Samsung Plasma PS50C6500 Owners Thread (Impressions,Settings, Issues)

[rajath]

Good question. In fact none of the manufacturers break-in the plasma themselves. One reason is that doing this would greatly increase production costs. Imagine hooking up hundreds of plasmas and running break in images 24x7 for those 100-200 hours. That would be one hell of an electricity bill (which the company would conveniently pass on to the consumer).

Also what you need to realize is that this "break-in" process is a grey area. For every ten people who swear by it, there will be at least one person who will say that it is a myth and does not need to be done. If you go by logic it makes sense to run these slides so that the gases are worn out evenly. In any case the manufacturer will never say that break-in is a must because doing so would necessitate them to provide the break-in images themselves. And unlike you or I who can just download these images for free from off the net the company would have to come up with their own patented images or pay the guy who came up with these images.... all adding to the cost.

True. Cant agree more with you.

Update on the Dead Pixel :- Samsung guy paid a visit to my home to take a look at the issue. Showed him the dead pixel and image retention issue and he decided that this set needs to replaced with a new one. He said that a new TV will be issued in about a week's time. One more round of calling the installation guy, inspection, experimenting and more break in slides.

 

[longshanks]

Samsung guy paid a visit to my home to take a look at the issue. Showed him the dead pixel and image retention issue .

Good that the TV is getting exchanged, but the new tv that you get will also have retention issue which will be more in the initial 200 hrs so use the tv in low settings(specially while watching cable tv).

All plasma's are prone to retention which can become a burn in image if let for few hours, both retention and burn can be resolved by running slides, using the tv little care fully in the initial hours will greatly reduce these issues.

 

[jerry53]

rajath have you grounded your house i earlier had an lcd where misplaced pixels would appear left right and center due to grounding ,then got the house grounded no issue so far and also try to use a stabilizer if you aldready are not using one cause it greatly reduces the recurrence of the dead pixel.do not use dynamic settings in the initial period doing so will increase your chances of burn and will give you regular tir and my personal advice is do not watch cable tv for the first 200 hours and while watching movies strech the image to cover the entire screen area so that the gases to a limit burn evenly.

 

[anm]

hey - is this the correct fw upgrade file?

http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.c...h=FM/201010/20101005113543078/T-VAL6XDAAC.exe

listed on this page http://www.samsung.com/in/consumer/...LXL/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=support

I am confused because on this page, it is taking about how to change your DLP bulb. This is a plasma TV!

 

[jerry53]

You got the correct page anm i upgraded like 3 weeks ago no problem so far took about a minute to upgrade if you follow all the instructions from the upgrade guide on their website.The questions on their site are a misnomer so dont worry about it. The samsung 50c550 had an upgrade on oct 5 now they have an upgrade for nov 30 but samsung 50c6500 has been on oct 5 all the way .what's up samsung?Also try to upgrade when your area is least prone to have a power cut you will kill your system if power goes out during a firmware update .And also follow the firmware upgrade guide to the letter.

 

[longshanks]

hey - is this the correct fw upgrade file?

http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.c...h=FM/201010/20101005113543078/T-VAL6XDAAC.exe

That firmware update wont work as it is for a diff country, try the below link.

Image quality that exceeds beyond reality - PS50C6500 - Plasma TV - Television | SAMSUNG

If your tv manufacture date states anything after oct 10 then u wont need any update since the tv will already have the latest firmware.

EDIT: Sorry i think what u have the correct firmware and it should work, did not see that file name first time.

 

[vardu]

There is a lot of info about converting the C6500 into a C7000/C8000 by a few changes in the service menu and firmware updates.

I have tried to assemble pieces from multiple places to form a semi-cohesive FAQ.

I have not done this yet - this is merely aggregation of info - if you choose to act on this - do it at your own risk.

Why do we need to upgrade the 6500?

The advantage of upgrading the 6500 gives access to

• The 10 point white calibration
• CAL-DAY/CAL-NIGHTsettings
• Cinema Smooth feature the unit was advertised with.
• Motion Judder Control feature

What is the service menu?

The service menu is an easter egg intended for Samsung service technicians. It permits access to hidden factory settings for use by trained field technicians.


How can I access the service menu?

To Access the Service Menu: Turn the power off. On the remote, press Mute followed by 1, 8, 2, Power in sequence. You should now see the service menu. To exit the Service Menu always select RESET. You can also access it with the TV Off by pressing quickly "Info", "Menu" "Mute" and "Power".


