[Gaara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvgig /img/forum/go_quote.gif just ask to see the settings and if you feel they should be adjusted, ask them to do so. If they refuse, walk..no, run out the door and head to the other electronics dealer down the street. Remember, in many big box stores, the signal is split so many times that it is almost pointless to compare image quality. Go to a higher end retailer and compare image, then shop around for price. Back on the original topic. Does anyone know why cable opinions vary so much between disciplines.

I take it you don't know what a service menu is, as I have never met a employee at a big box store who could access one. 99.9% of people out there don't, I have only had 2-3 people ask me about the service menu in 4 years of selling TVs, 0 knew how to use it once I showed them.

As for cable opinions, don't know, but it may have something to do with forums like this. I used to be a cable believer, back when I had a cheap system consisting of a Yamaha rcvr and JBL speakers. As time went on I learned more and more about wires and construction and bought more expensive cables, since that is what you did. I would always hear "night/day" differences since that is what audiophiles heard.

When I got a system that was truly hi-fi and I was able to really compare I was no longer able to hear those differences. My ears were better trained then ever, system was better then ever, yet I couldn't hear any big differences. Maybe it was because I no longer bought what people were feeding me, maybe it was placebo effect, or maybe I am just "deaf" as some have called me.

But in the end i came to my senses and am no longer a cable believer. This is based of logic, science, and personal experience. I believe there can be differences among cables, but they are all measurable and only the big ones are audible. Therefore I buy my cables based on measurable specs and common sense and will no longer buy from any brands who hide this information.

 

[Gaara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael415 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not to threadjack but how does one check on this? I am in the market for a new tv in about a month and was looking at the Pioneer 5020 or the Sony 46" BRAVIA XBR5 and obviously want to make sure I get the best to my eyes with a accurate evaluation.

You don't. Very few know how to access a service menu, and fewer still to use it. If you are unfamiliar it is a menu used by service techs to fix your tv. For tech savy consumers it is where you adjust settings for the best picture quality...but at the risk of destroying the tv and voiding the warranty. I know about it because I spent ~ 30hr tweaking my Sony XBR. In the normal menus you can adjust picture/brightness/contrast/sharpness etc. In the service menu you can adjust R/B/G cuts and gains, convergence in all four corners, overscan, geometry issues, etc.

With that said if someone were to make adjustments in the service menu instead of regular menu the only way to know would be to know the service menu on each TV inside and out. You have to know A) how to access it on each brand B) what each setting represents C) what the standard setting is. You have to know more then the salesman does. Rest assured in big box stores it won't be an issue.

The main issue will be vendors or smaller retailers. I worked in a smaller family run business and vendors would come in and "educate" us on their product. I caught vendors a couple times doing "maintenance" to TVs. What they were really doing is going through each tv's service menu to get the optimal picture for their brand. It was unfair, as it was like having a ISF certified set in amongst sets still in torch mode. Same goes for smaller vendors, I have found TVs that are highly tweaked next to ones that are still on factory settings. I assume they do it for the same reason we did, the TV/Accessories that was tweaked made us more $.

 

[jvgig]

Odds are the store you are shopping at has some sort of tech, so they should be able to show you the menu. For almost every set that I have looked into (high mid end $5000-$7000) you can do some research to find a general idea as to what the correct setting ranges should be and how to access the menu. If you see one that is different, then you can suggest unfair tampering, if they are just a few points off, give the store the benefit of adjusting the image to their showroom lighting, which you should be doing when you get home anyway.