I think that these TV's are beginning to get into people's living rooms, and need to have their own thread so that we can leave the CES and LED threads to their proper business. PLEASE, keep postings on topic, and non-speculative. Reports of data, settings, and results are encouraged.

Credit to jonny_H for a lot of the format and general information of this first post.

General Info:
This thread is all about the 2007 Samsung HLTxx76S Lamp DLPs. Each series comes in 50", 56", and 61" versions. All of these sets are 1080P and appear to have the same cabinet.

http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/images/b2c_l_hlt6176.jpg
http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/products/2007/305/h305HLT5087-b_1.jpeg

Links:

htwait's CES info thread: first (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=779782&page=1&pp=30) and last (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=779782&goto=lastpost) posts

Samsung's Website (http://www.samsung.com)
Samsung DLP Page (http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/dlptv/index.asp)

Quick Guide - Web based basic manual
HLTxx76S (http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=SS&CttFileID=1447894&CDCttType=EM&ModelType=N&ModelName=HL-T6176S&VPath=EM/200704/20070430193624515/EN/main.htm)

Owner's Manual
HLTxx76S (http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=SS&CttFileID=1395553&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=N&ModelName=HL-T6176S&VPath=UM/200704/20070402203830843_BP68-00630A-01Eng_Spa_0330.pdf)

Spec Sheets
HLT5076S (http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/files/hlt5076_final.pdf)
HLT5676S (http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/files/hlt5676_final.pdf)
HLT6176S (http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/files/hlt6176_final.pdf)


Frequently Asked Questions:
(Answers posted as they come in)

Is the color banding still there in the new HLT's like it was in the 2006 model or is that fixed now?

I didn't see any banding in any of the video modes (dynamic, normal, movie).

Will the AUDIO OUT send through signals from HDMI as well as the normal analog sources? (Will it pass 5.1?)

From Gene S (regarding LED sets, but should still apply): IIRC, using the sets internal tuners will pass 5.1 sound on the optical out. Using external devices, (STB's, PS3, TivoS3...) the set will only pass 2 channel sound.

Is Samsung finally doing 3:2 pulldown correction for 1080i sources to get back the 1080p/24 signal (used to only work for 480i). Does the 120 Hz refresh rate compensate for this?

Not yet known.

Is the pincushioning better/worse than last years models?

My 61" set shows no pincushioning that I can see

What are the foot dimensions?

approx 35"x12"

Samsung quotes a 16 microsecond response time. Isn't that slower than most LCDs?

No, it is almost a thousand times faster, but the TV is limited by color wheel speed and image processing speed (which is short-cutted in Game Mode).

Rainbows? Can you see them on this set?

I cannot, but I think I am fairly insensitive to rainbows anyway.

Info from the Spec Sheets:

TV/Video
• DLP® HDTV by Samsung
• Ultra slim bezel (0.8"), “piano black” cabinet
• Slim depth – fits where others won’t™
• 14,400 rpm color wheel
• Samsung Cinema Smooth™ 1080p light engine:
--- Full HD 1920 x 1080p digital format converter for all inputs
--- Up to 10,000:1 contrast ratio with outstanding colors and deep black levels
--- Single-panel design—crystal-clear picture without any possibility of convergence errors
--- Smooth, film-like image and ultra-quiet operation
• Analog and full digital NTSC/ATSC Tuners with Clear QAM (digital cable)*
• Energy Star® Compliant (0.8 Watt standby)
• Hidden speaker system (DACS™)
• Game Mode enhances game console performance
• 3D HD ready—Future-proof your HD experience
• RS232 port for system control
Audio
• 10w x 2
• SRS TruSurround XT™
Connections
• 3 HDMI inputs (High Definition MultimediaInterface)with 480i/480p/720p/1080p/1080i input support
• 2-component video inputs (480i/ 480p/ 720p/ 1080i/ 1080p)
• 2 S-video inputs
• 2 A/V composite inputs
• USB 1.1
• PC (RGB) input with 1080p Input Support
Options
• Floor stand: TR500X3B

I just purchased the 5076 slim DLP yesterday. First off so far the picture didn't really impress me out of the box hooked upto digital cable DVI-HDMI connection. I play around with the settings and got the picture to show much better but I still don't know if its better than the 42HDS52 Plasma I traded in for it. DVD's and my PS3 look great so far, but digital cable SD and HD I expected it to be alot better than my plasma, my need more time to adjust the settings more to get a better picture. I'm curious if I should try to run just component cables to TV from my digital cable box instead, to see if that may show alittle better. But the TV is honestly great so far. I just need more time to try to get the best picture out of it. I want it to blow my old TV out of the water.

My television came out of the box with no physical bowing of the bezel or screen, for which I was thankful. Upon powering on, I was very pleased with the lack of whine or other noises.

Movie mode seems to be the best of the default settings, just as everyone seems to agree. I havent had a lot of time to mess with the various adjustments, but theres a few things I want to try out.

We currently only have basic cable, but that will be changing soon. As it stands I am making my judgements based on the 1080p output of my Oppo DV981 which is really impressing me with its abilities to make DVDs pretty. SD picture quality isnt fantastic, but it looks much better than some other sets Ive seen. the Samsung DLP oil-painting quality of the image seems to help it a good bit, I think.

I am pleased to see no pincushioning or other undesired geometry issue EXCEPT that the image appears to have a couple of degrees of tilt to it. This is impossible to detect in most movies, but when you bring up menus or any feed where there are straight lines across the screen, and then it becomes quite a nuisance. theres about a half inch of height difference in the image from right to left, with the right being the lower side.

Searching the message board turned up some posts about fixing tilt on the 2006 models, but I am not yet certain as to whether or not the same rules apply. If anyoone has input on the tilt issue, please let me know.

Otherwise, no complaints. The new, slimmer cabinet appears to be the leanest, most trim DLP you can buy, and seems to have more structure to it than last years Samsung lamp models and this years LED's, and has hardened brackets on the back for wall-mounting the unit. I'm quite pleased.

Thanks for starting the thread, mantraxl. Just today I posted the below on the CES thread, but now it belongs here:

I received my HL-T5676 last night and while I have not had a chance to play with it much, I have some initial impressions. First, I'm new to the HD world, so PQ and detail is fabulous. So far I've only fed the set a diet of OTA HD signals and from the Oppo DV-981HD. The former is impressive, the latter is much better than I expected for DVD.

Using Eliab's HL-S starting points resulted in a very natural color. I slightly bumped down the color and up the contrast and was very pleased with the results. I did nothing to the specific color settings in "my color control," but it's great that they are accessible for when I can use a calibration disc.

"Bowing" is definitely present, but for some reason it's only noticeable when the menu is on screen. I measured almost 1/2" from the center of the screen to the left corner, but less than 1/4 " in other locations and with other geometry on the screen -- is it possible the menu is curved intentionally...? In any case it wasn't at all noticeable with regular viewing, so for now I'll hold off before demanding a replacement or fix.

As noted by others, the case at the top, and to a lesser degree at the sides, is very flexible. By lightly pushing on the top you can move the image on the screen 1/4' or more. Since injection-molded plastic tends to relax as it goes through stress-relief over time, I worry that the screen shape will change long-term. However, the back of the set is very rigid and looks like it was designed for wall-mounting.

The back and sides have many ventillation slots, and a lot of light shines onto the back wall. This isn't noticeable from directly in front of the set, but looks pretty tacky from the sides. I assume this is Samsung's poor-man's ambient backlighting.

No popping, bad odor, smudges, green push, or any of the other maladies that seem to afflict some of the HL-Txx87/89 sets in the LED forum.

OK, noob question: what are the "dynamic contrast" and "black adjust" settings? My guess is they control the range of the dynamic iris...? To my eye the low setting on both gave nice results.

Overall I'm very pleased so far. Great picture, lots of adjustment control, ulta-thin, and sleek styling.

Just got mine in today from the shipping company and got it setup. First impressions I cant tell any difference pq wise compared to my HL-S6187W. However it is alot thinner. I like the design much better. My only complaint so far is the audio is horrible compared to my old tv. It just sounds terrible like the speaker location is in a bad place or something. It just sounds muffled.

Some of you may have read some of my other posts regarding this tv but they can now belong here. I got this tv about a month and quickly went through 3 of them due to bowing issues. I'm on my fourth now and am waiting for my samsung sanctioned repair guy to fix these geometry problems which samsung claims to be a shipping issue and can be easily fixed. Other than that the set looks amazing. This is my first hd set, SD comcast looks great (i do not have a box, just a coax line) and the Tv picked up some hd dtv channels, nbc 1080i looks really nice. My only complaints are of course the bowing, the fan is a tad noisy and my Wii looks horrible on it. But dvds and even my sega genesis look really good blown up to 1080p. The repair guys comes thursday, i will let you know how it all goes.

Well, after having watched 5 hours worth of SD programming today (analog coax, not digital), I have to say that the picture actually impressed me a bit. It got good enough that I found myself nit-picking it, as opposed to just loathing the whole experience. The picture is quite surprisingly detailed, inspite of how crude the feed is, the only thing is that the image is a bit soft. I'd swear it was a 480i signal if i didnt know that it wasnt.

There were only a handful of moments in the 5 hour period where I noticed an artifact of the upconverting in the image, usually a funky block of oddly moving fleshtone on someones cheek while they stood still speaking or something.

SD video that you can forget is SD, thats SO much better than I had expected.


I'm still toying with color settings to try to get it just right, but once you put the thing in Movie Mode, its already pretty good. So it seems that I, as a tv calibrating neophyte, have to do a good bit of trial and error until one of the experts comes out with calibration baselines.

Also, I have observed that while the tv is height sensitive with regards to even lighting across the screen, it is much more generous to viewpoints below the center of the screen than viewpoints above center. Laying on the floor looking up at the 61" set sitting on a 26" high stand yields almost no difference vs sitting in the couch at approx screen center height. By comparison, viewing from above the screen dims the image drastically. My guess is that this has to do with the direction at which the light is hitting the rear screen from behind, or that the rear (fresnel?) lens has a surface treatment that is biased toward that direction. Either way, its worthwhile to know that theres greater freedom in mounting the TV high than low.

Anyone who happens to know secret (or lesser known) codes and menus for adjustment, it would be much appreciated if they could be posted for the benefit of all.

I picked up the 5076, and am in general pretty pleased with the set. I previously had a 32" Zenith CRT HDTV, so it's quite the step up. The Xbox 360 and HD-DVD's look pretty nice on it once you do a rudimentary calibration. I'm gonna pick up DVE HD-DVD later this week to do a proper one. Like others said, this thing is super slim! I was able to put it on a fireplace stoop, which really opened up the room. I do have a few misgivings about the set though. I didn't realize how restrictive the viewing angles are. If you're not sitting right in front of it, the picture is really dimmed. Also, as others have reported, there is some tilt to the set, counter clockwise. I'd say it's about a 1/4" difference, and the only time i really notice it is on 4:3 content. That's not too big of a deal.

Now for the two more serious problems I have with it. I'm new to RPTV, so I guess this would be called SSE. When looking at white, or a solid color (like on a show like south park for example), the screen shimmers almost like it has some grease on it or something. Much of the time I don't notice it at all, but other times it's pretty distracting. Also, my set has some bowing to it. Through the middle of the set, the geometry is just fine, but starting about 8" from the edges on each side, it starts to bow upwards. I've been able to see it during a few movies, and it's REALLY obvious watching the news or something with lines. It's as if the tv set is smiling. I've seen a few reports of bowing, but can the rest of you chime in? I don't want to go through the pains of going through 4 sets if it's a problem with this model. Let's try and get idea of how widespread this problem is.

I do like the picture quality, and the features are nice, so I'd like to keep it. But the more i watch it, the more the bowing is starting to bug me. I'll probably exchange it for a new set later this week. If the bowing persist on the new ones, I might have to go for the other tv I was looking at, the sony 50a2020. *Off topic, but does anyone know if that set exhibits as much SSE as this sammy? I like this tv, but am curious.

I believe 3:2 pull down and 1080p24 have been confirmed on both HLT-XX87, HLT-XX89 and HLT-XX76. i know the first two are confirmed, i am assuming the latter is also.

I noticed the bowing also but only when the guide is up. The funny thing is my wife isnt into electronics or tvs but when she got home last night and hit guide she said what is the deal with it bending, that is how bad it is. Does anyone not think the speakers are horrible as well?

I'm new to RPTV, so I guess this would be called SSE. When looking at white, or a solid color (like on a show like south park for example), the screen shimmers


Yes, that's SSE. Turn the contrast down (50 or less) and the brightness down(45ish). That will minimize it but be aware that each and every RPTV, regardless of mfg. has that effect. Some more than others. JVC and Sony are pretty bad. It's the nature of the beast so to speak.

I dug into what I had called my bowing problem last night, and discovered that my issue may simply be an artifact of the set case being so flexible and my lousy stand. The set has no perceptible pincushion and with normal viewing the geometry looks fine, but when the menu is up the left corner is "curled up" and the right corner drops away with noticeable overscan. Just as I can significantly affect the screen geometry by pushing down on the set top, I can induce a similar effect by pushing UP on the bottom corner. I was able to fix the problem by applying slight pressure to the TV base corner, comparable to adding a very thin shim between the base and stand. I attribute this twisting to the cheap stand the TV is temporarily sitting on. As noted before, it's amazing how little pressure on the set case is required to significantly change the geometry on the screen.

Samsung kept the weight of these sets down, at the expense of a stable cabinet.

People watch the image of these sets more than they lift them. Seems they could have invested a bit more in the cabinet design to eliminate the geometry issues.

I doubt many people want to use Home Depot shims on their fancy new HDTVs!

My HLT5676s should be here within the hour. ABT has already called to confirm delivery. I will do my best to post pictures, results and my impressions in a effort to give back to this forum as much as I feel I have taken from it.

Just got off the phone with Samsung and told them that the tv is not acceptable. The bowing is horrible and the screen is just too flimsy. She was going to forward the file to the manager to see what he wants to do. I wonder if the new LED sets bow like this???

My sets geometry is pretty good, I got it as a replacement for an HLS 5687s that had horrible pincushion.

It had some tilt out of the box but a shim under the base fixed that, it does have some distortion of horizontal lines, just slight upward bend at the left side of the image that was worse before I shimmed it.

I can live with it, all the Samsung sets seem to have geometry problems from the flimsy cabinets and shipping. I will say the pincushion on the HLS actually got better just from letting it sit on a flat surface a couple months, almost half of it went away while I waited for the replacement, but it was still out of spec and the screen was wavy.

My HLT screen seems to be perfectly flat.

I was going to get the 5676s next week but i think ill wait and check out some other brands first.This sucks that theres problems with the new line.Circuit City still has the 5687w in stock.Which tv is better the 5676s or the 5687w or maybe ill look into the sony 55a2020.

Well, thats bad news.

Jason I can tell you from experience so far the 5687W is by far superior! It just feels more sturdy and to me I have calibrated my new 76S and I think the PQ is better on my old 87W. I am just at a loss for words how a company can put a subpar product out like the new line and expect people to buy it. Just by touching the side of the screen with a finger the whole screen moves noticeably and that never happened on my old 87W. I have had it with Samsung and will never buy there products again.

