My Samsung HL-R6168W (June 2005 build) color wheel died (to replace the lamp, visit Samsung HL-R6168W HLR6168W Lamp with Housing BP96-01073A
). I was going to get a new TV, but decided to try and repair this one. Do-it-yourself repair of the color wheel takes 60-90 minutes and saves $300-500 in technician labor costs.
Identifying the Problem.
When it blew, the color wheel did not make a pop/bang/knock. Instead, the left side of the image got wavy. Next came what sounded like the turbofan of a jet engine. After powering the TV off the sound continued but eventually stopped.
Since the spinning/whining/grinding sound on the color wheel is so loud, I decided not to turn the TV back on. My next step was getting a replacement color wheel, part #BP96-01103A!
This repair guide is only for my Samsung and may differ from other R**68W models. However, they should be similar. The service manual is not necessary for this repair; in fact, many think the manual is useless for this process.
Samsung HL-R6168W Color Wheel Repair Tools.
Phillips screwdrivers (magnetized tips are best); a powered screwdriver makes this a faster repair
Jewelers screwdriver (one of those small ones for eyeglasses, etc)
Flashlight
Vacuum/Swiffer dust cloth/compressed air for dust
For these repair instructions, orientation is behind the TV where you’ll be sitting, so “left” means towards the AV inputs, and “right” means closer to the lamp.
Samsung HL-R6168W Color Wheel Repair Steps.
Unplug the power and any cables. Tip: Label each cable with tape to make reattaching easier.
Remove the back panel. There is a small panel inset into the large back panel which spans the width of the TV. It is for lamp replacement. No need to remove it since it comes out with the back panel. There are 14 screws to remove. Once removed, you can pull the back panel straight out (no need to tilt it).
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
You see three major components. The middle one with the fan attached is what you want, with the light engine (LE). To the left is the AV input unit. To the right is the lamp (no need to remove it for this procedure).
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
Pull the LE straight out. 4 screws need to be removed. 2 are on a shiny bracket to the right. The one in the middle of the second photo was fairly tight in my set.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
There is a connector with a arrow on it. It attaches on the other end in the AV input unit to the left. No need to detach this. If you do, you can pull the entire LE out. I left it on. If careful, you can still get the LE out enough to easily make the replacement.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
This connector is to the right. It needs to be disconnected.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
The DVI cable attached to the AV unit needs to be disconnected. Leave the end connected to the LE on.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
There is cabling on the top and right side of the LE. It needs to be pulled out of the routing clips so there is room to pull out the LE.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
Now pull the LE straight out. It rests between two metal rails. See the picture below for a warning.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
You are looking at the DLP lens assembly. In front is an angled plastic shield. Be careful not to bend it when pulling the LE out. To the right of the lens is a black plastic shield. For my TV, there was a label indicating it contained the color wheel. Two small brass screws hold it in place. Remove these and keep them separate. The color wheel is held in by other brass screws that are different.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
This is the color wheel underneath the shield. Two more brass screws to be remove, marked by arrows.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
Before removing the color wheel, disconnect two connectors. The first is a copper ribbon. Just pull it out. The second is a gray-gray-blue wired connector. It is possibly the most difficult step of this process. Pry it out with a jewelers screwdriver or tweezers or whatever you have on hand. DO NOT pull directly on the wires. It could break! That would leave the connector stuck.
Samsung HL-R6168W color wheel replacement
Pull the color wheel vertically out. Be careful with the rubber surround on the right of the color wheel. You need to reuse part of it. Part can be thrown away, as your new color wheel should have some rubber (the black strip in the middle of the unit on the right below). From the photo, one section of the color “pie” did indeed shatter.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
This is the wheel well. Inside you may find tiny bits of colored glass. Try to get it all out with one of those tiny vacuums, a piece of Swiffer, or perhaps some tape attached to a pen.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
This is the wheel well shot from the left to the right. The blue arrows show the rubber surround that should be left. The yellow arrow points at some more rubber with two holes: One is for one of the brass screws, the other is for a pin that is in the color wheel unit. There is a similar setup on the other side of the well. Your unit may not have this hole. One person drilled out the pin that was in his new color wheel. I did not have this problem.
Samsung HL R6168W color wheel replacement
The second most difficult step is getting the color wheel back in. The well is a tight fit. I was afraid of scraping the color wheel. The easiest way was peering into the well from the front, rather than from the top. From the front, there is a crack that lets you see how the wheel lines up with the rubber surround on the right side of the well. By the way, if you want to avoid finger oils on the wheel, try disposable gloves to do this step; I did not find it necessary.
