Sorry, I forgot about that model. Believe the FW only applies to the 1080p models. It's not impossible, however.....Why should you be sorry? What's the title of this thread?

Guys, the update is real. My local authorized repair shop has ordered the part. You have to tell the Level 1 rep at 1-800-SAMSUNG that there is a FW upgrade for your TV that you need to be installed and that the Level 2 people are aware of this and to please transfer you. They will then assign you a Transaction Number and xfer you to L2. You MAY get a L2 person who is not aware of this, because their internal computer pages covering FW updates was not itself updated as of Friday when I called. This can only last so long at L2, I don't know how many of them there are, but the word will get around soon enough. Mine called the "engineers," who confirmed it. There is a part number for each of the LN-Sxx9xD's. L2 faxes your local shop, whoever that is. Then you call the local shop to schedule an appointment.

The Justcan feature affects only the HDMI inputs, nothing else. VGA is already 1:1. Component and ATSC/NTSC/QAM (96 series) will continue to have overscan.

Why would you want this? Technically, an overscanned picture has been scaled to a small degree. Unnecessary scaling causes pixel overlap which appears as blurring. My 4696 is painfully sharp already, but for exacting applications as a computer monitor, you should be able to see an improvement in close-up fine detail. I was told that the update will not be by USB flash drive, but instead a board must be replaced. I have the SM, and there's really only two boards, the main board and the input board. I don't know which one they are replacing. Frankly, I would much rather them have updated the crappy de-interlacing chip if they're going to replace the main board. Now there's some real blur. BTW, the name of their de-interlacing/scaling chip is the "Albatross." Now there's a real winning idea....

We should, however, be grateful that Samsung finally came through on this, because this will be at some not inconsiderable expense to them to add a feature not included in the original spec's. Another sign of a good outfit. You could almost say, the REAL "Like. No. Other"


Been trying to make sense of this for some time... Are you suggesting that the firmware upgrade will improve the PQ on any HDMI connection (like from cable-box) becuase of overscan issues, or does the improvement apply only to a HDMI connenction from a computer?

Thanks.

Been trying to make sense of this for some time... Are you suggesting that the firmware upgrade will improve the PQ on any HDMI connection (like from cable-box) becuase of overscan issues, or does the improvement apply only to a HDMI connenction from a computer?

Thanks.

The firmware upgrade should fix the overscan issue only for HDMI. If there's nothing more than that in the fix PQ improvement, if any, should be marginal.

EDIT:

Well. acording to another post there could be something more:

"Also the tech said this boards part number is the same part number that there new LN-T's are using in some of the models.."

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10202314&&#post10202314

I have been reading this post for a long time. I called Samsung and was told by L1 service that there was no firmware update for the LN-S4695 but he put me on through to the L2 people and they got me set up with the local service people to come by and update the firmware, so there must be one. He asked what the problem was and I told him it was an overscan issue with HDMI. I asked him what all I needed to do about disconnecting things from the back of the TV if they had to move it and open it up. He said they just needed access to the service port on the back to use a flash drive to update the firmware update. I did not question him about it after that, but found it weird that he would say it was a flash update instead of a new board that has been reported earlier. Could have been a mistake on his part.

Anyone else called in?

ChilMan

Most people should only be interested in the 1:1 capability for PC or Console use.
Picture quality for TV broadcasts won't be visible to the naked eye I doubt.

Been trying to make sense of this for some time... Are you suggesting that the firmware upgrade will improve the PQ on any HDMI connection (like from cable-box) becuase of overscan issues, or does the improvement apply only to a HDMI connenction from a computer?

Thanks.
First, most do not really need 1:1 pixel mapping for their everyday viewing, so those folks, please take a time-out. Second, nobody even knows for sure that they got the FW revision 100% right. Let others be the guinea pigs on this one. FW revisions can be problematic. We do not, for example, know if your local tech will even be equipped to return your TV to its previous FW version if something goes wrong. There are plenty of Sony victims who are unable to undo the great USB flashdrive "fix" that didn't fix anything but the user's ability to demonstrate easily their mura problem. Finally, if you intend to use your PC with your TV, you should first try the VGA input. Many are very pleased with it. It already has 1920 x 1080p and 1:1 pixel matching and, as some have pointed out, probably provides the least processed video directly to your native RGB panel. You may only need HDMI input for your PC if you intend to use copyrighted materials requiring digital rights management permissions, an unnecessary electronic nightmare for which you can thank Hollywood and the bought-off U. S. Congress.

Hi all,

I purchased a 4695 a couple of months ago. I noticed it had some cloudiness in the picture. I decided to wait it out like some have suggested in the forum. Well lets just say it got worse. I called Samsung and they sent a tech out on Mon. The tech replaced the main board saying it would fix the problem. No luck. It got even worse. Now my cloudiness is noticeable in any picture, not just dark scenes. Samsung is supposed to call me back today with a answer. If all goes well they will ship a 4661f instead of a 4695. I will keep you all posted... :confused:

First, most do not really need 1:1 pixel mapping for their everyday viewing, so those folks, please take a time-out. Second, nobody even knows for sure that they got the FW revision 100% right. Let others be the guinea pigs on this one. FW revisions can be problematic. We do not, for example, know if your local tech will even be equipped to return your TV to its previous FW version if something goes wrong. There are plenty of Sony victims who are unable to undo the great USB flashdrive "fix" that didn't fix anything but the user's ability to demonstrate easily their mura problem. Finally, if you intend to use your PC with your TV, you should first try the VGA input. Many are very pleased with it. It already has 1920 x 1080p and 1:1 pixel matching and, as some have pointed out, probably provides the least processed video directly to your native RGB panel. You may only need HDMI input for your PC if you intend to use copyrighted materials requiring digital rights management permissions, an unnecessary electronic nightmare for which you can thank Hollywood and the bought-off U. S. Congress.

Also some of us need to hook up our PCs via DVI->HDMI instead of VGA because our Xbox 360s are currently taking up the VGA port (need the VGA port for the 360 for HD-DVDs at 1080p).

Not to mention doing overscan over HDMI for something like the XBox 360 Elite would not be good.

Wow, I was seriously considering getting the 4695 this week. Everytime I see this TV in the store it looks amazing to me. This post makes it seem like this TV has serious issues.

Would any of you even recommend buying it? Is the Sammy better than say the 46" AQUOS or Sony?

Wow, I was seriously considering getting the 4695 this week. Everytime I see this TV in the store it looks amazing to me. This post makes it seem like this TV has serious issues.

Would any of you even recommend buying it? Is the Sammy better than say the 46" AQUOS or Sony?

The Samsung has no serious issues. I would take it any day over the Aquos or Sony.. Samsung makes the best LCD's on the market.. this issue just effect mostly people that want to connect there PC's to the HDMI input rather then the VGA that has 1:1 mapping already.

Over 90% of the people that buy the TV do not even know there is overscan or what it is.. and you will not notice overscan if you are just using your Samsung for TV broadcast. or movies

BTW all CRT TV's have overscan. and we have been watching them for years. You would never notice unless you tryed to send a computer signal to them.

Over 90% of the people that buy the TV do not even know there is overscan or what it is.. and you will not notice overscan if you are just using your Samsung for TV broadcast. or movies


Well, for a 2:39 movie you see the difference (it ends up looking like 2.2 or something like that).

Thanks for the help so far guys,
the 95D and 96D, aside from the Cable Card and QAM tuner, do these two TV's use the same panel and the same scaling chip?

Not to mention doing overscan over HDMI for something like the XBox 360 Elite would not be good.

Wait, the overscan issue effects 360 and PS3 @ 1080p?

Wait, the overscan issue effects 360 and PS3 @ 1080p?

Yes.

I'm betting the reason we're seeing this now is because of Samsung's partnership with Microsoft. Samsung is the recommended TV brand for the XBox 360. With the release of the Elite, Samsung probably felt some pressure to fix their TV's HDMI issues with the XBox 360 Elite.

Wow, I was seriously considering getting the 4695 this week. Everytime I see this TV in the store it looks amazing to me. This post makes it seem like this TV has serious issues.

Would any of you even recommend buying it? Is the Sammy better than say the 46" AQUOS or Sony?

Please remember that this thread attracts people who are either (1) having problems with their display and/or (2) are extremely hypersensitive to issues of which most users will never even be the slightest aware. This thread is not representative of the quality of the TV so much as the extremely high (and perhaps overly picky) standards of this forum's membership.

I have the 4695 and it is a superb set.

Have had the 4696d now for about 3 months and love it. But just to recap this vereeeery long post....If you want to use it for a PC display you must go through the VGA port or you will have overscan issues correct? There is a firmware upgrade in progress that will get rid if the overscan for the HDMI port (maybe)...Some people experience cloudiness and mora(sp) with their sets...
Have I missed anything???...Just FYI I have a Sammie bdp1000 player and the picture through HDMI is incredible.

EDIT
So I plugged my NVIDIA 8800GTX to the VGA port using a coonverter dongle thingie (DVI-VGA) and although the picture is nice it doesn't do 1080p. It does some reolution htat is something by 1200...and it fits...Seems odd is the Sammie resampling it down to the proper size? Also, I'm using Vista 32bit and when I go to the media center to play a song and go the the visualize button the Sammy goes to the blue screen and says "Mode not supported". And then I can't get any video back no matter what I do. Why oh why can I not get 1:1 pixel mapping on HDMI? When I had it hooked up over HDMI (my pc) I had 1080p as a resolution option...but then I had the overscan. Pretty much seems to me that I made the wrong choice for a LCD that can do everything...I'm not too happy right now.

EDIT
So I plugged my NVIDIA 8800GTX to the VGA port using a coonverter dongle thingie (DVI-VGA) and although the picture is nice it doesn't do 1080p. It does some reolution htat is something by 1200...and it fits...Seems odd is the Sammie resampling it down to the proper size? Also, I'm using Vista 32bit and when I go to the media center to play a song and go the the visualize button the Sammy goes to the blue screen and says "Mode not supported". And then I can't get any video back no matter what I do. Why oh why can I not get 1:1 pixel mapping on HDMI? When I had it hooked up over HDMI (my pc) I had 1080p as a resolution option...but then I had the overscan. Pretty much seems to me that I made the wrong choice for a LCD that can do everything...I'm not too happy right now.

That's a well known Nvidia driver problem with Vista, VGA and 8800's. I can only output full VGA 1920x1080 with my 8800gts to my 4095D by dual-booting to XP. In VGA the Vista driver (100.65) is not reading well the Sammy EDID resolution.

Your best choice right now with Vista is to go HDMI and get the latest firmware that fixes the overscan issue. Meanwhile set Media Center to "TV", not "LCD/TV" so that it can work with overscan.

I was looking to purchase the LN-S4696D but I have a question.

The person above me mentions hooking their PC through the HDMI port. The manual for the TV says that the HDMI port doesn't work with a pc though.

Does this mean I could plug an 8800 into it via dvi-d to hdmi, then convert the stereo out on my soundcard to rca and actually use HDMI?

Thank you for any info! This would rock since a 2nd pc could connect via the vga port.

Wow, I was seriously considering getting the 4695 this week. Everytime I see this TV in the store it looks amazing to me. This post makes it seem like this TV has serious issues.

Would any of you even recommend buying it? Is the Sammy better than say the 46" AQUOS or Sony?

First... I can't believe this thread is STILL going; it must've been a year ago that I first started reading here and finally preordered the LNS4696D... Anyway I've had it since about August '06 and still think this set is awesome. I've used vista through VGA @ 1080P with my ATI card and it looks brilliant as well as my PS3 via HDMI. The onboard tuner is awesome but the cable cards have issues; although they work, it's easier to use the box imho... Actually I use both the box and the cable card. Anyway, great set and I'm actually looking for another 1080P set for the basement but I *may* go with a DLP this time since the price is so much lower for a BIGGER (56"ish") screen.

Cheers!

I was looking to purchase the LN-S4696D but I have a question.

