely disable it from using the remote? Is the tv actually still on when it is powered off with the remote? Has anyone experienced this or could anyone try this?

Thank you...The button on the left is the main power button. If it is off, nothing is powered, not even the circuits for the remote control. Turning it off is roughly equivalent to unplugging the set from the wall socket.

Once turned on from the left-side master power button the remote control can be used. If powered on from the left-side, the set can be turned on by pressing the TV/Video or Menu buttons on the right-side or by the remote control.

So far, I've not been able to figure out how to turn the TV off from the buttons on the right-hand-panel. Yes, I can turn the master power off on the left, but that disables the remote. It seems as if you must use the remote to turn the TV off if you expect to use the remote to turn it back on (Only way I know to turn the set off without the remote is to use the master power button on the left-side as you did).

So... we are constantly searching for the remote to turn the set off, but can use the right-hand buttons to turn it on, if the remote is not in sight. (dumb design in my opinion)

Anybody out there know if the set can be turned off without using the remote except for the master power button on the left-side?


Joe L.

im going to buyt his tv but are there any deals out there for this? I was hoping to get this set for no more than 600 with tax included in that price. BB had itfor 560+ w/ tax but its not 640 :(. Any ideas on how I can get best buy to lower the asking price to its previous amount shown? Thanks

I recently purchased this television and have some quick questions:

* Has anyone else noticed a thin dark vertical bar on either the left or right side of the picture? The bar, for lack of a better word, is faint and just slightly darker than the rest of the picture, and on my set appears on the left side, about 1 inch to the right of the left edge of the picture. This is a separate issue from the side blurring people have mentioned countless times.

* Also, I remember reading in this thread about someone having an issue of one side having a bluish tint with the other side having a yellowish tint. I can't find that post any longer, but I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing this, and how you went about alleviating the problem.

how much did you buy the TV for? Also sorry for the problem.

how much did you buy the TV for? Also sorry for the problem.


$579 at BB before tax.

ah thanks. Wish they still has it for less than 530 before tax :(

you can test your luck and buy the TV now and if in 60 days the price drops they will refund u the difference. At BB atleast

I recently purchased this television and have some quick questions:

* Has anyone else noticed a thin dark vertical bar on either the left or right side of the picture? The bar, for lack of a better word, is faint and just slightly darker than the rest of the picture, and on my set appears on the left side, about 1 inch to the right of the left edge of the picture. This is a separate issue from the side blurring people have mentioned countless times.

* Also, I remember reading in this thread about someone having an issue of one side having a bluish tint with the other side having a yellowish tint. I can't find that post any longer, but I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing this, and how you went about alleviating the problem.


Sorry to quote myself, but the conversation turned to the cost of this set, and I was wondering if anyone had any answers to my questions. Thanks so much in advance!

the yellow and blue tint i only notice during static, not even a full white screen

The dark vertical line i don't notice. blurriness only on the left...right is so slight it's barely noticable at all.

Hey Whiskey... Yea, I just bought the tv too... I notice a very slight bar along the left side of the screen just as you described. It is very hard to notice and in fact, I dont seem to notice it at all while watching HD channels or while playing games.

I exchanged the Samsung 30'' for this tv and am very happy. This very faint bar is nothing compared to the immediate problems I experienced with the Samsung.

Quick question for anyone. WHen you turn on your tv, does it make a somewhat loud, sort of "gong" (can't describe the sound) powering on noise? It doesn't sound damaging, but I am used to the silent powering on/off of LCD monitors/screens. Oh yea, it also makes a "click" noise when powering off, is this a normal sound for tube televisions. I don't have another one to compare it too.


Thanks in advance.

Hey Whiskey... Yea, I just bought the tv too... I notice a very slight bar along the left side of the screen just as you described. It is very hard to notice and in fact, I dont seem to notice it at all while watching HD channels or while playing games.

I exchanged the Samsung 30'' for this tv and am very happy. This very faint bar is nothing compared to the immediate problems I experienced with the Samsung.

Quick question for anyone. WHen you turn on your tv, does it make a somewhat loud, sort of "gong" (can't describe the sound) powering on noise? It doesn't sound damaging, but I am used to the silent powering on/off of LCD monitors/screens. Oh yea, it also makes a "click" noise when powering off, is this a normal sound for tube televisions. I don't have another one to compare it too.


Thanks in advance.MY set makes the same two noises. I'd say they were normal for this model. Not all sets make noises, it depends on if they use a solid-state relay or a mechanical one to switch the power.

Hey Whiskey... Yea, I just bought the tv too... I notice a very slight bar along the left side of the screen just as you described. It is very hard to notice and in fact, I dont seem to notice it at all while watching HD channels or while playing games.

I exchanged the Samsung 30'' for this tv and am very happy. This very faint bar is nothing compared to the immediate problems I experienced with the Samsung.



Thanks so much. Now I know it's not just mine, so I will live with it for the cost.

Quick question for anyone. WHen you turn on your tv, does it make a somewhat loud, sort of "gong" (can't describe the sound) powering on noise? It doesn't sound damaging, but I am used to the silent powering on/off of LCD monitors/screens. Oh yea, it also makes a "click" noise when powering off, is this a normal sound for tube televisions. I don't have another one to compare it too.

I have the same sounds going as well, and my unit was out of the box new. I have noticed that the power on sounds are louder and more pronounced the colder the room is. Keeping the TV in standby mode seemed to alleviate the more dramatic sound. Overall, I can totally live with the slight noise.

how much did you buy the TV for? Also sorry for the problem.

I also purchased from BB. At checkout, they told me $50 home delivery fee. I balked for fact no one told me there was a fee involved- and they took the $50 off the TV cost of $599, then tax got me to $628.

In addition, if you are running a cable box like I do for ComCast HD / DVR, get that manual and change your output settings for your Component jack!

I also have this issue. Noticable only on a pure white image, like text when playing Xbox 360 .I wouldn't call it a problem because that is the way the TV is. I have had 3 BB service techs come out and they all say the same thing. The flat tubes are flawed from the beginning. There is nothing that can be done, including the geometry issues. That is why ALL flat widescreen tubes have geometry issues. I have looked at many and have yet to see a perfect one.
I also had a Samsung Slimfit and replaced it w/ this LG.

I also have this issue. Noticable only on a pure white image, like text when playing Xbox 360 .I wouldn't call it a problem because that is the way the TV is. I have had 3 BB service techs come out and they all say the same thing. The flat tubes are flawed from the beginning. There is nothing that can be done, including the geometry issues. That is why ALL flat widescreen tubes have geometry issues. I have looked at many and have yet to see a perfect one.
I also had a Samsung Slimfit and replaced it w/ this LG.
I've had this set for about a week now (nabbed one when it was on sale for $522) and just started noticed a slight "bowing" in the bottom right of the screen. It's almost never noticable, except when football is on and the static score line is at the bottom, or basically when any sort of straight line passes through this region. Is this what everybody is referring to as "geometry issues"? I'm considering returning it, but this thing is a monster and I'd rather not lug it down the stairs and bring another one back up the stairs if "ALL flat widescreen tubes have geometry issues". The problem is very slight and I can probably live with it.

Someone earlier also mentioned a slight zoom on 1080i. I've noticed the same thing when I connect my HTPC to the TV (via HDMI). I'm mainly using the HTPC to watch HD-DVDs and I happen to like the PQ more at 720p (which isn't zoomed), so it's not much of an issue to me. Just thought I'd confirm the earlier post.

do they still sell this tv ? and where how much what size is there? widescreen or weather its hd and 720 or 1080?

Took the plunge on this model, and was lucky enough that a local BB I visited had one in stock (manufactured in March 2006). In any case, another BB I went to before them said they had to order them from the wharehouse, but they were still available (take that for what it's worth). They said it would take about 2 weeks to get, fyi.

The TV is 1080i capable. After only a couple days use, I have to say I'm impressed and satisfied with the TV (and particularly in relation to price/performance). The only calibration I've done so far is turning down contrast (default is 100), and lowering some of the other settings, but the HD picture is already remarkable. A Toshiba upconverting DVD player showing House of Flying Daggers was stunning and the picture quality was "filmic." Each input has it's own settings, which can be individually calibrated to maximize the type of each input (e.g. CATV, HDTV, HDMI, Component 1 etc)

Looking forward to properly calibrating the set. There may be minor geometry issues, but I think of the kind that are fixed when the set is properly calibrated. To the poster who noticed the bow in the ticker during football games, definitely try and calibrate the TV using a Digital Video Essentials type disk, before giving up on the set.

In any case, thanks to all the previous posters for dropping a lot of the knowledge that helped me make an informed purchase.

Has anyone else noticed that when running anything in 1080i there is a dark wave that runs from left to right of the screen and it just keeps going over and over as if it were scanning. Its very annoying. Its more noticeable on a brighter image..but like when I am running my xbox 360 and I play in 1080i(i think it looks clearer than 720p personally) I just see this wave.

It does not do it when running 720p. However, I am not a big fan of 720p with this set simply because it makes the image too soft and then griany ontop of that in my opinion.

Any fixes?


I have this same issue. I asked a while back and no one on this board had any ideas... I see it mainly on the blues on mine.

I've got a question about this t.v., i already own it but have want to know that if i am watching OTA HDwith 5.1 will it output through the optical out?

Has anyone tried connecting this to a computer? Either through DVI->HDMI cable or through component? I'm thinking of the possibility of using it for watching videos/movies/games sometime in the future.


Yep doing it right now. Dvi-->Hdmi (tv)

I've got a question about this t.v., i already own it but have want to know that if i am watching OTA HDwith 5.1 will it output through the optical out?
Yes. As far as I can tell, every input source -- analog, digital, antenna, cable...doesn't matter -- can be sent out the optical output.

The only sticking point you may encounter with audio on this TV is that the optical input is ONLY associated with the HDMI port, i.e. it can't be mapped to other video inputs. It seems like mapping would have been a relatively trivial thing for them to incorporate into the TV (especially compared to digitizing the analog inputs for output on the optical out), but I've been able to work around this shortcoming.

thanks, this is what i was hoping.

