Archive through August 26, 2004
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DJ Unregistered guest | i bought a crappy toshiba dvd player for $119, i use component inputs, and find the picture absolutely wonderful! |
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James B Unregistered guest | Hi Fredzky I have the Denon 2200, after trying the Samsung with the DVI, and I LOVE IT! Well worth the cash. My philosophy is that your system is only as good as the weakest link in the chain. Feel free to read my details above, and please let me know if you give it a try. James B |
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Jcroft Unregistered guest | Boy am I glad I purchased the extra 5 year warantee on the TV. I had a tech come out one day after my complaint about the red dot near the left center of the screen. He replaced the motor and my tv looks great. Couldn't be happier with their service. When I called Hitachi, the service rep just told me it was normal to have 1 to 5 of them. I told them it wasn't just the pixel. Glad I had it looked at in time. Sounds like there was a defective part after all and not just a bad pixel. |
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Jcroft Unregistered guest | Boy am I glad I purchased the extra 5 year warantee on the TV. I had a tech come out one day after my complaint about the red dot near the left center of the screen. He replaced the motor and my tv looks great. Couldn't be happier with their service. When I called Hitachi, the service rep just told me it was normal to have 1 to 5 of them. I told them it wasn't just the pixel. Glad I had it looked at in time. Sounds like there was a defective part after all and not just a bad pixel. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | i'm going to sell this TV the moment circuit city finally fixes it. it's been 8 weeks with parts on backorder. it's my only TV, and with 2 kids, you try it for a while. the tech guy shows up yesterday with a new bulb. i have 3 bulbs here (i squirreled them away when i found them on national backorder and the prices on them were rising.) he shows up with a new bulb, when indeed he ordered a new power supply and main board. so about a week ago we finally got the TV back on (trying it every hour, 16 hours a day) (now on a UPS so that if the power flashes we won't be without TV). he knew if he turned the TV off to replace a bulb - which he knew didn't need to be replaced - that i would have no TV again. he did it anyway. anyone want it? i'll be selling it for $2000 with 2 spare bulbs plus the current bulb. my warranty expires in 2 months. having this TV without a warranty is like owning an Audi out of warranty. not financially feasible. i'm not buying from circuit city or hitachi ever again. the picture may be the best in the industry -- but not when YOU CAN'T WATCH IT. |
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Contecsol Unregistered guest | DJ.... That is something that you should call Hitachi and raise hell about! Send them a link to your posting. Call your local TV stations consumer reporter. (They will want it all in writing so have it ready before you call) No TV and kids too...I'll be having a cold one and thinking of you!! Remember the squeeky wheel gets the grease...so go squeak it up as loud as you can!!! |
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DJ Unregistered guest | Contecsol - thanks for thinking about me. since this horrible experience, i've borrowed a 25" set from a friend and have it sitting on a milk crate in the living room next to my $3200 paperweight. at least the kids have TV, if not a sore neck. i also got with some of the fancy-pants at circuit city. i stopped allowing them to tell me what they might do, and started talking in absolutes. i was very polite, but not very forgiving. "lisa" (i know they all use fake names) from the regional service center has now promised that when the tech returns next week with the correct parts, he will definitely fix the TV or they will give me a "service exchange." that's their way of saying either a loaner or a new unit. i made her send me a FAX with the information, as i know longer believe their lies. indeed, i received a fax indicating they would do it. they apologized up and down about it. what really fries my circuits is that they can get these power supply parts in about 3 days, and have them installed within 2 days later. as i aptly pointed out to the wonderful "lisa," if they could have done this within 5 days 7 WEEKS AGO then why didn't they? she sputtered her "i don't know the details" standard answer. oh, and as for the "city advantage" service plan, consider: the first year is under hitachi warranty. since circuit city is the repair center for hitachi, your warranty claim is handled by circuit city. as it turns out, you pay $300 for 2 years of city advantage. about $150 a year. i declined this coverage. when the TV went bad, they still dispatched a guy to my house to fix it (rep at circuit city said it would need to be depot repair.) they WILL replace the TV if they cannot fix it (warranty says so, as does my FAX.) so what exactly does the city advantage plan cover in the first year? NOTHING! it's in the manufacturer warranty! to add insult to injury, i received a letter from circuit city asking if i wanted to take city advantage as my warranty was expiring in september according to their records. cost for 1 YEAR: $150!!! this means if you take the city advantage for $300, you've essentially paid for the warranty all over again, and the coverage only really matters in the 2nd year. liars and the filthy liars who lie with them. |
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trogloditu Unregistered guest | DJ, the way it works with Circuit City: If the unit needs repair 3 times within one year, they will replace it with a new one. I myself bought the extra warranty on a receiver. After taking it back to them 5 times ( 4 years after I bought it, warranty was for 5 years ), I got store credit for the full amount + $ 10 for the remainder of the warranty. You really have to raise hell though. Make sure you get the kids with you at the store when you return something ... works wonders if they start screaming  I got the same TV from CC 3 months ago for $ 2799.00 out the door, including the stand, floor sample, with the help of my 1 1/2 year old daughter, who just happened to and scream at the right moment TV still works tho, never had a problem, I am sorry to say that you really got a "Monday" unit. |
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trogloditu Unregistered guest | DJ, the way it works with Circuit City: If the unit needs repair 3 times within one year, they will replace it with a new one. I myself bought the extra warranty on a receiver. After taking it back to them 5 times ( 4 years after I bought it, warranty was for 5 years ), I got store credit for the full amount + $ 10 for the remainder of the warranty. You really have to raise hell though. Make sure you get the kids with you at the store when you return something ... works wonders if they start screaming I got the same TV from CC 3 months ago for $ 2799.00 out the door, including the stand, floor sample, with the help of my 1 1/2 year old daughter, who just happened to scream at the right moment TV still works tho, never had a problem, I am sorry to say that you really got a "Monday" unit. |
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New member Username: DanopPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-04 | For those still looking for a 50V500 review, the latest issue of Widescreen Review has it.....has a picture of Hellboy on the cover. Actually it's the 50VX500. Anyway, the review is pretty positive....they pan the black level detail, just like for all LCDs. |
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Greg Mar Unregistered guest | DJ- Glad to here that this is an isolated issue with the Hitachis. That's pretty upsetting that CC would tell you these parts are on national backorder when there not, especially since you went out and bought 3 bulbs to squirrel away. Next time you should look for a smaller authorized repair facility, they generally give better service since thta's were all their income is from. |
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Anonymous | DJ- Glad to here that this is an isolated issue with the Hitachis. That's pretty upsetting that CC would tell you these parts are on national backorder when there not, especially since you went out and bought 3 bulbs to squirrel away. Next time you should look for a smaller authorized repair facility, they generally give better service since thta's were all their income is from. |
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Murray Unregistered guest | I have the 60v500 and the denon 2200 and sometimes i turn my tv on and my dvd player on and the picture comes in purple and green and then i turn my dvd player off and let it sit for a few minutes and then turn it back on and then the full color comes on has anyone else had this problem, if so let me know James B, you have the same setup as i do has this ever happend to you |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 176 Registered: Feb-04 | Murray: Let the TV warm up for a minute or two--then turn on the 2200. Bet it doesn't happen again. |
