Samsung Series 9 Owners - Observations, Comments and Advice - Page 102

I just bought the Eye-One Display 2, with the CalMAN software, and using the ColorHCFR software. I'm currently trying to calibrate my 950 and was hoping you could elaborate on some of the following:

1. What was your initial "ftL" reading on your default "Movie Mode". Mine is an average of 60.400 at 100 IRE. I'm concerned because I keep reading everywhere that this "ftL" number should fall between 30-40 for LCD's. Do I have the range correct? I have a feeling I'm missing something here.
2. I'm using the "Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics" Blu-Ray edition on my PS3 to calibrate my 950. Can you elaborate on your PS3 settings you were talking about. Thanks.

That is my situation exactly!. This thread rocks!
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also
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On the firmware, I'm at 1003 but having trouble getting answers from Sammy.

How did you get "Film Mode: auto1" on Movie mode. It is disabled for me in Movie mode. Is this a service menu option?

Well guys, you convinced me. I just bought one and got it installed. It's as good as everyone says. Even though the Magnolia Hi Fi salesman was pushing me to buy the Sony XBR8 52", there was no question in my mind, this TV looked better in terms of dramatic contrast ratio/blacks and just being bigger in size. Colors and brightness were on par with the XBR8. The Samsung was worth the extra bucks for sure and 55 inches is the perfect size for my living room considering distance of couch and it being over my psudo gas fireplace.

Pictures

Uh yeah it is true when i have black screen i have NO flashlighting or leak through. I have pitch black screen, with or without smart led on.

Don't worry about the light output. It has nearly no impact on the color accuracy with the 950 and its local dimming. Your own perception will tell you when it's too bright or too dim. When it's too bright just lower the backlight.

40ftL is more suitable for a complete light controlled room. In a family room 40ftL on the 950 results in crushed blacks (been there).

I have about 60ftL after calibration. I don't use LED Motion Plus because besides a dimmer picture I can't perceive any difference. Grayscale is below 3dE everywhere (except <= 20 IRE where my meter isn't accurate) and colors are nearly on spot except for blue which is a bit off.

I calibrated my A950 with the following sequence:
1. Choose movie mode because it gives you a good starting point
2. adjust the backlight to your viewing environment's needs
3. adjust brightness & contrast
4. adjust grayscale
5. adjust primary colors
6. adjust grayscale
7. adjust secondary colors
8. start over with 3. and check if adjustments are needed. If you can't get anything better you're done.

I was done in 5 interations. If you never calibrated a TV before you might do a few interations and watch a day or so. Then reset everthing to defaults and start over again. This helps you getting a feeling for what is too bright or too dim for your set in your viewing environment.

Also the second time around you already developed a feeling how the controls affect each other. The result will be better instead of trying to tweak your first run which usually has at least one setting screwed up.

I only used the user menus and the test patters of my DVDO Edge. I might have done a little bit better in the service menu because the steps are finer. But given the result I achieved I never cared too try.

Thanks man for the info. Every little bit helps.

Question:
I know this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it with a search:
Does the HDMI2 / PC trick work on the PS3 as well, or only on the 360?

I only ever see the 360 mentioned with this trick.

Works with anything. The device needs to output 60hz, the tv needs to be set to HDMI 2 + Labelled "PC" and your in PC Mode. If you decide to calibrate in PC Mode I would appreciate the settings PC Mode is superiour IMO to non pc mode.

Yeah I will definitely try a calibration in PC mode and let you know. I'm still learning however so I'm not sure how great it will be.

So if I own both an Xbox360 & a PS3, what is the best solution to use both of these system on the HDMI2/PC port?

Should I use a USB hub and switch between the 2 systems on HDMI2?

Would a USB switch hurt my PQ or digital communications between the TV <--> USB Hub <--> Xbox360 or PS3 ?

I just got my PS3 this week (got a great deal when signing up for the Sony Card), and here's how I set mine up.

Xbox 360 HDMI -> Onkyo Receiver (HDMI 1.1) -> 950 HDMI 2/PC

PS3 HDMI -> 950 HDMI 1 (I won't be gaming a whole lot with PS3, but will be watching Blu Ray enough)
PS3 optical sound -> Onkyo Receiver

I decided to bypass my receiver for the PS3's video because it is capable of sending expanded color over HDMI and I have a strong suspicion that the passthrough on the receiver wouldn't carry the bandwidth needed for that level of color. The "USB" hub you mentioned wouldn't work, I'm assuming you meant "HDMI hub", and that also has the potential to not be capable of carrying the bandwidth needed for expanded color schemas.

