Does anyone else have an RCA R52WH74 tv?

[QwikSand]

I have an RCA R52WH74 hdtv and I just got my Sony BDP-S300 Blu-Ray player today and I am wondering if anyone has this tv. I'd like your feedback and settings on how you got the optimal picture quality for your BDs. I am wondering why my picture just doesn't look like HD tv channels do and how everyone says it is supposed to look. I am using a DVI-HMDI cable.

[crackinhedz]

get yourself a calibration dvd or get the bluray movie Ratatouille which has an HD calibration tool on it.

Im thinking you just need to calibrate your picture settings (brightness,contrast,color,tint etc) for that specific input on your TV.

Trying to compare two different sources without adjusting settings for each is not an even comparison.

[QwikSand]

I have the Blu-Ray player set to 1080i (the default auto was 480i or p, I forget) and it looks much better than the deault. My HD tv chanels and my XBOX 360 look perfect through the composite inputs. I have an RCA dvd player that was plugged in through the DVI-HMDI port also and it too looked grainy. So you think maybe the DVI-HMDI input needs to be calibrated somehow? And this dvd will show me how to do that, as opposed to a Blu-Ray calibration disc, if one even exists?

I really appreciate all of your answers.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

I have an RCA dvd player that was plugged in through the DVI-HMDI port also and it too looked grainy. So you think maybe the DVI-HMDI input needs to be calibrated somehow?

yes, each input on your TV should be calibrated.

Originally Posted by QwikSand

And this dvd will show me how to do that, as opposed to a Blu-Ray calibration disc, if one even exists?

yes, the calibration disc will help you adjust the settings yourself. Keep in mind, the standard DVD (digital video essentials) is ideal for dvd settings...while the HD calibration found on the Ratatouille (bluray) disc would be more ideal for your bluray player settings. (DVI Input)

Digital Video Essentials will be releasing a Bluray version of its calibration dvd in March. (in the meantime get your hands on Ratatouille (Bluray)... its the easiest way to calibrate for HD at the moment)

[QwikSand]

Awesome, thank you. I will rent Ratatouille as soon as possible then. I figure a lot of other newbies out there need the same questions answered as me so I will bite the bullet

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

Awesome, thank you. I will rent Ratatouille as soon as possible then. I figure a lot of other newbies out there need the same questions answered as me so I will bite the bullet

make sure its the Bluray version!

(DVE calibration disc is also a must. it goes a little deeper into calibration, Ratatouille is very simple and basic, not a complete calibration, but just enough.)

[QwikSand]

I just noticed that inside the Spiderman 3 case, the booklet says that every Sony BD has a Picture Calibration Easter Egg on the disc by typing in 7669 on the remote at the disc menu. I did this and a few different colored screens came up with bars and shapes and shades and stuff, then it went back to the menu again. Did this do anything and is Rat any different?

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

I just noticed that inside the Spiderman 3 case, the booklet says that every Sony BD has a Picture Calibration Easter Egg on the disc by typing in 7669 on the remote at the disc menu. I did this and a few different colored screens came up with bars and shapes and shades and stuff, then it went back to the menu again. Did this do anything and is Rat any different?

...I didnt want to mention the SONY test patterns, because its so freakin hard to use. No instructions.

The Ratatouille calibration is very simple and basic, and at least trys to explain what you're adjusting...(albeit not as well as the DVE disc)

[QwikSand]

Yeah, I agree One thing I did notice is that the PLAY choice on the Spider-man 3 menu was almost off the screen on the left side. I am assuming that the 4 choices needed to be centered evenly, and also the test pattern screens, especially the last one with the black circle in the middle was about 1.5 inches off of center, so I aligned my tv on the DVI port by that and that seemed to improve the picture. I will still get the other things you mentioned. Do you know anything about how to use the Sonyt test patterns that I can try or should I just wait to rent Rat? I can't afford to buy the DVE disc right now, maybe in a few weeks. I kinda went a little overboard buying movies for this since I knew I was getting it today and was very excited

[crackinhedz]

no sorry, I couldnt tell you how to use the sony test patterns.

