[Silver Serpent]

Update - 6th February 2008

I've had alot of PM's from people looking for settings for various different types of equipment over RGB Scart, so I'd recommend the guideline values posted below for all equipment over this connection.

For Sky HD/BluRay/HDDVD/HDMI DVD Players over HDMI, I'd recommend the same, but be sure and use Just Scan for HD Content, and 16:9 for SD.

Mode: Movie

Contrast: 75-90

Brightness: 42-50

Sharpness: 0-30

Colour: 40-50

Tint: 50/50

Colour Tone: Warm1/2

Backlight: 1-3 (may need to be higher in some environments)

Size: 16:9

Digital NR: Off

Movie Plus: Off

xvYCC: Off

Detailed Settings

Black Adjust: Off

Dynamic Contrast: Off

Gamma -1/0

Edge Enhancement: Off

Colour Space: Wide

My Colour Control: All 15, except White 15-20

White Balance

It's very difficult to advise settings for this section, but I'm going to attempt it based on my experience so far, so here goes:

R-Offset: 14-17

G-Offset: 10-15

B-Offset: 9-11

R-Gain: 3-7

G-Gain: 10-15

B-Gain: 10-30

Setup

Energy Saving: Off/Low

-------------------------------------------------------------

These values should get you on the road to acheiving a better picture, but still some way off an accurate one, so your only hope of achieving an accurate Picture would be to go for ISF Calibration.

The White Balance settings are next to impossible to set correctly playing it by eye, but you should be able to get an idea of what looks OK and what looks totally Off by staying within the values provided. However, these value recommendations are based on the experience I've had with my set only. Your results could differ greatly going by these because of ambient lighting and possible variation between units.

Setting the Brightness (Black Level) and Contrast (White Level) somewhere near accurate is also very important. Investing in a calibration DVD such as DVE may be worthwhile in an attempt to fine-tune this area. I believe DVD's which carry the THX Logo also provide certain calibration patterns on their discs, which could aid you in this area, so it may be worth investigating.

Normal Colour Tone is what most people will prefer initially, because they will be used to a cooler temperature (nearer 9300k), however, a more accurate picture (nearer 6500k) will be achieved by using Warm1/2 Colour Tone. Most likely Warm 2, but on the 50" version reviewed by HDTVtest, Warm 1 took them closer to 6500k, so it can vary.

Initially when using Warm1/2 Colour Tone, people say the picture is too yellow /red looking. What I'd recommend is, apply settings using Warm1/2 and stick to them for a week, to give yourself time to adapt to the change, then switch back to Normal Tone and you should realise how artificial the colours look compared to how they were in Warm1/2.

Anyway, I hope this post is of help to people looking for settings advice under these categories, as it will save me alot of time replying to each individual PM.

Please Note: I've removed the original settings I posted in April 2007, as I believe you will achieve a more accurate picture with the ones posted now.


Update - July 22nd 2008

The following settings are for Xbox 360 over Component.

Please Note - You will need to set brightness using a test pattern to suit your own viewing environment. Other slight tweaks may be neccessary due to variations between Sets.

Mode: Movie

Contrast: 80

Brightness: 65 (Daytime) 58 (Night time)

Sharpness: 0

Colour: 53

Tint: 50/50

Colour Tone: Warm 2

Backlight: 1

Size: 16:9 (Just Scan for Sets that allow it to be enabled)

Digital NR: Off

Movie Plus: Off

xvYCC: Off

Detailed Settings

Black Adjust: Off

Dynamic Contrast: Off

Gamma -1

Edge Enhancement: Off

Colour Space: Wide

My Colour Control: All 15

White Balance

R-Offset: 17

G-Offset: 15

B-Offset: 11

R-Gain: 4

G-Gain: 14

B-Gain: 30

Setup

Energy Saving: Low

-------------------------------------------------------------

[Silver Serpent]

If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve shadow detail, it would be welcomed.

[Silver Serpent]

By the way, I am using an expensive Scart Cable, and it is RGB ONLY (doesn't carry any audio), as I have speakers and an amp.

