Washed-out colours at 1080p

J8NTS · 26-03-2007, 2:43 PM

I've hooked-up my PS3 to my Sharp LC-46XD1E via HDMI at 1080p but somethings been bothering me for a few days. When looking at the XMB the colours look muted: blacks aren't true black and the colours seem flat. I just assumed this was the effect Sony had gone for. But after a little experimenting I think I've either got a problem or I'm missing a setting somewhere. When I switch display output to 720p or 1080i the colours are fantastic and blacks are very strong. Overall much more vivid.

Strangely though, Blu-Ray doesn't seem to be affected, as I've played a movie at 1080p and didn't see this issue. And the only game I have so far (F1) isn't affected, as it's 720p. However, the Ridge Racer demo running at 1080p does look washed-out.

I'm using a 2.4m "Linx Luxury 24k Gold Plated HDMI Cable" purchased from Play.com for £9.99.

Anyone have the same problem or know of a solution?

J8NTS

J8NTS · 26-03-2007, 9:22 PM

OK, the washed-out colours are present on the XMB, while playing the Casino Royale download demo, while playing Ridge Racer demo and GTHD demo. All while set to 1080p.

Blu-ray is another matter. Still set to 1080p the image is spot on. Not a hint of muted colours. Deep blacks, too. Tried two 1080p movies now.

People over on the Official Playstation forum seem to think it's the HDMI cable. I'll probably try the Sony cable to see if there's a difference.

*Tony Hoyle* · 26-03-2007, 9:29 PM

HDMI cable errors would show up as failure in the picture not colour changes (since the data is both digital and encrypted a bit error is likely to scramble chunks of the picture).

Is your TV doing some sort of image/colour enhancement? I always find it's better to switch all that processing off.

RobDickinson · 26-03-2007, 9:29 PM

lolz wont be the HDMI cable, cannot be the HDMI cable, no way on earth it can be the HDMI cable.

trip · 26-03-2007, 9:29 PM

I don't know the answer to your problem, but hope you sort it.

I was considering buying the 37" version of that TV, but the reviews for the Sharp LCDs seem to be hit and miss. I'm interested to know how many others experience similar problems, or just how the PS3 performs, with these models of LCD.

J8NTS · 26-03-2007, 9:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Hoyle

Is your TV doing some sort of image/colour enhancement? I always find it's better to switch all that processing off.

Nope, at least nothing I can control. And no change in TV settings between XMB and watching Blu-ray movies.

Anybody else noticing this problem? Anyone else using a Sharp XD1E at 1080p with their PS3s?

allfallsdown · 26-03-2007, 9:49 PM

I have the 42" XD1E, not noticed any washed-out colours or anything like that apart from the XMB which I be leave is suppose to be like that.

bowcaps · 26-03-2007, 10:18 PM

I have a Sony 40W2000 HD TV and the colours and resoloution are stunning, but I am using a Monster Component Lead (59.99 from play.com) or a IXOS HDMI lead (64.99 from future shop).

Even the XMB looks pin sharp at 1080i and 1080p.

HTH

RobDickinson · 26-03-2007, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowcaps

but I am using a Monster Component Lead (59.99 from play.com) or a IXOS HDMI lead (64.99 from future shop).
HTH

Ol!ver · 26-03-2007, 10:45 PM

Drop the birghtness and it'll be fine. The reason BR looks good is because that's being output in component colourspace, where everything else is in RGB. There's an option to chage the BR to run in RGB too. Do that and callibrate again and it'll be fine. There's a big thread about it on AVS. Happens on some screens more than others.

EDIT: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ashed+out+HDMI

Korum · 26-03-2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobDickinson

lolz wont be the HDMI cable, cannot be the HDMI cable, no way on earth it can be the HDMI cable.

I guess you're pretty sure it's not the HDMI cable then

Splamone · 29-03-2007, 11:03 PM

But in doing this, the games still run at the normal black level and Blu-ray or XBM are both far too bright. It doesn't appear that you can get everything at the same black level.

Ol!ver · 30-03-2007, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splamone

But in doing this, the games still run at the normal black level and Blu-ray or XBM are both far too bright. It doesn't appear that you can get everything at the same black level.

Doing what? Set the BD to RGB and use the cal. from that and everything runs the same.

JonStatt · 30-03-2007, 10:25 AM

How do you calibrate? Does the PS3 have some special screens hidden somewhere for setting brightness/contrast/colour etc? You can't use a DVD Essentials type disc because it doesn't output at 720p, 1080i or 1080p so the settings will be wrong!

Ol!ver · 30-03-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonStatt

How do you calibrate? Does the PS3 have some special screens hidden somewhere for setting brightness/contrast/colour etc? You can't use a DVD Essentials type disc because it doesn't output at 720p, 1080i or 1080p so the settings will be wrong!

Geta Sony BD, when at the menu (where you select chapter etc) press 7669 on the remote or bring up the console and do it there. Press enter and you get test patterns.

Brad182 · 30-03-2007, 10:57 AM

I have the 42" version of this Tv and can't fault it

Splamone · 30-03-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol!ver

Doing what? Set the BD to RGB and use the cal. from that and everything runs the same.

No it doesn't as I tested it last night. Setting the BD/DVD colour to RGB only affects BDs and DVDs. Games running off BDs still use the component colour and have a correct black level and are not affected by that setting. Now if there was a game setting for the colour so I could set that to RGB, I could turn the brightness much lower than any other input on my TV to cope with the poor PS3 black level. At the moment, i'd prefer to have blacks working for BD films and BD games and just live with the XMB and HDD content being grey since I don't use it as much.

