Archive through April 04, 2005
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Bronze Member Username: Mr_sparksVista1, Ca Usa Post Number: 15 Registered: Jan-05 | RCA TV Owner - If their policy is clear, and the exclusion does not exist, like you say, you would probably win a charge-back to your credit card. You would just have to prove it to your credit card company. First read the terms of sale very carefully. Charge-back is a nusiance, but you could force a return. The vendor does not want too many charge-backs, so you could tell the vendor you will contact your credit card company for a charge-back. Maybe he'll give in? Worth trying? Mr Sparks |
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Unregistered guest | I heard that replacement bulbs for the rca dlps cost around $600. Is this correct. It is a scary number. |
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twocents Unregistered guest | My buying online experience: Reading the good reviews regarding bigbangelectronics.com, I called and talked to Bill who was very knowledgeable and kind. After that, I ordered a 61" RCA DLP TV online. That was four days ago. My credit card was charged immediately, but I received no order confirmation so far. My email enquiring about the order and delivery was completely ignored. So today I called and talked to Jason who promised to check and email me the tracking No. I have yet to find his email. Just an update on this retailer for those of you contemplating buying from them |
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RCA TV Owner Unregistered guest | I was contacted by Jackie from Big Bang yesterday. She apologized for the mess my order has become and has pledged to work with me on it, hopefully to result in getting a new TV. I will post an update on this hopefully sometime next week. Apparently 3 of big Bang's last 5 orders from RCA have had major problems, either a bad bulb or light engine. Not good. |
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RCA TV Owner Unregistered guest | I have decided to decline the replacement TV offer from Big Bang since my original TV is nearly ready at the repair shop. I did appreciate the offer though and I do now think that Big Bang is an honest shop. I would advise anyone here to deal with Jackie if you have any problem with your Big Bang order. |
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New RCA TV owner Unregistered guest | I got my first HD-TV(HD50LPW42 50 incher) from Costco, but I can't locate the tv from RCA web site. Does anyone know why it is not listed in both product section and support section? Also does anyone know how long the lamp last and where in RCA web site I can locate that so I can check the price? Thanks much. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | The HD50LPW42 has the same internal specs as the HDLP50151. Two external differences, yours should have a silver bezel instead of black and the 151 has a "no-glare" screen that unfortunately causes more glare than most people can stand! As far as pricing a replacement bulb, do yourself a favor and don't. If you have a weak heart you will go into cardiac arrest. Most replacement bulbs in other DLP's run around $200 or so, the RCA requires replacement of the complete light assembly, that said it is more than three times the cost of just the bulbs themselves. I hope you know you bought last years model with the HD2 light engine and not the HD2+ light engine. xvxvxvx |
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New RCA TV owner Unregistered guest | Thanks for answering my question. Do you know how long the light bulb last? Also, I connect my computer to it via DVI-D cable, but RCA monitor compus up as plug and play monitor with 680 x 480 resolution. And can't change the setting. Is this only resolution this tv can support for dvi connection or there is a driver that can handle full resolution of TV. My computer is XP professional with Radion 9000 video cand. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | You need to download a shareware video driver utility called powerstrip. The latest version can be downloaded here: http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm xvxvxvx |
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Anonymous | To the person who posted the message about Big Bang's "30 day total satisfaction guarantee" is bogus and misleading at best and may in fact be downright fraudulent. I to have a story just like this and would like to email you about it please let me know your email address. I am going to try to get a charge back from my credit card co. |
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New RCA TV owner Unregistered guest | Hi Anonymous, I have gotten things worked out with Jackie at Big Bang. Please talk to her - not someone else - if you have not already. She will work with you if you have a legitimate complaint. I'd really rather not leave my email address on an open forum. If, however, you want to leave yours I'll be glad to contact you. |
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Lyles Unregistered guest | To XVXVXVX. I did more research on the cost of rca replacement bulbs. The new line (the 165 series) bulb replacement cost is about $200 vs. the $600 cost of previous series'. Are you aware of this. Unfortunately, they use the hd3 chip in the new series not the hd2+ chip which is better. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | Yes Lyles thanks for the information. My post was pretty much specific to the model owned by Mr. New RCA TV owner. Too bad about the HD3 chips, Samsung is doing the same thing, however Mr. New RCA TV owners display has the HD2 chipset in the light engine. xvxvxvx |
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Anonymous | I have an hd61lpw165 and I am trying to access my email but it says I have to enable the brouser to accept the cookies. Is this possible with this setup or is it web access only and if so how? I like to thank everyone on this forum because it helped me hook up the wireless internet because the instructions are vague at best and the dealer dont know squat!God help if RCA gave you a 800 tech support for the laymans. |
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Anonymous | me again,correction it is not a hd61lpw165 but a hd61thw263 otherwise the same as above |
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Geek2 Unregistered guest | Bring up Internet Explorer. At the top choose "Tools", then "Internet Options". Click on the "Privacy" tab. Set the bar to Medium. Click "Apply", then "OK". |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 9 Registered: Dec-04 | What is the difference between the HD2+ chip and the HD3 chip? I've heard that the HD2+ chip is better, what is better about it? I read that the HD3 chip cost less to produce, is that true? Where can you go to get this information? I looked on the TI web site and could not find anything. |
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FYI Unregistered guest | HD2 This is TI's second generation DLP HD engine with 720 x 1280 pixels. This model is also called referred to as the Mustang DLP chip. It offers better black levels and a better contrast ratio (around 1000:1 when used in a rear projection TV or 2000:1 when used in a front projector) than most LCD projectors, but not as good as the latest DLP engines (see below). The physical size of the image arer of the imaging chip is 0.8 inch diagonal. HD2+ (Mustang) This is TI's upgrade to their second generation DLP HD engine with 720 x 1280 pixels. The Plus (+) version of the Mustang DLP engine has improved black levels and contrast ratios (around 2000:1 when used in a rear projection TV or 4000:1 when used in a front projector) as compared to the original HD-2 version. Also the associated signal processing electronics have reduced digital noise as compared to the HD2 based designs. HD3 Although the HD3 is a third generation 720 x 1280 pixels it is not a replacement for the HD2+ series. Rather TI has figured out how to make the imaging chip's overall dimensions smaller (0.55 inch as compared to 0.8 inch with the HD2 series) and at a lower manufacturing cost. The performance in terms of black level and contract ratio (around 1500:1 when use in a rear projection TV) is a better than the original HD2 but is a notch below that of the HD2+. You can expect the see the HD3 light engine in lower cost DLP projectors with the more expensive models using the HD2+ engine. xHD3 This new light engine is expected to first appear in late 2004 in a 61 inch Samsung rear projection TV. The xHD3 (not be be confused with the lower resolution HD3) will be the first DLP engine to support 1080 x 1920 pixels for the high definition resolution. The xHD3 is expected to be the DLP engine of choice for consumers desiring the best possible performance. The version TI is releasing in late 2004 is designed for rear projectors while a version designed specifically for front projectors may not be released until late 2005 or 2006. |