All done! Put all the screws back in, plug the two connectors back, and reroute the cables back into the clips. Don’t turn on the TV until the back panel is firmly in as the TV won’t stay on if the lens unit cover is not firmly in (as a safety feature).
You may need to adjust the index delay, if you see strange color banding in any scenes that have colors close, but not quite the same, in tone. Usually, it is most obvious in face skin tones (i.e. “clay faces”). If you adjust index delay, turn off the set, wait for the lamp to cool down, then hit mute-1-8-2-power in succession. The set should turn on with the service menu appearing eventually on the left. I don’t remember the submenu “index delay” is under, but find it and usually it will need to be lowered. For me, it started in the mid-50’s and had to be lowered to 47. These numbers are different for each Samsung model, so adjust until the picture is pleasing to your eye. By the way, the supposed “correct” way to do this is to make the reddish part of the test color bar appear the “most saturated”, if you have a color calibration device.
Samsung HL-R6168W Epilogue.
My new color wheel works great and is A LOT quieter than the old one. And that was nearly as loud as my Xbox 360’s fans. On the downside, I immediately noticed that dreaded shadow problem, with a 1-1.5 inch shadow on the left and a 0.25 inch shadow on the right. I don’t know if messing with the light engine caused the problem, but others have also reported having the shadow problem after having the color wheel changed (even by a service technician).
I was very careful with the light engine and did not bump it much. I called the support number and they agreed to cover the repair if it did indeed turn out to be a “light tunnel” problem. Of course, there was no way I was going to tell them I replaced the color wheel myself. It took a couple more weeks, but now the set is back to looking new!
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector
If you want to try a 1080p projector, this Epson PowerLite is an excellent choice! After using this 6100 for a few weeks, it definitely performs well. There is outstanding image quality with fantastic colors (of course you need to configure it). My setup uses a HDMI output from a Harman Kardon AVR-254 7x50W 7.1-Channel Surround Sound Stereo Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.3a Repeater.
Advantages.
This projector is very BRIGHT! It is fascinating how nice it looks even with ambient light.
It has a minimal screen door. You would expect this from a 1080p projector.
Expanded color mode is extremely satisfying and works very well.
The contrast ratio is strong. It blows away the competition.
The feature for lens shift is excellent.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector big bang theory
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector disturbed
Disadvantages.
Sometimes the projector loses focus and it has been difficult to find out why. Maybe it is from the vibrations of nearby traffic, reverberations from footsteps upstairs, or the startup sequence. Either way, the focus definitely needs tweaking occasionally. If you mount your projector in an inaccessible place, I would suggest a different projector since you will need to get at it to make image adjustments.
With an HDMI source, you cannot change aspect ratio nor zoom options. When watching a letterboxed 4:3 source it is annoying since zooming in on the smaller image frame is not possible. Instead, it shows combined letterboxing and pillarboxing.
I have seen a lot of compression-artifact banding with Bluray. This projector requires a good video source to get good results.
Lens shift doesn’t work in all directions. Far left or right shifting prevents full up or down shift. If shifting near the center point, it is difficult to tweak the shift because it locks on the center point.
A few of the color modes appear useless and blown out on default (out-the-box) settings. But, that can be fixed by changing the settings once you get comfortable with the projector.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector desktop pc windows
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector modern warfare xbox 360
Overall, I’m extremely happy at this price range. $1000 more probably gets you a 5-star home theater experience. But I’d rather have the $1000 and the Epson PowerLite projector at this point.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector HD movies
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p 3LCD Home Theater Projector resident evil
Let me start by saying you do not want to wall-mount this TV! This TV is meant for a stand or a table.
Watching “LOST” on this in HD is absolutely beautiful. This Samsung is made for shows like that. It also works well with standard definition TV shows (i.e. non-HD). However, this TV was meant for HD.
With my Comcast digital receiver, HD ranges from “a little better than standard definition” to “stunningly beautiful” which depends on the show you are watching. There have been more than a few “Wow!” moments, from HDTV programming and DVDs. The DVD player is a Samsung DVD-1080P8. It up-converts 1080p.
Watching the Transformers movie and the original Star Wars Trilogy (2004 DVD release) have been great.
