FAQ: How To Adjust a TV

Setting Your Monitor to NTSC Specifications

Compiled by Anthony W. Haukap
Everything you could ever want to know about how to set up a Home Theater!
Most televisions have electronic service adjustments. This means that adjustment
s like picture geometry, white balance, and color presets are adjusted via on sc
reen displays (OSD), using the remote control and the service menu.
You can find out more about Home Theater, High-End Audio, and Acoustics in the f
ollowing books: (click on the title for additional information)
Practical Home Theater: A Guide to Video and Audio Systems
Practical Home Theater:
A Guide to Video and Audio Systems
by Mark Fleischmann Home Theater for Everyone: A Practical Guide to Today's
Home Entertainment Systems
Home Theater for Everyone:
A Practical Guide to Today's Home Entertainment Systems
by Robert Harley, Tomlinson Holman Build Your Home Theater in a Weekend
Build Your Home Theater in a Weekend
by Cub Karabian, Gareth M. Debruyn, et al
The Complete Guide to High-End Audio
The Complete Guide to High-End Audio
by Robert Harley, Keith Jarrett Leonard Maltin's 2003 Movie and Video Gu
ide
Leonard Maltin's 2003 Movie and Video Guide
by Leonard Maltin Master Handbook of Acoustics
Master Handbook of Acoustics
by F. Alton Everest

See also the DVD disc that no Home Theater enthusiast should be without...
Avia or Video Essentials? A comparison of the leading DVD calibration discs
Why would you want these discs? Simply put these discs will probably improve you
r TV more than anything else you can do. That's a bold statement, but from my ex
perience it holds true in almost every case.

Master Index

1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.2 Finding an ISF Certified Calibrator
1.3 What Televisions Need Calibration
1.3a Rear Projectors (R/P's)
1.3b Direct Views (Tube) 1.4 When calibration needs to be perf
ormed
2. Calibration Equipment
2.1 What's needed to perform the calibration
2.1a Television
2.1b Television Service Manual
2.1c Video Essentials, A Video Standard
2.1d Laser Disc Player, DVD Player
2.1e Optical Comparator, Color Analyzer 2.2 Other Sources of T
est Material 2.3 DVD Player: 0 IRE vs. 7.5 IRE
 3. Calibration Procedures
3.0a User Menu Vs. Service Mode Adjustments
3.1 Television Break-in Period
3.2 Turning Off Scanning Velocity Modulation (SVM)
3.2a Sony
3.2b Hitachi
3.2c Toshiba 3.3 Setting Horizontal/Vertical Frequency
3.4 Correcting Geometry
3.4a Rotation
3.4b Overscan 3.5 Setting Contrast Level
3.5a Light Output Level 3.6 Setting White Level
3.6a With the ISF Optical Comparator
3.6b Without Optical Comparator (Option 1)
3.6c Without Optical Comparator (Option 2)
3.6d Without Optical Comparator (Option 3) 3.7 Setting Tint &
Color Level
3.7a Using SMPTE Color Bars
3.7b Matching Gray Reference 3.8 Setting the Sharpness Control
3.9 Possible Video Essentials Errors
4. Improving Picture
4.1 Notch Filters
4.2 S-Video/Composite/Component
4.2a Suggested Connections 4.3 Screen Burn-in
4.3a Station Logos 4.4 Viewing Distance
4.5 Color/Lighting Behind Television
4.6 Television Resolution
4.6a Video Source Resolution 4.7 Line Doublers, Improved Defin
ition TV (IDTV)
4.8 High Definition TV (HDTV)
4.9 Magnetic (Speaker) Interference 4.10 16x9 (Anamorphic) Vertical
Squeeze
5. Entering Service Mode
5.1 Sony Service Mode
5.1a Suggested Sony Settings
5.1b Sony Model Numbers
5.1c Sony Front Projection
5.1d Sony High Definition Plasma Monitor 5.2 Toshiba Service M
ode
5.2a Toshiba Model Numbers 5.3 Zenith Service Mode
5.4 GE Service Mode
5.4a RCA Service Mode
5.4b Proscan Service Mode
5.4c Thomson Service Mode
5.5 Magnavox Service Mode
5.6 Mitsubishi Service Mode
5.7 Hitachi Service Mode
5.8 Philips Service Mode
5.9 Panasonic Service Mode
5.10 Samsung Service Mode
5.11 JVC Service Mode
5.12 Teac Service Mode
5.13 Symphonic Service Mode
5.14 For all other manufactures
6. Corrections / Additions

Go Home Section 1
INTRODUCTION Go Top
This FAQ is maintained by Anthony W. Haukap
The current version of this FAQ document can always be found on my website at:
http://www.cyberspace.org/~awh/
The author makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of any information provided in
this document, and is not responsible for any consequences of its use.
1.1 OVERVIEW
Calibration is for the most part directed at the Home Theater enthusiasts who wa
nt to get the full potential that their television sets can offer. It also has t
he possibility of adding a 3-dimensional realism and a "film like" look to video
. When done properly it has the potential to extending the life of rear projecto
rs (R/P's) by limiting and lowering the average light level output.
FYI - Most non-calibrated R/P's loose somewhere between 25-30% of their tota
l light output in the first 1000 hours of use. After the first 1000 hours, light
output remains almost consistent throughout the remaining life of the picture t
ubes (about +/- 10,000 hours).
These procedures contained here will guide and help you obtain an image closer t
o the NTSC (US) standard. It is hoped that this FAQ compilation: "HOW TO ADJUST
A TV", can provide additional detailed information that is not normally availabl
e on the rec.video, alt.home-theater.misc, alt.video.laserdisc, or alt.video.dvd
newsgroups, i.e. detailed, researched, and comprehensive answers that are beyon
d the scope of a normal newsgroup discussion.
They are a collection of my own experiences and many others that have been gathe
red from various sources including but not limited to the many posts in the rec.
video newsgroup by Louis A. Carliner [lcarliner@idsonline.com] his knowledge and
insights into the area of professional ISF calibration have been most helpful.
1.2 FINDING AN ISF CERTIFIED CALIBRATOR
ISF is The Imaging Science Foundation. It was formed by Joe Kane Jr., and Joel S
ilver. They train dealers, service techs, and anyone else who wishes to know how
to properly calibrate any video product, Direct View (DV), Rear Projection (R/P
), Front Projection (F/P), etc.
Check the ISF HomePage to see if your area has a ISF/Joe Kane trained calibrator
- or you can reach the ISF Florida office at (561) 997-9073 for additional info
rmation.
1.3 WHAT TELEVISIONS NEED CALIBRATION
Currently no manufactured television (Direct View or Projection) out-of-the-box
offers true NTSC gray scale tracking. Most TV's suffer from overscan, SVM, etc.
Calibration can bring most TV's closer to the true NTSC standard.
1.3a REAR PROJECTORS (R/P's)
Rear projectors (R/P's) need proper initial setup and calibration if they are to
give the degree of focus and clarity comparable to that of a Direct View (tube)
set. In general R/P's, geometry, though improved, still needs work. Even with t
he best possible efforts with the "French horn screws" or s/w equivalent, it is
impossible to get the "roller coaster" effect out of the ticker crawls. Also, co
nvergence drift is still a problem. The price of that tremendous light output co
ntinues to be more than average viewing hotspots.
1.3b DIRECT VIEWS (TUBE)
Mitsubishi does a reasonable job on their direct view sets. However, they give a
"ruler flat" 7700 degrees K at the warm color temperature setting (not 6500K).
Also, it would be better to leave out scanning velocity modulation (SVM) complet
ely, as it causes problems with DSS artifacts and impairs readability of text on
the screen.
Toshiba "CxxxF90" series very accurate decoder, incredibly accurate D6500 K colo
r temperature in "Theater" mode.
1.4 WHEN CALIBRATION NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED
Because no television currently comes from the manufacture calibrated to the NTS
C standard, an initial calibration is need after the television has been used fo
r a short period of time (break-in period). The calibration when done after the
break-in period should hold true for several years, provided that something in t
he television does not change due to age/heating. Become familiar with the look
of the PLUGE with vertical gray scale ("PLUGE w/ Log Gray" VEDVD-17/2, Frame VE-
46590, AVS-50785), using this will help you determine when and if re-calibration
is needed.
R/P's will need to be re-calibrated if they are moved at anytime, as the moving
will probably alter their convergence.
FYI - When you move the set, be sure to apply the primary force near the bas
e of the unit. Be careful not to rack the top portion with the mirror back. Any
drift (assuming good quality ground zero setup) should be quite easily managed b
y the crosshair user convergence adjustment facility.

