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Official LG xxLH40 Owners Thread - Page 10

post #271 of 769
11/25/09 at 5:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BB_Mike View Post

I swear I have the worst luck. A tech' showed up today with the infamous USB thumbdrive. It didn't work. Not the fix part, just the whole upgrade part! First there was an extra file on the drive that I had to use my home PC to remove. After that, he figured out that the .epk file needed some kind of tool/wrapper in order for the TV to recognize it as having firware upgrade content.

Round two is two days away....
Oh, and I did a quick copy/paste of said .epk file to my desktop if someone wants to peak at it. I think it was about 21MB and has V4.30.01 in the title.

Here is an interesting tutorial:
http://us.lgservice.com/vchip_html/V..._your_set.html
The tech guy did mash some buttons while in the options menu, like is said in the link. I could drop the file into a new folder with the "LG_DTV" name and see what happens. Dare I ??

So any of you have HD camcorders and make use of the USB port on the LG set?

Sounds like your tech rep was a bit disorganized. Ask him if this is the first one he has done.
The rep that came to my house said he has done a bunch. He was very quick and knew exactly what he was doing.

Glad to hear he's coming back that soon to get'r'done. Then you can put it all behind you and enjoy the TV


For what its worth...I would still choose this TV over the similar Sammy. It's what my parents bought (sammy) and I had to set it up - twice. The menu is just not as user friendly and the LG has better features. I really like that it recognized new devices that are plugged in and offers to switch to them. Also, when you turn the speakers off on the Sammy and press volume up on the comcast remote (to control the soundbar), it displays "not available" on the screen. Its annoying but my parents just deal with it.

I would recommend this LG set to anyone.
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post #272 of 769
11/25/09 at 7:53am
This is my first post after reading the site for quite awhile. The info you all provide is amazing.

I purchased this TV in Aug and recently had to have the control board replaced. The functions of the TV would freeze. No command would work. After replacement, in house in 30 minutes, all is well, except for lipsynch.

I registered my complaint with LG a month ago with no contact back. I called yesterday to LG Cust Service and they gave me the e-mail address to the rep assigned to my case. I sure hope they can schedule something soon.
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post #273 of 769
11/25/09 at 9:25am
I am thinking about adding this TV to my short list but I had a few quick concerns that I was hoping someone could comment on:
  • I understand there is an audio sync issue, is this correct in TV produced after a particular month? Is there anyway to confirm what firmware is installed before purchasing?
  • I read somewhere, CNET maybe, that 1080p/24 doesn't work properly on this set, is that still the case or has that also been addressed via firmware?
  • Any Xbox 360 gamers care to comment on input lag?

Thanks!
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post #274 of 769
11/25/09 at 9:38am
Just got it last night so I don't have tons of experience but what I have seen so far that answers your questions would be...

1080p/24 from my Panny Blu Ray looked like video and not film. Dark Knight looked like an episode of Will and Grace and special Effects looked very fake. Turning off Tru-Motion and switching my player to output 1080p/60 was much better certainly not good. Iron Man was better all around, borderline watchable but the picture was very soft. A standard definition copy of Serenity was about on par with my older 46" Samsung LCD (4661).

Gaming looked great through my Xbox with the VGA input (I don't have HDMI). The resolution was not perfect as it was compared to my Samsung but I attribute that to 9' seating distance. This TV may be too big for my room (I have the 55" model). I played a lot of COD last night and response time seemed fine. My problem was the screen was so big I was missing things on my peripherals. Not a fault of the TV obviously but again, this thing is massive for my space.

I think it is going back. I love the size for movies, especially letter boxed ones, but the image isn't up to speed. Black levels and shadow detail are so-so, about what I expected at this price point and before I make a final decision I am going to tweak things a bit more. Resolution generally is pretty damn good with the one exception so far being the Iron Man Blu Ray.
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post #275 of 769
11/25/09 at 12:09pm
So, upon receiving my firmware upgrade, I lost all of my picture settings. I didn't bookmark the link I used but I liked it.

Anyone have links to calibration settings for this TV (LH40)?


I am using the settings for the LH30 and increased the backlight a bit. Also switched White Balance to Medium instead of Warm.
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post #276 of 769
11/27/09 at 11:14pm
I plugged in the CNET LH30 settings but have not checked them out yet...

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-19410_10...;forum-threads

I also found Home Theater Magazines settings and will use try them too and compare. If anyone else tries them both please let us know what you think...

http://www.hometheatermag.com/flat-p...tv/index4.html

I am a fan of the magazine and they seem pretty thorough so I imagine their settings will be more accurate. Of course that also means the picture may not be as bright or punchy. Also they are for the LH40 and not the LH30 which should be a good thing.

