Hey guys I have a Hitachi 42" plasma (42HDS69) build date is December 2006, I have been using the original software version v0115.0001.

I've had the set for about 1.5 yrs without issues, but over the last ~ 1 month I've been getting this horrible 'flickering' of the screen. Its like theres flashes of lightning and the screen will either totally subtly brighten/darken and back and forth along with these flashes or 'flickers'. Is this the dreaded flicker? Today I noticed that itis worst (most often) during a football game.

I shot some vids:

see seconds 15 though 9 - but right near 10
http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/drxt78/?action=view&current=008-3.flv

see around second 10
http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/drxt78/?action=view&current=009-3.flv

please, anyone?

Hello, FleaDog. Yep, looks like the dreaded flicker issue to me, although it's usually a problem for my 42HDS69 during darker scenes. Not sure if I've ever noticed it while watching football or any other sporting events. Anyway, have you visited the "Hitachi FLICKER Issue" thread? You'll find several firmware updates which supposedly address the flicker problem, although I've had no luck with any of them. OTOH, I've been able to minimize the flicker by adjusting the contrast and brightness settings. HTH, and good luck!

^^^
thanks for the help Tarkus.

Hello, FleaDog. Yep, looks like the dreaded flicker issue to me, although it's usually a problem for my 42HDS69 during darker scenes. Not sure if I've ever noticed it while watching football or any other sporting events. Anyway, have you visited the "Hitachi FLICKER Issue" thread? You'll find several firmware updates which supposedly address the flicker problem, although I've had no luck with any of them. OTOH, I've been able to minimize the flicker by adjusting the contrast and brightness settings. HTH, and good luck!

Hmmmmm - I'm not so sure. The "flicker" does indeed occur in darker scenes, and when it happened to me, it was a darker area of the picture pulsating or flickering rapidly. It never happened in program material like that, and I think that is consistent with what you'll find in the flicker thread. Maybe I didn't see everything that was happening in the video, but it looked like a colour or contrast shift, and not the same flicker issue.

But give that thread a look anyway.