Odd problem with new TV...

anonymous · 07-31-07, 03:19 AM

I just purchased a Toshiba 27D47 CRT, a fairly decent television for its price. Today, while testing the TV, i've run across an odd problem with it. The volume controls are completely out of whack!

Let me explain. The TV's volume control (via both remote or directly on the TV) has 65 different volume settings. Yet, the 4th volume setting (from the left) is the loudest that i've ever watched a TV at. That's 4/65 volume bars, or when the volume is the lowest it can go, pressing the volume + button 4 times. The other lower settings are:

3 of 65 volume bars: normal TV audio
2 of 65 volume bars: quieter TV audio
1 of 65 volume bars: completely muted
0 of 65 volume bars: completely muted

Any volume setting at 5 bars or more is WAY, WAY too loud. Surely this can't be normal when the TV has 65 volume adjustment bars available? Does anyone know what could be causing this or if there's anything I can do about it? Is it a malfunction with the TV? I've searched the manual and menus over and over but see no option for changing anything volume related on the TV.

I've heard that some TVs have some way to enter codes in them to adjust certain features on them, but the manual mentions nothing of this and neither can I find anything on google about it.

raouliii · 07-31-07, 09:42 AM

What is your source for programming? Direct cable connection, cable set top box, satellite set top box, antenna, VCR, DVD player, game console? If you use more than one, do all sources produce this problem?

au revoir · 07-31-07, 10:07 AM

I would not be surprised if there were a fairly easy service menu fix for this, Have you looked into that?

Also, I'm hoping this TV has audio output jacks so you could either run the sound through an amplifier, or even get an RCA jack to 1/8" converter and connect some amplified computer speakers that have their own volume control.

If there's no audio out, I think doing some research on service menu tweaks for audio output levels is about your only option.

anonymous · 07-31-07, 01:25 PM

Hello, my current source for programming is a satellite set top box. However, i've tested it with other inputs (such as a playstation.) All have that same issue with the volume.

au revoir, i'm not sure what you mean by service menu? The TV does have a menu on it with options, but unfortunately there are no settings for the audio on it that I can find. Do you mean there could be another menu? That would be great if so. I don't know where to find information about it though. This particular TV has very little on it on google and the manufacturer's website that I can find.

anonymous · 07-31-07, 02:31 PM

Update: I did find what I believe to be the service menu on the TV. Unfortunately I see nothing for audio settings - only various vague settings that seem to be related to colors (and maybe voltage.) Nothing in there hints at audio that I could find.

Do you think this is a problem with this particular set, or could it be that all of these TVs come this way? I have the option of exchanging it for another, but it's 90lbs and i'd hate to move it back and move another in again.

raouliii · 07-31-07, 03:27 PM

I couldn't find an owner's manual for your set but in the 27D46 owner's manual it describes a feature called StableSound. It is turned on and off in the setup menu. Have you tried turning this on and off for a test?

au revoir · 07-31-07, 04:09 PM

So I take it external speakers or an amplifier won't work?

Those service menu options use pretty cryptic names. There may be some audio options, I'd be very surprised if there weren't. See if you can google for "audio options in toshiba service menu"or something similar.

Don't kill yourself or wreck the settings trying to fix it. I am the type of person that often returns stuff at the drop of a hat, and I think your problem would definitely be enough for me to pack it up and get a refund.

I had a Toshiba TV last year for about a day that had a crooked screen that could not be fixed, even in the service menu, so I returned it and got a Sony for $50 more. Defects are pretty common on this brand, IMHO.

anonymous · 07-31-07, 07:42 PM

Yes this TV also has the StableSound feature. Oddly though, I can't find a single setting for enabling it or disabling it. I assumed it had to be an automatic feature and using some predetermined setting from the factory. The manual mentions nothing of it.

The utter lack of audio settings on this TV really is baffling! My former TV (the one that this Toshiba would be replacing) is around 20 years old, but even it has many different audio settings such as treble, bass, etc. This one doesn't seem to have any.

I looked pretty thoroughly at the service menu options, and i'm pretty sure there is nothing pertaining to audio among the options I looked at. There were a few settings with color in the name, a few R/G/B settings, tint, etc. The only one that I couldn't quite place was a setting for 'sub bias', and on googling, it sounds as if it might have something to do with voltage, not sound.