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T-Cat Unregistered guest | FYI, what sets use the xHD3 chip? Nothing appears to be out yet. It may be important to note that it doesn't really have 1920 pixels; it uses pixel-doubling to simulate them by oscillation. My fantasy is a 1080x1920 DLP or solid-blacks LCOS in a 42" set, but they don't seem to want to make small ones. |
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FYI Unregistered guest | The Samsung HL-P6197W at $6,499 (est. retail price) has a 61 inch picture and uses the xHD3 DLP engine with 1080 x 1920 pixels supporting a native 1080p resolution. It will have a 3000:1 contrast ratio and will use a 10,800rpm 7-segment color wheel. Included is an integrated digital cable ready tuner and a CableCard slot (bad idea) for receiving standard and high definition programming via cable TV. I also heard about the HLR-XX68 non-pedestal and XX88 pedestal series. All are supposedly coming this summer and fall. http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20050106_00 00090605 |
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Anonymous | I mentioned above with the trouble getting my email and I thank you for the info but how do I get to the internet exploer? When I push the web button on the keyboard it throws me to a RCA webpage with several options.I have to hit the address button so I can change sites.I dont see anything else to click on unless it is off the screen and I dont see it.I am sorry I sound so pathetic but Im still learning,Thanx Andrew |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 10 Registered: Dec-04 | Viewing Photos on your TV Last weekend, I ran across the information that I needed to display photos on my RCA TV. Of course, the first step is to get connected to the Internet. I posted how I accomplished that earlier. The instructions are rather hard to find on the RCA web site. Here is the URL (delete anything that appears before http) EI700544-CI266%2C00.html?,http://www.rca.com/content/viewdetail/1,,EI700544-CI26 6,00.html? You should also download the software that RCA recommends for viewing the pictures as instructed. You first install Windows Internet Information Services (IIS) on your computer. Then you put the downloaded files in the wwwroot directory and access your "server" from the TV. The instructions tell you to place your images in the "pictures" directory. On my computer, this did not work. I had to create an "images" directory instead. The instructions recommend all pictures be resized to 600 x 440 and that files should be less than 60kb. Viewing files larger than that is possible but may cause problems (lock-ups) and may require scrolling to see the whole image. This proposed image size is much smaller than your screen, I resized mine to 600 pixels tall and they looked much better but some of the file sizes were bigger than 100kb. To resize your photos, you need a batch processor to do the work for you. I have PhotoShop Elements and it works fine. I'm sure that other programs are available for this purpose. On my TV, a list of the photos file names are displayed on the left side of the screen, you select one and a new window opens displaying the photo. You have to close the window to go back to the list and select another. The downloaded files also included a html file that seems much more user friendly than just a list of file names. Unfortunately, this file would not work on my system. If you find otherwise, please let me know how to get it to work. Once you get through the basics, you can create web pages for use on your TV. I find it difficult to remember what web pages are saved to my FAV buttons on the keyboard, so I created a list of favorite links as an html file on my computer (wwwroot directory) and stored it as a favorite on the keyboard. I plan on trying the PhotoShop Elements "Create Photo Gallery" option to see if it does a better job of displaying photos. If you come up with other shortcuts, please share them in this forum. The pictures look great displayed on the high definition TV. This will definitely replace the slide projector for showing off photos. On the down side, as I have stated before, having a computer in your TV brings problems with it. Specifically, locking up, I had my TV lock up displaying a low memory error message that required restarting the TV and resetting the browser connection through the TV menus. |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 20 Registered: Oct-04 | I had a very similar experience with setting up my "photo album", including the lock up and low memory errors. I've since determined the lock up to be a direct cause of NOT using the included "default.html" file. My only suggestion is to make sure that's in the wwwroot directory. I started out the same as you, opening and closing files directly. It was very cumbersome using it like that and I was extremely disappointed. Since getting is setup properly and using the file as designed it works very smooth and I've not had a single problem. I think that's worth repeating, I've not had a SINGLE problem. I've transferred all of my digital photos into the system and I'm in the process of scanning and cataloging old family photos going back as far as 1891. I've spent hours and hours putting in literally thousands of pictures (and newspaper clippings and kids art and old traffic tickets, anything I can scan). I've set up seperate directories for each person or event and stored the images accordingly. It is very cool to say the least. I'm absolutely in awe at the quality of the displayed picture of old black and white snapshots. These photos start out as 3" (approx) square and blow up to the full size of my 61" TV. I've decided the optimum picture size is 910 pixels wide by 620 pixels high. Depending on how I crop the final picture you have to watch both height and width, I don't exceed either dimension. If you larger than that you end up with the scroll bars as you indicated. |
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Geek2 Unregistered guest | Anon, I've never known any version of Microsoft Windows that didn't include a version of the "Internet Explorer" web browser. I'm not familiar with RCA's version of accessing the web. What's most likely ocurring is that RCA has their own web browser version that they are defaulting to, for you to use. I'm assuming you have a normal desktop with the "Start" button in the bottom left corner. Click on "Start" then look for the blue "e" designating Microsoft's version of Internet Explorer. If you don't see it, go to "All Programs" and look for it there. |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 21 Registered: Oct-04 | RCA uses the Windows "CE" browser. It is a very "limited function" version and there is no menu at the top or Start button at the bottom. As far as I know there is no way to enable "cookies". If someone has done it I'd be very interested in how. |
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Geek2 Unregistered guest | Yea...I just read about it. Looks like a Palm Pilot version. Sorry Anon! |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 8 Registered: Jan-05 | I cannot find inetpub/wwwroot folder in C: drive of XP.....????? I also cannot find IIS in the windows components wizard....????? I have service pack 2 loaded |
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new162user Unregistered guest | Can anyone help me? I purchased a RCA SCENIUM HD50LPW162 a few months ago and once in a while I loose the picture and sound. It doesn't matter if I am watching a DVD or my satalite receiver. The picture sometimes comes back on it's own but no sound. If I scroll through the input selection the picture and sound come back. I had a service man come in and replace the input board in the back of the set but that didn't fix it. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong. Thanks |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 22 Registered: Oct-04 | Sounds like the service man needs to pay you another visit. I've had my 61" 163 for 4-1/2 months now, nothing like that has ever happened. Trouble free and still very pleased. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Can anyone tell me if the newer Scenium models (162, 163, 164, 165) will accept a 720p input signal via HDMI or component inputs? It was my understanding that the first generation models would not accept 720p. Also, are the light engines on these models still made by InFocus? Thanks for any info, Mike |