My experience was precisely the opposite, the HLT has a flatter, more stable screen, better geometry and better PQ than my HLS did.

DLP in general has these geometry problems, the other methods all have ways to deal with it, this is the big weakness of DLP.

Samsung DLP is less consistent than others because of these thin bezels they're using. I think even mildly rough handling in shipment is enough to knock them out of alignment.

I really like my new set, particularly considering what I have into it at this point.

Does anybody know what this does? Is it basically a max/min "aperture" adjustment for the dynamic iris? In the 35 seconds I have experimented with the setting I can't deduce exactly what is changing.

Incidentally, despite my earlier grumblings, I love my 5676 so far -- incredible color, wonderful detail. After making sure the TV was on a flat, level, rigid surface, the bowing is negligible. And the super-thin depth is great. Unlike most RPTVs, it doesn't protrude into the room like a pot-bellied stove.

Just got my 5076 yesterday. Through a little haggling between CC and BB I was able to save $320 off the List. I pushed on the sides of their 5076 and saw how pressure can covex the picture, but I have to push pretty hard if I used 1 finger.

Other than the UltraThin, the 5087W or 5687W's had a different color wheel. Supposedly, the all the HLT's have a color that replaces yellow. They also have a display rate of 120hz, which I can not confirm if the 5687W's have as well, I do know it is not list on the Spec sheet like the new HLT's have listed. For you gamers, there is also a 3D input which will allow for 3D game with the appropriate hardware. I've also heard the User Interface is much better as well.

I didn't get mine setup yet due to the 2 hours of time it took to put the Bush TV stand together, which I ended up being done at 1:30am. Like everyone else I hope I don't have the bowing prob. Question, Is Bowing the same as pincushion?



Does anyone have any calibration setting they feel is the best fit for this model? It would help in getting mine up fast later tonite and get me on here to post my thoughts. Thanks!

I got my 5676S delivered last Sat, and I am loving it so far! HD (over the air, HDDVD, Bluray) looks amazing, and even SD looks 10x better than on my previous 5 year old Hitachi 51UWX. I haven't seen the pincushion or bowing effect yet. FYI, I found these settings in a different Samsung thread they set for the 5676, they made a difference in my picture:

Mode: Movie
Contrast: 27
Brightness: 51
Sharpness: 40
Color: 65 (i thought that seemed high, calibrated 3 times, approx same value)
Tint: G:55 R:45
Color Tone: Normal

Everything Else Off

The only problem I am having is getting my Harmony 676 to switch HDMI inputs correctly when switching activities but that is no fault of this TV. I'm one happy customer so far.

I got my 5676S delivered last Sat, and I am loving it so far! HD (over the air, HDDVD, Bluray) looks amazing, and even SD looks 10x better than on my previous 5 year old Hitachi 51UWX. I haven't seen the pincushion or bowing effect yet. FYI, I found these settings in a different Samsung thread they set for the 5676, they made a difference in my picture:

Mode: Movie
Contrast: 27
Brightness: 51
Sharpness: 40
Color: 65 (i thought that seemed high, calibrated 3 times, approx same value)
Tint: G:55 R:45
Color Tone: Normal

Everything Else Off

The only problem I am having is getting my Harmony 676 to switch HDMI inputs correctly when switching activities but that is no fault of this TV. I'm one happy customer so far.

I think I used the HLS setting from Logitech and then added all the new stuff from HLT to the setup. Only thing I haven't done was HDMI3, but haven't called Logitech either.

Man, I'm still on the fence about this set and this thread isn't really helping. :(

I originally noted that my set had good geometry, except for a slight clockwise tilt, in addition it also curved up very slightly at the left side.

Last night, I put on the movie The Last King of Scotland, and proceeded to monkey with the set to try to see what sort of pushing, pulling, and lifting would get the letterbox bars straight. I then grabbed the instruction pamphlet for my dvd player, and stuck it under the front right corner of the tv, and much to my surprise, it seemed to straighten right out. Just to be sure that I was not witnessing an optical trick, I got out my tape measure and measured the upper and lower letterbox bars all the way across the screen. Whereas the image had been 1/2" higher on the left than the right, the image was now even all the way across the top and bottom with 1/16" variation (hump in the middle at bottom). I was quite pleased, and watched the rest of the film with a peaceful mind.

This definitely bears further experimentation, but it seems that I should get a level and check the tabletop and craft some appropriate minifeet with appropriate shimming heights.

On one hand I think its kinda lame that the tvs are flimsy enough to have these sorts of concerns, but the picture is just so darn nice and a quick and easy fix is a good fix to me.

I am not helping much. Not very technical. This set is better than the HLS that I had. I guess most of the techies went the the 87 or 89 series. My suggestion is to buy at a place that offers 30 day return so i you don't like it you can return it.

I look mostly at the 87/89 thread. Other than the LED and some other tweaks 1.3 on the 89. it can't be drastically different. Then again i don't have both to compare side by side.

Man, I'm still on the fence about this set and this thread isn't really helping. :(

If you are deciding between the XX76S or XX87, or 89S, to me it's a no brainer. I've heard many people speak of the inaccurate coloring of the LED Engines. I heard multiple people who were at CES, say that it was not impressive when compared to the old technology.....but besides that stuff, it is too expensive when compared to the tried and true. Here are some facts:

#1. We don't know how long this LED Light lasts. I worked with LED's for a Light Safety company for many years. An LED is suppose to last 20,000 hours. But there are some things that need to occur for that to happen. 20,000 hours is an approximate time that is tested by keeping 1 single LED powered, without shutting it off, and at a constant appropriate amperage. Shutting the TV on and off, and the construction of the cluster of LED's, along with the amperage will drastically change that amount. I've had customers send LED products back, burnt out after a couple of months. Most life-time warranty send backs were at around 1 1/2 years.

We do not know how easily these can or can not be replaced. Also what is the cost, and can you replace them yourself? These are big time concerns.

#2 If you are not prone to seeing Rainbows then thats one more against the LED version.

#3 IT IS HUNDREDS OF $$$ MORE FOR UNPROVEN TECHNOLOGY.

CONCLUSION:

If you want a HD TV NOW, purchase the the XX76S. If you are willing to wait for the next 6 months to see what the XX87's and 89's problems are..just wait and learn from others mistakes.

Hello All,

After having my HLT5676s for all of 24 hours, I can honestly say I am very happy. It may be that my initial excitement hasn't worn off yet, but after months of research on this forum, the set is doing everything I need it to do. Quick Pros and Cons and Thoughts while I am at lunch: (in no particular order)

1) No pincushioning that I can see. I do have a slight rotation issue that is only noticeable when the computer desktop is on the screen. Perhaps this can be adjusted by a tech.

2) I am using the 3rd HDMI port with a DVI-HDMI cable to attach the computer. Be sure to label that input as "PC" as it will open up the WidePC menu, allowing size and positioning adjustment of the display. As soon as I did that, I had no overscan issues, and as best I can tell I am getting 1:1 pixel mapping. The computer recognized the TV as a Samsung 1080p set and automatically set the resolution to 1920x1080. BTW... I am running Vista Home Premium with an NVIDIA 6200TC video card.

3) I am running a DirecTV H20 into HDMI1 and also have an indoor antenna (Zenith Silver Sensor) connected directly to the TV. I live on the north side of Chicago and am approximately 3-4 miles with direct line of sight to the Sears Tower, where I am told most of the transmitters are located. Last night's viewing consisted mostly of the NHL finals, switching between both sources. I can say that NBC's feed was shabby IMO, and I saw much macroblocking on both inputs.

4) I don't feel the set is that flimsy, but I have no comparison. I replaced an old 40in Mits tube TV with the 5676 yesterday, and anything compared to that 290lb monster would be considered "flimsy"

5) Unfortunately, I am susceptible to RBE, and I can say as the day progressed and the room became darker, I saw more of them. I hope through calibration and the addition of a ambient light behind the set, I can learn to accept or minimize the effect. This is the only item at this point that may make me swap this for another set. I also have done nothing but switch all inputs to Movie mode and the Warm2 color setting.

6) I purchased from ABT (local here in Chicago) and can say the entire buying and delivery process was extremely enjoyable.

Please feel free to ask any and all questions. Unfortunately, I am headed out of town this afternoon for a week (after only 24 hours with my new best friend, damn it) but I will have access to this forum while I am gone, and will try to answer as best I can.

Question, Is Bowing the same as pincushion?


From what I understand, "pincushion" is a broad curvature of the geometry on the screen caused by an internal light engine/lens/mirror/screen relationship flaw. "Bowing" is a local curvature on the screen caused by the TV case twisting what is supposed to be a flat surface. In my case, pincushion is imperceptible, but I originally had an upwards curvature in the lower left corner of the screen. This was temporarily cured by a thin shim; long term I plan to place the TV on a sturdy, flat stand and ensure that it is level, instead of using my current cheap fiberboard stand.

So this pincushion or bowing effect only takes place if you do not have your tv standing on a flat sturdy stand?

My stand is WAY flat and WAY sturdy, but I havent proved that it is sitting level. My take on this issue is that if your stand is stiff flat and level, then youre going to have far less geometry issues to begin with. That having been said, a little trial and error with slightly propping up different corners can pay off, as I discovered.

I have a wooden tv stand that is level and I still have the geometry issues. Mine is from the bottom of the tv all through the middle of the screen and stops about halfway up.

If you want a HD TV NOW, purchase the the XX76S. If you are willing to wait for the next 6 months to see what the XX87's and 89's problems are..just wait and learn from others mistakes.

I don't have to make a purchase now. I just loved the idea that I could save the space in my NYC apartment by getting the XX76S. I have a 51" 1080i that I'm happy with and is about 2 1/2 years old. I'm in no rush.

At this point, I guess I'm wondering if I should just wait for LED/Plasma prices to come down.

I got the HLT 3 weeks ago and its messed up in th emiddle and on th eleft side really bad, will supply photos if need be...On fence on whether to bother with Samsung for yet another HLT

If I had to choose again I'd get an LCD.

Got my HLT5676 today and am very happy with it. Love the thinner and shorter all black cabinet. The picture is great, changed all inputs to movie & warm 1 to start out. Viewing angles seem the same as my previous HLS set. Geometry wise, the image is boat /banana shaped about a 1/4" except at the top and bottom. Looks fine with TV material even with top and bottom banners, only notice when showing the channel guide with the grid lines. Sides on 4:3 are good so overall, not bad enough to replace. HD Net test pattern overscan is 5% on sides and 3% top and bottom in 'just scan', otherwise, 8% sides and 5% top and bottom.

Looks like wall mounting is not a good idea, there's two vertical steel braces on the back but the weight of the componets in the base would distort the case and the foot is not removable as it contains the guts of the TV. The HLTxx89 trick to show the digital OTA program listing does not work but pressing info does show the current show's name and description. Two of the local stations are an hour ahead with the this info though.

Went into circuit city today they had the 5676s on display.It didnt look bad at all.I had the sales guy pull up the menu and i couldnt see anything wrong like some of say.He wouldnt let me adjust anything but i did see they had the contrast all the way up.They didnt have anymore in stock but he said they sould have more next week.Im still afraid to buy one yet and get it home and its all screwed up.I went into another store they had a sony 55a2020 for 2299 with a 4 year warranty and the samsung would cost me 2469 with a 4 year warranty. Can't decide

I finally pulled the trigger on an HDTV yesterday and my HLT-5676S set was delivered today. So far I see no geometry issues or anything of the sort so that is good. I have noticed a little bit of the SSE effect but only when I really look for it so it doesn't bother me.

I am having one problem though. I have cable through Charter and I also have a HD DVR (Motorola BMC9012). It has no HDMI port but it does have a DVI-D port. So I went out and bought a DVI-D to HDMI cable to use. But when I connect the cable and turn the tv to the HDMI source at first it says "Searching for Signal" for about 3 seconds and then says "Not Supported Mode" and I get no video or audio. Does anyone know what is going on here?

But when I connect the cable and turn the tv to the HDMI source at first it says "Searching for Signal" for about 3 seconds and then says "Not Supported Mode" and I get no video or audio. Does anyone know what is going on here?
The HDMI ports will not accept a 480i signal which is the default of many STBs. You will have to change the cable box's DVI output to at least 480p.

No Geometry issues, just a great picture. I do notice some Silk Screen effect, but only if I look for it.

The one thing that does piss me off is that I bought a $300 stand that matches my furniture and it looks like the TV is too low. At my position I am above the center of the screen. The more you are above center the more you lose the brightness of the colors at the bottom of the screen. I need to figure out a way to get the TV higher and keep the stand. Any ideas??


I do some questions, what is the best way to calibrate the settings? Am I able to change the White Color level?

I also can not find the TrueColor setting to set individual colors.

Also, I have observed that while the tv is height sensitive with regards to even lighting across the screen, it is much more generous to viewpoints below the center of the screen than viewpoints above center. Laying on the floor looking up at the 61" set sitting on a 26" high stand yields almost no difference vs sitting in the couch at approx screen center height. By comparison, viewing from above the screen dims the image drastically. My guess is that this has to do with the direction at which the light is hitting the rear screen from behind, or that the rear (fresnel?) lens has a surface treatment that is biased toward that direction. Either way, its worthwhile to know that theres greater freedom in mounting the TV high than low.

Precisely. I have the 5076, and the sucky thing is that I have a 20.9" stand. So if I sit on the couch I am above center. I need the TV raised 6inches. Don't know how I am going to do it. The stand is very nice and matches the furniture, so I am not going to diassemble and return.

Any ideas????

The HDMI ports will not accept a 480i signal which is the default of many STBs. You will have to change the cable box's DVI output to at least 480p.

Ahhhh, good deal. This is my first HDTV so I'm pretty green when it comes to stuff like this. That fixed it right up, thanks for the help!

well i went ahead and got the 5676s it will be here sunday.ill let everybody now how it looks

I'm subscribing as a possible owner. :)

Here's what I want to know, since these have a 120Hz refresh rate, has anyone been able to see if there is a significant improvement in reduced motion blur compared to prior HL-S series with the 60hz refresh rate???

Here's what I want to know, since these have a 120Hz refresh rate, has anyone been able to see if there is a significant improvement in reduced motion blur compared to prior HL-S series with the 60hz refresh rate???

I'll check and see. My buddy has the hls 5687W, We have talked about putting them side by side for a comparison test. I'll keep everyone updated..

to check out my horizontal curving lines on left side and wiggly in middle.I'll update as it happens.

EvilKlown

Please let us know Evilklown how it turns out.

BTW, Samsung help desk( for DLP's) guy alluded that my problem could be fixed by Samsung engineer,i'll believe it when i see it.Said it could be fixed in the service menu, sound plausible?

so i have my 4th 5076s. i have the "bowing" or curving at the edges of the screen. called samsung they sent someone out to fix it. The said it was a mirror adjustment. The guy came and my tv looks slightly worse than before (the curve is the same but now my screen is a skew a bit). He pulled up the service menu with their test patterns. Did all of the tilt adjustments and bowing adjustments and it still didn't fix the curving of the image on the left and right of the screen. He said he didn't even know what to call it and that he would have to call samsung i guess to find out more info. I'm thinking i am going to call them myself and see what they say. Still have faith in this tv but my 30 days is over soon and wondering if i need to buy the LNT 4665F (lcd flat panel) and go in debt more.