PC mode is a bit overrated. It does reduce lag the best, other member of this forum have confirmed that. But honestly, unless you're playing a multiplayer online game of some sort that requires the absolute fastest response times and you're looking to eliminate as much lag as possible, stick with another mode. PC and Game modes are intentionally crippled so that they can bypass all the goodies your set has. Use the goodies, they're a big chunk of what you paid for.

I dont know why some people are complaining about the off angle view. From the 1st pic you posted it looks damn good to me. And if you have to sit more off angle than that in your own home...well I guess you might have to dedicate another TV room.

You just reiterated what I said in a self-righteous, holier-than-thou, I'm smarter than you attitude.

Read what you quoted. You repeated it, almost verbatim.

So instead, please stop being a pompous prick and give your googled answers to someone who cares.

I used the layman's approach to help out someone who didn't fully understand AMP. Do you really think your explanation is at all helpful to someone who is asking "Would this set go back to 60Hz without AMP?"

The only helpful thing you've done for this thread is post your calibrated settings.

When someone asks you about the dipolar crystals used in subzero climates and the extreme electronic calibration used when oscilation of my nether regions occur, then chip in with your googled facts about LCDs. Until then, have a coke and a smile and STFU.

Aww man. I really hate to see another set like that. This happened to someone else here a few months ago. He posted pictures that looked very similar to yours. I'll try and find the post for you.

In the meantime, I'd defintely call it in for support.

Edit: Found the post. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=1047

Let me explain, I am not saying you will have leakage around the sides....as this is a fault I have, BUT the very reason why smart LED is used, is LCD screens leak light through the pixels as long as there's a constant light source on behind the panel.

Test to show~
Pitch Black room, turn smart LED "OFF" goto a movie scene that is all black and pause. It will not be pitch black (in a dark room, no lights).......the LCD will be giving off light through the black screen, why introduce smart LED(local dimming) if they already have pure blacks prior, A. cause they didn't.

Cheers

Try to reset the TV - press and hold EXIT button on TV's remote for 10-15 secs and see what happens...

There's a local offer where I live for a brand new, still unopened in the box 46A950 for $1,100. Thing is, it's on Craigslist.

If I checked it out and everything's good with the tv & would like to buy it - is the manufacturers warranty still effective, or would I still be able to get an extended warranty anywhere?

Same thing on Craiglist in my area; I wouldn't count on it being legit.

Then it's most certainly not legit. Thanks for the reply.

there is no 52xbr8. there's a 46 and a 55 (54.6). so maybe your new samsung is bigger still....

but did you really pay more for the 950 than what they wanted for the sony 55xbr8 ? or maybe you're talking about the 52xbr6 or the 52xbr7 ?


TVbc

First this is a science forum where we try to stick to the facts. This precludes guessing and magic, words that you regrettably (acting as an expert) introduced. In reality there is a solid engineering reason for everything special we see in the 950.
Video frame interpolation has been gotten a bad rap from plasma enthusiasts simply because that technology cannot dither the signal fast enough. Sadly even the new 2009 Panasonic models still have the annoying 48Hz flicker, let alone smother frame-to-frame motion (read frame interpolation).
Video frame interpolation is analogous to audio oversampling. You know where you currently are (current frame data) and where you are going (next frame data). This is one reason for the 33msec delay (1/60*2). The only debate is how best set the way-points to get to the destination point. Well-executed frame interpolation actually increases perceived motion resolution, especially for fast motion.
As an example, take a 24p recorded object which moves 50 pixels between two frames. A standard legacy 60Hz display would show just one big jump with added judder (jerky motion) thrown in for good effect. To circumvent this inferior and image degrading processing, the 950 inserts five perfectly clear intermediate frames each having only 10 pixels movements. The result is a much clearer and smoother picture.
It’s both sad and hilarious when even professional reviewers have a difficult time adjusting to these startling improvements in clarity. What do they do in their ignorance. Why they complain!
Does it take time to unlearn bad habits when the rug has been pulled out from under you? Remember they also have stated 24p players offer little improvement over 60Hz. My we are a clueless bunch?
I will again stress the importance of the unique Samsung LED Motion Plus feature as watching a liquid crystal pixel change state should be classified as a rather annoying artifact. But we are so used to seeing it we are again clueless. The LED motion Plus turns off the local LED momentarily and instantaneously while the associated LCD pixels are changing state. Not a bad design! Why isn't Sony using this technique? Incidentially why did Sony go back to eight bit LCD panels? Is there leadership clueless too?