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James B Unregistered guest | Hi Murray, No this has never happened to me... I would try Johns idea and see what happens. James B |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 11 Registered: May-04 | I have the 60v500a and am lovin it. I have had no problems (knock on wood) and the picture is great. I have a yamaha receiver with JBL L150's for the mains, a JBL center, with Polk Audio rear center and surrounds. I use the Pioneer DV563A DVD player and couldn't ask for more, at least until they release the HD format. I also have the Dish Network HD dish and receiver with monster cable connections all around. It can't get much better!!!!! |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 2 Registered: Aug-04 | (I posted this in the wrong thread. sorry about that). I just picked up a 50v500 about 4 days ago and I am thus far quite impressed. (Many of the posts in this forum helped me make this decision The TV is just beautimous and I think my friend is out to get himself one as well. I went to Video Only and paid ~$2800 for the set, stand, 5yr warranty and sales tax (8.69% or something like that). Quite a deal considering the best local deal for the TV alone was $2799 after rebate! i havent noticed any "crop circiles" (color smudges) or other issues as reported. So far the thing just makes me smile when i walk into the living room. I have a Media Center 2005 machine hooked up to it through DVI and its awesome. I did need to create a new monitor profile (using powerstrip) to get it to run at 1280x720p but that was easy and well worth the results. XBOX HD (composite) is another incredible site. Rally Sport2 at 480p and SoulCalibur 2 at 720p were, again, stunning. I hear a good DVI cable is important, but I'm just using one I stole off my wife's computer. That won't last long so I'm looking into a good replacement. $99 at Best Buy is f*ing rediculous IMHO. I did notice some light (not noticeble) moving specs in the start bar using the DVI cable - so there may be some truth to the need for a quality cable. I'll report back once I have settled. - One happy customer (so far) /Mas |
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DJ Unregistered guest | glad you likey, mas libman. i too was very proud and happy. today, i got a call back from CC, and they are giving me a service exchange. i'm going down tonight to look at new sets. suffice it to say, i'm locked into circuit city because of the exchange, but i'm not very thrilled with hitachi quality right now... 8 weeks, and the parts are still not available even though their repair center in atlanta was promised the parts over a week ago (which is why they promised to have me up and running.) they won't comment on why they can't get the parts. it's obvious to me. the set has inherent, architectural flaws that are causing nationwide shortages of critical components: lamps, power supplies, main boards. circuit city is doing the best thing possible... they're getting me out of a nightmare. how do they know it's a nightmare? they're taking a bath on regular and extended warranties on this TV. better to get me into another type of TV than to try and continue servicing these. so much for purchasing "version 0" of this equipment. |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 12 Registered: May-04 | DJ, how long have you had your set, and is it the 500 or the 500A? I would be interested in buying your extra bulbs if you would like to sell them. I have had my 60v500a for about 4 months, and wondered how long before problems. Let me know. My email is bbmmmurphy@aol.com. Thanks...Mark |
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Anonymous | OK DJ, I don't know what to say at this point. I'm not trying to be mean here, but your story is ridiculous. You say that a lot of these Hitachis are having these power supply problems when they're obviously not. I know that they're not because I've sold tons of these TVs and never gotten one back with the problem your describing. And if anyone thinks I'm just saying this because I sell them, then check out other forums like avsforum.com and nobody else there or here has this problem. You say these these parts are on national backorder? Then how, and why, did you order 3 bulbs after finding this out, especially if the bulb wasn't the problem and they cost $200 a piece. After that you say you talked to some chic named lisa from CC who says they could have fixed the TV 7 weeks ago. How could they have done this if the parts were on national backorder. And why do you talk about the service man needing to turn the TV off while he changes the bulb, which he knows doesn't need any changing. That makes no sence. Also it seems a little fishy that Circuit is doing the work themselves since one of their biggest lines when trying to sell someone a warranty is the 1st year will be covered by them rather than the manufacturer. Your story has so many holes in it it's ridiculous. So I don't know why your writing all these stories but stop slandering a perfectly fine TV |
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Anonymous | To mas libman: I noticed that you are hooking up the computer through the DVI to the TV. How did you make it work, since I've read everywhere that it cannot be done. The Media Center 2005, is that a beta version ? I am running win XP Pro with an ATI All in Wonder card, and it's not working. I don't believe it's a software problem, a cable problem, or a video card problem. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | ok, Anon, let's do this point at a time. avsforum, and ecoustics, both have posts by service people who report that they are seeing *as many as* (which is not "equal to") 6 of 10 50v500 sets returned. it's not my quote. do the research. you sell them... sounds like a bias. the power supply parts are unavailable, and still unavailable, by CC's own admission yesterday, 8/6. do not tell me what they said, you were not there. that is why they authorized a service exchange yesterday, and yesterday i went to my local CC and bought a samsung HLP6503W. it's a better set anyway. i first ordered bulbs, because the picture quality degraded (red spot in center - will post a link if you require it anon). when the supplier of the bulbs (not CC, they just give you the number of suppliers) told me they were on national backorder, i ordered 3 at that time. 3 weeks later they showed up. i put one in, it didn't correct the problem. i figured better to store up now rather than have a bulb blow in a few months and not have TV AGAIN because of national backorders. you twisted my words conveniently about the "7 weeks ago" statement. the person at CC indicated they could have the power supply parts and a new bulb shipped to my local repair center within 3 days (they showed "in stock" for the power supply parts and bulb) and have the tech out and have them installed within 2 days. elapsed time: 5 days. i asked then, "if they could have done this within 5 days 7 WEEKS AGO then why didn't they? she sputtered her "i don't know the details" standard answer. " now again you see the correct quote, not your mangled version that serves your personal agenda, which seems to be defending circuit city when they were clearly wrong (see note on service exchange.) what prompted me to write the post was that the guy shows up with 1 of 3 parts he was supposed to replace. those 3 parts for the slower people on the board are: 1. power supply, 2. power circuit board, 3. bulb. he showed up with the bulb only. he turned my tv off after i finally got it on again. he knew, and admitted he shouldn't have even been there in the first place, and he admitted that he didn't have all the right parts. i should have refused him access to the house, but for some reason i thought he was trying to be honest and sincere. instead he was trying to pacify me for overall incompetence on circuit city's part. as for the CC working the product, i don't know if it's "clarence" from the CC back room doing the repairs, but they do NOT transfer you to a hitachi dealer. they (circuit city) do the dispatch themselves on your behalf. i don't care who it is, i only talked to circuit city. as for the warranty, it includes, from the manufacturer, 1 year in home fix. circuit city sells a 2 year warranty for about $500 (got quoted on the DLP last night for this amount), and it offers the same protection. only difference i can tell is the threshold by which they do a service exchange. it will happen more quickly with the service plan. but why buy it when you get the same rights in the first year but just have to try and have them repair it first? seems like a waste of $250 for the first year to me. you make a claim of having holes in my story? i don't know what to say. i have the proof, i have a sammy coming in a few days. like i care what you think, especially posting as anonymous. i just want to clarify for the real users on the site. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | hey anonymous, for giggles, do you know why they changed from: 50v500 to 50v500a to 50vx500? you do your homework oh little one and get back to us all here on that one. bwahahahahahahah cuz i know. so none of your wiley word twisting or lies now, ok? |
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DJ Unregistered guest | hey anonymous, while we're at it, for more fun and giggles... do you know why they changed the lamp model for the 50v series? same conditions, no word twisting or lies. boy am i having too much fun. must be cuz i'll be enjoying my new dlp set soon. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 3 Registered: Aug-04 | Hey anon. Getting DVI to work was actually quite easy. I am using a standard DVI cable that used to be hooked up to my wife's computer. (Boy is she happy about that ;)). My video card (9600pro) recognized the TV as a 480 res monitor and powered it up immediately. I then used Power Strip to create a custom monitor with a max resolution of 1280x720. I installed that monitor driver, changed the res to 1280x720, and there you have it! Yes I am running a beta of Media Center, but that is not required for this functionality. Windows XP should work fine as will your AIW. The only thing to be aware of is that your AIW doesnt do full hw mpeg compression, so its not the best PVR, but hey, its a start . (I am using a Hauppauge 250MCE card for my TV encoding.) I'd be happy to provide you with the monitor driver i used. I experimented with 1080i native res but the interlaced down-sampling to 720p just didnt look right and wasn't worth it. |
