Access to television service menus!

[GS kid]

It is my understanding from my American TV service guys that changing settings in the service menus (accessed by secret special button combos) by the owner will void the warranty of the set. I've heard that most if not all TV makers have this policy. They are afraid that you could tweak the settings so skewed that it can ruin the set.
Here's my question to you all!

I'll use Sony as the example. Sony makes HDTVs and Computer monitors. On the computer monitors, you can tweak the pincushion,H-Size, etc... from the user accessable screen with no problems. And it doesn't void your warranty. But if you buy their HDTVs, you can only access these screen adjustments in the secret service menu and thus void your warranty.
How can they make it safe to adjust on the computer monitors and not on HDTVs?!?!?
Anybody know why this is?!?!
---- GS kid

[ReesR]

You pose a good question. I personally do not know. However if you have an interest in this I could provide you a web link with alot of Sony info.

------------------
Rees Roberts
Racine, WI
reesr@wi.net

HDTV Receiver: Sony KD-34XBR2 16X9
Bi-directional AntennaCraft VHF Yagi Model #2260P
+
2 Winegard PR9022 UHF yagi's pointing N & S
Antennas at about 30 feet
Samsung SIR-TS160 HD Directv receiver

[mr_yeti]

My guess is that it has to do with expense. Most computer monitors don't even approach the cost of even an entry-level HDTV monitor, so the cost of replacing and/or repairing a computer monitor pales in comparison to fixing a similar problem on a $2000+ television.

There is a very useful site dedicated to Panasonic RPTVs (which is what i own), and a few of the posters in that forum have been refused warranty service for exactly this reason. So tweak your set if you want to, but be aware that there are potentially very expensive consequences. From what I understand, even having an ISF calibration performed on your television can void the warranty, which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's similar to performing a tune-up on your car -- would that void a car's warranty? I think not.

[GS kid]

BTW ReesR..... How does ABC 720P programs look on your Sony 34xbr2?!? My Sony 34xbr800 (it's the decoder-less version of the 34xbr2) comes in on Nov.11th. It's about $1000 less then yours. I can't see how Sony can justify $1000 more for having a decoder!!! I got this model 'cuz it allows 720p input (upscan to 1080i) of my Samsung T151 decoder and 720p output Xbox games like the new Tony Hawk 4 game that just came out.
Dragon's Lair 3-d will be the world's first 1080i-native game. It comes out on Xbox sometime next month. Can't wait!!--- GS kid

[ReesR]

GS kid:

Both ABC WLS and WISN stations in digital 720p look absolutely wonderful in high def. And because it is a progessive scan instead of interlace, sports (with a large amount of movement on the screen) will be better served the way I understand it. (even compared to 1080i)

I got my xbr2 from the Sony outlet store, so if you paid retail we each paid about the same. http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/smile.gif I just added a Samsung TS-160 HD sat box to my receiver. It is hard not to stay glued to HD Net or watch a good HD film on HBO or Showtime. You will enjoy it alot. You made a good choice.

Rees

[veyj]

GS Kid - Good question. I wish they would make certain tweaks more easily accessable without the void in warranty. The Flash Focus on my Sony is a nice idea but far from the complete convergence needed.

Here's a link to a free Yahoo egroup, Sony HDTV Tips, Hints and Help, hosted by Jim Christian. Lots of great tweaking info. If you join, be sure to follow Jim's posting rules. He's a stickler for details and adherence to his rules.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sonyhs10/

John

[GS kid]

Well the Sony 34xbr800 is not 720p native and I would guess yours isn't either since they are both basicly the same set. The specs on the Sony site says it upconverts 720p to 1080i, so the progressive advantage is lost since it's displayed interlaced. Should still look pretty good. As for your price on your set. Your set goes for about $3400 at American ($3200 for a floor model I saw in Oak Creek) and mine goes for about $2500 there. Because of the Family sale a couple weeks ago, I got mine for $2200. If you got yours for around $2200, I need to start shoping where you shop!


To Mr Yeti.... Computer monitors are more expensive per square inch then HDTVs. Why do you think computer monitors top out at around 22 inches?!?! They have a much better dot pitch then HDTVs which strangely don't use dot pitch to compare TVs to each other like monitors.--- GS kid

[Greg Oman]

Another place to look for all kinds of tweaking tips for your set is www.hometheaterspot.com (http://www.hometheaterspot.com)

I personally have slightly adjusted my set to eliminate the red push that Mitsubishi sets are famous for (or is it infamous?).

