Hitachi - DCAM Mode Convergence.

[57]

Disclaimer - enter the DCAM mode at your own risk. If you "screw up" in here, you can have big problems requiring a service visit from a technician. Review the instructions carefully before you start. Some newer TV/Remotes do not have the appropriate buttons.

If your TV is in static mode, you can usually get back to DCAM mode by pressing a small blue button on the lower left of the chassis when viewed from the front of the TV. Do not hold the small blue button down, just press it.

I found this information "elsewhere" but have used it myself.

People with newer Hitachis can do a 117 point "user convergence" in the user menu. Instructions are provided in the operating manual right after the section on Magic Focus.

I have used the following instructions to do a "DCAM" convergence several times. It works great if you know how to follow instructions.

Read carefully first before trying. Also, I've found it best to start in the "medium" 5 x 7 grid first - get the convergence good there and then go to the 9 x 13. If you start in the 9 x 13, you can waste an hour getting it almost perfect and then have an "S" curve happen on one of the last few points, so you have to go to the "medium" adjustment just to fix it... and then redo much of the 9 x 13.

I work from the center out...



Here are the instructions for how to do a DCAM convergence. You don't have to open the TV to do it. This is a different mode than the service menu. These instructions are mostly from the service manual with some added comments from a poster on the avs forum.

Manual Convergence for the Hitachi
1) Receive an NTSC signal.
2) Press Magic Focus to begin magic focus
3) Press magic focus again during the magic focus process to get the "stop" screen
4) While stop screen is up, press STATUS or INFO on the remote control (R/C) to bring you to DCAM mode and
the service grid
5) When you first get in here? I believe red is the selected color by default (it is flashing).
6) To choose other colors to converge, use the following buttons on the R/C:
a) "STATUS" - Green
b) "0" - Red
c) "ANT" - Blue
7) Start from the center of the screen and work your way out on one color at a time. I adjusted red across the
whole screen to match green. Then I switched to blue, and adjusted that to green as well. After you adjust blue, you
may want to go back and adjust some red again? etc. until the convergence looks good.
(a) Use 4, 6, 2, and 5 on the R/C to move the cursor position(dotted lines).
(b) Use thumb stick to move the convergence point color.
** There have been other posts in here to tape together the color filters found in the Avia DVD to help converge
lines more easily. I have used this method, and it works well for adjusting to a greater detail. Basically, you put the
red filter next to the green and adjust your red to the green line both horizontally, and then vertically. Then you do
the same with the blue next to the green. Some people recommended you should be at normal viewing distance. I
did mine from just a few feet back from the set. Maybe my eyes aren?t as good? maybe I just felt like it worked
better this way. There are some other posts also recommending using binoculars. I think it?s great that people
suggest things to make the process easier? but my girlfriend would think I was insane if she saw me with
binoculars on the couch adjusting the convergence. I don?t know? whatever works best I guess.
8 ) I did not adjust the green at all. I use the green as the guide and did not adjust the location of any green point.
This is highly suggested unless you have geometry problems.
9) When going along the lines and adjusting, you may run into the problem of getting an "S" curve on the line.
You?ll know if you get there. Basically, no matter what you do to adjust the line to be converged, the middle of the
line between the points will not straighten out (it bends between the points). To fix this, the manual recommends
going to the (7x5) mode which gives you less points to adjust. I had this problem, and the solution worked. There is
also another mode (3x3) which gives you even less points. Basically, if the set looks good, you only fine tune it in
(13x9) mode. If you have serious problems, the grids work as:
3x3 - "coarse"
7x5 - "medium"
13x9 - "fine"
10) To get to each of these patterns use the following on the R/C: (only if you need to)
1. (3x3) Press "STATUS" 5 times (only works when DCU is in uncorrected state)
2. (7x5) Press "0" 5 times
3. (13x9) Press "ANT" 5 times

Note: The grid size doesn't change, but the cursor "skips" a line.

11) If you adjust the 3x3, then you should go to the 7x5, and then the 13x9. You get the point? depending on where
you start, work your way up, and always finish on the 13x9
12) When finishing up the 13x9 mode, to get additional ?grids? on the edges of the screen, press the PIP CH button
on the remote control while in the digital convergence adjustment mode (DCAM). Fine tune the edge convergence
as necessary. To exit, press PIP CH again.
13) When convergence is acceptable, press PIP MODE to write data to ROM memory. ROM WRITE? is displayed
to alarm system that ROM will be overwritten with new data. Press the PIP MODE button again to write
displayed data to ROM.
14) DATA WRITE TO ROM will take approximately 4 seconds and no picture will be displayed.
15) Green dots will be displayed when operation is completed.
WARNING: YOU MUST DO THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO COMPLETE MAGIC FOCUS
INITIALIZATION!!! THERE HAVE BEEN MANY POSTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS
WITHOUT DOING THIS STEP BECAUSE THEY LOOSE MAGIC FOCUS!
16) Press MUTE to return to convergence pattern, then confirm again convergence is acceptable.
17) Press PIP MODE and then PIP CH to initialize Magic Focus. The initialize operation starts and several
windows appear during this operation. It takes about 30 seconds or less.
18 ) When green dots appear, initialize operation is finished.
19) Turn power OFF.
21) Wait a few seconds. Turn the TV on, and you should have your normal signal. Press Magic Focus button just
to make sure the magic focus still works (and that you did the last few steps properly)


End:



For those of you with newer Hitachi models like the S & T500 with different remotes, the following was supplied courtesy of BmC...

