[JohnnyVolcano]

I just got my dlp set few days ago after going through few rpCRT sets which disappointed me.

The firmware version I have is 214. I have few questions because so far I am not very impressed with the picture I am getting as compared to the picture I see on the same model at places like bestbuy and CC.


1) On HD channels the picture is VERY grainy. I get HD through motorla 5100. I tried both 720p and 1080i output through component. Is there a way to reduce it?


2) "Clay faces" or low bit color depth which is most noticeable on faces - I mostly see it on SD cable and digital cable. It's horridly annoying. I sometimes notice that on HD channels as well. Is there a way to fix or reduce this effect?


3) Is there a definitive guide on tweaking these sets? So far I read gupta's guide and read through few threads here but it only seems to have bits and pieces here and there. The closest thing I have found was Mika_pro spreadsheet. (Thanks)


4) Should I change SM settings before I have 100 hours on the lamp?


5) Could there possibly be anything wrong with the set and should it be returned since my picture doesnt really match the display sets with the capabilites of the DLP I have seen on display at the stores?


Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

 

[Edward98]

I've had this TV for about a month. I have absolutely no complaints about the HD quality of this set. I don't see anything that I would call grainy. However, SD quality is a different story. The picture is horrible to pretty darn good. It varies greatly with the channel I'm watching. For instance, HBO is generally pretty good; but I find that SciFi is just barely watchable. Non-progressive DVD's look almost as good as HD. FYI, I get HD through a Time Warner HD box (Scientific Atlanta - non adjustable output), SD through an SA8000, and DVD through a Sony 7700. The only changes I've made have been to gamma (4->0) and sharpness (very low).


Hope this helps,

Edward

 

[Harvey S]

I'm with Edward98. I've had my HLN5065W for about 6 weeks and it has none of the qualities you mention. HD quality is photographic without any tweaks at all, and the digital cable channels from my Time Warner Pioneer STB are almost as good. It would help to know if you also have a picture quality problem with other inputs such as DVD. If not then I'd check out the Motorola and the signal paths (cables) associated with it.

 

[JohnnyVolcano]

So far I only tried a DVD on my xbox which didn't look too good but then again its probably the xbox. Tonight I will hook up my pc to the set through DVI cable (if I will get it today) or at least through component and try to see what DVDs look like.


Any other ideas or answers to my questions?

 

[htwaits]

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnnyVolcano So far I only tried a DVD on my xbox which didn't look too good but then again its probably the xbox. Tonight I will hook up my pc to the set through DVI cable (if I will get it today) or at least through component and try to see what DVDs look like. Any other ideas or answers to my questions?

Your equipment and details about how it's connected are very important if you want to get the best help. There are several possibilities that might be related to your setup. Details, details, details.

 

[JohnnyVolcano]

Here is what I have connected:

digital cable - motorola 2244 -> coax to TV and composite to replayTV

xbox -> comp1

HD - motorola 5100 - >comp2

OTA sir-t151 ->comp3


Last night I hooked up my pc through component cables to that TV and DVD playback was much better than the xbox (obviously). But still, it lacked detail and the picture was flat compared to the same picture on my 21" sony CRT monitor.

Also HD is grainy through the motorola 5100 more in darker scenes then bright ones. HD through samsung sir-t151 is less grainy but still not getting the crisp picture I expect. Altough again, bright scenes look much better than dark scenes where I can notice banding.


Today I will recieve my DVI cable and will try connecting my pc through DVI and see if DVD playback improves. I will probably head back to look at the display model an look more carefuly and see whether I can detect the same stuff I am seeing on HD.


One more question... Can one DLP set show more banding and clay faces then another set? I am asking this since at BB where I purchased the TV, they had two DLP displayed, the 43" and 50". Both were fed the same signal, and the 43" showed A LOT more banding and clay faces, on the same signal. That lead me to believe that some sets are worse then others and that is why I am thinking of replacing my set.

Am I wrong in this assumption?

 

[htwaits]

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnnyVolcano That lead me to believe that some sets are worse then others and that is why I am thinking of replacing my set. Am I wrong in this assumption?

I don't know if there are set to set differences in PQ from hardware but there sure are differences from user menu and service menu differences.


If you don't get help in this thread right away try starting a new thread with a more specific subject.


"Need help with bad PQ OOTB on new HLN5065 with ver. 214"


You have the same firmware version (214) that is making a lot of people happy. That version has very good tweaks available for it.


Another thing you can try is to ask someone like Ken Land in this thread.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...10#post2661210


Personally I think your set should look better OOTB but it may just be a setup problem. I don't have an xbox but I wonder if it is putting out a progressive signal. If it is you might switch it to non-progressive mode and let the Faroudja chip in your Samsung do the work.


See what Ken has to say. I wouldn't hesitate to exchange the set.


By the way, some people get their PCs working with the Samsung very easily. Others have a lot of trouble, so you may not be able to do a quick test that way. PC configurations can be a "real" pain.