Ok let me give it a shot - what are the steps?


Instructions:
- Turn off tv
- Press Mute-1-8-2-Power in sequence or Info-Menu-Mute-Power
- Once the tv is on, the service menu should appear at the top left corner.
- Go to options
- Change the model to c8000 (if it is greyed out - then nothing can be done)
- Press reset to factory default to exit out of the menu.
- Tv will turn off and back on, once is back on, a massage should appear saying, board has been change, don't worry, just click ok and everything should be fine.
- To get rid of the message, just go back into the service menu and change the front color to T-C-Black

You will notice that now under picture options- film mode- you will have a cinema smooth option
Also you will have a motion judder canceler option.
And last you will have two new presets, cal-day and cal-night



When you change from c7000 to c8000 in the service menu, do you, in effect, actually activate the Real Black Filter, or do you simply gain access to the the additional configuration options of the c8000?

CES video reports that the Real Black Filter is incorporated with the glass screen - but no one has reported any actual success yet!


Are there any features that don't work or can't be accessed?

Motion Judder Controller do not seem to be anywhere - This might have to do with changing the number before doing the latest firmware upgrade - not yet known>




Now the big question - Does changing a 6500 to a 7000/8000 enable 3D support?:yahoo: ?

Sorry dudes :sad: Even though your PS3 might now think it is connected to a 3D display , the 6500 series does not have an IR emitter, so looks like 3d would be impossible.


Of course that make me wonder if there is a way to attach an IR emitter to the TV to enable this. (If the boards are the same I suppose its possible).

Are there any issues - what happens if I don't like it or I want to go back.

Some folks have changed it to 8000 and not had a problem and have changed it back to 6500 and not had a problem. There has been one person who tried changing it back to 6500 and now his TV reports a T-CON checksum error ( in the service menu). This hasn't affected anything else but he does see the error even with new firmware. There has not been a flash with the older firmware though to see if it can revert.

WARNING:

Upon entering the Service Menu, all User Menu settings will revert to factory defaults. This includes all display settings, input assignments, channel programming, etc., and applies even if no changes are made while in the Service Menu (viewing the number of panel hours, for example). Document your existing settings beforehand.

* Record any changes made while in the service menu. Use the tables in chapter 4.2 of the Service Manual as a reference.
* There is no known means of restoring the entire service menu to its original factory settings. Although chapter 4.2 of the Service Manual does appear to document those settings, they have not been confirmed to be the factory defaults. You can at least restore any HDMI input settings using this method.
* Samsung reserves the right to void any warranty claims if you or any unauthorized person modifies settings within the service menu.
* Proceed at your own risk.
* Some users have reported that if you do not select RESET when leaving the service Menu some settings especially brightness will be off.
* Some users have reported that when selecting RESET in the service menu your TV Hours On will be reset to 0.

 

[anm]

right now I have it on direct "power" outlet. I hope it would be fine to keep the TV on inverter?
I can buy an UPS if it demands so. Kindly recommend.
How much time would it take to upgrade?

 

[anm]

news that may save you some money - instead of buying a wifi dongle, I have set up an ASUS N10 wifi router in repeater mode, and connected the TV with lan cable. It works fine and I can now access all samsung internet apps.

Router cost ~ 1300.
My original wifi router was in drawing room, and it was impossible to get a cable. Now I can also move my printer/ scanner to bedroom.
Now my latest version appletv is completely useless as its only use was to show youtube videos to my kid.

 

[Kittu]

right now I have it on direct "power" outlet. I hope it would be fine to keep the TV on inverter?
I can buy an UPS if it demands so. Kindly recommend.
How much time would it take to upgrade?

Are you talking about firmware upgrade ? it only takes 3 minutes and quick reboot of the TV ...

 

[muks1224]

Hi All , has anybody tried upgrading 6500 to 8000. In my set i am not able to access the menu it is dimmed.Also is the firmware latest version is 1013?i tried my by set refused saying no new file found presume it has the latest firmware.Iam still in the breakin cycle waiting to enjoy regular viewing.among the SD channels SonyPIX is worst in terms of station logo even 15 viewing leaves a burn.My settings are minimal Relax.Any inputs on ideal setup after the break-in?

 

[vardu]

Hi All , has anybody tried upgrading 6500 to 8000. In my set i am not able to access the menu it is dimmed.Also is the firmware latest version is 1013?i tried my by set refused saying no new file found presume it has the latest firmware.Iam still in the breakin cycle waiting to enjoy regular viewing.among the SD channels SonyPIX is worst in terms of station logo even 15 viewing leaves a burn.My settings are minimal Relax.Any inputs on ideal setup after the break-in?

