2008 Samsung HL61A750 LED DLP owners thread and FAQ - Page 4

Hey all, long time lurker first time poster.

Picked up my 61A750 from Big River (I too had no idea this meant amazon) and turn-around from ordering to arrival was about 5 days. Awesome. "White glove" was cool, they brought it down, unpacked it and set it on the stand. Kept the box. They stuck around till I at least got a signal and sound, quick check for damage etc. Seemed good to go. Still checking up on the price everyday just in case I can hold them to the pricematch.

Here's the bad news:

1) Some geometry issues. Haven't run the test pattern yet, but I would estimate a dip of about 1/4" - /1/2" dip on the left side. Annoying as all get out. Nobody elses notices but me though...I'll keep updating. Can a technician come out under warranty to fix this?

2.) HDMI3 input doesn't like my Mac Mini via DVI to Sammy HDMI connection. I only have one DVI/HDMI cable, but I can't get the source to fit the whole screen. I get an odd maximum selection of "1920x1080 interlaced" in the displays/sys pref pane.

Mini is connected via VGA input with a VGA

3.) For some reason my Monoprice HDX-401E HDMI switcher isn't catching. The screen flashed the unsupported format box. This may have nothing to do with the Sammy, anybody using an HDMI switch?

So far been using my mini and PS3 for input sources. PS3 is connected to HDMI2. Haven't gotten the cable guy out here yet, so I can't comment yet on HDMI issues with the Moto boxes via Time Warner (which I've had with my Westinghouse). I'll update when I get an HD DVR down here and semi-calibrated. I have yet to hook up my Wii, but might try that after posting.

This is my first DLP so I'm getting used to the viewing angle limitations. I've got it in a small HT room in the basement, so it seems pretty big. It's a friggin light cannon, but since it's naturally dark down here, I'm looking for it to really pop. So far the blacks are BLACK. I'll continue to tweak you guy's settings, which has been a great start.

So lots of work to do to get it fully operational (waiting on cable, Blu-Ray calibration via PS3...will run the disc that's been posted) but this is what I've got so far. Thanks to everybody that's posted.

After reading everybody's comments here, I decided to order my 61" yesterday. Amazon had the cheapest price once you figure in shipping, but unfortunately they're out of stock, so I'll have to wait until they get a shipment of them in.

The firmware has fixed my 1080p over component issue for the Xbox 360. As far as Standard and Expanded I haven't tried it. It only effects DVD playback and I don't plan to use it for that. I will take a look tomorrow if someone doesn't post before me.


AdamWL posted this about the firmware update in the other thread:
build date : 2008-05-21 DLP TV HL 750 series Firmware

This firmware will correct the following phenomenons some units may experience.
-. Intermittent Auto Power Off and On
-. Intermittent Video drop out when connecting the component source
-. SRS Trusurround Setting Reset

The firmware will be updated to the following version.
-. HL**A750A1F : 1005.3

Will do for the HDMI input. I'll report back.

As far as your second comment, perhaps I'm using the wrong term. I'm not experiencing anything wrong with the bezel, now bowing or dipping, but rather the way the picture is being projected onto the screen. Slightly off axis. Something that is very noticeable with horizontal menus bars, letterboxing etc. I haven't been able to run a TV station with a ticker yet, but I'm guessing it will be noticeable there too.

I want to say I've read somewhere where you can get somebody out to adjust the lens (?) to correct this problem. Ring any bells?

Cheers!

I have used the same disc (Beta 2 I believe) and setting Contrast to 85 and Brightness to 63 both black and whites weren't getting crushed (with Dynamic Contrast set to High).

I used the image (among others) that had 0 and upwards on one half and 255 and downwards on the other half. With those settings you could see the entire range. Also remember with a lot of the test images you aren't supposed to see all of the bars. Many are below blacker than black and above whiter than white.

However in actual viewing settings Brightness to 63 made the image too light and I ended up with around 58 (which added some pop back). I think it's tricker to calibrate with Dynamic Contrast since it appears be a moving target based on content. This is the case with a Dynamic Iris as well.

