I just bought a Panasonic TH-C42HD18 Plasma for, among the obvious other uses, playing some of the games I haven't played yet on my Gamecube at 480p(yes, I do have the component cables.) I passed on another plasma because it did not have a gray pillarboxing option in favor of this one so I could view 4:3 content with no worries about uneven phosphor wear. Imagine my dismay when I popped in a few games and they all had a 1/2" black bar all the way around the outside. As far as I know there is no way to change this on the Gamecube(I assume it would require up-scaling to adjust the overscan) leaving the only way I can think of to fix it, without involving another device, adjusting the overscan on the TV in the service menu, which I am not to sure is a great idea, but I am willing to try it. I guess I might be able to run it through a DVR that has an overscan adjustment built in; does anyone know of one that has that capability?

What is the likelihood that I will have a problem if I play 4-5 games with the black bar around the outside, totaling, lets say, no more than 300 hours?

The first thing I would like to try is adjusting the overscan(unless someone thinks that is a bad idea) but I have not been able to find the service menu code for this TV. Besides that, all I can think of is up-scaling or adjusting overscan with a third party device in real time and I don't really even know where to start there.

Ah ha, I guess the service codes I found apply to this TV after all. It is just that the "status" button was apparently changed to the "info" button on this remote, so in order to access the service menu you hold the volume down on the front chassis panel and then press the "info" button 3 times. Now I guess I need to poke around a bit and find out what I can do.

I'm not familiar with that model of Panasonic, but as far as I know none of the recent Panasonic plasmas have any overscan controls in the service menu (or anything else useful, other than grayscale adjustments).

I wouldn't worry much about IR, burn in, or uneven wear as long as it's not more than a year or two old. Maybe hold off on any long gaming sessions for until you've used the TV for a couple hundred hours.

I'm not familiar with that model of Panasonic, but as far as I know none of the recent Panasonic plasmas have any overscan controls in the service menu (or anything else useful, other than grayscale adjustments)

Unfortunately, it seems as if you are right about the lack of an overscan control in the service menu. I have read about the possibility of a mythical "second" service menu that supposedly has more controls including a horizontal and vertical positioning value and maybe an overscan adjustment. I haven't read exactly how to access it, and obviously am not really sure if it even exist, but I would be pretty ecstatic to find out it did. You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?

I wouldn't worry much about IR, burn in, or uneven wear as long as it's not more than a year or two old. Maybe hold off on any long gaming sessions for until you've used the TV for a couple hundred hours.

Is it more likely to burn-in after it is a couple years old?

Imagine my dismay when I popped in a few games and they all had a 1/2" black bar all the way around the outside. As far as I know there is no way to change this on the Gamecube(I assume it would require up-scaling to adjust the overscan)

Some games support it (I think Metroid Prime II did) but yes, you are basically out of luck otherwise, unless you can adjust it in the service menu as you were suggesting.

What is the likelihood that I will have a problem if I play 4-5 games with the black bar around the outside, totaling, lets say, no more than 300 hours?

No idea. Personally, I would not game on a plasma with underscan though. If you vary your content enough then it probably won't be a problem. But if you are playing underscanned games for hours a day for days at a time and not watching TV, its likely that it is eventually going to burn in.

I'm not familiar with that model of Panasonic, but as far as I know none of the recent Panasonic plasmas have any overscan controls in the service menu (or anything else useful, other than grayscale adjustments).

Well, Panasonic's commercial displays do, its even conveniently located right on the remote - no need to enter a service menu. This is a big reason why I recommend this type of display if someone asks about a good gaming display.

Well, Panasonic's commercial displays do, its even conveniently located right on the remote - no need to enter a service menu. This is a big reason why I recommend this type of display if someone asks about a good gaming display.

I guess I could get a different TV, but I got this one for really cheap and am quite happy with it other than this problem and the fact that it doesn't like to accept a computer signal. My budget is under $1000, any other quality plasma's in that price range? How about Samsung's PN42A410?

An underscanned game is an unusual shape -- bigger horizontally than a 4:3 windows and bigger vertically than an superwidescreen movie. Furthermore, different games will have different amounts of underscan. For that reason I don't think it'll add up to uneven wear unless you spend many many many hours of time gaming.

