Samsung PN**B450 Picture Settings [Text View] - Page 3

digital682

09-11-09, 01:56 PM

Hi i'm new here, but has anyone had any bad pq with standard dvds playing through an upconverted dvd player. I've had my b450 for about 4 wks now and I've heard most say that standard dvd's look almost like hd. This isn't the case with mine. In fact, when i played one dvd on both my blu-ray and regular dvd player through hdmi, they both would not upconvert to the native resolution. I need to figure out if i'm having problems or if I need to contact Samsung. I hope not because hd ota looks perfect. Thanks, your info is appreciated.

moziwozi

09-11-09, 04:02 PM

Just reading through the Samsung B series "buzz" poll thread, and I am wondering if anyone here has heard any buzzing on their 450s? I own the 42b450 model, and it's very quiet, no buzzing at all.
Well, the way I have mine set up in a small apartment I have my desk adjacent to the 42". I can in fact hear a slight buzz coming from the back although I'm ~2' away. When I sit back ~10' for viewing I can't hear a thing. Heat is a nonexistent issue though.

An issue with which I am currently dealing, I'm sure it's a carrier problem (Comcast HD), if I have the settings on the fit-to-screen ratio for most SD programming and commercials I'm getting a garbled line across the top, almost looks like two lines of snowy pixels. This is not an issue in fit-to-screen with HD channels and definitely not an issue in 16:9.

joebloggs13

09-11-09, 06:51 PM

I have checked mine regarding heat as well, and it hardly gives off any heat. Mind you, I have energy saving set to medium right now. I still dont hear any buzz though. I have heard that the larger sets 53" and above give off a lot more heat, which, I think is part of the problem.

jcalabria

09-11-09, 10:58 PM

Well, the way I have mine set up in a small apartment I have my desk adjacent to the 42". I can in fact hear a slight buzz coming from the back although I'm ~2' away. When I sit back ~10' for viewing I can't hear a thing. Heat is a nonexistent issue though.

An issue with which I am currently dealing, I'm sure it's a carrier problem (Comcast HD), if I have the settings on the fit-to-screen ratio for most SD programming and commercials I'm getting a garbled line across the top, almost looks like two lines of snowy pixels. This is not an issue in fit-to-screen with HD channels and definitely not an issue in 16:9.

That is completely normal and neither a Comcast nor a TV issue. SD programming typically contains test, reference and closed captioning services in active video lines. Closed captioning, for instance, is transmitted on line 21. These signals were placed there because CRT displays always had a certain amount of overscan, which hid the the VITS ,VIRS & CC information. Digital displays do not require overscan, and HD programming does not contain the test signals or captioning data... so the fit to screen mode is correct for HD sources. The 16:9 mode adds some overscan... enough to hide the first 21 lines of SD sources embedded in an HD channel.

Since these TVs are neither native 1080p (1920x1080 pixels) nor 720p (1280x720 pixels), there is no PQ hit using either display mode... the video is ALWAYS scaled to the panel's native resolution. Its just a matter of overscan vs. no overscan. On 1080p displays, there is a PQ hit using 16:9 mode with 1080i/1080p sources because it adds an additional scaling process that always adds some artifacts.

WaveBoy

09-12-09, 01:45 AM

Well, how's the 600hz/motion on this set, is it as good as CRT?
I know i sound like a broken record hehe. I honestly wouldn't care as much for movies, but gaming is alot more noticable if you ask me.
My Uncle has a Panasonic PZ85u plasma from last year, and while the motion is superior to LCD, it's still not up to snuff when compared to CRT when gaming...werent those sets 400hz from 08'?
I remember just moving the Wii Curser Icon/Finger around the Wii's Menu Screen and the motion wasn't perfect like my Sony Wega CRT. There may be no blur, But the motions still not as good as my CRT.

joebloggs13

09-12-09, 11:15 AM

Just noticed something last night when I turned off the set. I was watching dvd, and had the setting on movie mode. When I turned off the set, the screen flashed a few times before going dark. At first I thought it there was something wrong with the set, so I set the picture back to standard and when I turned it off again, it was back to normal. By normal, I mean no flashing, it just changes colour once, and then goes dark. Anyone out there experience this?

I am just wondering if there is anything in movie mode that would cause this, because I tried the same thing this morning and I got the same results. Everything else is normal, both in movie and standard modes respectively. It's just when you power the set down that things are different. ???JoeB

joebloggs13

09-12-09, 02:52 PM

An update to my issue. I had my energy save mode set to medium, and tried setting it to low. Problem fixed! I dont know what causes this, from what I can gather it has to do with the power save modes, and movie mode in combination?? Dont really know, but the problem is fixed. :) JoeB.

joebloggs13

09-13-09, 10:12 AM

dallows

09-13-09, 10:52 AM

Well, spoke too soon. Watching last night, switched back to movie mode, and when I turned it off, the same thing occurred. The set goes dim, flashes a few times and then goes dark. I turned it back on, put it in standard mode and then turned it off. The screen flashed just once then went dark. I should also add that other than this, the set performs well, no other issues. Anyone else experience this?

I think this is normal. For some reason the set will turn off the backlight for a second sometimes. It happens during credits, switching to and from dark scenes, etc. I don't think it's an issue.

Zeni

09-13-09, 11:20 AM

Reposting this from the break-in thread:

Hi, I'm about to purchase a samsung PN42B450 tomorrow. Having no knowledge on audio/video whatsoever, it would be great if anyone could direct me on how to properly 'break in' my TV, adjust/calibrate settings, as well as any other things I should know while operating (what to avoid, etc). If it helps, I only have a DVD player, no blu ray yet!

Please forgive my ignorance, but I'd really like to be able to optimize this to its fullest extent...maybe learn something about TVs in the process.

joebloggs13

09-13-09, 11:42 AM

I think this is normal. For some reason the set will turn off the backlight for a second sometimes. It happens during credits, switching to and from dark scenes, etc. I don't think it's an issue.

Thanks for the response dallows. I didn't really think it was an issue, but I just wanted to be sure.:) I did find that the movie setting to be more pleasing to the eye, especially for night watching. Cheers dallows. JoeB

dallows

09-13-09, 11:53 AM

joebloggs13

09-13-09, 02:05 PM

So dallows, how are you liking your set now, after having it a few months. Have you made any further adjustments to your settings? My basic(without going into detail) settings are as follows:

Mode: Movie
Cell Light: 10
Contrast: 61
Brightness: 60
Sharpness: 30
Color: 50
G49/R51

Harri Patel

09-13-09, 05:39 PM

dallows

09-13-09, 09:09 PM

For the most part I love the set. I can't complain about the picture quality at the price-point. My only regret is not getting at least th3 50". It'll haunt me until I buy my next one.

kanpol

09-14-09, 12:54 AM

yea me too dallows, I went to frys the other day and the had the 50 on sale for 750 only 100 more then what I paid for my 42 last Nov. I just sit closer to the tv to make myself feel better:D

Zeni

09-14-09, 01:53 AM

Thanks for the reply. I'm trying Dallow's settings (movie mode seems to make things dim/yellow/red even after using stereomandan's settings).

Just some other things:

Do I need to turn on energy saving and does it affect picture quality?

As well, would you know how to update the TV? Would I need to buy a USB cable?

kanpol

09-14-09, 01:56 AM

to update you need either a usb external hard drive or a usb thumbdrive

Zeni

09-14-09, 02:05 AM

I have a USB key - could you clarify on what I need to do with it?

kanpol

09-14-09, 03:09 AM

goto samsungs website and find your tv and download firmware update, they will have directions at site on how to open file and copy to your usb key, then plug it into theusb service slot on back of your tv goto menu scrol to last icon and click on sw upgrade and follow direction. its something like that but there are direction for the whole process at there site

dallows

09-14-09, 09:31 AM

yea me too dallows, I went to frys the other day and the had the 50 on sale for 750 only 100 more then what I paid for my 42 last Nov. I just sit closer to the tv to make myself feel better:D

Yeah I sit about 7ft away. Any closer and the girlfriend gets upset. She's already upset that the couch isn't against the wall because it leaves this gap of just... nothing, lol. But I explained over and over that the distance is crucial to getting the most from the set so she deals.

joebloggs13

09-14-09, 10:35 AM

I have this set in the bedroom, and viewing distance is approx 10ft. I wouldn't be able to fit a larger screen on the wall, and was budget restricted as well. Needless to say, 720p in anything lower than 50" is the way to go, as you wont know the difference at my viewing distance. I think I got the best possible deal in the 42b450.

danny_w

09-14-09, 10:51 AM

I'm still in the break-in period on my 42", but I am more amazed by this tv every day that I have it. And to think that I got it for $540 when my last tv (a Hitachi 50" rear projection analog monster that I bought in 1998) cost over $2500! When my 100hrs are up I can crank it up to be even more fantastic than it is already.

dallows

09-14-09, 10:58 AM

joebloggs13

09-14-09, 12:06 PM

I think this is normal. For some reason the set will turn off the backlight for a second sometimes. It happens during credits, switching to and from dark scenes, etc. I don't think it's an issue.

Yeah dallows you are right. Last night was the first time I noticed it without having to turn the set off. When the show ended, the screen when dark after the credits and the backlight flashed on and off. My question is why does this happen in movie mode and not in standard mode? In standard mode, the screen will only flash once. I have both modes calibrated the same way. I am curious as to why it does this. JoeB

dallows

09-14-09, 01:30 PM

Yeah dallows you are right. Last night was the first time I noticed it without having to turn the set off. When the show ended, the screen when dark after the credits and the backlight flashed on and off. My question is why does this happen in movie mode and not in standard mode? In standard mode, the screen will only flash once. I have both modes calibrated the same way. I am curious as to why it does this. JoeB

That I don't think I can answer, lol.

Probably cause movie mode sucks, ha.

joebloggs13

09-14-09, 04:33 PM

That I don't think I can answer, lol.

Probably cause movie mode sucks, ha.

I beg to differ. I prefer standard mode for regular tv, and movie mode for dvds. The colour just seems better. I dont have HD in the bedroom. But movie mode doesn't suck for me.;)

kanpol

09-14-09, 05:48 PM

joebloggs13

09-14-09, 08:13 PM

joeblogs13 I dont know if this applies to your problem but if I'm in movie mode and using my ps3, if I set rgb to full and hdmi to low, when my screen is pitch black it will appear to shut off(like in standby mode).At 1st it would only flicker around the edges during all black screen. I had a repair tech over to clean palm print off of inside panel. can you believe that whoever asembled the panel left me there palm prints on it,wasnt that nice of them:rolleyes: After repairman did his thing, I went to show him the problem and it was gone, so maybe the flickering was caused by a cable or wire on the inside being picnhed or something like that. But know i have the other thing with screen gonig into standby mode on all black screen. Now if I switch hdmi to normal it doesnt do it. I hope that helps

I dont think its a wire being pinched. If that were the case, I think it would affect all modes. In standard mode it will only flash once when turned off, whereas in movie mode it will flash two or three times before going black.

The more I think this, is that it has to do with the signal going into the tv, rather than the set itself. I only have a regular SD PVR going into this set, and I think that this might be the culprit. I am going to try my BD p1500 on this thing tonight. I will post results tomorrow. JoeB

dfaulkne

09-15-09, 04:37 PM

joebloggs13

09-15-09, 08:28 PM

Hi Everyone,

Just got a PN50B450 Samsung. I am totally new to this but have enjoyed reading through these threads. Dan seems to really know what he's talking about...

Anyway, I am curious if his most recent settings are recommended for watching DVD's or just standard tv? I am not concerned about setting up my tv for anything other than the best HD picture I can get while watching TV, particularly sports.....Is movie mode the best for that?

Also, forgive my ignorance :o, but what additional equipment (HDMI cords?) do I need to get the best picture for watchin TV?

Again, I don't care about video games or watching DVD's, etc.

Thanks!:D

-DANIEL

First, are you staying with SD or are you going to get an HD cable box? If you are going HD, you will need the requisite cables for the HD box. Otherwise, you wont need HDMI for a standard signal.

The next thing you need to realize is that each plasma set is unique, in that the settings used to calibrate one set may not work for another. They may be close, but not the same. Also, Dan has settings for pre and post break in, which are different.

I would break in your set by turning contrast down to about 50-60 and watch full screen content for the first 200 hrs. Once the set is broken in, you can change the settings to your liking, or use Dan's settings. For my other plasma, I used settings I found on this board, and tweaked them to my liking. There is so much helpful info on these boards, that you will almost always find an answer to any particular question you have, and some you never thought of!:). Happy searching, and enjoy your new set.;) Joe B.

direwolf2009

09-16-09, 09:04 AM

Hi everyone,

My wife and I just got this TV (42") on Saturday. We watched the Dark Knight on default settings and we were blown away!

Anyway, I've read on a Samsung Plasma TV FAQ that there are ideal settings for the first 100 to 200 hours, namely lowering Contrast (58) and Brightness (36), setting to Movie and Warm 2 and enabling Pixel Shift (2-2-2) and turning off Dynamic Contrast and Low Black.

Anyway, these settings seem okay, but some things are a little dark - segments in Wall-E, for example.

My question is, are there ideal settings for the first 100 to 200 hours someone could recommend for this TV? It's an amazing set, and I would like to keep it for quite some time (read years).

Any advice you could give about this specific set would be great. I took someone else's ideal settings post-burn-in period, but again I was wondering if there are ideal settings for the first 100 to 200 hours.

Thanks for your help!

direwolf2009

09-16-09, 09:48 AM

dallows

09-16-09, 09:52 AM

Hi,

When you say to lower Contrast and Brightness by 50%, what do you mean? Both settings should be at 50 or lower than that? Right now, I have Contrast at between 58 and 64 and Brightness at 36. Are there any other settings for the break-in period?

Thanks!

IMO, with these tv's as long as you don't use dynamic mode or a high brightness (60+) or contrast (80+), you should be fine during the first 100 hours or so. I didn't do any drastic break-in steps and my set is just fine.

jakejm79

09-16-09, 09:54 AM

I just updated my firmware. I went from 16.1 to 18.1

Am I nuts, or has the functionality of the "SOURCE" button on the remote changed from simply bringing up and closing down the on-screen display (you had to use the up or down buttons to scroll between the choices once they were displayed), to now bringing up and, with multiple presses of the button, scrolling through the choices?

It makes changing the input source less cumbersome, but I still wish the remote had dedicated buttons for each source so you could switch with just one push of a button.

BTW, updating the firmware makes all your custom settings go away, so write them down before doing it.

My source button as always worked for both bringing up the menu and then multiple presses to change source. On a side note: Does anyone know of the correct code to allow the tv input button on the Directv multi remote to function like the TV's remote's source button? Sucks having to keep the TV's remote on hand just to change inputs.

direwolf2009

09-16-09, 10:35 AM

Great, thanks for your reply.

