Archive through February 08, 2005
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-04 | I'm researching the purchase of a new HDTV and from what I can see it seems the RCA series of DLP TVs has BY FAR the most bang for the buck. They have many more features, including a built in tuner, for considerably less money. I've found reviews on them are all over the place, pretty much the same as others listed on this forum. The 1 time I've seen one on display I was impressed with the picture quality, no noticeable difference with the Samsung right next to it. My question is, why isn't there more buzz out here regarding the RCA line? |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "My question is, why isn't there more buzz out here regarding the RCA line?" Because since Thompson purchased RCA their CRT tube models have had poor performance. Therefore people are reluctant to try the DLP. I however own a 61" RCA DLP model and find it to be superior in all matters compared to the competition. Better PQ, a bulit in tuner, web browser, better display of SD signals and good black levels. I highly reccommend spending less money and getting more features. xvxvxvx |
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Happy RCA Customer Unregistered guest | I agree with XVXVXVX. I also own the RCA 61" DLP and I am very happy with the performance of the set. In my work as a broadcast engineer I use monitors that cost thousands more than the RCA DLP set and I can tell you they can not keep up with the picture quality of the RCA DLP. It is a great value and you will not be sorry! |
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New member Username: DecoyradioPost Number: 2 Registered: Sep-04 | I'm purchasing the new HD61LPW163 61'' DLP from RCA and am very excited! It should be here in about a 1.5 weeks. I'll be sure to post a note about how it looks, but from what I've heard, its been in line with what has already been said. |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 2 Registered: Oct-04 | I took the plunge and ordered the HD61LPW163. It was delivered today and unfortunately it was DOA. I'll keep you posted. |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 3 Registered: Oct-04 | I reset the power after allowing it to warm up for a couple of hours. It started working and has worked all weekend, hopefully it was just a "glitch" coming out of the box. At this point I'm extremely pleased with the TV. The picture is absolutely beautiful. For right now it's plugged directly into my cable (no settop box or cable card from the Time Warner) and I have 3 HD channels to view. CBS, NBC and Fox Sports. The baseball playoff game on Fox sports last night was UNBELIEVABLE. I couldn't believe I was able to watch something like that live in my basement. Pictures on SD channels are more than acceptable. The internet browser is really cool, using PIP I was able to watch the Steelers game while monitoring the Steelers website Message Board at the same time. WOW! I'm in overload here! This TV has just got to be taken more seriously on this board. |
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DavidMcKnight Unregistered guest | My experience was very similar to Len's, when we bought the 61" set in July. It worked for about 30 seconds, then no picture. Did the 30 minute reset shuffle, and it worked for about a month. Then no picture, reset shuffle, worked for about a month. Now, last night, again, no picture. AAARRG!! I have an ext. warranty on it, but the store wants to send out a tech to look at it before they do anything else. I'm calling back tomorrow to put a little pressure on to replace the set or at least the lamp. But who knows, it may come on and work tomorrow. Very frustrating. |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 4 Registered: Oct-04 | TV is still working great. Yesterday when I turned it on there was a message on the screen; "A software update is available over the internet via your ethernet connection - click Yes to accept". (Or something to that effect). I accepted and it did it's thing for about 5 minutes (downloading, creating files, reseting, etc.) I didn't notice any difference in the operation of the set before and after. My question is; does anyone out there know what the update was all about? I've checked the website and there's no technical information like that available. I'm not necessarily concerned, just curious. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "My question is; does anyone out there know what the update was all about?" You might notice a subtle improvemrnt in your SD programming. xvxvxvx |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 5 Registered: Oct-04 | An observation I made last night is that the SD picture is MUCH better when using the TV's tuner as opposed to the Cable Box tuner. The picture is noticably clearer and the colors are much more vibrant. I haven't noticed a difference with the HD channels, just the SD. Unfortunately Time Warner does not have the cable card in my area yet and I will be forced to use the box until they do. |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | "Unfortunately Time Warner does not have the cable card in my area yet and I will be forced to use the box until they do." As of July 1st of this year they became legally obligated to provide you with a working cablecard upon your request. Do not believe a CS rep if they tell you otherwise. A mention of the FCC mandate might help you get your cablecard sooner rather than later. You may call 1-888-CALL-FCC Keep in mind that if you do choose Cablecard instead of an STB you will lose VOD, the TV guide and any other info/features which may require two-way communication between your display and the Cable co's front-end. Today's cablecards are one-way only. xvxvxvx |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | i've heard that some of the cable co's aren't saying they have the cards yet when they acctually do. they don't want to lose teh ppv,vod,etc. tell them you want the card and the box so you still get the movies if you want to. then just use the box as needed. any other feedback on the rca 163's.hope to get one soon. saw the 263 at best buy but $4000.00 too much. |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 6 Registered: Oct-04 | Regarding the software update I previously mentioned; I received the following response from RCA tech support: "Upgrades to SW are posted on a secure website that is programmed into the TV. When the TV is connected to broadband, it will allow the consumer to access these upgrades. The upgrades are always Software that has been moved into production. It is done typically for improvements in software reliability. Occasionally, a new feature is also added, in which case, the default RCA Scenium TV website for the Browser would have the information describing it." The set is still performing flawlessly. I'm very pleased. |
