official Lg 42LG50 owner's thread - Page 3

The SD quality is the biggest concern I have about this TV.
How did you select upconverting on the TV?

Just curious HD box you have. I have the comcast/motorola DCT3416; you don't have this one by any chance and can share how you did the above?

The correct way to calibrate your TV is with a colorimeter. You might as well use the 10 point IRE instead of the 2 point IRE, it will be much more exact. Using a blu-ray calibration disk, the colorimeter will inspect the shades of gray in a 10 point grayscale, from 10 IRE (near black, zero IRE being complete black) to 100 IRE (white) in 10% increments. Calibrating on a 2 point IRE will only inspect 30 IRE (30% black) and 80 IRE (80% black), therefore not as exact. There really is no other way to calibrate a TV, and doing it by eye will never be accurate. There is no room for personal preference when calibrating a tv, its either within the target gamma or its not. All movies and professional tv shows are produced to look their best within that target gamma. It escapes my mind why tv manufacturers will not calibrate all their displays to the target gamma in the factory, its ridiculous.

I didn't calibrate the TV for Cable (I have Comcast in Chicago) because I cant use the calibration disk on Cable input and I don't know how to get grayscale samples from Cable (there is no calibration channel or settings on the cable box). I just ASSUME that what what works for blu-ray works for Cable as well, and I think it looks the best using the same setting as blu-ray. Also, I ASSUME that the settings for MY TV will work for all 42lg50 tvs, and I don't know if there are any variations with displays of the same model line.

could you possibly attached some screenshots of your cable and blu ray video display?


Thanks

I just bought the 42lg50 at the brick and got it home and have notest that when the tv is displaying dark colours you can see white horizon lines going up the tv is this commen or should i be taking it back? ( i do not have hd cable yet. On standered roges digital)

Thanks to reallyagi for going through the efforts to provide us with a standard reference. I Programmed my 37LG50 set's Expert 2 setting with his and my Expert 1 settings with the one from the cNet notes. I am doing this on my "cable" input (Time Warner in Charlotte, NC) and the one thing I do notice is that these give me a bit more of a GREEN tint to everything than I would prefer. I wonder if this could be due to the Time Warner's signal rather than do to the differences between the 37's vs. the 42's sized sets. I am hopeful that a 50 is a 50 is a 50 and since this thread is specific to the 50-series, I would hope that these settings SHOULD translate 1-for-1 to my set.

I would not use these settings on any other model tv ndabunka. The simple fact that your display leans to a green hue is proof enough that these settings don't apply. I really doubt that your cable company sends a greenish signal.

here are my settings.

Backlight: 75
Contrast: 48
Brightness: 51
Sharpness: 40
Color: 45
Tint: 0

Fresh Contrast: Off
Noise Reduction: Off
Gamma: Medium
Black Level: Low
Real Cinema: On

White Balance: Warm
Method: 2 Point

Red Color: 3
Red Tint: 0
Green Color: 9
Green Tint: 2
Blue Color: -1
Blue Tint: 0
Yellow Color: 6
Yellow Tint: 5
Cyan Color: -1
Cyan Tint: 1
Magenta Color: 2
Magenta Tint: -1

i used Digital Video Essentials DVD for calibration, the only color i had trouble with was yellow, everything else seemed to blend well through the color filters.

i have these settings on expert 2 and reallyagi's on expert 1. switching back and fourth i'm liking mine a little more, although i realize his settings may actually be more accurate. hopefully someone will try these out and see if they like them as well.

i use the same settings for all inputs, from my panasonic dvd player as well as my Directv h21-100 HD receiver.

i notice a lot of guys using much higher contrasts than me, contrast was the one setting that the DVE dvd was not clear on for LCD's. the dvd seems geared more towards CRT's and Front projectors. so my setting is more of a guesstimate, it's somewhat close to reallyagi's though, and since his was more professionally done i might bump mine up a bit.

anyone have any pointers for calibrating contrast on LCD's for future reference? i have test patterns galore but never could figure out where to set it.

also, i haven't had any problems, but i'm all about firmware updates, anyone heard anything? how would one even find out if there were one? i assume these tv's are firmware upgradeable using the usb port, maybe i'm wrong?

Need some advice....I bought this TV a few days ago and something is driving me nuts! I have a Verizon FIOS HD box and I can't seem to stretch standard definition content. I can roll through the aspect modes, but the image only seems to stretch or change in the centre (4:3) portion of the screen, am I missing something? Just scan doesn't solve the problem either???

probably a setting in your Verizon box to stretch sd content. i know my directv box has options for stretching, pillar box, and crop.

Hey all,

Anyone noticed a gap between the bezel and the screen on this tv? I noticed last night that on the bottom, right above the LG logo, that the bezel is about an eighth to a quarter inch away from the screen. I never notice when I got the tv, but I can't imagine that it has, or is getting wider. Probably not a big deal, I just thought I'd check.

There is also a slight gap in the middle of the upper part of the bezel too, but that has been there since I got it.