Go Home Section 2
CALIBRATION EQUIPMENT Go Top
These procedures outlined here are NOT a replacement for professional ISF calibr
ation. ONLY a trained ISF certified calibrator can guarantee TRUE gray scale tra
cking with a color Analyzer. HOWEVER if you live in an area that currently has n
o ISF certified calibrator you may have no other choice then to tackle the job y
ourself.
The calibration, when done with VE or AVS is only valid when watching the laser
disc player. The reason is that video levels change somewhat from source to sour
ce (even network to network). If you have access to SMPTE color bars, PLUGE, etc
. from another source (ie. satellite [TVRO, DBS], over-the-air, cable, etc.) use
them for adjusting that input.
2.1 WHAT'S NEEDED TO PERFORM THE CALIBRATION
2.1a TELEVISION
TELEVISION - Although these procedures are geared towards SONY NTSC produc
ts the basic ideas and procedures can be adapted for many other manufactures dir
ect view, rear & front projector television sets.
2.1b TELEVISION SERVICE MANUAL
TELEVISION SERVICE MANUAL - The service manual is a must for your particul
ar television set. This is NOT the "User Guide" or "Owners Manual" that came wit
h your television. Service manuals for your television model can be ordered from
the manufactures parts department for a small cost (usually $15-50 US). Another
source for a service manual might be Howard Sams (1-800-GAT-SAMS) - they publis
h Sams Photofacts service data for almost every model television that has ever b
een sold it won't be the same manual as you get from the maufacture, but if you
expect to do a lot of repairs on the same model you might want both. - if you ha
ve a hard time obtaining a service manual you might want to check the local publ
ic library, as many of them subscribe to the SAM's series.
 Ordering the service manual:
Sony Electronics Inc.
World Repair Parts Center
8281 N.W. 107th
Terrace Kansas City, MO 64153 USA
(800) 488-7669 (USA Only)
(816) 891-7550
(816) 891-2580 (Fax)
2.1c VIDEO ESSENTIALS (VE), A VIDEO STANDARD (AVS)
VIDEO ESSENTIALS (VE), A VIDEO STANDARD (AVS) - laser disc or some other s
ource of test material. An index for the Video Essentials laser disc is availabl
e from the Video Essentials HomePage. In addition to the Dolby Pro-Logic setup p
rocedure the Video Essentials laser disc also contains a section on Dolby AC-3 (
aka. Dolby Digital) setup. Both the VE & AVS laser discs contain a blue filter f
or use with SMPTE color bars. These laser discs are available from all major las
er disc dealers. See the section on "Possible Video Essentials Errors" for addit
ional information before purchasing "Video Essentials".
Video Essentials is also available on Digital Video Disc (DVD) format. You
will need a DVD Player to use this disc. The DVD version also contains test sig
nals for setting up the 1.78:1 anamorphic video format used by widescreen televi
sions where the picture is squeezed horizontally to fit a 4:3 rectangle then uns
queezed during playback, and the choice of English or Spanish subtitles. See the
Video Essentials HomePage for more information on the DVD version. The errors a
ssociated with the LaserDisc version have been fixed in the DVD release.
The Video Essentials DVD can be purchased at Amazon.com
FYI - There is currently no VHS or S-VHS equalivant of the "Video Esse
ntials" or "A Video Standard" laser disc. Due to the resolution and bandwidth as
sociated with these tape formats the results from a calibration preformed from a
VHS or S-VHS tape would be less than ideal.
2.1d LASER DISC PLAYER
LASER DISC PLAYER (if using VE or AVS), with good quality S-Video and comp
osite video interconnect cables to determine whether the TV or the Laser Disc pl
ayer has the better comb filter.
2.1e OPTICAL COMPARATOR
OPTICAL COMPARATOR (about $400 US, available from the ISF), or some other
known D6500 K light reference. The preferred item for this task is the Color Ana
lyzer (about $7000 US), these are available for rent in some locations.
2.2 OTHER SOURCES OF TEST MATERIAL
Some laser discs titles also contain SMPTE color bars, etc. on the last si
de of the disc following the credits or supplements. To use them properly you wi
ll need a blue filter (Wratten Gelatin Filter 98 - Kodak catalog number 149-6298
), if you are not able to turn off the red and green guns on the television.
Laser disc's that are known to contain test patterns are:
APOCALYPSE NOW (Re-mastered), Paramount LV2306-2WS, SMPTE color bars
, crosshatch patterns, etc. end of side 4 after credits (CAV).
 CRITERION, all CAV discs "safe-title" color bars.
2.3 DVD Player: 0 IRE vs. 7.5 IRE
The real benefit of 0 IRE blacks is an increased range of blacks, 0-100 IRE vs.
7.5-100 IRE. If you can see the black-than-black bar in Video Essentials then yo
ur DVD player is set to 0 IRE or "enhanced" black setting.
The standard level for 'black' for all NTSC sources is 7.5 IRE, anything below 7
.5 is known as black-than-black.

