First impressions of the LG 42LB1DR - Page 8

Asked for an m-card from the Time Warner service tech because I read this while he was here fixing my old s-card. So glad that you all have had this conversation!!

The m-card came up faster than any of the previous cards put in the machine. I went through a bunch of cards when my LG was new. I think that it was the way Time Warner had my account set up and the techs in my house and on the phone not being familiar with the cards. Eventually I got a tech (3rd one) who knew the deal and knew who to call. That worked great for a long time - until the recent issues started. I am now glad that this did happen.

I am still not able to tune more than one digital channel on my TV but the card came up so much faster than the other and the diagnostics screen gives far more information when looking at the card. Clearly the software/firmware is newer and more robust.

I can PIP with my Antennae and there are a handful of HD broadcast channels that come in very nicely with a small antennae plugged in to the set.

I am also going to swap out my STB in my bedroom with one that has a HDMI out instead of the current DVI and run a 30 foot HDMI cable so that I can us PIP from that source as well and get the occasional cable on demand - my wife likes a movie night every now and then.

Little more on my history with the cards: The s-card went on the blink in March after nine months of great service. It would take time to tune in for a long time and then died last week - would not keep EMM and ECM's. Time Warner spent two hours proving the card did not work. They had to replace. The Tech had an m-card on him and an s-card in the truck. The tech on the phone had him get the s-card and the machine was slow coming up etc. I read that the LG worked with the m-card on here - told him - he tried it and I have never seen the LG come up with all those channels that fast.

Thanks again everyone who posted on this.

I really enjoy my LG - great image - great built in sound - great connections to my home theater system with easy transition back to the TV when we don't want the whole thing going. My wife gets scared when the subwoofer signal on some shows is used so heavily.

For some reason my tv will for example if I'm watching an analog channel like channel 54 (MTV) then try to switch to digital channel 53 (VH1) it skips over 53 and just goes to the next analog channel. Then when I switch to 53 it changes the tune to digital then my tv skips all the analog channels. When my tuner is in the analog channels I can still watch my digital cable channels (channels 80+). This just recently started happening.

I've had this TV for about 2 years, and have been overall, pretty pleased with it. After a few tweeks, like increasing the sharpness and fiddling with the color and contrast, I got a great picture, that was much improved from the factory presets. I'm not getting any of the flaws and uneven backlight bleeding that is described earlier in this post, so I guess I'm lucky.

I did have some issues with it when it was new though. I live at the bottom of a hill near the ocean, so I don't get any usable OTH signals, so I am using a cable card from Cox Cable (Los Angeles, CA area).

I had the phantom "turning itself on" thing happening about every other night. I also had a problem with the TV Guide not being able to download all the programming. Sometimes it would work, but it was incomplete, and only worked for a day or two and go blank again. Some digital HD channels wouldn't show up all the time either. I'd get the "no signal" message on certain stations, but if I scrolled up a few channels and back down, they would work again. it was strange. I tried one of those cable signal boosters (thinking it was a weak signal), but that didn't help at all.

I had the cable company come out a couple of times. The first time, they replaced some old cable, and told me that the LG set didn't always work great with their cable cards. The second time, the guy replaced some more cabling and all the connectors. When he saw my cable splitter (I have cable internet in the other room), he asked where I got it. I told him that it was installed by the cable company when they hooked up my TV. He said that it was a crappy splitter, but he didn't have one to replace it with. He recommended that I get a better one on my own, since it was easy to install.

So I took matters into my own hands and ordered a 2ghz splitter off of amazon (old one only went up to 900mhz or something). I think its a monster cable brand, but there were quite a few gold 2ghz splitters that were between $12 and $20 when I looked. Ever since I replaced the crappy generic splitter with the 2ghz one, the TV has worked (almost) flawlessly (and that was a year and a half ago). The TV doesn't turn itself on anymore, I get the full TV guide over a week into the future, and all the channels show up without any delay. The DVR works just fine (other than the lack of features compared to a TiVo), but it records everything I tell it too. Although twice it had to reformat the hard drive for some unkown reason, and I lost all my recordings.

I was wondering if anyone out there knew of any mods or "hacks" for the DVR firmware? or maybe even a guide that shows how to put in a larger hard drive for more recording space. I used to have a Direct TiVo unit (combo DTV receiver and Tivo box) and liked the functionality of the recorder. I do like that the LG records in HD and there is no monthly fee, but the tivo has left me wanting more functionality out of it.

I'm curious, what settings are you using for general TV watching?

FOR 42LB1DR owners, like me, who only use OTA (antenna)::::

Hi folks. I'm not sure anyone is even subscribed to this thread anymore-- but just in case:

I have confirmed both in other related forum(s) here, and also with LG, that this tv unit will "survive" the February Analog cutover-- at least, in terms of the EPG (tv guide data).

These LG units have what is referred to as "version 8" of the TV Guide firmware- and V8 is "digital ready".