Thanks.

yeah, there does appear to be a small gap, maybe a light 1/8 of an inch at best though, you can see what appears to be some double sided tape, the thick kind.

no biggy really, as long as you don't have any bleed through, mine has none.

only gripe with the tv is i wish blacks were blacker, but being an lcd what can you expect?

Thanks for checking that out for me. I agree, apart from the black levels i think that this is a great set.

How come i do not see any settings for the menu below the color management...

.....
....

blue brightness
red...contrast.....

are you using expert 1 or 2? i believe those are the only two setting groups that allow you to control expert settings.

I am referring to the first group of color settings below the

>>Color management system<<<<br />
I am not sure the order of the color config. but it has the blue brightness... red.. contrast... so it goes..

>>Color management system<<<<br /> ******
*****
*****
***
AND THEN. following these group of setting are the

Red Color:
Red Tint:
Green Color:
Green Tint:
Blue Color:
Blue Tint:
Yellow Color:
Yellow Tint:
Cyan Color:
Cyan Tint:
Magenta Color:
Magenta Tint:

So, should those settings be set to value 0?. I am just confused because... the settings that i am using is 2 POINT and i could view that particular section.

I am using the 2point IRE on both expert 1 or 2 . Looking at all the calibration settings posted here. I havent seen any suggested values for that group of color settings.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

and you may not, i did post mine a couple posts back though, i prefer my 2 point settings to the 10point settings i've found elsewhere. i tried reallyagi's settings which seem to be the most professionally done, and they didn't look quite right, my main concern came during an episode of southpark, cartmans hat was a very strange shade of pukish grey/green, it was definitely not right, so i switched back to my settings and things just looked better, sky was blue again and cartmans hat was all better.

not saying his settings are wrong, but i'm betting each tv is going to be slightly different from the next, even if it is the same model.

try my settings out and see if you like them, they may or may not work for you, otherwise reallyagi's should be given a shot as well.

i agree. I've always had mine set to 2 point and then i researched threads and forums for 10 point settings, because i thought it would make the display better ( which i think everyone will agree is subjective).

After evaluating these two settings, i have to admit i prefer leaving it to 2 point IRE and using your settings.Having my tv set to 10 POINT IRE , makes the hd channels display similar to my old sony rear proj hdtv, which looks dull and very dimmed.
I am not sure what other variables to consider...(i.e perhaps my ebay $16.99 HMDI cable?, or comcast hd box?) But ultimately, 2 point settings , brings out the colors to suit my display preference.

I still use reallyagi's settings for blu ray and hd dvd , but watching sports... 2 point hands down.

Thanks

jeffrey

i don't think it's a difference between 2point and 10point specifically, just what settings you're using for 2p and 10p. 10p should be able to reproduce the settings i use in 2p and do even better.

10p is what i believe they'd use if you had it professionally calibrated.

i just use 2p because i don't have the equipment needed to do a full 10p calibration, using just the dvd and color filters 2p is the best i can do.

btw, glad to hear you found my settings satisfactory, it's always nice to know someones eyes are agreeing with your own!

You guys should really consider getting a colorimeter, you may spend $100 tops. After that all you need is a computer, which I assume you all have. I can direct you guys to some websites which explain the process with much detail, and I can help with any questions. I agree that displays may vary even if they're the same model, and everybody here seems motivated to have the best picture possible.

where might one buy a colorimeter? and also, is there free software to use with it? or do they generally come with software?

also, do they all do about the same job?

will it only help you calibrate your color settings? what about brightness and contrast?

You can find colorimeters online. I bought an X-Rite Eye-One Display LT on Amazon for $150. Of the more common/less expensive colorimeters the Eye-One is usually preferred to the Spyder, because the Spyder meters seem to not give consistently accurate readings.

The colorimeters do come with software bundled with the product, but the software is usually geared to calibrating the monitor connected to your computer. There is free calibration software specifically available for calibrating your TV; HCFR (http://www.homecinema-fr.com/colorimetre/index_en.php) is the software I have used with this tutorial: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=852536

Basically, you'll need the colorimeter, the software to measure your readings, and a test disc to produce the images for the software to measure. I've found GetGray ($25 @ http://www.calibrate.tv/) to work excellently because it was made solely for calibrating color/grayscale information. If you want to go a more commercial route, the test patterns you'll need are also available on the Avia and DVE discs.

Using all of the above, you'll be able to set the brightness and contrast, adjust the grayscale/color of your tv and, in the process, get an overall better image from your television.

As an aside, I'm a Mac guy and all the software for doing color calibration is geared to PC users, so if you don't have a PC laptop or can't borrow one, there aren't any software calibration options that I know of for Mac users.

I hope this helps.

Try this guide, it will help you with software, choosing a colorimeter and step by step instructions. Your only expense should be the colorimeter. You can even download and burn your own blu-ray disc with the grayscale and color images you need to calibrate the tv (no blu-ray disc burner needed, it will show you how to do it).