Go Home Section 3
CALIBRATION PROCEDURES Go Top
PLEASE NOTE:
Your results with these procedures may vary and can NOT
be guaranteed to work on your particular television set
USE THEM AT YOU OWN RISK.
If your television requires you to open the cabinet for any reason please read t
he following warning:
WARNING:
BY REMOVING THE CABINET YOU WILL BE EXPOSED TO VERY
HIGH VOLTAGE THAT DOES NOT DISSIPATE WHEN THE TV SET
IS UNPLUGGED ALWAYS USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN
WORKING INSIDE THE CABINET OR IF YOU FEEL
UNCOMFORTABLE WORKING AROUND HIGH (LETHAL)
VOLTAGE LEAVE IT TO A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL.
Calibration is not actually all that difficult to perform, but it can be quite t
echnical in nature. A good test might be your VCR clock; if it is still blinking
"12:00...12:00...12:00," then you should probably seek a qualified professional
and not attempt these procedures yourself. - Note that the blinking VCR clock t
est does not apply if your VCR clock is set by automatic means though the PBS te
levision network.
3.0a USER MENU VS. SERVICE MODE ADJUSTMENTS
Before starting the calibration process it is best to reset all user items (cont
rast, hue, color, etc.) to the factory default settings, then use the service mo
de sub-items (spix, shue, scol, etc.) to do the adjustments - if done in this wa
y the user items can be changed without fear of losing the calibration and can b
e restored to the calibrated state by resetting the user items to there default
positions with the reset option.
3.1 TELEVISION BREAK-IN PERIOD
A new television should be broke-in before calibration to minimize any effects f
rom the electronic components aging - use the TV in a normal manner, 4 to 5 hour
s a day for at least a week. If you do decide to burn it in, make sure that norm
al program material is being used, NOT online guides, station logos, etc., and t
hat the contrast control is turned all the way DOWN. You only want to burn in th
e circuitry, NOT the tube phosphors!
Note: The television or monitor should be warmed-up before attempting calibratio
n, this will lessen any effects from the electronic components heating up during
normal use. A typical warm-up time should be no less than 30 minutes, 60 minute
s may be a preferred warm-up time.
3.2 TURNING OFF SCANNING VELOCITY MODULATION (SVM)
Scanning Velocity Modulation (SVN) is often marketed as a feature on most televi
sions today, however SVM tends to take the life out of the picture and smear fin
e shadow detail, it also makes text harder to read. Use the needle-pulse pattern
("Needle Pulse" VEDVD-17/4, Frame VE-46592, AVS-50787) to see the effect SVM ha
s on overall picture quality. If SVM is present, the bottom portion will be bold
er or thickened, and the sharpness control will have very little gradation in ac
tion. With SVM defeated, you will see a distinct change in the appearance of the
needle-pulse pattern and changes in behavior of the sharpness control. SVM must
be turned off or disabled if your are trying to calibrate your television.
3.2a SONY
On Sony KV32XBR45, scanning velocity modulation is defeated by a service menu ad
justment item (in service mode run VMLV down to 0).
On Sony KV32XBR96S, cut the SVM internal lead - there is a board labeled VM in t
he vicinity below the CRT neck board. It also handles dynamic convergence. Howev
er, there is a multi-pin flat connector and leads that go to another identical c
onnector on the main board from the VM board. One of the leads is labeled vm-out
. It is the fourth blue/gray lead from the bottom (white lead). This is one that
has to be cut (with the set unplugged). It can't be unsolder as it is crimped i
nto the connectors.
3.2b HITACHI
On Hitachi, the effect of SVM on the Hitachi is mild, so the effect of disconnec
ting it is subtle. It's usually not worth the effort to try and disconnect SVM.
3.2c TOSHIBA
Toshiba "CxxxF90" series. SVM is disabled only in "Theater" mode setting.
Toshiba CN32E90 or CX32E70 you will want to open the case to pull a simple two c
onductor lead from the PWB plugged into the neck of the tube to a coil winding o
n the neck of the tube itself, this will permanently disable SVM in all modes.
3.3 SETTING HORIZONTAL / VERTICAL FREQUENCY
The best way to adjust HFRE is to tune in a good local station (or a major cable
channel, but not on DBS), set AFC to 3 and then set HFRE to make the picture fl
oat by as slowly as possible. After you're finished, set AFC back to 0. (If you
get a "flagging" effect at the top of the picture when playing video tapes, sett
ing AFC to 1 or 2 may reduce or eliminate that problem.)
VSMO (Vertical Pull in Range) - Actually this is a mode switch. With this set to
1 the VFRE control will have no effect, and the picture may be slightly less st
able under poor reception conditions. If you need to view PAL or SECAM signals,
setting this to 1 will enable that capability in B&W only.
3.4 CORRECTING GEOMETRY
Don't do any geometry adjustments (HPOS) until you've adjusted HFRE as mentioned
above.
3.4a ROTATION
As screen size has become larger the effects of Earth's magnetic field can be se
en as a rotated raster in the picture. There are provisions for reducing this ef
fect on most 27" and larger direct view television sets. Only when the televisio
n is orientated in a viewing direction other than the factory default position w
ill this effect be noticed.
Before you start with the geometry adjustments, put up one of the crosshatch pat
terns ("Geometry/Convergence, Full Amplitude" VEDVD-17/17, Frame VE-46611, AVS-5
0820) if the raster is rotated, then use one of the user adjustments in the comp
ass direction menu to find the one that gives the least amount of rotation. IGNO
RE the names of the directions in the choices - just pick the one that gives the
best results REGARDLESS of your compass direction - this should be done with th
e television orientated in it's normal viewing position. If the television is mo
ved to a different position this procedure will need to be repeated.
3.4b OVERSCAN
To some extent, this depends on the stability of your power supply in the televi
sion. If it's not "ROCK SOLID" (stable), and tends to sag under heavy load, you'
ll find your picture changes size somewhat depending on the brightness level of
the video being displayed. So more or less overscan will be evident at various t
imes. This is less of a problem once you've had your set calibrated properly (be
cause the brightness and contrast won't be overdriven, making the power supply's
job easier). If you cannot read the third line on either of the CBNC or CNN Hea
dline news ticker that says, "Stock prices delayed 15 minutes", then you have a
little too much overscan. Using the "Safe Tile & Action" ("Overscan w/ Safe Acti
on/Title Labels" VEDVD-15/8, Frame VE-29115, AVS-_____) or the "Overscan Pattern
" ("Overscan Test Pattern" VEDVD-15/7, Frame VE-29114, AVS-_____) try for 5% at
the top and right, and 3% on the left and bottom. This will give you the best co
mpromised of maximum information with minimal intrusion of non-picture clutter,
such as the white vertical bar on the right side that may appear on some time-ba
se correction (TBC) corrected laser discs or de-scrambled output of General Inst
rument (GI) & Scientific Atlanta (SA) cable boxes, and closed captioning informa
tion on the top. However, on the bottom, you may be able to see some fold over o
n VHS and some S-VHS tape material, such as "America's Funniest Home Videos". If
you find non-picture information "leaking" into view with these figures, then y
ou can always back off a little should you feel the need to do so.
FYI- Most station logos, (which can be very hazardous to your rear-projectio
n TV) are placed within the 10% overscan (safe title) region - one notable excep
tion to this practice is MTV2 which is set at 0% left and 0% bottom.
3.5 SETTING CONTRAST LEVEL
You must have the contrast turned down enough to be below the point of picture b
looming before you start. It is foolish and quite futile to attempt to get a goo
d linear gray scale tracking while the picture tube is being overdriven (bloomin
g). Also try and keep room lighting from reaching the television screen in a way
that it compromises the deep black picture elements.
The use of the needle-pulse pattern for finding maximum contrast level (as sugge
sted on the Video Essentials LD) is NO longer valid as manufacturers have gotten
"wise" and "cheated" by improving the power supply regulation.
Use the PLUGE with vertical gray scale pattern ("PLUGE w/ Log Gray" VEDVD-17/2,
Frame VE-46590, AVS-50785), set the brightness level using this pattern and rech
eck with the one on the color bar pattern ("SMPTE Color Bars" VEDVD-17/7, Frame
VE-46599, AVS-50788). If the proper setting is different between these two patte
rns, use the PLUGE on the color bar pattern ("SMPTE Color Bars" VEDVD-17/7, Fram
e VE-46599, AVS-50788). Return to the PLUGE w/ gray scale pattern ("PLUGE w/ Log
Gray" VEDVD-17/2, Frame VE-46590, AVS-50785). Look at the top two blocks of the
vertical gray scale. If it appears to be wider than the bottom two blocks, then
you are seeing the phenomenon of "blooming". Your picture level (contrast setti
ng) is too high. Turn it down. You also can see another effect of too high setti
ng. Just run the control up and down. If the control is too high (especially wit
h older front projectors), the top two blocks will take on a yellow or brownish
cast because the blue tube has been pushed beyond its limits. If the contrast le
vel is too low, then you will not be able to see the gradation between the two b
ottom blocks. You may have to then compromise. In any case, the brightness (or b
lack level) control may need to be readjusted and the contrast rechecked.
 FYI - The PLUGE pattern in Frame VEDVD-15/2 VE-29109, AVS-14387 has a very l
ow Average Picture Level (APL) because the entire background is black. The PLUGE
pattern in Frame VEDVD-17/2, VE-46590, AVS-14390 & 50785 includes a gray scale
that produces a medium APL. In Frame VEDVD-17/3, VE-46591, AVS-14393, the PLUGE
pattern shares half the frame with a 100 IRE white background providing a high A
PL. It is unlikely that any current consumer quality monitor can maintain a perf
ectly constant BLACK LEVEL across this large of an APL range.
3.5a LIGHT OUTPUT LEVEL
The SMPTE standard for NTSC (US) displays is 30 Foot Lamberts measured from the
center of the display in real time using a 100 IRE window pattern ("100 IRE Wind
ow" VEDVD-17/32, Frame VE-46647, AVS-50801) utilizing a photometer. The standard
was 35 Foot Lamberts but it was found that NO monitor could reach this point wi
thout blooming. For more information on standards check SMPTE Homepage (Society
of Motion Picture & Television Engineers) - these are the people that set the st
andards.
3.6 SETTING WHITE LEVEL
Please Note: Without instruments it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to properly set the gra
y scale and color temperature, the ISF optical comparator with a set of neutral
density filters being the minimum needed to accomplish the task and a Color Anal
yzer being the preferred way.
You may need to sacrifice the low end numbers and go warmer at the low end to im
prove the appearance of the blacks.
The following examples are all post-calibration values, your results may var
y. Notice that the light output level foot-lamberts (f/l) post-calibration varie
s by quite a large degree, some of this is due to the difference between rear pr
ojection (R/P) & direct view (DV) televisions.