Picture.
Contrast is very good, including for a bright room. Full brightness takes a few moments to reach full capacity.
You need an HD cable / satellite receiver to get HD. Just because you have a Cable/Satellite receiver doesn’t mean it is HD-ready. You may have to pay a little more, but it’s worth it if you want to see in high-definition.
CALL your cable/satellite provider to activate HD once you have your HD receiver. Just because your subscription is active doesn’t mean the new box shows HD!
To activate HD on your receiver may take AT LEAST an hour. So, be sure to call and get it activated with enough time before the show you want to watch.
Recommendations.
Get a TV stand at least 20 inches high. Many don’t like to watch their HDTV with their head looking too far downward. A good high stand gives you more of a “movie theater” experience with optimal viewing when standing.
TV Stand.
The Prepac BPS-6000 is 26 inches, which works great for this Samsung!
Remote.
When you first get started, the “Source” button is useful. The E-mode button works well. The P-size button slightly “stretches” non-HD 4:3 programming to fit a 16:9 screen. It does this for standard 2.35:1 movie programming, too. It removes the letterbox and stretches the picture.
Try this option to see if you like it. If you do use it, remember to reset to the 16:9 setting for HD programming!
Issues.
In a completely dark room, the light from the back of the TV is sometimes noticeable. Usually, what’s on the TV keeps you from noticing it, though.
In very dark rooms, sometimes the picture is too bright. This is at the default setting. After you change the “E-mode” and some other settings, this is not a problem.
Compared to LCD.
After some testing and research, the picture is comparable to the Samsung series 6 LCD and the Sony XBR4.
I recently (February 2010) purchased a replacement lamp from advancedlamps.com for a ae3000u. First, the lamp arrived “unhinged” from the chassis. I had to reseat the bulb for it to fit. I had them note this on my order. So, I installed the lamp in the projector. Amazingly, and to my dismay, this “new” lamp was dimmer than my 2700 hour OEM “old” lamp!
To say I am angry is a bit of an understatement. Hopefully, I will get my money back. Before I do that, I first wanted to find out if a lamp takes time to “brighten” after its intial startup time.
After waiting 30 minutes for it to stop its “dimness” and brighten, there was no change. While doing a little research and after asking around, it seems the bulb should be ready for viewing after 5 minutes, including on first use. It seems my “new” bulb is just a crappy oem replacement.
This is what I get for trusting this company. The bulb is so dim, it is useless to watch. My screen is only 88 inches at 10 feet away. Playing CODMW2 was impossible, despite the room having no sunlight and with all the lights turned off. I still couldn’t see in dark areas that were no problem with my “old” bulb.
Be careful who you trust. If you are going to take a chance, do it with someone who has a reputation to protect and lots of satisfied customers.
Buying a Projection Lamp in Australia.
I really did not want to publish anything to harm a business’ reputation, so before posting, I contacted Advanced Lamps to review my post and correct any errors. They did not respond, so here is my story.
My JVC Order.
In December 2009 I purchased a “Genuine Original JVC Lamp” for my HD750 projector. It arrived in Australia quickly but was held up due to the value on the package. It was incorrectly marked as $1388 rather than $388.
This meant the package required customs clearance. Also, GST (sales tax) was now due because of the higher, marked price.
I contacted UPS and reported the mistake. However, since it had already been processed, UPS demanded $66 for agent charges before delivery to me. I told them it was not my mistake so they should get it from Advanced lamps. Next, I emailed Advanced Lamps and told them of the problem. After 1 week, 5 emails, and 2 telephone calls without an answer, I just paid the charge.
Testing the Lamp.
After installing the new lamp, it was the same brightness as my old lamp! Before complaining about this, I arranged with my projector dealer to test the lamp in his projector. We measured the lamp as 1/3 less bright than his original lamp. So, I requested a replacement lamp from Advanced lamps.
The replacement lamp arrived and I installed it. Once again, it was dim. Can you believe 2 lamps could be that far from specification? I had JVC inspect my projector. They confirmed the second lamp was 70% as bright as their reference lamp.
I contacted Advanced lamps to return the lamp and get a refund. They said they would not give a refund. However, “as a courtesy” they would send another replacement. I asked for an assurance this 3rd lamp would perform as expected and wanted them to confirm the lamp was a genuine JVC lamp originating from authorized JVC channels.
Poor Customer Service.
