Well it's been almost 3 years now since i've owned my Sony 34" 34HS420 HDTV, and i figured an official thread was long overdue :)

Please feel free to share your experiances and problems or issues or what ever you want for that matter on this tv.

Matt~

This tv has been a pleasure to watch. Every time I sit down to watch a show I'm blown away, again, by the fidelity of HD. I love to sit as close as possible without noticing any scanlines or flicker, which is about 4 feet. The only thing more I would want out of HD is bigger size, and the ability to surf the web and use email on the tv. I've tried it and it's just not a good thing. LCD sets are much better suited for use as a computer monitor.

I love this tv!

I agree on all your points, and yeah it really is a great tv, even with VHS it's great with DRC set to Interlaced.

It's funny because out of all the issues i have heard with the HS420 series i have not had one since the day i bought it. It's out of Warranty too by now so i hope my luck stays good that way untill the day it dies,which hopefully won't be for a very long time:)

I think it is a great TV as well, I really love mine. I have a bit of a horizontal bending/bowing problem on the far upper and lower left hand side...if that makes sense. I have D* and a H20 box. I leave it on native and let the TV do the 720/1080 converting. What do you guys do?

Gentlemen, also remember that just because the thread title says 34" 34hs420, you can still post about your 30" model as well.

Feel free to ask anything here,even fixes if you want i can try and help you sinc ei have helped many people in the past.

Matt~

I could not be happier with mine. It is just a great TV. It's only 3 months old but no problems except i could use more HDTV stations to watch. DVD's are awesome and SD is good (as possible) too.

I think it is a great TV as well, I really love mine. I have a bit of a horizontal bending/bowing problem on the far upper and lower left hand side...if that makes sense. I have D* and a H20 box. I leave it on native and let the TV do the 720/1080 converting. What do you guys do?
I have Comcast Digital Cable and have the STB set to output all HD signals at 1080i. That way the scaler in the STB (which is usually better than the one in the tv) handles the conversion from 720p to 1080i and it's all good.

For SD I have the STB set to 480i, that way I set the DRC setting on the tv to 960i and get what seems to me to be the best PQ - truthfully I don't see too much difference whether DRC is set to Interlaced, Progressive or CineMotion - but I guess I prefer Interlaced since logically 960i seems like it should be best. For DVDs I have an Oppo upconverting player connected via HDMI and it makes dvds look awesome.

I think the scaler in the TV is better than the one in my STB. As far as the DRC goes...I can't tell the difference between the 3. Is there a way to turn the DRC off, that way I could actually tell if it is making a difference? I mean I assume it is 960i, but how do you really know. Plus if you turn the service menu on when it is in 480i, that is what it displays on the top...not 960i.

480i in the service menu is the incoming signal just so you know. After that DRC does the work and converts it to what ever you choose of the 3 modes.

DRC only affects 480i material, it's not active in 480p-1080i

ahhhh, I see, thanks...makes sense.

I love my Sony 30HS420 and its the best HDTV ive had, I went threw 6 HDTVs before finally finding one i was happy with. After a few months of tweaking ive yet to see a picture that looks as good as mine although obviously a Sony XS or XBR would be better but ive never seen one. Ive had no problems with it at all and i love how much you can tweak it unlike most HDTV's. Have you got your HD-DVD player and tryed it yet Matt? Or maybe someone else has got one with this tv?

Nah i'm sitting that one out Nick untill theres a clear format winner. I am though picking up the PS3 this November so i guess you can consider that my taste into the format:)

Same here Nick, i went through 1 Samsung 27" CRT HDTV, 1 Panasonic 27" CRT HDTV, 1 Samsung 17" LCD HDTV, 1 Philips 30" widescreen HDTV and now i've found the perfect tv the sony 34" CRT HDTV the sony 34hs420!

Please some one correct me, as what I have here is merely hear say, and I NEED to be informed.

1. The Samsung "Slim Fit" has ~800 scan lines
2. The Sony XBR/XS has ~65% more scan lines
3. Our 34HS420 has how many scan lines???

I did a search but found nothing conclusive. I am trying to become as educated as possible on the subject of CRT TV's, so any information on the subject is appreciated. Is there a chart somewhere that lists of all the HD CRTs made who has how many scan lines, or the like??? Sorry for the very vague questions, but I am very interested in the subject, and would love as much information as I can get. I noticed in the CRT projection forum there is a CRT Projection Primer....a wonderful website, that gives you all the information you could possibly want on CRT Projectors. Is there anything like that for HD CRT TV's???

Your a bit off topic Net17, but i'll tell you anyways since you want to know.

you are correct with the two tv's you mentioned, the sony hs420 however has about 850-900 scan lines. I don't know exactly where to find info on how many scanlines certain tv's have, but i did hear people talking to sony tech's and most say around 850-900 line of horizontal resolution for the sony hs420 series.

700-800 lines is more than enough though for a great picture!

Sorry, for going off topic, I was just curious...especially sense you said..."Please feel free to share your experiences and problems or issues or what ever you want for that matter on this tv." So under the, what ever you want on this tv, I figured I would ask about how many scan lines there are. My apologies, I am new to this whole thing.

No problem:)

After carefull reading i guess your on topic;)

As I said before, I love this tv. If someone were to ask me "what else could Sony have done to make the tv even better?" - I'd say two things:

1) include independent input memory
2) put the "Menu" button somewhere else on the remote. I don't know why, but I consistently hit the button in the center of the "ring" instead of the proper Menu button on the side. The "center" button I keep hitting brings up "Favorites" I believe, then it's a real mess when I hit one of those accidentally. I just wish Sony had put the Menu button somewhere else.

Mine would be...

1) independent input memory
2) the remote have a code for my D* H20 Box
3) digital audio out
4) I know this is a dream...but 2 HDMI inputs...

If i could change a few things, my wishes would be:

1) 2 HDMI inputs
2) a little less heavy, it was a bitch to move lol
3) #'s for the picture settings instead of ticks, this way i can accurately tell where all my picture settings are set at instead of counting the tiny lines...#'s are easier it would go a long way just doing that.
4) Independant input memory that way i don't have to go into the service menu and do it manually.