I have noticed that my DVD player, an OPPO DV-970HD, has some serious pixelation problems on some dvds and not on others. I am using the HDMI connection and I dont know why it looks so bad some times. Its usually only in dark scenes, and it is considerably noticeable and I havent seen anyone comment on it, so I was just wondering if I need to swap out my unit or what! For reference, put in a scene with fog, or where I first noticed the problem, Pirates of the Carribean 2, any scene with fog has just horrible shimering, pixelation, its just bad. So I was just wondering, do I have a bad HDMI connection, or is it the tv. Open to anyones thoughts. Thanks

I have a Sony upconverting DVD player through HDMI. Certain disks look terrible and some do not. I have an old Matrix DVD and it looks terrible. Even the new Superman Returns looks bad, but that is all over the internet as it appears to be a bad transfer. Star Wars III looks incredible, all of the colors on the bridge of the ship in the beginning just pop!
It is the DVD and not the player or the television.
There are some titles on "Superbit" which only has the DVD on the 1st disk so that there is as much data as possible on the dvd so the move looks it's best. I purchased the Patriot but had a shotty DVD player (Philips) and haven't watched it on my Sony yet.

up

fog bad.
I have the Sammy HD-960. While watching Dante's Peak(the full bit rate DTS version).. the fog/smoke when the volcano's explode.. HORRIBLE!
I couldn't believe that this dvd was released with such poor picture quality.

I have my sammy connected via an HDMI cable from Monoprice to my LG 30FS4D.

-paul

I bought this TV from BestBuy's website on Jan 1 and it was delivered on Jan 7. The delivery guys were great, they even unboxed it and carried it upstairs. They even turned it on to make sure everything worked before they left. The TV was great for the first few days, except for the previously known about blurrieness of text at the edges of the screen. There were no major color or geometry problems. The only initial downside was that smoke grenades in Rainbow Six: Vegas for the 360 were extremely pixalated and looked far worse than it did on my BenQ 20.1 inch lcd computer monitor.

However a few days ago I started hearing the extremely loud buzzing on startup. Sometimes it would go away after 15-20 minutes, sometimes it wouldn't go away. One time the buzzing even came back after it had gone away. So I've decided to return it.

I do want to recommend not buying a TV from BestBuy's website though. They have no communication with their stores. I tried to return the TV in person and they would not accept it. They claimed I had call Customer Care (which turns out to be a call center in India) and schedule a time for a pickup from my house. I did talk to a manager and he agreed how ridiculous it was that I had the TV in-store at that moment and was unable to return it. I finally got through to Customer Care and they are sending someone from that exact store to come pick it up this Sunday.

The best part of this is the manager at the store was sympathetic and is going to give me a nice Philips LCD for a sizable discount after I have received my refund for this TV.

ok i bought the tv and it doesnt look calibrated! Whats the best setting to have the monitor at? At the store the picture was pretty good for the display and it was an open box. This one is the same exact model but new. Im guessing the floor model open box was calibrated properly. This one doesn seem like it is. Im using SA 8300hd dvr via component and for audio the RCA white and red audio wires. Can anyone help me calibrate it since i certainly dont know how.

DO you really think its just the dvd's I dont know, I agree some dvds look better, and I think thats definitely a part of it, but I have seen Pirates of the Caribbean fog scenes on a CRT TV, cheap dvd player, with composite cables and it looked fine. I used two dvd players and it was there on both of them, I wonder if its some LG's or all of them that are doing this. Even some of the PIXAR dvd's which are hailed as the best have some minor issues with this, even SW III does a bit, but I agree that one looks pretty great. The LOTR EE also looked good, I need to test the FIfth Element. But I just want to know if someone is not having this problem, or is it on all sets.

I still think it is the disk. I would think that if it is the player, nothing would look good upconverted. Star Wars III looks too awesome; it actually looks like HD. The detail is amazing.

I have also noticed pixelation of dark scenes on my LG. I use a prog-scan DVD player with component cables and I use my HDMI-connected HTPC for HD-DVD. I can't say for sure which sources have problems or if it's both. It's not frequent enough or annoying enough of an issue to me. I'll keep an eye out for the pixelation and try to pin it down for you.

Hey everyone, great post on this TV set. It has helped me alot in deciding to buy and keep this TV. A few days ago I bought the LG 30FS4D at a Best Buy in Ontario California for $580, which I thought was a great price for a 30" HDTV. I actually bought the last boxed unit and the floor manager told me that Best Buy will no longer carry this particular tv after the remaining ones are sold. When I came home I hooked it up to my Time Warner Cable DVR box through component cables, and the picture looked decently sharp. Normal channels (broadcast in 480) did not look too good, and it annoyed me that I have to watch these channels with black bars on the sides, unless I put the AR on 16:9 (or panoramic, which seems a little better than 16:9). Yet watching normal channels in 16:9 is distracting because the picture is so stretched out. Either your eyes have to get used to it, or you'll have to settle for the black bars. Is there any way to correct this problem? Some other points I would like to bring up:

1) This TV has a native resolution of 1080i, so even if you watch HD channels at 720p the tv converts the signal to the native res (just as an LCD HDTV has a native res of 720p and therefore converts 1080i images), which leads me to believe that the signal conversion slightly degrades the PQ. Any opinions on this matter?
2) I too have heard the buzzing noise from the back tube, although it is not as loud as some people described. It is a slight noise, but it is still there and does not go away.
3) IMPORTANT: I have discovered that watching normal channels broadcast in 480 actually look sharper in 480i than in 480p. I have done direct comparisons on many non-HD channels and 480i always looks more crisp, this becomes apparent during close-ups of peoples' faces. This is through the component cable mind you, I have not tried a HDMI/DVI cable. I don't think an HDMI cable is even capable of carrying a 480i signal. Do the comparison yourself, and report the results. I would appreciate some feedback on this matter :)
4) There are sharpness issues on the left and right sides of the screen, just as many people have complained about. The middle of the screen is sharper than the sides, this becomes apparent when you see text across an entire screen. The VM helps a little in edge sharpening, although I know some people strongly urge against using VM (as it slightly distorts the middle picture).
5) Gaming through the regular xbox (via S-Video cable) looked decent on this TV, but my standard Sony 32" CRT had a better picture. In-game action looked blocky and pixelated on the LG, and I noticed this right away because the night before I was playing the same games on my Sony. It makes sense though, because normal xbox games are in 480p so unless you put the TV aspect ratio on 4:3, you will have to stretch out the picture to get a full screen image. This distorts the true image. However, movie and cut scenes (non in-game) looked very sharp. I have heard that adjusting the VM and XD functions improves gaming graphics, but I have not yet tried this technique.
6) Has anyone tried using component cables AND HDMI cables, if so which cable produces a better picture on the particular TV?

Overall i think this TV is a great buy at $580, even with the above mentioned problems. There will always be issues with HDTVs in the 25"-32" size, which goes for LCDs and CRTs. The side blurriness issue is common among CRT HD's in the 30" range, so I am not surprised that the LG has it. It's not so bad that I would return it however, especially when reading that many people did this and got the same problem with the replacement. Thanks for reading my post and any feedback would be appreciated.

The black bars on normal tv is not a "problem", is it the show being broadcast in 4:3 ratio, not 16:9. If you leave the ratio "set by program" for normal television you will have the correct ratios for the television. The HD signals will show at 16:9 when they are supposed to. When watching some television, you will notice that the black bars are not as big, but still there. That is normal.
I am using an HDMI cable and an upconverting DVD player. Last night, for kicks, I plugged in the component cables which will do 480P and compared the signals. There was no comparison that the upconversion was tremendously better.
You can change the settings on your xbox to display at 16:9 in the video settings on the dashboard. DO NOT use HD cables. The regular XBOX has a latency issue w/ HD.

The black bars on normal tv is not a "problem", is it the show being broadcast in 4:3 ratio, not 16:9. If you leave the ratio "set by program" for normal television you will have the correct ratios for the television. The HD signals will show at 16:9 when they are supposed to. When watching some television, you will notice that the black bars are not as big, but still there. That is normal.
I am using an HDMI cable and an upconverting DVD player. Last night, for kicks, I plugged in the component cables which will do 480P and compared the signals. There was no comparison that the upconversion was tremendously better.
You can change the settings on your xbox to display at 16:9 in the video settings on the dashboard. DO NOT use HD cables. The regular XBOX has a latency issue w/ HD.
I'm not so sure your up-converting (1080i, 1080p?) HDMI vs. 480p component is really the comparison akc21 is looking for. The difference between up-converted DVD and progressive scan DVD will always trump the difference between cables. I think akc21 may be looking for a comparison of similar content over differing cables.

I haven't done this particular test but I have to assume HDMI will be better.

I understand what you are saying. sorry for the misunderstanding.
Regarding the comparison of 480i vs 480p television, i have only seen television in 480i that has been broadcast by my cable provider. This television descrambles the digital signal for the local broadcasting thru my cable provider and the local HD channels as well. I have only seen 480i, 720p and 1080i.

Yes. As far as I can tell, every input source -- analog, digital, antenna, cable...doesn't matter -- can be sent out the optical output.

The only sticking point you may encounter with audio on this TV is that the optical input is ONLY associated with the HDMI port, i.e. it can't be mapped to other video inputs. It seems like mapping would have been a relatively trivial thing for them to incorporate into the TV (especially compared to digitizing the analog inputs for output on the optical out), but I've been able to work around this shortcoming.

Hi,
This may answer my question that i have, but if someone can confirm this that would be great. I am trying to hook up my ps2 via component cables and digital optical audio with my LG 30FS4D CRT HDTV. The video works just fine, but i cant get any audio. Is it because of the quoted post above? I am running the digital optical audio cable directly from my ps2 to the TV's Digital Audio optical input. So if someone can confirm that i just cant use audio that way with this TV i will need to look at a different option.
thanks

Hey all,

I purchased the LG 30FS4D and it has been great. There are a couple small iritations I am experiencing with the tv, but no real dealbreakers. I am curious, however, to get some feedback on whether or not exchanging this tv for the Westinghouse LTV 32w6 would be a good idea.

I use the tv for everything; xbox 360, dvd's, standard tv and HD tv. (I only watch the HD channels I can pick up from the built-in tuner or an antenna).

If anyone has any experiences with direct comparisons between the tube and this particular LCD, that would be excellent. Basically I am wondering if the overall HD picture is a lot better on the LCD or if I would be making a drastic mistake by doing the exchange. Afterall, these LG's are becoming more and more difficult to find based on this message board... which raises another question, is it worth hanging onto a tube (there is really only a couple to choose from)

Thanks in advance for any information...

There's some way to adjust the white balance.

There 1 geometry issue that annoys me when I play GBA games though my gamecube the borders are wavy and I don't know if that can be adjusted.

should I have my TV Calibrated or just put up with it?

Also the white issues for me anyway depend on what I'm watching.

Has anyone else noticed that when running anything in 1080i there is a dark wave that runs from left to right of the screen and it just keeps going over and over as if it were scanning. Its very annoying. Its more noticeable on a brighter image..but like when I am running my xbox 360 and I play in 1080i(i think it looks clearer than 720p personally) I just see this wave.