I hear you I may go to the LCD too

Just got my replacement HL-T6176s from samsung yesterday. Its a warantee replacement for my old hl-s6187w that had light engine problems that Samsung replaced. The new set seems ok however now my HDMI devices do not send audio out to the AVR (receiver) via the optical cable anymore. I know the source devices are sending audio signal because if I enable the internal speakers on the TV I get the sound. The only signals that are sending sound via the optical output on the TV are the component inputs (RGB LR).

Is there a fix? Is this right? HDMI audio > optical out worked fine on my old hls6187 w...... So Sad....

Very frustrating...
:( :( :( :( :(

Is there a fix? Is this right? You have a configuration problem with your HDMI input devices. The TV has nothing to do with digital audio sent directly to a surround system.

If you have been using the digital audio output on your TV then try switching to a direct connection to your AVR.

Is there a fix? Is this right? HDMI audio > optical out worked fine on my old hls6187 w...... So Sad....

Very frustrating...
:( :( :( :( :(
The HLS sets would take the HDMI multi-channel audio signals but only send two channel audio out the optical output. The manual for the HLT seems to indicate that no audio is sent from HDMI inputs to the optical output.

Is a LCD set the better option!? This TV looks amazing in stores..but the standard def sucked. Are there any more reviews or tests on this set? It's so new I'm scared to buy one. :D

well my 5676s came today its does have that bowing effect like everybody says.but i only see it when i pull up the directv menu guide.i also set it up (color.contrast etc.) like the others members it looks pretty good.now its time to call directv to get my hd.Im going out later to either get a blueray or hd dvd player

I am new to the world of HDTVs (an this forum!) and have been researching the Sony 50" SXRD (KDS-50A2020) and the Samsung 50" DLP Rear Projection HDTV (HL-T5076S). They seem like pretty similar TVs when looking at the specs. Can anyone provide some insights into the difference between the 2 TVs? I am going to be at about 8' viewing distance from the TV. They are both currently on sale in my area for $1799.99. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Had to look inside my HLT5676, power supply and electronics on the left, light engine on the right. The big upper mirror looks like it's fixed in the front but is adjustable at the rear. Loosen the four screws at the top of the back panel and there's a left and right adjustment cam.

The HLT uses a new smaller lamp holder but the bulb looks the same as the HLS model.
Here's a pic of the lamp and a rear view of the light engine...

This might end up pissing a lot of you off, but if you go up close to your screen and look around a bit you might notice dust being porjected on the back of your screen. ***This isn't dust on the back of the screen, it actually is a shadow of dust that is most likely on the lamp. I called Samsung and they said they will send someone out to clean the lamp.

Has anyone else noticed this?

If you can only see this up close, is it really a problem? The first thing I did with mine was to pop off the porthole cover on the back and look at the lens. It's sealed below a window that's abaut 6 x 10 inches. I noticed some dust and a smudge on the window and used the microfiber towel provided to clean it. Be very careful not to touch the screen while your in there.

Samsung called and their "expert" on dlp's wanted more specific info on my bowing problem,i gave him as much info as i could, but learned something in the meantime,he had me push down lightly on the top of the set, try it, it bows the hell out of ones picture ,I dont think that it matters on mine because I have the curving on the sides like a previous poster.pushing down on the top of mine didnt fix it.,btw.

Received my replacement HLT unit (replacing HLS) this weekend.
Wife was home, I wasnt. She thinks when they set it up left in shop mode but
not sure. I cant access the the plug n play menu to change it.
Any ideas? Thanks.
Oh yes pincushion is gone but do have the slight horizontal bowing on menus.
Also picture doesnt seem as detaile/sharp as HLS but may be because of reason above???

Received my replacement HLT unit (replacing HLS) this weekend.
Wife was home, I wasnt. She thinks when they set it up left in shop mode but
not sure. I cant access the the plug n play menu to change it.
Any ideas? Thanks.
Oh yes pincushion is gone but do have the slight horizontal bowing on menus.
Also picture doesnt seem as detaile/sharp as HLS but may be because of reason above???


Do you also notice that My Color Control does not have an "Easy" setup like the HLS? It doesn't bring up that girl to control each color. Please tell.

wdn, is that bowing at the sides only?starting about 5 inches in?

muffdiver: i dont have the easy color girl either.
also several new settings too, like gamma & such.

evilklown: my bowing is actually like a relaxed smiley face if that make sense. :)

mine is too I think, pretty flat across in the middle and curved on the outside...

Thanks for starting the thread. The foot dimensions in the 1st post are listed as approx. 35"x12". Is that the same for all 3 sizes of screens (50", 56", and 61")? If so, they seem to be significantly smaller than the 2007 Samsung LED TV's foot dimensions.

my bows too when you pull up the directv menu but i dont see it when im watching it.so i dont really think its that big of a deal.I watched a movie today HD DVD player it was pretty awsome. oh yeah this is my first hdtv and hd dvd player

my bows too when you pull up the directv menu but i dont see it when im watching it.so i dont really think its that big of a deal.I watched a movie today HD DVD player it was pretty awsome. oh yeah this is my first hdtv and hd dvd player

I thought that too,double check that, find something with a couple of good horizontals.

Does anyone have any suggestions for an aftermarket extended warranty on an HL-T5676S if you don't buy from one of the big box stores. I was looking at buy which has the tv for a good deal less than brick and mortar places do.

I finally recieved my HLT5676 yesterday from Samsung due to a failed LE in my HLS5687. After watching a few different things, I feel that the 5676 is a better television. It seems that SD programming is definitely better and I was able to get the picture to look nice with much less tweaking. I know many of you use aftermarket remotes but I also thought it was interesting that HLT comes with a backlit remote. If any of you are running a DirecTV HD box with HDMI, you might have to make a few setting changes and make sure that the receiver isn't set on native resolution. Mine worked the other way on the HLS but not on my new HLT.

-Wes

I now have an HL-T5676S that Samsung sent as a replacement for my HL-R5688W that they ruined when they replaced the light engine with a refurbished unit that caused more problems. Since they no longer had any 'new' parts for it they gave me this new tv. I was sorry to see the HL-R go as it had an absolutely gorgeous picture that made everyone say "WOW!" when they saw it, (before the light engine problem).

For the HL-T, out-of-the-box picture is acceptable, and it actually has truer red than any tv I've seen or owned, (red seems to be a problem for most tv's. They always seem more magenta or pink). The Rainbow effect is almost nonexistent. I think most people will like what they see if they buy this tv. Changing from Dynamic to Movie mode and turning off DNle makes it look more 'real,' but for the most part I have not had to make too many adjustments to get it close to what I had with my beloved HL-R. I'm sure Eliab could make it look even better, but for now I'm happy with it.

If I were to complain about anything, it would be:

1) What's up with this Cracker Jack toy remote??? It's a good thing I don't actually need it as I use a Sony learning remote.
2) It has the slight 'bow' effect, but can only be seen with the Directv menu guide.
3) I had to shell out money for a tv stand, as the HL-R was the pedestal version, but at least all my components are now in one cabinet.

Oh, and thank goodness they foresaw that not everyone wants to see that annoying blue light at the bottom of the tv. Turning it off was the very first adjustment I made:)

I have a hls5687w and just set up my dads hlt5676s last night. Right out of the box I like his desing better. The all black front and slim design look much better. Picture quality they are both identical except for the frown in the center of his screen while looking at the directv menu. It is not bad but its there.

Can some one post a picture of this Bowing effect. I would like to see this problem before I go out and get one. I have been eying this tv for a few weeks now.

Thanks
Geno

check other Dlp threads for bowing

Can some one post a picture of this Bowing effect. I would like to see this problem before I go out and get one. I have been eying this tv for a few weeks now.
Geno
Here's one I have, it was taken from an angle but you can see the top and bottom are fine but the outer 6" on the left and right near the middle has up turned lines. I measured it and the lines are turned up about an 1/8" on each end.

Since the top and bottom are OK, you only notice this with a full grid on the screen like the channel guide.

What is the deal with that blue light? Is it a bias light? doesn't look bright enough but could be?

Geometry issues are going to be set by set, just like they are with all DLPs. Samsung just has it a little worse because of the thin bezel, I'm sure some of the sets are fine.

My "bowing" effect is a little worse than that looks in the picture, it's not bad enough to bother me when watching a 2.35 widescreen movie but I see it on the dish network menu.

It's WAY better than my HLS was.

Here's one I have, it was taken from an angle but you can see the top and bottom are fine but the outer 6" on the left and right near the middle has up turned lines. I measured it and the lines are turned up about an 1/8" on each end.

Since the top and bottom are OK, you only notice this with a full grid on the screen like the channel guide.

I first posted that I did not have a bowing in my 5076S. I now have to say I do. The more I looked at the TV the more I noticed it with the menu up, or on widescreen movies where you see the balck at the bottom. It doesn't curver up dramatically, but it does slightly smile at you. It looks like the right side is higher than the left, by a 1/8" or so.

Pressing on the flimsy bezel does not fix this, it just pushes the picture down, it doesn't fix the bowing....at least from what I've experimented with.

With all these bowing problems this TV supposedly has, I'm thinking maybe this is not the TV for me. :(

please post someone post the Eliab settings for this set.

I really love this set and would like to see what it can really pull off.

also can this tv do 1080p/24 ?

Thanks!

Dont blame u for passing on DLP's , but LCD and Plasma aint perfect either....looked at all 3

please post someone post the Eliab settings for this set.

No Eliab settings yet. I used the HL-S starter settings and have made only small changes.

Eliab's HL-S Starter Settings (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8986054&&#post8986054)

The picture is stunning, minor bowing and all.

With all these bowing problems this TV supposedly has, I'm thinking maybe this is not the TV for me. :(
I investigated the bowing and it's caused by the screen bulging outward in the center. By using a straightedge, I found that an 1/8" bulge results in a 1/4" curve in the image. By pushing the screen inward, the bowing can be corrected. Maybe we can attach a vacuum cleaner to the cabinet and suck the screen back in! ;)

I investigated the bowing and it's caused by the screen bulging outward in the center. By using a straightedge, I found that an 1/8" bulge results in a 1/4" curve in the image. By pushing the screen inward, the bowing can be corrected. Maybe we can attach a vacuum cleaner to the cabinet and suck the screen back in! ;)

These have to be the cheapest expensive sets ever made.

Screens that are so flimsy they bulge out from their own weight, and cabinets that bend like silly putty.

Amazing what little $3000 will buy these days.

Besides the bowing, i do like this tv. i'm gonna buy the tapeworks warranty in a little bit, but i have a question. i have about 20 days left to return or exchange this set with no hassles, but i don't want to go through that trouble if i'm just gonna end up with another bowing set. i guess my question is that if say 2 months down the road, they are making sets that don't bow, or are able to fix it, will the warranty coverage take care of that? or for that matter, if i get completly fed up with the bowing later down the line, will it be treated under warranty?

These have to be the cheapest expensive sets ever made.
I don't the screen stiffness is any worse than last years, but by putting the mirror on top of the set reflecting the picture downward onto the screen instead of behind the screen reflecting the image forward, any deflection of the screen is greatly magnified.

I'll take the thinner much better looking cabinet over a little bowing you can't see (unless you put a grid on the screen) any day. Very satified overall with this set except for the awful speakers, no bass and no highs at all.

Yeah I thought it was only me on the speakers and how bad they sounded but I guess not. My HLS model had much better audio from the stock speakers. So you are saying by pushing in on the middle of the screen that you corrected your bowing problem Shinka?

I don't the screen stiffness is any worse than last years, but by putting the mirror on top of the set reflecting the picture downward onto the screen instead of behind the screen reflecting the image forward, any deflection of the screen is greatly magnified.

I'll take the thinner much better looking cabinet over a little bowing you can't see (unless you put a grid on the screen) any day. Very satified overall with this set except for the awful speakers, no bass and no highs at all.

Everyone's eyes are probably a bit different when it comes to bowing of the the picture.

I have an LCD projection set now and the edges of a 4:3 image are laser straight. Every time I've looked at one of the DLP sets, the bowing of the image immediately jumps out at me.

While this is not a show stopper with true HD material (unless the bowing is so bad that it affects vertical lines in the image) much of the material shown on the HD channels is upconverted SD in 4:3. This bowing is evident with this material, which (to my eyes) makes the set unacceptable, doe to the distraction.

If it's not bothersome, it's not an issue.

So you are saying by pushing in on the middle of the screen that you corrected your bowing problem Shinka?
Pushing on the screen near the sides moves the image upward, However it won't stay. I'm experimenting with the mounting screws to see if the screen will hang straighter to improve on the bowing situation.

While this is not a show stopper with true HD material (unless the bowing is so bad that it affects vertical lines in the image) much of the material shown on the HD channels is upconverted SD in 4:3. This bowing is evident with this material, which (to my eyes) makes the set unacceptable, doe to the distraction. If it's not bothersome, it's not an issue.
The bowing on the Txx76 series is only in horizontal lines near the middle near the sides, the vertical sides on 4:3 format are perfectly straight.

If it's not bothersome, it's not an issue.
Exactly.

unlike the HLS which is the reason I sent that one back,lol.Cant win with Samsung.

What is the deal with that blue light? Is it a bias light? doesn't look bright enough but could be?No. ;)

Does anyone have any tips how to reduce the brightness on the Samsung DLPs? In a dark room the image is almost eye-strainingly bright, even in Movie mode with settings dialed down.Put a dim light behind your TV. There are special bias lights for that purpose, or you can find cheaper light that will work.

Bias Lighting (http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=376060)

Bias Lighting (Backlighting) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=451527)

Received my replacement HLT unit (replacing HLS) this weekend.
Wife was home, I wasnt. She thinks when they set it up left in shop mode but
not sure. So, while I'm watching my hls5087w, it losses it's settings, for example, I'll set it to movie, dnie off etc, and it will just switch back to dynamic randomly after about 30 min. Anyone have a similar experience? It's driving me insane.You are probably in "shop mode". Here is a link to instructions.

Get your HL-S TV out of "shop mode". (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8331071&&#post8331071)

The Samsung HL-S DLP sets have "shop mode" to force the set back to Dynamic Mode when they are being used in showrooms. If some customer changes the menu settings, 30 minutes later those settings revert back to Samsung's desired showroom settings (Dynamic mode with DNIe ON, etc.).

Solution:

1. Power ON with the set displaying a normal image.

2. Press and hold the MENU button for five seconds. Use the Menu button on the TV's front panel, not the remote control.

The TV will blank for one second, and now be out of "shop mode". This mode can be toggled ON or OFF by repeating the steps. If you are out of "shop mode" the TV will "hold" it's video settings without automatically resetting every 30 minutes.

Pushing on the screen near the sides moves the image upward, However it won't stay. I'm experimenting with the mounting screws to see if the screen will hang straighter to improve on the bowing situation.

Exactly. Pushing in the middle of the screen, at the sides, fixes the bowing. But of course it bows back when you let go.

I measured last night and it showed a 5/16" difference when measuring the menu bar from the top of the menu bar to where the screen ends at the bottom. I then did the same measurement on the right side where it bows. The difference was 5/16".

