HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

I have a 3-year-old, 51-inch widescreen Sony HDTV. My problem is that the Timer/Standby on the console is blinking five consecutive times, pausing for a half-second and then repeating the process. This just started happening last night.

The good news is that I still have a picture and sound; the bad news is that I talked to someone from Sony today and she told me that I should expect future problems. So ... I figured I'd check on this forum to see if any of you guys have experienced a similar issue. Thanks in advance for any help/tips you might have for me, especially since I don't have the money at this time to spend big bucks on repairs or a new HDTV.

On a related note, any HDTV owners -- Sony or other company -- here who have also experienced problems with a set younger than 4 years old?

I would definately have a tech come and look at it. Usually the blinking lights can be deciphered in the user manual, so check there first.

As for problems, I've had several:

32" Panasonic Tau:
-Six months noticed green tint on top left and bottom right
-After repair noticed red tint on top right
-After third repair the set wouldn't turn on and I had a replacement "no lemon" exchange for a 32" Sony Wega

32" Sony Wega
-bowing on horizontal lines (weakness of CRT in general), looked at by tech and later fixed in the service menu by myself

50" Samsung DLP HL-R5067W
-After three months HDMI input stopped working, part was "currently unavailable" with no ETA. Had analog board replaced despite telling the repair tech that it was a digital board problem. After two months of nothing finally got Best Buy to swap for the...

KDS-R50XBR1 50" Sony SXRD, of which I've had for three months and love it! It's not like I take bad care of my stuff...I've just had bad luck. I border on "obsessive compulsiveness" and my gear is always immaculate, something my wife can't stand. Oh well, I'm sure none of the problems I've had are widespread. It's just that I was in the minority of users with problems. Though THANKFULLY I've never had a console crap out, and I've purchased three launch systems so far!

[brewcity]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

I would definately have a tech come and look at it. Usually the blinking lights can be deciphered in the user manual, so check there first.

As for problems, I've had several:

32" Panasonic Tau:
-Six months noticed green tint on top left and bottom right
-After repair noticed red tint on top right
-After third repair the set wouldn't turn on and I had a replacement "no lemon" exchange for a 32" Sony Wega

32" Sony Wega
-bowing on horizontal lines (weakness of CRT in general), looked at by tech and later fixed in the service menu by myself

50" Samsung DLP HL-R5067W
-After three months HDMI input stopped working, part was "currently unavailable" with no ETA. Had analog board replaced despite telling the repair tech that it was a digital board problem. After two months of nothing finally got Best Buy to swap for the...

KDS-R50XBR1 50" Sony SXRD, of which I've had for three months and love it! It's not like I take bad care of my stuff...I've just had bad luck. I border on "obsessive compulsiveness" and my gear is always immaculate, something my wife can't stand. Oh well, I'm sure none of the problems I've had are widespread. It's just that I was in the minority of users with problems. Though THANKFULLY I've never had a console crap out, and I've purchased three launch systems so far!

Thanks for the advice. I am glad to hear that your Sony is working good, especially after all the past problems you experienced with HDTVs! My circumstances are similar in that I've always taken good care of my HDTV, which made it all the more surprising to have this problem after only three years of ownership.

[Scottdau]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Kool, I have a Bestbuy question? If I get your service plan what does that cover, if you know? And also, if I have a problem with the set do I bring it back to bestbuy or does a service tech. come out?
Thanks, Scott

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Just a FYI for those looking for inexpensive HDTVs: Check your local walmart. Maybe it was just mine here in Columbia, SC but they had most of their display CRT HDTVs in the 28-30 inch range on clearance. They had 2 28inch widescreen Sanyos with the digital tuner integrated for $265. Also had 3 30inch Phillips widescreen HD-ready monitors for $345.

I almost pulled the trigger on the 28inch Sanyo as an impulse buy. The girlfriend reminded me that I didn't have the space in my bedroom for it.

[ODogg]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Hey guys what do you think of this 56" samsung DLP as I'm looking at getting a bigger set than the 30" samsung CRT i have now in time for NCAA 07

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...UseBVCookie=No

[Jistic]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Hey guys what do you think of this 56" samsung DLP as I'm looking at getting a bigger set than the 30" samsung CRT i have now in time for NCAA 07

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...UseBVCookie=No

I love this line. Does this have one or two HDMI's? The 5678 does have two, just something to keep in mind.

Check it out...

http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/DLPTV/HLR5678WXXAA.asp

[ODogg]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

I love this line. Does this have one or two HDMI's? The 5678 does have two, just something to keep in mind.

Check it out...

http://www.samsung.com/Products/TV/D...R5678WXXAA.asp

Yeah this one does have two, as far as I can tell it's just about the same as the 5678 you cited above, only the one in my post has picture in picture. I really only use picture in picture in football season but I figure if i'm spending this much on a tv i want to get the works and PIP is awfully cool to have to watch 2 games or play Madden while you keep your eye on a blowout.

I've also thought if I got PIP and could hookup my PC to this TV I could bring up fantasy football stats and keep it on the tv in the corner while watching a game which would be cool so I wouldn't have to keep going to my PC to check my FFL stats.

