2008 Samsung HLxxA650 DLP Owners Thread/FAQ - Page 5

so looks like my new tv may need servicing. my fiance is gonna be upset.

calling my manager friend at cc to see what my options are. my cars not big enough to drag the tv back to exchange it. im gonna try to make the firedogs come here.

Sorry if I missed it elsewhere, but does anybody have the dimensions of the box this set comes in? Considering picking one up at BB this weekend (tax-free in MA!), and need to know if I can fit it in our pickup, or do I need to pay for delivery.... thanks!

Hi guys, quick question. I've been looking around for a good tv, and was stunned when I saw the 50 inch for the same price as way smaller televisions

So, I was just wondering if this would be good for games? Mainly games like Call of Duty and Halo?

Thanks guys!!!!

I have the 50 and play PS3 on it. No issues, good stuff. Although, it's even better on the 72.

well unfortunately when i was on the phone judge judy was on the OTA station broadcasting at 4:3. and i saw the trapezoid shape again so i created a service order. i am gonna call my manager friend back at CC to see what my options are and see if they can bring me out a new tv so i dont have the service it.

Sorry, I should have specified... Yes, I'm asking about the box for the 56" model. I assume I can set this thing up myself, since I already have a Panny DLP in my house?

page 2 of this PDF, top right.


http://www.samsung.com/us/system/con...6a650_spec.pdf

Just what I needed.... thanks!

Thanks!!!

Okay, one more question about dimensions.... What are the width and depth of the base? I can tell it's slightly smaller than the overall width of the set, but need to know exactly so I can decide about a stand.

Thanks a bunch!

Perfect... thanks, Quentin!

Is there a calibration or settings thread for the A650? Would anyone care to post some settings for their set?

I have a 50" 650 coming later this week, can't wait! Any general tips in terms of setting it up or general use early on in the TV's life cycle?

I haven't gone full on in setting it up. I found that I like the set much better with the Sharpness at 0. Minor tuning of R/G and brightness, but not much. I don't find the set to be too bright, but I think some people do.

If I have time I will be running DVE Blu-ray on both sets this weekend and will post my settings upon completion.

Hi everyone. New poster here as well. Like hibricc I was going to pick up a HL56A650 this weekend. I live in Whitman. However, they didn't have them anywhere but the Galleria mall so for the $67 I would have saved i picked it up last night. But I bought it online at BestBuy.com and got an awesome phillips Ipod speaker system ($179 value) for free and picked it up in store. I brought my TV home last night. It fit in a standard bed of my pickup no problem and it's light enough for my wife to help me carry it in. Good luck getting one this weekend HL56A650.

Now for my question. Before this new set I had a 42" Mitsubishi CRT. I used an Svideo cable to go from my DirectTivo box to the video input one on the monitor. It looked awesome. I figured if i plugged in the same cable it would look just as good on my new HDTV. It's a real bad picture. Very jagged and almost pixilated.

I'm a total newbie to HD and DLPs. Tomorrow Comcast is coming to hook me up with HDTV and i bought some HDMI cables that should arrive on Friday.

Is my problem the svideo cables? I assume when I get Comcast the HD channels will look awesome. But I'm worried the non HD channels will look bad. The DVR we're getting only holds 15-20 hours of HD shows. That could fill up quick so I was hoping to watch some of the sitcoms in regular TV. That is, assuming ti would look like my old digital TV. Am I disillusioned? Is HD all or nothing?

Thank you to anyone who responds.

Well my third trip to the Hyannis BB this week was today, planning to order the HL56A650 for instore pickup NEXT weekend (as explained by BB staffer on visit #2 last Thursday)..... only to be told after all that sorry, that set is on backorder, there's a shipper's strike in South Korea so we can't even ORDER them for you. (?!?) Argh.

Came home, pulled up bb.com, ordered one at the sale price, scheduled for FREE delivery to my home on 8/27, along with a very nice glass-and-cherry TV stand (saved 10% by bundling it with the TV) that I desperately hope will fit the TV. Only complication is that the website added the MA state sales tax (which is waived today and tomorrow). Called their 888 number, spoke with a woman who explained that "corporate" will refund the tax after September 1st. "Sounds crazy," I said. "Yep, I didn't believe it either, but it's true," was her reply. So there you go.

And before anyone asks, yes, I bought the 4-year service contract for $270, since it specifically includes one bulb replacement - which I figure will almost equal the cost of the contract... and save me any potential headaches with my father-in-law down the road.

hibricc,
Thanks for this post. I feel vindicated for not waiting. I figured the masses would be out buying TVs.