I will try to remember to post my impressions here but I really have not had a chance to watch a lot of TV or movies lately so it could be a few days.

Also, I have had some issues...

First off is my stand. For some reason my screen is not level, the right side is a bit higher and it is pretty annoying. Anyone else?

Next, while playing Xbox the other day my screen got all wonky. I am not sure how to describe it but the top 2/3 seemed to start shimmying to the right while the bottom third shimmied to the left. Turning it off and on may cured it and the problem has not returned after many hours of gaming. My initial thought is a problem with the VGA input and my VGA cable was stretched pretty tight. I never experienced this problem with my old Sammy.
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post #277 of 769
11/28/09 at 5:52pm
I just purchased a 55LH40 yesterday, and so far am extremely disappointed. This was to replace a Samsung LNT4661, but so far the picture pales in comparison to that set. In addition, the "matte" screen has at least ten times the glare of my other set. It is nearly unwatchable in bright light when not viewing from straight on.

I have tried the settings from both links above and attempted to tweak them, but cannot get a picture that looks acceptable. The colors look dull & washed out.

I really want to like this TV, but if I can't get a picture that I like I may have to return this one and try the Samsung LN52B630.

So, can anyone provide settings that I can try before giving up on this TV?
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post #278 of 769
11/28/09 at 6:24pm
Wow that is insane as I replaced a 4661 and at this point there is no going back. Even if it was the same size this picture is light years better to me.

I just used the wizard to start, turned dynamic contrast off, gamma to medium, backlight at 35 to 40, Tru Motion off, edge enhancement off, DNR off, and set my Blu Ray player to output 1080p/60 and I was all set. I have programmed in the CNET and Home Theater Magazine settings but have not found the time to watch any movies or TV.

This has much more resolution than my 4661, better color right out of the box, slightly better shadows and way better shadow detail. Either your Sammy is better than mine or my LH40 is better than yours. Or maybe, and more likely, we just see things differently.
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post #279 of 769
11/28/09 at 6:41pm
No lip issues, other than if they're cracked I can tell. This is a very nice TV. Maybe one issue is custom settings seeming to reset without trying to do so.

It also is doing its thing as a PC display when called upon.

I was even tempted to watch the parts of Transformers 2 between the fights, since the PQ was so good. But it was too inane.
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post #280 of 769
11/28/09 at 7:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmarkmyers View Post

Wow that is insane as I replaced a 4661 and at this point there is no going back. Even if it was the same size this picture is light years better to me.

I just used the wizard to start, turned dynamic contrast off, gamma to medium, backlight at 35 to 40, Tru Motion off, edge enhancement off, DNR off, and set my Blu Ray player to output 1080p/60 and I was all set. I have programmed in the CNET and Home Theater Magazine settings but have not found the time to watch any movies or TV.

This has much more resolution than my 4661, better color right out of the box, slightly better shadows and way better shadow detail. Either your Sammy is better than mine or my LH40 is better than yours. Or maybe, and more likely, we just see things differently.

I was hoping that I would feel the same way, but at the moment I'd say the opposite. I think that the resolution and colors on the 4661 were much better. The blacks seem to be better on the LH40, but the picture looks washed out & blurred. The worst part is the viewing angle in bright conditions - nearly unwatchable when not straight on.

I'll try the settings you have and see how it goes. I also downloaded the calibration disk and will try that.
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post #281 of 769
11/29/09 at 7:11am
I just bought a 42LH40, but it hasn't been shipped to me yet. Is it true that the US model of LG 42LH40 does not support divx/mkv files via its USB port? Can someone verify this for me? Any help is greatly appreciated. If this is true, I guess I have to buy the WDTV
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post #282 of 769
11/29/09 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by passionate View Post

I just bought a 42LH40, but it hasn't been shipped to me yet. Is it true that the US model of LG 42LH40 does not support divx/mkv files via its USB port? Can someone verify this for me? Any help is greatly appreciated. If this is true, I guess I have to buy the WDTV

Unfortunately, the xxLH40 series does not support DivX or MKV files. The workaround for me is to use my older Philips DVD player which has a USB slot that plays DivX (and Xvid).
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post #283 of 769
11/29/09 at 3:31pm
I've read all 10 pages and didn't see many comments on the black levels of this model. CNET said that the black levels weren't as good as some other models, which I'm ok with, especially for the price of this unit. I'm just curious as to how much "worse" they really are. I'm considering this unit (55") for a replacement for our 9 year old RPTV (Mits) that's in our living room and will be used almost exclusively for HDTV, but want to know if the blacks are really dark gray or did the reviewer had to find something to separate the units and the difference in black levels is really minor, especially in a room with outside light.

