Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

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andykara2003
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Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by andykara2003 »

I have a Sony KV-14LT1U that's brand new. I can't seem to get the TV to reach good black levels, only greys. I realise it's one of the later FD models, but being a Sony set, I'd expect it to at least a reasonable black level - I'm not even getting really dark greys. The image is spectacular in every other way with beautiful, vivid colours. I'm not pushing the contrast or brightness - I keep them on flat and play in a darker environment. My older Sony reaches pitch black, to the point where if you watch it in the pitch black

I had advice before to adjust the sub brightness level in the service menu, but this doesn't cut it. Actually even if I set that really low it doesn't cut it. I've also noticed that the inherent grey of the screen when it's off is lighter than my old Trinitrons.

There must be some other way to sort this - can anyone help?

EDIT: Looking more closely, it seems that when the signal to the TV is sending complete black, the TV gives a reasonably dark grey image, but when there's areas of bright colour or whites on the screen, the areas of black around the rest of the screen get lighter :/
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Syntax
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by Syntax »

Go into the service menu and drop SBR down a number or two till you get nice blacks.
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andykara2003
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by andykara2003 »

That's the sub brightness isn't it? That's what I adjusted before, but no luck unfortunately. It reduced the blackness floor a little, but only to a slightly darker grey, even when turned right down. Also, turning it down any significant amount meant I lost quite a bit of shadow detail.


Is there another service menu control that could help?
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Syntax
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by Syntax »

Could try turning the flyback down a touch.
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FinalBaton
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by FinalBaton »

I know there's a pot, sometime labeled "G2", on the chassis of older Trinitrons, that has full control of brightness(I think it controls voltage going into either the gun or some other important component?). I had retrace lines on my mid '80s PVM and turning down G2 fixed it

I don't know if it's still labeled G2 on the newer Wegas, but chances are there will be a pot like it, definitely find the schematic online and investigate that(or post it here)
-FM Synth & Black Metal-
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maxtherabbit
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by maxtherabbit »

FinalBaton wrote:I know there's a pot, sometime labeled "G2", on the chassis of older Trinitrons, that has full control of brightness(I think it controls voltage going into either the gun or some other important component?). I had retrace lines on my mid '80s PVM and turning down G2 fixed it

I don't know if it's still labeled G2 on the newer Wegas, but chances are there will be a pot like it, definitely find the schematic online and investigate that(or post it here)
every flyback has that, that's what syntax was talking about - sometimes called G2, sometimes called "SCREEN", sometimes called "BRIGHT"
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andykara2003
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by andykara2003 »

Thanks guys - how does that pot behave in contrast to the brightness/contrast controls? Would it actually be able to drop the black levels while keeping the same brightness/contrast levels? I'll have to take the thing apart - when I have time..
Taiyaki
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by Taiyaki »

Andy take your time with that setting and maybe try to take note of where you started with G2. I particularly dislike touching the G2 as I've never really made the picture better with it. In the past I mostly end up with visible retrace lines on certain pictures, and at the time of setting it I wasn't seeing it at all but it started becoming visible on some content. If the blacks are grey that sure is an odd thing, especially on Sony sets. All the ones I've seen it's near pitch black, certainly nothing close to grey.
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FinalBaton
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by FinalBaton »

maxtherabbit wrote:every flyback has that, that's what syntax was talking about - sometimes called G2, sometimes called "SCREEN", sometimes called "BRIGHT"
I had a feeling I was talking about the same thing as him. I just wasn't 100% sure since I didn't know that tchnical term. Thanks for confirming

Indded on mine the pot was labeled both "G2" and "SCREEN"
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andykara2003
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Re: Sony KV-14LT1U grey blacks

Post by andykara2003 »

Thanks to the advice here I tried turning down the screen control on the flyback but no improvement unfortunately. I then realised that I'm using a 7314 RGB N64 and a 1-chip SNES, both of which have outputs that have brightness levels that are said to be too high. I wonder if this could be the problem. I have a couple of N64s modded with Tim's board - do these output at correct brightness?
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