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PFC5 Unregistered guest | Mike Domenic: All of the models you mentioned (162,163,164,165) WILL ACCEPT 720p. I have the HD50LPW164 on "loan" from Best Buy waiting for them to get more 162 models (with HD2+ chip) in stock. I will say that if they give me another $400.00 off I will just keep the 164 (with HD3 chip). It has a great picture on the 164, but is not quite as sharp or bright as the 162. The new RCAs have THE best DLP picture I have seen because they have the best Shadow detail with virtually no video noise or pixelation in shadows. The LGs have the worst pixelation in shadows and dark areas. I tried 6 of the LG RU-44SZ63D models and they ALL had problems with dark/shadow areas. Some were better than others but they all had problems. My friend has tried 2 LG plasmas and they BOTH have the same problems with shadows and dark areas. This appears to be a problem with the electronics of ALL LGs. Run don't walk away from the LGs. IMHO |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 14 Registered: Mar-05 | I just got back from bestbuy after sitting and watching the RCA HD50LPW162 for an hour amoungst other sets. It really has a superior picture. As I said in another thread, it is as good as plasma. |
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Anon2 Unregistered guest | Lots of problems on this thread! |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Thanks PFC5 and Roberta! Actually, I purchased the HD61LPW164 from Best Buy and I'm now waiting for it to be delivered. While waiting, I stumbled across the 720p discussion and started to worry. I made my purchase based on many of the comments in this forum (and other online reviews of the new RCA models). I also spent time watching the 50in 162 and Best Buy and really liked the picture compared to the other sets on display. Unfortunately, even though I went in planning to buy the HD61LPW162, Best Buy said that it had been replaced by the 164, and they couldn't get the 162 anymore. I even asked them to recheck on two separate occasions, and got the same answer both times. In fact, the 162 and 164 were listed under the same SKU, same price. Given that I think I got a fairly good price ($2500), I figured I'd give the 164 a shot knowing that I could return it. My wife prefers the smoother picture and lack of SDE of the HD3 anyway (seen on the Samsungs). I also bought the extended warranty (and got bulb coverage in writing) given the cost of the RCA bulbs. Heck, if I only replace one, I would have easily made my money back. Thanks for the help, Mike |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 15 Registered: Mar-05 | Hi Mike, Just go back from my local BestBuy. Not sure what is wrong with your BestBuy. I am not buying unti next week when my reward certificates arrive. Anyway.....they have plenty. I again, checked out all of the TV's that were on my list and the RCA was still the best. I can't believe the quality of the picture. Hope your 164 works out! |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Roberta, did you specifically ask about the 61" 162? My Best Buy also had the 50" 162s in stock, but couldn't get me the 61". Thanks for checking though - I may push them a bit harder. Mike |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 16 Registered: Mar-05 | MIke...sorry didn't ask them about the 61". I have a feeling they don't have it either, because they didn't have a sign for it. They have the 124 version of the 61". I will be going back in next week sometime and will ask specifically about it. I'll let you what I find out. |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | MIKE- Similar experience at Best Buy. I bought the 162, but receipt said 164. I raised issue (I wanted the HD2+). He checked and told me all the models they carry are actually HD50LPW162. ??? Very odd. He mumbled some words, but could not provide an explanation except to say they really only stock the 162. And that's what the yellow tag says in the store. Yet the receipt will say 164. Note the 3/6 Sunday ad for the TV..it says 164/162. Anyway, my unit is truly a 162 model. Box says so, label on back of unit says so. FUnny story--the guys up front would not let me out since my receipt said model 164 and the unit brought up front was a 162. They had to call back and be told that essentially 164's are really 162's! Huh? BBY has something funny going on with this model. (FYI-I live in MN if this is somehow a regional thing.) Anyway, I have a 162...and like it! Now my only fear is that RCA is playing some tricks and that they switched the 162 from HD2+ to HD3 (for cost savings). My model was manufactured in November 2004 in Mexico. Any techies know of a way to verify the TI chipversion? Is it visible (and labeled) from the lamp repalcement area. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | RCA is not playing the games, it is Best Buy. The 162 does have the HD2+ chipset. xvxvxvx |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | I believe you (the 162 has HD2+), but one more twist. RCA spec sheets indicate the 162 has a Silver Shark color around the screen. ANd that is what bestbuy dot com photo's show for the 162. The 164 has a BLACK frame around the screen. HOWEVER, the 162's on display in Bestbuy have a BLACK (not silver) frame around screen. (It is a much cooler look BTW). i.e. they look like the 164 and do not look like the RCA spec sheet says for a 162 or what the bby.com photos show for the 162. Further circumstantial evidence of some strange hybrid or merging of the models. xvxvxvx, you seem to be somewhat of an RCA insider. Can you elaborate on this oddity? |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 22 Registered: Mar-05 | SCBrown - The 162 is extremely hard to find. Apparently, Bestbuy was one of few (if not the only)retailer to have them. They are out of stock and there are very few floor models left. I was just able to locate a floor model after calling all the stores in my metro area. The SKU# that they have associated with the 162 is really the SKU for the 164. They have done this because they are sold out of the 162. I loved the PQ of the 162 (because of the HD2+ chip) and was going to buy one last night at my local BB. That is when I found out all of this info. They offered me their floor model (at a discount), but when they were unplugging it, noticed it had a sold tag on it. Someone yesterday morning had bought. Warehouse was empty too. Hence my calling around. |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Roberta, I do love my 162, and was happy to get it March 5 at an in store price of 2373. On March 6th (in ad and in store) the price went to 2499 (and they called that a $300 price drop!) In Minneapolis area they had 14 on hand...14 of the 162 and ZERO of the 164. The one I got had a broken strap on the box...they called that open box, and gave me another 10% off. Final price 2136.99. I am very very happy to have this HD2+ set for this price. It was next to much more $$ sets such as the new Mitsu, and though subjective it looked much crisper. (PS you can get the 162 online at BBY for 2499 free ship...considered that?) But what still confuses me is the (164 distinguishing) black frame on the 162. Perhaps RCA made the switch from silver to black ...but why? Call me paranoid, but I have worked in manufacturing a long time. It is not outrageous that RCA could have done a mid-life cost reduction/commonality effort...resulting in a 162 that looks like a 164 AND heaven forbid has a HD3 chip. xvxvxvx tells me not to worry, but still it is curious. The 162 does have a great great picture and I'd be happy to answer any questions. |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 25 Registered: Mar-05 | SCBrown - Glad to hear you got a good price. I had made my decision to buy the 162 the beginning of March when the price was $2373. Unfortunately, I was waiting for a significant amount of BestBuy Gift Cards (rewards from using my credit card). They arrived Tuesday and I went in yesterday to find the price up to $2499. They were going to give me a 10% discount and with purchase I also gettin $300 worth of BB gift certificates. So, when they realized that they did actually have any and offered the floor model they took another 5% off which made it $2126. I am hoping that I will get the same deal on the floor model that is being shipped from another store. I too, chose this above any other TV, because of the quality of the picture. I agree that it was better than set in the store. Every on has been raving about the new Samsung pedistal (5085) but I think this RCA is better. BBY on-line is only shipping the 164. When you drill down on the add you will see that the model number is the 164 and the specs confirm. I will keep you posted on this story! |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Hi all...I know I haven't been around for a few days, but I just got caught up on this thread. Sounds like there really is a lot of confusion