The person above me mentions hooking their PC through the HDMI port. The manual for the TV says that the HDMI port doesn't work with a pc though.

Does this mean I could plug an 8800 into it via dvi-d to hdmi, then convert the stereo out on my soundcard to rca and actually use HDMI?

Thank you for any info! This would rock since a 2nd pc could connect via the vga port.

To do that you will need a graphic card with a HDMI port and of course audio in, like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127223

8800 is a much better card but of course you'll only get video from its DVI ports.

Hi, contemplating getting a Samsung LN-S4695D.

However, there are some deal breakers for me, as I'm in the Air Force and travel worldwide.

Does it take world voltages? Eg. 100-230V?

Can it accept a PAL 576 line signal?

Can it accept 1080p/50

Sharp were able to confirm that their 46" can do the above, but I don't want to risk banding!

Thanks!

Simon

Hi, contemplating getting a Samsung LN-S4695D.

However, there are some deal breakers for me, as I'm in the Air Force and travel worldwide.

Does it take world voltages? Eg. 100-230V?

Can it accept a PAL 576 line signal?

Can it accept 1080p/50

Sharp were able to confirm that their 46" can do the above, but I don't want to risk banding!

Thanks!

Simon

I would seriously look at the 4661 as it can be found for near the same price as the 4695 and the additional HDMI and better contrast ratio will surely sweeten the deal. Make sure that you are happy with the change in bezel design though. I purchased the 4695 10 days ago and have been waiting on delivery when I found the 4661 for the same price at another online retailer. I am going to be refusing delivery of the 4695 and purchasing the 4661 instead. I will have to wait a little longer to have the HDTV but if I would have settled for the 4695 I would have had buyers remorse every time I turned the set on knowing that I could have had a newer model for the same price. Just my 2 cents which certainly are worth less than 2 cents.

I would seriously look at the 4661 as it can be found for near the same price as the 4695 and the additional HDMI and better contrast ratio will surely sweeten the deal. Make sure that you are happy with the change in bezel design though. I purchased the 4695 10 days ago and have been waiting on delivery when I found the 4661 for the same price at another online retailer. I am going to be refusing delivery of the 4695 and purchasing the 4661 instead. I will have to wait a little longer to have the HDTV but if I would have settled for the 4695 I would have had buyers remorse every time I turned the set on knowing that I could have had a newer model for the same price. Just my 2 cents which certainly are worth less than 2 cents.

Thanks. Moments after I posted this, I realised I had the older model number :)

Still, do you know if the 4661 meets my voltage reqts, and does it accept PAL input and 1080p/50 - the Sharp does, and this is a key reqt for me, as have many PAL DVDs, and will be returning to the UK in a couple of years.

Thanks,
Simon

I have an LNS4696D connected to an 8300HD cable box via HDMI. Only 1080i and 720p are selected in 8300HD setup wizard, and Auto HDMI/DVI is selected under picture format. After experimenting with various other settings, the above looks best to me for HD and SD.

Under my current setup, the cable box LED screen displays 1080i for all channels, HD and SD. It never displays 1080p. From Scientific Atlantic HDTV FAQ:

"Q: Will my 8300HD provide a 1080p signal?
Currently the 8300HD can receive a 1080p video format (as defined by the ATSC standard) into the box. The box then provides a signal to the TV that is in one of four video formats: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i. Once the 1080p TV receives the signal from the 8300HD, the TV will then display it as a 1080p video format."

OK, how do I know if my TV is displaying 1080P?

Thanks,
Steve

I have been a long time lurker here. First time poster. I currently own the LNS 4696D. My setup consists of a vista media center connected via DVI-HDMI. When i set the res to 1920x1080 i get the overscan issue. What i have done in the interum while waiting for the 1:1 fix is set the res to the next lowest under the 1920x1080 and use the overscan option in media center to fill the entire screen. This will fill the screen in media center but when looking at my desktop i get some black areas around the edges. This works for me but i would love to get the 1:1 mapping. I want to try and stay away from the VGA port as this will not support HDCP.

I also have a SA 4250HD stb connected via HDMI. The stb consistently displays a 1080i on the display. I dont seem to be getting any obvious overscan issues via the STB. Is this correct? Are there overscan issues on the component inputs? Component does handle 1080p right? I have yet to connect any devices to something other than HDMI. Sorry if some of this has been answered already but looking through this 150 page thread is starting to hurt my brain.

I have been a long time lurker here. First time poster. I currently own the LNS 4696D. My setup consists of a vista media center connected via DVI-HDMI. When i set the res to 1920x1080 i get the overscan issue. What i have done in the interum while waiting for the 1:1 fix is set the res to the next lowest under the 1920x1080 and use the overscan option in media center to fill the entire screen. This will fill the screen in media center but when looking at my desktop i get some black areas around the edges. This works for me but i would love to get the 1:1 mapping. I want to try and stay away from the VGA port as this will not support HDCP.

I also have a SA 4250HD stb connected via HDMI. The stb consistently displays a 1080i on the display. I dont seem to be getting any obvious overscan issues via the STB. Is this correct? Are there overscan issues on the component inputs? Component does handle 1080p right? I have yet to connect any devices to something other than HDMI. Sorry if some of this has been answered already but looking through this 150 page thread is starting to hurt my brain.

I can use Vista Media Center at fulll resolution by setting it up for "TV" not "LCD/TV". But most of the time I dual boot to XP where I am able to resize the desktop.

OTH only VGA is 1:1 on these sets. I have tried it but don´t like it like HDMI, which gives me a more 3d picture.

Hi all,

I purchased a 4695 a couple of months ago. I noticed it had some cloudiness in the picture. I decided to wait it out like some have suggested in the forum. Well lets just say it got worse. I called Samsung and they sent a tech out on Mon. The tech replaced the main board saying it would fix the problem. No luck. It got even worse. Now my cloudiness is noticeable in any picture, not just dark scenes. Samsung is supposed to call me back today with a answer. If all goes well they will ship a 4661f instead of a 4695. I will keep you all posted... :confused:


any update? I too got a cloudy one as well awaiting to hear the results.

I have an LNS4696D connected to an 8300HD cable box via HDMI. Only 1080i and 720p are selected in 8300HD setup wizard, and Auto HDMI/DVI is selected under picture format. After experimenting with various other settings, the above looks best to me for HD and SD.

Under my current setup, the cable box LED screen displays 1080i for all channels, HD and SD. It never displays 1080p. From Scientific Atlantic HDTV FAQ:

"Q: Will my 8300HD provide a 1080p signal?
Currently the 8300HD can receive a 1080p video format (as defined by the ATSC standard) into the box. The box then provides a signal to the TV that is in one of four video formats: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i. Once the 1080p TV receives the signal from the 8300HD, the TV will then display it as a 1080p video format."

OK, how do I know if my TV is displaying 1080P?

Thanks,
Steve

I found that pressing "info" on Samsung remote displays the picture format onscreen. Trying upconvert1, upconvert2, and Auto HDMI/DVI on the cable box, I never see 1080p. I see 1080i for all settings and channels except when using upconvert2 which shows 720p on HD and 1080i on SD.

Pressing "info" on samsung remote, does anyone see 1080p using a Scientific Atlantic cable box?

Thanks,
Steve

I found that pressing "info" on Samsung remote displays the picture format onscreen. Trying upconvert1, upconvert2, and Auto HDMI/DVI on the cable box, I never see 1080p. I see 1080i for all settings and channels except when using upconvert2 which shows 720p on HD and 1080i on SD.

Pressing "info" on samsung remote, does anyone see 1080p using a Scientific Atlantic cable box?

Thanks,
Steve


Not sure why this was not explained earlier. The display info that you are seeing will show what is being input into the TV. The TV's native resolution is 1080p. That means that it will always display in 1080p, either upconverting 720p or deinterlacing 1080i. Some on the thread have said the TV does not deinterlace correctly from 1080i. With that, most have their upconverting DVD players, cable boxes, etc set at a 720p output. I so not see an issue with it unless I really, and I mean, really pay attention and compare the picture between the 1080i and 1080p output from my PS3.

Hope that this helps.

any update? I too got a cloudy one as well awaiting to hear the results.

Yes, Samsung has approved a replacement and I opted to go to BB (they waive BB return policy an authorize a new unit for you) instead of wait for Samsung to ship another unit (15-21 business days). This also increases my chances of getting an upgrade. I will post more on my defective unit once Samsung tells me I am ready to go...

Not sure why this was not explained earlier. The display info that you are seeing will show what is being input into the TV. The TV's native resolution is 1080p. That means that it will always display in 1080p, either upconverting 720p or deinterlacing 1080i. Some on the thread have said the TV does not deinterlace correctly from 1080i. With that, most have their upconverting DVD players, cable boxes, etc set at a 720p output. I so not see an issue with it unless I really, and I mean, really pay attention and compare the picture between the 1080i and 1080p output from my PS3.

Hope that this helps.

Thanks, helped a lot. This is a great site With tons of info.

Steve

I only have access to the 9 extracted files and folders actually used to flash the memory, so I put them in a .zip file. The files are in a folder, Samsung FW xx96D. You will need to open the folder and transfer the 8 files and one folder (containing 6 files) to a clean USB flash drive which is large enough to hold 33mb. I have downloaded my own .zip file and compared it to the actual files I used to upgrade my TV, and the size of the files is exactly the same at 31.8mb (33,445,070 bytes).

Because the file is >20mb, unlike WilliamG's xx95D self-extracting download, usendit.com requires you to set up your own (free) account prior to downloading.

WARNING!!! You use these files and follow the upgrade procedures at your own risk. Some have reported that the JustScan FW does not work properly for them. Read the previous posts. No one has reported any problems on this thread with any improper operation of their TV's after the FW upgrade when not using the JustScan option.

http://www.yousendit.com/download/QlVpSkhWSWg0b0EwTVE9PQ


Instructions from the Service Manual, verbatim, including odd word usage:

3-5-1 USB Download Method

1. Copy the software file into the USB flash driver.

2. Turn on your LCD TV and check the source is 'Analog TV Mode'.

3. Insert the USB flash driver into the USB Jack of LCD TV.

4. Press 'Mute' + '7' + '8' + '9' + 'Exit' keys of your remote control.

5. The banner osd "Updating SW..." is displayed.

6. The banner osd "Completed..." is displayed when the upgrading is completed. (Ed: and your TV turns off)

7. Remove the USB flash driver from LCD TV.

8. Check the program version.

*How to check the Program Version

1. Press "MENU"
2. Select "SET UP"
3. Select "INFORMATION HELP"
4. Highlight "ON" option
5. Press "INFO" button on the remote control

Well I did the update and it works Great.. funny how the update for the xx96D's is so much bigger then the xx95D here are some screen pic's from the 4096D works GREAT :D Justscan works only on 1080i or 1080p with HDMI Sorry for the images they were taken with a Cellphone

Here is the update with justscan for the xx96D models firmware info
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8365/spa0057hl7.jpg
Firmware info for xx96D

16:9 Overscan on windows Desktop
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5656/spa0058re7.jpg
16:9 Overscan on windows Desktop

JustScan update on windows Desktop
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4186/spa0059xw2.jpg
JustScan update on windows Desktop

Sorry for the images they were taken with a Cellphone

Thanks, helped a lot. This is a great site With tons of info.

Steve

Glad we can help. Simple things like that bite a lot of people, especially when buying from box stores.

Yes, Samsung has approved a replacement and I opted to go to BB (they waive BB return policy an authorize a new unit for you) instead of wait for Samsung to ship another unit (15-21 business days). This also increases my chances of getting an upgrade. I will post more on my defective unit once Samsung tells me I am ready to go...


