Official Sony KDL-EX640 Owners Thread - Page 4

I believe the optical out on the TV will only output the audio that is sourced from the TV. What you want to do is use the HDMI 1 port that supports DRC (Digital Return Channel). In my case, I have an old A/V receiver that doesn't have any HDMI ports, so I do HDMI from BluRay to TV for video and Optical from BluRay to Receiver for audio. If you have the same scenario, just remember to turn off the sound on the TV or you'll probably get audio ghosting.

If it's like my 4 y/o W4100, it will pass DD5.1. Not DTS, though, which is why I gave up on that idea.

Really like the TV for the most part..No flashlighting or ghosting. There is one small section at the top edge probably 1/2" by 2" that on certain scenes you can very faintly see a slight greenish tint. I can't even capture it with a camera and no one in my family can see it. My luck if it was replaced I would get one that has more problems than that.

Has anyone used UnoTelly to access Netflix from other countries? How did it work out? Any problems or issues I should be aware of?

Which Samsung plasma did you get?

It seems when I find an HDTV that I like at the store I then read a review or two and it's rated just ok. And typically the review states there are better sets for the money. I've stayed away from plasma because most have a glossy reflective screen which will not work in my room. But I seem to recall there was a plasma that was sort of semi-matte & it could have been a Samsung, but I can't find my shopping notes. So I am curious what you ended up getting.

It's the Samsung PN60E550! Seriously, if you're a little ''hardcore'' regarding image quality, you should forget about LED for now. If you really want to stick with LCD, gor for and old model. I have a LG 42'' from 2009 in my bedroom, and there's is no problem with it. Screen uniformity is just perfect, and so the image does. I think that bad screen uniformity is an inherent characteristic of LED tv. For those who said their set is perfect, fine for you, but I'm sure there's still something wrong, you just don't see it. And it's good for you, don't look for it!
If you're looking for a good plasma set, go for Samsung all the way. Look at the forum about the E550, everyone is happy with it. Yes, the screen is glossy, but not that much, you get used to it. The EX640 have a glossy screen too! I know it's less glossy than a plasma but not that much. Middle to high end LED tv will all have a semi-matte screen. It gives a deeper black.
There's a little buzzing, or ''humm'' that you can hear if the soung is off, but as low as 3-4 you can't hear it anymore.
I recommend Samsung because of screen retention. Panny's plasma, for what I read all over the forums, will have more screen retention or burn in. Samsung is the best for 2012 models.
Seriously, go for a plasma, trust me, it's the best move you will ever made regarding your tv. Forget about LED until OLED is cheaper!
Almost everyone in this thread is saying that there's flashlighting, or ghosting, or clouding on their set. Almost everyone is also saying that you can't even notice it except for some situations...You guys accept to pay over a thousand bucks and have a bad screen uniformity? If you can't see it, except for some occasions means that you sometimes see it! It is not accpectable! Call Sony, ask for an exchange as often as you need it until you get a refund and go for a plasma. It's what I did. My two cents. And sorry for my english, I'm from Québec, so I'm a frenchie!

Thanks for the information. I took a look at this thread, the Official Samsung PNXXE550 Owners Thread.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1402087/the-official-samsung-pnxxe550-owners-thread

Some people there had quite a bit of buzzing & some had only a little. And there were some comments about the glossy screen. The glossy screen is a deal breaker for me due to the way my rooms are laid out.

A lot of LCD/LED screens are pretty glossy & I'm staying away from those. A few years ago most LCDs were matte, but now several manufacturers have decided to make them glossy. Some say it provides a better picture. But when a see glare in the screen I don't consider that better. I have seen forum comments where people were applying an anti-reflective film on the screen, so I'm not alone in disliking the glossy screen.

And most LCDs use LED edge lighting, & there are a lot of comments about their flashlighting & clouding.

I just keep holding onto my old rear projection LCD & waiting for an inexpensive full-array LED back lit set with a matte screen.

I thought this was the Sony KDL-EX640 thread, not a Samsung LCD or Samsung plasma thread.

Well the green glow is bugging me now. It doesn't show up on all colors, but white and lighter colors it makes that area greenish. Here are some pics of a white background. I can live with a bit of flashlighting, but greenlighting, no. Top edge of the tv. I marked the first pic for reference.

Plasma isn't perfect either though. You have that awful dithering effect and dim dingy whites.

I won't start a war with you on wich is better! Both technologies have goods and bads, but IMO, plasma is having more goods that LED! On recent sets, dithering is not an issue anymore, and if you caliber you tv properly, you won't notice dim whites.
For me, plasma is by far the best technology, until OLED is more affordable!

Called Sony about the green tint problem in my tv. They are shipping out a new unit. Hope this one is better.

Just had a 55EX645 delivered to replace an aged 52W4100. Noticed the green (in the same spot) as soon as I turned on the set (boo hoo).