over the 162/164 thing at Best Buy. For what it's worth, my TV arrived today. If you remember my story, my receipt did say I was getting the HD61LPW164 - but to my pleasant surprise, what arived was a brand new HD61LPW162!!! Joy! An HD2+ 61" TV with built in tuner for $2500! Yippeee! It also has the black bezel, but it is definitely the HD2+ chip (unless RCA is pulling a fast one and using the HD2). For those concerned about RCA pulling a switch to the HD3, I wouldn't worry. It's really easy to tell if you have the HD3 - just look at the onscreen menu close up. The HD2+ exhibits a very obvious screen door effect (ie - you can see the individual pixels clearly), and the pixels are square. The HD3 image is much softer, you can't see the lines between the pixels (VERY little SDE), and the pixels are diamond shaped. As far as my set is concerned, I'm not sure what to say yet. The images are bright, and the set is quiet, but it's going to take some getting used to. I've never had a big screen TV before, and the 'softness' of the SD images is a little bothersome. Our one local HD channel doesn't look all that great either. The compression artifacts are rather annoying - making many of the images lack depth. In addition, even though I've never seen it before in stores, the rainbow effect is clearly there. I don't think any of this has to do with my particular set - it's just that I'm going to have to get used to the images looking well - more digital. Anyway, thanks to everyone for the feedback and info...I'll post some additional experiences after I've played around for a few days. Mike |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 29 Registered: Mar-05 | Hi Mike... Oh no! I was hoping you would post that your TV was "the bomb".  It is interesting that you didn't see the rainbow effect at the store, but do at home. I hope that isn't the case with us. Since, I am surprising my husband with this purchase, we are not taking delivery until he is on a business trip at the end of the month. I plan on having it all installed and running to surprise him when he comes home. Just in time for the Red Sox opening day game! Sounds like you may need to calibrate the TV. Check some of the other threads for the names of calibration software. Maybe that will help. Hope you enjoy. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Yeah...the rainbow effect is really bad for me. It's stressful on my eyes. I don't know why I never saw it before (although I had seen it on front projectors). On the plus side, the signal strength was really good on our only HD channel a few minutes ago, and the picture was OUTSTANDING. If I can convince my mind to ignore the rainbow effect (or minimize it by calibration or something), then I would definitely say I made the right decision. I really do like the set. The menu system is great too - very clear and explained. I have noticed some slight lip sync issues, but ONLY on channels sending in Dolby Digital 5.1. I'm thinking that this is either a function of Dish Network and their receiver, or my Yamaha receiver. Since it doesn't happen anywhere else, I'm convinced that the TV isn't the cause. (So nobody run away from here complaining that RCA has lip sync issues!!!) I'll keep you posted... Oh yeah, and my wife came home and complained about being able to see the 'dots' - which to me is a good thing!!!:-) Mike |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Ok...another update. The rainbow effect is starting to give me a headache. I'm really bummed. Is there any chance that even though I got the HD2+, I'm suffering from an older color wheel technology (slower, fewer segments)? If I went with an HD3 set, would I get a better color wheel setup? If so, I may risk calling Best Buy and beating them into giving me a 164 - since that is what I actually purchased ;-). Also, have any of you with 162s or 163s noticed a series of faint vertical lines that appear in gray areas when watching SD TV? I'm not sure what to make of them yet. My guess would be that they have something to do with scaling the image from 480i to 720p for display - like rounding errors. Ya know, like when you take a grey image on a PC and resample it, sometimes you get artifacts due to rounding errors during the resample. These lines don't appear when watching HD, so I don't think they are a defect (like stuck mirrors or pels) - I'm more guessing it's in the SD translation algorithm. Any ideas? Thanks for all the help, Mike |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 30 Registered: Mar-05 | Hey Mike, I'm bummed to hear about your experiences with the RCA. I, too am still having problems getting a 162. Went to BestBuy today expecting to pick up my TV and they told me the floor model that was shipped in from another store is in fact a 164! But they apparently have located another floor model at a store over a 100 miles away. They are waiting to see if the GM of that store will ship this way. The RCA sales guy was at the store this morning and I asked him about the rainbow effect. He says he hasn't heard of this problem with the 162 and 164 sets. It apparently happend with the HD2 chips, He also told that there are no more 162s anywhere in stock and that RCA isn't making them anymore. Apparently there are no more chips. Don't know if he right or not. Good luck on your end. Keep us all posted. Roberta |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Well...some better news. My mind seems to be learning how to ignore the rainbow effect. My wife and I had a very pleasant experience last night watching a movie. Now I just need some better chairs ;-) I think I'm going to be ok with DLP. Now for the bad news. The faint vertical line issue is bugging me. I can't see them on HD from the tuner, but I can see them through all input types tried so far. I haven't tried the HDMI, or with an external HD source, but I've tried component, Svideo and composite. The appear mostly in light gray to off white areas. They are regularly spaced (several pixels wide, not sharply defined), and there are 21 of them on the screen (I tried a grayfield image and counted them). The funny thing is that the size and distance between them changes with the image - ie: if I switch to 4:3 mode, then they get closer together and stay with the picture, much like they are part of the image. Switch to wide screen, and they spread out. SCBrown, would you mind checking for this with your set? I'd also be interested to know what software revision you have (you can get this from the software update menu). I'd appreciate any info you could provide. Try to look at a variety of DVDs, or input sources where there are shades of grays and whites, and let me know if you see them. I see them most easily by switching to a dead input on my Yamaha receiver (so the TV is getting input from the Yamaha, but the Yamaha isn't getting any input from a source.) I'm curious to know if this is a defect, or just a fact of life with the set. If it doesn't show up using the HDMI, then I probably won't care about them anyway. But I must admit, even though I got a good deal on the set, it does bug me. My next step is to buy an upconversion DVD player with HDMI out to see what I get.... Thanks for any info, Mike |
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PFC5 Unregistered guest | Mike & Roberta: If you remember my story above. I was the guy who had the 164 model "om loan" from Best Buy. They couldn't get any more 162s as I figured after not having any in the 2/14/05 shipment they told me it would be in. I prepared myself for the haggling to come after that. They gave me a new date of 3/7/05, but they then told me they were not getting any more 162s. They offered me 3 choices: 1. Keep the 164 and get $300.00 off. 2. Take the 162 display model and get $300.00 off. 3. Refund my money. I just got the 162 Display model and am even more amazed at the RCAs now. It is definately brighter and sharper. I was concerned that the HD2+ chip would make SD broadcasts look worse than the HD3 chip does. That would have been a deal breaker since most shows are still SD. I am happy to say that even SD programming looks BETTER with the 162 (HD2+ chip) model. Here is what my final tally is for the best HD set I have seen to date and finally own. Originally priced at $2499.00 10% discount when bought ( 250.00) 10% discount for del.wrong model ( 225.00) Discount for floor model ( 300.00) Net price BEFORE tax & PSP $1724.00 Needless to say I am SOOOOOO happy I got the last floor model. RCA is making a BAD decision changing over to the HD3 chip on everything except the 263 profiles. They could have buried the competition. To minimize Rainbows you need to increase the lighting in your room a little, and try putting some low level lighting BEHIND the TV. I have heard this helps, but since I am lucky not to see the RBE I cannot be sure. My settings are: Green Stretch - LOW Edge Enhancement - OFF Contrast Expand - OFF Contrast - 85 Color - 55 Tint - 50 Black Level - 54 Sharpness - DVD Component input 65 Cable Component 45 These seem to be THE BEST settings for my 50" 162. I also ordered Zoom so I can get more HD programming. I figured if they go out of business on 3/31/05, then for ONE BUCK I get wiring from the roof of my two story house wired, and get a free HD OTA Antenna wired as well for 3 rooms. If they stay in business (I hope), I pay about $10.00 more for 5 times the HD content AND more Premium movie channels. This is a win win situation as far as I am concerned. Let me know how you both make out. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Thanks for the info PFC5....I'm certainly glad you got a 162 - and at a fantastic price. Would you mind checking yours for the vertical lines that I describe in my previous post? I'm going to try two things to get rid of them - 1) figure out a way to get it connected to the internet so I can do a software update, 2) get an upconversion DVD player and try the HDMI input. If neither of these work, I will be calling to get my unit serviced. Considering I don't expect to be able to get another 162, I think I'd rather have it serviced than try to get it replaced. Mike |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 33 Registered: Mar-05 | Mike and PFC5, I am so jealous of you both. After all the calling around by myself and the guys at my local BB, we are unable to find any 162s in my area. Not even within a 100 mile radius. The one that they thought had be located was a 164. I talked again to the RCA guy and they are definitely not making anymore 162s. So, if I want the HD2+ chip from RCA, my only choice at the moment is the 61" 243. So here are my options: 1. Buy the 50" 164 which I did, but I am second guessing myself. With discounts I got it for $2000 and free delivery. To me, the picture is still better than other sets that I looked at. I am not having it delivered for 2 weeks. It is a surprise for my husband. 2. Return and get the 61" 263. They were discounting it for me to $5000. I think that is a pretty good price, but still outside our budget. I would have to do some serious shuffling of money. It will also take up the entire wall where it will be placed. I am worried about overkill. So, PFC5.....you say the picture of the 164 and 162. How much difference was there??? Enough of a difference for me to consider moving up to the 263? Many thanks and both of you enjoy! Bummed in Massachusetts, Roberta |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Mike, I did not see the Vertical lines. I tried real hard on all types of scenes, inluding DVD and VCR input, and dead inputs (as you mentioned). I forgot to note the SW version but will do so. My unit was made in Nov 2004 according to label on back left. I see no rainbows either so perhaps I have a "good" visual impairment! I have experience with the HD50LPW42 (HD 2), and could see rainbows with that. I did notice the HD2+ on my 162 to have blacker blacks. BUt beyond that quite frankly, I think we all split hairs regarding the quality differences. The HD2 chip looked darn nice. I have also seen many HD3 TV's in stores and the pictures look pretty darn nice too. My only 162 complaint at this point is a hiss on the back right (facing the TV). It seems to come from a Power Supply circuit board and is very directional. Go to the right of the TV and the hiss bugs me. In front, it is not a distraction. I am the only family member that can even hear it. (I have sensitve ears, the "whine" of just a CRT set being powered on used to really bug me). Oh, unrelated note re: RCA stands, STAY AWAY from the RCARTF4461W162 stand. I could elaborate, but suffice to say it is flimsy. If you try to lift and twist stand to make a connection in rear, both glass shelves collapse. Some may say, don't do that...but hey, who hasn't had to slightly pull one end of TV and stand away from wall. This is the first stand I have ever owned that could not tolerate even a slight movement. Please stay away. Roberta, the 164 is a nice nice television. I strongly recommend you stay with it. Yes it has a HD3 chip, but give it a try in your house and I think your husband will be a very happy man. (compared to what you are viewing today). many folks actually like the HD3 better though they are less vocal on the forums. The difference is less than you are led to believe. There is certainly NO justification to spend ANOTHER 3 grand to get the 263 RCA. (Some Editorial reviews of the 263 have not been good for the price you pay.) Do NOT do that. The technology is changing way too fast to justify putting that much $ in. Heck, in the next several months, more sets will have the xHD3 1080p chip and the forums will buzz how ALL the 720p chips are lame (even though that won't be true and there won't hardly be any 1080p content). Stick with your 164. See if you aren't impressed. Have some mad scientist erase from your brain any memory of HD2+ or the notion that you are somehow being deprived. This is a HUGE step up for your household viewing and be happy! |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 34 Registered: Mar-05 | PFC5, Thanks for the help. You are right and I am going to stick with 164. I hope I can forget that I ever say the HD2+. I will let you know how we like the 164. Question - thanks for the warning on the TV Stand. So, what are you using for stand? Roberta |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | I am using the (bad) RCA RTF4461W162 stand, since I ordered it online and can't return (simplycheap.com sells it for 165+58ship=223). What I like about the stand is its depth and width. It is only 16 deep so I can take advantage of the thin TV. It is also slightly narrower than the TV so no extra/wasted width is consumed. The flimsy factor means you need two people to gently lift TV AND stand together to make connections. RCA offers another more expensive stand that looks nice and sturdy. Google: RDLP50MD2 |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 35 Registered: Mar-05 | SCBrown ..... thanks for the all of the helpful information. Getting a "bad" stand on top of not getting the HD2+ chip may be more than I can bear! ;) Roberta |
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Ginauser Unregistered guest | what is the newest model for the 50" dlp, hd50lpw164, 165, or 162? i am looking at purchasing one and trying to find out what the biggest differences are. do you know the differences? |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | Ginauser, There are currently 158 post in this thread about the RCA DLP displays. Over 100 of them will help answer your question. xvxvxvx |
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Ginauser Unregistered guest | xvxvxvx, i have been doing research but i cannot find the model hd50lpw162 on any site. i can't find it on the rca site either. is this the newest model? i see it has the HD2+ chip in it. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | Here is a link to it on the RCA site: http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI701067-CI700294,00.html? xvxvxvx |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 9 Registered: Jan-05 | Hi gang.. To anybody...is the HD2 chip better than the HD3?? I bought the 50LPW42 from costco 2-1/2 months ago ....now they are carrying the 50LPW52 for $2100. I paid $2000 for the 42 model. The 42 is in silver &(silver stand)...52 is black.... If I exchange it...I gain the HD3 chip--cable card slot--HDMI connection.. What I lose is the web-browsing(even though there is an ethernet connection in back)--But an RCA tech told me it is only for their use.. I now have all silver home theater equipment...SO the black is throwing me off!!! I just got rid of an ALL BLACK system and big screen!!!!! ---------------------------------- RCA HD50LPW42 SILVER SILVER CORNER-SWIVEL STAND SONY DVA-FC9-SILVER FLOOR MOUNT FRONT SPEAKERS LB DVB418 SILVER SAMSUNG DVD2500 SILVER ADELPHIA BLACK CABLE BOX-TO BE REPLACED BY CABLE CARD ------------------------------- WHAT'S A MAN GONNA DO...WIFE WILL KILL ME---YOU KNOW THE COLOR SCHEME!! |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Rick, You also lose the Gemstar Electronic Program Guide (which is actually pretty useful). I owned the HD50LPW42 but upgraded to the HD50LPW162 (which is apparently impossible to find anymore). I thought about the Costco black HD50LPW52 also. The 162 gave me HD2+, HDMI, a learning remote, Cable card, and almost most useful---an additional stretch format. The 42 could only stretch whole 4:3 to 16:9 image. The 162 leaves the middle untouched, and stretches the edges. Works great since the subject is very often in the center and is hence not distorted. I dont think the 52 model