It's available here:

https://www.hificonfidential.co.uk/detail.asp/sku=AV6

Cracking Scart cable though.

[Yannis]

These settings have been recommended by mightymaccers:

Picture
Movie Mode
Contrast 95
Brightness 44
Sharpness 26
Color 52 (Normal)
Tint G55
Backlight 4
HDMI Black Low

Detailed Settings
Black Correction Low
Color Wide
Gamma 0
Dynamic Contrast Low

White Balance
RO 15
GO 14
BO 13
RG 10
GG 18
BG 12

New Samsung LCD TV coming March

[kparekh2]

Originally Posted by Silver Serpent

Ok people, this will be an all important thread for any new owners of this set, so I am going to start it with the settings I am using for Standard Definition (RGB - SKY)

Picture
Mode: Movie
Contrast: 85
Brightness: 44
Sharpness: 15
Colour: 52
Colour Tone: Normal
Backlight: 4
Size: 16:9
Digital NR: Off
Movie Plus: On

Detailed Settings
Black Adjust: Low
Dynamic Contrast: Low
Gamma: 0
Edge Enhancement: Off
Colour Space: Auto
White Balance:
R-Offset: 15
G-Offset: 14
B-Offset: 13
R-Gain: 10
G-Gain: 18
B-Gain: 12
My Colour Control: All Set to 15

------------------------------

Setup
Energy Saving: Medium

Everything else off in this section

------------------------------

Yeah does look better, my sky is connected via scart, just a bit too much colour but the picture is much better than what I had before. My tv has a crack on the left hand side so this might have damaged something, currys are replacing my tv.
Cheers for that mate.

[Silver Serpent]

Originally Posted by Yannis

These settings have been recommended by mightymaccers:

Picture
Movie Mode
Contrast 95
Brightness 44
Sharpness 26
Color 52 (Normal)
Tint G55
Backlight 4
HDMI Black Low

Detailed Settings
Black Correction Low
Color Wide
Gamma 0
Dynamic Contrast Low

White Balance
RO 15
GO 14
BO 13
RG 10
GG 18
BG 12

New Samsung LCD TV coming March

I think they are HDMI settings aren't they?

[Yannis]

Originally Posted by Silver Serpent

I think they are HDMI settings aren't they?

For PS3 through HDMI.

[Silver Serpent]

Bump

[ur1d1um]

Can anyone with Sky HD confirm the best settings? I'm a bit confused as this will have to deal with HD and SD pictures so I don't really know what to do for the best....

[FATFINGERS73]

These are my PS3 setting via HDMI:

Movie Mode
Contrast 80
Brightness 50
Sharpness 0
Colour 40
Tint 50
Colour Tone Normal
Backlight 2

Cheers,

Rob.

I propobaly being really stupid (this is my first hd lcd) but can you have seperate settings for diffrent things i.e one setting for my SD Sky box via scart and another setting for my PS3 via HDMI?

Hello everyone and thanks for all the useful info.

I got the 46' M86 last week from beyondtelevision (delivered next morning). This is probably a basic question but is it best to view SD Sky via a Sky HD box through HDMI or Scart? So far I've been blown away with the HD PQ but SD through HDMI looks washed out with quite a lot of noise - much worse than the built in freeview picture (I've applied mightymaccers settings to all sources).

I realise this is more of a set-up issue than settings but I guessed this thread is more about those that have purchased and want to extract the best out of the set...

[ur1d1um]

Originally Posted by BMU83

I propobaly being really stupid (this is my first hd lcd) but can you have seperate settings for diffrent things i.e one setting for my SD Sky box via scart and another setting for my PS3 via HDMI?

Yes you can. Don't worry, it's my first hd telly too and I had to find out the same thing!

[TypeR]

Here is my settings for Sky

mode - standard
contrast - 52
brightness - 52
sharpness 80
colour 39
color tone - cool 1

black adjust - high
dynamic contrast - medium
gamma - 0
white balance - all 15
colour control - all 15
edge enhancement - on
colour space wide

backlight - 6
size - 16x9
digital nr - auto
dnile - on
movie plus - on

this is what i have on now and it looks okay ... still waiting for a professional calibrated setting

what i do is just adjust the contrast and brightness depending on wether its the evening or morning

[Silver Serpent]

Just a quick note to say I have lowered my contrast to 70.

