Official Sony Kdl 40s4100 thread - Page 2

Well there's your thing to troubleshoot/replace.

Looks like this TV has been around for some time and does not have any overly bad reviews. From the looks of it though no one has posted any calibration settings used on this TV, so my guess is people are over all happy with the standard settings offered?

Anyways I have had this TV for about 2 days now still getting accustom to it so far my settings are on HDMI

Picture Mode: Standard
Backlight: 8
Picture: 80
Brightness: 65
Color: 70
Hue: 0
Color Temp: Warm
Sharpness: 15
Noise Reduction: Low

Notably I did not use a calibration, DVD. I how ever did display the same picture on the TV as on my MacBook that has been calibrated with SuperCal, colors and detail are close but not quite the same.

- Drew

I am having the same problem with the Normal mode not retaining it's state. It's switches back once I turn from SD-HD-SD. Hopefully there is a firmware fix for this. I've tried all possible settings combinations.

I purchased this TV a week ago and I am having a weird problem that maybe you guys can help me with. I am using my PS3 to upscale DVDs over HDMI. When viewed directly, the image appears somewhat grainy and the colors are slightly off...the picture is just ok. However, when viewed from my bed, which is off to the left of center and slightly raised, the picture snaps into "awesome" and there isnt a bit of graininess and all of the colors look right on. Also, the contrast seem better. When viewing Blu-rays, the issue is still present, but not as obvious. I sit about 5 feet from the TV, which is sitting on a stand higher than my chair. Viewing from the bed is more on the same level as the TV. Thanks in advance for any help/ideas.

I'm currently using the settings that DrewG5 posted on this page. They seem to be the best settings I've seen so far.

Do you guys prefer "cool" or "warm" in terms of colour temperature?

I've also had some bleeding issues. When my screen is completely black, there are some areas of the screen with "light" instead of black. Anyone else having the same issue on their models?

I've owned this TV for just under a week.

I've been experiencing the same issue with my s4100 too and I bought mine on Nov. 28. There is a cloudy lightness in both top corners of the screen, the top-left cloud seems larger. They're only noticeable when the screen is black (or when watching a very dark scene in a movie) AND when the room is completely dark. The cloudiness isn't noticeable during the daytime or when my room is well lit.

I've read about this cloudy "uneven backlighting" happening with other LCD models, but you're the only other person than myself that I've heard with this problem for this model. I'm also curious if there are more people experiencing this issue.

I have the option of exchanging the unit for a new one, but I'm worried that a different unit will have the same problem or worse.. =/

I set mine up using the Digital Video Essentials Blu-Ray disc. I ended up using the Custom setting of:

Backlight - 6
Picture - 85
Brightness - 60
Color - 39
Hue - 0
Color Temp - Neutral
Sharpness - 2
Noise Reduction Low

With a 1080/24p source the picture is very rich and film-like. Even my wife could tell the difference. The DVE Blu-Ray disc is a must have and very easy to use for the basic setup. I have little desire now to try and get into the service menu.

Thanks for the settings. I
just put them in so I can't comment how good they are but I got to say this TV was a great purchase for 800 bucks.

Exactly, it's only noticeable when the screen is completely black and the room is completely dark. My friend has told me this is somewhat common with LCD tvs. I'm not sure if this is just something we'll have to deal with since it is "just" an S-series TV.

Is anyone else having this problem?

Yeah they call that defect "flash lights" from what I've read. Brighter spots appear on either the edges or corners that is usually caused by uneven back lighting.

I also have this little problem but it doesn't really affect my overall movie/game experience. Once the picture is out of complete black it looks great.

yah, do you have a link or something where i can read up on this? i couldn't find anything when i searched on google.

it def doesn't take away from my gaming or movie experience. i just see it every time the screen appears black =S.