Here's the link: http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10457

For Expert1 2 pt setting

any suggestive settings for the
red contrast
blue " "
green "
blue brightness
green

These settings are located above the 'color management' in the Expert Settings Menu..

looking through that guide i'm a bit unsure as to what settings i'd change on our tv's in the different steps of the guide.

where do the 10 point IRE settings get adjusted? or is the guide geared more towards a 2 point IRE (kind of seems like it is)

could you give me a brief guide on using the guide

seems like to adjust the grayscale on our tv you'd adjust the red, green and blue brightness and contrast settings. and then to adjust the color you adjust the 2 point settings for each primary and secondary color. though the color section of the guide seemed a little lacking.

am i getting this right?

far as i can tell the guide is geared more towards a 2 point IRE setting.

PS: in light of a better understanding of these settings, i've decided to use your 10 point IRE settings with my color settings and see if i like it, your ire settings with my color settings seems like a warmer image, maybe not a more accurate one, but i'm gonna test it for a day or two. my settings alone (i didn't adjust the grayscale) seem cooler, and they're acceptable so far to my eye, albeit they may be wrong.

and to Jepoy, i know i didn't answer your question directly, but you should be able to pull an answer from this post i hope

You will take readings of the grayscale screens, 10 different screens (from 10IRE to 100IRE) in 10 percent increments. On the 100% screen, the colorimeter will examine the display and provide RGB readings. You will go to the TV menu, to 10 point IRE, to the 100 section and adjust the RED, GREEN and BLUE settings until the RGB bars are as close to 100% as possible. Then you continue to the 90% screen, get the readings from the colorimeter, and adjust the TV on the 10 point IRE, on the 90 section. Same process on the rest of the IRE sections.

Then you will take readings of the RED, GREEN, BLUE, CYAN, MAGENTA and YELLOW screens, and adjust the advanced color settings, which are below the 10 point IRE settings, until you get the correct color luminance readings from the colorimeter.

The guide is very extensive. I skipped all the way to step 4: Setting the white level. You dont need to know how bad your screen was or all those graphs and gamma diagrams.

Did you forget to include the '2 point' settings? Like all the RGB values for brightness and contrast? Or did you leave them all at 0?

I purchased my 42LG50 a couple of months ago as I was very impressed with the color and sharpness of the picture. It also had a true matte screen and a USB port which I use to show photos. It was easy to set up and I connected it to my Cablevision via HDMI. I immediately noticed four problems, three I can live with. First, the off-angle viewing is poor but I watch tv from my couch directly in front of the tv. Second, my dvd player didn't work via HDMI so I connected it via component1. Third, during a slide show the remote control doesn't allow one to pause and to advance manually. But the main problem was with the skin tones which appear pink/purple. I tried adjusting it by moving the tint indicator all the way into the green end but this didn't help. I went to expert1 and took the advice of some of you and made adjustments. It improved a bit but it was still unsatisfactory. And viewing movies via component doesn't allow any adjustments. I called LG and they arranged to have the board and screen replaced. This was done a few days ago. But even with the new board and screen the problem persists. I wonder if it is just my set as nobody else on the forum complains about skin tones and the reviews I read are generally very positive- Consumer Reports gives the picture quality the best rating. I don't know what to do. I do notice that in stores the skin tones are often pinkish and maybe this is a characteristic of these televisions. Any advice would be appreciated.

exactly my question.... thanks for rephrasing. Also, i saw a demo at CC of an LCD that has 120hz refresh rate.... wow~~!!!, Please tell me this brand has this specs.. I am thinking of purchasing a blu ray player because of it/.

left at zero as there's no way to really adjust them by eye or using a calibration dvd (that i know of)

for the IRE settings (grayscale adjustment) i believe you'd need a coloromiter like reallyagi suggests.

i already purchased the BD version of DVE, so i may get me the EyeOne displayLT at some point in the future.

though i am already quite pleased with my current calibration done with the DVE dvd. we have another LG LCD in the house as well as a JVC DLP in the basement, so i can always calibrate those for my parents as well. the other LG still has the ultra vibrant colors, my mom seems content with that though.

120hz shouldn't be that much different. LCD's don't suffer from the same problems crt's do at lower refresh rates, the only thing the 120hz is for is to eliminate judder for 24p content.

the 42LG50 supports a native 24p mode so it really should be fine. 24 doesn't go into 60 evenly so that's what gives you judder as some frames are repeated more than others, with 120hz all frames are repeated 5 times a piece as opposed to 3:2 for 60hz. but like i said, our tv's will do 24p natively, not sure if they use 48hz or 24 though.

other than that i don't see what else 120hz might actually do for image quality. i guess maybe it smooths out judder in all content as well?

i also hear that some 120hz sets still don't fix judder with 24p content. some of them only double the frames they'd display at 60hz, so it'd be like 6:4 or something of that nature, instead of 5:5.

maybe i'm wrong though, i'm not even sure i've looked at a 120hz set, i'm sure bestbuy had at least one when i looked at this tv and this one looked the best to me.