Quentin2,
I took your advice and Channel 5 came in amazing with a pair of old rabbit ears antennae. Then Comacast came and it all looks great. Sports (football) seem a little fussy and pixilated at times. But on the whole it's a great pciture. What really blew me away is the Blu-Ray.

Side note: Hollywood video near my house is running a special during the olympics. One free blu-ray movie per day (no other rentals needed) during the olympics. I've wated 4 movies since I hooked up the player on Thursday. I'm glad I researched the HDMI cables. I spent $9 on monoprice.com and the picture looks awesome. BB wanted to charge me $100 for the same type of cable. Geez.

I do have one last question. I hooked up the PS2 via S-video and it looks OK but not great. I know PS3 or Xbo360 is suppose to look awesome. (down the road purchase) If I get a PS2 component cable will I see a difference between taht an the S-video.

Thanks again. I love this TV

Just purchased a 50A650 (graduation present) this weekend, and have noticed some bowing on the top 1/3 of the screen It's almost imperceptible on 16:9 content, but 2.35:1, the top of the image sags in the middle. I hooked up my PC to the TV so i could bring up static horizontal content, and it seems to be just the top middle, and the rest of the image is aligned very well.

Does anyone have any info/links about the success or effect of maybe loosening some screws or modifying the surface it sits on? My entertainment center is DIY and has a 3/4" MDF top piece that is the exact width of the base of the TV, but it sags a bit just under it's own weight. Pushing up from underneath I can't seem to affect much change, but perhaps using a stiffer piece of pine, it might keep the casing from flexing. I'm guessing most of you have very nice stands, and your Samsung smile is not caused by this...but I'm hoping this is my cause

I have enjoyed this TV very much so far, and it's immersing enough that I'm not bothered by the obvious sag in 2.35:1, but at a glance or viewing casually I find it much more noticeable. I did get it at a brick and mortar, so I suppose an exchange could be tried. Will CC let you take the new one out and see if it's better, or do they just swap and take the old one regardless?

I'll measure when I go home. The store demo was much worse, but I'm thinking mine might be about 1/4" or slightly more. I'll probably be able to deal with it, but we'll see, it's only been 2 days...


Also, the sheet with the instructions listing all the codes for the serial controls: awesome. Today at work I programmed a new IR reciever out of a microcontroller I already had laying around. Center channel is perfect right in front of the power/IR receiver...totally worth the 45 minute programming effort.

Edit : it was just over 1/4", and so I loosened the screws holding the top edge of the set together, and on a strong piece of pine, used folder paper to wedge under the base until the horizontal bowing was under 1/8"...but then I noticed that the two lines that would trisect the screen vertically [||] were bowed inward a bit, while remaining perfect at the sides and middle [)(] .... so I tweaked and tweaked until that was better. Perfectly acceptable now I think, considering it's probably still settling...but I consider this a success.
Wow, I'm gonna have to get a wireless keyboard and leave my laptop attached to this thing...I'm addicted to browsing the web on a 50" screen already...and the color is amazing in my photography on here. I wonder how well I can do a light calibration on my computer so that any editing I do on here doesn't just look like crap when viewed on a computer LCD.

Indeed, this is really what impressed me. I have printed at about 12'x6' a satellite view of my city from google earth, but I was still completely slack jawed when I used it on the 50". I keep having these kinda moments where I think "best investment ever". I think they next will come when DirecTV gets installed

I have had my 650a for a couple of months now. The more I watch and try adjustments the less impressed I am. No matter what setting combinations I try, I can not get rid of the flickering which you see in the white colors. Also I see black dots in the white colors. The input is HDMI from a direct tv signal. I also see this problem when I play DVD's. Not sure if anyone has or has seen these problems. Right now I would tell everyone to stay away from this set. Very disapointed.

Well I just joined the club.

My 7 year old Panasonic PT47WX49 died last weekend.
Purchased the HL50A650 from ABT this AM - great pricing!

I live in the Chicago area and will be picking the unit up tomorrow, Friday night. Should make for a fun weekend. Many features on this beast that I am looking forward to.

The Pansonic was a great set - just lacking all of the modern features like; built-in HD tuner, HDMI, specific PQ adjustments for individual inputs, and on and on....

Thanks for all of the input on this thread and forum to help guide my shopping!