It looks like LG will finally introduce a slim CRT set in the US. The model is the 30FS4D. It is 15.9" deep. The owner's manual is on LG's website.

Robert

Robert
I couldn't find on us.lge.com
please post link
thanx

http://us.lgservice.com/b2c/jsp/SubSys.jsp?SYS=OWM&CNT=USA

Select 'TV' for Product, enter model #, and search.

Robert

What's the diff between this and the current Z model that BB carries?

Does this have a Samsung tube? I wonder if it will have "geometry" issues?

They need a better fact checker: page 57 -> Model 32FS4D-UC

Even lighter than the Sammy Slim Fit.

The 30FZ4D does not use a slim CRT. This set should have an LG.Philips slim CRT. In most other countries TV tube size indicates the overall size of the tube, not just the viewable area. This is where the 32FS4D comes from. In fact, the service model number for this set is 32FS4D-UC which is on the front cover as well.

Robert

Trying to square this with the 12/21/2005 announcement on lgphilips-displays.com:

LG.Philips Displays Takes Non-Cash Impairment Charge of Approximately US$725 Million
Focus on CRT demand in emerging markets

Hong Kong, 21 December 2005 – LG.Philips Displays, a joint venture between LG Electronics of Korea and Philips of the Netherlands , is the world’s leading provider of cathode ray tubes (CRT) for TV and computer monitors.

In recent months, however, capacity increases and very strong price erosion of flat panel TVs have created adverse market conditions for CRTs in advanced markets such as Europe . Flat panel TVs have reached mass market price points in an unexpectedly short time. The resulting reduction in demand for CRTs has adversely affected LG.Philips Displays operations.

As a result, LG.Philips Displays will take an impairment charge of approximately US$725 million in its fourth quarter results, as a non-cash write-off of assets, which is necessary according to US GAAP.

“Recognizing the dynamics of the CRT industry, we must be proactive in managing our asset base and capital structure. We have to bring ourselves into a better position to continue to supply our customers with the most competitive products,” said Jeong IL Son, President and CEO.

In order to improve its business position and financial structure, several options are being discussed with various parties, while the company is strengthening its long-term supply arrangements with its key customers, LGE and Philips.

Mr. Son noted further that the global demand for CRTs is shifting. “The market for CRT is still large, but it is becoming more concentrated in emerging economies,” he said. “LG.Philips Displays is committed to maintain its technological and commercial leadership in those markets, where CRTs will dominate in the years ahead.”

becoming more concentrated in emerging economies

I assume that means less CRTs for the US and the models that are available are based on other "world" models.

Robert,
Manual is encouraging and biker dude you are right-- at 113+ lbs, if not portable, it surely would be moveable.

Published: January 27, 2006
Filed at 7:19 a.m. ET

Skip to next paragraph LONDON (Reuters) - LG.Philips Displays, the world's biggest TV and monitors picture tube maker, said on Friday it had filed for creditor protection for its European holding company due to large debts it can no longer honor.

The Hong Kong-based venture, which is jointly owned by Philips (PHG.AS) and LG Electronics (066570.KS), said it had also asked for creditor protection for its Dutch and Czech units and its German affiliate, while the French unit may follow next week after talks with employee representatives on Monday.

Subsidiaries in Mexico, the United States and Slovakia, which fall under the European holding, will also have to assess their financial situation as the company struggles with falling demand in rich nations for bulky tubes, the firm said.

``(LG.Philips Displays Holding BV) has said it can no longer support loss-leading subsidiaries, because it cannot acquire long-term financing,'' it said in a statement issued in the Netherlands.

``The European holding has had to pay for large restructurings and acquired large debts. And no money is coming in anymore,'' said a spokesman for the firm.

He declined to give details about the debt burden.

LG.Philips Displays booked an operating loss of around 10 million euros ($12.24 million) in the fourth quarter.

Units in Poland, Brazil, China, Indonesia and South Korea will continue manufacturing, while units in the United Kingdom and two in the Netherlands should also be able to pull through, it added. Together they represent about 85 percent of production.

The future of most European units will be in the hands of the administrator who took control of the company's management on Friday. LG.Philips Displays expected ``negative effects'' for a total of 750 employees in the Netherlands and Germany.

LG.Philips Displays produces one in four picture tubes sold around the world.

Labor unions were enraged that the company had decided to pull the plug on Dutch units only weeks after it had agreed a social plan for 300 staff who were already due to be laid off.

``The social plan doesn't mean anything anymore. We'll point Philips at its responsibility as a good employer,'' said Ron Peters, a negotiator at the biggest Dutch union FNV.

TUBES WRITE-DOWN

The two parent companies, Philips and LG, wrote off their stakes in the troubled venture late last year as it struggled with falling demand for cathode ray tubes due to the popularity of flat panel displays.

Philips took 416 million euros of impairment charges for the unit as well as a 42-million-euro charge for liabilities under a guarantee provided to banks.

Philips, which had to refinance the tubes venture with several hundred millions of euros as recently as two years ago, has said LG.Philips Displays will no longer affect its financial results.

``We regret what's going on, but we're a shareholder and not managing the company. We'll examine what's going on,'' said a Philips spokesman, reiterating that Philips shareholders were no longer exposed to any bad news from LG.Philips Displays.

Philips shares fell 0.5 percent at 27.49 euros by 1130 GMT, underperforming a 0.7 percent higher DJ Stoxx index of European technical stocks (.SX8P).

LG and Philips have a separate venture for flat panel displays, LG Philips LCD (034220.KS), which produces one in every five LCD plat panel displays sold around the world and is very profitable.

``Although demand for cathode ray tubes has fallen sharply in mature markets, the global demand for these products remains strong, especially in emerging markets,'' the firm said.

Probably the same story with every other tube maker - well to do folks are jumping on the "flat screen" bandwagon. I expect the smaller tube market to stay healthy.

I think that's correct. The recently announced 26" Toshiba 480i may be turn out to be good set. $399 list and hopefully without the problems of the hdtv models.

MSRP $899.95 and ETA March.

Robert

MSRP $899.95 and ETA March.


Is that for the new LG slim CRT model?

MSRP $899.95 and ETA March.

Robert
By coincidence the same price as the current Sammy slim-fit. I would have thought it would be less.

By coincidence the same price as the current Sammy slim-fit. I would have thought it would be less.

At least the LG set has QAM.

I was at BB today and they no longer carry the current 30" LG model (they had one on display during the holidays). That does not bode well for this new slim fit.

All current models without an ATSC tuner had fairly large discounts.

> I think that's correct. The recently announced 26" Toshiba 480i may be turn out to be good set. $399 list and hopefully without the problems of the hdtv models.

That's a very interesting observation. I never even noticed that Toshiba is planning to release widescreen SDTVs in 2006. There don't even seem to be any at the moment so that's great news. One thing though, the prices on those seem a bit too high. $400 for a 26" SDTV? That's not normal. The Sony 27" Wega SDTV is only $350 or so. Its seems like Toshiba expects you to pay for the "widescreen-ness" itself, which is not something that should cost anything. You should pay for diagonal screen size, regardless of aspect ratio.

Maybe it's just my own pricing ideas or observations that are off...what do you guys think on those prices?

$399 is just a proposed list for a new model. I agree with your logic about some sort of parity with the sony 27" sdtv. But this (orion) set is dtv. Don't know yet what sony sd dtv will be priced at.

During a search on the 30HF66, I found two places that are pre-selling them for between $60 and $150 off the $799 list price. When you think that most seperate tuners are in the $200 range, $400 for a decent 26" SDTV with ATSC/QAM tuner built in almost seems reasonable. The jump from that to $800 for 4 extra inches of viewable space and HD resolution seems a bit much.

During a search on the 30HF66, I found two places that are pre-selling them for between $60 and $150 off the $799 list price. When you think that most seperate tuners are in the $200 range, $400 for a decent 26" SDTV with ATSC/QAM tuner built in almost seems reasonable. The jump from that to $800 for 4 extra inches of viewable space and HD resolution seems a bit much.Quoted internet prices should include shipping. You did not include shipping in those quotes. The only thing that matters to the buyer is the Internet price + Shipping as compared to the Real Life price + Tax. For CRTs usually the Shipping is far more than the tax.

I agree with the sentiments that the digital tuner might cost something, however I suspect in reality it costs next to nothing when integrated into a TV set. In any case, you can still compare the upcoming Toshiba 26" and 30" widescreen SDTVs with their 27" and 32" 4:3 SDTV flat-screen counterparts. All of those have digital tuners this year plus they are from the same company. Yet the 26" widescreen is more expensive than the 27" and the 30" is more expensive than the 32". Toshiba for some reason thinks being widescreen makes a TV cost more even though it's the same size or smaller, which doesn't seem right to me.

I assume on the HD sets the tube and a few parts of the chassis are quite a bit more expensive than on an SD set. If it did cost Toshiba and others the same for an SD and HD set of the same size they would probably sell it at the same price - competition would force the prices so.

Hello, I'm new to the forums, looking at the slim CRT televisions, etc, etc. :) Anyway, I was at BestBuy yesterday, and I found this new slim LG TV there. I had the presence of mind to snap a photo:

I'm going to wait to post the picture since this silly forum won't let new users post links....if someone with picture posting rights private messages me with their email, I'll send them the pic to post

As you can see, the price was $949. It looked pretty good, but my lady friend was there with me so I didn't have a chance to go into the settings and try to make it better. I'm totally convinced that the floor models (CRTs particularly so, since they are the unpopular tech) at BestBuy are badly mistreated and so I only vaguely consider the PQ. Anyhow, its pretty sexy, but not as sexy as the new 30" Samsung that is supposed to be out this month. It is still kind of fresh in my mind if anyone has any questions...

I picked up one of these from Best Buy on 03.07.06, was told I was the first to get one from their store and they didn't know much about it. I am new to HDTV and know very little, but I wanted a slim TV so I could keep my entertainment center, but didn't want to spend more for an LCD.

I was going to BB to buy the Samsung slim, but I noticed the LG next to it. The only reason I got the LG was because of the color (more black than silver) and because it was a newer model than the Samsung. It was easy to setup and looks good.

Like I said before, I am new to HDTV and using OTA (indoor antenna) so I don't know if its the TV or something else, but the signal strength on most channels are fairly high, but all of a sudden it will drop and I will get a black screen for a few seconds.

Another thing I noticed is a buzzing sound from the speakers after powering on. It does go away after a couple minutes and doesn't return. When I saw the floor model in BB it was turned off and I did not notice this noise when I turned it on in the store, but then again the store it louder than my living room.

If you guys have any questions about the TV, I'll try my best to answer, but remember I may not know what I'm talking about.

TiZ

After reading your post I also went to Best Buy and Circuit City today on 3-07-06. Neither had the LG 30" slim CRT out yet. The old LG 30" (with side speakers, if I remember correctly) was also gone from the Best Buy. I asked one salesman about the LG and upcoming Toshiba widescreen HDTVs, but the guy was totally clueless and didn't know anything.

It is interesting that you managed to get this set because the Best Buy website does not list any LG CRTs. So I guess their website doesn't have all their products on it, or is behind.

There is one other Best Buy in this state. Probably I'll wait another week or so then check again. Thx for the instanteous heads-up.

BTW, I had also gone out today with the intent of trying out the Samsung 30" slim HDTV, but decided against it. After studying it very carefully in the store with the intent to actually buy, I noticed more flaws in the picture quality and decided that it was not an acceptable TV to me.

Here is the picture jpaul referred to. This model is now featured (http://us.lge.com/Product/prodlist.jhtml?qs=pr|tv||search|1000000089||0000000001|00000 00001|3|||||) on the LG website. It looks like LG did some cost cutting as it doesn't look nearly as nice as the preproduction version did. That's a shame as it was one of the nicest looking sets out there. Click here (http://images.cinenow.com/reports/ces_2005/lg/d00648.jpg) to see how it was originally going to look. It's the one on the right. Anyway, I hope they will have these up and running soon so we can compare the geometry to that of the Samsung sets.


http://home.comcast.net/~twinbrook46636/lg.jpg

Is there any information about the differences in technologies that Samsung and LG use? Thanks for posting that picture, by the way.

Porcupine, just out of curiousity, what kind of flaws did you discover in the Samsung SlimFit? I am curious because it occurs to me that they give absolutely zero time to setting up/maintaining the CRT sets at BestBuy and related stores, so seriously picking out flaws is beyond me (I have seen sets atrociously broken or misconfigured). Now that I think about it, the new LG was running a SD feed at BestBuy where I saw it. Way to make a TV look its best! Sigh...

Hey all,

I work for Best Buy and today I got my hands on the LG Slimfit (30FS4D). Here are some observations.

1) Style --- Not quite as nice looking as the Samsung slimfit (IMO), but I do appreciate that it's all black around the frame instead of having silver speakers.

2) Picture quality --- Picture looked pretty good after I made a few adjustments, and had it running off the antenna instead of the ghetto coax.

3) No glare?? --- This was the most surprising and intriguing thing I noticed. There is virtually NO reflection or glare coming off the screen. Very strange, screen sounds a bit different when you tap it, almost like some kind of plastic. I've never seen another CRT with this little reflection. (A plus since glare drives me nuts)

4) Geometry --- I couldn't find any noticable issues in the short time I spent with it, although i'll admit I don't have the most keen eye for it. But still, I have noticed it at times on the Samsung slimfit, and also that the screen seems a bit more faded around the edges on the Samsung.....again, didn't notice any of these problems on the LG.

Overall I was pretty impressed. I may end up purchasing this tv. Want to see some reviews first though. Hopefully it doesn't have all the problems that the Samsung does. Still have my fingers crossed that BB is going to carry the Sony 34XBR970, but so far it doesn't look promising.

can someone confirm the width of this tv-

thanks-

According to the product specifications off LG's website, the dimensions are:

Width x Height x Depth = 35.4'' x 22.6'' x 25.9"

can someone confirm the width of this tv-

thanks-


30FS4D

Width x Height x Depth 35.4" x 22.6" x 15.9"

I've always noticed several bad things about the Samsungs, but this most recent flaw that I noticed was that all Samsung CRTs have a certain geometry problem where the bottom middle portion of the screen bows upward. Some other brands of TV also have this problem to a tiny extent, while some other brands don't have this problem whatsoever. So it is mainly a design feature of all Samsungs. It's also partially quality control-related though, because some Samsung units are far worse than others, even of the same model.

It's not necessarily a flaw unless the problem is unacceptably noticeable, though. I looked through about 20 Samsungs yesterday, and only saw 1 Samsung (27" CRT HDTV, non-Slimfit) where the problem was so small that I would be perfectly happy with it. While 3 had the problem (all were the 30" widescreen slimfits) to such a severe extent that I thought no one in their right mind could ever accept such a TV. The remaining units (various Samsung models, some Slimfit some not) had the problem to a moderately noticeable extent, which some might find acceptable but I do not.

In my case, 95% of what I watch is foreign shows with bottom subtitles, therefore the subtitles would noticeably bow upwards and be curved, in the middle section of the screen. It would be really obvious at all times and I'd probably be driven nuts. Maybe others who watch normal shows would find it okay. Still, on those 3 especially bad units though I don't think anyone could watch those.

I know what you mean about sets perhaps being set up badly out of the box. But I strongly suspect this kind of geometry problem cannot be fixed in the Service Menu. Usually, I think if vertical lines in a crosshatch pattern are curved, they can often be fixed in the Service Menu. But if horizontal lines are badly curved, then probably the set is doomed. I could be wrong about that.