After more than a week, they have not replied. After emailing them about publishing this report, they replied to my emails. After several emails, they decided a refund would be best. They said they would arrange a refund of the customs agent charges.
So, they sent me a refund for the price of the lamp. However, they did not pay for shipping or customs charges. I emailed them and after 5 days, they have not responded.
The Bottom-line.
After the refund, I lost $230 and spent more than 10 hours on this issue. I suppose it is a lesson learned. But, it is also an opportunity to warn prospective customers of the problems dealing with this company.
There is a happy ending. I bought a lamp from the local JVC distributor. It was a considerably higher price, but I am happy since it perfoms perfectly to specifications!
Posted on the May 23rd, 2010 under Advice by admin
HDTV is a big improvement over the CRT TVs of the past. But, you don’t get a great picture right out of the box. There are some things you should know first.
The Essentials.
To see in high-definition, you need…
a High Definition TV,
a High Definition Receiver, and
High Definition Programming.
Each involves lots of elements that determine the image, performance, and enjoyment you get from an HDTV. To find the solution that works best for you, it is important to understand how each impacts the use of your HDTV in the setting you plan to use it (living room, computer, gaming, movies, bedroom, etc.).
High Definition TV Settings.
There are many options for an HDTV. There is DLP, projector lamps, plasma, and LCD. In almost every case, the TV you get will not be adjusted properly for the setting you plan to use it. This means you will need to calibrate it.
Brightness and Contrast.
Changing brightness controls black levels.
Changing contrast controls white levels.
If you adjust these correctly, colors become more vibrant.
Brightness that is too bright, results in colors that can look washed out or faded.
Contrast that is incorrect results in an unrealistic picture or one that looks blurry.
Lighting.
Brightness and contrast depend on the lighting in your room. This becomes a problem for rooms that are exposed to natural light in the daytime and artifical light at night. Cloudy days, sunny days, and rainy days affect the display of an HDTV in a room that is exposed to natural light. Keep this in mind when calibrating your TV.
It is best if you can control light levels in the room where the HDTV is watched. This makes it much easier to find a setting that works for as many conditions as possible.
Games, Movies, TV, and PC.
For gaming consoles, settings may be different than for blu-ray movies. Or, TV soap operas may not be optimized for the same settings as an HD movie on the Discovery channel. If you don’t want to continually change your TV settings, determine how you are most likely to use the TV and adjust settings accordingly.
Aspect Ratio.
The aspect ratio determines the image dimensions displayed on the screen. HDTVs (if they are any good) let you adjust the aspect ratio.
If you change the default aspect ratio, it will “Stretch” the picture. This can make the screen image look fatter or longer than it should. Whether changing this setting improves the screen image depends on what you are watching
Pixel Mapping.
The sharpest pictures use 1:1 Pixel mapping. Standard resolution video may shrink so it’s only a tiny video on your large screen. Your TV uses only a fraction of the resolution (480i) your TV delivers (1080i).
Gaming.
1:1 pixel mapping with a xbox 360 on a 1080p HDTV displays a smaller image than the tv screen delivers. However, it is larger than standard tv video (480i), since it’s 720p. This produces a very crisp, clear picture.
For HDTVs with a 1366×768 resolution, using the 1:1 feature, don’t be surprised if Xbox 360 gaming, 720p movies, and 720p TV look better with it than without it.
Issues.
Without 1:1 pixel mapping, you may get over- or under-scanning. Regular cable TV may not support this. However, a 1080p input from a PS3 or PC will support 1:1 pixel mapping.
When using your HDTV as a computer monitor, 1:1 pixel mapping is very important, even crucial.
Overscan and Underscan.
Over or underscan is when the PC screen doesn’t fit the HDTV screen because it’s too big or too small to fit.
Video cards resize on an 8×12 pattern. If your HDTV is 1280×720, divide 1280 by 8, and 720 by 12. HDTVs that divide “Evenly” work best as PC monitors, including with HDMI.
Those HDTVs at 1366×768 and using HDMI have a lot of trouble as PC monitors. Since 1366 does not divide by 8 evenly, text looks ugly, or you have over or underscan.
High Definition Receiver.
The type of cable you use with your HDTV from the receiver matters.
Best to Worst cables to use from the receiver to your HDTV.
(1 is best)
(1) HDMI, or DVI
(2) vga
(3) Component
(4) S-Video
(5) Composite
(6) Coaxial
When you use the worst connector with your HDTV, video quality suffers.