It does not do it when running 720p. However, I am not a big fan of 720p with this set simply because it makes the image too soft and then griany ontop of that in my opinion.

Any fixes?

I too have noticed this "scan". The first time I saw it was when my TWC DVR box restarted and the entire screen was blue for several minutes. It happened exactly how you described it, and at the time I had my tv hooked up to the DVR box through component and HDMI. I switched imputs and noticed that this scan dissapeared when the HDMI input was displayed. I switched back to component and there was the scan again. Oh and by the way I have alot of electronics hooked up to one AC outlet (about 15) including the DVR box and TV, so I suspected that the scan was from interference. The HDMI cable I had was a Monster Cable M1000, and you know how they are about interference rejection. If your 360 is connected through component, try HDMI instead. If that doesnt work, try minimizing the interference around your TV as much as possible.

BTW to anyone who's curious, I've done direct comparisons with an HDMI-to-DVI cable imput vs. component imput when viewing HD channels over my DVR box, and I hardly noticed any difference in PQ. During the component imput, colors seemed more vibrant than HDMI. Although HDMI imput may be slightly sharper. Either way component comes VERY close to HDMI.

SAspinnaker, I too have this tv and after a bout 3 weeks heard a loud buzzing which was audible until I put the volume to about 19-20. I called LG and they sent a repairman out who said it was the "yoke" and it definately was too loud. he had to check woith LG as to what they wanted to do because this yoke is connected to the tube and the entire tube had to be replaced. LG gave them they go ahead a week later and after a week in the shop I got it back. i was hesitant to changed tubes because mine did not have any of the blurriness in on the ends like others had mentioned. I've had it back now for a couple of months and no problem with buzzing or blurriness

Hi all,

I am curious what everyone is using to clean the screen with this tv? Would windex and paper towels be okay? The instructions explain to mix water and washing detergent... I'm just wondering what people are actually using.

Thanks

I have some answers to your questions below:


2 - I also had the buzzing noise but it went away by itself after a week or so. Is not uncomom for new electronic equipment to buzz the first couple of weeks of use. Give it some time and see if it goes away.

5 - Get the HD cable for the original Xbox, I did and it looks a lot better, close or even a little bit better than it did on a regular TV, havent noticed any lag so far. I had to buy one used as they no longer make these cables. Also, you can set up your xbox to use 720, 1080 and widescreen format. Go to options under your xbox menu. Most games (at least the last 2 years of its live cicle) came with support for 16:9 screens.

My 2 cents.

Hey everyone, great post on this TV set. It has helped me alot in deciding to buy and keep this TV. A few days ago I bought the LG 30FS4D at a Best Buy in Ontario California for $580, which I thought was a great price for a 30" HDTV. I actually bought the last boxed unit and the floor manager told me that Best Buy will no longer carry this particular tv after the remaining ones are sold. When I came home I hooked it up to my Time Warner Cable DVR box through component cables, and the picture looked decently sharp. Normal channels (broadcast in 480) did not look too good, and it annoyed me that I have to watch these channels with black bars on the sides, unless I put the AR on 16:9 (or panoramic, which seems a little better than 16:9). Yet watching normal channels in 16:9 is distracting because the picture is so stretched out. Either your eyes have to get used to it, or you'll have to settle for the black bars. Is there any way to correct this problem? Some other points I would like to bring up:

1) This TV has a native resolution of 1080i, so even if you watch HD channels at 720p the tv converts the signal to the native res (just as an LCD HDTV has a native res of 720p and therefore converts 1080i images), which leads me to believe that the signal conversion slightly degrades the PQ. Any opinions on this matter?
2) I too have heard the buzzing noise from the back tube, although it is not as loud as some people described. It is a slight noise, but it is still there and does not go away.
3) IMPORTANT: I have discovered that watching normal channels broadcast in 480 actually look sharper in 480i than in 480p. I have done direct comparisons on many non-HD channels and 480i always looks more crisp, this becomes apparent during close-ups of peoples' faces. This is through the component cable mind you, I have not tried a HDMI/DVI cable. I don't think an HDMI cable is even capable of carrying a 480i signal. Do the comparison yourself, and report the results. I would appreciate some feedback on this matter :)
4) There are sharpness issues on the left and right sides of the screen, just as many people have complained about. The middle of the screen is sharper than the sides, this becomes apparent when you see text across an entire screen. The VM helps a little in edge sharpening, although I know some people strongly urge against using VM (as it slightly distorts the middle picture).
5) Gaming through the regular xbox (via S-Video cable) looked decent on this TV, but my standard Sony 32" CRT had a better picture. In-game action looked blocky and pixelated on the LG, and I noticed this right away because the night before I was playing the same games on my Sony. It makes sense though, because normal xbox games are in 480p so unless you put the TV aspect ratio on 4:3, you will have to stretch out the picture to get a full screen image. This distorts the true image. However, movie and cut scenes (non in-game) looked very sharp. I have heard that adjusting the VM and XD functions improves gaming graphics, but I have not yet tried this technique.
6) Has anyone tried using component cables AND HDMI cables, if so which cable produces a better picture on the particular TV?

Overall i think this TV is a great buy at $580, even with the above mentioned problems. There will always be issues with HDTVs in the 25"-32" size, which goes for LCDs and CRTs. The side blurriness issue is common among CRT HD's in the 30" range, so I am not surprised that the LG has it. It's not so bad that I would return it however, especially when reading that many people did this and got the same problem with the replacement. Thanks for reading my post and any feedback would be appreciated.

I have this LG tv - it has been excellent so far. I am curious what everyone is using to clean the screen with this tv? Would windex and paper towels be okay? The instructions explain to mix water and washing detergent... I'm just wondering what people are actually using. Is there anything special to use to not damage the screen?

Thanks

I have this LG tv - it has been excellent so far. I am curious what everyone is using to clean the screen with this tv? Would windex and paper towels be okay? The instructions explain to mix water and washing detergent... I'm just wondering what people are actually using. Is there anything special to use to not damage the screen?

ThanksI would follow directions... a damp cloth is probably all you need.
I would avoid Windex since it contains ammonia, and that might affect the anti-glare coating on the CRT.

I have a faint white/light moving horizontal line appearing on several channels. What is a ground loop problem?



Hmm. Almost sounds like you have a ground loop problem, but that's normally manifested by a horizontal line, not a vertical one.

I bought my set January 18, 2007 and it was manufactured Sept 2006. I suspect that this model has been cured of some of the problems noted in this forum. I subscribe to Comcast analog cable, bought a $7 RCA antenna (not sensitive), and receiving all OTA digital and HD broadcasts.

The 4:3 graphic is concave, which I think is necessary to compensate for ratio stretching. There is no blurriness on the sides and no text is cut off on the bottom in 16:9. No buzzing or clicking. I am getting a faint horizontal line on several channels which another member suggested was caused by a "ground pool." Some channels are more grainy than others but it subsides after 10-25 minutes have elapsed.

I have no equipment hooked up to this set, cable access is via wall jack. Now shopping for a DVD player and cable and the reviews are mixed as to whether a progressive scan or HDMI is better.

For $498 I am pleased with this set.

Any suggestions or advice about the horizontal line and choice of a DVD player would be appreciated.

Thanks for all the great info which helped me make up my mind about this set.

Hi,
This may answer my question that i have, but if someone can confirm this that would be great. I am trying to hook up my ps2 via component cables and digital optical audio with my LG 30FS4D CRT HDTV. The video works just fine, but i cant get any audio. Is it because of the quoted post above? I am running the digital optical audio cable directly from my ps2 to the TV's Digital Audio optical input. So if someone can confirm that i just cant use audio that way with this TV i will need to look at a different option.
thanks
Yes, you are correct. The Digital Optical In ONLY works with the HDMI port.

If you've got a separate amplifier with optical inputs, just connect it directly. If you don't have enough inputs available, you could try to find a break-out box somewhere to allow you to connect multiple digital inputs to your amp. If you're just trying to send the audio to the TV for playback on the TV speakers, I would just go with an analog RCA cable. To be perfectly honest, the speakers on this TV (or any TV for that matter) aren't good enough to allow you to notice a difference digital audio and analog audio.

HDMI is both audio and video. You don't need optical in when using HDMI. You would, however, if going from DVI out of a source to HDMI in on the television. DVI is video only.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the posts. I'm picking this up from BB tomorrow. They were all out at my local BB, but they transferred one in for me. I'm getting it for $510 with a 12% BB coupon, so even if there are a few minor issues with this TV, I can live with them for that price.

Anyway, I've been lurking for awhile making this decision, so I just wanted to login and say thanks.

peaceLOVEchocolate.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the posts. I'm picking this up from BB tomorrow. They were all out at my local BB, but they transferred one in for me. I'm getting it for $510 with a 12% BB coupon, so even if there are a few minor issues with this TV, I can live with them for that price.

Anyway, I've been lurking for awhile making this decision, so I just wanted to login and say thanks.

peaceLOVEchocolate.


coupon? Where'd ya get the coupon?

coupon? Where'd ya get the coupon?

It's a Reward Member Coupon for 12% that I got in the mail. Good for anything except PCs.

i got reward zone does that mean im also a rewards member? :D

i got reward zone does that mean im also a rewards member? :D

Here's a better thank you. The coupon is good through 2/19/07 if you are a reward zone member. I wasn't before I saw this coupon, but it was free to sign up to be a reward zone member. It's saving me $70, so I'm happy. :)

It won't let me post the url until I've posted 5 times.

Keep reading.

Here's the third ...

Here's the forth ...

Here's the fifth post and the link to the coupon...

http://emailinfo.bestbuy.com/pp/editor_NET/v3/CampaignWrapper.aspx?E=6602;348811;714881278;1;02&R=T1_CMP_6603&A=1007&ci=6603 :)

OK this is driving me nuts

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/kazamayoshikuni/IMG_0248.jpg

anybody know what I can do to fix it?

So, what's the take on the buzzing?

My unit definitely has a loud buzzing at start-up that usually diminishes after 30min. I realize some tubes/electronics naturally emit a humming sound, but this is audible unless the volume is close to 20.

For people that hear buzzing, how loud is it? If the person who got theirs repaired as a result of the yoke/buzzing, how loud was yours?

The TV is great otherwise, but I'm curious what level of buzzing is normal for this set, before I try and fix/replace/return. Thanks!

michiyoyoshiku -
If you are talking about the bowing on the screen, no, there is nothing that you can do about that. That is in all flat-tube widescreen TV's. See my earlier post about what the BB techs say.