Just wondering if anyone has any bad things to say about DLP or not? I have a very dark room (i'm a mole basically and have all outdoor light blocked in my bedroom) and will use this for tv (50%), movies (20% and videogaming (30%) proportionally.

Also, has anyone had any luck with online vendors? Because I found some much cheaper prices than Circuit City and Bestbuy but i'm a little bit scared to spend $2500-$3000 on some vendor I haven't dealt with before online.

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Yeah this one does have two, as far as I can tell it's just about the same as the 5678 you cited above, only the one in my post has picture in picture. I really only use picture in picture in football season but I figure if i'm spending this much on a tv i want to get the works and PIP is awfully cool to have to watch 2 games or play Madden while you keep your eye on a blowout.

I've also thought if I got PIP and could hookup my PC to this TV I could bring up fantasy football stats and keep it on the tv in the corner while watching a game which would be cool so I wouldn't have to keep going to my PC to check my FFL stats.

Just wondering if anyone has any bad things to say about DLP or not? I have a very dark room (i'm a mole basically and have all outdoor light blocked in my bedroom) and will use this for tv (50%), movies (20% and videogaming (30%) proportionally.

Also, has anyone had any luck with online vendors? Because I found some much cheaper prices than Circuit City and Bestbuy but i'm a little bit scared to spend $2500-$3000 on some vendor I haven't dealt with before online.

Check for rainbows first and foremost. I had the 50" 720p version and noticed them, but realize now on my SXRD that I REALLY saw them and they degraded the image. PM me and I can tell you how to check.

If you are going to use a PS2 or GC on it you "might" notice some lag, even with the Samsung "GAME" mode initialized. For me DDR on PS2 was absolutely unplayable (the timing was all off).

Other than those two issues, the DLP image quality was fantastic. Rainbows rarely bothered me and I saw them occasionally. The problem might even be less on the 1080p set or the new HL-S models. And whatever you do, don't hotswap your HDMI inputs. My calibrator fried mine which led to me getting the SXRD after the part never came in.

[koolbubbaice]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Hey guys what do you think of this 56" samsung DLP as I'm looking at getting a bigger set than the 30" samsung CRT i have now in time for NCAA 07

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...UseBVCookie=No

It's a good set..Too bad Samsung inflates the contrast ratio on their spec sheet to decieve the public.. 10,000:1 yeah..More like 2,500:1.

[Scottdau]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Well thanks Kool,
I bought a 970 today. I bought it at Best buy and got the matching the stand at Sony.com. Thanks for all your help. I am having Direct TV come Friday. I figure since I already have them, I will go with their HD. I could have got a 960, but I don't think I will see the difference, because I am so dumb when it comes to Tech things lol. And it was 600 more!

[Jistic]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

I'm REALLY starting to lean towards the Grand Wega..

Yummy

I haven't heard a bad thing about it.

[ODogg]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

I'm REALLY starting to lean towards the Grand Wega..

Yummy

I haven't heard a bad thing about it.

Yeah i was looking at Sony too but the SXRD set. I went to the local Circuit City store last night to look at Samsung 55" and the Sony 50" is clearly a slightly better appearing picture, the blacks are blacker, the darned thing nearly looks like a CRT. But I hate the Sony has a 50" screen but takes up 57" of room because of those ******** speakers I wouldn't even use whereas the Samsung has a 55" screen and takes up 51" of room. Plus the Sony is $1000 more.

So now I have to decide:

a) better looking screen, but a smaller screen, larger cabinet for $1000 more
b) not quite as good of looking screen, a larger screen, save $1000

Also, I had a TV repairmen buddy back about 8 or so years ago who said the Sony Wega's were a repairman's best friend and to avoid them, but again, that was a long time ago (ancient in tech terms) but a little leery of Sony because of it. And on the flip side I've got a Samsung and it's worked great, and not heard any negatives about their TV's. With all that being said I'm leaning toward the Sony SXRD at the moment because that picture is just insane.

[Jistic]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Yeah i was looking at Sony too but the SXRD set.

That is the SXRD set. Every review I've read just loves it. How much better would you say the picture was? Only slightly?

[ODogg]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

That is the SXRD set. Every review I've read just loves it. How much better would you say the picture was? Only slightly?

Hmm...i've bounced back and forth a bit on it..I guess if the Sony SXRD is 100 (with 100 being best) then the Samsung I was looking at would be about a 92-94. The one thing for me is I usually watch TV from back about 10-11 feet but I do have one place I sit which is quite a bit closer, about 5 foot...and I'm wondering if when I sit closer i'll notice the Samsungs picture being worse more because it seems these types of TV's have flaws magnified the closer you are to the set. I dunno though, at least I've managed to narrow it down to these 2 sets I guess..LOL.

[Jistic]

Re: HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

Hmm...i've bounced back and forth a bit on it..I guess if the Sony SXRD is 100 (with 100 being best) then the Samsung I was looking at would be about a 92-94. The one thing for me is I usually watch TV from back about 10-11 feet but I do have one place I sit which is quite a bit closer, about 5 foot...and I'm wondering if when I sit closer i'll notice the Samsungs picture being worse more because it seems these types of TV's have flaws magnified the closer you are to the set. I dunno though, at least I've managed to narrow it down to these 2 sets I guess..LOL.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I'm going up to CC this weekend to see them in person.