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Rina Unregistered guest | Hi DJ, I'm interested in buying the 50V500a and was wondering what the difference was between the 3 model numbers you had mentioned. Is there something I should look out for ? Rina |
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Anonymous | Hey DJ, My intentions aren't to defend CC, I think CC is totally incompetent and probably they main reason why you've gone through so much trouble. My defence is in this set. The red spot is something some customers had reported, but is not due to the bulb or the power supply. Next I don't mix your words they say- "what really fries my circuits is that they can get these power supply parts in about 3 days, and have them installed within 2 days later. as i aptly pointed out to the wonderful "lisa," if they could have done this within 5 days 7 WEEKS AGO then why didn't they? she sputtered her "i don't know the details" standard answer." That's what you said. And again above you say "if they could have done this within 5days7weeks ago then why didn't they?" Why would you even ask that question. According to you, you already have the answer to this question in that the parts are on national backorder. Also just to let you know I do know the differences between these Hitachi models. First there was no change to a 50VX500. This is a higher model they released at the same time as the 50V500. It his the higher model only allowed to be carried by independent AV specialty stores and has an extra layer of anti-reflective coating and comes with an extra simple remote. The A added to the 50V500 is something they do midway through a models production, it is has been very common amongst their CRT models for a while now. So I think you need to do your homework perhaps and watch who you call little one. Oh and changing the lamp model, never heard of that from anyone but you. And seeing as how you have no idea what the difference is between these three models, I'm going to have to take this idea with a small grain of salt. Look, I'm done belittling you. Just understand that your beef should be with CC and these repair people, not with a TV who's reliability has played a huge role in making it one of the best values in the MicroDisplay market. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | ROFL - you demonstrate exactly the type of mentality that i expected. the 50v500 is the first version of the set. the 50v500a was the second REVISION of the set, with 3 main differences: a different bulb (100 watt instead of 120 watt), a different power supply, and a different power board. now, it's obvious you don't own one of these, you go do the REAL homework. you see, inside my little hitachi manual was an insert with the new bulb specification, saying "this insert overrides the printed manual." what, you think the people on this board are stupid? the hitachi is in it's 3rd revision within 1 year. they are fire fighting a huge architectural design problem, and are taking the "wait till it breaks with the consumer" type of approach. the reality is hitachi should be recalling these sets, and upgrading everyone to the 50v500a protocol automatically. within another year, even more of these original 50v500 sets will be losing their power systems. see, i own the service manuals and can read! go figure! belittling me? not a chance. by the way, you are absolutely 100% correct about the 50vx500. congrats! S H I T A C H I WORST. TV. EVER. |
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Anonymous | All right at this point I don't think people on this forum are stupid but I think you are. I told you in the above post that adding an "a" to the model number is something that they do to almost all of their big screens. Look at the 51G500A, the 57T500A, the 42HDT20A, the list goes on. Next, you can look at the specs for any 50V500 or 50V500A and they have always stated that they use a 100W bulb. Only the 60V500 and yes 60V500A use a 120W bulb. You can look it up and you'll find that I'm just as right about that as I was about the VX500. Now you say in your "little hitachi manual," which by no means is little, that there is an insert describing the new bulb specifications and overides the printed manual. First of all I own a 50V500A, so I know your lying. Second of all I thought you owned the 50V500 without the A, you know the ones you claim are having problems. So what is it DJ, do you own the 50V500, which supposedly has massive problems. Or do you own a 50V500A with a supposed insert that reports the changes in specifications. Apparently it's you that feel the people of this forum are stupid. After all, if this were a widespread problem I would see a thread at avsforum about this power supply problem, but I don't. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 4 Registered: Aug-04 | Yikes. Looks like some folks are getting a little heated about this . The purpose of this forum is to voice our opinions. DJ obviously had a very bad experience and we're all the wiser. Each of us will have our own experiences and this is where we get to talk about it. I haven't seen the 100's of ppl complaining about these problems and i did look around a bit before buying. That doesnt mean everyone's experience has been posistive, but I doubt the TV would be that popular if it was that problematic.. (Sales guys like to make money, but they dont like to deal with pissed off customers. So I dont think they're gonna try to knowlingly sell you a TV that's going to go TU in short order..) Cheers, /Mas |
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DJ Unregistered guest | i now have a samsung. i don't care about hitachi's any more. just wanted the folks here to know about the long term. most of these sets were not sold in september of 2003 like mine. they have been sold in the last 4-6 months when the prices stopped being bleeding edge. i've watched the price of the hitachi units sink (and that's ok) since i first bought mine. let's talk in 6 months. oh wait, we will, you'll all be in the samsung or sony forums! see you there (oh yeah, PQ between DLP and LCD? go DLP. your eyes will thank you for black vs. white, not washed-out grey all the time.) |
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DJ Unregistered guest | mas - one final comment. "sales guys like to make money" true, so long as it's not CC. they are all OFF COMMISSION. so it's no longer an issue to move inventory. it is an issue to move City Advantage plans. mas, not sure where you looked... but typing in "50v500 problems" in yahoo returns a nice load of pages. most common complaint... Fan Noise. next in line, crop circles, splotches, and all sorts of cool names consumers have come up for the anomalies. i hope you have the tuesday unit... as mine was assuredly a monday unit as someone eloquently put it. i guess in my position as a QA manager, i understand this from a very different perspective. it is true that *some* models come out with revisions (the "a" designation for example.) but they generally only come out with those "a" models to fix something from the original. you don't change model numbers unless you change something significant. i know how versioning works. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 5 Registered: Aug-04 | DJ, Believe me I am behind you here, but I already deliberated for a long time before buying this TV and I'm still happy. I hope not to be in your shoes in 6 months. If I am you can bet YOU will get an email from me right after Video Only gets the call ;) As a former support engineer I know that ppl complain a lot more than they compliment. Its just the nature of the beast. (Mind you I am trying to work against that curve by posting positive experiences when they happen.) I definetly looks like there are a set of common issues and I am keeping my eye out for them on my set. (Fingers crossed.) But I dont think they are widespread problems plaguing even a majority of units. Maybe I'm lucky and I have a revved model. (And just becuase it is Revved doesnt mean the entire TV is junk. Manufacturers across the spectrum do this.) As for the DLP vs LCD IQ .. we all have opinions and I've already posted mine. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-04 | Lots of flaming happening over here. I usually hang out at AVS forum. There are two major issues with this set 1. smudges 2. crop circles. All can now be fixed. I have a 50v500A that had these smudges and Hit swapped my screen. The new screen is thinner and fixes these two issue. Since my new screen has been installed I haven't had any issue and it did cure the smudges and the one crop circle I did have. As for fan noise, unless your fan is unbalanced it isn't an issue, if you cant handle a little "whirring" sound then don't buy ANY RP tv, they ALL have some form of fan noise. |