Ok, so BB was being annoying as usual. Because I got the TV at a very good price and the 4696 and 4661f are ridiculously high and the fact they did not have any 4695 in stock they would only give me the equivalent of what I paid. Basically I only could get an inferior 720p LCD TV through BB. No upgrade. I called Samsung and told them this so they will be sending me a "Brand New" 4696 free of charge. I guess this is great because I got a free upgrade from Samsung after they repeatedly told me no upgrades were possible. So in 15-21 business days I will let you know if I got a good set. I just hope the cloudiness is bearable to non-existent... Stay tuned kids

Note that I edited that post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926) on the 1024 FW upgrade for the xx96D models:

EDIT: Now that I've studied these files a little more, I discover that the ".exe" file (one of the 8 files and 1 folder in my .zip download) actually IS the self-extracting zip file. I didn't realize that the local tech had transferred that to his USB drive. Leaving this file on the USB drive does not affect the upgrade.

Ok, so BB was being annoying as usual. Because I got the TV at a very good price and the 4696 and 4661f are ridiculously high and the fact they did not have any 4695 in stock they would only give me the equivalent of what I paid. Basically I only could get an inferior 720p LCD TV through BB. No upgrade. I called Samsung and told them this so they will be sending me a "Brand New" 4696 free of charge. I guess this is great because I got a free upgrade from Samsung after they repeatedly told me no upgrades were possible. So in 15-21 business days I will let you know if I got a good set. I just hope the cloudiness is bearable to non-existent... Stay tuned kids
This story is not over yet. I'm a little surprised they didn't send you a 4661F, because the 4696 (which I have) shares the exact same panel as the the 4695 and therefore shares the same propensity for excessive mura (clouding.) That said, I also received a 4696 directly from Samsung as a warranty replacement back in December, and the panel was completely free of any mura defects, dead/stuck pixels, etc., so hopefully you'll be lucky too. I'm also a little surprised they even have any "brand new" 2006 models to send you at this point.

In any event, I would be thoroughly prepared to test your new TV before the delivery people leave, and be ready to refuse it if it is not 100% satisfactory. Other posters, having received defective 2006 models as warranty replacements have been successful in eventually obtaining 2007 models.

In my case, I was all set-up to test the set in a totally windowless bathroom. Get your own line cord, batteries for the remote, and a spare DVD player with component cables all ready to go. All they have to do is pop the set and the remote out of the shipping container and set it on the vanity top. Put your batteries in the remote and hook up your old line cord, so they don't even have to open the new packaging. Hook up the component cables; forget the audio cables. Turn on your DVD player. On start-up, you immediately select "HOME" (not "SHOP") mode and skip the channel scan, which takes a long time and can be re-done later. Then you go directly to the component input and turn OFF your DVD player. You'll now have a blank screen except for the on-screen "Searching for Signals" message, which will not interfere with your ability to examine the panel for clouding, flashlighting, etc. I actually had an Avia or (DVE?) calibration DVD with a 0 IRE totally black screen to use for my test, which was even better

The delivery guys had no problem letting me take the few minutes it required to accomplish this. After it "passed," they then moved it to where I watch TV. They were perfectly ready to take it back

This story is not over yet. I'm a little surprised they didn't send you a 4661F, because the 4696 (which I have) shares the exact same panel as the the 4695 and therefore shares the same propensity for excessive mura (clouding.) That said, I also received a 4696 directly from Samsung as a warranty replacement back in December, and the panel was completely free of any mura defects, dead/stuck pixels, etc., so hopefully you'll be lucky too. I'm also a little surprised they even have any "brand new" 2006 models to send you at this point.

In any event, I would be thoroughly prepared to test your new TV before the delivery people leave, and be ready to refuse it if it is not 100% satisfactory. Other posters, having received defective 2006 models as warranty replacements have been successful in eventually obtaining 2007 models.

In my case, I was all set-up to test the set in a totally windowless bathroom. Get your own line cord, batteries for the remote, and a spare DVD player with component cables all ready to go. All they have to do is pop the set and the remote out of the shipping container and set it on the vanity top. Put your batteries in the remote and hook up your old line cord, so they don't even have to open the new packaging. Hook up the component cables; forget the audio cables. Turn on your DVD player. On start-up, you immediately select "HOME" (not "SHOP") mode and skip the channel scan, which takes a long time and can be re-done later. Then you go directly to the component input and turn OFF your DVD player. You'll now have a blank screen except for the on-screen "Searching for Signals" message, which will not interfere with your ability to examine the panel for clouding, flashlighting, etc. I actually had an Avia or (DVE?) calibration DVD with a 0 IRE totally black screen to use for my test, which was even better

The delivery guys had no problem letting me take the few minutes it required to accomplish this. After it "passed," they then moved it to where I watch TV. They were perfectly ready to take it back

Sorry this may be long...

I first want to mention dealing with Samsung has not been too bad until I was transferred to The Executive Customer Relations Group. The first rep Mary Ellen demanded to know why I was transferred to her. I had no clue, all I did was call the 1-800 number that the service tech left me. When the first rep spoke to me she said I need to transfer you to ECRG. I said ok. Thats all. But it appears my rep was furious about this, but I literally had no clue why I was transferred. Besides any customer service rep should know not to greet the customer with rude behavior and demand why I was transferred. Just accept it and do your job. I even asked Mary Ellen what her job was and what her responsibilities were that is when she toned down and pushed my claim through. FYI John L.from the Service Center in Providence, RI was awesome. Very professional and he even called me at 9:45pm at night to let me know my exchange was approved. Thats dedication. So anyway when I start talking to the rude rep at ECRG I ask he for the option to go to BB to obtain another set.

I call BB to see what they have in stock and they do not have any S series nor the LNT4661f only the 4665 and I asked If I could have that, she said only if you pay the difference of a grand... Lets just say I almost hung up. BB had no good Sammy's in stock.

After that I called ECRG and spoke with yet another rude rep by the name of Shay she said Samsung was shipping a "brand new" 4696. I asked her what happened to the BB option and she stated I refused (which was not true) that and they were shipping out the unit. Not arguing because this person was so unpleasant I said ok, but I decided to just ask about a 4661f. She repeatedly said "WE DON"T DO UPGRADES!!!" So I aksed her about her upgrading me to a 4696 from a 4695 and she replied that is what we have available in our warehouse. OK nuf said. Now I am getting a better set. No damage done there.

Stew, Thanks for the info. Fortunately my living room is in the basement and it is really dark to begin with. All my current connections are HDMI so really all I have to do is place the new unit on my entertainment stand plug in a HDMI from my PS3 or Motorola HD DVR box and turn it on (while powering down the source to force a black screen). It should take under 5 min. Besides I know what to look for.

Now I have to ask this, if I refuse this set and get a 4661 will I trade my mura for other issues like weird colors on the sides of the screen and most importantly HDMI issues? I really think the 07 set have more issues than the 06 sets. I guess we will have to wait and see the quality of the 4696. Truly all I want is a set that works with no issues. I will post more once I receive or refuse the set. Thanks for the input fellow AVS Forum members. You guys Rock...

Sorry this may be long...
Well, yes, if you keep up with the Official Samsung LN-T4061F/LN-T4065F/LN-T4661F/LN-T4665F/LN-T5265F Owner's Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=586330), which is quite a task as it is racing along, there has been an uneven backlight issue of a different nature. Some, but not all, have reported bands of lighter screen background on the left and right edges of the panel, which can be adjusted out with the HDMI Black Level control when using the HDMI input, but it is not available with the component input.

Otherwise, with the much more in depth user PQ adjustments, the 1:1 pixel mapping, and the higher CR (if you can believe any CR #'s), the "F" series offers many improvements.

All of Samsung LCD TV CS must be getting a little shell-shocked by now. It has not been a good last six months. But they are doing one heck of a lot better job than their competition. They actually own-up to defects and, once you get through all the bureaucracy, you will get your problem repaired or you will get a new TV. I have received warranty replacement TV's on 2 occasions, and their system works. You just have to have a lot of patience.....

Well, yes, if you keep up with the Official Samsung LN-T4061F/LN-T4065F/LN-T4661F/LN-T4665F/LN-T5265F Owner's Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=586330), which is quite a task as it is racing along, there has been an uneven backlight issue of a different nature. Some, but not all, have reported bands of lighter screen background on the left and right edges of the panel, which can be adjusted out with the HDMI Black Level control when using the HDMI input, but it is not available with the component input.

Otherwise, with the much more in depth user PQ adjustments, the 1:1 pixel mapping, and the higher CR (if you can believe any CR #'s), the "F" series offers many improvements.

All of Samsung LCD TV CS must be getting a little shell-shocked by now. It has not been a good last six months. But they are doing one heck of a lot better job than their competition. They actually own-up to defects and, once you get through all the bureaucracy, you will get your problem repaired or you will get a new TV. I have received warranty replacement TV's on 2 occasions, and their system works. You just have to have a lot of patience.....


True. I will say for the most part Samsung is great. They have come a long way. I appreciate this very much. But when a rep tells me I am "searching blogs for issues with these sets" I get a little peeved. I actually never knew of this site until I had problems with my 4695 and stumbled across an informed community with similar issues. All I want is to sit on my ass and enjoy some HD bliss. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to deal with CS reps at BB?I would rather have a bad rash than have to go to BB and deal with them again.

What I do not understand is they still do not acknowledge the defect. They say there is no record of such an issue with this or other sets. I guess it is their way of damage control. There is no way Samsung would issue a recall because I bet most people would not notice image defects and it would create chaos with all the RMAs.

I am a media supervisor at Harvard so I am trained for image perfection. I guess it may be a flaw more than a benefit because it takes me multiple TV's to find the sweet spot. Previous to my 4695 I had a Sony KDL-46S2010 (POS) and a Sharp LC-42D62U (banding). Fortunately I discovered Samsung. My old TV was a Samsung Tantus Neo tube and I actually had no issues with that set, but CRT was and is much more consitant than LCDs. Problem was my 30" set weighed 179lbs. Man it was a Biatch to move by myself. OK I am really long winded today. I will spare you from more of my story. I will be back to let you know If my 4696 tickles my fancy... :o

.....What I do not understand is they still do not acknowledge the defect. They say there is no record of such an issue with this or other sets.
Kindly refer the knowledgable folks at your BB CS department to the 7,500+ posts at the Sony Uneven Backlight/Cloudy Thread...... (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748779&page=1&pp=30) I'm sure they will recognize the many photos of mura!

I am in the process of replacing my set, my conclusion is all these LCD out there have some flaws i guess we have to live with it, even though my set will be replaced because of dead pixels i am not sure the new set might or might not have worst clouding than what i have right now. What bugs me is after paying premium price for these Tier one sets there are issues right out of the box, are these manufacturers have any QC or they are building and shipping.

Some of the clouding Pictures look really bad, when SAMMY tech. came to my house he told me to use the energy saving mode at night and ES off at day time, this will minimize any clouding, he insisted clouding is normal, i disagreed and told him if this was a tier 2 brand i might accept it but paying almost double of tier2 brand for set and have to deal with clouds is rubbish.


Reading new SAMMY LNT thread is not encouraging either, i will keep my finger crossed.

The price of latest models are cheaper than what i paid for my set, i will ask for the 52 inch and pay difference.

can any tell me if the firmware for 4096 to fix the dvi for a full screen is out? :) and how can i update it?

thx

Some of the clouding Pictures look really bad, when SAMMY tech. came to my house he told me to use the energy saving mode at night and ES off at day time, this will minimize any clouding, he insisted clouding is normal, i disagreed and told him if this was a tier 2 brand i might accept it but paying almost double of tier2 brand for set and have to deal with clouds is rubbish.

I agree completely. Cloudiness is not a problem with my 22"(viewsonic) nor 32"(Sony ) LCD. So why Samsung? I believe it has to do with how the panel is assembled. It could be as stupid as the incorrect torque setting for the bolts that hold the screen together. We will never know unless someone from a plant somewhere can shed some light. Personally I think there are tons of almost perfect sets out there. It is just a matter of luck if you get one. Hopefully the Samsung LCD that are shipped out as replacements are a "special batch" free from defects. It would be wise if Samsung had a A+ batch this way they can reinforce their product line to all those having issues and contemplating switching to another brand. Heck if my new Samsung is free of issues I will post it and let everyone know they do exist. Most importantly I will let as many people as possible know Samsung takes good care of their customers...