So I'll use these settings for now.

Contrast: 58
Brightness: 50 (up from 36)
Sharpness = 0 (seems soft, which I like)
Color 48
Tint 54/46
Dynamic Off
Movie Mode
Black Level: Low
Warm 2 (for movies, which is mostly what we watch)
Whiteness, 13, 15, 15, 13, 15, 15

We'll also watch TV with Zoom 1 or 2 and HDMI with Wide fit, as it takes up more screen, smaller black bars.

I can't think of anything else. What do you think?

Thanks for your help!

section8

09-16-09, 04:34 PM

My source button as always worked for both bringing up the menu and then multiple presses to change source. On a side note: Does anyone know of the correct code to allow the tv input button on the Directv multi remote to function like the TV's remote's source button? Sucks having to keep the TV's remote on hand just to change inputs.

I have the RC64 remote and the code for a PN50B450 is 10812. Just search for directv control codes.

I just received my TV and it is awesome. I am following the advice from here so keep it coming.

joebloggs13

09-16-09, 05:54 PM

I have the RC64 remote and the code for a PN50B450 is 10812. Just search for directv control codes.

I just received my TV and it is awesome. I am following the advice from here so keep it coming.

Congrats on your new purchase, and welcome to the club! You will have hours of excellent reading on these forums. They become very addictive:). Who knows, maybe you will become as your name implies:D:D:D. Just kidding. Great handle though! JoeB

davemmt

09-16-09, 07:14 PM

Please try these settings I found for the B550 and let me know what you think.

http://reviews.*******************.com/plasmatvreviews/samsung-pn50b550-calibration.html

The tint setting seems a little odd but it looks pretty good to me.

Oh yeah, I needed 3 posts before I coud post a link.:)

davemmt

09-16-09, 07:16 PM

Aarrgghh!

davemmt

09-16-09, 07:23 PM

I guess I'll try again later:)

http://reviews.*******************.com/plasmatvreviews/samsung-pn50b550-calibration.html

Go to plasmatvbuingguide.com and put "PN50B550 review" in the search box and click on the first link.

Zeni

09-16-09, 10:27 PM

direwolf2009

09-17-09, 10:35 AM

Hi,

I noticed when watching a DVD yesterday that during the end credits, every time a credit fades in and out, it seems like the TV flashes (turns) off and then on when a new credit appears. If the source has the credits on the same black background, this does not happen. It's a weird sensation. I currently have my HDMI to Break-in settings, including Black to Low, as well as the other BI usual suspects. My source is a PS3, SuperWhite HDMI: On and RGB Full to Limited.

Does anyone else experience this?

Finally, what's the final word on video gaming? I don't do a lot, but do play Rock Band and NHL when friends/family come over? Could anyone recommend approx. play times, etc? We have a party this weekend, and I would feel weird telling people: Sorry, we can't play because I'm in the BI period.

Finally, for the BI period, would you recommend occasionally running the Break-In DVD or High Def Junkies Image Presentation? I'm not interested in speeding up the process, I would rather it happen naturally.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

joebloggs13

09-17-09, 11:30 AM

joebloggs13

09-17-09, 11:32 AM

Oh, and regarding gaming during your BI period. Just tell your guest you are breaking the set in. Belive me there is nothing wrong with saying this. This is your tv, not theirs. YOU ARE THE BOSS.:) That's what I would do. Cheers, JoeB

direwolf2009

09-17-09, 11:39 AM

Hey, Joe,

Thanks for this. Yeah, my settings are on Movie.

Cheers,

DW.

davemmt

09-17-09, 07:16 PM

OK, here are the settings I found for the B550

White Balance Settings
Red-Offset 22 Red-Gain 33
Green-Offset 25 Green-Gain 25
Blue-Offset 12 Blue-Gain 33
Picture Settings
Picture Mode Movie Black Tone: Off
Color Temp Warm 2 Dynamic Contrast: Off
Brightness 56 Gamma: 0
Contrast 90 Color Space: Auto
Color 53 Flesh Tone: Off
Tint G35/R65 Edge Enhancement: Off
Sharpness 10 Digital NR: Auto
Cell Light 8 HDMI Black Level: Low
Film Mode: Auto

These settings give a lot of pop in Movie Mode for me. I set back the color to 50 and tint to G40/R60.

Of all the settings I've tried, I think I like these the best, so far.

dallows

09-17-09, 07:47 PM

jakejm79

09-18-09, 09:25 PM

I have the RC64 remote and the code for a PN50B450 is 10812. Just search for directv control codes.

I just received my TV and it is awesome. I am following the advice from here so keep it coming.

Thank you so much, I actually had the right code, but didn't read the instructions properly so didnt know about putting 960 in to allow for the TV input option. I am a happy camper now that I can control my DVR, Surround Sound Receiver, Xbox (w/ XBMC) and TV all with one remote.

GregLee

09-19-09, 11:37 AM

I set the video output to 480p and widescreen, and to my disappointment, Super Mario Galaxy looked noticeably jaggy.
The Wii is a low resolution device, so you're condemned to choose between jaggies and blurriness. If you need more blurriness because you can't stand the jaggies, you'll have to go back to using the composite input, because the component input gives maximum resolution and worst jaggies.

direwolf2009

09-19-09, 02:47 PM

Hi,

I'm currently in the BI period with my Samsung PN42B450, with Contrast at 50-58, Brightness 45, Dynamic Contrast OFF, Black Level Low, Pixel Shift 2-2-2, Movie Mode, etc, etc, etc. Anyway, it's been about a week, but tonight, we're having a party and I was wondering about game playing? The last time we ran it in Torch Mode was for about an hour and half when we first got it (Dark Knight, 20 minutes of gaming, etc).

The screen is fine, no problems, no gaming since then, just full-screen TV or wide-screen movies (up from 16x9), and running if Slides and Scrolling to speed up the BI period.

For gaming sessions, though, how much time would you recommend? An hour at most? And what Pixel Shift 3-3-1 or more? And, can any damage be done by increasing the Shift rate? Tonight's a special occasion and it's going to be hard not play Rock Band or NHL 09.

Thanks!

joebloggs13

09-19-09, 04:42 PM

direwolf2009

09-19-09, 05:03 PM

Hey, Joe,

Hope all is well. Thanks for that. Normally, I would wait for some gaming until after the BI period. But, we're having a party to celebrate my birthday tonight, close friends, and I think it will be hard for everyone to stay away from Beatles Rockband.

I'll increase it to 3-3-1 as you suggest. Thanks!

Enjoy the weekend,
DW.

WaveBoy

09-19-09, 05:37 PM

I have a couple of questions about this the PN42B450 and blu rays in general. I've noticed that some bluray films I put in have black bars and some don't. Is this normal, and is there a way to take off/add these bars by adjusting some settings? If it helps, I use the PS3 slim as my blu ray player.

Another thing - I recently tried hooking up my Wii using component cables. I set the video output to 480p and widescreen, and to my disappointment, Super Mario Galaxy looked noticeably jaggy. I've read online that reducing sharpness to 0 and turning off edge enhancement solves the problem, but after making these changes, I still think that the game looks much smoother on my old SDTV. Is it just given that Wii games will never look as good on HDTVs?

Finally, just a question on the energy saving options on the TV, and burn in reduction settings on the Wii. Should these both be on?

Thanks

This is what i'm worried about...But, what size is your B450? 42" or 50"?
Obviously the 42" would be the better size for Wii games, as they're 480p.
And of course you get Progressive Scan and Widescreen which your SDTV doesn't have. And definitly turn off those stupid edge enhancments. And I'm guessing the Jaggyness is because of 480p being upscaled to 720p...And it all depends on how far you're sitting from your tv.

At 42", i'd be sitting around 9 to 9 1/2 feet away.
Also did you use Component cables on your SDTV for the Wii? Do you notice any detail loss for wii games on your hdtv? or if it slightly looks blown up?

PS: Are you using Nintendo's 'official' component cables? i wouldn't use any other brand to be honest, people have been saying that they're not as good as the official brand.

dallows

09-19-09, 11:50 PM

Mendes1166

09-20-09, 09:51 AM

Anyone have experience with the HDMI Flicker on an all black screen? It just flickers quickly then will go on to whatever is loading.. ex when you change a channel or on xbox when you start a video then exit back to the main menu?

This thread talks about the issue avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1158323 and talks about it being the dynamic contrast. But my tv has this disabled. when the content is actually playing there is no issue at all. Is this just something I should ignore or is there a way to stop this.

Changing HDMI Black Level from Low to Normal fixes this. So I guess the question is, Low with Flicker or Normal without?

jakejm79

09-20-09, 12:14 PM

Is it changing resolution when you change channels/play movies? I know with my directv I have it set to native so it will change to the native resolution to the way it is broadcast so when changing between ABC and FOX it will flicker.

kengkhim

09-20-09, 01:38 PM

what's the best setting when game mode on? cos when activate the game mode the pic will look a bit darker

biker19

09-20-09, 08:47 PM

I did a search but came up with nothing when it comes to comments on tuner sensitivity on this set. If I get this it would be used OTA only and need something with a good built in tuner. Has anyone compared this to CECB?

direwolf2009

09-21-09, 10:11 AM

Hi everyone,

So yesterday, with Contrast at 50 and Brightness between 45-50, we watched ET. A little dark, but I can live with that. I'll be glad when this BI period is over. Oh, yeah, my default Pixel Shift is 3-3-1 now. A little aggressive, but we play about 1 hour of video games a week... Rock Band...

Anyway, everything's great, and I've talked to some people here, really helpful, but I have a question...

When I quit ET last night, and it returned to the PS3 menu, I set it to run those slideshow images for BI period. I noticed a slight (faint) IR for the PS3 menu, a couple menu icons, etc, but I only noticed it being really close to the screen. After four images in the show, the IR was gone.

So, is some IR normal during the BI despite the above BI Picture settings?

This has made me a little nervous.

Thanks, everyone.
DW

CruelInventions

09-24-09, 11:56 AM

davenport47

09-25-09, 12:08 AM

Hello everyone: I've had a little bad luck with two LCD models---one with a subtle banding problem, the other with flashlighting. So I've decided to try a plasma, and since I can't fit a 50" into the space I have, the 720p Samsung looks like a good option (the Panasonics seem sligihtly too green to me).

I was surprised that I couldn't tell 720 from 1080 at 9 or 10ft away, but that merely confirms what I've read, and that's the distance I'll be viewing from. I don't care for the highly reflective screen, but I suppose one can't have everything.

My question is: what happens to the 1080p Blu-ray signal being transmitted by my Panasonic Blu-ray player to the 720p Samsung? Does the player downscale the signal, or does the TV, and does this create any deterioration in the picture quality by way of extra processing?

The salesman at Best Buy told me that the Samsung would be displaying in 1080i from the 1080p Panny Blu-ray. That sounded a little odd to me. Why 1080i and not 720p, and does it make any difference. I understand that some TVs don't handle 1080i very well. Thanks for any info.

Zeni

09-25-09, 04:35 AM

Can anyone tell me how this TV compares with the Panasonic TCP42U1? I've heard that Panasonic is much better at scaling Wii games, and considering this one is 1080p, I may be returning the Samsung if it is significantly better.

CruelInventions

09-25-09, 11:44 AM

better than what at scaling wii? this current generation of Samsung plasmas? And how many people have you heard that from?

I strongly suspect that there isn't a whole lot of difference in scaling between the Panasonic and the Samsung. If anything, based upon my collective readings, the Samsung might be a little better but I cannot state this with any degree of certainty.

As far as I can recall, the "U" designated Panasonics have their least effective anti-reflective screen coating among any of their models. If that is not an issue in your room, and you sit close enough to really benefit from a 1080p screen (circa 5ft.for a small 42" screen size) or use it as computer monitor, then go with the Panasonic. Otherwise, for most every other reason, go with this Samsung. Can't go horribly wrong either way though.

My question is: what happens to the 1080p Blu-ray signal being transmitted by my Panasonic Blu-ray player to the 720p Samsung? Does the player downscale the signal, or does the TV, and does this create any deterioration in the picture quality by way of extra processing?

The salesman at Best Buy told me that the Samsung would be displaying in 1080i from the 1080p Panny Blu-ray. That sounded a little odd to me. Why 1080i and not 720p, and does it make any difference. I understand that some TVs don't handle 1080i very well. Thanks for any info.

technically, there is some slight deterioration from the downscale, but it's nothing to worry about as you will not notice it. Too subtle and you would need to be very close if you were to see it at all. A good blu-ray title is still well worth it even downscaled to a 720p screen.

In terms of what the player can output, I'm not sure with that model. I suspect it can downscale to a few different resolutions and I/P. You also have the option of sending out at 1080p and seeing if the Samsung plasma can do just as good or better job at downscaling that resolution to 720p. Probably wont' be much difference either way.

Zeni

09-25-09, 11:55 AM

I posted on a gaming forum (because of all the jaggies I got when playing Super Mario Galaxy), and they posted some screenshots of their Wii games on their Panasonic Viera Plasmas. It looked noticeably smoother, and they claimed that Panasonic Vieras have generally superior scaling. I'm not sure if there's much validity to that though.

About viewing distance, that might actually be important, since this is in my bedroom and being able to view at 5-6ish feet would mean I wouldn't have to push my chairs all the way against the wall (which they are now). Glare isn't much of an issue, as my curtains do an amazing job of blocking light.

For reference, I got the Samsung for 770 Canadian. I have up til December 13 ish to return it (as per Costco's 90 day return policy). This Panasonic Viera is on sale at Sears for 980, and the sale ends this Sunday. I'm still undecided - maybe something better will come up during boxing day sales?

stereomandan

09-25-09, 11:58 AM

I can't understand all these posts with the color set to 40+

I'm now down to 37 and STILL the colors, while completely gorgeous, are too unrealistically & vibrantly intense. I suspect I'll eventually end up at about 35. (on movie/warm 2)

I haven't done a more thorough Avia-type calibration yet.. still have another 50 or so hours to go on my naturally occurring break-in process, i.e., just watching regularly to get up in hours.

I completely agree, I've settled on the 38-39 range for color. Anything else is unnaturally oversaturated.

OK, here are the settings I found for the B550

White Balance Settings
Red-Offset 22 Red-Gain 33
Green-Offset 25 Green-Gain 25
Blue-Offset 12 Blue-Gain 33
Picture Settings
Picture Mode Movie Black Tone: Off
Color Temp Warm 2 Dynamic Contrast: Off
Brightness 56 Gamma: 0
Contrast 90 Color Space: Auto
Color 53 Flesh Tone: Off
Tint G35/R65 Edge Enhancement: Off
Sharpness 10 Digital NR: Auto
Cell Light 8 HDMI Black Level: Low
Film Mode: Auto

These settings give a lot of pop in Movie Mode for me. I set back the color to 50 and tint to G40/R60.