Pretty much it really, Oh and of all the tv's i have owned i love the sony remote that comes with it:)

...Pretty much it really, Oh and of all the tv's i have owned i love the sony remote that comes with it:)
Same with my sets. I have come to really enjoy the Harmony remote I picked-up a few months ago. I had one of the Sony universal remotes with the big LCD screen but it was incredibly difficult to manage. I believe it was the Sony AV2500 - now it just collects dust. Too bad because I paid almost $200 for it.

What's really great about these sony's is how great they handle SD material with the DRC.

I swear some cable channels and VHS tapes look remarkebly clear and almost HD like in appearance.The DRC really does wonders to the PQ that's for sure.I don't have HD service yet for my tv so far i've only been watching 480p and 960i.HD should look out of this world though when i do get it soon though:)

Those that have HD could you comment a bit more on how well this tv handles it?

Matt: The tv handles HD great the problem is the cable and satalite company's just aren't puting out quality HD material. Most of it looks no better then an upconverted DVD, The only really good HD is over the air HD.

I totally agree about SDTV looking great on this tv, I hooked up a splitter so i could send one line to my HD box and one to the tv's tuner but i had signal dropouts, Im guessing i didn't have a splitter capable of splitting it correctly, Any idea which i should get?

Also, Which DRC mode are you using for SDTV?

I use Interlaced for DRC. (PS2)
HD (Motorola STB outputs 480p and 1080i)
dvd is 480p
ps2 is 480i using S-Video

For DRC i use "INTERLACED" it looks great for cable,VHS and videogames on PS2 that are not in 480p.


Nick if your looking for a good splitter look for one with at least 1000 MHZ frequency range, the higher the better.Probably the reason cable looks so good is because i'm connecting the cable directly to the tv.

I have HD service from Comcast and it's fantastic. I get these HD channels: FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, INHD1, INHD2, Discovery HD Theater and ESPN HD. As good as DVDs are, HD is in a class all by itself. I use a splitter with cable, so that I send one cable split to the Comcast STB for digital channels and one cable split to the tv for analog cable channels. Everything looks awesome. What's so great is how well the analog cable channels look all by themselves with DRC at 960i, but then I switch to an HD channel and WOW!. The colors and the detail is unbelieveable.

Matt - I can't wait to hear what you have to say after you get HD. I don't think you're gonna be able to contain yourself.

nick2003 - the coax splitter has to be rated at least 1GHz.

Even with D* my HD looks really amazing, and I am sure it would look even better if I had E*. I get both OTA and the D* LA Locals. The OTA looks much better, but ESPN and ESPN2 still look great during games. So much so, that I can hardly watch SD anymore. I have the SD set at interlaced. For DVD I use 1080i via HDMI.

Thanks guys, I also have Comcast HDTV service, There are some very good quality HD show's and movies but for the most part its not impressing me, The best quality stuff i have seen on it is on the locals like NBC, FOX, ABC which i can get for free. If you have a good upconverting DVD player its better then most of the other stuff on there with some exceptions like sopranos on HBO and every now and then you'll run into a good HD movie but most aren't OAR and are highly compressed. If you want to see true HD get one of the new HD disc formats because even the best looking stuff on Cable or Satalite is compressed quite a bit.

Is the HDMI input HDCP compliant on the 30" or the 34" cause some people say its not???

Thanks !!!

AFAIK... 99% of HDMI is HDCP compliant. I would say that Sony would be...

AFAIK... 99% of HDMI is HDCP compliant. I would say that Sony would be...
It is.

It would be stupid if it was'nt...

Hey fellas, I've had my 34HS420 for a bit over a year now. While it has provided me with a great picture I am now noticing a few problems.

#1 The anti-glare coating is wearing off the screen. Sony is replacing the tube for me but I have to pay labor. (bs)

#2 I have a vertical bar that scrolls from right to left across the screen on HD channels. It's really only noticible when I watch tv at night with the lights low or off, but it's annoying as hell. Sony will not fix this for me. I've tried 2 differnt cable boxes, different wires, different inputs but the problem is still there. And yet they insist the problem is with the cable line.

Dealing with Sony over this issue has made me decide NEVER to buy a Sony product again, their customer service dept is horrible.

I'd like to hear if anyone else has this scrolling bar.

Hey fellas, I've had my 34HS420 for a bit over a year now. While it has provided me with a great picture I am now noticing a few problems.

#1 The anti-glare coating is wearing off the screen. Sony is replacing the tube for me but I have to pay labor. (bs)

#2 I have a vertical bar that scrolls from right to left across the screen on HD channels. It's really only noticible when I watch tv at night with the lights low or off, but it's annoying as hell. Sony will not fix this for me. I've tried 2 differnt cable boxes, different wires, different inputs but the problem is still there. And yet they insist the problem is with the cable line.

Dealing with Sony over this issue has made me decide NEVER to buy a Sony product again, their customer service dept is horrible.

I'd like to hear if anyone else has this scrolling bar.

The scrolling line sounds like a ground loop issue, Which is caused by the actual cable line and not the box. Ground loops can be a real pain to fix if you want an easy solution feed your cable line threw a surge protector.

What did you use to clean your screen?

I've always used a just a damp wash cloth to clean the screen, but that doesn't go to say my fiance has always done the same. Other Sony models had this vertical bar issue of which there's an internal Sony document about it...I'm wondering if it's the same problem.

I have the 30hs420 only because of the huge price diffence for 4"extra.
I have an OTA HD tuner, through which I receive awesome PQ.
I wish the inputs were independent switches though!
I've had it for a year and a half, no problems here.

My wife and I have really loved this TV for about a year now, but there's of course one minor annoyance. When the HDMI input is selected, for instance with our Dish satellite HD DVR or upscaling DVD player, the screen mode is locked to FULL. Is there any magical way to get it to let the Sony handle the 4:3 sources instead of the other device(s)? I really fell in love with WIDE ZOOM and can't stand the Dish stretching modes or what the Sony upscaler does to non-16x9 material. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

My wife and I have really loved this TV for about a year now, but there's of course one minor annoyance. When the HDMI input is selected, for instance with our Dish satellite HD DVR or upscaling DVD player, the screen mode is locked to FULL. Is there any magical way to get it to let the Sony handle the 4:3 sources instead of the other device(s)? I really fell in love with WIDE ZOOM and can't stand the Dish stretching modes or what the Sony upscaler does to non-16x9 material. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

The Sony locks into FULL for HD inputs (720p/1080i). If you have an option for a "passthrough" function on your Dish receiver/DVD player to send 480i to the HS420 over HDMI you will get the screen options you desire.