[QwikSand]

I have the Rat disc and my tv only shows one of the three yellow rectangles around the plate and I can't zoom out. Plus I don't have gamma or any setting like it. I guess with my tv I am just 'stuck' where I'm at until I get a better one someday.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

I have the Rat disc and my tv only shows one of the three yellow rectangles around the plate and I can't zoom out. Plus I don't have gamma or any setting like it. I guess with my tv I am just 'stuck' where I'm at until I get a better one someday.

well, sorry it wasnt as easy as I made it sound!

I guess the best idea would be to get a DVE disc whenever you can...

[QwikSand]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

well, sorry it wasnt as easy as I made it sound!

I guess the best idea would be to get a DVE disc whenever you can...

Oh no that wasn't your fault at all Maybe my tv just doesn't have everything needed for optimal picture? I looked on the Disney setup website that it lists and it says that some tvs just overscan more than others and I guess that can't be helped.

How do I find out what my tv can do for the aspect ratio or whatever the ?:??:?? numbers listed on the movies are?

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

I looked on the Disney setup website that it lists and it says that some tvs just overscan more than others and I guess that can't be helped.

Yeah, overscan can be annoying. You can have your set professionaly ISF calibrated but youre talking about a couple hundred dollars.

I went into the service menu of my RCA and adjusted the Overscan myself...Now I can see the sports ticker on ESPN! But forewarning, messing with the service menu can seriously damage your set. (Service Menu is not the TV menu...its a trick to get into,while tv is off and at the same time press and hold channel + and volume + (I think?))

I would mainly go into this just to tweak the Convergence settings...but again, be warned if you go into the service menu, write down everything before you change something...its a ***** if you dont. Convergence can be adjusted fairly easy (nothing to worry about writing down...you cant mess that up too bad)



but seriously, get the DVE disc at the very least.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

How do I find out what my tv can do for the aspect ratio or whatever the ?:??:?? numbers listed on the movies are?

youre aspect ratio will always be 16x9. or 1.78:1 as far as movie ratios are concerned. If you get a movie with higher ratios is will produce black bars...there is no real way around it (except with certain kind of Projectors)...

Black bars are not a bad thing.

High-Def FAQ: Why Don't the Black Bars Go Away?

[QwikSand]

I will get the DVE disc when I can for sure. What kind of things could I damage if I messed with the RCA menu? Like are there settings that I just should not touch AT ALL? And I don't mind the black bars at all, I just want to try to make my tv look the best it can so I can really enjoy all of this new technology. Thanks again for all of your time.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by QwikSand

I will get the DVE disc when I can for sure. What kind of things could I damage if I messed with the RCA menu? Like are there settings that I just should not touch AT ALL? And I don't mind the black bars at all, I just want to try to make my tv look the best it can so I can really enjoy all of this new technology. Thanks again for all of your time.

there are a lot of settings to not mess with....example: Geometry...dont mess with Geometry.

but like I said, if you go into service menu, be sure to write down current settings and numbers.

this .PDF document will give you an idea of what the service menu is... also I was incorrect earlier, to enter the Service Menu press and holding the Channel - and Volume
- for 8 seconds.

[QwikSand]

Thanks. I'm really going to have to set aside some time to go through that and figure out what it all means. In the meantime, I will just enjoy them the way it is until I can get the DVE which I will probably get at Circuit City this week.

[QwikSand]

In the service menu, what settings am I looking under to adjust the overscan?

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Yeah, overscan can be annoying. You can have your set professionaly ISF calibrated but youre talking about a couple hundred dollars.

I went into the service menu of my RCA and adjusted the Overscan myself...Now I can see the sports ticker on ESPN! But forewarning, messing with the service menu can seriously damage your set. (Service Menu is not the TV menu...its a trick to get into,while tv is off and at the same time press and hold channel + and volume + (I think?))

I would mainly go into this just to tweak the Convergence settings...but again, be warned if you go into the service menu, write down everything before you change something...its a ***** if you dont. Convergence can be adjusted fairly easy (nothing to worry about writing down...you cant mess that up too bad)



but seriously, get the DVE disc at the very least.