Of all the settings I've tried, I think I like these the best, so far.

Color of 53? Yep, that sure will give a lot of POP, but on my set it is WAY too strong for color. It may look good at first, but I bet after a week or so people would get tired of the overly saturated colors. Those settings look like poop on my set (too strong on color, and too green/blue), but every TV is different. That brightness is way too high also.

Dan

CruelInventions

09-25-09, 12:17 PM

Yes, like I said.. the colors looking amazing at those higher color setting numbers, but I guess I just need a little more truth from my display. Not that I'm super anal about calibration issues in general.

Zeni - based upon your further elaboration, I would probably lean towards the Panasonic you're considering. Like you though, still unconvinced on the scaling issue.

GregLee

09-25-09, 12:53 PM

... and they posted some screenshots of their Wii games on their Panasonic Viera Plasmas. It looked noticeably smoother, and they claimed that Panasonic Vieras have generally superior scaling.
But the jaggies are really there, because of the low resolution of the Wii, so if a Panasonic plasma doesn't show them, that makes it inferior, not superior. (Unless, that is, the Panasonic calculates interpolated frames, but I don't think any plasma sets do that.)

dallows

09-25-09, 02:17 PM

danny_w

09-26-09, 03:19 PM

I have an OT question. Is there a Signal Strength indicator on this tv model? How do I access it?

stereomandan

09-26-09, 04:13 PM

I've been going by the AVSHD calibration disc so that's where I get my color from. Right now it's at 50 and pretty dead on to the test pattern.

If you're just eye'ing it I can't really see that as anymore accurate. Obviously people will prefer different settings but I wouldn't go as far and say 40+ is over-saturated.

Yes, but you can see in my measurements in post #86 that even at a color setting of 44, the red, green and blue primaries are oversaturated. (outside the REC.709 color gamut triangle)

Dan

kanpol

09-26-09, 11:59 PM

hey Dan how ya been, Have you tried switching your model to the 560 to enable CS and if so does it look like its working? just curious. Oh by the way on my 3rd panel and your setting still look great. I started to get a pink cloud on my last panel also had a stuck green pixel. The service tech came, put in new panel because of pink and the one green pixel. This panel is pure white no pink, finally:D. Also no stuck or dead pixels. This tech was great he even bought 2 panels just in case 1st one he installed had any dead or stuck pixels, he said even one is too many.

Zeni

09-27-09, 06:46 AM

Seems the problems keep coming. :( With my new receiver (Yamaha HTR-6140), it apparently degrades the image and clips BTB/WTW...resulting in black crush. This is definitely noticeable when I'm watching darker scenes, as everything in darker areas just blend together into a pile of...black. After some testng, there is a huge improvement in PQ when connecting directly PS3 --> TV.

Any experts on this know if it is even possible to calibrate (maybe increase brightness) to fix this problem? I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, and I'd hate if increasing brightness will mean sacrificing colour accuracy in general. If there are really no solutions, I'm prepared to get a new receiver.

Thanks in advance.

dallows

09-27-09, 09:08 AM

Yes, but you can see in my measurements in post #86 that even at a color setting of 44, the red, green and blue primaries are oversaturated. (outside the REC.709 color gamut triangle)

Dan

No, I don't see that. Maybe I don't understand how to read the charts then. If the colors would be over saturated after calibration. If that's the case then the calibration obviously doesn't hold much water.

stereomandan

09-27-09, 05:18 PM

No, I don't see that. Maybe I don't understand how to read the charts then. If the colors would be over saturated after calibration. If that's the case then the calibration obviously doesn't hold much water.

:) The problem with the Samsung is that even fairly large changes to the color setting don't move the outer saturation points that much(the points of the triangle). It does effect the color's brightness, and the lesser saturation points a lot though. It's a issue I have with the color control on the Samsung Plasma, it doesn't really work as it should. It is a comprimise.

Dan

stereomandan

09-27-09, 05:21 PM

danny_w

09-27-09, 05:25 PM

Zeni

09-27-09, 06:20 PM

danny_w

09-28-09, 02:59 PM

Does anybody know if the 42b450 passes surround sound to the optical out for all sources, or only for the OTA tuner? I have been reading that many other (even current) Samsung models do not pass anything but 2 channel stereo for any of the hdmi inputs. Is DD and or DTS and or PLII passed through? Thanks.
I think I just answered my own question (the tv does NOT pass anything but stereo), but the manual is confusing (or I am reading it wrong.

> 5.1CH audio is possible when the TV is connected to an external device supporting 5.1CH.
> Each Digital Audio System has a different back panel configuration.
> When the receiver (home theater) is set to On, you can hear sound output from the TV’s Optical jack. When the TV is displaying a
DTV(air) signal, the TV will send out 5.1 channel sound to the Home theater receiver. When the source is a digital component such
as a DVD and is connected to the TV via HDMI, only 2 channel sound will be heard from the Home Theater receiver.
If you want to hear 5.1 channel audio, connect the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL) jack on the DVD / Blu-Ray player or Cable/
Satellite Box directly to an Amplifier or Home Theater, not the TV.

The 1st and 3rd bullet points seem to disagree, but I think bullet #3 is the correct one here. If you connect a BluRay player to an hdmi input on the tv and feed the output to a soundbar or ht receiver, all you will get it 2 channel stereo. Am I reading this correctly? I have a Sony HT-CT100 soundbar with hdmi switching, and it sounds like the only way to get multi-channel sound is to connect everything to the soundbar and use the tv simply as a monitor. I currently have everything going through the tv and out to the soundbar thinking this would simplify control, but now it doesn't seem like it.

stereomandan

09-28-09, 06:03 PM

You're saying that I'm still able to achieve the 'optimal' viewing experience with this TV? That would be a relief, I really don't want to spend more for another receiver. But if I'll be missing details or if turning up the brightness results in more 'washed out' blacks, this isn't something that I can accept.

Would this mean, I should get a calibration disc (any recommendations?) and calibrate while the PS3 is connected to the Tv through the receiver?

Thanks

Yes, that is correct. The only difference with BTB and WTW, or not, is where you set the contrast and brightness setting. Contrast can be a little subjective, but if you keep it below 85 or so in standard or movie mode, you should be fine. Brightness has one correct setting depending on source and material being played.

If you don't have a calibration disc, find a black image and turn down the brightness until you can't tell that turning it down makes the black any blacker. Then, carefully turn it up one notch at a time until you see the black get a shade lighter. Then go back one notch and you are all done.

Dan

stereomandan

09-28-09, 09:04 PM

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17091636#post17091636

dallows,
Could you give these settings a whirl, and compare them to your standard settings? I've updated the calibration. If you could take pictures of my settings versus your standard settings, I would be interested to see the difference.

Dan

GregLee

09-28-09, 09:17 PM

Am I reading this correctly?
Yes, I believe you are.

danny_w

09-28-09, 10:50 PM

I don't know if anybody has brought it up yet, but somebody mentioned that certain settings were locked out for certain inputs. What I have found is that the ability to set some settings (such as video size) will vary depending on what you have named the source. For example, if you have the hdmi2/dvi name set to blank, all size settings are available, but if the name is set to PC/DVI, only the 16:9 and 4:3 settings are available. This may be the cause of some confusion on this forum.

dallows

09-28-09, 11:36 PM

kanpol

09-29-09, 04:09 AM

to steromandan found colorspace option in service menu. Its in the advanced part of it I figured out how to enter it. I highlighted advanced then hit 0000 and enter try it a few times and you will get into advanced. Now I dont know how to mess with it its has all 6 colors with set and hue, when you get a chance check it out.

jakejm79

09-29-09, 08:08 AM

I dont think they disagree, see below.
I think I just answered my own question (the tv does NOT pass anything but stereo), but the manual is confusing (or I am reading it wrong.

> 5.1CH audio is possible when the TV is connected to an external device supporting 5.1CH. - the only way you can get 5.1 is by connecting it to a 5.1 receiver, i.e. connecting the output to 2.1 receiver wont give you 5.1, obviously
> Each Digital Audio System has a different back panel configuration. - Connecting it to the receiver depends on the receiver.
> When the receiver (home theater) is set to On, you can hear sound output from the TV’s Optical jack. When the TV is displaying a
DTV(air) signal, the TV will send out 5.1 channel sound to the Home theater receiver. When the source is a digital component such
as a DVD and is connected to the TV via HDMI, only 2 channel sound will be heard from the Home Theater receiver. - Only OTA will output 5.1 on the optical connector, so basically to make the 5.1 'possible' you need to have a 5.1 receiver and also be watching OTA programming.
If you want to hear 5.1 channel audio, connect the DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL) jack on the DVD / Blu-Ray player or Cable/
Satellite Box directly to an Amplifier or Home Theater, not the TV.

The 1st and 3rd bullet points seem to disagree, but I think bullet #3 is the correct one here. If you connect a BluRay player to an hdmi input on the tv and feed the output to a soundbar or ht receiver, all you will get it 2 channel stereo. Am I reading this correctly? I have a Sony HT-CT100 soundbar with hdmi switching, and it sounds like the only way to get multi-channel sound is to connect everything to the soundbar and use the tv simply as a monitor. I currently have everything going through the tv and out to the soundbar thinking this would simplify control, but now it doesn't seem like it.

stereomandan

09-29-09, 12:48 PM

Would you like me to try this in movie mode?

Yes, I'm interested to see how my settings in movie mode, warm 2 look compared to your standard settings.

My new calibration is tuned to a white balance that matches what I measured from a white piece of paper in indirect sunlight. The whites look more natural, and have less of a red hue than my very first calibration that I posted. (with all the charts).

Dan

to steromandan found colorspace option in service menu. Its in the advanced part of it I figured out how to enter it. I highlighted advanced then hit 0000 and enter try it a few times and you will get into advanced. Now I dont know how to mess with it its has all 6 colors with set and hue, when you get a chance check it out.

Sounds good, I will check it out. How do you access the service menu again for these models? Haven't delved in there yet on this plasma.

Dan

dallows

09-29-09, 02:11 PM

Yes, I'm interested to see how my settings in movie mode, warm 2 look compared to your standard settings.

My new calibration is tuned to a white balance that matches what I measured from a white piece of paper in indirect sunlight. The whites look more natural, and have less of a red hue than my very first calibration that I posted. (with all the charts).

Dan

I'll give it a shot tonight.

Sounds good, I will check it out. How do you access the service menu again for these models? Haven't delved in there yet on this plasma.

Dan

I think it's power off, then hold Mute and hit 1, 8, 2 and power?

primus_2001

09-30-09, 02:11 AM

dallows

09-30-09, 10:51 AM

Also, I followed these settings so far and my pic is really dark. I set the HDMI black level to Normal for a slightly brighter scrren.

Am I missing something? Until now I had the Dyanmic mode and liked the bright screen, but I wasn't sure if those were optimum settings. You guys know if there are any recommended settings for overall brighter picture?

Setting HDMI black level to normal without adjusting the source's level will only result in a washed out image. It will be brighter, but it won't be correct and should look quite terrible.

What is your source?

The only thing I can say is if you're used to dynamic mode then switching from it will take some time to adjust. But if you like a brighter picture it's your preference. You can always just up the brightness a bit on dan's settings.

dallows

09-30-09, 10:57 AM

:) The problem with the Samsung is that even fairly large changes to the color setting don't move the outer saturation points that much(the points of the triangle). It does effect the color's brightness, and the lesser saturation points a lot though. It's a issue I have with the color control on the Samsung Plasma, it doesn't really work as it should. It is a comprimise.

Dan

Alright I guess I just don't really understand it then. I thought the stuff was just supposed to meet in the middle around that 6500k mark.

primus_2001

09-30-09, 02:39 PM

Setting HDMI black level to normal without adjusting the source's level will only result in a washed out image. It will be brighter, but it won't be correct and should look quite terrible.

What is your source?

The only thing I can say is if you're used to dynamic mode then switching from it will take some time to adjust. But if you like a brighter picture it's your preference. You can always just up the brightness a bit on dan's settings.

Thx Dallows. Source is IPTV - ATT U-verse set top box.

Appreciate your inputs.

dallows

09-30-09, 04:44 PM

Thx Dallows. Source is IPTV - ATT U-verse set top box.

Appreciate your inputs.

See if you can look through the options for that box to see if it has any settings for RGB. I'm not sure if they do.

stereomandan

09-30-09, 05:19 PM

Hey Dan,

I've been trying to follow your settings (post 362). Could you please tell me the settings for the following:

Size
digital NR
HDMI black level
film mode

Also, I followed these settings so far and my pic is really dark. I set the HDMI black level to Normal for a slightly brighter scrren.

Am I missing something? Until now I had the Dyanmic mode and liked the bright screen, but I wasn't sure if those were optimum settings. You guys know if there are any recommended settings for overall brighter picture?

Also, do you guys know the remote code for this TV? i am trying to set my receiver's universal remote control to control the TV and it's expecting a 4 digit code.

Thx!

It will look dark compared to dynamic like dalloes mentioned. It should be PLENTY bright for at night. Are you saying that the whites aren't bright, or are you saying that the dark scenes are too dark? The brightness setting can change a lot from source to source, so maybe you need to bump that up some. You shouldn't need to mess with the HDMI black level.

NR is off, and film mode is auto, HDMI is normal

If you are used to Dynamic, everything else will look darker.

Dan

Post Blue

09-30-09, 05:46 PM

Okay, experts. Straight to the point:

My PN50B450 has the worst banding I've ever seen in a display, but the other day I realized that it goes away entirely when I take it out of movie mode. Anyone know why the excessive banding is a feature exclusive to movie mode? I like to set my color to warm2, but I'll settle for the cold fluorescent look of standard mode if I can avoid all that banding.

danny_w

10-02-09, 07:33 PM

I have had my PN42B450 for most of a month now and I love it, but I really wanted the 50" when I got this one (but they didn't have it in stock). I stopped by today and paid the difference, and they will deliver my 50" (same model) next Friday and take back my 42". If it is as good as this one I think I will be very pleased, and I still got a very good deal ($720+tax and free delivery).

kanpol

10-03-09, 02:31 AM

incase anyones interested you can go into service menu, then expert and you will see "N/D adjust" turn it on and exit SM. You will then see cal-night and cal-day under movie in user menu. IMPORTANT go into user menu and switch to cal-night and then imediately goto picture reset and reset it. I say this because when you 1st choose cal day or night the numbers will be out ragious like contrast will be 150 and bightness will be like 250. choosing picture reset resets it to the right numbers.

Dan you may want to try this and then do a calibration it might be better then movie mode. Then again as good as your settings look I dont think they can get that much better:D

stereomandan

10-03-09, 09:39 AM

What is the exact procedure for entering the service menu?