In MOST markets, TVGOS (TV Guide On Screen) data is broadcast over your PBS analog tv station. Again, in MOST markets, this will be taken over by your local CBS affiliate, in DIGITAL form. And the TV guide stuff in the 42LB1DR will be able to deal with it.

Even though I've received multiple confirmations, I'll believe it when I see it. If after all this, it turns out that the DVR inside only really listens to the ANALOG tv tuner inside for program guide data, then you can very possibly resolve this by plugging in a DTVPAL (tr-40, tr-40cra) inline your antenna setup. The DTVPAL is supposed to be able to listen to a digital signal, and convert it back to analog.

Note- again- this is going to be MARKET dependant. If you're in an area whose CBS affiliate doesn't play nice, then you're toast.

With regards to the analog tuner vs NTSC digital tuner in the tv-- I'm not really sure how you would hook up a converter box and listen to BOTh the "digital" signal and "converted to analog" signal at the same time. Definately some possibilities. I don't know enough yet, but my GUESS is your analog receiver in this tv becomes a lump of coal after february. "PIP" functionality, or watching one show (digital) while recording another (analog) capabilities are no longer available.

Sigh.

I have a few digital channels provided by Comcast (also OTA), like a 24hr weather, 7-2 I think. Where do I get the channel # to "map to" for this and other new digital channels that show up? I need this for the program guide data to show up. There are also many local access channels that I can't find in my list of availiable channes to "map to". I have had to "fake in" some chanels to get them to show up in my guide - of course the guide data is totally off.

Btw, my phantom turning on hasn't showed up in many months for some reason?

My other nit is that the DVR lists "No Title" for many programs. I believe it is for digital only channels but it seems to occurs sporatically. Anyone know the fix for this or why it occurs?

I have no cablecard or box and a non-digital comcast subscription.

I REALLY like this TV and there is still NOTHING in its class on the market (NO FEE HD DVR). If there is - I would like to know about it - not including HTPC.

casybea, thanks for your updates...

Replacing the HDD is very easy. Someone posted earlier how to do it.

Basically you have to take the back of the TV off and then there are a bunch more screws you have to take out (including the little screws near the HDMI ports and the analog inputs. You also have to unscrew the nuts around the cable and antenna inputs and the nuts holding the serial port and the DVI port)

Anyway after you take out all of the screws I recommend you take out the bracket the holds the HDD.

You simply replace the HDD and after you format it you are ready to go. I couldn't copy the HDD to the new HDD.

Be careful when replacing the back of the TV. The little button for the cablecard can get in the way. Make sure it is pushed up.

I currently have a 500GB HDD in my TV.

-mk

My tv keeps giving me an error code 101 screen that the HDD needs to be reformatted or sometimes it even says HDD not detected. If I go to the options menu the "HDD Format" is greyed out so it wont even let me format the drive. When I unplug the tv for a few minutes the HDD Format option comes back in the options menu. Then it it lets me reformat, but after a few days I get the warning screen again saying that there was a problem with my HDD and to reformat or contact LG. Has anyone experienced this recurring problem? The only thing I can think of is that the HDD is probably failing. From reading previous posts, I'm assuming I need to get another SATA drive and replace it as described. Could anyone suggest what brand and model number drive I should buy? Can I just install any SATA hard drive? or is there a specific kind I need to get? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. I really LOVE this tv because of the built in HD DVR and Tv Guide and I wish they would still make something similar.

I recommend a seagate DVR HDD. You can get them relatively cheap online.

Go to the seagate website and pick the model you want.

-mk

I looked at the Seagate website and is it the DB35 series that I need to get? Will any of them work in this TV? They have different series...like Seagate 7200.2, DB35.3, and DB35.4. Sorry if these are dumb questions...but I really don't know much about this at all. Can you recommend a specific one I need to get and a online store where I can get it cheap? Thanks!

Go with a DB35.3 and pick the size you want. Copy the model number and paste it into google and pick the store you want to buy it from.

-mk

My tv just quit working. It will be on for less than a minute and then the screen will go blank and I cannot change the channel or even turn the tv off without unplugging. The tv doesn't function at all. I think it's because the fan stops spinning and I called LG and they gave me the number of a local tv repair shop that will fix the tv for free with proof of purchase. I can't look at my purchase on BestBuy.com anymore. Anyone else having this problem?

Sounds like it is going into "protect" mode because of the fan not working. The TV is shutting down so nothing will get burnt out.

-mk

I had that problem. It was the power supply.

Bah. I've had this tv for 2.5 years now, and I seem to have lost my second hard drive. I still want to upgrade to a bigger one, but I paid for the PSP from worst-buy, and they will of course install and replace the drive for no charge- again. I expect to have this TV for YEARS. So, I guess when I lose ANOTHER drive in the future, and my PSP has expired, it will then be time to get a nice 500G+ hard drive.

I suspect that heat is the culprit......

