Sony KDL32D3000 Settings

Many thanks to every one who contributed to our PS3 fundraising… noticed that Mr J King topped off his £15 donation with a further pound to complete the £400 required. :) It’s a shame Paypal took its cut, so in reality we’re left with about £370… ah well, time to have a look on eBay.

As a token of appreciation, here are our post-calibration settings for the Sony KDL32D3000 (primarily for HD but should also be applicable to SD with minor tweaks) over HDMI input in a dimly lit environment. During daytime or in a brighter environment, you should increase the backlight and/or gamma to a level where shadow detail and peak brightness are not overpowered by surrounding ambient light.

I have included the service menu settings this time, which was necessary to achieve D65 greyscale. Please make sure you know what you’re doing; write down all your original settings before you start messing about; and think twice before pressing any button on the remote control – you may unknowingly make some irreversible changes and permanently damage your TV. Treat this as a disclaimer: you assume total risk and responsibility for accessing and adjusting your service menu, and in no event shall www.hdtvtest.co.uk and its owners be liable for any incidental, consequential or indirect damages arising out of the use of information contained within this article.

Bear in mind that even if you applied our settings exactly, the final picture may not be accurate due to different ambient lighting, input source and intra-model variation, or you simply prefer non-D65 (bluer) images. The best way is to use our settings as a baseline and then further finetune the black level (brightness), white level (contrast) and colour with your own calibration DVD like DVE.

Enough talk, let’s see some numbers:

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47 comments

  1. Thanks a lot – hoping these swill work on the v300a in NZ (which is I think essentially the d3000 minus motionflow and 100hz).

    But, how do you access the service menu?

  2. I was reading on the AVforums that someone from Sony Centre had said “Auto 2” film mode was not available with 1080i/p inputs when using Motionflow?

    Is this true?

  3. Paul: put the TV on standby and rapidly press i+, 5, volume up, green on/off button. The TV should boot up with the service menu visible.

    Thanks for the settings Vincent, my settings weren’t too far off. I hope the PS3 will aid in testing, because I found some issues with Motionflow when playing games on my Xbox 360. In Test Drive Unlimited, after opening up the GPS navigation screen, the screen stutters (as if Motionflow is turned off) for the first second when I move the map around with my right stick. When I keep moving in the same direction, the screen stays fine unless a) I move the stick in another direction or b) I hover the cursor above a race/car dealer/etc and the menu on the right pops out, then the same thing occurs.

    Second case was in Guitar Hero 2: Motion flow really helps for keeping the scrolling notes sharp and visible, but sometimes the camera that shows the concert in the top half of the screen is placed on the neck of the guitar. Usually this is during the part of the song where you play a kickass solo so you can see the characters fingers moving across the neck of the guitar, but the guitar also swings around a lot causing the same Motionflow-less stutter effect as described above. I think a might go ahead and give Sony customer support a call… sure these are isolated incidents but I didn’t expect this from a high-end 32″ TV after putting down 1200+ euros for it.

  4. Does motionflow work on a 360 via VGA input? I ask since alot of tv tuning options aren’t avaiable via VGA(PC input). For example Game mode is not available via VGA input and before you say I prefer VGA to component.

  5. There seems to be alot of confusion about the various combinations of motionflow/film modes 1 & 2/game mode. the suspicion is that the D3000 will not enable motionflow with HD material and film mode set to auto 2. Which could be a dealbreaker if motionflow ‘standard’ and auto 2 is the best combo. It’s either a bug or a processing limitation. Either way it needs to be clarified real soon. I wouldn’t buy this TV if it was hobbled at HD rez.

  6. Vincent do you know the answer?

  7. As far as I know it’s like this:

    – auto 2 shows the movie like it’s intended to, so probably cinema settings at 24Hz. Motionflow creates extra frames, so auto 2 and motionflow aren’t intended to work together because motionflow alters the original that way.

  8. Hi All,

    How do you switch off the service menu mode?

    I managed to start it, and now whenever I press some buttons,
    e.g. the “tools” button, it keeps popping up again instead of the original menu.

  9. I have the same problem as zoli above.

    i cant turn off the service menu since i changed them!!! every time i press tools it pops up instead of the standard menu. i’m a bit wary on messing around with service menu to get rid of it so any instructions welcomed

  10. Yeah how do you get rid of the service menu?…Anyone know?..Thanx

  11. @zoli, Paul & ReggieD: Strange, I never had such a problem. Have you guys tried switching off the mains power and see if you can regain access to the normal menu?

  12. That done it Thanx Vincent..”Feel a pratt now” LOL..:}…Ta again mate..

  13. Does this service menu settings apply for 40″ to?

  14. Jens Hummelmose

    10£ on your way.

    GREAT thread. Really made a difference for me…

  15. I’d be more than happy to take the kdl-32d3000 off your hands at very near the purchase price, are you guys in London? let me know,

  16. I managed to access the service menue but couldnt find the section you highlight with the R drive ect, how do I get to it?

  17. thanks for the help guys…yep

  18. After I accessed the service menu and changed the values, 3 buttons on the remote dosen’t work normally anymore. Then I press the aspect ratio button test is written on the screen. Is there a way I reset the tv to get the remote to work like it originally did?

  19. Yes, I’ve got the same problem: 3 buttons of the remote control doesn’t work any more after going to the service menu… any ideas?

  20. Same problem here…

    I’ve switched off the main power and removed the main wire during 20 hours, and the problem is already here: when I press the button used to change screen format (a square with two arrows) “TEST” appears on the screen isntead of changing screen format.

    When I push this button a second time, “TT–” appears.

    And when I press this button and “A/B” button immediatly, service mode comes back.