Dan

kanpol

10-03-09, 08:01 PM

Dan turn off your tv and wait like 10 seconds,then mute 1 8 2 and turn it on. You will now be in service menu sometimes you need to do it a few times. Then highlite the advanced menu and hit 0 0 0 0 and you will enter it. the Cal day and cal night is in the expert menu the option is N/D adjust, highlite it hit enter then push your right arrow key to turn it on, if you hit the up and down buttons it will change it to the one under or above it so make sure only to use left and right button. I dont have a pm but if you need me to pm with my # I can help you more if you need it.
Also remember when you activate the cal night and day you need to go to your user menu goto either one the same way your would goto standard or movie... and then hit picture reset to reset it to the right numbers. sorry for long post do want anyone to mess up there tvs

matryx

10-04-09, 03:23 PM

Hey everyone, I just got the Samsung PN42B450 and already got the EA Break-in DVD. I also turned the contrast and brightness down to 50. Is there anything else I need to do to break-in my first plasma properly?

I also notice that all the HD channels I'm watching have black bars at the top and bottom. Is that how its supposed to be or is there something in the settings that I can change to get it fullscreen?

I also own a PS3 and was wondering if its alright to play GT5:P within the first 100 hours or break-in. My playing sessions are very short. Just from 15mins to 1 hour max.

stereomandan

10-04-09, 07:13 PM

Thanks kanpol. Not sure I'll use the cal night/day thing, but I'm interested in the saturation and hue for the different colors. If I get time, I'll check it out tonight.

matryx,
With contrast at 50, you have nothing to worry about with GT5:P

Dan

matryx

10-04-09, 09:53 PM

yeah I just wanted to make sure. It sure doesn't look good with the contrast at 50 though. Its pretty dark and also still using composite cables right now. My HDMI cables haven't come in yet. Hopefully it will be in tomorrow

stereomandan

10-06-09, 09:16 AM

I checked out the service menu, mainly the color controls for saturation and hue for each color. I started messing with them, but soon realized that there is too limited control so I left it alone. I was hoping to be able to get green hue better located, as well as yellow, but no dice. Oh well, the TV still looks fantastic with my current settings.

I do like the fact that I was able to set the default to Movie mode, with the settings that I use.

Dan

rockitride

10-06-09, 03:59 PM

Hey Guys,

Well I just bought a 42B450 last Friday night. I read good feedbacks for it and bit the bullet. My final choices where between the Panasonic C, U and X series. And the B450 was the one I liked the most. I also own a 50" Panny PZ800 that I love and wouldn't part with but the Sammy was for the bedroom watching. I still haven't hooked it up since i'm waiting for my monoprice wall mount to arrive. Honestly, I am dying to test her out. I've been reading up this owners thread for a good part of the week-end and theres some seriously cool info going on in here!! Can't wait to test out Dan's settings on her :)

But I did have a few questions regarding breaking her in... whats the a realistic break in time on these sets ? Some places mention 50hrs others say 100hrs so what is it ?? And whats the best & safest way of breaking it in ? Any paricular programs some of you prefer over something else ?

I'm a little paranoid when it comes to burn in's and IR's so i want to make sure all goes well. I have a 30day return on this set so I need to make sure shes all good and shes really what I want before I need to bring her back.

Thanks in advance for your help!

RR.

kanpol

10-06-09, 05:25 PM

matryx

10-06-09, 07:21 PM

does anyone here know where to check for the usage hours on the B450? I tried {mute} 1 8 2 {power} and went to PDP option but I don't see it.

joebloggs13

10-06-09, 07:29 PM

Don't know if this model has that feature?...? I have thought about this also. Anyone? :confused:

dallows

10-06-09, 09:06 PM

does anyone here know where to check for the usage hours on the B450? I tried {mute} 1 8 2 {power} and went to PDP option but I don't see it.

It's in there. I forget where, but it's there. It's hiding on a screen with a bunch of other info.

dallows

10-07-09, 07:30 PM

Anyone know what I would need to do to display 3d on this tv?

kanpol

10-07-09, 08:19 PM

Hiya Dallows, I believe you need a pc with a good graphics card, nvidia 8800 or higher and ati 4650 or higher. the shutter glasses either made by samsung but I'm pretty sure nvidias will work and then a game that has 3d capability. Goto nvidias website they have some good information on games and movies and what exactly for the pc you need

dallows

10-07-09, 08:37 PM

Zeni

10-07-09, 09:28 PM

Hi, just wondering if I'm using PS3 slim as a blu ray player, should I set it to output in 720p or 1080i? Thanks

dallows

10-07-09, 11:46 PM

Hi, just wondering if I'm using PS3 slim as a blu ray player, should I set it to output in 720p or 1080i? Thanks

I just let the PS3 do it's auto-thing. Should be fine.

kanpol

10-08-09, 01:55 AM

i have my ps3 set to automatic which automatically sends it a 1080p and have the 24p set to on. I know its not 1080p but thats what it sends:)

stereomandan

10-08-09, 12:52 PM

For those of you who have their B450's blinking in dark scenes, I may have something for you. I never saw this phenomenon until a few days ago. I was watching normal TV through my DirectTV receiver, which goes to black for about one second everytime I change the channel. I noticed that the screen would flash everytime I changed a channel, which was the first time I had seen that happen. I had just been messing with my brightness setting (reducing it) because the station I had on had a raised black level. So what did I do? Put brightness back up one notch at a time until the flashing went away. Maybe this will help some of you with the problem. It may be as simple as the brightness setting. It was for me. When it was all said and done, the final brightness setting was just right also.

Dan

E-A-G-L-E-S

10-08-09, 01:07 PM

kanpol

10-08-09, 11:02 PM

Eagles werent you the one who was going to calibrate his dads set(b450 model)and was gonna give us the settings you came up with? I cant remember if that was you:rolleyes: I know it was afew months ago but we are still waiting my friend:D

still waiting for write up also. I have cal-day and cal-night working, the only thing is is that black tone and dynamic contrast dont work with it, I dont use thoughs anyways so no problem but what I'm wondering is if the reason they dont work is because the are automatically on like dynamic mode and that would render it useless

E-A-G-L-E-S

10-08-09, 11:30 PM

That was the plan. Best laid plans....

kanpol

10-08-09, 11:50 PM

danny_w

10-09-09, 06:45 PM

Best Buy delivered my 50" today and took back the 42". So far I think I made a wise decision to upgrade. The 50" will give me a bigger picture, plus the native resolution is widescreen 16:9 instead of the 42's 4:3 format, so I can set the blu-ray and STB to 720p and get the whole picture onscreen with much improved visuals. The bad thing is that now I have to start all over with the break-in period, but at the same lowered settings the 50" appears much brighter than the 42" did.

matryx

10-10-09, 09:34 PM

I was wondering if anyone can help me out here. I'm trying to hook up my XBOX360 to my TV with the VGA input. The picture shows up fine, but I get no sound coming from the TV.
This TV does not have PC Audio Inputs. So how do I get sound for the XBOX?

E-A-G-L-E-S

10-10-09, 09:49 PM

best laid plans of mice and men:D I was just joslin you. If you dont mind what were the settings that you ended up using and also if you do happen to turn on the cal-night and cal-day option please give me your opinion of them.

I need to get up to my parents to write down the final settings.
On a side note I believe I am purchasing a 50b550 or 50b650 tomorrow.
If I get a b550 I will be utilizing the cal modes, as the 450 and 550 are the same essentially other than resolution....

matryx

10-10-09, 10:18 PM

actually I got it working. I didn't know I had to use the adapter for the audio. Plugged the red and white cable into the adapter and plugged that beside the PC VGA input. Time for some Gears of War 2 :)

matryx

10-12-09, 04:45 PM

I was wondering people with the PS3. What display settings do you use. I checked marked 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Does the B450 do 1080i? I was just wondering if I put it on 1080p would it just display what the TV is capable of?

kanpol

10-12-09, 05:33 PM

hi matrx, i just set my ps3 to automatic and let it do it on its own. Dont quote me but I believe I've read somewhere( i read a lot of stuff here:) )that the ps3 has one of the best scalers as far as blueray players go, so just let it do all the work. To me it looks awesome on our tv's

Matrix not sure if you know this or are even interested but if you get an external hard drive format it to fat32, you can store all your movie, music and pictures on it, then hook it up to the ps3 using the usb and use it as a media center. I have a 500gb HD with over 100 movies on it, also put my breakin slides on it. Its awesome

matryx

10-12-09, 10:45 PM

I'm actually using PS3 Media Server to watch movies with my PS3. The problem with the PS3 is that it can't read mkv file format and files over 4GB with the FAT32 file system.

E-A-G-L-E-S

10-12-09, 10:50 PM

dallows

10-12-09, 11:59 PM

I'm actually using PS3 Media Server to watch movies with my PS3. The problem with the PS3 is that it can't read mkv file format and files over 4GB with the FAT32 file system.

You can convert them with a program called mkv2vob.

kanpol

10-13-09, 12:52 AM

thats the one I use alos Dallows:D. Also on the video TS folder if you change the files from .vob to .mpeg you can view it like that. I mostly keep all my movie files as .avi or .mp4 which keeps them under 4gb

lastxcallforsin

10-13-09, 02:37 AM

Do any of you use screen fit instead of the 16:9 setting? I know that the overscan in 16:9 is normal for many televisions but I prefer to see the whole image when playing games or watching blu-ray movies. The only thing that bothers me is that pixel shift is disabled when using this setting. I really like the screen fit setting but I am worried about burn-in so I am frequently switching back and forth between the two. What setting do you use?

dallows

10-13-09, 09:30 AM

direwolf2009

10-13-09, 10:30 AM

Hi everyone,

I've viewed about 100 hours (is that enough?) using the Break-In, Low Contrast, Low Brightness settings, for about a month now, and I wanted to know what people recommended for all-around film and PS3 and TV viewing (in that order of preference). Any detailed settings would be much appreciated?

Also, we have our HD TV Terminal plugged into HDMI 1 on the Samsung. Is there a way, on the remote control, to set the TV button to the HDMI 1 input? I would like an easier way to switch between the HDMI 1 (HD TV Terminal) and HDMI 2 (PS3) rather than always having to select Source and scroll through the selections.

Thanks very much!

DW

matryx

10-13-09, 12:36 PM

You can convert them with a program called mkv2vob.

I actually started using m2kvob like a few days ago. I'm not sure but doesn't it take longer to split the file if its bigger than 4GB though? I have a old single core AMD computer and its not that best for encoding and decoding.

dallows

10-13-09, 03:57 PM

I actually started using m2kvob like a few days ago. I'm not sure but doesn't it take longer to split the file if its bigger than 4GB though? I have a old single core AMD computer and its not that best for encoding and decoding.

Not sure how long it would take on an older machine. Sometimes it doesn't even really decode or recode or whatever. It just kinda repacks it under a different extension. I don't really know the specifics though.

Why would you split the file?

lastxcallforsin

10-13-09, 05:21 PM

I never use any sort of screen fit or zoom setting. And games should be full screen anyway.

When using the 16:9 setting with 720p or 1080p content, you lose about 5% of the image on each side of the TV due to overscan (basically it zooms in the image slightly). When I turn on screen fit I can see the whole image and it appears sharper. However pixel shift is lost. How useful is the pixel shift function? Would using screen fit significantly increase my chances of burn-in?

lastxcallforsin

10-13-09, 05:38 PM

joebloggs13

10-13-09, 06:07 PM

I use the settings stereomandan posted but with color increased to 50.

I also used stereomandan's settings with a few minor tweaks.

batch

10-13-09, 06:19 PM

Quick question. I have my Xbox 360 connected to my Samsung 42 via VGA. Do I have to use the associated audio input (the one with a single input )? Ideally, I'd like to use the audio input with two inputs (red & white).

Can you re-map, or do I have to venture out to Radio Shack and get a 2 to 1 adapter?

direwolf2009

10-13-09, 06:48 PM

I also used stereomandan's settings with a few minor tweaks.
Hi, everyone...

Thanks very much! Last question, though. I have HDMI Black Level set to Low, but when I was watching the Dark Knight Blu-ray, it set it to Normal and the option was ghosted (could not be changed). Is this normal?

Thanks!

dallows

10-13-09, 07:13 PM

When using the 16:9 setting with 720p or 1080p content, you lose about 5% of the image on each side of the TV due to overscan (basically it zooms in the image slightly). When I turn on screen fit I can see the whole image and it appears sharper. However pixel shift is lost. How useful is the pixel shift function? Would using screen fit significantly increase my chances of burn-in?

Are you sure that's correct? What's the point of the overscan test image then? When I pulled it up on my set everything looked as it should. To me, if you zoomed in or used the "screen fit" option it would then lose part of the image. You could even do a simple test. Just pause a scene and flip between the modes from the remote. **** I'll do it tonight.

Pixel shift is there to prevent IR. I'd want it enabled, imo.

lastxcallforsin

10-13-09, 08:39 PM

Are you sure that's correct? What's the point of the overscan test image then? When I pulled it up on my set everything looked as it should. To me, if you zoomed in or used the "screen fit" option it would then lose part of the image. You could even do a simple test. Just pause a scene and flip between the modes from the remote. **** I'll do it tonight.

Pixel shift is there to prevent IR. I'd want it enabled, imo.

16x9 mode actually zooms the image slightly and cuts off a small part of the screen on each side of your TV. The screen fit option shows the entire HD image which is not viewable on most television sets. The majority of televisions have overscan but some have an option to view the entire 720/1080p image just as a PC monitor would. Screen fit is the samsung equivalent of this. Overscan helps hide static and artifacts often found at the edges of HD and SD television broadcast. If it wasn't included with the TV people would be complaining and returning sets because of the static lines at the edge of the screen, but this is just how most television signals are currently broadcast. However there is no real benefit to it with True HD sources such as an Xbox 360 or PS3/Blu-Ray player. All it does is hide the sides of the image. With 16:9 turned on you aren't seeing the entire image. The image is zoomed in slightly and you lose some of the picture. It's mostly noticeable to me in the corners of the television where it seems like more of the image is being cut off. Play a full screen Blu-Ray disc and pause it when there is an object at the side or corner of the screen. Switch back and forth between screen fit and 16:9. You will see what I am talking about. When you take all 4 sides of the image into account you are losing a lot of the picture. The 16:9 mode also softens the image because of the zooming. Samsung recommends leaving the TV at 16:9 since overscan is normal for most television sets, but I have become used to playing my PS3 on a computer monitor and seeing the entire image.

direwolf2009

10-14-09, 05:12 PM

joebloggs13

10-14-09, 05:52 PM

Hi everyone,

For HD Cable TV viewing, should I set the HD Terminal to display at 720p or 1080i or 1080p? I know this TV does 720p, but what setting would be better?

Also, the PS3 has a setting to playback Blu-ray at 1080p 24hz - should I enable this option for this TV?

Thanks, everyone.