Hey fellas, I've had my 34HS420 for a bit over a year now. While it has provided me with a great picture I am now noticing a few problems.

#1 The anti-glare coating is wearing off the screen. Sony is replacing the tube for me but I have to pay labor. (bs)

#2 I have a vertical bar that scrolls from right to left across the screen on HD channels. It's really only noticible when I watch tv at night with the lights low or off, but it's annoying as hell. Sony will not fix this for me. I've tried 2 differnt cable boxes, different wires, different inputs but the problem is still there. And yet they insist the problem is with the cable line.

Dealing with Sony over this issue has made me decide NEVER to buy a Sony product again, their customer service dept is horrible.

I'd like to hear if anyone else has this scrolling bar.

Very interesting. A few questions:
Is the vertical bar about two inches wide and appear pinkish in color? Is it only on 1080i inputs or does it occur on 720p inputs as well?

I have no idea what the best mode/inputs would be with my 420 and my Samsung HD-845 DVD player. The upscaling on the DVD player can only be used with the HDMI cable. When the HDMI cable is used, I can not use the 3:2 pulldown from the TV (the CineMotion), correct? So my question is what is the best. Using component cables from the DVD player to the TV and use the TV's 3:2 pull down. Or use the HDMI cable and select 720p (or would 1080i be better)...honestly I have done all three, and I can't tell a difference. Can anyone shed some light on this situation?

I have no idea what the best mode/inputs would be with my 420 and my Samsung HD-845 DVD player. The upscaling on the DVD player can only be used with the HDMI cable. When the HDMI cable is used, I can not use the 3:2 pulldown from the TV (the CineMotion), correct? So my question is what is the best. Using component cables from the DVD player to the TV and use the TV's 3:2 pull down. Or use the HDMI cable and select 720p (or would 1080i be better)...honestly I have done all three, and I can't tell a difference. Can anyone shed some light on this situation?
Not to worry.

Your upconverting player is already handling the 3:2 Pulldown. In this case, use the HDMI cable and let the player do the work.

Cheers! ;)

Done, and done. Thank you!!!

Done, and done. Thank you!!!
You're welcome.

About 720p vs 1080i. That's a personal taste thing. I actually prefer 720p out from my Oppo upconverting player. Whatever looks best to you. ;)

Is our TV just that good...2.5 months and not one post about it. I for one have had no problems, aside from a few minor geometry issues. I used the avia dvd, but there are some horizontal problems that just will not go away. Anyone else?

I think that it is a good thing were are not seeing so many posts on this TV, I suspect that it is because there are fewer problems (or perhaps less descriminating owners). I had the chance of going with the 960 or 955 (for about $120 more (though the XBR's were floor models) and I still went with the HS420 because it is the tried and true original Trinitron CRT (in terms of stripe pitch and cathode emitter surfaces).

I am glad I did too as every 960/955 had a problem that was unacceptable to me (focus, geometry, or bad color impurities in any combination on every one). Plus, having used NEC XM/XP and 3PG monitors (all 29" CRT Presentation Monitors) I knew that having an ultra fine dot pitch is not always a good thing. There is always a trade off, with the NEC's it was brightness, the 3PG was far brighter and more vivid but had a bigger dot pitch than the XM/XP29. With the Sony XBR models Sony used a different phosphor coating to compensate for the drop in brightness, it worked but the consequence is more trailing on high contrast scenes. For screen sizes of 30" and 34" I just do not see the reason for the SFP CRT, if it something that you cannot tell from more than 3 or 4 feet back and you sit further away then it almost worse to go with the SFP.

Anyway, a little tweaking in the SM should get rid of your bowing issues. Though you must go in with realistic expecations, widescreen CRT's are not going to have perfect geometry, focus, and even convergence everywhere on the screen (this has alot to do with the flat CRT). Thankfully, I see very little geometry errors on my HS420 (only at the upper left, which is understandable considering the retrace patch of the beam; anyway, the 960's were probably 3 times as bad as mine), The way I see it these little issues are a small price to pay for such great picture quality.

I am just enjoying the heck out of my 34HS420. I'm going on two years now and I've had no complaints. I did have some linearity issues with the 4:3 window but pretty much fixed those in the SM. I agree that it's probably a good thing there's so few posts. Just fewer problems to talk about, and I'm fairly discriminating.

One thought dogs me though - how much better PQ would I get with a "pro" calibration? My suspicion is that I could get a substantially better picture, but I'd hate to shell out the money and not get enough bang for my buck. And, as I said, I really, really like it just the way it is. And I still get that sense of awe every time I turn it on and see that crisp, clear HD picture.

Anyway, a little tweaking in the SM should get rid of your bowing issues.

Which SM commands are for horizontal bowing? I though only vertical bowing could be fixed.

Which SM commands are for horizontal bowing? I though only vertical bowing could be fixed.

You are correct. The only controls that can affect horizontal bowing are the VCEN and VPIN adjustments - both in the horizontal group of adjustable parameters.

Ok, I have a bit of an issue with my 34HS420. In 1080i (not 720p) the bottom of the screen (very bottom less then the bottom 1%) the picture does a sharp left slant. I only notice it when there are checkerd patterns at the bottom. Any suggestions?

Theres should be a "TILT" option in the user menu, try it and see if it helps.

Does anyone use their HS420 with D* H20 or HR20? If so what settings do you use on your TV/D* Box for 4:3 sourced material? I have been experiment with Normal on the TV and stretch on the D* box, and Zoom on the TV and Pillar Box on the D* box. It seems like Normal on the TV and stretched on the D* box gives the proper aspect ratio, while zoom on the TV and pillar box on the D* box stretches it too much. Anyone else look into this? If I choose Normal on the TV and Pillar Box on the D* box, it is way too small.

I don't have HD cable or any cable box for that matter,i just have the cable from the wall connected to my tv and i just use "Widezoom" for tv and DVD's that are in 4:3.

I have a 30HS420 that will be two years old in November. It also has a CC extended warranty that runs out in 11/07. It's in the spare room and it only used for gaming and some dvd viewing.