VGA could cause banding on LCD HDTVs. This rates VGA below dvi. The larger the lcd monitor the more likely you see problems with VGA (compared to DVI).
High Definition Programming.
When viewing standard definition video on a HDTV, you need to scale the video to fit the monitor.
Standard Definition vs. High-Definition.
Consider someone wearing shoes that are 3 sizes too big. The shoes slide off their feet and are difficult to wear. For a person with bigger feet, they fit much better.
Standard definition on a HDTV is like the person wearing shoes 3 sizes too big. HD Channels are the person with the bigger feet. The picture looks much better when viewing HD channels on a HDTV than standard definition ever will.
Some argue that brightness on a CRT looks better than LCD HDTV. So, for a standard definition signal, colors look better on the CRT.
Don’t expect regular TV to look great on a HDTV. These TVs are designed for high definition content, not regular TV channels.
Upscalers.
To get a better standard definition picture on your HDTV, consider an upscaler. Upscalers increase the resolution for regular TV or DVDs. The main benefit of this is the deinterlacing quality.
(Top Left) Sony STR-DG810 Receiver
(Top RIght) Sony 400 Disc DVD Jukebox (CX995V)
(Lower Middle) Dish VIP622 HD-DVR
HSU Ventriloquist VT12 Speakers with STF-2 Subwoofer
(Lower Left) 300 Watt Amp used for the speakers below
Aura BaseShaker Pro’s (4 in my couch – literally under the seat cushions, for that extra realistic experience while watching explosions, earthquakes, and stuff)
Toshiba 65 inch (65HM167) DLP TV home theater components
The speakers are a 7.1 Dolby surround sound setup and are Polk Audio. Video is from a Toshiba 56MX195 Cinema Series DLP. The remote is a Sony AX4000.
The home theater PC and TV are connected using Gigabit LAN to my 3 Media Servers (over 8 TB storage between them) and WHS (2TB).
Toshiba 56MX195 Cinema Series DLP Home Theater
Don’t worry about the washed out colors… It’s hard to take a good picture in the dark with my camera.
Toshiba 56MX195 Cinema Series DLP Home Theater movie matrix
Enjoying the Matrix on my nice home theather setup!
Toshiba 56MX195 Cinema Series DLP Home Theater setup
There is nothing quite like browsing the web, playing video games, and watching movies in 1080P.
Toshiba 56MX195 Cinema Series DLP Home Theater xbox pc windows xp
MonCaso 932 Case with the 7 inch Pixel Perfect Touch Screen LCD
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4 Rev. 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
Kingston HyperX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Ram
POWERCOLOR 26XT512M/D3HDMI Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB HDCP Ready Video Card (only for the Toshiba DLP)
POWERCOLOR 2400XT 256MB HDCP Ready Video Card (for the 7 inch touch screen)
HighPoint RocketRAID 2300 PCI Express SATA II Controller Card
4x 500GB Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS SATA 3.0Gb/s (1.5 TB Available)
ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT ATX12V 500W Power Supply
XBOX 360 HD-DVD Player Connected via USB
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black PATA Model SH-S202G
Logitech diNovo Edge 2-Tone Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard
Logitech MX Revolution Mouse
Vista Ultimate
Everything is connected to 3 Sony VGPXL1B3 200 Disk DVD Changers. They are controlled using MyMovies. It’s great that you can turn the home theater PC on with a remote (via IMON). There is more than enough power for playing HD-DVD’s and x264 encoded Blue-Ray movies.
Western Digital USB 2.0 WD TV Live Network-Ready HD Media Player
If you don’t have a ps3 or x-box to stream movies try this Western Digital.
All you do is connect this small box to your TV.
Then you have 2 options:
you can stream the movies from your pc, or
you can connect 2 extrrnal hardrives to the wd tv live box [it has 2 usb ports]
The Western Digital will PLAY HD movies in mkv,avi, and other formats.
No more burning DVD’s!
The quality looks better than the DVDs you burn on my setup.
Western Digital USB 2.0 WD TV Live Network-Ready HD Media Player remote control
It’s like having it in on your hard drive. You click the folder, select the file, and click play.
I have movies stored in folders like DVDRIP, R5/SCREENER & DOCUMENTARY.
You can either have the files look like a list or thumbnails.
It plays music and you can view pictures, too!
