Samsung 71' 1080P DLP HL-S7178W (owners)

[Mr. Thompson]

KingRat - Direct TVs HDMI does not work with the HL-S7178. I believe I posted this on the third page of this thread. We have tried three receivers on two different sets and my HL-P6163 and a HL-S6767W. No dice.

[Ragnarok]

How do you enter the SM to turn off Overscan with this set?

[KingRat]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thompson

KingRat - Direct TVs HDMI does not work with the HL-S7178. I believe I posted this on the third page of this thread. We have tried three receivers on two different sets and my HL-P6163 and a HL-S6767W. No dice.

Thank you Mr.T....I thought I'd read that somewhere

[jlapolla]

Just got my 7178 and matching stand (tr71b) finally all hooked up. This is an awesome set with amazing picture quality. I have only had it for 1 week so far however no problems to report.

Eliab, I am located in Toronto ... any plans of a trip out here ... or do you know of a good calibrator that you could recommend ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, where would I find your recommended picture settings ?

Here are some pics of my setup ...

[sammy_7178]

looks nice... what did you use to mount your center channel? i've been thinking of building a cabinet on top of my set or using some sort of bracket/mount

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post8202390
(my set up, not a showcase, really.. since my cables and video game wires are all over the place.. it was a rushed attempt to share my tv the night of purchase)

[RayPaganJr]

Got a guy coming tomorrow to work on a design for my tv stand. I'm excited to get something done, although he tells me it will take 10 to 12 weeks. It will be expensive, but after researching my choices and seeing how many of these stands will not fit my components, I have decided to go the custom way.

[jlapolla]

Originally Posted by sammy_7178

looks nice... what did you use to mount your center channel? i've been thinking of building a cabinet on top of my set or using some sort of bracket/mount

(my set up, not a showcase, really.. since my cables and video game wires are all over the place.. it was a rushed attempt to share my tv the night of purchase)

thanks ... I made a bracket like design with piping and then a custom mount on the wall. Works and looks great. My center channel is fairly heavy so I didn't want to use that stand that sits on top of the TV, looks kinda cheap and could cause the tv to bow.

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by Ragnarok

Hooked up my 7178W yesterday because I couldn't wait for the stand and quite simply....I was amazed! This set is gorgeous! This thing truly shines with HD material. SD was pleasantlty surprising as well. I will get you guys some pics when the rest of my setup arrives.

Noticed one thing that was strange that perhaps you guys may be able to help me with: When outputting a 480i signal from my STB via HDMI I get a "Weak or No Signal Detected" error and the screen goes blank. This happens when I try and tune into an SD channel. When I go into the STB settings and select 1080i, then the SD channels come in fine with the STB upconverting to 1080i. It's not a big deal but I wanted to be able to compare the STB upconversion to the TV upconversion of the 480i signal. Any ideas?

This is odd as the HDMI inputs on the HL-S series will accept 480i-1080p.

Also, how do you guys get the white screen to check for smudges? I suppose I could just create a 1920x1080 blank screen in photoshop or something but maybe you guys have a better solution. Thanks.

PM me and I'll show you how to get to a service menu pattern that'll assist greatly in checking for smudges.

Eliab

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thompson

Update on our set mysteriously tuning its self off, Samsung is going to replace the set.

You have to love Samsung's customer support philosophy. It really is the best in the industry in my book.

Eliab

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by KingRat

If that's a business trip and you're going to be in my area, give me a holler...

It will be. Please e-mail me and I'll fill you in on the details. Include your display make, model, address, etc.

Note on the set 'resetting'....I watched 5 movies over the weekend using component from the dvd player with no glitches. The DirectTV installer came yesterday so I connected an hdmi to the DTV receiver. When the installer turned on to do the setup the tv started going off and on every few seconds, we disconnected the hdmi and ran component & all was ok. When I checked the settings they were all back to default.

I'll play around with it some more when I hookup the a/v receiver.

I would get the display serviced. It really shouldn't be turning off and/or resetting by itself.

Eliab

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by bergeh

I'm planning on ordering this set soon but still debating between the 71 and HL-S6188W. I have plenty of distance in my room (13ft) but I still think the 61 has better PQ

At 13' you can get away with the 71". After it's calibrated, it will be as impressive as a 61" albeit with a much greater immersion factor!

Eliab

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by Ragnarok

How do you enter the SM to turn off Overscan with this set?

PM me and I'll show you how.

Eliab

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by jlapolla

Just got my 7178 and matching stand (tr71b) finally all hooked up. This is an awesome set with amazing picture quality. I have only had it for 1 week so far however no problems to report.

Eliab, I am located in Toronto ... any plans of a trip out here ... or do you know of a good calibrator that you could recommend ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I toured Toronto years ago with my business partner David Abrams however we're no longer working outside of the states. I wish that I knew someone in Toronto that I could recommend but I'm not really familiar with anyone that specifically services that area.