Always document settings prior to changing them, and do enough research to know what you're doing. You can mess a set up very easily.

Greg

[tjjws]

Originally posted by mr_yeti
There is a very useful site dedicated to Panasonic RPTVs (which is what i own),.
mr_yeti, I was wondering, since I recently purchased a Panasonic RPTV, do you happen to have the site that you mentioned above? Thank-you very much.

[jlegge]

Another reason the service menu is not accessible is because you can SERIOUSLY screw your TV up. I've seen the service menu and it is gibberish. Without a technician who knows what he is looking at, you could put the TV out of commission quickly and quietly.

The reason they do not have access to this is because 99% don't know what it is, and of the remaining 1%, only 99% of them wouldn't use it for anything. When you switch out a graphics card in a PC, you know you have to adjust the monitor, shift, keystone, things like that. Tweeks like this are not necessary for changing your VCR or DVD player with a TV.

Also, a company COULD put the ability to do these tweeks into a TV, use it as selling feature and flop right on it's face with it. "I don't want to pay for something I am not going to use." We've all said it...... maybe not with TV's but with something somewhere....

[mr_yeti]

The site I referred to is www.panny.tv

Great site for help with tweaking your set or just info in general.
Download and print out BOTH service manuals as a start, then go into the service menu (if you're planning on taking this step, that is) and WRITE ALL OF YOUR SETTINGS DOWN. I cannot possibly stress this enough. Our new friend from Flanner's says he's seen sets screwed up from this, and believe it. You can do a TON of damage in there if you don't read the service manual thoroughly and know what you're doing first.

Having said that, it's really not that complicated. Which set do you have? If you have one of the newer models, there's less to do. Red push isn't nearly as bad on last years' models, and grayscale is pretty close to being right. I've done the m-and-e focus, and I've seen excellent results. It all depends on how your set was from the factory. I've been too lazy to spend the time it takes to do 64-point convergence, but now that there's no football...

[gyoung]

Another good source of Sony information is Agoraquest (http://www.agoraquest.com/). Write down your previous settings!! :bang:

[mr_yeti]

Someone should mention that writing down your settings is important before making any changes in the service menu.

:D

[mr_yeti]

tjjws:

this thread (http://panny.tv/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000869) is a good place to start.

[tjjws]

I have a Panasonic PT-51HX42. It is a 51" PTV, 4:3, but switchable to 16:9 for HD. The picture is awesome, whether with DVD or HD.

I have one question though (being the picky sort), when I view in 16:9 aspect (for HD or DVD), I can see a very little curl up at the top left and right edges of the picture, and also a very thin white line between the picture and the black edge. Is this normal?

BTW, I have no intention of "tweaking" at this time, but experience has taught me that I should get all available information NOW, because it does not remain available forever (Internet shelf life seems to be decreasing). As new servers replace old, sometimes information that was there, does not get back.

Thanks for the links! and I'll definately write down my settings first ;)

[mr_yeti]

The curl sounds like a geometry problem. There is a way to fix this, but it involves tweaking (service menu) and a good chunk of time. I'm not even sure the manuals available at the site are applicable to your set, as a matter of fact.

Since I don't have a 4:3 set, I really can't speak to the 'white line' issue.

Hope you find the site helpful.

[oz]

Besides hometheaterspot.com (where you have to pay to see the secret calibration pages), are there any good Mitsubishi TV tweaking sites out there?

[Matt Heebner]

Pay the fee...it is totally worth it. I gaurentee that you will not find that amount and quality of information about Mits anywhere else. It is unfortunate that they made that part of the forum pay-to-see but the amount of tweaking info is almost mind-boggling.

Matt

[GS kid]

It's been awhile since I've been on here and more people reponded to my question I posted awhile back.

I know a HDTV can be screwed up if it is tweaked wrong, But there is NO REASON why it can't be made safe to tweak the most common things like H-size, Pincushion, etc. Just about every computer monitor allows you to tweak these to your heart's content in the user-accessable controls without hurting your computer screen or voiding your warranty. As a former computer programmer (I got burned out), it would be easy to do and little to no cost to do it.

If you look in the letters section of the Jan. '03 issue of Sound & Vision magazine you'll see my letter on this exact question. They didn't really know themselves. --- GS kid