Manufacture IRE VALUE

F/L
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55
50 45 40 30 20
Mitsubishi
VS-5077 6530 n/a 6515 n/a 6445 n/a 6320 6260
6200 6160 6130 6100 6070 6100 6150 9.03
Toshiba
TW56F80 6450 n/a 6520 n/a 6660 n/a 6800 6870
6930 6980 7020 7060 7040 6950 6600 4.85
Toshiba
CX35F70 6505 n/a 6510 n/a 6510 n/a 6520 6505
6500 6500 6490 6475 6455 6450 6490 12.5
Panasonic
CT31SF31S 6480 6475 6470 6465 6500 6400 n/a 6400
n/a 6400 n/a 6380 6315 6300 6300 16.38
Hitachi
32UX8B 6555 6529 6511 6501 6502 6512 n/a 6518 n/a
6536 n/a 6556 6590 6577 6516 27.56
Proscan
PS80690 6479 6530 6530 6650 6780 6800 n/a 6940
n/a 7100 n/a 6980 6800 6800 6390 4.94
Sony
PVM2530 6465 6455 6445 6440 6440 6425 n/a 6425
n/a 6415 n/a 6395 6385 6385 6400 12.17
Sony
KV32XBR10 6440 6450 6470 6470 6490 6490 n/a 6415
n/a 6410 n/a 6600 6610 6620 6645 12.48
Mitsubishi
CS40503 6490 6470 6450 6430 6430 6400 n/a 6350
n/a 6285 n/a 6230 6220 6170 6170 29.1

3.6a WITH THE ISF OPTICAL COMPARATOR:

Basically the Optical Comparator is an empty D-2 tape cassette with two concentr
ic holes cut in it, the one on the rear side of a smaller diameter than the one
on the side facing the front of the set. The inside surfaces are painted a neutr
al gray and a D6500 K circular neon fixture mounted inside. What you basically d
o is to put up a white field pattern of the same intensity - 100 IRE ("100 IRE W
indow" VEDVD-17/32, Frame VE-46647, AVS-50801) as that of the light source illum
ination of the inside surface of the box and observe the color balance of the in
side light reference with that on the TV set and use the BAMP and GAMP controls
(known commonly as gain, drive or amp and usually adjustments for one of the col
ors may be omitted here. It is usually the red color, (and slightly less often t
he blue color) to match the color balance of the TV set with that of the box. Th
en you use the vertical gray scale pattern ("10 Step Gray Scale" VEDVD-18/1, Fra
me VE-46667, AVS-_____) and the pluge pattern ("PLUGE w/ Log Gray" VEDVD-17/2, F
rame VE-46590, AVS-50785) itself to set the BCUT and GCUT adjustments to get the
blacks looking right then you go back and repeat the process of adjusting the w
hite balance. Too little green will appear as too much red or purple and too lit
tle red will appear as too much green.
3.6b WITHOUT OPTICAL COMPARATOR (Option 1):
The only (natural) reference to D6500 in real life is the white lighting coming
off a completely snow covered scene on an overcast day. (A sunny day white light
is 5600) What you can do is open your curtains, put up the pluge with vertical
gray scale pattern ("PLUGE w/ Log Gray" VEDVD-17/2, Frame VE-46590, AVS-50785),
or put up a 100 IRE white field pattern ("100 IRE Window" VEDVD-17/32, Frame VE-
46647, AVS-50801) and adjust BAMP and GAMP to match the white to that reference,
then go to the BCUT and GCUT to get the rest of the gray scale looking like pho
tographic black, and then go back to the BAMP and GAMP and repeat the process of
adjusting the white balance.
3.6c WITHOUT OPTICAL COMPARATOR (Option 2):
Using a computer monitor that has a D6500 setting (verify that the white field i
s indeed D6500) then continue as with Option-1 replacing the snow cover with the
computer monitor.
3.6d WITHOUT OPTICAL COMPARATOR (Option 3):
Substitute another known D6500 white reference for Option-1. One source for this
D6500 K light can be found at Radio Shack in a couple of their flashlights that
use the F4T5/DL bulb. This bulb is used in their flashlight (RS Cat No. _______
) with a fluorescent bulb in the handle and a flashing yellow caution light on o
ne end - this light can also be powered by an optional AC adapter.
FYI - Any plain softwhite is around the 2500-3000 deg range.
3.7 SETTING TINT & COLOR LEVEL
3.7a USING SMPTE COLOR BARS
Color decoders on consumer sets are far from perfect - because of this, please n
ote the method of adjustment below: (The blue filter must be used for viewing -o
r- turn off the red & green guns) Put up SMPTE Color Bars ("SMPTE Color Bars" VE
DVD-17/7, Frame VE-46599, AVS-50788). Note the two vertical color bars on either
side of the center bar (green not when viewed through the blue filter). Using t
he HUE control try to match the brightness level of the bars on either side of t
he center bar. The same should go for the corresponding patches below. As you ro
ck the tint adjustment back and forth, the intensity of the bars will react in a
similar manner - they mirror opposite that of the corresponding patches below.
This will help you find the proper setting.
Do NOT attempt to match the bar with it's corresponding patch below (as suggeste
d on the Video Essentials LD/DVD) - this will not work as the manufacturers have
gotten "wise" and "cheated" by improving the power supply regulation. - make su
re flesh tone and/or color correction is turned off before starting this procedu
re.
Then go back and recheck and readjust the color level using the method as instru
cted on the Video Essentials/A Video Standard LD/DVD. Then repeat this procedure
. You will have to go back and forth one or more times.
3.7b MATCHING GRAY REFERENCE
Put up color bars w/gray reference [split bar pattern] ("Color Bars w/75% Gray"
VEDVD-18/3, Frame VE-46673, AVS-14415 - NOTE: VE frame 46673 is mis-calibrated,
use AVS-14415) What you basically want to do is by using the blue filter (or tur
n the red & green guns off), adjust the color and hue to get the blue to match e
ach other bar and the bottom gray reference in intensity as close as possible -
make sure flesh tone and/or color correction is turned off before starting this
procedure.
Then you turn red back on and turn blue off. Then match R-YR and R-YB to the gra
y reference below. This may not happen because the red adjustment items may need
a little more range than is provided.
Then turn the green back on and the red off and similarly match the green to the
gray reference using G-YR and G-YB, you will want to look for yellows that are
equal in light intensity to each other and to the gray reference below.
The idea of the R-YR and R-YB is to limit the amount of red push. As you can see
the higher the value, the less red intensity in the bars. In the case of the R-
YB, those bars that have red and blue in them like the cyan and magenta colors,
and the R-YR for the yellow color and others with green in it. When you take awa
y red from a white field, you will get a cyan color. When you take away blue fro
m a gray field, you will get yellow or magenta.
3.8 SETTING THE SHARPNESS CONTROL
The sharpness setting procedure on the Video Essentials laser disc works well fo
r LD, TVRO, DBS, basically this is the procedure you should follow, however most
TVs have the sharpness set too high for the clarity of DVD. This exaggerates th
e high-frequency video and causes distortion for DVD it is recommended the sharp
ness control be turned off (set to minimum), as the DVD media format does not ne
ed the high frequency compensation the other formats require.
3.9 POSSIBLE VIDEO ESSENTIALS ERRORS
These errors appear in both the original Laser Disc (LD) & Digital Video Disc (D
VD) versions of Video Essentals.
* The split bar pattern (color bars w/gray reference) on "Video Essentials"
(Frame VE-46673) appears to be incorrect. The one on "A Video Standard" (Frame A
VS-14415) is correct.
* There is a report in the (3/97) "Stereophile Guide to Home Theater" (SGHT)
that the audio levels of the Rear Dolby Pro-Logic, AC-3 tracks may be recored 3
db too low on "Video Essentials" (Starting Frame VE-42178). See the "Stereophile
Guide to Home Theater" issue for more details.
 Dolby Digital Surround Levels on the Laserdiscs of Video Essentials -
The original VE came out in June of 1996, The AC-3 (Dolby Digital) tracks where
recorded with an option of Dolby Digital encoding that put each of the left and
right surrounds 3 dB below the front channels. The Dolby Digital encode option t
hat was used was designed for movie theatres and did not fit the description of
levels called out in the disc. In the theatre specification the combined sound o
f left and right surround would equal any one of the front channels. In the Home
Theatre version of Dolby Digital each of the surrounds is supposed to be at the
same level as any one of the front channels. This is the description that was u
sed in the disc. This error was confirmed during the production on the Japanese
edition of VE. The Home Theatre option was selected for encoding the Japanese ve
rsion, then the English language master was fixed. The new English language mast
er was sent to the pressing plant and the re-mastered edition started showing up
in retail outlets sometime during the summer of 1997.
Identifying the two English language version of Video Essentials - You
'll need to play the disc to determine if your copy is the old or new version of
VE. Search from Frame 28100 in Chapter 1 on Side 1. If you see an AC-3 in the D
olby Digital logo at the top of the screen it's the first edition. If the AC-3 i
s not there, it's the corrected version of the program. There are also slight fr
ame number differences between the two editions.
* The SMPTE resolution chart on "Video Essentials" (Frame VE-46607) appears
to be slightly too large. However, when using "Video Essentials" for setting ras
ter size, 4 to 5% on the top and right and 2-3% on the left and bottom gives you
the best compromise in maximum viewing area with minimal intrusion of non-pictu
re information. The SMPTE resolution chart on "A Video Standard" (Frame AVS-____
_) is of the correct proportions.
* There have been some complaints that the grayscale patterns on "Video Esse
ntials" (Starting Frame VE-4667) being color tinged. You can see if this is the
case by turning the color level control all the way down (OFF - creating a B/W p
icture) temporarily.