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Unregistered guest | Hitachi 50V500...sudden display glitch After my rear projection LCD TV performed flawlessly for 10 months...the other day the cooling fan stayed on for two hours after turning off set (all other components & lights off) and when I turned set back on a there was a pinkish-hued picture from all inputs ...also excessive brightness...video resets/readj. do no good. Sounds like same problem as post from GUSNeedsHD 2-16-04; also DouginLouisville. Bought TV in Sep. '03; estimate 1500hrs on original lamp (I suspect the lamp). Any advice appreciated. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 177 Registered: Feb-04 | Simon: Are you saying that only the screen was replaced, and not the entire set? I'm having a difficult time understanding why only the screen itself would be the cause of the smudges. Early on, I had some smudges on my 50V500A, but for the past 6 months they're gone. Now my only problem is that there's some sort of flying bug living inside the TV. When the set's on, he likes to land and crawl around the inside of the screen. He's been around for a month now. This is no joke. DZ: Sorry to hear about your problem. Everytime I turn on/off my set I suffer some dread and apprehension. Please report back to us on this problem. You need a service call, it seems to me. One thing I would try is unplugging the TV for a couple of minutes, then try powering up again. This is clearly a shot in the dark, but it can't hurt to try. I find it hard to believe that it is the lamp only causing the problem. Good luck. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | DZ, my unit was purchased in sep 03 as well. does your pic hue look like this: if it does, start working on your warranty/service exchange immediately. it's the BAD POWER SUPPLY that doesn't exist according to a few anon's on this board. do not delay, start immediately. otherwise, you will lose your warranty repair capability in < 1 month. run, do not walk, to your phone and make the service call immediately. |
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Unregistered guest | >does your pic hue look like this: > Thanks DJ; a little hard to tell but yes that's roughly what my color malfunction looks like. Here's what happened specifically: Last Sat., Aug. 7, I turned off TV (working normally) at 4pm and left the house for a couple of hours. First thing I noticed when I got back at 6pm was the cooling fan was running...and when I turned the TV on the picture was abnormal and has been ever since. What triggered the cooling to run for 2 hours? Something blowing internally? Power supply component? My general experience with power supply & video is when PS goes you get nothing (no video). I bought my 50V500 at the end of Sep. '03, so I've got about six weeks left on warranty. Bought at Sears. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | DZ, regardless of what's broken, it's broken! call that warranty number right away... get the call logged. get the tech out right away. my tech told me that the power supply and main power board are "in the process of failing." don't know if he's right or not. however, soon thereafter i had the power on/off problem i described in earlier posts on this thread. why is it hard to tell if this is what's happening to you? (just curious) i know my pic is a little off focus... the digital camera wanted to keep the shutter open for a few seconds because it thought the room was darker. so i had to hold it... right after morning coffee! it was very hard to hold steady for 2 seconds. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | simon, noticed your comment on fan noise. i recently service-exchanged a 50v500 for a samsung dlp after 11 months with the hitachi (purchased September 03 from Circuit City). the fan noise from the hitachi is literally an order of magnitude higher than the dlp. with the hitachi, i could here that fan if the volume was 10 or lower. if the room was quiet during a scene in a horror movie, you could hear it. with the samsung, i never hear it. the set is in the exact same location, so all other acoustical considerations are moot. |
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harry12345 Unregistered guest | I purchased a 50v500 in december 2003. it had been working fine until 2 weeks ago. at that time I started getting a ghosting effect on the picture. This happens even on the menus no matter what input I am using. Does anyone know if there is a fix for this or should I call in a service request. I did not purchase an extended service contract but now think that was probably a mistake. |
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Unregistered guest | >DZ, regardless of what's broken, it's broken! True; but the first step in getting a problem solved is identifying the problem. How do I know some Sears tech has a broader 50V500 knowledge base than select posts on this board? Hey, I'm a typical guy (scientist at that) gathering info before making the repair decision. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-04 | Yes the screen only was replaced. The smudging occurrs due to an issue in the laminent layer of the LCD. The new screens are about half the thickness of the "original" screens. Since my screen was replaced I have not had any issues. You do not need a LE replacement, this is a known screen issue. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 3 Registered: Aug-04 | DJ, I can hear my fan, though it is "just" audible at volume setting of 10. I do not see this as excessive fan noise. It is possible that your fan was unbalance which was causing resonance and thus would explain "an order of magnitude" louder than your new set. I have known of one other guy with this complaint and he had his fan replaced and it is as quiet as mine is now. Did you ever have your fan replaced? or did you just get fet up and replace the unit with another brand? As a side note: The "new" screen I have had installed has improved the PQ, I no longer get any pixillation on dark images that I used to get on the original screen. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | ok, DZ, let's talk seriously here for just a second. "How do I know some Sears tech has a broader 50V500 knowledge base than select posts on this board?" why should their capability even matter... ? the point of a warranty is to have the manufacturer stand behind their product. if they sent Soupy Sales to my home to fix the TV, i don't really care. because Soupy would have the ability to get in touch with the real level-3 support team. that's the team that in the end either solves the problem or escalates the call to management for a service exchange. in my case, Soupy wasn't even capable of doing that, so i did it for him. worked out just as well. you're missing the big picture here (no pun intended! ) ok, so what if i tell you it's the lamp. by all means, go out and buy a lamp. that's the only user servicable part in the TV. doing anything else to the set invalidates your warranty. replace the lamp (oh yeah, it will take you about 3-4 weeks to get one of dem dere lamps - they're all on backorder. you can have one of my extras for $750 and i'll have it to your door tomorrow bwahahahahahahaha) now, you're about a day away from warranty expiration. do you really want to be there? it's alright with me. if i tell you there's a known problem with the lamp circuit, meaning there's a cold contact on the lamp switch which can cause power supply problems and ultimately main board problems, so what? you gonna open this thing and solder the circuit yourself? even if you could? i could, and i chose to let the "perfessionals" take care of it for me. when they did that, i got a new TV. i got a better TV. (perhaps arguably.) if you read my story above... do you really want to wait any longer than you've already waited? since you know what can happen (again, read my posts), do you want to wait until you have NO TV for 8 weeks? yes sir, i'm questioniong your scientific logic, because it seems to state that once you find someone here who will point out that Circuit 5A on board 7C needs to be replaced with revision 5.01.C-X/45 on board 6niner5, you are thinking it's ok to go out and register for and get a degree in electrical engineering to fix it because it could be better than the Sears guy? i'm not questioning your ability to get your EE degree, just your ability to get it done before your physical warranty actually expires. MAKE. THE. CALL. WORST. TV. EVER. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 4 Registered: Aug-04 | Edit: I need to make one thing clear I said on my earlier post. This smudging issue usually occurrs when the set is first powered on and cold. Once the set warms up the smudging clears. This effect seems to be temperature related, when the cold set is at lower than room temperature and then powered on (ie, on a cool evening when it might be cooler inside your home than during these nice summer days) the smudges appear. The reason why John's smudges may have dissapeared is because its summer and temps are usually warmer. Wait until your home is cooler and then try, I bet the smudging will re-appear. I know 'room' temp is a subjective word and I have no data as to the exact temp but I am assuming around the 20C mark. That was the experience I found with my unit. I noticed the smudges when I first bought the unit in Feb of this year (winter) and in the mornings when I turn the set on after cranking up the thermostat (as the house was still cool) the smudges were there. In May, the tech came out to look and they only last a few minutes as the temp was naturally warmer. Also, very few issues with a LE will "dissapear" while you are watching, most LE issue are always present and most are perminant requiring a LE replacement. There have been several members over at AVS forums that I have conversed with on this issue and in all cases, the smudges would only show up when the unit was cool (first powered on) AND when the ambient room temp was lower than normal. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | simon - i got fed up waiting 8 weeks to fix the lamp/powersupply/power board problem. heck, i would have expected at least another 2-3 weeks for a fan. you brought up a few interesting things in your post, though: >I can hear my fan, though it is "just" audible at volume setting of 10." 10 out of 31, meaning that with the volume at 1/3 potential, you can still hear a cooling fan? you find it acceptable, i find it disturbing. >I have known of one other guy with this complaint and he had his fan replaced and it is as quiet as mine is now. D another quality and architectural problem with the Hitachi? naw.... you must be kidding! ;-) >Did you ever have your fan replaced? or did you just get fet up and replace the unit with another brand? replaced with samsung 50" DLP. better picture, quieter fan, new warranty. >As a side note: The "new" screen I have had installed has improved the PQ, I no longer get any pixillation on dark images that I used to get on the original screen. a new screen? ANOTHER architectural design problem addressed? and some people here challenged me that hitachi ALWAYS releases revisions of a set within the same model year. ayup. see it flowing here yet folks? (not from simon - he's a good guy). lamps power supplies power boards screens crop circles smudges fan noise poor black quality bad remote design (that little nobby in the center) i present to you the ... WORST. TV. EVER. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 5 Registered: Aug-04 | DJ, No one here is going to try to convirt you. All I can say is from my experience, and I am happy with the set. I had one issue, the screen and it was fixed withing a week and that was it. Personally, I think (as do much of the industry may I add), Hit makes the best RPTv's, they time and time again score very highly in reviews. I will admit there may be issues with this model, but there still are not nearly the issues with this as with the Sony LCD RP. New technology always brings some new issues. And please, please don't get me started with DLP vs LCD. They each have there pro's and con's. Samsungs have a great image also, but I have seen the 50v500 next to the DLP and in my opinion the Hit image was better, and both blew the Sony out of the ball park. Also, lets not pretend Samsung doesn't have any issues either as I can link a nice issues thread related the Samsung's tv's also. Don't forget hit has the patent and makes most of the common electronics in RPtv's like the digital combs filteres etc, its Hit technology that is in your Samsung also. My set is a 50v500A with a Feb2004 manufacture stamp, I also got the extended 5 year warranty thrown into the deal (for no extra cost), I don't think its wise to shell out thousand of dollars for a unit and NOT get an extended warrranty. Maybe others were not as lucky as I am and were not able to get the stand and the extended warranty for the sticker price. There is so much tech in RPtv's that extended warranty tend to pay for themselves in the long run. Also lets not put the tech down. Bad black levels are inherrnet in LCD technology it has nothing to do with Hit. In fact, the black levels on the Hit LCD are leaps and bounds ahead of Sony and other brands. They have made some great strides in that regard. As a personal note, I think DLP tech is great, but I can't get over how it makes everything look "cartoonish" but again this is just personal taste. Have fun with your Samsung, I think they are also great sets but you can stop flaming Hit now since I think your in the wrong newsgroup...Samsung issue thread is in another page. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | lol convert me? dood - i had this tv as the centerpiece of my living room for 11 months. the last 2 months it just took up space (see: 25" loaner on milk crate comment.) i would still have this TV if in fact it was serviceable. perhaps all the quality techs and parts are heading far north. i'm as far south in the US as one can get (hint hint). however, after having the hitachi as the centerpiece, i now have the samsung, and everyone who comes over and ooh-ahh'd over the original hitachi are drooooooooooling of the samsung pic. i will eventually go away and join the samsung page, when i have more time with it under my belt. but right now, i am seeing the big picture with hitachi on this unit, and i'm here to offer friendly, albeit sarcastic warnings to all who will read it. why? because spending $3K on a TV is a significant investment. to be left high and dry for 2 months, plus getting runaround from CC and hitachi techs on servicing the set, does not make me feel special for having given them $3K in cash (didn't finance at 29.6% annually). i trusted them with 3000 dollars, i expected something back. i am that guy that tells 10 other people about the bad product. i am that guy that spreads the loss of good will on a manufacturer and their stumpers (CC in this case.) flaming hitachi is what you call it? nah, i see it as giving the necessary kick in the butt to do the right things by their customers. they read these forums, know what i mean? cheers! |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 6 Registered: Aug-04 | Dj, Good thing you didn't buy a the Sony LCD RPtv, they were even recalled. I have heard of no problems from any of the Canadian members on AVS forums on getting parts etc. I have no knowledge of what happens in the US, and we don't have CC's in Canada so I guess I can not comment on that either. Sounds to me like this was more a CC issue than anything else, again I can not comment on parts on backorder as I got my replacement screen installed one week after the tech came to look at the smudges. That doesn't seem unreasonable to me considering no retailer has trailers full of replacment parts on all the models they sell. Again this is simply my experience. I will throw this in, I have spoken directly to the Canada Hit rep regarding my screen and he has told me that as of April of this year they have sold over 1000 units in Canada and only have 20 service calls since the role out of this Tv. I would say thats also pretty damn good. I have no doubt than more units have been sold in the US but again I can not speak to what I have no experience with. Over at AVS there are less than 50 people on the Hit issues thread and most are just looking for advise on calibrating the unit. There is only one guy in there that has had anywhere near the issue you were having. Maybe you got the lemmon! |
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DJ Unregistered guest | simon - good stats. you have a good chance then. perhaps they send the tv's from the "other assembly line" to the US, figuring we're so naive and vain we don't really care, we just want something expensive in our living rooms. at end of day, CC did right by me to admit they couldn't fix the set and gave me a full exchange... in month 11 no less. i'm very happy with them. not happy with hitachi techs.  funny you mention the cartoonish look. i've heard it referred to as "clay face." i've seen it on a few occasions, and guess what? sometimes it's adjustable with contrast settings, and other times, believe it or not, the actor really looks that way! they have so much base makeup on that the lines and pores of their faces disappear! i have to admit that the dlp's are very sensitive to the source material. even more so than the hitachi's. that's just from my own personal viewing experience. i like that. good luck - wish you all the best with it. |
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Unregistered guest | I'm looking to get one of these 50V500's very soon and I was wondering if anybody has used an xbox as a means of dvd player with this television and if so how was the dvd picture? |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 6 Registered: Aug-04 | It looks suprisingly good for a non-progressive scan DVD Player .. but for such a nice TV you really should do it justice and get a progressive player. ;) (I know it was a pisser for me too. Now I'm using the DVD player in my media center which is definetly better anyways.) |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 14 Registered: May-04 | I have been reading this thread for a few months now, and have often seen mention of calibrating this tv. What do I need to calibrate mine, and where would I get it? I am extremely pleased with it so far, but if I could make it better...why not? Let me know. My email is bbmmmurphy@aol.com. Thanks |
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DJ Unregistered guest | mark murphy... start with a hammer, switch to a sledge if needed happy friday hitachi owners! |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 40 Registered: Mar-04 | video essentials...somewhere on this thread is a link. DJ...use the hammer on yourself. |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 41 Registered: Mar-04 | Mark: John S posted it on the "old" thread: www.ovationmedia.com Hope this helps! |
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cpuguru11 Unregistered guest | Yes DJ.. go use one on your NUTS! |
