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Author Topic: Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions  (Read 94 times)

ChrisF

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« on: May 22, 2004, 05:42:00 PM »

I'm fairly sure we have the same setup:  Mits 55413, Monster 400x - in my sig.

All of your software should detect the settings in the MS dash.  I have 480p and 1080i enabled while 720p is disabled.  XBMC automatically detected 1080i - which means it runs with very small text because they don't have a 1080i skin as of yet.

Nearly every game supports 480p and all of your component inputs take 480i/p and 1080i on the same hookups.  When you press the 'Info' button on your remote it will tell you which resolution your tv is receiving.  I would confirm your MS dash HDTV resolution settings, make sure you have the component cables plugged in properly (yeah-I know but it doesn't hurt and you'll be pissed later if you don't check them now), and try several games, XBMC, and Evox (both should autodetect) and hit the Info button to see what you are running.

If that doesn't solve it, try a different component input on the back of your set (testing the input now).  If that produces no difference try a DVD player (hopefully you have one that does progressive scan 480p - this is testing your set's ability to receive a 480p signal), if the DVD works and the other inputs work I'd venture you might have a bum Monster HD pack - try swapping it out.
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Mr Ed

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2004, 06:56:00 PM »

Since you only got the set a week ago, I'd highly suggest returning it.  The fact that the set is incompatible with the most popular HD mode (720p) on the XBOX is certainly good grounds for returning it.

Hitachi, Toshiba, and others I've tried support 720p.  I love Mitsubishi's picture but since it isn't fully compatible with the XBOX, it isn't an option IMHO.  sad.gif
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ChrisF

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2004, 07:31:00 PM »

I can't imagine making a multi thousand dollar purchase based on a minimal number of 720p only Xbox games (I count 13 that support 720p and not 1080i and most are not impressive) - this is the single only application where lack of upconversion/downconversion of 720p matters in the least.  The only reason Xbox isn't supporting 1080i is horsepower (which is why they don't pump up the HDTV functionality as a differentiator).  The next generation of consoles will handle 1080i and 720p without any issues.  You'd have to be a die hard Xbox fan to rule out a top brand of HDTVs over a very limited number of games (generally accepted top 3 are: Pioneer, Mits, Hitachi - of which only Hitachi can accept 720p but also has the issue of taking all SD and 480p material and scaling it to 540p rather than displaying it natively).  If true HDTV gaming is a current priority you are basically wedded to a home theater PC for the next year.  I take picture quality in HDTV and DVD as far more important than 720p for Xbox.  Mits is known for its ability to be dialed in to where the picture quality can rival or beat anything out there.  My opinion anyway and this being an Xbox forum I'm sure there are some people out here who place an extreme value on 720p compatibility for Xbox.
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opjose

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2004, 11:48:00 PM »

Eh, 1080i mode is not automatic on some version of XBMC.

You must choose it as an option in the USER INTERFACE screen.

I'll bet yours says NTSC right now.

Notice the left and right arrows?

Keep hitting them until you see 1080i.

At one point your screen may go black if it hits the 720p mode.

Wait a second when it does this, then press the button again to go into 1080i mode.

Of course this only works if you've enabled these modes in the MS dashboard.
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ChrisF

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2004, 03:11:00 AM »

I'm more concerned about the high number of games not displaying (although I also have the 5_21 build of XBMC and had to do nothing to get 1080i).  Make sure you 'Info' button and note the resolutions.  Make sure you can see 480p also and are displaying it correctly (this is what a lot of the games will display in).  You can't test this with a 1080i source (1080i uses a different chip altogether in the Mits unlike the Hitachi which uses only one chip and this is why it is forced to scale everything to either 540p or 1080i) - make sure a 480p source can come in and display.  You can also go to the store and buy a MD HD pack to use to test the 400x.  If there is no difference then it's certainly not the Monster pack causing the issue.  What you need to do is establish that it is not the TV.  I'd go so far as bringing your Xbox and cables to the store where you purchased it to test it on one of their sets.  If there's an issue with the set you want to get it taken care of during the initial period so you don't have to deal with the manufacturer and can just swap it out with the store if there happens to be an issue.  Mits service is very good but why bother if you just got it.