There is also a difference of 1/8" between measurements of the left and right sides.

A Samsung Tech is coming out today to remove dust that is projecting on the back of the screen. I will also discuss the bowing with him and see what changes he makes. Will post the detials ASAP.

No Eliab settings yet. I used the HL-S starter settings and have made only small changes.

Eliab's HL-S Starter Settings (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8986054&&#post8986054)

The picture is stunning, minor bowing and all.


thanks!!

BTW what is the bowing I do not see anything

htwaits, thanks for the links. Bias lighting should hopefully solve eye strain problem with my LCD TV.It should. You're welcome. :)

I investigated the bowing and it's caused by the screen bulging outward in the center. By using a straightedge, I found that an 1/8" bulge results in a 1/4" curve in the image. By pushing the screen inward, the bowing can be corrected. Maybe we can attach a vacuum cleaner to the cabinet and suck the screen back in! ;)
LOL perhaps Samsung will address this flaw for next year's (2008) TV models. But that doesn't do you 2007 buyers any good. :(

2006 buyer moved into a 2007 model, still not happy, tech comes out Sat. will report Sat afternoon

2006 buyer moved into a 2007 model, still not happy, tech comes out Sat. will report Sat afternoon

Tech came out yesterday. I think it is now worse than before.... :mad: .

He said there are mirrors that are now located on the top of the TV. These mirrors get moved around during shipping. He put up a black and white boxed grid and began to adjust tilt. He made and worse and then asked me if that was good. The tilt adjust did not help the problem. There are left and right side tilt adjustment he can make. All it does, if done correctly, is make the bowing on each side (left and right) the same height. It does not help BOWING :mad:

I still have a 1/4" difference from the middle of my screen to the far right of my screen when measuring the menu bar, and widescreen movies, and about 1/8" difference between the far left of my screen and far right.

What bugs even more is my buddy called regarding his HLS5687W and he measured 5 1/4" on the left, middle and right side of the screen :eek:

What the F'. 1 Question. How do we return this thing after the box has been cut open?

My 6176 has a VERY subtle smiley-face effect on the outer 8" of the lower corners. youd never notice under any circumstance at all, unless you pull up a channel-guide or the internal menus, and even then, some folks might not notice it.

After reading shinkas post about the screen bulging out, I spent about 20 min toying with various combinations of shimming under the TV and pressing on parts of the screen. I pretty much agree that the various distortions are caused by the screen not hanging completely flat. I'm guessing that if the screen was re-hung in the cabinet such that it was suspended almost entirely from the top, and not resting on its bottom edge, it wouldnt be inclined to bow under its own weight. Anyone have suggestions and opinions to support/refute this? I'd really like to be able to eliminate what seem like simple issues, but I am wary of putting my own tools to the thing and nixing the warranty.

Input from DIY service types is welcomed

For the record, the picture is still fantastic, I'm just trying to get the details perfect, and my girlfriend thinks I'm silly sitting next to the TV with a measuring tape, and folded paper shims. She just wants to watch and enjoy the HD PBS shows. :cool:

My 6176 has a VERY subtle smiley-face effect on the outer 8" of the lower corners. youd never notice under any circumstance at all, unless you pull up a channel-guide or the internal menus, and even then, some folks might not notice it.



For the record, the picture is still fantastic, I'm just trying to get the details perfect, and my girlfriend thinks I'm silly sitting next to the TV with a measuring tape, and folded paper shims. She just wants to watch and enjoy the HD PBS shows. :cool:

Agree :) My Finance thinks I am a quack as well.

Can you and anyone else with a bowing problem, post you measurements of the differences between the height of the internal menu's left side and middle, right side and middle, and left and right side. We will at least be able to get a uniform response and see if we are all around the same ballpark. Thanks

When I get home, I shall measure the TV unshimmed and shimmed, at various points across the top and bottom of the screen.

To make matter smore precise, can anyone suggest a good source of a test pattern so that I can accurately measure the screen at points near the middle, if necessary?
Free is ideal, but I'll take whatever.

To make matter smore precise, can anyone suggest a good source of a test pattern so that I can accurately measure the screen at points near the middle, if necessary?
Free is ideal, but I'll take whatever.
Make one on your PC, save as JPG to a memory stick and plug it into the TV. I saved the HDnet test pattern on my Dish PVR. Also, there is 18 test patterns in the service menu under DDP3021.

Service menu, now we're talking! How do I get into the service menu? I shall put a pattern on a flash drive and try that as well.

Yes...How do we get the service menu up?

I believe it is "With the TV off, hit Mute, 1, 8, 2, power"

Remember that if you go into the service menu, all settings revert to factory.

Remember that if you go into the service menu, all settings revert to factory.I hope you mean "all User Menu settings" revert to factory. :)

[/Quote]Solution:
1. Power ON with the set displaying a normal image.
2. Press and hold the MENU button for five seconds. Use the Menu button on the TV's front panel, not the remote control.
The TV will blank for one second, and now be out of "shop mode". This mode can be toggled ON or OFF by repeating the steps. If you are out of "shop mode" the TV will "hold" it's video settings without automatically resetting every 30 minutes.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the tip, just did it & my set was in home mode & switched to shop (oops).
Now I cant get it to toggle back tho. The menu button won't do it???
Any other way to switch it?

Also what should the gamma & gamut settings be on?
Thanks again!

I just got my set from ABT. 6176 is AWESOME....No complaints yet, working on picture adjustments. Got a SMOKING deal, under 2k. Price matching is a great thing......

Solution:
1. Power ON with the set displaying a normal image.
2. Press and hold the MENU button for five seconds. Use the Menu button on the TV's front panel, not the remote control.
The TV will blank for one second, and now be out of "shop mode". This mode can be toggled ON or OFF by repeating the steps. If you are out of "shop mode" the TV will "hold" it's video settings without automatically resetting every 30 minutes.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the tip, just did it & my set was in home mode & switched to shop (oops).
Now I cant get it to toggle back tho. The menu button won't do it???
Any other way to switch it?

Also what should the gamma & gamut settings be on?
Thanks again![/QUOTE]

Tried it to and couldn't toggle it off, so I had to go into service menu. It's in the first menu i believe. It is clearly marked Shop mode.

Tried it to and couldn't toggle it off, so I had to go into service menu. It's in the first menu i believe. It is clearly marked Shop mode.

OK, how do I get into the service menu then?

Adjusted the light Engine(DIDNT WORK),Adjusted Something down below(DIDNT WORK), Then went into service menu to check things out, still didnt work...left my house and things didnt change,will Call Samsung this week and let u all know.

OK, how do I get into the service menu then?



mute 1,8,2 power

[B]Thanks for the tip, just did it & my set was in home mode & switched to shop (oops).
Now I cant get it to toggle back tho. The menu button won't do it???
Any other way to switch it?
On page 17 in the manual...
If the unit is accidentally set to Shop mode and you want to return to Dynamic (Home)
mode, press the Volume button and then hold down the MENU button for five seconds
on the TV panel.

Has anyone mounted a center channel on top of their tv? I've got a 5679s on the way and I'm thinking of getting a <a href="http://nhthifi.com/2006/products/ht/threec.html">NHT Classic 3C</a> to match the Classic three fronts. I don't have enough height on the tv stand to put the speaker there so I was thinking of putting it on top of the tv. However the speakers weighs 23lbs so I'm worried about causing bowing if the tv doesn't already have it. Any advise for or against? If for does anyone know of some kind of accessory I can buy to place the speaker on top of the tv?

YOU CANNOT MOUNT THAT SPEAKER ON TOP,not a chance...6oz will weigh it down.

YOU CANNOT MOUNT THAT SPEAKER ON TOP,not a chance...6oz will weigh it down.

Thanks.

so in the service menu, theres no setting for setting the center of the middle.

my sisters sony crt, had a tv with a sad face. I accessed the service menu, and there was a setting where I could adjust the middle up and down, making, sad, or happy faces. I got the lines on the screen pretty straight

my sisters sony crt, had a tv with a sad face. Your sister's CRT TV is a different technology. You were adjusting control of the electron beam in the CRT TV. There is no electron beam in microchip displays. They project light onto a screen which you can't control in the same way.

hey guys been reading for a while, very informative posts, although it seems like with any tv you chose you are just picking your poison. i bought the 5676s about a week ago and due to a prior config i am having to use the coaxial to connect to dish sat. the stb that i am using is the dual tuner dvr, the main connection is in the bedroom while the secondary is run though coax to the living room where the 5676s is . my question is can i have two coaxial connection (dish coax and antenna for hd locals) run at the same time? to get the dish to work i have to have the coax plugged in to "ant 2 in" and the channel set to 60 then i get all my dish channels. i don't understand why i can't plug the dish coax into the ant 1 in, which says cable, and get the channels? then when i want to watch hd locals i have to remove the dish coax from "ant 2 in" and plug that coax into ant 2 in" and then i get the hd locals. the obvious problem is that this requires me to get up, but also i wonder if this means there is something wrong with the tv? i am fairly new to this so any help would be appreciated

I finally checked out the 76S series TV. I was at Sears yesterday (Sat.) for something else. I saw the HTS dept., so I wandered over there. On display was an HL-T5676S TV. However, it was placed very high (I'd say the center of the TV was 7' above the floor), so obviously the picture looked a little darker than it normally would. And from an angle, it looked even darker.

I was surprised to learn that Sears was selling it cheaper than Amazon. :eek: But by no means the cheapest price you can find on the 'net. I'd really like to get this TV since the LED ones are too pricey for me. However, all these bowing issues give me hesitation. Well, I know that even Samsung's LED TVs are prone to that. I haven't really looked into JVC, Toshiba, etc., but I might start doing that. I really do want a Samsung due to its excellent PQ, when calibrated. Decisions, decisions ...

As I previously stated, without the folded paper shim, the image is about 1/2" lower on the right than the left, this appears to be a rotated, not warped image, and is effectively cured with a shim under the right front corner of the foot. This leaves the slight curvature, or bowing seen at the bottom of the picture. Theres an almost imperceptable hump in the middle of the bottom of the screen, with a slight dip to its left, and a final upturn on the outer 8" of the screen. Measured across the bottom, from the lower edge to the top of the menu bar, at approx 6" intervals, it goes 5 5/8", 5 1/2", 5 7/16", 5 1/2", 5 9/16", 5 1/2", 5 1/2", 5 1/2", 5 1/2". This is with the shim in place.

Given that this effect is only really found near the bottom of the screen, and is nullified at the edges, this seems to be due to the screen bowing outward slightly under its weight, and I feel secure that it could be resolved with a rehanging of the screen.

One of the more interesting issues that came up as I ran the test screens from the USB port was that the TV did not like to resolve the images very well. I have attached a few examples.

The TV seems perfectly capable of being able to resolve one pixel thick lines or characters in some cases, but seems to not have true detail resolution for the most part. The moire effect comes in on a much coarser pattern than I'd like. So, heres the question: Is this a limitation of the image processing of the TV, or is this a limitation of the picture quality of the USB input, or what? Is there a way to make the image more precise? I suppose I could try to get DVI-HDMI cable and see how it displays a direct PC output, but I'm interested to hear ideas.

As I previously stated, without the folded paper shim, the image is about 1/2" lower on the right than the left, this appears to be a rotated, not warped image, and is effectively cured with a shim under the right front corner of the foot. This leaves the slight curvature, or bowing seen at the bottom of the picture. Theres an almost imperceptable hump in the middle of the bottom of the screen, with a slight dip to its left, and a final upturn on the outer 8" of the screen. Measured across the bottom, from the lower edge to the top of the menu bar, at approx 6" intervals, it goes 5 5/8", 5 1/2", 5 7/16", 5 1/2", 5 9/16", 5 1/2", 5 1/2", 5 1/2", 5 1/2". This is with the shim in place.

Are these shims placed in between the bezel and the screen?? No shims under the TV have worked for me.

Anyway, as for the update, I sent my first 5076 TV back and picked up a new 5076. Brought it home set it up, and the same bowing (barrel effect problem, smiley face etc.). Not bad through the middle but you can definitely tell at the sides. Words will slant upwards. I've come to the conclusion that it is the screen, and here is where the problem lies.

All DLP's at the store have bowing issues. Either they have it ever so slightly, or just at the bottom, or not at the bottom, just at the top, or both bottom and top. The reason why the Samsung XX76's and LED models are more prone to it, is not just b/c of the thin bezel, but b/c of the new UltraSlim TV.

The Un-Slim TV's have mirrors placed in the back of the TV that reflect the image straight ahead onto the screen. The UltraSlims, in order to get them thin, have placed the mirrors on the top of the TV, albeit the caution lavel on top of out TV's. This image is now reflected to our screen at an angle. Any deviation in the straightness of the screen leads to a more drastic change in the image.

I looked at others in the store and only 1 barely had the problem. Some other guy on this thread went through 4 of these TV's, all with this bowing problem. The problem is BS. We shouldn't have to deal with it when paying $2K, $1500, or whatever. I bleieve as well that a new screen will fix the problem. I'm just debating to send it back to the store and get the 46" LCD Samsung, or deal with Customer Service yet again to be not satisfied.

I hear you Muff but LCD's have their problems too,I searched that 46" 1080P forum and it isnt pretty either...I'm waiting to see what Samsung has to say.

I hear you Muff but LCD's have their problems too,I searched that 46" 1080P forum and it isnt pretty either...I'm waiting to see what Samsung has to say.

Your right. This is all crap. I wanted to treat myself to a TV, and my OCD has taken this to a whole new level. I now feel stress everyday since I had this TV. I went back to CC to check out other TV's and I saw the 5676S for $100 cheaper than what I paid for the 5076S!!! I am most likely going to bring this back to CC, get the 56", get a $100 credit, and then just deal with Samsung on this issue, if it is still there. I love this TV so much, but the Geometry is killing me. I truely believe a new screen, and minor tech adjustment could put us in a blissful situation, but for now I am just pissing my fiance off.

I looked into the LN-T4665F. I saw it at the store and it looked amazing. Got the best review in its class on Cnet. But I then check here and see there are clouds people can't get rid of, there are HDMI issue drop outs, what the F'. This site is suppose to help us, not turn us into mental patients..........ANYONE AGREE??//

I know this may be obvious question, but is it HDMI 1.3?

I agree but it is still a great place to exchange ideas

Hey Folks,

I plan on making my first HDTV purchase any day now, and have basically decided on the 6176s, although I'm still considering the Sony A2020 and waiting for the Sony A3000. But I really like the styling of the Samsung DLP, and while I think the Sony picture is slightly better, the Samsung seems to be right there with the Sony. In any case, the series of posts about the bowing issue gives me pause. I've seen the 5676 several times at CC (although, unfortunately, they have the TV in its own separate station so that it only plays Blu-Rays), and I haven't noticed any bowing issues at all. But I haven't resorted to some of the lengths of others -- in terms of the use of rulers and the like. So my question is to what extent is the bowing issue noticeable to the naked eye, other than in those instances when one is viewing the menu? I could deal with a bit of bowing when viewing the menu as long as my experience while viewing programming was top notch. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hey Folks,

I plan on making my first HDTV purchase any day now, and have basically decided on the 6176s, although I'm still considering the Sony A2020 and waiting for the Sony A3000. But I really like the styling of the Samsung DLP, and while I think the Sony picture is slightly better, the Samsung seems to be right there with the Sony. In any case, the series of posts about the bowing issue gives me pause. I've seen the 5676 several times at CC (although, unfortunately, they have the TV in its own separate station so that it only plays Blu-Rays), and I haven't noticed any bowing issues at all. But I haven't resorted to some of the lengths of others -- in terms of the use of rulers and the like. So my question is to what extent is the bowing issue noticeable to the naked eye, other than in those instances when one is viewing the menu? I could deal with a bit of bowing when viewing the menu as long as my experience while viewing programming was top notch. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.