The price of latest models are cheaper than what i paid for my set, i will ask for the 52 inch and pay difference.

Good luck with that. They are pretty firm on the upgrade policy. Kudos to you if you get it approved. I think the only way to get an upgrade like that is to reject a replacement unit upon delivery, then calling up the Executive Customer Service Group to complain. From my experience, they are tough cookies... ;)

can any tell me if the firmware for 4096 to fix the dvi for a full screen is out? :) and how can i update it?

thx


It is out. You can update your TV by calling Samsung or downloading the Firmware (1024) on i believe page 69 or 70 of the Official 4095/4695/4096/4696 thread just below.

EDIT: Here is direct link to 4696 firmware and how to install http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926

Anyone compared the 96 series with the new 65 series?

Anyone compared the 96 series with the new 65 series?

Anyone with a 65 will say it crushes the 96 series. I am waiting for my 96 so I cant really chime in. I do know the 65's have their share of issues (backlighting and HDMI) that seem more troublesome to me than the 96 series (cloudiness). From a specification stand point the 65's are far better. But that is just my opinion... Give me a 65 and I will run them side by side and tell you which I prefer... :D

I was looking at a 65 and a 96 at Best Buy (I own the 96). The 65 is better. A videophile will definitely notice. But I don't think that the 65 is so much better that the 95 is irrelevant. The 95 is still definitely a great TV, and it can still display a great image.

Honestly, as much as Samsung is pushing true blacks on the 65, the blacks aren't that much deeper than the 95 imo. And the 96 offers features that aren't on the 65. That, and you can get some great deals on the 95/96.

Any issues with PS3? I'm looking at the 4096D.

IHonestly, as much as Samsung is pushing true blacks on the 65, the blacks aren't that much deeper than the 95 imo. And the 96 offers features that aren't on the 65. That, and you can get some great deals on the 95/96.What features does the 96 have that the 65 doesn't, other than CableCard? I already own a 4096, but was actually considering an upgrade.

I've come from the LN-Txxxx threads. I currently own a LN-T4066F, but it has bad HDMI handshaking issues(and apparently so do all the the 2007 models). I'm really considering returning it for a LN-S4696D. Can anyone give me a quick rundown on what issues people have been having with this line of LCDs? Or any other thoughts on these would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

I've come from the LN-Txxxx threads. I currently own a LN-T4066F, but it has bad HDMI handshaking issues(and apparently so do all the the 2007 models). I'm really considering returning it for a LN-S4696D. Can anyone give me a quick rundown on what issues people have been having with this line of LCDs? Or any other thoughts on these would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Well, if you have a few days to read and catch up, you may want to look into the "older brother" version of this thread:


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=722482&page=81&pp=30

I've come from the LN-Txxxx threads. I currently own a LN-T4066F, but it has bad HDMI handshaking issues(and apparently so do all the the 2007 models). I'm really considering returning it for a LN-S4696D. Can anyone give me a quick rundown on what issues people have been having with this line of LCDs? Or any other thoughts on these would be much appreciated.

I have the LN-S4695D. If the TV is turned on before the cable box I get an HDCP error. I wouldn't call it a problem as it's reproducible and understandable.

What features does the 96 have that the 65 doesn't, other than CableCard? I already own a 4096, but was actually considering an upgrade.

FIREWIRE! :D

I've come from the LN-Txxxx threads. I currently own a LN-T4066F, but it has bad HDMI handshaking issues(and apparently so do all the the 2007 models). I'm really considering returning it for a LN-S4696D. Can anyone give me a quick rundown on what issues people have been having with this line of LCDs? Or any other thoughts on these would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
The 2006 models also had HDMI handshake problems which were mostly corrected through a long series of cumulative FW upgrades, the latest of which (for the xx96D's) is ver. 1024 and is available here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926). The 2006's were rather widely affected by clouding, but not flashlighting like the Sony's. It seems it is easier to get a mura-free 2006 Samsung than a Sony, but it is a problem, so I would only buy one from a place where you can easily return or exchange it. Mine is perfect, and I have no regrets, although it would be interesting to have some of the advanced PQ user menu functions which the 2007's offer. As to the higher CR's claimed by the 2007's, I'm happy with what i've got, and from what I can tell the 2007's still lack shadow detail whatever the company claims for CR, so dynamic range is a somewhat lacking on both model years.

Anyone have a PS3 and suffer HDMI handshake problems?

No handshake problems here. PS3 + 4695 = working great with the HDMI connection.

ChilMan

No handshake problems here. PS3 + 4695 = working great with the HDMI connection.

ChilMan

One more question, did you hook it up via AV receiver?

Anyone have a PS3 and suffer HDMI handshake problems?

Yes, 4095, but running through a receiver with known PS3 issues. Not run it directly to the TV, but not hearing of handshake issues directly to the TV.

Yes, 4095, but running through a receiver with known PS3 issues. Not run it directly to the TV, but not hearing of handshake issues directly to the TV.

What receiver do you have? I have a Denon AVR 3806 and ordered the 4096 couple days ago.

What receiver do you have? I have a Denon AVR 3806 and ordered the 4096 couple days ago.

Onkyo 674

I have a 4696, the E&R department approved an exchange and transferred me to the executive customer relations group. I argued with this guy at some length. He wants to send me a "new" 4696 for the exchange. I want the 4661 and according to him that is not possible. he says there is no way they can upgrade my set. Is this correct?

I have a 4696, the E&R department approved an exchange and transferred me to the executive customer relations group. I argued with this guy at some length. He wants to send me a "new" 4696 for the exchange. I want the 4661 and according to him that is not possible. he says there is no way they can upgrade my set. Is this correct?
In the past they would upgrade you from defective model X to new model Y for Z$. They've done it for me twice since 2005. Perhaps they've changed their policy, although they upgraded "Christian Zane" from a 5296D to a 5265F within the last 60 days. You could PM him about his experience with ECR.

I have a 4696, the E&R department approved an exchange and transferred me to the executive customer relations group. I argued with this guy at some length. He wants to send me a "new" 4696 for the exchange. I want the 4661 and according to him that is not possible. he says there is no way they can upgrade my set. Is this correct?


Same thing happened to me. I guess it all depends how annoying you are. The more annoying the more likely to get an upgrade. I am just sick of calling the CS dept. From what I gather I think I now prefer the 4696 to the 4661f because of the HDMI and the backlight issues. I am fairly confident the new 4696 will not have cloudiness issues... Still waiting for the new set... I will keep you guys informed...

I have a 4696, the E&R department approved an exchange and transferred me to the executive customer relations group. I argued with this guy at some length. He wants to send me a "new" 4696 for the exchange. I want the 4661 and according to him that is not possible. he says there is no way they can upgrade my set. Is this correct?
that is very strange, they told me 95/96 series is not available any more i will get 4661 i asked for 4665 but they denied. it has been two weeks now no infromation from delivery company yet.

All,

I am the proud owner of a 4096, and I'm very interested in installing the Justscan FW. However, I AM NOT interested in uploading the Firmware even if does improve PC/HDMI issues at the expense of ANY negative display by-product. Not even if the problem is minimally discernable during ANY kind of viewing. Period!

Having said that, are there any efforts by this online community to inform Samsung that there is a NEED for a correction to the 1024/1026 FW updates? I'm on board with any actions needed to get them to correct this Justscan nightmare. I'm very adamant about this because I am NOT the least bit interested in getting a "T Series" TV (why would anyone want a "this" generation LCD when the next generation sets are around the corner) to make up for their numerous oversights on the 2006 models.

Also, is it possible to perform a FW update to improve the TV's refresh rate, or is that a hardware issue? If so, hell, give us that too. :)

By the way, I am fortunate enough to own a mura and flashlight free TV (Feb. 2007 manufacture date).

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing what you guys think.

Sorry if this has been answered before, but is Samsung releasing another 52 inch LCD model anytime soon besides the 5265F to replace the 5296D? I looked at the 5265F, but the clear glass screen shows too much reflection for my room with lots of windows. I really need an anti-glare screen.

....I'm on board with any actions needed to get them to correct this Justscan nightmare.....
As I posted here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10396076&&#post10396076), this is most assuredly not a "nightmare." (And see WilliamG's immediately following "Reply (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10396116&&#post10396116).") What is a nightmare is HDMI-HDCP.

We have 'em here in Korea... the new Samsung (PAVV) models are great.

We have 'em here in Korea... the new Samsung (PAVV) models are great.
Could you post an href to the English spec sheets on those please?

We have 'em here in Korea... the new Samsung (PAVV) models are great.

Do the PAVV models have the clear glass panel or the matte (anti-reflective) panel?

I have an LN-S4696D which I am very pleased with - 'cept for one thing. I cannot seem to get PIP to work properly. If I am watching a DVD and turn PIP on, I am only able to tune five or six channels - 98, 905, 906, 908, and 910. I cannot figure out how to tune in any other channels. Anyone know what is going on? I should be able to get the HD channels like 804, 805, 807, 851 etc.

I have an LN-S4696D which I am very pleased with - 'cept for one thing. I cannot seem to get PIP to work properly. If I am watching a DVD and turn PIP on, I am only able to tune five or six channels - 98, 905, 906, 908, and 910. I cannot figure out how to tune in any other channels. Anyone know what is going on? I should be able to get the HD channels like 804, 805, 807, 851 etc.
I have the same TV. There's a table on p. 49 of your Owner's Instructions which purports to describe the operation of PIP with other inputs, but I've not been able to completely understand it. I have figured out a couple of things:

1. You must use an external input as the primary signal when initially switching to PIP, i.e., you can't be in TV MODE, either ANTENNA or CABLE.

2. You can only PIP with the ATSC/NTSC/QAM TV MODE tuner, not between two external inputs.

3. If the primary input is a digital input, i.e., one of the HDMI's, you can not PIP with any ATSC/QAM digital TV signal. You will only receive analog (NTSC) signals, whether OTA or from a cable TV provider run straight into the CABLE IN "F" connector on the back of the TV. So for full functionality, limited though it may be, you can not use the HDMI inputs for the primary signal.

4. If the primary input is an analog input, i.e., AV1, Component2, etc., you can PIP with any TV signal, digital or analog, OTA or direct cable connection.

5. All the detail settings of the PIP function are under PIP in the main menu scroll bar.

6. You can change the TV channel of the secondary PIP TV signal with the small buttons at the lower right corner of the remote, without having to unwind everything.

I'm planning on purchasing a Sammy TV from Amazon, however I am very concerned about purchasing an additional warranty with the new technology/rev. Do you guys recommend purchasing a warranty with this set or the manufacturer's 1yr. warranty should be able to work out the kinks (bathtub curve). The cost is $300 for 2 additional yrs. If you do recommended, can you purchase it at a cheaper cost with good review.

Thanks, Any suggestions will greatly help.

I have a strange problem. My DirecTV HD20 works great with my Samsung except for one thing: It will not play SD channels through HDMI. The Sammy displays a message saying "Not Supported Mode" whenever I am watching HD through HDMI and switch channels to an SD channel. I then have to switch over to component to get the SD channel to display on the TV. And component displays both SD and HD just fine. Any idea why the HDMI would not display SD channels?

Thanks,
Mark

I have a strange problem. My DirecTV HD20 works great with my Samsung except for one thing: It will not play SD channels through HDMI. The Sammy displays a message saying "Not Supported Mode" whenever I am watching HD through HDMI and switch channels to an SD channel. I then have to switch over to component to get the SD channel to display on the TV. And component displays both SD and HD just fine. Any idea why the HDMI would not display SD channels?

Sounds like a HDCP issue. Is the error really "Not Supported Mode" exactly?

Sounds like a HDCP issue. Is the error really "Not Supported Mode" exactly?

That is the error. Not sure what HDCP is though.

That is the error. Not sure what HDCP is though.