I would set it at 1080p. The set will scale it back to 720. A 1080p signal scaled to 720p will always look better than 1080i,720p or 480 scaled to 720p. Max out everything to the highest resolution possible. You will guarantee the best posible picture this way. JoeB

direwolf2009

10-14-09, 06:47 PM

Thanks, Joe.

So I set the HD Cable Terminal to the Automatic default 1080i (1920x1080i). And, I set the PS3 to Automatic, and it set itself to 1920x 1080 (1080p).

Cheers,
DW.

dallows

10-14-09, 07:14 PM

16x9 mode actually zooms the image slightly and cuts off a small part of the screen on each side of your TV. The screen fit option shows the entire HD image which is not viewable on most television sets. The majority of televisions have overscan but some have an option to view the entire 720/1080p image just as a PC monitor would. Screen fit is the samsung equivalent of this. Overscan helps hide static and artifacts often found at the edges of HD and SD television broadcast. If it wasn't included with the TV people would be complaining and returning sets because of the static lines at the edge of the screen, but this is just how most television signals are currently broadcast. However there is no real benefit to it with True HD sources such as an Xbox 360 or PS3/Blu-Ray player. All it does is hide the sides of the image. With 16:9 turned on you aren't seeing the entire image. The image is zoomed in slightly and you lose some of the picture. It's mostly noticeable to me in the corners of the television where it seems like more of the image is being cut off. Play a full screen Blu-Ray disc and pause it when there is an object at the side or corner of the screen. Switch back and forth between screen fit and 16:9. You will see what I am talking about. When you take all 4 sides of the image into account you are losing a lot of the picture. The 16:9 mode also softens the image because of the zooming. Samsung recommends leaving the TV at 16:9 since overscan is normal for most television sets, but I have become used to playing my PS3 on a computer monitor and seeing the entire image.

Guess I was wrong. Had it backwards for some reason. I tested it last night and you're right.

direwolf2009

10-15-09, 11:39 AM

dallows

10-15-09, 12:10 PM

Hi everyone,

So this morning I decided to setup the TV with Stereoman's settings, with some minor modifications (Contrast 77, Black Level OFF and Low).

After 125 hours of BI, these settings look great! And, Dan's right, Color at 38 seems more natural, though it's true that certain stations tend to saturate their channels differently, so I can see leaving it at 50.

Cheers,
DW

Yeah, considering the differences I've seen between my set and dan's I'm going to stick with what I have now. I don't have an Eye-one or anything to calibrate with, only the AVSHD disc from this forum. So that's what I'm sticking with.

direwolf2009

10-15-09, 01:26 PM

dallows

10-15-09, 02:31 PM

Hi everyone,

On vacation this week, so have been playing around with my settings to get the best picture, using Dan's settings as a starting point. This what I have. Normally, we watch movies and PS3, but just finished watching HDTV PBS, and it seemed a little dark - mind you, there was sunlight cascading through the room, which only happens for two hours a day. And, we're never home during the day, normally. Most of the viewing is at night:

Movie Mode
Cell Light: 7
Contrast: 70
Brightness: 51
Sharpness: 20
Color: 38
Tint: G47/R53
White (as per Dan)

Adv.
Black Tone: OFF
Gamma: 0
Dyn Contrast: OFF
Color Tone: Warm2
HDMI Black: Low

My wife and I watched some talkshow, and everything looked great, but switching to PBS HD or Discovery HD, things looked a little dark (with sunlight). I'll know more tonight, when we normally watch movies, TV, but any advice? I hear that upping Brightness just ups the black levels, and it should be contrast that is modified?

Finally, for PS3 Settings, should it be:

RGB: Full
Super White: On
BD/DVD Output: Y Pb/CBPr/Cr or RGB or Automatic?
BD/DVD Video Playback at 24hz: 1080p - Off/On?

Thanks!

I might have to go back to earlier in the thread but I believe if you set the PS3's RGB to Full and the TV's HDMI to Low everything will be too bright and kind of washed out.

I went with PS3 RGB at Limited and the TV at HDMI Low. It's a match up of the grayscale or something. I forget exactly. I also set it to Y Pb/CBPr/Cr (I think)

You have to keep in mind that every channel will broadcast differently. commercial to commercial on the same channel might even be different. The best thing to do is use something you know is reliable, like a blu ray movie or something. Then just deal with whatever the normal cable channels throw at you. Which if you stick to HD channels isn't bad usually.

direwolf2009

10-15-09, 03:24 PM

Thanks, Dallows.

Just FYI. I see what you mean about Movie versus Standard. I have the same exact set and when I set it to Standard and adjust settings like Dan or yours, I get something that approaches the screenshots you guys provided.

If I leave it on Movie, it just seems a little darker (warmer not brighter). When you set to Standard, did you leave Tone on Normal or set to Cool?

Like I said, I'll have a look tonight, but I just wanted to let you know. Not sure how Dan is getting those results with those settings. Unit to unit (of same model), there are slight adjustments, but they are not that vastly different.

Cheers,
DW.

dallows

10-15-09, 03:38 PM

direwolf2009

10-16-09, 01:36 PM

Hi all,

So I was calibrating my set, and I noticed a small rectangle in the center of the screen when watching the Break-in images. It's difficult to see, almost imperceptible, to be sure, but you can see it more clearly with white backgrounds (break-in images). Never noticeable, for me, when watching normally, either BD, PS3, or Cable.

I found a thread on here that mentions it, but even after the person returned their set, they still had it. It seems other people have the same thing, which, in a way, is comforting.

My feeling is this may not necessarily be a defect, but a cause due to manufacturing. I don't believe it's something to worry about it, but was curious to know if others had encountered the same thing?

Cheers,
DW

kanpol

10-16-09, 11:15 PM

I have the same rectangle, have had my panel replaced 3 times for a different reason and it is still there, only notice it when looking for it using breakin slides besides that never see it

direwolf2009

10-17-09, 08:31 PM

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would offer people my results. I had the above-mentioned settings (Dan's), but then family members said it was too (yellowed) dark. Once we switched to Dallows' settings, Standard, Normal, etc., everyone agreed those were best.

The only modification we've made from Dallows' settings was Colour = 45 And Color Native.

Cheers,
DW.

4x12

10-20-09, 01:51 AM

Hi guys,

New member and 1st time poster here!

I picked up a new B450 about 2 weeks ago from BestBuy, I originally wanted a 50" but the wife wouldn't go
for it... so we settled on a 42". I aint complaning, this is still a good upgrade from a 32" CRT screen!!

I'm about 15hrs into my breakin in process... mostly BD watching in full screen. I had a few questions regarding
this set and hope some of you can help me out. I just DL'd the Evangelos program to move this process
along but I was wondering what are suggested settings while doing this and do you suggest something other
than this?

At the momment I'm using Dan's setting @ post #362 in Movie mode and it looks pretty damn good. I just tweaked
up a few points here and there to better suit my liking but his setting in Movie mode is close to my Standard setting.
So, should I lower these setting down to 40 or 50 for the first 200 hours and should I be using Dan's setting with such
few hours put into this?

Theres something that annoys me a little on this set, I noticed every time I watch a BD and intro's switch in and out
theres always some monitor info that pops up in the upper left corner ? something in a big square that says what the
signal is 1080p etc... is there a way to stop this from popping up all the time ? Its driving me nuts.

And thanks to all of you for this great thread... lots of good info just takes a lot of time to take everything in!

thanks for the help!

Joe

lastxcallforsin

10-20-09, 07:58 AM

I started using Dan's settings right away with no break-in period and have been gaming in screen fit mode which disables pixel-shift. Have yet to notice any major image retention. I have seen some very slight image retention of a health bar from Street Fighter 4 and the XMB on my PS3 but I had to sit right in front of the TV and look for it. Any retention I had disappeared within an hour of watching full screen video content. Just don't have marathon sessions of gaming and letterbox content and you should be fine. I try to keep my gaming sessions under 2 hours and have my set displaying full-screen video content when I'm not gaming (while at home). Wouldn't risk leaving it on when I'm out.

4x12

10-20-09, 09:30 AM

yeah, I thought of letting it run on some SD channel with no logos on and have it set to screen fit while i'm at work... but I chickened out. :D With my luck, I didn't wanna come home and find out something went wrong and have some permanent image stuck in there.

But i'm really digging this set so far... I was worried about that Movie mode issue that Dallows was going through on his set. So I was watching Bolt last night and compared Dallows settings (and screen shots) in Movie mode and Dan's setting in Movie mode and I don't seem to have that dark issue Dallows got with his set. I haven't checked the version # on this one yet but will tonight.

Just to mention, I'm running my PS3 and HD STB box straight into the Sammy... nothing else between them.

OmegaR3D

10-20-09, 09:49 AM

Hey guys, I don't watch much tv and found the 50% settings too dark in a lot of films so I decided to run the Break in DVD found in another section of the forum, I ran it for a couple of nights on 50% settings but decided to put it to 95% for last night. It runs a series of slides on a loop so will this break in the tv faster? Perhaps cut it down to 50 hours instead of 100?

matryx

10-20-09, 02:28 PM

Not sure how long it would take on an older machine. Sometimes it doesn't even really decode or recode or whatever. It just kinda repacks it under a different extension. I don't really know the specifics though.

Why would you split the file?

I read that the PS3 is based on the FAT32 file system and thus cannot read files over 4GB.

Also I seen a good deal for the 50" B450 for $800 and I got mine for $680. Do you guys think it's worth it to get the 50" for an extra $120? Taxes haven't been included which is 13% in Ontario, Canada

One more thing. I can't find the options to set the PS3 to auto. I only see 480P,720P,1080i, and 1080P. This is in the Display Settings

danny_w

10-20-09, 02:42 PM

I read that the PS3 is based on the FAT32 file system and thus cannot read files over 4GB.

Also I seen a good deal for the 50" B450 for $800 and I got mine for $680. Do you guys think it's worth it to get the 50" for an extra $120? Taxes haven't been included which is 13% in Ontario, Canada

One more thing. I can't find the options to set the PS3 to auto. I only see 480P,720P,1080i, and 1080P. This is in the Display Settings
I had a 42" B450 and upgraded to the 50" and I like it much better for what I want. Actually I wanted the 50" all along but Best Buy didn't have it in stock, so I took the 42". Just before my 30 days were up I went back to Best Buy and upgraded, paying the difference ($151 including tax); they even threw in free delivery and hauled away the old 42". The major reason besides size to want the 50" is the pixel ratio; the 42" has a 4:3 pixel ratio (forced into a 16:9 screen) while the 50" has a 16:9 pixel ratio, which matches up much better with widescreen material. With the 42" if I set my cable box to output 720p the tv cut off the sides of the picture trying to match the pixel layout; I have no such problem with the 50" model, so I can set my sources for 720p to exactly match the tv's native resolution for the best picture possible.

tigerfan33

10-20-09, 03:22 PM

I had a 42" B450 and upgraded to the 50" and I like it much better for what I want. Actually I wanted the 50" all along but Best Buy didn't have it in stock, so I took the 42". Just before my 30 days were up I went back to Best Buy and upgraded, paying the difference ($151 including tax); they even threw in free delivery and hauled away the old 42". The major reason besides size to want the 50" is the pixel ratio; the 42" has a 4:3 pixel ratio (forced into a 16:9 screen) while the 50" has a 16:9 pixel ratio, which matches up much better with widescreen material. With the 42" if I set my cable box to output 720p the tv cut off the sides of the picture trying to match the pixel layout; I have no such problem with the 50" model, so I can set my sources for 720p to exactly match the tv's native resolution for the best picture possible.

Your settings must have been wrong on your 42" because the ONLY difference between the 42" and the 50" is the eight inches.

danny_w

10-20-09, 03:38 PM

Your settings must have been wrong on your 42" because the ONLY difference between the 42" and the 50" is the eight inches.
WRONG. The pixel resolution of the 42" is 1024x768 while that of the 50" is 1366x768. For some reason the specs on the Samsung website are wrong (not unusual); Crutchfield has the correct specs.

matryx

10-20-09, 04:16 PM

danny_w

10-20-09, 04:21 PM

One of the reason I don't want to returned it is because I got it delivery for free and I'm not sure how returning is going to work. Are they going to pick it up for me or am I supposed to return it to the store? I don't have transportation for the TV and don't really want to pay the extra for shipping it.

That's great that they gave you free delivery and took your old 42" back. What did you say to them to get that?

Also I believe that bestbuy has a flat panel guarantee that if they don't have the HDTV you want in stock than the deliver it for free and give you a $50 discount. That is how I got my 42" delivered for free.
I just told them that I had wanted the 50" originally (which I did) and they didn't have it so I settled for the 42", hoping to make do, but that now I had decided that I really did want the 50" after all. I also told them that I took the 42" home in my car (which I did) but that it barely fit and that a 50" would not even come close to fitting in the car. I asked them if they could deliver it for free since I had to get the 42" at first and they agreed.

tigerfan33

10-20-09, 08:28 PM

WRONG. The pixel resolution of the 42" is 1024x768 while that of the 50" is 1366x768. For some reason the specs on the Samsung website are wrong (not unusual); Crutchfield has the correct specs.

Not wrong. Aspect ratio is 16:9 on both the 42" and 50". As I said, your settings on your tv or your cable box were set wrong on the 42". Pixel resolution has nothing to do with aspect ratio.

lastxcallforsin

10-20-09, 10:11 PM

It has a 16:9 aspect ratio but the pixel count of 4:3 aspect ratio. The pixels are shaped differently in order to fill the screen.

direwolf2009

10-21-09, 12:37 PM

Hi all,

What settings are you currently using, just for reference. I can't seem to find a happy medium and it's driving me a little crazy. I oscillate between Standard/Normal and Movie/Warm1/Warm 2. I enjoy the richness of Movie/Warm1/Warm2 but the darker, yellower image is upsetting and I always switch back only to be eventually disappointed with the bluish hue.

Thanks, guys!

WaveBoy

10-21-09, 10:24 PM

Post Blue

10-22-09, 12:52 AM

Not wrong. Aspect ratio is 16:9 on both the 42" and 50". As I said, your settings on your tv or your cable box were set wrong on the 42". Pixel resolution has nothing to do with aspect ratio.
lastxcallforsin is correct.

Both panels have a 16:9 panel aspect ratio, which is to say that their viewable screen space physically measures at 16:9. However, the PN42B450 has a native resolution of 1024 x 768, which is, mathematically, a 4:3 pixel aspect ratio. The discrepancy between panel and pixel resolution on the PN42B450 means that its pixels have to be bloated horizontally to stretch across its panel. Its images contain less horizontal definition per unit of space than they do vertically. Contrary to what Samsung's own website says, the PN50B550 has a 1366 x 768 native resolution, which is a 16:9 pixel aspect ratio, in keeping with its panel aspect ratio. The parity between its panel aspect ratio and its pixel aspect ratio means that the display has uniform horizontal and vertical pixel density.