If you want no trouble, stay away from it. I'm fed up with Samsung at the moment so my viewpoint might be skewed a bit, but I doubt it. This bowing is not just with the service menu. It is with every horizontal line on the screen. You won't be able to notice it in everything you watch, but if you get straight lines in show or movie and the last 8 inches of the screen, you will notice it....From a door that is curving out words, to words that slant upwards at the end of the screen.

It's BS quite frankly. If you want to get it and take youtr chances, go ahead. If you end up getting a problem, ask samsung to replace the screen and do an adjustment. I went thorugh 2 already and still hve the prob. Another guy went through 4 of them and still has the problem. I lok at 3 different stores and I would say 1 out of the 7 i saw had little or no bowing. The chances are not in your favor.

hello all, my 4th hlt 76s has the dreaded bowing, along with the first 3. finally had my tech come out, he did all of his tilt adjustments and nothing worked, he didn't know what to do. he said he would call samsung. He did and they told him that there were NO adjustments he could make to fix the bowing and they final advice for me is to return the tv for a new one and hope it does not have bowing. thanks samsung.

mranbel,thats the road I'm heading down.

i'm 4 days away from my 30 days, i'm going to probably return it with the assumption of it being bad and try and get samsung to upgrade me to a lcd or something. all of this and it's my first hdtv, still haven't lost hope though.

hello all, my 4th hlt 76s has the dreaded bowing, along with the first 3. finally had my tech come out, he did all of his tilt adjustments and nothing worked, he didn't know what to do. he said he would call samsung. He did and they told him that there were now adjustments he could make to fix the bowing and they final advice for me is to return the tv for a new one and hope it does not have bowing. thanks samsung.

If they said there were now adjustments, then what are they and why would they suggest you exchange the set? Are they saying the version you have does not have the adjustment capability? :confused:

ive had my 5676s for almost two weeks now yeah when i first got it i could see the bowing but only on the directv menu.it still does it but not as bad maybe they just need to break in for awhile.i watch about 6 hours of tv a day ive watched HD DVD and Blue ray.i just dont see it.if you sit there and look for it you might. i just sit back and enjoy it.oh yeah i just got a ps3 and it looks awsome on this tv

I'm looking at the HL-T6156 61" at Sam's for $2186 w/stand. Can anyone tell me if this set is good or not? I can't find any threads on it and this is the closest one I could find.

I'm sorry for my mistake samsung said my bowing could NOT be fixed and for me to return it.

I'm sorry for my mistake samsung said my bowing could NOT be fixed and for me to return it.

I would definitely try and make them replace the screen otherwise you will return it and not get a Samsung. A new screen will 99% sure it will fix the problem. I've read other threads on bowing, and it has cured some of there problems, if all other adjustments were made and it didn't fix it.

I returned my 5076S last night. No exchange, just returned. I don't know what I am going to do. I'm still thinking of the LN-t4665F lcd samsung....but I still want the 5676S, JUST DON'T WANT IT WITH BOWING!.

My friend's friend owns an HD store and said he could get me the 5676S for $1000. I feel if it does have problems, it might be worth it to just fight Samsung to fix the problem by adjustments and replacing the screen....or maybe there is a slight chance there is no bowing on it.

What's everyone's feel on this. One of you guys needs to ORDER SAMSUNG to replace your screen. ASAP. Then we will really know if there is no fix for this. PLEASE SOMEONE DO SO

I know this may be obvious question, but is it HDMI 1.3?
I assume it is; at least that's what was thought in the Samsung DLP CES thread. However, the thread starter didn't mention it in his 1st post. : \

I assume it is; at least that's what was thought in the Samsung DLP CES thread. However, the thread starter didn't mention it in his 1st post. : \

I think only the LED 89S's are 1.3

Well my 5676S showed up today definitely obvious bowing when using the settings menus. Should I just go straight to samsung support or the retailer (Buy( that sold me the tv to begin with?

Also I can't seem to find the post where someone shared their starting picture settings for tweaking everything.

Thanks

Well my 5676S showed up today definitely obvious bowing when using the settings menus. Should I just go straight to samsung support or the retailer (Buy( that sold me the tv to begin with?

Also I can't seem to find the post where someone shared their starting picture settings for tweaking everything.

Thanks

Yah, definitely call Samsung now and tell them to come out with a new screen to replace your bowed old one. If they refuse then tell them to bring it in case the other things the tech will try won't work.....b/c it won't! I truly believe replacing the screen will cure it.

Contrast: 60
Sharpness: 0
Color:65
Tint: 55 45
Movie Mode

Had to sign up just to get info as well. Does anyone know if there is a service menu that you can get into with this TV? I know on my 32" slimfit using 'mute 1 8 2 power on' I was able to get rid of most of the bowing i had and some of the pin issues. If there is a way to do it in the service menu then everyone's problems could be solved.

The service menu is accessible via the same "mute 1 8 2 Power On" sequence. I do not have the HL-Txx76, but I tested the sequence in the local Best Buy a couple of weeks ago.

Which parameters in the service menu of the "32 in Slimfit" did you adjust to impact "bowing" and "pin issues."

Thanks.

Slimfit is probably a CRT.

CRTs actually have a pincushion adjustment.

DLPs don't.

It took me hours to get my Philips CRT to display decent geometry, but at least it could be done.

I would definitely try and make them replace the screen otherwise you will return it and not get a Samsung. A new screen will 99% sure it will fix the problem. I've read other threads on bowing, and it has cured some of there problems, if all other adjustments were made and it didn't fix it.

I returned my 5076S last night. No exchange, just returned. I don't know what I am going to do. I'm still thinking of the LN-t4665F lcd samsung....but I still want the 5676S, JUST DON'T WANT IT WITH BOWING!.

My friend's friend owns an HD store and said he could get me the 5676S for $1000. I feel if it does have problems, it might be worth it to just fight Samsung to fix the problem by adjustments and replacing the screen....or maybe there is a slight chance there is no bowing on it.

What's everyone's feel on this. One of you guys needs to ORDER SAMSUNG to replace your screen. ASAP. Then we will really know if there is no fix for this. PLEASE SOMEONE DO SO

You can get the set for 1000.00?

Get it!!!

That is a no brainer even with the bowing man.

Slimfit is probably a CRT.Should have guessed that since I have never heard of these adjustments being available in a dlp unit.

I think only the LED 89S's are 1.3
That stinks. I thought that would at least be 1 advantage the 76S has over the 87S.

Here's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9340357&&#post9340357) why I thought the 76S had HDMI 1.3.

The 5676s does have HDMI 1.3 look at the owners manual on line about hdmi hookups it says something about it there.I have this model and i love it

The 5676s does have HDMI 1.3 look at the owners manual on line about hdmi hookups it says something about it there.I have this model and i love it
Great, thanks for confirming. Good to know there's at least 1 satisfied owner. :)

Should have guessed that since I have never heard of these adjustments being available in a dlp unit.

yeah the slimfit is a crt but I figured that even a dlp would have some adjustments that could be used cus it's like a mini projector so there should be no reason that it can't be done unless they simply don't include options to do it.

I've been reading this thread as well as the HL-Txx87-89S for some awhile & it's time to make a decision & I need some owner advise.
1st, this set will be used in a Great Room with lots of ambient light. My candidates are the Samsung HL-S5087W, HL-T5087S, HL-T5076S & Sony KDS-50A2020. I believe the only difference between the HL-S5087W & HL-T5076S is the HL-T5076S is slimmer. The HL-T5087S is LED & reading that thread has me concerned about its quality. The Sony KDS-50A2020 looks a little flat compared to the HL-S2087W I saw at BB. Pricewise the HL-T5087S (LED) is a little cheaper but can only be found on the internet.
So, all recommendations are welcome.

Any recommendations on picture settings?

I received this model in exchange for a HL-S5687 that had a noisy color wheel but an amazing picture. So far, the quality of the HL-T5676 picture is disappointing. Hopefully, after adjusting the many picture settings it will be much better.

Lots of new ones: Dynamic black, dynamic contrast, gamma, white balance??

go with the HLS,its prob $400-500 less (or more)

I've been reading this thread as well as the HL-Txx87-89S for some awhile & it's time to make a decision & I need some owner advise.
1st, this set will be used in a Great Room with lots of ambient light. My candidates are the Samsung HL-S5087W, HL-T5087S, HL-T5076S & Sony KDS-50A2020. I believe the only difference between the HL-S5087W & HL-T5076S is the HL-T5076S is slimmer. The HL-T5087S is LED & reading that thread has me concerned about its quality. The Sony KDS-50A2020 looks a little flat compared to the HL-S2087W I saw at BB. Pricewise the HL-T5087S (LED) is a little cheaper but can only be found on the internet.
So, all recommendations are welcome.

if im not mistaken the HL-T5087S is hdmi 1.2 the HL-T5076S is hdmi 1.3

Any recommendations on picture settings?

I received this model in exchange for a HL-S5687 that had a noisy color wheel but an amazing picture. So far, the quality of the HL-T5676 picture is disappointing. Hopefully, after adjusting the many picture settings it will be much better.

Lots of new ones: Dynamic black, dynamic contrast, gamma, white balance??

in most samsung reviews I have seen the movie setting is usually the best setting. I would stick in the incredibles if you have it then use the thx video tests to adjust the image settings one preset at a time. I will be more effective with image quality settings when I get the tv and adjust them, I will post em up when I am done.

if im not mistaken the HL-T5087S is hdmi 1.2 the HL-T5076S is hdmi 1.3
I believe they're both HDMI 1.2 which is compatable with 1080P.
Here's a look @ the HL-T5076S specs;
http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/files/hl-t5076s_final.pdf

It reads...
Connections
• 3 HDMI inputs (High Definition Multimedia
Interface) with 480p/720i/720p/1080i/1080p input
support
... but fails to mention if it's 24P or 60P or both.
In the HL-T5089S .pdf spec sheet it emphasizes HDMI 1.3.
Anyway, I don't own a PlayStation 3 which HDMI 1.3 support would be a plus, so, HDMI 1.2 suits me fine.
HTH

Hey all,

I'm a new member and this is my first post but have been reading for a while.

I just bought a hl-t6176s today at CC. They matched the amazon price so it was good enough for me. I am picking it up tomorrow. I am a little concerned with all the issues I have been reading about so I will post the results when I fire it up.

Are there any settings or calibrations I can do myself to optimiaze pq?

I am parting with my hitachi 57f10s (going to my sister).

thanks,

i am gonna stop by fry's real quick and ask them or ask for the owners manual to see if it really is hdmi 1.3

i am gonna stop by fry's real quick and ask them or ask for the owners manual to see if it really is hdmi 1.3

I looked on the tV when I was in today but could not see anything as to the hdmi version. I said screw it,I got one. :D

fry's says: we have them on display, ...we are pretty sure they are 1.2 cus only the top of the line led dlp's have 1.3 and we don't carry those, we don't display the manuals.

ultimate electronics says: we don't think we carry them, oh wait we do they should be 1.2, no we can't open a box to get the manual.

best buy says: I guess we don't carry them, ... do you know if we carry them? ... no? ... ok no we don't carry them they are 1.2.

so there you have it ... no difinitive answer yet again from unsure reps what a waste of gas.

when I get mine tomorrow and open it up, I will see if I can tell what it has. hopefully all goes well as I feel after reading all the stuff on here i am taking a chance.

p.s. still interested in the calibration stuff from my earlier post if anybody knows anything.

so I dug this up, http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/others/0,39037627,61979902-8,00.htm

aparently they are non hdmi 1.3 so we are gonna be stuck with 1.2. With the price of these units being much lower than other tv's of similar calibur it won't matter much since you could just upgrade in a couple years when there are devices that use it to its full potential.

They also refer to hl "s"-6176. Is that a typo or what?

just a reminder site source wikipedia.

HDMI 1.0
Released December 2002.

Single-cable digital audio/video connection with a maximum bitrate of 4.9 Gbit/s. Supports up to 165Mpixels/s video (1080p60 Hz or UXGA) and 8-channel/192 kHz/24-bit audio.

[edit] HDMI 1.1
Released May 2004.

Added support for DVD Audio.

[edit] HDMI 1.2
Released August 2005.

Added support for One Bit Audio, used on Super Audio CDs, up to 8 channels.
Availability of HDMI Type A connector for PC sources.
Ability for PC sources to use native RGB color-space while retaining the option to support the YCbCr CE color space.
Requirement for HDMI 1.2 and later displays to support low-voltage sources.

[edit] HDMI 1.2a
Released December 2005.

Fully specifies Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) features, command sets, and CEC compliance tests.

[edit] HDMI 1.3
Released 22 June 2006.[7] [8]

Increases single-link bandwidth to 340 MHz (10.2 Gbit/s)
Optionally supports 30-bit, 36-bit, and 48-bit xvYCC with Deep Color or over one billion colors, up from 24-bit sRGB or YCbCr in previous versions.
Incorporates automatic audio syncing (lip sync) capability.
Supports output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio streams for external decoding by AV receivers.[9] TrueHD and DTS-HD are lossless audio codec formats used on HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. If the disc player can decode these streams into uncompressed audio, then HDMI 1.3 is not necessary, as all versions of HDMI can transport uncompressed audio.
Availability of a new mini connector for devices such as camcorders.[10]

[edit] HDMI 1.3a
Released 10 November 2006.[11]

Cable and Sink modifications for Type C
Source termination recommendation
Removed undershoot and maximum rise/fall time limits.
CEC capacitance limits changed
RGB video quantization range clarification
CEC commands for timer control brought back in an altered form, audio control commands added.
Concurrently released compliance test specification included.

[edit] HDMI 1.3b
Testing specification released 26 March 2007.

They also refer to hl "s"-6176. Is that a typo or what?

i noticed that too while I was reading it again, confusion

Aight so I can get the hlt5676s, a 2 year warranty, and the stand for $2300 at BrandsMart. I saw the hlt5676s on display and the PQ was great as expected. It was on "shop mode" so the guy could not pull up any menus so I could see any noticeable "bowing" as you guys say. Now im real worried.

I cannot find the hls5687w even at the major retailers like CC and BB. all discontinued. Amazon is charging the same as I can get the hlt5676s for these days.

Any suggestions?

I have a question. Have any of you guys with bowing issues actually purchased your tv from inside the store and brought it home? Because I thought the whole "bowing" issue was due to shipping.

Man this is gonna be difficult. I don't know what I am going to do if I can't et a 1080p samsung dlp...I mean its all I want.

Aight so I can get the hlt5676s, a 2 year warranty, and the stand for $2300 at BrandsMart. I saw the hlt5676s on display and the PQ was great as expected. It was on "shop mode" so the guy could not pull up any menus so I could see any noticeable "bowing" as you guys say. Now im real worried.