HDCP = high definition copy protection.

Someone on the 4661 thread had the same problem as you:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10507707&&#post10507707

I have a strange problem. My DirecTV HD20 works great with my Samsung except for one thing: It will not play SD channels through HDMI. The Sammy displays a message saying "Not Supported Mode" whenever I am watching HD through HDMI and switch channels to an SD channel. I then have to switch over to component to get the SD channel to display on the TV. And component displays both SD and HD just fine. Any idea why the HDMI would not display SD channels?

Thanks,
Mark

There is a firmware fix for it. Call the service center and have someone upgrade it, or search the thread and there is a link for a download somewhere for it. This is a known issue.

I have a strange problem. My DirecTV HD20 works great with my Samsung except for one thing: It will not play SD channels through HDMI. The Sammy displays a message saying "Not Supported Mode" whenever I am watching HD through HDMI and switch channels to an SD channel. I then have to switch over to component to get the SD channel to display on the TV. And component displays both SD and HD just fine. Any idea why the HDMI would not display SD channels?

Thanks,
Mark
Unfortunately, there is not a FW fix for this one (yet.) I have the latest FW upgrade (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926), and although my 4696D would receive 480i over HDMI from my previous Samsung SIR-TS360 D* HD receiver with both the latest (1024) and the previous FW, it doesn't work with my H20-600-C D* HD receiver for some reason. This also appears to be the case with most cable set top boxes. In fact, I think that Samsung receiver was probably the exception to the rule.

The solution with your H20 is to go to: MENU > SETTINGS > SETUP > DISPLAY > PREFERENCES tab and set NATIVE to "OFF." Then change the resolution with the button on the front of the box to "1080i." This means that all scaling (as well as de-interlacing of 720p video) will be done in the set top box and not the TV. It seems OK with the H20, but many find it unacceptable with some of the cable set top boxes. For those folks, component is the best answer and is not infrequently preferred over HDMI for this and other PQ reasons. Many boxes do not put out good quality video over HDMI. That was certainly the case with my Samsung D* box. In this regard, please see the excellent Blue Jeans Cable article, DVI and HDMI versus Component Video - Which is Better? (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/dvihdmicomponent.htm)

Unfortunately, there is not a FW fix for this one (yet.) I have the latest FW upgrade (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926), and although my 4696D would receive 480i over HDMI from my previous Samsung SIR-TS360 D* HD receiver with both the latest (1024) and the previous FW, it doesn't work with my H20-600-C D* HD receiver for some reason. This also appears to be the case with most cable set top boxes. In fact, I think that Samsung receiver was probably the exception to the rule.



Sorry Stew and everybody else. IT seemed the same to me. Mea Culpa for the mis-information. Don't hate me :(

fter that I called ECRG and spoke with yet another rude rep by the name of Shay she said Samsung was shipping a "brand new" 4696. I asked her what happened to the BB option and she stated I refused (which was not true) that and they were shipping out the unit. Not arguing because this person was so unpleasant I said ok, but I decided to just ask about a 4661f. She repeatedly said "WE DON"T DO UPGRADES!!!" So I aksed her about her upgrading me to a 4696 from a 4695 and she replied that is what we have available in our warehouse. OK nuf said. Now I am getting a better set. No damage done there.

Stew, Thanks for the info. Fortunately my living room is in the basement and it is really dark to begin with. All my current connections are HDMI so really all I have to do is place the new unit on my entertainment stand plug in a HDMI from my PS3 or Motorola HD DVR box and turn it on (while powering down the source to force a black screen). It should take under 5 min. Besides I know what to look for.

Now I have to ask this, if I refuse this set and get a 4661 will I trade my mura for other issues like weird colors on the sides of the screen and most importantly HDMI issues? I really think the 07 set have more issues than the 06 sets. I guess we will have to wait and see the quality of the 4696. Truly all I want is a set that works with no issues. I will post more once I receive or refuse the set. Thanks for the input fellow AVS Forum members. You guys Rock...





Ok I got the new set last night. For the most part the set is perfect. It does have a small flashlight spot in the bottom left corner. If the spot stays the same or goes away I will keep this set. If the problem gets worse like my last set did this thing is going back. FWIW, the 4696 is way better than my 4695 that they hauled away last night... I will update more once the set has been properly calibrated.... Also the delivery company that swaped out the set says Samsung is junk. He has never had so many swapouts before. I was kinda pissed at him for saying such but bit my tongue. Samsung if you are reading this...please correct these issues in the future so we can continue to be Samsung customers...

Ok I got the new set last night. For the most part the set is perfect. It does have a small flashlight spot in the bottom left corner. If the spot stays the same or goes away I will keep this set. If the problem gets worse like my last set did this thing is going back. FWIW, the 4696 is way better than my 4695 that they hauled away last night... I will update more once the set has been properly calibrated.... Also the delivery company that swaped out the set says Samsung is junk. He has never had so many swapouts before. I was kinda pissed at him for saying such but bit my tongue. Samsung if you are reading this...please correct these issues in the future so we can continue to be Samsung customers...

I think the delivery guy was ignorant of the facts. People who pay extra for the Samsung expect perfection. That person is far less forgiving of any small problem and demands that it be solved quickly. The people that buy the cheap TVs know they're getting what they pay for, just don't care or even realize when there might be a problem.

My bro in law picked up a Samsung LN-S4095D open box for a great price at bb. We got the hd box hooked up, but there are slow moving green and purple horizontal that float up the screen as well as a slight humming sound..any ideas as to what this may be? He got the 4 year warranty so it may be going back.

Thanks

My bro in law picked up a Samsung LN-S4095D open box for a great price at bb. We got the hd box hooked up, but there are slow moving green and purple horizontal that float up the screen as well as a slight humming sound..any ideas as to what this may be? He got the 4 year warranty so it may be going back.

Thanks

Lets just say that "may be going back" should be "is"... Sounds like a bad panel... :confused:

I think the delivery guy was ignorant of the facts. People who pay extra for the Samsung expect perfection. That person is far less forgiving of any small problem and demands that it be solved quickly. The people that buy the cheap TVs know they're getting what they pay for, just don't care or even realize when there might be a problem.

You are correct. He was trying to say that Sony's have no issues. I told him to read, and his answer will probably change... He just shrugged. He was no expert by any means...

the LN-S4696D and LN-S4096D are set for a august release at least that's what the press release from CES said.

what ever happened to the 62 series, just for show i guess
http://www.cesweb.org/shared_files/innovations/innovations_2004/4854/mainphoto4854.jpg


That looks like a thing of beauty. :D

looks can be deceiving LOL

i got a ln-s4692d open box for a pretty good price but it is missing it's buttons. does anybody know where i can find parts for the tv in canada? preferably in toronto. if it cost too much to replace the buttons i'm just going to return the tv.

there was one on ebay for a couple of hundred bucks, everything works, except the screen is cracked, the guy threw somthing at the tv. doesnt say why though!

Ok I got the new set last night. For the most part the set is perfect. It does have a small flashlight spot in the bottom left corner. If the spot stays the same or goes away I will keep this set. If the problem gets worse like my last set did this thing is going back. FWIW, the 4696 is way better than my 4695 that they hauled away last night... I will update more once the set has been properly calibrated.... Also the delivery company that swapped out the set says Samsung is junk. He has never had so many swapouts before. I was kinda pissed at him for saying such but bit my tongue. Samsung if you are reading this...please correct these issues in the future so we can continue to be Samsung customers...


Okay, my new 4696 is going back. After a few days the flashlight spot in the lower left corner became unbearable. I will now be receiving a 4661 instead. I asked them to make sure I got a 1005 board or higher as they appear to not be affected by the HDMI dropouts. I hope this is the last of it. I really hope the 4661 is a better set. I just want to worry about something else... :confused:

Ok I got the new set last night. For the most part the set is perfect. It does have a small flashlight spot in the bottom left corner. If the spot stays the same or goes away I will keep this set. If the problem gets worse like my last set did this thing is going back. FWIW, the 4696 is way better than my 4695 that they hauled away last night... I will update more once the set has been properly calibrated.... Also the delivery company that swapped out the set says Samsung is junk. He has never had so many swapouts before. I was kinda pissed at him for saying such but bit my tongue. Samsung if you are reading this...please correct these issues in the future so we can continue to be Samsung customers...


Okay, my new 4696 is going back. After a few days the flashlight spot in the lower left corner became unbearable. I will now be receiving a 4661 instead. I asked them to make sure I got a 1005 board or higher as they appear to not be affected by the HDMI dropouts. I hope this is the last of it. I really hope the 4661 is a better set. I just want to worry about something else... I guess this is my last post here. See you in the "T" series forums :confused:

sorry for the double post...

My 4096 is also going back. I tried every possible settings and the blue push doesn't go away. I will get a new set next week and hope this time I can calibrate it accordingly. I tried the service menu but without the proper tools is difficult to figure how to calibrate the color decoder. It has some sort of "auto calibration" when you set "calibration targets" but that's where things are really hard to figure. Today I went to a store with loads of LCD Samsung and they mostly looked "bluish" to me.

BTW, for those brave enough to mess with the service menu, there is a reset function that DOES NOT RESET all the settings . If you change anything , do it after taking notes of all the parameters as they come from the factory.

Sergio

I've got the Samsung 4096 1080P LCD panel HDTV. I've been using the Toshiba SD 3950SU with component cables up until about a month ago. I had no complaints but I was attracted to the Oppo 981 (read the many positive online reviews of this unit) so I had to give it a try. Well, after about a month (actually a day), I have come to the conclusion that the old Toshiba (purchased in 2003) looks better than the glorious Oppo 981! You read it right, the Oppo did not improve picture quality over the Toshiba! And, yes, I did have a reasonable expectation of what this unit was designed to do, and no, I did not think it would give me an HD DVD or Blu-Ray performance, either.

Now, I'm not as technical as you guys but it seems that the old Toshiba performed better set a 480I or 480P, then allowing the Samsung's scalers / internal processing to do the rest of the work. I don't know why I don't see the spectacular results that you all testify to, but maybe the Samsung's scaler / processor just isn't all that bad. I'm starting to think that if you have a good scaler in your higher-end HDTV, one just doesn't need an upconverting DVD player.

For now, I'll keep the Oppo 981 because the audio capabilities on this thing is impressive, but when Samsung updates the 1024 FW "upgrade" (Justcan Mode), I'll have the firmware installed to allow for 1:1 pixel mapping, but if there's no improvement in Oppo's PQ, it will be listed on Ebay.

Thoughts?

I've got the Samsung 4096 1080P LCD panel HDTV. I've been using the Toshiba SD 3950SU with component cables up until about a month ago. I had no complaints but I was attracted to the Oppo 981 (read the many positive online reviews of this unit) so I had to give it a try. Well, after about a month (actually a day), I have come to the conclusion that the old Toshiba (purchased in 2003) looks better than the glorious Oppo 981! You read it right, the Oppo did not improve picture quality over the Toshiba! And, yes, I did have a reasonable expectation of what this unit was designed to do, and no, I did not think it would give me an HD DVD or Blu-Ray performance, either.

Now, I'm not as technical as you guys but it seems that the old Toshiba performed better set a 480I or 480P, then allowing the Samsung's scalers / internal processing to do the rest of the work. I don't know why I don't see the spectacular results that you all testify to, but maybe the Samsung's scaler / processor just isn't all that bad. I'm starting to think that if you have a good scaler in your higher-end HDTV, one just doesn't need an upconverting DVD player.

For now, I'll keep the Oppo 981 because the audio capabilities on this thing is impressive, but when Samsung updates the 1024 FW "upgrade" (Justcan Mode), I'll have the firmware installed to allow for 1:1 pixel mapping, but if there's no improvement in Oppo's PQ, it will be listed on Ebay.

Thoughts?

In a sense I agree. You cant get something from nothing. This is my theory on upcoversion. It is overated. If you have a good scaler, that is the best you can do. 480i and 480p will never be 720p or 1080p. Never!!!