How are the black levels?
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post #284 of 769
11/29/09 at 7:50pm
The Steelers and Ravens helmets are black, white jerseys are white.

I know Batman's cape was so black I could see a reflection (like my foot). Pixar movies look pretty dark if they want to be.

I can't compare it to another TV sitting next to it on the same source. But this is probably the home of the best LCD black levels under $800 for this size of 40-42", especially if not skimping to 40" or anything with worse brightness or response time. I'm not sure about 55" or that range. It's really kind of a Vizio price since Toshiba has their "Regza premium" or whatever.

If you're on here and can get the 55", I would either demo in a good store or try it at home and it's not set in stone.

I definitely don't come away from glimpsing Samsungs, Sonys, or Toshibas to wish for more black, and they raise other issues. In this price range. I think the LG panel is pretty solid and sometimes the content is the problem.
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post #285 of 769
11/30/09 at 5:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by singe_101 View Post

The Steelers and Ravens helmets are black, white jerseys are white.

I know Batman's cape was so black I could see a reflection (like my foot). Pixar movies look pretty dark if they want to be.

I can't compare it to another TV sitting next to it on the same source. But this is probably the home of the best LCD black levels under $800 for this size of 40-42", especially if not skimping to 40" or anything with worse brightness or response time. I'm not sure about 55" or that range. It's really kind of a Vizio price since Toshiba has their "Regza premium" or whatever.

If you're on here and can get the 55", I would either demo in a good store or try it at home and it's not set in stone.

I definitely don't come away from glimpsing Samsungs, Sonys, or Toshibas to wish for more black, and they raise other issues. In this price range. I think the LG panel is pretty solid and sometimes the content is the problem.

Thanks, that's what I was looking for, someone who has one in their home to assess the black levels. I will do a lot of looking, but in the store its harder to assess.
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post #286 of 769
11/30/09 at 6:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmarkmyers View Post

I plugged in the CNET LH30 settings but have not checked them out yet...

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-19410_10...;forum-threads

I also found Home Theater Magazines settings and will use try them too and compare. If anyone else tries them both please let us know what you think...

http://www.hometheatermag.com/flat-p...tv/index4.html

I am a fan of the magazine and they seem pretty thorough so I imagine their settings will be more accurate. Of course that also means the picture may not be as bright or punchy. Also they are for the LH40 and not the LH30 which should be a good thing.

I will try to remember to post my impressions here but I really have not had a chance to watch a lot of TV or movies lately so it could be a few days.

Also, I have had some issues...

First off is my stand. For some reason my screen is not level, the right side is a bit higher and it is pretty annoying. Anyone else?

Next, while playing Xbox the other day my screen got all wonky. I am not sure how to describe it but the top 2/3 seemed to start shimmying to the right while the bottom third shimmied to the left. Turning it off and on may cured it and the problem has not returned after many hours of gaming. My initial thought is a problem with the VGA input and my VGA cable was stretched pretty tight. I never experienced this problem with my old Sammy.

Thanks Mark. I currently have both of those settings programmed in. CNet = Expert 1 and Home Theater Mag = Expert 2.

I have not sat down to watch a movie and compare the 2 but I think I like the CNet settings better. I changed them a bit and set the filter to 'medium' from the recommended 'warm'. I also turned up the backlight a bit for a brighter picture.

I watch this TV in a room that has very little outside light (with the blinds shut). If using one of the above settings, the blacks are very black and whites are very white. When watching sports, I switch to the Sports setting, which is much brighter. Here, the blacks are not as black but the picture is brighter and that is expected.



Overall, I am very happy with this picture. However, I still see a lot of room for improvement in technology - especially the quality of fast moving pictures. Looking back 10 years, we have come a long way. I look forward to the next 10 years but I think this TV will satisfy my needs until we get there!

The new wireless technology looks pretty cool...http://www.beststuff.com/categories/...reless-tv.html
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post #287 of 769
11/30/09 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Knd View Post

I've read all 10 pages and didn't see many comments on the black levels of this model. CNET said that the black levels weren't as good as some other models, which I'm ok with, especially for the price of this unit. I'm just curious as to how much "worse" they really are...