Try to watch in zoom mode and increase the zoom/move the logos to the top or bottom - that way you can avoid TIR in some particular channels.

 

[argho]

news that may save you some money - instead of buying a wifi dongle, I have set up an ASUS N10 wifi router in repeater mode, and connected the TV with lan cable. It works fine and I can now access all samsung internet apps.

Router cost ~ 1300.
My original wifi router was in drawing room, and it was impossible to get a cable. Now I can also move my printer/ scanner to bedroom.
Now my latest version appletv is completely useless as its only use was to show youtube videos to my kid.

ANM, does the ASUS N10 come with built-in functionality to do this ? Or do you have to flash the firmware ?

I have an old WiFi router lying in a cupboard, but all the instructions on the net, for turning a router into a repeater, state that the first step is to replace the firmware with new firmware (DD-WRT is freely available).

 

[vardu]

ANM, does the ASUS N10 come with built-in functionality to do this ? Or do you have to flash the firmware ?

I have an old WiFi router lying in a cupboard, but all the instructions on the net, for turning a router into a repeater, state that the first step is to replace the firmware with new firmware (DD-WRT is freely available).

The dd-wrt site has a complete database that lists compatible routers/modems with the firmware and model numbers as well.

www.dd-wrt.com | Unleash Your Router

 

[anm]

I upgraded with the official firmware for this model from asus. out of the box, the fw on the router was old.
Upgrade was easy. Download the zip file, and upload via management UI.
I did some research on dd-wrt and tomato for a couple of days thinking it is not there officially for n10 but then people here said it should work and I gave a try.
Which make/ model do you have?

ANM, does the ASUS N10 come with built-in functionality to do this ? Or do you have to flash the firmware ?

I have an old WiFi router lying in a cupboard, but all the instructions on the net, for turning a router into a repeater, state that the first step is to replace the firmware with new firmware (DD-WRT is freely available).

 

[argho]

I upgraded with the official firmware for this model from asus. out of the box, the fw on the router was old.
Upgrade was easy. Download the zip file, and upload via management UI.
I did some research on dd-wrt and tomato for a couple of days thinking it is not there officially for n10 but then people here said it should work and I gave a try.
Which make/ model do you have?

Anm,

So are you saying that the ASUS official firmware supports usage of this router in Repeater / Bridge mode ? Pls let me know.

If, so it may be simpler to just buy this router rather than tinker around with dd-wrt.

I have a very old (7-8 years) D-Link router. Will have to dig it out to check the model.

 

[anm]

yes, official asus firmware supports repeater mode for N10.

I spent a couple of days trying to find reliable info on dd-wrt and tomato but ultimately asked here in this forum, and took the risk of router not being return-able/ exchangable after opening the packing.

See the ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-

Under Version 1.0.1.5 it says 2. Add the Repeater mode.

This gave me the courage to go for it

Anm,

So are you saying that the ASUS official firmware supports usage of this router in Repeater / Bridge mode ? Pls let me know.

If, so it may be simpler to just buy this router rather than tinker around with dd-wrt.

I have a very old (7-8 years) D-Link router. Will have to dig it out to check the model.

 

[argho]

yes, official asus firmware supports repeater mode for N10.

I spent a couple of days trying to find reliable info on dd-wrt and tomato but ultimately asked here in this forum, and took the risk of router not being return-able/ exchangable after opening the packing.

See the ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-

Under Version 1.0.1.5 it says 2. Add the Repeater mode.

This gave me the courage to go for it

Tks Anm.

Think I will try it.

 

[Ravi_Bala]

Wall mounting spares not available with Samsung..

Update for all the new owners: Samasung service center in Chennai does not have the spares of wall mounting brackets for PS50C6500.
ETA - 10 days. Pain to see me new TV still lying in the box :sad:

 

[srinisundar]

Re: Wall mounting spares not available with Samsung..

Update for all the new owners: Samasung service center in Chennai does not have the spares of wall mounting brackets for PS50C6500.
ETA - 10 days. Pain to see me new TV still lying in the box :sad:

What is the spares for wall mounting bracket?? Best method and appreciable for a Gentleman while entering into an forum is Introducing yourself by clearly posting in welcome section and continuing inbetween Anyway welcome to PN50C6500 club