Another issue caused by the backlight is the fact that as light travels from it's source it disperses. That is, the screen can potentially get brighter as you get closer to each individual lamp behind the set. LCD Televisions mask this by diffusing the light through the panel, but as you could imagine this is quite a challenge and therefore, some displays can seem to be slightly uneven in terms of brightness or may even display a bright portion of the backlight "leaking" out of the frame of the picture. This is called "flashlighting".

http://hubpages.com/hub/Plasma-TV-vs...hich-is-Better

It's pretty common on LCD's. It's also known as "back light leakage" and "back light bleeding".

I read about that while noticing them on my last HDTV.

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about this issue. But it really isn't too big of a deal.

What settings are you guys currently using?

I'm going to give these settings (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...0&postcount=12) a shot tonight and see how it looks for BD movies and PS3 gaming.

I'll also try those settings. Hope it looks better than it does now.

I tried out these settings and I got a bit of a greenish tint to my tv.

So I switched back to the old settings I was using which is:

Backlight: 4
Picture: 80
Brightness: 55
Color: 70
Color Temp: Neutral
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 15
Noise Reduction: Low

(the below are all default settings)
R Gain: 154
B Gain: 149
B Gain: 143

R Offset: 111
G Offset: 109
B Offset: 110

One question I have is, I've noticed some people's settings and they have their sharpness level set to 2. What are the benefits of having it set so low? I find the image much more crisp when I have it set to 15, which is the default value.

Thanks

Can you guys set the PS3 display settins to 1080P with this model Sony KDL40S4100....?

How is the color and brightnestt ?

Thanks. serious considering this tv for my ps3 and 360

I did the same and my whites turned into a really light brown. I went back to my preferred settings but something is still off...

Here's a pic
http://i35.tinypic.com/30hobhz.jpg

That's I Am Legend on blu ray, playing on my ps3.

what settings are you currently using?

when you're changing the factory settings (R,G,B) you need to change the value, and then hit the centre button to confirm. otherwise nothing will change.

Oh I'm pretty sure I did that... Hence me going back to my previous settings.

Backlight: 8
Picture: 86
Brightness: 55
Color: 60
Hue: 0
Color Temp: cool
Sharpness: 12
Noise Reduction: Low

This is with factory RGB settings.

Anyone found a solution for this? Always switches 4:3 to wide after tuning any 16:9 broadcast. I don't have a 40S4100, but trying to help a friend who is technophobic and reluctant to contact Sony. So far there's no acknowledgement on esupport.sony.com

Thanks for any updates.

Those settings are quite similar to the ones I'm currently using. I just finished watching The Dark Knight on Blu-Ray. It looked gorgeous =).

Mine is the same way, and I don't think they do firmware updates for the S series, but I could be wrong.

On another note, I really can't find a sharpness setting a like. I played Batman Begins on blu-ray with 20 sharpness and it looked great, then i play The Dark Knight and at 20 the graininess kills me, so I had to bump it down to like 10. Does it just vary from movie to movie?

Custom
Backlight: Max
Picture: Max
Brightness: 50
Color: 55
Hue: 0
Color Temp: Neutral
Sharpness: 10-20
Noise Reduction: Off

Hi there.

I've got some PC to Sony KDL S4100 questions.

I'm thinking of getting a KDL-40s4100 (the prices are great, and I like the style) and I want to upgrade from my KLV-32M1 TV from a few years ago. The biggest pain I have with the KLV is overscan. I'm using DVI to HDMI and it won't let me go full 720p. The biggest I can go is 1216x680 before running over the edge. I have no TV video--no DVD, no cable service, no OTA. Only PC video. (Hulu and YouTube and a few other things keep me quite happy)

Will I have the same overscan problems with HDMI on the KDL as I have now?

I see in the manual they say to go "Full Pixel", but that it won't stick--does it stick between power offs? Can I change it in the Service Menu?

Can the TV go to standby like a PC monitor does?

Should I use VGA instead of HDMI?

Are there any weird quirks of using this as a PC monitor instead of a TV?

Thanks!

Andy-

Hey guys I got this TV recently and I calibrated it with a THX and Halo 3 calibrator, these are the settings I got.

custom
Backlight: 5
Picture: 85
Brightness: 55
Color: 43
Hue: R3
Color Temp: Neutral
Sharpness: 12
Noise Reduction: Low

Can someone test theses out to see how they look? Im thinking that the color might be too weak. Thanks for the help!