Sounds as though this new LG may be quite an improvement. The picture on the website makes it look a little nicer than it looks in person IMHO, but its still a good looking set. One thing I like about the samsungs is their slick menu system. It just seems like the fit and finish is really good on them. Too bad about the PQ in the 2005 models -- seems like that was secondary concern :rolleyes: . I'm pretty on the fence about whether to wait it out to see how the 2006 models look or jump on this LG.

The Samsung PQ is not THAT bad. I'm only pointing out one particular flaw which I have noticed which is especially bad for the type of shows I like to watch. It may not bother others as much, or they might get a lucky unit.

One of the 3 units I saw in which this problem was the worst was a Samsung TXR3081W Slimfit CRT....I think that's a very new unit. Made in 2006 probably, or late 2005. That particular issue of the Samsungs isn't going away, but some others don't mind it I guess.

The Samsungs are still good in many other ways and bad in many other ways too, this is just one particular thing that bugs me personally. Some other people noticed it too though. I pointed out that problem to a BB salesman and he just acted clueless and didn't seem to care. I pointed it out to a CC salesman next and he laughed and said he already knew about it, and said he never recommends Samsung for that very reason. He also then pointed out to me yet another flaw on the TV I was looking at which I hadn't noticed in just 5 minutes of observation, which made me laugh in turn. Hah. :D That one was just a particular screwup of that one unit though, not a general Samsung flaw.

Just bit the bullet and bought the LG Slimfit. Got it home and here are my initial impressions....

1) Seems to be free of any easily noticable geometry issues. I haven't spent days looking for issues, but tonight I couldn't notice any. That was a huge sigh of relief.

2) Picture looks MUCH better than I expected when viewing regular (digital) cable non HD channels. I am very pleasently surprised with the picture on a non HD channel.

3) HD picture looked about as I expected it. Very nice.

4) Virtually no glare or reflection coming off the screen! Pretty crazy, never seen a tube that has such little reflection. Haven't used it in daylight yet, so we'll see tomorrow, but still....cannot see my reflection in the tv while it's on.

5) Picture quality while watching DVD's was about as I expected using a my XBOX 360. Pretty nice....

6) Speaker sound was a bit weak, but I kind of expected that. Anyone concerned with good sound should invest in a nice HT sound setup.

7) Style is fairly nice, could be a bit better, but still light-years ahead of any other tube except the Samsung slimfit. I love the black frame (silver drives me nuts)

Anyway, that's about it for tonight. So far though, I have nothing but great things to say about this tv. If anyone has any questions about it, feel free to ask. I'd be glad to answer.

- Jeff

Hi Humpzilla, thanks for posting the review! I can not find any etailers selling this set. Can you tell me where you got it?

I went to BB to check out the new LG slimfit. I only had 10 minutes because my dog was in my car. I think the TV case looks awesome. I love the black. It is so much nicer looking than the Samsung. The picture looked great too. I'm definitely thinking of getting this set. My only problem is LCD's and Plasmas are coming down so much that I might not be able to justify the price for the new 30 inch LG.

I purchased the tv at Best Buy (I work there), so I got it for a heck of a deal. So far I love it. Basically, I bought it because the room it was going in is pretty small, so 30'' is a good size for me. I was looking at some LCD tv's, but i'm not all that fond of the picture on them. Blacks aren't black and the refresh rate is insufficient for gaming (IMO).

I figured i'd pick this set up, hope it gives me a good 4 years, and then upgrade to a 1080p tv once they become more affordable.

If anyone has any other questions about the LG Slimfit let me know, i'll do my best to answer.

Any pics would be appreciated.

I purchased the tv at Best Buy (I work there), so I got it for a heck of a deal. So far I love it. Basically, I bought it because the room it was going in is pretty small, so 30'' is a good size for me. I was looking at some LCD tv's, but i'm not all that fond of the picture on them. Blacks aren't black and the refresh rate is insufficient for gaming (IMO).

I figured i'd pick this set up, hope it gives me a good 4 years, and then upgrade to a 1080p tv once they become more affordable.

If anyone has any other questions about the LG Slimfit let me know, i'll do my best to answer.


how is BB selling it for

Retail is $999.99

Picked up one of these at BB over the weekend. (returned a samsung 30" slimfit, had bad geometry problems). This set blows away the samsung! No geometry issues at all, it has a better picture than the samsung IMHO. Antiglare screen is great. Samsung lacks the QAM.
The only thing I think this set lacks is some type of channel list or guide list. Its a little cumbersome navigating all the channels. Favorite channel list only accepts 20 channels. Also switching from analog to digital with the input button on the remote works just like the flashback button. The input button only remembers your last two channels, it doesn't switch from TV, DTV, CATV, CADTV like it should.
Just my two cents. This set is still way better than the Samsung Slimfit TXR3079WH.

If anybody is interested, I have the Bose 321 GSII System and an XBOX 360, along with a new Comcast HD-DVR box running at 1080i. I haven't spent THAT much time with the new set, but I will tell you it does take a little settings tweaking to get it to look sharp. The factory settings are bad, but once you play with it a little, it looks good. Here are a few things I noticed:

1) The focus on the left and right sides is a little off, but gets better as the TV gets warmer and is on longer, but not perfect. I figure it may just have a burn-in period so we'll see how that goes.

2) There is some magnetic distortion with 4:3 PS sources, but with a 16x9 source like the XBOX 360 running in 1080i look pretty good. I will check it out in detail later if anybody wishes me too.

3) There is a serial interface in the rear for firmware updates which is interesting.

4) You can disable 3:2 Pulldown for Interlaced sources which is also interesting.

5) The XD feature they are making a big deal about as a marketting tool for the set pretty much enhances the contract and sharpness above and beyond what you can do in the menus. It does make HD sources look very good, but there is some slight over-contrast issues. Again, it's a matter of adjusting the settings to your liking.

6) When viewing a 1080i native source, such as Discovery HD or the XBOX 360, it is very sharp and nice. Anamorphic 480p input is equally sharp and impressive, and that is definitely something the XD feature shines on, which is enhancing 480p sources.

7) There is a Velocity Scan setting (it may not be called that) that enhances the edge sharpening. This feature also makes the picture extra sharp.

8) When using my cable box to switch from identical HD source picture output from 720p to 1080i, 1080i is sharper, but not by much. Actually, I would assume most people would probably not notice the difference. I used my 360 to compare the two outputs also and I can't notice any frame rate lag with 1080i at all. It's only 30" so you probably wouldn't notice it anyway.

Overall, after a little tweaking, the picture is excellent. I have not tried any HDMI source yet because I don't have one but I'll probably pick up a DVI to HDMI cable this weekend and test out my laptop output on it. It does have a tilt control and the Zoom settings pretty much work as all others do on HD sets. It has an optical input and output, which I don't use because I have everything going through my Bose system. It's first generation so I know there will be bugs, but the fact that there is a software update port (serial port) in the back is pretty cool. Hopefully they put it there for people like us to upgrade our own firmware and make it available to us.

Just some sidenotes on a few things:

I think most HDTVs allow the user to disable or enable 3:2 pulldown in the regular user menus. I could be wrong on this, but it was definitely there on the Toshiba 30HF85's I owned (it was called "Video"/"Film" mode..."Film" activates the pulldown algorithm). Furthermore, I always left it off, because when activated it simply did not work perfectly. There would be rare occasions (about one frame every 10 minutes) where feathered/combed images would be generated if it was on.

As far as I'm concerned, 3:2 pulldown features on a HDTV is a gimmick because I have yet to see a TV that does it perfectly at all times. I'll change my mind as soon as I see one TV doing it perfectly. I'm still not that sure about all this either, so I could be wrong.

It's good to know that there is a regular user menu setting for Velocity Scan Modulation. Thx for telling us. You should always leave it totally off, that's the general consensus of most experienced users I think. It's a gimmick that destroys the fidelity of the original image.

Thanks everyone for the great info on the 30FS4D.

My dad bought a Samsung 3079 about three weeks ago. While I'm happy with the picture in general, the geometry problems kept me from having some remorse. Since he still watches mostly SD cable, the 4:3 really shows how bad the geometry really is. But he liked it so I left it as is.

I just caught up with this topic and decided to give my local BB a call. They have 2 30FS4D. 1 in the warehouse and one on display. The clerk says they are discontinuing the TV. :eek: I asked him three times to confirm this was the 30FS4D. He said yes. They are building home theater rooms shortly at this location and a lot of things are being discontinued. Anyway, I'm picking this set up in an hour for 10% off open box price. They are setting it aside with bubble wrap.

The kicker will be the QAM tuner. This is what I wanted for him in the first place. Hopefully no issues here tuning in Comcast or at least the ATSC tuner is the LG is better than the Samsung Slimfit.

I'm hoping this isn't one big early April Fools' joke by my local BB. ;)

Thanks everyone for the great info on the 30FS4D.

My dad bought a Samsung 3079 about three weeks ago. While I'm happy with the picture in general, the geometry problems kept me from having some remorse. Since he still watches mostly SD cable, the 4:3 really shows how bad the geometry really is. But he liked it so I left it as is.

I just caught up with this topic and decided to give my local BB a call. They have 2 30FS4D. 1 in the warehouse and one on display. The clerk says they are discontinuing the TV. :eek: I asked him three times to confirm this was the 30FS4D. He said yes. They are building home theater rooms shortly at this location and a lot of things are being discontinued. Anyway, I'm picking this set up in an hour for 10% off open box price. They are setting it aside with bubble wrap.

The kicker will be the QAM tuner. This is what I wanted for him in the first place. Hopefully no issues here tuning in Comcast or at least the ATSC tuner is the LG is better than the Samsung Slimfit.

I'm hoping this isn't one big early April Fools' joke by my local BB. ;)



the 30fs4d just came out .....how can they discontinue it, maybe the 30fz4d

the 30fs4d just came out .....how can they discontinue it, maybe the 30fz4d
That's more likely or it's just this one store.
I have seen a gradual shrinking of tube sets on display just as makers scale back on tube availability.

Absolutely stunning. I cannot describe it any better than that. Asthetically pleasing, amazing picture quality, antiglare, awesome dimensions.

I've owned this TV for 5 days now and I am awaiting my HD upgrade from the cable company but DVD's and regular DTV look incredible as it is. XD makes the colors more vibrant and I just want to melt every time I watch this television.

As for distortion experienced with other slim fit tubes, I haven't noticed ANY real distortions within the picture. So far as I can tell, in 16:9 signals, the picture is flawless. In 4:3, as noticed by an earlier observer, there is some vertical bowing only at the side edges of the picture. As he observed, it goes away as the unit is used. I measured it with a straight edge. It looks like it's just a minor pincushion effect. I used the TV's degauss function and it doesn't help. It's hardly noticible even to me, an eye doctor.

The only negatives I've encountered so far with this TV are the side edge pincushion distortion (which goes away with time), and the weak speakers, which is an easily averted problem by hooking up a good stereo or speaker system to it.

I'm not one to mount a TV on a wall, so this is perfect for me. In so many ways, I prefer this television and picture to any LCD. Perfectly black blacks and native 1080i resolution. Incredible. Go buy one. Now.

hey guys, how big are the color phosphors on this new LG slim TV?

The next time you are in the store, check out the size of the phosphors on the HD crt's. On the samsung slimfit the phosphors are very small in the middle of the screen, and very big on the sides. Vertical resolution is noticibly inferior out towards the sides. On the samsung slimfit its like you get am HD picture in the middle, but then an SD picture on the sides.

Magnavox and Phillips 30" crt's also have noticibly bigger phosphors on the sides than in the center, but its not as bad as the samsung slimfit.

On Toshiba and Sony 30" crt's its hard to tell. The phosphors on the sides of the screen on these sets are very small.

Bigger phosphors give a brighter image I think? I'm guessing that samsung had to put such huge phosphors towards the sides of the screen to keep the brightness up on their slimfits.

How big are the phosphors on the sides of the screen on the LG slim? Are they huge like the samsung? Is the vertical resolution noticibly inferior out on the sides of the screen?

the 30fs4d just came out .....how can they discontinue it, maybe the 30fz4d

No this was the 34FS4D. Sales clerk on the phone told me he saw 400 in warehouse inventory. Regional / national ? I'm not sure. This particular store had only two. The demo which I found out was just set up yesterday or Monday and 1 other in store stock. Manual, remote, etc; still sealed in the bag. Clerk said something about the store starting construction of home theater rooms so some items, even new to (this) BB, would be clearance. Maybe I got one of the only two that will ever see this store. :confused:

My dad got it for 10% off / open box the regular BB price. Usually BB policy is all boxed stock needs to be sold before they will sell the demo. Thats what happened last year when I tried to buy Athena product at this same store.

Anyway, a full review will be forthcoming. I only had time tonight to get it back to dads, and do a quick picture adjust after channel scan.

Notes -

o ATSC tuner seems to be about the same sensitivity as the Sammy 3079.

o 1080i picture PBSHD was pretty nice.

o Info dispays whether channel is 480i, 480p, 720p, or 1080i

o EZ Scan for channels is pretty good.

o Need to find out how to quickly navigate to the different bands. ATSC, NTSC (cable), QAM (Digital cable), and NTSC (analog TV).

o Dad likes the overall looks and SD picture better than the 3079.

o Haven't really looked for geometry issues yet.

I haven't even opened the manual yet so I'm sure I have a bit left to learn for proper setup. Dad kept the original and I just finished printing a copy for nightime reading.

Hopefully this set is a keeper.

hey guys, how big are the color phosphors on this new LG slim TV?

The next time you are in the store, check out the size of the phosphors on the HD crt's. On the samsung slimfit the phosphors are very small in the middle of the screen, and very big on the sides. Vertical resolution is noticibly inferior out towards the sides. On the samsung slimfit its like you get am HD picture in the middle, but then an SD picture on the sides.

Magnavox and Phillips 30" crt's also have noticibly bigger phosphors on the sides than in the center, but its not as bad as the samsung slimfit.

On Toshiba and Sony 30" crt's its hard to tell. The phosphors on the sides of the screen on these sets are very small.

Bigger phosphors give a brighter image I think? I'm guessing that samsung had to put such huge phosphors towards the sides of the screen to keep the brightness up on their slimfits.

How big are the phosphors on the sides of the screen on the LG slim? Are they huge like the samsung? Is the vertical resolution noticibly inferior out on the sides of the screen?

I'll check tomorrow and report back.

I noticed that the price has already dropped 100 bucks.

I own this television also. What do you guys use for settings on the xbox 360? Do you use the XD engine at all while running 360? Do you turn the VM off?

I mean I know all these users on here say that VM is bad and all that, but I cant help but notice with it on a low setting, that words and what not actually look clearer than with it off.

um... all you guys seems not noticing the bow effect at the bottom on the lg is the same as the samsung 3079

i would still recommand the 30FZ4D if you can find one open box or new

um... all you guys seems not noticing the bow effect at the bottom on the lg is the same as the samsung 3079

i would still recommand the 30FZ4D if you can find one open box or new
Are you saying that the LG bows as bad as the Samsung?

um... all you guys seems not noticing the bow effect at the bottom on the lg is the same as the samsung 3079

i would still recommand the 30FZ4D if you can find one open box or new

No bowing here, you may have got a bad one.

Still my biggest beef with this set is the tuner switching. TV, DTV, CATV, CADTV. It just doesn't work right. It works the same as the flashback button on the remote. Is anyone else having this problem?