Western Digital USB 2.0 WD TV Live Network-Ready HD Media Player complete package
Question: Does it show full file names? My dvd player only shows eight letters so I often only see the release group name which makes it difficult to look through a few hundred gigs.
Answer: yes in full size names and when you put the shadow over a file the name of the file turns big and scrolls
ok what ever the file name is on the drive thats the name it will have in the HD tv player, it will show the full name no matter how long the title is.
Western Digital USB 2.0 WD TV Live Network-Ready HD Media Player diagram
Question: Isn’t it cheaper and less work to just hook the computer up to the TV?
Answer: Maybe. But, my pc and tv arent close enough to do that. Besides, with this, the pc wont even need to be on. I prefer it this way.
Question: Does anyone use this with a universal remote?
Answer: I got it to work with the Harmony 880. You can basically ditch all your other remotes.
Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control
This thing controls just about every electronic in your house. Theres a new version out at as well, called the 890, i dont know what the difference is, but i think it can control IR devices that are behind closed cabinets, something like that.
I caught mines on a deal before the price went back up though.
I updated the firmware on the Western Digital. It was the first thing i did. Took about 3 minutes.
Question: Does it work with all external HD’s?
Answer: It DOES work with all external HD. You only see pictures of it with the WD hard drives because WD will want you to purchase one of their HD, but I repeat, it DOES work with non-WD hard drives and thumbdrives.
Question: Is the firmware upgraded via a usb device?
Answer: Yes. The WDTV has Two usb inputs. You could leave your HD plugged into it and connect a thumbdrive into the other input and easily upgrade the firmware. Just download it to either a HD or Thumbdrive, connect it to the device and it will ask you if you want to upgrade the firmware. Thats it.
Question: I’m still having a hard time updating mine though…
Answer:
If you are using a portable hd, just download the zip file that contains the updates, open the zip and move the files to the portable hd. then just do this:
# Turn the WD TV on and connect your USB drive
# Use the remote control to select SETTINGS from the home screen
# Highlight the firmware upgrade icon, and press ENTER on the remote
# You will be prompted to perform the firmware upgrade. Select OK and press ENTER.
This will restart the system
# After restarting, the system automatically enters firmware upgrade mode
# Once the update process is completed, the HD media player will restart again
Yes, it shows subtitles too.
just make sure they have the same name as the movie, the name on the subs have to match with the movie
This thing made my weekend. i dont think i will ever buy a dvd or blu ray again. It’s flawless. The sound came thru in dtshd and in 5.1 for the blu ray movies i downloaded. What a find! Just get it today!
SXRD is Sony’s version of LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) technology.
Picture Quality.
What really makes this TV shine is the black level. Sony’s SXRD has equaled the deep, inky, rich blacks you get from a very good CRT or plasma set. Add the brightness of microdisplay technology, with a very affordable price, and you get a lot of pluses in my book.
Black Levels.
Black levels are incredible! My 2003-model Sony LCD RPTV only managed a very dark gray. While the 2005-model Samsung DLP has better black levels, you still see light shining through. However, the black levels on Sony’s SXRD sets are so dark, it is like the TV is turned-off!
Black levels are as good as the best plasma sets. They are WAY better than the best LCD flat-panels. They compare with a very good consumer-grade CRT direct-view or projection TV. For someone unfamiliar with TVs, be aware that the level of black is very important.
For picture quality, black level is possibly the most important aspect of a convincing picture. High black levels produce a flat, washed out picture. To get deep shades of black without losing shadow detail, a good black level gives you a realistic, convincing and cinematic experience.
Resolution.
Resolution is terrific. At more than a foot (I have 20/20 vision), it is impossible to see individual pixels. 1080i HD signals procude an obvious, but slight, improvement in detail over 720p.
SXRD, like all microdisplays (LCD, DLP and LCOS) deliver a tremendously bright and “punchy” picture, compared to older, much dimmer CRT projection TVs. This is from the UHP (ultra high pressure) lamp light source. It is a bright, white light, unlike the 3 multicolored “guns” in a CRT.
Lamp Light.
There is no convergence and no danger of “burn-in” or image retention on this TV. Better yet, the lamp begins to dim or fail after 8,000 hours of use. You can replace it, giving you a brand-new picture. This do-it-yourself (DIY) feature is much appreciated by anyone who dislikes annoying (and costly?) service visits.
Sony Grand WEGA KDS-50A2000 SXRD 50-Inch Rear Projection HDTV 1080p
DLP vs. Rear Projection.