...taken from the T500 service manual: assuming you're already in the DCAM mode. Follow this exactly and you will reinitialize your magic focus to your new setting. the T and S models are pretty much the same with some added feature.

Adjustment procedure
(1) Receive any NTSC signal.
(2) Start adjustment at the center of the screen.
(3) Continue adjustment at next closest position.
(4) Adjust center area first, ending with edge sections.
(5) Press VID3 button to perform calculation operation.
This process will take about 1 second and no picture
will be seen at this time.
(6) After interpolation, check convergence again and
repeat (1)-(5) if necessary.
(7) When convergence is acceptable, press PIP MODE
to write data to ROM memory. ROM WRITE? is
displayed to alarm system that ROM will be
overwritten with new data. Press the PIP MODE
button again to write displayed data to ROM.
(8 ) DATA WRITE TO ROM will take approximately 4
seconds and no picture will be displayed.
(9) Green dots will be displayed when operation is
completed.
(10) Press MUTE to return to convergence pattern, then
confirm again convergence is acceptable.
(11) Press PIP MODE (ROM WRITE) mode, then press
SURF to initialize sensor data positions.

Also, see:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=17150 for F510

[Yak]

What is an NTSC signal. Is it HD or other channel.
Thanks much for the info you provided here.

[57]

Any SD channel.

[RNAChemist]

(5) Press VID3 button to perform calculation operation.
This process will take about 1 second and no picture
will be seen at this time.
(6) After interpolation, check convergence again and
repeat (1)-(5) if necessary.

What does the interpolation step in the DCAM do? Is it necessary?

I tried to initialize the interpolation with vid3 button (in the VCR mode) and nothing happens? (I have the S500 if it matters).

[RNAChemist]

Update to the DCAM:

While in the DCAM press "MENU" displays only the green grid.

If you push 0, or ANT you can display Red or Blue on top of the green. This allows you to converge Red into Green and then Blue into Green respectively.

If you push "MENU" repeatedly it scrolls through various DCAM options. One of which allows the user to view an NTSC source as the background to the DCAM grid. This would then allow the user to set the geometry perfectly from a pattern gerenated say from your DVD player.

[Grendalf]

I have an 46F500 and the remote is not the same. I cannot press magic focus anywhere. I found a grid in magic focus setting when you select manual instead of auto.

Is it there I do the adjustment?

Thanks

[RNAChemist]

The magic focus button is located under the panel on the front of the tv.
You cannot get into the DCAM from the remote. I have tried.

[Grendalf]

Thanks for the tip Now two things, I don't know but after I did all the convergence setup (I use the 57 faq) my image seems to be a little bit blurry. Is it because I did it wrong? Second, is it just me or the blue is very difficult to adjust.

[RNAChemist]

1.) What are you using as a source for determining the picture is blurry?

2.) Yup Blue is very difficult to adjust. I find myself squinting in percular ways just to see the lines.

[mia anne]

I posted a dilema that now probably needs a repair tech; however, I am curious as to where I can get the dvd that displays a properly set background green grid so I could set my totally messed up green grid to it??

[57]

Most times this is done with an overlay, not a DVD. The diagram for the overlay is included in the Hitachi service manual, or may be available on the web.

The setup DVDs like AVIA, DVE, S&V are available on the web and in some electronic stores (typically for more money). See the Digital Home FAQ "What you need to do to your new HDTV".

[ccu902]

does anybody know how to get out of this mode 46f500?
when i hit magic focus static mode

[RNAChemist]

Follow the instructions above?

Sounds like you tried to perform a convergence in the DCAM and then didnt exit properly. Now when you press MF it says Static Mode, is that correct?

If so, search for thread "little blue button" and then figure out how to reset the magic focus button.

[ccu902]

found the button thanks

[mush]

A quick or not so question...thanks for all the info already posted about this problem. My 43uwx10b has blue convergence problems...blues are 'warped' at the top and bottom of the screen. Cannot manually converge the blue. I pulled the back off and noted one resistor that looks burnt...the RH resistor of the pair that are mounted at the close end of the board to the back of the unit (this pair is also mounted perpendicular the the bulk of the resistors mounted along the backside of the heat sink...I agree this needs to be addressed, but does anyone know if this could be the culprit...I don't have a service manual yet, but the day is coming....thnx