The "official" Hitachi 5xS715 thread - Page 5

I have the 51", and a heavy center channel speaker too. There are absolutely no holes in the top of the set where one could bolt on a shelf. And balancing it with rear supporting rubber feet/legs looks very risky (although I think the casing can handle the weight, but the main mirror is attached to that top casing so I wouldn't want to risk deforming that).

I put a small 12x12x12" table in front of the set and put the speaker on that; it actually looks OK. Otherwise the the only other potential solution I found was shelving systems where you can build a structure over the TV; two 50" vertical shelf units, and then a horizontal shelf connecting them. That gives enough room for the speaker, receiver, DVD, etc., and lots of room for your DVD/game boxes.

I Googled the idea and found many examples on the web. IKEA and "the container store" sell these kinds of shelf systems.

I actually built my own shelf to set on top of the TV until I can find a Hitachi one. I took a small board, then glued and nailed two "legs" onto it that fit into the notches in the top center of the tv. A small piece of wood acts as a spacer to have the distance right.

Here's a poor ascii version of it: (rear view)
The two "legs" are just slightly longer and narrower than a typical box of matches. I shaped and sanded them so they just fit in those notches. As a precaution, I added a couple strips of doublestick tape to the front edge of the shelf to reduce the odds of it slipping back out of the slots. Not the most elegant solution, but I think it works fine until a real one presents itself.

Oh, and my center speaker is pretty light (like 15 pounds or so) so it may not be a solution for big speakers.

How does this set compare to the 50v500?
the 50v500 is pretty darn good- (except for black and white films on DVD)
I have an offer of $2000 cash if I want to sell it. (low usage and includes extended warranty)

This new set looks sleek, but is it worth an upgrade or wait another year for the next generation?

I have had my s715 for a couple of days. I also have the f510 (I bought the s715, but then got a great deal on the f510, so I am deciding between the two right now).

Here is my question. On the f510 117 point convergence grid, I can see all of the lines, whereas on the s715, the very bottom line is off of the screen. It is below the field of vision so that when the cursor is over this line, I can see only about half of the upper line on the cursor. I assume this is not normal and it is surprising that the entire field shows up on the f510 but not the ultravision s715.

Is this something that may settle in after another 50 hours (I only have about 15 hours on the set now) or will the likely remain until I adjust it? The top line seems to be in the same place on both the f510 and s715, but for some reason the lower line is missing on the s715. In fact, I can see a bit of a line below the lowest line on the f510 (there is a very small gap between this line and the lowest completely visable line.

Should I even worry about this? I know there are threads dealing with geometry, and I have tried to work through them, but find them quite confusing. Before I actually study these threads for several hours, I would like to know if this is something that may chance over time and whether this is worth the effort (i.e., is this error in the signal acceptable?).

Otherwise, I think both are very nice sets. I only have one hooked up to a video source at a time, but I can compare the convergence patterns. Aside from the missing line on the s715, the s715 does seem to be a bit sharper when displaying these lines. However, it is not that big of a deal (I can't really tell any noticable difference when switching between tvs on a HD feed), so I am still up in the air as to whether the s715 is worth $400 more (I will probably not use the tuner or cablecard). The f510 seems like a great deal. I really do like the black frame on either side of the screen on the s715 though, really makes it sa much nice screen to look at.

OK, I just went into the service menu and adjusted the verticle adjustment. Now I can see the bottom of the screen when in 4:3 expanded mode. This did not change the convergence grid (I still don't see the lower line), but I can see more of the bottom of the picture on the TV feed. However, now some of the top of the picture is cut off though, so I suppose I need to adjust something else.

I still have a 30 day return period. Is it worth the hassle to screw with this, or should I just get a different set?

Thanks

Stereodude,

Thanks for the help! I had no idea Magic Focus would correct that. I thought it just assumed (I don't know why) it performed an automatic 9 point convergence calibration. Based on its place in the menu, it seems like it would only do the convergence, but.... as you suggested I ran Magic Focus and it did help the problem. It is still not as good as the F510, but I can now see about 1/3 -1/2 of the bottom line at the edges of the screen and in the center it is just visible, and the top line has now moved very close to the top edge of the screen. I would say that the picture is only about 1/8 or so of an inch off (about 1/3 of the width of the lines in the 117 point convergence pattern) at the edges and a bit more in the center. I think I can live with this, is this about as good as I can expect? It is still strange that the f510 has lines that run perfectly at the top and bottom of the screen, but the s715 only has a perfect line at the top and a slightly bowed and hidden line at the bottom.

So, stereodude or anyone else in the know, will this at all affect my viewing? Should someone who is fairly picky, but not obsessive tweak this adjustment any more. I don't imagine it is worth trading the set in for another s715, since it seems fairly close now. Maybe I just have an excellent f510 in my house.

Thanks again for the help and any further comments would be appreciated.

How does one access the service menu on the 51s715?

I bought a DVI-D to HDMI adapter to connect my Samsung HDTV satellite receiver to the 57s715 but was unable to get a picture. I hooked the component connection back up for now, any ideas on the problem?

I hope Hitachi comes out with the center channel shelf. To me an advantage of CRT sets is the ability to place a center channel on top. A lot of new CRT sets aren't able to accomodate so you're left with either building a shelf or place the center on a stand in front of the TV. Either option sucks.

On my Samsung DVD player, I had to hook it up with component or s-video first, then go into it's video or set-up menu, and select HDMI. Only then could I use the HDMI input.