If your old TV is a CRT rear-projection then I doubt they are better. They are probably not even as good. But that goes for almost every LCD out there unless you really go up in price.

Compared to other LCD's I only know what I have read, which is that it is not as good. It looks as good as it's competitors on the showroom floor, but that is because all of the TV's have their brightness, contrast, and backlight turned up to 11.

For me it is a fair amount better than my 2 year old Samsung 4661. Where it pulls away would be the shadow detail which goes hand and hand with black level.

So since the black levels are better than what I am used to and coupled with all the other good things about this TV (price, size, resolution, color, size, price, size, etc.) I felt this was the best TV for me. I have to exchange it as I had a funky experience with the VGA input and the stand is crooked so if they are out of stock I may try something else. But chances are I will be going back to this.

Quote:


I have not sat down to watch a movie and compare the 2 but I think I like the CNet settings better. I changed them a bit and set the filter to 'medium' from the recommended 'warm'. I also turned up the backlight a bit for a brighter picture.

The CNET setting definitely have a bit more pop but the Home Theater Magazine's are more accurate. I will probably stick with those but turn up the back light to 30-40 for daytime viewing and sports. The colors seem a bit more natural than the CNET settings too, although it is mainly apparent with flesh tones and not all the time. It seems to be determined by the quality of the source.
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post #288 of 769
11/30/09 at 1:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmarkmyers View Post

If your old TV is a CRT rear-projection then I doubt they are better. They are probably not even as good. But that goes for almost every LCD out there unless you really go up in price.

Compared to other LCD's I only know what I have read, which is that it is not as good. It looks as good as it's competitors on the showroom floor, but that is because all of the TV's have their brightness, contrast, and backlight turned up to 11.

For me it is a fair amount better than my 2 year old Samsung 4661. Where it pulls away would be the shadow detail which goes hand and hand with black level.

So since the black levels are better than what I am used to and coupled with all the other good things about this TV (price, size, resolution, color, size, price, size, etc.) I felt this was the best TV for me. I have to exchange it as I had a funky experience with the VGA input and the stand is crooked so if they are out of stock I may try something else. But chances are I will be going back to this.


The CNET setting definitely have a bit more pop but the Home Theater Magazine's are more accurate. I will probably stick with those but turn up the back light to 30-40 for daytime viewing and sports. The colors seem a bit more natural than the CNET settings too, although it is mainly apparent with flesh tones and not all the time. It seems to be determined by the quality of the source.

Thanks. I know CRT's have very good black levels and I'm not expecting that level, but wanted to know if the black levels were anoying to any current owners. They appears to be quite acceptable at least from the 3 responses that addressed this.
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post #289 of 769
11/30/09 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheAlbumMan View Post

Unfortunately, the xxLH40 series does not support DivX or MKV files. The workaround for me is to use my older Philips DVD player which has a USB slot that plays DivX (and Xvid).

This really sucks. Well, I just ordered the live WDTV on sale from BB to take care of this problem
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post #290 of 769
11/30/09 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by passionate View Post

This really sucks. Well, I just ordered the live WDTV on sale from BB to take care of this problem

Hmmm...the WDTV box sounds interesting especially after checking out the specs on the website. I see it plays FLAC and DTS audio files which has now peaked my interest. Please let us know how well it works (in the appropriate forum).
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post #291 of 769
12/1/09 at 11:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheAlbumMan View Post

Unfortunately, the xxLH40 series does not support DivX or MKV files. The workaround for me is to use my older Philips DVD player which has a USB slot that plays DivX (and Xvid).

Hi... this is not quite true, I have a 42LH40 playing movies nicely including 1080p. But there are a lot of special conditions at least on my set.

- Ability to enter service menus easily to enable DivX depends on your firmware version. I was able to with 4.05. Later versions may require special remote codes to be sent, search the 'net for available remote code hacks.

- Playback of many MPEG4 formats is unstable and can have audio sync problems (DivX/XviD)

- Playback of MPEG2 transport streams (.ts file) works well, so I recode movies using HC enc. The audio can be finicky, MP2 and AAC work best. 1080p works and looks great.

- I was recently able to get H.264 playing nicely, also in a transport stream file and with AAC audio. 720p works but 1080p does not.
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post #292 of 769
12/2/09 at 3:45am
The tech came by to address my lip sync issue. He verified the TV's model and serial numbers. He set my cable box to PCM saying that the Comcast users in our area were having lip sync issues with more than LG products. The lag time was less, but it was still there. I'm also not willing to downgrade to an analog audio signal to fix this issue.