No bowing here at all. And I owned the sammy before this television and actually returned the sammy just because of all its annoying issues.

Not sure about the tuner switching, I normally use regular cable television with a cable box really.

I am still curious as to if anyone really leaves the XD engine on or off. I mean I just cannot decide when I am playing 360 what the picture is "supposed" to look like.

hey guys, how big are the color phosphors on this new LG slim TV?

The next time you are in the store, check out the size of the phosphors on the HD crt's. On the samsung slimfit the phosphors are very small in the middle of the screen, and very big on the sides. Vertical resolution is noticibly inferior out towards the sides. On the samsung slimfit its like you get am HD picture in the middle, but then an SD picture on the sides.

Magnavox and Phillips 30" crt's also have noticibly bigger phosphors on the sides than in the center, but its not as bad as the samsung slimfit.

On Toshiba and Sony 30" crt's its hard to tell. The phosphors on the sides of the screen on these sets are very small.

Bigger phosphors give a brighter image I think? I'm guessing that samsung had to put such huge phosphors towards the sides of the screen to keep the brightness up on their slimfits.

How big are the phosphors on the sides of the screen on the LG slim? Are they huge like the samsung? Is the vertical resolution noticibly inferior out on the sides of the screen?
well I went to my local BB today and saw the LG SuperSlim. The phosphors do seem to be about as big towards the sides of the screen as on the Samsung slimfit. I guess maybe its inherent to the design of the slim crt -- the phosphors need to be bigger than usual towards the sides (to help maintain uniform brightness across the screen maybe?)

On the plus side though, the LG superslim on display had much better looking geometry than any samsung slimfit I've seen. The LG I saw today had no bowing at the bottom, but looking at the onscreen menus I think there may have been a very slight downward bow at the top. But again, the overall geometry was far better on this LG than on the samsungs.

At BB, CC, and Fry's, every samsung slimfit I've seen has had the bowing at the bottom to some degree. An easy way to check is to just press the MENU button on the side of the TV. You can see the bowing at the bottom right there in the onscreen menus. Some display models have it worse than others. Fortunately, my samsung slimfit at home has only a slight bowing at the bottom, and I haven't attempted to correct it in the service menus yet.

But based on the far better geometry I saw in the LG today, I would recommend the LG over the samsung if you want a slim crt.

Spent a little more time last night setting up the 30FS4D for my dad. Since EZ Scan picked up regular OTA, OTA DTV, analog cable, and digital cable channels, I wanted to get rid of some of the redundency in channels.

Regular OTA were all removed as they were lousy. The ATSC tuner picked most locals up for him with the exception of 25-1 WFXT-Fox25, and 56-1 WB, in the Boston area. From 31 miles, the Zenith Silver Sensor does a good job for an indoor antenna at that range. I kept all the OTA HD channels as he could use those as backup if needed.

Edited some of the analog cable channels for him, and then went on to the QAM digital cable channels. As expected, all Boston locals were unencrypted. He also got some open channels that OnDemand is broadcast on along with Music Choice channels.

He is learning how to use the -dash- button to enter channels but the tough part for him is mapping the QAM channel numbers to analog cable channels he remembers. So I added all the QAM cable channels that we saved as favorites. To get to those channels all he needs to do his hit the FAV button.

Next project for the weekend is to adjust his picture settings over component with DVE. I'll be interested to see what the capabilities of adjustment are with the XD picture setting on or off. I've left it on for now.

i wonder if this discontinuation is just in massachussets or nationwide?

i wonder if this discontinuation is just in massachussets or nationwide?

As far as I know this is a brand new model. Its not discontinued. When I bought it last weekend they said it was hot off the presses. I purchased it in MA.

i wonder if this discontinuation is just in massachussets or nationwide?

I asked the same thing at BB and was told it was this particular store. :confused:

i went to see this thimg at BB , and put the menu on and noticed some bowing but it still looked good and i would get it still simply based on its slimfit style and has qam .....which leads me to another question ,because it has qam and you just have to hook it up straight with the coaxil through wall that means you get the channels that are unencrypted but they wont be HD cause of coaxil connection ,you need component or hdmi for best PQ right so qam is really moot point since you really need the box from suscriber for better reciever and connections


another thing i noticed is that the glass screen had a different feel to it than other crt's ,sorta like matte finish coat

i went to see this thimg at BB , and put the menu on and noticed some bowing but it still looked good and i would get it still simply based on its slimfit style and has qam .....which leads me to another question ,because it has qam and you just have to hook it up straight with the coaxil through wall that means you get the channels that are unencrypted but they wont be HD cause of coaxil connection ,you need component or hdmi for best PQ right so qam is really moot point since you really need the box from suscriber for better reciever and connections


another thing i noticed is that the glass screen had a different feel to it than other crt's ,sorta like matte finish coat


Went to see this set at BB tonight and I noticed some downward bowing from the top on an anamorphic letterbox. Nothing "substantial", but definitely there.

i went to see this thimg at BB , and put the menu on and noticed some bowing but it still looked good and i would get it still simply based on its slimfit style and has qam .....which leads me to another question ,because it has qam and you just have to hook it up straight with the coaxil through wall that means you get the channels that are unencrypted but they wont be HD cause of coaxil connection ,you need component or hdmi for best PQ right so qam is really moot point since you really need the box from suscriber for better reciever and connections


another thing i noticed is that the glass screen had a different feel to it than other crt's ,sorta like matte finish coat
no, not at all. Those HD QAM channels on your coaxial cable line are fully HD. Thats why some people look for a TV that has a QAM ATSC tuner so that way they can get local channels over their cable line in HD without having to rent a box from the cable co.

thats what i thought but i remember reading you can only get true hd via component or hdmi so i was confused a bit

thats what i thought but i remember reading you can only get true hd via component or hdmi so i was confused a bit
The STB has a QAM tuner the same as the TV. I'd venture to guess that if the tuner in the TV is as good as the one in the STB you'll get a better picture by skiping the STB since there are fewer alteration of the picture on the way to the screen.

Picked up this set about a week ago, and am very impressed. I have noticed some minor pincushion effect on the sides, but anticipate that this can be corrected once I am able to get into the service menu.

I'm using a Panasonic indoor antenna to receive digital broadcast OTA in Atlanta. While watching some horrible movie on TBS this afternoon, I noticed that there was some image stretch at both sides of the screen. The broadcast info indicated that the movie (Harrison Ford and Ann Hesche (sp?) stranded on an island) was being broadcast in 16x9 1080i. I have not noticed any such stretching when viewing mad-for-TV HD material (CSI:Miami, for example).

So, I'm wondering whether this distortion might be the result of the broadcaster "re-formatting" the source material for an HD broadcast, where the source material was not originally shot in HD. (I'm still very much a novice in the whole HD world.)

Any thoughts?

anyone know if there will be a 32 or 34 inch of any slim style crt

anyone know if there will be a 32 or 34 inch of any slim style crt
Other than Sony, I don't believe there's any other maker in the 30+" market. 32" tubes are 4:3 non-HD only. In a couple of years when good 32" LCDs will be under $1000, even these 30" tubes will be endagered species.

A BB flyer in todays Sunday paper just lowered the price another $50 on the 30FS4D. Time for a return trip for credit. :)

I'm planning on buying this tv very soon. I see Best Buy now has it up on thier website, and they are offering free shipping with it. My question is should I buy it online and take adavantage of the free shipping? Is there any risk that they set could be miscalibrated during shippment?

I noticed the new LG 30FS4D while in BB yesterday. They were playing the trailer for "V for Vendetta" on what appeared to be a loop and needless to say I was watching for several minutes due to both the trailer and the tv.

I've been considering upgrading to HDTV for the past few months, however due to the size constraints of my existing cabinet a 30 inch set is the biggest I can get.
The set was extremely attractive (I've always been partial to black components) and the size was just right (unlike some of the beasts which Sony makes). The LG reviews I have read for their LCD models have been quite good so when I got a chance to do some research I found that BB was having a sale on this item, which has already been noted. I am glad I came across this site as reviews for this product are hard to find. Thanks to those of you who have already provided input on this new product as it really helps in making an educated buying decision.

I will be looking forward to more info on this and other products.

Has anyone tried this with the Xbox 360? if so what are your impressions? If you have any more pics to post that would be great as well.

Thanks.

Yah, i've been playing PGR 3 on my XBOX 360 using this tv. I'm very impressed with it. Looks a little sharper for gaming than my old 55'' CRT Rear Projection TV....although I have to admit, I miss the extra size for in cockpit racing :)

If anyone hasn't heard already, this TV is $849.99 at BestBuy right now. Looks like a great tv at a decent price. I'm waiting for the Samsung Slimfit 2006 models to see if the geometry issues(bowing) have been solved. If not, I'm getting this one. Too bad it only has 1 HDMI input unlike the samsung slimfits that are coming out next month. But that's nothing a quality receiver can't solve down the line.

Hey guys, I too work at BB and bought this tv the day after it came out. I'm trying to figure out whether my set is defective or if they are all like this...but the left and right about 3-4 inches of the screen are blurry. It's like HD quality in the middle of the screen and then standard quality on the left and right edge. It's especially apparent when playing 360 where you can tell the text gets blurry. But also on DVD's and cable, so it's not the 360.

Let me know if any of you guys have noticed the same issue? I've tried playing with some settings but no such luck.

Hey guys, I too work at BB and bought this tv the day after it came out. I'm trying to figure out whether my set is defective or if they are all like this...but the left and right about 3-4 inches of the screen are blurry. It's like HD quality in the middle of the screen and then standard quality on the left and right edge. It's especially apparent when playing 360 where you can tell the text gets blurry. But also on DVD's and cable, so it's not the 360.

Let me know if any of you guys have noticed the same issue? I've tried playing with some settings but no such luck.

There has been some talk of larger phosphors out toward the edges of the screen in both the samsung slimfits and the LG slimfits. Last time I was at BB, it was clear that the phosphors were indeed larger out toward the edges. This may reduce the effective resolution. Look very closely at your television screen, report back, and hope someone else fills in the details that I've left behind... :)

P.S. Its nice to see a BB employee here and there who actually reads this sort of thing and knows what they are talking about...thanks!

There has been some talk of larger phosphors out toward the edges of the screen in both the samsung slimfits and the LG slimfits. Last time I was at BB, it was clear that the phosphors were indeed larger out toward the edges. This may reduce the effective resolution. Look very closely at your television screen, report back, and hope someone else fills in the details that I've left behind... :)

P.S. Its nice to see a BB employee here and there who actually reads this sort of thing and knows what they are talking about...thanks!

I haven't been keeping up with the Slimfit thread as much as I should even though I'm planning on buying the new models when they come out, but could you point me to a post that talks about this phosphors problem with the samsungs? It's too bad the LG has this problem. Is this a defect on all models or a select few that are bad?

well...I'll be. Upon close examination the phosphors are smaller in the middle and larger on left and right, BUT, I've read a lot of reports on here and no one has mentioned any blurriness. It was the first thing I noticed when I got the tv, I put in Halo 2 and can not even read what rank I am because it is close to the edge. Surely, if all the TV's were this bad someone else would have noticed!!!

If this thing wasn't a 100lbs I'd just haul it back and return it but I wanna make sure someone out there has a perfect TV before I bring home one with the same problem, those of you that had reported earlier, put in some 360 games with a lot bright text on the left and right and let me know if it is out of focus compared to the center.

well...I'll be. Upon close examination the phosphors are smaller in the middle and larger on left and right, BUT, I've read a lot of reports on here and no one has mentioned any blurriness. It was the first thing I noticed when I got the tv, I put in Halo 2 and can not even read what rank I am because it is close to the edge. Surely, if all the TV's were this bad someone else would have noticed!!!

I think it's just the set you got. There was only 1 other person that talked about this, and everyone else seems to really like there TV.

EDIT: Nevermind, seems to be a problem with more than 1 person. There saying it goes away with time...

Here's a pic. The red are my annotations. Also look at that "Optimatch" box, the right side (about in the middle of the screen) is crystal clear while the left border is much less defined! I've been using the tube since Thurs so I dunno, maybe it does go away with time but I have my doubts on that one.

mattskr, Is it noticable when you are watching TV or just on games?

Mostly games. Mainly it's noticeable on text, on SD/HD TV it's hard to tell it's out of focus. But DVD's also do it too like when it shows the FBI warning screen and stuff. This is playing DVD's NOT using the 360 but a seperate player plugged in via S-video not hd, so I know it's not a particular input.

The phosphors are bigger on the edges but they have to be to compensate for the wide angles that the cathode ray has to hit to make an image on the edge. It seems like something's off and part of the ray hits the next phosphor or something thus making it seem blurry. But I dunno, like I said waiting for some of those other guys to chime in to see if it's just a bad set.

Is there not some sort of "Text Enhancement Feature" on most HDTV's? I remember reading about a setting like that in one of these threads that made text look better or something. Sorry to be so vague... I wish I could remember the thread... Maybe the 34 inch sony thread?

Try finding out what the service menu settings mean on your particular tv and see if there is a setting related to that under the service menu. Be sure to write your original settings down first!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck. :)

I finally noticed the larger phosphors everyone is talking about on the left/right of the LG's. Well, maybe mostly the gamers. This was from about 1 - 2 ft.

From a casual viewing distance, 6 - 9 ft, I notice no blurryness on DVD's or HD. How far are you gamers from the set? 3 feet? 2 feet?

I finally noticed the larger phosphors everyone is talking about on the left/right of the LG's. Well, maybe mostly the gamers. This was from about 1 - 2 ft.

From a casual viewing distance, 6 - 9 ft, I notice no blurryness on DVD's or HD. How far are you gamers from the set? 3 feet? 2 feet?

No way! I'm sitting probably about 6-9 ft away but you can tell it's out of focus from across the room. If you have a DVD with a nice big FBI warning or some other text that takes up the whole screen pop that in and tell me if it's not clear.

No way! I'm sitting probably about 6-9 ft away but you can tell it's out of focus from across the room. If you have a DVD with a nice big FBI warning or some other text that takes up the whole screen pop that in and tell me if it's not clear.

Hey, I looked at your picture, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is totally wrong. If I were you, I'd take my xbox to BB, set it up with a TV there and see if its an issue on any other models. Or you can just use a dvd (FBI warning) if that is easier. In any case, I'm pretty sure its wrong. You'll probably have to lug it back, but you'll end up with a much better television.

EDIT: kind of looks like a focus problem...

It's $850 now. Great. If you bought one, go get your $$ back!!!

It's $850 now. Great. If you bought one, go get your $$ back!!!


Well, I got it WAY cheaper than that, lol, but I am very dissapointed with it. I went into the store today with my laptop and some test images and to my disgust the display tv also suffers from the same focus problems. So unless my tv and the display are both lemons I'd say it's safe to say they all suffer from this problem. It seems a slim crt can not be made without problems. I also looked through the service menu but saw nothing that could fix it.

Other than that this TV looks great, really hate to return it. Sound is good, the anti-glare screen is awesome. There is no geometry issues.

My recommendation is if you want a good cheap HDTV for DVD/Cable TV this will work great, for video games and high-res sources like 360 you might not be satisfied.

I don't see how the other guys that reviewed this thing missed this because it's almost slap-you-in-the-face obvious to me. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist though. I really hate to waste the cash but I might just have to get an LCD. Oh, btw, to whoever said it might go away with time, also not gonna happen unless it takes a month or so as my store's display tv has been on 10-10 since last Wed.

(Btw, on a good note, like I said I still like this tv and wish someone would just post a good pic to prove coincidentally that the store display and my tv are just rotten eggs!)