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Unregistered guest | I am going to purchase a DLP before Thanksgiving and I am seriously considering the RCA HD61LPW163. The other contenders are Mitsubishi 725 series and the Samsung HLP5674W (if it really exists). Can those of you who are happy with your RCA 163s please tell me if you considered other brands, what sold you on the RCA, and how you think the HD and SD picture quality compares to other brands (such as the Samsungs)? Thanks in advance. |
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New member Username: DecoyradioPost Number: 4 Registered: Sep-04 | I recieved the RCA 61'' DLP this past friday and so far has been fantastic. The picture, black levels, everything is great. Very user friendly. Be sure to calibrate it with Avia or Digitial essientials, after calibrating it with Avia, the picture was as good or better than anything I've seen so far, pricy sets included. |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | could you please explain what is meant by avia or digital essentials. new to all this high-tech.thanks |
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New member Username: DecoyradioPost Number: 5 Registered: Sep-04 | Avia Guide to Home Theater and Digital Video Essientals are both DVDs with instructions and test patterns used to set the parameters of the picture on the TV, such as sharpness, black levels, contrast, hue, color, ect. Its important to calibrate it after you get the set because when they come from the factory, most the time they are way out of wack |
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Phocis Unregistered guest | I am considering purchasing ether the RCA HD61LPW163 or the HD61LPW165. What is the difference between them? |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 7 Registered: Oct-04 | From what I can tell they are identical with the exception of 1 feature. I pulled the following from an online article announcing the product release: "The 165 Series - HD61LPW165, HD50LPW165, HD44LPW165 -- features the TV Guide On Screen electronic program guide for easy access to both digital and analog channels and one-touch recording of favorite programs to send HDTV signals to Digital Video Recorders and analog TV signals to VCRs or DVD recorders." You can read the full article at: http://news.designtechnica.com/article5331.html |
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tn bubba Unregistered guest | from rca spec sheet the 165 has hd3 chip also. |
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Phocis Unregistered guest | Len & Bubba, Thank-you for your replys. I will most likely purchase the HD61LPW165 if I can find a source that carries it. |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | just an update on the 165 series. looked on rca web site and found a new spec sheet for the 165 scenium series. looks like they've done away with the tv guide feature. a couple of other things are different from spec sheet a few months ago. looks like a 163 series now with a hd3 chip. don't see a 163 series in their lineup now. what's up rca? |
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D J Jackson Unregistered guest | I hope this thread stays active. Just ordered a 165. Looked hard at Mitsi and Samsung. Feedback on Mitsi was that it was just too complicated. The feature I am looking forward to is "Net Connect" for internet surfing (similar to old Web TV) and online updates to chip. Anyone have updated user reports? Last post is over 2 wks old. |
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New member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 10 Registered: Oct-04 | Still very happy with the 61" 163 after a month of use. The "Net Connect" you mention is a nice feature. Big Ben with the Pittsburgh Steelers is from our home town and we've had a lot of fun reading Steeler/Big Ben websites and articles as a group during football commercial breaks. Our couch is about 12' from the TV and we can easily read the text from there. A single button press on the keyboard toggles back and from split screen to full screen while the TV sound continues uninterrupted. |
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New member Username: AcemanPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-04 | Len, I'm thinking about the same TV, 61". Some questions: Is it bright enough for your room? Is 12ft at 61" a screen that you feel is to big? does the TV have split screen pic & pic where one screen can be the web? My understanding is you cant pic-n-pic with digital/hd inputs? any thoughts? thx for your answers/input! Aceman |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 11 Registered: Oct-04 | I have the TV in our basement with the lights on a dimmer combined with very little natural light. Under those conditions I've selected the "Bulb Saver" mode in the setup and toned the brightness level way down. However, I would have no problem cranking it up if I had too. It has plenty of brightness available for a well lit room. I think 12' is ideal for the 61" screen. We make an effort to seek out HD broadcasts and of course there's no problem with those. The digital channels that are not HD are also just fine at that distance. The analog channels are a little grainy but more distance doesn't seem to make much difference to me. The split screen I'm referring to is not PIP. One side is internet and the other is the TV picture, they're not overlapped at all. Note that you can split screen any TV picture, HD included. You can move the TV picture to either the right or left side of the screen, but not the top or bottom. (It's not PIP but you use the PIP button on the remote to go into the split mode.) You're correct regarding PIP and HD, you can't PIP if either source is HD. I don't recall trying it with a digital "non-HD" channel. If I think of it I'll try it tonight. |
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ChasMan Unregistered guest | How about closer distances? Say 2-3 feet? Mine will need to be in a corner (due to fireplace) and near one end of a couch. I'm leaning toward the 61" 165 due to the HD3 chip.... |