Some people can discipline themselves enough not to care about this difference. I can't.

Post Blue

10-22-09, 01:05 AM

Has anybody noticed any Lag when playing the Wii? or how about Green Phospher trails?

It's kind of lame though how when you're playing a game on 4:3 Samsung made the Bars Grey or Dark Grey instead of Black...
Every single plasma in existence has issues with green phosphor lag, but as the technology admittedly improves, the circumstances under which they're evident are becoming more obscure. You can see them during standard Wii use, but even extremely discerning users (like myself) have to consciously seek them in order to be bothered by them.

The dark gray is annoying, especially since the Wii automatically includes a black border around 4:3 content in its frame buffer, which defeats the purpose of any sort of IR issues Samsung might have been trying to avoid with its gray bars.

WaveBoy

10-22-09, 02:06 AM

Every single plasma in existence has issues with green phosphor lag, but as the technology admittedly improves, the circumstances under which they're evident are becoming more obscure. You can see them during standard Wii use, but even extremely discerning users (like myself) have to consciously seek them in order to be bothered by them.

The dark gray is annoying, especially since the Wii automatically includes a black border around 4:3 content in its frame buffer, which defeats the purpose of any sort of IR issues Samsung might have been trying to avoid with its gray bars.

But have you noticed an Lag, control wise when gaming? as for timing and so on? And the thing is, i dont exactly mind playing Wii Virtual Console games in widescreen, but it's still annoying that Samsung chose to not go black with the bars. BUT, there's no point in getting a 42" 1080p Panasonic Plasma when Wii games are 480p...AND would look worse(i'm guessing) when upscaled to 1080p. AND the fact that Samsung plasmas have better color compared to panasonic plasma...yet pansonic plasmas have the slight advantage in black levels.

Currently though, i have a 32" Sony Wega Trinitron CRT Flatscreen SDTV using component cables for wii and the PQ is fanatastic...but of course i'm missing out on Progressive Scan and Widescreen...My friends vizio 42" 720p plasma looks sharper and more clear for virtual console games, but that's obviously because of the Progressive Scan.

direwolf2009

10-22-09, 10:41 AM

Hi all,

We recently calibrated our Plasma, but in medium/low light conditions (two lamps at most), which is how we usually watch TV, my wife was complaining that she could see green spots (strange) and that her eyes hurt. She says that under the Standard setting, it seems easier on the eyes, but in Movie/Warm2, she gets eye strain. Again, we recently got this TV, so we're not entirely sure, but I wanted to look into it.

Our settings are as follows:

(using THX and AVHS Disc)

Movie/Warm2
Cell Light = 10
Contrast = 80 (using THX and AVHS Disc)
Brightness = 52
Color = 45
Tint: 51/49
Sharpness = 20
Advanced: Everything Off
Gamma = +1
White Balance = Default but -5 on Red Gain
HDMI Black = Normal (PS3)

Does anyone have any advice? Maybe turning Cell Light to 8 or Contrast even lower? Maybe adjusting White Balance more? Unfortunately, I can't really adjust Tint or White Balance because I don't have the necessary tools.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

joebloggs13

10-22-09, 12:22 PM

WaveBoy

10-26-09, 04:21 AM

lastxcallforsin

10-26-09, 12:58 PM

So is it true that selectiing 1080p on the PS3 for this display would look better than setting it to 720p for PS3 games and Bluray? since 1080p is being downscaled to 1024x768? really though that may be better for bluray, but PS3 games ARE 720p themselves, with a few 1080p games.

Also i'd be sitting 9 Feet away from the screen....Somebody was saying at that distance you wouldn't even beable to tell the difference between 1080p and 1024x768p. 4 feet away than that would be a different story.

Wii and DVDs/Bluray will be getting the most use anyhow.

This television is not true 720p so it is going to have to scale either way. Most people recommend setting sources to 1080p even on a 720p set. Even with 1080p output checked in the display settings, the PS3 will automatically display games at 720p unless you also un-check 720p. I tried this but noticed that the PS3 has an issue where some games that don't support internal 1080p upscaling will output at 480p until 720p output is checked. On my PS3 I have everything checked except for 1080i and just let the PS3 decide what resolution to output which is usually 720p for games and 1080p for movies. For other sources like my Xbox 360 I just set the output to 1080p.

WaveBoy

10-26-09, 02:10 PM

This television is not true 720p so it is going to have to scale either way. Most people recommend setting sources to 1080p even on a 720p set. Even with 1080p output checked in the display settings, the PS3 will automatically display games at 720p unless you also un-check 720p. I tried this but noticed that the PS3 has an issue where some games that don't support internal 1080p upscaling will output at 480p until 720p output is checked. On my PS3 I have everything checked except for 1080i and just let the PS3 decide what resolution to output which is usually 720p for games and 1080p for movies. For other sources like my Xbox 360 I just set the output to 1080p.

That's the thing too though, i dont mind if it isn't true 720p as I'll be using it for Wii the most, along with DVD's and Bluray. Hell having ProgressiveScan and Widescreen makes me happy enough ;p....But obviously 720p(not true 720p that is) is fantastic for Bluray along with HDMI. Still will only be keeping this TV for less than 2 years before Nintendo's next system hits along with the PS4 in NOV 2011...if they're not realesed by then, well i guess i'll be keeping this set alittle longer ;p But when the time comes I'll be getting a 50" 3D 1080p HDTV.

But am i right though, that you wouldn't beable to tell the difference sitting 9 feet away from a 42" screen between 1024x768 compared to 1366x768, or even 1080p when playing PS3 games or watching Bluray? Somebody was saying at that distance you cant telll the difference.

danny_w

10-26-09, 02:18 PM

That's the thing too though, i dont mind if it isn't true 720p as I'll be using it for Wii the most, along with DVD's and Bluray. Hell having ProgressiveScan and Widescreen makes me happy enough ;p....But obviously 720p(not true 720p that is) is fantastic for Bluray along with HDMI. Still will only be keeping this TV for less than 2 years before Nintendo's next system hits along with the PS4 in NOV 2011...if they're not realesed by then, well i guess i'll be keeping this set alittle longer ;p But when the time comes I'll be getting a 50" 3D 1080p HDTV.

But am i right though, that you wouldn't beable to tell the difference sitting 9 feet away from a 42" screen between 1024x768 compared to 1366x768, or even 1080p when playing PS3 games or watching Bluray? Somebody was saying at that distance you cant telll the difference.
I have the 50" model (used to have the 42" but replaced it) and I don't think I could tell the difference at 9 feet between this 720p set and a 1080p set. That's not to say that nobody could, but I think you would have to look mighty hard to tell any difference at that distance. I think for most people 1080p is simply marketing hype; nobody sits that close to their tv (at least nobody I know of). Here is a quote that I found:

What the chart shows is that, for a 50-inch screen, the benefits of 720p vs. 480p start to become apparent at viewing distances closer than 14.6 feet and become fully apparent at 9.8 feet. For the same screen size, the benefits of 1080p vs. 720p start to become apparent when closer than 9.8 feet and become full apparent at 6.5 feet. In my opinion, 6.5 feet is closer than most people will sit to their 50" plasma TV (even through the THX recommended viewing distance for a 50" screen is 5.6 ft). So, most consumers will not be able to see the full benefit of their 1080p TV.

Source:
http://carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

WaveBoy

10-26-09, 02:27 PM

I have the 50" model (used to have the 42" but replaced it) and I don't think I could tell the difference at 9 feet between this 720p set and a 1080p set. That's not to say that nobody could, but I think you would have to look mighty hard to tell any difference at that distance. I think for most people 1080p is simply marketing hype; nobody sits that close to their tv (at least nobody I know of). Here is a quote that I found:

Source:
http://carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

I couldn't imagine sitting closer than 9 feet from a 50" weather it's 1080p or 720p. So that aside i guess based on that, sitting 9 to 9 1/2 feet away from a 42" with a lower end 720p would yeild no difference unless i really had to look for it. But knowing me for now i'd be happy enough with this set for the short amount of time i'm keeping it. Besides resolution isn't my main concern....Lag, green phospher trails, color, blacks, motion and the scaler are.

SurferBud3

10-26-09, 09:55 PM

Is it best to set the output from my cable STB at 1080i or 720P for this television (pn42)?

werfish

10-28-09, 04:50 AM

stereomandan

10-29-09, 03:55 PM

I have found that when my brightness was set too low that I would get the flickering issue.

Dan

joebloggs13

10-29-09, 04:25 PM

Hi All,I got this set last week and the brightness and contrast is at mid 40's. i have noticed that the screen goes blank while showing dark scenes( like with a candle flickering). Any idea on how to resolve this?

I have found that when my brightness was set too low that I would get the flickering issue.

Dan

I think it has to do with the backlight switching on and off. I dont know why it does this, but apparently it's normal(maybe a power saving thing?). Is your set in movie mode? I found that it would only happen in movie mode. I have mine in standard and dont have that issue anymore.

werfish

10-30-09, 03:03 AM

I think it has to do with the backlight switching on and off. I dont know why it does this, but apparently it's normal(maybe a power saving thing?). Is your set in movie mode? I found that it would only happen in movie mode. I have mine in standard and dont have that issue anymore.

Yes,The set is in movie mode, i guess it happened in standard mode too.i have brighteness at 45 and contrast at 49 in the break in and power save in medium.Another thing i noticed is that in the dark scenes the whole set looks dark and i couldnt figure out the faces.

joebloggs13

10-30-09, 07:33 AM

Yes,The set is in movie mode, i guess it happened in standard mode too.i have brighteness at 45 and contrast at 49 in the break in and power save in medium.Another thing i noticed is that in the dark scenes the whole set looks dark and i couldnt figure out the faces.

I think it's because you have the set on medium power save combined with the low brightness and contrast setting. I would try increasing the contrast to 58 or so and the brightness to about that as well as turning the power save to low. See if that helps. JoeB

stereomandan

10-31-09, 01:18 PM

Your brightness setting doesn't matter for break in. It's contrast that matters.

Go ahead and bump up the brightness to where it should be, and your flickering may go away. It worked for me.

Dan

werfish

11-05-09, 01:22 AM

Thanks Guys.upping the brightness helped,no more flickers.
Is there any caliberation setting you have during the break in period.

moothemagiccow

11-05-09, 02:43 AM

But am i right though, that you wouldn't beable to tell the difference sitting 9 feet away from a 42" screen between 1024x768 compared to 1366x768, or even 1080p when playing PS3 games or watching Bluray? Somebody was saying at that distance you cant telll the difference.

I'm not sure how best to answer, but I'll say this:

My local NBC, CBS and ABC stations all send out a 1080 signal, I believe it's 1080i. Fox sends out a 720p signal. During their primetime programming or weekend sports, just flicking around the stations you can tell which one is Fox, just by the picture. Even though I have a 720p TV, I chose the 1080p output from the PS3 in a heartbeat.

achebee4you

11-18-09, 12:03 PM

I just want to say after hours of reading i've pulled the trigger on this set the 50" and damn this thing is great!! haven't broken it in yet, but i want yo thank everyone for such good feedback both +'ive and -'ive. For 800 bones with a surround sound this thing was a steal! Luckily i still have an old full hd dvd player from toshiba with about 100 hd dvds and i cannot tell the diff between this and my full hd lcd lnt4061, this 720p set actually accepted the 1080p output at 24fps that the hd dvd played at the picture is suberb no motion blur and perfect clarity. i can't wait to tweak it after break in period. my lnt4061 which is 1080p cannot compare to this set wow!!!

joebloggs13

11-18-09, 12:22 PM

footballforever

11-19-09, 09:47 PM

I'm thinking of picking up this set over the Panny. If I do get this I hope I make the right decision.

HardBat

11-19-09, 11:55 PM

I'm not sure how best to answer, but I'll say this:

My local NBC, CBS and ABC stations all send out a 1080 signal, I believe it's 1080i. Fox sends out a 720p signal. During their primetime programming or weekend sports, just flicking around the stations you can tell which one is Fox, just by the picture. Even though I have a 720p TV, I chose the 1080p output from the PS3 in a heartbeat.

ABC broadcasts 720p.

dsellinger

11-20-09, 06:26 PM

I'm thinking of picking up this set over the Panny. If I do get this I hope I make the right decision.

I picked this over an X1. I did like the picture on the x1 a little better, but since I primarily use a htpc for source the VGA and hdmi/dvi inputs on the Samsung were the deal breakers. Also that silver strip looks silly.

march09

11-20-09, 09:47 PM

joebloggs13

11-20-09, 10:13 PM

I recently purchased 42" B450 four days ago I calibrated it using stereomandan's break-in settings post #50, btw movie mode looks good on these settings.

I decided to setup up the ps3 through HDMI cable to see how good the picture quality looks in High Def, set Display Settings on Auto 1920x1080@60hz.

I'm seeing a (light) grainy pixel dotted dithering type distortion or interference over the whole screen at 0 to 6ft while viewing the ps3 XMB display or watching Blu-ray Video. This is really annoying and being 1080p High Definition I'm highly disappointed I expected better performance than this.

Are any of you experiencing similar picture type distortion from screen? (check if you can see it from 2 ft away, like I said it's light.)

Or is this light grainy distortion normal at close distances w Plasma Technology? And I should view the screen from a distance of 7 feet or more.

At first I thought it might be the quality of HDMI cable (Monoprice ) causing interference of some sort w power strip being to close. I decided to try out $100 dollar THX certified Monster cables from BestBuy, but no difference at all same problem.

Can anyone recommend advice on how I might solve this issue or make the effect less visible i.e. settings, configuration of some sort that I might be missing?

First off, as the B450 is 720p, so it will scale down 1080 to it's native resolution. As for the distortion, it sounds like it could be a connection. I know people have had problems with HDMI cables in the past. They swap out cables and problem is solved. I would test all hardware that's hooked up to the set before troubleshooting the tv itself.

march09

11-20-09, 10:33 PM

Ya I swapped out the cable w Monsters, but unfortunately light grainy dotted distortion did not go away, looked the same.

BTW, (I'm using 10ft. Monoprice HDMI Cable 1.3a Category 2 Certified Certified CL2 Rated net jacket w gold plated connectors)

I tried a dvd player through composite and I couldn't see it. I wonder if there are some settings in ps3 menu that could help solve the problem.

rataoloco

11-22-09, 06:06 PM

Hello guys. I saw somewhere in another topic that the following settings would be reccomended for the break in period,when using hdmi

ATTN:SETTINGS FOR SETS WITH LESS THAN 125 HOURS ON THEM! MODERATE LIGHT and DARK/LOW LIGHT ROOM APPLICATIONS ONLY!