Is this blurriness problem something that can be fixed by a future firmware update? Also performance on all LCD tv is just terrible, thats why I was leaning towards this tv.

I've been looking for a new 1080i mainly for games and dvds, but I have fairly limited space. I bought a high end LCD, but returned it because the colors were weak, blacks were bad and it did not show well in the dark or low light. I bought the LG three days ago, and I am very happy with it. It is not as perfect as the high end Sony CRT's, but it costs and weighs far less. The Samsung slimfits I saw consistently had more serious issues. I like the antiglare coating, the colors look very good, definition is excellent, and my 360 looks outstanding. For my needs, it is a perfect match.

Hey lemme ask yah something. When your playing 360 do you prefer to play with the XD setting on or off? I just cant seem to decide. Like turning XD on makes everything look a LOT nicer, but at the same time if your looking closely enough you can see I guess what I would best describe as "fuzziness" Like take a car or a persons face for example, you can almost see like a blurry dusting on it if you will or like make out the pixels. Not really sure how to describe it.

this is my first post. this forum is great.

i bought this tv last saturday, and ever since the first day i've seen some discoloration on the screen. the left side has a kind of a blueish hue, and the right has kind of a yellowish hue. you can see in the photo. i was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or if you think i should take this one back for another one.

uh-oh . it seems like more and more minor problems are starting to gather !!

as far as the bluriness/reduced resolution/big fat phosphors on the sides, the samsung slimfit also has that. I'm guessing these slim crt TV's need big fat phosphors out toward the sides of the screen to maintain uniform brightness across the screen.

eh...I dunno about brightness but the wide angle that the CRT has to hit to reach the outer edges causes the focus problems. It's not just that the phosphors are bigger, on mine you can tell if you look real close that the ray meant for one phosphor hits the next one over as well, causing the focus issues.

I've been playing a lot of 360 lately, still wish it was uniformly as sharp and focused as the center, but I'm starting to get used to it.

Hey lemme ask yah something. When your playing 360 do you prefer to play with the XD setting on or off? I just cant seem to decide. Like turning XD on makes everything look a LOT nicer, but at the same time if your looking closely enough you can see I guess what I would best describe as "fuzziness" Like take a car or a persons face for example, you can almost see like a blurry dusting on it if you will or like make out the pixels. Not really sure how to describe it.

I have adjusted all settings for Oblivion (which is an excellent game and looks great on this set), and I leave the XD setting off. I tend to leave it on for tv.

Tethyrr - or anyone else, can you post some pics of the tv playing 360 games

Well guys, I picked up the TV from BB for the $850 price plus $50 for the antenna. I'm new to HDTV but here are my observations:

-Love the picture quality, especially the HD from antenna(I didn't think HD could be received through coax, could someone clarify this for me?)

-Navigating between the different TV, DTV, and CATV can be cumbersome at times.

-Features for video quality work VERY well, I was impressed.

-I saw a complaint about the sound, but with some tweaking it sounds really good and LOUD.

-It's very light(relatively speaking) and one man can carry it (I carried up one flight to a 2nd story apartment).

Thats all for now, if anyone has any questions I'll be more than happy to answer to the best of my ability.

A few questions:

-How is the HD signal able to be received via coax from the antenna?

-Does the tuner in this TV remove the need for the digital cable box from the cable company(mine is Insight Digital)?

-Does the tuner in this TV remove the need for the digital cable box from the cable company(mine is Insight Digital)?
Probably not - see how many unencrypted channels you can get when connecting the cable coax straight to the TV. The only way to get rid of the cable box is with cablecard - and even then you lose some functionality - like VOD.

I looked at the 30FS4D today at BestBuy. They had it right next to the Sammy Slimfit. After giving it a long look with a Satellite feed of Discovery HD playing on both, I think the LG picture is soft. I like the non-glare screen much better than the shiny tube Samsung, but the Sammy had a sharper picture and was more in focus.

I wanted one of these for my den, which is my secondary TV room. But after looking I decided to not buy either LG or Sammy. I'm now thinking of paying the extra $ for a 32" LCD.

I agree the Samsungs have a pretty good sharp picture, but the geometry problems are the worst on them. The horizontal bowing on the bottom thirds of the screen is the main thing because pretty much all units have it to some degree, though some are better than others.

I saw the 30FS4D a couple days ago at Best Buy too. They put it out along with the other new models from Toshiba and Insignia (also "Toshiba", this year). I didn't look at it super carefully but it did seem pretty good to me. I checked for some of the problems a couple users reported in this thread but I thought they weren't that bad. For the same price as the Samsung, I think I prefer the LG although I can't say for sure since I've never owned it in my home.

I'd probably buy the LG right now if it had bottom speakers...

I agree the Samsungs have a pretty good sharp picture, but the geometry problems are the worst on them. The horizontal bowing on the bottom thirds of the screen is the main thing because pretty much all units have it to some degree, though some are better than others.

I looked for that bottom bowing issue on the Samsung but it wasn't apparent when I was viewing the Discovery HD feed. After watching both LG and Samsung for a while, the lights behind me in the BestBuy store reflecting off the Sammy screen did bother me. The picture on the LG was soft in the center and got worse on the edges.

After about 5 minutes standing there, a B.B. sales kid came up and asked me if I had any questions. I asked if the Sammy had a QAM tuner. He said it had ATSC. The kid didn't know what a QAM tuner was! :D

I looked for that bottom bowing issue on the Samsung but it wasn't apparent when I was viewing the Discovery HD feed. After watching both LG and Samsung for a while, the lights behind me in the BestBuy store reflecting off the Sammy screen did bother me. The picture on the LG was soft in the center and got worse on the edges.

After about 5 minutes standing there, a B.B. sales kid came up and asked me if I had any questions. I asked if the Sammy had a QAM tuner. He said it had ATSC. The kid didn't know what a QAM tuner was! :D


you shoulda then replied " what exactly does atsc stand for" :D

I am looking into this model too.

So now it is confirmed that the quality of the LG is best in the middle part and got worse in the edge? Can someone who own this help with this issue? It is really bothering at all, especially from Tethyyr who plays 360, because I am going to use it for gaming too! Thanks for info!

I ran the SpyderTV with the LG 30FS4D hooked up to my XBox 360. In case your wondering what a SpyderTV is, go to their web site.

Calibration was done in a dark room (only a nightlight was on - 4W at that) so you may have to adjust the brightness/contrast to your liking. 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

I bought the new LG 30FS4D from BB a couple of days ago. I see an issue with the upper right corner of the screen. There is a yellowish tint (usually only visible when the display is white). Also when watching a 4:3 program (where there are black bars on the outer left and right), the upper right vertical edge of the displayed box bends in slightly towards the center. I really like everything else about the LG. Is it worth lugging it back to BB for another one? They never did put one on display, so I have nothing to compare against. Thanks for any info. This forum is great.

I ran the SpyderTV with the LG 30FS4D hooked up to my XBox 360. In case your wondering what a SpyderTV is, go to their web site.

Calibration was done in a dark room (only a nightlight was on - 4W at that) so you may have to adjust the brightness/contrast to your liking. 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


So did this calibration make a difference in addressing any of the minor problems with this set such as the loss of focus near the edges or the color blobs?

Also can you elaborate a little bit more about how you tested the XD feature? Are you leaving it on or off after calibration?

So did this calibration make a difference in addressing any of the minor problems with this set such as the loss of focus near the edges or the color blobs?

Also can you elaborate a little bit more about how you tested the XD feature? Are you leaving it on or off after calibration?

During the calibration, one of the steps has a large white square on the screen with a black border around it (a couple of inches). It was during this test I noticed, for the first time, a color blob on the left and right side of the screen. The controls (all of them) where at 50 and the color temp was warm. After the calibration I did not notice any color blobs.

As for the testing of the XD feature, it was turn off during the calibration. After all the test were completed they have several photos you can look at. The last photo is of three girls. The middle one has on a sweater. With XD off is looked like a chasmere sweater. Turn it on and you could see the pattern in the knit sweater. Also numbers in a small font were much easier to read with XD on.

I noticed several folks in this form had an Xbox 360 connected to the TV which is why I posted my results.

John_Hat, thanks for posting your observation. So, based on the results, do you recommend this TV for gamers or not, because I will be mainly using it for gaming, if not watching DVDs.

Hm, before I forget, how heavy is this TV? Can one person lift this to..say, 2nd floor apt?

As far as weight, I could lift the TV out of the box myself and put it up on the stand. However, while in the box, it was too cumbersome to carry up the stairs by myself. I could have dragged it up the stairs by the box straps, but having a second person was safer (especially for the TV).

rossi, regarding whether the screen glass is anti-glare or not, it wouldn't matter as much in your house with the lights dimmed anyway, so maybe it shouldn't be that big a deal?

Also, this just occured to me now, but since you find this issue important, couldn't you just go out to a store and buy a can of a flat clearcoat spray paint? Just spray that on your screen glass and I think that turns it into an anti-glare screen. I'm not sure on that, just a thought. I suspect that's all an anti-glare screen really is.

Hmm, maybe it's not such a good idea though. Tiny dust particles could get stuck in the clearcoat maybe and blot out the image at parts. I dunno, better to ask someone else first if you feel like considering it. :)

Also, this just occured to me now, but since you find this issue important, couldn't you just go out to a store and buy a can of a flat clearcoat spray paint? Just spray that on your screen glass and I think that turns it into an anti-glare screen. I'm not sure on that, just a thought. I suspect that's all an anti-glare screen really is/

LOL!!! You've got to be kidding! :eek:

I just picked the TV from BestBuy 30 minutes ago. I'm setting it up. As far as I'm seeing, I like it a lot! Colors are vibrant, antiglare is great, and no complaints. Will post some more impression later!

Hmm I actually decided to try n give those settings a go. Pretty good, although I didnt stick with the same color temp and I did up the contrast and bright, only just a little though. If you do it too much it seems that XD hurts more than it helps. With that said I am thinking XD improves contrast and brightness for a sharper clearer image. Perhaps that was obvious to most..who knows.

Anyways, also it maybe obvious to most but I am not so sure about this. When you are playing xbox 360 do you use 1080i or 720p. It seems that this television can support em both, but which one is it doing natively or whatever. Like I said I am not a completly educated on HDs quite yet. It was my understanding that CRTs do 1080i, but is that best between the TV scaler and the 360 scaler? Sorry if you dont understand what I am asking, I hardly do...

John_Hat, thanks for posting your observation. So, based on the results, do you recommend this TV for gamers or not, because I will be mainly using it for gaming, if not watching DVDs.

IMHO its an excellent TV for gaming and/or watching DVDs. Anything in 16X9 format this is an excellent TV. I own one.

Hi just picked up the display model at best buy in manchester nh for 750.00. they are having a clearence sale on almost all of the tube crt tvs this weekend.

During the calibration, one of the steps has a large white square on the screen with a black border around it (a couple of inches). It was during this test I noticed, for the first time, a color blob on the left and right side of the screen. The controls (all of them) where at 50 and the color temp was warm. After the calibration I did not notice any color blobs.

As for the testing of the XD feature, it was turn off during the calibration. After all the test were completed they have several photos you can look at. The last photo is of three girls. The middle one has on a sweater. With XD off is looked like a chasmere sweater. Turn it on and you could see the pattern in the knit sweater. Also numbers in a small font were much easier to read with XD on.

I noticed several folks in this form had an Xbox 360 connected to the TV which is why I posted my results.


Ok John so would you reccomend that we buy SpyderTV if we buy this tv, or are the results you showed good enough? Also with these settings, the tv has no minor problems? The reason I'm trying to make sure is because I'm about one inch away from buying this tv.

I played around with the TV a little bit more. This seems like a great TV, too bad I dont use it to watch TV often. I tried with John's setting, I found it too dark for me, but I didnt notice any blurriness or yellow/blueish hue in either side of the TV, the TV seems perfect for me, of course it is new.

Anyway, the graphic for Oblivion (360) is stunning, and I use the HD cable provided from Premium. If anyone needs screenies, let me know...

rossi, regarding whether the screen glass is anti-glare or not, it wouldn't matter as much in your house with the lights dimmed anyway, so maybe it shouldn't be that big a deal?

Also, this just occured to me now, but since you find this issue important, couldn't you just go out to a store and buy a can of a flat clearcoat spray paint? Just spray that on your screen glass and I think that turns it into an anti-glare screen. I'm not sure on that, just a thought. I suspect that's all an anti-glare screen really is.

Hmm, maybe it's not such a good idea though. Tiny dust particles could get stuck in the clearcoat maybe and blot out the image at parts. I dunno, better to ask someone else first if you feel like considering it. :)

I am considering a low cost secondary HDTV for my den. We will not be watching it in the dark in there. There are windows and reading lamps since we do a lot of reading in there.

The non-glare screen is a must for this purchase which is why considered the LG. With the reported Sammy Slimfit reliability issues along with the screen glare, the Sammy is out.

I wonder if XD was turned off when I looked at the soft picture on the BestBuy LG display model. The remote was nowhere to be found.

The Sony 30" tube is just too darn big and heavy but has a great picture.

The new Sharp Aquos 32" LCD's are coming out soon and I may look for a 2005 LCD model marked down for clearance.

:D I won't be spraying any matte clearcoat on any of my HDTVs :D

I'm about one inch away from buying this tv.

I would NOT recommend you purchasing a SpyderTV in order to calibrate this TV. At a couple of hundred bucks that is far too much. My Home Theater group went out and purchased one and we share it among the members. Its the type of thing you would use only once a year or when purchasing new equipment.

What I observed, using the SpyderTV, was a nice range in settings. Take the time to adjust your new TV in your home. Don't wear sun glasses to watch TV.

If you go to LGE.com there is no trace left of the 30FS4D or the previous CRT model. I even did a search of the model number and nothing came up.

The only thing left is the owner's manual on lgservice.com

You have to go to us.lge.com. It's there.

You have to go to us.lge.com. It's there.

Ah, woops. Does anyone know if this tv has HDMI 1.1 or 1.3? Just heard the ps3 requires 1.3...

What I observed, using the SpyderTV, was a nice range in settings. Take the time to adjust your new TV in your home. Don't wear sun glasses to watch TV.

You totally lost me there dude with the sun glasses reference. I'm sorry. So the numbers you posted are fine to use then instead of buying the additional equipment?

Yes, use the numbers I posted as a starting point. If the picture is too dark for you, increase the darkness and contrast by 10. Still too dark? Increase both again only this time in by 5. Repeat as needed.

Yes, use the numbers I posted as a starting point. If the picture is too dark for you, increase the darkness and contrast by 10. Still too dark? Increase both again only this time in by 5. Repeat as needed.


Thanks for clearing that up.

rossi, regarding whether the screen glass is anti-glare or not, it wouldn't matter as much in your house with the lights dimmed anyway, so maybe it shouldn't be that big a deal?

Also, this just occured to me now, but since you find this issue important, couldn't you just go out to a store and buy a can of a flat clearcoat spray paint? Just spray that on your screen glass and I think that turns it into an anti-glare screen. I'm not sure on that, just a thought. I suspect that's all an anti-glare screen really is.

Hmm, maybe it's not such a good idea though. Tiny dust particles could get stuck in the clearcoat maybe and blot out the image at parts. I dunno, better to ask someone else first if you feel like considering it. :)


Please folks: let this be a warning to you. Always wear a filter mask when spray painting, or you will end up as addled as this person obviously is. :D :D :D

This goes into the category of very obvious - you don't spray clear coat on a TV.

