CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

OK, here's a biiiig question.

The NEc and Marquee sets have a hidden password that unlock some hidden menus. Doug Baisey was really anal about NOT giving out that password for the NEC, and Tim for the Marquee, as you can reset the hour meter in the Marquee, and also access all sorts of stuff that can REALLY screw up the projector.

With the NEC, you can do an initialization, which changes all functions to 50%, including the color balance/bias settings, critical to good color tracking and white balance.

One false move on either set, and troubleshooting ends quickly with:

'you're effed, send the chassis to me'.

Now, back a few years ago, Doug and Tim didn't want these passwords out due to the headaches access to these via incompetent end users/techs can cause to their sets.

THe way I look at it now, the incompetents will STILL screw up their sets, but frankly, someone over in the calibration forum wants to do an NEC XG white balance, and without the super secret pasword, they won;t be able to.

Now, maybe the set has issues that is causing bad color balance, or maybe he's swapped tubes. I know I do color balances on say 1 out of 5 XG sets.

So, now that the sets are worth a lot less, do I give out the passwords, or do I keep them secret?

I'd like to hear from Tim and others that know these. I won't lose myself any business as far as I'm concerned, no one is going to ship me an XG if they screw it up...

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

Is the Marquee code 1596***, or is that another service code (yes I just hid the last three numbers)

I was given that code by a forum member years ago, I did look at the menu but didn't see too much that I thought could really mess things up, but then I had an 8000 so maybe it didn't have the same menu a later machine would?

I don't see a need to post it, if someone wants it they can post on the forum and someone will likely send it to them.

Erik

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:26 am Post subject:

That's the one.. Wink

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1176 Location: Arvada, CO

Is the NEC super secert password different than the master password?

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

I see no reason to put these out there in the general CRT section or Tutorial, it's absolutely stupid to do so and will cause people to damage sets they wouldn't have otherwise. If someone really wants to get in there the information is already out there, no reason to prod people into it

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Is the NEC 31** or is there a different one?

Mike

Mark_A_W · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:12 am Post subject:

3151 or 315151 (?) is the service passcode for an NEC XG. You need that to do a setup (Raster centering).

This passcode will also allow you to do (or screw up) the white balance, and maybe even initialise the eeprom (I forget).

These passwords have been widely spread, they aren't secret.

There is another engineering passcode which is super secret, and has absolutely no use whatsoever.

Mark

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

Did Barco ever use any so called secret codes ? Regardless just post the service codes. I remember a similar thread on AVS that posted the codes and some people were really pissed off ? Rolling Eyes

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:20 am Post subject:

OK, I won't bother. Good to know that they are safe... still. Very Happy

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Unless I am missing the point, what benefit is there to give them out in the first place? What liability is there?

dturco · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:34 pm Post subject:

Oww, Oww, pleeease, can I have it? Twisted Evil

GOZER is working great I need something else to screw it up. Razz

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:51 pm Post subject:

This post was in response to someone wanting to do a white balance calibration as posted on the main site. I cut and pasted that from something that KennyG wrote up on avs a few years ago, and I (and many others I think) have used that successfully for a long time.

https://www.curtpalme.com/forum_archived/viewtopic.php@t=19403.html

The catch is, you need the super secret password to access the locked out white balance adjustments, thus this post.

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

CIR Engineering · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 5:27 pm Post subject:

I agree. Give out the NEC, but don't put the Marquee in the public domain yet. The last thing I need is to show up on jobs and have to figure out what end users messed up in the SS Marquee menu. 9500's are still very valuable at this point, but NEC's really aren't.

craigr

Mr. Green · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject:

I'd vote for "not now", maybe later on put it in advanced procedures so people who are more less likely to mess anything up will have access, since they will already be in the middle of the procedure when they need it (or the could just e-mail you when they get there).

When you do put it in, don't advertise, just point people to the right spot if needed. I agree with draganm, there would be a bunch of bozo's out there resetting the clocks and selling projectors as "near mint".

rssimm · Joined: 28 Jul 2009 Posts: 48

my wife thinks i fiddle with the setup to much now, and i'm sure she does not want me on a first name basis with tim. as long as i can get a great picture without it i don't need it.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:30 pm Post subject:

Sorry, what were we talking about? My mind is foggy, I don't remember nuffin' about passwords.. Very Happy

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

I am in IT....there are reasons why users don't have the password to the server!!!!