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Joe Jacobs Unregistered guest | ChasMan, I have a friend who set up the same arrangement you are talking about. The 61 is just to close for comfortable viewing. It reminds me of sitting on the front row at the movies. He has a chair about 10 feet away that I feel is still to close. Look at a 50 or even a 44-46. I think you would be much happier if you cannot get a least 12 feet for viewing a 61. |
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Mark D. Unregistered guest | I have been looking at the HD50LPW162 at Best Buy but wanted the features of the HD50LPW165. However I can not seem to locate a dealer that carries or can even order one. Can anyone tell me where they purchased their HD50/61LPW165 model? |
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ChasMan Unregistered guest | Thanks. Anyone have comparative info on the HD3 chip in the W165 vs. the HD2+ chip in the 163? From what I can tell via RCA spec sheets, that's the only difference between the 163 and 165. |
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ChasMan Unregistered guest | Various websites carry the 50/165. Cheapest looks to be electroline4u.com ($2299). Just plug that model # into a Google search engine and you'll find several sites (incl VideoDirect, BigBangElectronics). Haven't found a retailer yet.... |
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Unregistered guest | i have access to all the rca line feel free to send an e-mail. kids@ncn.net |
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thomasb134 Unregistered guest | >> Yesterday when I turned it on there was a >> message on the screen; "A software update is >> available over the internet via your ethernet >> connection - click Yes to accept"." My HD50LPW42 was installed earlier this year. I have yet to see a request to upgrade the software. So, after you performed the upgrade, what was the S/W version ? Mine says A8.1E/B8.1C. BTW, I was having a lot of intermittent tuner lockups (couldn't change channel, couldn't see Guide, etc.) on my HD50LPW42. I would have to reset it (via front panel trick) at least once a week to keep it running. But, then on a lark, I unplugged the ethernet connection several weeks ago and the set has been perfect ever since. I plugged it back in last night to see if I would get the upgrade notice -- nothing so far. If I have the latest firmware then I'll unplug the internet connection ASAP (don't want a repeat of the lockups). Thanks. |
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Hung Le Unregistered guest | Does anyone know if the RCA HD61LPW163 uses the 6 or 7 color segment wheel ? |
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xvxvxvx Unregistered guest | Does anyone know if the RCA HD61LPW163 uses the 6 or 7 color segment wheel ? Six Segment Wheel xvxvxvx |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-04 | Has anyone compared the RCA HD50LPW165 to the HDLP50W151? Reviews of the 151 state that the blacks are limited, the screen is glossy (reflecting the background), colors are weak and that the unit makes a lot of noise. Have these issue's been addressed in the 165? I love the feature set but I can't find one to look at. |
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JAYHAWK BRETT Unregistered guest | I just purchased the HD50LPW165 which should arrive Monday. However the website from where I purchased it did not have the wireless keyboard. I have found the following wireless keyboard,(RCA KBR755TA1 ) on several sites but they always say this keyboard is for HD61LPW163 and HD50LPW163. Does anyone know if this keyboard will work w/the 165 model? |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | jay, according to my 165 spec sheet it is the right keyboard. should make you good to go. |
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bobdillon45@msn.com Unregistered guest | I hooked up new Toshiba SD 5970 upconverting DVD to my 163 last night. HDMI to HDMI. All the settings looked OK to me. TV received signal on my new Superspeedway DVD, but after some 'searching... Could NOT receive Spiderman DVD until I hooked up in component.. any clues? |
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JAYHAWK BRETT Unregistered guest | Just got my HD50LPW165 delivered and it looks great. Question: Should I go w/the cable card which is $12/month cheaper than the digital set top box but I give up the channel guide which I have become reliant on and also give up pay-per view and on-demand channels. Also, has anyone hooked up the web browser using wireless connections? |
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Mr Sparks Unregistered guest | jayhawk, I hooked up a ethernet cable to my RCA to check out the web browser. I do not have the RCA keyboard and could not go deeper than a couple of screens. I found the RCA browser to be very poor. I believe it's a Windows handheld browser (windows ce?). No loss for me. It would be nice to browse on the TV but I have internet on my PC. No big loss. If you already have internet on your PC, save yourself the bother and don't waste any time with it like I did. If not, you might find it useful. |
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New member Username: MckochPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-04 | I have owned an RCA 61 inch DLPHD for about 2 months....it is GREAT!!!!!!!!,,,,,now I am getting a POLK surround sound 5.1 with an onkyo602 ....any tips on making sure I optimize this HT package to my RCA??? |
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chezeater Unregistered guest | can anybody tell me if this is a third generation series? I am looking to buy this rca 61, and just want to be sure I am getting the latest. |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | your latest series are the 163,164,165,263 series |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 2 Registered: Dec-04 | I received my HD50LPW165 Friday. It appears to me that the concerns about the 151 model were corrected in the 165. Very pleased so far. |
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Roadhog Unregistered guest | I have been looking at the HD44lpw165 today, really like it so far. My question - does the Cablecard feature also work with Direct TV? - as these have cards also. It would be nice to not have that box to look at. Thanks |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | no. it is just for cable. you need dtv's box for it. |
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Michael NYC Unregistered guest | TNBUBBA- I'm looking to buy the HD61LPW165. I'm getting Dish Network (Satellite). Can I still use the HDTV features? Will it work just as well as cable? Thanjs |