Go Home Section 4
IMPROVING PICTURE Go Top
4.1 NOTCH FILTERS
Using the multi-burst pattern ("Multiburst" VEDVD-17/22, Frame VE-46619, AVS-508
16), if the two burst patterns on the right side are reproduced with color infor
mation rather than black and white, then a notch filter is being used.
Then look at a color bar pattern from a live signal source. The still frame feat
ure on a laser disc player may not be appropriate for this. Look for a moving zi
pper effect (hanging dot) between the color bar and it corresponding patches bel
ow. Also, look at the vertical demarcation lines between the bars. A moving sawt
ooth effect there also indicates use of a cheap glass or CCD variety comb filter
.
Turning OFF the notch filter reduces dot crawl but at the price of resolution.
The Notch Filter mode setting (NOTC) is overridden by the ID1 parameter. Setting
this to a value 64 lower or 64 higher than that as shipped, the notch filter wi
ll be disabled to get rid of "hanging dot" interference in the picture. Hanging
dots seems to be most severe when the colors are 180 degrees apart in chroma pha
se (ie. green/magenta border area on any NTSC color bar pattern).
4.2 S-VIDEO/COMPOSITE/COMPONENT
S-Video inputs advantage is it keeps the chroma and luminance (Y-C) information
separate. However, unless the original video source material and the delivery sy
stem also does this (like DBS, S-VHS, HI-8) you really don't get any benefit out
of it. When you have both a video source (ie. laser disc player) and a televisi
on monitor with S-Video jacks, you then have your choice of where the chroma lum
inance separation occurs, being either done in the video source or in the televi
sion.
When you use composite video input to your TV, the TV must still separate the Y-
C components to display the video on the screen. The quality of this separation
depends upon the quality of the comb filter in your TV.
A comb filter is NOT used for S-Video, this means that a TV with an analog comb
filter looks just as good as those with a digital comb filter IF you're using th
e S-Video input.
All the S-Video input does is give you the option of having the video source per
form this Y-C separation, instead of having the TV monitor do this. If the video
source has a better quality comb filter, then you want to use the S-Video input
, if your TV monitor has the better comb filter (ie. digital comb filter) then y
ou will want to use the composite video input.
You may want to use the Snell & Wilcox Test Chart #2 [SW2] ("Snell & Wilcox Zone
Plate" VEDVD-15/12, Frame VE-29938, AVS-_____) bouncing ball comb filter test m
aterial to determine which one is better. With the analog comb filter all of the
squares on the top row will have rainbowing. With the 3-line/2d digital variety
(if the one in your set is digital, this is the most likely type) the top two o
r three squares in the top row will have rainbowing. With the adaptive 3-d type,
none of the top squares will have rainbowing and the rainbowing on the moving b
all disappears when the ball pauses. A complete description of the Snell & Wilco
x test chart can be found at the Snell & Wilcox Homepage.
A DVD player should be connected using the component (YUV or RGB) output for the
highest-quality picture. Some DVD players with component outputs use YUV, which
is incompatible with RGB found on some television monitors. European DVD player
s with SCART connectors have RGB outputs. A YUV to RGB converter is available.
4.2a SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS
Choose the option that provides the best quality (indicated below, best to worst
) that is supported by your monitor and the video source. The following table as
sumes that the monitor has the better comb filter.
DBS = S-Video, Composite, RF
DVD = Component, S-Video, Composite, RF
HI-8 = S-Video, Composite, RF
LD = Composite, S-Video, RF
S-VHS = S-Video, Composite, RF
TVRO = Composite, S-Video, RF
VHS = S-Video, Composite, RF
Note: RF video connection should be avoided - the RF output will further reduce
picture detail and will add additional noise to the video, plus it will not tran
smit stereo sound unless the video device has a MTS encoder built-in, this is on
ly a concern if your using the television's built-in speakers for (surround) sou
nd.
4.3 SCREEN BURN-IN
Look at a full white field ("100 IRE Flat Field" VEDVD-18/12, Frame VE-46704, AV
S-_____) on the screen examine it for phosphor burns from the likes of negligent
repeat playing of letterboxed material, station logos, video games, etc.
The following is the warning that appears in the Hitachi 50UX26B and similar mod
el owners manual, the same warning should be applied to all television.
PICTURE CAUTIONS
==========================================================
WARNING
=========
Continuous on-screen displays such as
video games, stock market quotations,
computer generated graphics, and other
fixed (non-moving) patterns can cause per-
manent damage to projection television
receivers. Such "PATTERN BURNS" con-
stitute misuse and are _NOT COVERED_ by
your Hitachi Factory Warranty.
When using the Picture-in Picture function, the sub-picture
should NOT be left permanently in one corner of the screen
or a "PATTERN BURN" may develop over a long period of time.
==========================================================
4.3a STATION LOGOS
The very worst possible examples of this practice (as of Jan. '97) is MS-NBC, wh
ich is a threat to the life of all R/P tubes. An example of a R/P friendly logo
is a station that does not leave their logo displayed all the time.
4.4 VIEWING DISTANCE
The size of the screen is not the only factor in the perceived picture size - di
stance from the screen is equally important. A 32" direct view television pictur
e, can seem just as large as a 60" rear projector picture when the R/P is viewed
from a greater distance. However due to the fact that the viewing distance is u
sually constant for a given room the larger the screen size the picture image is
also perceived to be larger.
Due to resolution limits, such as those imposed by scanning lines, a viewing dis
tance of about four to four & one-half times the picture's height with a viewing
angle of about 10 to 15 degrees from the centerline of the picture usually prov
ides the largest possible picture without any unnecessary degradation in video q
uality. This distance will vary with the quality of the television set and the s
ource of the video material and whether or not you use any image enhancing acces
sories such as a "line doubler", along with your personal tolerance level for pi
cture flaws.
4.5 COLOR/LIGHTING BEHIND TELEVISION
The best source for lighting in a home theater is a fluorescent fixture placed o
n the floor behind the monitor and angled to light the wall behind the monitor (
Direct View) , this will create the proper ambient light level. AVS recommends t
hat this backlighting should not exceed 10% of the total light output of the mon
itor itself. To achieve this lighting you can use a commonly available "Daylight
" type fluorescent bulb - Sylvania manufactures a four foot length called "F40D"
where the "D" stands for Daylight. Its color temperature is about 6300 K. You c
an put filters over bulbs of any color temperature and reach D6500 K if so desir
ed.
The exact light level and placement is not critical so long as the TV monitor is
not overwhelmed by environmental lighting.
The wall surface directly behind the television should be painted a neutral grey
or dark grey color - never white or off-white. Purchase a Kodak reference gray
card (part #R-27) and match the gray paint to the card. This card is called an "
18% Gray Card" or just "Gray Card" and is available at most photo supply stores.
It comes packaged as two 8"x10" cards and one 4"x5" card.
For best results with a projection screen the room should be dark with no room l
ighting reaching the screen in such a way that it compromises the deep black pic
ture elements.
4.6 TELEVISION RESOLUTION
The American video transmission standard (NTSC) is 525 lines of horizontal resol
ution, with an aspect ratio of 4:3. Any number of lines may be employed by the t
ransmitting station usually between 482 and 495, some of these lines are reserve
