Sony Auto-Dimming on KDL-V4100, W4100 and Z4100

In Cinema Mode, I turned all advanced features off EXCEPT Advanced Contrast Enhancer and it seemed to do the trick for me.

I noticed it terribly on Chronicles of Naria, when the Lion was getting sacrificed. But with this config I went back to the scene and couldn't see anything. However, every once and a while I will notice if a dark movie scene has a bright light being shined in the camera for a second. But the ACE seems to have fixed the very noticable aspect of the auto-dimming.

But I want to get to the bottom of this. Has anyone asked Sony about it?

Enabling Game Mode disables it on the XBR4...can't say for the models you've listed though.

The auto-dimming occurs when you turn on a power saver mode. I actually think the TV does that to, well, save power, but it's just too aggressive about it when there's dark content or movie credits on the screen.

If you turn power saver modes completely off, the auto-dimming goes away, but the picture is incredibly bright even with Backlight at Min on these TVs.

This is B.S.

I've tried all the things I could find listed on AVS Forum. I have a KDL-52W4100 and I can reliably repeat this auto-dim problem with a simple black desktop in KDE while minimizing all the windows. I can watch the brightness of the taskbar fade immediately after minimizing the last window.

I've tried gaming mode, photo mode, power savings, etc. I have nearly all the "extra" options turned off in the setup such as light sensor, and pc power management. I have noticed that if I change the backlight setting, MAX causes a long decay (to dark) while MIN is very short.

The only way I can get it to NOT dim at all is by using the PC input. I currently have my system set up with TwinView so I can demonstrate both inputs without exiting KDE. I have called Sony about this and the guy claimed that he didn't know anything about the problem and referred me to call the local service company. I'm calling them about this tomorrow.

-Greg

They won't be able to help you. This is a software issue and it happens on the XBR6 as well.

Hmm, so I got it to happen by looking at a pic of the moon on my ps3 and going to a corner so just a little of the moon was showing. I think this is a stupid feature designed to help blacks look blacker since it has a backlight.

Does anyone have any real suggestions how to minimize this effect? I don't think it's a defect, but rather a 'feature'

Is there a concrete answer on this auto dim situation yet? Can anyone confirm this? It seems like there are three answers floating around the forums about whether or not it can be disabled:

#1: Yes. You can disable autodimming if you use custom settings or "game mode".
#2: Sort of. It's pseudo-disabled if you use "custom" settings. (I have no idea what this means.)
#3: No. You cannot disable auto-dimming.

Does anyone have a concrete answer? If so, which TV do you have? (V4100, W4100, Z4100, etc.)

For a while, the Samsung A650 looked like the clear winner, but the lack of picture control in "Game Mode" might be a deal breaker for me. Likewise, it seems like this autodim "feature" might be a deal breaker for the W4100. Ehhhh. Can't win.

well, this is difficult, each sony TV seems to act a bit differently than another

while there have been a few people that have claimed to have disabled their auto dim using one of those methods, from my experience with my 32xbr6 you can never fully disable it, you can only minimize it to less noticeable levels with the correct picture settings and/or game mode turned on, and I think that most people just are thinking its disabled because in real world use it appears to be disabled, I can tell that is not however because I use my TV as a PC monitor and can easily and reliably cause the auto dim to happen.

so in my case, 32xbr6 205r firmware (latest FW) game mode reduces the autodim from a completely and utterly annoying thing in movies to a only if your trying to nit pick at it and look for it will you even tell its doing it level with most if not all movies

oh and there is ONE way i have found to disable the Autodim completely!!! use the VGA input, its disabled on it !! lol

so in short no, for most uses you cannot disable it completely, but yes you can bring it down to a level that is good enough to live with it imho

though i do wish sony would give us an option to turn it off, unfortunately they seem to think keeping people from complaining and returning TV's over flashlights and clouding by auto dimming the set when its near black image wise is the better way than giving those of us that care an option

#3: I tried every menu setting and combination of settings, including everything suggested here on avs (except using the VGA input, which I cannot do for other reasons), and auto-dimming would not go away. I found it completely unacceptable, and so I returned my set and bought another brand.

Just for reference, the service menu looks like this on my 52" V4100:

TV SERVICE
001 Color ADJ
001 R_DRV 00100


DIGITAL PROGRAM : H08-01.96 0196
DATA : SE01005
BE PROGRAM : TM1.429
NVM : TD1.066
PACK : TP1.049
BOOT : TB1.001


Don't want to break my tv, so I haven't ventured further.
I did find this info on how to disable auto dim on a Samsung tv at http://www.avforums.com/forums/lcd-t...f-cracked.html so it may also be possible for Sony's.

i've gone into the service menu on my 32xbr6 for this same reason

the first 6 options all seem to be color controls

there are 4 other options 3 of witch are on/off (0/1) only. the last one is varable

none of them had any effect on my TV's auto dim.

Ok, I saw this suggestion I think on this forum, maybe not.
I've been working on the auto dimming problem pretty much all day on my brand new KDL52v5100.

This may not make you happy depending on your situation but I have confirmed that the auto dimming does not take place when you are using component inputs. It occurs on standard composite and on HDMI.

I had my Wii plugged in with the standad composite cable it comes with when I first got the TV and noticed the autodimming at the beginning of guitar hero songs before the guitar neck appeared on screen, thought weird, but didn't care. Then when I ordered HD service on my AT&T uverse and hooked up my uverse reciever/dvr with HDMI I began noticing the autodimming on several shows, many of which were recorded and I could reproduce the problem on the same scene when testing the tons of advice provided.