Hello all, I am new to this forum. I have a question that I hope to get some direction on. I have a Samsung 4096 46 inch HDTV and came home to find the wife had the TV on and the picture distorted. The people on screen were larger than normal and the full image would not fit on the screen. I tried the following:
1 - Checking the size setting - it is 16:9
2 - Played a DVD - picture still distorted.
3 - Unplugged the cable Digital HDTV DVR box - no change

It was fine at 5:00am but wife says it happened suddenly. Not sure if this is enough info but I'm at a loss. A friend at work suggested the zoom button may have been pressed by mistake.

TIA ... Allen :)

The only wall mount you need is $90 Peerless one from mountsandmore.com

Peerless actually makes the mounts that Samsung sells

The SF660?
http://www.mountsandmore.com/Peerless-SF660-PE0428.html


Yep, that'll work.

Comes with 2 different depth hangers so you can really hug the wall or hang 1" further off the wall, depending on you wiring.

The HDMI cables allow a closer mount, but you need extra room of your using the VGA bereakouts with seperate audio.

Hey guys,
I thought I'd try my luck in this this thread because I haven't found the answers I'm looking for in the OFFICIAL Samsung LN-S4095/4695/4096/4696 Owners Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=722482).

I'm a 4095 owner and trying to mount my TV on the wall. Under the assumption that the 4096 is the same frame and all, I was wondering if I could follow the advice posted in here. It seems the Peerless is the way to go?

I have already purchased a mount from monoprice.com (this specific one: Product# 2852,
Adjustable Tilting Wall Mount Bracket for LCD Plasma (Max 165Lbs, 30~63inch, http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082801&p_id=2852&seq=1&format=2&style=)

but when I got around to installing the TV with this mount, it seemed the Samsung is mounted from the center, while this wall mount bracket is for the sides. am I missing something? like an adaptor?

Is this peerless one different? I'll need nothing else?

Hello all, I am new to this forum. I have a question that I hope to get some direction on. I have a Samsung 4096 46 inch HDTV and came home to find the wife had the TV on and the picture distorted. The people on screen were larger than normal and the full image would not fit on the screen. I tried the following:
1 - Checking the size setting - it is 16:9
2 - Played a DVD - picture still distorted.
3 - Unplugged the cable Digital HDTV DVR box - no change

It was fine at 5:00am but wife says it happened suddenly. Not sure if this is enough info but I'm at a loss. A friend at work suggested the zoom button may have been pressed by mistake.

TIA ... Allen :)

you could try resetting the TV to the default settings. Check all your connections, and try all your inputs. If that doesn't work then perhaps something went bad inside the set. I have never heard of this type of problem. I initially thought you might have the picture zoomed, but now I really have no clue. Sounds like a RPTV out of allignment, but you have an LCD so that theory is out the window. Good Luck!

Hello all, I am new to this forum. I have a question that I hope to get some direction on. I have a Samsung 4096 46 inch HDTV and came home to find the wife had the TV on and the picture distorted. The people on screen were larger than normal and the full image would not fit on the screen. I tried the following:
1 - Checking the size setting - it is 16:9
2 - Played a DVD - picture still distorted.
3 - Unplugged the cable Digital HDTV DVR box - no change

It was fine at 5:00am but wife says it happened suddenly. Not sure if this is enough info but I'm at a loss. A friend at work suggested the zoom button may have been pressed by mistake.

TIA ... Allen :)


I had the same problem. Someone on this forum told me to check the "settings" button on the cable remote. Well it worked for me. Your wife probably hit the button by mistake, and made "zoom" the default setting instead of 16:9. I have Time Warner cable here in NY, and I had hit the wrong button on the settings. Change the default button to 16:9.

By the way, make sure you change the settings in the cable box and not the tv. There is a difference.

I suppose I'm lucky that my 4095 has virtually no bleed/spotting... (Bought in January). :D :cool:

I would appriciate any help on this, I'm just trying to deciede on what model to get. The 4661 or the 4696 for $700 less because it is open box. What would you do?

I would appriciate any help on this, I'm just trying to deciede on what model to get. The 4661 or the 4696 for $700 less because it is open box. What would you do?

open box is shady. I would go with the new 4661f. Open box = returned for a reason.

I just purchased an open box 4696 for a similar discount to yours. The sales rep said that the person had upgraded to the 52". Don't know whether it was true or not but the set is perfect - no clouding whatsoever - September 2006 build.

To be honest the set is tough to calibrate, the blacks aren't great (you probably need to adjust the gamma in the service menu) and for many purposes a 50" plasma would probably be better. However it is pretty to look at, and you can get it to look decent with some effort. How it compares in quality to the 4661 isn't certain at this point.

YMMV

I've had the 4696 since Feb. and love it. Some clouding but not bad. We have the LCD wall mounted in family room that gets a fair amount of light. I like the colors of my sister-in-law's panasonic 50" plasma but way to much glare with a plasma even when you shut the blinds. I like sporting events and during the day there is no way a plasma can compete unless in a darkened room. For home theater only I might go with a plasma but 1080p LCD is a great all around TV.

Cheers

I just purchased an open box 4696 for a similar discount to yours. The sales rep said that the person had upgraded to the 52". Don't know whether it was true or not but the set is perfect - no clouding whatsoever - September 2006 build.

To be honest the set is tough to calibrate, the blacks aren't great (you probably need to adjust the gamma in the service menu) and for many purposes a 50" plasma would probably be better. However it is pretty to look at, and you can get it to look decent with some effort. How it compares in quality to the 4661 isn't certain at this point.

YMMV The *95/*96 is definitely better than decent, black levels aren't stellar by any means but for LCD current tech they're some of the best in many opinions. Certainly on par with the overrated XBR2/3 line. I'm curious to see what SED / OLED will bring in terms of black levels.

Hello all,

I'm new here and what a wealth of information this place provides! I want to first thank all of your shared information :) It's been extremely helpful!

I feel that it's come time for me to change my current projection tv and enter the realm of LCD tv ownership. I've been doing some research and was almost set on buying the LN-S4696D until I found this site. All I did was read and read and read the past few days...I even thought of buying the newer Samsung models at BB and CC. Those models look to have some issues to be worked out still...so, i'm back to this model.

Having read pages and pages of information, I would like to see if any of you can help me out by summarizing the current open issues and frustrations that a new buyer like me could face if looking at purchasing one of these sets today. What to look for and what to do etc...Should I wait until either the new models get straightened out, or even newer models to come out? I usually keep my tv's for a little bit...

Thanks in advance for any help provided!

Huey

^ looks good in HD, or ps3 games unless fast motion then massive macroblocking,
Standard def is horrible, better off with a 768p or 1080i if you are just watching hd tv.
I had this one and a 4692 side by side and overall the 768p was doing a much better job in my oppinion. and you can hardly see any difference between 1080p / 1080i except very very
fine fabric details. which you dont see the difference if you are 5 6 ft away from the tv.
If you get a good set ok, but a lot of the ones out there now are the ones that have been returned for numerous reasons.
Riskey venture, and then there is the LNT series which have HDMI handshake problems,
Do yourself a huge favour and buy a sony (not a cloudy one) or even a sharp, with no horizontal lines, but a better refresh rate than 8ms,

Hello all,

I'm new here and what a wealth of information this place provides! I want to first thank all of your shared information :) It's been extremely helpful!

I feel that it's come time for me to change my current projection tv and enter the realm of LCD tv ownership. I've been doing some research and was almost set on buying the LN-S4696D until I found this site. All I did was read and read and read the past few days...I even thought of buying the newer Samsung models at BB and CC. Those models look to have some issues to be worked out still...so, i'm back to this model.

Having read pages and pages of information, I would like to see if any of you can help me out by summarizing the current open issues and frustrations that a new buyer like me could face if looking at purchasing one of these sets today. What to look for and what to do etc...Should I wait until either the new models get straightened out, or even newer models to come out? I usually keep my tv's for a little bit...

Thanks in advance for any help provided!

Huey
The number one issue with these TV's is mura. You should have read enough posts on this and the other thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=722482&page=1&pp=30) to know how to check this out in a dark room. (One Sony poster even took a blanket with him to BB to cover the TV from the showroom floor lights!) There were also various HDMI handshake issues that were (nearly?) all cleaned up with FW upgrades.

If you buy a 2006 Sony (same panel) as the other poster suggested, they have even worse potential mura problems because of the way the panel is mounted to the frame, and warranty service with Sony is a very different proposition than with Samsung.

Having seen the 2007 Samsungs many times, the 61F series definitely is a better panel, and they will eventually straighten out the HDMI 1.3 issues, although there are a fair number which exhibit an uneven backlight problem which shows up as lighter, vertical "columns" on the left and right edges, generally referred to as "pillaring." To some degree this can be minimized on most but not all of them by reducing the backlight level. A fewer number have mura, and this must be checked out as well. The Amazon prices on these (make sure you get the "Sold by Amazon" price) has been very attractive, and Amazon has been good about dealing with defective TV's, although this is not as easy as returning it to your local big box.

Finally, you should also check out the Mitsubishi LT-46131, which IMO is a better TV than the '06 Samsung 1080p's (and is certainly equal or better than a non-defective Sony.) Probable best deal right now is from Walt's (http://www.walts.com/).

Chillonhill and k4smx,

Thanks for your responses! They are very helpful.

So, if I get a good set without mura/pillaring (the new line), I will basically just have to wait for samsung to work out the hdmi issues?

I have read some posts that actually pointed new buyers to going with Plasma's instead. What are your opinions about that? Comparably priced plasma's general are lower resolution and support up to 720p.

Thanks,

Chillonhill and k4smx,

Thanks for your responses! They are very helpful.

So, if I get a good set without mura/pillaring (the new line), I will basically just have to wait for samsung to work out the hdmi issues?

I have read some posts that actually pointed new buyers to going with Plasma's instead. What are your opinions about that? Comparably priced plasma's general are lower resolution and support up to 720p.

Thanks,
You may not have any HDMI interoperability problems. COMPONENT inputs will have to do if you do have any problems until FW upgrades for either the TV, the device, or both are implemented.

There are 1080p plasma TV's, but they're not an option here. Can't deal with the highly reflective surface of the panel. That let's out the Samsung LN-Txx65F's as well.

The samsung DLP 1080p (They have a lot of them at Costco ) they seem to have a nice picture, But I dont know if there are any problems with them, and they are thicker of course than the flat panel lcd or plasma. They seem well rated in reviews. I might get one of those for the Family room towrdas the end of the year, when the prices come down a bit. My 46 in 4692 is kinda my basement personal tv for PS3 and and web browsing, I am happy with it, but kinda think would have been better waiting a bit since now the contrast ratios have gotten a lot better, and then the next generation are going to be 120 hrtz (less blurr) , led backlight, (longer life) but who knows what other suprises will there be.

If you are only watching TV plasma would be ok, bit of glare depending on lighting in your room. But if you want it for gaming, computer, LCD or DLP is the way to go.

Thanks for your replies again!

There is a (colored!) button on the remote for Picture Modes, so one easy answer that will work for a lot of people is to set those up as presets, with settings for the main types of different sources, and flip between those by toggling that remote button. That's essentially what it's there for. It might not be perfect, but it's quick and easy.

The main thing new owners need to know is to use the Energy Savings button as a backlight control, to adjust for the darkness or brightness of the room. The default is way too bright for a dark room. Though it's great to have it for a bright room, or a variable one, which is what I have.

Given the complexities, it's set up better than most OOTB. The most genius thing they did was have a setup wizard that immediately asks whether it's for a showroom or a home, so it preumably adjusts the settings and avoids the whole problem of the OOTB settings being lurid settings only suitable for a showroom.

Angle viewing is excellent, you can easily watch it from any angle you'd realistically want to, and beyond.

Remote is good if a little busy; could be better but it's OK.