John3333 · 07-31-07, 08:49 PM

Do you have a volume control on your satellite receiver as well as on your TV?
If so, it may be that the receiver is set for maximum volume, thereby making any little change you make with the TV's control seem enormous.
Also check whether or not you have additional volume options on your satellite receiver. I don't have a satellite receiver, but my cable box offers many different volume options, and depending on what I choose that affects how the volume acts when using the TV's remote control.

raouliii · 07-31-07, 09:14 PM

Here is the 27D46 Owner's Manual. The Audio and StableSound setup is on pages 32 and 33.

anonymous · 07-31-07, 10:06 PM

Thanks Raouliii, i'll have a look at that manual and see if it applies to this TV also.

I'm not certain if the satellite receiver has a volume control, but I was previously using it with my old TV and it had no problems with the volume. (In comparison, my previous TV has roughly 15-20 volume settings in the same 'quiet to loud' range, while the new one only has 4-5.) I also still seem to get the same results when I change the input to the Playstation2.

I just received an e-mail back from Toshiba about this also, but they didn't have any good suggestions aside from asking about the satellite receiver's volume being the problem.

anonymous · 08-01-07, 02:55 AM

Okay, I took a thorough read of the manual for the similar model TV, the 27D46 and i'm even more confused.

First, let me say that that model, from what I can tell, is about as close to being identical to the 27D47 as a person could find, but that manual is -huge- compared to mine. Right off the bat, I can tell that it is probably around 20-30 pages thicker than the one that came with my TV. I can also tell from eyeing it that the manual for my TV is completely missing the cable box codes section and the entire audio section, among others, that the above manual shows. The manual above shows settings for the bass, treble, etc. too which I would assume that every television would have, but that mine doesn't seem to.

I think i'll try to send Toshiba another e-mail to try to figure out what is going on here and to determine whether this model was deliberately skimped on or if there is some problem on my end causing the menus not showing up.

John3333 · 08-01-07, 08:18 PM

But did you check the volume settings (and volume options) on your satellite receiver?????
Don't look for complex solutions before ruling out the obvious ones.
I learned this from past experience.

07-31-07, 03:19 AM	#1 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a4ac4393' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:30&n=a4ac4393' border='0' alt=''></a>
anonymous New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14	Odd problem with new TV... I just purchased a Toshiba 27D47 CRT, a fairly decent television for its price. Today, while testing the TV, i've run across an odd problem with it. The volume controls are completely out of whack! Let me explain. The TV's volume control (via both remote or directly on the TV) has 65 different volume settings. Yet, the 4th volume setting (from the left) is the loudest that i've ever watched a TV at. That's 4/65 volume bars, or when the volume is the lowest it can go, pressing the volume + button 4 times. The other lower settings are: 3 of 65 volume bars: normal TV audio 2 of 65 volume bars: quieter TV audio 1 of 65 volume bars: completely muted 0 of 65 volume bars: completely muted Any volume setting at 5 bars or more is WAY, WAY too loud. Surely this can't be normal when the TV has 65 volume adjustment bars available? Does anyone know what could be causing this or if there's anything I can do about it? Is it a malfunction with the TV? I've searched the manual and menus over and over but see no option for changing anything volume related on the TV. I've heard that some TVs have some way to enter codes in them to adjust certain features on them, but the manual mentions nothing of this and neither can I find anything on google about it.

07-31-07, 09:42 AM	#2 \| Link
raouliii AVS Special Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ponchatoula, LA. Posts: 1,319	What is your source for programming? Direct cable connection, cable set top box, satellite set top box, antenna, VCR, DVD player, game console? If you use more than one, do all sources produce this problem? __________________ Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin

07-31-07, 02:31 PM	#5 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
anonymous New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14	Update: I did find what I believe to be the service menu on the TV. Unfortunately I see nothing for audio settings - only various vague settings that seem to be related to colors (and maybe voltage.) Nothing in there hints at audio that I could find. Do you think this is a problem with this particular set, or could it be that all of these TVs come this way? I have the option of exchanging it for another, but it's 90lbs and i'd hate to move it back and move another in again.