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Roadhog Unregistered guest | I'm looking for a retailer for the HD44lpw165 series but have not had any luck. We have a local service center/dealer for 31082, who sell RCA's but he says he can't get this model. I'm not sure about his answer or if he even knows what he can get. I know I could go to a mail order site but local is much easier. Anyone have any idea when all the "Big Box Retailers" are going to have these on the shelves? I would like to ask RCA why they will not our local dealer have the 165's but to find a email address on Thompsons website for this is tough. All that being said - this looks like a great TV, looking forward to getting one |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | i'm not sure what all you are asking and i'm no pro about this, but, you'll need to get the hd thru dish. it will act as your tuner. you can still run cable to your second antenna and get analog cable thru it. this way i think you can maybe use pip. with using dish as tuner you will not be able to have two pictures from them. the 165 or 153 are there newer models. far as i know they are both the same with exception of chips. 163,hd2+,165,hd3. hope this helps |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | roadhog, can he get a 163 series? only difference is the chip.hd2+. if you'll go to rca.com and go to press releases there is an e-mail address. or at least there was. haven't been to it in a few. |
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happy163user Unregistered guest | I have read your string of messages and was encouraged about buying the HD61LPW163, and did so a couple of weeks ago. We set it up yesterday and couldn't be happier. I bought from Big Bang and they were great, had the cheapest prices ($3000 including shipping and keyboard) and Bill (one of the owners) spent over an hour on the phone with me answering questions about everything. I was very impressed. I went with his recommendation for a Yamaha receiver and KEF surround speakers (also from him) and also couldn't be happier. Regarding the prior question, you can either use the usual cable/satellite connections or you can use a cable card (there is a slot), which avoids having the cable box messing up your perfectly organized entertainment center. I highly recoomend this unit. And according to Bill at Big Bang, the 2+ chip is better than the 3. He also recommended the Toshiba DLP sets over the RCA, but they have the speakers on the sides, so that would have made me go with a smaller set, so I didn't look any furter, but this RCA 163 was his second choice. I hope this information helps. |
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Love my 163 Unregistered guest | I also love my 163.. Only had one problem,havent figured out if it was TV or DVD. Toshiba 5670 upconverter.. TV would recognize the blue screen, but not any video turn HDMI.. I just bought a regular Sony DVD with component, looks great.. Still, would like to know if it was the TV or DVD player. Other than that, this is a great TV. |
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NJRCAuser Unregistered guest | I concur with happy163user. I also purchased a 163 from Big Bang Electronics on December 15. Bill was indeed great. The time he spent with me sold me on his company. It arrived on December 18. I installed it on December 24 (because I had to modify the wall into which it was going) and it is great so far. No noise, etc. I did not touch the factory settings and I and the family think it's great right out of the box. I am using a Toshiba DVD upconversion player on HDMI...fantastic. My cable company does not support the cable card yet... promise by February so they gave me a PVR box in the interim. I have it connected to the Component video input and watched the Jets/Patriots game yesterday in HD... fantastic. We even watched "It's a Wonderful Life" Christmas night and SD was beautiful. The set sounds great and I have the Audio Digital out connected to an Onkyo receiver. We are using the keyboard for web access ... a little slow and no cookie support, but still fun. My son plays guitar and has a website for guitar songs on the screen while he plays. I recommend The RCA 163 set and Big Bang Electronics. |
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NJRCAuser Unregistered guest | For "Love my 163"... I's pretty sure I am using the 5670 also. Did you set the video out selector switch to HDMI? It took me some time to find it. You will also need to set the upconversion value to 1080i for the best picture. I am using the HDMI cable that came with the DVD player and I think it's great. I will probably return the Monster Cable that I purchased for $120.00 I don't think I need it. Hope this helps. |
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NJRCAuser Unregistered guest | See Post to Love my 163 above... my upconversion Toshiba DVD player is SD-5970, not 5670. My SD-5970 works quite well. It has somewhat of a cheap look and feel, but it works just fine. |
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Love my 163 Unregistered guest | Yes, I did select it to HDMI.. Actually, on one DVD, "SuperSpeedway" it worked. Then when I put another DVD in there it did not. Put Superspeedway back in and it didn't work again. I did notice (after connecting Toshiba to component) there were a few frozen scenes on one disc not there before. So, since I didn't really care for the interface, I just returned the thing. I'll connect my DirecTV HD receiver to it soon, DVI to HDMI, and guess I'll find out. Tks for the input NJRCAuser |
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Love my 163 Unregistered guest | To clarify, my DirecTV HD receiver is connected, but just thru component. Reluctant to spend $100 for a DVI to HDMI at the moment. I watched "I, Robot" last night with my Sony 775, what an awesome picture it was. Guess that's why I don't lament the loss of the Toshiba.. |