Here's the fifth post and the link to the coupon...

http://emailinfo.bestbuy.com/pp/editor_NET/v3/CampaignWrapper.aspx?E=6602;348811;714881278;1;02&R=T1_CMP_6603&A=1007&ci=6603 :)


uuuuuuuuuuuu rock dum dum dum da dum

ok now say i already bought this tv, can I bring it to BB and tell them gimme my 70 bucks savings? :D

You have a 30-day return from BB, I believe, If you return w/ the coupon I THINK they will give you the difference.

You have a 30-day return from BB, I believe, If you return w/ the coupon I THINK they will give you the difference.
Probably depends who you talk to, YMMV as the kids say. They'll definitely refund the difference if the price changes within 60 days (I think that's an HDTV-specific guarantee at BB). But the coupons usually have a line on it that says "must present at time of purchase" or something like that.

Edit: just looked at the coupon link and it does say "Coupon must be presented at time of purhase."

OK. I got it all hooked up and I'm going to play with it tonight. One thing, the Audio Out is not sending. Is there something I'm suppose to click or switch to turn on the Audio Out?

Thanks.

Just noticed that Best Buy doesn't even list this TV on their webpage anymore. Only a handful of online stores are still selling it. Anybody interested in getting one of these better get to a Best Buy store soon or you may be SOL.

Just noticed that Best Buy doesn't even list this TV on their webpage anymore. Only a handful of online stores are still selling it. Anybody interested in getting one of these better get to a Best Buy store soon or you may be SOL.

Yep, they had to transfer mine over from another BB store to get it to me. $579 is what they are selling it for without the coupon I put up earlier.

By the way, the audio out does not work for component or HDMI inputs. The audio out is only for the composite inputs. That's a little quirkly, but it can be worked around.

By the way, the audio out does not work for component or HDMI inputs. The audio out is only for the composite inputs. That's a little quirkly, but it can be worked around.

Are you sure about that? My digital out feeds the cable and antenna inputs, as well as the the rca audio jacks...AND, as far as I can tell, the HDMI also feeds into the digital out. Maybe, I'm wrong, as I've got multiple connections on my system, so, take this with a grain of salt, as I might be misunderstanding something.

which HDMI cable would ya recomend for this TV? I am at monoprice and they have awesome deals but im not sure which to get. I want the best ofcourse and I dont want to pay MONSTER prices. Pun intended! :p Also how soon do they ship? If I order now (or when I find out which cable all of you recomend) will it ship out today or tomorrow? Also How much would overnight cost? I was supose to get an hdmi from someone at craigslist but they never showed!

Yep, they had to transfer mine over from another BB store to get it to me. $579 is what they are selling it for without the coupon I put up earlier.

By the way, the audio out does not work for component or HDMI inputs. The audio out is only for the composite inputs. That's a little quirkly, but it can be worked around.Respectfully, the "digital optical audio output" is available when using component inputs and when using the composite inputs on my LG 30FS4D.

I have a cable box connected to component-1 (720p)
I have a lan based MG-35 media player connected to component-2 (720p)
I have a composite video feed on video-1
I have an OTA antenna connected to one of the RF inputs.

All of their respective audio inputs are converted to digital optical audio output in the TV, and fed to my Onkyo receiver via a single optical cable.

They all work just fine and the sound through the Onkyo receiver and its speakers is much better than through the speakers in the TV.

(I have nothing connected to the hdmi input, but I suspect it works too)

Joe L.

I have my TV set like this:

DVD player HDMI to TV
XBOX 360 Component w/ audio to TV
Indoor OTA antenna for HD
Coax for cable from Comcast
Optical out to my home theater receiver.

The optical out outputs whatever input source is selected on the TV. I even get 5.1 DD from OTA HD programming through my home theater. I just turn the volume all of the way down on the tv.

There might be a way to turn the optical audio on in the menu, but I can't remember for sure.

Respectfully, the "digital optical audio output" is available when using component inputs and when using the composite inputs on my LG 30FS4D.


Awesome. Thanks for the advise there JL>

I noticed that Bestbuy has eliminated the 30FS4D from it's web site. I suspect they will try to force people to buy Insignia's instead.

Is there any variance between tuners on these models? Is it possible that a ATSC/QAM tuner in one TV has better sensitivity/reception than another TV of the same model (e.g. LG 30FS4D)?

Put another way: is there any reason why/scenario where one tv should have greater channel selection/reception than another using the same inputs (rooftop antenna and a direct coax cable)?

thanks!

Hi,
I have one question.
I have hooked up my DVD player to my LG 30FS4D TV via component cables. Picture and operation is fine. I was wondering why i dont get a full widescreen effect when watching DVD's? I have switched everything in my DVD players setup guide as well as the TV's as far as i can tell. But i still get the black bars on the top and bottom.
any help is greatly appreciated
thanks

Hi,
I have one question.
I have hooked up my DVD player to my LG 30FS4D TV via component cables. Picture and operation is fine. I was wondering why i dont get a full widescreen effect when watching DVD's? I have switched everything in my DVD players setup guide as well as the TV's as far as i can tell. But i still get the black bars on the top and bottom.
any help is greatly appreciated
thanks
You'll find that most movies are actually 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which is why you still see black bars. This TV is 16:9 aspect ratio, which is usually expressed as 1.85:1 on the cases of movies. Look for movies with that ratio and it should fill the whole screen.

am I having a problem with my QAM tuner if it's not cleanly recieving "in the clear" cable channels?

dunno if it's just signal variance, but a replacement LG30FS4D has significantly poorer reception of both DTV and CADTV, where the previous model recieved more/clearer channels...same TV model, so can the quality of the digital tuner really vary this much between version of the same model?

any help from those who understand the technical aspects involved is much appreciated!

The results where:

Brightness: 21
Contrast: 26
Color: 54
Tint: 1
Color Temp: Warm

Also, with these settings, I turned XD on and off. VERY noticeable. I left it on. Calibration was done with it turned off.

John_Hat

Thanks John_Hat. I've had the TV about a week now and this helped me get my settings straight. I've got the Dennon S301 hooked up to it and the HD, DVD and even regular cable stations look great.

Thanks again.

Thanks John_Hat. I've had the TV about a week now and this helped me get my settings straight. I've got the Dennon S301 hooked up to it and the HD, DVD and even regular cable stations look great.

Thanks again.

Hi,
Is this close to what other people have their setting at? Mine are WAY off those #'s, but i was just curious to see if other people have run calibration type programs on this TV and what the results were.
thanks

So best buy had a tech come by.....he got pissed at me because I knew how to get into the service menu and he (and his employer) didn't. As a result he cared more about lecturing me about staying OUT of the service menu than actually fixing my TV's issues.

He also didn't have any tools to calibrate the TV......UGH

are all tech's this annoying or just the best buy people?

So best buy had a tech come by.....he got pissed at me because I knew how to get into the service menu and he (and his employer) didn't. As a result he cared more about lecturing me about staying OUT of the service menu than actually fixing my TV's issues.

He also didn't have any tools to calibrate the TV......UGH

are all tech's this annoying or just the best buy people?
Sounds like you had a "Dwight" tech.

Sometimes you can get "rogue" techs that are the most helpful people in the world. I've found a lot of these types in cable repairmen, not so much in the give-you-free-cable type, but in terms of them really knowing what the hell they're talking about and actually explaining what's wrong and how to fix things (so maybe you can fix it in the future).

Anyway, screw that tech: how do I get into the service menu? ;)

Hold the menu button on the remote and hold the menu button on the side of the tv at the same time and wait 3 -10 seconds and it will appear. Make sure you write down the settings that you have before you change anything! Each TV has it's own set of values. There is no 'default.'

Hold the menu button on the remote and hold the menu button on the side of the tv at the same time and wait 3 -10 seconds and it will appear. Make sure you write down the settings that you have before you change anything! Each TV has it's own set of values. There is no 'default.'

Hi,
Just curious, being somewhat of a newbie at all of this, what benefits would i have to accessing the service menu? Also i just wanted to double check to see if the calibration settings that was listed a few posts back is similar to what others have theirs set at?
thanks

Hi,
Just curious, being somewhat of a newbie at all of this, what benefits would i have to accessing the service menu? Also i just wanted to double check to see if the calibration settings that was listed a few posts back is similar to what others have theirs set at?
thanksThe settings posted a few messages back are in the normal user menu, not in the service menu.

If you do not know the effects (or consequences) of changes made in the service menu, then... in my opinion, you should NOT use/access the service menu. (It is NOT user-friendly, there are no default values, and if you mess up because you do not know what you are adjusting, there might not be any way to recover.)

All that said, I have a cheap universal remote I tried using with the LG, and when I set it up for the LG, one of its buttons takes me DIRECTLY to the service menu. I decided to NOT use that remote. Too easy to get into trouble.
(I was not custom programming the remote, I just used one of the 3 digit codes listed for LG brand TVs so I could turn it on/off and change channels, etc... I'll bet it gets somebody into things they have no clue about though.)

Joe L.

Thanks for the tip MisterRoy.

Unrelated question: has anybody connected an nVidia 6200 card to this TV with a DVI to HDMI adapter? I have another computer with a Sapphire X1600 with an HDMI output that I've been connecting to the HDMI port on this TV no problem. I decided to reconfigure my computers and bought a 6200 and assumed I could just connect an adapter and use my HDMI cable. Just got it all connected and "NO SIGNAL" is all I get on the HDMI input. The 6200 works fine connected via DVI to an LCD monitor so it's not a problem with the DVI port (it also works fine connected to a CRT monitor and to this LG TV via s-video). I also took the DVI->HDMI adapter and connected it to the DVI port on the Sapphire X1600 and that works fine connecting to the LG, so it's not the adapter. Anybody got a clue here?

I guess a generic question is probably best (and more useful to everyone in general):

What video cards have people successfully connected to this TV?

All that said, I have a cheap universal remote I tried using with the LG, and when I set it up for the LG, one of its buttons takes me DIRECTLY to the service menu.Somewhere earlier in this thread someone posted a pointer to the service manual for this set. I was a bit puzzled, as it seemed to talk about 'stuff' that wasn't on the display accessed by Menu+Menu. But of particular note was that it talked about a special remote used during setup/alignment to access various service functions.

Ok, scratch my previous post. I just went home for lunch and crossed my fingers and turned on the computer and, VOILA!, the DVI->HDMI video from my 6200 works now. I must have restarted/shutdown-then-power-on over a dozen times last night and never got a flicker on the TV. I didn't do anything different today. It makes no sense, but I'll take it!