I have a problem when the set turns on. All I have connected to this set is a X-Box 360,original X-Box and a Sony DVD player. When you turn the set on,no matter what input you select the screen has a red tint to it and then gets brighter red the longer it's on. You can slightly notice it on games and DVD's but it seems to be getting worse. It's more apparent when it's on the input select screen than any other time. I've tried all different settings and nothing changes it. I'm going to call CC and set up a service call but wanted to see if anybody had any idea what might be causing this.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim

I have a 30HS420 that will be two years old in November. It also has a CC extended warranty that runs out in 11/07. It's in the spare room and it only used for gaming and some dvd viewing.

I have a problem when the set turns on. All I have connected to this set is a X-Box 360,original X-Box and a Sony DVD player. When you turn the set on,no matter what input you select the screen has a red tint to it and then gets brighter red the longer it's on. You can slightly notice it on games and DVD's but it seems to be getting worse. It's more apparent when it's on the input select screen than any other time. I've tried all different settings and nothing changes it. I'm going to call CC and set up a service call but wanted to see if anybody had any idea what might be causing this.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim

Minen had something similar a few years ago, but in my case it was a blue tint, it went away though after a while. Weird eh?

Yeah it's really strange. Mine has probably been doing this for close to a year but seems to be bugging me more and more lately. I know I need to get it checked before the extended warranty runs out but generally hate dealing with this kind of stuff.

Jim

Good luck!

Unfortunately my warranty ran out 2 years ago so if anything happens to mine im pretty much ****ed with a 192lbs box.

Lucky for me though i hav'nt had one single issue so far so i prey that it continues that way.

Yeah it's really strange. Mine has probably been doing this for close to a year but seems to be bugging me more and more lately. I know I need to get it checked before the extended warranty runs out but generally hate dealing with this kind of stuff.

Jim
You should get that service ticket started as soon as possible. Don't push the envelope on the expiration of your warranty.

Could someone please post their service menu settings. I've been trying trying to get a better picture quality for a couple days now but can't seem to get it right. I have a Sony 30HS420, but I don't think your settings have to be for the exact model just a Sony CRT I think. Well I hope someone can help me out. Thanks.

can somebody please explain how to fix this convergence problem:

i have red letter doubling(white text) in upper and lower corners
hopefully there is an easy fix
thanks in advance
p5o

In response to a friend i helped out today, here are the best tweaks for the 34HS420 to get the best PQ for XBOX360 and other sources:

Make sure your in PRO mode at first and have everything in their default values since we are doing this all in the service menu.

Here are the codes..

SBRT: 29
UBOF: 0
VMLV: 0
VMCR: 0
VMLM: 0
VMFO: 0
VMDL: 0
SHOF: 0
VM: 0
VMH: 0
VMM: 0
VML: 0
RYR: 14
RYB: 14
GYR: 6
GYB: 4
Under MID5 settings MHLY-SVCE all at 0

And there you have it!

Keep in mind that some of these settings are global while others you will have to carry over from each input and resolution.

Your xbox360 games should deffinately be better looking and sharper, and eliminate most of the jaggies present.

Hey Matt when you say default values for pro mode do you mean the default values that you get when you hit reset on the remote ? I plan to buy the xbox 360 and my 30hs420 is brand new.

Thanks

I recently purchased a KV34HS420, I noticed one red pixel on the TV that has no phosphor on it, and therefore it does not produce any color (a defect in the tube itself). I am getting it replaced with another one (same model). Has anyone experienced this problem or noticed a pixel defect on there KV34HS420?

hi,,

I want to be able to select an input without going through Tv/Video button (or its equivalent that I can program to my remote). Isn't there a way to select one input directly? This way I can program my universal remote so that when I select , say DVD, input 7 is automatically selected (HDMI), or when I select Cable, input 5 is selected (e.g my cable box - through component)

is there a way?

Hey all. I'm a proud owner of the KV-30HS420, but I do have a few questions about it that I've been trying to find an answers to for awhile, and this seemed the best place to find out. From searching on the forums, is it correct that your SM settings (mainly horizontal positioning for me) can't be individualized per input?

I also had a question about a problem I've had with the image "distorting" for lack of a better way to put it. When still images pan across the screen (especially with old, 2d video games), it looks as if the image is rolling across vertical rollers, long vertical lumps or something across the screen. I know that's a terrible way to describe it, but I thought I would see if anyone could understand what I'm talking about and if this problem could be fixed in the SM.

I'm really new to these forums, so if this isn't the proper place to ask these questions, I would be more than happy to repost if someone could help direct me to the proper place. Thanks in advance!

hi,,

I want to be able to select an input without going through Tv/Video button (or its equivalent that I can program to my remote). Isn't there a way to select one input directly? This way I can program my universal remote so that when I select , say DVD, input 7 is automatically selected (HDMI), or when I select Cable, input 5 is selected (e.g my cable box - through component)

is there a way?What kind of universal remote do you have? You might try searching the Remote Forum for your answer.

I have a Harmony remote and it is based upon activities such as Watch TV, Watch DVD, etc. One button is used for each activity which in turn powers on and off the appropriate components and selects the correct tv input. It is programmed by web access and is quite flexible.

Hi all Ive owned the KV-30HS420 since around april of last year and pretty happy with it.
one major problem im haveing with this set is it seams to be leaking light on the left side of the screen.
what i mean by leaking light is it seams to have a soft white glow on the left edge of the screen but you dont always notice it for some reason.
it seams to show up more when you have dark on a light backround.
i have an extended warranty on the set but if its something i can adjust myself i would
ive used avia dvd on the basics but i have yet too try service menu at all.
any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I have been hoping to buy a 34" CRT before they go the way of the dinosaur and this model and the Sony 970 are the only ones that seem to be around.

Can someone please explain the hierarchy of these TV's?

Does the 430 have the "super fine dot pitch"?

Thanks.

hey guys I have a 30" HS420 what are your settings for Mid1 - Mid3 when using a component source (video5\6) that is 480i? using Full picture mode?
the geometry on my set is all over the place.
I would rather put the mid1, mid2, mid3 settings back to factory and use HPOS\VPOS to adjust the pic.
thanks!!!!

Hello all, this will be my first post (and quite important for my decision) so please be patiente with me.

Giving the choice of an 34XBR970 and a 30HS420, technicly wise which one makes more sense to get? I have access to a 30HS420 for under 400, but it has some "shades" on the bottom of the screen and according to the guy he is pretty sure is because of the comcast receiver. Makes me doubt but the price is not that crazy.

