Where are the Manuals?

Mitsubishi LT-46131 and LT-37131: Mitsubishi.com or CarltonBale.com

Mitsubishi LT-46231 and LT-37132: Mitsubishi.com or CarltonBale.com

What are the differences between the two sets LT-46131 and the LT-46231?
The LT-46-231 has the following features that the LT-46131 does not have:

• Piano Black (shiny black) front bezel and speaker grill (instead of silver)
• PerfectTint (additional tint control)
• an extra component input (3 instead of 2)
• TV Guide Onscreen
• NetCommand unified learning remote
• Fully- (instead of partially-) illuminated main remote
• Second remote (simplified–17 buttons instead of 45)
• IR output jacks for hooking IR repeaters up to external (hidden) components

What are the Settings for Best Performance? (use a calibration disk, your own eyes, and start here)

Possible Service Menu codes (use at your own risk!!)

TV Reset

• To reset all customer settings.
• Press MENU-1-2-3-ENTER
• All customer settings except V-Chip are reset.

Initialize - User Level

• To reset all consumer adjusted settings and memories to the original factory defaults.
• Press FORMAT and INPUT buttons on the front control panel at the same time.
• All memories and settings outlined in the Owner's Guide will need to be set again.

Initialize - Service Level

• To reset all consumer adjusted settings and memories to the original factory defaults.
• MENU + 2470
• Highlight INITIALIZE and press ENTER
• All memories and settings outlined in the Owner's Guide will need to be set again. Also erases V-Chip password.

Factory Restore

• To recover from data/adjustment errors in the ISF menu.
• MENU + 2457 + 0
• Highlight RESTORE FACTORY DEFAULTS and press ENTER
• All service, user, and ISF data is set back to factory defaults.

How do I get the fault codes to flash out if my TV is experiencing a problem?

• Press the MENU & INPUT buttons on the front panel. This should make the power light flash a certain number of times, in a unique sequence for each fault condition. A Mitsubishi technician can use this code to troubleshoot the fault.

Are there Discrete Power / Input Remote Control Codes from the Stock Remote?

• Set the remote control switch to TV mode.
• Press and hold the power button until it flashes.
• Press "0" - wait for two flashes - press "0090".
• The remote is now set up in direct input selection mode.
• Power turns things on. Stop (on the VCR section) turns it off.
• Press "Input" and then either a Number or one of the function keys - each combination matches up with a particular input.
• Press "Format" and then a number from 1-7 - depending on which input you're on and what type of signal, you'll go directly to the selected format. (The numbers match up with the order in the manual).
• Press and hold the power button until it flashes.
• Press "0" - wait for two flashes - - press "0935" and the remote will be back to normal.

How can I contact Mitsubishi Tech Support - direct Irvine, CA USA (not first-tier overseas support)?

• Phone: 949-465-6000
• It's the headquarter office
• Hours are M-F 8-5 PST with lunch off 12-1

MITSUBISHI DIGITAL ELECTRONICS AMERICA, INC. (MDEA)
9351 Jeronimo Rd.
Irvine, CA 92618
www.mitsubishi-tv.com
info@mitsubishi-tv.com
mdeaservice@mdea.com

MDEA SERVICE REFERRALS
800-332-2119

MDEA WARRANTY DEPARTMENT
800-888-8245
949-465-6323 fax

MDEA PARTS DEPARTMENT
800-553-7278
800-825-6655 fax

Owners Manuals (all models)
http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/18344/OwnersGuides.html?mid=89866

MDEA CONSUMER RELATIONS
800-332-2119
Mitsubishi provides service through a network of independent service centers and self-servicing dealers. Repair support and online service and training literature is available only to authorized service centers or service centers who subscribe to their service site for an annual fee. Mitsubishi does not sell parts through distributors. Service manuals are available through the parts department. Some may be found online through unauthorized sources such as
http://www.schematicsforfree.com/archive/dir/Video/Products

How do I Connect at PC using DVI and get the Correct Video Mode?