Anyway, here's the list of video cards known to work through the HDMI port, feel free to add any you have working:

Sapphire Radeon X1600PRO HDMI AGP (http://www.sapphiretech.com/us/products/products_overview.php?gpid=145)
Biostar GeForce 6200A AGP (http://www.biostar-usa.com/gcdetails.asp?model=GEFORCE%206200A)

EDIT: Just so everyone knows (and doesn't have doubts about connecting video cards to the HDMI port), it turns out that my problem was simply that my DVI->HDMI adapter is very picky about the electrical contacts on the HDMI side. I had my entertainment center pulled out last night and the cable must not have been in the right position. After I gave up, I pushed the entertainment center back against the wall, which pushed the cable into the correct position. When I came back at lunch today and turned it on, it was all set to work for me, and not a miracle as I thought at the time.

Not only is the service menu easy to get into LG has the freakin Service Manual in free view on their website.

Also I checked the waranty the wording indacates that just going into the service menu won't void the waranty but screwing the tv up going through it does.

I've spoken to alot of tech People, Gateway, Cable *Cable guys are the best* the folks that built my TV. Guy that came to fix our oven......This guy Best By sent was by far the worst.

so the quest for a real tech with actual calibration tools begins.....

also as a side note everything in my service menu is defaulted at 30.

there's some section that goes to a screen full of static and I don't know if it's supposed to do that or not, I wasn't gonna ask that ass that's for sure.

and my Tilt doesn't seem to work either in the regular menu.

Has anyone else noticed that the 30" SuperSlim is no longer available in any store? What's the deal?

just went to my local BB and no sign of it.

Indeed, looks like BestBuy is no longer carrying the LG 30FS4D. The website took the model down several weeks ago, already.

Some BestBuys still have their floor models, and/or remaining stock. They all seem to be very disorganized about it. Was lucky enough to find one in store a week or so ago, but only after one store claimed they would have to order it, only to then say they couldn't order it.

One best buy I know of had a box above the TVs displays, but it didn't show in their computer. I know of another place that didn't have one on display, said they didn't carry the model, but when they looked it up saw they had one in the back of the store new in box.

Anyone still looking for one should hit their local best buys and hope for the best (guess bhphoto still carries it, but their price isn't discounted).

Wonder if LG will discontinue their SlimFits, or if they'll try and find a new vendor...

More likely Bestbuy feels that the LG is too close to the Insignia 30" HDTV's price point and wants the higher margins they get off of the Insignia. I got a 30FS4D for my son this Xmas and other than some very minor waves through horizontal banners on the screen, I've been very happy with it. I've considered trying to tweak it through the service menus but suspect that you'll never be able to totally eliminate the minor geometry artifacts.

More likely Bestbuy feels that the LG is too close to the Insignia 30" HDTV's price point and wants the higher margins they get off of the Insignia. I got a 30FS4D for my son this Xmas and other than some very minor waves through horizontal banners on the screen, I've been very happy with it. I've considered trying to tweak it through the service menus but suspect that you'll never be able to totally eliminate the minor geometry artifacts.
I suspect that ultimately, BB wants nothing to do with CRT HDTVs in general and that the elimination of the 30FS4D is just part of a larger phase-out. This is because (a) they're huge, while having relatively small screens, and (b) the margins on the whole line are smaller than that of LCD and plasma. I also suspect that the 30FS4D has been discontinued by LG since almost all sites that were carrying it online are now OOS.

My guess is that CRT HDTVs will be extinct by the end of this year.

That's really the question I'm curious: is LG discontinuing this model/all SlimFit tubes?

BestBuy is definitely commited to phasing out tube/non-HDTV sets and using as much existing TV Floor space for FlatPanels etc. They jused reduced the Insignia 30inch to below $500, and the Samsung to $663.

I guess the other question is: will BB carry the forthcoming Samsung SlimTubes when they come out?

I got one of these January 11th.
I love the HD over air picture but the component video and HDMI look horrible.
I have tried every configuration and ever tested it on other TV models at best buy by bringing in my own upconversion DVD player and cable box along with HDMI cables. It looked beautiful at best buy and the guy said it must be my tv.

Does anyone else get a very pixelated picture with a bunch of video noise trough HDMI and component on this model?

I got one of these January 11th.
I love the HD over air picture but the component video and HDMI look horrible.
I have tried every configuration and ever tested it on other TV models at best buy by bringing in my own upconversion DVD player and cable box along with HDMI cables. It looked beautiful at best buy and the guy said it must be my tv.

Does anyone else get a very pixelated picture with a bunch of video noise trough HDMI and component on this model?
The only problem I've seen is with blacks sometimes coming in pixelated and not saturated. Black looks more like mossy deep green. In bright scenes, everything looks incredible to my eye.

I'm looking for a CRT just to game with, ps2, wii, maybe ps3 down the road. Maybe a cheap LG/Samsung/Insignia would be fine for games.

right now i am using this tv mainly for OTA HD and PS2, it is essential to get component cables. the quality is about the same as a Sd set and 16:9 makes the gaming experience soo much better, when available of course.

I have a question about this TV. I got it from Best Buy around New Years, and fairly soon afterward noticed a dark bar about 2" from the left side of the screen, running vertically across the entire screen, about 1" in width. Basically, that area of the screen is slightly darker than the rest; it's mostly noticeable when the screen is mostly white or when the camera is panning against a light-colored background. There are also similar blotches in other areas of the screen, but those are far less severe and really can only be seen in a pure white screen. Also, when the screen is very dark gray, the right segment (about the same percentage as would be covered by black bars in 4:3 aspect ratio) is noticeably brighter than the rest, but again this rarely becomes an issue. Unsure what the possible cause was, I kept quiet about it for a while; however, when I figured out I couldn't remove it, I went to Best Buy to have the TV replaced. They only had one in stock, and the delivery got delayed because of ice storms we were having. When they finally were able to deliver, they discovered that they had sold the only one by mistake, and they don't carry that TV anymore. They've offered me the Samsung, TX-S3082WH in exchange.

I've been reading this forum basically since I got the TV, but haven't posted until now since I hate to sign up for things, even if they're free. Anyway, my question basically boils down to, should I make the exchange? I've already agreed for them to come out this Friday, but they'll give me about 10 minutes to look at the new TV and see if it's worth it. I've heard of geometry issue with the Samsung; is it worth it to get rid of this dirty-looking picture? I'm a gamer, and a lot of games feature whiteout or camera pans...this problem really detracts from the impact of those effects. Also, what should I look for in the 10 minutes I have to make sure I get a good set for the Samsung?

Here are a list of my most important pros and cons for the LG:

Pros: *great sound from the speakers
*XD greatly increases sharpness in 480i/p images
*overall great picture quality, in my opinion
*very little noticeable geometry issues

Cons: *can't seem to adjust the brightness so that blacks aren't crushed, but whites aren't blinding (regardless of contrast setting)
*the dark stripe
*any bright images near the corners will be surrounded by a halo; this gets better as you move toward the center
*weird de-interlacing fragments on some PS2 games, leaving vertical stripes on anything flesh-toned
*had a loud buzzing for the first half-hour after I turned it on, but this got much better after a couple weeks

Will the Samsung be a fair trade? Should I keep the LG? Trading up to a more expensive model won't be an option, and my wife (who hates hearing about the problem) would kill me if I chose something like a smaller LCD instead. Thanks for all your help, and all the info that I've gleaned from your site over the past month!

P.S: Since I'm new here, I might not be posting in the best place. Please point me in a better direction if you want.

Throughout this thread, several people have mentioned similiar problems (e.g. black banding on one side etc.) Not sure if there was a calibration fix for this problem, but I think a third option you have (if you want to keep the LG), is to have LG service the problem through warranty repair. Maybe call LG, explain the problem, see what they have to say. Just out of curiosity, when was your TV manufactured?

If you go the Samsung route, and have 10min to test the TV, have some test patterns handy (as you'd find in a video calibration DVD).

Good luck!

yearisyesterday,

I made a post earlier in this thread that documented my problems with this particular LG set. I decided to return it, and after a big hassle at Best Buy I was able to get a good discount from the manager on an open box Philips 32 inch LCD. I got the price reduced from the normal new price of 1000 down to 769 (They were selling it as open box for 1000, plus you got a 150 dollar gift card). I am extremely pleased with my new tv and would suggest you don't keep one with obvious flaws that you will notice all the time.

anybody have a solution to my problem stated above??

anybody have a solution to my problem stated above??

Obviously, the image should look great through HDMI (and should not be pixelated). Might be a simple electronics issue. Call LG service and get them too look at it, is probably the best way to solve the problem.

alright. thank you. LG directed me to best buy service and they are sending someone out saturday. I hope it can be fixed, I had such great hopes for HDMI and component video.... but it looks like complete crap. like I am using a really bad antenna.

Thanks for the advice. In answer to your question, my LG was manufactured March 2006 and the serial number is 603kcuk29190. Perhaps this will help uncover what may be a bad batch.

my tvs broke. Guy coming out today to replace tube. Hes an LG approved tech. Should I ask him to calibrate it to? I saw a calibrate port in the back of the tv. Whats that? Will this tube help with the picture quality? I got non hd programing from cablevision HD DVR and the non hd picture kinda sucks. It looks worse than my non HD tv sets. I mean noticably worse. Not crazy bad but very below average bad. Is this how non HD suppose to look on this 30fs4d tv or is mine a bad batch? Also S video look bad on it too. Pixelated and stuff. If the guy doesnt calibrate the tv for me, what are my options? I cant exactly spend mucho deniro on calibrations. Any ideas? Thanks!

my tvs broke. Guy coming out today to replace tube. Hes an LG approved tech. Should I ask him to calibrate it to? I saw a calibrate port in the back of the tv. Whats that? Will this tube help with the picture quality? I got non hd programing from cablevision HD DVR and the non hd picture kinda sucks. It looks worse than my non HD tv sets. I mean noticably worse. Not crazy bad but very below average bad. Is this how non HD suppose to look on this 30fs4d tv or is mine a bad batch? Also S video look bad on it too. Pixelated and stuff. If the guy doesnt calibrate the tv for me, what are my options? I cant exactly spend mucho deniro on calibrations. Any ideas? Thanks!
SDTV content generally looks worse on an HDTV than on an SDTV due to the fact that the HDTV has to fill in the "missing" information in an SDTV signal. HDTVs usually aren't very good at that (hence the need for upconverting DVD players). Add to that the fact that a large number of SDTV sources are crappy analog recordings and they can look pretty bad on HDTV. The SDTV transmission of ESPN on the 30FS4D usually looks pretty decent to my eye, so take a look at that. If that looks horrible, you may have a larger problem. (this test is obviously subjective, so take it with a grain of salt)

I've not used the s-video port, so I can't say much about that except that it's only capable of sending 480i (technically up to 576i, but generally no TV content is trasmitted that way). Again, the TV will have to fill in the missing info which could cause the pixelation.