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D Jackson Unregistered guest | Installed my new HD61LPW165 on Monday 12/27. After a few days, I am absolutely blown away by the picture quality and features. Don't really know where to start. I am going to try and start a new thread titled "RCA Scenium 165 Series" and see if we can get a thread started for user experiences. Happy New Year! |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-04 | I have been very pleased with my Scenium 165. The picture is great but I have had some intermittent high squelching noise from the TV's sound system. It popped up a few days after I got the TV and went away. It showed up again yesterday after reconnecting the cables to my Sony receiver. After a few hours, it went away. The noise comes and goes as a high pitched squeal on top of the regular sound. I checked connections, turned off the stereo and got the noise from the TV's sound system using both the Dish Network signal and from the DVD player. If it didn't go away, I could set up a service call and get it fixed but as it is, I have to keep my fingers crossed that it will not show up again. If you can shed any light on the subject, I'd like to hear about it. Other than this one issue the TV has been great. I hooked up the internet today to see what it looked like (I have a keyboard on order). The menu's and setup options have been easy to follow and adaptable to any situation. |
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D Jackson Unregistered guest | In recent weeks there have been a couple of posts about Model 163 vs Model 165. The gist of the posts seem to be that the two models are the same except for the chip. If I understand you guys, the Model 163 uses a "hd2+" chip while the newer Model 165 uses a "hd3" chip. Has anyone verified this and have any other differences been identified? Do you think we are looking at the same type situation that exists in PC's; i.e., Pentium III (hd2+) vs say AMD Duron (hd3)? Has anyone gotten to the point of choosing between a Model 163 or a Model 165? Is there a price difference? I just paid $3,999 + sales tax for a Model HD61LPW163 from a local non-bigbox retailer. He delivered and installed to cable an elaborate sound system. I don't mind paying a little more but saw where someone said $3,000. This has been a worse experience than buying a car. Happy New Year Everyone! |
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New member Username: BudhafPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-05 | I have never purchased a large item on the internet and have some concern about purchasing a 61" LWP163. Has anyone purchased this way and what is the best way to go? I see that a couple of you really like BigBangElectronics. Cant find a local dealer in Dallas. |
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New 163 User Unregistered guest | Bud, There are at least three things to consider when buying over the Internet from a reputable web dealer: 1) Delivery-These big units are huge and fragile. Even with damage in transit coverage, the unit is going to take a beating. My dealer said 2 out of 10 had some kind of damage being delivered to his store. 2) Installation-If you are a high tech guy, ignore this line. Installing the tv only to cable seems pretty straight forward. However, if you have multiple peripherals and a home theatre type sound system, installation can get pretty tricky. I sure wouldn't trust my brother-in-law. 3)Service-Who are you going to look to for service? I am sure RCA has a list of authorized service stations, but a local dealer might be better for easier support. I live out in the middle of nowhere so using a big city internet dealer was not an option for me. I know I paid a premium for the set, but I am pleased with the installation. Good luck! |
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New member Username: BudhafPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-05 | Are most of you buying from the internet or local dealers? I am looking for feedback on internet purchases and your experience with them. |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 15 Registered: Oct-04 | I purchased my 163 from BigBangElectronics. Very pleased with their service. As mentioned above, Bill was always very generous with his time. He's very knowledgeable in the field. I wouldn't hesitate making another large purchase from them. |
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John R. M. Unregistered guest | Saw the 50" RCA DLP (not sure which model) on sale for C$3,400, including stand, delivery and set up. Looked great for the price. Another local dealer said they stopped carrying RCA since they had a 100% failure rate last year. Shoudl I be leery of this set? |
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Mr Sparks Unregistered guest | I have last year's 50" RCA. Have had not any problems. The picture is excellent for HD, DVD and Xbox. At the price you mentioned it must be the new model with the HD2+ chip, or they are charging you for stand, delivery and set up. I paid $2400 from costco for HDLP50W151. The new model is capable of a better picture than mine, which has a HD2 chip. I've seen the new model at a best buy - the picture was as good or better than most. Not sure, but the new model may be HD50LPW163,162 or 165. Good luck. |
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NJRCAUser Unregistered guest | To answer a couple of posts... I purchased my hd61lpw163 from BigBangElectronics. I was very pleased with their presales support (Bill), their prompt and perfect delivery, and the price ($2999.00 including shipping). We are VERY pleased with the set. Great picture and the internet connection is fun. I also have the picture server up and running. Connecting to my Audio system was very easy. I am using a Toshiba upconverter for DVDs via HDMI. Works perfect. I think the 163 series with the HD2+ chip is better than the 165 series with the HD3 chip. Watching the football playoff games in HD is awesome. I have not completed installation of the cable card yet as my cable company is just starting to roll it out. I hope to have it up and running in the next month. |
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in_need_of_help Unregistered guest | i also have the RCA 61" DLP.... i love the tv but for the life of me i cant figure out how to change the setting from 480i to 1080i so i can use my hd cable box  does anyone know how to do this? |