• For anyone that is using the 46-131 connected via DVI to a Windows PC, I have an update on the changing screen resolution problem that occurs after switching from a HDMI source to DVI. I have been able to get the PC to display on the 1080P setting correctly using the following sequence:

1. Tune to a 1080I channel (assuming you are using a STB like me) while using the HMDI input
2. Now, switch from your HDMI input to your DVI input

• If I do this, the PC displays in the correct 1080P mode.
• If I have my STB tuned to a non-HDTV channel in 480I and I switch to DVI, the PC displays using the wrong mode.

• I have a S2 Tivo (480) and the new TiVo HD (1080) both coming through HDMI to the TV. If the receiver is set to the old one, the DVI PC screen switch will be scaled wrong, if on the THD, switches perfectly. This happens whether I am switching from the HDMI directly, or from the OTA Antenna, while the S2 is on the HDMI feed.
• I would like to point out there is an extra setting under the display adjustments menu when receiving a PC signal. In addition to cycling through the standard color and contrast settings, a new setting called "auto adjust" appears. When I clicked this, all the overscan issues on my Vista desktop disappeared. I have a Lenovo T60 with an ATI Radeon if that helps anyone.

How do I connect an analog (VGA) cable to the TV?

• These models have a DVI-I input that can accept both analog and digital computer signals. If you want to connect an analog signal, you'll need to purchase a 15-pin VGA to DVI-I adapter plug.
• If your television is a 46231 or 37132, you should go to an input other than the PC input then enter the NetCommand menu. On the righthand side of that will be a field labeled "PC/DVI Input" — use the right arrow to get over to it and the up/down arrows to change the value to "Analog". If the current input is PC the field will be greyed out and you won't be able to modify it.
• If your television is a 46131 or 37131, I'm not sure what menu that field will be on, but almost certainly you will not be able to change the value while the input is set to PC.
• The maximum resolution using VGA to connect to the DVI-I port is 1366 x 768. Using DVI from the computer to the DVI-I port gives the full 1920×1080 resolution.

What is that Cricket Sound (power supply buzz) that comes out of the TV when it's turned on?

• A very few owners have reported a "cricket sound" when they turn their TV on. This is apparently only an issue with a limited number of the very first units produced. The sound is produced by the power supply and is a known issue for Mitsubishi. You can either have a technician come to your house and replace the power supply under warranty or, if it is within the first 30 or so days of purchase, you can exchange the set at the place of purchase for a replacement.

What is "The White Line"?

• The "white line" is a 1- or 2-pixel wide line that can sometimes appear along the top or along the sides of the picture. The line is not white but rather just a little bit lighter than the rest of the picture. It is not a problem with the LCD panel but rather a result of the image processing. It can occur on the edge of letterboxed video (which is not on the edge of screen).
• The line is generally unnoticeable from a few feet away and most owners do not feel it is an issue. Mitsubishi LCD TVs are not the only display devices to have this issue (I've noticed it on my Sony projector as well.)

Where can I discuss this TV with other owners?

• Check out the Official Mitsubishi LT-46131 & LT-46231 (46" 1080p LCD) Owner / Discussion Thread over at AVSforum.com

Do I need a Cable Card to tune-in HD stations from my local cable provider?

• You probably do not need a Cable Card for local HD stations. These Mitsubishi LCDs have a built-in tuner for digital cable. FCC regulations require that all local network stations be unencrypted when re-transmitted by a cable operator. So the turner in these displays can display the digital cable HD stations. With Comcast Basic Package in Indy, I get all of the local HD stations plus a few music-only stations. Now, if you want a non-network station such as HBO, you'll need to get a cable card as HBO would be encrypted by the cable provider.

Can the FireWire (IEEE 1394) Port be used to as a source for an external recorder?