has this "Cinerama" strecth mode. The 52 has the HD3 chip which is a whole subjective debate in itself (You will have to read about that yourself.). I think it would be a slight upgrade to the 42, but I thought the 42 had a very, very nice picture. I think the 52 may have the learning remote which is a practical upgrade (i.e might use it). The 52 would give you the ONE WAY cable card option, but who cares, would you really use it. The 52 would give you HDMI, could be useful, but you may already be satisfied with your connectivity. And really man, do you want to redo a color scheme you apparently were not happy with? |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | xvxvxvx, I like your brevity and apparent RCA knowledge. Can you comment on: -What is the source of the hiss from the right rear of the 162 model? Looks to be some sort of power supply card. Common complaint? -Does the 162 use 6 or 7 segment color wheel? -Why is the 162 going away so abruptly...strictly a mfg. cost reduction (away from HD2+ to HD3? |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 36 Registered: Mar-05 | xvxvxvx, I posed the same question to the RCA rep. He says it is because there are no more HD2+ chips. I think what really has happened is that they have used up all that they (RCA) have allocated toward that model. They are pushing the new 61" 263, which is an ultra-thin DLP and has the HD2+ chip in it. It retails at BestBuy for $6999, the day I was in the store *crying* because they couldn't find a 162 for me, the RCA rep said they would sell me the 263 for $5000. |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 37 Registered: Mar-05 | xvxvxvx my pardon, my last post was really a response to SCBrown. Clearly, I can't work and reply to this forum at the same time! |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | What is the source of the hiss from the right rear of the 162 model? Looks to be some sort of power supply card. Common complaint? That noise is normally the color wheel spinning, it should be audible but not so loud it becomes annoying. If in fact you have a power supply hissing you need a service call ASAP. I am 90% sure the 162 series uses a 6 segment color wheel but cannot find a definitive answer one way or the other. Basically if the DLP technology does not give you a headache nor cause you to see rainbows the color wheel should not be relevant to you. xvxvxvx |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Firstly, to Roberta - I was in my Best Buy last night, and their 50LPW162 was still on display. Not sure how you'd get it from Williston, VT though. Back to my saga... Some additional info. I hooked up a Toshiba upconversion DVD player to my 162 today to see what it would do to my vertical lines issue. Sure enough, they were present in 480i, but disappeared in 480p. This confirms for me that it has something to do with the TV's de-interlacing algorithm. Incidentally, I couldn't get a stable picture via HDMI with the Toshiba. It just kept bounding back and forth between 'unusable signal' and screen noise. The Toshiba was doing other questionable things as well - like not opening the drive door, picture problems (colors wrong, noise) on component outputs - so for now I'm blindly attributing the HDMI problem to the DVD player. Needless to say, it's going back. I'm now trying to see if I can get the firmware updated to see if it would make a difference. My TV was built in October of '04 and the firmware revision number is A5.15. Given that I don't have any broadband capability in my town, I rigged my computer to act as a router and dialed up a shared internet connection. I then connected my TV via crossover cable, and sure enough the TV said there was an update available - version A6.0C. Unfortunately, the download keeps quitting after a period of time and telling me it was interrupted. I'm now trying to work with our local service rep to see if there is a 'field' method for downloading and writing the firmware. Does anyone know anything about this? The RCA support line is useless (no techs, just CSR reps) and my local service guy hasn't dealt with it yet either. I really wish companies would be more open with this stuff. I'd love to see a list of firmware updates and what they fixed to see if it's even worth pursuing... I think I'm keeping the TV either way. I really love the picture and usability, and now that I'm fairly convinced that there isn't a hardware problem, maybe I can just wait for broadband to do a firmware upgrade. Oh yes, and SCBrown, my unit has the same hiss (sounds like an air leak) - although I can't hear it from the front. I only hear it when I walk around to the right side, and it is fairly noticeable there. Since I can't hear it from the front, I'm not concerned about it. I wish somebody could tell me they see the same de-interlacing defects! ;-) Mike |
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Steffen Unregistered guest | Hi out there... Does anybody know how I can change my TV (HD61LPW42) from NTSC to PAL system? Thanks in advance |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 38 Registered: Mar-05 | For Mike, Thanks for the head up. I called the store immediately. Apparently, they can't sell the demo system, because their tracking system tells them that the set is not obsolete yet. I explained my situation and that all the stores in MA are selling the demos. When they enter the SKU it now points to the 164. But, until some flag in the system is flipped, they can't sell the demo. Also, if and when they can, there is the little question of getting it to me. Something about it being an open box...blah, blah, blah. Anyway they took my name and number. I feel like Don Quixote! |
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Peas Unregistered guest | Steffan, You need to call David Copperfield to pull off that trick. Peas |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | RCA DLP LAMPS Careful researchers of the RCA's (and readers of xvxvxvx's comments ealy in this forum) should know that RCA expects you to replace the "lamp assembly". this is not just a bulb folks, but the bulb and a (custom) plastic housing. I have searched high and low for this assembly for the 162 TV. I have found the assembly number to be RCA #260962 (according to web parts stores). (This seems to be the same assembly the 151 and many other models use.) The prices I have found range from a low of $478 (after $200 credit once you mail back old assembly) up to $848!!! OK, give me a break. PLEASE, is there a repairman in the house than can give me hope there is a cheaper way to replace a burned out bulb on an RCA? Really now, I KNOW they use a bulb and they get it in the plastic housing somehow. Ther MUST be a way for a skilled amateur to buy the BULB ONLY and remove/replace the burned out bulb ONLY (and reuse the old plastic housing). If there is NOT a way to do this, one should seriously think/re-think a decision to buy an RCA DLP. I called Samsung, their bulb is $278. RCA factory wants $600+. I love my 162, but despise being put over a barrel and victimized by 10000% spare parts markups. I still have 2 weeks to return it to Best Buy and may have to do so. Talk about alienating customers!! Repairman insiders....I need you...please chime in... |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | RCA DLP LAMPS Careful researchers of the RCA's (and readers of xvxvxvx's comments ealy in this forum) should know that RCA expects you to replace the "lamp assembly". this is not just a bulb folks, but the bulb and a (custom) plastic housing. I have searched high and low for this assembly for the 162 TV. I have found the assembly number to be RCA #260962 (according to web parts stores). (This seems to be the same assembly the 151 and many other models use.) The prices I have found range from a low of $478 (after $200 credit once you mail back old assembly) up to $848!!! OK, give me a break. PLEASE, is there a repairman in the house than can give me hope there is a cheaper way to replace a burned out bulb on an RCA? Really now, I KNOW they use a bulb and they get it in the plastic housing somehow. Ther MUST be a way for a skilled amateur to buy the BULB ONLY and remove/replace the burned out bulb ONLY (and reuse the old plastic housing). If there is NOT a way to do this, one should seriously think/re-think a decision to buy an RCA DLP. I called Samsung, their bulb is $278. RCA factory wants $600+. I love my 162, but despise being put over a barrel and victimized by 10000% spare parts markups. I still have 2 weeks to return it to Best Buy and may have to do so. Talk about alienating customers!! Repairman insiders....I need you...please chime in... |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 39 Registered: Mar-05 | SCBrown, Is this covered under an extended warranty at all? Roberta |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | SCBrown, The bulb is integrated into the asembly. Perhaps if you have a vacuum chamber, access to tungsten carbide micro welding tools and an automated assembly robot welder you might be able to reintegrate a new filament into the old assembly. If not then like me you are SOL. Look on the bright side (pun intneded) if you worry about something long enough it is likely to happen sooner rather than later. Bad karma and all that stuff. xvxvxvx |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Roberta- The 4 yr $299 extended BBY warranty would cover the lamp "assembly". I did not buy it...but have 2 weeks to either buy the PSP or return the TV. Tell me xvxvxvx, what are the odds the lamp "assembly" will blow in less than 4 yrs? (just say I am an "average TV viewer). I am going to pull my assembly and study it. I for now can't accept they really truly integrate the bulb in the assembly. Why would they choose to take on bulb manufacturing as a competency?? No technical or marketing or cost advantage to doing so, so I find it hard to imagine why. The only smart thing to do is integrate a bulb from a bulb manufacturer. That would be like Chysler deciding to manufacture tires, and then choosing to have the tire welded to the axle requiring a $2000 axle replacement for a blown tire. I'll report my findings after I have examined this assembly..... (P.S. I may very well have a vacuum chamber, tungsten carbide welder and many robots!) :-) |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | SCBrown, Did you actually call RCA and ask them about the price for PN #260962, or did you ask them about the bulb for your 162? I thought Lyles posted above that the bulb in the new series is around $200. I had the same questions when I bought my 162 - and I knew the price going into it, so I bought the extended warranty. My feeling is that one bulb replacement in 4 years would make it worth it - and it covers the rest of the unit too! Here's another update on my 480i vertical lines issue and some questions: I spoke to RCA and my local support rep. My local support rep did some searches on the RCA technical website and also talked to a technician, and their belief is that a firmware upgrade would not fix my 480i vertical lines. They believe it to be a problem with one of the boards or the light engine, and will be coming out next week with replacements. So I have two concerns: 1. Risk of having them crack open the case? What are the odds that they will do more damage than good by opening it up? Will I end up with dust on the mirrors, focus issues, etc.? 2. Light engine. I wonder if the 162 (HD2+) and 164 (HD3) light engines are compatible. I'd hate to see my HD2+ engine replaced with an HD3 engine due to the field repair. Any thoughts? My wife thinks I'm neurotic. Maybe so....but it doesn't change my concerns. :-p Mike |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Mike, I asked RCA about both (the assembly and bulb). They said it is one in the same for the 162...an assembly ONLY (260962). No bulb only option, period. Maybe that has changed for models after the 162, but I am skeptical. The lady told me they have only 2 assembly P/N's for all their TV's and both were $598. Re: the repair. I think your wife may be on to something. Really, I would not stress about an authorized repairman doing a repair. (Now if you find e.g. that the 164 model accepts a bulb only @$200, you may have yet antoher reason to turn back in your defective 162 and go with a 164, which really does have a nice pic despite the HD3 negative folklore.) |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Lamp clarification: The 162 model uses the 265103 assembly. The 42/151 models use the 260962 assembly. Both are very, very expensive. $500 minimum. The 165 model uses lamp 265866, and costs only $216. Halleluja! they got it right. (I can't confirm what the 164 uses, but since it has the HD3 light engine, my guess is has the same setup as the 165.) The 165 is a pretty sexy unit...floating screen, firewire, Netconnect, touch panel front controls, HDMI, DCR. Yes, it has the HD3. You can get a 165 for $2289. I think my 162 may have to go back. Folks, the price of your CUSTOM lamp assembly on the 162 and older models will NEVER come down, probably will go up as they are essentially obsolete. TO those wrestling with the 162 vs. 164 vs. Best Buy issue...if you can confirm the 164 uses the cheap lamp....maybe this is a deciding factor? |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | I am sorry to be talking too much... I called RCA, the 164 uses the same lamp as the 162. Bummer! The 165 is the first model to go with the LOGICAL, COMMON SENSE design that all other DLP makers knew from the start...make it a simple replacement BULB. HELLO RCA, what were you thinking!? (The guy agreed that was quite an incentive to go with the newer models!) |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 40 Registered: Mar-05 | SCBrown, Thanks for all of your information reqarding RCA lamps. I am disappointed to hear the 164 has the more expensive lamp. Not sure I want to wait for the 165 though. Let us know what you decide to do. |
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DLP4me! Unregistered guest | Hi Roberta, Is the alternative we once spoke about looking any better? |
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lyles Unregistered guest | SCBrown, I went straight to RCA corporate to get the facts on the lamp for the new series (165) and confirmed that the replacement bulb is $216. From a different knowledgeable source (a parts supplier located in Cincinati, the name of which I can't remember but is in my office), I learned that the 164 does indeed take the same replacement bulb as the 165 as you surmised. Funny thing is I think I'm going to buy the new Samsung model that came out (hlp5067w). It has the cablecard which I really want, the HD3 chip (picture pretty good) and I have more confidence in Samsung reliabilty and service. Their customer support, from what I've read, and their first class website gives me that feeling. Plus they claim to have solved the minor nuisances of their previous series. I can get it for $2,159. |
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Bronze Member Username: BertaPost Number: 41 Registered: Mar-05 | Hi DLP4me, Well, my 164 is not being delivered until April 4. I plan on surprising my husband while he is away on a trip. I am still planning on sticking to my decision. Even though, it had the HD3 chip, in my subject opinion the PQ was great. The only other RPs that I that were slightly better were the RCA 61" 263 and the Sammy 5085. The 263 is just way too expensive and I don't like the pedestal thing with the Sammy. If BestBuy had the Sammy 5074, I would consider making the switch. I have the extended warranty, so at least for the next 4 years lamp replacments are covered. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Ok...I know better than to trust anything I hear from a sales guy, but I did hear something the other day on the lamps that caught me off guard. I had mentioned that the Sony Grand Wega bulbs were under $200, and I was told 'the ones they buy are over $600 because they are mercury vapor rather than halogen.' Could there be any truth to this? Is there any chance that this is the difference between the 162/163 bulbs and the 164/165 bulbs? Here's some more food for thought. I do find it odd that the manual and lamp replacement instructions look exactly the same for all the models. If the new lamp is really that much cheaper, it just seems to me that there would be an obvious design change. Also, the spec sheet on the 162 not only says that the frame is silver, but says that the power-on light is green. My frame is black, and the power-on light is blue - which is exactly what is described in the 164 spec sheet. The lamp type specified on the side of my unit is 'B'. Any takers for a comparison? I wonder if there were two series of 162s? Could these new ones be using the 164 design, but with the HD2+ light engine? For what it's worth, before mine was delivered, I called to get a price on a replacement lamp, and they told me they couldn't give me an answer without knowing the serial number and lamp type marked on the side of the unit - but they did expect it to be in the $500 range. Just some more things to add to the confusion... Mike |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | A halogen lamp only lasts 25 to 70 hours versus several thousand hours for metal halide lamps used in rear projection DLP and LCD displays. Some low-end front projector DLP's use halogen lamps but always have a spare handy. Your salesman just took a little bit of knowledge and got dangerous with it. xvxvxvx |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | I just called the RCA parts number to get a definitive price on my lamp (using my model number, serial number and lamp type). I was quoted $597. According to the rep, they only have two lamp types for RCA HD TVs - type A and type B, and they only differ in price by about a buck. Strangely enough, she couldn't find a direct replacement lamp PN for th 164 - but she kept reassuring me that they only sold the two lamp PNs. Would someone with a 164 mind calling to get a price for their specific lamp to nail this issue? Given the above posts, I really am considering sending my apparently defective 162 back for the 164 I actually purchased. The lamp price might make the difference. Any help would be appreciated... Thanks, Mike |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Mike, As I said on my last of several posts on 3/17, the RCA Rep. told me clearly that the 164 uses the SAME assembly as the 162. 