HDMI input settings:

Mode: Movie
Contrast: 64 (58 for dark room/low light settings)
Brightness: 36
Color: 48
Tint: G 54/46 R
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Warm2
DNR: OFF
DNIE: OFF
Dynamic contrast: OFF
Black level: OFF
Edge enhancement: OFF

HDMI black level: LOW (IRE 0) (Regular DVD or upconverting DVD players with HDMI output will only output 16-235 signal.Standard on HDMI Black level. So this feature may be blacked out.

My detailed settings:

Colorspace: WIDE (Rec. 709)
Gamma: 0
White balance:
R offset: 13
G offset: 15
B offset: 15
R gain: 13
G gain: 15
B gain: 15

My color control: default settings until I figure it out.

But I noticed something strange. This configuration makes the screen be very dark (which is not the problem right now). The strange think is that when i use these settings, every time I'm watching a movie and the screen goes black (for a change of scene, or when the movie ends) the screen kind of goes black and blink at the same time. So, I turned the settings to default and this didn't happened. Does anyone know if it's some of these settings who does that?

And thanks a lot for this thread, so much information here.

Ahhh, and other thing. I bought two of b450 42'' yesterday. One for myself and one for my mother.

Mine is working fine. But when my mother turned her tv on today, it only played the sound. It doesn't show any images. Tomorrow we're going to the store to change it, but does anyone know or had this problem?

Cheers!

march09

11-25-09, 06:25 PM

I heard you can setup your current Picture Settings as default in the Service Menu.

Does anyone Know where to find this in the Servie Menu?

I've tried looking for it, but can't find it.

Bizcax

11-29-09, 12:58 PM

Can someone help me with their standard settings? I just bought the PN42B450B1d yesterday and I would like some ideas on some good settings.

stereomandan

11-29-09, 08:14 PM

I recently purchased 42" B450 four days ago I calibrated it using stereomandan's break-in settings post #50, btw movie mode looks good on these settings.

I decided to setup up the ps3 through HDMI cable to see how good the picture quality looks in High Def, set Display Settings on Auto 1920x1080@60hz.

I'm seeing a (light) grainy pixel dotted dithering type distortion or interference over the whole screen at 0 to 6ft while viewing the ps3 XMB display or watching Blu-ray Video. This is really annoying and being 1080p High Definition I'm highly disappointed I expected better performance than this.

Are any of you experiencing similar picture type distortion from screen? (check if you can see it from 2 ft away, like I said it's light.)

Or is this light grainy distortion normal at close distances w Plasma Technology? And I should view the screen from a distance of 7 feet or more.

At first I thought it might be the quality of HDMI cable (Monoprice ) causing interference of some sort w power strip being to close. I decided to try out $100 dollar THX certified Monster cables from BestBuy, but no difference at all same problem.

Can anyone recommend advice on how I might solve this issue or make the effect less visible i.e. settings, configuration of some sort that I might be missing?

I do see small amounts of random noise throughout my test patterns, but I doubt I could see it from more than 3-4 ft away. Try reducing sharpness to zero. I keep mine at 5 for HD content like the PS3. Also your brightness might be different from what I have listed below depending on how you have your PS3 setup.

You might want to try these settings once it's broken in. These are what I've settled on.

Movie Mode, Warm 2 setting
Cell Light: 10
Contrast: 85
Brightness: 50 (this can vary from 48 to 52 depending on what input or source you are using)
Sharpness: 20 for standard definition content. I use 5 for HD content (Blu-Ray, or High Def Channels)
Color: 38
Tint: G42/R58

Advanced: Everything off or zero except:
Gamma: 0 (or -1 if you like)
Color Space: Auto

White Balance:
Red Offset: 21
Green Offset: 25
Blue Offset: 15
Red Gain: 25
Green Gain: 0
Blue Gain: 27

Dan

kanpol

11-29-09, 08:57 PM

hey stereomandan long time no read:D. How ya been and a happy late thnaksgiving to you my friend:D I see you changed your settings again, i'll give them a try, since i'm using the old ones. Have you ever tried the cal-day and cal-night ones yet. It's wierd I'll put your settings on movie mode and cal-night and cal-night will be brighter. So i'm not sure if the -cals- are working right, when i switch colorspace from native to auto on them there is no change at all not even a little. You can change all settings except colorspace, dark tone and dynamic contrast on the -cal- modes. Anyone of those three when you go into them and change from low to medium to high to off,you will see no change at all. I never use dark tone or dynamic contrast but for the fact that they dont work makes me wonder if they are stuck on like with Dynamic mode. just something to ponder:confused: Once again dan thanks for taking time to post new settings:D

stereomandan

11-29-09, 09:53 PM

Hey Kanpol. Thanks for the reply. Yeah, Thanksgiving went great, but went by way too fast. :) Back to work...

Anyway, these new changes shouldn't be too dramatic from what you had before. Just some fine tweaking.

I have not tried the Cal-night/day options in the service menu. Since I do my critical movie watching on my projector, this 42B450 is mainly for everyday viewing. I do love to watch OTA HD sports on this plasma though. (like the football games on the network stations today). I did buy another Blu-ray player this weekend though (for this TV) so I may do more critical viewing on it now. Before I would have to swipe my PS3 from my projector to watch Blu-rays on the 42B450.

These settings are probably what I'll stick with from here on out...

Dan

march09

12-01-09, 06:17 AM

Thanks stereomandan for your response on the dithering effects on B450 model and your final settings posted.

BTW, you wouldn't know how to set your calibration settings as default in the Service Menu?:)

matryx

12-03-09, 12:31 PM

Something weird happened to my TV last night. I turned on my PS3 and use my remote and press the power button for the TV. Nothing happened. I tried it for several minutes and only the light flashes each time I press a button. I thought my TV went dead so I just unplugged everything and plugged it back in again and everything work. It had me worry there, but I still don't know what happened. I've only had the TV for a little over 2 months.

joebloggs13

12-03-09, 12:39 PM

moothemagiccow

12-03-09, 09:14 PM

ABC broadcasts 720p.

1080i in my area

samueldee

12-04-09, 03:50 PM

danny_w

12-04-09, 04:08 PM

real quick guys cuz i know this is a owners thread for calibrations and stuff.

i just got an ln40b50 lcd 1080p 60hz from some black Friday sale thing. I’m on a budget so thought it would be a great deal. Well, this set sucks due to the horrible image blur that is very noticeable. I started looking at 120hz-240hz models but they are a lot more expensive and still have some problems with image blur..i guess I am more sensitve to this. After seeing the pn42b540 for the same price I started wondering about it. Found this thread and was impressed with all of your enthusiasm about this set. Know I know this is 720p set but will it be a big difference from 1080 at this size? I really am leaning toward taking the LCD back and getting this plasma. What do you guys think?

Thanks for any feedback you can give me
You'll most liky never notice a difference in resolution at this size unless you sit within about 3-4 feet of the tv, which to me is far too close. At a "normal" 8-10 foot viewing distance the difference in resolution will be indistinguishable. However the blacks, the color accuracy, and the much wider viewing angles of the plasma will blow the lcd out of the water. The picture on an lcd normally degrades significantly with only a small offset in viewing angle; the b450 plasma OTOH looks as sharp at 45 degrees or more off center as it does head on. I have been very pleased with my 50" model. I had the 42" and exchanged it for the 50" just because I wanted a bigger display, and I normally sit about 8-9 feet from it.

samueldee

12-04-09, 04:56 PM

You'll most liky never notice a difference in resolution at this size unless you sit within about 3-4 feet of the tv, which to me is far too close. At a "normal" 8-10 foot viewing distance the difference in resolution will be indistinguishable. However the blacks, the color accuracy, and the much wider viewing angles of the plasma will blow the lcd out of the water. The picture on an lcd normally degrades significantly with only a small offset in viewing angle; the b450 plasma OTOH looks as sharp at 45 degrees or more off center as it does head on. I have been very pleased with my 50" model. I had the 42" and exchanged it for the 50" just because I wanted a bigger display, and I normally sit about 8-9 feet from it.

thanks!!

after checking out a bunch of sites i've came to the conclusion that this plasma is probably the best buy for this amount of money?

matryx

12-05-09, 12:43 PM

Did you check the batteries in the remote? I would swap them out with some fresh ones.

no I haven't, but nothing tells me that it was the batteries. After replugging the TV back in the TV remote works fine.

If it was the remote would the small flash on the TV still flash when a button was press on the remote?

HD_Padawan

12-05-09, 05:21 PM

Greetings,
I'm quite new to the world of HD as well as plasma TVs.
I have decided to get A Samsung PN42B450 from Best Buy for the holidays!
After reading through the rest of this thread I have a couple of questions.

Best Buy is selling their calibration service with two of the same TV side by one calibrated one not. . .
I must admit the calibrated set looked quite a bit better.
I have worked in print production for quite a few years and I am familiar with the technique they use for calibration in the service they offer, in that it is the method we use in-house to calibrate our computer monitors for color accuracy.

. . . my questions are. . .
Will the DVE calibration disk allow me to perform a calibration that is on par with the "Geek Squad" servive Best Buy offers?

Should I run the Break-In Disk on the set to "harden" the phosphors?

I don't want to get a blue ray player until I can get a PS3 (February). . .
Can I run the calibration disk and/or the break-in disk on my "regular old" DVD player using component video cables?

lastly, I as a newbie I welcome any advise.
This is, for me, a big investment and I'd like to care for it as best as I can so that it will last for a good long time.

Thanks for the Forum!
. . .and thanks in advance for any advice.

lastxcallforsin

12-06-09, 12:26 PM

The Best Buy calibration is actual ISF calibration so DVE will not give you the same results. I'm not a fan of DVE. I purchased the blu-ray copy and it gave me oversaturated colors and a wrong tint setting with the included blue filter. Blacks were also slightly crushed using their brightness test pattern. I prefer the AVSHD709 disc (atleast for setting brightness and contrast) that you can get for free here

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=948496

I'm using stereomandan's settings right now with some minor adjustments.

Contrast: 92
Sharpness: 0
Color: 44 (oversaturated but DVE was giving me 50 and 44 was a good compromise for me as 38 appeared way to dull for my eyes)
Tint 46/54 (DVE was giving me 30/70 which made skintones unnaturally pink)

UPDATE:
I have been using 38 for color the past couple days and switched back to 44 today. The colors seemed too bright and unrealistic. I am now using Dan's settings without any adjustments.

R3deye

12-11-09, 07:10 PM

Guys, I need a bit of advice.
I noticed some green bars visible only when a grey/dark white image is displayed, like those on the break-in DVD.
Here's the shot:

http://www.imagesforme.com/upload/9cb2a390.jpg

I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for the images from the DVD, and now I'm struggling not to notice it :mad:

Now, should I try and return the set, is this a sign of a malfunction, or should I just live with it?

soupnuts

12-12-09, 12:54 AM

So I've been an lcd guy for a couple of years, between monitors and tv's. Last week I decided it was time for an upgrade so I opted for a 47" 1080P LCD, I was happy with it. Then at work I start reading a 2 month old playstation magazine article about how the game "Avatar" can be played in 3d. So I start researching 3d enabled sets. Then I find out that the Samsung PN**a/b450's are 3d enabled, pretty much the only sets under $1k. I had never considered plasma's, you know, crappy lifspan, highly reflective screens, burn-in issues. I start doing my own research instead of just reading the copy and pasted hearsay articles and decide to trade in my new lcd for a 50" PN50b450.

Maybe in the beginning plasma's had those issues, but from what I've read they're all nonexistant now, (except for reflective screen which I haven't found to bother me at all). This set in 720P easily blows away the LCD I had as far as picture quality, I thought the other set looked good, now I realize that it just looked good for what I was used to. I'm happy.

Since this is the picture setting thread I'll add my 2 cents. I went with Stereomandan's setting and they look great. In daytime with a sunny room, it's a little dark, but perfect at night when most of my viewing takes place.

Anybody use the 3d yet? From what I was reading PS3 is going to start making a lot of their games for it next year and there will be an update that adds it to most of their old games. As of now is it worth the money to buy the glasses and emitter and stuff, or wait until it gets better and cheaper?

stereomandan

12-12-09, 09:53 PM

Thanks soupnuts. The settings are what I've settled on, and I'm VERY happy with this set. To be honest, I'm not really sure what more I would go looking for now that I have this plasma. On my set, the settings I've listed are fantastic, with excellent contast, color, sharpness, and black level. I agree with you, that when the sun shines brightly in the room (I have a 9 foot by 7 foot high window right next to the TV) that the picture will look a darker than I would like, but its about the same as the 16x9 HD Sony CRT I had before in that spot.

The question you had about buying the 3D gear is up to you, but I would hold off until it is more common for the games. There isn't much out there right now. Prices on the hardware will come down at the point that 3D becomes more common. Having said that... If you want to be an early adopter, then go for it. I've been an early adopter, and was happy with the money I spent (Dolby Digital 5.1, DVD, Widescreen rear projection...) :)

Dan

lastxcallforsin

12-12-09, 10:37 PM

rage25

12-13-09, 08:23 AM

Ive had this tv for about a month and am new to this. But i do have a lot of burn in, im wondering if i am doing something wrong, and i what i need to know about the break in period. Should i have it on certain settings during this time? Id appreciate any help i can get.

lastxcallforsin

12-13-09, 01:28 PM

Are you sure it's burn-in? It's probably just image retention which will go away after leaving the scroller on for a few hours. There is not really anything you can do about image retention other then avoiding channels with non-transparent logos and watching full screen content. You could also lower your contrast but it might reduce picture quality. I didn't break in my TV at all. Started using Dan's settings right away and hardly had any image retention. I think I actually get image retention more often now (about 400 hours) then I did when I first got the TV. I'm used to it though and it doesn't bother me.

soupnuts

12-13-09, 02:27 PM

dcsplicer

12-13-09, 06:51 PM

I've had this plasma less than 24 hours, and I'm having a problem with the set shutting itself off after a few minutes of viewing. Sometimes it restarts and sometimes it doesn't. I must have gotten a defective set. If no ideas, I'll be returning it tomorrow.

lastxcallforsin

12-13-09, 06:55 PM

Is there a big difference in the saturation of colors in rgb compared to ycbcr? My blu-ray disc (ycbcr) all look great with color set at 38 but video games (rgb) look too mute. Would 38 still be more accurate for rgb or should I increase color?

After switching back and forth between the rgb and ycbcr color spaces while watching LOST on blu-ray I found that setting color to 42 in the rgb color space comes the closest to matching 38 in the ycbcr color space. I guess I will keep my color set at 42 for gaming and downloaded video and switch to 38 when playing blu-ray disc.

danny_w

12-13-09, 07:10 PM

stereo55

12-14-09, 02:25 PM

nm ,

rage25

12-15-09, 05:11 PM

can any one help with my settings for my ps3, for gaming and bd. i am using stereodanmans settings for the tv. thanks

lastxcallforsin

12-16-09, 02:02 AM

can any one help with my settings for my ps3, for gaming and bd. i am using stereodanmans settings for the tv. thanks

If you are using Dans settings then set display to rgb limited with superwhite on. Set bluray video output to ycbcr.