Menus. The CNET review of the 4096D (http://reviews.cnet.com/Samsung_LN_S4096D/4505-6482_7-31954846.html) complained about the slow menus; they need to switch to decaf, they're fine. And the transparent menus not only look cool, and let you keep an eye on the show - but most of the settings also seem to let you preview the result, so you can try an adjustment, see how it looks, and adjust again without going in and out of the menus. No real problems for me with the menus, other than I'd always like more adjustments.

Design obviously rules, and it's very space-efficient - my stand is a little high, and I didn't want speakers adding any more than they needed to. The aluminum strip on the 4095D (vs. glass on the 4096D) is a little disappointing, but if it's lighter or more durable, that works better for me, so I'll rationalize it that way.

DNIe - I sense a massive lemming effect on the DNIe, as with so many things at AVS - people already have their minds made up, it's what they're suppposed to say. As a couple non-lemming people have noted, on some sources it doesn't make that much difference, and for some sources DNIe does improve them. And it couldn't be easier to turn on and off, or use the demo mode to see the effect - just toggle the button on the remote. Not even remotely worth all the comments here.

Obviously it would be great if it could tune channels faster, but that's the way it is. My wife will probably like that I can't flip 120 channels a minute ...

I've only heard "clicking" once, maybe it depends on temperature variations in your room or something as it warms up.

Also, AVS needs a new HDTV owner FAQ to explain a couple things. As noted, a good 1080p will let you see the poor quality of even many so-called HD broadcasts. And a basic understanding of digital broadcasting and video compression would probably help a lot of new owners figure out what's the source vs. connections vs. display.

What would be truly awesome is if Samsung did a firmware release that fixed two things:

- Ability to turn on or off overscan by source, to allow 1:1 PC hookup via HDMI

- Ability to use the zoom on digital sources. As it stands, you can only use the zoom on the analog channels. But some of the digital channels are broadcast (I guess) with letterboxing on all four sides, so they would benefit from zoom.

I don't know if Samsung ever actually does firmware upgrades, I guess I'll poke around their site and see if they have.

P.S. Seems that's wishful thinking:I guess I'll re-read the comments about a fix for the first item via a service call.

Hey buzzy_ ,

Is that Sanus stand still working out good for you? My plan was always to mount my Samsung 4095 TV on the wall, but after that idea failed last night because of problems with stud placement on the wall I would need to mount to, I now need to find a good stand.

This stand looks real good. Any advice on the best place to buy it? Any other suggestions from other 4095 owners.

I have a bit of a problem, I accidentally hit the first option in the service menu on my LN-S4095D. I think it was calibration, and now my component inputs have brightness that is way too high. I can put the brightness down to about 12, and its normal. But my DTV input also goes down to 12 and its way too dim. Is there anyway to adjust the brightness level in the service menu? I can't seem to find any options that change the levels.

I'm thinking about getting the 4696D, does anyone know if this has a QAM tuner? i've been reading some stuff that if it has DCR then it has a QAM tuner. has anyone been able to get unencrypted hd channels from local cable co?

4696 does have the QAM tuner, but get the 4661 or 4665 instead.

you could try resetting the TV to the default settings. Check all your connections, and try all your inputs. If that doesn't work then perhaps something went bad inside the set. I have never heard of this type of problem. I initially thought you might have the picture zoomed, but now I really have no clue. Sounds like a RPTV out of allignment, but you have an LCD so that theory is out the window. Good Luck!
If you're using a Cable Box, check to see if it has a "zoom" function. She may have turned it on by accident.

I just got a new 4695 and I am having trouble connecting my computer. The only setting the tv seems to except is 1024x768. I tried setting it at 5 wanted to go with at least 1290x768 if not the 1440x900 that is the most that my video card supports. Is there any way for 1024x768 to fill the entire screen? I am also looking for picture settings. I have searched through the thread, but it is quite lengthy at this point.

can someone please help me

I just got a new 4695 and I am having trouble connecting my computer. The only setting the tv seems to except is 1024x768. I tried setting it at 5 wanted to go with at least 1290x768 if not the 1440x900 that is the most that my video card supports. Is there any way for 1024x768 to fill the entire screen? I am also looking for picture settings. I have searched through the thread, but it is quite lengthy at this point.

can someone please help me

do you have an ATI card? In the manual it states the Video resoltions available....I forgot the one under the top res. I think its 1280 x 1024....so you will need to use the 4:3 angle

4696 does have the QAM tuner, but get the 4661 or 4665 instead.


why do you say that? it seems these tv's all have their fair share of problems. and i can get the 4696d cheaper than i can get the 4061. that's a 46" thats cheaper than a 40" right now. i know it's not as new but it seems like a lot of people are still pleased with the 4696.

Frys is selling the 4696 for 1699.00, should I shell out the extra cost for the 4661 or 4665 instead?
Thx,

i have a question about ordering through amazon. do i receive amazon's return/replacement policy if i order through them even though the item is from another seller? it says the item (4065f) ships from ElectronicsExpo and I'm just curious what to expect if the tv is defective.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the 4696 is now last year's TV.

Go see them all at Fry's B&M. The 4665 is amazing, but glossy so not good for a bright room.

And don't quote prices here - for some strange reason they don't like that here. Just say "Fry's has a deal on them" and you should be OK.

Frys is selling the 4696 for 1699.00, should I shell out the extra cost for the 4661 or 4665 instead?
Thx,

for a 4096D with Comcast HD.....which is better to have the Cable box outputing at 720P or have the cable box outputting at 1080i.

Its selectable

A few thoughts on that --
a) How far away do you sit from the set? Reason for the question is how apparent is the difference between 1080i and 720p? I have the 4095 and we sit ~ 11 feet away from the set. I've seen fantastic looking 720p (ABC HD) and fantastic looking 1080i (Discovery HD Theater). The further away you sit the less difference you can see between the two formats (see http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/HDTV_Viewing_Distance.htm for more info on this.)

b) Native signals -- ABC, ESPN, FOX, National Geo, and a few others broadcast natively in 720p. NBC, CBS, HDNet, HDNet Movies, Food Network HD, and a bunch of others broadcast natively in 1080i. I'm a strong believer in just watching natively what comes in over the wire. Does your cable box have an "HDMI Auto" setting for the display? Mine does and when it is set, it passes through the natively broadcast signal.

c) The more conversions your signal goes through (e.g., native 1080i to 720p in the box then the TV rescales 720p to 1080p) or 720p to 1080i in the box which gets deinterlaced by the TV and depending on whether or not you have the justscan firmware installed on your set, rescaled again at the TV) the more signal loss / clarity loss you are going to have.

My suggestion is that if you have a setting that lets you watch the native signal, watch that. There's less "fooling around" done that way and you are much nearer the original signal quality. If you don't have a native setting on your cable box and you just want to pick the best one, consider which of the two formats you watch the most, your viewing distance, the presence or absence of JustScan in your firmware, and make the best decision considering all of this.

It's a great set.

I tried to upgrade the Firmwire to from 1009 to 1024. I followed the instruction on the AVS forum for this TV. However, at very last step after "100% complete" bar went away, the TV did not turn off. The TV then has no respond to the remote or the power bottom on TV. I have to unplug the power to shut it off. After the power back on, everything is normal but the FW is still the old version and did not upgrade at all. Anybody has any idea on what the problem is? Thanks.
By the way, what's the main benefit of the new firmware? It is mainly on 1080P display? Currently I do not have true 1080P signal (one up convertible DVD player to 1080P). Do you guys thing FW is necessary in my case?
Thanks

for a 4096D with Comcast HD.....which is better to have the Cable box outputing at 720P or have the cable box outputting at 1080i.

Its selectable
Does it have a "Native" output? The Samsung scaler/de-interlacer is not the greatest, but it's probably better than what's in the Comcast box. You have a 1080p TV set. If you select "720p," then when the box is actually receiving 1080i, it's gonna downscale to 720i and then de-interlace it to 720p. Your TV then upscales it to 1080p. Too much conversion going on. If you select "1080i," then when the box is receiving 720p, it's gonna upscale it to 1080p and de-interlace it to 1080i. Then your TV has to again de-interlace it to 1080p. Too much conversion going on. "Native" makes sure nothing is ever done twice. If you don't have a "Native" choice, try it both ways on both types of video and pick which one looks best with live broadcast TV, e.g., CBS HD(1080i) and ESPN HD(720p).

If I had to choose between the two, I'd probably pick 1080i, especially since with the 1024 FW upgrade (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926), you can select the "JustScan" picture mode and get 1:1 pixel matching on all video (480i/720p/1080i) when you're connected through the HDMI input.

Does it have a "Native" output? The Samsung scaler/de-interlacer is not the greatest, but it's probably better than what's in the Comcast box. You have a 1080p TV set. If you select "720p," then when the box is actually receiving 1080i, it's gonna downscale to 720i and then de-interlace it to 720p. Your TV then upscales it to 1080p. Too much conversion going on. If you select "1080i," then when the box is receiving 720p, it's gonna upscale it to 1080p and de-interlace it to 1080i. Then your TV has to again de-interlace it to 1080p. Too much conversion going on. "Native" makes sure nothing is ever done twice. If you don't have a "Native" choice, try it both ways on both types of video and pick which one looks best with live broadcast TV, e.g., CBS HD(1080i) and ESPN HD(720p).

If I had to choose between the two, I'd probably pick 1080i, especially since with the 1024 FW upgrade (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10278926&&#post10278926), you can select the "JustScan" picture mode and get 1:1 pixel matching on all video (480i/720p/1080i) when you're connected through the HDMI input.

I did the firmware upgrade last night....works fine....but I am still using component inputs....so I need to get the HDMI cable. I understand what you are saying about the conversions. Its a Motorola settop...and it does not have default output....it either 1080i or 720P for conversion.

The signal says on INFO on the Samsung as 1920 x 1080i at 60hz....so I guess that is what synthetic 1080P says.

FWIW it may be placibo effect....but I kinda think my Standard definition displays are better than before.....could easily be placibo though.

Yikes!

I just got my Samsung LNT4065F today from Amazon.

4 huge white blotches when the screen is black!

When I'm watching non-HD content, you can see them on the side black bars!!
what is this effect called again? banding? maybe

very nasty.. guess I have to return? correct?

version on the side says SQ01, how do I check the current firmware version, and what is the newest firmware for the LNT4065F ?

The effect is called mura -- and I thought I'd point you to the correct thread (this is the LNS4X96 thread)

Try http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=847465

good luck!

So does anyone have any good picture settings they'd like to share?

last night while watching a movie, i just noticed that my 4695 starts to bright then to dim every minute or so.... this happens either when watching a tv broadcast or watching a dvd. has this happen to anyone?

the transition from bright to dim happens within 5 seconds.

pls. help... thanks

Hi guys,

I am new to the world of hi-def, but have been doing some research and have a couple of questions. I found a very good price for the Samsung LN-S4096DA that is for today only (online special). I am willing to make the jump, but I think I need to hear some knowledgeable people encourage me.

The Samsung is 40" and 1080p. I plan on sitting 6 or 7 feet from the television. My main use for the TV is for hi-def sports, and I eventually plan on getting a PS3.

Questions:

1. Does anybody have any knowledge or experience with this particular unit?
2. Do the specs of my unit match my viewing distance appropriately or is it overkill?
3. Anything else I need to worry about?

Any timely response would be greatly appreciated. I have never been so scared about a purchase. Even a car......

Thanks,

Ryan

Questions:

1. Does anybody have any knowledge or experience with this particular unit?
Most people on this thread....sorry, had to say it. I have a 4095. Same, but without cable card and QAM tuner.
2. Do the specs of my unit match my viewing distance appropriately or is it overkill?
Should be fine. I sit about 10 feet. I would not get much closer that 7.

3. Anything else I need to worry about?
Mura, the white splotches or faded area on the screen when it is supposed to be black. (see post #4385) You can do as others in this forum have done, upon delivery, have the delivery person wait. Open the item and plug in to check the set. Do not accept delivery if it has MURA.