Walt wasn't thinking cleary when he posted that - the fumes went to his head. ;)

I'm not Walt. I do not appreciate what you just said, biker19. If you do not want me to start accusing you of being other people, do not accuse me of being someone else ever again.

Also, I don't see what is so obviously wrong about spraying clearcoat on a TV glass screen to try to change the reflective properties of the glass. As I said before, I thought it was a dangerous idea that had just occured to me at the spur of the moment, but it could work.

If such an attempt is completely ridiculous, a scientific explanation must be given here. Otherwise, the only ones who seem foolish are you guys.

No..

Not only is it Dangerous but it's a health hazard to yourself.

I'm not Walt. I do not appreciate what you just said, biker19. If you do not want me to start accusing you of being other people, do not accuse me of being someone else ever again.

Also, I don't see what is so obviously wrong about spraying clearcoat on a TV glass screen to try to change the reflective properties of the glass. As I said before, I thought it was a dangerous idea that had just occured to me at the spur of the moment, but it could work.

If such an attempt is completely ridiculous, a scientific explanation must be given here. Otherwise, the only ones who seem foolish are you guys.
once you spray the stuff on to "change the reflective properties" there would be no way of going back.

It would most likely ruin the glass.

...but if you don't see anything wrong with it then test it on your TV at home and let us know how it went. :rolleyes:

Yeah good luck with that;)

Your pretty certain to get a hospital visit from the fumes.

I changed my mind on the LG 30FS4D and bought one today. I went back to BestBuy and tweaked the settings. They don't have the remotes out at the BB so I used the side buttons to work through the menus and turn the sharpness down and VM off. The picture got better. Then I turned down the brightness and contrast from torch mode. At this point I liked it enough to spend the $849.

Also I think the softness I saw is due to the non-glare screen. The Samsung SlimFit looks sharper with it's reflective glass screen but I bet if somebody sprayed it with matte clearcoat it would soften to look like the LG (or worse :eek: )

mattskr, have you tried turning VM off? It's in the option menu.

I changed my mind on the LG 30FS4D and bought one today. I went back to BestBuy and tweaked the settings. They don't have the remotes out at the BB so I used the side buttons to work through the menus and turn the sharpness down and VM off. The picture got better. Then I turned down the brightness and contrast from torch mode. At this point I liked it enough to spend the $849.

Also I think the softness I saw is due to the non-glare screen. The Samsung SlimFit looks sharper with it's reflective glass screen but I bet if somebody sprayed it with matte clearcoat it would soften to look like the LG (or worse :eek: )

mattskr, have you tried turning VM off? It's in the option menu.

Is it as sharp and focused on the left and right edges of the screen as it is in the center? Is it blurry at all on the sides?

Is it as sharp and focused on the left and right edges of the screen as it is in the center? Is it blurry at all on the sides?

It isn't nearly as bad as the pic that mattskr posted. I don't know why his looks so bad.

I am using this set for TV and DVD. No games or HTPC, so the picture is acceptable for that use. It is focused and the sharpness is OK but not great. I didn't want to spend $700 more for a good 32" LCD in this room.

The LG gets all 6 OTA HDTV locals flawlessly with just a small antenna. I have seen no dropouts yet. The local transmitters are within 10 miles of me. This is important because Time-Warner Cable in Columbus still doesn't have the Sinclair stations in HDTV on cable. The antenna is mandatory right now. NCAA March madness looked good on the antenna this afternoon.

I recently bought this TV from Best Buy a couple days ago after hearing all the problems with the bowing issues on the Samsung SlimFit models. Thankfully I've not noticed any geometry problems (I also enjoy the anti-glare screen) but I have noticed the focusing problems reportd by mattskr.
I'm playing Oblivion from my 360 on it right now, even tweaking it around the SpyderTV results from John_Hat (thanks for that) to meet my liking, and you can notice around about 2-3 inches in on both sides of the TV the focus and clarity begins to get a bit worse. This is really only noticeable with text on a high resolution source (which would seem why I didn't notice it in a store), but it becomes a problem when you realize most games center their HUD elements around the sides. As reported by someone else in this forum, it gets noticeably better as the TV is on longer, but never completely dissapears. It's a shame, because this TV is excellent otherwise. I'm hopeful that I, and a few others, just have a bad batch, like Samsung 'reported' about their SlimFits, and maybe it can be solved through a firmware update or service menu, but I doubt it. Good thing I got an extended warranty on this and was reassured by the friend at Best Buy I purchased it from that I could return it if it had problems, as they did it for any other model. I dropped LG an email, and am not anticipating any type of helpful response, and expecting the 'Make sure to follow the manual's directions blah blah.'
Anyone else noticing this as well, or have any clue as to a possible fix?

I recently bought this TV from Best Buy a couple days ago after hearing all the problems with the bowing issues on the Samsung SlimFit models. Thankfully I've not noticed any geometry problems (I also enjoy the anti-glare screen) but I have noticed the focusing problems reportd by mattskr.
I'm playing Oblivion from my 360 on it right now, even tweaking it around the SpyderTV results from John_Hat (thanks for that) to meet my liking, and you can notice around about 2-3 inches in on both sides of the TV the focus and clarity begins to get a bit worse. This is really only noticeable with text on a high resolution source (which would seem why I didn't notice it in a store), but it becomes a problem when you realize most games center their HUD elements around the sides. As reported by someone else in this forum, it gets noticeably better as the TV is on longer, but never completely dissapears. It's a shame, because this TV is excellent otherwise. I'm hopeful that I, and a few others, just have a bad batch, like Samsung 'reported' about their SlimFits, and maybe it can be solved through a firmware update or service menu, but I doubt it. Good thing I got an extended warranty on this and was reassured by the friend at Best Buy I purchased it from that I could return it if it had problems, as they did it for any other model. I dropped LG an email, and am not anticipating any type of helpful response, and expecting the 'Make sure to follow the manual's directions blah blah.'
Anyone else noticing this as well, or have any clue as to a possible fix?

Do you have the XD engine turned on? John seems to think that is a worthwile feature to remain on.

I went to the store and took a look at the set.

It seems the VM feature is what causes most of the blurring or out of focus problems

I recently bought this TV from Best Buy a couple days ago after hearing all the problems with the bowing issues on the Samsung SlimFit models. Thankfully I've not noticed any geometry problems (I also enjoy the anti-glare screen) but I have noticed the focusing problems reportd by mattskr.
I'm playing Oblivion from my 360 on it right now, even tweaking it around the SpyderTV results from John_Hat (thanks for that) to meet my liking, and you can notice around about 2-3 inches in on both sides of the TV the focus and clarity begins to get a bit worse. This is really only noticeable with text on a high resolution source (which would seem why I didn't notice it in a store), but it becomes a problem when you realize most games center their HUD elements around the sides. As reported by someone else in this forum, it gets noticeably better as the TV is on longer, but never completely dissapears. It's a shame, because this TV is excellent otherwise. I'm hopeful that I, and a few others, just have a bad batch, like Samsung 'reported' about their SlimFits, and maybe it can be solved through a firmware update or service menu, but I doubt it. Good thing I got an extended warranty on this and was reassured by the friend at Best Buy I purchased it from that I could return it if it had problems, as they did it for any other model. I dropped LG an email, and am not anticipating any type of helpful response, and expecting the 'Make sure to follow the manual's directions blah blah.'
Anyone else noticing this as well, or have any clue as to a possible fix?


Finally I don't feel like I'm making a deal out of nothing. I did now notice that it does get a little better after the tv warms up. I've tried everythinhg VM, XD on/off, etc in the regular menu and everything in the service menu. It's just the way they are I guess. And no, you can not notice on the store displays or watching anything else except a HD source with light colored text....like video game HUDS.

Yall guys thinking about getting one try this out. If you have a laptop with S-Video out, make a black full screen image and put a bunch of white grid-lines on it. Hook it up to the display at best buy and you'll easily see how the focus goes from good to bad at the edges. Then for kicks display this same image on the samsung (now a clearance item) to see the geometry issues :)

Picked up this set from Best Buy today. So far so good. This is my first HD set so I'm still trying to figure out all of the settings and such. The pq on standard definition sources is better than I expected. Very clear and sharp! I have yet to experiment with any HD sources. That'll change next weekend when I get my 360 though!

Do you have the XD engine turned on? John seems to think that is a worthwile feature to remain on.

After looking at it with XD on and off I've been keeping it off. When you have a HD source it seems to blow brightness and contrast levels way off, and does not cure the lower focus problem on the sides. FYI, the XD feature seems to work wonders on SDTV/EDTV sources; I've tried it on a few levels for Black on Xbox as well as some more recent games and the muddy, upscaled look actually improved substantially with XD on (I believe someone had previously said something to the effect that XD's whole purpose is cleaning up and managing low-def sources in the first place.)
Also turning the VM on High, at least in Oblivion, seems to make text a bit more readable (only by making the black border on the text more visible and outlined) but you can still notice focus problems. Turning it off makes this black border even less visible, making the text noticeably worse. Take that as you want.
All in all it comes down to how much this would annoy you as well as what source you are using and what you are watching. Everything else looks quite fantastic, and the focus/blurring problems aren't nearly as bad until you are concentrating on small, specific text elements on the sides of the screen for high-definition sources. Otherwise, OTA HD and DVDs look terrific as expected.

I'm thinking of buying this tv from Best Buy's website. My question is if I buy this tv with a 2 year warranty, and a better model comes out next year, would I be able to use the warranty based on the minor flaws and trade up to the newer model?

Yup...it annoys me, but then again so do dead pixels on LCD's and shadows and viewing angle on other tv's and price, which is why I'm sticking with the lg for now.

I returned my original unit for a second and they both had the exact same issue with the upper right corner of the display (yellowish tint, and slight bow towards the center). But for the price, overall quality, and weight, I've talked myself into keeping it.

I have a question about the tube. I saw the display of it at Best Buy and the tube is not really that glossy. Are all LG slim tubes like that? Is that a good or bad thing?

I have a question about the tube. I saw the display of it at Best Buy and the tube is not really that glossy. Are all LG slim tubes like that? Is that a good or bad thing?


It's an anti-glare CRT. It's good because there is no glare whatsoever it's bad because it doesn't look as sharp as some of the reflective screens do.

Personally it doesn't bother me either way.

I'm thinking of buying this tv from Best Buy's website. My question is if I buy this tv with a 2 year warranty, and a better model comes out next year, would I be able to use the warranty based on the minor flaws and trade up to the newer model?


Sorry to quote myself, but I thought maybe you guys missed my question.

Thanks

Being that I work there, I wouldn't count on it.

Sorry to quote myself, but I thought maybe you guys missed my question.

Thanks

I worked there for a couple months years back and it depends upon a couple things that I believe are still in effect, mattskr might be able to verify this:
If you come in with the TV and it has flaws, they are going to send it in for service at one of their Service Centers (this will take, minimum, 2 weeks). This assumes you bring it in for 'minor flaws', like the picture is weird, or you get some strange color blobs, as opposed to the back of the TV blowing up from a power problems, etc... Once the Service Center takes an estimate it will result in two things: If the cost of fixing the TV does not exceed the estimated value they get from the PSP they'll 'service' it, and usually they do not do a good job at this (but I could be wrong in many instances) and then send it back to Best Buy for you to pick it up. Second choice: the cost of servicing the tube/whatever costs way beyond estimated value and, as long as they can't prove the damage was caused by you accidentally or purposefully (PSPs don't cover accidental damage, be wary) they will 'Junk Out' your TV and give you the full amount back that you paid on it at the time you purchased it, one of the benefits of Best Buy's PSP.
The third option, the one you don't want to get caught in, is when they service it, send it back and it isn't fixed or something else is wrong, so you send it back, they service it, and you find something else is broke or not fixed. Basically, Best Buy willl require you to service the TV, as well as any other device on a PSP program, up to three times, and on the fourth time they will junk it out and you get your money back. There is also a situation in which the Best Buy service center considers your TV 'discontinued' so they will not service it, and instead DTV it (return it to the vendor, in this case, LG) since the vendor honors extended warranties; or they might have to order a part from a vendor to fix the TV. You might as well add another 2-3 weeks on top of this.
Either you can get your full refund back, or simply get the same model as long as the price comes out to be the same or lower.

Yah, I mean for some reason I am noticing that XD off and VM Level at least at low makes the picture better. This is odd, because is contrary to what everyone is saying on these boards. I will explain.

The XD feature just makes things look kinda fuzzy and I guess I will use the word pixelated. For example if your looking at the skin of a character on a video game, with XD off the skin is smooth and what not. With it on, it almost looks like its in small "block, choppy proportions" Kinda like ps1 graphics I guess? And no its not just 1 game.

When running XD on cable television, just the standard stuff it has the same effect. For example if your watching a cartoon everything is basically reoutlined. Almost like a ghosting effect thats gone from bad to worst.

I wish I had a digital camera to show the effects that I speak of. Also this may or may not be the problem that everyone is talking about when they say it looses focus on the edges. But when looking at white text that covers the span of the screen, the left side will be a reddish tint, the middle pure white, and the right a bluish tint. They may or may not have something to do with service settings as well.

I didn't notice it last night but the set I have DOES have an issue with bowing. Everything appears to be gravitating towards the center of the screen. Straight lines on the top of the screen are pulled downward and lines at the bottum are pulled upward (left and right lines towards the center). It's really noticeable in my Tivo menu and when watching a program in letterbox. Has nobody else come across this? I'm going to have to return this set to Best Buy. Hope I have better luck with the replacement.

How do you get into the service menu on the 30FS4D? I have some serious overscan on this set.

I think I've posted this already but it may have been another topic

Press 'Menu' on the remote AND 'Menu' on the set simultaneously and hold for 5-10 seconds. The service menu pops up.

From the service menu, can I check/adjust the convergence?

From the service menu, can I check/adjust the convergence?


What is the convergence?

Took my set back tonight and decided to check out the display again before swapping my current TV in. Sure enough the display had problems displaying straight lines as well. It was actually even worse than the set I bought. I showed it to the 2 reps that were working in the TV area and they were pretty surprised at how bad it was. It's not easy to notice in the store as they always have something playing that uses the full screen area. Viewing letterbox programs or using the menus makes it pretty evident. I decided against getting another one of these sets and just upgraded (way up) to a 32" Samsung LCD. I find it odd that nobody else has mentioned this problem though.

mine's straight as can be. watched bloomberg on it...all tickers and bars are straight...just out of focus on the left and right.

I would upgrade too to the lcd if it wasn't twice as much.

mine's straight as can be. watched bloomberg on it...all tickers and bars are straight...just out of focus on the left and right.

I would upgrade too to the lcd if it wasn't twice as much.

Perhaps there are just some defective sets out there. I hated the thought of getting a new one home, finding the same problem, and having to lug it back to Best Buy for another exchange. Glad to see you don't have any of the same problems with yours.

I just recently purchased an LG 30FS4D and have noticed a buzzing sound that seems to originate from around the tube area. Has anyone else noticed this -- It's loud enough to notice when sitting about 10 feet from the unit with the volume on. the buzz seems to subside as the unit gets warm.

I just bought mine on Saturday at BestBuy. It makes the same sound but goes away in a minute or less.

mick0016 and jsmason:

Would you guys care to weigh in on the viewing experience? Do you notice any geometry problems or blurring of text on the edges?


Thanks.

I noticed an annoyance in using the favorite channel list. Favorite channel works OK for TV and CATV channels, but DTV and CADTV can only select the first dash number in the channel number.