What exactly happend to your TV, homer?

It's funny this conversation should come up, because just the other day it occurred to me that SD cable looks better on the LG HD tube than it does on the 27'' Samsung SDTV it replaced (well, after tweaking with the video menu). HDTV CRTs direct view tubes handle the SD input better than LCD etc., by a long-shot, imo. And, the performance of the LG on that front has surpassed what I expected.

As for calibratating the TV, do you have the Digital Video Essentials (DVE) DVD? You can get it for less than $25. I mean, it's not a "pro" calibration, but it usually does the trick. Good luck and let us know what happens!

What exactly happend to your TV, homer?

It's funny this conversation should come up, because just the other day it occurred to me that SD cable looks better on the LG HD tube than it does on the 27'' Samsung SDTV it replaced (well, after tweaking with the video menu). HDTV CRTs direct view tubes handle the SD input better than LCD etc., by a long-shot, imo. And, the performance of the LG on that front has surpassed what I expected.

As for calibratating the TV, do you have the Digital Video Essentials (DVE) DVD? You can get it for less than $25. I mean, it's not a "pro" calibration, but it usually does the trick. Good luck and let us know what happens!

blueish spot on one side. Goldish on the other. About the size of a square pizze but round. Ya notice it more in solid colors. Howeve at times it does come out and show itself even more than usual. Also there are black bars burned in on the sides. Seriously burn in marks? I thought those were for plasmas :(.

Anyways the TV was diagnosed to have a bad tube. 3 weeks ago. Had an appointment to replace the tube last week monday. The tech didnt show. The rescheduled for the week after that monda (monday that passed). The tech couldnt come out since the truck wasnt working. Then reset the appointment on wednesday, the tech couldnt come. Too much snow. Risky to drag tube with 3 inches of snow. Appoint made for yesterday and the drivers truck brke down.

All that and I have not complained. I want them to put my tube in with no issues. After they do that, I am going to report them as if they were sex offenders! Its bad enough I deal with this with UPS always, now these idiot techs too. Also the techs that came were so damn lazy. They wanted me to do everything for them. I told them your the tech, you do it. He couldnt find the power button. Then started to talk to his friend in chinese and I then said here you go. How do you not know where the button is on the LG? Your a tech. I hope these guys arent the guys whos gonna replace my tube. God forbid they dont know what screw driver to use and shock themselves in the process somehow. If they are the same guys, I will give them 5 minutes to figure out how to open it. Not get it open but figure out a plan to open it. If they dont, there butts are out the door. That would be proof enough that these guys are incompitant. At least he said he was going to calibrate the thing for me, yipee! :rolleyes: .

What exactly happend to your TV, homer?

It's funny this conversation should come up, because just the other day it occurred to me that SD cable looks better on the LG HD tube than it does on the 27'' Samsung SDTV it replaced (well, after tweaking with the video menu). HDTV CRTs direct view tubes handle the SD input better than LCD etc., by a long-shot, imo. And, the performance of the LG on that front has surpassed what I expected.

As for calibratating the TV, do you have the Digital Video Essentials (DVE) DVD? You can get it for less than $25. I mean, it's not a "pro" calibration, but it usually does the trick. Good luck and let us know what happens!

How are you guys claibrating your HDMI input with DVE or AVIA? I can understand calibrating your dvd player with your input. Devices put out different video levels and even if you were calibrating you component and using that for your HD input, the dvd player that you were using might put out different video levels making you calibration not accurate for that device. Every time I ask a question on calibrating my HD HDMI input I get" Have you calibrated it with DVE or Avia?

The version of DVE I have specifies itself for "component" inputs. In any case, what I'm doing is calibrating the HDMI via DVD, then doing the same via the component, for those two input sources. As for my SD cable image, I pretty much just adjusted it to what looked good to me, because it doesn't look great to start with. Good luck!

is there any disadvantage to running a fiber optic 5.1 through the TV to my onkyo receiver, rather than directly from my dvd player to the receiver? doing so would save me a port on my receiver, but i'm wondering if it'd end up throwing the audio/video out of sync at all.

df

is there any disadvantage to running a fiber optic 5.1 through the TV to my onkyo receiver, rather than directly from my dvd player to the receiver? doing so would save me a port on my receiver, but i'm wondering if it'd end up throwing the audio/video out of sync at all.
I pass optical audio through the TV to my amp and don't notice sync issues. Why not just try it and see what you get?

The only "technical" disadvantage is that when/if you run the optical cable only from the TV audio out, then you won't be able to select DTS, as the TV only supports DolbyDigital.

If you use DTS at all, you'll need to run the optical cable from your DVD player (assuming your DVD player supports DTS).

I have both connected, so I can listen to CDs via the stereo w/o the TV on, as well as take advantage of DTS when available.

is there any disadvantage to running a fiber optic 5.1 through the TV to my onkyo receiver, rather than directly from my dvd player to the receiver? doing so would save me a port on my receiver, but i'm wondering if it'd end up throwing the audio/video out of sync at all.

There is another HUGE disadvantage, that is if you are not using the HDMI/DIV port. The ONLY time, and I repeat ONLY time when the Digital audio output is enabled is when you are watching somthing on the TV on the HDMI mode; component, video1 and 2, etc don't pass any digial audio signal thru the digital audio port.

IF you don't believe me (I could hardly believe it when I tried it) give a try your self. My 2 cents.


The only "technical" disadvantage is that when/if you run the optical cable only from the TV audio out, then you won't be able to select DTS, as the TV only supports DolbyDigital.

If you use DTS at all, you'll need to run the optical cable from your DVD player (assuming your DVD player supports DTS).

I have both connected, so I can listen to CDs via the stereo w/o the TV on, as well as take advantage of DTS when available.

There is another HUGE disadvantage, that is if you are not using the HDMI/DIV port. The ONLY time, and I repeat ONLY time when the Digital audio output is enabled is when you are watching somthing on the TV on the HDMI mode; component, video1 and 2, etc don't pass any digial audio signal thru the digital audio port.

IF you don't believe me (I could hardly believe it when I tried it) give a try your self. My 2 cents.There must be different versions of software in the LG 30FS4D set.

I do not use the HDMI input on my set.

I DO have an digital optical cable from the set to my Onkyo receiver.

I do use video1 & 2, component1 & 2, OTA TV (both digital and analog), and RF cable TV

All inputs result in audio through to my receiver. (As well as audio through the TV speakers, as I did not disable them in the menu)

My only complaint is that the optical audio output level is fixed and there is no option to control it using the TV's volume control. Instead, I must use the receiver's volume control.

If I want to use the built in speakers, I turn up the volume on the TV. If I am watching a movie and want better sound, I turn on the receiver and turn its volume control up, and the one on the TV down.

So... you must have different firmware on your TV than mine.

My set behaves exactly the same way as JL's


There must be different versions of software in the LG 30FS4D set.

I do not use the HDMI input on my set.

I DO have an digital optical cable from the set to my Onkyo receiver.

I do use video1 & 2, component1 & 2, OTA TV (both digital and analog), and RF cable TV

All inputs result in audio through to my receiver. (As well as audio through the TV speakers, as I did not disable them in the menu)

My only complaint is that the optical audio output level is fixed and there is no option to control it using the TV's volume control. Instead, I must use the receiver's volume control.

If I want to use the built in speakers, I turn up the volume on the TV. If I am watching a movie and want better sound, I turn on the receiver and turn its volume control up, and the one on the TV down.

So... you must have different firmware on your TV than mine.

I know some of you are debating this right now with the TV. I have hooked up the TV with the Digital Fiber Optic audio cable to my RCA receiver. I have it running straight from the out on the TV to the In on the receiver. I am getting digital audio through my receiver with this setup. When i am watching over the air HD and the audio goes to dolby digital from the HD channel it also switches on my receiver to dolby digital.

J.L. you must be right, there must be a difference in the firmware between your TV and mine. When did you buy yours? I got mine in november last year.

I am not the only one, check out this post:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9351994&highlight=service+manual#post9351994

Is there any way you can look up your firmware version? or even upgrade it?

Ok so I have had two LG 30fs4d's. First one was made in March 2006 and the second one was made in October of 2006. The first one (March 2006 manuf date) had/developed a terrible buzzing noise. After calling LG and the local service rep they directed me to I decided to return it. Found the second one at a near buy Best Buy, drove out and got it. Got it home turned it on and it had very little if any buzz (second one was manuf date October 2006). As time went on though the buzz got louder, although you really couldn't hear it unless the tv was muted or below a volume of about 8-9. This was far better than the first one that had to be at a vol level of about 18-20 for the sound to go away. Does anyone know for sure what this sound is? I have been told it could be the yoke or some type of arcing issue. Does anyone else have this? I am taking the TV back today because we decided we didn't want to have a "New" repaired tv. Let me know if any of you have this problem as well


THanks,

Bfrogg99

If you go through this thread, you'll note several people discuss this. Only one person mentioned actually getting this repaired, and it did involve the yoke. I don't think this person ever specified exactly how loud his buzz was; you might want to try and contact him.

My LG manufactured in October 2006 also has what might be termed a slight buzz, but you have to want to find it to hear it, or be sticking your head behind the TV. If it gets louder, I would have it repaired. Otherwise, it doesn't seem like a big issue, and certainly not a deal-breaker given the cost/performance ratio of this set.

ymmv



Ok so I have had two LG 30fs4d's. First one was made in March 2006 and the second one was made in October of 2006. The first one (March 2006 manuf date) had/developed a terrible buzzing noise. After calling LG and the local service rep they directed me to I decided to return it. Found the second one at a near buy Best Buy, drove out and got it. Got it home turned it on and it had very little if any buzz (second one was manuf date October 2006). As time went on though the buzz got louder, although you really couldn't hear it unless the tv was muted or below a volume of about 8-9. This was far better than the first one that had to be at a vol level of about 18-20 for the sound to go away. Does anyone know for sure what this sound is? I have been told it could be the yoke or some type of arcing issue. Does anyone else have this? I am taking the TV back today because we decided we didn't want to have a "New" repaired tv. Let me know if any of you have this problem as well


THanks,

Bfrogg99

J.L. you must be right, there must be a difference in the firmware between your TV and mine. When did you buy yours? I got mine in november last year.

I am not the only one, check out this post:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9351994&highlight=service+manual#post9351994

Is there any way you can look up your firmware version? or even upgrade it?No idea if the firmware is upgradable in the home... or how to tell what version we have.