It really is tricky trying to get SD at optimum settings.

The sooner a pro steps in the better.

[KeanosMagicHat]

Thanks to Oli on the HDTVtest forum ..... here's some settings for connecting a PC via DVI:

http://forums.hdtvtest.co.uk/index.php?topic=18.0

[Silver Serpent]

Watching Sky Sports 1 football now and it's a great PQ using the settings I posted which I edited with reduced contrast to 70.

I think its spot on

[GingerNinja]

Originally Posted by Silver Serpent

Watching Sky Sports 1 football now and it's a great PQ using the settings I posted which I edited with reduced contrast to 70.

I think its spot on

I just tried your settings and whilst watching War of Worlds on Sky Movies I noticed a lot of green breaking through especially on the smoke sections!

Have you noticed this ? And is there an adjustment we can make to stop it.

Cheers
Craig

[Silver Serpent]

Hi All,

Here is the Calibration Settings thread from AVS Forums:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=828228

Please note: The 65 Series is the US version of the M86/M87, although the design is different in the US and has a few other different options, but in terms of Picture settings it is the same.

You can have a read through it and try the settings people have posted to see if any of them suit.

[Silver Serpent]

More SD Sky settings to Try:

Picture
Mode: Standard
Contrast: 70
Brightness: 44
Sharpness: 10
Cololur: 45
Colour Tone: Normal
Backlight: 4
Size: 16:9
Digital NR: Off
DNie: Off
Movie Plus: Off

-----------------------

Setup
Energy Saving: Medium

Everything else off here

-----------------------

They may be a little bit dull for some peoples taste, but it definitely helps with the pixelation problem on SD.

[Silver Serpent]

Ok, I think I have may unlocked the optimum settings for Sky SD via RGB Scart.

Now people may think I'm nuts, but it's something I'm sure all of us have avoided, and that is calibrating whilst in Dynamic Mode, yes you heard it correctly....DYNAMIC

I find that it works wonders for SD material, so here you go:

Picture
Mode: Dynamic
Contrast: 65
Brightness: 57
Sharpness: 15
Colour: 50
Colour Tone: Normal
Backlight: 4
Size: 16:9
Digital NR: Off (You may need to adjust this depending on amount of noise seen when viewing certain channels)
Active Colour: On
DNie: On
Movie Plus: Off

-----------------------

Setup
Energy Saving: Medium

Everything else Off here

-----------------------

Now if you still find things a little bright, turn off DNie and that will dim things a bit, or set Energy Saving to High.

Also, for channels with a poorer reception and greater pixelation, I would recommend setting Digital NR to High and Energy Saving to high. This helps greatly with the problem, although at the expense of a bit of colour and brightness.

You can play with the Digital NR anyway between low, medium, high and auto, depending on the amount of noise seen in the picture. It doesn't have to be set to high unless alot is seen.

For SD football, I recommend the settings as posted, but with Digital NR High and Movie Plus On.

I find the above settings to be my best yet for Sky SD.

Good Luck

[onkeh]

PLEASE READ THE FAQ TO SEE IF YOUR QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED ALREADY - UPDATED 15/03/08

The M86/7 is a very popular 1080p panel from Samsung, some of its key features are:

- Comes in 37, 40, 46 & 52 inch
- 1080p24Hz support (see FAQ)
- "Just Scan" for 1:1 pixel mapping on all HDMI ports
- 15,000:1 contrast ratio
- 3x HDMI 1.3 sockets
- Super Clear panel, glossy for extra black depths
- Freeview tuner
- 2x SCART (1 RGB)
- 8ms response time

Full specs here

HDTVTest review here

Manual can be downloaded here

Note: There is also a 100Hz 32" version of the M86. Obviously it is not 1080p but has pretty much the same features as the large varieties.

FAQ
Q. What's the difference between the M86 & M87?
A. Purely cosmetic, see the Samsung website for pictures.