For instance, I have cable channels on QAM at 88-1, 88-2, 88-3, and 88-4. I can only put 88-1 in the favorite channel list, not 88-2, 88-3, or 88-4.

Unless I'm doing something wrong!

I've checked carefully and notice no blurring or geometric distortion. I was concerned enough about the buzz however to contact Best Buy. Their service was pretty good -- they've agreed (without any hassle) to deliver a replacement and haul away the old one free of charge. They offer this service for all new TVs 27'' or larger.

Delivery is next week -- I'll be sure to repost regarding any distortion on the replacement.

I didn't see any geometry problems at all. I did notice that the picture on the edges weren't quite as sharp as the center of the picture, but once I tweaked the settings and turned off the VM, it was decent. Its still not perfect, but for the price and the features, I can live with it.

We bought the LG slimfit last night. I have not done the thorough overview of some of the user forums, but I will tell you that the set size, black front, good picture, anti-glare coating, along with the weight of the set, were some of our primary factors. The primary use here will be cable and DVD.

I have a question for others that have set one of these up. I have a Comcast Digital box with DVI output. I bought a HDMI cable and a DVI-HDMI adapter, so I was going to get video only, and it did look good. I needed to feed the analog audio into the slimfit, since I did not have an audio set in that room. Which analog audio input do you use when in HDMI format? The instruction book mentions analog audio input, but does not tell you which oneI would rather use the digital input instead of component color- which is how I made the set work last night.

This is a good forum from what I have read so far. I handled the set on a 2 wheel dolly in the box, and was able to pick it up and move it for small distances.

I'm experiencing some flickering effects in two upper quadrants. I thought it was my stereo speakers so close by so I turned them off for the last week but it's still flickering! It's only really noticible with scenes with whites and yellows but it's super annoying. It looks like a mini-thunderstorm on my TV. Anybody else getting this?!

We bought the LG slimfit last night. I have not done the thorough overview of some of the user forums, but I will tell you that the set size, black front, good picture, anti-glare coating, along with the weight of the set, were some of our primary factors. The primary use here will be cable and DVD.

I have a question for others that have set one of these up. I have a Comcast Digital box with DVI output. I bought a HDMI cable and a DVI-HDMI adapter, so I was going to get video only, and it did look good. I needed to feed the analog audio into the slimfit, since I did not have an audio set in that room. Which analog audio input do you use when in HDMI format? The instruction book mentions analog audio input, but does not tell you which oneI would rather use the digital input instead of component color- which is how I made the set work last night.

This is a good forum from what I have read so far. I handled the set on a 2 wheel dolly in the box, and was able to pick it up and move it for small distances.


With the DVI-HDMI adapter you will have to use a fiber optic audio cable. The tv has an input and if the cable box has dvi it should have an output.

I've checked carefully and notice no blurring or geometric distortion. I was concerned enough about the buzz however to contact Best Buy. Their service was pretty good -- they've agreed (without any hassle) to deliver a replacement and haul away the old one free of charge. They offer this service for all new TVs 27'' or larger.

Delivery is next week -- I'll be sure to repost regarding any distortion on the replacement.

Did you put an HD source in there that contained fine white lines or small white text on the edges? if not you will not notice any focus problems.

Anybody else notice when their is white text being displayed on screen across the screen that from the left the white text had a blueish tint on it. In the middle it is a typical white, and on the right side it has a reddish tint.

mick0016 and jsmason:

Would you guys care to weigh in on the viewing experience? Do you notice any geometry problems or blurring of text on the edges?


Thanks.

I bought one of the LGs a little over a week ago. Enjoying the TV, but I have some minor line distoration problems that are bugging me. Here's a photo I snapped of a half-***ed test pattern I created:

http://www.settlemoir.tv/LG.jpg

Anyone gone into the service menu and tweaked the geometry with any success?

David

Anybody else notice when their is white text being displayed on screen across the screen that from the left the white text had a blueish tint on it. In the middle it is a typical white, and on the right side it has a reddish tint.

i've noticed this as well. i posted a pic of my screen on page 4. i only really notice it after a couple hours of viewing. blue tint on the left and yellow on the right . i'm coming up on my 30 days so i think i might take this one back and get another.

Im buying one of two new tvs either the LG 30FS4D or the Samsung TX-R3079WH. Ive been to best buy and they luckily they had them side by side so i could do an easy comparison. They both look nice. The issue i have is that the sammy has worse geometry problems and the LG has the loss of focus near the edges of the screen. I will primarily be using this tv for gaming and watching movies. What i would like to know is if its possible to fix the focus issues around the edges in the service menu for the LG. If so ill probably go with the LG since the geometry issues didnt seem that bad. Ive also heard bad things about the sammys dying after a few months. Anyone got something to say about that?

Pretty sure you can't fix the focusing problems...

I've raped the service menu looking for a solution.

Look at dsettlemoir photo....see how the black lines are super fine in the middle but lose their sharpness at the sides. It looks worse when it's white on black.

btw, dsettlemoir, what is your test pattern running off of?

Im buying one of two new tvs either the LG 30FS4D or the Samsung TX-R3079WH. Ive been to best buy and they luckily they had them side by side so i could do an easy comparison. They both look nice. The issue i have is that the sammy has worse geometry problems and the LG has the loss of focus near the edges of the screen. I will primarily be using this tv for gaming and watching movies. What i would like to know is if its possible to fix the focus issues around the edges in the service menu for the LG. If so ill probably go with the LG since the geometry issues didnt seem that bad. Ive also heard bad things about the sammys dying after a few months. Anyone got something to say about that?

The gamers don't seem to be happy with either. I use the LG for cable TV, OTA HDTV and DVDs. The flaws are not objectionable for those uses. I have the Oppo upconverting DVD player set to 1080i with a DVI-to-HDMI cable and an optical sound cable. The picture is outstanding.

Im buying one of two new tvs either the LG 30FS4D or the Samsung TX-R3079WH. Ive been to best buy and they luckily they had them side by side so i could do an easy comparison. They both look nice. The issue i have is that the sammy has worse geometry problems and the LG has the loss of focus near the edges of the screen. I will primarily be using this tv for gaming and watching movies. What i would like to know is if its possible to fix the focus issues around the edges in the service menu for the LG. If so ill probably go with the LG since the geometry issues didnt seem that bad. Ive also heard bad things about the sammys dying after a few months. Anyone got something to say about that?

I bought my LG primarily for DVD's and XBox360 use. My ideal would have been one of the superfine Sony's (30 or 34xs955 or the xbr960). They produced the best pictures I was able to find. But, I have serious space issues, so even the 30-inch won't fit in my tv room. I was dissatisfied with all of the flat screens that I tested, even the very expensive ones. I narrowed my selection to the Samsung Slimfits and the LG Superslim. I noticed some minor color issues on white in both TV's (blue tint on the left and yellow on the right). This is most notable watching black and white dvd's. I was told by tech people at both companies that this is an inherent limitation with these thinner tubes. Although the LG has some minor bending at the edges, I found the picture to be more accurate than the Samsung picture. I have played a lot of XBox360 in the last few weeks, and the performance has been outstanding. It is not the XBR, but it fits in my space, and I paid far less.

I bought the LG last week after trying to make a decision between this tv and the Sammy Slimfit 3080. The early returns on the 3080 indicate that it still has the geometry problems, and I'm not going to wait months until people post reviews on the 3082 which just came out last week. Most likely, it still has the geometry problems as well.

The LG isn't perfect, but I don't notice the color blobs on my set. However there is the problem on the edges with the blurring. I noticed that the blurring is actually a symptom of the real problem which is a geometry problem. Its blurry because the tv stretches the image on the sides. If you have a 360 and any first person game all you have to do is look at an object in the center of the screen, then slowly pan to the left or right and you'll see the image stretch on the edge. In my opinion its a minor problem since it only exists on the sides of the screen. Also there is a very slight bowing on the very top and bottom of the screen that you can only barely notice with straight horizontal lines. This problem is nothing in my opinon, and I've seen worse geometry problems on standard crts.

All that being said, I'm keeping this tv, especially since there is no alternative for me at this point. If in the future they perfect the slim crt technology, I'll replace it then.

I've checked carefully and notice no blurring or geometric distortion. I was concerned enough about the buzz however to contact Best Buy. Their service was pretty good -- they've agreed (without any hassle) to deliver a replacement and haul away the old one free of charge. They offer this service for all new TVs 27'' or larger.

Delivery is next week -- I'll be sure to repost regarding any distortion on the replacement.

Is the "buzz" common with this t.v.? Ours is annoyingly loud when first turned on and then subsides somewhat once warm. There is also some cracking-type noises emitted every now and then (from the back of the case). Our set has the slim side-focus issues and also what appears to be some shadowing on the sides (with bright pictures). We have no noticeable bowing. We had the yellow issue but it seems to have worked itself out. Still get the blue-ish tint on white background. On black-screen, we get a blob/blotch/spot of black that is darker than the rest of the screen above the lower left corner. Trying to decide whether these issues are just concessions of the slim-tubes or if they warrant a return.

Is the "buzz" common with this t.v.? Ours is annoyingly loud when first turned on and then subsides somewhat once warm. There is also some cracking-type noises emitted every now and then (from the back of the case).

No buzzing on mine.

Pretty sure you can't fix the focusing problems...

I've raped the service menu looking for a solution.

Look at dsettlemoir photo....see how the black lines are super fine in the middle but lose their sharpness at the sides. It looks worse when it's white on black.

btw, dsettlemoir, what is your test pattern running off of?

I just authored a DVD with several psuedo test patterns and color bars on it.

If anyone hasn't heard already, this TV is $849.99 at BestBuy right now. Looks like a great tv at a decent price. I'm waiting for the Samsung Slimfit 2006 models to see if the geometry issues(bowing) have been solved. If not, I'm getting this one. Too bad it only has 1 HDMI input unlike the samsung slimfits that are coming out next month. But that's nothing a quality receiver can't solve down the line.

Is there any more info on the slimfits? specs?

No buzzing on mine.

No buzzing on mine either.

Im buying one of two new tvs either the LG 30FS4D or the Samsung TX-R3079WH. Ive been to best buy and they luckily they had them side by side so i could do an easy comparison. They both look nice. The issue i have is that the sammy has worse geometry problems and the LG has the loss of focus near the edges of the screen. I will primarily be using this tv for gaming and watching movies. What i would like to know is if its possible to fix the focus issues around the edges in the service menu for the LG. If so ill probably go with the LG since the geometry issues didnt seem that bad. Ive also heard bad things about the sammys dying after a few months. Anyone got something to say about that?

I turned to these forums alot over the past few months, and they have been very helpful. Now that I have finally settled on a product, I thought I would add my 2 cents. I had the Samsung 3080 for about a week. It had significant color and geometry issues no matter what adjustments I made. The tech people were not particularly helpful either. I returned it and bought an LG last week after another month of comparing. I am much happier with the LG. PQ is great, the chassis is attractive (Sammy looked good too), antiglare is nice and even the tech people were friendly and helpful. Games look so much better than any flat panel I have seen. For this size, I didn't see anything out there that was better.

Hmm..I a current Samsung TX-R3079 owner that needs another set for my place. I'm currently considering the new LG slimfit or a 26" Samsung lcd. The set will primarily be used for gaming on my Xbox 360. Right now I'm using the TX-R3079 but cant decide if I want to continue using it. I must be lucky because I really dont have any issues with my current Samsung. I even gotten compliments from others about how good the 360 games look on it ( Ghost Recon and Fight Night are killer). Wondering if I should just get the newer Samsung slimfit TR-R3082 I believe or the LG or even a 26" Samsung lcd. The only reason I really am considering the lcd is because 90% of the 360 displays use the Samsung lcd and I've been impressed with its images. I'd consider another Samsung but dont want to get a bad set which seems to happen to alot of users.

So the consensus is that the there are focusing issues at the corners?

Still trying to figure out what tv to go with...every time I think I found the tv I want, something negative crops up. This has been a difficult decision to make

Still trying to figure out what tv to go with...every time I think I found the tv I want, something negative crops up. This has been a difficult decision to make

Its terrible isn't it? I don't think I'll ever buy anything after visiting these forums. I find myself contemplating waiting for 2nd generation SED...

The Sammy LNS series Lcd's are awesome for gaming. Trust me. Sammy and MS hooked up to design the compatibility. Get the LNS2651D, hook up to component and box out...

A truly religious experience :cool:

Took a walk into best buy today to check out this set. My impressions were as follow. After turning down the contrast from the blazing 100 they had it set at and then i messed with the ez video inputs and set it to digital display or something like that I can say this tv looked sweet. I didnt see any geometry issues and I tried looking for bluriness at the ends of the screen and unless I looked for it and stared for awhile looking back and forth between the center and outer edge there was just a small bit but not anything worth crying over. There was a samsung 3079 right next to it and the LG definitely looked better PQ wise, and I did adjust the samsung on my own to make it look better. In all scenarios I will probably pick this tv up, im just going to wait for it to drop a little bit more because im a poor just outta college kid, but regardless once I do ill post my review and hopefully will come back saying this is a good buy.

Has anyone noticed while watching DVD's or playing a game system that the screen jumps or shakes? This seems to happen on the LG 30FS4D that I have. I talked to BB yesterday and they haven't heard about any problems. They said I could bring it in and they would diagnose it for me and if they can get it to happen again they would replace the tv since I bought it less than 30 days ago. I am worried that they will not be able to recreate the problem. The times that I notice it the most is when we are watching a DVD and there is a lot of action on the screen.

Is the "buzz" common with this t.v.? Ours is annoyingly loud when first turned on and then subsides somewhat once warm. There is also some cracking-type noises emitted every now and then (from the back of the case). Our set has the slim side-focus issues and also what appears to be some shadowing on the sides (with bright pictures). We have no noticeable bowing. We had the yellow issue but it seems to have worked itself out. Still get the blue-ish tint on white background. On black-screen, we get a blob/blotch/spot of black that is darker than the rest of the screen above the lower left corner. Trying to decide whether these issues are just concessions of the slim-tubes or if they warrant a return.

We decided to exchange this t.v. before our 30-day time frame passed. The BB customer service team said they had to "investigate" before granting permission for the transaction. Before unpacking, they got as far as plugging-in and powering-up before viola...BUZZ!! They immediately agreed this was NOT normal and gave us a new set.

Get t.v. #2 home, unpack, power-up, and BUZZ! The same as the first...initially very loud then backs-off a bit once warm. This occurs EVERY time the set is turned-off and back on, and the buzz persists regardless. The good news is as a whole, this set has a much better picture than the last. Reception has even improved. We still have the slim-tube side focus/ shadowing issues; however, no color/black/warping problems are apparent. It seems like these things are hit & miss (like most electronic/cars/etc.). We really like the t.v. and can accept the slim-tube/widescreen picture idiosyncracies. However, we are trying to decide if the noise issue is tolerable. If not, I think this one will go back for good. The third time could be a charm or open-up a whole new can of worms.

The Sammy LNS series Lcd's are awesome for gaming. Trust me. Sammy and MS hooked up to design the compatibility. Get the LNS2651D, hook up to component and box out...

A truly religious experience :cool:


The XBOX 360 and Samsung LCD are paired up for the XBOX 360 demos. I've tried a few different kiosks and while most games look very good, Fight Night Round 3 shows quite a bit of image blur. Maybe the contrast ratio needs to be turned down. A deal breaker for me, but otherwise a very nice set.