LG clearly stated to me that the tech would be installing a software upgrade. He wanted to address the issue without applying the software update because he didn't have the tools necessary to do the update. It seems they need a special remote control to apply the update. He hadn't yet received the remote that would allow him to do the installation.

So, basically my service call was a waste of my time because the service provider didn't have the needed resources. The service provider will call back when they have received the remote needed to install the update.

I also had to request that the audio for the cable box be set back to auto which would feed a digital audio signal to my receiver.
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post #293 of 769
12/2/09 at 5:43am
Can't believe they would schedule the service call without the tools necessary. These guys usually work from home and are paid by the hours or jobs they work. This guy figured he could squeeze one more visit out of you by scheduling a visit without the necessary tools.

Kinda like the car dealership that performs unnecessary work on a car just because its covered under warranty. They get more work for their techs and 'big papa' pays for it.
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post #294 of 769
12/2/09 at 7:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Georgie3 View Post

Hi... this is not quite true, I have a 42LH40 playing movies nicely including 1080p. But there are a lot of special conditions at least on my set.

- Ability to enter service menus easily to enable DivX depends on your firmware version. I was able to with 4.05. Later versions may require special remote codes to be sent, search the 'net for available remote code hacks.

That sounds interesting, i have the firmware 4.30.1, but still where can we get this special codes and how to use them ?? is it via RS232 on tv??
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post #295 of 769
12/2/09 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Georgie3 View Post

Hi... this is not quite true, I have a 42LH40 playing movies nicely including 1080p. But there are a lot of special conditions at least on my set.
- Ability to enter service menus easily to enable DivX depends on your firmware version. I was able to with 4.05. Later versions may require special remote codes to be sent, search the 'net for available remote code hacks.

Now that you mentioned it, I seem to recall reading about the older firmware allowing this. I just purchased my set at the end of September, has a mfg date of August and came with 4.30.00 firmware. If yours has 4.05, there must have been a lot of fixes since the set was first released. How long has this model been out? I'm guessing you don't want any newer firmware updates which would eliminate your DivX capability.
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post #296 of 769
12/3/09 at 5:23pm
Help!!!
I entered the service menu and accidentally changed the tool3 number. now, bluetooth icon is in the menu and the TV blinks every few seconds. Firmware is 4.05US. Can someone enter the service menu for 42LH40US and write down the correct numbers for Tool 1 - 3. TIA.

update:
entered 52644 for tool option 3 and Bluetooth problem is gone. Now, there's Divx option in USB settings. Tried few files but it doesnt work.
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post #297 of 769
12/3/09 at 9:34pm
Anyone know how I can get headphones to play on this tv? I plug them into the audio in port but no sound comes out. I looked for options but could only find turn off tv speakers, which did not help.
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post #298 of 769
12/3/09 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheAlbumMan View Post

Now that you mentioned it, I seem to recall reading about the older firmware allowing this. I just purchased my set at the end of September, has a mfg date of August and came with 4.30.00 firmware. If yours has 4.05, there must have been a lot of fixes since the set was first released. How long has this model been out? I'm guessing you don't want any newer firmware updates which would eliminate your DivX capability.

Yes, discussions on the European models of this TV indicate that with the European software builds you can revert to an older version just to enable DivX, then update to the latest version and movie playback still works. But I haven't seen the same confirmed for the North American sets (the Euro 3.xx builds can't be used, they brick the set). I'd love to try firmware 4.30.1 if I had a copy of 4.05 to revert to, but right now don't have access to either. I think movie playback may work better with the newer software, or not at all

By the way my TV has a June 2009 mfg date (all LH are 2009 models).
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post #299 of 769
12/3/09 at 11:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ayko View Post

That sounds interesting, i have the firmware 4.30.1, but still where can we get this special codes and how to use them ?? is it via RS232 on tv??

See this link and related discussion:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/lg-owners-forum/1012225-usb-port-new-lg-lcd-lh-series-51.html#post10798020
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post #300 of 769
12/4/09 at 3:58am
Well, given the price at Sears plus the 10% off for using the Sears card, I went with the 55LH40 over the 55LH90. Just picked it up Wednesday and set it up yesterday. It has a build date of June, 2009 which seems to me to be a little old for a TV that is delivered in December. The firmware version is 4.05.0. I've noticed audio/video sync issues using a Dish Network DVR 622. I'm a little dismayed by the build date and older firmware version and wonder where the TV has been since June. How many firmware updates have there been since 4.05.0? With the latest firmware, have all the sync issues been resolved?
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