Help needed with Samsung HD945;Sanyo Z3 - THX Setup

ok, heres my setup - Samsung HD945 connected to Sanyo Z3 projector via HDMI.

I've been trying to run through the THX setup on Sleeping Beauty dvd, but although I have changed almost every setting on both the 945 and the Z3, I cannot get the last two grey scale boxes to dispay (i.e. no shadow on the THX logo)

Has anyone got this to work with the above setup - or is it not possible with this player ?

thanks,
Em Kay

Hi,
I have the same configuration and the same problem !!!!
I have found on AF Digital (jan 2005 italy) the review of Samsung HD945, they show in a clear way that there is a bug in the HDMI HDCP connection of the player that cause this problem !!!!!!
I hope that Samsung will soon address this with a new firmware !!!!

[Boye]

The problem is related to the way the Samsung (745 and 945) handles the black levels via their digital outputs.

As far as I understand it the video level of "black" is defined on dvd as the value 16 thus leaving room for levels called "blacker than black" or "btb" (levels 0-16) which you should be able to see using the THX optimizer. However, the Samsung translates the video black level of 16 to data black level of 0 and so clips any information below video black.

This issue of black crush is being discussed on the avsforum.com as well as the swedish forum on prisjakt.nu and is considered a major setback for the Samsungs compared to their competitors. There are as far as I know no indications as if any firmware update could or will solve the problem.

Actually it is the main reason I might go for a Yamakawa 375, BBK 971H or maybe even the ugly Pananasonic S97 instead of the lovely Samsung.

Thanks Boye for the answer....
I really hope that Samsung will soon address this problem that I think be only a software problem ...

if not I will sell my HD945 and I'll stop to buy Samsung products !!!!

[Boye]

Well, the problem might not be more severe than the so-called macroblocking issues of the Panasonic S97... Of course it is a problem to be fixed, but as I understand from the swedish forum, it is more important to match the dvd-player to the display device. So if your display device's dvi-input is locked to PC levels (0-255) (like my Benq PE7800 supposedly is) it should be matching the Samsung 745 better than for instance the Denon 1910 which is locked to video levels (16-235).

I don't know how good your swedish is, but maybe you can get an idea of what I'm talking about looking at the illustrations here:
http://www.prisjakt.nu/forum/index.p...dpost&p=640065

dvd-spelare = dvd player
bildvisare = display device
normal = video levels (16-235)
expanderad = enhanced = PC levels (0-255)

[McE]

Got the HD745 and if nobody mentioned that there are only 7 shades of black in the THX optimizer menu I would never seen it. I don't care about that... if I would I hadn't bought an LCD TV anyway (blacks)...

The samsung players have a lot of advantages in other terms and I am still more than happy with mine... if they fix it I'm even more happy.