d for specific uses.
CC (Closed Captioning) transmitted on line 21, can support 8-colors and the use
of an italic typeface
TeleText - Transmitted on a variable number of lines which is specified in the h
eader which contains basic information such as time, date and channel, starting
on line 12 and continuing for 7-8 lines. Can support 8 colors, and limited block
graphics. TeleText is not used very much in the US (if at all) but is used exte
nsively in the UK.
4.6a VIDEO SOURCE RESOLUTION
Your television's resolution is limited by the video source. Your TV monitor may
be able to display 700 lines or more of horizontal resolution, however when vie
wing VHS tapes the very best you will get is 240 lines (see the chart below).
The following resolutions (HORIZONTAL x VERTICAL) are all for NTSC (US) and are
the very best that can be expected out of that particular format.
HDTV: 1280x720 (Hi-Res 16:9)
HDTV: 704x480 (Standard-Res 16:9)
DVD: 540x480 (4:3) (progressive scan)
ED-Beta: 525x482
TVRO: 525x482 (Live Backhaul)
Laser Disc: 425x482 (4:3)
DVD: 405x480 (16:9) (progressive scan)
S-VHS: 400x482
Broadcast: 330x482
CABLE: 330x482
SUPER BETA: 285x482
BETA: 250x482
VHS: 240x482
DBS: 364x240
4.7 LINE DOUBLERS, IMPROVED DEFINITION TV (IDTV)
Line doublers or IDTV's improve viewing by removing an unwanted artifact of the
current NTSC standard - as both direct-view and projection (Front, R/P's) televi
sions have gotten larger, the scanning lines have become more noticeable. A line
doubler or IDTV allows a reduction in the viewing distance at which "scanning l
ines" will be noticed.
Line doublers propose to eliminate interlace by displaying a full frame, all 525
lines is displayed every 1/60th of a second, instead of the normal alternating
262.5 line fields (1/2 frame) every 1/60th. There are two main ways to de-interl
ace. One is previous field retention, wherein each frame consists of the current
field plus the stored and re-displayed previous field. The other method is fiel
d-to-frame synthesis, wherein each new field has the absent scan lines computed
by interpolating between the adjacent actual lines.
The output of a line doubler is usually at least 31.5 kHz non-interlaced RGB. Wi
th an external line doubler, your television/monitor must support non-interlaced
RGB in - S-Video or composite video will not work with an external line doubler
. Some front projectors have a RGB input, as do most broadcast monitors and comp
uter CRT's.
If the line doubler uses field retention it will have to delay the sound for the
same amount of time (by one or more frames), in order for the sound to remain i
n sync with the picture.
FYI - The 16:9 anamorphic format, where the picture is squeezed horizontally
to fit a 4:3 rectangle then unsqueezed during playback, which is found on Digit
al Video Disc (DVD) causes no problems with line doublers, since they simply dou
ble the lines on their way to the widescreen display which then stretches out th
e lines to its original width.
4.8 HIGH DEFINITION TV (HDTV)
In December of 1996 the FCC approved the U.S. DTV standard. By the January 1, 20
07 all US television stations will be required to abandon NTSC and transmit in t
he HDTV format only.
High Definition Television (HDTV) represents the largest change in television te
chnology since the conversion from black & white to color in 1957.
Roll-out Schedule:
* October, 1998 - New York, Chicago, Washington, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Ph
iladelphia, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
* April, 1999 - Minneapolis, Seattle, Cleveland, Tampa, Miami, Phoenix, Pitt
sburg, Orlando, Indianapolis, Hartford, Raleigh, and Houston.
* October, 1999 - Denver, Sacramento, St. Louis, Portland, San Diego, Charlo
tte, and Cincinnati.
* Additional markets will be added until 2003, when every station across the
country will be transmitting an HDTV signal.
Here's a few links I think you might like to read:
DTV FAQ - from the FCC.
Digital TV signals gaining ground - available at the Mecury News.
Sony joins digital TV - available at news.com.
HDTV clicks - available at news.com.
Future DVD products - available at news.com.
Networks Ready HDTV - available at abcnews.com.
Digital TV Debuts - available at abcnews.com.
FCC gives license to HDTV - available at news.com.
A Few HDTV Facts:
* WRAL-CBS Raleigh, NC. has been broadcasting in the HDTV (digital) format s
ince 1994.
* NHK-TV Japan has been broadcasting one (1) HDTV (analog) channel since abo
ut 1991. Japan's HDTV (analog) system is not compatible with the U.S. (digital)
system.
* HDTV WILL require a new television set.
* HDTV televisions sets are currently available in limited quantities in the
US - limited roll-out fall 1998.
* All current NTSC video products (VCR, LD, DVD, etc.) WILL need to be repla
ced with equivalent HDTV equipment.
* HTDV is not directly supported by the current DVD-Video standard.
* GI's (aka NextLevel Systems) first generation 4DTV - TVRO satellite receiv
er does not support HDTV or Dolby-AC3 (Dolby Digital) output.
* DBS does not support HDTV.
4.9 MAGNETIC (SPEAKER) INTERFERENCE
With the popularity of home theater this has become a common problem that many m
anufactures have not fully addressed, unless the speakers explicitly state they
are magnetically shielded, or approved for center channel use, they are left un-
shielded. If an un-shielded speaker is placed near the television screen a rainb
ow type effect will be produced on the screen.
FYI - This rainbow effect will usually not damage the picture tube in most c
ases, however the picture tube may require extensive de-gaussing to remove the e
ffects of the magnetic interference if it is severe. The built-in de-gaussing ci
rcuitry found on most televisions will usually remove any mild rainbow effect.
Solutions:
* The simple solution is to simply move the speakers farther away from the T
V, however if this is not possible some sort of shielding must be applied either
to the TV cabinet, the speaker voice coil enclosure or the speaker cabinet. In
severe cases shielding the TV cabinet in addition to the speakers may be require
d.
* Surround the magnet area (voice coil) of the speaker with plain sheet stee
l (ferrous metal). If you look inside the shielded speakers that come with compu
ters you'll see a stamped sheet metal cover over the back side of the speaker. N
on-ferrous metals such as aluminium, stainless steel, brass, copper, etc will no
t work.
* A material known as "MU-Metal" can be used to shield the case or cabinet,
you can purchase a lab kit of "mu-metal" from Magnetic Shielding Corp (630-766-7
800) and attached a .025" thick of their version called Co-Netic to the appropri
ate side of the TV and/or speakers. MU-Metal is very efficient at reducing and/o
r blocking magnetic fields. MU-Metal is the method that has the best chance of s
uccess.
* Magnetic shielding can also be accomplished with "bucking magnets" epoxied
in reverse pole of the speaker magnet. It WILL NOT shield the front or the side
s of the speaker, but it does well in the back (rear) facing direction.
* Cover the magnet of a speaker with a tin can. Find a can slightly larger t
han the magnet and silicone it over the magnet and onto the basket of the speake
r. Be sure to use enough silicone to keep the can from rattling. - DO NOT use a
non-ferrous (aluminium) can, as this will not work.
4.10 16x9 (ANAMORPHIC) VERTICAL SQUEEZE
Someday in the very near future all of our (American NTSC) televisions will have
a 16x9 aspect ratio for HDTV. Until the time when your area begins HDTV broadca
sts you're probably watching DVDs on a standard 4x3 display, but there's no reas
on you shouldn't be enjoying the full resolution that DVD can offer today.
 FYI - A 16x9 enhanced DVD has 33% more resolution than a non-enhanced DVD ti
tle.
For more information on how to preform the 16x9 squeeze see the "16x9 (Anamorphi
c) Vertical Squeeze" FAQ that I maintain on my web site.
For the SONY Wega series television you will find additional information on how
to preform the 16x9 squeeze in the "Sony Wega 16x9 (Anamorphic) Vertical Squeeze
" FAQ that I also maintain on my web site.