I cannot find the hls5687w even at the major retailers like CC and BB. all discontinued. Amazon is charging the same as I can get the hlt5676s for these days.

Any suggestions?

I have a question. Have any of you guys with bowing issues actually purchased your tv from inside the store and brought it home? Because I thought the whole "bowing" issue was due to shipping.

Man this is gonna be difficult. I don't know what I am going to do if I can't et a 1080p samsung dlp...I mean its all I want.

the display I saw at fry's didn't have any noticable bowing issues and I was able to pull up the menu as it wasn't locked down. They actually had it next to the newer led models and other than the led models having a slightly oversaturated look they were identical in detail. They had that Discovery Atlas 'China' Blu Ray disk playing and with all the green in the picture it was easy to see the led's oversaturated output using default settings.

Aight so I can get the hlt5676s, a 2 year warranty, and the stand for $2300 at BrandsMart. I saw the hlt5676s on display and the PQ was great as expected. It was on "shop mode" so the guy could not pull up any menus so I could see any noticeable "bowing" as you guys say. Now im real worried.

I cannot find the hls5687w even at the major retailers like CC and BB. all discontinued. Amazon is charging the same as I can get the hlt5676s for these days.

I have a question. Have any of you guys with bowing issues actually purchased your tv from inside the store and brought it home? Because I thought the whole "bowing" issue was due to shipping.

Man this is gonna be difficult. I don't know what I am going to do if I can't et a 1080p samsung dlp...I mean its all I want.

I brought mine home twice. Strapped nicely to the inside of my truck with nothing on top of the box. It might be a shipping issue where when TV's are stacked up on top of each other, the TV's tops are so flexible that the screen will hold a bowed position for whatever amount of time the truck is in transit. As well as how they are stacked at the store. When you get home with it...bowing is there. Unless your TV was the one on top on the truck and the one on top at the store, your most likely will have some sort of bowing. I think I might purchase another after the 2 I've already went through and just demand a new screen.

As for the $2300 price. CC had it on sale for father's day for $1599, and if you purchase a Samsung with a Mastercard you get an extra year of warranty. I say screw the third year and get it for $1599. They are able to do it.

Good luck though. I hope someone comes up with a fix to this bowing issue...

Question why all the fuss with the bowing in the menu - hardly use the menus at all.

I have the 61 incher dlp hlt and I kinda like the bowing I hardly notice it when watching movies but the bowing at the bottom of the black lines gives it a cinemascope affect.

Question why all the fuss with the bowing in the menu - hardly use the menus at all.

I have the 61 incher dlp hlt and I kinda like the bowing I hardly notice it when watching movies but the bowing at the bottom of the black lines gives it a cinemascope affect.

It's not just with the service menu. It's with widescreen, and it moves half way up the screen. If I have words on the left side of the screen they slant upwards, if they are on the right they slope upwards tot he right. The bottom right part of the screen is 1/4" higher than on the left. Is that a cinemascope affect? You pay $1800 for a television, you want it to be geometrically sound. Samsung should figure that out before they start tinkering with creating "Dynamic Iris" settings and other BS settings that really don't matter much when compared to a bowed picture. If there is any straight line in the movie, game or whatever...it's noticeable, especially after you already detected it.

That stinks. I thought that would at least be 1 advantage the 76S has over the 87S.

Here's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9340357&&#post9340357) why I thought the 76S had HDMI 1.3.


I own the 61 incher and it is hdmi 1.3

Here this is from my owners manual

Connecting a DVD Player/Set-Top Box via HDMI
This connection can only be made if there is an HDMI Output jack on the external device.
1 Connect an HDMI Cable between
the HDMI IN 1 (or HDMI IN 2) on
the TV and the HDMI OUT jack on
the DVD Player/Set-Top Box.
What is HDMI?
● HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, is a next-generation interface that enables the transmission of digital audio and video
signals using a single cable.
● “Multimedia interface” is a more accurate name for it especially because it allows multiple channels of digital audio (5.1 channels).
The difference between HDMI and DVI is that the HDMI device is smaller in size, has the HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Copy
Protection) coding feature installed, and supports multi-channel digital audio.
➢ Each DVD Player/Set-top box has a different side panel configuration.
➢ When connecting a DVD Player/Set-top box, match the color of the connection terminal to the cable.
➢ When connecting via HDMI, you do not need to connect Audio Cables. You only need to connect Audio cables when connecting
via HDMI/DVI.
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).
TV Side PanelDVD Player/Set-Top Box
Audio Cable(Not supplied) 2
HDMI/DVI Cable(Not supplied) 1
HDMI Cable(Not supplied) 1
DVD Player/
Set-Top Box
TV Side Panel
English - 15

Connecting a DVD Player/Set-Top Box via HDMI
This connection can only be made if there is an HDMI Output jack on the external device.
1 Connect an HDMI Cable between
the HDMI IN 1 (or HDMI IN 2) on
the TV and the HDMI OUT jack on
the DVD Player/Set-Top Box.
What is HDMI?
● HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, is a next-generation interface that enables the transmission of digital audio and video
signals using a single cable.
● “Multimedia interface” is a more accurate name for it especially because it allows multiple channels of digital audio (5.1 channels).
The difference between HDMI and DVI is that the HDMI device is smaller in size, has the HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Copy
Protection) coding feature installed, and supports multi-channel digital audio.
➢ Each DVD Player/Set-top box has a different side panel configuration.
➢ When connecting a DVD Player/Set-top box, match the color of the connection terminal to the cable.
➢ When connecting via HDMI, you do not need to connect Audio Cables. You only need to connect Audio cables when connecting
via HDMI/DVI.
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).
TV Side Panel
DVD Player/Set-Top Box
Audio Cable(Not supplied) 2
HDMI/DVI Cable(Not supplied) 1
HDMI Cable(Not supplied) 1
DVD Player/
Set-Top Box
TV Side Panel
English - 15

wow see I knew those asses at the store didn't know wtf they were talking about

What terrible news this is!! I don't know what to do now! This "bowing" sounds waaaaaay worse than previously stated yo!

Is there any other tv type that I could buy that can compare to the samsung DLPs (besides plasmas and CRTs) ?

Is the sharp aquos any good?

fry's says: we have them on display, ...we are pretty sure they are 1.2 cus only the top of the line led dlp's have 1.3 and we don't carry those, we don't display the manuals.

ultimate electronics says: we don't think we carry them, oh wait we do they should be 1.2, no we can't open a box to get the manual.

best buy says: I guess we don't carry them, ... do you know if we carry them? ... no? ... ok no we don't carry them they are 1.2.

so there you have it ... no difinitive answer yet again from unsure reps what a waste of gas.
That sounds frustrating, but thanks for checking. Could a (registered?) owner call Samsung tech support and ask one of their engineers to confirm the HDMI ver.? TIA.

I own the 61 incher and it is hdmi 1.3

Here this is from my owners manual

Connecting a DVD Player/Set-Top Box via HDMI
This connection can only be made if there is an HDMI Output jack on the external device.
1 Connect an HDMI Cable between
the HDMI IN 1 (or HDMI IN 2) on
the TV and the HDMI OUT jack on
the DVD Player/Set-Top Box.
What is HDMI?
● HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, is a next-generation interface that enables the transmission of digital audio and video
signals using a single cable.
● “Multimedia interface” is a more accurate name for it especially because it allows multiple channels of digital audio (5.1 channels).
The difference between HDMI and DVI is that the HDMI device is smaller in size, has the HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Copy
Protection) coding feature installed, and supports multi-channel digital audio.
➢ Each DVD Player/Set-top box has a different side panel configuration.
➢ When connecting a DVD Player/Set-top box, match the color of the connection terminal to the cable.
➢ When connecting via HDMI, you do not need to connect Audio Cables. You only need to connect Audio cables when connecting
via HDMI/DVI.
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).
TV Side PanelDVD Player/Set-Top Box
Audio Cable(Not supplied) 2
HDMI/DVI Cable(Not supplied) 1
HDMI Cable(Not supplied) 1
DVD Player/
Set-Top Box
TV Side Panel
English - 15
Excellent. Thanks for confirming! :cool:

What terrible news this is!! I don't know what to do now! This "bowing" sounds waaaaaay worse than previously stated yo!

Is there any other tv type that I could buy that can compare to the samsung DLPs (besides plasmas and CRTs) ?

Is the sharp aquos any good?

Screw the sharp aquos. The best rated LCD screen out there is the Samsung LN-T4665F. This TV just kicks ass. Only problem is they were having issues with the originally shipped circuit boards that were in them. The HDMI was losing signal on them, and people were getting pink flashes on the screen. This was all resolved by replacing the firmware and boards with the 1028 or 1024 firmware patch and replacing the board with the 1008 model. The LN-T4665F's that are being made in June will have this change. I would wait to July to be shore that you are getting the new crop.

****As for the DLP HL-TXX76S's, I just got off the phone with their Teir 2 Tech. I talked to them aboutthe problem and they said they have resolved it. I told them that the tech had know clue what to do with the problem, and they responded that they have just found the fix recently. The problem lies not with screen, but yes the dreaded mirrors that are located on top of the TV. He explained that the fix is an adjustment of the mirrors(which a lot of us have had) and then an extra screw is placed in the mirrors. He said that this extra screw will flatten it out perfectly. I hope someone on this forum who is having a tech come and fix the bowing issue lets him know of this. The Tier 2 tech said if the Tech that comes out does not know of this fix, tell him to call Samsung's Tier 2. 1-800-SAMSUNG and then ask for Tier 2.

I then asked him if Samsung is doing this fix in house so that future buyers won't have to have tech visits. He said yes and that this has been implemented since the fix was found. Who knows when they will hit the shelves. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ALL MAKE YOUR CHOICES. I might just go with the 5076S again and just have the tech come out and fix it, but I would like to see someone who already has the TV to have the Tech come out and put this new fix to the test.

What terrible news this is!! I don't know what to do now! This "bowing" sounds waaaaaay worse than previously stated yo!

Is there any other tv type that I could buy that can compare to the samsung DLPs (besides plasmas and CRTs) ?

Is the sharp aquos any good?

From what I've read and heard the Aquos is a good set. However, I wouldn't get too worked up over the bowing issues that you see reported here. You have to remember that the majority of owners either don't have the bowing problems or don't look for them and therefore don't notice them. This board is useful for finding problems and possible solutions, but no so valuable as a method of testing the reliablity of different sets. I think if you read the threads for other sets you'll see that every one of them has one potential problem or another.

I don't know what I am going to do if I can't et a 1080p samsung dlp...I mean its all I want.
"You may find that wanting is more pleasurable than having. It is not logical, but it is often so." ... Spock, "Amok Time"

Sorry, just couldn't resist. ;)

Screw the sharp aquos. The best rated LCD screen out there is the Samsung LN-T4665F. This TV just kicks ass. Only problem is they were having issues with the originally shipped circuit boards that were in them. The HDMI was losing signal on them, and people were getting pink flashes on the screen. This was all resolved by replacing the firmware and boards with the 1028 or 1024 firmware patch and replacing the board with the 1008 model. The LN-T4665F's that are being made in June will have this change. I would wait to July to be shore that you are getting the new crop.

****As for the DLP HL-TXX76S's, I just got off the phone with their Teir 2 Tech. I talked to them aboutthe problem and they said they have resolved it. I told them that the tech had know clue what to do with the problem, and they responded that they have just found the fix recently. The problem lies not with screen, but yes the dreaded mirrors that are located on top of the TV. He explained that the fix is an adjustment of the mirrors(which a lot of us have had) and then an extra screw is placed in the mirrors. He said that this extra screw will flatten it out perfectly. I hope someone on this forum who is having a tech come and fix the bowing issue lets him know of this. The Tier 2 tech said if the Tech that comes out does not know of this fix, tell him to call Samsung's Tier 2. 1-800-SAMSUNG and then ask for Tier 2.

I then asked him if Samsung is doing this fix in house so that future buyers won't have to have tech visits. He said yes and that this has been implemented since the fix was found. Who knows when they will hit the shelves. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ALL MAKE YOUR CHOICES. I might just go with the 5076S again and just have the tech come out and fix it, but I would like to see someone who already has the TV to have the Tech come out and put this new fix to the test.
Thanks for calling and following up! That's great that they (claim to have) found a fix. :cool: I wasn't planning on buying a TV for at least a month, maybe 2, so by then, the new design (extra screw) should be the ones being sold. I hope!

we'll see just got off phone with Tier 2 and they said nuthin of this...Getting a call back this afternoon from tech, lets see if they contacted him

so the bowing can be fixed with another screw for the mirror? why the hell didn't they just do that in the first damn place?

we'll see just got off phone with Tier 2 and they said nuthin of this...Getting a call back this afternoon from tech, lets see if they contacted him


I believe with them it is sometimes how you present it to them. I've talked to people who want me to describe what bowing is, and others who are on the up and up. I asked the guy why the tech wouldn't know this, and he said it has been very recent of a fix and that unless the tech has been reading up on the forum ,or in contact with Samsung about it as of recently, that he wouldn't know....go figure

LMAO,we are on forefront of the fix, how weird,SAMSUNG owes us...I want a HD DVD player

LMAO,we are on forefront of the fix, how weird,SAMSUNG owes us...I want a HD DVD player
no you don't you want a blu ray player

Screw the sharp aquos. The best rated LCD screen out there is the Samsung LN-T4665F. This TV just kicks ass. Only problem is they were having issues with the originally shipped circuit boards that were in them. The HDMI was losing signal on them, and people were getting pink flashes on the screen. This was all resolved by replacing the firmware and boards with the 1028 or 1024 firmware patch and replacing the board with the 1008 model. The LN-T4665F's that are being made in June will have this change. I would wait to July to be shore that you are getting the new crop.

****As for the DLP HL-TXX76S's, I just got off the phone with their Teir 2 Tech. I talked to them aboutthe problem and they said they have resolved it. I told them that the tech had know clue what to do with the problem, and they responded that they have just found the fix recently. The problem lies not with screen, but yes the dreaded mirrors that are located on top of the TV. He explained that the fix is an adjustment of the mirrors(which a lot of us have had) and then an extra screw is placed in the mirrors. He said that this extra screw will flatten it out perfectly. I hope someone on this forum who is having a tech come and fix the bowing issue lets him know of this. The Tier 2 tech said if the Tech that comes out does not know of this fix, tell him to call Samsung's Tier 2. 1-800-SAMSUNG and then ask for Tier 2.

I then asked him if Samsung is doing this fix in house so that future buyers won't have to have tech visits. He said yes and that this has been implemented since the fix was found. Who knows when they will hit the shelves. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ALL MAKE YOUR CHOICES. I might just go with the 5076S again and just have the tech come out and fix it, but I would like to see someone who already has the TV to have the Tech come out and put this new fix to the test.

Well, this is surely good news!

Thanks for looking so deeply into this since DLPs is really have grown to love.

by the time I finally get the money the fixed ones should be on shelves.

WOW! no update! dang I'm impatient.

Hey guys after reading this little short story of my quest to get my first HDTV I would like to answer this question..

Do I have the right to be getting impatient?