Anyway some Mits stuff for you:

www.hometheaterspot.com - forums are the best place on the net for Mitsubishi RPTV info.  Lots of calibrators etc.. hang out in the Mits forum.  If you become a paid memeber ($25) there is also a large tweaks section with detailed information posted by ISF calibrators.  It doesn't take the place of a true ISF calibration because you won't have the diagnostic and specialized equipment but you can dial in your set to an incredible degree (don't bother with this for at least 100 hours of standard on/off use as these sets settle out and convergence drifts during the initial period).

www.avsforum.com - another great site for audio and video.  Some of the people here have incredible HT setups.  They have a dedicated gaming forum also.  The thread HERE is specifically dedicated to the XXX13 sets and tweaking them.  Mark Alexander is very sharp and put together a lot of info.  It is similar to the paid section of the htspot but the spot is a bit more comprehensive.

Get yourself an AVIA or Digital Video Essentials DVD to handle basic user menu settings and give you an array of test patters for setting things like overscan and geometry (Ebay is a good choice - DVE can be had for around $16 while AVIA is closer to $30).  People say Avia is a bit easier to use but it does lack a pluge pattern to setup your bightness/contrast.  DVE has tons of patterns that they don't tell you how to use (it's for service menu and tweak/pro level calibrators so I'm sure it might be a liability issue).  There is a forum at Home Theater Spot forum dedicated to Avia and DVE also.
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opjose

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2004, 05:07:00 AM »

QUOTE (ChrisF @ May 23 2004, 11:11 AM)
"although I also have the 5_21 build of XBMC and had to do nothing to get 1080i"

That's correct, this version autoswitches w/o requiring user settings.

It also provides the 720p interface automatically if you have it enabled.

Versions from the prior week and older didn't do this.
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wadam1230

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2004, 08:13:00 AM »

Ok, i switched the drives out -- the new 1.3 with the other hard drive behaves the same way.  So, it has to be something on that HDD doing it.  A setting somewhere or something.

>I think now it has something to do with PAL60 -- for whatever reason on the xbox with the 80gig drive, I cannot enable Pal60 in XBMC.  Everything everywhere else is set right but Pal60 cannot be enabled.  TV definetly supports it because my other xbox shows it enabled.  I have swapped every component back and forth between boxes and it comes down to whichever one has this 80gig WD drive will not let me enable PAL ------ sucks.  Anyone know where to maually set PAL60 in the xbmc config files?

>>Found this in TDATA > oface008

>>Enabled to True and now XBMC boots to black.
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Mr Ed

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2004, 10:29:00 AM »

Interesting.  Well this is going to become a religious/opinion argument, but you posted so I have to reply...

QUOTE (ChrisF @ May 22 2004, 08:31 PM)
I can't imagine making a multi thousand dollar purchase based on a minimal number of 720p only Xbox games