Splamone · 30-03-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad182

I have the 42" version of this Tv and can't fault it

Well, I don't have a 42XD1 available to test so I can't prove you wrong. It's possible that that version doesn't have this problem since it's not the same as the 37, 46 and 52 inch versions and is made in a different factory completely including different parts. It definitely affects the 46XD1E so i'd imagine the 37XD1E and 52XD1E are also affected.

mr gadget · 30-03-2007, 3:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splamone

Well, I don't have a 42XD1 available to test so I can't prove you wrong. It's possible that that version doesn't have this problem since it's not the same as the 37, 46 and 52 inch versions and is made in a different factory completely including different parts. It definitely affects the 46XD1E so i'd imagine the 37XD1E and 52XD1E are also affected.

I have the 46 inch as it does not happen on mine

Ol!ver · 30-03-2007, 4:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splamone

No it doesn't as I tested it last night. Setting the BD/DVD colour to RGB only affects BDs and DVDs. Games running off BDs still use the component colour and have a correct black level and are not affected by that setting. Now if there was a game setting for the colour so I could set that to RGB, I could turn the brightness much lower than any other input on my TV to cope with the poor PS3 black level. At the moment, i'd prefer to have blacks working for BD films and BD games and just live with the XMB and HDD content being grey since I don't use it as much.

But games don't run in component do they? The way I understood the thread, games run in RGB and BD films in component. Making the BD films run in RGB too then calibrating from there should make them both run at the same level. That's what's happening with mine anyway.

Splamone · 30-03-2007, 4:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol!ver

But games don't run in component do they? The way I understood the thread, games run in RGB and BD films in component. Making the BD films run in RGB too then calibrating from there should make them both run at the same level. That's what's happening with mine anyway.

Not with mine! The black levels on games and movies from disc are both fine. It's the XMB menu that's grey. Switching to RGB on the BD settings doesn't change the game screen at all so I can only guess that at 1080p it's running in component mode over HDMI for games.

This seems like a strange problem as it doesn't appear to affect all screens capable of running 1080p natively.

Splamone · 30-03-2007, 4:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr gadget

I have the 46 inch as it does not happen on mine

How can you not have the problem with your TV!? I've had confirmation from 2 other people with this TV at 46inches that also have the problem! Do you know what you are looking for and do you have your TV setup correctly? You won't notice this problem in a well lit room but it's pretty obvious in a darkened room. Try sitting about 2 foot from your screen and manually tick and untick the 1080p option in the display settings. When they screen comes back and says do you want to keep the settings with a countdown, it's clear that 1080i is far darker than 1080p.

If you really don't have this problem, can you let me know your serial number as it may be a newer model than mine and have some sort of change on it but I find that unlikely?

Ol!ver · 30-03-2007, 5:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splamone

Not with mine! The black levels on games and movies from disc are both fine. It's the XMB menu that's grey. Switching to RGB on the BD settings doesn't change the game screen at all so I can only guess that at 1080p it's running in component mode over HDMI for games.

This seems like a strange problem as it doesn't appear to affect all screens capable of running 1080p natively.

You're missing the point. Changing the setting I'm talking about won't change games at all. What it will do is make games and movies use the same colourspace, meaning if you cal. using a Sony BD then games will be right too. Yes the brightness is off in RGB colourspace over HDMI on certain TVs, but the problem people were complaining about was the need for different settings for movies and games. Doing what I say sorts it. If you're not happy with that solution then either get rid or use a different connection.

Splamone · 30-03-2007, 5:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splamone

Not with mine! The black levels on games and movies from disc are both fine. It's the XMB menu that's grey. Switching to RGB on the BD settings doesn't change the game screen at all so I can only guess that at 1080p it's running in component mode over HDMI for games.

This seems like a strange problem as it doesn't appear to affect all screens capable of running 1080p natively.

Just figured something out! I have been testing this with Motorstorm which is 720p. Since this problem only affects 1080p then games could well be RGB through HDMI. This shows though that there is no way around this problem as most games will run at 720p and they will be ruined if I set the BD HDMI to RGB and configure my settings on that! The only way to get around this problem is to not use 1080p as everything else works fine. That's not acceptable so I hope that the Playstation support team can sort this out in a future firmware update.

Whatever way you look at it, the PS3 has to be sending out strange 1080p RGB signal to cause this problem on some TVs. I guess some TVs are able to cope with it and not be affected and others like mine display the blacks as grey. I wonder how many different 1080p screens are affected and if the TV should be able to cope with the PS3 signal or not!?

Splamone · 30-03-2007, 5:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol!ver

Doing what I say sorts it. If you're not happy with that solution then either get rid or use a different connection.

See my previous reply, unfortunately it doesn't sort it since this is a 1080p problem and some games run in 720p which works differently. Using a different connection is not an option since 1080p can only be accepted through HDMI on my screen (and 99% of the current 1080p capable screens). I may well be getting rid of the TV at some point though, not due to this problem but due to a banding problem it has which I am waiting for a replacement for.

The ONLY REAL solution to this is for Sony to add a colourspace option in the overall display settings area for HDMI so that people can choose whether to use RGB or component for everything through HDMI. Another option would be for Sony to fix the RGB colourspace so that it is at the correct level. Really Sony should fix BOTH problems in a future firmware update. As I have said, I have raised a fault with Playstation Support so I hope they will provide a fix soon and not leave for a year or so (or not at all).

Thanks for your suggestions anyway Ol!ver.