Also, where would I find your recommended picture settings ?

Here you go.

Mode - Movie
Contrast - 40
Brightness - 45
Sharpness - 0
Color - 45
Tint - MID
Color Tone - Warm 2
Digital NR - OFF
DNIe - OFF

Then, I'd suggest performing a DVE user-menu adjustment.

Good luck!

Eliab

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by RayPaganJr

Got a guy coming tomorrow to work on a design for my tv stand. I'm excited to get something done, although he tells me it will take 10 to 12 weeks. It will be expensive, but after researching my choices and seeing how many of these stands will not fit my components, I have decided to go the custom way.

Please post pics when it's completed!

Eliab

[letsjet]

Originally Posted by Mr. Thompson

KingRat - Direct TVs HDMI does not work with the HL-S7178. I believe I posted this on the third page of this thread. We have tried three receivers on two different sets and my HL-P6163 and a HL-S6767W. No dice.

Why would this be? What DTV box are you using? The new HR20 is out and I thought that would be the way to connect it.

[Ragnarok]

Here's some pictures of my HL-S7178W:

NFL Live HD
NFL Live HD 2
Sin City HD

This set is unbelievable! Sin City is an awesome example of what this set can do (AND NO RAINBOWS!!). More pics to come after I get the rest of my gear. Enjoy!

[RayPaganJr]

The custom builder just left. We came up with a beautiful design so far. My wife came home and looked at his drawing and made a small change in the cabinet, which makes a lot of sense. It will come out to be 120" wide. Chose amber maple, all wood, drawers for my hi-def dvd's, place for my center channel, place for my Velodyne sub which will sit on my floor, but enclosed to better fit the wall, also for my components there will be plenty of room.

Price isn't too bad. Came out to be 3400 and change. I'll put in fans myself from Radio Shack to keep components from overheating and perhaps small lighting in back for ambient lighting. I'm spending like mad. Just ordered hurricane accordian shutters for 9,000 bucks. Gotta keep my tv safe though.

[Mr. Thompson]

letsjet - Apparently the HR20s have a HDMI problem.

[Jond0]

Crud, I have an HR10 with no DVR, and HDMI works perfectly for that. I may cancel my HR20-250 order until it is verified that one will work with this set HDMI.

[Jond0]

Regardless of DVR, Oh My God!!! This set is fantastic! Discovery HD otters right now, HD DVD Aeon Flux last night, and tonight Last Samurai HD. Life is good. I had no idea...

[sammy_7178]

Originally Posted by Jond0

Regardless of DVR, Oh My God!!! This set is fantastic! Discovery HD otters right now, HD DVD Aeon Flux last night, and tonight Last Samurai HD. Life is good. I had no idea...

Which dvd player do you have? Do you have the Toshiba HD-A1/HD-XA1? If so what are your impressions, because that is the player I'll most likely get. How are you connecting your player to the tv (audio and video)?

[westa6969]

I think Last Samurai is an HD DVD exclusive so it should be a Toshiba. Once you get used to it's slowness to load and some HDMI audio tweaks it's a winner especially what it does for standard DVD's making them appear as HD quality IMO and better than my Oppo 971 and when you tweak sound through AVR it's sound presentation is also great. That would be great on a 71" Beast.

[RayPaganJr]

Went to Best Buy today to check on some DVD's. They had the 7178 playing Chronicles of Narnia from a hard drive. Wow, that movie on this set looks so impressive. I was checking out the Toshiba player, but they had it on a Mitsubishi 73727, if I remember the model number correctly, the movie was The Last Samurai, which to me did not look good at all on that set.

The short time I was there CON looked beautiful. This could be the best thing I've viewed so far. I hope the Blu-Ray transfer is equally impressive.

[Eliab]

Originally Posted by westa6969

I think Last Samurai is an HD DVD exclusive so it should be a Toshiba. Once you get used to it's slowness to load and some HDMI audio tweaks it's a winner especially what it does for standard DVD's making them appear as HD quality IMO and better than my Oppo 971 and when you tweak sound through AVR it's sound presentation is also great. That would be great on a 71" Beast.

The HD-A1 and a 7178 are truly a dynamic duo. I've worked on several of these and have never seen a more impressive picture both in size and quality from another RPTV/DVD combo.

Eliab

[sammy_7178]

Originally Posted by RayPaganJr

The short time I was there CON looked beautiful. This could be the best thing I've viewed so far. I hope the Blu-Ray transfer is equally impressive.

Is there going to be both a blu-ray and hd format for each film? I thought certain studios are releasing only hd or blu-ray, except WB which releases both formats.