DLP is comparable to picture quality. I notice rainbow trails on DLP in high-contrast scenes. That makes rear-projection better to me. A DLP can have 1 chip for each primary color. The color wheel separates white light using one chip into 3 primary colors. That produces a rainbow effect.
LED-based DLP sets have dramatically reduced the rainbow effect. The LED lamps flash between red, green and blue quickly. It is much faster than a color wheel that separates white light.
This is not to say a DLP set is not a great technology. If you are unsure about rainbows, use the THX optimizer menu you find on many DVDs. Try the circle test pattern. Look around the circle. This is the easiest test for seeing rainbows. If you don’t see any, you’re golden.
LCD vs. Rear Projection.
LCDs (like my previous set) have three chips, so no rainbow effect. Unfortunately, their “pixel fill” level is lower. This is the part of the screen filled by pixels of the image, rather than the spaces between pixels. This means it is easier to see spaces between pixels. Some call this a “screen door” effect.
After having owned DLP, LCD, and RPTV sets and compared them, pixel fill does make a big difference. ‘Invisible’ pixels when a foot away from the screen produce an incredibly creamy, smooth picture that doesn’t make you think it is a “digital” image. LCDs do offer great no-rainbow budget options, with higher black levels (compared to older LCDs) by nature of its pass-through technology. This gives it more easily discernable pixels.
Why Sony’s Grand WEGA RPTV?
Sony’s SXRD models are outstanding in their feature sets and ability to customize. Name each input and channel without any problem. You get so many tweaking options in the regular user menu, you may never find them all. However, most are unnecessary.
I calibrated my set using the Digital Video Essentials home theater disc. The TV needed *no* change to color settings. All I did was slightly change brightness levels.
Using the TV.
Both standard definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) signals look great. The integrated Over-the-Air (OTA) tuner found all the free broadcast HD signals.
You can plug in this TV and not change a single setting. Yet, you still get a truly great picture. I consider myself knowledgeable and numerous settings changes only improves things nominally. That was kind of a disappointment, since I enjoy tweaking my Sony LCD and Samsung DLP sets. Each of those required far more adjustment than the Sony Grand WEGA.
Options.
I use an “upscaling” DVD player for my DVD source. My PS3 is the Blu-Ray source and the Terk HDTV-S indoor/outdoor antenna finds my OTA HD broadcasts.
DVDs using HDMI look very good. Native 1080p Blu-Ray discs, like “Planet Earth” are show-stoppers. It is highly recommended to get a HD disc player to truly enjoy the picture.
Standard Definition.
For SD, it’s “garbage in, garbage out” on the picture. Sony does a good job smoothing analog cable signals to make them watchable. Remember, for a high-performance set like the Grand WEGA, a blurry, noisy signal on coaxial cable will show each blur and shake in glorious, 50 inch high-resolution detail. Try the “DRC Palette” to find a setting that smooths it to your liking.
Screen.
This set has a matte finish screen. It is not a glassy, reflective screen found on a typical plasma or CRT set. This TV has a “high gain” screen. It has a lenticular finish on the interior to increase brightness levels and increase viewing angles. Mostly, this is a good thing, especially in a bright room. However, some think it creates a “silk screen” effect.
The silk screen effect is when you see “sparkling” of screen material on a very bright field. For example, it appears on a white screen, or when showing clouds. Personally, it doesn’t bother me. For some, it may make the difference between a front projector, LCD, or plasma.
Issues.
This TV has no picture-in-picture. That would have been great for gaming while watching TV. It is disappointing, but not a dealbreaker.
The “cable card” is not available, but it is not something I used. If you get the XBR model, you get PIP and the Cable Card. Since the two models have the same display chips with similar processing abilities, I felt the price was not justified.
Is It Good Enough To Get?
With resolution, black levels, color fidelity, weighing 85 pounds at 14 inches deep, the Sony Grand WEGA is an easy recommendation.
There’s a reason it tops the ratings of many electronics sites. The Sony Grand WEGA KDS-50A2000 is truly best of breed. It is a hard-to-beat screen for serious movie watching, gaming, HD sports, or just regular TV.
Sony Grand WEGA KDS-50A2000 SXRD 50-Inch Rear Projection HDTV 1080p forward lean TV Seinfeld
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7x50W 7.1-Channel Surround Sound Stereo Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.3a Repeater.