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Anonymous | DJ, you have way too much time on your hands. Read some books to those kids of your's, keep them away from the TV, any TV, no matter what brand. They may turn out ...better. We got your point, you are upset at both Hitachi and CC. So don't buy there anymore. Can you stop this pointless bickering ? As far as I can tell, everyone is happy with their set. You are one in 1000 maybe that got a lemon. |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 15 Registered: May-04 | Bryan, thanks for the help. I will give it a look. DJ, if you got a new tv out of the deal, and one that is "better" in your view, then why complain? I watched my first NFL game in hi-def last night and was in heaven. My set is only about 4 months old, maybe I will have problems, but hopefully not. I wouldn't wish that on anyone that spends 3 grand + on a tv. I have no complaints at all with my set, sure there is some fan noise (nothing disturbing), and yes the blacks may not be pitch black, but I don't regret spending the money I did, and I think this is a pretty awsome unit. I picked this one over the Samsung DLP unit by the way which was sitting side by side with the HIT at CC. Only time will tell if we all made a bad decision, but I am going to enjoy the ride as long as possible, and if I do have major problems as you supposedly did, I will not come on this thread daily to bash anybody. We all made the decision to buy this set. Enjoy your new DLP...Mark |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 178 Registered: Feb-04 | Mark: My first post on the Avia set-up disc was in error. The correct link is http://www.ovationmultimedia.com You can find this disc, both new and used on Amazon While on this page, check out the Sound & Vision set-up disc and also Joe Kane's Video Essentials disc. I have all three (I like to play) and would be glad to give you a short review of each, if you like. |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 16 Registered: May-04 | Thanks John S...your links are very helpful! If you would like to review each, I would appreciate it. I am assuming (with the little reading I have done) that these calibrate your DVD player, not your tv? I will check links you provided in greater depth. Thanks again...Mark |
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Bronze Member Username: Harbinger77Nashville, TN Post Number: 20 Registered: Jul-04 | Hey Mas Leibman. I just read your not from Aug 3 about using a DVI cable for your pc on your tv. I too had read that it couldn't be done. I read over your notes, and I thought I followed them, but I was wrong...LOL. Anyway, could I trouble you for assistance on your instructions on how you did it. My video card is a Radeon 9600SE, and I'm also using XP. You reference "Power Strip" to create a custom monitor with a max resolution of 1280x720. I'm assuming that is a software of some sort, but I can't seem to find that anywhere. I also see you refer to Media Center. While that's not required for this functionality, I am curious what it does for you. Also, what are AIW and Hauppauge 250MCE cards? Are the neccessary for TV encoding. I was also hoping to see if you would provide me with the monitor driver you used. Sorry to have so many questions, but you seem to be "The Man" when it come to this. I've been on other forums and no one else has a clue. Thanks for your help. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 7 Registered: Aug-04 | Hey there Fredzky - i'd be happy to help out in any way that i can. So first question - what kind of DVI cable are you using now, and what happens when you plug it in to your TV? My DVI cable came from an LCD computer monitor and when I plugged everything in I was immediately presented with my desktop @ 720 x 480p resolution. At this point I created a monitor driver (using powerstrip) so that i could select the Tv's native resolution of 1280x720p. If you'd like a copy of the monitor driver I created, shoot me an email and I'll send it along. (its tiny) Or try http://www.masandwendy.com/ps_mon.zip Media Center is a version of Windows XP with PVR (personal video recorder or "TiVo like") functionality and an interface designed for a remote. (Referred to as the 10' UI.) (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx) AIW refers to the ATI "All In Wonder" line of video cards that have a TV Tuner card built in and provide PVR capabilities but depends heavily on CPU. (you dont want to record TV and do anything else with the computer). The 250MCE is a TVTuner card with a built in MPeg2 encoder so that I can record (standard-def) TV in real time w/ minimal CPU usage. (You can record TV and use the machine without impacting recording. So there you have it . Let me know what problems you are having and we'll figure it out. (think perhaps we should start a new thread on the subject?) /Mas aka The Man :D |
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Anonymous | Months ago someone posted how to access the service menu. Ant A/ press and hold input/ press power for 2 seconds. I've tried to do this, but it doesn't seem to work. Anyone have any luck with this?? My ghosting problem has returned and I understand the fix is in this service menu. |
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Unregistered guest | >Months ago someone posted how to access the service menu. Ant A/ press and hold input/ press >power for 2 seconds. I've tried to do this, but it doesn't seem to work. Anyone have any luck with this?? Tried it on my 50V500 today and it didn't work. I've got a Sears tech. coming out tomorrow to check out my pinkish-hued display problem described last week on this board--I'll ask him about service menu access. Will report back tomorrow (Tue. 8/17). |
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Fly Unregistered guest | Just bought a 50V500 yesterday. Not well versed on big screens. Obviously the picture is not the same as seen in the store. I didn't expect it to be. The picture is good but I do have that "screen door" effect. What can I do to make it better? I have DIRECTV, but just the basic digital service. Will upgrading to HD make a difference? Will buying better cables make a difference? Unfortuneatley, I'm an idot when it comes to stuff like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated! |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 17 Registered: May-04 | Fly, you probably watched your tv in HD at the store. You do need a HD receiver, and cables will help as well. Go with the monster DVI for the best picture. It's alot of work and money to get the best picture, but well worth it...Mark |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 42 Registered: Mar-04 | I posted it awhile ago...say apr/may time frame... I dont remember the buttons but you have to be on ANT A for the screen to show up. Check the "old" thread. I have it there along with the setting you are looking for to "fix" the problem. FLY- I have DTV also and HD programing is outstanding...well worth it. I have a HD OTA ant on my roof that gets the locals in HD. Very nice PQ. The Monster DVI cable is a must. |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 43 Registered: Mar-04 | Found it in June: To get in the service menu you do the following: YOU HAVE TO BE ON ANT A. WITH THE TV COLD: PUSH AND HOLD THE INPUT BUTTON, THEN PRESS THE POWER BUTTON FOR 2 SECS AND RELEASE. The "ghost-R" is under the LCD option. You will get a red screen with a black box. DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert so if you get in there and mess it up...I cant help. I just watched the tech. JOHN S: at least this time I added the disclaimer. Hows your system? Still going strong? The Olympics in HD (NBC) have been unbelievable. The scenes of greece are incredible. Time for a vacation. |
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Anonymous | Thanks Bryan... I've tried that but with no luck. I have a tech coming out on Thursday so I'll try to get some info from him. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 7 Registered: Aug-04 | Looks like Hitachi is just released all of there new version of the LCD RPTV. There are three new lines http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/lcd/lcd_index.shtml 710 715 810 series From what I can tell the 7xx series is an new version of the 500 series and the 810 is a new LE etc with more bells and whistles. The biggest news is they all have a built in HD decoder. Don't know how good it is but so far this is the largest single improvement I can see. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 8 Registered: Aug-04 | Depending on the model, it looks like there's now CableCard support. Its still likely 1st gen though and wont get you any of the PPV or on demand content. (So a STB is still in your future.) The DVI input now looks to support HDMI (something I dont want). There's HD 3-Panel LIght Engine.. is this new? the 700 is standard silver the 715 is the standard with a "titanium" finish MSRP is about the same for the 50" (3299) http://www.buyinghdtv.com/html/hitachi.html has some sparse details. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 8 Registered: Aug-04 | UPDATE: I downloaded the spec sheets for the 50v710, and the 50V810 models. From what I can see.. 7XX series is the same LE, has few more inputs and new remote and "Higher" contrast screen..maybe the black level performance will be a little better. The look is almost identical to 500 series. Also has the built in HD tuner. the 8xx series -has a new LE ...7.1 Fresnel Lens system Ultra compact (thinner than the 500 series which is not that great considering the 500 series was the thinnest RP tv I have seen to date) -built in HD tuner -higher contrast fine pitch screen (whatever that is..maybe this is just the Fixed 500 series screens). - more inputs and the look is different, high gloss black finish and the stand is a little different. I have alos found there is a 9xx series also but it isn't for the regular consumer. Some really high end unit and a real high end price to. |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 9 Registered: Aug-04 | Mas.. The HD 3-Panel LE is the same as the 500 series, so the 700 series has the same LE as the 500. The 800 has the new LE. |