Fyi, unit came with latest firmware, 1.556-1.239
Edited by johnston21 - 12/13/12 at 4:24pm

I really, really wanted to try a plasma this time around. Reports of IR, banding, color ghosting, line bleed, etc, were all like DEFCON 3 concerns. The frequent reports of buzzing raised it to DEFCON 2, but it still wasn't a dealbreaker, as I would be undeterred. The dealbreaker, the thing that brought it to DEFCON 1, was the fact that they don't make 46" plasmas anymore. I didn't want a 43" 720p set with 2 inputs to replace my 1080p 40W4100 4 input set, and the next largest plasma size is the 50", which simply will not fit in my space. Game over.

So, I tried a 46EX645, but it had banding, DSE, and flashlighting, and really, the picture just wasn't as good as my old 40W4100. So I returned that set and got a 46HX850 when it was on sale during Thanksgiving. While not perfect, it's a big improvement over the EX645 and W4100, and it should be, it cost enough.

I didn't say "better" either. I just said that plasma is no utopia of perfect PQ.

And the dithering is there on ALL plasma sets, it is the way they work. I just recently saw some new plasma sets and the dithering was still there. If you stay way back you may not see it, but it is there, it is the way plasma TVs resolve colors that it can't produce. LCDs have their own issues like flashlighting clouding etc so the problems are just different.

Honestly I think all of today's display tech is crap. They all have some pretty bad issues. Give me an OLED type display that won't go yellow in a year and cost a fortune then we are getting somewhere.

Yup, you're right, there's is dithering on my set to, I just don't see it because I'm almost at 15 feet of the TV. But if I go closer, you're right, I can see it.
As you said, plasma tv don't have a perfect PQ, but hey, after 5 Sony's LED, the PQ of my plasma is perfect for me, you just can't compare it!
As I said before, everyone who's having trouble with this set should call Sony and ask for a refund or an exchange until the problem is resolved. You guys are paying over 1K and you're living with a bad PQ on something you're using everyday!

"Fyi, unit came with latest firmware, 1.556-1.239"

Johnston, I have a 55EX640 and I can't find the software version number anywhere in the menu. Can you tell me where it is? Please be specific. Thx in advance

Menu -> Setup -> Product Support (might need scroll to second screen) -> Contact Sony

My KDL-50EX645 bought in Nov 2012, came with firmware version 1.506-1.206

Is there a changelog of what was fixed/improved?

And there it is. I never looked at product support.
My version only says v1.239 nothing else
Log of fixed/improved probably over in dbstalk somewhere.

Has anyone noticed incorrect time in the channel banner?

I just got my KDL-40EX640 yesterday and i noticed that it does not support my playon.tv dlna media server. The tv can see it but it cannot play any video files.
I have a sony 52 inch XBR9 and it works perfect with the playon.tv media server.
I have transcoding enabled on playon.

Is there anything i need to do to make this work ?

Also when i turn on the tv or turn it off, i see bright lights on the corner, is that normal ?

Some 'flashlighting' is normal for edge lit tvs.

But what about the dlna media server issue, i then decided to enabled the sony's "homestream" media server, it played the video but no full screen and it did not recognize file types such as mkv, flv or vob.

The playon.tv server works really well with my existing TV but is giving a hard time on the new one.

any pointers..

Try PS3 Media Server. You'll probably need to update yout Java Runtime Environment but it worked well on my EX645, and still work on my Samsung. Let me know if it works!
About the flashlighting, it'sNOT normal! You guys should stop saying it is! If you have any screen uniformity issue, contact Sony! Don't say "It's not that bad, I'll get use to it!" You deserve to have a perfect picture for the price of the set!
Anyway, let me know if PS3 Media Server is working!

Anyone find any settings good for sports and general viewing? I tend to find settings with a Warm color temperature setting (CNET, etc.) to be too yellow for my liking...probably because I watch little to no programming in a dark room. More times than not, I have the lights on and I'm either watching cable programming (Breaking Bad, Homeland, etc.) or sports.

PS3media server works very well on my 55EX645 and plays a wide range of file types.

Well second 55EX645 arrived Saturday. Guess what? Same problem in the exact same spot. It has to be the way the bezel is attached to the frame. If I push on the bezel directly above the troubled area, it goes away. It's also feels harder in that spot, all other areas around the bezel flex slightly, but there it's hard as a rock. Design flaw I would guess.

johnston21, did you ever resolve the screen issue?

Call them back and ask for another exchange!

I am. The replacement I got was actually older-by 800 tvs, than the one they sent me originally.

Anyone else have this spot on their tv? I assume it has to be on more but most people may not notice it.

I have the 46EX645 and have not noticed a green spot. As with most LCDs in this price range, there is some flashlighting, but nothing too bad. I've had mine for about a month.