On the other hand I could get the XBR for the regular price. Good thing about that is that is new.

Help?

Hello!

I am new to this TV, i just got it new from Tweeter last week, but there's something that's annoying me that i'd like to consult with the uberknowledgeable staff here.

Sometimes, the TV seems not to "lock on" signals properly and it does one of the following things:
-It just works fine. No complaints here :)
-It "twitches"; just like you had a noisy carrier and the tv just could not get the signal right. The screen flickers for a fraction of second and actually appears to move to the left and back to the "correct" position. It really seems like it could not sync the refresh rate properly
- It does not flicker (twitch) but the image is actually offset to my left, about 1 or 1 1/2 inches. I do lose that part of the signal (I can tell because, for instance, the BBC america station logo reads "BC America" :) I can also tell when I play games, part of the data screen is lost.

This happens in both composite and HDMI inputs. Even when the TV has no signal, the actual OSD flickers (I mean, the actual green "Video 7" readout)

I also have a problem getting CC to work, which really leads me to some kind of signal sync, but that's something for another day.

Any insight, hints?

I've posted this in both places this question is asked:

I've had the same model for going on two years now.

The only time I get what sounds like your twitch is when switching between an HD channel and an SD channel. But no indication that it's not locking onto the signal. I have no offset - if that is constant, it can be addressed in the service menu, but only if it's on all inputs.

Based on your description I'd recommend calling tweeter and discussing an exchange. Doesn't sound good.

Hey all. I'm a proud owner of the KV-30HS420, but I do have a few questions about it that I've been trying to find an answers to for awhile, and this seemed the best place to find out. From searching on the forums, is it correct that your SM settings (mainly horizontal positioning for me) can't be individualized per input?

I also had a question about a problem I've had with the image "distorting" for lack of a better way to put it. When still images pan across the screen (especially with old, 2d video games), it looks as if the image is rolling across vertical rollers, long vertical lumps or something across the screen. I know that's a terrible way to describe it, but I thought I would see if anyone could understand what I'm talking about and if this problem could be fixed in the SM.

I'm really new to these forums, so if this isn't the proper place to ask these questions, I would be more than happy to repost if someone could help direct me to the proper place. Thanks in advance!

Boy, am I glad to hear that I'm not the only one with this exact same issue. I was just going to post in this thread asking about it. It looks exactly like what you are describing. On any pan across the screen, I get that same "roller" effect... Hope someone here can give us an answer, as it is driving me crazy now that I've noticed it (had the set just over a year, could have been there the whole time). Please, let it be just a simple SM fix.

Well, I went for the KV30HS420 tv set. I think it works great and those "shades" are gone. So i am very happy with it.
I do have a question tho, I use Xbox360 on this TV set and i connect it through the component (video5) entry. While being in the dashboard i can change the settings to be 760p, or 1080i so I assume it does detects the TV as being HD capable. My problem is that the wide screen format pretty much chops a big portion of the upper and bottom image and some of the sides. It looks as if it was doing a wide zoom. Is there a way I can actually see the true wide screen format of the game? and even movies? The do not seem to be in truly wide screen format when I play them in the Xbox.

Please help.

Well, I went for the KV30HS420 tv set. I think it works great and those "shades" are gone. So i am very happy with it.
I do have a question tho, I use Xbox360 on this TV set and i connect it through the component (video5) entry. While being in the dashboard i can change the settings to be 760p, or 1080i so I assume it does detects the TV as being HD capable. My problem is that the wide screen format pretty much chops a big portion of the upper and bottom image and some of the sides. It looks as if it was doing a wide zoom. Is there a way I can actually see the true wide screen format of the game? and even movies? The do not seem to be in truly wide screen format when I play them in the Xbox.

Please help.

set it for 1080i since that is native for the tv, also make sure it is set to output 16X9 or "widescreen"

Thanks for the respond gp-se.

I tried, actually it was the way i had it. But no, it seems that is not working properly or is just the way it is. The screen is zoomed and i am loosing info.

I dont understand the way HD tv's work.

Sup,

I Got a KV30HS420 Last March I Think, Awesome For Xbox 360 Gaming, But The Red Convergence on mine has slowly gotten worse, and not the Processor is reporting an error thru the Standby Light, So i have to Call Sears Home Service, See if they can replace the Part(s) and Fix the Alignment Issues on the screen, I dunno if i have to pay labor or not...

Sup,

I Got a KV30HS420 Last March I Think, Awesome For Xbox 360 Gaming, But The Red Convergence on mine has slowly gotten worse, and not the Processor is reporting an error thru the Standby Light, So i have to Call Sears Home Service, See if they can replace the Part(s) and Fix the Alignment Issues on the screen, I dunno if i have to pay labor or not...

tough luck man. I could only assume you would not have to pay for is within a year and it supposed to be covered under warranty. Let us know if you had to pay for fixing it.

Since you use this tv for xbox360 gaming. Which resolution are you using it during gameplay? Do you have the same situation of the image actually being zoomed as I do?

tough luck man. I could only assume you would not have to pay for is within a year and it supposed to be covered under warranty. Let us know if you had to pay for fixing it.

Since you use this tv for xbox360 gaming. Which resolution are you using it during gameplay? Do you have the same situation of the image actually being zoomed as I do?

for the xbox360 use 1080i

to fix your overscan issues adjust HSIZ (horizontal size) and VSIZ (Vertical size).

Hello,

I purchased a 30HS420 just over a month ago and am happy with the set for the most part. However, it is showing a bit of a geometry problem.

At first I noticed that the top left section of the screen was tilted "down". It was immediately obvious on channels with a ticker running at the bottom of the screen. On closer inspection I could actually see that there was a blank/black section in the top left corner.

I consulted the manual and discovered the tilt setting. A setting of +5 seemed to fix the problem on widescreen channels, although I have to crank it to the maximum +7 to get the ticker channels to look just right. However, on +5 the 4:3 channels look tilted towards the top right corner of the set and +7 looks totally ridiculous. 4:3 channels seem to look best on +4.

And in addition to this, when in 4:3 mode I notice a slight curvature inward at the bottom right side of the image, where it should be a straight vertical bar.

Has anyone else with a problem like this been able to solve it? Do you think it's significant enough that I should have it checked under the terms of the warranty?

Thanks.