It is true, there is no menu option to disable the auto dimming and none of the countless settings suggested make it go away. Some people say it hardly happens to them and they don't mind it. For me, I don't even consider myself picky when it comes to video but it was flicking back and forth to the point I almost returned the TV.

When trying to show somebody the problem I turned on Guitar Hero for the first time after I had hooked up the Wii with the new component cable I ordered and could not produce the problem. Then later I read that it didn't occur with the component inputs. I hooked the uverse up with component instead of HDMI and bam, the same show that caused auto dimming at the same scene in every other test played fine.

The drawback to this is that the TV only has 2 component inputs and I have a Wii, Uverse reciever and a DVD upconvert player. Some of you may argue that component is inferior to HDMI, for me, it solves my problem and I can't tell the difference, now I just have to decide which device gets the input that is succeptable.

That's my 2 cents which turned into an essay on the subject.

^ ^ ^ do you, or anyone, know why *technically* that is so -- i.e. why does a component cable input disable auto dimming? why does the hdtv set care what the input is when enabling/disabling auto dimming?

thanks

TVbc

Interesting...
I have both my FiOS STB and DVD player hooked up via component. Maybe that's why I've never seen any auto-dimming.
I do hook up my Xbox 360 with HDMI but I guess I don't play dark enough games to cause the auto-dim.

This is interesting I will have to try this on my 32xbr6, I know that the vga input disables the dim I recently switched my xb360 back from vga to component. I'll test out pitch black on it tonight that should induce the dim

OK watched some VERY VERY dark scenes from Pitch black HD-DVD on my XB360 via Component cables and i thought for awhile there the auto dim was gone!!! a few almost completely black shots made it happen still but it very very slight and I wouldn't have noticed it if i wasn't looking for it. still extremely watchable.

Now i'm going to watch the same movie on my PC via HDMI and report back fully expecting normal auto dim action there totally

OK so yep the auto dim was a bit more noticeable on my PC via HDMI it still though only happened on the same shots as it did on component and the movie was still very much watchable, in fact sitting here in my room with the lights off It looked better when it was dimmed because blacks were blacker there was no loss in shadow detail, and it was not very intrusive to watching because it still does not dim that bad with my current picture settings. combined with the fact that when it goes bright it happens right away and the only way i can usually tell is to look at the black bars top and bottom because its a camera change most of the time.

honestly though guys If i mess up my blacklight/picture/brightness settings the auto dim gets 10x worse and even happens more often. when I have them set at a calibrated level there is hardly a dim in the picture. this IMO is the real solution to the problem.

for refence and my picture settings are pretty much the same between all my inputs from calibration as well.

32XBR6

on my PC i have Photo mode ON
photo-custom mode
backlight 4
picture 90
brightness 56
other settings do not matter cept for maybe ACE and it is OFF, on my TV it has little to no effect on anything anyways.

There may be a fix on the horizon.
Check out post #2577 by dogdoctor HERE.

LoL. I just was searching this thread to answer your question in the W4100 thread.

Is this a deal breaker for me!

I am not getting a 46V5100 or 46V4100 then as I am looking forward to get it.

I still dont have my first HDTV in my life.

So the fix is out in the V5100 thread.

Here is the direct link to the sony site. We may have to get on the bandwagon and push them to try to fix this for the 4100 series too. Anyone got the time to call sony after work tonight and try explaining that the 4100 series (again a Bravia 2 engine) suffer from the same issues, maybe just not to the same extent.

• KDL-32S5100, KDL-32XBR9
• KDL-40S5100, KDL-40SL150, KDL-40V5100
• KDL-46S5100, KDL-46V5100
• KDL-52S5100, KDL-52V5100

Sony has designed the BRAVIA® Televisions software update process to be customer friendly. This software update (version 3.84/D8) provides the following benefits:

1. Addresses an issue with occasional intermittent operation when using Favorites or HDMI-CEC functions
2. Addresses an issue where the picture brightness changes intensity on some scenes
   Note: After the software update, please set Advanced Contrast Enhancer to LOW or OFF to further minimize this characteristic
3. Improves menu navigation

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!
Now i'll wait for the 4100-series update YAAAAH!!!

Please don't wait. Call! Call! Call! I don't want to think for one moment that we will get dropped because we are so 2008 (last years models). I sent Sony off an email from work. Since the V5100 is nearly the same W4100 I would hope there would be a fix in the works for us too. Call! or Email! But don't wait.

Yes sir

Yep, you guys have to call. Everyone call them. Do not do internet chat. It is useless! They are just robo that read from scripts. Go all the way to tech support. Even speak to someone up high!

I called them today. Got a case number and was told by a very helpful 1rst line CSR that they are aware of the problem/fix in the 5100 series and that I should call during the week to call a next level support specialist in regards to the same issue in the 4100 series (they apparently don't work weekends ).

So as I said, earlier. They got a lot of complaints about it in the 5100 series and fixed it. The must have gotten a lot of complaints about it in the 4100 series, but failed to fix it. Please call to put more pressure since they have now been able to devise a fix.

A lot of complains in the 5100? I thought the auto-dim issue was a hot topic in the 08' series! I'll try calling. I'll pay my brother to call them too hahah, no seriously.

Any updates here? I saw that the CSR that dogdoctor spoke to mentioned to call during the week... has anyone gotten any further information about a possible 4100?

Honestly, I'd be surprised if a firmware update came out this long after the 4100 series has been out... maybe I'm just pessimistic though.

That's exactly why you have to call. They fix the '09 models shortly after release, but they stall on the '08s. Hmmm. We at least it's not a problem for me. I just would like them to fix it. Won't get a chance to call till Wednesday. I will do that then.