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New member Username: BudhafPost Number: 4 Registered: Jan-05 | Is anyone using the PIP? Is it actually PIP or split screen? Also, has anyone hooked up a HD antenna to their TV? I wonder what the screen looks like and how the HD antenna works. I want to utilize cable for primary input and hd antenna for secondary. I just bought my 61" 163 DLP from BigBangElectronics. I was worried about purchasing on the internet, but they were great. I ordered on Monday and the TV was delivered on Thursday. I am now waiting on accessories, like power supply and antenna so that I can get on with watching TV like it was meant to be. Anyone considering buying a new TV should definately check out BigBangElectronics. Bill and Jason were both great to deal with. |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 16 Registered: Oct-04 | In response to "in_need_of_help". My cable box has a setting to list the formats which the TV is capable of displaying. My experience is limited, but I would guess that to be typical. Go into your cable box setup and add 720p & 1080i to the list of formats. In response to Bud Haffner. The PIP is truly PIP, not split screen. The problem with PIP is that it will not allow either source to be HD. (That was one of my few disappointments with this TV but I really don't know if any other TVs allow that). When dealing with the internet browser you can split screen, and this is regardless of the source. To split the screen just press the "PIP" button on your remote while viewing the browser. You can press it again to move the picture from one side of the screen to the other, but that's the extent of your options. It's a fixed size on one side or the other. |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 5 Registered: Dec-04 | You can find a review of my 50" RCA Scenium 165 at http://www.mopinball.com/scenium/review.html |
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in_need_of_help Unregistered guest | Len, i did what you said.... the tv stays at 480i, in the booklet i recieved with the tv i see screen shots of it set at 1080i but i cant seem to change the setting....i think it would look better set at 1080 than 480 |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 17 Registered: Oct-04 | Sounds to me like you have a problem with the cable box. The TV can only display what it's receiving. |
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Mr Sparks Unregistered guest | in_need_of_help - not sure if I understand your problem, but it sounds like you think you have to change some setting in your HDTV, to recieve 1080i? Your problem would be with the cable box, not your HDTV, unless you set it up with wrong cabling to wrong input on HDTV. The HDTV will use the resolution of the input you plug into on the back of the set. So look in your user manual, maybe under the specs, you'll see some inputs are for component input and will receive, 480i,480p, 720p and 1080i. Run component cables from the cable box to component input that handles 1080i. Like Len said "The TV can only display what it's receiving." If your HD cable box needs to be set to output 1080i, your cable company will have that information for you. Mr Sparks |
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New member Username: MkbyrdAL US Post Number: 3 Registered: Jan-05 | I have a 65" RCA Scenium (HD65W20) HDTV ~2 years old. Not used much except for DVD viewing. After putting in a DVD the screen was garbled so the DVD was ejected to clean it. While the DVD was still out of the player I heard a high pitched pop. The DVD was reinserted and plays fine except there is a blue translucent image about the size of your hand in the middle of the screen. TV was turned off and unplugged for a while and restarted. Still has the image. DVD player was completely unhooked but still no change. I don't know if the DVD player had anything to do withthe pop but it sure was coincedental. The DVD player is connected via Component Cables. The image shows with TV tuner or any other source. I blocked each of the tube projections off to see if it had an affect. Only the Red tube appeared to have an effect. The image dissapears when the red tube is covered up. The image is distinct. It has a vertical line with 2 balls at the top and 2 at the bottom with an S shaped looking pattern across it almost like a picture of a flag pole with a flag draped around it. Sorry for the details. Does any one have a suggestion for what has happened? Could this be something with the tube?Any possible suggestions would be appreciated. I just don't like to call a repair service when I don't have any idea of what is wrong. |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-05 | I am thinking about returning my 50 inch dlp from Samsung to Costco & buying the RCA HD50LPW42 for $500 dollars less.. Any comments??? |
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Unregistered guest | Has anyone purchased the 44" 165? I am waiting to have one delivered and I am curious what experiences you may have seen. It was the best looking picture I had seen under 50". Also, what is the difference between a 2+ and a 3? Thanks for the help. |
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Unregistered guest | Has anyone bought the RCA DVR2160 yet? Any problems, etc.? |
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Unregistered guest | Bought the 50" DLP two weeks ago. Hooked my satelite to the antenna a and mounted an off air antenna in the attic and attached to the antenna b input so I could receive off-air local HDTV. This is a killer television - no complaints. Great color and black levels and the hd tuner is fantastic. I seem to only be able to view PIP on analog broadcast - seems it will not PIP HD broadcasts. But that is minor when considering the price. Bought mine at Conns in Houston. I was able to get them down to 1799.00 with a 4 year extended warranty. Highly recommend this set. |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-05 | I just purchased mine at Costco. $2,000 Great color & clarity in HD. Bought a channel master #4228 antenna to pick up free local HD stations here in Los Angeles. Adelphia still has not rolled out HD in my zip. No luck yet in getting the RCA keyboard.. still back ordered on RCA.com. Pip is not that great compared to the one on the sammy 50DLP. I guess there will always be trade -offs. |
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Anonymous | Michael Byrd... possibilities, bug (insect) in red tube lens assembly red tube has cracked red tube surface burns |
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Low Tech Unregistered guest | We just bought the DLP 61" at Costco for $2600 (including tax). Thing is, it seems to have a hard time "focusing" - does anyone notice this? Up close face shots look great; distant details look fuzzy. BUT they look ok if the scene allows a few seconds. Is this a problem with the bulb, the hookup or the tv? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. |