Hello,

I purchased a 30HS420 just over a month ago and am happy with the set for the most part. However, it is showing a bit of a geometry problem.

At first I noticed that the top left section of the screen was tilted "down". It was immediately obvious on channels with a ticker running at the bottom of the screen. On closer inspection I could actually see that there was a blank/black section in the top left corner.

I consulted the manual and discovered the tilt setting. A setting of +5 seemed to fix the problem on widescreen channels, although I have to crank it to the maximum +7 to get the ticker channels to look just right. However, on +5 the 4:3 channels look tilted towards the top right corner of the set and +7 looks totally ridiculous. 4:3 channels seem to look best on +4.

And in addition to this, when in 4:3 mode I notice a slight curvature inward at the bottom right side of the image, where it should be a straight vertical bar.

Has anyone else with a problem like this been able to solve it? Do you think it's significant enough that I should have it checked under the terms of the warranty?

Thanks.

It's normal for CRT tv's to have some sort of geometry issues, some you will just have to live with or there are codes in the service menu that can help but i don't recommend anybody venture in there unless you know absolutely sure what you are doing.

I've heard a lot of horror stories from past experiance.

Hey Matt when you say default values for pro mode do you mean the default values that you get when you hit reset on the remote ? I plan to buy the xbox 360 and my 30hs420 is brand new.

Thanks

Yes..although the only setting i really touched was color, i turned it down 4 notches everything else should be set in their default settings in the middle.

30HS420 owner,

Has anyone had much success accessing the Service Menu to tweak settings? I'm thinking about using the numbers from a previous post in this thread.

30HS420 owner,

Has anyone had much success accessing the Service Menu to tweak settings? I'm thinking about using the numbers from a previous post in this thread.

Absolutely!

If i didn't venture into the service menu there would be no way my tv looks as good as it does now. :)

I'm a happy KV30HS420 owner. I had this Tv for almost 2 years now.
PQ is fantastic with my Oppo DVD player at 720p. PS3 games looks awsome on this TV. Blu ray movies at 1080i are razor sharp but it seems that I have a color interference for the movies only. Games and Standard DVDs are perfect.
I had a slight bowing on the corners that I tried to correct in service menu but never 100%, I guess it is impossible to have a CRT with 100% correct geometry.
But Overall, I'm a very happy HS420 owner!

Just as an FYI if anybody is stumped they can always chat with me on xbox LIVE.

Matt~

This thread has been informative! If I can ask a simple question: it was mentioned earlier that an easy way to maximize your picture settings in HD is to go to PRO and kick color back 4 notches.

What else do people have as there settings? Do you turn clear edge on or off? Im not experienced in this so I wont go into the service menu, and frankly I'm wandering if my tv is setup to view HD correct now as it is.

Interlaced or Progressive?
Also, if anyone could check my post yesterday on a small problem with my set.

This thread has been informative! If I can ask a simple question: it was mentioned earlier that an easy way to maximize your picture settings in HD is to go to PRO and kick color back 4 notches.

What else do people have as there settings? Do you turn clear edge on or off? Im not experienced in this so I wont go into the service menu, and frankly I'm wandering if my tv is setup to view HD correct now as it is.

Interlaced or Progressive?
Also, if anyone could check my post yesterday on a small problem with my set.

Yes for PRO and 4 notches back for color although it's user preferance really for color.

Clear edge should be OFF, and for SD content such as cable,etc use Interlaced.

As mentioned above, I would appreciate it if HS420 owners could post their Tilt setting value. Cheers!

Yes for PRO and 4 notches back for color although it's user preferance really for color.

Clear edge should be OFF, and for SD content such as cable,etc use Interlaced.


Thank you

In theory, could all 30hs420 TVs use the same SM values and have identical results? I know that everyone is going to have a personal preference, but could this be true?

If that is the case, is there a "starting point" list of SM values that we could all use, and then discuss personal variations?

In theory, could all 30hs420 TVs use the same SM values and have identical results? I know that everyone is going to have a personal preference, but could this be true?

If that is the case, is there a "starting point" list of SM values that we could all use, and then discuss personal variations?

I would say so, except the greyscale may differ from set to set.

As for starting points use the codes i mentioned on page 2 of this thread, those are very good starting points.

SurfingMatt,

How about helping us out by modifying the service code spreadsheet with your numbers? I have used your suggested numbers for the Xbox360, but I'm sure that there are other codes that can help improve the picture.

SurfingMatt,

How about helping us out by modifying the service code spreadsheet with your numbers? I have used your suggested numbers for the Xbox360, but I'm sure that there are other codes that can help improve the picture.

Well the only other items i can think of to improve your picture is Focus and Convergance.

Here are the codes for Focus:

QPAM-DQP

With QPDC being the main focus element that affects the middle of the screen i'd recommend trying that out for any improvements in PQ it helped me out 10 fold.

For Convergance there's :

YBWU-SLLB

Keep in mind that this only affects Vertical convergance, For Horizontal convergance you will have to use permaloy magnets that's done by a professional.

Of the top of my head that's the best you can do for
PQ, i don't know any other settings.

I used AVIA to calibrate the menu settings on my TV. Although the picture look MUCH better than before, I notice more "blur" and "ghosting" when watching fast motion or dark scenes in DVDs.

Any suggestions? I think that this is because the brightness is very low - used AVIA test to determine proper level. Anyone else experience this?

can anyone recommend a good upconverting dvd player for this tv? I'm leaning towards the phillips 3960 or the sony ns75. thoughts?

can anyone recommend a good upconverting dvd player for this tv? I'm leaning towards the phillips 3960 or the sony ns75. thoughts?

Sony for sure!

I used AVIA to calibrate the menu settings on my TV. Although the picture look MUCH better than before, I notice more "blur" and "ghosting" when watching fast motion or dark scenes in DVDs.

Any suggestions? I think that this is because the brightness is very low - used AVIA test to determine proper level. Anyone else experience this?

Yeah most likely your brightness is too low,i've experianced what you have seen once when my tv was new but after increasing brightness and lowering contrast to the middle or lower the effect seemd to go away.

can anyone recommend a good upconverting dvd player for this tv? I'm leaning towards the phillips 3960 or the sony ns75. thoughts?

I had a philips player before, and ended up returning it. I'm very glad that I did because I ended up getting an Oppo 981. WOW. Great unit. The only negative is: 1. I had to wait for it (instant gratification is something that I enjoy) and 2. some macroblocking issues.