Q. On some sites I see the set referred to as a M87BD but on others it says M87BDX, is there a difference?
A. No, it's the same set.

Q. What issues currently exist on the newest sets?
A. Wavy lines present on SCART inputs (kind of looks like rippling water) though this has reportedly been fixed with firmware 2013.

Q. How do I tell my firmware version?
A. NOTE: Going into the service mode will reset all your picture settings, make a note of them before doing this. Put TV on standby, then press info, menu, mute, power. Below the menu options are 5 lines, the last 4 digits of the first line are your firmware version.

Q. What is currently the latest firmware version?
A. In the UK, 2013 is the latest firmware version. The freeview software can also be updated, the latest version is 1013.

Q. I have old firmware, how do I update?
A. Hassle Samsung until they do it. Contrary to what they might tell you, they ARE doing firmware fixes AND PCB replacements where necessary. If they tell you they can't fix it, just hang up and re-dial until you speak to someone more helpful. You can update the FREEVIEW (not firmware) software using the manual update option in the freeview menu.

Q. I can't seem to get 1080p over VGA, why is this?
A. Some of the cheaper VGA cables have pin 9 disabled, and thus will only support a max resolution of 1600x1200. So check your cable

Q. When watching the built-in freeview, the picture will judder sometimes, why is this?
A. This is a bug in the freeview software, updating to the latest version will fix it.

Q. Does the TV support 1080p24?
A. Yes, "auto detect" modes (like on PS3) will only work on sets with newer manufacturing dates, having the firmware updated will NOT make a difference. If you are stuck with an old version, fear not as most players (PS3 included) have a force 24Hz on mode. As is my understanding, it does not run at 24Hz (120Hz actual) natively but emulates it via processing.

Q. Does the glossy surface seem reflective under normal lighting?
A. The general consensus seems to be "no".

Q. Will my Xbox 360 get 1080p via VGA?
A. Some of the earlier sets had a problem with this; if the screen comes up for a second and then clicks off you need to ring Samsung up, explain the problem and they should arrange an on-site fix.

Q. Which is better for PC usage, DVI with HDMI adaptor, or VGA?
A. DVI.

Q. What are some recommended settings for this set?
A. Click here for the settings thread, or here for the HDTest professionally calibrated settings.

Q. M86s seem pretty hard to find, where can I get one?
A. Samsung currently have an exclusivity agreement with Dixons Group for the M86, you can only purchase one from Dixons or Currys for now or just get an M87 instead.

Q. How can I tell my panel's manufacturer?
A. Model sticker: What letter comes after [R] ?
That letter tells panel manufacturer: S = Samsung, A = AU Optronics, C = Chi Mei Optoelectronics

Thanks to KeanosMagicHat, brunocosta1975, greenman_uk for contributions.

[Silver Serpent]

The settings thread is located here:

Samsung M86/M87 Discussion / Settings Thread

For anyone who wants to add theirs or try any of what is posted.

[Alpha 14]

Owned a M87 46inch for 1 week.

Fault you need to test for is night vision effect via HDMI @ 1080p from the PS3. The fault does exist on all sources but is very hard to detect. If you do not see the green haze you may see across the bottom of the screen a white burn. There is a handful of units in criculation that have this issue from other forums I have read.

My new replacement arrives Friday 20th so will post pictures of the faulty and non faulty units side by side to help you identify the issue if you have it.

My review:

With the exception of the fault and note that I am watching what is a defective picture. This TV is still mighty impressive. If my new set is better than what I have then I am in for yet more pleasure.

Form factor: This set is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It gives a sense of 21st century marvel whilst not looking like a toff. Its a must for finding the perfect partner for your newly purchased PS3. The smooth glossy black surround is almost identical to the PS3. Across the bottom the chrome strip makes you think your Playstation is actually a Samsung Playstation 3 rather than a sony. Got sky HD? your HD box has curves in its design. Its sky plus circular display in the centre fits in well with the samsung On/off button. All you need to finish this flower bed of harmony is a black glossy Yamaha dolby surround.

(Watch this space for the pics - can you guess what sound system I have?)