    I think the reason why is that service mode isn’t really closed. Any idea ?

    Thank you for helping us. :(

  21. Hi.
    I’ve got a PS3 and bought the KDL32D3000 due to the review on this site, however with FIFA 08 I am having some problems with blur which I am trying to eliminate. If anyone could help it would be great.

  22. @ Vincent:

    The service menu settings – why did you choose those values?
    (or: how did you come up with them, what & how did you test to advise these values)

    Thanks

  23. @Joe: Try this one
    Motion Enhancer: High
    Film mode: off
    Game mode: off

    or this one
    Motion Enhancer: High (will be disabled)
    Film mode: off
    Game mode: on (if “on” motion enhancer will be disabled)

  24. Non non, je t’en prie, de me remercie pas, c’était un plaisir.

  25. “NE ME” (et merde…)

  26. I have the same problem with service menu as they said above.Can anyone help ???

  27. I have the same problem after changing the service menu colour settings, I would strongly advise against it.

  28. Are you saying that entering the service menu fucks the TV up?

  29. I know how to get the service menu turned “off”, reply i you want to know….

  30. Yes I would like to know. Thanks

  31. I found that by switching the TV off fully and then leaving it for 1/2 hour it went back to normal. I dont think there are any specific fixes for this problem. Once you have exited the menu leave the TV for a while and it should return to normal again. The changes my for some enhance the picture, but for me personally I would up to sharpness on HD material such as Blu-Rail or HD-DVD as it kind of defeats the object of having 1080p performance with your sharpness pulled back to 0…

  32. These settings work really great with my 46″

    strangely I don’t have any trouble with the service menu .. access it, makes the changes and turns off the television again with the green button ..

  33. Noticed this additional advice when exiting the service menu:

    To return the remote control to normal operation, you have to remove the batteries and press a button for three seconds to ensure that the internal capacitor is empty.

    Havn’t tried it yet as I’m just about to buy a set.

    Hope that helps.

  34. Thank you for recommending these settings.
    I’m kinda worried about going into the service menu now though, what with all the complaints about not being able to return to the standard menu. Can we get some clarification on this please? Vincent? DaveR?

    Also to “Clusterbomb” post #30
    Don’t be such a prat! You can see all these people asking how to fix it. If you have the answer, just bloody post it.

  35. I just purchased a 32D3000 and successfully done the service menu changes.

    I didn’t have any trouble exiting the service menu, step by step guide to what I did:

    – Entered service menu and made the changes
    – Saved the changes
    – Pressed the menu button which closes the service menu
    – Pressed the green on/off button
    – Switched the tv off from the top
    – I took then took the batteries out and held down a button for few seconds (not sure if this needs to be done, but someone mentioned it above)
    – Switched the tv back on and all was back to normal, the normal menu appears when I press the tools/menu button. Tried the screen size button also, that all works as normal aswell.

    p.s. clusterbomb….do one up your f****** arse.

  36. OH MY GOD IT WORKED !!!

    THANK YOU SO MUCH DaveR AND Kash !!!!!

    I owe you a big, a huge one !!!

    Everybody that has the same probleme as mine (post #21), check for posts #34 and #36.

    I love you guys.

  37. Thank you very much for the preferred settings. I have a one question to PS3 owners and HDMI connection. What is it you use in PS3 display settings?
    – RGB Limited/Full
    – Superwhite
    – RGB/YUY

  38. 1. Using the settings above, does anyone else think that Warm 2 makes whites look “yellowey”? I found that Cool makes the whites actually look like white.

    2. Can anyone explain the difference between game mode, motion enhancer, and setting to auto 1 on film mode?

    thanks

  39. Thanks for posting these settings for D3000 (D3100 in Australia).

  40. Hi, I ran these settings in my 46D3000 and they looked ok until I watched a recent episode of Simpsons and noticed that their yellow colour is tilted toward green which makes their faces look unhealthy. After this i realized that some skin tones in other shows were also tilted toward green.

    To fix this I popped back to the service menu and dropped G_Drive to 247 and G_Drive to 510 I. I also tuned the blue back a couple of steps. The yellow looks much more natural now, although I’m not sure if this is the optimal setting or if it introduces any other colour errors. I’ll still have to keep looking. :)

    What would be the optimal close-to-D65 setting that would keep the yellows where they should be? Vincent? Anyone?

  41. Sorry, the 510 is supposed to be G_BKG.

  42. using the full rgb setting on the ps3 i’ve noticed that the shadows are somehow lost and everything is very dark.It seems to me that this set des not support the full rgb setting.It “crushes” the blacks

  43. Isn’t there a PS3 available now?

    How about a PS3 Settings Add below the Standart TV Settings and also a Blu Ray Settings Part..

    I really encounter some problems with all the extra tools on the D3000 and the PS3

    i mean the Superwhite, the Full / Limited, Perfect Black, Perect white… what about all these tools? Are they all useless? i mean why should Sony inplement those if not even the ps3 got any issues about that ? hugh?

    Please help!

  44. 32d3000 sets

  45. 1st top setting is blank

  46. hi all guys,

    modified the settings according the Vincent’s suggestion.
    It looks great.

    I faced the 2 issues you are describing:

    q1.: how is it possible to definitively exit from service menu?
    a1.: use MENU button on the remote

    q2.: three buttons on the remote seem not working. How is it possible to recocer them
    a2.: you have to set in Service Menu Settings the SAME values in ANALOG and DIGITAL MODE!! Same value for both mode. Note: probably when different settings in Service Menu Settings the TV remain in a sort of TEST status disabling the 3 buttons (size, picture in picture and audio) on remote