Go Home Section 5
ENTERING SERVICE MODE Go Top
Most televisions made today have electronic service adjustments. This means that
adjustments like picture geometry, white balance, and color presets are adjuste
d via on screen displays, using the remote control or front panel controls. For
complete details, you'll need a service manual, available from the manufacture's
parts department.
PLEASE NOTE:
SERVICE MODE WARNING:
Without proper documentation and training, you can probably do quite a good job
of messing up your television set, perhaps even damaging it.
Don't mess around with the service mode adjustments unless you know what you're
doing and have the service manual to guide you.
Once you enter service mode the first thing you should do is record all the orig
inal values BEFORE you change anything! - This is the only way to restore the te
levision to its original (factory default) state should it become necessary to d
o so.

OTHER TELEVISION BRANDS:

If you do NOT see the code to enter the service mode on your television:
#
I do NOT have the code to enter service mode for that particular model. There's
no point in sending me email asking if I have the code to enter service mode on
model "XYZ", because if I had the procedure it would be listed in this section.
If you do come across a model or manufacture that I do not have listed here plea
se email it to me so that I can include it in future releases of this document.
#
Your TV monitor uses manual internal adjustments "pots", sometimes found on the
back or inside the set - this arrangement is mostly found on older TV's & some (
or most) front projectors.

5.1 SONY TELEVISIONS

Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
Service switch - small, round opening in the rear cabinet near the Video inputs
or the antenna jack (typically early-90's), push and hold while turning the powe
r on - or if there is no service switch on the rear of the TV use the remote con
trol and press within one second of each other:
[PWR OFF] - [DISP], [5], [VOL+], [PWR ON]
-or-
[PWR OFF] - [DISP], [5], [PWR ON]
-or-
[PWR OFF] - [DISP], [5], [VOL+], [PICTURE], [PWR ON]
The TV will turn on in service mode.
You may need to set the television into 'tuner' mode (instead of Video-1, etc.)
before performing the service mode button sequence.
NAVIGATE IN SERVICE MODE
[1] = Moves to Previous Menu Item
[4] = Moves to Next Menu Item
[3] = Adjusts Value Up
[6] = Adjusts Value Down
[MTS] = Toggles Stereo/Mono Audio
SAVE NEW SETTING
[MUTE] followed by [ENTER] to store NEW setting to NVRAM
RESTORE USER SETTINGS
[8],[ENTER] = Restores All *USER* setting to Factory Defaults
RESET VALUES
[0],[ENTER] = Read Default Value from Stored Settings (Reset)
LEAVE SERVICE MODE
[PWR OFF] = Leave Service Mode any settings not written will be in effect
until TV is unplugged or a Reset is performed.
RETURN TO DEFAULT SETTINGS:
* BEFORE storing NEW settings - unplug TV from wall, wait a few seconds, the
n plug back in, turn TV set on - All settings not written will have been lost.
* AFTER storing NEW settings - restore original value from list you made of
original values before adjustments and store in NVRAM.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
I also maintain a SONY XBR Service Mode list on my HomePage.
For additional information on how to preform the 16x9 squeeze (to view anamorphi
c DVDs at their full resolution) see the "16x9 (Anamorphic) Vertical Squeeze" or
the "Sony Wega 16x9 (Anamorphic) Vertical Squeeze" FAQs that I maintain on my w
eb site.
A complete although somewhat outdated list of Sony XBR Service Mode items can be
found at http://www.repairfaq.org/~filipg/. This information appears to be for
the ~1990 version of the XBR^2 series.
Note: Provisions for convergence adjustments are not enabled on 27" or smaller S
ony direct view television sets.
5.1a SUGGESTED SONY SETTINGS
SONY "XBR" SERIES
TRINITONE: NTSC STD - controls color temperature - basically how greys will appe
ar on the monitor. The "High" and "Medium" settings make everything look too blu
e.
NR: OFF - filters out high-frequency noise, at a slight loss of detail. Turn it
OFF and the picture quality improves. It also tends to degrade fine picture deta
il.
DYNAMIC PICTURE: OFF - when turned ON it whitens light areas and darkens shadow
areas of the picture, creating a high contrast although less accurate picture. L
eave it OFF.
COLOR CORRECTION: OFF - when turned ON it tries to correct fleshtones but has a
tendency to mix up certain colors and make them look like a prosthetic beige.
PROGRAM PALETTE: MOVIE: ON - only the movie mode allows the television set to ru
n with flat and wide video bandwidth. It also shuts OFF scanning velocity modula
tion (SVM), when VMLV is run down to zero it will shut OFF SVM for the other mod
es. Each mode (Movie, Sports, etc.) has a separate adjustment memory.
SERVICE MODE ITEMS:
AXIS 0 Cleans up the red push & oranginess in the yellows
VAPI 0 Do this for all modes
VAPG 0 Do this for all modes
NRLV 0~3 Find the value 0-3 that gives the best resolution
VMLV 0 Scanning Velocity Modulation (SVM) OFF=0/ON=1
(do this for all modes)
Y-DC 0 Improves BLACK background level retention
R-YR 15 Sets the amount of RED
R-YB 15 Sets the amount of RED
G-YR 11 Sets the amount of GREEN
G-YB 9 Sets the amount of GREEN (8 or 10 may be closer)
SHPF 3 This helps with the sharpness (S-Video)

Setting R-YR and R-YB to 15 will greatly improve color accuracy and tone down th
e reds. Also, when Y-DC is changed from 1 to 0, DC restoration becomes almost pe
rfect.
Sometimes setting items G-YR to 11 and G-YB to 9 may need some more fine tuning
using the SMPTE color bars w/gray reference [split bar pattern] ("Color Bar w/75
% Gray" VEDVD-18/3, Frame VE-46673, AVS-14415 - NOTE: VE 46673 is mis-calibrated
, use AVS-14415) See the section on Setting Tint & Color Level: Matching Gray Re
ference for the procedure on how to adjust these two settings.
SONY "V" SERIES
GDRV 18 Green Amp.
BDRV 14 Blue Amp.
GCUT 4 Green Cutoff
BCUT 1 Blue Cutoff