• Yes, it can be used to send unencrypted Transport Streams to an external recorder.
• It can only record unencrypted programs from the RF inputs (antenna or cable tuner inputs), not from encrypted CableCard channels (with the Copy Never flag enabled.)
• The TV can be programmed to tune in to a specific station and start the recording automatically over FireWire.
• It works very well with a FireWire D-VHS HD Video recorder to record the Transport Streams.
• It works with external FireWire hard drives — but not just any drive with a FireWire port. It has to be a special drive enclosure that supports the AVC over FireWire protocol. Examples of these drive include:RCA 2160, Toshiba Symbio, CinemaVu.
  • Check out this AVS Forum thread on the Indigita AVHD IEEE 1394 Hard Disc Drive.
• It can be connected to a computer running the Vividlogic DTVR software. This allows the computer to record from the TV and the TV to play recorded shows back from the computer.
• The external recorder records whatever is on screen, so if you enable a picture-in-picture display, that will be recorded.

Does the TV have to be Powered ON for shows to be recorded by an external device?

• No, it doesn't, but it does have to be in stand-by mode. In the TV settings menu, there are two options for the Power-Off state: Low Power (everything turned off) and Standby (just the screen is off, tuners, etc. are still on.) I don't use any external FireWire recorders, so I use the Low Power option.

What is Stretch Plus?

• 480 Stretch Plus lets the user adjust the screen up and down using the arrow keys on the remote so you center the picture with more detail than stretch. I love this feature.

Where can I purchase a service manual?

• http://www.manualuniverse.com/

How and why a "plasma purist" wound-up falling in love with a Flat Panel LCD.

Overview:
The Super Bowl is a little over a week away and question many people are asking themselves is "which HDTV should I buy for the game?" The answer is not simple and represents a significant monetary investment. Sure, a bunch of future displays were just announced at CES, but there is always something better on the horizon, those displays are months away, and the Super Bowl is upon us - it's time to pull the trigger! Due to my price and space considerations, I focused on HDTV displays ranging from 42"-50" from higher-end manufacturers that are available at most local big box retailers. This write-up summarizes the hours of research and testing that went into making my final display choice for Super Bowl 2007 and many thereafter.

Flat Panel or Rear Projection or Front Projection?
This is a decision you have to make based on how much space you want to devote to the display, how much time you want to devote to installation, and how much budget you have. This article is devoted to Flat Panels; I chose a flat panel because I wanted the smallest footprint possible (actually, zero footprint since it's installed on the wall.) Rear projection definitely offers a larger screen for a lower price. Front projection offers a giant screen for an even lower price if you have total light control and are willing to perform a more intensive install. But Flat Panels are pretty much the sexiest displays out there, and that's probably why I chose that technology.

LCD or Plasma?
I must admit, I'm a plasma purist. I've always admired their extremely black blacks and unequaled ANSI contrast ratio. If you're going to be watching your TV exclusively in a dark room, plasma is definitely the way to go. But I already have a dedicated home theater with a front projection system. When I want to watch TV outside of my home theater isolation chamber, I want to do it with the lights on and in the daylight. These lighting conditions are the downfall of plasma. All plasmas have a glass front panel on them. When they produce those amazing black levels for which they are famous, the front panel becomes extremely mirror-like. So you can easily see reflections from your windows and any lamp that is beside or behind you (when you're in front of the TV.) LCDs, on the other hand, have a matte finish on the front. This results in great diffusion and almost total elimination of glare. LCDs are also brighter than plasmas. This combination of features makes LCD the much better choice if you aren't going to darken your room every time you watch.

