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Does your Kuro have a reddish tint to the blacks?

388K views 4K replies 269 participants last post by  Dirtgarry 
#1 ·
This issue has been discussed in many different Pioneer model threads but I thought it would be a good idea to make a dedicated thread for this issue so that everyone would be aware of it and we can have a common area to discuss the issue. I will try and sum up what the issue is but everyone else please add your thoughts and personal experiences with this.


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I have a 500M and recently noticed while watching a widescreen movie that the black bars have a reddish tint to them. It is most noticeable when watching in the complete darkness and while watching a dark movie like Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I switched to a completely black screen and noticed that the whole screen has a reddish tint but it seems to be worse on the right side and especially the upper right corner. I thought this might be a source issue so I have checked with multiple PS3s connected through my receiver and directly to the TV as well as while watching Cable tv. The red tint is noticeable in all situations. I have tried messing with the controls but nothing seems to help. I think I remember a couple calibrators saying that they have come across this a few times but they were unable to calibrate the reddish tint out. I had a previously had a 5020 that had a brownish/yellow tint to the whites and I had it calibrated by D-Nice and he fixed that issue but I think that was related to the color temp being too low and is non related.


I have seen references to this issue in many different threads and forums. It appears that several people with the European LX5090 are having this issue as well. It is discussed in the following thread (hopefully mods won't delete this as I think it is very important to the issue): http://www.avforums.com/forums/pione...nt-blacks.html


It appears that someone on a German forum might have come across a solution but I couldn't find any further details about what they said the solution was ("The guy said that they set the panel to zero, put in new software and calibrated the panel again." -tapmeester)


I don't understand what setting the panel to zero means and I don't know what kind of software they might have put on there but to me it seems like this issue has to do with a hardware/panel problem and that would have to be replaced. It would be awesome if it was a software issue that could be fixed but I don't see that being the case and if it was, it wouldn't make sense why only some sets would have this issue.


I contacted Pioneer and they were of no help and said they have never heard of the problem. Maybe they just don't have any documented cases so that is why. I know others have called in about it. My warranty is up also so that could be another reason why they weren't too helpful. I think they "searched" for previous cases of this and came up with nothing and then the lady told me a local repair place I should call.


My 500M has a manufacture date of October 2008 and it has approximately 2800 hours on it.

All Kuro owners please post what display you have and if you have experienced this issue. Also please let us know if you have any information that might help us find a solution to this. Again, to see the reddish tint you will probably have to watch the TV in the complete dark and might even have to watch a dark movie because otherwise the brightness from the film may mess with your eyes and make it harder to see the reddish tint on the black bars.


Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this and just maybe there is a solution!
 
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#27 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dlplover /forum/post/20984381


Yeah, I was going to make a comment wondering if there was a correlation to heat or regularly running marathon sessions on it, but I thought that would come off as rude. But yeah, I've had mine for 2.5 yrs and have ~4k hours... possibly up to 5k since I don't remember the exact hours before I KuroControled it to ISF unlock. But that many hours does seem like a ton.


One thing I often do - I have no idea if this has helped prevent it on mine or not - but when I pause or there otherwise isn't going to be content on, I'll usually switch to a blank input rather than turning it off. Since I've converted the Blu-Rays I own to my computer for consolidation on the HTPC, I'll also sometimes just leave media center classic on the blank black screen after it finishes playing a movie. Basically what I'm saying is we have whitewash etc.. for plasmas to get rid of image retention. Has anyone tried to "blackwash" their sets to see if it restores them back to normal?

I sat and watched blank screens for over an hour one night to see if the red tint was any better on the inputs I don't use, it is not. I then sat and watched the screen saver on my Pio BDP-51fd. Little pioneer symbols slowly floating onto the screen before disappearing again and reappearing in different locations on the screen, I just watched as the symbols came through the red tint, making it look worse around the white Pioneer logo. Oh, and my actual hours are probably closer to 14,000! Maybe my red-tinted Kuro can be the barometer for what is to come, but I don't think it has gotten any worse over the last two months
 
#28 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by powertoold /forum/post/0



Your description matches my 500m MFD Jan 2009.


The red tint is very subtle and uniform across the screen... I honestly don't notice it (unless I watch from like 3 feet and only focus on the blacks) even when watching in a pitch dark room.

What you are describing is normal (Panasonics and the larger Samsungs with the lower MLLs have a similar reddish/purplish glow post calibration). However there are a few panels that are unmistakably red... yes I seen one before.
 
#29 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Nice /forum/post/20984828


What you are describing is normal (Panasonics and the larger Samsungs with the lower MLLs have a similar reddish/purplish glow post calibration). However there are a few panels that are unmistakably red... yes I seen one before.

Thanks for some input...mine is not severe but definately not a neutral black either. And it looks reddish at any viewing distance. On mixed material though it pretty much looks black..seldom do I think letterbox bars look reddish. So mine might be in the realm of 'normal' for these. I am sure there are varying degrees. Without seeing other ones it's hard to say. Do you have any idea what might be causing some panels to be so much more red??
 
#30 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by THANKGOD4PLASMA /forum/post/20984823


I sat and watched blank screens for over an hour one night to see if the red tint was any better on the inputs I don't use, it is not. I then sat and watched the screen saver on my Pio BDP-51fd. Little pioneer symbols slowly floating onto the screen before disappearing again and reappearing in different locations on the screen, I just watched as the symbols came through the red tint, making it look worse around the white Pioneer logo. Oh, and my actual hours are probably closer to 14,000! Maybe my red-tinted Kuro can be the barometer for what is to come, but I don't think it has gotten any worse over the last two months

If the issue is with the black level voltages, one hour isn't going to fix 14k hours of regular use. Gonna have to run a pure black screen for a lot longer to see if my "black wash" idea has any merit.
 