I purchased my TV last October. It has a February 2006 manufacture date on the back.

The issue in the thread you linked to is that the optical INPUT on the TV is only active when HDMI video is selected. It seemed to state that all analog audio from the other inputs was converted to optical digital and fed to their receiver, just like my unit. The person wanted to use the optical INPUT for one of the component feeds and could not.

Joe L.

is there anyway to erase a SINGLE channel in the open QAM? I mean, in the channel setup, i can't just erase channel 114-30; it erases all 30 channels in 114. this sucks because there are so many crap channels polluting my tv. i only want about 5 or 6. on top of that, i can't even add 114-18 as a favorite - it will only put 114-01 in the favorites list... >(

is there anyway to erase a SINGLE channel in the open QAM? I mean, in the channel setup, i can't just erase channel 114-30; it erases all 30 channels in 114. this sucks because there are so many crap channels polluting my tv. i only want about 5 or 6. on top of that, i can't even add 114-18 as a favorite - it will only put 114-01 in the favorites list... >(
I've not been able to find a way to do what you're talking about. I just file it under "sure it's a little irritating, but how much can you complain at this price?!"

I've got a fairly annoying tuning problem that only happens with QAM channels and only when watching HD content. For example, on Monday I was watching Heroes on NBC-HD (100-1 here in Indy) and when coming out of commercials, it would suddenly flip over to CBS-HD (100-4). It doesn't actually change the tuner to 100-4, it just shows what's on CBS-HD with no sound, sometimes with choppy video. It's also not consistent -- over the course of an hour-long show, it happens 3-4 times.

A similar thing happened last night while watching Lost on ABC-HD (112-4), except that instead of tuning to a different channel, the TV just says No Signal (funny, I know, losing the signal while watching Lost).

The solution is simple: just channel up and then back down. But that's fairly annoying to have to do, not to mention that you lose the first 10 seconds of the show coming back from commercial. The problem is fairly specific:

It only happens on certain channels
It only happens during the broadcast of HD shows
It only happens during the commercial break or when coming back from commercials

Has anybody else had problems like this? Is this an issue I should be talking to LG or Best Buy service about or is it just a quirk of this model TV?

I'm having sound problems.
The problem is ... no sound.

I have my Sammy HD960 connected via HDMI to the 30FS4D.
I've followed both manuals exactly to have sound via HDMI.
I have no sound. I had sound initially when I hooked everything up back in November.
Is anyone else having any HDMI sound problems here with their LG..?
If so, would someone point me in the direction of solving my problem.

thanks in advance,
Paul

Wow there is alot of great info in this thread!

I got this HDTV from Conns back in December, it was the floor model so I didnt get the remote with it. But it was only $480! Play the XBox 360, watch the HD DVD movies, I like it!!!

my set has a little overscan problems...FOX logo in the corner is cut off a little.

How do i fix this?

my set has a little overscan problems...FOX logo in the corner is cut off a little.

How do i fix this?
Fox News? Or the Fox Broadcast network where 24 is shown?

network, where House is shown.

whats the resolution for this tv to work as a pc monitor? Also any programs that will help me set this up properly? I've yet to get nvidia control panel to get the right resolution. :(

network, where House is shown.

House is awesome!

Fox on mine isn't cut off, hmmm I'm not sure.

whats the resolution for this tv to work as a pc monitor? Also any programs that will help me set this up properly? I've yet to get nvidia control panel to get the right resolution. :(
With my nvidia 6200 card, I use 720p, 1280x720. The nvidia control panel worked quite well for me. What kind of card are you using and what problems are you having?

I tried 1080i, but for whatever reason it's grossly zoomed, so much that the nvidia control panel's zoom control can't bring it back in. Whatever, I think 720p looks sharper anyway.

With my nvidia 6200 card, I use 720p, 1280x720. The nvidia control panel worked quite well for me. What kind of card are you using and what problems are you having?

I tried 1080i, but for whatever reason it's grossly zoomed, so much that the nvidia control panel's zoom control can't bring it back in. Whatever, I think 720p looks sharper anyway.


7800gt oc

I bought this tv last weekend. It's ok, but i think I prefer my JVC. JVC was 1080i only though. I use my tv mostly for my 360, and even with the settings shown here.... i dunno. I have to say, the blurring on the sides bothers me. You can (at least I can) notice it when reading text, or even just looking at the 360 button icons.

Also seems a bit... green to me. I'm going to fiddle with the settings more though.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get it and how much did you pay?

A calibration DVD like AVIA or DigitalVideoEssentials (DVE) will help get the most out of your image. Good luck!


I bought this tv last weekend. It's ok, but i think I prefer my JVC. JVC was 1080i only though. I use my tv mostly for my 360, and even with the settings shown here.... i dunno. I have to say, the blurring on the sides bothers me. You can (at least I can) notice it when reading text, or even just looking at the 360 button icons.

Also seems a bit... green to me. I'm going to fiddle with the settings more though.

Hi,
I have been reading this forum and i have noticed (I believe) about people using this LG TV as a computer monitor. What is the best way to achieve this, and my one problem is that my PC is in the other corner of the room from the TV. I do have a laptop that it could be used for potentially as well. Any advice, since I am new to this is greatly appreciated.

get a long component or hdmi wire (hdmi is much clearer). The chose clone in the video properties and adjust the size from there. Since this is a crt, its nearly impossible to get it to fit the screen right. Al least for me. Good luck

i purchased one of these in january, i'm pleased, just one problem - i need to adjust the height and width of the image. is there a service menu i can go into do this?

thanks

i purchased one of these in january, i'm pleased, just one problem - i need to adjust the height and width of the image. is there a service menu i can go into do this?

thanks


WARNING: GOING INTO THE SERVICE MENU COULD CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE!

With that said, before you continue however, make sure yo write down the setting you intend on changing just in case. There isnt a go back to default option in the service menu. Now that you have been informed, its menu on tv and menuon remote for a few seconds until you see the nice ole service menu. Have fun and dont blw up the TV while your at it.

thank you, i'll give 'er a try

edit: that's exactly what i was looking for, thank you very much

is anyone still seeing these in stores?

is anyone still seeing these in stores?

CONN's still has them, I haven't seen them in Best Buy recently.

Does anyone play 360 on this tv? If so, do you use 720p or 1080i?

If you use 1080i on component, have you noticed a vertical bar (somewhat thick) running across the screen? The contrast/brightness must be turned up for it to be noticable for me... I do not see this w/ 720p.

Anyone experienced this? What could it be?

Oh yea, its only noticable on black/dark screens or loading screens... not really during gameplay. I do notice a color shift though during games....

Does anyone play 360 on this tv? If so, do you use 720p or 1080i?

If you use 1080i on component, have you noticed a vertical bar (somewhat thick) running across the screen? The contrast/brightness must be turned up for it to be noticable for me... I do not see this w/ 720p.

Anyone experienced this? What could it be?

Yes I have noticed this, I get the same black bar on 1080i and not on 720p only on dark screens, however I think it is due to the supplied component cable. I was planning on getting another set of component cables to try it out, I'll let you know what happens. My brothers PS3 gets even worse interference with his component cables.

I also get the black bar running across when I set up the 360 to 1080i. I have never noticed it during gameplay, only in dark screens like a load screen. Let me know your finding re a new component cable.

Thanks.

I also get the black bar running across when I set up the 360 to 1080i. I have never noticed it during gameplay, only in dark screens like a load screen. Let me know your finding re a new component cable.

Thanks.

I have the same issue, but I see it on dark screens on all of my inputs. Everything is coming over component inputs, going through an Onkyo receiver. My cable box, xbox, and xbox 360 all show the same bar, reduced if I drop the brightness. I have all sorts of different cables hooked up.

Mark

Interesting, so it might be safe to say it is the TV and not the xbox 360's we are using. I have tried using both the Comp1 and Comp2 inputs - both produce the same bar.

I haven't tried any HDMI cables yet...

WARNING: GOING INTO THE SERVICE MENU COULD CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE!

With that said, before you continue however, make sure yo write down the setting you intend on changing just in case. There isnt a go back to default option in the service menu. Now that you have been informed, its menu on tv and menuon remote for a few seconds until you see the nice ole service menu. Have fun and dont blw up the TV while your at it.

Which setting will adjust the width of the screen? I thought it would have been 'Cut Off' but that just went to a static screen and did nothing.

Interesting, so it might be safe to say it is the TV and not the xbox 360's we are using. I have tried using both the Comp1 and Comp2 inputs - both produce the same bar.

I haven't tried any HDMI cables yet...

I purchased a new component cable for the 360, and it dappens the visibility of that bar, but it doesn't eliminate it. However there no bar when set to 720p, so I just use that. Maybe since its a CRT there is more electric interference from the TV which is affecting all of the component cables the same? After all...

1. We all have the same TV
2. We all are using the same component cables supplied with the 360

I'll hook up an old DVD player via component and see what happens, it might be a 1080i only thing.

I loaded up a HD DVD, and noticed that when set on 1080i in dark scenes the bar isn't visible at all, it is only visible when the screen has nothing on it like when it is loading up a XBox360 game

Hi.

I have this TV, but the model I have only has component inputs (I live in Mexico).
I'm looking for a DVD player, but I don't know what would look better, 1080i or 480p.

Unfortunately there are very few DVD players that give 1080i through component, so I was wondering if I should go for one of those, or if there is not enough improvement from 480p.
Has anyone made the comparison?

Thanks!

Is anybody getting microblocking with their 30FS4D I was watching "Hannibal Rising" last night and saw alot of microblocking on the dark scenes.Anybody else have this problem?Also in using a oppo 970 player.

I've got a fairly annoying tuning problem that only happens with QAM channels and only when watching HD content. For example, on Monday I was watching Heroes on NBC-HD (100-1 here in Indy) and when coming out of commercials, it would suddenly flip over to CBS-HD (100-4). It doesn't actually change the tuner to 100-4, it just shows what's on CBS-HD with no sound, sometimes with choppy video. It's also not consistent -- over the course of an hour-long show, it happens 3-4 times.

A similar thing happened last night while watching Lost on ABC-HD (112-4), except that instead of tuning to a different channel, the TV just says No Signal (funny, I know, losing the signal while watching Lost).

The solution is simple: just channel up and then back down. But that's fairly annoying to have to do, not to mention that you lose the first 10 seconds of the show coming back from commercial. The problem is fairly specific:

It only happens on certain channels
It only happens during the broadcast of HD shows
It only happens during the commercial break or when coming back from commercials

Has anybody else had problems like this? Is this an issue I should be talking to LG or Best Buy service about or is it just a quirk of this model TV?