I've chosen Plasma, what display do you recommend?
The newest Samsung plasmas (such as the Samsung HP-S5073 and HP-S4253) have an anti-glare coating on them, which reduced the amount of reflections and to a small degree eliminates the glare problem. When compared side-by-side with the two other top plasmas (the Pioneer PDP-5070HD and the Panasonic TH50PX600), the glare was reduced in scenes with medium brightness. Extremely bright and colorful scenes look great on all of the plasmas and dark scenes were full of reflections on all of the plasmas, so the Samsung coating is only a moderate success. Unfortunately, these sets are notorious for emitting an annoying buzz from their main controller board (see this and this AVSforum thread.) Assuming that you're looking for a 50" plasma, this really leaves only two choices (based on a wide amount of reading and testing): the Panasonic TH50PX600 and the Pioneer PDP-5070HD. When properly calibrated, both give an absolutely stunning picture, but a majority of the people over at AVSforum gives a slight edge to the Pioneer. Seeing that the price of these two displays is extremely close (especially when searching online), I strongly recommend the Pioneer PDP-5070HD.

Recommendation for 50" Plasma: Pioneer PDP-5070HD

Recommendation for 42" Plasma: Panasonic TH42PX600

I've chosen LCD, what display do you recommend?
I initially focused on the "S brands": Sony, Samsung, and Sharp (there are many more budget-minded brands out there but I focused on these higher-end alternatives). Anyone can debate picture quality for any set, but an annoying flaw is something that almost everyone can agree on — and something I wanted to avoid at all costs.

The Sharp (Aquos 42D62U/46D62U/52D62U) is the low-cost leader of this bunch but a large number of users have noticed horizontal and vertical banding (uneven brightness resulting in horizontal or vertical bars - see this AVSforum thread.) Because of this and a marginally lower opinion of the overall quality versus the others, I dropped them off the list.

I then considered the Samsung (LN-S4696D, LN-S4695D, LN-S4096D) and Sony XBR and V2500 (KDL-46XBR3, KDL-40XBR3, KDL-46XBR2, KDL-40XBR2, KDL-46V2500, KDL-40V2500) models but found a huge amount of complaining about cloudy/uneven backlighting. Samsung makes the panels for both the Sony and Samsung models and this problem affects a very high percentage of these displays (well over 50% of owners see the problem). Check out this, this, and this AVSforum thread and the picture below.

At this point, I was close to giving up — but then I found and started researching Mitsubishi (LT-46131, LT-46231) models. No banding. No cloudy uneven backlighting. This post by 'bugsbny' sums it up best:

"Well, my hellish two weeks are over! After getting a 46" XBR2 (with clouds…see my post in the Sony cloud thread) and a 46" Aquos (with banding) I was about to give up on LCD. . . Using the best possible comparison tool…my living room with the same inputs, I definitely got the best picture with the Mitsubishi."

Plus, compared to the others, the Mitsubishi has more inputs, a cable card slot, the best Picture-in-Picture and Picture-out-of-Picture features (Samsung has limited PiP), a firewire output (for D-VHS recording of HD), and it is the only set to properly deintlace signals to the native progressive screen refresh rate (test results). Finally, it has a built-in QAM tuner, which means that it can tune-in unencrypted local HD stations off of digital cable without having to rent/add a cable card. In short, this became the clear choice for my LCD purchase. Using these settings during an in-store demo made the decision final.

Recommendation for 46" LCD: Mitsubishi LT-46131 (or LT-46231)

Recommendation for 42" or 50" LCD: buy the 46" Mitsubishi instead

If you're looking to buy a LCD flat-panel TV for the Super Bowl, I highly recommend the Mitsubishi LT-46131 or LT-46231 (both have the same panel, the 231 has just a few more features and a completely black case.) Both of these are available in-store at Fry's Electronics and online at Frys.com for the lowest price I've found. Circuit City also carries them.

This is the best advice I have to offer on digital flat panels for SuperBowl 2007 — but be sure to go the stores and look at these displays yourself with your own eyes — and let me know if you come to a different conclusion.

Go Colts!

Nicole just sent me a message on my phone - our little spec just "kicked" for the first time!