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Bronze Member Username: Harbinger77Nashville, TN Post Number: 21 Registered: Jul-04 | The upconverting to 1080P is new on the new tvs too isn't it. I though the 50v500 only went up to 720p. I bought my 50v500 about 3 weeks ago. Can anyone tell enough from the sketchy details on these new tvs if I should take mine back and swap it out for a new one? I can't tell if it would be worth it. Suggestions....anyone...anyone? |
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New member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 10 Registered: Aug-04 | Fred.. No the 1080P is not new to the 500 series. It looks like the same chipset is in all the models 500, 700 and 800 series. I would think of the 710 as I imagine it is the same unit as the 500 series but with some fixes. I don't know how much the 700 or the 800 series are. The 800 series is a new unit with new specs. Since the 500 series has been out for awhile, I would gofor the 710..it looks identicle and seems to be the "updated" 500. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 9 Registered: Aug-04 | I bought my 50v500 about 3 weeks ago as well but I dont think I'd be able to get the new 7xx model for what I paid for this ($2200).. so i guess if you got a good deal, stick with it. If not, take it back and demand a new model, or a good price break. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 179 Registered: Feb-04 | bryan: TV's still going strong, thanks. It is in my basement HT, which means that it doesn't get turned on unless there's a good reason--movies or special TV events. I've been so busy that it hasn't been on for 5 days, until last night. I watched about an hour of the Olympics, including one of NBC's scenes-of-Greece collages. Wow! Now I understand why a friend owns a place on one of the islands. I trust your issues with TV/Sat/OTA are now history. I've forgotten, did you end up with a complete exchange on the TV? Mark: As I said, I've been busy. I haven't forgotten about my promise on the set-up discs. Yes, since these are played through your DVD player, they apply specifically to DVD playback. But I've found that the settings arrived at there also work well on my HD cable input, so I use the exact same video settings on that input as well. |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 44 Registered: Mar-04 | John S: I received a new TV...better PQ. I have been watching NBC in PIP (Olympics) since NBC is broadcasting both HD and standard but showing different events...swimming and gymnastics..not bad we are at least winning medals. The difference in PQ is night and day. Anyone that wants to question if "HD" is worth it can come by the house and take a look. (or try it at home for themselves). I agree with the HD picts of Athens...sign me up for a vacation (no promises that I will return). For those that have run out of inputs, you can use both the DVI and the component inputs on input 1...just turn off your SAT/Cable box and turn on the DVD player... works great and allows you to PS2/XBox up to the other component inputs. |
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Unregistered guest | Tech solved my problem in 10 min. using SERVICE MENU Sears tech came out yesterday to check my pink-hued picture which kicked in about 10 days ago on all inputs. Tech was an older guy, worked on TV's all his life, and was highly familiar with the new generation sets since Sears sells so many of them. He said by far the most common problems with 50V500's are software related vs. parts malfunctioning. He hasn't even had to replace a lamp yet on a 50V500, although most units haven't been in the field that long. Best guess on lamp life is ~5000hrs which equates to 3 years usage at 4-5 hrs viewing time per day. Having TV in a well-ventilated position can prolong life. Now about the service menu...something the manufacturer DOES NOT want the home user to mess with and probably for good reason. An unknowing consumer could screw things up royally by adjusting values, kind of like messing with the registry on a PC. But I watched the tech's workings like a hawk and took notes...he was good about it. The service menu is highly technical with several dozen parameters and code values. To fix my color problem the tech went to LCD DRIVE on the menu and adjusted the 3-character codes for SIG-C-R, SIG-C-G , and SIG-C-B. (menu navigated by using the remote's 4-directional round select button) Somehow my codes had become faulty, possibly from static shock or a power blip when the problem initiated 10 days ago(altho I use a surge protector with TV). The codes for these parameters were showing "000" whereas the correct code was "01D" (zero-one-delta). If the problem ever occurs again, I would now know how to fix it. My suggestion for smart 50V500 owners would be to at least know about the service menu and know how to access it. I wouldn't change anything unless you have precise technical guidance. One neat feature...at the top of the service menu is a meter which displays hours of usage of the set. Mine was at 1573 hours; all of this time totally problem-free until the color glitch occurred on Aug. 7. To display the service menu, have the TV off and be sure the cooling fan has cycled off. On the TV front panel, press and hold the INPUT button and the POWER on/off button at the same time. (My set was on ANT B when the tech worked on it, so I don't know if ANT A/B makes any difference) As soon as the picture comes on with the service menu overlaid, let go of the buttons. If you hold the INPUT button too long it will remove the service menu after a couple of seconds. That's also how you turn off the service menu by pushing the INPUT button again which serves as an exit. A final note for board poster "DJ": You panicked and ended up screwing yourself. There is no widespread power supply problems with 50V500's; I doubt that was even the problem with yours. So now you have an inferior Samsung DLP. Good luck. BTW, my tech said the DLP's are having a bigtime problem with a moving part called the "color wheel"...the RP LCD's have no such part in their projection process. Hitachi is a highly respected name in the consumer electronics world, while Samsung is known for one word: CHEAP |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 45 Registered: Mar-04 | DZ, Another nice note..the "Ghost R" is the convergence control. Smooths out the edges if you get any ghosting. |
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Bronze Member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 11 Registered: Aug-04 | DZ, Good to know for sure! I have heard of afew issues with this pink hue and its nice to get some confirmation that a SM fix (ie software) does the trick. I wil definately put this in my bag of goodies as I had to "convince" the tech that the smudges in my screen were nothing to do with my LE but a screen issue. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 180 Registered: Feb-04 | bryan: Thanks for the tip on Video 1. I kinda figured a TV of this quality would be flexible enough to recognise an active signal on a multiple-source input. DZ: Thanks very much for your detailed account of your service call. I hope I don't have to refer to it in the future, but it's on record for all of the many people who own this set, including me. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 181 Registered: Feb-04 | Simon: I appreciate your research on the new Hitachi LCDRP TV's. As I understand it, they are chucking the single DVI input in favor of two HDMI inputs, so they obviously think HDMI is the wave of the future..... |
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Fly Unregistered guest | Hey Mark or Brian I got another stupid question. LOL Not familiar with the monster cables. Where do I get them (at a good price of course) and where do I need to run them. Do I run them from the dish to the house or just house to TV? Also, I plan on getting the HD service. But that won't help the stations not broadcasting in HD though, right? Will these cables better my PQ on non-HD channels? How do I know what is being broadcast in HD? |
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Bronze Member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 12 Registered: Aug-04 | comment on monster cables... Take this as you will but as a physicist I can tell you there is VERY little difference between monster cables and any other brands. They all use the same Coax cable the only difference is they use plated connectors on the end. Their claim that the Monster 3 series cable has a standard 75 ohm resistance while is true I would like anyone to find a coax cable with different resistance coefficient (greater than the degree of accuracy your ohm meter can measure anyway). I am not bashing monster I am simply yielding some basic physics...coax is coax and the resistance and attenuation of coax is uniform in all forms. There are "different" types of coax, but the majority of difference is in the insulation, not the actual wire. Better insulation yield greater shielding and less attenuation over length. Just food for thought when you drop $100 plus on a set of coax cables.... |