I know the original is old, but I've seen this on mine too. I think it's because either your signal drops too much or there is a signal surge on the line. I've asked people that were watching the shows on their cable boxes and the box had a dip in sound around the same time, so it could just be issues with the HD.

I'm slowly making progress on analyzing a similar problem. Been doing transport stream captures on a pc with mdp-130 card and examining stream at time of LG's glitches. It is starting to look like certain transitions in the stream confuse the chipset in the TV. Still have more study to do, including determining if the transitions are 'legit' (ie per standards) or not.

For example, I have a local PBS feed on one PID of a channel that likes to switch resolutions; when it does so LG goes to 'no signal', even if that PID isn't actually being watched (ie I'm watching a *differant* PID on that same channel). Switching to differant channel and back frequently 'fixes' things.

It only happens to me on one cable channel, which is why I'm suspicious of the stream. I'm planning on running the caps through TSReader to see if it spots anything. Still up in the air as to whether this is an LG problem, a source problem (ie the PBS feeds) or cable co problem (ie when they mux the various feeds together). Lots of room for finger-pointing...

Wow, haven't been back to this thread in a while. Thanks to those responding to my question about the channel drop problem. I still see the problem off-and-on and I've basically accepted it as a quirk of my TV at this point. I'll be very curious to see what you can figure out looking directly at the data stream, plughplover.

Wow, haven't been back to this thread in a while. Thanks to those responding to my question about the channel drop problem. I still see the problem off-and-on and I've basically accepted it as a quirk of my TV at this point. I'll be very curious to see what you can figure out looking directly at the data stream, plughplover.

Making a little progress. I've noted two characteristics of my problematic cable channel that differ from other channels. With respect to my earlier post, for some unknown reason the number of Program Association Table and Program Map Tables packets in the stream drop significantly when that one pbs stream switches to HD mode. I suspect the LG is not seeing the info it needs to identify what PIDs belong to which programs often enough when this occurs, hence it gives up and drops all the streams on that channel.

I've also noted a fairly high rate of TS Continuity errors, and for some reason the PSIP data on that channel has a fairly high number of CRC errors. (Note: ONLY the psip data).

I've passed some of this info on to an engineer at the pbs station. If I can find appropriate contacts, will also pass it on the cableco and LG.

Well, I may have discovered the answer to the 'drop problem'.

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/10638/53/

A firmware bug was found (in Australia) that affects a fairly wide range of LG sets, including this one. I've got a service call in - but so far they are claiming no knowledge of the problem / fix in the US service bulletins.

More later...

Thanks for the info and your continued effort!

I'm not sure my problem is the same problem that's talked about in that article. They seem to describe the TV freezing and advise powering down the TV for 20 minutes. I'm certain the 20 minute power-down is unnecessarily long, but that aside, it seems to indicate that the TV becomes completely unresponsive, which is not the problem I see (and what I think you're seeing, plughplover). My problem is the tuner seems to lose the lock on the QAM HDTV signal. Channeling up and then down is good enough to lock back on.

I'm having two differant symptoms, both associated with ONLY one clear-qam stream.

1) At random times during the day, I'll 'lose lock'; the tune up/down trick will usually bring it back.
2) At 8:00PM at night, when one of the PBS station's SD streams switches to HD mode, I lose _everything_ on that stream and can't regain 'lock' until they finish.

My point with the above link is that it affected a VERY broad range of LG devices, and LG decided to impliment a firmware fix for many thousands of sets.

FYI - Got a call back on my service call. Local shop talked to LG who said they were 'aware' of similar reports but had no firmware update at this time. I was asked to check back in a couple months. If your set is still under warranty, it might be wise to log a service call with the complaint.

Thanks for the tip, I will put in a call.

I've never seen a problem like your #2. Then again, I pretty rarely watch PBS (most times I put it on, it's mid-day and I want some nice HD content to watch). What's the programming switch on PBS that occurs at 8pm? I'll try to see if I have the same problem with my TV and local (Indy) PBS service.

It isn't a general PBS problem, rather a particular pbs broadcaster here (Cincinnati) switches from six SD streams to 2 SD and one HD between 8-12PM, and during this period my set refuses to decode _anything_ on that qam feed. It is a reliable fault, which is why I've been focusing on it.

re: your original post - I have not been able to correlate my 'random drops' with commercial cuts. But perhaps this gives us another clue...

It isn't a general PBS problem, rather a particular pbs broadcaster here (Cincinnati) switches from six SD streams to 2 SD and one HD between 8-12PM, and during this period my set refuses to decode _anything_ on that qam feed. It is a reliable fault, which is why I've been focusing on it.

re: your original post - I have not been able to correlate my 'random drops' with commercial cuts. But perhaps this gives us another clue...
My random drops almost exclusively happen on ABC, which I haven't been watching over the summer (we only watch Grey's Anatomy and Lost on ABC). I did notice that the drops occasionally would occur during the commercial break. When that happened, my amplifier would switch from a DD lock and drop back to Pro Logic. Typically this coincided with a switch between an obviously HD commerical to a SD commerical, but not always. So, it almost certainly has to do with ABC switching between HD and SD sources.

Your description makes me wonder if your case involves your local broadcaster interrupting the network feed to insert local advertising...

My setup:
Samsung HD-960 DVD player connected to my LG 30FS4D via HDMI cable purchased from Monoprice.

Problem #1:
no audio. it worked when I first connected everything last year, but now there's no sound. I've adjusted every setting correctly on my Sammy as well as the LG yet still no sound. I get perfect picture, but no sound.

I also had this problem when I had my PS3 last year. The PS3 would get a picture but it gave some error about HDMI, so I just returned my PS3.


Problem #2:
when connecting my new XBOX 360 premium to my LG via HDMI I don't get a signal at all. I know the HDMI out on my XBOX 360 premium is fine because I hooked it up to my 19" widescreen LCD via HDMI out of the XBOX 360 to DVI into my monitor.

I've read the manual to my LG, adjusted everything I could think within the regular menu of the LG. I haven't gone into the other setup menu of the LG which includes the calibration options.

Anyone have any suggestions?

thanks,
Paul

would anyone happen to have the default values for their TV from the service menu, or otherwise would know how to perform a factory reset on this set? I got my TV and i have some geometry issues caused by the previous owner fiddling with this menu. i understand they are different for each set but I need to try to get close as right now the picture is very distorted.

I tried to change the values but the source changes to DTV everytime I make a change to a setting so I can't adjust the picture easilty since I can't get an image through this input.

please help :)

Some of these settings posted on here seem to make the picture shall I say too light on black pictures or kind of milky looking, for me I tend to get the better picture when I set my contrast up somewhere like 60 and turn the brightness down to 45, I'm a big sci fi person and this seems to be the best settings to watch space movies keeping space actually black not gray like some of these other settings seem to make it and the stars stand out more with a higher contrast, just my personal opinion.

Another thing I noticed is that by turning the XD feature off it seems to make the text clearer on the sides, I looked at ESPN during the day when they run the text on the sides telling you what's coming up next and XD off seemed to sharpen up the text.

This is a question for owners of this TV set and are using an xbox 360 connected to it using HDMI. Did you guys find any improvement during gaming (in the visuals) compared to component?

I have done some research and most "experts" seem to agree that whether or not hmi vs component makes any difference depends mostly on the hdtv you have. Cheap crappy HDTVs have a harder time with the digital-analog-digital conversion they have to do when using component cables, so they tend to display a much better image when using HDMI since the signal stays digital. Nice (more expensive) tvs don't seen to have any differences between hdmi and component.

So where does our TV stand?

My LG 30fs4d geometry has been messed up somewhere along the line.

Before I spend $370 for a tech to look at it, would anyone happen to have a minute to go to their service menu and post the values of the first menu? The first menu lists all geometry settings.

The values for the 16:9 pincushion menu would also be greatly appreciated.

To get to the service menu just press menu on the tv and remote for 10 seconds or so.

I know every tv's service menu will have different values, but i'd like to know if mine is anywhere near where it should be.

Thanks in advance to anyone who might have a minute to do this. I really don't want to pay for service when I only spent $475 on the tv to begin with.

Best,

Jeff

I've had my LG for a while, but just finally subscribed to HD service. Now I've noticed that while watching HD widescreen programming the edges of the program are cut off. I realized this when I switched the tv display to 4:3 while watching a 16:9 broadcast. It seems like a half inch of picture is being cut off of the left and right edges when I view it in the correct 16:9 setting.

At first I thought this was due to my new service provider, but I've since realized it does this with widescreen dvds as well. Is this something I can adjust in the service menu?

txs

Yes you can adjust this from the service menu, make sure you write down on a piece of paper your original numbers before you change ANYTHING since they are all diferent in each TV so my numbers will not match yours. Good luck!


I've had my LG for a while, but just finally subscribed to HD service. Now I've noticed that while watching HD widescreen programming the edges of the program are cut off. I realized this when I switched the tv display to 4:3 while watching a 16:9 broadcast. It seems like a half inch of picture is being cut off of the left and right edges when I view it in the correct 16:9 setting.

At first I thought this was due to my new service provider, but I've since realized it does this with widescreen dvds as well. Is this something I can adjust in the service menu?

txs

txs - do you know what items I should try tweaking to pull the sides in?

Anyone have the default factory settings for the picture? Someone messed with mine and I can't seem to get it right.

I see this question asked allot here, about the service menu default values, so I'll put my FSD's original values. I've had it 2 1/2 years with some minor adjustments soon after buying it. Hope this can help some of you. As an FYI the most noticeable improvements in picture quality came from adjusting the standard image controls.

1) V Position 23
2) V Size 29
3) H Position 33
4) H Size 36
5) Up VLIN 5
6) Lo VLIN 4
7) Pin_Amp 31
8) Pin_phase 26
9) Up_CPin 37
10) lo_Cpin 36
11) AFC-Bow 28
12) AFC-Angle 32

My random drops almost exclusively happen on ABC, which I haven't been watching over the summer (we only watch Grey's Anatomy and Lost on ABC). I did notice that the drops occasionally would occur during the commercial break. When that happened, my amplifier would switch from a DD lock and drop back to Pro Logic. Typically this coincided with a switch between an obviously HD commerical to a SD commerical, but not always. So, it almost certainly has to do with ABC switching between HD and SD sources.

Thought I'd revive this...
I'm still having the issue, just not as much. I've only seen the issue using cable QAM. In my house, I also have a sharp 32sb23u that does not show the same issue. I installed my own cable jack for the LG. One of these days I'll switch the LG and the sharp to see if it's a signal issue.