The XBOX 360 and Samsung LCD are paired up for the XBOX 360 demos. I've tried a few different kiosks and while most games look very good, Fight Night Round 3 shows quite a bit of image blur. Maybe the contrast ratio needs to be turned down. A deal breaker for me, but otherwise a very nice set.


Sean...none of the demo stations use the newer model of Samsung lcd. They have a new game mode that MS helped out on and it increases the image quality and response time. Image blur doesnt happen on them. I just picked up the set at Best Buy tonight. Now I have to lug the slim-fit out of my entertainment room to make way for the lcd.

This is so annoying. I brought my 30FS4D back and got a new one and I still see the jumping or shaking of the screen. I am not sure if there is interference with the AV cables or what. I am using a PS2 with the regular Red/White/Yellow hookups. Does this TV not like these cables? Would speakers being too close cause a problem? :mad: I am getting frustrated with this TV. :mad: :mad:

Sean...none of the demo stations use the newer model of Samsung lcd. They have a new game mode that MS helped out on and it increases the image quality and response time. Image blur doesnt happen on them. I just picked up the set at Best Buy tonight. Now I have to lug the slim-fit out of my entertainment room to make way for the lcd.

Microsoft did not help Samsung with creating a new display mode or any features for their displays.

Microsoft did not help Samsung with creating a new display mode or any features for their displays.


Dragn...my apologies as I misread what is on the Samsung website. You are correct as it only states the game mode has been tested by MS engineers. Needless to say it works very well.

This is so annoying. I brought my 30FS4D back and got a new one and I still see the jumping or shaking of the screen. I am not sure if there is interference with the AV cables or what. I am using a PS2 with the regular Red/White/Yellow hookups. Does this TV not like these cables? Would speakers being too close cause a problem? :mad: I am getting frustrated with this TV. :mad: :mad:

Good grief, my friend. You're killing Best Buy margins - don't return the TV! You need to hook your stuff up properly for the best end result. Run back to Best Buy, apologize for returning a great tv, and then buy yourself a set of component cables and a progressive-scan DVD player (not the Cyberhome!) or an HDMI up-converting DVD player w/an HDMI cable. Please, you spent a lot of money on the tv, make sure you know what you need to connect it the right away and get the good stuff. You'll be much happier in the end.

Good grief, my friend. You're killing Best Buy margins - don't return the TV! You need to hook your stuff up properly for the best end result. Run back to Best Buy, apologize for returning a great tv, and then buy yourself a set of component cables and a progressive-scan DVD player (not the Cyberhome!) or an HDMI up-converting DVD player w/an HDMI cable. Please, you spent a lot of money on the tv, make sure you know what you need to connect it the right away and get the good stuff. You'll be much happier in the end.

Will this fix my problems I am having with my screen jumping (or shaking)? If this is the issue with it why didn't someone from LG or Best Buy tell me that? I feel I am pretty good with AV equipment but this new HD stuff is all new to me. I figured that I could use my old DVD player with the new TV and things would be the same it was with the old TV that we replaced. If it doesn't like the composite cables that I currently use why would they even have the hookups on the TV? Thanks for your information I will try that tonight.

Hey everyone, new guy to the forums here. After reading many posts about the LG, I decided to go ahead and replace our old 19" with the LG 30FS4d (much cheaper than an LCD!!).

That being siad, and after quite a bit of searching, has anyone had issues with the sound from this set? I use this TV just for TV viewing (main HT is downstairs), so I don't have a home theater system hooked up to it, just using the TV speakers. We didn't have this problem before on the old set, but with the LG it seems like there is a huge variation in the volume level between cable channels. On most channels, we have to have the TV at 50 and the cable box volume 1/2 way up to hear it. Other channels we need to have both almost all the way up jsut to barely hear what is going on. Is this normal for this set? It is kind of a pain to have to remember to adjust the volume before changing the channel to make sure I don't blow the speakers. IIRC, I have the EZ SoundRite On, EZ Sound Off, and hooked up to the digital cable box by regular RCA cables. I have looked throught the cable box and TV menus and nothing seems to improve the sound. So far, this is my biggest and only peeve with this TV.

Any thoughts as to why I can hardly get any sound?

Thanks,
Neil

Hi everyone! I noticed on my set that the sides of the picture were being cut off; for instance, the "FOX" logo was cut off on the right side of the screen on the OTA broadcast of 24, so I went into the service menu and started poking around. Unforunately, I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't write down the original settings. So I have a couple questions:

1. Will each telivision have its own specific service menu (geometry) settings?

2. If they all have the same settings, could someone who has this set and has not modified the service menu settings go into the service menu, copy the settings and post them here? I would greatly appreciate it. To get to service menu, press and hold the menu key on the remote and the menu key on the telivision.

I've gotten the picture decent, there are still some portions of the display that aren't vertically straight, but the picture is no longer cut off at all. I do notice now, that there are some strange lines at the center of both the left and right sides of the screen. I'm really completely in the dark about calibrating the geometry, I mean I can fiddle till it looks good, but I can't get it the way it was. And I'm not sure if this new effect that I'm seeing is a result of me messing up the geometry, or if it is a defect that was hidden because the display was not completely viewable.

Your screwed. This is why you need to write down or take pics of your values. If you didnt know what you was doing. Why be in there poking around? Im not flaming you or anything. Please dont take it that way. Each tv has there own unique values when there made. So nobodys are the same everyones different. Usually in the sm you think you fixed the problem and it messes with something else. This seems to be the case. Even techs screw up in there and they make the picture even worse than what it was. Imo it shouldnt even be touched and just exchange the tv and hope for the best. I cant really help you on the lg. I have a slimfit. Sorry man. Hopefully someone can atleast try and help you.


Hi everyone! I noticed on my set that the sides of the picture were being cut off; for instance, the "FOX" logo was cut off on the right side of the screen on the OTA broadcast of 24, so I went into the service menu and started poking around. Unforunately, I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't write down the original settings. So I have a couple questions:

1. Will each telivision have its own specific service menu (geometry) settings?

2. If they all have the same settings, could someone who has this set and has not modified the service menu settings go into the service menu, copy the settings and post them here? I would greatly appreciate it. To get to service menu, press and hold the menu key on the remote and the menu key on the telivision.

I've gotten the picture decent, there are still some portions of the display that aren't vertically straight, but the picture is no longer cut off at all. I do notice now, that there are some strange lines at the center of both the left and right sides of the screen. I'm really completely in the dark about calibrating the geometry, I mean I can fiddle till it looks good, but I can't get it the way it was. And I'm not sure if this new effect that I'm seeing is a result of me messing up the geometry, or if it is a defect that was hidden because the display was not completely viewable.

Your screwed. This is why you need to write down or take pics of your values. If you didnt know what you was doing. Why be in there poking around? Im not flaming you or anything. Please dont take it that way. Each tv has there own unique values when there made. So nobodys are the same everyones different. Usually in the sm you think you fixed the problem and it messes with something else. This seems to be the case. Even techs screw up in there and they make the picture even worse than what it was. Imo it shouldnt even be touched and just exchange the tv and hope for the best. I cant really help you on the lg. I have a slimfit. Sorry man. Hopefully someone can atleast try and help you.

Well, I really was just poking around because I assumed that there would be a way to restore the default settings. I happened accross the method to enter the service menu on this board, but didn't read a post that said to make sure to write down the initial settings before making any modifications until after I had already messed with it. The model I have is the LG 30FS4D, and it is a slimfit. If you have the same telivision could you at least post your service menu values? They might be able to give me a better picture than what I have now.

Man, more and more issues seem to surface... I really want to like this LG, too. I am a former (thank god) BB employee, who was very close to buying the Samsung SlimFit for my bedroom. But I think I am still going to look further into the LG SuperSlim, since I don't game much anymore.

Unfortunately, I don't think they'll perfect the concept of slim CRT anytime soon. I think it has to do with the way slim CRT's are made. With traditional non-slim CRT sets, (Sony, Toshiba, Philips, etc.) two picture tubes are used to give a widescreen aspect. This is why 16:9 CRT's weigh SO much more than 4:3 sets. Due to the way that slim CRT's taper in the back and present a much smaller footprint, one traditional tube is used. With this one tube, the set must be able to fill a widescreen area, this is accomplished by several methods; using bigger phosphors, slightly stretching the image, etc. This obviously presents many different consequences, as we're beginning to see with ALL slim sets, regardless of manufacturer. From bowing to blurred edges, these are just the side-effects of having one tradional tube present a 16:9 widescreen image.

For my use of simple TV watching, (in all formats) I thought the Samsung SlimFit would be the way to go. Finding out that the LG seems to "blow the Sammy away," I'm still quite intrigued by the unit. I just need to check it out in person, before I proceed to order it. I am an authorized dealer for LG, so I can't really 'check it out,' without using a traditional retail outlet before purchase.

If these manufacturers know that there are problems with these sets, WHY do they put them on the market? I bought the LG superslim and when the picture is stretched out it looks ok. When the picture is in 4:3 mode it looks like ****. I work for best buy and I don't care if it hurts their margin. Paying for a tv that I am not satisfied with hurts MY margin. I am the one paying for the tv and if it ain't right I ain't gonna keep it. The only thing that looks good on this tv is HD and that is it.
:eek: $ is $.

Hey everyone, new guy to the forums here. After reading many posts about the LG, I decided to go ahead and replace our old 19" with the LG 30FS4d (much cheaper than an LCD!!).

That being siad, and after quite a bit of searching, has anyone had issues with the sound from this set? I use this TV just for TV viewing (main HT is downstairs), so I don't have a home theater system hooked up to it, just using the TV speakers. We didn't have this problem before on the old set, but with the LG it seems like there is a huge variation in the volume level between cable channels. On most channels, we have to have the TV at 50 and the cable box volume 1/2 way up to hear it. Other channels we need to have both almost all the way up jsut to barely hear what is going on. Is this normal for this set? It is kind of a pain to have to remember to adjust the volume before changing the channel to make sure I don't blow the speakers. IIRC, I have the EZ SoundRite On, EZ Sound Off, and hooked up to the digital cable box by regular RCA cables. I have looked throught the cable box and TV menus and nothing seems to improve the sound. So far, this is my biggest and only peeve with this TV.

Any thoughts as to why I can hardly get any sound?

Thanks,
Neil

If I had to guess... I'd bet you're on Comcast. I have the HD package from Comcast, and I have noticed that when on most of the HD channels, the volume is drastically different from commercials and the programs themselves. At first, I thought the commercials were playing much louder than the show, but after some channel switching and checking, I found that actually, the commercials play at the same volume as everything on the non HD channels. What actually happens is that when the show comes on after a commercial break, the volume actually gets much quieter. So, without thinking, I pump the volume way up to hear the program, then when the next commercial break comes on, the volume blast me out of my chair. Very annoying. I also noticed that the volume changes occur as the picture mode of the channel switches from HD widescreen format for the program to 4:3 mode for the commercials and back. Also, on my Comcast package, I can change between the HD version of local stations and standard version of the same channels. The volume changes only occur on the HD versions of each station. I wish someone would know who to contact at Comcast to fix this issue. My friends report having the same problem, so I think it's system wide, at least in my region. Anyway, if that's what you're seeing, it's not the TV, is your cable provider probably.

Pharrg,
You're right, I am with Comcast. I don't have the HD box yet for this TV (although I can get the local HD stations without it). I find huge differences in volume between different channels. My wife likes to watch Jewelry Television (ch. 282). She has to have the TV and cable box volumes at about 75% to hear the show. Other channels aren't as bad, usually both volumes 1/2 way is adequate. Did not have this issue with the last tv hooked up to the same cable box. My concern is blowing the speakers accidently if I forget to change the volume when I change the channel. I hope to get my DVD player hooked up to this TV this week and see how that sounds. Definitely my biggest (and only) pet peeve so far.

Thanks,
Neil

Good grief, my friend. You're killing Best Buy margins - don't return the TV! You need to hook your stuff up properly for the best end result. Run back to Best Buy, apologize for returning a great tv, and then buy yourself a set of component cables and a progressive-scan DVD player (not the Cyberhome!) or an HDMI up-converting DVD player w/an HDMI cable. Please, you spent a lot of money on the tv, make sure you know what you need to connect it the right away and get the good stuff. You'll be much happier in the end.

HTrayne
I have talked to Best Buy where I bought the TV they said if you still have problems with the TV bring it back. I guess they don't care about their own margins. I am still having problems. I brought my PS2 in and hooked it up to the demo TV and the Best Buy employee actually saw it happen. He said it shouldn't be doing that no matter what cables I am using. I looked into the prices for the things you suggested.
PS2 Component cable 59.99
Progressive scan DVD player 149.99
Component cables 30.00
When I buy a TV it should work the same way my old one did. I shouldn't have to buy a new DVD player and cables. The Best Buy employee aggreed with me. He said I could try the cables and bring them back in 30 days if they don't change anything. After he said that I thought of you and thought to myself that what he said would mess with Best Buy's margins also. They must feel that they want their customers happy and not worry about margins. All I am looking for is someone to help me with how I currently have it hooked up and not spending the same amount of money that I spent on the TV to get it working properly. I have a budget to work with I am getting married in July, closing on a house in July. If I didn't have to replace a TV I wouldn't have bought a new one.

The BestBuy here in Montgomery, Al. got in the 30FS4D about a month ago. None were on display and had to persist before one was taken out of the box and hooked up. With that said, my first impression was one of disappointment. I decided to hold out and compare a few of the other models scheduled to come out before buying a new set. The set had a fresh modern look, but the PQ was dull and grainy. I initially thought it might be the anti glare coating and the edges looked very blurred.

A month later, the exact same sets PQ has improved drastically. Colors are more vivid, side blur is minimal and it had less overscan than any other unit. Knowing this store as I do, I doubt they have touched the unit. It just needed some burn in hours. The upside of this is now the unit is lower in price than the first time I inspected it. It may be the winner as the TX-S3082wh had the same issues as the prior generation and the 30HF66 is still a rumor in the wind.

so i returned my 30FS4D to best buy on monday to get a new one. i was having some color blob problems on my screen and i was getting that buzzing noise from the back of the tv.

so anyways, now my new tv has a new problem. after the tv has been on for about an hour or so, this really high pitch sound starts coming from the back. it's not super loud, but the tone is high enough that it is really annoying. almost enough to give you a headache. it looks like i will be taking this one back as well. it sucks because i really want to like this tv, but for the money i'm spending, i don't want to just settle for something that i'm not totally satisfied with. i might just have to go with an LCD.

Pharrg,
You're right, I am with Comcast. I don't have the HD box yet for this TV (although I can get the local HD stations without it). I find huge differences in volume between different channels. My wife likes to watch Jewelry Television (ch. 282). She has to have the TV and cable box volumes at about 75% to hear the show. Other channels aren't as bad, usually both volumes 1/2 way is adequate. Did not have this issue with the last tv hooked up to the same cable box. My concern is blowing the speakers accidently if I forget to change the volume when I change the channel. I hope to get my DVD player hooked up to this TV this week and see how that sounds. Definitely my biggest (and only) pet peeve so far.

Thanks,
Neil

Just as bad with HD box.

We didn't have this problem before on the old set, but with the LG it seems like there is a huge variation in the volume level between cable channels. On most channels, we have to have the TV at 50 and the cable box volume 1/2 way up to hear it. Other channels we need to have both almost all the way up jsut to barely hear what is going on. Is this normal for this set? It is kind of a pain to have to remember to adjust the volume before changing the channel to make sure I don't blow the speakers. IIRC, I have the EZ SoundRite On, EZ Sound Off, and hooked up to the digital cable box by regular RCA cables. I have looked throught the cable box and TV menus and nothing seems to improve the sound. So far, this is my biggest and only peeve with this TV.

