UPDATE ON THE SAMMY 52A650
OK, I redid the coax from the antenna, using a 4 way splitter rather than a 2 way and a daisy chain, and re-ran the automatic channel setting. It not only found more channels than before, it found more digital channels than every other ATSC tuner in my home. And more analog channels, too- although I'd likely not watch them, PQ wise.
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SIDE NOTE
I want you to think about that for a moment, especially you younger folks. As of Feb 17, 2009, every one of you will officially become an old goat. You'll be the old guy/gal talking about how TV used to have these white flecks of static we called "snow." You'll be the ones watching some kid's eye roll and glaze over- another fantastic meaningless tale told. Because we are watching the passing of an era. We're the last that will have seen analog TV. True, some low power stations will run for a few more years, maybe just 3 or 4- but analog's days are over. And soon, we'll understand how people felt when the last regularly scheduled passenger steam ship to cross the Atlantic left for it's final crossing; the last passenger air ship; the last telegram transmitted. Yep- most folks didn't notice those events, either!
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Anyway, other minor notes:
We have mirrors inset in our headboard, and have discovered that the TV is bright enough (on Standard, even) to reflect off those mirrors and back onto the screen. Not terribly distracting, but I'll try to find a way to lower the brightness or otherwise cut the reflection. Movie mode, I think, plus the brightness control. Haven't investigated all the settings yet. I'll tweak it with DVE some day.
If you mount this TV from the back, as I have done, you'll want to remove the bottom stand. This is done by removing 4 screws from the back (not bottom) and the stand will slip off. Only remember, you should keep these things upright, so no tilting flat back to let the screws slip out after being loosened. I didn't have a magnet small enough; couldn't get them out with tape; no space for tweezers; no space to wedge a small nail next to the heads to try to get them out. I ended up tilting it back slightly and shaking slightly. The screws are about an inch long.
The rear mounting locations come with screws, presumably so you can use those screws on whatever bracket you have. Not. Screws are too short to go thru anything thicker than aluminum foil and still get purchase on the TV. If you mount it this way, make sure you have proper mounting screws in advance.
OK, I redid the coax from the antenna, using a 4 way splitter rather than a 2 way and a daisy chain, and re-ran the automatic channel setting. It not only found more channels than before, it found more digital channels than every other ATSC tuner in my home. And more analog channels, too- although I'd likely not watch them, PQ wise.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIDE NOTE
I want you to think about that for a moment, especially you younger folks. As of Feb 17, 2009, every one of you will officially become an old goat. You'll be the old guy/gal talking about how TV used to have these white flecks of static we called "snow." You'll be the ones watching some kid's eye roll and glaze over- another fantastic meaningless tale told. Because we are watching the passing of an era. We're the last that will have seen analog TV. True, some low power stations will run for a few more years, maybe just 3 or 4- but analog's days are over. And soon, we'll understand how people felt when the last regularly scheduled passenger steam ship to cross the Atlantic left for it's final crossing; the last passenger air ship; the last telegram transmitted. Yep- most folks didn't notice those events, either!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, other minor notes:
We have mirrors inset in our headboard, and have discovered that the TV is bright enough (on Standard, even) to reflect off those mirrors and back onto the screen. Not terribly distracting, but I'll try to find a way to lower the brightness or otherwise cut the reflection. Movie mode, I think, plus the brightness control. Haven't investigated all the settings yet. I'll tweak it with DVE some day.
If you mount this TV from the back, as I have done, you'll want to remove the bottom stand. This is done by removing 4 screws from the back (not bottom) and the stand will slip off. Only remember, you should keep these things upright, so no tilting flat back to let the screws slip out after being loosened. I didn't have a magnet small enough; couldn't get them out with tape; no space for tweezers; no space to wedge a small nail next to the heads to try to get them out. I ended up tilting it back slightly and shaking slightly. The screws are about an inch long.
The rear mounting locations come with screws, presumably so you can use those screws on whatever bracket you have. Not. Screws are too short to go thru anything thicker than aluminum foil and still get purchase on the TV. If you mount it this way, make sure you have proper mounting screws in advance.