When displaying a 1080p24 source on the KDL-40S4100, should Cinemotion be set to Auto or Off? What is the impact on displaying a 1080p24 source with either setting? TIA

Due to production tolerances of the components used in making a tv, you should not expect the setting that you like on your tv to appear the same on someone else's tv. Part tolerance of resistors, capacators, even in an integrated circuit, are typically 10%. Tighter tolerances, 5% or even 1% cost money.

I have been doing a lot of research and experimenting with this tv since I bought it a few months ago.

For those having aspect ratio problems I think you may have a few things set improperly. Here is what I have done and I have no display problems at all. At least, none caused by the tv.

First of all, as noted in the owners manual, Auto Wide does not work on over the air analog broadcasts. But no one should have that problem after February 09. I have DirecTV HD and their latest model HD DVR.

Anyway, Auto Wide should be set to On if you want the aspect ratio displayed on the TV to track that of the source material.

4:3 Default should be set to Normal. This will allow a 4:3 source to be properly displayed at 4:3.

With Auto Wide set to On, and 4:3 Default set to Normal, the tv will automatically track the aspect ratio of the signal source. If you watch the Wide Mode line in the Screen Setting menu, you will see the mode go to Normal when a standard definition source at 4:3 is being displayed. The 4:3 source will be displayed properly in the center of the 16:9 screen. When an HD source (16:9) is being displayed, you will see the Wide Mode setting change to Full. There are no sources that will cause the Wide Mode to switch automatically to Wide Zoom or Zoom. Those modes must be selected manually.

But, if you set 4:3 Default to anything BUT Normal, say Zoom, when switching between an HD source and an SD source, the diplay will switch between Full (HD) and Zoom (SD). Also, if you set Auto Wide to Off, the setting of 4:3 Default do not matter. You must select the display mode manually using the Wide Mode selections.

When I watch a tv channel, I leave Auto Wide set to On and 4:3 Default set to Normal. Then I don't have to worry about changing the settings when I change channels. When I watch a DVD, I turn Auto Wide to Off and manually set Wide Mode to Full.

Now, you also have to make sure that the source device is set to diplay on a 16:9 HDTV properly. DVD players and HD satellite receivers and DVRs have selectable settings to match the display device. If you are using a 16:9 tv, you must set the DVD play or Sat receiver to 16:9 mode. The names may vary, but if you don't match the source to the display, all kinds of picture havoc can happen.

One final note. Earlier I said I have no display problems caused by the tv. What I have found is that some channels on DirecTV, even though they are broadcasting in HD, do not always display the picture properly. I have seen some movies that appear squashed in the 16:9 frame. In those cases, Wide Mode has to be manually set to Zoom or Wide Zoom. I have also seen the same effect on a couple of DVDs. I suspect that these movies, even though they are widescreen (letterboxed), have not been anamorphically corrected to display properly.

Hope this helps. If not, ask, and I will try to clarify what I have said.

I have found that Full Pixel WILL switch back to Normal when changing signal sources or turning the tv on and off. I don't know why. I do not remember seeing anything in the service menu.

What you are seeing as crispness is actually artificial edge enhancement. Not a good thing.

If you use a calibration DVD (Either the one by Monster for standard def or the one by Digital Video Essentials. I have both.) and use their sharpness adjustment calibration, you will see that as you increase the sharpness setting, faint white lines begin appearing along dark edges. As you turn sharpness down, the edges may appear to soften. To properly set sharpness, the control should be turned up to just below the setting that causes the first noticiable white line along the dark edge. In my case, that setting is 2 using either disc.

I bought this tv sunday from CC.So far its been ok,im not too impressed with it for the price I paid. Even with comcast hd with hdmi the channels dont look all that great. Is it that comcast hd sucks,the tvs that im getting arent that good,could it be my cheap hdmi cables? my hd channels still have a ton of fuzz and backlines.