Harri Patel

12-18-09, 05:23 PM

When I bought this TV, and hooked up a PC to it through HDMI (whichever of the HDMI ports the instruction booklet said to use), I found that at the "recommended" screen resolution of 1024 X 768, everything is stretched out horizontally. I assumed that this is due to the rectangular pixel shape of this TV, versus on a traditional 1024 X 768 computer monitor.

If I want to look at webpages and have the photos be at the correct aspect ratio, I can use the "P.Size" button on the remote to select 4:3 mode instead of 16:9, but this puts up the vertical grey bars on the sides of the screen. If I want to watch a video file, I can either do the same thing, or run the set in 16:9 mode, and use the VLC video player's controls to select 4:3 aspect ratio for a 16:9 file, or 1:1 for a 4:3 file. This works, but it's a bit of a pain to have to do it each time I want to play a file.

In the hope of finding some way to have the computer display in full screen AND at the correct aspect ratio, I have tried both nVidia and ATi video cards and drivers. I've looked through the various settings available for these cards to try to find something that will compensate for the fact that the display's native resolution is 1024 X 768, but stretched out to 16:9, but have been unsuccessful. I concluded that this was just a limitation of this kind of TV.

However, I just recently got a PS3. I connected it via HDMI, accepted the default option that lets the PS3 select the best display setting to use, and it displays everything -- Blu-Ray movies, games, computer video and image files -- in full screen, and at the correct aspect ratio.

So now, I am again wondering if there isn't something I can do to get full screen, correct aspect ratio display from the computer. If the PS3 can figure it out, why can't the computer? Can anyone offer any suggestions?

lastxcallforsin

12-18-09, 06:14 PM

It's because 1280x768 is a 16:10 aspect ratio. Televisions have a 16:9 aspect ratio while most computer monitors have a 16:10 aspect ratio. Just output 1280x720 or 1920x1080. As long as you are using a 16:9 aspect ratio it won't look stretched on the tv. It will look stretched on your computer monitor though with those settings.

Harri Patel

12-18-09, 06:46 PM

I goofed; the "recommended setting" is 1024 X 768, not 1280 X 768.

danny_w

12-18-09, 06:49 PM

I goofed; the "recommended setting" is 1024 X 768, not 1280 X 768.
That is the native resolution of the 42" model.

Harri Patel

12-18-09, 10:01 PM

lastxcallforsin

12-18-09, 11:45 PM

I understand that.

But if the PS3 knows what to do to make 16:9 stuff look right on the TV's 1024 X 768 display, and the TV itself knows how make over-the-air HD signals look right on the 1024 X 768 display, it seems as though there ought to be some way of accomplishing the same thing when the signal is coming from the PC.

The PS3 isn't doing anything special. The PS3 is outputting a 16:9 resolution to a 16:9 screen. That is why it looks right. It doesn't matter that the pixel count is that of a typical 3:4 aspect ratio display (1024x768) because the pixels are stretched (rectangles instead of squares) to fill the screen. You need to set your PC to output a 16:9 resolution such as 1280x720 or 1920x1080. Don't set your PC output to 1024x768. The television has a 16:9 aspect ratio regardless of it's pixel count so the image will not show up properly when the screen is filled. The TV will not map the 1024x768 (3:4) pixels to the stretched 1024x768 (16:9) pixels of the display.

soupnuts

12-19-09, 11:24 AM

I didn't really do any break in either, only had the set for a few days now and jumped striaght in with Stereomandans settings. When watching tv and there's a static logo I adjust it off screen, but the kids have spent a couple of hours playing the new Wii Mario and I've spent a few hours playing burnout paradise on ps3, both have static images and I havent seen any ir at all.

I take it back, during a bright scene I noticed some IR last night. Ran the screen wash thing for about 2 hours, watched some regular tv for a bit then had it off all night, now in the morning I'm running the wash again. Looks like it's faded some but can still see it, the ir is from a game I havent played in 3 days. At what time period is it no longer ir and considered burn in?

joebloggs13

12-19-09, 02:33 PM

I take it back, during a bright scene I noticed some IR last night. Ran the screen wash thing for about 2 hours, watched some regular tv for a bit then had it off all night, now in the morning I'm running the wash again. Looks like it's faded some but can still see it, the ir is from a game I havent played in 3 days. At what time period is it no longer ir and considered burn in?

I wouldn't worry. As the set is still quite new and phosphors still burning brighter. It's just a little more persistant. It will keep fading. That happened to me once when I first bought mine(a400). Kids played with contrast accidentally on torch mode. It went away, and now I have no problems. The set is now over a year old and looks great.

RBA

12-20-09, 02:15 AM

Fry's gave this TV to me as a warranty replacement for my 52 LCD RP Mitis. I couldn't be happier.

corporal

12-21-09, 03:54 PM

Hey guys, just bought me a 42b450 about a week ago and would love some help. I mainly use this for gaming ( 360 ) and noticed most people here it seems have the ps3 settigns down, but is anyone have a recommendations and settings I should use for my 360? Also what about the setting on the black level option in the 360 display option? Also, on a side note, I use my 360 for netflix streaming and I noticed when during a scene transition or if the movie ends the screen goes to black for a couple of seconds the screen will like flash and flicker then when the credits start rolling its fine..

What would cause this issue and how do I resolve it? Thanks for the help guys appreciate it.

corporal

12-22-09, 10:21 AM

Hey after some extensive troubleshooting and testing, I have determined what causing (my display combo atleast...xbox and tv) to flicker. I would force the xbox to go to an all black screen like when starting a new game or going back to the dashboard and would tweak each setting and test again.. .After a bit of that I have fully come to the conclusion that (again atleast for my display) if I would happen to turn up the brightness past 45 the flicker would happen. It did not matter about any other setting.

I tried alot of configs as well...tv mode (ie standard..movie..) gammaj, contrast, black level, auto nr...you name it... After trying each setting the brightness is what triggerd the flicker when it went to an all black screen. Maybe someone else who has exp the flicker can confirm my findings, but thought I would help fellow sammy owners. Thanks!

WaveBoy

12-31-09, 02:23 AM

I'm going to be picking up the 42B450 at BestBuy tomorrow...finally.:p It's not going to be my main display anyways, just something to have on the side to play around with ect.

Anyways, once i get it hooked up and get the picture settings to my liking i'll be posting up tons of pictures! ;):D

Mainly for Bluray(HDMI/PS3), Wii games(Component/480p) and PS3 games.
And while I'm at it I can actually do comarisons with the B450 and my Sony wega trinitron as far as Color and Black levels go and of course how wii games look in comparison. Of course the B450 will have Widescreen and ProgressiveScan which will be great for the wii...BUT the CRT will have the advantage in motion(slightly) no upscaled image, no lag and i'm guessing it will have the edge in black levels. I'm hoping this sammy can match my CRT regarding color...Because apperantly everybody is raving about Samsungs color when it comes to plasmas.

Anyways, I need to play around with my new camera, expect tons of pictures in a few days ;)

T-Bone

01-01-10, 05:19 PM

Not all that uncommon and what's worse for you.. it might not actually be dead at all. Sometimes new plasmas will have a few misbehaving pixels which eventually settle down and start behaving as they should (pixel might start out as working then stop or it decides to display only one color, but then, it springs back to permanent normal operation again, all within the first 100 hours or so).

That's why it's always best not to freak out and act hastily until you know for sure, giving it a week or two. The replacement might turn out to have one or more truly dead pixels and then what? Will Amazon keep replacing at your word with no restock charge?

I searched on "Dead" and saw your post from a few months back.

Just picked up a 50B450 a few days ago. All pixels started out fine (not dead) when I ran the Break-In images, then I noticed 2 pixels that appear to be stuck on green. They are most evident when displaying the red images, and not really visible with any other image.

Did not know they can come back to life, so I'll give it some time. Thanks...

-T

T-Bone

01-01-10, 05:56 PM

Deleted. Moved question to general Samsung Plasma thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1108053&highlight=smooth

Eddystone

01-02-10, 01:00 AM

Can someone please post the best settings for break-in and after break-in?

Thank you and happy new years.

stereomandan

01-02-10, 10:50 AM

Eddystone

01-02-10, 11:43 AM

Dezbot

01-04-10, 07:07 PM

You can use my settings. These sets really don't need much in the sense of break-in.

Movie Mode, Warm 2 setting
Cell Light: 10
Contrast: 85
Brightness: 50 (this can vary from 48 to 52 depending on what input or source you are using)
Sharpness: 20 for standard definition content. I use 5 for HD content (Blu-Ray, or High Def Channels)
Color: 38
Tint: G42/R58

Advanced: Everything off or zero except:
Gamma: 0 (or -1 if you like)
Color Space: Auto

White Balance:
Red Offset: 21
Green Offset: 25
Blue Offset: 15
Red Gain: 25
Green Gain: 0
Blue Gain: 27

Dan

Hi, I just got a PN42B450 for Christmas and so far, I've been doing regular viewing on it in Standard mode with full screen, but varying channels and inputs as I saw recommended on another thread, and being careful not to pause my Wii games, Blu-Ray movies, or TV shows if I can help it. Should I calibrate as you recommend above until I reach 200hrs, or is what I am doing okay for break-in? I've only had it mounted a couple of weeks. Also, do I need a calibration disc and/or break-in DVD? Or can I just use your settings for break-in (and the ones I saw posted for viewing)? My room has two small windows with white mini-blinds and is a little dark, even on bright days, unless I open the blinds. Both windows are on the adjacent wall where the TV is mounted, but neither seems to cause a reflection problem when I open the blinds (admittedly, I haven't watch much TV during the day).

Finally, it noticed that when a scene is completely black (such as when The Bride is buried alive in "Kill Bill Vol. 2"), the set "blinks" in a cycle from black to grey to lighter grey (or white) repeatedly until the scene changes. Is that normal, or something I need to have fixed?

I tried to find an official thread for this set, but couldn't. Thanks for any and all help!

kanpol

01-04-10, 08:57 PM

Dezbot whats your brightness set at? If its to low it will either do that or appear to shut off on an all black screen

Dezbot

01-05-10, 12:02 AM

Kanpol, I'm running it in Standard mode, which has brightness set at 45.

kanpol

01-05-10, 02:32 AM

try movie mode and see what happens, also do you notice it on regular tv or using a bluray or ps3? Also raise brightness up a few notches and see what happens

R3deye

01-08-10, 05:58 AM

I resolved the flickering on black picture with setting brightness on 50 or more.
That's on Standard.

And a question:
Does anybody know if it's possible to activate Warm 1 & 2 on Standard picture mode through the service menu?

rockugg

01-08-10, 10:58 AM

soupnuts

01-08-10, 11:00 AM

About the IR issue I was having a few posts back, that's not a problem anymore. Anytime I've been gaming or whatever for to long and notice it I run the break in images overnight and it's gone the next day. Nut I have a new question.

Anybody have any advice for using this as a computer monitor. Won't be a regular thing but trying it out now with laptop hooked up to it via HDMI and I can't get it just right.

The manual says the recommended res setting is 1360x768, If I set the tv as main display, 1360x768 isnt even an option as a res. If I set the laptop monitor as main and the 450 as the secondary , it becomes a selectable res and looks fine on the laptop, but on the tv it goes to a little square in the middle of the set and the it shows the incoming signal as being 1980x1020. ONly way I've really found to do it is to set the comp to output 1024x720 which causes it to overscan on the tv but in the grafx options there is an aspect ratio adjustment that I can use to get everything in the display.

This is a content medium but I would like to optimally set the res to match the tv at 1366x768. I have it hooked to hdmi 2 like the manual says. Only issue might be that the hdmi cable is running through my av reciever but it just passes the signal along, don't really see why it would alter it.

Another thing according to the manual it shows an auto adjust and screen option which it says is for optimizing video quality from pc's. I dont see these menu options anywhere.

moziwozi

01-08-10, 11:25 AM

I read over the manual yesterday and found a few things that I wanted to review here before I mess with them.

First is the "Screen Burn Protection" that shifts pixels in the horizontal and vertical position every 1-4 minutes. Has anyone enabled that and seen any improvement? Or is scrolling still necessary?

How does the "Energy Saving" affect the picture? Anyone try that? I was going to set it to Low. Maybe higher for break-in?

I checked samsung.com and found it published a firmware update. I didn't notice any release notes that explained what that update fixed. It's dated 9/2009. Has anyone tried it?

Thanks.

Well, from a very non-technical standpoint, I purchased this television over the summer (mid-August) and have had no troubles at all thus far. After a while I used stereomandan's settings with no trouble (you can search for these through the forum). I now use Dallows's settings as I have a large window in my living room and the brighter screen helps during daytime watching. I have my pixel shift on the default setting as well. I did see minimal image retention after several hours of watching black barred television (before many hours of watching) but the scrolling took care of it. Keep in mind this was right after I received the set and kept it on the Standard/Default picture settings (until I found this forum). The only thing I've noticed about Energy Saving is it decreases the brightness of the picture relating directly how aggressive you set the Energy Saving (mine is currently off). I also have seen no noticeable difference in my electric bill either, I believe with just regular watching this is negligible. Oh, and I did install the new firmware update, no noticeable difference. There's a list of exactly what it does online, perhaps I saw it in this forum but I cannot remember the specifics.

Honestly in summary, for this television, it's a great buy. I have Comcast HD service and it's a great picture for my 9' viewing. As are Blu-Ray movies. Perhaps I should've taken more precautions with the break-in but in the beginning I used no real precautions: all default settings, watched black barred programs, and played video games for hours. I have thankfully noticed no image quality difference or any burn-in/image retention recently with the now 5+ months of usage.

I hope this helps, if you can take into consideration a budgeted college student's advice. You have a great set and I'm now off to watch mine as I'm currently snowed in.

T-Bone

01-10-10, 12:25 PM

My 50" set has a block of pixels missing that I need to report to
Samsung, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I also noticed today as I was browsing my OTA stations that it added some channels that were not in my lineup, that I had to delete. This has happened in the past but not for quite some time. I have the channel lineup set to receive most of the digital channels in my area, and the ones that are added have always been analog channels and they always report "unsupported resolution" or something to that effect. Has anybody else had this happen to them?

Danny_w, did you ever contact Samsung for a panel replacement? My 2 dead pixels are light green in color, and are only visible when the screen is red.

Doe anyone know what the Samsung policy on on dead pixels? Bought mine from Best Buy, and am still within the 30 days return policy. Did not have it delivered, so I'd hate to box this up and replace it with a possible buzzer. I'd prefer Samsung to replace the panel within the 30 day return period.

-T