I can't imagine making a multi-thousand dollar purchase and getting an HDTV that doesn't even support all the HDTV resolutions.  That's like buying a car that only turns right.  laugh.gif  
QUOTE
  - this is the single only application where lack of upconversion/downconversion of 720p matters in the least.
Oh how little you know.  So, gonna ever built an HTPC?  You're going to want 720p 60fps support for that.  Ever going to buy an HD camcorder?  All the consumer camcorders currently on the market only support 720p not 1080i.  
QUOTE
  The only reason Xbox isn't supporting 1080i is horsepower (which is why they don't pump up the HDTV functionality as a differentiator).  The next generation of consoles will handle 1080i and 720p without any issues.
Yep, and a lot of people are saying for gaming 720p will look better than 1080i, but you won't have that option, will you? rolleyes.gif
QUOTE
You'd have to be a die hard Xbox fan
 Well I would think anyone who would spend time out of their life to post to this forum is a die hard XBOX fan.  Really, I'm a die hard HDTV fan.  I want full support for all HDTV specs.  cool.gif
QUOTE
to rule out a top brand of HDTVs over a very limited number of games (generally accepted top 3 are: Pioneer, Mits, Hitachi - of which only Hitachi can accept 720p but also has the issue of taking all SD and 480p material and scaling it to 540p rather than displaying it natively).
I find it interesting you care about SD material when you own an HDTV.  Who cares about SD once you get an HDTV?!  I mean, sure you will still watch SD content, but it will look like crap, there's not much you can do about that.  Oh, were you talking about DVDs as SD content? but wait, you said you are getting an "HD DVD" player which will scale the low rez DVD picture anyway.  Ok, don't understand your argumen here. blink.gif
QUOTE
  If true HDTV gaming is a current priority you are basically wedded to a home theater PC for the next year.  I take picture quality in HDTV and DVD as far more important than 720p for Xbox.  Mits is known for its ability to be dialed in to where the picture quality can rival or beat anything out there.
I agree, the Mitsu. looks good.  Last year I was ready to buy a 65" Diamond...had the money and everything, but I went to the store with my XBOX, just to try it out and learned it didn't work with the HD games I took in.  It was very upsetting, but I couldn't buy that TV after that. sad.gif  
QUOTE
My opinion anyway and this being an Xbox forum I'm sure there are some people out here who place an extreme value on 720p compatibility for Xbox.

Like I said, the XBOX is a driving force in my not settling for a TV that doesn't support 720p, but the HD Camcorder is another, wanting full HD support for all modes is another, being able to playback 720P D-VHS is another (yes most D-VHS is 1080i, but I have seen a 720p D-VHS tape) and since D-VHS is the only way to get prerecorded movies in HD that's important.  I just think it's shortsighted of Mitsubishi to not support a good mode in the HDTV spec.

But this is all mostly opinion, so I guess none of it matters to anyone but me.  beerchug.gif
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Mr Ed

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2004, 10:40:00 AM »

Ok, back to the problem at hand...

Do both XBOXs have the same version of XBMC?

Also, what happens when you turn the modchip off?  Do all your games work or do you still have problems with games displaying?  (Yes I realize with the modchip off, you can't try out your backups, but you can sure use your originals.)
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ChrisF

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2004, 11:09:00 AM »

I can't possibly clarify all that but with DVDs in 480p the Hitachi scales to 540p.  Some report it noticably smooths the picture.  I've never bothered to look since I managed to walk into an 'error' price at Sears on my Mits so a 50% discount on release day made the decision for me ($1249 free delivery, free DVD player when list was still $2499 and the previous year's model wsa discounted to $2199 - that price still can't be touched).  I care about HD and DVDs the intersection of which is likely still quite a ways off unfortunately although DVHS is a format I haven't gotten into yet.  I personally prefer native support for a common resolution without any type of scaling or alteration so I'd have to look real hard at the 540p scaling before jumping into that.  None of the RPTVs do 720p natively (there was a model that has ceased to be produced that did 720p and 1080i native - I believe it was Tosh).  All else held equal, I'd prefer the tv upconvert a 720p source for me but that rules out both Pioneer and Mits.  Shortsited or not those companies make (made in the case of Pioneer) some of the finest HD displays out there and both can be calibrated to drool level.  I'm just unwilling to avoid those brands.

HTPC and video cards have gotten to the point where 1080i is fairly workable with and even without Powerstrip - I think both companies realize how important this is and have come a long way toward non-progressive resolutions (Samsung DLP is impressive plug and play at 720p though).  I haven't looked at HD camcorders at all - I am envious of your toys.

BTW - what did you opt for in place of the Diamond?  If I remember correctly this had the 9" guns although I'm not sure if that was only 73" or 65".  Actually, I'd be interested in knowing what you are using for your whole system - feel free to PM or even start a thread with setups.  We could all post pics or links - might be a nice sticky.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wadam1230: do what Mr. Ed said in his last post and let us know what happened.  Since we've semi-side tracked your thread I'll reiterate:

"Also, what happens when you turn the modchip off? Do all your games work or do you still have problems with games displaying? (Yes I realize with the modchip off, you can't try out your backups, but you can sure use your originals.) "
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Foe-hammer

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2004, 11:18:00 AM »

QUOTE (Mr Ed @ May 23 2004, 07:29 PM)
Interesting.  Well this is going to become a religious/opinion argument, but you posted so I have to reply...