...and really, who could spent that long playing the glorifed whack-a-mole games that the Wii offers?

I guess I could get a different TV, but I got this one for really cheap and am quite happy with it other than this problem and the fact that it doesn't like to accept a computer signal. My budget is under $1000, any other quality plasma's in that price range?

I'd stick with what you have if you're otherwise happy with it. A two year old plasma is a lot less likely to have burn in or uneven wear than it did when it was new.

Anyway, let's say it does happen after months or years of playing underscanned Wii games. Just get a new one then.

Unfortunately, it seems as if you are right about the lack of an overscan control in the service menu. I have read about the possibility of a mythical "second" service menu that supposedly has more controls including a horizontal and vertical positioning value and maybe an overscan adjustment. I haven't read exactly how to access it, and obviously am not really sure if it even exist, but I would be pretty ecstatic to find out it did. You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?


I've heard about factory menus but I'm guessing they either don't exist or are only accessible by machine (RS232 or something like that). No one knows how to get into that.

I guess I could get a different TV, but I got this one for really cheap and am quite happy with it other than this problem and the fact that it doesn't like to accept a computer signal. My budget is under $1000, any other quality plasma's in that price range? How about Samsung's PN42A410?

The TH-42PH11UK commercial display (or its predecessor, the th-42PH10UKA) is in fact under $1000 (but does not have a tuner, speakers and stand) and is also very good for use with computers. However, it may not be worth your hassle to exchange, especially if you rely heavily on the features which it lacks.

The TH-42PH11UK commercial display (or its predecessor, the th-42PH10UKA) is in fact under $1000 (but does not have a tuner, speakers and stand) and is also very good for use with computers. However, it may not be worth your hassle to exchange, especially if you rely heavily on the features which it lacks.

I'm not sure those displays will be available to him (at that price, anyway) since I assume he lives outside the US.

I'm not sure those displays will be available to him (at that price, anyway) since I assume he lives outside the US.

Oh I didn't know he was outside the US. The display he has, BTW, is a US model found at large warehouse stores.

Oh I didn't know he was outside the US. The display he has, BTW, is a US model found at large warehouse stores.

Oh it is? What's the "name brand" equivalent? He was also asking about the Samsung 410 which I mostly hear about outside the country.

Oh it is? What's the "name brand" equivalent? He was also asking about the Samsung 410 which I mostly hear about outside the country.

I believe it is basically a px80 but with only two HDMI ports. It also has a different bezel. Specs and info are here:

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Televisions/VIERA-Plasma-HDTVs/model.TH-C42HD18_11002_7000000000000005702

I'm not sure those displays will be available to him (at that price, anyway) since I assume he lives outside the US.

I do live in the US, I just found the A410 at Walmart for about what I paid for the Panasonic. I am actually seriously considering buying the PN42A450, as if you can adjust the overscan on it, it would solve both of my problems.

I do live in the US, I just found the A410 at Walmart for about what I paid for the Panasonic. I am actually seriously considering buying the PN42A450, as if you can adjust the overscan on it, it would solve both of my problems.

I would get the 450 over the 410, but you may not be able to adjust overscan enough to eliminate it completely. Just don't worry about. Newer Panasonics are pretty tough when it comes to IR and burn in.

I believe it is basically a px80 but with only two HDMI ports. It also has a different bezel. Specs and info are here:

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Televisions/VIERA-Plasma-HDTVs/model.TH-C42HD18_11002_7000000000000005702

But i thought he said it was two years old.

I would get the 450 over the 410, but you may not be able to adjust overscan enough to eliminate it completely. Just don't worry about. Newer Panasonics are pretty tough when it comes to IR and burn in.

So I wouldn't be able to adjust it close to what a CRT overscans? By the way is there any way that I can get a percentage on the amount of underscan?

But i thought he said it was two years old.

It is about 2 weeks old. I'm sorry that I misled you there, I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you meant that a plasma with two years wear on it would be more likely to burn-in, which was contrary to what I had heard and is why I asked for conformation, when in fact you meant that a plasma manufactured previous to 2 years ago would be more likely to burn-in.

On an unrelated note, the other reason why I am considering the A450 is because it accecpts a PC signal, and the Panasonic does not.