Note: The setting for AMP and CUTOFF appear to be relative and not absolute on t
he "V" series - thus they may not work for your particular model TV.
WEGA SERVICE MODE ITEMS:
 4BCT 7 input4 (component) Blue Cutoff (BCUT -1)
4BDR 30 input4 (component) Blue Amp (BDRV +1)
4GCT 5 input4 (component) Green Cutoff (GCUT +0)
4GDR 36 input4 (component) Green Amp ((GDRV +2)
BCUT 10 Blue Cutoff
BDRV 29 Blue Amp
GCUT 10 Green Cutoff
GDRV 34 Green Amp
DPIX 0 Dynamic Picture
Y-DC 0 Improves BLACK background level retention
HOSC 11 Fixes problem with color banding on component input
SONY "MODEL-ID" SETTINGS
These ID setting are different for every chassis - in general here's what they c
ontrol:
ID-0 Controls number of active video jacks.
ID-1 This controls video features. Allows notch filter
(NOTC) to be turned off outside of service mode.
ID-2 This sets up user interface features. Enables Spanish
language menus. Allows naming of video inputs.
ID-3 Enables / disables Picture-In-Picture (PIP) support.
ID-4 Enables / disables Lumisponder option.
5.1b SONY MODEL NUMBERS
Model numbers:
KV-ddXBRss
KV = direct view sets
KP = projectors
dd = size of the display
XBR, V, S, T = model line designation.
ss = specific model designation, which appears to be independently unique.
5.1c SONY FRONT PROJECTORS
Someday I will have a complete web page devoted to Front Projectors, but until t
hat day here's how to enter service mode on Sony's Front Projectors use:
[enter], [enter], [up], [down], [enter]
Be sure 'Status' is ON, if 'Status' is OFF, you won't be able to get into servic
e mode.
The manual says to make sure the remote is hard-wired, but the IR mode has alway
s worked fine for me.
5.1d SONY PLASMA MONITORS
Turn on the power. Press [Enter], [1], [8], [2], from the remote.
5.2 TOSHIBA TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
#
Sit in front the TV, you will need to be able to access keys on the remote and t
he TV at the same time. Turn the TV "ON"
#
Turn the volume all the way down to 0.
#
Press and hold the TV's front panel volume down button, and then press and hold
the remote's "9" button for about a second.
#
The service mode will appear. \
-or-
#
Press "MUTE" on the remote.
#
Press "MUTE" on the remote again, but this time continue to press "MUTE".
#
While still pressing down on "MUTE", press the "MENU" button on the TV front. Re
lease the "MUTE" button. You should now have an S (for service mode) displayed i
n the upper right corner.
#
Pressing MENU again should bring up the first service option Pressing the Channe
l Up/Down keys brings up the different service options. Pressing the Volume Up/D
own keys changes the associated HEX value.
#
One you have entered the service mode, you can bring up the various test screens
by pressing the "TV/VIDEO" button. For example, to minimize screen non-linearit
ies, press the channel down key until PARA appears on the screen, with the assoc
iated default value (this is the parabolic adjustment option).
Then, bring up the cross-hatch pattern by repeated pressing of the TV/VIDEO butt
on. You can then use the volume Up/Down buttons to change the PARA settings, thi
s should cause the grid to bow in (concave) and out (convex). Adjust until the g
rid is the most linear.
The numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6 jump to different items. 9 displays SELF CHECK
The number 7 displays a grid. There's a blinking cursor in the upper left corner
. The numbers 2,4,6,8 move the cursor. 3 cycles the colors (RGB), 5 stops the cu
rsor from blinking, then when you push 2,4,6,8, you are adjusting the convergenc
e at that point for the selected color. Pushing 7 again gives you a "warped" gri
d for a few moments. Pushing 7 again removes the grid from the screen.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
You may be able to find additional information at msauve@altavista.net's Toshiba
TP61H95 Service/Designer mode settings web page.
5.2a TOSHIBA MODEL NUMBERS
Model Numbers:
ClssYnn
F-------------stripped version
X-------------full performance
N-------------X plus sound features
ss------------picture size (27,32,35)
 D-------------'95 year's model
E-------------'96 year's model
nn------------model level (60,70,90)
5.3 ZENITH TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
Using the television's front panel controls:
To access the service menus, press and hold the menu button, then press and hold
the volume down (or volume up) and channel down (or right adjust) so that all t
hree are depressed simultaneously. The standard menu that was displayed will cha
nge to one of the service menus. Now the standard controls are used to search th
rough the menus (the remote can be used to do this). Use "select" to choose a me
nu item and "adjust" to alter the setting. Enter commits to a setting, and menu
itself closes the service menu. When menu is pressed again the standard menu wil
l return, unless the three key sequence is used.
Using the television's remote control:
Turn the TV on. Hold down the [MENU] key on the remote until the menu clears or
"Welcome to Zenith" appears then release the [MENU] key and within two (2) secon
ds hit the following five keys:
[9], [8], [7], [6], [ENTER]
-or-
[9], [8], [7], [6], [DISPLAY]
You will now have access to the service menus.
[MENU] = Toggles between two menu pages
[UP], [DOWN] cursor = selects the item for adjustment
[LEFT], [RIGHT] cursor = varies the value
[POWER] = exit service mode and saves any adjustments made
The items are appropriately captioned and the ones of interest should be easily
spotted.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.4 GE TELEVISIONS / RCA TELEVISIONS / PROSCAN TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
To enter service mode, push and hold the [Menu] button on the set. While holding
, push and release the [Power] button, then the [Vol +] button.
You will now have some information on the screen: "P0 V0"
To actually be able to change these values, you must push [Vol +] on the remote
so the information reads V76. Then pushing on the Channel +/- will change the "P
" value.
P1 - 3 are error codes. If there is a problem with the set that can be self-diag
nosed, the "V" will report the code. These codes are available in the RCA repair
manual.
P4 - 7 control the horizontal size, shift, vertical size and shift.
You may also find a summary leaflet for the service tech clipped somewhere insid
e the chassis. The procedures for getting into the service mode, as well as the
service items of interest will be there.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.5 MAGNAVOX
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
Press: [0], [6], [2], [5], [9], [6], then [MENU]
The channels will change, but when you press MENU, the TV will enter the service
menu.
Note: The above procedure works only on *SOME* Magnavox TV's
[Menu] = Change Adjustments
To save your changes, press [POWER] on the TV set. "Preset Memory" will appear,
then the set will power down.
Note: Before entering service menu mode, make sure you power the TV on, off, and
back on from the TV itself (not the remote). This should enable you to use the
power-off button on the TV, after you made your changes, allowing you to saving
them.
5.6 MITSUBISHI TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
Mitsubishi seems to have a variety of access codes depending on model and manufa
cture date. Some of the codes are:
Press:
[MENU], then [1], [2], [5], [7]
[MENU], then [1], [2], [5], [9]
-or-
[MENU], then [1], [3], [7], [0]
-or-
[MENU], then [2], [3], [5], [6]
[MENU], then [2], [3], [5], [7]
[MENU], then [2], [3], [5], [8]
[MENU], then [2], [3], [5], [9]
-or-
[MENU], then [8], [2], [5], [7]
Then use VIDEO or AUDIO buttons to enter two different groups of adjustments. Vi
deo/Audio steps along through the adjustments, and +/- does the adjusting.
Must use [ENTER] to save the change.
Hit the [MENU] key twice to exit service mode.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
You may be able to find additional information at Bob Page's Mitsubishi TV Servi
ce Modes web page.
5.7 HITACHI TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
All the available geometry and grayscale tracking adjustments are done by manual
controls located inside the set. They may be labelled. A service manual is requ
ired to make any adjustment.
5.8 PHILIPS TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
All the adjustments are done by setting jumpers inside the unit - bottom pcb nea
r the tube, pretty easy to access once the back cover is removed. A service manu
al is required to make any adjustment.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.9 PANASONIC TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
Panasonic uses a hex numbering system, without the service manual it's almost im
possible to adjust.
You may be able to find additional information at Michael C. Calanan's Panasonic
TV Service Modes web page.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.10 SAMSUNG TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
With TV powered off press: [mute], [1], [8], [2], [power]
Television will power up in service mode and GAMMA GAIN1 will be displayed
on the screen.
Use [mute] and the [menu] button to move values up and down.
Use the [volume +] and [volume -] keys to move to other adjustements.
Use [add] to save the settings.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.11 JVC TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
With TV powered ON press: [DISPLAY] and [VIDEO STATUS] on the remote at the same
time.
-or-
Press the [SLEEP TIMER] key and set the SLEEP TIMER for "0" MIN. While the SLEEP
TIMER information is still on screen, press the [DISPLAY] key and [VIDEO STATUS
] key of the remote control unit at the same time to enter the SERVICE MENU.
Exit the service menu by twice pressing the [EXIT] key on the remote.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.12 TEAC TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
With TV powered ON press: [Menu] then [4], [7], [2], [5] on the remote.
Exit the service menu by twice pressing the [EXIT] key on the remote.
If you're attempting to adjust color or geometry errors, you'll need the Video E
ssentials DVD, Laser Disc or some other source of test material.
5.13 SYMPHONIC TELEVISIONS
Read the _ SERVICE MODE WARNING _ before proceeding.
1. Plug set in. if language select comes up, turn off and on again.
2. Temporarily short j1 and j2 on main board together.
3. Press 1 for cut-off adjustment (gives you horizontal line)
4. Press 2 for agc adjustment
5. Press 4 for h. shift (press ch up and down to change)
6. Press 0 for sub-brightness (monitor voltage at j501 for 4.5v +/- .05v)
7. Press 5 for head switching
8. Channel up and down appears to be adjustment keys for this menu

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