Any thoughts as to why I can hardly get any sound?


I suspect you will get more consistent sound if you turn the EZ Soundright off.

Robert

I'm planning on pickin up a 30FS4D soon. The only negative I've seen so far has been the speakers. I was wondering if anyone could suggest some nice speakers for movies and 360...not too expensive but nice.

check out the athena micra 6, or the mkII system they also have. 300 for the micra setup at BB, but you will need a receiver.

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/loudspeakers/AthenaTechnologiesMicra6p1.html

After taking pictures of all the settings in my 30FS4D service menu (in case I really messed something up) I made a couple of minor adjustments to the white balance and 16:9 pin_amp. What I noticed though was that my settings did not get saved when I turned off the set. I don't see a "save to memory" function in the service menu so I'm wondering how to go about retaining my settings. Also, does anyone know what input the set defaults to when making service menu adjustments? Mine turns to snow as soon as I go in to make any adjustments which means I'm going in and out of the service menu to see how my changes are affecting the picture.

Thanks,
Al

Does CC carry the 30FS4D?

Does CC carry the 30FS4D?

I haven't seen it there. I got mine at BB.

After taking pictures of all the settings in my 30FS4D service menu (in case I really messed something up) I made a couple of minor adjustments to the white balance and 16:9 pin_amp. What I noticed though was that my settings did not get saved when I turned off the set. I don't see a "save to memory" function in the service menu so I'm wondering how to go about retaining my settings. Also, does anyone know what input the set defaults to when making service menu adjustments? Mine turns to snow as soon as I go in to make any adjustments which means I'm going in and out of the service menu to see how my changes are affecting the picture.

Thanks,
Al

Could you post your service menu default settings? I made a post earlier about changing mine and not writing down the default values. I know they may be different for each telivision, but still, I'd like to try and get the picture close to what it used to be.

The set appears to default to different regular telivision signals dependent on which menu you are in. It is really frustrating because I would prefer to adjust to an OTA DTV signal. You can push the freeze button to freeze the frame and make adjustments as well.

It sounds as though there is something that is not working with your internal memory if it is not automatically saving your changes, because it did on my set.

On my set, the input for the menus is as follows:
1. 13
2. 9
3. 9
4. 14
5. 13
6. 14
7. 2

Hi Dick,

Here are the photos I took of my LG 30FS4D service menus.

Ugh! So I may have to return this - my third - TV in a month (but not third LG). It doesn't save any service menu changes I make.

Does anyone know how the picture of the LG 30FS4D compares to a Sony 30XS955?

I'd be willing to bet that LG owners would say it's just as good...
and Sony owners would say that the Sony's are better. :)

Why not do some legwork and judge for yourself? IMO, you won't get a definitive/satisfiying answer on any forum.

True! It does amaze me how much traveling you have to do just to compare many TVs that should be commonplace, It almost seems as though many retailers don't carry the same models just so you can't compare them!

Does anyone know how the picture of the LG 30FS4D compares to a Sony 30XS955?

These were the two sets I considered before buying, and while I liked the XS955 picture a little
better, I ended up buying the LG: I needed the best anti glare I could get, and getting the sony to
fit my entetainment would have required some cutting on the back of the entertainment itself.
I didn't consider the difference in PQ (that is more noticeable at the corners and not so much
in the center, in both SD and HD) big enough to compensate for the other factors.
The one thing that annoys me about the LG is that you can't have more than one QAM subchannels
in your favorites list: for example, I get CBSHD as 80-63 but I also get a lot 80-N channels before
that - all scrambled: the only one I can have in the favorites is 80-2... :mad: Did anyone find
a workaround for this?

S.

I bought this TV at the weekend - here in Australia - and I'm very happy.

I decided to buy a flat panel TV in 2004. Two years later, after reading zillions of articles and posts, I was still waiting "just one more generation". The Sony Bravia 32in LCD came closest but even after spending $A3500 + $A250 HD stb + $A500 upgrading to progressive scan DVD recorder/PVR (total $US5650) I knew I wd still be unhappy with the picture quality.

Finally I could take no more and decided to buy CRT. I discovered the Samsung slimfit and LG superslim, read thru all the pros and cons and bought the LG.

In Australia LG only sells the 32FS2RNB, which has lower specs - only does 576p, no HDMI and no inbuilt digital tuner.

Still - 576p is fine in AUstralia as only two networks - Nine and Ten - broadcast in 1080i. (ABC, SBS and Seven are 576p).
I got the 32FS2RNB at Harvey Norman Broadway (in Sydney) for $A955 (about $US715). I also bought a Legend HD stb for $A240.

As I said earlier, I'm very happy. Yes, the PQ does get coarser at the far ends of the screen - but not enough to notice when watching DVDs or TV. I don't play TV console games, which may be an issue. I have noticed no geometyrt issues (eg bowing of screen).

Upgrading from an old Sony 51cm was a revelation.

For me the bottom line is this: I know money cannot yet buy a perfect TV. For $1000 I have a TV that to my eyes is just as good - maybe better - than a Bravia LCD. I am picky.. yet the short-comings are not noticeable enough to bother me.

If you're still not satisfied with LCD or plasma PQ... if you're still waiting for "one more generation"... then I recommend buying this set in the meantime.... Particularly if this is your first experience with digital TV.

True! It does amaze me how much traveling you have to do just to compare many TVs that should be commonplace, It almost seems as though many retailers don't carry the same models just so you can't compare them!

I was at BB the other day to look at computers, but I took a walk through the TV section. On one side the LG 30FS4D, the Samsung 3082 (newest slimfit), the Sony 30XS955 and the Toshiba 30HF were all lined up. The adjacent aisle had comparably sized high-end LCD's. All of the TV's had the same HD feed and I was told that they were all on factory settings. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the LG had the overall best appearance. Its PQ was comparable to the sony crt, but the antiglare coating made it look better. I was particularly surprised at how awful the new Samsung looked. It appeared to have the same bowing, geometry, color issues previous models have had. I am still very satisfied with my LG purchase.

It sounds as though there is something that is not working with your internal memory if it is not automatically saving your changes, because it did on my set.

Turns out I needed to unplug the set for 5 seconds after making change to the service menu for them to get saved to memory. Everything seems to be working now :-)

Can anyone post pictures from this tv showing a DVD or something in high def? I haven't been able to find this model anywhere and I want to see if it's as good as there version that was deeper.

can anyone confirm the dimensions...I've heard different numbers for the depth

I actually got to see one upclose today, they were showing a few dvd's on a standalone dvd player right next to the unit with an upconvert player. It looked pretty good, a little grainy though. It wasn't as slim as I thought it looks deeper than the Samsung slim but I think it's worth the price. I might get it as it was only 800 on sale at best buy.

can anyone confirm the dimensions...I've heard different numbers for the depth

I don't know what the spec sheets say, but I wrote down that it was 16 inches deep when I measure it for my room.

I'm still deciding between the LG and Sammy 3082 for my bedroom. I didnt measure their depth but the Samsung did appear slightly smaller depthwise. As for picture quality, maybe it was my local Best Buy but the LG looked much better to me. That surprised me as I currently have a Sammy 3079 slimfit that I play games on exclusively. I've always been impressed with that set. The thing I'm really starting to like about the LG is the non-glare screen which would be helpful for me.

i own a samsung slimfit 3079. a buddy of mine just bought the lg 30" slimfit. i can say that his tv has nowhere near the geometry issues that mine does. my tv is a real trainwreck in that department. his geometry is almost perfect.

i can't comment on pq though--he only had a ps2 hooked up through composite running dvd's. i told him i'd like to bring over my dvd player that upconverts to 1080i through hdmi to see what the image quality is like.

either way, if you're considering this tv, but are nervous about geometry issues, i have seen one with perfect geometry (as perfect as you can get with a crt). i can't say the same for the samsung slimfits as i've yet to see one without serious geometry issues.

found it:

Horizontal Size (inches) 35.35
Height (inches) 22.63
Thickness (inches) 15.88
Weight (pounds) 113.54

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and before last Sunday I was having a hard time deciding between the Samsung 3082 and the LG slimfit. After reading the few theads on both of these T.V.s I decided on the LG. Bought it at Best Buy for $809 plus tax. My question is, in your opinion, do you think it is worth buying the Best Buy 4 year service plan? Why or why not? I have 3 weeks left to decide. Thanks for your time and I apologize if this has already been discussed.

I've has this unit since March 16th. Just this weekend I noticed the issue on the sides of the screen while watching a hockey game that was being broadcast in HD format. The white of the ice made me realize there was a slight difference in the picture within about 2 inches on each side of the screen from top to bottom (the ice color appeared to be slightly darker than it was on the rest of the picture). Now, of course since I have noticed this I tend to find myself focusing on it... but prior to this weekend, I didn't pick up on it at all. It is by no means obvious.

I have seen a few references in this thread to a "VM setting". What does VM stand for?

Could someone measure the base of this set? The TV stand I would be using isn't as wide as this TV, but I see that the base is much less wide than the set itself.

I have seen a few references in this thread to a "VM setting". What does VM stand for?

Velocity Modulation

Robert

Could someone measure the base of this set? The TV stand I would be using isn't as wide as this TV, but I see that the base is much less wide than the set itself.


About 26.5" at its widest and about 16" at its deepest. There is about 1.5" of clearance for the wider portion of the tv.

About 26.5" at its widest and about 16" at its deepest. There is about 1.5" of clearance for the wider portion of the tv.

Thanks.

Velocity Modulation

Robert

Thanks Robert....within which menu setting can I find this?

Not sure which menu setting, but velocity modulation adds artificial sharpness (an outline) to most objects. Usually it negatively impacts or mars the picture.

How is the LG 30FS4D with regular (non HD) satellite? I have Direct TV.
I have a Vizio 32" LCD, but I am not sure if I like it all that much.
Will the LG look even better than my 5 yr old Toshiba 27" CRT?

Also, this LG only has one HDMI, does it have a RGB, in case I up grade to HD Satellite? (My DVD player has an HDMI, so I would need a TV with either 2 HDMI's or one plus an RGB).

thx

[QUOTE=sethm]How is the LG 30FS4D with regular (non HD) satellite? I have Direct TV.
I have a Vizio 32" LCD, but I am not sure if I like it all that much.
Will the LG look even better than my 5 yr old Toshiba 27" CRT?

Also, this LG only has one HDMI, does it have a RGB, in case I up grade to HD Satellite? (My DVD player has an HDMI, so I would need a TV with either 2 HDMI's or one plus an RGB).

thx[/QUO

I think you mean component. The 30FS4D has 2 component inputs in addition to the HDMI.

i had been reading on this forum and looking for reviews for weeks now and finally decided to just go look for myself at BB ... i ended up buying the Samsung model for a couple reasons, the picture looked a lot better (might have just been the LG floor model at BB wasn't config'd properly but o well, also i looked and looked forever and could not see the "bowing" issues" i'm not doubting everyone who says that they're there, i just don't have that good of eyes ... another reason i went with the samsung is it was 759, the LG was 859, and the Samsung has two HDMI ports and it has an upgrade port to upgrade firmware just like the LG (its usb and not serial) i could however see the left and right side blurriness on the LG

after setting up the samsung i have been pretty impressed so far although a 30 inch widcreen doesn't look near as big as a 30 inch standard 4:3 ratio ... the HD channels are amazing

pros: -the samsung took about 1 minute to hook up and run through the setup
-picture is amazing
-channel manager is easy
-two HDMI ports
-100 bucks cheaper than LG

cons: -still 150 bucks more expensive than the Phillips and the Insignia (BB brand) although i'm sure those two aren't as good as quality i m not sure if the Samsung and LG are worth 200 to 300 dollars more
-thought it would have Picture in Picture... it does not
-(this might be true with all HDTV's, not sure, but...) when i'm playing my xbox through s-video and switch to the AIR mode to watch tv during load screens the tv can't process the HD channels or something cause they cut in and out a lot... might be a combination of that and low signal strength (i get 3-4 bars)

anyways if anyone has questions about the 30 inch widescreen Samsung, let me know

jsowder -
Can you elahaborate on " when i'm playing my xbox through s-video and switch to the AIR mode to watch tv during load screens the tv can't process the HD channels or something cause they cut in and out a lot... might be a combination of that and low signal strength (i get 3-4 bars)" ?

I ended up buying the LG model and I don't seem to have that problem.
I do see the bluriness on the sides on some channels. Other than that the LG is a good TV. Just wonder if the side bluriness all the reason to exchange for the Samsung. (I do like that the Samsung has 2 HDMI's - but that can be 'fixed' with a HDMI splitter/modulator.

What firmware would be updated to the TV? The calibration port on the LG I am told can only be used by a LG qualified technitian.

Jsowder, have you noticed any geometry issues with your samsung?(Bending in the corners) Which model did you pick up?

Thanks

i had been reading on this forum and looking for reviews for weeks now and finally decided to just go look for myself at BB ... i ended up buying the Samsung model for a couple reasons, the picture looked a lot better (might have just been the LG floor model at BB wasn't config'd properly but o well, also i looked and looked forever and could not see the "bowing" issues" i'm not doubting everyone who says that they're there, i just don't have that good of eyes ... another reason i went with the samsung is it was 759, the LG was 859, and the Samsung has two HDMI ports and it has an upgrade port to upgrade firmware just like the LG (its usb and not serial) i could however see the left and right side blurriness on the LG

after setting up the samsung i have been pretty impressed so far although a 30 inch widcreen doesn't look near as big as a 30 inch standard 4:3 ratio ... the HD channels are amazing

pros: -the samsung took about 1 minute to hook up and run through the setup
-picture is amazing
-channel manager is easy
-two HDMI ports
-100 bucks cheaper than LG

cons: -still 150 bucks more expensive than the Phillips and the Insignia (BB brand) although i'm sure those two aren't as good as quality i m not sure if the Samsung and LG are worth 200 to 300 dollars more
-thought it would have Picture in Picture... it does not
-(this might be true with all HDTV's, not sure, but...) when i'm playing my xbox through s-video and switch to the AIR mode to watch tv during load screens the tv can't process the HD channels or something cause they cut in and out a lot... might be a combination of that and low signal strength (i get 3-4 bars)

anyways if anyone has questions about the 30 inch widescreen Samsung, let me know

I've seen these TV's side-by-side a number of times now, and I've always been more impressed with the LG. I actually bought it for less than you mention you paid for the Samsung. I haven't had any geometry or blurring issues. I also haven't had the problem switching between sources that you mention your Samsung has.

Tethyyr-
I too have the LG 30FS4D, I also have a Harmony 880 remote, but when switching from VCR to Sat, the remote stops cycling at Compontent 1. What inputs are you using for the Sat, VCR & DVD ?

Tethyyr-
I too have the LG 30FS4D, I also have a Harmony 880 remote, but when switching from VCR to Sat, the remote stops cycling at Compontent 1. What inputs are you using for the Sat, VCR & DVD ?

Cable to Cable
No VCR
DVD to Component 1
XBox360 to Component 2 (I tested the Monster HDMI cable but noticed no improvement over component.)
I've never had any problem switching inputs.

Tethyrr-

Where did you pick up your 30FS4D

Tethyrr-

Where did you pick up your 30FS4D

BB.