[dp70]

Well, Cliff Plavin and I have uncovered the procedure for accessing the service menu in the NEC LT150:

1. Press in sequence: help help help enter menu
2. A dialog box will pop up prompting for a password. Press in sequence: down up right up, then press enter
3. The existing menus will now be enhanced with additional menu items until the projector is turned off[/list=a]
   
   
   It may take several tries to get the password dialog to pop up. It seems to help to push the five buttons equally spaced in time over about 3-4 seconds.
   
   
   Here is what changes when the service menu is activated:
   • The Source Select menu now has an Entry List showing all of the source formats supported by the projector
     
   • Numerical values appear alongside all adjustable sliders, making it easy to share configuration values with other owners
     
   • Under Picture->Advanced Options, a "more..." selection appears, leading to a menu with adjustments for: VD delay, Sync protection, Clamp timing, Y/C delay, YTR adjustment, and CTR adjustment
     
   • Under Projector Options, after Setup, there's a Setup 2 where you can enable or disable the projector ID (described in the serial protocol documentation ). You can also arrange to make the projector switch between two different sources based on whether or not pin 8 of the serial connector (on the LT150 side I assume???) is shorted to ground.
     
   • A new Test Patterns menu appears at the bottom of the main menu
   
   
   I don't believe any of the new menu items can harm the projector, but the new parameters under "Advanced Options" can indeed mess up your picture or make the projector lose sync. You should make a note of these settings' values before changing them and experiment methodically.
   
   
   Let's try to keep all discussion of the service menu in this one thread for reference purposes.
   
   
   
   [This message has been edited by Mark Fontana (edited 10-08-2001).]

 

[Petey]

Once again you've done a bang-up job Mark! Now I wish I had a 150 to check out the service menu http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/frown.gif


Pete

 

[Frode]

As if the LT150 doesn't have enough adjustments already http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/tongue.gif


Seriously - great job Mark. I'll be doing some tinkering seeing if this can eliminate my synching issue at 72Hz for instance. Could you or anyone else here for that matter explain what the different new options really are? I know what YC delay is for instance, but YTR and CTR are totally new to me.


------------------

/frode

 

[dp70]

I think YTR and CTR are additional Y/C (luminance/chroma) adjustments... I am really not sure about the others. I didn't have much time to experiment further with the LT150 I had on loan.

 

[jkaiser]

Any chance of starting a table of terms for us less experienced users? Not so much on what to do as much as what it is and whether or not is is something we should be playing with.

 

[uncledeathmonkey]

woo hoo - more knobs to tweak! http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif


nice work - this really makes you wonder how many easter egg features there are hidden away in these products...


now if we could just find the secret knob for turning down the lt150's motion dithering...


[This message has been edited by uncledeathmonkey (edited 10-11-2001).]

 

[Huey]

Can you turn on aspect control and cinema mode with RGB or progressive component like serial control code can? This is cool that you found this out !!!


------------------

Huey ;-]

 

[Gary McCoy]

I had a few minutes after last night's movie, and I tried this on the NEC VT540. This projector will also enter the "SERVICEMENU" in response to the same keystrokes. I suspected that it might, as when I tested both pj's earlier this year, I was struck by the similarity in firmware features.


Three comments: 1) There are more pre-defined VT540 video modes listed in the "Entry List" than appear in the manual. 2) The crosshatch test pattern exactly fills the XGA array and thus is the best way to alighn the projector to the screen, after which you would tweek the DVD player adjustments to match the image overlay to the array itself. 3) I don't remember seeing a "Setup 2" screen for the VT540, although I possibly just missed it.


I thought my pj was "right on" after tweeking with AVIA's pixel cropping screen, in fact I observed last night that there may be 3-4 columns of pixels to the left of the screen on the black frame bordering the screen. I'll be tweeking the setup again this weekend to see if I can get those back.


(Edit) After this weekend, I'll open a second thread under a different header for tweeking the VT540. I'll continue reading this one however, so you gentlemen keep going!


Gary


[This message has been edited by Gary McCoy (edited 10-12-2001).]

 

[tahustvedt]

Is it possible to synch the Lt150 to a 576p-signal in the service-menu? That would really move this little PJ up the list for me.

 

[dp70]

No, I think you will need to modify the firmware to get 576p support.

 

[HNick]

This also works with the 150z. Same procedure. There are a total of 100 source formats (the manual has 48 or so). I don't know what some of them are. The Test Patterns is really quite useful - there are nine of them. I paln to load the log-on sequence into the Pronto in order to get the passcode timing just right.


Thanks Bunches!!! HNick

 

[Frode]

TA - I'll look into it. But if it really is that critical then I think you can just forget it as there are hardly any projectors out there that can handle 576p using component in the first place. You'd need a transcoder or a Skyworth, and even then you'd probably lose aspect ratio control. I will however see what options are available in the service menu.


Alternately - use a HTPC. A Radeon+SBLive based one costs about 6000 NOK inkl mva+shipping and should deliver far better quality with the LT150 for film source discs than the Denon you're currently using.

 

[tahustvedt]

Ok.


The low price on Compo-Data made me consider this projector. It's a lot better than the VT45 for the money. The only other competitor it has (for me) now is the Davis DPX-16.

 

[Frode]

DPX 16 vs. LT150:


ANSI 1000 800

CR 450:1 800:1

480p NO YES

lamp 2000 1000 (1500 if you go by the new numbers for LT150z)


Superior contrast ratio and 480p support (and that means you can use the Denons 480p output) vs. 200 more ANSI lumen and a slightly longer lamp life? I'd know what projector I'd re-buy .


Besides - isn't Davis out of business? As I understand it they only do service, support and emptying stock these days. Who knows how much longer they'll continue to support existing customers. According to the press release at the Davis site they're going to continually downscale operations until there's nothing left.


On the other side of the table there's Nec which shows no indications of slowing down, and has some of the best warranty I've ever experienced. When the ball bearings on my fan broke earlier they shipped me a "new" projector using overnight courier from England - I had it the day after I called them. No questions about where I bought it or when - just the serial number.

 

[Frode]

Update:


I've been messing around with the service menu, and no - it doesn't allow you to mess with the aspect ratio or get 576p working.


What it does however is allow me to improve the chroma delay from my Skyworth. It essentially does the same thing as Mark's firmware update - aligns red and yellow properly. Blue is unfortunately still off. The change was quite dramatic in a way and forced me to do a full recalibration of color. This time I aimed for red and green accuracy at the cost of blue so it doesn't look as well saturated as it otherwise would. The other settings had little to no effect on the picture, and after trying them out a couple of times I just left those on default.

 

[tahustvedt]

Thanks for trying out the service menu, Frode!


The DPX-16 apparently has a good linedoubler.


I like both units a lot, I better decide before the LT150 go out of production and the DPX-16 becomes unavailable.

 

[tahustvedt]

Hmm... I have to postpone the projector-purchase. I got a great offer on some speakers which I had intended to buy later.


Kinda experiencing mixed emotions right now. I reaelly want a projector but the offer is too good to miss out on.


I'll be back!