I've been reading up on some blu-ray vs hd dvd pages and came across a good article. Here's an excerpt:

"First and foremost, Blu-Ray is currently saddled with space limitations on the media. They are having a difficult time mass producing dual-layered media and are not expected to deliver dual-layered films until after the holiday season. Because of this, the Blu-Ray titles are being presented in near ancient MPEG-2 conversion. I hope this is the cause of my player’s hiccups and they will go away through time. I have a five year warranty, just in case. The HD-DVD films utilize Microsoft’s VC-1 compression. The films are being released in Dual-Layer. Here is the sentence you are waiting for: At the current time, HD-DVD offers a superior picture to Blu-Ray. Once dual-layer Blu-Ray discs become available, that will change."

Although that discourages me from purchasing a bluray player, or makes me at least wait for the PS3 (which will probably be when blu-ray gets its act together), when I look over the current/upcomoing titles available for bluray, I'd love to see Tears of the Sun, Blackhawk Down, Silent Hill...but I can't. And I don't want to have two blu-ray players. Grr.. frustrating..

[sammy_7178]

Originally Posted by Eliab

The HD-A1 and a 7178 are truly a dynamic duo. I've worked on several of these and have never seen a more impressive picture both in size and quality from another RPTV/DVD combo.

Eliab

Eliab, is there a suggestion you have for HDMI cables by brand? I have no idea what I'd use for the HD-A1 when I get it.

Also, the sparkles on my TV seem to cover a wide area.. this isn't just an attribute of the screen's material or the glossy finish is it? Otherwise, if it's not supposed to be there I wonder what's causing it. I think you're about to tell me to schedule an appointment for you in November... right?

[westa6969]

Originally Posted by sammy_7178

Eliab, is there a suggestion you have for HDMI cables by brand? I have no idea what I'd use for the HD-A1 when I get it.

Also, the sparkles on my TV seem to cover a wide area.. this isn't just an attribute of the screen's material or the glossy finish is it? Otherwise, if it's not supposed to be there I wonder what's causing it. I think you're about to tell me to schedule an appointment for you in November... right?

The HD DVD Player comes with HDMI Cables for Free as part of your purchase - mine did anyways. If you have an AVR you may have to tweak the audio though but once you get through those minor issues the sound is great and the HD is crystal clear and you'll swear the regular DVD's are HD - at least that's how it works on my SHarp 45" native 1080 panel and it should really come to life on a 71" HT Panel Wowser!. Enjoy!

One warning on the Remote - as usual it's the one piece that's a loser as usual with most of these - I think a Blind man designed it and forgot to code the brail as it's hard enough to see in daytime but at night it's useless POS - I got a Harmony and need to get around to programming it. Sometimes it makes you wonder if perhaps these guys have ties to the third party remote folks like Logitech and intentionally make the remotes dysfunctional.

The Player is still a winner in my book as the bottom line is what it puts up on the screen for less than half a BD and I think most of us have grown accustomed to bad remotes on most electronics and too damn many of them..

[sammy_7178]

Originally Posted by westa6969

The HD DVD Player comes with HDMI Cables for Free as part of your purchase - mine did anyways. If you have an AVR you may have to tweak the audio though but once you get through those minor issues the sound is great and the HD is crystal clear and you'll swear the regular DVD's are HD - at least that's how it works on my SHarp 45" native 1080 panel and it should really come to life on a 71" HT Panel Wowser!.

Enjoy! One warning on the Remote - as usual it's the one piece that's a loser as usual with most of these - I think a Blind man designed it and forgot to code the brail as it's hard enough to see in daytime but at night it's useless POS - I got a Harmony and need to get around to programming it. Sometimes it makes you wonder if perhaps these guys have ties to the third party remote folks like Logitech and intentionally make the remotes dysfunctional.

The Player is still a winner in my book as the bottom line is what it puts up on the screen for less than half a BD and I think most of us have grown accustomed to bad remotes on most electronics and too damn many of them..

Yeah.. I figured the player would come with cables as well, but I was wondering if I would need to get one of those fancy gold plated etc etc.. or like Monster cable, that kind of thing. Is it fine to use the set that comes with?

As far as audio tweaking.. what do you mean and what had to be done? What would I need to look for? I'm planning to just use the analog outs on the Toshiba..
I'm sorry for the newb questions.

[Fikse]

can you plug in a USB card reader to the USB port, and put your compact flash, sd card, in the card reader and have the TV read it? can anyone try this?

thanks...

[bergeh]

Originally Posted by Fikse

can you plug in a USB card reader to the USB port, and put your compact flash, sd card, in the card reader and have the TV read it? can anyone try this?

thanks...

I don't have this set yet but I read the manual and it supposedly will read jpeg and mp3 from a usb flash drive. Don't know if you can plug in a media reader though... that would be pretty cool