162=164 when it comes to lamp replacement. (The guy did put me on hold for a couple minutes while he "researched" both model numbers. So I trust he came back with an accurate answer.?) THe 165 model appears to be the first that does not use the "assembly" (Type A and B) stupid design. Its replacement bulb is $216. The 165 model is hard to buy locally, but is on the web for as low as $2289 delivered (no sales tax!). |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Yes - I know that you said that. However, Lyles posted that he confirmed that the 164 took the same lamp assembly as the 165, so it seems to me that we are confused again. I understand that you think you have gotten a definitive answer - but given that we all keep getting different answers, I'm still not sure I know what the answer really is. My feeling is that the closest way to get the real answer would be to call up with a serial number and lamp type and try to order one. Mike |
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SCBrown Unregistered guest | Lyles and I confirmed from RCA "corporate" that the 165 uses a $216 lamp. Lyles info on the 164 came from a "knowledgeable" parts guy in Cincinnati. You and I got info on the 164 from RCA "corporate" which conflicts with the Cincinnati parts guy. Not to say there is not room for doubt, but I trust RCA direct on this one. But Lyles also shared wisdom that is starting to wear off on me. The Samsung 5067 series is sounding very appealing right now. RCA is losing me on this issue. Smugly demanding 600 bucks for a bulb is so insulting that I am finding it too offensive to swallow. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Yeah...I gotta admit that it is bugging me too. I'm starting to have second thoughts as well. When I jumped into this, I really had hoped they would be further along with reliability, parts cost, etc. I'm finding this whole thing a lot more stressful than is really worth it. If I jump out, I'll probably just jump out altogether. My 27" 20 year old Mitsubishi really does have a nice picture. Thanks for all the help, Mike |
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mkf Unregistered guest | I bought a HD61LPW163 model last October and have been very pleased with it. I had a problem with using the HDMI input until I got a software upgrade in early December and it fixed my problem. (RCA had approved a local service to replace the HDMI input card, but after the SW upgrade (from Vs. A5.15 to A6.0C) the HDMI input works great (using Toshiba DVD player) |
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mkf Unregistered guest | Just a couple more comments -- I pulled out the lamp assembly on my HD61LPW163 a couple months ago. It has a lamp in it that would be relatively easy to replace if one could find what lamp replacements would work. Hopefully RCA will see the light and offer the option of purchasing just a lamp. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Well gang....here's an update to my saga. Confusing model numbering issues (162/164) + expensive lamps + black vertical 480i lines + crappy service = 'I'm out'. I just returned from Best Buy and they will be picking up my 162 in late April. They told me that if I wanted to repair it (see my vertical lines issue in earlier posts), the earliest they would be able to get the parts from RCA would be sometime in May. Considering I bought the TV in early Feb, had to wait to get it until early March, and having it be defective, my patience was already wearing thin. Given my troubles, and as much as I still like the RCA picture, I'm not willing to pay the same price for a 164. They gave me what I consider to be a great deal on a new Toshiba 62HM84... It's a shame - because even now, the 50in display 162 is still sitting there, and the picture is better than anything else on display. I will also miss the black bezel, floating screen look. RCA had a good thing here...they just blew it in my eyes. Thanks for all the help and advice. If I don't like the Toshiba, I will probably return to the good ole CRT... Mike |
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Sydney Unregistered guest | I just purchased the RCA HD50LPW162 model over Easter weekend and have been very pleased with it so far. It has a lot of the features that other models lack for the same price. It has by far the best picture I've seen. Since much discussion has been about the cost of the replacement bulb, I decided to call RCA myself. I called their HDTV department and gave them my model/serial nb and was quoted $216 for the bulb. The HDTV dept nb is 1-877-722-4388. Does anyone know how many hours the bulb should last? I read somewhere that it should last between 6,000 - 8,000 hours and up to 10,000 hours on the bulb saver mode. So, if that's the case by the time you need a bulb (4 years) the bulbs should be under $100. Just some food for thought. |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Good luck. The bulb issue has been discussed extensively on this thread - and most of us have called RCA as well. If you got a 162 that requires a cheaper bulb, you REALLY lucked out - - and you got an anomoly. Did they give you a PN? When I called RCA, they said they only had two lamp types - A and B, and both were in the $579 price range. You are right about the features and picture. Nothing else really compares. If you read my saga, I really hated giving it up - but in my mind RCA let me down big time by telling me it would be months before they could fix my defective unit. What is it going to be like to find a bulb in 3 years??? They are very hard to find anywhere but through RCA directly... Mike |
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Sydney Unregistered guest | Mike, I called RCA back to get a PN and was told the lamp assembly was $598.50 and that the $216 I was quoted earlier was just for the bulb and not the assembly and that I need the assembly. I was also told the 164 and 165 models both are $598.50 for replacement assembly. The PN they gave me is 265103. Not sure what I am going to do. I really like the RCA but, I have 23 days to think it over. How are you liking your Toshiba? That is a great looking tv also. Have you called to see how much the replacement lamp is? Sydney |
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Mike Domenic Unregistered guest | Unfortunately, I won't receive my Toshiba for a while either - not until late April. However, I did like the picture at BB. I still liked the RCA better, but I think the Toshiba will be fine. The bulb appears to be around $290 all over the web - and it's pretty easy to find. That alone makes me feel better. If you've got an RCA that works, and you like the pic, and you have an extended warranty that covers the bulb, I'd say keep it. Mike |
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Sydney Unregistered guest | I am most likely keeping the 162. The pic looks fantastic. I was watching college basketball tonight and was like, WOW!! What an amazing picture. I have not experienced any screen door effects, rainbow effects or color wheel hissing so, I guess I got a good one and should keep it. I also bought a 4 year extended warranty so, I am just going to sit back and enjoy. One question though, Does the 162 upconvert any signal to 720p? BB advertised it as doing so but, I haven't found anything about it in the owner's manual. Sydney |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "One question though, Does the 162 upconvert any signal to 720p? " It converts every input signal to 720P since that is all it will display. xvxvxvx |
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Sydney Unregistered guest | FYI, I saw two ebay auctions selling a lamp assembly for the RCA HDLP50W151 for a buy it now price of $135. Not sure if the lamp assembly for the HDLP50W151 will fit all of the other RCA models or not but, the price is great. |
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