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Bronze Member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 13 Registered: Aug-04 | Fly, as a follow up, using component cables is one of the "best" ways transmitting the signal to your TV. Thought the DVI is theoretically the best the individual component cables provide the cleanest signal and the only way to get HD. S-video is only good for up to 480, to get true 720 (or perhaps 1080) you must use component cables. You "should" notice a slightly better image on digital channels with a good signal / noise ratio. Just remember, using better outputs will also enhance the bad input! Hence, on some channels you will see a marked improvment, and in others with poor SN ratios you may get a slightly worse image as it will amplify the poor signal. This is the drawbacks with HD and bigscreens. They enhance the bad as well as the good. |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 18 Registered: May-04 | Fly, Simon: I use monster cables on all components, including speakers. Simon, I will agree with you on coax. But the superior insulation and connectors do make a difference. The speaker wire is a thicker better insulated wire, which will help speakers perform to their potential. I have had a high end stereo since the early 80's, and used inferior wires, and was quite happy, but the better insulated, thicker, better connected wires do make a difference. I have spent probably $400 dollars on monsters, and am not sorry at all. It's really pretty small $'s compared to the cost of tv, receiver, dvd, speakers...etc. There are differences in cable quality, no matter the ohm rating. Fly, as far as finding cheap monster cables, I really don't know. I bought from CC, and they had a deal of 10% off with 4 or more cables. You might check ebay, and other online hifi stores for a better deal. Bottom line is that using wal-mart cables would be like buying discount store hubcaps for your new Mercedes, at least that's the way I see it. |
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New member Username: MasPost Number: 10 Registered: Aug-04 | I picked up a 5m DVI Monster cable on ebay for $50. Definitely cheaper than what you can get it for at retail. I wouldn't bother with Monster coax cable - but for audio or video cables they may help a little. (They are definetly over priced though!) Simon - you can get HD through either component or DVI inputs. DVI is a "cleaner" signal over component due to its pure digital nature and is ideal when hooking up a computer to your TV. Other sources may vary depending on your own preferences. |
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Contecsol Unregistered guest | I just wanted to mention to the group that a great place to invest some $$$s is on an uninteruptable power supply (UPS). I prefer APC and have used them in my work as a computer and network engineer for many years. http://www.refurbups.com usually has 420 or 700s for under $100. As most of you know, many problems occur from brown outs (low power) and these units activate at 92v and clamp at 132v. Some units are adjustable. I run all my computers and AV through these to be safe. They also offer a large insurance payment for equipment damaged if the UPS malfunctions. I enjoy this thread and appreciate that there are quite a few well-read individuals participating here. Thanks for all the great information! I love my 50v500a!!!! |
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New member Username: VortecPost Number: 2 Registered: Aug-04 | Here's a good article discussing 1080P format http://www.avvmmp.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=24990-0 |
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Bronze Member Username: UwishhAlberta Canada Post Number: 14 Registered: Aug-04 | I should have been more clear. Yes you can get HD in DVI, it was not my intension to imply you could not. |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 46 Registered: Mar-04 | Fly, I saw an improvement in all my channels PQ when I went to HD (through the DVI) and saw an improvement with the Monster cable over the standard DVI that came with the reciever. Are ALL my channel's PQ outstanding...no, but they are better then they were and the HD is incredible. I get ABC,NBC,CBS through a HD OTA ant. PQ for these channels (even when not rue HD) is clear and the HD programs like CSI, LAw and Order and the Olympics are as clear and as incredible as Discovery HD. I have DirectTV and do recommmend it. As for PS2 or XBox....go component...it is the only way these are playable (non-HD formatted games)... and they do look good. |
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New member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 5 Registered: Jun-04 | Simon is right, I compared the DVI-D cables as well. I went to Circuit City and bought the Monster, and compared it with a no name $ 15 DVI-D cable from the computer show. I haven't seen any diference. The no name is as thick as the Monster, and it does have 75 Ohm resistance printed on it. I returned the Monster back to CC and used the money for something else. As to speaker wires: the thicker, the better. My personal choice: copper extension power cord cables. Yes, they work perfect and they are cheap, and blend in perfect with the harwood floors or the wall |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 11 Registered: Aug-04 | So i just helped a friend move in his new 42V715 from video only today. The key differences I noticed with this set compared to my 50V500A are as follows: New LE for noticebly improves brightness. Blacks looked the same. HDMI input replaces DVI. Cable Card slot and associated optical audio out. Different layout of inputs. Each set of inputs is now grouped vertically (in columns) rather than horizontally. No front panel access - everything is moved to the right side of the set and is no longer hidden behind a door. Instead of the PCCard slot there is now a USB port. New remote. Simplified layout and directional buttons rather than the 'joystick' like nob. Jog wheels for volume and channel were very nice. It looked nice and the buttons felt great but was missing a few things like specific video input buttons. The new 42" is about $100 less (sticker) than last year's 50". All in all this is a very nice set. Hitachi has further refined their LCD RPT set with a few choice upgrades. However, as an existing (3 week old) 50" owner, I didn't feel it was necessary to return it for a new model ;) (Not to mention the wife killing me!) Cheers! /Mas |
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New member Username: Erik_dPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-04 | I'm the friend Mas mentions above (thanks for the use of the Rodeo in getting my 42V710 home, you're not going to charge me 50 bucks delivery charge like Video Only wanted are you!?) So nothing bad to report at this stage. Comcast comes tomorrow with the HD box (I called ahead and requested they bring one with an HDMI out, as suggested by Mas~ hope they do...) I have to say, I've been looking close at the blacks (having read all the posts above) and I'll be damned if they don't look as black as my old 27" CRT. Perhaps the new LE provides for better blacks? Don't know, but looks perfectly black to me (and the wife!) I was a bit dumbfounded as to using the TV's speakers as the "center chanel" as available on the 50V500, (I've got a center pre-amp out on the back of my Onkyo TX-SR701 which I ran to the back of the 42V710) but soon realized that it was only available when playing a 5.1 source (like Lord of the Rings DVD). Otherwise (like watching TV stations for example) the TV plays all freq's through it's own speakers (even when the audio is set to "TV as center"). Just make sure that your receiver / amp has pre-out's for at least the center channel if you intend to use your TV's speakers as the center channel! In any event as soon as I put a shelf on the wall over the TV (hopefully tomorrow) I'll be back to using my JBL 3-way center and I'll be changing the audio setting of the TV to "TV off". Also, check into the alternate stand that Video only offers. It's over $100 bucks cheaper than the Hitachi designed stand and WAY stronger (wood and metal rather than plastic). The 2 glass shelves are supported by metal rails which prevent the shelves from sagging. Anyway, I'll let you know if any probelms arise (fingers crossed, they won't!) Erik. |
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JO Unregistered guest | I would like to know. Has anyone had the fan replaced and it be quieter? |
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New member Username: SchleppyPost Number: 3 Registered: Aug-04 | I have had my 50V500A for about a week now and I am very pleased with it so far. It is my second Hitachi. The first CRT is still going strong. I have a question on getting the PIP set up correctly. I have a cable box that has DVI going into Input 1 and then S-Video going in for Input 3. The DVD is going to Input 2. When I do the split screen with Inputs 1 and 3 I get the same channel. I thought since it was coming from two different sources they would be independent. Am I going to have to use ANT A in order to get different channels? I was hoping not, the picture isn't that great but it would only be during PIP mode. Just added the DVI cable today, I do see an improvement of PQ on HDTV and regular programming. I got an RCA cable from the local joint for $50.00. Any info on the PIP setup is appreciated. |
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Anonymous | Erik Can you tell me which stand it was at Video Only for so cheap. I saw the set there but it was only on the normal stand. If you have a model number from the box or reciept if would be helpfull. Thanks |
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