Sounds good to me.

Hmmm... Sometimes, I am truely astounded by the progress humans have made given the limitations of our written and spoken languages. (OK, so no language would have been even worst.) I went back and reread our recent exchanges. Though we have talked about IRE, conversions, encoding and what not, my initial comment had only to do with this statement in your post "My pure guess is that Normal would be IRE 7.5 (video levels) and Low would be 0 IRE (PC levels)." My post was intended to "clarify" that the parenthetical information was incorrect. I was only pointing out that, by definition, IRE 7.5 does not equate to video levels and 0 IRE does not equate to pc levels. Sorry I was not clearer.

what are these "standards" you are talking about?

the only ones I know of are

RS-170
RS-373
STANAG

and they really have nothing to do with resolutions but more so about interoperability between countries - STANAG is mainly for NTSC as the others are so nothing about HD

High definition analog component video is defined by the CEA specification, CEA-770.3-rev C. The spec was last revised five years ago, and defines 720p and 1080i, but not 1080p. I found this in this article. http://www.cepro.com/article/cea_mul...mponent_video/

I'm not sure if it is relevant or not.

Hey guys,
Purchased the unit about a week ago and I love it....
Two quick questions
1) How do I save picture settings so that they stay the same for Sat. HD TV and PS3?
2) This has happened a few times with my receiver. After playing PS3 and shutting off the game but going to the PS3 menu the sound gets really loud, no matter if I turn the receiver all the way down. I have the optical going to the TV????
Thanks and love this thread
Marc

I don't remember the exact pattern I used but it appeared to be the best I could fine with mixed content... one half was 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - etc. and the other half 255 - 254 - 253 - 252 - 251 - 250 - etc. Which gave you blacker than black image that got slightly brighter across the screen and a whiter than white image that got slightly darker across the screen.

I adjusted Brightness and Contrast so everything below 16 was crushed and everything above 235 was crushed. Then I went through every test pattern on the disc and made minor adjustments always going back to the original pattern to see how it was affected.

That is how I came up with 63 for Brightness and 85 for Contrast. However since the set is adjusting the contrast level dynamically (to the best of my knowledge) I found in practice I preferred 58 for Brightness. My guess is typically the content I view is lighter than most of the test patterns I was looking at which would typically raise the black level.

I think most owners would be happy with the Standard setting if they simply turn Edge Enhancement off (getting rid of ring around the collar) and dropping the Color to 28-30. This gives the set plenty of pop without overblown colors and perhaps some black crush but nothing that jumps out at you.

For a more film look I went with the above 58 and 85 settings with Dynamic Contrast Set to High and set Sharpness and Gamma to 0.

what do you mean by (getting rid of ring around the collar)? i have it on and the picture seems clearer

Take a look at this URL...

http://www.videophile.info/Guide_EE/Page_01.htm

For ring around the collar look at the Fargo example.

Outside of the fact that one Mode may let you choose a setting the others don't do you believe they are simply pre-sets? Such that if you match settings between Standard and Movie the images will be identical? That is pretty much what I found with the little playing I did. I set Standard and Movie to the following and bounced back and forth with the test patterns and noticed no difference outside of the fact that Black Adjust was getting turned on when you switched Modes.

85 - Contrast
58 - Brightness
0 - Sharpness
28 - Color
Tint 50/50

Off - Black Adjust
High - Dynamic Contrast
Min - LED Control
0 - Gamma
Off - Edge Enhancement

I only played around for an hour or so and I'm sure there are plenty of other settings what work with many of them looking better.

MikePro,

You have this note about the firmware "NOTE that firmware 1000.5 should fix this issue." The actual version number is 1005.3.

Yeah mine is also taking forever to get here (MN) it's been sitting in Columbus since arriving from Harrisburg on Monday, so it looks like I won't see this until after the holiday weekend at the earliest. Guess that's one of the downsides of ordering big honkin' items like this on the net.

Oh well, it will give me more time to get my AV/HT gear setup in my new entertainment center I needed to buy.