Still highly recommended.

Oppo 970 is great too!

Does anyone use this with a HTPC? Im considering replacing my 21" CRT 4:3 with one of these suckers for PC use (surfing, browsing) and the occasional flick here and there. Thoughts?

can anyone recommend a good upconverting dvd player for this tv? I'm leaning towards the phillips 3960 or the sony ns75. thoughts?
I have the sony n75 it's great I set it to 1080i and I Love it, using HDMI.

Does anyone use this with a HTPC? Im considering replacing my 21" CRT 4:3 with one of these suckers for PC use (surfing, browsing) and the occasional flick here and there. Thoughts?
I wouldn't do it, CRT's aren't that great for displaying windows, my geometry really looks bad when showing a windows desktop.

I have a 30hs420, and I was hoping that you guys might be able to answer some questions for me. Matt stated on post #59 the best values for the 360 in the service menu; which group should this be under (2170P-4, MID5, etc)? I understand the MID-5 settings, but I am not sure which group the other values need to be carried over into. Please forgive my ignorance, im new to all of this. I just recently got Halo 3, and I want it to look as good as possible. I tried using the AV calibration disk that comes with Halo 3 but I really wasn't able to get it to work very well. Maybe it is just me (it probably is) but I couldn't even find the contrast slider in the video display menu. The manual mentions that the picture slider is to "adjust to increase picture contrast..." but it didn't seem to really be a contrast slider. Thanks in advance for your help.

I have a 30hs420, and I was hoping that you guys might be able to answer some questions for me. Matt stated on post #59 the best values for the 360 in the service menu; which group should this be under (2170P-4, MID5, etc)? I understand the MID-5 settings, but I am not sure which group the other values need to be carried over into. Please forgive my ignorance, im new to all of this. I just recently got Halo 3, and I want it to look as good as possible. I tried using the AV calibration disk that comes with Halo 3 but I really wasn't able to get it to work very well. Maybe it is just me (it probably is) but I couldn't even find the contrast slider in the video display menu. The manual mentions that the picture slider is to "adjust to increase picture contrast..." but it didn't seem to really be a contrast slider. Thanks in advance for your help.The brightness control is for black level and the picture control is for contrast or white level. Considering your admitted ignorance of "all of this", I would suggest staying out of the service menu for the time being. Using a calibration disc with the USER menu can get you very close. Understand that BIG mistakes can be made in the service menu. As for Matt's recommended settings, IMHO, most of them will have fairly subtle impacts and some, namely SBRT, RYR, RYB, GYR, and GYB are set dependent and will not necessarily be the correct values for your set.

I know this sounds like a pain-in-the-butt request, but does anyone have a list of all their service menu values?

It would be great to see if any of my vales are waaaaaaaaaaay off of what they should be.

I know this sounds like a pain-in-the-butt request, but does anyone have a list of all their service menu values?

It would be great to see if any of my vales are waaaaaaaaaaay off of what they should be.Unless you or a previous owner changed them, the service menu values are already set to "what they should be" or at least close. The default service menu values represent a pre-factory calibration state. Prior to shipment, the set goes through a factory calibration where adjustments are made to compensate for the the differences that are inherent in analog electronic circuits such as convergence, geometry, color decoder, and focus. The factory calibration is not perfect and most often isn't even great but it would be a mistake to assume that existing values that are "waaaay" off from default are actually a problem. It would be an even BIGGER mistake to assume that a reset to the pre-factory calibration defaults would do anything positive for the set. In fact, this would likely create MANY hours of work to make the set viewable again.:eek:

OK, so I've used the service menu to get my set's geometry to my liking. When I did this I also got my 4x3 window opened up all the way. When I did this I noticed that the far right 2 or 3 vertical lines are in B&W and the color bleeds off the left side of the 4x3 window. It seems as if the colors are offset somehow. How do I fix this?

i have hdtv sony wega 34", i dont have a blu ray player yet,..i do have a dvd upconvert hdmi im using and for some reason it has a ghost like border on white edges when using 480p and is even worse in 720 p...so im using 480p to minimize the edge ghost effect (and i tried another brand dvd upconvert and it did the same thing)

my question is this, if i get a blu ray player and only play dvds(not blu ray disks) on it, will the picture quality be better than what im using now which is a panasonic upconvert hdmi signal ?


no its not edge enhancement. i tried that.

i cant plug the dvd player into another tv because i dont have another hdtv ,only a old analog tv....

its a sony wega 34' crt 16:9 hdtv 720p/1080i tv..the picture on hd cable is better than even $4000 lcd or plasmas ive seen at the store

its not "moving ghosting" like you see on lcds...its more of a "double highlighted white edge on bright objects" instead of a "ghost"

when i tried the s-video or component inputs it does the same thing, so i bought another dvd player and it was worse than the one i have now which is a very good one

but im just wondering if a bluray player will correct this?

problem is, if the problem is related to my hdmi processor input on my tv, then the blu ray will have the same double highlighted edge.

We just hooked up dish last noche. Bought the new DTV receiver HD.

Wowsers.

Cant wait to leave work and plant myself in couch in front of TV

LOL

I've had my Sony 34HS420 for 13 months, and I've just recently noticed the tv has the "scrolling vertical bar" issue on the hdmi input, when recieving a 1080i signal.
This bar is translucent, about 2 inches wide, and sweeps from the right to the left. It's mainly visible on very dark scenes. Practically invisible on bright scenes. I discovered it by accident when I freeze-framed a scene during Dark City. Now, of course, I can see it when I look for it.
Changing the output of my Toshiba HD DVD player to 720p removes this issue completely. But, the picture seems a bit softer on 720p.
Have others with this set noticed this issue? It seems to be well documented for other Sony HD sets...

I haven't noticed it...

I didn't notice it for a whole year. Try a dark dvd, do a pause and look closely at the set.
I think another reason I noticed it is that I changed from Pro mode to Standard mode and recalibrated the set with my DVE disc. Pro mode is bleak and dim and probably covered up the vertical bar....

