Slight 'ghost' on RPTV? (1 Viewer)

[Neil White]

Folks, I'm hoping you can shed some light on something I am noticing on my 3-week old Sony KDP-57WS550. Firstly, I should add I am very pleased in general with the picture. HD is, of course, beautiful. But, after watching a number of DVDs that I know show close to a flawless picture on my HD-ready 32" CRT, I am noticing a slight shadow or ghost just to the right of most images on this new RP. After seeing it on DVD, I looked closer at an OTA HD presentation and it's there too although proportionately smaller.

I have calibrated with VE as best I know how. Any thoughts? Could this be something the anti-glare screen is introducing or some other part of the screen system? Once again, I used DVDs that are just incredible on my 32" HD set.

I am connected with good grade component cables direct from a Sony NC655P DVD player. The ghosting is present even if using the S-video although remember, I said the issue is there on OTA HD too.

I've messed with using the Interlaced, Progressive and CineMotion DRC over S-video and using the progressive signal from the DVD player over the component connection. I've determined the progressive output from the DVD player is giving me the smoothest, least jaggied picture. But none of these options address the ghosting at all. My view is it is TV-caused problem.

An ISF calibration is planned for the new year.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

N

 

[Neil White]

Anyone?

 

[KenRen]

Neil,

See my post "Sharpness and DVE - Could I have had this wrong all along??"

Try the sharpness adjustment by eye while watching a movie and see if the ghost goes away.

Also, temporarily unhook any cable or satellite connections you may have to your TV, receiver, or DVD. Just trying to eliminate any stray signals from the DVD to TV route.

KenRen

 

[Neil White]

Thanks Ken. I'll take a look at your suggestion.

N

 

[Neil White]

Nope. Sharpness control is not it. I did some further checking. This 'ghost' is present on all video modes and all sources. I'm thinking it's caused by the screen. I think I'll wait and see what an ISF calibration does in the new year.

N

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Neil,

Now that you've seen this, do yourself a favor and go to a few stores and look carefully for the same effect on the sets on display. You will see variations of it on virtually every crt set in the store, rptv and direct view, even with sharpness turned down.

I've got the precursor to your set, a Sony KP57HW40, have had it for over 2 years. Noticed the "ghosting" after reading about it at Home Theater Spot and it drove me nuts for a few weeks. I went back to the stores and looked at all the other sets and saw the exact same thing on most all of them, pretty soon I was seeing it on sharp edged objects in real life!

Having already been through a 3 week period with an Hitachi with many more and much more serious picture problems, and having seen the effect on so many other sets in stores I decided the good far outweighed the bad. I think my set still has the effect but frankly don't notice it any more.

The

 

[Neil White]

Steve, I take your point (I think )

Thanks for the info. At least now I know I'm not going crazy.

N

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Neil,

I didn't mean to offend in any way. This ghosting issue really isn't exclusive to Sonys by any means, and the overall picture quality on my set is so good and the set's been so stable and reliable that I'm quite willing to put up with the ghosting. As you've already observed, the better the source the less of the ghosting you'll see. I've upgraded my satellite receiver and dvd player since getting the set and also quit watching analog cable. With my current sources I truly don't notice it any more, but probably could see it if I really looked for it.

Home Theater Spot has brand-specific forums and if you do a bit of lurking over there you'll find problems with virtually all of them, many owners of megabuck Pioneer Elites are having issues much worse than the ghosting on our Sonys. Toshiba had a really bad ghosting problem for a while, might still. Don't spend too much time over there or you'll be really scared back into the stone age.

The Hitachi I returned for the Sony I have now had a laundry list of problems--posterized looking fleshtones, a nasty green tinge at the darker end of the grayscale, horrible variable stretch mode, picture tilted about 4 degrees, horrendous red push. To be fair this was 2 years ago and I don't know if current Hitachis have these problems.

Also note that a lot of DVDs are mastered with something called Edge Enhancement, which gives the exact same ghosting effect. The newer release of Tombstone is bad for this.

The perfect set hasn't been built yet, at least not at any price I can afford, but the Sony crt widescreen rptvs overall seem to be about the best out of the box with the fewest issues.