As the shipping was free I guess it's "Whaddya want fer nothin..."

***Update*** CEVA (the shipper) called this morning and it's in Mpls! (I guess it's only a 1 day drive from Columbus to MPLS) I will have this on Tuesday the 27th, would have preferred tomorrow, but I will take it!

Well, first off great thread Mike. If it wasn't for you guys, I might have swayed. But, I got my 61A750 two weeks ago at BB for 1850 plus 50 bucks off the sammy DVD upconverter(very cool BTW)


I was really on the ledge after seeing this TV at the store in between the 65 and 73 inch Mitz. But, (knock on wood) I have not had any of the problems that have been noted on this set. I am more than pleased with my purchase. This TV will be a keeper for a long time.


BG

Hah, mine's in the exact same situation. Arrived in Columbus after leaving Harrisburg. It got there last night, though...but considering I'm in Reno, I doubt I'll get it for a while. **sigh** Reading the new posts on this thread makes me want this TV sooner.

I continue to feel so lucky to have received mine last Saturday, only 4 days after ordering it. (Not bragging, just commenting on the seemingly capricious nature of the deliveries from Amazon...)

Your gonna love it! Mine replaces a recently deceased Toshiba 62HM95 that I won't miss at all. ESPECIALLY after actually receiving my Sammy and getting to see it tweaked in my home. I'm still in the honeymoon stage with mine... The WOW factor continues!!!

I am having a slight set-up problem, maybe one of you can help.

I have this TV and an Onkyo 605 reciever.

Here is how it is set up.

TV to Reciever = HDMI
PS3 to Reciever = HDMI port 1
DVD player to Reciever = HDMI port 2
Direct TV box = TV Compnent 1 (I do not have a HD box yet)

In this configuration I, coud not get sound for DTV to the reciever. After reading the instructions for both the TV and reciever I ended up slapping a Optical between them and it worked. But that kind of defeats the purpose of running the HDMI between the two doesn't it? Is there a way to transfer the sound from the TV to the reciever through HDMI?

yea that is relevant to 1080p over component

good job for finding it

but its being less and less relevant all the time since people are mainly using HDMI more and more

although on the htguys podcast they mentioned how installers prefer to use component over hdmi for easier installs - IMO just stupid to do anymore unless that is the only connection there is

For clarity I'd say Receiver to TV = HDMI.

As long as I'm not thoroughly confused, I don't think the HDMI can send anything back to the receiver. Maybe from the optical output, although if I understand right, that wouldn't be better than stereo unless it's for OTA HD?

As for connecting the component to the TV and the optical to the receiver, if you're concerned about having more than one signal cable to the TV, or having to switch inputs on the TV, I believe the Onkyo will upconvert component to HDMI. You should be able to take the component and optical from the DTV box to the receiver, and assuming the upconversion to HDMI is satisfactory, the only mode you'd input selection would have to be on the receiver.

I think being set to standard is the way to go, but I don't have any factual evidence. Just looks better. Doesn't the answer to this depend on how Samsung TVs handle IRE? Which I've been trying to get an answer to, but don't have one.

Part of the problem is this all changed with the Fall '07 (?) 360 update, so the water is muddied with previous discussions on workarounds for poor VGA 360 performance.

I just saw a post in another related board that the HL67A750 now on display at some stores seems to have a thicker frame than the HL61A750 which could help with geometry issues.

As soon as someone acquires the HL67A750 I would be curious to know their impressions, and if any problems are observed.

Thanks in advance.

You do seem to be slightly confused, the reciever is connected to the TV via HDMI. I think the reciever has one HDMI output that goes to a TV so that is going into the TV HDMI input 1. So you don't think that HDMI can send sound to the reciever like that?


For some reason I could not get the cable box to work directly hooked into the reciever (no sound or picture), I don't know why but my temporary workaround (until I get an HD box with HDMI) was to simply connect the DTV box to the TV.

Really this queston is more like a gee wiz type of deal, I had a spare optical cable and it is doing exactly what I want. I just thought that with the HDMI cable connected that was all I would need.