Official LG xxLD550 xxLD520 xxLD650 Owners Thread - Page 167

All the downloads I got were online when my TV is connected up to the internet. A notice will usually pop up. But the LG USA website is also a good place to check. You just go to the site, enter in your product model and look at Product Support.

If you have an LD450 or LD520 the Skype feature is only for the LD550 and higher.

Glad to know some of the info helped you with your TV settings. I'm not sure what you mean about "higher than IRE 100". The IRE settings are specific "windows" or fields or levels of brightness in a TV gray scale. It depends on the brand/model of a particular TV how many IRE points may be in the menu for adjustments. Some only may have a single red, green, blue "white balance". Others may have a 2 Point to do an upper RGB and lower RGB white balance. White balance is just another term for gray scale, which was also known as a "white purity" setting. Still other TVs offer a 10 point or even 20 point IRE settings. But they always go from 0 to 100.

Here is a link for a detailed explanation of what typically is being looked for as the ideal in setting gray scale . . .. making the IRE settings. Also a link to the AVS free HD709 posts to burn your own calibration disc which is burnable on a DVD but plays as a Blu-ray disc.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/room-acoustics-audio-video-calibration/760012-greyscale-calibration-dummies.html

http://www.avsforum.com/t/948496/avs-hd-709-blu-ray-mp4-calibration

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Note that the settings obtained on one TV may not translate well, or at all, to another TV. That said, here is a setting I used on my LG BD550 Blu-ray player with good results for your cooler look, Note, that I included a 2 Point setting which should be done first ( Select 2 Point rather than 10-Point in Method). In other words, make the 2 Point settings first, then select 10 Point and inter those IRE values.

There are actually two sets of values. the 2-19-2012 Mod settings will be about the same but with a slightly different gamma curve. Again, whether it works on your particular TV or not may not be likely since my TV leans to having some red push. Let me know how it turns out if you wold please.

LG 42LD550 Expert 2 COOLER____HDMI 4 BEST BLU-RAY W_2-POINT 2-13-12.txt 2k .txt file

Being a bit of a TV junky I agree with your findings. Not as much to choose from these days in mid and low end TVs. If your Vizio is still good why look?

Anyway, for the money, after viewing a lot of TVs, I find the Samsung EH6000, EH6030, EH6070 ( same as EH6030 but bundled w/3D Blu-ray) with the S-PVA panel about the best band for the LCD buck. Make sure you get a TS01 or TS02 panel as indicated by a label on the outside of the box near the model number and other numbering TV makers always put on there TV labels. I looked at several of these in a few stores and went into a Best Buy during a Tuesday morning and spent 2 hours using the remote and my AVS HD709 disc to get some reasonable settings.

For plasma the talk seems to be a Panasonic GT50, ST50, or UT50. I've looked at them but the glossier screen and plasma issues deter me. They say these TVs also are not very good with SD material whereas I know the Samsungs to a very nice job with SD DVDs as well as Blu-ray and broadcast TV. I recommended the Samsung EH6000 to several people including here on AVS and some tried other TV brands/models in the same price range and finally ended up with the EH6000. The EH6030 is a 3D version and there are suspicions that it may not be the same quality as the EH6000. . . but only suspicions, If you can swing it, I would buy an EH6000 and an EH6030 (EH6070) and set them up side by side for a couple of weeks and see which you prefer.

This price range of most if not all major brands have cut down on HDMI inputs, etc, but the Samsung EH6000 series would be my choice this year. My personal research is that you can spend a lot more for Smart TV features and not get much better performance PQ wise. And even then, TVs like the Samsung EH8000 and EH9000 series seem to have nagging issues according to the post here on AVS in those TV threads. The same goes for Sony, although I read some good things about the HX950. . . but lots of money there! I was impressed with some Sharp models, but not for the price and I keep reading about calibration issues and other picture issues with that "added" yellow pixel.

My 2 cents.
Edited by Phase700B - 10/27/12 at 8:58am

I see where you are going now. I'm kind of the same way, but have returned to vintage audio gear. I seem to "accidentally" run into '70s and '80s audio gear in the pat year or so. I picked up two Pioneer RT-701 R2R decks at the same time from a guy that I was buying a very nice JVC cassette deck from. Also, he threw in a nice Elac Miracord 40A turntable. A month ago I got a Sony TC-755 R2R deck now on my bench and needing a few capacitors in the left record channel. And, a few weeks back while on a short trip to our cabin we stopped at an impromptu estate sale and a Sony STR-7065 and Dual 1229Q "found" me for $40. The 7065 in in beautiful shape, but again needs some aging capacitors replaced which I just received on order from Mouser in Texas. And. . . we stopped at a St. Vincent De Paul store last night and found a very nice Sony CDP-C225 5 disc CD player in like new condition. I opened the top up and not even any dust! I have the CDP-C435 whch is and upscale version and I take care of it, but it still gets dusty from changing CDs. This "new" one looks as though it was never/hardly used. Playing it right now. So lots to do.

I have more than enough video gear to deal with and was always a bit leery of buying used LCD TVs, but I'm sure there are some good low hours units out there from people who just want the newest "smart" TVs. I just don;t know where I would put another 40" or 50" flat screen. But I agree, a plasma would be neat to play with. A guy would just have to be aware of some of the older TVs with things like floating black levels, screen burn, and such. Maybe a GT50 in a couple years when they are "old"? But , yes , a Kuro might be nice but I hear they still fetch pretty good prices.

I agree about looking at some TOTL VCRs from the late '90s to early '00. I picker up 2 Sony SLV-R1000 S-VHS decks that I've used to copy some family VHS tapes of the kids growing up, but they also work great for recording HD OTA video off the air with the right kind of HD tuner like an RCA ATSC11. It's still only S-VHS and 480i but looks about as good as DVD most times.

For now, I have a lot of nice audio gear for a few dollars. Really beautiful stuff when you come across units that were taking care of or hardly used.
Edited by Phase700B - 10/27/12 at 2:20pm

You are welcome. I also have the 42LD550, but I have a very early version with what was called the Global Plat-2 construction. My TV leaned a lot in the red direction and it seemed most others were cooler and leaned towards blue. But glad it works on your TV also.


So just to help me. . . did you try the last settings I just posted and they look ok for your TV?
Edited by Phase700B - 10/27/12 at 12:51pm

Yeah, I know. I'll delete the photobucket links in a bit. But it is a lot of work and labor of love to get these vintage units back in order. .. . so I thought I'd bask in some limelight at least for awhile.

And. . . not too much going on here anymore anyway except we got to help Maynard out.

Ok... thanks! Enjoy. I take it they are less "yellow" than the warm ones? I actually have the cool setting for OTA B&W movies since sometimes the gray scale is off from the TV station/equipment.

Not to mention, by having the streaming or "smart" features off board but routed to the TV via an HDMI connection, you get the full compliment of video picture adjustments as with any other HDMI connected device. Many times, built in streaming and other services like Netflix, the video adjustments and picture modes are a reduced menu as on the LG models for 2010 and 2011. Using my HTPC allows me access to so much more than just 2 or 3 media sources and much more upgradeable and future proof.