I realized I needed a HDTV to get the most outta my 360 when I bought it in December 06. My father said he would get me a HDTV. By February we decided on a DLP and my dad said he would use the tax returns to buy the tv, but being his different businesses and what have you there were MANY unrecorded receipts scattered about. So I started recording the receipts for him and he paid me to do it.

It is now june 22nd I have had all his receipts recorded from all the way back January 06 to EVEN June 22nd 07. Mind you I have had these done for like 2 months now.

BUT all this time him wont do the final tallying up of the receipts. JUST wont. Wont let me do it either.

Do I have the right to be getting impatient?

Don't get me wrong because I realize when its all said it done my wait will be well worth it and I will be VERY fortunate to be a 17 year old with a 56" dlp and home theater system in my bedroom. I just wish it had not taken this long. I have been waiting a half of a year!

WOW! no update! dang I'm impatient.

Hey guys after reading this little short story of my quest to get my first HDTV I would like to answer this question..

Do I have the right to be getting impatient?

I realized I needed a HDTV to get the most outta my 360 when I bought it in December 06. My father said he would get me a HDTV. By February we decided on a DLP and my dad said he would use the tax returns to buy the tv, but being his different businesses and what have you there were MANY unrecorded receipts scattered about. So I started recording the receipts for him and he paid me to do it.

It is now june 22nd I have had all his receipts recorded from all the way back January 06 to EVEN June 22nd 07. Mind you I have had these done for like 2 months now.

BUT all this time him wont do the final tallying up of the receipts. JUST wont. Wont let me do it either.

Do I have the right to be getting impatient?

Don't get me wrong because I realize when its all said it done my wait will be well worth it and I will be VERY fortunate to be a 17 year old with a 56" dlp and home theater system in my bedroom. I just wish it had not taken this long. I have been waiting a half of a year!

"Have Patience for Impatience" >by Steven B. And also don't pose questions like this hear.

Well got mine last night and got it up and running. Happy to report, it appears that I have no bowing issues. The picture is great, especially with not having all that much time to tweak it. I just went with those basic settings from another thread and it seems to be really nice. The set looks better in person. I was afraid of taking step back in PQ from my 57" Hitachi, but I glad to report this thing looks great. I am running Dish network HD and a samsung up converting DVD player. Sound quality sucks, but I never use the TV speakers anyway as every source I have goes right to my Yamaha.

So for you guys on the fence about this TV (like I was), here is a vote that says it looks great.

Also, is it possible I got one thats fixed already? The guy at CC said they just got these in and only had two.

OK, it seems the "bowing" issue is being taken care of now. So lets look at the other aspects of this DLP HDTV.

How is the picture quality compared to the older HLS5687w?

Is the picture brighter or dimmer?
Overall better PQ, equal, or worse?
Apparently the sound quality is worse, am I right?


I notice on some HDTVs the color of blood in video games (like gears of war) looks more magenta or...just not like blood. The samsung LCDs however make the reds nearly perfect if not already perfect. How does this new DLP handle reds?

Any other PQ FAQs if you have the answers please tell me.

OK, it seems the "bowing" issue is being taken care of now. So lets look at the other aspects of this DLP HDTV.

How is the picture quality compared to the older HLS5687w?

Is the picture brighter or dimmer?
Overall better PQ, equal, or worse?
Apparently the sound quality is worse, am I right?


I notice on some HDTVs the color of blood in video games (like gears of war) looks more magenta or...just not like blood. The samsung LCDs however make the reds nearly perfect if not already perfect. How does this new DLP handle reds?

Any other PQ FAQs if you have the answers please tell me.


But I dont care because I have a Yamaha RX661 hooked up to mine.

I am coming from another brand so I can't compare the older HL-S. I also have never cared about sounds quality, as they all suck. I go with a complete surround system instead. I am pretty sure from skimming the manual, you can adjust colors to whatever you want them to be. Green grasses, blue skies, etc. So you may be able to adjust the red to what you like. I will dig into this this weekend. If anybody has anything they want info on let me know I can try it out.

Well got mine last night and got it up and running. Happy to report, it appears that I have no bowing issues. The picture is great, especially with not having all that much time to tweak it. I just went with those basic settings from another thread and it seems to be really nice. The set looks better in person. I was afraid of taking step back in PQ from my 57" Hitachi, but I glad to report this thing looks great. I am running Dish network HD and a samsung up converting DVD player. Sound quality sucks, but I never use the TV speakers anyway as every source I have goes right to my Yamaha.

So for you guys on the fence about this TV (like I was), here is a vote that says it looks great.

Also, is it possible I got one thats fixed already? The guy at CC said they just got these in and only had two.

Please be positive that it is. You might not have seen if you never seen it before. Pull up your menu bar, and look at the edges ofthe menu bar at the end of the screen.....no sloping upwards whatsoever?? Please let us know. Also does it have a date of manufacturing on the box? Thanks

I checked out the 6176S at CC last night on display. (At Sears last weekend, I saw the 5676S on display.) It definitely looks nice and I couldn't tell bowing from a college baseball game on ESPN HD they were showing. It was noticeably brighter than the Toshiba and Sony TVs next to it. The salesman said he likes the Sony TV better since it has a truer color. Also, the screen is more child resistant. (He banged on the Sony screen w/ his fist and nothing happened. But he said he wouldn't try that on a Samsung.) That said, I'm still keeping an eye on Samsung b/c its PQ looks really nice and I'm sure the "fake colors" can be calibrated nicely. I just hope that bowing fix really does fix the issue!

from what I understand the samsungs just have an issue with reds cus aparently their red push is too strong. It's not so much that the colors are fake but that they are initially stronger than most other tv's.

Please be positive that it is. You might not have seen if you never seen it before. Pull up your menu bar, and look at the edges ofthe menu bar at the end of the screen.....no sloping upwards whatsoever?? Please let us know. Also does it have a date of manufacturing on the box? Thanks

The menu bar for Dish or the menu bar for the TV? Which is worse on yours?

Also, I usually check ESPN when "the bottom line" is on. If that is perfectly straight at the bottom of the screen, then it is good as that is really easy to tell if there is a geometry issue.

almost forgot,

I will see if I can find a date of manufacturing on it.

Please be positive that it is. You might not have seen if you never seen it before. Pull up your menu bar, and look at the edges ofthe menu bar at the end of the screen.....no sloping upwards whatsoever?? Please let us know. Also does it have a date of manufacturing on the box? Thanks


I was also having the thought, that If I could not notice it when I first installed it and was really looking at it closely, I don't know how much closer i want to look for an issue and drive myself crazy :D

That said I know it may help others, so I will see what I can find out and may even take some precise measurements with a tape measure.

Any other requests?

I am still wondering about the best way to calibrate this thing without paying 400 bucks for a pro or have most of you just adjusted to personnel tastes?

I was also having the thought, that If I could not notice it when I first installed it and was really looking at it closely, I don't know how much closer i want to look for an issue and drive myself crazy :D

That said I know it may help others, so I will see what I can find out and may even take some precise measurements with a tape measure.

Any other requests?

I am still wondering about the best way to calibrate this thing without paying 400 bucks for a pro or have most of you just adjusted to personnel tastes?
I have a white 1920x1080 image at home with a black outline at 90% and 80% of the image which could be used to check for bowing, position and overscan. Since this is a usb plug and play display I will upload the image here then everyone can just download it and check for the bowing issue. As far as calibration get a thx certified dvd like star wars episode 1-3 or a pixar thx certified dvd like cars and use the video tests to get the best out of the picture.

I have a white 1920x1080 image at home with a black outline at 90% and 80% of the image which could be used to check for bowing, position and overscan. Since this is a usb plug and play display I will upload the image here then everyone can just download it and check for the bowing issue. As far as calibration get a thx certified dvd like star wars episode 1-3 or a pixar thx certified dvd like cars and use the video tests to get the best out of the picture.


Great idea. Post the download and when I pick up my 3rd XX76 (Don't know which one yet) this weekend, I will check. I will then take some pictures and post the results on the thread...as we all should. It will help us.

Thanks

from what I understand the samsungs just have an issue with reds cus aparently their red push is too strong. It's not so much that the colors are fake but that they are initially stronger than most other tv's.
Yes, they're too bright by default. I'm sure calibration (either DIY or with an ISF expert) can make the picture look much more realistic.

Here are the images the solid rectangles start at the edge with 100%, 90%, 80%,
-
-
-
http://yah-evolution.net/uploads/1920x1080black.jpg
-
-
-
http://yah-evolution.net/uploads/1920x1080white.jpg

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10860507&posted=1#post10860507

So far my 76S has no bowing. It does stink a bit that you would expect from a new TV. The only thing I have done to date is to switch it to Movie mode, fix my OTA channels and add my inputs.

My hl-t6176s has no bowing. I was no able to find a manufacturing date yet. the PQ blows my old hitachi away. I also did not buy the extra warranty yet :eek:

is 1.3 confirmed on 6176?

i am getting a 5076 as a replacement for my failed light engine hls5087....i was wondering if anyone could post some pics of the set..thanks

I've been reading this thread as well as the HL-Txx87-89S for some awhile & it's time to make a decision & I need some owner advise.
1st, this set will be used in a Great Room with lots of ambient light. My candidates are the Samsung HL-S5087W, HL-T5087S, HL-T5076S & Sony KDS-50A2020. I believe the only difference between the HL-S5087W & HL-T5076S is the HL-T5076S is slimmer. The HL-T5087S is LED & reading that thread has me concerned about its quality. The Sony KDS-50A2020 looks a little flat compared to the HL-S2087W I saw at BB. Pricewise the HL-T5087S (LED) is a little cheaper but can only be found on the internet.
So, all recommendations are welcome.

Thanks to all who responded.
I purchased my HL-T5076S from BB today on a price match with CC & will receive it 6-27-07. CC p___ed me off back when DVD was a new product & they came out with the now defunked DIVX DVD player. Every sence then I'll shop there, but never purchase there.
Anyway, BB had a HL-T6187S (LED) next to a HL-T5676S & I must admit that I was disapointed with the 87s picture. It seemed to have a red outline occasionally, that would disappear. Kind of like a convergence problem, even though that's not possible with a DLP set. In any event, it was enough warn me to not go for it.
I'll post again once I've got it up & running.
Thanks again.

is 1.3 confirmed on 6176?

yes it was confirmed earlier by beowulf7 through the owners manual.

yes it was confirmed earlier by beowulf7 through the owners manual.

Just got off the phone with customer service, the gentleman said the only series with 1.3 are all of the 89's and the new 72" 88.

Just got off the phone with customer service, the gentleman said the only series with 1.3 are all of the 89's and the new 72" 88.
samsung customer service? damnit so the intenet doesn't know retailers have no clue the owners manual is wrong ... I give up. HDMI 1.3 was released last year I don't see how the hell companies claiming to release quality product could make such a claim without releasing new technology with newer models. I will plug in my ps3 when I get the tv and if I can run the trueHD audio and can run rgb full mode on the ps3 then I am fine.

samsung customer service? damnit so the intenet doesn't know retailers have no clue the owners manual is wrong ... I give up. HDMI 1.3 was released last year I don't see how the hell companies claiming to release quality product could make such a claim without releasing new technology with newer models. I will plug in my ps3 when I get the tv and if I can run the trueHD audio and can run rgb full mode on the ps3 then I am fine.


This bummed me out too, thought i had 1.3 for a steal!

is 1.3 confirmed on 6176?


did you see my post earlier?

It is 1.3

This bummed me out too, thought i had 1.3 for a steal!


Owner's manual is not wrong the customer service reps do not know crap about this technology.

Well I am getting the tv based on the display I have seen 1.2 or 1.3 aside. I wanna put faith in those that have said it is 1.3 so I will continue to believe.

Owner's manual is not wrong the customer service reps do not know crap about this technology.
Is there a test someone can run on a TV to confirm HDMI 1.3 or not? One thing I can think of is to check for "Deep Color". The only problem is no such material exists yet! :mad:

Is there a test someone can run on a TV to confirm HDMI 1.3 or not? One thing I can think of is to check for "Deep Color". The only problem is no such material exists yet! :mad:You just put your finger on it. That's why HDMI 1.3 isn't significant. ;)

Try hooking up a 480i source via HDMI 1.1 and it will work - with HDMI 1.3 it will not it only supports 480p and up. This is just one of the ways to test it out. If you have say Direct TV and you go into the setup for the set top box, set it to output 480i and change the channel to a sd channel - you will get an error on the set that states format not supported. This happens with HDMI 1.3 and not 1.1

Set is HDMI 1.3

If I tell you a mosquito can pull a wagon, you just hitch it!

Try hooking up a 480i source via HDMI 1.1 and it will work - with HDMI 1.3 it will not it only supports 480p and up. This is just one of the ways to test it out. If you have say Direct TV and you go into the setup for the set top box, set it to output 480i and change the channel to a sd channel - you will get an error on the set that states format not supported. This happens with HDMI 1.3 and not 1.1 IMHO (which means I'm no expert), this test will not distinguish HDMI 1.1 from HDMI 1.3. HDMI 1.1 and HDMI 1.3 both have a lower bandwidth rate of 25 MHz. A 480i NTSC signal has a bandwidth of 13.5 MHz which is nominally below the minimum for transmission via HDMI. However, this limitation is circumvented with HDMI by using a "pixel-repetition" scheme, where in each pixel is essentially sent twice during the data send interval. Both 1.1 and 1.3 are capable of using the pixel repetition scheme for 480i NTSC signals. A problem exists in that all manufacturers do not enable their devices to either send or recognize the pixel repetition scheme over HDMI. Thus, in this case, when you see the "format not supported" message it is typically due to limitations in either the source device or the display and not a limitation of HDMI.

Maybe this will clarify if the set is hdmi 1.3. From the manual :
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).

I'm no expert, but the first line sound like if your output device is not HDMI 1.3 and it is not outputting sound, then use the third hdmi connection. The second line states to use a HDMI 1.3 cable if your current device is a lower than HDMI 1.3 and experiencing issues. One would assume that they would not tell you to use a HDMI 1.3 cable if the unit did not support it.

Also, I have a slight bowing issue. Anyone have a tech come out and fix it yet?

Thus, in this case, when you see the "format not supported" message it is typically due to limitations in either the source device or the display and not a limitation of HDMI.Exactly. :)

Our 2004 HL-P5063 doesn't support 480i via HDMI.

Maybe this will clarify if the set is hdmi 1.3. From the manual :
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).
I doubt this would help. The problem with the first statement is the "may not support" phrase. (I assume the manual writer actually intended "might" instead of "may.") This indicates that some will and some will not experience a problem. Thus, this can not serve as a definitive test. Also, there are zillions of folks out there who can not get sound to the TV via HDMI 1.1 for what seems like a zillion reasons but mostly due to faulty handshakes and DRM issues.

The fact that a system starts to work when a "certified" HDMI 1.3 cable is substituted for a non-certified cable would also not be definitive for proclaiming an HDMI 1.3 port. It could just mean that the first cable was bad. You could design a set of experiements using certfied and non-certified cables, a known 1.1 port and a known 1.3 port that would increase the certainty with which one could proclaim that an unknown port was 1.3, but with differences between manufacturer implementations of the HDMI standard, I doubt the test would ever be definitive. BTW, though I can not point you to them now, I have seen postings whose authors have claimed that there are not differences in the standards and functioning of HDMI 1.1 vs HDMI 1.3 cables. FWIW.