Finally one hand I’m criticized for not posting sources to substantiate claims and then in the other for posting sources to substantiate a claim. Am I clueless too? Go figure!

Lastly, I appreciate the thanks for my posting of the measured, calibrated settings. I would have thought a bit more had you posted this while in a better mood.

After seeing the new 2009 Samsungs, I am leaning toward getting the 55" A950. No local stores have it currently on display. Would someone please tell me the length and width of the base.

Would place the A950 on a swivel stand. Saw some decent ones made by Wood Technology that support 250 lbs. - they have quite a few in different sizes.

TIA

13" x 26"

HiFi, he explained it pretty well. Get off the soap box!

FWIW, I just purchased a 46a950 from BB last night and it has 1003 firmware on it (build date Dec 2008).

Guys

Are you able to send a pic showing what kind of leakage I should be expecting from a correctly built screen?

As posted I understand with Smart LED turned off, there will uniform leakage through the screen, but like mine, I think bleading of the LED light around points on the screen, either indicates assembled to unevenly or leaking through a gasket.

Have requested a new one, I would like a reference point... Thanks

If you can send a pic (smart LED turned off)
My email.. rokkz@hotmail.com


Thanks

Pixel Processing Gets Better
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Why not state the findings first?
The Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray/dvd player’s image quality is superior to the Sony PS3. It mates especially well with the 950s larger color gamut by generating tangy, lustrous wider spectrum colors with added clarity and detail. Standard Dvd playback at 24p is enhanced too. Simply set the player to output 24p and picture to "fine".

Background
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As previously discussed the 950 interpolates to create frames caused by an inadequate sampling rate. The result is a smoother and clearer motion.
But what can be done to restore the millions of individual pixels which were inadequately sampled when originally when recorded?
It is well known that the color portion of an image is sampled much less than the luminance. Original studies dating back in the 1950’s gave justification for lowering this sample rate. Can 950 owners see the ill effects of using this lower color sampling rate with our new wider LED generated color gamut? Easily. So what can be done to restore the original pixel-level integrity?

A solution is provided in Panasonic HD/DVD players:
The Panasonic Hollywood Laboratories PHL Reference Chroma Processor studies and improves restoration, colour correction, compression and digital conversion, then up-samples (4:2:0 to 4:2:2) the color information in decoded video signals. The unique PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus expresses the fine details and nuances of movie scenes by reproducing clearer colour boundaries, providing all the qualities that a Blu-ray (and DVD) disc has to offer.

P⁴HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) Technology
To get the best high definition images from a Blu-ray (and DVD) disc, you need a player that renders high-quality progressive images, expresses motion smoothly, and draws sharp diagonal lines. The Panasonic-unique P4HD technology processes more than 15 billion pixels per second, generating each pixel correctly according to information obtained from up to 60 surrounding pixels, and applies the optimum processing to every pixel in the video data on the disc. The result is images with exceptional resolution. (Note: for optimal PQ set players output to 24p).

Compare all this technology which does make a noticable improvement in picture quality to reviewers who still rate a player based upon its obsolete de-interlacing capability. Hello?

Ok got it yesterday. To tell you the truth I don't think it's worth 3800.00 out the door. It's nice don't get me wrong but I just not seeing to much of a great leap over the 750 I took back about 4 months ago. I see better blacks for sure. I have 29 mores days to think about what I'm going to do. I watched the first Fast and the furious on blu-ray last night. So I don't know what to do. Might go back to the 750 an bank 1800.00 and wait a couple of years.

HiFiFUN...u are very knowledgeable about the 950,are you supposed to get some motion blur on panning or certain motions on this TV no matter what setting u have the AMP on,or even if u have it off?Because i seem like i can notice it on pretty much every setting(High being too much for me to watch).When i have amp turned off i notice it most,but although i watch most of my shows n movies(even Blue-ray) on medium i can still notice this jutter or blurr. Is this normal for this set? Is this one of the flaws of this TV?What can be done to minimize this judder?Thanks for your opinion and help !

Yikes, $1,800 more is a hard pill to swallow. Guess you have to do some real soul searching and decide how much those blacks are really worth to you. I have a 52a750 mounted in my front room, and couldn't fathom spending another 2k to get just 3 more inches and deeper blacks. But to each their own, good luck on that one.