#33 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanBuck /forum/post/0



Thanks for some input...mine is not severe but definately not a neutral black either. And it looks reddish at any viewing distance. On mixed material though it pretty much looks black..seldom do I think letterbox bars look reddish. So mine might be in the realm of 'normal' for these. I am sure there are varying degrees. Without seeing other ones it's hard to say. Do you have any idea what might be causing some panels to be so much more red??

Duds. There are even 600M/151FD/6020FDs that measure 0.003fL.
 
#39 ·
I guess annoying might be dependent on the person haha. The important thing is that you have let us know that you are another case having this problem.


p.s. - It is the end of the world that you screwed up the poll!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by Acid Snow /forum/post/20988123


Each of my 3 KUROs' has a slightly reddish-tint to black scenes, but none of them are "annoying red" for me to QQ about. From my experience, the older the KURO - the redder its' blacks become.


p.s. I messed up when answering your poll = less relevant
 
#40 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Acid Snow /forum/post/20988123


Each of my 3 KUROs' has a slightly reddish-tint to black scenes, but none of them are "annoying red" for me to QQ about. From my experience, the older the KURO - the redder its' blacks become.


p.s. I messed up when answering your poll = less relevant

If that were true, 8G kuros should be more red than 9G kuros. Granted, I haven't seen that many kuros, but the ones I have seen - none have had a red tint, 8G or 9G.
 
#41 ·
Did you view dark content or a dark movie in a completely dark room? If not then you aren't going to see it unless the set is REALLY bad. Like I said, mine is only visible in the pitch dark and on the letterbars with dark content. I hate to say it but I kind of feel like more people might have this problem but they watch with some sort of light on or their eyes aren't discerning enough or maybe they just haven't looked for it (which I don't blame them).

Quote:
Originally Posted by dlplover /forum/post/20988875


If that were true, 8G kuros should be more red than 9G kuros. Granted, I haven't seen that many kuros, but the ones I have seen - none have had a red tint, 8G or 9G.
 
#43 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac13 /forum/post/20988906


Did you view dark content or a dark movie in a completely dark room? If not then you aren't going to see it unless the set is REALLY bad. Like I said, mine is only visible in the pitch dark and on the letterbars with dark content. I hate to say it but I kind of feel like more people might have this problem but they watch with some sort of light on or their eyes aren't discerning enough or maybe they just haven't looked for it (which I don't blame them).

Obviously, I was discerning enough to settle on a kuro, but I'm too blind to be able to tell if blacks appear red with the lights out



Actually, I think at one point I did start to see some odd redness on the black blob startup screen, but I changed up my viewing habits and it disappeared. I forget what I did at the time to get rid of it though.
 
#44 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac13 /forum/post/20988906


Did you view dark content or a dark movie in a completely dark room? If not then you aren't going to see it unless the set is REALLY bad. Like I said, mine is only visible in the pitch dark and on the letterbars with dark content. I hate to say it but I kind of feel like more people might have this problem but they watch with some sort of light on or their eyes aren't discerning enough or maybe they just haven't looked for it (which I don't blame them).

I wonder too how many have this but don't notice it. Although AVS'ers tend to be FAR more critical than the average tv owner. It does take a really dark, or totally dark room to notice this issue on my set.
 
#45 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dlplover /forum/post/20989219


Obviously, I was discerning enough to settle on a kuro, but I'm too blind to be able to tell if blacks appear red with the lights out



Actually, I think at one point I did start to see some odd redness on the black blob startup screen, but I changed up my viewing habits and it disappeared. I forget what I did at the time to get rid of it though.

Mine always has irregular reddish blobs on the initial startup screen before it drops to the next lower black level. Does anyone else see this behavior on their sets?
 
#47 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dlplover /forum/post/20989237


Blobs?



That's supposed to be a single black blob on a lighter black background.

Yes blobs..irregular shaped reddish patches...and they can be seen even with some room lighting on. As soon as the set drops to the next lower black level they go away. My final black screen is pretty uniform albeit slightly reddish. What do you mean by a single black blob?
 
#48 ·
I see four different pictures when the set is turned on, the first is solid grey, the second is greyish black with the red tint of death hiding out, the third is greyish blue, the fourth is solid black. I am going to try dlplover's suggestion of "black wash" for several hours a day and see if there is any difference over the next few weeks.
 
#49 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by THANKGOD4PLASMA /forum/post/20989300


I see four different pictures when the set is turned on, the first is solid grey, the second is greyish black with the red tint of death hiding out, the third is greyish blue, the fourth is solid black. I am going to try dlplover's suggestion of "black wash" for several hours a day and see if there is any difference over the next few weeks.

My step one 'solid grey' is covered in large reddish tinted blobs...has not changed at all in the year I have owned it. I just figured they were all that way..guess not! After startup though it doesn't seem to be an issue. I could take a picture and post if anyone wants to see.
 
#50 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanBuck /forum/post/20989313


My step one 'solid grey' is covered in large reddish tinted blobs...has not changed at all in the year I have owned it. I just figured they were all that way..guess not! After startup though it doesn't seem to be an issue. I could take a picture and post if anyone wants to see.

Sorry, I should have mentioned this was last night when I was switching inputs. I have seen exactly what you described when first turning the panel on, but on mine it seems to fizzle away before reaching screen two
 
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