IMHO (which means I'm no expert), this test will not distinguish HDMI 1.1 from HDMI 1.3. HDMI 1.1 and HDMI 1.3 both have a lower bandwidth rate of 25 MHz. A 480i NTSC signal has a bandwidth of 13.5 MHz which is nominally below the minimum for transmission via HDMI. However, this limitation is circumvented with HDMI by using a "pixel-repetition" scheme, where in each pixel is essentially sent twice during the data send interval. Both 1.1 and 1.3 are capable of using the pixel repetition scheme for 480i NTSC signals. A problem exists in that all manufacturers do not enable their devices to either send or recognize the pixel repetition scheme over HDMI. Thus, in this case, when you see the "format not supported" message it is typically due to limitations in either the source device or the display and not a limitation of HDMI.


I had the previous Sammy model from last year and it did suport 480i. This years model does not.

Try hooking up a 480i source via HDMI 1.1 and it will work - with HDMI 1.3 it will not it only supports 480p and up. This is just one of the ways to test it out. If you have say Direct TV and you go into the setup for the set top box, set it to output 480i and change the channel to a sd channel - you will get an error on the set that states format not supported. This happens with HDMI 1.3 and not 1.1 Not meaning to beat a dead horse, but.... This is from the spec sheet for the HL-T5689:

Connections
• 3 HDMI inputs (High Definition Multimedia Interface) version 1.3 with CEC with
480i/480p/720i/1080p/1080i input support

Note that the HDMI ports are specified as HDMI 1.3 and support 480i.

confusion

Not meaning to beat a dead horse, but.... This is from the spec sheet for the HL-T5689:

Connections
• 3 HDMI inputs (High Definition Multimedia Interface) version 1.3 with CEC with
480i/480p/720i/1080p/1080i input support

Note that the HDMI ports are specified as HDMI 1.3 and support 480i.

Has anyone got a 480i signal to work ?

#1. We don't know how long this LED Light lasts. I worked with LED's for a Light Safety company for many years. An LED is suppose to last 20,000 hours. But there are some things that need to occur for that to happen. 20,000 hours is an approximate time that is tested by keeping 1 single LED powered, without shutting it off, and at a constant appropriate amperage. Shutting the TV on and off, and the construction of the cluster of LED's, along with the amperage will drastically change that amount. I've had customers send LED products back, burnt out after a couple of months. Most life-time warranty send backs were at around 1 1/2 years.

We do not know how easily these can or can not be replaced. Also what is the cost, and can you replace them yourself? These are big time concerns.


I just talked to pre-sales techie tonight at Amazon.com. I was talking about the Samsung HL-Txx87S with him. They had just completed training from Samsung last week. They were told that the average life on the LED array was 30,000 hours. BUT, they were also told that it COULD NOT be changed out by consumers! Now, I'm assuming that an LED array is going to cost way more than a replacement lamp, and when you add a service call, it could get very expensive. Sounds worse than the old fear of plasma burn in to me. I'm thinking seriously of going with the Sony KDS-60A2020. Sam's has the Samsung HL-T6156W, but it couldn't compare, side by side, to the 55" Sony SXRD sitting next to it, IMHO.

Steve

Has anyone got a 480i signal to work ?
nrc2112... I got caught up in the discussion and did not check the obvious. This is from the spec sheet for the HL-T6176 on the Samsung web site:

Connections
• 3 HDMI inputs (High Definition Multimedia Interface) with 480p/720i/720p/1080i/1080p input support

Note 480i is not listed.

This would not be the first time Samsung has taken a step backward between model years.

Edit: What the heck is 720i?

720I is the interlaced version of 1280x720 where it uses 2 scans of 1280x360 to produce the 1280x720 picture without using the bandwidth requirements of 720p. The resolution would be the same but the progressive version would be smoother especially when dealing with fast moving sequences.

Not meaning to beat a dead horse, but.... This is from the spec sheet for the HL-T5689:

Connections
• 3 HDMI inputs (High Definition Multimedia Interface) version 1.3 with CEC with
480i/480p/720i/1080p/1080i input support

Note that the HDMI ports are specified as HDMI 1.3 and support 480i.
That's great, but how does that help the HL-TXX76S TVs? Unless you're assuming that if the 76S doesn't say that part that the 89S does, then one can assume the 76S is not HDMI 1.3 compliant.

Maybe this will clarify if the set is hdmi 1.3. From the manual :
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).

I'm no expert, but the first line sound like if your output device is not HDMI 1.3 and it is not outputting sound, then use the third hdmi connection. The second line states to use a HDMI 1.3 cable if your current device is a lower than HDMI 1.3 and experiencing issues. One would assume that they would not tell you to use a HDMI 1.3 cable if the unit did not support it.

Also, I have a slight bowing issue. Anyone have a tech come out and fix it yet?

My V02 manual for the 5676S does not use HDMI V1.3 in this writeup so I would suspect its a typo.

That's great, but how does that help the HL-TXX76S TVs? Unless you're assuming that if the 76S doesn't say that part that the 89S does, then one can assume the 76S is not HDMI 1.3 compliant.The only reason for posting this was to show that Samsung indicates that an HDMI 1.3 port can take a 480i signal. This part of the thread got started because of a statement that you could distinguish between HDMI 1.1 and 1.3 by the "fact" that 1.1 accepted 480i and 1.3 did not.

Maybe this will clarify if the set is hdmi 1.3. From the manual :
➢ The external devices that support lower versioned HDMI mode may not implement sound output for the TV with the latest HDMI
version (HDMI 1.3).
In this case, connect to HDMI3/DVI IN and DVI IN [R-AUDIO-L] on the side panel of the TV.
➢ Part of lower versioned HDMI cables may cause annoying flickers or no screen display.
In this case use the cable that supports the latest HDMI version (HDMI 1.3).

As 'ccouper' said in his post, all of the above is on page 14 in the online manual but is NOT present in the printed manual supplied with the HLTxx76S sets. I suspect Samsung corrected the sound problem in software but is not willing to provide 1.3.

I just received my HLT-5676s as a replacement for a S-5687W with pincushioning. This one doesn't have pincushion, but it does have the smiley-face that I've read about here. Also, when I first got the tv, the screen was pretty significantly tilted from the left to the right (>1/4" difference between the left and the middle). However, after moving the tv around a bit, the tilt has diminished somewhat.

Unfortunately, the "smiley-face" issue where any lines across the screen turn up about 4" from the sides of the tv is very noticeable and pretty annoying. Does this effect also diminish with time? Or can it be fixed with the screw installation that Muffdiever was talking about? I'd like to know what I'm talking about before I speak with customer service.

Thanks,

td

I just received my HLT-5676s as a replacement for a S-5687W with pincushioning. This one doesn't have pincushion, but it does have the smiley-face that I've read about here. Also, when I first got the tv, the screen was pretty significantly tilted from the left to the right (>1/4" difference between the left and the middle). However, after moving the tv around a bit, the tilt has diminished somewhat.

Unfortunately, the "smiley-face" issue where any lines across the screen turn up about 4" from the sides of the tv is very noticeable and pretty annoying. Does this effect also diminish with time? Or can it be fixed with the screw installation that Muffdiever was talking about? I'd like to know what I'm talking about before I speak with customer service.

Thanks,

td
I never heard about this smiley issue what exactly is it? Also has anyone tried the images I uploaded and are they of any help with seeing if bowing is present? I originaly made them simply to make sure my crt wasn't overscanning too much.

OK the despite the very annoying problems we have heard so far (fix found or not) I would really like to if the PQ and brightness of the screen is noticeably better than the former hls5687w. I know you have not got a chance to calibrate or anything but ...first impressions?

I just received my HLT-5676s as a replacement for a S-5687W with pincushioning. This one doesn't have pincushion, but it does have the smiley-face that I've read about here. Also, when I first got the tv, the screen was pretty significantly tilted from the left to the right (>1/4" difference between the left and the middle). However, after moving the tv around a bit, the tilt has diminished somewhat.

Unfortunately, the "smiley-face" issue where any lines across the screen turn up about 4" from the sides of the tv is very noticeable and pretty annoying. Does this effect also diminish with time? Or can it be fixed with the screw installation that Muffdiever was talking about? I'd like to know what I'm talking about before I speak with customer service.

Thanks,

td

Glad your'e on here with the problem. To everyone else, the bowing issue is the "Smiley issue".

Just to explain things a little better. Pincushion is where horizontal lines across the screen bend inwards toward the middle of the screen. Barreling is where the horizontal lines bend towards the tops and bottoms of the screen. People refer to both issues as bowing, and people refer to the smiley face issue as bowing and/or barreling. I know...confusing.

As for your quote above, yes it is annoying and at this time I have not purchased the TV again, but I will soon enough. I do not know if this effects the diminish time. What do you exactly mean by "diminish"?

The smiley face, according to tier 2 tech, can be resolved by the extra screw. When you call samsung ask for tier 2 right away b/c you have questions about the internals of the TV. Then explain to tier 2 about the problem you have with the bowing, barrel effect and smiley face, so they get the picture of what your talking about. Explain to them all the people who have had problems and make up a story that you have bought 2 of these tv's already that you've had to send back. This will ensure that they will try and fix it. He then will explain they do have a fix for it and they will hopefully send someone out that knows what they are doing. Please bring up the extra screw to them that you've heard about, and if they do not know what you are talking about get someone else on the phone.

Please let us know if they come and fix the issue. It will help me make the choice of getting it again, and will help others on the ropes as well.

Thanks

OK the despite the very annoying problems we have heard so far (fix found or not) I would really like to if the PQ and brightness of the screen is noticeably better than the former hls5687w. I know you have not got a chance to calibrate or anything but ...first impressions?

I recently had my HLS-5687 replaced (due to color wheel noise) with a HL-T5676. The HLS-5687 had a far superior picture. It was amazing. I now regret exchanging it for the 5676. Sure it might have a failed color wheel$$$ in a couple of years or so, but the picture was tuned perfectly.

My HLT-5676 had numerous issues that the tech tried to sort out yesterday. 1. picture is very grainy...even at very low contrast settings. It doesn't look sharp at all. The tech slightly adjusted the 'index' setting in the service menu which didn't really help much. I guess the index setting phases the 3 colors together.
2. there's a grayish blob of about 2" diameter in the lower right corner that is only really visible with a black background. Tech tried to clean it from the inside with no success.
3. bowing from left to right at the bottom of the screen. Left is about 0.5" higher on the left. Tech didn't bother trying to fix it, since he's going to suggest that Samsung replace the unit.

On a happy note, a couple things to greatly improved the PQ.
In the service menu the gamma setting was changed from [4] OEM to [0]. I then reset the user menu contrast and brightness using the INHD channel tune-up. The PQ now looks almost 3D, though the picture is still grainy.

I recently had my HLS-5687 replaced (due to color wheel noise) with a HL-T5676. The HLS-5687 had a far superior picture. It was amazing. I now regret exchanging it for the 5676. Sure it might have a failed color wheel$$$ in a couple of years or so, but the picture was tuned perfectly.

My HLT-5676 had numerous issues that the tech tried to sort out yesterday. 1. picture is very grainy...even at very low contrast settings. It doesn't look sharp at all. The tech slightly adjusted the 'index' setting in the service menu which didn't really help much. I guess the index setting phases the 3 colors together.
2. there's a grayish blob of about 2" diameter in the lower right corner that is only really visible with a black background. Tech tried to clean it from the inside with no success.
3. bowing from left to right at the bottom of the screen. Left is about 0.5" higher on the left. Tech didn't bother trying to fix it, since he's going to suggest that Samsung replace the unit.

On a happy note, a couple things to greatly improved the PQ.
In the service menu the gamma setting was changed from [4] OEM to [0]. I then reset the user menu contrast and brightness using the INHD channel tune-up. The PQ now looks almost 3D, though the picture is still grainy.
what source are you using which has grain?

what source are you using which has grain?

HDMI.

I've tried both HDMI1 and 2

HDMI.

I've tried both HDMI1 and 2That's your connection. What exact source are you watching when you see grain?

That's your connection. What exact source are you watching when you see grain?
thats a better way of putting it. What you may be seeing IS a sharp image and you may have not noticed it before

On a happy note, a couple things to greatly improved the PQ.
In the service menu the gamma setting was changed from [4] OEM to [0]. I then reset the user menu contrast and brightness using the INHD channel tune-up. The PQ now looks almost 3D, though the picture is still grainy.

What is an INHD Channel tune-up? Where in the service menu is the gamma setting. Isn't there a gamma setting in the User menu?

thanks

thats a better way of putting it. What you may be seeing IS a sharp image and you may have not noticed it before

When viewing HD content, even on Discovery HD, the picture looks grainy. If there's an image of a blue sky, a person's face or anything, there's a slight, soft, uniform graininess to the picture. The tech played around with the index setting in the service menu and the level of graininess changes...though it didn't go away.

My PQ comparison is the HL-S5687 that I exchanged. No graininess at all using HD content.

What is an INHD Channel tune-up? Where in the service menu is the gamma setting. Isn't there a gamma setting in the User menu?

thanks

INHD is a cable channel. Every once in a while, they run a 20 minute program with test patterns and instructions to calibrate/ tune up your HDTV.

In the service menu, within the DPxxx sub-menu ( I forget the exact name, but it's the same on the HL-S5687) there's the gamma setting. The user menu gamma doesn't do much. I wouldn't recommend going into the service menu unless you know what your getting into it.

When viewing HD content, even on Discovery HD, the picture looks grainy. If there's an image of a blue sky, a person's face or anything, there's a slight, soft, uniform graininess to the picture. The tech played around with the index setting in the service menu and the level of graininess changes...though it didn't go away.

My PQ comparison is the HL-S5687 that I exchanged. No graininess at all using HD content.
you sure it's grain and not compression artifacts? try using a blu ray movie instead so you get a higher bit image. In my experience with those channels because of the detail of the images if your bandwidth isn't up to par your going to get compression artifacts which look like grain when viewed at an hd resolution.

Well i am getting my 6176 TV on Friday ( Had a HLN that took a dive ) and I was wondering what the PQ differnce would be, and also what exactly is 3D HD?

I mean can i just go out and buy Meet the Robison's in 3D with the glasses and get the same theather quality? What is out there now in the way of 3DHD?

I am also still alittle confused as to the whole HDMI 1.3, But Im willing to to guess it really wont matter if all is tuned right.

Was this a good replacemnt model for my old 61 DLP HLN? I had a 5 year warrenty from our local store here in town, and was wondering if I could of pushed them into something better, paid 4k for the HLN.

Really upset at the moment with the whole ordeal of buying a TV that is defective, took 6 months ( and 7 tech visit's ) just to get the old model replaced. Hope I'm not going to be going down the same road.

EQRoxxx

I have the exact one you got (hl-t6176s) and have been real happy with it. Great PQ and even the SD is pretty good. I have Dish HD and an up-converting samsung DVD player for sources. I have no bowing or any other issues what so ever, so far (knock on wood). I replaced a Hitachi 57" rear projection and really like the small design of the sammy.