Hi!
My Sony is a 30'' HS420 which is hooked up to a Cambrige Audio DVD player though component cables.
The player's menu lets me choose 480i or p output. When the Sony receives the 480i signal, the picture is fine, the screen automatically swiches to Full and I can toggle the DRC setting. The problem occurs when the signal is 480p. The picture is slightly better but the screen goes to Wide Zoom which is the 4:3 default setting, the DRC is disabled and there's a convergence issue mainly with text displayed on screen! I hope someone knows what I'm talking about! I'm baffled to say the least.

rich

Hi!
My Sony is a 30'' HS420 which is hooked up to a Cambrige Audio DVD player though component cables.
The player's menu lets me choose 480i or p output. When the Sony receives the 480i signal, the picture is fine, the screen automatically swiches to Full and I can toggle the DRC setting. The problem occurs when the signal is 480p. The picture is slightly better but the screen goes to Wide Zoom which is the 4:3 default setting, the DRC is disabled and there's a convergence issue mainly with text displayed on screen! I hope someone knows what I'm talking about! I'm baffled to say the least.

richNot sure what your baffled about. The DRC is supposed to be disabled for 480p inputs and I assume that the wide zoom is not locked and Full mode results in the correct screen mode when selected.

Full mode is the correct mode for 480i/p anamorphic video. NON-anamorphic/enhanced for widescreen/etc discs will look distorted in Full mode. The dvd player must send an appropriate emedded signal for the Sony to automatically select Full Mode. I'll also assume that the dvd player has been setup for a 16:9 output.

In general, convergence problems are independent of input format.

Thanks Raouliii for the reply! I'm glad to hear the DRC thing is in check. And yes the player is set to 16:9. I still don"t get why the Sony doesn't stay on Full mode when I switch to 480p, it changes to Wide Zoom which stretches the picture. I have to manually put it back to Full. As for the convergence issue, maybe I'm not using the right term. Here's the thing, I pop in the Terminator 2 dvd and when I choose an option on the disc's menu it highlights in red. In 480i everthing is fine. In 480p the red highlight is out of alignment. Any ideas?

rich

i have hdtv sony wega 34", i dont have a blu ray player yet,..i do have a dvd upconvert hdmi im using and for some reason it has a ghost like border on white edges when using 480p and is even worse in 720 p...so im using 480p to minimize the edge ghost effect (and i tried another brand dvd upconvert and it did the same thing)

my question is this, if i get a blu ray player and only play dvds(not blu ray disks) on it, will the picture quality be better than what im using now which is a panasonic upconvert hdmi signal ?


no its not edge enhancement. i tried that.

i cant plug the dvd player into another tv because i dont have another hdtv ,only a old analog tv....

its a sony wega 34' crt 16:9 hdtv 720p/1080i tv..the picture on hd cable is better than even $4000 lcd or plasmas ive seen at the store

its not "moving ghosting" like you see on lcds...its more of a "double highlighted white edge on bright objects" instead of a "ghost"

when i tried the s-video or component inputs it does the same thing, so i bought another dvd player and it was worse than the one i have now which is a very good one

but im just wondering if a bluray player will correct this?

problem is, if the problem is related to my hdmi processor input on my tv, then the blu ray will have the same double highlighted edge.


Try lowering the picture setting and see if the ghosting goes away. If it does then your contrast is too high or you need to adjust your focus in the service menu.

..... I still don"t get why the Sony doesn't stay on Full mode when I switch to 480p, it changes to Wide Zoom which stretches the picture. I have to manually put it back to Full. As for the convergence issue, maybe I'm not using the right term. Here's the thing, I pop in the Terminator 2 dvd and when I choose an option on the disc's menu it highlights in red. In 480i everthing is fine. In 480p the red highlight is out of alignment. Any ideas?

richI have a Sony DVD player that can be switched from i to p on the fly, and my 34HS510 (Wide Zoom default) doesn't jump out of Full mode during the switch, for anamophic DVDs. Have you tried starting up a DVD in 480p mode to see what will happen? I suspect that the DVD player may not be outputting the necessary signal for auto Full when operating in 480p. The red shifting between i and p may mean that there is something out of adjustment on the DVD player. I think some high end DVD players have Y/C delay adjustments that could create what you are seeing.

BTW, I have never seen much of a difference between 480i and 480p when viewing SD DVDs on my HS510. Both resolutions are upconverted by the set.

Thanks again for the tips Raouliii! I'll see if I can get the two "talking" to each other.

rich

I seem to have a problem with my TV, its a 30HS420 which will be two years old come this christmas.

The problem is my picture is crooked, the whole picture seems to be skewed ever so slightly counter-clockwise. Its not very noticeable except when playing my PS3 as HUD elements will disappear into the lower left and upper right corners, and also the prevalence of horizontal lines in both HUDs and menus make it very obvious.

Is there any way I can fix this without having to pay to have it repaired?

I seem to have a problem with my TV, its a 30HS420 which will be two years old come this christmas.

The problem is my picture is crooked, the whole picture seems to be skewed ever so slightly counter-clockwise. Its not very noticeable except when playing my PS3 as HUD elements will disappear into the lower left and upper right corners, and also the prevalence of horizontal lines in both HUDs and menus make it very obvious.

Is there any way I can fix this without having to pay to have it repaired?

When I had this set I initially had the same problem. I fixed it in one of the menus (server or user, don't remember). If you can't find it in the user menus it'll be under the service one. Just do a quick search in the forums (or google) to find out how to enter the service menu and adjust tilt.

As a side note...

This was my first HDTV. I owned it for a little over three years before upgrading to a KDS-60a3000. I really loved this set. Aside from the initial tilt and overscan issues which I easily fixed with the help of the service menu, it has been a joy to watch. Now it's off to my parent's who are upgrading from their 22" Sylvania or whatever it was. HD material looks fantastic (Sat, HD-DVD, Xbox360) and SD wasn't all that bad. Black was actually black though I think the newer techs have come a long way in fixing said issue. My only complaint with the older tube technology is while it had (still does!) a beautiful picture, it is insanely heavy. I think it was something like 225lbs for the 34" set. My new 60" SXRD is only 90lbs or so...

If you can get passed the bulk, these are great TVs.

I am having somewhat of a color offset problem. It seems worse with reds than any other color. Below are picts of what the problem looks like. Anyone know a solution?

I plan on upgrading to a Sony BlueRay player with HDMI output, and connecting it to my Sony 34HS420.
If I connect the BlueRay to my TV using the HDMI, will it display properly?
My 34HS420 owner manual doesn't mention 1080p capability, but it was printed so long ago, perhaps it will work anyway?