Also, there are some notes in the Hitachi TV manaul about which combinations on antenna inputs you can use (you can physically hook up four: A, B, HDMI, cable card slot, but the TV will never recognize more than 2 or something similar to that statement). You may also have to go into the 'channel manager' menu and reselect inputs, program channels, etc.

When I set my TV up, I went through the manual page by page, and read all the notes; you'd be suprised what you can learn (no offense meant if you already did this).

There has been quite a bit of discussion on another forum regrading the center shelf.

It was supposed to be released this month, and I think it was fairly expensive (about $100, but not sure). However, in the past week, people have been saying that Hitachi has delayed it, so people are looking to 3rd party solutions if they need it now.

I just got my D* HD dish installed today. The D* guy hooked me up through component, but a few minutes ago I got a DVI/HDMI cable in the mail.

I am using the Samsung SIR-TS360 receiver. After replacing the component cable with the DVI/HDMI, I had to push the Output button in the lower right corner of the receiver, so that it says RGB DVI in small letters at the very top. It's working great.

I should add that my receiver was set to output for 4:3 displays. Enter the setup menu/preferences/screen format, and change it there.

Thanks Mako, that did the trick. The little YPbP and DVI were both originally lit up but when I pressed it again only the RGB and DVI were lit up.
FWIW, I put a shelf on the wall at the same level as the top of the TV I think I paid $10 in parts at Lowes. I originally had the speaker so that the back half rested on the shelf and the front half rested on the TV, so that the sound is coming from the same plane as the screen. I got to thinking about the vibration that the speaker might transmit to the TV so I scooted it back so that it is completely on the shelf. I don't think the sound is compromised, and having the speaker set back is a little less distracting I think.

Thanks for the replies concerning the center channel shelf. I've heard all kinds of talk about it never being available, then available in September, now delayed. How hard can it be to manufacture a shelf for a TV that you built to have one?

have you guys considered getting just a center channel stand? That's what those stands are made for. There's a considerable amount of people on this forum that has medium to big center speakers. How high is the screen from the bottom of the base to the viewing area. I haven't had the chance to see one of these sets in person yet, but from the pictures that saw on the earlier threads, the design looks alot better than from the websites, what's those blue tape looking strips around the corner of the TV? I hope it's just something that it comes with out of the box and can be removed. I know what some Rotel lovers like me are thinking, it matches the design of Rotel, hehehee

I've considered the stand. I don't want to use one because the center channel will protrude out too far into my room due to space limitations.

I'm considering getting this TV. I know that CRTs only have 1081i, not 720p. Is that going to be a problem for HDTV viewing, i.e. Fox, ESPN, NBC? I read somewhere that those stations broadcast in 720p and I won't be able to view them? That's BS right? So anyway, what are the opinions so far about this tv? I've heard more about center channels than PQ and performance. For me, I'm looking for something to put in the basement with not much ambient light at all. Space isn't much of a concern either, I want big and beautiful PQ!

I bought the 51s715 and absolutely love it. And yes, you can watch anything broadcast in 720i, just like 720 screens can watch anything broacast in 1080i.

I have a light controlled room, and it looks amazing. I think it is great deal deal compared to other technologies (I bought mine for less than 2K.

I agree there hasn't been too much discussion regarding PQ. I have calibrated it with Digital Video Essentials, and I think it looks fantastic. I also think it handles SD material well.

The f510 seems like a great deal as well, since it is listed at about 500 bucks less than the s715.

Yes, it's BS. Your STB or TV will convert 720p to 1080i http://www.avsforum.com/hdtvfaq/HDTV-FAQ.htm

As I understand it, the S715's convert everything to 1080p and then give you your choice of displaying the picture at 540p or 1080i. How does this work? Isn't there a negative impact on PQ through the multiple conversions? E.g., 1080i input gets deinterlaced, which can introduce artifacts, and then gets reinterlaced for display at 1080i. Isn't that worse than just displaying 1080i without any conversions? Even for 480i inputs, there may be some unnecessary introduction of deinterlacing artifacts.

Furthermore, how can the PQ be optimized simultaneously for 540p and 1080i? In both cases, 540 lines are written to the screen every 1/60 second, but, in 1080i, alternate fields are displaced by 1/2 a linewidth. Wouldn't you want a smaller spot size for 1080i, to render the higher vertical resolution, and a larger spot size for 540p, to reduce the space between the lines? Or is that not how it works?

And how does this compare with the Mits CRT RPTV's? They used to provide a similar choice, but between 480p and 1080i. (Apparently the new models no longer support 480p.)

I guess what I'm really asking is whether the choice is meaningful. If you have a progressive input (either 480p or 720p), will the picture look better at 540p? If you have an interlaced input (either 480i or 1080i), would the picture look better at 1080i? Or is the difference really subtle?

I've had my 51S715 for about 10 days now. Initially it worked great but in the past two days it has developed a problem with the power switch. When I hit the power switch either on the remote or on the unit, the internal breaker immediately trips and it won't respond further from the power button. The only recourse is to unplug it from the wall and plug it back in at which point it powers up. The power switch still works to turn it off. Anyone else have this problem or any advice about what to tell Tech Support at Hitachi?

I have read through the manual, but I could not find any way to turn off the blue power light.

Does anyone know if this can be done? It looks cool, but I would like to have the option of turning off the light if I want to while I watch the tv (I believe other tvs, like the JVC D-ILA, let you turn off the rather bright power indicator light).