Just as resolution continues to increase on HDTV sets, so it seems does contrast ratio. I few years ago, digital displays were exclaiming how impressive a 1,000:1 contrast ratio was. Now 10,000:1 is not that uncommon. And since contrast ratio is more important to resolution in the production of a great picture, it sounds like these new displays should be amazingly fantastic. Unfortunately, these extremely high contrast ratios have little to do with real world performance and are, to a great extent, marketing hype.

First of all, it's necessary to understand the difference between the two types of contrast ratio measurements. The one used by pretty much every manufacturer out there is full on (100% white) / full off (100% black). While this can give some amazingly high numbers, people don't watch all-white or all-black screens. Comparing the brightest whites in one scene to the blackest blacks in another scene is not representative of the picture quality available at the exact instance the viewer is watching each scene. (Measuring the screens at 2 different times also allows further manipulation of the display between tests, such as switching to a different color wheel setting, changing the aperture of an iris, or taking the measurement at a more favorable location on the screen.)

The contrast ratio that matters most for the most common viewing scenarios is ANSI contrast ratio [1]. With ANSI contrast ratio, the black and white levels are measured at the same time on the same screen using a 16-square black and white checkerboard image. What this means is that it is representative of the contrast ratio achievable at any one point in time; this is what is really important to viewers. [Edit: see AlenK's comment below regarding situations where On/Off contrast ratio become important.]

The reason ANSI contrast ratios are not published is because of marketing. ANSI contrast ratios are much lower than on/off contrast ratios. An ANSI contrast ratio of 250:1 would be an impressive result and 600:1 would be outstanding — but much too low of a number if casually compared to an on/off contrast ratio of 6,000:1.

This info is for front projection and does not directly relate to flat panels:

One last point that is critical is the impact ambient light has on perceived contrast ratio. Ambient light kills contrast ratio on any and every display. If you make out the beige carpet below your flat panel, your contrast ratio is being negatively impacted. If there is 1 lux of ambient light in the room (i.e. a small candle), the max perceivable contrast ratio is 500:1. A dimly lighted room with 30 lux of lighting would squash the maximum perceivable contrast ratio to 50:1 [2]. Unless you have a completely dark room covered in black velvet, you'll never be able to perceive the high on/off contrast ratios claimed by manufacturers — those numbers are meaningless otherwise.

Conclusion: If you're looking to buy a new HDTV, don't place much merit on the contrast ratio published by the manufacturer; it is pretty much meaningless for real-world (a little bit of light in the room) viewing. Plus, I've never seen a review of a calibrated display meet or exceed the manufacturer published contrast ratios. Look for independent test results that measure both ANSI and On/Off contrast ratio on a properly-calibrated display. If you are always watching TV in a well-lit room, the contrast ratio doesn't really matter anyway; display brightness is more important the brighter the room is. But if you like to enjoy the full performance of your display by turning the lights off, high contrast ratio is extremely important.
If you're considering a model for which no reviews listing ANSI and On/Off contrast ratio exist, use this rule of thumb:

1. CRT displays are pretty much the king of on/off contrast and give the best black levels, have great color reproduction, but lower ANSI contrast ratios [edited 2007-05-29]
2. Plasmas offer almost the same (and often better) on/off contrast ratio performance as compared to CRT and can offer better ANSI contrast ratios.
3. DLP is the best for digital front/rear projection displays
4. LCoS (aka SXRD, DiLA) are very close to DLP
5. LCD (both flat panels and front/rear projection) offers the poorest contrast ratios (especially on/off); however, they can be among the brightest flat panels and that makes them great for bright rooms where it is difficult to perceive contrast ratio.

Like always, there are some exceptions. Always look at a display yourself before you purchase it. LCD flat panels have great bang-for-the buck and look pretty good on a bright show-room floor. See if you can view and compare it in your normal viewing environment (a completely dark room, a very bright room) before you make your final decision. Plasmas have great black levels but are terrible for glare and reflection off the glass front screen; plasma + direct sunlight = unwatchable combination.