The LCD: Despite the fault I have to say that in simple terms Black is Black, the image is crisp, almost smooth due to fault. Even with the fault its very impressive. The menu is in my view very slugish but you will be that excited with your new LCD you wont care. There are lots of options in the menu set-up and I have to say I have no idea what is the best way to configure it? So a post with suggested settings would be greatly appreciated. The PS3 in 1080p once in a game (GT HD) is superb. You will struggle to tell the difference between reality and computer generated at times. Blue Ray @ 1080p is just stunning. I am really going to strugle to watch DVD's on my projector upstairs now having seen what movies should look like. Stand aside HD-DVD and let Blue-ray win the race this time.

My pre-replacement summary:
On the basis that I have just been unlucky and that my replacement will be better than what I have now then apart from a little inconvenience I am still at this stage happy I spent alot of time researching the market for the correct TV and have waited months before making that purchase. The samsung represents the best value for money for what could be considered the best of the best in todays market.

"Dont think about it go buy one" Next day delivery for a before 15:00 order at Beyond television.

Watch this space for my updates and photos

[onkeh]

Dabs were showing in stock first thing this morning now they've gone back to 3-4 weeks!

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx...specifications

[dalvin]

anyone had any probs with DTV?

i scanned channels yesterday morning, and it picked up a few..

went to view last night, and it had "NO SIGNAL", so i tried to re-scan, and it wouldn't pick up anything - asking me to "CHECK AERIAL".

Of course, the aerial was plugged in and regular terrestrial was working fine.

BTW, BeyondTelevision delivered me the 46" M87 instead of the 40".. i would of been happy to keep it if it were not for the lack of space.. lol.. 40" is perfect, but 46 makes quite a bit of difference.

Wii over componnent was good too.. a friend is going to bring their xbox over next week to test.. not sure about PS3 tho.. doubt any of my mates will let me borrow theirs.. lol!!

My 40" that I ordered gets delivered Saturday morning, and the 46" goes back to Beyond TV..

First impressions:

Me: Wow.. nice look and modern..

Wife: I don't like black, do they do silver?

LOL!!

[Silver Serpent]

Originally Posted by dalvin

anyone had any probs with DTV?

i scanned channels yesterday morning, and it picked up a few..

went to view last night, and it had "NO SIGNAL", so i tried to re-scan, and it wouldn't pick up anything - asking me to "CHECK AERIAL".

Of course, the aerial was plugged in and regular terrestrial was working fine.

BTW, BeyondTelevision delivered me the 46" M87 instead of the 40".. i would of been happy to keep it if it were not for the lack of space.. lol.. 40" is perfect, but 46 makes quite a bit of difference.

Wii over componnent was good too.. a friend is going to bring their xbox over next week to test.. not sure about PS3 tho.. doubt any of my mates will let me borrow theirs.. lol!!

My 40" that I ordered gets delivered Saturday morning, and the 46" goes back to Beyond TV..

First impressions:

Me: Wow.. nice look and modern..

Wife: I don't like black, do they do silver?

LOL!!

I don't use DTV, I use Sky only.

Have a look in the manual. It goes through each section in detail so ther may some info there to help you out.

[onkeh]

Originally Posted by Silver Serpent

I don't use DTV, I use Sky only.

Have a look in the manual. It goes through each section in detail so ther may some info there to help you out.

Yeah, hope it's not another bug.

[jamestemroot]

mine just arrived! started to plug and play now and gonna collaborate

just need to get a PS3 hooked up to check whether i have the HDMI 'night vision' problems...

if anyone know how else you can check this without HDMI devices then let me know

[FATFINGERS73]

Originally Posted by dalvin

anyone had any probs with DTV?

i scanned channels yesterday morning, and it picked up a few..

went to view last night, and it had "NO SIGNAL", so i tried to re-scan, and it wouldn't pick up anything - asking me to "CHECK AERIAL".

Of course, the aerial was plugged in and regular terrestrial was working fine.


LOL!!

Press the DTV button while you're in freeview, you should get the option to check your signal strength.

I would have swapped my 40 for your 46 (and thrown in a six-pack, stella not cheap crap!!)