For anyone out there still following this thread (yay LG owners!), my unit is now picking up TVGOS over the digital-only airwaves. There is another thread here in avs that discusses versions and such, basically, look up how to do the TVGOS diagnostics, you need to confirm your TVGOS firmware is at version 08.01.65. Try the "reset zip code to 00000" trick if you're not yet seeing program data since mid-June.

Also, I hooked up my DTVpal to my AV1 input, so that I can continue to watch other tv shows if something else is recording. The "watch a show with one tuner while recording with the other one" functionality basically disappeared with the analog tv signal. Too bad there's not a way to switch the digital+analog tuner to digital+digital. Anyhow, adding a converter box to AV1 helps, more or less. Just means having to have another remote :-)

I really love this TV - I just wish it was a little less quirky.

Recently, I have been getting a "201" error that requires me to reformat the hard drive. Man, that sucks - I lose everything! It's been happening every couple weeks now for the last few months. I suppose I will call Best Buy since I too have a 5-year service plan. Too bad since I suppose I can put a 500GB drive in for around $100 myself.

One other REALLY annoying quirk is sometimes the guide data will be off an hour. You pull up the guide and it thinks it's an hour early. This happes almost daily. What really sucks is any scheduled recordings won't happen until the following hour - recording a totally different program and missing the one you want. Fortunately, the problem does not affect recordings while the TV is off. What's funny too is the clock in the upper left corner reads the correct time!

Caseybea, I have Comcast so I did not lose all my analog. However, they are dropping analogs monthly for digital versions and my channel choices for live TV while recording are getting limited. We can still watch recorded stuff while recording - Yet there's always that "stop playing recorded program to start current recording and figure out where you left off" bug to contend with ...

I STILL can't believe there are no free HD DVRs on the market (HTPC not included).

Hey, I have an 42LB1DR that is not working. Well, it will work for a few minutes before dying. Then you have to unplug it and leave it alone for an hour or so to get it to sputter again.
I'm looking to sell it for it's useable parts. If anyone is interested in parts from it, or if they want the whole thing for parts, let me know. The screen is good. The caseing is good. Everything is good with the exception of whatever is making it pop out like that. When I called LG, they think it's the digital board. It's too expensive to replace as getting a new TV is not much more than the repair.
Let me know if you want it or any parts from it. Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!

Does anyone have any experience getting a Motorola M-Card to work with the 42LB1DR-UA and Verizon FIOS? I've been through 3 cards so far with no luck.

TV recognizes the card, and the channels change from "Scrambled" to "No Signal". I've got the OOB Signal to Lock and it looks good, but it does not decode any channels beyond the Clear to Air ones.

Does anyone know of a firmware upgrade to this monitor? (Currently using 3.18.1)

Verizon is saying it is a TV problem, LG isn't being much help either.

Thanks.

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to point anyone searching for fixes on this TV/DVR in the right direction. I have 2 of these TV's and both have developed the same problems within 1 year of each other. They have a common problem with the power supplies blowing a few capacitors. Don't let a repair man con you into a $600 fix when all it needs are a few capacitors replaced. A lot of the hard drive problems are probably power supply related as well.

If you experience any of the following problems, it may be from the power supply going bad:
1. Hard drive problems.. Not starting up, ticking & unable to initialize.. unable to spin start up and download the guide data, or hard drive not present. It is possibly the power supply, not the hard drive.
2. You can turn on the TV but there is no picture.. and it turns itself off shortly after.
3. The TV turns itself on or off by itself (but this can be caused by other problems as well.)
4. Reboots

It is common for a few power supply capacitors to blow. It is an easy fix.. the hardest part is to remove the back covers to get to the power supply board. It is explained on fixya.com/support/t790127-lg_42lb1dr or search for 42LB1DR power supply on google. Be sure to discharge the power supply caps before handling the board!.

Well, it's been almost 4 years since I purchased my 42LB1DR. This has been a handy thread (along with the TVGOS thread) - especially during the analog-->Digital transition time in the U.S.

But, I gave up my tv today. Long story short, after *repeated* service calls to my big-box-store's service department to get the DVR and/or Power supply fixed-- they threw in the towel and offered me an extended-warranty replacement.

Given the visual quality of today's tv's compared to only 4 years ago-- I opted in and have turned in my dies-every-8-months television - got a comparable replacement.

As for the DVR? Not a bad idea-- not bad at all. I thought it was the cat's pajamas when I first used it-- but soon discovered quirks, like some programs not recording to completion, etc. And then my hardware problems... Finally, I don't know how long "TV Guide On Screen" is going to continue working. Gemstar is now owned by Rovi, and even today, reception of tv-guide-data is hit or miss, depending on where you live. When it works, it's great. When it doesn't, then...

Anyhow: I finally caved, and got a Tivo. While I feel like a lemming sort of, I at least know I'll be able to get good guide data for years to come, my dvr has features it never had before, etc. I'm not thrilled with the subscription fee, but then, I'll get a lot more now.

that all said, the 42LB1DR was an absolutely awesome ride. I'll still miss 'er.