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Unregistered guest | I've had the HDLP50W151 fro about a year. Great set. The color wheel did make a high pitched whine which I could hear but no one else in the family could. This was replace under warrenty. When I bought it I did not understand the "QAM" decoder, just that it had a built in HD receiver. Guess what? On the cheapest basic cable I get local cable HDTV, you just have to searc for the right channels (ie, CBS HD comes in on 87-1 and not 10-1, etc.. Kinda like falling off the turnup truck. i sit 10 to 12' away and the 50" screen is great. Anythin larger may not look too good for SD channels. I'm using a $6 DVI cable and it looks as good as the $100 Monster cable. |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-05 | Hi, What city do you live in & what CC do you have?? I live in LA & have Adelphia..RCA HD50LPW42 I guess I will start searching!! |
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Nonsanity Unregistered guest | I pressed "Submit Order" on a HD61LPW165 yesterday from TigerDirect for a total cost of $2750 (with $150 delivery and no tax). Of the whole 16x line, the 163 seemed to me to be the best, and the deal at TigerDirect was competative with BestBuy's price for the 50" 162. Now I have to find a good stand for it that is large enough with doors (to keep little fingers away from the components). After looking and finding little but open-front stands, I may end up getting two smaller stands and put them side-by-side. |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 7 Registered: Dec-04 | Audio question -- bass/subwoofer How should I utilize my floor standing woofers and my subwoofer? I have a Dolby 5.1 system (details below). If I set the RCA Scenium audio settings to "no subwoofer" I get a room full of bass that is kind of "muddy" making it difficult to clearly hear the voices and the subwoofer doesn't seem to do anything. If I set the audio setting to "subwoofer attached" I get very solid bass with some feeling from the subwoofer and much clearer dialog. This is good but I loose the fullness that I have with the "no subwoofer" setting. Is there a happy medium? I have a Sony 5.1 receiver without any digital inputs. I run the sound from my Dish Network 811 RCA jacks to the TV's input. I then run six leads from the 5.1 output on the TV to the six 5.1 inputs on the receiver. I'm using the TV's speakers as the center speaker and I have a Sony 12" 150 watt subwoofer attached with an RCA connector from the "sub out" on the receiver The two front speakers are Sony floor standing cabinets with 10" woofer, 10" reflex cone(?), midrange and tweeter. The two rear speakers are Sony surround speakers. |
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New member Username: NhstanPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-05 | I just bought a HD61LPW42 and want to setup the web browser. I found where to buy the keyboard, but my question has to do w/ hooking the TV to the internet. I have a wireless network in my house - is there any reason why I can't just plug an ethernet wireless access port into the TV or do I need to hardwire it to my router? |
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Daniel Cappellet Unregistered guest | Need comments on RCA HD50LPW42 DLP Thinking of purchasing but still skeptical of reliability issues that plague many DLP's such as burnt bulbs, whirling color wheels and sound out of sinc on DLP's especially Samsung. Can anybody tell me if this DLP is reliable. Is this a recent model? |
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B Wayer Unregistered guest | I would love to find out how to hook the web browser up to a wireless internet signal. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I have searched everywhere to find out if this is possible and have had zero luck. Thanks. Also, is anyone experiencing a tin can type sound during the first 30 mins after turning the tv on? I am concerned about this as I just received it through an online purchase. 42" 165 |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 4 Registered: Jan-05 | Where did you buy the keyboard??? RCA.com says it is back ordered..no shipping date yet. I have the 50LPW42. I also have wireless network. I hooked up the wired ethernet..to see what is what..it worked...but without the keyboard you are VERY VERY limited . Like you..I also need some suggestions on hooking it up wireless. So far I have had the set 2 weeks.. No problems. No this not the latest model.. I think the latest end with 142 or 165!! |
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New member Username: GpmoPost Number: 8 Registered: Dec-04 | My RCA wireless keyboard arrived in the mail yesterday. I installed the two AA batteries and it works great. You have a little joystick in the upper right corner that moves the cursor and two "mouse buttons" on the left side plus additional keys to help you navigate the screen. It also has a few buttons to operate the TV. I ordered the keyboard through my RCA dealer in St. Louis, so have your people check with thier distributers. The internet image on the screen looks great and is easy to read from approx. 12 feet. I have a little bit of overscan and loose a little bit of the image to the left and at the top. I have a wireless network using a Netgear WGT624 router and I connected the TV with a Netgear WGE101 wireless network bridge. (I got the refurbished bridge from justdeals.com for $44.95 shipped) I reset the network settings on the TV and everything worked right off the bat. Less than an hour after connecting I received a message that a software update was available, I downloaded the update with no problems. On the down side, the TV uses Windows CE operating system to access the internet. Now your TV can act just like a computer and crash! I was surfing the net last night and the TV locked up and "rebooted". I have not spent enough time on it to know if it's a serious problem. |
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Bronze Member Username: Nu2itallFindlay, OH Post Number: 18 Registered: Oct-04 | To B Wayer regarding the "tin can" sound. I've had my HD61LPW163 for 4 months now and just last week I experienced what you've described. It initially started out to be an intermittent iritation and then turned full time problem. Through experimentation I narrowed the problem down to my receiver or the audio cables connecting the TV to receiver. The cables I had originally used were just very cheap cables I happened to have laying around when the TV arrived, so my first step was to replace those. That's been about a week now and up to this point everything seems great. I'll post an update if something changes. |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 5 Registered: Jan-05 | Need Advise...is My Dvi Connection Faulty?? Hi everyone....I cant seem to get my new upconversion dvd player to work... with hdmi to dvi convertor to my dvi on the RCA HD50LPW42. LG player...Welcome screen & dvd picture roll with some static.. LG tech says it is the connection(s) are causing the problem. So I swapped out another player...dvi connector...& hdmi convertor...and still the same problem....which leads me to believe it is the female dvi on the TV....When connected..if I Try to slightly wiggle the connection to the TV..the screen will go blank...(no signal) I even tried Toshiba player with hdmi....the welcome screen comes up with no rolling or noise...but once I put a dvd in... the screen goes blue.. Both players work fine with component..And the audio is fine.. Just bought the TV 3 weeks ago from Costco.. All suggestions & comments Welcome ...Thanks |