07-31-07, 03:27 PM	#6 \| Link
raouliii AVS Special Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ponchatoula, LA. Posts: 1,319	I couldn't find an owner's manual for your set but in the 27D46 owner's manual it describes a feature called StableSound. It is turned on and off in the setup menu. Have you tried turning this on and off for a test? __________________ Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin

07-31-07, 08:49 PM	#9 \| Link
John3333 Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 17	Do you have a volume control on your satellite receiver as well as on your TV? If so, it may be that the receiver is set for maximum volume, thereby making any little change you make with the TV's control seem enormous. Also check whether or not you have additional volume options on your satellite receiver. I don't have a satellite receiver, but my cable box offers many different volume options, and depending on what I choose that affects how the volume acts when using the TV's remote control. __________________ John

07-31-07, 10:07 AM	#3 \| Link
au revoir Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 505	I would not be surprised if there were a fairly easy service menu fix for this, Have you looked into that? Also, I'm hoping this TV has audio output jacks so you could either run the sound through an amplifier, or even get an RCA jack to 1/8" converter and connect some amplified computer speakers that have their own volume control. If there's no audio out, I think doing some research on service menu tweaks for audio output levels is about your only option.

07-31-07, 01:25 PM	#4 \| Link
anonymous New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14	Hello, my current source for programming is a satellite set top box. However, i've tested it with other inputs (such as a playstation.) All have that same issue with the volume. au revoir, i'm not sure what you mean by service menu? The TV does have a menu on it with options, but unfortunately there are no settings for the audio on it that I can find. Do you mean there could be another menu? That would be great if so. I don't know where to find information about it though. This particular TV has very little on it on google and the manufacturer's website that I can find.

07-31-07, 04:09 PM	#7 \| Link
au revoir Advanced Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 505	So I take it external speakers or an amplifier won't work? Those service menu options use pretty cryptic names. There may be some audio options, I'd be very surprised if there weren't. See if you can google for "audio options in toshiba service menu"or something similar. Don't kill yourself or wreck the settings trying to fix it. I am the type of person that often returns stuff at the drop of a hat, and I think your problem would definitely be enough for me to pack it up and get a refund. I had a Toshiba TV last year for about a day that had a crooked screen that could not be fixed, even in the service menu, so I returned it and got a Sony for $50 more. Defects are pretty common on this brand, IMHO.

07-31-07, 07:42 PM	#8 \| Link
anonymous New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14	Yes this TV also has the StableSound feature. Oddly though, I can't find a single setting for enabling it or disabling it. I assumed it had to be an automatic feature and using some predetermined setting from the factory. The manual mentions nothing of it. The utter lack of audio settings on this TV really is baffling! My former TV (the one that this Toshiba would be replacing) is around 20 years old, but even it has many different audio settings such as treble, bass, etc. This one doesn't seem to have any. I looked pretty thoroughly at the service menu options, and i'm pretty sure there is nothing pertaining to audio among the options I looked at. There were a few settings with color in the name, a few R/G/B settings, tint, etc. The only one that I couldn't quite place was a setting for 'sub bias', and on googling, it sounds as if it might have something to do with voltage, not sound.

07-31-07, 09:14 PM	#10 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
raouliii AVS Special Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ponchatoula, LA. Posts: 1,319	Here is the 27D46 Owner's Manual. The Audio and StableSound setup is on pages 32 and 33. __________________ Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin

07-31-07, 10:06 PM	#11 \| Link
anonymous New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14	Thanks Raouliii, i'll have a look at that manual and see if it applies to this TV also. I'm not certain if the satellite receiver has a volume control, but I was previously using it with my old TV and it had no problems with the volume. (In comparison, my previous TV has roughly 15-20 volume settings in the same 'quiet to loud' range, while the new one only has 4-5.) I also still seem to get the same results when I change the input to the Playstation2. I just received an e-mail back from Toshiba about this also, but they didn't have any good suggestions aside from asking about the satellite receiver's volume being the problem.

08-01-07, 02:55 AM	#12 \| Link
anonymous New Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14	Okay, I took a thorough read of the manual for the similar model TV, the 27D46 and i'm even more confused. First, let me say that that model, from what I can tell, is about as close to being identical to the 27D47 as a person could find, but that manual is -huge- compared to mine. Right off the bat, I can tell that it is probably around 20-30 pages thicker than the one that came with my TV. I can also tell from eyeing it that the manual for my TV is completely missing the cable box codes section and the entire audio section, among others, that the above manual shows. The manual above shows settings for the bass, treble, etc. too which I would assume that every television would have, but that mine doesn't seem to. I think i'll try to send Toshiba another e-mail to try to figure out what is going on here and to determine whether this model was deliberately skimped on or if there is some problem on my end causing the menus not showing up.

08-01-07, 08:18 PM	#13 \| Link
John3333 Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 17	But did you check the volume settings (and volume options) on your satellite receiver????? Don't look for complex solutions before ruling out the obvious ones. I learned this from past experience. __________________ John