I can't imagine making a multi-thousand dollar purchase and getting an HDTV that doesn't even support all the HDTV resolutions.  That's like buying a car that only turns right.  laugh.gif  Oh how little you know.  So, gonna ever built an HTPC?  You're going to want 720p 60fps support for that.  Ever going to buy an HD camcorder?  All the consumer camcorders currently on the market only support 720p not 1080i.   Yep, and a lot of people are saying for gaming 720p will look better than 1080i, but you won't have that option, will you? rolleyes.gif
 Well I would think anyone who would spend time out of their life to post to this forum is a die hard XBOX fan.  Really, I'm a die hard HDTV fan.  I want full support for all HDTV specs.  cool.gif I find it interesting you care about SD material when you own an HDTV.  Who cares about SD once you get an HDTV?!  I mean, sure you will still watch SD content, but it will look like crap, there's not much you can do about that.  Oh, were you talking about DVDs as SD content? but wait, you said you are getting an "HD DVD" player which will scale the low rez DVD picture anyway.  Ok, don't understand your argumen here. blink.gif I agree, the Mitsu. looks good.  Last year I was ready to buy a 65" Diamond...had the money and everything, but I went to the store with my XBOX, just to try it out and learned it didn't work with the HD games I took in.  It was very upsetting, but I couldn't buy that TV after that. sad.gif  
Like I said, the XBOX is a driving force in my not settling for a TV that doesn't support 720p, but the HD Camcorder is another, wanting full HD support for all modes is another, being able to playback 720P D-VHS is another (yes most D-VHS is 1080i, but I have seen a 720p D-VHS tape) and since D-VHS is the only way to get prerecorded movies in HD that's important.  I just think it's shortsighted of Mitsubishi to not support a good mode in the HDTV spec.

But this is all mostly opinion, so I guess none of it matters to anyone but me.  beerchug.gif

Agreed, if an HDTV doesn't support 720p, natively or upscaling it to 1080i, there is no way i would spend 5 grand on such a tv that didn't have all the options.  I also agree that games in 720p look better then in 1080i; the picture seams to be less flickery and sharper.

I'm currently looking into a good projector with either component or vga and digital (for the xbox2), and that supports a res of atleast 1024 x 768.
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wadam1230

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2004, 11:23:00 AM »

Yes, chip off I load up Soul Calibur in 480 no problem.  The xbox not working is running 5-21 after running 5-20 and not working.  The other is running an earlier May release, in the process of copying the exact install folder over but, doubting that will do it.

Why would Pal60 show up as checked on the working xbox(xbmc) and yet uncheck and grayed on the other?  Both booting to the exact same tv?  all Xbox dash settings are identical, the only difference is one has the retail drive and the other (non working) has an WD80.

Thanks

Solved:  I'm a dipshit, 1 line in my evox.ini  - region=2 was the problem all along.  I could not find this setting anywhere except in this file so I'm not sure where it got set.  I appreciate all the advice.
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Mr Ed

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2005, 02:51:00 PM »

QUOTE(grizzjeeper @ Mar 4 2005, 01:02 PM)
Mr. Ed.
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ChrisF

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Mitsubishi Hdtv Issue....any Suggestions
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2005, 08:04:00 PM »

QUOTE(grizzjeeper @ Mar 4 2005, 09:02 PM)
Mr. Ed.

There are no RPTV's that show both 720p and 1080i as a native mode.


There were CRT based RPTVs that had native scan rates for 1080i, 720p, and 480p they cost a bit more to manufacture and no one cared enough about it as a differentiator to pay up - hence no one has made them in a while.  I can't remember the last brand to offer this, I think it was Panny maybe and discontinued a few years ago now.
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