Any timely response would be greatly appreciated. I have never been so scared about a purchase. Even a car......


Thanks,

Ryan

CABLECARD USERS ... PLEASE HELP

I am considering the Samsung LNS4096D for my bedroom. I would like to use a cablecard as it provides excellent quality picture on my other television (JVC LCOS).

Can someone WHO IS USING A CABLECARD FOR THE Samsung LNS4096D tell me if a) the cooling runs when television is off and b) if the cooling fans runs 24/7, how loud is it? Will I hear it while trying to sleep?

On CableCARD sets the fan should run at all times due to the CC still recieving a signal. If this fan was not running the CC would become very hot a possibly cause damage to either the CC or TV. Most likely you should not be able to hear the fan at night.

OK, I've read a bazillion posts in this forum and others, and I'm hoping someone can break this down for me.

I have an HP z565 DEC (PC running XP MCE 2005 RU2), connected to my Samsung LN-S4696D via HDMI to HDMI. The HP has a Nvidia 7600GS. My goal is to set the resolution to 1920x1080 @ 60Hz. I can do that, but of course I have overscan, as expected on an HDTV. In other words, the PC interface gets cropped, even though TV and DVD's look good.

Nvidia has an option to resize the HDTV desktop, but doing this always lowers the resolution. Is there a way to resize the windows / MCE desktop without changing the resolution? If not, is the only way to achieve my goal to update to the 1024 JustScan 1:1 pixel mapping firmware? Anyone know when / if this firware will be officially released in the US? Thanks in advance!

Ouch! After reading the thousands of posts in these forums, I went ahead and did a firmware upgrade to v1024 on my LN-S4096D. The upgrade process went exactly as described, phases 1, 2, 3, and reboot. Upon completion the set turned off (as described). I tried to turn the TV back on, and got nothing! It won't turn on. I pulled the power plug and waited a bit, plugged it back in, and it still won't turn on!

Here's my symptoms:

1) When plugging in the TV, there is a 'click' from the relay, and the front panel blue LED comes on for a few seconds as though it was powering up normally, but the screen never comes on.

2) The front panel power button and side-panel control buttons do nothing whatsoever.

3) Pressing buttons on the remote control DOES cause the blue front-panel led to blink as usual, but nothing happens.

4) While plugged in, the TV appears to reset every 3 minutes (watchdog). The relay will click, the blue led goes solid for a couple of seconds (just like normal power-off), then it immediately clicks again and the led blinks a few times like normal power-on. This process will repeat indefinitely every 3 minutes as long as the set has power.

I have called Samsung (avoided any mention of doing a firmware upgrade) and they are contacting the local repair crew to come look at/fix it.

Has anyone with an LN-S4096D run into this?! I had firmware v1009 before the upgrade. I followed the upgrade instructions TO THE LETTER, and no joy. I am kicking myself so hard.

I am a ln-s4695D user and am having some problems. I am noticing a lot of jaggies on this set which are not apparent on some of my friends' tvs. My 360 looks the worst and while my ps3 still has some jaggies which I am concerned about but they are not as apparent as on my 360. I currently sit 8 feet away and I am using Monster component cables.

So, my questions are, is there any thing I can do to eliminate these jagged edges? Are my settings not configured properly, etc. or is there something wrong with my tv, or this type of tv in general?

I would double check that your 360 is set to 720p and not 480.

I would double check that your 360 is set to 720p and not 480.

Yes I have my 360 is currently running at 1080p.

I noticed something, after the FW upgrade. When using a component input, the only option available for Picture Mode is Custom, is this normal? my dvd is connected using HDMI and all the options are available when using it. Thanks for any info.

Just wanted to toss in here a weird tidbit about the PC input and accepted resolutions via HDMI. I wanted to hook up my PC to the Samsung LN-S4096D, so I took my DVI to HDMI cable and plugged it in the back of my GeForce 6600 vid card. As you'd expect from previous posts, no resolution was accepted via the HDMI input. Well, I put a DVI to DSUB adapter on the card and used one of the "Supported" resolutions from the Samsung Manual (most of which are 4:3 sans the 1920x1080). Well, I couldn't run Valve's Orange Box very well at that huge resolution on my dinosaur card... So I dug some money out of the mattress and bought a Radeon X1950 PRO (runs it at about 45fps at 1920x1080 with all settings maxed). So, for some odd reason, I decided to try and get 60 fps by seeing if I could maybe run it at 1280x720 or something lower. I took off the DSUB adapter and plugged in the DVI to HDMI cable for kicks expecting black screens of "Not Supported Mode". Well... to keep a long story long, I didn't. The TV displayed 1280x720 and 1920x1080 just fine via HDMI. Here's the caveat, it looked considerably dimmer and blurry as if it was being scaled terribly as a result of the HDMI input. Not sure what sort of trick the ATI drivers/Hardware do to fool the Samsung into displaying it. Maybe the aforementioned picture quality is why this isn't officially supported. I know this probably isn't of much use to anyone but I thought I would toss it in this gargantuan thread :)

Update: I had Samsung Support install a new board and update the firmware to gain access to JustScan 1:1 pixelmapping. Now I can run media center at full 1080p over HDMI without cropping the UI (no overscan). I do have the "green line" issue down the lefthand side when in JustScan mode, as others have reported, but otherwise it works great. BTW, samsung support was awesome... showed up at my house a day after I made the request online and actually fixed my issue.

FYI, for Nvidia 7600gs users, I had to go back to the original drivers that shipped with my pc. The newer drivers would only work at 1080i for some reason, not 1080p. When set to 1080p with newer drivers, the screen becomes very "pixelated" for lack of a better description. Works fine with original drivers.

I called Samsung and the tech refused to send a tech to do a firmware upgrade on my 4095D. I was searching the thread and found some people can upgrade the firmware themselves. But it has no USB input. Is it possible? Thanks.

Go to the owner's thread.. Isn't there a USB port on the side?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=722482

Hey guys, my new board just arrived in the mail (it spent a week in customs lol). I am busy tonight, but I plan to do the install tomorrow evening. I'll be sure to take pics of the install!

Cheers,
Alan

Trying to navigate through this thread.

I have a Samsung 40" LNS4095DX and I wanted to upgraded the firmware but wasn't clear on which one to do... where can I get the firmware software and which one would I need?


Thanks,
-Nigel

Successss!!!!

Ok guys it took just under an hour for me to swap boards. I took a few pics, but it was soo easy that I'm not going to post it. Here is what I did in an hour:

- Remove TV from wall
- Prep work area
- Place TV on work area
- Crack open a Heineken
- Remove VESA bracket
- Remove the screws from back panel
- Pull back panel off
- Remove the fan connector and adjacent connector on the top side of the board
- Remove the screws holding the metal board cover
- Remove the metal cover
- Remove remaining connectors (be careful here guys, don't pull from the wires!)
- Remove the 6 screws that secure the mainboard
- Wiggle out the board
- Open up another Heineken
- Repeat in reverse
- Turn tv on, and set "Home" mode... Continue to set the time/date, etc...

And Voila! <Borat Voice> GREAT SUCCCCESSSS </Borat Voice>

If any of you guys out there have a fried TV, and you're past the warranty period, then give me an email @ candal82@msn.com and I'll give you a hand sourcing your board, and giving installation tips!

Thanks to the guys from this forum who provided me with so much help, especially the service manual. Thanks guys!

Cheers,
Alan

I am a ln-s4695D user and am having some problems. I am noticing a lot of jaggies on this set which are not apparent on some of my friends' tvs. My 360 looks the worst and while my ps3 still has some jaggies which I am concerned about but they are not as apparent as on my 360. I currently sit 8 feet away and I am using Monster component cables.

So, my questions are, is there any thing I can do to eliminate these jagged edges? Are my settings not configured properly, etc. or is there something wrong with my tv, or this type of tv in general?


My "Old" 360 does the same when going with component. I think it's the 360, as the scaler was not originaly built for 1080p. The newer 360's with HDMI seem to work better (with or without component).

Switch your 360 to 720p and it will look much better. All 360 games are 720p anyhow, and if you are using the 360 for HD-DVD (or upscaling DVD's) you can't get 1080p over component anyway due to the copyright restrictions. Bad thing is if you are streaming 1080p from your computer using Media Center, you will loose that extra resolution.

That's what I've noticed and determined with my 4669 and 360. Now my PS3 is HDMI, and I've never seen any jaggies at 1080p.

=MATT=

Oh yea, I almost forgot why I originally came to this forum.

Is there a discrete IR code for turning Game Mode on and off?

I like having game mode on for playing games on my PS3, but want game mode off for watching Bluray. It's a bit of a pain having to go into the menu every time.

Thanks.

=MATT=

I have the LNS-4095. I installed the latest FW 15 months ago. The picture was working perfectly on Just Scan, but I got the green line on the right side. Then six months ago the picture shifted to the left of a quarter of a inch, and up of about a inch, in Just Scan mode. But it also shifted on 16:9 mode too, but to minor extent on the botton (a quarter of a inch).
For me the Just Scan is unusable since then.

I wonder if anyone nows if re-installing the firmware would help.
Or if it is possible, reinstalling an older firmware so as I can at least have the original overscan (that was smaller than with the Just Scan firmware).

Any help will be very much appreciated.

I am thinking on changing the board of my LNS-4095, due to the problem mentioned above. But I think that there are only used boards on the market for these TVs.

What you guys think about this? I'm right on this asumption?

I wonder if it would be possible to exchange the mainboard of these TVs for a board of a current model like 550 series.

Call me crazy, but I don't want to expend my money on a used board that I don't know how long will last, considering mine is the second one (the first came with defect from factory) and the Samsung's replacement on warranty only lasted a year (and became defective just at the end of warranty).

Any thoughts on this crazy idea of using a 2008 model's board (I think the 550 would be the closest to our series LNS-xx95/96) or maybe a 2007 model's board (f. e.: LNS-xx61/65/69).

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Ugh, I was hoping I wouldn't have to harass anyone about this TV again, but I'm thinking about beefing up my pc so I can play Street Fighter 4, Starcraft 2, and all the other goodies in 1080p. I have a dvi->hdmi converter and it wouldn't work between my current graphics card (6800 xt) and my tv. The TV won't even change to the hdmi port since it doesn't think there's a signal there.

I was just wondering if anyone has gotten the TV to accept a PC signal from the graphics card through the HDMI port. The VGA port works fine, but I'd REALLY like the hdmi port to work. So if anyone could help me out, I'd appreciate it. I have the newest firmware on my TV as well.

Thanks!

Is there a difference between the LNS4095D and LNS4095DX? I was looking into firmware upgrades and wanted to clear that up.

thanks.

I purchased a Sony Blu Ray s350 and it will send 1080P out to the Samsung LN-S4696D but the TV will not accept 1080P IN. The Sony downgrades it to 1080I

I was under the impression that this was a full 1080P unit ?

I hope someone can shed some light on this as I am concerned about the Samsung 4696D not being a full 1080P unit.

I also not in some threds that there may have been a firmware upgrade on this unit? Can anyone advise what it was and how to get it?

Thanks

bought a ps3 to play blu-ray to my 4695d. Menus come up but no disc video via hdmi ports. Hdmi tv at best buy with my cable and ps3 works fine. I read here about frimware upgrades etc. But have no idea what if anything I can do. I bought the set in 2006 but had no reason to use the hdmi ports. Appreciate any help I could get.

Okay, I had posted a message under another thread (Flat Panel TVs), but may be someone on this forum will be able to help me.
I have a 3 yr old Samsung LN-S4092D LCD HDTV and it suddenly (probably related to a thunderstorm) lost its HDCP code so that it is not taking any input from HDCP enabled HDMI devices (like my DVD player, etc).
Samsung folks said there is no firmware update for my TV. I was wondering whether there is any way to restore the HDMI HDCP settings on my TV. I believe there is a HDCP code on/for the HDMI chip, but my knowledge about this issue ends there!
Any help is appreciated.