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Marqui Unregistered guest | B Wayer: I don't have this unit yet... but I would think a wireless BRIDGE would work just fine. D-Link DWL-G810 Netgear WGE101 Linksys WET54GS5 Belkin F5D7330 And for the person who got the 61" at costco for $2600, was it the 163 model? |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 6 Registered: Jan-05 | Got my wireless keyboard today..and purchased the dlink G810..just starting to hook it up... The 61" is the 42 series as is the 50" |
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Unregistered guest | Rick, the same exact thing happened to my 163 when I tried to hook up the Toshiba upconverting DVD player. I just got my money back and went with a Sony. Like to know what the problem is, though... |
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PFC5 Unregistered guest | I enjoyed everyone's remarks & info on the RCA DLP. It is nice to see you still have it. After going through 7 DLP TV's (YUP 7), I decided to try the RCA. It really does have a great pic even on the HD50LPW164, that I got by mistake. I was supposed to get the 162 model with the HD2+ chip. BestBuy is sending me the 162 model in 2 weeks, but I am keeping the 164 model with the HD3 chip until then. They are knocking off 10% for my troubles. I didn't even have to ask. :o) They had already given me 10% off because I was looking for the $300.00 in gift cards a salesman told me about on the phone the day before that was a mistake. The final price will be $2,000.00 excluding tax and 4 year warranty. Not bad for a 50 inch DLP HD2+ chip. Why doesn't every TV mfg offer BOTH speakers under and on the side so we have a bigger selection? Seems only 4 companies have the speakers under the screen that are available locally. They are; LG, Samsung, Mitsubishi, and RCA. Tried 6 LG 44SZ63D TVs but had something wrong with ALL 6. NEVER any lip-sync issues, just QC issues. Circuit City must have gotten a bad batch, but 6 strikes and you are out. ;-) Tried 1 Samsung HLP4663W but it had lip-sync issue with Pirates of the Caribian, Bad Boys, and Saving Private Ryan. All DTS movies, but the Dolby DIgital soundtrack had the problem too, just not as bad. Samsung told me to run the sound through the TV then out to the Home Theater System, but this was COMPLETELY unacceptable that I should give up DD & DTS because they don't want to spend an extra 5 bucks on faster chips to process the video. I didn't spend $4,000.00 on a sound system to only get stereo sound because Samsung wanted to save FIVE BUCKS! I have noticed a SLIGHT lip-sync with these same movies with the RCA HD50LPW164, but much less than the Samsung had. I actually just adjusted the center channel distance to be set in the Yamaha at 2 feet distance and it makes it almost "right" without messing up the other (non-sync) issue movies. I am hoping that this won't happen at all with the HD2+ set they will be delivering in 2 weeks. Has anyone had any Viedeo delay (Lip-sync) Issues with their RCA DLP TVs? |
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RCA TV Owner Unregistered guest | Just a note of caution to those of you contemplating buying from Big Bang Electronics. First, I will say that Big Bang Electronics has competitive prices and they shipped my order quickly but if you have a problem after shipment then you are on your own. My 60" DLP TV arrived with a single flickering white pixel in the left-center part of the screen that I didn't discover until after hooking the TV set up. I immediately notified the owner/salesman at Big Bang who said to schedule a warranty service call and that they probably would just pop in a new light engine on site at my house and I'd be good to go. Well, the serviceman came out, saw the problem, and called the manufacturer. They insisted on hauling the TV in to the shop and taking it apart to do diagnostics before attempting repair. I asked how long this would take and was told it could easily be more than two weeks. This was not acceptable to me so I called my owner/salesman at Big Bang back and told him I wanted to exchange for a non-defective TV under their 30 day "total satisfaction guarantee". From their website: "You can return any item for any reason within the first 30 days". Well, he informed me that this doesn't apply to TV's even though there is no mention of any product exclusions on their website. I politely asked him at least 3 times why they have an unconditional 30-day exchange policy posted on their website if they clearly won't honor it. I was met with deafening silence each time I asked the question. They said that even though the TV arrived in a defective state I had to deal with the manufacturer since the product was not damaged in shipping. Perhaps the most maddening part of the whole mess was the uncaring, unapologetic attitude of the owner. That alone would keep me from ever ordering anything from them again. Also, I found that once you have a problem that they don't want to deal with they won't return your phone calls and you have to keep calling back trying to track them down. The bottom line here is that Big Bang's "30 day total satisfaction guarantee" is bogus and misleading at best and may in fact be downright fraudulent. |
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New member Username: RicksribsPost Number: 7 Registered: Jan-05 | HI...well I am up and running with a wireless Dlink setup... the RCA wireless keyboard works fine...BUT....the lettering & numbering on the blue & grey keys are HARD to read in low lighting because of their light color... Not much contrast...Is yours the same way?? I am 56 years old...who uses reading glasses!! :^) |
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